Sorry for the long delay. Exams ect. Hopefully this chapter is ok, it's a bit of a chapter that is needed to reveal some stuff, but i hope i kept a bit of the mystery.
Peggy stood in shock. She remembered these two but the last time she saw them they were so much younger. She never got an explanation for their families disappearance. One day they were there, the next thing there was a phone call from their mother saying they'd have to cancel their lunch date later that week because they were going to the west for a bit. She was now looking at them all those years later, at a young man and teenager and she began to recognise them. She saw parts of their mother in them.
Roxy who was still stood nearby, getting increasingly frustrated as she watched them just standing there, broke the silence.
'You said your name was Sasha.' She said accusingly at the girl now claiming to be Sophia.
'I'm Sophia, but everyone calls me Sasha.' Turning she explained to Roxy. 'It's complicated.'
'How about you go get changed out of those soggy clothes, and back over here and you could answer some questions, yeah?' Peggy quickly changed the attention back to herself. 'Invite your mum as well.' She called as the two walked away in the direction of their house. Sasha and Kai looked at each other, and didn't stop. The look said it all. They'd explain later.
They opened the door to Zeus, who was happily chewing on one of his bones. Seeing them he wandered over with his tail wagging.
'Here we go… for better or for worse.' Kai turned to Sasha, with his hand on the door. 'Nothing too big, not today.'
'What about mum? And dad?' Sasha looked up towards her brother. ' They'll ask questions, we can't avoid that.'
' You're right. But only mum and your dad. Nothing else ok?' After waiting for a nod from Sasha he opened the door to the pub. He didn't know what to expect as he entered. He looked around the tables and didn't notice anyone. Sasha poked him and he turned to where she was looking. Peggy was stood behind the bar, dressed up in her usual style.
'Ah you two,' she said whilst ushering them round to the other side of the pub, leading them up a set of stairs and into a lounge. Already sat there was Roxy with a baby, a boy who they recognised from earlier called Ben, another blonde haired woman and another bald headed older man.
Sasha couldn't remember anyone, but she could see Kai studying the faces of the two who he didn't know to work out who they were. He narrowed it down to the girl either being Sam or Veronica and the man being either Phil or Grant.
Peggy smiled through the awkwardness. She introduced them both to Roxy, her daughter Amy, Ronnie, Phil and his son Ben. She explained that Billy was away, but secretly Kai was pleased, 4 adult Mitchell's in one room was enough for anyone to contend with. They took a seat, feeling awkward. Peggy scanned the room, and seeing no one was willing to say the first word, she stepped in.
'So where abouts have you been hiding for the past years?'
'Somerset mainly. We left for Wales for a couple of months, but we moved to Somerset to make things easier with Dad…' Sasha trailed off, thinking she had said too much. Glancing at Kai she quickly covered her tracks. ' We decided it was about time we returned to where our family is.'
'Yes well family's important isn't it,' Peggy beamed proudly round at her family. 'Could your mother not make it today then?' Sasha and Kai faces immediately changed. Their expressions dropped. They knew it would be coming but it was still too much. Looking into Kais eyes, Sasha realised she was the one who would have to tell them. It was always her. Kai had always been close to their mum, more so than Sasha, and what happened hit him harder than her. His eyes warned her. She could read – Not too much information.
'She died. About 5 years ago.' Sasha hated this part: the after effect. Everyone always reacted the same. Shock, then sadness then pity. Always pity for the children without a mother.
Ronnie, Roxy and Phil looked at each other. They could just about remember their Auntie Sephy; she was their dads' sister and not really anything like the brothers. She was calm yet there was always that little Mitchell streak in her.
Peggy, took in the news, she was never exactly close to her sister in-law, but she respected her. She was a good sort. Realising how quiet the room had gone, she could see that she would need to change the subject slightly.
'What about you father? Is he around?'
This time it was Kai who answered. 'Sasha's dad died as well.' Kai was never close to Sasha's dad, He always was jealous of his sister. She knew both her parents. He didn't even know who his dad was.
'Oh…' The silence returned. This time Peggy kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to be the one who asked another poor question.
Roxy sat deep in thought. She held Amy in her arms, as she rocked her to sleep, still pondering. She couldn't get her head around one thing. Breaking the ice like a sledgehammer she looked Sasha straight in the eye.
'How come you said your name was Sasha, but it's Sophia?' Everyone else turned to Roxy in disbelief. She looked at Ronnie, who had her mouth open. 'What?' She stared at each member of her family, trying to understand their expressions. The room remained in silence until a small gentle giggle was heard from the opposite direction to which everyone was looking. Everyone silently breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that it belonged to Sasha.
'Well go on, explain.' Demanded Roxy. She felt she needed a explanation from this mysterious girl who had been thrown into her life claiming to be Sasha, when she knew hew as a Sophia.
'When we moved to Somerset after Dad died, mum called me her little Sasha, because back then I was called Sophia Sash. But everything got complicated with me having a different surname from Kai and mum so we changed it to Mitchell, and gave me Sasha as a middle name. But everyone calls me Sasha anyway.' She explained it as if it was the simplest thing in the world. To them it probably was, but Phil had trouble grasping the Concept.
'What, so you're a Mitchell, but not a true Mitchell? Yet your brother is?' His gruff voice showed a hint of misunderstanding.
'I'm a Mitchell because of mum. My dad was someone else. Kai doesn't know who his dad is and so he had mums surname; Mitchell.'
'Oh, right…'
The room then broke into easy chatter, with Sasha and Kai answering endless questions about their childhood, and their current jobs. Peggy became even prouder of her nephew when she discovered that he was a Pilot.
'Fancy that! A Mitchell that's done something with his life.' Ronnie and Phil glared at Peggy.
'Excuse me mum, I own a load of businesses!'
'And what about the club?' Ronnie stared at Peggy waiting for an answer. Peggy could feel the burn of their eyes on her face. She knew she wouldn't get out of this one so she changed the conversation again.
'Why did you leave in the first place?'
Kai shot Sasha a warning glance. This was one question too far, and they wouldn't answer, not now, not yet, not here.
