"Commander, would it be okay with you if I contacted Wash?" Jim didn't really need anything, but wanted an excuse to see how she was doing and Elizabeth said she hadn't been to the clinic yet.
"Is it about work?"
"Not really, I was going to invent a problem and ask her advice just for the chance to see how she's doing."
"She's recovering and taking walks through the west gate and hiking in the mountains to regain her equilibrium."
"How do you know all this?"
"I've been inviting myself to supper since she moved. As long as we don't talk about work or what I did to her, we're finding our way back."
"Back to what?" Jim wasn't sure exactly what their relationship all consisted of now that he thought about it.
"You ask too many questions, Shannon," Nathaniel didn't want to discuss Wash with him or anyone. He considered what he was planning to be private and just between the two of them.
"I'd like to ask her for supper, you can't hog her all the time."
"She's not ready to face anyone and it's my fault. As long as she is suspended, I'm her support. Give her time."
"At least try and get her to go see Elizabeth, she's worried."
"I'll see what I can do."
"You can order her."
Nathaniel laughed, "I think my days of ordering her are over. I'm just trying to not have her quit like she's threatening."
"Wash is quitting? No," Jim breathed.
"Fraid so; she is in total disagreement with my sentence and has told me so in military jargon I can't repeat."
"What are you going to do if she quits?" Jim hadn't thought of that being a possibility.
"Replace her," his cold tone of finality stopped Jim from asking any more questions.
Alicia was starting to forgive him. He'd been the perfect gentleman and actually good company. For three nights, he showed up, usually bringing more food, knowing she didn't want to be seen in the market. She decided to make something special for supper and cooked a dino meatloaf that was a favorite in the colony. She ground the meat with a grinder built into the kitchen appliances that was also used to chop vegetables. She sautéed a mixed batch of fresh veggies and wished she had wine. Looking at the clock, she decided she had time to walk to Boylan's and see what he had.
Leaving the bar, she saw Nathaniel walking down the street ahead of her and wondered why he didn't drive as he'd done since first coming to visit her. Abruptly he turned into a house and knocked. Wash was now close enough to see whose place it was, Debora Tate's new home.
"Thanks for coming, Nathaniel," Debora's voice clearly pierced the brisk air stopping Alicia in her tracks.
"We need to talk, Debora," Nathaniel held a bottle of wine out, something he never brought her. They disappeared behind the door, leaving Alicia stunned and standing alone in the street.
She turned towards home then reversed her course and went back to Boylan's. The Friday night crowd was tuning up when Boylan just happened to look up and see whom his latest customer was. "Josh, take care of things," he ordered and rushed around the bar to meet Alicia at the bottom of the steps. He could see she looked lost, much like when she was forced to surrender the colony. "Lieutenant, welcome to my establishment. You're just in time for a private party in the back if you're interested. It's the old timers, gathering to rehash days of glory; you know some of the blokes you fought with in the future."
Alicia hadn't said anything while he talked. Josh watched them from a distance. It was the first time he'd seen her since she was in his parents' house. He saw her take Boylan's arm and they disappeared into the back where he wasn't allowed to go. Soon Boylan was back as if nothing happened.
Alicia quietly sat and sipped her drink. Boylan kept some of the good stuff hidden from his patrons, but would break it open on special occasions. His distillery techniques were steadily improving and this bourbon was so fine, she couldn't tell it was made locally. They accepted her as one of them, not requiring conversation. Normally, she never joined them in their monthly gathering, but they knew what Taylor did to her and if she wanted to invade their all male conclave, she was welcome. Listening to the stories, she let her mind drift back to happier times when she would flirt and date anyone who caught her eye. Taylor was married back then and off limits. Now, he seemed to be sending her mixed signals, while seeing Debora on the side. She was glad nobody knew of his nightly visits or she'd have a new round of humiliation to face if they knew she was part of a triangle involving the Commander and another woman.
She was careful not to drink too much on an empty stomach. Casey rolled up to her, "You're quiet tonight."
"Nothing to say."
