The TIMELINE
________________________________________________
Return to Home: Forever Yours
A Promise Long Ago
I love you...
Wing watched as Drake laid the still form onto the medi-bed.
The wound had been treated
but still Nyre had not awoken.
Tanya had run a full bio scan on her. She had a concussion.
A bad one.
Wait for me Wing
He turned away and walked quickly to his quarters where he felt
the emptiness envelope him. Again. I've failed to protect you
from that scum again. He sank to the floor and hung his head,
unable to stop the tears from cascading down. His vision blurred
and he felt his chest tighten. Oh stars
please no. Please
be alright.
I can take care of myself
how many times do I have
to tell you that!
You've told me that so many times Nyre. You didn't need to say
it anymore. But this time
I should have watched out for
you. He reached onto the table near him for a picture of them
taken right before the first
'event'.
He traced his finger on the picture, on her smiling face. God.
Had I done better. Had I reacted sooner
He shut his eyes
and leaned his head to the wall. "Nyre
" he whispered
softly and surrendered to sleep.
"Where's Wildwing?" Nosedive asked his companions
when they'd all gathered in the Ready Room hours later.
"Here." Came a soft, somber reply.
"Wing." Tanya smiled weakly. She glanced to her best
friend who shook her own head.
"Dad
." Castel approached him. He looked away,
she hugged him, "it's gonna be okay Wing. Nyre's gonna be
fine."
"I hope."
* * *
Her vital signs are normal.
No change.
What? What's going on? Why is it so dark?
She'll be okay, right Tanya? Cause she ain't looking so
good right now.
I hope so
she took it pretty bad.
She's so pale
oh Lord
please tell me she'll be fine.
Guys? Tanya? Duke? Mal?
We can't give up on her. We *can't* you hear me.
Cas Castella?
She'll come back. She has to.
She will.
Hacker? Dee ?
Dive
hey Dive
I'm here. Any change yet?
No.
Ace? Dive? What ? What's going on? Where am I? Why can't I see you? Guys?!
Where's
?
He's outside Grin.
Grin Drake! Where are you? SOMEBODY! Can't you hear me?!
Darkness all around.
Where am I? Nyre thought. She couldn't move
she couldn't
see
. At least she could hear. But their voices were so
distant. So vague.
A light flashed by.
What the?!
"Mommy?" A child's voice. Small tiny, female.
What's going on?
"Mommy?" the voice repeated.
"Here baby."
"It's raining outside
"
"I know angel. Now close your eyes and go back to sleep.
We'll be home in awhile."
Home? A scene unfolded before Nyre a familiar painful memory. No Nyre felt lightheaded NO! She screamed in her mind.
"MOMMY!"
"Ohmigod!"
Bright light. A crash.
Oh dear God no.
A little girl with wide, tearful ebony eyes clutched her
teddy bear tight as a short police officer wrapped a blanket around
her. Firemen were hosing down the flames from the crashed car.
A stretcher carried away a still form.
"Easy now kitten." He smiled weakly at her. "It's
gonna be okay."
"I want my mommy." She whimpered, moisture forming in
her eyes.
"I'm sorry angel
your mommy's gone." He held out
his hand and handed her a small leather cord necklace with a silver
cross and six black beads
three on each side of the pendant.
"Officer Klegghorn, sir, what do we do with the child?"
The officer glanced to the five-year-old girl whose tears cascaded
down her flushed cheeks. "Take her to the station. She'll
be given to social security in the morning."
Mom .
"You lousy kid!" an eleven year old Nyre Leviste
turned a murderous gaze at the tall, menacing figure standing
over her. "You ungrateful tramp!" the man kicked her
in the ribs.
"I didn't do it!"
"Shut up!"
"I DIDN'T!"
She lost consciousness.
Oh dear God. HELP ME!!! Nyre screamed in her mind. Another scene appeared before her.
"What did they do to you?" A lady in her early
twenties touched a nearly thirteen year old Nyre's bruised cheek.
"It's nothing." The child looked away. The woman's
rich brown eyes stared back at her in concern. "I'm not
letting them hurt you anymore."
"And how do you do that Rheanne?!" Nyre lashed out,
shoving Rheanne Vicente away. Nyre's ebony eyes showed a mixture
of emotions. Anger, pain
fear.
"I found this place."
"What place?!" Nyre snapped.
"It's called 'The Center'. A friend of mine works there
they take care of kids. They can train you and develop your potentials."
Rheanne reached out to the girl. "Let me enroll you. You'll
fit right in. I promise. No more pain."
