Thank you for the information jag389! I'm not military so I usually try to check details before I add them to the story but, in Solace, Green tells Miller that Solace was built to fight so I ran with it. Argh. I will fix that line but then I wondered whether a hospital ship has a CIC since it only has defensive capabilities. Do you know? My military sources are army (so not really trustworthy for Navy info) and a marine, but neither knew.

Thank you Tata, smarthorsecallie, Skippy, and Sarah Carter! I really do appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.

Sarah Carter – did you see the new pictures that Eric Dane posted of him and Travis and Bren (on IG and twitter)? Travis is wearing a ring in all of the pictures and Kevin (who plays Miller) recently said on Twitter that TLS just finished filming episodes 3 and 4 so it looks like a LOT is going to happen quickly. And, yeah, it definitely looks like we're headed to China.

Hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

CHAPTER 25

Kara stood in the middle of the cabin that had been her home for the past two days, bouncing Frankie and staring at the mountain of bags and supplies that needed to be moved from the ship to the shore, fighting the tears that burned in the back of her eyes.

This was not how she had imagined their arrival in Norfolk.

Leaving New London and the Nathan James had been hard. Kara had cried as she said goodbye to Andrea and Alisha, and it was only her determination not to cry in front of Captain Chandler that got her through the heart wrenching farewell with Rachel. But by the time they had boarded Solace, Kara had been feeling hopeful, eager to get back to Norfolk – back home – with Danny and Frankie, ready to begin a new chapter of her life. One where she and Danny would see each other every day. One where they could spend time together without two hundred people constantly needing something. One where she wouldn't have to worry about Danny getting shot. She had imagined them standing on the deck of Solace watching the approaching shore together. She had begun to picture the house that Danny kept talking about, the one with the white picket fence and a yard for Halsey and a nursery for Frankie. She imagined them house hunting, not quite the way that they would have before the virus hit, but walking through a few houses until they found the one that felt just right. Picking out a room for Frankie. Maybe spending a few days painting and arranging furniture and decorating.

And then they had stumbled across the Foshan, and reality had come crashing down.

The fight with Danny had left Kara feeling desolate and alone and she suspected that Danny was feeling much the same way. They fought surprisingly little for two people with such strong personalities, something Kara appreciated after growing up in a household where she was frequently awoken by drunken screaming matches. However, the downside to rarely fighting was that neither of them seemed to know how to handle the aftermath. Not that there had been time to talk anyway. Danny had left for the Chinese frigate within the hour of receiving the distress call and, despite concerns that it was a trap, the call had been genuine. The crew must have been exposed to the virus somewhere in Europe before beginning their transatlantic crossing. By the time they reached the US shore, a third was dead and the remainder sick, their situation made even more dire by a storm that had blown them off course and knocked out communications. Which was why Danny, Eddie, Zaya and two petty officers, as well as Doctor Milowsky and Caroline (who had volunteered to go with the away team), had been on the Foshan for the past twenty-four hours. Once the team from Solace boarded, they had not only needed to tend to the crew, but also help man the vessel. From what Kara had gathered from Zaya when he reported in, it was amazing that the ship was moving at all given the condition of the bridge crew and the heavy damage that the ship sustained during the storm.

With Zaya gone, Kara had taken over communications on Solace, keeping Captain Chandler and Lieutenant Yates, as well as President Michener (who had been naturally concerned by the appearance of a Chinese military vessel in US waters), apprised of the situation. Although Kara had spoken with Danny several times over the radio, the exchanges had been formal, none of the banter that he usually slipped into the conversation when she was on the other end. Between Frankie's demands and the constant flow of information, Kara had managed to push the fight to the back of her mind and when she had finally turned in to her bunk last night, she had collapsed with exhaustion. This morning had been different. From the moment she woke up, Kara had been unable to shake the feeling of dejection that was gripping her.

Although there had been a delay while the boarding team focused on treated the Foshan's crew, Captain Stowell had ordered both ships moving again as quickly as possible and Solace had arrived at Norfolk at 0830. Which is why Kara was standing her in the middle of the cabin wondering how she was going to move the bags to shore. Of course, it was all academic since she had no idea where the stuff was going to go once she was on shore. While Danny had assured her that he had worked out the logistics with Yates, he had failed to let her know what those arrangements were, and the Foshan was still several hours away.

"Pull it together, Foster," Kara spoke the words firmly. "You can run a 9,000 ton destroyer. Moving a baby should be a snap."

As though sensing her mood, Halsey looked up at her, whining softly. Kara leaned down to brush back his ears. Halsey, at least, would be happy to be off of the ship. Even with a regular exercise routine, living for over a year on a five hundred foot boat had been restricting for the energetic dog.

"Ma'am?"

Kara spun around to see Johnson standing in the doorway. She had forgotten that it was open. She really hoped that he hadn't heard her talking to herself a moment ago. "Yes?"

