A/N: This chapter strays closer to the 'M' territory, for adult sexual situations.
Most of the dialogue used for the vows come from .com
Thank you yet again for the all of the reviews!
Alison carried the hot mug of tea into the living room, and took a seat on the couch. Their appointment with the Justice of the Peace wasn't until later that morning. She was glad that Flint had insisted on the old-fashioned tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding. After a whirlwind few days she wanted to relish a couple of hours of peace and quiet.
The day after her ultrasound Alison had met with Lifeline because she was concerned about the nightmares Flint had been continuing to have. Lifeline nodded once she finished expressing her concerns. "What he's experiencing isn't unusual. It's probably going to take some time for him to get back to normal. Has he talked to you about what he went through?"
"No," Alison said with a shake of her head. "And since he hasn't made an appointment with the psychiatrist, I'm afraid he's making things worse by keeping it all bottled up."
"It's not helping. I could order him to seek treatment, but in my experience until he's ready to start a dialogue, it won't do much good. What I recommend right now is to make the most of your time off. Since I don't see any lingering side effects from the drugs Mindbender used, I'm going to release the medical hold Doc put on him, so you're free to travel wherever you want."
Alison contemplated their options. In theory, there was just enough time to take a quick trip to DC to look at her housing options. It would mean spending most of Christmas in Washington, but since they didn't have plans for the holiday anyway, staying busy was probably better for Flint's psyche.
She was deep in thought and almost missed Lifeline's next question. "How are you feeling? Is the pregnancy progressing normally?"
Alison grinned and rested her hand on her stomach. "So far everything looks perfect. I had an ultrasound the other day, where we found out that it's a healthy girl. We then committed to a wedding date. We're getting married next week."
Lifeline's face broke out into a grin. He walked over to hug her. "I'm so happy for you."
"Thank you," Alison replied. She pulled out of Lifeline's grasp. "Ed, I never did get a chance to apologize for the bad situation I put you in when I told you I was pregnant."
"I appreciate that, but it's not necessary."
"No, it is. At the time I was only considering my wants and needs. I hope that you didn't face any repercussions from the general."
Lifeline shook his head. "Other than a request for your medical records, I didn't actually have any interactions with him."
She thanked Lifeline for his time, and then made her way back home. She felt a lot better after the conversation. Once she arrived at the apartment, she easily convinced Flint to book a trip to DC.
Much to the chagrin of the real estate agent that had drawn the short stick to show them around, they had spent most of Christmas Eve looking at houses and apartments. However they did decide on a Brownstone about a twenty minute commute from the Pentagon, and they had signed the papers in time for all to have a Christmas Eve dinner.
They had flown back on Christmas Day. Thanks to a bad storm in the Midwest, their flights had been delayed and they finally returned home well into the evening. They had hoped to attend the Christmas dinner that the Joes were hosting, but due to the late hour, and the fact that both were exhausted they instead picked up Chinese take-out. Alison could tell that Flint was disappointed in the less than ideal Christmas celebration but he cheered up when later that night they talked about their hopes and expectations for their daughter's upcoming first Christmas.
The following day was spent in wedding preparations. Alison had booked a hair appointment, followed by a manicure and pedicure. She had to admit that the pampering of herself felt glorious. Her last stop had been to pick up her wedding dress.
She looked at it hanging on the back of her door and smiled. She had gotten lucky twice with it. First was that she had found a dress that she loved so quickly. And secondly, that the seamstress was both willing and able to do a rush job on the major alterations she needed to be able to wear it.
Alison had felt a little sad going through the wedding dress shopping experience alone. She thought back to one of the times she was a bridesmaid in college, and how she, five other women, the bride's mother, future mother-in-law and a handful of aunts had spent a whole Saturday with the bride-to-be choosing the perfect dress. Even though an entourage of that size had seemed a tad excessive, she remembered that they had had a good time. Alison had wished that one of the women she was currently closest to was around. But Jinx and Scarlett were in Japan, and Cover Girl had gone home for the Christmas holiday.
