It's a first for Jake Anderson. Sioux and Lita forge a bond. Sioux falters then rises. Dick makes his move. Johnathan freaks, then reveals a side to his nature his men have never seen. Hang sweeties. We're coming to the end of this one. Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme your reviews! Love Ya! =:-)

Jake Anderson

It was just after midnight as he peered down at the sleeping girl on his chest. As he stroked her hair he mused in wonder. He hadn't just made out with a girl like he had with Darleen since middle school. It had been hard to control his swelling desire but he was glad he had. To see and feel her slowly respond to his loving with a sweet exploration was so agonizing innocent, it made him feel protective and liable for her trust. He looked over his shoulder at the glowering, protective Boa and murmured. 'Chill dude. She's safe with me. I won't hurt her.'

He ran a finger over her sweet cheek. 'Wouldn't hurt you for the world baby.'

Gingerly he extracted himself from her slack arms. He sat at the desk, and thoughtfully composed on hotel stationary, the first love letter of his adult life.

Sioux and Lita

'Pendejos!' Lita muttered as she plopped down next to her. Sioux ginned weakly. 'How they doing out there?'

Lita couldn't help but roll her eyes. 'Don't care. I just lit every one of their dumb butts up and split.'

Sioux shook her head and chuckled softly, a hand to her heart. 'No you didnent Lita! I swear, you must be a sister from another Mother!'

Somehow Sioux had known at first sight Lita would be good for Andy, but had never imagined how good she would be for her. She'd never had a girlfriends, and had only recently started to make a few in Homer. Except for Jimmy Sue. She had loved Jimmy Sue since she was a girl but she was more like a beloved Aunt. Granted a crazy-ass Aunt, who was subject to pull rank and boss everybody around like a gangsta matriarch. Lita however was someone she'd just meet, but she had felt a strong pull to her spirit at first sight the afternoon of the Deadliest Poker Game, when her spirit eye had seen the steely determination that wrapped her core. Though besotted with Andy, she had stood up to him when he had crossed the line and tried to come between their budding friendship. Would she have done the same with Johnathan? She'd like to think so.

'You mean it?' Lita shyly ginned back. Sioux reached behind her back to her waistband for her knife. 'Hell yeah! Wanna be blood sisters?'

'Whoa! Hold up chica!' Lita sputtered. 'I don't do blood! Let's just pinky promise and kiss on it. Okay?'

Sioux had no idea what she was talking about. 'Pinky what?!' Lita took her hand and showed her the hallowed girlfriend ritual. And as their eyes and lips met over their locked thumbs, their bond was formed.

'Sisters!' They swore as a soft knock cracked the door open, a white towel appeared and Mike poked his head in. 'Permission to enter. I come in peace.'

Sioux beckoned him in with a with a warm smile. Mike entered and sat gingerly on the bed across from the women, gulped and spoke. 'We're a bunch of assholes. . . pendejos.' He shyly met Lita's eyes.

'And we're real sorry Sioux.' His childlike warm blue eyes plead. 'Everyone swears they'll follow the plan and not do anything stupid.' He held up three fingers. 'Scout's honor.'

Sioux scoffed. 'You're the only boy scout in that bunch of renegades.'

Mike's eyes popped, his mouth puckered to a tight O and he shook his head. 'Have no fear! Johnathan and Andy went scary Captain on everybody's ass. Scary! Nobody is gonna mess with those two, or you guys. Trust and believe!'

He slipped off the bunk and crawled on his knees over to Sioux. 'I never want to see that crazy look in Andy's eye again in this life or the next!'

He reached for Sioux's hand then Lita's, enveloped them in his huge paws and bowed his head. 'You gotta save me! If I don't come out and tell 'em you two aren't mad anymore they swore they'd keelhaul me! Please don't be mad! Please!'

Sioux and Lita struggled not to burst out laughing. Sioux leaned over and kissed his precious head. 'Oh those two are crafty alright. Sending my sweet baby Mikey into the lioness' den. Big chickens. Get up baby. We're not mad. You'll live another day.'

Mike jumped to his feet with a wide grin. 'Thanks Sioux. Lita.' And bounded to the door then stopped and sheepishly turned. 'Seeing how we might be in jail any minute. Guys voted and well, everybody is starving and your omelets won 'last meal' Sioux.'

