Author's Note: Pre-Series, pre-first pilgrimage set up. Same context as my other stories, so this is basically a prequel to my story 118 Days Later. If you've read Bells, this is the fleshing out of the backstory in chapter two of that story.
Disclaimer is as usual – no profit, not mine, just borrowing.
Six Months Later
"General, you have got to be kidding me." Nathaniel is already starting to seethe at the orders they just received.
General Philbrick grimaces. "I wish I was, Nathaniel. They're making me deliver the orders because they figured you might take it a little better from me."
Nathaniel turns to the person standing behind him. "Guz, give us the room, and if you run into Wash, keep her out too."
"Yes, sir." His 3IC quietly slips from the office, closing the door behind him.
Nathaniel turns back to face his old mentor. "General, Lieutenant Washington is a highly decorated soldier. She's earned more medals and honors than any other medic in the last fifty years. She even has a Purple Heart. She does not deserve to be treated like this."
The general looks incredulous. "It's not a death sentence, Nathaniel. Stop being so melodramatic."
"Sir, it's disrespectful in the extreme, and I can see in your face that you know it. We know we have to make the rounds, and we know it will be one long dog and pony show, but Lieutenant Washington should not be on display like this." Nathaniel can't believe that the general can't see how bad, how offensive this is.
"Damn it, Taylor, the project funding is on the line. She may be a bad ass, but she's also an attractive,young woman. She's wearing a dress, and she'll deal with it. If her looking good helps us secure more funding and support, then by God, she'll look good."
"Damn it, General, she's being treated like a prostitute." Nathaniel's voice rises on every word.
"She's not expected to go to bed with anyone, Commander. And I suggest you rethink your tone. The lead senator, Senator Haley, demands this. We need support from both the government and from the private sector. If your precious lieutenant looking hot in a damned dress helps us with that, then so be it. It's not a request, Nathaniel. It's an order. If you want her to remain with the project, you will make it clear to her that this is not negotiable."
The general's face is hard, and he picks up his hat. "A female member of Haley's staff will be by tomorrow to take the lieutenant shopping. You be sure that the lieutenant is ready and that she will be cooperative." The man doesn't wait for agreement. He simply leaves, not bothering to bid Nathaniel good-bye.
"Son of a bitch!" Nathaniel is livid as he watches the door close behind his old mentor. He's contemplating putting a fist through a wall when he hears the door open again.
Before he can tell whoever it is to go the hell away, he hears, "Nathaniel? Is everything all right?"
He turns sharply, and it's Alicia standing there, a concerned expression on her face. Guz is right behind her, looking equally worried, but his concern is likely more for what Nathaniel is about to have to tell Alicia. Nathaniel nods. "Alicia, have a seat. Guz?"
Guz nods back to Nathaniel. Alicia looks at Guz in confusion, but the man just gives her a reassuring look and squeezes her shoulder. Then, he leaves, once again closing the door behind him. "Nathaniel, what is going on?"
He takes a deep breath and motions to a chair. "You really will want to sit, Alicia."
A few minutes later, she storms out, the door swinging wide behind her. Nathaniel sighs and runs a hand through his hair, leaning back against his desk. Guz reappears at the door. "Looks like that went about as well as expected, sir."
"You should have seen her face, Guz. This is ridiculous and insulting to her, and I can't stop it." Nathaniel shakes his head. "It's 2141, for God's sake. I thought this kind of chauvinistic bullshit was behind us. Apparently, it's fine for her to take bullets or run into a hail of RPG fire to help a wounded soldier, but it's not OK for her to wear a dress uniform to a damned cocktail party. She looked like she wanted to find a rock and hide. It was sheer terror. That's not our Wash, Guz."
"Sir, do you want me to go check on her?" Guz's face is clearly concerned. Alicia, though it annoys her, seems to have an innate ability to inspire the people around her to be protective. He's thought about it, and he decided that it's because she's so capable and strong all the time. On the very rare occasions when she does appear vulnerable, it's so out of character, so unusual that it's like people can't help but want to take care of her.
Nathaniel sighs. "I'll do it. Stay here and keep an eye on things."
A few minutes later, Nathaniel is outside Alicia's door. He knocks, not at all certain that she'll let him in. He hears movement on the other side of the door, and after a moment, it opens. She looks upset, but at least she's not in tears. He'll never tell her, but her tears, rare as they are, rip him up inside. She just blinks and walks away from the door, leaving it open.
