She coughed a laugh at Mike's threat. Looking out the window at her disappearing parents. Her hand found Hector's
and she gave it a squeeze.
"I think they fell in love with you." She told him softly.
"I told you. Parents I've never had a problem with. It’s their kids." He said, giving her long fingered hand, but still
smaller than his, a gentle squeeze as the African landscape passed by them. Mike was a confident driver, the road
seemed smooth as glass, though Hector knew it wasn't paved. "It'll be fine. And if you don't like it, we'll get on a plane
and go to Zaire. No big deal."
She smiled at him and shifted over to drape both of her legs over one of his and rest her chin on his shoulder. Warm
with the way he loved her. She knew it meant something precious to him to be able to share his home with her. And
that it made her doubly precious that he was willing to let it all go without blinking an eye for her.
"I want to go home with you." She told him. Saying layers of things with those simple words and aware of it. "This is an
adventure. And you owe me gumpo."
"Yeah." Mike chuckled dryly. "Because fish head soup is such a draw."
Hector rolled his eyes at Mike. "Just ignore him. Its not 'fish head soup.' He's just an uncultured Yankee." He said with
a chuckle. But he was warmed by her sentiments, having started to feel doubts as much as he was committed to the
course, with her reaction to leaving her parents.
He'd never had that reaction. His mother had left long time ago, and his father and stepmother, well, he never had any
trouble leaving them. If anything he always felt like he had over stayed his welcome.
"Yeah, yeah." Mike commented. Glancing in the back at his two passengers because neither of them had even though
of sitting anywhere except next to the other. "Just remember, while he's rhapsodizing about how great everything is
and your hot and sweaty and bug eaten and bored, that America's a lot bigger than one little bayou."
Andi chuckled quietly and shut her eyes, resting her cheek on Hector's shoulder.
"I would be happy in a one room building with no windows if it had hot running water right now." She admitted.
"I have air conditioning." Hector said with a chuckle. "And lots and lots of hot water. Replaced the water heater I think
three years ago, haven't used it much since." Obviously, since he would have had to be there to use it. "And if she
gets bored, I'll entertain her. Not a problem. Nice change of pace actually, usually I'm entertained by drunk Rangers."
"As long as you promise not to entertain her THAT way." Mike said as gruffly as he could, masking a chuckle. He'd
seen some of the 'Stupid Ranger Tricks' when he had been at the base.
"What? Running through the neighborhood in nothing but a flak helmet? You did mention bug bites, might pass on
that." Hector joked back.
"I think I would just have to watch all that from the inside of the air conditioned house." Andi commented with a smile,
without opening her eyes. Mike chuckled.
"Hell, I'd show up to watch that." He looked in the rearview and then back at the road. "You going to challenge her to a
game of b-ball while you're there and let all your neighbors see her kick your ass at it?"
"I did not kick his arse." Andi protested calmly. Mike snorted.
"Not what I heard."
"Then she can take a number behind the rest of the people who beat me at ball." Hector said with a chuckle. "Never
said I was good. Just said I liked to play. And besides, I kicked YOUR ass, so what's that say about you?"
"Glutton for punishment." Mike said. "And working on my campaign for martyrdom." He looked at them again through
the rear view mirror. "Seems to be working so far I think."
Andi made a soft noise and opened her eyes to lean forward and rest her chin on the shoulder of Mike's seat. Gentle
she touched the side of her head to his.
"Stay a saint instead. They have more fun than martyrs."
"Gonna miss you." Mike stated quietly and Andi nodded and reached forward to lightly rest a hand on his arm.
"I'll miss you too." And then she let go and sat back, tucking up against Hector's side again and resting her head on
his shoulder. Mike glanced at him in the rearview.
"And because I must have gotten hit on the head pretty hard and not remembered it, I'm actually going to miss you
too." He told the Delta.
"You'll see me again." Hector said. "No doubt about it." Because it hadn't even occurred to him that Andi might not be
returning to the Red Cross. Mike gave him almost a sympathetic look as he pulled onto a civilian air strip so they could
catch their commuter flight.
"Now, behave." Mike said to Andi. "Don't give those American boys too hard a time, except for him." He said, chucking
his chin at Hector. "Give him hell."
Andi laughed quietly as she climbed out of the jeep and gave Mike a hug as he came around to help with her
'luggage'. Whispered a blessing against his shoulder that he heard anyway and the look he gave Hector over her
shoulder held all the knowledge of exactly what he was losing. But when they parted and he stepped forward to shake
Hector's hand it was gone from his eyes.
"Take care, man." He offered simply. Then he stepped back and crossed his arms casually across his chest, leaning
on the jeep. "Catch your plane." He called as the blades on the tiny Cessna started. "Cause I ain't driving you to
Cairo."
"Yeah you would." Hector said with a laugh. "All it takes is for Andi to ask."
"You're right." Mike said with a shake of his head. "Now get going before I think of a reason to keep her here."
