Going Home (2038)

Lucas Fortenberry was glad to have this time alone as he blasted the radio with another Muse song as he sped down the highway.


Putting his foot to the gas as he increased his speed, with his new salary increase he would able to buy the car of his dreams, an old classic that his father Hoyt Fortenberry had always talked about. Soon he would be home to visit his parents, but not before putting in one last stop to pick up his brother Elijah at the university of Alaska Fairbanks.

As he swerved around another vehicle that was driving way below the speed limit, he knew that Elijah would be timing him, hoping to win the bet that he would make it on time to the exact second before he would loose the bet.

As the university came into view he began searching for the parking lot where he knew that he would find his brother, and hopefully without one of his growing fan club of women that seemed to fawn over his every step.

Spotting him surrounded by a field of women he honked his horn several times to signal Elijah that he was here, he pulled the car up to the side of him and waited.

"......Let's go brother before we hit the traffic" he called out through the window.

Glancing at the clock, he had just missed his mark by two minutes, hopefully Elijah had forgotten their bet by now.

Elijah hoisted his backpack further on his shoulder. The girls behind him all giggled and tried to catch his eye but he would have none of it. He was tired of the skirts chasing him, it made it difficult to focus on his thesis for his masters.

He spotted his brother speeding towards him and gave his cell phone a quick glance. He couldn't wipe the smirk off his face as he jogged up to the car.

"You're late...you totally lost" he said as he hopped into the car. He put on his seat belt as his brother peeled out of the parking lot.

"So whats up bro? Heard they're asking you to do another tour"

".....It wasn't my fault, if it wasn't for the fact that this place is such a maze I would have been here earlier. And you know what the traffic is like here" he groaned.

Switching off the radio as he glanced through the rear view mirror to see the the group of girls had disbanded to go about their day. Lucas couldn't help but shakes his head, knowing that his brother was far more interested in his education that girls.

"So you have heard? Mother tell you did she?.....And yes, another tour. Three years in Iraq and after they are deploying me to some other location that I have never even heard off" he laughed a little.

Reaching down into his wallet as he pulled out ten dollars and dropped it on his brother's lap, I will owe you the rest. Coming to a stop as he waited for the traffic to clear as he pulled around a sharp bend leaving the campus grounds.

Elijah took the money and nodded. "Yeah she told me about it. You know mom, she worries about you." he said as he leaned back and let his brother drive.

"Three years though? Damn... it's gonna be hard to explain to everyone why you're all nice and pristine when everyone else is aging, even if its just three years" he said as he looked at his brother.

He blinked and reached into his backpack and pulled out a box that smelled of bacon and pepper "Oh and I got it. Asked this girl in the culinary arts program to get me some so here you go" he said, handing his brother the box.

Lucas could not help but laugh at his brother's remark about the not aging aspect of their lives, true they looked older than they actually were. But still there was always ways to pass what they were.

"....I guess I will have to borrow some of your clothes, that will help me pass for my age" he joked.

As soon as Elijah produced a box and his nose instantly drew him in as he smelled the heavenly scent of bacon and pepper, his mouth watering at the thought.

Lifting the lid off the box, he felt like he was in heaven.

"....Now that is the girl I am going to marry one day if she can get me this everyday...I won't see any of this in Iraq" he joked.

Elijah rolled his eyes. They were such polar opposites. Lucas loved the ladies and Elijah rather spend time reading a book.

"Well... I can procure it for you for every care package mom will send...and you know she'll send you tons" he said as he stretched.

"Still... what did dad say? I mean he can't be too thrilled for you on another tour"

Lucas smirked as he remembered the last care package that his mother sent, there was enough chocolate to feed the camp for several weeks knowing that he had a weekend for dark chocolate. Pulling the car into another lane that was less busy.

"....He wasn't very pleased as to be expected, he wanted me to turn it down after what happened last time on tour. But you know dad, he wants the best for me, for us. But this is what I want to do. Daryl was in the army and now it is something that I want to do" he shrugged.

As he continued to pass the other cars in the lane that were now queuing for another turn in as he put his foot to the gas and sped past them.

