Mark Stone's Residence

[M. Stone]

Located on the outskirts of Kimberly, on ten acres. The house is not visible from the roadway, with the front two acres of the property being woods. The driveway is dirt and has a farm gate at the roadway. No Trespassing signs are posted along the property line, and a security camera visibly watches the mailbox and package drop. Detached from the house is a two-car garage with double-deep bays, the back two bays being used as shop space. 

Edited February 24, 2020 by estone

[M. Stone]

Vehicles Owned

2015 F250 XLT Powerstroke

 

1994 F150 XLT

 

John Deere Gator

 

Guns

PA-15

 

Rock Island Armory 12 gauge

 

Savage Axis II 30-06

 

Springfield XDS 9mm

 

Henry Garden Gun

[M. Stone]

*I turn into my driveway, stopping in front of the gate and hopping out as I leave the truck running. I unchain the gate from the fence and swing it open, then check the mail and package drop, grabbing the few items in the box and tossing them onto my passenger seat. I pull through the gate and stop again, getting back out and closing the gate behind me, chaining it shut. I glance over at the game camera attached to a nearby tree and flip it off as I get back in my truck and pull on down through the two acres of woods between the road and my house. I liked living that far back off the road. Kept anyone from coming down to the house that didn't mean to, and kept the land around the house nice and private. I had ten acres back here, and I loved all of them. I wanted to buy more - a few hundred acres would be outstanding - but nothing was for sale around me at the moment. I had fortunately managed to come to an agreement with the elderly man that owned the hundred acres backing up to my property, and I was paying the property taxes on it in exchange for free use of it.*

*As I come through the woods and break out into the cleared area around the house, I glance it over. I reach up and tap the garage door opener, backing up to the garage door but not putting the truck away just yet. I hop out and walk into the garage, grabbing my cooler out of the bed of the Gator. I put some ice into it from the ice machine in the back of the shop and then toss some beer, some water, and some Bang into it from my shop fridge. I toss it back into the bed of the Gator and start unloading the feed I had bought from my pickup, stacking it in the shop. I put the straw bale in the bed of the Gator, and then start gathering tools - a shovel, an axe, a maul, a chainsaw. I put them in the back of the Gator and then get in, heading to the chickens so I can bed them down.*

[K. Clark]

* i pull into the driveway parking my car keeping it running i hop out*

'I hope this is the right decision'

*i walk up the stairs and take one last look at the letter*

"Dear Captain Mark Stone

       Mark I'm happy to report I've been fully cleared for duty by my doctor. I will be returning next shift as a firefighter on your shift. 
But with that being said i had a talk with the chief of the department and we both agree that if thing's don't feel right at this station.
He will be transferring me to a station in Kimberly to keep me out of to much danger and to keep me closer to home. 

      These last few months to a year i've been home recovering i came to realize how much i liked working closer to home. 
its nothing you did or anything this station did but in all honesty i'm not sure if i can come back to the station and be "fine". 
it's been hard even at home coping with the events that happened that day i should've died and i don't know why i didn't. 
 I hope this doesn't upset you sir i will see you on the next shift bright and early as always and i hope you and Hawke are doing well.

      Sincerely 
                        Kat Rogers"

*i fold the letter back up and place it on the porch with a rock i found knock on the door and turn around and start heading back towards my car when someone comes out the door*

'god i hope this is the right thing for me i don't wanna loose firefighting'

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by Jimothy

[E. Hawke]

Sitting in the living room with Mark wearing nothing but a button up blouse and some noise on the deck catches my attention.  Turning to Mark I pause the movie we're watching.

'Hearing some noise on the deck.  Also we need more popcorn.  Want to make some as I go check to see what's up?'

With that said I hop off the couch and head for the door.  Probably could look through the door window before opening it but where's the fun of that.  Instead I grab the handle and open the door just as I see a woman leaving a note under a rock.  For a moment I scratch the top of my head as I ponder what to do here.  Eventually though I yell out for Mark as I turn around and head back into the house.

