Chapter Two

"Hello Miss Fields," Lee greeted, entering Harry's outer office.

"Hello Captain Crane," she returned. "Please call me Angie," she invited professionally.

"Very well," Lee replied, understanding that Angie was a vital team member at the Nelson Institute and as such worked closely with the trio of officers that made up the Command Team. "If you'll call me Lee," he offered.

"You're sure?" she asked.

He smiled, already knowing she and Chip were on a professional first name basis, though she respectfully still addressed Nelson by his title.

She saw his permission in his expressive eyes and responded with a professional smile.

"Of course, and thank you. The Admiral should be with you in a moment, he took a call that's taking longer than expected."

Lee nodded and sat down, opening his folder and reading over the suggestions he was planning on presenting to Nelson.

Angie continued working, while watching the indicator light on her phone system. The light blinked off, so she reached for her phone receiver to privately use the intercom.

"Admiral, Captain Crane is here for your 10:30 appointment." She nodded silently as he responded and hung up the receiver.

"You can go in now, Lee."

"Thanks Angie," he returned as he entered in and closed the door behind him.

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With the first half of their meeting complete, Lee passed over the folder with the suggestions to improve safety, security and productivity aboard Seaview. The Admiral read over the pages with interest, his eyebrows rising ever so often as Lee waited patiently.

"Hmmm," Harry pondered thoughtfully and closed the folder in front of him. "Well it appears you put a great deal of thought into your suggestions, Lee."

Lee wasn't quite sure how to read the Admiral. They had worked together well on their first mission in the Arctic, and he had previously worked under Nelson for a short time aboard the Nautilus. Still he was well aware that he was the new Captain in town, despite the Admiral's obvious pulling of strings to win his appointment to Seaview.

"Aye Sir," he replied with an easy smile. "I worked on it in the evenings while at Norfolk."

He still wasn't sure what Nelson was thinking and wondered if he'd over stepped his boundaries. Normally as Captain of the Boat he didn't have to run his efficiency improvements past an Admiral. He was wading through the new dynamics of working at NIMR and having an Admiral aboard, much less the fact that said admiral was the boat's designer.

"Relax Lee," Harry returned, sitting back in his chair and noting his reticence. "I agree with almost all of your suggestions."

Lee sat forward, curious as to the exceptions in the Admiral's assessment.

"What do you say we take a break and discuss them over lunch?"

Lee let out a soft sigh of relief and smiled. "Aye Sir, that sounds great. Might I suggest we involve the Exec in on our discussion?"

"A fine suggestion, Lee. I can see we think alike, you and me," he added as Lee inwardly considered that his place at the Nelson Institute was indeed welcome.

"Thank you, Sir. I'll just clear a few things off my desk and meet you back here in...?" he looked briefly down at his watch and then raised his eyes to defer to the Admiral's suggestion.

"Thirty minutes ought to do it," Harry replied. "I have another phone call to make," he said reaching for his phone. "Why don't you invite Chip along?"

"Aye Sir," Lee replied and left, pulling the door firmly closed behind him.

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Lee knocked on the door frame as Chip's door was already open.

"Hi Chip. You got a minute?"

"Sure, Lee. Come on in," Chip Morton replied evenly, as Lee took a seat across from him and got straight to business.

"The Admiral and I are going to have a working lunch meeting. I know it's short notice, but I'd like for you to attend."

"Sure Lee, no problem. What time?"

Lee stood. "In about thirty minutes."

"Fine, I'll meet you in Angie's office," Chip replied just as evenly.

Lee acknowledged with a nod and started to leave, took just two steps then stopped and turned around, taking his seat once again.

"Chip... the air between us is clear, isn't it? I mean, you understand why I did what I did on the Arctic mission?"

Chip sat back, his face never changing in countenance; it was the stone face every Executive Officer learned to achieve, playing the heavy and providing a buffer between the crew and the Captain. He silently contemplated whether to make Lee sweat it out. Yeah, he'd been ticked off on the mission. Not only did Lee sneak aboard and accuse boat security of being lax, he acted like he didn't even know him for the first half of the mission. It wasn't until Lee got squeezed by the giant squid that he even attempted to pretend like they didn't room together for four years at the Academy; that he didn't spend half of his summer breaks with the Morton clan; and that the two hadn't practically poked their pinkies and become blood brothers all those years ago. Yeah, you could say he was pissed. But after watching Lee move so slowly, trying not to let the crew in on the fact that he was sporting an ace bandage for cracked ribs, he softened.

He remembered standing at the Captain's Cabin for a few minutes before finally knocking and entering. Lee was sitting at his desk... Phillip's old desk... signing off reports. Lee tried to keep his pain hidden even then, but the bottle of aspirin on his desk sitting next to Doc Jamieson's prescription bottle told the tale, despite his obvious attempts to hide his discomfort. Chip sighed, the friend in him needing answers; the Exec in him wanting to be kept in the loop; and the brother in him just wanting to connect again.

