[ I'm caught up on all my chapters and it will be nice to finish this one off on the weekend. It frees me up for drawing and idea storming and I already have a million more. Read on! ]

It was a fine day if anyone were to ask Damon Baird but he certainly didn't need or want them too. It was hard to keep a shit eating grin off his face anyway, which would have drawn the most attention aside from his general good mood and all around swagger were anyone to see him. Probably the biggest perk of his jobs was the alone time though, so he was celebrating in secret. Cole hadn't asked him at all, he already knew and they were grown men. They were above gossip right? For now he tried to put aside all of those thoughts and get to work which was fairly easy for the mechanic, being able to compartmentalize and all. He finished what he would proudly call an acceptable amount of work just slightly above schedule when all was said and done. Of course he could have worked for days cracking the mysteries Azura had waiting but they'd be there later. He wanted to see her again and maybe talk instead of just fuck, which by all means he wouldn't be opposed to were it his only option. Hell Baird didn't even know what he wanted to say, which made him think he might want to take some time to rehearse or some shit. Shit. So, if he got this disc he'd copied over early to Stroud now, which contained the entire glyph system, new passwords, logins and overrides for most of Azura's maintenance systems, water included, (you're welcome) he would have time to actually figure out what to say to Sam. Making his way out from one of the many branching corridors Damon saw Marcus, but no Stroud. He cut in front of whomever Fenix had been talking to not bothering for a 'pardon me' or 'get lost.'

"Hey, where's your girlfriend?" He asked.

Marcus was moments away from giving him that go-to steely eyed glare along with choice words. Instead, for some reason he almost chuckled, "Last I saw she was running off with yours actually, Baird."

That shut the little blonde runt up Marcus mused to himself. Of course it never lasted, but this time instead of coming up with a smart ass remark Baird just seemed more interested than before. He cocked his head to the side and quickly tried to assure that was NOT the impression that would be gotten, though it was already too late. Baird started to ask, "Oh yeah? Where?"

With a nubby thumb Fenix pointed down the southern wing which seemed to be mostly medical and lab rooms as far as he could tell. He had barely been able to keep Anya out of there with the injured but when he asked, she'd had no problem coming to his aid. She never did, for anyone. Feeling what he would never describe as a bit of lonleyness without that blonde he hadn't noticed Baird take off. The soldier he cut in front of was still standing there, albeit far more timidly and raised a hand now for his turn.

Hey Sam, can we talk? No. Hey Samantha, you want to grab a drink when you're done? No, that was stupid too. Frustrated, he ran a hand back through his hair and decided to say fuck it. It wouldn't matter, he knew once he was there in front of her any rehearsed words would surely be forgotten. He would just have to keep winging it which seemed to be working out surprisingly well so far. It would all come crashing down on Sam and him soon enough but for now he was still riding on that initial euphoric high. This particular hall of the building was still under heavy use he was forced to note as he walked farther down it than he would have thought he had to, struggling the whole way like a fish upstream and wondered if he'd just missed his target by chance in all this commotion. Then he heard her laugh from several feet ahead, that sound never again lost in a crowd to him. So he pressed on and glanced through the slightly opened door the two women stood behind, oblivious to him. He should have known better to eavesdrop but leaned against the door to hear a bit better, his ears already burning and ego ready to be stroked.

"What do you really expect Anya? Baird and I aren't going to walk off hand and hand into the sunset in love just because we had sex. They're two different things, which I am able to separate. And just because it was good sex doesn't mean I'd want to date him any more than I did before, he's a child."

Anya response was silence, not denial. Baird started to grind his teeth. It was what Sam always told him, you're a child, and he hated it. It was because it was what his mother had always said to him too. He could remember the moment he told his parents he wanted to be an engineer and the sneer on Jocelin Baird's face. You're joining the COG Damon, we already discussed this. Don't be such a child, I thought I raised you better.. Funny how those warm fuzzy feelings had quickly turned acrid and started to eat him from the inside now, wasn't it? His pride had been dashed. It made him upset, angry even. Irrationally so. He decided to himself as he pushed off the door and started back the way he came that if that was how she wanted it then fine. He wasn't sure just what this retribution would be yet, but he never had a hard time thinking up a way to ruin things.

Sam placed the two shot glasses in front of Clayton and proceeded to fill them generously with some wonderfully aged rum Dizzy had found in this God damn paradise. There was no reason they shouldn't enjoy the fruits of it for now they had convinced themselves and as the day wound down with the sun the majority of Delta Squad and some others had wrangled up tables, chairs, empty crates and whatever else they needed to occupy one of Azura's many balconies. Someone brought a pair of cards and at one table a game of Black Jack had started, Cole had located fucking steak and was charring it thoroughly on the engine of a generator they had hooked up to a set of lights and the rest of them were just drinking. Sam stood next to Carmine, who sat next to Jace who was left of Anya and then finally to hers was Dizzy completing the circle. They had invented this drinking game and already abandoned most of the rules, simply passing around the bottle and finding things for the person to the left of them to drink to. Carmine looked to be a bit intimidated by his friend's offer but she leaned over and threw her arms around his shoulder.

