'One Last Ride' for the Community
Title: One Last Ride
Recipient: Community
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Taking an old ship out can be uneventful... can't it?
Author's Notes: Not much of anything really. Slice of life sort of thing. Beta: Remjones
Author: yanagi_wa
Duo settled into the captains seat, he was about to move the Sweeper Ship 'Headquarters' for the last time.
He glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Hi, Howie, how's it hangin'.”
Howard smiled back. He was dressed, as always, in a hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, shorts and ship shoes. “To the left, boy, to the left. Gonna take the old girl out for the last time?”
Duo nodded. “I am. It's a shame, but she's old and really obsolete. There's no way she can go on much longer, her engines are shot, seals are leaking. The whole nine yards.”
Howie looked sad. “I know. The old girl is done for. But ...” he smiled gently at Duo. “she was old when I got 'er. You remember, don't you, boy?”
Duo nodded. “I do.”
They both turned as Heero entered the control room. “You do what?”
Duo chuckled at that. “I remember when this old girl was ... not new and shiny but newer and fully operational. You remember?”
Heero laughed a bit, “Yes, I remember. I can still hear you screaming at me for stealing your parts.”
“Asshole! That was a dirty trick and I still haven't completely forgiven you.” Duo huffed in irritation.
Heero laughed again. “That was ... twenty years ago.”
“Still was a dirty trick.” Duo turned his head to laugh at Heero. “And you still owe me for it.”
Heero held up his hands in an 'I surrender' sort of gesture. “Ok, I'm really sorry. Forgive me?”
“Ok, since you ask so nice.” Duo leaned back in the chair and Heero moved up behind him to kiss him on the back of the neck beside his dangling braid.
Duo hummed his appreciation, then pointed to the navigators station. “You taking that or what?”
Heero settled into the chair and started checking readouts. “We're going to be the whole bridge crew?”
“Not like we're going into combat or anything. Right?” Duo casually pulled up his own readout screen and checked a few things.
“Right. But still ...” Heero trailed off as he began concentrating on his work.
They worked in silence for a while with Howard hovering over one then the other. He kibitzed, and snarked, while they struggled to get the old ship moving. They finally succeeded, with a lot of help from Howard.
The old ship moved out of Sweepers HQ and into space.
The Sweepers had finally decided to convert a station bought from Quatre into their new headquarters when SS Headquarters had gotten so old as to be dangerous. The ship was now on its way to the salvage yards at L4, piloted by Howard's foster son, Duo Maxwell, Preventer; and his lover Heero Yuy, also a Preventer.
Duo made sure that the engines were doing their best, contacted the engineering staff for an update, then settled back in the captain's chair.
“Heero, I remember the first time I saw this chair. Howie was sitting in it and I'd just been caught hiding in the cargo hold. Ol' fucker scared me just about shitless.”
Howard snickered in Heero's ear. “He was as pale as milk and scared to death. Then I got a good look at him and gave it up. Skinny? He was so skinny you could have counted his ribs through his shirt. And that shirt was baggy as hell and dirty? Oh, man, was he dirty.”
Duo exclaimed indignantly, “Hey! You try living on the streets for months, then hiding in a cargo hold with no facilities. You'd be dirty too.”
Howard grinned at Heero. “Ran us out of hot water. Then ate everything in sight. Did me proud.”
Duo snorted at that. “All right, Pops, that's another thing. The accommodations lacked any form of provisions. Not a bite of anything. And I did not run a cruiser out of hot water. Asshat!”
Howie rolled his eyes, “Well, excuuuuuse me. Sorry you found our cargo hold so unaccommodating. Like we intended it as a living space.”
They all laughed at this one. Howard settled behind the captains chair to read over Duo's shoulder. He watched various gauges and bar indicators for a while, then sighed, “Well, the old girl will make it, just barely.”
Heero got up and moved behind Duo, put his arms around Duo's neck then asked, “Where are you going to go after this old ship is gone?”
“Back to the new HQ. I like it there and no one really expects me to disappear any time soon.” Howie shrugged and moved to the scanning station. “Too bad this is burnt out. I'd like to see the stars. But...” He shrugged again and shoved his glasses down his nose, reveling twinkling blue eyes, “can't have everything.”
