Author's Note –
This little journey has finally come to an end. Season 3 premieres in a couple of days, and regardless of the outcome of Rachel's fate, I truly believe we're in for an epic adventure. I fell in love with this show as soon as I watched the first episode, and I fell in love with the fandom just as fast. I've become acquainted with some pretty amazing ladies, just through our mutual adoration of a show and its characters, and for that alone, I'm thankful. To all of you who have stuck with me throughout this story, who have read it, reviewed it, followed it and marked it as a favorite, thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate each and every one of you. For my own personal reasons, I wanted to wrap up this tale before Season 3 began, so I hope that you will enjoy the outcome. I really am looking forward to Season 3, and hopefully with it will come inspiration for all of us to write more stories.
In closing, I have just a few creative notes. First, the character of Maria Donato is mine, and if you're looking for a physical comparison, as she began to take shape in my mind, she began to look shockingly similar to one Lana Parrilla (any Evil Regals out there? All hail the Queen!), and I just went with it. Let's face it – the woman is so incredible that even fictional OC's want to look like her! Second, I made up names for Mike's daughters. I couldn't remember a name reference to them in the show, and though I did attempt a search, it proved futile, and Carly and Caroline came on the scene. Third, since seems to not want to take my bold or italic text, I've tried to block off the section that is Rachel's memory. It makes me feel better. Finally, the last little bit is reference back to the part of the song I used for the title of Chapter 2, I Choose You by Sara Bareilles.
Oh, yeah, and I don't own a single thing. The Last Ship, despite my fervent wishes to the contrary, is still the exclusive property of a whole bunch of people who are not me. Thank you once again for reading, and I truly hope you enjoy the finale.
XOXO,
Kate
Chapter 10
Rachel's office, three months later…
Rachel glanced at the clock on her screen and sighed heavily as she shut her laptop. 6:15 p.m. Her interns had been faithfully uploading the data sent to them by the clinics along the Mississippi for the last several weeks, and though entirely pleased with the progress of the rapidly-spreading cure, Rachel was certain that any more gazing at her computer screen would result in irrevocable damage to her eyes. At the very least, she'd trigger another migraine, and since Claire had taken to sleeping for six hour stretches between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. for five nights running, Rachel wasn't going to risk being anything beyond tired when she and Tom finally locked the door on their bedroom later that night. Besides, she was due at the opening of Tex's new bar. The grand opening was tonight, and she was supposed to meet Tom there along with the children. For one night only, the bar would cater to the under 21 crowd, making the evening more a family event. Bertrise and Kat had come up with a series of games and activities to occupy the younger set which would hopefully allow for their parents to enjoy a drink or two and some adult conversation.
Sliding her laptop into its case, Rachel began gathering the rest of her belongings to take home. She found a sticky note next to her desk phone reminding her of Claire's appointment the following day with her pediatrician. Dr. Maria Donato had been a godsend, and she, along with Sasha Cooper, had quickly become the closest female friends that Rachel had ever known. Originally born in New York City to a Sicilian father and a Spanish mother, Maria had done her undergrad work at Johns Hopkins and spent her residency at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. She'd just opened her pediatrics practice in St. Louis when the Red Flu had taken hold, but through good old, fashioned common sense and some careful quarantine procedures, the young doctor had managed to stay healthy until the James had brought the cure to St. Louis. Having been introduced to the woman through Tex, of all people, Rachel had taken an instant liking to her. She'd given Claire her first check-up at the ripe old age of two weeks, the day following the now rather infamous night of the Chinese Dinner Party, as Sasha had dubbed that evening.
Lost in thought, Rachel dropped into her chair, recalling the events of that night and the days that had led up to it. She highly doubted that she'd ever forget the two weeks after Tom had brought her home from St. Paul. Having spent that first afternoon with their children, she and Tom had taken an hour for themselves to shower and change clothes before arriving back at Headquarters to meet with Sasha and the others. Closing her eyes, Rachel allowed herself to remember.
Entering the Old Courthouse hand in hand, Tom and Rachel were greeted by a heavily pregnant Kara Foster, who, after capturing Rachel in a bone-crushing hug, led them down to the basement level. Several rooms had been set up as what amounted to holding cells, and as Kara directed them to the first door on the left of the hallway, Rachel was reminded of the interrogation rooms that she'd scene on random police shows over the years.
A one-way mirror took up the majority of one wall, and it was the scene on the other side that captivated Rachel's attention. She could hear Kara talking to Tom, but the content of their conversation escaped her. On the other side of the mirror, a table had been placed in the middle of the room, bolted to the floor. Michael was seated at the table, hands cuffed in front of him and bound to the table. Lt. Danny Green stood against the outer wall, arms crossed over his chest, green eyes as cold as jade, glaring daggers at Rachel's erstwhile lover. Captain Sasha Cooper hovered directly over Michael, talking to him. She didn't appear to be yelling based on her facial expression, but judging by the agony on Michael's face Rachel doubted that Sasha's words were bringing him any comfort. In all the time she'd spent with Michael, Rachel had never seen him look so absolutely terrified, and that included the one time in India when they'd nearly been eaten by the tigers that Michael had come to photograph. They'd literally run for their lives, escaping from their camp site with nothing more than Michael's camera and his satellite phone. Fortunately, they'd stumbled into a couple of game wardens who'd been tracking poachers. The wardens had dropped them off at an inn in Jodphur where they'd spent the next three days drinking, making love and laughing about their sheer, dumb luck.
