I felt someone holding me. I also felt everyone's mind push into mine. I started blocking them out and someone rubbed my neck. I felt a bottle touch my lips and took a drink. When my mind was empty, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.
I was wearing my sun glasses again and saw Nathan holding me.
""Just drink."" He told me. I laid my head against his shoulder and he let me take the bottle and drink it. I looked around and saw we were in the back room. It was empty and the door was shut.
""I'm sorry."" He laughed and I felt it throw his chest.
""Pushing that much, it's bound to happen. Nothing to worry about baby doll."" I sat up slowly and rolled my neck. ""Did you get an answer?"" He asked me. I nodded to him and took the GPS. I looked for a few minutes and showed him where we needed to go. He looked at it and then really looked at it.
""That's where he is."" He looked at me, then nodded and was worried. I pulled on the sweeter and jacket. He got up and walked out. I watched him walk up front and handed the GPS over to Ra. He looked at it and looked right back at me.
""God, damn it."" He wasn't happy. I sat down and folded my legs.
""That's where he is."" He looked at Nathan for a minute, then got up and walked back to me. He shut the door before Nathan could walk in. He locked the door and knelled down in front of me.
""This changes everything."" He told me.
""We don't know why he's there. Just that he's there."" I told him.
""The team was tested. The drugs they were given can cross back. The kid can't come."" He told me. ""They can't come either."" He told me.
""I told Jack."" He shook his head.
""Now this is personal baby doll. Ranger and Lester have to leave. We need to pick up Kyle also.""
""He's there but we don't know why.""
""Doesn't matter any longer Baby doll. You're not running normal. Kyle and Nathan are needed to watch over you."" I looked past him to the door and let out a breath.
""Nathan doesn't want him here. I can't make him change his mind. The kid can keep up and I'll be fine."" He reached back and opened the door. Nathan walked in and shut the door behind him. He locked it and leaned against the desk.
""You're not calling it in."" He told me.
"We don't know why he's there."" He shook his head and looked at Ra. Ra shrugged and didn't care either.
""I don't care if you do or not. It's your ass."" I nodded to him. ""What's the problem."" He asked us.
""Can you and the kid handle her if worse comes to worse?"" Ra asked him.
""Come on David I can handle her on my own. The kid's just back up and he'll be find. He is a seal."" Ra nodded and looked at me. ""Jack needs to stay to fly us. You need back up.""
""The team needs to head in."" I told him. He dropped his head and wasn't happy with the chose that was left to him. I nodded Nathan out and to take care of what was needed. The team needs to be sent in. They're going to be down for some time.
""You said yourself he is a good soldier. He can be back up."" I told Ra and gave him time.
""He doesn't take lead.""
""None of us do."" He smiled at that. Then let out a breath and got up.
""Go outside, we'll talk with him alone and away from eyes and ears."" I pulled my hood and walked outside. Peter followed me and I walked a distance away from the plane. Ra and Ranger followed behind us. When I stopped, and face them, Ranger looked me over.
""How do you want to do this."" Ra asked me. Ranger stopped in front of me. He left some distance though. I pulled the hood and slipped the sun glasses on my head. He looked my face over.
"What's wrong?" He asked me. I licked my lips and shrugged at him. "That's a lode of shit and you know it." I smirked and looked at Ra raising my eye brow.
"You read her well." Nathan said.
"Open book, always has been. Who wants to explain?" He asked folding his arms and looking around. He centered on Peter, but he won't answer.
""You need a question Ranger."" I said and looked at Nathan.
"Explain what?" Nathan asked. Ranger looked at us and thought about it.
"Babe have you seen your eyes?" He asked me. I didn't understand and looked at Nathan.
""The Seal bleed pretty far."" He told me. I rolled my eyes. Then took off my jacket, Peter took it. I pulled off the sweeter and he took that also. Ranger slowly looked over the skin that was slowing and saw the ink. "Don't ask, we don't really have an answer to give you. If Kyle was here he might be able to explain some. She won't explain."" Nathan told him. He nodded to Nathan and still was just looking at me.
""It will with time blend back into the skin."" I said.
"If she gives it sometime it will blend back into the skin. First, you'll notice it pulls back, then it will disappear." Ra told him. Ranger nodded again and then looked at me. He was waiting. I rolled my hand at him and needed a question.
