Hey everyone!

Welcome back to the fifth chapter of a Christmas Date! What to say about Chapter five. Well, it's long, the longest update by far, and it has lots of BoLo in it, including Lauren opening up to Bo in a big way. Ben comes for a short visit, Bo gets drunk and risks her career again, and then Bo has an unpleasant encounter that will progress the story further.

This chapter is a sort of filler between Bo and Lauren developing their friendship and attraction to one another and letting it progress to more. This story, despite its rather passionate and impulsive start, is a slow burn. It just feels to me that enlisted men and women who meet each other and develop feelings for one another in a military setting are more careful about acting upon those feelings, and I wanted to incorporate that element into the narrative.

For those of you who are waiting for an even more physical encounter than a tennis match, I'm happy to announce you'll get at least a kiss in the next chapter. ;-)

Enjoy! And apologies for the typos and any and all me know what you think!

Replies to reviews below.


A Christmas Date

Chapter Five

USS Enterprise

Off the coast of the Solomon Islands

"Great landing, Major." I hear a voice from CATCC say, and I smile wide. I taxi down the deck, park my plane, and run through the shut off procedure. As I climb out of my plane, I see Eve. I try, but it's really hard to get the cocky grin off of my face, I grin wider Eve jumping up and down, and shouting:

"Dude, you fucking nailed it! That was an AWESOME landing! Ok Underline!" I laugh at her enthusiasm as she high fives me.

"Well, we'll see!" I say trying not to get ahead of myself. "But...it sure felt like it."

"Dude, it TOTALLY was! I clocked Runny's score card!. All greens!"

"Really?"

Eve puts her hand over her heart. "I swear on my virgin Catholic school girl heart!"

"You went to school?"

"And for that remark, you're buying tonight!" Eve sasses. "We're drinking, we're getting drunk!"she assures, and I smile. We are off the coast of the Salomon islands, and tonight we're docking. It's the first night after months at sea that we finally get some shore leave and it has everyone in a state, including me. Sun, beach, a luau, good company, some lovely beats to move on and great cocktails. Yup, I'm all down for that, and grin.

"If I get, and I stress the if, if I get an OK underline, then yes, I'm buying," I say with a smirk. "Otherwise, I fully intend to have drinks bought for me to cheer me up."

"Deal," Eve says and slaps me on the shoulder. "We set out early, right after our duty shift, get things going."

"Ah, okay. I'll have to meet up later then, I have a tennis match at five thirty."

"Oh yeah, that tournament you're in. No worries, we'll wait. Alright, I'm gonna set things up with the guys, you go talk to the Commander," Eve says and while I head towards flight ops, she bolts off in the other direction.

USS Enterprise

7pm

"Yes!" I shout as I see Lauren pass the net person with a perfectly timed backhand. "Great ball!" I say as I high five the Commander and we both move to our respective places for the next point. It's the first match of the tournament, and after a little bit of a rusty start -we were trailing 3-0- the doc and I found our groove, relaxed and quickly made up those three games. First set we won 6-4 with a beautiful volley from the commander. Lieutenant Stone wasn't lying when she said the commander was good. Lauren Lewis is a technical tennis goddess: her backhand and serve are awesome and she'll wear you out in the rally, just waiting for the right moment to strike, or she'll set up the ball for me to finish at net. She's quick and recuperates a lot of balls always bringing them back deep enough making it hard for our opponents to score outright winners. She also has great tactical insight, and can read the game extremely well. Her style is in many ways the complete opposite of mine, but we are both just as competitive and together we make one hell of a team. I'm actually playing a very good match; my confidence is at an all time high having scored an OK underline, and the fact that I'm playing with the Commander gives me that extra bit of focus, and tenacity that I don't always carry through into my matches.

"Nice ball, Bo!" she grins and high fives me after scoring a forehand winner.

"Match point," I say and wink. "Let's finish this."

"Far right corner," Lauren says and winks back right before she takes her position again. "Just watch."

I grin and shake my head. Competition brings out the cocky side to the doctor, and I have to say it's friggen hilarious.

"Make me proud, Commander," I say right before she makes the perfect inside out forehand return in the far right corner. It lands on the line and it's too good for the other side to bring back.

"That was awesome!" I say and I go over to hug her tight. My heart skips a beat as the doctor's frame pushes into mine. I'm instantly reminded of the way she made me shiver when her fingers caressed my neck. She smells wonderful. Even when she's sweaty.

"Great job, " I mumble out and reluctantly pull myself away out of our embrace to go congratulate the other team on a good match.

Thirty minutes later

"How did you know? That last ball," I ask after the mandated drinks with our opponents. "It's like you knew where she was going to hit it."

"Statistical analysis," the blonde doctor accross from me says taking a sip from her caramel latte macchiato. "I noticed she was favoring a slice serve to the middle in tight spots. She served six out of the seven important points that way."

I grin widely. "You're amazing." I say, and then get self-conscious about my gushing. "The way your brain works is amazing."

"Thanks?" she replies with a chuckle: one part shy, one part cocky, one part amused. Have I ever met someone like her before? I haven't. Beyond the obvious: brilliant, geeky, passionate, caring and beautiful, Dr. Lewis is a wonderful enigma to me, and all I want to do is to get to know her. Our banter is easy, light, it flows naturally. Soon enough I'm telling the doctor about my Christmas plans; how my self-created family and I ride roller coasters for Christmas, and that I have a holidays tiara that I have pimped out that is almost holy to me. Dr. Lewis laughs at my antics, and I realize I am quickly getting addicted to the sound of her laugh. When it's time to eat, I want to ask her out for dinner; I don't want our conversation to end, I want more alone-time with Lauren. But alone-time on a Navy ship during dinner is a definite no-go, and I promised Eve and the gang to hit the town with them tonight.

Lauren's POV

With a smile I listen to Bo tell me that Lieutenant Curry is doing better in her air combat classes. The two of them had a good conversation after the meeting and that she's been tutoring the Lieutenant ever since. Bo had been right in her assessment that the young officer simply needed someone to believe in her. I see the smile on Bo's face when she talks about what Lieutenant Curry has accomplished. It's obvious she really cares about the young lieutenant, and it's obvious Bo isn't like your average pilot who simply cares about their own achievements. Bo, I notice, thrives in helping others while, of course, not forgetting to work on her own skills. She was the same in our match: attentive, encouraging, always with a smile on her face, but also focused, going for her shots. The Major is a protector, a teacher and I smile realizing her and I have that instinct in common.

She asks me why I became a doctor, and I tell her about my love of science, how I was always a little geeky, how my father and my mother -despite their grueling hours found worth and profound satisfaction in their professions and that that's what I always wanted to do as well.

Our conversation is quickly becoming one of the many midnight conversations we've had over the weeks; where we banter about everything and nothing. Where the topics are less relevant than the company we night after our shifts, in the quiet of the night, we find one another top deck. We chat, tell each other about our day, we laugh and joke. Sometimes, we say nothing and simply watch the stars. Every day I find myself longing for evening just a little bit more. Every day I find myself longing for her company more, and every time she is with me, I long for the hours to stretch.

When the interruption comes, I hide my disappointment.

It's Lieutenant Commander Davies reminding the Major about their night offshore. Lieutenant Commander Davies is cordial enough to extend the invitation to me, but I've seen the way Eve Davies looks at Bo. I've seen how she always seems to touch her for some reason, like she is now, tapping the Major's shoulder and letting her touch linger. Bo herself seems unaware of it, yet I seem unable to focus on anything else, and it annoys me. The last thing I want to see is the Lieutenant Commander making googly eyes at the Major, or worse still the Major responding to them. I make off with an excuse that really isn't an excuse. I really do have to catch up with some paperwork and I want to call Ben back: he left our communication center a message when I was in surgery. The thought of Nadia sobers me up, pulls me straight out off the buzzed mood the rest of the crew seems to be in now that we are finally in port.

I head for my room, a quick shower, and a change of clothes. When I call Ben it takes him three rings to answer.

Bo's POV

I'm showered and dressed in a pair of dark, tight jeans and a shortsleeved silk blouse. I've put some eyeliner on and am wearing my hair down. It's a simple outfit, nothing fancy, but just being out of my uniform, being able to wear my hair down instead of up in a ponytail like military regulations subscribe feels freeing. I'm really looking forward to tonight. I'm used to being in the military, used to being on mission and not being able to leave, but being cooped up on a ship, a huge ship admittedly, is different. There is this added dimension of being on a huge floating boat, a floating fishbowl, that comes into play, and I find myself missing the feeling of solid earth beneath my feet.

I look at my watch and see I have about twenty minutes left before meeting up with the guys, just enough time to head to the Communication's Room, and call Tamsin. I haven't talked to my best friend in weeks, and believe it or not, but I miss her, and her frank opinions. Maybe she'll be able to tell me what to do about my attraction to the Commander. I'm about to push through the door of the Comm Room when the strained voice of Commander Lewis stops me dead in my tracks.

"What do you mean she's saying that my patent documents are fake?" Lauren is quiet for some time, no doubt listening to the person on the other side of the line. I wonder if I should step in now, make my phonecall to Tamsin. I'm still debating with myself when Lauren sighs.

"Damnit, Ben, this can't be happening. She's saying she has proof?" Lauren is quiet again for a breath or two.

"Are you kidding me? Nadia and I were together for eleven months! It took me more than two years to..." Lauren replies and her tone is angry now, more deflated than I have ever heard it. My instinct is to run to her, fix this somehow, but then it dawns on me how wrong I am listening into this conversation in the first place. I step back from the door and into the hallway. I'll talk to Tamsin tomorrow. Right now I need to give the Commander the time and the privacy to deal with her personal issues.