Even though Rachel knew she wasn't in love with Michael any longer, her heart still grieved the loss of the man with whom she'd shared that time with in India. Without thought her hand rose to the glass, her eyes searching the image of the man in front of her and trying to merge it with the one residing in her memories, just as Sasha brought her hand down on top of the table, and though Rachel couldn't hear the resounding crack, Michael jerked reflexively, pulling against the cuffs, and startling Rachel. She gasped, drawing Tom's attention.
"Rach, you okay?" he asked taking a step towards her. Kara, sensing that her part of the interaction was drawing to a close asked," Sir, will there be anything else?"
"No thank you, Foster, that will be all." Tom then turned to Rachel, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. He pulled her against his chest, sliding one arm around her to hold her while he touched a small button next to the mirror that Rachel had failed to notice. "We'll be able to hear them, but they can't hear us," he offered in explanation.
"It wasn't like what, Michael?" Sasha's voice rang out through the silence that had settled over Rachel and Tom. "Did you really think that your new friends in the Chinese government were just going to ask Rachel a few nice questions and then let both of you go? Did you think this was going to turn into some kind of human interest piece that you could report on later? Were you going to tell the world how benevolent the new ruling power in China is, how they are so concerned for their citizens that they paid to have Rachel Scott kidnapped so they could hold her hostage and force her to perform their sick and twisted experiments? Did you think that after you did their dirty work for them, they would, what, just let you go? Let you return to America and live out the rest of your days? Oh, wait, don't tell me," Sasha chuckled derisively. "You thought they'd let you stay with Rachel, didn't you?"
Michael's head lifted from his arms, but he didn't dare meet Sasha's gaze, too ashamed to make direct contact. "They promised me that they wouldn't hurt her." He sounded as miserable as he looked. Sasha stared at him, clearly disgusted with him, but she directed her comments to Danny.
"Lt. Green, would you mind enlightening Mr. Crain as to just who his new best friend, President Li, actually is?"
"Yes, ma'am," Danny replied and stalked over to the table. He grabbed a dossier that was resting on the table and opened it to a stack of photographs. He leafed through them before pulling one out and placing it in front of Michael. Neither Tom nor Rachel could see the photo, but Danny gave a very vivid description. "This," he stated, tapping the photo for emphasis. "Is a mass grave that was found on the outskirts of Beijing. President Li ordered the execution of every hospital patient over the age of 65; so the ones who weren't taken out by the Red Flu instead met their end with a firing squad. Now this one here, this one is really special, Mikey, I think you're going to want to see this one," Danny's tone was cruel, and Rachel blanched visibly even though it wasn't directed at her at all.
"Your buddy Li sent his minions into the mountain villages to round up every girl over the age of 9. See, the remote villages faired a little better with the virus, due to limited exposure. Li's scientists informed him of the possibility that some of them might even have a natural immunity, and Li thought it'd be a great idea to start his own special fertility clinic with these little girls. After all, we gotta rebuild the world's population, right? He rounded up hundreds of them and had them set up in camps under guard. Tell me, Mikey, what do you think happened to these ones here? They were too young, their bodies too under-developed for the endless gang rapes they endured from their guards. They died! They were literally raped to death at the order of the mad man that you were going to willingly hand over your girlfriend to!" Danny shouted.
Michael broke down then, not that Rachel could blame him in the slightest. "I didn't know any of that!" he shouted back at Danny, attempting to rise to his feet. Sasha brought her hand down on his shoulder, shoving him roughly back into his seat. "Jesus Christ," he moaned looking at the pictures spread out in front of him. "I just, I just wanted a way to get Rachel to safety," he babbled on, seemingly not aware of what he was saying. "Li – his, his intelligence people – they told me that they'd intercepted a transmission from the James. I'd told them about Rachel, when things started getting really bad there. As long as I took the pictures that they wanted, the ones that made Li look good, you know, helping old ladies and feeding little kids in the orphanages, that kind of PR shit, they kept me safe from the virus and fed. They asked all the time if I'd heard from her, if I knew of any way to get in touch with her, to get a message to her. Then they told me that Rachel had, had killed someone on the ship and that the Captain was going to turn her over to the authorities. They told me that Rachel would most likely be executed for what she'd done. They promised me safe passage to the States and then safe passage back to China if I could get to Rachel. I thought that if I could get to her, get her out of the country, that I could save her," he lamented, openly weeping now. "You have to believe me! Rachel! Rachel, are you out there? Look, you have to believe me, I swear!"
From the safety of the glass, Rachel cried out, turning into Tom's open arms. She didn't want to hear any more. But she knew she had to. "Tom, how in bloody hell did the Chinese get wind of what happened with Sorenson?"
