Author's Note: Okay, here's the grand finale *sniffle*! Thanks to Harry for all his reviews, even if he has no sympathy for my character! :) Dangit, everyone loves Roxy...well, except for Dusty anyhow! :) I have a possible sequel on the way, and there's another possible story in the works that brings in another MASK-ed daughter! Keep watching this section.
Oh, I decided since I started with some Restless Heart music, I'd end with them too. :) The lyrics to "Say What's in Your Heart" is copyrighted by them and the respective songwriters.
War Fields: Chapter 15
Four days had gone by before the mess in Venice was straightened out. The altar was returned to its rightful owners
in its original condition. Mistier Lamont was arrested and awaiting trial by the local judicial system. MASK had
thoroughly investigated VENOM's hideout for any indication of future operations or the location of their headquarters,
yet very little intelligence could be recovered. After Matt and his agents issued their formal reports to the PNA,
they were given orders to return home.
Brad had just arrived with Annie at Venice Airstrip in a cab. He put a lovingly arm around her as they walked towards
a huge transport plane, "Sure you feel well enough."
"All I need is home, then I'll feel 100%," She replied. Yesterday she relived to be released from the hospital.
She never wanted to be that close to Roxanne Trakker ever again, although she realized she'd still have to survive
the trip home. Shouldn't be that bad…Dusty and Dad will keep her away from me. Her father had taken her out these
last few hours in Venice just so the trip wouldn't be a completely bad experience. He had even managed to somehow
find all the stuff Scott and T-Bob had dropped from their previous shopping trip. Still more or less home was where
she wanted to be more then ever.
As they walked up the ramp leading into the transport Annie noticed a banner reading 'Welcome Back Annie!'
Dusty popped out, "There's my girl! Been missing ya a lot."
Annie heart warmed by the welcome, "Thanks Dusty."
Dusty eyed the scar on her head, "Ya feeling better? No lasting side effects."
Yeah I'll never be the same person again. She hid her true response, by keeping the friendly smile on her
face, "Nothing but minor headaches I'm afraid."
"Well I know just the cure for that. Good old Dusty made some of his special recipe for the trip home. Take one
bite and all those nasty head aches will disappear." To emphasize his statement, Dusty pulled two cookies from
behind his back and held them out to Annie.
Annie reached out tenderly for the two treats, as though they might disintegrate in Dusty's hand. "Are those...double
chocolate chip?" Dusty just grinned in reply as she took a bite out of one. A delirious look passed over her
face as she breathed, "Still warm too! You certainly know your way to my heart!"
Buddy popped up behind Condor still working out the damages it sustained during battle, "It's your stomach I'm
worried about. Be careful with those or you'll get a bad case of indigestion."
"HEY NOW! That's my cooking you're talking about." Dusty shouted feeling insulted.
"Annie," Buddy nodded his head in respect, "Great to have you back. Hope the hospital stay wasn't too painful."
In what way? She wanted to ask, but she kept her mind on the blissful, heavenly taste of Dusty's cookies
as she replied, "I got through it."
Buddy's eyes then drifted to the banner, "Hey Dusty that banner just has Annie name on it."
"Cause she's the only one welcome," He replied winking to Annie.
Annie smiled at Dusty loyalty. Finally, somebody who agrees with me!
"For crying out loud Dusty are you trying to stir something up," Brad shook his head and rubbed his eyes under
his shades. " I've had enough conflict this week couldn't we just have a quiet trip home."
Her smiled disappeared once her father spoke up. "What is your problem? Can't stand the fact that he made a sign
for me."
"It's not that honey, I'm just worried how…"
"OH how Roxy going to react," Annie completed his sentence. "It disgusts me how you can even think about her feelings,
after what she put me through. Don't you even care about me?"
"I care about you more then anything. I never left your bedside the whole time you were in the hospital. I just
don't want a fight to break out."
"You probably don't want to have to choose sides, either." Annie said as she stormed away from her father
angry.
Dusty put a comforting arm around Annie and lead her towards the rest area, "Don't mind him, he's just tired. Let's
go get ya some grub."
She sighed deeply in frustration, then looked over at Dusty as she remembered what Brad told her in the hospital.
"Thanks for sticking up for me. It's nice to know that at least one person understands."
"Somebody had to," Dusty replied as he hugged her shoulders. "Brad'll come around too, eventually,
just give it some time." Then he flashed her a wicked grin as they reached the food. "Want another cookie?"
Despite her anger and frustration, Annie smiled.
As Dusty and Annie walked away, Brad shrugged as if he had just given up, "I'll be in the cockpit getting the transport
ready for liftoff."
"She can't stay mad at you forever Brad," Buddy reminded him.
"I know," Brad replied, walking away. "It's how long she'll stay mad that worries me. As if my life isn't
complicated enough."
A few minutes later Thunderhawk drove into the transport. Matt and Scott had just picked up Roxanne from the hospital.
Roxanne crossed her arms as she looked at the banner that was starring her in the face, "Remind me why I check
out early?"
Matt stepped out of Thunderhawk and opened her passenger side door, "Nobody is holding any grudges towards you."
Roxanne faced showed her disbelief, "Why don't I believe you?"
Scott rolled a wheelchair over towards her, and Matt gently lifted her from the car into it. Her eyes then drifted
back to the banner, yet she was surprise to see Buddy standing on a ladder trying to squeeze her name on it with
a black marker.
