bridge to forever3

Saratoga Sickbay September 17, 2064- 0700 hours:

“How are you feeling this morning Major McKendrick?” Dr. Kirkwood checked over the notes the night nurse had left.

“How marvelous, a lady doctor,” the Major smiled. “I’m doing much better since you and the nice Commander got that nasty shell out of me, though you took quite a chance.”

“I hope it wasn’t too painful,” Jenny checked his bandaged thigh. “I’m sorry, I know I started working before the pain block took full effect.”

“Never you mind that. It was something that needed to be done, and quickly,” McKendrick patted her hand. “After I was hit, I tried to tell the young Marines that I shouldn’t even be brought aboard the shuttle, let alone the Saratoga! They were quiet insistent, though. I’ve met them before, they’re always very insistent!”

“I think that would be an accurate description,” the Doctor smiled. “They had a good teacher.”

“I want to thank you,” the Major turned serious. “What you and your nurse did was one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen.”

“Brave!” Jenny shook her head. “Not brave, a bit desperate maybe, but not brave. I don’t think I’ve ever been as afraid in my life as I was when I realized what you were saying about the round in your leg. I’m surprised my hands didn’t shake so much I set the darn thing off before I could get it out of you.”

“To have not been afraid, would have been foolish,” he spoke kindly. “The actions one takes when most afraid are the ones that determine if one is brave or not.”

“Not everyone shares your opinion, Major,” the memory of Ty’s public tongue lashing stung.

“You’re speaking about the angry Colonel McQueen?” The Major remembered his last run-in with the Marine, “he can be a tough bastard when he wants to be, but he knows a lot about bravery, too.” The Major had seen what Jenny had missed: the expression of fear on McQueen’s face when the doors first opened.

“Flattery will get you nowhere, McKendrick,” both the Doctor and the Major looked up to see McQueen leaning against the hatchway.

“Colonel, a bit early aren’t you?” Jenny moved between McQueen and her patient. She wondered how much of the conversation he had overheard. “We aren’t through with morning rounds. If you will excuse us, please!” She moved toward the open hatch to close him out.

“And good-morning to you too, Jen,” the Colonel smiled at her as his eyes looked her over from head to toe.

For one moment Jenny’s breath caught in her throat, she felt nailed to the deck by the way he was looking at her. “Out, McQueen,” her voice rumbled as she tried to push the hatch closed on him.

“Commodore Ross and I’ll be back in about an hour, Major,” he spoke to the Major, but his eyes never left the Doctor’s face. “I’ll see you later too, Jen.”

“Well, well, it looks as if the tough Colonel has warmed up a bit since the last time I met him,” the Major grinned at the Doctor.

Jenny stomped out of McKendrick’s bay, the morning wasn’t starting out at all well. She decided that at the first sign of Ross and McQueen she was going to make herself scarce. She didn’t think her nervous system could take much more of Ty’s games. What was he trying to pull, making it look as if....as if they were.....? Jen bit her lip to keep her mind away from the look in his eyes. She wondered briefly, if they would Court Martial her, if she killed him. After all, what was one irritating Colonel more or less. The Marines had plenty of them to spare!

O830 McKendrick’s Bay:

“Major, what is about to be discussed here today, is classified and compartmentalized.” Commodore Ross looked at the serious faces of the people in the room. “You already know Colonel McQueen. This is Captain Fisher, and I believe you’ve met Lieutenant Connelly.”

“Commodore, it is a pleasure to meet all of you,” McKendrick smiled at his visitors. His eyes rested on McQueen for just a moment, as he added, “it’s wonderful, you Yanks, have so many lovely women on board.” The older man grinned as he watched the Colonel’s eyes freeze over.

The five people spent the next hour going over the information McKendrick could add to what was already known about the AI virus. If what the Major was telling them was correct, the AI’s were being wiped out one planet at a time.

“What I still don’t understand is how the virus was transmitted?” Connelly looked through the print-outs that McKendrick had transcribed.

“I think it was originally placed on Minerva,” the Major thought back over all he had discovered in the last year. “I believe that was to be a testing ground to see if it really worked.

“I do know that once the virus was recognized, there were nothing but income transmissions. As if the AI’s on Minerva realized the disease could be spread, if they contacted their main network. Check through the records you have from 2063Y, I think, you’ll find there is only one outgoing message sent from Minerva, after the beginning of April and it was sent by your squadron, Col. McQueen.”

“The last time we were on Minerva,” McQueen could picture Shane helping Paul by retrieving the information he wanted so badly. “We tried to download information from the AI mainframe. The Elroy model we used, had the virus, but was dying from wounds received in battle.”

“If the message you sent was accepted, it would be enough to spread the virus to the mainframe. Anything that was sent from the hub, from then on, would also contain the virus.” Fisher dug through the information she had, trying to find a reference to Minerva. “Yes, here it is, April 20, 2064, though the content of the message was deleted.”

“The mainframe has always had defense mechanisms on it, that’s why we’ve never been able to find it.” Connelly had studied the AI’s and the mainframe that was their central hub, when in school. “After the AI’s left Earth, they recreated a hub somewhere in space.”

“That explains how the virus was spread off Minerva,” Fisher shrugged. She hadn’t missed the look that had passed between McQueen and Ross, they knew more than they were saying. She was glad this was a need to know assignment. There were some things she never wanted to learn about and who had accidentally spread the virus was one of them.

“Commodore, Colonel, may I have a moment alone with you?” McKendrick nodded toward Fisher and Connelly as they left the room. “There is one other thing you should know, but it is of a delicate nature,” McKendrick cleared his throat. “As you probably know, I was with Supply before the massacre on Minerva. Most people don’t know this, but every message that is sent anywhere off Earth has a scrambled code unique to the sender embedded in the body of the message. I know about it because I did some sensitive work long before I was sent to rot at the supply depot on Io.”

“Are you telling us you know who planted the virus?” Ross was interested in knowing, but he didn’t see the importance. Someone from Earth was using biological warfare against the AI’s. Not exactly ethical, but AI’s only played by the rules when it suited them.

“Yes, but more importantly, the same people sent out information about a huge Earth offensive in late August. I believe it was called......”

“Operation Roundhammer?” Ross and McQueen finished for him.

“Yes! That’s the one. After almost no communication from the AI’s, all of the sudden, messages started coming in very fast,” the Major remembered sitting up nights trying to decode the transmissions. “And the AI’s on Minerva would send messages to the Chigs.”

“Do you know whose code was being used to give this information to the enemy?” McQueen whispered, his mouth going dry as he thought of Savage’s accusations about Stryker and Hayden.

“Carleton Stryker sent the virus and Diane Hayden sent the information about Operation Roundhammer,” McKendrick whispered as if the walls had ears. “Both of them sent numerous messages to Minerva. One of the earliest ones I found, requested an AI infiltration of the Saratoga back in early February.”

“The Elroy that blew up the Sewell Fuel,” Ross whispered as McQueen nodded in agreement. “It doesn’t make sense, why would they help the Chigs with battle information, at the same time they’re creating a virus to kill AI’s? Is there any way these codes can be faked?” Ross needed to be very sure of his information.

“No, if the codes are tampered with, a shadow is left behind, a finger print of the person who does the tampering, so to speak,” McKendrick had helped develop that part of the code and knew without a doubt that the tracking system was reliable. “It was developed during the AI war, to prevent them from raiding our component supplies and computer information. It wasn’t common knowledge and only those on a need to know basis were allowed access. I can only assume that the safeguard was left in place after the AI’s were driven off Earth to help prevent their return.”

“Did Aerotech know about the codes?” McQueen couldn’t believe Hayden and Stryker could have made an error of this magnitude.

