2025, January 4 – 17:25 – Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China

Raleigh Becket had walked into the Kwoon in hopes of getting in a few spars with Greyson Darcy. Entering the place was an easier feat than trying to get the girl up from the mat. "What are you doing?"

She was sprawled across the training mat, fingers laced behind her dark hair in a form of a pillow. "Resting," was what Greyson answered. Her face scrunched when the overhead lights appeared to dim. Upon peeking open her eyes, Greyson blinked up at Raleigh's expectant face. "Hi."

"Twenty says you can't beat me on the hanbo," Raleigh challenged, extending his hand to assist his friend to her feet.

Greyson took it gratefully, already sporting a look of amusement. "Make it fifty and you're on." After walking off to shrug out of Chuck Hansen's jacket (the leather one with the ten Kaiju head decals on the back; that of which she may or may not have 'borrowed' from its owner), she kicked off her shoes and picked up a hanbo.

"I'm telling you the same thing I did Mako," Raleigh said quietly, maneuvering the long stick in his grasp.

"Rals, we've been in each other's heads. I think I know—"

"The focus here is Compatibility."

"Do you ever get tired of hearing your voice?" Greyson placed her phone on top of the pile of her belongings, adjusting the music volume to its maximum. A familiar set of bars weaved into the air, and the nostalgia of late-nights and mediocre school dances came rushing back to her.

Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell / It was love from above that could save me from hell

Raleigh and Greyson passed each other on the mat, almost sizing each other up. Greyson could hear her heart beat in her ears; it's been a long time since she's fought in the Kwoon. Even longer since she's fought with Raleigh.

The latter bowed to the former when she turned around, albeit mockingly. Standing up straight, she warned, repeating his words from before: "I'm not going to dial-down my moves."

The music wafted throughout the combat room, and Greyson's movements appeared to follow it easily. She had fire in her soul, it was easy to see / How the devil himself could be pulled out of me

Raleigh's brow arched before he nodded to her. They both swung the hanbos in their grips, advancing slightly to the other. He made the first move, though she had anticipated it. After one block, Greyson came face-to-face with the stick. Déjà vu.

"One, zero."

There were drums in the air as she started to dance / Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands

Greyson's teeth clenched when her jaw set, and she angled a swing to Raleigh's hip. As she had expected, he deflected it. With the other end of the hanbo, she made a confirmed hit. There was a bittersweet grin that pulled at her lips.

Raleigh huffed. Focus: it was the only word he said to her then. There was a look he gave her that she couldn't quite decipher.

Like a piece of the puzzle that falls into place / You could tell how we felt from the looks on our faces

They both took a few strokes of the arm, circling each other, striking; their movements were swift, fluid thoughts. Greyson could feel it in the air; their actions were mirroring each other's. Becket had gotten ahead of her with a 2-1. She immediately retaliated by swiping at his feet, bringing him down on one knee.

When Greyson swung at his head, she locked her muscles, keeping the hanbo mere centimeters from making contact. "Two, two."

We were spinning in circles, with the moon in our eyes / The room left them moving between you and I

"Don't get cocky;" the way that Raleigh said it reminded Greyson of Yancy. She nearly lost her focus. He got to his feet and shuffled around for a few moments before coming at her. She had blocked his attempts for a full-frontal hit. Out of nowhere, he ducked under Greyson's arm, moving behind her in a heartbeat. Her swing went wide.

It was his body that Greyson felt before the hanbo. His arms were around her, holding the wooden stick to her front. The heat that rose to her cheeks was the result of his hot breath that touched the skin at her neck. "Three, two," he whispered.

We forgot where we were, and we lost track of time / And we sang to the wind as we danced through the night

Her breath hitched in her throat. For a moment, a fleeting moment, Greyson's mind wandered. Then, she remembered that it wasn't Chuck who currently had his arms around her.

Using the hanbo's positioning under her grip, Greyson knocked Raleigh's out of his hands. She pivoted around, blowing his knees out from under him. Raleigh fell onto the mat with a satisfying thud.

Raleigh groaned. "Sonny, what the hell was that?"

The one in question pressed the end of her hanbo to the mat, leaning her weight into it. "You're really handsy today, Becket Boy." An amused smirk found its way to her face when he blushed beet red.

The last few notes off the song faded into the air.

2025, January 4 – 20:46 – Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China

Greyson had dinner with Raleigh and Mako that night, which she knew would just irritate Chuck. But being around the two new co-pilots was so easy; it almost reminded her of the days when Yancy was still alive.

The lieutenant was more than surprised to find her boyfriend sitting on the steps in front of her quarters when she went to retire for the night. Chuck had gotten to his feet when he spotted her. "Babe, what are you doing here?" she asked him with a smile, reaching for his hand. Looking up to him, Greyson noted the frown tugging on his lips. "What's wrong?"

"Are you cheating on me?"

"What?" It came out much harsher than she intended. Greyson's eyes went wide. She was not expecting that to leave his mouth.

"Some of the techs are talking, y'know." He let go of her hand. "They saw you in the combat room—"

Exasperatedly, she pressed, "Chuck—"

"Be honest with me," he implored. "Do you love Becket?"

