Thank you all so much for the reviews! You are all so awesome for sticking with me even though my posting schedule has been erratic lately. And thank you for the link, Guest! I found the story and LOVED it and LNR is going to post it over here, soon, so we all get to enjoy it again!

CHAPTER 12 - Where Kara gets a gift

"Carlton! Long time no see. I didn't realize that you and Kara were still friends. You sure that her husband's okay with that? I hear he's the jealous type."

Kara would have rolled her eyes if she wasn't so busy trying not to vomit, inhaling slow breaths through her mouth and keeping her eyes averted from anything that might look remotely like fish. A goal made much more difficult by the fact that Jeremy was standing in front of her desk, his microwaved salmon at exactly eye level.

Three desks over Lieutenant Chien giggled, the sound like nails on a chalk-board to Kara. Chien's infatuation with Jeremy was obvious to everyone in the small department that Kara had joined a month ago (upon being transferred to shore duty due to her pregnancy), with most people assuming that Michelle and Jeremy were hooking up. Upon learning about the pairing, Kara had wondered whether she should warn Chien about Jeremy's less than stellar qualities, but had quickly dismissed the idea. Anything she said would merely be construed by Chien as the fabrications of a jealous ex-girlfriend and, given everything else going on in her life, Kara didn't need the drama. It had been awkward enough when Jeremy let the entire department know that they had dated; she didn't need anyone to think that she was still carrying a torch for him.

"Oh, yeah, Danny and I are tight. We did our last deployment together," Carlton replied casually, but loudly enough for anyone eavesdropping to catch, making it clear that there was no juicy gossip here.

"Really? Danny and Kara were both on that cruise, right?" Jeremy replied, his eyes gleaming as though he thought he might actually get some information out of Carlton.

"Sorry, can't discuss it," Carlton replied breezily. "Anyway, not to be rude, Harris, but you may want to move that fish somewhere else unless you enjoy being puked on."

Eyes darting between Kara and Carlton, Jeremy took a step back. "Swing by on your way out and we can catch up more."

"Sure, I'll do that." Carlton replied, although Kara knew that he was lying through his teeth. Besides being one of the most loyal people that Kara knew, Burk also had surprisingly old-fashioned standards for the treatment of women, standards by which he measured all of Kara's boyfriends. Danny had passed the unspoken test (although Danny had mentioned one hilariously awkward warning that Carlton had seen fit to issue when Kara and Danny first began dating). Jeremy had not.

Kara found it disconcerting to realize that she had dated Jeremy for twice as long as she had known Danny, and yet it was only after their break-up that she comprehended how self-centered Jeremy was. Of course, both she and Jeremy had spent a fair amount of their relationship deployed, but still, it made her question her ability to see people objectively. Jeremy had seemed like her perfect match at the beginning. They had both gone to Annapolis, graduating two years apart, and had met at a football game. Like Kara, Jeremy planned to go career and she had fully supported his ambition, never complaining when he worked long hours or took on extra work, and playing the role of the supportive girlfriend perfectly at the frequent social events that Jeremy attended (deeming them advantageous to his career). It was only later than Kara realized how one-sided the relationship had been – something that both Carlton and Jennifer had realized long before.

"Have I mentioned how glad I am that you kicked that guy's ass to the curb?" Burk grumbled from his seat next to Kara's desk.

Kara surprised a giggle, not wanting to sound like Chien. "Getting back to the matter at hand, you can't keep avoiding the topic, Carlton. Ravit is leaving and the two of you need to decide how you are going to handle that."

"There's nothing to handle. She lives in Israel."

"Oh, yes, that's a huge problem because we never send ships to the Middle East," Kara retorted. "You could request a transfer to Europe. The two of you would only be a couple of hours apart by plane and you could meet up on your leave. It would take some coordinating but you could do it."

Carlton sighed. "I'm not sure Ravit is up for that much coordinating. Pretty sure she thinks this was a fling."

"Did she tell you that?" Kara narrowed her eyes at Burk. "Because from where I am sitting, Ravit seems just as into you as you are into her. At least ask her what she wants to do."

"I tried. She just laughed – didn't take it seriously."

"Then ask her again," Kara said firmly. "Look, you either like her enough to do something about it or you don't, Carlton. If this was just a fling for you, that's cool, but you need to be upfront about that to avoid any weirdness in case you run into her again in the future. And if you are interested in trying to make this work long distance, you have to find out if Ravit is on the same page. Oh, and before you tell me that I don't understand how difficult this is, let me remind you that my husband is currently more than 6,000 miles away and will be for the foreseeable future."

Burk opened his mouth to speak but was saved when one of the guards from the front desk approached with a vase filled with a dozen dark red roses. He hesitated before her desk. "Lieutenant Foster?"

