While it really bums me out, I have accepted that I am not going to get reviews/feedback on this story. Based on that, I'm not sure how long I'll keep posting or if I'll just delete this series. Kind of just feels like I'm wasting my time, ya know? Anyway, if anyone is reading this, please let me know what you think. I'd truly appreciate it.

Shadow Preachers by Zella Day

Trampoline by SHAED (Jauz Remix)

Sentient by Gavin Luke

Missing Home by Flora Cash

All Roads Lead Home by Ohana Bam

Solas by Gibran Alcocer

2020

Heathrow Airport Base

Luke felt strange with Rita gone from the base. Even though he knew he'd see her again, he felt like she could so easily just disappear, but could she do that to Brendan? He didn't think she could, but then again, he'd never thought she'd disappear from his life either.

"I'm sorry," Mei said from his left, and he turned his head to look at her. They were working side by side doing clean up. Today, they were tasked with pressure washing the vehicles. Luke was rather glad he wasn't out mucking with the Mimic carcasses anymore. He didn't like being on edge and nervous/panicked about them suddenly springing to life in front of him or, worse, behind him.

"You didn't do anything," he advised.

"No, but it makes me sad to see you sad, so I'm sorry for that."

"Don't feel sad for me," he insisted. "I'll be alright."

"How? You got the love of your life back only to have her leave you again," Mei said. "How are you not pissed off right now?"

"I'm not mad."

"Sad, then."

"I'm disappointed, yes."

"That's not the same as sad."

"Will you stop?" Luke said firmly. "Just stop. Please."

Mei made an apologetic face, but she stopped. Luke understood she was just trying to help by talking about it, but he wasn't in the mood. Yes, he was sad. He was devastated, but he kept those feelings to himself.

"I am ready to get out of here," she said a bit later after accidentally soaking herself by standing too close to the army truck when she sprayed it.

"Hear, hear."

"Hey, Dad," Brendan said, coming into view. Then he saw Mei. "Whoa. You okay?"

"Fine," she muttered, uttering some Mandarin curse words under her breath as she wrung out her shirt and hair.

"Erm," Brendan started, pulling his gaze away from her. It made Luke smile a little because he could plainly see his son's crush for Mei.

"What?" he prompted when Brendan didn't finish.

"Huh? Right. I just wanted to let you know that Mum wrote and said she got there safely."

"Oh. Thanks." Luke hadn't bothered to retrieve his phone from his main locker yet. He didn't have anyone looking for him anyway.

"Also, I overheard they're starting to let people go home in a few days. They're switching out with relief workers to continue clean up."

Luke just nodded, although a part of him considered staying. If Rita was done with him and Mei was going to do her own thing, who would even need him?

"You're coming home, right?" Brendan asked him.

His son. Of course his son would need him. Why would he think otherwise? Luke surveyed Brendan and couldn't believe how different he looked. He'd gone from lanky and gangly to buffed up and looking like a young man. His chest had yet to broaden, but he'd grown. He remembered the first time he'd seen him at age six. He'd just watched from the shadows until he'd gotten caught at one of Brendan's games when he was older. He'd never forget the first time his son had said "Dad."

"Yea," Luke said finally. "I'm coming home."

"Where are you gonna go?"

It was the million dollar question. Luke looked at Mei, and he was pretty sure she had the same thought. Would their apartment even still be there?

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

"What about Lucy and Kenny?" Brendan suggested. "Mum talked about them a lot. I've never met them, but they sounded great."

"I'll think about it," Luke replied. He didn't want to burden them. Hell, he didn't even know if they were still alive since he'd talked to them last, which was two months ago. That thought hurt. Most of the war had been in Europe anyway, leaving the States untouched for the most part that they knew of, so he really hoped they were still okay.

"Since you left at 15, does that mean you have to finish high school?" Mei inquired, and Brendan shot her a look.

"Um..."

"Yea," Luke said, realizing. "It does."

"Aww, come on..."

"Sorry, lad," Luke stated with a bit of a smile. "You can't dodge school." He was underage, so he was pretty sure GED was not an option unless he signed off, but he had a feeling Brendan should finish school properly and regain some youth he'd lost. He had a feeling Rita would agree.

