I still have no idea where Annapolis Naval Academy is supposed to be, as this is where Nathan was supposed to get his Officer's Training. If anyone knows the answer, please tell me. This is why I'm changing the location shortly.

Chapter Two

June 5th, 1984

Nathan woke up the next morning, still obscenely early for someone who was supposed to be on vacation. Sitting up on the side of his bed, he sighed and ran a hand through his clipped hair. His mother was going to freak. She never liked the military to begin with and to see his hair so short would be one too visual clue of what he had decided to do in life.

He began to pack, deciding on taking the first two weeks off in Chicago with his Dad. It would give his hair time to grow itself in. There would be time to cut it later. Speaking of which, there was a certain young lady he still had to ask about coming with him for those two weeks. Sighing, knowing that Bill was going to be extremely upset with him, he finished packing and went to the phone and dialed her number.

It rang only twice and she picked it up, "Hello?"

"Hi, Jan, it's Nathan."

"Hi, Hi!" she greeted in her usual cheerful tone. "What's up?"

"Well, you know how you said you've never really been out of state, except to go to the University?" he asked, twisting his fingers in the phone cord, a really bad habit he had never been able to rid himself of. Likely, he would have to replace the cord before the next tour.

"Yeah... what of it?"

"Would you like to, uh, come with me to Chicago?" he asked, then nervously launched into the reasons why. "I swear I'd be a perfect gentleman, I remembered how you said you've never been there before..."

Silence greeted him.

"Look, you can come with me as just a friend if this makes you uncomfortable. Actually..." he trailed off, not really knowing how to put it without completely putting his foot in his mouth. "I would like to take you as a friend. Its only for a two weeks, shorter if you can't be there the entire..."

"No, Nathan, it's not that, it's sudden. Even as just friends? What kind of money do you roll in?" came her question.

"I kinda saved everything I made as a cadet," he answered. "Quite frankly, I had nothing to spend it on. What would I buy in a military dorm?"

That got the response he wanted when she laughed. "Good point. But I can't. Nathan, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just that I don't know you and going all the way to Chicago..."

"It's okay, I understand. I think I would answer the same way if I was in your shoes," he said. "Can I get you anything while I'm there?"

"Something decidedly Chicago?" she asked.

"Something definitely Chicago," he answered. "See you in a few weeks, Jan."

"Bye, Nate," came her answer and she hung up the phone.

Nathan put the handset back in the cradle and thought a moment. Well, he definitely knew that by the time he came back Bill would have won her over. Nathan would be single again, but, hey, there was that blonde ensign that had been eyeing him in Martinson's office. He sighed. He had liked Janet though. Shrugging he shouldered the luggage and walked from his apartment. Taking one last glance at the apartment that was now emptied of everything of his, he handed the key back over to the Property Manager and took the bus to the airport.

June 6th, 1984
Chicago Airport

If the entire trip was like the start, it was going to be the worst vacation of his life.

He looked at his watch again, noted the time, and paced some more. He eyed the huge contraption that some rich dilettante toted around, and even spoke into. Nathan finally worked up the bravery to ask him, "What is that?"

"This? This is the Motorola Beta!" he answered as if that was supposed to be the answer. "What hole have you been in? It's called a mobile phone. Soon these babies are going to replace the home telephone."

"Really? Can you go anywhere with it?" asked Nathan, his curiosity piqued.

"Well, not everywhere. Only in some major cities. It's all the rage in LA and New York, and we're trying to get a network this far out, but who knows," he shrugged. "Right now those are the only places with a cellular network."

"No network, no phone?" asked Nathan, who thought, Right, and those are going to replace the home telephone. Just like we're going to see who we talk to on the phone someday... "How much would one cost?"

"Well, this one set me back twenty five hundred. But there are some more expensive than this..." that was enough to make Nathan's insides pucker, never mind how much one more expensive would be. "But those are Satellite phones, then again, they truly go anywhere."

Finally, thought Nathan as he saw his father walk into the lobby. "Nice meeting you... I hope you get your network..."

"Nice meeting you too."

Walking to the waiting car outside in the rain, Nathan asked his Dad, "What happened?"

"Traffic. I would have been here sooner," he answered. "Is that everything you've got?"

Nathan nodded and threw the luggage into the trunk of the car. Sitting in the passenger seat, he asked, "When the seminar end?"

