A fortnight passed since the return of the military in a hurried rescue. They came home empty handed of their prize, Andrew Fickett, but with a wealth of new knowledge on the badlands and the secrets it vigilantly guarded.
A message from Chaplain Franklin popped up on all plexpads and radios. "For the newcomers to the colony and a reminder for everyone else, the religious observances start on December first and will commence on the thirty-first with a New Year's Eve party. Check the schedule for your institutional beliefs, thank you."
Nathaniel sighed and put the plexpad down. As Commander, he was expected to put in an appearance at all the diverse religions as a show of unity. He wondered if he could get Wash to attend with him. She was conducting another meeting, this time with the metal fabricators. He listened in.
"…Skye brought back a couple hundred pounds of metoric ore from the mine. How long will it last?"
The people exchanged glances and Dr. Xen, the lead metallurgist, looked at the list of items needing metal. He spoke for the group, "Lieutenant, we will be lucky to get fifty pounds of usable metal from the ore and this list is extensive. The most pressing is more bullets to replace what was lost since the Phoenix arrived. Then we need replacement parts for the vehicles." He shook his head, "There just isn't enough metal to fill everything on the list."
"I'll send Skye out again until there is," Alicia mainly wanted an unbiased opinion for the use. Being military, she automatically gave them first priority. "I'll send a military unit out this time instead of Dunham and Reynolds to help Skye. She knows what to look for and how to use the test equipment," she sent a note to Nathaniel's plexpad for the manpower request and the list of items being requested by the colonist that used metal.
He looked at the list and set the pad down as Jim came in to talk to him.
Jim smiled over at the group of industrialist as he passed. Ever since Wash took over the requisition job, the colony was running smoothly and people so far were tolerant of the shortages they'd encountered. "Commander, I have information on your latest project." He let the ambiguous statement stand alone, knowing the Commander would understand. "I can show you in the eye."
Alicia watched them walk past her in a hurry. The rush could be anything from a school fight to a problem with a soldier or something even more interesting. She felt the tug of regret on her decision to switch jobs and not automatically follow him as she'd done for so many years. With effort, she focused on what Dr. Xen was saying. The meeting ended and Alicia debated looking for her husband and Shannon. She looked at her watch and headed to the market to pick up a few things for supper instead.
Dinah Powers saw her and decided to test the waters, "Lieutenant, I'm sure happy the rain gave us a break today."
Alicia looked over at her, "The market is full with everyone stocking up for the next rain, which should start anytime," she gave a few terras to the vendor and moved on not wanting to waste her time on idle chitchat with Dinah.
Dinah's eyes followed her and she tried to figure what was different with the Commander's new wife. Marriage certainly agreed with her and she glowed. Dinah thought if she was sleeping with that hunk, she'd be radiant also, and let it be known just how good he was. Alicia Taylor was way too silent for the desperate women wanting a bone to fuel their fantasies.
Alicia looked around and found she had everything and took her two bags to the rover, wanting to go home. Nathaniel was not in sight, so with a sigh headed back to the office.
"Wash," she turned to Guzman calling her name and backtracked until they were standing in front of the rover. He looked around, "Glad to see a break in the rain."
Alicia nodded, "Enjoy it. The next storm is supposed to hit in the middle of the night or so our local meteorologist says."
He turned his gaze full on her, "So you got married, what two and a half weeks now?"
"Saturday before last. We didn't get much of a honeymoon thanks to you," she joked.
Guz grinned, "I thought you and Taylor were into each other a little too much when you came to the rescue. I want details. How does a woman want to be treated on her honeymoon? Never know, I might find someone to marry."
Alicia was relieved Guzman was getting over her, "You were married once. You're not so old that you don't remember how to please a woman."
"I was Reynolds age when I got married. Totally oversexed and under educated. Now I'm older and have a lot to offer a woman."
Alicia laughed, "I see a massive ego is still a requirement for male soldiers," she stopped talking as something stung her under her shirt. Today she wore a loose button down white shirt with long tails that she left out over a tight pair of black jeans and her boots. "I got stung," she pulled her shirt up exposing creamy skin of her midriff and giving Guzman a show all the way to her now exposed bra.
"There it is," he knocked an orange wasp looking insect to the ground and stomped on it, while Alicia looked at her side where the bite mark was.
"I don't see a stinger in me," she rubbed a finger over the welt.
"Let me see," Guzman leaned down and looked closely at the mark. "No, you're fine."
She dropped her shirt and straightened the garment to its original position. "That's what I get for wearing a loose shirt for once."
