They had been hiking for some time now, they were sweating, hungry and probably lost on foreign ground. Sasha was bringing up the rear she was looking for enemy movements, men with guns or just something that would help them find a way out to the ship. Her hair were sticking to her neck and she was looked around one more time. The mission went well, they had the man they needed to find. Martin Smith was a state secretary and wanted to visit Brazil, but as a simple traveler. He wanted to enjoy every aspect of that amazing country and so he decided to visit wild side of Brazil. He was kidnapped and imprisoned for two days until Tom and his crew save him. Chandler didn't want to do this at all, it was dangerous and risky, but after that call from president, he needed to change his mind. They were about to go back to the ship when their contact run away with money. They hired a tall man with olive skin and dark brown eyes. He said the jungle was like home to him, but Tom and his team hardly believed it now. They were walking for what seemed like days for them when suddenly they heard a helicopter above their heads. They all bent down into the grass as they were waiting for it to fly away. The mud under their feet, buzzing of the flies and hot weather were giving them a hard time.
"It's gone." Sasha whispered.
"Or it will came back." Tom said, looking behind.
Suddenly they heard a noise at their right, half of the team pointed at the spot with their guns when the other half looked straight ahead hoping it wasn't a trap. Sasha's nerves were at their highest, she was ready to shoot at whatever was jumping out from the bushes. She looked closer, trying to see through as she took one more step when suddenly a little girl came out from the bushes. She was small, about six years old with olive skin, dirty rose dress and the bluest eyes Sasha had ever seen. She took a step towards the girl and smiled.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm Anna. Take me with you." She said with tears in her eyes.
"Anna, what are you doing here?"
"I escaped from the man who kidnapped me. He wanted to sell me, but I ran away." She threw herself into Sasha's arms.
Sasha looked behind her, she knew that Tom wasn't going to risk the whole operation just to save one girl, but she needed to try. She turned around with Anna in her arms, she looked at him with her blue eyes, they had always understood each other without a word before, and they still did. She didn't have to ask, he nodded and told his crew to keep moving.
"Just keep her away from our guys." Tom said, staying with her behind.
"I will." Sasha said, "Tom, thank you." she smiled.
"For that smile, I would do anything Sasha." he whispered to her ear.
Anna was walking a step ahead from Sasha, she was fast and didn't delay the march. The girl was talking too much, but it didn't bother Sasha at all, for the first time the whole team was enjoying the walk. Anna was asking tons of questions, not only about what they were doing there, but also about their private life.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Anna asked Tom out loud.
"No." he answered, smiling.
"Maybe Sasha could be your girlfriend? She's smart, beautiful and her eyes are very nice too." she said without embarrassment. "I can ask her if you want."
"I would love to, but I'm afraid that she doesn't want me." Tom winked to the brunette.
"She could think about it. If you tell her about feelings….girls like that."
"Girls like when boys doesn't act like gods and when they buy you flowers." Sasha smiled to Tom.
"I didn't know that girls, that you, like that stuff."
"Flowers?" she asked, "I spend half of the year surrounded by sea, captain. In that circumstances…"
Tom was walking through the bushes with Sasha's words echoing in his head. He didn't know Sasha from that side, soft, feminine, but he liked that she showed him that.
The rest of his crew was walking, they were careful and were trying to have eyes everywhere. Tom saw a blue flower growing in the grass between his feet. He bent over and ripped it off. He waited till all his man went at the front of the march and waited for Sasha. Anna walked past him trying to ask Wolf what he did to have that big muscles.
"Sasha." he stood in front of her and lifted his hand, "it's for you." he gave her small, blue flower with tiny leaves.
"Tom…" she smiled.
Suddenly they heard the noise of shooting bullets right above their heads. They fall down with their guns ready to shoot, they were focused on every move, every noise and whisper.
The noise went quiet, they raised their heads above the big grass they were hiding in. Sasha moved forward, after they were sure no one was there and another bullet wasn't gonna fall at their heads, they checked if everyone is was okay and on their position.
"Anna!" Sasha shouted, "Anna!" she tried again.
Sasha looked around, the girl wasn't there. Sasha thought she could be hiding in bushes or was with others, but after she saw her mates kneeling around something, she knew that it meant something was bad.
"Anna?" she asked with a cracked voice.
"Sasha…" Tom tried to touch her arm.
She walked toward the place they were all standing, Sasha looked at the tiny body with a huge bullet hole in the chest. Anna's body was covered with blood, her eyes were wide opened like she was looking at the ghost. Sasha kneeled beside her small body and closed her eyes. Sasha stood up and looked at her team, after a second she could finally spoke without her voice cracking.
"It's okay. We can't save everyone."
Sasha walked by looking at her inert body, she tried to save. When others digged the small grave, Sasha closed her eyes, she tried to focus on the noises and first of all, trying not to feel.