"Damn." Brendan looked annoyed but also sheepish. Luke still couldn't believe his son had decided to sign up at 15 to help save mankind. It was clear he had Rita's empathy and desire to help others.

"Yo!" Harvey called out, approaching them now. Brendan went to talk to him, the two of them laughing and fist bumping each other. Luke turned back to what he was doing as Mei rolled her eyes.

He really missed Rita.

Somewhere in U.K.

Rita felt nervous as she went to knock on the front door. She had no idea what she was walking into here. If Doris didn't know Travis was dead, this was going to be a lot worse than she'd prepared for.

"Yes?" Doris asked upon opening the door and seeing her there.

"Mrs. Hendricks?"

"Yes?"

"I, um, I'm Rita. I...I was your son's friend and teammate at the UDF..." Rita started, and Doris moved to grab her instantly into a tight hug, taking her off guard.

"Oh, love," Doris said, squeezing her tight. "Any friend of my son's is a friend of mine."

"Okay." Rita was feeling like she might start crying and worked hard to stop it. Doris stepped back finally, noticing the box on the ground at Rita's feet. The look of resignment told Rita she already knew her son was dead.

"Are those his things?" she asked.

"Yes."

"May I?"

"Of course," Rita answered, lifting it up for her to take. Doris gestured for her to come inside, and she disappeared into the kitchen while Rita hovered in the foyer. She looked at the photos of Travis growing up on the walls and felt the lump in her throat grow bigger and tighter.

"You want anything to eat or drink?" Doris asked, coming back and holding Travis's urn. Rita couldn't bear to look at it.

"No, thanks. I'm okay."

She watched Doris set the urn on her mantle before resting her fingers on it lightly, and Rita wanted to throw up. He shouldn't be there in that state. He should be alive and laughing and telling a good joke.

"You look exhausted," Doris noted, looking at her now. "This bloody war drained us all, didn't it?"

"It did," Rita agreed. She wished Doris could remember seeing Travis for the last time. She hated that it was a reset and it never happened for her. Rita would hold onto it forever, though.

"You got a family to go back to?"

The question took Rita off guard, and she technically did, but she was feeling angry still and stubborn. She didn't know what she was going to do yet.

"A son," she answered, not wanting to get into the whole Luke situation right now.

"Good. Take care of him."

"I will."

"Were you there when...?" Doris trailed off, and Rita knew the question she was trying to ask. She cleared her throat, biting her bottom lip slightly before deciding to answer.

"Yes," she said softly. It was a bit of a fib. He'd made her leave so as not to witness his last breaths.

"Was he...was he in pain?"

"No," Rita lied. "He wasn't. It was...quick." She wanted to spare Doris the image of Travis bleeding out and struggling to breathe. It haunted her too much, and she never wanted anyone else to imagine it.

"He was a good lad," Doris said, wiping at the tears on her cheeks. "I was lucky to have him for as long as I did."

"Oh?"

"Yes," Doris said, sniffing hard and going to retrieve a photograph of her and Travis when he was a little boy. "My husband was unfortunately not a good man, and when he was killed, Travis was at risk. However, the person sent to kill my son ended up saving us both by relocating us and giving us a fresh start."

Something about this made Rita's skin prickle, and she felt her breath quicken.

"What was their name?" she asked. "The person who saved you?" Something in her gut told her the answer long before Doris said it out loud.

"Harry," Doris replied. "A good man tangled up in a mess that he was trying to get out of. Although, I'm not supposed to tell people that. Mind you, it's been so long now...he might be dead or something. You'll keep this between us, yea?"

Rita nodded and felt like her ears just got sucked in, and there was a slight ringing in them now. She worked to control her breathing.

"Are you alright, dear?" Doris asked her.

"Yes," Rita answered faintly. She felt a bit dizzy, if she was honest. The gravity of this information was hitting her hard in the chest.

Her father had saved Travis as a child, and now Rita had failed him by letting him get killed.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I...I do have to get going, but I just...I wanted you to have...that," Rita finished, waving her hand towards where the box had gone. "I'm so sorry that Travis didn't make it. I tried so hard..."

