As the alarms blared around him, Fox desperately tried to regain control of
the ship. The controls were trickier than that of his Arwing, which made
it even harder.
Diverting his attention away from the controls for a second, he looked over at Samus, who was at the other monitor, trying to figure out what had caused them to lose control of the ship. If only Star' hadn't contacted her...
~Flashback... one week ago...~
"Starfire, who sent out a communication relay twenty minutes ago?"
"I did."
"To who?"
"Oh, no one special really. Just...Samus Aran," Starfire said with a sly smile. "She'll be here in three days. She wants to help us out."
"WHAT?! WHY?!"
"Cause I mentioned that you were planning to fly a solo mission to Kioula, and that I couldn't go because I was needed here along with Peppy, and Falco was off somewhere with Kat. She got really worried and said that she'd be here as soon as possible, and that I should deck you if you try to leave before she gets here."
"But I don't need help!"
"Fox, Kioulans are temperamental suspicious, telekinetic warriors. Even Kurons prefer to avoid them! Plus there are metroids on Kioula, so it makes sense that Samus goes along with you. So just shut up about it, 'cause both Samus and I are too stubborn to let you talk us out of it!"
And with that, Samus tossed her brown and gold hair over her shoulder, and left Fox standing alone, shocked, on the bridge.
~End Flashback~
'Sorry I got you into this, 'Sam' Fox thought, bringing his attention back to the controls.
Samus looked worriedly at the monitor. "Fox?" she called over her shoulder. "The hyperdrive's blown. We'll have to bail."
"Where's the nearest planet?" Fox asked, strangely calm about all this.
"Kiana, Kioula's sister planet," she replied, feeding the coordinates to his screen. Feeling herself start to panic, Samus got up to get the survival packs from their rooms, glad that she had left her armor aboard the Great Fox. Returning to the bridge, she saw the surface of the planet loom up at her from the main viewscreen. Putting the ship on autopilot, Fox stood up, taking the pack she offered him. "How long do we have until the hyperdrive blows?" he asked.
"Five minutes," Samus said, feeling the panic rising in her chest.
Fox reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. Samus felt her heartbeat slowing, returning to normal. "We'll be fine," he said, reassuring her.
She nodded, shouldering her pack. "Thirty seconds until impact," the computer droned over the shrieking alarms.
Crouching down under the console, Samus braced herself against the console. Fox did the same, putting his arms around her to brace them against the wall behind her. Samus buried her head in his shoulder, her heart pounding, body tensing for impact.
The ship jarred, its' hull groaning as it skid across the planets' surface. Samus felt like she was being torn apart, as she and Fox were repeatedly thrown against the console. Fox tightened his hold around her, but it did little to absorb the shock of the impact on them both.
The force of the ships' jarring weakened enough for them disentangle themselves and slide out from under the console towards the exit. As soon as the ship stopped moving, Fox opened the door and they jumped, landing on the slick grass below.
Samus and Fox ran as fast as they could away from the ship
10…
9…
8…
7…
5…
4…
3…
2…
1…
Fox reached out and shoved Samus down into the grass, following after her. Samus felt a wave of heat hit her as the ship exploded. The grass fell away as they rolled over one another down a steep embankment, battering their already bruised bodies.
Her vision came back into focus as the ground leveled off, mercifully ending the assault on their bodies.
They lay there for a second, their energy spent. Samus felt her cheeks redden, as she became aware of Fox lying on top of her, their bodies tangled from the long fall.
Fox raised his head to look at her, equally aware of her body pressed tightly against his, judging by his blush, though it was hard to see beneath his fur.
"I told you we'd be fine," he murmured, lying there for a moment before untangling himself from her, rolling over to lie beside her.
Samus only murmured a response, lying in the cool grass, enjoying the feeling of Fox beside her.
Soon, though, they were brought back to reality' as the impact of their situation sunk in. Fox slowly got to his feet, looking around for their gear. He sighed, not seeing them anywhere close, than crouched down to pull Samus to her feet, fingering a gash in her shoulder where the material had ripped through.
"C'mon, we'd better find our packs then set up camp," he said. "Feel all right?" he asked, concerned.
"Besides being bruised on every inch of my body, yeah, I'm fine."
Fox smiled in spite of himself. It was good to know that she still had her sense of humor. "C'mon, let's go."
They found their packs farther up the hill, relieved to find that everything was still intact.
Continuing up the hill, they set up camp in a flat, grassy area, about half a kilometer away from the burned wreckage of the ship. Fox set up a distress beacon while Samus unrolled the sleeping mats and blankets and built a fire. Sitting at the crest of a hill after setting up camp, Samus stared at the night sky; wondering how long she and Fox would be stranded here, and if they were truly alone on this planet.
Fox walked back into camp, disrupting her fear-driven thoughts.
