Chapter XLI

“So you look happier than I’ve seen you in a long time,” Danny commented sotto voce to Arianna as he squeezed in beside her.  The rest were taken with discussing the upcoming holiday and their excitement about introducing their families to each other.  Eli had clasped the hand Arianna had wrapped around her arm, but they both seemed content to let the conversation flow around them.  Now Arianna turned to Danny, her smile almost blinding in its intensity.

“I am,” she agreed.  “It feels... different this time.  It feels real.”

“It wasn’t real before?” he asked with surprise clear in his voice.  He turned to study her face and she met his eyes with a serious expression.

“It was, but not like this.  This time we are already bound to one another, and yet we still have so much to discover about each other.  It’s like we know we have the time we need to become everything we are supposed to be together.”  She frowned.  “Does that make sense?”

“Yes, Sweetie,” he said with a grin, patting her free hand.  “It makes perfect sense.  Personally, I think it’s wonderful and long overdue.  But, um... do you really want to be public with it?” gesturing to their linked hands and intimate posture.  “I mean... right before we leave.  What would the Committee say?  And what about your father?”

“Danny, first of all – I am not ashamed of my Amado and if you think I am going to hide this now that it is finally mine, you have another think coming.  It’s taken us too long to get to this point to even pretend differently.  We’ve already been chosen to be members of the Alpha team, and it’s been announced throughout the galaxy.  What is the Committee reasonably going to do to us – remove us from the project less than two weeks from departure?” she scoffed.

He nodded, noticing that everyone’s attention had turned their way... especially Eli’s.  “I suppose you’re right, but what about your father?”

Arianna narrowed her eyes at him, understanding full well what he was getting at.  She turned to meet Eli’s eyes, reaching for her free hand and clasping both tightly.  “I will give him back the crown before I’ll allow him to separate us again.  I didn’t understand before, but I do now.”

“But....”

“Shh... this is my choice.  The only way that changes, Amado, is if you walk away from us.”  Eli blinked, wondering how such a private conversation had become the topic of discussion in such a public forum.

“Never, Angel,” she said softly, as if they were the only ones in the room.  They stared at one another for a long moment, leaning closer together.  But before their lips could meet, Jacob interrupted the tableau between them.

“Kiss ‘er already!” he hollered, causing them to jump apart and Eden to reach over and smack him hard.   “OW!” clutching the back of his head.  “Whaddya go and do that for?” he asked, giving her a glare.  Eden rolled her eyes and shook her head.  Arianna and Eli exchanged glances and burst into laughter, which caused the rest to join in.  It was this scene that Mary and Ephraim walked in on unnoticed.  Arianna squeezed Eli’s hands.

“That’s all right – I want our first time together again to be just for us,” she whispered.  Eli’s grin lit up the room, and the rest wondered what Arianna had said to return that long lost expression to Eli’s countenance.  Before anyone could broach the subject, Mary stepped forward, and instantly Eli’s expression went serious.

“Ms Wellesly?”

“My apologies for disturbing your team-bonding.”

“But...?”

“But something has developed, and it’s time sensitive.  Is everyone here?” looking around the room.  “Where’s Titus?”

“Last we heard, he was with you,” Eden replied with pointed look.  Mary met her gaze and Eden was the first to look away.  Only then did Mary turn to Ephraim.  He nodded.

“On it, Chief,” he said as he disappeared back out the door.  Mary looked at the others and motioned to the mess line.

“I know Joy’s not happy to have her kitchen invaded, but you all might want to grab something to drink.  This may take more than a few minutes.”

They glanced around at each other, then they looked at Eli as a single entity, waiting for her nod.  “You heard the Chief,” she offered.  “Are we meeting in here, Ms Wellesly?”

Mary looked around and shook her head.  “No.  You deserve to hear this in comfort and with a certain amount of privacy.  There’s a conference room attached to my office,” seeing them all nod.  “Meet there in fifteen minutes.”  Then she turned and left the mess hall, queuing her comm unit and giving Ephraim his instructions.  She headed directly to the office, confident that the Alpha team would be there sooner rather than later.

************

Eden nudged Eli as soon as Mary walked out of the galley. “Go,” she suggested with a jerk of her head towards the doorway.  “I don’t want to have to sit through the two of you mooning over one another for however long this meeting of importance takes.  So go – Jake and I’ll bring you both something to drink.”

Eli didn’t need any further prodding and pulled Arianna up with her as she stood.  Arianna looked puzzled – not having heard the conversation between Eli and Eden – then she caught a glimpse of the twinkle in Eli’s gray-green eyes.  Her confusion morphed into a bright smile, and she was suddenly leading them out of the mess hall.

A cheer went up from their colleagues, and they laughed as they ran all the way to their quarters.

************

“I kinda wish we’d gotten to see them kiss,” Jake commented.  “OW!!” clutching the back of his head and glaring at Eden.  “Why do you keep doing that??  You’re going to give me brain damage!”

“Honey, you’d need to have more than a lizard brain at work first,” Danny snarked, causing the others in the room to titter.  Jake narrowed his eyes, but couldn’t really dispute the truth of Danny’s words.  So he smirked and shrugged.

“C’mon.  Let’s go find out what this is all about,” walking into the galley and snagging two waters and two sodas from the fridge.  Jake was pretty sure he was going to need his wits about him for this meeting, so that precluded any type of alcohol.  Hands full he nodded at Danny.  “Next,” then he caught Eden’s eye.  A nod from her, and he left for the conference room, knowing she’d be bringing up the rear in Eli’s absence.

Titus was already in the conference room when Jacob arrived, and he held up his hands in lieu of offering him a drink.  Titus shook his head and held up his bottle of chocolate milk.  “Thanks, though.”

Jacob nodded and took a seat beside him.  “Everything okay, man?  We missed you at lunch.”

“Yeah.  There was a mix-up in some of my supplies, so I spent the morning straightening that out.  I was just finishing up when Ephraim came to get me.”

Jacob nudged him gently with an elbow.  “You should have said something.  We’d have all pitched in to help you out.”

“I know, but I didn’t want to take away from the homecoming.  And besides, I needed a little space to think.”

“You sure you’re all right?”

“Yeah... I’m sure.  I was thinking about saying goodbye to my family, you know.  Them coming here – it makes it all real... like it really hasn’t been before.  A few more days together and a trip to the space dock and ship, and then we say goodbye for who knows how long.   A lot can happen in five years – who knows if they’ll all be alive when we’ll return? And what’s to say we’ll all come back?  We’re walking into a lot of unknowns out there.”

“You getting iced piddies?” Eden asked as the rest filed into the room as a group.

Titus shook his head.  “No, not really.  Cold feet would imply a reluctance to go, and I’m looking forward to sharing this mission with all of you.  I expect it to be far beyond our wildest dreams and our greatest imaginings.  But it’s still sobering to realize that time won’t stop for us while we’re gone.  Things will change, and we’ll miss those changes.”

“Hopefully,” Luke said as he took a seat beside Danny, “most of the changes will be good ones.”

At that moment, the door closed and Mary looked around the table, noting the two obviously empty seats.  She looked at Eden, who just shook her head.  “You gave us fifteen minutes.  I wouldn’t expect them one standard second before then.”

Mary smirked.  “On the bright side... at least things seem to be working out on that front.”

“For which we are all devoutly grateful,” Mordecai chanted and the rest intoned solemnly, “Amen.”

************

Eli and Arianna were still laughing when they reached Eli’s quarters, both of them too preoccupied to notice the empty hallways.  Instead Eli fumbled with the key to get the door open and they stumbled in the door together.    Only when the door was closed and they were alone did the laughter stop.

They looked at one another, examining one another with a closeness they hadn’t shared in months.  They noted the differences as well as the similarities, eyes tracing paths long denied and sorely missed.  Eli lifted a hand to Arianna’s face, gently rubbing the back of her hand against the smoothness of Arianna’s cheek.  When there was no objection, she turned her attention to Arianna’s lips, sketching their fullness with the tips of sensitive fingers. 

Arianna caught Eli’s hand, bringing it to her lips and nibbling on it teasingly.  Eli pulled in a sharp breath and forced her eyes from Arianna’s mouth to her eyes.  The invitation there was enough to make her whimper slightly, but she was still compelled to ask.

“Are you certain, Angel?”

Arianna didn’t deign to respond verbally.  Instead, she sucked two fingers between her lips and began laving them with her tongue.  Eli felt her heart stop for a timeless moment, then she eased her fingers from Arianna’s mouth and replaced them with her lips and tongue.

There was no hesitation... no shyness.  This was about claiming one another again – a reaffirmation of their bond and commitment to one another.  They knew it couldn’t be more than this single kiss... not now – there simply wasn’t time.  But the time they did have was spent melding the broken pieces of their lives and hearts into a single cohesive being.

There was much more that would need to be done of course – things still to talk about, plans to put into motion and love still to be made.  But in this moment, their passion was contained in this single kiss, and for now... it was all they needed - it was enough.

************

“Speaking of missing pieces,” Esther piped up, “where are our minders?  I’ve gotten so used to having them around all the time, no matter how unobtrusively, that it’s a little weird for it to be just us here.  No offense,” she offered to Mary with a smile.  Mary laughed.

“None taken,” she assured them all.  “The fact is that they are needed elsewhere at the moment, taking care of some issues related to what I need to share with you.  Besides I promised you privacy.  This is the best that I can do in that regard.”  The sound of steps on the metal staircase caused her to look at her watch and smile. “Ah, ladies... so nice of you to join us,” she said as Arianna and Eli appeared at the top of the stairs with happy smiles and light blushes.  “And right on time too.  Please... come in and take a seat.”

Eli took the foot of the table - directly across from Mary on the other end – while Arianna took the seat to her right.  They never lost contact, and only when they were seated did their attention turn to Mary.

“My apologies for the delay, Ms Wellesly.  Please....” motioning for Mary to assume the reins of discussion.  She nodded and rose to speak.

************

“Are you kidding me?” Isaac exploded when Mary was done.  “Seriously??”

“Isaac, sit down,” Eli commanded softly.

“But you heard her, Eli.  She’s planning on using all of us as bait.  Doesn’t that piss you off even just a little bit??  What about Arianna?  Do you really want her put into harm’s way like that??”

“Isaac,” Eli said sternly as she stood.  “Sit. Down.”  He measured her for a long minute before he slowly resumed his seat, his defiant expression wavering under her unyielding one.  She held his gaze as she answered his accusations.  “Isaac – we have always been targets... since long before we were chosen for the Alpha team.  Using us as bait is not really that farfetched of an idea, and it implies that Mary has plans to secrete us elsewhere.  Our rumored presence here is to draw those out who would seek to destroy us.”  Eli exhaled slowly and pivoted towards Mary, who was watching her with a serene expression.

“Where my problem lies,” Eli stated emphatically, “is with the idea that we need to run away in the first place.  I am a warrior, Ms Wellesly.  We do not hide from conflict – we embrace the challenge of battle.  And I resent your need to hide us in order to protect us.  Why shouldn’t we be allowed to participate in the upcoming fight?  Why shouldn’t we be allowed to defend ourselves?  After all... we will be required to do so once we leave here.  You will no longer be around to protect us.”

“You are very much like your brother, aren’t you, Eli?” Mary asked calmly, seeing the fire rage in very green eyes.  She held up a hand.  “I meant no disrespect.  Your brother was a good warrior and he died fighting for a cause he believed in.  But Eli – if you had been there, would you have let him go?”

Eli dropped her eyes from Mary’s and shook her head.  “No,” she whispered, gratified when Arianna tightened the grip on her hand.

“Because it really wasn’t his fight, was it?” Mary waited a moment, then continued.  “Not everyone here is a warrior, Eli,” with a glance at Arianna before her eyes returned to Eli’s.  “And this isn’t your fight yet – it’s mine, and that of the force I have lying in wait to take on those who would do all of you harm.  It’s still my job to protect you until you leave here.  There is no weakness or shame to know when to let someone else fight a battle in your stead.  Especially since those in this company are irreplaceable to the project.”

“No one is irreplaceable, Ms Wellesly,” Eli refuted quietly.

“Perhaps,” Mary ceded with a nod of her head.  “But as difficult as it would be for me personally, it would still be easier for me to replace a member of my team than it would be for the Council to replace any of you.  It would delay the project for months.”

“Mama,” Arianna finally spoke up, allowing Eli to relax slightly as all attention focused on Arianna.   “Why are they doing this?  The Committee, I mean.  And how did you let them find us?  Because I am certain that you let them – they never would have done so on their own.”

