Shade pulled his hand away and kept looking at Rebecca with a stone look. “What’s wrong?” Rebecca knew what was wrong as she looked into Shade's eyes.

“You lied to me ma-am, you had promised someone something before you knew if you could full fill it, you were only lucky that I excepted to go on this trip.”

“That I am, but I didn’t lie.” Rebecca was very admit about this fact as she looked Shade in the eyes. “I said we needed protection on a cargo run, and you agreed.”

“But you failed to mention that you had already promised my services. If you wish for me to help you on cargo runs I have no problem with that, but try a stunt like this again and I will stand by and watch as your company goes under like I could have today.” with that Rebecca looked Shade in the eyes and could tell that he really wouldn’t, he was holding back his emotions like he always had but he was slowly loosing the battle in his internal struggle.

“I’ll remember that for the future.” Rebecca said, as she smiled at Shade who jumped off the box and laid down on the lower bunk. “So your finally going to get some sleep?” As Rebecca started to place a cover over Shade he grabbed it and threw it to the floor shocking Rebecca slightly as she looked at him. As he laid on his side facing the hull.

“Leave me alone.”

“I was just.”

“I don’t care what you were doing ma-am, just leave me alone.” As Rebecca looked at Shade, she clinched her fist and picked up the blanket once more, this time putting it on him and holding it down as she got close to his head.

“You might not think you need anyone young man, but no one, not even you, can make it through life alone, and the sooner you learn that the better.” with that Rebecca let go of the sheet and stood up, waiting a few moments to see if Shade would do anything. When nothing happened she returned to the cockpit leaving Shade to lay on the bunk. When the door shut Shade curled up under the blanket, He was finding it harder and harder to resist the feeling in his heart, Rebecca and Baloo had been nice to him, and to protect them he forced himself to be rude to them. He couldn’t let them get close to him, he couldn’t let them get hurt because of him. As Shade closed his eyes he let the engine take him back to his past.

**********************

Night Witch squadron

**********************

It had been a month since Shade ran away from Panda-la, as he found him self waking up in a cot, he started to sit up when a hand reached out and guided him back down. “Hold on sweetie you need your rest.” a tigress said, as Shade looked up at her. “Your lucky me and the girls were out practicing maneuvers.” Shade kept looking at the tigress with fear and concern, only to get the lady to use a wet rag and place it on his forehead. “Listen kiddo you need to rest, your burning up, and dehydrated which means your not getting up for at least three days.” with that Shade started to move again only to be pushed back down on the cot. “What did I just tell you young man. Your not getting out of this bed for the next three days, now ether you can stay in that bed freely or I can tie you down, your choice.” with that Shade lashed out at the woman and made a run for it as she grabbed her hand when Shade scratched it. As he made his way out of the building with the tigress yelling at him. When he made it outside Shade looked around and found him self on an old airfield in the middle of a canon.

“Hey the fuzz ball is up.” another female tigress said, as she hopped down from her plane and started to walk towards Shade. “HEY BARBRA THE KIDS AWAKE!!” As Shade found him self slowly being surrounded by Female pilots, he got into a fighting stance. “Oh looks like we found are selves a little spit fire girls, Barbra is really going to like your spirit kid.”

“Yeah but not before I’m done tanning his hide for scratching me.” the tigress from before said, as she picked Shade up by the cuff of the neck and lifted him into the air. “Kid I don’t know who your parents are and I don’t care, I’m going to teach you a lesson that they must have forgotten to teach you.” with that the tigress walked over to a stack of tires and sat down placing Shade over her knee.

“That’s enough Julia.” a white tigress said, as she walked up and looked at Shade and Julia who had her hand raised about to deliver a spanking.

“But he attacked me.” Julia said, as she showed her hand to Barbra.

“No he escaped thinking he was in trouble, let him go so I can have a word with him.” with that Julia looked at Barbra and then at Shade.

