Chapter 2

Next morning McQueen found himself standing, on the Commodores orders, once again in front of her door. He rapped loudly.

“Hello?” came the hesitant response. “Who is it?”

“Colonel McQueen, ma’am. The Commodore sent me to escort you to his office.” He fairly barked the response at her.

He waited…and waited. * God - this was bad enough without being kept waiting in the corridor like some rookie grunt * he thought. He could feel his anger rising. * Who the hell did she think she was? Was she ever going to open this damn door? *

Passing crewmen were starting to stare at him; he was becoming more and more furious every second he stood there. She hadn’t turned up for dinner the night before, they’d assumed she’d been tired and had slept instead, but now this.

“I don’t know how to open this door.” came a very quiet voice from inside the room.

He almost hadn’t heard her, and he shook his head as if the very act of shaking it would dissipate the fury that was in him. * Civilians Goddammit! Why couldn’t they do the simplest things? *

Drawing a breath he spoke very calmly, “The lock. Twist it to the right and pull, hard.”

He could hear the sounds of her twisting, and some grunting as she pulled. Then silence. He raised his eyes to heaven, sighing. ”Step back ma’am and I’ll push.”

Once the door was open he stepped into the room. She was sitting on the bunk, pulled up into the corner, her back pushed about as close to the wall as she could get. She was staring at him with those wide blue eyes, unfallen tears glistening. * She looks terrified * he thought. * Like a caged animal* His anger dissipating with the thought, he almost reached out to stroke her head, but remembered just in time who he was and why he was there.

“Have you been locked in here since yesterday?” he asked gruffly.

She nodded at him, her pale face flushing a bright crimson red. He almost laughed out loud.

“So you haven’t eaten then?”

She shook her head.

“Well, come on “he said more gently this time. “I think we can squeeze in some breakfast before I deliver you to the Commodore.”

With that he turned and led the way out of the room and up along the corridor.


She’d been sitting on the bed, just staring out at the stars, for what felt like days after discovering she had somehow locked herself in the room. Or had they locked her in, she wondered? After all, what can you do in a room that measures maybe 15ft by 15ft, and is basically empty space * she thought. * I’ve showered, changed my clothes and slept. I’m bored now, and hungry * so she sat staring out at the stars, wishing she knew their names.

There was a loud rapping on the door. She jumped in fright, asking a bit too loudly for whoever it was to identify themselves. Smiling to herself at the answer, she suddenly realised how foolish she was going to look when she admitted that she didn’t know how to operate a simple door. And dammit! For some stupid reason, she didn’t like the idea of appearing foolish in front of him. He’d only laugh at her again. She couldn’t bear the idea of him laughing at her again. Sighing, she got up and stood close to the door. Maybe if she whispered, it wouldn’t seem so bad.

“I don’t know how to open this door.”

She could almost feel his disbelief through the door. Just what she needed, and to think she’d thought him kind of cute too!

She did as he instructed her, but still was unable to open the door.

“Step back ma’am and I’ll push.”

She retreated to the bed, her back up against the wall, trying to get away from him, from those eyes that would be laughing at her, but also angry with her all at the same time.

She blinked back tears as he stepped through the door, his face a picture of barely restrained fury. He stood in front of her, a vision in black, she thought. Like some dark avenging angel, come to drag her to hell.

“Have you been locked in here since yesterday?”

She nodded, feeling her face flush as she realised he was actually being nice to her, when she had expected him to shout at her for being so stupid.

“So you haven’t eaten then?”

She shook her head, not trusting her voice not to crack.

“Well, come on. I think we can squeeze in some breakfast before I deliver you to the Commodore.”

Slowly she followed him into the corridor, grateful that today; at least, he wasn’t making her run to catch up.


She followed him down the corridor to the officers’ mess. He pointed to a table and motioned for her to sit down. God, she thought, he thinks I’m so stupid he has to communicate using sign language. She sat, her face flushing a deep crimson for the second time that morning. She hung her head so that no one would see the embarrassment on her face.

