The Sky and the Stars - Tom and Sarah Kazansky

-10-

The waiting around was driving her crazy. With every minute - every moment even - that ticked by leaving her deeper in the dark and unknown had her itching. And the base was oddly quiet, which didn't help. She began wandering the strange and lonely halls, usually so abuzz with the pilots. But now it was quiet, strangely so, and it unnerved her.

This would surely delay her return to Washington, but she cared very little about that - there was no way she was leaving without some answers.

Sleep was fleeting and the exhaustion didn't help her current worried state. But they could be gone for days, so she couldn't stay up the whole time, but she would damn well try - she didn't want to risk missing them. 

She wondered if she should go home and try to finish packing, but decided against it, knowing she would be much too distracted to get any work done. 

How long would they be gone? Did longer mean better, or worse?

It seemed surreal when the base became abuzz once again with pilots, which announced their arrival and the mission's return. She eagerly followed the noisy hum of voices to the group. 

There was a whole hall full of them.  There were Merlin, Wolfman, Hollywood, Slider... And she couldn't see him yet, but she could hear Pete's voice carrying well above the others.

But she could see Tom's tall figure. In fact, he was leading the way.

He spotted her at the end of the hall and it was almost like time froze between them. It was all she could do not to tear down that hall and throw her arms around him in relief. Oh thank God, oh thank God-

He seemed to be sharing similar thoughts for he closed the distance, jogging down the hall and with his long strides, they were close together in what seemed like an instant.

He grinned down at her. "You're still here, I thought you said you were leaving."

She didn't tell him, 'You almost had me sick with worry!' No, instead she smiled and said, "Well I had to stay and see how all this would turn out. Besides, I said I'd see you before I left, didn't I?"

Again, if it were possible, his grin stretched wider.  "Yeah, yeah you did-"

"SARAH!" In barreled Pete, picking her up and spinning her around in a hug. Shocked, she cried out. "We did it! We did it! Did Ice tell you how I saved his ass?!"

"No we hadn't gotten there yet," she told him once he had set her back on solid ground. 

"Well I did. We make a pretty damn good team." Pete nudged Tom. 

"I don't doubt it. I know you can't tell me any of the details, but that's okay, I don't need - or want - to know them anyway."

"Yes, it is classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." Pete smirked and winked.

"Well luckily I'm not all that interested in the classified details. I'm just glad you're all back safe and sound."  Her gaze was on Tom again, and this did not go unnoticed by Pete.

"Yeah, uh huh, sure, 'all of us'. Yeah."

"What's that mean?"

"You know what it means." He adjusted his aviators over his eyes and turned to leave.

"Pete? Pete! You little shit!"

"Agreed," said Tom, watching him go. Then he turned back to her. "Well, our work here is done-" That bright smile - as bright as the stars - lit up his face once again. "-And I know the perfect place to go."