Pointless doesn't even begin to describe this...
Wildwing's neck, back, and shoulders were killing him. He grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck as he felt the elevator begin to move. It had been a lo-ong day. Already sore from practice, he'd just spent hours in Phil's office arguing contract agreements with him. All he wanted was peace and quiet, and a hot shower. 'Yeah, Wing. Keep dreaming.' The elevator came to a stop, and Wildwing braced himself for the pandemonium that would undoubtedly greet him.
The soundproof doors slid open. The Pond was silent, the chilled air a welcome change from the stuffy heat of Phil's office (how humans could stand to live in this heat was really beyond him). Wildwing was immediately suspicious as he noted the uncharacteristic tranquility around him.
The silence was undisturbed as he headed down the hall to his bunk. Wing glanced around, half expecting Dive to pop out of some hidden crevice with a water gun. He shrugged to himself when he reached his room unmolested, too tired to wonder with the shower so near. He gathered his things and went to the showers.
Wildwing winced as the cold water hit him, then sighed and relaxed as it grew warm. He was promptly interrupted by the insistent beeping of his com. With a groan and a grimace, he shut off the water and shoved the curtain aside, making sure to key for audio only as he snatched the small device from the corner of the sink.
"Yeah."
"Wing? I'm about to make dinner, I was wondering if there's anything in particular you want?"
Wildwing frowned. "Ah, no, anything you make'll be fine, Lila."
"Are you sure? It's just the two of us tonight, so I can make whatever you feel like having."
"Whatever, so long as you make enough of it. I'm starving." 'Just the two of us? I wonder where the others are.' Amusement colored Lila's response.
"After cooking for seven for so long, I'm not sure I even remember how to cook for two. I don't think we'll have to worry about having too little."
"I'll be there in about an hour."
"Take your time, I'm in no hurry."
Wildwing shut off the com and turned the water back on. He tried to force his numb mind to work. 'Dive has an appearance tonight, and Grin and Tanya were supposed to leave for the satellite launch this afternoon...So where are Duke and Mal?'
'Does it really matter?' Wildwing asked himself ruefully. Peace, quiet, and a good dinner. 'Something's gotta go wrong.'
He finally stepped out of the shower. He tossed a glance at his discarded armor, then wrapped his bathrobe around him and headed back down to his room. He really didn't want to put that cumbersome load back on. Instead he reached into his closet and pulled out a short-sleeved blue shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
***
Lila sang softly to herself as she worked, adding the components of her recipes without even thinking. Her mind whirled over everything that had happened that day. Funny how cooking seemed to free her mind, when for someone like Tanya it was a practice of intense concentration. An amused smile touched her lips as she remembered the week before her license exam. The small kitchen in her apartment had been overwhelmed with cakes, pies, soufflés, and other culinary treats that she had cooked up as she worried and reviewed for the most important test of her life.
And lately she had so much to think of. She'd been carefully monitoring the mental states of all the ducks. Psychology was not her specialty, but her short career as a military field medic and surgeon in the resistance had taught her that she must be aware of all aspects of a patient's health. The ducks had been placed under trying circumstances at best, and they had not all reacted well.
Finally, however, her teammates seemed to have accepted what had happened to them and were adapting well. Mallory and Duke were both accustomed to rapidly changing situations and surroundings, so they had come to terms quickly with their new lives, although Lila wondered sometimes if the younger girl's outbursts meant more than just a quick temper. Grin was at peace with himself and therefore was next to be at peace with his surroundings, although he had spent a lot of time in meditation when they had first arrived. Tanya, Wildwing, and Nosedive were completely different. All three civilians, all three completely unprepared for the life-altering changes forced on them during the occupation and their relocation to Earth. Tanya had been forced to turn her astounding mental power to crafting new weapons for the rebellion. Lila had been very worried about her cousin, but Tanya had come to terms with what had to be done, and she often buried her homesickness in her work. Her success was questionable, but Lila had been able to draw her out and help her feel that she was not alone. After the girl had found some friends among Earth's scientific community, she had cheered up considerably and now seemed able to deal with her homesickness on her own.
Which left Wildwing and Nosedive. It was difficult to discern when the younger duck was covering his problems with his quips and wisecracks. Lila's suspicions that he had not fully adjusted to life among humans had been substantiated more than once, and his improvement was hard to follow. The young doctor still worried about him. As for Wildwing . . .
Lila was fond of all of her teammates. Mallory had a focus she admired combined with an ability to loosen up and have fun when the work was over. Grin was a quiet and soothing presence, constant and steady. She was proud of Tanya, and happy that her cousin still came to her when she had a problem. Duke had spent a great deal of time in her clinic when the resistance had first rescued him, and he had become like a protective uncle to her. Nosedive had an uncanny ability to make her smile which she found quite endearing, in spite of his pranks and apparent inability to be serious unless absolutely necessary. However, the one she felt closest to--and worried the most about--was Wildwing.
