"Hi Dad," Maddy stepped up her pace as she saw the command team of Terra Nova moving rapidly towards the communication center. "What's going on?" She didn't think they would be leaving her place just yet if there were no communication from the away team. "Have you heard from Mark?" She didn't wait for an answer to her first question before shooting out another one.
Commander Taylor answered for Jim, "Miss Maddy, nothing to worry about. We got a communication and they are inbound. Should be here sometime during the night." He smiled down at her, never breaking stride.
"Maddy, why don't you go tell your mother that I'll be home soon." Jim gently pushed her in the direction of their home before they disappeared into the stone building, shutting her out.
"Report" Taylor ordered his private manning the communications post.
"Nothing since the initial 'Code Green' Sir. It was said twice, pause then repeated."
Taylor nodded silently thinking while Guzman and Shannon exchanged a worried glance before looking back to the commander.
"What is Code Green, Commander?" Jim Shannon wasn't used to all the military terms and this was a new one.
"Code, means they are on the move and Green means injured." Taylor's lips pressed together, "Twice means two people. We just don't know who or how bad."
"I see" Shannon waited to see if the Commander elucidated further, and he did.
"If all goes well, they should be back around three in the morning. Due to Sixers in the area they went, I've ordered radio silence unless they have to transmit." Taylor turned to Guzman, "Dismissed Guz. I need you to take pre-dawn patrol." Guzman nodded and left.
"Might as well go home, Shannon. Looks like nothing else is coming in and I can't risk transmitting. I'll stay and monitor the radio." He tapped the soldier on her shoulder indicating she was dismissed. He sat down staring at the radio as if he could see their progress.
"Shannon," Jim turned, hand on the knob, "Get some rest, but I'd like you and the doctor to meet the convoy. I'll call when they get close." With a quiet Okay, Jim was gone.
Not very often was Nathaniel Taylor the one waiting for an away team, especially one carrying his lieutenant. He filled the hours with thoughts of their relationship, wishing he could change it, but scared to.
He would never forget their first time. It had been months since his wife died. He hadn't seen Wash. She had been moved state side to a military hospital and he was grieving his wife. Lucas was becoming a handful, always in his face arguing. At first he chalked it up to dealing with a teenager he hadn't had much hand in raising, then he knew, his son blamed him for his mother's death and really did hate him. On top of that, the kid was a genius in the sciences, one of the top brains in the world. So when Taylor got a chance to send him to a special University researching a time probe and help develop it, he did so with a heavy heart. Not many months later, he was recruited for an impossible mission to travel to the past. Any chance to be with Lucas again was welcome, even though the boy was sullen and withdrawn. He got orders to start putting together an away team.
He contacted his loyal soldiers from Somalia. Only a few refused, but most joined in the end on later pilgrimages. He felt with this group he could do anything his government asked. They all asked one by one if their Wash was going. All he could say was he didn't know, he had yet to find her. She was listed as location unknown for recovery. As soon as she could, she had checked out of the hospital and disappeared. He had queries around the globe. She would show up someplace and he wasn't going without her.
"Sir," Sergeant Bates opened his office door, "We have a location on Lieutenant Washington. She reported in with brass for active duty looking for an assignment."
Taylor smiled at the memory.
He had been so excited to be able to see his lost friend and see for himself that she was really recovered. He had meant to visit her when he was sent home, but she was gone when he arrived. "Contact her, Bates. Don't tell her about me, I want to surprise her. Tell her top brass is having a meeting and she's to dress formally for the meeting. Escort her to the Presidential Palace. I have to meet with the President and she's been after me to find Lieutenant Washington. She wants to meet one of the most decorated war hero's for herself. I believe she has more decorations set aside for the Lieutenant. I'll inform the President to expect her. And Bates," the young man stiffened at his name, "Don't let her get away, or it's your head."
"Yes Sir"
Taylor dug out his tag and keyed the pictures. Well to be honest, it held only two, both of his Lieutenant.
