"Robotech - To The Stars: Aftermath - The First Year"
Chapter 19


February 18th, 2015

Lisa opened one eye and saw that the clock read 2am. She had slept longer than she was planning to and put it down to the lingering effects of the medication she had taken several hours before. She closed her eyes and tried to get back into a thinking frame of mind and started remembering bits and pieces of what had transpired earlier. She had been in quite a bit of pain and had taken some medication the nurse had left, then Kim came over and they had an argument. It had something to do about the medication but it took Lisa a few minutes to remember the conversation.
Kim had pulled off a little act to try and get Lisa to see what effect the medication had on her. Lisa hadn't realized it then, but she realized it now and was grateful to Kim. Lisa could feel the throbbing in her back but was determined to keep away from any painkillers. They made her feel strange and she knew that she had taken more than was prescribed to help her deal with her personal problems and that was a very bad and dangerous thing to do. Kim had accused her of being an addict, but Lisa wasn't really, but it was Kim's way of making Lisa realize that she needed to stop now, and that's what she was going to do.
Lisa got up slowly and made her way to the living room where she found Kim snoring on the couch. Lisa chuckled at the scene and went back to her room to get a blanket then brought it back to the living room and placed it over Kim, who snorted and then mumbled and woke up.
"I'm sorry I woke you," said Lisa quietly.
Kim stared at Lisa for a moment, Kim's hair looking like she had stuck her finger in a light socket. "Huh? Where am I? Oh...oh hey. Are you ok Lisa?"
"Yes I'm fine," answered Lisa.
Kim looked at her suspiciously then asked, "Are you sure? You haven't taken anything you're not suppose to are you?"
Lisa smiled, "No ma'am. I haven't taken anything. I'm going to stay away from that stuff from now on. Your little act worked."
Kim was surprised for a few seconds then said, "Oh well, yeah, I needed to figure out a way to make you realize it."
"I did. Thank you Kim," replied Lisa.
Kim waved her hand, "Hey no problem."
Lisa smirked, "I'll make sure you get some type of raise."
Lisa had meant it to be a joke, but Kim took the comment seriously and spoke up quickly, saying, "Lisa. I didn't mean it, really. You know that I don't expect anything in return at all. I would consider myself a terrible friend if I didn't help you, and I'd do anything to help my friends."
"Kim, please don't worry. I was just joking. I know your dedication to your friends and that's why everyone loves you and respects you so much," said Lisa calmly.
Kim, touched by Lisa's comment, but on who hated to show her sentimental side, thought of something to change the subject away from herself and said, "By the way, I thought you might want to know.... we can send outgoing transmissions. Nothing coming in though."
Lisa thought for a moment and was about to say something when Kim added, "There's... there's something I have to tell you."
Lisa knew that tone to be Kim's confession tone and felt apprehensive as she waited to hear what it was Kim had to say.
"Lisa...after the meeting, in Monument..." started Kim pensively.
Lisa held her breath, she suspected it had something to do with Rick and was scared to hear what it could be.
"I was outside the conference and I heard what Rick said to you. And after you left the conference room, Rick came out, and I...I lost it I guess, and...I slapped him," said Kim, looking down at the floor.
"You slapped Rick?" asked Lisa, not sure she had heard correctly.
Kim grabbed Lisa's shoulders and said, "I'm so sorry! I...I was just so mad at him, I wasn't thinking. I slapped him and told him I hated him." Kim's eyes were a bit watery and she waited for Lisa to react.
Lisa tried to picture the scene and she actually found it rather amusing. Maybe that's what Mr. Rick Hunter needed, a wakeup call delivered via I'll-Crack-Your-Head-Open-If-You-Piss-Me-Off Kim Young. Lisa started to chuckle and Kim was caught off guard by Lisa's reaction.
"Aren't you mad?" asked Kim.
Lisa chuckled again then said, "Actually, no. It sounds pretty amusing actually. I wish I had seen been able to see it."
Kim scratched her head and then asked quietly, "So, is it ok if I send him a note...I wanted to send him an apology. I mean, I still am very mad at him, but I think I went too far when I slapped him. I had no right to do that."
"Sure, you can apologize to him if you want. You don't need to ask my permission," said Lisa.
"Do you...do you want to say anything to him?" asked Kim cautiously.
Lisa sat perfectly still for a moment and thought about it. She had already tried once, was she going to try again? She thought that maybe this separation was what was needed to let them both cool off for awhile.
"Um...no, actually, as much as I would like to talk to him, I think it's best if I let things cool down for awhile..." Lisa looked as if she were lost in thought and Kim could think of nothing else to do except put her hand on Lisa's shoulder and say quietly, "I...I think, I know that this must be a difficult time for you, and maybe it seems that Rick doesn't care, but we all know that's not true. I know things will straighten out, and that big dopey teddy bear will come to his senses eventually. I'll...I'll say a prayer for you."
Lisa looked at Kim with surprise and Kim shrugged her shoulders and explained, "Shocking eh? I guess what Vanessa's been trying to tell me all these years finally started to sink in. And there's a particular reason why, but it's still something I can't bring myself discuss right now. But trust me, pray, and it does work. I've found that out first hand."
Lisa shook her head and didn't press Kim for details. Lisa suspected that it had something to do with what happened the day Khyron attacked the SDF-1 and SDF-2. Lisa stood up slowly and said, "Kim, you go ahead and go back to your quarters, I'll be alright by myself tonight."
Kim was going to ask Lisa if she were sure, but she saw the old Lisa that she remembered well; the one that was confident and in control, and she canceled her question, gave Lisa a salute, then picked up her stuff and went back to her own quarters.

* * * * * * *

Rick couldn't fall asleep so he turned on the radio and tuned it to an oldies station, hoping and figuring that there would not be a Minmei song played on there. Thirty minutes had passed by and the music had been nice and mellow.
Throughout the thirty minutes he had been thinking about what it would be like to be an Admiral; what responsibilities would be demanded of him. He hadn't been thinking of Lisa but a song came on that hit him right between the eyes and all the other things he had been thinking about took a backseat to Lisa.
From the sounds of it, the song was very old, but the words were ageless....

There was a time when we were down and out
There was a place when we were starting over
We let the bough break
We let the heartache in
Who's sorry now
(1)

Rick thought about how he and Lisa had seemingly finally built up something good between them, but then he let it all come crashing down.

......
What , what kind of fool
Tears it apart
Leaving me pain and sorrow
(1)

Rick thought about what Lisa must be going through right now, on the satellite, injured and thinking that Rick didn't care about her.

.......
Was there a moment when I cut you down
(1)

Rick remembered the words that he had said to Lisa, those horrible words he said, that nothing was more important in his life than flying.

......
What have I done
I only apologize
For being as they say, the last to know
(1)

Rick remembered the countless times when he was blinded by his own selfishness, oblivious to the needs of people around him, especially Lisa. He remembered that his blindness and selfishness had nearly destroyed Lisa.

........
What, what kind of fool
Tears it apart
Leaving me pain and sorrow
Losing you now
How can I win
Where will I be tomorrow
(1)



