Months had passed since Duke and Scarlett had vowed to make an effort to work better with each other. They still had their struggles, but for the most part, were a very productive and professional duo. Their strategies where always meticulous down to the last detail.
Duke and Scarlett were about to close another strategy meeting when Duke, for the first time, brought up something not work related Scarlett had noticed he had been a little preoccupied during the meeting, but she didn't have the place, or the right, to pry.
"So, are you going to the Fairborne's Christmas party?" Duke asked while straightening up papers on his desk.
"Oh, um, I don't know. Are you?" Scarlett asked tentatively.
"I was thinking about it." Duke tapped his desk with his fingers.
"Yeah, me too." Scarlett replied curtly not sure she wanted to continue this conversation.
"Well, uh, if you are….and I am…maybe we should take one car instead of wasting gas?" Duke suggested feeling Scarlett out on the idea.
Scarlett cocked her head in a puzzled manner. Duke had never shown an interest in wanting to spend extra time with her, not that she necessarily wanted to spend extra time with him either. The trip to Virginia was several hours, which easily could turn into quite a few uncomfortable and awkward hours. Scarlett envisioned numerous scenarios which would leave her miserable by the time she got to the party and worse yet she'd have to subject herself to the misery again on the ride back.
"Maybe." Scarlett shrugged before bidding good bye.
Weeks passed and the trees were now all bare with the wind picking up a bitter chill, reminding everyone that snow was not far off. She really hadn't thought anymore about the conversation she had with Duke at the last strategy meeting. Duke hadn't brought it up again, so she assumed he decided not to go. She was in the motor pool and just put her bag in the trunk of the rental car. She was excited for the party and to see Allie, Dash, and little James. She jumped with surprise when Duke came up next to her.
"You decided to go?" Duke asked with surprise.
"Yes, I'm just about to leave." Scarlett answered.
"Me too. I'm all gassed up and ready to go. Did you want to catch a ride? I don't mind." Duke offered again. Scarlett wanted to refuse, but it really didn't make sense to take two cars to the same place. She agreed, slowly nodding her head. Before she realized it, Duke had already put her bag in his trunk and was showing her to the passenger side.
"Wait, who decided you were going to drive?" Scarlett broke out of the fog.
"You're not driving my car." Duke shook his head.
"We could take the rental. I want to drive." Scarlett demanded wanting more control of the situation.
"Rock, paper, scissors?" Duke suggested to solve the argument. The two began to play the infamous game, with Duke being triumphant with rock to her scissors. She scowled and slid into the car, securing her seatbelt. Duke slid into the driver's side and secured his seatbelt.
"Besides, did you actually think I was going to let you drive after I was a first hand witness to you driving on the wrong side of the road on an exit ramp?" Duke teased as they pulled out of the motor pool.
Scarlett turned sharply to face him, "I told you. They changed the traffic pattern." She defended her driving habits. She tried to hold a stern look, but Duke's amused expression made her smile softly.
As they drove on, Duke concentrated on the road and she on the scenery out the window. She crossed her legs and uncrossed her legs at least a hundred times, feeling restless. The radio was on but the station was fading out as they continued south. Scarlett began to play with the buttons trying to scan for another station when the radio suddenly shut off. Scarlett pulled her hand away like she had been burnt. She hoped she hadn't broken his radio.
"The wires are messed up and sometimes they short out. I meant to have someone look at it on base before leaving, but forgot to." Duke told her. Scarlett looked at her watch, they were only about half of the way there. Her eyes tried to glance at Duke without him realizing that she was looking at him. He was wearing a green long sleeve shirt and khakis. Since his return, she had only seen him in a uniform and it was a bit refreshing to see him in something different. She wondered if he thought the same about her. She was wearing a navy blue sweater with jeans.
The new silence irritated Scarlett. At least with the radio there had been some distracting noise. This is what she had feared…awkwardness. Scarlett wondered if Duke felt the anxiety she was feeling. Scarlett cracked the window a bit to get some air.
"Remember the time we went to Atlantic City?" Duke asked out of the blue.
"When we were upgraded to a suite? How could I forget?" Scarlett reminisced.
