This chapter starts at the same time as the last chapter but follows what happens on the Nathan James and will also cover the events unfolding on the ship while the team is in Shanzhai.

Surprisingly this chapter is from Tom's POV. I hadn't really planned on doing that just yet, because I was worried I would give away too much. But I believe it worked quite well. What do you think?

Exhausted Thomas Chandler left the Captain's quarters. The conversation with POTUS. That had certainly given him much to think about. Peng had claimed his plane had crashed due to a technical malfunction. He had even offered proof in form of a emergency call from the pilot. For all intends and purposes the tape was real, but Tom himself had seen the plane explode not crash. Peng was to clever too make such a mistake. So what was going on here?

And then there was Kara. He had worked so closely with her during the past months, he knew her inside out. Something in her voice made him worry. There was something happening back home that worried her, something POTUS hadn't spoken of. But he couldn't just ask her. Not with Michener and his staff present. It was annoying as hell! As if a possibly newly mutated virus, his missing crew and the power hungry Peng weren't enough! Did he really have to deal with domestic instabilities on top of that? He wasn't a damn politician! And he had no interest in becoming one.

His thoughts went to other topics.

By now the mission had to be well on his way. Originally he had wanted to be there to see them off. He knew Mags had been right. It would have been a mistake for him to go with them. His face was too well known, as much as he hated it. Margaret! He didn't really know why he had been so angry or surprised to see her. He should have known she wouldn't just stay away. The woman did what she wanted, when she wanted it, regardless of the consequences. He should probably grateful she had stayed away for the whole of five months. At their last meeting she had made it very clear, she wanted to be part of his life again … he just wasn't sure he could risk it again. He had been crushed when she left the last time. It had taken him months to stop looking for her and accept that she really was gone and only after meeting Darien had he truly started to heal from everything that had happened. Could he really trust her again? Oh, who was he kidding, he already did! Why else would he send her in his own stead to Shanzhai?

Yes, the mission … Danny and Wolf were brilliant soldiers and good men on top of that. Judging from their escape from Hong Kong, Sasha was still more than capable of taking care of herself, to the point when it wasn't really necessary. And he knew well enough that Mags was able to protect herself against whatever was thrown at her. They had made sure of that! He trusted them! Every single one of them, so why was he still so restless? Had he really become this controlling?

Without realizing it, his feet had lead him to the sick bay.

"He is such a hypocrite!" he heard the voice of Lt Burk the older call. "I've read his mission reports. In my place he would have done exactly the same thing!"

"Maybe, or maybe he would have ..." the rest of the younger Burk's words got swallowed by the metal doors.

Tom shook his head. He knew Lt Burk hadn't really understood why he had named Alisha XO instead of him. Of course, he was right. Tom might have made the exact same decision and that was exactly the point. A ship's captain and his XO needed to be a unit, they needed to complement each other in all aspects. Tom was very aware that he tended to make emotional decisions at times. Which was why Mike had made such an exceptional XO for him. Where he had been emotional, Mike had been rational and the other way around. The older Burk was far too much like Tom himself to serve as a good XO to him.

"The point is," he could hear the younger Burk again, "you don't know him and she does!"

And that was of course the other part of his decision. He knew Lt Granderson, he trusted her, and in a situation like this, with half of his crew gone, he needed to have one hundred percent faith into his XO. He hadn't doubted for a second she would understand his message when they had approached the Nathan James in a Chinese chopper, and he had been right. So, no, he couldn't regret his decision. Alisha was the right choice for the job, despite matters of seniority or Lt Burk's hurt feelings.

He knocked on the door and entered.

The older Burk immediately jumped to his feet saluting.

"At ease, gentlemen!" Tom pulled a chair closer and sat down, studying the younger Burk closely. "How's the leg?"

"A couple of days and it'll be as good as new, sir!" the man smiled.

Tom nodded. "I'd rather you take a few more days to heal completely. I need you at you best for what is too come."

"I heard about the explosion, sir." the younger Burk said. "How is Wolf?" he asked clearly worried. The two man might have been competitors at the beginning of their acquaintance but had become friends during the last months and especially over their shared pain after losing Biva.

"As was to be expected. He's angry and looking for revenge!" Tom answered. "And he'll get it, once we dealt with those pirates and have our people back!"

Both Burks nodded in agreement.

"Until then, do what the medics tell you and rest." he rose and turned to the older Burk. "Lieutenant, I'll see you on the CIC."

"Yes, sir." he nodded.

Tom left the two brothers to their thoughts and conversations. He made his way back to the bridge. When his path led him past Dr Scott's quarters he stopped. He looked at the name tag on the door. His finger gently followed the curves of her name. Her handwriting. A moment of hesitation. He should be going back on the bridge, but there wasn't anything there he could do at the moment. It would be a while until they would hear anything. Finally he pushed the door open and went inside.

