Ch. 34 - "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ~ Buddha.

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"So these are the volunteers I have heard so much about." Michener's voice was exactly what Danny expected of a politician. Smooth. Warm. Fake. "Doctor Scott told me how invaluable your assistance was in developing a vaccine, Ms. Williams. And I'm sure that your contribution will be equally valuable, Mr. Green."

Michener glanced around the helicopter-bay-turned laboratory, as though hoping Doctor Scott would appear, despite having been told that she wasn't here. Whatever Danny thought about the man – and so far nothing he thought about Michener was particularly good – their newly discovered president did know how to work a crowd. Both Bertrise and Chris were awe-stricken, seeming equally embarrassed and flattered by the attention he was showering on them. And from what Wright was saying at meals, Michener was having the same effect on the crew, his visits to the mess and the deck since his "rescue" from the Immunes boosting morale.

Or building them all up for a fall.

Call him cynical, but Danny wasn't sold on Michener's abrupt transformation from brainwashed cult member, swallowing the Ramseys' koolaid hook, line, and sinker, to a man who claimed to abhor the Immunes' actions and wanted to do everything possible to stop them from spreading the virus. The prisoner that they took from Solace had been believable too, convincing enough to fool both the XO and Master Chief, at least for a little while. Who was to say that Michener wasn't just bidding his time? Using these meet-and-greet opportunities to case the ship and then jump at the earliest opportunity? Or even worse, could he be using his position to lead them into a trap?

Finding number twelve on the list of presidential succession in the Immunes' compound had been rather coincidental. True the Captain, Burk and Ravit had seen television clips of the man, but it wasn't as if recorded television broadcasts couldn't be faked. And what better way to convince Captain Chandler to divert the Nathan James to New Orleans, potentially leading them right into a trap, than have the president-and-chief make it an order? Alisha claimed that it was impossible for Michener to be communicating with anyone off the James, that they were jamming all outgoing signals, but Danny couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about President Jeffrey Michener. For the first time, Danny understood Captain Chandler's decision to have his father and children remain behind in Norfolk. Everyone he loved was on this ship – his father, sister, brother, Kara, the baby.

If the Immunes attacked, he could lose everything in a single moment.

Which was the reason that Danny was here, playing guard in the helo bay rather than spending his downtime with Kara or his team or catching up some much needed sleep. Just the idea of Michener being in the same room as Chris or Caro or Kara made him twitchy. So he was here, memorizing every word that Michener said, analyzing every twitch, searching for any sign that Michener's purpose here was something more than a moral boosting meet-and-greet.

And he wasn't the only one. From the moment Michener walked into the lab, Caro had been tense, on guard, as though she was waiting for someone to jump out and scream boo. Danny wondered how much she knew. Although news of Michener's association with the Immunes was supposed to be need-to-know, Caro was incredibly good at weaseling information out of people and in her fury about the teddy bears Rachel would have been an easy target.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. President," Chris responded. When Michener reached out to take the offered hand, his sleeve rose, revealing a glimpse of the bandages underneath. If the guy really had been an unwilling captive of the Ramseys, as Ravit seemed to think, why slit his wrists at the first sight of freedom? Upon returning to their cabin after the incident – one that was immediately deemed need-to-know, Danny learning the truth only because he, along with the XO, Master Chief Jeter, and Burk were now providing Michener with around-the-clock "security" – even Tex's usual optimism was shaken. After bundling up his blood-stained clothing to burn, he had turned to Danny, shaking his head.

"The virus might not have killed his body, but his mind. That's a whole nuther ball of wax."

"Are you planning to follow in your brother's footsteps, young man?" Michener inquired, focus completely on Chris.

"I hope to, sir. If I can," Chris stammered. Danny caught the flash of unease the crossed Mark Green's face. While Mark and Joanne didn't oppose Danny's choice to join the Navy, they had done their best to steer their eldest in a different direction, convincing him to wait until after graduating from college before making a final decision. The thought of Chris joining the military as well clearly brought out a gut-jerk reaction from Mark - and one that wasn't exactly positive. Of course, given the state of the world, it wasn't clear to Danny what other options Chris would have. Who knew how long it would take before schools and universities were back on line? And even then, Chris's dream of working for NASA, designing rocket engines, was pretty clearly off the table in the short-term. A Navy career focused on engineering might be the way to go.

Michener turned to Bertrise. "How about you, Ms. Williams?"

"I hope to train with Doctor Scott. Perhaps become a nurse," Bertrise answered humbly. According to Caro, the young woman was already a capable assistant.

"A very worthy goal." Michener glanced around again, his gaze finally settling on Danny. "Now where is the good doctor? I was hoping to speak with her about a few matters."

Avoiding you. Instead Danny gave the answer that Rachel gave him when he arrived to see her practically running down the pathway in the opposite direction, something that Caro claimed happened immediately after President Michener's planned visit was annouced. "Doctor Scott was needed in sick bay, sir."