"And then had to leave because some of our friends were misbehaving." Duke continued to share the memory.
"We actually received a letter asking us not to come back to the hotel. Shipwreck has it framed in his quarters." Scarlett added. "What made you think of that?"
"I don't know. It just popped into my head. I've missed doing stuff like that." Duke replied concentrating on the road.
"How about golf? You still play?" Scarlett asked as they passed a golf course.
"Clubs are in the trunk." Duke replied/
"Always prepared…" Scarlett murmured softly still staring out the window.
"Did you forget I was a Boy Scout?" Duke smirked.
Scarlett felt the tension slip away and she was beginning to feel more comfortable sharing the ride. Duke continued to make light conversation and she felt at ease with the conversations. They spent the rest of the trip reminiscing and catching up.
"Here we are." Duke announced pulling up to the curb to park. After the engine was turned off, they both exited the car. Duke went around to the trunk and retrieved his and Scarlett's overnight bags. They both walked up the stone path to the front door of the Fairborne residence.
Duke knocked and seconds later the door flung open with Allie greeting them with James in her arms.
"Shana, Conrad…wow, what a coincidence that you got here the same exact time!" Allie gushed at what she thought was an awkward moment. She gave each of them a one armed hug.
"We actually came together," Duke revealed but then realized how that sounded, "I mean we didn't come together-together. I mean, we just drove together. I mean, we came in the same car.", he finally sputtered out. Allie raised her eyebrow at both of them. "I'm going to find Dash." Duke ducked out of the messy conversation. He pushed past Allie into the house. Scarlett entered with Allie closing the door behind her. She set James down who waddled around on his own.
"So you guys came together?" Allie repeated hinting that there was more to it than that.
"You make it sound like it's so much more than it is," Scarlett scrunched her nose, "We were both leaving the base at the same time and Duke suggested we take one car."
"And so you just both got into the same car without any arguments?" Allie asked astonished.
"Well, we did argue about who would drive, but we 'rock-paper-scissored' it out." Scarlett admitted.
"Are you telling me that you got into a car and drove several hours with the man you've spent the past few months cursing at and flipping off? And you did this according to your own fee will?" Lady Jaye asked in shock.
"It didn't make sense to take two separate cars to the same place. And it wasn't that bad, it was actually nice. We had fun remembering old times." Scarlett admitted.
"Well, I'm glad it turned out nice. Dash and I were hoping you two would eventually get along." Allie smiled. The two women stood guard over James as he continued to walk around without any real direction. They entered the living room to find many party-goers already infatuated in conversations.
"James and the other kids will only be here for a couple hours and then they are going away so we can have an adult party." Allie mentioned.
"Oh, so I better get my hugs and kisses in is what you're telling me." Scarlett smiled picking up the small boy and coddled him. For a brief moment she thought about her miscarriage and how this easily could have been a moment shared between her and her own child. She bounced up and down with James and spun around with him, smiling at his adorable happy expression. She happened to look up and see Duke staring at her, his eyes fixated on her giving her the unmistakenable sense that he was thinking the exact same thing she was. Duke shifted his glance another direction and Scarlett put James down as if it was suddenly taboo to be holding him.
Soon more and more people entered the Fairborne residence and the party got into full swing. It wasn't long before the children were whisked away and the adults got a chance to let their hair down. Scarlett recognized some people as relatives of Allie or Dash, but many were new faces. The guests she met were impressed she was in the army and were amazed by some of the stories she told.
Scarlett often found herself in the kitchen helping Allie with refreshing trays of food and bowls of punch.
"Are you having a good time?" Allie asked as she cut up more wedges of cheese.
"Yeah, I've met some really nice people." Scarlett nodded as she poured more chips into a snack bowl.
"Duke gets first dibs at this. Could you bring it out to him?" Allie asked after arranging pepperoni slices with the cheese.
"Sure." Scarlett agreed, picking up the platter. She stepped out into the living room where most of the guests were gathered but she didn't see Duke there. She continued out into the foyer but didn't see him out there either. She heard a voice come from the dinning room and went to see if Duke was in there. She entered the room to find Duke and Dash standing with their backs towards her.
"And she didn't tell you?" Dash asked in an astonished tone.
