Here is Home • The Pack

Chapter Thirty-Four

"Wow, the whole Scooby gang is here."

"Hi." He sits across from Lachlan, the kids sitting down as well, and folds his hands in front of him, leaning forward. "It's good to see you."

"Really?" He asks, expression saddening. His arms are stretched out in front of him, the chain of his cuffs threaded through a metal ring attached to the table. The look he gives him is empathetic, and Vik has to look away. He glances at the guards standing still as statues at the doors on opposite sides of the room and frowns when he sees they're keeping their eyes focused in their direction.

Lachlan smirks and says, "They aren't going to leave us alone, if that's what you're hoping for. Whatever it is you want to say, you'll have to be okay with them hearing it, too." .

"Is the food bad?" Rob asks.

"Sometimes it's gross, but damn, it's food. I'm happy with being able to eat every day."

"We've been eating spaghetti noodles with different seasoning in it every day to make it seem different." Vik said quietly.

"I think I'd prefer prison food." Alfie adds.

"Preston get custody of Ruby yet?"

Vik hadn't been home much these past few weeks, but he always kept himself up to date with what was happening. Jerome got an awesome tip at the bar. Ruby peed the bed and Preston had to wash to hand wash her sheets and blankets because the washer wasn't working. The door handle broke off the bathroom door and Alfie was stuck in there for ten minutes while they found the right screw driver to screw it back on. Rob put some moves on a girl at school and failed miserably. The social worker came for a home visit and Preston is convinced it went terrible. But one thing he hadn't heard was the application for custody actually went through.

• •

Day 52 of 2091

Preston's head ached as his eyes slowly opened.  He frowned at his ceiling, of course he didn't feel good the day of his job interview. He was going to try and get his job back at the grocery store. Billy sold the store to some other guy - thank God because if Preston came back after disappearing he'd probably get punched in the face.

Stumbling to his feet, Preston made it all the way to the hallway towards the stairs as he struggled to put on a t-shirt and pair of jeans.

"Anyone home?" He called, padding down the stairs to the kitchen.

He walked into the kitchen, he was hungry, so he turned to open the fridge. There was a piece of paper taped to it with something written in tiny red ink.

Wanted to let you sleep in today,
Ruby is with me at the hotel. Will bring her back after my shift around lunch time
- Jerome

They had to cancel Ruby's daycare because they simply could not afford it, and now Jerome, Vik, and Preston had to take her to work with them.

Just as he threw the note in the trash, Jerome burst through the back door. Preston turned his head to him, to the note in the trash, back to Jerome, and then to the clock. Oh. It's two in the afternoon.

"Hey," he said cheerfully.

Ruby ran past Jerome and hugged Preston's legs. He put a hand on his back to show her he was hugging back.