A/N: HI HELLO, IT'S BEEN MONTHS BUT I AM FINALLY BACK WITH UPDATES. I MISSED EVERYONE AND I MISSED THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH 3

2025, January 8 – 10:47 – Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China

When they were back in Chuck's room, he couldn't stop his pacing. The news had to take some time to settle in properly. He ran a hand over his hair, knowing it was probably driving his girlfriend nuts. She was pregnant. Pregnant? Like, with his baby? PREGNANT?

"What are you thinking about?" Greyson asked him when he stopped abruptly in the middle of the floor. From his periphery, he noticed that she had been watching his every move.

Chuck blinked at her; his mouth slightly agape. This woman, the love of his life, was sitting in front him and carrying his unborn child. He said in something above a whisper, "I'm gonna be a dad."

Greyson pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, stifling a laugh. "I… yes, babe, surely that was implied."

Chuck felt an overwhelming sense of peace and excitement wash over him. The corners of his mouth started to turn up, and he couldn't help the grin broadening on his face. He sauntered over to where she sat on his bed, leaning down to pepper her face with many kisses.

"I fucking love you," he said finally, smiling still. Chuck's gaze met hers, and he carefully brushed rogue hairs from her face, tucking them behind her ear. "Let's get married tomorrow."

"Why don't we be heroes and save the world first?" she said jokingly, dismissing him. But when he didn't laugh, her brows rose on her forehead. Greyson stammered, "Wait, you – you're not ki—? You're serious?"

Chuck nodded, making a face. "Just a bit."

She started shaking her head. Greyson told him, "Chuck, we can't get married."

"And why not?"

He watched Greyson open her mouth to give a response, and then promptly purse her lips. Chuck reached under the collar of her shirt, hooking on the chain hanging around her neck and pulling out the dog tags she wore. He asked, "Do you remember the promise I made you?"

Greyson looked him in the eye, raising a brow. "The promise you made on the night that we most definitely conceived this baby? Yes."

"I meant it," he said, running his thumb over the dog tags with his name on them. "I never thought I'd love someone as much as I remember my old man loving my mom… And I finally have that, with you." Chuck and Greyson gazed at each other, ocean blues meeting chocolate browns.

It wasn't long until her eyes started to water, and she reached for his hand. "I love you…" Greyson took in a shaky breath, her voice wavering. "But I can't lie to you and say I'm not scared, Chuck. I'm fucking terrified. I mean, can we bring a kid into this?"

His brows started to furrow, realizing that she was getting overwhelmed. "Into what?" he asked, thumbing away at the tear that fell down her cheek.

"All of this," she replied, motioning around them. "This world, this war. We're twelve years into fighting these things, and we're no closer now to killing them than we were a decade ago."

Chuck tilted Greyson's chin up, a smile dancing on his lips. "Even if it takes twelve more years…" He searched her face, seeing the concern in her eyes and the tremble of her lip, and he wanted nothing more but to take it all away. "I'm not going anywhere, love. I'm with you 'til the end of the line."

And Greyson cried in his arms in the first time in years.

Later in the early afternoon, Chuck realized that they had both fallen asleep out of pure exhaustion. He found his girlfriend still tucked safely against his side, her expression serene and, quite frankly, adorable. A swell of affection built in his chest and he couldn't help but to smile. In this small time of reprieve, they were safe.

In their little bubble, Chuck could pretend that there was only the two of them. He was content with just laying there beside her, watching the rise and fall of her chest; counting the barely-there freckles on her cheeks; memorizing the curve of her cupid's bow and the shape of her nose.

In their little bubble, there were no wars. It was just him, and her, and their raspberry-sized kid, and all the love they could fit in their hearts without bursting. And that was all he needed.

2025, January 8 – 13:14 – Hong Kong Bay, China

Donny stayed back while his boat captain conversed with the port security, arguing in Chinese over whether or not their crew would be able to set out into the waters any time soon. It was odd seeing so many local police at the harbor, blocking off the areas of the Miracle Mile Line where two Jaeger teams had fallen just the night before. Small freighters were in the water looking for wreckage, with one of the PPDC's Jumphawks hovering overhead.

