The Voyage Home (Closed)

[Tornado]

Oroborous was beautiful, and they'd found a particularly gorgeous place. The double waterfall that emptied down into the vast pool beneath them was breathtaking, but in Mike's mind it all took second place to the girl sitting next to him. Shelly was luminous in the half-light, and she blushed when she caught him staring. Their date had started at the coffee shop, but he had heard about Oroborous from his sister and wanted to try it out as a picnic spot. So far, it exceeded all his hopes.

Of course, it didn't matter where he was. As long as she was with him, every place was amazing.

They were talking about their parents. Kara was going to visit Nigel's folks some time during the summer, she'd said, and she was nervous. Mike thought she was being silly; who wouldn't love Kara? But it got him to thinking about meeting Shelly's mom. He had Plans, after all.

"I'd like to meet your mom, too," he said.

"She'd like to met you too. Apparently I don't shut up about you." She blushed again. Mike loved it when she blushed. He loved it when she breathed. As with almost every time, he slowed down his personal time sense and let his eyes linger on her for a few minutes before coming back to the normal timestream. About a tenth of a second passed for her.

By the time he came back, he'd made a decision. He knew he'd probably catch hell for it from the nuns, but he figured it would be worth it. "Well, heck, let's go. Think she's awake?"

She looked surprised. He said, "Mostly kidding. Unless you really wanna go."

"I could call ahead you know."

"I mean, I got nothing tomorrow," he said, which was a pure lie. He was having enough trouble in English as it was. But some things were more important than getting a good grade in English just a few months before he graduated.

"Well, neither do I." Shelly had a little glint in her eye that made him grin. "You wanna?"

"Heck yeah!" he said. No time like the present!

Together they held hands and jumped off the floating island, landing back in the great central pool as always.

"How are we gonna do this?" he said.

"Talos! I can fly us over the war walls!"

He was a little surprised, but it was in keeping with the outlaw feeling of the adventure, so he nodded eagerly. They stepped through the portal to Talos Island and made their way to the eastern edge of the area. Standing on a warehouse roof, he said, "Are you gonna call ahead?"

"You betcha!" Shelly dialed the number and stood there waiting for it to connect while Mike made faces at her. She giggled and spoke to her mom, warning her that they would be showing up soon. She was blushing the entire time, exhilarated by their plans and faintly embarassed by his regard for her, as always. Mike waited til she was off the phone and then gently took her in his arms.

"It'll be great," he said. It would be. He couldn't wait.

"She's rapt," said Shelly. "She can't wait to meet you."

He just nodded. He said, "Have...you think you might want to meet mine, too?"

Shelly tilted her head. "Of course. They raised you, didn't they?"

"Yeah, but dad can be, um..."

She just smiled and said, "So are you ready? We'll fly if you want."

"Sure. WHen you get tired, I can carry you for a while. Um. We probably shouldn't show UP that way." His blush almost matched hers that time.

"We'll figure it out," she said. He nodded. She was right. They always did. He leaned forward and kissed her, gently, marveling as always that she not only let him do that but seemed to welcome it. Her lips were soft and warm as she kissed back.

When they finally came up for air, she said, "Do you need to grab anything before we go?"

"I guess. Hang on."

Mike shifted speed in his head. While she stood there smiling, he tore off across the Island. He ran to the nearest base transporter and headed to his room, where he dug through his stuff and threw some clean clothes into an old duffle bag along with his deodorant and some other stuff. He ran back, his heart and lungs barely registering the exercise, and returned just seconds after leaving.

Shelly was used to things like this by now. "Are you ready?"

"Yep!"

Shelly and Mike said their goodbyes over the comm and clicked off. She concentrated, and he floated up into the air next to her. He never tired of the feeling of flight, which she knew, and if that feeling was had while right next to her, then all the better!

The two of the them headed for the war wall, a little apprehensive. But they knew that whatever happened, they'd have each other.