"Plymouth Plantation," Jim identified the ship as he pulled up a screen at a side table while Alicia and Nathaniel took seats in front of it. "It took a few weeks, working part time to track the sculpture to the correct ship. With the help of the eye I did and compiled what I found," he sat in the last empty chair and continued with a composite from the eye of the actual ship. "Built in Holland in 1694 and sold to Abraham de Charles in 1709. He lived in Boston colony and was its captain who sailed from Boston with rum, bibles and whale oil for the African Coast. There he would take on slaves and sail to the Caribbean. From their he'd take the best slaves on to South Carolina, drop the slaves and sail for home laden with salt and molasses, much richer than when he departed. He did that twice yearly until 1721. His last recorded parting was in May of that year. He was reported in Calabar on the west coast of Africa in July where he sold his goods and purchased slaves and sailed west that same month. He left San Salvador in late August and was never seen again. Other ships in the area reported a strange lightning storm north of the Bahamas around that time in their logs. They described an almost blue and pink lightning together that was sheet like in its flashing across the skies non-stop with a black backdrop that looked like sailing into a wall of darkness."
Nathaniel and Alicia absorbed the information while looking at a reconstruction of the actual ship with her siren on the prow, leading her ship into the unknown. She was beautiful with her painted blue flowing dress and golden hair. Her eyes were sparkling blue with skin painted a haunting white. Nathaniel lost himself in her looks, beckoning him to run away to sea. He wondered what it must have been like for a young man with her in port, offering promises of adventure. He noticed Jim had stopped talking and both were looking at him.
He pulled himself back to the table, "A Bermuda Triangle mystery. They probably hit an opening in the time dimensions that was located in the Gulf Stream. They suspected some of the portals might be located in the ocean floors."
"I think this would prove there was an active one in the Triangle," Jim studied that possibility in the eye with no conclusive evidence, just theories.
"So a portal in the ocean would dispose them several hundred klicks from us and at least close to our timeframe. Could be the badlands is a junkyard from the future." Nathaniel focused on Jim, "Good work, Shannon. Maybe if they reverse the portal, the Phoenix will end up in the polluted Atlantic."
"We can always hope," Jim agreed. "That's all I have."
Alicia went back to her space and picked up a plexpad, her mind still on the ship. With effort, she redirected to the task at hand. She noted the dwindling supply of toilet paper and moved that to the top of the list for manufacturing. According to the stats the colony was using a thousand units per week. She picked up her radio, "Washington to Herbert."
"Herbert here," a man's voice promptly answered, "what can I do for you, Lieutenant?"
"I need to see you immediately in the Command Center."
Paul Herbert looked around his manufacturing building and didn't really have time to jump when number two asked him to. He needed to watch the latest batch of pulp in the machine that turned out disposable paper items. "On my way." He looked for his son, "Timothy, watch this batch. I've been summoned to the palace."
Alicia worked for two hours and when she finally stretched and looked at her watch, it was noon. She noticed Nathaniel managed to slip out on the guise of checking the troops since she abrogated her responsibility as he put it while leaning over for a kiss on his way out the door. She sat back and thought of her new position. Part of her wanted to be out there and the other glad she was being seen as the person the civilians could come to for supply problems. It made her feel useful and not just Taylor's second, blindly following his orders. On that line, she filled requested information on those who made her life miserable and the slights she had to endure. She placed it on Nathaniel's desk with a note telling him she was taking the rest of the day off and come for supper.
She drove across the colony to her home and took her troubled reflections of dealing with those women for a run into the hills, climbing and running until her chest was heaving. It was her first hard work out since Lucas shot her and she could feel the scar extending along the left side of her head pulsing with each beat of her heart. She sat on a rock outcropping and watched the colony below. A pterosaur flew near her taking her gaze from life in the colony to watch it soar by. She noticed its beak seemed gummed up with something, but couldn't tell what. She watched it land and decided to try and get closer. Working along the rocks trying to keep out of sight, she peered over an outcropping to find a nesting area. In a nest were dead babies and the mother appeared to be the poking at them. She was starving by the skeletal frame clearly showing under her dark gray skin. Alicia made a decision and shot the bird, killing it instantly. Examining the beak, she saw it was infected with something and bet it was related to the young birds Malcolm had in his possession. Taking her boot knife, she cut the head off and lugged it off the mountain.
"Washington to Taylor."
"Where are you, Wash," his concerned voice answered immediately.
"I'm partway up the west mountain. I have something for Malcolm. Could you meet me near the west gate?"
