Here we are, chapter two. Glad you guys are liking it.

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I didn't even know what to do anymore. I didn't know what to think or what to say.

On the outside, I had been doing what I could to stay collected. To have it all together. I remained open for any of the guys when they needed to talk, though Junko was the only one who had really approached me so far. But, inside...I was crumbling.

I did my best to be supportive of Finn, something I'm sure meant a lot to him. Growing up together, we had both discovered a lot of things. After I learned to be patient and to humor him, and he had learned a little humility, we found that we could actually be pretty good friends. We had all gone through some rough times, and common ground wasn't the only thing we had gained.

I knew I'd really miss him when he'd go. I knew it wouldn't be forever, we'd still visit and everything, but...it wouldn't nearly be the same. Who would try to bug me to the edge of insanity? Who would make stupid jokes for me to roll my eyes at? Who would do dumb stuff to make me feel better when I'm frustrated? Only Finn could ever fill that position. But, he was going to leave, and the least I could do was support his decision and be there for him until then.

Aerrow hadn't talked to me much at all lately. I could understand that he was still upset over Finn's announcement, but he hadn't really talked to me for months. It hurt. Like I had already lost him. I could tell he had a lot going on inside, but he had been trying too hard to hide it. I think Finn talking about leaving might've just finally pushed him to his limit. What had brought him close enough to that point in the first place, though?

If I used logic to try and figure it out, with the fact that he had started acting this way about the time Stork and I had come out and revealed our new relationship, the conclusion would be that...Aerrow had feelings for me, and he now felt awkward around either of us. But that's something I didn't want to hear from that voice in the back of my head.

When I had first met the Sky Knight, I had a definite crush on him. And why not? He's the perfect guy, right? Well, it turned out that he was too perfect. I quickly realized that a guy like him didn't need me. Even if he were to return my feelings, it wouldn't feel...it wouldn't feel right, I guess. I have a thing about being needed, especially when it comes to a romantic relationship. If I'm just the extra bonus in someone's life, it's just not the same as being more than that.

No, Aerrow wouldn't treat me like a trophy girlfriend or a trophy wife, but he had enough going for him that he could pretty much get any girl, if he wanted. What I wanted was to be really, truly appreciated.

Stork always made me feel needed. He'd come a long way from being the cowardly, detached merb we had first met, covering up his insecurities with constant pessimism. He still had trouble opening up and talking about some things, but he managed now. I could tell he was really working at it, particularly with me.

He always treated me equally, too. When the boys were up to something they didn't want me to know about, they would tell me that it was "guy stuff", laugh over their inside jokes, and proceed in leaving me out of their little club. They didn't respect half of my plans, they rarely showed appreciation for my crystal work...they didn't mean to make me feel bad, I'm sure-well, maybe Finn did in the earlier years-but I tried not to make a big deal out of it most of the time.

I didn't have to worry about that kind of stuff with Stork. Despite our differing personalities, we had a lot in common when it came to what we did. He understood my passion for crystals, equating it with his own passion for piloting and mechanics. We both loved to create things, to use our own hands to make improvements in simple, or sometimes no-so-simple, objects. We shared a love for reading and learning, stocking up on whatever knowledge we could get our eyes on. And we both knew what it was like to feel a bit left out by everyone. We didn't like everything to be mile-a-minute, to constantly feed off action and adrenaline. Sure, it was fun, but winding down and working on projects was a default for us.

About two years ago, he had even mustered the courage to ask me to teach him more about crystals. That kind of knowledge could always be put to use at some point or another, he had said. Ya never know when having extra competency in any field could come in handy.

Who was I to refuse? Besides, I had practically been waiting forever for someone to talk to about my area of expertise. I loved to talk about the things that interested me. Not only did it boost my own confidence in what I was doing, but having another mind to bounce theories off of really helped a lot.

Stork was really awkward and edgy at first, being alone with me in my room, but after a few days it gradually wore off. He grew a lot more comfortable and open with me, and soon we were able to joke around and argue over little things like whether or not combining two natural opposite crystals should be attempted without the proper equipment, or why the Mysterious Loaf of Bread the guys had kept in the back of the cupboard for months was really that mysterious, or even what color would best suit the newest gadget he had created.

