“First time on a passenger plane?”

“Yeah, they’re kinda scary aren't they?!”

“Scarier than what you were used to flying?”

“I was at least in control of it. Well, except that one time…!”

“Oh yeah, sure. I think I know what you’re talking about!” The pair laughed and hugged like old friends. In reality, Kimona had only met Isaac a few times, but they had spoken often and for Kimona, he represented what she missed. Home.

Kimona had travelled from Miami to London Heathrow, commercially, and had just been met by Isaac at Arrivals. The last week had been particularly intense on her and despite the expectation that she leaves American as consequence for her part in the Bashir family’s death not being on her anymore, she felt the time away and Isaac’s offer of showing her round were too appealing to decline.

“But the flight was alright?” He took her suitcase for her and led her out of the airport.

“Yeah, not too bad actually. Comfortable.”

“Well that’s first class for you. What’d you think of the food?”

“Food on a plane, I just can’t get my head around it.”

“The presence of other Earths, alien beings living on our planet and a talking grizzly bear, but you can’t get your head round food cooked on a plane?” he teased.

“Well, when you put it like that…” she agreed. “So, um what do we have planned for this week? Have you… er…”

“Yeah, I have. We’ll be going on Wednesday. Tomorrow I’m going to show you the sights, sounds and smells of London. But Wednesday I’ll take you home. Thursday and Friday we’ll then go see some other places. How long do you think you’ll want to stay?”

“I think I’ll know by the end of the week. Is that ok?”

“No skin off my teeth. Stay as long as you want,” he smiled.

Tuesday evening.

“What do you want to drink?” Isaac asked as they reached the bar.

Kimona rested on the wooden bar top to get a better look at everything, but flinched when she touched something sticky.

“Two beers please. Make hers a half,” Isaac decided on her behalf.

The day had been spent on a whistle stop tour of the main sights. Last time she was in London it was to fight against the rogue Peacekeepers who had crash landed across the city. She was still a nobody then, but after that, her world changed.

This time around, Isaac took her to Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, M&M World and even a quick whizz around the Natural History Museum.

The day led up to this trip to the pub- the oldest in the city. “I could’ve taken you to a fancy restaurant, but I want to give you the full British experience that you’ve been missing out on,” he told her in the cab there.

She replayed what he said as she wiped the stickiness from her hands and politely accepted the half pint.

“Cheers,” he said, inviting her chink glasses, internally laughing at the way she looked. “Relax, it’s refreshing. Let’s go find a seat.”

“I’m exhausted,” she huffed as she sat down, looking around the pub and soaking up the atmosphere.

“It’s been a full on day. We’ve only just touched the surface today. How does it feel, so far?”

“Good, it feels good. Good to be back in England, but also it feels strange. If that makes sense? Like, I’m glad to be here and I’m loving the things we’ve seen so far but it also just feels weird. It’s so different from America. And that took so long to get used to. Being here though, it feels like a whole new thing to get used to. Am I being daft? I feel like I’m being daft. And rambling.” She took a sip of her drink but the taste instantly caused her to pull a face.

“Nope, not at all. Am I right in thinking you’re nervous for tomorrow too?”

She sighed, more so at relief that he seemed to understand her. “Yes. As great as it is, I’m aware it’s not the home I left. And I’m just really sad that I haven’t got my parents to cuddle. But I appreciate you finding their graves for me.”

“Not a problem,” he said sympathetically. “Right, knock that back and we’ll get going. Long day today and tomorrow will be just the same.”

She looked at her drink hesitantly. “I’m not sure I can.”

“Of course you can. Do it for King and Country!”

Wednesday.

“Honestly, stop apologising. We’ve got the whole day to do this. We’ll go when you’re ready,” Isaac assured.

He had brought Kimona to the church graveyard in the town where they all used to live together. They’d been sat in the car for an hour with Kimona building the courage up to see her parent’s graves.

“I know, but I think I’m ready for real now. Let’s do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“If you keep asking me, I’ll just have the chance to say no again.”

“Ok, well get out of my car then,” he laughed. Sure enough, Kimona did, shutting the door after her. “They’re through here,” he told her, locking the car and leading the way into the church grounds.

They walked slowly for a few minutes along the path, Kimona taking in as many of the tombstone descriptions as she could. Isaac beckoned her to follow as he went off path, walking through a grassy path to a secluded area.

“Here they are, Kim.” He stopped at two gravestones sat next to each other. They had a weathered appearance but were still in good shape. Isaac started to step away.

“Please stay,” she said.

“Sure thing.”

Kimona stepped forward and knelt in the space between the stones.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF MONIQUE JONES. GOODBYE TO A WONDERFUL MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER. YOU LIVED A LONG AND WONDERFUL LIFE AND WAS LOVED BY EVERYONE WHO KNEW YOU. YOU’LL BE DEARLY MISSED, BUT WILL LIVE ON IN OUR HEARTS FOR GENERATIONS.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

She turned to her dad’s.

