For those who haven't read His Dark Materials - A Note on Dæmons:
Dæmons are the external physical manifestation of a person's soul that takes the form of an animal. Dæmons have human intelligence, are capable of human speech—regardless of the form they take—and usually behave as though they are independent of their humans. Prepubescent children's dæmons can change form voluntarily, almost instantaneously, to become any creature, real or imaginary. During their adolescence a person's dæmon undergoes "settling", an event in which that person's dæmon permanently and involuntarily assumes the form of the animal which the person most resembles in character. Dæmons and their humans are almost always of different genders.
Dæmons frequently interact with each in other in ways that mirror the behavior of their humans, such as fighting one another when their humans are fighting, or nuzzling one another when their humans embrace, and such contact between dæmons is unremarkable.
"The worst breach of etiquette imaginable" is for a human to touch another person's dæmon; even in battle, most soldiers would never touch an enemy's dæmon, though exceptions can be made (such as between lovers). The physical handling of a dæmon causes vulnerability and weakness in the person whose dæmon is being touched, suggesting a sexual element to human-dæmon contact. However, dæmons can touch other dæmons freely; interactions between dæmons usually accentuate and illuminate the relationships between the characters, and can also be used as a means of passing information between humans without being overheard.
This has been cross-posted from my AO3 account under the name BlueNightingale.
Rachel paused for a moment as she loaded supplies onto the U.S. Naval Destroyer that was to be her ride up to the Arctic. A few wing beats thumped through the air above, followed by a quiet rustling in the wind. Darkness fell, and she looked up just in time to be enveloped by a silent shadow passing overhead, before the massive form faded from her sight into the blinding light of the sun.
Callidus hissed in agitation and dipped instinctively beneath the collar of her shirt. Rachel held her hand up over her shoulder protectively, ducking slightly behind the large cargo crate beside her. One of the nearby sailors helping her with supplies caught the movement and chuckled quietly.
"Oh don't mind her, Dr. Scott. That's just the Captain's Harpy eagle conducting one of her flybys." The sailor gave her a grin and leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper.
"Just between you and me, I think she likes to patrol when she gets bored. Either way, it keeps the crew on their toes while she's around."
Rachel gave him an irritated huff and turned away, running a finger soothingly over Callidus' head where it poked out at the dip of her neck.
"The last thing we need is some entitled feather-brain flapping about while we try to collect specimens insecret." He murmured softly in her ear.
Rachel sighed and glanced over, where she could see several white clad officers milling about next to the gangplank, greeting the boarding sailors and overseeing the various cargo being loaded onto the ship. She didn't like the secrecy of this expedition, although she understood the necessity of it. The anxiety was already beginning to nibble at her thoughts.
"I know, Cal. But we'll make do. We have to. Our mission is too important to fail."
She shared a loaded gaze with her dæmon for a long moment as they both remembered the events of Egypt, before he dipped his head and nodded to her in agreement. Then the slender Taipan circled down her arm and moved over to the crates that held several of their lab mice, in order to reassure himself they were still doing well.
She returned her attention to the boxes and crates of equipment currently being loaded onto the ship. One of the officers had told her she would be setting her things up in their helicopter bay, since it was one of the few spaces on the ship protected by the elements, yet still big enough to house her expansive mobile lab. There was still much to be done.
Commander Thomas Chandler made his was slowly towards the empty hangar his Executive Officer informed him would be housing the two scientists from the CDC for the duration of their mission in the Arctic. He kept half an eye on his dæmon Laelia as she made slow passes over their Destroyer, checking on the tactical readiness of the ship and her crew. Every so often she would return to perch on his shoulder and whisper in his ear, status reports on various weapons, crew member updates and any logistical issues the men were encountering.
That was how he had learned of one Dr. Rachel Scott, her assistant Dr. Quincy Tophet, and their massively inconvenient and real estate hogging medical laboratory that was, apparently, about to take over the entirety of his first helicopter bay. Why in the world the CDC had felt that it was necessary to shoehorn her onto his ship and surround her with the most advanced, deadly and effective weapons and equipment that the Navy currently deployed, he had no idea. But it certainly made him wonder, and it made him worry.
He gave the various boxes and equipment filling up the hanger bay a skeptical look. Live animals? Why did she need those? What kind of tests was she planning to run? The sheer number of bio-hazard signs he saw plastered on all of her boxes and every surface he might have laid a hand on made his brow furrow in concern. The man standing next to him unpacking what looked like a hazmat suit didn't give him any reassurance either.
