Chapter Twenty One: The Question

Authors Note:

Hey guys, I'm terribly sorry it's taken me so long to publish something. Last week was extremely stressful and I got nothing done. I also went to see Saw VI and hung out with some friends over the weekend which stopped me from making any progress. Not to mention I have some stomach bug right now so yeah… School has really gotten in my way of writing lately so expect maybe three to five chapters a month in November which should bring me to the last bit of the story! Anyway, I worked extra hard on this chapter to make up for it so enjoy!

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It was my turn to decide
I knew this was our time
No one else will have me like you do
No one else will have me, only you

You'll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I'm here and now I'm ready
Holding on tight
Don't give away the end
The one thing that stays mine

Jimmy Eat World - "23"

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Sex: The act of procreation in practically every species of the animal kingdom. In many cases however, it is also the act of physical bonding that signifies one's affection for one another. For Falco and Erika, it was the latter. Their love for one another had brought them to this point, and they planned on relishing the moment.

And relish they did. The experience left both of them satisfied and feeling even closer than before. From the moment their lips contacted, to the second Falco came to fruition, it was all something they would never forget.

"That was just…Wow…" Falco sighed as he and Erika laid in his bed, still clutching each other tightly. They gave each other a quick kiss before coming back up for air. Erika eventually rolled off of him, allowing the avian to breathe easier, however he continued to pant at an alarming rate. He wasn't quite sure how long they had been going at it, but he assumed it was around twenty minutes to half an hour. It had practically tired him to the point of losing consciousness, but he longed to stay awake. There was so much more he wished to talk about with her, but he knew that he would never have the time to.

He stared into her deep blue eyes, being the only thing that was a different color than the rest of her body, and searched them for emotion. The avian could see that she was content with everything. He continued to stare into the round pupils as his breathing was finally beginning to ease up. Falco couldn't hold himself up anymore, so he dropped onto the pillow and allowed his face sink in.

"Are you okay?" Erika questioned as she raised his head back up.

"Yeah, I'm just tired."

"I would imagine…" Falco put his head back down, burying it deep in the soft pillow. He realized that the questions he had would have to wait a little longer. "Falco?"

"Hmm?"

"I need to ask you something that's really important…" With all his strength, Falco got back up and stretched his arms out before speaking.

"What's up?"

"Is this for real Falco?" Falco was dumbfounded by the statement. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. "Are you there?"

"What do you mean?"

" Is this just going to be sex and nothing else?" He realized now what she meant and propped himself against the wall.

"Well wasn't it you that started this?" He replied jokingly.

"Yes, but I wanted to finish what you started." They both laughed for a moment before she cleared her throat again. "But seriously, is it more than this?"

"Erika, I love you and you know that." He said, lightly brushing his hand through her hair. "It's more than something physical…"

Erika failed to respond back for the longest period of time. She just laid there, allowing Falco to continue gliding his hand through her now slightly dirtied up locks. What he said was exactly what she wanted to hear. However, she feared that it would be something she may regret to have asked. In the handful of previous relationships she had experienced, she had heard that phrase many times over. The red feathered falcon contemplated if Falco really meant this. Much like all the others, his words felt truthful and loving. He wouldn't just say that after looking as though he was about to pass out the way he did. For now, she would take it for what it was: the truth.

"Thank you…" She whispered as she pecked his cheek. He returned the favor and rolled back over to rest.

"It is for real…" Falco mumbled as he drifted out of consciousness.

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Everyone but Wolf had cleared out of the lounge to get some rest. The lupine was left alone to smoke his cigarette and maybe watch some television, but it wasn't on his to-do list per se. It was times like these which he enjoyed. The peace of it all left him and his mind to themselves, free of any distractions.

The calm was cut short however, Peppy strolled into the lounge to see if anyone was still there. The hare was taken by surprise when only Wolf was present.

"Damn, I thought y'all would stay up later than this." He joked.

"Maybe in our twenties, but we've pretty much dropped that by now."

"Sometimes, I feel like I forget how old we are. It's amazing, I'm gonna be fifty-two soon. Just feels like the time goes by way too fast…"

"I think we all feel that way." The lupine took a deep drag from his cig and tossed it into the trash bin next to the couch and watched as it slowly fizzled out. "I swear it was just yesterday I joined the team. Personally, I think you were the most surprised when you got the news!"

Peppy chuckled and nodded in agreement. "I probably was Wolf. I mean, you worked for Andross all those years back and I just never saw you coming over to the good side."

"You'd be surprised how long I wanted to leave Star Wolf."

"But why did you form it then? You were only nineteen, I don't see why you would just want to join a diabolical scientist who wished to take over the Lylat System at such a young age."

Wolf took a deep breath, looking back on the events that led to him doing what he did. The answer was very clear to why he did it; Andross promised a hefty reward for helping him out in his pursuits. Obviously, that didn't go over well, so he decided to try and continue as a simple mercenary group. By then however, the damage had been done and bounties were put on all the members. As a result, Pigma quit since he was in it for just the money, claiming that the team meant "nothing" to him. Andrew was subsequently kicked off the team two years later due to his supposed God Complex that plagued him after the death of his Uncle.

After the Lylat Wars, he never really considered himself a bad person, just someone who was hired to do bad things. Yet he continued to do these bad things without really thinking them over. There was no question on what the reason was now that he looked back on it.

"Greed Peppy, greed." He replied somberly.

"I'm not surprised. Who wouldn't want fame and fortune? Some would go to the edge of the world to get their fifteen minutes, even if it means hurting others." The hare took his glasses and wiped off a smudge that was distracting him from continuing. " When those types of situations come up, you have to suppress those urges, and that appears to have happened with you and Panther." Peppy patted the lupines back as if to say "way to go!".

"I wish I could say Leon did that, but I don't think he's going anywhere any time soon."

"If he wishes to remain the way he was, that's his choice."

"I don't see him ever changing. He's too stubborn to do that."

"His loss I guess…"

This made Wolf feel rather significant. For the first time, he really felt as though he had changed for the best since his departure from Star Wolf. He had gained a new found respect for the aging hare, which was definitely a surprise since he already respected him a whole lot. However, now it wasn't just respect for a fellow pilot, it was respect for someone he could refer to as a member of his own family.

"Peppy, I think we just had a moment there, and I'm happy that it occurred."

"Yeah, I'm prone to those. Being the wise man of the group causes that to happen a lot. I wish we could talk some more, but I have some business to attend to on the bridge." He stood up and pressed his hands against his lower back, making a loud crack resonate through the room. "You wanna talk, I'm always available. You take it easy now Wolf. " He said as he left the room, once again leaving the lupine to himself.

"Thanks…" He mumbled, knowing that Peppy was out of earshot by then. "You too Peppy…"

Authors Note:

Only seven more chapters left! Prepare yourself for a roller coaster ride that will follow!