Which meant they were also going to miss the wedding. In fact, their ceremony was going to be very sparsely attended. Duke had easily agreed to stand in as a witness and to escort her down the aisle, while Flint's brother David was flying in to perform Best Man duties. But David was the only member of Flint's family that was coming. Diana had already booked a skiing vacation with her family, while Marie and Nate said that due to the holidays they couldn't make the trip. Alison suspected that the real reason was that they were protesting, at least in Marie's case, what she felt was an unorthodox wedding.
Flint had been disappointed by the news, but he had tried to downplay it by insisting that even if the wedding was less than perfect, the important part was the lifelong commitment they were making to each other. And that was what he was most excited about.
Her smile returned. Flint was right. Being able to marry the man she loved was enough to make it magical day. She wondered if there had ever been a point in her life that she had fantasized about a princess type wedding. If there had been, it had to have happened when she was a very little girl, because she had quickly outgrown it. She then wondered about the personality of the baby growing inside of her. Would she have more of the girly-type tendencies or be a tomboy like her mother? And if it was the former, would Alison be able to handle it? She then thought about the idea of doing mother-daughter spa days, shopping trips, and ballet lessons and Alison realized that she was up for the challenge.
That was a thought that immensely comforted her, since so much of the early weeks of her unexpected pregnancy were spent in fear and apprehension of her mothering abilities. To find out that she was truly ready to become a parent was a relief. But first she was becoming Mrs. Dashiell Faireborn, a thought that caused her even more joy.
"She's here," David announced as he held open the front door of the municipal building.
Flint had heard about grooms having their breath taken away the minute they first glimpsed their brides to be, but he had always assumed that was a cliché. Until he caught sight of Alison in her wedding dress and he realized that it was a valid physical reaction.
He could only stare at her as she approached. She grinned at him. "I meant what I said about not needing to have the big wedding or the walk down the aisle. But I did want to get a pretty dress. I had to have the midsection let out a bit, though," she added with a grin as she caressed her stomach. "I could have hidden my belly behind a flowing skirt, but I decided I wasn't embarrassed by it. I hope you don't mind."
Flint was far from bothered by it. In fact, seeing her in the skin tight white gown with the obvious pregnant belly triggered his baser caveman instincts. He loved the fact that she was announcing to the world that she, and the baby growing inside of her, was his. But he knew voicing those thoughts would get him in trouble with her, so he settled for something slightly less offensive. "I am far from bothered by it. You look beautiful, and I am really going to enjoy ripping it off of you later."
To prove his point he pulled her close so she could feel the effect she was having on him. He wrapped his arms around her back and kissed her deeply.
"Easy, you two. Save some of that for after the 'I do's'" Duke said with a laugh.
Alison pulled away and then let out a shriek. She raced down the hall and hugged the new arrival. "Shana! You came!"
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this!" Scarlett said with a grin.
Flint watched the two women catch up, until David signaled him. He put his hand on Alison's shoulder. "It's time."
She patted his hand. "See you inside."
Flint walked into the courtroom with David and Scarlett, and took their places at the front of the room. A couple of minutes later Alison entered, escorted by Duke, in an abbreviated version of a walk down the aisle. Flint's eyes never left her, as she looked radiant. After so many weeks of worry, anger and sadness it was nice seeing her truly happy.
Once she reached his side, he grabbed her hands and turned to face the officiant. "Today we have gathered together to celebrate the marriage of Dashiell and Alison. Marriage is the promise between two people who love each other, who trust each other, who honor one another as individuals in that togetherness, and who wish to spend the rest of their lives with each other. It enables the two separate souls to share their desires, longings, dreams, joys and sorrows, and to help each other through all uncertainties of life."
The officiant turned to Flint. "Dashiell, will you take Alison as your lawfully wedded wife? Will you love, comfort, honor and protect her, forsaking all others until death do you part?"
Flint had to clear his throat and swallow against the lump that formed. "I do."