"I for one don't think you ought to wear that shirt again. I much prefer your tight, sexy tanks," Guzman grinned down into her eyes letting her know he wasn't serious. "This shirt makes me use my imagination on what's under…." he dropped off as Nathaniel and Shannon stood shoulder-to-shoulder glaring at him.
They had emerged from the eye and were walking towards the Command Center when they spotted the two Lieutenants standing in front of the rover and looked to be having a good time. Then they saw Wash lift her shirt to an objectionable level and Guzman reach over and brush something onto the ground and step on it. Then he leaned over and got way to close to her skin from what Nathaniel could tell. They straightened up and went back to talking as if nothing happened and he arrived just in time to catch the last remark from Guzman. Now he wanted an explanation for the sexist comment. "Explain that remark, Lieutenant," he growled low in his throat, surprising even himself at how it came out.
"Soldiers talk, Sir."
Nathaniel jerked his hand in his wife's direction, "That soldier is my wife. Treat her accordingly."
"Yes, Sir."
Nathaniel turned in time to catch Alicia roll her eyes and wink at Guzman as she went around getting in the vehicle. That pissed him off even more. How dare she flirt with a subordinate and what he was sure an old flame even if neither admitted to it. With a final glare to Guzman and no glance to Shannon, he got in and drove off.
"What was that all about?" Jim asked deceptively.
Guzman shrugged, "Don't have a clue. Looks like Taylor wants to put her in a box on the shelf and make her off limits to the rest of us. That marriage won't last long if he doesn't let her be herself and overreacts to everything that happens to her."
"They do have some issues," Jim agreed. "I feel the same way whenever Elizabeth is around Malcolm so kind of understand where the Commander is coming from. He views you as a threat and you didn't make it easy on him."
"Alicia made it clear I'm not the one she wants, so he can relax. But I will be her friend if she needs one," Guzman let Jim know where he stood.
Jim nodded, "I'm that friend also. I think Taylor can be a handful for anyone, especially when he's in his controlling or manipulating moods."
Guzman rubbed his chin, "I guess all new marriages have issues to be worked though, even theirs. If you don't need me, I'm going trolling for women." Jim looked surprised, so he continued, "I see the market is teaming with wildlife shopping between the rain storms. Now's my chance to score dinner for Friday night." With a chuckle, which Jim shared, he headed towards the market.
Nathaniel and Alicia didn't speak for the drive across the colony. He carried the bags inside and set them on the counter. Alicia disappeared in the bathroom while he emptied the contents. He saw she picked his favorite vegetables up. She finally reemerged and walked up to him. She spun him around and snaked her arms across his rock hard abdomen around to his back. Gently they swayed back and forth with his arms trapping hers as he pulled her close.
"Hungry?" she leaned in for a kiss.
"Nppp," he spoke into her mouth and then effortlessly scooped her up and went to their bedroom. "I'm hungry for you," he laid her down and unbuttoned her shirt. Spreading it to each side he unclasped the front closure bra exposing her to his lustful gaze which stopped long enough to check the welt out. She let him set the pace and style. An hour later, they were entwined and he was falling asleep.
"Want me to fix some supper?" she didn't really want to move, but it was still too early for them to go to sleep.
"Something light," he mumbled and his arms tightened as she went to get off him. "You owe me a kiss."
She propped up on her elbows over him, "And why?" she couldn't keep the soft smile off her lips.
"Giving me a jealous moment with Guzman."
The smile widened, "But you saw the nasty bite the wasp gave me," she shivered as his fingers caressed the raised welt where his lips and tongue moved over the bite minutes before.
"I saw your bra from my viewpoint and he was right beside you getting a free peek."
"I didn't flash him and no."
"No what?"
"No, you don't deserve a kiss."
With speed and agility using his body weight, he rolled over so he was on top, "I could sleep in this position with you under me. You want food and to breathe, kiss me." He settled his weight so he had her penned.
"What has gotten into you? You don't say a word on the way home, make love to me until I can't stand, now order me around."
He looked down into her ebony gaze, not seeing the pupils in the dim light, "You're my woman. When I become insecure in my role, I'll become the strong, silent, demonstrative type," he leaned over and captured her lips.
She giggled, "Strong yes, silent, not so much. Now can I make us food?"
He rolled off her and watched as she pulled one of his oversized shirts from the closet and headed to the kitchen wearing nothing but the shirt with its long tails brushing her thighs as she moved. He stared at the ceiling and smiled. He couldn't believe life could be so good again and hoped this time he would get to keep his mate.
While Alicia put a simple meal together, she let her mind drift back to the last couple of weeks.