"That's unfortunate. I hoped to ask her about our prisoner," Michener replied, but his smile seemed more forced, his interest (or over-interest) in Niels another red flag as far as Danny was concerned. An awkward silence fell before Michener turned to Jeter. "I believe it's time for our meeting with Captain Chandler?"

Danny knew that the Captain Chandler was in CIC getting an update on the submarine's location, making it unlikely that the CO needed Michener, but the Master Chief didn't blink. "Yes, sir, I believe that you are correct."

Danny watched as the two men exited the helo bay, about to make his own departure when Caro blocked him. "Coffee?"

He raised an eyebrow. Caro never offered him coffee unless she wanted something. Most likely information that he couldn't tell her. "No thanks."

Caro scowled. "Fine, then walk me to the cafeteria to get some. I can't go alone. Rules, remember?"

Leaving Walker on duty outside the helicopter bay, Danny fell into step alongside Caroline as she hurried along the pathway. Caro had collected her coffee and they were on their way back to the lab when he finally gave in to curiosity, telling himself that he was a better target than someone like Cruz, who was likely to spill his guts just to get Caro to stop giving him the cold-shoulder. "Was it an escort you required or something else?"

Caro glanced up and down the corridor, confirming that they were alone. "Something's off with Rachel. Niels is getting to her. He feeds her little bits of information and she spends all night fixating on finding the solution, but there isn't one. He's just telling her random things, making her jump through hoops and driving her crazy. She'd be better off spending her time figuring it out herself. I was hoping that you could talk to someone. Maybe Captain Chandler could stop her from going."

As usually with his sister, she picked one of the last topics that Danny wanted to discuss. "It's Rachel's choice."

"Choice?" Caro snorted. "There's no choice when he might know the answer to powderizing the cure. It could save millions. And he knows it. He's pushing her to the edge, Danny, and I'm afraid she's going to break."

The worry in Caro's voice got to him, until Danny remembered just who they were dealing with. Doctor Rachel Scott did not do anything that she did not want to do. "Look, I agree that it sucks but Rachel is stronger than she seems. She knows what she's doing. Trust me."

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"You going to tell me what's bugging you?" Alisha asked. She leaned forward in her chair, taking a sip of her water bottle.

Kara watched as Rick made a basket, hooting and hollering as Teylor gave him a high five. Originally she had chafed at the Captain's R&R order, wanting to remain in CIC hunting for the submarine, but she could now see the wisdom of forcing everyone to take a break. Still in Quiet 1, they were moving at only twelve knots and in a somewhat erratic pattern, stretching the trip from Florida to New Orleans over five days. After only three, Kara could see the difference in the crew. People were more energetic, happier, the very mood of the ship lifting. In fact, the only person who hadn't seemed to benefit from this time was Rachel, who had reverted to her behavior from the Arctic, taking all of her meals in her lab and appearing only when her presence was mandated.

"Kara?" Alisha prompted, reminding Kara that she was not alone.

She sighed. "It's silly."

"I just found out that my mother was working with the Ramseys and trading people for supplies. I could use some silly right now," Alisha replied, shading her eyes with her hand and conveniently blocking Kara's view of her face.

Kara looked over, startled by Alisha's blunt statement. This was the first time that she had mentioned Amy Granderson's connection to the Immunes outside of official business. Hesitating, Kara finally asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Hell no." Alisha waited until Carl was done sinking a basket. It was CIC versus TAC except for Danny, who had switched sides. He claimed it was in order to even out the teams but Kara was suspicious. Her guys were more than capable of holding their own and Danny's less-than-subtle efforts to integrate himself with her team had not gone unnoticed. Kirkland had gone so far as to ask her what the deal was. If only she knew. "So tell me about this silly issue that has your mind wandering."

Checking to make sure that nobody could overhear, Kara slouched in her chair. "I think Danny gave the ring back."

Alisha was immediately interested, pulling her knees up so she could sit sideways. "Oh, now this is good stuff! Two questions. Why do you think he gave the ring back and why do you care? Last I heard you weren't exactly jumping at the idea of becoming Mrs. Danny Green."

That, of course, was the reason why Kara didn't plan on telling Alisha but now that she had, she might as well give her the whole story. "I wasn't back in Baltimore." She was too angry - too upset with Danny, with Captain Chandler, with the world - to realize what she was giving up. "But then things in Norfolk were different." The way they used to be, back in the Arctic, before everything went so wrong. But even better because now she knew that he loved her. He wanted the baby. He wanted a future together. "And then with what happened in Florida..." She could have lost him. His voice over the radio calling for immediate extraction, a call she couldn't answer without giving away their position to the submarine, knowing those might be the last words she heard him say. "I screwed up Alisha. You were right, before, when you said that no means it's over. I finally know what I want and it's too late."

"Please, Danny is currently playing five-on-five with Nishioka and Mason, who really is terrible at basketball, in an effort to impress you." Alisha rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should tell him what you just told me rather than sulking about the fact that the guy is not a mind-reader."

That, in a nutshell, was the problem and the reason that Kara was, admittedly, sulking. "I did. When he got back from Florida. I basically told him that I would say yes."