"I'm on my way," he cut the connection. He wanted to tell her he read her additional report and then took the recording of her surrendering out of the safe and viewed it. She had it on a plexpad chip with his name like she told him. He got to see the shelling and her orders and the death reports coming in fast and she was processing fighting and the damage all at once. She told the soldiers she was surrendering and ordered Private Camden to stay in the Command Center and finish the recording and take the chip that had the Commander's name on it and secure it in the secret safe. He wanted to hold her and tell her he was an ass for adding to her burden.
He waited outside the gate, leaning against the front of his rover and scanning the hill with his binoculars. She popped out of the woods near him and he rushed to greet her as the sun ebbed in the sky. He stopped and looked at the pterosaur head in her arms and ran a critical gaze over her. She seemed to have overdone her workout and looked winded and exhausted.
"Wash, you shouldn't have overexerted yourself. What is this?" he took the head from her tired arms.
"I believe it's an advanced case of whatever we're dealing with," she filled him in on her afternoon.
"Let's get this to Malcolm," he carried it to the rover.
"You go, I'm taking a shower," she pointed to her bloody clothes.
"You're not cooking after this, I'll take you out. Too bad we don't have a nice restaurant in Terra Nova."
"There's always Boylan's. He used to bring me food and it was pretty good," she knew Tom looked out for her during the occupation.
He shrugged his shoulders, "We can try, but don't be surprised if we get refused service."
"Boylan wouldn't do that. He treated me real good when you were OTG, and I was told looked in on me in the Infirmary when I was unconscious."
"It's a date," he leaned over and kissed her, "Need a lift home?"
"No, it's just around the corner, but you can clean up before collecting me. I want a real date since we're going to have so few before marriage."
"You can have all you want after we're married," with a grin, he was gone.
On the way to the lab, he got a call from Erick McKormic telling him the bed and vanity were ready for his inspection. "I'll be by in the morning."
He showed up at her home and whistled his approval, "Nice," she was wearing an extremely tight pair of black jeans with her boots with heels. Her top was something he'd never allow a daughter out of the house wearing, but on her it was sexy. The material was a faux leather stamped with a cheetah pattern. The string ties looped over each shoulder and the hem was ragged, exposing parts of her midriff in a tempting display of skin. He reached out feeling over her breast.
"What the hell are you doing?" she noticed where his eyes fixated.
"You don't have a bra on. I was wondering if you were showing too much," his hand cupped and didn't move.
"It has a double layer over the breast, satisfied?" she enjoyed his attentions and concern.
He reluctantly dropped his hand, "Nobody but me better look," he growled and pulled her against his hardness. "You take care of this and I'll feed you."
"You feed me and I'll take c… wait, we're supposed to not do that until married," she looped her arms around his neck and permitted a long kiss.
He broke off for air, "You said enough that I'll take as a contract. I feed you….you take care of me tonight, please," he ended on a comical whine making her laugh.
"You had your chance to marry me today and got cold feet, so you'll have to wait," she picked up her shiny black leather jacket and he helped her on with it.
"You keep that on at Boylan's. I won't be responsible for fighting if you don't."
Boylan was surprised when the Commander and Washington walked arm in arm down his wide stone steps. He watched them look around and Taylor spotted him as they walked in his direction. "Good evening," Tom smiled his greeting.
"Tom," Taylor used his first name, "mind if we eat here tonight?"
"Welcome to my establishment," Boylan was quite surprised as the Commander and Lieutenant never set foot in his place to socialize in the five years he'd been in business. "Food is served in the galley," he pointed up a flight of stairs to the upper part of his A frame roof. One end was open allowing for a view. "We're serving dino burgers with sweet potato fries tonight."
"Sounds good," Nathaniel guided Alicia up the steps and they found a table near the opening. "Not too cold for you?"
"Not if I keep my jacket on," she sat in the chair he held. He sat across from her so he could look at her top and wished she'd take the jacket off as the only other customers were at the other end and they had privacy. The sun had just gone down and being the middle of the week, customer traffic was light. He filled her in on what Malcolm said, "…it would die if you hadn't done a mercy killing. He is pretty sure there is a connection and hopes it's not widespread, but the infected are dying."
Josh showed up, "Can I get you anything to drink?" he smiled shyly at them.
"Bring one of Boylan's best wines," Nathaniel didn't drink Boylan's bar stock, just bottled wine he sold in the market occasionally.
"He has a batch that has aged five years that's very good."
