A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting, I've been out of town for the last week without access to the Internet.
Part Seven
Shenandoah Valley Northern Virginia 1250 Local
Rabb pulled out a kerchief and mopped his face. There was a lull at the moment but for a while, it had been hot work. He surveyed his portion of the line. They were pulling back in good order. Despite the fact they were retreating, the men were in good spirits. He shook his head. He didn't think much of Hunter, most of the man's success came when he made war on women and children. Faced with the irascible Early and his battle-hardened little army, Hunter lost his nerve. Rabb made it a point never to criticize a superior officer in public, but sometimes it was hard.
He looked out over the line again. A dust cloud told him the Rebs were moving again. Probably another mounted foray, he thought to himself, watching the cloud closely. For the last hour or so, Early had been content to probe their lines with fast moving cavalry. If earlier confrontations were any indication, aside from light skirmishing, the main fighting was over for the day. Of course, that didn't mean they shouldn't remain vigilant. Bobby Lee had taught the Federal Armies not to get complacent. Thank God, Stonewall Jackson was dead. Early was good but Jackson had been a genius. Rabb heard the hoofbeats behind him and glanced back. Billy Douglas was coming up. He turned his attention back to his lines while he waited for the Lieutenant to join him.
"Major, they're back!" Douglas sounded a little breathless.
"I can see that, Billy," Rabb said mildly, "It's only a feint, you haven't missed anything."
"No sir, I mean, yes sir. Sir, I meant Fitzgerald and Miss MacKenzie. They're back." Douglas looked at him anxiously.
Rabb stared at him, "What? Why? Goddammit, what the hell was Fitzgerald thinking? I wanted them away from here."
"Sir, they ran into trouble. The Sergeant was shot."
Rabb blanched. He turned and bellowed, "Orderly! My horse!" Turning back to Douglas, he snapped, "Find Captain Forrest, tell him he's in charge until I get back." His orderly hurried over, Rabb snatched the reins out of his hand and flung himself into the saddle. "Surgeon's tent?" he demanded. Douglas nodded and watched as the Major galloped off. He turned his own horse and headed off to find Captain Forrest.
*******
He wasn't sure what he expected when he rode up to the field hospital. He assumed that Tommy must have been hit while they were escaping from whatever trouble they'd found. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made it back here and if Sarah had been hurt, Billy would have been sure to mention it. The last thing he expected to see was a stand-off between Miss MacKenzie and Dr. Morton. They weren't exactly toe to toe but they were close. At the moment, Sarah was glaring at Morton with her arms folded, while he yelled and waved his hands around. An interested gaggle of walking wounded, rear-echelon troops and the inevitable shirkers were watching with a fair amount of amusement. The stress of battle combined with the sudden worry over Fitzgerald had already frayed his temper to the breaking point. Coming upon a confrontation involving his temperamental surgeon was the last straw.
Dismounting, he threw his reins at the nearest private and stomped into the circle of space the audience had given the two adversaries. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" he roared. The outer ring of the audience quietly began melting away.
Morton, his face red with rage, turned to Rabb, "Get This... This Female Away From My Hospital!!!" He threw her a venomous look, "She's impertinent and rude and disruptive! By God, I don't have to put up with this! She's a danger to the men!" Chest heaving with righteous indignation, Morton glared at Rabb, "Remove her or, so help me God, sir, I will!"
Rabb turned an icy look on Mac. Goddammit, he just wanted to find out how badly Fitzgerald was hurt and now he had to placate his enraged medical officer. He'd never warmed up to Morton and the annoyance he felt when listening to the doctor's frequent outbursts made him feel guilty. Confound the woman for setting the man off! What the hell was she doing harassing the doctor anyway? Why wasn't she with Fitzgerald?! The man had been wounded protecting her, common decency should have placed her at his side!! Damnation! If she couldn't even do that, then she didn't need to be here at all! Struggling to rein in his temper, he bit out each word, "Miss MacKenzie! This area is off-limits for you. Please leave at once!"
He saw disappointment flash across her face and for some reason, that made him angrier. He jabbed a finger away from the hospital, "Now!" Her face settled into an impassive mask as she turned and walked away, stiff-backed. He watched her stalk off and then realized with a start that she was wearing a holster and pistol. What the hell was she thinking?! "Miss MacKenzie!" She stopped and turned around. He pointed at the pistol, "Take that off!" She stared at him for several seconds and then with deliberate movements, unbuckled the holster, wrapped it into a neat bundle and placed it carefully on the ground. Straightening up, she looked him in the eye, turned and marched off.