But, after we would leave my room, he would always return to being his usual self. Like he was afraid to show that side of himself to the guys. I never questioned him, knowing he wouldn't want to answer. Finn had given him a hard enough time with "what we were really doing" in my room, and treating me out in the open the way he did behind closed doors really wouldn't have helped the situation. So, for a long time, we had a separate kind of friendship when we were alone than we did with the others. It felt almost like we were lying to everyone, like we were living secret lives, but after repeating the routine enough, it just felt normal.

It didn't take long for us to start really looking forward to the crystal lessons. We loved the exchange of knowledge, and we enjoyed each other's company.

Then, Stork wanted to repay me. I didn't want payment for it, of course, but he offered it in the form of mechanics training. I was quick to decide that learning to work with machines could be very beneficial, and he had actually looked almost giddy that I had accepted.

He wasn't a born teacher, I can tell you that much, but he tried. Patience hadn't been on the list of things he was determined to teach me, but it worked its way into me during his lessons anyway.

Another thing I had learned from him was why he was so fond of the Condor. Not just because she was a mechanical wonder, personalized by himself, but also because she couldn't judge. She couldn't talk back. She couldn't betray him. He didn't have to worry about any of that from a machine. He could put time and effort into her without fear of rejection. The Condor was his safe place.

He would act sure of himself, even aloof at times, but underneath that odd exterior, Stork really didn't have a high opinion of himself when it came to being around other people. He just accepted that people automatically wouldn't understand or like him, so he built up walls around himself. If you don't let anyone in, they can't hurt you.

It made me feel special that he trusted me enough to let me come inside those walls, even if it was just tentatively for short periods of time.

And I let him in on things I wouldn't normally tell anyone else, too. Stork was so easy to talk to about those things. When I was serious about something, he didn't joke about it. He listened carefully, and always knew what kind of logical advice to give on a situation I was too emotional over to think clearly about.

That's why, when the war was over...he had been the first and only one I had told about my plan to leave and teach professionally.

OoO

"...What?" Stork asked. I could tell that I had taken him by surprise.

"Yeah," I said uncomfortably, my words pouring out fast to explain myself. "I mean, I always talked about it in the beginning, but I really think it's something I should do. I figure I can set my base on Terra Atmosia, and travel to other places as I need to. I'm the biggest crystals expert in the Atmos now, and I could do a lot of good in teaching people what I know." Looking into his wide eyes expectantly, I anxiously twisted a piece of scrap paper in my hands.

He didn't say anything for a long time. I squirmed. Then I spoke again, if only to fill up the quiet in the room. "What do you think? I...don't want to leave you guys, but I...I should make good use of my knowledge."

Silence.

He stood there quietly for a long while, and his stare slowly drifted to the floor. His right ear twitched, something I hadn't seen him do often. He clutched his hands together nervously, before voicing his reply.

"You're right. It's the right thing to do."

"So...you think I should?"

"If that's what you want."

The small, encouraging smile he was trying to coax upon his features told me that though he had given me the logical answer, what he wanted to tell me was being hidden. Hidden behind more walls.

"But...what if I don't know what I want?"

"Piper, I can't tell you what to want. That's something you'll have to decide for yourself."

He was right, but that still didn't make it any easier. I'm usually okay to making lots of decisions, but this time I wasn't sure what I wanted the outcome to be like. And this...

This was a huge one.

Whichever path I choose to take, whether to continue down the one I had trekked for years, or to start down a new, unfamiliar one, would lead me in a totally different direction than the other.

Suddenly, Stork dipped his head downward, staring at the floor. "But, um...I just want you to know that if you do leave, I...I'd like to go with you. If it's not a...problem."

What? Now it was my turn to be surprised. "Even if it meant leaving the Condor?"

Steeling himself, he took a deep, trembling breath. This was big. In a quick, jerky motion, he nodded. "To...to be honest, I, ah, don't really know what I'd do with myself, y'know, with you gone." He was having a hard time coming out with what he was trying to say. He looked really uncomfortable, with a level of nervousness he hadn't displayed in a long time. "You're, uh, that is... Look. I, um, really care about you. I've never been able to talk to anyone else like I can with you. I...no, never mind, I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm trying to say."

As my mind tried to wade through the jumbled mess of what he just said, his face twisted into an expression of frustration and he continued, hands gripping the back of his head by his ears.

"No, no, I do know. I know. I just...need you, Piper. I need to be with you."