Three hours later

The beach joint we are at is owned and operated by an American couple that visited for their honeymoon and never left. I can see why the pair fell in love with the island. The view is stunning: beautiful sandy beachline, crystal blue water, and a setting sun, it's like a post card. The bar is great too. Perfect for weary soldiers looking to play, horse around, and drink excessively. There are pool tables, darts and an old fashioned juke box inside, and outside you've got beach volleyball courts that are lit up so you can play into the night, and a great band that plays reggae music. The cocktails are awesome and the buzz in this place is great. It's packed with a lovely mix of soldiers and tourists; Hawaian shirts mix in with Solomon attire and beach outfits, and everyone here is out to have a good time. With a grin I notice that my pilots are surely making the most out of it. It doesn't hurt that the woman in this place are hot, scarcely dressed and that the cocktails only cost a fraction of what we would pay stateside, either. I've joined in with a couple of volleyball games and impromptu dance moves, but as the night progresses, the alcohol nestles itself into my senses, and I'm over that buzz of finally feeling solid earth beneath my feet again, I find my thoughts drifting to the conversation I overheard Lauren have.

The truth is that I'm just not in the mood for tonight. I keep thinking about how upset Lauren sounded, and the thought of me having a good time while Lauren might still be feeling that way, doesn't sit right with me. I swirl the liquid in my cocktail, and then turn the umbrella as if the answer to Lauren's mood affecting me as much as it does lies at the bottom of my glass. The truth is that I care deeply about the wellbeing of my friends. If there is ever anything I can help Tams, Kenzi, Sandy, even Dyson with, I will do it without thinking, without question. It's true too that I cannot stand to see them in pain, their heartache and worries keep me up at night, but what I don't understand is why someone I have only just met, someone I 'couldn't stand' just a couple of weeks ago is now ruining my first night off in weeks.

I take a big swig from my cocktail. Just as I've swallowed the last of my drink I spot Eve sashaying her way to me. I laugh as Britney Spears' 'Baby, one more time' comes on, and I see Eve putting the Britney moves in her dance towards me.

"Come on, Miss Grumpy Pants," she says and extends her hand. "Let's dance."

I chuckle and grin taking her hand and we make our way to the dance floor dancing outrageously to the beats. We both act like goofballs, and it's the first time this evening that I actually let my mind go blank and I just have fun. The music changes to Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's version of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow', and we're still in the middle of the dance floor laughing and out of breath. I'm about to head back to the bar, when Eve laces her fingers with mine and pulls me to her. I chuckle, but her grip on me tightens, and the mood suddenly shifts from lighthearted to an actual close slowdance. It takes me a few moments before I relax. When I do, my hands go to her waist, and my body falls into sync with hers. I close my eyes. Eve is a good dancer, and I let her guide. My head rests on her shoulder, I turn my head slightly and inhale. I've always loved the scent of a woman's neck. There is just something about women that has always allowed me to surrender to them more than to a man. Perhaps it is the fact that I find a woman's body so damn sensual, so beautiful and at the same time comforting. As I dance with Eve, I have to admit it feels good to have a female form pressed against me again, I have to admit that I have missed this. I have missed human connection, a warm body pressed to me.

"You are so damn gorgeous McCorrigan," Eve whispers, and as I feel the breath of her words on my cheek, I suddenly feel her lips on mine. She lets her hands travel up into my hair, and deepens the kiss. I'm too sluggish to protest, too intoxicated to not let myself feel this and respond to it. I kiss her back for a couple of seconds not caring about the implications of the kiss, about the consequences. It doesn't help that Eve is a good kisser, it doesn't help either that I actually find her attractive, that I've thought of kissing Eve before and that I can admit that if I didn't have feelings for Commander Lewis, this woman would definitely affect me.

I have feelings for Commander Lewis?

I pull back from the kiss startled. Eve has a goofy grin on her face, and her eyes are soft, they look at me with desire, but also care and affection.

"I'm sorry," I say because I realise that Eve's lips aren't the lips I want to kiss. "I can't do this. I shouldn't have done that," I say.

Eve doesn't let go of my hips, in fact she tightens her hold on me. "Hey, it's okay," she prattles over my lips. In the background the music is still playing and her hips are still moving into mine with a suggestive grind. "There were two people in this kiss." she says. "This doesn't have to mean anything." "Just two people connecting in a moment, letting things happen, having a good time. It gets lonely on a ship." Eve says slurring a little.

I shake my head. "Eve...I just can't.." I offer up lamely, and Eve takes a deep breath.

"Is it the Commander?"

"What?" I ask befuddled, but as I look at Eve's eyes, and I read vulnerability there, I realise I owe this woman a straight answer. "That's part of it, " I admit after a deep breath. "Nothing has happened," I say truthfully. "But, I like her."

"Fuck it," Eve curses. "You are just too fucking perfect, aren't you?" I'm not sure what Eve means or what to make of the hug she pulls me into, but I feel she needs it and so I hug her back.

"Don't look so worried dude," she whispers over my ear, then pulls back to look at me. "The guys dared me to kiss you...and, I...I'm a little too drunk to say no," Eve slurs then laughs.

"They did?" I say relieved, because the last thing I want are for things to get awkward between me and Eve. She really has become one of my best friends here.

Eve shrugs. "They're pigs and I love to indulge them?" She squeezes me once more, then let's go. "We're all good." As I pull back from the embrace, out of the corner of my eyes, I see Commander Altmann in the back of the bar. It's obvious she's been observing us.

Shit.

I don't bolt out of the bar, rather I say goodnight for the evening to Eve and the rest, and I leave quietly. Commander Altmann saw me kiss Eve, and the last thing I need to do now is continue partying. I have no clue where the Commander is now, but if I report back onto the ship, at least I'll have it on record that I didn't have time for more than that kiss to happen.

One stupid kiss and my career in the Navy, my career in the military might be over. If it had been any other superior other than Commander Altmann who had seen me, I know I would have gotten away with a slap on the wrist. I could have explained it as a drunken slip-up, which it was and is.

But the fact that it was Altmann changes things. That woman has had it in for me since we were in college together and she thought I stole her boyfriend. I've never truly understood where her hatred for me comes from, but it's obvious it's there and it's also obvious she's going to use what happened tonight somehow.

Since I've been on the ship, she's made it clear to me she doesn't like me, that she's watching my every move waiting for me to fuck up. I've known I wouldn't get a promotion or a medal from the moment Altmann paid me a visit in sickbay, and told me outright that she would do anything and everything in her power to prevent it. I consider myself a pretty level-headed person, not prone to exaggeration, but I honestly think there is something seriously wrong with Stacy Altmann.

My encounter that night left me weary, unable to sleep. That was the night I first talked to Lauren.

Lauren. I think with a sigh, and I'm back to feeling the hurt I felt at her dejected voice.

Ten minutes later

My thoughts keep me company on the walk over back to the ship. After checking in with the officer on watch, I head for the top deck. My head is still buzzing from all the cocktails I had and I feel the fresh air may do me good. I look up at the stars, and I'm reminded of the night I spent with Lauren here.

"Major," A familiar voice says and my heart skips a beat. I grin turning towards the voice.

"I thought we wouldn't call each other by our ranks here anymore."

"Bo."

"Doctor Lewis," I say softly grinning. "Lauren," I correct, and I see Lauren smile softly.

"You're 'home' early," Lauren says. She looks a little flustered at my presence, oh so very cute as she now always does to me. I debate with myself for a moment to tell her what happened tonight, and then decide against it. There's no reason to drag her into my mess. "I think if I had stayed any longer, I only would have gotten into more trouble." I say, the alcohol in my system making me at least partly truthful. "You're not going out?" I ask. "Don't tell me the Captain has you pulling a shift tonight?"

Lauren pulls her lips into a smile and shakes her head. "No, I just didn't feel like it. We have a week here, there's no rush." I nod my head at Lauren's words. Of course she's not in the mood. Who would be after the conversation I overheard?

"But, I do feel like going out for a walk," Lauren adds. "Would you care to join me?"

Commander Altmann, Eve, the alcohol, the kiss, the mess I made of tonight ...the fact that I have no filter, no control when there's alcohol in my system, and the fact that that woman across from me has her own way of intoxicating me...all the reasons to say "No" to Doctor Lewis flash through my mind the second she asks, but obviously I reply. "Of course." without missing a beat. "You may have to keep me from losing my balance though."

"You're drunk?" Lauren raises a brow. I'm not sure if that's an amused tug of her lips I see or something else.

"I feel judged. I prefer the term 'buzzed', but to be more accurate... Yes, I probably am drunk."

Lauren laughs. "In that case, it's a good thing you are under medical supervision."

I laugh along. "Quite," I say.

"You're not a slurred speaker," she observes.

"I once had to give a twenty minute speech drunk of my rocker. Nobody noticed a thing. Though I have to admit it was a good thing Tamsin was there to drag me off stage at the end or I would have blurted out that I was incredibly drunk. Not the thing to do during your valedictorian speech."

"A drunk valedictorian, that's a classic," she teases.

"Always aim high," I quip and Lauren laughs. "I was nervous. I don't like speaking in public. Tamsin kept giving me shots."

"And you kept drinking them."

"In my defense, it seemed like a good idea at the time, and hey, it worked!"

"I would have given you a mild sedative," Lauren grins, and I laugh lightly.

"That actually sounds worse than shots. Tell me, Doctor Lewis, do you have a history of drugging people?" I tease.

Lauren laughs out loud. "As a doctor? You betcha, but not before I had my medical license, you would have been my first."

"Mmm," I hum. "I would have let you," I say with more innuendo than planned. Lauren chuckles and we look at one another. We smile before we eventually look away again. I can still see the tenseness in her facial features, but that spark in her eyes is back. And gods, she looks beautiful bathed in moonlight.

"I have no filter whilst intoxicated," I suddenly warn.

"I'll remember that," Lauren says amused.

"I might also fall asleep on you," I add.

"Remind me to never liquor you up on a date."