"Captain Stowell asked me to give you a hand with your bags," he explained.

Kara gave the young man a grateful smile. "That would be greatly appreciated. I was just standing here wondering how a baby can require so much stuff."

Johnson laughed. "You definitely have more than a duffle bag here. It will probably take a few trips. Do you have someone meeting you here, ma'am?"

And Kara's mood plummeted again, one problem being met with another. Before leaving New London, Danny had suggested that Kara call her mother but Kara had wanted to surprise Debbie. She was now second-guessing that decision. Having someone here waiting for her would have made this morning much easier. Still her voice was calm and unruffled when she replied, "I need to coordinate with Lieutenant Yates regarding temporary accommodations. Lieutenant Green made arrangements before we left New London."

"I thought you were staying here at Norfolk," Johnson said, slightly perplexed.

"We are. But we need somewhere to stay until we can arrange permanent housing," Kara explained.

"That makes sense," Johnson replied, his usual cheerful voice back as he hefted up a load of bags and headed towards the door. Kara followed with Frankie. "Everyone around here has been talking about the new training programs that Admiral Chandler proposed. I applied to the TAC program, although I doubt that I will be accepted."

"Really, why not?" Kara was amused by both Johnson's excitement and his use of the Captain Chandler's official title. On the Nathan James, Tom Chandler had quickly made it clear that he preferred to be addressed as Captain Chandler. Kara thought that his rejection of the title reflected the man's ambivalence towards his promotion. If there was one thing that Captain Chandler had never been, it was a pencil pusher. In a world without the virus, Kara imagined that he would have been happy remaining with the Nathan James until his retirement.

"To be picked personally by Lieutenant Green in the first training group would be like getting into the Academy. Everyone I know is applying," Johnson explained, his voice animated. "Did you know that he singlehandedly took out a power plant in Baltimore while the Nathan James was being held hostage?"

Kara barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the hero worship. She was starting to get a good idea of why Captain Chandler had picked Danny to run the program here. "Yes, I was actually there when it happened."

Johnson seemed to recall himself. "Not that people won't apply to the CIC training program too, of course."

Kara felt bad for putting the damper on the young man. If there was one thing this world needed right now, it was a little bit of enthusiasm. "I have no doubt. I could put in a good word for you with Lieutenant Green if you'd like. Of course, I don't know who the other candidates are so no promises."

Johnson beamed. "Thank you, ma'am."

Kara held in a chuckle as Johnson deposited the first set of bags by a waiting Jeep and returned to the ship for the remainder of their – mostly Frankie's – things. Heading in the direction of the vehicle, Kara was surprised to see Lieutenant Louis Yates, formerly of the Nathan James, behind the wheel.

"Louis!" Kara grinned at the man she had worked side-by-side with for years. He moved forward to give her a hug. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me that the base commander has become a chauffeur."

"I had to come meet the newest addition," Louis responded, glancing down at Frankie. "A beautiful little girl, just like her mama."

Kara gave Louis a searching look. "Why are you really here?"

The man laughed. "I'm arranging a welcome for our guests once they arrive, Admiral's orders. Although, between us, I'm pretty sure that once we gave them the cure we could have abandoned them in the middle of the ocean and they wouldn't have cared. Which is lucky since diplomacy is not my strong suit."

"You'll do fine," Kara reassured the man. "I got to know Zaya, our translator, a little bit while we were on Solace. He's a solid guy. Lean on him if you need some help."

"Sure you don't want to switch jobs?" Louis teased.

"Have you magically learned how to nurse a baby since I last saw you?" Kara asked dryly, although if she was being honest the idea of handling a ship of sick Chinese sailors sounded less overwhelming than getting herself and a baby set up in Norfolk. At least the sailors slept. From the corner of her eye, Kara noticed Rebecca walk onto Solace's deck, Tyler in her arms. Kara frowned. Although she knew that Rebecca was watching the boy while Eddie was gone, she hadn't considered what the two would do now that they were in Norfolk. She turned back to Yates. "What are the housing arrangements here anyway?"

Following her glance, Yates grimaced. "I didn't know we had another family on board. I'll need another apartment cleaned out."

"That's Eddie Ward's son. Rebecca Carlton is with him since Eddie is on board the Foshan," Kara explained.

"Ah, got it. Think you could show her to Unit 3? I put everyone from Solace there temporarily while we secure suitable housing."

