Some Things Are Personal
For the Livejournal 50scenes challenge. A collection of scenes featuring Lieutenant Helga Sinclair.

The Best Laid Plans
Plans change, especially when personal feelings and sentiment are involved.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters who appear in this collection of fiction. They are property of Disney and the creative team behind Atlantis: The Lost Empire.

Helga Sinclair stalked the empty halls of the massive Ulysses. With only twelve hours left until the crew began loading the vessel, she knew time was of the essence. The cargo bay, infirmary, subpods, galley, and cabins had been triple-checked. Every communication device had been tested at least twice. The emergency evacuation system controls needed a look-over, the woman decided as she revised her mental to-do list. Midshipman Long—Jacob, if memory served—had given them a pass, but she wanted to know. Someone else's word wasn't good enough.

Fingers curled around her wrist and gripped tight. A sharp tug back brought her against a man's chest, and his other hand settled on her hip. She looked over her shoulder and up. Her eyebrow quirked, and the man behind her chuckled low in his throat before he released her.

"Christ, Rourke," she muttered, smoothing her coat.

"Too easy, Lieutenant." His expression became more serious. "You're usually harder to surprise."

She scowled. "I don't like this."

Rourke pinched the bridge of his nose briefly, but he said nothing. She, as he knew she would, repeated herself for what was surely the fifth time in the last two days.

"Forty-eight hours is not enough prep time for an expedition this size. I know—the plans have been ready for years, but 'plans' and 'reality' are worlds apart. Not to mention that Mr. Thatch will be translating as we go. He should have had months to plan our course."

"And we should have had months to reel him in."

Helga let out a breath. She knew her commander. His tone was teasing, poking fun at her agitation, but his eyes agreed. He could laugh at her repeated rant, but their plans were useless. Gone were the dinner reservations, the casual introductions to their experts, the long conversations about the necessary evil of treasure hunters to pave the way to archaeological wonder. The mission should have begun with Milo Thatch firmly under contract with them, not a mere outside consultant.

"You did what you could," Rourke said.

Helga crossed her arms but seemed somewhat appeased. "Mr. Whitmore should know better. I tried to explain."

"It's personal for him. This one isn't just 'business as usual.'"

"I'm worried."

"Really? Wouldn't have guessed." He smirked when she rolled her eyes.

"We don't know our course. We don't know anything—except that our fate lies in the hands of a man we don't know."

"Then we have to hope he lives up to his grandfather's reputation."

Helga chuckled. "I never thought I'd miss the professor."

"You two had quite the falling out last time. What did he say to you?" He touched her back, and they started down the hall together. "God, that was—"

"Three years ago. He told me I should retire—that this job would kill me." She frowned. "He didn't like my reply."

"What was it?"

"That I was counting on it."

"Helga."

He stopped and turned to look at her. She ceased walking as well but started straight ahead. A cool, stiff silence descended. Every job risked life and limb, but the risk usually remained unstated. More superstitious people might have worried about discussing such things aboard an untried ship meant for the voyage.

"This what I am," Helga said. "I want to die doing what I love." She shrugged her thin shoulders as she looked over at Rourke.

He took his head. Still, he chuckled as he said, "Lieutenant?"

"Commander?"

"Get some sleep."

"Yes, sir. I will after—"

He drew near. "That was an order."

"Was it?" She peered up at him as a smirk crept across her features. "Permission requestioned to use the captain's quarters."

"Granted."

Helga hooked her fingers under the knot of Rourke's tie, and he bowed his head. "Will the captain consent to join me?"

"He's a very busy man, especially with an undertaking of this scale. But I'll see if he can't make time in his schedule for his lieutenant."