Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you enjoy it.

I don't own The Brave or any of its characters... But I wish I did!

Chapter 21

Dalton and Jaz awoke wrapped up together, Jaz's back pressed closely against Dalton's chest with his head buried in her long, apple scented hair.

They also awoke knowing this was their last day together, alone at the cabin.

Jaz lay there and soaked up the feeling of being wrapped in Dalton's strong arms. She tried to commit the feel and the warmth it gave her to memory, not knowing where they were going from here.

Dalton was doing a similar thing. He was marvelling at how the tough and strong Jaz that she always outwardly portrayed, was actually so soft, so warm and so pliable when they were wrapped up together. And that apple scent? He drowned himself in the scent right then, getting as much of it as he could.

They both lay there wondering the same thing.

What now?

Neither of them had any idea what the other was thinking about their last few weeks together, about their last few days together, and what they were going to do from here on out. And neither of them knew how to initiate the conversation that they so desperately needed to have.

Although, Jaz started to think that maybe they didn't need to have this conversation. Maybe she could just leave for the Vallins', and that would be that. They would go back to being just team mates, who happened to work extremely well together and who happened to confide in each other.

Who was she kidding? Of course they needed to talk.

As always, Dalton could sense the conflict going on with Jaz. It was so tempting to put his hands all over her and lose himself in her right now, especially if it may be the last time. But that had been what last night had been about… at least he thinks that's what it was about.

It had been amazing in any case. Breathtaking actually.

Some sort of sanity kicked in and instead he pulled her close to breathe her in before releasing her and rolling on to his back.

Clearing his throat he attempted to ask lightly, "What do you want for breakfast? Your choice."

Jaz also rolled onto her back and cleared her own throat, "Well if you're cooking it, it'll have to be bacon and eggs. It's the only thing you don't burn."

"Ouch, speaking of burn…" Dalton chuckled.

She just rolled her head in his direction to smile at him and found herself getting lost in that grin of his. She had to get up and out of this bed if she wanted to stay sane.

"Ok, I'll go and let Patton out." She rushed as she jumped out of bed and left the bedroom.

"Ok…" Dalton was left saying to himself as he got himself up and headed into the kitchen to start breakfast.

After breakfast, Jaz went off on a quick run, mostly to be able to do some thinking without Dalton being around to cloud her thoughts. Being in close proximity to him made it difficult to think objectively, and that's exactly what she needed to do right now.

Having said that, she really enjoyed being close to him.

Really enjoyed it.

And that was the problem.

She'd never felt like this before, and never felt like this about anyone before.

She wasn't even sure what this was.

But at the root of all of this, was still the fact that Dalton was her CO. And she didn't want to be on any other team. She had waited her whole life to meet people like Special Operations Group 7, to meet people she could call her family.

She had already lost Elijah. She didn't want to lose the rest of them too.

While Jaz went out for her run, Dalton took care of a few chores around the cabin.

He knew exactly why she had gone running, and he couldn't blame her for wanting a bit of space. Truth be told he needed the space too, just to think.

He found it difficult to think clearly when Jaz was close by.

He found it difficult to breathe when she was close by.

Being members of this unit, they were already close to begin with, but over the last few weeks and days, they had become closer than ever and he didn't remember ever feeling this way before.

He just couldn't put his finger on what this was.

The complication was that he was still her CO, and that predicament wouldn't be changing anytime soon. Their team was solid. They had a level of trust amongst each other that made them some of the very best. Dalton had never experienced that level of trust in his life, and wasn't sure if he should or could tempt that.

A couple of hours later, they found themselves fishing off the jetty. Dalton had suggested it over breakfast and since it was just another thing she had learned to love since being in these mountains, she was keen for another session. Probably the last session.

They both sat there at the end of the jetty, fishing rods in hand, Patton lying flat out behind them and just staring out over the water wondering how to start this conversation.

Dalton sat there a bit longer, before he decided to make the first move. He usually did, it was usually part of his responsibility as the team leader and their captain. This was different though. He wasn't nearly as confident with what direction this conversation may take.

