Disclaimer: I own nothing

The next morning Olivia advised all her Commanding officers to attend at the docks by 0800. Alex paid a quick visit to her father, having breakfast with him and telling him about the boats and how she had to be at the Port soon so couldn't stay. He was looking so much better than a week ago and Dr Warner, Lt Warner said if he continued improving she would let him out for a couple of hours for the wedding on Saturday. If he showed signs of continued improvement she would send him home.

Her father sighed and said without her there the stress of that alone would probably land him back in the hospital in a day. Dr Warner laughed and Alex chuckled but knew her father was half serious and she was worried. Her mother could be awful stressful and speaking to Thea she was acting like it was all much to do about nothing. Her mother was a spoilt princess and if the limelight wasn't on her then she did anything to get it on her. Her Grandparents had a lot to answer for.

Soon she was hurrying down to the Port while chatting with the Corporal who was driving her there. He seemed excited about the boats and couldn't wait to go for a ride himself. She assured him that she was sure everyone would get a ride eventually.

Thanking him for getting her to Port on time, she gave him a smile, waved away his salute and raced to where the General was standing. She paused several paces in front of her wife and saluted. Olivia snapped a salute back then turned her attention back to the Major who was explaining different lingos to her like Port and starboard, Bow and Stern. Olivia was listening intently. Eventually everyone turned up who was meant to be there and they clambered aboard.

Alex sat next to Abbie at the back of the boat with a couple of Majors. Olivia, Elliott, Serena and Casey sat in front of them and behind Major Carter who stood at the controls. A Corporal stood at the front of the boat, machine gun at the ready and another Corporal and a 1st class Private stood at the guns at the rear. Everyone wore their side arms too, as per requirement. Major Carter started the engines which growled behind them. 3 large 300hp engines. That was a lot of power. A private threw their tie lines into the boat and they pulled away from the dock.

Alex had been on sail boats before and enjoyed them but never anything this fast or manoeuvrable and she thrilled to it as the Major put it through its paces and they raced down the river. They passed a few locals here and there who stared openly. Olivia waved at them and they waved back numbly. Alex watched her wife laugh in sheer enjoyment of the moment and thought she looked incredible beautiful and couldn't wait to get her alone tonight. Her thoughts were cut off as Major Carter did a sudden 180 that had her jolting. He then started to snake his way around, doing figure 8's, 360 and 180s until Abbie grabbed her arm and she turned to her friend to notice she was a pale shade of green.

"STOP" she yelled over the engine and Major Carter throttled down. Everyone turned in time to see Abbie lose her breakfast over the side of the boat while Alex held her hair back. Major Carter apologised saying he had read that people get motion sick in boats. When Abbie gave her last shudder he timidly drove back to port with Abbie slumped on the floor. Back at Port with the boat tied up Serena and Casey helped an embarrassed Abbie onto dry land. She would have managed if she could have gotten her legs to work. Olivia gave her the rest of the morning off but to turn up this afternoon to go over the treaties with Alex and the rest of the team. Serena led her lover away, deciding maybe a shower and a nap would freshen her up.

Alex watched her friend go worriedly but couldn't help but turn to the Major and tell him any time he took a boat out for a run to contact her and she would be there. Olivia saw how much her wife seemed to enjoy boats and reminded herself that next summer she would look at getting one of those Jet boats and two, send her on a few patrols, but only if she learnt to shoot the M-4. They tested the dinghies next, though not as fast they were still powerful for their size and could power across the river with ease and back again.

The jet ski the Major said they needed wetsuits for or in summer bathers and a lifejacket. Olivia decided they would need to run a course to see who could drive the boats or be gunners on it. They would have to pass a number of tests including physical which pertained swimming, especially endurance swimming across the river. Not because it was too wide, it was only a hundred meters at its widest point, but because of a current running through it, enough to make it difficult for anyone but a strong swimmer, or a very strong swimmer in full combat gear if they fell off the boat.

The Major stated he would devise a series of physical and written tests. Initial tests to get onto the course and then a series of harder ones. Olivia told him once he had 8 full time drivers and crew selected to let her know. She would be thinking up of a whole different division to run under his command. He seemed a bit stunned but saluted sharply and hurried off to get to it. He couldn't wait to get home to tell the wife.

Olivia spent the rest of the morning in meetings with squad leaders and Alex, being at a lose end went to do a bit of study. She joined her wife for lunch and didn't protest when Olivia dragged her back to her office half way through the lunch hour for a make out session that left them both shaky and slightly breathless. At 1255 Alex walked out of the office on shaky legs with a dazed look in her eye. Seeing Elliott she grinned happily and offered him rather a sloppy salute. He burst into laughter and told her to go fix her hair before she saw Abbie if she didn't want to be teased all afternoon. Alex flushed but shrugged and headed for the women's. Elliott walked into his boss's office and grinned seeing the happy smile spread across his friend's face.

It was at 1600 that afternoon that a convoy of caravans arrived from the west. Olivia and Elliott who were still in meetings were called. Alex and her team were called as well, all Commanders on deck. There had to be at least 25 vans with families and Olivia knew these would only be the first. She was told that the scouts had seen many elderly, women and children. There appeared more families than the caravans suggested. They also reported there was many animals too, flocks and herds of sheep, goats, and cattle. Horses, mules, dogs the works. Dammit. She really needed those tents yesterday.

Olivia barked orders that the caravans were to set up on the western side of the nearby village on the forests edge. There weren't any pens for the animals so they better have herders to keep them out of the town until things could get sorted. All pets to be on leads or tied up so they wouldn't annoy the villagers. Olivia turned to Alex, Casey, Serena and Abbie. All refugees must be documented, names, partners names, children. Whether they had a caravan, pets or livestock. As soon as the tents arrived they would be given a number for the tent and that would be recorded against the family, depending on the size tent required. They would have to re register tomorrow afternoon with more information like job skills, whether they were literate, had medical conditions etc.

A half hour later as if answering prayers, the squad that had been sent for the tents and other assorted gear contacted via radio saying they were approximately a half hour out. Olivia was speaking to some of the arriving elders at the time, learning many more were packing up and coming before winter hit. She could expect an influx of refugees in the next month. Great, she sure hoped those warlords signed those treaties, she needed the land. She instructed that whatever vehicles held the tents be let through first in the convoy, they had just received over a 100 refugees and needed some of those tents up tonight.