The End of Days

Part 3

Jack snatched the board from his absent grasp, filling in the rest without much thought. "..I thought you died." The statement suprised him. Liam couldn't manage to look up from his high tops kicking at the dirt. "We came, you know? Everyone was..they found your body."

"Well then clearly they made a mistake."

I'm fine, he wanted to say. But the more he thought back, it became that much harder to fake it. He wasn't okay, not in any capacity. But he still made it, no matter how undeserving.

"I'm glad they did," Jack said. "Or I mean I'm glad you're here."

Liam nodded his appreciation to the sentiment although failed to find words. It was comforting, having someone familiar around especially one he trusted. It made all the aweful shit piling away inside of him a little easier to forget about, even just for a moment.

The shouting of Fred's voice caught his attention and their time together came to an end. Liam was out in a second, going to calm the kid. He only ever spoke out when he felt threatened, it wasn't something he could help.

That was another reason Liam figured a place like this might do him some good. Get him around normal people, around a normal life. Show him there was still some good out there instead of just running and killing and dying.

"They'll be okay, Liam. Relax." A hand gripped his wrist, attempting to ease his worry as they were pulled in seperate directions.

Those big kid eyes set on him in worry. "I'll see you soon." He promised them. That was all he could do at that point. They nodded, Paige determined and Fred grabbing protectively at his younger sister as they walked with the women while Liam went to settle matters.

"I've got a suprise for you." Was the first thing he heard as he returned to the conversation he'd been checked out of for he wasn't sure how long.

Jack seemed a bit more vocal than he had been when they were younger, a gentle giant with intuition and responsibility. Maybe a little more serious now than was back then. The leadership role he'd been given only brought out what was always there.

"What is it?" Liam asked as he knew he should although he had no reservations to respond. Jack smirked a bit, scratching absently at his army jumper. "After." He said which Liam didn't argue.

He followed along, acknowledging the rows of crops being tended to and boxes hauled to and from trucks near the front gate. They must have a steady stream of supplies with the people they had, hundreds from the look of it.

"Liam this is Mr. Everett, he runs the place. He's the one that cleared the team I sent for you."

"Oh." The older man gave a slightly wrinkled smile, cropped hair fitting well with his broad frame. He extended a hand from his desk and Liam nodded, returning the shake firmly. "Thanks..for trying" His awkward phrasing left the room a little quiet.

The man only plowed on. "Please sit, get comfortable. Must be exhausted from all that time on the road. And call me Joel, all that formal stuff makes me feel ancient." He laughed a bit, sitting up in his seat. "So Liam is it, what's the uh connection?"

"Connection?"

"Yes, between you and my son."

Suprise registered on Liam's face, Mr.Everette catching on before he could correct himself. "Ah, he forgot to mention that part right? My apologies, seems to be a habit of his. Leaving out the details." He trailed a bit, eyes lingering on Jack who had yet to look up from his green army boots.

"We knew eachother before. Teammates, don't think I ever saw you at one of our matches though." Liam had caught the clench of Jack's jaw and the balls of his fists. He knew better than to say they dated or anything along those lines really.

Everett looked to his son once more, "He must've had some attachment to you to seek you out after all this time. Used up quite a bit of resources to get you here."

"We were good friends." Liam spoke simply, the man nodded after careful consideration. "I'm sure you were." They watched one another for some time.

"So about those kids you brought in, are they family? Siblings perhaps, children of yours?" Liam shook his head absurdly at the question.

"The little girl, I was traveling with her dad. She and Fred, the boy, they were being cared for by this couple. Her dad died before we could get to her. Then the couple so..I don't know, I had to take care of them. Get them here at least."

"That's very generous of you son, especially for a man your age. You could have left them, protected yourself but you didn't. Quite nobel, compassionate. We could never get enough of that living how we do now."

"Mm." Liam nodded although not sure if he agreed. He didn't regret taking over the responsibility, not a bit. Even if it wasn't a choice, he wouldn't have picked otherwise. They were pretty cool kids.

"Have you considered what will happen to the three of you now that you're here?" He asked although the question had already been on Liam's mind since the moment they stepped past those walls.

"They're deaf and anxious, they didn't grow up behind walls like the rest of these kids. Paige is just a girl and Fred has done..he's done things that he shouldn't have had to. They can't be without eachother or without me, I'm not leaving them."

"Son." He held a hand up, gesturing for him to slow down just a bit. It was only the brief hand on his shoulder that had him sucking in a quick breath.

"I don't intend on taking them, alright? Look it's been a long..well, years I'm guessing. There's food and warm clothes, Jack will get you settled into your new home. Theirs plenty to discuss tomorrow. For now though," He stood with an outstretched hand and a smile. "Welcome home Liam. Enjoy it."

The further they entered into the community, less and less did the military personnel and firearms flash before their eyes. Rows of houses and trailers emerged, each with a small 10 by 10 garden with displays or rows of flowerbeds although the cold weather had frozen everything over with a layer of frost or kept away any of the leaves from appearing.

Families walked hand in hand down the street, kids running and playing. Liam forced himself not to think about it, about Paige and Fred and all that he wanted for them.

They deserved a home and real parents. As grown as he felt, he was 19 maybe 20. Liam knew he wasn't capable of being that for them, not a father and clearly not a guardian given what happened. They deserved better.

"Look alive." Jack spoke, nudging him out of his funk. Oh if the man only knew. Liam did as told, eyes lifting to settle on a dark woman off in the distance.

She sat at a table with a few other men, chowing down and laughing. He'd almost mistaken her for a guy given the impressive frame and fresh cut she we rocking. Her eyes slid over at Jack's calling and as soon as their's met, she just about broke into a sprint.

"LIAM!"

...Avery?