The city was in a place of limbo after the kaiju and Jaegers all brought about their own form of carnage. Most of the central cityscape had been demolished or heavily affected during the fights, including the docks themselves. Thankfully enough, there were minimal civilian casualties – Donny had never been in Hong Kong's kaiju shelters before, but they seemed effective.

One of the younger crewmembers, Wei, had his eyes glued to the freighters as they moved along the waters. Donny had just barely caught his quiet, "Do you think they suffered?"

"I hope not," he replied in Chinese. The blond walked to stand beside the shorter brunet, following his gaze out to the water. A cold shiver ran along the line of his spine at the mere thought of being submerged in the bay, fighting to survive.

"Can't imagine being in top shape and then going down like that," another crewmember named Liu remarked. "Sometimes I'm glad I wasn't a Ranger. Shit way to die."

Donny huffed a short laugh under his breath, agreeing. But a dull ache remained in his head, like a lost thought prodding to make him remember.

Before long, the harbor master and police gave them the okay to ship out to the ocean again. Donny didn't want to know how their captain managed it. He was only there for a job, one that he was more than lucky to still have.

His crew had been casting out fishing nets into the water for a solid two hours before he took a moment to breathe. The chatter over the radios had increased over the last half hour as the rescue teams began recovering the bodies of the fallen pilots. Donny watched far off in the distance as Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon's hulls were raised onto the freighters, utterly destroyed.

"Look at all this shit in the water," Liu sighed, throwing a hand at the large pieces of debris floating in the waves. "It's no wonder we haven't been catching anything."

He moved to help Liu with hauling the net back up. "Whose stupid idea was it to fish so close to shore anyway?" Donny questioned, rolling his eyes. After scanning the horizon line, all air seemed to escape his lungs. The blond pointed out to the distance, in the vicinity of the wreckage. "Do you see that?"

Liu followed his line of sight before pausing; he immediately forgot about the net, running to the control. Something likely dislodged when the Jaegers were lifted from the bottom of the bay, or maybe whatever it was just floated out once the boats made waves. Their boat lurched forward, in the direction of the random debris in the water. Donny stood dumbly before grabbing onto the rail to see what was going on. When they got close enough, he recognized a familiar red DriveSuit floating in the water. His heart started racing. Before the shouts from the other crew members reached him, Donny had already taken off his boots and jumped into the bay with a length of rope around his shoulder.

It was one of the Wei-Tang triplets from Typhoon, appearing unconscious and floating face-up. He swam towards the fallen pilot, clinging to him and wrapping the rope around his torso. "I think this guy might still alive!" he shouted, motioning for them to pull them back in.

They tried to be careful as they set the Ranger on the deck. Donny wasn't sure how he knew but he reached to either side of the helmet to release the lock, tossing it aside. He leaned over to press his ear at the guy's mouth, feeling his breath shallow and barely there.

"He's breathing," Donny said lightly, falling onto his ass as he tried catching his own breath.

"We need to get him to a hospital."

2025, January 8 – 18:37 – Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China

To be young and in love. It was something so rare between the walls of the Shatterdomes these days, yet still it flourished. Seeing his son genuinely happy again warmed his heart. Herc was man enough to admit that he used to hate the idea of Chuck and Greyson together years ago, back before he'd really gotten to know the girl and realized how much good she did for his boy.

He had fought with Chuck over pursuing her because he could feel it in their shared Drift Space: The more time his son spent with the young lieutenant, the more he was falling head over heels for her. At first, he thought it was an unnecessary distraction on the field, with Chuck constantly thinking about Greyson; eventually, Herc realized that the simple thought of her drove Chuck to surpass his best so that they could come home in one piece.

Herc remembered seeing Chuck's face when Gipsy Danger come to their rescue mid-battle, the way he cheered loud enough to hurt his vocal cords because his girl was in there. Herc remembered the way he looked at her right after the drop, beaming with pride.

During dinner in the mess hall hours later, Chuck was more animated than usual, all smiles and without a care in the world. Herc figured that Greyson must have finally told him the news because he hadn't seen his son like this since before – before Angela.

