Thank you for the lovely reviews! I hope you continue to enjoy this story - there is still a lot more to come :)

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Rick has little intention of letting Lisa escape too soon but their evening together passes quickly and he loses track of the hours with her in his arms.

They had talked some more, laughed some more and kissed some more, and Rick had felt every word, every touch settle somewhere deep inside him, filling up the void that had been gnawing inside him for so long.

He can't remember the last time he felt so relaxed. The restlessness he had been feeling, the uncertainty of what the future might bring in the new world humankind was trying to forge alongside the Zentraedi – it doesn't seem to hold power over him now that he knows he has Lisa at his side.

He recalls the words Max had said to him that night in the bar. …all the noise just… stopped. And when I'm with her, I feel calm.

So this is what peace is, he thinks to himself as Lisa curls against his side, her head against his shoulder and her hand splayed over his shirt. He wonders if she can feel the rapid tattoo of his heart under her fingers, if she knows that his heart now thumps in tune to the sound of her name. Their relationship had been fraught with fireworks but now there's a harmony that he couldn't quantify even if he tried.

He just knows he's never felt like this before.

He tugs her closer, still amazed to realize how perfectly her lithe frame fits against his side. She had kicked off her boots long ago, and her stockinged feet tuck up behind her on the sofa. Although she had refused to indulge in dessert, Rick had contented himself with dining on the taste of her mouth instead.

And whatever lies ahead, they'll face it together. Rick knows that now.

"It's late," Lisa murmurs after a long while. Music plays softly on the speakers of his radio, tuned to a station that pre-dated the battle fortress crashing to Earth. He protests softly at the thought of letting her go but when he glances up at the red glowing numbers of the clock near the window, they tell him it's well past midnight. "I should go."

Rick struggles to summon the will to release her, but they're both due on shift tomorrow and he knows he should probably let her go home. When he finally does, Lisa pulls herself upright and Rick finds himself missing her warmth almost instantly. Her hair is slightly mussed from where he's been playing with it and her lips are swollen and rosy from their long, lingering kisses.

He doesn't think she's ever looked quite so beautiful.

"I want to ask you to stay," he tells her quietly, longing threaded through every word. He reaches out to curl a stand of her hair around his finger absently. He loves her hair, he's discovered. It's soft and silky and the colour of honey in his hands. "But… I, uh… don't want to rush you either."

A small part of him is proud of his maturity when he says it, even though all he really wants to do is pull her back into his arms and hold her forever. He knows he can be selfish, self-absorbed, but he wants to do better for Lisa. Wants to be better.

And if that means taking things slow, then he's good with that.

She raises her eyes to his and for a moment he can see his own yearning reflected in her eyes. It takes everything in him not to reach for her and pull her close to him again. Instead he forces his hands into closed fists and clears his throat.

Lisa does the same, breaking eye contact and shaking off the heavy beat. Her face flushes beautifully as she turns away.

"I really should be going now," she says, running a self-conscious hand through her hair. She shuffles away and reaches for her boots, bending down to slip them back onto her feet.

Rick stands up and gathers up his own shoes. "I'll walk you home."

"Rick, it's so late and you're on duty tomorrow," she protests. "There's no need."

"I'm not letting you walk out there by yourself this late at night."

Lisa looks like she's not sure if she should be annoyed or amused or warmed by his adamant protest. She casts him a hooded glance but ultimately her eyes soften.

"I can take care of myself, you know," she reminds him gently.

Rick remembers all the times she had proven that first hand. "I know. But then I can't give you a kiss good night."

Lisa's eyebrows rise and her lips twitch with a blushing smile she's trying to hide. "Oh? And are you planning to tuck me in too?"

Rick tries not to let it show on his face how much he would really like to be able to do that. Clearly he fails because she rolls her eyes and swats him teasingly with a nearby cushion.

"Hey," he laughs as he plucks the cushion out of her hand and flings it on the floor. He slips close and curls his arms around her. He presses his face into her hair and breathes in the fragrance of it that is so uniquely Lisa. "I just want more time with you. You were avoiding me for so long. I missed you."

She goes still in his arms and he draws back warily.

"Alright," she says, her eyes soft with a teary shimmer. She strokes her fingertips down his cheek lovingly. "I would like that."