As the song faded out Rick had had enough and quickly went to the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. He couldn't stand it, the realization that he had been a fool for the past 4 years and was still a fool now. He had believed he had changed and matured over the past few years, and he actually had, but when it came to the one person who was the most important person in his life, he was still the same old selfish jerk. Rick was so angry at himself he felt like beating his head against the wall but he knew it would do no good. He looked at himself in the mirror again and remembered what Vanessa had told him, to stop being a selfish jerk and be the man that everyone knew he could be, the man that Lisa knew he could be and needed him to be.
After letting this resolution sink in for a few moments, Rick found himself calming down, so he splashed some water on his face and headed to the kitchen to fix himself a cup of tea to help him further calm down.
When he walked into the kitchen he found Sammie putting the tea kettle on the stove. She quickly said, "Oh Rick, I'm sorry, did I wake you up? I tried not to make any noise."
Rick shook his head and grinned, "Nah. I was already awake, in fact, I was heading over here to put some water on the stove but I see you beat me to it."
Sammie put her finger to her chin and said, "Ohhhhh, we both headed to the kitchen almost at the same time. One of us must be psychic!!"
Rick laughed and walked to the cupboard to pick out a teabag and said, "Maybe, but then that's not a bad thing is it?"
Sammie smiled and answered, "No it isn't! In fact, as far as work goes, it could be a big help."
Rick fixed his cup then sat down at the table and Sammie joined him.
"How come you're up so late?" asked Rick.
Sammie wrung her hands a little bit, a sign that she was nervous about something. "Well, this is nearly the first time in a long time, at least that I can remember, when both Vanessa and Kim have been gone at the same time. It's something I'm not used to and so I couldn't sleep and decided to try some tea. What about you?"
Sammie waited for Rick's answer although she knew and pretty much expected that Rick wouldn't be sleeping very well for awhile.
"I don't think I'll be able to get a good night's sleep until I talk to Lisa," said Rick quietly.
Sammie nodded and remained quiet.
"I just can't stop thinking about her, the promotion, what is expected of me, what's been happening these past couple weeks...it's all so overwhelming," said Rick with a hint of despair in his voice.
Sammie nodded again and said, "I know. I mean, if I'm stressed out, I can only imagine what you must be going through. I...I'm going to talk to the Chaplain tommorrow. Vanessa, and my grandmother for that matter, always told me that when I feel overwhelmed and nothing seems to be going right, instead of getting depressed and angry about it, to go to church and pray for help." Sammie was going to continue but the tea kettle started to whistle and she got up to turn it off and fix the cups of tea.
"Here we are," Sammie said as she set Rick's cup down in front of him.
"Thanks Sam," said Rick with a small smile.
Sammie sat down and grinned, "It's good to see you smile Rick, you look so cute when you smile."
Rick shrugged and thought of Sammie's previous words and asked, "Does it work? I mean, when you don't know what to do and feel so frustrated and pray, does it work?"
Sammie shook her head adamantly, "Oh yes, it does! Sometimes, we forget and get caught up so much in what's happening to us and how we're feeling that we forget that all we need to do is take a moment to stop and pray about it. I'm not saying that everytime you pray for something you get your wish, because sometimes, what you want is not what the Big Man intended for you to have. But there are many times when you see that your prayers are answered. At least, you find some comfort and peace of mind. Do you want me to tell you a couple of stories about it?"
Rick nodded, intrigued and eager to hear Sammie's stories.
"Well, the best example I can give you happened during the end of the first year of reconstuction. That was when they were making those major re-assignment plans. You remember how upset and afraid me and Kim and V were about being reassigned?"
Rick shook his head, starting to remember the time period.
"We were all so afraid we were going to be split up, and me and Kim were really at our wits end," continued Sammie.
Rick chuckled, he remembered that time. Both women were walking around so grouchy and touchy that even Claudia was afraid to approach them.
Sammie smiled and continued, "You remember huh? Heehee, well, we finally got on Vanessa's last nerve and blew up at us and yelled, 'If you crybabies would just stop moaning about this and walking around biting everyone's heads off and instead, help me pray about it, then maybe things will turn out well.' Well, she got us to shut up for awhile and made us go and apolgize to everyone we yelled at. So we did. And instead of sitting at home depressed about something that was out of our control, we went out and had fun with friends. After a couple weeks of not knowing where we'd end up, finally, finally, we got our assignments and we were so relieved to find that we would be staying in New Macross. But it seemed touch and go for awhile because remember, Vanessa was requested for in New Detroit, but she called the guy over there and pleaded her case as to why she was needed in New Macross and the guy dropped his request.
Now, on the opposite side, Kim, Vanessa and I are all split up, and you know, it's not really of our choosing, we'd rather be together, but we had talked about it, and instead of praying that we wouldn't be split up, we realized what we needed to do and what was needed of us and prayed that we'd have the strength to do our jobs the best we could. If we had all decided we wouldn't be split up this time no matter what, that would be very selfish of us. And my grandmother told me that one of the worst things to be is a selfish person. So, even though we know it will be difficult and really not something we want to do, we agreed to our new assignments. Kim knows that Lisa needs her help. I know that I have the experience to be Chief of Air Logistics, even though I'd rather not be, and Vanessa knows that her expertise is needed aboard that sub, even though we all know she'd rather be anywhere else but there. But we've accepted what is needed of us and we will try and do the best we can."
Sammie looked at Rick and then sipped some of her tea, knowing that things took awhile to sink into Rick Hunter's brain most of the time.
Finally, after what seemed like a rather long time to Sammie, Rick looked at her directly and said, "Aren't you girls afraid of having so much responsibility?"
Sammie tapped her cup with her finger and thought for a moment then said, "Yes, we are Rick. With responsibility comes stress, no doubt about it, but you see, we are not alone. We have our friends to turn to for support and advice whenever we need it. So even though it seems scary to be responsible for so much and for so many people, we know that we were given these jobs for a reason, and we know that we can turn to any of our friends at anytime for help. Now, if you consider the situation with Maistroff... waita minute...you know what? How could I be so stupid! We all were! Here I was whining about Maistroff and Antell and trying to take care of the situation all by myself that I haven't once yet prayed for help. Well, I'm going to fix that!"
Rick looked at Sammie blankly, "Do you think it will work?"
Sammie gave Rick a determined look and said, "I don't know, but I'll do it anyways!"
Rick started slowly, "Sammie, what you were saying about being selfish..."
"Yes?"
Rick looked into his teacup, "I'm pretty selfish aren't I?"
Sammie cleared her throat and said, "Well...uh...I'm afraid that I have to tell you yes Rick."
"But I'm afraid Sammie, I don't think I have what it takes to be in charge of so many people, be responsible for so many important decisions," said Rick.
"Rick, I think you're the only person who thinks that way. Everyone else believes rhat you do have what it takes," said Sammie with conviction.
"You know Rick, when I first filled in for Lisa on the SDF-1 that very first time, I was so scared I wanted to run off the bridge and hide. I was afraid I'd make a mistake and someone might crash or get shot down because of me. But Claudia was there ready to help me out at the first sign of trouble. Captain Gloval was there also ready to help, as was Kim and Vanessa. And the pilots were trying their best to help me too. At the end of the shift, things turned out ok. Things got kinda scary once in awhile but I had everyone there helping me. And then when I reported for duty the next day, I wasn't so scared as I was that first day, and eventually, I had enough confidence in myself and my abilities that I didn't need Claudia to be watching over my shoulder. It's sorta like riding a bicycle. First you need the training wheels, then the training wheels come off and then you need someone there to help you keep your balance, and then eventually you learn how to balance and you can ride the bike on your own without anyones help. And of course, whenever you hit a pothole or get a flat tire, all you need to do is call someone and they'll help you."
Sammie waited to see what Rick's response would be. She waited, and waited, and finally Rick looked up at her with an unreadable look and shook his head. Sammie didn't know what he meant and asked, "Yes?"
Rick leaned forward a little bit and said, "I think I'm beginning to understand Sammie."
Sammie was pleasantly surprised and asked, "Really?"
Rick nodded and Sammie clapped her hands in delight, "I'm so glad Rick, really I am!"
Rick smiled at Sammie and could see tears of happiness in her eyes and it made him feel good to know he had made her happy.
"...Be the man that Lisa needs you to be, that everyone needs you to be, that I need myself to be..." said Rick quietly but firmly, more to himself than to Sammie.
Sammie wiped her eyes and smiled and Rick, after his epiphany, remembered that he shouldn't be so self-centered and quickly said, "Thank you Sammie, you've really helped me. Now, how can I help you. You also weren't sleeping well. Go ahead and tell me whatever you want, I'm all ears."
Sammie stared blankly for a moment, then said, "You know what?? By helping you, I helped myself too! I feel better now!"
Rick and Sammie sat there smiling at each other for a few moments then Sammie announced that she was going to try and get some sleep. Rick escorted her to her room and waved goodnight from the doorway and went back to his, Lisa's, room.
He turned on the radio again and hoped there was a song that would come along to further help put him at ease about his situation with Lisa. After a few songs, he seemed to have gotten his wish.

Only you can make this world seem right
Only you can make the darkness bright
Only you and you alone
Can thrill me like you do
And fill my heart with love for only you

Only you can make this change in me
For it's true, you are my destiny
When you hold my hand
I understand the magic that you do

You're my dream come true
My one and only you
(2)



Rick couldn't help but smile as he stretched and laid back on the bed, determined that tommorrow was going to be the start of a brand new, hopefully positive, chapter in his life.



