February 18th, 2013

Virginia

"So that's them?" a girl asked, pointing at the computer screen.

"Yep. That desert school that crushed their opponent in Arizona." responded another.

"Man."

The girl at the computer scrolled the mouse. Images of Mojave Rose appeared, each showing the crews of each vehicle.

"Stop." said one.

She pointed at a picture of the IS-3 crew.

'Is this some kind of joke? Why do they have a male tankery crew?" she remarked in a near disgusted tone.

Another girl joined them.

"Hey ladies, what's with the sour faces…oh."

She pouted. All of them did. They didn't like what they saw at all.

"We're going against that team in April right? The one with the boys?"

The other two nodded.

"Boys have no place in tankery. I can't believe that this…Mojave Rose would just let them join."

"Legally they have to."

"I don't care what the law says and neither should Mojave Rose. They should've bullied those boys out of the team.

"Guess they didn't. Guess Mojave Rose doesn't care about the core principles of tankery."

The three girls looked at each other.

"I'm glad to see that we are all on the same page. I hope you know what we have to do know.

"For the preservation of the sport. We're going to show those fuckers that they don't belong."

The girls began to scheme in private. They would seek out like-minded girls to join their conspiracy with the sole goal of ridding the male presence in tankery.

Massachusetts

"They're real contenders now." Caroline said.

"One shot and ten tanks eliminated? At a certain point, it's not luck but skill and they have it."

"Luck ensured they sustained no causalities. That sand storm helped them out, whether they know it or not." Penelope remarked.

"Regardless, we will treat them as a viable threat to us. Bear in mind, Caroline, that there are other schools that have just as much chance to face us in the finals. Don't just worry exclusively on Mojave Rose."

Caroline scowled.

"Worried? I never said I was. I'm just taking account of all possible scenarios."

"Sure."

"Plus…" Caroline continued.

"When our special tank from Patton arrives, it won't matter who we face off. They won't stand a chance. How it's progress, by the way?"

"The turret is being assembled. All those intricate parts make it a laborious task."

"Firm data yet?"

"Nope."

Caroline pouted.

"Be patient, my dear Caroline. It will be here before the final match with enough time to train a crew for it."

"And I got the perfect people in mind." Caroline boasted.

Catalina School of the Arts Carrier

Port of Long Beach

"You still deadset on giving Mojave Rose that offer?"

"Of course. Even more so after their performance at the Arizona match"

"But the tournament is only halfway over! The competition can only get tougher as more schools get eliminated from play. I said before that—"

"That anyone could 'take their place'. I know. I'm prepared for all contingencies however I still have faith in them.

"Okay, but why them over the rest? What makes Mojave Rose so special? "

The girl closed her eyes and gave off a shrug.

"It's a feeling I cannot properly explain. They give off this…vibe that I love."

A knock at the door stopped their conversation. In entered a student.

"Madison. Alice. Some girls are looking for you both. Something about a…play?"

"Oh yeah." remarked Alice.

"We're on our way."

The student departed. The pair resumed talking.

"How does administration feel about your offer? Ever since you've become president of the student council, they have vetoed every decision you've made that they don't like. What you are proposing to do for the winners of the national tournament is something I don't see them allowing."

Madison crossed her legs and smiled.

"Well, hopefully my arguments will sway them that my offer will benefit everyone involved.

"And if they still won't budge?"

"I have an alternative method of persuasion."

"Explain this…method."

"Nothing gets things going more than a threat."

Alice's eyebrow raised slightly.

"A threat? What are you talking about?"

"My family are generous donors to this fine school. Have been for a long time, far before I was born. I would just need to make one phone call and the cash flow would screech to a halt."

"You're willing to go that far?

"Yes and go even beyond that if necessary. But, let's hope it doesn't come to that. Anyway, we have a rehearsal to go to. People are waiting."

"Ugh! I forgot to practice my lines!"

"Just improvise. It's what I do."

Barstow

"I'll be outta here by Wednesday." Valarie explained.

Her and Emma were sharing lunch together, like always. Thanks to her father's newfound employment, her parents managed to negotiate with the bank to once again own their home with a contract that satisfied all parties. The bank will cede ownership of their home on Wednesday. Emma was ecstatic that Valarie's family were getting things to back to where they were. A huge anxiety was now gone and she felt lighter upon hearing such news. Though, a part of her wished Valarie would stay at her home for just a little longer. Their time together living like roommates was amazing. But that would mean Emma wished Valarie to remain homeless and that was the absolute last thing she wanted.