He looked over at Jaz, at her glowing tanned skin and her long hair pulled on top of her head in a top knot. Even though her shoulders were slightly tensed, and he knew why, she was still so beautiful, so ethereal and so strong.

Jaz could feel Dalton's gaze on her and after a few seconds she turned to meet his eyes, but struggled to read what she saw in them. His usual crystal clear irises looked cloudy and uncertain. She wished she knew how to approach this herself because she wasn't used to seeing him like this.

Dalton took a deep breath and knew this had to start somehow.

"Jaz… I, um, we need to talk about – we need to talk about what happens now." He managed to stutter out, not proud of how he had delivered that line.

Jaz admired him for being able to spit that out at all, she knew she was struggling with what to say.

She cleared her throat before managing to say herself, "Yeah, we do."

They stopped and smiled softly at each other, knowing how hard even those few words had been to annunciate.

"This was easier with no labels, huh?" Jaz smiled softly.

"Yeah." Dalton couldn't help but agree, and right then the conflict within him rose again as he looked away.

He knew how well he and Jaz worked together on the team. They were their own team within a team, rarely having to have a conversation to communicate, sometimes just needing to lock their gazes to know what the other was thinking. And he knew it was because of that bond, that this part of them had worked so well too. They had fallen into it so naturally and seamlessly, and he had never experienced anything like it.

This was one of the only times he couldn't get a read on Jaz and what she was thinking. That was what was making this so difficult.

Jaz could see the turmoil in his eyes and felt exactly the same way. It was rare to see him stuck for words, but if he was feeling anything like she was, then she needed to try and make it easier for him, as he had done for her, so many times before.

"Maybe… maybe we should go back to the way we were." Jaz managed to say, through a mouth that felt like it was full of sand. She felt a physical pain in her chest just saying those words and she knew she couldn't look at him right then for fear of him reading what was truly in her eyes.

Dalton held his breath, and looked up at her slowly, trying to see into her eyes, but she was looking down at her lap, and fiddling with the fishing rod.

"Yeah… we probably should." He found himself agreeing quietly and slowly, although not actually sure if he meant it.

It's not what I want – Is what Jaz wanted to say, but couldn't say those words. She had no right to say those words, no right to think she had any claim on him. Instead she just sat, staring down at her hands, fiddling with the string on the fishing rod and just nodded her head slowly.

She knew that if this had garnered any chance of moving forward, that it would have had to come from Dalton himself. He was the group leader. He was the CO.

But he agreed with her. And that was that.

Trying to fill in the silence between them, Jaz started to babble, "We would have had to be careful at Preach's anyway, he's super perceptive."

"That he is." Dalton agreed quietly.

"And then I'm going to DC with McG to meet with Captain Harris after that anyway, so …." Jaz just trailed off after that.

"I'm glad McG is going with you." Dalton offered her genuinely.

He was so glad to hear that she wouldn't be alone, at least at first, when she was finally starting to work through some of her issues. It reminded him of McG's suggestion that he should also talk to someone, he just hadn't given it any more thought yet. He should probably get around to that.

"Yeah, me too." Jaz still couldn't lift her face to meet his gaze, which seemed ridiculous after all that they had shared these last few weeks, but she knew if he looked into her eyes, then he would be able to see the deceit, the lies.

That she didn't want this to end at all.

Dalton looked out over the lake, not knowing what to say next. He knew Jaz couldn't look at him right at the moment, and it was for the best. If she saw in his eyes what he was actually feeling, their jobs would be at stake, and the reality was that they would be back in Incirlik eventually, back on base at the Quonset hut and back to doing what they do best.

He didn't want this to end, but it had to.

If they wanted to be on the same team, it had to.

He just wished the pangs he was feeling deep in his chest would get on board with what he knew was the right thing to do.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, he put his fishing rod on the jetty and stood up. Leaning over, he took Jaz's fishing rod from her hands, also placed it on the jetty, and took her hands in his and pulled her up to face him.

He kept her hands in his and just touching her had him wanting to pull her close. But he resisted. Instead he placed a hand under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his.

"Jaz, I don't have any regrets about the last few weeks." He said to her truthfully.