Nathaniel drove like a madman across the colony when they left their wedding. The rain was coming down in sheets and he splashed through the puddles, parting the waters with the tires, leaving large splatters all over the vehicle. He slid to a stop and jumped out. Rushing around the rover, he threw her door open and scooped her out. Rain pelted as he rushed to the covered porch.
"Unlock our door," he ordered and positioned her so she could swipe her hand across the sensor and she pushed the door open where he sat her down over the threshold. His hands found her breasts as his mouth pillaged hers roughly. Only a couple dim lights provided illumination to make out the way to the bedroom. He locked the door and led her to their bedroom by the hand, not wanting space between them. He pulled the zipper down by feel and watched the gown fall, exposing her body to him. His eyes widened at her stepping out of the dress and picking it off the floor. He watched as she laid it across the back of a chair. Underneath she had a blue garter on her right thigh and nothing else except her white pumps.
"If I knew you were dressed for bed under your gown, we'd have come here as soon as the I DO's were exchanged," he unfastened his tunic showing a tee-shirt layered beneath. He watched the way the necklace and earrings flashed as she floated back to him. He turned her to the mirror, "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"
She looked in the mirror of the vanity he gave her at her nude reflection. Her hair was down per his request with an arrangement of flowers down one side. The necklace sparkled, as did the earrings. Her eyes dropped lower to her pert breasts and down to the naval and still lower to a fine patch of hair and down to the garter, a gift from Elizabeth who suggested it be her only undergarment. She watched his hands move over her in the reflection and he watched with her. His hands slid between her folds and found her center and he kissed the side of her neck then watched while one hand worked between her legs and the other alternated between soft mounds.
"You're overdressed," she finally found her voice.
"I've wanted to do this for years," he continued until with a small moan she broke into spasms against his fingers. They watched her flushed cheeks and rock hard tips that kept his fingers busy transferring from one to the other.
"I'm never going to look at this mirror the same way again," she turned, "now get those clothes off."
"Yes, Ma'am," he drew the tee-shirt over his head and gave it a fling. She pulled the buckle of his belt apart in haste.
Arms circling her from behind brought her back to the present. "So where did you and Shannon hurry off to?" She took the plates to the table.
"He got an ID on that bomber." While they ate, he filled her in. "It was from World War Two and disappeared over Iceland on a flight from Scotland to New York. He looked for weather patterns during that flight and a hurricane was working up the East Coast and had reached that Nova Scotia about the time the plane would have entered the storm."
"Did Shannon find anything on what we stumbled on during the rescue?"
"He did, but not much. It's very old, like thousands of years. He thinks it came from Mesopotamia about four thousand years before our future."
"What was it we found?" she finished her plate and took it to the sink.
He shoveled in a couple bites before answering, "Jim thinks it is part of a chariot, but he can't tell exactly what tribe or civilization. He's still working on it." He finished and took his plate and dropped it into the water and grabbed a towel. She washed and he rinsed and dried a routine they got into from their first day of living together. His radio sounded and he rushed off to where he left it in the bedroom.
"Taylor," he sat on the edge of the unmade bed.
"Sorry to bother you, Commander," Guzman got to the reason he interrupted their evening. "Skye and Tasha want to go OTG first thing in the morning to explore an area for copper that Dr. Evanswood told Skye to look. He was reading Fickett's notes and came to the conclusion part of the lower Mizaram ridge is high in diverse ores. It's a day trip or so the girls informed me," Guz continued. "They won't go if the rains start again, but told me they wanted a day without babysitters."
The bed dipped as Alicia sat next to him and reached for the radio, "Guz, where exactly is the place Evanswood is sending them?"
"Above the falls about thirty klicks and into the ravines, not far."
Nathaniel and Alicia looked at each other. He took the radio, "Have Reynolds and Dunham go with them even if it rains. We desperately need copper."
There was a pause, "I could send Benson and Corbin. Tomorrow is Maddy Shannon's birthday and the boys have something planned."
"I remember Shannon telling me today," Alicia knew the birthday was imminent, but not the details.
"Send Skye to my place. I want to look at the area, Evanswood, thinks has potential with her before she goes. I'll make my mind up after I've talked with her."
"Yes, Sir," Guzman disconnected.
Nathaniel set the radio back on the night table and with unexpected swiftness pushed his wife on her back. He kissed her while letting his hand wander over her exposed hip where his shirt rode up.
"I need to put some clothes on if we're having company," she pushed against his shoulders.
"Or you could get rid of this silly shirt and be waiting in our bed for me to get rid of Skye. Bet I can do it in under five minutes," his lips found a sensitive spot on her neck.
"Up, Boy," she squirmed from under him.