"That'll do," Nathaniel nodded. Soon he was back with a bottle on a tray with two clear glasses. He sat them on the table and poured the drinks. He paused like he had something on his mind then started to leave.
"Was there something you wanted, Josh?" Nathaniel asked him.
He came back to the table, "I heard Skye was going to be trained to go OTG and gather supplies. Is that safe for her?"
Nathaniel's shrewd eyes ran over the young man, "She should be safe enough, I hope," he added.
Josh nodded and hurried off.
Nathaniel changed the subject. He looked across the table, "Wash, I read your addendum and saw the battle and your surrender. You did nothing wrong in the performance of your duties and I've reflected that on your file." He lifted his glass, "a toast to the most beautiful woman in this colony who's agreed to marry me."
Alicia smiled, "And to you, who maybe thinks I'm not so bad after all." They touched glasses and drank to each other.
"Is there anything you want to know about me that I haven't told you?" he asked after putting his glass down.
"You never talked about your first marriage much. Tell me about it," she wondered if he still loved Ayani and if she'd be a problem in their union.
Something caught his eye and Boylan was at the table with a large tray, "I oversaw the cooking myself and told Monte it was for the both of you and he better make it the best ever." He sat a plate laden with fries and a large burger in front of Alicia first.
"Thank you, Boylan."
"My pleasure, Lieutenant," he kept talking as he sat the last plate down. "Maybe you'll like the food and atmosphere and grace my establishment once in a while."
Josh showed back up with water and two more glasses on a tray. Without a word, he served water and left as quickly as he arrived.
"He seems to know his job," Nathaniel commented to Boylan.
"He's a good kid. Not easy with a domineering father, but he'll find his own way in the colony. I understand you have him doing the carpentry tour?"
Nathaniel took a bite and nodded his answer, "This is good. Give my regards to Monte." He knew Monte also moonlighted at Boylan's as a cook at night after working as a cook in the market at noon.
Alicia had an idea, "Boylan, you do wedding receptions here don't you?"
Tom turned his attention to Alicia, "I've done a few. Several of your soldiers have had rather nice receptions here. Do you want to have yours in my establishment?" he hoped they would.
"It's on Saturday so you wouldn't want to close to the public for a private party," she cancelled the idea.
"I've closed on Saturday's for weddings. I'd be honored if you had yours here. I set everything up so it's minimal effort on your part. You tell me what you want and if it's in my power I provide."
Alicia looked at a surprised Nathaniel and knew she shouldn't have asked without consulting him so answered for them, "We'll discuss it, Tom, and thanks."
With a smile, he left them alone.
"How long have you been thinking of having our reception here?" Nathaniel wanted to know.
"It just came to me. This place is large enough and if we're getting married in three days, I don't have time to do any work towards the reception. I'll get Patti Camdon to do my flowers and if we have the reception here, she can decorate the place. We can have a wedding in the chapel. Of course I have nothing to wear except my uniform."
"You could shop at the local boutiques and maybe find something suitable," he wanted her to look nice. "I'll pay for anything you want."
"It's not that, Nathaniel. The only shop that might produce a dress suitable for a wedding is owned by Dinah Powers."
"Oh, I see." He did understand after reading her report on that woman and five others who were a thorn in her side and had been for some time. Women, he didn't understand their desire to immolate each other over petty grievances or a man and he had a sneaking suspicion he was the man in question as all of the women at one time or another propositioned him with dinner or companionship and they saw her as the barrier to their success.
"Enough about her, I want to hear about your first marriage." While they ate, he told her what it was like be married to Ayani, "…She couldn't have any more kids after Lucas although we both wanted a daughter. After she died, I missed her terribly," he confessed and realized he hadn't talked about his marriage or how her death affected him. Alicia was the first and he figured it was right she understand why he waited so many years before looking again. "We had a good marriage and I loved her deeply, a love that grew over the years."
"I could see it when you two were together. You adored her and she you," Alicia knew that from interacting with them for several years, although she wasn't in their inner circle of friends.
"Lucas got lost in my grief and when I pulled out of it, he was about fifteen and I couldn't reach him. He lost himself in his studies, so I felt I lost him also and was alone. I don't talk about those years easily as I have nobody to share them with."
"You have me now, Nathaniel. If you need to unload about what happened, I'm here. It's part of my job description as new wife," she smiled across the table at him.
"I'm still having trouble believing I'm getting married again after so many years and coming here for a new life. I focused on everyone else and put myself on hold. I also put you on hold by overworking you so you couldn't pursue a relationship. From the moment I decided I might like to go after you, I tried to dissuade others from getting too close."