* * * * * * *

Vanessa sprayed one last spritz of hairspray on her hair and was about to gather up her reports when she heard a knock at the door. She opened it and saw Zenta salute her then look around her and said in a hushed voice, "Captain Leeds, your presence is requested on the bridge ASAP ma'am."
Vanessa asked, "Is something wrong?" and Zenta said in a somewhat confused tone, "I'm not sure yet ma'am, but you know those blips you noticed yesterday? Those things are doing something wierd out there."
Vanessa nodded and followed Zenta out into the narrow hallway.
As they neared the bridge, Vanessa couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive at what she might find out, but she said a small prayer for strength and took a deep breath and held her head up, determined and focused to do her job well.
When Vanessa got her first glimpse of the bridge, everything seemed to be in order and there was no change in alert status. The Captain and his First Officer were looking rather bored and crewmen were going about their business as usual.
Vanessa gave Zenta a confused look and Zenta could only shrug, then returned to her station.
"Captain, Captain Leeds reporting for duty sir," said Vanessa clearly and calmly.
"Ah, good morning Captain," answered the skipper of the sub, "About those little radar blips you saw yesterday...it appears they are following us for some reason. They are keeping their distance but when we changed our heading, so did they. I would like you to keep your eye on them and come up with some kind of assessment for me later on if you can."
Vanessa gave a crisp salute and answered, "Yes sir!" then went over to the sonar section of the bridge where Joe and Zenta were seated. The starry-eyed tech from the day before was also there and stumbled out of his chair as he stood up to salute Vanessa. Joe and Zenta laughed as the tech re-took his seat after Vanessa was seated at her station.
"Cliff, you're pathetic," teased Joe.
Vanessa smiled at the comment aimed at the young tech, then focused her attention on the sonar screens. She looked over them and made some notes on her clipboard, then hit a few switches and made some more notes again, then called up some navigation data and made yet more notes. Joe, Zenta, and Cliff watched her and waited for her verdict.
After at least 10 minutes had elapsed, Vanessa looked up at her shipmates and asked, "Can someone pull up a current vessel ID chart for me please?"
All three subordinates complied right away and Joe was the first one to retrieve the chart, shaking his head knowingly at his shipmates. Zenta rolled her eyes and then added, "Captain Leeds, it may not be up-to-date. They were in such a hurry to launch that there are certain things around here that are not updated, but...you didn't hear that from me..."
Vanessa stared blankly at Zenta and Joe, "I'm sorry, did you say something Lieutenant?" Then she gave them a look that was a sign to them that she would keep things under wraps.
After about half an hour of checking reports, reading instruments, asking a few questions of Zenta, Joe and Cliff, Vanessa looked up from her notes and sighed.
"Is something wrong Captain?" asked Joe with concern.
Vanessa remained quiet for a few moments then, without lifting her head, she said, "Maybe..."
Zenta, Cliff and Joe all looked at each other then waited to see if Vanessa would elaborate.
Vanessa shook her head and sighed, saying, "These ID charts do me no good at all, the signature
and profile of those things, whatever they are that's following us...I've never seen anything like them before..."
Vanessa was going to add that she was very worried, but held her tongue and decided not to be an alarmist just yet. She looked up at her three shipmates and said, "I'm afraid I have no identification for the Captain. We'll just have to play it by ear."
Joe spoke up and said, "Don't worry Captain, it's probably just a school of fish or dolphins."
Vanessa's eyes widened, "You mean there's still dolphins on this planet?!"
"Yes ma'am!" piped in Cliff. "Hard to believe isn't it? The marine biologists thought they were extinct, but a fishing boat found a huge school not too far from here!"
Vanessa smiled faintly and said, "Well, I'll be, I'd never thought I'd see a dolphin ever again..." She thought back to the many times when her family would visit a local marine park. She'd spend hours there, just visiting the various exhibits, and the dolphin shows were always her favorite.
Vanessa let herself enjoy her childhood memory for a few moments, then snapped herself back to the current situation.
"Well, I guess I'll head over and tell the Captain my findings. I'd rather do it now. It would seem like a waste of time and pretty embarassing if I stood up during a briefing to say, 'Uh...sorry, I have no idea what those signatures are,' said Vanessa.
Vanessa went to report her findings to the Captain and XO and they didn't seemed too concerned that there was no identification on the two things that were following them. They smiled and thanked Vanessa for her work and then started chatting about fishing. Vanessa somewhat shuffled to her seat and Zenta asked her what was wrong.
"They certainly don't seem overly concerned that we have two unidentifiables following us," said Vanessa in a bit of a huff.
Zenta shivered a bit, "That worries me."
Cliff asked in a whispered voice, "Ma'am, do you really think those two things could be trouble?"
Vanessa looked over her shoulder before speaking, "It is imperative to ALWAYS identify any vessel in your area."
Joe remarked, "But out here it's less of a hazzard than up in space from what I hear."
Vanessa tapped her finger to her chin, she had heard the same thing too, "True true, but still. It's always best to know what's in your area."
Joe nodded and said, "We'll keep a very close eye on them. If anything out of the ordinary occurs, we'll tell you before we tell the Captain and XO."
Vanessa nodded gratefully and Joe winked at her, causing her to blush. Zenta and Cliff exchanged grins then went back to work.

* * * * * * *

Sammie sleepily walked to Rick's room to wake him up and found a note instead of Rick. She read it and smiled, then returned back to her room to start getting ready for work.
After several early morning meetings, Sammie had a little coffee break in her office. She remembered that she had said she was going to go see the Chaplain today. She called his office and his secretary told Sammie that he would be out for most of the day. After hanging up the phone Sammie sat at her desk and started thinking about the time when she had problems with a bully when she was in the 4th grade. She remembered that her grandmother had told her that instead of hating someone, she should pray for that person and to try and be friends with them. Sammie had protested loudly to her grandmother that the bully didn't have any friends and it was nearly impossible to be friends with the bully. Sammie's grandmother had insisted that if the bully started giving Sammie any trouble, to just stay calm and not react and try and be nice to the bully.
One day when Sammie and a friend were walking towards class from the playground, they came upon a small group of kids huddled around something. When they got closer, Sammie saw that it was the bully and that she had gotten her foot caught in a small drainpipe. The rest of the kids were laughing and teasing the bully and saying that she had gotten what she deserved and everyone refused to go get help. The bell rang and all the kids ran off to class, leaving the bully alone.
Sammie had started to head to class too when she remembered what her grandmother had told her, so she turned around slowly and went back to the bully, who was crying by this time because she was afraid and humiliated. Sammie told the girl to not worry and that she was going to get help.
Sammie brought out a teacher and a maintenance man and the bully's leg was finally freed from the drainpipe.
The next day, Sammie passed the bully, who was terrorizing some kids on the swing by pulling one of the chains causing them to swing into each other. At first Sammie was afraid to get on her swing, the bully noticed and told Sammie, "Don't worry, I won't bother you." So, warily, Sammie got on the swing and the bully left her alone. They never became close friends but the bully had stopped bothering Sammie and most likely because Sammie was the only person who did anything to help the bully.
Sammie thought for a long while. She really doubted that Maistroff would ever be nice to anyone, despite what anyone did for him. The man was power-hungry and would do anything to be in full control. Antell, on the other hand, might not be such an impossible case.
Sammie reasoned that if she could just get on good terms with Antell, she might be able to find out what Maistroff was up to and maybe even win Antell over to the anti-Maistroff side. Plus, it would sure be in everyone's best interest if Antell were not such a persistant thorn in everyone's side.
Sammie decided that the next time she saw Antell, she would try and be friendly, even though she had tried it before and resulted in no results.
Sammie didn't have to wait very long to test her plan, for when she stepped onto the elevator, Antell was inside.
Sammie wondered what she should say, especially since Antell made no acknowledgement of Sammie's arrival. Not even a salute, which was definitely a reason good enough for a scolding for
disrespect to a senior officer. Perhaps Antell was testing her, Sammie thought. Perhaps Antell didn't salute on purpose, to get Sammie to chew her out.
The elevator arrived at Antell's floor and Antell started to leave, but just as she walked out of the elevator, Sammie quickly said, "Congratulations on your promotion."
Antell looked at Sammie with a bit of surprise. As the elevator door started to close and Antell started to grow wary of Sammie's comment, Sammie smiled and waved before the door closed completely. Antell stood staring at the now closed door. No one had congratulated her on her promotion, not even Maistroff. Rather, she had heard many people bemoaning her promotion, and it only made her angrier at everyone. But here was Sammie, congratulating her.
Antell didn't know what to think. Was Sammie being sarcastic or making fun of her? She seemed
like she was sincere, she even smiled and waved... Antell turned around and started walking down the hall, "Bimbo," she muttered outloud. However, she couldn't help but think more about the incident as she walked down the hall.



