Chapter Two
"Dashiell?" She walked over to him. He looked up from the tourist flier he had been reading. At first his eyes seemed to look right through her. When they finally fell on her, she couldn't help but gasp. His eyes held so much pain and frustration. Though it seemed to disappear as realization of who she was dawned on him; his whole face melting into his trade mark grin. well, at least that's not gone She thought to her self.
"Alison Hart-Burnett. Long time no see." She smiled at her. He had to chuckle when she stopped in her tracks and looked around.
"Are you talking to me?" She giggled, "Sorry my own family has gotten into the habit of calling me Lady Jaye. Since I have ceased answering to Alison or any form of it."
"Know the feeling It took me a full two months in civilian life when I realized that Dashiell was me and not a stranger." He leaned back looking up at her. "You look fantastic. I like the hair." She touched a strain of hair. She once wore it short, but; in the past two years she had gone to a longer style with blonde high lights.
"um Dash…" Her brow furrowed… She watched as his face light up with laughter. "Go a head and say it Jaye… I look rough… But I always did compared to you." He was so thin; his skin stretch taunt over his six two frame. He was also pale, the healthy tan that bronzed his skin gone; now, he looked as if he contracted what Mainframe called the Hacker disease: men that spent too much time in front of their computers, developing a pasty complexion and stick figure like physique. "So are you here on vacation or Business."
"Vacation. A bunch of us came across to see what kind of trouble we could get into."
"Hawk allowed you guys to come down here not chaperoned?"
"Scary is it not? So what brings you here?"
"Business unfortunately though I hope to take in some of the sights but I don't know how much I can." She watched as he looked around the lobby. "So I heard Kit bought this place. I hope to meet him, I think he is the only one of the brood I haven't meet. How is everyone?"
"Good, father and mother are in Hong Kong. Strictly pleasure. Kit just opened another resort in Las Vegas. Plus Kelly just had a baby girl. Oh and Mac, well Mac has yet again found a way to pester me even more… He joined the Joe team three months ago. I swear Hawk wants to make this some sick family affair."
"Mac a Joe?" Flint looked at her skeptically. "What's his specialty annoying Cobra?"
"No he's flying. Europe finally got their stake in the Joe team. Mac came along with the deal. We figure that we got him because he reached his level of competency." She watched as he groaned and shook his head.
"Its really good to see you and I'm sure the gang….
All of a sudden he heard across the lobby. "JAYE THERE YOU ARE."
"And you brought the peanut gallery with you?" She had to groan watching the scruffy sailor striding across the lobby of the plush resort. Cover Girl was following close behind him her eyes a rolling.
"Well… Yeah. I had invited Cover Girl, Jinx, and another new member of the team. They invited their boyfriends. Who invited their friends and then some how Shipwreck got an invite."
"Lady Jaye, the tour bus is about to…" Shipwreck started casting a look to Dashiell it took him a second to realize who he was "Oh My God. Flint?"
Jaye could tell that he cringed when he was called Flint. "It's Dashiell now Shipwreck."
Shipwreck in his usual fashion seemed to be oblivious to Flints comment. "I mean you don't write you don't call. We did our best raising you but…"
"Stow it you ole sea dog." Flint growled but laughter shone in his eyes. "How's it going? And please tell me you didn't drag Beachhead with you."
"No we left him at home to watch the kiddies. Actually we are blessed with Mac and his girl-" Flint watched as Cover Girl hit him on the head. "What did you do that for it's not like I told him that Lady Jaye's boyfriend was with us."
Both women glared at Shipwreck. Jaye turned to see anger in Dashiell's eyes. "Dash-" He cut her off with a wave of his hand.
"It's fine Jaye. You need to move on; life goes on I understand that, I really do." She could tell he was trying to swallow the anger he felt. She had seen that face when they had been in the cave with that super spy Matthew Burke. When he had bit out "Just who are you?" it was like this fire in his eyes… But this time that fire was so bright. "I guess, I'll see you before you leave." With that he began to wheel away. Jaye was at a lost for word. She had moved on; she had found other he was a wonderful man that she was falling in love with; but why did she want Dash to come back? Why did she want to take the hurt out of his eyes? Why did she hope that the fire in his eyes was from a tiny bit of jealousy?