"So, are you going to take Doc's prescription so you can rest?" Chip asked, dropping the Exec attitude he had hid behind as Lee played Captain Bligh.

Lee looked up; he was dead tired and his ribs hurt. He had the weight of the mission on his shoulders, millions of lives riding on its success, and the eleven day deadline bearing down on him. He looked at Chip's face, seeing the brother of year's past even though their careers had prevented them from much contact. Over the last few years they hadn't really kept in touch, though Lee still sent flowers to Chip's mom every Mother's Day. He dropped the invincibility facade he'd been working behind trying to step into the shoes of a murdered captain and just sighed.

"I've been taking the aspirin, but it's not really cutting it. I figured I'd take half a dose of Doc's stuff, so I can still function if I'm needed," Lee answered completely transparent.

Chip sat down in the chair across from Lee, an invitation not necessary as they weren't talking as Captain and Exec, but as friends.

"Take the full dose, Lee. You need a good night's rest; I'll cover for you."

Lee rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Chip... I'm sorry about how this mission has gone, but the crew was already ticked at me... hell... they would have been ticked at anyone who came to take over for Phillips, even temporarily. I just thought if they saw you and I were friends, they'd turn on you." He held a hand up to forego Chip's protest and continued. "I don't mean mutiny, but they needed someone who was still one of them. They don't have to like me, they just need to follow orders, but when I go back to the Spadefish you're going to be left here to pick up the pieces with another captain. I just thought it would be easier this way."

Chip sighed heavily. "Weak excuse, Lee," he returned evenly and then grinned. "But apology accepted anyway," he finished to Lee's tired smile from across the desk. "I wouldn't worry about the crew Lee; they're coming around, despite your Captain Bligh routine. They're just hurting; it will take time for all of us."

"Time is what we don't have," Lee replied, the ease of the conversation now turning deadly serious. "I can't afford to have a crew of grieving men, I need them to be so ticked off at me that they'll do their best to prove that they're Phillips' crew and they're doing their best for him."

Chip considered Lee's statement a moment and nodded in agreement.

"Okay Lee. I guess I see where you're coming from."

He stood to leave, reaching for the door knob and pausing for a moment.

"Take the full dose Lee; the sonar mast is repaired and we're underway again. Get at least four' hours sleep."

Lee nodded and offered a grateful smile; he couldn't afford to take a full dose and be groggy if General Quarters was sounded, but he appreciated Chip's gesture all the same.

The scene from over six weeks ago played instantaneously before Chip's eyes. Lee had relaxed quite a bit on the two week journey back to port, but he was whisked away almost immediately for debriefing and shipped off to Norfolk to square away his Command. They really hadn't had a chance to talk anything out.

His face remained steady until he cracked a smile, his blue eyes sparkling in mischief.

"Relax Lee. The air between us is fine."

Lee returned his smile, then the two broke out in laughter as if the tension had finally given way to relief.

"Commanding the Seaview is like a dream come true, Chip. Working together with you... it's like everything we always talked about," he said, allowing his excitement to finally be expressed.

"Seaview is something special, and you handled her like she was made for you," Chip complimented.

"Well you might not be so complimentary after our lunch," Lee laughed. "I've got some changes I'd like to see; I'd like your input before we implement anything."

"Very well, Captain Bligh. Let me clear my desk and I'll meet you in..." Chip checked his watch, "...another twenty minutes."

Lee got up laughing and keeping with the jestful play of his old friend, taking the "jab" in the spirit in which it was rendered. They were both professionals who wore their naval decorum like a second skin, but they were also brothers who could drop the titles just as easily when appropriate.

Lee left as Chip sat back and sighed heavily. It would take some adjusting for both of them, but he could already tell that working with Lee was going to be a good thing.

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The lunch meeting had gone well. The exceptions the Admiral alluded to weren't differences of opinion at all, but rather an exchange of ideas that produced acceptable compromises for everyone. They left the restaurant in complete agreement as Seaview's Command Team continued to forge themselves into a cohesive unit.

As the three officers walked to Harry's sedan, Lee felt the pager buzz in his pant pocket. The sound was muted so he ignored the pager knowing exactly who was trying to contact him.

Upon returning to the Nelson Institute, the three officers each went to their own offices. Lee picked up his messages at Aubrey's desk.

"Did you have a nice lunch?" Aubrey asked as he thumbed through several messages while standing at her desk.

"Yes, very productive," he returned with a smile, then headed into his office closing the door behind him.

He moved to his desk and sat down. Now was the perfect time to return the pager call, as his stack of messages would ensure a busy phone line and no interruptions. He verified the number on the pager and dialed.

"Yeah."

"It's Crane."

"The Boss says he'll pay thirty-five, take it or leave it."

"Alright thirty-five. When and where?"

"At the Point, seven o'clock tonight. Bring the goods."

"I want cash in hundred dollar bills or smaller," Lee dictated.

"Agreed, and the device better be what you promised."

"Don't threaten me Harley, you won't like the results," Lee countered then hung up.

Lee breathed deeply, then looked over his messages and started returning calls.