The officiant asked the same question to Alison who nodded and whispered an "I do." She pulled her hand away to wipe under her eyes.
The officiant then asked Flint to repeat after him. "I, Dashiell, take you, Alison, for my wife." Flint had to again pause to clear his throat. Alison smiled at him and squeezed his hand. Once again gaining control of his emotions, he continued. "To have and to hold from this day on, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for all the days of my life."
Alison did a better job of holding herself together while reciting her vows. However, at the end she exhaled sharply, betraying the nervousness she too felt. The officiant asked for the rings. Flint turned to his brother and grabbed Alison's. "With this ring, I thee wed," Flint said as he slipped it on her finger.
David then handed Alison Flint's ring. "With this ring, I thee wed," she said. Flint felt a chill as the gold slid down his finger. He had wanted this moment for so long, he almost couldn't believe it was actually happening. But then the officiant announced that they were husband and wife, and he knew it was true.
While, Duke, David and Scarlett clapped he leaned over and kissed his new wife. They then walked out of the room hand in hand. Back in the hallway they accepted the congratulations. Alison and Scarlett hugged for a few moments. Once they separated, Alison asked, "So do you want to go out and celebrate?"
Scarlett glanced at Duke before she shook her head. "No, we don't want to intrude. I'm sure you two want to celebrate alone."
"Yeah, take advantage of the limo," David added. "Go for a ride around the city before you check into the honeymoon suite."
It sounded like a great plan to Flint, but he noticed Alison seemed to be disappointed. "Okay," Alison replied. "Shana, how long are you in town for?"
"I don't fly back until after the new year, so we'll have plenty of time to get together. You can tell me all about your wedding night," she said with a wink towards Flint. Flint was glad that even though they had agreed to keep things low-key they had splurged on the limo and the hotel stay. It wasn't the most extravagant of wedding days, but he wanted to give Alison a very special wedding night.
They said their goodbyes and then climbed into the limo. The driver closed the door behind them and Alison asked. "Is it just me, or do you feel like they were eager to get rid of us?"
Flint too thought it was odd that they didn't take up Alison's offer, but he was glad that they didn't. He was looking forward to the alone time with her. Which, if he had a guess, was probably Duke and Scarlett's motivation as well.
He shared his theory with Alison, who nodded. "That could be, and if so, good for them. But what about David?"
Flint shrugged. "He's a Midwesterner born and bred, it's in his nature to be polite."
Once the car pulled away Flint reached over to pull out the bottle of champagne that had been chilling in the ice cooler. Alison let out a mock gasp. "Is that real champagne?"
"It is. I figured it wouldn't hurt for you to have one glass."
She smiled at him. "How many books and doctors did you consult before you came to that decision?"
"Just a few," he admitted. He popped the bottle open and then poured them both a glass. They cheered one another and took a sip.
Alison frowned as she looked out the window. "I thought we were going to the Biltmore?"
"We're supposed to be," Flint replied. He too looked out the window and confirmed that they weren't heading towards their destination. He moved forward and then rolled down the partition separating them from the driver. "Where are we going? We're supposed to be heading to the hotel."
"Don't worry, Mr. Faireborn. There's been a slight change of plans."
Flint turned towards Alison, who had a look of concern. He went on alert. "What do you mean change of plans? Where are you taking us?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you. Mr. Hauser told me to not reveal our destination."
"Duke?" Flint still had an uneasy feeling. He sat back next to Alison and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He dialed Duke's number. "Did you divert our limo?" Flint asked once the first sergeant answered.
Duke let out a laugh. "Calm down, Flint. You're not a victim of a nefarious Cobra plot. It's just a little surprise the Joes have for you and Alison."
"Where are we going?"
"You'll find out once you get here," Duke answered cryptically and then hung up the phone.
Alison raised an eyebrow at him. "Should we be worried?"
"Well, apparently the Joes have something planned for us. So, yes, we should be."