Nothing had changed since the last time he'd been here. All the things she had left were still here … the room even still smelled faintly of her. He had been shocked when Alisha had told him, Mike had kept the quarters as they were. He hadn't realized he had grown to appreciate her so much. But then again, in the end they all had grown to admire her. Despite the challenges, the dangers, the arguments … in the end she had truly become a part of the Nathan James's crew.

It was so strange to be back on the ship without her. So many years of commandeering the ship without her, but in only a few short months she had become such an integral part of the Nathan James, of his life, that being on board without her felt … just wrong!

He sank down on her cot. For the first time since leaving St Louis he found a moment of peace. Memories of her flooded his mind. The moments of pain, the arguments, the few moments of happiness, her betrayal, his betrayal, they really had let each other down back then. When had they stopped talking to each other? And why? He didn't know. He only remembered the disappointment and hurt when he learned what she had done.

Margaret was right. He had put her on a pedestal and when she couldn't live up to his ideal of who she was, who he wanted her to be, he had been personally hurt … and he had punished her for this pain. That's why he had been so harsh with her. Sure, she had made a mistake, committed a crime, but now, months later, he could finally admit to himself that he probably would have reacted less extreme with every other crew member. God! He had treated her like an ordinary criminal! The woman who had saved them all! The memory still pained him, no matter how many times he went over it. Worse was only remembering the hotel. Hearing the shot, finding her bleeding in the hallway. He could still feel the warmth of her blood on his hands. And her eyes … fixated on him, never straying from his face. Her gaze weighed so heavy on his heart. She had looked at him as if he could safe her and there was nothing he could do! Nothing at all!

Cursing he jumped to his feet. There was no use getting stuck in the memories of his mistakes! Blaming himself wouldn't help Rachel and it certainly wouldn't help Mike and the others.

One last look back and he finally made his way to CIC.

By now Lt Burk the older had left his brother and returned to the bridge. He and Lt Granderson were studying a screen.

"Do you really think a Happy Meal will make her stay?" Lt Burk asked mockingly. Tom cocked an eyebrow. He didn't like the man's tone. Hopefully this wouldn't turn out to be more of a problem.

"I heard she likes Cherry Coke, that's all. What would you do? Threaten her at gun point?" Alisha asked.

"Yes, whatever was necessary." he answered.

"And then what? At the first chance she would bolt. Ideally in the middle of a sensitive mission. No! If she stays, she has to stay, because she wants it. Everything else is no use to us in the long term." Alisha turned to the Lieutenant. "Something for you to consider, Lt Burk. Loyalty and conviction hold longer than fear and threats!"

Tom grinned to himself and cleared his throat audibly. Both Lieutenants nodded.

"Any news?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. The team has entered Shanzhai. No problems getting in. They're currently making their way to Ms Cooper's contact." Alisha reported.

"Good! And our other problem?" Tom already knew the answer to that, but asked anyway.

"A work in progress, sir."

It didn't really surprise him that Jesse was reluctant to stay. For one she was a smuggler and smugglers were by definition not fond of anyone affiliated with governments. Then she was an independent and self sufficient woman, who didn't seem too fond of people telling her what to do and how to do it, so not someone fit for military hierarchies and to top it all, she had a clear dislike for Sasha. And she wasn't going anywhere soon.

They watched the monitors in silent attention. Listening in to the regular calls from the teams. All was in order. But suddenly everything went wrong! Peng's men were on the ground! How the hell, had they known they would be there?! The extraction way was cut off. They were retreating, but their only way was to the top of a clip! They needed extraction by air … and fast!

"Shit!" Tom cursed. He ran out of the CIC and towards the helo bay. He had tried nice, Alisha had tried nice, but he'd be damned if he let his people get killed, because the pilot was being bitchy!

He found her in conversation with one of the sailors. Tom ran towards her and grabbed her arm. Forcing her to face him.

"I swear to God, if you don't fly me out there right now, I will do it myself!" he yelled at Jesse and he meant it! He would not sit back and do nothing. Not again!

But the woman didn't back down. With crossed arms she confronted him, about to refuse him, he was sure, but at the last moment she to change her mind she grinned mischievously. "Fine. I'll help you. Under one condition."

God help me! He wanted to strangle the woman! "Being?" he asked impatiently. Every second they wasted was a second that could cost his people's lives.

"Which one do you really want to save? Sasha or Dr Sheffield?" she asked curious.

Tom wasn't an idiot. He was very aware of the gossip the arrival of not one but two women from his past had caused and would cause in the future. He could practically feel the sailors around him leaning in closer not to miss a word. "And what if the one I really want to save is my godson's father?" he asked a brow raised in challenge. Let them gossip! None of them had a right to his past.