* * * * * * *

Miriya placed lunch on Claudia's desk and then picked up her styrofoam plate and began scooping food onto it.
Claudia watched Miriya, trying not to laugh outloud. Miriya still had a habit of mixing the most outrageous food combinations. Today, Miriya had told Claudia that she was going to pick up lunch for the two of them and hadn't asked Claudia what she wanted so Claudia was sure she would be in for a surprise and she was. Miriya had come back with about 4 different containers, each with an entree from a different take-out place. No wonder why it always took Miriya so long to get lunch.
Claudia looked over the selections but waited to see what strange combination Miriya would select for her lunch.
"What are you eating today Miriya?" asked Claudia, still trying not to laugh.
Miriya looked at Claudia and smiled proudly, "I do believe I have found us an excellent lunch combination! I do not know what will end up on your plate, but as for mine, I am having Spagenitti and Orange chicken, as well as mashed potatos and Shoe Mein."
Claudia looked over at Miriya's plate and saw that Miriya had spooned the mashed potatos onto the 'shoe' mein (chow mein) and had cut the orange chicken into little pieces and mixed it in with the 'Spagenitti'. Miriya had also fixed herself a dessert, which happened to be 3 different types of ice cream all mixed together and a glass of lemonade with a slice of tomato in it.
After seeing Miriya's lunch concoction, Claudia, for some 'strange' reason, didn't seem too hungry anymore and she just picked up the small box that contained the last bits of Chow Mein and ate quietly.
Miriya gawked at Claudia and exclaimed, "Claudia, is that all you are going to eat? You must eat more! Eat a combination like mine. Here, I shall fix it for you."
Claudia quickly dropped her chopsticks, "No no, Miriya honey, that's fine. I ate a big breakfast today."
Miriya shrugged, then asked, "Are you sure you don't want a combination?"
Claudia smiled and said, "Yes, definitely, I am sure."
Miriya nodded her head in acknowledgement then resumed eating. After the women were done eating, Miriya asked, "Have you heard any new word on when James will become your son?"
Claudia replied, "Not yet. They want to keep the supervised visits going on for a while longer. In a way, I think it's for the best for the time being. Jean needs my help while Vince is away and I could not think to bring James home without Vince being there to be part of the special occassion."
Miriya shook her head, "Yes, that is probably a good idea. You know, this thing of 'siblings' is very fascinating. It is a rather complex topic and Max and I have spoken about it often. In general, I think it is good for children to have siblings."
Claudia smiled, "Yes it really is."
Miriya inclined her head and stared off into space, deep in thought. "I wonder if Dana would like to have a sibling?"
Claudia choked slightly on her tea but managed to say, "That's a good question, something that would involve Max and Dana in the decision-making process."
"Oh yes yes, definitely," answered Miriya. "I would think it very improper to not get Max's permission first."
Claudia stiffled a snicker then said, "I'm sure Max would give his permission, but all the same, it is very important to talk to him about it."
"Yes indeed," mused Miriya.
Now Claudia was a little bit concerned. Was Miriya really thinking of having another baby?
"Miriya honey, you also need to consider the fact that the doctors said you couldn't have any other children," suggested Claudia carefully.
Miriya shook her head, "Yes, I thought of that too... but anyways, I wasn't thinking of having a child now. Perhaps when Dana is much older. It is quite enough work to deal with one child, not to mention the fact that I am still trying to get used to being Micronian...Claudia?..."
"Yes, Miriya?"
"Will I ever be Micronian, fully?" asked Miriya in a bit of a downcast tone.
Claudia reached over the desk and patted Miriya's hand, "Honey, of course you will. It will take some time but you will, definitely."
"But it's been over two years already and sometimes I feel as if I'm such a long ways away from understanding how Micronians do things..."
Claudia tried to give Miriya a reassuring smile, "It's alright, you're making excellent progress, and just because sometimes you don't fully understand some things, don't let it get you down. You can ask anyone of your friends anytime to explain things to you, you know that."
"Yes, I know it's just...sometimes I get so frustrated..." said Miriya quietly.
"That's perfectly fine Miriya. Everyone goes through times like that, it's all part of the learning process. Do you remember when Dana was trying to walk, and she'd get upset when she couldn't walk and she'd start to cry? But then you see, eventually she learned to walk, and it's as if she'd been walking since she was born. Honey, that's the way it's with you and being Micronian. It might take some time, but you'll get there, and when you get there it'll seem like you were there all your life," finished Claudia with a smile.
Miriya sat back in her chair and managed to smile and said, "Claudia Grant, you are such a wise woman. You shall make an EXCELLENT mother,"
Claudia returned Miriya's smile and said, "I'll try my best."
The women had enough time for another cup of tea before they needed to get back to work, and Miriya stared at her cup. Claudia noticed and asked her if she were still thinking about her problems being Micronian.
"No, actually, I was thinking about Rick," said Miriya.
"Oh really?" asked an interested Claudia.
"Yes. I think I was too, how do you say it? Rough on him, for not taking his promotion..." answered Miriya.
Claudia grinned, saying, "Don't worry Miriya, I think a lot of people are upset with him about his not accepting the promotion."
"I just don't understand why he won't accept his promotion?? Doesn't he realize how many people he can help by being an Admiral?" asked a perplexed Miriya.
"I think he understands Miriya," explained Claudia, "but you see, I think Rick is afraid. It's not that he doesn't want to help people, it's just that he's afraid of the responsibility and of failing."
Miriya shook her head in amazement, "But there is never a duty that doesn't come without such
potential problems."
Claudia shook her head, "Yes, and I'm sure he understands that, it's just that he's afraid, afraid of making a mistake and letting people down."
Miriya sighed and said, "He's got a 'good heart' as they say, but he must be made to understand
that he's causing a bigger letdown if he DOESN'T become an Admiral."
Claudia sipped the last of her tea and said, "I'm sure he'll change his mind. It will take some time, but everyone's working on it."
"I suppose I didn't help very much when I yelled at him about it," said Miriya quietly.
Claudia chuckled, "Well, actually, I think maybe that's just what Rick needs. It might be considered a bit of strong-arming, but that type of thing usually works with Rick."
Miriya looked at Claudia blankly then her eyes widened with realization as she exclaimed, "Strong-arming! I know what that means! Max explained that phrase to me just last week after a meeting."
Claudia smiled and offered, "If you want, I can teach you a new phrase everyday. I have a book that a friend gave me awhile back, it's pretty interesting to find out just how all our figures of speech came about and what they actually mean."
Miriya saluted, "I am very eager and willing to learn."
Claudia put her palm down on her desk and said, "Then it's settled, we'll have you speaking idioms like a pro in no time!"
Miriya gave Claudia a high-five and proclaimed, "I am very excited about this, I am...an eager beaver!"
Claudia grinned broadly and said, "This will be quite fun indeed."



