"I have no clue what you mean by that, Red." Duke reached for reports in his inbox, deliberately avoiding her gaze.
Scarlett could feel her temper reaching the point of no return. She fought to hold it down. "I mean you're avoiding the issue." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. She knew he could feel it. She could see it in the way his brows rose, how he focused all of his attention on the requisition now in front of him.
"What issue?" He signed the form with a flourish and tossed it in the "out" box, sliding another in front of him with his free hand.
"I'll say it again: you need to make up your mind." She knew what was coming next.
"About what?" He lifted the top page, scratching at his brow. "Really? What do we need a backhoe for?"
Scarlett tried to let some of the heat out with a deep breath. "About me!" She dropped down onto his office couch and looked up at the ceiling.
That got his attention. He let the page drop and sat back, brow furrowed. "I've made up my mind about you. Haven't I made it clear?" He cocked his head and smiled. "I love you."
Instead of melting away, her anger rose. She smiled back, but her anger still rose. "I know that, Duke, I do. But how you act…"
The smile slipped off his face. "I told you what Hawk said. You can ask him yourself, if you want, but I'm not sure asking will please him. We have to be discreet. I don't like it. We do. On base, around town. When I get you alone, that's different, but on base…"
"I get that. I know that. I'm fine with that." It was frustrating, yes. But she was as careful as he was about making sure they were out of sight, safe from discovery.
He sighed, looking confused. "So what's the problem again?"
She decided to stop hinting. "What the Hell was that crap last night about?"
"Oh." The confusion cleared and he dodged her gaze again. "That."
"Yes." She stood and came to his desk, putting both hands on it and ducking down to catch his eyes. "That." He tried to look down and get involved in the requisition. Scarlett reached over and gently took his chin, lifting his eyes back up to her. She let her voice soften. "What happened?"
He sighed. "I got hot."
"Why?"
"That guy wouldn't leave you alone. " He pushed the stack of papers away and rubbed at his eyes with the backs of his hands.
"It was just some jerk at a bar."
"He hit on you. Every time I left, turned my back, even, he hit on you."
She sat on the edge of his desk. "So what? He's just some random jerk at a bar."
"He was too pushy." Duke sat back in his chair, letting his head fall back.
"So you had to push back? Duke, that isn't you." She picked up the crystal ball he kept next to his model Skystriker. "You've never been the jealous type."
"Yeah, well, last night I was." He looked away again.
"Why? I don't understand. I don't like it, either, Duke. I could have handled him. I can take care of myself. I certainly am not going to go off with some grabby jerk at a bar. I had it handled." She set the ball back down on its ring stand with a thud. "You never lose control. Never. Not like that. Not like last night. That kind of thing doesn't impress me."
"OK, so you're unimpressed. I didn't really 'lose control'. Just a few taps. He went down pretty quick." He rubbed the knuckles of his right hand.
"He had no chance, Duke. It was embarrassing. I told you I can take care of myself!" Her voice finally got to the level it had been seeking for the last half hour. "I didn't say anything then because I was in shock. I just wanted it to be over."
"I wondered why you didn't feel like...well, you know." He scratched the back of his neck. "I was hoping..."
"What got into you?" She shuddered at the memory. The entire bar had watched silently as the man, bleeding from his nose, picked himself up and slowly walked out. Duke had stood, angry, tense, seething-watching every step. When the defeated suitor had left, he'd turned back to the bar and picked up his beer as if nothing had happened. Scarlett had walked out. Just left him there with his beer and went to the car. Pretty soon, he followed. He offered their usual hotel, the beer and the fight making him eager to be on her, and she turned him down, claiming exhaustion.
She waited for his answer. Instead of giving it, he shrugged and went back to his paperwork.
Scarlett slammed her hand on top of the stack. "Don't shrug this off. Don't pretend this is nothing. You went caveman on me, that shit isn't you. I want to know why!" She gave up trying to control her anger.
Duke stared down at her hand. Slowly, his eyes moved up her arm to her face. She could see the electricity beginning to crackle in their depths. He took a deep breath and stood up. "Look. I know this bugs you. Did it ever occur to you that this is hard for me, huh? How do I feel, huh? I have to hide that you're my girl. I have to watch the boys on base stare at you, try and flirt with you. I have to hear the things they say when…I have to see all that and not say a word. I have to shove it all down." He gritted his teeth. "So, yeah, I finally found a place I could just be with you, like any man would want to. All I wanted was a few beers and a quiet night with you. And I had a few more beers than normal, because how often do I get to relax? As soon as my back was turned, that dickhead wants to start bugging you, and I'm not supposed to do anything about it? So, yeah, OK, it might have been old-fashioned. I know you can take care of yourself. But I'll be damned if I sit back on my down time and watch some bastard slobber all over my girl." He finished by slamming his fist down on his desk, rattling both his in and out box and causing the crystal ball to hop off its stand and roll slowly to the edge. It stopped right before it went over.
"You don't own me!" Rather than make her back down, Duke's rare explosion of temper only served to flare hers. "I'm not a possession!"
"I never said I owned you!" Duke bellowed towards the ceiling. He stood there, hands clenched on the desktop, eyed closed, taking deep breaths. Slowly, his breathing calmed, and his hands relaxed. "I never said I owned you. I just...you can't expect me to not do anything."
"You didn't need to. I had it handled, Duke!"
"He wasn't giving up."
"He would have, eventually."
"I got him to do it right away." Duke dropped back into his chair. "I stopped him right there. He learned the hard way not to mess around with my-"
"Your what, Duke? Your 'woman'? Is that what you were going to say?!" Scarlett refused to back down.
"What if I was?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "What's wrong with that?"
"I'm my own person, Duke. I'm not your belonging." She leaned back on the desk so she could match his glare.
"I didn't mean it that way..."
"How did you mean it, exactly?"
"Well...I..." He looked around his office lamely, as if one of his pictures hanging from the wall could provide the right answer. "I'm your man, aren't I?"
"I don't own you!" She straightened.
"But...well...I mean..." When he looked back at her, his blue eyes showed right to the depths of him. She'd never seen that look on his face; what he had just discovered terrified him. He spoke slowly. "You...you do, Red. Heart and soul."
"That's..." Scarlett was taken aback. It was too much. It was too deep. It was everything she'd always dreamed of, late at night, lying in bed, wishing she could tear down the wall between them. It was exactly what she'd wished he could say, and it was frightening; her wishes rarely came true unless she was the one to make it happen. "That's not fair, Duke."
His anger was completely gone. He looked mystified of his own admission. "I...Red...That's why I got so mad, I guess. I'd had a few, yeah. I just...I don't want to ever lose you. It took us so long to get here. I don't think I want to be without you now."
"You honestly think I would have gone off with him?" She wasn't done yelling. She needed to yell.
"No, of course not. But I'm a man... and what he did...it was right in my face. Right in front of me. Right in front of the whole bar...and I'd had a few..." He closed his eyes and massaged his temple.
"I get it now." She'd found a foothold. "This is a pride thing. This is an ego thing."
"No, it's a you thing." He held up a hand in supplication.
"No it's not. This is all about you.I could have been anyone."
"Definitely not. You mean so much to me...I couldn't let him do that to you, insult you like that." He kept the hand out, turning it over and reaching for her. "Shana...Come here."
"You're worried he was going to make you look like a fool, Duke." She pointed at his chest, ignoring his outstretched hand. "You were worried people were seeing another man move in on your 'woman' and you panicked, because you were afraid of looking stupid."
"No..."
"Well, joke's on you, Duke, you ended up doing that to yourself! It wasn't out of love for me at all, was it? It was some stupid macho sense of manhood. Some other guy was playing with your toy and you got mad. Is that how you act like a big man? Beating up a guy who had no chance? How big a man do you feel now?"
She could see the hurt in his eyes. She'd cut deep. He opened his mouth to reply, but she couldn't face it...she couldn't deal with hurting him. She couldn't face the rawness of his admitted love. Scarlett turned and stormed to the door. She stopped and turned, her hand on the knob. "Don't call or talk to me, Duke. I need some space. You're too big a jerk for me right now."
His head fell into his hands. "Little Fox..."
"Don't try that on me! Not now! It won't work!" She yanked the door open, stalked through, and slammed it behind her. Down the hall, Beach Head stuck his head out of his office, then quickly yanked it back before she stormed by. She turned as she passed his doorway. He was doing his best to look absorbed in filing. The turned her head forwards again, only to slam right into Flint.
"Scarlett! Can you..."
Scarlett jabbed a finger into his chest. "Not. One. Word!" She punctuated each word with another jab. "You're worse, if anything. God knows how Jaye puts up with it!"
"With it?" He took a step back. "With what?"
"Your macho bullshit! You all have each other's backs in that, don't you?" She stepped right up to him again.
"Excuse me?" He backed up again, raising his hands. One held a stack of files. "Look, I don't know what the Hell you're talking about, and I don't have time to figure it out. I've got to get these reports to Duke. We need to put together a unit. Something's going down."
Scarlett blinked at him a few times, then eyed the files while she wrestled to get things under control. "Right." She stepped to the side to let him pass.
"Trust me, you'll be filled in on this one soon." Flint hurried off down the hall. Scarlett watched him as he knocked lightly on Duke's door, then let himself in. She had no doubts Duke would be perfectly ready to deal with the new emergency. He was an expert at putting his personal life on a side burner.
Scarlett hadn't been able to keep her mind one anything for the next several hours. She managed to stumble her way through her own small stack of paperwork. She hit the gym and got in a little cardio and practiced a new kata. She ate most of a salad at lunch, and spent another half hour moving the last few leaves of lettuce around on her plate. She was watching the oil separate from the vinegar in the dressing bottle she'd carried to her table when the intercom buzzed.
"Scarlett, Doc, Lady Jaye, Dial Tone, Low Light and Roadblock to the Briefing Room." Duke's voice was, as ever, calm. Whatever was brewing he had it under control.
At least he has the rest of us convinced.
This morning's argument made her wonder how often he had to fake it till he could make it. She cleared her dishes, dropping them on the conveyor to go back to whoever was on dish duty. Waving at the guys still on line, she left the mess hall and made her way back to the part of base that housed the offices, conference rooms and briefing area.
Most everyone was already there. Doc and Flint were chatting in front of the stage. Low light sat on his own in the second row, arms crossed, staring at the ceiling. Jaye and Roadblock sat in the front. Roadblock had to sit in the front row; it was the only place he would fit. He was showing an enraptured Jaye something in the pages of a magazine. Scarlett wandered over and sat next to them.
"What are you two looking at?"