He heard the venerable Dr. Scott before he saw her. She was hovering over crewmen Evans who was attempting to move some of her crates farther into the bay, a beleaguered look on his face as she instructed him to "be careful." Finally she noticed him standing at the front of the hangar and turned to greet him.
Damn, but she was gorgeous. Tom felt himself blink in surprise, trying to reel his emotions back under control. For a women with three separate college degrees, two of them being doctorates, he had been expecting someone a little bit... older, and grayer, maybe with a white lab coat. And she, he thought wryly, was certainly none of those.
"You must be my new house guests." He grinned at them. "Welcome aboard the Nathan James."
In the next moment he felt the slight downdraft and quiet whoosh of air as Laelia came in for an impressive landing upon his right shoulder. He widened his stance to accommodate her bulk and straightened up, tucking his cover under his arm and clasping his hands behind his back. Tom fought to hold in his smirk as Laelia loosed a piercing cry, spreading her impressive wingspan and temporarily blocking about half the sunlight in the room before she tucked herself away. What a drama queen.
"Do you think I scared them?" She whispered mischievously into his ear. Judging by the looks on their faces, she had. He felt his grin grow wider.
"I'm Commander Chandler, ship's captain." He gestured over his shoulder. "And Laelia."
Dr. Scott shook his hand politely and gave Laelia an admiring glance.
"Oh, she's beautiful Captain." Rachel's warm hazel eyes met with his own and held his gaze calmly. "You have a lovely dæmon."
Laelia's plumage ruffled at the compliment. The great eagle turning her head to eye the doctor with renewed interest.
"Thank you, Ma'am," she said, her quiescent voice ringing out quiet as a bell, as she dipped her beak to the pretty doctor. The doctor smiled back and introduced herself.
"Rachel Scott." She gestured beside her to the other scientist that had accompanied her. "And my assistant, Dr. Tophet." The man gave him a nod, his diminutive chameleon dæmon peeking out from behind his shoulder, her colors fading into his shirt.
Tom gave them both a welcoming glance before he returned his gaze to the boxes Quincy was unpacking, and the hazmat suit. He felt his worry return.
"I'm sorry we had to take over your helicopter bay, Captain. But it was the only space large enough to accommodate our lab."
Tom nodded absently in understanding and watched her unpack a plastic cage that had two mice scurrying about inside of it. Beside him Laelia perked up a bit and turned her head to eye the rodents with interest. Rachel noticed her attention and hugged the little cage closer to her chest protectively, giving them both a hard look. From atop the crate she had been standing next to, a slender form rose up, swaying slowly back and forth before arching its body protectively over the mice.
Both Tom and Laelia froze in momentary surprise, having not noticed her dæmon there previously. It was a snake, and a large one at that. At least 5 feet long and probably longer, Tom estimated with a cursory glance. He was a beautiful golden yellow color, with smaller black scales in diagonal rows aligned to form broken chevrons inclined backward and downward across the span of his back. Where he curved around Tom spotted slightly lighter straw colored scales on his belly.
Two jewel like black eyes turned to regard them reproachfully, the serpent poising himself proudly above them, before he gave a flick of his forked tongue and turned away to wrap his slender body carefully about the mice cage, encircling the plastic container and resting his head proprietorially on top of it. Both he and Rachel shot them an identical defiantly challenging glare. Despite his best effort, Tom felt the corners of his mouth twitch up in amusement, while Laelia bobbed her head side to side.
"I've got 217 men and women aboard this ship." He rapped his knuckles against the nearest bio-hazard sign smartly.
"Anything I should be... concerned about?"
He turned his eyes back to the doctor and her dæmon, watching them closely for any sort of reaction to his more direct and confrontational question. He wasn't disappointed as Dr. Scott flinched imperceptibly, drawing back slightly while her daemon downright hissed at him. The viper made a jerky forward motion, before drawing back and up, winding in on himself in a vaguely defensive gesture.
Clearly, yes there was something to be concerned about. Having his worst fears confirmed, Tom felt his lips thin out as her expression answered all his questions for him. As to what that was, she seemed unwilling, or unable, to tell him. Even the orders briefing he'd been handed down from the Admiralty had been disturbingly vague, leaving him to wonder what they had been leaving out, and why they felt it necessary to do so. Dr. Tophet read her face as clearly as he did, for he rushed to interject himself before his erstwhile partner could completely destroy any pretense of secrecy.
