So I know it's been a while, but here it is, thanks for all the nice reviews of you guys, it's much appreciated and very lovely to read.
a special thanks to tmcltb for beta reading this chapter.
so here is the chapter, I hope you like it, please do let me know what you think.
"Rachel?" he asked again, looking down at her. He felt her squeeze his hand for a second time, as her head turned to the side, away from the light.
When she turned her head back towards Tom, her eyes were squinting against the light. "Tom?" Rachel asked, unsure of whether he was really there, compounded by the fact that she was still confused as to what had happened, why her head was pounding like it was, and why she was in the infirmary.
"Yeah, Rachel, it's me." Tom assured her, giving her hand a squeeze.
"What happened?" she questioned, rising up on her elbow, trying to lift herself up.
"Lay down, you have to rest," Tom said, placing his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back down.
"I need to get back to the lab." Rachel objected, pushing his hands away, or at least trying to; his hold on her was soft, yet strong as he held her down on the bed.
"Why didn't you take care of yourself?" Tom questioned, when she finally relaxed and stopped trying to get up.
"Like you care?" Rachel spat out. She had not forgotten how cold he had been acting towards her in the last few weeks, she could do the same as well.
"Of course I care about you," Tom immediately protested, shaking his head in bafflement at the suggestion that he didn't care about her. Like hell he didn't! She was the only thing he thought about all the time.
"Yeah, right." He heard her muttered as she turned her face away from him.
"Yeah, I care about you, Rachel, please look at me," he nearly begged, keeping her hand in his clasp, ignoring the fact that she tried to pull her hand away.
"The only reason you care about me is because of this mission, I basically am the mission." She ended in a whisper as she turned her glare towards him. This time she had gained back her strength a bit and sat up in one try, moving her legs over the side of the bed.
"No, that's not why I care about you." Tom shook his head, not believing his ears. But maybe he'd deserved it, after how cold he'd been acting towards her, and for what? Because he was too damn stupid to admit his feelings? The only thing he'd accomplished by avoiding her was hurt her and push her away.
"Then why?" she questioned with a simple shake of her head, looking into his eyes, not backing down. She wanted an explanation as to what she had done to deserve his coldness. She hadn't done anything wrong, at least she didn't think that she had, and if he was mad because she had spent so much time with his kids, he should have said so, instead of acting like a stupid son of a bitch.
What she hated even more than his coldness was that her feelings for him hadn't changed. She was angry at herself for still having feelings for him, after how he'd been acting towards her. He was like a virus himself, having gotten a hold on her and she couldn't get rid of him, no matter how hard she tried.
Why? Tom asked himself. Maybe his father had given him false hope or false information – the look in her eyes said anything but love. She was pissed, rightfully so, he thought, after how he'd been acting.
Should he tell her now and get his hopes crushed? Finally admit what he had been fighting and take the risk of having it smashed in his face? Thinking that actions speak louder than words, instead of telling her, he moved his free hand to the side of her face, leaning forward, closing the gap between their lips.
The moment their lips connected it was like a current of electricity was being shot through both their bodies, then was so much more than that as he put everything he felt for her in that kiss, hoping it would convince her.
He had to. Having found her like that on the floor of her lab had opened his eyes, to the extent that the last year hadn't already. His father was right, this was a changed world, a new world. He couldn't ignore the feelings coursing through his body anymore.
Rachel had been shocked when he kissed her, not having expected that at all. When she got over the surprise she leaned into his kiss, pressing against his hand where it cradling her cheek. It wasn't him alone pouring everything into the kiss, it was her as well. They had both been fighting this for a long time.
The kiss was a lot more intense than the one on the Vyerni, this wasn't the passing of a note and the fear of getting caught, this was a kiss pouring every bit of feeling they had for each that they had been fighting to deny.
When they finally separated it wasn't because they wanted to, they had to pull back so they could catch their breath, Rachel's hands were in Tom's hair pulling him closer to her, whilst Tom's was on her cheek.
Their lips disconnected, but their heads stayed together, warming each other's face as they tried to regain their breath.
"Do you know now?" Tom whispered, looking into her dark hazel eyes that held so many secrets and promising himself that he would learn those secrets.
"Yes," Rachel said in one breath.
"I'm sorry if I made you think that I didn't care about you, nothing could be further from the truth, I promise you. I was trying to understand what this," he paused, motioning his hand between their bodies, "is, and Darien hasn't been gone that long. I know we've been at sea for months now, but she's only been dead for a short time and I don't want to seem like it didn't mean anything." He rambled, but was stopped as Rachel placed a finger against his lips.
"I get it Tom, I do. And I don't want you to forget her. She meant a lot to you and to your kids. You loved her, I don't expect you to forget her, it wouldn't be you. But I don't want this last few weeks to have a repeat after this," she whispered, her hand resting on his shoulder, rubbing her thumb back and forth on his neck.