"And that means so much to me that you tried," Doris said, pulling her into another hug. "You had his back, and that's what was important."

Rita felt this was not true. She had failed Travis. She had failed her father. She didn't know what to think or do right now, but she knew she had to get out of there.

"He mentioned you often," Doris told her. "He thought of you as a good friend."

"I know."

Doris pulled back and rested a hand against Rita's cheek. Then she moved to the box and pulled out Travis's cross. She held it in her hands, looking at it for a moment before giving it a kiss. Then she came over to Rita.

"I want you to have this," she said importantly.

"Oh, I couldn't," Rita tried, the lump in her throat getting bigger.

"I really want someone to remember Travis and my brother when I'm gone, and I can't think of someone better than his friend. Please? It would mean so much to me knowing my son will live on after I'm not here anymore."

Rita couldn't refuse this request. Despite how much she wanted to bawl right now, she kept it together. She nodded without a word, and Doris pressed the cross into her hand. It was lucky the cross had made it, really. Rita had been told that it was found on the ground next to where Travis's body had been and assumed it was his. Why he'd taken it off, she didn't know. She gathered maybe he wanted it to be the last thing he saw before he died.

"Thank you. Please stay in touch," Doris said. "If you'd like."

"Thank you," Rita said in a whisper. "Take care."

"You too, dear."

Rita managed to get out there without falling apart. She got to her rental car and sat there staring at the dashboard for a moment before reaching to pull out the folded picture of Travis and Chloe she'd nicked from his box of things. She had no photos of him, and she knew she shouldn't have taken it, but she just wanted to be able to remember him and not forget what he looked like over time. His smile was so at ease, like he thought he had all the time in the world to live. The first sob burst out of her. Then another. And another. Then she was flat out bawling and screaming, banging her fist on the steering wheel as hard as she could and unleashing all the pent up grief inside of her until there was nothing left.

A Week Later

Montana, U.S.

Luke felt nervous as he left the airport with Brendan and Mei on either side of him. He hadn't even called; what would they even say?

"I don't think I've ever seen you this worked up," Mei commented, eyeing him up.

"Look, if it's a hard no, then we'll just figure something out," Luke advised. "Alright?"

"We always do," Mei confirmed. She smiled at him, which didn't happen often, so he knew she was trying to help him feel better.

He felt like such a wreck inside, though. Brendan had texted Rita to say they were coming here, but she hadn't replied. He was feeling anxious that something had happened to her, but he had no way of finding out anything on his own. It felt like the first time she'd left all over again.

He picked up the rental car and drove them to the farm. So many memories plowed into his mind as he went up the familiar lane. His leg started to bounce a little.

"This place is amazing," Brendan said, awestruck, as he looked out the window. Mei was looking, too, in the backseat but quietly. Luke swallowed as the farm came into view, and he stopped the car and shut the engine off, listening to the tink, tink, tink of things cooling down before opening the door and getting out.

He half expected Hank to come trotting up to him all friendly-like, but Hank had died a while ago. He felt his chest tighten from the memory of the last time he'd been here outside of the time he'd come to see if Rita was here.

It was quiet as they walked to the front step. Luke felt the creak of the stairs as well as heard it, and went to open the door. He still had a key after all.

"Hold it right there!" a voice shouted, and he spun along with Mei and Brendan to see a man aiming a shotgun at them a few feet away. "You're trespassing! Step off, right now!"

"Kenny," Luke said, holding up his hands. "It's me. Luke."

It took a moment, but Kenny lowered the gun and stared before beginning to laugh and hurried over to them. Luke had to admit that he appreciated the bear hug Kenny gave him. He was older now, in his late 60s, but he still looked as though he was only in his 50s.

"Oh my God," Kenny said, slapping his back heartily. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"I know. Life's kind of funny, isn't it?"

"Life's a bitch sometimes...more often than not," Kenny retorted. He saw Mei and Brendan then, and he looked curious. "Who are these guys?"

"This is Mei," Luke answered, gesturing. "She's a friend of mine."

