I promised another chapter and here it is! I promise you now, the others will be in this...just not yet. It will be a few chapters at least until we get into their part...but they will be here. And like I said before, Gipsy is not dead...I will explain everything later, I promise!
I don't own anything in here...except for Romani, his siblings and any unrecognizable name from Pacific Rim and Godzilla (2014).
Chapter 2
Seventeen Years Later
The plane landed on the ground roughly with a jolt. Twenty-four year old Romani Hansen looked out at the California landscape as the doors began to open.
"On your feet!" the Drill Sergeant ordered.
Everyone else rose to their feet except Romani…but the young man sprang up once the first few soldiers walked past him. Even though he was back on American soil…he still couldn't believe that his first tour of duty was over.
"You got family waiting for you?" one of the older soldiers asked.
Romani looked at him with a faint smile.
"I hope so," he shrugged.
"How long you been away?"
"Fourteen months," Romani told him.
"Take it slow," the soldier advised, "It's the one thing they don't train you for,"
Romani gave a grateful nod and shouldered his pack, stepping out into the tarmac and walking into the airport. He looked around for someone familiar…when something ran into him.
"You're home!" came a familiar voice and Romani turned around to face his younger sister, Sylph, who was currently attending college at California State.
"You're not in school," Romani stated.
"Senior Ditch Day," Sylph smirked, "Ah, actually I called in 'sick'…with a very serious disease. The only way to cure it was to be the first to see my brother as he got off the plane,"
Romani ruffled his sister's choppy black hair, making her growl, and looked around. Sylph gave a wicked smile.
"Your darling wife and son are at home," she told him, "And since I got a dinky little smart car…bad idea by the way…Angel's picking us up,"
"Thank God for older sisters with kids," Romani chuckled.
"Yeah," Sylph nodded, "Hey, you heard from Dad lately?"
"No not really," Romani deadpanned, "In case you haven't noticed, I've been dumping sand outta my boots for fourteen months…might be fifteen,"
"There you two are!"
Sylph and Romani looked around and saw their older, copper-haired sister walking towards them.
"I thought you two had been way-laid by someone," Angel sighed.
Romani dropped his stuff and hugged his older sister, Angel returning it just as hard.
"It still amazes me that I've taken Basic Training to build up my skinny, weakling arms…and you're a Mom who works in a lab and you still nearly break my back with your hugs," Romani teased.
"I haven't seen my little brother in what? Fourteen almost fifteen months?" Angel huffed, "You're lucky I didn't kick your rear into next Tuesday. A text saying 'Oh, by the way, I'm on the plane to Afghanistan, see you in fourteen months'? You jerk!"
"I'm not one for goodbyes!" Romani sputtered, "I like 'hello' better,"
She punched him in the shoulder.
"I deserved that," Romani muttered, rubbing his shoulder.
"And more," Angel growled, "But I'm letting your wife do that for you,"
Gwen Hansen knew that her husband would be coming home that day…so did her son, Charlie.
"He here yet?" Gwen asked.
"Not yet!" Charlie chirped.
That was good…she had to put the final touches on the cake. Sylph and Angel promised that they'd keep Romani out for most of the day and bring him in the evening.
Suddenly, Charlie gasped and raced out the door.
"Charlie!" Gwen yelled, putting down the icing tube and running after her son…
Right into two strong arms.
"Guess who?"
Gwen's eyes sparkled as Romani tilted her head up so he could give her a gentle kiss.
"Daddy home!" Charlie beamed from up on Romani's shoulder.
"That he is," Gwen smiled contentedly.
She turned towards her sisters in law and waved.
"Thanks for keeping him occupied!" she called.
"Any time I get to put the hurt on him in basketball is a good day in my book!" Sylph beamed, nearly skipping back to the car as Angel rolled her eyes.
"If he needs a whap on the head, just give us a call ok?" Angel asked to which Gwen nodded and Romani started to sputter.
As the sisters left, Gwen put a hand on Romani's cheek turning his face towards her.
"C'mon, let's go inside," she offered, "Charlie and I made something for you,"
Romani gave a shrug and followed his wife inside, looking at the familiar and yet foreign contours of his own home. The young man set Charlie down on the ground and quickly got changed in his room, coming back out in an old t-shirt and jeans.
"I'll be back in a minute," Gwen promised, "Charlie…keep him busy while I get the surprise.
"Surprise?" Romani asked as he sat down on the couch with his son on his knee, "What surprise?"
"I can't tell you," Charlie said.
"Can I see it?" Romani wheedled.
"Don't let him see!" Gwen called as she came out the kitchen door.
Charlie lunged forwards and covered his father's eyes, making Romani yelp.
"Charles Hercules Hansen!" Romani whined, "C'mon, let me see!"
"Alright," Gwen laughed, "Charlie, you can let him look,"
Charlie took his hands off his father's eyes and Romani looked down at a homemade cake.
"Whoa!" he laughed, "Oh, my God!"
"It's a welcome home cake," Gwen smiled.
"Look at that," Romani grinned, "Gwen…you used the oven?! Charlie…I don't think we should eat that…might be radioactive…"
Gwen playfully whacked his shoulder again and Romani snickered.