"I don't know, sweetheart, but it doesn't matter now. You know that, don't you?" Tom tenderly raised her head so he could look into her eyes. "All of that is in the past, baby, and Rachel – I – Christ Almighty, honey, I – you have to know that I'd never, ever, have let you face any kind of retribution for killing that sick son of a bitch. Even if Michener hadn't pardoned you, I'd have made sure that any judge or jury understood the corner I'd backed you into. I wouldn't have let you stand alone." Rachel closed her eyes briefly, bringing her lips to Tom's in a crushing, bruising kiss.
"I know, love, I know," she whispered fervently as she pulled away. "I'm not worried about any of that. You and I have made our peace, and that's all I care about. But I would like to know how that bit of information managed to travel halfway around the world and land in the lap of a man like Li."
"We'll get to the bottom of it, Rach. Either we have a leak, which I hope to God isn't the case, or more likely, it was picked up in some of the immune chatter. Those bastards were steps ahead of us the whole damn time. The Chinese probably picked up on their chatter just like we did. Add in their knowledge of Crain's connection to you, and they had an instant patsy."
Groaning in frustration, Rachel moved out of Tom's arms and went to the door. Her back to Tom, she said quietly, "I need to talk to Michael." Tom, though it pained him to agree to such a thing, stepped behind her and steadied her with a hand on the small of her back.
"I know, baby, but I'll be right there the whole time. I'm not going to leave you alone with him, even if he is in handcuffs."
Rachel nodded swiftly. "Right, then, let's get on with it, shall we?" Rachel strode into the other room, back ramrod straight and her head held high. If Green or Cooper were surprised at her appearance, they were too well-trained to show it. Michael, on the other hand, had no such qualms.
"Rachel!" he exclaimed in relief. "Oh, thank God you're all right! They said you wanted to see me, that you wanted to talk, and then when I got here, they just ambushed me," he finished darkly, glowering openly at Tom as he followed Rachel inside.
Rachel did not address Michael. Instead, she looked to Sasha. "Captain, would you mind removing Michael's handcuffs?" Sasha looked sharply at Tom for confirmation, who nodded after a beat. Danny's hand went to his sidearm, but he didn't remove the Sig from his holster just yet. As soon as Sasha had Michael out of the cuffs, the man rose slowly, his gaze studying the three military officials apprehensively before settling at last on Rachel. Rachel motioned for Sasha to step back and when the other woman moved away to stand next to Tom, Rachel walked over to Michael, her right hand fisted and punched him squarely in the nose.
"Ow! Shit, Rachel, what the hell?" Michael cried out, clutching his hands over his throbbing face. Tom's mouth lifted briefly in a self-satisfied smirk before he schooled his features once more, trusting that Rachel had a reason for what she did.
"That's for planning to kidnap me, you bloody git!" Rachel shouted. "Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, Michael, what in blue blazes possessed you to do something so incredibly stupid? Are you out of your mind?"
"Rachel, listen to me, please," Michael begged as moved towards Rachel. He made a motion as if to take her in his arms, but Rachel quickly cut him off at the pass.
"Don't you dare come any closer, Michael," the menacing tone of her voice stopped him in his tracks. "Were you actually going to go through with it?" She watched him closely; even with white hot fury rushing in her veins, there was still a small part of her that wanted to believe that Michael would never have betrayed her in such a manner. Shamefaced, Michael nodded his head once, and any good will Rachel held for him evaporated like mist. "Then we have nothing more to say to one another." Stepping back to Tom, she was relieved when his arm circled her waist, squeezing her hip in reassurance. She looked over her shoulder, and their eyes met, an entire conversation passing in one glance. He was there, in her corner; he had her back, always, and no harm would befall her, not from the Chinese or Michael or anyone else foolhardy enough to raise a hand against her.
The exchange did not go unnoticed by Michael, who sneered at the couple in front of him. "Oh, now I understand," he mumbled sardonically. "Hey, Rach, how long did you wait until you fell into the sack with the admiral? I mean, it only took me a few hours and a couple of drinks before I had you on your back. Did you even wait until you got the Artic or were you screwing his brains out before you left Norfolk?"
In a flash of movement, Tom put Rachel behind him and had Michael pinned to the wall, forearm pressed against the other man's neck. One change in pressure and Tom would crush the man's throat, and by the fear in his eyes, Michael was well aware of the precarious position in which he found himself.
"I'm going to talk now and you're going to listen," Tom spoke calmly in spite of the fact that Rachel knew he'd like nothing more than to rip Michael Crain limb from limb. "The only reason you're still drawing breath is because I follow a higher code of honor than your puerile brain will ever comprehend. You are the worst kind of human, Mr. Crain. You're nothing more than a coward, and cowards are only ever out for themselves, regardless of the consequences to those around them. You see, I know all about you and the relationship you had with Rachel. Oh, that surprises you?" Tom asked given the stunned look that crossed Michael's face. "I can see why it might since Rachel never felt secure enough in her relationship with you to completely open up, but she and I don't have that problem. So, yes, I know all about how you abandoned her to chase your little story. I know how she pleaded with you to stay put, how she begged you to believe her when she thought the virus was mutating and that it was far more dangerous than other people thought. But you took off anyway, didn't you? You didn't believe her – you didn't believe in her, and that was the worst mistake you ever made.
