(updated 04-02-2021)
CHAPTER TWENTY
Reunions
"It wasn't like I planned for what happened with Emma. I'm tired of this war and I long to return to Faith. For one brief weekend, I could escape myself, my responsibilities… my destiny. I've fought this war for so long to protect Faith and Earth. I'm tired of it and just want to escape, but sometimes I can sense there is no escape for me. When the Regess showed me the vision of what would happen if I returned home {to warn Earth}, I didn't want to believe her. A part of me still refuses to accept it, even though I know she and The Shapings are right. If I had gone home, I would have stayed with Faith even knowing it would have ended in death and disaster for everyone. If I don't wage this war against the Haydonites, and defeat them, then what they {The Shaping} showed me will come to pass. I won't let that happen at any cost…"
— Excerpt from the collected journals of Fleet Admiral Paul Coleiro
oOoOo
"Thanks," Buffy sighed tiredly, taking the bottle of water Riley handed her.
As she took a long gulp of water, she was thankful to be out of her body armor. Yet, she wished she had brought a change of clothes with her. Her dirty and sweat-soaked REF uniform was getting a little ripe under the hot Texas sun.
To deal with the heat, she'd undone the front zipper on her bodysuit to where it would have drawn quite a few stares at another time. Yet, for all the exposing she was unintentionally doing, Riley was too tired to notice as he slumped down on the ground beside her.
They'd found some cover from the growing afternoon heat, leaning against a shed that had survived the fighting intact, using its shade to stay cool.
Buffy eyed Riley as he leaned his head against the shed, closing his eyes. Her growing curiosity and impatience stayed in check long enough for Riley to take a long gulp of water from his bottle.
"You hear anything? Is it true? Is it them?" Buffy said, peppering with questions in rapid fire succession. Despite the heat and exhaustion, she was riding an emotional rollercoaster.
Riley opened his eyes, taking a deep breath. He noted the mix of emotions filling Buffy's face, "Communications are still fragmented with the outside world. General Chambers has his people working on getting hold of someone to get more information. They told me to check back in an hour."
"An hour!" Buffy exclaimed, not hiding her frustration, "Those are Invid out there patrolling! It has to be them!"
The not knowing what was happening was like an irritating itch she couldn't scratch. She resisted the urge to scream out or put her fist through the shed's wall.
Riley sighed, sympathizing with her, "Buffy, I understand what you're feeling. Maybe, if your Cyclone was still working, we could've used its communication system."
Riley took another drink and closed his eyes to rest, leaving Buffy to stew in her growing frustration. Yes, if the communications system on her Cyclone was still working, she could probably find out what was happening. But it along with the rest of her bike was now just a pile of scrap metal.
Unlike Faith, she escaped with only heavy bruising and a sore and achy body. Her Cyclone had absorbed the explosive brunt of a near miss from a Haydonite missile, leaving her bruised and achy. She was going to miss her ride. It had served her well in the fighting, leaving a trail of dead Haydonites in her wake. Yet, despite her best efforts, there had been just too many of them, and it had looked like the end was coming.
That all changed with the Invid, descending from the sky, unleashing fire into the enemy, like the wrath of God. It took her a long moment to realize the implications of the Invid's arrival. Once the reality of this new situation sank it, it hit her hard with a mix of anxiousness, worry, fear and anticipation gripping her.
Buffy caught bits of information with reports of fighting in space around the planet and landings around the planet. The presence of the Invid combined with those fragments of information stoked long buried emotions and hope that had her struggling to keep them in check.
Despite the growing embers of hope, her cynicism and protective shell she'd built up over the years kept telling her to prepare for the worse. What she wanted more than anything was some solid information about what was happening around the planet and if there was any news about her sister and friends.
Riley eyed Buffy. He could see her trying to struggle to maintain a calm facade. He tried distracting her by changing the subject.
"I checked in on Faith."
Buffy met Riley's concerned eyes, and a wave of guilt gripped her. She'd been so focused on the Invid's arrival and what it meant that she hadn't gone to check on her. Buffy decided that until they could get some solid news about what is happening, she should try to direct her attention to matters closer at hand.
