your friendship, to lose what I had once again, to lose another family, I can’t… I can’t lose that again please forgive me.” Shade whimpered, as he remained on the ground and kept his eyes shut only to open them when Barbra placed a hand on his back and rubbed it slightly.

“I guess we didn’t look at it that way Shade.” Barbra said, as Shade opened his eyes and looked at her. “We should have considered your past before we passed judgment, and maybe we have been rather harsh with you, but it’s because we felt that you betrayed are trust.” Shade looked at Barbra and nodded slightly, as Barbra helped him back to his feet. “Girls I think are little Ghost has learned his lesson on this little miss deed, what say you?”

“I COMMANDER!” the girls said at once then walked up and gave Shade a group hug trying to comfort him slightly.

“Although this doesn’t clear you of throwing that piston at me.” Barbra pointed out after Shade started to smile.

“But it didn’t hit you.”

“I know and that’s why you’re getting off lightly.” Barbra pointed out as she took Shade’s right hand and slapped the back of it. “There now no more throwing plane parts.” with that Shade rubbed the back of his hand, but then hugged Barbra. “It’s not your job to protect us honey, we’re the soldiers, and we’re supposed to protect you from the bad things in the world.” Barbra said, as she held Shade close.

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

“Shade” Shade looked at Molly who was looking ahead.

“What is it little one?” Molly turned looked at Shade funny. “You called my name… didn’t you?” Molly shook her head, and Shade looked behind him for a second only to find Kit still asleep. As he turned back and faced front still speeding forward he couldn’t help but shake the feeling that the transport was starting to struggle with him, as if it was trying to turn. “We might be having some trouble.” Shade said, as he reached for the key and turned it off, but the engine didn’t stop, the transport seemed to be going even faster, as Shade looked down at the key he then put his foot on the brake with no luck. “Molly do me a favor try and wake Kit up.” Molly jumped into action, or better put she jumped on Kit to try and wake him up only getting a grunt from the sleeping teen. “We have to get off this thing.”

“Stop fighting her, let her lead you.” Shade turned to Molly seeing that she was still hard at work trying to wake Kit up, he looked back at the wheel that he was now having trouble keeping control of. As he gulped he let go of the wheel and it quickly jerked to the right and then straightened out.

“Alright, you drive we ride.” Shade said, as he got up and went into the back to put some smelling salts under Kit’s nose getting the teen to wake up. “Have a nice nap?”

“I’ll give you a nap.” As Kit tried to get up he found Molly on his back smiling. “Wait if Molly is on my back and you’re in front of me, who’s driving?”

“That… is a very good question.” Shade said, as he helped Molly off Kit who stood up and the three looked at the steering wheel. Elsewhere Baloo and Rebecca were making their way around the main building when they both ducked into a room hearing Spigot’s voice coming up the hall. “I’ll have them shot twice for this.” Spigot said, as he walked past the room. “And Dunder you’ll be flogged for a week if they don’t get caught.”

“Oh yes sir.” As the two walked down the hall Baloo sighed as he looked at Rebecca, who was standing in shock as she pocked Baloo.

“What is it Beckers?” Baloo turned and saw the Grand High marshal sitting in a chair with his wife sitting right next to him.

“Who dares to interrupt my lunch with my wife?” the high marshal asked, as he glared at Baloo and Rebecca.

“Uh well.” Baloo looked at Rebecca somewhat pleading not finding the words he could con his way out of this one.

“Sir my name is Rebecca Cunningham.” Rebecca said, as she removed her hat and stepped forward.

“Ah yes the lady that threatened nozzle” the Marshal looked at Rebecca as he heard his wife chuckle slightly. “I thought you were locked up, awaiting the firing squad.”

“Uh we got time off for good behavior?” Rebecca shot Baloo a nasty look for his comment that told him to be quite, as she turned back and looked at the marshal.