What was it she said to him that had them both grinning into each other's eyes as he escorted her to lunch with the President. The palace photographer had taken it from the recording made of all historical accounts of Presidential events and sent it to him. "You're fidgeting Nathaniel," the President laughed at him as he paced her office and tugged at his dress collar. "Word has been sent that she's on her way." At that moment an attaché knocked once and opened the door. Nathaniel had paced behind the door out of site as Lieutenant Washington entered and stood at attention just inside the door.
"Come in Lieutenant," The president smiled and gestured for her to proceed.
She took two steps and twirled as "Wash" sounded behind her. There before her was the last face she saw in Somalia before passing out.
"Commander, Sir" One step for both of them and they were touching uniforms face to face. They each reached out at the same time, her hands to his face and beard and his to hers, just to feel her skin, make sure he wasn't dreaming.
"Wash" He drew her face to rest against his own and they breathed each other's scent for a moment before withdrawing to gaze in each other's eyes, her smaller hands engulfed in his larger ones. He let his wander over her body and back up. "You okay?"
"Almost a hundred percent, Sir. How are you? Sorry about Ayanni." Her eyes darkened and his saddened and his hands tightened into hers.
"Cost of War, I'm glad you're here, I have so much to tell you." He remembered a weight lifting off him at that moment. His shattered world was coming back together.
They met with the President. Washington was presented with two more metals, the highest the country had to offer, of course.
Sitting alone Taylor remembered and smiled as he gazed at the picture.
The president was escorting them to lunch and being the gentleman he was had Wash's hand in the crook of his elbow. He had leaned over and whispered that they were having lunch with the nation's top military brass, but the President wanted to meet her alone first. "Are you part of the 'alone' package, Sir?" She murmured for his ears alone as the followed the president.
"From now on Wash, alone means us. I've missed you by my side and plan on putting you back where you belong." That's when she smiled that smile up at him and he returned it. He remembered his warning that followed next. "I'm not leaving you alone with those vultures we are soon meeting. Most of them would leave their wives for you and I've had repeated comments in my direction of what they would like to do with you. And they are my superiors so I have to grin and bear it. Oh, and if they want to see your scars…"
Alicia had cut him off with a smirk, "I probably have had more experience than you fending off unwanted male attention." They shared a laugh and he watched with amusement as the generals and admirals fawned over her without touching. Could have had something to do with his possessive hand on her waist for the next hour. She didn't seem to mind after seeing first hand his warning. Combat was a lot easier than a room full of horny brass.
The rest of the day went in a blur, catching her up as his second on the Terra Nova project. Within a week everyone knew she was back and Commander Taylor never let her out of his site for long. They could be seen taking meals together, pouring over reports and supply list, personnel and more. He remembered wanting to touch her often back then and the confusion it caused him. He had to keep reminding himself he wasn't a married man and it was okay to have these feelings. For her part Alicia was her normal self. She allowed any touch and returned his affections casually without commitment, letting him set the pace.
He remembered their first night together. It hadn't been a year since he buried his wife and survivor's guilt was eating at him and the guilt of cheating on his wife, but he wanted to see Wash's scars, and touch them. He knew she still had issues as she would twinge in pain during her workouts. Trying to save his family had caused her wounds and he wanted to somehow make it alright for her. He got his wish at the end of one of their workouts. He had her pinned and finally she moaned and slapped the mat. "I'm sorry Wash, I forget. You're such a tiger." He watched her chest rise and fall with a catch as she was hurting inside not able to draw in enough air. He knelt over her with a hand on her stomach. "Wash," his voice was low and he searched and held her eyes. "Don't take this wrong, but can I see?" He motioned to her torso.
She saw his agony at causing her discomfort, both past and present and slowly lifted her tank top until it was above her bra. His breath caught at the scars crisscrossing her rib cage. He saw round circular shaped scars and long incisions left by the surgeons. Tentatively he traced the scars as if to memorize them. "I'm sorry," he whispered never taking his eyes from the body he never wanted to see like this.
His eyes widened at her comment, "Left me pretty ugly didn't it."
