A/N: I apologize for the delay in this chapter, I found that I had a bad case of writers block. I really want to do this story justice! Well here is the next chapter of my drama, enjoy. As always leave me a note!

Disclaimer:I don't own any original characters, however the characterizations and plotline in this story are all mine.

For two weeks Christina stopped at Erik's house after her run, and for two weeks Stephan had to tell her that Mr. Montgomery was indisposed at the moment. By the last day, the old man saw a look of defeat in her emerald green depths. Perhaps her slip of the tongue had cost her his friendship after all. With a dejected sigh she gave a weary smile to the kind looking older man and turned to leave. She was stayed by a hand on her arm.

She looked over her shoulder to see Erik's business partner, Nadir watching her.

"Ms. Davies? If I may have a word?"

Eager to get her foot in the door, as it were, she nodded and followed him to a study on the second floor. He ushered her inside and closed the door, gesturing for her to sit in one of the plush chairs across from his desk.

"Ms. Davies," he began but was interrupted by Christina, "Please, call me Christina."

"Christina, I don't know what transpired between you and Erik, and frankly I don't want to know. That's between you and he. I know he is a horribly stubborn man, but given enough time, he will come around." He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Thank you Nadir, I just wish I knew what I did to make him so upset."

"He's said little about it to me."

She sank back in her chair, defeated. She figured if this man was to help her at all he deserved to know the story.

"It's no secret that Erik had been very kind to me. When I learned of my fiancé's death, I didn't know where to turn or what to do, so I escaped to the only refuge I could think of, my military training." She smiled wryly at the understatement. "But the entire time I was in Virginia, I thought of Erik constantly. In spite of all the pain I felt, I had seen even more in his eyes." She blushed, casting her eyes at her lap. "I did some…snooping on the internet and found articles about the fire and his wife and daughter."

She looked up at Nadir and noticed that the color had drained away from his cheeks. "Ah, well that may explain it"

Christina shook her head.

"I didn't say anything to him about it, I'm not completely insensitive!" she frowned "But I did make the mistake of remarking on the fact that had once been a civilian contractor for the military. As soon as I said that, he closed himself off from me!" She was nearly shouting, the anger giving her cheeks bright spots of color and her eyes were ablaze.

Nadir could see why Erik was so taken with her. "He despises any mention of his past; he's spent many years trying to burying it in his soul. I beg of you not to mention it again"

At that comment, she scowled at him.

"I'm not an idiot! I know that if I ever want him to trust me he needs to come to me on his own. It just slipped out"

Nadir studied her for a moment, trying to decide if she had any malicious intent. When he saw nothing but kindness in her eyes he knew she wouldn't hurt his broken friend.

"Why are you so desperate for him to trust you? To be friends with him?"

She blushed a crimson red.

"I'm not really sure, to be perfectly honest with you." She frowned as she thought about how to word her answer "He seems so sad, so tragic and I can relate to how he feels. I know all too well how quickly your life can be torn away from you. It's been over a year since my fiancé was killed in Afghanistan, and I've accepted his death, but that doesn't mean that I've recovered from the loss and shock." She passed a distracted hand over her forehead. "He's one of the only people I know who has an understanding of my pain," she said softly.

"Surely you have friends in the Army who have lost friends in the course of the war?" he prodded.

"Of course I do!" she retorted. "Everyone knows someone who's lost a loved one in this war!" She paused, attempting to calm her temper. "But no one else can feel my pain like Erik can. There is something about a tragedy shared harsh laugh that was devoid of mirth. "I didn't even have a connection like this to Rodney."

She got up and started pacing and Nadir had to resist the urge to laugh…how similar she was to Erik!

"I've not felt this compassion towards anyone else. I feel like he needs me, Nadir," she said after a few moments, looking at him.

"What does he need from you?" the dark skinned man asked softly.

"Friendship, companionship Lo-"she paused "Love"

"You will give him all those things?"

"No, I can't give him love." She gave him a bitter smile "I don't think I can love anyone anymore." She took a deep breath. "But I can be his friend and companion. I can show him there is more to life than these walls and that it's safe to trust someone."

Nadir felt a deep sadness for the young woman before him as she so confidently told him she couldn't love anyone. So young to be so sad!

"Be patient with him; he's been through more in his 35 years on earth than most people would endure in several lifetimes."

Christina sat back down, her face suddenly serious. "Nadir, what," she paused, unsure if she should continue. There was a look of warning behind Nadir's warm dark eyes. "What happened to his wife and daughter?"

"You said yourself, you read an article," he responded tensely.

"I know but I think you know more than you are telling me…" she prodded softly.

