Homeward Bound

LOCATION outside the Academy near the parking lot
DATE October 8th 2021
TIME afternoon
ATTIRE:
- Maya
- Jack
TOPIC FOR @Katelyn
____
It was a bit odd coming back here after having graduated in summer, the only thing she missed was the familiarity of being around your friends all the time. She missed annoying the shit out of Roman every day, sneaking around to find Howie between breaks to hang out. She liked how her mindset had shifted, thinking about the good things that had occurred here rather than the bad. Standing there waiting for her sister just outside near the parking lot, her eyes found Jack. It had been a while since she had seen him, or at least since they had gotten a chance to speak. She greeted him in a hug. Catching him up on her different scent and how everything was going, it was nice just standing there talking while waiting for the minutes to pass before Katelyn was on her way. Jack was still figuring out whether or not staying at the academy was for him, Lucas understood that same went for Victoria that shared the somewhat same confusion as him. He turned his head around by the sound of Maya’s sister coming towards them. He lifted his hand waving a bit.

For someone who had grown up without anything or anyone in his childhood, he liked making sure that the people around him was happy and weren’t alone. Therefor he was very happy that Maya had found her family and that she wanted to be a part of it, it was funny that way, despite him wanting to be happy himself - he had refused to let his sister in when she had found him. Trust and Jack was perhaps the most chaotic duo. “I will let you guys get to it then,” he turned to Maya again wanting her to give her a quick hug before taking his leave. “Okay, but I will swing by The Serpents at some point” she let go of Jack turning her eyes towards Katelyn that looked so big they could fall out. “You alright Katie?”

It had been a very nice day; she didn’t even have a reason why it had been. But she had been having fun with Dominic in class, eating lunch under the bleachers with Roman. Maya’s birthday was coming up soon. Her family was happy, and even though a lot of horrible stuff had happened, nothing was going to get down on her mood. She hoped. Especially not when a wedding was coming up as well!

And then there was the fact about Maya coming picking her up. There was something about having a cool big sister coming to one’s school and picking you up. Grabbing her strab to her back a little tighter she stopped up as she watched her standing with the martial arts teacher Jack Robin. She narrowed her eyes playfully, but then it hit her. Like a ton of pricks. She saw the lines, again. It had freaked her out when she had seen them with Jamie after the dinner. Something about everything in nature being connected, and not that she could see bonds of family. There was something about his bond that was very much tied with Maya. How could that be?  

Are you alright?

“No” she shook her head looking more intently at Jack. “I’ve” she licked her lips “You look so much like my father when he was younger” she then looked at Maya “I’m, Okay this is going to sound ridicules but, do you remember when I told you about the connection to Jamie, because he was shapeshifter and, with you because you are also another species than human, he” she pointed at Jack “he has to be family, like, look at him he looks so much like dad, and the energy and bond, its uncanny” she was very well aware that she had to sound like lunatic. But it wasn’t really Kate’s forte to be, gentle with how she expressed herself.

Maya pressed her brows a bit together, about to ask her what was going on, then looking up at Jack because Katelyn's stare was so intense it almost freaked the hybrid out. Maya closed her eyes and sighed a bit to the statement of Katelyn thinking that Jack looked like their father when he was younger, Maya looked to Katelyn lifting a brow a little bit. But as Katelyn kept talking about how the connection to Jamie felt and with her - even Maya pressed her brows a bit more wondering together. He has to be family, Jack just stood there looking at the two blondes talking but the mention of him having to be family - it was weird for him. Jack could feel his jaw tense a little bit, Priscilla had only ever mentioned his mother briefly. He had spent time with Katelyn before doing class, but Jack was rather good at just focusing on teaching rather than how he felt or anything else around him. Standing out here was different, because he thought about things, he allowed himself to feel. Jack had felt connected to Maya since he had met her, which had been odd enough and he had always pushed it to be to a fact that she was a thunderbird then. Suddenly, he felt like he realized some things, the scent. It wasn't like Priscilla, but at the same time - it was like coming home, in a sense he hadn't really realized till Katelyn spilled out a series of words. While both Jack and Maya had nothing against the direct speech and the rush of them, it was the wave both of them did most of the time as well.

Maya turned her head towards Jack again, narrowing her eyes a little bit. With a mind like hers it was all about letting the puzzle sink in, moving the pieces around of the facial structures, the similarities - she could see it. "Holy crap," she clicked her tongue a little bit. Maya didn't blame Jack for not having reacted to the scent before, she knew from herself it had taken months till she had been able to realize just how to pick up on a family members scent compared to other people. Jack hadn't really spent much time around family, ever, not by blood, catching a thing like that wouldn't have been learned. "I believe you," Maya breathed out crossing her arms a little bit. With all the news she had gotten lately, this made way more sense than when she had figured out Tidus was her uncle, her mother's brother - that had been a mind blow. "I believe you too," he took a deeper breath in pressing his brows a little bit together.

Katelyn was more or less holding her breath while waiting for them to react to what she had just told them. Because she had to be sounding like some crazy person, shouting at people that dooms day was coming. She breathed again as they both told her that they believed her. “Thank you” she laughed looking at Jack “I’ve just, after getting Maya back, and finding out so many lost family members where close by” she licked her lips, after she had found out she actually had powers. Powers that were so greatly connected to the earth, that it gave her powers she didn’t always understand.