"Raleigh was my best friend, so, sure, at some point." Greyson scoffed out her answer, pushing past him momentarily to open her door. She shook her head when she noticed the sour expression on his face. "Chuck, come on, you're being ridiculous."

He followed her into her room, saying with a fire in his words, "So it's true?"

"No, of course not!" Greyson turned to face him, both amusement and concern dancing in her eyes. "If I was cheating on you — which I'm not — Raleigh would be the last person I'd do it with." She put her hands on her hips, asking Chuck, "Where did this even come from?"

The redhead shut the door behind him, leaning against it. His lips were out in a pout and he looked up at Greyson through his eyelashes. Chuck sighed, muttering, "I just — You're different around him."

"Because he's not you." She went up to him, cupping his face in her hands. The Filipina looked the Australian in the eye. "Charlie, how long have we been together?"

Chuck gazed down at his girlfriend, trying to fight a smile. "Almost three years," he answered quietly. His hands trailed down her sides before resting on her hips.

Greyson carded her free hand through his hair, humming. She closed the distance between them, matching her lips with his. "How many times" – a kiss – "have I told you" – another kiss – "that I love you more than anything?"

"Every day." Chuck pressed his forehead to hers, a cheesy grin spread on his lips.

"Damn right," she said happily.

They found each other again, fingers twisting between locks of hair, feet shuffling to find the bed. Greyson giggled when Chuck pushed her into the mattress, crawling over her and placing featherlight kisses to her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks, her lips.

When Chuck pulled back, Greyson watched as his eyes took in every inch of her face. A ghost of a smile pulled at his lips. He kissed her again, and she could feel every bit of emotion that he poured into it. It was passionate, carnal, familiar. There was a deep-seated warmth growing in Greyson's stomach. Chuck wrapped an arm around her waist and the other behind her head, effectively pulling her flush against him.

"I love you," Chuck said against her lips kissed red.

Greyson's hands found her way under his shirt, her fingers tracing invisible patterns against his skin. She looked at him and saw the darkness of his blues, lust-filled. "Show me," she breathed.

His lips were on hers again, and then they were trailing down her jaw, down her neck. A gasp caught in Greyson's throat when Chuck's teeth grazed her skin, nipping and probably leaving angry red marks. He bit down at the juncture of her shoulder and neck, eliciting a low moan that caused her face to get warm.

God, he's so hot when he's possessive.

Chuck pinned her to the bed with his hips and she rocked into him, marveling when he cursed under his breath and hastily began pulling off their clothes. They soon found themselves in the throes of action, panting and calling each other's name in between heated kisses. Greyson's mind was swimming in euphoria, and Chuck swallowed up her moans with his mouth. It wasn't long until the two of them were crashing into each other, cursing, with Chuck resting his head against her shoulder as shuddered into her, with Greyson whispering sweet nothings into his ear. He fell beside her and they lay in silence sans their heavy breathing.

The air surrounding them was thick, but Greyson didn't complain when Chuck pulled the sheets over them and held her against his side. Safe and ever secure. She pressed a light kiss to his jaw, chuckling under her breath.

"What so funny, love?"

"I need to make you jealous more often."

2025, January 5 – 08:23 – Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China

Raleigh Becket had told himself that he was fine. He only had himself to blame, after all. He could survive being around them, right? Hell, it was his own fault for never telling his best friend that he was in love with her ever since they were kids.

He kept it hidden when he noticed Greyson and Yancy getting close, because he was dumb and oblivious. Kept it hidden when he realized they started sleeping with each other, because he couldn't process it in his head. Kept it buried when he let her slip between his fingers, because he pushed her away when he couldn't deal with the loss of his brother. He has always kept it quiet, especially now when she's with Chuck, because he knew it would ruin everything.

However, Raleigh could finally admit to himself that Greyson was the reason he came back to the PPDC after five long years. He could also admit that it was bittersweet to have had her in his arms again in a warm welcome. When they were on the gantry, watching Gipsy Danger, he almost made the mistake of telling her that he loved her.

Distance surely did make the heart grow fonder.

Voices came muffled from the other side of Raleigh's door, and he almost regretted opening it when he spotted Chuck Hansen stepping out from Greyson's room across the hall. He could have sworn that Chuck was wearing the same clothes from yesterday, which didn't make him feel any better.

Luckily, the Aussie's back was turned. Maybe he could slip by unnoticed—

"Sonny, hurry your little ass up."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Greyson responded, throwing her long, dark hair into a messy ponytail. She stood on the tips of her toes to reach her boyfriend's lips for a kiss.

Raleigh froze at the top of the short steps when he spotted the lieutenant. His insides twisted, almost painful. Their eyes met when his door shut rather loudly.

"Rals!" Greyson's face broke out into a huge grin as she greeted him. Blissfully ignorant, he thought. "We're heading down for breakfast. Want to come with?"

"Yeah, Becket," Chuck said almost challengingly. "Why don't you come with?"

