Darkness in the Twilight
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By Psycho Ferret and LunarCrystal
Proper Mourning
Allen and Hans spoke often, the general's son explaining things about Basram quietly. He seemed to usually speak quietly, especially around Allen. Sometimes, he would lapse off into his native language, obviously translating words into Asturian.
As Hans healed, Allen taught him Asturian, making sure he could get a better grasp on it. He was pleasantly surprised when he held a full conversation with the other not once trailing off or reverting back to his mother tongue. When Hans had healed, the Crusade once more loaded up, Allen gave the order to head out. They were going back to the fort. They'd see if Basram had taken up residence there, they'd survey the damage... Scherezade was safely packed inside, waiting its master's hands at its controls.
"It'll take the better part of the night to get there," said Gaddes quietly from beside Allen, once they'd finished up loading the Crusade and setting her off into the sky. Gently, he tugged Allen along with him while they made their way down the hall, stopping briefly as Gaddes nudged his lover down to sit in his lap. "Come on, I'll give you a ride."
Allen blinked a bit, then settled down in the other's lap, draping an arm over his shoulder. "Mm... does this mean I'm the princess?"
"As pretty as you are to look like one," said Gaddes cheekily, starting them off down the wooden corridors of the Crusade towards the Captain's Quarters, "I don't swing that way." He barely even felt Allen's weight upon him, only the drape of his arm across his shoulder and along his upper body where Allen lay back against him. It was truly still - odd.
Allen chuckled a little, nuzzling the other man's neck softly. "Oh, you know I'm not a princess," he purred a little as he spoke, a small smile curling on his lips. It was odd, but... he could be close to Gaddes this way which was wonderful.
"Speaking of a princess. . ." he said, slowing down his speed to just merely nudging his wheels along instead of racing to the bedroom. His head automatically inclined and rested upon Allen's in an affection nuzzle, pressing his cheek against the man's hair. "Have you tucked in the little one?"
"Mm... I just did a little bit ago. She's curled up with Hans, actually." She'd been doing that a lot lately, and Allen didn't really blame her. Even if he was Basram, he had a sort of calm apathy about him. And deep within him lingered sadness... he'd lost his family, his home at so young an age, after all. He really was a good kid.
The airship moved steadily beneath them, floating calmly along the night breezes with hardly any resistance. It was a nice time of year for flight, actually, and instead of taking them to Allen's quarters to retire for the night, Gaddes pushed them toward the rear of the ship, in the guymelef hangar where there was a railed terrace for them to gaze up at the stars. The moment the chill air hit his face, he nudged his head a little closer to Allen's, stopping right at the end of the railed platform. Locking his wheels, he let out a sigh and looked to Allen, smiling slightly.
"Thought you might like a detour." he told him.
Allen blinked a little, turning his gaze towards the hangar. He smiled softly, curling his arms around the other loosely. "Just so long as it's with you, of course," he whispered softly. Oh, how he loved being at Gaddes' side, so close, to feel his warmth there, to smell him. It was bliss.
"I wonder," he said softly, almost sadly musing to himself as he settled back in his chair. His hand found Allen's hair and his fingers buried themselves in the golden locks, gently stroking them. Affection - it was all he had left to do, wasn't it? They could never . . . "Did you ever say such things to your sister?" he asked quietly.
"I have," he said softly, snuggled close to Gaddes. But Gaddes had been before Celena. Of course, that didn't mean he loved her any less. He hugged him closely, breathing in the older man's scent.
It was too delicate of a subject to continue. Gaddes understood his affections for Allen, as much as Allen himself understood those that he returned. The knight was very close to his sister, he knew. After her death, it was an uphill battle of wills for his friend. He had never seen a grown man cry as much as Allen had for nearly that whole year after they'd finally buried her on the fort grounds. How quickly, it seemed, that Allen adhered himself to his old lover after her death. It wasn't really that Gaddes was not enjoying their relationship. In fact, he indulged himself in finally having a family with Allen - sometimes fantasizing that Angelina was theirs and theirs alone.
