A/N - the new trailer was AMAZING! It makes me even more excited about season 3. Now I just need to finish this story...
CHAPTER 28
Rick waited, somewhat impatiently, as the politicians they had been ferrying for the past three days filtered into the hotel next to the Chicago base. Once inside, they would be Colonel Browder's problem – and not a minute too soon. The last three days had seemed to take an eternity. Due to lack of fuel, they had been forced to use every available seat of the SUVs the civilians were riding in, leading to myriad complaints about the cramped conditions, the long hours, and the lack of heat. Despite their best efforts to clear the roads of high drifts, the civilian vehicles had been unable to make it through several places, requiring the team to dig them out and extending the trip from two days to three. It might have been longer if Colonel Browder had not sent a team out from Chicago to meet them. And then there had been Gregory Samuels' reaction to learning that they were going to be spending the night in a barn. It was only Danny's threat to make everyone sleep in the vehicles that had gotten the man to finally shut up.
Not that the group of roughly fifty civilians had been completely useless. Mr. Samuels' personal security had been surprisingly accommodating, helping to free and move the vehicles and taking a turn on watch when they stopped for the night. Rick had even mentioned to a couple of the guys that, if they wanted to consider a new job, Admiral Chandler would be the person to talk to. Still, Rick was happy enough to wash his hands of the whole thing and let Admiral Chandler and President Michener sort it out.
Rick's gaze strayed to Alisha, who was standing with Senator Hansen and Sarah by the entrance to the hotel. Alisha hadn't told them what happened after their fight, but everyone had noticed that Sarah was no longer wearing the engagement ring. When Danny asked whether Sarah would be coming to Norfolk with them, Alisha had simply said that Sarah would be joining her father St. Louis. Clearly things had not worked out the way that Alisha had hoped on the way to Wisconsin.
Wolf sauntered over to Rick, watching as Colonel Browder began welcoming the new arrivals.
"Hiya Wolfman."
"Hiya Rick." The deep voice was calm, soothing.
"You decide what you're going to do?" Rick asked, eyes on the toes of his boots. Colonel Browder had offered to let Wolf hop a flight from Chicago to San Diego, the first step towards an eventual return to Australia.
"Can't leave now," Wolf responded. "Not in the middle of a mission."
"Everyone would understand," Rick forced himself to offer, although he hated the idea of Wolf leaving, the possibility that they might never see him again.
Wolf was quiet for a few minutes. "My mum thinks I was stuck here for a reason. I don't know if she's right, but I do think that my job here isn't done. And until it is, I'm not going anywhere."
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Rick hoped his nervousness didn't show as they approached Dayton. He hadn't spoken to Nicole since the team left almost two weeks ago, and with each day that passed Rick's confidence had sunk lower and lower. She had promised to have everything packed and ready to go when the team came back through, but there was no guarantee that she was still coming. Rick couldn't help but wonder whether she had changed her mind and decided that moving to Norfolk was actually a terrible idea.
Which would make this stop in Dayton particularly awkward.
"Chill out Miller," Tex drawled from the front seat. "Even if Ms. Clark decides that she doesn't want to see you again, there's no way she is going to turn down an invitation to Commander Garnett's school of wizardry – or turbines. It's the equivalent of a Ph.D. these days."
Well, so much for the hope that nobody would notice how nervous he was. As they pulled up before the house that Rick had been raised in, he was startled to realize that his mind did not immediately go to his mother, but rather to the possibility of a future – one that prominently included Nicole.
Rick wiped sweaty hands on his pants as he descended from the Jeep, straightening his jacket as best as he could while heading towards the house. The two-minute wait after he knocked on the door was torture but, fortunately for Rick, Nicole was the one who answered.
"Rick!" Nicole exclaimed, her face lighting up at the sight of him. Before Rick could speak, Nicole wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight hug, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. As she stepped back, Rick could see that her face was flushed and she peered up at him from behind long, dark lashes, as though uncertain of how he would react.
Although he suspected that his face was flaming, Rick leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips, his confidence bolstered by Nicole's enthusiastic welcome. Nicole bit down on her bottom lip as they parted and, if it was possible, her smile grew broader.
Rick straightened. "Hi."
"Hi."