“Letting them find you was the easy part,” Mary responded without a glance towards Titus.  “I simply allowed a weak signal to escape the security net built around this place.  With enough uses, they were able to figure things out... eventually.  As to why they are doing this – well, that depends on the Committee member involved.  Greed for some; disgust for others; pride for one or two.  And I believe one thinks that we should not upset the balance of things as they are – that by establishing new colonies, we are disrupting the natural order of things.”

“So why stay on the Committee?” Hannah asked.  “If they hated the project so much, why not simply resign?”

“As my son and I discussed earlier, it is much easier to do damage from within than from without, and it is usually much more crippling.  However, in this case, planetary pride was at stake.  With Arianna being a practical shoo-in, no one else wanted to be represented by less than the best from their own planets.  And in that regard, it gave us a ‘dream team’, if you will.  The very best minds in their fields from all over the galaxy.  However, in putting together a team of this caliber, it became clear that the dissenters would need to find another way to discredit or destroy this mission.  That’s when the threats began to emerge.  That’s when you became targets.”

“That’s just crazy,” said Naomi.

“It’s just something, all right,” Deborah agreed.  “I’m kind of on Eli’s side in all this... about us fighting for ourselves, I mean.  Mostly because I would dearly love to kick some serious Committee ass for making us jump through hoops for so long, only for them to try and eliminate us like some sort of pesky annoyance.”

“Perhaps,” Abigail agreed.  “But I believe Mary is correct in this instance.  Most of us in here are not warriors.  We have all been trained to some degree – Mary saw to that.  But it’s not something we grew up doing.  Remember, on Luke’s planet, fighting is punishable by death.  The only reason the restriction was waived for him to even train with us was because it was classified as exercise.  And Mary is also correct about the mission being delayed if something was to happen to one of us.”

“Why do you say that, Gay?” Paul asked.  “We all know there were others qualified to do the jobs we do – people that will be part of either the beta or gamma teams when they are formed.”

Abigail sighed.  “There are, and they will be.  But they are not ‘family’ like we are to one another.  It would take time for them to transition into their new role within the Alpha team and time for us to accept their place in our family unit.”

Eli nodded.  “Gay is right.  And we cannot afford to risk it.”  She looked back at Mary who was watching the scene unfold around her.  “Very well, Ms Wellesly.  What is it you’d have us do?”

“Take a seat, Eli.  This won’t take very long.” 


Chapter XLII

“You think this will work?” Eden asked Eli as they walked back towards their quarters.  Arianna had stayed behind briefly to say goodbye to her family, and Eli had left her alone at her request.  Eli knew it was because Arianna was well aware that her new family would want to put Eli through an inquisition they didn’t have time for.  But it still hurt a little to be excluded.  She shrugged.

“I don’t think we have much choice.  Because if it does not, it leaves us completely vulnerable.  And I cannot believe Mary would allow us to be put in such a position.”

Eden sighed.  “You know Arianna sent you away to protect you, don’t you?  Nathaniel and Ian are gonna play the older brother card, and that’s without considering Joey and Ephraim.  And should we even discuss Joy and Mary?  She’s looking out for you, Eli; you’re not ready for that yet.  Besides... you owe her some explanations before the family gets involved.”

“I know.  I just....”

“Talk to her, Eli.  That’s what got you into this mess to begin with.”  Eden patted Eli’s shoulder.  “Should we meet back here in ten?”

Eli checked her timepiece.  “Yes.  We need to make sure everyone is ready well before time.”

“We’ll get it done, Boss.  We’re too close to starting the biggest adventure of our lives to let some crackpot ruin things for us now.  Like Deb, I still wouldn’t mind kicking some Committee ass, but I think we’re doing the right thing by leaving that to Mary and her team.”

Eli nodded.  “My head knows that, but....”

“Yeah... well,” with a shrug.  “C’mon.  We’ve got places to be and not a lot of time to get there.  See you in a few?” sticking the key into the lock and turning the knob.  Eli nodded and did the same.

“Yes.  It won’t take me long.”

“Me either.”  Then they entered their rooms and closed the doors behind them, immediately setting to work.  They had things to do, and not much time left to do them.

************

“I think you hurt her feelings, Daughter,” Mary said when the room was empty of everyone except her and Arianna.  “Eli didn’t expect you to send her away.”  Arianna nodded slowly.

“I believe that as well.  But I wanted to speak to you privately as well as say goodbye to the boys and Joy.  And Eli and I need to talk before I expose her to the interrogation you know the boys especially would put her through – and that’s not mentioning you and Joy,” said with a smile.

Mary chuckled.  “Yes, Joy and I would probably be far worse in the long run than all four boys combined.  And besides, Joey would never forgive you if we started without him.  And I don’t think he’d think participating via satellite would be the same.”

Arianna snorted.  “That’s true.  You surely weren’t kidding when you told me about becoming part of this family.”

“I did warn you,” Mary replied, getting a nod of agreement from Arianna.  Then she sobered and cocked her head towards Arianna.  “So what did you need to speak to me about, Arianna?  Is there something I can do for you?”

Arianna shrugged and she released a deep breath.  “Do you think everything will be all right, Mama?  I know there are no guarantees in life... about anything really.  But I’ve never been in a situation like this before.  We don’t have warriors on my planet, and I don’t understand....”

Mary held up a hand.  When Arianna stopped speaking, she rose and offered her hand, pulling Arianna up beside her and walking them down the stairs.  “There are no guarantees, Arianna – that’s true.  But we’re going to do our very best to ensure that at the end of the day, everyone is safe and sound and the threat to you and your teammates are eliminated.  And if we do this right, and we’re really lucky, all of my team will remain safe and unharmed as well.”

“Do you think that is even possible?”

“Possible?  Yes – all things are possible.  Likely?  No.   But I’m going to do my damnedest to minimize the casualties.  And that means I need to move you kids before the threat to you arrives.”

“You don’t think they know that this is a trap for them?”

“I think they are desperate enough to risk the fact that it might not be.”  Mary tugged Arianna to a halt when they reached the bottom step, urging her around until they were facing one another.  “What’s this really about, Arianna?”

“I’m just... Mama, I just got Eli back, and despite... everything,” blushing slightly at the memory of the kiss they had shared earlier, “we’re not even close to resolving things between us.”  She sighed.  “I told Danny earlier that it felt like things were really real between us this time because we were no longer on anyone else’s timetable or agenda – that we had finally reached a place where we had all the time we needed to discover who and what we are to one another because we had made the choice to.  We chose one another... despite everything.”

“And now it feels like the rug is being yanked out from under you?”

“Yes!  I want my chance with her, Mama.  I want to make this work.”  Arianna dropped her eyes to the ground.  “You know how my culture works.  I would never have known the emotions she makes me feel – good and bad – had it not been for her.  I want a lifetime of experiencing those things with her.  Does that make me selfish and unreasonable?” raising dark brown eyes to meet equally dark brown eyes.

Mary cupped her cheek gently.  “No Sweetheart – that makes you a woman in love.  And knowing the woman you share that love with, that’s a good thing in my book.  Talk to her, Arianna. The sooner you get things settled between you, the better off you’ll be – both of you.”

“But do I have the time?”

“There’s a saying here that goes something like – don’t wait for tomorrow when you have today.  Honey, you have today... right now.  Utilize it.  That way, once this mess is cleared up, you’ll be ready to step into your future together with a fresh start.”

Arianna reached up and hugged Mary around the neck firmly for a long moment.  “Where have you been all my life?” she whispered into the nearby ear.  Mary eased them apart slowly, finding a smile on Arianna’s lips and tears in her eyes.  Mary smiled and brushed a kiss over Arianna’s forehead.

“Waiting for you to really need me, I guess.  I’m glad we can be here for you now – because you’re an amazing young woman, and I’m proud to be able to call you family.”

“Me too, Mama.”

“All right,” gently yanking Arianna with her as she headed towards the Alpha team’s corridor.  “Let’s get you packed up and moving.  Because if your siblings don’t have time to say goodbye, I’m going to be the one stuck listening to them gripe and moan over the unfairness of life and my mistreatment and abuse of them.”  She raised an eyebrow at Arianna’s skeptical expression.  “You don’t believe me?”

“I think with your flair for dramatics, your name could have been as well known throughout the galaxy as Joy’s is.  That’s what I think.”

Mary narrowed her eyes.  “I think you like living dangerously – that’s what I think.”  She motioned to an almost empty hallway where Ian and Joy were waiting to say goodbye.  They exchanged brief, heartfelt hugs and kisses, then Ian squeezed Arianna twice again.

“For Nat and Joey,” he explained.  Arianna smiled.  “We’ll see you soon, yeah?”  And when she nodded, Ian brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and without another word disappeared down the corridor.  Arianna turned to Joy.

“I’m headed home, so keep in touch with me for however long this takes, okay?  This kind of crap makes me crazy every time I have to deal with it.  I may as well enjoy having a sister to share the crazy with.”  Arianna chuckled and nodded.  Joy took both Mary and Arianna in her arms for a quick group hug, then she headed to the transport room.  Mary and Arianna resumed their trek towards the Alpha team’s living quarters.  They turned the corner into a hive of activity, and Arianna brushed a quick kiss over Mary’s cheek.

“Thank you, Mama,” she said as she skittered to her room.  Mary looked around.

“Is everyone else ready?” seeing most of them nod.  “Good.  With any luck, this will just be a short-term precautionary measure,” not too terribly surprised when Arianna reappeared almost instantly.  She arched an eyebrow at her in question.  “Had you even bothered to unpack?”

“Not exactly,” Arianna shrugged.  “It’s not like I really had the time yet.”

“Yeah – we should have stayed put,” Isaac grumbled, frowning when the rest glared at him.  “What??  I’m just saying the four of us could have remained on the ship and waited for the rest of you to join us if someone here knew what the blazes they were actually doing.”

“Isaac!” Eli called out in a soft voice.  “That’s enough.”

“No – he’s right,” Mary agreed.  “If we’d known this morning how quickly things were going to move, we would have left the team members who were already on the ship in place.  My apologies, Isaac.  I know you’re not markedly fond of the transport system.  I wouldn’t ask you to endure it again so quickly if there was any other way to facilitate your escape.”

Isaac sighed and jerked his head sharply.  “I... thank you.  I’m sorry for taking my upset out on you.  I really don’t think you did this on purpose.”

Mary grinned.  “The only thing I do on purpose is go to the beach,” she assured him.  “Come on – let’s get you kids out of here.  We’ve got work to do before your families are scheduled in.”  They started down the hallway towards the transport room.

“Are they still coming?” Eden asked with a hint of alarm.  “No offense, Chief, but I don’t want my makuahine put into danger for the sake of ostensibly spending the holiday together.  Especially if we’re not even gonna be here to see them.”

“Rest assured – Joy has offered to take them into her home.  The additions should finally be finished, so there will be room for everyone.”

“Is that where we’re going then?” Naomi asked.  “I thought we were going to the ship.”

“We are,” Jake replied before Mary could.  “We’re going to the ship and our families are going to Joy’s to wait for us.”  He looked at Mary.  “What happens if this isn’t done by the holiday?”

Mary shrugged.  “I will send your families to you.  It will be a little crowded, but I’m guessing none of you will mind making do for the chance to spend the holiday together.  But I am hoping for the best.  I’d like to spend the holiday with my kids as well,” she added.  “All of them,” with a pointed glance around the group.  They walked into the transport room, and Mary went directly to the control panel and brought up the transport field.  Without hesitation the first four team members closest to it crossed the barrier and faded from sight.  The others stood back and waited.

“We’ve got them, Chief,” came Reuben’s voice from the comm link.  “Send us the next batch.”

“Like we’re cookies or something,” Eden snarked to Eli.  Hannah chuckled as she walked towards the field.  Mary smiled, having heard because of her proximity to Eden and Eli.  When the second group was safe on the other side, three of the last seven stepped towards the field... hesitating when they realized they were not yet complete.  They paused and looked back.  Arianna was holding on to Eli for dear life and shaking her head no. 

“Sweetheart,” Eli murmured to Arianna.  “You have to go.  I’ll be right behind you.”

“Why can’t I go with you?”

“Because I need to know you are safe.  I am a warrior, remember?  Wait for me – I will be there as quick as I can, I promise.  You still owe me a story and I owe you....” Eli chuckled softly and looked down.  “I owe you everything, Angel.   And I never leave my debts unpaid.”

“You swear you’ll be right behind me?”

“As fast as Mary can get me there.” 

