Thread: Homeward Bound [[Blink and Soul are BACK!]

The last five years had been troublesome for Charlotte. Hell, who was she kidding, the last six had been hell, never knowing when the phone would ring with the message that her friend was off to war again. Lotte, as she was better known, had a love-hate relationship with the military lately. She loved that it gave people jobs and defended them from all the damn terrorist as those around her put it, but she hated the way they ripped the soldiers away from their families for what seemed to be stupid reasons. Who really needed to go across the seas to defend their nation? There was plenty to fight here, just in her back yard. Send someone who really wanted to go and leave her friend here. Don't send him over seas... not again... Her silent pleads weren't met and again, Chance was sent to another country that so desperately needed their help. He left Georgia just five years ago, a letter in hand from the cheery blond-haired woman he had spent so much time with during school. It was a message for him for when times got bad, that he could hold onto and read between Lotte's faithful letters she would send. Even without waiting for a response back, she sent him a letter, updating him on how her life was going in the small city back home. The graduation of her sister, the passing of her family's dog, the purchase of her new home... Every little important bit of information she could share with Chance that he couldn't be there to live with her. Lotte had even gone so far as to try to find a boyfriend to get her mind off of her missing friend, but as soon as she got the news from his parents, everything fell to hell. Support group after support group and it never seemed to help. The news of Chance disappearing and the military telling those close to him that he had been declared missing in action destroyed Charlotte, to put it simply. On the outside, she continued to appear just slightly torn over the news, as if a year or two after the news came, she had climbed out of the hole she had sunk into. But in the privacy of her own home, the sunflower blonde had turned to alcohol to cover her pain. The bright sea green eyes that once held so much joy struggled to light up when she was alone. Despite asking for help and searching for a way to recover, the bottle of vodka always seemed more appealing than having a coffee out with her friends or coworkers. Those she was close to still came around, doing everything they could to cheer up the woman and bring her back to what she once was, but deep down, they knew just how crushed she was. Charlotte had formed a habit of withdrawing to her kitchen as the sun set, half watching as the sky lit up with the shades of red and orange, giving her a hint of joy, often times pulling a smile to her lips as she baked something new. Nearly every evening, she had a new recipe to test, using it as a way to distract herself. This evening was no different, her stereo playing popular Broadway show tunes, the scent of cinnamon filling her two story home, except she was suddenly interrupted by a knock at her front door. The normal visitors would know to call or text before coming over, but her mind ran through the list of who it could be anyway. Jackie commented that she was planning on stopping by, but she also said her husband wanted to go out for dinner tonight... maybe plans had changed? It was always possible. Either way, the blonde haired woman took a deep breath, travelling the short trip across her house, her fingers working to tie the mess of hair into a bun at the base of her head. The 5'6' woman still took pride on how her appearance was, no matter how depressed she might have been and her hair was the closest thing to a 'pride and joy' she had. Her fingers pushed her black, rectangular glasses up onto her nose as she took in a breath, letting her eyes close for a second before twisting the handle and opening the door. Immediately her brow furrowed at the mess of a man who she should be greeting. He looked like he had just crawled out of the jungle and put on the first thing he could find. Little did she know that was almost what had happened. But Charlotte kept her gaze on the man, trying to search out some reason why he might be on her front step. Something about him seemed familiar, but he didn't look like anyone she knew, but she didn't give up on that tug of a feeling. Can I help y... ou... It dawned on her, right then and there, as the final bit of words came from her mouth. Her eyes widened, a breath catching in her chest. Above the mess of facial hair, she saw the cheekbones she had spent years admiring and joking about, the hazel tone of his eyes she had fallen for over and over again. With them being nothing more than friends for the longest time, it took until the day Chance left for the childish Lotte to realize her true feelings for him. But she could never admit them to him, no matter how many letters she had written to him. With the words of 'next time he's home', she kept her feelings close. But this time, she couldn't keep her feelings back. With a cry of what sounded to be a mix of joy and pain, Charlotte lost control of her body, falling to the floor of her doorway, tears pouring down her cheeks as she refused to stifle the cries of joy, relief and disbelief. Chance was there, standing in front of her, visiting her. Chance. Not an image this time, not something to fool her. Her friend was back. And alive.