Rabb let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and turned to a considerably calmer Dr. Morton, "Where's Sergeant Fitzgerald?"
Morton gestured off to the right, "Over there, under that tree."
Rabb hurried in the indicated direction and found Fitzgerald leaning against the tree trunk. With a relieved smile, he knelt down next to the Sergeant, "How are you, Tommy?"
Fitzgerald eyed him, stone-faced, "Permission to speak freely, Major?"
Rabb gave him a perplexed look, "Always, Tommy, you know that."
"Well then, sir, I'd have to say I'm feeling relieved and ashamed." He paused and stared at the surprised Major, "I'm relieved that I can't stand up or I'd surely try to hit you and I don't much feel like losing my stripes just now. And I'm ashamed for the way you treated Miss MacKenzie. She didn't deserve that - not after everything she's been through."
Rabb frowned, feeling his anger start to rise again. Had she told Fitzgerald her 'lost in time' story and gained his sympathy? Despite what he'd heard and said last night; in the cold light of day, Rabb was feeling more skeptical. Irritably, he asked, "What kind of story did she tell you, Sergeant?" Dammit, if she was spreading it around this easily, maybe it was just a story and he had seriously misjudged her. Oh hell, maybe she was laughing up her sleeve at him even now.
Fitzgerald looked at him angrily, "She didn't tell me a story... sir. What she did was save my life and her own when we were bushwacked on the road. That woman's a better shot with a pistol than a lot of men I know and rock steady in a fight."
"What?" Rabb's eyes widened in surprise, "But I thought... " He listened in dumfounded silence as Fitzgerald gave him the gist of the story. When the Sergeant finished, he sat for a long moment and then asked, "What about Dr. Morton?"
Fitzgerald shrugged and then winced a little, "Didn't hear, you'll have to ask her about it... after you've apologized." He gave a dry chuckle, "Maybe it's a good thing you made her take off the gun. Otherwise, she might not let you get close." Watching the Major get up and stride away, Fitzgerald shook his head and muttered, "I damn sure wouldn't."
********
Mac stomped off, not really paying attention to where she was going. The men who had been watching, parted silently. Some were smirking, others were looking sympathetic. She didn't really care as she struggled with an almost overwhelming sense of betrayal. He hadn't even considered her side of the argument!
'Stop it,' she told herself firmly. This wasn't Harm. This was a man from the 1800's, a time when women weren't much better than chattel. It was stupid of her to expect twenty-first century behavior in this era - she didn't always get it in 2003. Hell, women didn't even get the vote in this country until 1920! Unfortunately, knowing all that didn't make it hurt any less.
Mac slowed down and looked around. She was still in the rear echelons of Army. Dammit, these people were like ants, they were everywhere. She glanced around again. For two cents, she'd keep walking until she was out of this Army, this Valley, this nightmare... . Hugging herself, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to ease the tension in her shoulders. Shaking her head, Mac walked over to a tree and lowered herself to the ground. Pulling up her knees, she draped her arms on top and rested her chin. She was stuck here. She'd given her word not to escape and even though the 'arrest' was bogus, she was an officer and her word was her bond. She didn't have a helluva lot at the moment, she could, at least, hang on to her integrity.
That son of a bitch! With the hospital off-limits, she wouldn't even be able to check up on Sergeant Fitzgerald. That ass that called himself a doctor would probably succeed in killing Tommy. From what she could see, he hadn't yet made the corollary between dirt and infection. It was a wonder he could see anything at all - she knew a drunk when she saw one. She'd had no intention of letting him anywhere near Fitzgerald, not until he'd scrubbed the filth and dried blood from previous patients off his hands. That had been enough to send the doctor into a tizzy. His ranting grew ever more vitriolic until shooting him had begun to seem like a viable option. Then Rabb had shown up and had, in effect, shot her instead.
Mac shifted and rested her forehead on her knees, closing her eyes. Damn the man! ... No... damn herself. She kept seeing Harm when she looked at Major Rabb and kept expecting Harm's behavior. She was even feeling the same goddamn attraction. She sighed, was this what Harm had gone through - went through - every time he looked at her? No wonder it took eight friggin' years to get together... She kept her eyes closed, letting her mind drift, recalling the good times and bad that they had experienced together. Memories of enjoyable times with Harriet and Bud, Sturgis, the Admiral, even Clay (although she usually thought of times with him as exasperating) came and went until she realized she was well on the way to making herself completely miserable.