"What, this stuff?" He asked, holding out his hasmat suit calmly. "That's just so we don't contaminate our samples. Not the other way around." He answered innocently.
He was a better liar than Dr. Scott, at any rate. Tom would have bought it too, if he hadn't already seen his partner's face. He glanced between the two of them accusingly.
"What exactly are you two going to be studying up there?"
They both looked away from him now, seemingly realizing he wasn't buying anything they were trying to sell. Rachel huffed out a breath and answered stubbornly.
"Birds."
Her dæmon left his perch and wound his way around her arm and up her shoulder. Draping himself about her neck like a great glittering piece of jewelry, all the while staring out at them balefully. Tom felt his eyebrows shoot up as Laelia resettled her wings across her back a few times, returning the serpent's glare with fierce look of her own.
"Birds?" Tom muttered in disbelief. He turned his head to see if Laelia had just heard the same type of bullshit he had. She met his eye and cocked her head in astonishment.
"We are virologists." Rachel continued, pretending she hadn't heard his objection. "Tracking obscure microbes in hard to get to places. Pretty boring stuff, actually."
She turned her tone dismissive, trying her hardest to convey a sense of harmlessness and triviality about their work. But she could already tell, from the look on his face and the aggressive posture his eagle had taken beside him, with her head slightly hunched and her wings half raised to make herself appear larger, that he didn't believe her. That he already knew the exact opposite was true.
Rachel felt desperation and a mild sense of panic set in. This infuriating sea captain read her like on open book and was proceeding to shred through their cover like wet paper. The Secretary of the Navy had called her personally to reassure her was assigning the most competent crew on the most formidable ship that the Navy could currently offer her, but she simply hadn't been expecting this.
"We weren't expecting him." Callidus ruefully corrected, quietly at her ear.
That was unacceptable. She needed time to complete her vital research in the Arctic. Billions of lives were at stake. No matter how loyal the crew or steadfast the Captain could prove himself to be, she didn't believe their ship would remain idle on the roof of the world as they watched their families endure the suffering and decimation of the virus.
Her work had to remain secret, and the Captain was far too clever for his own good. Any additional lies she could possibly attempt would only further damage her respect in his eyes, especially when he could so obviously see right through her. She shared a startled glance with Callidus as she reviewed that last thought.
What did she care for the opinion of this man?
But she did. He had known her for all of two minutes, and for some reason she found herself caring about whether or not this man respected her. She could tell by the way everyone around him reacted to his presence, that he commanded the highest regard from his officers and his crew. Just as obvious was the fact that he held himself to those same high standards, never asked his crew to sacrifice something he himself would not, and lead them into battle firmly from the front.
Callidus began to wind over himself around her neck, betraying her nervousness with his gesture. Even this, immediately attracted the eye of both the Captain and his eagle. The two of them uniformly flicking their eyes down to Callidus and then up to her face, coolly continuing to analyze her reactions.
Why did she feel threatened by this man? And why was he still here? Callidus ducked his head to hide beneath her hair. Rachel fought to keep her teeth from grinding, and continued with what she hoped didn't sound too patronizing.
"We really do appreciate your assistance, Captain Chandler."
Tom forced himself to retreat at her statement, hearing the implied dismissal and the slight wavering in her voice near the end. He had intended to garner her trust with this visit, but instead he'd inflicted the opposite reaction. Any further questioning on his part would only serve to unsettle her more.
Now the woman he was supposed to be providing protection and support for as she completed her work in the arctic only looked at him with suspicion. He released a frustrated breath as Laelia cooed soothingly at them in reassurance. Then Tom regarded them with a conciliatory glance, injecting as much contrition into his voice as possible.
"We're here to serve, Dr. Scott."
He met her eyes gently, and the eyes of her dæmon that had finally peeked his head out from beneath her hair. With that, he took a firm step back, giving them their space once more. Dipping his head, he replaced his cover with deliberate slowness, feeling Laelia launch herself back out into the sunlight.
When he looked back up, he was relieved to see she had now calmed, gently stroking her serpent's head where he rested beside her ear. He threw a last considering glance at her partner, who had observed the rest of their exchange in speculative silence. Then he took himself from the hangar.
It was going to be a long deployment.
FOUR MONTHS LATER
Rachel watched the pair of Navy SEALs from Team Two approaching on their snowmobiles and tried to hold in her snarl. Tucked deep inside her parka with his length wrapped around her torso for warmth, Callidus hissed his displeasure, only daring to poke the tip of his nose from the edge of her scarf. They were surrounded on all sides by endless plains of snow and ice, high above the arctic circle. It was ungodly cold out.
