DR: My thanks should go to my beta-reader for this chapter, since he gave me the main idea...
Vega: Did I hear you right when you said there was 'moment' in this chapter that concerns my Mom?
DR: Yea... something wrong with that?
Vega: Nope. (Grins)
Chapter 32: Old Ghosts, New Toys
Steve sat down opposite Layon, slowly picking up the phone. After a few seconds, Layon did the same for the other end.
"Well, well, old 'Doc' Toros comes to visit." Layon all but snarled down the line.
"Layon," Steve tried to remain calm. "Can we at least try to be civil to each other?"
"Why should I be?" Layon shot back.
"Harassing me or my daughter won't bring her back…"
"She would never have died if she had been with me!"
Steve forced the words out. "Layon, do you remember the invitation you received, right before…" He couldn't continue.
Layon slowly nodded, all anger draining away. When he had heard about Sandra's death, he had been unable to do anything but cry into his pillows for several days. As he sat there, he could see the pain riding across Steve's face, showing how much he had suffered that day too.
"We were planning on telling you everything, at that party…"
"I already know everything!" Layon snapped. "You had no intention of signing that letter with my name!"
Steve allowed Layon to continue to rant for several minutes. Better to get Layon all tired out before he dropped the bombshell. At last the other man ran out of words, but he continued to glare at Steve.
"Layon, I didn't write it."
Layon's eyes snapped open, and then they narrowed.
"You asked me to do it since you couldn't write poetry and love letters properly. You never gave me a chance to tell you…"
"What?"
"I can't either."
"Then who…?" Then the answer shot right though Layon's skull like a bullet, and ricocheted around there. "Oscar?" He asked in a small, quiet voice.
Steve could only nod. As Layon continued to stare blankly, Steve gently explained.
"I had no skill, so I went to Oscar. But he signed my name by mistake."
"That's no excuse to take her though!" Layon snarled. "You could have told her the truth then, but no… you had to have her yourself!" Steve sighed.
"Thing is, I did love her, but it took that mistake on Oscars part to show me. Layon," He looked the other man in the eye. "She loved all three of us, but she only loved one of us as a man. The other two were brothers to her."
Layon slumped back, lost in his mind while Steve continued. "She could never have returned your affections Layon. I hate to say it but it's true. You remember how she was about the truth."
A small part of Layon's brain was still working, and automatically dragged a small smile onto his lips at Steve's reminder. Sandra had always been very forthright, and almost demanded others to be to the same standard. How the hell she got so involved with them he never could figure out.
"She told me, you were her substitute little brother, since she never had any brothers, while Oscar became a sort of older one."
Steve heaved another long sigh. "Why she loved me as man rather than a brother I'll never really know. But when she found out about what happened over those few days, she was determined to reveal all. Our break up really hurt her."
Layon slowly pulled himself back to the world. "Why haven't you said anything before, and why has Oscar never said anything either?"
"Myself? I don't really know. After her…" Steve hesitated. "…Passing, I was too distraught to really give it much thought. And then I had to raise two kids all by myself." Steve shrugged. "As for Oscar, I can't say. Maybe self preservation." He looked at Layon again. "So, now you know the truth. Can we start over again?"
Layon sat there for a long time. Finally he looked up at Steve. "I don't think so Steve. Too much has happened." Steve let his shoulders slump in defeat.
"I won't be coming after you, if that's want your afraid of." Layon continued. "I need to think long and hard about this. About my life." Suddenly he leaned forward, conspiratorially.
"I hear you now have the Berserker Fury in your team?"
"Yes…" Steve wondered where Layon was going with this line of thought.
"Listen, before the Royal Cup, Sarah asked me if it was possible to create a CAS for the Fury, just like the Liger Zero has." Layon was almost whispering. "I didn't get round to finishing the first one, based on the idea of the Jaeger armour. But what I did complete is well hidden."
Steve leaned forward himself, a child like wonder on his face. "Really? Where?"
Layon laughed. "Our old stomping grounds, amongst the rubble. The keypad needed to open the vault is hidden under the only one of the old photos not destroyed in the fire." The fire Layon started when he blew the old bar up, but neither man mentioned that.