* * * * * * *

Vanessa had just finished her dinner and was walking down a narrow corridor with Joe when all of a sudden there was a loud rumble and then the two were thrown against the wall from a sharp jolting of the ship.
Vanessa pulled away from the wall and looked at Joe, who was nursing a bruise after he had bumped his cheek on a nearby door handle.
"Joe!" exclaimed Vanessa and quickly went over to him to examine the bruise on his cheek.
"I'm fine Captain, just a little bump. How about you, are you alright?" asked Joe calmly.
"Yes yes, I'm fine. We better head over to the bridge. How come there were no warning alarms?" Vanessa wondered as she waited for Joe to follow her.
"When I got off duty, nobody mentioned anything out of the ordinary. I don't know why we weren't called for," pondered Joe.
Joe and Vanessa arrived on the bridge and the Captain sat in his seat calmly and said to them, "No need for alarm. It just seems we had a little mishap with our missle testing. Nothing to be worried about."
Vanessa couldn't believe her ears but managed to keep a calm tone, "Sir, begging your pardon, isn't there usually a general warning sounded before any testing is done?"
The XO shrugged, "Ah well. I guess we forgot. Anyways, no harm done, everything has been taken care of and we're on course as scheduled."
Vanessa looked at Joe then asked another question, "Captain, what about those two sigs that were following us. Certainly they would become aware of our missle testing. Have they altered course at all?"
The Captain clapped his hands together and said, "Ah! Well, while you're here, you can check on that for us."
Vanessa gave a tightlipped nod then headed over to her station. As she checked various screens she concluded that the two unidentified objects were still at the same distance away from them as when she had checked before leaving her shift. She didn't know what to make of it but she was at least glad that they had not come closer to the sub.
Zenta arrived on the bridge and took the station next to Vanessa. Vanessa was busy with her instruments so she didn't have a chance to chat with Zenta but she could hear Zenta mumbling to herself. Vanessa listened carefully and was surprised to hear that Zenta was speaking Italian. Zenta realized that Vanessa was looking at her and fumbled an apology.
"Oh, Captain, forgive me. When I am upset, I tend to mumble in my native tongue."
Vanessa asked, "Why are you upset? Because of the missle testing?"
"Si si, ahhh, I mean, yes, yes. This is ridiculous. The Captain knows not to be testing in this area but he does it anyways," replied Zenta.
"Why isn't he suppose to test in this area?" asked a confused Vanessa.
"Because, a couple times other ships have tested their weapons, some of them have disappeared! And it doesn't help that we have two unidentifiables tailing us either," added Zenta.
"And so we're the ones investigating, but maybe the weapons testing is part of the plan?" reasoned Vanessa.
"No Captain," said Zenta quickly, then lowered her voice to a whisper. "I overheard, do not ask me how, but I heard Command give the Captain specific orders NOT to fire any weapons in this area."
"Should we speak to the Captain about it? Perhaps orders had changed and we weren't informed about them?" asked Vanessa.
"I do not know, but I do not recommend it. The past crews have had people who've questioned the Captain and at the next port stop they were booted off the ship," replied Zenta.
"I'm with Zenta, Captain. I think it's better if we take a wait-and-see stance right now," said Joe.
Vanessa nodded her understanding and said, "Alright then, that's what we'll do, but everyone keep your ears and eyes open and be careful... I don't know about you, but something doesn't seem quite right here..."
Both Joe and Zenta nodded and after Vanessa reported to the Captain that she found nothing new or unusual, she headed back to her small cabinspace.
Vanessa thought to write about the days incident, but then she wondered if that was a bad idea. What if somehow someone managed to read her entries. Vanessa laughed at herself, she was being paranoid. But...she thought she'd take precautions anyways, so she didn't write about the conversation between Zenta, Joe and herself, nor her feeling of uneasiness and instead just took her shower, had a cup of tea, then went straight to sleep, albeit a restless sleep.

* * * * * * *

Lisa had spent half of the day asleep and the other half staring off into space, thinking about everything and anything she could possibly think of.
Half the time she thought of work and half the time she thought of Rick.
As far as work went, she knew that she was rather lucky to be working on the SDF-3 and not down on Earth doing the reconstruction of the RDF. She did feel guilty about that, but she knew that her strength was where the ships were and that was where she was needed.
She thought about what Admiral Gloval might do in a situation like this, how would he handle Maistroff's rise to power? She let her mind brainstorm on that topic for awhile then started thinking back on all the memories she had of Gloval, from the first time she worked for him to the day he gave her command of the SDF-2, the day he died. She started to cry. She had lost the man who was more understanding and more like a father than her real father had been.
Then Lisa started to think about her father. She thought back, way back, to the time when she used to call him 'Daddy' and he'd come home from work and take her out to the stables on their estate or out on a rowboat on the small lake. He would tell her stories of the great family heros and would tell her about his own battle stories. To Lisa, he was her hero, more outstanding than any of the other family members she had heard about because he was her 'daddy'. Then a few years after that, Lisa's mother became ill and died and her father didn't seem to know how to comfort Lisa or himself, so he took a position in the United Earth Government, which just a few years later, would lead him to the post of Minister of Defense. Minister of Defense, of the entire planet.
There were no more horse rides around the estate, no more rowboating or walks around the lake, no more stories of famous ancestors and no more stories period.
Luckily for Lisa, Karl Riber had come along, even if it were for a brief time, and he gave Lisa some emotional support that she badly needed. But then he went away and died.
The day her father came to take her from her classes at the Academy to tell her about the destruction of Mars Base, he took her to a quiet spot nearby and told her the news. At first she didn't believe him and accused her father of playing some sort of trick on her. When she was eventually convinced it wasn't a trick, she lashed out at her father, blaming him for being too demanding and driving Riber away, which wasn't true at all.
She collapsed under a tree and started to cry and when her father tried to make an attempt to console her she pushed him away and told him to leave her alone. Her father, not knowing what to do, left her where she was and went back to the car and waited until she got back into the car, a few hours later. He didn't say a word. He didn't know what to say, so he drove her to the airport where they got on a plane and headed home. All the while Lisa didn't say a word either, didn't ask where she was going. But when she got home she headed straight to her room and locked herself inside it and wouldn't come out for days on end.
Lisa could hear her father milling about in the hallway outside her door. He'd beg her to come out and have breakfast, lunch, or dinner with him. But she always answered him with silence, so he'd fix Lisa her breakfasts, lunches, and dinners and leave them outside her door then come back later to collect the trays when she was finished eating.
As the subsequent years passed by, Lisa and her father were on cordial terms but were never close like they used to be when Lisa was small. Along with their disagreements regarding the Zentraedi, near the end of Admiral Hayes' life, they were far from close.
And then came the day Dolza attacked, and Lisa talked to her father for the last time. He told her that she was right and he had been wrong and implored her to try and get herself to safety. And then he was gone. She didn't get to say goodbye to him and that haunted her on and off for the past 3 years. That absence of reconciliation with her father caused her nightmares and was almost as big a problem in her life as was Rick at that time.
Rick...
Lisa wondered if she had some sort of curse or something. It seemed that all the men she had ever loved had left her. Riber had died. Her father had died. Admiral Gloval had died. And Rick probably hated her right now.
Lisa started to cry again, she felt as if she were doomed to never find true happiness and love in her life.
Lisa was unaware of how long she had been crying and when she finally stopped and looked at the clock she found that it was evening already, around 8pm. She wondered what happened to Kim, who was suppose to come by with dinner and check on her. Lisa wiped her eyes and was about to pick up the phone to call Kim when she heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," she called.
Kim poked her head through the door then opened it wider and walked through. She saw Lisa and knew that she had been crying.
"I'm alright," said Lisa, noticing Kim's concerned look.
Kim smiled and shook her finger at Lisa, saying, "Hopefully this will cheer you up. See, I'm glad I prayed for you, it seemed to have worked."
Lisa gave Kim a puzzled look and in return, Kim winked at her then turned her head and said to someone out in the living room, "You can come in now."
Lisa was still puzzled, and Kim winked again and stood by the door, moving over slightly so someone could enter the room.
Lisa waited, and saw a figure in a black and blue uniform enter the room, at first she didn't know who it was, but when she lifted her head higher, she saw that it was Rick.
Kim smiled again and then left the room, closing the door behind her.
Lisa looked carefully, trying to be sure if her eyes weren't deceiving her. In front of her stood Rick, dressed in an Admiral's uniform. She looked at his face and could see he looked absolutely terrified of something.
Rick looked at Lisa and she looked terrible. It was obvious that she was crying for quite some time. The words that Rick had rehearsed on his way up to the Satellite were a complete blank to him now and seeing Lisa made him speak from the bottom of his soul.
Rick rushed over to Lisa, kneeling down next to bed and throwing his arms around her neck, sobbing over and over again, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, please forgive me, please forgive me, I love you, I love you."
After awhile of just embracing each other and listening to Rick plead his apologies, Lisa cleared her throat and looked at Rick, touching his cheek and saying, "I do forgive you Rick...I love you."
This made Rick latch onto her neck again and then he started kissing every inch of her face and neck. When he stopped to speak, she could hear the desperation in his voice as he said, "I need you in my life. I can't live without you Lisa."
"I need you too Rick," whispered Lisa.
They embraced for a few more moments then Rick remembered that Lisa was injured and suddenly said, "Your injuries! Are you alright? How bad are they?"
Lisa shook her head, "I'll be alright, I just need a few more days to rest...and, now that you're here, I think my recovery will be a bit faster."
Rick shared Lisa's smile and Rick helped Lisa get up. Lisa winced a bit and Rick was still concerned, "Are you sure you'll be alright? You know, I want so badly to just put my arms around you and hug you for hours, but-"
Lisa cut him off and said, "I won't stop you."
"But your injuries..." said Rick.
"To hell with them, I don't care. It hurts me more to not be able to hold you," answered Lisa.
"Are you sure?" asked Rick.
"I'm sure," said Lisa firmly.
Rick hesitated for a few moments then wrapped his arms around her and he could feel her flinch a little bit and heard her wince, but she wrapped her arms around Rick and held him tightly and Rick realized that there was no disuading Lisa. She'd stay there in his arms for however long no matter how much her injuries hurt.
"There's so much I want to tell you..." Rick said into Lisa's ear, "but first..." Rick's voice trailed off and he looked into Lisa's eyes and then kissed her gently.
Lisa wanted to faint. Just minutes before she had thought she'd never taste his lips ever again but now he was here, back in her life, and more madly in love with her than ever. She returned the kiss, showing him that she forgave him and that she loved him.
They kissed and embraced for quite some time and when they finally released each other, Rick wore a dreamy dazed look as he said, "Why don't I go change, and then fix us some dinner and then we can talk, have dessert, and then do more of what we were just doing."
Lisa chuckled and kissed Rick on the cheek, teasingly saying, "Oh, so that is what you really came up here for eh?"
"Nooooooo, well.....maybe...." said Rick with a wink.
"You're bad!" exclaimed Lisa, then she pulled Rick by the collar and kissed him.
"Well...." said Rick breathlessly, "now who is the one who is bad?"
Lisa smirked and then said, "Wait, don't change yet, I want to see how you look in your uniform. Where's your cap?"
"Oh that, I didn't bring it. I really don't think I'll be wearing it, it messes up my cool hair," said Rick.
Lisa laughed. She wasn't going to nag about the cap, afterall, it was simply a miracle that Rick had accepted the promotion and she wasn't going to push her luck on anything else.
Rick stood back so that Lisa could look at his uniform.
"You look very handsome Rick," said Lisa with a smile.
"Who me? I always look handsome," answered Rick with a wink.
Lisa rolled her eyes but smiled. Rick announced he was going to take a shower then they could decide what they wanted for dinner.
Rick came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt and then let Lisa gawk at him for awhile before taking her by the hand and leading her to the kitchenette.
Rick opened up the refrigerator door and started pulling out various vegetables, then opened up the freezer and pulled out a package of beef.
"How does Black Pepper steak with potatos sound to you?" asked Rick with a grin.
Lisa's eyes were wide as she asked, "Where'd all that stuff in the refrigerator come from?"
Rick grinned and replied, "Kim and I stopped at that poor excuse for a 'Micronian' market on the way here."
Lisa smiled, suddenly feeling hungry, "Tenderloin sounds great to me!"
Rick made a theatrical bow and said with a fake accent, "Very well madam, please take a seat on the couch and leave the cooking to the chef."
Lisa giggled then made her way to the couch and sat down carefully. Rick soon followed behind her, asking, "Oh, hey, you don't mind if I turn on some music do you?"
Lisa knew of Rick's fondness for music, and not necessarily Minmei's music. She had often gone to cleanup his quarters in New Macross and found CDs scattered all around the house and often times he'd forget to turn off the radio or CD player.
Lisa shook her head, "Not at all. You know how much I enjoy listening to you sing."
Rick smiled his appreciation as he popped a CD into the player and turned it on. Minutes later, Lisa could hear Rick singing along in the kitchen.

