FSE

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Wylde Fyre

By Stephen Doyle

Chapter Eight

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August 24th 2017 Lajes Air Force Base Terceira Island, Azores 19:30 hours

The afternoon after returning from the nearby islands had slid by in a warm haze. En route back to the base, Sean had sprung the invitation to the party on the gang and the response had been enthusiastic to say the least. Rebecca's mood had changed after they'd returned, and the collie had excused herself from the party preparations with a cool detachment. Despite the abrupt brush-off from the collie, the others had taken to the task, with Max diving into organising things on his smart phone, inviting people and organising everything from furniture to food. The others had pitched in with ideas and suggestions, as well as offers of help to unpack the rest of Sean's possessions, gained earlier that morning, and set up his new home. That had been hours earlier, and now Sean let out a long sigh of relief as he leaned back against the wooden rail on the rear wooden porch decking, and looked back into the house. Everything had been manoeuvred into place, unpacked, or set up. Miraculously, and probably by some magic of Max's weaving, the rest of his belongings had turned up halfway through the afternoon to be distributed around the house. He gave a slight smile as he remembered the antics of the afternoon, sipping at a glass of bourbon with ice clinking together as he tipped it to his muzzle. The team had set to work, arranging things around the place. Taia had concentrated on organising the lounge, remembering the kickass setup Sean had in his place in Lakenheath, their original posting together, and the home of many parties. Red had offered to take care of the kitchen, and Sean had agreed after being informed by Nina that Red was one hell of a cook, and knew what was what about a kitchen. Max had continued with the organising, supplying a large variety of things throughout the afternoon, after several disappearances and returns. He and Nina had taken care of the bedroom, with the hyena poring over his collections of books, memorabilia, and the personal knick-knacks packed into boxes. And even though there was unpacking to do, and a deadline that things needed to be done by, he couldn't hurry past it. He'd wanted to explain each object and its' story to her - until she'd offered him the box with a chuckle. It would've taken too long to finish unpacking everything if they'd had to stop on each one. Instead, she'd taken up hanging his clothes for him, while he'd arranged the room and stowed everything else in boxes. Finally, they'd made the bed together, giving each other a congratulatory grin as the soft covers came to rest. Nina fell onto the bed and gave a relaxed sigh, squirming into a comfy position. Without thinking he fell alongside her, and she chuckled that sexy, smoky sound from the back of her throat. "Too comfy," she murmured, butting her head against his shoulder. He put an arm around her in unthinking response. "I don't wanna get up now." "Well, it is pretty good just here," he replied, shrugging his shoulders deeper into the soft comfort of the cover. "But the others will come looking if we stay here too long". "Ah, let 'em look," she said with a grin, looking up at him. "Be a show if they find us" "We'd never live it down," said Sean, reluctantly sitting up. "And there's work to do. Come on - there'll be time for laying down later on" He'd headed for the door, and paused in surprise as she spoke softly. "I'll take you up on that".

Sean relished the smoky, harsh taste slipping down his throat, and looked through the big plate glass window at the lounge where Nina, Max and Red all laughed together and chatted while waiting for others to arrive. Rebecca had made a vague sound about returning later, if possible, while Taia had crossed the street to her place to retrieve a crate full of booze left over from an earlier party that had managed to survive and follow her from Lakenheath to here. The cougar appeared through the side gate to the yard a moment later, a blue plastic crate in her arms. She set it down on the table with a heavy clunk and a the musical tinkling of glass, a wide grin on her face. "There," she said with a pleased smile. "That oughta do for a couple of hours" "Holy crap," murmured Sean, an eyebrow raised as he lifted the bottles and looked at the labels. "I've never even heard of half of this damn stuff. Some of it I'm not sure ain't cleaning chemicals". He twisted the top off of a bottle of curiously bright green coloured spirits and grimaced at the smell; strong enough to water his remaining eye. "Mother of... that is not a drink; it's engine degreaser, missile fuel, or some kind of other hazardous chemical! No one should be drinking that". Taia gave a wicked chuckle and grinned, snatching the bottle out of his hands and taking a sip that watered her eyes. "Ah, you won't care so much once the party gets started. Speaking of which..." The cougar crossed to the sliding door and tapped on the glass. Max waved, and unlocked the door, sliding it across and letting the sounds of evening at the base invade the house. "Music!" demanded Taia, with an enthusiastic response from everyone else. Red held up his MP3 player with a flourish and waved them all down. "Shut yer holes," he said with a wide grin, "and lissen up. I have assembled an almighty mix of audio gold, the likes of which has never been seen. It spans all genres and styles to defy any rational attempt at categorising, and has become so sublime that it has now gained its' own intelligence. This list is unlike any other, and I predict will become the soul of this party. You will never need to change this mix, it will be your party!" "Shaddup and put it on!" called Sean, waving to the Kangaroo, who rolled his eyes and backed down to a chorus of boos and catcalls. After a moment the player synched with the stereo, and the powerful sounds of rock music filled the room and the garden with a vibrant beat and clashing guitars. Smiles crept across the faces of everyone present, and only grew wider as the doorbell rang.