The air is still cool outside and the street is illuminated by the glow of the lamps and the stars overhead. There isn't much traffic on the roads at this time of night so it's quiet. In the distance, the looming shadow of the SDF-1 watches over the city. Lisa holds his arm as they walk and he thinks about how this is how it should have been all along with them. Maybe it would have been if only he had come to his senses sooner.

It doesn't escape him how fortunate he is. Now that Lisa has forgiven him, he vows to stay worthy of her trust.

At her doorstep, he kisses her cheek lightly, almost formally, then steps back into the night. The last time he had stood on her doorstep, things between them had been very different. "Good night, Lisa."

"Goodnight, Rick," she says softly as she closes the door.

He walks back to his quarters, his heart lighter than it had been in years.

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Rick strides into the hangar with his helmet tucked under one arm, his back a little straighter and a very definite bounce to his step.

Max watches him pass by with a small grin. He nudges his wife gently and nods in Rick's direction. Miriya glances over and turns to her husband with a knowing look.

"Looks like the Captain is in an unusually good mood today," Max says.

Miriya raises an eyebrow. "Perhaps your talk with him the other evening helped."

"Oh, it definitely did."

"Yes, you can be quite persuasive, my love."

Max grins at her and plants a quick kiss on her cheek before grabbing his own helmet and rushing off to catch up with Rick. "Skipper, wait up!"

"Oh, hey, Max. How are you today?"

"I'm great, but it looks like you have a new spring in your step. Did something happen?" Max slides Rick a shrewd glance. "Something between you and a certain lady in your life?"

Rick keeps his face forward but there's a small smirk to the shape of his mouth.

"You could say that."

Max really wants to hope that Rick has sorted things out with Lisa. It's clear that after days of moping around, Rick has obviously reached some sort of epiphany… but was it his affection for Minmei, or Lisa that had obviously found root? If it was the former, then he would try to be happy for his commanding officer but… well, ever since that day he saw Lisa and Rick locking lips on the battlecruiser, he's seen something between there that both of them had been too blind to see.

And Max knows love when he sees it. Or at least the potential for it.

He matches Rick's stride, pace for pace as they leave the shade and quiet of the hangar and venture out onto the tarmac. He decides he has to tread cautiously here. "And does it have something to do with a particular commanding officer up in the command centre?"

Rick tries but he can't stop the quirk of his lips. He gives Max a sideways glance but keeps his eyes trained on Skull One in the distance. "It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to kiss and tell, Max."

Max's grin gets wider and he mentally pats himself on the back. He was immensely pleased that Rick had heeded his advice that night in the bar, although he had to admit he had his doubts at one point. When Rick had disappeared half way through the celebrations, Max had hoped for a better outcome, except that Rick had returned to duty more miserable and cranky than ever and Captain Hayes was still nowhere to be found.

Thank the stars they finally worked things out.

He nudges Rick. "Oh, so there was kissing involved, huh?"

Rick struggles to keep a straight face. "Maybe."

Max chuckles. "Well, all I can say is that it's about time!"

Rick stops in place. It's noisy out on the tarmac, the wind buffets and blows their hair around and the air feels hot from the growling engines of the nearby mecha. Rick turns to Max, eyes bright with a clarity that makes him suddenly seem older and wiser beyond his years.

"You know, Max, I never gave you enough credit about your feelings for Miriya. You knew the moment you saw her how important she would be to you and the two of you fell in love and now have a partnership that anyone would envy. I can only hope Lisa and I can be half as happy as you both."

Max has to work hard to hold back his surprise. This was a side of Rick that Max didn't see often. "Ah, why, thank you, Rick. That's really kind of you to say."

"I mean it. I was… blind… for a really long time."

Max chuckles and grips Rick's shoulder warmly. "I wasn't. Didn't I always say that Captain Hayes was the one for you?" He catches sight of his wife approaching in her vibrant red flight suit and draws her into the conversation. "I did, didn't I, Miriya?"

"You did, my love. Although I don't believe you said as much to Rick."

Both Sterlings turn to look at Rick, who frowns and shifts uncomfortably under their combined attentions.

"I definitely don't remember you saying that to me," Rick mutters. "Anyway, enough about that, it's time to get to work. Where is Bobby? He's supposed to be helping us whip these new cadets into shape today."

