Chapter 3


Andrea watched Jack sleep in crib, he was such a good sleeper. She loved how peaceful he looked and wished she had the same skill. She didn't sleep very well. Sure she got about 5 hours of sleep but it was fitful and filled with unfinished dreams and memories.

She hated the unfinished dreams, it always felt like she blinked and was still awake except things were perfect. The sadness when she woke up to realise it was a dream and this was the reality was gut wrenching. It wasn't that she was disappointed in her current state with Jack. She loved her baby boy, she like anyone wished for just a little more happiness and for it not to be tinged with pain or grief. One day it would be like that, she just had to work her way through the grief she carried.


"Here, let me top you up." Tex said breaking Andrea out of her stupor. She had been leaning on the railing of the balcony with an empty cup in hand. She wanted to be alone but not in her quarters, there was something beautifully soothing and distracting about looking out to the ocean on a clear night sky.

"There isn't supposed to be liquor on the ship." She told him, she turned to see him lean on the railing next to her. He had a flask in his hand, he shook it from side to side to emphasise its presence.

"Yet there is, indulge me." he told her, Andrea held out her cup as she couldn't be bothered arguing protocols and regulations at the man.

"Thank you." She said as he poured her out a nip. They clinked cup and flask before taking their respective sips of the liquor.

"Why the long face?" He asked her, Andrea looked out at the ocean for a while contemplating whether she wanted to open up to him. The warmth of the liquor spread through her as she decided there was no harm in him knowing.

"It's my daughter's birthday. She's 11, at least I hope she is." Andrea said, she felt the lump forming in her throat as she tried not to think about Lily and her husband being dead. A thought she pushed buried deep within her as she didn't want to think of life without them.

"We'll get there." Tex said as he looked out to the ocean.

"But what if it's too late?" She asked him, asking the question that burned painfully inside of her.

"I don't know, I just hope it's not." Tex told her, "What's her name?" he asked.

"Lily." Andrea said, she pulled the photo she carried in the chest pocket of her coveralls and passed it to him. He took the photo and smiled.

"She looks just how imagine you at that age." Tex told her, he passed it back to her. She pocketed it away. Tex pulled out a necklace with a locket and opened it. He passed it to Andrea. "Her name is Kathleen. " He told her.

"She's beautiful." Andrea said as she looked down at the small photo in the locket.

"She looks just like her mother." Tex said a twinge of sadness and pride in his voice.

"How old is she?" Andrea asked.

"Oh I think 43?" Tex said, Andrea smacked his arm and shook her head as he smiled.

"Your daughter." Andrea clarified.

"14." He said with a smile that turned sad. "I haven't seen her in three years. She lives with her mother in Jackson." He added as he took the locket from her and closed it gently before pocketing it.

"That's a long time." Andrea stated without any judgement in her tone. She knew people had their reasons just as Tex had his. She could tell it pained him to be out of his daughter's life. Hell, she spent a lot of time away from Lily due to her deployments.

"It seemed best at the time. But hindsight makes me think otherwise, especially these days." He mused sardonically.

"We'll just have to take it one day at a time and hope it all works out." Andrea said as there was nothing else to say. Neither of them wanted to make promises or raise expectations just because they both knew the fall would be devasting.

"Yeah." He said nodding in agreement. "Another nip?" he asked her.

"Sure." She said holding out her cup.


Andrea let the memory drift back into her mind as she came back to the room. She drank in the sight of Jack before she left the room. She had to get some sleep given tomorrow would be a new day and she'd need all the energy she could get for Jack.

She was halfway to her room when the phone rang. She diverted downstairs hoping the ring wouldn't wake Jack up.

"Hello?" she said as she picked up the phone. There were no sounds of Jack having woken up. So she relaxed somewhat.

"Eng." A familiar voice said on the other end. A voice she hadn't heard in over a year.

"Captain." Andrea said, memories flooding back, pain and anger but the emotions were faded. She was just past them in regards to him.