The teen blinked, then took the older woman's hand.
Rheanne oh Rheanne how can I thank you so much?
"Nyrene Angelyn D. Leviste?"
"Yes."
"What's your nationality?"
"I'm
American sir, but
my mother and father are
Asian
Filipino actually."
"Oh
beautiful country, have you gone there?"
"When I was very young, I can barely remember sir. My father
was killed in action when I was three, my mother died two years
later in a car crash."
"So, how old are you Nyre?" A man in his early twenties
with raven black hair and kind emerald eyes stared back at her.
"Thirteen last month sir."
Krysta Avers, a woman with long, straight, silver-blond hair glanced
to Drake who nodded at the young girl's reply. They seemed to
be assessing her.
"Do you have any living relatives, I read up on your
history, but besides your deceased mother, is there anyone else?"
"No sir." She answered softly.
"Oh." Drake leaned back and examined her file. "Do
you socialize well with others?"
"Depends on the 'others'." She replied, a light flashing
in her eyes.
Drake smiled to himself, "can you elaborate on that?"
"If they give me respect, I give them the same. If not,
eat dirt." She cocked her head and raised her left eyebrow.
Drake smiled, closing her file. "What do you expect from
this program Nyrene?"
She paused and looked down at her hands. Moments later she looked
up, "To enhance my own abilities and hopefully learn more
about those with me in the program. I'm only human, and like
everyone else, I long for companionship, oftentimes I give my
trust freely, but those who have it must earn and strengthen that
bond further. Those people who do, I would give my life and loyalty.
I also want to find somewhere where I belong."
"Thank you Miss Leviste, you may step out now, Miss Avers
and I have to discuss something."
"Yes sir." She picked up her bag and the long stick
wrapped in newspaper.
"Uhm, Nyre?"
She turned and faced Drake. "Do you play hockey?"
"Street or ice?"
"Either."
"Yes sir."
"Okay." And she walked out of the room.
Drake Krysta that was the first time .
"Heya!" A group of five approached thirteen year
old Nyre as she sat, drinking the hot chocolate she'd just bought.
She nodded. Who are you? She thought. Two she recognized as
the ones who she'd worked with on the activity when she's first
arrived. Hacker Randall and Deanna Kerse.
There were three others with them now. A pair of twins, she assumed.
They looked alike, but as she observed days before, they didn't
act alike. The fifth was a boy who looked about two years younger
than Hacker with rich dark brown hair with a tail hanging at the
back and bright green eyes. "Who're you first." She
said rather coolly.
"This is Ace." Hacker introduced the boy.
"And these are the twins Marri and Melissa." Dee introduced
the two girls. "Hi!" the three greeted her. Nyre smiled
and extended her hand. They're good enough
for now. We'll
see if they live up to it. "I'm Nyre Leviste."
The team my god. So many good memories.
Her heartbeat has quickened!
What?!
What's going on? Is she gonna be fine?!
I don't
I don't know. There's nothing wrong with her from
what I can see.
The voices came again from the distance. Tanya Dive Mal Grin Duke
Wing .
"C'mon gal! We know you love hockey!" Hacker and
the rest of Strobe had gathered in her room, and at the moment
the tall boy was waving around six season tickets to the Anaheim
Ducks vs. the Dallas Stars.
"Awww c'mon Nyre! Let's go! It'll be fun!" Dee and the
twins begged.
"C'mon Nyre." Ace smiled. Nyre shook her head and laughed.
"Okay!"
That was the first time that was when I felt .
"And the Ducks' win the game!"
"They're good!" Nyre commented,
"Faboo gal!" Ace laughed, "YO ROCK DUCKS!"
He hollered as the Anaheim Ducks waved to the crowd. She laughed
as Marri in all her unashamed glory did a semi-dance and then
shouted at the top of her lungs, "WE LOVE YOU GUYS! DUCKS
ROCK! OOO! DUKE! YOU the BOMB!!!"
"You like him?" Melissa asked when her sister had calmed
back down. Marri shrugged, "I like his style. Hey, Nyre,
who do you like among the four guys on their team?"
The goalie's terrific. She thought to herself.
I never thought that .
* * *
"What's wrong?" Tanya swallowed hard when she heard
that question. Do I tell? How do I explain
"Tanya
?"
Mallory tugged on her sleeve.
"She's
remembering."
"WHAT?!" Were the several shouts from all directions.
"She's in a state of unconsciousness where she's
remembering."
"Remembering what exactly?" Drake asked walking over
to her side. He glanced down at Nyre's readings. Could it be
?