Those words...

When he finally looked at me, when he saw the astonishment on my face, he seemed to hurriedly back down from his confession. "But, if you don't want me, I understand. I couldn't expect you to--"

Before he could say any more, I stepped forward, grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him. I couldn't think of a better or quicker way to convince him that I felt the same way.

Stork stiffened completely, obviously shocked. It felt almost like kissing a wall. A warm, thin, green-skinned wall with hair that brushed against my face. And when I pulled away, he almost looked like he was going to have a heart attack. Eyes wide and staring. I was afraid he might go into sky shock again.

As strange as our first kiss had been, I couldn't help but laugh for some reason. It was terrible and wonderful at the same time, I decided. An awkward, marvelous, stupid, hilarious kiss.

The sound of my laughter broke him free from his stunned state and he appeared confused, then looked at me like I was crazy. And in that moment, I felt like it. But I got a hold of myself before the thought of me infecting him with some insanity-inducing illness could cross his mind, and I hugged him.

"I need you, too, Stork."

OoO

Mmph.

Rubbing my eyes tiredly, I reread the same sentence over for the seventh time.

Come on, concentrate!

I leaned over my book, breathing in deeply to get some oxygen pumping into my brain. I had only been reading for about five minutes, but I hadn't managed to get past the first few paragraphs. Thanks to all the problems running around in my head, I hadn't gotten a lot of sleep lately, either.

After the eighth time my eyes went over the sentence and I still hadn't gotten it into my head, I sat back in my chair defeatedly. Sighing, I leaned over and rested my head sideways on a certain green shoulder.

Sitting beside me with his own book, Stork automatically stiffened a little at my touch, but forced himself to relax. After a lifetime of being cautious of any kind of contact, I really didn't blame him. It was hard to train that kind of thing out of yourself, but I was helping him with it, little by little.

"...Well?" he asked, after a moment.

"Huh?"

"You wanna tell me what's goin' on, or am I, ah, supposed to guess?"

There were times when he could surprise me with how well he knew what I was feeling. There were times when he had no clue. And there were times like now, when I made it easy. All he wanted to know now was why.

"I don't know...has Aerrow talked to you at all recently?" I asked, not looking up.

Stork closed his book without marking it, making me almost jealous that he could always remember exactly which page he was on. I didn't know if he knew it, but I loved it when he'd do little things like totally put what he was doing on hold just to talk to me. It felt good.

"Uh...not really. Why?"

"He hasn't talked to me, either." I replied, not bothering to hide the sadness in my voice. "He's been so...distant."

"It's understandable. A lot has happened in the last few months."

"I know. It just seems like when things finally start to slow down, some other big thing happens to really shake things up."

When the time almost felt right to tell everyone about leaving, Finn went and beat me to it. I didn't want him to go, because without him Aerrow and Junko wouldn't know what to do when Stork and I announced our plans. I felt bad enough about leaving, but to leave them while they were still upset over Finn? I couldn't do it.

"At this rate, we'll never go anywhere." I picked up Stork's hand, which he had to try to relax, and began rubbing my fingers over his dark nails. "I keep wondering if we should...I mean, could we actually live somewhere else? Without the Condor, without everyone...without being a Storm Hawk? Could we even do it?"

I didn't mean physically, and he knew that. Of course we could leave, but would we really put ourselves up to the task?

After thinking this over for a minute, Stork made his reply. "I don't know. Logically, it's the right thing to do, but everything depends on how much you believe in that mission."

With the Atmos no longer in need, general focus would turn from action and strategy to research and progress. I could help out a great deal in moving the crystal industry and development forward. As much as most people love the Storm Hawks and see us as heroes, there wasn't a lot for us to do as a squadron anymore. We could all stick together forever, but in order for us to each do the best we could with our individual talents, we had to move on.

Even Finn had figured that out for himself.

"Considering the possible reactions of the others, though, we may not want to even suggest the idea for a while." Stork added.

Oh, the dreaded reactions. "Yeah. I'm scared that Aerrow may finally lose it, as upset as he was...well, still is...with Finn." I brushed away the hair that was slowly covering my face. "He's really different now. The way he was getting in those last few weeks before the Final Battle..."

