"We're here," Eric announced as he pulled into the parking lot just outside the rec center. Next to him, Rebecca shifted, clearly anxious to get inside. It had been a few days since Blanche had introduced him to the idea of attending the meeting, and in that time, they'd all tried to take it easy, mostly. As of that morning, Rebecca was now out of her wheelchair and walking under her own power, which he was thankful for, as she'd started to get very stir-crazy after a few days of being confined to it. Rosa, meanwhile, had come by to visit every day, as was now the norm for her, apparently; Eric had questioned her about that and she'd simply replied that she was just making sure he wasn't back on the cigarettes and alcohol like he had been. It sounded like bullshit to him, but at this point, he wasn't averse to her company at all.

At that thought, Eric looked in the backseat, only to find Rosa nervously biting the side of her cheek.

"...You sure it's okay for me to be here?" she asked. "I mean, it's supposed to be a meeting specifically for veterans-"

"I'm sure it'll be fine," he insisted. "And if it isn't, then I won't be coming back."

"Eric-"

"That's not negotiable," he argued. "If they won't let you in, then that's that. We'll find another group. I mean, it's not like you'll be speaking for anyone there – we want you there for moral support, more than anything, the same way you've always been there for us."

Rosa blinked, her expression softening at his words. She sucked in a breath, then gave him a nod. "...Okay," she said. "Let's do this, then."

With that, Eric killed the engine, and they all unbuckled their seatbelts and stepped outside. It was already dark, as expected given that it was almost eight at night; still, that didn't bother any of them. Eric motioned for Rosa and Rebecca to follow, and he led the way to the front of the rec center, where the double doors had been propped open. Light spilled out onto the street from within, signifying that there was already someone inside. Eric swallowed whatever was left of his apprehension, then stepped through the double doors and into the building.

Immediately, he was struck by just how small the group before him was. There were eight, from what he could tell; several of them sported artificial limbs, the same as he did. But that wasn't what really caught his eye.

No, that would be the one woman in the group aside from the newly-arrived Rebecca and Rosa. She was sitting in the back, dressed in dark jeans and a large gray hoodie with the hood pulled up over her head despite the summer heat, with only her brilliant green eyes and a few stray strands of long black hair peeking out from behind it, looking incredibly uncomfortable at being in a group setting, even as the man next to her held her hand. Eric's eyes narrowed in on her, and it only took a moment for him to understand why.

His suspicions were confirmed when Rebecca and the woman met each other's gazes, and they both suddenly stiffened, surprise crossing their faces. It only lasted for a moment before they both managed to calm down, though Rebecca was doing a pretty poor job of keeping her excitement contained. As with everything she did, it was incredibly subtle, but at this point, he knew her tells – the way she bit her lip and shifted a bit from side to side was a dead giveaway. Eric leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"We'll stick around after, give you both a chance to catch up."

Rebecca nodded in understanding. With that established, Eric gently took her by the hand and led her to the center of the room, where a circle of folding chairs had been laid out. There were still a few left unoccupied; the three of them settled down into their seats, all of the other veterans giving them a curious look.

"Welcome, welcome," one of them, a tall, blonde-haired, bespectacled man said. He gave Eric a warm smile. "Quite the crowd we have tonight. It's rare that we get so many new veterans in one night."

"Ah… I'm not a veteran," Rosa offered weakly. She motioned to Eric and Rebecca. "I'm here for them."

"Ah, well, that's quite alright," the man answered. "You're welcome here, too. In fact, some of the guys could probably use a civilian perspective on certain matters, so it's quite nice that you showed up."

Eric looked around the group, surprised. "No offense, but are you guys fresh out?"

"Most of us," one of the other men grunted. He leaned over and offered Eric a hand. "Staff Sergeant Blake Warwick. Pleasure to meet you."

"Eric Anders," Eric replied, accepting the handshake. "Good to be here."

Blake nodded, then looked towards Rebecca. "Nice to meet you, too, Miss…?"

"Rebecca," she answered.

Blake blinked, clearly expecting more to her answer, but thankfully he didn't push the issue. He turned to Rosa, and she hurriedly cleared her throat.

"Rosa Herrera," she said to him. "Pleasure to meet you."

Blake gave her a small smile, then sat back in his seat, and the man with the glasses cleared his throat.

"Alright, then," he began. "Let's get started. For any new people out there, my name is Craig Harper. I was a Lieutenant in the 75th Ranger Regiment throughout the war, until I lost both my legs in an artillery bombardment."

He reached down and rolled up both his pant legs, revealing nothing but bare metal up to the middle of his thighs. After a moment, he rolled his pant legs back down, then sat up straight.

"You'll find that my story isn't uncommon," he said. "We're all injured here, one way or another, physical or not. No point in trying to run from it. The point of this group is to help us deal with that reality. Of course, we're not here to wrestle stories out of everyone – speaking is strictly on a voluntary basis. If you'd rather sit back and listen, that's fine, too. But if not… well, consider the floor open."