Buffy took a deep breath, "How is she?"
"Unconscious, but stable. They were getting ready to medevac her along with the other wounded. They're flying them to one of the nearby towns that have better medical facilities," Riley replied, noting Buffy's tired sigh of relief.
"Was Andy with her?"
Riley smiled, "Stuck to her like glue. I talked to Colonel Weir. He'll make sure she's taken care of."
Buffy nodded. She was also glad to hear that Colonel Weir had survived, "Good… How is the Colonel?"
"Banged up, just like the rest of us. He wanted me to pass a message along to you."
"He did?" she replied, caught by surprise by this.
Riley snorted, smiling while recalling his conversation with the Colonel, "Yeah, he told me to tell you, 'Thank you and that the drinks are on him'."
Riley eyed Buffy as she got quiet, digesting the Colonel's message. This caught him by surprise because she usually had a quip or one-liner ready to respond with. The Colonel didn't provide any details, leaving Riley to wonder what she'd done to earn the Colonel's gratitude.
For Buffy, she'd had people praise and thank her before, but this time it was different. She wasn't a drinker, but she discovered herself seriously considering taking the Colonel up on his offer.
A loud roar in the sky, catching both Buffy's and Riley's attention, interrupted any further contemplations.
Buffy watched a small group of aircraft flyby. Despite the years, she recognized the aircraft. The long swan neck of the Horizont dropship brought back memories of that night in Sunnydale and of another desperate battle.
The dropship, with two huge cargo pods slung underneath, was slowing down. A pair of REF fighter jets guarded the dropship, circling overhead, watching for any threats.
"It looks like they're landing," Riley noted, rubbing his tired eyes.
The last thing he expected was Buffy to stand up, zipping up her uniform to a more modest level, before heading off in the direction where the dropship was landing. Riley sighed, shaking his head in tired resignation as he stood up to follow her.
Riley shouted at Buffy, "Are you sure you don't want to stay in the shade and close your eyes for a while?"
Another sigh of resignation escaped Riley, and he pushed off, trying to catch up to her.
Buffy ignored Riley as she picked up her pace. Her focus was on the dropship.
They'll be able to tell me, she thought.
She paused at the edge of the landing area. The dropship was sitting in the open field with the Alphas having landed and switched to Battloid mode, patrolling the perimeter with the Invid mecha.
The two cargo pods attached to the dropship were now open with people and equipment unloading from them. She moved closer, getting a better view of the 'people' disembarking from the dropship. Her eyes widened in surprise at the menagerie of creatures working to unload equipment and supplies from the dropship.
A moment of alarm gripped her when she caught sight of several demon-looking creatures exiting from the dropship. Her Slayer instincts tensed up at their appearance, but they quickly relaxed when she saw them working, unloading the cargo pods.
No screaming and no blood… That's a good sign! Besides, I'm too tired for another fight right now!
Her attention was so intent on the scene she barely noticed Riley's late arrival, having left him in her dust.
"Man… This is so not what I was expecting!" Riley gasped, trying to catch his breath while eyeing the scene.
She turned, noting Riley's heavy breathing, "There was a time when you would at least try to pretend to keep up with me!" she said, giving him a smirk.
"Smart ass!" Riley spit out between his labored breathing. Any further comments ended as a figure disembarking from the dropship caught his attention.
"My God!" he muttered, suddenly forgetting about how tired he was.
Riley's words and tone caught Buffy by surprise, and she spun to face the direction he was staring. The flash of red hair caught her eyes, and she immediately recognized the woman exiting off the dropship.
"W-Williow?" she muttered in quiet shock, not sure if what she was seeing was a mirage or real. Any doubts or disbelief quickly faded as her friend noticed them, and made her way towards them, waving her hands eagerly.
A surge of emotions caught Buffy by surprise as she realized this was really happening.
"WILLOW!" Buffy screamed, finding another surge of energy, and sprinted towards her friend, leaving Riley to catch up at his own pace.