My heart skips a beat at the word 'date'. "Date? You'd ask me out on a date?"

Lauren clears her throat. "Uh, well, strictly speaking...I... uhm.. well, I did ask you to join me. So, I suppose this is a walking date?"

"A walking date. I like that, just keep me upright, and I'm sure I'll do fine. I wouldn't want to keel over on our first 'walking date'," I say grinning. "That would be bad form."

"I suppose I'd be remiss in my duties as a physician if I allowed that to happen."

"Exactly!" I say far too eagerly.

"Alright then," Lauren grins at my antics. As we make our way off the ship together, she slips her arm under my elbow steadying me."

"These ramps are particularly tricky." I say about the wide and solidly steady ramp that connects the carrier to the dock. "Wobbly." I add enjoying the feeling of having Lauren's arm around me so much I don't ever want her to let go.

"Mmmhmm," she hums in agreement and tightens her grip on me slightly. When we reach solid land again and her arm disappears from my waist, I miss the contact instantly.

"Thank you, Doctor Lewis."

"Any-anytime,"

"I might need further assistance." I say as we make our way on the stone paved sidewalk. "There might be holes."

"This is the best leveled sidewalk I have ever seen in my life."Lauren laughs.

I look down at the pavement under my feet. The path follows the sea for miles on end, and it's lit by lanterns every few feet. As far as the eye can see, I see nothing but perfect sidewalk.

"Let's not take that chance," I say grinning.

Lauren chuckles and wraps her arm around me again. I hum in contentment, and we walk further down the path that way talking and laughing.

Fifteen minutes later

"Well, like Gemin," Lauren says and I look up with her to the stars. "Gemini, from the Latin word for twins." I grin softly at her need to explain the details. "The myth goes that Gemini are actually twin brothers Castor and Pollux from Greek mythology. Castor was born to Leda and a mortal man, while Pollux was the son of Leda and Zeus, the surpreme God of the Greeks. The two grew up together and were inseparable. When Castor died, Pollux was heartbroken and asked his father if he could save Castor. Zeus replied that he could not simply grant Castor his life back. In order for Castor to live, another soul would have to be offered up in trade to the realm of the dead, and so Pollux offered up his immortality and the twins were transformed into the Gemini constellation." Lauren's voice has a soft timbre to it when she tells you something like she is now; it's engaged and betrays a quiet passion, and I coud listen to it for hours.

"To be accurate..." she adds, and she pulls her lip back a little as if she's debating something with herself. "The original or Greek name for Pollux is Polydeuces, but nobody calls him that. It's like Hercules."

"Like Hercules? Something is wrong with Hercules?" I ask not really following.

"Wrong? There's nothing 'wrong' with Hercules, per se," Lauren says almost huffing. "It's just not his name."

I frown. "It's not?"

"No," she says shaking her head. "His name is Herakles. Well, sidenote, he was born Alcaeus, but then renamed after his stephmother Hera. Granted, it wasn't a great choice for a name seeing as they had a very fraught relationship."

"Then why do we call him Hercules?"

"Why indeed?" Lauren responds with a twinkle in her eyes. "When Greek civilisation waned, and the Romans took over they adopted many of the Greek Gods and their mythology, but changed the names. Zeus became Jupiter, Hera became Juno, Athena became Minerva,...and Heracles became Hercules. His name change stuck, became popularised even after the Romans," she says, and I let the information process.

"I personally do much prefer Heracles to Hercules. When you sound it out, it sounds so much nicer. Also, you should always go for the historically correct name. Why bother otherwise? Right?" Lauren rattles, and I can't help but grin.

"Right, but he had his own show: Hercules..and his father was Zeus. So, if you're using the Greek Gods why would you use a Roman name?"

"That's what I'm saying, it boggles the mind!" Lauren exclaims. I can hear the indignance in her voice and it makes me smile. I used to think Lauren was cold and stoic, but when you get to know her she is the opposite. She is kind and so passionate, and full of life about the things she loves. Her stoicism is just a mask she wears. One that must come in handy and allow her to stay cool under pressure when needed. It's admirable really, but I love seeing this side to her, the indignant spitfire side I don't think she lets others see often.

"Here is a show that uses all of the Greek Gods and their proper names, but then at the same time they call the hero of the show by his Latin name! It's absolutely ridiculous! Irresponsible! I wrote a letter to the show at one time. They didn't even bother to write me back!"

"You wrote a letter?" I ask grinning widely.

"Yes."

"I never watched the show."

"I stopped watching it."

"Because they didn't write back?" I ask stifling a laugh.

"Yes," she says in that same solemn tone as before.

I laugh out loud. "You are so friggen adorable!" I blurt out.

"I am?" Lauren asks surprised.

"Have I told you I have no filter when I'm intoxicated?"

Lauren laughs, and we're quiet for a while as we keep on walking.

"Yes, you are," I say a couple of steps later, not able to keep my mouth shut. "Also, I do think Pollux is a much cooler name than Polydeuces."

"You did not just say that!" she laughs infectiously and I join in. We carry on with our walk, and at one point we reach a secluded beach. Here in the Solomon's practically every beach is a sand beach, but this one has a pair of huge rocks by the edge of the water. The night is clear with a full moon, and I can see them jutting out perfectly. The walk and the sea breeze has sobered me up a little, and I manage to crawl up on the rock without losing my footing. I outstretch my hand to Lauren, but I see she doesn't need my help, and she scales the rock quickly. We both sit down, and are quiet for a few moments.

"The Navy sure does take you places," I say as the moonlight reflects on the calm surface of the sea. "What a view," I say in awe.

Lauren turns towards me and nods. "It sure is. Beautiful." she mumbles out still looking over at me. I turn into her as I do my eyes fall unto her lips. I might be imagining things, but I think her comment about the view was meant for me. I hope it was. We look at one another, and for the umpteenth time I am lost in her eyes. They pull me in, make everything fade to the background. If I don't turn away now I'm going to kiss her, and kissing her is a bad idea. It's a bad idea because I really like Lauren, and I'm really attracted to her. I'm drunk and if I kiss her now I won't be able to stop, and there are rules and regulations in the military for dating, as in 'don't!' It's a bad idea because Eve kissed me tonight, and I kissed her back, and that was a colossal mistake, and to make matters worse, Stacy Altmann saw me do it.

Lauren's POV

"Beautiful," I mumble out not talking about the view, but the woman next to me. This woman that always seems to show up when I feel raw, who always gets me smiling again. In her presence Nadia fades to the background, the fact that that woman is trying to steal my life's work the sting of that is still there, but she numbs it. My eyes have fallen to her lips, her perfect lips: round, full, beautiful. I still have nightmares from the helicopter accident, but they've lessened, they've mixed in with dreams about kissing the Major, about making love to her.

The scene is perfect. What is more romantic than a secluded beach under the stars? It would be so easy to give into this, to give into lips and a kiss that I know will make me forget about Nadia for the rest of the night...

But, it's not right and I take a deep breath, and I shake my head. Bo deserves better than to just be a bandaid for tonight. Not to mention, I am Bo's commanding officer. Whatever I feel, I can't act on.

"Are you alright?" Bo asks.

"I'm fine," I say as sincerely as I can. I don't want to be dismissive of the genuine tone I hear in Bo's voice, but I really don't want to talk about my drama or pull Bo into it. I haven't had a great day, but my night is improving, and I'll be okay. "So Major, tell me about NASA."

Bo smiles. I can see her lips curl out of the corner of my eyes.

"It's why I do what I do. Why I try to be the best. I've wanted to be an astronaut for as long as I can remember, " she says and she looks up at the vast skies above her.

"Travel the stars," I say as I look up with her.

"Yeah," she says with a wonderment that's almost childlike. "I've always loved to fly. There's a feeling of freedom up there that doesn't compare to anything else. As a kid, a teenager, I could just go up and I'd forget everything, all my worries, my fears. Especially at night. On a night like this, it's breathtaking."

"You've been flying that long?"

Bo nods. "One of my mom's old boyfriends taught me. He was a pilot and took my mom and me up. The moment I felt that engine under me, I was hooked. He was good with her," Bo says smiling her tone one of fond reminiscence.

"One of the few. Good with me too, but I suppose my mom was still hung up on my dad. Anyway, they broke up. I kept going back to Frank. Before I knew it, he was teaching me how to fly. Then when I gratuated college and went to the Academy, I saw it as an opportunity. I worked my butt off to graduate top of my class, and get the best assignments. Basically give NASA no excuse whatsoever to ignore my candidacy."

"I'm sure your candidacy could have used that Commendation medal, or that promotion," I say, my anger flaring again for how Bo has been treated unfairly.

"It's an unwritten rule that you need the rank of Lieutenant Colonel to get into NASA, that's true, but I'll get there without the Navy's help as well. Can you imagine what it would be like, Lauren? To actually fly through the stars, be weightless, explore space."

"Mmmm," I nod my head. "I've been on NASA's back-up recruitment list for the last three years."

"What?" Bo's head whirls around and she looks at me her eyes wide in surprise. "You're on the list?" she asks with an intensity that is almost comical.

I nod, and chuckle ruefully remembering it was my break-up with Nadia that pushed me towards NASA. "About four years ago I came out of a bad relationship with a colleague. We both worked at Johns Hopkins and I didn't want to be confronted with her day in and day out. I applied for NASA then. It didn't hurt that I had a military background."

"But you didn't go?"

"Johns Hopkins fired my ex, gave me a raise and made me head of the department, so I stowed away my NASA plans and focused on my career."

"Do you think you'll ever get back to it?"

"Yes," I nod. "But there's no rush, it can wait a couple of years. At the time, I was just so focused trying to get as far away from earth and her as possible. I was very eager."

"Wow, she must have been a real bitch for you to feel that way. Oops! Did I just say that out loud?"

I laugh. "You did."