Enough. Wallowing wasn't going to fix anything. She'd find Rabb and either get him to drop the arrest and let her leave or follow through and make a judgment. One way or the other, she'd get out on her own. After that, well, she'd play it by ear. Her hand found Annabel's necklace. Maybe that was what she should do, go find the White Horse Grill... Tavern... whatever the hell it was called in the 1800's. It had been the last place where her life had been normal.
The soft scuff of a boot alerted her and reflexes took over. Throwing herself in the opposite direction of the sound, she rolled to her feet, reaching for a gun that was no longer there. Frustrated, she tried not to wince. Sitting curled up with knees that were scraped and bruised hadn't been a good idea. She blinked in surprise to see Rabb standing there. Slowly, she straightened up and let the mask drop into place, "Don't you have a war to attend to?"
Rabb blinked at her reaction to his arrival, the woman could have been an Indian scout. He tried not to flinch at the resigned bitterness in her voice. Looking at the ground, he cleared his throat, "I came to apologize for losing my temper."
Mac looked at him silently, noting that while he was apologizing for the tone, he wasn't apologizing for the words. Great, he didn't see anything wrong with what he'd done. Exasperated, she looked away as she ran a hand through her hair, then turned back and folded her arms, "Okay."
"What?" Rabb looked at her, perplexed. What the hell did 'okay' mean?
Mac closed her eyes briefly. Wrong Century. Damn, she took a deep breath, "I mean it's fine."
The Major looked at her blankly. 'Fine'? That didn't make any sense either. Fine what?
Oh for godsakes! What words did they use in this century? She glared at him, her own temper rising, "I accept your apology for losing your temper. You can go back to your war." Mac turned around and walked away. She was angry all over again, too angry to ask him anything.
Rabb stared at her retreating figure, what was the matter with the woman? Goddammit! He apologized! He strode after her and grabbed an arm, "Wait."
She spun back, eyes narrowed. "Let go," she ground out.
He hurriedly released her, putting both hands up, "What's wrong with you? I apologized!"
"Yes, you did. For losing your temper. Now leave me alone."
"No! What more do you want? I don't intend to grovel, if that's what you're waiting for!" With an effort, he kept his voice level. Damn this woman!
"Well, of course not! God forbid you should humiliate yourself!" The man was unbelievable!
"What do you mean by that?" What the hell was she talking about?
Mac folded her arms and glared at him, "When two of my people get in a dispute, I don't summarily side with one without listening to both sides first."
"Is that what this is about? Your feelings were hurt?" Rabb stared at her incredulously. "The man's a doctor and he wanted you out!"
Mac gritted her teeth. Just like a man to assume it was nothing more than some sort of over-the-top emotional female outburst. "That man is a drunk and a walking germ factory. I didn't want him killing Fitzgerald!"
Rabb blinked, 'a what?', "I know Morton drinks but... "
"He's drunk right now and I don't think the man has more than a passing acquaintance with soap and water." How the hell did anyone survive in this time?
"He's drunk now? What in blazes makes you think that? And what possible difference does washing have to do with anything? He's the doctor, not you! Or are you now claiming medical knowledge?" Oh dammit, he knew as soon as he threw out that last question, it was a mistake. He watched her go from hot to icy cold.
"I see." She stared at him for a long moment as he tried not to shift uncomfortably. He caught himself and felt another surge of anger. He was an officer in the Regular Army of the United States, not a child who was feeling guilty after telling a fib! Damn this woman!
Finally, she spoke in a flat tone, "Let me go."
His eyes widened at the abrupt change of subject, "What?"
"Let me go. Either drop the charges or hold the court-martial. I can't stay like this," she stared at the ground as she spoke. How incredibly ironic. He was the one who had convinced her that this nightmare was real - that he was real - and now it was apparent he didn't believe in her.
------
Thought I'd reply here to some of the feedback. Hope y'all don't mind.
Jaina - Probably not until the end. That's the paradox of time-travel. Everything that's going on is occurring 130 years ago.
Stevie - Sorry, no website. I post here and on the Fanfiction site of Maeve's Jagnik Central.
spockisright, Jet angel, Tammy and CapriceAnn - Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Wasn't sure when I started it, if I could pull it off.