Buffy covered the distance quickly, meeting Willow and giving her an enormous hug. Neither of the women cared that their reunion was taking place in the middle of the unloading operations surrounded by strange-looking aliens.
Buffy finally let go of her grasp on Willow, taking a step back, "W-Will, h-how?" she stammered, still trying to grasp everything that was happening.
Willow gave her a small grin, "We got lucky!"
A thousand questions filled Buffy's head. Before she could focus, a voice behind her caught her attention.
"Buffy?"
Buffy froze, her heart beating a mile-a-minute while uncertainty and fear gripped her.
If this is a dream, please don't wake me up…
She pushed through, hesitantly turning around, finding a young woman, looking lean and fit in her uniform, moving towards her. Even though she hadn't seen her sister in years, Buffy immediately recognized her.
"D-Dawn?" Buffy whispered hoarsely, suddenly finding her eyes blurry and having some trouble focusing.
Dawn nodded, and in a flash Buffy closed the distance, grabbing her sister in a tight embrace. Dawn held Buffy tightly, whispering to her while her sister sobbed and body heaved. The protective walls Buffy had built up over the years crumbled, and as her tears flowed freely, the mountain of pain and loss she'd been carrying melted away.
Riley, witnessing the reunion, suddenly found he had something in his eyes and had to rub his eyes to clear them. Willow's touch on his arm caught him by surprise.
"I just wanted to let you know Samantha is okay," Willow said. She paused, giving Riley a moment to digest the news and compose himself.
"W-Where is she?" Riley stammered, feeling a sense of relief while trying to keep a check on the flood of emotions filling him.
"She's in Washington. She was in the invasion force that retook DC," Willow paused, "Kinsey is dead," she added in a flat voice.
"T-The P-President is dead?" Riley muttered.
Willow nodded, giving Riley a small smirk, "Yeah, no one's wasting any tears over it. General Coulson is working with his contacts to establish who he can trust to get the government back up and running. I guess you'll want to be talking to him?"
A thousand thoughts and questions filled Riley's head. Even with Kinsey dead, there was still much work left to do, "Yeah, I need to talk to him. What else can you tell me?" Riley replied excitedly.
Willow smirked again. She then gave Riley a quick rundown of what had happened to her and Samantha, making it to Tirol, about the Alliance and the attack to liberate Earth.
Riley stared dumbfounded at Willow, briefly questioning both his and her sanity as he absorbed everything she was throwing at him. It was so overwhelming, he asked her to stop at points, so it could sink in.
"How did you know we were here?" Riley said, shaking his head in disbelief. The sad expression on Willow's face caught him by surprise.
"The Invid told us you were here," she answered, leaving Riley with more questions.
Buffy finally got her emotions back under enough control to pull away from Dawn and take another look at her. Even though this was her baby sister, she seemed older and different from her memories of her.
"W-We… I-I thought you and the others were all dead!" Buffy sniffed, regaining her composure.
"It's been a long war for us," Dawn whispered, giving her sister a sad, tired smile.
Buffy picked up on something troubling her sister, but those worries fell to the wayside as Dawn told her that Xander, Cassie and Aaron were all alive. The news about Anya's and Lionel's deaths tempered the joy she was experiencing.
"J-James? W-What about him?" Buffy stammered, afraid to hear the answer.
Dawn snorted as a smile brightened her serious-looking face, "He's fine. He's in orbit. I talked to him before coming down to the surface. He told me to tell you he'll be down as soon as he can. I can arrange for you to talk to him?"
Fresh tears filled Buffy's eyes, and she laughed with joy. Emotions choked her throat with this news that all she could do was nod, which got a laugh from Dawn.
The moment of joy faded as the serious expression returned to Dawn's face. Her expression and demeanor caught Buffy by surprise because it looked so out of character from the Dawn of her memories.
The realization struck home that her baby sister wasn't the same person who'd left on the Arcadia all those years ago. Buffy appraised her sister in a new light.
It's been five years… She's traveled the galaxy and been fighting a war… I guess we'll have to get to know each other all over again…
"What's wrong?" Buffy said, reading the trouble weighing on her sister.
