Chapter 9

Ken waited at the airfield- the sun hadn't come up yet so he held off getting into his small white plane.

He tried to call her day before. The phone rang once and he put down the handset, stared at the phone and picked it up again to dial the number for the Snack J.

Jinpei picked him up in his second hand buggy the day after his argument with Jun- for once the kid didn't try and bait him with teasing about his relationship with Jun. He must have sensed something serious had happened and he didn't want to make it worse.

Standing outside of the Snack J he looked through the glass open window, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Jun didn't appear to be there.

"She's not well today Aniki." Jinpei said from the doorway. He looked worried and his young eyes implored him. "Do you wanna come in and see her…"

Ken looked down at keys in his hand. Should he go in and apologise for walking out on her during dinner? He stood on the curb next to his car long after Jinpei had gone inside. Finally he walked through door, and then he went up the stairs and knocked on her bedroom door.

No answer.

He waited, put his loosely closed fist to door to knock again, then he drew it away. What would he say? He thought. What could he say…Hey Jun, let's get married and make a commitment have a couple of kids and spend the rest of our lives trying to make ends meet? No, he thought, he told her they are far too young for that, and he made a commitment to go to Africa. Ken struggled to understand why she wouldn't come with him and her strange behaviour at times over the past week and half since he came back, had she been having second thoughts about them. Maybe he did something wrong before he left to go to Burma…

She looked sad, a deep kind of sadness reflected in her green eyes like she was struggling with something. Did she have doubts about them working out in a relationship and didn't want to face it? Or did the mention of Joe on their holiday bring up something in her mind that she had been in denial with.

So many questions ran through his mind to try and explain the sudden change between them.

All this had kept racing through his mind as he walked down the stairs and out the door of the Snack J and during his drive home to the airfield.

Four days later he waited for her show up, saying she had changed her mind and wanted to come with him that is was just a phase they went through and they could work through it on their way to Africa.

Watching the pale light of dawn began to break over the horizon, and still he didn't see her motorbike riding up the dirt track to his shack.

He strained his ears to for even a hint of her coming. Only the chirping of early morning birds broke the silence. In his heart he knew Jun wasn't coming with him.

The beautiful start to the morning only made him feel more melancholy. They could have done this together, like in the old days when they all flew off on missions…

He could try calling her again. He thought, but he dismissed the idea as soon as it came into his head.

Putting the duffle bag of his basic belongings into the holding section of the light plane Ken still delayed getting into the plane to look back down the track. "Jun…please come…or call me." He begged under his breath desperately hoping the phone in the shack would start to ring, asking him to wait for her, she was delayed that's all.

Looking at the cockpit he knew he had to go. If he saw her from the air he'd come back in and land. He promised after the sun had risen throwing a golden glow over the airfield. He'd waited long enough, and at last Ken jumped into his plane and started the engine.

As he lifted off into the pale blue sky he told himself he'd try and call her from the base. She meant too much to him to simply lose her over one argument and nagging doubts.

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Jun laid in her bed hugging her soft pillow watching the soft pink ambient light the sun rising through the clouds- she knew Ken would be waiting for her at the airfield.

She just couldn't go, the last few days she'd been almost bound to her bed because she became very ill. Jinpei put it down to her sulking over Ken after she told him they had a huge argument, after he banged on her door to wake her up.

Jun knew better, some it was, but not all of it. She had to be just on thirteen weeks now, she thought watching the bright golden beams of sunlight filtering in through her window gradually warming the room.

The next few days after her argument with Ken she hardly left her bedroom, at one point she woke to the sound of someone knocking on her door, feeling annoyed that Jinpei would wake her up again she ignored it. Part of her wanted it to be Ken standing there…

But Ken didn't make an effort to talk to her, that grated at her internally, she knew he picked up his car from outside the Snack J. Jinpei told her though the door at one point during the day he was going to pick him up from the airfield to come and collect his car.

Why hadn't he called her? Or made and effort to come and see her? Jun questioned sadly. They had such a close relationship for it to come apart so quickly, but she knew a wedge had been put there the moment he spoke his feelings on children and commitment.

She let go of the pillow and rolled onto her side, pushing back the covers she got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. She couldn't sleep, so why bother trying she figured, turning on the water and hopping in under the soft warm sprays letting the water smooth her body as it ran down her back.

Jun knew in her heart he'd be gone by now, she pictured the small white plane flying over Africa…

Jun would have gone with him if things had been different. Drying off and finding some clothes to wear she looked down at her abdomen. A very small bump began to appear, and her jeans felt a little tighter than normal.

She paused. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, if she couldn't tell Ken about the baby, then no one else is going to tell him on her behalf. She came to the conclusion a few days before. Jun had thought hard about it and the decision didn't come easily, she has never been a person to hide things from her team mates.

This would remain her secret for now. So Jun began to look at ways to throw Jinpei of her growing belly. Guilt at the thought of deceiving her trusting brother made her close her eyes to blink back the pain she felt in her heart. If he found out then he'd contact Ken.

She knew Ken would come back despite the words he said the other night about not wanting a child. Ken's sense of honour would draw him home. Then she'd put him a position of conflict between her, his duty and having another team member gone if the call came for them to reactivate. She just hoped it wouldn't be anytime soon, Ken could be protective, but she knew it was really her choice now. But what would she do when the baby is born? Jun hadn't made up her mind yet. She had several choices and she knew of. She could still quit the team. But then what about Jinpei and Ryu? She'd worry about the three of them trying to operate along if another threat rose up.

Drying off from the shower she knew she needed time out. Picking up her Keys for the motorbike she dressed quickly. An early morning ride along the highway would clear her head, and make he feel better even if it was only for time she felt the cool wind running its fingers through her long locks while she contemplated her future with the Science Ninja Team.