Chapter Fifteen: The Homecoming
I paced back and forth in the small yet comfortable room that Fortune and I shared. It has been three days and we still have not heard a word from her. My pacing stopped in front the window in our room. The sun was going down throwing dusty pinks and oranges against my dark brown skin. My arms were crossed tightly against my chest and I stood thinking into the sunset. Then I saw a black speck on my window. Irritated, I tried to brush it off. Then I look closer as the speck grew larger and larger. Could it be?! I breathlessly ran to the observation deck, ignoring the startled looks I got from the other pilots. Running outside into the warm spring evening, I stared into the sun. I saw the silhouette of a gundam speeding its way toward us. Was it? Was it her?!
I ran from the observation deck to the communication room. The other pilots, sensing something was about to happen, gathered around me. My numb hand picked up the receiver.
"Attention unknown vehicle, you are nearing an OZ checkpoint. Please state your name and purpose."
Silence.
I gasped and gripped the receiver tighter.
"My name is Fortune Kincaid. . .I am the pilot of the Gundam Phoenixfire. . .My purpose is to come home and take a nap. Can you open the door for me?"
I dropped the receiver and whooped, she was home! I nearly fell as I sprinted to the hangar and jammed my hand on the door. The door opened and a shaft of red and gold light filtered in from the waning daylight. As we watched the Gundam Phoenixfire slowly drifted in, as if made from the very light that lit the dark hangar. When it finally landed, it knelt on one knee, as if in reverence. The hangar door closed, but the light seemed to still be there, gleaming from the gundam. It looked different from when we last saw it. Most of the yellow parts were now overlaid in what looked like gold. The red was now more crimson, the color of blood. The heat rod coiled at it's one knee. The eyes glowed red and seemed to glare at us. We could not move. It was as if a god knelt before us in that little hangar. Then the light faded and it's head bowed.
The chest opened and standing there was Fortune. She looked like she grew twenty years. Her eyes were downcast and her shoulders slumped. She looked up and gave us all a tired grin before coming down out of her gundam. When she reached the floor, the tiredness left. Her eyes lost the lackluster look and she held out her arms, smiling like a madwoman.
"Wot are you blokes starin' at? Come'n give me a hug, I've travel'd a long way to see yas." The fake British accent never failed to make me laugh. I ran into her arms.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you." I had to know if she blamed me for leaving her.
She looked at me. "I don't blame you. You got the mission done, and you didn't get yourself killed. I am proud of you."
Tears glistened in my eyes. "Thank you."
We let go of each other reluctantly. We faced the rest of the boys. Even though they were silent, the emotion shone in their eyes all the same, however one set of eyes shone with love, respect, and overwhelming joy. Quatre walked slowly towards Fortune. Unfallen tears made his eyes glassy with unspoken emotion and thoughts. When he finally stood in front of her he had his head bowed. Fortune took one finger and put it under the little Arabian's chin and lifted. Quatre smiled a small waning smile as if smiling wasn't enough to show her the joy he felt. He reached around Fortune's head slowly with trembling hands. He touched the pin that held her hair in the tight severe bun. She has only had her hair down around me. She never lets it down in for people she doesn't trust. She stiffened. And then with a slight movement of her head, she nodded. Quatre's eyes widen and he started trembling even more. The pin was removed slowly and reverently. Over three feet of silky brown curls kissed with gold tumbled down. He gasped and gently shook it out, as if he was scared of hurting her. Then, with his hands still buried in her hair, and gently, so gently pulled her to him. As their lips gently touched, the tears of joy, love, and desire spilled forth onto Quatre's cheeks as he let out a small sob. He parted his lips far enough to whisper. Fortune murmured a response, and they continued their slow, gentle ministrations to each other.
I gestured to Heero, for us to leave them alone. Trowa, and Wufei understood, but I had to grab the slack jawed Duo by the braid, and hauled him out. His mouth opened in a silent gape of pain, as we left the two.
"OUCH! Do I have any hair left?" Duo didn't risk a word until the door to the hangar was completely shut. "Besides, you are right, I guess, they need their room." He smiled. "By the way, what did Quatre say to her, I couldn't hear. Did you guys catch it?"
Heero and Trowa looked at each other and walked away. Wufei wandered back to observation deck. "What?! What was it?!"
I playfully cuffed him on his chest. He grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes. "It's bad to keep secrets from your other pilots ya know." His eyes glittered with amusement.
I laughed a bit, and turned my head to the side. "You silly long haired baka. He said this." I leaned to his ear, and whispered. Then I kissed him and walked away.
The astonished look on Duo's face was frozen there for a couple minutes, then it faded to a smile. He looked down the way I went.
"Nani. I love you too."