Duo leaned back, resting his head on Heero's shoulder. “That's good. I'm glad you've got a place to go. I'll come visit you, Pops.”
Howard looked at Duo then Heero. “You're both good boys. Come visit any time. I'll be waiting.”
Heero smirked at him. “Old Man, we haven't been boys in ... I'm not so sure we ever were.”
Howard snorted, “You'll always be my boys.”
They flew and gossiped for several hours, then Duo yawned and stretched. “Man, bed for me. The auto pilot can handle this old bird for now. Howie, keep an eye on things, ok?”
Howard just nodded, settled in the chair Duo had abandoned and propped his feet on the console. “I'll let you know if anything blows up or something. Go ... bed ... Night.”
Heero just grunted and stood to follow Duo out the door.
Howard watched them go, then turned to the readouts with a sigh. “Sorry, old girl. But all us old folk go ... sooner or later.” He settled back to watch things until the proximity alarm went off and his boys came back.
The alarm went off, as such things do.
Heero rolled over and glowered at it. “I was just getting to the good parts. Damn.”
Duo snickered, “We'll pick up where we left off later. Come on, let's get this over with.”
They docked and left the ship, leaving Howard on the bridge for now. Heero signed off on the paperwork while Duo oversaw the final docking.
When they were done, Howard appeared right beside Duo making him jump. “Damnit, Howie, make a noise or something. You'll have me joining you too soon.”
“Sorry, kid, I'll put on a bell or something.” Howie grinned at Heero who was scowling at him. “And you, you get that look off your face, you'll freeze that way and scare the kiddies.”
Heero snorted, “And you won't?”
Howard just shrugged. “They're used to me. And I'm careful around the littles.”
Duo smiled at Howard. “See ya on the flip side, ol' man.” with that, Howard disappeared, just fading away into nothing.
Heero snorted as he watched Howard fade out. “Can't believe that he's been gone for ten years.”
.
Hope this was what you had in mind.
Recipient: Community
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Taking an old ship out can be uneventful... can't it?
Author's Notes: Not much of anything really. Slice of life sort of thing. Beta: Remjones
Author: yanagi_wa
Duo settled into the captains seat, he was about to move the Sweeper Ship 'Headquarters' for the last time.
He glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Hi, Howie, how's it hangin'.”
Howard smiled back. He was dressed, as always, in a hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, shorts and ship shoes. “To the left, boy, to the left. Gonna take the old girl out for the last time?”
Duo nodded. “I am. It's a shame, but she's old and really obsolete. There's no way she can go on much longer, her engines are shot, seals are leaking. The whole nine yards.”
Howie looked sad. “I know. The old girl is done for. But ...” he smiled gently at Duo. “she was old when I got 'er. You remember, don't you, boy?”
Duo nodded. “I do.”
They both turned as Heero entered the control room. “You do what?”
Duo chuckled at that. “I remember when this old girl was ... not new and shiny but newer and fully operational. You remember?”
Heero laughed a bit, “Yes, I remember. I can still hear you screaming at me for stealing your parts.”
“Asshole! That was a dirty trick and I still haven't completely forgiven you.” Duo huffed in irritation.
Heero laughed again. “That was ... twenty years ago.”
“Still was a dirty trick.” Duo turned his head to laugh at Heero. “And you still owe me for it.”
Heero held up his hands in an 'I surrender' sort of gesture. “Ok, I'm really sorry. Forgive me?”
“Ok, since you ask so nice.” Duo leaned back in the chair and Heero moved up behind him to kiss him on the back of the neck beside his dangling braid.
Duo hummed his appreciation, then pointed to the navigators station. “You taking that or what?”
Heero settled into the chair and started checking readouts. “We're going to be the whole bridge crew?”
“Not like we're going into combat or anything. Right?” Duo casually pulled up his own readout screen and checked a few things.
“Right. But still ...” Heero trailed off as he began concentrating on his work.
