So here's Chapter 5... hope you enjoy :) Oh and guess what like i promised you it's longer than the last one !

Elizabeth was awoken by Jim at 0200 hours meaning she had only been asleep for 3hrs and a half. He'd stormed into the private sleeping area calling her name.

"Elizabeth?" He shouted "Taylor tried to get out of bed and he fell. He hit his head and I think he might need stitches. The entire Colony has power now so you should be able to use your regular equipment to sort him out."

"That insufferable man. All he had to do was stay in bed for another 2 hours or so. Why did he even attempt to get out of bed?" Elizabeth asked wiping her eyes and massaging her temples.

"I think he said he wanted to go find Alicia. Before I could get to his bedside he'd already fallen flat on his face. He must have caught his head on the bedside table, as now he has a gash on his forehead. It looks pretty deep, one of the nurses were hemming the bleeding when I left but he seems pretty agitated, you might want to give him something to help him calm down." With that they both headed to the Commanders bed where true to Jim's words he was being extremely difficult to deal with. The nurse was trying to put pressure on his gash and he kept swatting her hand away.

"Okay I'll take it from here." Elizabeth stated motioning for the nurse to leave. During the switch-over Taylor again attempted to leave the bed only for Elizabeth to place a firm hand on his shoulder pressing him back down. "Oh no you don't" She said.

"I need to … I need to go find Wash." Taylor said struggling to form his words properly.

"I think you may be slightly concussed Commander. Just let me give you something for the pain, stitch your head injury up and then we'll talk about the Lieutenant. I assure you she's fine." At her words Nathaniel relaxed slightly but only slightly, she and Jim could tell by his glare that he was not happy to be stuck in bed, they both knew where he preferred to be.

After Elizabeth had finished stitching the Commander's wound she placed a chair next to his bed and sat down, Jim stood behind her both hands on the back of the chair.

"Looks like I'm going to be interrogated." Taylor stated.

"We're just worried about you Sir" said Jim.

"I'm not the one you should be worrying about. How is she?" He asked with a hint of nervousness.

"She's stable, I haven't had chance to go see her yet as I was awoken to treat you." Elizabeth said not too harshly but with the statement that she wasn't very happy with his carelessness and disregard of his well being and of course of waking her up. "I'm sure she'll be awake in the next few hours maybe less if we're lucky. We're going to have to keep an eye of her wound, it was extremely severe and is going to take a while to heal. Listen..." She paused but after a few seconds continued "I don't think you should keep your feelings and emotions bottled up. It's not healthy." A sad expression had taken it's place on her face. Jim's eyes shifted nervously clearly not expecting what his wife had just said.

"What do you mean Doc?" Taylor asked firmly glaring directly at her.

"Don't give me that look Commander and don't play silly beggars. You know what I'm talking about and I'm not going to check on Alicia until you talk to me." She was persistent Nathaniel thought to himself but the people in this room were people he would trust with his life and he trusted them to keep his secret. His glare softened and his eyes darted to his hand where Elizabeth had placed hers on top of his.

"We have history you know, so much history. We've been together for so long and in that time my feelings for her have gotten stronger and stronger. I can't control it, it's not good for the Colony and it's not good for her." He paused then continued. "She deserves everything I can't give her, children, marriage, someone who'll put her before the Colony."

"Commander have you even asked her what she wants?" Jim asked suddenly, before he knew it the words were out of his mouth, his wife always said that he couldn't hold his tongue. Taylor glanced up to Jim eyes clearly tearing up.

"I haven't but I know she wants those things. If I ask her I know she'd say she'd give all that up. I'm not prepared to make her miserable for the rest of her life."

"Now Commander, stop all of this self pitying right this instant!" Elizabeth said rising quickly from the chair, if Jim hadn't shot back she would have definitely head-butted him. "Alicia has the right to make that decision for herself, if those are the things she wants then I'm sure she'll make the decision that she has to, but until then you both need to talk." Before Taylor could reply one of the nurses knocked on the door. Elizabeth signalled her in and asked her what the problem was.

"It's Lieutenant Washington doctor." The nurse stated. The nurse saw the doctors worried expression so quickly added "She's awake."

Entering the private area in which Alicia had been situated both Elizabeth and Jim took a deep breath to compose themselves before slipping through the door. Alicia lay on the bed shielding her eyes from the bright light that was above her.