Arianna nodded slowly and tilted her head for a kiss, and Eli complied without thought for those in the room with them.  In that moment, there was only the two of them – they were all that mattered. A disembodied voice shattered the uneasy silence.

“Chief?  Is there a problem?  We still don’t have anyone on this end.”

“Just a slight delay, Reuben.  They’ll be there directly.”

“Might want to put a little speed on, Chief.  We’ve got incoming on the scanner.”

“Ladies, I hate to put a fine point on things, but I need you to move... now,” Mary commanded without raising her voice.  They separated slowly and Arianna walked away from Eli slowly, leaving their hands connected until the last possible second.  Only then did Arianna turn and walk into the light with her three teammates.

“We’ve got ‘em, Chief.  But you’re gonna wanna hold off on the others.  We’ve got incoming enemy fire and... ove... dercov... now... ain la....”  Then there was nothing but silence.  Three pairs of eyes turned to Mary who sighed and scrubbed a hand over her face.

“Can we get a standard translation for that last bit?” Eli asked calmly, though Mary could see the panic in her eyes.

“They had to move undercover for now.  We’ll try again later.  The good news is they got to the transport site safely.  The bad news is you’re stuck here with us until we can bring the field back up.  Come on,” she motioned, shutting the field off and motioning them out the door ahead of her.  “We need to find somewhere safe for you to be.”  She keyed up her comm unit and spoke swiftly.  “Michael... Ruth I need you to the transport room on the double.  Rig the door to blow if anyone opens it from the other side.”

“Yes, Chief.”

“Caleb, I need you and Martha to meet me in the office.  We have a problem.”

“Right away, Chief."
“Of course, Chief.”

“Mama, we’ve got incoming.  You need to get to your post,” Ian said.  “They’ve already passed the outer perimeter guards, and Nat has started closing the pincer.”

“Thank you, my son.  Let’s go, ladies and gentleman,” leading the way up the stairs at a jog.  Eli, Eden and Mordecai followed without comment.  It had been a toss-up between him and Jacob, but one look at Arianna and Mordecai had motioned Jacob to go with her.  They both know they would all be more comfortable with Jacob watching out for her until Eli could get there.  And it was tacitly understood, that as their leader, Eli went last to ensure her team was safe first.

When they arrived at the office, Mary motioned them inside while she remained just inside the door.  “Please... get comfortable and keep the door locked.  I know you would really like to be part of this fight,” meeting Eli’s gaze, “but for my peace of mind – please... please remain in here.  I don’t want to have to explain to my daughter and your mate why I couldn’t keep you safe.  Especially since you promised to follow her as quickly as I could get you there.  Don’t ask me to do that, okay?”

Eli clenched her jaw and nodded sharply. 

“And if they find us?” Eden asked.  “If they come in here?”

Mary didn’t falter.  “Kill ‘em all,” she directed.  “Then come and find me.”  Before she could tell them where she was supposed to be, she put a finger to her lips and motioned them back.  They moved behind the desk and squatted down in an effort to hide themselves from whatever Mary had sensed.  Mary padded surely and swiftly to a wall vault, removing a laser assault rifle and two extra battery packs and some standard ammunition.  She silently placed an old-fashioned semi-automatic weapon on the desk and eased the door to the vault closed without shutting it completely, then slipped behind the closed door to wait.

************

“Bring it back!” Arianna commanded.  “Reuben, bring the field back!” she demanded urgently.  “Everyone’s not here yet.  Bring it back!”

“I know, Angel,” he responded without thinking, causing tears to well in her eyes.  “But there’s nothing we can do about it right now.  C’mon... I need to get you kids to safety.  We’ll try again when it’s safer – the Chief’ll let me know.”

“NO.”  She turned to the man whose arm she was clutching.  “Jacob, no – we can’t just leave like this.  She promised.”

“I know, Az.  And she’ll be here – she’ll keep that promise just as fast as she can.  But right now, she’s got no way to get here, and I promised her I’d keep you safe until she could be here to do it herself.  You don’t wanna make a liar outta ol’ Jake now, do you?  Do you know what she’d do to me if any harm came to you?”  He shuddered dramatically.

Arianna fell into his arms.  “I just want her here with me Jake.”

“And she’ll be here.  Trust her.  And trust that Mary will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”

Arianna looked up into Jake’s eyes and smirked.  “Almost makes me feel sorry for the idiots who started this whole cluster.  Almost.”

“Not me,” Isaac said.  “I hope she gives them everything they deserve for putting us all through this.”

“And in the meantime, ladies and gentlemen,” Reuben said with a hint of impatience on his voice, “I’d appreciate it if you’d move right along,” gesturing to them with his free hand.  “What Princess would do to anyone would be a cakewalk compared to what the Chief is gonna do to all of us if you don’t stop mucking around and get somewhere safe for the duration.”

“You really think she’d do something to us?” Jacob asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.  “We are grown, responsible adults after all.”  Reuben snickered.

“That’s never mattered,” he replied.  “I saw that woman chase her grown man son around the yard with a switch in her hand for the way he announced to her his engagement to his fiancée.  It wasn’t like it was a surprise – Ian had been dating Prudence for nigh on two years by that point.  But instead of telling the Chief about it before he did it, or even them telling her once the deed was done, Ian decided to be cute about it and start talking about wedding plans in front of her.  Prudence tried to talk him out of it, but....”  Reuben shook his head.  “I think the only reason the Chief didn’t catch him was because he’s a foot taller with very long legs – even the added length of the switch wasn’t quite enough to reach him.  It sure was funny to watch though.  That boy squealed like a girl every time the Chief got close.  That was just a few months ago.”

“I’d pay to see that,” Jacob commented.  Arianna snickered.

“Be careful it’s not us she’s chasing the next time.  I’m pretty sure Mama can run faster than me.”

“And me and him and him,” Esther said as she pointed to each of them.  “The only saving grace is she couldn’t chase all four of us at once.”

Reuben laughed.  “Sure about that, are ya?” he cackled.  Their eyes widened and they moved further under cover.


Chapter XLIII

They were almost silent – mercenaries tended to be pretty professional, after all.  It was how they made their living - staying alive while they killed those they were hired to.  But they had no way of knowing what squeaked or creaked or groaned in the facility; there had been no opportunity to do any reconnaissance before they undertook this assignment.  So every noise was like a gunshot, and they stilled after each and every tiny sound.

It was more than a little disconcerting – the ease of their progress hitherto.  More than one of them had wondered if they’d been given incorrect or false information because there was no sign of occupation thus far.  The smells were old and stale; the lights, where they had them, were safety lights left on by the last person out; there was no sound, no movement.  It was like a ghost town, and they were at the deepest level of the facility and they had yet to encounter any indication of recent activity.  Still they were professional, and they would conduct the same thorough sweep of this level that they had in all the others to which they had been assigned.

It had occurred to them, of course, the likelihood that this was the level at which they would find their prey.  After all, when people go to ground, they tend to hide as deeply as they could burrow.  It kind of sucked that they were forced to maintain radio silence.  It would be helpful to know what, if anything, the other units had found.

But orders were orders and mercenaries took orders as long as they were getting paid.  So they went about their business, slowly creeping up the metal staircase towards what had once been the command center.

They slowed even further when they reached the top of the stairs.  Here, for the first time, was a signal that they were indeed on the right trail.  Everywhere they had traversed through til now had been saturated with an air of neglect and abandonment – dust inches thick on the floor; papers and furniture scattered haphazardly as though left in great haste; no form of power.  They’d had to resort to walking down flight after flight of stairs.

Here, however, in the conference room just above the command center and right outside of what they had been informed was once the commanding officer’s seat of authority was proof that someone had been here recently.  The table was clean and dust free and the chairs were all fitted neatly under the table.  The nearby recycle bin was full and going by the droplets of water on the tabletop, it had been filled very recently.

The point man glanced around, and with a few hand signals, managed to position his men around the perimeter of the room.  He motioned for one group to go out the door on the far side of the conference room while the other stayed with him.  If the plans he’d been given were accurate, they should meet up again somewhere on the other side of the office.

The second group nodded and slipped out the door, keeping both teams in the three-man staggered configuration to safely cover more ground.  The first group remained still and silent until their six compatriots were all completely out of sight.  Only then did the leader give the motion for them to move towards the office.  What they found when they got there was completely unexpected.

************

Mary felt the shift in the air currents when the outer door to the conference room opened.  She braced herself, knowing Caleb and Martha had no chance of arriving in time and that the lives and safety of the scientists behind her rested solely on her shoulders.  She watched as the door opened inch by slow inch.   She let the muzzle of the enemy’s gun enter the room... then she opened fire like a woman scorned.

The first scream was immediate and satisfying, but she was too busy worrying about what was coming behind it to celebrate.  She maintained fire; though they had staggered themselves at the doorway, three of them had been dead targets the minute Mary let loose with the shooting.

The first had gone down quickly, laser ripping through the center mass of his chest like a knife through hot butter.  The second had been almost as quick – head almost severed at the neck by the intensity of the laser shot.  The third took a little longer, and he got in a couple lucky shots of his own before his innards began to spill from the open belly wound her kneejerk reaction to being shot herself had caused.

It got quiet, and Mary reached up a hand to her head, wiping the trail of blood that wanted to drip into her eyes.  Bet that leaves a mark, she thought.  The thigh was going to be a little trickier to deal with until she could find a way to tie it off.  She turned and glanced down at the three faces staring back at her.

“You guys okay?” she mouthed.  They simply nodded.  Then a noise drew Mary’s attention away from them and back to the wide-open door in front of her once more.  Mary was thankful to any number of beings for the thrill of adrenaline because she knew when it wore off she was going to be hurting like a bitch.  That was all the time she had for thought because the second part of the first group decided to rush her and she was focused on their motion.

She almost missed it, but a slight movement from her left side meant more trouble.  She kept firing the assault rifle at the door to discourage the mercenaries on the other side of the threshold even as she reached for the semi-automatic handgun....

... only to find it missing.  She heard Eden yell something in her native tongue, and then shots rang out from behind her, causing her to flinch at their proximity.  Mary heard the grunts from the door, and she wanted to praise her expert skills, but she was still busy trying to keep the others at bay.

Without warning, the pistol stopped firing, but before Mary could turn to discover the issue, she heard the sound of laser fire from outside the room.  She could only hope it was Caleb and Martha coming to back her up because the sweat and blood running into her eyes was making it very difficult to see.

As soon as it had started it was over, and Mary smiled when she heard the shouts of Caleb and Martha letting her know they were entering the room – that it was safe to stop shooting.  She kept the gun at the ready, but eased around to check on the kids....

... to find Eden laying on the floor with Eli and Mordecai crouched over her.  Eli looked up at Mary with concern.  “We got the bleeding slowed, but we need to get her to the medical bay.  I can’t do anything more for her without supplies, and she will die if I don’t treat her soon.”

Mary nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation.  She looked at Martha and motioned to her.  “Can you manage him?” knowing the woman’s strength rivaled Mordecai’s though Mordecai’s youth would give her a slight advantage if it came to it.  Still Mordecai appeared to be in shock, and they didn’t have time to wait for him to come out of his stupor.  Martha nodded.

“No,” Mordecai said surprisingly.  “You’re probably a better shot than me, and we’ll need that to get to the med bay.  I’ll carry Eden.”

“What about you, Chief?” Caleb asked, removing his earplugs and gesturing to her soaked pant leg.  She held out her arm and Caleb grabbed the cuff of her shirt, yanking hard once and hearing the satisfying rip as the seams separated sleeve from body.  He didn’t hesitate, but slid it under the leg she lifted with both hands and tied it as tightly as he dared.  She nodded her approval.

“I’ll be all right for a little while,” she assured them.  “Adrenaline is a wonderful thing.”  She handed Eli the pistol Caleb had picked up from the floor.  “Hang onto this... just in case.  Not quite as graceful as your bow but just point and shoot.  You’ll hit what you aim for.”  Eli took the gun and nodded, her other hand keeping pressure on Eden’s wound.  Mary looked at the ragtag little band and nodded.  “Caleb, take point.  You’ll hear them coming before any of us will.”

“I’ll cover the back, Chief,” Martha volunteered and Mary nodded her thanks.  Then they were out the door and stepping over bodies on their way to the stairs, headed towards the medical bay.

