Chloe made sure she landed on Kris, trying to protect her from the blast. Two tense moments later, she called softly, "Harm, Mac? You guys all right?" She slowly rolled off Kris, whispering, "You okay?" Not receiving any response from the other couple, she called again, "Harm? Mac?"
She stood, moving closer to the truck, one hand pressed to her temple. Reaching the center of the explosion, she quickly fell to her knees beside her big sister. "Mac," she murmured. "Kris, call 911. Mac's knocked out. She's bleeding pretty heavily, and it looks like she's burned." Turning her attention to Harm, Chloe gave him a perfunctory inspection. "Harm looks like he should come out of it in a minute or two, but Mac..." Her voice trailed off, on the edge of tears.
Kris sat up, shaking off the wave of dizziness that overcame her. She glanced up at the crowd of onlookers that had come out of the restaurant after the explosion. "Someone call 911!" she yelled, crouching beside Chloe. Squeezing her fiancee's shoulders once for reassurance, Kris pulled off her jacket and pressed it over the wound on Mac's head, trying to still the bleeding. "Go try to wake Harm. Mac will be fine," Kris promised, hoping with every word that she was telling the truth.
Chloe hesitated a moment before following orders. Kneeling next to the fallen JAG, she lightly shook him. "Harm, wake up. Use that damned hard head of yours for something good for a change."
Harm groaned softly and sat up, holding one hand to his head. "Mac," he said immediately, glancing over to where she lay silent on the blacktop. "Fuck," he cursed under his breath, crawling over to her. "Mac," he murmured, "Wake up, sweetie."
"She's hurt pretty bad," Kris said, trying to keep her voice out of Chloe's hearing. The faint whine of the sirens grew louder as they raced towards the restaurant.
Chloe moved to take Mac's limp hand in her own. "C'mon, Mac," she whispered, "you have to wake up. You just have to." She glanced up. "Where's the damned paramedics?"
Harm pressed his own hand over Kris', tenderly holding the jacket down on Mac's bleeding head. Kris slid her hand out and turned to Chloe, concern etched on her features. "Honey, you're hurt," she said softly, brushing her hand across Chloe's cheek.
"I'm fine," Chloe dismissed her own injuries. She leaned into Kris' quiet strength, gathering her reserves so she wouldn't fall apart until Mac, Harm and Kris were taken care of. Especially Mac. "This can't be happening," she denied. "Mac, you'll be okay. You have to be. You were a mother to me and dammit, I want my mother at my wedding," she railed. She looked up as the ambulance skidded to a stop and the EMT's jumped out. "Where were you?" she demanded furiously. "She could die!"
"Chloe!" Kris snapped in a commanding voice. "Let them do their job," she pleaded gently. "Let them help Mac, okay? Calm down."
Chloe inhaled a ragged breath. "I know," she whispered. "It's just..."
"I know," Kris echoed, pulling Chloe against her side. "She'll be fine," she promised, smoothing Chloe's hair.
"Really?" Chloe asked in a small voice. "Do you promise?" She buried her head in Kris' shoulder.
"I promise," Kris said, tears springing to her eyes. Chloe was her strength, her rock. Seeing her like this was heart-breaking. "Mac's a champ, you know she'd never let something like this beat her."
Chloe nodded silently.
"Excuse me," an EMT interjected quietly, "but we're ready to take her. If the rest of you would follow in the second ambulance?"
"Yes, of course," Kris said, climbing to her feet wearily. She pulled Chloe with her, keeping one arm around the other woman. "Come on," she murmured. Harm came around on the other side, following Mac automatically into the first ambulance.
Chloe settled mutely in the second ambulance, submitting to the paramedics' ministrations without protest. She numbly followed their directions when they reached the hospital, letting herself be examined without once letting go of her fiancee.
Kris held Chloe's hand, murmuring reassurances. When the doctors were done, Kris leaned over and kissed Chloe's cheek gently. "You stay here," she indicated the hospital bed, "I'm going to go check on Mac, okay?"
Chloe grasped Kris' hand tightly. "Don't leave me," she pleaded. "Let me go with you."
"No, sweetie," Kristin said firmly. "You lay here and rest. I'll be back in ten minutes, I promise."
Chloe numbly followed Kris' instructions, the original spark of life that had been in her eyes fading. She leaned back against the pillow, her mind going blank.
