Chapter 29: No Quick Stops

"I can't believe it's time for you to leave already!" Angie commented as she helped me finish packing for Ireland.

"I know, these past two weeks have been a blast. I don't think I've had so much fun." And we really had. Every day had been an adventure. We went four-wheeler muddin', hiking, swimming, camping, bowling, karaoke singing, boat riding, inter-tubing down rivers, rafting, and zip lining. I'm not even sure how we managed to fit that many activities in two weeks and still have time for me to get my passport, shop for the trip, and pack everything I needed.

"I am going to miss you so freaking much!" Angie exclaimed tearing up.

"Hey no tears! You can cry at the airport," I teased. She laughed at that. "Besides it's not like I won't be home for Christmas." She gave me a look.

"That is more than six months away! How am I going to live without you?"

"I think Tyler will find a way to distract you," I teased suggestively. She blushed.

"Maybe."

We laughed and carried my bags down stairs.

Dad was waiting anxiously in the living room.

"Are you ready?"

"Yup yup!"

"Well alright. I'll get this all loaded up. Take an extra look around, if you want anything take it with you." He told me before heading out the door.

I saw the photo album open on the coffee table and went to take a look. I picked it up and flipped through some of the pages. It was a mixture of old and new photos. It warmed my heart, yet made me sad that dad had been looking through them.

Angie came to stand beside me while I looked through. We laughed together at some of the shots. She was probably in just as many pictures as I was.

When dad came back in we were laughing hysterically at one shot of Angie and I covered in birthday cake. She had smashed my face in so I smeared cake all over her. It created a huge mess, but we had fun. This was taken just last year.

We looked like babies.

It's funny how life works like that.

"You should take it with you," dad mentioned gesturing to the photo album.

"No dad, this is yours." I tried to disagree. He shook his head.

"Please? I think you will like having it. Something to look through if you get homesick." Put like that, how could I refuse?

"Anything else you want to take?" he had asked me the same question at least ten times in the past hour.

"Nope. I've got everything I need. Plus I won't be able to carry anything else." We all laughed. I really hadn't packed that much, but I was going to have to carry it all by myself so it would be a lot.

"Alrighty. Lets go!"

We headed out.

The drive to the airport was spent telling stories and cracking jokes. It made the two hours fly by quickly.

Before I knew it we were pulling up; my stomach started rolling. I was a mixture of nervous and excited.

"You girls hop out. I'll go park then meet you inside. That way you don't have to walk so far.

Angie helped me carry my luggage inside. I went ahead and got in line to check my bags. By the time I had made it through dad was just getting inside. Parking must have been pretty bad.

"Well I've got my boarding pass. And enough nerves to blow chunks." Angie rolled her eyes.

"Nice."

"I know you already have too much to take with you, but I wanted you to have one more thing," dad announced revealing a large package behind his back.

"You didn't!"

I muttered already knowing what it was. How could I not? The packaging was blatantly obvious.

"Go on. Open it."

My hand trembled as I pulled the brown paper away.

I opened the black case, my excitement building.

Sitting before me was my very own acoustic guitar.

It was beautiful.

A mat darker chestnut brown on the body that faded to a lighter brown near the sound hole and bridge. The binding was a simple beige that complimented the coloration.

I trailed my fingers on the wood reveling in the soft wooden texture.

It didn't matter that it was simple; that was how I liked things. Perfectly simple.

I enveloped my dad in a big hug. A few tears escaped.

"I thought you should have a nice one while you were away so you could practice. My only rule is that you have to write and play me a song when you come back for Christmas."

I was nearly speechless.

"Thank you so much daddy. I will write you a hundred songs if you want," and then I laughed.

It really touched my heart. It was such a thoughtful gift. I snapped the case back closed and held on to it tightly.

"Angie helped me pick it out."

I turned to give her a hug as well.