"In two weeks, then I figured you and I could fly home for the remainder of your holiday," Daniel Bridger was a stern man, but usually that sternness was reserved for his students at MIT. "Have you spoken to your mother yet?"

"Yes," answered Nathan.

"She was rather hoping you would stick around until your birthday. That reminds me, Nate, when is your contract up with the Navy?"

"Say what?"

"When is the earliest you can return to civilian life?"

"In five years," he answered. "Why?"

"Well, one of the professors at the university is retiring soon, and he has your area of expertise. I was hoping you would take it. Then at least you would be close to home," after that point Nathan, while he heard every word, was in too much shock to really pay true attention to it. "He's planning to retire in two years, but if that is the soonest you can leave the Navy, and if you are interested, I can get him to stick around for a few more years."

"Teach? You want to teach at MIT?" Nathan asked in a stunned whisper.

Years ago, when he had actually cared about what they thought, he would have loved the prospect. Hell, it was tempting as it was. MIT was one of the top universities. Being a professor there gained a certain amount of prestige, and also an excellent pay cheque. But still he knew that now that he had felt the sting of salt water there was no going back. Ever.

Maybe.

A half an hour later, and much inane conversation later, Daniel Bridger parked the car at the curb and let the valet park it once Nathan and his luggage had been removed from the car. Downtown Chicago was as busy as ever. Today was no different as Nathan had to literally side step to avoid being pushed along the flow of pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk. He jogged up the steps to the entrance of the hotel and followed his father into the quiet within.

Five years was a long time to not see opulence, and while it was quiet, it was also extremely luxurious. Even the carpeting beneath his feet seemed to be made of cushions. "Don't stand out so much, Nathan. People are beginning to stare..." his father whispered in his ear.

"Dad, I'm in jeans and a t-shirt, holding a distinctly military style bag as my luggage with my name and serial number on it. I stand out just by walking in the door," came Nathan's ironic reply.

His father never seemed to hear, but that wasn't all that unusual for him. He followed him up to the concierge. Daniel said to the receptionist, "Good day, I need another room, preferably with adjacent to my own."

The receptionist took one look at Nathan and said, "Um, I'm not sure if your friend here meets our requirements...."

"My son's name is Nathan Bridger, an ensign in the Navy. If he looks rough its because he just spent ten hours in Coach. Think about how you would look after that," pointed out his father coldly. "But he only needs a few hours sleep and he will fit in with whatever stringent policies you have."

She nodded, "Of course sir, we have a room opening this afternoon, of course if he needs rest we can arrange for him to have a room in the interim. Ensign, if you would sign here..."

Nathan signed the paper in front of him and she handed him a key. A bellhop grabbed his luggage and asked, "What room?"

Looking at the key, he answered, "Room 912."

"If you would follow me..." the bellhop began to move away, and he looked over at his father.

"I'm in room 1245 if you need me, son," Daniel waved him off. "I can see the bags under your eyes from here. Go on, take a nap. I'll come get you when your room is ready."

Nathan followed the bellhop to his room. After Nathan opened the door to the room, the bellhop followed him in and set his bag on the bed. Nathan already had ten dollars for him when he turned, and the bellhop smiled, "Hey, Ensign..."

"Yeah?"

"When you get up, there a neat bar down the street called Angelique's," the bellhop then left him to his own devices.

Nathan sighed, reflecting on the changes in life he had been forced to put up with, and moved the luggage bag from the bed to the floor. Flopping onto the still made bed, he resolutely closed his eyes, determined to get some sort of rest before he was called on by his father. He knew that it was rather hopeless as he was too wound up from the wait in the airport, and the flight itself. It was funny, come to think of it. He didn't mind the ships, nor even the cramped insides of a submarine, but flying was enough to set his teeth on edge.

He could be very honest. He hated to fly. No matter what advances they had made to make the inside of those damnable things comfortable, he still hated them.

Sleep seemed to sneak up on him so fast that he wasn't aware that he had been asleep until he opened his eyes next and it was beginning to get dark. Twilight only changed Chicago so much as the streetlights never made it quite dark. Nathan sat on the edge of his bed and breathed in the quiet of his hotel room. That was one thing that never ceased to surprise him was how peaceful things were off base. Not that it wasn't quiet when it was time to be quiet. When the Base Commander called for quiet you could hear a pin drop clear across the base. But that wasn't peaceful. No, it was always in a state of readiness. Just in case some enemy dropped a bomb and they were called to action.