"Do you know where Faith is?" Dawn said, her voice straining, which concerned Buffy even more.
"Yeah, she's here. She got wounded in the fighting. She's going to be okay," Buffy said, noting the passing look of alarm and worry on Dawn's face.
An air of uncomfortable silence descended on the two sisters. Buffy wondered what could be so bad, "What's wrong? Why do you need to find Faith?"
A sad, tired sigh escaped Dawn, "Man, this is the part I hate the most," she muttered, taking a moment to gather her thoughts.
An icy feeling crept down Buffy's back, causing her to shudder. This side of Dawn caught Buffy by surprise because it seemed so different from the Dawn she remembered.
"I-I… I need to tell Faith something," Dawn again muttered, her voice echoing a deep sadness and pain.
oOoOo
Andy stirred, sitting up in his chair as the nurse came into the room. His eyes immediately shifted towards the bed Faith was laying in. Andy, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, stretched to work the kinks out of his body, caused by the hours of sitting and waiting.
He glanced worriedly as the nurse checked Faith's vital signs, letting out a small sigh of relief as the nurse gave him a smile and nod. His sore back forced him to stand up, and he moved to her bedside.
A small smile crossed his face as he gazed down at her. She was still unconscious, but the doctors were confident she would have a full recovery from her wounds. He gave her hand a light squeeze as he gently brushed some of her hair out of her face.
Since the end of the battle, everything had been a blur to Andy. Adamsville had no medical centers or hospitals to assist with the numbers of wounded and dying quickly overwhelming the on-site resources. Helicopters and vehicles transported the more seriously wounded, with a chance of survival, to hospitals in nearby surrounding towns and cities.
Faith was one of those lucky ones. After being treated at the hastily erected combat support hospital, a helicopter transported her to the community hospital in nearby Lampasas.
Andy refused to leave her side, cramming himself on the crowded medevac chopper. His only concern was about her, focusing on her while blocking out the pain and suffering around them. To Andy, the flight to Lampasas seemed to take forever, but then they were landing on the hospital's helipad, and medical personnel were scrambling to offload the wounded.
The hospital in Lampasas wasn't that big, and the ER was already overflowing by the time they landed. Yet despite the chaos, they expertly evaluated Faith, and seeing she was stable, transferred her to a quieter part of the hospital. Despite the number of incoming wounded, it surprised Andy when they moved Faith into a private room. A nurse informed him that General Chambers and Colonel Weir had arranged for the VIP treatment.
Andy yawned and stretched again. His attention momentarily shifted from Faith, and he wondered what time of day it was. The drawn curtains isolated the room from the outside world. Yet, the constant sounds of vehicles and helicopters coming from outside were a stark reminder of the chaos still going on.
The sounds were also a reminder of the cost paid fighting the aliens. Andy was still having a hard time believing it was over. He relived those moments of the aliens advancing on Faith and him, over and over. He'd believed it had been the end for them until those waves of spacecraft, looking like something plucked from a Lovecraftian horror story, descended from the sky.
Even though his entire focus was on Faith, he'd still caught pieces of conversations about what had happened around the world. He'd heard words like 'Alliance', 'Coulson' and 'Arcadia', but he didn't know what was happening regarding the larger picture. But the lack of information didn't really bother Andy, only Faith mattered to him.
Yet despite his lack of caring about the outside world, he sensed things were changing for everyone. An air of unreality hung over everything. From a few nervous conversations he caught between the nurses and doctors, the new aliens were also in Lampasas, their craft moving around and through the town.
So far, these new aliens had done nothing threatening and weren't interfering with anyone. Some nervously joked that it looked like these new aliens were guarding the town.
For Andy, he didn't care what these new aliens were doing, what they called themselves or where they came from. All that mattered to him was that they had arrived in time to annihilate the Haydonites.
Andy much appreciated having the private room, not only for Faith, but for himself too. The only interruptions to his bedside vigil were the doctors and nurses, coming in at regular intervals to check on Faith's condition. He couldn't handle being around people right now.