"Explain the rest." He told me.
"Carlos, you need to give her a question to answer." Nathan told him.
"I know you babe." He told me. I smirked and rolled my eyes. I pulled away from Peter.
""There's a give and take. When the ink shows it's not hiding what's on the surface."" Nathan smirked also.
"The rest?" He asked.
"She won't answer that one. Trust me we've tired. She might let you in with time, but she won't explain why things are how they are." Ra told Ranger. I nodded to them. Ranger looked around.
"Fine what's going on?" He asked us.
"She's found Death, but he's somewhere we didn't expect. We are a crunch for time. That means we need to leave as soon as Alpha is gone." Ranger's face went cold. I gave him a look and shook my head at him. "We're thinking are ability to get you to leave would be impossible and she's not going to try. That means you have to come. But you can't come to protect her. If you're coming you're going to be with Ra and you're going to be given cover or back up. You will have to follow her lead though." Nathan told him.
"How the hell do you expect?" He started to say.
"How do you follow anyone's lead when you have to be quite." Ra told him. Ranger looked at me and tried to believe them. I shrugged at him. He looked back at the plane.
""He has to deal with Lester."
"You also have to deal with him yourself." Ra told him and I nodded. Ranger looked at me and smirked. Then his face went blanket and I watched him look at Peter. I snapped my fingers in his face and shook my head no.
"What?" Peter asked. I gave him a look and he knew to be quiet. I gave Ranger a look and folded my arms. He noticed the change.
""This doesn't involve you. If it wasn't for the face that you could be needed and anything less than drugging, you would get you to leave. I would make you leave. Don't think about taking control or thinking you know anything about me or my team. Do you understand?"" I said and Nathan told him.
"Hey man not cool." Peter said.
"Milo." Ranger started to say and I flicked him in the forehead. He gave me a look. I shook my head no at him. I pointed at Peter then myself. Then I pointed to the plane and him. I draw a line between us.
"She wouldn't allow him to go with her if she thought he couldn't roll. Peter wouldn't even be put on the project if he couldn't pull his own weight. He isn't who you should be worrying about." Nathan told Ranger.
"Who the fuck do you want me to worry about." Ranger said looking down at me with cold eyes. I pointed behind him.
""You need to worry and deal with him. He's not happy with either of us right now. This is going to push him even father. You know it."" I said and Nathan told him. Ranger looked at me for a long time. Then I back up. He followed me and turned me to get us walking. He put his hand on my back and lead me.
He grabbed his phone and started writing. I took it when he was done.
'This is hard even on myself babe.' He told me. I nodded to him.
'I can see it Ranger. But you know me. We almost know where we stand with each other. He doesn't. He tried to move our friendship to the next level and is having problems. Then his brother showed up and now I'm going to come out of nowhere and I can't explain myself.' He took the phone.
'How bad are they?' He asked me. I stopped at looked at him. He ran his thumb down my check. I rolled my eyes.
'Another day.' He nodded and let out a breath.
'I love you babe.' I let out a breath and looked up at him.
'I have always loved you batman.' He let out a breath. 'I'm not talking about this with you right now Ranger. I can't talk to you about this right now.'
'You love him also babe.'
'He's my best friend also.'
'It's against my nature not to want or need to protect you.' I smiled and laughed at him. 'I'll try not to.'
'Les won't leave, will he?' He gave me a look. 'Can you keep him in line?'
'Never have been able to, why would I start now. But he'll be able to do what's needed. How bad is whatever your walking into?' I shrugged at him and looked at Ra.
'Ra and Nathan like to look at the glass empty. I am a half full kind of person. We could be walking into nothing. Walk on the beach and so on. Or we could be walking into something worse than you could believe.' He looked my face over and looked over at the group waiting.
"They don't like you here with me." He said out loud. I gave him a push and he put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my head. We walked back over to everyone.
"We can leave when you're ready." He told them.
"Jack went and got dinner so we have some time to wait." Ra said, but was talking to me. He looked at me and was giving me a look. I rolled my eyes.
""You just want me to deal with Lester."" He nodded to me and glanced over to Peter. He wanted me to deal with Lester for Peter. I winked at Peter and took my jacket. He throws the shirt over his shoulder and I walked towards the plane. I looked back at Ranger and he came to join me. He walked up the stairs and I followed him.