She laughed at his answer. "Fair enough, Captain! Get in. We're ready for take-off!" With one movement she jumped into the chopper. Directly followed by Captain Chandler.

She want through the motions of take-off. They were cleared and only moments later the helicopter rose into the air.

"So you always intended to help." he stated, talking to her through the coms.

She shrugged. "I might be pissed as hell at Sasha, but I'm better than her. I don't let people die if I can help it!"

"You really think, Sasha just let you run into a trap? That doesn't sound like the woman I knew." he asked.

"You mean, the woman you haven't spoken to in fifteen years?" It was of course a rhetorical question.

"Fair enough." he nodded. It was strange. He hadn't seen either Margaret nor Sasha in fifteen years and yet it was different. He hadn't hesitated a second to turn to Margaret in his time of need, while, in all honesty, he didn't think he would have done the same thing, if it had been Sasha there with him that night.

"But no, I don't really think, she abandoned us like that. It's just ..." Jesse began to speak again, but trailed off.

"But sometimes you need someone you can blame. Or you would go crazy." Tom finished for her. That was a feeling he could only understand too well. He tended to blame himself for things that were not within his control … or he had blamed Rachel, for not telling him about the virus, for not finding the cure faster, for Sorensen's death, even to a degree for Darien's death. Sometimes it did help to have someone to blame. But it also came the time, when you had to stop and accept the world as it was.

"Yes," she agreed sadly.

For a while they silently flew over the ocean. He watched the water glide past under his feet.

"So the Happy Meal worked?" Tom asked her eventually.

She grinned. "It didn't hurt! No, you're XO said something about feeling sorry for myself. She was right! In this world there is no one left who hasn't lost someone important to them. I'm sure everyone on your ship has and yet they still keep fighting for what they believe in, for what they feel is right. What right do I have to feel my pain is any more important than theirs? What justification not to act when I know I can make a difference?"

Tom considered for a moment reminding Jesse that the coms to the Nathan James were still open, but thought better of it. It could only benefit her, if his command crew heard her words. And it might help the conflict between Lts Burk and Granderson.

"Okay. Cliff right ahead!" she called. "And there are our people! How close do you want me to fly."

Tom quickly scanned the situation. His team was cut off and surrounded. MSS was closing in on them quickly and they were too many to kill. Just now a figure jumped from behind the bushes where Danny was hiding and ran towards the MSS guys. Within seconds he was perforated with bullet holes.

"As close as you can get! They'll have to jump!" he decided.

She stared at him in shock. "Are you nuts?! The cliffs catches the winds and redirects them, there is no way of predicting what will happen when we get that close! We could crash at any moment!"

"If we don't, they'll die! Sasha said you're the best pilot she's ever seen. You're telling me she was wrong?"

"Fuck! If I die, I'll haunt you for all eternity!" she yelled at him, but followed his orders, directing the chopper parallel to the cliff.

"Go ahead!" he answered. "You wouldn't be my first ghost!" He grabbed his gun and started firing at the MSS guys.

Jesse cursed nonstop while trying to keep the chopper steady against the wild winds.

Wolf was the first to realize their only escape. He directed the others. One after another they jumped of the cliff and pulled themselves inside the chopper. Last came Green. At the exact moment his feet left the cliff a gust of wind caught the chopper and lifted it a few meters up, making Danny's jump to low.

Instinctively Tom dropped his gun and slid out of his seat and onto one of the landing skids. At the last possible second he caught Danny's sleeve. Wolf was only moments behind him, throwing himself over Sasha and Maggie to grab Danny's other arm. For several breathless seconds the young Seal floated dangerously in the air, his only safety the two men holding on to his arms, until finally Tom and Wolf managed to pull him back up.

They fell back in their seats. A relieved laugh escaped Tom. When a hard hit met the back of his head, he turned around.

Margaret was glaring at him. "What were you thinking! You could have fallen!" she yelled at him over the roaring chopper.

He was just about to defend himself, but he stopped at the last moment and looked at her incredulously. "Why the hell am I trying to defend myself for saving your cousin's life?!" he yelled back.

For second she stared at him open mouthed. Suddenly a wide grin spread over her face. She leaned over and pressed a quick kiss against his cheek. "Thank you!" she yelled.

Loud laughter filled the chopper.

"Crazy woman!" Jesse mumbled into her com, so only Tom and the CIC could hear her.

He winked at her. "Get us home, Jesse!"

She mock saluted him. "Ay ay, sir!"

Well, this might just be my favorite chapter yet. Who would have thought?! What do you think? Let me know please.

Yes, I really did make Tom Frankie's godfather. Somehow it seemed appropriate. ^^