After the battle, he'd checked the burnt-out wreckage of the Humvee, instantly regretting the decision when seeing the charred remains of his friend. He'd managed some sleep, but it had been restless. Mike's shouts kept playing over and over in his dreams, only for the Humvee explosion to cut him off.
"Are you okay?" the nurse said, finishing her check on Faith and now eyeing Andy.
"Huh? Sorry… yeah, I'm just tired," Andy replied, noting the nurse's concerned expression.
"Why don't you take a break? You can head down to the nurse's station. They can set you up with a shower and a change of clothes. You could also grab some fresh air and stop by the cafeteria for some proper food," the nurse said, flashing him a sympathetic smile.
"Uh, thanks… I don't think I should leave her," Andy replied hesitantly.
The smile on the nurse's face disappeared, becoming a frown, "She'll be fine. You need a break… along with a shower and clean clothes! Now, march! You don't want to make me angry!"
Andy debated about arguing, but realized he was still wearing the same blood and dirt covered BDUs since the fighting. At the mention of a shower and clean clothes, his nose registered the stale pungent smell of sweat and body odor coming from him. His stomach also growled at the thought of food, making any further resistance futile.
"Okay, you win… What time is it anyway?" he sighed, resigned to his fate as he headed to the door.
The nurse smiled, "Almost 11 o'clock."
"AM or PM?" Andy said sheepishly, realizing he'd lost track of the day and time.
"It's Wednesday morning… Now, go!" the nurse said, waving him to leave the room.
It shocked Andy to hear that it had been over forty-eight hours since the battle ended. He shook his head in disbelief as he stepped into the hallway. The daylight streaming into the hallway caused him to wince as his eyes adjusted to the brighter light. He took a few steps before pausing and looking back towards Faith's room. Shaking his head again, he continued on towards the nurse's station.
oOoOo
The Regent, sitting in a hospital waiting area, watched the man pass by him, heading towards the nurse's station at the end of the hallway. To him, the hours he'd spent on this strange vigil had given him time to think and reflect. Even after all the hours, he was still trying to figure out why he was here and what he was doing.
Memories of that last battle replayed in his head. He was leading his force of Shock Troopers, arriving to see her lying on the ground with the other man cradling her. A tidal wave of rage and pain exploded in him, causing a surge of emotions through the hive collective. He vented his rage on the enemy, tearing some of the Haydonite Reavers apart with his mecha's hands.
Only once the last Haydonite was dead did he calm down. With the battle over, he felt spent and empty along with experiencing a wide range of strange emotions. Tactically there was no reason for him and his forces to remain, but he couldn't leave.
Without thinking or further consideration, he was ordering his Shock Troopers to form a defensive perimeter around the town. He also sent word to the Alliance fleet in orbit to arrange for them to send help.
He should have stayed with his mecha, but a stronger force was pulling him, and he wandered the battlefield's aftermath, taking in the scenes of carnage up close. The cries of the wounded and dying reverberated in his ears, bringing back flashes of memories… of similar scenes from different places and times. He realized they were the other's memories, but that didn't make them any less real or apart from him.
The hive's concern for his safety echoed in his head as he mingled among the humans. He didn't share their worry. Other than some minor cosmetic differences and his uniform, he blended in with them, and in the chaotic aftermath everyone was too busy to notice.
In fact, several times, he jumped in to help either with assisting the wounded or some other effort. Each time he didn't hesitate, it seemed the natural and the right thing to do.
It was in a hastily erected field hospital where he finally found her. Time froze as all the surrounding pain and death faded away as he gazed towards her. A surge of conflicting emotions gripped him, and a surprising impulse pushed him to run to her side.
A multitude of voices, from the hive mind, echoed in his head, restraining his impulse, "You are not him!"
Frustration and anger surged inside him, along with the growing urge to tell the hive what they could do and where they could go. Yet, a part of him maintained control, and he pushed down the urge to use some choice human profanity.
What also held him back was the human male already by her side. It was the same male who had been cradling her when his forces arrived. Emotions, that anyone could easily read to see how much he cared for her, filled the man's face. It was this more than the hive's voices echoing in his head that caused him to pause.