Hours passed quickly once guests arrived, and the atmosphere was good. The smells of cooking food curled through the air, watering mouths. Drinks flowed freely, along with conversation, as everyone got into the atmosphere with ease. Seans' garden was a bustling hubbub of socialising people. All the squadron were there, along with Rachel and most of the support staff, and a few people he had only met that evening. The vulpine had managed to get a moment to himself after pressing hands with what seemed like everyone on the base, and had snagged another glass of JD with a good helping of ice, and had finished devouring another of the burgers magnificently cooked by Red on the barbecue. The Kangaroo lived up to the accolade Nina had delivered earlier, and seemed to have some kind of natural talent for char grilling food, getting it the perfect combination of blackened on the outside, while tender in the middle. Taia had also leant a hand with the toppings, swapping snarky insults and backchat with the 'roo, which had dissolved further into nonsense as the evening continued. Half the crowd around the grill were now involved in their discussion, or were being entertained by the rambling back-and-forth pro and con discussion of everything. So far, it had covered everything from the USAF and the RAAF, the F-15 vs the F-111, the pros and cons of various models of handgun, motorcycle, bands, movies, and seemed to currently be moving onto superheroes. All this had been in between dishing out fancy cheeses, as well as a wide variety of other fine-tasting toppings for hamburgers and hotdogs. As the fox swallowed down the last mouthful of the delicious morsel, and drifted away with a smile on his head as he heard Taia raise her voice to defend the upsides of Ms. Marvel, he found himself at the edge of the gardens' wooden decking and leant on the rail. Despite how much he was enjoying the party, it was good to have a moment to himself, away from the press of faces and eager questions. As he looked across the bustle and saw the happy, friendly faces of new people mingling with those of his old friends, as well as the characteristic knots of people from the various disciplines of the base - maintenance, pilots, support staff and the like. All of them were smiling though, and that made it worthwhile. Despite the good mood, he felt a tinge of sadness. So much had happened, and things had moved so fast. He hadn't thought of his missing comrades, downed in action in the fight that lead to all of this. He took a sip of the bourbon as he thought of Jon, Baxter and Josh, all lost in action. Josh and Baxter, consumed in the fireball of their exploding plane; and Jon... well, Jon's injuries still gave him cold sweats some nights. Grimacing, he took a long drink from the whiskey tumbler and relished the burn as it slid down his throat. Propping the glass on the balcony, he took out one of the cigars he'd been given, and held it under his nose, savouring the rich smell, and giving a faint smile. He'd barely known Josh and Baxter, if he'd been honest. Sure, they were damn good soldiers; especially for rookies, but really? They hadn't clicked with the rest of the group. Different attitudes, different personalities, and different lives; it happened all the time. They'd rubbed wrong on each other, leading to the occasional sharp word, practical joke too many, and general grousing at each other. But they'd done their job when it counted. Then the asshole in the F-22 had taken them out of the squadron, and out of The World altogether, and he, Taia and Max had lost their combat buddies. Not friends; as they'd never got on - but they were people they'd depended on, worked with in dangerous and tense times, and so they were missed. "This one's for you, guys" he murmured softly, chopping the end of the cigar, and holding up his Zippo to the end of the cigar. "Room for one more?" asked an instantly recognizable voice, and he nodded without looking. "Always room for you, Mainline; you know that. Step on up here". The cougar stood next to him. Leaning on her elbows on the rail, she looked into the distance along with him and took a slow swig from her bottle of beer as she followed his one-eyed gaze into the distance; looking out across the sea of lights that formed the airbase. "Thinking about absent friends?" She said to him, keeping her eyes fixed ahead. He nodded, and she nodded in return. "I read for you at the service," she said quietly. "Jon's wife said he would've loved what you wrote, and that you probably knew him better than she did". The cougar smiled out over the vista, the tip of her long tail flicking in time with the music of the party around their little oasis of quiet. Sean sucked in a mouthful of the cigar next to her, relishing the taste of the fine Cuban cigar. Its' rich aroma curled around them both as they stood in place. "I always remember the first time I met him," he said after a moment, leaning down and assuming the same position as her, grimacing slightly as his back complained. It still wasn't quite healed from the ejection. "He was as brash and bragging as any academy graduate. Fatheaded and thinking he was the next big thing. But once I'd got to know him, once that bravado bullshit died down-" "He was a great guy," she replied smiling softly. "He was smart, funny, and good looking too," she glanced across at the fox with a smirk. "Certainly made you look better," she added, grinning and nudging him with her butt. He grinned back and nudged her back. "Well, with you standing around and making the rest of us look bad, I need all the help I can get," he growled back, chuckling at her, and reaching over to hug her to his shoulder. She chuckled back and patted his arm gently, before he let her go. "I can't believe we lost Josh and Baxter too," she said, more sadly this time. "They were so young. And they were a couple of tight-assed jerkoffs, but all the same, they didn't deserve that." "Yeah," he said with a heavy voice, shaking his head. "They'd been with us six months; just before we deployed from the UK to the sandbox. We'd only flown a handful of missions together" he shook his head, a heavy sigh coming from his muzzle, and a quiver in his lip. "Too bad they never fit in. Too headstrong, too stuck up their own asses and sure they knew it all; all fulla attitude like half the damn kids we see these days" Taia gave a weak smile and shook her head. "Baxter... I think he was about to propose if he'd got back from that mission as a success. He had someone back home..." Sean gave a soft chuckle. "Wow, someone managed to like him that much?" Taia chuckled softly as well, and they both fell silent for a few moments, looking out over the sea of heads. The tip of Sean's cigar glowed red a moment later as Sean took another breath. "Clear skies and good air to them now, wherever they are," she said quietly, and held the battle up to the clear moonlit sky. Sean nodded in affirmation, and did the same with his glass, clinking it against the brown glass of the beer bottle, before they both drained their drinks. "So what about the newbies?" she asked after a moment, her eyes finding the shapes of Red, Nina, and - now that she had turned up - Rebecca among the crowd. Sean's single eye followed her eye line, with a little effort, and moved across all three, lingering on the voluptuous form of the hyena. "Ah reckon they're darn good," he said after a moment. "Nina and Red, at least. They