I can't imagine life
without you by my side
This is love baby that I'm feeling
and I'm hoping
that you're feeling the same way
things tend to slip my mind
like how you like to wine and dine baby
with romantic lights you mean a lot to me
in so many ways

Lately
have I told you I love you
lately
have I told you you still mean the world to me
lately
have I told you I love you
I'll be your wishing well
tell me what you want baby
(3)



A few minutes later Rick came over and asked Lisa how she was doing and asked her if she wanted anything to drink. She replied she was fine and didn't need anything and Rick returned to the kitchen and continued cooking and singing.

I never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky's a different blue
Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe
That you believed my lies

Chorus:
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me
(4)





After several more minutes and several more songs, Rick finally had dinner finished and ready to serve. He helped Lisa sit down at the kitchen table and then served the plates and the pair started eating.
After they ate they shared a glass of champagne, and then Rick helped Lisa back to the couch. Lisa leaned against Rick's chest as the music played quietly in the background.
"There's so much I want to tell you Lisa, I don't even know where to begin," said Rick quietly.
Lisa thought of telling him he didn't have to say anything or apologize for anything but she knew Rick well and knew that it would be better for him to talk and get everything off his chest.
"I..." started Rick, "Lisa, I didn't mean what I said to you that day after the promotion meeting. I am just so stupid and selfish and a coward."
"Rick..." said Lisa.
"No, hear me out. I...I can't believe I said such a horrible thing to you. It's unforgivable. The entire trip up here I was so terrified, afraid that you'd finally given up on me and didn't want me anymore. I surely have given you plenty of reasons over the years to just walk away, but you still stay. We both know I don't deserve you Lisa," finished Rick with a crack in his voice.
"Rick, don't say such a thing. I mean, think about it, and all that we've been through together. It's like we were meant for each other. Everything that's happened, it always comes back to us. You and me. And there's no one I'd rather be with than you Rick," said Lisa as she snuggled closer to Rick.
"But Lisa-" protested Rick.
"No buts," said Lisa firmly. "Listen, part of this was my fault as well. I kept if from you and you didn't find out until the last minute and I apologize. It's just...I was afraid. Afraid that you'd get so mad at me, and you did, because I made the situation even worse by not telling you before. I guess...I still am having a difficult time with just talking things out instead of keeping them quiet," ended Lisa sadly.
"Lisa, look, we both made mistakes and that's only to be expected. Why don't we make a deal so we can avoid these type of situations. We talk to each other about anything and everything. No keeping things to ourselves, ok?"
Lisa smiled slightly and shook her head, "Yes, that's a good idea. You actually don't have a problem with that. You've always been honest and open and always let me know what you're thinking. I've got to get used to sharing my feelings and thoughts, it'll take me some time, please be patient with me ok?"
Rick hugged her and said quietly, "I'll be as patient as you need me to be babe. I guess...you've had to lock up your feelings for so long, it's gotta be a strange feeling to express them."
"Yes, it is," replied Lisa.
"Lisa, about me not answering when you called me on my phone before you left, I would've answered you, I hope you don't think I was that angry with you. The truth was, I was passed out drunk when that call came in."
Lisa pulled away from Rick a bit to look at him with surprised eyes. Rick gave her an embarrassed shrug and said, "Yeah, well. I had planned to go flying, but my VT was in overhaul, so I just sat down in the hanger with a whiskey bottle.
Lisa didn't know what to say and waited for Rick to continue.
"I don't drink very much and I guess it was a lot stronger than I thought, so I passed out pretty quickly. And I had a dream that Roy tried to talk me into taking the promotion too," said Rick with a chuckle.
Lisa smiled faintly and replied, "Well, I guess if you've got Roy visiting you from the grave to try and convince you to take the promotion, maybe that was a sign huh?"
Rick shrugged again, "Yeah, I guess it was."
Lisa hugged Rick, "I'm so proud of you for taking this promotion Rick, and I'm sure Roy is proud of you too. Everyone is proud of you."
Rick whispered, "I'm just so afraid of letting everyone down..."
Lisa hugged Rick even tighter and said in his ear so he could hear her clearly, "I know you're afraid and it's only natural to be afraid, but remember that you have friends who are always willing to help you. You won't have to make every decision all by yourself. That's why I said that we need you on our team. You, me, Reinhardt, Haller, a team. I don't blame you for being afraid, I'm afraid too, afraid of making wrong decisions but we can't be perfect all the time. We just have to do the best we can with a situation and pray for the best outcome."
"You're right," Rick said brushed Lisa's cheek. "It will take some getting used to but I will try my best."
Lisa smiled and asked, "What made you change your mind?"
Rick chuckled and replied, "Surprised I did a turn-around this soon huh? Well...I guess it was just a sum of things. You leaving, Miriya and Kim being extremely angry at me, Roy, and a talk me and Sammie had last night."
Lisa was intrigued, "Really? What did you two talk about?"
Rick grinned, "Well, she told me pretty much what you all have been telling me, but she also told me a little story about a bully in the 4th grade."
Lisa laughed, "Aha, ok, I remember that one. She told that to us one time on the bridge. But...what did that have to do with your promotion?"
Rick laughed, "Well, she was telling me about praying, and then she ended up on the bully story somehow."
Lisa shook her head in amusement, "Well, she goes off the subject sometimes but all in all, I guess you got the message right?"
"Yes, I did," replied Rick with a smile.
"So...," Lisa started quietly, "how long are you staying?" On one hand she was thrilled that Rick was there, but on the other, she worried that he might try and stay with her as long as she was on the Satellite and that wasn't feesible, because Rick was needed planetside to oversee many important operations for rebuilding the RDF.
Rick heaved a sigh and said sadly, "Only three days, including tonight."
Lisa sighed also, she was disappointed to hear that he only had such a short visit. She was hoping for him to stay at least 5-7 days.
Rick kissed Lisa's forehead and said, "I know. I wish I could stay longer. Reinhardt already has what seems like a year's worth of work lined up for me. I...I have something I need to ask your opinion on..."
"Sure Rick, what is it?" replied Lisa, wanting to show Rick that she'd always be there to help him with struggles over decisions.
"I...I need an aide, and I was considering asking Sammie to be my aide, but I know how much she prides herself on her Flight Ops duties, I don't want to take her away from that...." said Rick.
Lisa thought for a moment. She knew Sammie was needed in Air Tactical but she would make a good aide to Rick. Lisa scanned her mental roster and after a few moments came up with another good candidate. "Rick, how about Vince Grant as your aide?"
Rick paused for a moment then a smile started to spread across his handsome face, "Vince! Of course, how come I didn't think of him. That's right! Ooh...wait...isn't he needed in Mechanics?"
Lisa frowned a bit, "You're right...let's see....well....," a mischievious look passed over Lisa's delicate features as she said, "how about Antell?"
Rick's mouth dropped open and he gave a fake growl and replied, "If you weren't injured, I'd pick you up and throw you off the couch for such a horrible suggestion."
Lisa had a hearty laugh, highly amused at the initial look on Rick's face after her suggestion, "You should've seen the look on your face!" she teased, still laughing.
Rick laughed with her then after a while pulled her close to him again and said gently, "It's great to hear you laugh again Lisa."
Lisa grew serious and just hugged Rick, not giving any comment. She agreed with him, it was great to share a joke, to laugh, and to forget about all the chaos around them, if just for a little while.
Rick, sensing her change of mood, spoke quietly as he said, "We'll discuss the aide question tommorrow. Right now I just want to sit here with you, and if we talk, it is only about you and me. Not work, not anyone else, just us."
Lisa let out a dreamy sigh then told Rick, "Help me up, I want to dance with my man."
Rick got up quickly and helped Lisa up, asking, "Are you sure you're up to it?"
"Yes, I'll be fine. If i stay in bed all the time I'll be stiff and it'll take me longer to recover. I'll be alright," replied a determined Lisa.