"Now, the way I see things, and I really think by the time we're done that you'll see them the same way I do, you have two choices. The first is that I can put you in a cell and forget that you ever existed, at least until the President decides to try you for treason. The second option still involves you sitting in a cell, but since you'll be helping us with our little problem with the Chinese, you'll get out early for good behavior. Tell me, Mr. Crain, which option sounds like the best one to you?"
Michael's eyes cut over Tom's shoulder to Rachel, and she made no attempt to hide the anger and pain that she felt from his actions. Something in her expression must have gotten through to him because he slowly turned his attention back to Tom. "The second one; I think that definitely sounds like the more attractive choice."
"Congratulations, Mr. Crain," Tom told him, finally dropping his arm from the other man's neck. "You're officially smarter than you look."
Things progressed quite quickly after that. Sasha's contacts came through with flying colors, and almost before Rachel realized it, two weeks had passed and she found herself getting ready for the state dinner that Michener was hosting in "honor" of their guest, the Chinese President. The dinner was to be held at the country club of St. Louis's most prestigious golf course. The country club was actually an antebellum home that had been remodeled and refurbished to serve as the hub of the elite and privileged in St. Louis. Allison Shaw, Michener's tough-as-nails Chief of Staff, had immediately commandeered the country club as soon as she'd discovered it. With its hardwood floors, cathedral ceilings and Grecian columns, it was as close to having a White House as the new administration would ever get. Appearance, as Allison had pointed out, was, in fact, everything, which was why Allison had insisted that Rachel acquire the most incredible dress that she could possibly find. Thanks to her new friend, Maria, Rachel arrived at the country club wearing a red satin evening gown, which based on Tom's reaction as he'd waited at the bottom of the stairs for her in his Dress Whites, certainly met Allison's criteria. The gown was divine, wrapping Rachel in all the right places, and its blood red color brought out the smattering of pale freckles dusted across her bare shoulders.
Walking in on Tom's arm, Rachel hoped that she looked more confident than she felt. She mingled with the people she knew and took note of the armed men who made up Michener's Secret Service. The Chinese delegation would be arriving shortly, according to Tom, and from there, it was a matter of enacting Sasha's brilliantly simple, albeit dangerous, plan.
The plan really was simple in its design. It seemed that not all of President Li's cabinet members were happy with either the man or his policies. They didn't want trouble with the Americans, and they were willing to do whatever was necessary if America would help them out with their unwanted dictator. During the dinner, Tom was to make certain that Rachel was always in Li's line of sight. Rachel was supposed to talk to him about the virus and the cure, offering her help and expertise in establishing his labs. A commotion would then arise outside the dining room in the form of Danny Green and Matthew Byers, one of Tom's new recruits, who would burst in, claiming to have apprehended a man who was attempting to kidnap Rachel. They would then drag the man – Michael Crain – into the dining room, where he would accuse President Li and his number one lieutenant, Da Zhang, of perpetrating the entire scheme.
Things would go one of two ways at that point – Li, proclaiming outrage over such a preposterous theory, would disavow any association with Michael and take Michener up on his offer of hospitality and safe return to China in exchange for Li allowing the Americans to "deal" with Michael Crain as they saw fit, thereby allowing Li to maintain his cover of innocence and get back to his country looking no worse the wear for his actual involvement in the matter. This was certainly the outcome that Rachel hoped for. But just in case the rumors of Li being a stark raving, megalomaniacal lunatic were true, then Rachel was to haul ass to the panic room that had been installed for the occasion and remain there until Tom came to get her.
Sitting in the peace and safety of her office now, Rachel was extremely grateful that she'd never had to make use of that panic room. President Li, while perhaps a little more unstable than Rachel personally found acceptable in a world leader, was not suicidal and had recognized a way out of what might have been, for him at least, a very deadly situation, and had quickly denied the accusations. The man had even gone so far as to suggest that Michael was a member of the same immune faction that had made the first attempt on Rachel's life months before. Lt. Zhang had picked up on the web of deflection his leader was spinning and added that he'd heard rumors in his travels from China that the attack on the civilians in St. Paul had been nothing more than a poorly executed plan on the part of the immunes to try and kill Rachel again.