Was that wrong? He had to ask himself. Deeply, he sighed. He, too, missed the tomboyish girl with silver curls. The one who fancied herself to be a knight like her brother - who devoted herself wholly to him, despite all of the evils that befell them. Gaddes had not forgotten her. But in Allen's acceptance of her death, the sergeant had to wonder . . . did Allen forget?
"Allen," he began softly, a little seriously, "You know that I love you more than anything in the world. Right?"
Allen lifted his head a little, looking over at Gaddes. The knight nodded to the other man's words, arching a brow. "Of course I do," he said softly. Allen himself sometimes liked to think of Angelina as their daughter... they had raised her. But he didn't fault Celena for not being there. He missed her so much, but he couldn't honestly say who he'd grieve over more. Gaddes or Celena... he loved them both, they both were central to him. Without one, he could live with the other. But if both left... he would be lost.
"You and Angelina both," he said tenderly, "you guys are the only thing that really keep me going. You know?" A painful look cross over his features, and for that moment, he forced himself to tear his gaze away from Allen's handsome face. "Even with all this shit I have to go through. Without you guys, I would never survive. I could never live like this among other people. It makes me feel - out of place. Fuck, Allen, I'm only 32 years old. I should have expected something like this being in the army, but I'm still not used to it. It's . . . it's hard to think about, how I'll never walk again. That's what they told me at the infirmaries." He let out a bitter huff, "It's almost ironic. You get your sight back only for me to be crippled."
Allen smiled softly, cupping Gaddes' face in his hands. He leaned forward, brushing his lips against his lover's to quiet him, shaking his head. "But I can see you again, and that's what matters to me. I know that this hurts you, that you can't walk... but you're still alive. And... even with the responsibility of Angelina at hand, I don't think losing you and Celena both would have left me wanting to live. Losing her was bad enough, but I had you... but if I lost you, who would be there to make things better? I love you so much, Gaddes, no matter what happens. Bad luck seems to follow us and I hate it... but we can't much change that."
"Sometimes I think, though, when I'm by myself . . . I wish for the impossible," he choked, "I don't - want - to be stuck in this chair, as much as it's helped me. As long as I'm not bedridden, I thought I would be alright. But even then, sometimes . . ." And suddenly, he hugged Allen fiercely, as if he were afraid to lose him - as if all the pain had finally come crashing onto his shoulders, and the weight being more than he could handle. "I can't ever be how I was. And - I don't think we could ever . . . Allen, we can't . . . how could we . . . That part of me is dead now, how could we ever . . .?"
"It doesn't matter," he murmured softly, hugging him back. "I don't need that to love you. I just need you, however you may come to me. That's all I need is you. Your scent, the feeling of you close to me, your smile, your warmth. It's all I need. Sex can't make me love you, Gaddes." Allen sighed his hold on the other man, resting his head against Gaddes' shoulder. "I just need you, that's it..."
His words - they were enough for him. That's all he needed, if it was all that was asked of him. He would love him unconditionally no matter what. Gaddes couldn't let anything stand in the way of their love. Not after finally acquiring a family. And for a few long moments, they simply held each other, content in the other's embrace, enveloped by the other's warmth . . . and even though Gaddes might not have felt the bulge growing beneath his pants did not mean that Allen, who practically sat on it, could not.
Allen was silent, curled up against him, hugging him. And for a long moment, he hadn't noticed, too involved in simply holding him, hugging him. But the blonde drew back after a moment, blinking. "Are you sure you can't feel anything?" Allen asked softly, shifting a little in the brunette's lap. Because, well... that wasn't nothing.
Gaddes sort of made a face at him, his fingers gently tracing the knight's jaw line. "You're not trying to be funny, are you?" he asked quietly, trying to put forth his usual smarm and smirk, but failing and instead having it replaced with despair.