The Regent stood off to the side, for what seemed like an eternity, watching them. All the while, a torrent of hazy memories and emotions swelled inside him.
One strange emotion surged to the forefront, taking the Regent by surprise by its strength. His eyes narrowed, focusing on the other man sitting by her side. Dark thoughts grew in the Regent while studying the other man.
A strong recognizable female voice pushed through to the forefront of his thoughts, "Beware of jealousy… That consumed the other Regent!"
Images from another universe and another Regent flashed in his head with the Regess's warning. Her intervention brought him back from the dark path his thoughts were taking him. It surprised him to realize how powerful and controlling an emotion like jealousy could be.
Again, the hive's voices whispered to him, urging him to leave. The Regent realized he should turn and leave, but he couldn't… at least not yet. He needed to know she would be all right. He also needed to understand what was happening to him and why he was experiencing all these strange, conflicting emotions.
It was at this point that medical personnel came and moved her. Again, the prudent and proper course would have been to leave. Yet, something else gripped him… like another imperative seemingly in conflict with what should be common sense and the proper course of action.
Without thinking, he grabbed a nearby medic, asking them where they were taking her. The exhausted, overworked medic mumbled something about transporting the wounded to other medical facilities for treatment.
The Regent now found himself at a crossroads, knowing the prudent and sensible course of action was to get in his mecha, gather his forces and rejoin the fleet.
Again, that other strange conflicting imperative pushed to the forefront. He needed to know she would be safe. With no hesitation or considering the ramifications, he returned to his mecha while issuing orders for his Shock Troopers to follow him.
The Regent exerted his control over his troops, brushing aside any surprise or questions from the Shock Troopers. With a contingent of Shock Troopers left behind to provide security around the battlefield, the Regent led the rest of his forces, following the helicopter transporting her.
When they arrived at the hospital, the Regent quickly organized his forces to form a security perimeter around the hospital and the town. His orders were simple… defend against any hostile action or attacks, but to not interfere or impede the humans and their work.
All during this time, the Regess remained strangely quiet, neither interfering nor providing direction. While relieved the Regess wasn't stopping him, it also puzzled him. Her strange silence gave the Regent the impression that she was waiting for something to happen.
Her silence continued all the while he waited in the hospital. This only added to his growing confusion as he sat with plenty of time to think and consider his situation.
While he waited, he minimized his interaction with the other humans, finding a chair in the far corner of the waiting room. He avoided making any eye contact and didn't reply to any of the few attempts that people made to engage him in conversation. Mostly, luck played into his favor, and most people didn't notice him because they were too busy, too tired or a combination of the two.
More memories continued to surface, only increasing his frustration with the whole situation. Several times, he debated about just getting up and leaving, but each time something held him back.
Now, with the man leaving, the Regent realized she was now alone, and this was the opportunity he was waiting for. Rather than rushing to her room, he strangely hesitated. A wave a strange emotions and sensations gripped him with his stomach tightening as his heart raced.
He found himself at war with his emotions, trying to decide what to do next. Uncertainty gripped him until a voice echoed from the back of his thoughts.
You've never hesitated before… You know what you have to do…
Even with this urging, hesitation still gripped the Regent. He sat there, debating and considering his options when the voice echoed again in his thoughts.
This is your chance! He'll be back soon… If you don't go, you'll regret it!
This time the voice succeeded, and before he realized it, the Regent was out of his chair, walking towards her room. Time seemed to lose all meaning as he covered the distance, finding himself standing front of the door to her room. An unexpected fear rose in him, causing another wave of hesitation and uncertainty to grip him. They almost won out, and he was turning to leave when the door suddenly opened and a nurse exiting almost ran into him.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't expecting anyone here," the nurse breathed in a tired voice, kneeling down to pick up the patient charts she'd dropped.
The nurse's tiredness and attention on picking up her charts caused her to only glance at the man. She didn't notice how his eyes differed from other humans. The outfit that looked like a flight suit that the man was wearing caught her attention.
