Chapter Nineteen
Lee used his now free hand to grab her forearm and hold her in place.
"What do you mean by that?" He asked intently.
Jessica fought the urge to kick him in the balls for asking her that question.
"I mean, I mmphoo." She bit her lower lip hard to stop the words from coming out. Well now she'd stepped in it, hadn't she? Allow Lee to wallow in self pity or admit her feelings for him? If one of the Gods were here, she'd kick them in the balls too for putting this choice in front of her.
Lee placed a thumb on her lower lip and tugged her mouth open. "Repeat that in non-crazy, please?"
"I love you. There. Happy? Now let me go, dammit!" She fought against his grasp.
He jerked back, but didn't let go of her. His eyes were shining like sapphires against the flushed heat of his skin and something more than annoyance and fear began to stir in her belly.
"This is just attraction, Jess. Not love." Lee insisted.
"You know, considering I'm supposed to be the seer, you spend more time telling me what my feelings are than I do. I know the difference between love and attraction, Captain Apollo." She replied sourly.
He seemed to find that amusing and she fought the urge to throw her arms around him at the first small smile he'd given her since she'd entered the room.
"We've been in close proximity a lot. That's all this is. Trust me. You're not in love with me."
"You really are amazing. I've been attracted to you since I met you and I couldn't even stand you then." Jessica groaned at the admission and then narrowed her eyes at him. "If you hadn't exhausted yourself on that bag, I would kick you in your Adamas right now." Jessica spat amazed at the power Lee had to simply discard something he didn't want to face.
"You're welcome to try." Lee said releasing her and stepping back.
Jessica cocked an eyebrow. "You're giving me permission to kick you in the balls?"
"You have permission to try. Look, I'll even spread my legs." Lee offered generously spreading his feet apart.
A distraction. Reasoning with him didn't seem to work. He was determined to dig himself into a hole and bury himself under his guilt and regret. Maybe Jessica would try another tactic. Distracting him to help him ease his mind. That didn't seem as difficult as butting heads with him. She was beginning to realize that Adamas were an immovable, stubborn bunch. So maybe some underhanded tricks were in order. A kick in the nuts would certainly get his mind off his father, Jessica decided with a grin.
"Come on. I told you I'd help you learn to defend yourself. We can start now." Lee told her.
She took a deep breath and then lunged at him, bringing her knee up between his legs. Except his right foot curled around her calf and spun her around, pushing her into the punching bag.
"Frak! How the frak did that happen?" Jessica asked, shifting her face against the warm black rubber.
"Reflexes." Lee explained smugly behind her.
"Fine. Ow!" Jessica jerked against him, annoyed. His grip eased and he was still panting heavily.
"So, still love me?" Lee asked and Jessica tried to head butt him in the nose for making light of her feelings.
"Unfortunately, you asshat." She felt him shiver against her.
"It's nice to know Kara is expanding your vocabulary." Lee said and she could hear the smile in his voice.
"Blow it out your ear." She snapped.
Lee snorted. "And yet things stay the same. Okay. You're gonna hit the bag for a while. I need to take a breather." He admitted and Jessica noticed he was starting to go a little pale. Good lords, she hoped Lee hadn't worked himself into such a state that he passed out.
"You okay?" She asked and Lee glanced up at her with a look that made her think he thought she was referring to his earlier meltdown.
"I'll be fine." He admitted and she was relieved to see that it was starting to be true.
She bit back a smile as he slid boxing gloves on her hands and tied them. "You didn't use gloves." Jessica pointed out.
"I don't need the gloves. If you tried to hit that thing without gloves, you'd break your hand." Lee informed her. "Now go on. Pretend it's my head." He positioned her in front of the huge tube and then sat down on the bench.
She jabbed at it once. It didn't move. She didn't dare turn around and look at Lee, afraid that he'd be smiling and then she'd have to kill him. Embarrassed, she hit again. Tightening her arm and hitting as hard as she could. It moved a fraction of an inch, mocking her.
"Frakking thing!" She burst kicking it.
"Okay, we'll start slower." Lee stood up.
"Captain Apollo, if I turn around and you're laughing at me, I'm gonna knock your head off your shoulders."
"Interesting how you use my callsign when you're pissed at me." Lee said. His breathing was more even now and when Jessica turned to look at him she noticed his colour was better too. A pale pink.
He slipped boxing gloves and Jessica cocked an eyebrow at him. "I don't want to break your head." He informed her with a smile. "We're gonna spar for a bit."
"I thought that's what we'd been doing since day one?" Jessica cracked, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah, but this time we're gonna use our fists instead of that smart mouth of yours." Lee shot back. He jabbed at her, she backed up. He swung left, she narrowly missed the impact of that one too. Right, same thing. Lee clenched his jaw and aimed lightly at her stomach. Jessica curled inward, avoiding his fist. She felt as if she was dancing around him as Lee tried to get one well aimed punch to make contact and failed. But every time he mentally prepared himself to swing at her, she darted out of the way of his intended blow.
