Chapter 4: Secret Love

Holly walked into her dark apartment, tired and hungry. She longed for bed. She made her way to her refrigerator, but found nothing that looked at all appetizing. So she walked to the doorway of her bedroom. She squinted as the faint light from the desk lamp hit her dark adjusted eyes. She smiled as she watched Foaly typing away; totally oblivious to the fact she was there. She liked the way he looked sitting at her desk. How comfortable he made her feel when he was there. She coughed into her hand so that he would know she was watching him.

He turned around to face her. His face brightened up.

"Hey," he said happily.

She smiled her reply and then lay down exhaustedly on the bed.

"Hard day?" he said, with his face in an expression of pity for her.

"Extremely."

"So…what do our Atlantian friends want?"

"Help with a war…and for me to come down there for a few days," she said timidly knowing that a frown was spreading across his sweet face as soon as the words left her lips.

"You aren't really going to go by yourself are you?" he said in a worried voice.

"Well actually Artemis, Butler, and me. I would say you could come but for some reason I don't think your new boss would like that."

"Screw what he thinks. Do you really think I would be here if I cared what he thought?"

She shrugged and propped her head up on her hand.

"So when do you go back?"

"Not for a few days and in the mean time Zinnia is staying with Artemis."

"Really. How did he manage that?"

"I'm not really sure," she stated shrugging yet again.

"So what's the war about?"

"The exiles. Evidently, they want to take over. I don't really know much right now. She is supposed to fill us in more when we get to Atlantis." She let her head fall back onto the bed. "I could really car less about it right now though. I just want to go to sleep. It's amazing how hard being unemployed is."

Foaly laughed. "Okay. Give me a minute to close this stuff up."

"Kay." Holly looked at the ceiling and thought back to the first day Foaly had came to her door. He had had flowers and was unbelievably nervous, but who could blame him. He had been living in his little box-room for years now. Plus, the fact the he was asking her out probably hadn't helped either. She had opened the door and stared at him for the longest time with her mind finally starting to realize what her heart had been telling her about him for so long. All the awkward glances and little gifts and favors that had been exchanged between the two of them had never really been just friendly. She had always liked Foaly and as he had later gone on to explain he had always loved her. Her spunky sprit and defense of authority. She was also exceeding grateful to him.

He had been the only one who had believed that she hadn't killed the Commander and he had been there for her when she went back and when grief for him had finally caught up with her he had let her talk to him about it. Cheering her up with stories about all the times he had pushed the Commanders buttons.

She glanced at him and a smile crept across her face. That always happened when she was around him now. That little smile that comes when someone is so contempt, happy, and in love that that's all there is. A smile.

She kicked off her shoes and let them fall to the floor along with her socks and pants. She got under the covers and immediately felt herself drifting off to sleep. Just before she dozed off she felt Foaly get into bed beside her and with the comfort of his arm slipping around her, she fell asleep.

She woke up to the sound of a keyboard.

"Morning sunshine," Foaly said as he nodded in the direction of a coffee mug on the bedside table.

"Thanks…" she said in a raspy morning voice.

"I did a little research this morning. I couldn't find anything about a war in Atlantis. And evidently our friend Artemis felt strange about the whole thing too because his records say he was on a few of my sites last night."

"So what do you think is going on?"

"I'm not sure, but I feel like the answer is right in front of me. I'm just not seeing it."

"Well I say we don't worry about it for now."

"Well I say I am worried about it."

"Have I ever told you that you are extremely paranoid?"

"On a few occasions."

"Good because you are."

The two looked at each other and laughed.

"You know I love you Holly right?"

"Yeah…I know."

They sat in silence for a moment; simply looking at each other.

"I should probably call Artemis and make some plans for the trip back."

"Probably."