Part of that statement had unfortunately been true, but there were a few facts that Zhang had left out of his account of the "rumors." Slattery and the crew of the James had caught up with the immunes who orchestrated the attack on St. Paul, and during the interrogation of the ringleader, the man had confessed to Mike that they'd been hired to stage the attack by none other than two Chinese nationals who claimed to be working at the behest of Lt. Da Zhang. When Tom had dropped that little bombshell and confidently offered proof of the recorded conversations between Zhang, the two nationals and the Immune leader, Li had turned on his lieutenant faster than Rachel would have ever dreamed possible. He'd offered up Zhang on the spot to what he had referred to as "swift American justice," begged Rachel's forgiveness for the actions of his trusted lieutenant and vowed his loyalty to Michener as a friend and ally of the United States. And though Rachel knew in her heart that Tom would have liked nothing more than to put a bullet in Li's brain for the atrocities the man had committed against his own people, in the end, they could do nothing more than pack him off back to China with copies of Rachel's research and doses of the cure. Michael had been freed and had left St. Louis, and Rachel knew she'd more than likely never see him again, a fact that didn't bother her in the slightest. The James had made port a week ago, and Mike was planning on leaving to search for his wife and daughters in the morning. The celebration tonight at Tex's was twofold – the opening of the bar and to wish Mike well on his journey. Rachel hoped with all her heart that things would work out for Mike; no one deserved a happy ending more than the new Captain of the Nathan James.
Shaking off the last of her little stroll down Memory Lane, Rachel stood. She stretched her arms over her head, relishing in the crack of her spine as some of the kinks worked themselves out. Shouldering her bag and turning out the overhead light in her office, she made her way to the door and nearly walked into Maria Donato.
"There you are!" Maria exclaimed as she grabbed onto Rachel's shoulders to right her balance. "I saw the lights as I was walking by and thought you'd still be here."
"Guilty as charged," Rachel admitted with a grin. "But as you can see, I was just leaving." Rachel adjusted her grip on her laptop bag and looped her free arm around Maria's shoulders as they exited the lab together. Having the same height as her new best friend certainly had its advantages. Once outside, Rachel locked the door behind them and the two women headed towards the bar.
"You're going to have to explain to me again where Tex came up with the name for this place," Rachel said as they walked, and Maria gave a short laugh.
"I've told you a dozen times, Rach, it's from a country song." The way Maria said "country," it sounded like she was referencing a particularly nasty childhood illness and Rachel said as much.
"Well, dear, it's not a genre that has ever appealed to me personally, but as you know, we do put up with strange things where our men are concerned, do we not?"
"Without fail, Maria," Rachel grinned in answer. "Do you think our men are aware that we would do damn near about anything for them?"
"I imagine they've caught on by this time, yes," Rachel commented. Nothing had pleased her more upon her return to St. Louis than when Tex had introduced her to Maria. He'd met Maria only a week after Rachel had first left, and from the way both of them described it, it truly was love at first sight. They were polar opposites, but they brought at the best in each other, and Maria and Kat had already grown very close. "Now, this song, what is it, again?"
"It's by the Oak Ridge Boys, the 'Y'all Come Back Saloon.' I'm sure Tex will be playing it frequently tonight, at least until Kat manages to wrestle the remote away from him," she joked.
The two women continued walking, enjoying the cool evening and chatting quietly together. Sometimes Rachel felt that she and Maria had known one another their entire lives, rather than the few months they'd actually been acquainted. But she was quickly learning that when she allowed herself to be open with people, the bonds she formed were stronger and deeper than any she'd ever experienced. They'd nearly reached the bar when a car pulled up alongside them. The car stopped, and a woman climbed out of the driver's seat, while two girls who looked to be in their teens exited the backseat.
Rachel and Maria looked at one another swiftly; then they turned as one to the new arrivals, trying to assess the threat level, if any. The other woman, as if sensing their apprehension, held up her hands, palms out toward Rachel and Maria.
"Excuse me, but is one of you Dr. Scott?"
Rachel and Maria exchanged another look before Rachel answered. "I'm Dr. Scott. Do you need help?" she offered, thinking that perhaps they were in need of the cure.
The other woman broke into a blinding smile before muttering to herself, "Oh, thank God!" Then she turned to the girls, who based on looks alone, had to be the woman's daughters. "Girls, come here. This is the woman who developed the vaccine your father left us." She motioned the girls forward, and finally the older of the two stepped up shyly, offering her hand to Rachel. Rachel took it, smiling kindly at the girl. She'd more or less gotten used to this from people as they found out who she was. At any rate, it was infinitely better than people shooting at her, or so Maria had pointed out one night when Rachel had expressed how uncomfortable she'd found her status as the world's "savior." Rachel had changed her tune immediately.
"What's your name, love?" Rachel prodded gently. She could tell that all three were exhausted, and from the looks of their car, they appeared to have been traveling for a while. Her question spurred the mother into action, and she, too, stepped up to Rachel, but instead of offering a handshake, the woman pulled Rachel into a hug. Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel could see Maria trying to hide a grin.
Pulling back after a few seconds, the woman dropped her arms and had the grace to look a bit embarrassed over her behavior. "I'm so sorry! You must think I'm crazy, stopping you in the middle of the street like this."
"Oh, she's used to it, I assure you," Maria interjected, her beautiful smile letting the others know she was only kidding. "Be glad you caught her on a Friday night. Monday's are an absolute nightmare. People line the sidewalks for a good mile!"