He takes that as his permission to enter, so he follows her, closing the door behind him. She sinks down on the sofa, knees drawn up to her chest and arms wrapping around her legs. The position makes her look tiny to him, and the wave of protectiveness that rolls over him almost takes his breath away. Of course, she'd kill him if she knew that.
He drops onto the sofa. "I'm sorry, Alicia."
She shakes her head. "It's not your fault, Nathaniel."
"But I…"
"No. It's not your fault. You'd never make me do this – I get that it's something above both of our pay grades. I'll be fine. I will hate every minute of it, but I'll be fine." Her words are strong, but her voice has a slight tremor to it. "I just don't fit into that world, you know? My mom taught me manners, of course, but not this stuff. It was going to be uncomfortable enough for me in my uniform, but…"
Instead of responding, he just slides over to sit next to her. He props his feet up on the coffee table, crossing his legs at the ankle. After a moment's hesitation, he wraps an arm around her shoulders. She tenses briefly, and then she just relaxes into his side, her knees dropping towards him and her head coming to rest on his shoulder.
They're silent for a second or two before she makes him snort by muttering, "This sucks."
With those words, he knows she'll be OK, but he doesn't move away. He just squeezes her shoulders tighter and says, "That it does, Lieutenant. That it does."
**WT**WT**WT**
One Week Later
"Get out." Alicia's eyes are flashing at the woman from the senator's office. She has put up with a lot in the last week, multiple shopping trips to get a "suitable" number of dresses, all on the dime of the expedition. Then, she got dragged to nail and facial appointments. Her patience with all of this is gone.
The first of the parties is tonight, and the woman just showed up at her door again, this time for a hair appointment. When Alicia asked what exactly they intended to do, the woman explained that they need to cut her hair shorter, to take off a "few inches" to make her more "presentable." It was the last straw.
"Miss Washington, this is required." The woman attempts to look intimidating. She fails miserably.
Alicia walks over to the office door and opens it. "Ma'am, I have put up with a lot of crap this week, but I have news for you: I am done. There will be no more appointments and no more shopping trips."
The woman opens her mouth to argue but Alicia isn't having it. She advances on her and points to the door. "You will leave. Now. The requirement is that I go to the parties in a dress. I will do that. But you are not cutting my hair. Are we clear?"
"Miss Washington," the woman attempts to begin again.
"That's Lieutenant Washington, ma'am. And I think it's time for you to go." Alicia and the senator's aide both look up to see Nathaniel and Guz looming in the doorway, returning from the commissary with lunch for the three of them.
The woman blushes. "Sir, Lieutenant Washington must…"
Nathaniel crosses the room in two strides and, with a hand on her shoulder, gently propels her towards the door. "All that Lieutenant Washington must do is attend the party attired as was agreed to. She has had the patience of a saint this week, but your time is up. Good day, ma'am."
Guz nods at the woman as Nathaniel guides her out. He looks at Alicia. "Your hair? Seriously?"
Alicia huffs out a breath and rolls her eyes at Guz. "Apparently, it's not presentable and needs to be a few inches shorter."
"That woman is an idiot. Your hair is freaking amazing." Guz grins at her, leering a bit.
"Shut up, Guzman." She shoots him a mock glare.
"Play nice, kids." Nathaniel re-enters the office.
Alicia looks at him. "Please tell me that harpy is gone."
He grins. "That harpy is gone."
"Thank God." She slumps into her chair, crossing her arms on her desk and burying her face in them.
She hears boots approach her desk, but she doesn't look up. A moment later, she feels a hand playing with her long ponytail. "Why the hell did she want to chop off your hair?"
She turns her head to see Nathaniel next to her, holding up a lock of her hair. Her cheeks redden slightly, and she swallows hard and says, "She seems to think that I'm not presentable as is."
He releases her hair. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard this week, and that's saying a lot, considering how much ridiculousness has been going around."
He heads to his desk, sitting down and picking up a plex to read while he eats lunch, and Guz drops a bag on her desk. "Your sandwich, Miss Washington." She growls and throws a pencil at him as he retreats, laughing. She hears Nathaniel chuckle at them, and she looks at him. He has an amused look on his face, but there's something in his eyes that tells her he's concerned about the party tonight.
She shoots him a game smile, and she shrugs lightly, trying to tell him that she's OK. After a moment, he nods and goes back to his plex. They all dig into their lunches, and they get back to work.