Their selection for 'last meal' was not lost on her and she was touched. The first night she had reunited with Johnathan and Andy and met the crew, she had made omelets for them and they remembered. That memory caused her eyes to sting and her throat to tighten.

'Nobody is going to jail!' She insisted gruffly. 'But they'll get omelets anyway. Come on Lita, let's get these fools fed. Gonna be a long night.'

Sioux

It was almost 4 a.m. The crew had been fed, watches assigned, and she sat huddled on a step on the stairway behind the wheelhouse, staring blindly into the night her mind working through what needed to be accomplished when morning came. The sun wouldn't rise until almost 10 a.m. so she had plenty of time to run the details of her plan over and over, looking for any glitch or detail she might have overlooked. She didn't think Dick was particularity smarter than the average asshole, just sneaky and evil. It was the evil that had her worried.

She deserved it coming for her. Knew she would one day pay for all the wrong she had done in her life. It just terrified her now that she finally found love, family and friends the darkness coming for her could devour them all. Why should they be sacrificed for her sins? Maybe if she left and offered herself up to Dick's vengeance he would leave them alone? Just her and him. She wasn't aware she was wringing her hands as if to wash away his blood. Blood she knew she would spill without hesitation, that would stain her soul for all eternity.

'Damn! There you are! Been lookin' all over this fuckin' boat for you. What the hell you doing out here? Trying to catch pneumonia?

Johnathan busted through the door shrugging on his jacket shouting at the black huddled figure on the step. He stomped down a few steps until he was level with her bowed head shrouded under her hoodie. 'Sioux! Get inside!'

Slowly she raised her head revealing her pale face, pinched and drawn her sea green eyes wide and haunted. 'I need to go.'

'To the head? Come on then! It's fuckin' freezing out here!' Johnathan threw his arms up in frustration.

Sioux covered her eyes with a icy hand and wearily shook her head. 'Leave. Take the evil with me. It's after me. My devil to battle not theirs or yours.'

The strain of the past few days crashed over him and he snapped. He grabbed her by the shoulders, jerked her to her feet and shook her. 'You're not going anywhere! Do you hear me! Nowhere! EVER!'

Andy rushed out the door and pried Johnathan off her. 'Stop it! You lost your mind?'

Johnathan kept shouting at her retreating back as he struggled to get away from Andy. 'You're not leaving! Sioux! Lemme go!' He threw Andy against the stair rail and bounded after her, Andy hot after him.

He dashed through the wheelhouse stomped down the stairs, three at a time and caught up with her by the banquette where Lita sat stunned, the cards in her hands frozen.

'No you don't!' He grabbed her by the arm of her sweatshirt jerked her around and roughly threw her over his shoulder. He turned and bumped into Andy.

'Get out of my way!' He snarled.

Andy recognized the wild look in his brother's eyes and raised both hands, palms open wide. 'Whoa bro!' He held up a finger. 'Just a sec. Huh?'

And gingerly moved behind him and bent over to have a word with Sioux. 'Want me to get the shotgun?' He whispered in her ear. The hoodie shook 'no'. Andy straightened and gave his steaming hot brother the patented warning crazy eye.

'I got this!' Johnathan glared. Sioux yelped as he gave her a hard crack on the ass, and he trudged back up the stairs, with her bouncing on his back like a sack of potatoes.

Lita calmly gathered up the cards, began to expertly shuffle them and arched a brow.

'That was hot.' She mused. 'Buck Loco. But hot. You get all caveman loco like that too mejo?'

Sioux and Dick

She sat docilely on the bed, head down wringing her hands. He stood over her, stretched his back and winced. 'For fuck's sake Sioux! I'm too old for this shit! What's got into you now?' He snatched the hoodie back. 'Talk to me.'

Andy didn't bother to knock and slammed the door open. 'He's here!' And dashed off.

Sioux jerked like she'd been hit by a lightening bolt, in that instant the Huntress spirit possessed her and she jumped to her feet. Johnathan gapped as she rushed past him steely eyed, her teeth bared in a grimace that chilled his soul.

