This is the SECOND part of chapter 14. The first part contains M rated content and is published separately in a story called "Sierra - Reality Part I". Find it, read it, come back here!
CHAPTER 14 – REALITY
PART II
Rick smiled to himself and half-closed his eyes – but peeked out at the stunning woman who was now leaning on his chest. Kate. She was real, she wanted to be real, and her name was Kate.
She had given him everything – not just her body, but her self. She had spoken to him with her true accent, and told him her real name. He smiled even more widely. It must have meant just as much to her as it did to him.
He liked that she was from Manhattan; he loved that she had brought him with her even though he had very strongly encouraged her not to. She could be both in control, and totally without control, in the same moment. She was perfect. Kate was perfect.
He pulled the comforter over them and closed his eyes properly, falling into a satisfied sleep. Kate nuzzled into him, enjoying the warmth of his body as she wondered how on earth she had ended up here. She didn't care, though. She didn't regret a second of it. More than that – she wanted more. She wanted to be with him, forever. Always as they were so fond of saying to each other. She wanted them to be together, always.
She woke up to him gently shaking her shoulder.
"Kate?"
"Mmm," she said sleepily.
"There's someone pounding on the door," he said gently.
She sat up. "Seriously?"
She didn't need an answer; she heard for herself. She would have to think quickly. Sierra would have to think too.
"Okay, are the guns all hidden?" she whispered.
Rick scanned the room.
"Think so."
"Okay. Get back into bed."
"What?"
"You heard – get back into bed. Snuggle, you know?"
"We're not going to run?"
"No. I'm going to kiss you so they don't see your face when they come in. I'm hoping they still think I'm blonde – so they'll think they have the wrong room."
"How did they find us?" he asked as he got into bed.
"Must've been the phone call – this is the nearest cheap motel to where I made it."
"Shit."
"Relax."
The door burst open and Kate threw herself on Rick, straddling him and kissing him for all she was worth. She didn't look round when whoever it was came into the room and gasped. She heard three sets of footsteps. They spoke to each other in Russian – she could understand most of it.
"Wrong room," one said gruffly.
"Shit," said another. "We've tried almost all the rooms that were let last night."
"Maybe they're not here," said the third.
"Come on, let's go," said the second.
And then in English - "We're very sorry. We're maintenance, we seem to be in the wrong room."
Kate just waved her hand, absorbed in kissing Rick. As soon as the men left she broke away.
"Did you see what they looked like?" she asked him.
"Ugly," he said breathlessly. "Kate, that was amazing,"
"You weren't so bad yourself."
He groaned as she got out of bed, pulling on the vest and shorts which had definitely seen better days.
"We'll wait a bit until it's a reasonable time to be leaving – say an hour? Then we'll go shopping and find another car."
Rick grinned. "If we aren't leaving for an hour, why are you dressed?"
Kate laughed. "Why shouldn't I be dressed?"
Rick raised his eyebrows. "Well, how would you fill the hour then?"
Kate sat back down on the bed and he slid towards her, already tugging at her clothes...
An hour later, they were both dressed and ready to leave the motel. Kate hoisted up the bag and they wandered outside into the sunshine. They took a cab to the nearest supermarket and stocked up on clothes, food, alcohol (Rick's idea), a toothbrush and toothpaste, and the things Kate needed to steal cars without breaking their windows. They got changed in the store's disabled toilet. Rick was sad to see the 'tomb raider' outfit go, but Kate threw it out.
"Come on, it's disgusting."
"Lara's always dirty, that doesn't make her disgusting."
Kate grabbed his ear.
"Okay, okay, you can throw it out- apples!" he said. She laughed, and went to wash her face at the sink. She took out the toothbrush. Rick grinned as he watched her brush her teeth and hand him the brush.
"You know," she said as she watched him use it. "That really is one of the weirdest turn ons I've seen a guy have."
"It's not a turn on," he said through the toothbrush. "I just find it funny. And I like the taste."
When they were both satisfied with their cleanliness they left the store and went out to the car park. Kate found a suitable vehicle as Rick dug in the bag for sandwiches and orange juice. She had bought a long, thin piece of plastic that she slid under the window and used to unlock the door. She disabled the alarm, and had the engine going in seconds. She'd chosen a little red mini-cooper. Rick grinned as they got in, handing her a sandwich as she drove out of the car park. Neither of them could stop smiling.
"Do you think you'll always be Kate now?" Rick asked after a little bit of driving.
"To you, yes. To the world... Might have to stay Sierra for a bit."
"But Sierra comes from Kate."
"Oh, yeah – they're mostly the same. I mean, Sierra's just a code name for the tough Kate; the English accent's just a cover."
"Is it... Does it feel good?"
"Being me? Yeah. But, I mean... I'm more than an accent and a name. There's a lot of stuff that... that I became Sierra to deal with."
"You'll get through it. I'll help you."
"Thanks."
"Always."
"Always," she echoed quietly. Rick rested his hand on her knee and smiled at her.
"This would really be a perfect moment if it weren't for the insubordination and the bad guys trying to kill us," Rick said with a cute lopsided smile. Kate laughed and put her hand on his; she had finished the sandwich.
"I think it can still be a perfect moment. They aren't trying to kill us now."