************

The trip to the infirmary was quick and mercenary free – which made an odd sort of sense.  In order to cover such a huge installation with any kind of efficiency, they would have to split up and sweep each level in smaller patrols.  But Mary knew their reprieve would be brief – each patrol would be working its way down to this level.  And even though Nathaniel and his Marines were following to keep them from escaping, they had orders to try to keep them alive so they could be interrogated.  They had no way of knowing how things had changed because the presence of the three scientists was a game changer.  Their protection came first and if that meant every mercenary had to die, then so be it.  Mary had sent Caleb out to find Dorcas – their medic – to give Eli a hand.  Eden was going to need surgery.  The mercs, unlike her team of security agents, were using a vile and horrific form of ammunition – designed for maximum damage.  Where Mary and her team were using laser-based weapons - which tended to be more deadly and accurate, but also cauterized non-lethal wounds as they cut into a body – the mercenaries were utilizing shrapnel-filled projectiles.  So the entry wound was only the beginning of damage done.  Once the bullet hit its target, it shredded, allowing the shrapnel to mince anything and everything in its path.

Eden was lucky she possessed two hearts – it was what was keeping her alive.  Mary was confident Eli’s skill could do the rest if she had enough time.

Dorcas rushed into the med bay, took one look at Mary and headed to her side.  Mary shook her head and pointed to the hastily erected surgical suite.  “Eli needs your help.  This will wait.  Don’t....” she commanded when Dorcas opened her mouth to object.  “Dorcas, we still have three members of the Alpha team here to protect, and one of them is laying on that operating table fighting for her life.  Go do what you do best and help Eli save her life.”

Dorcas nodded and headed into the clean-up area to scrub in.  Then she walked into the makeshift operating room and got to work.  Mary watched them for a moment, smiling at the rhythm that she and Eli established between them – working in seamless tandem.  A whisper of sound brought her attention back to her surroundings and she lifted her rifle as she heard Caleb’s voice.

“Just me, Chief.”

Mary blew out a breath and relaxed slightly.  “Any luck?”

“Yes, but it’s going to take time.  They have to go back up and come back through the hatches.  I still think they’ll get here in plenty of time – how many weeks did they practice?  But in the meantime, the rest of our guys have shifted to protect the med bay.  They won’t get near here without us knowing they’re coming.”

“Good job, Caleb,” pressing her fingers into her eyes to ward of the headache pounding behind them.

“Can I get you something, Chief?” motioning towards the pharmaceutical area.  They all had triage experience – combat tended to do that to a unit.  Everyone had to know the basics. 

“Yes – get me some antibiotics and something to dull the pain for now.  I need to be fairly functional until we get this little situation resolved.”

Caleb nodded and jogged to the storage boxes that were stacked neatly in rows.  He scanned through them quickly to find what he needed, then slid back to Mary’s side.  He handed her one syringe while keeping the other, and almost simultaneously they stuck the needles into either side of the hole in her thigh.

“Holy crap, that hurts,” Mary hissed.  Caleb nodded and retrieved the empty vial from her, setting them both out of the way until he could dispose of them.

“So now we wait?”

Before Mary could reply, there was a huge explosion – loud enough to draw the attention of everyone working in the surgical suite – Eli, Dorcas, Mordecai and Martha – but not enough to do any damage where they were.  Caleb uncovered his ears and looked at Mary.


“Do you suppose...?” he whispered, trying not to yell after what to him was a deafening explosion.  Mary reverted to sign language to let his ears recover without needing to struggle to hear.

“I believe someone tried to use the transport room,” she informed him silently.  “Go bring me whoever is most senior outside this room, please.”

Caleb nodded and rose to do her bidding, wishing not for the first time that he could control the sensitivity of his hearing.  He stopped at the door, surveying the corridor until Sarah did the same from the other end, and he gestured for her to join him.  Carefully, gun drawn and feet silent, Sarah made her way to him, garnering attention only as she slipped by someone.  She slipped into the doorway, and Caleb signed Mary’s wishes.  Sarah nodded and moved inside while Caleb maintained his watch of the hallway.

“You wanted to see me, Chief?”

“Yes, Sarah.  I need you to take a small strike team down to the transport room.  I’m pretty sure that explosion signaled the arrival of some more unwelcome guests.”

“And if any of them are left alive?”

“Use your discretion, Sarah. Just remember that we have three members of the Alpha team here that must be protected at all costs.  If that means you have to kill them....” Mary spread her hands and shrugged.  Sarah nodded.

“Yes, Chief.  We’ll dispatch them quickly and return on the double.”  Without being dismissed, Sarah spun on her heel and made her way back to the doorway, signing her orders to Caleb, then slipping out as silently as she’d come.  Caleb watched her gather her team and go, then signed to Samuel who was now the senior agent in the corridor.  Sam nodded his understanding and Caleb returned to Mary’s side.  His ringing in his ears was slowly dissipating and Mary would need his legs to do her bidding as much as possible to save any further damage to her own.

She snickered when he sat down, and though he didn’t hear the sound he recognized the expression on her face.  He cocked an eyebrow in question.  She shook her head and signed.  “Nathaniel and I were talking about waiting for things to happen the other day.  I told him it doesn’t get easier with age.”  Caleb nodded.  “I hate being right,” she signed, crossing her eyes and sticking out her tongue.  “Especially since I shouldn’t be waiting right now.”

“Sometimes the hardest part to being a leader is knowing when to delegate, Chief,” Caleb signed.  “And you know you trained us all right.  We’ve got this.”

“I know you do, my friend.  But it doesn’t make waiting for them any easier,” Mary signed with a sad smile, gesturing towards the operating room.

“That will turn out all right too.  Princess and Dorcas know their business.”

“I hope so, Caleb.”

************

“Arianna? What is it?” Joy asked as soon as she saw her face.  It was clear something had upset Arianna, but Joy couldn’t begin to imagine what could have happened in the hour they had been apart.

“I just needed to see a friendly face.”

“Uh uh... no.  Don’t lie to me, Ria.  I haven’t been gone that long, and you’re surrounded by friendly faces where you are.  So what gives?”

“She’s not here with me.  She stayed behind to make certain everyone got though safely and the field shut down before she could come through.”

“She... you mean Eli?” hearing Arianna’s soft whimper as she nodded.  “All right... that’s enough!” Joy snapped, startling Arianna out of her tears and bringing her eyes up until they were looking at one another.  “You’re better than that – stronger than that.  And don’t forget she’s with Mama.  Do you really think Mama would let anything happen to her?”

“No but....”

“No buts.  You’ve got a little time to figure out what you want to say to Eli when you’re together again.  It’s a good thing – use it wisely.”  Arianna nodded.

“You’re pretty smart, Joy.”

“Yes, well... I had a good teacher.  Which reminds me – are your folks coming for the holidays?  Mama never said and I need to know how many rooms to prepare.”

Arianna shook her head.  “I didn’t invite them.  I didn’t think we would need the drama they are likely to bring with them.  Papa doesn’t approve of Eli, and I will not allow him to separate us again even if it means giving up the throne.”  She sighed.  “I’ve never really been that taken with the idea anyway.”

“Of being a queen?”

Arianna shrugged.  “Of ruling.  It isn’t something I excel at.”

Joy scrunched up her face in a comical expression.  “Pretty sure I wouldn’t either, Little Sister.  I’m great at demanding things... or giving orders.  I grew up with two brothers, after all,” getting a smile from Arianna.  “But the details – that would make me crazy.  I’ve never been good with the details.  That has always been Mama’s job.  That’s why I know everything will work out.  She’s never been one to leave things to chance.”

“Tell me some stories,” Arianna demanded.  Joy looked at her in confusion.  “Tell me some stories about Mama; about growing up with the boys; about dancing all your life.  Talk to me, Joy – teach me about the family I want to know.”

Joy smiled.  “All right,” she agreed.  “But it works both ways.  You have to share with me too – and it has to be the good stuff... the things no one else knows about.”

“I can do that,” Arianna said.  “You have to promise not to laugh though.  Some of it is embarrassing.”

“I will only laugh if you do,” Joy avowed.  “I have to shift you to the tracker though.  I’ve got to work while we talk.  Even with plenty of room now, fourteen rooms is a lot to get ready in just a couple days.  Hang on,” tapping the pad of her comm unit.  “You still there?”

“I am still here, but I think we lost the visual.  My screen is black.”

“Yes, I’m sure it is.”  Joy opened a door and suddenly Arianna could see her again.  “Better?” seeing Arianna nod and smile back at her.  “Good – the tracker was in the electronics closet.  I switched over before I realized where it was.  Sorry.  So,” Joy continued as she headed out of Mary’s office, locking the door soundly behind her, “who would you like to hear about first?” waggling her eyebrows goofily as she made her way up the stairs.

“Tell me what it was like for you... growing up,” Arianna requested, and Joy started in with her storytelling.  It was a good way to spend some time together – permitting Joy to remember and allowing Arianna a way to forget.


Chapter XLIV

They both straightened as soon as they heard it and the motion brought Mary’s eyes around to meet Caleb’s.  She quickly signed, “You heard that?”

He nodded and signed back.  “If what I just heard was the sound of laser fire, then yes.  The ringing is almost gone and my hearing has slowly returned.”  He paused.  “It didn’t last very long though.  Wonder who or what Sarah found in the transport room.”  He tilted his head.  “She’s coming back this way – guess we’ll know soon enough.”

Mary nodded and sent him to the door.  A glance towards the operating theatre showed Eli and Dorcas still hard at work and Martha busy assisting.  She sent up a small prayer, then put both hands flat on the desk, pushing herself up to a standing position.  Mary nearly lost her balance, her leg desperate to cave beneath her.  She gritted her teeth and grabbed the desk, forcing herself to maintain her stance until the wave of vertigo washed over her.

“Chief??” Caleb hissed, drawing her attention to him.  “What are you... where do you think you’re going?”

Mary gave him a droll look.  “Oh, I don’t know – I thought I’d take a tour of the facility,” she snarked.  “Starting on this level and working my way up.”

Caleb narrowed his eyes at her.  “Has anyone ever told you just how not funny you are?  Sit down before you injure yourself further.”  He rushed over and took her arm, reseating her gently but firmly.  “Sarah is on her way and apparently she’s bringing someone in alive.  Bets on who it is?”

“A Committee member,” Mary breathed.  “Given what we’ve dug up on them, there are a couple I can think of that would want to be here for the denouement of what they believe to be my insubordination.  If it is a Committee member, however, it means they are operating on a timetable and out of communication.”

“A black op?”

Mary shrugged.  “If I’m right.  It could simply be reinforcement troops and she’s bringing the leader in for interrogation.”

“But you don’t think that’s it.”

“No.  Do you?”

Caleb shook his head.  “Not really.  Guess we’ll know in a few minutes, though.”  A slight vibration from Mary’s comm unit forced her attention to it, and Caleb followed her glance.  “More news?”

“Ian – he says to expect company sooner rather than later and that the Marines are on their way.”  She looked up and met Caleb’s eyes.  “Go tell Sarah to shake a leg, please.  It’s not like I can meet her halfway at the moment.”

“I’m on it, Chief,” Caleb replied as he hustled to the door.  A moment later, he returned to her side and Sarah was hustling a blindfolded individual none-to-gently through the door and into a chair across from Mary.  Two of the agents took up posts in the back corners of the room, and the rest returned to their duty in the corridor to wait for the attack they all knew was headed their way.  Sarah stood behind her prisoner while Caleb took his place behind Mary.  Only then did Mary gesture for Sarah to remove the blindfold.

************

Eli could be heard mumbling beneath her breath, but none of them were close enough to understand a word of what she was saying.  Mordecai had been hooked up directly to Eden to pump blood back into her veins, stopping just before it became dangerous for him as well – he was resting now.  Martha was using the handheld scanner, searching for all the pieces of shrapnel that were scattered and hidden throughout Eden’s body.  Dorcas was carefully hunting for those self-same pieces – finding some on her own and following Martha’s directions to identify the others.  Eli, on the other hand, was working to repair the damage and close the gaping holes the metal fragments had caused.

She spared a glance at Mordecai.  He had wheeled in a second gurney almost as soon as he had placed Eden on the first.  Eli at first believed that he was doing so because he had a weak stomach, and the sight of so much mutilation made him nauseous.  He had surprised her, however.  Mordecai had placed the gurney as a ‘T’ top across the head of Eden’s bed, then gone back to retrieve IV supplies – an old-fashioned recourse, but necessary as long as the rules of civilized war were overlooked by some.  Eli shook her head – as though there really *was* such a thing.  Still she was grateful she had prepared for this scenario... knowing so much was possible beyond the civilization they had all known to date.