They worked in silence for a while with Howard hovering over one then the other. He kibitzed, and snarked, while they struggled to get the old ship moving. They finally succeeded, with a lot of help from Howard.
The old ship moved out of Sweepers HQ and into space.
The Sweepers had finally decided to convert a station bought from Quatre into their new headquarters when SS Headquarters had gotten so old as to be dangerous. The ship was now on its way to the salvage yards at L4, piloted by Howard's foster son, Duo Maxwell, Preventer; and his lover Heero Yuy, also a Preventer.
Duo made sure that the engines were doing their best, contacted the engineering staff for an update, then settled back in the captain's chair.
“Heero, I remember the first time I saw this chair. Howie was sitting in it and I'd just been caught hiding in the cargo hold. Ol' fucker scared me just about shitless.”
Howard snickered in Heero's ear. “He was as pale as milk and scared to death. Then I got a good look at him and gave it up. Skinny? He was so skinny you could have counted his ribs through his shirt. And that shirt was baggy as hell and dirty? Oh, man, was he dirty.”
Duo exclaimed indignantly, “Hey! You try living on the streets for months, then hiding in a cargo hold with no facilities. You'd be dirty too.”
Howard grinned at Heero. “Ran us out of hot water. Then ate everything in sight. Did me proud.”
Duo snorted at that. “All right, Pops, that's another thing. The accommodations lacked any form of provisions. Not a bite of anything. And I did not run a cruiser out of hot water. Asshat!”
Howie rolled his eyes, “Well, excuuuuuse me. Sorry you found our cargo hold so unaccommodating. Like we intended it as a living space.”
They all laughed at this one. Howard settled behind the captains chair to read over Duo's shoulder. He watched various gauges and bar indicators for a while, then sighed, “Well, the old girl will make it, just barely.”
Heero got up and moved behind Duo, put his arms around Duo's neck then asked, “Where are you going to go after this old ship is gone?”
“Back to the new HQ. I like it there and no one really expects me to disappear any time soon.” Howie shrugged and moved to the scanning station. “Too bad this is burnt out. I'd like to see the stars. But...” He shrugged again and shoved his glasses down his nose, reveling twinkling blue eyes, “can't have everything.”
Duo leaned back, resting his head on Heero's shoulder. “That's good. I'm glad you've got a place to go. I'll come visit you, Pops.”
Howard looked at Duo then Heero. “You're both good boys. Come visit any time. I'll be waiting.”
Heero smirked at him. “Old Man, we haven't been boys in ... I'm not so sure we ever were.”
Howard snorted, “You'll always be my boys.”
They flew and gossiped for several hours, then Duo yawned and stretched. “Man, bed for me. The auto pilot can handle this old bird for now. Howie, keep an eye on things, ok?”
Howard just nodded, settled in the chair Duo had abandoned and propped his feet on the console. “I'll let you know if anything blows up or something. Go ... bed ... Night.”
Heero just grunted and stood to follow Duo out the door.
Howard watched them go, then turned to the readouts with a sigh. “Sorry, old girl. But all us old folk go ... sooner or later.” He settled back to watch things until the proximity alarm went off and his boys came back.
The alarm went off, as such things do.
Heero rolled over and glowered at it. “I was just getting to the good parts. Damn.”
Duo snickered, “We'll pick up where we left off later. Come on, let's get this over with.”
They docked and left the ship, leaving Howard on the bridge for now. Heero signed off on the paperwork while Duo oversaw the final docking.
When they were done, Howard appeared right beside Duo making him jump. “Damnit, Howie, make a noise or something. You'll have me joining you too soon.”
“Sorry, kid, I'll put on a bell or something.” Howie grinned at Heero who was scowling at him. “And you, you get that look off your face, you'll freeze that way and scare the kiddies.”
Heero snorted, “And you won't?”
Howard just shrugged. “They're used to me. And I'm careful around the littles.”
Duo smiled at Howard. “See ya on the flip side, ol' man.” with that, Howard disappeared, just fading away into nothing.
Heero snorted as he watched Howard fade out. “Can't believe that he's been gone for ten years.”
.
Hope this was what you had in mind.