Disclaimer: The Last Ship belongs to TNT
AN: I admit it right now I despise the thought of Tex/Rachel with every fiber of my being, but this story has been screaming to get out for a long time so my muse finally allowed it to be written.
The sky was currently the color of pink and purple and the sun was low on the horizon.
In the old days watching a sunset on a navy destroyer was an amazing sight, it still would be if his mood wasn't so bleak.
Tom Chandler let out a sigh as he leaned against the wall and let out a ragged sigh.
His body felt beaten and his soul didn't feel much better.
The Chosen had struck again everything they had worked for in Florida had literally been destroyed in minutes.
The Chosen were a group of people who were immune to the virus, and believed it was their destiny to inherit the earth.
Some days he wasn't sure who were the worst; the Chosen, or the Russians who had once tormented them.
For six months the crew of the Nathan James had worked to distribute the cure, many times they were knocked back to where they had started.
Tom decided to go to his quarters but as he walked he came across two people in an embrace.
The women lifted her head as the man leaned down to kiss her forehead.
It was Tex and Rachel.
Tom went behind a wall so they wouldn't know he was there, Rachel looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and Tex trying to comfort her.
Tom managed to leave quietly down the hall in the opposite direction, he had discovered their relationship two months ago, and frankly he never thought someone as serious as Rachel could go for a free spirit like Tex.
You had your chance, His mind told him sarcastically, but you blew it.
There had been a spark from the moment they first laid eyes on each other, but he had been married at that time and devoted to his wife.
But the weeks spent at sea to find and create the cure had forged a bond neither had ever expected or had ever shared with another living soul.
Tom reached his office and after shutting his door sank into the chair, Darien had fallen victim to the virus and died just before their return.
He still missed her, thought about her, and still cried for her, but the wounds were slowly healing.
His thoughts then turned to Rachel, he tried to think of her as only Doctor Scott but these months of emotional turmoil had brought them even closer, the tension was thick even though they had done their best to ignore it.
Then he thought about three months ago how the Chosen had destroyed the lab they were using on land and their work was gone.
He had never been a man who turned to alcohol to make him forget everything but that night he had done so.
He remembered Rachel found him and tried to get him to leave.
He had been enraged and screamed at her, "None of this would be happening if you somehow found the cure sooner, my wife would still be alive!"
He remembered her hurt look, and then how her face hardened, "Fine go ahead and keep on drinking yourself stupid."
It had been Burke who found him later and brought him back to the ship, that night had been horrible and embarrassing, from that day he made sure to stay far away from liquor.
A knock came and Tom tiredly said, "Come in."
Commander Slattery came in, "We'll be arriving at Houston in two days."
"Thanks Mike." He replied.
"Is something wrong?" Slattery asked.
"I want her to be happy but I can't stand the thought that it's him she's with."
Slattery didn't need to ask whom he was talking about, "I'm speaking as a friend when I say she's with him because she thinks she can never have you. She's lonely and needs someone to be there."
"Mike there's no way she could feel that way after everything, especially that night..."
"You were drunk and hurting, people say and do things they normally wouldn't, she knows it wasn't you."
"Mike..."
"I see her looking at you still, I've seen the longing on her face, and frankly I don't see her and Tex as long term."
Mike handed him the briefing folder of everything that had happened on the ship for that day.
"Just think about what I've said Tom, we all deserve happiness wherever we can find it."
Mike shut the door behind him and Tom was alone again.
He wasn't going to interfere in someone's relationship based on someone's guesses.
He'd had plenty of opportunities in the past and he had allowed them to slip away.
He stood up, he needed to get out of this hole he was in and concentrate on running his ship.
AN2: So can't wait for more Rachel/Tom moments throughout the season and Eric gave an interview in TV guide a couple of weeks ago that says we have a lot to look forward to especially in episode 8.