"No, I found out from Doc. Talk about a kick in the balls." Duke spoke.
"I just can't believe it. Scarlett was pregnant and didn't tell you." Dash shook his head in disbelief.
Scarlett froze catching on to their conversation, her heart dropping into her stomach. Why would Duke tell Dash their business? Especially now? She backed out of the room feeling dizzy and nauseous, dropping the tray of food in the doorway. She clutched her heart as the painful memories resurfaced. Her breathing became labored as she felt her lungs struggle for oxygen. After regaining control to move her body, she quickly darted to the kitchen to find Allie.
"What's wrong?" Allie asked concerned after seeing Scarlett's condition.
"I, um, don't feel well. I think I'm going to call it a night and lay down." Scarlett fibbed.
"Oh, ok. You know which room is yours. I already put your bag in there." Allie replied feeling sorry for her friend. Scarlett nodded and headed towards the room she's always stayed in when visiting her friends.
Once secured inside, she slid down the door sobbing over Duke's betrayal. She choked on her tears, causing her to cough and gasp for air. How could Duke do this? Why would he bring up such a painfully tragic story and broadcast it?
"He hasn't changed at all." Scarlett whimpered to herself, bringing on a fresh batch of tears scolding herself for giving in so easily to coming to the party together. Before she had walked in on the conversation, the possibility of Duke and her becoming friends had briefly danced through her mind. She tossed that thought overboard with an anchor, letting it sink to the deepest places of her mind and heart. She looked at the bed wishing she could crawl inside and magically be transported back to Joe base. How was she going to endure the car ride home with him? Her vision blurred through more tears and she decided bed would be the best place to be. She quickly changed into her night clothes and climbed into the bed with silent streams of tears still flowing.
Scarlett fluttered her eyes open and saw sunlight peaking through the blinds. She felt as if she had just put her head down on the pillow. She glanced at the clock seeing nine hours had passed. Her eyes felt crusty from all the sadness that had poured out of her the night before. She changed and went through her morning routine. She had decided to pack up her stuff and tidy up the room when there was a knock. She opened it to find her betrayer standing before her.
"I was just seeing if you were up. Dash and Allie are making breakfast." Duke informed her. She narrowed her eyes and turned away from him. How could he just stand there pretending like everything was okay?
"Ok. I'll be down in a few minutes." Scarlett quipped shoving things in her bag.
"I was looking for you last night, but Allie told me you got sick. Are you feeling better?" Duke asked concerned.
"I'm fine!" she snapped as she zipped up her bag. She turned to face him and watched as he backed away and walked off. He had gotten the message to leave her alone loud and clear. She took a deep breath and let it out before trailing behind Duke to the kitchen.
"Shana, how are you feeling?" Allie asked when she entered the room.
"I'm fine. Sorry to bail on the party." Scarlett apologized taking the empty seat. Allie placed a cup of coffee in front of her along with a plate of pancakes.
"I checked on you about an hour after you went upstairs and you were out cold." Allie told her.
"Yeah, as soon as I went upstairs I just crashed. Must have been overly tired or something." Scarlett fibbed. She took a sip of coffee and a few bites of the pancakes.
"Or maybe your CO is working you to hard. All work and no play makes Red grumpy." Dash tried to joke, "You're not working her too hard are you, Con?"
"No, everything is fine." Scarlett spoke with an annoyed tone to her voice. She didn't have to look up to know the others were looking at each other. They ate in silence for a bit, not sure if they should speak.
"So when do you have to be back at base?" Dash asked breaking the silence.
"Unfortunately, the sooner the better. I'm hoping to leave right after breakfast. If that's alright with you?" Duke asked her. She nodded without looking up, continuing to take bites of the pancakes.
While the others talked among themselves, Scarlett was in her own world thinking about the previous night and the raging feelings inside her. Her head swirled with questions about why Duke decided to tell Dash everything. The sound of chairs moving brought her attention back and she noticed everyone was done eating and cleaning up.
"Are you sure you're alright? You seem a little off today." Allie asked her friend quietly so the men wouldn't hear.