Allen pursed his lips slightly, looking at him. He moved to the side slightly, settling on Gaddes' thigh, glancing down. No... no that wasn't nothing. The blonde brushed his lips against Gaddes' cheek softly. So his body reacted the same way... he just couldn't feel it. Allen was sure that wouldn't make Gaddes feel much better.
"Oh, great..." he moaned, looking down at his bulging manhood and speaking to it as if it were a third person, "Working after retirement, are you? Fiend."
Allen grinned, nuzzling Gaddes' neck softly. Well, at least he wasn't completely broken.
Leaning back slightly in his chair to pull back and look at Allen properly, he flashed the knight a grin, already unlocking his wheels and turning them around to head back down the corridor. "I suppose - we better take care of it, hmm?"
"Mm," was Allen's response, a lazy smirk crawling onto his lips. "Oh, yes, we'd best. We wouldn't want you wandering around with that all day, would we?"
"What a bastard," commented Gaddes, again directing his tone towards his lap as it made a lovely little tent now. He pushed them through the doors of Allen's room and there stopped before the bed, staring at it for the chore of actually getting on it that was to come.
Allen smiled softly, looking at his lover and slowly unfolding himself from his lap, standing. He looked at the brunette, arching a brow. "Shall I help you?" he asked quietly, brushing a gloved hand against Gaddes' cheek.
It suddenly grew warm in the room, and Gaddes did *not* blush often. But it was almost embarrassing how little things like getting in and out of bed still required help from others. He sighed softly, trying to give Allen a small smile but failing. Then his gaze went back to his lap, and the lemon he'd apparently acquired within it. He'll probably never understand how it works without him, but somehow it did and at least he hadn't lost everything.
"Alright." he said, moving just up the bed and already starting to hoist himself up onto it.
Allen gently put his arms around Gaddes' waist, much like a hug, bearing the other's weight upon him as he helped him onto the bed. The knight didn't mind doing such things at all, though he knew it did trouble his lover. Some things you couldn't help, though, and this was one of them.
Once the brunette was on the bed, Allen set about removing his boots, setting them aside.
Gaddes settled back comfortably, his back feeling better in a prone position upon the downy mattress - not dissimilar to the bed in Allen's own home. He grinned, bringing his hands behind the back of his head and occasionally lifting his head to see Allen work at taking off the boots from his now foreign feet. "Hmm, do I get a show too?" he asked cheekily.
Allen pursed his lips a little, slowly arching a brow, speaking teasingly, "I don't see why I should do all the work, y'know."
Gaddes continued to grin, catching Allen's hand in his own and pulling him close. "Well, get up on this bed and we'll see about who does what work. Hmm?"
Allen smiled softly, kneeling on the bed beside his lover, curling his fingers within Gaddes'. Friendly, teasing banter... it was easy with Gaddes, like it hadn't been with Celena. Two completely different people, but he loved them both so much.
Slowly, Gaddes' reached up with his free hand and traced Allen's jaw, the bridge of his nose, and his cheek. The touch was so gentle, so tender - that the sudden trap of his arms about Allen's middle and the quick jerk to bring him flat upon the bed was completely unexpected. Gaddes' of course, could only chuckle.
Allen had leaned his head slightly into the touch when it had come, a small smile on his lips. However, the knight let out an ungraceful 'eep' as he was pulled forward, falling forward, surprised.
Gaddes managed to roll himself onto his side and carefully prop himself up on an elbow, grinning down as Allen stared up to the ceiling briefly to collect himself. "Now, let's see what I'm to do with this shirt you have on. Bothersome ties, need to get rid of those, don't we? Oh, why not just the whole thing? Make it fun, hmm?"
Allen turned his gaze towards his lover, smirking a little. "Oh, pff, I don't need a shirt. The thing's useless, really, you know."
With a smile, Gaddes gladly started taking off Allen's shirt, pulling the fabric up before burying his head underneath it and giving Allen several love nibbles on his very refined abdomen.
