Summary: A former Jaeger pilot, Lori Henderson's rage was akin to a hurricane―ready to destroy anything and anyone in its path. No one could save her, not even herself. Yet...Chuck Hansen did. Out of all people to do so, he saved her by holding on. With his own anger, he gave Lori enough hope to rise up and step back into her Jaeger―because if the world was ending, she would die fighting. OC-Insert, Chuck/OC

"But, when the days of golden dreams had perished,
And even Despair was powerless to destroy,
Then did I learn how existence could be cherished,
Strengthened, and fed without the aid of joy.

Then did I check the tears of useless passion–
Weaned my young soul from yearning after thine;
Sternly denied its burning wish to hasten
Down to that tomb already more than mine.

And, even yet, I dare not let it languish,
Dare not indulge in memory's rapturous pain;
Once drinking deep of that divinest anguish,
How could I seek the empty world again?"

Remembrance, Emily Brontë

Disclaimer: I don't own Pacific Rim, only any original characters.

The Hurricane
03: Remembrance

2024 – January 08
Sydney, Australia

"Lori?"

Looking up, she tensed before sighing and loosened the grip she had on the glass. "Hi, Chuck. How's that black eye?"

"...It's fine. But that's not why I'm here – I wanted to thank you."

Raising an eyebrow, she looked at him as she continued wiping the glass clean. "...Okay?"

"Yeah."

She stared at him as he continued sitting across from her, a conflicted look on his face. She stayed where she was, looking at him through her peripheral vision until she suddenly slammed a hand on the counter in front of him, bringing him out of his thoughts. "You look constipated and it's bad for business – what's wrong? What do you want? Do you want to say something more about last week?"

"Have we met before?"

For a split second, she froze before forcing a smile on her face. "No, I don't think so." Hopefully, he wouldn't remember seeing her two years ago when...when she fought off Raijin. "Is that it?"

"Are you…" He opened his mouth to say something but he suddenly shook his head before pointing to a bottle behind her. "Actually, no, nevermind. I'll just have a whiskey, neat."

Scoffing, she pulled away and grabbed the bottle before placing a glass in front of him. "Here –"

"–Lori, turn up the volume! There's been another Kaiju attack!" Her hand on the bottle slipped at her boss' sudden shout and Chuck, with his quick thinking, grabbed it by placing his hand over hers. Lori, feeling a hand on hers, quickly pulled away, her calm demeanor suddenly changing at the sudden news. She pulled out the remote that Leonard kept under the counter and did what he asked as people began crowding around the television. The air was tense in the bar and as Lori saw where the attack was taking place, her breath left her.

A Category IV in Tokyo, Japan.

She quickly turned her face away from the screen and gulped, her heart racing and hands feeling clammy. The bar suddenly began to feel suffocating and she found it hard to breathe – she needed to leave, now.

As she shakily wiped her hands on her jeans, she accidentally met her eyes with Chuck's, but she ignored his questioning look and rushed out of the bar, the scars along her body aching with phantom pain. Slamming the door open, the cool air and the moonlight did little to calm her anxiety. The walls around her were spinning as she couldn't breathe – she couldn't breathe, damn it!

"Lori?" Whirling around, she saw Chuck watching her as he closed the door behind him. "You okay?"

Shaking her head, she turned back to look at the wall as she muttered, "I'm fine so just...leave me alone."

He was silent for a while to the point where she thought he left, until suddenly, he said, "You were lying, earlier. I knew you looked familiar – I saw you two years ago when I fought a Kaju off Tokyo Bay. You were the pilot for Midnight Insurgent, weren't you?" Slowly turning around, she began to breath harder. "Those scars you have, they're from piloting that Jaeger all by yourself."

Placing a hand against her eyes, she muttered to herself, "Fuck, I guess you joined the Academy at sixteen with your brains and not just looks." With a deep breath, she reopened her eyes and tried to gauge his mood. "So, what do you want?" she managed to say. "Yeah, I was the pilot for Midnight. You and your dad were the team that came in and saved me. So, what? Are you gonna rub it in my face that I failed? That I'm a shitty pilot?"

