A/N: Sorry for the delay. Life got busy. Enjoy...

Fourteen

The DC-10 transport landed and came to its final stop. Hector waited impatiently as the ground crew put the chocks in and opened the door. He scratched at the collar of his turtleneck as some of the ranking officers disembarked followed by servicemen. Finally, a civilian woman came to the door escorted by a female airman. He watched her descend the steps where a lieutenant handed her down. She thanked him and waited as a crewman brought her bag from the undercarriage.

The medium built woman stood there, her dark curled hair blowing gently from the breeze. She looked around until she saw him standing off to the side, unlike before, when he'd be up on the steps to greet her. He waved and began to walk over. She watched him carefully. His stride was still sure but his carriage was off. It was his arms. They were too tense. The men in her family were sailors. She knew when something was amiss.

Hector halted a few feet away. "Hey, Theo." There. He said it. She was here and he would know if the last piece fit in moment.

"Hey, Thor," she whispered back.

He seemed to crumple at the childhood name. "It's you. It's really you." He put a hand out, almost afraid to touch her, that she might vanish.

"Course it's me, you big lug." She smiled through her tears. "Who else would fly across country to come see you dressed so nicely?" Althea Delgado Lewis pulled her cousin into a hug, well aware of his reluctance to return it. She waited for him to relax and closed her eyes when he finally held her.

They stood there for a long time, each shedding tears for the other. Eventually, Hector pulled back. Glancing at his watch, he picked up Althea's bag and they began to walk. She slipped her hand in to his and held tightly as they made their way to the parking area. A serviceman was waiting with a sedan to drive them to the barracks across base.

Once there, he showed her the visitor's room and dropped off her things before going to visit in his quarters. Block was coming up the path whistling as Hector unlocked the door.

"Hey there, Wreck. Glad you're on deck. The place is buzzin' about your cousin."

"Block, Althea. Althea, Block. The best cook anywhere."

"The pleasure is mine to meet a lady so fine." The poetical man did a half bow with his hands full.

The cousins stepped out of the way as the chef set up his masterpiece Cordon Bleu. Bidding them "Savor each bite and have a good night," he left them alone.

Hector gestured to the food. "Let's eat first, and then we can talk."

She nodded and took a seat.

scsc

Althea put her napkin down. The food was delicious. She would have to get the chef's recipe. Hector seemed to be thinking hard about something so she went to look at his picture wall. The first things to catch her eye were the three frames grouped together. One had a gorgeous sunrise. Angelface was etched into the rich blonde wood. Another had the Rock of Gibraltar. It, too, had a blonde wooden frame with the word Stonehenge carved in it. The last of the three was a picture of a pub. The cherry wood was unmarked.

She moved to the group picture of his team. She recognized a few of them. Occasionally, he'd show up at her father's house with one or more in tow while on leave.

Next was one of those frames that held multiple pictures. She gave a shudder when she saw the hair from years ago. In the middle was her favorite. She was six to his ten. He had picked her up to hug her and her father caught the shot. The smiles were wide and the eyes bright. Was she ever that young?

The last picture was missing. Althea turned and saw it on the neatly made bed. Walking over, she picked it up and went to sit next to her cousin.

"Remember when you first met Robert? You nearly had a cow when you found out I was dating a naval officer. And he wasn't impressed with you either. Apparently, your reputation is farspread as a ne'er do well. But underneath it all, both of you saw past the outside to know the real person beneath." She made him turn to face her. "What I see right now is the real person stripped bare of all pretense. And you know what? I still love you. No matter what has happened to you, you are still my hero and I love you." Althea leaned over and kissed her cousin on the cheek. A hint of his old smile played about his lips. She scooted in close until they were side by side. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she handed him Mara's picture and said, "She looks like someone I'd like to know. Tell me about her."