Back on the Waverider, they both visited the infirmary, Lennie was finishing up whilst Mick updated Sarah over the intercom.

"Henry's been taken to the local hospital, he's fine, still unconscious thankfully, we'll pick him up later. We presume the other two went back through the rip. We need to close it before they come back." Sarah sounded weary

"If it's the same one as I came through, you'll find it opposite Rick's Roaring Motors Repair shop" Lennie interjected

"Makes sense" Oliver's voice came across the intercom "it's near the organary"

"Alright, we'll add it to the list. We aiming to get these things closed and everyone back to where they belong in two hours. Out"

They were silent for a moment, the implications of Sarah's last words echoing around both their minds.

"It seems like I am to go back after all" Lennie said flatly

"I'll talk to her, you can stay here" Mick said firmly, his fists balling in frustration

She waved her hands

"Mick..."

"No, don't say it!" his voice booming around the infirmary "I said you deserve happiness .That means doing things on your own terms" he was ready to punch a wall with infuriated by it all, when he caught her expression. He took a breath and forced himself to relax.

"Please" he said quietly "we can figure this out"

"My own terms?"

"Yes"

She sat upright, and seemed to think for a minute

"Dinner"

"What?"

"You want terms, I want dinner" her mouth set into a firm line and she folded her arms

"Dinner?" Mick thought, he hadn't notice with all that had been happening but he was hungry, and it would give him time to talk some sense into her.

"Fine, we'll have dinner, if that what the Lady wants" he was rewarded with the smile that made his hart skip

"Very well" she hopped down off the examination table "let's get presentable and meet in the dining hall"

She trotted out of the room

"Presentable?" Mick echoed

"It means put on a suit Mr Rory" Gideon said, somehow sounding exasperated


Mick lit the candles he had placed on the canteen table, he would've thought all this stuff stupid before, but now it seemed expected. He was dressed suit like Gideon had suggested, just a classic black suit with a white shirt open at the collar, he tugged at it as he examined the table, hoping everything he had done was alright. He never had to entertain a Lady before.

Someone cleared their throat behind him

He turned and saw a vison in red

The silky redness of her hair, which tumbled gracefully down her shoulders in loose curls. The delicate flush of her cheeks that appeared as he looked her, the scarlet of her sweetheart lips. And the flame of her dress, which clung to her breast and hugged her waist before sweeping down the length of her legs to the floor. Wrapping her in a blaze of crimson. He stared slacked jawed and wide eyed. Looking at her gave him same feeling as when fire was roaring and dancing in front of him. Overwhelming and mesmerizing.

"Hot" Mick said breathlessly

"I'm sorry?"

"You look hot"

Lennie raised her hands to her cheeks

"No, not in that way"

Her forehead creased in confusion

"I just mean, it's a comp…" the words fumbled out, Mick screwed up his eyes and took a deep breath

"You look beautiful. I mean you are beautiful, arr, why is so hard?" Mick sighed "You know lots of people think I'm stupid, guess I'm no good with words and whatever, but you. You, it's hard to think around you, I want to say a thousand things at once, but it all gets jammed up in brain. You're the only person in the world that makes me feel stupid and the most stupidest thing of all is all I want to tell you is you're great, and strong and beautiful. Beautiful in ways I don't know how to word"

Silence

He kept eyes closed, worried what would happen if he opened them.

Her dress brush against him, a tender hand cupped one side of his face, and warm lips pressed against the other, then moved to his mouth. He slid his arms around her waist to hold her against him, returning the gentle chaste kissed with his eyes shut.

When he did open them, he saw that she was blushing, he kept his arms around her but let her move back, she looked away

"That was very bold of me"

"I liked it" he replied, gently brushing her hair off her shoulder

"Me too" she looked back at him, her blush growing deeper, she became very self-consciousness about her actions and step away from him, and cleared her throat "Dinner?"

"This way my lady" he gestured to the table, dashing ahead and pulling out the chair for her.

"Beer" he opened a beer bottle and handed to the puzzled redhead

"And" he place a plate of burger and fries in front of her "Made it myself" he added proudly as he sat across from her

"It looks, exotic"

He laughed

"Nah, it just good old fashion American food"

"Well it smells exquisite" she picked up her cutlery and attempted to cut into the burger, bun in all

"No, use your hands"

"Excuse me"

"Like this" he picked his burger and took a bite, then crammed some fries in his mouth, and grinned whilst he chewed

She laughed "You jesting is that really the proper etiquette?"

He swallowed with some difficulty "It's a burger, this is the way you eat it"

"Well if it is the way it's done" she picked up the burger and took a bite, she looked at him for approval as she chewed, ketchup and grease smeared around her mouth

"Perfect" he said as she smiled across from him

They ate quickly, as hunger got the best of both of them, but Mick felt there was another reason for the rush as he watch her wipe her mouth with a napkin. She paused and stared at him for a minute, then got up and walked across to him.

"You got something…" she said quietly as she dabbed at his chin with a napkin

"Oh" he sat still feeling a strange undercurrent in her actions

"And your sleeve" she dabbed at his right wrist

"Oh, no you don't, don't worry about it"

But she had already seen the beginning of his scars, the marks years of hot sears had left behind. She frowned, as he flinch his hand away.

"What you get when you play with fire" he murmured

She put the napkin down and studied him for a minute, then took back his hand gently and pulled back the cuff. She caressing the scars it exposed.

"I can see why people are so fascinated by fire" she murmured softly, she ran her hand up his arm "it's so fierce, so wild and powerful, yet" she met his eyes "it can be soft and gentle" her hand glided across his shoulder and rested on his chest "warm and so very, alluring" the last word breathed out

They gazed intensely at each other

He leaned forward and captured her lips with his own; she returned it whilst he gathered her on to his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck as the kissed got deeper and more heated. She pulled away, her breathing slightly laboured

"Mr Rory" she whispered as she rested her forehead against his "If it's not too bold of me, I would very much like to see your quarters"

His throat was thick and hoarse with lust but he manage to say

"Whatever the Lady wants"