She leaves the office before they do that evening, knowing that it's going to take her a little while to get ready. The only good thing about tonight is that they're going straight from the building to a sealed car, and they'll be entering the party through a garage, so they can do without their rebreathers.
After taking a shower, she digs into her things for a large, round brush, and she takes a long time drying her hair, using the brush to encourage waves. She then carefully applies more makeup than usual.
Wrapped in a towel, she goes to her closet. One thing she won't admit to anyone is how much she likes the "appropriate" undergarments that the woman from the senator's office encouraged. They're simple and sheer, very different from her usual military-issue underwear and sports bras.
Turning to the dresses, she looks at them closely. She has to go to about a dozen of these parties, and so the woman made her choose six floor-length cocktail dresses, each to be worn twice. She chooses one of them, a dark red one. It's a fitted sheath, boat-neck in the front and dipping somewhat low in the back. It has a slit up one side, stopping just above her knee, that allows her to walk.
She steps into the dress, pulling it up and zipping it. She then slips on her shoes, a killer pair of black spike heels, another thing she refuses to admit that she likes. She puts on a pair of simple silver earrings and matching bracelet, left to her by her mother, and grabs the small black bag she bought. In it, she drops her lipstick and her dog tags, the latter being something she just doesn't feel comfortable leaving.
Turning around, she looks at herself in the mirror. It's a strange feeling, because she almost doesn't recognize herself. She stares, but then a knock at the door makes her blink.
Grabbing the simple black wrap she got to wear over the dresses, she heads for the door. As she opens it, Nathaniel says, "Alicia are you…" he pauses when his eyes hit her, and he goes quiet, blinking at her.
"Nathaniel?" She's suddenly concerned about him. "Is everything OK?"
"Holy shit."
"What? Is something wrong? Is this not OK for the party?" She gestures to her dress, looking at him.
He clears his throat, shaking his head. "Yeah, sorry. Alicia, it's perfect. You look…perfect."
He looks flushed, and something in his voice makes her go warm all over. She gives him a nearly-shy smile. "Thank you." Her eyes run over him. "You clean up pretty well yourself." It's not a lie; she'd forgotten how good he looks in his dress uniform.
As they head for the elevator to go meet Guz in the building's lobby, he walks closer to her than usual. She can almost feel his hand ghosting at her back. It's as though he wants to touch her but knows that he shouldn't.
When they arrive in the lobby, they spot Guz waiting by the door. He turns when they approach, and after a nod to Nathaniel, he looks at Alicia. He freezes much like Nathaniel did, but after that, he just grins and lets out a wolf whistle. In response, she rolls her eyes and whacks him with her bag.
After a short car ride, they are dropped off in the sealed area outside one of the fancy downtown Chicago hotels. Some of these parties will be in Washington, but this one is here in honor of the location of the time portal.
They enter the ballroom where the party is being held, Alicia in the middle with Guz and Nathaniel flanking her. If she wasn't so nervous, their obvious hovering might get on her nerves. Senator Hayes approaches them, his aide, the harpy woman, in tow.
As the senator greets them, Alicia's eyes meet the woman's eyes. Alicia glares at her and tosses her hair over her shoulder, making Guz emit a barely-concealed snort.
"Lieutenant!" Alicia turns towards the voice, only to see the senator extending his hand to her.
She holds out her hand for him to take. "Good evening, Senator Hayes."
He actually kisses the back of her hand, and it takes everything she has to not roll her eyes. "You look lovely, Lieutenant. I'm glad you and Mindy were able to have some success in the stores."
Alicia pulls her hand back, a little uncomfortable. "Thank you, sir."
The senator then sees one of the important financial backers, so he taps Nathaniel's arm. It's clear, from the way he immediately looks at her, that he's hesitant to leave her. She gives him a slight nod, one he reluctantly returns before following the senator.
"Buy you a drink, Lieutenant?" Guz offers her his arm. She takes it with a laugh and lets him walk her to the bar.
Two hours later, Alicia is admittedly bored. She's nursing only her second drink of the night, unwilling to get even slightly tipsy. Guz stepped away from her a few minutes ago when he saw someone he knew from his tour in southeast Asia. Nathaniel has been working the room, his eyes often straying to her, never far away, and he has slowly been working his way closer to her.