"What the-?"He burst in frustration, his sneakers made short squeaking noises as he straightened himself.
Jessica bit her lip. "You're thinking about every move. So I know where you're gonna aim." She explained laughing.
He crossed his arms on his chest and looked down at her with a mix of annoyance and consideration. "That's certainly one of the more original defence tactics I've seen."
"Just hit me, Lee. Don't think about it." Jessica urged.
He snorted, "If I do that, you'll fly across the room."
"Well, if I know you're gonna hit me, how's that gonna-Oooofgh!"
All right, so she didn't quite fly across the room but a surprise blow to the side of the head sent her tumbling sideways on the mat beneath their feet. It was a soft blow, by his standards, Jess knew, but she still went a little dizzy at the impact.
He was at her side in a second. "You okay?" Lee asked, crouching next to her.
"I think you knocked the love right out my head, right there." She joked as he helped her get to her feet. An idea came to her and she aimed a blow to the back of his knees, bringing him back down to the mat. He fell forward across her stomach, which was more painful for her than it must have been for him. "Ooof!" She fell flat on her back and burst out laughing. Then she felt him shaking against her, and felt a rush of relief to know he was laughing too.
Except after a while he wasn't making any sounds. Just trembling
"Hey." Jessica called out lifting her head and placing a hand on his hair.
Not laughing.
Her stomach dropped at the clammy feel of the back of his neck. Fear. Icy and sharp, it seeped from his skin into hers. "Lee...are you all right? Lee!" Jessica cried struggling to get out from underneath him. She pushed against his shoulder and he turned onto his back. The pale colour was back and he was sweating again. His eyes were clenched shut and his breath was coming in quick gasps. "Oh Gods, Gods. Lee, look at me. Open your eyes, please!" She patted the sides of his face. Panic. His or hers, she didn't quite know. Okay, Talbot, think. think. What's wrong with him? Delayed reaction? Jessica wondered. Yes. That's it. A panic attack. She stroked his hair from his forehead needing to keep touching him, to anchor him here.
"Can't...breathe..." He moaned. His chest rising and falling in panicked rhythm.
"I"m gonna go get Dr S-" Jessica moved to rise to her feet but Lee grabbed her wrist and she fell back against him.
"NO!" He cried. "Don't...leave. I'm all...right...I'll be...fine...minute..." His fingers tightened painfully around her wrist.
"I'm here. Tell me what to do...I don't know what to do." Jessica replied feeling herself start to shake.
"Stay..." He panted. If he kept breathing like that he was gonna pass out for sure. Tigh would probably think she killed him. "Bag...breathe..." Lee instructed her.
Jessica quickly scanned the room. There was a small plastic bag tucked under one of the benches against the wall but it was on the other side of the room.
"Okay, I see one. But you're gonna have to let go, Lee. I'll be right back, I swear." Jessica promised through a hot haze of tears. Her own blood felt chilled in her veins and she forced herself to rush to grab the bag and was back less than five seconds. Lee took it from her and began breathing into it frantically. She rested on his chest and his fist gripped the back of her shirt tightly.
Slowly, his breathing slowed and his eyes fluttered open with such a look of relief and gratitude that Jessica dropped her head on his chest and her tears mixed with the sweat of his tanks. "Thank the Gods." She murmured.
"Shit. That was...I don't know what that was." Lee said. His grip on her shirt eased, but he didn't remove his hand from her back.
"Delayed reaction, I think. Dr Salik was using it to explain why I was weeping at the drop of a hat for the better part of a month."
"Post traumatic stress, I guess." Lee said, taking in deep gulps of air. "Never had that happen to me before."
"I'd say you were due for a meltdown." Jessica said, stroking his cheek. She watched his eyes flare at her touch.
"Thanks for your help." He whispered, his breath warm against her face.
"Anytime." She replied with a small grin. The heart beneath her was no longer racing and Jessica sighed in relief.
Then Lee's hand was trailing up her back and she had the most absurd urge to curl up on top of him.
"Jess..."
"It's okay, Lee." What was okay? Jessica didn't know. But beyond the fact that Lee wasn't gonna suffocate, everything else kinda fell to the side.
"No, it's not. We have to talk about what you said."
"No we don't." Jessica insisted, her finger trailed the curve of his ear and then slid down his neck, feeling the strong pulse at the side.
"Later." He sighed and pulled her head down capturing her mouth over his.
Jessica gave a soft moan and opened her mouth as his tongue slid inside to find hers. She pressed herself flat onto of him, trying to feel all of him at once. Oh...oh... Lee's fingers pressed against her scalp and his other hand came around to stroke the small of her back. She felt the scrape of his teeth on her lower lip and breathed in the warm, sweaty scent of him. Then he was rolling them both so that she was on her back beneath him. He pulled her tank top up and covered a breast over her bra. Jessica gave a whimper and arched against his hand, digging her fingers into his hair. He settled in between her thighs and she felt him hard against her pants. She shifted, cradling him between her legs and her hips rolled dying for closer contact. He broke their kiss and pulled her tank top up over her head.