"Yeah, good luck with that." Hector said as he and Andi boarded the plane. It was a short hop, relatively speaking, to
Cairo, before the real journey started. Long plane rides and bad food. But it was worth it. He didn't know how he knew
that already, but he did.
She had exactly two duffle bags and a beaten, canvas back pack and that included everything she owned in the
world. Hector had one bag that looked half empty anyway. Watching them get thrown into the back of the plane she
wondered what that said about their lives.
Suz had wound up her ankle and she was in her hiking boots so if she took things slow she could maneuver
surprisingly well. It was surely easier than - than before. When her ankle hadn't been wrapped and she'd had to move
quickly to avoid - she shook her head to herself and settled into her seat. Near the window - she loved watching the
world pass by underneath. The pilot was friendly and apparently knew Mike who'd somehow managed to give him the
final call before they'd left the camp so he'd been waiting for them.
But when the plane lifted off that a bump he went back to concentrating on what he was doing and Andi relaxed,
winding her fingers through Hector's and leaning against his shoulder as she watched the world pass by out her
window.
Hector settled in the seat. He didn't mind giving up the window seat, he spent enough time in helicopters to have had
enough of the view. He just leaned his head against the back of the seat once the plane was flying smoothly and
closed his eyes, a small smile on his face.
They had a whole day of running from one flight to another and sitting on long plane rides ahead of them, luckily they
had slept the night before, even if it wasn't quite enough (big thanks to Suzette for that one!). But once the traveling
was over...air conditioning, screened windows and big comfortable bed were for the taking advantage of. Something
he planned to do.
She watched the landscape passing away far below her and thought how much she loved this place. This land. It was
home. But because it was home, she could leave it behind and know that it would be waiting for her to come back.
She wanted to see America. She wanted to see Hector's home.
She wondered if her family would like her.
Or hate her.
She turned her head to watch Hector. Watch the calm on his face. It seemed - deeper somehow. Since she'd - come
back. As if something had settled inside him. She didn't know how to explain it or put it into words. She wasn't even
exactly sure what she was picking up. Just that - she didn't think it seemed it was a bad thing. With a quiet smile she
turned back to her window watching.
The start of her grand adventure...
She would have been content to watch the window the entire trip but the pilot caught her glancing at the controls in
the cockpit when she did once and invited her up to sit in the co-pilot's seat. Pleased, she'd maneuvered around in
the small plane, pressing a kiss to Hector's forehead on the way, and fit herself into the copilot's seat. Things looked a
great deal different from there and she spent the rest of the ride listening to their pilot explain how and why everything
worked and talking about his seven grandchildren - all of whom were obvious geniuses and talented in all areas
including, and not limited to, finger painting. He let her sit there for the landing too, so she got to listen to the chatter
over the headphones and see exactly how huge the airport they were coming into actually was.
Cairo. She'd never been here.
And she was willing to bet a meal on the fact that they were going to have to catch their plane halfway across it's
sprawling airport too.
"This is nothing. Wait till we get to JFK." Hector said as he helped her out of the plane. "But our gate is 32. We're at
3." He had to chuckle at that. "How's the ankle?" He felt bad he couldn't get a direct flight, but short of loading her into
a noisy C-130 with a blanket and some ear plugs, he couldn't.
"Been a while since I was on a civilian airline." He said with a shake of his head. "Okay, we've got twenty minutes."
Andi looked at him wide eyed and coughed a laugh.
"You're joking?" She asked and then shook her head. But she was starting to grin as she lifted her face and gave him
a kiss. "I can manage" she promised. "I'll try not to get distracted." Which was actually more of a danger than her
ankle.
Their pilot, pleased with his role, promised to see their luggage safely on their plane so that at least freed them up to
simply Andi's pack, which she wasn't about to part with. Everything precious to her was in there. Which was probably
another comment on her life considering how light it was. She slipped her hand through Hector's as they started.
Maybe it wasn't such a bad comment on her life though. After all, the things that were really most precious to her was
too big to fit into her pack and could use their own feet for transportation, she thought with a smile.
The familiar excitement of being in an airport and going somewhere made things easier for her and Hector's firm grip
on her hand was both reassuring and served to carry her along when she started to shift off to the side, curious over
something. His presence also served to keep people from coming too close to her. She could bear the touch of the
familiar. Something inside her shied violently away from the thought of strangers touching her, even accidentally.
And then, despite the touristy stands and the interesting smelling food places and the rest, they reached their gate.
Just as it was beginning to board.
"See? Plenty of time." Hector said with a chuckle as they showed their passports and boarding passes, then found
their seats once their section was called. The flight wasn't that crowded, so at least they didn't have that hampering
their trip. All in all, off to a nice start, between this and the charter flight here. "Wonder what the in flight movie is. And
if I'll even understand it." He said with a chuckle as he settled in his seat and fastened his seat belt for take off, as the
message to do so was repeated in a variety of languages.
"See, they don't give that spiel on my usual flight. Usually they just say 'hang on'."