This is just a little thing I whipped up as I was crying over my feelings about Chuck Hansen. According to the amazing Travis Beacham, Chuck did not die a virgin which lead to me to wonder who would have been his lady love. Let me know what you think!
It hadn't even been a day and I was already hating the Hong Kong Shatterdome. I was incredibly bitter about the whole situation. It was pure and utter bull that they pulled us out of Australia, cutting our funding when we were the only ones who did anything about the bloody kaiju. That dumb wall those hot shot politicians were blabbering on about wasn't going to do them any good. Being here was a waste.
"Well, well! If it isn't Mr. Charles Hansen!"
I turned around and laid my eyes on an incredibly familiar face. I grinned.
"Miss Jude Wesson!"
She shook her head. "I never thought I'd see you again!"
It felt almost like home when I pulled her in for a hug. That brief moment was enough to bring back all the memories I had buried down, the same memories I never thought I'd ever get a chance to replay.
I met Jude years ago at a training seminar thing for pilots. The seminar was beyond stupid and I can barely remember what it was even about but meeting Jude made up for it. The two of us would talk every night almost endlessly about the fights we'd won. Not only with kaiju but also those dumb enough to mess with us. For the first time I was distracted. Whenever I was with her, I forgot about my dad, I forgot about my mother, hell I even forgot about piloting. All I could think about was her.
She wasn't pretty like models or those news reporters that tried to grab my attention every chance they got. She was almost the opposite of the girl I dreamed about. When I actually dreamed, anyway. But everything about her was still beautiful. Her smile was just so genuine, she made me feel like I was special. I can still remember the way her eyes would light up when she talked about the things she liked. She talked as if the world wasn't at war, as if our worlds didn't revolve around being a pilot.
We spent a night together during that seminar. She was my first and my only. For the first time I could see a life after all of this. For the first time I let myself believe that maybe I could wake up to this woman laying next to me for the rest of my days, however many I had. But that was a dream I couldn't afford to keep.
I just never thought I'd see her again.
"What are you doing here?" I asked her, lingering slightly on her braided hair.
"The same as you, I'm guessing."
"You're piloting? Nobody said anything about the Spirit Rain coming to Hong Kong."
She frowned. "You didn't hear? The Spirit Rain didn't make it out alive after our last fight."
"Oh no. But you're okay?"
"Oh yeah. Of course August walked away with a couple of cracked ribs while I broke my ankle and tore open my old wounds."
"The lucky bastard."
"Right?"
"What are you guys doing here now?"
"Well, I'm going back into tech and August is working on mechanics. Just because we can't pilot anymore doesn't mean we can't help, you know? The war didn't just end when our jeagar bit the dust."
"That's great!" That's when I noticed her hand. "Are you, married now?"
She grinned and adjusted her ring. "Engaged, actually."
"Who's the lucky bloke?" I choked out.
"Easton Marsh. I met him at our old Shatterdome."
I nodded, trying hard to hide my disappointment. "That's great. When's the wedding?"
"God, we haven't even thought about it." She shook her head. "I can't see it happening anytime soon. Not with all this chaos."
"Well congratulations."
"Thank you."
I don't know what I was hoping for. That she would have waited for me? No, that's ridiculous. How could I have expected her to do that? We only had a week together and this was real life. The only time relationships form after only a week is in those cheesy romance films that put me to sleep.
We looked at each other for a moment. Our silence was broken only when her name was called.
"Well, that's my cue." She pointed over to a couple in the distance. "I have to help watch over August and Roni's baby so they can get some work done. The joys of being an aunt."
With a wave I motioned for her to go. "Don't let me keep you."
Reaching down to pick up my stuff, I heard her voice speak out to me again.
"You know," I turned back around to face her. "I sent you letters."
"Did you?"
She nodded. "You never got any of them?"
"Nah," I shook my head. "I didn't get anything from you."
It was a lie. I received every single letter she sent and kept them in a box underneath my bed. I never responded because I knew it wouldn't have worked. I was consumed with being the best pilot, to end this war that had destroyed my family. It wouldn't have been fair to drag her into my dysfunctional life. Trying to make this hopeless dream work would have been too much of a distraction from this war. The war was all I could live for. Nothing could have been possible. Yet when the letters kept coming, that piece of hope I continuously pushed down would reappear.
"I must have postmarked them all wrong." She sighed. "I'm sorry."
"What do you have to be sorry about?"
She shrugged. "I just didn't want you to think that I forgot about you."
I didn't know what to say to that. I couldn't admit that I thought about her often. Not now that she was engaged to some guy who probably made her very happy. But there was something in her eyes that made me wonder. It was that same wonder I had every time I read one of her letters. It's my own fault. I should have written her back. Then maybe this reunion would have been a lot happier.
"I have to go but I'll see you around right?" Her eyes brightened back up. "We'll get lunch?"
I nodded and gave her one last smile before she turned away to rejoin her brother.
Maybe in another life I could have woken up every day next to her. It could have been my ring on her finger. It could have been me that made her smile that bright smile. We could have gotten married in Sydney and moved into a small house near the coast. With Max we could have been the perfect family. Our little piece of heaven where there wasn't any tragedy to be found. Maybe I could have loved her. Maybe she could have loved me.
But that never would have happened. There never was a chance for us.
There never was a chance for me.
I apologize for not getting the Australian way of talking down perfectly. As well as for all the little mistakes there might be. I hope you enjoyed it anyway!