"Weren't you afraid Guz would do just that?"
"He was my main concern and I kept him occupied away from you most of the time."
"You're devious," her expressive eyes glinted in amusement.
"You're mine and have been for a long time," he reached over and stole the last uneaten fry off her plate. "Are we done here?"
Nodding, she rose and he followed her down the stairs after dropping enough for a meal and tip on the table. He'd seen the price for tonight's meal posted on a plaque as they entered the upper level. They walked to the steps leading up and out when she stopped causing him to bump into her back. Stabilizing hands gripped her shoulders. He glanced around her at her face and focused on what she was looking at. He saw nothing but gray steps cut into bedrock ascending to the street above. "Do you see something I don't?"
"I was thinking with flowers tied to the roots on the wall, the steps would make a nice setting for a wedding and this place would do as a reception."
He looked with renewed interest at the stairs trying to see it through her eyes, "If you want to get married on those steps, we'll make it happen."
"I do."
"Save that line for me," he looked around for Boylan. The bartender was serving customers in the far corner and had his back turned. Nathaniel led her to the bar to wait his return.
"Can I get you a drink?" Josh appeared behind the bar.
"No, we need to speak to Boylan," Nathaniel was content to wait.
Josh hurried off, "Excuse me, Boylan. The Commander wants a word with you."
"I mustn't keep the Commander waiting, good day," he hurried back to the bar.
"Josh said you wanted to see me, Commander. I hope your dinner was satisfactory?"
"The dinner was excellent, Boylan, we left terra's on the table, is that how you do it here? At Boylan's nod he continued, "Wash wanted to know if we could get married on your steps?" he gestured to the opening.
Boylan blinked in surprise, "I suppose so. Nobody's ever asked me that so you'd be the first."
"I would like to impose on you for the wedding and reception on Saturday," Alicia made her mind up.
"Consider the place yours, Lieutenant," Boylan grinned at them.
"Don't change your mind because I'm sending invitations out in the morning," she smiled at him.
"Just don't invite the friends you made among the Phoenix and we'll get along fine," he joked back.
"It's going to be a closed party. We'll have security at the top of the stairs keeping anyone not on the guest list away," she explained.
"How many people do you expect?"
She shared a look with Nathaniel who kept out of her planning, "About half the colony adults, no small children." She threw a questioning look at Nathaniel.
"That would cover our troops, dates and certain civilians invited from the colony," Nathaniel agreed to the numbers.
"This place will be cramped, but doable," Boylan started mentally rearranging the bar to accommodate the numbers.
"Give me the bill," Nathaniel ordered.
"I can't until it's done and I see what was consumed."
"Fine," Nathaniel looked at Alicia, "done here?"
She nodded and let him escort her out.
He escorted her to her door, "Let me come in so I'm not forced to ravage you in front of the colony."
"Just for a little bit and no funny business," she unlocked her door and missed the broad smile that crossed his mouth at her words.
"Promise," a pledge he had no intention of keeping.
As soon as she heard the door click, he was on her, hands peeling her jacket off and letting it drop untended to the floor as his hands plundered her unsheathed breasts, tongue invading her mouth. He only relinquished her mouth when he moved to the exposed breast. Somehow, her top was with the jacket bearing her pale flesh to his gaze off the moonlight shining through the windows, as nobody turned a light on. He tugged at the button on her jeans, his intent obvious.
"Nathaniel, you promised to be good," she was almost to the point of no return and about ready to push his fumbling fingers out of the way, and allow herself to feel his length, standing at rigid attention.
"Get these clothes off, I'll be better than good," he moved to the other breast.
"We can wait three days," she tried once more to be the voice of reason.
"I've been good for a week," he straightened and pulled her to his throbbing hardness. "It's either a hand job by myself….again I might add, or you take care of it so I can do some semblance of functioning at work, besides we haven't done it in your bed and the new one is ready for our inspection in the morning," his blue eyes pleaded for just the night.
"What will the gossiping colonist think of you spending the night again?" she retrieved her top and jacket.
He reached over and locked the door, "The guys will think I'm one lucky SOB and the women will think you're so lucky to have a hunk like me," he couldn't keep the grin off his face.
She shook her head and led him to her bedroom, "We are setting a horrible example for the young adults and they are sure to follow in our footsteps."
"If it makes you feel better, I won't spend the night as much as I want to," he stripped as he talked.