The two SEALs continued on towards them like they were taking a stroll through the park. Rachel couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy towards their dæmons, both of whom were perfectly suited to the environment and looking like they were having the time of their lives.
Lt. Green's carefree German Sheppard romped along beside his snowmobile, sending up clouds of snow, her tongue lolling out lazily to taste the crispy air. A moment later a large black wolf darted in to nudge her shoulder, pushing her hard enough to send her tumbling rump over muzzle off into a snowbank. With a yip and a jump the wolf darted away, hiding behind the other snowmobile that was carrying Lt. Benz.
Rachel rolled her eyes. Those two needed something to keep them occupied while she and Quincy finished their work. She was so close! With the approaching noise and the presence of two large canines, most of the nearby Terns in their area took flight in a tumultuous multitude of flapping and squawking. Lt. Green eyed the birds sheepishly and called down to her and Quincy.
"Ma'am! We've been trying to reach you. CO wants you back on the ship!"
Rachel gave them both a hard look, trying to convey her displeasure at the interruption.
"You can tell the Captain that I'll return when I'm ready."
The two SEALs paused at that, sharing a long look. Beside them both their dæmons came up to stand at their left flanks, giving the scientists below an alert assessment. Lt. Benz stepped forward to address her.
"Wasn't an invitation ma'am. Right now. Captain's orders."
A moment later a piercing cry rang out from the skies above. All of the remaining Arctic Terns promptly took wing and scrambled away in a madly screaming flock. Rachel sighed as she watched them depart, glancing upwards, already knowing what she'd see.
The Captain's giant Harpy eagle swooped around, passing high over the flock of Terns trying desperately to escape her clutches, before swooping down low over the SEAL's heads and making a pass directly above her. She dropped low enough to make eye contact with Rachel, and for a moment she stared directly into the fierce silver eyes. The raptor let loose another angry cry, leaving no mistake as to her displeasure. Then she was past Rachel, working her great wings to gain altitude in a wheeling turn. She circled once, inspecting their site, before turning to wing her way back to the ship.
That. Infuriating. Man. She was going to give him an earful about this. Callidus chuckled next to her, having poked his head out of her hood to watch the magnificent bird circle. He flicked his tongue to tickle her ear teasingly, then tucked himself back into her warmth.
"Captain!"
Tom paused on his trip down the P-way, halfway between one bulkhead and the next, his XO close at his shoulder. Laelia made a dissatisfied harrumph from beside him as he shared a knowing glance with Mike. There was only one woman on this ship that could dare to address him with such a tone of frustration and contempt, and she was certainly not one of his crewmen.
Sure enough, he spotted her come storming down the P-way towards him, stopping directly in his path in order to block the narrow corridor. She gave him an angry glare and crossed her arms, her viper rising from her shoulder to loom above him, swaying forward in a threatening manner.
"Captain Chandler, you had no right to pull me from my work."
Laelia paced from one foot to the other, eying the woman in amazement, while Mariana, Mike's coyote dæmon, yipped in laughter. Tom shot Mike and Ana a quelling glance, and turned his attention back to the doctor. He felt his XO retreat backward a few steps, interjecting tentatively.
"I'm gonna go check on the, uh..."
Tom tried to contain his amusement, nodding ruefully and gesturing off with his head in a tacit permission for dismissal.
"Yeah."
His XO wasn't always the most tactful, or diplomatic, when it came to women. Then again, that was one of the reasons he'd made CO when Mike hadn't. Dr. Scott only looked further incensed at the exchange, her Taipan snaking his way up to the overhanging pipes and slithering his way directly over Laelia, hanging his head within striking range.
"Those men are here to support me." She continued, her words grinding out. "You don't send them to bring me in."
Tom tilted his head back a little, pursing his lips as he absorbed the arrogance of that statement. Despite himself, he felt his own irritation begin to rise. Replying as evenly as possible, he refuted her claim.
"Those men are sailors in the US Navy, and report directly to me."
"I say when I'm done and ready!" She burst out, her serpent taking a few nips in the air at Laelia's direction.
"My work is vital here, and I have finally found what I'm looking for! Despite, may I add, the constant hovering from your horde and their beasts, scaring off all the birds and making my job twice as hard. Not to mention your giant chicken fluttering about, scattering the wildlife into permanent exile."