"You have your books and brains, I have my good looks and my guns....It runs in the family" he smirked.

Elijah laughed. "Yeah well...for all those good looks you still don't have a girlfriend" he teased as he turned the radio up a bit.

"But yeah...Dad was kinda mad when he found out, said that you had already done your service to the country and what not" he said as he folded his arms across his chest. "I think he just doesn't want mom to be sad if something happens"

"Hey! I am keeping my options open...You gotta choose carefully when your looking for you wife...and what about you? Your head always in books and never noticing all the girls that fawn over you like your a god...Seriously? No one interests you?" he joked.

Spotting a road sign that showed that Anchorage was only a an hour or so away as he put his foot down on the gas pedal, roaring the engine to life as it sped down the empty highway.

"....Nothing is going to happen, besides look what happened last time. Not a scratch on me. I will fine, nothing is going to happen. Besides, if anything does, you will be the first to know" he reassured him.

Lucas shrugged. "Most girls are only looking for someone popular to date. None of them have anything remotely interesting going on in their brains" he said casually.

He then rolled his eyes when Lucas insisted he'd be alright. "Yeah I mean you'd heal and all but mom freaks out and when she freaks out Dad is on our case about it. Remember the time that idiot crashed into me on my bike?"

Lucas remembered that night very well, mom and dad were by his bed side for hours. They would not let him do anything for weeks. He was wrapped in cotton wool by both of their parents and every time he returned from a tour they would be at his beckon call.

"....They were running around like headless chickens, although I got to say that you pretty much milked the whole situation brother" he joked.

Elijah rolled his eyes "yes... because I wanted to spend two weeks being coddled by our mother while she didn't let me so much as breathe without assistance" he said with sarcasm.

He moved to lean the seat back and relax. "But overall, it'll be nice to see the folks again...I hear the motel is going awesome... everyone loves mom's home made muffins and her pasta"

"So I have heard....And as soon as I step through that door, I can guarantee that she will have some muffins ready for you...And it will be lasagna for dinner tonight. I can tell you that is what mom will make...I can almost smell it now" he joked.

As Lucas pulled the car into a sharp bend once again as he turned left off the highway and spotted another sigh that signaled Anchorage, soon they would be home once again.

"....So brother...You ready to go home?" he asked smirking.

Elijah chuckled. He could believe what Lucas was saying. Knowing their mother she'd have a mountain of food ready and begin to baby them as soon as they got home.

"Well I don't know about you, but I would love some of those muffins... it's the thing I miss the most while in college; mom's cooking" he said with a nod.

He looked at Lucas when he asked the last question.

"Ready? no idea... you never know what Dad has planned, but I can't wait to be back home though. You gotta admit theres something... safe about being home"

"That there is brother....That there is" he smirked.

Turning back to the road as the car roared to life once again as the car jolted forward as Lucas turned off from the highway and onto the road that would take them home.

Back home to their parents, back home to where their life would always be.

Amy fussed about in the kitchen. Everything was perfect. She had two dozen muffins all flavors of chocolate, cherry, banana nut, blueberry all set up in a perfect little pyramid.

She had already baked two large trays of lasagna and currently had a cheesecake chilling in the fridge. She'd made home made strawberry lemonade and had even bought some good beers for her sons. She kept cleaning and re-cleaning the kitchen and den, wanting everything to be perfect for their visit.

She couldn't wait to hug her boys again. They were men now and had their lives but to her they would always be the adorable toddlers who ran about her house giving her a hard time.

Hoyt could not keep himself under control, his emotions running higher than he had ever felt before. He could hear Amy fussing about in the kitchen as she prepared for the boys coming home today. Soon they would both be home and safe. He was sat in the den watching the TV trying to distract himself from constantly watching the clock. As the news channel flipped on the it soon caught his attention;

'Today it has been reported that two soldiers who have yet to be named have been killed by a roadside bomb in Muhafazat al Anbar. Our correspondent Tim Simmons has more news'

Hoyt instantly flipped the news channel as he stood from his chair and headed into the kitchen to find Amy re-cleaning the kitchen once again. Walking towards her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder.

".....They will be home soon...The boys will be home" he whispered.