“Then” she licked her lips looking at the thunderbird “Want to meet them, figure out how we are related?” she looked at Maya giving her a soft smile, if she had been Maya right now, she would be dying to know and understand. But what if her father didn’t even know? What then? She breathed out, well, at least they could try. And usually, her father always knew every dirty secret there was to know around him. Including if there was someone in the family having a son that wasn’t really known about.

Things for Jack had been painful to say the least, mostly emotionally, things had changed this year - and first it had been great, sure it had taken some weird turns and he had forgiven Eris. Lucas had found Cecilia again, Victoria had moved in with Rafael and they had started their own lives. Eris had putting it mildly stabbed him in the back with the knife he had given her. So, maybe it was the loneliness that was creeping in on him that made him actually think about agreeing to this. Maya had to agree with Katelyn's statement, the year had been all about finding lost family members. "It's okay, it must be quite something to pick up on something like that," he gave Katelyn a confident smile.

Katelyn looked back at him, making him pres his brows a little bit together. Want to meet them, he could feel the wave of anxiety rush over him, the thought making him feel uncomfortable. Meeting family, it made him tense up. Maya placed a hand on his arm. "Look, I know it's scary. I've been scared out of my mind too, more times than I can count," Jack looked at Maya, if anything the two of them had been relating to the aspect - being orphans and alone. "But, if there is anything that I've come to learn is that sometimes we need to do the things that scares us, and it gets better - sounds unrealistic, but it's true - and you still got me," she gave him a warm smile. Jack breathed out and looked over at Katelyn. "Let's do it, before I change my mind," he scratched the back of his head a little bit. "I will drive, get in," Maya let go of Jack's arm walking over to the truck waiting for them so they could drive home.

“Yes!” Katelyn made a small jump and pumped up her fist and started running towards the car. She took out her phone and texted her father that they were bringing someone home, and that he might have some explaining to do. What did she get back? A what, question mark. And then a call me. She sighed and wrote they would be there soon at it would be easier to just talk. Then a very short message about Irina having a friend over. Well, that didn’t matter, did it? She just sent back a thumps up emoji. Yet another text that he didn’t understand what that meant, but he looked forward to seeing them.

Katelyn gave up the front seat for Jack and crawled in back. She texted Roman, mostly caps and exclamation marks that the world was two small and her family too big. She was still smiling as she put the phone away looking towards the front seat of Jack and Maya. The more time she thought about it and spend with the two of them. The surer she got about the connection between them. It was kind of wild.

Now they just had to get back home and figuring out what the hell was going on with this family.

Jack pressed his brows a little bit together, this was beyond weird for him, and he thought about contacting Victoria, hearing if she would join him - then at least he would know someone. But he knew Maya, so that had to count for something, and it did. He watched Katelyn texting away from the mirror, zoning out half way just looking out the window. It felt insane, beyond anything he liked putting himself through. Because, what if it was true? What if they were related and he had more family than he ever had thought about? Would they even like him? It was those thoughts that had pressured him when he had stood face to face with his sister. But it had been different, he had felt backed into a corner - now it was just him and his choice to meet these people. He chatted a little bit with Maya on the way, mostly a little bit of casual stuff what happened with the Serpents and all.

The drive wasn't long, but Maya could see Jack being slightly nervous, it wasn't really like him, but putting on some music on the way helped calm his nerves just a little bit. Finally she drove down the the street and towards the house to park. "There we are," she breathed out looking over at Jack. "It will be alright, we are here the whole time." Jack chuckled a little bit. Maya stepped out of the car, quick to pick up there was a different scent near the house - but Katelyn had texted about them bringing Jack, so she didn't think too much about it. "Come on with," she grabbed Jack's arm pulling him with her up to the front porch and opened the door. "Heey," she announced they were back with a warm smile. "This is my dear friend Jack," she presented Jack as her and Katelyn had dragged him towards the living room. Irina had looked up the second she had heard the car door close. It was so weird, the person coming with them had no trace, it was like he wasn't even there, yet she could hear him. Maya and Katelyn presenting this guy like a birthday present they were excited about had her frown a bit. Especially with everything that had been going on lately, finding the ghost of her father at Juniper's place.

Jack took a deeper breath in giving everyone a short yet polite smile. Looking towards Maya and Katelyn's father, one very one they claimed he looked like, or had looked like when was younger.

Katelyn got out of the car and was quick to let Roman know that she would call him later in the evening. If she didn’t know better, she would say she was in a drama show or something alike. Because nothing really happened to people in real life, as it had done in theirs. Not that the young girl would change it for the world. Only loving her family more for every time, it grew and got bigger.

