Author's note. These stories were written before I had got a serious grasp of the complexities of the character of Ed Straker. Please forgive me. Archived here after reconsideration. All stories/art work etc available on my website: Lightcudder's World

Prologue

It was finished at last. The final detail, the final stitches in place. Now all that was left was to write the card, wrap it up and deliver it. Everything else had been organised weeks ago, but this last touch, this indication of things to come had taken longer to complete than anticipated. But it was done. Finally.

With a sigh of relief tinged with regret, the embroiderer carefully cut off the last thread, put the needle away in the holder, tidied up the scraps of cotton, the pins and the scissors. A tear trickled slowly down one cheek and was wiped away. Now it was a matter of waiting.

For Valentine's Day

Chapter 1

'When is the Lunar Shuttle due to position for Earth orbit?' the speaker entered the Control room quietly, but his voice was alert and authoritative.

'In one hour Commander, and re-entry manoeuvres will commence fifteen minutes after that.' Keith Ford turned in his seat to pass the information to the man who had asked.

'Very well. I want full tracking on all sectors for the next ninety minutes, until it's entered Earth's atmosphere and is approaching touch-down. We've had too many attacks on returning shuttles in the last few weeks to be complacent about any trip.' He turned on his heel and let the room, heading back to the seclusion and silence of his office. He had plenty to do, everyday mundane paperwork, transcripts to read, plans to approve and training schedules to organise. It had been a long, hard fortnight, and he was ready for a break. He was ready to have her home, if the truth were to be told.

And she would be home shortly. On the Lunar Shuttle. Tonight. Smiling to himself he sat down behind his desk and began on the first of the folders.

'Control to Commander Straker.'

He sighed and put down his pen. 'Straker.'

'Deep Space Probe 34 reports possible UFO on bearing GF36. Not able to give a positive track as yet.' Keith Ford waited for the reply, anticipating Straker's answer.

'Damn.'

Yes, thought Keith; right again. I should set up business as a fortune teller.

'I'm on my way.' Straker stood up, pushing the unfinished paper work aside, and headed out into the busy control room.

'Okay Keith, let's see it.' the voice was not so alert now. Keith could hear the undercurrent of weariness and exasperation in the commander's tone. And who could blame him? This had been the pattern for the last five Lunar flights from Moonbase. With three attacks on the shuttles, SHADO was taking no chances with any future flights.

Straker examined the data sheet that Ford passed over to him. 'Yes, it's too soon to tell if this is another UFO or simply an aberrant asteroid. Better to be safe than sorry though. Alert Moonbase and tell the Commander to get the Interceptors launched so that they can escort the Shuttle into Low Earth Orbit. It will slow the Shuttle down, but it's the only option until we can confirm exactly what this signal is. It will mean the passengers will be hanging around for a while, but that is preferable to getting hit by a UFO. At least they will be under the protection of the Interceptors for most of the journey. Once they begin re-entry they are sitting ducks, blind and helpless.' He grimaced as he realised that it also meant that she would not be back as soon as he had hoped.

Still, better late than never. He remained in the Control room, supervising the operation, until the results came through, a long, weary three hours later. Nothing to report. No UFO, no incursion. Another false alarm.

'Contact the shuttle and give them the all-clear to resume the re-entry, Ford,' the commander instructed his communications chief. 'I'm going home now. Call me if you have any problems.' and he headed out, tired and jaded after yet another false alarm.

He wondered how the aliens deliberately created these bogus alerts; if they were really aware how disconcerting and demanding each incident was. SHADO staff had the training to deal with serious attacks by the enemy, but these will o' the wisp, ghost traces, were deeply disturbing and left people feeling vulnerable and on edge. There was always the sense that the aliens were playing with them somehow.

Anyway, it was over and he was on his way home. He hoped he would still be awake when she got back, but it was highly unlikely. He was just too bloody tired.

Later that night, in their bed, alone, awake, he tried to focus on the report he was reading, but it dropped from his hands as his eyes closed, and, without realising, he drifted asleep.

Presently the bedroom door opened and she peered in, quietly, knowing what to expect.

He was asleep. Deeply asleep. With tousled hair, eyes dark rimmed with tiredness, his hands relaxed on top of the covers, the report he had been reading on the floor, its papers in disarray. She knew he was exhausted, but it was hard, hard coming back and not having him awake to welcome her. His bare shoulders were cold and she tucked the covers around him relishing the touch of his skin under her hand. He stirred slightly, and she thought for one moment that he might wake but no, he snuggled under the cover, smiling at some unknown dream.