“It would be very unlikely,” McKendrick cleared his throat as he decided how much more he was willing to say. “Actually the code is early Geek-Squad work.”

“The M5 Computer Black-Ops unit?” Ross felt a chill run down his spine. “I didn’t think they really existed.”

“I assure you, Commodore, they are very real,” the Major smiled.

Ross reassessed the mild fatherly looking man sitting in the hospital bed across from him. Anyone who believed in the Brit’s CBO, spoke about them with the greatest of respect, often generated by fear. The term Geek-Squad was only used by those on the inside.

“I was an early drop-out, but my.......interesting knowledge, shall we say? Made me perfect for a supply hub on Io in the last years of the AI rebellion. You’re right to think of them with respect. I wouldn’t play their game and they saw to it most of my career was spent doing drudgery. I know where enough bodies are buried, figuratively speaking, to assure you that you needn’t concern yourself about them.” The Major’s eyes turned hard and cold, “they’ll play ball on this one, it’s too big to let slide.”

Saratoga Rec Room, September 17, 1600 hours:

McQueen sat at a computer terminal, staring at the face of a dead woman. He hadn’t been able to let go of his dream about Butts the night before. Was this woman, this Victoria Elizabeth Henning, Ph.D. the woman Butts had been talking about? He remembered doing a thorough background check on Butts a year ago when the other man had commandeered the 58th. Had he seen this woman’s picture when looking through the files on Karakoram and invented the dream from last night?

Laughter from the corner of the room made the Colonel look up and smile. The two new members of the Wildcards were fitting in well. Paul’s death was still felt, but since the addition of Del Mar and Connelly, they had lost the shell shocked look that had been in their eyes when they had first gotten back.

“Ask her what her full name is,” Connelly laughed. “Go ahead, I dare you!”

“Okay, what’s your full name, Maria?” Coop looked a bit confused at the way Connelly was teasing Del Mar.

“It’s no big deal really,” she rolled her eyes and grinned at Hawkes. “He just thinks it’s funny. The attorney here doesn’t understand tradition. My full name is Maria Carlotta O'Brien Del Mar.”

“O'Brien?” Shane laughed. “It doesn’t fit. You don’t look a bit Irish,” she shook her head at the beautiful dark haired, dark eyed woman.

“My Grandfather, the one who capture the heart of the original Maria Carlotta, while he was lost in the mountains of Mexico, had red hair and freckles,” Maria laughed. “I am told that the Irish comes out in my temper.”

“I guess we’ve been warned,” Nathan looked around the table.

“How about a game of darts?” Connelly was enjoying some down time, since McKendrick had begun working with the team he and Fisher had assembled, he was back to being a Marine pilot.

“Jenny’s springing ‘Phousse from Sickbay,” Shane pulled back her chair. “The four of us are getting together for the afternoon.”

“Jenny and ‘Phousse, too?” Coop thought that sounded like a better way to spend the afternoon. “I’ll come with you guys.”

“Sorry, Hawkes, it’s just the girls this afternoon, but Lady-Doc gave ‘Phousse the okay to go out tonight, and she promised she’d join us. We’ll meet you guys in the Tun this evening.” Maria shook her head at the young man, “I doubt you’d enjoy this afternoon much, anyway.”

“Aaahh.” He nodded in understanding, “girl stuff?”

“Yup,” Shane laughed as the two woman headed toward the door.

“We really liked the red nail polish,” West snickered at the retreating backs of his female comrades.

“Like we’d do it for you guys?” Maria glared over her shoulder and Vansen gave him a nasty look.

“The last time Damphousse and Vansen got together with Jen, the three of them ended up in tears,” McQueen gave Hawkes a bemused expression. “There was a large quantity of wine consumed at the time, so that may have had something to do with it,” he smiled as he remembered the women’s expressions when they discovered him at their door. “The good Doctor may have let them get drunk in her quarters then, but I doubt she’ll allow it now, at least until Vanessa is back to active duty.”

“Were they all right? I can’t think of anything bad enough to make all three of them cry at once,” Hawkes couldn’t picture what the Colonel had described, but from the expression on the older man’s face, he was being serious.

“According to Jen, they were having a *good time*.”

“They were probably watching one of those sloppy chick-flicks,” Nathan spoke with the voice of experience. “Kylen loved to do that. She’d sit there with tears rolling down her face, smiling like crazy and saying ‘wasn’t that beautiful!’ The first time it happened, it scared me to death,” Nathan grimaced. “It’s hard to imagine those three like that, though I’d rather face a squad of Chigs bare-handed than Jenny in tears, again.”

“What do you mean, West?” McQueen tried to look casual, but he knew his face had frozen over.

“The night of the peace talks,” when Nathan had to talk about that night, that was how he described it. In his heart he thought of it as the night it all ended: his waiting for Kylen; life as he had known it with the 58th; Paul’s life; even the Colonel had changed. “It was late, and Hawkes and I were in our quarters trying to convince ourselves that it was all just a nightmare, when Jenny came in. Well, Sir, I’ve never seen anyone cry like that. She begged us not to make her leave. She was terrified of being left alone,” the memory still had the power to shake him. “We held onto her until she cried herself to sleep, then we put her to bed in Winslow’s old bunk.”

“That night was rough on everyone,” Coop felt the need to make excuses. “Women cry. Guys like to tear someone’s guts out.”

“Yeah, but who’d of figured it, Lady-Doc? She’s always....there. I guess I forget she’s a woman,” Nathan shivered at the memory.

“They want it that way, most of the time,” Mitch thought about the woman of the 58th. “They’d bust us in the chops if we treated them as anything but one of the guy.”

“Connelly’s right,” McQueen needed time to examine what West said about Jen. “They regroup in private and will be stronger for it.”

“Women, who can figure’em!” Hawkes shook his head in disgust.

“You know what I’d like to know?” Connelly looked around the table at Nathan and Coop, “I’d like to know what Dr. Kirkwood said to Ross to make him change his mind about us going after Vansen and Damphousse? We’d already tried to talk him into it. He wouldn’t hear of it. Then bingo! The next thing we know, we’re headed off to that strange little planet and Lady-Doc is packing a k-bar and an M-590.”

“I’m sure if the Commodore wanted you to know, he would have told you.” McQueen looked one last time at the woman on the computer screen, before he turned it off to head back to his quarters. The true story about her was forever buried in Ali Bhutto Pass, but he had a story that still needed an ending. Had West just handed him the key?

September 17, 2000 hours Ross’s quarters:

“What a day!” Ross looked across his desk at McQueen. “And this is only the beginning. Once McKendrick begins working on those files full time, who knows what we’ll find. Given his background he’s an unimpeachable source. Just the bits and pieces he has added to the information Fisher and Connelly have, make it look like we’ve got one hell of a tiger by the tail!”

“Did you get the information off to Savage?” The Colonel took a drink of scotch, the ramifications of the information McKendrick had unearthed still making him reel.

“Not yet, the Saratoga is running under radio silence until we’re across the Von Braun Line.” Ross wondered how many encrypted messages he had sent, could be traced back to him. “I always wondered why Savage sent anything important by messenger. All this time I thought he was just old fashioned.”

“You think he knew about the encoding?” McQueen looked into the amber liquid in his glass. “I wondered why it was so important to him, that the information I brought you a few days ago be brought in person.”

“Frank’s an old warhorse, I think the habit of sending vital information by messenger became ingrained during the AI war, and he was never able to let go of it,” Ross shrugged, then grinned. “Besides I think he thought there was someone who needed you out here.”

“He told me he wanted you to have someone you could trust,” McQueen grinned back, refusing to be baited by his friend. “I guess that’s me.”

