<div align="center"><strong>~* Mae Little aka "MeiMei"- Concerned for Vincent….  Oh yeah, and for the others as well – The Gamble *~</strong></div><br/>Pushing herself back onto her feet from where she had landed, sprawled on the dusty floor, Mae swept the dirt from her once white shirt, flashing an annoyed expression as she swept the scene playing out before her. Her eyes went wide as she watched Griff, almost in slow motion, walk with guns a blazing, taking out the invaders with an expert shot. As impressive as that was however, Mae was still determined to find the man she adored and give him a right talking to! After which she was planning on kissing the daylights out of him, once she was satisfied that he still had all his appendages.<br/><br/>She hadn’t noticed Griff as he strode with purpose towards her. His sudden appearance, essentially blocking her view, had at first startled her, drawing a startled squeak from her lips.<strong>"Mae, I need you to stay inside for me, okay?"</strong>His words didn’t register, sounding like white static to her ear. Her wide green eyes blinked against the brightness of the sun, unfocused and filled with worry.<strong> "I'll take care of Vince, mei mei, I promise. But I need you to stay inside. I can't have my little swallow getting herself hurt out here."</strong>Her instincts told her to shake free from his control, her need to find Vincent raged within her soul, crashing at her ribcage like a wild beast.<strong> "Dani! I need you out here on the double. Grab your bag!" </strong>Mae’s green eyes flashed with annoyance and deep concern, her mouth fell open to demand he let her go, though her words refused to cooperate, only allowing an incoherent yelp to represent her objections.<strong> "It's not Vince. Si took a bullet in the leg and Anwar's been hit in the arm. Now Stay here while I go and check on Vince.</strong>The expressions changed so rapidly, Mae felt like she had been freefalling, suddenly jerking to attention in one gut wrenching motion. The whimper that tumbled from her lips, and the crumble of her posture punctuated her deep relief that her words couldn’t explain.<strong> "And mei mei, you should go and put something on. Wouldn't want anyone to be gawking at you thinking inappropriate thoughts, now would we?"</strong>A slow blush warmed her skin, a reaction so out of character for the bold young woman, it made her appear even more vulnerable, displaying a small peek into her true feelings, making her appear even younger than  her 18 years.<br/><br/>Mae’s green eyes watered, glimmering in the sun as the wells of her tear ducts swelled with the sudden rush of emotions. Her long lashes fluttered, rapidly blinking in an attempt to push away the sudden girlish weakness. Her determined spirit wouldn’t allow her tears to fall; instead she swallowed them down, pressing her fears into the recesses of her mind.<strong>”Vinnie has my panties”</strong>Mae quipped, though her voice lacked the usual light-hearted flirtatiousness it normally possessed. Looking up into the warm brown eyes of her friend and captain, Mae allowed her tender feelings for the safety of her love to shine through.<strong>”You make sure he’s okay, you hear me? One hair on his body ….. that’s all it will take for me to go ape shit all over your ass… got me?”</strong>Her lips twitched into an affectionate smile before adding<strong>”I’m glad you’re okay…and the others…I’ll see what I can do to help…go get the infirmary ready for business. Please… please, tell Vinnie to come to me….as soon as he can.. okay?”</strong><br/><br/>Without further instruction, Mae turned to head back into the ship, granting the unspoken wishes of Vincent and the commanding words from Griff. If he had been surprised she had given in without much of a fight, he hadn’t let it be known to her. Looking over her shoulder one last time, Mae smiled as she watched Griff move to join the others, catching a glimpse of Vincent as he helped Si into a more comfortable position.  It was all she needed to calm her worries. Vincent was safe.<br/><br/>The young blonde pilot moved as gracefully as she could, holding her borrowed, white men’s shirt together with one hand, fingers cinching the gaping fabric closed. Her steps were light, disclosing a slight limp, a direct result from the fall she had experience earlier. The sound of static still rang out in her ear, playing the sickening sound of bullet fire over and over, drawing a shiver along her spine with the thought of what might have been.<strong>”He’s not hurt”</strong>Mae whispered to herself, attempting to assure herself of Vincent’s safety. Her arms hugged her torso, closing her eyes for a moment before feeling the dampness of the first of many tears roll along the soft hills of her flushed cheeks.<br/>