1457 Romeo
Veteran's Park*
Washington DC
Gypsy Crow slipped away from the group of well-wishers and sat relatively unnoticed on a low stone bench overlooking a quiet reflecting pond. Mac watched from afar as her friend solemnly gazed at the gentle ripples of water, her cover clenched in a white knuckled fist as her other hand reached up to tentatively drag long fingers through dark, sleek wind tousled hair.
She no longer resembled a child playing at dress up. Images of shell-shocked Doughboys and directionless Viet Nam vets flashed through her mind and Mac had to shake her head to clear the disturbing thoughts. Gypsy Crow wouldn't end up like those poor lost soldiers of previous eras; she'd see to it that she wouldn't even if her quest became an obsession to rival one of Harm's.
From the crowd emerged a tiny, hunched man. His gnarled fist held firmly to his cane as it sunk slightly into the grassy lawn that separated the awards platform from the reflecting pool. Gypsy Crow glanced up at his halting approach, sliding further along the bench to allow him a place to sit. They remained there, unmoving in the gentle breeze, as the crowd that had gathered for the ceremony slowly dispersed, leaving Mac and Harm standing amid vacant folding chairs talking to the admiral.
"Wouldn't you agree?" Harm had noticed Mac's absence from their conversation at the time he'd watched Gypsy Crow disengage herself from the group. "Mac? Are you okay?"
"What?" She tore her eyes away from the quiet scene, refocusing on two pair of expectant eyes. "Sorry, I must have slipped away there." She smiled. "What were you saying?"
AJ grinned. "Nothing important, Colonel." Taking his leave of them, the admiral departed the lawn and walked toward the few cars that remained in the parking lot.
"So where are our dinner reservations, Mac?"
"I don't remember, but don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to find something you can eat."
1542 Romeo
Anthony's Restaurant
Washington D.C.
Sitting at a table in a dim corner of the room, Gypsy Crow immersed herself in the menu; a long list of tasty dishes growing in her mind.
"Chief Hicks," Mac began as she set aside her own menu to devote her full attention to the elder man, "do you plan on staying long in the capital?"
"Yes, I don't often get away from home and am anxious to see all of the sights our Stormy has told me about."
"How is it, U-gu-lu, that you managed to get away without someone from the council tagging along?" Gypsy Crow's eyes flashed with amusement. The tribal council was nothing if not over-protective of their figurehead, power or no power.
"My body may have betrayed me and become feeble over the years, my dear, but my mind is just as sharp as it ever was. They have yet to find a way to rob my of my autonomy, but that reminds me…"
"Yes?" Gypsy Crow braced herself for the unpleasantness his tone implied.
The arrival of the waiter put their conversation on hold and Gypsy Crow's exhaustive order raised several eyebrows.
"What? I'm hungry."
"I think you could feed a platoon with what you just ordered," Mac teased.
Gypsy Crow's only response was to delicately shrug her shoulders.
Shaking his head to hide his amusement, the chief continued his train of thought, "The council has asked me when you plan on returning home."
"I am home."
Knowing full well that her friend had no plans to expound on her answer, Mac spoke up. "Stormy's staying with me right now. I believe there are still some things to be taken care of with the Marine Corps before she can go anywhere."
"Surely they would allow a POW to return home before making her undergo their trials and tests."
"You don't understand…" Gypsy Crow began but couldn't bring herself to complete her thought.
"I understand more that you might think, my dear. But if you would rather stay here with your friend, don't let the council bully you into coming back to the reservation before you're ready. I hate to say it but life there is much too stagnant for someone so young as yourself. And the council would never give you any peace. Stay here as long as you need to, but please do come to see me when you are fit enough to do so. Even if it's just for a short visit." The chief rested his hands on the table and continued his speech, "I have something that belongs to you. Your great-grandmother left it in trust with the council and when we thought you had died, it was placed into my care. I am glad to be able to pass it on to its rightful owner."
"What is it?" Gypsy Crow's curiosity was peaked.
"A collection of the stories she was so well known for. Before she passed from this life she made one of the council members sit at her bedside to record them all so that they would not be forgotten and lost. She wanted you to have it but wouldn't allow any of us to tell you the volume existed. I think she was worried that if you knew they were written down, you would grow lazy and wouldn't tell them yourself."
Gypsy Crow studied the tabletop, suddenly extremely interested in the weave of the linen cloth that rested there. While in the company of Suleima, she had recounted the stories to her friend's children countless times until they could tell the outcomes at the start of each tale. Perhaps she hadn't lost everything after all. She still had the u-gu-lu's support, her friendship with Mac, and now a bound volume of her great-grandmother's stories.
"I'll come to visit you as soon as I can. But like Mac said, there are things I need to straighten out with the Corps first."
"Remember, my dear, a warrior's deeds are never accomplished alone. Even the strongest warrior maintains ties with those whose help and support he, or she, needs. Andrew knew that when he went looking for you, and you understand that now too."
"How did you know about Andrew… He didn't tell anyone…"
"He told almost no one of his intentions, my dear. Just after he heard that you might be alive, he paid me a visit. He was quite candid in his expectations for your recovery and explained that should he be able to save you he would not likely be able to save himself. I do not know the exact circumstances of his mission or how he met his end, but I do know that he was fully aware of the consequences his actions would incur. He loved you enough to die for the chance to save you. Don't let him become the crux of your existence; he would never have wanted that. He wanted only for you to be free and at peace."
"And so I am."
the end
