Well I am back once more, sorry to leave it where I did. (Actually I'm not ) then leave it for a few days but I had to go to work and earn some pennies.

A game of trust

Mickie was cared to reach out and touch him, but on the other hand she was more scared not to, reaching forward with a shaking hand she placed it on Randy's shoulder.

"Shit Captain." Randy said jumping up from the chair but almost collapsing back down on to it as his shaky legs protested at the sudden upright position.

"Damm it Randy you scared the hell out of me." Mickie said clutching her hands to her hammering heart. She stopped and looked down a t Randy's pale and sweaty face, moving her hand forward once more she pressed the back of it against randy's forehead and felt his skin burning under her touch.

"You have a fever we need to get you to the Doc." Mickie said coming round to the front of his chair and encouraging him to put his arm around her shoulder as she helped him off the seat.

Randy grunted with the effort of moving his aching body. He couldn't believe that it had only been a few hours ago he was sitting on a beach feeling on top of the world, now he felt like crap.

"Come on Randy." Mickie said as she helped him into the lift and lent him against the wall while she pushed the button for deck 5. She was panting slightly with having to support his weight but there was no one else around at the moment that could have helped her. She looked at randy's slumped form and let out a sigh remembering how she had felt in the moment she saw him slumped in the chair.

Quickly standing up straight she pushed the thoughts out of her head, as the doors for the lift opened. There was a lot of activity on the deck, healthy people were helping with the sick and the Dr was flitting from patient to patient.

"I need some help over here" Mickie called as she hauled Randy out of the lift he was barely conscious now and he was crushing her.

John Cena saw them and came rushing over, supporting Randy on the other side they managed to get him into one of the empty beds. Mickie noticed that there were now two wards as one of the storage compartments had been cleaned out and made in to a temporary infirmary.

"Doc have you made any progress?" Mickie asked as Evan came over and examined Randy.

"Not yet I have far more patients than I can deal with and I am running out of healthy people." He said snapping his head round to find a drip stand and he pushed past Mickie and grabbed one.

"Only my staff and our two newest recruits, I guess you can include yourself in that too." Evan said looking at her closely but not seeing any sign of the disease.

"Is there anything I can do Dr?" Mickie said looking down at Randy who had fallen into an uncomfortable sleep.

"Yes you could go and see if Mr Rhodes is ok, he was the only other member of the crew not to have these symptoms, if he is ok then I might be able to find out what is causing this, if he isn't then he really should be here." Evan said not looking at Mickie but she caught his meaning fairly quickly.

"I will go now Dr, John would you accompany me, if Mr Rhodes is unwell I may need your assistance." She said looking to the large man on her left and he gave her a smile.

"Sure if the Doc can spare me?" He said looking at Evan, but the Dr had moved on to another patient. Mickie was anxious to get out of the Medical bay, she hated them at the best of times and right now it was far from the best of times.

"Come on Mr Cena, lets see if our helm's man is still with us." With that Mickie took off along the hall and without a look back to see if John was following her she pushed the door open for the stairs.

John shook his head, it was incredible how this woman acted, at first he had mistook her bravery for arrogance and her determination for brashness. Now as he watched her stride up the stairs he couldn't help but admire her. Her world had just fallen down around her ears, yet she was still able to make good decisions that were keeping her crew alive and out of danger.

John strode up alongside Mickie as they walked into the deck that Cody's cabin was located on and John found himself looking down at the petite woman and unashamedly stared at her. Mickie had not noticed her companions' scrutiny, she had been too worried about what they might find at Cody's cabin. It was the same feeling that had struck her when she had found Randy. The desire to back away to run and avoid the hurt, yet the overwhelming need to know, to help. Stopping abruptly Mickie stood in front of Cody's door, it took John a few seconds to realise why they had stopped as Mickie hesitated with her closed fist poised at the door.

Taking a deep breath Mickie knocked soundly on the door and they both held their breath listening and waiting for a reply.

