Alex yawned as he sat in the back of the taxi on his way to his families home. He hadn't seen any of them in almost two years and now he regretted not coming to see them on his leave because the temptation to party with his buddies was to much to take. He had been slightly excited when they had told him he'd be going home , he had been on mission when he had been shot in the neck by an enemy sniper. They told him he was lucky to be alive and that he should enjoy the rest of his life cause rightly he shouldn't have survived. He still hated himself that he had let an enemy out snipe him which cause his injury and the death of his spotter the images of his friends face still tormenting him. He shook his head as the cab pulled up in front of the large house and smiled wondering how his family would react to his sudden appearance. He hadn't told anyone about his coming home and hoped to surprise them when he walked in. He paid the driver picking up his big green bag smiling when the man thanked him for his service. One thing he loved about wearing his marine dress uniform was the way people treated him with respect. Walking up to the door he thought about knocking for a moment before dropping his raised hand to the handle and walking in.<br/><br/>He closed the door behind him dropping his bag next to the door he got a glimpse of himself in the mirror and wondered if the family would recognize him. The last time he had seen them he had been a tall scrawny teen with long hair and a soft face. Now the reflection showed a well muscled marine scout sniper with a face that had seen to much death and a large white scar on his neck. Touching the scar gently he smiled at his constant reminder that life is a gift. "hey is anyone home or am I not important enough to say hi to" he shouted knowing his loud deep voice would carry throughout the entire house. He wondered how his little brothers and sister had grown up and if he was still the tallest or if his brothers had finally caught up.