I'Lee Springer was cleaning her quarters. She had a load of nervous energy and it needed to go somewhere. Earlier, she had been calm, even excited about the rest of the evening but as time passed, she began to have doubts. So, she started straightening, putting away little things that had piled up here and there.
As she walked by her dresser, the small nurse paused to look at her reflection in the mirror. What have I gotten myself into? Is this where I want to be? She took stock of herself. Not the tallest person by far. And not slender like Brinn. Good curves in good places. That's what Mum says. Strawberry blonde hair that was short enough to take care of and long enough to pull back. She closed her eyes. Why am I doing this to myself? Involuntarily, her hand strayed to her lips and she remembered the feel of another pair on her own. She opened her eyes to see herself flush a pretty shade of pink.
Turning back to her work, she sighed. So many thoughts crowded in her mind. But they all came back to a pair of ocean blue eyes. Drat. Forgetting her cleaning, she grabbed her ID and sat back on her bed. On the loop was a band of green and blue thread. She undid the latch and slid the ring onto her finger. I'Lee held it up for closer inspection. In the light of her lamp, she could see the various colors in the green strands.
A loud knock on her door startled her from her inspection. The small nurse frowned. She wasn't expecting a visitor, at least, not without a call. The pounding increased.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming." She hopped off the bed and answered the door. "Beach? What are you doing here?"
The Ranger stood tall in the doorway with his customary grimace. "Grab your shoes. You're needed in the common room."
She slipped on her flats wondering what could possibly need her attention. "This is after my shift. Why do you need me?"
"Just come on already." His voice was sharp.
I'Lee stood up straight and narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't snap at me, Wayne."
He smirked and pulled her out of the room. "Yes, ma'am. Let's go, ma'am." He practically dragged her to the common area. It was brightly lit and full of people who quieted when the two came in. Beach let go of her and I'Lee stopped in the entry. The whole room seemed to stare at her. She frantically looked around for the ones she knew. SE and Red over at one wall. Jaye, Dash and Block by the foosball table. Doc was there and Sgt. Hauser as well. Over half the team was present. But not the one she wanted to see.
Beach picked up an amber bottle and tapped it for attention. He cleared his throat. "It's not often we choose to…accept an outsider as our own but tonight we do."
Rounds of "Here, here" rolled around the room.
The Ranger motioned for the nurse to come forward. "It's customary that the giving of a nickname be accepted by the drinking of a shot." He placed the bottle on the pool table and pulled out a single shot glass. Filling it, he handed it to I'Lee. "Do you accept?"
She stepped forward and took the shot. "I do." Eyeing the amber liquid, she tossed it back and swallowed before choking.
"There is a catch."
She wiped a bleary eye and straightened. "And what (cough cough) would that be?"
"One shot for each letter in your nickname."
The strawberry blonde visibly paled. "And how many …?" She set the little glass on the table as he pulled back a cloth revealing eight more shots. "Oh, my word…" came her quiet whisper. A shaking hand reached for and retrieved a second. Steeling herself, I'Lee tossed it back. It burned going down and she didn't think she could handle a third much less seven more. Clearing her throat, she tried to talk but it came out fairly hoarse. "This may take all night. It's stronger than what I'm used to." She looked the Ranger in the eye and saw only respect.
Doc came over at that point. "I'Lee, you do have an option." When she focused on him, he continued. "You can ask anyone to take the rest of the shots for you."
She felt her heart clench in her chest. Was it from the alcohol or from fear? She waved the medic closer and whispered in his ear. "I don't know anyone who can handle this (cough) nor would I dare to ask them."
He smiled and patted her hand. "You may not have to."
It didn't occur to her what he meant until she reached for the third glass and a larger hand closed over it.
"I'll do it."
Beach grinned at the sailor. "You know the rules. You have to take all the rest and stay standing."
She tried to protest. "No way!"
Wreck just winked and said, "No problem." He tossed back the first of the remaining seven and started on the second. In the background, Ace and Bill were running bets on if he would make it. Two was gone and three followed. He stopped to take a breath. "I get first dibs, right?" The Ranger nodded. I'Lee wondered if he'd lost his mind. Four was soon gone and five was on its way. The sailor reached for number six and was halted by a small voice.
"It's not worth it."
"Yes, it will be. You just wait." He tossed the amber back and slammed the glass down. The room got quiet and the final bets were taken. A steady hand reached for number seven and the sailor had a solid grin on his face. He saluted the woman in front of him and then the shots were history. "Welcome to the team, Sparkplug."