“We escaped sir, and if there is anything you can do to help us I’m begging you to do so, my children are out there is your country lost, and alone, and we need to find them.” Rebecca pleaded, as she fell to her knees and looked at the high marshal but noticed that at the mention of her children being lost, his wife grabbed his arm.

“Yes… yes… we would love to help you find your children, but at this time we are facing our own troubles it seems we have lost communication with three of are out laying provinces, I will not be able to spare any planes to find them, but I can have your plane repaired so that you will be able to find them.” Rebecca and Baloo smiled as they looked at the high marshal who smiled back at them. “But I recommend that when you find your children you keep flying.”

“Anything you say sir, just get my baby air worthy, and we’ll be long gone.” Baloo said, as he hugged Rebecca.

“Very well, until you plane is repaired however I offer you to be a guest of me and my wife, to remain in are private quarters. The one place that nozzle can’t enter under penalty of being shot.” with that the two adults nodded and the marshal started to make calls.

As for the kids, the transport came to a stop just on the outside of a cave in an area that looked like no one had been around it for years. “Alright let’s go.” Shade said, as he got out and started to head for the front of the vehicle, opening the hood up and looking inside.

“Can you fix it?” Molly asked, as she looked at Shade.

“No… I can safely say this I can’t fix.” Shade said, as he turned and looked at both Molly and Kit.

“Oh wow something the great Ghost can’t fix.” Kit said, with a bit of pride as he smirked as Shade.

“I can honestly say no one can fix this without a new engine.” with that Kit folded his arms and smiled proudly.

“Want to bet, when I was a pirate I used to help fix their engines all the time.” Kit boasted, as he smiled at Shade. “Why don’t you let me have a look at it, I bet I can fix it.”

“I bet, come on Molly let’s go into the cave, and get ready for the night.” with that Shade jumped down from the front of the vehicle, took Molly’s hand, and started to head for the cave. Kit smiled as he walked up to the vehicle and looked under the hood. For a few moments Kit just stared in shock before he slammed the hood down.

“THERE’S NO ENGINE!!” Kit yelled, as he looked at Shade walking away.

“Told you, you wouldn’t be able to fix it without a new one.” Shade responded as he kept leading Molly towards the cave.

“But if there wasn’t an engine how did the vehicle move?” Molly asked, as she looked at Shade and then over her shoulder at Kit.

“That’s a great question Molly, and I’m guessing we might get some of the answers in here.” Shade responded as he made it into the cave with Molly only to be shocked to see that inside the cave was an old P-51 looking like it had been parked in the cave for years. As Shade walked around the plane he read just under the canopy the name Black Magic. ‘Must have been the pilots’ calls sign, I wonder why they left it here?’

“WOW! A plane. A really neat plane.” Molly said, as she ran up to the plane, and started to climb on it. “I’M GOING TO BE THE PILOT!!” Molly cheered, as she climbed onto the wing and started to try and open the cockpit that had been frozen shut. “Big Brother help me.” Molly cried out, and Kit ran up and smiled as he tried to open the hatch. “I meant Shade I thought he would have away to open it.” Kit stopped trying to open the hatch in shock as he heard Molly’s words, as he turned to look at her; she was smiling as she pointed to Shade. “Come on open the hatch, I want to be the pilot.” Shade walked up and could feel the look of hate Kit was giving him at that moment as he got to the side of the hatch and started to trace the outside of the canopy. As he reached up and tried to move it, the hatch gave with no resistance, as if it was never stuck. Inside sat a Pilot dressed in white. As Shade put his fingers to the pilot’s neck and turned to Kit.

“Take Molly away, make a fire, stay warm.” Kit grabbed Shade by the collar and pulled him in close.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” His words were soft so that only Shade could hear them, but as Kit let go of him Shade grabbed his wrist and looked him in the eyes.

“I’m trying to save your life if you haven’t noticed yet Kit, so why don’t you act your age and not your shoe size, I need to burry one more person today so take her away so I can get to work.”

“We don’t have time for this.”

“We are making time for this Cloudkicker, we are going to respect