"There you are Scarlett." Lady Jaye smiled across Roadblock. "Ferran Adrià is tearing up the kitchen at elBulli. Word is, he'll soon be tapped to head the kitchen."
Roadblock tilted the magazine so she could see. "Man's a master in the kitchen. He's doing stuff no one's ever thought of. It's pure art." Scarlett glanced over a few slick pictures of very intricate looking dishes.
"It's a restaurant?" She looked at a picture of a single shrimp next to several exact piles of cream colored...something.
"Only one of the hardest reservations to get in the world. It's legendary!" Jaye's brows raised in amazement. "My parents took me after I graduated from Bryn Mawr. They reserved my freshman year to get in. It's even harder to get there now."
Scarlett shrugged. "I guess. You've been there, Roadblock?"
He smiled wistfully. "Only in my dreams."
"We'll get you there one day, I'm determined." Lady Jaye took the magazine and flipped through a few pages. Scarlett figured if any of the Joes could get a reservation to an elite famous restaurant, it would be Jaye. She moved in different circles than the rest of them, except perhaps Hawk. Scarlett mused that high birth had its privileges. Then again, Flint was finding his way into some of those very same circles...
Dial Tone dashed into the room just as Duke stepped through the door from the War Room. He managed to make it into the seat next to Scarlett before either man noticed the slight tardiness.
"Inches to spare, Dial Tone." Scarlett patted his arm. He grinned at her.
"Yeah. I was in the gym showers when the call came." He took off his beret and nervously ran his fingers through his still-damp hair.
"That shouldn't have taken too long."
"It wouldn't have, but someone glued my locker shut." A flash of irritation washed over his face. It was quickly replaced by dejection. "Lucky Gung Ho came by and helped me pry it open. Now I've got to pay to replace the door, I guess."
"That's rough, man. You don't have to put up with that shit." Roadblock shook his head. Dial Tone just shrugged.
"It's part of the normal hazing, right? I ignore it, it's going to die down." He sucked on his mustache.
"Last week, they stole your laundry. It's juvenile. Dial Tone, have you told Duke about all these little pranks?" Lady Jaye leaned as far across Roadblock as she could. "He'd put a stop to it."
"Of course not, Lady Jaye, I don't want to be the guy who rats everyone out." The communications expert shook his head and faked an unconvincing good-natured laugh.
"Seriously. Tell Duke. This isn't funny anymore. He'll just get them to stop. He doesn't put up with bullies, right, Scarlett?" Jaye nodded to her.
"Sure. Yeah."
Jaye's brows rose. She opened her mouth to say something, but Duke's bark to attention stopped her. Hawk had come in the room. Everyone snapped to. Duke saluted the general. Hawk returned the salute and took the podium.
"At ease, Joes. Be seated." Every Joe sat, save Duke, who stood at ease between his commanding officer and the media control station. Hawk grabbed a stack of papers and tapped their edge on the podium. "Looks like we have a new mission. Intelligence reports say Cobra Commander is up to something hinkey. Duke?"
"Sir." Duke reached over and tapped a few keys on the console next to him. A map of Colorado appeared on the screen. Duke grabbed the mouse and clicked on a marker point, and the map zoomed in to a spot out in the middle of nowhere. Doc started.
"Duke! That's where..."
Duke spun around. "You got it. It's where Jaye, Flint and their team disappeared. The whole damn trestle collapsed. That matter transmuter mess." He frowned. "I lost three good Joes and I had to lie to their families because the explanation sounds like a fucking Star Trek episode." He ran his fingers through his hair to the back of his head and scratched. "Intelligence from Cheyenne Mountain close by says that Cobra's got some troops sniffing around that whole area. Nothing big. Maybe a squad, guarding a research team." He tapped a key, and the map minimized. Duke moved the cursor to a red folder on the side of the screen and opened it. A set of surveillance photos popped up. In one Cobra Commander, wearing his hood, stood on the edge of the ravine, gazing towards where the trestle had been blown away from the rock.
"So the Commander's on site himself?" Roadblock snorted. "Figures."
"He's the ranking Cobra there, 'Block." Duke cracked the knuckles of his right hand. "No communications between him and Cobra Island, either. I mean nothing. Dial Tone?"
"Nothing, Top."
"Right. Whatever he's up to, he isn't squawking about it."
Hawk cleared his throat. "We've known that the command structure is cracking...possibly even fracturing. It would seem the Commander is acting on his own. He's been looking into exactly what happened there. He might not know the whole truth, but he's definitely curious."
Low Light shook his head. "Seriously, I read the report but I don't believe it. Spielberg couldn't make up that bullshit."
Flint stood and turned to the sniper. "Believe it. We barely got out in time. But over there, Cobra is in charge. If he somehow trips the portal to open, it could be a big mess, you see?"
"No, I don't." Low Light wasn't intimidated by Flint. He wasn't intimidated by much at all.
"If Cobra is on top in this..." Duke's voice hissed to a stop as he tried to get his mouth around the words. "...alternate universe, there would have been no reason to create Serpentor. Logic dictates he doesn't exist over there. The troops are still loyal to the Commander."
"Or to Destro." Lady Jaye interjected. "When we left, a civil war was brewing, Duke. Who knows who came out on top?"
"It's a good point, Jaye. The war could still be going, for all I know. But I'll wager there are still Vipers and Troopers loyal to their Commander. If this..." he stopped again, face distasteful "alternate universe Commander is alive, our Commander may be able to trick a good number of troops to follow him long enough to bring them back here. If he's dead or defeated, there's probably still a good number of overthrown sympathizers ready to follow his returned ghost. Or whatever."
"Scarlett, you're pretty quiet." Scarlett looked up to see Hawk smiling at her. "What's your take on it?"
"Whatever he's got in mind, it isn't good." She sighed. "Going after him will only bring it to the attention of the rest of them. Meaning we widen the fractures we've been seeing. We either catch him, which is a bonus, or drive the wedge between him and Serpentor deeper. It's a win-win situation."
Duke nodded, but didn't say anything. Their eyes met. She caught a second of something like pride flashing in them. She looked away.
"But sir..." Dial Tone's voice wavered.
"Speak up, son. I'm ready to hear you." Hawk came around the podium.
"None of the Cobras went through. He has no way of knowing any of it. Besides, the reports say the portal closed."
Duke went back to the control console and minimized the surveillance photos, then brought up a different map, one covered with odd green concentric circles. "We thought so, too. Our stable of scientists gave it a once over, just to be sure. They're getting some odd energy readings, consistent with the ones we got from the matter transmuter before. The Commander must have gotten the same readings, otherwise he wouldn't waste his time."
"But he's there." Hawk looked at each of them in turn. "So the seven of you are heading out to ruin his day."
"Flint's got the lead." Duke brought up the main map again. "We've spent the morning planning. He'll fill in the specifics. I'll throw in a unit of greenshirts to back you up, just because I care." He walked to the edge of the stage and sat down, legs dangling over. Now was when he went from NCO to big brother. "Questions, comments? Concerns?"
"You're sending both girls?" Low Light growled quietly. Scarlett felt the slight. Lady Jaye rolled her eyes. It was past time the newer Joes got used to the idea of women in the ranks. Then again, Low Light and Dial Tone were still green enough to be ignorant.
"Jaye and Scarlett are essential."
Low Light shrugged and grunted. Hawk took notice. "Problem, soldier?"
"Maybe I'm not real used to ladies on the front lines. I like to keep my field of fire clear and my ass covered." Low Light nonchalantly polished his goggles. "Don't want to worry about having to carry extra weight when someone breaks a nail."
The ice from Duke's glare chilled the room. "Those ladies have taken down Cobra troops more times than you've jerked off. You're the FNG here." He slid down from where he sat on the stage and crossed his arms over his chest. "They know Cobra. Jaye's been through this portal. She knows what it looks like. Both she and Flint can help you avoid tripping over your own self and falling in."
"And Scarlett?"
"Scarlett's there to keep you out of trouble, princess. She 'n Doc's been here since the start, or have you forgotten that little bit of history? She's proven herself already. You're not ripe yet. Do your job and try not to piss her off. I don't want to hear about how Doc had to pull an arrow out of your ass because you got in her way, or were too slow to get out of it. I trust her more than anyone else to do her job and come back in one piece." Duke paused to let it sink in. "Clear? You need her to give you some private wall -to-wall counseling? I can arrange a meeting in the gym. When she's done, I can step in and provide some extra counseling of my own."
Scarlett glanced at Hawk, but the General was doing his best to ignore the threats.
Low Light let his goggles drop into his lap. Scarlett guessed from the way he pulled his lips tight that while the sniper wasn't intimidated by Flint, he was more than a little wary of his First Sergeant. "Sure, Top."
"I'm not some toy, dogface. Tell me again...you got that? Did I make myself clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good. Everyone go get squared away and get to the transport. You're heading out at fourteen hundred. Flint will finish off with the nitty gritty in the air. This can't wait till tomorrow."
The team deplaned from the c130 at Buckley and quickly made their way into the hills. Three APVs equipped with snow tires skirted by several Polar Battle Bears. Soon, they hit the railroad tracks, following them till they were about a mile away from the site and the now reconstructed trestle. Flint called the small convoy to a halt and gathered them together for a quick briefing. Scarlett sat on the back bumper of the APV, going over her crossbow and arrows one more time before battle. She gave her sidearm a quick once over, too.
"Ok, Joes." Flint scratched his forehead under his beret. "We're not pussyfooting around here. We go in fast and hard. We managed to stop all trains on this track, and by now, they'll be noticing." He unfolded a map of the area and set it out over the hood of a Battle Bear. " You have your teams, get in them now. We need to get around behind them. Here, here, and here." Flint's gloved finger tapped several likely spots that formed a u around the site then more on the other side of the trestle. 'We'll box them in. Got it?"
"Hooah!" The greenshirts joined in the affirmative.
"Good. Synchronize your chronometers. Everyone's in place at sixteen hundred. Keep radio silence until I give the signal to engage."
Scarlett slung and tightened her quiver. She nodded to Jaye. "Here we go again!"
The brunette laughed lightly and mounted her Battle Bear. "When this is all over, I want you to fill me in on the tension between you and our fearless leader."
"I have no problem with Flint."
"Not him." Jaye chuckled again. "I mean the other one. The blond. Your friend and mine, though I think he's more yours, frankly." Her smile was sly. "Don't think I didn't pick up on it. I'm pretty good at that."
"I have no clue what you're talking about." Scarlett mounted her own snowmobile.
"Yeah, the acting thing I'm good at, too." She frowned. "Come on, Scarlett, give me a little credit. It's not hard to see there's more between you two than either of you let on. Sly as you think you both are. There's more than a few little hints in the way you act around each other. He's not ever been really good at lying. You're better, but not perfect."