Alison laughed. Flint took another sip of the Champagne and then put the glass down to free up both of his hands. He wanted to get back to the task of enjoying the private limo ride with his new wife. He leaned over and kissed her deeply as he caressed her body. She let out a soft moan that spurred his actions.
His excitement level ramped up but he reluctantly pulled away. He meant what he said earlier about looking forward to ripping off her dress. However, he wanted that to happen when they were truly alone in their hotel and he could make love to her in a proper way. Plus, with whatever the Joes had planned he knew they had to keep themselves looking respectable.
Alison's hand went to the front of his pants and he gasped. Suddenly all the reasons to keep himself in check seemed insignificant. He allowed himself a few moments to enjoy the sensations, but then he regained his senses. He put his hand over hers to stop her. "I want to wait until later where I can do this right."
"I know. I do too," she whispered into his ear as she kissed his neck. "But I still want to have some fun right now."
With that, Flint surrendered himself to the moment. Alison expertly kept him on the edge of ecstasy until the limo came to a stop. With a final kiss, she pulled away and looked out the window. "We're at Barbecue's firehouse."
Flint could only nod. "I'm going to need a minute to calm down."
Alison grinned at him again. "That's fine. I need some time to freshen up as well."
She pulled a mirror out of her bag and Flint watched her with a smile as she adjusted her hair and makeup. "You're so beautiful. I love you so much."
"Thank you. I love you too." She leaned over to kiss him, but stopped when there was a knock on the window. Flint opened the door, where a Class A wearing Alpine greeted them with a bow. "Mr. and Mrs. Faireborn, follow me."
Flint looked at Alison with an amused expression, but the two did as they were told. Alpine had them wait at the door a moment while he peeked his head inside. They could hear the sounds of several conversations with music playing in the background. Both came to a stop, and Alpine waved them through.
The music changed to the bridal chorus. Duke stopped them at the door, and picking up the microphone he announced. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise, and welcome for the first time as husband and wife, Dashiell and Alison Faireborn."
As they entered a room filled with applause, Alison looked around the firehouse in awe. It had been transformed into a reception hall, and was filled with Joes, many of which had obviously cut short their Christmas holiday to attend. She tried to catch the eye of as many of her friends as possible. Flint leaned over and said to her, "Come on, they want us to dance."
He led her to the front of the room, where they had spaced the tables to make room for a dance floor. One of her favorite love songs began to play, and she leaned into Flint. "Did you know about this?"
Flint shook his head. "No, I'm just as surprised as you are."
"This is amazing. I can't believe they did this for us."
The song ended, and they were directed to a table for two at the side of the dance floor. An appetizer sampler was on her plate, but Alison was too worked up to eat. She first wanted to thank the people she suspected were responsible for the event.
She quickly found Scarlett, and went over to her table. "Do I have you to thank for this?" she asked with a smile.
"I may have had the idea, but Con did most of the work," Scarlett said with a nudge towards Duke, who was sitting next to her.
Duke turned to face her. "I can't take all of the credit. When I approached the team with the idea, Barbecue volunteered his fire house, and got a crew together to set it up. Roadblock handled the menu, Cross Country donated the stereo, and a few of the guys have a couple more surprises up their sleeves."
Alison hugged the two of them. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
Alison talked to a few more of the Joes before she returned to her table. Once she was seated, Flint stood up and raised his glass. "First, I want to say thank you everyone for all of this. It means so much to Alison and me that you care enough to throw us this party. This was a really nice surprise. So, cheers to you all." He took a sip and then turned towards Alison. "Now, to my wife. Which is something I've wanted to call you for a very long time." Flint paused a moment. "You have to forgive me, since I didn't know this was happening I didn't pre-plan a speech. At least one that I can say to a room full of people."
Alison blushed and smiled while a few of the Joes chuckled. Flint grabbed her hand and continued. "We've been through a lot together, and I am so thankful that in the end you're here by my side. I look forward to what our future is going to bring, including the birth of our daughter."