Before the last fight with Cyclonia, Aerrow had gotten obsessed with the plans and preparations. Like, scary obsessed. Yes, planning and preparing was a big deal, and though we were all trying to get things ready, he had gone nonstop, without rest. He pushed us to work harder, and we did. We had known the importance of what was coming, so we didn't argue. But, I think that might've been what started the growing distance between the Sky Knight and his squadron. We tried talking to him, but it was difficult for anyone to get through to him.

None of us knew just how frighteningly set he was on destroying Cyclonia. I was committed to the mission, and so was everyone else, but seeing Aerrow on verge of insanity was troubling, to say the least.

"I miss him. How he used to be." I missed how everything used to be. "I wish we could go back to the way it was." Turning my head so that my forehead rested on his shoulder, I released a sigh of frustrated confusion. "I don't know what to do, I don't know who I'm supposed to be. I just don't know."

Right now, I had no idea where the calm, confident Piper was. That side of me seemed content to sit back and let this side take over, preparing itself for being forced outwards later. I had to be strong for the guys, but I trusted Stork could handle this for a little while. I hoped so, anyway.

In an unsure act of comfort, he took my hand lightly. "Well, ah, whatever it is you do decide to do...I'll back you up." His voice was beginning to get that hesitant tone to it, the way it always does when he starts talking about things he's uncomfortable with saying. "It may or may not make any difference, but, um...yeah."

Unable to keep a small smile from stretching itself across my face, I hugged him. I don't know why he's always so surprised when I do those kinds of things, but he instinctively stiffened again, before loosening up again and slowly, carefully wrapping his arm around me.

In the moment of silence that followed, I sat there, enjoying the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest beneath my head.

This small happiness soon turned to worry, however, with each off-beat or irregularity of air intake or heartbeat. He definitely had something on his mind but either wouldn't say, or couldn't think of how to say it. I tried to wait it out, in hopes that he would come out with it himself, but curiosity and my old streak of impatience grabbed hold of me.

"You okay, Stork?" I questioned, looking up to see if his expression would hold any sort of clue.

He blinked, apparently taken off-guard by my interruption to his thoughts. "What? I...I'm fine. Why?" His eyes grew wide. "I don't have purple splotches on my face, do I?" He stood up quickly, dragging me with him, causing his chair to fall to the floor with a clatter. "'Cause just this morning I thought it felt itchy and flaky, too, and those are the first signs of--"

"No, you don't." I reassured him. "I was just wondering, that's all."

Pause. "...Oh." Settling down from his near panic attack, he set the chair back upright.

"So," I pressed, "are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." He sat down, avoiding eye contact. "Find anything interesting in that book there?"

I wished he wouldn't lie to me like that. Or I at least wished I knew why he was lying to me. Biting back the urge to call him out on it, I just shook my head. "Not yet."

We returned to our reading, but now I was as distracted as ever. Stork wouldn't keep something from me without a good reason, but that only fueled the fire of my burning curiosity. What was he hiding? Why was he hiding it from me? What if it turned out to be really important?

I forced my mind to halt the steady stream of questions and possible answers. If it was life-threatening, he'd tell me. I had to trust that he knew what he was doing. The world wouldn't end and life would go on if I didn't know. That's what I had to remind myself every time I got impatient with someone or something. It's alright, ride it out.

Just as I finally cleared my thoughts away, the original concentration-sabotaging issues returned to mercilessly crashing around inside my skull. Eventually, I just accepted that trying to get through these pages wasn't going to happen right now. Closing the book, I rested my arms and head over the top of it. Stork gave me a questioning look, and I answered in a mumble, "Jus' tired."

Sleep. Being able to get to sleep easily would be nice, instead of tossing and turning until my body finally shut down out of exhaustion. This wasn't the first time my thoughts had kept me from getting some rest, but this just wouldn't go away. No matter how many times I tried to empty my mind, or even replace the problems with other subjects of thought, it kept coming back. I couldn't get away from it.

It had to stop eventually, right? I mean, things could only be so tense for so long before something had to give. Something would shift, the pressure would blow out, and we'd be okay again. At least, I hoped so.

I tried to convince myself that life would gain a semblance of normalcy soon, if only to lay my own thoughts to rest. I tried to keep that idea in my head, so that maybe I could pretend that things weren't as uncomfortable as they really were.

But as much as I wanted some peace of mind, I knew it would be a long time in coming.