The Great Escape

by Caden29

In response to Episode 10, 'Friendly Fire'. She had done it. The cure could now be spread as easily as the common cold. Now, she had the choice. Stay and face judegment, or run and help the world along the way. It was suprisingly easy to choose, despite the heartbreak it would bring.

4. Carry On My Wayward Son

Hello luvs!

I'm so sorry about the wait but I promise it's worth it. I got impatient to get to the Present so I decided to crank down and pound everything out until we got there. That created the 10,000 word monster which is below. You got three chapters for the price of one! Lol. I'll have the rest of my Author's Note down at the bottom.

WARNING: Contains Potential Triggers. Please read carefully.

LSLSLSLSLS

Carry On My Wayward Son

1 1/2 years before Present

Millington Naval Base

LSLSLSLSLS

"6."

"4. No one likes a greedy guts Rach." Jeremy laughed as he playfully slapped her hands away from their Andes mint chocolate stash. He slid the chocolate candy closer to his chair.

Leaning back in her chair, she threw a playful look at him as she menaced the candy in between them. "And no one likes a miser either."

He gave a deep sigh as he settled deeper into the lounge chair. "Man, what a day." He threw a slightly disbelieving look at her. "I thought you were absolutely nuts for stepping into that ward."

Leaning deeper into her seat, she gave him a Look. "Surely you didn't think I was mistaken in thinking I had the cure?"

"No." He said thoughtfully as he gazed up. "But I was half afraid you had lost your cookies and I was going to watch another person I loved succumb to that damn virus. I'm not sure you understand what a relief it is to know that there is an end in sight to this madness."

Indignantly, she opened her mouth to respond but he held up a hand to forestall her. "You misunderstand. When the pandemic started in the third world, there was concern of course but no real fear in the general populace of the developed nations." He gave her a sharp look as he continued, "You know that as well as I do. Nobody thought it would come here. Or that it would devastate us as badly as it has. The first world countries had grown complacent, arrogant in their thinking that they could escape this." Grief crossed his face. "We all did. I know you kept in contact with the CDC, so you know the rate at which it spread and how fast it killed. But that can't tell you the terror of watching someone you love bleed out in front of you. Of watching them suffer and fight to stay with you but both of you knowing what the end would bring. Knowing there wasn't going to be a last minute save."

A tear crept down his face and Rachel reached over and gently wiped it away. She had to blink back her own tears as he continued. "And all you can do is try to put on a brave face. Try to be the rock they need as they start to slip away. And as you do it, the whole world burns around you."

He drew in a ragged breath as he continued to stare straight up. "That may not have even been the worst part. You've seen the aftermath but you weren't here for the beginning. Riots in the streets. Brothers killing brothers over food or medicine they thought would cure them or their families. When we evacuated Atlanta we had to go straight through the city from the Center. I witnessed a mother and her young son mowed down for a can of green beans."

Rachel suddenly thought of the mother and child from Baltimore. Once the ship had been retaken and they had won, she had quickly synthesized a batch and went looking. She had managed to make it for the young mother but many had not been so lucky. They grasped hands and sat quietly for some time, lost in thought.

"Did you know Steve and I were considering surrogacy?" He finally whispered quietly. "At least I don't have to live with surviving my child." She swallowed thickly and blinked back tears again. To live past losing a child, or even worse, knowing you had inadvertently infected them was a horror many had to deal with now. Her heart wrenched in her chest as she thought of Darien, dying before she knew her children would survive her, and thinking she had doomed them. She sent a brief prayer up for her soul and thanked God Tom had found them in enough time.

"Well, this looks like a cheerful party." A voice called out behind them. "Why aren't you down celebrating with everyone else?"

They both twisted in their chairs and looked at Tex as he came up beside them. To say the day had been a long one was a vast understatement and it reflected on all of their faces. A brief smile crossed her face as she considered the events that had then unfolded.

Flashback

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jeremy asked quietly as he prepared to unzip the first layer of the containment unit that lead into the sickbay. The Gunny paced over to the window and stopped between two beds about halfway down. A small hand crept out from one of the beds and touched the glass before losing strength and falling back to the bed.

"You bet your arse I do."

"Ok then, here we go." He unzipped the door and quickly closed it behind her. Walking to join Daniel at the glass, they both watched Rachel take a deep breath before entering the ward. Walking to each bed, she gently blew a breath over the patient's until she reached the bed that held a small child.

Bleary green eyes that he had clearly inherited from his father stared up at her with slight bemusement. "Hello." Rachel said softly. She guessed that he was somewhere around 8 or so. It was hard for her to tell ages with young ones since she didn't interact with very many.

"Are you going to blow on me too?" He whispered.

"I am. Is that alright with you?" She whispered back just as quietly.

A bright grin was her answer. "Only if I get to blow on you too!" He declared.

"Well alright then." A slightly mischievous look crossed her face. "But only if I get to go first!" Leaning in quickly she puffed in his face dramatically several times, making very sure he inhaled all of it. Giggling, he tried to puff back but had to stop after the first draw.

"Easy luv," she rubbed his chest as he tried to catch his breath.

"His name is Tony." A ragged voice said next to her. Rachel glanced over and took in the blond woman beside her. She was clearly Tony's mother as he had her facial bone structure and coloring. She smiled weakly at Rachel, "He's a cheeky little devil."

"It certainly seems like you have your hands full." Rachel agreed as she leaned over and blew a breath out.

She got a quizzical look from the woman in response. Smiling lightly, Rachel continued on to the last three beds. She lost that smile very quickly however when she recognized the woman in the closest bed.

"Christine?!" Rushing over to the bed she reached out and checked the woman's pulse.

Christine, for it was her even though Rachel had only ever seen pictures of her, cracked her eyes open at the touch. "...know you?" She managed to get out before a hacking cough interrupted her.

Biting back a sob, Rachel leaned down and blew several breaths in her face. Racing around to the other two beds she repeated the process to the two teenaged girls laying there.

"It's going to be ok girls. Your daddy is looking for you." She whispered to them.

"Mike?" Christine tried to lift her head up but it quickly fell back down. "Sshhshh," she hushed as she dragged over a chair to sit in and grabbed the woman's hand tightly, "he's been searching for all of you."