"You'll be sleeping in your own bed soon in no time." Emma said warmly.

She noticed that Valarie was looking a lot better today. As if a something of unimaginable weight was now off her shoulders. Her eyes no longer had this hint of anxiety, her walk now had its character back. The tone of her voice no longer was of uncertainly but now of confidence. In her thoughts, Emma spoke with herself.

"God-willing, what you just went through was the most hardest part of your life. I wish I can say that the rest of your life will be smooth sailing but no one can guarantee that. For better or worse…for richer or poorer…in sickness or in health….I will always be with you."

The bell rang, telling the students that lunch was over. Emma and Valarie stood up and throw away any trash they had on them. They shared a quick embrace and went toward their respective classes. As Emma walked another thought popped into her mind. She recalled what she wanted to talk to Valarie about. She quietly sighed as she knew that this conversation had the potential to be unpleasant. Yet it had to be down. After today's tankery meeting is when she will ask.

Later

Monday's meeting started like any other that was after a match. Vehicle maintenance. Though Mojave Rose didn't suffer any causalities during their match with Valentine, thanks to the sudden dust storm, they had to clean their vehicles of all the sand and other desert debris that managed to get within. The garage was loud with the sound of multiple vacuums on full power as they sucked up each and every particle. Once that was accomplished, other care was done as well. Tracks were realigned and vehicles refueled. Gunsights were recalibrated and shells were reloaded. Different tanks had different needs. Some crews didn't need to do much and were done before most. They just stood around. Others were deep in their engines doing what was necessary. Some schools had the luxury of having dedicated mechanics to care for their machines while their crews could focus on their craft. In lieu of that, other schools may just employ the services of their automotive club to do work of their tanks. For Mojave Rose, they had neither. Crews operated and maintained the tanks they ran. It was more work but not one member of the team complained. Some of the team actually enjoyed the days they worked on their vehicles, it was relaxing in a way. After two hours of work, Buchanan called the team together to make some announcements.

"Alright. Two things. One, our next match is in April so we got some breathing room. Two, there is a tankery convention in April out in Houston…"

Upon hearing the word 'Houston', Mia piped up and her eyes had this excited look.

"…where a contest is being held. We're entering it."

Eager gasps came from the team. This was something new.

"What's the contest?" Valarie questioned

"A race. Fastest vehicle to complete the track wins a Panther II."

"A..Panther II!" Valarie yelled out with an excited vigor.

One of the more rarer German tanks, one that would cost a fortune for any school to have in their line up. For Mojave Rose, buying a Panther II would utterly drain their finances. With the features the tank boasted, it was no wonder that it commanded a high price. It was slightly better armored and faster than its predecessor Panther even though it was heavier. Though when Germany was designing this tank intended that the vehicle have the 75mm as did the Panther I, the Panther II that could be won had the 88mm as it had the Schmalturm turret. This turret was narrow yet still housed the same three crew as before. On this turret was two bulges on either side. That was the stereoscopic rangefinder. Yet the best feature of all was the infra-red gear. Attached to the top of the commander's hatch and the driver's hatch was IR equipment, which allowed the vehicle to operate at night as well as it did during the day. Such tools were expensive. Companies that made them had to ensure that they only used the same materials the Germans used when making it themselves during the war. Some were lucky and managed to get some authentic ones from some warehouse which were refurbished and sold. For the rest, it was a painstaking process to ensure they were as accurate as possible. It would be a sin to miss an opportunity like this.

"It goes without saying that we'll be using our fastest vehicle here."

All eyes were upon the Puma crew.

"Aha…guess that's us huh?" Aurora let out.

"We got some time between now and then. We'll help get your vehicle race-ready." Buchanan comforted.

Aurora convened with her crew.

"Okay then. This is happening. A chance to flex our skills." she boasted.

In another part of the garage, another tanker was as excited.

"Oh man…Houston." Mia uttered.

The Texas city was a place she been wanting to go for years. It was a dream for her.

"You've waited all your life for this. You can wait more two months." Olivia remarked.

With work done for today, the team was dismissed. Valarie and Emma returned home and the pair lounged around in their room. As they were relaxing, Emma decided that now was the time to tell her what was on her mind.

"Valarie. I think I got it figured out." Emma said.

"Figured what out?"