Here it was peaceful. No crises to attend to. No morning reveille that disturbed your sleep even if you were on leave. No hearing the sergeants ream out their new recruits. The noise here, if you could hear it in the sound-absorbing insulation of the hotel, was of a much more carefree type.

He swallowed, knowing that sometimes, the former had to be called to protect the latter so it could even exist, but it didn't mean he had to like the arrangement.

Which led him to the pondering of the offer that his father had made.

To leave the service to go to that peaceful life, one of learning and of teaching, was extremely tempting.

Reading the clock on the wall, he stood up, knowing that shortly his father would be coming to get him as his room would be ready, and for supper. Nathan stretched his lean muscles and smoothed out the worst of the rumples and ran a hand through his short cropped hair. When he was satisfied that he had made himself presentable, he rang his father. It only took two rings for the man to pick it up. "Dammit, Deanna, I'm expecting my son to call. I'll call you later."

Nathan hung up, not sure what to say to that, breathing hard. There could be a million reasons why his father would cursing out a woman for calling too often. Many legitimate reasons. But only one seemed to stick in his mind right now, and every instinct cried that it was the one.

He ran to the bathroom and was violently ill at the realization that his father was cheating on his wife.

A half an hour later, his father helped him settle into his hotel room. "... and I hope you brought something somewhat dressy other than a dress uniform. There is a black tie dance at the university."

Nathan only listened with half an ear.

"Did you hear a word I just said?" asked Daniel.

"Yes, black tie thing at university. No, I don't have anything other than my dress uniform," he answered. "I guess I could rent something..."

"You don't have to go if you don't want to. You could always meet your future colleagues at a less formal function. I could introduce them to you," Daniel continued on as if Nathan had already accepted his offer. "I can't wait, really. Father and son working together. It will make your mother really happy."

"Well, I kind of depleted my funds, so I don't think I can afford a tux, Dad. I think... I will see the sights."

Daniel stood up from the unpacking and said, "See the sights? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am," answered Nathan.

"Okay, if that's what you want. See you in the morning."

With that his father left him to his own devices, going to his own room through the adjoining door between them.

Nathan walked out of his hotel room and locked the door. He was dressed in a clean set of jeans and a new denim shirt. In truth, he could have afforded to buy a tux, but he really didn't feel up to being sociable. Not around his father. He walked down the stairs as the elevator, he knew, was one place where he was sure to run into 'Deanna'. He walked out of the lobby and into the street where it was only lit by streetlights. Thinking of a place of where he could go, he thought back to where the bellhop told him of.

He turned and walked up the sidewalk to the bar called Angelique's. Pushing open the door he wasn't sure what to expect. Once he was in he was relieved to see that it was one of those quiet, clean, pub style bars. Where the food was probably really good too. A family restaurant by day and bar after eight o'clock. Those type were Nathan's favorites as he liked to eat more than he liked to drink. The only thing was having something to wash it all down with.

Deciding, since he had missed dinner, lunch, and earlier he had thrown up everything he had, he was more hungry than thirsty. He slid into a booth table and grabbed the menu to see what they had. Opening the leather bound menu, he looked over the after eight selection.

His mouth began to water almost instantly. Almost immediately, a pretty blonde woman that had to only just barely be old to vote, he said, "I'll have the Mozza Burger with the mushrooms... and the cheese sticks."

"Hungry?" she asked.

"You could say that."

"Anything to drink?"

That took a moment. "Coke, for now."

She wrote it down, giving him an odd look. "I want something in my stomach first," he answered. "I missed two meals today. Putting a beer on top of an empty stomach is a bad mistake..."

A pleasant and soft laugh greeted him, "I'll put that on anyway, if you want it, and bring it later. Can I see your ID?"

He fished out his Navy identification. She looked at it and said, "Don't take this the wrong way, Ensign Bridger, but you really don't look twenty-three."

"I get that a lot," he said as she gave him his identification back.

"Yeah, well, I get a lot of kids who try to make themselves look older. Only you are a Hell of a lot more responsible," she winked. "I knew, but the law requires I check."

