AN: Sorry this is kinda short, guys. I know where I want the story to go next, but I'm having a hard tie getting there. Enjoy this, tho! -LB
As soon as the tent flap closed behind now-Staff Sergeant Quin, Sara collapsed on her new bunk. She couldn't help but think about how Tegan's body had been in the same place hers was laying now. She rolled onto her stomach and took a deep breath. She could smell Tegan on the pillow she had left there. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the last time she had smelled Tegan. Holding her and crying into her neck. Breathing in the musky scent of her hot skin between sobs.
She had fixed this. She had let Tegan go. She had moved on. Or so she thought. Now… now that she had seen Tegan again all her former strength had melted. As soon as she had been the clear brown eyes waiting for her at the edge of the chopper pad, the seams that she had used to stitch her broken heart up with began to loosen.
Sara rolled over and sat up. She had to break the spell Tegan had put her under. She started to unpack the few things she had brought with her. She put her uniforms in the chest at the end of the bunk. She really didn't have many personal effects to put in the tent, so she decided to go through the papers sitting on the folding desk opposite the door flap. She tried to loose herself in busywork, but her mind was preoccupied with Tegan.
She wasn't surprised to find that Tegan was the staff sergeant that had been left in charge of camp. Sara had always known that Tegan would do excellently in the Army. She wasn't surprised that it only took her seven years to get to where she was now. She liked to think that maybe the way she had pushed Tegan the first day of boot camp had been the jumpstart of Tegan's military career.
She liked to think that maybe Tegan had been as surprised, and silently elated, to see her as she was to see Tegan. She wondered if Tegan had cried herself to sleep thinking of her. Had she been heartbroken too? Or had she moved on without much thought of Sara?
There was only one thought running through Sara's mind as she slipped off her uniform to get a few hours' sleep before that camp woke: How the hell am I going to get through this?
The week that followed was the most awkward of both Tegan and Sara's lives. Tegan had to spend most of her time with Sara to show her the ropes of running camp. Every unit did things a little bit differently, and Sara didn't want to come in a throw everything they had been doing to the wind and do her own thing. So Tegan had to help her.
And that wasn't easy for either of them. There were a couple late nights of going through stacks of papers, anything from supply orders to commands from other generals. There were days of Tegan lead drills and inspections so Sara could watch how they did it.
But by the end of the week, Sara had gotten the hang of things. Unfortunately, she didn't want to have to leave Sara's side. She knew it was inevitable, that she'd be back in the ranks soon. But she didn't want it to happen. And frankly, neither did Sara.
That Friday night, exactly a week since Sara had joined the camp, Sara called Tegan to her tent.
Tegan stopped just inside the door and saluted. Sara return the salute, and Tegan dropped her arm and stood at attention.
"At ease, Sergeant," Sara said softly. Her slight lisp had started up again, and Tegan had learned that it was a sign of her nervousness. Tegan relaxed and let out a breath. She tried to hide her the slight tremor in her hands by clasping them behind her back. She hadn't talked to Sara as anything less than a superior since she'd arrived, and never about anything except the business of the camp.
"I have an offer for you, Quin," Sara said, catching Tegan's attention again.
"Sir?" Tegan was surprised, and admittedly hopeful. What could Sara possibly want from her?
"I'd like you to serve as my right-hand officer." She paused and turned to face Tegan. "I need someone to help me run the camp, and you already have experience. I've already cleared it with the powers that be. They think you would be perfect for the job."
Tegan let out a breath. She couldn't hold in the smirk that played at the corners of her mouth. She was ecstatic. Sara wanted her to work directly with her. Every day. Tegan couldn't help but hope it was because Sara yearned for her company the same way Tegan hated being away from her.
"Yes, sir. I'd love to, sir," she said. She tried not to sound too happy, but from Sara's smile she was sure Sara could tell.
"Good. You'll start in the morning. Report her to my tent first thing in the morning." Sara saluted, signaling Tegan's dismissal. Tegan returned the salute and turned on her heel, heading back to her own bunk. She couldn't keep the broad grin from her face any longer. She had to forced herself not to jump for joy at the thought of being able to spend every day with Sara.