When we got in the plane I moved to the side and slipped my hands in my pockets. Lester looked at me at once. He blinked and shook his head. He knew it was me but he didn't want to believe it. I smiled at him softly and looked at Ranger.
"Where are, we going?" He asked me. I pulled out my phone and wrote south. He nodded then started talking to Lester. Lester was just looking at me and didn't believe what he saw. But he was listening to Ranger. Something was said and Lester jumped up and was pissed off. I looked at Ranger and tapped his arm.
"Peter." He said to me. I rolled my eyes and looked at Lester. I pulled out my phone again.
'Do either of you know Milo is a seal?' I texted and handed it to him. He read it and looked at me like I was joking. I nodded to him and folded my arms. He looked at Lester. I leaned forward and watched his lips.
"Did you know Milo was a seal?" Ranger asked him. I looked at Lester and he didn't care. He didn't want his brother messing around with anything. I clapped and they both looked at me.
""This isn't a matter you can make a discus."" I thought and just like I knew Nathan said for me from the door of the plane. Ranger looked back at him. I pointed to myself and behind me. Then I pointed to Ranger and Lester. I held my hands apart.
""Milo might be your family. But he's part of my team. He's mine and you have no say here. If you have a problem with this, there's the door and you can leave. I'm not asking for your help. I don't believe your help is needed. But I have a strong felling you won't leave. Stay out of my business. Stay away from my team and don't think for one minute you have a say here."" I said and Nathan spoke for me. Ranger was watching us.
"He's." Lester started to say and I shook my head and held up my hands to get him to stop talking. I already knew what he was going to say.
""I know he's your brother, he's your family. But he's our family, he's part of this team. Right now, you have no say in anything that matters. All your doing is causing problems and looking like a child. He's Milo to you. Your little brother and I know you want to protect him. But he's my seal, he's my solider, and fucking trust me, I would not allow him or anyone else go or come with me if I thought they couldn't keep up or pull their own weight. Peter stays, you can leave."" I told him and walked to the com door and slammed it behind me.
Nathan told them what I said. I walked to the wall and pounded my hands against it. Someone moved right behind me and grabbed my fists. Pulled me against them and held me.
""I've got you baby doll."" Nathan said softly.
""Fucking ass."" I yelled. My knells gave out and together we ending up sitting on the floor. He held me and let me deal with my anger. I finely leaned back against him and let my head drop against his shoulder.
""Ranger's putting him in line."" I nodded and let out a breath. ""He has a lot of faith in you.""
""We'll see if he'll be able to remember that."" Nathan brushed my hair back and kept on rocking us slowly getting me to stay calm.
""Baby doll."" He sounded worried and showed me what he saw. My ward had bleed over my face.
""Give it time and it will pull back. How's Peter with everything?"" I asked him.
""He's surprised you stood up for him."" I smiled at him.
""I know what it feels like to have a shadow to live with. He wasn't picked or put on the team for that shadow. He was picked because of his record. They don't even know he's a seal Nathan."" I told him.
""What Peter chose to tell his family is his chose baby doll. Besides dealing with that. He's glad to be part of the team. He's pleased he's being treated like a brother. A little frisked out with your gifts, but dealing with it better than a few have."" I let out a breath and was pleased.
""Is Jack back?"" I asked him after a few minutes. I was getting hungry.
""Not yet baby doll. Ra's guiding him on what you'll eat."" I smiled and let him rub my arms. I felt him move and looked up at him. He was looking back. I didn't need to look. I already felt Peter's mind. He grabbed a chair and sat down. I smiled at him and nodded to him.
""What's wrong?"" He asked and leaned forward. His arms were leaning against his legs and he sat forward.
""What do you mean?"" I looked at both of them. He looked me over. I closed my eyes and smiled at him. I shrugged my shoulders at him.
""Steph doesn't deal with her anger very well when she's like that. If allowed to stay upset, she can become a risk to herself and others. Keeping her calm and relaxed helps. Your brother pushed a button with her.""
""Why?"" Peter didn't understand. I felt Ra's mind also.
""I know what it's like to live in a shadow. I know what it's like to live with an older brother."" I told Peter. Ra and Nathan's minds turns sad. Peter looked at me for a long time, then looked at the other two. I felt his mind understand that now wasn't a time to ask about what I said.
