Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Author's Note: Hello everyone! How are you? Hope you're doing well! I'm so very sorry for taking so long to update this story. Real life got in the way and then I was working on other stories—one for this show. But tonight I do have a new chapter for you for this story! I'm just hoping you readers are still interested! I do have the story planned out and there's a good number of chapters left, unless I combine them and make longer chapter but fewer of them. What works better for you all? Let me know! Thanks as always for the incredible encouragement, it means so much! Again I'm very sorry for the lack of updates but I do plan on updating more often like every Sunday or every other Sunday, it'll be like the show is still airing right? Lol Gotta keep the sow alive! Thanks again for everything, hope you all like, and as always please, Enjoy!
"The best place to look for arrowheads are where two rivers meet because that's where the Indians used to hunt," Jacob explained to Jenny as the two of them walked along the riverbank. "Right, Dad?"
"That's right, you remember that?" Henry asked smiling as a look of awe crossed onto his face.
It had been decades since their last arrowhead hunt together, but Henry seemed to forget that for Jacob it felt more like only a few months.
Jacob nodded and grinned eagerly before looking back at his friend, "Come on, there's a spot like that up ahead."
The two kids sprinted off excitedly, making the two men smile at the sight, however as Henry watched his son move further off ahead he quickly remembered his wife nervously waiting for them at the picnic spot.
"Not too far, Jacob and be careful," he called out before adding, "You too Jenny. We don't want anything happening to either one of you."
While Jacob merely shouted a quick, "okay" over his shoulder, Jenny was a little more considerate and actually stopped walking for a few moments, turning around to look at her friend's father.
"Okay, Mr. Langston, we will," Jenny assured then waved her hand before walking back on the trail behind Jacob.
Henry lifted up his open palm at the young girl's retreating figure and his smile reappeared at the view of the two friends laughing and running.
Marty had also found some contentment in watching his sister and Jacob—he was glad that they had each other. Getting Jacob out of the government facility and bringing him home to Arcadia instead of taking him to the orphanage had been the best decision he'd ever made. It worked out for everyone but especially these two.
When the kids were out of sight but could still be heard, Marty turned his attention to Henry. "Take it you used to bring Jacob out here a lot before," he guessed aloud.
"All the time," confirmed Henry. "Almost every other weekend we came out here. There were a lot of games we'd play and things we'd do but looking for arrowheads was always Jacob's favorite."
Henry shared this memory but then suddenly became quite and decided not to share the fact that Jacob had been looking for arrowheads the day that he'd tried to save his Aunt Barbara. Just thinking about it filled Henry with remorse and sadness. And that's not how he wanted to feel today, that's not how he wanted any of them to feel today.
Today was about celebrating the second chance he'd miraculously be given, the second chance that had brought back Jacob, Jenny, and Marty. Although in Marty's case, it was a third chance but that was still worth celebrating. These second chance allowed them more time to spend together, time to spend making more memories with the people they loved; Lucille, Maggie, Fred…where was Fred?
Though Marty knew that Henry Langston would normally not be called a chatterbox, the older man's sudden silence concerned him.
"Henry," he called, not getting Henry's attention instantly. "You alright?"
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Henry turned to the agent and pressed on a slight smile, "Fine."
The reply had not only been swift but it did little to convince Marty that it was the truth.
"You sure," he asked again, "you're feeling okay?"
Henry's eyes stayed on Marty but this time he wasn't only looking at him, he was studying him. His smile had by this time faded away and been replaced by a wrinkled brow and an upright chin.
"Maggie told you about my heart," he concluded.
With a look that said 'you're right,' Marty shrugged his shoulders. "To be fair, I asked her."
The nodding motion of Henry's head lowered his chin back into its usual position before he spoke, "At least it wasn't Lu."
"About that," Marty began, being cautious as he did so. "Maggie seems to really think you should tell her."
"So do I," confessed Henry.
"Then why don't you?"