"Here-mnngh" Her protest died when his mouth closed over her breast. Her hands pulled his tanks up so she feel the play of muscles of his back. In the back of her mind, Jessica knew that this was insane. That neither one of them was thinking clearly, but right now, it all felt too good. When she lifted her hips to press against the rigid length in his pants, they both sighed. Lee pressed down insistently and his mouth rose to her neck. Jessica's felt as if a bubble of electricity surrounded them. Her whole lower body was throbbing, swelling and she could taste herself in Lee's mouth. She could feel the slide of damp cloth against his arousal, the soft flutter of her fingers along his back. Her thighs tightened around his hips and felt the squeeze against his own skin. She felt the dizziness of his mind, the urge to push, pin her down that overtook Lee. She could practically hear the crackle of electricity as his fingers dipped past her waistband, into pants. Everything that he was feeling, the intense burn of desire in his blood, the surge of intensity in the tightening of muscles beneath his skin. When his fingers found her bare skin, Jessica arched, coming hard and fast against his hand. He bit lightly on her collarbone and when he captured her other breast in his mouth, he teased her nipple with his teeth as she continued to shake beneath him. All the while, grinding into her, trying, but fearful of taking that final step of sliding past clothes and inside of her.
Her release was tempered with Lee's fierce need. She still felt swollen and urgent. Throbbing. Jessica boldly cupped his behind and raised her hips, urging him to release. The burn in her blood intensified and she was pushing against his hips in a mimicking of what Lee needed.
Tigh...
.The name shocked her with unwelcome ferocity and Jessica gasped, automatically looking over Lee's shoulder.
"Oh Gods, he's coming." Jessica hissed in Lee's ear. Lee groaned but didn't stop moving. His hands cupped the sides of her face, kissing her almost senseless. Resisting the urge to fall back into the storm of blissful sensation, though it required superhuman effort on her part, Jessica broke the kiss ad tried again. "Lee...Oh Gods...Tigh's coming." She warned, pushing against his shoulder.
The gym hatch opens and an irritatingly familiar voice booms, "What the frak is this?"
Lee stiffened above her and his shocked blue eyes met Jessica's. "Yeah, that." She explained with a groan. He held Jessica close, shielding her from Tigh's view. Jessica tried to tuck her head against Lee's shoulder.
"What the hell are you doing, Captain? You have quarters for that and I don't believe you're off duty."
"Yes, Sir. If you'll give me a minute." Lee seethed through his clenched jaw.
"Right. Miss Talbot?" Tigh asked.
"Yeah? Frak!" Jessica swore against Lee's skin. So much for hiding.
"That's it. I'm putting you in the brig. Get up." Tigh ordered in disgust.
"What the-That's not fair!" Jessica protested peeking her head out.
"A frakking minute Colonel!" Lee shouts. "Stay put unless you want him to see you." He reminds her, looking pointedly at her bare breasts. She wanted to laugh when she felt his erection press insistently between her thighs, clearly not understanding why the stimulation had abruptly ended.
"Meet me in my quarters in five minutes. Both of you!" Colonel Tigh barked.
A.N:
Mae:...no comment I'm hiding from you. (laughs)
Lady Rheena: Thanks for your encouragement! Personally I love well written Mary-Sues cause I'm in no way a slave to canon. Though canon fics that still describe fresh angles are wonderful. I like to use my imagination and not just transcribe the scripts from the episodes. There are bad Mary-Sues no doubt, but I don't think mine is one of them though I'll let my readers speak for themselves. If that rude asshat doesn't like them, why read one?
But back to the important thing, my story.(laughs) Jess is starting to come around. Lee, of course, is gonna be harder to give in.
B.S: I've missed you! Remember, I need to update my HH fic too so in between that and real life, bleh. (laughs)
All your questions are pretty much answered here. I'm glad you enjoy the little visions of the future! They're definitely a sneak peek for the reader as to what's coming up and I hope they whet the reader's appetite.
A Mary Sue is a hateful term that fanfic snobs use to put down any fic that has an original female lead. Mind you, there are some bad ones out there, but that is the fault of the writer and not the fact that her/his character was a Mary Sue. There's bad writing in in canon fics( that use only the storylines and characters of the show) While I do sometimes write canon fics, I tend to enjoy 'Mary Sues' or AU(alternative universe) fanfics cause there's more room to be creative as opposed to just copying down the scripts from the show.
People like that remind me of the same snobs that put down Romance novels. Don't like them? Fine, but dislike it based on what you felt was a badly written book and not on the genre as a whole. Okie. Rant over. (laughs)
Hope you enjoy this chapter!