When Kae woke up, she was being removed from a helicopter that had already been parked in a hangar. Her head ached and dizziness threatened to send her back to oblivion, but Kae forced herself to concentrate. She was placed on a stretcher and wheeled into a corridor.

Soon, Kae began to feel as if she recognized where she was as door after door sped by. One particular door caught her attention. "The dining hall! I'm home!" she exclaimed, trying to sit up.

"Welcome back, Kae-de," Patches grinned, resting one firm hand on her shoulder. "Stay where you are though. The stuff they pumped into your arm was pretty heavy. I wasn't in charge of this mission."

Her tight-lipped admission told Kae that Patches was rather unhappy with the way she'd been retrieved. Patches looked back at the man at the foot of the stretcher. "Hi-Jack, I told you all you had to do was tell her."

"Sorry Patches, standard operating procedure." He didn't sound at all sorry, and the expression on Patches' face told Kae that there would be some friendly retribution in Hi-Jack's future. Hi-Jack must have recognized the look too. "To be fair though," he defended himself, "it was Doc who chose the sedative and the dose."

Kae sighed in contentment and laid still, letting her friend guide the stretcher. Eventually, they were at the infirmary and Kae was settled into her old bed to wait for the effects of the drug to wear off. A veritable crowd of people pressed into her room. "We got your pictures," General Graves remarked.

"Considering the bomb I just defused, I'd say you didn't come any too early," Kae retorted. "What took you guys so long?"

She didn't wait for any reply but continued. "I drew that picture some time ago, after I saw whom I believe to be the Major in Phoenix. At first, I thought it was my imagination but then I saw several other familiar faces and knew it had to be him. I don't know what they're up to or why, but I know that the city of Phoenix is the target.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the whole truth about my dad when I was here before. He was known as the 'Mad Hatter'."

She looked at the general and he nodded to show he recognized the name. 'Mad Hatter' had been a well-known Orage operative. Kae shot him an apologetic look.

"I was never part of them, but I know more about Orage than I should as a civilian, enough to know that when Raven is in town, something very bad is going to happen." Kae-de paused to make sure she had his attention; that he understood the gravity of what she had to say.

"And I need to tell you that Raven is in town." Dead silence greeted her news. She added, "I saw her over near the municipal fountains several times on my way to Karate class. None of them seem to recognize me but if they did, those bombs might have been a test."

Kae licked her lips and closed her eyes against the wave of dizziness that overtook her. "I wasn't called in on the first bomb, so if it was meant as a test and they set the second one for me, I barely passed their test. The next time, I may not. Only my dad could have planted that bomb. Either that, or someone he trained- but as far as I can remember, I am the only person he ever taught."

Kae realized that she was chattering and shut up, closing her eyes against the spinning of the room.

"We didn't know about the Raven," the general admitted. "And Gizmo hacked into the building's security when we were trying to find you, so we saw what you can do, Kae. That bomb was . . ."

Gizmo interrupted. "More than I could ever deal with. That's some heavy-duty stuff right there!"

Kae's head stopped spinning, so she opened her eyes again. The general was standing beside the bed, holding a sheaf of papers in his hand. "Am I to gather from these," he asked, handing her the drawings, "that you are asking to join ECHO?"

"More like begging in abject misery," Kae admitted. She glanced at Patches and caught her eye.

"I tried hard to have a normal, civilian life; I really did. But no matter what I did or where I went, it just didn't feel like I belonged. I say things I shouldn't and don't know to say things I should. A long time ago I belonged in the camp- right up until I met you all. Now, if I don't belong here, then I guess I don't belong anywhere."

She lowered her eyes and waited, not knowing what she'd do if the general refused her request. Kae knew that honor would prevent her from rejoining any paramilitary mercenary groups, but the loneliness she felt as a civilian was becoming more than she could bear.

In the camps, she'd had a well-defined place in the ordered society, was known and recognized; as a patient in the infirmary, she'd had a place too, a small place maybe, but a place nonetheless. As a civilian, however, Kae felt as if she were an afterthought, a bit of fluff blowing in the wind that was not 'out of place' because it had no place to begin with.

"I think we might be able to arrange something," teased the general kindly. "After all, you certainly did make sure you learned a lot of useful skills while you were out there."

"Thank you, General." Kae looked up at his face and saw his grin. She couldn't help but smile in return, even though she was trying to hide most of the relief she felt.

General Graves nodded. "We need to induct you right away. Gizmo, get her a comm. Patches, can you scare up a uniform? With the Raven in town, we need every available hand ready for action. I'll have Carson come up with a back story and send someone out to clean up."

When he'd left, Kae asked Patches, "What happens now?"

"Now," grinned Patches, "Carson will send a letter of resignation to your boss and the dojo telling them you've been called out of town on a family emergency and probably won't be returning or some such thing. Your stuff will be packed up and brought here, your bank account emptied and the money transferred to our own bank.