Charlie pulled on his father's sleeve, directing him to look up at a sign above the sliding glass doors.
"That's you," he said, pointing at a taller stick-figure, then at a shorter one, "And that's me!"
"What's it say?" Romani smiled.
"Welcome home Daddy!" the five-year old beamed.
"Daddy's home…" Romani started.
"Daddy's home," Gwen agreed.
"Cake every night," Romani grinned, ruffling his son's brunette curls.
"Yeah, that's not happening!" his wife corrected, wiping off the boy's face.
"Daddy's home equals cake every night," Romani repeated, a wicked smile gracing his angular features.
"How did you manage to get chocolate on your eyeball!?" his wife demanded, changing the subject.
"Daddy did it," the boy giggled, making Romani burst into peals of laughter.
"Alright you little munchkin," Romani grinned, "Time for you to go to bed,"
"Aw, Daddy!" Charlie pouted as Romani swept him up in his arms and flipped him upside down, "Eeek! Daddy!"
Romani laughed and ran into his son's room, flipping him upright before sitting him on the bed. He lay down next to him and tickling him mercilessly.
"I can't sleep with you making all this noise!" Romani teased as Charlie squealed and howled with laughter, "C'mon, let's get you into bed,"
He pulled up the comforter over his son's tall slender frame.
"Ok, big man," Romani murmured, patting the blanket and kissing his son's forehead, "Time to hit the rack,"
Romani got off the bed, walking towards the door when his son spoke again.
"Dad?" Charlie asked.
"Yeah?"
"Are you still gonna be here tomorrow?" Charlie asked.
Romani gave a soft smile.
"Yeah," he promised, "C'mon, let's get some sleep,"
And he turned off the light before walking into the living room.
"…and so he turns around, nose-to-nose, he says 'At ease, lieutenant,'" Romani snickered as he finished the story.
Gwen laughed, long and loud, filling Romani with warmth…it had been so long.
"I've missed your laugh," he purred softly as he pulled her close.
"I missed you," Gwen countered, nuzzling into his shoulder.
He gently kissed her forehead and she tilted her head up so that he had better reach to her mouth. He had just wrapped his arms around his wife…when the phone rang.
Romani shook his head 'no' even as he still kissed his wife.
"I should get that," Gwen murmured.
"Nuh uh," Romani growled playfully.
"It could be work,"
"Noooo," Romani whined, pecking her on the cheek.
"I need to get that," Gwen laughed.
"You don't need to," Romani sulked.
She tapped his nose and got up, walking to the phone and picking it up.
"Hello?" she asked, as Romani got up, "Yeah, this is Mrs. Hansen,"
"Tell him that you're busy attending to your sick husband's needs," Romani suggested.
"You're not sick," Gwen growled playfully.
"I'm homesick," Romani replied with a wicked grin.
Gwen wacked him again and turned back to the conversation as Romani took the plates and put them in the sink.
"Yeah…he's my husband," she started slowly.
"Tell them we're not gonna buy it," Romani said, thinking it was a salesman.
"Yes sir…could you just hold on one moment?" Gwen asked, taking the phone from her ear and turning to her husband, "It's the consulate…Steven's been arrested in Japan,"
Romani gave a dark growl and ran his hand through his hair.
"Tell them I'll be there to get him…again," he snarled, walking towards his and Gwen's room and digging through his drawers to get what he needed for the trip, "Gwen! I can't find my good jeans,"
"They're in the other drawer," Gwen said softly as she came up behind him and Romani grabbed the article of clothing, "So why was he trespassing in the quarantine zone?"
"Why do you think?" Romani snorted bitterly, "The lone crusader for the truth,"
He walked over to another dresser and picked up some more items.
"All his crackpot cuckoo theories," Romani hissed dangerously as he slammed another drawer shut.
"Your father is a good man," Gwen started, "He just needs your help right now,"
Romani gave a derisive snort.
"Romani…he lost everything,"
"Yeah, so did I!" Romani snarled, "Me, Angel and Sylph all lost our mother that day! But you know what?! We all got ever it. I got over it!"
"Right, I can see that," Gwen deadpanned.
Romani closed his eyes and sighed.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, "It's just…every time I let him in close, he always tries to drag me back. And I can't…I can't put our family through that!"
"Well, he is your family," Gwen said.
Romani sighed and turned back to his packing. Gwen came closer.
"Hey, come here," she ordered, taking his hand in hers, "You know you're only gonna be gone for a few days, right? And then you are gonna come back to me,"
"I like that idea," Romani purred, kissing her softly.
"It's not the end of the world," she promised.
"No, but sometimes I feel like it is," Romani thought.
Romani sat cross armed in the police station. He saw the door opening and he looked up in slight annoyance only to see an officer bringing out a very ticked off girl. She couldn't have been older than seventeen. The girl's family…a sister and a father Romani guessed, stood up to take her. The man began speaking very rapid, very angry Japanese…and from what Romani remembered from his mother teaching him…well, let's just say it wasn't very nice.
Almost as if someone called his name, Romani turned around…facing his father in the glass separating the waiting room from the prison.