"And this strapping young lad?"

Brendan puffed out a little bit at the compliment, beaming. Luke chuckled and reached to ruffle his hair fondly.

"This is my son, Brendan."

"You...your...what?" Kenny asked, confused. This confirmed for Luke that Rita really had never told Kenny or Lucy about their son. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"My son," he repeated.

"You have a son?" Kenny still wasn't comprehending.

"That's correct."

"With who?!"

"Can you two go inside?" Luke asked Mei and Brendan now. "I gotta have a conversation with Kenny in private."

"But..." Brendan started.

"Please?" Luke interrupted, giving him a look. Brendan closed his mouth and nodded, disappearing inside with Mei behind him. He turned to Kenny.

"You've got some 'splaining to do," Kenny said, wagging a finger. "That boy is old enough to be from your marriage."

"He is."

"Alright," Kenny said, moving. "I gotta sit down." He plopped onto the top step and pressed a hand to his face to rub it vigorously. "Start from the beginning, please. All we ever knew was that you two broke up. Fill in the blanks."

Luke sat down next to him and did just that.

Heathrow Airport Base, U.K.

Rita was at a crossroads. She didn't know where to go or what to do. She had left Doris and come back here because she had no idea otherwise. She had contemplated going to Australia to collect Luke's things, but that almost felt too wrong to do now. If anyone should do it, it should be him. She had planned to tell him about it and suggest going together until the whole "Your Mother is Alive" bit happened and derailed everything.

Her mother was alive.

That really was hard to comprehend most of the time, so she spent a lot of the time shutting down the thought and thinking about something, anything else. It didn't always work unfortunately.

She found that her team had gone home, and so had Brendan and Luke. She assumed Mei had gone with them. She was alone here until she bumped into Farell.

"Sergeant," he said, bobbing his head at her. "What brings you back here? I figured you'd have gone home."

"Detour," she lied. "Why haven't you left yet?"

"I have nothing to go home to, so why not?" he countered. She nodded in understanding. She could almost agree, but she'd be lying. She did have something to go home to.

"Need help with anything?" she inquired. He surveyed her carefully, almost fatherly. It unsettled her a bit.

"Go home, Rita," he said softly. "That's how you can help. Be with your son, your family."

So he had heard. Rita felt almost ashamed now. Here he was without a family, and she was trying to hide from hers. Well, not all of them—just Luke...and her mother.

"I don't know how to be in a family," she confessed. "It's always just been me and Brendan; to add Luke to it just feels so strange, and I'm still pissed at him."

"We typically get angry because we care," Farell pointed out.

Rita didn't bother to get into the whole "My Mother is Alive" thing with him. He didn't need that headache. It was hers and hers alone.

"I'll ship out on the first transport," she promised.

"Good. Go live a life. If I've learned anything from this, it's that we need to appreciate life more than we do."

Don't I know it, she thought. He had no idea how much she knew about the fragility of life. Most people did know, but she'd seen it over and over and over again—even before the war.

"Take care," she said out loud, and he nodded.

"You too."

She left and made sure she had all of her things before making her way to where the international flights were. When she finally got on a plane, she stared out the window and wondered just what she was going to find when she got back to the States.

Two Days Later

Montana, U.S.

Luke was standing on the porch with a mug of watery, weak tea in his hands. Coffee was a hard thing to come by these days, among other things. It felt almost like WWII with ration cards for things that had once been abundant. Luke knew it would take some time for the world to right itself again after this war, but he knew they'd be okay because they lived on a farm that Kenny had managed to keep going all this time. He was glad he'd come here to help stave off robbers or other desperate people who trespassed looking for food. Lucy always had some kind of stew or soup going, though, and would feed them regardless of Kenny's scowls and warnings that they'd starve next if they gave everything away.

Lucy.

Luke's throat grew a lump in it as he thought about her. After he told Kenny his story, Kenny had told his, and Luke's heart was broken. When Lucy had given him the biggest hug upon seeing him again, he'd almost cried.

"What's on the horizon today?" Mei asked, appearing next to him. She was drinking her tea no problem, which made Luke slightly jealous.

