Finding Home

Chapter 7

Friday, 3 p.m. - high school office - 

Once the last bell of the day rings, I make my way to the office to wait for Sawyer, the McCoy's, and West to arrive. Sitting on one of the wooden, padded chairs, I lean back as the secretary looks at me in confusion since I wasn't called down to the office at the end of the day. 

"Is there something I can help you with, Wyatt?" she asks, looking at me with a small frown.

"No ma'am, I'm waiting for my foster dad to arrive, and he told me to meet him here," I reply with a small, sad smile.

"Okay," she nods, returning her focus on her computer to work, and leaving me to silently think.

Fifteen minutes later, Sawyer enters the office with River, West, and Nathan entering behind him. Standing upright, I give them all a tight grin, since I'm uneasy about leaving Sawyer alone, yet I don't want to spend more time away from my brother. 

The secratary glances at them once the three men are standing in front of her desk, and she gives them a bright smile; "How can I help you, gentlemen?" 

"I need to remove my information from Wyatt Willims file, and that needs to be replaced with theirs, Sawyer tells her as he hands her the paper he has in his left hand.

She silently takes the paper, quickly scanning the information before looking at the McCoy's; "Do you have your paperwork?" 

Nathan nods in response, as he hands her several papers that I hadn't noticed him holding, and she takes these, reads through before looking at West and I curiously with a sweet smile she asks; "Are you boys brothers?"

"Yup, Wy's my big brother!" West chirps, latching his arms around my waist from my left side with a wide grin up at me; smiling softly back down at him as I wrap my left arm around his shoulders, while kissing the top of his messy brown locks. 

"Alright, let me make the proper changes in his file on the computer, and while I do this, I will have you gentlemen fill out the proper paperwork," she tells them, as she grabs the papers she needs from the file cabinets behind her.

Twenty minutes later everything is completed, and we're exiting the office and the building toward the parking lot. My nerves are frayed at leaving Sawyer, and moving yet again into another foster home. By the time we reach Sawyer's truck to grab my bags, my body is shaking like a leaf, and Nathan is on his cell phone speaking with Mr. Warren. The entire walk to the vehicals, West has a death grip on my left hand with his right hand until we stop at Sawyer's truck. 

Opening the passenger side door, I grab the two duffle bags off the seat, close the door, and make eye contact with Sawyer, who looks ready to sob at any second. This makes my own eyes well to the brim with my own tears, and my hands tighten almost painfully around the handles of the bags, trying to distract myself from crying. 

"Here, let me have those, so you can say your goodbye properly," River says, taking the bags from my death grip, and Nathan takes a bag from his husband with a tiny smile, as they have West join them at their light blue colored Chevy Equanox. 

Throwing myself into Sawyer's body with a harsh sob ripping from my throat, and he tightly holds me to him, as he stumbles back a couple of steps from the force of my impact. Digging my face into his neck, and inhaling his sweat and natural scent, while sobbing, and I don't even care that his badge from his uniform is digging painfully into my chest. 

"I'm going to miss you, so much, Sawyer. Please don't forget about me," I whisper into his neck, tightening my hold on his shoulders. 

"I'm not going to forget you, Wyatt, and I'm going to miss you so much," he mumbles into my hair with a sniffle. "I promise, since you have burrowed your way into my heart."

Pulling away a few minutes later, we both clean our faces off with the sleeves our shirt with soft chuckles. 

"I'll talk to you soon, okay?"he promises with red, puffy eyes. 

"Check the spare bedroom when you get home please, as I left you a gift," I murmur before walking away. 

"Why?" he questions completly confused with a tilted head to the left with a frown. 

Smirking at him over my shoulder, I give him a shrug; "Just check what's on the bed, okay?" 

"Sure thing, kid," he agrees with a slow nod. "Be good, and no sleeping in alleyways!"

Grinning at him through fresh tears that are flowing harshly down my cheeks, I call back to him as I reach the McCoy's vehical; "No promises, Officer Archer!"

He loudly laughs through his own fresh tears as he waves at me, and then the others as we climb inside. He stays cemented in his spot, waving and watching until we're out of sight. How do I know this, well that's simple, as I was watching him through the back window the entire time River drives us away. I'm waving like a mad man until I can no longer see him. 

The car is silent for a few mintues after that as I turn around to sit correctly in my seat in the back next to West, who is watching me with his own teary eyes as Nathan turns in the passenger seat to say; "I'm sure this is hard, but we'll make sure you see him as much as possible. Do you like pizza as that's what we're having for dinner tonight?"

Nodding my head at him with a watery smile; "Pizza is great, and I appreciate everything you're doing for us, and have for West already."

Sawyer's P.O.V.

Watching them drimve away with Wyatt is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, even as a police officer. I don't want him to leave, but it's the best thing for him, to live with West, and with the people that his brother is the most comfortable with. I became very attached to that wonderful young man, who is smart, adorable, sassy, stubborn, and beautiful. 

Climbing into my truck, I stop off at the Thai restaurant near my home as I am in no mood to cook for myself tonight. Upon arriving home, I place my food in the oven to keep warm until after my shower. Taking my uniform off, I quickly shower, dry off, and dress in a pair of black sweats and a black hoodie before stepping into the spare bedroom Wyatt had occupied. Starring at the made bed, my vision becomes blurry as it fully sinks in that Wyatt will no longer be here with me. Walking up to the bed, I notice two pieces of paper lying on top of the pillow. 

Picking up the top piece, not minding the bottom one as the top piece was a hand written note from Wyatt on a piece of lined paper: 

'Sawyer,

I cannot being to express my appreciation for what you have done for me since finding me that morning in the alleyway. Please tell Troye and your grumpy partner, that I said goodbye for me? The other paper is a start to showing my appreciation, but if you don't like it, I understand if you want to throw it away, along with this note. 

Wyatt :)'

Glancing down at the other paper, I realize it's an 8x11 piece of whtie printer paper from my office, but what has me gasping in surprise, with another round of fresh tears is what Wyatt drew on the paper. It's a picture of him and I standing next to each other, with his left arm wrapped around my waist, and my right arm drapped over his shoulders. We're both grinning at each other, and if I didn't know better, I would swear it is a black and white photo of us. I'm truly amazed at his talent that I didn't even know he possesd. 

Bringing the drawing and his note with me, I exit the room, shutting the door behind me as I make my way to my office. Several minutes later, I find an empty picture frame big enough to hold this beautiful item, I quickly place the picture in the fram with the note behind it. Entering the living room, I take down a picture frame that is hanging on the wall next to the television, I place his drawing there, and after straightening it, I step back to admire the picture for a little longer. Walking into the kitchen, I warm up my dinner, then sit on the couch in the living room with the deafening silence around me as I eat and stare at the picture. 

I've grown used to Wyatt's presence and his cheerful chatter, and I'm postive that he is a strong young man, who will make it through whatever life will throw at him.