Rachel paused to take a breath, gathering herself for what looked like round two of her tirade. Laelia gently held out a wing, carefully pushing the hanging snake out and away from her face, the creature hissing angrily at her motions. Tom rushed in before she could continue, hoping to head her off before she became unreasonable.
"Doctor!" He called chidingly.
"First of all, thanks for checking in." He shot her a sardonic grin. "I think this is the first time either of you have said more than three words to me since we left Norfolk."
Which was quite the accomplishment, when you considered how small the ship seemed after living in such tight quarters for months on end, and his best efforts to include both her and Dr. Tophet as part of their crew. He hoped it wasn't because of their initial conversation that she felt it necessary to hide from him like this, though he feared otherwise. Tom's every invite had been declined. She'd refused to join any of the officers for meals despite the rudeness of her refusal.
"Well, I am sorry that I haven't had you over for tea." She sniped haughtily, glancing up at her dæmon who was childishly swinging his body back and forth from the pipes, snapping at Laelia every time he swayed in her direction.
The Harpy eagle endured his continued harassment with less and less patience, her shoulders hunching up in irritation. Every time his face came anywhere near her, she batted him away with a wing, becoming progressively less gentle about it. Her actions just made him swing more crazily about the pipes, until at last he curled his head up, bringing him exactly to eye level with Tom.
The two of them regarded each other curiously for a moment, Tom absently noticing that his scales had darkened with the winter, bleeding into a rich honeyed chocolate tone, his face and the tip of his tail almost black. Tom frowned at him for a moment, addressing the doctor while keeping his eyes trained on her dæmon.
"Is he.. uh, poisonous?"
The dæmon in question leaned even closer to his face, forcing Tom to lean back a little in return. The snake flicked out his tongue at him once, slowly and with contempt. Then he spoke, just one word, allowing Tom to hear his voice for the very first time.
"Rude."
Tom blinked at him, nonplussed. His voice was lighter and warmer than he had been expecting, and despite his statement he had sounded almost, amused? Laelia raised her ruff in indignation. Tom couldn't help a tiny grin, sensing a kindred spirit in the willful serpent and his spitfire partner.
"You know..." He finally continued, wryly. "Your attitude was mildly charming back in Virginia, but up here, pushing 50 below, when none of us have talked to our families in four months..."
He met her eyes and felt her gaze burn into his own, not backing down an inch. Stubborn woman. His own eyes turned hard, hammering home the point he was trying to make.
"Not so charming."
Her snake hissed, twitching and coiling in fury. She jumped in before he could continue, her voice raising in volume.
"Yeah, well, charm wasn't exactly my prior- " He held up a hand, cutting her off right there.
"Still talking." He warned her softly. "Now, I think I've been more than a gracious host, taxiing you and your assistant all around the islands here so you could chase after your ducks."
She shot him a dirty look. Yeah, alright, maybe that was a low blow. Laelia ducked her head down a bit, sheepishly. This scientist was making them both frustrated.
"Arctic terns." She corrected, acidly.
Then she held out her arm, seeming to admit defeat for now, letting the viper curl down from overhead. Her dæmon regarded her for a moment, the both of them reading their intentions off each other.
"He is, you know." She couldn't help but add, vindictively.
Tom raised his eyebrow in question. She held up her dæmon before him proudly, his dark form now coiled tightly about her arm in comfort.
"Callidus is a Western Taipan. Drop for drop, they're the single most venomous snake in the world."
The Captain pursed his lips at that, nonetheless taking a judicious step back. Couldn't hurt to give them their space right? Though he was sure neither she or nor Callidus would ever hurt anyone aboard his vessel. Laelia unfurled her wings, blocking off the corridor and partially hemming the scientist in.
"You need to wrap it up." He stated gently, but firmly. "Our mission is done here, and we'll be heading back."
He moved past her down the P-way, but ducked down at the last second to whisper cheekily in her ear.
"Oh, and I'll take a rain check on the tea."
He tried not to enjoy it too much when she shivered at his close proximity. He was a married man, but he wasn't dead. Quickly pulling back, he ran away down the corridor before she could retaliate, laughing out loud at the sounds of Callidus hissing and spitting in outrage. Laelia's joyous cawing echoed after them down the hallway.
Tom leaned over the communications terminal, pressing the headset close to his ears. Laelia hunched beside him to hear anything he may have missed from the comm.
"I repeat, mission objectives achieved. We are ready to come home. Over."