For a second there was nothing, John did not hesitate he called out though the closed door.

"Hey Mr Rhodes are you awake?" He virtually shouted and Mickie winced but she realised there was no one else they could possibly wake up.

"What, hold on." Cody's sleepy voice came back though the door as Mickie heard rustling and then a loud thump.

"Ouch!" Cody let out as his foot connected with his desk chair.

"Mr Rhodes don't hurry yourself, I just came to check on you." Mickie called though the door a slight smile on her face as she could tell that Cody was just fine.

"Oh shit, umm I mean, sorry Captain just coming."

Mickie did not attempt to hide her smile this time and John grinned back down at her and was surprised by just how beautiful this woman was when she smiled.

Cody opened the door a second later but only enough so he could poke his head out, in his just woken up and confused state he had neglected to put any clothes on and was now standing in front of his Captain in just his boxers.

"Excuse me Ma'am, I am sorry for not being up I did not realise the time." Cody said sure he had slept though something important as Mickie was now at his door.

"At ease Lieutenant, you have done nothing wrong, the Dr sent me, it seems that you and I are the only two members of Legacy's crew not to have come down with this illness and the Doc wants to run some tests." Mickie explained as Cody's body visibly relaxed and he smiled at her.

"No problem Captain, permission to get dressed." He grinned shyly at her and Mickie inclined her head trying to keep the smirk off her face and failing.

"Granted, it is far too early in the morning for all that." She said and watched as her young helm's officer turned beet red.

"That was cruel." John said once Cody had shut the door and Mickie turned to him one eyebrow arched.

"Don't know me very well yet do you?" She said and she quickly realised they were flirting slightly. John was looking down at her in the dim light, as small smile playing at his lips and his body tilted towards hers.

Mickie was doing nothing to discourage his actions but she was unsure as to whether she wanted them either.

"You have surprised me Captain, I admire your grit." John said taking a step closer to Mickie and placing a hand high on her arm and giving her a small squeeze.

"Thank you Mr Cena, I know you have had a hard life, I am willing to try and help you." Mickie said trying not to pull away from John's touch but feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

"Good because I think you could really be our ace in the hole." He said but before she had chance to reply he continued.

"But they will want you gone you know you are a real threat to them now, for ever ship you destroy our cause gains momentum and not just on the oceans but in the towns and the country. I spread the news about you when we first met, every rebel knows of this ship, I think you and I could finally take down the UAN once and for all."

John had gotten even closer to Mickie he was almost whispering in her ear as if the words he were saying could get over heard and stopped from ever becoming true. Mickie shuddered at the feeling of his breath on her ear but it wasn't and entirely unpleasant feeling, and the things he was saying could stir the soul.

"Mr Cena…" But Mickie could not finish her sentence as a fully dressed Cody Rhodes stepped out of his cabin and watched as John took a step back from Mickie and smiled at Cody.

"Ready?" Mickie asked quickly in her most I am the Captain voice and that got Cody's attention and he nodded in the affirmative.

Both Cody and Mickie had been put though a barrage of tests, Mickie had quickly forgotten about her little encounter with John Cena earlier as Evan looked at their test results.

"Roll up your sleeves and trousers please." Evan said directed at both of them and giving each other curious looks they did as asked. Evan got a closer look at both of them and then stood up and pursed his lips.

"Mosquitoes, you two have no bites on you." He said and Mickie nodded as she realised she had not been bitten, just like Randy had said.

"No they always seem to leave me alone." Cody said shrugging his shoulders.

"Its why neither of you have gotten sick, I have been going about this the wrong way, I have been looking for some strange tropical disease when it has been right under my nose the whole time." Mickie was getting impatient with Evans ramblings as she stood from her bed.

"What is it Dr Borne and more to the point can you cure it?" She asked a frown appearing on her face and Evan looked at her.