Bo shrugs. "Sorry, no offense. Just, you know." Bo shrugs her shoulders. "No filter."

"None taken, she really was a bitch, " I bubble laughing, and I shake my head at myself.

"Hey," Bo pipes up. "Should we get ourselves a drink?"

"You're thinking drinking more will help with your filter?"

"No, but it kinda sucks being the only one whose drunk. I'm keen to find out what kind of drunk you are, Doctor Lewis," Bo quips.

I laugh again. "The touchy-feely kind.

"I think I saw a bar not far from here," she eagerly replies, and I chuckle again.

"Lead the way," I say. "I suppose it wouldn't be much of a date without something to drink. Even if it is just a 'walking date.'"

"Well spoken, Doctor Lewis."

Twenty minutes later

"I organized the 2007 National inter-university Karaoke tournament."

"You did not!" Bo exclaims.

"Scouts honor." I say putting my hand on my heart, while taking a sip of my Mojito cocktails. "Mmm, these things are good!" I comment about the drink in my hand. Bo and I found a relatively quiet bar about five minutes up the road from where we'd been walking. Quiet, because it's a little too far away from the ship for it to be overrun with sailors and pilots. It's a smaller bar on the beach with tables and chairs strewn around it. It seems to be particularly popular with the natives, because all I hear around me is Pijin, the Lingua Franca of these islands. There's a band too, but the music is soft enough to allow for conversation, and to hear the waves crash onto the beach.

"Ben had his sights on an Elvis impersonator at the time, and he thought if we organized it, it would be a great way to get closer to said impersonator."

"That tournament had like over a 100 participating universities, and you're saying you organized all that just to get your friend laid?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, if you're going to go for something, you better just go for it all the way." I say grinning.

"That's friggen amazing!" Bo laughs and bumps my cocktail with her own, and we both take a drink. "I forgot who won that thing," she says as we come up for air.

"That would have been Freshman Harry Wang from Cal Tech with his interpretation of Barry White's classic 'Can't get enough of your love, babe.'

"You're right, I actually voted for that guy!" she says with an enthusiasm that's intoxicating. Her brown eyes sparkle with her words, and her long hair falls beautifully over her shoulders I see now that she's lit up by more than just moonlight. The beautiful silk blouse she's wearing show off her gorgeous body and her curves have me stealing glances at her whenever I can.

"So did I."

"Classic song."

"Mmhmm," I say agreeing.

"So what happened with Ben and the Elvis impersonator. Did it work out?"

"Sadly no. The Elvis impersonator actually transferred our before the tournament, went to Sweden and married an Abba impersonator." I say laughing.

"You're making that up!" Bo exclaims.

"I can't make stuff like that up!" I laugh.

Bo laughs along with me. "That's hilarious, and sad for Ben at the same time."

"Oh, don't feel too bad for Ben. He hooked up with a chemistry student from UCLA at the after party."

"If I recall correctly, that was one heck of a party."

"Was it? My memory of that particular party is kind of foggy." I say which makes Bo laugh. "Too many cocktails," I add. "Which reminds me that I should quit while I'm ahead," I comment eying my cocktail again.

"I like you this way," Bo says and looks into my eyes making my pulse race. "I like 'After Hours Lauren. Let me take you to a karaoke bar one day? When this is all behind us? I know a great one in downtown Washington."

"I'd like that," I say grinning wider than I'm used to.

"It's a date."

"Mmmm," I hum, my eyes deliberately avoiding the Major's gaze. "Speaking of dates, I think I have one with the ship, and possibly my bed," I say in an odd mix of reluctance and sense of duty. "Time to head back and all now that I can still stand and have most of my dignity intact."

"I'll join you," she says and I nod.

We walk back in silence, my heart protesting more loudly with every step we come closer to the ship, closer to being Commander Lewis and Major McCorrigan, not just Lauren and Bo. The truth is, I don't want this night to end, I simply want to continue talking to Isabeau McCorrigan, have her distract me from this heaviness I feel lodged inside my chest.

"Lauren," my name is said softly, kindly, with a tenderness I haven't yet heard in the Major's voice so I turn my head towards her. She's halted her step, I do the same and she looks at me.

"Are you alright?"

I'm about to nod my head because I really don't want to pull Major McCorrigan into my drama, but she beats me to it and speaks again.

"It's just...I uh...I overheard you before."

"You overheard me?" I say raising a brow.

"Yeah, I overheard you talking to your friend Ben. Just a few snippets. I wanted to call Tamsin, but you were in the Comm Room, and when I heard you speaking- Well, it didn't seem like a conversation I wanted to interrupt, so I stepped away." As I listen to Bo, I have my eyes lowered. I feel strangely exposed knowing that Bo overheard my conversation.

"But," Major McCorrigan places her hand against my cheek making me look up at her. She speaks and I can almost feel the cadence of her words. "I could tell tonight that it was bothering you. Not all the time, just sometimes in a look you would give me, in the way you carried yourself."

Apparently, I suck at hiding my feelings? Or maybe this woman is just really good at reading me? The thought that I can't hide from her is both heart-warming and scary at the same time.

Her hand is still on my cheek. "So, I'll ask you again. Are you okay?"

I exhale again. If she heard part of my conversation then a big chunk of what I want to tell her, -because I do want to be honest with her, I want Bo to know me-, she already knows.

The thing is- The thing is I don't want her to think I am weak like I have thought myself to be.

Bo's POV

Lauren steps back and looks up at me with scrutiny, as if she's debating with herself whether or not she can trust me.

"If you don't want to talk to me about it. That's fine," I say. "I just wanted to-

"Before I joined the Navy I was a neuro surgeon at John Hopkins' University Hospital," I hear Lauren's voice start up hesitantly.

"I worked at the University there too, loved my job. I met Nadia, Dr. Kowalski, the colleague I told you about earlier, in my first year teaching and working. She was a neurosurgeon as well, and we had so many things in common. We would talk for hours on end about procedures, techniques, patients,..She was my sound board. Whenever I had a bad day, when I lost a patient, she was there for me, you know?" Lauren asks, and I nod letting her know I'm listening.

"It wasn't long after that she and I started a relationship. I was swept off my feet. I was head over heels, on cloud nine, and we moved in together after only a couple of months. I was so sure about us. When our fights started happening, I didn't,-" Lauren takes a deep breath before she continues. "I didn't tell anyone. But Nadia was jealous, so jealous. I wasn't allowed to go out for drinks with friends or colleagues unless she was there. She didn't even want me to see Ben."

"One afternoon, after a particularly nasty shouting match, I had drinks with a colleague of mine at the University. It was just one of those moments where I needed to get out of the house, you know? See someone else beside Nadia, just relax. She found out where I was and literally dragged me away from the café."

"That night she-"I see Lauren swallow trying to swallow back her emotions, and I reach for her hand interlacing our fingers.

"Let's sit down," I say, and we sit down on one of the benches that line the path. I keep her hand in mine, and squeeze it softly. Lauren takes a deep breath, and looks straight ahead.

"That night she hit me the first time," I hear Lauren's voice almost drone out, and I close my eyes. I knew this was coming, but the force with which my horror hits me catches me off guard. Lauren's story literally hits a little too close to home. I have never been on the receiving end of domestic violence myself, but the numerous times I had to bring my mother to hospital are etched in my mind. To think this woman next to me, this beautiful, kind, wonderful woman next to me had to go through that is sickening, and I swallow fighting back my tears.

"I was such a cliche," Lauren chuckles humorlessly. "She told me how sorry she was, how it was a mistake and I went along with it."

Lauren pauses for a minute and I look up. She's still staring straight ahead at no point in particular. Her eyes are distant as if she's stuck in the memory. I want to tell her it's okay to stop, that she doesn't need to tell me more. I understand what that horrible woman did, and she doesn't need to relive those days. But Lauren surprises me and without shedding a tear, pushes on.

"I did what many battered woman do, and hid my bruises, forgave her." Lauren inhales and shakes her head as if she has a hard time believing that was her choice at the time.

"She hit me again a couple of weeks later and the pattern repeated itself a couple of more times. I let it continue for too long until Ben came to visit. He could tell, he could tell just by looking at me. I looked at myself in the mirror that day, and I didn't recognize myself. The next day, I hired a lawyer, got a restraining order, but it didn't help. Over the years, she's been stalking me. She does it cleverly, in a way that I don't have any proof against her. She'll leave messages on my cellphone with an altered voice, an unlisted number, she'll send dead roses to my house, anonimously. She tried to discredit me at the hospital. Luckily, that didn't work, but she brought something so personal into my professional life that it felt violating again. Tonight, I found out she stole the research for a procedure I've been developping and she's claiming it's hers."

"I was right, she is a bitch," I say the anger inside me swirling.

I see a quick smile on her lips as our eyes meet briefly, but it fades away too quickly. "Ben is taking care of it, he and my lawyer, but it just makes me so furious, leaves me feeling so raw. She still has this effect on me, after all these years. She can still make me feel weak, helpless, violated,.."

"Lauren," I say, and turn towards her still holding her hand. "I've watched you, you take care of everyone around you, and you do that with a kindness I am in awe of. Whatever this woman did to you, you didn't let it change you, you stayed who you are and that is so incredibly beautiful, and strong."

"Thanks, Bo," Lauren says. "That means a lot to me," she adds her voice slightly quivering. "I'm sorry. This is just... Well,...it's a lot. I don't usually pour my heart out like this, I'm not the type," Lauren says with a little smile.

"It got you smiling again."

"Yeah," she says, and her smile becomes a little wider. "I suppose it did," she chuckles ruefully. "Holy Einstein, I'm exhausted. I suppose I didn't realise how tired Nadia can make me."

"Well, it is 3 in the morning, that might be another reason you're tired," I say smiling softly.

"Get me back to the ship Major," she says as if issuing a command.

"Yes, Ma'am," I say and together we walk back to the ship.