The two men sat in silence for a moment as Ross worried over another subject, “what are we going to tell Vansen?” He had been shaken by the irony of Shane being the one to bring down the AI’s. “This is going to get out eventually and she will know she’s the one to have sent the message. She should hear it from one of us before that.”

“I’ll tell her,” the Colonel leaned forward as he held up his glass of scotch and inhaled the fragrance. “Shane has hated AI’s since they killed her parents. That hate has been part of what’s driven her through this war. If you fuel a life on hate, you’ll burn yourself out. She deserves better than that.”

“You realize that if it were common knowledge, she’d probably get a medal.”

“I’m not sure it’s a medal she’d be very proud of. No matter how much she hated them, genocide is genocide even if it is AI’s.” McQueen got up to watch the stars from the view port, “I want to thank you for protecting Paul in this matter, Sir.”

“Ty, the boy is up for the Congressional Medal Of Honor, I wouldn’t do anything that would ruin his chances at that. He deserves it. He gave his life for the Homeward Bound mission,” Ross sighed. “Besides, the Suits back there, the World back there, wouldn’t be able to understand what he went through. It’s not something that can be read about, it has to be felt.”

“Yeah,” McQueen met Ross’ eyes, realizing for the first time that Ross really did understand. He put his glass down, needing to change the subject, “I’d like your permission to get Dr. Kirkwood in on the loop regarding Vansen.”

“That’s a good idea, though the whole thing is classified, at the moment. She already knows about the virus, the little bit you’d need to tell her wouldn’t really matter,” Ross’ eyes glittered as he looked at his friend and another idea came to mind.

“I’ll talk with her about it soon.”

“One other thing, Ty. Voss talked to me when you first got back on board. Dr. Turek from the Clara, doesn’t want to take any chances with that prosthesis of yours. With things in such an upheaval during this war, they believe I should assign you a permanent physician.” Ross looked as serious as he could as he watched his friend’s eyes ice over.

“Voss was applying for the job?”

“No,” Ross laughed, unable to tease the man any longer. “He suggested Dr. Kirkwood. He seems to feel she has the most luck getting you to cooperate in Sickbay.”

“That would mean she’d spend the duration out here?” McQueen turned back to watch the stars.

“Or until you were transferred back to Earth. I know it’s not ideal, but it’s the best we can do to assure her safety, and yours,” Ross got up and joined his friend at the port hole. “Once Savage gets this information it’s still going to be a while before it’s all sorted out and we have no guarantee that it’ll come out as we want it to.”

“She could die out here,” the truth cut at McQueen.

“We all could,” Ross gave his friend’s shoulder a supportive squeeze. “She could die anywhere, in some freak accident, war or no war.”

“I know that, but it doesn’t make it any easier,” the Colonel finished his drink and thought for a moment.

“I can’t leave her with the Wildcards much longer, that story is growing a bit thin.” Ross searched for the words to free his friend to do what they both knew he wanted to do. “This would take her out of your chain of command, except for the fact that you rank her.”

“Oh?” The Colonel looked at Ross, his eyes cool, refusing to show the relief he felt. “Why would you need to do that?” He knew he was being handed a gift. Honor was making it hard for him to accept it.

“McQueen, I can think of a number of times in the last year when she has countermanded a direct order given her by her commanding officer. Granted, all those occasions have been in his best interest, because he doesn’t know shit about taking care of himself, but this would keep her out of the brig, if some wise ass doctor in Command wanted to cause trouble.” Glen raised his eyebrows daring his friend to challenge him on the issue.

“Well in that case?” Ty shrugged, knowing full well that Jen didn’t give a damn about chain of command. She’d boss an Admiral around if she thought it was in his best medical interest. “I guess you’ll have to see if she’s interested in the job.”

“I noticed she’s been avoiding you,” Ross raised his eyebrow. “What’d you do to piss her off?”

“You so sure it was my fault?” McQueen asked with a half smile.

“Yup,” Ross laughed at his friend.

“You’re right,” the other man sighed.

“What happened?

“She’s being stubborn and I was my usual diplomatic self,” McQueen didn’t like how complicated his life had become all of the sudden.

Half an hour later Ross walked into the Tun Tavern. The Juke Box was playing another of the snappy World War Two songs that had become so popular during this modern war with the Chigs. He could only catch a few of the words, something about ‘not sitting under an apple tree with anyone else but me.’

Things looked normal to the Commodore. The bar was about half full, and some of the younger Sailors and Marines were trying to Swing dance along with the old-fashioned music. The Wildcards were at their usual table playing poker. He wasn’t sure how McQueen had pulled it off, but the Colonel had Jenny wedged between himself and Hawkes. The young Lieutenant was crowding the Doctor every chance he got, until she was brushing shoulders with the stern looking Colonel. A shot glass of scotch sat between the couple.

Ross hadn’t been in the room more than two minutes when he saw the Doctor reach for the scotch while examining her cards. The glass was half way to her nose when she stopped, turned toward an innocent looking McQueen and shoved his glass back toward him.

Hawkes tried to raise the pot higher than table stakes. Mitch Connelly shook his head, “no, you can’t do that. According to........” the young Lieutenant was cut off mid-sentence, as five voices groaned in unison.

“........Hoyle!” The others finished his sentence for him.

“Now you know where he got his call sign,” Del Mar giggled as she explained to all present.

“And here I thought it was a reference to my legal instincts. You know, always playing by the book?” Connelly laughed along with his friends.

“Yeah right?” Damphousse rolled her eyes as she tossed in her cards. Deciding not to fight it out with Vansen. She was so happy to be out and about, her lack of a good poker hand didn’t bother her in the least

“Deal me out,” McQueen slid his scotch in front of Jenny, then went to join Ross at the bar.

“Will they throw me in the brig if I dump it on him?” Jen fumed as she pointed to the shot glass. “And you...move over,” she gave Coop a shove.

“Hey, I’m a big guy,” Hawkes tried to look hurt as he moved slightly away from the angry doctor.

“I’m out, too,” she took her unfinished wine and moved to an empty table in the corner. Her shoulder still warm from where it had been plastered against Ty’s. As she sat down, the thought that McQueen had put Hawkes up to his little pushing game ran through her mind, but she dismissed it as quickly as it surfaced. *”No,”* she thought. *“Ty, would never do that.”*

“We’re on it,” Shane nodded to ‘Phousse and Maria, as she got up, indicating they should join Jenny. “She hasn’t been herself since the night ‘Phousse and I were lost.”

“Wait a sec, guys,” Hawkes looked the lovely dark haired Captain in the eyes. “How do we know this isn’t the real her?”

“Are you saying we shouldn’t check on her?” Vansen watched as the lone woman sent a big Marine on his way, rather than let him join her.

“No,” Hawkes shook his head. “That night of the explosion, everything changed for her. She may still be called Lady-Doc on the Saratoga, but on the inside she’s Angel-Doc, again. That’s got to mean something!”

“You’re right, Coop,” Shane remembered Jenny telling her Angel-Doc had died the night the Angry Angels did. Wondering what caused the resurrection only made the younger woman worry more. “We can’t leave her there alone. She’s being hit on by every stray guy that comes along. We’ll use a light touch, come on guys.”

Hawkes just smiled at Shane. From his seat, he could see Ross and McQueen at the bar. The Colonel wasn’t taking his eyes off Jenny sitting in the corner. He watched the Colonel stiffen. Ice blue eyes making the older man’s face fierce, as the Doctor sent another man on his way. *“I’d hate to see Jenny caught in a bar fight again,”* Coop thought. The Colonel had shown more restraint than he would have, had it been Shane sitting there alone.

“I think you just pissed her off more,” Ross commented to his friend as he watched Jenny alone at a table.

“She’ll get over it, I hope,” McQueen smiled as he watched the women of the 58th go and join Jenny.