"Nobody here agrees with Taylor and are on your side. We were here in the colony and know what went down. You did all you could."
"Taylor seemed to think I shouldn't have been in Boylan's drowning my sorrows, but planning a resistance. I get a disorderly conduct metal for drinking instead of leading any opposition."
"We've been in the trenches with you. You have nothing to answer for in this room," he saw a shadow of a smile and it was gone just as fast. "When are you going to have us old soldiers over to your new home for a proper party so we can bring booze and housewarming gifts and see the fanciest house in the colony, or are you too good for us now?" he joked, wanting to see a full blown smile. He got his wish.
"How about next Friday. It'll give me something to plan and look forward to."
"Here this you slobs," Casey raised his voice, "Wash just invited us to a real party at her home next Friday night, but we have to bring liquor and gifts."
"Wash, you know Casey ain't housebroken," Boylan, who joined them, joked.
"Why not have a party to celebrate me living and a new life, but I have a condition, you all have to bring a date."
"Say again?" Boylan thought he misunderstood.
"A date, like in a woman."
"No, the other part."
"I'm retiring, not going back to be Taylor's whipping boy anymore. He'll have to find someone else to take the next fall for when some soldier doesn't live up to his excessive standards."
"It's about time," Boylan raised his glass, "To our newest almost civilian."
Here, here's were heard from the eight men in the room.
"And I'm serious about dates. Most of you haven't had one in years. I know because I haven't either," she threw out her requirement.
"I guess I'll bring the old ball and chain," Bickers, a black man who'd been in the service until he retired three years before, after thirty years, threw in.
"You better. What about the rest of you?" Alicia looked at them.
"Nobody wants to date a cripple," Casey whined.
"I'll be your date then," Alicia smiled at him and saw his face light up.
"A dream come true. Can I spend the night?" he joked as the room broke out laughing with ribald comments thrown about.
"No." He pretended a pout as Wash continued, "And I want you to try and bring someone. I want everyone to tell me whom you're bringing. Some of the women in the colony hate each other and if you bring the wrong one, the night could be real entertaining." Her statement caused more laughter and appropriate comments.
The door opened and Jim Shannon walked in, stopping the joviality in a split second. He looked around at the people and his eyes landed on Wash.
"This is a private party, Sheriff," Boylan stood up.
He dragged his eyes back to Boylan, "I'm just making the rounds. Never know who might still be in contact with Mira or the Phoenix."
"Well, as you can see, we were the people assisting you with your little resistance, hardly spying for Mira," Boylan didn't back down and halfway expected Taylor and friends to come and tear the joint up again.
Jim looked back to Alicia, "Wash, I haven't seen you around and want to visit."
"I don't want to be seen, Shannon."
With a final look to the patrons, he left. Josh tried to stay out of his way as Boylan followed to make sure the Sheriff left.
"Sorry, I didn't know he was going to show up," Josh apologized.
"You're not responsible for your father. Ten minutes," Boylan called, telling the customers he was closing. After the room emptied, those in back came out and two men turned Casey's wheelchair around and pulled him up the steps. Josh watched Washington talk quietly to Boylan at the base of the steps and talk for a few minutes and give him a hug and follow her friends up to the street level.
She walked the streets the long way to avoid walking past Debora's house, but stayed in the light of the lamps. The cold air felt good on her slightly inebriated body. If she swayed, she could always blame it on her head injury. In the last streetlight near her house, she saw his vehicle parked in front of her house. She hoped she wasn't too drunk for the altercation she knew was coming. He was sitting on a chair on her front porch.
"It's cold out. Why didn't you go inside?" she unlocked the door and entered, leaving it open, knowing he would follow. She turned on a light and smelled the food she forgot about.
"Where were you?"
"I had a date."
"You've been drinking," he stepped close.
"I'm old enough to drink and not be questioned by my Commander or should I say soon to be ex-Commander," she shed her jacket and tossed it on a chair in the living room before heading to the kitchen for something to eat.
