They had two-weeks.

Two-weeks of limbo in which to exist. No Military, no Navy, and no United States. Just them, a few-hundred sailors and a 10,000-mile journey across the Pacific Ocean to get home… whatever was left of it.

She was standing at the stern of the James taking it in, the golden hour—her favorite time of day at sea. Looking out onto the turquoise blue waters as the coast of Japan slowly faded from view. Jesse was gone. Couldn't make out the Helo on the horizon anymore. This was goodbye. It was quite likely Sasha would never see this place again in her life. Asia had been her second home for the better part of a decade. She'd carved out an exemplary intelligence career here, but now it was done. It was time; she was moving on.

She smiled softly and closed her eyes, soaking up the Sun's rays. It was the little moments these days that she lived for. Tom joined her wordlessly. Leaned shoulder to shoulder with her against the railing, barely an inch between them as they watched the sun fade into fiery orange.

After a time, she spoke. "I haven't been home since." Didn't need to elaborate, Tom knew what she was saying. He lifted his body and turned so that he was leaning on his left arm instead. Giving her his attention. That was one thing she'd always loved about him. He had a manner that could make you feel as if you were his world when he wanted. Did it with such grace, such ease. With little more than a subtle change in his body language and a particular gaze, Tom could hypnotize. Suppose that's charisma, she thought.

"Where's home?" Realizing now that he really didn't know anything about her life after him. Not more than a few anecdotes. She'd been married to Chris, and she'd been dispatched to Asia. That was it.

"Charleston. We'd just bought a house on the water in Mount Pleasant."

Charleston… of course. Intelligence headquarters were there, so it made sense. He tried to imagine her then, carefree in a simple sundress. Maybe she'd let her hair stay wild, it was humid there after all. He loved when she did that—when she'd just stepped out of the shower, no make-up on, and her freckles were more pronounced, hair everywhere.

"More than a year since I left," she continued. "I doubt it's even still there." She sounded like she'd resigned herself. Just accepted that there was no hope left of recovering anything from before.

"Well, once we figure this out, we should go there," he suggested casually as if it were a given that they'd be sticking around.

The look she returned had a sad edge. Couldn't put her finger on it, but something in her gut was telling her to tread carefully here. It couldn't just be that simple for them. It never was. "That sounds nice." She decided to play along with the fantasy. The one she had where they ran off into the sunset together, forgot the past fifteen years and had a fresh start. Standing here, on this deck with him now, as the wind whipped around them, and the salty ocean spray touched their skin—the Sun, bathing him in its glorious setting—she could almost taste it.

Tom smiled boyishly at her, his eyes gleaming and warm. She couldn't help it, his grin was infectious, and soon she felt herself breaking into a real smile. Something she felt didn't really happen anymore. One that bared her teeth and made her cheeks hurt after a while.

"What?" she asked, slightly laughing.

"I think you just agreed to take me home with you, and we haven't even had our first date." He rose his eyebrows playfully at her in mock surprise, and laughter burst from her chest. The sound traveled in the wind and caught the attention of a couple sailors who looked awkwardly elsewhere.

"Tom Chandler, are you flirting with me?!" she shook her head bemused.

"Is it working?" Eyes caressing her features with fondness.

She simulated indecision, feigning dilemma, and played coy. "It's possible."

It was his turn to laugh, the sound like a melody to her heart.

God, she missed him. This. Them. It hit her like a freight train all of a sudden, and just like that, the nostalgic sadness he often saw in her eyes crept back. At least he'd made her forget. Even just for a little while.