The air smelled different in Destiny City, Rob decided from the back seat of the taxi taking him to his house. The rear window was rolled down a fraction, and the cabbie was taking every shortcut they knew between the airport and the Arts District, and doing it at speed, so the wind coming in was blowing Rob's dark blond dreads all over the place. He didn't mind though as he peered through the glass as the city zipped by. The air smelled different, and the sun and sky looked different, and the city itself looked different. Things had changed, not a lot, but the differences were noticeable. He realized he'd have to get to know the city all over again.

Rounding a corner, the tires on the taxi squealed a little. Rob wished the driver would go a little slower -- yeah, he was anxious to get home, but he was also anxious about the reception he'd get from his parents, as well as Sid. He couldn't wait to see them again, yet he was afraid to see what three years away had done to them. How much older would his parents seem to him? What would they think of him? He rubbed his chin, feeling the scruffy stubble he'd allowed to grow in back in London, and smiled lopsidedly to himself. Hell, would they even recognize him?

Sid was his primary concern, though. She was his best friend, and she didn't do well alone. What manner of differences would there be in her? Would they even be as close as they were before he left? The woman had issues, too, and crutches she fell back on when she was distressed. Hopefully those hadn't gotten any worse…

Suddenly the taxi stopped, and he was home again. Pulling on his big backpack, he looked up at the house and took a deep, calming breath. "Cheers, mate," he said to the driver as he paid them and exited the cab, retrieving his guitar case and suitcase from the trunk. He hadn't brought much with him from London, but then he hadn't taken much with him when he'd left Destiny City. Hefting the lot up the stairs of his half of the duplex he shared with his parents, he set them on the porch and looked around. The porch seemed in good shape, which bode well for the house; he knew Sid wasn't much of a housekeeper type, but he was hopeful she hadn't wrecked the place in his absence.

Rob opened the door as slowly and quietly as he could and, leaving his things in the mudroom, poked his head into the vestibule. "Sid?" he called probably more softly than was necessary. It was only mid-afternoon, after all. "I'm home, Sid…"

Silence. Either she wasn't home, or she was asleep. Or something.

He dragged his gear into the hallway in front of the stairs and shrugged off the backpack, then looked into the living room. To his surprise (he hated to think like that), it wasn't a disaster area; some furniture had been shifted around a bit, but that was all. Flopping into his favorite wingback chair, he gave a huge sigh -- not so much of relief, but of exhaustion.

"Robin?" Hearing a voice from outside, Rob looked toward the door just in time to see his mother peek in. "I thought I heard you come in! Come along, let me have a look at you."

Rob stood obediently, a weary smile on his face. "Hallo, Mum. Yeah, I'm home. For awhile this time…"

(wc: 581)