showed their stuff when we tangled with those Raptors, managed to shoot one down with an F-111, which shows they know their shit. Dunno what the heck they're like as people though. Well... not Red, anyway, though he seems straight up. Nina though, she's pretty cool ta me. Fun, funny, smart and kind; I reckon she'll fit in with us all". Taia grimaced and shook her head. "Have to disagree, boss," she said carefully. "Red's got his head up his own ass, and he's choking on his own opinions and breathing the sweet smell of his own brilliance. Nina..." She paused and glanced at Sean, who raised an eyebrow at the cougar's comments. She gave a wry smile and took a gulp of her beer. "Nina, well, she's nice enough, an' she means well. And she's a damn good pilot too". "But?" "But, I dunno. I guess I don't know what to make of her yet. It's not that I don't trust her, more I just... don't know her yet." she shook her head and sighed. "Maybe I'm just thinking too much." Sean paused a moment to stop and think, considering a reply. It was too early to expect the two teams to integrate right away; after all, they'd spent no time on training together so far. And both had come from different backgrounds and experiences to be thrown into service with Avalon. "It'll take time to see what they're made of," replied Sean. "Besides - I read how you all handled things in the base when I was on my desert 'vacation', "Maybe," replied Taia, grudgingly. She looked over the crowd, where Nina was chatting with Max and Rachel, the three sharing some joke, while Red was entertaining the crowd around the grill with some terrible story, judging by the roaring laughter. "They don't seem like bad people," she added in a more reasonable voice. "An' I can see why people like 'em," she glanced sidelong at the fox with a smirk on her muzzle, nudging him with one elbow and pointing with her muzzle toward the Hyena. "And I can see why you like her especially, too. All that long auburn hair, those big green eyes, that voice", she glanced over at the fox, who by this point had the cigar clamped tightly in his muzzle, with the normally pink insides of his ears almost as red as his fur, and his drink held tightly in one hand, halfway between his muzzle and the railing, dipping back and forth. Target locked... "...Not to mention the figure on that girl; more curves than a Tampa Bay rollercoaster, and a more rack than a Spanish Inquisition torture chamber." The fox gave an embarrassed growl and tilted his head back, draining the whiskey, fumbling the cigar into one hand with juggling fingers as he looked away. And downed! Bingo. Boss man likes the Aussie chick! _ "You know me too well," he muttered through a half mouthful of smoke and coughed bourbon, half-glowering and half-smiling at the cougar. "As usual. You don't approve?" She gave a small smile, and swung her beer lightly from side to side. "We'll see if she's good enough fer the Boss" The cougar gave him a small, friendly smile as he offered one in return, and they both turned back to the party, quiet and content in each others' company. "So," she asked in a more serious voice after a moment, turning to look at him. She looked into the single, remaining eye, and her expression clouded for a moment, a shadow of pain in her sharp green eyes. One hand touched the damaged side of his face and she winced softly. "It's a shame about your eye," she said quietly. "They always were one of the best features in that beaten up mess of hamburger you call a face" "Hey," he replied with a warm smile, and a slight flush of colour returning to the pink insides of his ears. "I think the patch makes me look all distinguished. Besides, have to give y'all a chance now, don't I?" She gave a short laugh, and clapped him on the shoulder, kissing his cheek quickly. "Hey , I don't need _your help, old man. I've got too many guys after me" Sean laughed back, hugging her to him with one arm. Taia leaned against him with the comfort of an old friend. "Must be more blind then me, huh?" She whacked him hard on one arm, biting her lip as she smiled, before he made a show of rubbing the - genuinely painful - area she'd hit. "Ah, it ain't hard to see why," he said quieter into her ear with a grin. She patted his hand, before he gave her a quick kiss on the back of one ear. "Anyhow, sir," she said, straightening away from him, and retrieving her bottle "D'you ever think this is where we'd end up?" "Hell no; not even in a dozen crazy dreams. I had plans of getting promoted to desk-jockey, and riding out my term of service somewhere where the girls don't wear shirts, and the only thing ta do is fish an' get drunk off little cocktails served in coconuts. Workin' in aan outfit like this weren't part of that game plan". "No doubt about that," she agreed, nodding and taking a deep pull from her bottle as he did the same with his glass of bourbon. "But the scope of this boss, that's what I'm talking about. The big questions, all the stuff we found out. What do you make of all that? And..." she said more hesitantly. "Well, what they're doing. What we're doing, now. Flying for the institute, into combat, if things go ahead, and fighting some conspiracy, with almost no restrictions or rules on what we're doin' - it all sounds a bit reckless and a bit... outside the zone, sir" He nodded quietly, his lips pursued around the cigar, before he tapped ash off the end, as it had burned down almost half its' length. "I was thinkin' about that too," he said quietly after a moment. "It all looks good, and sounds amazing. All this free reign, combined with this amazing technology. It's a hell of a lot of power for just one group, especially an NGO. Who's watchin' 'em? And who's gonna step in an' say 'no' if they get outta hand?" She grimaced alongside him, neither of them meeting eyes, and looking out over the base, but not really seeing it as they drifted in thought. "What're you sayin' Boss?" she asked after a moment. "Think we ought to cut and run?" "Not quite," he answered levelly. "I'm just sayin' maybe we keep our heads on a swivel, and our ears to the ground. Make sure we know who to talk to, who to listen to, and who's pullin' the strings. Maybe we keep our channels open to back home, make sure we drop a few lines here an' there just to keep our asses clean." Their eyes fell on Rebecca at the same moment, and the collie waved up at them in a brisk manner, with a smile, which they both returned. "What about the cheerleader?" asked Taia, looking across to Sean as she raised her beer bottle, draining the last of the dregs. "We keep her close, use what she's got, until we get this squadron workin' the way we want it. Then we do whatever we need to show her what she wants to see-" "-And not what we're actually doing, right. You think we can't trust her?" "Right now? I have no idea," he admitted truthfully. "Everything seems on the level, and seems too good to be true. Which honestly? Means it probably is. So, we roll along, make sure we got ourselves an exit plan, and make sure we got our necks above th' waterline. Maybe we find out what Ms Rebecca's really all about; and then that'll solve it" He drained the last of the Bourbon dregs and gave a warm sigh of pleasure. "But right now, let's have a party!" Taia nodded, her expression subdued, before it cleared into a small smile. "Speaking of which, I need another beer". She kissed him on the cheek; quickly, shyly, and then headed back into the party.