"Nurse could you dim that light please." Elizabeth said pointing to the light. The nurse did so and then exited the room leaving only Alicia, Jim and Elizabeth.

"How are you feeling Alicia?" Elizabeth asked softly before approaching the console next to the bed and tapped a few buttons.

"I feel like all my insides have been taken out and replaced with sharp objects." Her voice was rough and deep which was understandable as she'd been unconscious for about a day or so.

"I've given you some pain relief so hopefully that feeling will pass over pretty soon." Elizabeth said "We thought you'd be out for another couple of hourse, but apparently not" she continued with a small chuckle.

"She's a fighter." Jim stated.

"I sure as hell am. Hope you shot that god damn Slasher for me." Alicia said attempting to sit up.

"You shouldn't be moving just yet, we don't want that wound getting infected or reopening." Elizabeth said pushing Alicia back down gently. "Do you remember what happened." Elizabeth asked concerned. Alicia looked over to Jim.

"What happened?" She asked confused.

"It wasn't a Slayer that attacked you Alicia. Your rover flipped over, Reynolds was with you." Jim said.

"Is he okay?" She replied quickly.

"Yeah he's fine. Just a couple of cuts and bruises. Do you remember what caused your rover to flip?"

"I..." she paused trying to think back. Everything was a blur, a cloud that was withholding vital information in her own memory. "Why can't I remember?" She asked addressing Elizabeth.

"It's common when someone's been involved in a traumatic event. It may come back to you slowly and hopefully that's the case. Why don't you get some rest before your eager secret admirer comes to visit." With this Wash frowned. "Commander Taylor has been very persistent in trying to visit you, but I told him in his condition he should be moving."

"Condition?" Wash asked.

A commotion outside the door caught their attention before a nurse shouting "Commander you shouldn't be out of bed. Doctor Shannon! Doctor Shannon!"

"Oh pipe down that's an order." he started opening the door "What the doc doesn't know can't hurt her, I'll be back in bed before she knows it." The door was fully open now as he peered in "Ah Doctor Shannon, how funny seeing you here. I was actually looking for the bathroom but now I'm here..." He looked over to Wash "How's my second doing?"

"What I don't know can't hurt me? You'll be back in bed before I know it? You were looking for the bathroom? How on earth do you cope with him?" She asked facing Alicia. Alicia chuckled and raised her eyebrows.

"I threaten to inflict serious pain on him... I'm fine Commander. What about you, I hear you have a condition?" She shared an amused look with the doctor and Jim coughed loudly to disguise his laughter.

"A condition eh? Nice way of putting it doc. I'm fine Wash, but from now on you have no choice but to be nice to me, you owe me big style."

"Oh really and why would that be... Sir?" she asked with a slightly cautious smirk.

"You've taken a large quantity of my blood." Taylor replied showing her the bruise in which the needle had caused.

"I've what? Commander I'm so sorry." Alicia replied alarmed and again attempting to sit up only for Elizabeth to repeat her action of gently pushing her back down.

"Not to worry Lieutenant." Taylor said walking (still clearly dazed from hitting his head) to her side opposite Elizabeth and Jim. "You'll have to make up for it when your back on your feet. Maybe taking a load of paper work off my shoulders?"

"Anything Sir , I just can't believe you'd do that. What if something happened?"

"It's not like I had an operation like you! Reilly and Boylan gave the same amount of blood so you owe them too. I don't see you complaining about them." This conversation had turned and Elizabeth and Jim knew of it. They slowly slipped out of the room, quietly enough that Taylor and Wash hadn't even noticed.

"Well they can hold their own but you...I worry about you." Her walls that she'd spent so much time building were coming down, maybe due to the effects of the drug that Elizabeth had given her or maybe because she was truly vulnerable at this moment in time. She was clearly taking the whole thing out of proportion.

"I know and I worry about you too, that's why I did what I did. Geeze Wash it's only a bit of blood, would you have rather let me allow you to die?" His voice cracked up towards the end, the thought of her dying sent chills down his spine.

"Look I'm tired Nathaniel" she rarely used his first name. "I'm not thinking straight let's talk about this some other time." She turned her head away from him and closed her eyes waiting for the sound of him shuffling his way out of the room. Before he did so he brushed his silky smooth hand over her arm sending goosebumps down the very spots he had caressed.