Mordecai had hooked Eden up with the fluids that would help stabilize her somewhat until the medics could get things a little more under control.  Then he inserted a needle and empty tubing directly into her vein, securing it carefully before easing his body onto the other cot.  Without a word, he inserted the other needle into his vein and frantically pumped his fist in an attempt to stimulate the blood flow.  When his efforts paid off, he simply laid back and closed his eye, content that he was doing the most important thing he could.

Eli had realized what he was doing almost immediately, but she didn’t stop him, knowing that Eden needed the transfusion.  They would utilize the fake stuff later, but for now this was best.  And she would ensure they would stop it before Mordecai was put into mortal danger as well.

It had made a difference – Eden was much more stable, and they were doing well containing the destruction that had been done and repairing the injury as quickly as they could.  With a little luck, they would have things under control soon enough, and then everything else would be up to Eden.  She would need time and rest for her body to heal, but Eli was growing more confident by the minute that Eden would be allowed the circumstances she needed to make a full recovery.

An explosion rocked the world – though from where they were standing, it wasn’t that detrimental.  They heard the blast and felt a tiny tremor, causing them to glance up to try to evaluate what was happening outside their bubble.  They briefly looked around, noting Mary seemed to be directing a bit of activity in the office just beyond the windows.  Then they turned their attention back to Eden’s open body on the table in front of them. 

At that moment, Eden’s eyes fluttered open, and black met gray-green.  “’M I gonn’ live, doc?” she mumbled, the drugs running through her system make Eden slur like a drunk.  Eli’s eyes flooded with tears but she refused to allow them to fall, and she snorted in response.

“You don’t think I’m going to leave you to lounge around down here while I’m up there breaking my posterior to make this project a success by myself, do you?  You’ll be better than new when I’m done, Eden.  Are you in any pain?”

Eden scrunched up her eyes and gave Eli a drugged smirk.  “Uh uh – you gave me th’ goo’ stuff.  N’wunner Az was sooooo happy.”

Eli chuckled and Eden grinned.  “Good.  Now close your eyes and go back to sleep so I can make you all pretty again – because Jake might love you inside and out, but you know how he reacts to real blood and guts despite those games he plays.  When you wake up, all will be as it should be.”

“You thin’ mm pretty?”

“You’re gorgeous, my friend.  Now go to sleep.”

“Kay... ni’nigh’.”

Dorcas caught Eli’s eye as Eden finally drifted back off.  “Has that happened before?”  Eli cocked an eyebrow. “Have you ever had a patient become conscious in the middle of a surgical procedure before?”

Eli shook her head.  “No.  But given the destruction done to Eden’s body, it wasn’t completely unexpected.  We were unable to utilize the necessary amount of anesthesia to keep her completely sedated – it would have killed her before we could have even gotten started on repairing the wound.  That is why I infused such a healthy dose of pain killer into her system – for that very possibility.”

Dorcas nodded.  “I had wondered.  I’m not usually involved in actual surgery.  My job as the team medic generally requires me to patch them up and get them to a medical facility as quickly as possible.  Martha, how does it look?”

Martha had been continually scanning throughout the entire procedure and now she looked up and nodded.  “I think we’re all clear, Doc,” she offered.  “I haven’t seen anything new for a while now.”

Eli looked up from her work.  “I’d like you to do one more complete scan – full body, top to bottom.  We have no way of knowing if anything shifted when we moved her down here, and I don’t want to assume anything.  I can’t afford to do so as it could cost Eden much if even a single scrap of metal remains in her body.”

“Yes, Doctor,” Martha replied.  Dorcas moved around to stand beside Eli to give Martha plenty of space to work, closing the old manual blind that had been left behind as she walked by it.  They didn’t even look up when they heard Sarah push her prisoner into the room.

************

“Well... hello, Fernando,” Mary greeted as the blindfold was removed.  “Fancy seeing you here.”  She cocked an eyebrow at him.  “Why are you here?”  She leaned back in her chair and affected an air of nonchalance as she studied him.

He looked much the same as he had the first time she’d laid eyes on him – weeks ago in the Committee conference room – when he’d tried desperately to have her expelled from the project.  It was more than a little odd – he was dressed as a personage of title and not as a covert operative.  Obviously either he had missed a memo or she had.

“I don’t owe you anything, Ms Wellesly... not even an explanation.  Now I demand you unhand me at once!  You have no right....”

“Oh, I have every right.  You broke into a secure facility with the intent of destroying the most important components of this project – that is to say... the Alpha team.  As it is currently my job to keep these kids safe from everyone who would do them harm, I have the right to use whatever measure I see fit to secure their safety... even from you.”

“Now see here....”

Mary held up a hand and glared at him and Fernando’s jaw snapped shut so quickly he bit his tongue.  He winced, but otherwise gave no indication of what he had done as he waited for Mary to speak.

“I’m going to pretend you don’t actually know what’s going on; I’m going to explain the truth to you.  And when I’m done, you can tell me your side of things.”

The sound of gunfire startled everyone and their attention turned to the door.  Only Mary remained fixed on Fernando.  When he looked back at her, he smirked, thinking he had the upper hand now.

“You have to protect me, Ms Wellesly.  I’m a head of state.  It would be a shame for anything to happen to me on your watch, wouldn’t it?”

“Except you’re not supposed to be here, majesty – you’re trespassing.  And you broke into this facility using mercenary resources that were sent here to kill the Alpha team – a team that includes your only child.  Do you really think anyone would question why you died?”  Mary snorted softly.  “I’m thinking they would be more likely to question why you are here.  So don’t try to play games with me, majesty.  You should know by now that I play to win.”

Fernando snarled but didn’t deign to answer.  Mary held his gaze for a moment longer, then nodded to her agents.  “Go,” she instructed them.  “Caleb, keep me informed.”

“Yes, Chief.”  He glanced at Fernando.  “What about him?”

Mary sighed.  What she wanted to do and what she was going to do were two different things.  She jerked her head towards the wall behind her.  “Bring him here.  I can keep him safer if he is beside me.”

“So you prefer to hide behind your troops when it’s time to be a leader and do real battle,” Fernando scoffed, glaring at Caleb when he was wrenched unceremoniously to his feet.  “Be careful, Little Man, or I will show you what the power of the throne is.”

Caleb spit in his direction though he was careful not to spit directly at Fernando.  “Be careful who you insult around here, Little Man,” Caleb returned softly.  “Or we will teach you what the power of loyalty is like.  Show some respect!” he demanded, locking the laser cuffs so Fernando’s hands and arms were clenched tightly by his side.  Then he walked him behind the desk, pulling around a chair and abruptly pushing Fernando into it, locking his upper body in place so he couldn’t leave the chair.  Then Caleb met Mary’s eyes.  “Anything else, Chief?”

“Thank you, Caleb.  That’s all for now.”  Caleb nodded and raced out the door.

Fernando studied Mary unabashedly for a moment, noting the head wound and the leg wound that had yet to be tended to.  “So why did you kidnap the Alpha team, Ms Wellesly?  Do you really believe there will be no consequences for your actions?”

“There are always consequences, majesty, whether they be from action or inaction.  But in this case, there was no kidnapping.  When the Council sees the evidence....”

“The Council??  Bah!!  They are as useless as the Committee.  Who do you think you are – keeping our children... our assets from us??  How dare you!!!”

Mary whirled on him, her face not betraying one iota of the pain that flashed through her body at the action.  “How dare I, majesty??  How dare you!!”  She drew in a deep breath in an effort to calm herself, but her eyes never left his.  The hatred smoldering in his eyes was palpable.  “Why did you come here, majesty?”

Fernando snorted.  “You took my daughter... my heir... away from me.  You waited until she was grown and civilized and had already proven her worth to the galaxy at large, and then you swooped in and proclaimed her family.  Did you know that her mother and I have not spoken to her directly since your revelation in the Committee’s conference room that day?”

“And that is my fault?”

“Yes!  She refuses to acknowledge us – says she has a new family now... one that loves her and appreciates her for herself,” he snarled.

“That’s true – none of us has ever asked her to be more or less than who she truly is.”  Mary paused.  “Majesty, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but Arianna is an adult and she can choose her family.  And she has more than one new family now.  My kids and I adopted her into our family because she needed one....”

“She HAS one!!  Her mother and I....”

“... have never seen her as anything more than an heir and an asset – your words, majesty!  With us, Arianna has people who want nothing more than that she be happy being herself.  And with the kids on the Alpha team, she has also found love... and a home.  They accept and respect her for who she is; but more than that, they love her.  She’s happy now – why would you want to come here to screw that up?”  Mary narrowed her eyes at him.  “That’s why you’re here isn’t it?  You lost control of her so you made a deal with the devil to take her away from here... from the people who have replaced you as her family.”  She shook her head in disbelief.  “Did it occur to you that you could destroy her by removing her from those she loves?  Did it occur that she could die at the hands of the mercenaries you climbed in bed with to get here??  Because let me tell you, majesty, they have their orders and those orders have nothing to do with your objective.  You and she would simply have become collateral damage in a much larger fight.”

“Shut up,” Fernando growled.  “Shut up. Shut Up.  Shut UP!!!” he shrieked, bringing up his foot and slamming it into her thigh.  Mary screamed in agony as pain ripped through her body.  Only the fact that she was sitting down kept her from completely crumpling – that and the fact that Fernando had pushed her beyond his range to reach her and could not follow up with a second strike.

Mary waited for her vision to clear, only to find Fernando smirking at her.  She didn’t even pause; she stood on her good leg and lifted up the butt of her gun, slamming it into the side of his head.  “The rules are different here, majesty,” she murmured to his unconscious form, then focused her attention on not puking her guts up all over the place.

************

“Where’s Mama?” Ian hissed as Caleb raced to join them.

“Indisposed,” Caleb replied succinctly.  Ian cocked an eyebrow at him.  Caleb held his gaze.  Ian took the hint and grasped Caleb by the arm, pulling him aside so they could speak privately.  “She really is indisposed, Ian.  She’s got a shredder embedded in her thigh, and Dorcas is helping Eli with Eden at the moment.  Later... long story,” Caleb added before Ian could demand an explanation.  “Besides, she’s got Fernando in there with her.”

“Fernando?” Ian repeated.  “You mean Arianna’s...?”

“Yeah.  The Chief wasn’t particularly thrilled when she recognized him.”

Ian nodded.  He had a number of other questions, but there really wasn’t time.  “All right,” gesturing back to where the other agents were waiting.  “Nat and the Marines are driving them towards us.  With any luck, they will see us and surrender.”  Someone snorted and Ian smirked.  “Yes, I don’t figure they are that smart either, but I live on hope.  In any event, unless it becomes necessary to kill them, shoot to maim.  We need people to interrogate.  If it appears that they could put the scientists in danger, shoot to kill.  These are hired guns – we want the ones who hired them.   Questions?”  Ian met each pair of eyes before nodding in satisfaction.  “Good.  Then let’s do this, boys and girls.  I don’t want to be dealing with this over the holiday.”

The sound of gunfire was much closer now, and Ian recognized the difference in the shredder bullets and the laser pulses as they were fired.  A glance around showed him that the agents were all in place and he had time to be thankful for their training and professionalism before the first mercenary came around the corner.

She wasn’t firing, and Ian passed the word to let her pass through until she was closer to him.  Obviously she was a scout because right behind her came two more mercenaries, staggering their steps as they cleared the area.  They were going through the corridor slowly, investigating every room as they went. He wasn’t sure what alerted them, but he saw the woman on point stiffen slightly, and their movements slowed to an infinitesimal crawl.  Ian could feel his tension ratchet up even higher and he wondered where the rest were.  Then he heard his mama scream, and all hell broke loose.

The scouts melted further down the hallway, obviously searching for the source of the scream.  Ian knew he couldn’t let them reach the medical bay – not with the Alpha team members ensconced there – and he stepped into the corridor.  His bold action stunned the mercenaries long enough for Caleb and Ephraim to debilitate the attackers before they could strike, and Caleb took great pleasure in knocking them out.  Then Ian met Caleb’s eyes.

“Go check on Mama.  She would never have given away her position like that unless something dreadful was wrong.  We’ll handle this.”

Caleb nodded and headed back to the med bay at a near run.  Because Ian had a point – Mary would never have risked those kids unless it was beyond her control.


Chapter XLV

Dorcas moved to go to Mary at the first sound when Eli shook her head.  “You need to take some painkillers with you,” she instructed.  “Caleb gave her some, but obviously it wasn’t enough.”

“No – this was something beyond that,” Dorcas informed her.  “The Chief would never have screamed like that without serious provocation – not with you kids here.  Something caught her off guard.”

