Disclaimer: The Last Ship belongs to TNT
AN: I was trying to work on New Edition but can't decide whether to try to include anything from welcome to Gitmo or jump to Quincy's betrayal. I put some music on hoping to help me and Before the dawn by Evanescence came on and this fic started to flow out of me. Unbeated
It was such a beautiful night on the island the wind was light and the air warm the Nathan James was anchored nearby while the crew relaxed around various bonfires, sitting or dancing.
Doctor Rachel Scott made her way away from the group she'd been talking with.
She'd never had liked crowds or social situations she made her way to the water and kicked her shoes off and sighed in pleasure as the water caressed her feet.
It was so good to relax and forget her troubles even for a brief moment.
For fourteen months the red death had ravaged the earth like a forest fire out of control.
Ninety percent of humanity was now dead she had gone on her mission to the arctic in hopes of finding a cure there but after four months in the arctic and eight at sea she had come to realize there was no hope.
Anger and sadness had become the norm.
But there had been moments of happiness as the crew had become a close family to each other.
And she'd found love with the ship's captain, Tom Chandler.
The attraction had always been there from the moment they had met but with the nature of her mission she had tried to keep to herself.
It was month four when an Australian ship had drifted into the Arctic Rachel had been having lunch with the captain when the news had come
She had told him the truth so he wouldn't send anyone onboard and get them infected.
He had immediately lifted the communication blackout and headed for home.
The president ordered them to stay at sea as they could defend the shore and work on hopefully finding a cure.
But it was painfully obvious there wasn't any.
She snapped out of her musings as strong arms wrapped around her and a familiar scent filled her nose.
She squealed in surprise and happiness as he lifted her in his arms and carried her toward a secluded grove of trees.
"So what plans do you have for me Captain?"
He grinned; dimples and all. "You shall see."
He led her to a blanket on the sand and a lantern nearby provided some light.
She never imagined she could fall in love so hard and deep she'd been married once but it ended in divorce five years ago.
Tex had been a good man but their careers kept them apart she had wept when she heard he had died from during a riot in Guantanamo bay Cuba where he worked as a security guard.
Tom held her chin after laying her down, "Are you all right?"
She stroked his cheek, "I love you so much."
Tenderness filled his blue eyes, "I love you too."
Clothes were quickly discarded and passion filled them it always felt like their first time.
They held each other after climaxed and slowly returned to earth.
The attraction they'd felt from the beginning burned hotter as the weeks passed.
Then the ship had intercepted a distress call from a man claiming to be immune and they'd headed for Cuba
But it had been a trap, the man Neil Sorensen had allied himself with the terrorists who were left so he could capture Rachel and the arctic strain
They had been rescued and Sorensen killed and during Rachel's day in captivity he had admitted he had put the virus in his blood and made it the deadly strain it had become
Rachel had managed to get samples of his blood back to the ship but it was a dead end it couldn't cure anyone.
But the experience made Tom and Rachel unable to ignore what was happening between them and they became lovers.
The virus had continued to decimate humanity but the government had barely hung on.
Three days ago the Nathan James had encountered two other ships a Russian naval ship and a French cruise ship.
Ruskov was the admiral of the Russian ship and someone Tom had always admired.
The two had already become close friends. The Russian government and society had collapsed so the officers had found what was left of their families and set sail.
The French ship was commanded by a former navy captain and was populated by survivors of various countries.
The two captains announced they planned to make the island their new home and the crew of the Nathan James was more than welcome to join them.
Tom had to admit he liked the idea of forming a new society there wasn't much to go back to on the mainland.
He didn't have much family; Darien, his wife had died in a car accident two years before and they hadn't had children although they'd tried.
He didn't know if his brother Jim was alive he worked for the CDC like Rachel and he'd been in Beijing last she'd heard.
He was estranged from his father and that had started with Tom's decision to join the navy.
But after his father had cheated on his mother Tom had cut Jed Chandler off for good.
His mother had died three years after that from breast cancer.
Rachel's stirring next to him brought him back to the present, he never could have imagined this beautiful, sassy, in your face doctor could've made him realize everything he was messing.
"Something on your mind?" She asked.
He told her about the offer from the two captains and how he and Mike had agreed on a crew vote those who wanted to stay on the island could stay, they were aware that the crew was getting tired of the seemingly endless voyage at sea.
Supplies and beacons would be given to those who wanted to go home to find what was left of their families, if anyone.
He sighed; "We have to face the fact that there's just no cure."
He looked into her eyes, "You don't have to decide now it'll be in three days."
He kissed her and she melted against him once again, months ago she would've fought hard against giving up and admitting the virus had won.
But she knew a large part of her was ready for a quiet life.
Forever in the embrace of her sensual captain.