"I can't believe you managed to hide it from me." We all laughed. I was notorious for finding things that I wasn't supposed to see yet. I had only ruined my past birthday and Christmas surprises, by accidentally finding my gift while cleaning the house or looking for something.

"We kept it at my house this time." Angie told me smiling.

"I really don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything sweetheart. I've been wanting to get you a new guitar since that old one wouldn't stay tuned. You practice every day. You deserve to have a nice instrument."

"Still… I love it. This is amazing and I am going to think of you both every time I play."

"Good!" Angie told me with a playful nudge.

"Well you better get going. You have a plane to board and getting through the security line may take a while."

I nodded my head. Close to spilling more tears.

"You better Skype me at least once a day!" Angie told me with a stern face.

"You do realize I will be five hours ahead of you right?" She gave me a thoughtful frown. "How about I Skype you as often as I can, and in the meantime I will send you plenty of pictures and videos on Snapchat?" I had only recently been made to get the Snapchat App. Angie loved it and used it all the time.

She perked up at my offer.

"Deal!" She grabbed me in a big hug. "I'm gonna miss you sister."

"You too Ang. You too."

I turned to dad. He had a sheen of tears in his eyes.

"Don't cry."

"I'm just gonna miss my baby girl. Feels like I only just started to get to know you again." Which was partly true. Since Mike's attack a year and a half ago, dad stopped leaving the country except for very short trips. He never left me home more than a few days at a time. And those trips only happened every few months.

We started to do a lot more together. We took trips, which Angie and sometimes the other girls came on. We ate together nearly every night and did things together on the weekends. It had been a learning process, and a wonderful happy time as well.

"I'm gonna miss you too daddy. I'll send pictures and call as often as I can."

He nodded then hugged me as if he'd never see me again. I laughed when he gave a super big squeeze.

"I'm dying!" I squeaked. He laughed and let me go.

"Okay. Well you better go before I change my mind and chain you to the kitchen floor." I laughed, gave him one last parting hug, picked up my new guitar, then took off towards the security lines.

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"We will be landing shortly. Please return to your seats and buckle up."

I sighed so ready to be off the plane. It had been a very long ten hour flight. I managed to entertain myself by watching two Star Wars movies, so that took about six hours of my time. The other two I had just been waiting anxiously to get off the plane.

I was lucky enough to be seated with only one other passenger, the person in the middle never arrived, so we had plenty of space. I was in the aisle seat, but it didn't matter to me. The passenger beside me did allow me to take a few shots out his window, before he promptly fell asleep.

He was awake enough now though.

"Ready to be off?" He asked with a kind enough smile. His accent was mostly American, with just a hint of Irish. He probably spent a great deal of time in the U.S. but had roots in Ireland.

"Absolutely, I don't think I can take another hour. What about you?"

He gave a hearty chuckle.

"I'm not too much for flying, but I slept most of the way, so I can't complain too much."

"I tried to sleep, but I think I was too nervous."

"First time coming to Ireland?" He asked with a knowing smile.

I nodded my head. "And first time on a plane. It wasn't as bad as it thought."

He laughed again.

"You are in for a treat to be sure. Do you have someone waiting at the airport for you?" There was a tone of genuine worry that made me smile a little. I knew he couldn't have been older than forty, and the fatherly tone was comforting.

"Yes, someone from the school should be here to pick me up." Some of the worry relaxed out of his face.

"Good. Dublin is a great place, but you can never be too careful when traveling to a new area. Especially a young girl like yourself."

The independent woman in me resented the comment, but I had to remind myself that there was truth in what he said. Young women with a limited knowledge of an area were preyed upon. I would be easy to single out if it was someone's intent. The thought made me shiver.

"I don't mean ta scare you. If you have someone waiting on you then no worries, right?"

I nodded, but I still felt a little uneasy.

"If you like, I can walk with you until your people meet up with you. Or I'm sure we can find an officer when we get off the plane." His helpful offer put me more at ease. I thought maybe I should be wary of him, but I usually had a good read on people and he seemed like a nice person.