It was the day of her release and she sure as hell had been anticipating this very moment all morning. Elizabeth had been running late so a nurse had begun to talk her through all of the necessary precautions that she'd have to abide by when she returned home. "Make sure you change this bandage every morning and every night, we'll change it before you leave so you won't have to change it until tomorrow morning." the nurse took a deep breath "You need to carry out these exercises three times a day like we showed you, don't push yourself though we don't want those stitches opening up." Another breath. "Take two of these green pills, one of these maroon pills and two of these blue pills they'll ease your pain throughout the day. I think I've covered just about everything. Ah Doctor Shannon just in time are patient is just about ready to leave. Would you like me to replace the bandage?"

"No Nurse Mcenzie I'll take it from here. Thank you for informing the Lieutenant of the precautions she should take, although I don't know if she'll abide by them all." Elizabeth patted the nurse on the shoulder as she was leaving and then strode over to Alicia who was perched on the edge of the infirmary bed.

"So how's the pain been?" Elizabeth asked but knew the answer before Alicia replied.

"Fine doc thank you. I really don't need all of those pain killers."

"You will need to take them I assure you. Alicia you don't have to go through the pain to attain your pride no one will see you differently." Elizabeth's voice was firm no one other than the Commander and Elizabeth could talk to Alicia this way and get away with it, not if they wanted a punch in the gut and a face covered in mud.

"We'll see doc." She replied pulling the bottom of her top up to allow Elizabeth access to the bandage. As Elizabeth began to remove the existing bandage her eyes shifted to the scar that had caught her attention days before. Should she ask her what happened? What if she was wrong and she hadn't had a baby? What if Jim was right and the baby had died? She had to ask she thought to herself, Alicia had become a sort of friend to her and her family, it was only natural to ask this sort of question to someone close.

"Alicia I really hope you don't mind me asking but …." She couldn't find the words.

"Mind you asking what exactly?" Alicia asked confused. "Oh it's not about Commander Taylor again is it. Your husbands been hounding me with questions about why the Commander is sulking. Apparently his speech to the members of the new pilgrimage was delayed as he was attacking a helpless punch bag in the gym. Jim said it took them fifteen minutes to find him."

"No, it's not that but I am curious to know why the Commander is sulking."

"Well what is it then?" Elizabeth's eyes indicated to the scar in question, Alicia followed the gaze and shifted uncomfortably when she realized what the doctor was trying to ask.

"Ah that." she said quietly.

"I know it's none of my business... well really it is, every injury or surgical operation should be logged in personal files and I don't remember this scar being on yours." Elizabeth had unravelled the whole bandage from Alicia and walked over to the bin to dispose of it. In that time Alicia began to compose herself, this explanation was going to be painful, emotional even. She'd never had to explain this to anyone or talked to anyone about it in fact.

"I suppose you know what the scar is from, otherwise you wouldn't be so skittish of asking me."

"I have my suspicions, I just didn't want to presume, but is it a caesarian scar?" The words caesarian scar made Alicia's stomach turn, she gripped the edge of the bed the hold her nerves.

"Yes, it is. I was only 16 when I had him, the doctor said that due to me being so young he thought it be wise for me to not give birth naturally. I had no family to support me and the baby's father was a drunken wreck so there was little chance of him being at my baby's birth." My Baby she thought to herself, the words sounded so foreign leaving her mouth. "Miles, the baby's father came to visit me on the day of our release, said that he'd take care of everything, that he'd change and that we'd be a proper family. That he was sorry for what he'd done."

"What did he do?" Elizabeth asked.

"Like I said I was only 16, no family to protect me, to warn me of dangers, I was so vulnerable. Miles was 19 at the time, I thought he was my knight in shining armour when we first met, so charming, sweet, kind." Her eyes lowered to her hands which were still gripped onto the edge of the bed, her knuckles white from the tightness of her grip. "I was moving from place to place mostly bunking out at friends houses, but a couple of weeks into mine and Mile's relationship I moved into his. I knew he drank when we got together but it wasn't excessive. About three weeks after moving in he came back home drunk, I was sat on the couch with my phone texting one of my friends. He just started accusing me of sneaking around when his back was turned, that he could tell that I'd had someone over while he'd been out. I told him that he was being ridiculous and that he needed to sort out his jealously issues. That's when he took his first swing at me and..." She paused not wanting to say the word. She was ashamed of what had happened, ashamed of herself for being so god damn vulnerable. "He raped me." she declared. To say that Elizabeth was shocked was an understatement, how could a man do that to a woman, how could he do that to the almighty Alicia Washington.