Down in the throng, Nina looked over to the raised decking at a gap in her surprisingly in-depth conversation with a very drunk and thus chatty Rachel, the vixen rambling about anything that came to mind at high speed, and having left Nina behind a long time ago. Her contribution was reduced to nodding and grinning, or the occasional word. Thankfully, a moment later one of the other engineers came up and steered the vixen away, winking over her shoulder at Nina, who gave a wry smile and shook her head; although her expression turned to a frown moments later as she saw Taia and Sean up at the decking rail, arms entwined and talking closely. The hyenas' expression faltered as she watched. Was it friendship, or something more? The pair had worked together for much longer than she'd known Sean any way. But surely he would've mentioned if there was some connection between himself and the cougar; especially with the burning connection she'd certainly felt to him on their walk back the previous evening. The thought persisted, but was lost under a wash of turbulent emotion as she saw Taia lean into Sean, and her muzzle meeting his face. Heat burned in her face and ears, and she spun on her heel, searching desperately for something to hold, or look at, instead of the encounter she'd fixated on. The collection of bottles and plastic cups making up the impromptu bar at the party was within easy reach, and she quickly poured herself a generous measure of rum, and added a swirl of coke to the cup, draining half of it in one go. She squeezed her burning eyes closed, brows creasing in momentary irritation and anger at the parties' noise all around her, before letting out a long-held breath and turning back around - and coming straight face-to-face with Taia, who looked at her with a measured expression. "Everything all right there?" she said in an even tone, reaching past her for a bottle of beer, which she squeezed the cap off of with her palm, her eyes levelled at Nina's. The Hyena returned the look, meeting her eyes with a cold, hard gaze. Taia's face was even, with a slight hint of amusement to it. Both sets of green eyes were firm on one another until finally, Nina gave a hissing sigh of annoyance and turned away sharply. She shuffled on one foot to the other, before she downed the rest of her rum and coke, and looked back to the mountain lion, her face now fuming and angry, red rising in the pink insides of her ears. "Maybe you should tell me" she snapped, jerking her head toward the railing where Sean was now chatting enthusiastically with Max, who was gesturing to a number of cases Red was lugging in with some help she didn't recognise. "You and Sean-" Taia chopped one hand through the air horizontally, her expression firming. "First off - you are definitely on the wrong track. Whatever you think you saw? You're way, way off base. Second? The Boss and I go way back further than you, who, if I remember, just got here. Whatever we got to talk about, however much you might have stars in your eyes for him, is up to us. And whatever it is, it sure ain't plans to go bump uglies together". The cougar smirked at the idea, her ears swivelling rearward a moment, and tail curling in amusement. "Personally? He's a good guy, and handsome enough - but the idea of sleepin' with him does weird things to my head". She took a long drink of her bottle, and fixed her eyes on the Hyena, this time with less anger and a far more neutral and even expression. "Sister, I don't know you. Not yet. I've only worked with you for about a week, most of that spent doin' classes and crappy corporate training, rather than anything we can talk over, or get to know each other". Taia paused, and took stock of Nina's expression, which was still angry. Her round, gentle face was creased in anger, her lip stuck out in defiance, her big green eyes stormy. The cougar gave a gentle sigh and then smiled, her expression and posture loosening and easing off from the confrontation. "But you can fly, you can fight - hell, the attack on the base showed that off - and you're smart. And hell, while you might have a bit more on you than me-" she gently patted the smooth curve of the Hyenas' tummy under her checked shirt with one hand, "-you look damn fine with it. An' I ain't even inclined that way. But I'm not about to tell you we're BFFs. The Boss likes you, so right now, you're okay with me ". Nina paused, her arms folded, and one elegant auburn eyebrow arched, before her muzzle split into a smile. "Well, that's a start," she said with humour in her voice. "I don't expect us to get on that good right away. But maybe it's something we can work on, huh?" The cougar put one hand on her shoulder and nodded. "Lissen - I'm not in love with Sean, and he ain't in love with me. Maybe we had a crush once, a brief infatuation - and that's ancient history. Like, we're talking fuckin' big bank, beginnin' of the universe ancient! But he's definitely crazy about you, sweetheart. So go make the most of it, and leave him ruined and worn to the bone, all right?" The hyena nodded, her smile splitting into a grin as the Cougar winked and did the same. She turned away, and then paused as they observed Red, Sean and Max levering a bunch of cases into place on the wooden decking, which had now been cleared of people. "Although, it looks like it might have to wait, since I think we're needed..." "Are those instruments? Is that my fiddle?" asked the hyena with a disbelieving frown, but Taia had already made her way through the crowd. Groaning, the Hyena drained her glass, and elbowed her way through the masses.