Tears started creeping down Christine's face. "Alive?" She mouthed.

Answering tears rolled down Rachel's face. "Yes, he's alive and on his ship. He helped me find the cure."

Hope blossoming on her face, Christine rolled her head more toward Rachel. "Cure?!" She managed to get out.

"Cure." Rachel stated as sobs started coming out of both women.

"Save?!" Following her gaze, Rachel gripped her hand tighter as they both stared at her daughters.

Turning her head back to the XO's wife, she said with complete confidence. "Saved. Sleep now, I'll watch over all of you."

Awe and hope mixing over the woman's face, Christine Slattery closed her eyes and finally slept for what seemed like the first time in a long while.

End Flashback

Feeling an arm nudge her leg, she glanced down at Tex as he settled in between their chairs. He had had a rough day as well. Following Corporal Torres back to the civilian's area, he had been able to locate Lily. She had been taken under the wing by of one of the base commander's wife.

Sarah had not survived the death of her husband long. Luckily, Lily had in a moment of teenage rebellion stayed several nights at a friends house right before Zach had returned home. Already sick but not knowing it, he had infected his wife. By the time Lily had gotten the notice he was dead, her mother was already in the sickbay. According to Tex she had been very happy to see him but incredibly angry as well.

"Give it time," she had said to him once he found her, "being a teenage girl is hard enough in a normal world. Add in everything else that's happened and she's going to be swinging back and forth in emotions for a while." She had smirked then. "Get used to it dad."

Tex swiped two Andes mints before Jeremy could place them out of reach. He grinned unrepentantly at the glares he got from both sides as he popped them into his mouth.

"So. Why the roof?" Tex asked absentmindedly as he tried to take another swipe at the mints.

"Why not the roof?" Rachel countered as she turned her head back to the stars. She liked to look at them, and had gotten into the habit while on board ship. It reminded her that no matter what happened here on earth, at least something was still a constant. It was a painful reminder of her time on the James but a good one.

Jeremy snorted as he slapped at the hand that was trying to crawl its way under his chair. "We moved up here when the adoration became too much. Rachel looked like she was going to start cutting a swath to the door and make a run for it."

After staying in the sickbay for a few hours, Jeremy had entered in a full hazmat suit to take blood samples from the patients. He was unfortunately the only doctor still left on base and had fallen into the role of scientist and doctor as he struggled to look for a cure while caring for the remaining patients. There had been a hush as word had spread and people slowly gathered around the sickbay as he looked at the results. The resultant celebration after he had checked the results for a fifth time were still shaking the building. After the results were confirmed, she had Gunny line up everyone and then proceeded to 'do her Darth Vader impression' as Jeremy had called it. She had wanted to be certain everyone was covered, and took no chances in that.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Tex muttered as he finally gave up on the mints and opened one of cans of beer he had brought. He handed one to both Doctors as he leaned his weight more fully against Rachel's chair.

"Yeah about that." Jeremy rotated his chair so he could face both of them. "I think it's time you told me what you're running from."

Rachel froze in the act of bringing the can of beer to her lips and then threw Tex an exasperated glance. She had been hoping Jeremy hadn't caught that part.

"Oh don't blame him sweetheart. I'm probably the only one still alive who knows you best. I could tell the moment you started your story something was up. I've been waiting to see where the chips would fall all day and if you would 'fess up."

Tex snorted at that. "No, there's another man out there who knows her just as well if not better than you do." He yelped and spilled some of his beer when Rachel's foot nailed him in the shins.

Jeremy straightened up so fast his chair give a sharp crack in protest. "Wait! There's a man involved? Ooh the plot has just thickened." He gave her the look she had dreaded since this conversation began. Jeremy had a habit of being able to get her to spill her secrets with that look.

"I'd like to know as well." A deep voice questioned behind them. Daniel stepped out from the stairway and crossed to grab the spare chair sitting on the other side of them. He placed it next to Jeremy's and completed the half circle. "I've never met Captain Chandler in person but I have heard of him. He's an excellent commander with a nose for strategy that saw him rise very quickly through the ranks. There is no way he let you go willingly. We've only been getting spotty intel since we lost comm's but even we've heard of the Immunes. Put together with the propaganda spiel they're doing along with you now being here and that raises a very large red flag with me."

He gave her a hard look. "I can't tell you how grateful I am for my wife and son's life. Nothing I can do will ever repay the service you have done me and the world. But I need to know what you're hiding. I can't help you unless I have all the variables."

Rachel shot Jeremy with a questioning look and already knowing the question she wouldn't verbalize he nodded his head. He obviously trusted this Marine but she had come too far and been betrayed too often to just take him at his word. She glanced down at Tex. He pulled his bottom lip softly in thought. Finally glancing at her, he nodded his head.

"Alright Gunny, I'll tell you what you want to know."

LSLSLSLSLS

For the second time that day, she rendered both men speechless.

Jeremy slowly whistled through his teeth. "Rachel Anne Scott. I say this with all the love in my heart but you are a fucking badass. I'm pretty sure I just fell in love with you. Please run away with me."

Rachel almost felt herself collapse when his words registered and she laughed weakly. She had feared his reaction would be the same as Tom's. She wasn't sure she had the emotional fortitude to face the same betrayed look twice from someone she deeply cared for.

Turning her attention to Daniel, she waited for his reaction. He was still deep in thought as he looked down and started to fiddle with the decorated ribbons on the uniform he still wore. Unhooking one, he stood up and crossed to kneel in front of her. Grabbing her hand he softly placed the ribbon in it.

"I received the Navy Cross for exceptional bravery and courage in the face of enemy fire. It is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a member of the Marine Corps. It now belongs to you."

She stared at him in shock and then frantically tried to give it back. "No! I can't take this..."

"Yes ma'am, you will. In killing that man, and I use that term loosely, you rid us of a walking plague that would have continued to disseminate what is left of this world. You have shown honor and courage in the face of unimaginable horror. I've only known you for a day but having seen how fast you moved and took control of the situation, I would bet that you didn't stop to eat or sleep much in the search for the cure."