Must be a pilot, she thought, getting her charts back into order as she stood up.
"Uh, no problem," the Regent mumbled nervously.
He pushed through the hesitation and uncertainty, forcing himself to speak, "I-I was w-wondering how s-she is doing," he stammered.
Smooth move, Romeo…
The Regent shook off the taunting voice echoing in his head, taking a deep breath to get control over his nervousness, "I-Is she going to be okay?"
The nurse glanced up from her charts, flashing a tired smile, "Yes, she's going to be fine. She's still unconscious, but her vitals are all looking good. Are you family?"
The Regent exhaled a deep sigh of relief, knowing she would be okay. He took another deep breath, "No… I'm not family. I-I… I'm just checking on her for a friend."
Another surge of uncertainty threatened to grip him, but he fought through it, getting the nervousness back in check, "I-I… H-He hasn't seen her in a long time. C-Could I see her?"
The nurse flashed another tired smile, before returning her attention to her charts and continuing her rounds, "We usually only let family in… But then these aren't normal times. I don't see a problem, just don't stay too long. Okay?"
The Regent nodded as the nurse left to continue her rounds. He stood there for a long moment before taking a deep breath and entering the room.
oOoOo
Andy hurried back to Faith's room, noting how right the nurse was about the rejuvenating effects of a shower and meal would have. The clean pair of scrubs they'd provided him got rid of the smell hanging over him.
Yet, despite cleaning up and his stomach now full, he realized he was only fooling himself into a false sense of normality. He understood things would never be the same for him, Faith and everyone else on the planet.
While in the hospital's cafeteria, he'd caught up on the latest news flashing on the TV while gulping down his food. The news broadcasts covering the liberation of Earth and the Alliance had sucked him in that he lost track of time. Before he knew it, two hours had gone by.
Guilt gnawed at him as he rushed back to Faith's hospital room. Mixed in with the guilt was something else… a sense of worry and dread.
While the news trumpeted the return of the Arcadia at the head of an Alliance fleet, Andy remembered Faith telling him about being involved with someone from the Arcadia. With the Arcadia's return, Andy felt a shadow growing over and threatening his relationship with Faith. A cloud of doubts and worries hung over Andy as he entered Faith's hospital room.
Those doubts and worries quickly evaporated when he entered the room to find someone else standing a vigil beside Faith's bedside.
Andy's first thoughts were that the man was a doctor or nurse checking on Faith. That quickly changed as his mind processed all the details he was taking in.
All his worries and fears came roaring back when he realized the stranger was wearing a uniform style similar to Faith's REF uniform. His wariness flared, catching sight of the stranger's hand caressing Faith's hair and face.
The urge to challenge and confront this stranger gripped Andy. Yet, something stayed his hand, and he stood there frozen, unable to do or say anything, watching the scene play out.
The thought that this stranger might be "the guy" caused a surge of jealousy to rise in Andy, adding to the torrent of emotions he was having.
He finally shook off his shock and was about to step into the situation when the man pulled his hand away from Faith.
Time lost all meaning as again Andy stood by as a helpless spectator, watching the unfolding scene as the stranger stood there, silently gazing down at the unconscious Faith. The stranger finally spoke, ending the uncomfortable, silent standoff hanging over the room.
"It's okay… I'm just leaving," the man muttered in a resigned tone.
A shocked Andy got a closer look at the stranger as he turned to leave. The man looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties with a natural athletic build and dark, unruly hair.
What caught Andy's attention, adding to his shock, were the man's eyes. Even in the light conditions of the room, these eyes were unlike any eyes he'd ever seen before on anyone.
The man's eyes were dark with no white showing. They radiated an intensity of purpose that caused Andy to pause, causing him to feel insignificant and unworthy. Despite the stranger saying he was leaving, this did nothing to lessen Andy's fear of losing Faith. As their eyes met, Andy could read a deep sadness hanging there, leaving him speechless.
"Take care of her," the other man said, his voice echoing a lifetime of pain and loss in just those few words.
With that, the man left the room, leaving a confused Andy standing there wondering what was going on and what had happened.