"Why would I lie?"
"Why indeed?" Jaye mused. "It is to wonder."
Flint stalked over. "Are you two finished? I wouldn't want to have to cut into your discussion time." He frowned. "When you're free? We have a battle to get to."
"Sure, Flint." Scarlett started the engine. "Lead on."
Flint grumbled and stalked away to climb into an APV. He leaned out the window and whirled his hand. "Joes, roll out!"
Jaye snorted. "I'll get it out of you later." All around them, engines were starting up.
"Sure." Scarlett revved her Battle Bear. "You do that." The team split up and went off to their pre designated points.
They swept down the sides of the ravine like seagulls on a picnic. Cobra had little warning. Still, they hadn't entrenched themselves there in ignorance of the possibility of attack. In no time, the troopers swarmed out at them, rifles blazing. A flight of trouble bubbles took to the air. The Joes managed to cut down half, but the ones that got aloft were more than enough of a threat. Scarlett's team took cover to repel any airborne attack while the rest of the team busied themselves trying to force their way through the Cobra defenses.
Looking across the ravine to the other side of the river, Scarlett could see men in white coats dashing around, securing equipment. The Commander wasn't within view.
He's gone to ground. Probably on his way to whatever escape vehicle he had set up.
Scarlett guided her squad around to the southern end of the encampment, skirting the main battle to force any loose troops up and to the bottleneck where Flint and Jaye's team would handle them. The battle bears moved easily over the flurries, twin fifty cal. cannons mowing down troopers.
The snow quickly turned red.
"Drive them back! Drive them upriver!" Scarlett stood in her seat and swept her arm towards where the majority of the Cobra forces had pulled in to circle the makeshift lab. Something hot cut through her bicep. She dropped back onto her skimobile. It burned. She saw blood seeping through her sleeve. Tompson rode up next to her.
"You OK, ma'am? Need assistance?"
"I'm fine, Tompson. Its gone through. Let me get to Doc and he can stop me from leaking." She whirled her good arm. "You heard me, Joes! Let's go! Regroup!" Her unit eagerly sped up the banks to help press the fray-unifying into a single force. Scarlett pulled up next to Flint. "It shouldn't be much longer. We've got them."
"I've not seen the Commander slither free. We just may have him this time!"
"There!" Scarlett pointed. The Commander was making his way to a heavily armored flight pod, two scientists close behind, toting something cylindrical between them. From the way they staggered through the muddy camp, it was heavy.
"Well looky there!" Low Light's purr over her radio almost took her by surprise. She figured he was up in the treeline, laying low. "Just ripe for the picking. Say goodbye to the big snake."
Flint's eyes grew wide. "Negative, Low Light! We need him alive!"
The disappointed snort announced the sniper had at least heeded his commander; dismissively, but fully. "Fine, I'll just take out a knee."
Scarlett saw the Commander's left knee explode. He dropped, clutching at the joint and flailing. One arm knocked into one of the scientists, who tumbled and then slipped in the mud, leaving his partner to try to carry the load alone. The poor man had no chance. The device slipped from his fingers and hit the ground, exploding in an aurora of light...
Scarlett felt the world shift two steps sideways.
He watched the skirmish in the snow from his blind in disbelief. They'd rolled it right in front of him, and it didn't make sense. He should have heard vehicles that big...should have known they were coming. But he'd had no warning that Cobra was in the area. Who would they want out here?
His disbelief turned to shock as he saw the combatants. He had never been certain they'd survived or died, but thanks to continuing news reports over the radio he knew they'd scattered everywhere but here. There was no reason for them to come here. It was the middle of nowhere, and the people who did manage to scrape by weren't usually worth the bother-and he lived even more remotely than them. Even the closest town was nothing worth really bothering with. The people went about their lives under subjugation almost the same way they'd lived it free. As long as they tithed and followed party line without complaint, they were left alone. Like a lot of small towns, they'd caved pretty quickly, and supported the small garrison within city limits with nary a peep of rebellion.
But there's nothing here worth fighting over. Except maybe us. Dammit.
He considered trying to slip away while they were involved with each other. Scanning the woods around him, he knew it would be an error. They'd grab him, sure enough, if they caught sight of him. Closer inspection would mean execution, and then he'd never get back, and the two waiting for him would never know what happened; and be left to fend for themselves, something he doubted they could do for long.
He bit back another curse and hunkered down, his rifle bitingly cold through the tear in is glove. A trouble bubble flew over, came back, hovered, and took off quickly to the East.
Worse and worse. It's going for backup. Backup's far off, but it's coming.
He wondered why the troopers on the ground hadn't already radioed it in. The Joes were making quick work of them, though. He smiled to himself. Maybe beaten, but the ones left had fight in them. It occurred to him he could help, but the image of the two frightened and alone faces came back and held him there. He would watch.
"Fuck, this snow is a bastard." Low Light's voice was more a grow than its usual purr. He let a viper wander into his sights and then made him regret it.
"It's slowing them down, too. I don't know, it seems thicker, somehow." Scarlett hunkered behind the APV, letting Doc treat the damage to her arm. It was through and through, fortunately. Bleeding pretty heavily, but a clean wound. She'd bear the pain. "Dial Tone, for God's sake, get headquarters on that thing."
"I can't" Dial Tone adjusted and re adjusted his comm unit. "All I get is static. Not a peep." He ripped off his beret and ruffled his hair in frustration. "They must be jamming me."
Doc finished wrapping Scarlett's arm. "Keep trying, anyhow. Scarlett, the less you move, the sooner the bleeding will stop."
Scarlett got off an arrow, taking a trooper through the neck. "Not an option, Doc."
"Where the Hell did the rest of them go?" Flint turned to Jaye. "You don't think..."
Jaye didn't answer, but her face was dark. She nodded.
"Oh God." Flint turned to look behind them, then to the west... "It's closed. Dammit! Fuck!"
"Keep to the task at hand, Flint!" Low Light caught a few troopers. "We're nearly done with this mess, anyhow."
Scarlett saw a lone Polar Battle Bear just a few yards to the south, behind the shelter of a totaled HISS "I can maybe rush them, Flint." She ducked and dodged, managing to get to the snowmobile in one piece. She ignored the burning in her bicep as she climbed aboard. She jumped on and thumbed the engine into life.
Something heavy dropped on her from above, and the world went black.
She was shocked into consciousness on impact with the snow. The battle was off in the distance. She could hear the report of gunfire, but not much else. She lifted up on one elbow, regretting it as the pain shot across her wounded shoulder. Scarlett tried to pull herself to her feet, and was stopped by a searing pain in her left leg. She sat on her rump and gingerly moved the leg so she could see. It wasn't bent oddly. Maybe fractured, maybe something so lucky as a sprain. She fingered it, glancing around. The trooper lay on his back a few feet from her, the snow around him turning dark with his seeping blood. Scarlett looked behind her to find the snowmobile tilted on it's side against a snowbank. She wondered if the pain in her shoulder and leg would allow her to lift it once again so she could mount it and get back to the Joes. Standing behind the Battle Bear was a man bundled in winter gear, his rifle aimed at her. A dead dear lay in the snow behind him.
He was covered from head to toe, wrapped against the cold. A winter cap covered his head, a scarf his face. Aviator sunglasses hid his eyes. He held the rifle like he knew how to use it. Her crossbow was slung over his shoulder. Scarlett raised both hands.
"I'm unarmed. You have my crossbow."
He used the muzzle of the gun and pointed to the knife strapped to her leg. There was little other movement.
"Yeah, right." Scarlett slowly reached down, unsnapped the sheath and grabbed the knife. She entertained the idea of throwing it at him, but she wasn't sure she could get it too far thorough the layers of clothing cocooning him. She thought better of it and tossed the knife lightly at his feet. He crouched slowly to it, the sunglasses and rifle never leaving her face.
"I'm hurt. I was shot. My arm. My ankle, maybe broken, I think. I'm not going anywhere. My friends are over there." Scarlett pointed to where the gunfire still cracked in the winter air. "I need to get back to them. We're the good guys." The man made no move.
Scarlett glanced back at the dead trooper. "Did you shoot him?"
The man nodded once. Scarlett felt like she wasn't getting very far.
"I need to get back to my friends. We're not from here." Suddenly, a squadron of trouble bubbles rose over the treeline and flashed overhead. The man looked up, then dashed to the snowmobile. He righted it easily, then jogged past her to the trooper, quickly stripping him of rifle, sidearm, clips, and knife, stowing as much as he could in various pockets and his pack. He scrambled back past her to the deer, and dragged it to the Battle Bear, slinging it over the seat. He slung his rifle over ons shoulder, reached for the handlebars and flung a leg over.
"Help me." Scarlett tried to keep her voice calm. "Please. Don't leave me here. Get me back to my friends. They could use my help." She tried to stand, but the pain in her leg prevented her. His head turned slowly to regard her. Scarlett wished she could see his eyes. She always felt looking someone in the eye helped connect with them.
He stared for a few seconds, and then turned to the sound of a battle re-invigorated.
"Please. I need your help. I need you." She watched him grip the handlebars and duck his head. He let out a heavy sigh, then got off the Battle Bear, moved the deer so it hung over the front hood, and came to her. She cringed a little as he came close; he was a large man, and the heavy clothing, lined with fur around the shoulders, made him seem like a grizzly. She expected him to help her up and offer her a shoulder, help her hobble, but instead, he crouched and gathered her effortlessly into his arms, lifting her as if she was nothing and carrying her to the Polar Battle Bear. He settled her on his lap.
They took off quickly. A Joe Snowmobile was far from a civilian one, power enough to make it through the snowpack at top speed. Scarlett barely had time to wrap her arms around him to hang on. His clothing smelled musty. She felt him stiffen slightly. He stared straight ahead.
But he didn't drive to the battle. He headed quickly away from it, and into the trees.
"No! No! You've got to get me back!" Scarlett let go of him and struggled. "I have to get back! Where are you going?" She grabbed on to his scarf and pulled it down, revealing a thick yellow beard. The mouth frowned, but he ignored her and kept driving. Away from the battle. Away from the Joes.
After a while it became more than clear he had no intention of turning around. Scarlett stopped struggling.