She walked into the suite that she was sharing with her brother and his girl friend, Mischief. Oh shit, In my own pity party I have forgotten about Mischief. She groaned running her fingers through her hair. Her bother and Mischief had gone out shopping and should be back soon, hopefully with out running into Dash. She thought that him finding out about her and Keoni was bad this was going to be worse. When he finds out Mischief is…. Oh Girl, this is worse then you taking that civilian to that supposedly abandoned Cobra Base.
She walked into her bed room shaking her head at the mess. Clothes were strone from the bed room door to the bathroom door. Two Surfboards were leaning against the wall. Alison sighed knowing that she really need to clean up this mess but really couldn't talk her self into doing the deed.
She walked into the bathroom that was equally as messy, Her bikini was slung over the shower rod along with wet towels. She sighed unzipping her sun dress she really couldn't get the images of Dash out of her head. So broken and… She really couldn't think of the word nor did she want to, she didn't want to think of him as anything else then the proud warrior he was.
Slipping on her black Adias running pants and a white tank top, she figured she would go out for a while. Maybe walk the trails near the hotel. Maybe to the waterfall.
She padded her way to the huge California king size bed that took up most of the room He laid in the middle of the bed How can one man take up a bed this big? She thought to her self.
"Keoni Wake up." Her response was a moan. She went to move away grumbling about fly boys and the fact that they wouldn't be alert to save their life. She felt her self being pulled into the bed.
"Look who is the one that is not alert?" He joked as she fell on the bed.
"Sure. I'm serious Keoni, I have seen you sleep through one of Beachhead tirades didn't you earn coffee bath for that?"
"It's all an act you know that." Keoni joked.
"Sure… You flyboys are all alike…."
"That's where you are wrong… because I'm not an ordinary pilot. I am a –"
"I know I know. A surfing ninja pilot." She said crossing her eyes at him. "How can I forget? Oh I know you won't let me forget."
Keoni sat cross legged pulling her in to his lap. "And don't forget that." He stared at her with a serious expression that was belied by the twinkle in his eye. She stuck her tongue out at him. "I can think of other things I can do with that tongue of yours." He growled pulling her closer to him.
"Like what?" She asked suggestively.
"This." His mouth descended hers. She surrendered to the sweetness it held. Her hands reached up to his hair feeling him bring her body close to him. She pushed all thoughts of the man in the wheel chair aside. This man was her love and fast becoming her life, but, that a nagging guilt aroused for the first time since he left her. For the first time since her and Gambler had come together Alison wondered; just what her feelings were the man that she was now about to give her body to?
"Cover Girl hold up." Shipwreck yelled to the auburn beauty that was making her way toward the tour bus.
"What do you want Shipwreck?" Cover Girl sighed not even to bother to turn around just made her way to the nearest empty seat.
"Okay, look I'm sorry." Shipwreck said following her not taking a hint from the glare she threw him when he sat down next to her.
"I'm not the one you need to apologize too. You need to talk to Jaye. It was up to her to say something about her and Gambler to Flint, not you."
"I wasn't thinking Cover Girl it just slipped out… I was trying to cover up for Mischief. I mean you yelled at me so I thought fast and that's what I came up with." He looked off. "It's not like her and Gambler are as tight as her and Flint were."
"That's where you are wrong They really like each other." Cover Girl tried to explain to him.
Shipwreck said nothing, just stared at the seat in front of him, "But he just isn't Flint."
Cover Girl shrugged "Maybe that's the point."
Dashiell Faireborn couldn't get her out of his mind. From the red sundress she wore to the glint in her eyes. He had thought… What that she would be loyal to him after what he did? He had no right to be angry. It wasn't if he had gone of on a mission and she had done something behind his back; no, he had written her a Dear John letter. Telling her he didn't think it would work. What kind of man was he? He didn't even have enough balls to tell her to her face.
He had come to terms that he would never walk again. That much was painfully obvious, hence the wheel chair. It was not something that he just rolled around in for the fun of it. This wheel chair caused friends and family to look at him with pity. Not wanting to see that pity he had shut them out of his life. He felt bad about it. In the beginning he had gotten calls from family and Joes but couldn't talk to them. It was too painful.
He looked down at his utterly useless legs, he thought back to that night. All he had to do was let the car truck hit them straight on but… no he would not think about that. He would do nothing different. Even if it meant that he would never walk again… Even if it meant losing her….He would have done anything to save her if it meant losing his ability to walk, so be it. Because even if he could no longer be with her and that night haunted him more than another night in his life she could walk she could run she could feel the surf… She wasn't trapped in this infernal contraption destined to see the world from the outside looking in.