USS Enterprise, The officers' Mess Hall
The next morning,

"I hate you," Eve whines from the seat accross from me. Her head is on the table and she's covered her eyes with both hands.

"Really? And yet you kissed me yesterday." I say with a smirk.

"Did I? I don't remember." Eve says "Musn't have been a very good kiss," she replies with an equally big smirk.

I laugh out loud. "You're an ass."

"No, you're an ass McCorrigan! Why the hell did you drag me out in the middle of the night?"

"It's 9am."

"I went to bed at 7am!" Eve wails. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you torturing me?"

"Cause you're behind on paperwork, and if you don't get on top of that Commander Hall is going to tear you a new one."

"Pffft, I saved two people, I can do no wrong. I'm going back to bed!" Eve says.

"No, no, I can do no wrong seeing as I saved eight people." I grin. "You on the other hand need to watch it. Hall has already given you two warnings when it comes to your reports, and knowing you, you are probably even more behind than I give you credit for."

"Ugh, I really hate you."

"No, you don't and you really do want that promotion. Come on, I'll help, we'll do it together."

Eve's head pops up and with it so does her eyebrow. "You'd do that for me?"

"Yes, I would. I'm not doing all of it for you, but I'll help."

"Hmm, well, I guess that's better than nothing," Eve says and sits up.

"Hey, Rip!" I turn my head to the side and see Boomer come my way.

"Yeh?"

"Rip, can you run some sims with me later on? I've been trying that spin you told us about, but I can't work out the kinks."

"Are you trying to impress someone?" I ask with an amused grin. "It's not like that's a required manoeuvre."

"Maybe," he answers slyly. "Will you help?"

"Sure, five pm? First, I gotta help this one over here with her paperwork." I gesture at Eve who's put her head on the table again.

"Good luck," Boomer replies. "I've seen her backlog, she's like three months behind," he says and turns away leaving me with a jaw wide open.

"Please tell me he's exaggerating."

Eve just shrugs. "Hey, you volunteered."

"Great," I exhale.

USS Enterprise 19.00h.

It's 7pm and I just came out of a two-hour sim session with Boomer. We've been going through loops and barrels and basically every aerobatic manoeuvre in the book. I'm still not sure why or who he's trying to impress, but I suppose that doesn't matter much. Although it was fun, I still feel the weight of this day in my bones.

I spent my morning and afternoon with Eve's paperwork, and then went straight to the sims to meet up with Boomer. Seeing as this week most of the crew is on shore leave or 'liberty', the ship feels almost deserted, and I had hoped to perhaps see Lauren for lunch. No such thing occured however as Eve and I worked through it, and the entire meal consisted of a fruitbar from a vending machine and a small bottle of water from a different vending machine. I'm hungry now, and I'm heading towards the Mess Hall in the hopes of finding Lauren there. I know her friend Ben is flying over to the Solomons for a couple of days, and tonight is her last night on the ship. Last night Lauren opened up to me, and the more I discover about this woman, the more time I want to spend with her. I'm about two corridors away from a decent meal and hopefully wonderful company when I'm suddenly grabbed by the collar and pinned up against the wall. Commander Altmann's face is two inches from mine, and she's twisting my hand painfully to keep me in place.

"Why do you insist on testing me, McCorrigan?" her voice hisses.

"Wha?" I struggle against her grip, but she's got a good hold of me, and resisting her just makes it hurt more.

"You're a user aren't you?"

"What?" I say again. "What the hell are you doing?" I ask flabbergasted.

"See last time I warned you, I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt." "I figured perhaps you had changed." "That you weren't the user, the vulture I remember from college." "But you haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I squeeze out, the pain in my hand almost unbearable.

"I've got you pegged, Major. You sleep around to get places, use your connections to climb the ladder. I saw you chatting up to a congressman and a senator. I've seen you wrap Commander Hall around your finger, I've seen you flirting with the other pilots. I warned you, McCorrigan that I'd be keeping an eye out on you. You sleep around, you butter people up just to get where you want to get."

"I have no clue what you're talking about!" I say flabbergasted. "And let go of me!" I warn.

"Really?" she says keeping her tight grip on my hand, pushing it further. "I've seen you eye Commander Lewis. I see you 'tutor' Lieutenant Commander Washington, and then I see you kissing Lieutenant Commander Davies yesterday. Man, woman, it doesn't matter to you, does it? Who's next? The Captain? How long has that little tryst between you and Lieutenant Commander Davies been going on?"

"It hasn't, it was just a stupid dare Eve let herself get talked into."

"Maybe so, but I want you to know that I did my duty and informed the Captain. It's gone on your permanent record. One more slip-up and you can say 'bye bye' to your career. Bye, bye to ever being an astronaut," she says and I can hear the amusement in her voice. The tone sets me off, and I'm able to rip my hand free.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Stacy?" I shout getting into her personal space. "You're a friggen loon!" Anger is swirling inside me at how screwed up this is.

"Careful Major," she says. "Are you threatening me? Are you going to use physical force to intimidate me?"

"What?" frowning in disbelief I back up on Commander Altmann.

"Remember that, Major. It would be so easy for me to simply say that you assaulted me."

"You'd stoop that low?" I ask incredulously. "And for what, something you think I did in college? I never stole your boyfriend!"

"You did steal Kyle!" Stacy lunges, and pushes me hard against the wall pinning me with her body. "And I'm not going to let you use people like that again! You're a degenerate, Major, a disease, and we don't want your kind in the military!" she hisses. Stacy's hand is pushing down on my neck menacingly. Several scenarios are running through my mind. The first of which is to kick Stacy's ass. I'm not a violent person, but the military has taught me how to defend myself. It would be quick enough. But, again, I'm not a violent person, I'm not a crazy person either. The truth is that right now my best option is to cool this situation down. The truth is that she outranks me and when it comes to her word against mine, it's a sure bet that she'll be believed before I am. The truth is also that a career can get tanked just by the rumor of inappropriate behavior, and Altmann knows it. I can't risk giving her more ammo. I only have a few more months here on the Enterprise. After that I can return to the Air Force and things can go back to normal.

"Keep your head down, Major. Stay out of my way, or I promise I will make you pay."

"Fine, Stacy," I say putting my hand over hers and forcing it off of my neck. "I'll keep my head down."

"That's Commander to you, Major."

"Yes, Ma'am," I say, and I see the satisfaction in her eyes at my compliance.

"That's better."

"I'll stay out of your way, Commander, but you better stay out of mine too!" I hiss.

My mind is still whirling as I watch Commander Altmann set off in the direction of the Mess Hall. It's obvious she has already noticed I have been spending time with Lauren, if I go to dinner with her now, it will be even more suspicious. All of a sudden spending time alone in general with Lauren seems like a bad idea. With a sigh I turn away from the Mess Hall. I'll keep my head down like Stacy suggested and I'll go grab a bite to eat alone somewhere in town.

Tulagi island, about 1 mile from the coast.
Two days later
Lauren's POV

"It's gorgeous up here, Laur." Ben says as he breaks the surface of the water and swims towards me. "Absolutely stunning." We're off the coast of Tulagi island, and we just dove towards the 'Twin Tunnels', a natural sea mount that features two vertical shafts and an abundance of colourful sea life. Ben and I love to dive and coming here has always been a dream of ours. We take yearly holidays together, usually to a dive spot, but this one is new.

"It's amazing," I grin wide.

"I suppose prison does have its perks."

"Sun, beach, palm trees, places to dive to a lovely balmy climate." I say as I look around. "I could get used to this."

"Thinking about relocating, Laur?"

"Nah," I shake my head. "It just feels good to be away from obligations and real life."

"Deadlines and HR issues," Ben adds. "Amen to that."

My lips curl into a smile as I watch the sun begin to set. I love being here with Ben, but I can't help wondering what it would be like to share a day like this with Bo: waking up an hour late, taking a lazy breakfast and then setting off in search of the most beautiful dive spots. Would she love the view, the reef, the diving as much as I do? With another smile I realize that she probably would given her proclivity for adventure, but that it wouldn't matter. She could stay on the boat or even on the beach and that'd be just fine as long as I could come home to her at night, get to kiss her and crawl into bed with her. It's a wonderful fantasy and I soon find myself getting lost in it.

"Laur? Hey!" I startle as Ben taps me on the shoulder. "That looked like some daydream you were having," he says amused. "We should head back, love muffin. Daylight is fading."

I blink and look up. The sun has completely set, and I realise all of a sudden that my skin is cold from not moving too long.

"Come on Laur, " Ben shouts. He's already swum back to the boat and has hoisted himself onto the ladder. I go in pursuit of him.

A couple of hours later

"That was excellent." I pat my contented belly, and lean back in my seat putting the glass of red wine to my lips. After our dive Ben and I changed clothes on the boat and cooked together using the fresh ingredients we bought at the market earlier today.. The boat we rented, apptly named 'Reef Cruiser' is a medium large vessel that sleeps 8 to 10 people, and has all the modern comforts of life including a shower, a pretty well-equiped gally or kitchen, and a large deck to sunbathe on or enjoy a late night alone under the stars with a great glass of wine.

"I may move here," I say, rethinking my earlier comment.

"I give you three weeks before you come running back screaming."

I chuckle. "Is that so?"

"This is nice, because we're so used to a different pace, but we'd go nuts if it was like this all the time."

"Hmm, I suppose so. Still, this is nice."

"It sure is."

Twenty minutes later

"Alright, " I say taking a deep breath."I'm ready."

"You sure?"

"It's not like I can postpone this conversation indefinitely."

"That's what Mabel says, but then I've always thought she was a bit pushy."

"You think attendants in a cloakroom are pushy."

"Why should they get to decide where to hang my coat?"

I roll my eyes. "So, Mabel?"

"Has put together a plagerism suit. She's working on it, but I don't think you're going to be able to sit this one out."