"The sun," he answered sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and went down to walk around. He'd been surprised how much she'd taken to the farm, but Brendan had too. Luke tilted his head; he was pretty sure he could hear his son snoring, which he hoped wasn't an every night kind of thing. It was hard enough to sleep as it was with his nightmares. He wondered if it would be like Lance—only happening when he was dead tired.

Car tires could be heard, and Luke's grip around his mug tightened. He took a step backwards to open the screen door and grab the shotgun. He stood there, gun hidden behind the wall, as he waited to see who was coming.

The beat up truck came to a stop, and the engine shut off. Luke watched as the person inside sat there unmoving. He was about to step into action when they finally pushed open the truck door and got out.

Rita.

His stomach dropped at the sight of her, and he let go of the shotgun, stepping toward her and letting the screen door bang shut behind him. He set his mug on the railing on the way by and clattered down the steps. To his slight annoyance, Mei beat him to her.

"Hi!" she said happily, hugging Rita hard, who hugged her back just as tightly. Luke slowed his steps, not wanting to interrupt. He hung back and waited.

"You're doing okay?" Rita asked her, and Mei nodded. Since everything had reset, Mei had no memory of dying or going on that last mission, which Luke was forever grateful for. He couldn't get the images out of his head, though.

"I didn't think you'd come here," Mei commented. "Luke wasn't sure where else to bring us."

"All roads seem to lead back home," Rita advised, looking at Luke now over Mei's head. He was trying to figure out if there was a message in there for him, but she looked away too quickly. "Sorry I'm later than planned. I stopped by the storage unit in Illinois to get our things first."

"That's alright. You're here now. I'm gonna go wake up B," Mei said, using his nickname. She let go of Rita and hurried back inside, leaving Luke alone with his wife.

"Hey," he said, suddenly not knowing what else to say.

"Hey," she said back. She moved to take out the boxes and duffel bags from the box of the truck and set them on the ground, and he helped. He recognized that truck and realized that Kenny must have had it left for her somewhere to drive here; he wasn't sure how to feel about him knowing she was coming and not telling him. When she was done, she finally looked at him again.

"I didn't think I'd see you again," he confessed.

"I told you—I can't just disappear," she reminded him. "I have Brendan."

Somehow, this statement came across as more cutting to him than he'd expected. She wasn't saying things like "We have Brendan" or "I have Brendan and us." She was stating the only reason she was here was because of their son.

"Right," Luke said, working his jaw slightly. "Who you left behind when you should have taken him with you on your little trip, but you're good at leaving, aren't you?" He hadn't really meant to say that, but it came out, and Rita went from looking neutral to sad and then angry.

"Sod off," she snapped, moving around him now. "And don't think you're staying here with me!"

"Where else am I gonna go?" Luke asked.

"Figure it out!" She slung a duffel bag over her shoulder, grabbed a box, and went up the steps and inside, slamming the door behind her. Luke closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. That had not gone at all the way he'd thought. Her wall had another layer to it now, and it was his own fault.

He carried the rest of her things inside so at least they'd be out of the weather and because he felt bad for being an areshole. Then he stood there and wondered what to do next.

...

Rita was seething inside, but she also felt so much guilt because Luke was right—she should have taken Brendan with her...not to see Doris but just to have close by and reconnect with. After all he'd endured and all the time spent apart, she'd run off on him when he needed her the most. What kind of mother was she?

Maybe it ran in the family.

She stopped and looked around the living room before setting the box down and dropping the bag to the floor. It was hard to be in this house after knowing her father had been murdered here. She could see that Kenny and Lucy had worked to keep it in good shape, and she had to thank them for that.

"Mum?"

"Hi," Rita said when Brendan came barreling down the stairs. He grabbed her into a tight embrace, and she held him back just as tight.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, B. I'm so sorry for leaving you..."

"It's okay," he interrupted. "I get it. You didn't want me to see you upset."

Was she that easy to read? She swallowed. Perhaps she was. She gave him a weak smile, and he grinned back.

"Besides," he added. "I got to be with Dad, and that was awesome!"

