Part 11...

1925 EDT
Austin's Apartment
Rosslyn, Virginia...



The water from the shower head was running over her body wiping away the dust Austin was covered in from a fit of cleanliness that had resulted in her attacking her small storage room with a mop and cleaning supplies. She heard the phone shrill through her apartment and briefly considered getting out to answer it then shrugged to herself and turned her attention back to her shower. Whoever it was could wait.

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Same time
Victor's Apartment...

"Damn," Victor muttered as he heard Austin's voice on the answering machine. They needed to talk. He heard the beep in his ear and sighed deeply.

"Austin, it's Victor...Look I think we need to talk. I hear you're planning on a vacation next week. Call me: please."

He hung up the phone and sat back on the sofa letting waves of exhaustion roll over him. He'd gone back to work too soon and Victor knew he would pay for that. He felt exhausted and irritated.

"And sad..." he acknowledged to himself thinking of how happy Lieutenant Singer had been to tell him that Austin had asked for and received a week's vacation time for the following week. One little rough patch and she was ready to run from him and what they were trying to build together.

"Dammit Marine, what is your objective in this campaign?" He asked himself thinking of an old DI he'd had once."Figure it out and get off your lazy six."

Several minutes later Victor let himself out of his apartment locking the door behind him before he went to his car and climbed in. He wasn't going to let Austin go without a damn good fight.

Driving to her place Victor felt his nerve and resolve flagging. He had been pretty rotten to her, snapping at her when she was just concerned about him. "Hold fast Marine...anything worth having is worth fighting for."

He pulled his car to a stop and climbed gingerly out wincing at the dull, heavy ache in his kidneys wishing he had the two men who had done this to him in a room alone for awhile, he'd show them the meaning of pain. Victor walked to the front door of the building hoping he wasn't going to run into Lieutenant Sims or Lieutenant Roberts: he didn't want to talk to anyone but Austin at the moment.

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Inside Austin's Apartment...



Austin was toweling her hair dry when she walked into her living room dressed in a blue waffle weave robe. She perched on an arm of the sofa and pressed play on the answering machine.


"Austin, it's Victor...Look I think we need to talk. I hear you're planning on a vacation next week. Call me: please."


"Oh no Marine...you've been rude enough for one day. We can talk tomorrow...maybe," She told the hapless answering machine while she erased the message and got up heading for the kitchen to see if there was anything edible in her refrigerator.

The phone shrilled again and Austin reached for it, thinking that even if it was Victor he might not be feeling well and she didn't want him to suffer even if he was a jerk. He was an injured jerk and like it or not she was pretty fond of him. "Hello?"

"Hi Aus, it's me."

"Are you all right Victor?"

"Fine...tired, you know. Um...I was wondering if we could talk."

"Not tonight Victor: I'm too tired to verbally spar with you on the phone," Austin sighed wrinkling her nose at the barren look of her refrigerator.

"I thought you might be-so I'm standing at your door talking on my cell phone. May I come in?"

Austin stood up, eyes widening in surprise as she walked to the door and threw it open. Sure enough there was Victor on her welcome mat looking like a little lost boy.

"Hey," he whispered softly a sheepish smile curving his lips as he reached out to touch her cheek.

"Hey yourself...come on in. I warn you though there is no food in this place...maybe a can or two of condensed soup, but not much else."

Victor stepped in, closing and locking the door behind himself. "I'm not here for food. I'm here for you. I-um...well...I-I didn't behave well today...my attitude stunk."

"You can say that again Gunnery Sergeant," Austin teased softly before she saw the look in his eyes. Victor was serious and he was seriously trying to apologize to her.

"I guess I'm trying to say I'm sorry Austin...I was horrible to you," Victor paused taking a deep breath to steel his courage. This apologizing business was harder than a recon mission in a stormy ocean and Victor was surprised his knees weren't knocking together. "Forgive me?"

His last words sounded so forlorn Austin felt her heart melt in her chest, even as she told herself their making up couldn't be that easy. She forced herself to look into his eyes looking to see if his words were heartfelt or just a way to get himself into her good graces again. She saw no subterfuge and she stepped up to him putting her arms carefully around his waist.

"I forgive you Victor, but you can't behave like that when someone is concerned about you," Austin scolded hugging him to take some of the sting from her words.

"I'm sorry," Victor yawned.

"Come on in Vic...you look like you're about ready to drop," Austin urged leading the tired Marine to the sofa, being sure he was settled comfortably before she went to whip up something for dinner.

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2245 EDT
Alley
Georgetown...



"Geez Webb, we've got to stop meeting this way or people are going to start talking."

Clay rolled his eyes and shook his head as he rose from a kneeling position beside the body he'd been studying. "No positive ID yet...but I'm betting this is our friend Todd."

Harm whistled softly. "Damn someone was mad as hell at him. Think our other buddy Glenn is on the list too."

"I'd count on it. But he's wearing a wire...so if I'm feeling kind-hearted I might even save his worthless hide should he be found."

"You kind?"

"Rabb, do you purposely push everyone's buttons?"

"No, it's a skill I have."

"I want you to call Galindez...I don't think whoever did this is going to go looking for him, but they might. Let him know what's up: he might want to keep an eye on Miss Bradford's whereabouts."

Harm nodded reaching for his cell phone as he walked away trying Gunny's cell phone first. He had the feeling it would be easier to reach him that way.

"Galindez."

"Hey Gunny, sorry to wake you. This is Commander Rabb...Webb and I found one of the guys who beat you. Not a pretty sight...Webb thought you should keep an eye out for yourself and Austin too."

"Not a problem Sir. I appreciate the call."

Harm heard a second person talking sleepily in the background, a definite feminine voice and smiled to himself. Go Gunny! "I won't keep you Gunny."

"Thank you Sir."

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2300 EDT
Austin's Apartment
Rosslyn, Virginia...



"Who was that?" Austin mumbled sleepily lifting her head from her pillow.

"Nothing important...go back to sleep," Victor soothed in a soft sing-song voice rubbing Austin's back gently until she lowered her head again sighing softly as she drifted to sleep.

When he was sure she was asleep Victor slipped from the bed padding with familiar ease through the dark apartment to the door checking to be the locks were engaged, including the dead bolt he'd installed for her. Then he went around to the windows being sure they were all locked clicking his tongue in displeasure at the number of windows that weren't. He was going to have to have a talk with her.

Certain that the apartment was as secure as he could make it Victor sat down on the sofa pulling his service piece from an inner pocket in his jacket, checking to be sure it was loaded and the safety was on. With that done he padded back to the bedroom easing into the bed beside Austin, slipping the holstered gun under the mattress so he would be able to reach it if he needed it.

Austin whined softly in her sleep, a complaint at his shifting the bed and Victor smiled indulgently as he got comfortable beside her whispering tenderly in her ear as he ran a hand along her back.