"Dashiell?" She walked over to him. He looked up from the tourist flier he had been reading. At first his eyes seemed to look right through her. When they finally fell on her, she couldn't help but gasp. His eyes held so much pain and frustration. Though it seemed to disappear as realization of who she was dawned on him; his whole face melting into his trade mark grin. well, at least that's not gone She thought to her self.
"Alison Hart-Burnett. Long time no see." She smiled at her. He had to chuckle when she stopped in her tracks and looked around.
"Are you talking to me?" She giggled, "Sorry my own family has gotten into the habit of calling me Lady Jaye. Since I have ceased answering to Alison or any form of it."
"Know the feeling It took me a full two months in civilian life when I realized that Dashiell was me and not a stranger." He leaned back looking up at her. "You look fantastic. I like the hair." She touched a strain of hair. She once wore it short, but; in the past two years she had gone to a longer style with blonde high lights.
"um Dash…" Her brow furrowed… She watched as his face light up with laughter. "Go a head and say it Jaye… I look rough… But I always did compared to you." He was so thin; his skin stretch taunt over his six two frame. He was also pale, the healthy tan that bronzed his skin gone; now, he looked as if he contracted what Mainframe called the Hacker disease: men that spent too much time in front of their computers, developing a pasty complexion and stick figure like physique. "So are you here on vacation or Business."
"Vacation. A bunch of us came across to see what kind of trouble we could get into."
"Hawk allowed you guys to come down here not chaperoned?"
"Scary is it not? So what brings you here?"
"Business unfortunately though I hope to take in some of the sights but I don't know how much I can." She watched as he looked around the lobby. "So I heard Kit bought this place. I hope to meet him, I think he is the only one of the brood I haven't meet. How is everyone?"
"Good, father and mother are in Hong Kong. Strictly pleasure. Kit just opened another resort in Las Vegas. Plus Kelly just had a baby girl. Oh and Mac, well Mac has yet again found a way to pester me even more… He joined the Joe team three months ago. I swear Hawk wants to make this some sick family affair."
"Mac a Joe?" Flint looked at her skeptically. "What's his specialty annoying Cobra?"
"No he's flying. Europe finally got their stake in the Joe team. Mac came along with the deal. We figure that we got him because he reached his level of competency." She watched as he groaned and shook his head.
"Its really good to see you and I'm sure the gang….
All of a sudden he heard across the lobby. "JAYE THERE YOU ARE."
"And you brought the peanut gallery with you?" She had to groan watching the scruffy sailor striding across the lobby of the plush resort. Cover Girl was following close behind him her eyes a rolling.
"Well… Yeah. I had invited Cover Girl, Jinx, and another new member of the team. They invited their boyfriends. Who invited their friends and then some how Shipwreck got an invite."
"Lady Jaye, the tour bus is about to…" Shipwreck started casting a look to Dashiell it took him a second to realize who he was "Oh My God. Flint?"
Jaye could tell that he cringed when he was called Flint. "It's Dashiell now Shipwreck."
Shipwreck in his usual fashion seemed to be oblivious to Flints comment. "I mean you don't write you don't call. We did our best raising you but…"
"Stow it you ole sea dog." Flint growled but laughter shone in his eyes. "How's it going? And please tell me you didn't drag Beachhead with you."
"No we left him at home to watch the kiddies. Actually we are blessed with Mac and his girl-" Flint watched as Cover Girl hit him on the head. "What did you do that for it's not like I told him that Lady Jaye's boyfriend was with us."
Both women glared at Shipwreck. Jaye turned to see anger in Dashiell's eyes. "Dash-" He cut her off with a wave of his hand.
"It's fine Jaye. You need to move on; life goes on I understand that, I really do." She could tell he was trying to swallow the anger he felt. She had seen that face when they had been in the cave with that super spy Matthew Burke. When he had bit out "Just who are you?" it was like this fire in his eyes… But this time that fire was so bright. "I guess, I'll see you before you leave." With that he began to wheel away. Jaye was at a lost for word. She had moved on; she had found other he was a wonderful man that she was falling in love with; but why did she want Dash to come back? Why did she want to take the hurt out of his eyes? Why did she hope that the fire in his eyes was from a tiny bit of jealousy?