"All right, now that that's done, let me see if I can do anything about that gash in your shoulder," he said, walking over and kneeling behind her. "Turn around."
Samus complied, turning towards him and the flickering firelight. Fox examined the wound, tracing it gently with his finger, breathing on her softly. Samus was surprised at how soft and relaxed his touch made her feel. Fox had never struck her as the sensitive type, which was probably why his gentleness was so unexpected.
"Well, there's not much I can do about it except put something on to prevent infection and let it heal on it's own." Fox got up and went over to one of the packs and pulled out a medkit, bringing it back over and selecting an ointment. Breaking open the seal, he applied it softly, gently to her shoulder. When he was satisfied that the wound was treated properly, he placed the ointment back in the kit, and closed the box. Looking at Samus, he cupped her chin in his hand and smiled softly, lovingly at her.
"There. That better?"
Samus nodded, dazedly, still partly entranced.
"Good. Any others?"
"Don't think so," she said breathlessly. Still smiling, Fox tucked a wayward strand of dark brown hair behind her ear, tracing his fingers down her neck. She winced as he passed over a painful spot. His face clouding, he stroked her neck again, softer this time.
When she again winced, he frowned, motioning for her to turn around. Lifting her hair up, he placed it over her shoulders and looked for whatever was hurting her.
Growling softly, Fox reached around Samus for the medkit, and pulled out the same ointment he had used on her shoulder. She again felt his gentle touch on her neck, swirling the ointment into an unknown wound. Laying the ointment on the ground beside her, Fox softly ran his fingers up and down her back, looking for any more injuries. Not finding any, he moved on to her arms, then collarbone, stomach, her sides, and finally resting his hand on her knee, sliding the other down her arm to rest on top of her hand.
"I think that's all of them," he whispered into her ear. She shivered, both from the sudden chill and the soft feel of his touch. Getting into a crouch, Fox wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up into his arms. He carried her over to one of the makeshift beds and set her down, tucking the blanket under her chin.
"Night', Samus"
"Night', Fox"
Fox lay down on the mat next to hers, settling himself comfortably on his side. He was restless, unable to sleep. Closing his eyes, he had just barely slipped into sleep when he heard Samus shivering next to him. Opening his eyes, he moved closer to her, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled the blankets up around them.
Samus lifted her head up, awakened by his sudden movement. She was startled at first, then curled up against him, resting her head under his chin, glad for the warmth. Fox opened his eyes, felt her curled against his chest, smiled, and went back to sleep.
Samus woke up the next morning
Diverting his attention away from the controls for a second, he looked over at Samus, who was at the other monitor, trying to figure out what had caused them to lose control of the ship. If only Star' hadn't contacted her...
~Flashback... one week ago...~
"Starfire, who sent out a communication relay twenty minutes ago?"
"I did."
"To who?"
"Oh, no one special really. Just...Samus Aran," Starfire said with a sly smile. "She'll be here in three days. She wants to help us out."
"WHAT?! WHY?!"
"Cause I mentioned that you were planning to fly a solo mission to Kioula, and that I couldn't go because I was needed here along with Peppy, and Falco was off somewhere with Kat. She got really worried and said that she'd be here as soon as possible, and that I should deck you if you try to leave before she gets here."
"But I don't need help!"
"Fox, Kioulans are temperamental suspicious, telekinetic warriors. Even Kurons prefer to avoid them! Plus there are metroids on Kioula, so it makes sense that Samus goes along with you. So just shut up about it, 'cause both Samus and I are too stubborn to let you talk us out of it!"
And with that, Samus tossed her brown and gold hair over her shoulder, and left Fox standing alone, shocked, on the bridge.
~End Flashback~
'Sorry I got you into this, 'Sam' Fox thought, bringing his attention back to the controls.
Samus looked worriedly at the monitor. "Fox?" she called over her shoulder. "The hyperdrive's blown. We'll have to bail."
"Where's the nearest planet?" Fox asked, strangely calm about all this.
"Kiana, Kioula's sister planet," she replied, feeding the coordinates to his screen. Feeling herself start to panic, Samus got up to get the survival packs from their rooms, glad that she had left her armor aboard the Great Fox. Returning to the bridge, she saw the surface of the planet loom up at her from the main viewscreen. Putting the ship on autopilot, Fox stood up, taking the pack she offered him. "How long do we have until the hyperdrive blows?" he asked.
"Five minutes," Samus said, feeling the panic rising in her chest.
Fox reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. Samus felt her heartbeat slowing, returning to normal. "We'll be fine," he said, reassuring her.
She nodded, shouldering her pack. "Thirty seconds until impact," the computer droned over the shrieking alarms.
Crouching down under the console, Samus braced herself against the console. Fox did the same, putting his arms around her to brace them against the wall behind her. Samus buried her head in his shoulder, her heart pounding, body tensing for impact.
