Rush

I see him out of the corner of my eye. I know that he hasn't seen me, at that I smile. It's been a long time since I've seen him even though we talk on the phone it wasn't the same. I could see how close he was to his team, they were more like family. That is something I understand friends are more like family because they choose to be in your life where as family you have to be in theirs. I didn't really know about family until I met Lawson. It was a long time ago. The past isn't something any of us talk about apart from with each other mostly because we didn't want the pity that was shown on everybody's face when they found out, we didn't want people to like us just because they felt sorry about our past. After all we didn't feel sorry about it, though we didn't like it, hated it most of the time, it was the reason we found each other. The reason we had to live when no-one else cared.

I see that his team is wondering what im doing here, everyone apart from josh. He and Lawson have been mates for years we were all close when I left. He smiles at me and I shake my head and put my finger to my mouth telling him to be quiet and he did knowing that I must want to surprise Lawson. The rest were wondering who they pretty woman is, im not being vain at that it's just that its true, sometimes I hate it. Whereas most women think as beauty as a gift, with me it's more of a curse.

The briefing is nearly over so I ready myself as I don't know what's it going to come when he finds me standing here after all I did leave. I don't know if he is angry at me for that, he says that he isn't, that he understands but Lawson doesn't know how to express his feeling even to me who's known him for almost 20 years.

He turns round and stops dead when he sees me; I can feel my heart pounding against my chest as if it's going to burst any second. Then he smiles walks over to me and hugs me showing how much he missed me in the hug rather than with words. I smile and tuck myself in to his shoulder revelling in how safe I felt even though I always feel safe, something I can help when im trained to use all types of different weapons and hand to hand combat, with Lawson I feel that nothing can hurt me.

We pull away from the hug as he says "what are you doing here shan?"

"What" I reply "I can't come and see you now?"

He smiles at that and said "of course you can it's just that if I knew you were coming I would have got the day of and picked you and Katie up at the airport. Where is she by the way?"

Before I could answer josh walked over and said "do I not even get an hello anymore even thought I didn't tell Lawson that you were behind him I guess we know who you love more" with a grin on his face

"Come here" is say as I pull him into a hug " it's good to see you and I love you but of course I love Lawson more because I've known him a lot longer than I've known you"

"So that's how it is" he says pulling out of the hug but I know that he's not hurt as he was still smiling

"Yeah it is and to your question Lawson I didn't tell you I was coming because I wanted to surprise you and josh and Katie is at school it's her first day so you both will have to come over later because I know she wants to see you she's was going on and on about it yesterday almost went back to Canada and asked for my old job back at SRU"

Lawson smiles knowing that we wouldn't have gone back without seeing them and called me on that fact " we both know shan that you wouldn't have come all the way here and then gone without saying hi, you love us too much and I take it your back for good then if Katie's at school"

I try not to smile as I know he's right while I say " ok your right I wouldn't have left without saying hello first and yes we are back for good, we've missed home and of course you two" Lawson hugs me when I say that just as josh exclaims "we of course you missed us, how can you not we are awesome" I laugh at that. Just as im about to tell them something Kerry walks in and says

"Shannon here you are, I see you've met the rest of the team" while passing me a uniform "I hope your first day goes alright and im sure that Lawson will answer all the questions you might have, welcome to the team." as she finishes Kerry notices Lawson's and Josh's shocked faces and then say to the senior sergeant "Do you three know each other?"