Allen shifted a little to aid in the removal of his shirt, shivering a little and giving a soft laugh at the nibbles. Of course, he couldn't fight off the other very well, considering his arms tangled in the mass of cloth.
After having his fun, Gaddes finally pulled back, removing Allen's shirt before settling along side of him again. One hand reached and idly stroked the hair atop of Allen's head, as Gaddes gazed down into his lover's eyes fondly. "I could never love anyone more than I love you, Allen," he said softly.
Allen blinked a little, looking at the man. He'd loved them both... and they both had loved him right back. It seemed almost unfair that they should share his heart when they spoke of him, as if his love was split between the both of them when their love was given wholly to him. It was almost... disheartening. The smiled on his lips faltered slightly, but he pushed those thoughts aside, looking at his lover.
"Is something wrong?" Gaddes asked, his voice quiet. He'd noticed Allen's expression change, almost transition that pearl white smile into a frown, and a flutter of worry entered Gaddes' heart. Was it something he had said? Or did Allen suddenly have second thoughts about making love to a cripple? He couldn't get over the fact so quickly, as it's hardly been two months since he'd lost the ability to walk. Even one of the Zaibach doctors mentioned as much.
"Allen," continued the sergeant, "If you're not up to this, just tell me. I don't - I don't want to make you . . . uncomfortable."
The blonde sighed, shaking his head. "It's... no. Celena.... she said those same words. It... it made me think of her." Allen brushed his lips against Gaddes' cheek, offering a little smile. "It's not you.." it was that he couldn't give up on Celena.
Gaddes shook his head, feeling his own heart clench at the mention of the late Schezar's name. Slowly, he settled back against the bed, staring up at the ceiling as his thoughts began to claim him. "Sometimes . . . I think about her too. I liked her a lot. She was - like a sister to me too, you know?"
"Mm, I know..." Allen settled down at his lover's side, looking at him, head resting against his shoulder. "Both of you cared for one another." They were like a family, the three of them... and Angelina was so much like her mother it was startling sometimes, really.
Gaddes hardly even realized he'd had tears pooling in his dark green eyes, making them glisten slightly. He hardly ever cried - had remembered crying in his bedridden and bitter state, but not over a death. He didn't cry for death. But Celena . . . "She was too young," he swallowed the lump that had been forming in his throat, his voice straining slightly, "Gods, look at me. She was *your* ruddy sister, and I'm about to make myself into a sobbing mess thinking about her."
"I... I still wake up crying sometimes, you know," he said softly, bowing his head slightly. "And sometimes, when I'm in the study, when I'm reading in the windowsill like I do, I start thinking about her and I can't stop it. I just start crying." He should be over it, right? He shouldn't have to cry about it anymore.
Maybe it was just time, Gaddes thought - time to have a good cry that had been repressed for so many years. Maybe that repression is what drove Allen to that bout of hallucination. Perhaps it would be healthy for them, just once, to indulge themselves in a well deserved, all over mourning about the sweet silver haired girl that was brought back into Allen's life only to be taken away again by the cold hands of death three years later. Five years if one counted the two they'd spent upon the Mystic Moon.
"She was beautiful," Gaddes finally let out, choking back the sob he'd been forcing into his chest.
Allen bit down on his bottom lip gently, nodding, his eyes half-closed. "So very," he whispered, biting back the tremble that rose. No, he hadn't gotten over it. But if he had... then that would mean he hadn't loved her. If he could get over her death so quickly, he had no right to proclaim love for her.
The other blinked back tears, forcing them to fall down the sides of his face. Yes - he did need this, he'd concluded. "She was so young. Gods, so young. She never even really got a chance to live her own life, did she? To live - with you, and your daughter. Just . . . just to live. . . "
"So many things happened... Gaddes, she never really had a childhood. And then... then that. She didn't have a chance at all. You should have seen her, Gaddes... she was so happy when Angelina was born. She was so happy..."