It wasn't until the couple finished their meal and left to go check on the Jaeger repairs that Herc really noticed Raleigh's continued silence. The young pilot had barely said anything more than two-word replies all throughout dinner, avoiding looking at anyone besides Mako. Curiously, Herc angled a look at him, saying, "You're awful quiet there, son."

Raleigh finally looked him in the eyes, and Herc noticed the way his grip tightened over his utensils. He glanced at Mako before responding, "Sorry. The Drift-hangover's got my head everywhere else."

Ah, there it was. Herc knew how it went with particularly strong Drifts, when co-pilots were still connected even hours after disconnecting from the Pons. It had been years since Greyson had Drifted with either of the Beckets, but their connection was one of the most solid. He and Stacker had talked about it briefly, when the idea came around to bring Raleigh back to the resistance; they weren't sure originally how he would fare considering losing his brother the way he did. It was a calculated risk, but a risk that paid off – maybe too well.

Herc let out a quiet sigh, almost pitying the damn kid. "What's goin' on in that head of yours?" he said, hoping the Becket boy trusted him enough to confide in him.

Raleigh went silent again, pushing around the remnants of the food on his tray. After a moment, he sighed dejectedly, muttering a quiet "Not in the mood," before leaving.

Herc exchanged a surprised look with Mako, watching Raleigh walk away. "Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"Not exactly. He's stayed quiet all day." Mako shook her head, frowning slightly. She took another bite before pausing. To Herc, she offered, "It is not my place, but when we Drifted the other day, I saw…"

"Saw what?"

Mako gave him a rueful smile. "Talk with him, about Sonny."

It took a minute for Herc to catch up with Raleigh in the corridors. He'd hustled up to him, calling his name. "Oi! Raleigh, what the hell is goin' on?"

He slowed down enough, and they fell into step with each other. Raleigh gave Herc a glance, stating, "It's just… a lot. Having two people back in my head after years on my own." He abruptly halted his gait, standing in the middle of the hall. "I didn't realize how much it would hurt."

"What d'you mean?" Herc asked, turning his full attention on him.

"It's hard to explain," Raleigh replied, walking over to lean against the wall. He looked pained, almost conflicted. "This last Drift was more than just reliving everything, it was… reopening old wounds I didn't even know I had."

Ironically enough, Herc understood exactly what he meant. The very first time that he and Chuck ever Drifted together, it was painful for him to see things through Chuck's eyes, understanding the feelings of anger and resentment that his son harbored. Herc was curious what kinds of things haunted Raleigh, but it wasn't his place to pry.

"Have you talked with Sonny about it?" he continued, already knowing the answer.

"No."

"Are you going to?"

There was a sadness in his eyes that he couldn't quite place. Raleigh looked at him again before staring down at his feet. "I can't."

"She's your co-pilot, mate, there's no reason why…" Herc stopped himself, trailing off. Almost a week being around them constantly, and he couldn't believe he just put two and two together. It suddenly dawned on him that there was a reason why Raleigh didn't want to talk to Greyson.

He should have noticed the way he looked at her, the stolen glances. It was the exact same expression his own son would wear, as if Greyson Darcy were the ocean and he was a man desperate to drown. Herc stepped closer to him, lowering his voice. The father pushed, "Is she the only reason you came back?"

Raleigh sighed, still avoiding his gaze. "No, but she's why I stayed."

"Christ, Raleigh!" Herc took a breath, trying to get his mind wrapped around it. "She was in your head, boy. You can't expect her to choose between—"

"Don't you think I know that?" Raleigh hissed under his breath. He was angry, that much obvious, but whether at himself or the situation, Herc didn't know. "Co-pilots share everything in the Drift, right? Sonny tried hiding the fact she was pregnant from me, because she didn't want me to get hurt. What's worse? I had to find out during my debrief with the Marshal."

Herc remained at a loss for words. This boy had gone though hell and back, yet he kept throwing himself back down to the pits because of his best friend. Herc understood his pain; he'd gone through finding out secrets from the Drift with his brother Scott many years ago.

