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"No, I've got them. They're not that heavy," Havoc replied, lifting both suitcases slightly as if to say 'See? No problem'. "Besides, if my mother sees you carrying anything, she'll probably scold me," he added, edging his way down the aisle toward the end of the car. Taking great care, he managed to maneuver the bulky travel gear down the steps, finally stepping down onto solid ground. There were few passengers leaving at this stop (most were bound for East City), so the train station was relatively empty. Havoc paused, waiting for Devi to step off the train, his eyes scanning the small crowd for familiar faces. "Jean!!" Emilia Havoc called, rounding the corner of the station, her pale blue eyes alight with excitement. She was a short, pleasantly plump woman, with wavy dark blond hair and a kind smile. Waving her hand wildly in the air, she resisted the urge to run over and embrace her son, noting that his hands were quite full. "Over here, Jean!" she called again, rather unnecessarily, for he was already heading over. |
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Devi stepped out of the train, smiling as she made her way to Jean's side. Jumping, something that was not completely usual for a cautious creature like herself, she looked over to the sound of someone calling Havoc's name. It was a woman, accompanied by a man, who closely resembled Jean in many ways. Devi smiled, finding the woman's first impression endearing and friendly. Jack Havoc, taking on a more composed demeanor, merely waved one hand in his son's direction while resting the other on his wife's shoulder. Not only did it act as an affectionate gesture, but he hoped that his hand would keep her from tackling his son on the spot. |
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"Oh, I'm so happy you're here!!" she told him, her voice choked with emotion. She then stepped away, a worried frown creasing her brow. Reaching up, she took hold of his shoulders with both hands, holding him at arms length. "You look thin. Have you been eating enough? Have they been feeding you enough at that base in Central? Oh, I swear, if they haven't-" "Mom, I'm fine," Jean interjected, looking slightly exasperated. Managing to extract himself from her grasp, he turned toward Devi, reaching over to take her hand. "This is Devi Nahuel, the woman I wanted you to meet." Emilia, who had only had eyes for her son until then, flushed red as she turned toward the young woman, a sheepish grin upon her face. "It's so wonderful to finally meet you," she said pleasantly, about to hug the girl before deciding against it and extending her hand instead. "My name is Emilia, and this is my husband, Jack. Sorry for not introducing ourselves earlier. It's just... it's been such a long time since Jean's visited," she added, her expression glowing as she looked over at him. |
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"Um, it's nice to meet you, too," Devi replied, slightly nervous. With a sweet, kind smile, she reached out and took Emilia's hand in her own, shaking it in a gentle, yet firm grip. She looked over at Jack and inclined her head in acknowledgment, smiling at him as well. "Well, this certainly is a surprise," Jack began, walking over to his son and giving him a few hard claps on the back. "It's the first time you brought a girl with ya--quite a looker, too." He smirked and winked in Devi's direction. She meekly smiled back, unsure as to what to do. "But isn't she a little young for you? What's with the sudden visit, son? She pregnant?" Devi flushed bright red at this inquiry, whipping her head up to look at Jean. Arching a brow, she looked at him expectantly, hoping for a good answer. |
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"So what, the only reason I would bring a woman home is if she were pregnant?" he asked indignately, shaking his head a little. "Why does everyone keep thinking that?" "Well, honey, it's just that you've never introduced us to any of your girlfriends," Emilia explained gently, although she raised an eyebrow in her husband's direction, clearly skeptical. Placing a reassuring hand upon her son's arm, she added, "Don't worry, you can tell us everything once you're ready." |
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"Yeah! I must say, I was a bit worried at first, but you've snagged yourself a nice one," Jack laughed, walking over to Devi. He reached out to greet her in the same affectionate way as he greeted his son, only he rested his hands gently on her shoulders. She smiled sweetly back at him and looked up at Jean, leaning into his side. Quote:
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Jack nodded at his wife's statement, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Just don't wait too long. Gotta give us enough time to get a crib ready," he said, a wide smile crossing his features. |
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"Well, shall we get going?" she then asked, the corners of her lips twisted up into a happy smile. "Jack, get the suitcases-" "I've got them," Jean told her, removing his arm from Devi's waist and bending to pick up the luggage. "Where'd you park the truck...?" |
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"Figures," she muttered, her expression darkening somewhat into an uncharacteristic grimace. "I'll have to remember that next time I see him..." Quote:
"Thank goodness," Devi sighed, relieved, and smiled appreciatively up at Jean. "Well, it's good to know that isn't the reason..." Quote:
"Um, a girl? What? But Jean is a...boy," Devi questioned, somewhat confused. "Unless..." She looked playfully over at Jean, nudging him slightly. "Is there something you're not telling me?" Quote:
"Don't be ridiculous," Jack protested, grabbing the suitcases from his son with ease. "You're supposed to be on vacation, right? Enjoy it while it lasts. Besides," he said, grinning as he looked at his son meaningfully, "you shouldn't have your hands full with these anyway." He glanced over at Devi and then back to Jean with a wily expression. |
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"Let's just say the doctor was very wrong," Jean told her, managing to smile despite the faint blush upon his cheeks. "Very wrong," Emilia reiterated. "You could imagine our surprise when he was born and we saw his teeny little-" She paused then, having caught sight of her son's horrified expression, clapping her hands to her mouth to try and hide her giggling. "I mean, when we saw that he was a boy," she finished once she had managed to control herself. Quote:
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"Ah, I see," she giggled, stealing a sneaky glance over at Jean from the corner of her eye. "I bet it was a surprise. So, Jean, you were a cute little boy, huh? Nice to know things haven't changed much," she added teasingly, grinning playfully as she turned to look up at him. Quote:
Wow, there's definitely a family resemblance with those two... Devi thought, arching a brow as she tried to comprehend just what they had communicated through expressions. Dismissing the thought, she cuddled towards Jean and smiled up at him, replying, "Mm, yeah. Relaxation does sound nice, doesn't it?" "Yeah, enjoy it while you can, kids," Jack laughed, leading them to the family's old beat-up truck. He hoisted the suitcases into the back and then turned back to them, continuing, "But don't think that means we'll go easy on ya. You know how things work here, Jean. We plan on having you up and busy early." |
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"Oh, stop whining, Jean," Emilia teased, waving a hand at him dismissively. She then peered into the cab of the truck, raising an eyebrow at her husband concernedly. "Honey, do you think we'll all fit in here?" she inquired before grinning impishly at her son. "We could have Jean ride in the bed." |
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Devi had grown used to his sudden mood changes and his sensitivity. For the most part, she found it entertaining, but sometimes it was too hard to watch what she said. After all, she was just teasing as he had done many times before. She smiled apologetically, sighing somewhat as she shook her head and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "Of course not," she replied, a cheeky smile crossing her features, "I was only teasing you. If I really thought that, I probably wouldn't have stayed around this long, right?" Quote:
Jack accompanied his wife's grin with an equally impish grin, turning to his son. "Sounds like a good idea to me," he answered with a hint of mischief in his tone. Walking between both Devi and Emilia, he placed a hand on each woman's shoulder and pulled them close, continuing, "There's no way we'll all fit in there. Sorry, son, but you'll have to ride in the back." |
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"Guess not," Jean replied, smiling uncertainly, unsure as to whether or not that was intended as a compliment. Quote:
"If that'll make you feel better," Emilia told her son exasperatedly, reaching up to pat her husband's hand affectionately before climbing into the cab. |
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Devi glanced at Jack, smiling sheepishly as she slipped out of his arm and inched over to the back of the truck. Placing her hands on the edge of the truck, she peeked over at Havoc with a pleading expression and nervously asked, "Um...are you sure you...uh...don't want want me to sit back there with you. I mean, I can..." "Nonsense!" Jack bellowed with a laugh, placing a hand on her shoulder and beginning to herd her towards the cab. He spoke kindly to her, grinning impishly back at Jean as he spoke to her. "Don't worry, hun. I don't bite. Besides, this will give us time to get to know each other." "Oh...okay....?" Devi replied uncertainly, glancing back at Jean worriedly before walking around the truck to the passenger side of the cab. She climbed in slowly, sitting stiffly in her seat, hands clasped in her lap. Needless to say, she wasn't very comfortable with the idea of riding alone with the two. They seemed nice, but she was still anxious about being left with two strangers. Jack smiled, nodding once before walking over and hopping into the drivers seat. Turning the key in the ignition, the truck gave a violent shake as it rumbled to life. Jolting, it pulled forward and began chugging down the dirt road. |
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Still... as perverse as he may be, Jean knew that his father's little comments were merely his way of teasing (although that hardly made him feel any better). Shifting into a more comfortable posture, Jean worked open the old sliding windows that separated the cab from the bed, and leaned up to look through them, somehow managing to remain sedentary despite the truck's constant jostling. "Uh oh, I forgot to tell you, Jean!" Emilia said suddenly, the skin around her mouth pulled taut as she tried to keep a straight face. She failed miserably, however, and a few girlish giggles escaped her lips. "We hauled a great load of manure to the fields a couple of days ago and forgot to wash out the bed..." "So that's what the smell is. And here I was thinking it was the old man..." Jean countered, his face twisting into a mischievous grin. |