Gaddes tightened his hold around Allen, reaching stroke his pale cheek tenderly. "She was so happy with you, too. You - I overheard you once . . . talking about marrying her as your wife. I never asked - did you finally do it on the Mystic Moon? Marry her, I mean?"
"N-not quite, no," he said softly, shaking his head a little. "We didn't have the money." Which in itself was an odd experience for Allen. "I... I was going to bring it up, but then..." Allen's lithe frame trembled softly and he reached up a shaking hand to brush away his tears.
"The day you found her . . ." Gaddes realized, eyes narrowing. He bit his lip. Their story was such a sad one. "That was when you were going to ask her?"
"Not that exact day, no... but in a month we could have afforded it. A month, Gaddes..." Allen managed a soft whimper, clasping a hand over his mouth to quiet it.
They lay there quietly for a few long moments, in each other's company. One arm curled around Allen's waist and holding him close, Allen's arm draped over Gaddes' middle. They stayed there on the bed with their tears. Then an idea came to Gaddes, thinking about how Allen so nearly got married to his love, so close until she'd died too soon for the day to come. It made his heart ache horribly. "A month . . . Tell me, Allen." He tried to smile slightly, a faltering smile, weak and frail with remorse, "What would it have been like? Your wedding to her?"
"I... don't know. She would have been beautiful--not that she wasn't all the time anyway." Allen smiled a little, curled up next to his mover, comfortable. He sighed softly, shaking his head slightly. "I don't think it would have mattered much. All that mattered was that it had happened..."
"Did you ever buy her a ring?" whispered Gaddes affectionately, settling into this more comfortable conversation. Once the harsh realization of her death had passed, it seemed - easier to talk about her like this.
"No... no, I'd wanted to go with her to buy it. I wanted it to be special for her, you know? But... well... I never got the chance."
Then came the hard question to ask. He'd never asked, never bothered, never wanted to know - before this. "H-How did she . . . what was it that . . .?"
Allen smiled a little at the memory of it. "It was..." it was hard to find a word for it, a good description, "…perfect." It was all he could think of, all he could think to even begin to describe it.
Gaddes closed his eyes painfully, drawing Allen a little closer. "How did she die, is what I'm asking."
"Mm... I... I don't know." Allen shook his head, curling up closer to him, sighing softly. "I wasn't paying much attention to the physicians... just to her."
"You - never bothered to ask them?" he asked softly, a little surprised that Allen wouldn't have wanted to know - wouldn't have demanded to know why she'd been taken from them so soon, so young.
"I didn't have time. We... the pendant brought us back here not long after she passed away. I'd been too caught up in the fact that she was... that she was gone..."
Gaddes nodded gravely, taking another deep breath as he let the thoughts linger. "How many times did you make love to her - up there on the moon?"
"Few," he said softly, shaking his head. "Not nearly enough, I'd say." Not nearly enough at all. He'd been so... caught up in other things that he hadn't. If he could go back, he would, knowing he would lose her so soon.
"Did she enjoy it?" was his next question, almost asked in a cheeky sort of tone - as if Gaddes was mocking. For who could not enjoy Allen's gentle love making?
"As far as I know," he said softly, a small smile on his lips. "If she didn't, she never said otherwise." She had craved it so much, he could only hope he'd fulfilled what she'd wished.
"Hm?" Allen blinked a little, looking up at Gaddes. He quirked a brow slowly, wondering where he was taking this.
"Well, if she were still alive," continued Gaddes, "You and I . . . would never have gotten back together. You two would have been married, with a beautiful child to raise. She would have been happy for it. Angelina - would have grown up a little differently. And you . . . maybe you wouldn't be so melancholy as you are now. You'd still have your sister . . . your - wife."
"Gaddes," he began softly, looking at the brunette, brushing his fingers against the other's cheek, "don't think like that. I would have been married to her, yes, but it wouldn't be like I'd never love you. It... wouldn't be like this, but I wouldn't stop loving you. Do you understand that? just like I can't ever stop loving her..."
