Chapter 18

With a clenched jaw, Sportacus was thinking hard about how he would save everyone on the plane.

"How big is your airship?" Gemma asked over the screaming people. "If we could figure out how to get everyone on there safely…"

There was an idea. But how to get people from the plane to his airship was another story. His door wasn't long enough to reach the other entrance of the plane so the passengers could single file onto the ship.

"We might have to take the exterior apart to create a long enough ramp," Sportacus said. "I need everyone to listen! Rip the walls out or whatever you can to make a ramp long enough to reach the door of my airship. I'm going to get you all out of here!"

The men got to work and some women as well, while others tried calming the children and the elderly. Gemma went to check on the boy in the cockpit, who was trying his best to keep the plane steady. Thankfully, one pilot had woken up and was doing his best to help.

"I hope this works," Gemma said as she saw the makeshift ramp the people had made.

"Me too," Sportacus said under his breath, but Gemma heard him.

"If this doesn't work and we all die," Sportacus added and looked into Gemma's eyes.

With no hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, she blinked in shock. The feeling of his lips was familiar. Gemma touched her lips with her fingers and blinked in unbelief. Was he… Magnús?

As soon as the passengers were done making their makeshift ramp, Sportacus called the glider back so he could go to the ship and bring it closer to the plane so the door could hopefully reach the ramp they had laid out carefully.

Sportacus stood outside the door and handed a man a grapple hook to anchor the ship to the plane.

"Women, children, and elderly first,'' Sportacus said, standing at the edge of his door to guide scared passengers aboard his airship. "Go slow in a single file line and don't look down."

This job was harder than it sounded and looked. A moving airplane alone with a moving airship that would sometimes bounce made it hard for everyone to move. Luckily, Sportacus put up a rope barrier on both sides of the door and ramp so everyone had something to hold on to.

Once it was Gemma's turn, she locked eyes with Sportacus and gave him a quick hug.

"Thank you for coming for us," she whispered in his ear and kissed him on the cheek. "Magnús…"

Gemma carefully made her way across and turned to look at him as soon as she was safely on the ship. She also helped the rest of the passengers board.

"The boy in the cockpit, Sportacus!" Gemma called.

The plane suddenly jolted, causing the ramp to break loose and fall to the water below. Sportacus unhooked the anchor, and with one last glance at Gemma, he disappeared into the plane.

The airship released from the plane and just hovered there, some people trying to look through the opened door at the plane that was not descending to the water below at a rapid pace. Others gasped while some held their breath and cried.

"He will not make it!" someone shouted.

"He'll make it!" Gemma cried out and in the back of her mind she worried deeply.

Another explosion happened and made everyone gasp and jump as they watched the plane hit the water hard.

Silence was deafening as the onlookers waited for a sign of life to come from the wreckage.

"There's no way he made that," an elderly stated, putting a gentle hand on Gemma's shaking shoulder. "I'm sorry, honey."

Gemma could feel the tears building up in her already tear-stained eyes as she watched smoke rise from the wreckage. The fear she had of losing him hit home as she fell to her knees and cried out with a broken heart. A couple of men had to pull her inside the ship and the door automatically closed.

"He saved us," a teenage girl said, holding her hands close to her chest as she knelt beside a brokenhearted Gemma. "We will tell his story so everyone will know."

"What was his name?" an old man asked.

"Sp… Sportacus," Gemma stuttered while crying.

Everyone's attention was then pulled away from her and to something on the floor as a circular door slowly opened. They gathered around to see what was happening.

"He's alive!" someone exclaimed as the door rose to reveal Sportacus and the boy.

Gemma shot up and soon had her arms wrapped around Sportacus's neck.

"I thought you were…" she couldn't finish.

He pulled her in closer. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Everyone on the airship chanted his name and clapped and hugged each other.

"Now, to get everyone to a safe place. Hold on!" he said and took his seat at the wheel.

Out of respect, everyone took a seat on the floor and talked among themselves. Gemma took a place next to Sportacus and laid a hand on his arm.

"How did you know we were in danger?" she asked curiously. "We were so far away. I thought your crystal only lit up around Iceland."

"I thought so too," he said. "I guess it goes out as far as my heart."

She tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"You probably already know who I am," he whispered. "And you know how much I care about you, if I haven't told you already or made it known."

Gemma looked at the sky in front of them through the large window and slightly nodded.

"I knew who you were when you kissed me on the plane," she said, looking at her hands. "I will admit part of me was hoping."

A smile crossed his face, and he took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I didn't want you to leave," he said. "I wanted you to stay, but I knew you had made your choice in going home."

Gemma sighed. "I didn't want to leave either, honestly. I only left because things were weird between us after I had told you everything and my reason for being there. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you."

"That's all in the past now," he stated, gently stroking her hand with his thumb. "I couldn't stay mad at you, and I was heartbroken more than anything. But I also had my secret, too."

Gemma smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I'm sorry I gave you a reason not to trust me. But I still have to get back home and quit my job. No job is worth hurting the person you love."

He peeked at her after she said this. She was smiling like a little schoolgirl with a crush and her face was red.

"I hate to break up this cute moment, but are we almost at the airport?" the pilot of the crashed plane asked.

"Won't be long now," Sportacus said.

Shortly, they arrived at the nearest airport and landed with permission.