Omg it's been a busy week. I had some folk over to stay and it ended up with us falling out. Fun.
Anyway this was a really hard chapter to write, cause I wasn't sure where I was going with it, everything has changed from the original idea, but I like how it's come about. Mostly relationship stuff with the new folk aboard the condor, hints at what's to come.
Enjoy
So it was decided that Ace would join the Strom Hawks, Aerrow figured the court couldn't prove anything and since he was a sky knight and wiling to watch him they let him go.
Ace was shown to his new quarters and given a Storm Hawks uniform, in different shades of blue, definitely no green or red.
The other member of the Storm Hawks thought their commander was insane. The Dark Ace could now kill them in their sleep. But Aerrow talked them round.
"Look, you don't have to trust him, you trust me. I wouldn't put my family in danger. He's just another person with no family and no where else to go. Sound familiar?" The crew thought back to their own pasts, each of them joining because of having nowhere else. Aerrow had given them a home and a purpose. "Please, understand, he's alright when you get to know him."
Ace was still given cool treatment by everyone except Kes. She spent a lot of time with him, getting to know the real Ace. Aerrow found them one day in her cabin, Kes sitting on the floor and Ace brushing her long hair. Kes smiled up at him as he walked in. She held her hands out to him and he took them, allowing her to pull him down beside her. He sat down gingerly; even a week had not made him comfortable when sitting.
"You ok Aerrow?" Ace twisted the long white hair round his hands.
"Yeah fine, still recovering." Aerrow shifted his position trying to get comfortable on the hard floor. "How are you settling in?"
"To tell you the truth it's hard. The crew is still a bit stiff, but I expect no less, but the ship hasn't changed. This used to be my room." Aerrow looked around; it had been made into a feminine space by the two girls, Piper having taken Kes under her wing and girlied her up. "It certainly wasn't pink when I lived here."
"Piper said it was nice having another girl on board, not having to always be one of the guys. I don't even know how to be one of the guys."
"You'll pick it up quick enough. Basically here it means you have to laugh at Finn's jokes." The three of them chuckled at that. "I'm going to go for a fly; I'll see you guys at dinner." Aerrow pecked Kes on the cheek and walked out.
"Do you know what's bothering him Kestrel?" Ace still found it funny calling her Kestrel.
"No, he doesn't really talk to me. Or anyone it seems, Piper asked me the same thing. I thought he was still mad at me, but I think its something else."
Ace resumed his brushing, he had a sneaking suspicion he knew what had happened to the young sky knight but he needed to get Aerrow to admit to it. He decided to take some action later that day. He just hoped the other Storm Hawks didn't kill him in the process.
--
Ace and Kes walked into the mess hall earlier than scheduled, hoping to have quick word with the crew before the commander returned.
The room fell silent as they walked in, the other crew still now sure around their former enemy.
"I need to talk to you all, something has happened to Aerrow,"
"What did he fall off his skimmer?" The Storm Hawks surrounded him, Piper asking the question.
"No, not today, I mean something from his capture, whether it was in the prison on Atmosia or on Cyclonia, I think he's been," Ace cut off as Aerrow walked into the room.
Aerrow saw his whole crew having a discussion, maybe they're starting to get along, they're talking at least, he thought.
"Hey guys, what's going on?"
Ace sat down, waiting for the meal to be served. He avoided Aerrow's eye contact and just started eating. The other members chatted about inane things, Aerrow not joining the conversation, just watching his team eat. Ace noticed the commander was not eating. He's noticed the same thing over the last few days, and if the slightly dark circles under Aerrow's eyes were anything to go by he hadn't slept much either.
Ace waited till everyone had finished their dinner before he made his move.
"So Aerrow, you ready to tell us what happened to you?" Aerrow's face showed the panic he felt at the question.
"I don't know what you mean." Aerrow stood up and started to leave, not willing to get into the conversation.
Ace grabbed him by the arm and pinned him up against the bulk head, facing the wall. He pinned the younger man's arms above his head and gripped the narrow toned waist with his other hand. Aerrow screamed out. "Get off me, Ace please."
"What's wrong Aerrow, you know I'm not going to hurt you but your sweating and trembling. Please tell me." Ace released his grip slightly and Aerrow flipped himself over Ace's head landing on the floor in a crouch.
"Nothing does wrong, you wouldn't understand, just leave me alone, that is an order!" Aerrow turned tail and ran for it.
Ace caught him in the hanger, sitting on his skimmer. "Just leave me alone, please." Aerrow hung his head, trying to hide the tears streaming down his face.
"Who raped you Aerrow?" Aerrow snapped his head up and stared at Ace. He saw the rest of his team standing at the hanger doors, all looking shocked.
"What? Is it tattooed on me somewhere? Can you smell it or, it doesn't matter; it's over."
Ace walked over to the bike and sat behind him, cocking his leg over. "I know because I recognized your behaviour. I'll not go into details but when I was a kid I went through something similar. It does not help to hide from it; by lying to your self that it didn't matter, it will destroy you." Aerrow leaned back on the older man.