"Why your strategy made me feel weird. There was this malice. I got it now."

Valarie glanced at her before looking away.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"At the valley, the team could have easily eliminated the enemy since we had the high ground with concentrated fire. But no, you wanted them to suffer by exploding a gas depot right next to them. I looked up how hot gasoline burns. Nearly 2000 degrees Fahrenheit!"

Valarie continued to look away.

"They've been in that depot for decades. All that time degrades its quality not to mention not all those barrels were fully filled with gas. Sure, they felt the heat but they were never in true danger." Valarie explained

"True danger?" Emma exclaimed, near mocking.

"Did you really know it was gas? What if it was something else? Oil? Some other chemical? Or was it all just a reckless guess?"

"I know what I'm doing Emma. What I did was just an excellent use of artillery. Something any competent commander would do."

Emma stepped closer and put her hands on her hips.

"What's your excuse with the KV-1 then?"

Valarie still didn't look at her.

"What do you mean?"

"You and I both know that the new 100mm would've knocked out that tank no matter where we shoot. A shot at the engine would've been fine. Instead, you told me to shoot them are the rear of the turret. If you remember your literature classes, you would know that symbolism is often subtle. That was blunt."

"You're not a captain so you just don't understand. One day when you are one yourself, you'll see things from my point of view."

"I don't need to be a captain to know that you used Valentine as your punching bag because of all the hardship you went through. It's not fair to them!"

Silence.

"Am I right?"

More silence.

"Look at me."

Finally, Valarie turned around. Tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Fuck you."

The two girls looked at each other. Emma was beyond stunned that Valarie swore at her. In the history of their friendship, sure, they have been frustrated with each other but not angry and never have they swore at each other. Emma felt her throat tightened as she walked to her bed and sat upon it. Her head was pointed down, her hair obscuring her face. Valarie heard her cry which flooded her with guilt. She approached her best friend and reached out and held her hand.

"Emma…I'm sorry. You're right."

Valarie wiped away her tears.

"I care about you." Emma said amid sniffles.

"I was scared that you being homeless changed you and made you bitter. That you wouldn't be the person I lo—ahem…the person I knew anymore."

They both looked at each other and hugged.

"I was the person you feared. I was angry, bitter, and frustrated. The strategy reflected that. Look, I am changed as a result of being homeless as would anyone. But I am determined to be stronger than ever."

The girls broke the hugged and held the hands of each other with a tight grip.

"And I'll be with you every step of the way."

The relationship between the girls from that day forward has forever changed. The bond they shared has strengthened to a point where it will never be shattered. They were a level above being best friends but not yet at the next stage of human companionship. That, they both feel, was approaching. The question was who will confess their feelings first.

Wednesday

A dormant house had its doors unlocked and opened once more. In entered the Woodlin family, at last reunited in their home. Other than the heaviest furniture, the house was empty. They all took in the situation and set to work. Back and forth they went to the car and the interior putting things back to their originals places. Over time, the house filled with their items and soon and sense of warmth and belonging returned. Valarie spent most of the time in her room getting things in order. She was looking at her closet, now filled with her clothes. On the back of her door hung her uniform, neat and ready for action. Her attention turned to her bed where she laid a blanket on it. Her room was now as it was before, much to her immense satisfaction. It was 10:30 in the night when everything was settled. The family congregated in the living room. They all relaxed on the couch with Valarie all snuggled in between her parents. The emotions they all felt as of intense tranquility. Her mother no longer had pull long shifts at the welding shop and had her hours normalized. Her father would hit the road come tomorrow. Normalcy has returned.

"This couch feels more comfortable than ever before." her dad joked.

They spent a few more minutes just sitting before it was time for bed. In her room, Valarie slipped into her sleepwear and went and opened the window. In came in a cool breeze. She enjoyed the ambiance that also made its entrance. The nearby I-15 with all the cars, trucks, and bikes traveling to their destinations. There was also the occasional distant blast of a train's whistle along with the fly-by of airplanes and helicopters. All of this provided for the perfect environment for Valarie to sleep. And that she did. The best rest she ever had.

Thursday

That day's meeting was routine. Redwood and Buchanan were in the office taking care of business. Though this time, Buchanan was sitting next to Redwood rather than sitting was on the other side of the desk.

"Our next match is all the way in Montana. Geez, that's quite the distance." Redwood informed.