“Be careful.  If they caught Ms Wellesly, they could very well catch any of us.  Martha, go with her.  I’ve got this,” motioning to Eden’s still body.  “So go... and be careful.”

Dorcas and Martha exchanged glances – no one, not even Caleb, issued direct orders to the team when Mary was in charge, and now Eli had done just that.  The glance lasted only a second; they recognized Eli’s leadership and her right to authorize any number of things at the moment.  So they nodded their agreement and Dorcas took her service pistol from its holster and handed it to Mordecai.

“Keep an eye on things, Kai.  Eli needs you to watch her back.”  Mordecai nodded his acceptance and took the weapon from her, easing into a sitting position so he could monitor the door.  “Eli, I’m putting the pistol the Chief gave you on the tray so you can access it quickly if necessary.  We’ll be as quick as we can, all right?”

“Go,” Eli replied with a glower.  “I will not have anyone die on my watch.”  Without another word, Dorcas and Martha slipped out of the operating room and headed towards the office where they had last seen Mary.

************

Caleb skidded around the doorframe, idly noting that Mary didn’t even glance in his direction.  He spared a glance at Fernando and realized he was unconscious.  The large red mark at his temple was a good clue to the reason, but Caleb couldn’t make himself care.  Then he dropped to his knees beside Mary, placing a hand on one of hers that was white-knuckling the arms of the chair.  He recognized the measured breaths as the attempt it was to keep from retching or making another sound.  The sweat beading on her forehead was rolling down the sides of her face, and he began scanning her person to find the cause of her pain.  Because he knew the pain medicine he had given her should be working for hours yet.  Then he got a good look at her leg... and growled.

“I’ll kill him myself,” starting to rise.

“No, Caleb,” the whisper enough to catch his attention and bring his attention back to Mary.  “What’s happening out there?” she asked, hoping to focus both of them on something else.  Because her breathing was doing little towards keeping her nausea down, and despite her personal feelings for the man, she didn’t want to be responsible for Fernando’s death even peripherally.  She didn’t want to have to explain that to Arianna.  The situation she had on her hands was going to be difficult enough.

“Nat is driving them to us slowly though I don’t know how many there are.  We had just encountered three scouts when you screamed and Ian sent me back to check on you.  We knew something was wrong.  So what can I do?”

“Move out of the way,” Dorcas stated kindly and she walked up behind him.  “Oh holy hell,” she muttered when she got a good look at Mary’s leg.  “Chief... I don’t think I can....”

“You can’t,” Mary agreed with a shake of her head.  “This is going to need surgery, and we don’t have the time or the knowledge for that.”

“But I do,” Eli commented from the doorway.  “Eden is resting comfortably, and you can’t even see where she was injured.  After a little sleep, she’ll be as good as new.”

“You were able to repair her second heart?”

“Yes – better than new, though she has no need of that information.  Kai is watching over her.  So why don’t you let me see what I can do for you?”  Eli studied Mary for a moment.  “Trust your people, Ms Wellesly – you trained them.  They know their business.  Let them tend it while we get you back on your feet.  They can handle the fight – they’ll need your skills for what follows.”

Mary tilted her head and smirked slightly, her eyes twinkling with teasing.  “You would make an exceptional politician.” 

Eli put her hands on her hips and glared.  “There is no reason to insult me, Ms Wellesly.  Especially since I’m effectively pulling rank on you.”  The cocked eyebrow was question enough and Eli’s glare turned to a smirk, her own eyes twinkling.  “Yes, I can and I do.  As the senior doctor available, I’m pulling rank and telling you that you will allow me to repair the wound in your leg.”  She turned and met the agents’ eyes.  “Martha, Dorcas... I will require your assistance.  Caleb, you may stay here if your orders stipulate that you protect the Chief.”

They all looked at Mary to confirm that she was all right with Eli’s directives.  She gave them a short nod, then hissed at the sharp pain that lanced through her head.  Eli met her eyes, and took the syringe from Dorcas’ hand.

“Let me know when the pain eases,” Eli instructed.  “I can’t put you under an anesthesia with your head wound, and I don’t want to move you until your pain has subsided to a tolerable degree.  Should I look at him while we wait?” motioning towards Arianna’s unconscious father.

“NO!” came the response from three different voices, though Mary remained silent.  Caleb stepped forward.  “He will wait until the Chief is taken care of.  What happened to him, he brought upon himself.  He will suffer with the consequences.”  His tone brooked no argument, and Eli chanced to wonder what he had done to warrant such disregard from people who had shown nothing but caring and compassion to her and her colleagues since she’d met them.  However, his presence here... now... was enough to make him the enemy, and she knew enough of the rules of war to know that one treated their own first.  She would care for him... after Mary was stabilized.

“Very well,” she agreed.  “He will wait until I have cared for Ms Wellesly. Dorcas, will you please retrieve a gurney?”  She looked at Mary.  “Feeling any better?”

“I don’t think I’m going to hurl my guts in the next few minutes, so yes.  It’s definitely a step in the right direction.” 

Eli smiled.  “Good.  We are going to need to move you to the gurney, and it is likely that the change in equilibrium will cause you to lose consciousness briefly.  When you are cognizant again, I’ll be right there.”  The sound of gunfire caught their attention again as Dorcas wheeled the gurney into the room, but they were too intent on moving Mary from her chair to pay it much mind.  Once Mary was settled on the gurney, Caleb spoke.

“I’m gonna go see what is happening out there.  That seemed a little close.”

Dorcas and Martha nodded absently, already pushing the bed towards the operating theatre.  Eli was fully engrossed in checking out the mutilation Mary’s leg had become.  A shredder projectile, walking to the med bay and whatever had caused her to scream had taken their toll and Eli wasn’t as confident she could make this right as she had for Eden.

Still, she would do her best for this woman who had done so much for her... and for Arianna.  She owed Mary for that if nothing else.  They entered the suite and Dorcas shifted Eden’s bed to one side to give them room to work.  Mordecai went with her to keep watch.  Then Eli cut away Mary’s pant leg, and they settled in to work.

************

“It’s an ambush!!” a mercenary screamed to his comrades as he came around the corner and spotted Mary’s security agents moving the scouting party out of the corridor.  He ducked when he realized he’d brought attention to himself, but there was literally no place for them to go.  “Kill ‘em all!!” he bellowed, hoping to rally his troops for a final assault.

The mercenaries met one another’s eyes – they had known when they accepted the assignment that they were on their own once they reached the installation.   There was no one to call – no one to save them.  They had been paid a king’s ransom, but their exceptional payday came with a price.  Those who had arranged for their compensation would disavow any knowledge of their existence if they were caught.  And they had no way to prove who had hired them – it had all been anonymously done.

They nodded all the way around.  If they were going out, they were going to go in a blaze of glory.  And if any of them were caught... well, they had a little surprise for their captors in that event.  It would still allow them to claim success from the grave

Simultaneously they rose from their hiding places – some turning to the left; the others turning to the right.  They were going to take as many of the sons of bitches with them as they could.

************

When Caleb entered the hallway, it was clear the mercenaries were dedicated to dying and killing as many agents and Marines as they could manage.  It made no sense, and he wondered what was behind the choice.  Even if Mary and her team were not required to follow the strict codes of military combat and warfare, the Marines and her Air Corps son were most certainly bound by them.  So there had to be a reason they were so intent on dying.

Caleb crossed into the small alcove where the bodies of the three scouts remained motionless.  He had been quite forceful when he knocked them out and he expected them to remain unconscious for a little while longer.  He stood still gazing at them, noting the security of the bonds that held them.  Then Caleb cocked his head – something was off.  He deliberately closed his mind and hearing to the noise beyond the room he stood in, focusing his considerable hearing on his present location.

Slowly the noise became silence as he eliminated what he heard – his heartbeat... that of the three scouts; his breathing... their own; the blood moving through his veins; the ripple of muscle as they swallowed.  Soon every sound had been eliminated that he could account for, and still there was something else beyond.

Caleb walked to the closest scout, rifle at the ready even as he leaned close enough to release the flak jacket that covered the torso of the individual in question.  When he got it open, he sucked in a breath.  This could be a bit of a problem.

************

Ian was shooting carefully, aiming for non-vital parts of the body as he endeavored to take the mercenary army down.  He hadn’t expected quite so many – a small strike force perhaps, but not... this.  He noticed the others were following his lead – aiming for the legs if possible and disabling their opponents one at a time.  The mercenaries, on the other hand, were obviously determined to kill as many as they could before giving up what was so clearly a losing fight – because shredder bullets were flying at a fast and furious pace.

He chanced to wonder idly as he lined up his next shot how a person fell into that line of work.  And why they would be willing to give up everything to do it.  Then he felt the breeze of a bullet fly past his head and decided he would be wise to keep his head in the game and his thoughts out of the clouds for the duration.

The mercs were growing desperate now – he could sense the change in the air around him, and knew from the expressions on the faces of the agents nearest him that they could feel it too.  Before he could contact his brother and coordinate a final attack, Caleb slid into place next to him, a frantic expression on his face.

“Ian, we have a problem.”  Ian cocked his brow and looked so much like his mama that Caleb was forced to smile.  That caused the second eyebrow to rise and Caleb shook his head to clear his thoughts.  “Sorry.  But we need an electronic wave pulse to flood this facility now.”

“Caleb, if we flood this place with an energy pulse, it will knock out everything,” giving Caleb a searing look.

“I am well aware of the consequences, Ian,” Caleb replied wryly.  “But we don’t have a choice.  If we don’t do it and soon, it won’t matter.  There won’t be anything left.”

“I’m not following.”

Caleb sighed.  “I know.  But we don’t have time.  Do you trust me?”

“Yes... of course.”

“Then take these and send out that pulse,” handing him two sets of Caleb’s personal earplugs.  With Caleb’s hearing abilities, they dampened everyday sound to make them bearable for him.  For a normal hearing human, it would protect him from the wave’s energy that would otherwise disrupt his thought processes.  “Get someone to help you.  It needs to be done to disarm the mercenaries.  They are wired for self-destruction.”

“Holy crap!”

“Not my first thought,” Caleb admitted, “but close enough.”

“No, Caleb – you don’t understand.  We don’t have the equipment here necessary to do that.  I need to make my way back to the command center.”  Caleb gestured Ephraim over and Ian handed the other man a pair of earplugs.  Ephraim didn’t question – simply donned them and waited for further instruction.  Ian gave him a couple hand signals, and they were off.

Caleb stood from his place and started firing randomly, hoping to throw the mercenaries off-guard long enough to allow Ian to do what he needed to do.  The other agents didn’t question – they merely followed his example and started creating chaos.

Nathaniel wondered what his brother was thinking by the sudden inexplicable change in tactics.  But he had long ago learned to trust his brother and to trust his instincts.  And they were both telling him to do what was necessary to keep his family safe while he worked his way around to discover what was going on with the change in strategies midstream.

Caleb continued shooting wildly, sometimes hitting a target, but mostly just keeping everyone off balance.  Shredder bullets were coming far too close for his comfort, but he knew he only had to keep it up for a few more minutes.  Then with a little luck, Ian and Ephraim could handle things.  He felt it under his feet first, and he dropped to his knees and covered his ears, hoping this wouldn’t destroy his hearing permanently.  Then everything went dark and silent.

Ian and Ephraim ran – glad Mama had insisted they know the entire complex, top to bottom.  Taking the emergency stairs might not have been the easiest way, but it would get them where they needed to be the quickest because it took them one floor up and around all the fighting.  They would exit behind the fight and next to the command and control center Ian had set up away from the other active areas.

They were breathing hard by the time they reached the command room, and Ian eased an earplug from his ear and motioned for Ephraim to do the same. “We need to move swiftly,” he instructed as they moved to the equipment.  “I’m going to send out an energy wave pulse.”

“But that will....”

“I know, but we don’t have a choice.  The mercs are wired to blow.  I don’t know how long we have – Caleb didn’t say.  But he wouldn’t lie about something like this... especially with Mama in surgery right now.  As soon as it passes, we need to go disarm them – remove whatever self-destruct devices they have and secure them.  We don’t want to risk them having another back-up plan.”

“How long do we have?”

“About fifteen minutes before the electronics kick back in.  It’s different for every individual though.  Some as little as ten minutes – some as long as two hours... in my experience anyway.  So move as quickly as you can.  You ready?” Ian asked as he jammed the earplug back into his head.  Ephraim nodded.  Ian acknowledged his assent and hit the button.