"I'm glad to see somebody misses me," She remarked with an enthusiastic smile.
Buddy turned around, "Well Dusty kind of bought the banner…felt it was missing someone important."
Roxanne could feel her cheeks turning rose red with embarrassment by that remark.
Dusty stormed out once he saw what Buddy had done, "HEY!" He then turned his head looking at Matt and bit back
his words of frustration, "Nice job Buddy!" Yet his compliment was more like a threatening gesture.
Matt looked down on Roxanne, "Are you going to be alright? I have to help prepare for take off."
"Yeah, I got Scott to be my male nurse," She remarked with a slight snicker.
"I am not!" Scott replied in a boyish tone as he pushed her wheelchair.
Matt smiled at the bickering siblings and headed off towards the cockpit, meanwhile Buddy hopped down from the
ladder and greeted her, "So how you feeling?"
"Tired mostly," She then grumbled with great displeasure, "and confined to a wheelchair, until my stitches come
out."
"So that means you won't be visiting me in the garage anytime soon then," Buddy remarked.
"Hey I said I was stuck with this thing…not crippled," She snapped back.
"That's what I thought," He replied teasing her slightly. "Hey Scott better get her strapped in before take off."
"YES SIR!" He replied as she wheeled his sister off.
"Hey don't call me sir!" Buddy felt like he had just been put down, "I ain't that old to be called sir."
Roxanne and Scott were laughing at Buddy's sour reaction to the title of sir, yet the laughter died as Annie and
Roxy came faced to face.
Scott ignored the tension, "Oh Annie you should of saw Buddy face when I called him sir. He looked like he was
going to burst."
"I can believe it," Annie managed to get out still sending an ugly gaze to Roxy.
"What's your problem? Never seen anyone wheelchair before?" Roxanne remark with a bit of snotty tone.
"Not one who's a traitorous backstabber as you," Annie manage to huff out as she turned her gaze uninterested.
"I think you knocked out a few brain cells, cause you don't seem to remember the events clearly enough. Then again
you were knocked out during most of it," She reminded.
"And you were enjoying yourself partying with terrorist during most of it," Annie reminded her.
"Please girls can you not fight. After take off, you can separate and do what ever you want," Scott insisted trying
to keep the peace.
Annie noticed that Scott wasn't in the mood to endure any harsh exchanging of words either, "Fine!"
"Yeah sure…Whatever!" Roxanne snorted.
After Scott had secured Roxanne into her seat, she pulled out a book that allowed her mind to drift elsewhere.
Annie put on her headphones and starred out the window ignoring Roxy existence. She turned the volume up as far
as she could stand it to make sure it drowned out any other extraneous background noise, especially any other cutting
remarks Roxy might decide to make during the long trip home. She leaned back into her seat and pressed play.
Sometimes a man and a woman make plans
And then change in the middle of the stream
Why does the flame die?
And where does the blame lie?
And what becomes of their dreams?
Will I be starting on my own again brand new?
Or will I be rebuilding what I once had with you?
Tell me:
Say you don't need me and I'll be gone
Say that you want me and I'll come home
I can take anything but standing in the dark
Don't hold nothing back
Please say what's in your heart
After take off Roxanne and Annie never once spoken to each other. Annie realized with an ironic smile that it was
another Restless Heart disc in the player. Say what's in your heart indeed, Annie thought as she glanced over
at Roxy. I really don't have the strength to express what I really think. She's not worth it anyway. Movement
out of the corner of her eye drew her attention back toward the cockpit, where her father poked his head out for
a moment. Their eyes met briefly before he turned back to the controls and she focused on the music once more.
We always said we'd tell each other everything
That we were feeling deep inside
Now when I see your eyes
No matter how you try
You're feelin' somethin you can't hide
Everyone knows the way that loves supposed to be
But in the real world, there ain't no guarantee
Say you don't need me and I'll be gone
Say that you want me and I'll come home
I can take anything but standing in the dark
Don't hold nothing back
Please say what's in your heart
Maybe someday, Dad, she thought at the figure in the transport's cockpit. Maybe someday I'll be able to
tell you how much it really hurts. Maybe someday you'll actually understand.
I'll still love you no matter what you say
I'll stand by you, but I won't stand in your way
"All quiet on the Western Front?" Matt asked with a sardonic smile as Brad re-entered the cockpit.
"They're doing their best to ignore each other," Brad replied as he sat back down. "I can hear the
lyrics to Annie's CD from all the way over here, and Roxy's been staring at the same page of her book for five
minutes."
"Scott?"
"Trying his best not to let them tear him apart, I imagine." Brad ran his fingers through his hair, resisting
the urge to bang his head on the walls of the jet. "Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all."
"Don't blame yourself, Brad." Matt tried to sound comforting, but he himself felt a little guilty too.
"We just need to stand by them and hope they can work past this."
"I know," Brad sighed. "I know."
Say you don't need me and I'll be gone
Say that you want me and I'll come home
I can take anything but standing in the dark
Don't hold nothing back
Please say what's in your heart
As the transport landed and everyone disembarked, Annie shot Roxanne Trakker's back one last turbulent glare. I
hope I never have to see or talk to you again. Little did she realize, Roxanne felt exactly the same way.