"Yeah, I'm sorry if I'm a little edgy. I still don't feel all that well." Scarlett smiled half heartedly.
"If you need to stay a little longer, I'm sure Duke wouldn't mind waiting." Allie offered.
Scarlett laughed inside. Waiting would just make everything worse, "No, I'll be fine. I'll sleep in the car."
Scarlett and Allie walked to the front door together; the men had disappeared. They hugged tightly with promises of keeping in touch.
"I took the liberty of getting your bag." Duke announced coming into the foyer with both his bag and hers.
"Thanks," she barely mustered. Dash entered the foyer and the four friends said their final farewells. Scarlett walked with a hurried pace to the car, leaving Duke behind. She slid into the passenger seat and mentally prepared herself for the long trip home. She felt Duke throw the bags in the back and close the trunk. He slid into the driver's side and put on his seatbelt. He started the engine and began to drive down the road.
"What in the blue blazes is wrong with you?" Duke asked calling her out on her attitude.
"Nothing," Scarlett sulked turning to look out the window.
"Nothing, my ass! You won't even look at me. What is going on?" Duke replied getting annoyed.
"What part of nothing don't you understand? Oh, I forgot, understanding is not your strong suit." Scarlett insulted.
"So we're back to this again? For Heaven's sake." Duke grumbled with frustration.
"Don't talk to me!" Scarlett warningly interrupted.
"You know yesterday I thought…I felt…It was nice thinking back on old times with you." Duke finished his statement, "And now it's like we're back at day one and I'm getting off the chopper!"
"Perhaps you should have stayed on it," she grumbled.
"Maybe I should have put you on it and called it a day." Duke retorted nastily.
"I tell you what; keep your mouth shut about our private business and you won't ever have to be bothered with me on a personal level again." Scarlett seethed.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Duke asked thrown by her comeback.
"Last night. You and Dash were in the dining room talking. I heard you." Scarlett revealed. Duke looked startled for a moment but regained his composure quickly.
"So? Dash brought up the past and I wanted to tell him what happened. It's partially my business and I have a right to tell it to whomever I please!" Duke defended himself.
"You're right. It is partially your business. It's also partially mine. Once again you made a decision that affects both of us without at least asking if I would be alright with it!" she exclaimed glaring at him.
""Here you come riding the moral high horse. I think that horse is going to throw you off considering the secret you kept." Duke snidely remarked.
"How could I have given my heart to a bastard like you?" Scarlett hissed continuing to glare at him.
"That's classic coming from such a selfish bitch." Duke snarled. His words stung her like a slap on the cheek. She hoped her words had hurt him just as much, if not more. She folded her arms in front of her and decided that as soon as they got back to the base, she was as good as gone.
They rode in silence for quite awhile with Scarlett nodding off every once in awhile, dreaming of transfer papers. She would jerk awake to find Duke fiddling with something in the car, probably trying to disturb her rest on purpose. She had just nodded off again when she heard Duke curse.
"What is it?" she asked annoyed.
"The road's closed. We have to take a detour." Duke answered frustrated. He turned onto a more rugged path, following the arrows. Scarlett huffed at the bumpiness of the new road.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Scarlett asked after they had traveled a bit of a distance without seeing another car.
"It's the way the arrow was pointing." Duke answered annoyed that she would ask such a question.
"I know, but doesn't it seem odd…" Scarlett started when suddenly out of nowhere Cobra vehicles began to assault the car. Lasers were firing all around them.
"Hang on!" Duke commanded taking evasive action. He managed to slip through more laser beams.
"That was close!" Scarlett replied whipping her head around to see what was coming up behind them
"Reach under your seat. There's a Colt stashed." Duke commanded. Scarlett reached down and retrieved the gun. She rolled down the window and took a few shots at any vehicles that were close enough.
"This isn't looking good." Duke grimaced weaving back and forth to avoid gun fire.
"I'll contact base so they know we're under fire." Scarlett flipped open her communicator.
"Scarlett! Brace yourself!" Duke cried as the rear tires blew out, sending the car into a serious spin. Scarlett screamed when she saw they were headed straight for a line of trees. She was able to communicate "9-1-1" with base just before the car smashed into a tree trunk and her world went dark.