Ross and McQueen stood in companionable silence as they watched people moving around the Tun. Hawkes, West, and Connelly had been joined by Chico Voss. The addition of the fourth, causing the card game to heat up again.

Joan Brill, who had come in with Chico, pulled up a chair at the already crowded table with the woman. They all seemed to be talking at once, hands gesturing and patting one another on the shoulder, in the timeless way of women talking about things that really concern them. The conversations that men shrugged off as ‘girl-talk’, but never realized the support the women got from it or the impact it could have on the men’s lives.

“I’d like to be a fly on the wall and hear what they’re saying,” McQueen pointed toward Jen’s table as another male Marine approached the woman, only to be turned away.

“No you wouldn’t, from the expression on the Doctor’s face, they’re tearing *someone* limb from limb.” As another man walked up to Jenny and whispered in her ear, Ross could feel his friend stiffen. “You’re not planning on hitting anybody tonight are you?” Ross looked at the table with the women, then at his friend. A fight was the last thing he wanted to get involved in tonight, but he would back McQueen just as the Colonel would back him in a similar situation. “That’s the third guy whose asked her to dance since she left the other table.”

“Forth,” Ty relaxed against the bar, as the Marine walked away.

“What?” Ross wasn’t sure what McQueen was talking about.

“The forth guy, not the third,” he straightened and glared as Jenny spoke quickly to Shane, causing the younger woman to laugh. “But you’re right, something needs to be done.”

Ross watched, puzzled as McQueen walked over to the Juke Box and spent some time looking through the selections. When the Colonel returned, his friend looked at him with approval.

“Battle tactics,” McQueen smiled, putting aside the beer he had ordered when he joined Ross at the bar. Anything that happened tonight was going to happen with a clear head. “Wait and see.”

A few minutes later the sounds of a slow haunting melody from the 1940’s, rang through the Tun. “I’m going in fangs out,” McQueen gave Ross a nod.

“And take no prisoners,” Glen added giving him a thumbs up as the Colonel moved slowly and purposefully toward the table where Jenny had suddenly stopped talking.

From the bar Ross could see Jen had turned to watch with wide eyes as McQueen homed in on her. “Well, take maybe one,” he muttered under his breath and leaned back to enjoy the show.

Jenny knew she had been saying something to her friends, but with the first notes of the old song, her mind went blank. “Harbor Lights,” she whispered as she shook her head trying to get rid of the image of the day she and McQueen had found the old music box in an antique store in a small community in Southern California, known for it’s abundance of antique shops.

“Help me, Joan!” Jenny whispered, as she grasped blindly for the older woman’s hand. Gray eyes stayed locked on clear blue ones as the man in a soft black shirt and pants came closer and closer.

“Sorry honey,” the older woman smiled, hoping McQueen knew he had her support. “This has been too long in coming. It’s time you dealt with it.”

“Jenny?” ‘Phousse looked at her worriedly, until she looked over her shoulder and saw who her friend was was staring at. “Oh!” ‘Phousse grinned and poked Shane in the side, shaking her head as if to say ‘I told you so.’

“Dance with me, Jen?” The silver haired man whispered, holding out his hand to her. The other occupants of the small table seemed to hold their breath, until Jenny laid her hand in his and moved to the dance floor with him. Her mouth too dry to answer any other way.

“Well I’ll be damned, he did it!” Ross smiled as he raised his glass in a toast as the couple moved to the music. In all the years he had known McQueen he had never seen his friend dance. *”Extraordinary situations call for extraordinary measures,”* he thought. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the women move back to the table to join the rest of their squad. Deciding if McQueen was going to have time to mend his fences with Jenny, it was his job to keep the 58th occupied.

“Ty, it wasn’t me,” Jenny looked into very blue eyes. “I wasn’t the one who played that song.”

“I know,” he smiled and pulled her closer. “I did.”

“Why are you doing this?” She looked up at him, every instinct telling her to bolt, while she still could.

“Because I was wrong,” he felt her muscles tighten and knew that if he didn’t do something quickly, she would be gone.

“Don’t play games with me,” to her frustration she could feel her eyes begin to tear. “You were right the other day, I am a coward.”

“No,” he shook his head at her and held her closer. “You’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever met. McKendrick was right.”

“You heard what he said this morning?”

“I was standing in the hatch, remember,” they danced slowly as other couples joined them on the dance floor. “I’ll never hurt you again,” he promised, adding silently, neither would anyone else. His eyes doing a quick check of the room, but no one except the Wildcards appeared to be paying any attention to them.

“You wouldn’t mean to, but....” Jen sniffed. “This can only end badly for me.”

“Never,” he whispered. “I’ve always been proud to be with you. I haven’t done a very good job of letting you know that. My fear for your safety has always gotten in the way. That’s going to change, but more importantly, you need to know, you’re not alone, anymore.”

“Ty?” She looked up, her eyes full of questions. “How did you know?”

“Shhhhh, Jen.” He leaned his cheek against her hair, enjoying holding her in public. “We’ll dance, then we’ll talk.”

She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. If she was asleep, she hoped she didn’t wake up for a long time, but the song ended too soon. It was replaced by another of the wild swing tunes that everyone seemed to love to dance to. McQueen took Jen by the hand and led her out of the swinging doors of the Tun.

As they left the noise and crowd behind, Jenny tried to pull her hand free, but he held on tightly. “Thanks for the dance, Ty,” she pasted a smile on her face, needing to put some distance between them. “It’s been a long time since I’ve danced. I need to be go......”

“We need to talk,” he looked a bit grim. “And we’re almost there,” he indicated the turn off to were they both had quarters.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Jenny pulled back on his hand. He was too close to her, smelling too good. She didn’t trust herself to be alone with him.

“There’s something you need to see,” he tugged gently, pulling her along with him. “Then maybe you’ll understand.”

McQueen’s Quarters:

Jenny nibbled at her lower lip as she followed McQueen into his quarters. Part of her intrigued, part of her wanting to stomp her feet until she got her own way.

“Trust me.” His eyes serious as he walked over to his desk. “This is for you,” he handed her the framed photo of his wedding.

“What do you want ME to do with it?” She held up her hands as if to fend off the item he was holding, afraid she would throw it at his head if she touched it.

“Open it up,” he smiled. “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

“Ty!”

“Humor me, this once,” he gave her a half smile when she finally took the cracked frame from him.

“The catch is bent,” Jen struggled with the damaged latch, until it gave way, spilling the contents of the frame onto the desk. “Ohhh,” with shaking fingers, the Doctor picked up both pictures that had been in the frame. “When.....why....I don’t understand?” She looked in confusion at the picture of her, leaning back against him, her hands covering his at the wheel of the Windswept. They had both been smiling at Patsy who had taken the picture.

“I didn’t understand myself for a long time,” the Colonel reached one hand for the woman’s cheek. “I put your picture there the night I showed you the alcove,” he smiled as he remembered his confusion that night. “All I knew was that I had to have you close to me all the time, but was too afraid to look at the reason. So I hid it beneath this,” he picked up the wedding picture and tossed it in the waste compartment. “It means nothing and has for a very long time.”

“What are you saying?” Jenny’s voice cracked.

McQueen took a deep breath, then took the plunge, “that I love you. I’ve never said that to anyone, not even Amy.”

“You didn’t love her?” The doctor side of her personality had dealt with the after affects of McQueen's divorce, it was hard for her to believe what he was saying.

“What I felt for Amy was a young man’s affection mixed with a healthy dose of lust.” The dream he had had about Amy helped him put that ghost to rest. He wondered how long he had known, but had keepen it hidden. “If we had taken it as the summer affair that it was, we would have walked away with happy memories and a better idea of what we did and didn’t want out of life. Unfortunately, we took ourselves seriously, and got married.”

