----------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER 5They had been able to get on the Transport tube alone, and no Mr. Michael Garibaldi. Susan laughed to herself. She was sure he would be furious when he did finally locate her. She had told him that she wouldn't change her routine, and she meant it.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the Hanger bay. Swiping her Ident-card through the reader, the access door to the hanger opened, Susan looked around, and the semi-darken area appeared to be empty. She led Talia to the lockers that were just beyond the entrance.
Talia hadn't been to this part of the station before. She could still sense massive doses of testosterones, and adrenaline in this area. She had never understood the mentality of fighter pilots. The need to put themselves in harm's way knowing that each mission could well be his or her last.
"Talia, watch where you're go…" Susan warned, but she was too late.
"What!" Talia said as came out of her reverie, and stumbled forward.
Susan's quick actions caught her before she hit the floor. "… going. There are cables everywhere," she finished. The telepath weighed very little in her arms. Susan's breath caught when Talia gazed up at her from her arms. Unconsciously, she tightened the hold. Her lips desired so much to feel Talia's beneath hers.
Talia stared into Susan's eyes and she felt like she was drowning in the murky pools she found gazing back at her. Kiss me please… I want you to kiss me, her mind begged.
Susan cleared her throat, and released the telepath. She had to look somewhere else, or she was going to do something that she- or worse Talia- might regret. Gruffly, she said, "Just watch where you are going. I don't want to have to explain to Dr. Franklin how you got hurt falling over a cable in a hanger you're not suppose to be in." Smartly turning, she walked to her locker as she tried to get her emotions under control. She had never kissed a woman before, and she wasn't real unsure if Talia was even interested in her.
Silently but very disappointed, Talia pulled her emotions together, and followed the Commander paying careful attention to where she was stepping. She had seen many emotions cross Susan's face as she stared at it: confusion, questioning, desire, and a second glint of… fear. Talia did feel a little hope because she knew she had seen desire. Just take it slow… she reminded herself. She was sure this was new territory for Susan, and she was more than willing to wait until she was ready.
Susan began to rummage in her spacesuit. "Aha!" she cried, and turned to Talia showing her a small, nondescript package that was tied with string. "Looks like you played your cards right, Ms. Winters. We are having chocolate for dessert." Her eyes glowed with anticipation. "Your quarters, or mine?" Susan inquired.
"Yours is fine, Commander," Talia said. She couldn't wait much longer.
As they left the locker room, they heard a metal-to-metal sound like something had dropped, or had been dropped. "Who's there?" Susan called. She tensed. No one should be here this late! Maybe skipping out on Michael wasn't such a good idea. Handing the package to Talia, she bent down retrieved her PPG from an ankle holder. Since seeing the file on the assassin, she didn't go anywhere without it.
Standing, she gently pushed Talia behind her, and motioned for her to stay where she was. Talia nodded her understanding. Turning, Susan surveyed the area once again. Stealthily, she began to move around the hanger. There was little light on, but her eyes adjusted to what was available. The hanger contained her Starfury. Because she had never trusted any maintenance crew completely, she was always down here working on it, or double-checking it to be sure everything met her standards. Ten minutes later, she made her way back to Talia. "Okay, let's go." She took Talia's arm, and led her out the door.
Once safely on the transport tube, Talia turned to her, "What was that all about?" she demanded. She nearly been scared out of her mind when
Susan pulled a PPG, and left her standing outside of the locker room. Although it had only taken her ten minutes to search the area, Talia felt like it had taken an eternity for Susan to return to her side.
Susan returned her PPG to the ankle holder. She could tell from Talia's words that she had been frightened, and Susan was sorry for that. She took a deep breath before speaking. "The Hanger is off-limits except to station personnel. At this time of night and no alerts are going on, no one should have been in there. We have had some threats, a few more than normal, and I just wanted to be sure someone wasn't down there causing trouble." She noticed that Talia was trembling. Without thinking she pulled her close, and into her embrace. "I'm sorry I scared you," she whispered, "But, when you are with me, you are perfectly safe."
Within Susan's embrace, Talia fought to get her emotions under control. Soon her fear was replaced with the flames of desire. Susan smelled so good. She looked up into Susan's eyes, and found concern and protectiveness staring back at her. Talia realized that here is Susan's arms she felt protected… safe.
Before she could express any of these feelings, the car stopped. They both looked up and realized it wasn't their stop. The two quickly pulled away from each other. Susan looked at the floor as she tried to get her emotions under control. This time there was no mistake; she had seen desire in Talia's eyes. She heard Talia clear her throat. The door opened, and she nearly groaned out loud.