"You will get dressed in this uniform, then learn to use a comm. There's an orientation that will take several days, but we don't have time for that, all at once, right now, so we'll divide it up and work at it as we have time. The general will assign you to a team, which will determine your shift and duty roster. Other than that, you're on your own. Oh, and your quarters will be assigned as soon as your things arrive." She handed Kae a small pile of clothing and left the room.

Kae wasted no time in getting changed. As soon as she'd made herself decent, she opened the curtain and found Gizmo standing there with a comm and the sidearm she'd been wearing when she'd been arrested. Kae strapped on her pistol gratefully and held out her hand for the comm. "I'll get the 'full manual' instructions later," she told him, "all I want to know is what my name is so I can call out."

Patches appeared from the office and shook her head. "Later, Gizmo; I have some things to cover with our newest member." Gizmo disappeared.

"Kae-de, I know you were hoping that Nakimura would find you and he will, but before you learn to use that, there is an unwritten rule amongst those of us who have managed to be accepted by the dojo."

"What do you mean?" asked Kae in confusion. "Aren't all operatives accepted by the dojo?" She thought of the times when different operatives had dropped by to spar with the ninjas.

"Everyone is welcome, but few indeed are those who have seen the faces of the brothers Nakimura. They are you, my parents, Maemi, General Graves and I. Not even Mariko has seen their faces and she is my husband's apprentice. You hold Nakimura's heart in your hands and I think you have since the first day you arrived in my infirmary."

Kae smiled when she thought of that day. It seemed apt to her that she'd considered herself buried alive, only to be 'reborn' as Kae-de Doe, American Citizen. And she'd certainly seen enough of Black Hawk's face during her play times with Maemi!

"I'm glad to see that day brings you only good memories," Patches said quietly, breaking her reverie. "Kae-de, when the tracking teams are out on assignment as they both are right now, we have a rule about the comms. Don't call them."

She paused to emphasize the importance of the rule. "Most of the time when a ninja is on assignment, his life depends on his absolute silence. He will disable the speaker on his comm and refuse to accept calls- except from the other ninjas, me, the general . . . or you."

Kae stared at her, accepting the enormity of what Patches was telling her. "And if I interrupt something serious, it could get them killed."

Patches nodded sympathetically. "The waiting is the hardest, I think. But we have an advantage the others don't. As soon as they are safe to talk, they will. Both of them often page me from the field just to let me know they are okay. Even the general does not know what I know half the time."

With a nod, Kae accepted the rule. "Patches, you said that Nakimura will find me. What do you mean?"

"He's waiting for you to be ready. Every time we've told him to go and get you, he refuses, though we see how hard it is for him to do so. I'll tell you a secret though."

Patches leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Nakimura has been checking on you every night. He checks your bank records, your medical records, security cameras that you pass by regularly. He checked out the results of every karate tournament you were in and watched your grades all through college."

"Are you serious?!?" Kae's shout of disbelief made Patches laugh.

"Oh yeah; he has it bad, Kae-de Doe."

Kae's smile was somewhat smug. "Then I can wait. I take it he doesn't know about my return?" The thought that her beloved ninja had been keeping close track of her settled around Kae like a warm hug.

Patches' smile was just as smug. "Not a thing, none of them do. I'd thought to surprise them. Now, what say we go see Gizmo and go through his orientation?"

<><

Nakimura glanced at Mariko as the helicopter dropped toward the hidden, desert base. "I have business in the city," he told her. "Expect me no later than this time tomorrow."

"Hai," the tracker answered. "Tell her I said hi." Her teasing grin brought no response from her team leader. The chopper lowered gently toward the ground. When it was still about five feet in the air, Mariko jumped out and waved the pilot on. Nakimura lifted one hand to acknowledge the favor before the ground disappeared in a swirl of sand.

"Where do you want to go?" shouted the pilot into his headset over the noise of rushing wind and steady throb of chopper blades.

"Take me to the garage. I'm headed toward the city!" Nakimura answered immediately. The garage was over a mile from where they were. When the chopper was over the garage that housed civilian-ready vehicles, Nakimura jumped out and headed toward the garage for a jeep.

He'd checked in on Kae-de's financial records to make sure she was okay and discovered that her account had closed, which worried Nakimura to no end. Six hours later, he was finding that his beloved Kae-de had disappeared from the city entirely. Only a few pieces of her artwork remained, for sale at a local boutique.

"I heard she found a better job down New Mexico way," the landlady told him when Nakimura knocked on the door. "She sent a moving company to get her things, called me from Albuquerque herself asking if I would make sure the movers didn't take anything that belonged to me. I'm gonna' miss her."

The older woman smiled. "She's a good girl; honest, quiet, hardworking and smart. Why, she even did all my repairs for me, re-finished my woodwork; even replaced a window that broke once. A tenant like that comes along once in a lifetime, I think."

Nakimura thanked her and left. His heart was heavy in his chest but Nakimura was determined to find his beloved, lavender-eyed lady. If she really had moved from the city, Nakimura could be certain that she was ready to be found, that she had truly found her wings.

Albuquerque was a long drive away, but Nakimura decided it would be worth it. "General from Nakimura," he said once in the jeep.

