**Author's Note: I hope all the rules to Uno are correct. If not, please let me know. I did do my research, and I do play Uno, but I could've missed something. Enjoy. :)

"The rules are simple, Crane. All you do is put down a card that has the same number or the same color. For instance, if I throw out a red six, but you have a blue six instead of a red six, then you can put that down. If you don't have the same color or the same number, you draw a card. You can put it down if it's a match. If not, it'll be my turn. We keep playing until one of us has one card left over. Someone will say, 'Uno.''"

"This game sounds rather odd, Leftenant. Why must we match numbers and colors? Who came up with such an idea? It's rather silly to me."

"It's just a game, Crane. It's the easiest one you'll ever play. Just go with it. You may like it when you get used to it."

"So you say."

Abbie dealt out seven cards to Crane. He tried to lift his cards when she gave them to him, but Abbie smacked his hand. "Nope. Cards down. You can't look at them yet."

Crane lowered his eyebrows.

"It's just the rules. You above anyone else should know you don't break rules. You fought in a war. You followed orders yourself and expected your rules to be followed when you gave them, right? Right."

Crane sighed and removed his hands. Abbie gave herself seven cards, put the deck in the middle of the table, and took a card from it to start the game.

"You go first. I'll explain the other cards as we play. I'll go easy on you since it's your first time. Now, as you see, there is a blue seven. If you have a blue number, then you─"

"'Put it down' as you said. I don't have any blue sevens," he said as he looked through his hand of cards. "Oh, but I do acquire a yellow seven."

He put it out, and Abbie played a yellow Skip card. Crane lowered his eyebrows. "This is a Skip card, which means you lose a turn. It's my turn again. It's one way to get your opponent to lose the game. You want to gain the upper hand and get rid of as many cards as you can."

Abbie put out another card, and Crane put his hand on his chin, focusing on the card she sat down. "This," she said as she pointed at it, "is a Wild Card with +4. It means I can choose the color, and you have to draw four cards from the deck."

"I take this is another way to thwart me," he said as he pulled from the deck. "What color do you wish to choose, Leftenant?"

"Don't be so grumpy. This is me going easy on you."

"Oh, really now?"

"Really. Let me think about the color." Abbie didn't know what to pick until she looked at Crane and titled her head. She had an idea to mess with him, to distract him. Hopefully, he would catch on to the color she chose when they played the second round. She wanted her plan to work. "Blue. If you have a blue, you can put it out."

He put his card out. "Draw two, Leftenant."

Abbie smirked at him, drew the cards. "I see you're getting it."

"You're teaching me well." He raised his left eyebrow.

Abbie threw out a blue Reverse card. "This card switches the order of the game. Someone can throw out another Reverse card to switch the order back the way it was. Since I put this card out, it's my turn again."

Abbie and Crane continued to play the first round, which she won.

"You only won because I didn't know any better. You used my naivety as a weakness."

Abbie chuckled as she shuffled the deck. "Excuses, excuses. You're just mad because you lost. It's okay. Jenny mostly loses against me, too. I've won almost every game against her."

"That'll have to change," he said as he raised his eyebrow.

"Is that a challenge, Mr. Crane?"

"Indeed, Miss. Mills. Indeed."

"Well, alright. It's war."

"I've been known to not play fair."

"I don't play fair either."

"We shall see who will be the victor, Leftenant. May I issue the cards this time?"

She handed him the cards. As he dealt, Abbie thought about all the modern things that Crane got to interact with. He managed to learn how to drive, how to use a cell phone, and he sung karaoke. He even took a shot at yoga. It was nice to see him getting used to modern times. He seemed to like some of the stuff she introduced him to, or some of the stuff he stumbled upon himself. Minus banks, Instagram, bottled water, and taxes, he seemed to be adjusting more and more.

Sometimes she would catch him staring at his jacket or at the Founding Fathers cup he kept in honor of Caroline. She knew he missed his life before. Part of her wished he could go back to it, but the other part of her wanted to keep him here with her. Besides Jenny and Frank, it was nice having someone else to hangout with. She liked having a friend, someone she could trust, someone who needed her.

Even though he didn't mention it, she knew Crane felt the same way. When she had to leave the cabin, he always looked kind of down. He cleaned up slower than he usually would, or he would ask her to play one more round, watch one more movie, or stay for one more plate of desert. He wanted her company just as much as she wanted his. She'd give in to him and stay later than she already had, knowing she had to report to work early in the morning. However, he was worth it to her.