"Meaning I'll have to be there, and she'll get exactly what she wants."

"Yeah," Ben nods. "But, look, it'll be fine. I promise I won't let you go through this alone. I'll be there in court with you."

I reach out my hand for Ben's and give it a squeeze.

"Thanks."

"Always," he says and I smile. "So, why don't we switch to a more interesting topic and you tell me who you were daydreaming about before."

"What do you mean?"

Ben shakes his head. "No, no, Lewis, you don't get to play that denying game with me. That may work on others, but it doesn't on me. The last time I saw you zone out like that..." Ben lets his sentence trail. "Actually, I don't think I've ever seen you zone out before like that. Tell the gay man all about her!" Ben urges while rubbing his hands together gleefully.

I take a deep breath. "Fine," I say. "But only because I know you won't let it go otherwise."

"This is true. Gossip is the gay man's heroine."

I chuckle. "Her name is Isabeau McCorrigan, Bo McCorrigan."

"Bo? Is she butch?"

"What? No!"

"I'm just saying with a name like Bo..."

"You know sometimes I really do think you were raised by wolves."

"Oh honey, my taste in wine and clothing is far too refined and expensive to have been raised by wolves," he says dramatically.

"Be nice or I won't tell you about her, " I say taking another sip of the expensive wine Ben bought.

"Fine," he relents. "So, she's got a butch name, but she's not butch herself. Does she have the luscious curves you like? Does she wear leather?"

"This conversation is quickly spiraling into a bad idea," I say a little annoyed.

Ben frowns. "You know normally by this time, we're laughing at your conquests and your overall poor taste in women," he remarks and I can hear the surprise in his voice.

"She's not a conquest, " I say, and as I say it I immediately feel the truth of that statement. After Nadia, I did have more than a couple of one night stands with women, every once in a while it would last longer than that. There would always be one particular thing that would draw me to the women I slept with. It would either be the big boobs, the penchant for leather, the bad girl attitude, the fact that they could keep a five minute conversation going, the fact that they couldn't keep a five minute conversation going. Ben is right. I usually laugh right along with him when he criticizes my choices.

"She's not a crush either," I say more seriously.

"Omg, have you guys-you know?"

"No, we haven't, and if you're going to call it the horizontal mambo or something, let me remind you that I am not some fifteen year old who thinks that's funny."

"The beaver dive? The rug munching?" Ben laughs and I shake my head grinning.

"There's no fraternization of any kind allowed in the Navy, most especially not that!"

"And that's why you will never see me join. Does she feel the same way?"

"I don't know," I shake my head, but then I smile softly rethinking things. "I think so."

"You kissed?"

I shake my head no. "There have been looks."

"Looks? As in The Remains of the Day type looks? Or the Basic Instinct type looks?"

I chuckle and throw a potato chip at his head.

"Emma Thompson looks."

"Shiiiiit, the Navy and its repressed love life."

"Ben, those rules and stipulations are there for a good reason. They ensure that there is no favo-"

Ben puts his hand up interrupting. "Please, save it Laur.. You and I just don't see eye to eye on that. Rules and regulations are all well and good, but let's face it, they suck."

I chuckle and then let Ben's words sink in and think of Bo and the day she saved me, the night we first spent under the stars together and the night I told her about Nadia. I realise with a pang that I miss her. I miss thinking I might run into her and see her face. I had hoped to see her before I met up with Ben, but my idea for dinner with Bo turned out to be dinner with Stacy.

"I like her Ben, " I say softly. "I told her about Nadia. It's like she can see right through me, " I say. Ben gets up and walks towards me. He pulls me out of my comfortable seat and into a close hug. When he speaks, I can tell by his voice that he's emotional.

"I always hoped I would hear you talk about someone like that again, love muffin," he says. "After Nadia, I wasn't sure you ever would."

I hug him back and indulge in his cuddles. Ben is the complete opposite of me when it comes to his emotions. He cries at every sad movie we watch together and he's touchy feely in a way I only ever am when I'm drunk. Yet, it is this quality in him I love most, and I wish I could emulate.

"Tell me about her?" Ben asks.

"She's something else," I say and I begin to tell him about Major McCorrigan.

Five days later
USS Enterprise

It's been over a week since I last saw the Major, and I'm beginning to think she's deliberately avoiding me. Last night the full crew was expected back on board and I had expected to see her at dinner, but Bo was a no show. The same thing happened at breakfast. I had forgone my usual early breakfast at 6am and had instead chosen to indulge in my gentle stalker side and go at 7am knowing that was the time the squadron ate. I simply longed to see her, to be near her, but again there was no Bo. I suppose I can tell myself she is busy with preparations for Valiant Shield, but surely she can spare five minutes to just say hello?

At her absence I feel the same vulnerability I felt that night when I opened up to her and told her about Nadia. Perhaps my confession had been too much for her, perhaps I shouldn't have said what I did, perhaps this connection I feel to her is more one sided than I thought.

I am left to wonder if she is even still on board, until I see her dragging herself into the senior officers' meeting. She's not wearing her dress uniform, rather shows up in her flightsuit, and her tousled hair and fatigued eyes tell me she didn't get much sleep last night. I immediately feel badly for thinking she was avoiding me, and instead a feeling of worry for her settles into my stomach.

Bo can barely keep herself awake throughout the meeting, and she offers up no input of any sort. When the meeting ends, the Captain remarks to Commander Hall that she had expected all members of her crew to be rested after a week of liberty. I don't catch the Commander's reply, but I can tell by the Captain's expression that she is 'not amused'.

If I thought perhaps I would see Bo again at dinner that night or the day after or the day after that, then I was mistaken. It is as if Bo has dropped off of the face of the planet. She is nowhere to be seen, and as my days are quickly full again with a crew coming back from furlow, I have little time to go look for her.

Tonight, however, I'll see Bo. The tennis tournament has started up again and tonight we play our second round.

Bo's POV

Preparing for Valient Shield is exhausting: sims, night flights, evaluation reports, meetings, more sims and tactical discussions, maintenance reports and issues and classes, it's all I've been doing for the last week it feels and there's still two weeks to go before our squadron will be engaged in the biggest military exercise in the world. Next to drilling intermilitary cooperation, our ships, submarines,...and also our pilots will be pitted against one another.

Seeing as the USS Enterprise is the only Navy carrier in attendance, our squadron will be flying against Air Force pilots. Under normal circumstances, the outcome of that particular engagement is not difficult to predict seeing as Air Force pilots are better trained in dogfighting. These aren't normal circumstances, however, and I fully intend to give my former colleagues a run for their money.

I kept my head down and did the work, ran the sims, studied every move and counter-move, and did the prep work. While almost everyone else was off enjoying the beaches, the bars, the surf and turf I, together with a couple of other pilots that stayed on board, have been grinding the midnight oil, perfecting our skills.

I came on this ship to learn, to get as much out of it as possible and with my workload and schedule such as it is that is what I'm doing. I feel only slightly saddened that I didn't get to enjoy the beauty of the Solomon islands, but then again there is nothing keeping me from taking a vacation here in the future.

Being busy has also had another, perhaps not entirely unintended, consequence. I haven't seen Lauren in all of that time. The first night I had intentionally avoided her. After Stacy's threats I was rattled. I saw the career I have been planning for so long fall through at her words, and I just ran.

I suppose if I'm being honest with myself I am still running. If I am being even more honest with myself, I know I am running because I don't trust myself alone with Commander Lewis, and I know it's just a matter of time with her before I am truly guilty of fraternization.

Later that night

Our match goes as planned. Lauren and I make a great team, and we win our games rather quickly. Whenever she smiles at me I am reminded of how much I would love to stay and talk to her. I want to ask her how her holiday with Ben was, what they did, if she's gotten an update on the Nadia situation,...but when we've had our mandatory drinks with the other team, I'm already looking for excuses to leave.

I think she can see it in my eyes or she can tell by my body language because I'm about to get up when her hand grabs mine.

"Bo, what's going on?" Lauren asks. "Is everything okay?"

Her hand stays resting on top of mine, and her touch feels like it's searing my skin.

I pull my hand back, and see the disappointment in her eyes, but I cannot take the risk of someone seeing us 'holding hands'. By now I have become mildly paranoid and am convinced Stacy has spies accross the ship telling her about my every move.

"Yes, " I say. I want to tell her the truth and tell her all about what happened with Stacy, but Lauren and Stacy are friends, they work closely together, and I don't want to be the one who tells Lauren her friend is a psycho. I'm not sure if Lauren would believe me, I'm not sure anyone would.

"I'm just very busy with Valiant Shield, " I hear myself say. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the guys. Hope you had fun with Ben."

Two weeks later
Lauren's POV

Now that Valiant Shield has started it absorbs everyone's time on the ship and that includes mine. The coordination of one massive simulated field hospital between all of the participating units falls to me as the senior medical officer of the largest unit in play. Next to coordinating, Valiant Shield I have also been running bridge and command simulations along with five other senior officers. It's a matter of making sure we can run in the ship in case that ever became necessary. I went through a similar training when I rejoined the Navy and decided to join the USS Enterprise, but I'm still grateful for these simulations and drills, as drills become muscle memory and it lessens the risk of mistakes and possibly mind blanks which can occur in a fight or flight state or any other type of anxiety. We only wrapped these drills up yesterday, and today there are fighter jets taking off and landing in rapid pace as they have started engaging in their first dogfights.

How long they'll be able to continue is anyone's guess. The forecast for the next couple of days is bleak. There is a storm coming that we are suspected to only see the coat tails of, but those rougher days will probably hinder the exercise, and possibly bring it to a standstill.

For now, however, the skies are clear and the operation is in full swing. I'm in the middle of coordinating the hospital for when the simulated casualties will be coming in when I'm called into the Captain's office. Pushing themselves into the room with me is Commander Andrews, my second in line, Commander Hall and Bo.