Finding himself very alone, he walked to his room.
I paced back and forth in the small yet comfortable room that Fortune and I shared. It has been three days and we still have not heard a word from her. My pacing stopped in front the window in our room. The sun was going down throwing dusty pinks and oranges against my dark brown skin. My arms were crossed tightly against my chest and I stood thinking into the sunset. Then I saw a black speck on my window. Irritated, I tried to brush it off. Then I look closer as the speck grew larger and larger. Could it be?! I breathlessly ran to the observation deck, ignoring the startled looks I got from the other pilots. Running outside into the warm spring evening, I stared into the sun. I saw the silhouette of a gundam speeding its way toward us. Was it? Was it her?!
I ran from the observation deck to the communication room. The other pilots, sensing something was about to happen, gathered around me. My numb hand picked up the receiver.
"Attention unknown vehicle, you are nearing an OZ checkpoint. Please state your name and purpose."
Silence.
I gasped and gripped the receiver tighter.
"My name is Fortune Kincaid. . .I am the pilot of the Gundam Phoenixfire. . .My purpose is to come home and take a nap. Can you open the door for me?"
I dropped the receiver and whooped, she was home! I nearly fell as I sprinted to the hangar and jammed my hand on the door. The door opened and a shaft of red and gold light filtered in from the waning daylight. As we watched the Gundam Phoenixfire slowly drifted in, as if made from the very light that lit the dark hangar. When it finally landed, it knelt on one knee, as if in reverence. The hangar door closed, but the light seemed to still be there, gleaming from the gundam. It looked different from when we last saw it. Most of the yellow parts were now overlaid in what looked like gold. The red was now more crimson, the color of blood. The heat rod coiled at it's one knee. The eyes glowed red and seemed to glare at us. We could not move. It was as if a god knelt before us in that little hangar. Then the light faded and it's head bowed.
The chest opened and standing there was Fortune. She looked like she grew twenty years. Her eyes were downcast and her shoulders slumped. She looked up and gave us all a tired grin before coming down out of her gundam. When she reached the floor, the tiredness left. Her eyes lost the lackluster look and she held out her arms, smiling like a madwoman.
"Wot are you blokes starin' at? Come'n give me a hug, I've travel'd a long way to see yas." The fake British accent never failed to make me laugh. I ran into her arms.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you." I had to know if she blamed me for leaving her.
She looked at me. "I don't blame you. You got the mission done, and you didn't get yourself killed. I am proud of you."
Tears glistened in my eyes. "Thank you."
We let go of each other reluctantly. We faced the rest of the boys. Even though they were silent, the emotion shone in their eyes all the same, however one set of eyes shone with love, respect, and overwhelming joy. Quatre walked slowly towards Fortune. Unfallen tears made his eyes glassy with unspoken emotion and thoughts. When he finally stood in front of her he had his head bowed. Fortune took one finger and put it under the little Arabian's chin and lifted. Quatre smiled a small waning smile as if smiling wasn't enough to show her the joy he felt. He reached around Fortune's head slowly with trembling hands. He touched the pin that held her hair in the tight severe bun. She has only had her hair down around me. She never lets it down in for people she doesn't trust. She stiffened. And then with a slight movement of her head, she nodded. Quatre's eyes widen and he started trembling even more. The pin was removed slowly and reverently. Over three feet of silky brown curls kissed with gold tumbled down. He gasped and gently shook it out, as if he was scared of hurting her. Then, with his hands still buried in her hair, and gently, so gently pulled her to him. As their lips gently touched, the tears of joy, love, and desire spilled forth onto Quatre's cheeks as he let out a small sob. He parted his lips far enough to whisper. Fortune murmured a response, and they continued their slow, gentle ministrations to each other.
I gestured to Heero, for us to leave them alone. Trowa, and Wufei understood, but I had to grab the slack jawed Duo by the braid, and hauled him out. His mouth opened in a silent gape of pain, as we left the two.
"OUCH! Do I have any hair left?" Duo didn't risk a word until the door to the hangar was completely shut. "Besides, you are right, I guess, they need their room." He smiled. "By the way, what did Quatre say to her, I couldn't hear. Did you guys catch it?"
Heero and Trowa looked at each other and walked away. Wufei wandered back to observation deck. "What?! What was it?!"
I playfully cuffed him on his chest. He grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes. "It's bad to keep secrets from your other pilots ya know." His eyes glittered with amusement.
I laughed a bit, and turned my head to the side. "You silly long haired baka. He said this." I leaned to his ear, and whispered. Then I kissed him and walked away.
The astonished look on Duo's face was frozen there for a couple minutes, then it faded to a smile. He looked down the way I went.
"Nani. I love you too."
Finding himself very alone, he walked to his room.