"Oh, shut up, you," Rachel swatted playfully at Maria. "Ignore my friend, please, and tell me your names."
"Well, I'm Christine Slattery," the woman began, but Rachel interrupted her at once.
"Slattery? As in Mike Slattery?" Rachel asked almost afraid to believe the woman could be Mike's missing wife.
"Yes, Mike's my husband," Christine answered. "And these are our daughters, Carly and Caroline. Oompf." Christine grunted as Rachel wrapped the woman in huge hug, tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Oh my God!" Rachel exclaimed. "Mike was going to leave tomorrow to go look for you three. Any now you're here! Oh my God!"
Christine laughed as well. "We've been trying to get here for months. We'd heard about the James being away, but I knew our best bet was to get here and get to Tom Chandler. But then the closer we got, the more we heard about 'the Doc and the Admiral,' and then we saw you walking down the street and I thought I recognized you from the video of you healing that little girl in Louisiana."
"Well, we're certainly glad you did!" Maria gushed, knowing that Rachel, for all the strides she'd made with her people skills, still got overwhelmed at times. She linked one arm through Christine's and one through Rachel's and turned them back towards the bar, motioning with her head for the girls to follow them. "We're on our way to my boyfriend's bar for a little opening night celebration. Mike will be there with Tom, and he will be absolutely over the moon to see you all!"
Rachel, thankful for her friend taking charge, chimed in, "Oh, yes, your timing is spot on! It couldn't be more perfect if you'd planned it. Just lock your car and leave it here. I assure you no one will bother it. Come along, it's not far now," she promised. Just a few moments later, they arrived at the Y'all Come Back Saloon where, as Maria had predicted, the song from whence the bar took its name was blaring out over the speakers through the open door. Tex was behind the bar, but he noticed them immediately and stepped out from behind it to grab his girl in his arms.
"Hey, baby! I shoulda figured you and Rach would end up together. I'm starting to think Tom and me should be worried you two are gonna ditch us one day for each other." He hushed when Maria kissed him, though he did laugh into her mouth.
"Don't worry, honey, if that ever happens, we'll probably take pity on you two enough to let you watch," Maria smirked at him, a wicked gleam in warm chocolate eyes. To illustrate her point, she wrapped an arm around Rachel and yanked her over. Rachel played along long enough to press a smacking kiss to Maria's cheek and watch as Tex clapped his hand over his chest in mock surprise.
"Y'all are gonna be the death of this old boy!" he chided them, grinning the whole time. Then he noticed Christine and her girls. "Now where are my manners? Who are these three lovely ladies?" He jumped up and shook Christine's hand. "I'm Tex Nolan, ma'am, and the owner of this fine establishment. Welcome to the Y'all Come Back Saloon." He finished with a little bow and a kiss to Christine's hand, causing her to laugh out loud.
Mike, over in the back corner throwing darts with Tom and Wolf, heard the sound, and his head popped up, his eyes immediately landing on the group by the front door. Tex stepped back at just that moment, and Mike drank in the sight of his wife and daughters. Almost afraid to believe his own eyes, he bellowed his wife's name at the top of his lungs. At the sound of her husband's voice, Christine sought him out, and she immediately burst into an ecstatic smile.
"Christine!" Mike called again, and the crowd parted instantly so that Mike could get to his wife. He snatched her up into his embrace, openly weeping into her hair. Christine was crying, too, muttering apologies in between declarations of love. The bar fell silent; Tex killed the music and all eyes were on the reunited couple. Carly and Caroline reacted first, moving as a single unit to wrap their arms around their parents. Mike stretched one of his arms out, pulling his girls between himself and his wife.
"My baby girls," he mumbled. "I missed you, sweethearts, so much!" As the family reacquainted themselves, Rachel gravitated naturally to Tom, molding herself to his side.
"I don't even want to begin to guess how you pulled this off," Tom murmured in Rachel's ear. Before she could answer, Sam and Ashley, holding Claire, appeared from the other room, the sudden commotion having drawn the attention of the children.
"Dad, is that Aunt Christine?" Ashley asked placing her baby sister into Rachel's outstretched arms.
"Yes, Pumpkin, Rachel and your Aunt Maria brought them here," Tom answered, smiling fondly over at his old friends across the room.
"How'd you do that, Momma?" Sam asked turning wide eyes to Rachel, and her heart fluttered, just like it had ever since the first time the little boy had referred to her as his mother. Ashley still bounced back and forth between "Mom" and "Rachel," but Rachel honestly didn't mind. She felt Ashley was her daughter regardless of how the young girl addressed her.
"I was just in the right place at the right time, sweetheart," Rachel told her son. Then she leaned down to place a kiss on his forehead, pleased when he cuddled into her side for a brief moment. Ashley took her little brother's hand when he let go of their mother and tugged him back towards the other room.
"Come on, Sammy, let's got finish our game, okay?" She knew her parents would want to talk with her Uncle and Aunt, and she instinctively knew that things would go easier if she and Sam stayed out of sight. "Mom, do you want us to take Claire, too?"
