Jack and Jill IV

Chapter 24

She found them in the cafeteria mostly just sitting there drinking or eating very slowly taking small bites. "Pack up. We're leaving a little early," Madam Secretary told them then left them.

Packing only took a minute. The clothes they had come in wearing were now clean at least but they were wearing what they brought which was all they had.

Getting out was just like getting in and they found the very same three old Jeep Grand Cherokees waiting for them. "Before I forget." She handed out three things to Alexis and Kate. "No clothes or anything else I'm afraid. So I asked around. The women on the base were gracious enough to give me two of theirs, so three tampons for each of you. Hopefully that will be enough."

"More than enough, thank you." Alexis gathered hers and put them in her bag; Kate did the same. "We're leaving early to give you time to shop for clothes. You'll have an hour to find what you want and leave again. Rapid City has a mall called Rushmore Mall, fittingly. It has a hundred twelve shops and we're stopping at a Sears. Paid for with the compliments of the American taxpayers," she informed them.

"I am rich, you know," Rick reminded her. He could afford to buy the entire base clothes.

"True, however, thanks to you we know aliens are coming. We already owe you more than we can ever repay you. So split up and let's go."

The ride back to Rapid City was just like the ride out of Rapid City, only in reverse.

True enough they parked outside of a Sears. Kate had Rick in his cheap wheelchair and was ready to start pushing. "We'll take him." Jayne stood behind Rick and was ready to push. "You two will take the entire hour looking for just what you want let alone finding time to shop for him. And the ladies will be on one side of the store and men's on the other," Jayne said.

Kate wanted to protest for several reasons. One, it was her job to take care of him and two, she should be insulted about needing an entire hour to find something to buy. But she didn't. "Thanks. Be nice, babe." Kate kissed him and they all began walking.

"I have the credit card so come find me when you're done or I'll find you." Elizabeth looked at her watch. "Fifty-five minutes."

Storm and Jayne weren't picky plus when it came to anything in their size they couldn't be picky. Rick, however, was very choosy. They moved on to underwear and socks and then raced to find shoes.

Kate and Alexis started with bras and grabbed two each, followed by panties, then moved on to tops. "Wrong color, wrong color, wrong color. …AHHH. Nothing works with my skin color," Alexis moaned.

"Get some jeans, some socks, and run over to the men's dress shirt area and find a shirt that might fit you. Go, go." Kate watched her race to the jeans then ran to the other side of the store and easily spotted Storm, Jayne, and her dad.

Now she needed shoes and was running again. They found that all of them were in the shoe section looking for shoes. This was where everything slowed down for Kate and Alexis. They were in the shoe department and before they could even find something they liked the men were gone.

"But I want heels," Kate groused.

"Boots," Alexis suggested and she found a pair of Reeboks that fit her and flew to find Madam Secretary and the guys.

"Boots." Kate was trying to decide just what pair and still find out if they had any in her size. "I don't have time for this." She grabbed a box of sneakers that were all white and ran to find everyone else.

Everybody was mostly happy and were back in the Jeeps for the drive to the combination civilian airport and National Guard Airbase. Spotting Air Force Two was easy.

Storm carried Rick up the stairs, into the plane, and all the way to a seat. He put him down gently. "You need to eat more, son, you weigh next to nothing."

"I can't even stand up yet so I don't need more weight right now," Rick countered.

"Follow me." Madam Secretary pointed to Storm and Jayne. She took them to a section they hadn't even tried to enter last trip. "Beds. They're a little tight but comfortable enough. One, two, three, and four and five." There were a lot of them and they were all triple bunks in bunk bed style. Just with less space.

"You know where the galley is, restrooms, and showers. There's nothing any of you need to worry about between here and Tokyo. At Tokyo we will get a new cabin crew and be refueled. This is also where we will take on our ground combat team and gain air support.

"We all land in the Philippines to refuel again before flying to Thailand. This is going to take us close to two days. We're down to thirteen days right now. This will take us down to eleven before we even meet the Russians and Chinese.

"Sleep during the flight over. Everyone else will. The flight crew has different quarters to sleep in. If you're hungry you know where to go. I'll see you in Tokyo." Elizabeth left them to go talk to the team and find out if anything had changed.

oOo

Storm and Jayne found the others easily enough. The plane was big but it wasn't that big. "We have our bunks and it's not a lot of space," Storm muttered. "We're on our own till Tokyo. She said this will be two days."

"Thirteen now, that will leave eleven. What I need is a laptop I can use." Alexis got up to go find someone that could provide her with a laptop to borrow.

"Eleven days. I can remember when we had a month. Now it's almost one week." Kate sat back and reached for Rick's hand to hold.

"Time flies when you're having fun," Jayne offered and it was just what Kate needed. She began laughing.

"Jack, front and center, please?" Rick called and Jack appeared. "Talk to me about the riots. How is all that going?"

"Your race really doesn't do well with aliens, do you?" He and Jill were still a little shocked. "Riots. Mostly only the larger cities had any real riots. That has all ended save for one in Los Angeles and one in Philadelphia. At the moment theft and hoarding is on the rise. Grocery stores are already empty. Even places called Home Depot are empty.