As tempted as Kara was to say no, she knew that Louis had his hands full. The lieutenant had obviously stepped up his game since she last saw him, taking charge of the base and working closely with the local civilian leaders. As one of the first locations to receive the cure, Norfolk had become a thriving metropolis and a magnet for survivors looking for a safe place to rebuild. The city's surviving population had elected a town counsel to govern the area and manage the efforts to spread the cure as widely as possible, as well as provide assistance to the new arrivals. But despite these efforts, the civilian population still relied heavily on the base for security, supplies, and other practical assistance. Louis had managed to get limited electricity and water and sewer back online, giving the area at least the resemblance of its pre-virus self, and a volunteer police force now supplemented the SEAL team that had greeted the Nathan James upon her first arrival at Norfolk. But coordinating food, clothing, medical care and housing for thousands of people was no easy job. And now Louis was apparently tackling the role of diplomat.

"Of course." Kara raised her hand to wave to Rebecca. As the other woman approached, a large bag over her shoulder, Johnson reappeared with the second load of Frankie's belongings. "How long will we be there?"

Louis shrugged. "Not long. Norfolk has doubled in size in the past few months and we have new arrivals daily. With the booming population real estate is becoming scarce. But getting you a house isn't the problem. Green's requirements were."

Kara arched an eyebrow at Louis. "Requirements?"

Louis gave a long-suffering sigh. "Certain neighborhood, certain size house, certain size yard, certain number of bedrooms, a cellar…"

"Not too hot or too cold?" Kara quipped.

"Exactly. I have a few options for you to look at this afternoon if you want. All in the same neighborhood as the Chandlers." Louis lowered his voice. "Or you could go now and pick one before Green arrives and makes me find ten other options…"

"Tomorrow is soon enough," Kara replied. She liked Yates, but not that much. Kara waited while the man responded to a call over the radio.

"I have to handle this. We might have another translator. You good?" Louis asked. He waited only for her to nod before tossing her two sets of keys.

"Good luck, Ambassador," Kara called out before turning to wait for Rebecca and Johnson to reach her.

"Could you drive us to the barracks, Johnson?" Kara asked once he was close enough. "Miss Carlton and Tyler will be coming as well and I can't drive and hold a baby."

"Of course, just one more load."

As Johnson disappeared again, Kara looked at Rebecca, the tension between them unmistakable. She had only seen the other woman in passing since the incident that day in the hospital, due mostly to the meddling by the Nathan James crew. Kara would have preferred to leave it that way.

"How are you holding up?" Kara asked Rebecca finally, breaking the silence. "Little bit of a scare yesterday."

"I suppose I should get used to it," Rebecca replied after a moment. "I imagine that Solace will run into this type of situation on a regular basis."

"Things would have been different if Solace had been traveling with a full crew but, no, Solace will never be entirely safe," Kara admitted. "You don't have to go. You can change your mind."

"Yes, I do," Rebecca replied softly. "I need a goal. A mission. A job. Going on Solace will give me that. A purpose."

Kara met Rebecca's eyes. Funny how many things she and Rebecca had in common. Or maybe not. In that moment, Kara could understand what drew Danny to Rebecca. "I understand completely."

Comprehension appeared on Rebecca's face. "Leaving the Nathan James must be hard. But I thought you had a job waiting for you here?"

"I do. I'll be running a training program," Kara confirmed. True to form, Captain Chandler had figuring out a way for her to remain part of the team, for her to remain useful, here in Norfolk. Of course, that assumed there was any interest in learning about CIC. If Johnson was any indication, her program was running a poor second choice to the TAC training program. Kara might be out of a job before she began.

Rebecca took a deep breath. "About the other day…"

Kara cut her off, unwilling to deal with any more turmoil right now. "There's nothing to discuss. Okay?"

After a moment, Rebecca nodded. She looked at Frankie. "How is her jaundice?"

Grateful for the change of topic, Kara made small talk with Rebecca until Johnson returned. It took only a few minutes to cross the base to Unit 3 and Johnson quickly unloaded their gear into apartments next to each other. Stepping into the apartment she had chosen, Kara was struck by how familiar it looked. She had stayed in the same basic room a hundred times over the course of her naval career. The same neutral wall paint, the same walnut furniture, the same beige rugs. Even the familiar smell of disinfectant. Setting Frankie down in her bouncer, Kara dropped down onto the couch, uncertain of what to do next. Unpacking made no sense, given that they would be moving again shortly. She really should go try to find some food and new diapers for Frankie, but the thought of leaving the apartment was exhausting.

The next thing she knew, Kara was startled awake by someone knocking. Still dazed, she stumbled across the room to open the door. For a moment she thought that she was hallucinating.

"Mom?' The word came out as a sob.

"Did you think you could sneak back into Norfolk without me knowing?" Debbie chided, pulling Kara in for a tight hug.

"No. Of course not. I was going to call," Kara explained, the words tumbling over each other. Debbie held Kara at arm's length, looking her up and down. Under Debbie's firm gaze, Kara admitted, "I'm just so tired."

Debbie looked at her with sympathy and understanding. "Of course you are. Which is why I'm here. First you are going to introduce me to this precious granddaughter of mine and then we are going to get acquainted while you take a hot shower and a long nap."