"I thought we were moving beyond the Commander/Lieutenant relationship and forging a new path," he didn't know what got into her.
"You make me feel like I'm under some kind of arrest wanting to know where I've been. If you want me under your control, throw me in the brig," she pulled the now cold meatloaf out and cut off a chunk for her plate. "Isn't that why you're hanging around, trying to catch me violating some kind of rule only you know about."
"I'm here because I miss you and I find going a day without talking to you is a long and lonely, like today was."
"How could you be lonely with your date?" she turned away in case her face gave anything away.
"Date? I had supper with Debora and Skye and we cleared the air on what Skye did. I left you a message."
Alicia pulled her radio. It was off and she turned it on…nothing. "The chip must be bad. I didn't get any message."
"How did you know I was with Debora then?" he hadn't told anyone where he was going unless they did.
"Doesn't matter," she shrugged it off.
"If my being with another woman upsets you, it matters," he stepped close, "I'm not seeing anyone and was hoping our friendship would morph into something, but I'll tell you right now, I won't be with a jealous woman. They're miserable to be around."
"If I care about a man, then yes I'm jealous. I don't want him having dinner or spending time alone with another woman," she stood her ground.
"I'm glad you told me. I won't take up anymore of your time," he turned and left, leaving her stunned once again and her head started reeling with familiar dizziness, this time alcohol induced.
She looked at the food, not hungry now, and put it in the crisper and went for the sleeping pills. No matter what she said, it was going to be opposite what he wanted to hear and now she was sure he would never return and was more depressed than ever. 'All those years of waiting for him to get over his wife and notice me and he thinks I'm a jealous woman. Well I am if I love someone, like you.'
She opened the door to her door chime the next morning after forcing down some breakfast. She was greeted by Mark Reynolds and his sidekick Charles Dunham. "Sorry to bother you, Lieutenant, but Commander Taylor has ordered you to the Infirmary and we're here to escort you."
"No," she started to close the door and Mark moved fast knocking into her and slamming the door into her face. It was a lucky hit that caused blood to gush from her nose as she hit the floor with a moan.
"Wash, oh God, I'm sorry," Mark dropped to his knees. "The Commander told us to take you by force if you resisted, what can I do?"
"Get the towel from the kitchen," Dunham pushed by Mark and hurried to comply. She held the towel to her nose until the bleeding stopped and felt to see if it was broken. She couldn't feel anything, but was a mess with blood all over her shirt and the floor. Both men looked on helplessly while Wash sat against the wall with her head in her towel covered hand. The dizziness returned from the pain. Standing slowly, she slapped helping hands away. Not caring if anyone saw the blood, she walked to the rover and climbed into the passenger seat, stopping long enough to slap the towel into Marks hands with instructions for him to clean the blood up before leaving.
Mark wiped up the blood and threw the towel into the sink and hurried to the rover where Dunham drove them to the Infirmary. Everyone stopped to stare at the bloodied Lieutenant, including Jim who was starting up the steps to the Command Center when they drove by and stopped two buildings down. He rushed to help her out and glared at Mark, "Did you have to use lethal force?"
"Sorry, Mr. Shannon," Mark knew he was in trouble, but not who he was yet to face.
Alicia pushed Jim away and walked on her own into the clinic while Jim got on the radio, "Shannon to Taylor, she's at the clinic in more or less one piece."
"What's that mean?" the voice of a concerned Taylor came back.
"Looks like the lads had to use force."
"On my way."
"What happened, Corporal?" Jim stood directly in front of Mark, who filled him in while Alicia was safely inside.
"I asked you to be brought for me to check out, Lieutenant," Elizabeth explained and motioned her to lie on an exam bed, "not add to your injuries."
Alicia didn't say anything and lay still while the doctor examined her. There was a commotion and Nathaniel and Jim joined Elizabeth at the bed. Taylor looked at the blood and remained silent. They didn't look each other in the eye and she figured he'd just blame her anyway if she were forced to tell her side.