Before he could start his explanation, Henry felt the need to take in a deep breath and avert his eyes to the ground as he did so; keeping them there when he began to speak.
"Lu's been through a lot these past few days. Months even. I…I just don't want to give her something else to worry about."
Marty moved his head up and down, he could understand where Henry was coming from but wasn't sure if completely agreed with it; he knew it might not be his place to say anything, however he still felt like he should at least add in his two cents on the situation.
"I don't know, I mean I know that I don't know Lucille as well as you do. But what I've learned about her in the time I've known her is that she's a pretty strong woman," he said then spotted the scowl forming on Henry's forehead—either because he was taking in the words and considering them or because he was upset by them. Marty continued, "Look, I'm not telling you what to do. I just think it would be better if Lucille heard about all this from you and not someone else."
Henry raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner, a look that did not go unnoticed by Marty but instead of being offended by it he smiled instead.
"I'm not talking about me. I don't think it's my place to get involved," the agent explained. "Don't think Maggie feels the same though."
Nodding his head, Henry smiled a sort of unsure smile. "Guess I made a mistake by leaving the two of them alone, huh?"
Marty smirked, "Don't worry, I convinced Maggie not to mention anything and just let the day be about spending time together." He informed and it seemed to make the older man relax. "Can't make any promises about tomorrow though."
"Seems like nobody can these days," Henry mused out loud while staring at the body of water before him.
"You sure you're doing alright?" Marty couldn't help but question after that heavy observation that had been made.
"I'm fine. Sometimes though, it can just be…" he struggled for the right word. "Overwhelming."
Despite him settling on the word, Henry wasn't sure if that was the right word either; however someone else thought it was very fitting.
"Tell me about it. I've died and come back twice and still don't get…any of it." Marty spoke, thinking about his own Return, well the one that he was somewhat aware of. The only real proof he had of it ever happening was seeing his lifeless body, memories of it were almost nonexistent, while memories of seeing himself, like some sort of clone, still haunted his dreams.
"Seeing your own dead body, not something I exactly recommend to anyone."
"That's right, you saw your body afterwards. What did you do…with it?"
"Tom and I buried it in an unmarked grave," Marty shared, the memory fresh in his mind; however, a sudden thought pulled him out of his memories. "Why?"
Henry shook his head in a dismissive manner, "No reason. Is that Jenny?"
Marty intended to press on, figure out why Henry was curious about what he had done with his dead body—maybe he was curious about his own—however, the mention of his sister quickly shifted his focus and he turned his eyes to where Henry was looking. Sure enough, happily skipping their way was a grinning Jenny, but no Jacob anywhere near her.
"Jenny," Marty rather quickly before he asked the question that was already on Henry's mind. "Where's Jacob?"
Now standing in front of them, the young girl shrugged her shoulders, "He's talking to some lady."
"Lady?" Henry repeated, worry evident on his voice. "What lady?"
"He said she was his grandma," Jenny replied innocently, she really didn't think it was a big deal to leave Jacob with his grandmother. She was his family and Jenny had been taught to believe that family was a very important thing.
"Margaret?" Marty questioned but looked at Henry instead of Jenny.
Henry was still processing the news. His mother was here and she had Jacob? This was like some bad case of déjà vu.
"She's supposed to be at that facility," he reminded somewhat upset that she wasn't there now but mostly he was fearing for his son's safety. "Do you think she escaped?"
"I heard the security there's supposed to be pretty tight," explained Marty but he could see the worry on the older man's face and he was certain that it was similar to his own worry. He quickly thought up a plan. "I'll call up the people I know down there while I take Jenny back over with Maggie and Lucille. You go find Jacob, I'll be there as soon as I can."
Author's Note: So what did you think? Yay? Nay? A little of both? Let me know in a review!
In the upcoming chapter we'll see more of the Langston family reunion with Mother Margaret Langston.
Until next time, thanks for reading, hope you liked, please review and lemme know what you think, stay tuned, take care, and have nice day!