"She's coming home." Castel couldn't stop the tears
from falling. "Momma's coming home." Dee hugged her
tight and looked up at the other team members who turned their
gazes to the tiny, pale figure on the medi-bed. They were getting
her back.
* * *
Nyre felt a sensation wrap about her. What's
this?
She felt lightheaded and
as if she was
falling
.
Falling
.
Where
? Where am I going?
Nyre ?
Wing? She looked around for any sign. But the black void still enveloped her.
Nyre angel .
She glanced forwards and saw another scene unfold before her. Wing
"This is nuts! If we place that detonator from the
outside the craft will only break up in two. WE still can't save
Anaheim." Duke reasoned with the others. "The only
way we can do this is if someone plants the detonator inside."
"That's suicide Duke! Who would want to take that up?!"
Mallory and Dee glared at him.
"Wait." Wildwing suddenly interrupted.
"What's wrong?" Castel asked.
"Nyre's gone."
This was when I sacrificed myself for them .
Nyre held on tight as she entered the alien craft. Where
to put
where to put
. There! She heard the click of
the snap. Mission Accomplished. Now
she checked her watch
BEEP!
What?!
"Nyre! What do you think you're doing?!" Wildwing demanded
from her comm.
"Saving the lives of innocent civilians Wing."
"Come BACK! THIS IS *SUICIDE*!" Hs eyes pleaded for
her to return to the Aerowing. She glanced to her watch and shook
her head sadly. "I can't. I'm doing what I have to for
the team's sake. One life isn't worth sacrificing the whole of
Anaheim. You can carry on without me."
"But Nyre--"
"Stop Dragaunus. I'm doing this for the family I want to
deserve. For those I now call brothers and sisters. For my daughter
who still needs to live life and make up for what she's missed.
For the one person who'll forever keep my heart in his hands.
Keep the necklace Wing. Until I return home."
"what necklace?!"
Three
two
"In my seat. I love you."
One
"N---"
The craft exploded.
Wildwing
Wing . Please . Wing .
* * *
"Wildwing
." All eyes glanced up.
"What
" Nosedive began
"
was
" Duke continued.
"
that?" Drake finished for them, standing up
and moving away from Mal who was also making her way to the bed.
"Wing
?" came Nyre's soft voice again. Her hand
twitched slightly and Wildwing immediately appeared at her side
seconds after. "Nyre
." He stroked her forehead
and they all waited, watching until her eyes gently fluttered
open and she blinked twice, thrice and turned her gaze to each
one of them.
Dee began to cry as she saw the light and recognition in Nyre's
eyes when they fell on her. Hacker began to hug her in comfort
as he too felt his chest tighten with emotion.
"DK. What's with you?" Nyre managed to get out, a slight
smile forming on her face. "you look like something the
*rat* dragged in."
"Ya know kiddo, I could kill ya for that," he then glanced
to the rest of the team, "but then I'd be lunchmeat for Phil."
"Heaven forbit it, he's big enough as it is. Right Grin?"
Nyre turned to the large duck who nodded.
"Welcome home little angel."
"Oh, oh!" Nyre turned her gaze to Castel and extended
her hand, "baby, come here
" she cooed and the
hybrid approached her mother, hugging her tight. "You were
crying weren't you?" Castel immediately wiped her wet eyes
and nodded.
"Dee
"
"Missed ya sis." The lavender eyes human walked over
and kissed her sister's forehead fondly.
"Mwah!" Nyre smiled. She turned to Mal and Tanya to
whom she smiled brightly at. Then to Ace and Hacker and to Drake,
"do I have to do chores tonight Drake
?"
"No Nye." The green eyed commander smiled and then
received a hug form Mal.
Her gaze then turned to Nosedive who was completely silent. "Yo
Dive
what's up with you?"
"Are you back and okay now
?" She nodded. "Gosh
!"
He went over and she touched his cheek. "Hey Wing, told
ya she'd come home."
Nyre turned to the person who sat beside her
who's hands
were still entwined in her hair. "Wing
hey bay
you doin' fine?"
"Now at the least." He smiled.
"Y'know
you don't really need us here and all so
"
the group headed for the door. "We'll all be outside if
you need us." And the door closed softly.
"Bet you hat they're still listening." Nyre smiled giving
Wing a wink. He traced a finger on her lips. "Wing
?"
"You were
"
"Calling out to you? Yes, I was." She looked away silently,
suddenly at a loss for words. She sat up and hugged him tight.
"I've come home Wing
" she whispered, feeling
the comfort of his embrace.
"Yes
you've come home."
________
End