"Like hell we're taking a bus all the way there. Let's take a flight." Buchanan suggested.

Redwood worked on his computer for a bit.

"Yep…a flight will be best. It's not too pricey. Might as well take a flight to Houston for the convention. On a bus, the trip would take 22 hours give or take."

"Sounds good."

Redwood turned away from the computer.

"But that's April. Anything that needs attention now?"

Buchanan pondered for a moment then looked right at Redwood with a smile.

"Us."

"…what?"

"Us. We need some time for ourselves."

Redwood was slightly confused.

"Are you talking about a—"

"Yes. You. Me. On a date. Have a day where we can forget all our obligations and worries. It's been ages I've been on a date. You?"

"It's been a while, I admit."

"Cool. Sunday then."

"What do you wanna do?"

Buchanan shrugged.

"Dunno. We'll figure it out."

Elsewhere in the garage, Mia was having a talk with Valarie.

"Do you think we'll get some time to sightsee when we're in Houston?" Mia asked.

"I assume so. We're only being there for the race and the whole convention lasts a week. I doubt it'll take up all the time. What do you want to see over there?"

Mia was elated when Valarie asked. With the hugest grin, she answered.

"The Johnson Space Center, home of the ever famous mission control!"

"Oh, so you like space and all that?"

"I love it!" Mia exclaimed, almost yelling.

"I've always wanted to go there. I've been to the propulsion laboratory in Pasadena over the previous summer. It. Was. Magical."

Mia rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a key chain. It was of Mars with little crosses dotted across it.

"These are the landing sites of all the rovers. See, there's Pathfinder, Sojourner, Opportunity, and the latest one, Curiosity." Mia explained, eagerly pointed to all the markings.

"You know your stuff, huh?" Valarie remarked.

"Ha! That's putting it lightly…" Mia responded.

She then got out another key chain. It depicted a planet but it was incredibly blurry. The words etched on it said,

"Time for your closeup!"

"Guess what planet this is." Mia asked.

She handed it to Valarie who studied it closely. After a few moments, she gave up.

"I don't know…it's too hazy."

"Read the back."

Valarie flipped the key chain and read the little info paragraph.

"Ooooh…Pluto! Yeah, we don't have good pictures of that thing."

"Not YET!" Mia yelled, startling Valarie.

"Back in 2006, the New Horizons space probe launched from Cape Canaveral with its target being Pluto. In two years, in 2015, it'll fly by the planet and finally take good pictures of it."

Mia then smiled more.

"My name is on the probe, ya know."

Valarie was surprised.

"Really? How?"

"Simple. I just went on NASA's website and signed an online form and boom, my name is on a spacecraft billions of miles away."

"That's…pretty damn cool. You sure do love space." Valarie commented.

"I love space as much as you do tanks."

What Mia said painted everything in a perfect picture.

"So, you wanna be an astronaut then?"

Mia laughed.

"Ha. Maybe. I'd love any job with NASA…though maybe I'm dreaming too big."

Valarie wrapped her arms around Mia.

"Hey, dreaming big got people into space in the first place."

"Will dreaming big get us to win the tournament?"

"There's only one way to find out."

The conversation ended and the two girls departed. As Valarie walked back to her tank, a thought entered in her mind. What are the passions of the other commanders? So far, she had only known them in a 'professional' capacity. Meaning, she and the commanders nearly exclusively talked about tankery. Learning more about them will be a great bonding experience. A closer-knit team will surely be a more effective one.

Right before the team was dismissed, Buchanan had one more thing to say to them.

"I forgot to mention this yesterday. Despite just getting two new vehicles, we are still on the lookout for more. If you got any leads please tell me or Mr. Redwood. We can have never have enough tanks."

New tanks? No one on the team had seen new vehicles since their day at the junkyard. Of course, they hadn't really tried to look. Though, if they were any tanks in town they would've seen them already. For Redwood and Buchanan, they knew full well that Barstow and the Mojave at large were tapped out of tanks. They were either scrapped long ago or beyond repair as a result of the sport losing popularity in the 1990s. Everyone would have to search beyond where they live to find some armor. Thankfully, Valarie had some contacts that could lend a helping hand. Upon returning home, she got out her phone and first sent a text to Isabella, Bascom's tankery captain.

"Hi. You know where a team could get some new tanks?"

Minutes later and a response arrived.

"Sorry, not that I know of. Will keep an eye out."