"I've compared the brain swelling from right after you were shot to now. I'm happy to say the swelling is down, but not completely. There is still pressure on your left eye from the back. Do you still have dizzy spells?"
"Some."
"You can't go back to work until it's completely down. Now what happened to your nose?"
"Broken?"
"No, just a knock that broke a vessel and made it look worse than it is. I don't need to do anything. It'll heal on its own."
"Can I leave now?" Wash's clipped answers weren't lost on anyone.
"Not until I find out how you came to be covered in blood," Elizabeth wasn't backing down.
Alicia sat up and waited for the room to stop spinning and carefully stood, "Ask Reynolds," she moved off intending to walk home stepping by Taylor without looking at him.
He reached out and grabbed her arm, "I'll take you home, Wash."
"You don't have to, Sir," she chanced a look into his eyes and saw sorrow and pain and softened, "but I'd appreciate a lift."
In the rover, he spoke, "Reynolds told me what happened. How could you have let that happen?"
"I let my guard down, like when the Phoenix attacked, Sir."
"Drop the Sir shit, Wash. I want to be your friend."
"I'm looking for more from a man and you made it clear it wouldn't be you," she started to get out as he had stopped in front of her place.
He reached out and grabbed her arm, "Here's another radio," he handed her a new unit.
She took it without a word and got out. Not waiting to see if he were making sure she made it safely inside her home and didn't look back.
Nathaniel drove the rover back to the storage area and felt horrible. Maybe he was overreacting. It had been many years since he looked at a woman that way and Wash seemed to bring out the worst in him lately; he wanted to control, protect, wring her neck and kiss her all at the same time. He parked and walked back towards the Command Center, deep in thought. He knew he loved her, so why did he say that horrible thing of not wanting a jealous woman. He'd never seen her jealous and a jealous woman showed it in little things. It was okay to be possessive over a mate. He thought of her with another man and a knot tightened his stomach and made his healing wound's presence known.
"Commander," he looked up at Mark Reynolds, "Mr. Shannon told me to come to you for discipline."
Taylor looked at him, "How do you feel at hurting your Lieutenant?"
"Awful, it was an accident, I swear. I must have hit the door harder than I thought and it slammed back into her nose knocking her on the floor and then blood was all over. I wish I could take it back."
"You're on night guard for one month starting tonight."
"Yes Sir."
When Reynolds didn't move he ordered, "Go get some rest, Corporal." He didn't think the accident deserved punishment, but sometimes the younger soldiers that screwed up felt better working out penance and it made them better and more cautious the next time. He went back to wanting to repair the damage he kept dishing out to her, the kind that wouldn't heal fast like a bumped nose. His meandering took him into the market where he looked at articles for sale.
He saw Debora working at a booth helping Casey and they were laughing and having a good time and he made his way to their booth.
"Commander," Casey smiled up at him, "what brings you slumming during the day?"
"The repairs to the colony are proceeding ahead of schedule. I'm not planning on hunting the Phoenix with winter coming on and have nothing to do that I can't put off for a while."
"Skye told me she would play chess with you on slow days," Debora was glad to mend fences with her old friend.
"I don't feel like playing chess," he looked around at what Casey had for sale.
"What are you looking for?" Casey could tell the Commander was looking for something.
"A housewarming gift."
"You going to Wash's party on Friday night?" Casey knew the rules and had a special gift set aside for Wash.
That was the first he heard of it and covered fast, "I don't know. We have a relationship right now, of 'She talks to me, she doesn't talk to me,' and we alternate days. Today she's not talking to me. We'll have to see what day Friday is," but I'm trying to get her to talk to me and women like things like…." he looked around.
"Flowers?" Debora helped.
"And a vase to put them in," he finished her sentence and picked up a pottery vase off Casey's table. "Where did you get this?"
"The senior school students are gathering different materials from the rivers and making pottery knickknacks that are flying off my table. I contracted with them to buy the best items and gouge my unsuspecting customers for as much as I can swindle."