"What gave me away?"

"Food first, then maybe the beer, and only one beer. Kids try to overdo it."

He laughed thinly, remembering his own fake ID he had when he turned nineteen. Only then he technically could have snuck past the North border into Ontario where the legal age was nineteen. Or Quebec where it was still only eighteen. Ontario was closer though. She left to put in his order and came back with his glass of Coca Cola. He sipped it to keep his stomach from growling up the storm it was.

When she came back, he had worked up the nerve to ask her name. "Well, since you know mine, can I have the privilege of knowing yours?" he asked.

"Angelique. My Dad owns the place and named it after me, thinking that the name of his only daughter would make a better name for a pub than his own," she said. "I have a brother in the Navy, maybe you know him, David Morin.

"What rank?"

"Oh, the same as you," she answered. "He's a bit ahead of you though. He serves on the Aegis, before it had to go in for repairs," she said, and then she noted his reaction. "You do know him!"

"Actually, not yet, I'm just been assigned to the Aegis, and I'll ship out when it is out of drydock," he answered. "Maybe I'll meet him then."

She nodded in understanding, and then she went back to work. Nathan reflected on his incredible luck. She was a really nice girl, if she was his age then a really nice woman. That was what he hated the most about the age he was right now. He couldn't date too many years behind him, anything under seventeen. Not that he wanted to, and he mentally shuddered. Too much older and people looked at you funny too.

Idly, he wondered how old she was, but he didn't have the bravery to ask her right now. Then again, there was her brother.

When his food arrived he practically dove into it, not looking up until he finished his Coke and she brought him beer. By then, all but a few of the cheese sticks had been devoured. After they were gone, he sipped at his beer to allow the food to settle. He enjoyed the peace and quiet for awhile, then boredom set in. Paying for his bill, and leaving a sizable tip for Angelique. Exiting the bar, he noticed that it was starting to get late.

It was in the walk that he noticed how very quiet things had got and an instinct told him to walk faster. So he did, but not so fast as to attract attention. If anything the pace was normal for a young navy officer; brisk.

He arrived at the lobby of the hotel and breathed a sigh of relief when out of the corner of his eye he noticed that an older gentlemen was being accosted across the street. His young assistant had managed to escape and was running his way, but one of the thieves started to run after her.

Deciding he didn't like those odds, Nathan stepped into the streetlight so that the chasing thief saw him clearly. The young woman ran past him and said, "Thank you, but the Senator..."

That settled it.

It was his duty to protect members of the Senate if at all possible. The thief came up to him, "Hey, just move along. Nothin' to see."

"I don't think so, asshole," answered Nathan.

The other man made a clumsy punch, and it was almost too easy for Nathan to clip him under the chin with a well aimed upper cut. The thief went down like a sack of potatoes, and he ran to help the elder Senator. By then the other thieves had saw the little display.

Counting three, and one with a knife, Nathan skidded to a stop a few feet away from them. "Let him go," he ordered, copying Professor Martinson's tone when he was chewing out some hapless cadet.

Just the tone was enough to give them pause and the Senator blinked in surprise that the lanky young man could possess such an authoritive tone. "Cop!" one cried.

"He's no cop, got no uniform," said the one with the knife, obviously the leader. "Get him."

A short side kick took out the knee of the first one, but Nathan had to fall back momentarily to size up the much larger second one. Speed was definitely going to count in this one. Nathan darted past him, and before he could turn, kicked the back of his knee. When that brought the brute down a circle kick to his head finished. Now it was just him and the man with the knife.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll slit his throat," said the last thief.

Great, a hostage situation to finish the night, thought Nathan sarcastically. But he didn't move any closer. How he handled this would determine whether or not the older man lived. "Fine, I won't come any closer. But sooner or later you're going to get tired of holding that knife to his throat," Nathan allowed some of his ire to show through.

"Yeah, you're no cop, or else you would be a lot more friendly," said the thief.

"I would have read you your rights too," pointed out Nathan. "If I were a cop. And you're right, I'm not."

"Some sort of hero?" the thief sneered.

"No, a man doing his duty as a Navy Officer," answered Nathan.

For a moment the thief was put off balance. That second was all he needed as he bull rushed him into the wall, freeing the Senator. "Go! Get out of here!" shouted Nathan.

