The next few days passed with little incident, sure there were a few hiccups and Luna still needed help with putting her bras on. It was going relatively well, Jamie did stop by from time to time, but using my wit and legendary sarcasm I was able to avoid her affection. The day came early for me, as it usually did; I worked out all the kinks in my back and looked to the clock, 05:33. I woke up later than usual, odd, maybe taking care of Luna was taking its toll. I laughed to myself, I’ve dealt with a lot more stressful situations in my short life, and even though this one was defiantly unique compared to the others, I could handle it.
I made my way to the refrigerator when I heard the familiar sound of Luna turning back into a human. She seems to be getting on my schedule, so I went back to the couch and sat down, waiting for my name to be called. And as usual I didn’t have to wait long.
“Aedan.” Luna called from inside, “Aedan I need your help.”
“Coming Luna…” I said getting off the couch.
Making my way to the bedroom I opened the door, just as I suspected Luna needed to strap her bra. Today she was wearing all black, lace to be exact. Obviously something Dawn picked for Luna so she could look seductive for someone if she wanted to. To tell the truth, it would’ve worked on me, and every straight guy in the country for that matter. But Luna didn’t know that was the purpose of what she was wearing; to her it was just something to keep her ‘modest’. It was actually funny to me. Luna was a huge tease without even knowing it.
“Hold still…” I said grabbing the straps, “And it’s done.” I said once I put it in place.
“Thank you Aedan.” Luna said turning around, “I don’t know where I’d be without you.”
“I try not to think like that…” I replied, “But you really should learn how to do that by yourself. Someone would more than likely find it odd that a woman has to ask the help of a man to actually put a bra ON.”
“I’m trying…” Luna said, “But it’s just a tad hard for me… even though I’ve gotten used to this form.”
“Well let’s hope you don’t get too used to it.” I said handing her a shirt, “We still need to find out how to get you back.”
“Yes… but has there been any progress with our issue?”
“In order to have progress you need to know where to start…” I replied stepping out of the bedroom, “and if I knew where to start I’d need to be a whole lot smarter than I am now… I’d need to be-“
That moment I realized something, I only had a few days of vacation left and Luna was still here with me. She needed something to do while I was at work, maybe even a job, but with background checks being a second nature these days she needed more than a name. I might’ve been thinking way too deeply into the situation, but all that rambling thought gave me a chance to think of something that could take care of both problems in one false swoop.
I ran to the counter and grabbed my phone. Hopefully Mr. King hadn’t cut my phone line yet. But when I heard the dial tone I smiled, my problems might just be solved within the next fifteen minutes. Luna poked her head out of the bedroom, no doubt wondering what the hell was going on inside my head, but that question would be answered soon enough. I knew that May was normally his off month, but I hoped that at least someone would be in his office. My question was answered after the customary two rings.
“Mr. Freeman’s office, this is Ms. Bates speaking how can I help you sir or ma’am?”
“Hey Cathy, Its Aedan…” I said relieved “Is Gordon in?”
“I’m sorry Mr. Ryan, but Mr. Freeman isn’t taking any-“ the phone cut abruptly but the line wasn’t droped. I heard another, familiar, male voice on the other. I waited for a few seconds but in the end the result was exactly what I expected.
“Mr. Aedan Colin Ryan…” he said in the most formal sarcasm I’ve ever heard, “How’ve you been?”
“I’ve been just fine Mr. Gordon James Freeman…” I replied with my own over bearing sarcasm, “and you?”
“Government pay is very good, Aedan…” he said.
“You should’ve tried getting paid on MY side of the government…”
“That would’ve changed my opinion on it a bit I guess…” Gordon said, “But I know you wouldn’t call unless something important is going on… so… what’s happening?”
“Gordon…” I began, “I’m gonna need a favor…”
“Name it buddy.” Gordon said, surprising me a little.
“Just like that?” I asked, “But you haven’t even heard the favor?”
“After what you did in Afgan, I still think I owe you.” He replied. “So what do you need?”
“I need to make someone appear…”
“What?!” Gordon said shocked, “You want to make someone APPEAR? Aedan I’ve made plenty of people disappear… but if you want to make someone appear I suggest you find a nice girl and wait nine months.”
“I’m gonna need that to happen by Monday…”
“Why would you need something like that? Are you getting into something you don’t want anyone to know about?”
“No Gordon…” I said, “I need it to… well… It’s really hard to explain it over the phone… could you make a flight out here?”
“I’m in D.C. Aedan…” Gordon said, “I couldn’t get a flight until Monday…”
“Is there any way that you could make it out here before Monday?” I asked “My options are REALLY limited right now.”
“Well… Senator Green is going on the campaign trail again… he owes me a favor after I cleared his name in that adultery scandal a few months back.”
“Thanks Gordon…” I said letting out a sigh of relief, “This means a lot.”
“I just hope this is worth it Aedan…” Gordon said, “It’s your fault I’m spending tax payer dollars on this.”
“You do that any way.”
“Whatever…” Gordon said, I could hear him roll his eyes, “I’ll be in St. Louis tomorrow, around ten… you still live in that raggedy ass flat?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, I’ll be there around eleven, need to get nice and cozy you know.”
“Yeah I know…” I said “See ya tomorrow.”
“You too Aedan… take care.”
“Always do.” I replied hanging up the phone.
I turned around only to see Luna inches away from my face, trying to look over my shoulder. I hadn’t explained the phone yet, granted I rarely used that thing, but I should’ve at least told her what it was. I waited for the inevitable, and in just a few seconds it came.