***
Wildwing stretched and looked around his room for a moment. The walls were stark steel. His jersey hung on one wall, and his air hockey table sat incongruously in the middle of the room. His bed looked like the kind you'd find in a hospital--metal base and headboard, narrow, covered with plain white sheets and a thin blanket. A bookshelf was against one wall, containing his shutout game pucks and sketchbooks, as well as the few novels that he'd collected since they'd arrived on Earth. He crossed the room and selected one of the latter, picking it up and looking at the magnificent photograph of the cathedral on the front of it. Marilyn had recommended it to Lila, and after reading it, she had bought him a copy, guessing correctly that he'd be interested in the essays on Gothic architecture that were scattered through it. He'd been surprisingly taken with the story as well, when he finally got around to reading it. Wildwing set The Hunchback of Notre Dame back on his shelf and looked around one more time. The room was laid out just like his room at home, which was a wonder considering that looking back, he remembered very little except for a driving need to avenge Canard. For two months, that had been his only focus. He hadn't wanted to do anything that didn't in some direct way contribute to finding his friend-or his enemy. Then, when they had finally gotten their act together, and gone searching for Dragaunus, he'd been forced to reassess his priorities. Ultimately, was it his personal agenda that mattered, or the greater good of the galaxies?
"If we don't fight evil no matter where we find it," Duke's words echoed in his head, "We're no better than Dragaunus himself."
He'd been right, and Wildwing had known it. And maybe if he'd kept driving, things would have been easier for him later, when that first confrontation was all over and Wildwing was forced to accept that Canard was gone, maybe for a long time, and that he was going to have to face leading the team on his own.
But not as completely as he'd originally thought.
***
Lila set two plates at the smaller kitchen table, deciding that they really didn't need to eat out at the big table in the dining room. A month ago, in the middle of the night, sitting at this table, Wildwing had named her second in command. She'd been shocked. So had the rest of the team, when it was made known. But he'd stuck by his word and he'd never once indicated that he regretted the decision, or that it had been made in haste. Lila still wasn't sure that it was a good idea, but he was leader, if he liked it this way, this was how it would stay. Because it made him more comfortable.
"I'll just have to make sure he sticks around so I don't have to find out how UNcomfortable it would make me," she muttered to the empty room.
"What was that?" Wildwing asked as he came in. Lila jumped.
"Oh! Nothing," she said quickly, "I was just talking to myself." Wildwing grinned and opened his beak. "Don't--" she raised a hand and pointed at him. "Even think about it," she finished. "I've already had my fill of Dive's comments regarding the sanity of one who talks to herself."
"Then I shall abstain," Wildwing raised his hands defensively, still grinning.
"Your restraint is admirable," Lila rolled her eyes.
"I do try," he sighed dramatically. Lila threw a dish towel at him.
"Try getting us something to drink," she suggested dryly, waving a hand toward the refrigerator as she turned back to the cooking food.
"As you wish." Wildwing bowed gallantly.
Lila rolled her eyes again and turned off the heat on the stove.
"Regular or diet," Wildwing asked her from the fridge.
"Regular, no caffeine please."
Wildwing set the drinks on the table as Lila brought the food over. "Duke and Mal aren't eating tonight?"
"Duke's pulled one of his disappearing acts again, and Mallory's at the mall. She called earlier to say there was a sale at Chez Chic--"
"Which means she won't be home till closing time," Wildiwng grinned. Lila shrugged.
"That depends on how big a bribe it would take to get the manager to leave it open a little longer."
She said it deadpan, and it took a second to register. Wildwing blinked and laughed. "You know, I wouldn't put it past her."
"You think I'm kidding? I've *seen* her do it."
***
"So anyway, we still spent a lot of time off-world, but dad figured that a twelve-year-old--even one with an exceptional memory--needed to have friends of her own kind, and her own age. I was kind of nervous at first, but it took a lot less time than I expected for Drakewind Heights to feel like home."
"Didn't you miss court life?" Wildwing asked. "Growing up in a royal palace must have been something."
"It was," Lila assured him, poking her food thoughtfully with her fork. "But all the rules, the protocols, the etiquette . . . It felt good to be a normal kid--although I honestly can't remember anyone else ever referring to me as normal."
Wildwing grinned at that. "I suppose it was always exceptional, or special--"
"Or rich, or spoiled, or pampered," Lila added in disgust.
"You're joking."