'Mark! I think it's for you!'

[M. Stone]

I frown slightly as Evelyn hops off the couch. I never liked breaking up the physical touch, even if it was as simple as a cuddle on the couch. I was shirtless, with just sweats on, and the skin-to-skin contact felt nice.

'Yeah, I'll make some more popcorn.'

I get up myself and walk into the kitchen, grabbing another pack of microwave popcorn and tossing it into the radiation machine. I press the popcorn button as I hear Evelyn call my name. I step out to the porch as Evelyn turns to walk back in and see Kat walking back to her car as Evelyn stands there with a note.

'What's it say?' I ask Evelyn, looking down to the note.

[K. Clark]

* I turn around and glance back and see Hawke and stone looking at the letter i stop for a second and take a breathe then turn around and wave*

'Hey guys how are you

*i look down at the ground nervously and turn back around and keep heading back to my car* 

[E. Hawke]

'Don't know, I didn't read it yet'

Looking at Mark I pass the note to him for him to read.  At this point I'm kind of ignoring Kat as I'm not sure why she's here.

'Figured it was for you.'

As Mark takes the note to read I latch onto him arm in arm and lean into him.

[M. Stone]

'Hey Kat,' I say in reply to her as she waves. 'Everything okay? You need to talk about something?' I ask, holding up the still-unopened note in my hand. I glance down at it, then over at Evelyn. We had been in the middle of a movie, it wasn't exactly a great time. But he wasn't going to turn Kat away if she needed something, she was still a friend.

'Do you wanna come in for a sec or something? You don't have to sneak me notes,' I joke.

[K. Clark]

"Hey Kat, Everything okay? you need to talk about something?. Do you wanna come in for a sec or something? You don't have to sneak me notes"

*I look back at them and turn around again noticing them in some "around the house" wear"

'uhhh did i interrupt something? if so i can just explain it tomorrow at work i'm sorry for dropping by'

*i notice stone not wearing a shirt and last time i saw him like that i thought we were going to have a moment..*

'i... ummm.. i  need to really be heading out'  

*i turn away shocked about what i just saw knowing i really shouldn't of stopped by* 

[M. Stone]

'Yeah, that's fine. We'll talk tomorrow at work. I'm glad to have you back at work, Kat. We've all missed you down at the station. Don't be sorry for dropping by. We don't mind visitors.'

I pull Evelyn back inside, closing the door behind us.

'That was weird. Let's see what this note says.'

I unfold it and give it a quick scan before passing it to Evelyn.

'I guess her incident is giving her some trouble. I'll talk to her tomorrow and see if she's alright. Should we get back to the movie?'

[E. Hawke]

'Weird indeed'

I reply as Mark pulls me back inside.  It sounds like that girl is having trouble as Mark explains.

'Yeah, let's, is the more popcorn ready?'

I ask as I wander back to the couch and prepare to sit down.

[M. Stone]

'Yeah, it should be. I put it in the microwave before I came out.'

I set the note down and walk into the kitchen. I dump the bag of popcorn into a bowl and walk back into the living room with it, settling in on the couch next to Evelyn. I put an arm around her and pull her close, kissing her cheek lightly.

'Press play whenever you're ready.'

[E. Hawke]

As Mark comes back with the popcorn he tells me to hit play on the remote and so I do.  The movie resumes and I decide to get more comfortable by leaning up on him.  My head on his shoulder and my legs on the couch I grab some popcorn from the bowl.   Munching down on the snack I absorb myself into the entertainment from the TV but in the back of my mind I've something to ask.

'So tell me something...'

[M. Stone]

I smile as Evelyn leans up on me. I watch the movie, snacking on popcorn. Her speaking draws my attention back to her, and I look down at her.

'Sure, anything.'

I couldn't help but wonder what she wanted to know. Did she know there had almost been something with Kat before she came along? Did she think there was something now? There wasn't, of course, there was no one else. I wasn't the type to step out like that.