If only he knew the thoughts that went rampant in her mind every day. Those types of thoughts, the pure guilt she had, they were a daily ordeal for her. It was also no secret that Chuck thought negatively about former Ranger's like her – his various interviews on the news told her all she needed to know about how he probably felt about her.

Chuck simply shook his head, his nose slightly scrunched. "No. I'm just here to say thanks for last week." Yet, even though he didn't say anything afterward, she couldn't help but see the condescending look he gave her. Before she could say anything, though, he turned around and walked back into the bar.

By the time Lori went back into the building, the battle between the Kaju and the Japanese Jaeger was finished, and Chuck was nowhere to be found.

Remembrance

The Next Day

Lori was kneeling behind the counter as she was cleaning up the bottle she had dropped earlier. Leonard had been in a good mood, though, and simply waved it off and simply asked her clean it up without pulling the price of the bottle from her paycheck. She had been placing the glass in a garbage bag when she heard the door to the bar open with its telltale sound of a bell.

"We're closed!" she yelled out, standing up. She brushed her hands against her jeans, her back to the door.

"Even for me?" At the deep voice, her eyes widened as she froze, her body going cold. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Lori?"

She slowly turned and saw the man – standing before her was no other than Herc Hansen, the Jaeger Pilot for Striker Eureka. With a sudden urge to cry, she staggered into the counter, the edge digging into her back as she gripped it hard enough for her knuckles to turn white. She shook her head in denial as she refused to look at him in the eyes.

She couldn't cry here, not in front of Herc and sure as hell not in front of Leonard – it had happened once before when she first started working here, and she vowed to both him and herself that she would never do it again.

"So this is where you've been hidin' for the past year and a half." With her eyes turned on the ceiling, she remained silent. She couldn't say anything because she knew if she saw the older man – the man who had always believed in her, even at the Academy when she didn't believe in herself – she wouldn't be able to contain her emotions. The Ranger...he was the closest thing to a father figure she had since her own died, all those years ago.

Herc gave Lori the space she needed, though, and allowed her to initiate the conversation first. "W-What…what are you doing here?" she managed to ask, her voice thick with emotion.

Sitting down in front of her, he said, "Well, I heard from my idiot of a son that a former Jaeger pilot was here – and not just some pilot, no, the pilot of Midnight Insurgent, so I had to check it out." She gulped and remained still for a few more seconds – she wasn't ready but steeling herself, she turned her head down and looked at the older man.

When their eyes met and she saw the warm smile he was giving her, she burst into tears.

2018 – August 28
Kodiak Island, Alaska

Out of the 16 cadets that started last year, only half remained, and Lori was stubborn enough to be one of those cadets.

"I heard that the Hercules Hansen is coming in today," she heard Andrew say from the bunk next to her.

Not looking up from her book, she asked, "For what?"

"I dunno. Something about how they were looking for someone? I didn't really get to hear everything 'cause the Ranger Marshal was talking to looked over at me."

At this, she raised an eyebrow, finally diverting her attention away from her book. "A Ranger? Was it Hercules?"

Andrew frowned, his eyebrows scrunching in thought. "No, I think his name was Takahata if I read his name tag right."

At the foreign name, she nodded her head. "Japanese, probably. I don't think I've heard the name before though – he's not on the active ranger roster Commander gave us a month ago."

He jumped off his bed before placing his face on his hands, resting them on her upper bunk, the steel frame squeaking under the new weight. "Maybe."

Looking at the time, Lori closed her book and playfully hit Andrew on the forehead with the novel. It was almost eight, which meant curfew.

"Lights out!"

Sighing, everyone went to their beds and a few seconds later, the light in the room was cut, plunging everyone into darkness. A few minutes passed before Lori pushed her covers off and quietly jumped down onto the ground, catching the attention of her friend.

"Are you sneaking out again?" He was leaning on his arm as he shook his head. "You're going to get caught."