The Captain is on the phone issueing a series of yes and no's. It's not long after we take our seat that she puts down the phone.

"Commander Lewis," she addresses me. "I just got off the phone with the Captain of the USS Norton. You will be in contact with their chief medical officer later, but from what I understand there has been an accident involving Vice Admiral Jamison, he sustained a head injury. He is out of immediate danger, but the Captain is asking for your surgical expertise."

I nod feeling numb at the news of the Admiral's accident, but obviously grateful that he is out of immediate danger.

"I understand you are quite close to the Admiral. A fact I do not think the SMO, Dr. Clarke, is aware of. Will that be a problem for you to perform the surgery."

"No Ma'am, " I say truthfully. I have long been able to distance my personal life from my professional one in the O.R. It seems cold perhaps, especially given that the Admiral is practically family to me, but my professional detachment has served me well over the years.

"There is one more thing, and this is why I have invited Commander Hall and Major McCorrigan here. You will need someone to fly you there. The USS Norton is off the coast of Madagascar where the storm is supposed to hit in a couple of hours from now. The flight is too far out to send you out with a helicopter... "

As the Captain continues talking, the word helicopter nestles into my brain, and takes over in images of twisted metal and poisonous fumes, the mangled body of Lt. Dubois, my father,... My nightmares from the accident haven't stopped, in fact with the current stress of Valiant Shield, and without having Bo around to distract me from them, they seem to have been increasing. My pulse suddenly races as does my heart, and I feel a certain panic take hold of me. It takes me a few moments, and a couple of deep breaths before I can focus on the conversation again.

"I can Ma'am, " A voice says, Bo says, and I'm lost to what the Major just agreed to. "I am more than confident in my team. They are excellent pilots and I am sure they will be able to carry out the points that we drilled them for without me." Bo continues as I try to get a handle on my heartrate.

"Major, while I do not doubt your skill. Both you and the Commander were involved in a helicopter accident not so long ago, my concern is..."

"Ma'am, accidents happen. I have flown a number of times since the crash, and I am one of the few pilots here that can fly a Super Hornet and is also licensed to fly a military helicopter."

"The team has been trained well, Captain." Commander Hall adds. "And the Major is probably the best pilot I have ever seen."

"High praise, Commander, " the Captain says with a raised eyebrow. "Very well. I defer to your judgement in the matter."

"Commander, Major... you will be scheduled to leave as soon as possible. Commander, Dr. Clarke can be reached once you're up in the air."

"I can have the jet ready in thirty minutes Commander, " Bo says and I just nod my head. We're all dismissed, and I head for my cabin. The Major is heading my way as well. After a few steps she says my name.

"Lauren," I turn and see Bo standing there.

"Just get some clothes, what you need for a couple of days there. One bag. I'll get you one of my extra flight suits, it'll be a little big on you, but we'll make it work."

"Yeah," I mumble.

"I'll get you there, " Bo says. "Safe and in one piece."

I chuckle a little. "Can you promise that?"

"Scout's honor. Didn't you hear the Commander, I'm the best pilot there is."

"Yeah," I nod. "Sure."

Bo steps into me and reaches for my hands, then squeezes them. "You can trust me."

I nod, inhale deeply and decide to trust the Major and her piloting skills. I follow Bo to her cabin to get her extra flight suit.

Thirty minutes later

I've lowered myself into the narrow confines of the back cockpit, and am trying to figure out how to strap myself in when Bo's full head of hair looms over me.

"Great," Bo says. "You've figured out the seat belts. Let's just make sure they are a little more secure." I swallow as Bo tightens them. Cold sweat pearls on my forehead, it's not a big leap for me to find these seatbelts, this helmet I have on, this confined space I'm stuffed in, suffocating, or to relive my nightmares. I take a deep breath.

"Lauren, the seatbelts are here to protect you," Bo says as if she can read my mind. "They protected you that day. You would not have made it if you hadn't been strapped in," Bo states matter of factly. I nod my head in recognition to what she's saying. She's right. The straps and Bo are what got me out of the wreck virtually unscathed, and I calm myself with that knowledge.

"Thanks," I say and nod.

"Here," she says reaching inside of her pocket. "It's the pocket knife I used to cut Lieutenant Dubois' seatbelt. One of the clean-up crew found it after the crash. I'm not sure how it survived, I suppose I kicked it right out of the helicopter that day. It's lucky. I want you to have it." Bo says and pushes the pocket knife into one of the side pockets of my flight suit.

"You're good," Bo says as she tightens one last strap. "Let's go."

Bo's POV

I lower myself down the ladder of the second cockpit, and then up to mine. Once I'm situated and strapped in, I open the comm to Lauren.

"Commander, can you hear me?"

"Yes," Lauren replies.

"Okay, great. We're just going to wait for the LSO and the Tower to give us the all clear, and then we'll take off. Have you ever taken off on an aircraft carrier before using the catapult system?"

"No," Lauren replies.

"Alright, have you done Space Mountain before?" I ask with a smile.

"Yes."

"Did you like it?"

"Yes," the somewhat more lighthearted sounding reply comes.

"In that case you have nothing to worry about, Commander." I say. "It'll be like that, just a little bit faster." I want to talk Lauren through every step of flying this plane. She's so information oriented that I'm betting knowing what she can expect will relax her. To be honest, given what she went through only a couple of weeks ago, I'm surprised she's dealing with being in a jet, strapped in like she is, as well as she is.

"Major McCorrigan, you are cleared to take off." I hear the Tower say in my helmet.

"Roger that, " I reply, and I taxi up to the catapult. The groundcrew hook me up, and I get the 'go ahead' salute, I salute back, and three seconds later I am climbing upwards into the sky.

"Tower, climbing to 31.000 feet cruising altitude. Setting course to heading 422.3."

"Roger."

"McCorrigan out," I say as I signal the end of the communication with the Tower of the USS Enterprise, and I take my plane up to cruising altitude.

"Major, " Lauren says in my ear. "Can you put me through to Dr. Clarke, I want to be able to get on top of this case as soon as possible."

"We'll be in range for the comm system in about ten minutes, Ma'am."

"Thanks, Bo. That'll be fine." I smile at the sound of my first name. "How long until we get there?"

"At this speed we should be there in about three hours."

"For us to land on the USS Atlantis?" Lauren asks.

"Yeah, the helicopter ride should only be about thirty minutes to the USS Norton."

"Three hours," Lauren repeats.

"Do you want me to turn the radio on?"

"No, that's okay. I need to be able to focus on the surgery."

"Of course. I hope your friend is going to be okay."

"Me too," Lauren replies softly.

"I can patch you through now, Commander. " I say a couple of minutes later. I call up the USS Norton. It doesn't take long before there is an answer and I can patch Lauren through. While Lauren talks, I focus on our flight:the weather is pretty decent so far, but I can see ominous clouds in the direction we're flying in. I hope to make it through before the worst of the storm hits.

After about 45 minutes into the flight, I climb higher again, and level out at 35,000 feet. From here on out, the flight is pretty much routine, so in order to kill time I pop on my iphone that's connected to the integrated systems of my plane, and put on my playlist. Lauren, I see, is still talking to Doctor Clarke, but as soon as she says something to me the system will interrupt my music. I hum to the tunes, while focusing on flying my plane. I notice the winds are picking up, and glance over at my weather radar. I see there might be some turbulence heading our way, so I immediately switch off my music, and put my entire focus back where it belongs.

"No more singing?"

"What?"

"You were singing along with the music." Lauren says.

"Oh, sorry you had to hear that, " I say embarrassed.

Lauren chuckles."You have a nice singing voice. I liked it."

"My mom was the singer, " I say. "Really talented. She and I would play the piano together every Saturday, and the we'd sing songs together all through Christmas."

"What kind of songs?"

"My mom was a big fan of the oldies: Dean Martin, Doris Day, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin... not necessarily Christmas songs, just good songs. She loved musicals too, she would go out and buy the record, we'd study until we knew each word by heart."

"I know the lyrics to Les Miserables, and Wicked by heart."

I laugh out loud. "No, you don't!"

Lauren chuckles. "My best friend is a very gay man. He drags me to every musical that comes out."

"I think I need to meet this Ben guy. I feel him and I would get along."

"You probably would."

"We both love musicals, and karaoke. You say he has great taste in wine, and he obviously has great taste in woman because we both like you." That last piece of the sentence I blurt out before I can stop myself. I'm still scolding myself inwardly for putting my foot in my mouth when Lauren asks.

"In different ways, I hope?" At Lauren's reply the awkwardness of the moment disappears instantly, and turns flirty. Lauren is quick, she's witty and she's coy. In short, she's a friggen rockstar.

"Very different, Commander." I answer with a smirk.

"I can feel you smirking, Major." Lauren replies, and I laugh again.

"You've got me there," I say smiling, but then a sudden jolt that rocks the plane stops me from smiling.

"Hold on, we've got a bit of turbulence to work through." I say. The next couple of minutes are bumpy, but we get through them. I look at the weather radar again and frown.

"Lauren, there is a nasty weather front coming up right along our route. I'll have to fly around it, but we'll probably lose about an hour."

"No," Lauren says. "I need to get to the admiral, just fly through it."

"Lauren, I wouldn't recommend it-"

"Bo, Admiral Jamison has a metal rod lodged in his head. Dr. Clarke has already done what he can to relieve the pressure on the brain, but seeing as that piece of metal is putting pressure onto the Admiral's medulla oblongata, the part of the brain that regulates -amongst others- breathing, and heart rate that rod needs to come out as soon as possible. If that rod stays there, it's only a matter of time before the Admiral dies. So, please, yes. Fly through it."