"I won't, I promise," he whispered, closing the gap between their lips again. He'd gotten a taste of her again and couldn't get enough. He had finally admitted it, he didn't want to fight it anymore.
"We can't go public, not as long as we're on this ship and I want to keep this to ourselves for a while. Figure what this is for the both of us." Tom explained, squeezing her hand again.
"We'll take things slow." Rachel agreed with a nod of her head.
"Agreed." Tom smiled, sighing in relief, it was like a weight had been lifted off of him, fighting this had taken a lot from him and now he didn't have to.
"But why didn't you take care of yourself?" Tom asked.
"I don't know, I just didn't want to face you again for you to yell at me again. It was just easier to stay in the lab, I guess." Rachel shrugged her shoulders, a bit ashamed by it. "What happened?" Shel asked, feeling her head and pulling her hand back when she felt a patch of blood.
"You fainted in the lab. Ashley and Sam found you, they got me and I carried you here." Tom explained quickly.
"Ashley and Sam?" she asked, horrified by the fact that those sweet kids had found her. They had already seen their mother die and now they had found her unconsciously, she couldn't even imagine how terrified they must have been.
"I need to see them." Rachel said, trying to get up, but she only managed to fall back down on her butt.
"No you need to rest. They're with my dad, they'll be okay." Tom tried to assure her.
"But they must be worried, I didn't mean to worry them." Rachel started rambling.
"If you want I could bring them here. But only if you promise to rest and don't give Rios a nervous breakdown," he warned with a chuckle. He knew that she would give him a run for his money, she'd probably try to escape the moment she was alone.
"Fine." She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Good, now be a good girl, whilst I go and get Rios and my kids." He chuckled, getting up. He leant down to kiss Rachel's lips again, before turning around and leaving the infirmary
Tom walked out of the infirmary with a big smile on his face, which he had to hide as he saw Rios on the opposite wall.
"She's awake." Tom started explaining, nodding his head back towards the infirmary. "Would it be alright if I brought my kids along? It's just they found her and must be worried."
"Of course, just make sure she gets her rest, that's important now." Rios told him as Rios went into the infirmary and Tom walked to his cabin where he suspected his kids and father would be. When he didn't find them there he walked to the mess.
He found them there playing with their food. "Hey guys." He smiled, walking inside.
"How's Rachel?" The three asked the question in unison.
With a chuckle, Tom replied, "She's awake, the doctor is checking her out. You guys want to see her?"
"Yes." Ashley and Sam responded, jumping up.
"No, first you need to eat something. The doctor will be ready by the time you are finished." He ordered, sitting down at his usual place at the table.
"But….." They started protesting, with a lift of Tom's eyebrow they turned back to their plates and started eating.
"How is she?" Jed asked his son, seeing a difference in his son's mood; like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.
"She'll be okay; she was back to arguing again." Tom pointed out with a smile.
"You guys talked?" Jed asked, suspecting that he was right when he saw the smile cross his son's face. Previously, whenever the topic of Rachel had come up, Tom would get a grim look over his face, but now he had a broad smile on his face.
"Maybe." Tom said, hiding behind his cup of coffee.
"Son, I'm not daft." Jed told him, with a raised eyebrow.
"Good, then you should know the answer to your own question." Tom chuckled, not wanting to admit it out loud yet. He and Rachel had agreed to keep it to themselves after all, but damn his father, he was way too curious for his own good.
Rachel wasn't really happy with what Doc Rios had told her - two days of rest. Like hell!, she thought to herself. Tomorrow morning when everyone was still asleep, she'd go to her own cabin and back to work. No way would she stay in bed for two days.
Her head was propped up on several pillows when the door to the infirmary opened. "Rachel!" Two enthusiastic voices cried as both Ashley and Sam ran to the bed and into the open arms of Rachel.
"Are you going to die too?" Sam asked, pulling back to look at her with tears in his eyes.
Oof course not." Rachel assured him with a squeeze to his arm. "I just need to rest a little bit, before you know you'll be back to help me in the lab," she explained, pulling him back in the hug as Ashley sat down on the bed.
"Are you sure?" Ashley asked, taking Rachel's hand in hers.
"Absolutely." she told them with a smile, trying to hide a yawn, but Tom saw through her efforts. Rachel didn't want them to see her like that again, she had scared them once. So she tried to lengthen the time she had with them, wanting to prove that she was indeed okay and wouldn't leave them or die like their mother had.
But Tom had other plans and wanted Rachel to rest, she needed it after having collapsed from exhaustion and not taking care of herself, so now more then ever he made it his personal mission she would be taken care off, not ignoring her own health.
"Come on kids. Rachel needs to rest. You can come and visit her tomorrow morning." He said, looking at Rachel who nodded her head in confirmation.