“All this time I thought.......”

“That I loved her.......even still?” McQueen shook his head as he put both arms around her. “No, life was less complicated when I left the illusion in place, but I haven’t felt anything but relief, that it was over, for a long time. The divorce hurt, but I think it was more the fact I failed, than anything else. I locked the door on my feelings to keep myself from having to look too closely at that failure.”

“You’re being too harsh on yourself,” Jen defended him. “It takes two to make a divorce just like it takes two to make a......mar......relationship.”

“It does take two, doesn’t it?” He rubbed his hands up and down her back, enjoying the freedom he was allowing himself, to touch her. “Now it’s up to you, because I can’t do this alone.”

“Why choose now to tell me this?” She could feel herself slipping under his spell. If she didn’t fight back now, it would be too late.

“I’ve known for a long time that you were essential to me,” he couldn’t believe how hard he had fought against the inevitable. “It’s been just recently that I’ve understood why. If it’s any help, I’ve been just as terrified of loving you, as you have been of your feelings for me.”

“It helps,” Jenny whispered as she closed her eyes and took a leap of faith. If he didn’t catch her, as he promised, she knew she would crash and burn, “I do love you. I have for a long time.”

“Good, because, I’m never letting you go,” he nibbled on her lips as he felt her melt against him. He had finally gotten the words right!

Her hands moved over his neck, brushing his navel lightly as he held her close to him. McQueen shook and pulled his mouth from hers. “Jen,” he growled. “You’re playing with fire!”

“So are you,” she gasped as his hands moved beneath her sweater and over her skin.

Deep in the heart of the Saratoga the great ship hummed with satisfaction, almost as if she could feel the joy that two of her crew were experiencing. This time, the night song she sent out through her deck plating was, ‘the time is right, the time is right.’

The Tun Tavern:

The Wildcards watched with a smile on their faces as the music ended and their commanding office walked out of the Tun holding tightly to Jenny Kirkwood’s hand.

“Okay, when did all this happen?” Shane looked around the table at her friends. “’Phousse and I are gone for a few days and...and..” She couldn’t finish her sentence. The feeling she got when she watched McQueen dancing with Jenny had been too much like watching parents at a time when she shouldn’t have been.

“I think it’s been going on longer than the two of them realize,” Ross smiled at Joan Brill for conformation.

“He never left her side in Sickbay, the first night she was brought in,” Joan remembered letting McQueen in after hours. “And when he got back from Kazbek in such bad shape, I had to order her to bed.”

“McQueen’s the Major in her stories, isn’t he?” West looked around the table. He had seen something in the Colonel’s eyes the night Voss had been so insulting, but had never thought about it again.

“It was in front of us all the time and we didn’t catch on,” Shane’s jaw dropped as she remembered the picture of the Angry Angels on Jenny’s desk. *“So that hadn’t been just two people glass-eyed from booze,”* she smiled to herself. *“Way to go Jenny!”*

“When I was in Sickbay, with my eyes bandaged,” ‘Phousse remembered a half heard conversation. “I heard them talking,” she smiled at the memory. “She made him laugh and he talked to her in a tone I’ve never heard him use with anyone. I thought I was dreaming.”

“Mitch and I’ve heard about the stories that Jenny told on Kordis,” Maria shrugged. “In those stories the Major was always dead. Why would she say he was dead, if he wasn’t?”

“Because she thought he died with the rest of the Angry Angels,” ‘Phousse remembered back to the ISSCV that had picked up the Kordis survivors. “I was taking care of the man in the bunk next to Jenny’s. At the time I didn’t think much of it, because she had been hit hard enough to knock her out. When she came too, she took one look at McQueen and insisted she was dead, because he was there.”

“I’ve known since the night they brought him in after the explosion,” Voss whispered as he remembered the pain on Jenny’s face. “She told me her medical expertise was all he ever wanted her for. She really believed it. After they hauled him out of there,” he shook his head and looked at Joan Brill. “She was a mess and wouldn’t let us help her.” Then he smiled remembering a happier time, “But I think the Commodore is right about it going back further than that. He almost punched me out the first night she was aboard the Saratoga,” he smiled and shrugged. “I said some really stupid things”

“Chico, you couldn’t help it. Even for a newbe, you weren’t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer,” West grinned at the doctor who had become a good friend since then.

“Coop, you’re awfully quiet about all this,” Shane looked at him and realized he knew more than he was letting on.

“When Jenny first came aboard I used to wonder why she cared about me the way she did. At first, I thought it was because I was an in-vitro and she was so active in the Rights Movement. Then it hit me, she cared about all of us,” he looked around the table at the Wildcards. “Somewhere alone the line I realized it was because McQueen cared about us so much that she did.”

“Coop, I think you’re selling yourself and Jenny short,” Shane reached across the table and patted his hand.

“No, hear me out,” he looked at Shane as if she were the only one in the room. “Now, she cares about us on her own, but in the beginning it was because of McQueen. She cared unconditionally. He loved us, so did she, for her it was that simple,” he sighed trying to make a point. “She said as much on 2063Y. No matter what, we were coming back or she would die trying to get us back. Jenny Kirkwood is the first person to love me no matter what I did or who I am, and I know she always will.”

“It sounds as if you’re describing a mother,” Joan Brill smiled at the insightful young man.

“A mother?” Coop grinned and shook his head. “I never thought I’d have one of those. All the more reason that anything else I know, isn’t mine to talk about,” he smiled at Shane and could tell by the look in her eyes she understood. Coop had gotten in the habit of protecting Jenny and now he knew why. “If they want us to know anything, they’ll tell us. But, whatever happens, we’ll need to watch their six.” He sounded so much like McQueen that Shane did a double take.

“Both points well taken, Lt. Hawkes,” Ross stood and stretched. “Joan, I’ll walk you back, if you’re ready to leave.”

“I love wandering the corridors of the ‘Toga at this time of night,” Ross sighed as he caressed a bulkhead. The further he and Joan had gotten from the Tun, the quieter it had gotten.

“Are you all right about what happened, Glen,” Joan looked up at Ross. “I know you cared more about Jenny than you ever let on.”

“You read me too well,” Ross sighed. “I hope McQueen didn’t see what you’ve seen.”

“Jenny’s had his emotions tied in so many knots the last year I doubt he’s seen anything much,” they reached Joan’s door at the end of a quiet hall.

“It’s better this way Joan,” Ross smiled, always being a practical man. “Ty loves her and she loves him, they’ll work out their problems between them. Both of them have had pretty lonely lives, so they’ll appreciate what they have all the more.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine. I have the love of my life right here under my feet,” Ross looked around at his ship. “If you listen carefully you can hear her night song. She sounds happy tonight. I cared about Jenny a lot, I still do, but she would have always been second to the Saratoga. I realized that months ago.”

McQueen’s Quarters:

Clothes lay in pools around McQueen’s usually neat cabin. His soft black shirt was missing some buttons and lay tangled with Jen’s white lacy bra, with a torn strap. His black slacks hid the scrap of ripped silk that had been her panties. The surge of energy that had inflamed the cabin for the last hour was calmed, as two damp bodies lay together trying to catch their breath.

“Are you all right?” McQueen drew the sheet over them as he pulled Jen closer on his left side.

“I’ll let you know, when my brain cells reconnect,” Jen murmured as her lips found the ridges of a scar she knew was on his shoulder.

“What are you doing,” he gasp as he felt the small kisses she used to trace the damage from a previous war.

“Fulfilling a fantasy,” she grinned as she moved on top of him. Her lips tracing first one scar then another.