She figured they rode for an hour and a half, into the foothills, before stopping in the middle of a small shallow grotto. Scarlett could see a small encampment inside. A sleeping bag, a small place where a fire had burned, and would burn again tonight. He stood, lifting her, and carried her inside, setting her down on a sleeping bag. He dropped his pack and both rifles next to her. He emptied his pockets of clips and captured knives, then strode back out to the Battle Bear. He hefted the deer over his shoulder, leaving a bloody smear on the hood of the snowmobile, and dropped it with a thump by a nearby tree. Scarlett could see a few bags slung from the branches. Turning, he came back to the encampment for a line, ignoring her utterly. Once outside again, he strung the deer up from a near branch and set to butchering it. Scarlett watched as he opened up the stomach cavity. The sight of the intestines sliding out turned her stomach, and she decided to lie back and stare at the ceiling instead, doing her best to shut out the sound of him breaking down the corpse.
He finished his work and turned back to her. She had lain back on his sleeping bag and fallen asleep. He face was peaceful, and he stood for some minutes, watching. He crept closer, not wanting to wake her. Her breath clouded the air, and he realized the cold wasn't helping her any. She might be shocky after being thrown from the Battle Bear. Quietly, he walked back into the grotto and found his spare blanket. He'd grabbed it as he'd packed three nights before, thinking to line his blind and give himself some comfort. The little grasp at luxury now paid off more than he'd imagined. He shook it out and crouched to gently drape it over her. She shifted, moaned, but didn't rouse, and he stayed crouching and staring into her face. He pulled off his sunglasses, placing them next to the fire. He reached out his hand, longing to feel her skin. The sight of the deer's blood smeared over his knuckles made him pull back quickly.
He stood and went back to the carcass to finish the job. It had to be done before nightfall, and the little skirmish had wasted more daylight than he'd cared to blow. The meat had to be bundled, the skin cleaned as well as he could and rolled. Both should be hung high in the tree on the thinnest branch that would support them. Then the rest needed burying far from camp.
She woke to find him slowly pulling off her left boot. He crouched at the end of the sleeping bag, looking down at her leg. She shifted and let her head fall to the side. The fire was blazing, a small camp kettle sat on a rock near the flames, steaming. A hunk of what she assumed was venison sat on a spit jabbed into the ground. The fat and juices sizzled as it dripped off onto the stones around the blaze. The smell made her mouth water. She felt her boot come free of her leg, and looked back at him. He dropped the boot next to him and carefully took her ankle in his now-bare hands. His touch was gentle, but firm. He turned the foot slightly, and she yelped. He grunted and went out past the fire, scooping up a handful of snow. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and, packing the snow around her ankle, bandaged her up tight and cold.
"Is it broken?" He didn't look up, but shook his head negatively.
Scarlett didn't like talking to the top of his head but that was all she had. The scarf and glasses were gone, she could tell, but all she could see were knit cap, a bit of beard, and the tip of his nose. "You're certain?"
He nodded, raising her foot and sliding a small log underneath. The snow was melting quickly with her bodyheat, but the cold did a lot to numb the pain. Enough that the dripping didn't bother her. "You don't talk much."
He stood, turning away from her to face the fire.
"I'm sorry...maybe you can't." The thought embarrassed her. "It would be nice to see your face. The most I've seen is your nose."
He sighed and, reaching over to grab one of his leather gloves, pulled the kettle off the fire and poured it into a tin cup. He put the kettle back on it's rock and crouched to turn the meat.
"Look, I we're going to be here together, we might as well-"
"Who the Hell are you?" He set his cup down slowly.
Scarlett stopped, shocked. "What?!"
"You! You're a synthoid or something, aren't you? They sent you after me. They found out where I was, and they sent you after me. I'm not falling for it, right? I should have left you there...but, I...I should just shoot you right now." He stood suddenly, snapping up the viper's handgun and sliding off the safety. For the second time that day she found herself at his feet, the barrel of a gun pointed at her face. She looked up at him in shock.
"Duke!" It made no sense. Flint had told her that this world's Master Sergeant was listed as dead...or, at the very least MIA, presumed killed. He stated in his report that the Baroness here, a Joe secret ally, had informed him that Cobra had taken credit for his slaughter, but a body was never found. "My God! You're alive!" The familiar blue eyes blazed down on her. His face hidden by unkempt beard. A small scar ran down his right cheek. But the eyes and the voice...deep. Full of anger that she had rarely heard at home. It was eerie. "Duke, put the gun down! It's me! It's Scarlett!"
He kicked at the log under her leg, knocking it away, and roared at the rocky ceiling above. "No it's not! You think me a fool?! What kind of Cobra trick is this? Scarlett's dead!"
She held her hands out to him, palms towards him. "Calm down." She tried to soothe him. She'd calmed him before with her voice. "Shhhhh...Duke. It's me. The Joes were scattered. The records are misleading." She felt it a dangerous game. She was herself. But yet she wasn't the Scarlett from this world...and in a way, it was still trickery, trying to fool him. "It's me, Duke." She tried to scoot towards him. If she could just touch him, frightening as his rage was...if she could just press skin to skin. "Conrad...it's me."
He snarled and stepped back. "No it's not! You..." He pointed at her. "You died in my arms! I held you and begged you to stay. I did everything I could..." He stopped, panting. "But I couldn't save you, and you died. I buried you myself."
She didn't know what to say. She stared up at him, and caught a glimpse of madness in his eyes. She reached out again.
"Don't touch me!" He backed away, his finger on the trigger. "You're...you're..."
"Duke... Please. Let me explain. You're right. But I am too. I am Scarlett. I am. But I'm not from this world. I'm from a ...a different reality."
The blue eyes widened. He shook his head. "Bullshit. Fuck that. I don't believe in fairy tales."
"Duke...I need you. Help me get back."
He glared at her. Inside, she gathered herself for the shot. "Duke...I need you." The anger flooded out of his eyes replaced by anguish. He dropped his arm, and then shoved the handgun into his belt.
"You...you're dead." Duke grabbed his rifle and strode away from the grotto and into the forest. She heard his cry, a loud, low roar of pain. But he didn't come back. Night blanketed the woods, and he didn't return. The cold crept into the cave, creeping around the fire to where she sat huddled under the blanket. Scarlett managed to shuffle around to grab wood for the fire. She couldn't reach the venison, but she could reach his cup, and she eagerly drained it. He'd boiled bullion. She wriggled her way inside the sleeping bag and lay, staring out at the darkness for who knows how long before she dropped into a troubled sleep.
The sound of someone moving around the camp woke her. "Duke?" She blearily rubbed her eyes as she sat up. But it wasn't him. Three wolves lifted their heads to see her. All three snarled, hackles rising. "Whoa. Wait." She looked around madly for her crossbow, a rifle...something. But nothing was in her reach besides the log Duke had kicked out from under her foot. She hefted it and launched it at the biggest one, catching him in the side of the head. He yelped and jumped back, but soon returned.
Stiff-legged, the three wolves began to stalk towards her. She saw one of them glance at the venison, which had long since turned to a blackened hunk. Still better than an empty belly. Scarlett wondered if they viewed her as a threat, or a potential meal. Wolves only hunted the weak, but right now, she wasn't fit by any means.
A sudden gunshot and a bellow made the wolves wheel about, and then he was in amongst them, bellowing and shooting into the air. He managed to kick one in the side. They scattered. He stood watching them go, then whipped off his knit cap, revealing his golden hair, tied back and down to his shoulders. Duke turned to her, blue eyes glancing quickly looking her over.
"They get you?"
"No. Not, you came in time. Thank you."
He snorted and walked around the fire. He crouched to look at the blackened venison, frowning angrily. "This drew them in. I knew it would, but I figured the fire and the both of us would keep them away. 'Course, then I left." Duke pulled the spit towards him, then used his knife to carve through the tough outer layer and down to soft juicy meat. He hacked out a few pieces and put them in his mouth, chewing. A few juices dribbled into his beard as he bit off another mouthful. He looked at her as he ate. She knew that look. His face was calm, but his mind was going a mile a minute. He brandished his knife again, carved out another large hun, jammed his blade back into the deer meat, and came around to her.
"Here. Eat this. You need the calories. It's too cold to go hungry." He crouched and held it out to her.
She carefully reached out and took it, their fingertips touching. He pulled back as if stung, then lowered himself to sit a few feet from her. "Thanks." It didn't look too good, charred on one end and raw on the other. She took a bite of the rare bit, and the taste of the juice on her tongue kicked her appetite into high gear. She quickly finished the meat, licking her fingertips and then wiping them unselfconsciously on the handkerchief around her ankle.
"Thirsty?" He took his cup, noticing with raised eyebrows that she'd drained it, and went to fill it with snow. He set it next to the fire to melt, and when it was liquid, he handed it to her, watching her drain it with satisfaction.
"You came back." She handed his cup back. He sat again.
"This is my camp. I have to. You're the only thing that doesn't belong here." He pointed to where the rest of the deer hung in the tree surrounded by several other large parcels. "I have to get that back home."
"You don't live here?" She looked around the small camp.
"You think anyone could live here? What, I just live in the cold all the time, like an animal?" He grunted.
"Well, You could've fooled me." She shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. "You certainly look like one."
His hand shot up to feel his beard, and then ran over his hair. He grimaced...then a grin found its way to his lips, and he chuckled. "Yeah. Right. I've let myself go. Keeping up appearances isn't so important out here. All spit and no polish." He leaned back against the rocky grotto wall. "Try to get more sleep. We start back to the compound in the morning. It's a bit of a trek, and that Battle Bear will help, but it'll still take some time."
"You could use some yourself, I imagine." She lay back again.
"You're in my bed, Princess." He chuckled again, then reached for the blanket. With his long reach, he just managed to snag it from her. "I'll catch a little shut-eye, but those wolves may drift back around. Good thing it isn't summer. Then I'd be worried about bears."
"You...you don't think I'm a synthoid anymore."
"No." He let his head fall back.
"You believe me then? That I'm from another reality."
"I don't know what to believe. Go to sleep."
Scarlett was quiet for a bit. She listened to the familiar sound of his breathing. As he neared sleep, it would slow and deepen. The comforting cadence had often lulled her to slumber. She rolled on her side, ignoring the pain in her ankle and imagining herself cuddled up to him, head on his chest, his arm keeping her warm and close.
But that man isn't the one sitting over there. That man is a dimension away.
"How is it you now know I'm not a synthoid?"
He stirred. "You sprained your ankle. It's swelling like a motherfucker. Synthoids don't get sprains. You've got a nice hole in your shoulder, and the bandage has pretty fresh blood soaking through. Synthoids don't bleed. Whoever you are, you're not a synthoid." His voice dropped. "That doesn't mean I'm sure I can trust you, or believe your story. Cobra loves to play around with plastic surgery."
"If I was Cobra, I'd have tried to kill you by now and be done." She pointed out the very simple logic in front of them.
"I'm hard to kill." He muttered. "Scarlett could do it, though."
"I'd never want to."
He was quiet for a bit. She cold feel him looking at her. "Get some sleep."