OUR HERO. OUR FRIEND. OUR DAD. THE WORLD IS A SAFER AND BETTER PLACE BECAUSE YOU WERE HERE.

“Your father’s body is laid to rest at the Bayeux War Cemetery in France, but your family wanted a place for him here,” Isaac explained when he noticed Kimona was finished reading.

Kimona lay down the bunches of flowers and sat back on her haunches. “Hey mum, hey dad. It’s me, your ‘brave Kimmy’. I don’t really know what to say..." She exhaled slowly, calming herself down. "I’m sorry I worried you so much. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. But I’m safe now and I’m well, and you won’t believe what I can do now. I think you’ll be so proud. Mum, you’ll still be worried- it will completely freak you out but I want you to know I’m doing well now. I have friends, and... a life. And a mobile phone. It would blow your minds to know what a mobile phone is... But anyway. I’m glad I found you and one day, I know we will meet again. I love you both.” Kimona wiped the tears that had welled up in her eyes and lifted herself up.

“Do you want to stay any longer?”

“Nooo, no thank you. I’ve done what I’ve come for, I think. I’m so grateful Isaac. Thank you.”

“There’s just one more thing I want you to see. Before we go.” He turned and Kimona followed, to another area of the graveyard. He stopped short of a flower bed with a tree in it.

“Why are we-” but she stopped when she noticed what Isaac was pointing at. A plaque on a stone plinth, no taller than thirty centimetres tall.

THIS TREE IS PLANTED IN MEMORY OF OUR BRAVE KIMMY. KIMONA JONES, OUT THERE SOMEWHERE BUT NOW ALWAYS HERE. WITH LOVE, MUM, DAD AND YOUR SISTERS.

“It’s a Caribbean Pine they had exported in your memory,” he explained softly.

“I… I…” she couldn’t finish as she became overwhelmed with tears, seeking comfort in Isaac’s embrace.

Friday.

“I know it’s not quite the sandy beaches of Miami, but you don’t get any better than Brighton beach. The gulls, the pier, the smell, the people, the pebbles! Did you ever get to go to the seaside when you were young?” Isaac asked, handing her the bag of chips she had ordered.

“We always did Blackpool. I think we went three times on holiday. Never this far south.”

“These are some of the best fish and chips too- it’s a day of firsts for you!”

She smiled and dipped a chip in a dollop of tomato ketchup. “Thank you for this week. It’s been a real whirlwind, and I’m glad you’ve been there every step of the way.” She raised her Coke can in appreciation and drank.

Isaac finished chewing before responding. “It’s been a real pleasure. Have you decided on whether you’ll stay? Or if you plan to go back to America?”

“I have yeah. Thought about it, that is. I think I will go back to America. It’s been great being here, and seeing everything and there’s still so much more want to see and do. But... it doesn’t feel like home. Seeing my parent’s graves was a good closure for me, but there’s nothing keeping me here. In the weirdest way, America just feels so much more of a home, and I was devastated to be told I’d have to leave. What little I do have seems to be there now.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised to hear that. It’s a shame. There’s plenty of water too around here for you! But I get it, I do.”

“I’d love to come back for a holiday though. Take some me time a bit more.”

“That sounds like a plan. Do you think you’ll ever want to reach out to your nieces?”

“Probably not. They’re going to be too old to disrupt with this news. No, I think I’m ready to commit to the States.”

“Ok,” he said, his tone changing to a more serious, matter of fact one. He set aside his bag of chips, closing the paper back over them. “In which case, you ought to be aware of a few things.”

“Oh...? What is it? You’re worrying me, Isaac.”

“It’s fine. You’re fine, but as you are going to commit to America, you need to know a few things. And I’m not telling you this to piss you off, or unsettle things, or even to get you to stay. But I just want you to know all the facts.”

“About what?” she stressed.

“In the sixties, a crew of four fishermen went missing in the same area you disappeared in.”

Kimona blinked in disbelief and shock. “Did they resurface like me?”

“That much we don’t know.”

“Well, was there a storm? When they disappeared?”

“Yes. There was another boat at the time, miles away, which saw the storm.”

Kimona sat back in her seat, her mind blown. There were others like her? “And The Secretary knows about this?”

“She didn't at first, but she will have been told, since your appearance. The nature of the storm in the sixties was considered a strange occurrence, but in those days, there wasn’t much else they could do about it. Except document it and monitor it."

Kimona exhaled deeply. “Why wouldn’t she tell me about it?”

“I don’t know, I’m afraid. But I just needed you to know. Whether you just sit on the information, or confront it, it’s up to you.”

“And you don’t mind? Mind me knowing and possibly revealing that you gave me that information?”

“I don’t. It makes me cross that you’ve not been made aware of this information sooner. I get official secrets and all that, I have a few of my own, but you work for them. It could help you to know all of this.”

She shook her head. “Well yeah. I'm so cross about it too! And I think once I’m over the shock I’ll be even more cross!”