"If you looked up 'work-o-holic' in the dictionary it has her name and address." Jeremy said dryly. Tex choked on his beer a little as he started to laugh.

"So she comes by that naturally?" Tex asked once he caught his breath.

Daniel returned to his chair before she could try to hand it back again. "Now, that being said." Rachel braced herself. The worst would be he would tell them to leave immediately. At least she hopped that was the worst. "You do understand why he gave you that punishment correct? With the crew of his ship thinking that command had authorized or allowed the murder of an unarmed civilian, no matter how heinous he was, he had to do something. I'm sure his crew is hanging on by a shoestring at this point. Now, I may be wrong but I'm sure I'm not, he let his anger get away with him and said things he may not have meant to say. I wouldn't be surprised at all to discover the punishment would have been ended soon by an official Pardon by the President. After all, what jury in the world would convict you? And with the Ramsay's starting their bid for global power, there is no safe port for you anywhere."

He gave her a penetrating look as he reached forward and snagged the last can of beer. Tex gave him a dirty look which he ignored. Cracking the pop top open he leaned back as he continued his look. "The interesting thing about all this is why he lost his temper. The Captain is pretty renowned for keeping his cool in high stress situations and is, as I said before, a master tactician. So why the rage? Because that is exactly what it sounded like. It almost sounds lik..." The Gunny froze for a moment as comprehension shot across his face. He shot a look at Tex to which the man replied to with a smirk and eyebrow wiggle.

"Huh. Very interesting. We'll be having a discussion about that later." He said as he shot a look at Tex.

"Or we could have it now." Rachel said annoyed.

"I'm not sure you're ready for that convo sweetheart," Jeremy said as he eyed both men. He had a good idea on where that was going and would definitely be cornering Tex and Daniel later.

Rachel scoffed but let it go. In truth, she was heartsick and weary. At this point a nap or dinner was about the only thing she felt like.

LSLSLSLSLS

There was silence for a long while as the group relaxed and tried to loosen the tension from their shoulders. Finally, Rachel broke the silence.

"I want to travel."

"Well I wouldn't recommend it right now. Pretty sure there isn't anyone to give you the nickel and dime tour on anything these days." Jeremy said after a moment of silence. Rachel flicked one of her mint wrappers at him in response.

"Before we reached the base, Tex asked me what I wanted to do now. Well, I want to travel around the U.S. When the Immunes bombed the laboratories here they took away the best chance for the American people to recover. Other labs around the world are still functional at this point so the best way to help people here is to travel."

Comprehension dawned on all three men. "And the best way for that to happen is for you to be the one to do it." Daniel said slowly. He took another drag from his beer as he leaned back in thought.

"Exactly. With the information they need to make it airborne, the Nathan James can cover the eastern seaboard. Now granted they're also in a dogfight with the Immunes, but the Captain won't let that stop him from spreading it. And that means I can take the west." Exhaustion rolled through Rachel at the thought. But soon determination and 'sheer damn stubbornness' followed after it. She wouldn't sit quietly on the sidelines or find a place to hide and wait it out.

"Oh there is no I about any of that Doc. Last time I checked it was We." A weak smile graced Rachel's face. "I appreciate the thought Tex but you have Lily to think of now. She needs stability and a place to recover, not to try doing it on the road in what could be hostile territory."

Tex shifted to lean on Jeremy's chair so he could see her face. "The way I see it, there is no safe harbor any more Doc. No place I can take her that will really be safe. With the cure now out there what's left of the world is going to go to war. Whether it's over power and prestige or simply a way to survive it doesn't matter. Movement is life Doc and I don't plan on staying still."

Rachel blinked back tears for what seemed like the hundredth time today. She knew he didn't really believe that as there was a settlement in Norfolk but did not have the heart to convince him otherwise. She grabbed his hand in gratitude and he squeezed it tightly in response.

"The man does have a point." Daniel mused thoughtfully. "And I'd rather not face Captain Thomas Chandler and the might of the USS Nathan James over your body bag." He took another long draw from can before propping his feet on the arm of her chair.

"Now wait just a min..." Soft laughter from Jeremy interrupted the beginnings of her rant. "Sorry sweetheart but that man is even more stubborn than you. Which I didn't think was possible until it was proven to me. And he doesn't make a decision like that lightly, which means he was already thinking about it. And that means he had a pretty good idea of what you were about to do and has already talked to Alyssa about it. Which means you're screwed."

Rachel whipped her head around to first glare at Jeremy, who had a smirk ready for her. She next turned to glare at Daniel only to find an answering smirk on his. Tex leaned back on the ground as he started to laugh. "Think you've been outsmarted on this one Doc."

Looking at the military commander in front of her, she finally asked, "Alright Gunny, what is the plan then?" A slow smile was her only answer.

LSLSLSLSLS

1 1/2 years before Present-USS Nathan James

"Coming up on their starboard bow Captain." Lt Granderson said.

"Did you think we would ever see this sight again?" Mike quietly whispered to Tom. "No." Tom whispered back just as quietly. "To be honest, I thought we were the last ship. I've never been more glad to be wrong."

Slipping up to the middle and anchoring down, a shadow crossed across the decks of the Nathan James. Tom craned his head back and could just barely see the flight deck of the aircraft carrier anchored next to them.

"XO has the bridge." He called out as he slipped off the bridge.

Walking down a few decks he opened a hatchway and stepped out on the flight deck and crossed over. He very carefully didn't look at the doors to the helo bay as he climbed inside the waiting SeaHawk. Slipping the headset on, he gave the order to take flight.

President Michener shifted uneasily beside him as the flight deck of the carrier came closer. Tom glanced at him and offered a tight smile. He wished he could offer more reassurance but couldn't quite manage to get the energy to do so. The last two days had been some of the hardest he's ever faced. He refused to sit inside the ship while others looked for Rachel and Tex so he had been out there directing them. Mike had had to drag him back to the ship several times just to refuel and take a small nap. Nightmares had plagued him in the few occasions he had managed it. The most common one was that he had been too late to save his babies at the killing fields at Olympia. The other one was more elusive. He was running through streets, calling for Rachel. He could see her long brown hair whipping back and forth just in front of him. But no matter how hard he ran or how loud he called he couldn't quite catch up. Freud would have a field day with me, he thought wryly.

