Astoria Oregon, Monday Evening

[l1ttle_billy]

The causeway had dropped Billy near Portland, which was just as well. He rented a car, and let the drive back home to clear his head. The house was quiet when he arrived. He had barely stepped into the living room when a voice from one of the darker corners said;

"Welcome home, Son."

Billy jumped, turning to find the source. His step father was sitting in his favorite chair, a sleeping Tommy in his arms. No wonder the lights were out.

"Jesus Dad. Scare the crap out of me why don't you?" He put his bag down and looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"Your mother took Ana and your sister out for a girl's night. I think Ana plans to try talking your mother into letting her get green dreads."

They managed to transfer Tommy to Billy without disturbing him. They had some practice at this. After the week he had had, Billy found holding his infant son incredibly satisfying.

"So," his stepfather said, "What happened?"

Billy explained as best he could, about Umbrage, and the whole alternate universe thing. He talked about his fight with Clint, leaving out only the bit about getting killed.

Sam looked off into the distance for a bit after the tale was done. He didn't look happy.

"Son, the last time you disappeared because of that island it was for a decade. This time it was only for a week, but, we were worried. To put it mildly. Now I know it wasn't your fault. But you're a father now. I just want you to think about the possibility, that if this Fandom has a habit of disappearing with everyone on it...maybe you shouldn't go back. Tommy and Ana have to be your priority."

He sighed, sorry he'd had to bring his step-son down like this just as he'd gotten back. "Well, just something to consider."

[Open for calls or texts or the like.]

Comments

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

Naomi had handwavily gotten back to her San Francisco earlier that afternoon and had spent the rest of the day trying to explain what had happened to cause her to disappear without warning for a week. Since she didn't really have many memories of the past week, with the exception of being killed, which she conviently left out of the aforemention conversations,it had been kind of hard to describe what exactly had happened.

She eventually managed to retreat to her room and after a minute of staring at her phone she decided to place a call.

And that would be Billy's phone ringing.

[I'm going to be on sp for the next while with work, just wanted to put this up now]

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Tommy was still asleep when she called. Fortunately the phone was on vibrate.

"Hello?" He spoke softly, but not so much he couldn't be heard. His son never seemed to wake because of Billy talking, but the slightest bit of music (like ringtones) would bring the boy to wakefulness like you wouldn't believe.

SP is never a problem for me

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

"Hi BIlly," Naomi replied quietly when he answered, "it's, um... Naomi," she added after a slight pause.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Hey!" he greeted her happily. Nope, no stirring of the child. Maybe a gurgle. Or could just be gas. "Hey you okay? Were you in Fandom last week?"

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

"Well I'm alive so I can't complain," which probably already answered his second question, "yeah I was in Fandom last week, I don't really remember too much of it though," there was a pause, "how about you?"

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Yeah I didn't uh...didn't see the end of it. Woke up in my hotel room Sunday night. Thought it might have been a dream, but then I saw how everyone else was reacting. Plus, it's Fandom so the chances of it just being a dream were pretty remote." He paused for a moment, looking down at his son. "I don't remember a whole lot either. Maybe we're better off."

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

"I think that's probably a good thing," Naomi said, remembering what she had heard from the radio this morning, "even though it doesn't really help trying to explain to people back home why you had suddenly disappeared for a week,"

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Billy was out on the porch at the moment, enjoying the night air. He cast a look back inside as if at his step-father. "Yeah. Apparently my family were freaking out. My daughter especially." Who knew step-fathers were so good at guilt trips?

I'm assuming Naomi was one of the folks Billy would have told about his kids

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

"I can imagine how hard that would have been for her," Naomi replied, "it was like that at my end, well they know how alternate universes work but the fact that I wasn't contactable for a week made everyone worry,"

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Ana's pretty smart, but my step-dad told me she didn't quite understand when they tried to explain how the island I'd gone to sometimes wasn't there." He hesitated a moment before telling her; "He said maybe it would be best if I didn't go back."

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

Naomi wasn't too sure how to respond to that, "is that ...do you think you'll do that?" she finally asked.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"My first thought is no. But...I've vanished from contact from my world due to Fandom twice now. This time it was just a week. Last time it was a decade. I don't think it's likely to happen again but...I can't guarantee that. And I've got kids to think about now."

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

"It'd be a difficult decision to make," Naomi said, "you'd like to think that Fandom wouldn't do that again but well, it's Fandom and it's unpredicatable as it is at the best of times,"

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"You know it's weird. As much dangerous stuff that happened there, I still somehow managed to feel safer there than most other places I've lived."

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

"I know what you mean," she said, "I think a lot of people feel the same way,"

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"I figure one solution is to bring the kids if I do go back."