***Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up, just been busy and haven't been motivated to write. But don't worry, I'm working on the next few chapters and they will be coming soon! Stay tuned, big things will be happening! ****

Chapter 12

Home arrived sooner than he thought. Before he knew it, Big Thing and his parents were in Clay. He watched as his parents took in a landscape that used to be so familiar to them, but now being away for so many years it seemed foreign.

As they passed by their old ranch, Maddie couldn't help but tear up, and Joe looked on shamefully. The old rotted out sign hanging above the ranch entrance seemed to be mocking them, swinging in the breeze and creaking as it did. From the road much of the ranch couldn't be seen, but neither of them wanted to see any more than the sign. They knew everything on it was neglected, and seeing what they had years ago falling apart would only add to their misery.

They finally reached the center of town, and Joe and Maddie couldn't have looked more apprehensive. They knew just as well as Big Thing that the gas station was the gathering place in town, and everyone would be there.

As they drove into the station, Big Thing saw some locals sipping a few drinks and talking. Being a Monday, there weren't as many locals as there could have been, which took some pressure off his parents. May was working by herself, and when she turned around to see Big Thing and the truck boys pull into the station, anger was quickly painted across her front bumper.

"You!" May shouted, referring to Big Thing. "You were supposed to be back this morning, and I was stuck with the morning rush all by myself! Where were you?"

Big Thing would have responded if Darla didn't come huffing out of the convenience store. She looked angrier than May, and she didn't even have to deal with the morning rush.

"I'm very ashamed of you! Don't you ever do this to poor May again!" Darla yelled, shaking her tire at him with a scolding nature. A few of the locals briefly turned to her yelling, but it took only seconds for them to ignore it.

"Sorry, Darla, but something held me and the boys up!" Big Thing responded pleadingly. He hated getting Darla angry. She needed to cool down before meeting his parents, who were now cowering behind him and the truck boys.

"Oh? And what could possibly be more important than showing up for your shift?" Darla asked, crossly.

"Well, I found my parents," Big Thing replied briefly.

The anger was quickly wiped from Darla's face. She looked at him with shock.

"Really? How did you find them, and who are they?" Darla asked.

"We got lost and stopped at an ol' rundown gas station. Look, Darla, I brought them home with me." Big Thing paused as he coaxed his parents to come stand by his side. When Joe and Maddie came around and stood by their son, Darla's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Johnaha?! Is that you?!" Darla called out. At the mention of Big Thing's last name, every car in the gas station turned to look at them.

At first Joe didn't speak, taking in the shock of seeing old faces he thought he would never see again. He cleared his throat before finally speaking.

"Yes, it is us, and um…Big Thing you call him? His real name is Arlington, and he's our son," Joe responded timidly.

Darla's mouth still hung agape. For a moment she was silent, but when she spoke up her tone was far from calm.

"Why did you do that to him? Throw him out on the streets and make him live like that? When he came to us, he was so sick that if he didn't get medical attention, he would have died!" Darla shot a glare to Rich in the crowd, who nodded his hood with agreement.

"I'm very ashamed of you two! I should have y'all arrested for child abandonment, and for putting him through what he went through!" Darla spat, narrowing her eyes. The cars at the gas station began chattering at the fact the Johnaha's had abandoned their only son.

Big Thing's eyes widened with fear, since he didn't want Darla to do anything that would separate him from his parents. It was a complicated story, but he knew only his parents could tell it.

"Hear me out!" Joe yelled, making the gas station chatter stop abruptly. The hum of the highway behind them was the only thing keeping it from being completely silent.

Joe and Maddie put their fear behind them and came out with the story of what happened to them and the ranch. The crowd listened intently, every car tense, wanting to get answers to questions that had been buzzing in their heads since the day the ranch closed.

When the story was finished and the truth revealed, there was silence once again. Even Darla couldn't think of a comeback or something to say. Everything had been for Big Thing, and it had all been destroyed by fraud.

"We can catch them! We can get the state and the FBI on this, you guys need the ranch back!" shouted one townscar.

"This happened over 20 years ago, how are we going to catch them now? It's hopeless," Joe said, lowering his hood. The silence returned.

Darla drove up towards them, and put a gentle tire on Joe's fender. She looked at him sorrowfully, regretting her lashing anger and threat earlier.

"I'm so sorry, sorry for everything," Darla addressed them softly, and that was all she could say.

"Thank you, Darla, for taking care of him. I couldn't have chose anyone better than you," Maddie told her softly. Darla gave her old friend a faint smile before driving over to join the silent crowd.

Big Thing wished that the silence would break, and that everyone would be happier to see his parents rather than feel sorry for them. Unfortunately, he knew that couldn't be changed. He knew to this town long ago, his parents were more than just townsfolk. They carried the town of Clay, and made it what it was.

"Arlington," Joe said, turning to his son. "We need to head on back, it's starting to get late, and the owner only gave us a day." It looked as if saying this broke Joe's heart.

Big Thing understood. He hugged both of his parents goodbye, trying not to get too emotional in front of the crowd. The best moment in his life had come and finally passed, such as most of the happiest moments do in life.

"Come visit us when you can, you know where we are now," Maddie said, giving his fender a kiss.

"I will, every weekend," Big Thing promised, giving her a slight nuzzle. When they pulled apart, he felt like crying, but held back the tears. He wanted them to stay, but he knew that was impossible. They had a job to do and a store to watch over, and he couldn't go back with them.

Joe turned to the townsfolk and tipped his hood.

"Nice seeing ya'll, until we meet again," he said, and turned to Maddie. She nodded she was ready, and before she drove off, she blew Big Thing a kiss. He found himself on the verge of tears.

All that could seen was the dust they were kicking up on the horizon as they were leaving, the sun setting in front of them. Big Thing watched them go, and when they were out of sight he felt like crying again. He wanted them back, and wanted them to stay with him in Clay. He knew he could go visit, but it wasn't the same.

He felt a tire touch his fender. As he turned, he saw Darla smiling back at him.

"I'm proud that you finally found them, and gave them the courage to face everyone in Clay. We had so many unanswered questions," she said softly.

Big Thing nodded his hood in reply, but didn't say anything. He looked back out on the horizon, hoping for any chance they had changed their minds and turned around, but the horizon remained empty.

At that moment, he wanted some alone time. Still feeling emotional, he needed time to think and reflect on everything that had just happened. His life had taken a dramatic turn, and he needed to sit alone and take it all in since it happened so fast.

He asked Darla for some time, and she nodded her hood in approval. As he began to drive away, she caught his attention and drove up to his side.

"Arlington, I just wanted to tell you this. I have seen you before, but you were only a baby then. Maddie brought you to this gas station to show you off, and I couldn't get over how gorgeous you were. I can't believe that I never recognized it was you. It's amazing you've come back to work here, and I get to see you all grown up." Darla smiled sweetly and then let him be on his way.

As he started heading back to his room in the barn, Big Thing couldn't be more awed how connected he was to a town he had originally only planned to drive through.