"Are you well, Leftenant?"

Abbie nodded as she glanced at Crane's hand over hers; she squeezed it and removed her hand to pick up her cards. "I'm fine."

"You appeared lost in thought."

"I was."

"Would you like to reveal what's on your mind?"

"You."

"Pardon?"

"I was thinking about you, about us, about our friendship."

Crane played a card. "Is there something that concerns you regarding it? Did I do anything to hurt you?"

Abbie went her turn. She skipped him. "It's nothing bad. I just, I'm glad we're friends, Crane. You and me."

"As am I. We've become rather close," he said when it was his turn to play.

"We have. It's nice." Abbie thought about the night they spent together after Katrina died. Ever since then, they've been closer. There was a bit more physical contact, a bit more spending time together, a bit more texting and talking on the phone. It wasn't just when either one of them had a nightmare about that day, but when they simply wanted to talk to each other, to be near each other, to hear each other's voices. It was comfort and peace.

"I'm glad I have you, Abbie."

"I'm glad I have you, too, Ichabod," she said as she put down a Wild card.

"What's the color?"

"Blue."

"This is the second time you've chosen blue. Is there any particular reason?"

She stared at him again and smirked; he caught on to the color like she hoped he would. Now, she could try her plan. She wouldn't normally flirt with Crane, but they were in the middle of a game. It would be kind of fun to mess with him and watch him squirm a little bit; she wanted to sidetrack his concentration. She wanted to win this game. "Your eyes. I like your eyes."

Crane lifted his eyebrow at her with a smirk on his face. "I know I'm slightly new to this era, and I know we're close, but I don't think friends flirt with each other, Leftenant. Of course, I gladly appreciate your flattery."

Abbie laughed and pushed her hair to the side. She knew he wasn't expecting it, but he wasn't dumb either. Her tactic didn't work on him like she thought it would. She shouldn't underestimate him during a game of Uno. "Who said I was flirting with you? That was only a compliment. Someone is full of themselves."

"Whatever you say, Leftenant." He continued to smirk.

"Just play a damn card, Crane."

He played a card. "Would it be considered flirting or too forward if I told you I liked your lips?"

She put her cards down on the table. "Pardon?"

"Your lips. I like your lips."

She didn't know what to say to that; she just smiled at her cards on the table and shook her head. He really doesn't play fair, she thought.

"You're welcome." He smiled at her as she took her turn to play.

She honestly didn't know how to respond. She never would have expected this from Crane. He was all about appropriateness. She was even surprised that he caught on to her flirting with him. She was complimenting him about his eyes, but she was also trying to throw him off his game to make him loose a little bit of focus. It turns out she's the one who couldn't focus at the moment. He mentioned her lips. He noticed her lips. Did he really mean it or was he putting her on? Abbie was so stuck on his comment that she wasn't even paying attention to what she put down.

"The card is still blue, Leftenant. You put down red, and it's not even the right number."

She looked down and took it back. "Don't get too cocky, Crane." She put out the right card this time. He was glad she messed up.

"Just making an observation."

"Sure you are."

They played more of the second round in silence while Abbie thought of Crane's compliment. She really wanted to ask if he was telling the truth. She wanted to be sure. "I meant what I said about your eyes, Crane. I wasn't just messing with you, you know?"

"I know. Thank you." He didn't say anything else after that; he just studied his cards.

She wanted him to talk about her lips, if he meant it. She figured he was up to something since he didn't respond like she wanted him to. She played with her cards. It kind of aggravated her. She wasn't desperate or looking for validation in her looks. She already knew she had nice lips. She always knew they were pretty. However, Crane has never complimented her before, not like this. This was different.

They continued to play in silence and Abbie kept wondering when he was going to address the topic. She was so concentrated on it that she didn't realize her movements and what Crane was really putting down on the table. It turns out she had drawn ten extra cards. She was getting ready to count all of them until Crane said, "Uno."

He smiled at her, held up his one card. Her mouth hung open. She rarely ever lost a game.

He stood up. "Would you like some tea, Leftenant? I'm parched."

"Sure." She was still stunned at loosing and started to count her cards. She was almost done until Crane called her name again.

"Abbie."

She glanced at him. He wasn't smiling this time though. "Yeah?"

"I meant what I said. Your lips are truly wondrous." He turned to walk into the kitchen to make the tea, leaving Abbie in more shock.