"I don't know what to think. It doesn't seem that important, considering what else is going on in the world. But I can't stop thinking about how dirty it made me feel, three of them, thinking I deserved it." The rest of the Storm Hawks drifted closer, Kestrel hanging back slightly. This was another thing that was her fault, she thought.
Ace turned Aerrow slightly so he could see his eyes. "Look, if you want to talk about it, with less audience, I'll listen. It'll help, promise." Ace stood up and dragged Aerrow off the bike. "No running away. This is your Crew Aerrow; they'd fall apart without you."
"You mean we'd fall apart," Piper said, "You're one of us now."
--
Aerrow was sitting talking with Piper about his capture in Cyclonia a few days later. She was experimenting on some crystals while Aerrow speculated. He needed her logical mind to help him work a few things out.
"So let me get this straight, she captured and tortured you, you escaped, but you're wondering why she had you in the first place? Does it matter? You're out now, you're safe, and you're home."
"Yeah but why did she do all of that to me? She didn't even ask me any questions, just started to tear me apart."
"Maybe she just likes hurting people."
--
"So, you plan failed Ravess. The ever honourable sky knight saved the traitor. You know it's not a good idea to fail me." Cyclonis had Ravess pinned to the wall by the fire bolt crystal. Raves felt her leather suit start to melt in the heat.
"Yes master, I'm sorry. I thought the girl would be able to get the boy hanged. That would have solved so many problems." Ravess fell to the floor, smoldering as Cyclonis stopped the flow.
"Yes, this new power the boy has shown is interesting, and I treated him as a toy, something to play with then dispose of, I should have known better. He has shown remarkable strength. We have underestimated him. Ravess, the attack of Atmosia will go ahead as planned, I will personally over see it, and deal with any little sky knights who think they know crystals better then me."
--
"So, this power you have over crystals, how do you do it?" Piper had been dying to ask Aerrow since his display in the court room. Finally Aerrow seemed to be returning to normal, he still had his dark moments but Ace was always there to talk him round. The former Talon was showing remarkable heart and compassion, something Piper did not know he had in his body.
"I don't know, it's just as if I'm summoning the lightening claw, only I pull from any crystal around. The first time I pulled from every crystal, but that hurt. It was as if the power was burning through me, the more power, the more it burned. I think."
"Why don't we experiment? If you only pull power from a specific crystal, maybe you can act like a crystal staff and project that power. And that would be why you trashed Cyclonis' torture chamber, you pulled from so many different types it all got mucked up." Aerrow looked skeptical at trying, not wanting to volunteer for more pain but he thought he was better to practice, never know when it might come in handy.
Piper had him start with freeze crystals, Aerrow pulled the power and was able to make a glass of water freeze. He also shattered it with the next thought, using the left over charge in his system.
After a few more experiments Piper gave her conclusions. "It seems you can use the power the crystal has, the way the crystal does, so freezing for freeze, sliming for slimer, or you can use the energy charge for a raw blast. It should be useful, but you're going to have to watch what you use, if you're in the air don't pull from your fuel crystals, the skimmer will nose dive."
Aerrow was feeling a bit raw and tired by the time Piper had done enough experimenting. He excused himself and went to lie down in his bunk. He really was feeling better in himself, Ace being a very unlikely councilor. He wasn't a good patient though, they usually talked while exercising, whether it was beating the crap out of each other or practicing pattern dances. Ace still had very little patience for it but he'd discovered Aerrow talked easier when he was distracted. The talks while sparring tended to end up as arguments due to the violence.
Over all it had been a quiet time since he came back aboard, he was getting closer to Kestrel again, and they had no emergencies to run off to.
A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. Kestrel poked her head in and smiled at him. He smiled back and watched her walk into the room. He still liked watching her move in the figure hugging uniform she wore.
"Hey you. I could hear you thinking all the way in my room. What's on you mind?" Aerrow pulled her down beside him. He kissed her softly and she melted against him. Kes rested her head on his chest and signed loudly.
"Nothing major, just thinking how quiet it has been recently. We've not had to go find work to keep this heap running cause of the stipend I received. Trust me it's not usually this quiet. I was thinking we should go and have fun somewhere."
"What, go on a date? That would be nice. We could double with Piper and Ace."
"WHAT!?" Aerrow sat bolt upright, spilling Kes from his chest. She sat up next to him. "What, er, when, how did this happen?"
Kes smirked at his shocked face. "It hasn't, not yet but it's going to. He's always hanging round her lab, when he's not getting pounded by you that is. You do realize you beat him most of the time, I was helping him bind his ribs the other day cause you cracked two of them."
"I didn't really realize, he always rubs me up the wrong way when we're sparring, I think he does it on purpose."
"Or course he does, you blurt out more when you're angry." Aerrow glared at her and leaned against the wall. Kestrel scooted next to him and played with his hair. He laid his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes, enjoying the tingling sensations she was bringing. "Aerrow, you still love me don't you?" Aerrow straightened and stared into her eyes. "It's just that you haven't said it since that day in court. I was wondering if you'd changed your mind." Kes dropped her gaze into the bed, not wanting Aerrow to see the tears in her eyes.
