A/N: I got infected with the Chuck/Raleigh bug! Please be aware that this story will eventually be Chuck/Raleigh. If you don't agree with that, please leave now.
And everyone else: This story is set straight after the ending of the movie. Although I had to make a little change. You probably guessed it already. Chuck and Herc switched places in this story. Sorry, Herc!
More notes at the bottom of the chapter. Now, enjoy!
Breach the Surface
Phase 01
The first day was just a worldwide celebration. The whole world was ecstatic. We had done it! We had really won the kaiju war! The parties went on for a week, and then another week. And even another one in some parts of the world.
The Hong Kong shatterdome, which had been a home to hundreds of humans and four jaegers, was now a TV studio, a hotel and a hospital all at once. TV and radio crews from all over the world wanted to see the heroes who saved us all.
Some of the people who had been stationed at the shatterdome for the last years had left straight away to be with their families. But many had stayed behind. To recover in the hospital unit, to say good bye to their second home – because that's what the shatterdome had become to many – or simply because they had nowhere or no one left to come home to.
Mako and I had stayed to satisfy the world's hunger for news, faces and declarations of victory. We had stayed because we hadn't realized yet that it was indeed over; that no siren would wake us up in the middle of the night and that no jaeger was waiting for us anymore. And we had stayed because we were exactly those people who didn't have anywhere to return to. So we stayed, gave interviews and then partied with the others who were left.
Newton Geizsler and Hermann Gottlieb had also stayed. Both were still interested in finding out more about the kaiju. Mako joked that Newton and Gottlieb just wanted to make sure no one else could publish a better biology book about the kaiju.
Chuck and his cheerful bulldog Max had stayed as well, but in the hospital unit. Chuck's arm had been badly injured during the fight against Leatherback. He claimed to be staying for the free food and the pretty nurses.
I felt that the real reason was probably more similar to my own. Now Chuck was stranded with nowhere to go and nothing to do – just like I had been after Yancy had died in battle five years before. And no matter what Chuck could say, I also thought that Herc's death had hit Chuck harder than he would ever admit.
Chuck and I had really not been on friendly terms after we had first met. Chuck called me a coward and believed that rangers like me had been the downfall of the jaeger program. I had hated Chuck's lack of respect and his arrogance. But we had started to respect each other after the fight against Otachi and Leatherback. Even a stubborn guy like Chuck could not just ignore that Mako and I had saved his life. And I learned to admit that Chuck had been a great ranger. Hidden underneath all that ego and arrogance was a skilful and disciplined fighter and without him and Herc, many more lives would have been lost in the war.
So we celebrated and believed that nothing could bring humanity down again. Nothing. We really should have known better.
Mako gave Raleigh an exhausted pat on his upper arm and gently steered him away from another reporter who came hurrying towards them through the crowd of people in the big hall that held the jaeger bays.
"I think we should go and get something to eat. All these reporters are making me tired and hungry," Mako whispered. Raleigh was thankful that even his usually very polite partner could not be bothered answering the same question for the 16th time that day. He followed her into one of the elevators and let out a loud sigh as the doors closed behind them. Mako quickly pushed a button and the elevator stopped after only two levels. Raleigh gave her a confused look.
"The hospital? Did you get hurt?" he asked, following her through the doors into the quiet corridor. Before he could say anything else, Mako shook her head and pointed towards the door at the end of the corridor. A young nurse just hurried out of the door, leaving it open wide enough so that Raleigh could see Max rolling around on the floor. "I thought it would be rude to not go and see Chuck. You know he said he was alright and that no one needs to worry about him-"
The way Chuck had worded that the day before had not sounded as nice, Raleigh thought and grunted.
"- but I don't believe him when he says he is alright, Raleigh. I tried to help keep the reporters away from him because he would just yell at them anyway. I thought we should go and see him, just in case he would like some company," Mako finished and gave Raleigh a meaningful look.
"Oh no, no, no." Raleigh stopped walking and shook his head. "I'm not going to give him the 'survivor's guilt' and 'fallen hero' talk! Just because I respect his fighting skills doesn't mean I want to be his best friend or his psychiatrist!"
Mako raised her eyebrows. "How do you know what I was going to ask of you? I think you have spent too much time in here," she laughed and tapped her right temple with her finger. "Fine, you don't have to give him a talk. We should just go and say 'hello' and see if he needs anything. We were all a team, remember that"
Raleigh knew it would be useless to argue with Mako. She was just so polite and respectful. He gave her a defeated look and sighed. Without saying anything else, Mako knocked on the doorframe as she walked into Chuck's room.
Chuck had been looking out of the window through which the Hong Kong skyline was visible. He turned around and looked at Mako and Raleigh, first surprised, then annoyed.
"What do you want here?" he asked and turned his head towards the window again. Max jumped up, wagging his sorry little excuse of a tail, obviously excited about the visitors and probably expecting a treat.
Sensing a way to get out of the whole talk, Raleigh squatted down and let Max jump at him, patting the bulldog behind the ears. Mako ignored the dog and sat down on a chair next to Chuck's bed.
"We thought you should come downstairs and get some food or a drink while everyone is celebrating our victory tonight," Mako began. Chuck snorted and pointed at his bandaged arm. "Do I look like I want to celebrate anything?"
"Oh come on Chuck, you don't even need to be here! You're healthy enough to just get up and walk out of here," Raleigh called over from where he was playing with Max.
"You better shut up and don't tell me what I can or can't do!" Chuck snapped. "I don't need anyone's sympathy or company! And I sure as hell don't need any parties!"
Mako shook her head. "We're not here because we feel sorry for you, Chuck. All of us were a team. And without you, we wouldn't have won this war. We would be happy to see you later tonight if you change your mind" Mako got up from the chair and bowed her head slightly before leaving.
Raleigh gave Max a last pat on the head and got up. When he walked out behind Mako, he turned around to close the door and saw that Chuck was still staring out of the window, pretending no one had even been there. Raleigh felt a weird twinge of sadness at seeing the former proud ranger so defeated. This must be what I looked like after Yancy's death, he thought suddenly, before closing the door behind him.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I am trying hard to stay in character, haha.
This little "love story" will probably be a little drawn out, so don't expect to see puppy eyes and hear any "I love you"s too soon.
I like to actually include a PLOT in this, because Pacific Rim just deserves that.
Anyway, let me know if you liked it! I am already writing part 2 and have enough things for at least 10 chapters planned already, so stay tuned!