"Sorry Captain, they all have the onset of Malaria, probably a slightly different staring than we are used to but just as simple to treat. I need to give them a cause of quinine, we have some on board but not enough to treat everyone." He said as he walked over to his office and he was followed by Mickie and Cody.

"How much do you have Doc? How quickly will we need more?" Mickie said glancing at Ted then Randy who were tossing and turning on their beds as the fever gripped them.

"I can treat all of them with a single dose and hopefully it will keep them alive a couple more days, after that people will start dying, or I can treat half of them and give them a good chance of survival in the long term, but the other half might die." Evan said as Mickie looked into his eyes and lifted her chin. She was not going to loose anybody.

"Treat them all doc I will get some more drug for you, Mr Rhodes your with me." Mickie strode out of sick bay almost straight into Melina who was looking stiff but not ill.

"Captain, I have been looking for you, my arm maybe broken Ma'am but I can still help." She said as Mickie looked around the medical bay.

"Help here, the Doc needs you more than I do, plus it means I can take John so he can guide us." Mickie said placing her hand on Melina's shoulder and giving her a wide smile.

"Aye Ma'am." She said Melina didn't look too happy but she knew she would be useless on the bridge if the ship came under any kind of attack and the woman nodded and disappeared into the infirmary.

"Mr Cena will you join us on the bridge." Mickie called over to John who knew it wasn't a question and he nodded quickly to Jeff who smiled at his old friend as he jogged over to join Mickie and Cody.

Exiting the lift and stepping out on to the bridge Cody went straight for the helm, whilst John went and stood at the tactical station. Mickie walked up to her chair and sat down.

"Mr Rhodes bring up the anchor and take her out." Mickie said as the pulley system on the anchor roared to life and the engines accompanied it in some kind of strange symphony. Mickie had never heard anything so lovely though and she turned to John and caught his eye while he was still looking at the new and strange displays in front of him.

"Get us there Mr Cena, or your ideas for a victory in this war will be short lived."

"Aye Ma'am." He replied knowing that Mickie was not threatening him just stating the truth.

"All ahead full Mr Rhodes we do not have time to view the scenery today I am afraid." Mickie said as soon as all she could see in front of her was open water and Cody didn't need asking twice he hit his controls and the Legacy pushed forward leaving a large bow wave in its wake.

"How often are these waters patrolled Mr Cena?" Mickie asked as she checked her own read outs and finding no other ships on radar.

"Enough to remain cautious Captain, but that storm would have slowed them down, I think if they were pursuing us we would have a good half a day's head start on them." John said as Mickie turned to look at him briefly but her gaze quickly flitted away and back out of the window.

Mickie was not feeling guilty as such for their moment earlier in the corridor, no she did not even know what that had been exactly, but she was feeling like she needed to distance herself somewhat from the man who now stood at her oldest friends' station. Thinking briefly of Ted made Mickie re focus, there was a job to be done and this time she had a decline. Her crew were depending on her this time not just in the hope of getting them home but for there very lives. Mickie sat stiffly in her chair, she knew the next few hours would be the longest of her life.

"Any enemy ships detected Mr Cena?" Mickie said as she caught the first glimpse of land she had seen in the last six hours.

"Nothing on long range scanners, the port ahead of us looks almost deserted." John said as he glanced down at the display and noted the time was almost midnight and he was hardly surprised at the dock desertion.

"Do you think you can raise any body Mr Cena?" Mickie said finally standing up and coning to rest on the console in front of John and he cold see the dark circles under her eyes and he could see them reflected in his own face.

"I'll see what I can do Captain." John said as Mickie came over and placed her hand on Cody's shoulder and he steered the Legacy in to the harbour slowly almost as if he were afraid to hit a mine.

"Good Mr Rhodes, no need to rush." Mickie said as she glanced from one end of the harbour to the other but saw almost no movement.

