Small Victories

*This story is dedicated to my good friend Millennium for the conversations that inspired this story, to the ladies of the Writers Block Party for their encouragement in writing, and the cast/crew of the The Last Ship for creating such a kick ass show & letting me borrow their toys for a while*

They say it's the small victories that make life worth it, Sasha thought to herself as she drove herself and Kat out towards Tom's riverside home. It wasn't the first small victory, but Sasha prayed it would be the most significant. The first had been reaching out to Tom, making that human connection that she'd foolishly denied him that day on board the James. Oh her intentions had been good, but her judgement had been sorely lacking - she really hadn't appreciated just how burnt out he'd become, that walking away from the Navy had been his only choice. Tom could no longer see the worthy man he was, the man who led with such grace, the leader he was meant to be. Sasha knew that being a leader was who he was not just what, it was why she'd refused to leave St Louis with him in the first place, thinking he'd stay for her She'd obviously underestimated the situation, not clever for an intelligence officer, she chided herself.

Sasha had almost been relieved when Oliver had offered her the job as his Chief of Staff, it would make use of her skills but allow her to offer Kat, still trying to deal with the grief of losing her only surviving parent, a home. Sasha knew all too well what would happen to those in care, and that was when the US had a functioning social care system. So part of her terms of employment had been to have herself declared Kat's guardian, and a home provided for them both, an offer Kat had been happy to accept when Sasha had presented it to her.

It would also allow Sasha to be close to Tom, to repair their relationship, maybe even convince him to return to the fold. If he wouldn't return then so be it, Sasha decided, god knows he'd earned the right to be left in peace - no matter how much of a damned waste it would be.

"Think he'll actually talk to me this time?" Kat's voice broke into Sasha's revere, recalling her to the present day.

"I'll make sure of it" Sasha replied firmly. "It's time he faced up to his responsibilities"

"Why'd it take him so damn long?" Kat asked, the girl was still so angry about Tom's refusal to speak to her.

"He's burnt out, hurt, blames himself for your father's death, for all those he's lost" Sasha replied "He feels his judgement is in question, that he's not fit to lead, doesn't know who he is anymore outside of being Captain Thomas Chandler "

"That's a crock of horse shit!" Kat cried, her voice cracking with emotion "My dad said he was the best leader he'd ever worked with, he died for him, if that's true then my Dad died for nothing"

"I agree, it is a crock of shit, but right now that's how Tom see's it" Sasha returned "but it's not me you need to convince, it's Tom, and that's not going to be easy"

"Yeah, the Captain's the only one more stubborn than you" Kat laughed

"Thanks a lot, you ungrateful child" Sasha chuckled in return.

"Thanks for taking me out here, Sasha and for letting me make my own choices, everyone's been so...kind, but I'm not a kid" Kat said, looking across at Sasha. The new Chief of staff had kept her promise, giving Kat the home and breathing space she needed, treating her like an adult. The James's crew had all been willing to offer help, but many saw her as a kid whereas Sasha treated her like a peer almost.

"You earned it, and as for Tom Chandler…well to quote Grace Hopper, it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission" Sasha replied, smiling ruefully. Tom had no idea they were coming and this would either be a spectacular victory or an epic fail, she had no idea which.

"Who is Grace Hopper and what does that mean?" Kat asked, sometimes Sasha came out with the weirdest references.

"She was the first female Rear Admiral and a personal heroine of mine" Sasha replied "and it means don't stop to ask permission, do it anyway and apologise later"

"Fair enough - you know he's not going to be happy you forcing the issue like this, right?" Kat asked, as Sasha just nodded, she knew it alright.

It was why she would need to expose some of her own less than stellar decisions, decisions that had triggered a chain of events no-one could've foreseen. Shaking her head, Sasha cast off the maudlin thoughts that had begun to clutter her mind and focus on the road ahead.

The beautiful riverside home Tom had chosen for his family when they'd left St Louis wasn't easy to find, and that was when you knew the route. Fortunately, Mike Slattery's directions were spot on, and Sasha managed to find the place without much delay. If Tom refused to speak to Kat, and let them at least stay the night, she calculated there'd be enough daylight left to make it back to St Louis.

Leaving the parked car, Kat and Sasha followed the sounds of wood being chopped to a small clearing a short walk from the house, finding the man who they'd driven all this way to find, and the man who still held Sasha's heart. Despite not being on active duty, it was obvious Tom had kept himself in top shape, all the work on the house he'd been doing had given him a lot of upper body muscle, Sasha noted appreciatively.

What was markedly different was the goatee beard and the slightly curly salt and pepper hair that were decidedly non-regulation, and whilst she found herself liking the longer hair, Sasha couldn't say she was too keen on the beard.

Pausing in his efforts to chop enough wood for the weekend, Tom paused to look up and see the last person he'd expected to see in a month of Sundays - Sasha. She hadn't changed – the sleek black locks he'd loved burying his hands in was longer, gave her a windswept look, but then to him she was beautiful whatever the look. Stood behind her was the one person he knew he ought to have spoken to before now, but hadn't been able to face - Kat Nolan. Looking back at Sasha and the slightly bullish look on her face, he knew instinctively what had brought Sasha out here, or thought he did. tamping down on the surge of anger he felt as Sasha's pushing the issue of Kat, Tom knew damn well that this time she was right, and it really shouldn't have taken her forcing the conversation he should've had with the teen a long time ago.

"Sasha" Tom growled, staring hard at his former lover who unsurprisingly returned the stare, not backing down an inch.

"Tom" She replied, waiting for him to acknowledge Kat.

"Kat – I'm sorry, I should've come to talk with you before now…"

"Yeah, you should've" Kat shot back, cutting him off, still angry that it had taken this long.

"Care to walk with me, we can talk uninterrupted over there" Tom replied, gesturing to the riverside path he'd cleared in his first week out here. Kat nodded and waited for Tom to lead the way. As he passed Sasha, he stopped and turned to her

"Will you be here when I get back? " Tom asked; as much as he'd been hurt by her refusal to come out here with him and the children, now she was here he found himself wanting to rebuild their fledgling relationship. He missed their conversations, her lively company, hell he missed her.

"I will" she replied softly, there was a lot that needed to be said, but Kat needed her answers first, Sasha was content to wait, she'd get her chance.