Who would have thought you cared
Chapter 1
His words still echoed in her mind, while she quickened her pace to catch up with him again. She was struggling for a smart answer, as she fell into step next to the other captain. Surely, he hadn't meant that. There was no way he could have come to the conclusion that she was indifferent to his well-being.
„Goddammit, Dylan, this is my ship you plan to use on this mission, and I think it's only fair to let me decide, whether I want to give it to you or not," she breathlessly spitted out her supreme argument against his back.
„Oh, that," he exclaimed rather vaguely.
„Yes, that!" He abruptly turned around to face her, as they arrived at the closed doors of the hangardeck. Reaching out to her and taking hold of her shoulders, he ruefully smiled down on her, as his grip became more firm.
„Beka, I know. You entrusted me with the Maru and I brought her back in bad shape. But it wasn't exactly my fault, you know that. And although she hasn't returned to her usual splendour..."
„Careful, cowboy..." she warned in a growling voice.
„Well, she has been restored to almost full capacity. And I'll bring Harper back to do his miracles on her. Now, I could take a slipfighter, but the Maru would be so much better. Please!"
She closed her eyes and sighed. Great, this was going just great. Not alone did he think that she didn't give a damn about him, now he obviously presumed all her concerns to be focussed on the Maru, assuming this to be the real reason for her opposition. Inwardly cursing, she reopened her eyes and looked up into his still smiling face. His eyes held this pleading and innocent expression of a small boy trying to talk his parents out of grounding him for two weeks. Yet she could not mistake the resolution she saw there, too. Dylan Hunt had made up his mind, and there wasn't much one could do from now on to change it, short of shooting him, of course. Rebekkah Valentine graciously counted this option out. She made a last attempt to persuade him, though.
„Dylan, let me go."
„I know the place, I know the people, I know my way around... Believe me, Beka, I'm best suited for this."
She shook her head, exasperated.
„You know, Dylan, the Universe's graveyards are full of people who thought themselves to be irreplaceable."
„Ah, but you see, that's the beauty of it. If something happens... I mean, it won't, but should something happen, then I don't have to worry about being irreplaceable. I have one hell of an XO standing in line, ready to take over."
How did he do that? How did this big, strong High Guard manage to turn himself into a five-year-old pleading for some chocolate bar, whenever it suited his purposes? Unlike Rafe, Bobby, Tyr, Rhade, Sidand all the other tall, dark and dangerous typical males who populated Beka Valentine's life, all of whom tried to make their point mostly by force, Dylan always went for the schoolboy-charm routine. Did he pick it up from Harper? If so, he had perfected it to a really outstanding performance. One that never failed. While one more or less expected it from the skinny little engineer, it often came as a complete, very effective surprise, when it sparkled up in the imposing High Guard captain. If he had come up with this by himself and on purpose, then he was even more resourceful than she had suspected, Beka thought.
The Maru's captain felt that the debate was over.
„Take care," she whispered.
„I will. And you take care of the Andromeda. And stop worrying about Rhade, Harper and the Maru."
With that the captain of the Andromeda Ascendant gave her upperarms a last, soft squeeze and left her at the doorway, while he boarded the Maru without looking back. Watching his tall frame disappear, she couldn't help thinking that he hadn't included himslef in her „not to worry about"-list. Was it because he really wanted her to worry about him? Or just because he quietly assumed that she wouldn't do it anyway? And then his words echoed in her mind, again:
„Why, Captain Valentine, who would have thought you cared?"