The Aasimar nodded as Maya told who the person was that they had brought. Licking her lips, while watching how her father reacted. Sitting there with a beer looking from Maya to Jack, Jack to Katelyn and then back to Jack. “So?” Nigel said a little weirded out, normally he would have got up and greeted him. But something told him that this was more than just him meeting a friend of Maya’s. “Yeah so, hmm” Katelyn said rolling on her feet “I believe, that this might, be a releative to your family, dad?” Nigel that had taken a sip of his beer almost chocked on it and then looked towards Jack, he looked way to young. But then it hit him, how he locked. But there was no aura around him, and he couldn’t be sure – He looked towards Maya “Is he a thunderbird?” he asked almost holding his breath and then closed his eyes “Yeah well, that, might, be correct then” he didn’t really know how to explain it, it seemed rather throw the information in your face kind of deal. He looked up seeing Irina’s banshee friend standing there with a couple of glasses and a water pitcher. “Hello, ehm, looks like I might be intruding” she made small laugh and walked towards the coffee table and placed the glasses and water there. “Hi, I’m Scarlett” she introduced herself before sitting down besides Irina.

Maya let Katelyn start the presentation, saying that he might be relative. When the question came if Jack was a thunderbird, Maya nodded a bit, "more like icy-cyrobird but yeah," she looked up at Jack that gave her a soft nod till it was correct. Irina raised a brow a little bit looking over at Nigel, folding her lips a little as she mostly observed his reaction to everything, then turning her head towards the girls and this Jack person again. Jack took a deeper breath in, scratching the back of his head once again with the arm Maya wasn't holding onto. This was very weird. Jack could feel himself longing to escape or just catch some air, not knowing how to deal with this. But then, another person stepped in, standing there with a couple of glasses and a water pitcher. Irina looked over at Scarlett as well, giving her a warm smile. Jack's eyes followed the banshee for a moment, like she gave him new courage without even trying. "Jack," he replied after she introduced herself.

Maya clicked her tongue a little bit. "Jack helped a lot when I was figuring stuff out with my whole thunderbird crisis -" she looked back at her father giving him a smile to the fact that Jack was a good one. Even if Jack could come off as stoic and cold, he was way beyond that. Maya was pretty sure she wouldn't have been able to handle the going through what she had if it wasn't for Jack. "You can sit if you want," Irina gestured Jack to sit down, standing there looking at them sitting, she didn't want him to feel like he had to give them some sort of grand speech or anything.  "I'm Irina - You want a beer?"- "Yes please, thanks," he breathed out finally speaking. "I will get it," Maya let go of Jack's arm, making him sit down on the nearest armchair. "Your daughters are quite convincing," he chuckled a little bit looking over at Nigel, still not believing he was actually sitting here. He looked over at Katelyn with a softer chuckle before once again turning his eyes towards Nigel again.

Nigel was a little taken aback with the whole thing, which for a moment made him slightly embarrassed that he hadn’t gotten up or offered their guest anything to drink. “Sorry” he said with an apologetic smile and got up and leaned over to give Jack his hand. “Guess this is even more overwhelming for you than it is for me, after all, I’ve gotten used to it at this point” he looked towards his daughter that ran into the kitchen to get Jack a beer. “yes, yes they are” his eyes found Katelyn that gave a big innocent smile before she sat down in one of the other armchairs and took a glass of water that Scarlett had brought. A woman that seemed quite curious what was going on at this moment.

Nigel moved around and pulled out a drawer in an old cabinet. There was a leather inbound book, he started turning pages until he found the entry that he needed. “Here” he said with a soft smile and handed Jack the book “I was thirteen, my father brought me on a hunt where he dropped me off on a motel and disappeared a couple of days, that hunt took a month longer than it should, he describes how he gets close to a female thunderbird, I’m guessing that might be the link” he sat down and took his beer taking a sip. It wasn’t like he was angry at his father, because for such a long time he was done trying to think anything about Thomas Blanchard. Because the man brought nothing but pain and trouble.

“Guessing that you didn’t have much family growing up?” he kept his eyes as Jack “don’t look at me like that, I was a hunter for over thirty years, you learn to read people, I get it, it’s hard to become part of something you have no idea how its going to work, especially when its thrown in your face and something that should be a good thing can feel like its drowning you”

Yeah, Jack had picked up on the family being used to it at this point after Katelyn's previous remark on finding lost family members. Jack took Nigel's hand giving it a firm shake, "yeah, it's a bit much," he confessed with a little chuckle before taking his hand back. He still wasn't sure how the puzzle fit together, but he liked the atmosphere in the house. It was like the tension in his shoulders vanished slightly. He pressed his brows a bit together as Nigel turned some pages, before handing it to him, Jack looked at the pages - listening. A hunt. Since he was human, Jack assumed Nigel was a hunter. The cyrobird listened carefully in, he had always been good at listening and observing. "I mean it could be," he took a deeper breath in.

The theory on Jack not having had much family growing up, made Jack break out, raising his brow a little bit. He had never been much for people figuring him out, it was clear by the way he sat back. Maya returned to the living room, walking over to hand Jack the beer, before walking over to the armchair her sister sat in, and sat up on one of the armrests. "I was taken from my mother a while after I was born and placed in foster care by someone who found me, I ran off when I was around eight and has lived in Southside ever since -" he informed taking a sip of the cold beer, nice and cold. Jack was happy that autumn was here, which meant winter was just around the corner, everything so wonderfully cold. "The Southside Serpents has been my family for years," he took a deeper breath in. No, he didn't tell he was a leader of a gang just yet. Maya knew who the Serpents were, she had stayed there time to time last autumn. Irina however, had no idea who the Southside Serpents were and just pressed her brows a little bit together - but she had an idea what it was all about.

