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1
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Today marks Daniels first day back in Beaver Creek. Almost an entire month since he’d jumped out of a moving vehicle, and left his brother behind. It had always been something he’d wanted to do. It always looked so cool on TV. In the moment though, it was much more painful than it was cool. Leaving his brother, the only person who’d stuck with him through thick and thin, was akin to having his heart ripped out five times over.
The car ride back from the police station only brought on an onslaught of memories. He remembers Sean declaring that they would cross over to Mexico, he remembers pushing all the officers out of the cars way, and he remembers tugging the door open and jumping straight out.
Officers came rushing to his aid as soon as his body hit the hard ground and sand clouded around his frame, forgetting about Sean for just one moment.
It works out perfectly. Sean makes it to Mexico, and Daniel turns himself in.
At least, that’s what Daniel tells himself. Because there was one flaw in how things played out, one flaw that turned a perfect plan into a nightmare. Sean and Daniel had been separated, and it was unclear whether or not they’d ever see each other again.
That night, Daniel cried for his lost brother, and his soft bed in Beaver Creek feels much more like a pile of dust and sand.
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2
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“Are you ready to see your gift?” Claire calls out to Daniel, looking back and fourth between where Stephen stands with his gift and where Daniel is sat, right next to the christmas tree.
Daniel nods his head fervently. Claire giggles and waves Stephen over. Stephen shuffles over to Daniel with a big, blue box in hand, and Daniel can’t help but wonder what they could’ve possibly gotten him.
Suddenly, soft barking sounds from inside the box, and Stephen turns the box around to reveal a kennel. Daniels eyes light up and he rushes towards Stephen, taking the kennel from his hands and bringing it to his spot underneath the tree.
The kennel door clicks open and a tiny puppy with floppy ears jumps out, straight into Daniels lap. Daniel squeals, holding the puppy close, stroking the fur on its head. The puppy barks, before attacking Daniels face with lick after lick. It isn’t until the puppy begins licking closer to his eyes that Daniel realizes hot tears sliding down his face.
A sob escapes from his mouth, and Daniel weeps for the dog in his lap, and the dog he wasn’t able to save.
“Thank you, thank you so much!” Daniel babbles out through tears, and Claire comes in and hugs him. She rubs circles into his back, trying her best to soothe him. He just sobs more, holding the puppy close, deciding then that he wouldn’t let anything happen to the puppy, ever.
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3
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Chris Eriksen seems to be the one thing in Daniels life that has never changed. Even after many months of no contact, Chris seems to be the same Chris that Daniel had met during his “visit” to Beaver Creek.
During the time Sean and Daniel had found sanctuary in Beaver Creek, Chris had been Daniels chance at just being a kid again. Now, he serves a similar purpose. Except this time, this isn’t just a break from Daniels suddenly adult life. This time, Daniel is just a kid.
The Spirit Squads secret base becomes a regular spot that he and Chris hang out. The tiny treehouse quickly becomes Daniels favorite place in Beaver Creek. Daniel and Chris go on multiple adventures there, and the Spirit Squad saves Beaver Creek from villains time and time again.
Chris doesn’t mention that a member of the Spirit Squad is missing, and neither does Daniel. It’s become a sort of unspoken rule. No one mentions the missing presence, because no matter where he is, Sean will always be a member of the Spirit Squad.
Sean wouldn’t want Daniel to stop having fun for him, so instead Daniel does the opposite. Each villain that Captain Spirit and Super Wolf take down goes down in his honor. Daniel likes to imagine that he’s there clapping for him, rolling his eyes at his baby brother.
It isn’t until Daniel is tucked away in bed, and the treehouse fades into the nights shadows, that Daniel cries for his lost brother.
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4
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The car jumps around on the dirt roads of AWAY, winding down the canyon where Karen found her home. The leather seats stick to Daniels skin, and the hot Arizona sun beats down on his face through the window.
He has walked down this very canyon dozens of times, and at this point, driving though it feels like a much more daunting task than walking down it.
The canyon fades away, and before he knows it, four little trailers appear in front of the car.
