Homecoming IC

[Pek]

War has become an integrated part of our everyday lives. We see it on the news, we read about it in history, and we accept it when our loved ones go off to fight. Many fight for there country. Many fight for there loved ones. Some fight to make a change. But the one constant in all war's . . . Is that people will die. On both sides. In this instance, Carl was a man who fought for his family. He was a man who knew nothing but pain and violence. He'd seen the worst that life had to offer, and was stronger because of it. Carl, was a soldier. He was a son, a brother, a husband, and above all else, a father. Now, it's time for him to return home . . .

Carl had finally flown home, and upon arrival in the states he had found himself feeling like a fish out of water. He stood in the center of the airport in his army fatiuges, the left sleeve cut short and folded up over his elbow making it painfully obviouse why he had returned from duty. But he didn't care he was home. As odd as the hustle and bustle of the airport was what felt the wierdest was the drowning noise that accompanied it. It felt odd so many people walking past him on cellphones and playing music in there ears. Across the airport the sound of some old arcade shooter brought him to attention as some kid gunned down his virtual adversaries. It was overwelming to the point where he had to get out. Grabbing his duffel bag he made his escape from the noise and clamber of society.

Carl ended up taking a taci home, the ride hom was worse then the flight. It was friday, and he knew from experience that his family had held a family barbeque every friday sense as long as he could remember. He wanted to return home to his family, of course there were no doubts about that. but deep down in the back of his mind he knew that there would be no hiding the missing arm from them. Yes. Carl was missing an arm. Last time he saw his family he had two arms two legs, and all his faculties in order . . . But now he was a broken man. His family would now doubt be shocked. Scratch that. They would be mortified to find him wounded so. Then he would have to explain how it happenned and why He hadn't called them five month's ago when it happenned.

So there He stood. On the front lawn of his house, the smell of barbeque filling the air. The sound of his family laughing in the backyard worked it's way to his ear's and brought a smile to his face. Slowly but surely Carl walked around the side of the house to the backyard and opened the old chainlink gate with a long creek. He stepped into view of his family and dropped his duffel bag to the grass with a grinn playing at his face before saying out loud to his unsuspecting family . . .

"Hey guys . . . Got room for one more at the table?"​

 

[Andy]

Ramon Romaro the artist and the soldiers brother. It had become a role he was used to and he didn't mind. He was proud of who his brother was even if they didn't always see eye to eye. His brother might not be home all the time but he was doing something for the greater good he was protecting his family and his country and that was something Ramon respected even if he didn't approve of war. Ramon and his wife Dian were hosting the barbecue this Friday at their home. It had become an annual event that they always did between the two families. One week it would be at his brothers house the next at their own and it just so happened this week it was theirs.

Ramon was focusing his attention on the grill mostly to keep an eye on the hot dogs and hamburgers. They only had steak once in a while and they hadn't had the time to go out this week to get any good cuts of meat for a steak dinner. He smiled over at his wife Dian as he watched her and his brothers wife set up the table to eat. He looked over at his niece and smiled again. He had tried to be as much of a father to her as well as an uncle not because he wanted to raise her himself but because he knew if the roles were reversed Carl would do the same thing for his child. He had tried to be there for his niece as much as he could but that wasn't always the case and that sometimes caused some resentment but that was all part of growing up. In the end he loved his family and they loved him that's all that mattered.

He was about to call out that dinner was ready when he heard a familiar voice call out to them. He paused and then turned around slowly almost in disbelief when he saw his older brother standing there waiting for his family as if he had never left. He smiled and fought back the waves of emotions that flooded through him and set down the plate of burgers and hot dogs he had started forming and walks over to him. He didn't get far though when he saw his left arm. He froze in his steps when he saw what had happened to his arm and he felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He had known something wasn't right when he saw him there. He wasn't due to come home for a while yet. And now he knew why. He swallowed hard and just stared at his brother and gave him a weak smile and stood to the side a bit so his wife and daughter could get the first hugs. "..welcome home Carl..welcome home"

 

[Poetic Justice]

Dian Romaro always tried to keep the family in high spirits and energies flowing with hope, that Carl would contact the family soon. She respected her husbands brother as he served the country with his life and family back at home yet at times she thought of how she would be, left alone if Ramon had left to join the army. A sick feeling overcame her as she pushed it down and looked up to her husband and caught his smile. She double glanced into her lovers eyes and smile back warmly for it always seemed that he knew when she needed that smile.That was when she blushed and realized she couldn't live without that smile.

She finished placing the table cloth down with Cammie and walked back into the house with her to grab the plates and buns. She went to the cupboards and took down the plates and counted them up and garbed just enough for the them to eat as she put one back.Sighing she handed those to Cammie so she could finished the table. Dian closed the cupboards and went to the refrigerator and took out the hot dog buns and Hamburger buns and walked back out side and took a sneak peek at the grill to see how much longer the food needed to cook. She saw her husband walking over to someone as she raised a brow and then her mouth gaped open.

It was Carl. No one could mistake his uniform. But it couldn't be.. She thought as her eyes looked horrified at his missing arm. She gulped lightly and the nauseate feeling came back as she closed her mouth to not vomit from the shocked look upon her face.

 

[T E R R O R]

Cameron~

Cameron sighed as she wiped her eyes and looked down at the pregnancy test, which tested her for positive. Every time she thought about it she wanted to cry more but she couldn't let them know that, she had to at least keep quiet for awhile until they were able to tell she was pregnant. Tossing away the test, she sighed again and looked into the mirror before splashing water onto her face and washing it. Just then she began to feel queasy and threw up into the toilet, instant tears flowing once again. She grunted and flushed then just sat there on the floor trying to gather herself so she can get up. Finally after what felt like forever, she got up stumbling a bit then held onto the counter then washed her face and brushed her teeth before leaving and going downstairs. She hated this feeling, why did he have to do this to her? She didn't see it coming at all...yet it didn't seem like he cared whether she wanted him to or not.

Cameron sighed and rubbed her eyes before going back into the kitchen and turning on the radio to listen to some happy tunes to cheer her up while baking. Instantly, she began to smile and dance a little while taking out the cake and decorating it as she made drinks for everyone. She then placed them all on the tray and decorated the rim of the glass with a lime slice and a little umbrella with a long stick so that it wouldn't sink down. She placed the tray up on her shoulder and held it with one hand before taking the cake in the other and going back outside. "Alright guys, drinks and cake but don't touch it until you finish eating your food!" she kinda joked and laughed before sitting both items down on the extra table then sat back down in her chair to resume her conversation with Dian. She was about to speak when she heard a familiar voice that almost made her drop her glass onto the floor. Cameron sat her glass down and turned around looking at her husband, Carl, then looking at his arm. She began to cry when she saw that, the looked at him again and ran up to him and jumped up, "What are you doing here? What happened to you?" she asked as her voice shook, terrified of seeing him like this. "Don't go back...you're not going back. Ok!?" she told him before squeezing tighter and making his shirt wet with her tears.​