She now stands in a quiet corner of the room, observing the other partygoers. She has been introduced to most of them, and now she is craving a little silence. Some of the other people here are getting drunk, and for her, that's just another reason to stay to the side of the fray. It's actually a decently friendly party, but Alicia is getting tired. In particular, she's getting tired of pretending that she's having a good time.
"Lieutenant." Alicia looks up sharply to see another one of the politicians, Senator Morrison, approach her. The man is pretty obviously drunk, and the look he is shooting her is lascivious. When he gets to her, he does what Nathaniel didn't dare do earlier, crowding her with his body and resting his hand on the bare skin of her back, sliding it around to come to rest on her hip. His position hides his actions from most of the rest of the room.
As he grasps at her, Alicia freezes. She has no idea what to do, no idea how to gracefully escape from this. A moment later, it goes from uncomfortable straight into nightmare-land. The drunk politician leans close in, hand leaving her hip and sliding literally down the back of her dress, coming to rest directly on her ass. As he does, he murmurs, "You are the hottest woman I've ever seen at one of these parties. I've been watching you all night, and all I want to do is rip that dress off and pound you up against a wall."
She feels like a deer in headlights. She knows she can't get free without making at least a small scene. As much as she has been through, the only other time she was ever manhandled like this was one time when she was briefly captured by enemy forces. She broke the arm of the man who did that. She's also never been spoken to like that, not by a stranger. As the seconds tick by, each feeling like an eternity, her panic grows.
She finally decides that she just has to twist free and get away when it's taken care of for her. Out of nowhere, Nathaniel appears. In an instant, he has the politician turned face first into the wall, the offending arm twisted painfully behind him. Nathaniel leans his head down, and Alicia hears him growl, "If you do not disappear right now, I will rip your arm off and feed it to you, and then I'll cross the room and explain in detail to your wife why I had to do it."
The moment Nathaniel releases him, the senator bolts like a frightened rabbit, and Alicia breathes a sigh of relief. She feels herself shaking lightly, and when Nathaniel turns back to her, his face full of concern, his eyes are clearly asking her if she wants to leave. She blinks a few times and nods, not trusting her voice right now.
He steps up to her, and, without hesitation this time, places a firm, protective hand on her lower back. He guides them through the crowd, and they're almost to the door when they are stopped by Senator Hayes. "Where are you two going? There are still a few backers you both need to meet."
"We've had enough for one night, Senator." Nathaniel's voice is still a growl as the harpy aide appears next to the senator.
"Nonsense. This is an obligation on both of your parts. You will not shirk your responsibilities."
Nathaniel's eyes darken, and he steps closer to Senator Hayes. "Your good friend Senator Morrison just assaulted my lieutenant. If you have an issue with our leaving early, you take it up with him. Next party, you make sure your boys understand that Wash could kill any one of them with one arm tied behind her back, but she was just too polite and cares too much about the expedition to embarrass them. They damn well better respect her from now on. If they don't, not only will they have to answer to her, they'll have to answer to me. And answering to me will entail my ripping their heads off with my bare hands after I turn Wash loose to kick their asses from here to next week. Am I clear, Sir?"
As the surprised senator stammers an apology to her, Alicia notices that his aide disappeared the second that Nathaniel said what happened. A moment later, Nathaniel is once again propelling Alicia towards the door. Guz, who obviously saw what happened, is standing at the entrance to the room. "Wash, you OK?" At her weak nod, he goes on, "Sir, I'll stay and meet the last few backers. Anyone asks, and I'll tell them you were both called away on an emergency. Just send the car back for me."
With his free hand, Nathaniel squeezes Guz's shoulder. "Thanks, Guz."
"No problem, Commander." He nods to Nathaniel and Alicia and slips back into the crowd.
They're crossing the lobby when they hear a voice. "Lieutenant, Commander, wait!" They turn to see Senator Hayes's aide following them with something in her hands. "You forgot your wrap, Lieutenant." The woman holds out Alicia's black wrap, and Alicia takes it, surprised, murmuring a thank you. "I had them bring your car around. I'm sorry, Lieutenant. Senator Morrison is a pig. He's groped about half of the female staffers at these parties, myself included."
Alicia's eyes widen at that, and the woman just gives her another apologetic look before disappearing back into the party. Alicia mutters, "Damn it, I was really enjoying disliking her."
Nathaniel chuckles at that, and he guides her to the now-waiting car. When they get back to their apartment building, at her door, Nathaniel says, "Get changed. I'll be right back."
