Disclaimer: Treasure Planet and all characters pertaining to the film aren't mine. There, I said it. They belong to Disney. The lyrics (which are italicized at the end) are from the song "Aeroplane" by Tal Bachman. Once again, not mine. tear
Some Author's Notes: drumroll It's been so long since I've written anything, so this is an achievement. Haha. It's taking forever to come out of writer's block, but that's ok. I hope that you all enjoy this story for what it is. See more author's notes at the end of the story for explanations of things. Thanks for reading!
Much thanks to: Allison for fixing my math... problems (hehe) and for giving me your honest opinion, as always.
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Mea Culpa: Chapter 1
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The man didn't stick around to hear the weather, but instead hurried off the ship that had transported him from the Spaceport Crescentia to Montressor. Montressor... he hadn't been there for quite a few years now, but the place had always been in the back of his mind.
Gathering his surroundings, the man removed his old hat and ran a hand through his hair. The last time that he had stood on that very ground, he had been young and ambitious. Now his brown hair was laced with silvery- gray streaks and his face was noticeably worn with age.
By no means was Leland Hawkins an old man. No, he was only fifty-one, but time and a guilty conscience had left their mark on him.
Although the planet had developed considerably since he left, it wasn't hard to find his way to his destination. It had been weighing in his mind for many years now to go back.
He could never forget the day that he had left them. It had started out like any normal day. He had woken up and gotten ready for work. Then he had gone downstairs where his wife, Sarah, had made him breakfast. Sarah... she was so beautiful and so smart. Every time he thought of her, he couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself for leaving her alone with their son, Jim. Anyway, the day that he had walked out... his memories of that morning were hazy now. He remembered that he and Sarah had argued about him being cold- hearted and not spending enough time with the family. They'd had words about that subject many times before that morning.
Leland sighed at the memory. Back then he had been extremely pig-headed about things. His only argument had been that he worked hard to bring in money for the family, so when he wanted to be left alone, he expected them to yield to his wishes. He'd truly thought of himself as the man of the house, and that everyone should respect him as such. What he hadn't seen was how overbearing he really had been. He hadn't seen the stake being driven into the relationship that he and Sarah had worked so hard to maintain. On that day when he left, he was truly thinking only one thing: "I can't handle this anymore." Without thinking twice, he'd packed a few things and left his pretty wife crying at the table. And his little boy... well, he could've sworn to this day that young Jim had tried to run after him. As the boat pulled away from the dock, he almost remembered hearing a strained, tearful voice shouting, "Dad! Where are you going? Mom's crying, and we need you! Come back!!!"
But now he had returned. After all of those years of traveling, wandering, and not finding any real answers, he knew what he had to do. It was time now, twenty-three years later, to face what he had feared most for all of those years: his ex-wife, Sarah and their son... Jim. Leland placed his hat back onto his head.
As he started his journey toward the old house, many thoughts crossed his mind. Would the place still be standing? If so, would Sarah even still be living there? And if she was, had she gotten remarried? So many things could have happened over the years, and just thinking of the possibilities made Leland's heart ache. After he left, he had completely cut all ties with them, leaving his young wife and little boy to fend for themselves on that harsh mining-planet. He knew now that what he had put those two through was something that nobody should ever have to deal with. And although he was doubtful that making amends now would even make a difference... in his heart knew he still had to try.
After all, those twenty-three years in the Etherium had left Leland Hawkins a changed man... or had they?
Leland now approached the building that he had once called home. A sign hung in front of it. "The Benbow Inn?" he read. That certainly hadn't been there when he had left. So the old house was now an inn? Maybe they had picked up and moved on. Perhaps it was wrong of him to come... sometimes it was better to leave the past in the past, right? A wave of nervousness gripped him as he tried to make up his mind on what to do. He could leave now and try to forget everything, but that would completely defeat his purpose for coming in the first place. He would have no answers, and certainly no closure.
"Be a man, for once in your life," Leland muttered under his breath. In that moment, he decided that he would risk it all and check out the Benbow Inn to see if his family still lived there. Gathering himself, he straightened his posture and smoothed his jacket.
He walked to the door of the inn... his former home... and traced the wood with a nostalgic sigh. Then, taking a deep breath, he pushed it open.
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To be continued... I'll be out of town for several weeks, so the next update will be when I return. Thanks for reading.