Already smiling at the sight of the velvety petals, Kara nodded. "Thank you, Petty Officer."

"Is this a special occasion?" Carlton teased, nodding towards the bouquet that now took up a third of Kara's desk. It wasn't the first time Danny had sent her flowers, of course, but this was the first time he sent roses.

"No, no occasion." Kara replied hastily, hoping Carlton wouldn't notice the flush crawling up her cheeks. She had been disappointed – and more than a little embarrassed – when she opened an email from Danny the night before thanking her for the care package and complaining that Berchem and Smith had eaten all of his Jolly Ranchers, but making no mention of the picture that she had sent. Adding the picture had been a last minute impulse, born of her yearning to share the special moment with him, to include him in the wonder she felt every time the Bug moved, and it had only been later that Kara had considered how loaded her spontaneous decision had been. After reading the email she had been certain that sending it had been a mistake. Her first thought had been to send him an email trying to explain why she sent the picture – she certainly didn't want Danny to think she made a habit of taking or sending nude pictures – but ultimately she had decided to follow Danny's lead and not mention it. Now, though, looking at the bouquet before her, Kara wondered whether her reaction had been premature. Kara slipped the card out from the flowers, her smile flattering as she read the message.

"You gonna share or is it private?" Carlton teased. Without a word Kara passed him the card.

To reunions with old friends. Looking forward to working together again. Jeremy

"He cannot possibly be serious." Carlton sounded the same way Kara felt – flabbergasted. Sending flowers was bad enough but roses? Kara suddenly recalled the way the flowers had been addressed – Lieutenant Foster, rather than Lieutenant Green. Oh, there was no doubt that Jeremy was out to cause trouble, Kara thought, a bitter taste filling her mouth. "Do you want me to have a talk with him?"

"Absolutely not," Kara hissed, before modulating her voice. "I can take care of myself, Carlton. Besides, the best thing to do is ignore him. He's an attention whore. Not getting a reaction will drive him crazy."

"What are you going to do with those?" Carlton asked, waving his hands in the direction of the roses as though they were filled with venom.

Kara considered what would happen if she attempted to return the roses to Jeremy. At the very least, it would alert their co-workers to the fact that Jeremy, rather than Danny, had sent the flowers. Kara had heard enough scuttlebutt to know exactly how quickly that story would spread and, in conjunction with the information that Kara and Jeremy used to date, how damaging it could be. Kara didn't need any suggestion of impropriety on her record, especially given the timing of her pregnancy. And yet, throwing away the flowers seemed so very wasteful… A slight smile crossed Kara's face as another idea occurred to her.

"You and Ravit have a date tonight, right?"

Carlton nodded in the affirmative.

"How does she feel about flowers?"

Ten minutes later Carlton was on his way with the roses and a reservation at a rather exclusive Italian restaurant thanks to Alisha, who had occasionally moonlighted as part of the catering staff and knew the owner, a man named Peter Anderson.

Twenty minutes after that, the same guard from earlier approached Kara again, this time with a square vase covered in thick leaves and filled with an explosion of tropical flowers – reds, pinks, violets, and yellows. He looked at her desk in confusion.

"The roses were delivered here by mistake," Kara lied coolly. "Lieutenant Burk handled it."

She waited until the man was gone to pluck the card from the arrangement now sitting on her desk – this one addressed to Lieutenant Kara Green – and she knew without a doubt that these flowers were from Danny.

I could not imagine anyone more beautiful. I dream about you. - D

Kara's eyes drifted shut, his words evoking recollections of her own dreams during the weeks since Danny's departure. Vivid dreams; dreams so intense that she would wake confused, uncertain of what was real and what was fantasy. Sometimes the dreams were innocent – she and Danny dancing or cooking or tossing around names for the Bug. Lately, though, the dreams had taken a steamier turn. Memories of hidden trysts in the Arctic replayed in her mind. Imagines of Danny lying asleep in their bed, his bare chest golden against the lilac sheets. Visions of Danny in the shower, water streaming over him as he hummed a tune. Dreams where Danny appeared home in the middle of the night and took her into his arms. Dreams so sensual that Kara woke up reaching for him, only to be met with an empty bed.

Kara blinked away tears as she snapped a picture of the flowers before her and emailed it to Danny.

I dream about you too.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Why did I agree to do this trip with you?" Alisha moaned as she flopped into the car, immediately lowering the visor to block the sun that was just peeking over the horizon and slouching into the passenger seat.

"Because you love me?" Kara teased, passing Alisha the large coffee with about sixteen sugars that she had picked up on her way over to the apartment. "Oh, and because you were the one that talked me into this plan in the first place."