The music played quietly in the background and Rick placed his arms gently around Lisa's waist and they danced slowly and carefully. They remained quiet for some time then broke the silence.
"I hope these six weeks will go by fast, so you can hurry up and come home and we can do this every evening," said Rick quietly.
Lisa hugged Rick a little tighter and said, "I hope so too Rick."
"Isn't it kind of ironic?" asked Rick.
"What is?" replied Lisa with interest.
"Well," started Rick, "when we weren't a couple, we were actually never really separated from each other except for that time you went to Alaska Base. But now, that we're together, it looks like we'll be separated quite often."
Lisa sighed but didn't comment.
"I think it sucks bigtime," said Rick.
Lisa chuckled and replied, "I think so too."
"I don't know how I'll cope with these long separations. Talking on the phone and email is just not the same as seeing you and holding you," Rick said with a downcast tone.
"I know, I know, so... that means we really have to make the most of our visits with each other and just try and get by, somehow..." answered Lisa.
Rick, not wanting to seem like a downer, and instead try and follow Lisa's past advice of not dwelling on the negative, tried to sound less depressed as he responded, "Yes, you're right. We'll manage some how, and we'll make the most of our precious moments together."
Lisa looked up at Rick and shared the smile he had started forming.
"What are you thinking right now Lisa?" asked Rick as he remained locked on her eyes.
Lisa tipped her head to one side a bit and said leisurely, "Oh I was just thinking of how happy I am right now and how handsome you look and how good you smell."
Rick laughed, "So you like my new aftershave eh?"
Lisa narrowed her eyes and said, "I like, love, everything about you Rick."
Rick was momentarily caught offguard with Lisa's comment but recovered quickly enough and said, "And I love everything about you Lisa."
Lisa felt happy beyond words she could not help but smile broadly and could think of nothing else to do but kiss Rick. After they released each other Rick felt something on his hand and looked and found a bit of blood on it. Lisa looked at his hand as well and she and Rick looked to see where it could've come from. She turned around and Rick saw the spot on the right side just a bit above her waistline.
"Where is it?" asked Lisa.
"Right side, above your waist, I estimate," Rick answered.
"Damn, that's the one from the Quadrano incident, I've been having problems with that one," answered Lisa with annoyance.
Rick thought for a moment then said, "Why don't we call it an evening. We can go lie down and look at the stars and talk."
"But what about dessert?" asked Lisa.
"Oh that's right," remembered Rick. He went to the refrigerator and Lisa heard him moving a few things around. After awhile he came back and said that it was missing.
Lisa was perplexed and then thought to ask, "Did you say you went to the market with Kim?"
"Yes," replied Rick.
"And what kind of dessert did you get?" continued Lisa.
"I got a chocolate chip cheesecake, why?"
Lisa laughed, "That's Kim's favorite. Now, let's see, there should be a note somewhere around here I imagine. She's done that before, stolen my cheesecake and left me either money to pay me back, or a note telling me she'll pay me back later."
Rick scratched his head and wore an amused look as he looked around. Finally he spied a piece of paper by the small table near the door. He picked up the paper and read it then handed it to Lisa with a huge grin.
'I'm sure you two can think of something for dessert --wink wink--. Love, Kim. p.s. Thanks for the cheesecake, you can take it out of my paycheck.'
Lisa laughed and shook her head, "That girl....It's alright, I'm still a bit full from dinner anyways. So let's call it an evening. You must be tired, I'm sure you've had a long day."
Rick took Lisa's hand and they headed towards the bedroom. Once there Lisa said, "I'm going to take another shower so it'll be easier to change these bandages. It hurts less when they fall off on their own rather than being pulled off."
Rick shook his head adamantly in agreement, "No doubt about that."
"How is your back?" asked Lisa.
"Actually it is a lot better, I really don't have a problem with it right now, but at the beginning, I definitely know what you mean about the bandages," said Rick.
Lisa nodded then said, "I'll go take my shower now." She gathered up a change of clothes and then went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
Rick changed into his pajamas, which consisted of a comfortable pair of sweatpants. He thought of putting on his usual t-shirt but knew how much Lisa liked him bare-chested so he left the t-shirt in his suitcase. After he had finished changing he went to the window and adjusted the tint so that way they could have a pleasant view of the stars outside, then he went and rested on the bed and waited for Lisa to finish her shower.
Lisa finished her shower but had some problems reaching some of the bandages and would need help putting on the new ones. She semi-dried her hair then got dressed in a pair of shorts and one of Rick's dress shirts and then grabbed the bandage box and went back to the bedroom feeling a bit nervous.
"Rick? I...would you mind helping me?" asked Lisa, timid all of a sudden.
Rick sat up and looked at the box then replied nervously, "Sure."
Lisa walked closer to Rick and was suddenly at a loss as to what to do next. Rick was also not sure what to do and after awhile Lisa realized that the situation was quite funny and she began to laugh lightly.
"I didn't think I'd be this nervous about a little thing like this," Lisa said, a bit amused.
"Same here," answered Rick.
Lisa cleared her throat then turned her back to Rick and decided to just get on with it. She thought she should warn Rick so she said, "From what Kim tells me, it looks pretty bad. But I think it probably looks worse than it really is. It really doesn't hurt that much, except for that big gash on my left shoulder."
Rick kissed Lisa on the back of her neck and then said, "I wish I had been there to protect you and save you from all this..."
"It's alright. Things just can't be avoided sometimes," reasoned Lisa.
"That pilot better be running to hide tommorrow. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind," said Rick in an agitated tone.
"Please Rick, he did the best he could, please don't be too harsh on him, I don't want any problems," said Lisa, not wanting to see any tension brew between Rick and Kohl.
Rick sighed then said, "Ok, for your sake, I'll refrain from personally throwing him out of the loading bay."
Lisa nodded her thanks then, her back still to Rick, slowly took off her shirt and then held it up to her chest to cover herself.
"Lisa!" exclaimed Rick.
"What is it?" Lisa asked a bit confused. Rick didn't say anything and Lisa felt his fingers carefully touching the spots on her back that weren't wounded. Lisa hadn't seen what her back looked like and was now worried. She looked at Rick quickly, then headed back to the bathroom to try and see for herself. Once there she picked up a hand mirror and positioned it so she could see her back. What she saw was a complete mess. She gasped and tried to regain her composure before going back out to the bedroom. Rick came into the bathroom and saw the look on her face and gently put his arm around her shoulder and led her back to the bedroom.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure it's just all superficial. I'm sure after a couple of weeks it won't even seem like you were injured," said Rick, still angry at Kohl and not wanting Lisa to panic.
Lisa began to sniffle, "I'm sorry Rick."
Rick was floored, why was Lisa apologizing? "What on earth are you talking about Lisa?"
"Minmei's back must have been spotless, perfect. All I have to offer you is this beat up, scarred up, war-weary body," said Lisa sadly.
"Bulls--t!" barked Rick. "I don't want to ever hear you talk like that Lisa!"
Lisa sighed and replied, "But Rick-"
"NO! Now you listen to me Lisa. I think you're absolutly gorgeous and you can kick Minmei's ass anyday. So you got a couple scars here and there, I hadn't even noticed them-"
It was Lisa's turn to cut Rick off and she said, "I've had 3 scar-reduction surgeries in my lifetime. After my first Purple Heart, I begged my father to let me go to one of his friends who was a plastic surgeon, I heard that there's a good surgeon back in Granite City-"
Rick took Lisa's face in his hands and looked into her eyes and said gently, but earnestly, "Lisa, you shouldn't think that these scars somehow diminish you in my eyes. These are not imperfections to me. I don't want you to rush to some plastic surgeon or any doctor at all. Lisa, listen to me, what your back looks like or how many scars you have doesn't affect my love or desire for you in any way at all. Please, believe me when I tell you this."
Lisa saw the sincerity in his eyes and nodded, then she sighed and turned around again and waited for Rick to bandage her up.
Rick had patched up half of her wounds, all the while both of them remaining silent. Rick could still sense Lisa's heavy heart so he started singing softly....