The thump of the runners hitting the deck shook him out of his thoughts. Giving orders for the SeaHawk to return to the ship, he grasped the President's arm and helped him climb down.

"Mr. President! Tom!" A voice called out behind them. Turning around, Tom observed the CO of the USS Roosevelt walk quickly towards them. The commander quickly saluted the President which was returned before he grabbing Tom in a bear hug.

"Dammit Tom, it is damn fine to see you! We didn't know if we were going to be able to catch up in enough time. I'm glad I sent Joe and the Kitty Hawk ahead of us."

Tom laughed as he returned the hug just as fiercely. "Never have I ever been glad to see his ugly mug Sal. Thanks for the save."

Captain Saul Rodriguez pulled back and cast a critical look over his features. "With all due respect, you look like shit Chandler."

Tom gave him a dry look at that. "It been a shit year in case you haven't noticed."

"Yes, it has at that." Sal mused. "But this goes a bit deeper than that. We'll have words later." Giving his old mentor an exasperated look, he reluctantly agreed.

Turning his attention to the President, the CO of the Roosevelt said, "Sorry about that sir. Tom and I go back a ways, I mentored him at Annapolis." Sal motioned toward the President to the hatchway across the flight deck. "Well, let's get to work shall we?"

LSLSLSLSLS

"So in total we have one aircraft carrier under the command of myself. We have two destroyers, the Nathan James under Tom Chandler and the Kitty Hawk under Joe Baker. Add in the hospital ship the Florence under Bryan Grey and we have enough ships to begin helping the eastern seaboard. The scientists on board the Florence took the samples you provided two days ago and are about to come in for the..." A frantic knocking interrupted Sal as he gave the group of commanders and President the debriefing.

With an annoyed look on his face, the CO walked over to the door and swung it open. The look that greeted him on the other side made apprehension dance across his spine. He quickly ushered the grim looking scientists into the room and closed the hatch.

"Gentlemen these are Doctors Grand, Farris and Brag with the Florence. I'm guessing the other two belong to you Tom?"

Tom nodded as he pointed out the remaining two Doctors, "The man on the right is Dr. Rios and he is ships Doc with the man of the left being Dr. Milowsky. Besides Dr. Scott who created the cure along with Dr. Tophet, they have the most knowledge of the research that has gone into finding it." Having been already briefed on the locations, or lack thereof, of Doctors Scott and Tophet none of the other captains made a sound as the scientists began scrambling around trying to get setup.

"Is it me or do they looked spooked?" Joe muttered out of the side of his mouth. "More like terrified." Tom replied quietly. He noticed Doc Rios casting several apprehensive looks at him as he quietly argued with Milowsky. Ice cubes crept down his side as he took in the sight. Something was very, very wrong.

Finally, everything had been set up to the satisfaction of the scientists.

Dr. Brag stepped up in front of the table while pressing the clicker to turn the projector on. "What you see here is a strain of the virus before it was tampered with by human DNA. Notice the striations on the side? That allowed the virus to mutate to avoid detection by the antibodies, which in turn allowed it to shift shape so the body couldn't fight against it." The Dr. clicked another button and a new image showed on screen. "This is a picture of the virus with the DNA entwined in it. It doesn't have any striations on it, which made it stable enough for Dr. Scott to create a cure based on the original primordial gene. The ability of the Red Flu to mutate constantly is what made it such an epidemic. Dr. Neils Sorenson at least gave us the ability to fight against it, even if in doing so he created the global pandemic in the first place."

The tension in the room ramped up as all four commanders leaned forward in their seats. The man's hand shook a little as he pressed the next button.

"And this is an image of a virus we detected from victims in Greenland last week. There are enough similarities in the composition to make us think it is a relative to the Red Flu." Clicking for the last slide, Dr. Brag's voice caught for a moment. "And this is an image of all three side by side."

Five chairs squealed on the floor as the men sat back in shock.

Tom darted his eyes to his Doctors. "Are you really saying what I think you're saying?"

Doc Rios nodded his head. "Yes sir. The Red Flu virus has started mutating on its own again but with the added booster of human DNA." His face paled a little. "It has made it slower so the victim doesn't die as fast but the cure created by Rachael has no effect on it. It is in essence a new virus."

Multiple voices starting shouting in protest as Tom buried his hands in his face. He gripped his hair and pulled tight to try to relieve the pressure building in his head.

A short whistle broke the noise as the President stood up. "Everyone calm down and sit back down. We are going to solve this without resorting to bedlam." The other commanders dropped back into their seats with sheepish looks. Tom didn't blame them for losing their shit though. He was about two whiskey shots away from taking a skinny dip in the ocean.

"Now, I have a few questions for you." The scientists felt their back straighten as the President leveled them with a look. "From what I understand, Dr. Scott created the cure using the primordial gene. From the looks on your faces you would think it hasn't been done before. Since the new virus is so similar to the Red Flu, why can't that be recreated except for this version?"

Dr. Brag took a quick step back as he motioned for Dr. Wilkowsky to step forward. The Dr. took a deep breath before he answered. "The problem is that the new virus has enough differences that we can work on doing that sir, but it's not the primordial we really need." The President quirked an eyebrow at him but it was Sal who asked, "Well, what do you need then? All of you are scientists so surely between the lot of you it can be figured out."

Dr. Milowsky took a deep breath before he answered, "We need Dr. Scott sir."

Tom felt his heart clench in his chest as smiling brown eyes flashed before him. Pushing the feeling away, he said, "That may not be possible. With Dr. Scott in the wind and no resources being able to be allocated for her recovery, the chances of that are slim to none."

Dr. Grand stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Gentlemen, I'm not sure you understand the severity of this. There was a reason why it was Dr. Scott and Dr. Tophet in the Arctic. And it wasn't because she badgered the Navy long enough to do it. It was because she is the absolute best. Out of 2,000 virologists worldwide she was the only one to be selected to give multiple panels at The World Science Organization. An event that only takes place every 10 years." She gave them a hard look as she continued, "She was 28 when that happened. Do you know how many years it takes to even get on one?"