She's surprised for a moment, but she doesn't argue. "I'll leave the door unlocked. Just come in."
She goes to her bedroom, stripping off the dress and shoes, and she drops the lacy bra on the floor. After going into the bathroom to scrub the makeup from her face and brush her hair, she slips on a pair of sweats, an oversized t-shirt and a pair of socks. By the time she emerges, she can hear Nathaniel rattling around in the kitchen.
Instead of going to investigate, she just sits in one corner of the sofa, once again pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. As she tries to relax, the mild shaking returns, and she closes her eyes, trying to will it to stop. When she feels a weight drop next to her on the sofa, she opens her eyes to look at him.
Dressed similarly to her, he's holding out a mug, and she takes it from him. Taking a sip of the steaming liquid in the mug, she crinkles up her nose at the taste. It's some kind of tea laced with a pretty liberal amount of bourbon. He chuckles at that, but she just shakes her head and takes a bigger swallow of the drink before handing it back to him.
He holds the mug in his right hand and scoots closer to her on the sofa. He again props his feet on the coffee table and wraps his left arm around her shoulders, this time doing so without hesitation. She curls into him, not liking how vulnerable she feels but also knowing that she's safe letting him see the vulnerability.
He takes a sip from the mug, and his left hand finds its way into her hair, combing through it methodically. Her frayed nerves begin to settle, and she relaxes into him more. Eventually, she offers, "I was right."
"Hmm?" He sounds a little confused.
"This sucks."
He huffs out a laugh, and then he asks, "Are you all right, Alicia?"
She sighs, dropping her head to his shoulder as she nods. "I will be, Nathaniel. And I know you may be about to, so let me stop you – do not apologize. This was not your doing or your fault."
He squeezes her to him. "OK. I won't, but from now on, you're never alone at one of these damned things. Either I'm with you or Guz is."
She bristles slightly at that. He must notice, because he says, "It's not because I don't think you can handle yourself, Alicia. It's because I don't trust those sons of bitches. I don't ever again want you put in the position you were in tonight."
She holds her hand out for the mug, and he hands it to her. After taking another sip, she hands it back and curls closer into his side. "I froze, Nathaniel. I had no idea what to do. If we'd been in the field, I would have broken his arm. But I didn't know what to do…"
"Of course you didn't. No one would, Alicia. I'm just glad I was there. I probably enjoyed going after that piece of shit a little more than I should have, though." She can almost hear his feral grin.
A light knock at the door makes them both look up. They hear Guz identify himself through the door, and Nathaniel calls out, "It's open, Guz."
Guz comes in, bottle of whiskey in hand. He's also dressed in comfortable clothes. He puts the bottle on the table and drops into the armchair across from them, also propping his feet on the coffee table. Nathaniel holds up the mug. "We're way ahead of you, Guz. Glasses are in the kitchen."
Guz grins, and he gets up and goes to the kitchen for a moment, quickly returning with a glass of whiskey, neat. He sits back down, and Nathaniel says, "You're back faster than I thought you'd be."
"Right after you left, Senator Hayes sought me out. He apologized again and said I could leave too, if I preferred. I did, so he offered me his car. Tasha's with her grandmother, so I thought I'd come see how Wash here is doing." He looks at her, a concerned expression on his face.
She gives him a weak smile back. She knows she should probably pull away from Nathaniel, but given that Guz seems completely unphased by their positions, she decides that she doesn't care. "I'm OK, Guz. Shaken, but I'll rally."
"I just informed her that from now on…" Nathaniel begins, and Guz nods before he can finish.
"She's never alone at one of those parties again. When you get pulled away, I'll be there."
She snorts. "Bodyguards. Nice."
Nathaniel hugs her tighter to him. "I know you don't like appearing weak, Alicia, but that is not what this is. We are just making sure that no one ever thinks that liberties can be taken."
"I know, and I do appreciate it." She bumps his shoulder with her head and smiles at Guz.
As they sit there, Nathaniel goes back to running his hand through her hair, and he questions Guz on who all he talked to tonight. Their low, deep voices serve to calm her further, and she finds herself drifting off.
Usually, she doesn't have a need to feel protected, but tonight, the presence of Nathaniel and Guz combined with Nathaniel's hand in her hair is exactly what she needs. As she falls asleep, she mentally acknowledges that there are times when feeling safe and protected isn't necessarily a bad thing.