Whole team reported themselves on the ship, they were exhausted, starving and wanted to forget about that day. The target was safe, ready to be escorted to the USA. They unpacked the equipment, but Sasha wasn't the only one who was thinking about Anna. They stood in silent, trying to focus, but everyone just couldn't. Tom stood near the doors, he wanted to make a speech, to help his crew, Sasha, but all he could do was looking at Slattery and listening what he was just about to say. Tom looked around, stopping his look on Sasha, she looked at the floor, trying to listen, but he knew. Sasha wasn't a person who showed her feeling easily, she hid them deep inside, so it couldn't affect her or ruin the opinion about her. Sasha was fierce and everyone in the team would agree with that without a blink. She turned around and saw Tom, she was looking straight to his eyes, trying not to fall apart, not there, not when everyone was watching.
"Dissmist." Slattery said, finishing.
Everyone walked to the door, dreaming about bed and few hours of sleep. Sasha was the last one to leave, Tom stood in the way. She lifted her sight and looked at him, she tried to hold her feelings inside, just like she always did.
"Sasha, can we talk?" he asked gently.
"I'm tired, can we keep it for later?"
"I don't want you…" he started, touching her cheek.
"Tom….don't" she said with tear dropping from her eyes.
"I want to protect you from this Sasha, I know that you will hide it, but I want to be with you when…"
"Stop!" she shouted, leaving the room.
Sasha was laying on her bed, the ship swinging in the rhythm of the ocean, it always calmed her down, but tonight it was different. She looked at the clock, it was 2am and she didn't even try to close her eyes, not to mention sleep, every time she did that she remembered the tiny body put into big hole in the ground. She stood up, placing her feet on the cold floor, she put on her shoes and left the cabin. Sasha didn't know where that walk was gonna lead her, but at least she wasn't gonna think about what happened.
Tom was sitting on the bed, trying to focus on paperwork, it was 2am and he couldn't write a word. The way Sasha left him heartbroken. He stood up, poured the water into a cup, when he heard quiet noise of knocking onto his door. Tom opened the door, seeing her surprised him, but for the first time Sasha's eyes looked different, her saddest look broke him a bit.
"Can I come in?" Sasha asked.
"Yes, sorry. Please come in." he stepped behind, to let her in.
Sasha walked in, she turned to him so she could see his eyes, Tom took a step toward her, trying to read how she was feeling. Sasha looked at him without a blink, she tried to say something, anything that what would lead her to tell him about all the feelings she was hiding, not only about the pain after Anna's death, but also about how she was feeling about him, about them.
"Sasha," he started, "I don't want you to do something against yourself, but I'm here."
"It hurts." she said still looking at him, "I can't sleep, every time I close my eyes I see her. I took her, promising she will be safe and happy and I failed Tom. Sasha isn't so fierce anymore and it's..." her shoulders started to shake.
Sasha's eyes filled with tears, tears she couldn't fight anymore. Tom took a step towards her, he held her in tight embrace, when the first wave of sobs came in. Sasha was holding him tight, letting her feelings go.
"I'm sorry." she took a step back, "I didn't mean to.."
"Sasha." Tom said, caressing her cheek. "I won't tell you it will pass soon, but I'll be here with you. You will never be alone."
Sasha sat on the edge of the bed, she hide her face into her hands, while Tom sat next to her. He surrounded her arms with his hands and she put her head onto his arm and took a deep breath.
"I just want to sleep, Tom. Sleep without nightmares and guilt." she said softly.
"I won't push you to anything." he said, laying on his bed.
"Is it inappropriate?" she raised her eyebrows.
"Sasha, I want you to rest. That's all."
Sasha took off her shoes, she placed herself on the left side of the bed. She felt the cold of the wall on her back, she put her head on Tom's chest. The move of his chest going up and down with each breathing was like lullaby for her. She closed her eyes for a moment, but after second she opened them again.
"Tom." she whispered.
Sasha lifted her head to meet his eyes, he stared at her for a moment and after that her lips touched his. She kissed him softly, the taste of his lips filled her, her hands moved slowly to his shirt and after seconds her fingers ran through the material and later she started unbuttoning it. Tom grabbed her wrist, without breaking the kiss.
"Sasha." he gasped, opening his eyes "I don't want to hurt you. We...you will regret this and I don't want that. I don't want our first time to be a regret, Sasha. You're worth so much more than just a one night stand."
"I'm sorry." she said, putting her hand on his chest. "I didn't want to…"
Tom lifted her head up, he looked at those amazing, icy blue eyes and placed a kiss on her forehead. She smiled softly, feeling his hands sliding behind her back and on the cheek. Sasha felt safe as never before, Tom was starting making circles on her back when her breathing became heavier. After a few seconds Sasha closed her eyes and sank into sleep. Tom pulled her closer, still caressing her back with his thumb, he covered her with a blanket and went to sleep with her in his arms.