Rachel shook her head. "I think I'll keep her with us for now, love, thank you." When their older children had gone, Tom kept his arm around Rachel and the baby and led them over to Mike and Christine. He hugged his old friend tightly in greeting, knowing what a true miracle it was that Christine and the girls had survived, much less been reunited with Mike.
"I'm so sorry about Darien," Christine told him, though her eyes darted briefly to Rachel while she spoke. "Mike told me about her death in the letter he left along with the vaccines."
"It was hard, especially on the kids," Tom said. "But things are better now," he finished unable to prevent the smile that overtook his features as he looked down at Rachel and Claire.
"So I see," Christine commented with a suddenly hesitant smile. Then she reached out and traced her hand over Claire's tiny fist, currently knotted in her mother's shirt. "Who is this little beauty?"
"This is our daughter, Claire," Rachel told her. "She's three months old." Rachel then quickly went onto explain the circumstances of Claire's birth, and Christine visibly relaxed when Rachel's story confirmed her belief that never in a million years would Tom Chandler have betrayed his marriage vows. From what she'd seen thus far of Rachel Scott, Christine suspected that Rachel would have never stood for such behavior, had Tom stepped out of line.
"Well, look, why don't we all sit down and grab something to eat?" Tom suggested. "Tex has a kitchen full of cooks that are just itching to try out their recipes on us." Mike and Christine exchanged a look, and it didn't take a genius to know that they weren't going to accept the invitation.
"Actually, I think we'd like to take off," Mike said. He never took his eyes from his wife's face. Then, he closed his eyes, groaning in frustration. "Damn it! I was planning on leaving in the morning to look for you so I didn't bother to secure any housing. I've been rooming with Wolf in the dorms."
"Oh, well, I'm sure we can find something, Mike, don't worry," Christine assured him. "All that matters is that we're together."
"Or you could let a friend help you out," Sasha stated as she made her way over to the little group. She offered her hand Christine. "Captain Sasha Cooper, Mrs. Slattery. I'm very pleased to meet you, and if you don't mind my interruption, I think that you'll be pretty happy to have met me after you hear my offer," Sasha finished with a laugh. Maria and Tex wandered over, too, since what Sasha was about to propose involved them as well, to a lesser degree. The three had been discussing the solution to the Slattery's housing issue as soon as Tex had brought it up.
"You met Maria earlier, right?" Sasha gestured over her shoulder in Maria's direction and waited for Christine to nod. "See, I've been staying at her house ever since she moved in with Tex."
"It's a townhouse so it isn't huge," Maria offered from her perch on Tex's lap. "But it does have two bedrooms and a bath and half. I think you four would be comfortable there, and you're more than welcome to stay as long as you want."
"Oh, well, that's very generous – thank you," Christine trailed off moved to tears at the kindness that these perfect strangers w ere extending to her family. Squeezing his wife tightly, Mike reiterated her thanks.
"But what about you, Cooper?" he asked. "Casa Nolan is pretty full, isn't it?"
"Eh, don't worry about me, Slattery," Sasha flashed a mischievous grin at the group as a whole before her eyes darted to Wolf and Burke, who happened to be walking by. "Hey, boys," she called as she fell in step with them. "It's your lucky night. One of you will get the great honor of offering me a place to lay my pretty little head tonight." With a final wink at Mike, she tossed him the keys to Maria's house and sauntered off with Burke and Wolf, both of whom were already clearly captivated with the dark haired beauty between them.
"Wow, she's certainly…something, isn't she?" Christine muttered, giggling a little at the other woman's antics.
"Sasha takes some getting used to, but she definitely grows on you after a while," Rachel assured her.
"Well, looks like we've got a place to call home for a while," Mike said before turning to Maria and Tex. "Thank you for this, Maria. We really appreciate it."
Maria smiled warmly. "I'm happy to help, Mike," she assured him. "Why don't you go settle your family, and Christine, if you're feeling up to it tomorrow afternoon, perhaps you'd like to join Rachel and me for a late lunch?"
The whole idea sounded like heaven on earth to Christine and she told them as much before they said their goodbyes and headed back to their car. When they'd gone, Rachel moved to the open bar stool beside Tex and Maria, adjusting her hold on Claire, who had begun to fuss, suddenly less than enthralled with her mother's shirt. Knowing what was coming, Rachel handed her child off to her friend.
"That's it, sweetheart," Maria cooed to the baby. "You just wanted your Aunty Ria, didn't you?" She grinned in triumph when the baby immediately settled.
Rachel narrowed her eyes playfully at her infant daughter. "Traitor," she joked as the others laughed. "Preferring the company of the woman who gives you shots almost every time she sees you rather than your own Mum; I've never been so insulted." Claire's only response was to grin at her mother's grumblings. Rachel leaned down and kissed Claire's downy head. "Cheeky little duck, aren't you, my darling?"
"She is her mother's daughter," Tom commented sliding his arms around Rachel's waist. Meanwhile, Tex reached behind the bar and pulled out a special bottle he'd been saving. Predictably, Tom's eyes widened when he saw the label.