"General Graves."

"I'd like some time off, a week or so."

"Negative to any time off; you are needed here immediately! Raven has been spotted in Phoenix. I repeat, Raven has been spotted in Phoenix; over."

Feeling as if all the energy had drained from him, Nakimura climbed into his jeep for the long drive home. "Copy that, General. I'm on my way. Give me six hours."

"Out." The general's short reply was all Nakimura needed. Realizing that the situation did indeed require his haste, he gunned the motor and drove over the desert roads as fast as he dared push the jeep.

As he navigated the rocky, heat-blasted terrain, Nakimura had time to quell his disappointment and to repress the agonizing loneliness. Finding a wife would need to take a back seat to national security once again.

Four times, Nakimura had come to find Kae. Once, he was attacked by Yakuza, twice he was called away on assignment before he ever reached the city and once, he'd spotted enemy operatives and had to call in reinforcements to capture them. By the time he'd managed to finish up with the arrests, another assignment had come up and then another, making it impossible for him to return.

It looked like once again, Nakimura would be prevented from finding Kae-de. Nakimura internalized his frustration until the jeep was careening down the desert trails at break-neck speed. Even a flat tire didn't keep him from arriving back at the base a full hour ahead of schedule.

After apologizing to the maintenance crew for losing the jack-handle when he'd repaired the tire, Nakimura made his way to the dojo for a quick shower and a bite to eat before rejoining the general.

"Nakimura from Patches." The summons came while Nakimura was wolfing down a hasty sandwich.

"Nakimura," he replied after swallowing a bite that was a bit too large. He could feel it slide down his throat, aching the entire way.

"Location?" Her voice sounded impatient. Nakimura took a gulp of his tea before he replied.

"The dojo for a meal; I just got in." He took another bite of sandwich and made sure to chew it thoroughly before he swallowed.

"Nakimura, what have I told you about withdrawing from the family?" Her voice was teasing but Nakimura knew she was serious about her rebuke. "You've been spending way too much time alone lately."

Irritation arose and for once, Nakimura allowed it to show. "I would not be alone now if I had not been pulled from Phoenix for another mission- again."

"Again?" She sounded surprised and exasperated on his behalf. "Sorry, Bro, I didn't know the general was sending you out again so soon."

The general's voice joined the conversation. "Nakimura, Mariko, briefing in fifteen; general out."

"Oh, dear." Patches sounded worried. "Black Hawk has another few days left in Africa, he thinks. Be careful, okay?"

Nakimura finished his sandwich. "See you in five; out."

He snapped his comm shut and tucked a piece of paper from his gi under his pillow before leaving the dojo. He'd found the page, protected by a plastic zipper bag, blowing in the desert wind while he changed the tire. Faded by the weather, it depicted a specific rock ledge west of Phoenix, one he knew well.

On the rock wall was a couple enjoying a night-time picnic, with a blond woman pointing at a shooting star. Nakimura took the picture, signed by Kae-de's distinctive maple leaf, as an invitation. He wondered if he'd missed the date because even though there were plenty of clues in the picture of when she would be there, the paper was yellow and brittle, the ink browned by time and sunlight.

Near the dojo door hung another of her pen-and-ink drawings, purchased from a boutique in Phoenix. It depicted a steel-span bridge with water flowing under it, a train rumbling over the bridge while fish and frogs frolicked in the water underneath. Nakimura touched the frame reverently as he passed, silently promising himself that one day, he would take her to a place like that.

Far too soon, Nakimura and Mariko were headed out to Phoenix to track the Raven. Their job was to locate their target and keep her in sight until she could be apprehended. Knowing the Raven, Nakimura and Mariko would be days at this assignment.

A quick glance at the moon told Nakimura that his appointment with Kae-de would soon arrive. The drawing had depicted several varieties of desert flower in bloom, flowers that only bloomed during certain months, and a first-quarter moon. He wondered how long the drawing had been blowing around the desert and how long it would be before he was able to accept her invitation.

It was over a month later before Nakimura climbed to the top of the ridge and looked around. He'd missed his date with Kae-de, he realized, because the remains of a fire were carefully ringed about with large stones. With trepidation, Nakimura approached the abandoned campfire to see how old it might be.

Disappointment welled up in a bitter flood. The campfire was very old, with only blackened rocks to show that anything had ever burned there. Discouraged, he stood up and went back to his jeep. While he was walking, a zipper bag, partly hidden by some brush, flipped in the breeze.

Nakimura stopped to look and discovered another of Kae-de's drawings. It was another desert scene, though he didn't recognize the landscape. This time, it showed Kae, partly hidden behind a dead joshua tree, laughing as she beckoned him toward her, her long, blond hair waving in the desert wind. Her message was clear. Come find me.

"Oh, Kae-de, if only I could!" Nakimura cried aloud in frustration. But his time off was coming to an end and Nakimura knew that he was needed on base soon. Regretfully, he finished his hike, started the jeep into motion and headed it back toward the base. He could only pray, once again, that God would allow the two of them to be together, in His timing.

<><