A/N1: Thank you all for your feedback! This chapter is focused on Tom/Sasha. I don't know if that's what you've been hoping for their reunion, I'm not as good as many of you here but I hope that you will enjoy it anyway.

A/N2: I'm currently writing a crossover between Grey's Anatomy and The Last Ship, but I'm not sure if I will keep writing or not. I've always wondered (during some crazy writing time), how Mark Sloan would have reacted in front of a hot-headed and fierce Sasha Cooper. As well for her, in front of the handsome narcissistic McSteamy. It's surely gonna be a one-shot (or a multi-chapters, as you wish). Here's the summary:

"This is an AU story. Mark Sloan is a plastic surgeon and an arrogant ladies' man. One day he meets a beautiful brown headed stranger, and he finds his world turning upside down."

Would you be interested in reading this?

Kansas City, why did he have to move this far? She thought as she was driving along the road, for almost an hour and a half now.

When they arrived in St Louis, they've been acclaimed by the crowd, as at each of their return missions. Things were resuming their course gradually, everybody was giving efforts to rebuild the country and seeing so much solidarity after all these horrors was warming the hearts. She certainly didn't expect to find Tom on the docks, welcoming them with open arms. To be honest, none of them had heard from the commander since his departure. Or maybe one or two letters sent three months ago, but if it was the case, they were well hiding in the secret gardens of Slattery.

She had tried all day to get in touch with him, but every time she was bumping into a wall. Mike and she learned with surprise that he had taken off two months ago in an old house belonging to his father. She hesitated a few moment before embarking in a black SUV to take the road. As soon as she had left the city – and since then – she cursed herself mentally for having yielded to this idea.

She shook her head and swept away all the bad thoughts of her head, turned on the radio and concentrated on the road. After all, she still had two hours to drive and getting stress over this now wouldn't be that healthy, right?

The day had been long and demanding between the few lessons he had to give and the paperwork which needed to be filled behind; he had waited for that moment for hours. He longed to find his home, their home. He didn't know if she was there waiting for him, or went somewhere else outside, or to a class. All he wanted as he was walking the last steps leading to the door of the apartment, was to take her in his arms and kiss her until he lost his breath. He plunged the key into the lock and opened it, but no one could have foreseen what he was about to see behind the door.

'Hey, hun. God, I've miss-' He stopped talking, even stopped moving while he stood motionless on the landing of the door. She had just arrived, not to welcome him with open arms as he would have hoped, but dressed with her jacket on, ready to leave and her bag at her feet. The look on her face didn't announce anything good for the rest of the events.

'I'm leaving.' She let out, almost looking heartlessly.

'You what?'

'I just signed up for a mission in Australia. The plane took off in two hours.'

'Wait, wait.' He motioned with his hand to stop, a confused look on his face. 'When the hell did it happen?!' He raised his voice. She could feel he was getting mad, and she knew it was gonna turn out this way. Her throat tightened but she tried to keep her head cold.

'I'm sorry, Tom.'

'Well, not as much as me.' He told her with so much anger in his voice. 'You could have at least talk to me before taking a decision!'

'Wha- I don't have to talk to you first to take a decision about MY life! It's the turning point of my career. Tom, you know better than anyone else that you can't say no to this kind of mission!' She started yelling too, how couldn't he understand that?

'How long will you be away?' He asked calmer, but still mad.

'Ten months.' She admitted in a whisper. He nodded slowly, lowering his head and closing his eyes slowly before opening them two seconds later.

'Fine.' He simply said. She wanted to say something, breathed in and out, then opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. 'Go, you're gonna miss your plane.' His voice was cold and his eyes tinted of a shade of dark blue she had rarely seen.

She took her bag with her left hand and stepped forward. She stopped at Tom's feet, she would have wished to tell her how sorry she was, how much she had tried to be the one he wanted to marry, the one he wanted to start a family with; but deep down she knew she could never bring him what he would have needed in his life. She turned her head to look at him but his face didn't flinch, he was looking straight ahead; she could see the muscles in his jaw squeezing through his skin. She sadly lowered her head and then walked out the apartment, her eyes blurred by the tears she was fighting to hold back.

She had been in front of his house for several minutes now, hiding unconsciously behind the wheel of her car, thinking about the last time they had left each other. It wasn't that difficult to find where he lived, she just had to ask to the few people who were living in the neighborhood. Having the man who saved the world as your neighbor wasn't trivial.

She took a deep breath and finally got out of her car. The house was nice, a pickup was parked in the driveway on the right side of the house, an American flag was floating in the air attached to a stake from the window on the first floor and the grass seemed to be freshly cut. Last time she looked at the time, it had to be around 6 p.m. and the sun beginning to set in the distance gave a sumptuous effect to the house.