Layon whispered a series of numbers into the phone, before hanging up and walking back to the door behind him. Steve slowly replaced his receiver, shock riding all over his face.
X-X-X-X-X-X
In the corridor outside the room, Oscar sat waiting. He had come along to support Steve if needed. He knew the way things were likely to turn out - Layon would turn his vengeance on him too. But at least the ghosts of the past would be laid to rest at last.
He jumped as Steve stepped out. Oscar frowned at the mixed look on his face. Child like wonder and excitement warred with deep shock.
"You all right Steve?" He asked gently, concerned about his old friend.
"Yea, I'm fine." Steve continued to walk, not looking back. Oscar fell in step besides him, wondering what had been said in there.
"Oscar?"
"Hmm?"
"You have anything planed in the next couple of days?"
"No, why?"
Steve at last grinned. "I think Layon wishes to send a certain young lad a present. But we'll need a Gustav to bring it back to the Blitz Base. And If I'm right, it'll be at least a two man job."
Oscar thought about the idea for a half second, before nodding. "Okay, where we going?"
"You'll never believe it, but…"
X-X-X-X-X-X
Leena sat by the new pool, watching the Koy swim about. Ever since Sarah and Naomi had had the pool added, the fishes had fascinated Leena. They swam about without a care in the world; the only thing on their minds was food. A bit like some people she knew very well…
As if in response to her thoughts, Bit Cloud crouched down besides her, sliding an arm round her waist as he did so. She lent into his embrace, grateful for his presence.
"You okay?" He asked. "You've been awfully quiet the last couple of days."
"I'm fine."
Bit didn't buy it for a minute, but decided, wisely, not to push. Leena was still a highly volatile person. It was never a good idea to get her annoyed, as Bit knew all too well. Instead he gestured to the fish, which had come surging across to them when he stepped close, begging for food. The way they stuck their mouths out of the water, lipless mouths opening and closing, was almost comical, and certainly relaxing.
"Insatiable appetites they have, don't they?"
"Yes…" Leena almost cooed.
Bit was silent for a time. "Maybe we ought to do something to thank them both for this." He wondered aloud. Leena brought her head round to look him in the eye.
"Like what?"
"Well for a start, Naomi's birthday's coming up soon…" Bit suggested. At her questioning look, he shrugged. "Saw the date in our database. Point is we could get her something…"
"And what exactly do we give her? And what about Sarah?"
Bit slumped his shoulders in defeat. "I don't any ideas Leena. What does a three month pregnant women want?"
Leena chuckled at the crestfallen look on his face. "You'd best leave this to me…" She said as she gave him a gentle kiss. It had been intended only to be a quick one, but the longer her lips rested on his, the less she wanted to pull away. Their arms wrapped round each other lovingly. Despite the strained relationship between the two of them, neither of them could deny that they were attracted to each other.
At last a deep metallic rumble from outside brought them out. With the roof skylight open, the sound of an approaching Gustav was clear.
"Wonder if that's Dad coming back…" She murmured.
"Yea, I wonder why he and Oscar went off so soon after coming back from visiting Layon…"
"Guess we'd better go and see…" She sighed as they stood up together. Knowing her father, it was likely to be bad news for their accounts…
X-X-X-X-X-X
Soon the team gathered in the hanger. The Gustav, Naomi's that Steve had borrowed, was parked in the centre of the hanger with the trailer stopped just before the Fury. A large tarpaulin covered something on it.
"So what have you got now dad?" Leena asked, silently calculating the cost of something that large. Her eyes narrowed as the figures rose.
Steve smiled in return. "A present, from Dr Layon."
"Layon?" Leena's eyes snapped open. What could he have sent now? Sarah's narrowed as she thought about what Layon could have sent.
"Well, what is it?" Vega asked.
Steve beamed at Sarah. "Layon told me you asked him to look into making a set of conversion armours for the Fury."
Sarah nodded slowly. "Yes, though I never expected him to complete anything before the Royal Cup…"
"Well, he almost finished this one." Oscar said as he pulled away the tarp. Beneath were two massive wedges, each roughly the same size as the Fury's thigh. They were unpainted, and some panels were missing. The smaller ends were intake vents, while inside the main sections parts of ion engines could be seen. Laying along side the wedges were two large thin wings, with the bases having intricate mechanisms…
Bit grinned. "Let me guess. It's intended as the Fury's version of Jaeger."