Nathaniel looked at the construction. It was well made with blue and orange clays mixed into a colorful pattern. He looked at the bottom and the name, "Chastity Parker," he read aloud, them mumbled, "who names a kid Chastity."
Debora and Casey laughed softly. "I'll let you have it for five terra's, Commander," Casey made his pitch.
"And what would you charge anyone else?"
"Only four," he grinned.
Nathaniel fished a five terra piece out and tossed it to Casey, who caught it effortlessly.
"Nice housewarming gift," Debora approved.
"Oh no, this is to get me supper tonight," he moved on to the booth that housed a large selection of fresh flowers. "How come you have flowers in this weather?" he asked Patti Camdon, a soldier's wife who ran the booth.
"I have a greenhouse on the back of my house, just so you can have lovely flowers all season."
"I thought you were growing things for Boylan's still in the back."
"Just a few rare herbs to flavor his drinks. I don't even know how he uses them, he won't tell me."
Nathaniel looked at the colorful bouquets, "Do you know which are Wash's favorite?"
"I know she looks at these whenever she stops by," Patti picked up a bouquet that included white and cream flowers, mixed with a petite purple flower.
"I'll take it," he laid two terra's down and handed her the vase. "Could you help me out?"
"Of course, Commander," she took the bound bouquet and took the binder off and soon had the vase looking beautiful. He handed her another terra for her effort and hurried off with his peace offering.
He took them directly to his rover and drove directly to her place, hoping she was still home. Ringing her bell, he waited for her to open. He rang a second time. The door opened and he looked at her over the flowers. Her hair was up and she was wearing a robe, and obviously had been bathing. His eyes lowered to the cleavage he could see. He raised his gaze, "I'm sorry for the way I acted, I was out of line. You're not a jealous woman and for me to infer so was wrong. It seems like we're too sensitive with each other right now and I miss you. I'm formally asking to court you like a gentleman should."
Wash shook her head, "Your change of moods on an hourly basis is making me dizzier than what's going on inside my head," she moved aside so he could enter.
"These are for you," he held the flowers out.
She smirked as she took them, "I thought you opted for flowers over your pistol." Walking to her table, she sat them in the center and stood back to admire them, "That's what the room needed, thank you."
"How's the face?"
"Sore, I was relaxing in my tub when you came. I'll put some clothes on," she slipped off.
He walked around the house looking in rooms which were still bare. She only furnished the living area and her bedroom he assumed.
They looked at each other uncertain the next move. He walked to her and took her hands, "I'm tired of not seeing you and the things I say are all wrong. Seems like we're always starting over. I've had feelings for you for a long time, but the Sixers got in the way. Now I can't seem to say or do the right thing. I solve problems all day except my largest one…..you."
"I don't mean to be a problem," she was content to hold his hands between them and look him in the eye.
He let a smile reach his lips and eyes, "I wouldn't have it any other way. You never did answer me."
"You want an old fashioned courting?" she wanted to get it straight.
"We may be older, but I don't want to rush into anything, but I want to be the man in your life and hopefully you'll be my woman."
"What if I get jealous?" she wasn't going to be rejected by him again.
"I was on my way to the market and thought of you with another guy and I didn't like the image it conjured up. You're not jealous of me any more than I am of you."
"We can give it a try, Nathaniel, but there will be issues and fights and I'm not going to be your whipping boy anymore," she started laying the law down.
"But you will let me protect you. We're going to face some changes now and it would be easier with you by my side."
"Slow is good," she smiled at him.
"I've missed your smile more than you'll ever know," he leaned in and their lips met for the first time as a couple. He broke off, "I have to get back or someone will come looking for me, like Shannon, and I want to keep us a secret for as long as we can."
"That won't be too long if you're my date for my small party on Friday."
"I heard something about it, you have to invite me now," he hadn't released their hands and his tightened a fraction, "but, what I really want is to resume supper with you and tell you about my day and hear about yours."
"You get leftovers tonight."
He laughed, "I can hardly wait," and kissed her once more before leaving, happier than he'd been since his eyes lit on her after returning to the colony."