She looked back at him and knew he was telling the truth. He wouldn't lie to her.

"Me neither." She also admitted, trying to smile, but not quite managing to do so, instead she continued, "Thank you. For everything. For letting me stay here and for helping me sleep."

"Like I've already said, you don't have to thank me. I'm glad you came here and I would do it all over again. All of it." He told her earnestly, hoping like hell she believed him.

Truthfully, he would do it all over again. He didn't want to stop.

Staring into his eyes, she knew without a doubt he was telling the truth. Dalton didn't lie; he sometimes told some hard truths, but he didn't lie.

At least not to his team.

Nodding to him in agreement she managed to whisper back, "Me too."

Her voice was thick with the emotion she was trying desperately to keep in check and not get the better of her. Her eyes stung with the tears she was trying fiercely not to shed.

Dalton also felt tense with emotion. Emotion that he had never felt before, and looking at Jaz and seeing the redness of her eyes, he couldn't help but place his hand tenderly on her face.

"Jaz." He whispered, his eyes searching hers for permission for what he was about to do.

He knew she was trying to remain stoic, but he still saw in the depths of her eyes what he needed to.

He let go of her hand, and placed both his hands on her cheeks, cradling her face and running his thumbs over her soft cheeks.

He very slowly lowered his head to hers and softly, very softly, captured her lips with his own in a kiss that had both their chests almost caving in with emotion.

Jaz couldn't help but grasp on to his waist with her hands and hold on tight, fully aware that if she let go suddenly she may fall down.

They held their lips together for a long, lingering moment, knowing that this was the last time this would ever happen, and they were both having trouble pulling back. Neither of them wanting to let go of the comfort they had found in each other these last few weeks.

Eventually breaking away from each other, they pulled back just slightly to rest their foreheads together, as they had done so many times previously and just breathed each other in, trying to commit the feel and scent of each other to memory.

Struggling with the effort of keeping her emotions close to her chest, Jaz could feel herself trembling on the inside. The effort was becoming too much so putting her own hands on Dalton's wrists, that still rested on her cheeks, she lowered his hands and took a step back from him.

"I better go and start packing." She said, her voice still thick with feeling. With one more glance up into his own red-rimmed eyes, she strode back towards the cabin, leaving him standing there staring after her.

As his hands fell to his side, and he watched her walk away, he couldn't help but wonder if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

As Jaz fled back to the cabin, she finally let the tears she had been holding back stream down her face.

She could count on one hand the amount of times she remembered crying, at least since she stopped giving her father the satisfaction of seeing her cry. And she knew for a fact that she had never cried over a guy, other than Elijah that was, but that was a completely different circumstance.

She knew that Dalton wasn't just some guy, it wasn't just some silly crush. But she didn't know what it was, and she's not sure it warranted tears. She wasn't that girl.

She wiped the tears from her face quickly as she got to the bedroom, Dalton's bedroom. Her belongings were all in there now since she had moved them in once Amir had started sleeping in the spare room.

Looking around this room that had brought her so much comfort and so much pleasure, she knew she had never felt more at home anywhere else. She loved the Quonset hut and their lives there, but it was here that she had started to let some of her walls down, and it was Dalton who had been responsible for that.

She started to throw things in her bag, after being here for a few weeks, she had her gear all over the place so she knew she needed to get started now before her flight later that night.

She wasn't looking forward to leaving and she's not quite sure how to say goodbye to Adam.

After Jaz had left the jetty and headed back to the cabin, Dalton sat back down for a little bit, just to gather himself.

He hadn't failed to notice the redness in her eyes. It had matched the redness he knew that his own eyes were reflecting.

He knew that Jaz tended to keep her emotions very close to her chest and he did too. It's part of what made them both great at their job, but some would see it as a downfall in relationships. In fact, some had seen it as a downfall in a relationship.

He didn't want to go back to the cabin right now and watch her pack up her things. He had just become so used to her being there. For that very reason he made a quick decision to go into town for a little bit to give her some space and so he didn't have to watch her pack. There was still half a day to go until her flight. As much as he didn't want to be away from her, a couple of hours of breathing space might settle the emotions.