He took in a breath as Jack explained he had been taken from his mother as an infant. That didn’t make things much better. But he understood better how timid the boy seemed. Had to around what, thirty-one years of age by now? If his calculations were correct. Scarlett peaked up as he talked about southside, an area she knew well. Notorious to take more than it gave, she for one had felt that very close to home. She looked towards Irina and could see that she didn’t really understand what the Serpents were. “It’s a gang Irina” even though she hadn’t been in Russia for so long, she couldn’t hide the slight undertone of Russian in her accent even though it was more British at this point. Not that her last name told a story about her being British at all. Confusing, just like the woman herself.

“You know, keeping that kind of gang making sure that the other gangs that are a whole lot more violent are off the streets” now, they also dealt with guns, drugs and other substances known for gangs. But given the situation they were in, she felt like that talking the Serpents a little up, were better than telling the whole truth. Scarlett looked at Jack with a slight smirk on her lips as she took a small sip from her glass of water.

Nigel looked from Scarlett back towards Jack “Family is family, no matter what other people think of them” he said with a smile before drowning the rest of his beer putting on the table that was placed in the middle of all the people that was sitting around it.

Irina turned her head towards Scarlett when she felt the banshee's eyes on her. The werewolf nodded a bit as the theory was correct, but she didn't comment on it, it wasn't her place to throw comments around, besides there was always more to the story than the first chapter. She however, gave Scarlett a nod as she explained. Jack pressed his brows a little bit together, surprised by this Scarlett actually being able to talk him up. It wasn't often, it always depended on the people you met, but the chances were lower on anyone talking up the serpents if they didn't know them. It was true what she told however, not every thing they did, but keeping it on the nice end, which he appreciated. Jack pulled a smile and took a deeper breath in. Irina turned her eyes to the cyrobird for a moment, narrowing her eyes a little bit, mostly because she was trying to piece some information together. Now the name Jack was a very common name, but she was pretty sure she had heard Cecilia talk about how Lucas had been on a road-trip with his friend during summer, with one of them being a Jack. She remembered the name of the two others, Rafael and Victoria because of the wedding they all had attended in July with Evelina and Dion. And wait hadn't Selene mentioned a Jack from work at some point back in April?

Irina looked over to Nigel as his voice distracted her train of analyzing thoughts. She could imagine how weird it must be keep on finding lost family members, known or unknown - not that she had found many unknown, but she for sure had seen one she thought she would never had seen again. And then there were her sisters joining in on the fun here in Aston. Her eyes turned back to the cyrobird, because it was a matter of fact yes, family was family. "You are friends with Selene?" Irina allowed herself to ask, mostly it could make him feel more at ease knowing they knew some of the same people. Jack chuckled a bit. "Yeah, she is a good friend of mine from work - my best sparring partner, no offense," he looked over at Maya who lifted her hands up, "none taken."

Jack slowly processed the information he had been given, and just sitting there taking a sip more of his beer made him somewhat more comfortable. Especially also as it seemed there was other things to talk about than the elephant in the room, which for Jack was whole, him having found some actually family. He could off course call Priscilla to see if she knew something, just to get the confirmation, but it was also rather rude to sit here and talk to a brother and having completely ignored his sister for months. But it explained the connection that Katelyn talked about, how close he had been with Maya. It was overwhelming to him, and he turned his eyes back to the book for a second, then he looked back up at Nigel, clicking his tongue a little bit. Now, Maya knew Jack he wasn't a man of many words if he didn't know the people he was sitting around, but she could see how much this meant to him either way - mostly because she also knew how important it had been to her when she met everyone.

Nigel looked towards Irina as she asked if he was friends with Selene, really? That woman knew everyone didn’t she. How wild was this getting, everyone just knowing each other. This town wasn’t even that small now was it. But somehow, it still seemed smaller and smaller for every day that went by. And it scared him, because his father was in town, and. Suddenly he had a lot more to lose than he had before. He was shortly reminded just why had never gotten close to anyone. For all the broken hearts he had left behind. Why he hadn’t been there for most of Katelyn’s childhood, and how much he still owed Daisy for even letting him back into her life, and his daughter for that matter.

Selene, the woman that his father had almost killed. Quentin succeeding in killing her once again, it was starting to become a travelling joke. One that the werewolf clearly didn’t like very much. At least it seemed like things had simmered down in the triangle of love department. Or was it a square? “I’m going to get another beer, anyone want one?” Katelyn lifted her hand, and for a moment Nigel stopped up looking at his daughter “yeah, nice try, none for you” the aasimar giving him a big smile before looking down in her phone again. “So how many are staying for dinner?” Nige asked turning around once again. Scarlett raised her hand, so did Katelyn. He looked towards Maya and Jack, nodding before he turned around walking back into the kitchen.

