Chapter 27: Home for a Day
The house was lonely as ever when I walked it had an eerie feel when it was empty. "It's quite quiet." I said.
"Yeah, that party better start soon or I could go crazy for the silence." Kate laughed and walked into the kitchen to fix us something to eat.
"You guys talk too much." Atticus said sitting at the dinning room table.
"When did you get off the ship?" I asked.
"When you were standing in the doorway, I snuck in." He said.
"What do you want to eat uncle?" Atticus smiled and patted the Molly's fine.
"Anything's fine Kate, thanks." He said smiling as she walked happily into the kitchen.
"She's a sweet kid, if I didn't know any better she'd be what your kids would be like." Jaden and I started laughing.
"You remember our daughter?"
"You have a daughter?" Atticus asked rising and eyebrow.
"No, we were just making a joke." Jaden said staring at me, and I nodded.
"It didn't sound funny to me; Alexis do everyone a favor and leave the jokes to Jaden." Jaden laughed.
"Yeah sure," I said sighing.
"Mommy, when am I leaving?" She asked.
"Leave to go where?"
"My grandparents," I smacked my head and sighed. She misses them of course.
"We'll go tomorrow and stay for two days, alright?" I asked.
"Yeah, thank you." She said jumping on my lap and hugging me. She jumped on Jaden. "Thank you Daddy." She said hugging him.
"Yeah, you're welcome too, Kate." Jaden said smiling awkwardly at her.
"Party is in three days, we've got 2 days to let her do something for once." I said comforting Jaden's discomfort.
"What if we haven't done a good job?" He asked.
"Don't worry, look at her." I said whispering back.
She was dressed just like all the children; she was happy and enjoying herself. There was no way no one would want her to be unhappy with people who cared about her and wanted the best for her. At least, that's how I saw it.
"Sandwiches," She called.
"Come on, don't worry. You have no need to worry. You never worry so don't start now." She said.
"Alright, let's eat." He said running into the kitchen to eat some food.
"So what do you want to do until we go to see your grandparents tomorrow?" I asked.
"Can I get them a present?" She asked.
"Sure, absolutely. We'll go right after Jaden finishes eating."
She sighed and walked out of the room. "Where are you going?" I asked.
"To pack," She said smiling.
"Smart, I'll be in here if you need me." She nodded and smilingly walked up the stairs.
"She knows that it'll take me forever to eat?" Jaden asked me.
"She's a smart one, she's been watching you eat for months, she knows you like me Jaden."
"That's a good thing, right?" He asked.
"She's your daughter, it's a good that she knows her father." I said.
"Right." He responded and continued eating. "Pack for me too?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'll cover it. She's anxious, no more waiting after we wake up." I said.
"Man, that means I can't sleep in." I nodded and walked off.
"Hurry up, she is a child and anxious." He sighed.
"Stop being so annoyed with childish behavior, you do it more then her." I said.
"I get your point; just have everything ready by the time we're done." I nodded and walked upstairs.
I walked into her bedroom and watched as she jumped around the room happily like the small child she was. "I get to see my grandparents, mommy." She called.
"Yeah, I know you do." I said back to her.
"Do you think they're doing well?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure they're fine." I said.
"Good because I can't wait to give them my present." She said.
"What do you have in mind?" I asked.
"I'm going to paint them a picture tonight, put it in a frame and give it to them." She said happily.
"That's great. What's the picture going to be of?" I asked.
"I can't tell you, it's special." She said.
"Alright, well finish up packing before we leave." She nodded and I went into my room and packed, then into Jaden's room and then packed all of his stuff up.
"Yeah!" She said running around the room.
We went to the store and we let her buy a ton of supplies and then we brought her back home and she locked herself in her room and went to work on whatever it was that she planned to make with all the supplies.
It was morning and everyone was packed and ready to leave, we got on the boat and she was still working, she had fallen asleep in the process and I picked the locks and put her in her bed.
Now we were sitting on a boat and she continued to draw while Jaden and I were talking. "Lex, you know what she's drawing?" Jaden asked.
"Nope, she refused to tell or show me." I told him.
"I hope it's is good as her food."
"What?" I asked.
"Her food's good." I smacked my head.
"Thanks Jaden, that analogy still doesn't make any sense." I told him.
"Yeah it does, if she draws as well as she makes food then that painting should be awesome."
"That makes sense but I doubt that her drawing can be compared with food. It's a weird analogy all together." I told him.
"I know but it works, in my mind." I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder and looked over the edge of the boat at the beautiful background.
We arrived at the place in which her grandparents were supposed to live and stopped. It was a blank wasteland, fire everywhere, and a few burnt down buildings. "Mommy, where are they?"
"I don't know." I answered.
"Lex," Jaden said looking down at Kate and I watched her. She was on her knees and crying. I knelt down next to her and scooped her into my arms and rocked her back and forth.
"Sh, it's alright, we'll fine them." I said.
"Yeah, don't worry." Jaden said. "We'll start asking around."
We walked into the nearest building. "Excuse me." I called.
"Yes Mrs.…?"
"Alexis, just Alexis. I'm not married."
"Sorry, I thought that was your child."
"We adopted her but we're not married, (yet)." I silently added.
"Oh, sorry, where are you from?" He asked.
"The small islands but we need to know where all the people went who lived in this area." I said.
"Oh, they're gone." He said.
"Gone where?" Kate asked.
"Um. Gone." He said. Jaden took Kate and walked out of the room.
"You mean, they're all dead, how?" I asked.
"There was a huge explosion involving deadly chemicals, they exploded and bomb, all dead."
