Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own anyone that has to do with Deadliest Catch or the Discovery Channel, however, I do own my created characters and the scenarios that I put all the characters into. This story is a sequel to Off In The Distance and so you should read that one before reading this one, otherwise you will be lost and I won't be able to help you. I have reservations about this story and am not sure that it will take off the way I want it to, so please let me know what you think and any ideas or constructive criticism will be nice and helpful. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. :)

Six Months Later

"You can't pack it all I don't have enough room for all that stuff." Crosby removed the extra shirts I had placed in his suitcase. "Just pack the necessary items, stuff I'll actually need where it's cold, and make sure that you get all the Under Armor."

"You should just let me pack and stop hovering." I slapped at his hands and tried to take the shirts from him. "I know what I'm doing."

"I don't doubt that you know what you're doing but you're a woman. Women always pack more than is actually needed." He continued to hold his clothes out of my reach. "Why don't you just sit down and relax and I'll finish my own packing."

I scoffed at him and flopped down on his large bed. "I try to do something nice and this is the thanks I get. I feel so love and appreciated."

He looked over at me, "Oh stop, there will be no pouting."

"I'm not pouting," I pulled my knees up to my chest and watched as Crosby carried on with the packing.

He shook his head and laughed. "If you're not pouting, then what do you call it?"

I stuck my tongue out at him, "I don't know." I glanced over my shoulder at my purse. I took a deep breath, internally debating on whether or not to tell Crosby about the contents it held.

He looked over at me, studying me closely. "What's up?"

Startled, I turned my attention back to him, "What? Oh, nothing, I was just debating."

"Um, okay, debating about what?" He reached over me and snatched my purse. "What does this hold? And is it something I'm going to like?"

I didn't even bother trying to get it back from him, I just sighed. "I was putting away the laundry the other day and as I was putting away my dad's, um, unmentionables, I found a stack of letters." I stopped talking and Crosby sat down next to me. "During Opi season, Sig told me that my brother had sent letters, one a week for four years and that he'd kept them all. I had forgotten that he'd told me that until I found them. I read a few, but I couldn't bring myself to plow through them all." I took my purse back from Crosby and pulled out an envelope. "This one had a post mark of two months ago and it was on the top of the stack. I figure it was the last one he sent." I handed the letter to Crosby and watched as he slowly opened it.

"Are you sure you want me to read this? Your brother isn't exactly a subject that you're family talks about." Crosby glanced over at me, waiting for confirmation.

I nodded my head, "I want you to read it and I want you to tell me what you think."

He unfolded the letter and scanned it quickly, "Do you want me to read it out loud?" I nodded and he begin reading,

Dad and Lexi,

I don't even know where to begin or what to say. I've been writing you letters for almost five years now and I've received nothing in return, so I'm still assuming that you are both very pissed off and upset with me. I just want you both to know that this will be my last letter but I'm hoping that it won't be the last time I ever have contact with you. Dad, I just want you to know that I didn't abandon the family, I just needed to do this for me and I need you to understand that. I know that you think I bailed and I know that you think I marred the family name by doing so. However, like I told you before, everyone deals with pain and death in their own way and my joining the Navy and doing something productive was my way of dealing. I want to know how Lexi is doing. How did her rehab go and how is she doing physically and emotionally? Dad, please, I'm asking for you to contact me at least once. I'm not asking for forgiveness, I'm just asking to let me talk to my family again. If you can tell Lexi that I've been writing, that would be great, I know that she would want to talk to me, to find out how I'm doing. Just so you know, like I've said in past letters, (which you probably haven't even bothered to read,) I'm doing really well and I'm just finishing up my four years. I'm not going to be a lifer and I am planning on moving back to Seattle once I'm discharged. Since none of my letters were returned, I'm assuming that you still live in the same house. I'm not sure how you'll handle seeing me again but I'm hoping that you'll give me the chance to talk to you, to explain. I'm a man now dad and I want to take responsibility for my actions. I want to make it up to all of you. I want to take care of you and Lexi. Basically dad, I'm asking for you to not disown me and to someday (hopefully someday soon) give me an honest chance to talk to you, one where you will actually listen to me. All I'm asking for is a second chance, the same as you would do for anyone else, however, I have a feeling that my pleading is futile but I'm determined to win you, Lexi, and the rest of the family over.

Your son,

Brandon

Crosby folded the letter back up and placed it carefully in its envelope. "I'm not sure what you want me to say Lex, this is some deep family stuff." He couldn't take his eyes off of the paper in his hands. "He sounds like he really wants to come back and it sounds like he's really sorry."

I took the letter from him, "I was so mad at Brandon for the longest time. He was the always the rational one, the one that never jumped to quick decisions or did anything that would disappoint the family. When he said he was leaving, it literally was the final straw for my dad. He flipped out on Brandon and basically kicked him out. Told him that if he was old enough to join the Navy and leave the family in a time of crisis, then he was old enough to be on his own. I don't really remember much about the day he left and dad refused to talk about it but I do remember Brandon coming into my hospital room and telling me goodbye." I stopped talking as I turned the paper over and over in my hands. "I don't even know what to feel."

Crosby leaned over and kissed my temple, "I think I have to agree with your dad on this one. Don't think about it, don't worry about it and don't analyze every single detail. If he happens to appear back in your life again, then that will be your time to start thinking about it. You don't know where he is Lexi, this letter was dated two months ago and he says in the letter that he's finished with his time in the Navy. If he really wants to contact any of you again, I'm guessing he will do just that. What time are we meeting up with Jake and Josh?" Crosby changed the subject.

I smiled and looked over at the clock near the bed, "In about an hour. I'm so excited to meet Josh's new girlfriend. He really seems to like this one too because I've never heard him talk about a girl so much before."

Crosby cocked his head, "Maybe that's because it would be stupid for him to talk about you to you."

"Ha, ha, cute, you know what I mean." I threw a pillow at his head but he was too quick.

He reached over and picked it up, holding it above him. "You better be careful, I'm not afraid to attack."

I curled up in a ball as he ascended on me. His fingers found my sides and I started to laugh uncontrollably. "This…is…so…not…fair."

"This is what happens when you start something you can't win." His laughter mixed with mine.