“Fantasy?” he held her tightly as he turned them, placing her below him. “I never knew you had a kinky side to you, Doctor. This could get very interesting.”

“From my prospective it’s already interesting.” She kept on giving him nibbling kisses as she worked her way over the scars on his chest, “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

“I have scars other places, too,” he offered as he returned the favor by kissing the bruises on her neck.

“Yes,” she murmured. “There’s a map of all your scars in your medical record. I know where each and every one is.”

“Do you now?” McQueen whispered. His eyes danced blue fire, as he watched her flush. He wondered exactly which of his scars had made her blush and the fun they would have finding out.

“Hhhhuummm,” Jen gasp unable to take her eyes off Ty’s as he leaned toward her, his mouth doing its own recon mission, starting with her throat and moving where he willed, until both people moved only on instinct.

“Love you,” Jenny murmured. “Let me stay here tonight? I want to sleep beside you.”

“You just try and leave.” He held her closer, “I’ve already told you once this evening that I didn’t plan on letting you go.”

“You really meant it?”

“Of course.” Later when she wasn’t so skeptical he would tell her all that he planned for them both. “Though, once it’s safe for you on Earth, I’d much rather you were assigned there, than out here.”

“No, don’t ask me to do that,” Jenny felt her stomach clench at the thought of leaving.

“I love you and would like to know you were safe,” he kissed her, afraid for her if she stayed, afraid for himself if she left.

“Answer me honestly,” Jen supported herself on her elbow to look down at him. “If given the choice of a ‘safe’ assignment on Earth, would you leave me here on the Saratoga?”

“Hell, no!” He ground out as he mirrored her position. “But that’s different.”

“You’re darn right it is!” Jenny’s eyes were fierce as she poked him in the chest for emphasis. “I work in Sickbay, a place that is one of the safest areas on the ship. You’re on the exposed bridge. Any Chig with a death wish could crash through there, taking it out and you along with it. I almost never leave the Saratoga. You’ll be back to active combat status in a few months. So, McQueen, which one of us do you think is the safest out here?”

“You’ve made your point,” he could hardly argue with her. “But no more going searching for lost Marines, even if they are my Marines. And that trick you pulled in the Launch Bay?” He shivered thinking about it, “Jen, I had to order Trosper not to open those Bay doors. Please, don’t ever put me in that position again!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would be so hard on you,” she leaned toward him to kiss him gently. “We shouldn’t waste time like this,” Jenny shook her head at the futility of the argument. “Tomorrow either one of us, or both of us, could be transfer off the Saratoga.”

“Ross has an idea about that,” McQueen whispered. “It seems Stan Turek felt that with my ‘special needs.’” He hated the sound of that. “I should have consistent medical care. It was suggested that my duty sheet be stapled with a doctor’s duty sheet. Voss brought this to the Commodore’s attention and it seems Chico thinks you’re the best qualified at ‘keeping me in line in Sickbay.’ I believe that was how it was stated. Ross thinks it’s a good idea, but I wouldn’t do it unless you were alright with it.”

“Oh Ty,” Jenny giggled at the pained expression on his face. Then sobered as she thought further. “I gather my change of assignment will take me out of your chain of command?” She had wondered why McQueen had let things go so far between them when she was technically part of his squad.

“We won’t need the ruse of you being a Wildcard to keep you safe and on the Saratoga, is that alright with you?”

“I’ll miss the 58th,” she shrugged. “But if you and I want to continue......”

“We do!” He spoke emphatically.

“A doctor shouldn’t take care of someone she’s emotionally involved with,” Jenny whispered.

“Can you tell me we weren’t emotionally involved the night you saved my life after the explosion?” He watched the pain cross her face and got his answer before she spoke.

“You know I can’t.” She kissed him deeply to try and take away the horror of that night.

“Then I guess it’s live or die together,” McQueen whispered as he kissed her again. “You wanted that when I took the ‘Cards to Kazbek. I didn’t understand then, but I do now.”

“I’ll do my best to be more careful,” Jen murmured, realizing how important it was for him that she try. “Promise me one thing? If the Saratoga is hit badly, you won’t stay behind with Ross. He may want to go down with his ship, but three’s a crowd.”

“You know Glen pretty well,” McQueen felt a moment of jealousy.

“I can recognize when a person loves their ship,” she caressed Ty’s cheek. “So do we have deal? We’re in this together, no matter what happens?” Holding out her hand she offered their old agreement, “pax?”

“Pax,” he took her hand but instead of just shaking it as usual, he locked their hands together with their fingers intertwined. “You know I love you very much?”

“Yes,” Jenny realized it was his way of telling her how difficult it would be for him if she were to die. “When the war is over, if you still want me, I’ll go to what ever base you’re assigned to. When you’re on ship duty, I’ll wait for you on Catalina. If I thought this charade of being your doctor would keep us together in peace time, I’d stay in the Navy.”

“You’d do that for me?” McQueen hadn’t told her that he planned to leave the Corps when the war ended. He knew what she thought of the life she had just offered him: the long separations and worry; the stress of moving from base to base; the politics of life on base, made worse because they would be a mixed couple. He knew she wanted out of the Navy and medicine, but she would give all that up to be with him. It made his fears for her safety appear small and insignificant.

“Of course, Ty, I love you.” She smiled, knowing that even if the times together would be marked by lonely stretches while he was away, they would be worth having.

“It’s not anything you’ll ever have to do,” he watched as confusion filled her eyes. “I gave Ross my resignation the evening you brought back the ‘Cards.”

“What?” Jenny grabbed onto him. “You didn’t do this for me, did you?” The fear was clear in her voice, “I’d never ask you to change for me!”

“Part of me wants to tell you that I’m giving you the gift of a normal life because I love you,” he shook his head at his foolishness. “But I’ve learned my lesson. I have to be who I am, not someone elses idea of who I am. You fell in love with a Marine, will it make a difference that I’ll be a civilian?”

“I didn’t fall in love with a Marine, I fell in love with a man,” Jen reached up and kissed him.

McQueen picked up his dog tags and removed her bracelet from them. “As much as I’d like to keep this, I want you to wear it.” He put it back on her wrist, where she had always worn it. “This time, if anyone asks, tell them the truth. I gave it to you.”

“Are you sure about that?” Jenny knew he was still afraid for her, though he was hiding it well.

“I deliberately burned my bridges this evening,” he nodded. “As long as we’re on the Saratoga, we need to be circumspect about our relationship. I don’t want to do anything that would get Ross into trouble.”

“I can live with that,” she smiled and moved the bracelet around her wrist. “I missed it, I’ve worn it for so long,” Jen yawned. “But giving it to you was the only way I could be sure you’d come back.”

“Sleep now, you’re not making any sense,” McQueen pulled her closer. “I’d always come back for you. I always have. I didn’t need a bracelet to remind me.”

“Love you,” Jen whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

September 18, 0500 hours McQueen’s quarters:

McQueen awoke to the unaccustomed sound of breathing next to his left ear. He hadn’t slept for long, but the few hours of sleep he had gotten left him strangely refreshed and contented. He and Jen were tangled together on a bunk that was hardly wide enough for one. There was something about this that was significant and went far deeper than the physical implications. He closed his eyes and let the old memory surface: Amy, it had to do with Amy. She had always accused him of shutting her out. Saying, his inability to sleep unless she was as far away from him as their bed would allow, was a tangible sign of his need to keep her out emotionally.

Ty was caught by surprise at how correct Amy had been. With her he had been careful to guard his personal space, even in his sleep. But with Jen it was different. There was no ‘his space’ or ‘her space,’ only their’s. He chuckled softly as he realized that was defining moment number two, in less than twelve hours. Was the slight woman who was wrapped around him going to provide defining moments for as long as he lived, just to prove herself right?

