I have a bunch of scenes for S:AAB in my head that do not make fics in themselves. So, I decided to do the same thing I did with my SPN random stuff and group them all together.

Here you will (in the future) find snippets, short stories and other small things. Each will have it's own warning, ratings and (when it's the case) pairings. One will not necessarily be connected to the other.

This one is months post-finale, Vansen has returned and what's left of the 58 is on Earth, but not together.

Vansen/West but not really. (Sorry, I'll warn you I'm a fan of this pairing and I there aren't enough fics about them.)

1 - War changes

He has to knock six times before she answers.

It was a bitch to track her down, too. He knew she was serving at Loxley, but discovered she wasn't staying in the base. Her sisters didn't know where she lived. Cooper didn't either. McQueen possibly did, but Nathan didn't want to ask him. He didn't want the colonel to know there was anything wrong with them. The man's life was turned upside down already, Nathan didn't want to add to it.

He tried to bribe the sergeant in charge of housing, but the boy knew nothing. So, Nathan had resorted to what had to be the one of the lowest points of his life: he followed her from the base until the out of town motel where she was apparently staying. Like a stalker.

That's why he knew she was there, so he insisted.

When she finally opened the door, it was with a risp "What?" before she even got a look out. When she did, she made a face. Nathan's gut churned. They were best friends once. He never thought Shane Vansen would look at him disgusted. Not ever.

She repeated the "What?" not missing a beat.

"You're a hard one to track down,"

She stared at him. Not amused. So, no small talk then.

"You're not going to invite me in?"

"No."

That hurt. "Shane…""

What, West? What?"

West. Not Nathan. West.

"I just wanted to check up on you."

"I'm fine", she motioned to close the door and he put his hand on it to stop it.

"Why are you doing this?"

"This what? You wanted to check up, you have."

"God…"

She crosses her hands in front of her chest and he can't believe this. This is not how he hoped things would go.

"You know what I'm talking about it, Shane".

Shane. Deliberate. Not Vansen. Shane.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, West."

"You are avoiding me". She snorts.

"I'm busy. In case you haven't noticed it, there's a war on."

"Bullshit. You've been avoiding me since I told you how I feel…"

She rolls her eyes. "Oh, Jesus Christ…"

"What?", he's beginning to lose his temper.

"What, Shane? Aren't you? Because you stormed out and I never saw you again. It's been weeks. You don't call, you don't answer my calls. I saw you at the base and you pretended not to see me."

"You're going insane, West. I haven't called because I'm busy. I have a squadron to run. I'm sorry if your feelings are hurt…"

"Oh, please, Shane…."

"I don't know what you want from me, West."

"I want to know how you feel", he barks. Temper gone.

She's taken aback for one second, before she composes herself. Looks him straight in the eye. "I don't feel the same. I'm sorry."

Bullshit. It's bullshit and Nathan knows. He knows her. He knows all her tells. So he steps forward, in her space, inches from her face. "Yes, you do", he whispers.

He doesn't know what he's expecting. Her to swoon? For the closeness to be enough to make her confess her feelings, the feelings he knows she has? What he gets, though, is Captain Shane Vansen in marine mode. Shoulders squared, eyes hard and cold, words paused. "Step. Away. From. Me." He's seen this look, but never directed at him. This is Captain Shane Vansen, ready to attack.

He steps back, sits on the rail of the room's small porch. Not angry anymore. Just… hurt, maybe.

She sees the pain in his face and somewhere, deep there, is still the Shane that cares about him. She flashes for a second. "I'm sorry." Let's out a breath. "Why aren't you with Kylen, West?"

He shakes his head. God. Is this what the problem is?

"I don't want to be with Kylen."

The Shane that cares about him disappears in a heartbeat and pissed-off Captain Vansen is back. "You did, before. For months, she was your entire existence. You went AWOL for her. Almost got us all court martialed for her. More than once I had to drag you back to the ISSCV kicking and screaming because you though you were near her. Now you have her, West. Go and get her", she barks. And that? That's sounds like an order.

Well, she's not his honcho anymore.

He raises his head and his voice. "I changed, Shane. What the hell do you want from me? I changed. She changed. War changes people. Jesus…", he breathes out. "I loved her but now I…"

Shane cuts him, matching his shouting again. "You didn't love her."

He stares at her. She lowers her voice. "You didn't. You never loved her. And you don't love me. What you love is what you can't have, Nathan. You love the challenge, you love the desperation and you love the purpose that it gives you. She was a POW and you went insane and mistook that feeling for love. Then I was a POW and you started doing the same to me", she pauses. A beat. "I wonder what would happen if the Chigs got Hawkes…," she smiles. She actually smiles. Mocking him.

Nathan is stunned. She's staring at him. Cold. Hard. Inflexible.

His shoulders slump.

"When did you become so mean?", he whispers.

"War changes people, I heard."

She closes the door.