The effect was instantaneous – even Ian and Ephraim felt reality slip a little before the pulse wave passed.  When they opened their eyes, Ian removed his ear protection and heard Ephraim do the same in the darkness.  Then they ran carefully out of the command center, grabbing a light to illuminate their way back to the hallway that had become a battleground. 

They turned the corner into silence... and bodies scattered all over the ground.  Without hesitating, they picked their way over to the area containing the mercenaries and set to work.

************

Eli was delicately removing the shrapnel embedded deep in the muscle tissue up and down Mary’s leg.  Because of all the movement, it was no longer confined to her thigh.  Eli winced with every new piece that was found well outside of the shot radius.  It only meant bad things later on because it compounded the mutilation that had already been committed.

She felt the hum in her feet and looked up to see Dorcas and Martha do the same.  Then she felt searing pain in her head... then darkness.

She didn’t know how long she was out, but Eli was less than happy when she regained consciousness.  By the dim emergency lighting that was always maintained in the med bay, she could see Martha and Dorcas were still collapsed on the floor.  Eden and Mordecai seemed relatively untouched, still resting on their beds, and Mary....  Eli focused on Mary’s prone form.  Mary was more than a little concerning.

The pulse had knocked her out – the one circumstance Eli really did not want to see.  She hadn’t been sure she could bring her out of anesthesia – hence the reason she had used a local dose during the procedure.  This?  This she wasn’t sure the woman could recover from.  And to make matters worse, it would take time they didn’t have for the equipment to reboot.  She would have to search for the remainder of the shrapnel blindly... and hope that she got it all.

It was truly too dark to see very well, and Eli’s gifting wasn’t extraordinary night vision.  However, she did have better sight in the dark than most humans and she was going to have to rely on it until whoever sent the pulse could return the light to the infirmary.  Until then she was on her own and in the dark.  She closed her eyes... and prayed.

Almost immediately the emergency generator for the medical wing kicked on, and though not as bright as the normal working lights, it was much brighter than the blue emergency lighting had been.  She let her eyes adjust, and turned her attention back to Mary’s leg.  She offered up a prayer of thanks and got back to work.

Martha was the first to recover and the first thing she did was grab a torch to give Eli that much more light.  Dorcas did the same as soon as she was standing, followed quickly by Mordecai.  Eden watched from her bed, still too tired to move but wanting to help.

“Eli?” waiting for gray-green eyes to meet hers in the dark.  She smiled and jerked her head towards Mary.  “You got this.  If you can fix me, you can fix her, all right?  You got this – piece of cake.”

“Well, say a prayer for me, will you, Eden?  I refuse to let anyone die today... not if I can help it.”

“She’s gonna be fine, Doc.  She’s in the best hands she could be, okay?”  She held up the gun Dorcas had put beside her earlier.  “You’ve got her back – I’ve got yours.”

“Thank you, Eden.  You don’t know what that means to me.”

“I do actually,” Eden said with a flashing smile.  “But we can discuss it with Mary later over cookies and milk, all right?  Now stop your loitering and get back to work.  ‘Cause I’m hungry, and I’ve gotta wait for you before I can eat.”  Eli was going to make a retort, but Eden shook her head.  “Uh uh – work now... talk later.  Or I’m telling Mary on you.”

Eli chuckled and shook her head.  Then she returned her complete focus to her patient.  There was still work to be done.


Chapter XLVI

“Are you sure we shouldn’t check on her, Jake?” Abigail asked in a concerned tone.  “Because I’m getting some weird vibes – she’s projecting.”

“Weird how, Gay?” Danny asked.  Abigail shrugged.

“The fact that she is projecting so loudly is weird enough for me.  Arianna has always been careful to keep things under wraps when I’m around as a matter of courtesy.  But I sense a lot of confusion and anguish and frustration combined with a healthy dose of happiness and nervousness and lots of other emotions to a lesser degree.”  Abigail shrugged.  “I’m not sure how else to describe it.”

Jake looked around to find everyone else staring back at him and sighed.  He hated this leadership gig that had dropped into his lap with Eden’s and Eli’s absence.  He wasn’t a leader, and he hated having the responsibility thrust upon him like this.  It was something he would have a word with both of them about later.  For now, he had to suck it up and act like he knew what he was doing.  He shrugged.

“Let’s go see if we can offer some kind of moral support then.  I don’t imagine it would be unwelcomed by Az or Joy.”  His eyebrows went up at their disbelieving looks.  “What??” he whined.  “Just because I don’t want to lead doesn’t mean I can’t have a good idea or two occasionally.  Besides, if we’re antsy sitting here waiting, I can’t begin to conceive how nerve-wracking it is for them.  It’s their family out there fighting for us.”

“Ours too, Jake.”

Jacob nodded.  “Ours too,” he agreed.  “But differently... on a number of levels.”  He rose and stretched, then looked at the rest of his comrades.  “C’mon then.  Let’s go see what’s up.”

************

“Do you ever hate being left out?” Arianna asked seriously.  “I mean... the rest of the family is all together.  Don’t you wish you were with them?”

Joy shrugged.  “I used to... a lot.  Especially when I was a kid.  I mean I took the same self- defense classes that the boys did, and I did well enough at it.  I was never as good as they were because it wasn’t my passion, but I did all right.  I could split wood and crack concrete like the rest of the class, but Nat and Ian?  They shattered the wood and crumbled the concrete – they took it very seriously.  And I eventually realized that they were doing it to protect me, and that the best way for me to protect them was to stay out of the way.  It was better for them to know I was safe.  And despite my grumbling and complaining, I love my brothers dearly.  I never want to see anything happen to them – certainly not because of me.”

“So when Mama sends you away....”

“I go without complaint, because I know it’s what’s best for me and for them.  And then I sit here and worry my head off about them until I hear from them again that everything is all right.”   Joy snorted.  “I fully expect to wake up one day with a head full of white hair.”

Arianna tilted her head.  “That could be quite an interesting phenomenon.”

“Depends on your point of view,” Joy returned dryly.  “It would make for some sort of funky publicity, that’s for sure.  My agent would have a come apart.  And to add insult to injury, we keep adding warriors to the family – first Joey, then Ephraim and now Eli,” smiling when a blush raced across Arianna’s tanned skin.  “Am I wrong?”

Arianna shook her head.  “No... you’re not wrong.  Eli is the best kind of warrior because she is a healer as well.  It’s just... I never really... this is all so new to me, Joy.”

“Which part, Sweetie?”

Arianna smiled sadly and shrugged.  “All of it, I guess.  A family who really cares; a warrior of my own; friends who look out for me; love.  I think that is the most surprising thing of all.  This kind of love is not common in my society.  It’s an anomaly.”

“Well, get used to it,” Jake said as he stepped away from the doorway, followed by the rest of their colleagues.  “We’re your family, and that’s just the way we roll.”

Arianna gasped in surprise at their sudden appearance, then laughed.  “I think I could learn to like that,” she replied, then turned back to Joy.  “What do you think, Joyfulness?  Is Mama ready for a bigger family?” motioning to the Alpha team members that surrounded her.  Joy chuckled.

“I think she already added them to the roster, Little Sister.  The real question is - are they ready for Mama?”  Her chuckles turned to cackles of laughter at the stunned expressions on the faces of the Alpha team and she turned her attention back to Arianna.  “They may need a minute.”

Arianna laughed again.  “Or six,” she retorted.  “So tell me more about Mama’s family.”

************

“Lieutenant?”  The petty officer walked closer and tapped Joey on the shoulder.  “Lieutenant?” she repeated a little louder, waiting for his eyes to track to her.  When they did, she snapped a salute and Joey returned it unconsciously.

“I’m sorry, Petty Officer.  I was thinking.”

“Yes sir.  I’ve noticed it takes some that way, sir,” smiling when he laughed.  “Sir, the Admiral needs to see you right away.”

“Lead the way, Petty Officer,” he replied, following her out of the room and up to flag territory.  When the Alpha team had arrived at their ship, he and the other members of the security team had been transported to a nearby carrier to keep watch from a distance.  Most of the military members weren’t particularly keen on being stuck in space dock to babysit, but orders were orders.  So they kept their grumbling private and to a minimum – especially since word on the grapevine was that the Admiral herself had volunteered them for this duty as a favor to a friend.

Joseph and the petty officer reached the Admiral’s office, and the petty officer rapped her knuckles once sharply on the door before opening it and announcing Joey’s presence.  She ushered him in without ceremony, then closed the door behind him.  Joey walked in and saluted, wondering what he had done to garner flag attention.

“At ease, Lieutenant.  Take a seat,” the Admiral instructed, and Joey did as he was bidden.  “I have news,” she said, passing him a Pad.  He accepted it and quickly read through it, his ramrod posture stiffening as he realized what he was reading.

“Is this accurate?”

She nodded.  “I verified it myself.  A few minutes ago, they lost their shielding from what appears to be an energy pulse wave from within the complex.  That makes them extremely vulnerable right now.  I’ve got my people keeping an eye on things, but I thought you might like to be aware so you can gather your team together and be ready to go at a moment’s notice.”

“Thank you, Admiral.”

She nodded her head in acknowledgement.  “I don’t intend to let anything happen on my watch either, Lieutenant.  I owe her as much or more than you ever could.”  She held his gaze momentarily then bobbed her head once sharply.  “Now if you’d like to wait in the CnC for updates once your team is assembled, the way has been cleared for you to do so.”

“Thank you, Admiral.”

“What are you still doing here, Lieutenant?  I expect you to protect them, Joseph, and you can’t do that standing here.”

“Yes ma’am... thank you ma’am,” Joe responded, giving her a cursory salute before almost running out of the room.  The Admiral could hear him on his comm unit before he cleared the doorway, calling his team to duty.  She leaned back in her chair and resumed her monitoring of the situation below.

************

It was slower going than Ian would have liked, but they had to remove and contain the detonation devices as well as secure the mercenaries one at a time.  And given the way they were wired, the explosives needed to be removed before they could be locked up.  He was trying to keep an eye out for any movement, knowing those individuals needed to be taken care of first.  Therefore he was unpleasantly surprised when a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around.  Fortunately Nathaniel had fast reflexes and caught the expected punch that was thrown at his face.

“Whoa, Brother – it’s me,” Nathaniel commented, holding up his free hand.  “What the hell?” motioning around in the darkness, knowing Ian would understand his question.

“Yeah… sorry.  I didn’t have time to let you know, and I don’t have time to explain it now,” turning back to the mercenary he was disarming.  Nathaniel looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened. 

“Got it,” he responded.  “How many are left?” he asked as he moved to the next mercenary.

Ian shrugged.  “Too many.  Eph and I are working as fast as we can, but....”

“I’m going to bind them.  I know we can’t remove their flak jackets with them cuffed, but we can always knock them out again one at a time to release them long enough to disconnect the explosives.  We’ll have better control that way.” 

Ian nodded and Nathaniel busied himself going through the mercenaries quickly, locking their arms in place behind them... just uncomfortable enough to keep them from moving around too much when they awakened.  Then the lights flickered on, and he gave a sigh of relief.  That should make things easier.

************

Eli sighed in relief when the lights brightened to their normal luminescence.  It would make finding the bits of shrapnel easier, though it was still a nearly impossible task without the handheld scanner.  Martha snapped off her light and moved back to the equipment, rebooting each piece manually – beginning with the scanner.  Dorcas remained in place, the extra light aiding Eli in her search as they worked in tandem. 

After a few minutes, Martha moved back to Mary’s side and began running the scanner slowly from top to bottom, pointing out each piece of metal she found along the way. 

Mordecai rose unsteadily to his feet at the sound of running footsteps, putting himself between those caring for Mary and whoever was approaching them so fast.  He could feel the tension of the women working behind him, but everyone relaxed when Caleb crossed the threshold.

”How is she?” he demanded unceremoniously as he entered the room.

“Still working on it,” Martha muttered in his direction.  Eli glanced up from Mary’s still form.

“She is unconscious, Caleb.  The blast knocked her out.”

“Well, yes – it did the same for everyone except Ian and Ephraim.  That was part of the point.”

“Perhaps,” Eli concurred as she returned her concentration to the exploration in front of her.  “But Caleb – I hadn’t sedated her for a reason.  With the injury done to her head, there was a possibility we wouldn’t be able to revive her.  Now she is beyond us without the aid of drugs – it is conceivable that she could remain in such a state for an indeterminate amount of time.  Because there’s nothing I can do to bring her out from such a circumstance.  It will be entirely up to Ms Wellesly if and when she recovers from this circumstance.”

“So you’re saying...?”