Before he could get a sentence out, Raleigh pleaded, "I'd appreciate if you don't mention it. Once we finish this op, I'm leaving." Their eyes met, and Herc noticed the tears he held back. "Don't worry about me trying to break them up, either. I love her too much to do that."

Raleigh stalked away without another word.

2025, January 9 – 11:28 – Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China

Greyson and Chuck had a lazy morning the following day. She had laid in bed for the most part, typing out her mission report memo for the Marshal while her boyfriend rubbed gentle circles over her stomach. At some point, she heard him talking to himself.

"Babe, what are you doing?" the Filipina asked, amused. She shifted her holopad away from her face, giving a look to the redhead. He was laying on her, head level with her belly.

He grinned slightly, resting his chin over his hands. "I read somewhere that it's good for the kid if you talk to 'em."

Greyson laughed, running her free hand over his hair and resting at the nape of his neck. "Chuck, I hate to burst your bubble, but this baby won't be growing ears for a hot minute."

Chuck's bottom lip jutted out slightly in a pout. "That's fine," he muttered, "I'll just get a head start."

"You're adorable." She smiled again, leaning down to press her lips to his. Greyson pulled away from him when her holopad began beeping with a video call. She accepted it, greeting Pentecost. "Morning, Marshal."

"Sonny, come to my office in half an hour. There's some news I need to brief you and Herc over." Marshal Pentecost's face remained passive, and she couldn't tell if this news was a good or bad thing.

Greyson merely nodded, saying, "Sure thing." The lieutenant waited until her CO signed off before groaning, leaning back into bed.

"News?" Chuck questioned, seeming to be equally curious.

"I don't even know." Greyson blew a raspberry as she sighed. "I should probably get ready soon."

"Half an hour, yeah?" With a devious smile, Chuck began leaving kisses down her stomach and over the waistline of her shorts.

"Don't do that – I can't be late," she complained, squirming slightly in his grip.

"Give me five minutes, I'll be quick."

"I'd rather not be all hot and bothered when I see your dad today."

Chuck grimaced, faking a gag. "Ugh, gross." He rolled off of her then, content with just watching her run around the room to get changed and making herself look presentable. Greyson took a moment to give him a kiss before she headed out the door with a heartfelt "I love you."

When she finally reached Marshal Pentecost's office, he and Herc were already in the middle of a tense discussion. She had caught the tail-end of the Sergeant's "I can't ask you to do that for me, Stacker" before they abruptly changed the subject.

"Sonny, thank you for coming at such short notice," the Marshal said as she shut the door behind her. He walked to his desk and pulled up some files on his own holopad. "I got word from our recovery teams that there had been a development yesterday."

Herc made a face at that while attempting to cross his arm over his bad one. "What the hell do you mean?" he pressed, sharing a disconcerting look with Greyson.

"The crew had been able to find the bodies of Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon's pilots," the Marshal explained. "By some miracle, one of the triplets had survived. He was taken to the nearest hospital yesterday afternoon after being spotted by local fishermen."

Her jaw almost dropped to the floor. She heard that there was cranial damage in Typhoon's Conn-Pod, but never had she imaged anyone being able to survive an attack like that. Overcoming her shock, Greyson asked, "Have they… identified which of the brothers it was?"

"No updates on that front just yet," Pentecost answered. "He won't be transferred to our med bay until he's stabilized. I'm having the recovery team follow up and ID the bodies later today."

"And what of Operation Pitfall?" Herc brought up, brows knitting together. "We're down Jaegers, Stacks. What's the plan?"

Pentecost remained silent for a few moments, mulling something over in his head. "Are Gipsy and Striker fully operational yet?" he asked the lieutenant.

"I can confirm with Tendo, but they were looking good when Chuck and I checked on yesterday's progress." Greyson kept her gaze on her holopad as she sent a message to their chief tech officer. She looked up at the Marshal when she said, "You're not planning to run a two Jaeger drop with the payload, are you?"

Pentecost blinked at her, glanced at Herc's broken arm, and went back to his screen. She did not like this at all.

A/N: This one's dedicated to all of you readers, whether you've followed this from Day 1, stuck through my rewrites, or have just come across this (in which case, HELLO) - I appreciate all of you