Shrugging her shoulders, she smirked. "But that's only if I'm caught." She knew that most of her fellow cadets condoned her actions but they never really paid her any attention, thankfully.

After successfully leaving the room and sneaking around in the halls, she found the usual ladder she used to climb to the roof. She had found it by accident, and at the time she was curious so she climbed it. She then found a hatch that led to an opening in the roof and since that day, she would sneak out whenever she was feeling overwhelmed with the program.

She may have tried hard to get into it, but that didn't mean she lived and breathed by the program. She needed her breaks, as little as they were.

Finally reaching the hatch, Lori turned the handle and pushed it open, relishing in the sudden flush of the cool air. However, her joy was cut short as her heart dropped when she saw another pair of eyes staring at her from above. She nearly slipped but she held on, gulping, as she said, "S-Sir."

Herc Hansen was looking down at her, his face not revealing how funny he found this to be. He simply motioned for her and as she fully climbed onto the roof, he was careful to not let his amusement to bleed into his voice. "What are you doing, Cadet? Isn't it past curfew?" he growled.

Lori had her face turned down as they both stood, the wind rushing all around them. "...Yes, sir." She had her arms resting behind her back as she stood in front of the Ranger.

"So, what are you doing?"

"I…" After a few seconds of silence, she said the truth. "I wanted to breathe and I found this place a few months ago. I didn't think anyone knew about it," she added, "Sir."

"I should report your disobedience to the Marshal here."

At this, Lori vigorously shook her head, her eyes meeting with his. If he reported her, all her hard work, her dream of revenge – they would go down the drain. She would get kicked out – and with nowhere to go? She had to say something, anything, to change his mind. "Please, sir–"

"–But I won't."

At this, her eyes widened as she looked at him with disbelief for a few seconds, her brain short-circuiting. All the excuses she was trying to come up with disappeared as she saw the stern look he had melt into amusement. He sat down, motioning for her to do the same. "W-Wait...you won't?" she asked, remaining in her standing position.

"You heard me – unless you want me to?"

"N-No sir, thank you very much. I promise to never sneak out again."

Herc shook his head with laughter as he tapped the ground next to him. "Sit, I don't bite." Lori hesitated but not wanting to push her luck, listened to him and sat down, her body still tense. "I know how you feel, believe me. I was constantly comin' up here as a Cadet, thinking about my kid. He's around the same age as you, I'm guessing." He suddenly chuckled, his eyes slightly gazing over as he remembered his own child. "You remind me of him – maybe that's why I'm talking to you right now."

Maybe that's why he was being a little soft around her.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Permission granted."

Lori was fiddling with her fingers but she couldn't help but feel comfortable and open around him – a feeling she hadn't felt in such a long time. Was it okay, to tell him all of her thoughts? Her experiences with adults weren't the greatest as they never truly...connected with her, never really tried to get to know her. But something about Herc was...she didn't really know, there were no words. Besides, what more did she have to lose? His patience with her? Puh-lease, after this week, she was sure that she'd never see him again.

At least, as a cadet, anyways.

Taking a deep breath, she began, "I tried really hard to get into the program but sometimes, it becomes overwhelming when I see everything I've strived for become a reality. Sometimes…"

"You need a break?"

"Yes, sir. I know I'm not the best and hell, sometimes, I'm surprised I've made it this far. I know half of the remaining cadets think I'm worthless and...I don't know, maybe they're right." She saw the condescending look on most of their faces. The only people who treated her fairly were Andrew and Jazmine – everyone else didn't really like her. She never understood why – she had a stellar personality if you asked her. "I haven't met anyone that I'm fully Drift Compatible with yet and I can't help but think that it's a sign."

Lori heard him sigh, prompting her to look at him. She saw aged eyes looking at her – they were eyes that reminded her heavily of her late father. They held wisdom and warmth she had yet to see anyone look at her with, and it caused a lump to form in her throat. "That kinda thinking'll get you kicked out. You won't pass the final tests and you sure as hell won't become a Ranger, and that's why you're here, right? You're not here to fail – you're here to pass and save the world, Miss Henderson."