She huddled in her sleeping bag, returning to her fantasy for comfort. She was soon asleep again.
He could see she was asleep again. He sat there, torn. Part of him distrusted the very presence of her. It was impossible for that woman to be Scarlett. He remembered the day she died vividly. It was the only time he'd ever let anyone see him break down. He'd not just begged, he'd sobbed, bawled, bargained with whomever was listening to keep her with him. For days, he'd struggled with all the medical knowledge he'd had, and it was slim, to save her. He'd sat with her around the clock, cooling her brow, giving her sips of water and broth, and feeding her the antibiotics he'd managed to pilfer the summer before. But the penicillin wasn't enough. The infection had it's hold on her, and it's grasp made her suffer. She grew weaker by the hour. He clutched her to him, but he wasn't strong enough to stop the inevitable.
When she was finally gone, he sat on the bed, still holding her to him, for hours. They'd had left him alone then, letting him hang on to her as long as he wanted. It was past sun up when he finally laid her cold body gently back on the bed, and gazed at her at her, wishing her chest would begin to rise and fall for him, till the sun sank again.
Duke looked at the woman asleep in his sleeping bag. She looked just like her. But her story was outrageous. Of all the things he'd seen, he couldn't fathom another universe. Another universe where his Scarlett still lived. Another dimension that had sent her to him. But he'd seen Gods. He'd parleyed with Osiris and ridden in Anubis' skiff. The part of his brain not flooded with distrust, a part deep down in the darkest of corners of his soul began to whirl subconsciously. The only hint he got of its musings was the strong urge to unzip the sleeping bag, climb in beside her, pull her to him and hold her close. He did his best to settle for watching her sleep, marveling in the way her chest rose and fell over and over.
She woke at the sound of him packing up camp. She rose on her elbows, grimacing as the pain washed over her left arm. The fire was out. He'd thrown dirt over the embers to extinguish them. The top of the kettle stuck out peculiarly from the dirt, the cup sitting empty on one of the stones ringing the fire. Aside from those,her sleeping bag, and his pack leaning against the cave wall, the campsite was empty. She looked outside to where he was lashing the last of the goods from the tree to the front of the Battle Bear.
He finished and tromped back to her. "It snowed again last night. Good thing. Covered up whatever tracks we left. I'm hoping if Cobra found our dead trooper, they'll think your friends did it." He pulled the kettle from the ground with a gloved hand, pouring bullion broth out into the cup and handing it to her. "Get something warm into you. I put a little of the venison in there.
"Our friends." She ignored his frown. "They're Joes. They're on your side, too."
He snorted. "We scattered after the collapse. No one came looking."
"They didn't know you were alive." She sipped at the broth. It was warm and salty, and all together satisfying. Diced venison floated in the cup, and she chewed on a few cubes, savoring the
"I didn't say it was a bad thing. Probably that's what's kept them from finding me-no one bothered. I don't like being bothered. I'd rather be left alone." He drank right from the kettle, stopping to leave enough for to pour out into her cup.
Scarlett looked into his face and realized that perhaps Conrad Hauser had been left alone for too long. She drained her cup without another word, handing it back to him. He wiped it clean and stowed it and the kettle in his pack. He came to her and unzipped the sleeping bag. He peeled off his gloves, his blue eyes scanning over her, stopping at her left arm and ankle. He crouched, and fingered both gingerly. His eyes widened as his fingertips brushed over her arm.
"It's warm."
"I'm glad some part of me is." She shivered, free of the bag's cover. The winder cold cut through her thermal gear.
"It shouldn't be." His eyes looked into hers, and she caught a hint of worry. "I've got to get you back..."
She knew he didn't mean to the sight of the skirmish. It was too late. Captured or victorious, the Joes wouldn't be there now. "Look, I need to...can you help me find a spot outside?" She blushed. He quickly figured what she meant, and helped her up and to a few bushes outside. He held her up while she adjusted her clothing, and then lowered her. "I'm good. Give me a little privacy."
He nodded and left her to relieve herself as he went back to the grotto to tow the last of their gear. She was zipped up and ready by the time he returned, pack on his back, the sleeping bag in his arms.
"I'm putting you in this. It'll keep you warm the trip back." She made no argument as he lay the unzipped bag on the ground and lowered her on it, sipping it up over her. The ache in her arm was now constant. He slid an arm under her back and one under her legs, doing his best to not jostle her ankle or arm too much as he hefted her and carried her to the snowmobile. He climbed on, settling her across him. "You'll have to hang on the best you can. Lucky we've got this. It'll make the trip shorter. If it were just me, I'd leave it. I haven't got time to mess with keeping fuel on hand. Once it runs out, I'm done with it." He wrapped his scarf over his face and started the engine . They set off.
"You can't use it?"
"Sure, it's useful. But the engine isn't exactly quiet, and I don't like to attract a lot of attention." his voice was muffled through the fabric. He adjusted his seat underneath her as they skirted along the side of a small rise. She could tell they were going deeper into the foothills. "I don't know, maybe I'll keep enough to use for emergencies. I have a motorcycle for the summer, but feet are usually good enough."
"You walked in here?" She wouldn't have been surprised. He could walk for miles carrying a heavy pack. She'd seen him do it many times.
"We rode." His face darkened.
"So why don't you ride now?" She'd knew he could ride well, spending a good amount of his childhood on a horse farm, although he'd never really demonstrated for her. Horses would have provided him company; she hadn't missed the pronoun.
"Like I said...fuel is too much of a hassle to obtain and pack in. Vehicle fuel or horse fuel. Summer was OK, but winter there wasn't enough forage. I didn't want to watch them starve." He grunted.
Scarlett didn't bother asking what he'd done to prevent that. "It must have been hard."
"It wasn't a waste of bullets. We had meat for the winter, and it saved me several hunting trips." He sighed. She couldn't read his eyes through the aviators. "I didn't shoot them all at once. Just one every so often, till we ran out of fodder. They each stood for it. They all trusted me." Scarlett's mind flashed with the image of Duke gritting his teeth as he put his rifle to a beloved mount's head. She stopped herself before he pulled the trigger.
They spent the next hour or so in silence. Scarlett's eyes hurt from the bright sun reflecting off the snow. He only had one pair of sunglasses, and he was driving. She turned to face him, for the first time seeing that his jacket had been repaired more than once. She expected the trees to thin, but instead, the woods grew thicker. He skirted the range, winding along a trail only he could see. It was a shock when they suddenly came to what seemed to be a log cabin. Two small huts stood on either side. Smoke rose lazily from the cabin's rock chimney. He thumbed off the engine and sat for a few minutes.
"I need you to promise I can trust you." He growled.
"Didn't I already say..." She shifted against him.
"I heard what you said." He quickly cut her off. Then sighed. "Your story is a good one. Right out of some science fiction novel. Then again..." He sighed... "I don't know...tell me I can trust you."
She reached up and grabbed the sunglasses, pulling them away from his face. His blue eyes flicked down to her, nervously up at the cabin, and then back to her. Scarlett looked deep within them.
"You can trust me. I promise you."
He nodded. "Good." The blue eyes froze over. "You break that, I'll shoot you myself."
The door to the cabin banged open. "Daddy!" A tiny girl dashed out, light ginger braids flying out behind her. The shock knocked any response to Duke's threat right out of Scarlett's mouth. Scarlett looked up at his face in time to see the glaciers in his eyes thaw and melt. His lips curled into an involuntary smile.
An elderly woman in a blue dress stepped out into the sun, waving a small child's jacket. "Slow down, Kit, you forgot your coat!" She managed to catch the girl on the porch and wrap the jacket around her. "I heard the engine. Did you come across a lucky find, or did you st-" She looked up to see Duke rising from the snowmobile, Scarlett in his arms. Her eyes registered surprise, and then shock as they came closer. "Oh...it's..." She shook her head clutching the girl to her. "It can't...who is this?"
He smiled down at the little girl. "Hi sweetheart! I brought you a present in my pack." Duke pushed by the woman, carrying Scarlett through the door and into the cabin's warmth. "It's Scarlett. She's hurt."
"It's infected." Duke glanced back at where she lay on the bed. "The ankle is just a sprain, but the gunshot wound is infected." He'd brought her into his downstairs bedroom on the other side of the wall from the main room, laying her on the big brass bed and wrapping her warmly. The fireplace had a hearth on either side, and the room was snug. Exhausted from the ride and her injuries, perhaps succumbing slightly to the infection, she didn't resist as they pulled her boots and socks off.
Rose had insisted on getting her out of her clothes and cleaning her up with water warmed in the big pot over the fire. She'd had to berate and shove Duke out through the door, but eventually he gave ground and went to scoop up his little girl. Katie had already found her way into his pack and pulled out the chocolate bar inside. He stopped her before she got to the book, little shoes and doll he'd swiped for her birthday, now a few weeks away. The hair ribbons and birthday candles he'd stowed in his pocket. The kid who lived in the house he'd broken in had so much, he doubted she'd miss a few tiny things. He swung the giggling girl high and planted a kiss on her cheek. She tried to unwrap the chocolate.
"After supper, Kitten." He took the bar from her.
"Now, Daddy." She reached for it. "Just a little. Just so I know it's still good."
He chuckled warmly. "It's still good. Chocolate doesn't go bad."
"We should probably taste it to be really sure. That way, we'll know." Her sincere blue eyes looked into his, and he knew she was tying her best to manipulate him. But it was hard not to give in, such a small thing, a square of chocolate, and it was the first treat he'd been able to give her for almost a year. People just didn't leave chocolate bars lying around, and he preferred not to have to break into too many houses or try to pilfer from a pharmacy.
"Maybe one square." He sat on the couch, tatters and worn fabric hidden by a heavy blanket, and kept her on his knee. She watched closely as he opened the paper and carefully unfolded the silver foil. He snapped off a square and broke it in half. "Do it this way, and it will last longer." He handed a half to her.
She solemnly took it and put it in her mouth, smiling as it melted on her tongue. "I like chocolate. We should have it all the time. I think it would be important to keep it in the cabin."
He pulled her to him to kiss the top of her head, not wanting her to see the pain on his face. There was no way he could justify keeping chocolate. What kid didn't like candy? She would never have the opportunity of gorging herself the way most kids did on Halloween, or when their Mamma's weren't looking. Much as he wanted to, he couldn't give her the simple pleasure of a candy binge, or the pain of the morning after bellyache.
Clancy came in with several of the bags from the Battle Bear, stomping the snow off his feet. "That's quite a load. Looks like you had a good run."
