Chapter One: Welcome Home

Just inside the warm Detroit airport on a cold December day, a tall young brunette had left the plane taking in a deep breath of the familiar air.

"Alex!" A deep voice called, Alex had turned towards where the voice was coming from and she grinned broadly as her eyes rested upon the figure of her cousin, Derrick.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes. Where's Mike? Being a lazy ass at home?"

"Actually," said another voice behind her, "this lazy ass was standing in a line up for half an hour just to get you a freakin' coffee."

Alex turned to face Michael and wrapped her arms around him to give him a hug, but not before grabbing her coffee from him hand.

"Thanks Mike, clearly you'll never forget me and my coffee addiction." Mike and Derrick both let out a small laugh. It was so good to have Alex home again. Living with them, even under the crappy circumstances.

The trio climber the old wooden stairs up to the apartment.

"Der, this place is getting creakier everytime I stay here." Alex said with mild amusement in her voice.

When they finally got to the third floor, Mike opened the door and let everyone in.
"Hey Mike," Derrick called out from under the many suitcases Alex had brought, "grab me a beer will ya?"

"Derrick you aren't even in the door yet and already you're getting a beer?" Alex criticized as she went down the yellowing hallway to her room. Derrick had replied with some sarcastic remark but Alex couldn't hear because she had already entered her room.

It hadn't changed at all. The dark blue paint chipping off the walls. The many posters littering the door and around the window, And where ever there weren't posters there was writing. Song lyrics – song that Alex had written herself, some from her favourite sons. Mini drawings also covered the walls, as well as comments people wrote whenever they entered the room. Alex looked at one of the comments and smiled as she read the words "Do The Monkey With Me." That comment in particular had a little monkey right underneath it doing a little dance. Alex walked over to the bookshelf that was on the left wall. She ran her fingers along the spines of some of her favourite stories. She had everything from rolling stone magazines to Hemingway and Shakespeare. She had to have had over three hundred books scattered all around the room. Alex wasn't much for cleaning, and last time she left she thought she'd be gone for a week, not two and a half years.

Alex dropped her book bag on the bed and quickly took out two note books and a few pens. She laid them on the well worn desk she had used for so many years. Lexie dove back into her bag and grasping what she was looking for, she checked to see that the doorway was clear before bringing out her secret possessions. Three joints, two caps of e, and some cocaine. Alex glimpsed down at what was in her before shoving it unceremoniously into her nightstand drawer.

"Lexie," Alex immediately turned to face her cousin "we're going to the Mercers for dinner. Bobby wants to see you again. Oh and they got someone new you'd probably like to meet."

Alex breathed a sigh of relief "of course. I'll be out in a moment."

"Alright sweetie."

Alex turned to grab a pair of jeans.

"Lexie?"

"Yeah Der?"

"It's really good to have you home."

Alex smiled and looked Derrick in the eyes.

"It's good to be home." was all she could reply.