She walked into the suite that she was sharing with her brother and his girl friend, Mischief. Oh shit, In my own pity party I have forgotten about Mischief. She groaned running her fingers through her hair. Her bother and Mischief had gone out shopping and should be back soon, hopefully with out running into Dash. She thought that him finding out about her and Keoni was bad this was going to be worse. When he finds out Mischief is…. Oh Girl, this is worse then you taking that civilian to that supposedly abandoned Cobra Base.
She walked into her bed room shaking her head at the mess. Clothes were strone from the bed room door to the bathroom door. Two Surfboards were leaning against the wall. Alison sighed knowing that she really need to clean up this mess but really couldn't talk her self into doing the deed.
She walked into the bathroom that was equally as messy, Her bikini was slung over the shower rod along with wet towels. She sighed unzipping her sun dress she really couldn't get the images of Dash out of her head. So broken and… She really couldn't think of the word nor did she want to, she didn't want to think of him as anything else then the proud warrior he was.
Slipping on her black Adias running pants and a white tank top, she figured she would go out for a while. Maybe walk the trails near the hotel. Maybe to the waterfall.
She padded her way to the huge California king size bed that took up most of the room He laid in the middle of the bed How can one man take up a bed this big? She thought to her self.
"Keoni Wake up." Her response was a moan. She went to move away grumbling about fly boys and the fact that they wouldn't be alert to save their life. She felt her self being pulled into the bed.
"Look who is the one that is not alert?" He joked as she fell on the bed.
"Sure. I'm serious Keoni, I have seen you sleep through one of Beachhead tirades didn't you earn coffee bath for that?"
"It's all an act you know that." Keoni joked.
"Sure… You flyboys are all alike…."
"That's where you are wrong… because I'm not an ordinary pilot. I am a –"
"I know I know. A surfing ninja pilot." She said crossing her eyes at him. "How can I forget? Oh I know you won't let me forget."
Keoni sat cross legged pulling her in to his lap. "And don't forget that." He stared at her with a serious expression that was belied by the twinkle in his eye. She stuck her tongue out at him. "I can think of other things I can do with that tongue of yours." He growled pulling her closer to him.
"Like what?" She asked suggestively.
"This." His mouth descended hers. She surrendered to the sweetness it held. Her hands reached up to his hair feeling him bring her body close to him. She pushed all thoughts of the man in the wheel chair aside. This man was her love and fast becoming her life, but, that a nagging guilt aroused for the first time since he left her. For the first time since her and Gambler had come together Alison wondered; just what her feelings were the man that she was now about to give her body to?
"Cover Girl hold up." Shipwreck yelled to the auburn beauty that was making her way toward the tour bus.
"What do you want Shipwreck?" Cover Girl sighed not even to bother to turn around just made her way to the nearest empty seat.
"Okay, look I'm sorry." Shipwreck said following her not taking a hint from the glare she threw him when he sat down next to her.
"I'm not the one you need to apologize too. You need to talk to Jaye. It was up to her to say something about her and Gambler to Flint, not you."
"I wasn't thinking Cover Girl it just slipped out… I was trying to cover up for Mischief. I mean you yelled at me so I thought fast and that's what I came up with." He looked off. "It's not like her and Gambler are as tight as her and Flint were."
"That's where you are wrong They really like each other." Cover Girl tried to explain to him.
Shipwreck said nothing, just stared at the seat in front of him, "But he just isn't Flint."
Cover Girl shrugged "Maybe that's the point."
Dashiell Faireborn couldn't get her out of his mind. From the red sundress she wore to the glint in her eyes. He had thought… What that she would be loyal to him after what he did? He had no right to be angry. It wasn't if he had gone of on a mission and she had done something behind his back; no, he had written her a Dear John letter. Telling her he didn't think it would work. What kind of man was he? He didn't even have enough balls to tell her to her face.
He had come to terms that he would never walk again. That much was painfully obvious, hence the wheel chair. It was not something that he just rolled around in for the fun of it. This wheel chair caused friends and family to look at him with pity. Not wanting to see that pity he had shut them out of his life. He felt bad about it. In the beginning he had gotten calls from family and Joes but couldn't talk to them. It was too painful.
He looked down at his utterly useless legs, he thought back to that night. All he had to do was let the car truck hit them straight on but… no he would not think about that. He would do nothing different. Even if it meant that he would never walk again… Even if it meant losing her….He would have done anything to save her if it meant losing his ability to walk, so be it. Because even if he could no longer be with her and that night haunted him more than another night in his life she could walk she could run she could feel the surf… She wasn't trapped in this infernal contraption destined to see the world from the outside looking in.