True to his word, he slipped out of her home about midnight and drove across the colony to his almost empty quarters. All that remained to be moved was his clothes, and he was doing that on Saturday morning before the wedding.
Alicia started her morning off with breakfast alone and drove the most direct route to the Command Center. She had ideas of what she wanted and hastened to the market to get started on her plans.
"Where you going in such a hurry?" Nathaniel caught her arm from behind and spun her in for a kiss in the middle of the busy morning market.
"I have a wedding to plan unless you want to help?" she offered him the chance.
"I'm planning the honeymoon, so knock yourself out on your part and leave me to do mine," he murmured into her ear making her laugh. He pulled back and smiled, "That was an honest laugh that I love and don't hear nearly enough."
"I want to have the plans all finalized within the hour so need to go," she tried pulling out of his arms.
"I want breakfast first."
"Umm, I ate at the house."
"Without inviting me?" he squeezed the sides of her waist he was firmly holding.
"I figured you might be sleeping in since you didn't leave until late," she mumbled and hoped nobody was close enough to hear.
He couldn't keep the grin off and leaned into her ear, "If you hadn't kicked me out of your warm bed, we'd still be there."
"I really have to go; see you at work," with a quick kiss she pulled away and he watched her leave.
Patti agreed to do the flowers and they were to meet later at Boylan's, where she had to go over the menu and wine or whatever anyone wanted to drink. The dress! She stopped at a small shop on a residential house were the sign said to enter. A bell announced her arrival and soon a young woman appeared, toting a toddler on her hip.
"Lieutenant, what a surprise," Cami Loyer was suddenly nervous. "Something isn't wrong with Randy?"
"No, business for me. I haven't heard from the unit so assume they are still on their mission." Cami relaxed and Alicia focused on the little one with his curly brown hair and bright blue eyes, "Rory has sure grown."
"He's getting to be a handful, now that he's running all over the house," she sat him down and he wandered around the shop, a place he wasn't allowed.
"As you've probably heard, I'm getting married on Saturday.."
"I did, congratulations," Cami was happy for her and the Commander. She was a young wife of a soldier in Taylor's unit and always thought the Commander's treated them very well. They came through on the Seventh as a newly married couple, he to join the famous unit as a replacement soldier for those who died with syncillic fever. She opened a small sewing shop, a trade she learned in the future from her grandmother. She specialized in children's clothing, but did some adult items also.
"I know its short notice, but I was wondering if you had something on hand or could throw something together for me to wear."
"I was working on a dress for Rachel and Raul's wedding when he got killed by the carno during the occupation. Rachel hasn't been by and I don't expect she will be. She's still taking his death hard. I've got the material, it's white and there is enough to make a long dress if you don't want sleeves."
"Let's look at it," Wash waited while Cami dug through a pile of material. It was a white satin that shimmered in the light. "I like it. A simple gown with a zipper in the back and strapless is what I'm thinking of." She wanted the photos that would flash around the colony to show a sexy dress and make the other women jealous. She had to admit, she was a woman and revenge for their diatribe against her would be sweet.
"I can whip a dress out like that in an afternoon if I can get a sitter for Rory."
"I know someone who'll be more than happy to help even if I have to order her," Alicia thought of Skye.
Cami pulled her plexpad of designs for wedding gowns that were strapless. Alicia looked through about thirty designs and chose the third one, a simple form fitting dress that flared out to the floor. It appeared to have six panels for the top and one seam for the skirt.
"Let me get some measurements," and she ran a digital tape measure over Alicia, "Got it. Come by tomorrow morning for a fitting."
"I'm sending Skye Tate over right away to take Rory off your hands. Any problems, call me and I'll handle it."
Cami looked concerned, "I'm not sure I want Skye around Rory after what she did."
"Skye made a teenage mistake. She's repentant and will be fine with Rory."
"I'll trust your judgment," Cami had no choice as they needed the money.
Leaving she pulled her radio, "Washington to Skye."
"Lieutenant?"
"I need you to drop whatever you are doing and babysit Rory Loyer until Cami is done making me a dress."
Skye looked at Travis who was instructing her on how to use a portable transit, "Sorry, you've been outranked."
It was close to noon when Alicia climbed the stairs to the Command Center. She found Nathaniel buried in a project and he didn't look up when she sat at her table. Jim was likewise engaged so she picked up her plexpad to look for the latest messages.
"Lieutenant Washington," she looked up at a scared looking Dinah Powers.
"What can I do for you, Dinah?"
