Assignment-Japan

[The Watcher]

Safely enscounced inside the F-117 Stealth Nighthawk that they called their own, The Guardians were in the air and off the ground before the locals on the ground had a chance to thank them, or throw stones.
Reports started flowing in over the monitors of the incident and how the creature known as Godzilla had mysteriously disappeared from Japanese radar.
"And that would be my doing..." Spooky's voice sounded off of the overhead intercom.
"Let's just say the US government probably had more to do with this than you'd think. Head back to base, you've got wounded to care for."

Kei and Cameron were learning the finer arts of patching up a mangled fairy's wing, while Chandi and De sat at the controls of the plane getting safely back to it's port of call. John watched the two would-be medics from the sideline, trying not to jump out of his seat at the slightest wimpers of pain AJ was making.

All in all, the mission had been a success. It had tested the Guardians on their teamwork, it had brought them together in the face of danger and death, and now, it was time to unwind, relax and have some fun.

[Enchantress]

Maybe it was the searing pain that seemed to course through AJ's wings that caused her restless sleep, or perhaps it was that she had so much on her mind now, so many things she needed to talk to Chandi, to Cameron and to John about.
"Something about him...the way he kissed me...it wasn't..." the though slipped into a stream of other thoughts as she let out a soft moan.
Her mind was a mix of memories and dreams, things that had happened and things that were yet to come.
~~~~~~~~

"But I don't want to go back. I have no reason to go back there." Angelee looked up into Rhys' amazing blue eyes, almost pleading with him.
"Firefly, listen to me. You have a number of issues that cannot be resolved here. I don't want you to leave..." his hand reached out to caress her check slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. "But I want you to be able to move on and come back to me, ready and willing to be my bride. Understand? I hear you at night, calling out for Vicki, calling out to Cam...him....Chandi. If you don't spend some time back in the human world, how can you ever expect to spend forever with me?" he leaned in and kissed her slowly, smiling down at her tear filled eyes.
"There's all gone. Vicki...I'd have to track down Drakon again, Chandi...I... I don't know where she's at...and...well....it just still hurts. You were so right Rhys. Humans love so differently than we do. And now that I've experienced that profound kind of love we Fae, I don't want to go back to the uncaring cruel outside world." She hugged him tightly to her.
Rhys kissed the top of her head, and smiled to himself as she spoke. Her coarse southern accent had all but disappeared since her arrival. And now, he had to let her go. He couldn't stand the thought but he knew, it was for the best.
"Angel, go...these humans can only live what? 50 years or so? Go, be with your friends, soothe your wounded ego, and find Vicki. We've got an unmeasurable amount of time here. I'll be waiting, and only a whisper away should you ever need me. Enjoy yourself. I know how much you love the attention you get from those creatures." he laughed just a bit as she looked up at him with a glare, then smiled herself.
"Yeah, well..."
~~~~~~~~~

"Vicki.......Chandi.......Rhys......" the names tumbled from her lips as mere whispers. Slowly the real world began to take shape around her and she tried to open her eyes, blocking out the pain from her wounds. They would heal in time...all things did...didn't they?

[Tessa]

“She’s been blasted, that’s for sure.” Kei commented as she concentrated on helping Cameron patch up AJ’s wing, “If she starts bleedin’ I’m gonna hafta pass out…fear of blood and all.” The Hawaiian/Japanese had offered her help but figured if it got too bad for her neurotic mind Cam would be able to patch their teammate up without her help.
“Or retreat, I haven’t decided which would be more effective yet.” Kei sat back and looked over the work that they had done on AJ, figuring it would be ok, it wasn’t the first time she’d had to help with a wound and somehow she thought it was fate or karma or something trying to get her over her fear of blood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Izzo got completely drilled on that last wave!” Maria hollered from the water, trying to contain her laughter, “He bannocked his knee somethin’ fierce.” The petite Spanish girl dropped her short board on the sand and dropped down next to Kei, “He’s bein’ all manly about it and refusing to get it looked at.” Maria rolled her eyes, looking out into the waves.
“Izzo ain’t exactly a genius, he’s a step ahead of a kook when it comes to judgin’ the surf.” Kei commented, “Come all the way up to the North Shore for a weekend and he forgets his surfin’ etiquette.” She noticed that the South African had exited the water and was making his way up the beach, his left knee gashed open and dripping.
“Got rag-dolled.” Izzo said as he set the board down and stood in front of the two girls, “Carly ordered me outta the water, and Halia said that you two need to patch me up.” Kei raised an eyebrow and looked at Maria, the smaller girl in turn started to rummage through their gear.
“I know Mendi brought her first aid kit, just need to find it.” She motioned for Izzo to take a seat.

Once the kit was found Maria patched Izzo’s leg up while Kei tried not to show weakness and bolt for the other side of the beach, she had dutifully wrapped the gauze after the stitching was done.
“Promise me you’ll get that looked at when we get back to Waikiki.” Maria said seriously, the nursing student in her coming out, “Or else you’ll be learnin’ how to surf one-legged.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m hittin’ the beach when we get back, the surf’s callin’ for me.” She informed the rest of the group, as she settled back, “can’t let myself get rusty.” Kei gave them all a big grin as she imagined being on the beach with her board, mentally visualizing the feel of the water as she paddled out.
“Just better not be stormin’.”

[Local Hero]

Cam grimaced, almost feeling AJ's pain as he applied dressings to the wounds on her back and wings. When he was satisfied each dressing was secure, he opened a small portal to the other realm, drawing a little of the essence of that place through to magically augment the human medicines.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He and Kei had still been heading out to sea searching for the monster, John and the girl he loved, when he heard the commotion back on the shoreline. He came to a dead stop, turning to look back in the direction of their waiting team members who had been anxiously pacing the narrow strip of san, searching the waves for any sign of there missing comrades. The glimpse of pink and green between the crashing surf was enough to make Cam almost forget about his passenger and 'port back to the beach. It was only Kei's voice in his ear that caught him before he could generate a portal. HH didn't know what effect taking a normal human through the other realm even momentarily would have on them, but he didn't want to lose another team mate finding out. "Hold on tight." he said as he instead jetted back towards the beach as fast as he could, skimming low over the surface of the sea, sending up a high spray of water behind them.

What seemed like long minutes to him but must only have been seconds, he skidded to a halt in the wet sand depositing Kei swiftly on her feet as he dropped to his knees, searching AJ's face for signs she was ok as De performed CPR. "C'mon Princess. Dinnae gie up." his thoughts almost frantic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ah shouldhae been faster. Bloody dragons!! Nithin guid ever comes aboot when dragons are involved!" Cam's brow furrowed as he sought to concentrate on the task at hand. "Ah dinnae think the scarring will be permanent AJ" he said softly, hoping to reassure her, as well as himself. "We'll have ye up and flying again in nae time. Ye'll jist have tae take it easy for a wee while."

[The Truth]

"And if that doesn't work I know a mate over in the south of France that can hook you up proper with a jetpack or two."

De chimed in half heartedly, spouting the same line he'd used years ago on one of his partners after she'd been stripped of her powers one night and a fellow keeper of the peace tried to restore them. He sat now resting comfortably in his seat, his right hand messing with and refixing his hair as his left sat draped across his lap, it's palm in contact with the fabric of the jersey covering his torso.