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Devi brought her hand up to hide her laugh as she looked over to Jean's father. It was amusing seeing him interact with his family--something she couldn't remember doing herself even if she wanted to. He didn't seem to happy with his son, his brow creased and mouth pulling down at the corners. "Hardy-har-har. Keep laughin', son," Jack grumbled, purposely swerving in attempts to knock his son off balance. |
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Turning toward her husband, Emilia raised an eyebrow slightly. "Really, Jack? Do you want our son hospitalized on his first day here?" |
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Devi smiled meekly but felt a pang of anxiety as Jean was shut off from the rest of them. She was relieved when he had peeked his head into the truck, and although she didn't want him to get hurt in the process, Devi would have rather he been allowed to stay. Sighing, she looked back at Jean through the cab window and sent him an apologetic--and somewhat disappointed--smile. Quote:
"Hospitalize? Naw," Jack smiled. "Just toss him around a bit. I'll save the hospital for another day." |
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The family store wasn't far from the train station, and it was only a matter of time before they arrived there. The large wooden building was two stories tall. The store section was in the front, while the living quarters encompassed part of the first floor and all of the second. A sign reading 'Havoc Sundries' hung over the front door. Jean leaned against the side of the bed, scanning the storefront as he mentally cataloged what changes had been made since his last visit. There weren't many. The sign had been repainted, and his mother had hung a wind chime by the front door, but other than that, it looked exactly the same. As the truck rolled to a halt, Jean waited until his father had cut the engine before climbing carefully to his feet and picking up the suitcases. Jumping down from the bed, he circled over to the passenger's side, smiling slightly as he waited for Devi to get out of the vehicle. |
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It didn't take long for Devi to hop out of the cab and scurry over to Jean's side. She smiled up at him, relieved to be beside someone she was more comfortable with, and gently slipped her arms around one of his. It wasn't that she disliked his parent, only that she was overly nervous being left alone with them just after they first met. Jack stepped out of the truck and waited for his wife to slide out from his side. He looked over to his son, smiled broadly, and swept his arms out towards the family shop. "How does it feel to be home, son?" He looked at the suitcases in his son's hands, then to Devi, and then frowned in a somewhat thoughtful manner. "Well have to do something about those," he said, jutting his thumb at the cases. Turning to Emilia, he inquired, "Y'think there's enough space in his old room for those? We can't have him lugging them around all day." |
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"Hardly recognized the place," Jean replied with a grin, tilting his head down to look at Devi. Had his hands not been full, he would have liked to put his arm around her, but as it was he opted to give her a light kiss on the top of the head. "Well, this is it," he muttered, his gaze drifting back toward the store. Quote:
Jean nudged Devi forward. "After you," he told her, trying hard not to laugh at his mother's familiar yet over-the-top mannerisms. |
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Jack chose to be last and held the door open, laughing somewhat as he watched Emilia enter in all of her excited glory and Devi slowly follow, taking in the sights of the shop. He turned to his son beamed a broad smile as he gestured towards Emilia's direction with a jerk of his chin, "She's been giddy like this all day, I tell ya. Couldn't stop talking about you and fretting over how long it's been." |
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"And here I thought she was always like this," Jean said, giving a low laugh. His expression then sobered as he glanced over at his father, looking slightly apologetic. "I really didn't notice how long it'd been. I mean, it's been pretty crazy in Central the last few years." Heh. That was the understatement of a lifetime. Emilia stood at the base of the stairs, her hands folded together. Rocking back and forth from her heels to her toes, she waited impatiently for them to catch up. "Why don't I go get something for us to snack on?" she said, her expression brightening at the idea. "I'm sure it's been a long trip. You must be starving." "Sounds good," Jean replied, smiling warmly at her just so she would know how happy he was to see them again. Looking at the others, he lifted the suitcases a little. "I guess we can bring these up to my room." |
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"Good. Can I help carry one now?" Devi asked with a smile, reaching out towards one of the suitcases. She was still unused to standing around while others did the work and it somewhat frustrated her. "No," Jack replied, stepping between her and the luggage. He reached over and took on of the bags from his son and turned back, grinning. "But I can. C'mon, let's get these to your room..." Placing her hands on her hips, Devi feigned a pout. "You guys don't let me have any fun..." she replied playfully, sighing. She stepped aside, planning to follow Jean and his father up the stairs. |
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