Wild Fire

AN: Love this show! I have taken a little different approach to the story line starting from 1x09. Let me know what you think as I am not sure if I should continue.

Chapter One

The salt spray felt deliciously cool against her face as the RHIB sped across the ocean. Dr Rachel Scott had the biggest of smiles covering her face and she let herself enjoy the moment.

Commander Tom Chandler had finally agreed that she could get off the USS Nathan James in order to accompany a team to an abandoned freighter. The freighter was loaded with masses of shipping containers and she had argued that she needed...wanted to be on the team. That she could be valuable in determining what to salvage and help anybody who was sick.

The Commander had initially been rather adamant that she remain on board, however the XO had sided with her. Tom had argued that she would be a liability...that she didn't have any training but Mike Slattery had claimed that now they had a working vaccine that she did not need to be kept on board and under such heavy protection. He argued that even a cooped up chicken needs the chance to stretch its legs once in a while.

Rachel could see that the Captain wasn't happy with his XO's views or her arguments but he cleared her for the mission anyway.

It had been a gruelling few months. Discovering the vaccine, trialling it and administering it to the crew meant that she hadn't the chance to get out of the lab and mingle with the crew. Rachel always felt awkward socialising with the others as she felt that they looked at her different. The officers were the main people she mingled with and even many of them were wary of her. She had kept secrets but if Tom Chandler could give her a second chance than there may be hope for the rest of the crew.

Dr Rios had been given a comprehensive briefing on how to correctly replicate the vaccine if something should happen to her. There was no reason why she shouldn't be out there helping, risking her own life...the same way the crew members of the Nathan James did each and every day.

Rachel had felt Tom's eyes on her as the RHIB had been lowered into the water. The intensity in his gaze sent shivers down her spine and had her stomach flipping. Rachel made herself look away and focus on the task at hand.

Burk, Green and Jeter were on point with comms and weapons on standby. They had been lucky with the weather so the Freighter was easily boarded in the calm seas. The men quickly secured the top deck before allowing Rachel to board. They stated it was standard protocal but she suspected that Commander Chandler had something to do with it.

Danny Green was quick to help her aboard the vessel and she couldn't stop the grin that covered her face.

"Nice day for it," The young Lt could see her happiness and a small smile tugged at his own face.

"Let's see what we can scrounge up."

Tom listened intently as the audio from the boarding party filtered through the bridge. He had this feeling in his gut that just woudn't go away and it go worse as the day progressed. He put it down to the fact that the freighter was sitting low in the water...hull damage must be causing the ocean water to slowly leak in. Tom ignored the fact that Dr Rachel Scott was away on that freighter with the team.

Everything had been progressing perfectly and Danny had just radioed to report that Rachel had found some excellent medical supplies in one of the smaller shipping containers. The mission briefing was to pack up what they could and get out as quickly as possible.

Gunshots suddenly echoed through the radio and shattered the silence on the bridge.

"Report!" Tom demanded quickly. His heart had jumped up into his throat at the sound of the gunfire.

"Get them back," He all but growled at the officers working around him.

"Nathan James. 2 hostile targets have been neutralised." Green's voice crackled through the radio and calmed Tom's nerves. Danny had not reported any casualties which meant that all team members were currently unharmed.

Rachel had been quickly collecting the supplies she needed whilst the other men got on with their own missions. She coudn't pin point the exact moment they had been attacked but it had come swiftly. Rachel hid just inside the door of the container as the gunshots echoed reverberated.

Her fellow team members had been quick to identify themselves but it had made no differance. Rachel heard Danny report that 2 hostiles had been taken down. She took that as an all clear and picked up a heavy shoulder bag filled with supplies. Rachel was no more than two steps out of the container when she felt a sharp, hard yank on her pony tail.

Her small body was dragged in front of a larger, bulkier man. His used one hand to pull her head back sharply and she gave a hiss of pain. He was a lot stronger than her and was easily holding her with the one arm whilst the other was waving a semi-automatic.

Her cry of pain had alerted her team mates and soon they were crowded around her.

"Lower the weapon and let the woman go." Jeter attempted to negotiate. The man holding Rachel began angrily screaming out in Spanish. His hold became tighter and she felt the gun pressing up against her side.

A warm, stinky breath blew against her throat and filled her chest with dread. Rachel could put to use her minimal self defence but didn't want to jeopardise her team mates with her fumbling moves. The comm in her ear had been buzzing with voices so she took a deep breath and focused.

Tom Chandler's commanding voice filled the radio and Rachel felt a confidence over take her.

"Can you take a shot?" Chandler questioned his men.

"Negative. Dr Scott is being held in front of the target." Danny replied quickly and was greeted with a low growl.

"Find a way!" Chandler told his men. Rachel could hear the desperation in Tom's voice and knew she needed to do something.

Stand-off's in her experience never ended well! If she could just get away slightly then they could take the shot and end this.

Rachel took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut and lifted her leg. She slammed her foot down onto her captors and rammed her elbow into his abdomen. She heard a grunt and the hold on her loosened. Rachel swiftly yanked herself forward and hit the freighters deck with a loud thud. She brought her arms up to cover her head as a single gunshot echoed through the air.

The RHIB had been brought aboard over an hour ago and Tom had forced himself to remain away from medical. The fear that had lodged itself in his throat had been irrational and hard to hide from his crew.

He was married.

He had a beautiful wife and 2 great kids that he needed to believe were alive so he could find them. He needed to get his family back and pretend none of this nightmare had happened...that the close proximity to Dr Rachel Scott wasn't slowly suffocating him.

Tom felt an inexplicable pull towards her. Every time they argued or she challenged him...Every time she let down those walls and showed her true self to him. It was infuriating and the guilt over his connection with her was eating him alive.

He loved his wife. He loved his kids.

Tom felt the need to tell himself that over and over. He pushed down any feelings or attraction he felt for the Doctor...blaming them on the situation and the fact that he hadn't seen his family in months.

He couldn't avoid Dr Scott forever but before distancing himself he needed to give her a serving on how to act in hostile situations. As much as he was dreading the confrontation it actually excited him and that scared him.

TBC