Healing Hearts

Chapter 16 - Drift Compatible

January 6th, 2027 - 10 am

The next morning they found themselves walking into the mess hall. Raleigh had an arm around her shoulders, holding her protectively close. She had tried to carry Ezra but he had thrown a fit when she had picked him up, insisting that he be put down. Being the mother she was she had set him down and told him that he had to hold her hand. They were quite the sight. A re-recruited pilot, with his arm around his wife as she held their son's hand. The mess hall was crowded with workers and the other pilots and all eyes were on them. She looked at Raleigh for what to do and he shrugged at her as they got in line to get trays of food. 

"Raleigh, Ana come sit with us." Herc Hansen called from across the room as they got their trays. He had seen that they were looking for someone to sit.

"No, we're okay. Thank you." Raleigh tried to reject the offer but she elbowed him in the ribs gently, earning a slight scowl from her husband.

"Oh, come on, there's plenty of room at our table." Herc insisted and she smirked at her husband as he was led towards the table. At the table were some workers along with another young man who looked like a younger version of Herc. Raleigh sat down beside Herc and she took her place beside her husband. Once she was seated she lifted Ezra up to sit on her lap.

"I haven't seen bread in a while," Raleigh said, smirking as he looks over at her as she stuffed her second piece of bread in her mouth. Catching his gaze she slows down to a nibble, a blush on her cheeks. She shakes her head in embarrassment and turns to check on their son as he chuckles at her.  

"Hong Kong. The beauty of an open port, no rations. Potatoes, beans, sweet peas, decent meatloaf." Herc explained, she liked the sound of it. They had been surviving on soup in the evenings and eggs in the morning when they could find some. "Can you pass the potatoes," Herc asked the man sitting next to him who passed a huge bowl of potatoes down to him.

"Who is this?" She asked, gesturing to Herc's look-a-like. The younger man looked at her with a slight look of disdain, as if she should know who he was.

"Raleigh, Ana this is my son Chuck. He's my co-pilot now." Herc introduced and she nodded her head. Having called it she smirked to herself in triumph.

"He's more, my co-pilot. Right, dad?" Chuck said to his father. She scoffed to herself realizing that this guy thought he was better than everyone else. "So, you're the guy, huh? You're the guy who's gonna run defense for me in that old rust bucket of yours?"

"That's the plan," Raleigh replied, a little miffed by Chuck's statement.

"Good. So, when was the last time you drifted, man?" Chuck asked. She could see where this was going. He was being a jackass.

"About seven years ago," Raleigh told him with a tight jaw.

"What have you been doing for seven years?" Chuck asked, looking over at her, and checking her out without shame. She gave him a look of disgust and he smirked at her. She had to resist the urge to put her middle finger up at him. "Something pretty important I reckon." His gaze returned to Raleigh's glare, not missing what Chuck had just done.

"I was in construction," Raleigh replied and she could tell he was struggling to keep from punching the guy. "Providing for my family."

"Oh, that's great. I mean, that's really useful. You know, we get into a fight you can build or fuck  our way out of there, hey, Ray?" Chuck retorted.

"You watch your tongue Ranger." She spat in defense of her husband. She glared at him and he fixed her with an equally nasty look. "And it's Raleigh. Chuckie."