A Shared Destiny
Chapter One
"Jaime, are you supposed to be out of bed by yourself?" Steve chided, trying to sound stern even as he pulled her close for a tender embrace.
"Probably not," she answered, touching his cheek and then wrapping her arms around him as well. "You gonna turn me in to Rudy? 'Cause then he might not let me leave tomorrow -"
"Well...I might be persuaded," he teased with a wicked grin.
"Oh, really?" Jaime tilted her head up and met Steve's lips with her own, softly and a little flirtatiously.
"I suppose you've been here long enough," Steve conceded, caressing her face and hair while still marveling that the fates were giving them back to each other one more time.
"Too long!" she said firmly, punctuating it with another kiss. It had been nearly a month since they'd both been taken prisoner by New Destiny, a group of American terrorists who were trying to build a cyborg of their own. Jaime had nearly died when they'd removed her power cell to steal its data, but Steve had removed his own power source and managed to keep them both alive by switching it back and forth between them, passing out himself just as the rescue team arrived.
"Why don't we get you back in bed before Rudy -"
"A-hmm-mm!" They had been so absorbed in each other that neither of them noticed Rudy, who was now waiting beside the empty bed, until the doctor cleared his throat to announce his presence. "Hi guys," he said with a smile. "Jaime, I see you're getting lots of rest before the big day tomorrow." Rudy was as happy as anyone to see the two of them back in each other's arms, but he had to tease - just a little - and get his point across at the same time.
Steve kept one arm around Jaime as he helped her back to her bed. Rudy shook his head in mock indignation. "And this is the man I'm releasing my patient to; the one I'm entrusting with her well-being."
"Rudy," Steve began, "you know I'll take good care of her."
"I do know that, or she wouldn't be leaving," Rudy replied. "Steve, you're probably the only person I know who'll keep an even closer eye on my patient than I would myself."
"Got that right, Doc!"
"And I think getting away for awhile will do both of you a world of good." Oscar had 'assigned' both of them to a private vacation cabin, owned by the OSI, on a tiny island just a few miles off of Paradise Beach. Turquoise blue water, lush foliage and a brilliantly white sandy beach, with all the privacy they could ask for, should have Jaime glowing with health again in no time.
Her recovery had been painstakingly long and slow. Her body had begun to reject the tracking device implanted in her leg, but the resulting blood clot was discovered in its earliest stage and safely removed. However easy the removal, though, it was still major surgery and had taken a lot out of her, sapping the last bit of strength from her severely weakened body. After allowing her some time to gain back a little strength, she'd also endured reconstructive surgery on her damaged bionics. The double surgical whammy had depleted her so drastically that she was still using a wheelchair to get around while she worked on standing and walking short distances with someone to help her.
"Any chance of leaving that damn thing here with you?" Jaime asked, looking at the much-hated chair.
"Sorry, Kiddo," Rudy answered. "But by the end of your two weeks in Paradise, you'll probably be just about done with it. Steve, don't let this little lady bat her eyelashes at you and make you forget what she's supposed to be doing. You are in charge, and if she isn't cooperative, I expect to hear about it."
Steve grinned. "Hear that, Sweetheart? You have to be cooperative..."
"And you'll call in a full report to me, at least once a day, more often if you notice anything unusual. Maybe after the first week you can skip a few days; we'll play it by ear."
"Not to worry, Doc. I'll keep her under control."
Jaime rolled her eyes at them both. Rudy moved toward the door, motioning for Steve to follow. "I want you to rest now," Rudy told her. "Get a solid night's sleep, and we'll both see you in the morning."
Steve leaned down to kiss her goodnight, and turned off the light on his way out the door.
"Rudy, I need to talk to you, if you've got a minute," Steve said, once they were well out of Jaime's range of hearing.
"What's up? Second thoughts about taking on the responsibility?"
"Not at all. I was wondering about her memory. Now that she's had a second blood clot, how safe is it to be filling in the blanks for her? 'Cause you know she's gonna be asking a lot of questions once we're alone out there."
Rudy nodded. "I'd prefer, of course, that memories come to her spontaneously, but if she asks a specific question, I'd say go ahead and answer it. Just keep a very close eye on her for any symptoms she might try to hide from you."
"Got it. Thanks again, Rudy - for everything."