"Thank you, but really I should be fine." He nodded his head and gave me a reassuring smile.

"Do you have anyone waiting on you?" His smile got bigger when I asked.

"My mum and dad. They've been waiting for me to come home for a while now. I've been living in the states for a long time, and I haven't made a trip here in a few years."

"That sounds really nice. Do you miss it?"

He gave a thoughtful look.

"Most days I don't. But occasionally I'll get an ache to see my homeland. With her green hills and grey skies. She has a way that makes it hard not to think back."

There was a tone of mystery and love that I could relate to. There was something about your home, what you grew up with, that called to you more than any other area. I knew I would miss my home like crazy.

"I can't wait to experience Ireland. I can hardly believe I'm here."

He chuckled again.

"Aye, you're a right cheerful lad, aren't ya?" He slipped into a slightly stronger accent that made me laugh.

"Indeed, I am." I returned in a poor imitation of him. It got a laugh though.

"Ye keep that up an you'll be talkin' like ye were born 'ere."

We laughed again.

We didn't speak much more after that, due to the fact we were starting to land.

The excitement in my stomach was turning it upside down and inside out. I was just so ready to begin my adventure here. There was so much I was ready to see and do. To start living a new life.

Not that my old life was bad, but it was too wrapped up in the past and I needed to get away from that.

When I finally stepped into the airport, the reality of it all hit me.

I'm in Ireland.

I have no friends or family here.

I'm alone.

The thought didn't scare me, but it did make me feel a little empty. I was already missing dad and Angie and the others. But maybe I could fill that emptiness with experiences and adventures.

With purpose, I made my way out of the terminal and towards the baggage claim.

I was able to find my belongings with more ease than I thought. I had only gotten a little turned around on my way, but there were plenty of kind people to help guide me.

I listened to the conversations going on around me with fascination. It was hard to keep up with half of what people were saying.

I knew that the way I spoke English was wildly different, accent aside, than what the people here spoke. Words, phrases, and syntax were very different. I figured it would take time to understand people without having them speak about ten times slower than normal. I had been watching Irish movies to try to help with this part, but still in person it was very different.

When I was done collecting my bags I headed out to the front of the airport and hoped someone would be waiting for me.

When I stepped outside I was struck by how dark it was, then I remembered I was in a different time zone. So even though my flight had been about 10 hours, I was 15 hours ahead. Making it about ten O' clock at night.

It only took me standing at the curb for about five minutes when a white Toyota Corolla pulled up.

I recognized it immediately, even though it was dark. The school's study abroad program coordinator had sent me a picture of the car so I would know what to look for.

A dark haired boy stepped out of the car and gave me a wink.

"Ye must be Anabella." I was a little surprised. He wasn't what I expected. In the bright light of the street lamps I was facing a handsome boy. Strike that, a very handsome boy.

He was tall with black hair and piercing blue eyes. He had a lean frame that I was almost certain was packed with muscles. Must be the 'Black Irish' I thought with a little humor.

"Is my Americaness that obvious?" I asked with a smile. He laughed.

"A little, but also not too many folks are about at this hour. Also, I have a picture of ye. Can't say it did ye justice though."

Oh dear Lord, the flattery and in that Irish accent. I could feel the blush heating my cheeks.

"I guess it was a pretty bad picture." I joked as I started forward to help load the car. He shook his head and gave me a laugh.

"Don't say so. Ye be right pretty to be sure." The direct compliment made me blush harder. I just shook my head and laughed in return. "I'm Brennan."

I shook his hand. It was firm and warm.

"Nice to meet you."

"Will I put this in the car for you?" He asked getting my largest bag.

"You can. Thank you," I agreed while helping with the other smaller items.

When we were finished, I tried to get in the passenger side of the car only to find myself behind the steering wheel.

"Wanting to drive, are ya?" There was a twinkle of mischief in his blue eyes.