Bobby jogs over just as Rick turns around. He gives Rick and the rest of the Skull a quick wave.

"Ready and eager to go, Captain. But promise to quit it with all the lovey dovey chit chat with Captain Hayes on the com, huh?"

Rick scowls but Max can see he's not really offended. Probably too high on life and love for that. Max can only hope that Rick's improved good mood hangs around.

"Hey," Rick complains with mock annoyance. "I'm your superior officer, Bobby. Watch that tone or you'll end up demoted back to Alpha squad."

Bobby grins and snaps off a quick salute but he's laughing along with Max and Miriya. "Sir, yes, Sir!"

Bobby dashes off to his veritech before Rick can think to make good on his threat. Max watches in amusement as Rick shakes his head and his lips twitch in a smile in spite of himself. "The insubordination. Boy, I guess now I know how Lisa feels."

They laughs as they head towards their mecha.

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Lisa's shift in the command centre is barely half done when she overhears the terrible trio whispering behind her but she chooses to ignore it. She's in far too good a mood for anyone to spoil it, not even the rumors that are sure to be flying thick and fast around the base.

Yes, it was official. Captain Hayes was no longer giving Captain Hunter the cold shoulder and it seemed that all the world was a brighter place for it.

The girls giggle again and Lisa lets out an exasperated sigh. "All right, ladies. If you've had your fun, can we please get back to work?"

It's Sammie who answers first. Always the one to be in love with love, she's hoped for Rick and Lisa to get together for a long time. "It's just so exciting, Captain!"

Lisa has to work hard to hide her smile. It had been next to impossible to keep her cool façade when Rick had checked in with the rest of the Skull for their patrol earlier. His face appeared on her monitor over the tac net and her heart swelled, bursting with flowers and rainbows as she recalled his words from the night before.

Because I love you, Lisa.

It seemed he had been thinking along the same lines because he snuck in a compliment sweet enough to make her blush and had pressed his fingers to his lips in a kiss. Then he'd winked as he signed off, leaving her uncharacteristically flustered and at the total mercy of the girls' wild imaginations.

"Well, I just hope it's for real this time," Vanessa says, a touch of worry in her voice. "I don't know if I can handle another argument like the one a few weeks ago, Captain!"

The other girls gasp and Kim looks like she wants to throw her headset at Vanessa. Vanessa's face flames red but she's unapologetic. She glares back at them stubbornly. "You know I'm not the only one thinking it!"

"Oh, Vanessa, you have no idea do you?" Sammie admonishes her, casting a sideways glance at Lisa. "What a terrible thing to say!"

The girls start to squabble heatedly amongst themselves but Lisa smoothly cuts them off before they can get too worked up.

"It's alright, ladies. No offence taken. But break time is over. If you don't get back to work and stop this chatter, I'm going to tweak those duty rosters and give the B squad an extra-long weekend," Lisa says dryly.

There's a chorus of protests that dies out quickly when she turns around to level a frown at them. Sammie and Kim scamper back to their stations and then a blessed silence reigns over the bridge of the SDF2.

For a little while, at least.

For what it's worth, Vanessa, you and I hope for the same thing, Lisa thinks with a sigh.

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Later in the afternoon, Rick waits for Lisa in the hall outside the bridge of the SDF-2.

Sammy spies him through the doorway where she's huddled at Vanessa's workstation with the rest of the trio and her face lights up in excitement. She's about to alert Lisa with a tap on her shoulder but Rick quickly waves his hands and holds a finger to his lips to warn her to be quiet. She nods and settles down, casting him sly glances along with Vanessa and Kim. Even from in the hallway, he can hear Lisa giving an earful to one of the new recruits over the tac net, and he can't help but chuckle to himself in memory of when that used to be him on the receiving end of that sharp temper. Who would have thought that the same woman tearing strips off wayward trainee pilots could be the same one that laugh breathlessly against his ear and who could kiss him so sweetly it would make his toes curl?

He leans against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and waits, nodding occasionally to the few passing officers he recognizes. No one is particularly surprised to see him there, although the relief crews give him an unabashedly appraising look and a few of the younger techs even giggle as they slide past.

Finally Lisa and the trio finish their hand over and he straightens as she approaches the door. She has a hand to her temple, rubbing gently. She seems tired, but it all melts away when she looks up and sees him waiting for her.

