In the still of the night

The peaceful calm of nighttime darkness wrapped the small community with a thick blanket. No white moonbeams tonight lighting the window slats and bouncing off the walls for those awaiting the heaviness of slumber. Just a dark, quiet night. Among two still awake were citizen one and two, laying quietly side by side, warm bodies touching, fingers of his left hand wrapped around her right wrist, slowly stroking her hand to the tips of her fingers lightly and back up to encircle her delicate bones as he gently massaged her palm. She had returned earlier that day from a ten day absence, taking a surveillance team to outpost nine. He had had his run-in with Mira and was still healing from the cut on his cheek. He noticed her gaze stop on his still red wound as she checked him out, starting with his feet and working up. He let her have her moment as he repeated her motions in mirror. He had greeted the convoy personally, opening her door as soon as the tires stopped rolling. `

"Mira," his only explanation.

She lithely stepped out with a nod, her only acknowledgement. They devoted the remaining daylight with her report, catching Washington up with the latest news aka (gossip), eating together in the commissary. If they hadn't done those mundane chores, the locals would notice and would wonder if there was a tiff between the two most watched people in Terra Nova. That's how every separation between one and two always ended when one was OTG for any length of time. It was common knowledge they had no secrets. Each new pilgrimage would soon discover, anything said in confidence, meant he and she.

They parted for the evening, her to relax as she was dismissed, and him to take late patrol. He ended his patrol by slipping through her un-locked door. He knew the way through her dark house by memory, shedding guns and gear on the end of her couch. The mattress indented under his weight as he sat taking off his boots. He could hear her breathing, and she the rustle of his clothing being removed before he settled under the cover. This time he didn't stop until he had her pinned, his obvious welcoming home present wanting entrance. For the next hour they renewed their silent vows to love and cherish each other. Someday they would make those vows before the colony, that day approaching, just one more hurdle or maybe two.

For now the only light was from a distant path light, casting yellow on the window frame, but to dim to make its light penetrate to their bed. So in the dark, they had their real talk, the one just between them. Wash started the conversation.

"Mira cut you?"

"No, and she can't shoot worth crap either. She had me tied. I made a break towards some razor grass. She sniped at me and missed."

"Is that how you fingers got cut?"

"Yeah." He changed the subject. "How'd that new surveyor work out?"

"He's good at his job, has sore ribs where my boot accidently took him out."

"What part of you did he touch?"

"He decided I needed a massage when I bent over to look through the transit."

"Where?"

"Lower back, he started rubbing his hand in a circle and he kept talking like I wouldn't notice him copping a feel."

"You didn't ask him to stop?"

"That's what feet are for." It was her turn to change the course of their conversation. "Heard you spent the night with Mira."

"I'd rather been with you. I only have to watch my front with you."

"I'll watch your front, and back and every other part."

"We teamed up against a couple young slashers marking new territory. She decided she didn't want to take them on without me."

"She must be smarter than she looks."

"I got a good look at her weird tattoos, the ones on her upper chest."

"How close? Stop laughing, I'm serious, how close did you get to her?"

"Jealous?"

"Of her, I don't think so."

"She told me about her kid they are holding hostage."

"That explains a lot."

"Said she saw Lucas a couple weeks ago. Said he looked good."

"Any more marks at the falls from him?" She rolled over and slid her hand from his grasp to stroke his stomach.

"A few, fresh campfires also. Mira and I had to jump from the top of the falls into the pool. I had to cut her loose, took a lot of fight out of both of us. I lost my guns in the jump. I made a bow and one stave before they showed up. Mira made the flammable tar. I told her it wouldn't work. She doesn't have your touch."

"I hope you're talking about tar."

He chuckled. "It worked, not as good as yours, but we wounded the female. They left, but we spent the rest of the night watching. We hiked back to where I left the bike and she her rover. Do I have to ask Guzman to have a talk with, what's his name again?"

"Do I have to hunt for Mira?"

"Touche, but she didn't touch me or look like she wanted to. I think the surveyor needs to learn his place where you're concerned."

"He stayed away from me the rest of the trip, seemed scared of me. I didn't kick him that hard, barely tapped him."

"Did you say anything to him?"

"Hands off as I helped him up."

"What were you looking through the transit for?"

"I can survey, remember I helped survey the parameter of here. I wanted to make sure he was as good as his resume indicated."

"You're better than good."

"Not talking about my surveying skills, are you?"

"Nope."

They settled into a comfortable silence and soon she could hear his even breathing. Her last conscious thought was it was good to have him home and warming her bed. With that she drifted off, her arm possessively holding him.

The End