A cheer went up in the room. It grew louder when Flint leaned over to kiss her. The music then changed to a popular dance song, and many of the Joes took the dance floor. Ripcord came over to bring Alison out to dance, and she eagerly accepted. Flint spent a few minutes watching her until Duke took the empty seat next to him.
"You're really having a little girl?" Duke asked with a smile. He waved over David to join them.
"If you believe the ultrasound. And the technician doing it seemed fairly confident." Flint looked at Duke who was still grinning. "Care to clue me in to what you find so amusing?"
"I was just thinking back to the night your nephew was born, and you announced to the bar that it was only the beginning of the Faireborn family line. That you planned on bringing at least another half-dozen Faireborn boys into the world."
David laughed and slapped Flint on the shoulders. "That sounds just like my brother. Celebrating my accomplishment by bragging about how he is going to one-up me."
Flint grinned sheepishly. "I think I vaguely remember that night."
"I'm not surprised that you only have a vague recollection, since you had been hitting the beers pretty hard," Duke continued. "I thought you were celebrating your first major defeat of Cobra, but then I realized later that I think your alcohol intake was due to Jaye's date with Shipwreck."
"Yep, I do remember that night. And you were right I was trying to drink away my sorrows. I was especially annoyed with myself that she had apparently hooked up with the guy I brought onto the team. Luckily she came to her senses. And when she showed up at the bar later that night I decided I needed to stop stalling and to tell her how I felt. I think that was the night when we first," Flint paused as he debated how much to reveal. "Had a deep and meaningful conversation."
David raised his eyebrows at him while Duke laughed. David excused himself when Alison walked over and wrapped an arm around Flint. "You look like you are having quite the talk."
Duke nudged Flint. "He was just telling me about the first time you two had a 'deep and meaningful conversation'."
"Really?" Alison asked with a pointed look at Flint. "What happened to not kissing and telling?"
"Sorry, buddy!" Duke said and with a pat on Flint's back he left them to join Scarlett on the dance floor.
"I noticed those two have been very chummy tonight," Flint commented.
Alison had noticed the same. Whatever Scarlett had written in her letter to Duke must have worked. She couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them.
The next couple of hours passed by in a blur of good food, dancing and enjoying the reception with her new husband and their friends. They even had arranged for the traditional cake cutting ceremony. Despite the evil glint in Flint's eye he remained a perfect gentleman, and refrained from any cake-in-the-face shenanigans. She too decided to return the favor.
Once they returned to their seats, Shipwreck grabbed the microphone, and said, "This party is not only to celebrate the marriage of Flint and Jaye, or in some of our cases a way to come together to grieve what could have been," he said with an exaggerated leer towards Alison that made her laugh. "But unfortunately, it's also a farewell party. Lady Jaye, I hope you all know that we love you and are going to miss you."
Alison blushed and waved her hand in thanks to the applause that broke out. Before she could get too wrapped up in the emotions of the moment, Shipwreck continued. "To honor your contributions to the team and our hearts, we put together a quick 'best-of' video for you."
The lights dimmed, and on the wall the video began to play. Alison frowned as it showed, her, Cover Girl and Scarlett lounging on the roof of Headquarters in their swim wear. Just as Scarlett leaned over to rub suntan lotion on Cover Girl's back Breaker jumped up with a "Damn it, Shipwreck!"
With a grin and an overexaggerated laugh, Shipwreck said, "My apologies everyone. I think I mixed up the tapes. This one is from my private stash. I'm kidding," he added after ne noticed the angry glares coming from the women in question and many of the men. Flint didn't look happy with Shipwreck's stunt, but Alison appreciated the attempt at humor.
The real video started a few moments later. Alison gasped when she saw the early footage. The guys managed to find the moment she stepped foot on G.I. Joe soil. She couldn't take her eyes off of her younger self. It had only been a few years, but the intervening years had weighed heavily on her. She then noticed Flint and Duke standing in the background of the video. Flint nudged Duke and then said something into his ear. In the firehouse, Flint leaned over to whisper to Alison. "I remember that day vividly. As soon as I saw you, I knew my life was going to change."
