Another Five Years

Ten Years Gone

"Where's your bag, son?" Bobby called from behind his car where he was loading Anna's bag into the trunk.

"Don't have one," David shrugged, shutting the car door after helping Anna into the front seat. "It was kind of a last minute trip." He felt Bobby's large hand on his shoulder and he before he knew what was happening, Bobby had pulled him into a bear hug. They hadn't seen each other in ten years and Bobby had aged accordingly. His hair was more grey than brown and his laugh lines were deeper, indicating he never once lost his sense of humor over the years.

"Glad to have you back," was all the massive man said.

"Glad to be back, sir," he replied, jumping a little at Bobby's booming laugh.

"You've got to quit with that 'sir' business, David. Makes you sound like a fucking jarhead."

The drive from Washington National Airport to Anna's house was mercifully short and Dave felt like his heart would bolt straight from his chest when he saw her old neighborhood. None of it had changed, the landscaping was still neatly trimmed and the American flags flew proudly from front porches. Her house was no different, even her old skate ramps were propped on the side of the garage waiting for her to come home. Anna's mother was on the front steps, clutching a tissue and already weeping at the sight of her daughter much worse for wear. Anna was hustled inside while David and Bobby busied themselves with her one bag to give the women some space. Bobby sat on the porch swing while Dave leaned against the railing, staring down at his shoes.

"I hated the way Anna ended things with you," Bobby said suddenly, making Dave look up. "I always wanted to tell her she was making a mistake, but you can't tell that girl otherwise once she's got her head on a certain way. She didn't want to hold you back."

Dave could only muster a shrug and pretend like it didn't still bother him.

"But I knew you'd make it," Bobby went on, "I don't think anyone expected you to go as far as you did, but you're doing a damn fine job."

"Thank you," he said simply. The five-hour flight from Seattle had given him time to prepare for the inevitable small talk since Anna had slept on his shoulder most of the way, but he still wanted to get her out of there and settled in her new place.

"You have that drive," Bobby went on, "that thing that one needs to make it out there... and I'm so sorry about your friend."

Dave looked back down, letting his hair fall in his face as he nodded a thank you.

"Now I know you're Dave out in the big, wide world, but here at the Bredon's, you're still David. Is that okay?"

Dave felt his smile return, feeling right at home again.

*

"When the hell did you get this?" David asked as Anna handed him the keys to her brand new BMW.

"Graduation gift," she smiled and nodded at her parents who were waving goodbye from the front porch.

"Incentive to come back home, huh?" Dave turned the ignition and noticed the car only had twelve miles on it. "Have you driven this yet?"

She carefully shook her head. "When I'm feeling better," she explained.

Dave followed the directions Bobby had given him to Anna's new place and stopped in front of a Georgian style brick townhome. They were told it was an apartment in Alexandria, but they were staring at a townhome in Rosemont which was easily a grand more in rent a month.

"Wow," David whistled when they swung the heavy wooden door open to the smell of fresh paint. There was a little foyer with dark wood floors and warm beige walls that opened into a living room, dining room and kitchen. A set of stairs was just off the dining room leading to what he assumed were bedrooms. 

"Yep," Anna grumbled. "And it's just down the road from The Pentagon."

"You gonna start working for The Man now?" he teased.

She laughed at that and tried to hide the flinch when her cut lip protested. "No, Mom got a job there once the Senator kicked the bucket. She's been there a few years now."

"So what are the jobs you had lined up?" Dave opened the pantry when they wandered into the kitchen and almost laughed when he saw it was already stocked with her favorite food. 

"Assistant to the assistant of the House Whip, Democrat of course, or the assistant to the assistant of acoustics at The Kennedy Center."

"What?" Dave spun around at the mention of acoustics. "How did you nail that gig?"

"I have a masters in Music Theory, David," she said quietly. 

He stared at her as she walked up the steps, feeling like a complete idiot. He had never once asked her what she taking in school, he just assumed it was calculus or English or one of those AP classes she was so focused on when they were teenagers. Music had never once occurred to him. He followed her up the steps and found her sitting at the foot of her bed, staring at herself in the dresser mirror across from her.

"Anna? You okay?"

"Mmmhmm!" she hummed and patted the spot next to her. "What are you going to do when you get back?"

He flopped down on the bed next to her. "Finish the album. The label has been down our throats about getting it done and the producer... I love the guy, but fuck he's pushing me."

"Pushing you to do what?"

"Write something meaningful. The last album was mostly stuff I had written in Nirvana, the rest of it was just random material. I feel like the rest of the guys are just waiting for me to fuck it all up."

She looked down at her hands as the subject of 'the other guys'- William included- hovered over them, "Please don't-"

"Anna, I'm going to kick his fucking face in," he jumped up from the bed and raked his hair back, knowing the dam had now burst. 

"No, please-," she pleaded, scooting to the edge of the bed as best she could. 

"Look at you!" he yelled, waving an arm at her broken wrist. "How can I-"

"Because I'm asking you not to."

"Anna-"

"Do you remember the reason we broke up in the first place?"

He turned away from her and pressed his palms into the top of the dresser, bracing himself for what she was about to say. 

"I refuse to be the reason you lose a drummer in the middle of an album, just before you're supposed to promote and tour. You don't have to step in and avenge anything," she rolled her eyes a little at the thought. "You know damn well I wouldn't have even told you about this if I didn't have to. Helping me get home and away from the situation was all I needed." 

William was already out of a job in Dave's mind, he'd just have to get creative when it came to officially kicking him out of the lineup. "Okay," he muttered. "Heaven forbid I make this worse for you." 

He felt her arms around his waist and looked up at her in the mirror when she rested her chin on his shoulder. 

"Thanks, kitten."

*

Dave left Anna to unpack her bag and settle into her new place while he borrowed her BMW to visit his mom. He went immediately to the fridge as he always did, digging through it to grab a can of soda and a handful of grapes. Leaning against the kitchen sink, he spotted his mom out in the yard weeding a garden bed and headed out to say hello.

"Hey, mom!"

"David!" she looked up in shock. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged and strolled across the lawn, smiling at the swing set he and his sister had played on as kids. "Just needed a break from the west coast."

She stood and brushed the dirt off her jeans before hugging her son tightly. "Well, it's the best surprise I've had in a long time, honey. Is Jennifer with you?"

He immediately looked down at the grass and sighed, "Can we talk?"