"That's how I got pregnant with my baby, of course Mile's apologised afterwords and said that the baby was a blessing in disguise. He told me that no one would take a woman in my condition, said that I was best off with him and that he'd take care of me like before. He never stopped drinking not even on my due date. Anyway when he turned up at the hospital it was like he was back to his old self, the charming, sweet, caring man that I'd fallen in love with. He wanted to name him Joshua, but we compromised to it being Kyle Joshua Lorenz, of course having Mile's last name. We were a happy family for a short three days when the crying got too much for Mile's to handle. He said he wanted a couple of drinks to calm down but those couple of drinks turned into five drinks and then nine and more and more and more. Kyle started crying and Mile's throw his glass at the bedroom door in which Kyle was in. That was the last straw, I told him that I was leaving and there was nothing he could do about it. He grabbed both of my arms and shoved me against the wall, I thought that he was going to do what he'd done before so I grabbed the nearest thing to me and hit him over the head." The whole narration of events had turned Alicia into the emotional wreck that she knew would happen. Steady tears were flowing down her cheeks slowly, she didn't attempt to wipe them away, Elizabeth was with the only woman who she'd trust with this story and a few tears didn't compare to what she was saying. The image in front of Elizabeth was breath-taking, so angelic, so astonishingly unlike the Alicia she had grown to know.

"It's okay. You've been through a hell of a lot by the sounds of it, take your time." The reassuring words came natural to Elizabeth, maybe that's one of the main qualities of a doctor Alicia thought to herself.

"Mile's wasn't moving, I thought I'd killed him so I took Kyle and ran. I went to a local park and took time to reflect on what had happened, to figure out what I should do. I had Kyle wrapped in a blanket in my arms as I sat on a bench, he reminded me so much of my father and that's when it clicked. My mother had died giving birth to me so my father was the main person in my life, he'd always wanted me to make a name for myself, to be strong, to follow in his footsteps, but when he died, I just couldn't face it. Maybe I was scared, maybe the army reminded me of him and I was still in grief but at that moment the army was just screaming out that that was my life, my families life and to regain my dignity I had to become strong. So I went to the local adoption agency and told them that I needed Kyle to be taken off of me, that I couldn't look after him or myself. I waited there for about four hours told them all they needed to know and that was it. I told them that the baby didn't need to keep the name that me and Mile's had given him and that I didn't want the baby finding out who I was when he got older, I thought that it was best that way."

"Would you want to meet him now?" Elizabeth asked.

"I do regret not meeting him, especially now that we have this new start, maybe I could have brought him with me, maybe even his parents. I wonder what sort of man he has become, if he has some of my feature or some of Mile's." The tears had stopped flowing down her now rosey red cheeks, a smile had formed now as she was thinking of the how her son could look, if he had her dark black hair or maybe had her hazel coloured eyes. The beeping of a nearby radio ended the moment between the two women, quite frankly Elizabeth wouldn't want to bring the conversation back up again knowing the pain and distress that Alicia had gone through.

"I'm grateful that you told me Alicia, I really am. If you ever want to talk about anything... and I mean anything, you know where I am. My respect for you is higher than you could possibly imagine, I couldn't dream of not being able to talk to someone or have someone help me through what you've been through." With that Elizabeth bandaged the Lieutenant back up and sent for Jim to take her home.

Elizabeth sat in front of her computer updating a few medical files. She'd had to update Alicia's medical history but only so that she herself could view it. The matter was private, not even her husband knew of the conversation that had taken place. Out of curiosity she scanned for any other possible candidates that could have been used for the blood transfusion. Only two other possible blood group matches came up. A Mrs Sofia Marcus and Mark Reynolds. A flashing light appeared on the screen to alert of a new find. She clicked on the alert and stared in disbelief.

"Oh my …."

Bit of a cliffhanger at the end there, what do you guys think ? I decieded that Alicia Washington is 36, 16 when she had the baby... so that makes her kid 20 now ... I've got it mapped out how the story is going to go, but i welcome any suggestions ... Oh and i apologise about all the medical stuff, im clearly out of my depth when i tackle that so sorry for anything that isn't realistic... Again as always please review and i hope you enjoyed your read :)