It was Michael, and he was not happy. His look was smothering with… rage. Susan had very seldom seen him this furious. "Commander, wh…" he growled before she saw the telepath, and stopped. He struggled to get his emotions under control. Two days in a row, she had frightened him, and he had promised himself to personally strangle her when he found her. But she was not alone and he did not want to chew Susan out with Ms. Winters present. He struggled to get his temper under control before he spoke. "Ms. Winters, Good evening." He just glared at Susan.
Behind his back, Susan saw Talia grimace. She must be feeling his anger, Susan thought. She decided to try to defuse some of his anger. "Michael… how's your evening going?" She asked innocently.
"Business had been pretty active unfortunately," he said. "I have been trailing a 'suspect' who gave me the slip."
"Well, is 'this suspect' a danger to us?" Talia said.
Michael turned to her, and Talia saw Susan stick her tongue out at him. Talia had to struggle not to laugh. She is incorrigible! She had to really concentrate to hear what Mr. Garibaldi was saying. "… She gave us the slip for a few minutes, but then we found her again. However, I will tell you that you need to be careful around her. She can be very crafty."
Susan knew he was talking about her. She didn't care. She was having fun this evening and she wasn't going to let him do anything to dampen her spirits. "Well, I guess you are going to have to put your best man on her and then, maybe, you could keep up with her."
The car stopped on her floor. She motioned Talia forward. Turning to Garibaldi, she said quietly, "Follow us for a moment, I need to talk to you?"
He followed in silence. When they reached her quarters, she opened the door and motioned Talia in, saying, "I need to talk to Garibaldi for a moment. Make yourself comfortable."
"Okay," Talia responded. She was sure Susan wanted to talk to him about the hanger business. While she waited, she slipped off her gloves, and Psi Badge laid them on a nearby table.
----------------------------------
"Susan, what possessed you to give me the slip?" Michael demanded as soon as the door closed. "And, why are you out without your com-link?" He grabbed her right hand, and pointed at the empty spot on it. He, also, wanted to ask about her inviting her hated enemy to her quarters, but he had more pressing issues. "When you link showed you in your quarters, I nearly had a stroke when you weren't here!!!" By this time, his raised voice was drawing unwanted attention from passing onlookers.
"Michael, lower your voice," she lowly growled back pointing out the onlookers with her eyes. When she saw him struggle to get his emotions under control, she relented. "Michael, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it. I just had a contact I needed to meet without Security trailing after me."
He paused for a second, before speaking. "Your monthly chocolate run I take it?" he asked, noting the shocked look on her face. "Susan, did you really think you could get that by me?" He laughed as he saw her shock fade to disbelief.
She didn't know how he did it, but Garibaldi seemed to always know everything that goes on the station both legal as well as illegal. Damnit! "Well… yes, if you must know. Anyway, the real reason I wanted to talk to you was that while I was in the hanger, I heard someone." She watched as he got angry all over again. Bending down, she pulled up her pant leg until the PPG and holster could be seen. "I maybe mischievous, even pigheaded, but I am not dumb." She straightened. "I searched the place, but didn't find anyone. I did find a maintenance bay door unlatched that shouldn't have been. I secured it, but whoever it was had left. "
"Susan, Damnit," he saw the silent look on her face and lowered his voice again. "… This is why I want you to be more careful. Don't take chances." Tapping his link, he called, "Garibaldi to Security."
"Go, Chief," Zack Allen, Garibaldi's second in command, answered.
"I want another guard assigned to the Commander when she is out of her quarters. She had promised," he glared at her as he said these words, " not to try and give us the slip again. Also, I need a detail down to Hanger 12 and check for any damage. The Commander found a maintenance bay door…"
"One fourteen," she supplied. She was beginning to realize how serious this had been. She'd had Talia with her, and the telepath could have been hurt. Seriously.
"… One fourteen left opened." Michael repeated. He saw the worried look on the Commander's face. Maybe she finally understands why he is worrying. He relented, and decided not to yell at her anymore.
"We're on it, Chief. Allen out."
"Michael… I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I just didn't think… You're right; I could have go someone hurt with my antics." Staring him in the eyes, she promised, "It won't happen again."
He reached out and patted her shoulder. "Thanks, I mean this is two days this week you have scared the hell out of me. I don't need any more gray hairs." He impishly grinned.
She smiled at his attempt at humor. "Listen, I don't know if I am in for the night, or not. I'll call if I go back out."
"Really???" He looked at the closed door and back at her. "Are you and Ms. Winters actually becoming friendly?"
She punched him hard into the shoulder, and said, "None of your damn business, Garibaldi, none of your business." She said. "If we come back out, please, tell the guards to be discreet, or you will hear from me…" she let the threat hang in the air. She then turned, and let herself into her quarters, and called, "Goodnight, Mr. Garibaldi," as the door closed behind her.
------------------------------------
PLEASE!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! FEEDBACK IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!