Nadir closed his eyes, not wanting to revisit those memories that still haunted his dreams. He'd known Alexis well, and was Madeline's godfather. It had devastated him to have to gather their remains and see to their funerals. It was even harder to not tell Erik, though he knew it was a small mercy at the time.

"I can't tell you." She started to protest, but was silenced by his sharp glance. "It was a tragedy, in every sense of the word. There is no point in stirring up old ghosts. Such a beautiful woman shouldn't have such grisly images in her mind," he ended softly, his eyes turning to his desktop.

"All right, I understand, and I promise you I won't ask again."

He could only nod, standing and moving from behind his desk. "Don't give up on him; he's been so far away from society for so long that he doesn't understand how to interact with people sometimes.

Christina nodded "I think I get it. Thank you, Nadir."

He patted her shoulder as a grandfather would. "You're a good girl, Christina. You'll be good for him." 'And he for you,' he thought to himself.

He showed her out of the house, inviting her to return for dinner the next night. She gave him a wary look; he laughed and told her to let him worry about Erik's wrath.

The next day went by rather slowly for Christina, so slowly that she was sure the clock in her classroom had stopped working. Since she'd returned home from her training, she'd put her teaching degree to use and found employment at one of the local elementary schools. Finally the school day ended. She was happy to see her students leave so she could rush home and prepare for dinner at Erik's home.

She knew he would be furious, of that she had no doubt. She only hoped he would listen to her. She dressed carefully not wanting to give anyone the wrong idea about her intentions towards him. She wanted his friendship and nothing more. So she figured she'd be safe in a pair of khakis and a teal blouse…it was more something she'd wear to a job interview, but at least it wasn't her work out clothes.

She arrived at his home promptly at five o'clock, Stephan grinned at her as he showed her to the dining room. She could hear Erik raging as they approached the door.

"You invited a stranger to my home for dinner! Have you gone mad!" he roared.

"It's not a stranger, but a business associate. I thought it would do you some good to start getting more personal with some of our accounts," Nadir replied calmly, apparently unmoved by Erik's temper.

"But to my house, my sanctuary! The only respite I have from this god-forsaken society and their staring and pity!" Erik was still yelling, though he appeared to have had some of the wind knocked out of his sails by Nadir's calm attitude.

"You'll live," Nadir responded.

"Very well." She smiled when she heard Erik's resigned mumble.

She held herself up tall and proud as she entered the room, and Stephan announced her as though she were royalty. "Ms. Christina Davies."

Nadir approached her to help her to her seat while Erik's eyes changed to a cold, stony gold/green.

"I find that I've lost my appetite," he said, before rising to his feet.

Christina half rose from her chair, as she looked helplessly at Nadir, unsure what to do, but he stepped in before she could say anything.

"Erik! You will sit down and enjoy supper with us like the civilized, charming man I know you to be! You're showing our guest horrible manners!"

She was surprised when instead of bellowing at Nadir; Erik sulkily threw himself back into his chair, not looking at Christina. She glanced at Nadir nervously; he nodded and gestured for her to sit as well. As she suspected he would, Erik remained silent throughout the various courses, glaring at Nadir and refusing to look at Christina. Finally she could take no more. Not one to sit back and suffer such injustice or disdain from anyone, she pushed her dessert plate aside and looked directly at Erik in challenge.

"Why do you ignore me? I thought you enjoyed my company!"

Erik stiffened in his chair when he heard her address him, what answer could he give?

"I do enjoy your company," he said after a moment of tense silence. Nadir silently crept out of the room, leaving the two hardheaded individuals to their battle of wills.

"Erik, please look at me," she pleaded.

It had been so long since he'd heard his name roll off her lips; it was like the sweetest music he'd ever heard. He lifted his eyes to hers, and was more than surprised at the tenderness and concern he saw in them.

"Erik I didn't mean to make you angry before, and I promise I'll not bring up the past again, if that's what you wish."

A tense nod was the only indication he heard her, she sat back for a moment trying to think of any way to get him to open up to her.

She figured honesty was the best way to go in this situation. Maybe if she told him how much she'd missed him and his friendship the past year, his chilly demeanor would thaw?

"I missed you Erik, while I was away. Sometimes I felt like no one understood me."

Erik allowed his lips to form a weak smile, but he said nothing. He could never admit to her how much he'd missed HER. How often he'd watched at his window, hoping for just a glimpse of her. He looked back to his own dessert plate, but pushed it away. He'd lost his appetite.

The man was infuriating! She was trying to get him to relax around her, and all she'd accomplished was making him more tight lipped! She wanted to scream! If sincerity wouldn't break through his reserve, maybe her anger would!