Kris exited the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Willing the tears away, she headed down the hall to the Nurses Station. "Excuse me," she said to the young woman behind the desk. "Can you tell me where they've taken Sarah Mackenzie?"
"She's still being examined," the girl replied in a bored tone. As if by rote, she continued, "I can let you know when she's out, though. She'll probably be put in ICU."
"Thanks," Kris said softly. "My fiancee's in Exam 3. That's where I'll be." She wandered down the hall to the waiting room and dropped into a chair, exhausted. Resting her head against her palms, Kris took a few deep breaths, trying to process the events of the day.
Chloe's eyes shot open, filled with terror from her nightmare. "Mac!"
Kris heard the scream and sprinted towards the room. Pulling the curtain back slightly, she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Calm down," Kris said softly, wrapping her arms around Chloe. She had an odd sense of deja vu in reverse.
Trembling, Chloe leaned into her embrace. "Mac?" she asked.
"Nothing yet, sweetie. They're still checking her out."
Chloe breathed raggedly, trying to calm her racing heart. "Stay with me?" she requested. "I don't want to be alone right now."
"I'm not going anywhere, Chloe," Kris said calmly. "I'm right here."
Chloe didn't reply, just curled toward her fiancee as much as possible with the bed's guard rail between them.
Kris released Chloe momentarily, climbing around the rail to lay beside her in the bed.
Chloe slowly relaxed, dropping off to sleep once again with her head on Kris' shoulder and her arm draped over her waist.
Kris breathed in Chloe's familiar scent, trying to steady her racing heart. She kept an eye on the clock as the minutes crawled by. After half an hour, she slipped out of the bed, feathering kisses on Chloe's forehead. Tiptoeing out of the room, she headed for Triage. "Excuse me," she said to someone's back. "I'm trying to find my friend."
"And who would that be?" the doctor turned around, his eyes lighting up when he saw the beautiful woman who had made the request.
Kris smiled wanly. "Major General Sarah Mackenzie."
The doctor glanced down at the chart in his hand. "She's been moved to ICU room 329. "Her fiancee is in with her. It's up the elevator and to the right." He hesitated a moment. "I don't do this very often, but would you like to go out some time?"
Blanching, Kris tried to be polite. "I--I'm sorry," she faltered. "I'm here with my fiancee as well. She's in exam room three. But thank you for the information," she said sincerely.
The doctor gave a charming smile. "I wish you all the happiness in your marriage. And I hope your friend is okay," he added, walking away.
"Thank you," Kris murmured, more to herself than anything else. She headed for the elevator and stepped off into the sterile ICU ward. Bracing herself, Kris pushed open the door to Room 329. "Harm?" she said softly.
Harm glanced up from the chair beside the bed. "Hey, Kris," he said in a gravelly voice. "How's Chloe?"
"She's all right. She's scared out of her mind, though. How's Mac?" Kris asked, crouching down beside his chair.
"I don't know," Harm answered, running a hand through his hair, making it stick up in three different directions. "She still hasn't woken up," he said, stifling the tears.
"Shhhh," Kris murmured, standing up. Draping an arm around Harm's shoulders, she ran her hand over his hair, fixing it. "Mac's going to be fine. I know it." She glanced down at Harm with a watery smile. "I'm going back down to check on Chloe. I'll bring her up to see Mac as soon as she's gotten some sleep, okay?"
"Okay," Harm nodded blankly, holding Mac's hand tightly.
Kris nodded, backing out of the room, unable to look at Mac, lying on the bed, surrounded by machines.
Two floors down, Chloe stirred restlessly, reaching for Kris. Opening her eyes, she glanced around the room. Seeing no one, she carefully sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Since she was just in an exam room, not a regular room, she still had her clothes. All she needed to do was find her shoes. She stood up unsteadily, navigating the room carefully in the search for footwear. Leaning down to check under the bed, she felt dizzy. Hurriedly grabbing the guard rail, she attempted to regain her balance.
Kris came back into the room just in time to see Chloe flailing for the side of the bed. "Dammit, Madison," she snapped, grabbing Chloe's arm. "Get back in bed. You got smacked on the head by a parking lot, you don't need to be running around the hospital."
"I want to see Mac," Chloe insisted stubbornly, trying to pull away.
"She's asleep," Kris lied. "Get back in the damn bed."
"I don't want to. I want to sit with Mac," Chloe repeated.