"I'm not. I can count sixteen different times when teachers or other adults applied those adjectives to me. The kids thought of worse things." There was a little pain in her voice, mostly hidden but still audible. Wildwing couldn't think of anything to say. "Anyway," she continued, "Once I got used to the fact that I had a lot more freedom that I used to, I was able to be more--me. I made some friends, and got used to life at home again." Lila looked at him with a self-conscious smile. "So now that you know my whole life story, let's talk about you."
Wildwing shrugged. "What's to talk about. I'm an average guy from an average family on an average income living on an average street in DuCaine City."
"You miss it?"
"Of course. I had friends there, and most of my relatives lived pretty close. Our family was pretty tight. My dad always used to say that family ties can get you through anything, if you're not afraid to let them."
Lila smiled. "Sounds nice. My parents and I were very close, but the rest of my relatives were pretty spread out, and we didn't keep as close contact with them as we might have liked. Uncle Phearson and Aunt Marnine, Tanya's parents, lived in Drakewind Heights, but the rest of the family was all over. We even had a few relatives in the colony worlds." Lila fell silent, and Wildwing looked at her sharply. She suddenly set her fork down, picked up her plate and carried it to the sink. He could see she was trembling. "I haven't seen some of them in years," she continued, her voice sounding forced. Wildwing got up and took her by the shoulders, turning her to face him. She looked away, but it was too late. He'd seen the tears.
"How long have you been carrying this around?" he sighed, putting his arms around here. "Did you think you were the only one not allowed to be homesick. Go ahead and cry, Lila, you need it."
She didn't want to, he could tell, she still fought to keep the tears back. The flood had been too long in coming, though, and she finally collapsed against him, crying like a hatchling. Wildwing just let her.
Finally, she picked her face up and turned away. Wildwing let her go.
"I'm sorry," she said, reaching for a tissue. "I didn't mean to break down on you like that."
"It's okay," Wildwing smiled. "I know you've had your shirt soaked a few times too since we came here, it's about time you took your turn. Why don't you go to bed early tonight, I'll clean up in here.
"But--"
"Go. That's an order."
Lila rolled her eyes but she left the kitchen, and Wildwing started to clean off the plates. 'What do you know,' he thought with a touch of dry humor. 'She's mortal after all.'
***
Wildwing hesitated. He'd told her to go to bed, and he didn't want to wake her. But he was worried, he wanted to see if she was all right. After another moment of deliberation, he rang the chime.
"Come in," was the immediate reply. Wildwing frowned and stepped inside.
"You're supposed to be resting," he said, crossing his arms and giving her a stern look. Lila's return gaze was calm as she looked back at him from where she was curled on her couch, her hands wrapped around a mug of steaming liquid.
"Then why did you come?" she asked him logically. He moved to a chair across from her.
"I was worried, I wanted to check on you."
"I'm fine," she sighed. "I just--I really miss my mom and dad. And I'm worried about everyone else, too..."
"We all are."
"I know. That's what I told Tanya. And I know I have all of you, and I'm grateful for that, I really am. But..." She sighed. "It's just not something I can logic myself out of. I'm sorry to have worried you, I thought I could handle it." Lila swirled the liquid in her cup thoughtfully, staring down into it as if it contained the deepest secrets of her soul.
"What were they like?"
"Hmm?" She looked up.
"Your parents."
"Oh," Lila blinked. "Well," she reached into her pocket and tossed something to him. Light flashed on gold as it sailed to him. Wildwing caught it and looked at it, curious. It was an oval compact, small enough to fit in Lila's palm. He opened it. On one side was an image of a dignified looking man with dark eyes and dusty brown feathers. On the other, a woman with paler, gold-tinted feathers and very light gold-brown hair and grey eyes.
"You look like your father," Wildwing commented. Lila smiled.
"Everyone tells me that. I have my mother's voice and my father's face. They were--are--wonderful people, always happy and smiling. They loved each other so much. If I ever found a man who loved me half as much as Daddy loves my mother..." She sighed. "Everywhere one of them went, the other one followed. I don't think they spent a night apart in all the time they were married. And they were wonderful parents, always encouraging me. I love them so much." Lila looked down again with a shaky sigh. "Anyway," she smiled bravely. "I think I'll be okay, I guess I just needed to let all that out. Thanks for letting me."
"No problem," he smiled, getting up. "Now get some sleep for real, okay?"
"Yes sir," Lila said, throwing a mock salute. Wildwing grinned.
"I could get used to that."
"Don't even think about it."
"Yes ma'am," he mimicked her gesture and made it out the door just in time to avoid the couch cushion she threw at him. Her laughter was a welcome sound behind him as he went back to his own room.
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Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series and all related characters are property of Disney, and are used without permission. Lila LaGlace and any other original characters are property of the author and may not be used without permission.
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