#houstontm

[newstm]

who: donna & tom ( @houstontm ) where: the houston residence

the year before, hatchetfield had felt the earthshattering loss of jane houston. she had been someone that donna had become fast friends with upon moving to hatchetfield. she had done a segment with jane involving a program jane was the head of, and they had hit it off instantly. upon reflection, jane had been one of the first friends that donna had made here. she was a light to this community and a kind soul, and to lose that in such a vicious and unexpected way? the loss had rattled donna.

she knew that tom and tim needed her. it's what jane would have wanted. so, donna had organized a community meal train to help keep tom and tim fed. she collected donations at the station to help get them with medical bills. she did what she could to even begin to fill a void that was left behind by one of the most wonderful and formidable women she had ever known.

lately, she knew she had been waning. she was dealing with her own thoughts and personal feelings. her engagement? it was hanging on by a thread. it was something she wanted to end, but she knew lewis would fight, passive as it may be, to keep things routine and normal. but they were trapped. both of them. and donna was the only one willing to admit that.

today though, she was trying to make a change. after work and a run around her neighborhood of pinebrook, she cleaned herself up and picked up a family-style dinner from mr. kebab's. who didn't like chicken and steak with veggies and rice, with all of the sauces and pita bread on the side?

she carried the large paper bag up to tom's door and gave a knock, a grin tugging her lips when tim answered. " hey kiddo! " she chuckled, giving him a one-armed squeeze before she stepped into the home. " tom? it's me! cancel your plans - i brought dinner! "

[stockgirltm]

who: lex and tom ( @houstontm )

where: the houston household

all that stood between lex and her practice exam were two back-to-back doubles at toy zone and , well , actually studying for the thing. she knows she can’t really blame anyone but herself. between begging frank for extra shifts and taking ( literal ) scraps at pasqualli’s , by the time lex is home , the last thing she can bring herself to do is open a workbook. mr. houston offering to let her study at his place is a blessing , even if she just wants to be at home , curled up besides ethan either in bed or on their crappy couch. but she’s here , materials stuffed into her threadbare , trying not to be too nosy about the inside of her old teacher’s house. “ thanks again , mr. houston. i really appreciate this. ”

[refugetm]

who: gina & tom ( @houstontm ) where: the grocery store

the army had been gina's ticket out of hell. john had held on as long as could with their parents, but two years before gina was qualified to enlist, he had enough. the two years in between? it had been hell with her parents, but gina made it through to the other side. screaming drill sergeants just seemed like a typical weekday from the household she had grown up in, so she had excelled with flying colors.

one of the buddies that she had made in her first couple of years had been tom houston. he was a laid back guy, a hometown guy. they made fast friends until tom was deployed and gina was given her assignment to a new branch - p.e.i.p. and well, that's when everything changed. her life turned upside down and the years passed before her eyes.

it had been fifteen years since the portal incident and since she had left hatchetfield. she knew it was time to come back though. she missed john. she missed her team. those closest to her had fought tooth and nail to keep her from being discharged for her inappropriate relationship with colonel cross, so there was guilt when she ended up leaving them. she needed to make things right.

she had found that john had kept her lease all of these years. that other than cleaning up the dust that should have collected, the apartment was a picture of the girl who had been in her early twenties when she had left. the decor was a little dated as such, but it felt endearing in a sense. he hadn't let her go, after all this time.

the groceries needed restocked and that's where gina was when she saw the familiar face in one of the aisles. her eyes lit up and she released a soft laugh. she'd recognize him anywhere, even behind that scruff of a beard. " houston? " she greeted with a crawl of a grin. " holy shit, i don't know if you remember me, but . . . "