Steve grinned again. "Correct. He called it the 'Storm Unit', since it would 'take the ZBC by storm'." He shrugged at Layon's choice of words. "They were intended to replace the rotary arms, but give the Fury incredible speed." Steve looked apologetically at Vega. "You'll lose both the lasers and the shield, but with the speed you'd get out of this…" He patted the nearest unit as joy rode up his face. "…You'll be able to evade almost anything!"
"Cool!" Vega grinned.
X-X-X-X-X-X
"So what do you think, about Layon's 'Storm Unit'?"
Sarah sighed. "Could be useful, but I'm worried that Vega may not be able to take such high speeds…"
Leon gently lifted her chin with his hand. "Hey, he's a strong kid. He'll handle it. If Bit can handle the Jaeger…"
"I know…"
Both of them sat at the poolside as dusk fell that night. Vega and Steve were still fawning over the partly assembled Storm Unit in the hanger, while the rest of the team were downstairs, watching some film. Leon loved sitting here with her. The calmness of the place was a relaxing change from the pace of the Blitz Team. The gentle tinkling of the waterfall was very conductive to peace and tranquillity, while the growing plants filled the air with rich scents, which soothed even Bit and Leena. As the evening had progressed they had closed the upper skylight, but through the clear glass panes the stars far above twinkled gentle.
Leon gently drew her into a hug, and she gratefully fell into it. She found it reassuring to be encircled by his arms, his strength nourishing her. There, she felt truly safe for the first time in her life that she could recall. Leon for his part felt complete like never before. He had always known that for each person there was an ideal zoid partner, and he had assumed that the same held true for people. But he had never in his wildest dreams thought that he would be lucky enough to find his! And for it to be Sarah Obscura, no less!
They sat there together for a long time, not saying a word. No sound from below interrupted them, as the flooring was both thick and highly sound proofed. They only moved when Sarah cracked a yawn.
"Sorry. Guess I'm more tired than I thought." She said sleepily.
"That's okay. I'm feeling a little tired myself." He slowly let her go. "I think we'd best turn in."
They stepped though the double doors that entered the half of the horseshoe that both their rooms were on. But as Leon started to head right, Sarah held onto his hand.
He looked at her in confusion. "Sarah?"
She looked nervously at him. "Leon, I… was wondering…"
"Yes?" He asked gently, stepping closer.
"…Well, could you… I mean… stay with me tonight?"
Leon felt his jaw drop as his heart shot to the moon.
"We won't, you know…" Sarah continued, smiling slightly as she blushed. "But we can sleep besides each." She stepped closer. "To get used to the feeling, as it were." She breathed huskily.
"Lead the way, my fair lady." Leon grinned back.
She gently tugged him left, towards her room on the end. Stepping inside, Leon noticed that Sarah had also had a partition added like Brad and Naomi had. Nearly all the furnishing were blue, just like her wardrobe, though the walls were a pale cream. Stepping around the thin wall, Leon was startled to see a full sized double bed. He glanced at Sarah.
"Been planning this for while have we?" He asked in good humour. She just smiled sweetly.
Leon stepped into the bathroom to his right to allow Sarah her privacy. Just because he was going to spend the night with her didn't mean that he was going to push her faster than she was willing to go. He stripped down to T-shirt and shorts while waiting.
At last she gently called him though. Sarah sat up in the bed, watching him. He saw that she had changed to a thin, almost shear blue nightgown. It had two thin shoulder straps that showed off her complexion, and she had let her shimmering blue hair down, partly obscuring her face. As he stepped closer, he saw that with her makeup removed, she seemed younger, more open than before.
He gingerly slipped under the covers besides her, before clicking off the remaining lamp on the bedside. Sliding down together, he wrapped her in his arms. They shared a deep kiss as sleep began to take its grip on them both.
"Good night Sarah, my love…" he whispered.
"Good night, my saviour…"
Moonbay: Ahhh... I love a good romance scene...
DR: Especially those involving you and Irvine?
Moonbay: Hey! (flushes bright red)
DR: Well, till next time, when the Blitz's fortunes take a sudden, sharp nose dive... lots of pain on the way.