Craig turned towards Eric and Rebecca, again giving them both a warm smile. "Of course, given that we have some new faces here tonight, I'd like to extend the invitation to speak to them first, if they'd like."

Eric hesitated, shifting in his seat. His mouth suddenly felt dry, and he wasn't entirely sure why. He'd spoken at length about his history and state of mind with Doctor Blanche, so this shouldn't have been as hard as it was now, but seeing everyone else staring at him… for some reason, it left him nonplussed.

Inwardly, he suddenly found himself silently begging for a smoke, though he was quick to chastise himself for that thought and push it away.

Idly, he was aware that he couldn't recall when he'd last had a smoke or a drink, and that thought gave him pause, his eyes widening in surprise.

After a moment, Eric let out an irritated grunt. He'd come here to speak, and that was what he'd do. With that in mind, he opened his mouth to begin.

"I'll speak."

Only for Rebecca to cut him off. He turned towards her, surprised at her sudden boldness. For her part, she seemed just as surprised as he did, if the look on her face was any indication. That wasn't about to stop her, though – instead, she sucked in a shaky breath to calm herself, then kept speaking.

"...The days I was in kind of blur together at this point," she confessed. "I can't really remember many specifics anymore. All I can really recall at this point is the sensation of it all – how the gun recoiling against my shoulder feels, and the sound of my rounds flying downrange or enemy plasma bolts passing by my head, or the feeling of being in cryo…"

"Cryo…?" one of the other soldiers muttered, his eyes going wide. "Whoa… she was special forces…"

A brief murmur of excitement went up through the small crowd of veterans, and for a moment, Eric was afraid that Rebecca would suddenly feel as though she'd revealed too much about herself and back down. But she didn't – in fact, she didn't hesitate, even for a moment.

Instead, she simply bit her lip and continued.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"...I remember getting shot, mostly," she said quietly. "That and how it feels to lose friends."

"That's not uncommon at all," Craig offered. "Is there anything else you remember?"

Slowly, Rebecca nodded. "...Yeah," she confessed. "I didn't realize it at the time, but what little downtime between missions I had with the rest of my unit… I don't know why, but those are some of my happiest memories. It doesn't even make sense – all we did together was train, eat, and generally be around each other… but something about that, it just… I don't know, it stuck with me."

Across from her, the other woman sat up a bit straighter, a look of shock crossing her face. Rebecca gave her a small nod, and she blinked, then shrank back down in her seat. Rebecca drew in another breath, then turned back to Craig.

"That's all," she said softly.

Craig nodded in understanding. "Thank you for sharing, Rebecca." He looked over to Eric. "I believe you wanted to add something?"

"Uh, yeah," Eric said, suddenly feeling very awkward. He hadn't expected Rebecca to both interject and to get emotional, but apparently, she was still full of surprises. "Yeah, uh… I just wanted to say… when I lost my leg and got discharged, I thought my life was over. Hell, I lived like it was over – all the drinking, and smoking, and just generally feeling like shit all the time." He let out a sharp exhale. "...Honestly, I know exactly what did it. I led my men into a disastrous mission; only a small handful of us came out of it, myself included. I lost over two-hundred people that day… and all this time, I just kept asking myself why I had to be one of the few to survive it. Of all the people to make it out, why me? It didn't make any sense." He shook his head. "Guess that's why I hit the bottle so hard. I'm sure the few other survivors hate me and want me dead at this point, so that was my way of secretly giving them what they wanted, I suppose; my way of atoning for my failure."

Tears stung at his eyes, but he was quick to blink them away as he took a shaky breath.

"I've been out for a few years now, and I only now feel like I've started to really live,." he offered. "So I guess this is a message to you guys who just got out – don't do what I did. Don't let yourself wallow in the bad memories, and the despair, no matter how much you're tempted to some days."

"If I may ask," Craig interjected. "What made you decide to break out of that cycle?"

Eric swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Rebecca and Rosa reached out and took him by his hands, and he suddenly found himself forced to blink away the wetness that had formed in his eyes once again, too.

"...Sometimes, it just takes the right people," was all he had to say.

***

The veterans' meeting lasted about an hour before they all had to leave. The three of them helped put away the chairs and clean up the rec room, and then watched as the last of the other veterans bid them goodbye for the night and went off on their own. Eric watched the man go, then turned to look for Rebecca.

And as expected, he found her nearby, staring at the other woman, but apparently far too nervous to actually approach her. He pursed his lips, then put a hand on Rebecca's shoulder.

"Go talk to her," he urged.

Rebecca looked to him with concern. "But… what should I say?"

"Come on, you haven't been out for that long. I'm sure you're capable of having a conversation with your sister."

"So it's true, then," someone said from behind them. "Then again, I shouldn't be surprised – I suspected it from the moment you three walked through the door."

Eric turned, and found Craig stepping out from a nearby hallway. He approached the black-haired woman, gently taking her hand in his. She brightened a bit at his touch, but still continued to just stare at Rebecca, neither of them saying or doing anything. Slowly, Eric nodded.

"Yeah, it's true," he offered. "Rebecca is an Angel."

