Chapter 26

It was about two am as Hope opened up the sliding glass door and stepped outside. She breathed in the cool night air, looking up towards the moon. She was still wiping away tears in her eyes that never seemed to stop flowing and could smell the wonderful fragrances from her parents' flower garden.

"Daddy, I'll do it." She whispered. "I will for the hope of the world."

She closed her eyes and cried.

Her father's body had been taken away after Dr. Ushida pronounced him dead and had called the necessary people.

Now, all that remained was the funeral.

Her mother, an emotional wreck, was lying on the bed refusing to move from the spot where he had died. She had taken a Valium to calm herself down but her sobs filled the bedroom and every so often, Souke walked in to offer tea and support.

She couldn't believe so much had happened this week. At the point where she felt she could handle the giant EVA, the unthinkable happening. Rejection. Her sync rate dropped from 100 to 0 instantaneously.

The EVA all but tried to kill her to get her out of the bioplug, until she was forcefully ejected from the cockpit and saw Sawyer tear open the hatch as he pulled her from it and held her in his arms.

Then, that date with Sawyer.

On that date she felt her heart soaring from her body and as they walked in, about to kiss each other for the first time, and possibly go further then that, she got that phone call from her mother.

She had been able to tell him she loved him, hear him tell her he was proud of her and that he loved her too. Now he was gone. One of the most important men in her life and now, her father was no more.

She stood out on the deck for a while, shutting her eyes, letting tears escape from them as she wrapped a long sweater, her father's beige sweater, around her.

"Daddy." She whispered.

It was dark but as she opened her eyes and shifted her eyes to the left, she saw Sawyer. He was leaning on the railing of the deck, in the dark with his head bowed. Curious, she walked over to him and saw him raise his head and turn to look at her, then look back towards the sky.

"Why are you out here?" Hope asked as she stepped over to him.

"I just thought…. that you and your family wanted to be alone for a while." He said as he breathed in.

"Oh." Hope said as she drew the sweater she was wearing closer to her body. "Thank you for coming with me." Hope whispered as she looked at him.

"Your welcome." He whispered to her.

"I had hoped you'd come. After everything, I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here."

"Hope?" he asked as he straightened up and looked at her.

She turned to him and stared back into his face, she could something in his eyes and it was only for her. She breathed as she looked at him and walked back towards him.

Looking up at him, she moved closer to him and stepped closer into his body. Instinctively, his arms came around her and he held her against him, placing his head against her own.

"I'm here for you, Hope." He whispered to her.

"I know." She whispered back as her arms came around him and she shut her eyes, exhaling as she felt his warmth and his strength. "Sawyer, I'm going to do it. The EVA won't reject me next time. We will be successful in our mission, Sawyer. I have my father on my side, I can't go wrong."

As Sawyer held her, he felt so peaceful and so at ease. He closed his eyes and rocked with her on the back porch as the cool breeze from the mountains nearby swept over them.

Every time he looked at her all he wanted to do was protect her and care for her, You mean so much to me. You're so strong, so beautiful, so kind-hearted and gentle. Its no wonder why I feel the way I do about you. I want to be with you and never leave you. If we're successful with our mission, I'll do that. I'll never leave you as long as I live.

Hope shut her eyes as he held her. She was so sad at that moment and the comfort he gave her eased her pain.

"He suffered for such a long time." Hope said as a tear came out of her eye. "His pain is over now."

"He'll always be with you." Sawyer told her.

"Sawyer, this week has been…. horrible. First with the rejection and then…. my father…."

"I know." He told her. "It will be all right, Hope. We're going to be fine."

Hope breathed out in frustration as she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. "Its an odd feeling to know that the fate of the world rests in my hands."

"In our hands, Hope." Sawyer said. "I'm in it as much as you are and I'll admit that the thought of you going out there just when we…"

"I know." Hope told him with a smirk. "Sawyer, I wanted to spend the night with you tonight. You know that, don't you? If we hadn't had to come here, I wanted to be with you."

"I know that." He said to her as he held her.

"Stay with me tonight, Sawyer." She whispered to him. "I just want to be close to you…I just need you with me. I mean obviously we can't…do that…. here…. but, I just need you next to me."

"Okay." He whispered.

"Soon, we'll have to return to base." She said.

"Take the time to mourn your father then you can have perspective and it will be clear." Sawyer told her.

"Sawyer." Hope said painfully as she held him tighter.

Looking down at her, he placed his finger under her chin and stared into her eyes. Slowly, he bought his face down to hers and gently kissed her.

Hope's eyes closed as she felt his kiss and bought her arms around his neck. His kiss was so gentle and warm. It was tender and comforting. It made her feel like…. she needed him in her life.

They kissed for what seemed like hours out on the deck, it had been almost a full hour that they had kissed each other but it seemed like it was forever..

As he parted from her lips, he smiled slightly as he continued to hold her.

From the inside, Asuka stood at the kitchen window, wearing her long robe. She was looking out onto the deck, seeing Hope and Sawyer embrace. She took a deep breath as she watched them, then she smiled.

It wasn't a large smile but it was a small one, a sign of approval. She sighed, as she took her hot cup of tea and walked back to her bedroom.