"It seems like you do stop sometimes," Gaddes nearly accused, "Like you try so hard to just stop remembering her, and then it leads to you forgetting her, like you're forcing her out of your heart just for me. And - it didn't seem right that you did that. That you forgot her so quickly, or got over her like that. I know you can be stoic sometimes, but you're not heartless."
"I'm not... and I can't forget her. But... I can't keep burdening all of you with it. It hurts to push thoughts of her away, but there's a place for it. I do still think about her, but... I don't like crying over it. And I can hardly help but do so."
"Come here," beckoned Gaddes softly, tugging gently upon Allen's narrow waist so that he could scoot up and snuggle better. The sergeant had been quite a bit more - prone to affection since he'd gotten debilitated, but he never wondered about it. It was odd, but his heart just seemed to naturally require more physical reassurances to remind himself that he was, in fact, alive and awake.
"I know you couldn't forget her, not really. But - I don't necessarily think you have to get over her either. At least, not like that. Let her memory linger, even though she's not here anymore. It might be sad, but she was too special to just get over - now that she's gone." And he thought for a moment more, thinking such strange ideas, wanting to ask questions that would otherwise be inappropriate. But he found he couldn't help himself - he only wanted to better know Allen, his way of thinking, and was curious about his relationship with his sister. Maybe it would help Gaddes to better understand the knight. "If - I meant to ask you . . . Would . . . would you have had more children? After Angelina?"
"I'm... I'm not sure," he said softly. "With her, you mean? I... it hurt so much to find out she was blind. I'm not sure I could go through that again. And... and I don't think I'd want to have children with anyone else." Allen shook his head, sighing heavily.
"Well, you have - two - now, right?" Gaddes said slowly, looking into Allen's handsome face and searching his features in the dim lantern light. He brought up his hand, caressing the knight's fair cheek and brushing away the stray tears with his callused thumb.
"One." He sighed softly... that boy... he wasn't his son. He didn't raise him at all. Only Angelina. It was only her. Allen shook his head a little, looking up at his lover.
"He'll figure it out eventually," said Gaddes cautiously, a serious look in his usually smarmy gaze, "But - I know it's not my business. So I'll keep quiet about it now. We shouldn't be talking of that kind of stuff anyway."
Allen sighed softly, hugging Gaddes, his head resting on his shoulder. "I don't know what I'll do when he does, honestly. I... I really don't."
The blonde shook his head slightly, looking at the material of the brunette's shirt to force himself not to cry. Two children... one with his sister... one with a woman married off to a king. It was just... he sure had a wonderful choice in relationships.
Gaddes smiled a little, holding Allen gently while his idle hand stroked his hair. Taking a breath, he had to think about what he should say, his jaw working slightly as he decided. He stopped, and smiled again. "Angelina - is one of the most beautiful children I've ever seen in my life." he whispered to Allen, "And I have seen a lot of kids. Take it from a guy who comes from a family of 10, including me. Having her with your sister . . . I was surprised that all that was wrong with her was her sight. Kids from that kind of relationship don't make it passed two, usually. Aren't nearly as pretty, and certainly not known for mental prowess. Allen . . . you really are blessed, if you think about it. Even if Celena's gone, you still have a child so perfect in nearly every way. A true angel. Celena named her well."
Allen smiled a little, nodding a bit. "Mm... I am rather fortunate. I still have both of you, after all." The blonde sighed softly, resting his forehead against the other's shoulder. "And I love both of you so much." And they loved him back. And, after all... he still had Riden and Kio and Pyle... and now Hans, Ethan and Chris. It was almost... amazing.
Gaddes then gave Allen his little grin, that same little grin that played across his lips so long ago, cocking his head to the side and steeling that glint in his eye. "Does teacher get a kiss?" he said playfully.
Allen blinked a bit, lifting his head to look at Gaddes. Then, a small smile flickered on his lips and he leaned up, brushing them against Gaddes'. He was glad for his lover's presence, for how much he had reverted back to as he had been before.