"And I want a fucking pony," Kris bitched. "Doesn't look like either of us is getting what we want. Now get back in bed before I call the doctor and have him sedate you."
"Yes, ma'am," Chloe grouched, settling back on the bed, trying not to show her relief at getting off her feet.
Kris tugged Chloe's arm gently until she was reclining against the pillows. Satisfied, she relented a little. "If you'll sleep for a few hours, I'll take you upstairs to see Mac when you wake up."
"Promise?" Chloe perked up immediately. She settled more firmly into the bed, tugging on Kris' arm. "Only if you come back," she insisted.
"All right," Kris agreed, settling back against the headboard.
Chloe closed her eyes, but couldn't fall asleep as quickly as she had before. Her mind was racing with the possibilities as her brain emerged from its semi-catatonic state. *Who could do this? Were they after Harm or Mac? Or were they trying to get at her and Kris through their parental figures?*
Kris bent her head and, reading her soulmate's mind, whispered, "Go to sleep. We'll figure it out later."
"I can't help it," Chloe whispered. "But I'll try." She closed her eyes, trying to avoid replaying the explosion in her mind.
Kris sat with Chloe until she was asleep and got up again, wandering the corridors. She checked on Mac again and found Harm asleep, his head resting beside Mac on the bed. Kris grabbed a blanket out of the closet out in the hall and draped it over his shoulders before moving on. *Thank goodness for that year as a candy striper,* she thought idly. Taking the elevator back to Chloe, Kris neglected to look at the floor number and accidentally got off on 2, not 1. Following the hall by rote, Kris glanced around, realizing she was on the wrong floor. She turned to go back to the elevator and the reflection off the elevator door caught her eye. Turning, Kris saw the rows upon rows of bassinets. She approached the window, smiling slightly as she peered in at the sleeping newborns. Hoping Chloe would stay asleep for a few more minutes, Kris watched the babies, her heart aching. They were so tiny...so beautiful. Shaking herself awake, Kris reluctantly broke her gaze from the babies and dragged herself to the elevator.
A police officer approached as the elevator doors opened. "Ms. McGowan? I have a couple of questions about this evening's incident. If you could follow me for a minute?"
Kris nodded wearily. "Yessir," she replied automatically, following the man in blue.
He ushered her into a quiet lounge, gesturing for her to sit on the couch. "Can you tell me what happened tonight?"
Kris sighed, leaning her elbows on her knees. "We--Chloe, Mac, Harm and I--were standing outside the restaurant, and all of sudden Harm heard something...like a ticking. Half a minute later, we all heard this explosion and when I came to, the hood of Mac's truck was in pieces and we were all lying on the ground."
"Did you see anything?" The officer took down what she'd said.
"No, sir. Just a couple of cars in the parking lot, and a couple of people at the other end." Kris paused, trying to bring up the image. "One of the cars was running, though."
"Do you know the make of the car? The color? The year?" the officer queried.
Shaking her head in frustration, Kris said, "It was black. A sports car. Ferarri? Mustang? I don't know anything about cars," she finished lamely.
"Do you know of anyone who'd have anything against any of you?"
"Hah," Kris laughed sardonically. "You want my address book?"
The officer blinked. "Excuse me?" he asked, bemused.
Shaking her head, Kris explained, "Between the two of us, Chloe and I have racked up a number of enemies. The latest in the string seems to be a man she went to boot camp with, Bryan..." she trailed off in thought. "Bryan Kaplan."
The officer noted the name. "Do you know where I can find him?"
"No, sir, but Chloe might. You can ask her when she wakes up."
The officer nodded. "Thanks for your time. I'll let you go now. Get some sleep," he added genially.
"Thank you," Kris said, trudging off to the familiar room. She slipped in and glanced at Chloe with a soft sigh.
Chloe stirred. "Hey," she murmured sleepily. "Where'd you disappear to?"
"I was talking to the police," Kris said quietly, sinking into a chair. "I checked on Mac," she added, knowing Chloe would want to know. "She's still...asleep."
"No, she's not," Chloe argued. "I'm slightly more coherent now. I want the truth, Kristin."
Kris sighed, slouching down in the chair. She was tired of fighting. "She's unconscious," Kris said simply.
Chloe nodded. "Thank you for being honest," she replied. "I love you, lightweight. Get some sleep."
"Not bloody likely,"
Kris muttered. "But go ahead."
