This was as good a place as any to stop, Brian thought as he used his artificial arm to put his car into park.
The 31 year old veteran had been driving for miles on end. With his car running on fumes, he didn't want to risk going any farther with sunset fast approaching. For Brian, this kind of process had become routine for him in his travels throughout the country. He would park outside a town, do some hustling, and leave just before the locals caught on to his existence; all the while sleeping and eating from his car.
Brian wasn't a thug, he was a gentle giant by nature. But his homeless meandering lifestyle inevitably led the large man to take jobs that were.....unsatisfying. When pressed, Brian called himself a romantic vagabond. The 31 year old man had joined the military to see the world and the world had spat him back out, minus a limb. Exploring his own country was only real alternative available to him now.
Deciding he desperately needed something to eat, Brian took a long sip from his flask and finally got out of his car. The search for a fast food restaurant went on far longer than he had expected but he finally found one near the center of town. He was just about to enter the restaurant when he passed a young boy and his mother.
"Woah!!!! Mommy look! The man has a robot arm!!!!" the little boy said. The kid had a nice brown mop of brown hair with bangs that came down to just above his eyebrows.
"Jesus Jack! You know not to say things like that!" The boy's mother said while giving the kid a forceful swat on the boy's butt. While she also had brown hair, Brian noticed that the two didn't really look all that much related. "I'm very sorry for that sir. Jack, please apologize to the man this instant!"
"No need ma'am" Brian quickly interjected, "Boys seem to be the only people that like my bionic arm these days." He told the women before fully revealing his mechanical arm he thought he had mostly kept hidden under his jacket's sleeve. "What do you think Jack?" Brian asked.
"Wow!" Little Jack replied, "It must be really cool to have that. Does it have superpowers?"
Brian couldn't help but laugh at that, "It's stronger than a human arm but it isn't all that special besides that. Trust me kid, it's not worth it."
"Did you fight in the Wars? If you don't mind me asking." Jack's mother replied.
"Yeah. I did a couple of tours, lost my arm, got my new arm, and then promptly got blacklisted." he answered realizing he had just revealed himself in town already.
"Blacklisted?" The woman said, "God, I didn't think people like that really existed."
Brian cursed himself at that, he was going to have to get the hell out of town. Before this soccer mom got him caught.
"I'm just a romantic vagabond, looking for adventure." Brian offered, falling back to his all too common line.
"God, what an absolute disgrace that is. You give a limb for our country and they treat you like a criminal in return." she ranted. "Do you have a place to sleep?"
Brian chuckled, "Of course, I got my trusty steed of a car a ways down back there." he pointed.
"My father was military, I would be a horrible daughter if I didn't take you in. You deserve the works!" she said.
"Ma'am, I don't even know..." Brian started to say.
"Mary Ann Sunderland," she interrupted, "and as you already know this little boy is my son Jack."
War had taught Brian to be very distrustful of others, but the woman's offer seemed genuine and little Jack's smile seemed entrancing to Brian. It would probably do him some good to be near a welcoming family again.
Brian accepted Mary Ann's offer and soon found himself riding shotgun as the middle age woman drove him back to their house. When he finally saw the Sunderland Retreat, he fell in love with the place. It reminded him a great deal of his childhood spent exploring the woods near his uncle's house. He would have to find the time to check the area out before he left.
Once inside, Brian meet Micheal Sunderland and the adorable baby Charlotte being held in the dad's arms. Brian's guest status seemed almost planned to him. Mary Ann seemingly had enough groceries to prepare a larger dinner for the five people without a problem at all and Micheal pegged Brian with countless questions about his life and vagabond travels throughout the meal.
Sometime later Brian was settling into a nice warm bath prepared for him by Mary Ann. He had taken off his artificial arm in the guest room and was now finally relaxing after having cleaned himself for the first time in weeks.
"Hey Brian!" Jack said as he suddenly entered the room. The little boy now wore Iron Man themed jammies and went straight for the bathroom's sink. Brian was about to reprimand the kid before he noticed that he was just in the room to brush his teeth. Leaving the boy to his nightly routine, Brian tried to relax again but was interrupted once more by the young kid standing over him.
"Do you like living here?" Jack asked.
"Sure, but I'm really not living here Jack." Brian replied. "You're parents are very well off kid, you should appreciate that."
"I do," Jack said, "And you will too."
"Will? What do you mean?" he responded.
"After you become my brother!!! You'll get to stay here just like me and Charlotte! You'll love it!"
Brian was beyond confused, "Love what Jack?" he asked.