"Are you tired?" asked Gaddes, smiling his smarmy smiled and moving to rub his cheek against Allen's, nipping playfully at his lover's ear. "Because I'm not all that tired."
Allen chuckled a little, shaking his head slightly. "Not at all, love, not at all." He couldn't miss out on an opportunity like this. Nae... a perfect opportunity like this.
~
The Crusade flew steadily through the night and most of the next morning. Duties upon the ship were quickly taken care of, and the crew was more than glad to oblige. Riden always on watch on the periscope, Kio the helmsman, Gaddes second mate to Allen, and Pyle in guymelef maintenance in the hanger. Which left all three new members of the ship's crew to figure out what their best qualities would be suited for.
Chris and Ethan were harder to place than Hans, who got maintenance right along side Pyle. He seemed to have more knowledge in technology and so he was perfect for the job. The Terran brothers, however - well, they got stuck swabbing the deck until Gaddes could figure out what to do with them.
"Man, this sucks," Chris said to his brother, slopping the wet mop onto the floor with a loud "thwap!" and contemptuously shoving it across the floorboards.
"Well... I mean, there's not much else we can do for now," Ethan said quietly. "I mean... I'd be worthless with the... er... melef things. And like I said before, I don't have many skills that would deal with, well... anything with this. I mean, seriously... I play guitar. That's, like... it." He sighed softly, shaking his head, mopping the floor. He couldn't really complain about it, even if he didn't like it. He really didn't have many useful skills to use around here.
For the moment, a thunderous rumble coming from Chris' stomach interrupted their train of thoughts. Chris stopped and looked down at himself, placing a hand on his abdomen before making a face that suggested something of deep sorrow and regret - almost comical. "Geez. . . I need something to eat that more substantial than dried fruit and meat." He blanched, "What I wouldn't give for a large, thick, juicy steak dripping in tangy juices and a hot steamy pile of mashed potatoes just slopped in butter . . . maybe some vegetables. Broccoli - no! Carrots. Also dripping in artery-hardening amounts of butter . . ."
Ethan made a face, staring over at his brother. "Oh... that's just... ick. Brussel Sprouts. Yeah... with a little bit of chipotle and lots of butter rubbed all over them. Steamed, so they'll be tender. Mm... pork chops simmered in cream..." Ethan swayed a little, grinning slightly. "But I can't cook, so I guess I'm out of luck, huh?"
For a moment, a jolt of homesickness struck him hard. He missed Nikki, even if all she ever did was tease him, and he missed Jazz and the other boys. He never thought he'd miss McDonalds, but there you go. Everything there was familiar, and here... well here, he was just more of a freak then he'd been there.
"Aren't you blockheads done yet?" demanded Gaddes, silently sneaking up on them and making Chris jump in surprise. He came to a sudden stop, his front wheels popping up slightly with the effort but he recovered quickly, and continued to glare at the brothers. Chris fumbled for some sort of salute, having grown accustomed to the mannerisms that were appropriate under the command of both Allen and Gaddes after five years.
"Um - N-Not as such, no, . . . uh, sir - Gaddes, sir." stuttered Chris helplessly. Gaddes rolled his eyes, turning his chair back around and speaking over his shoulder as he left them.
"Well, get ready for the landing. We're coming up to the fort in two minutes." he said, adding under his breath, "What's left of it."
Ethan blinked, startled at the man's sudden appearance. The boy bit down on the inside of his bottom lip lightly, glancing over at Chris. This had been these men's home for so long... and their's for 5 years. He wouldn't doubt that the appearance of it might bring forth a little chagrin towards Hans.
But, Ethan reasoned with himself, they'd spent enough time with him recently to know that he was, really a good guy. Albeit a little depressive sometimes, but he did truly feel sorry for the atrocities that had been committed here.