Alison wanted to say the same, but the reality was she hadn't been as instantly smitten. She had first been intimidated by the Warrant Officer. However, it hadn't taken long to see past his gruff exterior to the man below.
The video continued for several minutes, and it was a montage of life on Joe HQ. Running PT, conducting drills, and recreational time among others. The parts that stood out were the several homecoming shots of her and Flint being reunited. She couldn't remember what particular mission each scene belonged to, but she loved seeing the moment that happiness replaced the fear on his or her face when they caught sight of the other. It was a true testament to their love. Alison hoped that she could get a copy of the video to watch repeatedly on her own.
The video ended with a series of shots of her in action. The tears started flowing then as she was again hit with the idea that Lady Jaye was no longer. She would never wear that uniform and fight side by side with her fellow Joes. Flint wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She cried on his shoulder for a few moments. Once she gained control of herself she pulled away. The video had ended and a crowd had formed in front of her table.
She stood and walked over to Shipwreck. With a hug and a kiss on his cheek she thanked him for the video. She did the same to Breaker and the rest of the guys that had helped. She then spent some time with each of her closest friends, Cover Girl, Alpine, Bazooka, Cross Country, Dial-Tone, Ace. It seemed the list was endless. The last one to come to her was Ripcord. "I'm really happy for you," he said simply.
"That means a lot," she said as she hugged him. "And thank you for being there for me in Scotland."
She returned to her seat. She noticed that her tears had never stopped, so she wiped them from her face. Flint rubbed her back. "Do you want to go outside and get some air?"
Alison was going to take him up on the offer, but Duke walked over to the microphone. "Unfortunately, I think it's time to call an end to the festivities. I think the newlyweds are getting anxious to continue their celebrations privately. When you're ready, your limo is waiting to take you on to the Biltmore.
"Before you go, I do have a couple of announcements. General Hawk had wanted to attend, but due to prior commitments he couldn't. But he wanted to give you a wedding gift. Alison, your report date has been pushed back by a week, since he wants you to enjoy a proper honeymoon first. And since I assume you want your husband to join you, I spoke to General Bradshaw who agreed that Flint should get an extension of his R and R time."
Alison grinned at Flint. It was a perfect ending to the day. Her original plan had been to fly to DC in the next couple of days to be moved in by the New Year. But having an extra week meant they could enjoy some leisure time together before she made her move.
The two rose to leave, and were showered with confetti as they made their way to the limo. The ride to the Biltmore was spent in silence as the two were lost in their thoughts. Once they arrived, they checked into the presidential suite, and walked out to their balcony. They had timed their arrival perfectly, as the setting sun was setting giving them a beautiful view of the Phoenix skyline.
They watched in silence for a few moments. Flint walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and whispered. "I love you Mrs. Faireborn."
She turned to face him. "I love you too, husband."
He led her inside where they slowly and passionately consummated their marriage. Since it was an act they had engaged in several times, Alison wasn't expecting it to feel any differently, but somehow it did. It truly felt like they had a deeper bond.
Afterwards they lay there, where Alison replayed the whole day it her head. She rolled over to face Flint. "I'm curious to see if your memory is correct about our first time. When did you tell Duke it was?"
Flint ran his fingers down her naked shoulder. "The night Danny was born. I wanted to take you out to celebrate, but Shipwreck beat me to it. Luckily your date was a disaster and you met us at Joe's later that night."
Alison's face took on a puzzled look. "Was that right after we foiled Cobra's weather manipulating plot?" Flint confirmed it was and she continued with a shake of her head. "First, it was never a date with Shipwreck. I made that quite clear to him. Secondly, it was not a disaster, we ended up having a very nice dinner. And finally, I don't know who you had a 'deep and meaningful conversation' with that night, but it wasn't me. Yes, you made your intentions known, and I told you that I was interested, but that's as far as it went."
