We Stand Together

Chapter 27: Moments Like These

Eden is glad for the silence on the ship. All thanks to Jaren's suggestion that she should drop them off before seeing the Queen. It gives her time to think about the whirlwind emotions she's experienced through the day. Everything, including almost dying for good, had been too much. Way too much. She thinks that maybe a long break is overdue and Uriah seems to agree with her.

In silence, the duo flies back to the Tower and make it back to their apartment uninterrupted. No one is in the living room when she arrives so she goes to her room, slinging her helmet into one corner and setting her guns down on a work table she managed to buy a few weeks ago. Then, she grabs comfortable clothes and heads to the shower.

Five minutes later, she walks out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair and murmuring softly to Uriah.

"Eden?" Lance's voice calls out to her.

She looks in the direction she hears it from to see Lance peeking his head out of the kitchen while Axel and Jaren sit at a makeshift bar, glancing at her curiously.

A delicious smell drifts through the air from around Lance. It's one of the rare times he's decided to cook. It would have made her mouth water if she wasn't so tired.

Eden flops on the couch as Uriah inquires, "When did you get back?"

She doesn't wait for a reply as she throws the towel to the far end, curling up and sighing as she sinks into the soft cushions.

"Eden?" Uriah's voice chimes expectantly.

She opens one eye lazily.

"They said they wanted to talk to you."

Both eyes open and they have her full attention.

Lance has come out of the kitchen, a rag slung over one of his sweater covered shoulder. He looks mournful and guilt-ridden as he comes closer and takes a seat on the opposite end of the couch.

"Eden, I wanted to apologize for earlier. What I said, how I acted- it was out of line. You were perfectly capable and I shouldn't have doubted you."

A grin curls at her mouth and she crosses her arms behind her head, stretching her legs out and dropping them into Lance's lap.

"I suppose we could forgive and forget if you let me have some of your tasty food."

A huff of amusement escapes him and he smiles.

"Fair enough," He laughs, standing and moving Eden's legs back to the couch.

The warlock disappears into the kitchenette once more, the sounds of clinking ringing out. Her stomach begins to growl and grumble at the thought of eating Lance's wonderfully, tasty food.

Seconds later, he returns with a bowl for Eden. He hands it to her and she immediately digs in. Moans fall from her full mouth and she closes her eyes, savoring the flavors.

"What is this Lance?" She asks around puffed cheeks, stuffed full of food.

He pauses in the middle of handing the other two bowls to answer, "It's an old recipe from my days before I became a Guardian. A chili recipe I believe."

Eden swallows down the bite in her mouth.

"Whatever it is, I think it just became my new favorite food."

Lance and the others laugh again and take their respective seats around the living room. Lance sits beside her, Axel in an armchair across from her, and Jaren at the bar behind her.

For a while, they all joke and giggle and talk until the bowls are empty and the laughter has long since faded. Eden taps her fingers against her bowl, deciding if she should break the silence when Uriah does it for her.

"I know you apologized but I feel like we need to apologize too. We didn't tell you our plan from the start and we should have."

Eden can't find it in herself to disagree because she knows her Ghost is right.

They all wave it off.

"It's okay kid. We ain't exactly been honest with ya either."

Eden feels like a child in an adult's argument as Lance steels a glare at Axel over her head. A quiet clink behind her and Jaren's on the couch beside Lance with an equally serious expression. All three communicate wordlessly until they all look away from each other.

"Well since you're so keen on having her know, why don't you tell her?" Lance sighs, an exhausted tone seeping into his voice.

Axel grunts roughly, optics narrowing at the Warlock but he turns to Eden none the less.

"There's no easy way to say this so I'll just say it like this: the Vanguard needs us for a really big mission. A raid."

Her stomach churns with dread.

Whatever a raid is, it doesn't sound good and it doesn't give her a good feeling.

Eden looks at him with something akin to a forlorn, wide-eyed stare.

"What's a raid?"

Lance situates himself so he can look at her, hands loosely clasped together in front of him.

"A raid is when a six-man team leaves to push an attack against our most dangerous enemy at the time. Right now, it's a Vex called Aethon."

He pauses and Lance seems to grow extremely exhausted but he looks up at her, green eyes kind as they ever were.

"The Vanguard assigned this to us before you were revived. It wasn't a big problem back then, but it is now. Aethon grows stronger with each day that passes and his influence becomes more and more powerful. If we don't go, there is a certain risk of him destroying everything we've worked for."

Eden thinks back to the Gate Lord and what she witnessed, how he reversed time.

If he was only a minor character among the Vex, Eden couldn't possibly imagine what Aethon himself would be like.

But, on the other hand, she's afraid that if her fireteam goes, she'll never see them again.

"When are you leaving?" Eden asks, sourness in the back of her throat.

Axel leans back in his chair.

"Not till we get full approval from the Vanguard. Until then, you're stuck with us kid."

For some oddly strange reason, that causes relief so huge that she breathes out a long sigh.

Lance hugs her shoulders knowingly. She smiles at him and relaxes back into the cushions until a frown pulls at her face and she remembers her own mission.

"Well," she starts, drawing their attention, "guess that means you have more time to help me find the Black Garden."

Reluctance shows on Lance's expression but he nods none the less.

"I suppose we could help you until then."

Her lips pull into a wide grin and she cheers lightly. The others laugh at her and they change the subject to something lighter, more positive. As Eden looks around at her teammate's faces, she can't help but cherish moments like these.

Right here, right now, it feels like nothing could ever go wrong. It feels safe and warm and comforting and Eden would give anything not to be without it again.

She smiles softly as her thoughts trail off and continues listening on to her fireteam's conversation.