"That's horrible. How am I going to explain that to Kate?" I asked.
"The little girl?"
"Yeah." I said.
"She knew people in there, her parents?"
"Grandparents but yeah. She was so happy, she worked so hard to make stuff for them. I feel horrible."
"Well the might have escaped but finding them around here is impossible, but you can try. There's always hope."
"I do hope they're alive." I said. "I don't think I can stand her crying."
"Poor innocent girl, stupid people testing their bombs on the innocent civilians."
"I've got half a mind to report them."
"It was allowed." He said.
"No way!"
"Yeah, it was all planned out. Many made it, most didn't." He said to me.
"Let's hope they did." I said.
"Good luck, they'd still be in the city fileing a report like me if they lived. Property and land damage." He told me.
"So they'd have it on a form, right?"
"Yeah." He smiled. "Good-luck," He said as I walked off.
I walked outside and Kate jumped up at me. "Where are they?" She asked.
"They went somewhere, we're not sure. We have to find them."
"But he said they were gone."
"He says most are gone, but there's a chance they're right here." She cried.
"What if they're not?" She asked.
"It's best not to doubt and always hope." I said holding her over my shoulder.
We went to the police station. "Can I see a list of everyone who reported property damage?" I asked.
"Sorry but that's classified information." I sighed.
"Can I see the death list, please? That's not classified, is it?" He handed it to me.
"No but I don't think you'll like it. Death lists are public but most don't like to read them." He said.
"Alright," I searched the list and stopped and tears fell from my face.
"Mommy," Kate asked concerned.
"It's alright, we'll be alright." I walked away and Jaden followed behind me but Kate stayed.
Kate must have stayed in there because she didn't follow me. I leaned against the outside wall of the police station. "Was their name there?" He asked.
I just burst out in crying. "Yeah, she's back to being family less." I said crying. Jaden sat next to me and hugged me and brought me into his chest.
"It's alright Lex, she has us. We have to help her cope with this, just as if our own loses. They are her family, not ours. I can't let you cry because she lost her family. We need to comfort her."
"Alright," I said picking up my body and walking back in.
"Mommy, are they gone? They are, aren't they?" She asked.
I nodded and closed my eyes and fell to my knees and hugged her. "It's alright, they're in a better place, right?" She asked.
That had to be the most comforting statement that I've ever been given. "Yeah, they're in a better place now." I said hugging her.
Jaden picked the crying girl in his arms and rocked her back and forth and walked out beside me. "I'm sorry. We have all the bodies; they'll be a funeral, in 3 days."
"We'll be there." I said and smiled at him. "Thank you." I said and followed Jaden and Kate.
"Mommy, what do I do now?" She asked.
"You stay with us forever." I said.
"Alright," She said.
"Do you want to?" I asked.
"I have no other home anymore, this is my only place." She said crying. She was so mature at such a young age.
"The world makes places for everyone; you make your own place so you always have a place somewhere." I told her.
"You'll always have a place with us, no matter what." Jaden said.
"Alexis seems to have enough room in her world for everyone who needs it. When I found out my sister wasn't my sister she opened a door and let me in; when you came, she let you in just as easy."
"Mommy's nice."
"Yeah, she is." I blushed at this and Jaden handed me her.
"We better find a hotel, since we're staying for the funeral." I said as we walked along the streets in search of a hotel.
We arrived in a hotel. "Welcome to Bridesdale Hotel, how may I help you? Two rooms please, one single and one double." She looked at us.
"Um, you can't leave a child in a room by itself, rules."
"I know, I'm staying with her. Jaden has room to himself. Bye." I said after paying and walking off.
I arrived at our room and for such a small city; they really did have a nice city. They had many large buildings, their own government and a lot of other things. It was a great place to live, no wonder her grandparents moved here.
Kate went to sleep right away while I stayed up a little while to think things through. I stared out the window, and even from so far away from the scene of the accident, the widespread destruction was visible.
I walked into the hall and screamed, not loud enough to wake anyone up but loud enough for Jaden to hear me. He walked out into the hall and I fell to a lump on the floor. "Lexy." He said sitting next to me and bringing me into his chest.
"Is it an mistake?"
"No,"
"A lie,"
"No,"
"A dream,"
"No Lexy, it's real. You have to be the mom here and prove that you can take this not break down like this." I cried into his chest as he just laid his hands on my back and let my cry.
I remember things after that very faintly. I remember Jaden carrying me to my room and laying me in my bed. Him kissing me good-night then blank.
Ж(Flashback)Ж
"Who are you two?" I man said crawling on the ground over to us.
"I'm Alexis Rhodes and this is Jaden Yuki. He is dropping me off here because I live here." The man laughed but started choking. Jaden helped him to his feet.
"Mam, no one has lived here for over 380 years. There was a family of very nice people who tried to help this place; and her name was Yuki too. I miss the young girl and the boy." I was surprised.
"Ow, you mean my sister Molly Yuki. I wouldn't call her nice and she and I don't have a family, it's just us. Our parents died." Jaden said wondering what he was talking about just then.
"No sir, there was a girl about 23 and a man her age with a small baby newborn child. She had just given birth to the baby a day ago. They tried to stop but the threat destroyed them all. The poor couple and their child were destroyed." They handed me a card. "This is his that he gave to me and he said that this could prevent it all."
"Jaden, it's…" I looked at the card in fear of what it said.
I jumped up, that place didn't bring back memories that I wanted to remember it was the place that either Jaden and I or Kate were supposed to die, because of an explosion. I just know that this is going to haunt me for a while. I wish it wouldn't but I have no doubt that it will.