""I'm sorry."" He started to say.
""Honey you have nothing to be sorry for. What's happened isn't your fault or problems. I'll deal with your shadow. Relax, because the tip isn't long."" He nodded to me as he looked at the doorway. I smelled dinner. Peter stood and gave me his hand. I let him pull me up.
""Food, finely."" He said and I smiled and nodded at him. We walked into the main room and saw Peter sitting a box down. He was talking, I turned and looked at Nathan and Ra. Without thinking Ra started signing what was being said and let me know Peter was telling everyone what was in the box.
He walked back down the stairs while he was still talking. He came back with a bag and handed it to me. Then sat two duffle bags down. He walked back out and came back with four more. Then shut the doors. I looked them over and cut my eyes to Nathan.
""Would you like to explain?"" I asked him.
""Normal go bags at Steven's base."" I thought about it and shrugged. I'll deal with this later. Peter looked at me and I nodded. It was time to leave. He grabbed a drink and something to eat. Then headed to the cock pit and started powering up.
I sat down and looked throw the bag.
""He did good."" I told everyone and opened the juice. I bit into an apple and folded my legs. Jack turned around and looked at me. He flashed a go sign and I waved him forward.
""Up, up and away."" Ra said. I looked over at him and smiled. He grabbed a drink and looked throw the food. ""Yum cow."" He smirked grabbed a burger and dropped into a chair. I leaned over and took a fry. He rolled his eyes. Peter grabbed some food and sat next to me. I let him look in my bag.
""Healthy food?"" He asked me.
""Latter I'll explain."" He shrugged.
""She's a naturalist when she's like this."" Nathan told Peter. I nodded to him that it was true when he looked over. He looked in my bag again and saw that most of it was clean and fresh. Nathan gave him another bugger as he walked to the front. I leaned to the side and tried to read his lips.
""Do we have clearness?"" I asked and looked around.
""Past the boarder yes."" Ra told me. I let out a breath and looked out the window while I opened the bag of grapes.
""This is like walking back in time."" I said to myself.
""Why?"" Peter asked. I looked over at him and saw Nathan looking back at us.
""We've made this trip before. A long time ago. Give Ra some time to finish eating and he'll start his defying. He'll cover everything that you might need to know."" He nodded and could live with that answer. I looked out the window again and tried to center my mind. I let out a breath.
""Baby doll?"" Nathan asked me.
""If I asked you to stay?""
""I would tell you to fuck off."" I nodded and knew that. I knew he wouldn't let me go alone. ""Don't even think about it baby doll."" I nodded again. I felt Peter move, he and Ra needed to talk first. There were some things he needed to know more than Ranger and Lester. Someone sat down in front of me. I looked over and saw Ranger. He looked my face over.
'You can read sign?' He signed to me. I nodded to him.
'It's quick and simple. Given enough time, I can read lips also.' He nodded to me and looked past me. I knew he was either looking at Lester or the door to the com room.
'Give me a little information.' He told me.
'Ra will shortly.' He looked at me a long time then nodded and would allow this. 'What's on your mind?' I asked him. He looked at me for a long time. I gave him the time he would need.
'Babe your whatever you want to call it, it's covering a lot of your skin.' He told me. I let out a breath.
'Give me some time, it will pull back.' He gave me a look saying he wanted me to explain what I meant. I closed my eyes and took some deep breaths. Then started to fell a pull. I allowed it to happen and slowly I felt the power I held being sucked out of my back. The ward grow cold and I felt it pull back.
It was covering more than I thought it was. Finely it was only covering my back where Kyle draw it. I took a few more breaths and opened my eyes. We were already in the air. I started eating my grapes again. Ranger waved his fingers in front of my face and got me looking at him.
'What?' I signed to him.
'Now I want you to explain babe.' He signed to me. I thought about it.
'I can't explain even if I wanted to Ranger. If my team can live without knowing, you can.' I told him. He looked around the plane thinking about it. I looked back out the window eating.
""How long?"" I asked Nathan. He took a few minutes to talk with Jack.
""We're going in cold so a couple of hours. Do you want to tap your contacts?"" He asked me. I thought about it and looked to the back. I sat the bag aside and took my grapes with me. I knocked and opened the door. Ra and Jack looked at me.