"Near useless. It's almost dry, I'll keep it stowed away. I guess if we need it, the fuel I stockpiled for the bike'll work." He gave Katie the second half of the chocolate square and set her down. "Managed to get the flour and sugar Rose wanted-baking soda, even , and some fruit. Apples, mostly. Frozen vegetables." The same house with the shoes and the doll had yielded treasure in the chest freezer. Duke had spent almost too much time taking it all in, trying to decide what to take. He'd have preferred cans-which would last through the summer. But that would be too heavy and bulky for him to carry back alone. He took enough to drag away though the trees, thankful he'd given in to desperation and broken into the house on the outskirts of town. He'd emptied the medicine cabinet, too. "Took a deer. We've got meat for a good while. Brought a bone or two back for broth."
Clancy nodded. "And a woman, I see." His eyebrows raised good-naturedly.
"She was hurt." Duke avoided Clancy's eyes. "She was in a tangle with a Cobra unit. Not sure what they were doing that far into the woods."
"You don't say...What kind of woman gets into a tangle with the likes of..." Clancy walked to the door of the bedroom to peer inside. He started. "But..."
Duke avoided his gaze, looking down at his daughter as he unbuttoned his coat. She laughed. "You need a bath."
He stood and shrugged his way out of the heavy coat, pulling off his hat and scarf, then sitting to kick off his boots. His socks were grimy, but he didn't want to go into his room to get one of his other two pairs. Rose would have probably stripped Scarlett by now, and was carefully helping her bathe herself and her wounds.
Deep inside, a small spark kindled a fire, the warmth of which Duke hadn't felt in a while. He tried to shove the image from his mind. "I'll get one when Rose is done with the water." He peered through the hearth, but couldn't see more than Rose's legs on the other side, stepping around the bed as she worked quietly. All he heard were soft murmurs.
"Who's the lady, Daddy?" Katie was stealthily making her way to his jacked to check the pockets. "Is she nice?"
He picked it up and hing it on the hook by the door, standing his boots up beneath it. "Someone who needed help, Kitten. She got hurt, so I brought her back." His child had seen so few other people, a new face was a pleasant novelty. He wanted to peel a few more layers from himself. But, again, there was a naked woman in his room.
The flames leapt a second time. He did his best to extinguish them.
Clancy walked back to him, hefting the sacks and packages. "I'll bring the rest in from the bike, of you both help me get this all stowed away." Duke nodded.
"Help us out, Kitten." His words caught Katie as she was curiously making her way to the bedroom door.
"OK." She sighed and followed him to the kitchen.
Rose finished wrapping Scarlett's shoulder and helped her into a night dress she'd fetched from upstairs. "It's old, but it's warm and clean. The ibuprofen will help the pain."
Scarlett accepted it gratefully. "Thank you. It's wonderful. I feel better being in something clean." She winced as she slid her left arm through the sleeve."
Rose frowned. "I'm not gonna lie. That's infected. I cleaned it as best I could, we have a little antiseptic...but it won't stop. We have a bottle of tetricyclin." She held it up, a huge pharmacist's bottle, rattling the pills inside. "Conrad managed to bring it to us his last trip out." She opened the bottle and shook a pill out. "You'd best start on these now. Your ankle will get better with rest, but you might have to fight this one." She lowered herself to the chair by the bed.
Scarlett held out her hand and took the pill, then drank from the proffered cup of water. "Thank you. For everything. Rose."
The woman stared at her for a long time, then shook her head. "It's uncanny. You look just like her."
Scarlett didn't have to ask who she was talking about. "I am her. But not from here. I know this sounds outrageous, but I stepped through a portal in another dimension. It took me here. Where I'm from, Cobra didn't win, and I'm still alive."
Rose's eyes twinkled. "Portal, huh? Like in some Twilight Zone show." She leaned back, smiling. "Why not? It's as good an explanation as any. There are lots of things I've seen happen in this world I wouldn't believe." She laughed. "I'll buy it."
Scarlett couldn't help but laugh with her. "You're the first so far."
Roses smile faded. "No, I...he would have trouble believing it. It was so hard on him. Such a terrible thing." She stared at the fire.
Scarlett reached out to cover the woman's hand. "What happened?"
Rose took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I suppose it would help to go back a bit. He found us. You and...Her and him. Clancy and I were on the road, trying to get as far away from Garrison as we could. See how far two old codgers like us can get when we put our minds to it." She laughed again, but there was no humor in it. "Clancy and me refused to tithe, spoke out...that didn't make us popular in the New Order." She shook her head. "So we ran. But our car ran out of gas in the Ozarks, and we'd eaten all we could carry and couldn't find more. Just when things seemed darkest, there they both were, on a string of horses, trying to keep out of sight. I don't recall him ever really asking if we needed help. Nor her. Both just swept us up and along. We rambled around for a bit, and then came across this place." She looked around. "In it's day, I imagine rich folk paid a pretty penny to be helicoptered out here to play mountain man and guided to shoot at whatever was in season. Well, now it works for us. No one seems to know it's here. That was five years ago. 'tweren't easy, but we made do. We got the room upstairs. We keep ourselves fed. I raise a small garden in the summer, and put up all I can. What more we needed, they'd both sneak into Piedmont to get. I never ask how. I imagine a bit of borrowing happened. We don't have any money-didn't from the beginning. It killed him to have to do it, at first. But some things go out the window when you have no other choice."
"You knew he was wanted...They both were..."
"We knew right off. Didn't care. Cobra would pee down their legs at the chance to get their hands on you both." Scarlett ignored the slip. "But it didn't matter to me one bit. We were almost in the same boat." She shrugged. "No one bothered us here. We were all happy." He eyes were lost in the past. "Oh, they were so much in love. Seems the trouble just pulled them closer together. Found comfort in one another. The way they'd look at each other." A warm smile spread over her lips. "Surprised me, really, that she didn't get pregnant sooner. I guess he didn't give up on stealing rubbers for a bit. Who knows what happened? But it only seemed to make him happier to have someone else to take care of."
Scarlett thought of the little girl. "Kit?"
"Kathleen. Katie." She nodded. "Apple of both their eyes."
"A daughter..." Scarlett mused. It was her mother's name, the name she'd sworn she would name her child the day they lowered her casket into the ground.
"There was a boy." Rose's voice was almost a whisper.
"Where..."
"It was a rough labor. Of all of us, Conrad had the most medical experience. But he'd never birthed a child, let alone two. Katie was the stronger one of the twins. He was a beautiful baby, but not strong. He didn't survive the night. Terrible thing."
Scarlett couldn't respond, she waited for Rose to gather herself and carry on.
"They named him Sebastian. He's out in the glen over yonder, where the wildflowers are thickest in spring." She pointed out the window. "They were both right torn up, but little Katie helped them find the way out, and in the end, the love kept them going. Conrad would whistle for them both as he went about his day." She dabbed at her eyes.
"They named him after his father..."
"Did they? He never talks about his own family. We've asked once or twice, but he clams right up. She was different, always telling stories of her brothers." She sighed. "They'd talk for hours. Sometimes about nothing." Rose grinned. "To see them all together made the tough times easier. I caught him sprucing himself up one evening before supper, shaving again and getting himself in order." She pointed to an old mirror hanging over the hearth. "He dragged that all the way from an abandoned house near town for her. Used it to make himself impressive for her as much as she did him... But he's different now."
"What...what happened?"
Rose rubbed her face wearily. "It was a stupid accident. Something so small. They'd gone to town for more supplies. We were watching the baby, she weren't more than seventeen months, but able to go without her mother. Shana was so happy to be able to go with him again. She loved motherhood, but she didn't like not doing her part to keep us going. She'd punctured herself on a board full of nails sneaking through one of the places just outside of town. They were there for some eggs. Just a few eggs I'd wished for. Old outbuildings...the idiot should have cared for his outbuildings better."
"Tetanus?"
"Gangrene...I'm not sure." Rose sighed. We don't get have a way of getting regular shots. He'd cleaned it as well as he could have, but the trip back gave it time to set in. He didn't have a fancy snowmobile. The horses were long gone. It's a two and a half day walk to town, and back. By the time they got here, she was poorly. We had penicillin...but it was old, or too late, or not enough. She fought it for a good while, she was strong. Looked almost like she'd licked it. It fooled us, that infection did. She was laughing with him and getting ready to jump out of bed. Overnight, it turned round and fought back." Tears streamed down her cheek. Scarlett felt one run down her own. "Man sat here for days. Right in this chair. Didn't eat much, slept less, trying to save her. The sounds he made in the end chilled me to the bone. He hung on to her all night, then refused to leave her side 'till Clancy and I badgered him into taking care of his little girl. I'm absolutely certain if it weren't for that baby, he'd have made sure he followed her. He followed Shana wherever she went. He's not the same man, now. Only joy he gets is from his little girl, and that's not the same."
"He...it must have..."
"He buried her out next to their boy. I'm not sure he didn't bury most of his heart with her."
A soft knock made them both jump. Duke stood in the doorway in a worn thick sweater and jeans, having shed his jacket and snow pants. Scarlett wondered how long he'd been there. "I hope you don't mind, but I'd kind of like to get out of all of this. Maybe scrub off some of the woods."
Rose stood. "You'll have to use another room. She can't move."
He nodded. "I can sleep on the couch...but my clothes are in here, and there's enough of the bathwater left for me to scrub myself off. I can't very well bathe in the living room, and no one wants me to stay like this." He wrinkled his nose.
Rose glanced at Scarlett who smiled back. "It's OK, I'll close my eyes."
The old woman shrugged and walked out. Duke picked up the damp cloth and went back to the pot hanging on the hob near the fire. "In the summer, we just wash in the river. I'd love to get an old tub up here."
"Does everyone bathe in this room?" Scarlett could tell they were living pretty rustically.
"No. Believe it or not, I lucked us into one Hell of a fireplace." He went to the wooden dresser and pulled out a clean flannel shirt and what looked to be his old tactical pants. "The two rooms upstairs have the same arrangement. Rose, Clancy and Katie have their own hearth, and we rigged up another hob and pot up there. Everyone has privacy. 'Course, Rose or I wash Katie. Clancy and I have no problem getting enough wood stacked up to keep us going all winter, long as we don't get greedy about the heat. We did the best we could to insulate this place and plug up all the cracks." He slid his sweater off over his head and tossed it on the chair, starting to undo the buttons. It was his old uniform shirt, mended in several places. It came off, revealing no undershirt, but plenty of hard muscle, covered with a light down of golden body hair. Scarlett mused that the work of survival kept him in shape, and he obviously was finding enough meat to keep himself going. She caught herself admiring the way the muscles moved under his skin and quickly looked to the window. Only then did she realize he had discarded his dog tags. Duke never took them off, not even in bed.