She walked down the aisle and climbed the three steps before reaching the front door. She cleared her throat and knocked three times. She waited, and waited, thinking about going back to her car when finally someone opened.

'Hello.'

Her heart stopped during a heartbeat, she expected everything but that. She was so caught off guard that she didn't know what to say anymore.

'Are you okay?' The woman gently asked her. She was slightly younger than her, slender and fine. Her hair was made of a gorgeous red and her face beaded with lights spots of redness, matching her green eyes emerald. Not to mention her bright smile (which could annoy Sasha already).

'Hi, I'm Sasha.' She abruptly told her, giving her a nervous twitching smile. 'Is Tom Chandler here?' She wondered for a moment if she hadn't mistaken the house after all.

'Yes, of course.' The woman turned around and tilted her head. 'Tom, there's someone at the door for you!' She yelled after him. She smiled at Sacha, as they both waited in silence.

He arrived a few seconds later, and the redhead let them some privacy as she went back into the house. When his eyes fall into hers, it felt like a tsunami had rushed through his body. He would have expected anyone, anybody else but her.

'Sasha.'

'Tom.'

'What are you doing here?' He had wished to sound less harsh, but he couldn't help it.

'May I come in?' Always avoiding the question by answering with another question, he thought.

He looked straight into her blue eyes, making her shivering. She hadn't felt this in a long time, four months to be exact…

He took a step on his right, letting her know he agreed. He inhaled – not on purpose, or maybe he did – as she walked past him, her scent invaded his nostrils and reminded him some old memories.

The interior was neat and without much decoration. The walls were painted in beige and moles colors, the entrance was directly on the living room and the kitchen was in the background separated by the living room with a counter.

'I'm making coffee, you want a cup?' He asked still in a cold tone.

'Yes, please.' She stepped hesitantly to the counter, put down her purse and sat down on one of the stools.

The other woman suddenly appeared in the room, her bag in hand.

'I'd better go home. The kids are playing upstairs, they've finished their homework.' She smiled at Tom.

'Thank you, Rebecca.' He slightly smiled in return.

'Have a good evening, Tom.' She then looked at Sasha. 'Nice meeting you.' And waved at them before heading outside.

They both waited in silence before she finally closed the door, but even after her departure none of them dared to speak. When the coffee was made, Tom turned around and put down a cup of coffee in front of Sasha.

'I'm sorry, I never wanted to come uninvited I just-'

'I bet you haven't driven three hundred miles just for a courtesy visit, am I wrong?'

'I wish you were, but no.' She sighed and looked down at her drink. He was waiting for her to keep talking, giving him more information about her being here.

'Why are you here, Sasha?' He asked her.

'We thought it was over, but it isn't.'

'What are you talking about?'

'The war with China, it only begins.' She paused. 'You're needed on the bridge again, Tom.' She spoke with a lower voice.

'I'm not coming back.' He said with a firm and strong voice, turning around to put down his cup in the sink.

'Please, Tom. This time it isn't just some bad guys dreaming about destroying the country again. It's worse than that, they want to destroy the whole world.' She paused. 'And they seem to have what it takes.'

'I promised to my kids that I was done with all of this. I can't leave them again!' He was getting angry. 'I'm not the man you need.'

'If it wasn't that serious I would have never come here asking you that into your house, with your kids upstairs, Tom.' She said with a serious tone.

His face was closed, his features drawn and his eyes furious. She knew he would hate her to come at his house, after several months apart to ask him to come back. It wasn't that she didn't respect his decision – quite the contrary – but the fate of the world was depending on it. Of course, Tom Chandler wasn't the invincible man nor a superhero – none of them were – but he had been able to prove repeatedly how good he was at leading an entire ship and making decisions. She was waiting for any answers, but the silence he was offering her gave her enough hints to understand that she wasn't welcomed anymore.

'I-I'm sorry I should've never come here in the first place, I better leave.' She said standing up from the seat, she took her purse and walked to the front door without looking back.

She really hoped deep down, until the last step laid outside that he would hold her back. Despite all her efforts to keep the thoughts away, it tasted like an old bad memories. When she slammed the door behind her, she had to hold back the few tears coming to her eyes. She would have wished their reunion happen differently, or that all of this never happened.

She pressed the keys and unlocked the car. She opened the passenger door and threw her bag carelessly on the seat before going around the front of the vehicle to get into the driver's seat. She opened the door and was about to seat when she heard a noise from behind.

'Sasha, wait!' Tom raised his voice loud enough for her to hear it. She turned around and saw him walking towards her, his hands in his pockets jeans.

'I'm not saying yes, but maybe you could explain me what the hell is going on out there?' He tried with a slight smile that she returned to him. She slightly rolled her eyes before taking back her purse and closing the door.

'I was about to make diner when you knocked on my door.. you like pasta?' He asked naturally as they walked back to the house, standing next to each other.

TBC…