"And?"

Kara leaned back, taking another sip of her water. "And nothing. He didn't say anything."

Another snort. "I feel like I'm in a soap opera right now. Really? You gave him what, all of three days to ask you again when, I'll remind you, the last time did not go well. Besides, why does he have to ask? Equal rights and all. You could ask him."

Kara gaze Alisha a dark look, earning a giggle. After the disaster that was Baltimore, she could understand Danny not wanting to stick his neck out but ... "I can understand waiting but why give back the ring?"

"But what makes you think he gave it back to the Master Chief?"

This was the tricky part. Technically the frat rules were still in place, which meant she wasn't supposed to be in Danny's quarters at all. "It's been in his locker, next to his pictures since we left Norfolk. Now it's gone."

Alisha chuckled. "I'm not going to ask except, how do you know he didn't just stick it in his underwear drawer?"

"I looked. Everywhere," Kara admitted, drawing another cackle from Alisha.

"Just how much time are the two of you spending together these days?"

Kara fought the urge to shift in her chair. "It's probably better for you not to know."

"Ha. Just as long as you aren't using my bunk."

"We aren't," Kara replied quickly but Alisha was no longer paying attention, gazing past Kara's shoulder.

"Is that who I think it is?"

Caroline Green stepped onto deck, her appearance resulting in Teylor missing a basket, much to Carlton's disgust and everyone else's amusement. Kara exchanged glances with Alisha, hiding a grin. She lifted a hand, waving at Caroline. The woman hesitated, her eyes flickering towards Teylor before she picked her way around the deck towards Alisha and Kara. Caroline might not want anyone to know, but it was pretty obvious that she wasn't as indifferent to Teylor as she liked to pretend.

"Wonder what she's here to bitch about," Alisha commented under her breath.

Kara shot her a quelling look. "Caroline has been working long hours helping Rachel and Doctor Milowsky with the powderized cure. She probably just needed a break."

"After hours with that woman I'd need a break too." Alisha gathered her water. "Let's find Ravit and Nina and see if anyone is up for a girls night. Maybe this time we can talk Ravit into watching a Molly Ringwald movie."

Laughing, Kara rose. "First let's grab some food. I need subsistence before listening to you and Ravit argue over movies."

"It's not my fault she had terrible taste," Alisha groused. "I mean, who watches Die Hard on purpose?"

Not bothering to respond, Kara headed towards Caroline Green to suggest the dinner/movie plan. At least with her plan she wouldn't miss dinner while waiting for Ravit and Alisha to come to an agreement on something.

And maybe a night with the girls would distract her from wondering whether she really had ruined things back in Baltimore.

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Danny was in the middle of a curl-up when Tex walked into the cabin, skirting around him without missing a beat. Throwing himself on Danny's bunk, Tex watched him silently, stroking Halsey's ears. The dog immediately dropped to the deck, rolling onto his back. "It appears that somebody's in a good mood. What do you think, Admiral? Did Kara throw him back to the wolves?"

"You aren't funny, Tex," Danny grunted. "And no, Kara didn't do anything."

"So then why aren't you off stealing yourself a kiss?"

Danny did three more curls. "Caroline's worried about Rachel."

The amused look fell off Tex's face. He dropped his eyes to Halsey as he scratched the dog's belly. "She tell you why?"

"She thinks Sorenson is manipulating her, driving her crazy giving her fake clues. Caroline wants me to say something to Captain Chandler, ask him to stop letting Rachel see Niels." Danny snorted. "As if Captain Chandler could stop her. That woman does what she wants."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure those visits aren't the Doc's idea," Tex said slowly, his serious tone more concerning than his words.

Danny stopped mid-curl. "Who suggested them?"

Tex shrugged. "Can't say that for sure, but that new President has been down in the lab twice a day all week, saying he wants the new cure ready before we get to New Orleans, asking about her progress with Niels. Putting a lot of pressure on the Doc. Course, the Doc isn't exactly slacking. Those teddy bears brought a whole new level of fury. I thought she was going to burst into flames on the spot she was so mad."

"So you agree with Caroline? Think that something's wrong with Rachel?" Danny blanched, recalling those times in the Arctic when his plans clashed with Rachel's plans. Arguing with the woman was like banging your head against a wall - pointless, and you got a headache. "Do you think I should say something to the Captain?"

Tex paused, before shaking his head. "Nah, those two are peas in a pod. Both too stubborn to back down. If he tells her not to do it, she'll probably turn around and do it more. Things will work themselves out. They have so far. Just might be a little bit bumpy for a while."

Danny returned to his curls, feeling far less confident than he had only twenty minutes before. Everyone was worried about Captain Chandler. First losing his wife and then with what happened at the labs. If they started to lose Rachel too...

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Answering it, Danny was greeted by Cruz. "XO wants us to gear up. Guess Doctor Scott needs us to find her some oysters. Said she's close to a breakthrough."

Maybe those visits with Niels were worth it after all.