The ship lurched, and a rumble came from deep within the hull, followed by a dull whining noise that indicated the use of the propellers to steer them to a safe landing upon the ground. Chris ran to the nearest window then, and saw their gentle decent into the murky swamplands where Fort Castelo once stood. A quick search revealed the ruined fort in the distance, not too far from where he could see they were about to land.
It was hard to tell from this distance, but from what he could see - the fort lay in nothing but useless piles of broken stone and timber.
"Well, at least I don't see any Basram ships around." he muttered, mostly to himself.
Ethan walked quietly over to his brother's side, a half tremble crawling up his spine. It was so creepy to see it like that, when it had been standing so proudly when he'd first seen it. Creepy... and disheartening. This really was a war they were involved in. They were quickly pulled into an actual war. People were dying, whether or not he liked it.
Without really realizing it, he'd curled his fingers around his brother's arm, long hair draping over his shoulders as he stared out at the ruined building. He could only imagine the pain the other men were feeling at that moment, as they saw the place they, themselves, had built.
~
Gaddes sat in his chair, at the very front of the bridge and scrutinizing the landscape warily. He swallowed as he saw the ruins come into view, gripping the rims of his wheels anxiously and wishing he could just jump right through the glass and run to it. For what reason, he couldn't even begin to explain. But the sight filled him with a morose kind of feeling, and contempt for Basram, for Hans. He still didn't like the man, but he'd tolerate him for his family's sake. Allen and Angelina were his family, now - and for them, he would do anything within his power.
Allen wasn't sure he completely trusted the man, but Angelina never would have allowed them to leave him behind. Never. She loved him she claimed. And Allen had hardly ever been able to deny her anything at all. Ethan trusted him, but Allen... even Ethan had said something about how he hadn't grown up here. He didn't have the normal prejudices. It was simply amazing to Allen that the boy, after what they had done to him in that camp, didn't hate them.
Hans, himself, felt his heart wrench at the sight of the ruined fort. Even had admitted to himself that the structure had been beautiful. And now, by the hands of people he had fought beside and trusted, it lay in ruins.
The ship landed, Kio steering it just right into a nice flat delta a half a mile away from the ruins. At which point Gaddes turned to Allen, nodded resolutely and said, "We await your orders, Captain. Should we assemble an away team?"
"We're not completely sure there aren't any Basram soldiers about. So we can't head out with anything showy." Allen pursed his lips slightly, looking over at Gaddes. "I'm asking your advice... should Hans, Ethan and Chris come along? They're not really a part of this. I don't think I'm ready to give the Basram a weapon... and Ethan wouldn't fight. Chris might want to stay behind with his brother."
Gaddes thought for a moment, "Hans and Ethan should stay here. Mostly to take care of the ship and your daughter. Take Riden, who's fast on his feet in case you need to send him with orders. And Kio, he's strong." He looked down briefly, gliding forward toward him before lifting his gaze, "And me."
Allen nodded slightly, offering a little smile. "Alright... then what to do with Chris? Shall we leave it up to him?" Allen turned his gaze to Gaddes, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The knight's uniform may have been shredded and left back on Earth, but that didn't mean he'd lost any of the regality that he'd carried when he'd worn it.
"Well, you trained him well enough with the sword, didn't you?" asked Gaddes, in a tone that suggested a relationship that was more relaxed with Allen than being his second mate and sergeant. Tapping his wheels lightly, he said, "I'm pretty useless to you, like this. I just wanted to see the fort. Take him with us to defend us in my place. I'm sure he'll be up to it."
Allen nodded slightly, looking at Gaddes. He smiled a little, then turned, heading back into the craft to find Chris, Ethan and Hans, explaining what was going on. Ethan just told his brother to be careful, giving a little smile as he watched him leave. He felt bad for watching his brother leave like that, for not being able to help. He wanted to help Chris, but... he'd be worthless. He was a klutz sometimes and he wasn't physically strong.
When Allen returned, he glanced over at Gaddes and the others, inclined his head to them. "Let's head out."