Alison could understand why Flint's memory of the chain of events was a little faulty. He was right that the night at Joes was the first time he confessed his feelings to her, and they did initiate physical contact. But since they were both well aware that what they were doing was against the rules, they weren't ready to cross the sexual line. As time went on, their feelings for each other deepened, but they kept the no-sex rule in place. They had convinced themselves that as long as they weren't having actually intercourse, then they weren't breaking the fraternization rule. So they did everything but. Until the day that Alison decided she wanted more, consequences be damned.
That moment came after they foiled Cobra's plan to use the Red Rocket Food chain for their nefarious purpose. At one point, she had infiltrated Extensive Enterprises and had been interrupted by the untimely arrival of the Twins. They fought, and the next thing she knew she was plummeting to what she assumed was her death. But thanks to Flint's aerial acrobatics and her javelin throwing skills she lived to tell the tale. Once she was safely back in the DragonFly, she made a joke so Flint wouldn't notice how disturbed by the event she was. She didn't necessarily have the cliché 'life flashing before her eyes' experience, but it was a good reminder how dangerous her job was. And because of that she decided to live her life with no regrets. And that included consummating a relationship with the man she cared deeply about.
Once the mission was over and they had gone back to his room she wasted no time. "Make love to me," she asked with a kiss.
Flint pulled back slightly to look at her. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I want this. I want you."
Flint reached over into his nightstand and pulled out a sealed box of condoms. When he noticed her eying the package he grinned. "I bought these a few weeks ago," he admitted. "I figured it was best to be prepared."
"Let me guess. You were a Boy Scout growing up?"
Their lovemaking was as good as Alison hoped it would be. When it was over, she leaned into him and whispered. "Dash, I think I'm falling in love with you."
However, his response was not what she was expecting. He let out a nervous laugh and gave her a squeeze but didn't respond. She laid there for a few minutes longer, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She wondered how she could have misread Flint so badly, as she had been sure that his feelings for her were just as deep. But based on his non-response, she had to have been mistaken.
Which meant she had just made a critical mistake in her career. She abruptly sat up, and made an excuse about needing to take care of some paperwork. Instead, she had gone back to her room and spent a sleepless night wondering how she could have been so stupid.
The one thing she did decide was that she was going to confront the issue head on. If she needed to do damage control it was better to start it sooner as opposed to later. But she never got the chance to talk to Flint as they had to rush to recover a satellite in Africa.
That was a mission where her personal feelings had definitely interfered with her professional work. She let her anger at Flint bleed into her actions, and one of her poor decisions nearly led to her death. But it had been enough to prompt Flint into expressing what he really felt.
She had been so relieved to hear that she hadn't overestimated his feelings, that in full view of the other Joes she accepted the hug he offered. When none of the Joes reacted, she pushed the envelope by hanging onto him for a few minutes more.
On the ride back to the States, Flint took the seat next to her. "I'm sorry for how things played out the other night." Flint looked around the Tomahawk. "I should have responded and told you that I feel the same way. But I was scared." He sighed before he continued. "I had tried to convince myself that I could keep my feelings out of this. Yes, I liked you, probably from the first moment I laid eyes on you, but I knew that by acting on that, I was heading into dangerous territory. Still, I wanted you. So we started on this thing that I was fairly sure was going to get us in trouble. However, I felt that as long as I didn't have strong feelings for you that I could pull away at any time. But the more time that we spent together, the more I realized that what we had wasn't just physical, that it went deeper than that. Which you confirmed. And I realized I needed to figure out what I really wanted. I admit, that I considered telling you we had made a colossal mistake, that it wasn't worth throwing away our careers for our fling. But then we went on the mission, and I thought that once again I had watched you plummet to your death, and I decided that I would rather lose my job than you."
Alison finished recapping her memory of the events and Flint nodded. "You're right. Honestly I think I blocked a lot of that out of my head, because that was one of the many times I acted like an idiot and nearly lost you. I'm glad you stuck with me."
"Me too," Alison said with a grin. She then nestled against her husband and fell asleep.