[E. Hawke]

Taking a slightly deep breath cause this is going to be a long thing to say and I also need to calm myself for any possible reaction.

'Ok, so we've been dating for two years now so I can figure that we are pretty serious about each other but I want to know.  What exactly are your plans for us?  Where do you want us to go?  I mean, look, I love you and you know that right?  But also I'm almost 30 and I do want to have kids before I actually hit 30.  So like if you just want to date me that's fine.  If you want to marry me that's even better.  However I just wanted you to know that I do want kids and soon so I can hear your thoughts on what you want?'

Ok, maybe what I said wasn't that long and maybe I didn't say it well enough.  However as I look at him for his response it was  clearly out there now.

[M. Stone]

I blink slightly as I process everything Evelyn had said. I had always assumed we were serious, I mean, after a few months if you're still together you can't really call it causal dating anymore. I break into a smile as she tells me she wants kids and I take her hand, squeezing it lightly.

'Of course I want to marry you, Evelyn. I'm not just here to waste your time.'

I bite my lip for a moment, considering what I say.

'I want the American Dream, you know? House, little bit of land, wife and children. White picket fence and all that. And I want you in it. Yes, I want to marry you. And I want you to have my children.'

I smile at her, holding her close. We had talked about it in an offhand kind of way before, of course, but never really seriously. It almost seemed surreal that we had been together for two years. I had thought about marriage with Evelyn before, of course, in a daydreamy kind of way. It never struck me that that was actually going to be us.

[E. Hawke]

As Mark takes me into his arms I smile at the words he had said and drape my arm over his chest.

'That sounds nice but don't forget the dog in that dream.  Cause you know I come with a dog.'

With my head now on his chest I tilt it a bit to see more of the screen.  It dawns on me that some of the things said might indicate a proposal and it causes me to chuckle just a bit.

'Also please tell me that's not your proposal, right?  I mean, I certainly won't say no but this is not exactly how I planned to start an engagement.'

[M. Stone]

I smile and laugh softly.

'How could I forget him? Of course he's in there.'

I laugh again as she asks about the proposal.

'No, not unless you want it to be. I like to think I'm the romantic type, not the couch proposal and courthouse wedding type.'

[E. Hawke]

'Well thankfully I don't need romantic but a proposal on the couch is just plan weird.'

I laugh for a bit and readjust myself as I feel myself slipping.

'Well, however you do propose at least buy me a ring when you do.  Not because I want a ring but just so I know it's actually a proposal.  Also, definitely no to a courthouse wedding.  Doesn't have to be a church though.'

[M. Stone]

I smile and nod.

'Of course you'll get a ring. How would it be a proposal without one? And I mean...it's a proposal, it's supposed to be romantic. At least to an extent.'

I take a couple pieces of popcorn from the bowl and adjust a little so I can pay more attention to Evelyn instead of the movie.

'Let's talk about it. What kind of wedding do you want? Let's daydream a little.'

[E. Hawke]

'Well the last one, the one that didn't happen, was suppose to happen in a church so not that.'

Grabbing some popcorn I hold the pieces in my hand for a moment as I continue talking.

'Maybe something outdoors.  Like in a park?  Maybe by a lake?'

Finished talking I eat the popcorn I had grabbed.

[M. Stone]

'Okay, no church.'

I nod in agreement. Definitely didn't want to invoke feelings of an ex at our ceremony.

'That'd be nice, yeah. Lakes are pretty. Makes for great backdrops for the pictures,' I smile.

'Big wedding or small wedding?'

[E. Hawke]

'Well that all depends on how much family and friends both of us have.  Would probably prefer small but I would definitely want family and friends there.'

[M. Stone]

I nod in reply.

'Yeah, of course our families would be invited. And at least close friends.'

Family was important to me, and there was no way I'd be down to not involve my closest friends - they were essentially family. But beyond that, I didn't really care if we had a big wedding or small wedding. We could invite all our acquaintances or just our closest friends, either way would be fine by me.

'What about kids? Just one, lots? What do you dream for there?'