She pointed to the screen with an abrupt gesture. "What you see here is the end of the human race. The only reason why we have not seen further cases of it so far is because the world has already been devastated. No planes to carry the virus on. No traveling to bring it to new areas. But it will get there eventually by animal migration. Like a slow creeping tide it will kill the rest of the world."

She took a deep breath and glared at the stunned men. "So I HIGHLY suggest you start allocating those resources gentlemen."

There was a moment of absolute silence before a timid voice popped up. "So, if we managed to locate Dr. Scott and convince her to return, she would be able to pull it off again?"

Tom broke out of his stupor enough to throw an askance look at Joe. He was pretty sure that was the quietest he had ever heard him. And he had roomed with him in officer training.

Dr. Grand took a deep breath as she looked at the screen again. "I'm going to give you a quick crash course on virology. Farris," she barked, "when was the Ebola strain first detected?"

"It was first recognized in 1976 in what was the Democratic Republic of Congo." He snapped out smartly.

"Is there a cure?"

"No ma'am." He replied. "Researchers have been working on it but a cure or vaccine has not been found yet." A look of pain crossed his face. "The best chance you have is to treat the symptoms. And pray."

"What about the regular flu?" She tossed back.

"There is a vaccine but as the virus has a tendency to mutate it only covers certain strains. You can take a flu shot but still get the flu if you didn't have the right antibodies to combat it. All you can do is, again, treat the symptoms. There is no cure."

Dr. Grand straightened up and faced the silent panel of men in front of her. "If you know the origin of the virus you may be able to create a vaccine or cure for it. However, the shortest time a vaccine has been created, with primate and human testing, is no less than 2 to 3 years."

A pin drop could have been heard at this point in the room as the men finally cottoned on.

"The fact she created not only a vaccine but a cure in a 6 month period is on level with an act of Creation. Would you like to know what the typical time rate it is to create a cure? And that sometimes a cure simply can't be created?"

"Rachel has a gift sir," she said as she turned to address the President solely, "she can see the gaps and can make the thought jumps long before we even know there are gaps."

She took a deep breath as she began to gather her papers together. "Take it or leave it. The choice now is in your hands."

LSLSLSLSLS

"Please tell me that's a joke. An absolutely horrible joke but a joke." Mike stared at his CO in disbelief. Tom smiled weakly at his command team as Garnett and Jeter sat in unbelieving silence.

"I wish I was. Our new orders are to return to Norfolk with the rest of the battle group and resupply the ship. We're being stationed on the Pacific side to look for them."

Mike raised his eyebrows in astonishment. "The Pacific side? The chances of them making it to the west coast are slim to none! Why has the President sent us there?"

Tom sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"That's on purpose, isn't it sir? Are we being punished for losing Rachel in the first place?" Garnett asked softly.

"Not a punishment, but more like insurance. Considering the way she left the ship the President is concerned that should we be the ones to find her we won't be able to convince her to return." Tom said as he leaned forward and rubbed his forehead.

Mike immediately began to protest. "That's absolutely ridiculous!"

"Is it?" Tom said flatly. "I threatened to abandon her to authorities to 'answer for her crimes'." He quoted with bunny fingers. "It doesn't matter if it was just a threat, she believed it enough to leave." Pain crossed his features and his team looked away to let him recover his composure.

"That's not what I meant Tom." Mike said quietly. "I meant that they thought so little of her character that they assumed she won't come back when she knew she was needed."

"More like he assumed she would run at the first sight of us. Or at the sight of me. And he's not wrong."

Mike clapped him on his shoulder in support as he said, "I think you underestimate how much she cares for you. I saw the look on her face when she left the wardroom when you confronted her. She was devastated Tom." He smirked suddenly. "More like after so long away she would be stunned enough by your handsome face that we could tackle her."

"That's not very funny Mike." Tom said frowning.

"But very true." Garnett countered dryly.

Tom suspiciously eyed his suddenly innocent command team but decided to let it go for now.

"Prepare the ship to return home. I have a meeting later with the CO of the Roosevelt at 1500. Afterward, all four ships will start the journey home at 1700. Dismissed." He said as all of them stood and began to make their way to the door.

LSLSLSLSLS

"So what happened?" Sal asked as he handed Tom a snifter of whiskey. He collapsed back into his chair in his study and eyed his younger friend. He had known Tom a long time and could tell when something was eating at him.

"What do you mean?" Tom tried to counter as he took a sip. Knowing he couldn't put Sal off for long, he at least wanted to try to control the direction it could go in. Without knowing what direction Sal was going in however could trip him up. Having learned the basics of battle tactics from the man he knew he could be trapped into giving up more information than he wanted unless he was very careful.

"With Rachel Scott, Tom. No games right now between us." Sal leveled him with a flat but unjudging look.

Tom sighed and swirled the whiskey around in his glass before taking a sip. He leaned back and closed his eyes but didn't answer. Sal settled more comfortably and decided to wait him out. He could tell Tom wanted to speak to someone and knew he couldn't talk to anyone except for maybe his XO on board his ship.

"I was extremely saddened to hear about Darien." Sal finally said into the silence. Turning his head to look, Tom shot him an indecipherable look. The battled group had encountered the hospital ship in the Atlantic when they had finally gotten word of the pandemic. They had been completing war maneuvers in the Greenland Sea and had been on radio silence. By the time a radio transmission had broken through the government had gone dark. Returning to Norfolk had been a shock of the worst order.

"As I was to hear about Jane." Tom said compassionately into the silence. Sal raised his glass into the air. "May our loved ones find each other in Heaven." Tom clinked his glass against Sal's in salute.

The silence continued for some minutes until Tom finally caved.

"I was so close." Tom said quietly. Tears stung his eyes as he continued, "She was still alive when I got a hold of dad. If I had been just a bit quicker I could have saved her."

Sal reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "You saved your babies though Tom and she lives on in them. She is at peace and I take comfort that her suffering is over."

There was a comfortable silence between them as Tom recovered his composure.