Part Seven
Shenandoah Valley Northern Virginia 1250 Local
Rabb pulled out a kerchief and mopped his face. There was a lull at the moment but for a while, it had been hot work. He surveyed his portion of the line. They were pulling back in good order. Despite the fact they were retreating, the men were in good spirits. He shook his head. He didn't think much of Hunter, most of the man's success came when he made war on women and children. Faced with the irascible Early and his battle-hardened little army, Hunter lost his nerve. Rabb made it a point never to criticize a superior officer in public, but sometimes it was hard.
He looked out over the line again. A dust cloud told him the Rebs were moving again. Probably another mounted foray, he thought to himself, watching the cloud closely. For the last hour or so, Early had been content to probe their lines with fast moving cavalry. If earlier confrontations were any indication, aside from light skirmishing, the main fighting was over for the day. Of course, that didn't mean they shouldn't remain vigilant. Bobby Lee had taught the Federal Armies not to get complacent. Thank God, Stonewall Jackson was dead. Early was good but Jackson had been a genius. Rabb heard the hoofbeats behind him and glanced back. Billy Douglas was coming up. He turned his attention back to his lines while he waited for the Lieutenant to join him.
"Major, they're back!" Douglas sounded a little breathless.
"I can see that, Billy," Rabb said mildly, "It's only a feint, you haven't missed anything."
"No sir, I mean, yes sir. Sir, I meant Fitzgerald and Miss MacKenzie. They're back." Douglas looked at him anxiously.
Rabb stared at him, "What? Why? Goddammit, what the hell was Fitzgerald thinking? I wanted them away from here."
"Sir, they ran into trouble. The Sergeant was shot."
Rabb blanched. He turned and bellowed, "Orderly! My horse!" Turning back to Douglas, he snapped, "Find Captain Forrest, tell him he's in charge until I get back." His orderly hurried over, Rabb snatched the reins out of his hand and flung himself into the saddle. "Surgeon's tent?" he demanded. Douglas nodded and watched as the Major galloped off. He turned his own horse and headed off to find Captain Forrest.
*******
He wasn't sure what he expected when he rode up to the field hospital. He assumed that Tommy must have been hit while they were escaping from whatever trouble they'd found. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made it back here and if Sarah had been hurt, Billy would have been sure to mention it. The last thing he expected to see was a stand-off between Miss MacKenzie and Dr. Morton. They weren't exactly toe to toe but they were close. At the moment, Sarah was glaring at Morton with her arms folded, while he yelled and waved his hands around. An interested gaggle of walking wounded, rear-echelon troops and the inevitable shirkers were watching with a fair amount of amusement. The stress of battle combined with the sudden worry over Fitzgerald had already frayed his temper to the breaking point. Coming upon a confrontation involving his temperamental surgeon was the last straw.
Dismounting, he threw his reins at the nearest private and stomped into the circle of space the audience had given the two adversaries. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" he roared. The outer ring of the audience quietly began melting away.
Morton, his face red with rage, turned to Rabb, "Get This... This Female Away From My Hospital!!!" He threw her a venomous look, "She's impertinent and rude and disruptive! By God, I don't have to put up with this! She's a danger to the men!" Chest heaving with righteous indignation, Morton glared at Rabb, "Remove her or, so help me God, sir, I will!"
Rabb turned an icy look on Mac. Goddammit, he just wanted to find out how badly Fitzgerald was hurt and now he had to placate his enraged medical officer. He'd never warmed up to Morton and the annoyance he felt when listening to the doctor's frequent outbursts made him feel guilty. Confound the woman for setting the man off! What the hell was she doing harassing the doctor anyway? Why wasn't she with Fitzgerald?! The man had been wounded protecting her, common decency should have placed her at his side!! Damnation! If she couldn't even do that, then she didn't need to be here at all! Struggling to rein in his temper, he bit out each word, "Miss MacKenzie! This area is off-limits for you. Please leave at once!"
He saw disappointment flash across her face and for some reason, that made him angrier. He jabbed a finger away from the hospital, "Now!" Her face settled into an impassive mask as she turned and walked away, stiff-backed. He watched her stalk off and then realized with a start that she was wearing a holster and pistol. What the hell was she thinking?! "Miss MacKenzie!" She stopped and turned around. He pointed at the pistol, "Take that off!" She stared at him for several seconds and then with deliberate movements, unbuckled the holster, wrapped it into a neat bundle and placed it carefully on the ground. Straightening up, she looked him in the eye, turned and marched off.