"No, no, you're beautiful." He leaned over and kissed her, his tongue pushing into her open mouth and finding a welcome home stroking against hers as his hand slowly moved up her stomach and cupped a breast. "I want you Wash" He broke the kiss to see desire in her eyes, the first he could remember and he wanted more. He dragged her into the shower room, women's, relieved and glad it was empty.
He had checked with his superior. The rules could not be broken, no fraternizing with a direct subordinate, no exceptions.
Taylor sighed, ten years later and here they still were, together and apart. He came here to get away from that stupid rule. What could they do, fire him. Soon, something had to change. He looked at his watch. Almost time. He called the Shannon's to get them up and moving as the radio came to life. "Terra Nova, this is Sgt. Reynolds, come in."
"Go ahead Reynolds, this is Commander Taylor"
"We're ten minutes out Sir. I'm in the second rover and heading straight to the clinic with injured. Don't want to broadcast details, over."
Taylor not a patient man would just have to wait. He called for a relief in the communications chamber and went to the gate. As soon as the rovers were close, he hollered, "Open the gate." His people were home.
He ran after the second rover as it skidded to a stop. Jim Shannon was already opening the back door. Over the pile of packs they could see a very tired Washington leaning over Malcolm shaking him awake, "Rise and walk soldier. Oh, my mistake you're not military. It's alright for you sit and whimper." Washington, bone tired and hurting could still joke with Malcolm.
"Malcolm, what happened?" a worried Dr. Shannon looked over her friend as Taylor started throwing packs out of the way.
"Just a scratch as Washington would say," joked Malcolm. "I'm not cut out to be a soldier, I don't do pain well."
The other rover stopped after moving aside and letting Reynolds to the clinic first, and the soldiers helped Malcolm out and onto a stretcher and Dr. Shannon led the way into the clinic. Taylor and Shannon looked from Reynolds to Washington. Both were scratched wherever skin showed and Washington had dried blood on her collar. "Who's the other injured?" Taylor couldn't see any obvious life threatening wounds.
"I am Sir," Washington made to get out of the back on one foot. "May have broken an ankle." He reached to help her, Shannon on the other side.
Taylor ordered everyone inside to be cleaned up and checked out. He helped Washington with an arm around her waist and hers over his shoulder. He settled her on a bed and started unlacing her boot as she gave her report. The ankle was purple and swollen. A medic hurried over with a medi scanner showing a break.
"Dr. Shannon will see to this when she's done with Dr. Wallace," the nurse left her alone with Commander Taylor.
"Why don't you go and get some sleep, Nathaniel. We're back and will be fine," Alicia smiled at him touching his arm lightly. In response he pulled up a chair and kicked his feet up on the bed, leaned the chair back against the wall and closed his eyes. He heard her murmur, "Stubborn," before they both settled down to wait.
"Two weeks in this boot, no complaints and complementary pain killer," the no nonsense tone of the doctor was the only other person in Terra Nova who Washington respected enough to obey. Washington spent the next day lounging on a clinic bed receiving well-wishers, among them Maddy Shannon holding the arm of a scraped up Mark Reynolds.
"You did well out their, Reynolds. It will be marked in your file." Washington looked over their shoulders to see Commander Taylor and Jim Shannon loitering, waiting their turn. Across the room Malcolm was holding his own court, recounting his exploits, embellishing a little for the women fussing over him. Washington swung her feet off the bed and stood up, causing Taylor to push by Reynolds and grab her arm.
"What are you doing, Wash?"
"Going home, Sir"
"I've released her against my better judgment," Elizabeth Shannon joined them, smiling up at her husband. "For someone who's supposed to follow orders, I never seen such a group of people disobey more orders as a whole than soldiers," Dr. Shannon observed looking at Washington and Taylor.
"I have a rover outside, Lieutenant, unless you want to stay for the lecture," Nathaniel offered his arm like so many years before in the president's office.
Wash tested her ankle and took him up on his offer with a painful grimace. Their easy interaction left both Shannon's with their answer. Reynolds carried her overnight bag and the group left into the warm afternoon sunshine.
The end
Next Story In This Series: Kids Will Be Hunted