Sean and the others had indeed gathered the various instruments that belonged to everyone - somehow, without getting their door keys - and assembled them on the decking as an improvised stage. Electric Guitars, an acoustic guitar, a banjo (who did that belong to, she wondered?), her own lovingly tended fiddle and violin, a tambourine, Red's extensive drum kit, Max's keyboard, and a few other odds and ends jostled for space with microphones. "Oh wow," murmured Taia, and then looked to Sean, as he hoisted a black-and-red Fender over his shoulder, and tweaked the strap. "Think its' reached that time of the evening, boss?" "Any time is a good time," replied the fox, winking at Nina. "Besides, these people came for a party, didn't they?" "But, we've never played together. Or sung together, or-" Nina began to protest, but Taia cut her off by pushing her in front of a microphone. "You'll pick it up, sweetheart! We all know most of the same music, I'm sure... besides, how bad could it be?" "Don't ever say that," replied Max with a grimace. "Not where music's concerned, anyway. Now, how's about we each take a turn to choose somthin' to play, and then lead, eh?" "Right," said Sean with a nod. He was about to speak up, but Max stuck out his tongue, and began strumming a meaty chord on his guitar, repeating it with a deep choppy sound. Glances and wicked smiles spread around all of the pilots and WSO's and they nodded, recognising the song as an excellent place to start the music. Already the crowd had perked up and began paying attention. "Do it!" mouthed Sean to Max with a grin, and joined in, as Taia hit the bass line, and Nina tapped her toes, recognising the tune. Max grinned and began to sing, his tones curling out over the heads of the guests. His voice was smooth and strong, with a scratchy, strong edge that sounded perfect for the song.

