Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the characters of Anna, Isabelle and Roger Duncan and Ebony Siren.

I am so, so, so sorry for the delay in updates. I wrote and rewrote this chapter several times and then life in general just got in the way.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed/followed and favourited this story, I really do appreciate the support and your patience!

Hopefully this chapter will be worth the wait, as always let me know your thoughts and if anything needs adjusting

xx

Chapter 13.

Walking across the access platform from Ebony Siren's Conn-Pod, Anna slowed her pace as the room tilted violently for a moment.
Squeezing her eyes shut she took a deep breath and forced herself to battle against the rise of nausea.
Behind her she could hear the excited chatter of Newt and Gottlieb, the scientist's already losing themselves in the half formed fetus of the Kaiju, currently being transported in the massive stasis tube.
Once the sensation had passed, she slowly opened her eyes and found her gaze pinned on the ashen face of her twin. Isabelle was looking at her with a mix of guilt and realization.
"Little Anna?"
The sound of Aleksis' deep, Russian rumble behind her had Anna forcing herself to straighten up and she flashed him a warm smile.
Isabelle too, seemed to have shaken off her sickness and fixed a smile on her face, as the Marshal, Herc, Chuck and their father moved towards them.
"I'm alright," she murmured offering Aleksis a determined stare.
Appearing on her husbands left side, Sasha regarded her critically for a moment, dark eyes sweeping over her features.
Shifting every so slightly on the balls of her feet, Anna sighed, "It's just drift overhang, it'll pass." She reminded them with a shrug.
"I don't like it," Aleksis retorted with a sniff of displeasure.
"We're at war with giant monsters, what's to like?" She commented softly.
The Russian pilot scowled at her retort, but was interrupted by the arrival of the Marshal before he could reply.
"Good work, Ebony, another successful mission. Debrief in the science department, one hour. Cherno you too." Pentecost instructed sharply, before moving passed them towards Newt and Gottlieb who were still excitedly examining the remains of the baby Kaiju.
Anna nodded and offered a loose salute, "Yes, Sir." Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Isabelle popped another small yellow pill in her mouth and then saluted in affirmation.
Her vision tilted dangerously again and she rested a hip against the walkway grab rail, in an attempt to hide the sudden bout of vertigo. Apparently she wasn't quick enough, because she was suddenly aware of Chuck moving to stand beside her, his arm sliding discreetly around her waist.
Herc's stern gaze flicked from her and then to Isabelle and he openly frowned, shaking his head. "As if we don't have enough problems," he growled, stalking over to join Pentecost and the science division.
"I do not like it," Aleksis snapped again, as he strode ahead of them and through the heavy hanger door.

Anna stood on the observation deck on the shatterdome's west wall and took a deep breath of the salt riddled ocean wind. Resting her arms on the balcony railing, she swore in frustration, but was thankful for the damp sea breeze as it cooled her pounding head and tugged at her loose hair.
Her world had been turned upside down over the last few weeks, while she had been utterly contented and at home in the chaotic, fast paced life in the PPDC there were several things threatening to overwhelm her.
The first thing was Isabelle and her rapidly declining health. It was like the proverbial elephant in the room. She was dying and Anna didn't know how to start dealing with that fact. She was terrified of life without her.
The second thing was the Drift and it's consequential overhang, her Drift with Izzy felt wrong…like it was being stretched too far and pulled taut. Tendo hadn't seen anything unusual in their Drift patterns, but something was definitely wrong.
Something pulled that tight, had to snap eventually.
Then there was the Drift overhang, it was like suffering a raging hangover without the drink, vertigo, nausea and an almost permanent, skull splitting headache. If the overhang was going to make her feel that wretched, she wasn't sure if she could keep drifting with Isabelle.
Third was the unexpected appearance of her estranged Father, a man who could slice open, old wounds just by being in the same room as her. She had nothing to say to him, she didn't even want to see him but something told her, Isabelle expected her to do both.
Anna sighed heavily, flinching at the dull ache in her shoulder as the, still healing, wound pulled with her deep breath and her head continued to resonate with the sickening headache. She didn't have the energy or time to try and rebuild the bridges he'd burnt down all those years ago. Just because Isabelle was suffering with her conscience and wanted to make amends.
Lastly there was Chuck, the handsome bastard. The man was relentless in his pursuit of her, but he was also a man, who while she was helplessly attracted to, she didn't and couldn't trust.
His reputation as a womanizer was well founded and she had already let herself become a notch on his bedpost, she wasn't going to let it happen again. She couldn't get involved with him, because she knew herself and she'd end up wanting more from him than he could give and it would end with her nursing broken heart.

Chuck walked out onto the balcony, where he'd seen Anna go after she'd left Ebony's Conn-pod area. She looked almost as sick as Isabelle and for a moment he felt his heart twist with fear.
She had stubbornly refused to acknowledge the presence of her Father, which hadn't surprised him. His old man, had mentioned that there had been a falling out between the twins and their Father.
Right now, that was the least of his worries, his only concern was Anna.
Everything else could bloody wait, her Father, her sister, the Marshal they all wanted a piece of the tiny woman in front of him and she suddenly seemed frightening fragile. Like she might fall apart under the strain.
"Are you alright?" He questioned gently.
She tensed slightly, before nodding, "Fine, it's just drift overhang."
He pursed his lips at her response and shook his head, he didn't believe her, "You're sure?" he pushed, concern still humming through his system.
She nodded, her back rigid, "I'm sure."
He hesitated,"Look about your Old man, If you want to talk…"
"I don't," her sharp reply didn't come as a surprise and he nodded to himself, he'd touched a raw nerve. "Alright, but if you want to talk, you know in general."
"Thanks, Chuck," there was a tiredness to her tone and he watched as she raised the still bandaged hand to touch her temple.
He wasn't making her life any easier he knew, last thing she needed was him acting like a bloody, jealous fool on top of everything else she was going through.
"I was an asshole," Chuck admitted from behind her, where he leaned on the shatterdome wall.