"C'mon now Clay, don't look so scared! I'll help you if you want," Sam picked up one of the shot glasses and clanked it against the other. "To Ben and Anthony. To all our brothers."

He could drink to that and tossed back the liquor, feeling it warmly creeping down into his belly and making his head a little fuzzy. Taking back her seat, Sam passed the bottle along to Clayton and burped without apologizing for herself. Jace was up next and seemed ready for whatever challenge that his buddy was still thinking of. He set up two shot glasses in front of Jace now who remained unmoved.

"To the ladies of Delta Squad. You put us all to shame," Carmine said rather sweetly which caused both Anya and Sam to smile and raise their glasses.

"Oh I can drink to that, but I think you're missing a glass up there. You're forgetting one for yourself," taunted Jace.

Carmine didn't take anything personally and slid a third shot up there. "By all means Stratton if you think you're man enough."

"Oooooh," Anya laughed.

"Pssshh, I don't need anyone to help me here sister." Jace said, confident of this.

"This coming from a man who lost his virginity like six months ago to some crazy GBL broad." Clayton teased.

Sam wasn't the only one who raised a curious eyebrow, but the first to speak. She asked curiously, "WHO? What? When was this?"

"Nothing, Carmine's full of shit as usual. Besides Sam it's not like we haven't heard what you've been up to."

Her stomach and cheerful demeanor dropped and it cut through the table's brevity like a cold breeze. Jace couldn't have tried to stuff the words back into his mouth any faster and by the way the color left Carmine's face Sam knew he was even less innocent. She looked to Anya who seemed just as bewildered but not to Dizzy, too shamed already for that. After swallowing that bitter pill Sam put on her best stoic demeanor and set down her drink.

"Who told you that?" She asked both men, remaining calm.

"I don't know, uh-some grunt?" Carmine stuttered, and grimaced sympathetically. "Listen, Sam I didn't know-"

"Some grunt?" Her tone raised, as did she from her chair. Anya did the same across the table. "Hold my seat gentlemen, I'll be right back."

Okay, this wasn't a big deal right? The voice in her head asked and Sam failed to think of a positive answer. Maybe Baird had innocently gotten in over his head, bragging or something and was hiding in shame with his tail between his legs in a puddle of piss. That would be the only acceptable outcome in which she might be a forgiving soul. With this information in her head it was hard not to feel like every set of eyes was on her as she walked across the deck and over to Augustus. He was slapping a juicy rib-eye down onto a platter. It made her mouth water, but was passed over and she put a hand on his arm to grab his attention.

"Hey Cole, you seen Blondie?" She asked as nonchalantly as possible.

"Yeah uh, just inside. Talkin' to some mechanic from Sigma or something." It seemed to work as he nodded his head in the right direction and immediately returned to his meats.

She had tried to ignore the fact Anya had followed her and continued to do so, which the Lieutenant seemed fine with for now. It was actually nice to have a little back up supposed Sam as she stepped back inside Azura and scouted about for that blonde grease monkey. He was never difficult to lose luckily, as he was usually pissing someone off rather loudly. Now he sat on a crate, next to another COG sneering and snorting about something. Baird noticed her but pretended not to until she was standing right at his feet. Only then did he look up and his expression wasn't that warm one she'd last seen as he kissed her cheek and told her he'd see her later before leaving the medical room. He looked resentful.

"Can we talk?" Sam asked, trying to keep composure.

"Well I kind of already was. It's a little rude of you to interrupt Byrne," Baird stated flatly.

The COG next to him gave her a second look when Baird mentioned her name and Sam knew he knew too. She spit, "Are you serious Damon? Was it so good you had to go tell everyone?"

"You seemed to think so."

That second ton of bricks for the night dropped on her and she could feel Anya's hand making an attempt to take her by the elbow. Sam shrugged it off and stooped into Baird's face. "You fucking child, and here I thought you might have had a redeeming quality about you underneath all that self-stroking bullshit you call a personality."

"It was sex Sam, don't lose your head over it. Just cause I made you cum doesn't mean I want to make you my wife." He countered with zero sympathy.

*PAAAH-P!*

She'd never slapped someone so hard in her life. It was only after when her hand lit up on fire she released she'd done it anyway and damn near knocked Baird off his chair. His cheek had an immediate imprint left to remind him. Anya was grabbing her again, much harder and pulled her back. Several people around had taken notice, so much for keeping composure she was pissed. Baird touched his lip which she'd broken open and wiped the blood away with a thumb. Sam was walking backwards from his slowly, aided by her Lieutenant who kept pulling her towards the door until she gave in and stormed out of her own volition. He didn't feel the least bit good about what he'd done now, but it was done and that was all that mattered. With a shrug he looked back to the Sigma Squad member at his side and shrugged as if this was just an every day thing. What Baird failed to realize what just how many people knew now, how many would still find out and how some of them were going to react.

[ What? Baird must just be the world's biggest asshole right? ;) I'm taking a week off from this with Thanksgiving coming up and all so leave me lots of love to come back to! Do you guys think Sam will forgive him anyway? Let me know if you would. ]