After the Drift

Chapter Twenty- Eight: Home

Mom left after clucking at me for an hour and I finally got clearance to leave the sick bay.

They said exhaustion and stress were the main factors for my giving in to gravity.

I got an intense glare from her as she went to inform my dad on how I was. She had said he was caught up in Jaeger repair and had told him not to come once she learned I was basically okay.

It still kind of hurt he didn't come to check on me. Neither did Chuck.

I swallowed hard and walked with Raleigh to my room.

Once at the door Raleigh stopped me with a hand on my arm. "I just wanted you to know that... I understand what you're going through. I miss Yancy everyday. I thought if I buried myself away in the ice I wouldn't think about it." He sighed and let his hand drop.

"It doesn't get easier. It just becomes a fact you have to accept. Do good things with your time you have left. I'm going to try to do the same." He gave a breathy laugh. "I'll see you soon, Ruby." He gave a small wave and walked away.

I stood there for a few moments, staring a hole in the floor.

I heard some clomping and looked up finally to see Chuck staring daggers at me. "So you've already gotten to takin' him to your room part of the relationship. If I'd known I was part of an equation, I would have jumped ship faster than you can say 'kaiju shit'." He went to turn away from me but I had had enough.

"Just you wait a god damn second Chuck Hansen!" I was the one doing the stomping this time. I halted in his path.

"You are on a damn tear right now! I know I haven't done well lately." He gave me a look. "At all! I get it! But that does not give you even an inch to be such a...such a... Jerk! You're being a stubborn, not listening ass hat!"

I could feel my face getting hot. His eyes were somewhere between angry and disappointed.

"I just ran into Raleigh when you saw us. We were saying hello after years. He was the one who caught me when I passed out a few hours ago. He was the one who walked me back to me room to make sure I was okay!"

His face shifted a few times during my rant. I didn't feel like he deserved an explanation but he sure did deserve to feel like shit for not being there.

"Darl', I-" I held a hand up. "You cut me off and never let me speak today. I get you're all testosterone and macho manly man feelings, but you should at least trust me like I trusted you with...Lucie." I ran out of steam by the end of this particular rant. I just felt like I wanted to cry.

Chuck noticed this and immediately the hackles went down. He lightly put his arms around me. I began shaking and sobbing.

"I'm so sorry darl'. I...I just missed you so much. You weren't even talkin' to me. It was like I didn't exist. And then I saw you hug him..." He sighed heavily.

I nodded from under his chin. "I'm sorry I pushed you away. I don't really know what to do with myself right now."

He took a shaky breath and held me back from him. "I get that. I do. But I'm still here. I still...I still care about you. Whatever it is you need to do, just tell me. Don't leave me on the outside...please."

He pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head gently. "When I heard you fell I wanted to throw myself over the edge of the bay." I gave a little chuckle which he returned.

"I'm sorry for bein' so crass with you. It wasn't right. I let those macho manly man feelings take over like an idiot."

I finally breathed out a heavy sigh. "I wouldn't lead you around by your dick, Chuck Hansen."

He chuckled a little heartier now. "Yeah, you aren't that type. You're a bit more to the point." He gave me a wink and tightened his arms around me. "God, I missed you, darl'."

I nodded again and pulled him into my room. The nurse at the infirmary told me to take it easy. As much as I wanted to jump Chuck Hansen's beautiful bones, we'd both have to settle to cuddling under the covers.

So we did. It was warm, comfortable and I had the most beautiful pair of blue eyes to stare into when the tears threatened to fall again.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had a home.

"Hey Darl'?"

"Hm?"

"I got a surprise for you."