* * *
Mac stirred slightly. Trying
to open her heavy eyes, she began to try to identify the sounds around
her. Beeping. Sounded like a hospital. There was a warm
pressure on her hand. She'd heard a broken voice whispering her name
throughout the night, but she hadn't possessed the strength to put the voice at
ease. She was still tired, but something pulled her to open her
eyes. "Harm," she rasped.
Harm opened his eyes slowly, focusing blearily on Mac's face. "Hey,
jarhead," he said quietly, a grin spreading across his face.
"Welcome back."
"Back?" Mac whispered, confused. "What happened?" She studied his face. "You look like hell." There were dark circles under his eyes, a gash on his forehead and a dirt smudge on his chin.
"Well, there was this bomb...." Harm trailed off, raising Mac's hand to his lips and kissing it gently. "Don't worry about it now, okay? Just get better."
Mac struggled to sit up. "I don't think so, sailor. Bomb? Are Chloe and Kris okay?"
"Lay back, Mac," Harm said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. "Kris is fine. Chloe got a little banged up, but nothing to worry about. How are you feeling?" he asked, brushing a hand across her cheek in concern.
"I'm fine," Mac tried to dodge the question. "What happened? Who bombed us? Have you slept at all?"
Harm sat back and crossed his arms, shaking his head. If he knew one thing, it was how to work things so Mac listened to him. "I'm not telling you anything until you calm down."
Mac slumped back against the pillows. "I'm relaxed," she said sullenly. "Now tell me."
"Okay," Harm assented. "We were out to dinner with Kris and Chloe, remember?" He didn't wait for her response before continuing. "We were in the parking lot, standing in front of your truck, talking. All of a sudden, I heard a ticking noise. You heard it, too. Then all of a sudden, it seems the hood of your truck was blown to kingdom come, and took us with it."
Worried, Mac inquired, "Did they catch whoever did it? Do we know who they were after?"
"No on both counts. The bomb was under *your* hood, but everyone knows how close you are to Kris and Chloe. Anyone with deductive reasoning could've figured that we'd stand outside the restaurant and chitchat."
Mac frowned. "Why doesn't that reassure me?"
"Sorry, just trying to give it to you straight," Harm said softly. "You want me to call Chloe up?"
"In a minute," Mac decided. "I...almost wish we knew for sure they were after us. Kris and Chloe are so young. They have their entire lives before them."
"So do we," Harm said emphatically. He leaned over and took Mac's hand. "Will you just trust me, please? Concentrate on healing, and when you get out, we'll find whoever did this and lock his six up. Deal?"
"Deal. Why don't you get Chloe?" Mac asked, closing her eyes. "I'd like to see her and Kris."
"Okay." Harm stood, bending to kiss Mac's forehead. "Be right back." He took the elevator to the third floor, as Kris had directed late the night before, where Chloe was sharing a room overnight with a roommate. He pushed back the curtain on her half of the sparse hospital quarters. "Good morning," he said softly. "Everyone awake?"
Kris' eyes popped open. "What's wrong?" she asked immediately. "Is Mac okay?"
Harm nodded. "She's awake and wants to see you two."
Kris shook Chloe's shoulder gently. "Chlo, wake up. Mac wants to see you."
Chloe moved restlessly. "Huh? Mac..." She sat up, her eyes flying open. "Mac's awake?"
"Yeah, baby, she's awake," Kris smiled. "Get up *slowly* and we'll go see her."
Chloe stuck her tongue out at her fiancee. "Watch it, lightweight." She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, levering herself up with the help of the chair. She carefully negotiated the length of the room, gaining steadiness as she progressed.
"Can I get some real clothes before I see Mac?" she requested. "I do *not* want to walk around in this air conditioned hospital gown."
"Good, because you're not walking anywhere," Harm said, producing a wheelchair from behind the curtain. "Mac said if you walked up, she'd refuse to talk to you." He shrugged as if he had no choice in the matter.
Kris winked at Harm surreptitiously. "Thanks," she mouthed.
"No way," Chloe protested. "I don't need a wheelchair." She glanced at Kris. "You planned this, didn't you?" she accused. "It's a conspiracy."
"Yes, it is, now sit down and shut up," Kris said, lovingly giving Chloe a gentle shove towards the chair.
"Can I at least get some jeans?" Chloe begged. "Anything but this hospital gown!"