Rabb let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and turned to a considerably calmer Dr. Morton, "Where's Sergeant Fitzgerald?"
Morton gestured off to the right, "Over there, under that tree."
Rabb hurried in the indicated direction and found Fitzgerald leaning against the tree trunk. With a relieved smile, he knelt down next to the Sergeant, "How are you, Tommy?"
Fitzgerald eyed him, stone-faced, "Permission to speak freely, Major?"
Rabb gave him a perplexed look, "Always, Tommy, you know that."
"Well then, sir, I'd have to say I'm feeling relieved and ashamed." He paused and stared at the surprised Major, "I'm relieved that I can't stand up or I'd surely try to hit you and I don't much feel like losing my stripes just now. And I'm ashamed for the way you treated Miss MacKenzie. She didn't deserve that - not after everything she's been through."
Rabb frowned, feeling his anger start to rise again. Had she told Fitzgerald her 'lost in time' story and gained his sympathy? Despite what he'd heard and said last night; in the cold light of day, Rabb was feeling more skeptical. Irritably, he asked, "What kind of story did she tell you, Sergeant?" Dammit, if she was spreading it around this easily, maybe it was just a story and he had seriously misjudged her. Oh hell, maybe she was laughing up her sleeve at him even now.
Fitzgerald looked at him angrily, "She didn't tell me a story... sir. What she did was save my life and her own when we were bushwacked on the road. That woman's a better shot with a pistol than a lot of men I know and rock steady in a fight."
"What?" Rabb's eyes widened in surprise, "But I thought... " He listened in dumfounded silence as Fitzgerald gave him the gist of the story. When the Sergeant finished, he sat for a long moment and then asked, "What about Dr. Morton?"
Fitzgerald shrugged and then winced a little, "Didn't hear, you'll have to ask her about it... after you've apologized." He gave a dry chuckle, "Maybe it's a good thing you made her take off the gun. Otherwise, she might not let you get close." Watching the Major get up and stride away, Fitzgerald shook his head and muttered, "I damn sure wouldn't."
********
Mac stomped off, not really paying attention to where she was going. The men who had been watching, parted silently. Some were smirking, others were looking sympathetic. She didn't really care as she struggled with an almost overwhelming sense of betrayal. He hadn't even considered her side of the argument!
'Stop it,' she told herself firmly. This wasn't Harm. This was a man from the 1800's, a time when women weren't much better than chattel. It was stupid of her to expect twenty-first century behavior in this era - she didn't always get it in 2003. Hell, women didn't even get the vote in this country until 1920! Unfortunately, knowing all that didn't make it hurt any less.
Mac slowed down and looked around. She was still in the rear echelons of Army. Dammit, these people were like ants, they were everywhere. She glanced around again. For two cents, she'd keep walking until she was out of this Army, this Valley, this nightmare... . Hugging herself, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to ease the tension in her shoulders. Shaking her head, Mac walked over to a tree and lowered herself to the ground. Pulling up her knees, she draped her arms on top and rested her chin. She was stuck here. She'd given her word not to escape and even though the 'arrest' was bogus, she was an officer and her word was her bond. She didn't have a helluva lot at the moment, she could, at least, hang on to her integrity.
That son of a bitch! With the hospital off-limits, she wouldn't even be able to check up on Sergeant Fitzgerald. That ass that called himself a doctor would probably succeed in killing Tommy. From what she could see, he hadn't yet made the corollary between dirt and infection. It was a wonder he could see anything at all - she knew a drunk when she saw one. She'd had no intention of letting him anywhere near Fitzgerald, not until he'd scrubbed the filth and dried blood from previous patients off his hands. That had been enough to send the doctor into a tizzy. His ranting grew ever more vitriolic until shooting him had begun to seem like a viable option. Then Rabb had shown up and had, in effect, shot her instead.
Mac shifted and rested her forehead on her knees, closing her eyes. Damn the man! ... No... damn herself. She kept seeing Harm when she looked at Major Rabb and kept expecting Harm's behavior. She was even feeling the same goddamn attraction. She sighed, was this what Harm had gone through - went through - every time he looked at her? No wonder it took eight friggin' years to get together... She kept her eyes closed, letting her mind drift, recalling the good times and bad that they had experienced together. Memories of enjoyable times with Harriet and Bud, Sturgis, the Admiral, even Clay (although she usually thought of times with him as exasperating) came and went until she realized she was well on the way to making herself completely miserable.