Herc watched the girl look at him with unease and while she seemed innocent enough, her eyes told a different story. They were dark and while she tried to hide her pain, he saw through the facade. His own son was like her, hiding behind his own anger, and that was the only reason why he knew she was lying.

Herc also knew that she had a rough upbringing from reading her file. She had been jumping from foster home to foster home, switching schools from one place to another. Yet, there was this fire in her that he had only seen a few times in the program, like with the Becket brothers – particularly Raleigh – who graduated two months ago. Their kid sister was...more passive but still held the energy the two older brothers had.

"Unless that's not why you're here." Lori opened her mouth but quickly closed it, her face revealing the conflict within her.

"...It is, sir," she whispered a few seconds later.

Aha, the lie. She wasn't here to just save the world – no, she was here to avenge those she's lost. Her eyes told the same story his own idiot son had. Usually, he would've told the girl to leave then, because that mentality would not only get herself killed but her future partner as well. Yet, something about her was keeping those words at bay, which Herc didn't quite understand why. He saw Lori's test scores – they weren't the best, but they weren't the worst. She was average at best, so why was he hesitating? From the corner of his eye, he saw Lori fiddling with her hands, but her face shifted from uncertainty to confidence. At this, he couldn't help but smile.

She reminded him of Chuck – the headstrong idiot would've hated Lori if he met her.

"Have more faith in yourself, girl, cause you're goin' places."

Because he was here to help Kei Takahata find a Drift Compatible partner, and Herc couldn't help but think that their search was over.

2019 – October 06
Tokyo Shatterdome, Japan

"Lori!"

The Jaeger pilot whirled around with her new partner when a smile erupted on her face. "Mr. Hansen!" She jogged up to him, ignoring the sounds of frustration from the scientist who was adjusting her drivesuit.

"I told you to call me Herc – you're makin' me feel old."

She laughed. "And you should know that I won't call you by your name." The smile slowly disappeared, though, as she looked at him with confusion. "Not that I don't want you here, but why are you here? I thought you were still at the Sydney Shatterdome."

"I was but, well, I'm without a Jaeger for a few more months." Chuck would be graduating soon and by the time his son became a pilot, the Mark V, Striker Eureka, would be ready for deployment.

"I heard about your brother...for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Herc waved his hand nonchalantly, his voice revealing his disappointment – but surprisingly enough, there was no sadness in it. "It was only a matter of time before the dumbass got in trouble." His brother, Scott, was a pain to deal with and after that Category 3 almost killed them, Herc knew that he had to go, especially after what he saw.

Seeing Kei Takahata running up to him, he waved and greeted the Japanese Ranger. Kei bowed as he said, "Hansen-san, it is a pleasure to meet you again."

At his English, Herc raised an eyebrow. "Damn boy, your English sounds a lot better than last time." He narrowed his eyes and saw the way the two younger pilots stood around each other... "So I guess the Drift is helping with your English?"

And more, it seemed. The annoyance he saw in them last year was gone, replaced with a look a content. They were comfortable with each other, to the point where Herc knew something else was going on between them.

"Ah, hai." The boy bowed his head, a sheepish look on his face. "Lori is helping very much in teaching me English, as well."

At this, he nodded his head and turned to Lori. He gave her a knowing look before saying, "Well, make sure you two be safe, you hear me?"

Lori turned bright red as she became flustered. "M-Mr. Hansen!" Turning away, he raised a hand in goodbye as a laugh left his mouth.

The girl...she was lighter, happier, and it made him happy to see the darkness in her eyes gone.

2022 – June 08
U.S. Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan

Over the years, Herc Hansen saw Lori about five more times, but they communicated quite a lot through email, as old as it was. She never complained, though, and simply laughed whenever he brought up the fact that email was a dying art.

At least she had stopped calling him, Mr. Hansen. It was a compromise but after years and years of pressure, she got rid of the Mr and simply called him by his last name.

"Why are we even here?"