"Ma'am does the expression to good to be true come to mind." Cody asked looking back over his shoulder briefly as they came past a small ship that looked like it was for food transport.

Mickie did not reply she simply patted his shoulder and went and sat back down. Mickie did not like the quite, she was not the type of woman to creep up somewhere rush in like a scared little mouse and sneak back off down her hole again, but she knew this was the only way she was going to get this done. John had said that the Japanese were always happy to do business with the rebels, they could see an advantage in change and profit in war, but they were a dangerous bunch not to be trusted, if caught they would sing like canaries and give the UAN any information they had. They also drove a hard bargain and Mickie had to decide just how much she was going to offer for the quinine. She knew all her diplomatic skills would be required in these negotiations and she knew john would be the best person to stand by her side on this one. Fortunately she did not have to worry about Randy fussing over her and throwing John death glares, but she decided she would rather have is over protectiveness right now than have him in the infirmary fighting for his life.

"John to Chan, can you here me." John almost whispered into the radio hoping to get hold of his contact making the minimal disturbance.

There was a pause, and just static John was holding his breath and Mickie could almost small the electricity in the air as they waited for and answer.

"Yes John I am here, you are very late old friend." The man said in just as low a whisper but John finally exhaled.

"I know Chan, but I have brought my new friends from Legacy and we have business to discuss." John said knowing it was time to get right down to business and Mickie had come up on to his level and stood next to him.

"The Captain wishes to trade with you and she would request a meeting as soon as possible." Mickie nodded her approval as there was once again silence.

"We look forward to your arrival, may I suggest you moor your ship in the usual area." Chan said a slight hint of a smile in his voice and John caught the meaning straight away.

"Indeed, we shall see you in one hour." John said and disconnected the communication.

"Usual area?" Mickie questioned with a raised eyebrow and John just gave her a smile.

"You will see."

Mickie nodded her approval as John directed them to a large cave that was plenty big enough to accommodate Legacy. Mickie disliked the thought of leaving her ship with so few able bodies on board but seeing the cave made her feel somewhat better. Contacting the medical bay and getting Melina she inform her that they were about to disembark and to be ready to leave in a moments notice even if it was without them.

"Aye ma'am, but you realise even if we escape, without that medication we are doomed anyway." Melina said and Mickie had to acknowledge her statement for what it was, the truth.

"Ready when you are Mr Cena." Mickie said as she followed him out on to the gangway setting foot down on solid ground she looked about and saw a lone figure at the end of the narrow walk way that lead from her ship inside the cave.

The walls were damp to the touch and the smelt faintly of sale water and Mickie had to admire the beauty that this obviously natural cave had carved out for itself. As they approached the man Mickie noticed he was small barely taller than her and he bowed low as they came to a halt in fount of him. John bowed in reply and Mickie decided to follow suit.

"Come, we have been eagerly awaiting your arrival." Chan said pulling on Mickie's sleeve and she had no choice but to follow him through a narrower passage way and into a small corridor with a network of rooms.

Mickie did not have time to think about the route, there were so many twists and turns that she gave up and just followed Chan at his brisk pace.

"Here." He finally said stopping abruptly causing John to crash into Mickie's back and he had to wrap his arms around her to stop her from falling over.

"Sorry." He whispered as he let her go and Mickie gave him a crocked smile. Chan had pushed open the door and Mickie observed three men sitting around the oval shaped table, there were three seats left empty and Mickie supposed they were for them.

"Gentlemen." Mickie said offering her hand and the three men stood up and bowed to her. John shrugged his shoulders and Mickie decided just to bow back once more and the three men sat back down and Chan followed suite.

John pulled out Mickie's chair and she took it holding the grimace off her face and continued smiling at the men opposite her. John sat next to her quickly and the talks began at once.

"Captain James, your reputation proceeds you, I have to say I was expecting someone much taller." The man in the middle said, he had an angular face and hard eyes and Mickie tried not to dislike him because of his seedy appearance.