Lifting her head in surprise and Anna felt a small smile tug at her mouth, despite herself, he really was trying. "Is that your attempt at an apology?" She queried, her gaze sweeping over the ocean view before her.
"I guess."
Turning so she was looking at him, she realized with a slight surprise that the handsome Australian had moved and was standing just behind her, his expression torn between apologetic and concern.
Raising a hand, he traced his fingers gently over her brow, soothing the pain lined scowl that had begun to form.
Anna held perfectly still as he traced his fingers, trailing a soothing line from her brow to her jaw and then slipping it into her hair line. His expression so tender, she felt her heart squeeze.
You need to take a step back, Anna. Do it now before its too late. Her mind whispered a warning, her body didn't want to listen to.
"I'm sorry," Chuck murmured, leaning his forehead against hers.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, Anna squeezed her eyes shut, the sea breeze curling around them in the late afternoon sun and for the hundredth time since that fateful night back in Sydney, she mentally berated herself for being so foolish in letting Chuck Hansen get so close.
"I know," she whispered, " but I'm not the only one you should be apologizing to." She added quietly, flexing her fingers gingerly in his jacket as he tensed.
Instead of snarling out a curse, Chuck released a bitter laugh, "Yeah I reckoned you'd say that, one step at time, sweetheart." He told her with a half smile.
Anna knew it was his pride that refused to let him apologize to Raleigh, and while he may have swallowed a bitter pill in his apology to her, she knew two apologies in one day might be a bit much. Still he hadn't out right refused to say sorry, just that he wouldn't be doing it at that point in time. She could live with that for now, so long as he didn't continue to make a complete prat of himself.
"So no more being an asshole?" she mused, as his fingers massaged her scalp, the sensation distracting her from the ache of her head.
"Well I can't make any promises," Chuck replied, skilled hands continuing to move through her hair and massaging her scalp.
She bit back a mewl of relief as the pounding in her head ebated slightly.
"You bring out the worst in me," he admitted ruefully, a smile teasing the edge of his words.
"The worst?" Anna enquired, as she pulled away slightly, a smile threatening to make her lips curl.
"Mm, hmm," he grinned, his blue eyes gleaming as his hand slid to the base of her skull and continued to massage.
She didn't stop the moan of relief passing her lips as the aching tension suddenly lessened in her skull as his strong fingers pressed and worked on pressure points.
"Christ, I'm ruined," he growled and slanted his mouth over hers in a hungry kiss.
It was a kiss, Anna was suddenly desperate for, it served as a reminder of what she was still fighting for. Life.
With a whimper of surrender, she wound her arms around his neck and let herself revel in the sensations of his mouth moving against hers and the sweep of his tongue over hers, the feel of his strong, warm body pressed together with hers and his powerful arms curling around her waist. Her headache abruptly forgotten.
You can't trust him. Her mind warned again, flittering through the warm haze.
Pulling away, she shook her head, "I…I'm sorry I can't do this," she whispered breathlessly, unwinding her arms from his neck.
"Don't," Chuck murmured, his warmth in his gaze cooling as he frowned, "Stop pushing me away."
Anna tensed at his words and made to step away, only to have his arms tighten around her waist.
"I need to know what's going on it that head of yours," he admitted softly, his hand moving to brush several of her hair from her forehead, "What are you so afraid of?" He challenged.
She stilled, feeling her heart beat in perfect sync with the man holding her, their bodies pressed together, chest to chest. His strong arms coiled around her, gentle and protective despite his apparent strength. Cradling her, like she was something precious.
If only she could trust him not to break her heart.
"You," she breathed, the word sliding through her lips as nothing more than a whisper.
Chuck scowled, tilting his head as he regarded her, hurt shimmering in his gaze, "Me?"
She nodded once, before attempting to move out of the circle of his arms, "I told you before I can't do casual…"
"Yeah, I remember, but I'll ask you again. What makes you think, that this connection between us would be casual?" He cut her off, his arms tightening around her, his mouth once again hovering over hers. "You can't deny there is something between us and it's more than just sex…"
"I can't trust you," Anna suddenly told him, instantly wishing he would let her go.
"Bullshit, sweetheart. You trust me enough to be deployed together. I'm don't buy that excuse." Chuck informed her, his voice low and unwavering.
"I trust you as a pilot, that's a given, but I can't trust you," Anna let her sentence fall into silence as she watched his features grow determined, hard.
She had to resist the urge to trace the stern line of his mouth with her fingers. She had to protect herself from anymore heartache.
Suddenly he let her go and grabbed her uninjured hand, "Come on," he instructed pulling her across the balcony.

"Wha…Wait ,Chuck what are you doing?" She stumbled, as he pulled her through the door. "Chuck, stop!"
Turning the Australian pilot suddenly backed her against the solid wall of the corridor, bracing her healing shoulder with a gentle hand. He stared at her, with blazing eyes. "I don't think you realise just what you do to me, or what I feel," he hissed sharply, his gaze dropping meaningfully to her mouth. "I also get you can trust me as a Ranger, but not as a bloke, so I'm going to prove to you, you can trust me. You can trust all of me."
"How?"
Chuck's hard features, softened and he offered her a smile, "I want you to Drift with me."