Title: Words are not coming easily.

Prompt: Family celebration
Fandom/Characters: Torchwood, Captain Jack Harkness.
Medium: fic
Rating: PG
Warnings: None that I can think of.
Summary: Fifty-first century; the man who used to call himself Jack Harkness comes back to his mum. Following Coming Back Home, not sure it is very schmoopy, though.

Word count: 529 more or less.

Note: Written for Schmoop Bingo

Beta: Jooles34

…..

He was back. Her son was back. After all these years. He was a kid when he'd run away. But it was a man who rang at her door; a middle aged man, his eyes looking even older than he was. And now he looked awkwardly big in her kitchen, not knowing what to do with himself.

So many questions were bumping in her head but she couldn't get one out. Where to begin? 'Why did you run away?' She knew the answer that one. It had been a long time before she'd got herself to admit it, but she knew. She had put his brother's loss on him and it was not fair. In the end she had lost both her children.

'Where have you been?' She wasn't sure if she wanted to know. In twenty years he could have done plenty of dreadful things. Why was she always thinking the worst of him? He wasn't a bad kid. A dreamer, a romantic, but not a bad kid.

He was looking around the room for what had changed or for lost memories. He hadn't lived here long. Never liked it here. Always missed Boeshane's ocean and his friends. She wondered if he'd ever tried to go back there? Look for the others; for his brother?

Damn. Here you are again, Lian; Gray is gone. Gray is forever lost. This one is here, he came back.

But what for? Why is he wandering in your house checking silently your stuff without saying a single world?

"Hey Lian, guess what?" Stefh said, entering the house. " Hi, do I know you?" he added spotting the tall stranger standing there.

"I should probably go." Her son said.

"No." she said "Don't."

"Who's that?" Stefh asked intrigued.

"Asham, my son. Don't you remember him?" she managed to reply, her tongue tripping on his name like it was difficult to pronounce.

"Oh."

"I'd better leave now."

"No, no way son." Stefh said firmly "Are you alright? Take a seat. Here, a drink? Didn't you offer him a drink, Lian?"

No she hadn't. She had bustling around her kitchen like a bee since he had been there without asking him anything, not even if he wanted a drink. Just babbling about silly things like the meal she was doing the kids who were on their way from school, the weather and other stuff that didn't really matter. She looked at him. Really looked into those sad, big, blue eyes. They were sad, looked old but there was no reproach to be seen.

"Where have you been? What took you so long, son?" Stefh asked, offering the seat and drink she hadn't.

Asham glanced towards her like he was silently calling for help.

"It's not important where he was or whatever's happened. Stefh" she cut in "What is; is him being here. That's all."

Tears were running down his cheeks now, but she could barely see them through her own. Why was this so hard? Her throat tightened painfully.

"Yeah, you're right." Stefh agreed with a grin "You'll stay with us, meet your brother and sisters and we'll decide how we can properly celebrate your return. What do you say son?"

"That would be great." he managed to say.