No dice. Maybe Sam, captain of Oceanside's team, will get something for them. A text was sent. Minutes go by and nothing. Whatever. She had one more contact. A message was sent to Lisa. Soon she replied,

"Nope. Lotta schools around here so it makes tanks scarce."

Disappointing. Valarie set her phone aside and laid on her phone. She closed her eyes and rested. Valarie didn't know how much time gone by when she then felt a vibration. Her phone received a new message. It was Sam.

"We may have something for you." the message read.

Attached was a message that was loading.

"The question is…how desperate are you guys for new vehicles?"

The image finally loaded. Valarie opened the attachment and saw what Sam had sent. Soviet tank destroyer, SU-100. At least that was what she thought it was. The machine was in a horrid condition. It was stained beyond belief with the iconic green camouflage of soviet vehicles impossible to see. Some of the hatches were gone, not dismounted, but torn off as the hinges that would have held them in place were extensively damaged. The tracks were missing as well leaving the road wheels and drive sprockets bare, which they too weren't in the best shape. To top it all off, the vehicle was covered with graffiti. The SU-100 was in the worst condition a vehicle Valarie has ever seen short of total destruction. She had some questions.

"What happened to that thing?"

Sam went on to explain.

"During a practice with the thing bad luck made it tumble down a hill. Some of the hatches that were open were shredded off. The tracks snapped in pieces, some of which we still find sometimes. All the rattling messed with the engine bad. It's near inoperable."

The SU-100 looks like it went through hell.

"What's with the graffiti?" Valarie asked

"Some students from a rival school we beat came and tagged the thing. Sore losers."

"And you haven't cleaned it yet?"

"When it got vandalized it was the final straw for us. No one wanted anything to do with it and its former crew moved on to another tank. It's dead weight."

"Can it still shoot?"

"Possibly."

Everything Sam had shared with Valarie wasn't good. Nonetheless, she was confident that the team could restore the machine to its former glory.

"How much for the SU?"

There was no immediate response. Then a minute later,

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I will need to talk with some school officials about it first. I will let you know as soon as I can."

The text conversation ended. The SU-100 will be a great asset to the team. Though to be an asset at all it will require a mountain of work. Work that the team will be more than happy to perform. That is if Oceanside is willing to sell it. Guess the only thing to do now was wait.

Thursday

The following day, Valarie and Emma together departed the they walked toward the entrance they noticed a group of students surrounding something. They could hear sounds of excited chatter with some taking pictures. Intrigued, Valarie motioned that they check it out. They maneuvered through the crowd and saw what was drawing all the attention. Mounted on a newly-installed stone pedestal was the old turret of the T-44, with its 85mm gun pointed high in the sky.

"Like the new art?" Redwood asked upon seeing the girls.

"It's great! Better than having it lying around taking up space." Valarie responded, delighted.

"Oh I can't take all the credit. Some students from the art class proposed the idea and helped make it real."

The new art installation was a surreal experience for both Valarie and Emma. They saw all the scratches accumulated over time. It gave the thing character. They fondly remembered the times they were fired upon with the turret holding its own. After a few more moments of gazing and reminiscing, they went to their respective classes.

Later

"That thing is messed up." Emma commented.

In her hand was Valarie's phone. She was showing her the image of the SU-100.

"Yeah but not beyond repair." Valarie said

"If the price is right, I'll try to convince both Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Redwood to purchase it."

"To be honest, I wouldn't spend a buck on that. It's a stiff breeze away from collapsing." Emma remarked.

Valarie playfully shrugged when she then saw her phone vibrate in Emma's hand.

"That must be her."

Emma passed back the phone where Valarie unlocked it and read the new message. Her eyebrows raised and eyes widened as she did.

"What? Too expensive?" Emma asked.

"No…they're offering to give it to us for free."

"Free? She serious?"

"Yup."

They stared at each other.

"Well. What a turn of events." Valarie commented.

That afternoon, at the tankery meeting, Valarie found both Redwood and Buchanan and got a meeting with them in the garage office. She relayed the offer to them.

"I don't know. Whenever schools give away tanks, they are either shutting down their tankery team or it has a massive problem that's hidden. Though, in our case, the problem is out in the open. The vehicle is just one bad day away from being totaled."

"I've seen vehicles in worse shape. Then again they did explode." Buchanan added.

"You can't beat free." Valarie said.

Redwood rubbed his brow and thought for a moment.