"Tom, I left the rank behind when I resigned." He said.

"Then you should call me Andrea. How are you?" she asked him, she could still remember how broken he'd been the day Tex died. It was like something had broken in him as it had in her.

"I'm doing better these days." he said, she genuinely believed him. "I'm calling because I'll be out your way two days from now. I was wondering if we could meet?" he asked her.

"Of course, it'd be good to see you." Andrea said, they'd been in each other's lives for too long to not reconnect.

"Good, great." He said.

"How did you find my number?" she asked him out of curiosity.

"I still have some friends." He told her, she could hear the smile in his voice. "Anyway, I have to go. My kids need to be fed. I'll call you when I'm closer to San Diego and we'll set something up." He told her.

"Ok, take care of yourself and the kids." Andrea told him.

"Will do, see you soon." Tom told her.

"Bye." Andrea said, Tom hung up on his end and she did so on her end before she placed the handset down. She looked around at the house, too awake to sleep now as she wondered what Tom wanted to say to her. He hadn't spoken to her or Kat after Tex's death. He didn't go to the funeral, he just vanished from their lives.

Not that Andrea had expected him to talk to her. They were friends, he didn't have to explain himself to her or apologise for what happened. Tex had died just the way he wanted, in a blaze of glory; saving a friend and country.

Tears filled her eyes as she wished they had more photos of him for the house. More pictures of him and her together, of him and Kat. More of something for Jack and Kat than just stories but they would make do.


"Red," Tex said, Andrea looked up from her paperwork as she'd been going through her usual checklist. The ship was making port at Baltimore. They were finally home with a cure; a cure to take to their families and save them. Not just them but the world. It was why they were in Baltimore than Norfolk.

Amy Granderson had promised them safe harbour and lab for Dr Scott to do her work. So far it was all looking up and up for them. Mike even told her that once Dr Scott was comfortable and more cure was produced they'd make Norfolk their next stop. Home, the place she wanted to be with every iota of her being; to see her husband and daughter again.

"Tex, you know you're not allowed down here." Andrea told him, she was stating a fact. He was a trusted member of the ship but rules were rules.

"Yet you haven't called security on me." Tex said with a teasing smile.

"No, you're a trouble maker. I think calling you out on it would only encourage you further." She said as she finished the page she was working on and flipped it over the clipboard.

"This thing with Granderson looks fairly put together." He commented.

"Why do I feel like you're saying goodbye?" Andrea asked him as she stopped her work to look at him.

"Cause I am, I've got some unfinished business on the mainland I've been neglecting." He told her, it was then she noticed the pack at the top of the stairs tucked out of the way.

"Your daughter." She stated, glad he was going even if she was a little sad to see him go. He'd become a bit of a bright spark in her day. Not that she'd ever tell him that.

"Yeah," he said with a closed lip smile.

"I'll miss our time together but I do hope you find her." She said earnestly. She moved to him and opened her arms. She knew a handshake was the de rigueur but they'd survived the trials of the vaccine and a whole lot of hell that it only seemed right. He closed the space and wrapped his arms around her. She took a deep breath memorialising the moment in her mind as she was sure she wouldn't see him again. "She'll understand, even if she doesn't. She'll forgive you because you're going to find her. You're her father." She told him in a hushed voice. Tears filled her eyes as she wished him the best but needed him to not be put off by the time that had passed. She felt her heart constrict as he nodded.

"You're also annoying loveable." She added, they both laughed and pulled out of the hug putting space between each other.

"So you love me." Tex said cockily, the moment lightening up immeasurably as even he was overcome by the moment. His eyes looking watery and expression just a little strained.

"I said loveable, not that I loved you." She clarified.

"Uhuh," he said as he clearly decided his interpretation was the truth of the moment.

"Go, you're wasting daylight; Cowboy." She told him.

"Take care, Red." He told her.

"I will, you go find her." Andrea said with a smile, he gave a nod and headed up the stairs.