“Why were you talking into that strange object?” she asked, “Does it talk back?”
“It kinda does…” I said turning back to the phone, “It’s called a phone, it lets you talk to people all over the world.”
“We have letters to do that where I’m from.” Luna said examine the phone, “Does this serve a similar purpose?”
“Actually yes, it does.” I replied, Luna really seemed to be understanding my world more and more, damn I’m a good teacher. “But you don’t need a pen or paper, you just dial the number you want and talk to whoever you want to.”
“It seems a bit impersonal…” Luna said, “You don’t need to put any effort into the conversation…”
“That’s one way to look at it…” I said confused, “but it makes everything faster.”
“You are willing to give up the connection with others just for ease of use?”
“You make it sound like a bad thing.”
“I just find it odd…” Luna said walking over to the couch, “Who were you talking to anyway?”
“A friend.” I replied “A friend that might help us with our… predicament.”
“Ah wonderful.” Luna said happily, then her elation turned into concern, “Did… did you tell them about me?”
“Not yet.” I said to Luna’s relief, “But we can trust Gordon, he’s been a friend of mine since preschool.”
“You have another friend?”
“I have a few.” I said slightly insulted, “Like Dawn… but I’ve known Gordon since I was three, we grew up together.”
“You must be very close to him.” Luna said intrigued.
“He was like the brother I never had.” I explained “we did everything side by side… until we got out of high school.”
“What happened?”
“Life…” I answered, “I joined the Marines, he went to college… graduated Ivy League in only two years… got a cozy government job and I got some of digital cammies and a rifle.”
“You sound upset about that.”
“Oh God no I’m happy for him I really am, but our jobs kinda separated us…” I said waving my hands “that is, until Afghan…”
“Afghan?” Luna asked.
“Afghanistan.” I replied, “We were reunited on my last mission in Afghanistan… when I… you know what never mind, I bet you’re hungry, want some oatmeal?”
“Um… sure.” Luna said walking over to the counter, “I am rather hungry.”
“That’s what I thought.” I said grabbing the Quaker man box from the cabinet. “The Cardinals are playing in an hour or two, I’ll bet you want to watch them play.”
“I still really don’t comprehend the concept of the baseball that infatuates you, though I am starting to throughly enjoy it.”
Typical woman, I thought, she didn’t understand the sport, but she loved watching it. Maybe she was getting too used to being human, and it’s only been five days. I brushed the thought out of my head and took my place on the couch and a few minutes later, after her oatmeal was done Luna sat next to me. We pretty much sat there the rest of the day, I didn’t mind, the only thing that I was missing were my morning runs. But I knew tomorrow that Gordon would be here, and I had to think of a way to explain it to him without him either having a heart attack or thinking I was completely insane.
I woke up in the middle of the night. Before I finally fell asleep I drank about five glasses of water, so it was no mystery why I woke up. The mystery however was why I couldn’t get up instantly, but I opened my eyes I figured it out though. I was mere inches away from Luna’s horn and the rest of her body was curled up on my lap, well as much of it as it could be. I didn’t know that she fell asleep on the couch with me I zoned out around ten. Luna and I had been watching Late Night, I’d assume she’d get up and go to the bedroom, but as I could see that wasn’t the case. Letting out a deep sigh I looked down to her, she looked so peaceful, like she was placed there on purpose. But I really needed to go and she was in my way. Reluctantly I carefully dug under her flank and softly placed her head on my shoulder, after I was sure that her head wouldn’t fall back over I wrapped my free arm around her wings and rose slowly.
I could feel her heart beat, the slow rise and fall of her chest with every breath, her wings rustling ever gently. She was very peaceful right now, it even made me smile. I felt like a firefighter or something, taking a young girl away from danger, it felt like I was doing something that should’ve happened when I was in the Marines. But I couldn’t think about her, not now. I had to get Luna to bed so that if I did have any company at this hour, more than likely Jamie if that was the case, she needed to be hidden so I didn’t have a lot of explaining to do. My thoughts were cut off by a sudden burst of Life in my one of a kind roommate, she wasn’t ‘awake’ awake, more like those ‘My eyes are open, I can talk, but I’m still asleep’ awakes.
“A-Aedan?” she asked sleepily. “Aedan are you-“
“I’m here Luna…” I said without thinking, “Just getting you back to bed.”
“You’re so caring… always there when I need…” Luna said slowly growing a smile, “You would be the perfect mate for...”
“What?” I replied almost dropping her, “I’d be the perfect what?”
Luna didn’t respond, she’d gone back to actually sleeping, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t hear what I thought I heard. The perfect mate…? Me…? For who? Some girl I’ll randomly happen to run into? Jamie? Her? Why the hell did THAT just run through my mind? I’m a human; she’s a pony, except when she’s human… THEN is it ok? RULE 76, RULE 76! I had no idea what I was thinking about or for how long, stuff like this happens to me all too often, the thinking part, not the perfect mate thing. After standing there for God knows how long before I remembered that Luna was still in my arms. I walked into my room and laid her on my bed, covering her up with my covers I looked her over one last time, so very peaceful.
I left the bedroom with that, nothing more, nothing less. looking to the clock I died a little inside, 4:03, but I pressed onward to the couch and promptly fell into it. Gordon was still coming in the morning and even though he wouldn’t care about what I looked like. I still needed to get SOME sleep before I had a talk that I was sure to last the whole day.