"Some of the theft and looting is at places that carry weapons and camping gear. I'm at four hundred fifty-six confirmed deaths for various reasons.

"Certain militias have declared zones free of Government influence. Mostly Montana, Wyoming, and Oregon. There is presently a mobilization of National Guard being assembled in each of those three states. That may possibly be for that reason.

"There is a lot of talk in the Southern States about Secession from the Union. I can find no evidence that that is actually happening, however," Jack informed them.

Just then Alexis showed up with a laptop and saw Jack. "What did I miss?"

"Just some militias in three states that are about to be crushed by the National Guard and people in the South are back to talking about Secession from the Union." Kate shrugged. "No big deal."

"I kind of figured all that. The militias will get crushed and the South will just talk. So nothing about NATO?" Alexis sat down and opened the laptop which woke it up for her.

"There have been a lot of orders concerning ship movement and Europe is having some difficulty with rioting, theft, and property damage as well. Every country has called up their military reserve. Possibly to counter the Amplitur fleet.

"They do appear to have taken your suggestion about deployments to heart. Troops, planes, and ships are being dispersed to various outer areas. The Amplitur are going to be in for a shock when they arrive as will the Weave fleet. Neither side has encountered any planet like yours. You are unique."

"Thanks, Jack." Rick was done with his questions and Jack vanished.

Rick turned his attention to his daughter. "So what are you working on, Alexis?"

"Purchasing that property and trying to find someone to install the solar and wind power systems. I just don't have a cell phone any longer. I'm trying to get them to talk to me using email. I can't even Skype. I'm in the Stone Age here." Alexis raised her hands in frustration and went back to typing.

Kate was grinning while Rick felt for her. He knew she was smart and would figure out something.

"What property?" Storm hadn't heard of this before and couldn't help but be curious.

"These two are actually thinking of finding an isolated place to wait out the war that will be waged on Earth and she found one. It's near the coast in Panama. Lots of acreage, fruit trees, hydroponics, and greenhouse. It even has a horse stable with horses.

"It just doesn't have any off the grid power or water," Kate shrugged.

"Rain water catchment! I need that too. Thanks. …I think?" It meant more work for her so Alexis wasn't happy about that. Kate grinned again.

"You're welcome," Kate told her.

"Blacksmith shop?" Storm queried and Alexis waved her hand at him to get him to shut up and she kept typing.

oOo

"You're tired." Kate saw Rick slumping again. "Let's find you a bed."

"I'll show you and help move him." Storm was up and led the way. It turned out getting Rick into the middle bunk was the easiest.

"Just don't fall out, babe." Kate gave him a quick kiss and returned to the others after finding out which bunks were reserved for them.

oOo

"Done! The house is ours. Just as soon as they send the documents via eDoc for me to sign. Now for the solar and wind power." Alexis's fingers flew across the keyboard.

Kate didn't have Rick to talk to and Storm and Jayne were talking to each other and Alexis was busy. So it was either go find everyone else or go to bed.

Kate found Madam Secretary with the Vice President. "Something we can help you with, Kate?" Elizabeth asked her.

"Just wanted to know if you needed Jill for anything. Rick is sleeping and I was thinking of joining him," Kate told both of them.

"I think we're good for now, Ms. Beckett. This flight will last all day followed by several more hours to Thailand. If we think of something it can wait. Thank you." Chuck the Vice President told her.

"Enjoy your sleep, Kate." They went back to talking to each other. Kate left and climbed into the bunk above Rick to get some sleep.

"They're based in ROME!" Alexis had found someone that had done work in Panama. In fact they did work in twenty-seven countries all over the planet. They even did wind power. The one in Panama was even smaller than what she wanted so this should work. What she really needed was a phone though. So she filled out a form and sent it. Best she could do.

"Blacksmith shop construction. This should be fun." Alexis went back to typing.

oOo

"Well that was easy." She located three in Panama City. "And none of them have a website, naturally. I really need my cell phone back." All three of them only had phone numbers she could call. But at least she was closer.

"Hey, I found…" Storm and Jayne were both gone. "Where is everyone?" She was all alone. "Fine." She got up and took her borrowed laptop with her and went looking for the bunk beds she had been told about.

"I get the floor. Lucky me." Alexis got down on the floor, crawled in, and saw a net to store her laptop in. She drew the curtain closed and tried to go to sleep.

oOo

Kate had managed all by herself to get Rick out of bed, into his cheap chair, and pushed him to a shower. Then stripped him and pushed him chair and all into the shower and got busy washing him. That was when she spotted a potential problem.

"Your urine bag is almost full. …I only have one catheter and one urine bag left." Kate felt tears welling up and she couldn't stop them.

"Kate, it'll be fine." Rick didn't know where the tears were coming from.

"NO, IT'S NOT FINE! It's anything but fine. You're still trapped in your stupid chair, I only have one catheter and one bag so this is anything but fine!" Kate wiped away her tears and began drying him.

"I don't even have a simple fucking toothbrush." Kate threw the towel and felt new tears forming. She hadn't even thought to pack his electric toothbrush or even hers. She had been in a hurry to get lifted up into a goddamn Coast Guard chopper.

