*I own none of this except the situations and Vixen, Sandy, and Toby.
Everybody and everything else belongs to their respective owners- Hasbro,
Devils Due- whoever.
"De Havilland!" Vixen looks up at the yell through her office door, putting the pen she is writing with down as she does.
"Sir?"
"Get your things packed. You're going with me," Lifeline states as he sticks his head through the partially opened door.
"Um, mind if I ask where and why, sir?"
"Atlantic City is the where. And the why is because of a combat medic's convention. You're the most junior member here, and we can get along without you for a few days."
"I may be the most junior member here, but I'm also one of the most capable when it comes to doing my job, Sir. I don't care what anyone else says."
"You're right, but I still want you to go with me to that meeting," he says, amiably, letting his personality show through for a second.
"When do you want to leave?" Vixen asked.
"As soon as you can get your duffle packed."
"Consider it done. All I have to do is retrieve it from my quarters." She jumps up and grabs her jacket from the back of the chair, sliding it on.
"Mind if I walk with you?" asks Lifeline, in a friendly manner.
"If you want to."
They walk to her quarters in the female barracks and retrieve her duffle, Lifeline taking it from her and swinging it over his shoulder.
"You know, Captain, that you didn't have to do that. I am quite capable of carrying my own duffle."
"Lieutenant De Havilland, I hate to do it, but just this once I'm going to pull rank on you and tell you to can it. This thing is bigger than you are. And it probably weighs more, too," he tells her, laughing.
"Are you making wisecracks about my size, Sir?" Vixen asks with sparks flashing in her eyes, teasing him back.
"No, little Vixen. I was just stating a simple fact."
They get to the airport with plenty of time to catch their flight, and for the most part, it is silent between them.
They got to the hotel with no problems, until they checked in. Lifeline had reserved a single room with double beds for the two of them, whereas Vixen would have preferred separate rooms.
But, since he outranked her, she kept her mouth shut. At least until it was just the two of them in the room.
"Captain Steen, I think that you need to be told before anything else happens between us. I'm not quite comfortable sleeping in the same room as a man. Hell, I'm not certain I can handle being awake and aware in the same room with a man by myself for more than a few minutes."
"You know I don't bite, Lieutenant. I won't hurt you," he tells her compassionately.
"In my head, I know that. But deep down inside me, there's a scared little girl who doesn't. There's a very significant reason why."
He reaches over to put his hand on her shoulder and she stiffens.
"See what I mean?" Vixen asks, shaking her head in shame.
"I understand. It's a hands off policy from here on out, or until you say otherwise. I can see that you have some personal demons that you need to work through. I promise that I'll leave you alone unless you want me to touch you for some reason."
This went on all night. Vixen lay in the bed, wide-awake, occasionally sneaking a glance or two over at him, sleeping, in the other bed. Most of the night she spent sitting on the floor of the bathroom, reading, with the door shut to keep from waking Lifeline up.
"De Havilland!" Vixen looks up at the yell through her office door, putting the pen she is writing with down as she does.
"Sir?"
"Get your things packed. You're going with me," Lifeline states as he sticks his head through the partially opened door.
"Um, mind if I ask where and why, sir?"
"Atlantic City is the where. And the why is because of a combat medic's convention. You're the most junior member here, and we can get along without you for a few days."
"I may be the most junior member here, but I'm also one of the most capable when it comes to doing my job, Sir. I don't care what anyone else says."
"You're right, but I still want you to go with me to that meeting," he says, amiably, letting his personality show through for a second.
"When do you want to leave?" Vixen asked.
"As soon as you can get your duffle packed."
"Consider it done. All I have to do is retrieve it from my quarters." She jumps up and grabs her jacket from the back of the chair, sliding it on.
"Mind if I walk with you?" asks Lifeline, in a friendly manner.
"If you want to."
They walk to her quarters in the female barracks and retrieve her duffle, Lifeline taking it from her and swinging it over his shoulder.
"You know, Captain, that you didn't have to do that. I am quite capable of carrying my own duffle."
"Lieutenant De Havilland, I hate to do it, but just this once I'm going to pull rank on you and tell you to can it. This thing is bigger than you are. And it probably weighs more, too," he tells her, laughing.
"Are you making wisecracks about my size, Sir?" Vixen asks with sparks flashing in her eyes, teasing him back.
"No, little Vixen. I was just stating a simple fact."
They get to the airport with plenty of time to catch their flight, and for the most part, it is silent between them.
They got to the hotel with no problems, until they checked in. Lifeline had reserved a single room with double beds for the two of them, whereas Vixen would have preferred separate rooms.
But, since he outranked her, she kept her mouth shut. At least until it was just the two of them in the room.
"Captain Steen, I think that you need to be told before anything else happens between us. I'm not quite comfortable sleeping in the same room as a man. Hell, I'm not certain I can handle being awake and aware in the same room with a man by myself for more than a few minutes."
"You know I don't bite, Lieutenant. I won't hurt you," he tells her compassionately.
"In my head, I know that. But deep down inside me, there's a scared little girl who doesn't. There's a very significant reason why."
He reaches over to put his hand on her shoulder and she stiffens.
"See what I mean?" Vixen asks, shaking her head in shame.
"I understand. It's a hands off policy from here on out, or until you say otherwise. I can see that you have some personal demons that you need to work through. I promise that I'll leave you alone unless you want me to touch you for some reason."
This went on all night. Vixen lay in the bed, wide-awake, occasionally sneaking a glance or two over at him, sleeping, in the other bed. Most of the night she spent sitting on the floor of the bathroom, reading, with the door shut to keep from waking Lifeline up.