I just waved my hand for them to keep on talking, shut the door and pulled up my files on the computer. I looked throw my contact list to see who I wanted to talk to. I smiled when I hit on a number and pulled out my phone.
/Peasants this is Baby doll. Do you have time. / I texted and looked throw the rest of my contacts seeing if I had a backup.
/long time/
/years, sorry to get a hold of you for a favor. But I need a favor. / I told her. She was didn't take long to responded.
/I might be able to help you. / She told me.
/I need wheels/ I told her.
/Drop by and you'll have what you need. See you soon baby doll. / I smiled and slipped my phone back in my pocket. I looked back at Ra and nodded.
""We're going to Peasants."" I told everyone. Peter looked at me and didn't understand. Ra just smiled and was happy with my chose. I heard Nathan laugh and knew he was happy with my chose. I looked at Ra and rolled my hands again. He needed to get things going.
I leaned against the desk and gave him a look. He looked at Peter for a second, then opened the door and called everyone back. Nathan was talking with Jack on where he needed to go and what was going to be needed. Lester and Ranger came back into the room. They sat down and Ra started filling them in on what we were doing.
Right all we were doing was looking for Death. If by chance something was going on more than just bring someone home, we would deal with it. The only trouble we saw coming our way was the past coming to bit us in the ass. I added a little to what needed to be said. Then I felt a shift and looked around.
""Something changed."" I told them. Nathan stopped talking and looked at me. Ra rolled over and turned on the back wall. A map showed up and he looked at me waiting. He ran his fingers over the key board and pulled up where we were and were we were going to land. I looked the map over and shook my head.
Something else changed.
""Baby Doll."" Nathan said walking over to me. I walked out and looked out the window. We were still in the sky. ""You're going hot baby doll."" He told me and guild me back away from the windows.
""This is very frustrating."" He pushed me down in the middle of the plane and got me sitting.
""I know."" He knells down and looked at me. ""Find your center."" He told me. I rolled my neck and closed my eyes. He waited next to me till I calmed down. Then he got up and went to take care of what was needed. I laid down when I was feeling right and laid my hands on the floor.
I rubbed my fingers together when it felt wrong. I folded my arms and huffed. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. Then grabbed my shoes and pulled then off. I tossed them and sat my feet on the floor. Still something was wrong. I rolled over and glared into the back room.
""Baby doll.""
""There mojo is messing with my mojo."" I huffed and wasn't happy.
""How hoary are you?"" Nathan asked me. Ra and Peter looked at me. I glared and huffed again.
""Baby Doll when was the last time you had sex?"" Ra asked. Jack's eyes grow. I huffed again.
""A while ago."" I said. '"This is something I don't want to get into."' I got up and started pacing. "'Before I came back and needed to get centered.'" I told them. Before I was ready, Nathan moved in front of me and stopped me from pacing.
""What happened baby doll."" I looked in the back and saw Ranger. Nathan grabbed my chin and made me look at him. "What happened Baby Doll, I can feel your pain.""
""I will not talk about it."" I yelled. Peter winced. Nathan upped my check.
""Baby Doll it's me. Talk to me."" I just looked at him and knew I couldn't hold back. I walked to the back and waved everyone out. Ra pushed to get everyone to leave. Nathan shut the door and locked the door. He got me sitting on the floor and sat in front of me. He took my hands in his. He rubbed his thumbs against my fingers. I closed down my mind to everyone but him.
""I love him."" I started.
""I know I can feel it." I let out a breath and closed my eyes.
""I feel him when he's around. He's turned into my best friend Nat. He's always there for me and with me being lost it was needed. When I would fall, he was always there to pick me up. Then I fall in love with him. I knew it would never work Nat. He was up front with everything. Before he went on his last mission we sat down and really talked about what we wanted and could live with. We came with an understanding. We parted as friends. This was after we had sex. With being apart we learned we can't live without each other. While he was gone, Lester and I got closer. For about the last week we kept getting hot and heavy. Then Ranger came home and Les pulled away. He might think Ranger and I got back together. I can't choose between then and don't want to."" I told him.
""I can see that and understand. What happened Steph?"" I took a deep breath.
""I was pregnant. I had a mischarge."" He pulled me to him at once and started rocking me as I cried.