“You got lucky kid, but do something like that again and you wont be able to sit for a week.” Julia warned, as she stood Shade on his feet and sent him towards Barbra. As Shade looked up at Barbra he tried to look tough, he tried to look like a hardened warrior. But as the tigress knelt down to him and gave him a warm smiled he slowly started to falter.

“Hey there little one, why don’t you tell me your name?” Barbra said, as she placed a gentle hand on Shade’s shoulder causing the young wolf to break down into tears and hug her. As she wrapped her arms around Shade she tried to comfort him, looking rather concerned on Shade‘s well being.

“Oh Julia look what you did, you made him cry.”

“Shut up Brianna I didn’t even give him one swat.”

“Your right, might have been waking up to your face that scared him so bad.”

“You want to say that again Gloria!?” Julia said, as she started to head for the tigress that had made the last comment. As the ladies started to poke fun at one another Shade turned his head to them and slowly started to calm down enough to tell his tale, about Panda-La and how he had to run form it. As a result the squadron took Shade under their wing, teaching him everything they could from flying, to making gadgets from spare parts, and military strategies. The times he enjoyed the most was with Barbra who took him up in her plane, a modified P-38, giving him flying lesson. As time went on with the group, they learned from him, and he learned from them. As his dream kept going he recalled one time flying with Barbra as she wrapped her arms around him and smiled, they had grown close over the year and she had became another mother to him, list like the rest of the squadron. “Look around sweetie, your as free as a bird.” As Barbra held him close Shade looked around at everything around him and smiled, as he felt Barbra hugging him. “Now let the plane fly Shade, listen to what she wants and let her guide you sweetie.” with that Shade nodded as his grip tightened on the stick only to have Barbra cup them and smiled, as she loosened his grip. “Let her lead you honey, let the plane show you her world.” with that Shade nodded and let the plane lead him. On the ground the Squadron smiled as they looked up at the plane Shade and Barbra was in.

“Kid’s getting pretty good.” Gloria said, as she smiled at Brianna. “Think we should give him his present early?” Brianna smiled as she looked at Gloria.

“Don’t even think it you two Barbra wants to give it to him on the anniversary when he joined the group.” Julia said, as she gave the two a stern look.

“Oh your still mad at him for that glue on your seat.”

“Oh course I’m still angry with him for that, I haven’t been able to fly into town and enjoy some R and R with out being dressed in my pilot gear thanks to my hairless backside.”

“Yeah but you got even with him, when Barbra found out and let you deal with him. Still say you where a bit rough with him for that poor thing couldn’t sit for a day after that whipping you gave him.”

“Serves him right, he knew better then to play jokes with are planes, and he glues me to my seat. What would of happened if the Hausers would have attacked, and my plane got shot up, I would have been stuck, and toast.”

“So you would have been in a Jam?” Brianna said, with a smile on her face.

“That’s not funny!”

“Oh calm down Julia, the Hausers haven’t been acting up for a while and even if they did I couldn’t see any of them taking you… DOWN!!” as the group hit the deck flying just above the plane, Barbra’s plane flew over head, upside down. As Gloria got on her feet she reached into her plane and pulled the mike out.

“Barbra are you crazy? You have Shade in there with you remember, don’t give him any idea up there.” after a few minutes across the radio came the sound of Barbra laughing.

“First off Gloria, I wasn’t flying that was all Shade just then. Second, you three should have seen your faces when he came zooming past.” As the three looked on in shock they watched as Barbra’s plane moved through the air and pulled insane stunts until it finally came in for a landing with a beaming young pilot looking at them.

“ARE YOU INSANE!!” Julia yelled, as she started to come towards the plane getting the smile to leave Shade’s face duck back into the cockpit as Barbra stood up and looked at Julia. “Barbra please tell me you had some kind of control of that plane, please tell me you guided his hands and you didn’t just sit back for the ride.”

“Julia calm down, he was sitting in my lap I could have taken control at anytime that I thought