"The amount of labor required to get that thing moving would be staggering…not to mention expensive."

Both Valarie and Buchanan eyed Redwood.

"Martin…we're not spending a penny on some maintainer." Buchanan assured.

"Well, if we're getting it, how else do we get it operational?"

"Mr. Redwood. You do realize that in this garage is a small army of mechanics?" Valarie reminded

"We fixed up our vehicles from the junkyard and have maintained them ever since by ourselves. My crew has the engine layout of the T-44 imprinted in their minds due to the amount of time we've spent in there. We've become incredibly efficient at what we do and I am willing to bet good money that each and every member of this team shares this sentiment. Mr. Redwood. Ms Buchanan. Get that tank and I promise you both, we will get that thing operational and ready to roll the day it arrives."

Redwood was surprised over the vigor Valarie has displayed. Buchanan sported a beaming smile. That is how a captain of a tankery acts.

"Okay Valarie. We'll accept Oceanside's offer. I'll take care of all the arrangements."

"Thanks!"

Pleased, Valarie left the office leaving the two adults alone.

"She has that fiery drive. Reminds me of some people I knew when I was in tankery myself." Buchanan remarked, amazed

"You're still in tankery." Redwood corrected.

She blushed and briefly looked away.

"So where is this thing coming from?" she asked

"Long Beach. Though it'll be a while before it'll get here. Not because of distance but all the paperwork. Exchanging tanks between schools involves a lot of red tape."

Mojave Rose was in the process of making another acquisition for their line-up. The question in the minds of people in the know wasn't that if it can be a good asset but if Valarie's boast of fixing the thing in less than a day can hold water. Only time has the answer.

Sunday

In the early afternoon, Buchanan arrived at Redwood's home. She walked up and knocked on the door. It opened.

"Hello Gabby. Time for our little date, huh?"

"Yep."

They stood there just looking at each other. There was this wholesome awkwardness.

"I got no clue what to do." she admitted.

"Same here."

Buchanan then had an idea.

"Why not just have our date here?"

"…sure. Why not?"

She entered and the pair sat in the living room. There was a brief silence and another awkwardness between them that was soon replaced with comfort. Buchanan rested her head on his lap.

"Were you doing any work today?" she asked.

"No. Nothing at all."

"Good."

She felt that Redwood was being honest.

"You've been sleeping well?" he asked in a gentle voice.

"Pretty well. No night terrors. But no dreams either. Ah, I guess you can't have it all."

Redwood caressed her hair with one hand while with the other he held her hand in a warm embrace. In the stillness of the room, he listened to her tranquil breathing. His eyes wandered and latched on to her pants. Jeans to be specific. He had always seen her in jeans ever since she first became the school's tankery instructor. Perhaps it was a trivial thing to think about it. Though as he looked at her jeans more, he decided to ask.

"You always wear jeans, Gabby, why?"

"The reason why is simple." Buchanan answered.

She raised her leg into the air, grabbed the cuffs of her jeans, and pulled it down revealing her leg. It was covered with burn scars, most of which faded as the years gone by but were still noticeable.

"Oh…" Redwood uttered.

"I'm sorr—"

"Don't apologize. Since we're a couple, you were going to see that"

Buchanan gripped his hand tighter.

"Ever since that day I did whatever I could to hide my injuries. The best way was being a recluse. It was an awful time in my life, in case you didn't know."

"Yeah, I figured. But you just showed my your scars without even hesitating.

"I'm comfortable with you…you wouldn't hurt me."

"Never."

Buchanan rose from his lap and gave Redwood a kiss. They resumed what they were doing and remained in that position for half an hour.

"Is this all you want to do?" Redwood questioned

"Not quite."

She lifted her head and was now on top of him. They wrapped their hands around each other and began to cuddle.

"This is all I want to do right now."

The loving embrace the two couple shared is what Buchanan yearned for the most. Missing for over twenty years. Redwood held her firmly but there was also a tenderness to it. She had never felt more wanted in her life. Throughout her life, Buchanan was afflicted with self-doubt. She got into tankery as a way to build her confidence. Ever since her near-death experience, her self-esteem has plummeted. She had always doubted that she'd pull herself together and that she'd live and die as a recluse. Doubted that she would do anything of note. The past few months changed everything. A new purpose and a new chapter in her life. A road to being fully healed from her past, one where she won't have to travel alone.

She didn't doubt herself anymore.