Irina chucked as Katelyn raised her hand to the question about anyone wanting a beer, "I wish -," she chuckled shaking her head a little of herself, before looking over at Nigel with a warm smile. Maya lifted her hand around the same time Katelyn had, with a small chuckle. Irina turned her head towards Jack and Maya as they were asked how many that stayed over for dinner. Maya nodded looking over at Jack, with a big smile, making him down his beer and breathed out. "If it isn't too much trouble," he took a deeper breath in. Irina gave him a warmer smile, "No it's alright," she assured Jack with a small nod, before then turning her head back to Nigel, "will you check if we have more of that dark chocolate, please," she blinked a little as he left to the kitchen, then turning her head towards Scarlett then Jack.

"So, you teach at the academy?" Jack nodded to confirm it was correct, "I teach material arts as well as track" - "and music," Maya interrupted with a finger in the air. "And music, alongside the whole thunderbird history, or I started that not long ago, Maya inspired me," he scratched the right side of his head a little bit before taking a deeper breath in. What was it with these people and making him comfortable enough to just sit and talk, perhaps it was because it was just conversation - there were no expectation to be anyone or anything. "I have Katelyn in my material art class actually," he looked over at Katelyn giving her a warm smile as well.

Scarlett couldn’t really help but have her eyes find their way back to Jack. There was something about him, she couldn’t really describe it. It was the absence of an aura that made him so, calm? Maybe it was the atmosphere in the house as a whole, that made the whole thing so relaxing. But he still intrigued her enough for her blue eyes to keep gliding from her friend back to him. He taught at the academy? How people could surprise you. Music? This guy just wasn’t at all as he seemed, now was he. A soft chuckle left Scarlett, and she looked up at Irina, almost with a; what? Expression in her look before she took another sip of her water.

“Hope she hasn’t brought as much trouble as she had did with me” Nigel explained as he came back and put a beer in front of Maya and Jack. Then he walked over and handed the bowl he had with him filled with small pieces of dark chocolate. “Here you are” he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Irina’s forehead before sitting down again. “Well, at least you had me prepared” Katelyn said with a smile and looked towards Nigel that took a deep breath in. That was a time he didn’t really want to think about. How people had been able to kidnap her. Even though it had seemed like she had brought them more trouble than they had expected. “But Jack is a much better teacher than you were” Katelyn gave her father a big grin, that only earned her a deadpanned lock “Really, you are going to go there? For my fighting skills?” Katelyn nodded “yeah, Jamie told me-“ The look just became deader “that’s it, no more spending time with Jamie” which only earned his daughter to laugh “Yeah sure, well, I’m going to jump up and look at my psychology report, call when dinner is ready” Psychology report Nigel didn’t look very happy, but just waved her off. Most of the discomfort came with that shapeshifter boy Dominic, he didn’t like him, and he didn’t like the way that he had been looking at her. “One day that kid is going to be my death” he mumbled looking after the bouncing kid that disappeared upstairs.

Irina frowned a bit turning her eyes to Scarlett that seemed intrigued by Jack’s replies to the werewolf’s questions, she turned her head back towards Nigel as he returned with a comment chuckling a bit. She gladly took the bowl with the chocolate pieces, “you are a savior,” she chuckled delighted taking a piece as he kissed her forehead, before looking over at Katelyn as she spoke. Jack didn’t really reply to Katelyn saying he was a better teacher than her own father, even if Jack could be sarcastic, now was not the time to be so. Maya however, raised her brow a little with a big grin with an "ooooh," sound escaping her lips the second that Katelyn mentioned Jamie. Maya pouting as Katelyn mentioned that she had to work on her psychology report, "you know I could help you with that?" Maya pointed out hopelessly as Katelyn walked upstairs to her room. "She is pretty tough, both of them are -" Jack commented once again looking over at Maya shortly before reaching over replacing the empty beer with a new one. Maya jumped of the arm rest to take a small step over reaching for the beer taking a sip, before sitting back where Katelyn before had been seated.

"But this is actually the first step I've made towards getting to know more about where I'm from, if you can call it that," he took a deeper breath in as he felt his brows press further together. It was huge for him to actually admit that, he was turning thirty-two next month, and he had never made an effort to find out more about who he was. Why would he, when he had believed his whole life that he was meant to trade this world by himself? Even if it meant Priscilla had come along trying to find him, he hadn't been ready for that. "Oh sorry - I will be right back, Howie is calling," Maya got her phone out with a bright smile on her face, jumping from the armchair to rush out to the kitchen, getting a quick little chat in with the guy she loved so much.

Irina chuckled a little bit, letting her eyes follow Maya till she was out of sight before turning her attention to Scarlett for a second, before looking at Jack again. Now Irina couldn't imagine growing up around any thing, without love from your parents or having a fair chance in life - it wasn't till at least her late teen years that life had started becoming a war rather than a tough path - but she was curious about the cyrobird.