"Okay, " I say. "Strap in, Commander. I'll be trying to fly over as much of the weather as possible, but I won't be able to avoid it all the way." My fighter jet can climb as high as 50,000 feet, but after that the air just becomes too thin for the engines to continue generating thrust, and some hurricanes well exceed that height. After about half an hour, that patch of storm I wanted to avoid is on top of us. The Hornet shakes and grunts under the turbulence. As a smaller plane, jet fighters are impacted by turbulence more than a regular commercial jet. Although they are perfectly able to fly through it, it can sometimes feel and sound as if the jet is being torn apart at the seams. Bolts of lightning cut through the blackened sky, and I have to consistently counter the violent winds that try to push me off course. The jet gets hit my lightning twice, the first time there is simply a flash of light and a loud bang.

The second time it happens, my instruments go haywire for a moment or two, but we make it through. We're a couple of hundred miles out from the USS Atlantis when I dive in lower for the approach. Fortunately, the bad weather hasn't yet reached the Atlantis, so the landing is pretty standard. After taxiing, I climb out of my cockpit and I wait for Lauren to come down.

"Remind me to listen to you next time you tell me to avoid bad weather, " Lauren says as she removes her helmet. She's pale and she looks a little shaken, but all in all, she held up like a trooper.

"I'll be happy to." I say with a chuckle. "Come on, let's get you onto that chopper."

Lauren just nods and follows me in without saying a word. Waiting for us is a UH-1Y Venom helicopter, the same type of helicopter Lauren crashed in, and I curse in her stead.

"Get in in the front," I direct. I don't want Lauren to be in the back like she was on that day. The Commander doesn't say anything once we are strapped in, but I can feel the anxiety come off of her in waves. I begin to talk her through the start-up procedure and checks, anything to keep her mind distracted. It seems to be working because I can tell she's actually listening to what I'm saying. The ride over to the USS Norton goes smoothly and half an hour later I put the helicopter down on the smaller vessel. It's 7pm and daylight has faded. As soon as we touch down, Lauren is out of the cockpit. There are several people waiting for her, greeting her, happy, relieved to see her. One of them is the Captain, and Doctor Clarke, the other are also wearing white lab coats and look like doctors to me.

It's only after I secure the helicopter, collect both mine and Lauren's luggage, and make my way inside the ship, that I notice that this ship is a Navy Hospital ship. I blink surprised. I thought the reason they needed me to fly Lauren over was because they didn't have a surgeon on board, but if this is a hospital ship, then they should have plenty of surgeons and experts on board. I decide not to dwell on that question. My stomach is rumbling at the lack of food I've had and my eyes are struggling to focus now that adrenaline is leaving my body. I'm in the middle of staring at a map of the ship to figure out where the mess hall is, when a young ensign addresses me.

"Major McCorrigan?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Ensign Quincy, " A young, rather short woman with red hair, green eyes and a kind and open face says. "The Captain has asked me to come find you and show you around on the ship."

"Great," I say with a smile. "I was just looking for the Mess Hall, I'm starving."

"Then I'll take you there first," the young Ensign says with a warm smile. "You can leave your bags with me. I'll make sure they get to your cabin," She says noticing the bags I'm carrying.

"That's alright, Ensign. They aren't heavy."

"Even more reason for me to take care of them for you," the bubbly Ensign smiles and I smile back.

"I can recommend the special for today, the Chicken Marsala with French fries, but there are lighter snacks or sandwiches, anything you like." Ensign Quincy explains as she guides me through the white narrow corridors of the ship. After a couple of minutes of small talk, we reach the Mess Hall.

"Here we are," Ensign Quincy says. "We have an awesome cook. I'll be back here in 45 minutes for the rest of your tour?" she asks and I nod. When she again offers to take the two bags I'm carrying again, I hand them to her without further protest.

I decide to follow the Ensign's advice, chicken Marsala with fries and a healthy portion of greens is what I come back with to the table. There are about 30 other officers, mostly doctors, around me chatting, and enjoying their meal when I take my first bite. The Ensign was right. The food is simple, but good. The chicken is creamy, tasty and well baked, while the fries are freshly made and the greens balance out the dish. I think about perhaps coming back here later on and making sure I get Lauren something to eat. I doubt very much she'll have time to eat, and by the time she comes out of surgery, the kitchen will no doubt be closed. I am about halfway through my plate when I pick up on a conversation a group of four young male doctors are having at the table next to me.

"I heard the Captain brought in Doctor Lauren Lewis."

"Doctor Lewis, who developed the Logan procedure?"

"That's what I heard. She's supposedly doing the surgery right now." There's a loud laugh following that statement. The laugh is from a young doctor with handsome features. He's broadshouldered with brown, short hair, and he reminds me of one of my first boyfriends: Steve who wasn't a bad guy, but would get caught up in his own macho persona.

"I don't believe that. Why would someone like Lauren Lewis join the Navy? That woman is one of the most prominent surgeons in the world. No way she's here."

"That helicopter that landed 40 minutes ago, she was on it."

"No way!" Steve Revisited exclaims. "Have you seen what she looks like?" he says in a tone I don't like, and that puts my teeth on edge. "All stern and frosty, but with a killer bod. She's the type that needs to be fucked good to loosen up." The way he talks about Lauren pisses me off, and I won't stand it, not even for a second.

"I heard she's into women," one of the other guys comments.

"I'm sure I could change her mind," Steve says, and bucks his pelvis suggestively. "I'd make her change her mind from the back, from the front..."

I'm up on my feet, and tap Steve's shoulder. He turns and looks up at me, then smiles lasciviously. I instantly wipe the smug smile from his face as he gets the rest of what's left of my Chicken Marsala plate in his face.

"I couldn't help but overhear you." I say as I lean in, and the Chicken Marsala drips from Steve's face. "And let me just say for women all around the globe... You are a disgusting pig, and if you don't start treating women with more respect, I have a friend called Bubba who will take you in the back from the front, the back and the side time and time again. Let's see if he can change your mind."

"Enjoy the chicken," I say to the group of bewildered men, and head towards the self-catering to get Lauren that snack I was thinking about.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I can see a couple of women getting up, clapping and whistling loudly in my direction.

Ten minutes later

"Major," the Ensign says, a curious look coming accross her face as people pass us, and slap me on the shoulder thanking me for putting Steve in his place.

"Ensign."

"Made friends already, I see?"

"I do try, " I say with a smirk.

"Shall we continue with our tour?"

"By all means," I say. "Any update on the Admiral?" I ask.

"Not yet. Dr. Clarke did a great job keeping him alive as long as he did, now it's all the hands of Dr. Lewis."

"I get the idea she's a pretty big deal.. As a doctor, I mean, Commander Lewis?" I ask as we walk.

"Dr. Lewis."

"Mmm." I nod.

"She's not even 30 and she already holds three patented procedures that have revolutionised surgery. She is the head of the department of neurosurgery both at John's Hopkins Hospital and the University, and she holds five doctorates, including my field of study which is exotic diseases. Yes, I think it's fair to say, she's a pretty big deal."

I smile. "You're a fan."

"She's inspirational, she's one of the reasons I joined the Navy. My family couldn't afford college, the Navy paved my way, and hey if Lauren Lewis did it..."

"She's a nice person too," I smile.

"Is she?" Ensign Quincy asks with an enthusiasm I find infectious. The Ensign asks my ear off about the Commander, and we continue talking as she shows me around the ship. The tour ends about half an hour later at my room.

"Your luggage is inside," Ensign Quincy says. "If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask people here," the young Ensign says and I nod smiling. During our tour, Ensign Quincy would address other officers with their first names and vice versa, looks like military protocol is less strict on this ship than what I'm used to. It's a nice change of pace.

"Anne, where is Dr. Lewis' cabin? I wanted to make sure she had a snack when she came back from surgery."

"Oh, I should have explained," Ensign Quincy says. "At the moment we are carrying a full complement and accommodating the Admiral and his staff. I'm afraid there aren't any free rooms left. You and the Commander have been scheduled in to share this one."

"Share?" I ask my heart skipping a beat.

"I'm sorry, Major. If it's a problem, perhaps I can.."

"No.." I shake my head reeling at the prospect of sharing a room with the Commander, but I am not about to make a fuss about it. "It's fine."

"On the plus side, our officer cabins do come with a shower, and a small fridge."

I offer a small smile and nod in acknowledgement.

"Well, I'll leave you to it Major. As, I said, if you need anything, just ask."

"Thanks," I say before I put my hand on the door and push my way inside.

"You've got to be kidding me." I say when I close the door behind me.

It's a one person cabin.


Oh dear, JCM, don't go scaring people away! :-) It actually is a BoLo/Doccubus story, and they will be getting together in 2014 as well. I would actually even go so far as to say that you get two love stories instead of just one. Do they spend time apart? Yes, they do, but there is a reason Lauren stayed away from Bo for the time that she did, and it's not because she doesn't love her. Remember that Lauren will always do what she thinks is best for Bo even when that means she has to hurt herself in the process ;-) Anyways, I'll explain the why and the how, but I won't make you guys sit through years of Bo and Dyson being together. That would be cruel, and that's not a story I want to write.

Saphire: Yup, it's going to be pretty rough on Lauren for a good while. We'll see more of that the moment we go back to 2018. :)

Frenchi: The question of Bo getting her memory back is tricky. I honestly think it would benefit the story if she did get it back, I'm just uncertain at this point as to how to go about that, or how much time needs to go over that. It just seems like such a forced element in the story if after let's say a kiss, Bo would magically retrieve all of her memories. However, perhaps you guys can help? I'm open to any and all suggestions! :-)

Arrasto: I admit that the title and even the synopsis might make you think it'd be fluffy, but I don't ever write simple fluff. I'm just not good at it. I like action, drama, romance and a little fluff, so I think my stories will always be a mix of those things. Very happy to read you are enjoying the story! :-)

Joan, Silvestra, Bah, Candycane, and Guests: THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE LIKES AND THE LOVE! :-)