The cheering crowd on the tarmac was near deafening. They had returned heros to the world. They had closed the rift and saved the world. At a heavy price though, Raleigh thought as he and Mako were jostled and hugged as they made their way off the rescue helicopter and towards the command center. They had barely made it out alive. The world had lost almost all their Jaeger pilots in their last ditch attempt to decimate the Kaiju.
He looked over at Mako and although she was smiling in response to the cheering crowd, the raw pain and heartache over Stacker Pentecost's death threatened to overcome her fragile facade. He had felt every second of her fear when the Marshall outlined his plan to use his Jaeger to eradicate the category 4 kaijus that threatened the entrance to the rift. He had felt her overwhelming anguish when they had felt the blast from Stacker Pentecost's sacrifice. There was no way for her to hide her pain from him during their neural link.
Even now, after the link had been disconnected with the destruction of the Gypsy Danger, he felt oddly connected to her. In some ways, Raleigh felt that he and Mako were more connected than he and Yancy ever were. Sure, he and Yancy were brothers and they shared everything but something about Mako's traumatic past made him feel less ... broken. He had buried himself in grief and guilt for the past five years and he thought no one would understand. But, he was wrong. Mako had understood. She had gone through it herself and lived with the pain and guilt longer than he had. That was why he thought their neural link was so very strong. The strongest of any linked Jaeger pilots. They were a near perfect Drift match.
Instinctively, Raleigh reached for Mako and put his right hand on the small of her back both to guide her to the tarmac doors and to reassure her that he was there for her. She paused and looked up at him in surprise, still not used to being so intimately linked to another person. After losing her family, she had found the Marshall and he had saved her literally and figuratively. He taught her, loved her and gave her direction for her anger. But, nonetheless, he was a military man and open emotion was rarely displayed. Over the years, she would satisfy herself that his unspoken silence meant his approval. Her respect for him turned to devotion and love. But, she never once forgot that he had taught her duty, honor and loyalty above all else.
As she felt Raleigh's constant presence as they made their way still surrounded by the ebullient crowd, she was still unsure of her feelings for him. Her upbringing, both by her parents and the Marshall, had told her that rogue, hot-shot, fly boys like Raleigh were bad news and should be avoided at all costs. But, her heart and their neural link had told her that he was just as damaged as she was and was the first person to ever truly understand her. She shook her head to try to clear her confused thoughts, immediately causing Raleigh to turn to her with a concerned look.
"Mako, everything OK?" He said quietly knowing not to embarrass her in front of the crew.
She gave a tight smile and nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak in response to his worried question.
He gave her a reassuring smile and kept his right hand at the small of her back. He knew she wasn't comfortable displaying emotion and he didn't want to make her more uncomfortable by holding her hand in front of everyone. He had to be patient and he had to give her time. Time to grieve, for her family and for the Marshall and time to get comfortable with him. He wasn't going to walk away from her, especially after all that they had been through. He just hoped to god he could convince her to do the same.
As they turned the corner to the command room, Herc Hansen stood there riveted to the floor waiting for them. He could see the hurt and loss in the older man's eyes over his son's death. Mako was the first to speak as they came to stop in front of the new Marshall. The room stilled and quieted.
"Marshall Hansen, please accept our deepest sympathies on your loss. Your son was a brave and fierce warrior. His sacrifice will always be remembered. He died so that millions could live," Mako said with a strong and clear voice despite her own loss. She bowed deeply in respect.
Eyes barely holding back tears, the new Marshall nodded and returned her bow. "My sympathies as well on your loss Mako. Marshall Pentecost was one of my closest friends. He will be sorely missed. I can only hope to be half the leader that he was," Hansen said as his voice choked with emotion.
Mako nodded in acknowledgement trying desperately not to break down in front of the entire command center. Marshall Pentecost had always frowned on showing emotion and she didn't want to let him down, not now, not ever. Raleigh looked at Mako and realized that she was just barely holding it together. He straightened himself up and stood at attention.
"Permission to stand down, sir?" He asked formally, his voice noticeably exhausted.
Marshall Hansen smiled at Raleigh and offered his hand to him. "Permission granted, rangers. Good work today."
The room erupted with roars and shouts as people congratulated each other for a job well done. Raleigh took this opportunity to guide Mako to the exit door. They were both emotionally and physically spent. Despite her stoic exterior, he knew that she was in shambles inside. He wanted to get her back to her room as soon as possible. He again guided her with his hand on the small of her back and to his surprise she leaned into his touch. They walked in comfortable silence as they made their way through the congratulatory crowds to their rooms.
As they neared their rooms, he could feel her energy seep away. He reached out to open her door and she didn't object as she wearily passed through to her room and he quietly followed. He gently shut the door behind him and the loud cheers from the hallways instantly disappeared. The silence was deafening. She all but collapsed into her desk chair as he stood there and watched her. Tears began to flow freely down her face as he felt her releasing the walls she had shown in public. He was quietly relieved that she felt comfortable enough with him that she was allowing him to see her like this. The tears turned to sobs as she lowered her head between her hands and covered her face.
He gently knelt in front of her and reached for her face. He slowly encircled his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest. He held her tightly as she cried. He stared at the framed photo on her desk of her and the Marshall in front of a jaeger. They looked so happy to be together. Raleigh's heart ached as he felt her anguish and grief.
"It's alright, Mako," he whispered into her hair. "Let it all out. The hurt and the pain. He loved you so much. And you loved him. I felt it."
"He's gone, Raleigh. I'll never see him again," she said between sobs still clutching desperately to his shirt. They had shed their jaeger suits in the helicopter and now wore standard issue shirts and pants.
"No, you'll see him in the Drift. I promise," he said reassuringly.
He held her until her sobs quieted down and only tears flowed again. When he thought she had calmed, he gently raised himself up and picked her up in his arms like she was weightless. He softly set her down on her bed and tucked the blanket under her as he smoothed a lock of her hair away from her face. He smiled at her gently and cupped her face showing her that he understood and felt her pain. As he turned to leave, he felt her hand on his forearm. He stopped and turned to face her with a puzzled look.
"Please, I do not want to be alone, Raleigh," she whispered.
He looked at her tearful face and nodded with understanding. She scooted over to make room for him and he gently lowered himself down next to her on top of her blanket. He raised his right arm up and she settled herself on his chest, one arm tucked close to his body and the other resting lightly on his chest before he lowered his arm and softly embraced her cold, shivering body. His other hand instinctively covered her hand on his chest and he gently kissed her head. They lay like that for a while before he heard her breathing turn steady and deep. He pulled Mako closer to him, willing his warmth to her and let out a breath of air. Raleigh finally closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.