The composure he had managed to recover though fell by the wayside as Sal said, "Add in your feelings for Dr. Scott and it's been quite a rollercoaster for you hasn't it?"

Tom kept silent as Sal continued, "It must have started soon after you met her didn't it? After all you may have be married but you most certainly weren't dead. You stayed away from her for the most part but something kept drawing you back. And then the orders from the government came in. You knew something was wrong but assumed it was the clout from Dr. Scott and didn't push further. After all if you started the return home your time with Rachel was going to come to an end. It wasn't until the Russians that you demanded answers."

Sal paused as Tom jumped to his feet and began to pace like a tiger in the small Captain's office.

"And then she told you. While you were running war tests in the Arctic and ogling at the doctor your wife and children were running for their lives. The whole world was on the brink and you were playing in the snow." Sal paused to take in the atmosphere. This is going to be harder to crack, he thought wryly. Tom needed to come to terms with this if he had any chance of getting past it. For both his children and Dr. Scott he had to push him through it.

Tom felt the tension in his shoulders string tighter as he continued to pace.

"After the struggle to find a cure, after the fighting and the heartbreak and guilt of losing Darien in the killing fields you thought it was over. You placed your trust in Rachel and she rewarded that with an answer to it. And then she broke it. You thought you knew the women you had fallen in love with and she betrayed you!"

"I DROVE HER TO IT!" Tom roared as he whipped to face Sal. "I guilted her into working with that abomination and then punished her when she broke! I will never forget the look on her face as I told her I would abandon her! And what hurts the most is that she BELIEVED it!"

Tom slammed a hand into the bulkhead and then leaned his head against it with his back to Sal.

"And there it is." Sal calmly said. "But you don't deny you're in love with her."

A shudder shook the younger Captain. "No. I don't deny that. I fell in love with a woman who was not my wife. I broke my vows to love, honor and cherish her for all the days of my life. While she was trying to keep herself and my children alive I was betraying her."

"Horseshit."

Tom's back stiffened at that answer and he spun back around. Sal suppressed a sigh as he eyed him. Tom was an extremely honorable man and had a tendency to hold himself to a higher standard. For the most part it had served him well. Except in this of course.

"Darien was a good women Tom. She had a backbone of steel but such a gentle exterior that you couldn't see until it was too late." A sad smile crossed Sal's face. He had come across that backbone enough times to have finally recognized it for what it was. "But you can't deny she didn't pull the same reactions out of you that Rachel can. Oh don't give me that look. Mike is just as worried about you as I am. He couldn't have pulled this off as well as I could. He's an excellent XO but a little too blunt to ever make a good CO."

He slumped back across the wall as Sal stood up. "Darien wouldn't have blamed you. The hearts wants what the heart wants, you know that Tom as well as she did. Combine that with the fact you married very young it's not so very outside the realm of happening."

"So you're saying I was bound to betray her?" Tom said bitterly as he slid down the wall. Crossing over Sal slid down to match him and leaned into him companionably. "Horseshit." He said again gently. "More like you hadn't met your match yet. We don't know what would have happened had Darien survived. You could have left her and followed your heart, or stayed and been content the rest of your life. But that option is no longer in the cards. What you have before you now is a choice."

"What kind of choice? The world is a much bigger place now. What are the chances we'll even be able to find her? " Tom muttered, thunking his head back against the wall.

A chuckle answered him as Sal finished the last of his glass. "I'm with Mike on this one. Something tells me we haven't seen the last of the good Doctor." Sal climbed to his feet and made his way over to the decanter to refill both glasses. "Your choice, my friend, is what in the hell you're going to say to convince her to come back to you."

Tom glared up at him as he took his glass from Sal. "She wasn't mine in the first place an.."

A deep laugh interrupted him. Still chuckling Sal settled back down next to him. "Mike isn't the only one I've spoken to in the last day. How was it? Ah yes, 'enough sexual tension to sink my carrier' was how it was phrased. Your crew adores her by the way. According to several credible sources while you were trying not to be caught looking at her she was doing the same. No, I think very much she is yours. So what do you plan to do about it?"

LSLSLSLSLS

9 days later- Nathan James

LSLSLSLSLS

"Pulling into the harbor sir. The comms have been restored and the Nathan James has been cleared for slip 9. Also, your father requested to meet both yourself and the XO on the dock sir." Lt. Granderson reported as she straightened up from the docking console.

"Excellent job Lt. Granderson. You have the bridge until we return." She looked startled for a moment before a look of rare pleasure crossed her face. Tom hid his smile as he turned toward the door. Slowly but surely she had been recovering her confidence from the events of Baltimore but it would take time.

After docking procedures had been completed he and Mike walked down the gangplank to the ground. His father was waiting for him with a solemn look on his face and Tom tensed as he noticed Ashley and Sam were missing.

"Dad." Grabbing his father in a tight hug he whispered, "Dad, where are the children?"

Jed pulled back and gave him a tight smile. "They're fine Tommy. One of the base Doctors is keeping an eye on them."

"Sir, is everything ok?" Mike questioned from beside him. After the events of the past year they would take nothing for granted. Combined with Jed's behavior it made both sailors very nervous.

"7 days ago we had visitors from out of town." Both men tensed as thoughts of Immune soldiers came to mind. Tom caught the slight mischievous look in his father's eyes and relaxed a bit.

"They came from a Naval base outside Memphis, TN and brought some people who had been missing from home." A suddenly bright expression crossed the older man's face as he started to laugh. "I asked them to wait for a few minutes while I explained the situation to you both but I'm sure they're all getting a little impatient."

"DADDY!"

Mike jerked like he had been struck by lightning as he whipped around to face the entrance to the dock. A ragged sob tore out of his throat as he took in the three people he loved most running to him. Taking off at a sprint he caught them before they had even made it halfway to him.

Tom felt a huge wave of relief envelop him as he observed the four Slattery's collapsing into a pile of tears and joy. If anyone deserved this it was Mike. He had stood beside him and watched his back even while he may not have agreed with the decisions his CO made.

"Tom, there's more as well."

"More what dad?" He asked as crew began gathering at the railing as word spread like wildfire through the ship. As he turned his head to his dad, clapping and yelling started flowing overboard.