A plate appeared on the table in front of her,

“Sorry, it was all they had left.” he said. “Eggs and some unidentifiable meat.”

She looked up at him. At those blue eyes that just stared right back at her, twinkling with suppressed laughter.

“I’m glad I amuse you.” she said, glaring at him. “And thank you for the breakfast.”

“I’m sorry ma’am,” he said, “but nobody has ever managed to lock themselves in their own quarters before, at least not to my knowledge.”

Feeling her colour rise yet again, and damning him for being able to make her blush so easily, she said, “My name is Dylan. Please use it. I’m nobody’s ma’am. That’s what people call the Queen. I’m just me… nobody special.”

She dipped her head quickly, ostensibly in order to eat some food, but really to get away from the look in his eyes. The quick flare of anger she had seen there had frightened her.

“Well, ma’…Dylan.” he quickly corrected himself. ”Ma’am is military protocol. It’s a sign of respect. And you were sent to us as an emissary from the Secretary General.”

Her head flew up.

“I beg your pardon? Emissary? I don’t have any idea why I’m here, so if you know Colonel McQueen, I’d be truly grateful if you’d let me in on the secret!”

He stiffened. “I’m not at liberty to tell you that ma…”. At the look in her eye, he quickly amended. ”Dylan. I believe the Commodore is going to explain your orders when I get you to his office.”

She sat and stared at him across the table,

God, she thought, does he know how good-looking he is?

He stood.

“If you’re finished, I should deliver you to the Commodore.”

She scooped up the last few forkfuls of egg, and stood.

“Well, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be Colonel.” She smiled at him, a full beam smile, as she liked to think of it, and was rewarded with a momentary panic in his eyes.

* Ha * she thought, * so you get the jitters too, Blondie! * She smiled to herself as he turned and began heading out of the mess hall.


He strode off down the corridor to the Officers Mess, confident that she would be following him. The temptation to look over his shoulder was almost overwhelming.

He hated to think it, but he had to admit to just the tiniest bit of interest in her… so small and delicate looking, with those huge saucer eyes. She looked like an elf; all she needed was some pointed ears. Her accent was not one he was familiar with, though he recognised it as Scots, so soft and lilting. He sighed. *Pull yourself together man! Remember who you are! * He thought to himself.

Once they reached the mess - and with no stops along the way, he gratefully noted - he pointed her towards a table and went to fetch her some food. Unsure of what she’d like, he chose the easiest. * Everyone likes eggs, don’t they? * He thought.

Walking back to the table he noticed how she kept her head low, and the crimson flush on her neck,

“Sorry, it was all they had left.” he said. “Eggs and some unidentifiable meat.” He tried not to let her see his amusement at her flush.

She looked up at him, anger flaring in those blue, blue eyes. * Oh hell* he thought. Now he was getting gushy!

“I’m glad I amuse you and thank you for the breakfast,” she said coldly.

He tried not to chuckle. He had never, in all his years aboard carriers, ever heard of anyone who managed to lock themselves in their own cabin. He told her so, only to feel an instant regret when she flushed yet again.

“My name is Dylan, please use it. I’m nobody’s ma’am. That’s what people call the Queen. I’m just me - nobody special.” she’d said to him.

He looked at her in amazement. * Nobody special! What on earth had happened to her to make her feel like that* he wondered? She must have seen the look in his eyes because she looked away quickly. Was it possible that she was frightened of him?

Not knowing how to deal with her questions, he took refuge in military protocol. After all, he was a Lt. Colonel, even if Ross did treat him as his personal errand boy!

He sat and stared at her across the table. * Damn her * he thought, * what was it about her? * He didn’t know if he wanted to shoot her or hug her. So he settled for the next best thing - performing his duty.

He stood.

“If you’re finished, I should deliver you to the Commodore.”

He didn’t really hear what she said - he was caught like a startled rabbit in the blaze of her smile, and the twinkle in her eye.

He turned and led the way out of the mess hall. It was a military advantage to know when to retreat… at least that’s what he told himself.



Next : Chapter Three
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