She ached for the caress of his hands, his kiss, his warmth against her body. She had been away too long. The return trip had been difficult, and she was tired and stiff. A bath. That's what she really needed, to ease her aching muscles and wash away the smell of Moonbase. Not that Moonbase actually smelled of anything other than sterility. That peculiar non-smell of nothingness. Recycled air that had had all the life, all the memories, taken out of it.

Apart from Central Park however. There the air was redolent with the fragrance of damp soil and flowers. But it didn't last long. Scrubbed and purified by the recycling system, the soft reminder of Earth's richness was soon just a faint memory.

She had been inordinately relieved to get back onto the Lunar shuttle with the Earthbound pilots who had been on duty for over two months. She didn't know how they could stand it, being cooped up in the domes for that length of time. The scant fortnight she had spent in there, auditing the security and upgrading the systems, was long enough.

And then the flight had been delayed for three hours, hence her sleeping partner. She knew he would have tried to stay awake to greet her, but he had probably just drifted off without realising it. Good. He didn't get enough rest as it was.

She headed for the outer bathroom, not the ensuite, unwilling to wake him. Relaxing in the hot, deep bath felt wonderful; no bath foam or bubbles for her, just the prescribed bath oil to relieve the dryness of a body that had been in Moonbase's arid atmosphere for too long. Smooth and soft, the oil eased and soothed her parched skin.

She closed her eyes, almost drifting to sleep herself in the soothing steam and blissful comfort. No; she had to stay awake. She soaked a flannel in the soft water, laying it, dripping over her face, the heat refreshing her. She leaned back, serene and relaxed.

That was what was missing from Moonbase. Hot baths. Oh yes they had showers, brief, water restricted showers that simply cleaned you up and left you smelling, like the air, of nothing at all, but everyone needed a bath a times. To wallow in, to soak in, to dream in. To share. A memory surfaced; and she smiled to herself, recollecting, remembering. But no, she was alone and the water was gradually cooling.

Enough. Time to get out and go and join him. The bath sheet, warm and thick, encased her in its comfort, but it was not the same. Not the same as strong arms holding her, wrapping around her.

She slipped into bed next to him, her lover, her partner, her commander. She could never think of him as simply her fiancé; he was so much more to her than that. She remembered that night when they had made love for the first time, that night after he had executed the two traitors. His touch, his caress, his gentleness, his passion. His expression afterwards, as if he was afraid that she would despise him for his weakness in breaking down in front of her. His eyes, watching her in wonderment as she lay there, facing him, holding him, and told him that she loved him even more.

She had moved into his apartment, and into his bed, the day afterwards. And now they were engaged. There were times when she almost felt as if it was a dream, to be engaged to this man, to be planning their wedding, but no, the ring on her finger was all the reminder that she needed. A natural blue solitaire diamond. She had chosen it because it matched the colour of his eyes, exactly. Those vivid blue eyes that had stared into hers, so intently, on that day when she had realised that she had fallen in love with him. She remembered that moment so vividly.

And watching him now, she still felt the same way, still had that same heart pounding sensation when she looked at him, sleeping, his eyes closed and still, his lips very slightly parted as if he was about to kiss her, the gentle, even pulse of life beating just below his jawline. It was so tempting to wake him, and she knew that he would not mind if she did, in fact he would be glad. But he was tired, and it would have been selfish of her.

She kissed him; not enough to wake him, just enough to have the touch of his lips on hers. It would have to do, for now. She sighed, snuggled down and fell asleep, her arms reaching out to him even as her eyes closed.

Straker was awake before his alarm call. Lying there, her arm over his chest, her hand warm on his skin, her head on his shoulder, feeling her breath on his skin. Her legs entwined with his. He stroked her hair, gently, smoothing it away from her eyes, but carefully so as not to wake her. He had missed her more than he could ever have thought possible and had spent too many hours over the past couple of weeks at work, unwilling to come back to face the emptiness of the apartment.

There was a tang of regret that he had not been awake when she arrived, but he had been working for over twenty hours on the go and simply had been too tired to stay awake. He would make it up to her tonight. He smiled to himself, kissed her gently on her forehead and then tucked the covers around her to keep her warm, before waking from his half-sleepy desire for her with a brisk shower.