A wink, a chaste kiss and a hug and I'Lee felt herself being literally passed around the room. "Congrats" rang in her ears as most of the guys gave her a kiss on the cheek. Shana and Jaye each gave her a hug before she ended up back at the pool table beside Beach.
He called for attention once more. Glaring around the room at large, he growled. "I gave her the name and I dare any of you to cross her."
The nurse did a fairly good imitation of the Ranger by crossing her arms and scowling. The crowd roared with laughter, paid off various wagers and began to go their separate ways. Eventually, it was down to two. I'Lee watched as Beach stacked the glasses on a tray along with the bottle. He turned to look at her. "So, Sparkplug, how do you like the name?"
"It's long, Wayne." She dragged out the 'a' in his name.
"It fits you, I'Lee. Hope you'll stick with us for awhile." Picking up the tray, he turned to go. "You want me to walk you back?"
"No, thank you. Going to grab me a drink. I'll get the lights and be out shortly."
The Ranger nodded and disappeared down the hall.
I'Lee watched him go before turning toward the vending machine. She decided that bottled water would go down a lot better than the caffeine and sugar of a soda. Retrieving her choice, the nurse walked to the door and switched off the lights. She was almost to the outer exit when she heard a faint "Hey…" from the common room.
She stuck her head back into the darkness. "Hector?"
"Have I told you how much I hate tequila?" A hoarse voice came from one of the couches.
"Is that what it was?" She wandered over.
He sat up slowly, patting a spot next to him. "Join me for a spell, your Highness."
"Hey, it's Sparkplug to you, scoundrel. And how come you didn't warn me?" She made a 'that was nasty stuff' face.
"I didn't know until after the debrief. Beach made a persuasive case for inviting you."
The strawberry blonde snorted. "Sparkplug. Where did he get that?" She leaned back against the cushions so she could face the sailor.
"Not many people dare to stand toe to toe with Beach. He respects that. You work hard and don't complain. He respects that. Heck, he respects you more than he respects me." He laughed.
I'Lee reached for his hand. "Hey." There was a tone in her voice that quickly sobered him up.
"You okay?" He tugged but she resisted.
"Why did you do it? Why did you take the shots if you don't like it?"
He paused, thinking of how to best phrase the answer. Finally, he replied. "Because I can. It's not that you can't but you didn't need to. Does that make sense?" Her silence rang in his ears and he was afraid he'd offended her by stepping up. She was quiet so long he thought she might have fallen asleep. A tentative finger poked at her leg. "You still with me, Sparks?"
"Just thinking." She was very quiet. "Hector?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Anything."
"Why are you here?"
"Don't want to be anywhere else."
"Why are you here with me?" The emphasis was on the last word.
He heard the doubt in her voice. "Come here, I'Lee." When she didn't move, he reached for her, pulling her to him, settling her in his lap. "This is where I want you to be. Here, with me, right now." His long arms wrapped around her, tucking her in. She sighed, resting her cheek against his chest. He kissed the top of her head. "Comfy?"
"I think I am now." One hand played with the buttons on his uniform shirt. Slowly it made it's way up to the neck of his tee where she traced his collarbone. She tilted her head as her hand moved across the smooth skin on his neck. Her fingers slid past his jawbone to caress his cheek. She felt him smile.
"What'cha doin'?" He yawned.
"Admiring my handiwork."
"Mmmmmm." He turned his face to her hand and kissed her palm. "You should know something." He sounded draggy.
"And what would that be, Sailor boy?"
"I…am drunk. And about to fall asleep. As much as I love having you in my clutches, Sparks, I need to get you home." Another yawn nearly split his head in two.
She stood up and helped him as well. Amazingly, he walked steadily out of the building and all the way to her quarters. He waited while she unlocked the door. "Was it worth it, the shots?" She looked up into his eyes. They were dark.
"Yeah," he whispered back. "You are definitely worth it." He reached for her and pressed a tender kiss on her lips. She threw herself into her response, shocking him awake. Pulling her away was hard, his hands trembling from his own restraint. Now, her eyes were dark as she gazed back at him. "Oh, definitely worth every one…." The look on her face spoke volumes to his heart. A quick kiss on the forehead and he started backing up, watching as she eased into her quarters and closed the door. He waited until she peeked out the window to see if he was there before blowing her one last kiss.
I'Lee caught it and pressed her hand to heart. He turned and started running back to his quarters. She smiled and looked again at the little blue-green band on her right hand. It felt good there. Quickly she changed for bed and slid under the covers. Tomorrow, she would put it back on her ID but tonight she would have sweet dreams of ocean blue.
