Petunia's Tea and Cake Shop [5SOS AU] (Completed)

Luke's Mom's Buttery Scones

~ Two Years Ago, Australia ~

Luke, Ashton, Michael, and Calum sat around a table near the back of their favorite pub. They were meant to be celebrating - one last hurrah before they embarked on their trip nearly halfway around the world to new York. Yet, instead of drinking in merriment, they were staring mournfully into their pints. The four of them had planned on emigrating to the US since they were young, enticed by the tales of success and hope for the 'American Dream', but a recent tragedy had thrown a wrench in their plans. Luke's mother, Mary, had fallen ill, requiring Luke to spend the money he had saved for his ticket on her healthcare, and he insisted on not leaving her here alone without any family to care for her.

Luke was disappointed that he had to stay behind while his three best friends left for a new start in America, but he was devastated at the bleak news of his mother's illness. She was all he had, besides Ash, Mikey and Cal -who were practically like his brothers- and Petunia, of course.

"Who would run the shop? I have to stay." Luke shook his head and looked down at his dog at his feet.

"Of course, we wouldn't expect you leave while your mother was sick. If it happened to any of us, we'd do the same." Ashton explained, and the others nodded in agreement.

"We'll just wait until she gets better, then we can all make the trip over together - like we planned." Calum stated, and again the others agreed - except Luke.

"No, no I couldn't ask you to stay." He shook his head. You've all made plans and bought your tickets; don't stay back on account of me."

"We'd be staying for your mum, not you," Michael joked. "Luke, we know you'd do the same for us. It just wouldn't be fair for us to go, and leave you on your won to care for your mum, and run her shop."

"Yeah, well..." Luke was going to say 'life isn't fair' but they had all experienced enough hardship to know that fact first-hand. "It would be even more unfair of me to expect you three to wait around for my mom to get better." He shrugged and added, "She may never get better."

They were all quiet as they took this in and silently agreed. They had each lost people to the Great War or the deadly flu epidemic over the last few years, but none more than Luke who last saw his father and older brothers as they left for Europe in uniform. If his mother passed away as well, luke really would be on his own, and the three guys around this table would be the only 'family' he had left.

"Go. Go to New York, like we've planned, and I'll join you...when I can." Luke paused and swallowed hard at this thought, knowing he could probably never leave his mother even once she recovered. Things would never be the same. "Don't let me ruin it for the three of you."

"You're not ruining it-" Ashton started off, but Luke cut him off.

"No, really, you guys go on ahead, and I'll be over as soon as possible." Luke tried to smile confidently, but it was clear to his friends he was anything but.

It took some more persuasion, and Ashton even offered to stay back with Luke, but four days later the three left on a ship to America. Luke and Petunia saw them off, standing on the pier looking after the ship long after it had disappeared beyond the horizon. He watched their years of planning and saving money float away across the Pacific Ocean, and if it weren't for Petunia's sturdy form leaning up against his leg and her soft, rhythmic, snores, he may have drifted away too.

~ Two Years Later, New York City ~

Petunia sat by Luke's feet under the counter in the tea shop, where he sat on a stool and leaned on the counter between the cash register and a pyramid-shaped display of tea tins. He stared absently at the wall across the shop from him, barely noticing the two customers sipping tea and chatting at one of the tables near the front window. His mother's shop in Sidney had been much busier, and Luke yearned for that bustling environment to keep his mind preoccupied. Anything to keep his mind off of the inexplicable changes in his best friends and the illegal activity occurring under his feet. He couldn't hear him, but Luke knew Calum was down there getting the space ready for business.