Sorry about the huge gap between posts. School has been taking its toll on my time and writing ability. However, got this piece out during a study break.

Enjoy.

The drive from Brisbane International to the William Family house in the northern suburbs was somewhat eventful. It was during this ride where Roach had been introduced to part of Shade's family.

He had already met Jessie, Shade's younger sister who had just finished high school and was going to University. She had aspirations of joining the military, just like her brother. That was until she got introduced into the world of IT and computers. She was on the fast track now to attend Uni on a full IT course. But from her appearance, you would think that IT would be the last thing she would do. Jessie had long black hair, was slightly shorter than Shade, moderately tanned skin and had a near perfect figure. It was a guy's dream as far as looks were concerned.

There was also Shade's younger brother, James. He was the middle child. A die-hard gamer, James had spent his time at high school maintaining a solid B average. He didn't stand out from the crowd, but wasn't completely useless. James didn't go to Uni, and instead got a job at the gaming store in the nearby shopping centre. Outside of work, he'd be playing his various gaming consoles with his mates online, or out and about playing Paintball. He was what they called an active gamer. He didn't spend his entire life in front of a screen. He was slightly taller than Shade, but had shaggy brown hair and lightly tanned skin. He had a thinner frame than Shade, due to the drastic differences in physical activity between the two brothers.

Then there was Shade's mother, Alice. Whilst she was fairly old, approaching fifty five years old, she maintained the looks of a forty year old. Much shorter than her children, she was blond and had a typical mother's body frame. Roach hadn't managed to decipher Alice much, as she was too busy fussing about Shade. There was no sight of his father yet, though. Maybe he wasn't able to make it.

"So Tom, how many times you get shot?" James's question while on the highway home had caught the entire family off guard.
"James Liam Williams! That is an inappropriate question to ask your brother!" Alice exclaimed from the back seat of the car. James was driving; Shade was in the front passenger seat. Roach and Jessie were on opposite sides of the back seat with Alice in between them. "It is none of your business to need to know about that."

"Well Mum, I won't lie, but I was shot." Shade spoke up. This drew shocked looks from James, Alice and Jessie. Roach however started to smile a bit. "Roach hit me matter of fact. We're in the base right, and all hell's broken loose. Roach is on a rooftop with Archer providing support to Scarecrow and I on the ground. Roach sees me come around a corner and panics, firing his gun. The round got me square in the face." Alice was on the verge of tears when Roach started laughing.

"Yeah, and you deserved it for flipping me the bird when I stole your magazines." Roach said.

"Whatever. I tell you what Mum. Nerf darts sting like a bitch." Shade finished that off with a laugh, with James and Jessie following suit. They had caught on to what Shade had said. Roach had shot him in the face with a Nerf gun as payback for Shade's response to Roach's theft of his Hustler magazines. "I've yet to get them get them, and you for that matter, back."

Alice just sat there, taking a while to realise what had been said. When it did finally sink in, she started to laugh as well. She'd witness the times when Shade, James and Jessie all had small Nerf wars inside and outside the house, darks flying everywhere. It got to the point where they'd buy massive amounts of them and hold monthly wars in the local park with all their friends.

They finally arrived home from the airport, and the memories started to flood back to Shade. Roach took in the neighbourhood, looking at it in both an admiring and analytical sense. Their house was a two level building, at the end of the street. The front of the house faced south towards the entrance of the street, with a garden off to the left. Roach also noted the high amount of parked cars around. Shade however failed to realise this, as he was just taken back at how his old home looked.

"Tom! Get your ass out here son!" A voice called from behind the house. It was that of an older man, most likely his father. As the two soldiers, the mother, and two siblings walked through the garage onto the back deck, they were swarmed by cheers, shouts, and general celebration. Howard Williams, Shade's father, had invited the entire extended family on both sides to their place for a surprise welcoming committee.

Well, Shade's family is welcoming. I might just like it here...