He laughed, "That's what I'm working on." He watched her strip the shirt off and walk naked to the shower. As much as he wanted to join her, he headed to the living room to be presentable when the kid arrived. He looked down at his attire, black jeans and a white long tailed Henley with sleeves pushed up on his forearms. He hadn't bothered to add socks or boots and wasn't going to. He grabbed his plexpad and made himself comfortable on the couch and pulled up the area Skye wanted to go and started reading Evanswood's notes.
Skye rushed to her old digs and barged in, "Tasha, the Commander wants me to show him where we are going tomorrow. I have to go to his house," she waved her plexpad in the air. "Come with me."
"Me?" Tasha squeaked.
"We need to hurry," Skye headed towards the door with Tasha following.
"You go in, I'll stay outside. I might still be in trouble for what happened when I got hurt," Tasha jabbered as they hurried down the main street circling the colony and staying in the illumination of the street lamps.
Finally, they reached their destination and both paused looking at the home of the leader's with its porch light on and Skye announced. "Let's see what the Commander wants with me in person."
Nathaniel laid his pad aside when the doorbell sounded. His was one of the few homes installed with a bell. He opened and stepped back with what he hoped a smile to put them at ease, "Ladies, come in. This won't take long."
For the first time the girls entered the lion's den and looked around with much curiosity. They both noticed the Lieutenant was missing.
"Have a seat," Nathaniel gave a generic wave to the furniture in the living room and took the seat he had been utilizing. He took a controller and aimed it at the wall. A screen materialized where a painting had been. The girls had never seen such an invention.
"Wow," Skye was impressed. "Where'd that come from?"
"It's technology the military uses. Now where exactly are you two wanting to adventure off to in the morning?" One the screen a map of the area they wanted to go emerged and sharpened into focus. He kicked his bare feet up on the dino hide ottoman and crossed his ankles.
The girls took in his relaxed appearance that they'd never seen before and Skye had to concentrate on why they needed to go in the morning. Truth was, the still needed replenishing and this was a good excuse to kill two pterosaurs with one stone. Skye saw the image was the exact copy Dr. Evanswood gave her all marked up. He had sent the same copy to the Commander and she suspected that's how the Commander knew everything in the colony, his snitches kept him informed.
Nathaniel's controller became a pointer, "I don't want you going further than this line," he drew a visible line across the road in a different color than the doctor used. He paused as Alicia joined them. She emerged wearing blue jeans and one of his black tee-shirts and like him was barefoot. She sat close to him on the couch and greeted the girls, "What are we looking at?"
"I'm just telling Skye and Tasha where I want them to focus their search." He had read the reports from Evanswood so had a good idea where they needed to concentrate. He pointed to a ravine and made a circle, "This is where the copper is purported to be." He pointed to two more areas, "These areas are rich in ore, but I don't want you hiking up there alone without guards. That's all slasher territory, but the ravine I circled is open and you have your weapon, Skye?"
She nodded and took that moment to look at the couple on the couch. Wash had one foot on the ottoman with her knee bent and the Commander's hand was resting on her thigh as he stared at the screen and read the notes on the side.
"So you want to ditch your protection?" he turned his piercing blue gaze directly to Skye.
"Ummm, yeah," Skye flipped her hands around, "they are bored to death while I or whoever I'm with work the equipment and take notes. They do help with the loading which is nice, but tomorrow it's just a survey trip and we were hoping for a girl's day out."
Alicia and Nathaniel shared a glance before looking at both of the young women.
Tasha squirmed, "I asked Skye to take me on her next OTG trip. I haven't been out of the colony since, well you remember and the chance to see new country sounds fun."
"Skye, you've been prompt and attentive according to your instructors so I'll tell Guzman to give you a vehicle, but I want you both back before dark."
Two "we will's," echoed back at him.
Nathanial stood demonstrating the meeting was over and escorted them to the door while Wash stayed put where she was comfortable. He returned and sat beside her, "You're overdressed."
"I think maybe I'll take a drive tomorrow afternoon in the direction the girls are going," Alicia slipped her hand in his.
"Want me to come and we'll stop by the falls for a swim?" he brought her hand to his lips.
"And have the girls come upon us, no way. I don't want to explain that to Debora or Guz."
"I haven't had time to play chess with Skye since our marriage. I should take time."
"Until our marriage, you lived at the Command Center, working until all hours of the night," she reminded him.
"You know, the colony is doing just fine with me going home at a decent hour."
"The colony will be fine and you need to learn how to relax and I have just the answer," she moved until straddling his lap. "How about a massage?"
"In the bedroom with no clothes allowed," he boosted her off and turned the lights off and checked the lock on the door he latched after the girls departed. When he entered the bedroom, she was naked and waiting with a bottle of oil.