I felt mortified. Of course they drove on the opposite side of the road.

"No, but I wanted to see what it was like." I lied pretending to be interested.

He gave me a knowing smile and laugh. I got out and walked to the other side of the car quickly then got in.

"Traffic won't be too bad, as it's late, but still may a take half hour to get to the University."

I nodded understanding. I was tired from all the flying, but technically it would only be five in the evening back home.

"Do you mind if I call my dad?"

He flashed me a grin that was still brilliant even in the dim light.

"Course not."

I quickly dialed the number, thankful we had managed to find a way to communicate without having an astronomical phone bill.

The phone gave one ring before it was picked up.

"Ana! Are you okay? Safe? How was your flight? Not too bad? Are you okay?" He spoke loudly and quickly into the phone. I saw Brennan glance over with a smile on his face. He could clearly hear my father.

"In order, yes, yes, long, no, yes." He sighed. I laughed. "I'm fine. Really. You can stop booking a flight here." That earned me a small laugh.

"I'm glad you're okay. You just hear so much about girls going missing overseas and I got a little carried away I guess."

"Well don't worry. I'm on my way to the school now."

"So someone was there to pick you up right?"

I laughed.

"Nope, I caught a ride with a on a motorcycle with a man name Devlin. I think he's taking me back to his lair to make babies now."

Brennan was holding a hand to his mouth to keep from laughing. Dad sighed loudly.

"You kid too much." His stern reply.

"Who said I was kidding?"

"Ana!"

"What? Alright. Brennan, a student from the University, was sent in a Toyota Corolla to pick me up. We are currently about twenty-five minutes from the school and should arrive there shortly unless he takes me back to his dorm first to make babies." I ended.

Brennan did let out a laugh that time.

"What did I do to deserve you? You want to give me a heart attack don't you?"

I just laughed.

"No, but I want you to relax. Obviously I'm fine. No one has abducted me and carried me away to far off places never to be heard from again. I'm fine." I said a little more forcefully at the end.

"Fine, fine. You're an adult, yada yada, but you're still my baby girl and I miss you."

"I miss you too daddy. Don't worry. I promise I will call you so often you will be sick of me."

That got a laugh.

"Not a change of that. Well I guess I will let you go. But text me when you get to the school. And no stops to make babies." He warned playfully. I laughed at him.

"Scouts honor. We'll just have to make babies on the way!" That got a groan out of him and another laugh from Brenna. "Just kidding. I'll let you know when I'm settled in. That work?"

"Yes. You be safe. I mean it. I will come to Ireland and drag you home if you don't call me."

"Yes, daddy. I have been warned by consequence of death. Satisfied?"

"Not really, but it'll do for now. Well I'll let you go. Love you Ana bells." He used my old nickname. It brought a tightness to my throat.

"Love you too daddy."

We hung up.

I glanced at Brennan who was giving me a soft smile.

"Yer da misses you somethin' fierce."

"Yeah, I miss him too."

"It'll get better. Me mum and da are on the other side of Ireland so it took some getting used to. I only see em a few times a year, but it gets better with time."

I nodded.

"So no quick stops for babies, huh?"

That made me burst out laughing.

"Not today Cassanova."

He nodded his head.

"Good. Cause it wouldna be a quick stop." And then he winked.

Heat filled my face. I think I was going to like it here.

First off, I would like to say writing an Irish dialect is not an easy task and I have very little clue as to what I am doing. So if you have any suggestions to make it more authentic I would greatly appreciate it.

Also, I will be basing the school Ana is going to on Trinity College in Dublin, but as this is a fictional story I will make things work with how I want the story to go and not so much on physical/historical accuracy. That being said if you know something/ want to give pointer I will gladly accept them.

Finally I want to give a shout out to my readers and reviewers Lizy2000 and Reedy1012. Thank you so much for your comments and time, I love getting your feedback.

-Shadows