After the Drift

Chapter Five: Where were we?

Present

Chuck had always known me. Really knew how I worked. Where some might cry, he knew I would just get mad. That's how he knew where to find me.

I clenched my hands a few times, trying to calm my breathing.

"Little one, don't keep running from me." He moved closer to me, putting his hands on either side of the railing, nearly hugging me.

His chest barely brushing my back. It still felt hard. It still felt safe.

My breathing soon became erratic again, he pressed a light kiss on the top of my head.

"You don't know what I've been through to get here, my little one."

I whirled around and nearly forgot why I was angry when I finally looked into his eyes. They were beautiful dark blue, almost denim.

Do people even wear jeans anymore?

They held sadness and what looked like hope, even relief.

"What do you mean... Chuck?" My breathing hitched again when a small smirk formed on his lips.

"I mean I've been through hell and back, and as it turns out so have you. Just let me hold you for a damn minute, I thought I'd lost you forever."

The emotions that came out of him on his last few words surprised me.

It then took a moment for shock to finally register at his words. Lost me?

His arms tightened around me and he buried his head into my neck. Involuntarily, my arms circled around him, burying my head in his chest.

He was alive. Chuck Hansen, the love of my life, the reason I was alive... was here.

We both looked up at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Raleigh stood at the door with my CO Mako Mori. She held a small sad smile. She had known so much of what I had gone through.

"Ruby, Chuck. Would you mind coming with us to the Briefing Room? I think a lot needs to be discussed." She gave a short nod, turning to smile at Raleigh and left ahead of us.

Raleigh gave us the same smile then turned and left.

"This better not take long. I've got a lot planned for our reunion, little one."

Without even waiting for me to say a word, he grabbed my hand and pulled me along to the meeting room. Ever the take-charge kind of man. Much to my annoyance.

Once seated at the large oak table, I was across from Mako with Chuck close to my right, only having let go of my hand to pull out my chair for me.

This all felt so surreal. The four of us together again. Some of the best times in my life involved these three people.

The past few years we had unfortunately grown apart somewhat, well the two who I had known were alive at least. Mako was a big wig in the government and Raleigh had sunk down some J-tech hole.

The blonde cleared his throat again, causing me to look up from my reverie.

"So...where do we begin?" He looked to Mako, then Chuck. The latter gripped my hand.

"How about from when I thought he was dead?...that'd really help me out."

I bit the side of my mouth to say anything even sassier. See? Good commanding officer right there. Making good choices.

Chuck nodded his head towards Raleigh, who began speaking.

"After we ejected and popped up out of the water, we didn't know what had happened to either of you. Unfortunately, we had assumed Chuck was dead along with Pentecost. You on the other hand, we had no idea." He gestured towards me.

"Since you were only giving some cover fire at the time, we hoped you'd be fine... and eventually we found you... both. Together."

Chuck's brows furrowed. "We weren't together when the blast happened though... she was in a Mini-J and we were in Stryker. How...?"

Raleigh sighed and Mako picked up the story where he left off. "It seems that you both searched each other out even... near death. Chuck's suit somehow kept enough air in the helmet to breach the surface. Ruby's Mini-J surfaced by itself and ... you found each other."

My hands trembled slightly. I had more time with him than I had known. My heart ached a little.

"When the first responders got to you, Chuck... you barely had a pulse. Your left arm was nearly detached as well as your right leg. The trauma to your heart and lungs was devastating..." she looked to Raleigh who grabbed her hand.

"You were not going to make it. We just tried to get you to the dome before you passed, to see your father. And you, Ruby, you were not much better. The trauma you had from impact was substantial, half of your skull was caved in, it is not surprising you don't remember much of what happened."

Raleigh cleared his throat, "This is the not so great part. Chuck, you died before you even got through the bay doors..." My breath caught and Chuck squeezed my hand again. Somehow he was here. My head was starting to hurt from the impossibility of it all.

"We brought you to the Med bay and even though you had no pulse somehow... you still had brain activity. We went through about twenty doctors... only thing we could figure out was that you," He pointed to me. "Drifted with him just before you both lost consciousness. Somehow that connection saved something in him. We decided pretty quickly to hook him up to life support and kept him there for a long while..."

"Some research Newton had been exploring before that day had the promise to jump start extreme tissue regeneration with some strands of kaiju DNA." Chuck's eyes darkened and both his hands went into fists. He stood up and began pacing the room.

"You mean to tell me there's kaiju in me? The same beasts I died to destroy?!"