Coming Home

Chapter 1

"I miss home...." It had been a rough six months and I miss my sweet Hawaii. Darkness had filled the places where sunlight had once been and I felt utterly alone. I stared out the window at the busy streets of San Francisco, still wearing the DaKine Bail Bonds t-shirt they had given me before I left.

"God, I miss them." I picked up the picture of Beth, Big Daddy, Tim and Leland from table and fingered it gingerly. Big Daddy's words from the day I had left still echoed in my ears as if he were standing next to me. "I want you to remember that you are family. If you ever need anything at all, just call and we will come. We will always have a place for you here." I closed my eyes as I felt him wrap his big strong arms around me for a hug. He was the closest thing I had to a father now, and I realized I needed him badly. I looked over at the clock and smiled. It was still early there. Tim was right. I needed to come home. My hands shook as I dialed the number and listened to it ring.

"Bail bonds."

"Hi Big Daddy," I whispered meekly.

"Is that you Alex? Youngblood said you would call sooner or later."

"Did he tell you what was going on?"

"Nope. He just said to grant any wishes you made."

"I need to come home."

"Well Beth and I will just happen to be in San Francisco tomorrow, and we can come get you."

"I miss you guys and home."

"Leland will be ecstatic."

"Please don't tell him I'm coming. I can't deal with him yet. This is hard enough." I wiped the tears from my eyes with a kleenex.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" I could hear Beth in the backround.

"Are you okay?"
"No I'm not. I feel like I'm going to fall off the edge. I don't know where I begin and it ends." Tears began to fall like rain, tapping into the deep well of pain that filled me.

"Beth, talk to her," he said as he handed her the phone. "It's bad," I heard him whisper.

"Are you okay sistah?" The worry was evident in her voice.

"No, I need to come home," I whimpered. "I just need to feel safe again."

"Okay, we'll play this your way. Nobody will know you're here with exception of us, Tim, Lyssa and the kids. If Leland finds out though you're here you know we wont be able to stop him. He'll move heaven and earth just to get to you." Her words were soothing to my soul. I knew I was doing the right thing.

"I know," I whispered. "I'll handle him when the time comes."

"Okay, Duane and I will call before we come. Just be packed and ready to roll when we get there."

"Alright." I made a mental note of everything as I shivered.

"I don't want you to worry. No Leland or Duane Lee, I promise."

"Okay," was the only word that I could bring myself to say.

"If you need either of us tonight just call, even if you just need to talk."

"I will if I need you." I grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly to me. "I think I just wanna try to get some sleep."

"Good. Get some sleep and we should be there tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." My body slowly surrendered to the thought that help was on the way.

"We'll see you tomorrow and get some rest. You sound like you need it." Beth's motherly nature was taking over.

"I promise I will and I'll see you tomorrow."

"We'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye." We both hung up at the same time.

I sat there for a moment and cred until I couldn't anymore. Help would be there soon, and maybe I could leave some of the pain behind. I reached over and took a Valium. I got up and crawled into bed knowing that I would be asleep soon. The world had beaten me once, and now my Big Daddy would take care of me. I quickly fell into a dead sleep, wishing tomorrow would hurry and come.
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Duane's POV

Beth shut the flip phone and dropped it in her lap.

"What has happened to her?" I quickly glanced at Beth as I turned the corner.

"I don't know Big Daddy? I don't know." She buried her face in her hands and then pulled them through her hair. "She sounded like she had been through a war."

"And not wanting Leland to know is really bad."

"I know, he loves her dearly and I know she loves him just as much. She's protecting him from someone or something." We looked at each other. "How in the world are we going to keep this from him? If Dakota or Duane Lee see her it's over." Beth rubbed her head as if it hurt.

"Trust me Bethie, the Lord will make sure it will all work out in the end."

"It will be easier when Alex is here." We pulled into the parking lot and luckily Tim's truck was the only thing there.

"Maybe he can shed some light on this," I said as motioned to his truck.

"Possibly," Beth grabbed her stuff and shut the car door. "The problem will be getting him to say anything."

"True." We slowly walked in the back door whispering about Alex's phone call.
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Tim's POV

I was sitting there shuffling through files as Duane and Beth walked in.


"Youngblood," Duane hollered!

"What?"

"Come back here." I quickly moved towards Beth's office.

"What's going on?" Duane sat on the corner of Beth's desk looking at me as if I had something to confess.

"There's no beating around the bush. Alex called wanting to come home." Beth interjected as she walked out of the room.

"It's about time she did. How is she?" I knew how she had been when I saw her last. It wasn't great.

"She's hanging off the edge and about ready to let go. " Duane looked at me hard almost demanding the answer. "You need to tell me what has happened brother. You know don't you?" I looked at my feet trying to figure out a way to tell him but not tell him.

"I do, but in this case Duane it's not my place to say anything. It's hers." I sat down in the chair in front of him. Damn my head hurts, I thought. "Look Duane, all I can tell you is that it's bad and that I told her to come home six months ago."

"When she and Shawn broke up?" A small clue was better than nothing.

"If you can call it that." He looked at me puzzled.

"So he has something to do with this?"

"Possibly." I looked at him calmly, trying to stop the conversation from going too far.

"She doesn't want us to tell Leland that she's here."

I started to walk away and looked back at Duane as he continued to talk. "Just bring her home fast."

I walked back to my files and watched as Beth came back in. I hope I told them just enough, I thought. Hopefully, the help she needs has come soon enough. She needs it desperately.

"When are you getting Alexandra," I yelled?

"Tomorrow afternoon. We'll call you once she's settled in."

"Okay." I watched as Beth and Duane left the office. I almost called Alex to talk, but she would be here soon surrounded by enough love that she could put the pieces back together again. If only she would let Leland know what was going on, I thought, but that will come as well as everything else will. I quickly got back to my paperwork, knowing that tomorrow was going to be a very long day.