"Look," she began, needing to nip this in the bud. "I don't want to be around him right now."

"Yea, yea, yea." Brendan waved his hand dismissively as if she was being a child. "Anyways, I'm in your old room! It's so cool. You have so many books!"

Rita was a bit taken aback by how easily Brendan was glossing over her issues with Luke. She realized he was either in denial or believed they would sort things out.

"Erm, yea," she said finally. "I was a big reader when I was your age."

"Dad says I have to finish school," Brendan said with a whine.

"Yes! You do," she said firmly. He wilted slightly at her scowl but bounced back quickly.

"Alright. I'll go next year."

"You will go this fall," she corrected.

Brendan made a mopey expression and sighed but didn't argue. Rita wasn't even sure if there was going to be school, but she didn't see why not. The brunt of the war had been in Europe, not here.

"Man, I'm gonna be the oldest kid in grade 10," he moaned. Rita couldn't help but smile at this.

"So was your father."

"What?!"

"Ask him about it," she said, moving to head upstairs now. She ran her fingers along the banister and across some framed photos on the wall. She was reliving a lot right now.

"I technically did almost half of grade 10...does that count?!" Brendan called up after her.

"I'll ask," she answered absently. She stopped outside of her room and saw that Brendan had left the bed unmade. She stopped herself from fixing it. She went into the master bedroom next and felt some tears prick at her eyes. It was untouched, which made her wonder where Luke had been sleeping if both Mei and Brendan were here too. Then she realized the couch had looked slept on, and she understood that Luke had stayed out of her father's bedroom out of respect or awkwardness. She didn't know what to think of that.

"I left it for you," Luke said now, making her jump a mile high. She hadn't heard him come up behind her, but he always had been stealthy when he wanted to be.

"Bloody hell!" she exclaimed, gripping her chest.

"Sorry," he said. She took in his apologetic expression and knew he was also sorry for what he'd said. She knew it had stemmed from what she had said to him first. She had known it would hurt him to hear she was only there because of Brendan, and yet she'd said it anyway. She wasn't sure why. Maybe she just wanted him to feel hurt like she was right now.

"There's something you need to know," he said now after she said nothing.

"What?"

"It's about Lucy."

Rita felt her blood run cold, and she stared at him. "What about her?"

"She...she's got Alzheimer's," Luke answered, his voice sad. "Early stages, but it's progressing."

"Oh my God," Rita said, putting a hand over her mouth and feeling like she was going to burst into tears. Kenny had left out that information when she'd called to ask him to leave a vehicle for her at the rental place when she arrived there in her rental car.

"She's still in good spirits and seems to remember things, but Kenny said she has bad days more frequently now than before."

Rita did start to cry now. Sweet Lucy was going to forget them all! She couldn't take it. Luke stood there unsure of what to do when she suddenly just needed him. She grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him into her, and he quickly put his arms around her in an embrace.

"I'm sorry," he said a moment later. "For what I said. I didn't mean it."

"I know. I'm sorry too," she replied. "I didn't mean what I said either." She didn't tell him that she still loved him. For some reason, she was still withholding that information.

"I'll crash with Kenny," Luke said once she pulled back from him again. "Is it okay if Mei stays here, though? She's quite taken with my old room."

"That's fine."

They looked at each other, and that's when Rita frowned.

"What about Lucy's place? It's empty."

Luke shifted on his feet, looking nervous, and that's when she realized there was something else going on. She stiffened and stood on alert.

"Luke?" she prompted when he said nothing. "What is it?"

When he still said nothing after opening and closing his mouth in a few attempts to say something, she took matters into her own hands and left him standing there. She headed over to her truck and drove to Lucy's place, suddenly knowing what she was going to find there.

...

Rosie heard the rumble of an engine and knew what was coming by the speed of them and gravel flying. She braced herself, heading to the door and peering out. The truck had parked, and a woman was now storming to the front porch. Rosie felt all sorts of different emotions as she opened the door and stopped the woman in her tracks. They stood there eye to eye almost, and Rosie resisted reaching out to hug her.

"Hello, Rita," she said softly.

And with a loud thud, her daughter fainted.