All my life I've been searching for something Something never comes never leads to nothing Nothing satisfies but I'm getting close Closer to the prize at the end of the rope All night long I dream of the day

_When it comes around and it's taken away Leaves me with the feeling that I feel the most Feel it come to life when I see your ghost _

The tune kicked in at full volume and full tempo as Max finished the first verse, plunging into the hefty guitar riff with a kicking jump. Sean joined in with eager strokes, while Taia hammered out the bass riff with a snarling grin on her face, and her tail lashing. Nina threw her voice into the backing vocals, giving the song a unique edge over the original. The crowd began to sway and bounce with the music, as the song picked up pace, and swung into it's true rhythm.

Come down don't you resist You have such a delicate wrist And if I give it a twist Something to hold when I lose my breath Will I find something in that So give me just what I need Another reason to bleed ONE BY ONE hidden up my sleeve ONE BY ONE hidden up my sleeve

The squadron had all gotten fully into the rhythm and the song now, and were playing in harmony, playing off of each others' backs, and living up to the crowds' attention on them. All of them were goofing off a little, exaggerating their postures and doing little routines as they played. The party crowd were lapping it up with glee, dancing back and forth eagerly, and chanting along with each line, before Max launched into the next chorus, the Wolverine belting his heart out as the others all joined in as backing vocals, giving the song a new twist with their tones in the mix.

Hey don't let it go to waste! I love it, but I hate the taste Weight keeping me down,

Hey don't let it go to waste! I love it, but I hate the taste Weight keeping me down

Abruptly, and in keeping with the song, they all dropped the volume on the instruments, and Max sung the next verse in a softer tone, closer to the mike and solo, eyes roving around and meeting the crowd looking in at them.

_All my life I've been searching for something Something never comes never leads to nothing Nothing satisfies but I'm getting close Closer to the prize at the end of the rope All night long I dream of the day When it comes around then it's taken away Leaves me with the feeling that I feel the most The feeling comes to life when I see your ghost

And I'm done, done and I'm on to the next one_

As he repeated the line, he grew in volume, and one by one, as the line was repeated eight times, the other joined back in, adding their instruments to the sound until the line grew into a powerful shout, and they launched into a crashing rendition of the final chorus, the crowd joining in, swinging, swaying and shaking all over as the power of the music flowed through the gathering of people.

Hey don't let it go to waste! I love it, but I hate the taste Weight keeping me down

The second repetition, Sean was sure could be heard all the way back to Lakenheath, so overpowering was the sound. Either that or maybe Dave Grohl was about to possess Max, and turn them all into the Foo Fighters. Either way, he didn't care especially, as it was a damn good rendition of the song. A grin split his muzzle, and he yelled out with the others for the last lines of the song.

Done done and on to the next one Done I'm done and I'm On to the next!