He pulled her closer, as he felt her begin to stretch against him. “Good morning,” a very contented Lieutenant Colonel whispered to the woman who was trying not to wake up.

“Hi there,” Jenny snuggled back against the warm body that held her close. Raising up, she attempted to kiss the lips that were grinning at her inability to keep her eyes open. Over balancing she ended up planting a sleepy kiss on his chin instead. “Sorry about that,” she giggled. “Lets try it again.” This time her aim was more accurate.

“That was much better,” his eyes twinkled as she slid back down beside him. He had watched Jen wake up on a number of occasions. Having her wake up warm and soft in his arms was better than he could have imagined. Thinking of those other times, Ty had to be very sure. “Are you still okay with this?” He swept blond curls away from her eyes so he could see as well as hear her answer.

“You thought I’d hate myself in the morning?” Jenny watched as he fought to keep his face unguarded. “I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather wake up, than beside you. Now your turn, McQueen,” she offered, “did you change your mind?”

“Never,” he whispered.

“Good, because this is the first time since Earth that I’ve awakened and haven’t been cold,” she teased, though they both knew there was a grain of truth in what she was saying.

“Well, I’m glad I could be of help,” he grunted. This was something else he had never experienced, this intimate ‘playing’ between a man and a woman. Always before it had been sex, then nothing.

As he ran his hand along her side and felt her curve against his touch, he wanting badly to roll her beneath him and spend the day as they had spent most of the night. But it was getting late, and soon it was back to their other lives. The ones where they were Colonel and Doctor. They’d practiced that game when they were with the Angry Angels, not realizing how important it would become to them later.

Moving quickly while he still had a hold on priorities, McQueen slid out from under the blanket and sat on the side of the bunk, “I’ve got a breakfast meeting with Ross at 0600 or I’d.....” He caught his breath as he felt her hand move along his lower back.

“I missed one last night,” Jen’s fingers moved over an old scar on his back, just below the twelfth rib. “That looks like it went deep, you’re lucky you didn’t lose a kidney.”

“You missed a number of them last night,” he turned and l put his arm around her as she curled against his back and side. His eyes had gone a clear dark blue and his voice husky. Last night her lips had moved over the scars on his chest with nibbling kisses, he could picture them moving where her fingers were touching now. “Jen....you know I’d rather stay here with you, but there’s just so much Ross will over-look.”

“I..ah...” She pulled her hand away from him as if she had been burned. “I didn’t mean to do that,” she blinked in surprise.

“It’s okay, Jen,” he smiled and brought her wandering hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. “As I was saying, before I was so nicely distracted, if I didn’t have this meeting I’d invite you to shower with me.”

“Ha....Unless your bathroom is much larger than mine, it would be a very tight squeeze,” she kidded, as she averted her eyes from his backside as he headed toward the shower.

“We’d work it out,” he grinned, looking back at her. The bathroom door covering all but his face. “I’ll be out in a minute, wait for me?”

“Sure,” she whispered, still holding the sheet over her as she looked at the pile of clothes on the floor instead of where the voice was coming from.

As he quickly showered and shaved, he couldn’t get over the fact that Jen had been shy about seeing him naked. It didn’t make sense. She was a doctor, had seen men like that before, hadn’t she? She had taken care of him often enough to know what his body looked like. He smiled and almost cut himself shaving when he realized the difference. This morning she was looking at him as a woman looks at a man.”

Jenny heard the bathroom door open behind her. She was leaning over to make up the bunk. “Ty, you’ve really got to be easier on my clothes,” Jen was dressed in the jeans and sweater she had worn the night before, but a scrap of torn lace and a damaged bra dangled over her shoulder. The breath caught in her throat as she turned and found him standing very near her. A damp towel slung low on his hips, water beads still glistening on his skin and silver hair.

“You haven’t had any other mornings after, have you?” His voice almost purred with satisfaction.

“Ah....” her mind went blank. “Not exactly.”

“Why didn’t you say something last night?”

“It didn’t seem like the time?” She tried to skirt around the question, but he only shook his head, seeing through her. “I didn’t want to disappoint you,” she whispered.

“You couldn’t.” He had known for a long time that Jen wasn’t much of a player. Last night for a split second, he’d realized the truth, but dismissed it. Sighing, he reached for the damaged silk hanging over her shoulder, “but I could have been more careful of you.”

“Then I’m glad I didn’t say anything,” her chin rose, in what McQueen had come to think of as her fighting stance. “I wouldn’t change anything about last night.”

“Jen, what am I going to do with you?” He shook his head as he pulled her close against him.

Reaching for his cleanly shaven cheek, she gave him a wicked grin. “If last night is anything to go by, you’ve already figured it out.”

“I think you may be right,” he agreed in mock seriousness, “but until we can explore that theory in more detail, there is something I want you to have.” He reached for a piece of paper in the top drawer of his desk, “it’s my door code.”

“I can’t take that,” Jenny gasped. McQueen was an intensely private person. Most in-vitros that she had met were. It came from spending too many years in communal living.

“Jen, you’re welcome here anytime,” he curled her fingers around the paper. “There will be times when we have to work late. I want to know that if one of us comes in at two in the morning the other will be sleeping in that bunk.” He could see in her eyes she understood that he wasn’t only talking about now, and strategy meetings with Ross or late nights in surgery. He was asking her to be here months down the road, when he would be coming in battle weary and covered with dirt from some far away planet or moon.

“Okay,” her mouth was so dry she didn’t think he heard her. “But you have to take mine as well,” she wrote the numbers on the bottom half of the paper and tore it in half.

September 18, 2064 Mess Hall, 0630 hours:

“Queen Of Diamonds to Angel-Doc, come in Jenny.” Shane stood beside the table where the older woman was seated, staring into her coffee. The noise of the mess hall flowed around them.

“Shane? Sorry, I didn’t see you,” she smiled as she indicated for her friend to sit and eat with her.

“You wouldn’t have seen a planet the size of Jupiter,” Vansen giggled. “I’ve got to warn you, the rest of the 58th is only a few minutes behind me.”

“I always enjoy eating with you guys,” Jenny decided to brazen it out. She wasn’t fool enough to think that any of the ‘Cards had missed what went on last night. If they didn’t approve of it, she had better find out now.

“It’s okay,” Vansen patted the older woman’s hand, “there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Thank you,” Jenny reached for her coffee. “You’ll give them my thanks?”

Shane nodded as she worked up the courage to ask the question that had been burning in her mind since she saw Jen dancing with McQueen. “When we talked in March,” she licked her lips. “It was him, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” the Doctor whispered. “I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t tell anybody.”

“You don’t have to explain,” Shane smiled. “Having seen and heard you that night, then seen you and the Colonel last night, I know for sure that John wasn’t the right man.” Shane’s grin of relief making it clear that she was over Oakes for good. “I hope I find someone who loves me, as much as you love him.”

“I don’t think that’s something you’re going to need to worry about,” Jen patted her friend’s arm, as she saw the big in-vitro Marine leading the 58th over to join them.

Jenny had expected to receive some good natured ribbing, but with the exception of Shane’s private question, nothing was said that indicated that anything out of the ordinary had happened. She hoped Joan Brill could contain herself until they were some place more private than Sickbay. There was no doubt in the Doctor’s mind that she was in for a grilling by the older nurse.

September 21, Ross’s Office, 1430 hours:

“Come,” the Commodore called out at the knock on his hatch.

“You wanted to see me, Sir,” McQueen took a seat across from his friend.

“I received a packet from Savage,” Ross indicated the communications chip that was on his desk. “A lot has happened since we’ve been out of contact with the war.”

“Is there more trouble?” McQueen watched Ross carefully, something was bothering the older man.