He tested the water, apparently deemed it perfect, and leaned over to splash his face and head, using the soap to scrub his skin, his hair, and finally his beard. He rinsed, then dipped and wrung the rag to soap up his torso, his back to her. Scarlett couldn't help but look back. To her surprise, she saw all his tattoos were reversed. The rabbit kit and birds had swapped to opposite flanks, and the wolf crept across the wrong shoulder blade. She could see the Special forces tattoo on the wrong arm. She leaned a little to see it better. She caught him eyeing her curiously in the mirror over the hearth. It hung as enough of an angle that she could see his ablutions. "How do you feel?" He scrubbed at himself unselfconsciously.
"Tired, mostly. A little achey. Rose gave me some ibuprofen as well as the tetricyclin. They'll both help. As much as I know you hate pills, I'm loving them right now." She smiled at his reflection. "Thank you for asking...and...for everything."
He looked down at himself, avoiding her eyes. "Yeah. I got that big bottle a few years back. Worth the effort, though we haven't needed it much. I figure we keep you on the pills for two weeks, you'll be OK." He dipped the rag again, wrung it out, and rinsed the soap off. He dropped the cloth in the pot and started loosening his belt, looking at her in the mirror again. "I may not be wild about pills, but I'm crazy about what they'll do for you." He slid his belt from his pants and started undoing the buttons of his fly, eyes still on her in the mirror. He'd gotten to the third one before Scarlett realized he had no underwear and turned away, blushing. "Honestly, woman, it isn't as if you haven't seen..." She heard the intake of breath as he caught himself. "...A... man before. Wait, that's not really proper...Look...or don't look, I mean...if you'd excuse me for a bit, I'll be done in a second."
Scarlett kept her eyes averted, listening to the rustle of fabric as he pulled off his jeans. She heard the water trickling back into the pot as he wrung the cloth again. A minute or two, and she heard him shake out his clean pants and slip them on.
"Ok. It's safe." She looked back to see him buttoning up his flannel shirt. He slipped his belt through the loops and buckled it. Then he grinned sheepishly at her through his beard as he ran his fingers through his still wet shoulder-length hair. "I forgot myself there. It's easier to go commando than to worry about clean underwear. The one pair I had and two I, uh, borrowed-they sort of were more trouble than they were worth. I have a set of longjohns...somewhere." He glanced around the room. He walked to his dresser and found a comb, doing his best to work it through the snags. Eventually, most were worked out. "Gotta dry before I tie it out of my face."
"Yeah, long hair can be a pain." She laughed. "I should know. Mine is a mess, I'm sure." She knew she was going to have a battle on her hands the next time she tried to brush out her ponytail. A delicious scent suddenly wafted into the room. Her mouth watered.
He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Looks pretty good to me." She watched his eyes wander over her. Something flashed in their depths. Her stomach growled. He stood, suddenly, tearing his eyes away. "I bet you're hungry. I can smell supper. Rose is a good cook, and she always does a bit extra the night I come back from a...from an excursion."
The little girl appeared in the doorway, shyly looking in. "Daddy? Can you read me the story?"
Scarlet saw Duke's face melt into love. "Kitten, it's nearly supper. I'm talking to this lady." He looked at Scarlett, then back at his child. "This is Miss O'Hara, Kit. Remember how Rose said we should treat new people?"
The girl took a few steps forward. Scarlett saw curiosity in her blue eyes and a tattered children's book in her hand. "I've never met someone new..."
"Come here, Kitten, it's OK." Duke's face was a mix of amusement and pity. He dropped his voice so only Scarlett heard. "She's known five people, all her life. Dammit."
"Five?" Scarlett counted in her head. It didn't add up.
"Me, Rose, Clancy, her mother and her brother." He cracked his knuckles and then opened his arm as the girl came to jump into his lap.
"Duke! Does she remember..."
"Of course not...I don't think. But she had a year and a half with her, almost. That's knowing someone." He kissed his daughter's head, but his eyes were angry. Scarlett didn't dare ask about her brother. "Kit, it's right to introduce yourself to someone new." Duke urged his child.
The girl smiled at Scarlett. "Hi! My name's Kathleen!" She held out a small hand. Scarlett took it, and gave it a few light shakes.
"Hello, Kathleen. That was my mother's name..." Scarlett saw Duke quickly look away.
"Really? Daddy said it was my Grandma's name."
"It's a very pretty name." Scarlett smiled and let go of the girl's hand. Close up, she could see the girl had her father's eyes and her own chin. Her hair was closer to her brother Sean's; a hint of a ginger tinge rather than her own dark red. The little girl beamed, her whole face lit up. "You're a very pretty little girl."
"Thanks!" Kathleen shuffled in her father's lap to get a better view. "Rose says mommy was beautiful. I bet she was the most beautiful woman alive. We don't have any pictures, so I drew some." She suddenly jumped down from Duke's lap and rushed off. Scarlett could hear feet pounding up stairs. She looked at Duke, who was gazing out the window in the direction of the glade Rose had pointed out.
"You don't tell her about her mother?"
"A little. Rose does a better job." He didn't face her. His voice was shaky.
"She should know..."
"She does. I told her you were beautiful, and kind, and strong. I told her I loved you more than anything I've ever loved." His voice broke. He looked down at the floor. "I just can't...it's hard to talk about you. I miss you."
I'm not her... Scarlett couldn't say it aloud.
The pounding of feet announced the child's return. She carried with her three pieces of paper. Scarlett could see some form of printing on one side. Katie jumped on the bed and pulled herself close. "Look! See? I drew Mommy." She held up one of the dog-eared papers to reveal a huge smiling face topped with a thatch of red hair. "And this!" The second paper showed two enormously tall oblong figures with stick arms and legs, holding hands. Both were smiling toothfully. One had blond hair and a beard to his chest, the other had a red ponytail coming from the back of her head. Next to them, a small round figure with crazy orange hair, arms above her head. Her smile was the biggest. Tiny hearts surrounded them all. "That's Daddy and Mommy. There's me!"
"There you are!" Scarlett smiled. "That's a very good picture! You're really an artist."
The girl nodded. "Rose says so. She's teaching me to draw. It's hard, because sometimes we run out of paper, and I'm missing some colors. She's teaching me a lot. Math and reading and history and science and-"
"I used to be a teacher." Rose stood in the doorway, in an old apron. "Did it for forty years before I stopped." She looked at all three of them in turn. Scarlett saw concern cloud her face when she looked to Duke. "Supper will be a little bit. It takes longer on that old wood stove."
"It smells delicious." It did. Scarlett had felt her stomach rumbling for the last several minutes, even though the weariness threatened to drive the hunger away.
"Hey!" Katie patted Scarlett's arm lightly. "You didn't see the last one!" She held up her final picture, showing a red headed woman in a long, triangular purple dress, floating in the air, surrounded by yellow stars and hearts. She wore some sort of crown. "See? Mommy's in the sky. She watches over us. Your hair is almost like hers. Isn't it Daddy?"
Duke turned back to them. "Yes. Yes it is, Kitten. Very close. Mommy had gorgeous hair."
"Miss O'Hara's hair is really pretty."
"It is." Duke nodded. "Should I read you the story now?"
"Yes please!" Kathleen crawled back to snuggle against him.
"You just have time." Rose nodded to herself and turned back to go to the kitchen. "As long as she doesn't make you repeat her favorite parts."
Duke picked up the well-read hardcover book from the bed,opening it to the first page. "No repeats, then, Kitten."
"Fine...read." She commanded.
"Yes Ma'am." Duke cleared his throat as she nuzzled up under his beard. "Frog ran up the path to Toad's house. He knocked on the front door. There was no answer. 'Toad, toad' shouted frog..." Duke's voice fell into the Kermit the Frog imitation he'd used to make her laugh on more than one occasion. With her it had been a slightly racier topic. He did a good Horny Yoda, too.
" 'Wake up! It's Spring...' "
Scarlett let her head fall back against the pillows and closed her eyes, listening to the comforting deep purr of his voice. Sleep soon washed over her.
Duke closed the book and kissed his daughter. "There, Kitten. Go wash up for supper." She slid off his lap and ran to the basin, splashing, soaping, and then shaking her hands dry. "Good. Go see if you can help Rose, now."
"Ok Daddy." Kathleen was whispering. She carefully tiptoed by him and out the door. Duke turned to find Scarlett had fallen asleep again. He found it amusing, but he knew it was probably the best thing to help her heal and fight off the infection that was trying to take hold. He glanced to Katie's drawings, lying scattered over the quilt, his eyes settling on the one of them as a family. He picked it up and looked closely. It had always hurt him she hadn't drawn her brother. He'd assumed twins had a magic bond of some sort. But she thought of Sebastian the same way she thought of George Washington and Robert Kennedy; a part of history. He looked at the two childishly drawn clasped hands, and the three big smiles. Then his eyes floated up to stare at the woman lying in his bed. He chest rose and fell, rose and fell as she slept.
"Daddy! Supper!"
Duke stood, gathering the drawings together, and went to the kitchen.
Scarlett woke at the sound of someone setting a plate down on the small bedside table. As the darkened room came into focus, she made out Rose lighting an old lantern next to her, then going around the room to light a few candles. Most of the light and warmth in the room seemed to come from the fire. Duke stood in front of it, his back to her, rubbing his hands together.
Rose came back to the bed and smiled at her. "I'm sorry it's so dark. There's a generator, but fuel is something we save around here for emergencies. The lantern is a splurge, really. Took me a while, but I got the knack of candlemakeing. We got lucky with a few of the hives this year. Most winter nights we sit by the fire with a big one. But we get to bed pretty early around here."
"You keep bees?" Scarlett was impressed.
"Clancy does. Clancy always did. Believe it or not, the hives were already up here. He was the happiest man in the world when we stumbled across them. They'd gone a bit wild from neglect, but he put them to rights. We get a good bit of honey, too...but it's not the same for baking..." She sighed. "I can make it work, but that sugar Conrad brought up is a treat and a blessing. We'll have birthday cake yet."
"Hush on that." Duke turned, smiling. "Katie doesn't know." He looked at Scarlett. "Feel like supper?"
Scarlett propped herself up, wincing at the ache in her arm, and looked at the plate next to her. A slab of meat took up a third. Then a sweet potato and green beans covered the rest. Her stomach grumbled, and she remembered her last meal had been the broth and venison cubes, hours ago. "Please."
Rose handed her the plate and a fork. Scarlett noticed the ceramic was a bit chipped around the edges. She took a forkful of the green beans, chewing and swallowing. Her appetite ramped up at the taste, and she helped herself to a hurried bite of potato. "It's delicious! From your garden?"