“You know, you could just go upstairs and help her, please do, before she calls Dominic and that fool comes running around, one guy in her life is more than enough” Nigel almost pleaded when Katelyn was gone and Maya hadn’t gone after her. Then she got a call and ran towards the kitchen to talk with Howie. Nigel sighed and placed his head in his hand while looking at where his daughters had disappeared too. He looked back at Jack, that had told, that it was the first step into getting to know where he came from. A soft smile formed on Nigel lips “Well, I’ll say the truth, the family is chaotic to say at least” he didn’t know how much Jack wanted to know, because it was a lot to take in. Getting to know just how big a family you suddenly had. And Jack was only a half-brother, he had no idea how many there would be on Jack’s mother side. “We are besides you, five brothers on our fathers side, two that are older than me we don’t talk with them as they are just as crazy as our father” he licked his lips “Then we have Jamie that is some years younger than me, the only of the brothers that are not human, shapeshifter, the black sheep of the family” he looked towards Irina sighing “He lost his wife and children a couple of years back, but is back in my life and apart of this family” he gesture to him and Irina “Theo the next youngest, a year older than you, I have no idea what he is doing right now” taking a sip of his beer he took a brief pause from the story telling “And then we have the youngest brother Archibald, soft nugget and a resurrected angel, after he got killed by demons not that long ago” what a family to come into, but, hey, the kid needed to know. “Sorry, just, tell me if its to much, but I thought you might wanted to be prepared to what you are actually walking into, if you want to run out, I wouldn’t hold it against you” he laughed and looked towards Irina and Scarlett, the smile quickly died and he looked back at Jack. “But seriously, if this is what you want, then there is always room in this family for another one, we don’t put much pressure on each other, other than we are here when you need help, or if you want to drink a cold beer, watch the game and get a nice meal once in a while - Besides” he looked towards the kitchen “Anyone that helped Maya, they are already family in my book” it was hard for Nigel to admit, because it hurt every time that he had to acknowledge that Maya had been out there without his help. And other people had to step in, when he should have been there. But he couldn’t think like that, and people like Jack, they had been the reason she was still standing here.

Jack chuckled a little by the word chaotic, chaotic was his middle name by now. He had to know by now he could handle messy. It was much to learn in a day, from learning that it was possible to meet someone from the father you had never given much thought's part of the family. Priscilla had already told him that he had a big family, but Jack hadn't even been eager to get to know any of them. Jack had no idea what he was getting into. The fact that his father was a hunter, was perhaps not how he ever had imagined him. Having a family of raised hunters on his father's side. It somewhat did explain one of his abilities, the one his friends hated so much because they couldn't find him, couldn't trace him down by scent, it was only because years of practice that Rafael even had a small chance. Jack didn't say anything, but he listened like he usually did, suck up all the information provided for him. Mentioning the brothers he had, one by one. Jack liked the no sugar coating, no one had ever done it for him and he wasn't going to start asking for it now. If you want to run out, I wouldn’t hold it against you, the cyrobird breathed out, looking at Nigel, then Irina, he couldn't avoid looking at Scarlett as well, before he finally looked towards Nigel again.

Irina placed her hand on top of Nigel's giving it a small squeeze, also looking at Jack, but let Nigel do the talking. This was his brother after all, and she agreed, there was room, and as Jack looked at her she gave him a soft nod as well, letting him no that she agreed with Nigel's words. Jack took a deeper breath in, it was weird. His heart skipped a beat ahead, not sure it ever had done that before. Not in a long long time, it reminded him of when Victoria had found him back in the day, giving him a place to live. It was a burning stung in his heart, but it wasn't caused by any pain. Jack took a deeper breath in. He wasn't an emotional type of person, or he was, but never allowed himself to be in front of others. He looked down at his beer for a few seconds taking a deeper breath in, as he let himself just take in what was going on with him, but looked up again. Jack took a sip of his beer. But the emotions couldn't hide on his face this time, it was clearly he wasn't used to be met like this. Yes, his friends treated him like family, but it wasn't like words of affection was a thing they were just there for each other since always. Jack placed the bottle on his thigh and breathed out. "I've been thinking about running since Katelyn jumped in my face with everything," he chuckled a bit, shaking his head a little bit of himself, taking another and deeper breath in. "But, someone reminded me it's okay to be afraid and embrace the fear," he looked over at Maya that joined the living room again, having promised to call Howie later tonight with updates.

Maya walked over to the couch behind her father swinging her arms around him with her head on his left shoulder. "So - I think it's time I stop running away for a while, it gets too comfortable," he confessed, thinking about his words carefully. But Maya had found so much joy and piece finding her family, it made him believe, perhaps so could he, if they wanted him.

Nigel couldn’t help but chuckle along with Jack as he was honest about running. He understood it, he really did, and wasn’t about to blame him if it became too much. But he was also happy that he told them that Maya had convinced him to come along. Because even though you might feel like it could be overwhelming stepping into unknown territory. Everyone deserved being with family, either with blood or no blood. “Well then” he placed a hand on his daughter’s arm looking at Jack “welcome to the family then” he laughed, breathing in taking a sip of his beer and looked towards Scarlett that had seemed so quiet through it all. It had of course been a hard subject for the banshee, family, especially since she had lost so much herself. She took a deep breath in sipping her water looking towards Irina “I’ll just have to use the bathroom” she gave Irina’s hand a small squeeze and got up, she stepped outside the downstairs toilet, before she decided to walk outside instead, getting some fresh air. Standing in the garden, eyes closed.

