Kate was delighted at the promise of ginger beer bought for her by her brother. She almost forgave him for the years away. Almost.

She was about to answer his questions, when he continued and her face fell. She too was nervous about her father's reaction, but she reached out and put a small hand on his arm. "Mam and dad haven been very worried about everything going on with Ruth and Joe. But they love you. Tell dad you're sorry for what's happened in the past and show him you're here to help them, to make life easier now, not harder."

She hoped that would be enough. Her father had always been quicker to forgive her and Ruth than Joe and John, and John seemed to evoke a particular amount of his wrath

John sighed, "no one ever told me about it when I was away about the troubles at home and it hurts me a little to be kept in the dark by our family"

Their drinks turned up and he sat and took a drink from his.before continueing

He spoke once more "I know my father won't be happy to see me but I've no idea how he will react" he sighed "but we will see. I've got options if I have to use them. I can go back to base early" he knew she didn't want him to leave "im not the same person I was. We will.see what dad says when he gets home"

Kate opened her bottle and watched the drink fizz. But she didn't get the usual anticipatory relish out of it. John's words bothered her. She turned her eyes from the bubbles to her brother. "Nobody wanted to worry you. Mam was so afraid for ye. The last thing she wanted was for you to have our troubles distract you when you should focus. And Joe's... Joe's stupidity... well that was so recent and unexpected. There wasn't time to write."

John sighed "I guess your right but I still felt alien coming home. Somethings have changed and some are still the same. I cant figure out if I'm in an alien environment or if I'm the alien now that I've been away for so long"

It wasn't long before there food arrived. John hadn't eaten since he was on the boat and was starving. "He looked to his sister, tuck in don't let it go cold"

John had ordered the steak pie and chips. It had been so long since he had had a meal like this and it felt good to eat some proper food. It bad been so long on the chappy food the army gave him he almost forgot what real food tasted like.

As he worked his way through his meal he looked over "so how has school been?"

Kate gave him a sad smile to show empathy. But some part of her felt that this was John's fault for staying away for so long. She had certainly wanted him home sooner, and her mother had suffered so for missing him and worrying about him.

When the food arrived she forgave him however. She cut a hole in the top of her pie and dipped her chips in before putting them into her mouth, grinning, and savouring the taste even more in the knowledge that her big brother was treating her. Ma would probably be angry if she knew they were having a meal before tea, but ma didn't need to know. If she wasn't able to eat much later on, she would blame it on being too excited over John's return.

"School's alright..." she said, ignoring the fact that she had been reprimanded today. "Earlier this summer Miss Bell said that if I keep it it I'll stand a good chance of earning the Queen's scholarship. Just my needlework that's still as awful as when ye left. I think ma's given up on me as well. But I got the highest score of all the pupil teachers in math. So I hope that makes up for my sloppy stitches."

John sat enjoying his meal. He had already said to his mother that be would take Kate out for food to buy time for ma to tell dad that he was home. He ordered another round of drinks before continueing. "Well i can help with your needlework if you like. I've had to learn it because of being garrisoned overseas. I spent some time with tha tailor out there" he smiled "seeing as this posting is atleast a 3 year posting and I will be home more regularly to spend some time with my little sister" he teased

He smiled "you have always been good with maths and numbers" he continued "I've got to learn more of it aswell and english to help me progress in the army"

He continued "this isn't a lifetime thing for me. I'm doing the army to get myself back on my feet and become a better man. I might come out the army in a few years time and do something civilian"

See? He was planning to be home more. Perhaps it was naïve to think that he would move back in. He was a young man now. Even if he wouldn't be in the camp or whatever they called it, he would probably want his own space, maybe even start a family with some lass. Quiet sorrow rose and ebbed. At least he would be closer than he had been. He would be home more often. That was what he had said. And that was something to be thankful over at least.

"Well, then I will help ye with yer math and ye can help me with me needlework. And then maybe when ye settle down, ye can become a tailor," she joked, before putting some more chips in her mouth

She smiled and her eyes passed over him as she chewed. Then they grew sadder. "Tell me about your injury. Does it still hurt?"

John hadn't told anyone but he was the company tailor out in the field. He was always repairing uniforms and other bits of equipment that required it. "You never know what the world holds. I wouldn't mind doing tailoring such as repairs etc but we will see what the world holds for us" he sighed "need to see how dad and Joe reacts first to me being back. Ma was so glad to see me this morning"

Joe continued after finishing off his food "we were out on patrol looking for rebels in a nearby village. Sixteen of us went out. 6 didn't return, 2 of us injured but I was the worse injury out of the two of us. The other lad took a ricochet musket ball to the cheek but was fine. The ones that hit me were from our own stolen rifles that the rebels had. I we were firing down a street and I moved under covering fire when threr rounds hit me. One in the forearm. One in the leg and one scuffed the side of my pith helmet. I blacked out and woke up in a field hospital in Egypt"

Kate wished that he would stop bringing up her father and brother's reaction. Never mind Joe. Joe had no right to judge anyone, being the formal family idiot. But she too was nervous about her father's response. Yet she did not want that to overshadow this moment with John. For the moment, she just wanted to exist in a space where they were happy to see each other again and the family problems did not exist. She almost told him as much, but he continued,

Her face grew grim as she listened to his account of how he had gotten injured. She had not realized before how close to death John had been. He had not told them so in his letters. Kate felt her eyes burn with tears she tried to fight back. She put her hand on his forearm once again. "Please promise me, whatever you do, you will not go into battle again."

John looked at his sister "I have no intention of going back into battle again. The army wants me to train younger men than me. They want me back home here. And to be truthful with my injuries Kate, if anything happens to me again I'm out on medical discharge. So I have to be careful." He looked at her "promise me you won't tell ma but I nearly never returned from Egypt. I caught a fever out there from the wound getting infected so I think this will be my last sign up to the army. After this I think I might be home for good" he slipped back into his chair and continued "three more years is all I have left on my enlistment term"

He sighed "its time to look ahead for me and plan for when it does happen"