"I thought so," Craig mused. "Well, I'm not surprised – so is Sasha, here."

"I know." Eric paused. "How long have you two been living together?"

"Not long," Craig explained. "Sasha just got assigned to me a few weeks ago. I'm still trying to make her feel at-home, you know? I'm just not sure how I can-"

Rebecca cut him off by taking a few steps forward. They all froze, watching her as she hesitantly approached Sasha; Sasha, for her part, stared with wide-eyed shock as Rebecca approached.

And then, as soon as she was within range, Rebecca surged forwards and pulled Sasha into a big hug.

"...It's good to see you again," she muttered. "I was worried they'd keep us separated."

Sasha froze, unsure of what to do. "Lieutenant, I-"

"Don't call me that. We're civilians, now – you can use my name, Sasha."

Sasha bit her lip. "...It just feels so… unnatural. All of this does. You were never like this before…"

"You'll get used to it." Rebecca broke the hug, giving her sister a thin smile in the process. If Sasha had been confused before, now she was downright perplexed.

"You're different," she observed. "Very different."

"I know," Rebecca said with a nod. "And it's all thanks to the two of them."

She motioned to Rosa and Eric. Sasha peered past her to stare at the two of them, blinking as she did so.

"I don't get it," she said. "Who are they?"

"Simple," Rebecca answered without even thinking. "At this point, they're my everything." She turned towards Eric, her smile widening. "Especially him. He's my family."

For the third time that night, Eric found himself forced to blink away tears.

***

They all spoke with Sasha and Craig for about an hour after the veteran's meeting. As it turned out, the OVA had started processing out a number of the other Angels still in-service; Eric wasn't sure what the impetus had been for that particular decision, but something told him that Major Miller being gone was probably a factor. Still, he knew better than to pry.

In any case, Sasha had been assigned to Craig on-purpose, as far as he could tell; apparently, the OVA had figured the best course of action at this point was to put some of the newly-released Angels close by to some of the others who were already out, presumably to make the adjustment easier on them. It was a small gesture, but Eric knew it would mean the world to them all.

And judging by how Rebecca's thin smile had yet to leave her face even after they'd returned home, he was right.

"Alright," he said. "So, it's agreed, then – we're giving them a call first thing tomorrow, right?"

"Of course," Rosa emphasized. "I mean, why wouldn't we?"

"I don't know, I just figured I'd get that established early on. No need to chew my ear off."

Rosa rolled her eyes. "Your standards for banter must have really fallen if that's your new idea of me chewing your ear off."

"What can I say? I kinda like the new Rosa."

"Yeah, well, I kinda like the new Eric."

"What do you mean by that?"

She just gave him a mischievous smile as she flopped down on the couch. Eric's brow furrowed. "You're staying the night?"

"Of course," she answered without even a moment's pause. "It's supposed to storm tonight. You wouldn't make me drive home in a-"

"Alright, alright." Eric sighed, running a hand through his beard. It was getting a bit long; he figured it was about time to trim it. And an actual haircut probably wouldn't hurt, either. "Just… at least let me offer you my bed. Making you sleep on the couch doesn't sit right with me."

"Yeah, well, kicking you out of your own bed doesn't sit right with me, either," Rosa retorted.

"Then it seems we're at an impasse."

"Only if you don't want to share the bed."

Eric turned towards her, stunned. He wasn't sure if she was just teasing him or not, and he was too afraid to ask. Rosa seemed to realize that, as she just gave him that same mischievous grin from earlier. He cleared his throat, then looked over to Rebecca.

"...Right," he began. "So, who's hungry? I can throw something together real-"

"Don't," she replied, interrupting him. "I want to do it."

"You do?" She stared at him, and he cleared his throat again. "I mean, uh, of course you do. Rosa, you're okay with breakfast, right?"

"Actually, that sounds great right about now," she confessed.

"Okay, then. Go nuts, Rebecca. Just please do me a favor and don't make a mess in there."

Rebecca nodded, then stepped into the kitchen. Eric did his best not to panic as she stepped over to the stove, but thankfully, she managed to light it without burning the house down. He let out a sigh of relief, then stepped into the living room and sank down into the nearest chair, bringing a hand up to rub at his eyes.

"Honestly, I don't even know anymore," he muttered. "This has been the strangest couple of weeks of my life…"

And yet, even as the words left his mouth, he couldn't hide the thin grin that accompanied them. Eric cracked one eye open, staring first at Rosa as she fidgeted with the TV remote, and then at Rebecca as she worked at the stove top. As he did so, his smile grew. Strange as the past few weeks had been, he knew wouldn't have traded a single moment of them for anything.

In the end, everything – all the hurt, and pain, and sorrow… it had all been completely worth it just to see Rebecca smile.

And as Eric closed his eyes once again, a gentle sigh of contentment escaping him, he sent up a silent plea that he'd never again see her upset or downcast, the way she had been when she'd first arrived.

After all, he decided, that smile of hers was far too radiant to stay hidden like it had been for so long.