Dinah looked nervously at Jim and the Commander, "Mr. Shannon paid me a visit this morning and explained as part of the investigation on everything that transpired in the colony during the Commander's absence, my conversation with you in the plaza right after you surrendered was noted by more than one person and complaints were filed.
Alicia glanced behind the woman to catch Nathaniel's and Jim's eyes. They both winked.
She sat back in her chair, playing with her stylus, "Let's go over your accusations and see if you committed an act of treason against the colony or just kicking me while I was down and didn't have the effort to respond."
"Oh, Tom Boylan stopped you from decking me and I might add looking back I deserved whatever you would have given me." She paused and licked her lips, "I remember saying something about you having a relationship with the Commander to get your position. I was shown your service record and promotions, metals, and the pointed out you've been shot more than once. I was totally out of line with my petty accusations. I indicated you weren't qualified to do the Commander's job and you've been doing it for more years than I've been here. I want to apologize for my harsh statement and ask you to go leniently on me with your discipline."
"I seem to remember you telling me I got my commission on my knees," Wash wasn't letting her off lightly.
"I was jealous of your friendship with the Commander. You were the only woman he watched in the colony. His eyes always followed you and he never noticed me, or for that any other woman. Many, like me came here hoping to win his favors. Everyone in the future knew he was a widower and when I won the lottery, I knew fate put me in his proximity and we were meant to be a couple."
Alicia looked over at the Commander, who was pretending to work, "Commander, do you want any woman in the colony besides me?"
He didn't look up, "Nope."
Dinah turned at the question and saw he wasn't interested enough to even give her a passing glance. She waited for the Lieutenant's judgment.
"You're free to go, however, you won't be getting my business and the seamstresses who didn't spread lies will be given first opportunity to buy the textiles our burgeoning factory is starting to produce."
"I understand and hope you find it in yourself to forgive me someday."
"You may leave," Alicia picked her plexpad up, ending the conversation.
Dinah looked at Jim and he motioned her to leave.
Nathaniel got up and went to stand behind Alicia. His hands massaged her shoulders, "A little present for you."
"She probably didn't mean a word she said," his hands felt wonderful and she didn't realize the encounter with that woman made her so tense.
The rest of the day flew by and Nathaniel wasn't far from her side. Lunch in the market brought many friends by to say they could hardly wait for the wedding. Alicia sent a notice to the invited people for a closed wedding and reception starting at six on Saturday night.
Her last stop of the day was to the Infirmary for her checkup. She smiled at Dr. Shannon, in an extremely good mood after Nathaniel spent all afternoon catering to her and taking her around to many of the businesses where the owners were invited. They visited and the women all told her how happy they were for them. Nathaniel always managed to ask how they did during the occupation. Many offered how hard it was for Wash to surrender and what she sacrificed to keep the colony safe. Several asked her what she had to promise Weaver and Lucas. For the first time Nathaniel heard her answer.
"To keep more colonists from being killed, I had to be where the Phoenix could keep an eye on me. When some of my soldiers resisted, they were thrown in the brig for three days without food or water. I issued an order for them to dress in civies and merge with the civilians."
"I have a favor to ask, Doctor," she wasn't close friends with women in the colony and her few female soldiers were subordinates. Her closest friend was Reilly and she was OTG with Guzman for who knew how long tracking Fickett down.
"After what you did for my family, anything," Wash's good mood was infectious and she smiled broadly back.
"I was wondering if you stand with me when I get married. I know the Commander asked Jim to stand with him."
"On one condition," Elizabeth countered.
Alicia looked expectantly without speaking.
"I want you to call me Elizabeth, like you do Jim."
"I don't call Jim, Elizabeth," she was still smiling and laughed at the shake of the doctor's head.
"I'd be happy to stand with you. Oh God, what will I wear?" a horrified look plastered to Elizabeth's face.
"I saw you wearing a purple outfit that I liked in the market before the occupation, special occasion?" Alicia remembered thinking they looked nice as both were dressed up and eating out, just them.
"Our anniversary," Elizabeth remembered what now seemed like a happier time.
"Thank you, Elizabeth," Alicia rose to leave and turned back, "why don't you and Jim join us for supper tonight, my place, and we'll go over the plans."
"What am I bringing?" Elizabeth's way of accepting.
"I don't know if the older kids want to come at their ages, but I'm sure Nathaniel would like to see Zoe, his other girlfriend."
"Elizabeth laughed, "I'll bring salad, okay?"
Alicia nodded, "Be there at six thirty. That's when Nathaniel always shows up for food."