They bowed the song out with a choppy guitar flourish, and all laughed and high-fived, flicking waves and flourishes at the crowd, all exchanging glances and grins as they shook the aches out of hands and fingers. The crowd were eager for something else, and as looks passed between the pilots, Sean took a step forward. "If there's no objection," he said in his gravelly drawl, "I'd like ta play somethin' I know next". "Go for it," said Max with a grin. "I had my fun already; only fair we all get a turn". Sean grinned and nodded to Taia. "You know the song. My usual one" "Oh brother," grumbled the Cougar in mock dismay, rolling her eyes and still smiling as Sean stepped up to the lead mike, and the cougar swapped her guitar for the banjo - much to Nina's amusement and surprise. Max picked up the bass, and smiled at Nina, raising an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?" she asked, flicking her eyes between the wolverine and the fox. "Nah," replied Max, adjusting the strap a little. "You'll know this-" he put on a terrible imitation of Seans' gravelly southern drawl "-'Ah reckon'"

"Hey y'all," Sean said into the microphone with a warm smile, and a look around at the faces. "How d'you like my little shindig?" The cheers in reply were almost as deafening as the music, and he chuckled, a low rough rumble into the microphone. "Ah, I thought y'all were havin' a good time. Still, I reckon I can carry a tune or two, that ain't so... heavy as Ice's was, but is right good enough, I reckon". He nodded to the others, and Taia broke into a gentle riff, the twanging banjo notes curling musically over their heads and around the crowd, before Max and Sean broke in with a more throaty and punchy riff that repeated tunefully, the drums kicking in with a gentle rhythm underpinning the melody before Sean broke into song - which, amazingly, sounded throaty, smooth and rich, rather than his usual gravelly, rough-yet-smooth tones.

Well, up in the backwoods, down in the holler, Ol' boys feelin' like a dog on a collar...

As he crooned out the country and western song, the crowd feel a little quiet, bar a few whoops and hollers. Instead, swaying dancing, nodding heads and tapping feet took over. An atmosphere of curious excitement was building as the fox sung out, the others backing on their various instruments, lending their own twist to the tune.

Keepin' that chain pulled tight. Waitin' on saturday night. Put on the smell good, put on Skynyrd, Head into town like a NASCAR winner. Cruisin' back and forth to the Tasty Freeze. Everywhere you look all you see is,

Hillbilly deluxe, slick pick up trucks. Big timin' in a small town. Stirrin' it up, right about sundown. Black denim and chrome to the bone, With a li'l home-grown. Country girl, cuddled up,

Hillbilly deluxe!

The party crowd burst into heartfelt dancing and yells of excitement as Sean kicked into the chorus of the song, belting it out in his distinctive, melodic voice. The others couldn't help grinning as they indulged the boss in his tune of choice, swept up in it as much as he'd been with Max's choice.

The evening went on in much the same fashion, with each one of them choosing a song of their own; particular to their own taste and style but each perfect for the party vibe. Nina delivered a tailored rendition of the Charlie Daniels' Band 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia', playing all the fiddle parts herself, impressing the others no end. Red finished up leading the squadron in a growling rendition of Rage Against the Machines' 'Wake Up'. By the time they'd gone around the circle and taken out a song each, the group were almost wobbling on their feet, and the clock had spun well-past midnight. The crowd still look pumped, but the party was starting to wind down. The six of them huddled in the middle of their impromptu stage and conferred over one last song. "We gotta play one last tune," said Taia, with a grin. "They'll eat us alive if we don't". "It's gotta be a helluva kicker too," agreed Red, the huge kangaroo casting a look around all of their eyes. "Something that'll wind 'em down, but get 'em all joining in". "I think I know jus' what ta play," said Sean with a taut smile. "We play something for Jon, for Josh, and for Bax. For those guys we wish coulda' been here with us". There wasn't an argument, just a round of firm nods. "What are we playing?" said Red quietly, and they all looked to Sean, Max and Taia, who gave them the simple answer.

"This is a song for our lost friends," said Sean quietly as the crowd died down in his wave for hush. "They would've wanted to be here, and seen how welcome you've made us all feel, and what we're all doing here, working for the better. Birdie, Railroad, Master - this one's for you". Nina selected a piano sound on her large, multi-function keyboard (as close to a piano as they could get for the party), and solemn, sharp notes drifted out across the crowd, as Max sung out, his voice clearer, and better suited to the song than Seans' southern drawl.