Daniel yanks the door open and runs out into AWAY. Karen is already there, waiting for him in front of her trailer. Daniel jumps into her arms and she hugs him with the strength of a bear. He feels like his lungs are being crushed, but as long as Karen is the one crushing them, he doesn’t mind.
“I’m so happy to see you!” She exclaims and squeezes him a bit harder, before letting him go, dropping him onto the grainy sand.
Her smile reaches her eyes, and tears prick along her waterline. Daniel jumps back into her arms and sheds a few tears of his own. Only then does Karen start crying as well.
“I missed you so much.” Daniel gasps out and grips her shirt.
“Me too, me too.” She repeats like a mantra. In this moment, it’s just Daniel and Karen, embracing each other for what feels like hours.
Neither of them mention the empty space between them, but they both weep for him. Their tears make up for the void that brings them together, and Daniel feels himself smiling so hard that it hurts.
Karen lets go once and for all, before grabbing Daniels hand, squeezing it tight. “Let’s say hi to the others, they’ve missed you so much.”
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5
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Snow falls on to the back of Daniels coat and covers the grass with a thick, white blanket. The metal blade in his hand is freezing, and the trees branches stand leafless.
Daniel breathes out, watching as a white cloud floats from his mouth. His gloved hand brushes along the bark, and he fiddles with the blade in his other hand.
He raises his arm and begins carving into the tree. It was oddly therapeutic, the sound of bark falling from the tree. He smiled as he continued, carving out a “B”. His lines were harsh, and it wasn’t the best his hand writing had looked, but it was eligible, and that was all it needed to be.
As he finished carving out the final letter, Daniel moves his arm up more, beginning to carve out the drawing he had been picturing. Daniel had never been an artist, that was Seans job, but as Daniel stepped back and admired his handiwork, Daniel knew it was good.
A wide, goofy grin spreads across Daniels face and tears well up in his eyes. On the tree sat two wolves, one little wolf and one big wolf. “WOLF BROTHERS” was carved out underneath the wolves in big, bold letters.
His tears drip onto the piles of snow and laughter begins to flow from his mouth. He giggled as tears continued to flow down his face and his writing blurred into a bunch of random lines. Sean would love it, he knew that much.
Through his tears, Daniel brought both hands up to his mouth, and he howled. He howled for his brother and hoped that one day, he’d get to hear Sean howl back.
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+1
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Karens voice flows out of Daniel phone and goes straight into his ear. She’s updating him on Joans newest sculpture, and pride swells in Daniels chest. Even now, Joan will always be his favorite of Karens neighbors at AWAY.
A smile stretches onto Daniels face as he turns and sees Claire, smiling softly at him. In her hand she holds a white envelope, and Daniel immediately knows who it’s from.
Claire hands the letter to Daniel, and Daniel passes the phone to Claire. His hands dance along the paper as he reads who the letter is addressed to, before tugging it open, revealing two photos.
The first photo is a beautiful picture of the sun setting on the beach of Puerto Lobos. Pictures like these sometimes make Daniel wish he’d gone with Sean to Mexico, because the pictures definitely don’t do the beaches justice, and Daniel can’t imagine how beautiful they are in person.
Daniels hands brush along the polaroid, and he smiles softly before moving onto the next photo.
The second photo shows Sean, standing in front of piles of sand. Daniels smile grows seeing his brother. In the photo, Sean sports a wide grin and Daniel finds himself subconsciously mimicking it as his hands brush along Seans face.
Claire walks back over to him, and Daniel floats the pictures to her so that she can see them. Claire catches the photos, waddling over to one of the sofas. A smile spreads across her face as soon as she sees the photos, and Daniel finds himself smiling as well.
Daniel looks down, refocusing his attention back onto the envelope. He can feel grains of sand through the paper as he rolls his fingers around.
Slowly, Daniel pours the sand into his hand and bends his fingers over, cupping his own little part of Puerto Lobos in his hands. His smile widens, and he looks out at the snow covered backyard, focusing on the tree, carved with the memory of his brother.
Right now, Daniel decides that things are good, and he couldn’t be happier.