Rose beamed. "The potato is. Can't live without a good sweet potato. The green beans came in with you two." She aimed her smile at Duke, then back to Scarlett. "Frozen, yes, but enough to last a bit. They'll stay just as frozen out in our little outdoor refrigerator as they would someone's freezer. The little one needs to eat right, as much as we can provide for her. No one would begrudge us a few bags of vegetables."
Duke's face looked troubled. He reached up to rub the back of his neck. When his eyes found Scarlett's, she saw shame. He turned back to stare into the fire. Scarlett wasn't the only one to see his reaction. Rose walked up behind him and rubbed his back. "You do good for us. You do what you need to, to keep us going, and it doesn't hurt anyone." Duke didn't turn. Rose sighed, then smiled again at Scarlett. "Well, I'll leave you to your supper."
Scarlett watched Duke. He clenched his hands into fists a few times, then let them relax. A loud crack came from the fire, and the logs shifted and settled. He crouched down to throw another small one on, then stayed there on the balls of his feet, back to her. She looked at his hair. Long, tied back with some sort of leather strip. Duke had always hated his hair growing too long; sentiment left over from his troubles coming home after Vietnam. Generally, it fluctuated between a buzzcut and basic short back and sides. He never let his beard grow if he could help it, decrying them as messy and annoying- preferring to stick to Army grooming regulations even if they were relaxed. More than one morning after they'd sent a night together, she'd enjoyed watching him carefully shave, caressing his cheeks afterwards. A few times, he'd playfully rubbed them against hers, than held her and slid them down...
Scarlett stopped herself. That wasn't this Duke. Her Duke was back home...probably wondering where she was. Worrying.
The man in front of the fire-the man who was Duke and yet who wasn't, sighed heavily. "You're not eating." He didn't look at her. "Don't you like venison anymore? For most people, it's fancy chow. We're pretty ritzy-we get it all the time."
Scarlett laughed, even though she knew the sarcasm was dark. "I can't really balance the plate on my knees well enough to cut it." She grabbed the knife Rose had left on the bedside table and tries, but it was too difficult. She put the plate back down on the table's flat surface, but rolling to her side hurt her arm too much. She looked back to the fire to see Duke watching her.
"Here." He stood, and came to her, gently taking the knife and fork from her hands to cut the meat into bite sized pieces. "I do this for the kid." He used the knife to cut the potato open slightly wider. "Had to make her eat the green beans. But, we don't come upon them enough to waste them...I'm not about to go into someone's house every trip." He stopped short, and then handed her the plate.
She put her hand on his arm. "Hey. You do what you have to. No one would judge you. It can't be easy, keeping on going up here. You're as good a provider as you can be. You take care of that nice couple. You take care of your child. I don't know a man who wouldn't do whatever he had to-to keep his child fed."
He was staring at her hand on his bare forearm. She hadn't even noticed, but he'd rolled his shirtsleeves partway up, as was his habit. His arm felt strong as ever. She watched his eyes go from her hand, over her arm and to her face. "I never thought it would come to this." His voice was low, quiet. "I never thought I'd have to...break in to good people's houses. I never wanted to steal." He pulled over the wooden chair and lowered himself into it, resting his elbows on his knees to her could run his fingers through his hair. "You thought we'd make do until it all blew over. Until..." He looked at her again. "Well, that never happened, did it?" He leaned over, lifted the plate, and handed it back to her. "You need to eat supper. You haven't had enough. I've got another antibiotic for you, too."
Scarlett could see from his face that he wanted the topic closed, that look was not unfamiliar to her, and usually, she'd respect it. But not now. She ate a bite of meat, and then cleared her throat. "I don't think badly of you." She put her hand on his arm again. "You're a good man. Doing what you have to to survive, and helping other people who need you...That's the mark of a good man."
His eyes met hers again, the same spark down deep she'd seen before flashing at her. Neither of them spoke. Slowly, his eyes still on hers, he sat up and leaned back in the chair. His arm slid from under her fingers till her palm was on the back of his hand. His eyes flicked down to the plate.
"Please eat." He urged with a gentle voice. "You need the strength."
"Daddy? Rose says I have to go to bed now." Katie stood in the door in a long t-shirt. Duke shifted and held out his arms to her, and she came and climbed into them. He held her tightly and kissed her loudly. She giggled, and then wriggled around to smile at Scarlett. "You're eating? Do you like green beans?"
"Sure." Scarlett took and extra-large mouthful. She chewed slowly and swallowed. "Mmmm. I feel stronger already. I eat a lot of green beans."
Katie looked unconvinced.
Duke laughed. "There's no playing games with Kit. She's too sharp." He raspberried her cheek, making her laugh again and then stood, holding her. "Say goodnight to Miss O'Hara, Kitten."
" 'Night." The tiny girl waved. "Feel better."
"Thanks. Good night." Scarlett raised a hand and wiggled her fingers.
"OK, Let's get you up and snug under some warm covers." Duke glanced at Scarlett. "Back in a bit." She nodded, and he swept out the door. Scarlett listened to their chatter as they went. "You brush your teeth?"
"Yes. You brought toothpaste. Clancy said three tubes."
"I did." Duke's voice grew a little fainter. "But don't you go eating it. It's got to last longer this time." His boots softly bumped up stairs somewhere. Scarlett heard a few creaks overhead. Her stomach growled, and she turned her attention to her plate. It was clean by the time he came back, shaking something in one hand. His other held a cup.
"Here, your second dose of the day. I figure three times a day and you'll be fine."
Scarlett opened her palm to accept the pills. She took them into her mouth and accepted the glass of water he offered. He sat down again. Rose bustled in behind him, leading a stooped man with a ring of white hair behind her.
"Now see? You haven't met Clancy!" She glared over her shoulder at the man, who smiled jovially. "Where are your manners? I swear."
Clancy shook his head and winked at Scarlett. "Well, I'm Clancy, I guess you've figured by now." He was thin, a little bent, but he looked lively and reasonably strong. He stood about five foot ten, and would have been close to six feet in his youth. His brown eyes were warm. He shook his head again. "Don't that beat all. Spitting image."
"Hello, Clancy." Scarlett held out her hand, and he shook happily.
"Pardon me for asking, but what do you want me to call you?"
"Scarlett's fine." She had noticed that Rose usually referred to this world's woman as 'Shana'. Her code name suited her just fine, and she figured it would be easier for the others to swallow.
"Scarlett it is, then. I doubt either one of these two has mentioned it, but when you need it, there's a po' under the bed there. Let's just make sure it's within reach, hey?" He crouched under the bed and pulled out a large old-fashioned chamber pot. Scarlett blushed, but she appreciated his candor. She'd been wondering what to do. Clancy grinned. "We've got a latrine outside, but you don't need to be going out into the cold right now." He turned to his wife. "Woman, go and get a cloth or two. She's needing one for herself and the other to cover the po'."
"Land sakes, quit ordering me around." Rose lightly hit his shoulder and went out, soon returning with two long linen squares Scarlett assumed they had been cut down from something bigger and hemmed. Perhaps a bedsheet. Rose draped them over the bedpan, which Clancy had set on the corner of the mattress. She didn't need to ask the purpose of either.
Clancy beamed. "All set then!" He glanced at each person in turn. Rose was smiling softly. Duke had turned to stare again into the fire. "Right. Time for bed. Goodnight, Miss Scarlett. I'll see you in the morning." He slapped her leg and chuckled, quickly turning and leaving for bed.
"Goodnight!" Scarlett called to his retreating back. She already liked him a lot. He was cheerful, and honest. She assumed that with Clancy, what you saw was what you got.
Rose sat on the bed and looked Scarlett over. "You've taken the next dose?"
"Yes"
"Good. All you need is plenty of rest and good food, and that medicine. We'll soon put you to rights." She turned her gaze to Duke's back. "Conrad, I've put a few blankets out by the couch. And a pillow-I don't need two."
Duke grunted.
"What's that? I didn't hear you." Rose cupped her ear.
"Thank you, Rose." He turned back to face them.
"You're welcome. Goodnight, Scarlett. Conrad, goodnight."
They both wished her goodnight, and she stood and swept from the room. Duke watched her go.
"She's a good woman. She does a lot for Kit. So does Clancy." He rubbed his hands together; the night was growing cold.
Scarlett cocked her head and grinned. "They do a lot for you, I'm thinking."
He stared at her, then nodded slowly. "They do. Yes...they do." He spun in the chair so he was facing her again. "You need to sleep. As much as you can, really. I'm not going to lie; this'll more than a few days."
"I have to get back on my feet as soon as I can. I need to get back to the others. My mission is far from over." Scarlett thought about what Duke was thinking back home. She thought about her father. About Frank, Brian and Sean, her niece and nephew, and her sisters in law. Her friends. She had to get back home.
"You're no good to anyone right now." He shook his head. "Maybe you don't want to hear that, but it's true. You need to heal."
"When I'm stronger, we'll plan it out." She felt like she was giving in, but figured she'd press the issue when she had a literal leg to stand on.
"Hmmm." He leaned forward in the chair. "Just rest for now."
"Right. I'm sorry to take your bed."
Duke shrugged. "I've shared it before." He stood, gathering up her plate, and walked around the room to blow out the candles. "The couch isn't too bad, if I keep my knees bent. The fire'll die down, but you'll keep warm under the covers, and I'll stoke it tomorrow morning." He lifted the lantern in his free hand. "Goodnight, Scarlett."
"Goodnight, Duke."
He left the room, taking all but the firelight with him. She heard him walk to the kitchen and then back to the main room. Scarlett listened to him through the hearth, preparing the couch for his bed. She closed her eyes. It almost scared her, how familiar the sounds were...how well she knew exactly what he would do to get comfortable in the small space; she'd seen him bed down in a variety of terrains many times; he always followed the same routine. She knew it by heart.
Soon, the cabin was quiet, except for the crackling of the fire. Scarlett felt warm enough, that was for sure. Her arm and ankle ached a bit, but not too badly. Hard as it was, she resigned herself to healing and gave in to being cared for. She closed her eyes and let sleep wash over her again.
When she woke, skin blazing, in a pool of sweat, it was as if her mind had been cut free from lucidity, free from her own body. She drifted, then slammed back into herself, then drifted again.
"Dammit, she's burning up. Get me some snow. We'll pack her in it..."
She floated again.
"Hold her still, I need to get some broth into her..."
"Get that pill down her throat, I don't care how!"
She came clear for a minute, to see Duke sitting on the mattress, clutching her hand. He wiped her skin from head to toe with a wet cloth that felt like ice on her blazing skin.
"Stay with me, Scarlett. Fight this. You're too stubborn to let go now..."