There was an uncharacteristic pause on the other end. What was going on with OPNAV? The Pentagon hadn't been as forthcoming as usual even before their mission started four months ago.
"That's a negative, Commander. The mission has been extended. Over." Tom leaned back in consternation, sharing an incredulous look with his dæmon.
"Extended?" He questioned sharply. "Why?"
He tried to keep his voice modulated in a respectful tone, but judging by the Deputy Chief's sharpened response, hadn't succeeded.
"Maintain EMCON alpha at current positioning until you receive further instructions."
The timer above them clicked over, indicating their window for encrypted satellite communication had just closed. Dammit. Tom threw his headset down in disgust, Laelia headbutting his ear in consolation. Communications Officer Mason glanced over from behind him, speaking hesitantly.
"Transmission terminated, sir."
He nodded back to show he'd heard, trying to keep his disappointment from his face. Mason's dæmon, an adorably fuzzy looking Brown Long-eared Bat gave a few dejected peeps anyway, turning her tiny face to stare at them imploringly. Laelia cooed to her, holding out a wing to run a feather-tip soothingly over her tiny form.
Tom sighed and stood up, moving slowly for the exit of his CIC. There was only one possible explanation for this, and she was currently sitting one deck above in his helo bay. The Commander headed back up to the bridge, reconsidering how much pull she might have with OPNAV.
These orders had just come down from the Chief of Naval Operations himself and his associated admiralty. This meant the Joint Chiefs were following his mission at the very least, and more than likely, SECNAV and the President. Tom blew his breath out slowly, resisting the urge to march down there and demand answers. If it was EMCON only, then he wasn't meant to know. He shared a worried glance with Laelia.
"What the hell is that woman doing?"
"Quincy, I think we've got it!" Rachel exclaimed, triumph infusing her voice.
She turned back to share her joy at the miraculous discovery with her unwavering research partner. They'd had a few extremely long, cold and difficult months up here in the arctic, with desperation and urgency nipping at their heels the entire trip. She deeply appreciated her partner's courage and fidelity under the trying circumstances. That they had finally found what they'd been searching for made her soul feel five pounds lighter. Quincy and his chameleon Irina grinned back at her, content to share in the joy of the moment. Then Quincy's eyes shifted to something behind her, and his face morphed to fear.
"Rachel! Look out behind you!"
She whirled around to see at least two attack helicopters approaching low and fast from the direction of the ice-flow. They were very different from the single gunship that had been ferrying them back and forth from the Nathan James every day. Smaller and sleeker looking, painted pitch black and bristling all over with weapons and missiles.
"Quickly, Cal. The samples! We can't lose them now!" She gasped out, stumbling back towards their equipment.
"I've got it Rachel, get the case. We'll need it for transport." He hissed urgently, shooting from her collar and scything quickly through the snow. He snapped about hurriedly, grabbing specimen tubes in his mouth here and there, nudging them into their padded and cooled protective case, Rachel and Quincy moving clumsily to help.
Rachel turned to glance fearfully over her shoulder, judging how much time they had. The helicopters were almost upon them now. Distantly, she thought she heard the angry screaming of an eagle, but it might have been the pounding of her heart in her ears, the thudding drowning out everything else. There was a dull roar of thunder, and the air around her shuddered. Then one of the helicopters in front of her erupted in a plume of flame.
Rachel felt the startling heat of the explosion scorch her face. Callidus wrapped around her chest, squeezing and twitching as the concussive blast of air knocked them back, leaving Rachel with no sound, save for the ringing in her ears. Slowly she managed to drag herself up, scrambling around until her fingers hit the hard plastic of their specimen case. She snatched it up, heaving herself into a crouched position with what felt like monumental effort. Behind her Quincy did the same, sparing a moment to check Irina before moving to blunder back towards their own helicopter, and their contingent of Navy SEALs.
Rachel followed hot on his heels. A moment later, she saw the second helicopter clear the smoke and debris, swinging wide over the snow to turn and face them. Everything seemed to slow in an instant, the great black machine hanging over them like a specter of death. Rachel had a moment to register the complete helplessness and despair that transfused her thoughts. Then the helicopter opened fire. Rachel's world turned white.
There we go! Some lovely Rachom Chandlott to feed the fandom.
Had to make my own contribution, absolutely love this show. And as it is produced by Michael Bay, I am of the firm belief the the two most beautiful people in the show will inevitably end up together, as is his tendency. So, Tom/Rachel is only a matter of time. XD
Expect slow sporadic updates.