You're my peace of mind
In this crazy world
You're everything I've tried to find
Your love is a pearl
You're my Mona Lisa
You're my rainbow skies
And my only prayer is that you realize...
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes

The world will turn
And the seasons will change
And all the lessons we will learn
Will be beautiful and strange
We'll have our fill of tears
Our share of sighs
My only prayer is that you realize...
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes

You will always be
Beautiful in my eyes
And the passing years will show
That you will always grow
Ever more beautiful in my eyes
(5)



By the time Rick had finished singing, he had finished bandaging Lisa's back and Lisa was crying, her heart so overflowing with love and happiness that she turned around and threw her arms around Rick and hugged him tightly, her shirt falling to the floor in the process. Rick wasn't immediately aware of the fact, he had been so engrossed in just hugging her and comforting her that when he finally realized her shirt was on the floor, he riveted his eyes on the shirt and bent down and picked it up and averted his eyes as he held the shirt out to her, saying, "Uh....I think you dropped this."
Lisa chuckled and put on the shirt, closed it a bit but didn't button it, and said, "Ok Rick, it's alright, you can look now."
Rick hesitated and moved his eyes slowly back to Lisa, who was standing at there smiling at him with amusement. She kissed him on the cheek and said, "Thank you Rick."
"For what?" asked a befuddled Rick.
"For being here for me, for being a gentleman, for...for everything." Lisa felt very tired and as she looked at Rick he looked very tired as well. She took his hand and led him back to the bed where he helped her lie down. This was the first time she had laid on her back since being injured and it was extremely painful. Rick saw the grimace on her face and quickly laid down next to her and patted his chest and said, "Here, use me as your pillow." Lisa smiled and rolled over but that was the side that had the aggravated injury from the Quadrano incident and she rolled back on her back quickly and was greeted with pain again, "S--t!" she groaned.
Rick sat up and apologized, "I'm sorry, here let's switch sides."
The pair got up and shuffled through the exchange. They tried lying down again and Lisa was still experiencing discomfort lying on her side. She sighed and gave up and rolled over onto her stomach, which was how she had been sleeping since she had been injured. Rick stared at her for a moment, then rolled over onto his stomach as well and the two were now face to face, lying on their stomachs. The situation and the look on each other's faces made Rick and Lisa laugh.
"You don't have to sleep on your stomach too. I know how much you wanted to look at the stars, so don't worry about me, sleep how you normally sleep," said Lisa, not wanting to have Rick have an uncomfortable night.
Rick shook his head, "I'd rather look at your face than look at the stars."
Lisa kissed Rick to show her appreciation and the two stared at each other in the dim light and it wasn't long until Rick's eyes started to close and then he finally fell asleep. Lisa stared at him for awhile longer, happy and content. Her man had come back to her and from what had taken place that day, she felt that their bond was even stronger than before and as long as she had that, she felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead of her. She said a prayer, thanking God for sending Rick back to her and thanking Kim for praying for her. She looked at Rick again then felt herself starting to give into her sleepiness and finally faded into a peaceful slumber.

=============
1. Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb : "What Kind of Fool"
2. Lonestar : "Only You (And You Alone)"
3. Tyrese : "Lately"
4. Bon Jovi : "Thank You for Loving Me"
5. Joshua Kadison : "Beautiful In My Eyes"

Author's Notes:

This chapter turned out to be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy longer than I had expected. But hey, once I got started on the last scene, where Rick and Lisa re-unite, I couldn't stop! :)

WAS THAT MUSHY OR WHAT?!!! Bwaahahahahaha! That was for all the Rick-Lisa fans because I know I love seeing scenes when Rick Hunter finally does right! And for those who think Rick Hunter isn't capable of such niceness for Lisa, well, all I can say is that you have been influenced too much on the McKinney novels. Oh yes and some have mentioned that Rick is too wimpy. Well, if people really understand Rick's character, it's very obvious that he IS capable of being a really good guy when it comes to his dealings with Lisa. For some reason he reminds me a LOT of Jack Tripper (from the classic sitcom "Three's Company". If you've never seen the show before, it's currently airing at various times on Nickelodeon). Jack Tripper, though he talks about women alot and is always eyeing women, when it comes to relationships he's a really really decent guy, a real gentleman (he's said some things to his friend Larry about getting lucky with his dates, but you get the idea that they are just exaggerations and stories). In one episode some lady wanted him to father a child for her, but he wouldn't do it. In another episode, towards the very end of the show's run, Jack wants to marry his girlfriend, but she turns him down because she is afraid of marriage and would rather live together instead. They break up for awhile because Jack tells her that he's an old-fashioned guy and that living together just doesn't feel right to him. (eventually they do end up living together but the point is that Jack is a gentleman in his dealings with women). For those who have seen the show, you know what I'm talking about. I think our guy Rick Hunter is like Jack. A good guy with a lot of integrity. Am I making any sense? The way I approach and write Rick in this story is that he is capable of being sensitive and in the series he is actually a bit oversensitive. He is a very caring person who isn't afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, and to have him go out for a rowdy night on the town with the boys and oogle all the women around town is definitely out of character for him. So too is his keeping all his emotions bottled up. Time and time again throughout the Macross episodes we can clearly see his feelings so he isn't some macho guy who is afraid to cry. Alright, I rest my case. :)