She burst into the stateroom with the monitoring equipment and almost threw Eddie out of the chair to the floor before he could react, in her haste to get to the keyboard.

'Morning Dick.' She muttered as her fingers flew over the keyboard engaging video, still shots, magnifying and enhancing images as Dick stealthily threw a bag onto the deck, jumped after it in a crouch, and crab crawled towards the stern. The images on the monitor were so clear it could have been high noon in sunny California.

'Well aren't you Mr. Commando.' Sioux murmured with a thin grin.

Johnathan, Andy, Mike, Eddie, and Lita crowded into the stateroom but gave as Sioux wide a berth as possible. There was something wafting off her tense body that made small hairs stand up and goose pimples rise. Like when you unexpectedly come up on coiled rattlesnake posed to strike.

'Come on demon. Turn your head!' Sioux snarled as she zoomed in on the back of Dick's head as he dug through the mass of buoys.

'Turn your fuckin' head!' Her right leg was shaking rapidly as she concentrated. Dick turned suddenly as if he heard her command.

'BooYa! Got your asss!' Sioux's growled.

'That's right. Nice one. Your sticky fingers all over that bag of drugs! Where you going now? Where the fuck did you go!'

Sioux madly punched the keyboard until Dick's image again appeared on the monitor. One hand left the keyboard for an instant to push away the hair that had stuck to her sweaty forehead as every eye was glued to the 21.5" widescreen LCD military flight screen monitor she had ordered for this job. Johnathan silently left the room then quickly returned.

'Oh aren't you the smart boy Dick. Who wouldn't stash drugs in the bait chopper? Nice profile shot.' Sioux licked her dry lips.

Large beloved hands gathered her hair off her sweaty neck. 'You're doing great baby.' Johnathan whispered as he finger combed her hair high on her head, grabbed one of two rubber bands off his left wrist with his teeth and fashioned her hair into a ponytail, expertly braided the long tail, doubled it, and secured it with the other rubber band, then tenderly ran a wet cool cloth over her neck and face.

'Drink some water sweetie.' And handed her a chilled bottle. Sioux drank deeply and handed the bottle back, her eyes never leaving the monitor.

'I love you. No one and nothing will ever make me leave you.' She softly swore.

'I know.' He murmured softly. 'Here, lemme get this sweatshirt off you, it's hot.'

He couldn't have been more tender and gentle as he removed her sweatshirt and ran the cool cloth over her neck and chest, and down her cleavage as she pounded the keyboard with renewed focus. Everyone in the room felt like voyeurs as Sioux and Johnathan's intimacy played out before their astonished eyes. Mike and Eddie looked at each other with a wide eyed WTF!?

For the next twenty minutes as Sioux tracked and captured Dick secreting drugs in a half-dozen spots, Johnathan stood behind her, offering her water, calming her when she got too tense, and kept her flushed face and neck cool. Finally Dick left the boat and Sioux slumped for a second. Then she straightened and worked her shoulders. 'Now I gotta get this all coded and. . .'

Johnathan's strong hands massaged her shoulders and he bent low over her ear.

'You were amazing. That's enough for tonight baby girl.'

He turned to those crowded behind him with a narrow look and returned to whispering in Sioux's ear as she protested and squirmed. Andy grinned at Lita and lead her out. Eddie had to elbow Mike who was watching the interplay between Johnathan and Sioux intently.

'Owww! Oh yeah! Great job Sioux! You rock!' He blustered as Eddie gave him a hard shove.

Andy told Eddie to get Scotty and Josh up for the next watch. 'John and Sioux are going to stay on the boat. We're going back to the hotel. Tell those two to call me if anything happens.'

Mike went to the galley to put on a pot of coffee for Scotty and Josh. Eddie leaned against the counter and busted his ass. 'What were you thinking in there dude?'

Mike blushed to his toes but told the truth. 'I was thinking that even after all these years, Johnathan Hillstrand never ceases to amaze me.'

Eddie chuckled and nodded. 'I was thinkin' the same. Thinkin' the same dude.'

For Sioux: Eye of the Tiger - Survivor

Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

It's the eye of the tiger, it's
the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger

Face to face, out in the heat
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry
They stack the odds, still we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive

Risin' up, straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive

The eye of the tiger