His son's voice brought him out of his thoughts. Herc walked down the hall of the U.S. Armed Forces hospital, doctors and nurses flying past him, as Chuck followed behind. "We're here to see a friend."

The young boy scoffed as they stopped before two armed military personnel. "Your friend, not mine. I'll be out here waitin' for you then, old man."

Groaning, Herc said, "Stop calling me that."

There was no response and as his son pulled out his phone, he showed the guards his pass before walking into the hospital room.

With his heart heavy, he sat in the empty seat next to the hospital bed, where Lori laid, unconscious. He saw through her gown that her entire right side had been bandaged, along with her right eye. There were cuts and bruises all over her body and while the heart monitor continued its beeping, it did little to ease the tightness in Herc's chest.

"...Hansen?"

His eyes flew up and saw that Lori was looking at him with half-dazed eyes. She was still high on the painkillers and not fully aware of her surroundings, he noticed, when she looked at him with confusion. Her sclera was red, a telltale sign of solo-piloting, as many of the blood vessels in her eyes had ruptured during her fight with Raijin.

Standing up, he placed a hand on hers as he said, "I'll go get a doctor–"

But he didn't even get to turn around, as she grabbed his hand with a speed that surprised him. She was injured, but there was a sense of urgency in her that allowed her to grab him as easily as she did. "W-Where...where is he?" she managed to croak out, her voice gravelly with days of no use.

He flinched at the question and tried to divert her attention away from that topic. "You're heavily injured; I think we need to get a doctor first–"

"–Where is Kei?!"

Her heart monitor began beeping faster as she became for agitated. Herc tried his best to calm her down but there was no use because his lack of an answer was enough for her – she became nearly hysteric and as doctors and nurses began rushing into the room, he heard her screams of pain and anguish. He quickly left the room after being pushed out by the nurse, the feeling of failure heavy on his mind. The door slammed on his face but it only did so much to muffle her cries; he could still hear her sobs from behind the hospital door as the doctors tried their best to calm her down.

The doctors had to be careful with her – not only had she been injured from the destruction of Midnight, she had lost her partner and piloted her Jaeger alone until backup had arrived. The neural load she had to carry...he only knew of two people who endured the loss of their partner and fought off a Kaju, and they both didn't leave that Conn-Pod without lasting effects. Pentecost was now a Marshal, but could never fight in a Jaeger, while Raleigh left the PPDC and remained hidden from the world.

When Striker Eureka had arrived – luckily, it had been in the Tokyo Shatterdome for repairs after fighting a Kaiju earlier that month off the coast of the Philippines – Midnight Insurgent was barely standing on its feet. There was a large hole in the head and all Yet, the Kaju had been heavily injured as well – Lori had done enough and Striker Eureka was able to kill it quickly.

"Are you blaming yourself?"

Turning to the side, Chuck was looking at him from above his phone. "Excuse me?"

"You're blamin' yourself, aren't you? I know you, I understand how you think, old man." Herc scoffed as Chuck turned his attention back to his phone. "It ain't your fault – it's theirs for not being able to fend off that Kaiju."

"Boy–"

Chuck suddenly stood up and pocketed the device. "Well, while you sit here and mope, I'm gonna go look around. See ya."

He watched Chuck's back slowly disappear down the hall, his words ringing in Herc's mind. No matter what he did or said, he could never connect with his own kid. He tried for years – and he continued to try – but they were just so different.

Sitting down where Chuck had sat, Herc let the back of his head fall against the wall and closed his eyes.

Remembrance - End

A/N: I know it cuts off a little, but I hope it's okay. Anyways, I was really excited for this chapter because it gave a little more background on Lori's history and her experiences. I was wary, at first, bring Herc into the story this quickly, but I hope their relationship makes sense! If not, I'll gladly explain it and/or go into more :)

Also, I spend all day writing and rewriting and I was finally happy with this outcome, so if you see any mistakes please forgive me. I tried editing it to the best of my ability.

Anyways, please leave a review and don't forget to follow/fav. if you haven't already!

Until next time!