Enough. Wallowing wasn't going to fix anything. She'd find Rabb and either get him to drop the arrest and let her leave or follow through and make a judgment. One way or the other, she'd get out on her own. After that, well, she'd play it by ear. Her hand found Annabel's necklace. Maybe that was what she should do, go find the White Horse Grill... Tavern... whatever the hell it was called in the 1800's. It had been the last place where her life had been normal.
The soft scuff of a boot alerted her and reflexes took over. Throwing herself in the opposite direction of the sound, she rolled to her feet, reaching for a gun that was no longer there. Frustrated, she tried not to wince. Sitting curled up with knees that were scraped and bruised hadn't been a good idea. She blinked in surprise to see Rabb standing there. Slowly, she straightened up and let the mask drop into place, "Don't you have a war to attend to?"
Rabb blinked at her reaction to his arrival, the woman could have been an Indian scout. He tried not to flinch at the resigned bitterness in her voice. Looking at the ground, he cleared his throat, "I came to apologize for losing my temper."
Mac looked at him silently, noting that while he was apologizing for the tone, he wasn't apologizing for the words. Great, he didn't see anything wrong with what he'd done. Exasperated, she looked away as she ran a hand through her hair, then turned back and folded her arms, "Okay."
"What?" Rabb looked at her, perplexed. What the hell did 'okay' mean?
Mac closed her eyes briefly. Wrong Century. Damn, she took a deep breath, "I mean it's fine."
The Major looked at her blankly. 'Fine'? That didn't make any sense either. Fine what?
Oh for godsakes! What words did they use in this century? She glared at him, her own temper rising, "I accept your apology for losing your temper. You can go back to your war." Mac turned around and walked away. She was angry all over again, too angry to ask him anything.
Rabb stared at her retreating figure, what was the matter with the woman? Goddammit! He apologized! He strode after her and grabbed an arm, "Wait."
She spun back, eyes narrowed. "Let go," she ground out.
He hurriedly released her, putting both hands up, "What's wrong with you? I apologized!"
"Yes, you did. For losing your temper. Now leave me alone."
"No! What more do you want? I don't intend to grovel, if that's what you're waiting for!" With an effort, he kept his voice level. Damn this woman!
"Well, of course not! God forbid you should humiliate yourself!" The man was unbelievable!
"What do you mean by that?" What the hell was she talking about?
Mac folded her arms and glared at him, "When two of my people get in a dispute, I don't summarily side with one without listening to both sides first."
"Is that what this is about? Your feelings were hurt?" Rabb stared at her incredulously. "The man's a doctor and he wanted you out!"
Mac gritted her teeth. Just like a man to assume it was nothing more than some sort of over-the-top emotional female outburst. "That man is a drunk and a walking germ factory. I didn't want him killing Fitzgerald!"
Rabb blinked, 'a what?', "I know Morton drinks but... "
"He's drunk right now and I don't think the man has more than a passing acquaintance with soap and water." How the hell did anyone survive in this time?
"He's drunk now? What in blazes makes you think that? And what possible difference does washing have to do with anything? He's the doctor, not you! Or are you now claiming medical knowledge?" Oh dammit, he knew as soon as he threw out that last question, it was a mistake. He watched her go from hot to icy cold.
"I see." She stared at him for a long moment as he tried not to shift uncomfortably. He caught himself and felt another surge of anger. He was an officer in the Regular Army of the United States, not a child who was feeling guilty after telling a fib! Damn this woman!
Finally, she spoke in a flat tone, "Let me go."
His eyes widened at the abrupt change of subject, "What?"
"Let me go. Either drop the charges or hold the court-martial. I can't stay like this," she stared at the ground as she spoke. How incredibly ironic. He was the one who had convinced her that this nightmare was real - that he was real - and now it was apparent he didn't believe in her.
------
Thought I'd reply here to some of the feedback. Hope y'all don't mind.
Jaina - Probably not until the end. That's the paradox of time-travel. Everything that's going on is occurring 130 years ago.
Stevie - Sorry, no website. I post here and on the Fanfiction site of Maeve's Jagnik Central.
spockisright, Jet angel, Tammy and CapriceAnn - Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Wasn't sure when I started it, if I could pull it off.