His father grinned as more people began to stream down the dock from the entrance. "Deer Park evacuated to that base and has been there ever since. Some from that safe zone are family members from the James, the Kitty Hawk and the Roosevelt."

"ANNE?!" Tom snapped his head up to look at Ensign Ackles as he practically tried to fly off the railing toward a sobbing woman as she smiled through her tears and waved as laughing crew members pulled him back. Voices started rising in cries of joy and relief as loved ones were spotted in the crowd.

Tom turned back to his father in astonishment. "How did they know to come back here?! Have they been inoculated against the virus? How many people that were missing have been accounted for?"

Laughing at the rapid fire questions, Jed lifted a hand and patted at the air. "Slow down son! I'll answer all of those and more but how about you go greet Christine? It's rude to keep a lady waiting you know."

Flushing with embarrassment, Tom made his way over to the Slattery family. By that time they had stood up but all of them kept their arms around each other. Almost as if they were convinced the others would disappear if let go. Pulling Christine into a hug he whispered his greetings to her and kissed her cheek. She kept her arms around him as she whispered her condolences over Darien. Tears brightened his eyes a little as he nodded and pulled back.

It was only then that he noticed how pale and drawn she looked. He glanced at Tara and Jordan and noticed they looked the same way. She noticed the look and nodded her head. "We're still recovering but the Doctors are sure we're going to be just fine. Sweeties why don't you go see the Master Chief? He's been waiting patiently to greet you."

The group as one turned their heads and glanced at the Master Chief who was indeed waiting patiently behind them. The girls both shrieked with joy and rushed to mob him. Laughing, he caught both girls and swung them around.

"It was so very close." Christine suddenly whispered. "If it had been even 5 hours later none of us would be here." A sob caught her throat as Mike tightened his arm around her as his face paled. Jed joined the group as she continued. "When we evacuated to the base it was being run by a commander who wasn't prepared in the slightest. Many people died, including him, before Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Smith took over. When the doctors from the CDC came, he demanded redundancies after redundancies to make sure the Flu didn't spread from the containment area. But one of the doctors didn't tape up his suit right one day and it spread like wildfire. Luckily it was contained swiftly by the remaining scientist but the damage had already been done."

Pausing to take a deep breath, she started to continue but was suddenly interrupted by her husband as a thought occurred to him. "How did you get the cure?" He demanded. "The labs in America were destroyed a couple of weeks ago. There wasn't enough time to make it further inland before they were hit."

Tom and Mike both shot each other startled looks as the pieces started falling into shape. Mike suddenly grunted as a pointy elbow hit him in his stomach. "Do you want me to finish my story or not?" His wife demanded as some of that fire he loved returned to her eyes.

"Yes ma'am." He said sheepishly.

"Good." Christine declared. "Anyway, as I was saying. We were in the sickbay when it happened."

Tom unconsciously leaned forward as anticipation unfurled inside him. The more information they knew of where they had gone after leaving that beach, the closer they could get to recovering them.

"A dark haired woman entered and began to breathe on those of us laying there. She made Tony laugh." A smile briefly crossed her face. "I hadn't heard that little imp laugh in days. Imagine my surprise when she suddenly blurted out my name and raced over to me. I don't remember much after that but what I do recall is warmth. A hand that held mine and whispered to me that my husband loved and missed me. That I had to hold on for my girls and to fight with everything I had left." A tear crept down her face as she buried it in her husband's shoulder. Mike's eyes met Tom's and he knew now that Mike would now walk across fire for Rachel. Would do anything she wished if only to repay her a penance for what she had done for him. Well that makes two of us, he thought fiercely. Now if only we could find her.

"Rachel helped us recover enough to begin the long drive back to Norfolk. She was with us every step of the way all the way back home. We can never repay her enough." Christine said in a hushed tone as she watched her daughters dance amongst the crew.

Snapping his head up he pinned her with such a fierce look she recoiled a bit. "Rachel was here?!"

"Yes, she was. She left about two days ago now." Jed said as he frowned at his son. That reaction was very peculiar. The whole thing was, he suddenly realized. He had been so happy and busy with the returning people he hadn't given a second thought to Rachel's arrival without being in the company of his son. He had just assumed Tom had sent her since she was in the company of a bunch of Marines along with that soldier from Baltimore.

"DAD. I need you to tell me anything you know about Rachel's whereabouts and where she could have gone."

Jed paled slightly as the enormity of the situation started to dawn on him. "Well," Christine said uncertainty behind him, "you could ask Jeremy. He would know."

LSLSLSLSLS

"So. You're the asshole Captain Rachel talked about." Jeremy stared at Captain Chandler with a flat expression.

"Did she call me an asshole?" Tom asked with a pained expression. "No." Jeremy said thoughtfully as he balanced his chair on two legs in the Captain's dining room. "But then Rachel has not always had the best taste in men either."

Mike had to turn his face to the cabinets to hide the smirk he couldn't suppress on his face. Oh he liked this one. He was fiercely glad Rachel had such a champion in her corner. He turned back around before Tom could notice.

"Jeremy, knock it off. You know Rachel would kick your ass if she knew you just said that." Christine settled a cup of coffee in front of each man before sitting down. Jeremy made a face but kept his mouth shut.

In truth he knew the man sitting in front of him was a good one who had just made a horrible mistake. But that didn't mean he couldn't help but razzle him a bit. He looked around the room as silence settled over the group. A man claiming to be Christine's husband had gathered him from the hospital and secreted him away before he could protest. Not that I would normally protest being kidnapped by a military man, he thought wryly. But when he had been brought to Captain Tom Chandler's home he knew that the jig was up. It had been a risk staying here but the port didn't have enough qualified doctors to staff the growing list of survivors. And he was too heartbroken already to face such a hard life on the road. Losing Steve from the first wave of the outbreak had almost broken him. The events afterward had just about finished the job. Sad as it was to say, he didn't have the fortitude to do the grisly job the others had set out to do.

"The look on her face haunts me. I took everything she had managed to accomplish and threw it back in her face. I couldn't control my rage when she told me she had experimented on herself."