When I was, A young boy, My father, took me into the city To see a marching band He said, "Son when you grow up, will you be the saviour of the broken, the beaten and the damned?" He said, "Will you defeat them, your demons, and all the non-believers, the plans that they have made?

_ Because one day, I'll leave you, a phantom, to lead you in the summer, to join the black parade."_

Sean and Taia swung in with guitars as Red hit the drums, and Max added an orchestral flair with violin and cello, turning the song into a more mournful sound as they played. The crowd stood taller, and one by one, hands and arms came up in a wave, swaying, some with lighters or lit mobile phone screens held aloft, a show of lights in support for those lost and gone; both the ones the squadron had spoken of, and those of their own. Max lead on the My Chemical Romance song, belting out the chorus with the others joining him as backing vocals, the crowd joining him in loud fanfare to their fallen comrades. Then, the main body of the song kicked in at fever pitch and pace, and the crowd threw out a hearty cheer and danced in exultation, celebrating those they'd lost and their lives being lived. It was the perfect way to round off the celebration, and as Sean caught the eyes of the others; he knew he'd chosen the song well.

* * *

Some time later, the cleanup was almost done, and the others had all said their excuses and left after helping Sean return the majority of his new home to order. Dishes had been washed or disposed of, and enough plastic cups and glasses to build a new Atlantis had been recycled, along with enough glass to glaze it. Only Nina was left, along with Sean, the pair of them making pleasant small talk as they finished tidying the kitchen, returning the last plates to the cupboards, and polishing down the countertops. "You're quite an interesting guy, you know," said Nina after a few moments, her voice soft in the calm quiet of the very small hours of morning. "To look at you, I would've thought you're that redneck cowboy, all the way through." She cracked a smirk and looked him up and down, as the fox grinned back, his thick tail wagging slowly. "All you need is a cowboy hat". "I got one in th' closet," She shook her head and laughed, throwing the tea towel at him, which he caught deftly, curling it into a wet rope in the air, before threading it through the handle of a drawer. Nina leant back against the countertop, her eyes turned away shyly for a moment as he looked at her. "I meant what I said though," she continued quietly. "You are interesting; the way you think, the things you talk about." She fiddled with her paws for a minute, before meeting his gaze. "The way you look, especially. And the things you feel..." The hyena trailed off, to find that Sean had moved softly next to her, his hands gently clasping her elbows, and drawing her into a close embrace, heads resting on one another's shoulders. He laid his muzzle gently across the side of her neck, arms closing around her thick waist and holding her close to his body. She curled her arms behind him, gently stroking up and down, feeling the pattern of muscles under his thin T-shirt and the thick fur beneath. "I think you're about one of the greatest folks I ever met," the fox replied quietly in his rusty southern drawl. "For all the reasons you said, and a lot more besides. And I'm glad you stayed after the others left, so I got to spend more time with you; especially now I got my arms around you. Gotta say it's kind of hard to let you go..." He drew back away from her, and that single eye of his, with its' inviting brown warmth. Breath kissed her fur, and it seemed only natural for her to tilt her head slightly, her muzzle moving to meet his. Their lips met, and it was as if a spark jumped. The moment held; a slow soft embrace, before they drew apart. A tinge of red flushed the insides of both their ears, but their hands still held. "So..." he said quietly, a gentle smile on his muzzle. "How about a night-cap?" "Sounds good to me," she said quietly in reply. "I can stay for a little while longer". He lead her from the kitchen, turning off the light before moving into the large lounge, the fox pouring them both a small measure of bourbon with plenty of ice. Their eyes met again, and Nina sunk into the depths of the sofa, Sean settling down next to her. Her hand reached for his, and he held it tightly, gazing into her eyes. A thrill rose through her chest, and flowed into her body; growing as she looked at him. His eyes were fixed on her at the same time as hers roved him. "How long were you thinking of staying?" He murmured, his voice a low growl, and his tail twitching gently. She answered by taking his hand. Together, they rose from the sofa, and moved towards the door to the bedroom.

After that there were no words; nothing needed to be said. Movement, breath, touch - they were the language for the long moments spent in love-making. It was passionate, tender, urgent - all of these things. Finally, with shuddering, shared release, they sank into one another's arms and exchanged gentle whispers in the small hours of morning, eyelids heavy with sleep and satisfaction, before curling into a soft, comfortable embrace. As their consciousness faded into blissful, welcome sleep; neither noticed the two rosy-glowing embers of light on their chests, pulsing in harmony.

TO BE CONTINUED

All songs and lyrics are used without permission from their owners, and no infringement or claims of possession are intended.