-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They had gone on the first patrol through the deserted colony, and within only 2 hours, all they brought back was a little blonde girl called Rebecca. Frost had picked up her signal and they found her crawling under the decks. The Marines headed back to the central command center in the center of the colony. They had just settled in for the night as Lt. Gorman was drilling the frightened girl about the events that happened.

"Gorman, give it a rest."

Vasquez heard Ripley say to the annoying weasel Lieutenant. Vasquez was in the back, taking off her gear next to Weirzbowski.

"Even if the little girl could talk, would she say it for that prick of an Officer?"

She asked Weirzbowski. He wasn't even paying attention to what they were doing with the little girl.

"I'm going to take a nap, so I don't really care." He said sarcastically.

"What's made you all crab assed?" Vasquez scrunched her brow and watched him leave for a corner of the facility room. He waved her off with his hand.

On a small table at another corner, she saw Sergeant Apone and Corporal Hicks going over the post evaluation of their first raid. As she neared, she picked up their conversation.

"I think it was some sort of biological acid. It certainly didn't smell like some sort of man made chemical. That stuff was bile, I'll tell ya." Hicks remarked to Apone who nodded in agreement as he smoked on his thick cigar. Vasquez approached the two men.

"Hey, got any spare cigars?"

"I thought you didn't smoke 'em, Vasquez." Apone declared, glaring at her. It didn't seem like he wanted to depart with even one.

"Yeah well, there have been a lot of new things lately, so hand one over sarg."

Apone held out his hand, a suggestion that she give him something in return. She pulled out her last wad of cash she always stored to use on after-mission poker game celebrations. She laid it in his thick hand. Somthing told her she wouldn't be needing it on this one...

Apone tipped his head sideways, gave a smart ass smirk and reached in his jacket. He pulled out one rich brown cigar, already pre-cut and ready to light. Vasquez reached out to retrieve it and then Hicks asked her a question.

"What do you think about this mission, Vasquez?"

"Me? You want my opinion?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I find it f-cked up beyond hope."

Hicks gave a scoff and nodded. Apone laughed and nodded as well as he crossed his arms.

"Get some sleep, Vasquez."

"Sure, sir."

Drake had been lounging in an office chair when Vasquez came walking over. He had laid their mats out under an office desk, but they weren't that inviting really, Vasquez sighed and tucked away her new cigar. Most of their comfortable stuff was still on the Sulaco.

"Hey Vasquez."

Drake greeted with disinterest. He still had a half eaten MRE on the table that was soggy from a leak in the ceiling. Vasquez pulled off her boots and plopped straight down on the mat. They hadn't said anything that had happened back on the last mission but they both knew things were going to be a bit different-despite the fasade they played up.

"I've been doing this for 4 years now, and I still can't stand these fuckin' mats." She said as she laid down uneasy like. She noticed that Drake had barely eaten and it made her somewhat interested.

"What?" Drake put up his hands.

"Huh? Oh, nothing." She shook her head.

"Well, there's gotta be something."

"I was just thinking…."

"Ouch, are you going to be okay?"

"Go to hell, Drake."

"Okay, sorry, what were you thinking?" He picked at the MRE a little with his hand.

"This whole damned mission. It doesn't feel like the others, you know? I feel like something different might happen but I'm not sure what. For the first time ever, I feel nervous and...scared a little."

"Holy hell, Vas, you can't get this way, we got a job to do."

"I know Drake, just shut up... I'm really not up to your shit right now."

And he did shut up. Drake knew better than to rile her up. After a few minutes of silence, Vasquez piped up again.

"Will you please eat that? Your driving me crazy with you picking at it."

He didn't say anything in response. In fact, he had grown silent more than usual.

"Hey...Vas?"

"Yeah?"

"I just want you to know, you...if this mission goes well than, there's something I need to let you know."

Vasquez scratched her head, her face growing warm again everytime Drake said stuff like this. She cared for him a lot but she never would think they'd have that 'feelings' talk at all. She tried to avoid it almost as much as him. This mission definitly will change both of them for sure, no matter what happened.