Jaz was sitting spread out on the bedroom floor, trying to get all her clothes together to fit back into her bags.

"Jaz..?" Dalton knocked lightly on the already open bedroom door.

She looked up at him from her position on the floor, trying to look nonchalant and not like she was still battling her emotions.

"I'm, umm… I'm going to head into town. I need a couple of things at the hardware store. Do you need anything?" Dalton continued, trying hard to make his voice sound light.

"No thanks, I'm good." Jaz gestured towards all of her stuff before continuing, "I've somehow accumulated a lot more than what I arrived with."

"Well I have spare bags if you need them." He offered.

"Thanks, I'll see how I go."

Their attempt at idle chit chat was of course just a front for what they were actually feeling.

Dalton nodded and they held each other's gaze momentarily, before Jaz ducked her head back down to her clothes. She couldn't drown in those blue eyes right now. They were one of her weaknesses.

Dalton couldn't help but feel another one of those pains in his chest. Her big beautiful eyes were so unreadable, and he wasn't used to that.

Clearing his throat he said, "Ok, I'll only be a couple of hours max. Text me if you remember anything you need."

She managed to lift her head to look at him again and nodded her thanks.

He gave her a small smile as he backed out of the doorway and walked out to his truck. Once Patton had jumped in next to him, he took a deep breath as he started the engine and with a quick glance back to the cabin, he drove off.

Jaz had watched him leave the bedroom and walk out the front door, and only then did she feel like she got her breath back. This day was so strange. This morning they had woken together, warm and wrapped in each other's arms, and now she was covered in goose bumps and could already feel the distance between them.

What would it be like by the time he dropped her off at the airport tonight? She didn't want to find out.

Making a quick decision, she grabbed her phone to research something and then made a quick call. Having done that, she continued packing and tried to commit everything about this cabin to memory.

A couple of hours later, Dalton and Patton pulled up outside the cabin. He had bought a few things at the hardware store that he didn't necessarily need, but probably would in the future.

He'd also got Jaz one of the brownies from the diner where they had dessert from on their date. She had loved it and he knew how much she loved chocolate. He'd thought it might be a peace offering of sorts. Although he suddenly thought it might be a bad idea to remind her of their date, especially since it was after eating that very brownie that they had slept together for the first time.

Fuck.

Why didn't he think of that earlier?

He left the brownie in the truck. He thought he would scope out their vibe before bringing it inside.

When he went to open the front door, he found it locked. That was strange, they only locked the door at night and when they went out.

He just shrugged, maybe he had locked it accidentally behind him on the way out earlier. But he frowned. He didn't make those types of accidents.

Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and looked around. He could see that Jaz's books and a few other bits of paraphernalia had disappeared from the living room. She must have finished packing.

"Jaz?" He called out, walking towards the bedroom.

It was empty when he got there, and all her belongings were gone.

He frowned, but thought she might have gone for a walk to the jetty.

As he walked back through the cabin to head towards the lake to look for her, he caught sight of a piece of paper sitting on the dining table.

His heart dropped as he walked towards it and picked it up. He already knew what it was.

Top,

I managed to get an earlier flight and thought it would be nice to spend a couple of extra hours with the Vallins'. I'm getting a taxi to the airport, but don't worry, I'll let you know when I arrive.

See you in a couple of days,

Jaz.

Damn it! This wasn't how he had wanted things to end, or how he wanted her to leave.

He sat and stared at the piece of paper, running his hand through his beard, and couldn't decide if he was angry, hurt or sad.

He didn't know, but he knew he was disappointed. Not disappointed in Jaz, but disappointed that he hadn't been able to say goodbye. He knew they were seeing each other again in a couple of days, but they wouldn't be alone and they wouldn't be able to acknowledge what had happened between them here.

What exactly had happened between them here?

He wished he could answer that question.

All he knew was that Jaz being gone, this note and her addressing him as 'Top' again, made those pains in his chest dig a little deeper.

Fuck.

Ok, I'm ducking for cover! Sorry... don't hate me :( But regardless, thank you for reading and I hope you'll leave a comment telling me what you thought. This ain't over yet though! Much love to you all XXX