Mechanid World - Gone Soft

It was a hot day for Propwash Junction… days that were usually the tell tale sign of a fire coming. Sure enough, the alarm sounded and Dusty and Mayday were off to take care of it. Jett and Chandra hated whenever this happened… It meant Daddy wasn’t able to play with them or show them tricks. Mom was fun too but it was way too hot to be doing anything crazy.

Times like this, Jett just decided to sleep it off until Dusty got back. Chandra… she wanted to find something to occupy herself with besides sleep.

I don’t blame him for wanting to rest… It’s so stinkin’ hot… Everyone is tired and sluggish…

She wandered around town, seeing everyone taking cover under shades that various hangars casted. She eventually found herself wandering to the hangar at the end of the runway… The hangar of Skipper Riley.

It’s so hot… I need to get under some shade before I over heat…

She hurried over to the hangar, taking refuge under one of the overhangs, sighing in relief.

“Much better…”

“Can I help you?”

Chandra jumped a little, looking over to the source of the voice. “H-Huh?”

Skipper stood there with an amused look, raising an eyebrow. “Bit too hot out to be spending time outside isn’t it?”

Chandra nodded. “Yeah… But I hate sitting still or being cooped up in the house… Just the heat is not helping at all.” She sighed. “And when the heat comes, Daddy is busy as ever…”

He knelt to her level. “You're pretty close with your daddy huh?”

Chandra nodded. “Yep! I wanna be just like him when I grow up… I wanna help people.”

Skipper smiled, he could see his student in the girl. “I’m sure you will…” He stood up, offering her a hand. “Why don’t you come inside for a bit? We have the air running… And I’m pretty sure Sparky bought some ice cream last time he was out.”

Chandra’s eyes lit up as she nodded rapidly, taking Skipper’s hand. “Yes please!”

He chuckled taking her inside getting her a bowl of chocolate ice cream. “Here you go kiddo…” … I’ve gone soft… I can’t help it…

“Thank you Skipper.” Chandra chirped as she dug in. “Ah this tastes great… then again, anything cold on a hot day tastes great.”

“I can agree with you there. When I was around your age, my mother would take a glass jar and fill it up with ice, water and tea bags and leave it out all day to steep in the sun… Sun tea she called it and it was always nice on a hot day. That was long before air conditioning or television either… In fact we didn’t even have an ice maker just a tray.”

“Wow…” Chandra’s eyes got wide with wonder. “Be odd not having that… yet sounds kind of interesting too… you were living in a very different time Skip.”

He nodded. “Indeed I was… We still had ways of having fun of course… Summer meant staying out until the street lights came on, catching frogs or fish and getting into mischief with my friends…” Skipper chuckled remembering some events. “There was many a times where my mother came yelling for me because someone caught me doing something dangerous like climbing an old tree ready to break apart right then and there.”

Chandra giggled. “You got into trouble too Skipper?”

“Oh the biggest trouble. Whenever I got caught flying when I wasn’t supposed to, my mother would make me help her clean. She’d give me an old tennis racket and have me beat dust out of the rugs. It was NOT fun. Dust would be flying all over the place…”

“All dusty like Papa!”

He laughed. “Oh yes… Of course, there was times where that wasn’t so bad… Like one time my friends and I swiped the rug and used it to slide down a hill… Oh was my mother was red from anger! She never got those grass stains out of it either!”

Chandra broke into a full out laugh. “Oh Machina! You’re funny Skipper!”

“I’ve lived a long strange life.” He admitted before smirking. “Did your daddy ever tell you I was a master at pranks in the Navy?”

“Uh-uh.” she answered, shaking her head. “He told me about Echo and Bravo’s antics… but he never mentioned yours.”

“Well, I taught your dad some of my tricks… But when I was young and a new recruit I was quite the trickster with my squadron… We once tied ol’Sparky to the boat and he couldn’t get loose for hours… Of course, we cut him loose before any higher ups saw… In fact… Who do you think started the Trial of the Pranks?”

Chandra hummed in thought before pointing to him. “Did you?”

He nodded with a bit of pride. “Darn right I did! No one came away unscathed!”

Chandra giggled. “I’m guessing Sparky got tied to a boat because of something he did.”

“Oh yes…” Skipper cringed. “There’s a photo of what he caught me doing… Something really silly that I had to get even at him for getting on film.”

“Ooooooh okay, I see.”

… Alright this once… Skipper looked around quickly before retrieving the picture. “Alright here’s a secret… But once you leave this hangar this picture never happened. Alright soldier?”

Chandra saluted. “Yes sir, Skipper sir.”

“Good girl.” Skipper handed it to her…

The picture showing a very drunk Skipper dancing in a hula skirt.

Chandra broke into a laugh again. “Yep! Still silly!”

Skipper chuckled. “Well, at least I had the groove.”

Chandra nodded, before handing the photo back to him. “You know how to have fun... that’s what counts.”

“Thank you, Chandra.” He tucked the photo away in it’s hiding place once more. He’ll never think to look there! “You know… You're a good kid.”

Chandra giggled. “I try my best… Daddy is so nice to everyone… I wanna be like that too.”

He patted her head. “I’d say you're off to a good start… Your daddy’s a good man… And something between you and me… He helped me more than I ever helped him… He inspired me to fly again…”

Chandra smiled a little. “It’s just how he is…” She looked up to Skipper before hugging his leg, she was too short to reach his arms. “He cares about you a lot too, Skipper… and so do I.”

Skipper smiled softly before scooping her up, giving her a hug. “Thank you, Chandra… And I care about you and your family too… You all mean so much to me…”

Chandra cuddled him a little. “You’re family to us… Least that’s what Daddy said…”

“Your daddy is rarely wrong… So I agree…” He ruffled her hair a bit.

Chandra giggled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Love you, Skipper…”

Skipper smiled softly. “I love you too, Chandra…”

Even if they're not blood related…

I still see them as my grandchildren…