"All right," Kris said, pulling fresh clothes out of an overnight bag tucked under the bed. *God bless Harriet,* she thought idly as she handed Chloe a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The Lieutenant Commander had brought fresh clothes, toiletries, magazines and even food around two that morning.
"Harriet?" Chloe said knowingly as she wriggled into the jeans, finding a soft, well-worn T-shirt to go with them. Running a quick brush through her hair, she declared, "All right, I'm ready to go."
"Duh," Kris grinned. "Like the *Admiral* was gonna do it? Okay, let's go." She stepped between Harm and the wheelchair, wrinkling her nose. "Back off, sir. You hit that concrete pretty hard, too." Kris grunted softly as she started to push the wheelchair and its well-built Marine towards the elevator.
Mac's eyes fluttered open as she heard squeaky wheels stop outside her door. "Kris? Chloe?"
Kris leaned over and pushed the door open, wriggling the chair in. "Good morning, General," she said, mock-saluting. "Reporting as ordered."
"Funny," Mac snorted. "How are you?" she inquired warmly. "You look dead on your feet. Come sit down," she patted the edge of the bed. "Chloe's got a movable chair, and Harm'll be fine, since he's going to find us something to eat, but you need to sit before you fall."
Kris sank onto the bed, sighing softly. "You have *no* idea," she teased. "*I* pushed Chloe. That girl weighs a ton!"
"Hey, it's all muscles," Chloe protested. She wheeled herself closer, resting one hand on Kris' knee and the other taking Mac's.
She addressed the older woman. "How are you doing, Mac? You gave us all a scare."
Mac sighed. "I'm fine. More worried about who did this. Can either of you fill me in? The worrywart won't tell me anything."
Harm cleared his throat and grinned as all three girls glanced up at him. "I'm going to see if anything in the cafeteria is edible, before Mac starts gnawing on the bedsheets."
"Yeah, go," Kris waved her hand with a grin. "Let us girls gossip."
"Gossip? Us? Kris, you belittle us. We're participating in an exchange of non-official information," Mac responded.
"Besides, marines don't gossip," Chloe added.
"Oh, soooooooorry," Kris said, raising her hands in surrender. "I'm a civvie, remember?"
Harm laughed, heading out to the cafeteria.
"You need to learn this stuff, Kris," Mac teased. "After all, you're marrying into the service."
Chloe grinned. "She's got a point, lightweight." She sobered. "Mac, are you sure you're okay? You really got the brunt of this."
Mac laughed lightly. "I'm fine, Chlo. Truly. It's not too bad; I've been through worse. What about the two of you?" she addressed Kristin.
"I'm fine. Just a little bump. Didja see my band-aid?" Kris proudly displayed the Pooh band-aid on her forehead, trying to lighten the mood.
Mac choked. "Pooh and Piglet. How...nice," she settled on.
"I think it's cute," Chloe managed, before bursting into giggles.
"It *is*!" Kris exclaimed indignantly. "S'better than the plain brown one you got," she poked Chloe's arm gently.
"Yeah, but I got a cool GI Joe sticker," Chloe stuck her tongue out at her fiancee. "*And* I got a lollipop."
"The nurse grabbed my butt," Kris threw back triumphantly.
"You'd better have told her hands off," Chloe frowned.
Kris stuck her tongue out. "Maybe I did, and maybe I didn't. But either way, it got you extra Jello this morning, didn't it?"
Mac laughed. "All right, you two, behave."
"Yes, mom," Chloe replied. "Harriet brought us some clothes." She held the bag aloft. "She'll probably stop by to see you later."
Mac nodded. Pausing a second, she said, "I don't want the two of you staying alone in your apartment for awhile. I want you under guard."
Nodding, Kris actually agreed without a fight. "Hey, Chlo, will the Corps put us up at the Ritz?"
"I doubt it," Chloe replied dryly. "Probably something more like the Super 8."
"Oh, well. It'll have a working bathtub, one up on our apartment."
"I wouldn't be so sure about the working bathtub," Mac teased. "Seriously, they'll probably put you up in barracks. The two of you should be fine as long as you're on base."
Kris stood outside the hospital room door the next morning. Chloe and Mac had both been declared fit for some semblance of duty and discharged. She was just waiting for the finicky Private Madison to finish getting dressed.
Chloe exited the room, clad in jeans and sneakers. "I'm ready to go," she announced.
"Good. Go sign your discharge papers." Kris shifted her weight to her other foot and sighed.