Welcome to the family then. Jack took a deeper breath in and exhaled, feeling his shoulder lower just a little bit. "Thank you for having me," he chuckled a little bit before taking a sip of his beer. The tension getting less. He became aware of how it reacted the banshee, now he wasn't really good at reading emotions, but his emotional intelligence weren't completely gone. It was the way her heart was beating and she excused herself. Irina gave Scarlett a soft smile, letting her go, because yes, seeing others getting reunited with family while you struggled to hold your own together - it was hard. But she listened a little in, hearing the door to the garden open, assuming Scarlett needed a fresh breeze of air. "I will check up on her," she spoke a little lower before getting up from the couch, there was no way she left the chocolate behind. She walked towards the garden door, and leaned a little bit towards the frame with her shoulder, taking a piece of chocolate before offering Scarlett. "You alright?"

Maya let go of her father and straightened her back a bit, tabbing a bit on the top of the couch, "I will - let the two of you talk, go help Katelyn with her school work," she nodded a bit and chuckled. Roman didn't like the Dominic, her father didn't like the shapeshifter either - Maya hadn't met the guy, but hey - Roman had almost forbidden her not to be on his side on this one, so did she really have a choice? Maya escaped upstairs to disturb her sister. "It's nice seeing her so happy," Jack confessed not really thinking much of the words, but it was the truth. "I'm glad I let myself get convinced," he added as he took a deeper breath in. A confession that wasn't to be taken lightly, he still felt like he would wake up at some point, realizing it was all a dream, and he would wake up on the mountain he had spent a few some time on after he had told Eris to leave.

Scarlett took a deep breath of air, standing for a moment letting the calming energy in the garden seep into her uncomfortable body. She felt how Irina came closer and licked her lips a little as she looked over her shoulder and gave her friend a soft smile. She looked away as she was asked if she was alrighty, well she wasn’t fine, but alright. Yes, she would be. Scarlett made a small tight nod before turning towards Irina. A soft chuckle left has she took the piece of chocolate and placed it on her tongue. The bitter taste filled her mouth before she ate the rest and took another deep breath “Yeah” she whispered letting a sad smile form on her lips. It was hard to not be a little jealous. Not that she wasn’t happy for her friend, or for the guy finally getting to find out where he was from. She just hoped that Chloe didn’t knock on her door in thirty-one years, she wanted her now. But she was already two, and that thought alone was destroying. A little over one and half year had been such a long time already. “It’s just hard to witness, when all I really want is Chloe back” she turned around letting her arms fold over herself “But that doesn’t take away the joy I have for you, finally getting the life you deserve, and that man gets to come back to a place where he can understand where he is coming from” she swallowed “its just hard sometimes, because you get overwhelmed by the feeling of jealousy when you really just want to be happy” she pulled a tight pained smile closing her eyes for a moment “sorry, I didn’t mean to put a damper on all of this”


Nigel chuckled and nodded as Jack mentioned that it was nice to see Maya this happy. Now he hadn’t experienced anything else, so it was hard for him to say. Which also made it hard, knowing that there had been a time where Maya had been all alone, and very close to not even being here today. He was just lucky that people like Jack had stepped up, and he now got to spend the rest of his life with her. “Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith to find something that is worth being a part of “he smiled “trust me, I’ve spent plenty of my life running – which is why I’m not with the kids mother anymore, sometimes love isn’t enough” he sighed taking a swing of his beer. “And that is why you need family, not just friends, but somewhere you can come and just – be, without judgement and with someone you can talk to freely and find comfort”

Irina took a slightly deeper breath in, not taking her eyes of her friend. It still seemed like a life time go since they had spoken like this, which wasn't far form the truth, but it didn't change the fact that she was happy to have Scarlett back in her life. The werewolf folded her lips a little when she mentioned that it was hard to witness - of course all she wanted was Chloe back. Her eyes caught Scarlett's when she turned towards her, pulling a little soft smile before breathing. "No, it's alright," she was quick to address as Scarlett apologized. Now Irina had seen her younger sister go crazy to be able to be with Luka, and that their situation had been anything but normal. Scarlett's situation was something that involved having court and people involved discussing your case. "But you are my family too, "she turned around stretching her arm to place the bowl on the first surface she met, before walking over to pull her old friend into her embrace. "We will find a way to get your daughter back," she took a deeper breath in before exhaling again, pulling Scarlett a little bit out. "I have gotten to know some pretty impressive people while I've been staying here," she acknowledged, before taking a deeper breath in.  Now it wasn't like she didn't already have a lot on her plate, but she could find room to help Scarlett.


A leap of faith. Jack listened in carefully again, it was always nice to know you weren't the only one that hd spent a great deal of your life running. Or Jack had been sitting in jail half of his life, it wasn't much running he had done. However, one sentence hit him surprisingly hard in the stomach. Sometimes love isn't enough. He took a larger sip of the beer, still listening. Jack believed Lucas, Rafael and Victoria to be that, family. It was hard to believe they were anything else, when they were all that you got. Home wasn't really a feeling that Jack felt familiar with, yes he had the Serpents, he had his friends, he had even had Eris, but if all that pain was home, he didn't really want it. Jack scratched his chin a little bit. "Is that what made you stop running? Family?" He asked a bit pressing his brows together. Jack clicked his tongue a little bit, now it wasn't because he himself was running anywhere, travelled across the world or anything like that, he emotionally just chose to avoid every thing that was close to being able to hurt him.