"Sorry to disappoint you, as you must know we are being pursued by the UAN, we do not want to put you in danger and we wish to conduct our business as swiftly as possible." Mickie said she did not want them to know just how much they needed this quinine.

"Indeed Captain there is a substantial bounty on your head, we are taking a risk here by not turning you over to the UAN, you and your ship." The man said as she glance at John whose expression had gone stony.

"Now if your going to make threats I think we will just leave." John spoke up and Mickie gripped his arm under the table, but she let him continue, he had much more experience in dealing with these people and Mickie saw the man shift uncomfortably in his chair at the proposition of their trading ending before it had began.

"I said we would not turn you in, we hope that further trade with you would be more profitable." The man on the left said quickly, he was much rounder of face and had rather small eyes, but his smile was genuine.

"We need food and medical supplies." Mickie said handing them over a list she had earlier drawn up with the Dr's assistance. The three Japanese men looked the list over each nodding their heads.

"We can do this, what do you offer in return?" The narrow faced man said eventually, and Mickie tried to keep her expression neutral.

"We can offer, building materials, rare alloys, lighter and stronger than anything you have." Mickie said and the men looked hopeful but not too impressed.

"We can show you medical treatments for diseases." She added quickly as the men got into another huddle and spoke amongst them selves. Mickie felt Johns hand on her arm under the table as she sat ridged like she was in front of a board of Admirals.

"We like your offer, but we are also interested in acquiring some of your weapons."

Mickie was ready for this and she knew just what she had to say.

"Our weapons are non negotiable, we need all of our weapons and they are integrated into the ships systems, I could not give you one even if I wanted to." It was not the complete truth but she knew it would have to do, there was no way she was going to give anyone from this world a heat seeking nuclear war head. Even if it was only minimum yield they could still blow up a small Island.

"It is a shame, but it was expected. We will trade for the Medical knowledge and the metals." The rounded face man said as they stood up and once more bowed low and Mickie made sure she met his gaze and gave him a smile.

"Arrange the transfer in one hour." Chan was instructed and the man turned to them and gave John and Mickie all the details they would need.

Mickie sat on her bridge, she was looking out once more at the ocean bathed in sun light. It had been several hours after her meeting with the Japanese representatives and she had been all around the ship helping to unload things and make sure the Dr had all the supplies he needed. Mickie had instructed him to start treatment immediately and he had not even stopped as he collected the cases of the drug.

Ted had returned only half an hour ago, and although he still looked a little pale, he said he had enough of sleeping. Mickie Cody and John had had no sleep in almost twenty four hours and the Dr was going on for almost forty eight. The sick members of the crew were starting to regain their strength one by one and Mickie was glad she could at least relive Cody and John as they both looked ready to pass out. John threw her a smile as he left and she wondered briefly for a moment about him. He was handsome, he had proved himself useful and loyal, and he was not part of this crew, not under her direct chair of command and not strictly off limits according to the US Naval conduct manual. Mickie sighed with boned tiredness as the lift doors opened and out stepped her first officer, looking well rested and even more perfect than she remember him to be.

Mickie stood up and smiled at him but he saw her face and knew the only thing his Captain needed was sleep he came up to her and spoke softly.

"Bed Captain, before you fall over." Mickie was too tired to argue and she left him in charge of the bridge and Ted knew where they were going. Hitting the button for her deck she wonder why she ever thought she could avoid falling for her first officer, but the thought was in passing as the lift doors opened and she made it to her cabin where she fell on to the bed fully clothed and fell in to a deep sleep.

Oh love triangle I feel, what will Mickie do now? I hope you enjoyed this rather lengthy chapter, I thought about splitting it in two, but I wasn't feeling that mean, is it better longer I guess so but if you like them short sharp and to the point let me know and I can change it up a bit.

As ever feedback is appreciated and I am always looking for inspiration or suggestions.

Thank you for reading.