The ship jarred, its' hull groaning as it skid across the planets' surface. Samus felt like she was being torn apart, as she and Fox were repeatedly thrown against the console. Fox tightened his hold around her, but it did little to absorb the shock of the impact on them both.
The force of the ships' jarring weakened enough for them disentangle themselves and slide out from under the console towards the exit. As soon as the ship stopped moving, Fox opened the door and they jumped, landing on the slick grass below.
Samus and Fox ran as fast as they could away from the ship
10…
9…
8…
7…
5…
4…
3…
2…
1…
Fox reached out and shoved Samus down into the grass, following after her. Samus felt a wave of heat hit her as the ship exploded. The grass fell away as they rolled over one another down a steep embankment, battering their already bruised bodies.
Her vision came back into focus as the ground leveled off, mercifully ending the assault on their bodies.
They lay there for a second, their energy spent. Samus felt her cheeks redden, as she became aware of Fox lying on top of her, their bodies tangled from the long fall.
Fox raised his head to look at her, equally aware of her body pressed tightly against his, judging by his blush, though it was hard to see beneath his fur.
"I told you we'd be fine," he murmured, lying there for a moment before untangling himself from her, rolling over to lie beside her.
Samus only murmured a response, lying in the cool grass, enjoying the feeling of Fox beside her.
Soon, though, they were brought back to reality' as the impact of their situation sunk in. Fox slowly got to his feet, looking around for their gear. He sighed, not seeing them anywhere close, than crouched down to pull Samus to her feet, fingering a gash in her shoulder where the material had ripped through.
"C'mon, we'd better find our packs then set up camp," he said. "Feel all right?" he asked, concerned.
"Besides being bruised on every inch of my body, yeah, I'm fine."
Fox smiled in spite of himself. It was good to know that she still had her sense of humor. "C'mon, let's go."
They found their packs farther up the hill, relieved to find that everything was still intact.
Continuing up the hill, they set up camp in a flat, grassy area, about half a kilometer away from the burned wreckage of the ship. Fox set up a distress beacon while Samus unrolled the sleeping mats and blankets and built a fire. Sitting at the crest of a hill after setting up camp, Samus stared at the night sky; wondering how long she and Fox would be stranded here, and if they were truly alone on this planet.
Fox walked back into camp, disrupting her fear-driven thoughts.
"All right, now that that's done, let me see if I can do anything about that gash in your shoulder," he said, walking over and kneeling behind her. "Turn around."
Samus complied, turning towards him and the flickering firelight. Fox examined the wound, tracing it gently with his finger, breathing on her softly. Samus was surprised at how soft and relaxed his touch made her feel. Fox had never struck her as the sensitive type, which was probably why his gentleness was so unexpected.
"Well, there's not much I can do about it except put something on to prevent infection and let it heal on it's own." Fox got up and went over to one of the packs and pulled out a medkit, bringing it back over and selecting an ointment. Breaking open the seal, he applied it softly, gently to her shoulder. When he was satisfied that the wound was treated properly, he placed the ointment back in the kit, and closed the box. Looking at Samus, he cupped her chin in his hand and smiled softly, lovingly at her.
"There. That better?"
Samus nodded, dazedly, still partly entranced.
"Good. Any others?"
"Don't think so," she said breathlessly. Still smiling, Fox tucked a wayward strand of dark brown hair behind her ear, tracing his fingers down her neck. She winced as he passed over a painful spot. His face clouding, he stroked her neck again, softer this time.
When she again winced, he frowned, motioning for her to turn around. Lifting her hair up, he placed it over her shoulders and looked for whatever was hurting her.
Growling softly, Fox reached around Samus for the medkit, and pulled out the same ointment he had used on her shoulder. She again felt his gentle touch on her neck, swirling the ointment into an unknown wound. Laying the ointment on the ground beside her, Fox softly ran his fingers up and down her back, looking for any more injuries. Not finding any, he moved on to her arms, then collarbone, stomach, her sides, and finally resting his hand on her knee, sliding the other down her arm to rest on top of her hand.
"I think that's all of them," he whispered into her ear. She shivered, both from the sudden chill and the soft feel of his touch. Getting into a crouch, Fox wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up into his arms. He carried her over to one of the makeshift beds and set her down, tucking the blanket under her chin.
"Night', Samus"
"Night', Fox"
Fox lay down on the mat next to hers, settling himself comfortably on his side. He was restless, unable to sleep. Closing his eyes, he had just barely slipped into sleep when he heard Samus shivering next to him. Opening his eyes, he moved closer to her, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled the blankets up around them.
Samus lifted her head up, awakened by his sudden movement. She was startled at first, then curled up against him, resting her head under his chin, glad for the warmth. Fox opened his eyes, felt her curled against his chest, smiled, and went back to sleep.
Samus woke up the next morning