"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!" His 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 todeserve. For those I now call brothers and sisters. For my daughterwho 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-eyed 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 that 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."