"No problem," Chloe saluted and joined Mac at the desk to fill in the forms.
As she left, a tall blond approached. "Kristin McGowan? I'm Detective Genevieve Feligno. Admiral Rabb hired me." She held out her hand to the redhead.
"Nice to meet you, Detective," Kris said, shaking her hand. "Is there anything new?"
"Call me Vieve. I've followed Private Bryan Kaplan for the past several days; ever since the Admiral called me. He was nowhere near Alexandria on the night of the bombing. He spends a lot of time on base, on duty. In his off-duty hours, he's no different from any other young military man. He drinks, plays pool, and hits on the women."
"So he's got an alibi," Kris said angrily. "Doesn't mean he didn't do it."
"I've spoken with the police bomb squad. The type of bomb attached to the car could have been set up and detonated without the presence of the bomber. It's possible he did it, but it is unlikely. His type of character wants to be there, to savor the victory. He would want to see everything. He'd get a sick thrill out of it."
Kris crossed her arms over her chest, fuming silently. *Great, just great,* she thought. *Now it's not just Bryan, some *other* sick fuck is after us.*
"I wish I had better news," Vieve apologized. "I can continue to watch Bryan if you'd like. Or do you want me to see if I can find out who *is* doing this to you?"
Chloe walked up to the pair, slinging an arm over Kris' shoulders. "You okay?" she asked quietly, intently studying the stranger.
"Fine," Kris murmured. Louder, she said, "Please do the latter. We look forward to hearing more. Come on, Chlo."
Chloe trailed her fiancee to the car as Vieve headed for the elevator. "What's going on?" Chloe asked. "Who was she?"
"The detective Harm hired," Kris said shortly. "She says Bryan has an alibi for the other night."
"Damn," Chloe swore. "And I bet she said it's some other demented bastard who's doing this to us."
"Yup. She said she'd try to find out who."
Chloe followed her fiancee out of the hospital, climbing into the four-door that was waiting. She grinned at Harm, who was behind the wheel. "Home, James."
Harm raised an eyebrow, shifting the car into gear. He paused imperceptibly, and as the anticipated explosion never happened, proceeded towards Chloe and Kris' apartment, so they could gather clothes.
Upon arriving, they efficiently collected enough clothing to last for several weeks and left a note for their neighbor, who would be taking care of Bob.
Emerging from the building, Chloe pushed her hair out of her face as she slid into the car, waiting for Kris. "I've got to get this cut," she complained.
"That's what being in the hospital does to you," Mac commiserated, running her fingers through her own hair. "At least your's is easy to deal with. Mine's hell."
"I don't know, Mac, I kinda like it." Harm grinned, reaching over to run his fingers through the long strands. "Very femme."
"Femme?" Mac retorted indignantly. "I'm a Marine, Harm, Marines don't do 'femme.'"
Chloe managed to choke back her laughter. "Besides, it's just a pain when it's this long. She'd have to spend longer in the morning working with it, and that would cut back on time for, um, other things." She raised her eyebrows.
Rolling his eyes, Harm concentrated on the road. "I think it's cute," he muttered in defeat. "And you seemed to pull off "femme" quite well a few weeks ago, if memory serves."
Kris giggled, pulling Chloe to her for a long kiss. "Stay out of their business," she warned under her breath. "Or no more kisses."
"Ah, Kris," Chloe mock-whined, watching the action in the front seat avidly. She twined their fingers together and held her tongue, however.
Mac murmured, "Airing our private life in public, flyboy?"
"They're not public, they're family," Harm said quietly, taking the exit towards Quantico.
Mac smiled softly, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad you feel that way."
Harm looked down at her quickly with a puzzled expression. "Why wouldn't I, Mac?"
"Hey, Harm?" Kris interrupted, trying to forestall the mush. "Is it going to be icky in the barracks?" She wrinkled her nose.
"Icky?" Harm laughed outright. "I don't know, ask the Marines."
"Marine barracks are never 'icky,' Harmon, and you very well know it," Mac reprimanded lightly. "Kris, they'll be like a college dorm. The two of you are going to be in a private room for security reasons. It's something you should be used to, although I can't guarantee that it won't be small."
"As long as we have privacy," Kris murmured, rubbing her hand teasingly over Chloe's thigh. "We're still in the honeymoon stage," she laughed.