"Alright Erik," she said irritably, "I apologized for dredging up old ghosts; Lord knows we both have enough of them. I don't want to fight, or make you miserable. I want us to be friends' I need someone I can talk to and I think you need someone you can confide in. But I'm not going to be the one making all the compromises and walking on egg shells around you. I'm no good at it, and I'd most likely mess it up." She stood up, her hands fisted tightly at her sides. "But I won't beg for your attention or friendship. I have no ulterior motives nor am I a dishonest person. It's your choice now, you know where I live and you have my phone number."

With that said, she turned and stalked out of the dining room. Erik had not been prepared for her temper! He could only watch in awe as she left the room, her anger clearly written on her lovely face. A pang of guilt nagged at his mind. She'd done nothing but offer him friendship, and he'd responded with coldness and anger.

Would he forever be messing things up?

For a year, all he wanted was for her to return to his life, bring him the light he so desperately wanted. And as soon as she spoke of his past life he turned himself off to her completely. He knew if his wife had been alive she would be appalled at his treatment of his little soldier. He would make it up to her…he had to. He needed her like he needed air or music.

The next day Erik knew he had to make amends, something he'd never been particularly successful at.

Approaching her front door, his hands shaking and his heart pounding in his chest, he raised a trembling hand and knocked. For a moment, he thought she wouldn't answer the door, but that idea was dispelled when the front door was flung open and a triumphant Christina appeared in front of him.

"I'm surprised you came by so soon. I thought for sure you'd sit in your mansion and brood for at least a week!" she teased.

She stepped aside and gestured grandly, silently inviting him into her townhouse. Erik stepped inside, looking around nervously while he did. Christina laughed.

"I promise there's no one here who will jump out of the closet and murder you!" Her eyes twinkled in amusement. "I made sure I killed them all before you arrived!"

Erik chuckled at his foolishness, and at her calling him out on it.

"Touché," he murmured.

She led him to her dining room and set about pouring tea, not asking if he wanted any. As they waited for the tea to cool, Christina finally started to try to chisel away at the walls he'd constructed around himself.

"What is it that you do exactly, Erik?" she asked, as she stirred sugar into her tea.

"I'm an engineer; I work for Amber Petroleum Corporation designing dispensing systems and better purification systems."

"Cool! That's kind of up my alley, well in the Army, anyway."

Erik quirked a curious eyebrow before she continued, "I'm a Petroleum Supply Specialist."

"Interesting, I've worked with many Fuel Handlers in my past dealings with the Army."

As soon as he said, that he wished he hadn't. He'd made it perfectly clear that his past was strictly off limits. Now that he'd opened the door, he knew she would find her way through into his tragic past.

"Neat!" she said, taking a sip of her tea. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask, but knew Erik wasn't ready to answer them.

After an hour of idle chitchat, Erik excused himself and returned to his home. Upon his return, he received a very interesting phone call.

"Erik! How the hell are you?!" a booming voice asked.

Erik would know that voice anywhere; even though he hadn't heard from his former supervisor from the Pentagon in a while, he was glad to hear the cheerful voice on the other end of the phone.

"About the same as always Derek, and how about you?"

"Terrible! Which is why I called you." There was a pause. "I am again in need of your expertise, Erik. The Army wants to replace their current fuel dispensing system with something that is more cost efficient and requires less personnel." Derek paused, and when he heard no protests he continued, "I want you to head a team that will go to Afghanistan and work with a petroleum unit; use them as guinea pigs, if you will. You're the best, and that's what I need right now."

Erik rubbed the bridge of his nose; perhaps this was just what he needed. Get away from the monotony of his work here and away from Christina…maybe then he could try to figure out his feelings for her. On an impulse, he decided to take the offer.

"I'll do it! When would you need me to be ready to leave?"

"Great! You and your team will leave here on June 6th; you'll land outside of Kabul. There is a FOB set up there; you'll work out of there."

"Lovely," Erik muttered.

Derek laughed, "Well as far as Forward Operating Bases go, this one is damned cushy! It's in an old stone compound, it doesn't look like much but the rooms we've secured for you are fairly nice."

Erik snorted, "You and I have very different opinions on what is 'nice' and 'cushy', Derek!"

Laughter rang out. "Indeed, it's only for nine months, Erik. I'm sure you'll survive. You've lived in worse places than this for a lot longer!"

"True," Erik sighed, "Very well, I will be ready. I assume I can build my own team?"

"You know the drill. Have their resumes and background checks faxed to my office."

"Of course. Thank you Derek."

"No, it is I who should thank you. When you return, I'll take you to dinner to repay you for this favor."

"My choice of restaurant? It's a deal!"

They ended the call and Erik bellowed for Nadir, who came running.

"We're going to Afghanistan," was all Erik said.