"Yes, sir," Tex said to Tom as he fished out four shot glasses from the stack on the bar. "I found this little baby a couple of months ago, and I knew I wanted to save it for tonight. This here might very well be the last bottle of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel this side of the Mississippi. 100 proof, too." He poured out four shots, doling three of them out to Tom, Rachel and Maria. He lifted his glass and the others mirrored his actions.
"I think a toast is in order," Tex began. He looked first at Maria, the love he held for the raven-haired pediatrician evident in his eyes. "To the people who love us, who make our lives better because they are a part of us, in every way." Then he looked at Tom and Rachel. "And to the friends who have become family. In this new world that we're building, I can't think of anyone who I'd rather have my side."
"Well said, my friend," Rachel echoed and the foursome tossed back their shots. The whiskey burned, but it was a pleasant sensation, and Rachel rather enjoyed the little flame of warmth that sprung up in her belly. She looked around the bar; most of the people gathered there, Rachel considered friends if not downright family, just as Tex had said. Certainly, she regarded Tex and Maria as extensions of the family she'd created with Tom. Not just them, either; she saw Danny and Kara Green walking out of the other room where the children were playing, little Frankie held securely by his father. Sasha was playing darts with Wolf and Burke and judging by the sound of her raucous laughter, no doubt cooking up some devilish scheme that she'd share the gory details with Rachel and Maria later. She studied her youngest child for a moment, now blissfully sleeping in her Aunty Ria's lap while Tex and Maria exchanged whispered conversation, completely absorbed in one another. Turning in Tom's arms, she wound hers around him completely, resting her head against his chest and allowed the comforting sound of his heartbeat to lull her for a few moments.
"Penny for your thoughts," Tom spoke quietly, his lips ghosting across her hair. Rachel raised her head, then, smiling serenely at the man who had stolen her heart while the world had been burning down around them.
"I'll give them to you for free, my love," Rachel told him. A deep and abiding contentment had risen up from within her soul, and it was all due to the amazing man in her arms. "You changed my life, Tom, that night you gave me your love letter. In the short time we've been together, you've brought nothing but love and light into my life. I can try for the rest of my life, but I don't know that I can ever show you just how much I love you." Tom kissed her softly, slowly, savoring the feel of her mouth under his. When he pulled away, he looked deep into eyes, before smiling at her.
"I think I know of one way you can show me, sweetheart," he said and his eyes twinkled in merriment as he dropped to one knee in front her. Seemingly out of nowhere, he produced a black velvet box and held it up to her. "Marry me, Rach." The words were oh, so simple, yet so profound that tears sprang from her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Not trusting herself to speak, Rachel only nodded her head yes, and Tom opened the box and slid the three-stoned diamond band onto her ring finger. Then, he was on his feet with Rachel in his arms, swinging her around in victory.
"She said yes!" he crowed, and Ashley and Sam came running from the other room, pushing their way through the crowd to get to their parents.
"Momma, Momma!" Sammy shouted. He practically tackled Rachel, all skinny arms and delighted laughter. "I knew you'd say yes!"
"Oh, you did, did you? Am I to take it that this was a joint effort," Rachel asked, looking from Ashley and Sam to their father.
"Uh, maybe more like a coalition," Ashley said with a little giggle. "Uncle Tex and Aunt Maria were in on it, too." Rachel turned quickly to look at her friends, who were all smiles behind her.
"I knew, too!" Sasha called out from across the bar which started an avalanche of confessions and even more laughter as it turned out that the only person present who'd not known about the proposal beforehand was Rachel herself.
"Hey, what can I say?" Tom told her as he brought her left hand to his lips and kissed her finger where the ring sat prettily. "A wise man knows his limitations and isn't afraid to ask for help when he needs it."
Ashley sidled closer to Rachel, then, leaning in to hug her tightly. "I'm glad you said 'yes,' Rachel," she whispered. Rachel looked down at the young girl and gave her an affectionate squeeze in return.
"I love you, Ashley, very, very much," Rachel told her. She'd made a vow early on to herself to never let an opportunity go by without telling Ashley and Sam how much she loved them. Words were often as important as actions, in Rachel's opinion.
"I love you, too," Ashley said pulling away only to hug her father and tell him that she loved him. Claire began to wake in Maria's arms and cried out, drawing Rachel's attention to her baby.
"I think someone wants to be a part of the family hug," Maria said as she transferred the crying baby to Rachel. Claire quieted instantly, and Sammy patted his little sister's back while making goofy faces at her. Tom and Rachel looked at their children, all three of whom were happily basking in the love of their family. Then he saw his father from across the bar, smiling at them all and wiping tears from his eyes, and Tom knew that Jed was happy for them all, too. Rachel kissed each of her children in turn before sharing another, longer and more passionate one with their father, earning a series of wolf whistles and catcalls from their friends. Her life had certainly changed the night that Tom had shown up with his open love letter to her, Rachel thought, and she knew in her heart that tonight was just another line in the lifelong love letter that they'd begun writing together. And together, they were so much better than either of them could have ever been alone.