"More than I needed to know," Mac groaned. She fell silent as they pulled into the parking lot. As they glided to a stop, she said seriously, "You two be careful, okay? We don't know who's behind this. It could be anyone."
"We know, Mac, we know," Kris said wearily. "I'm watching her back, don't worry."
"We're watching each others' backs," Chloe corrected mildly. "We'll be fine, Mac, quit being such a mother hen. We'll call you tonight."
"You better," Harm warned. "Or we're driving back out here to interrupt your little 'honeymoon'." He grinned broadly. "So call."
"Yes, sir," Chloe mocked. "Not a problem, Admiral, sir."
"Watch it, Private," Mac teased. "You're being insubordinate to a superior officer."
"Me, insubordinate?" Chloe batted her eyelashes. "Never, ma'am."
Mac laughed, and shooed the pair out of the car. "We'll talk to you two later."
"Bye!" Kris called as they clambered out.
Chloe stretched sleepily in the pre-dawn hours. Rising quietly from the bed in the so-called guest quarters made available to them at Quantico, she shoved her feet into her jogging shoes and headed for the door. Pausing before she left the room, she glanced back at Kris. Her fiancee's red hair was spread out in waves over the pillow. Chloe felt a stirring of love as she gazed at the other woman. Moving back to the edge of the bed, she decided to skip her morning run in favor of more pleasurable activities. She toed off her shoes, crawling back into bed next to Kris, wrapping an arm around her slender waist.
Kris stirred, murmuring softly, "Did you go jogging yet?"
"Decided it could wait another morning." Chloe pulled her closer. "Didn't feel like leaving you."
Kris rolled over, throwing one leg over Chloe's. She bent her head, kissing the Marine's neck slowly. "Thanks," she said with a grin.
Chloe arched her neck, moaning softly. "You're welcome," she mumbled, rapidly losing the ability to speak. Her hands caressed Kris' side and stroked her back. "Marry me," she whispered.
"You already asked me that," Kris giggled, slipping her hand under the sheet and playing with Chloe's t-shirt. "I already said yes."
"Oh, good," Chloe returned. "Wouldn't want it to have to be a shotgun wedding," she grinned, clasping her fiancee's hands in her own.
Kris giggled harder. "The likelihood of you getting me pregnant isn't very high, honey." She wriggled her hands away from Chloe's and dove beneath the blanket.
"True," Chloe replied. She pulled the blanket up over her own head. "Having fun?" she inquired archly.
"Mmmhmmm." Kris tugged at Chloe's shorts, pulling them down and tossing them down into a corner of the bed.
"Glad to hear it." Chloe reached for her fiancee, dragging her up until she could reach her lips. "Love you."
"Love you, too," Kris whispered against Chloe's mouth.
Chloe reluctantly pulled away. "We have to get ready for the day. I have to report to General Lewis at 0800, and you have to meet with your advisor."
Scrunching up her nose, Kris reluctantly climbed out of bed and grabbed a towel. "Race you to the shower!" she giggled, traipsing down the hall to the community shower.
Chloe quickly followed, shampoo and a towel in her hands. She glanced around at the tiled walls and floor, noting the familiar layout, just like all college dorms, and all military barracks. She smiled at another female Marine, and nodded at a petite FBI Agent. She knew the woman must be FBI, because she screamed Fed, and the CIA didn't work out of Quantico. Her gaze followed the redhead out the door before she turned to take her shower.
Kris was already in the deserted shower room, under a spray of hot water, singing to herself.
"Don't use all the hot water," Chloe teased. "And by the way, 'Singin' in the Rain?' How apt."
"Bite me," Kris singsonged over the water. She finished up in the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Stepping out into the steamy locker-type room, Kris approached the mirror and almost bumped into the opening door. "Oops, sorry!" she said automatically, until she realized who it was. "Bryan," she gasped slightly, and took a step backward.
"It's the dyke," Bryan sneered, leering at her lascivously. "Where's your protector, baby? On duty? Too bad she's not around to save you." He took a menacing step closer.
Kris took a shuddering breath and advanced on Bryan, her small fists shaking with anger. "Back off, asshole," she hissed. "Chloe's not the only one with tae kwon do training."
"Sure. I told you before, a real man could fix you," Bryan growled. He moved even closer to her, grabbing her wrist in a painfully tight grip.
Kris reached her free hand over and took Bryan's wrist, twisting it backwards, with an audible snap. "Next time you see a real man, give him my number."
