A/N: Any recommendations on how this story could go, I'm all ears. Also in the next few chapters their will be warnings.
As they walked into the kitchen, everyone stood there frozen. Stella takes one look at her siblings and rushes to hug them. With tears in her eyes and voice, she expressed how much she missed them. It took a few seconds for her siblings to react, then she was surrounded by her big brother and sisters. Tears and tight hugs were going around with the McCord parents joining in for a group hug. As they all pulled apart while wiping tears, she couldn't help but comment how grown-up they all look. It hit her all at once that she missed their childhood together. She started apologizing for leaving them and for not being there. Then Jason said something that shocked everyone.
"You shouldn't be the one to apologize. It should be me! I am so sorry that I didn't do more. I remember playing with you one minute and the next you were gone. I am so sorry, so sorry. I should have done something to protect you", Jason cried with more tears coming down at an alarming rate.
The more he talked the more labored his breath got as his nose started to run, and his face reddened as he got more and more upset. Henry and Elizabeth rush to calm him down but it was no use, that even Stevie and Alison tried to no avail. It wasn't until Stella walked up to him and grabbed his face to get his attention that he started to focus.
"Jase, listen to me, it is no way your fault. Even though I can not remember, know this, I do not blame you. The blame is on the person who took me. Do you hear me Jason? You are no way at fault, trust me. Okay." Stella stated.
Immediately after Stella released Jason, Henry pulled him in for a hug with Elizabeth rubbing his back and pushing his hair back with her fingers. Jason backed up from his dad wiping his tears and quietly asked to go upstairs for a little bit.
After a few minutes, everyone has had time to calm down, and her dad mentions that dinner is ready. All three girls grab everything to set the table in the dining room table, while her dad and mom whisper to each other. Her mom went upstairs as she presumed to comfort Jason. As everyone downstairs got ready to sit down, her mom and Jason came down to join them. Dinner started out as a quiet affair with the sounds of silverware hitting plates. When Alison reaches for her glass of water, takes a sip, and then asks if she is staying the night and when she is coming home permanently.
Stella answered, "I am actually paid for tonight at the hostel and my stuff is there, so probably after dinner I will have to head out. And the rest I don't really know."
Stella looks at her parents. They said that with Stella if she was okay with it, that they would like her to spend the rest of her time in D.C. at home and they will get the ball rolling tomorrow. Stella nodded her head. She looks at her siblings and asks what's going on in their lives. She makes a joke about not leaving out the juice details, and that she wants all the gossip. Suddenly, the quiet awkwardness in the air leaves with a refreshing sound of laughing. After dinner was over, as long as she was okay with it, everyone wanted to drop her off at the hostel. When the motorcade pulled up on the curb the atmosphere turned sober. She gave hugs to everyone while getting out. As she grabs her backpack and skateboard from the back of the vehicle, her mom asks to call if she needs anything and to please call before bed. Stella looks down for a second, when she lifts her head up and looks at her family, she says, "I have a prepaid phone, and I don't have that many minutes left. I can try to use the hostel phone to call you. I only have dad's number though." Alison looks down for a second then tells Stella that she can borrow her phone tonight. As Stella starts to politely decline, Alison pleads for her to take it so that they know she's safe. She hesitates, but agrees with a grateful tone, thanking her sister. Alison hands her phone over with Henry texting her prepaid phone Alison's password. Her mom pulls out an iphone charger from her purse to charge the phone. As she backs away from her family waving to her she can't help but feel nervous about leaving them again. After her call to her family and settling in for the night she feels like something bad is going to happen, like a dark shadow is blocking her path to love, happiness, and family.
