Lincoln smiled back. “I heard the same thing about you.”
She chuckled. “I was hoping to see you before you left. As I’m sure you already heard, I won’t be coming back to the academy after the holiday.” Lincoln nodded. “Anyway, before I left, I wanted to tell you thanks. I knew I could count on you.”
“I should be thanking you. You gave yourself up to save the rest of us. What were you thinking?” They shared another grin. “Hey, since you’re in such a good mood today, any chance you want to tell me who your boss is?”
“I could, but then I’d have to kill you,” Grace answered, standing up. Lincoln got the feeling she was only half-kidding. “Good bye, Lincoln. I have a feeling we will be seeing each other again.”
“Well then, see you later,” Lincoln told her. Grace walked away, and Lincoln looked down at his watch. Shoot! Now he was going to be late. He raced to the parking lot near the towers and quickly spotted his ride home. Bernie would be flying him in one of the Lulus, though this one was much larger than the one he had ridden in with Otis when he first came to the academy. The memory of that day brought a smile to Lincoln’s face. At that time, he had been scared out of his mind, certain they would plunge to their deaths at any moment. Now, after riding a bregon, Lincoln guessed the ride home would seem rather dull.
Lincoln and Jack were both on this first flight. The rest of their friends would be leaving later that afternoon. Jack was already on board. He saw Lincoln and yelled at him to hurry up. The rest of his friends stood nearby, waiting to say their good-byes.
Lincoln winked at them, and then gave Bernie a pleading look. Bernie sighed in exasperation and held up a finger. “One minute, and then I’m hauling you up myself.”
“Thank you,” Lincoln mouthed and hurried over to say his good-byes.
Lincoln gave Kennedy a quick hug, promising her he would stay out of trouble. Sean and Milo both got fist bumps. The two of them were spending the holiday together at Sean’s house in London. Lincoln thought this was a good idea, given the current situation with Milo’s family.
Finally, he turned to Skylar. They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment. Milo whistled and everyone laughed. Lincoln turned to yell at them, but before he could say anything, Skylar jumped forward and gave him a hug. Skylar leaned toward him and whispered teasingly into his ear, “Don’t forget about me while you’re gone.”
“Uh, of course not,” stammered Lincoln, his heart fluttering as he tried to think of something clever to say. “But only if you promise that the next time we’re alone you’ll make sure there’s not a single frog within a hundred miles of us.” And before Skylar could respond, Lincoln leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. He let her go and raced to the Lulu, turning once to see her smiling.
“Good form, mate!” yelled Sean. “I couldn’t have done any better myself.”
Lincoln climbed into the Lulu, elated. He turned, expecting to see Jack and the ten or so other recruits on their flight. They were all there, as was Bernie. Lincoln was shocked to see Mr. Rockwell, who was sitting in the copilot’s seat and watching Lincoln with a bemused expression.
“Well, Mr. Thomas, it looks like we may need to keep a closer eye on you and Miss McKinley.” Lincoln blushed, and the other recruits laughed. “It’s too bad we had to cancel the Christmas Dance this year. But don’t worry, you’ll get another chance. Bernie, may I have a moment with Lincoln.”
“Of course, sir,” Bernie said, ushering Lincoln into the cockpit and then stepping back with the other recruits. Mr. Rockwell shut the door.
“Now, Lincoln,” he began, “the last time we talked, you mentioned something about never returning to Atlas. I’ve heard you may have changed your mind.”
“Yes, sir,” answered Lincoln. “I’ll be back as soon as the holiday ends. That is, if I’m still welcome.”
Mr. Rockwell smiled. “You are always welcome.”
“Mr. Rockwell, did you know the bregon was going to heal me?”
“That is an excellent question,” answered Mr. Rockwell with an evasive smile. He patted Lincoln on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’ve decided to return. We’ll see you in a few weeks.”
Lincoln left the cockpit and sat in his seat, peering out the window next to him to get one more look at the academy. Funny how he had only been here for a few months, yet already he thought of it as his home.
Lincoln would enjoy the time with his parents, but he couldn’t wait to get back to the academy. He had so much here that he never had before, like great friends, Mr. Rockwell and the faculty, a girl who seemed to like him, and hopefully, a way to save his brother.
As soon as the bregon had healed him, he made a promise to himself. He would not rest until Noah was safe. He would train harder than he had ever trained before, and he would find a way to save Noah and bring him back to the academy, and together they would prepare to become actual Guardians. Lincoln sat back in his seat and smiled. Life wasn’t perfect, but it was as close as it had ever been.
BERNIE closed the door to the cockpit and sat next to Mr. Rockwell. “So?” he asked.
“So?” Mr. Rockwell replied.
“Did you tell him?” Bernie asked.
Mr. Rockwell snorted. “Where would I start? Me? His father? The Sibling Assignment? If only we had known Noah was still alive ....”
“How did Xander do that?” asked Bernie. “We checked. Noah died in that fire.”
Mr. Rockwell clenched his jaw, his fingers squeezing the copilot’s arm-rests. “I have no idea, but I’m going to find out. For now, let’s give Lincoln as normal of an academy experience as possible. Who’s watching him over the holiday?”
“I am,” said Bernie.
“Don’t let him see you, but more importantly, keep him safe. We need to find out who Xander really is before it’s too late.”
Bernie nodded, and Mr. Rockwell left the Lulu. He stayed in the parking lot, watching as the aircraft rose into the sky and disappeared from view.
“Keep him safe, Bernie,” Mr. Rockwell whispered. “He and his brother may be our only hope.”
THE END
TJ Robinson grew up in Orem, Utah, where he spent most of his childhood trying to find time to read between homework, karate classes, soccer games, and scouts. His love for the written word and his busy life resulted in countless hours spent hidden beneath the bedcovers with a flashlight and book in hand. After graduating from high school, he spent two years serving as a missionary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He then returned home and continued his studies, receiving a B.S. in Business Management at Brigham Young University followed by a Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of North Carolina. The Academy Defenders, TJ’s debut novel, began as a bedtime story for his children. He currently resides in Mapleton, Utah, with his wife, his three children, and Roo, their much too friendly beagle.
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