Book 1 chapter 9 fragment

Jonathon dropped down to the grassy runway and collapsed with exhaustion. He rolled to lay on his back and stared up at the blue sky, he felt his fears draining out of him as if the ground was a sponge.

Pentlow dropped down next to him and laid on his side looking down the field at the control tower. “It’s good to be home.” He said finally.

Jonathon couldn’t even summon up the energy to nod, he just stared up at the clouds and beamed in much the same way he had as a youth on Rowlatt in happier times.

The engines finally began their cooling cycle and he heard the pilot canopy pop open and slide down the rails. Moments later a familiar pair of flying boots landed in the grass next to him and he stared up at the woman that had saved them. She was silhouetted against the sun giving her a halo. Her eyes were rimmed with moisture, had she been crying?

He got to his feet and put his hands on her shoulders and stared down into her eyes.

“Doolz...” he began.

She wrapped her arms around him and pressed herself against him in a tight embrace.

“I thought I’d lost you.” She said faintly. “I thought you’d gone.”
Jonathon smiled broadly as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Doolz... It’s me. I always come back.”

She pulled away sharply and looked up into his eyes, he could see a mixture of anger and hurt.

“One day you won’t...” She managed to say faintly. “There is so much left unsaid.”

He looked at her cryptically but she just held him close again. What was she trying to say?

“Thanks for coming and getting me out.” He said softly as he stroked her hair. “I knew it would be you.” He rested his nose on the top of her head and took in a deep breath, the soft frangrance of her scent filled his lungs and his heart leapt.

“I couldn’t leave you out there.” Her voice was still soft and strained.

They stood in silence just holding each other in the stillness of the summer afternoon. Jonathon didn’t even see Pentlow get up and walk away.
Claire did. Her eyes rolled up to look at him, she saw the sadness in his eyes as they hovered in a last linger look at her.

“I’m sorry.” She mouthed to him.

He smiled slightly and shook his head. “Don’t worry.” He mouthed back before turning to walk across the field towards Ellert’s craft.

Claire buried her face in Jonathon’s chest and gripped his shoulders. She felt safe here and she knew where he was, one day he would realise this was where he belonged, with her.

Jenkins paced the office in front of Doolan, her eyes staring down at her feet. She had said nothing since Claire had entered. Jenkins stopped by the window and turned to look out across the airfield.

“Let me get this straight. You disobeyed my orders by going out to look for Pentlow and Eldon.”
“Yes sir.”
Jenkins raised her hand to silence Claire. “Don’t interrupt.”
“Sorry-” Claire began but quickly silenced herself.
Jenkins paused for a beat. “You then engaged four N’kell 901’s shooting down three, including saving Ellert’s life.”
“She is not to blame for this sir, she...”
Jenkins whirled around. “I haven’t finished yet!” She shouted slamming her palm on the desk.
Claire nodded and lowered her head in shame.

Jenkins whirled back to the window. “You led the fourth into a trap, landed in a field without top cover or clearance before carrying the two men in a blatant disregard of aeronautics, health and safety and weight distribution as well as their black box recorder and the reconnaissance camera before flying over enemy controlled territory and scraped past enemy patrols! Do you know what I should do to you?”

Claire said nothing; she just kept staring at the floor.

“WELL?” Jenkins barked.

Jonathon waited outside Jenkins' office. He could hear the shouting and Claire's feeble responses. He should be in there with her. After all he was as much to blame. He had tried to cover for her as much as he could during his debriefing but Jenkins had not been interested. SHe kept pursuing the facts. He hoped se would be lenient with Claire.
The door opened and Claire stepped out, her head bowed in defeat. She slumped down in the seat next to him.
"How did it go?" he asked

"They're giving me the Galactic cross." She sighed.

"I heard." He put his arm around her. "What's your punishment?"

She raised her head, a grin spreading across her lips. "No Jonathon, they are giving me the Galactic Cross!"

They jumped to their feet and embraced. He felt so happy for her, his heart sang with pride as he held her in his arms, the sudden familiarity felt strange and oddly uncomfortable and they pulled back.

He looked down into her eyes and smiled. "I'm so proud of you. You deserve this."

"I couldn't have done this without you." She whispered, her voice stolen away.

"Really... Thanks Doolz." He felt warmth wash over him and a large grin began to break out across his face. "Do you mean that?"

"Yeah if you hadn't got yourself shot down I'd never have flown out after you." She laughed.

He jokingly punched her shoulder. "Smart arse!"

Their eyes met and their laughter stopped, he felt a tension building between them as if static electricity was sparking and connecting them drawing them closer. He couldn't understand what he was feeling. This was Claire, his best friend of five years, his confident, his wingman, his soul mate? H thought about what Pentlow had said the other night and it all made sense. He moved towards herand put his hand behind her head, he wanted to kiss her, it felt right and she didn't try to pull away. His mind was screaming questions at him.

"What's going on?!?"

He stared into her blue eyes; they seemed to pulse with a new raw energy that he had not noticed before as they stared back into his. He held her closer to him, feeling her soft and trembling form beneath the rigidity of her uniform.

"Claire I-"

She shook her head gently to silence him and her soft lips parted. "Jonathon... Don't... I need to say something."

He stared silently down at her, his heart pounding against his rib cage. She looked away as if summoning up the courage to say something important, she took a deep breath and brought her gaze back up to meet his.

"Jonathon." She paused again. "I've always l-"
The air raid siren ripped through their moment like shards of glass through silk. Jenkins' office door burst open and the CO ran out pulling on her flight pouches. She paused briefly by them.

"Dracon is under attack we have to get to our fighters, all of us."

They looked at her blankly, slowly drifting back to the reality of life and the war.

"Well? Get to your fighters! Come on!" Jenkins waved them off with an angry gesture.

They split apart and ran down the corridor to the field, adrenaline taking over as thoughts of a fresh combat filled them. Somehow Jonathon felt like there was unfinished business and a missed opportunity as if he and Claire had been snatched from their own world and thrown back into the maelstrom and hell of the war and Zosen.