Jack got up from the chair feeling a little bit restless by the thoughts and emotions that started to arise. He walked towards the nearest window looking outside. Jack had never known comfort like the type of comfort Nigel spoke about, feeling like he could just speak freely. Well, he could speak freely with Victoria and the others, but he had never found himself comfortable enough to feel like there wouldn't be some sort of judgement. He looked outside for a moment getting lost in his thoughts, before breathing out again. Jack hadn't even mentioned to his closest friends how things with Eris had went, because he knew they would give him a told you so. That he should have known better.  

Scarlett scrunched her nose and looked up into the sky to try not to cry as Irina told her that she was her family. A smile formed on her lips as she looked towards her friend “And you are mine” she let herself melt into the embrace, being such a small person, it was always easy to be swallowed by other people’s arms. “I know, but it’s also something that I have to do for myself, sadly not everything can be fixed with friends” she whispered, knowing very well that you couldn’t fight your way in the world on your own. But this was that one thing she needed to do herself. Also, to honor the memory of Liam.

“But this is nice, we should do this more often” she laughed and stepped out of Irina’s arms, looking towards the window seeing Jack standing there looking out. Her eyes caught onto his profile, and for a moment she felt how air left her lungs. There was just something about his expression, she couldn’t explain why it almost made her stomach do a flip. Weird.

Nigel watched how Jack got up from the chair after asking what made him stop running. Now, there were many forms of running. Family, he breathed and looked towards the window that Jack was looking out of. “Well” he started leaning on his legs with his elbows. “at first it was the fact that my sister needed me, and so I tried for her but” a soft smile formed on his lips as he stood up and walked towards the window looking towards where Scarlett and Irina stood “Irina made me want to fight for it, you just need to find that one thing that makes you want to take a chance, even with the prospect of getting hurt again” he breathed out and looked towards the garden “And sometimes, its something in yourself you need to find and then you do it for yourself” he placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze “And sometimes you’re just not ready and need to be okay with it taking time” he took his hand back and nodded “I’m going to look at that dinner, might end up ordering pizza, but well, let’s see” he laughed walking into the kitchen.

Irina took a deeper breath in, holding the overwhelming sense of emotions in somewhat check. "Yeah, but that still doesn't mean you can't have a shoulder to cry on if you need it," she reminded her friends, before letting her go as she stepped out of her arms. "Totally, it's been too long," she chuckled a bit. All the stress that had been back in Russia and overall, just toxic situation, it was nice to be able to talk to Scarlett without having that sense of worry or fear hanging over their heads. At least that kind of worry. Irina followed Scarlett's eyes to the window, seeing Jack standing there, she could even hear how it was like she forgot to breath for a moment. A soft smile landed on Irina's lips watching her friend for a while. "I think I will go in and see what we will do about dinner - most likely, we are just going to order something.” She took her friends hand giving it a soft squeeze. “You can just come inside when you want,” she let go of Scarlett’s hand before returning towards the kitchen.

Jack clicked his tongue a little bit, still listening not just to the words he spoke, but also the fact that he stood up. However, he did tune into the reply to the question, looking shortly over at Nigel only to follow where his eyes went, to Irina and Scarlett outside, just keeping his eyes there for a brief second. Jack had never really taken a chance on someone, or he had in some way taken a chance on Eris, but not in the way that Nigel described. Jack took a deeper breath in, something in himself. He had never really known what he wanted, he had loved Eris for sure he had even if it had been confusing, but it hadn’t been like he knew where they would go from there - their vision for the future was very different, not that they had talked much about it either. Perhaps that was where things had gone wrong, they had used so much time drowning themselves in the past and in the end, it had been that the past. The hand on his shoulder was perhaps the thing he noticed the most, not because it was making him uncomfortable, on the contrary, he found it assuring, as if things were to be alright. “Maybe someday I will figure out it,” he took a deeper breath in, looking over at Nigel giving him a small nod to the fact that he would look at dinner. When was the last time over the last couple of days where he hadn’t skipped cooking something to go for a hunt? It was easy hunting deer around now. “Okay, I might go out in the garden, catch some air,” he told before making his way outside as Nigel walked towards the kitchen, crossing Irina on the way with a smile, as she walked out to the kitchen to Nigel. “So, takeout or what do you reckon?” She asked embracing him from behind as she took a deeper breath in. “How are you feeling?” It had to be quite much suddenly standing face to face with a brother you knew nothing about.

The cyrobird walked outside, looking at Scarlett with a smile. “Hey there,” he broke the silence. Now, he wasn’t the most social creature or at least it depended a lot on who you asked. Because if you asked Victoria, Lucas, and Rafael, they couldn’t get him to shut up. “I’m sorry if I ruined your get together with your friend - this was far form planned out,” he scratched the side of his head a little bit, starting to really realize what was going on. It was overwhelming in such a powerful way, in such way he had never experienced before, but it wasn’t all bad.