Kate got him dressed and with her own clothes still a little wet from giving him a shower, pushed him into the main room. "Don't you move." She stormed out of that space and headed for another.

She found the Vice President first and decided he would do. "I need help." Kate wiped away new tears and she hated feeling like this. She should be able to do this. It was her fucking job.

"Help with what?" He could see that she was clearly crying. "I'll get Jennifer." He was betting his wife was better suited for this and he had bought her along for this trip. Anything to get her out of DC and the mad house. He just couldn't get his grown children to come. Vice President or no there were rules.

"Hi, Kate, I'm Jennifer, Chuck's wife. We haven't met yet. Let's sit down." She got Kate to sit and could plainly see that she had been crying and still was a little. "What's wrong?"

"Everything!" She meant everything too. "Rick is still stuck in his stupid cheap chair and hurts him to sit in it. I can see it on his face. I'm down to one catheter and one bag. Two days out and two days back and it's not enough. He'll get a urinary infection and need a hospital and I'm failing him." Kate wiped away new tears.

"And you love him." Jennifer wasn't blind.

"What?" Kate knew she cared and cared a lot, but love him?

"You wait right here, we'll solve this." Jennifer was up and her husband was the Vice President of the United States. If he couldn't solve this problem it couldn't be solved.

Kate sat there trying to think. "I love him? …I love him." Kate tried it on for size. "I. Love. Him." Why hadn't she figured it before? Why did it take running out of catheters and urine bags to get her to see?

She really was stupid! That was it. That had to be it. She had lost her fucking mind.

She was still waiting when Chuck was back with his wife and they both sat down. "There will be a motorized wheelchair that uses a hand joystick for Rick to sit in along with eight boxes of catheter samples. I've even ordered a lumbar support for it and a cushion for him to sit on. Something about M12, M14, and M16 all different types for you to choose from and a box of twelve urine bags.

"It will all be waiting for you when we get to Tokyo. We're also loading a set of stairs that we only just thought about but you don't need to worry about that. Is there anything else?" He would find it if there was.

"Toothbrush maybe and toothpaste. More tampons?" Kate questioned softly.

"Those are already onboard. I'll have a flight attendant find you what you need. Electric or manual?" he asked her. "I don't think you get a choice for the other."

That had Kate chuckling a little. "Either is fine." Kate stopped him as he started to get up by touching his arm. "Thank you, sir."

"As thin as he is he's probably cold as well. If he's anything like my wife he's freezing. Ask the flight attendant for some blankets. And you're welcome." He went off to some other section.

"See, all fixed. And it is cold in this plane." Jennifer knew her husband would come through. She patted Kate's arm. "Now go back and tell him that you love him. You came up here crying so he's probably worried." Jennifer didn't get up and leave until after Kate was gone.

Kate had only just reached Rick when a flight attendant showed up. "Electric toothbrush and toothpaste, boxes of tampons, and blankets. I'll be right back." She didn't even bat an eye and was gone.

"They solved the catheter and urine bag problem and they're getting you a new chair. It's even motorized. It has a joystick so you'll have to use your hand but it shouldn't be too taxing on your hand." She was hoping he was strong enough to use it.

Rick lifted his right hand and flexed his fingers a little. "It should be fine." Then they went silent as each tried to think of how to broach the subject of her leaving him crying and she was trying to figure out a way to tell him that she loved him.

Then the flight attendant was back with everything. "Think of anything else just press the button and one of us will find it."

"Thank you." Kate put all of it in his lap and started pushing. She needed a bathroom or shower or something to brush his teeth. "Swirly!" Suddenly it came to mind. "I'm losing it." She was certain of it now.

She had to get him mostly naked again to give him a swirly. Dressed again and got the toothbrush out of the box and inserted the batteries that came with it and got out the toothpaste and started brushing his teeth for him like always.

She was done and got a cup with a little water in it so he could rinse out his mouth.

"I love you," Rick suddenly announced with his mouth full of toothpaste foam so that he almost looked like a rabid dog.

"What?" She had been trying to find the right time to tell him and he just spit it out. She was frozen in place.

"I love you. I'm pretty sure I've been in love with you for a while. I just couldn't find the courage to tell you. Then you started crying on me. So I love you, Kate. I'm in love with you," Rick clarified.

"Rinse, spit." Kate handed him the cup since he could do that for himself now.

Kate took it back, dumped it, then kissed him. A nice, long, passionate kiss.

His lips were still right there. Just a fraction away. "I love you, too." Kate felt new tears starting and instead of wiping them away she kissed him again. "I'm in love with you, too."

Then Jack and Jill appeared together. "We thought you two would never tell the other. Your race is really weird," Jill informed both of them which had both of them laughing.

"So when is the wedding?" Jill inquired.

"And you need to tell Alexis that she can use me as a very secure phone. I believe she was complaining earlier," Jack added.

Both of them went back to laughing and Kate kissed him again. This time the kisses felt different and not just because of her tears. They weren't just kisses this time like all the others. These meant something. Told the other something. That they were loved.