A/N: I'm not a Lori hater. I think this character has potential if the writers do it right. I don't see Kono and Lori as competition. (The whole Steve/Kono hookup is not my thing). That said, I'm not entirely sure that this fic is moving in a Steve/Lori direction either. I liked the way Kono and Lori started to bond in the "muscle car" episode. Kono called her sister - not in a "I trust you like family" way, but as one female to another. Kono seems to be the one most willing to accept her as part of the team. Anywho, hope you enjoy the fic!
P.S. I own nothing, duh!
Chpt 1: In the Helo
She had always been content to fade into the background and observe. Maybe that's why she was such a good profiler. Profiling required no real emotional investment on her part. She watched as Danny kept an ever protective eye on Steve. If she didn't know better, she could believe these two related by blood. They cared for each other deeply, all four members of the them did. She regretted that she was not better with the techno nerd gear and that it was Kono that was grounded rather than her. She wasn't scared, mind you, being in the middle of North Korea on an unauthorized recon mission. Who would be? "Any normal individual with half a brain and an ounce of sense, that's who,'" she thought as she watched Joe give Steve permission to relax. He handed him the rifle knowing it would have the same affect as a favorite blanket to a small child. He secured Steve in front of him and willed him to settle with a few subtle, yet reassuring taps to Steve's upper arm. Lori silently commended Chin for brining the normalcy of home a bit closer by announcing something as simple and yet so profound as a wedding. Perhaps the thing that pleased her most was the genuine smile on Steve's face as he allowed himself to be comforted by those he considered family. What she wouldn't give for family. She was grounded in her skill as a profiler, in her competency with a weapon, in her mastery of self-defense, and in her uncanny ability to wall off any and all emotion that might make her appear weak. Truth be told, she was an emotional wreck and she knew it. What was important is that no one else knew it. She was good at keeping people at arms length or further when necessary, and she prided herself on her independence. But these people, these four very different people that were united as a family challenged her deep seeded notion that strong, well adjusted folks don't really need anybody else. She was drawn to this FiveO family, so much so that it was becoming a bit unnerving.
The depths of Jenna Kaye's betrayal would not be fully felt until the FiveO were back on familiar soil. There were stages, much like grief that each team member would go through and each in their own time. There was no doubt that Steve would feel the betrayal the deepest. "Didn't he always?" she thought. He would tuck it away in one of his internal SEAL compartments and carry it around like a heavy load. He felt responsible for this team, his team. The others would most likely move directly to anger without passing go. Because Steve would surely be fine soon, physically anyway, and back home safe and sound, they would likely rationalize her behavior as that done by a desperate woman, because there was no other choice. They would each find a way to forgive her, including Steve. It's what people who are acutely aware of the many shades of gray that color our world would do. It was, however, what the betrayal would do to their ability to trust that worried her. She feared it would only further isolate her from the team.
Lori slowly drew in a long cleansing breath and turned away from those flying in the compartment behind her. She instead focused on the scenery below. They would be back across the border soon and Steve could get the medical attention he needed. She felt her cheeks flush a little as she thought about her rather uncharacteristic behavior upon seeing Steve emerge from the jungle. Lori Weston was a lot of things, but a hugger was not one of them. She hadn't missed the surprised or was it confused look, maybe it was distaste on Steve's face at the unsolicited jester. Her brow furrowed deeply at the replay in her mind. "I overstepped my boundaries with the physical contact," she chided herself. Whatever his expression conveyed, she decided it had not been a wise move. She shook her head to clear the endless chatter in her brain and tried to focus on what was important at present. "Get Steve medical attention and get the hell out of Dodge."
A/N: This was short, I know. Chpt 2 was meant to be a part of chpt 1, but I messed up in uploading. It is already posted and much longer, so what do you say? Want to go ahead and read on? Please?
All reviews greatly appreciated!