The thief was back on his feet, and they circled each other. Nathan idly wondered where Chicago's finest were. A good ten minutes had gone by and they had not shown up. He didn't even hear sirens. The thief darted forward towards Nathan and just barely managed to open a cut in his upper arm. Nathan countered with a straight punch to the other's chest. The thief gasped for air, and Nathan twisted his arm up behind his back and immobilized him on the ground, kicking away the knife.

Finally he heard sirens and a car stopped not too far away. The police officer came up and, since Nathan had him pinned, only had to cuff the thief while reading him his rights. After the three were in the back of the car, the officer said, "That's a nasty cut. You see to it."

An ambulance, undoubtably called at the same time of the police, arrived and Nathan walked towards it after giving his statement. The other police officer, the partner of the first, was getting a statement from the young woman and the Senator. "...And he's the young man who saved our lives," finished the Senator, pointing at Nathan.

"Thank you, Senator," said the officer. "Have you given your statement yet, sir?"

"Yes, your partner has it," answered Nathan.

"Your name?"

"Ensign Nathan Bridger of the US Navy," answered Nathan.

"Thank you, Ensign," said the officer and she left to join her partner.

After the ambulance attendant saw to the, luckily, shallow wound on his arm, the Senator said, "Thank you, Ensign, for saving us. Bridger was it?"

"Yes sir," answered Nathan with a crisp salute.

The Senator returned the salute then offered his hand. Nathan shook it, "Senator James O'Connor."

The assistant shook his hand as well, "Carol Smith."

"Ensign, are you staying at this hotel?" asked the Senator.

"Yes sir," answered Nathan, followed the Senator into the lobby.

"Enough of that. I owe you my life. James, I insist," O'Connor made a resolute gesture with his hand when Nathan made a motion of refusal. "So long as I can call you Nathan..."

"Of course, sir, uh, James," Nathan answered, stumbling over the change.

Man, the guys are never going to believe I'm on first name basis with a Senator! Nathan marveled. The Senator walked right up to the front desk, and then he asked, "Are you staying with anyone, Nathan?"

"No, only my Dad, but he has his own room adjacent to mine," Nathan was puzzled by the question.

"I'd like a suite set up for my friend here," said the Senator to the shocked looking concierge.

He was so stunned that he never thought to even say anything. The Senator regarded his new friend in amusement. He knew that if he had asked the young man if he would like a suite, he would have flatly refused, thanking James for the offer as if James didn't owe him his life. So the surprise did it for him. Nathan was in too much shock to refuse, and by the time his brain started working again, he would have been asleep and awake in the morning in the different room.

The bellhop and Carol followed Nathan to his room where he unlocked the door. He packed his things into the luggage and allowed the bellhop to carry it as Carol showed him to the elevator. Putting a key into the lock on the elevator, the elevator doors closed and it began to go up. Nathan swallowed and turned to Carol. "I've never been in a suite before..." he said. "Okay, maybe once. But it wasn't me staying in it."

It was one of his best friends, Geoffrey Harpe, that had rented the suite once to visit Nathan at Annapolis. But she didn't need to know that. "Then you should enjoy it, sir," she said.

"I was just doing my duty..." he tried again.

"That may be," she conceded. "But you could have simply called the police. You didn't have to intervene. And that particular duty only applies when you are in uniform, not on leave as you obviously are."

Nathan had no response to that as it was true.

Carol tipped the bellhop, and then helped Nathan settle in. "How long are you staying in Chicago?" she asked.

"A week to visit my Dad," answered Nathan.

"Then this will be your home for a week," she said. "Then are you returning to duty?"

"No, I have a six-week leave," explained Nathan. "My ship is in for repairs."

"I see. Then where are you going?"

Nathan turned to stare at the woman and she made a placating gesture with her hands, "Just curious. The Senator will pay for first class tickets to your chosen destination..."

"He doesn't have to..."

"He owes his life to you, as do I," her voice was sharp. "Live with those consequences. Good night, Ensign Bridger."

She left him alone then and he went to the large picture window to look out at the fantastic view of the city scape. He was on the second to top floor in a fully loaded suite, granted not a presidential suite, but a suite nonetheless. Nathan went into the bedroom and lay down on the softer bed. Kicking off his shoes and socks, and most of his clothes, he fell asleep under the down covers.