Aerrow grabbed her and yanked her so she was lying on the bed. He kissed her hard and held her down. "Kestrel, I love you. I love everything about you and I love each moment I spend with you. I'm so sorry I've not told you in so long." Aerrow kissed her again softer.
He leaned over her and snuck his hand under her top and played with her bare side. Kes moaned slightly and raised the bottom of Aerrow top, hinting for him to remove it. Aerrow flung his top off and pulled Kestrel on top of himself. She straddled him and ran her hands up and down his chest. The huge scar from the spear crystal was white now and she fingered the edges, feeling the coarse texture a distinct opposite from the teenager's soft skin. Aerrow slid both hands under her top and gripped her back tightly. Kestrel sat up and shed her own top and bra, gazing down at Aerrow, slightly out of breath. Aerrow sat up and caught her nipple in his mouth. Kes gasped as the hot wetness engulfed her.
A voice came out of nowhere. "If you're going to get physical would you please lock your door Aerrow? I did not want to see that." Ace was in the door way covering his eyes. At the first word Kestrel and Aerrow had dove under the covers, covering their lack of clothing. Aerrow came out blushing.
"Sorry Ace, moment kinda came upon us."
"It's still upon us, go away please Ace," the voice from under the covers demanded.
"Have fun kiddies." Ace closed the door behind him.
"We will," was shouted from the other side.
Ace was chuckling when he entered Piper's room. He'd been down to the lab looking for her but she wasn't there. Or on the bridge, so he thought he'd pay her a visit in her room.
He knocked politely and waited for an answer. Piper opened the door and smiled up at him. "Hello you."
Piper felt a rush of excitement as Ace walked into her room for the first time. "What's up?" Ace sat on her chair.
"Nothing much, just wondered where you had got to. I was a bit bored listening to Finn's music choice on the bridge."
"And that's exactly why I wasn't there. I thought I'd get some peace and quiet here." Piper sat on her bed, trying not to grin too much.
"If your wanting to be left alone, I guess I'll go," Ace went to get up when Piper caught his hand.
"No, honestly, peace from the noise Finn calls music was what I meant. Company is more than welcome. Aerrow not up for sparring?"
"Oh yes, but I'm not the first choice of partner." Piper looked confused. "I walked into his room to find him and Kestrel, er"
Piper blushed. "Oh, I see. So how are you anyway?" Piper changed the subject, not wanting to discuss her captain's sex life.
"I'm alright. Aerrow's been beating the crap out of me. My ribs still haven't recovered from the bout a couple of days ago."
"Why do you let him beat on you so much, I cannot believe he's that much better than you? Why let him win so often?"
Ace rubbed the back of his neck. "Mainly cause he blurts out a lot when he's angry and then tends to back track. I think if he was revealing loads and getting his ass kicked he might clam up. Don't worry he's going to get a wake up call soon. He's sounding pretty together with him self. Good job to before he takes me apart." He stretched out his shoulders. "God I'm getting stiff in my old age."
Piper giggled. "Hardly old age. You can't be more than twenty eight."
"Twenty seven actually. Still Aerrow is unbelievably fast. Not as strong as he could be though, thank god." Ace was still squirming in the hard chair, his muscles not relaxing like they should.
"Aw, poor baby, getting beaten up by the teenager. Come here." Ace got up and walked over to the bed. Piper dragged him onto the bed and knelt behind him. She rubbed the back of his neck and he groaned. "Could you take your top off for me? I've got massage oil; I use it on my legs when I've over done it."
Ace removed his top and sat back onto the bed. Piper warmed the oil in her hands then massaged his tense shoulders, Ace trying not to wince. After a while Ace stopped moaning in pain and enjoyed the sensation of the girl's hands on him. He melted into her touch, enjoying his first pain free moments. "That was incredible." Piper slid round to sit next to him, grabbing a towel to wipe her hands with.
"Thanks, I hope you're feeling better."
"Much."
Piper leaned in and wiped the drips of oils that ran down his chest from his shoulders. "I've kinda made a bit of a mess, sorry." She rubbed the oil that was mingling with the black hair on his chest. Ace put his hand on hers to stop her. She looked up and realized how close she was to him. He leaned forward slightly and kissed her tentatively on the lips. He looked into her eyes, expecting to see revulsion but only saw surprise. He leaned in again and caught her lips in a longer kiss, catching her body, and pressing it against his for a brief second. He'd been watching her for days, wanting to reach out and touch her but being too scared.
"Ace, I've wanted to kiss you all week, but I was afraid you'd think I was just a kid."
"And here I am thinking you thought I was an old man." Ace put his arm around her. She kissed him back for a moment and snuggled into his embrace. "Are you sure you're ok with this? I mean if you don't want to I'll understand."
"Ace, I've never had a boyfriend, I've never really met anyone I'd want to go out with, but I really like you. I want to try?"
Ace kissed her again.
A/N right, longest chapter ever! Anyway hope it was worth waiting for. I know a few of you have me on alert so hi!
Love to the reviewers as usual. Aven, tege, Aerrow4eva.
Please review.