Steven Hansen gave a sad, yet appreciative smile and walked towards the door. The officer opened the door and let the older man out. Steven looked at Romani and Romani just stood there.
"Hello son," Steven murmured, "Long time, no see,"
Romani just shook his head.
"Let's just get out of here," he growled.
…
Steven turned the light on in his small apartment, revealing the room wall-papered with newspaper clippings and articles. Romani looked at them all as Steven set his stuff down. The young man turned towards his father silently.
"I…don't get many visitors," Steven said quietly.
"Clearly," Romani deadpanned.
"This is y' here," Steven started, "Even, uh, Ph.D.'s. I don't get much teachin' English as a second language…Your mother was so much better at reachin' kids than me,"
Romani wasn't baying much attention. He was looking at the clippings…almost all of them were about the Meltdown seventeen years ago.
"So…" Steven began, fiddling around with a box, "How's the bomb business? It must be a growth area these days,"
"It's called 'explosive ordnance disposal'," Romani corrected, "My job isn't dropping bombs…it's stopping them. Dad…"
"Oi…" Steven interrupted, "How's Gwen doin'? An' Charlie…Oh my God he must be what…three? Three in a half?"
"Almost five," Romani growled before walking over to a new article, no, a book, he picked it up and read the cover, "I thought you were over this. 'Echolocation'?"
"Oh, hey!" Steven sputtered, walking over and trying to take the book.
"'Parasitic communication'?" Romani asked as Steven snatched the book out of his hands.
"Please don't, if ya don't mind," Steven said tersely, "I have everythin' the way I like it. I'm just…I'm studying bioacoustics,"
"What were you doing, going back there?" Romani demanded.
"This trespassing stuff," Steven dismissed, "That was bull,"
"You broke the law,"
"I was tryin' to get back to our old house!" Steven protested.
"In a quarantine zone!"
"Precisely," Steven said eyes blazing, "The new readin's are exactly like they were on that day an' I can prove it to ya!"
He moved over to another pile of papers.
"With a little bit of luck, if I can get back to the house I can show ya an' the rest of the world that this was not from a natural disaster. This was not…"
"DAD!" Romani snapped.
Steven stopped, falling silent as he walked around his son and to the kettle, which was whistling like mad. He took it off the heating plate and looked out the window, eyes dull and sad.
"Your Mom's out there, Romani," he whispered quietly, "To me…she'll always be there. They evacuated us so quickly…I don't even have a picture of 'er…"
He sounded so…so broken. Like something had cracked…like all the life had been drained from his father's body.
"This has to stop," Romani murmured.
Steven turned his pained gaze to his son.
"Y'know I did everyin' I could," he said, "Y'know that…right?"
Romani closed his eyes for a moment before looking up again.
"Let me take you home," he offered, "Come home with me. I got a little boy who's desperate to see his grandpa…and Angel's got a little girl with another on the way. Sylph's got a little boy on the way too. We can leave tomorrow,"
Steven gave a soft smile and Romani returned it.
The next morning, Romani woke up to his father softly speaking to a man on a radio, his Japanese flowing so quickly and smoothly that Romani wasn't catching it. Suddenly, Steven took off his glasses and pushed back from the desk, turning to see Romani standing before him.
"What are you doing?" Romani asked.
Steven stood up and put on his jacket, blue eyes hard.
"I'm headin' back out there, Romani," he said firmly, "One hour, in an' out,"
"No, I don't think so," Romani growled.
"I HAVE T' GO!" Steven snarled, his voice gaining a deeper timbre that chilled Romani's blood, "I came back here an' wasted six years starin' through that barbed wire thinkin' it was a military mistake or some 'orrible design flaw they were coverin' up! One day…I met a guy who runs a cargo boat offshore. Every day, 'e goes right past the reactor site. So, 'e places a couple frequency monitors on buoys for me. Two weeks ago, 'cause I check this thing like every other day just for the kick in the teeth, I'm tunin' in…and, oh my God…there it is. Whatever 'it' is that's in there. Whatever it is they're guardin' so carefully…started talkin' again. An' I mean talkin',"
He gave a bitter laugh.
"I 'ave to go back to our house. I need my old disks, if they're still there," Steven explained, "I need the data to be able to prove a baseline here that this isn't a fantasy, that I'm not what ya think I am. I'm gonna find the truth…and end this. Whatever it takes,"
"Why can't you just let it rest?" Romani asked.
Steven closed his eyes…a tear streaking down his face.
"Because I sent her down there, son," he murmured, "This wasn't just a reactor meltdown,"
"I don't wanna hear this!" Romani snapped.
"I know," Steven agreed, "I know ya don't…But ya can't keep runnin' away. An', son, ya can't bury this in the past,"
Romani squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back his tears.
"I'm going to regret this," he growled before raising his voice, "One hour. And then we leave with or without those disks,"
Steven gave his son a warm embrace.
"Thanks," he murmured, "Y' don't know how much this means to me,"
Next we have the two sneaking in to see their old home...and something special happens to them both.
Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!
Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)
Máriessë ar mára tecië
Farewell and fair writing
Elhini Prime signing off.