While she was warm and inviting, Chuck's demeanor was anything but. His arm was around her protectively, and if looks could kill, the blond would have been dead on the spot. Raleigh plastered a smile on his face, one which he hoped Greyson didn't see through. "I'm actually late for a… thing," he lied, taking the steps down. He avoided their gaze. "Catch you later."

Their voices carried even as he turned the corner, heading to who knows where.

"That was… weird," Greyson said.

"Told you he had a screw loose."

If he tried, Raleigh could convince himself that he didn't notice Greyson's crestfallen expression. If he tried harder, he could convince himself that his heart didn't ache because of it.

2025, January 5 – 10:36 – Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China

Greyson couldn't remember the last time she had thrown up; more specifically, she wasn't able to recall when it had ever been so bad. She had woken up that morning and bolted straight to the bathroom. There she was, on her knees and almost hugging the toilet bowl. What dinner she had the night before had been long gone. Greyson was miserable, post-acidic episode. What had she eaten last night? She couldn't remember. Must have been the meatloaf.

Dr. Joel Lincoln, a forty-something physician with Matthew Morrison-esque hair, was considerate when it came to seeing Greyson at such short notice. She was due for her regular check-ups anyway when it came to updating her vitamins and pills.

"Have you been ingesting anything irregular lately?" Link had asked her.

"No," she answered him. "Nothing aside from the usual hall grub." Greyson detested that med bay more than a lot of things but sitting on that cot gave her chills.

There was a certain expression that was permanently fixed on the good doctor's face. Greyson caught it once he looked at her from his board. "Is this the first time you've been symptomatic recently?"

"Like what, exactly?"

"Headaches, stomach aches, morning sickness…?"

"I—" Greyson shook her head, nearly spluttering over her own words. "Y-yeah, it's the first. But look, Link, are you implying it could be because of—"

Link inquired, raising a brow in question, "Well, have you been sexually active?"

Greyson turned red. "I mean, yeah, but it's not like we've never…" She trailed off, eyes widening in an attempt to get her point across to the doctor.

Link gave Greyson a look of vague skepticism but didn't counter her anymore on the subject. "This could also just be a bad case of a stomach bug going around, but if it continues, come back to me and we'll get everything sorted through."

"Thanks, doc," she said, somewhat relieved.

"Just out of curiosity, when was your last menstruation cycle?"

"It was last—" Greyson paused. What relief she once had was washed away in a wave of ice-cold reality. When was her last period?

Irregularity was her norm, ever since she'd hit puberty. A skipped month usually didn't scare her because it would always come back with a vengeance, and it always amused Chuck because he thought she was cute when she was moody. Greyson tried to backtrack, thinking hard about the last couple of months. But the one-month count turned into two, and she could feel the blood drain from her face.

"Sonny, are you okay?" Link's voice seemed almost distant to her at this point.

She remembered. They had just celebrated Herc's birthday. That was the last time, in November.

November.

A quiet 'oh my God' graced her lips, and Greyson took a few moments to collect her thoughts. She steeled herself when asking the doctor, "Can I… Can you administer a test? To make sure?"

Link met her eyes, and something short of acceptance appeared in his eyes. He gave a small, comforting smile. "I'll be right back."

2025, January 6 – 05:12 – Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China

The lieutenant's head had been in the clouds for almost a full twenty-four hours. So many things were running through her mind, but her thoughts always returned to the one revelation from the previous day. No one aside from Link knew. For some reason, it was so fucking difficult to get her head wrapped around it.

But in the end, she still had work to focus on. The world never stopped at the conception of something new. Not even for Greyson Darcy.

Manual system and circuitry check-ups in the LOCCENT were never fun, so Greyson took any excuse to leave the damned place. She was on her way back to the medical ward to check up on Newt Geiszler, as per request of the Marshal. The doctor was admitted for observation after his little tryst with the makeshift Pons system that he had scraped together.

The lieutenant was minding her own business as she walked down the main corridor, hearing the words "Mako Mori" and "injured" in the same sentence. Morbidly curious, Greyson turned to flag down the techs who had passed her. She hustled beside them. "Hey, excuse me, sorry. Do you have a sec?"

"What can I do ya for, lieutenant?" one of them asked.

"Did you just say that Mako Mori had gotten injured last night?"

And that was how Greyson found out that Mako was in some freak accident along Scramble Alley in the 'Dome. She was fine — thank God — but was nursing a mean concussion. Stacker forced her to rest up when the med bay doctor recommended it.

As Greyson spoke with Newt about his Drift, one thing kept nagging her in the back of her mind: the Lucario Project. What was it even? She'd never been given clearance for the files. All she knew was that it involved Chau and Yancy and the Defense Corps, and the more Newt blabbed about the kaiju, the more things started to fall together.

Greyson would have to confront the Marshal about it soon.

And then, there was the issue still of Gottlieb's calculations. She silently prayed to the powers that be for Mako's speedy recovery, because a dark cloud was looming over them and it wasn't pretty.

A/N: Took a little longer to update this one because I don't have internet atm, lol.

But also - Our girl's preggers! Make sure to keep up with the next couple of chapters, because they're a doozy!