"Well, I didn't know it would include leaving Norfolk at four a.m.," Alisha sputtered. "One of the things I like about you is that you are not a morning person. That means I don't need to be one either."

"You'll thank me if we can get through D.C. traffic before the entire thing shuts down," Kara replied cheerfully.

Kara was by no means a morning person, but she had found some evil satisfaction in forcing Alisha to wake up at 4 a.m. (even if the woman did promptly fall back asleep in the car). After all, Alisha was the one who had convinced Kara that going to Cornwall, Connecticut to attend a baby shower thrown by Joanne and Caroline for Danny's extended family and friends was a good idea. Kara's first impulse had been to politely decline the offer. In addition to the discomfort of dealing with her in-laws without her husband, Kara had never met the majority of Danny's aunts and cousins, most of whom had been unable to travel from Connecticut to Virginia for the wedding, and Kara felt decidedly awkward asking people that she barely knew to give her gifts. Her uneasiness had only escalated when she found out from Caroline that, in addition to Danny's extended family, the shower would include Danny's high school friends, the church congregation, and Joanne's and Mark's co-workers at the hospital and school. In other words, practically the entire bloody town.

Alisha had been the one to talk Kara into accepting Joanne's offer. Alisha's reasoning had been simple. According to Caroline, this type of shower was the norm for Danny's family, and all that Kara needed to do was show up, suffer through the introductions (Caroline's exact words), and open a bunch of gifts. So while the afternoon might be tiring for Kara, there was minimal risk of offending anyone. On the other hand, if Kara refused to go, she ran the risk of alienating Danny's extended family before she ever met them. Altogether, it had left Kara with only one option. Going to Connecticut. Fortunately Alisha had volunteered to play her wingman, so Kara would have at least one ally at this event.

Two hours later Kara was negotiating Washington, D.C. traffic when Alisha finally stirred. Determined not to drive the entire way to Connecticut in silence, Kara spoke. "How did dinner go last night?"

"Mmmmmm…" Alisha muttered, eyes still closed.

Kara wasn't fooled. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

Alisha had spent the evening before having dinner with her mother, an event that even on the best days required a fair amount of fortitude. On an occasion like last night, where Alisha planned to raise a topic that Amy Granderson didn't care to discuss – Alisha's sexual orientation – the event required both determination and planning worthy of dinner at the White House.

Alisha sighed as she sat up in her seat. "Actually, I did. I told her that I was going to ask Sarah to marry me and that I wanted her to come to the wedding. She suggested that Sarah and I consider a nice vacation to the Caribbean until we get this 'experimental phase' behind us."

"She said that?" Despite herself, Kara was shocked. For all of Debbie's faults, Kara had never seriously questioned that her mother loved her. In Alisha's case, Kara sometimes wondered if Amy Granderson had feelings at all.

"Yup. Her exact words."

Kara knew that Alisha wouldn't want any sympathy, even though her heart was breaking for her friend. "Are you still going to do it?"

"Yes." Alisha was silent for a minute. "Sarah is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am not going to lose her because of my mother."

"Promise me one thing, okay?"

Alisha looked over, her expression curious. "What?"

Kara shot her friend a teasing smile. "Please do not get married before June. I don't want to look like a whale in my dress."

Alisha laughed and took a large gulp of her coffee. "That will not be a problem. I need way more than three months to plan."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dusk was falling when the two women finally pulled into the sleepy town of Cornwall, Connecticut. Alisha was driving and Kara took the opportunity to stare out the window, taking in her first view of Danny's hometown. Danny had described Cornwall to her in some detail, and seeing it now without him, each building new and yet strangely familiar, felt peculiar.

There was the high school he had attended. Kara smiled as she recalled how animated Danny had become while telling her how the chemistry club would raid the lab at the end of the school year and throw the leftover chemicals into the school's small, ornamental pond to create an explosion. They passed a large building with a moose statue in the front, and Kara was certain it was the fish and game club where Danny had first learned to shoot. There was the library where Danny had spent so many hours as a child, hours that he claimed had been excruciating boring, but his eyes sparkled with laughter when he told Kara about the varied excuses he had (mostly unsuccessfully) used to avoid going.

A deep longing for Danny swelled within Kara. She wanted him here to point out each building, to laugh with her as he told her silly stories of his childhood. She wanted him here to hold her hand as they entered the long driveway to his family's rambling colonial and to reassure her that everyone at the shower was going to love her. She wanted him here to give her the tour of his childhood home and flip through old photo albums together and talk about which one of them the Bug would most resemble. Kara blinked away tears as Alisha put the car into park.

Turning towards her, Alisha reached out to touch Kara's hand. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes." Kara squared her shoulders, brushing the tears away from her eyes before checking her reflection in the visor. "I just really wish Danny was here."