Jeremy felt his heart thaw slightly as he beheld the look on the Captain's face but the man wasn't done.

He looked down at the table and continued, "She was my friend. Mine to protect. Mine to shelter. And I failed her when she needed me most." He rubbed his face suddenly and glanced back up at the Doctor. "So yes Dr. Black, I'm the asshole Captain." Jeremy studied the man in front of him and felt the rest of the ice melt away.

"I don't know where she is." He held up a hand as both Mike and Tom opened their mouths. "And yes, I would tell you if I did. I believe you Captain Chandler, and more to the fact Gunny had thought that was the case when Rachel 'fessed up." Tom had had to explain about the Pardon before Jeremy would give any information out.

"What kind of man is this Gunny?" Mike questioned suspiciously. "A damn fine one." The Doctor replied back quickly. Mike nodded his head as the confirmation registered. Christine was a damn fine judge of character and she highly respected Gunny Smith. Having confirmation from someone who obviously held Rachel in such high regard made the tension relax from his stomach.

"So what's the play?" Jeremy asked as he went back to balancing on two legs. I probably shouldn't do that, he mused as the chair creaked in protest.

"Play?" Mike parroted.

"Yes, the play. Are you going to continue looking for her or is this all it's going to come to?" Jeremy said absentmindedly. He looked up just in time to catch a glance between the two Navy officers. Suspicion clouded across his mind as his chair thumped back to the floor. "What is it?" He demanded. "What is it that you know?"

LSLSLSLSLS

"Sweet Baby Jesus." Staring at the two men in horror he demanded, "No! You must be joking and that is a fucking terrible joke."

"I'm afraid we're not. We've gotten confirmation of several cases across the pond." Tom rubbed his head with his fingers. At this point I'm at I may not have a forehead left before long, he thought.

"Shit."

"Pretty much." Mike agreed as he held Christine's hand tighter. She had not taken the news of a second outbreak very well and none of the men at the table could blame her.

"And Rachel is the best of us." Jeremy mused thoughtfully. He eyed the two officers in front of him in thought. Dammit old chap, he thought, now she owes me a whole box.

"Well alright then, when do we leave?"

"Absolutely not. Your services are needed here more than on the ship. We have two very capable doctors on board. Doctors who are going to keep in constant contact with everyone else as the scientists, that's you too by the way, continue to try to find the cure while we look for Dr. Scott."

Tom and Jeremy faced off across the table in a silent battle of wills. Mike leaned back and wished the microwave worked so he could make popcorn. The two men in front of him were well matched in stubbornness so he would wait to throw his two cents in. Feeling a small hand slip back into his, he turned his head and gave his wife a small kiss.

"So far I like you Captain Chandler." Jeremy suddenly said into the silence. "Rachel still spoke very highly of you but let me make something very clear. I may not know where they left to but I do know what direction they took. They went west. With the full intention of working their way across the U.S. like a traveling circus bearing the fruit of life. Eventually they will reach the west coast and if you're very lucky you will catch up to them."

Holding up a hand to hold off the two responses clearly painted on the officers faces he continued. "What you aren't taking into consideration is the four battle hardened Marines she's traveling with. Toss in Tex and you've got a small convoy of heavily armed, highly trained soldiers who know how to disappear. You have one shot at getting to her before she realizes she's being searched for."

A compassionate look was leveled at the Captain as Jeremy said gently. "And if she sees a single silver hair before you can explain yourself you will never find her again."

Well, that parts a lie, he thought guiltily as Tom's face fell before smoothing out into impenetrably.

Gunny had a very good idea on what was going on between the good Captain and Rachel but until it could be fixed he would help her save what was left of America. For some reason Gunny had been very sure the Captain would come looking for her. And positive they would be found by the James before too long. 'He mentioned the Immunes as the reason why. He's going to kick himself when he finds out what turned out to be the real reason.' Jeremy sighed to himself. No way was he going to let Rachel fight this again by herself. She had probably been living off tea and biscuits and there wasn't anyone really there to help share the load and bully her into eating and sleeping. Tophet had apparently tried but you needed balls of brass to deal with Rachel sometimes. He was sure the Captain would have done it if he had known but running a ship was a full time business he was sure. And these weren't exactly normal times.

"Why are you so convinced you need to be on the ship?" Mike questioned.

Jeremy suddenly started to laugh. "Did you know Rach was my Best Woman at my wedding? She and I go a ways back and when we catch up I'll be able to grab their attention long enough to get an explanation in."

Mike suddenly looked intrigued and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Know any crazy stories then about the good Doctor?"

Tom raised his eyes from the table in interest.

Smirking widely, he spread his arms out as he began to balance on two legs again. "Oh I have stories that would ruin that goody two shoes reputation she has in a heartbeat. I'll tell you a few on our long journey out."

Thumping back for the last time onto all four legs, he turned once more to the Captain. "So again Captain, when do we leave?"

LSLSLSLSLS

So what did you think? I really fell in love with Mike Slattery in Fight the Ship. When he's in the comm room he cracked me up. And then when he spun the axe after he killed the douche canoe? CLASSIC. So I felt he deserved to get a solid in. By the way, a huge shout out to redqueen74 and JOYS of October for holding my hand a bit in the last couple of days. You can blame both of them for the length. XD

So what did you think of the scene between Sal and Tom? The OC characters are coming out of the wazzo but I needed that to get to where I wanted to go. I feel like in the show Tom hasn't really dealt with losing Darien and can you imagine the guilt with his feeling for Rachel? At this point it might as well be canon. Also, I wasn't too sure about the ribbon scene but it seemed too right to leave in. The ribbon will be making a return appearance later.

So now I have bad news and good news. Bad news is there probably won't be an update until Friday or Saturday. I need to put my nose to the grinder and get past my math class. The good news is that I know exactly how the next chapter is going to go so it's going to flow right out. This chapter fought me a bit in several areas and I've refined it a lot in the past few days.

In the next chapter we are officially staying in the Present! I may have some flashbacks but we won't be in the past anymore. But does that mean we'll see a Scotch meeting in the next one? Only they know. Mwahaaha. See you on the flipside everyone!