"Rick! What are you doing here?"

Before he has a chance to answer, the trio pushes past with cunning looks and loud titters.

"Oh, Lisa, look who's here," Sammy teases.

"Hello, Captain Hunter. Fancy seeing you here," Kim winks at him. "Did you come to see us?"

"Uh-" he starts but he's quickly cut off by Vanessa sidling up close. He blinks at her in alarm when she peers into his face and he wants to step back only to find the wall at his back.

"I hope you're not here to ask me out again, Captain. I do have a boyfriend, you know."

"No! Uh, no, that's not what I-"

Thankfully, Lisa comes to his aid, cutting his stuttering mercifully short. "Alright, ladies, that's enough," she says dryly. "Leave Rick alone."

"Are you sure, Lisa?" Sammie eyes Rick with a gleam in her eye he's not sure he likes. "We can give him the shovel talk if you like."

"Yeah, we should have done it ages ago," Kim shoots a glare at Rick that has him throwing his hands up in surrender.

"The shovel talk?" he stammers, bewildered and more than a little alarmed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," Lisa swoops in firmly, lips twitching with laughter. Rick throws her a grateful look.

The girls giggle loudly and Vanessa gives him a double thumbs up that makes his face heat. He's not sure when his private life became such an open book with this group but he's long since resigned himself to the fact he can't escape it.

"Have a good night, Captains," Kim waves with saccharine sweetness at them both then tugs Sammie and Vanessa away. The girls wander off down the hall on the echo of chittering laughter and the click of high heels.

"Whew, they're a handful," Rick comments when they're finally alone. He's still wondering what Sammie meant about the shovel talk before ultimately deciding he doesn't want to find out. She might be small and the youngest of the group, but Sammie was formidable in her own way.

Lisa chuckles lightly. "We don't call them the terrible trio for nothing," she says. She gives him an assessing glance, as though she's not quite sure why he's there. "Is everything alright?"

He nods as they start to walk through the hallway side by side. "Of course it is," he says brightly. "I just wanted to see if I could take my girlfriend out to dinner tonight. Maybe even a movie too. What do you think?"

He almost doesn't notice her stumble as they walk, too busy thinking about the evening ahead. "Lisa! Are you alright?"

"Is that what I am?" she asks quietly, her face flushed as she stares at her feet. "Am I your girlfriend now?"

Rick casts her a wary look, suddenly uneasy. Had he misread things? Was he rushing her? Last night they had both confessed their love and to Rick the next logical step was a relationship. He promised himself he wasn't going to dither around like he had in the past and he didn't want there to be any confusion of where they stood with each other. He had been down that road once before and it was messy and paved with the potential for misunderstandings and broken hearts - he doesn't care to repeat it.

But he also didn't want to make Lisa uncomfortable either.

"Uh, well, that is if you want to be," he says as they begin to walk again. "But if you need more time-"

She stops him in the hallway with one slim hand on his arm. They're alone for now, but any moment other officers and enlisted personnel could walk around the corner and see them. Rick's heart speeds up but all he can concentrate on is the weight of Lisa's hand on his sleeve and the light shimmer in her eyes as she looks at him. He catches a sweet drift of her warm, familiar perfume as she leans up to press her lips to his cheek. The small but very public show of affection from her startles him and leaves him momentarily frozen in place.

"Uhh-" is all he can think to say.

She smiles and releases him to continue down the hall and Rick admires the subtle sway of her hips for a moment before he manages to blink away his astonishment and hurry after her.

He reaches for her hand just as a two techs round the corner. He doesn't even think to let go and she doesn't pull away. "Lisa, wait, so that means-"

She stops in place and she fiddles with a strand of hair. Her eyes are luminous and he notices for the first time she's nervous. His heart is in his throat as he steps closer. He thinks he knows what the kiss means, but past experience has shown him how easily a peck on the cheek can be misunderstood. He wants to hear Lisa say it. He wants her to acknowledge the new status of their relationship in a way Minmei never would.

"Lisa?"

"I don't need more time," she admits. She reaches for his hand and entwines their fingers together, either oblivious or totally uncaring of the curious glance the two enlisted men give them as they pass. Rick ignores them, caught up in the rush as his heart soars and a wide smile spreads across his face.

Lisa smiles back at him shyly. "I think I've waited long enough, don't you?"