28

28

Spencer woke the next day, at first alarmed to see Grace next to him, but then he remembered last night.  He got up and put on his shirt, but was unsure what to do next.  Should he wait for her to wake up?  He shouldn't leave should he?  His thoughts were pierced when Grace yawned loudly and got out of bed.  She too looked alarmed at first to see Spencer standing there,but then she smiled and walked towards him.  She put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Good morning,"  Grace said.

Spencer looked at the clock on the nightstand. "More like good afternoon.  It's past 12:30!"

"Well,"  Grace said.  "Let's just say it was a late night last night"  

This made Spencer laugh softly as he walked over to his shoes,  "We should probably get going."

Grace grabbed Spencer's hand.  "Where?  We have a week until we have to really go fight the Adican."

"There's almost always something to do."  Spencer said.  "Leading an army and all.  We can't just stay inside all day."  He smiled at Grace.  "As much as you might want to."

"Fine,"  Grace said as she smiled back at him.  "I'm gonna get changed then.  Will go get breakfast after."

Spencer waited quietly for Grace to emerge from her bedroom.  She came out about five minutes later wearing tight jeans and a plain gray t-shirt.

"Let's go,"  Grace said as she opened the door.

Spencer and Grace headed to the mess hall where they ate 'breakfast' although it was really lunch.

The next few days leading up to the launch of the campaign, Spencer spent almost all of his time with Grace.  They were happy just biding their time in the compound, and although they both knew it, neither wanted to admit the fact that at the launch, this would all be over, maybe forever if-.  Spencer didn't want to think about dying, let alone Grace dying.  He decided to bring up the campaign the day before launch.

It was evening of the day before the launch and Grace and Spencer were eating dinner.

Spencer sighed.  "After tonight, this will all be over."

"What do you mean?"  Grace asked.

"I mean us,"  Spencer said.  "We'll be fighting a war."

"Don't sound so glum."  Grace said.  "It can all be like this after we win this war."

"How can you be so sure?"  Spencer asked.  "What about the aftermath?  What if one of us, you know, doesn't make it."

"We'll make it through,"  Grace said.  "I promise.  We survived an army of robots who hid inside an asteroid didn't we?  How hard could it be to kill the Adican empress."

Spencer smiled.  "I really hope you're right."  He stood up.  "I'm gonna be heading in, it'll be a long day tomorrow."