"Fuck, no wonder your running so hot."" He said and rubbed my back as he rocked us.
""I wanted the baby.""
""Sure, you did baby doll. It was a part of you and the man you love."" He rocked me. ""I should have known something was wrong.""
""You can't know everything."" I told him. He finely got me to calm down. He pulled back and wiped my face off.
""I can't let you come unless you deal with your problem."" I pulled back at once. "'Baby Doll it's messing with you. You want and need both of them as much as you need a release. You're a risk if you don't take care of this.""
""Nathan,"" I huffed at him.
""You have to see things my way Baby Doll. You've been having problems since you started. I won't make you deal with them yet. But you need to take care of your lust."" I got up and huffed at him.
""Nathan."" I said and started pacing.
"What's going on?" Ra asked. Nathan opened his mind up to me.
"She's dealing with a lot of personal hurt. We'll deal with that after we get death. But her lust is causing problems. She can't level out and everything is getting crossed. I can't let her off this plane without it leveled out and dealt with." Nathan told him.
"Get Ranger in here then." Ra said.
"I would, but it will cause problems with Lester. I would send Lester in, but there's some problems with that." Nathan told him. I saw where his thoughts were going and stopped pacing. I turned towards him and put my hands on my hips.
""You have to be out of your mind."" They looked at me.
""You've got hot and heavy before."" Nathan told us.
""We were drunk off our ass. This won't happen."" Nathan folded his arms. He made his point already, I couldn't leave this plane without getting some relief. I thought about it and looked into the center of the plane. Peter was watching us. I slipped my hands in my pockets and thought about my choices.
Lester was in the front of the plane. He was still upset and pissed off. He had space around him, that clearly side leave me the fuck alone. He didn't notice what was going on around him. He was pulled away from everything. I looked at Ranger. He was holding his phone, I know he was just doing some business. But he was now watching me closely.
He got up and walked over to me. He waved everyone out and shut the door behind them. I watched him lock it. I was watching Lester again. He didn't even notice and I was hurt. Ranger waved his hand in front of my face.
'He's gearing up for anything that's going to come up. He's listening to music with his head phones.' Ranger told me.
'What?'
'Your upset by his distance. He's not being distance. He's getting ready for anything that is going to come up. This is how he prepares himself. He closes off to everything around him.' He signed and wiped my check off.
"Babe what are you hiding from me?" He asked me and looked into my eyes.
'I promise we'll talk when we get home.' He watched my hands and thought about it. Then nodded to me.
"Now tell me what's going on?" I leaned my check against his hand and let out a breath. He kissed my head. I thought about it and pulled back. He watched me.
'I have a problem.' He nodded to me and waited. 'I'm off balance and its messing with me. I went looking for my team and found Lester. I'm trying to center on Death and keep getting pulled back here. Lester and you are pulling me off balance.'
"How?" He asked me. I rolled my eyes. Then pulled back and waved my hand at him.
'God's gift to woman.' He just started laughing. I glared at him. 'I haven't since you left. I was fine with that then Lester and I started getting hot and heavy and you got in the way, then his ego and feelings got in the way.' I signed at him. He smiled my favorite smile and moved to the door. He opened in and Nathan walked in.
"Explain what you can on what's going on." Ranger said to him. Nathan opened his mind so I could hear. I slipped my hands in my pockets. Nathan looked at me. Then looked back at Ranger.
"Both of you and messing with her. Her lust has always caused problem with her when she's like this. It needs to be taken care of before I can allow her to leave." Nathan told him. Ranger thought about it and looked at me.
"Chose." He said. I looked at him.
""What?""
"What are you asking?" Nathan asked him. Ranger looked from him to me.
"Everyone has something they have to deal with. Out of everything this is something I understand babe. I'm not going to force you. Chose." He told me. I looked at him.
""He wants you to choose between him and Lester." Nathan told me. I shook my head no.
""He has to be out of his mind. It's not going to happen."" I said.
""If we leave you in here alone, will you take care of it yourself?"" Nathan asked me. I looked away from him. ""Peter's willing." My head wiped around and I glared at him. I jumped when Ranger tipped my chin and made me look at him.
"I'll deal with Lester when we are home." He said and I read his lips. I pulled back and looked at him. I didn't understand what he was talking about.