Chloe stepped out of the shower, tying her robe around her waist. Noticing Kris handily working over Bryan, she stood aside, watching. She knew it would be good for Kris to take care of Bryan on her own; it would be cathartic and would help her regain her confidence.
"Did you have anything to say before I call your C.O. and report you for attempted rape?" Kris sneered.
"You'll never get away with this, bitch," Bryan spat. "You can turn me in, but there aren't any witnesses." He attempted to lunge at her, the unbroken fist making a lucky connection just over her eye.
Kris' head snapped back but she recovered within a split second. Calling up long-forgotten karate lessons, she slid around behind Bryan and kicked him in the middle of his back. He doubled over, falling hard to his knees on the cold tile. "My dyke girlfriend saw the whole thing," Kris challenged, seeing Chloe just as Bryan fell. She lifted up one small fist and connected with the back of his head. He fell forward with a grunt and Kris smiled proudly. "How'd I do, jarhead?"
"Not bad," Chloe said considerately. "Of course, you should never have let him get that advantage of you. Once you have them down, never let them up." She grinned. "Overall, I'd give it an eight." She turned the fallen man over. "Let's go call for the MPs."
"I'll wait here with him," Kris said, settling back on a bench and raising the Pantene bottle in one hand. "If he gets out of line again, I'll give him a mouthful of Extra Body."
Chloe made a face as she headed out the door to alert security. Re-entering the bathroom a few moments later, she tossed a pair of shorts and a T-shirt at Kris, having already donned her own. "I thought you might be a bit more comfortable in real clothes when talking to the cops."
"Why, thank you," Kris said with a little grin, the first time she'd really been able to smile since the first brick came sailing through their bedroom window. Shimmying into her clothes, Kris sat back down, nudging Bryan with her toe.
"I don't think prodding him is going to get him to wake up any sooner," Chloe noted, amusement in her voice. "Besides, we'd just have to knock him out again. So what's the point?" She slid down the wall to sit next to Kris.
Kris rolled her eyes at Chloe. "I was just checking."
Chloe stuck her tongue out at the redhead as the door opened to admit a pair of sergeants. "This is him, we wrapped him up nicely for you," she gestured to the limp Bryan.
Kris smiled up at the MPs. "Where do we go to file charges?"
"You can meet with Major Servato at the brig, ma'am," one of the MPs replied deferentially. "I do apologize that a visitor to Quantico had this kind of problem. I'm sure he'll be dealt with swiftly."
"Thank you," Kris said with a genuine smile. "We'll just go and file the paperwork now. Come on, Chlo."
"Coming." Chloe followed her back toward their room, knowing Kris would want to slip on shoes.
Kris grabbed her sandals and slipped them on. They headed out to Chloe's car, which Harriet and Bud had been kind enough to drop off the night before. *Boy, that Harriet really comes in handy,* Kris thought.
Chloe gasped at the sight of her beat-up pickup truck. The windshield was cracked, and the exterior had "dyke" scratched into the paint. Moving quickly to the driver's side window, she noted the knife through the upholstery of the seat, pinning a piece of paper to the head rest. Running a shaking hand through her hair, she managed, "I guess we'll be walking to make our report. And we'll have a bit to add."
Kris shook her head slowly. "Looks like Bryan's been a busy boy this morning."
"Apparently." Chloe managed a weak smile. "He really needs to come up with some new material." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the brig, knowing that fingerprints needed to be dusted for and photographs taken.
Kris nodded, wrapping an arm around Chloe's waist.
Two days later, Chloe dashed in the door, tossing her keys on the couch and dropping the groceries on the island as she raced for the phone. "Private Madison."
Kris followed her in, closing the door before Bob could get out. "Uh uh, little man. Get back in there."
"Private, this is Captain O'Dell, Quantico Military Police. We got some prints off your car the other day. Thought you might like to hear the latest."
"And?" Chloe asked, barely covering her impatience. She mouthed to Kris, "Police."
Kris picked Bob up and stroked his fur gently, leaning against Chloe's side as she spoke.
"You say Private Bryan Kaplan was the man harassing you, right? Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but the prints we found on the door and the handle of the knife were not Private Kaplan's. We're still working on finding out whose they are." Captain O'Dell sounded slightly frustrated. "As of now, we don't think he's military, since he's not matching any of our databases."
End Ch. 4