“Yes and no,” Ross fidgeted a moment before looking at his friend. “On the positive side, there has been very little action in the last two weeks. Each side has pulled back. In the past, that sort of thing has been followed by a huge blood letting. From what Savage says, there is a different feel to the situation than usual, so he’s hopeful that it’ll be different this time.”

“Sir, that’s not what you called me here to discuss, ” McQueen had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“You’re right,” the Commodore sighed. “Ty, Carleton Stryker was arrested three nights ago. He and some friends attacked an In-Vitro Rights worker at a rally in Boston.”

“Go on,” McQueen felt every nerve in his body tighten.

“Jack Longley and his team had just broken the story to the press about Aerotech’s involvement in creating drug controlled in-vitros. There was a public backlash in support of in-vitros. Almost every major city in the world, had demonstration, against Aerotech,” the Commodore took a deep breath and plunged on. “From what Frank tells me, the Rally in Boston had been planned months ago. Four men, one of them Stryker, grabbed a female Rights Worker off the streets. They burned the back of her neck with a cigar but were caught, when her gag came loose, while trying to rape her.

“Son of a bitch!” McQueen wanted nothing more than to get his hands on Stryker.

“Ty, calm down!” Ross ordered. “In the past two years there have been 10 other muggings like this one. They used DNA testing to place Stryker at the scene each time. Savage sent me a list of the other victims, Jenny’s name wasn’t on it.”

“It wouldn’t be, she wasn’t raped,” he whispered as he fought for control. When he looked up at Ross again, his eyes glinted ice. “But it was Stryker. The nurse I talked to that night said Jen was lucky. It looked like the men started tearing at her clothes, then changed their minds and marked her first.”

“Jesus, Ty,” Ross gasped. “No wonder you’ve been so protective of her.”

“Some protector I am?” He laughed bitterly. “I’ve just turned her into the In-Vitro Colonel’s woman!”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Ross ground out. “Don’t you ever demean what the two of you have like that again. You’re happy for the first time in your life, that’s got to be worth something. I’ve only known Jenny a year, but I’ve never seen her happier,” the Commodore turned and paced not sure how much he should say. “McQueen, you think you’re the only person on this vessel who is involved with someone? Well you’re not! I’ve turned my back on a lot of things that at other times I would have tossed people in the brig for. But this damn war is taking lives so fast, I can’t see denying people happiness if they happen to find it in the middle of all this hell. My only rule is they don’t rub my face in it, so get the hell out of my face!”

“Understood, Sir.”

“Now back to business,” Ross’ voice was gruff. “If we want to see that man convicted as the slimy criminal he is, we have to keep our personal feelings out of it. The information McKendrick has is too vital to be jeopardized by anything. As far as we’re concerned, Carleton Stryker had noting to do with Jenny Kirkwood. There are too many connections here and I don’t want some smart-ass attorney to find a loop hole for that traitor to crawl out of. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Sir,” the grim smile that crossed the Colonel’s lips made Ross shudder. “But if he does slip through anything, it won’t be for long.”

“McQueen do I have to lock you up until you calm down?” The Commodore would do just that if he had to. “Hayden has been able to keep a lid on the story. She’s been trying to distance herself from Stryker and Aerotech, but it won’t last for long. When that story hits, Jenny’s going to need you close by, not sitting in the brig.”

“Do they have anything on Stryker besides the.......muggings,” he choked over the word.

“He had two in-vitros on his staff that couldn’t pass a routine physical.” Ross looked slyly at McQueen, “it seems that both of them had been programed with deep violent post-hypnotic suggestions. During the deprogramming process, both men spoke of a third member to their group. A friend, who was killed by a mob after assassinating Spencer Chartwell.”

“What? Chartwell’s murder?” The Colonel turned from his place at the port hole in surprise.

“Frank says that’s being whispered about,” Ross smiled for the first time since McQueen entered his office. “And two of his bodyguards have a very sketchy criminal history. Both of them have been on the run since Longley’s story hit. Savage has men out looking for them, he believes they were involved in the killings of older in-vitros.”

“Glen,” McQueen’s voice cracked, “I always swore I’d kill the men who hurt her, when I found out who they were.”

“If we’re careful, and do this right, we will.” A look of grim satisfaction crossed the Commodore’s face. “Treason is the only capital offense left on the books.”

“How much longer do you think Hayden will be able to keep this quiet?”

“She’s running out of time. Her credibility has been badly damaged,” Ross’ smile was evil. “I’d say by tomorrow The Armed Forces Network will be carrying bits and pieces of the story. Jenny needs to be warned, do you want me to talk to her?”

“No, she should hear it from me,” he looked at his watch and decided he had just enough time to punch his anger away in the gym.

September 21, 2064 McQueen’s Quarters 2345:

She had thought he was asleep when she had slipped out of bed, but he wasn’t. If he had been, her leaving his side would have awakened him. She was standing at his port hole a few feet away. McQueen couldn’t help smiling, she had grabbed his t-shirt from the back of the chair as she passed by. What was this strange thing she had for wearing his clothes? He didn’t care, when he picked up something she had been wearing he could smell her scent and it made him whole.

“Jen,” McQueen whispered as he came up behind her. His arms pulled her back against him as he buried his face in her hair. “Are you all right?”

“Sure I am. What are you doing still awake?” She was afraid she knew, but wanted to hear it from him. “You should be exhausted. I hear you spent a few hours with a large punching bag this afternoon.”

“The Doctor has spies does she?” He teased, then turned serious. “If you’re so ‘all right’ how come you’re not sleeping?” McQueen was sure Jen’s spy wore a Wildcards insignia on his or her flightsuit and made a mental note to keep his eyes open for them in the future.

“Couldn’t sleep,” she tried to pass it off as simple insomnia.

“Jen, look at me.” He turned her around gently and cupped her face with his hands. “You don’t need to be afraid. Stryker or his kind will never hurt you again, I promise.”

“You think that’s why I can’t sleep?” She was tired and exasperated. Hearing about Stryker had taken more of a toll on her than she liked to admit.

“I can’t think of any other reason.”

“I’ve been waiting all evening for you to pull away because of this,” she chewed on her lower lip in worry. “I know you said you wouldn’t, but I saw how hard it was on you. Why else would you have needed two hours with a punching bag before you could tell me?”

“For such a smart woman, you come to some silly conclusions,” he pulled her close. “I must have killed Stryker a dozen times while hitting that bag,” he smiled at the memory. “But I learned something too. When I walked out on you in Houston, Stryker scored another victory. All the times I’ve held back out of fear for you, we’ve been the losers. Jen, I don’t like to lose!”

“Neither do I,” she ran her hands up and down his sides, enjoying the feel of his warm skin under her touch.

“You won’t. Now come back to bed, you’re freezing,” he could feel her shiver as he helped her back into the bunk. “But I can warm you up better with out this,” he grinned in the dark as he pulled the shirt she was wearing over her head and sent it flying.

“They say the best way to share body heat is skin to skin,” Jen giggled as they matched each other touch for touch.

Lieutenant Colonel Tyrus Cassius McQueen looked at the sleeping woman in his arms and wondered why it had taken him so long to realize that she had been right. There was no one single defining moment. Life was a series of them. How one dealt with those moments was what really defined a person, not the moment its self.

The fleeting memories he had of her in detox; all the time they spent on the Windswept; the disaster in a hospital in Houston; finding her crumpled on the ground on Kordis; and all the times on the Saratoga. There had been no short cuts for them, no easy way. They had learned and changed together, but all the time it had taken, had been worth the wait. Everything that had come before, had been leading to this cabin, to that moment in time when he had finally been able to say the words that let someone into his life forever.

Next : Chapter Seven - Forever

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