For long moments neither one of them moved, then Nicole seemed to realize that they were standing in the doorway, letting all the heat out. Her eyes widened. "Oh, come in. Is the rest of your team staying?"
"They are going to head along and set up camp for tonight," Rick explained, following her into the house that was both so familiar and so unfamiliar at the same time. It had been Tex's idea to drop Rick off, and Rick suspected that it was their way of giving him and Nicole a little privacy. "I'll radio them when I am ready to go. We can load your things tonight or tomorrow." As the words left his mouth Rick realized how presumptuous he was being. "Um, I mean, assuming you still want a ride to Norfolk, that is."
Nicole took Rick's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as she led him to the living room where her parents were waiting. "I have everything packed. We can load tonight if you would like, and then get an early start tomorrow."
Rick exhaled sharply, the tension that had been riding him all day finally relaxing. She hadn't changed her mind.
After greeting the Clarks, Rick turned back to Nicole. "I hear that congratulations are in order. You're going to be working with Commander Garnett."
"It's just a spot in the training class, but Commander Garnett said that if I make it through, she has enough positions available for everybody," Nicole explained, her excitement unmistakable. "I just hope that I don't disappoint her. Did you know she has a master's degree in marine engineering and in nuclear engineering?"
Rick didn't have any idea what kind of degrees Commander Garnett had, but he wasn't surprised to find out that she had multiple degrees. The woman was smart, after all. And scary. Very, very scary. "She rebuilt the Nathan James's engine from scratch last summer with spare parts she found in St. Louis."
Mrs. Clark beamed with pride. "From what we hear, the Commander is a brilliant woman. And it sounds like there is so much to be done. Commander Garnett mentioned that she is working on expanding the power grid so we'll have regular power again and not have to rely on generators. And if that works, we might be able to have running water again. There is just so much to do. It's wonderful that our Nicole might be able to help rebuild the country."
"By the way, Rick, a man has been stopping by the house every day or two looking for you," Mr. Clark stated. "He said that he saw your mother's picture up on the memorial wall with some sort of pin and figured you must have put it there. He didn't leave his name but said that he was a family friend."
Rick tried to think of who might have come by looking for him but came up empty. His mother had been friendly with people, but there had been no special man in her life since his father left, and they didn't have many relatives. It could possibly be one of his uncles. None of them had lived around here prior to the virus hitting, but they might have come back looking for Barbara after the cure spread, worried about her being in Dayton on her own.
"Hopefully he stops by tonight," Nicole added. "Otherwise you will probably miss him. We'll be leaving first thing in the morning."
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"Are you sure you don't have more luggage than this, darling?" Tex teased. "Because I have never seen a woman pack so lightly, and I have known a few women in my day."
The sound of Nicole's melodious laugh caused Rick's heart to race. She was smart, gorgeous, and she had a great sense of humor. Rick had no idea why she was interested in him, but he was determined not to blow it.
"I left most of my stuff in my dorm room back in Massachusetts," Nicole explained. "When Dad came to pick me up we didn't have a lot of time to pack, since we were trying to get out of there before they closed the border. When I was throwing things in a bag, I realized that ninety of my stuff wasn't really that important."
"If you need anything after you get to Norfolk, let me know," Alisha replied. "After all, we ladies have to stick together."
Nicole turned towards Rick, an amused look on her face, but before she could say whatever she intended, her attention was caught by somebody behind him. "Oh good, there's the man who has been looking for you, Rick."
Rick turned, a smile playing along his lips as he imaged showing Nicole around Norfolk, maybe even introducing her to Doctor Scott. But at the first glimpse of the man who was approaching, Rick's smile faltered, the blood draining from his face. Of all of the people Rick had considered might be looking for him, this man had not been on the list.
David Miller.
His father.
A man who Rick hadn't seen in more than ten years. A man who had abandoned his wife and young son to start a new life, and a new family. A man who had been absent from his life for so long that Rick hadn't even considered trying to track him down. And yet here he was, standing in front of Rick – alive – when Barbara was dead.
"Hi Erik."
Rick felt his chest compress with barely contained fury at the thought that this man was alive when his precious mother was not.
"I have nothing to say to you." Turning on his heels, Rick ignored the look of surprised concern on Nicole and Alisha's faces. Instead he addressed Tex who, oddly, looked more sad than puzzled. "I think it's time for us to go."