Both kids hugged Rachel tightly, in fear of losing her as well. Before Tom ushered them out, he turned back to Rachel, quietly ordering, "Rest, okay?"
Normally Rachel would have protested and snuck out of the room, but the IV bag still attached to her prevented her from doing so she lay back down and looked up at the bottom of the bunk above her.
Maybe she could convince Tom or Rios to bring her computer or something. She'd drive herself insane if she were to lay there doing nothing.
Rachel had been released from the medical bay the next day, having bugged Rios endlessly until he gave in and had immediately gone to her lab with the intention of catching up on work. That had been the intent, anyway, until Tom had found her and nearly ordered her to join him and his family for lunch. It became a regular tradition for Rachel to join the Chandler family for lunch or dinner.
The first week passed by as Rachel and Tom continued to grow closer, getting to know each other better and trying to figure out if making landfall in Norfolk would be a good idea after Baltimore.
[I would add something like, Rachel was working in her lab one morning when she had an unexpected visitor.]
Rachel had been looking over some files and ideas, she wanted to see if she could spread the cure without the need of a bigger lab, she liked the idea of spreading it through the air, like crop-dusting, when the door to her lab was thrown open and Gator walked in.
"Dr Scott, I was sent to come and get you." Gator said, an excitement in his step and in voice as she followed after him, curious to see what had him so animated.
"Is it possible for a hospital ship to have a lab on board?" Tom asked, glancing at Rachel. A look passed between the two of them, one that only they would understand - or at least that's what they thought. The crew had almost immediately figured out that something had changed since Rachel had collapsed.
No more walking on eggshells around them, and when the two of them looked at each other, their expressions conveyed far more than they were aware.
"I guess so, yes. Why?" Rachel questioned, her head tilted in confusion. Gator set a couple of files on the table, opening them to reveal that a ship called the Solace had left Norfolk with a fully functional lab on board.I It was decided quickly that the James would navigate towards the ship. Everyone was hopeful that they could get a second ship to spread the cure, and since the Solace was a military ship, everyone thought that the crew could be trusted as the news travelled through the ship, excitement spread.
When the huge ship came into view on the horizon, nearly everyone made their way to the upper deck, looking out to a new hope, a new way of being able to spread the cure.I If there was indeed a lab on board, they wouldn't need a lab on land - at least not soon. They would have to replenish their resources and fuel but that was all.
"Now that a sight to behold," Jed said, coming to stand next to Rachel as she had joined the large number of people on the deck.
"Indeed it is. Let's hope we find what we hope now." She replied cautiously, a feeling of apprehension growing as they approached the ship.
Rachel moved to the bridge, wanting to see if they had managed to make contact with the ship since she had gone to the deck.
"We haven't been able to contact anyone on the ship." Tom immediately said when he saw her enter the bridge.
"This bloody virus." She cursed, walking up to the table everyone was hunched over.
A plan was made for them to board the ship, help those who might still be alive and see if they could move the lab to the James.
As Tom headed to Solace with his team, Rachel held her breath. Scared for the person she had just let in, scared to lose the person she had finally admitted that she loved, scared to lose Tom when he had finally admitted his love. They had only started and she didn't want to lose him now. Then the call came that there were hostiles on board, the ship came alive as everyone went into their battle position.
Barely breathing, Rachel listened to the garbled sounds over the mic. 'Please let them be okay, let him be okay.' She thought to herself over and over again.
An hour later everyone, including the personnel of the Solace was aboard, the hostiles having disappeared.
Rachel was helping with the care of those injured in the second helo bay, which had been transformed into a field hospital for moments as these.
"You'll be okay?" Rachel asked Rios, walking up to him after everyone had been taking care of.
"Yeah, most of them need to rest anyway." He smiled with respect in his eyes.[I'd add something here like "He appreciated her assistance and dedication to the crew given that there were too many injuries for him to effectively handle alone."
"Hey guys what are you doing here?" Rachel asked as she ran into Ashley, Sam and Kara walking in the P-way as she left the helo bay. She could see no one else in the p-way as she walked up to the kids.
"They were scared for their dad." Kara explained, looking at Rachel.
"He's okay guys, he's up on the bridge I think." Rachel told them.
"I was going to tell him everyone is taking care of, want to join me?" Rachel suggested, resting her hands on either of their shoulders.
"Can we?" Sam asked, looking up with hopeful eyes.
"Of course;" Rachel confirmed as they turned around and started walking towards the bridge, when the bell sounded throughout the ships. "Hostiles aboard." Was the next thing announced over the com.
"Shit," Kara and Rachel muttered, looking at each other and each taking a firm grip on one of the children.
So that's the chapter. I hope you like it. please do leave a comment behind so I know what you think.