“I’m saying she may not recover despite our best efforts.  There’s no way to know,” Eli stated calmly, keeping her eyes on what she was doing.

“How can you be so unfeeling about this??” Caleb railed.  “Standing there so calmly rattling off facts.  There is a woman’s life at stake – we’re talking about the Chief, you heartless....”

“Bastard!” Eden yelled.
“That’s enough, Caleb!” Martha chided forcefully. 

“It’s all right, Martha,” Eli said softly.

“”No, it’s really not, Eli.  He’s being an idiot,” Dorcas said with a glare in Caleb’s direction.  “Get out, Caleb.  We’ve got work to do, and you’re not helping.”  He didn’t move.  “Leave, now – or I’ll have to waste time removing you.  And the Chief doesn’t have that luxury right now.  So go.”

His shoulders slumped, but Caleb recognized the truth in her words and left the operating room.  He didn’t go far, though.  He wanted to be close, in case....  He refused to finish that thought, and moved into the office where Fernando was still bound and unconscious.  Then he took the seat Mary had been using and turned his attention to the monarch, wondering what the real story was... about everything.

************

“He didn’t mean anything,” Martha said quietly.  “He’s just....”

“I know,” Eli assured her sadly.

“Well, I don’t,” Eden complained.  “Where does that jackass get off talking to Eli like that??  What the hell is his issue?”

Eli looked up and met Eden’s eyes.  “He loves her,” she stated unequivocally before either Dorcas or Martha could reply.  She shrugged and let her eyes return to Mary’s body.  “I have no way of knowing if she returns his regard, but he loves her.  Were I in his shoes, I wouldn’t be nearly so kind to the individual keeping Arianna from me.”

Eden snorted, then covered her chest with her hand.  “Ow... shouldn’t have done that yet.  That hurt.”

“Do you need something for the pain?” Eli queried without looking up.

“No,” Eden said.  “But I was just thinking – you’re the person who kept you from Az this time... ensuring her safety and that of the team ahead of your own.  I’m really glad I’m not in your shoes right now.”

Eli smirked, but she never looked up.  “Would now be the time to remind you that you sent Jake ahead of you as well, and that he is the one keeping Arianna company at the moment?  I believe things are going to go harder for you when we’re all reunited once more... especially since you managed to intercept a bullet with your body.”

“Hey!  I did that to protect you.  That should be worth a few points!”

“Maybe – I’m simply granting that we’re both likely to find ourselves in hot water when we see them again, and that odds are your water will probably be hotter than mine.”

“You’re enjoying that thought a little too much, Eli,” Eden said drolly. 

“Perhaps,” she conceded.  “Martha, can you do another full body scan, please?  I believe we have gotten them all but let us be sure.  I do not want to risk the need to do this again.  I’m not certain Ms Wellesly could handle the stress.  How does it look to you, Dorcas?”

“Good.  The bleeding is stopped and everything has been repaired.  We need to regen her, of course, but she’s doing remarkably well, all things considered.  She’ll need significant rest to finish healing.”

“And the head wound?”

Dorcas shrugged.  “It’s been cleaned and repaired.  But as you explained to Caleb, that part is up to her.  There’s nothing we can do to change the outcome.”

Eli snorted and shook her head.  “For all our advancements, there are still some things we cannot change.  The reaction of the human brain to trauma would be at the top of that list for me.”  Eli finished closing the gaping wound on Mary’s leg, and stepped to the sink to wash her hands.  “We’ve done all we can; set up the regenerator for its broadest coverage.  It will take more time, but it will allow the injury to heal as a single unit instead of in pieces.”

“You got it, Doc,” Dorcas replied.  “Where are you going?”

“After I check on Eden?” she asked with a smile, crossing the room to stand beside Eden.  She carefully looked at the healing lesion on her chest and gave Eden a nod of approval.  “Looking good, my friend.”  Eli turned back to Dorcas.  “I am going to check on the man in the office.  Despite the fact that he clearly does not belong here – which marks him as an enemy – he does require medical attention.  And I cannot in good conscience let him suffer longer than necessary.”

Dorcas nodded and Eli patted Eden’s hand before she turned and walked out the door.  Martha looked at Dorcas.  “Why didn’t you tell her?”

“Tell her what?” Eden asked.  Both agents tuned to meet her eyes.

“The man out there in the office?  That’s Arianna’s father.” 

“She knows,” Eden said softly.  She knew it wouldn’t change Eli’s mind about helping the man, but it galled Eden to know that he would still despise Eli regardless of what she did for him.  She took a deep breath and winced; Mordecai reached over and held her hand in support.  They exchanged glances, but no words were spoken – none were needed between them.

She squeezed his hand and he nodded, then slipped from the room to keep an eye on Eli.

************

Caleb didn’t look at her when she entered the room and for that Eli was thankful.  She was running on reserves at the moment, and didn’t have the energy for another confrontation.  She knelt in front of the still unconscious man, wondering what he had done to necessitate what appeared to be the butt end of a rifle to the side of his head.  Given the evidence though, she could guess and she’d have to admit he probably deserved it. 

She opened the small med kit she’d brought with her and began tending him.  Only to have Caleb’s voice break into her thoughts.

“You know who that is, don’t you?” She spared him a glance but continued her ministrations.  “That, my dear doctor, is Arianna’s father.”  He saw her fist clench but she continued working.  “Doesn’t that bother you?”

She whirled on him so quickly Caleb had no chance to move.  Her gaze burned, and he flinched at its intensity.  “Of course it does!  And in any other situation, I would be more than happy to....”  She growled her frustration.  “But I cannot.  The first rule of being a healer is to render aid where there is need.”  She turned back to Fernando and resumed her healing of him.  “I knew who he was before I came in here to treat him.”

Caleb remained silent and let Eli work in peace.

 
Chapter XLVII

Fernando came to with a groan, wondering just exactly what he’d been hit with.  His ears were ringing from the force of the blow and it was making him more than a little nauseous.  Then he opened his eyes and attempted to flail backwards away from the woman who was tending his wounds – a woman he had hoped... had expected... never to see again.

“You!” he bellowed, then flinched as nausea roiled through his belly.  She gave him a perfunctory glance, then returned her attention to his injury.  “What are you doing??  Get away from me!!”

Mordecai stepped from the doorway, but Caleb was faster.  He put his hand around Fernando’s neck firmly enough to be felt, but not hard enough to do damage… yet.  “Majesty,” he sneered.  “I’d suggest you watch your tone.  You’re not very popular around here at the moment and the Doc volunteered to look after your wounds.  But I have absolutely no compunction about adding to them if you don’t learn some respect pretty quickly.”

The irony of Caleb’s words wasn’t lost on Eli, but she remained silent.  She had a sworn duty to uphold before she said her piece to this man who had caused her so much hurt and heartache.  And if she didn’t heal him first, she was liable to forget her oath.

“I’d rather suffer than allow an animal to treat me,” Fernando scorned.  Eli smirked.

“I know,” she said, smiling darkly when he hissed at the sting of the liniment.  She placed a bandage over the open cut and stepped back.  “But I’m done, and you will live the rest of your life knowing two things, Fernando,” not offering him the courtesy of his title.  His eyes flared with rage, but before he could voice his protest, Eli spoke.  “First is the fact that an animal saved your life.”  An exaggeration, but he would never be told differently.  “And second... that the same animal you owe your life to?  She will be your daughter’s mate – by Arianna’s choice.  You no longer have the right to make that decision for her.”

“She wouldn’t DARE!” he spat, his fury turning his face an unfortunate shade of crimson.  His head pounded in reaction and he closed his eyes in search of relief.  Eli stepped back.  She had rendered aid, and Fernando wasn’t going to die... at the moment, anyway.  But there was a dark part of her that wanted payback for what this man had done to her... to her Angel... and she wasn’t beyond letting him suffer a little in return.  She smirked at him.

“Really?  Is that truly what you believe?”  Eli leaned against the desk behind her and crossed her arms over her chest.  “You really think she is going to continue to follow the mandates of your culture now that she has finally been released from them?” she scoffed.  “I can’t decide if that makes you stupid or just naïve.”

“How dare you!!!”

“Oh, I dare very easily, Fernando. I let her go once because I thought it was what she wanted; I believed it was in her best interests.  But no more!!  She. Is. MINE!  And I will never give her up again.  So get used to it, Papa,” she mocked.  “Arianna and I are a package deal.”

“I FORBID IT!” he screeched, then whimpered as another jolt of pain knifed its way through his skull.  Eli stepped forward and gave him a half-dose of painkiller.  She needed for him to have enough clarity to understand her words.

“You don’t have a say in her life any longer, Old Man.  It is her choice... her decision.  You can live with it or lose her, and frankly I’m hoping you are smart enough and care enough to simply walk away and never look back.  You’re poison to her, and she deserves better than that – she has better now, no thanks to you.”

Fernando closed his eyes, hoping to block her words.  Eli didn’t force the issue – she didn’t need to.  She had said what she needed to say.  The rest was up to him... and Arianna.

************

“Arianna?  Can I speak to you... privately?” Joseph asked from the doorway.  All eyes, including Joy’s turned to him and on one hand he questioned the wisdom of telling her the truth.  On the other hand, she and Joy deserved to know what was going on.  On yet another hand – and Joseph wondered when he’d started growing extra appendages – there was nothing they could do but worry more than they already were.  On the final hand, they were likely to be angry with him for withholding information, but his was a totally different position in the scheme of things than theirs was.  Arianna exchanged glances with Joy, and Joy motioned her in Joey’s direction.  Arianna rose and walked to him.

“What’s wrong, Joey?” she asked, searching his face frantically.  Her upset was tangible and he determined to keep her out of the loop for a little while longer.  With luck, by then, things would be resolved.

“Nothing, Ria.  It was so quiet I came to check on you.  Is everything okay?”

Arianna shrugged.  “All things being equal, I suppose it is as good as I can hope for.  It helps that Joy has been willing to talk to me incessantly since we arrived.  Thank the Holy Father for trackers.  She’s been able to prepare the whole house for holiday guests while we’ve been talking.”

“So she’s doing all right too?  I would have called and broken into your conversation to check for myself, but I figured you guys might need a little ‘girl bonding’ time.”

“She seems to be doing okay as far as I can tell, but you’ve known her longer.  Would you like to talk to her and see for yourself?”

“Would you mind?  I don’t want to crash your party.”

Arianna tucked her hand into the crook of Joey’s elbow and tugged him forward.  “It’s not a party, Joey.  It’s a show of support.  And by the way, you look quite dashing in your uniform.  I assume you are back on regular military assignment?”

“I’ve been temporarily assigned to the carrier that is protecting this ship.”  He shrugged.  “It keeps me out of trouble and gives me something to do.  Hi Joyfulness!” he greeted as he reached the monitor.  “How ya holding up?”

“With a piece of string and some duct tape,” she replied wryly, and he laughed.  It was the answer she gave any of them when parts of the family were out on a mission.  “How’s it feel to be back in the regular Navy?”

“A bit odd, but it beats sitting around waiting for news.  How’s the house?  Are you ready for all the company that’s headed your way?”

“I hope so,” Joy said.  “I don’t think we’ve ever entertained like this before.”

“Should be a great party.  Is Prue there yet?”

Joy shook her head.  “She arrives tomorrow, so I hope my brother finishes up this business pretty quick.  He knows what happens when she and I get together, and I’m not sure his wallet can handle that much shopping therapy,” she snarked, causing Joey to laugh.

“Probably not.”   Joey glanced at his watch.  “I need to get back – duty calls and all.  I just wanted to look in on you and Ria.  Because we all know what will happen if Mama finds out I didn’t take care of you two while she was gone.”

“Oh man,” Jake retorted.  “It would so suck to be you.”

Joey looked at him and smirked.  “You have no idea,” he replied.  Then he gave a jaunty salute and exited the room without a backwards glance.  Arianna’s eyes met Joy’s over the screen.

“Does he know something?” she asked suspiciously.

“Probably,” Joy answered.  “But you’d never get it out of him if he didn’t want you to know.”  She huffed.  “I love them all, but they make me crazy. I’m going to be certifiable one of these days.”

Esther snorted.  “Girlfriend, you’d fit right in with all of us in that case.”  The room exploded with laughter and the conversation turned to other things.

************

“You are a go for launch, Lieutenant,” the petty officer sitting at the control board said.  “But you need to go quickly.  I don’t know how long we can keep this window open.” 

Joey nodded.  They had planned to simply observe the complex, making an appearance only if absolutely necessary since their duty was strictly to protect the research ship and its scientific occupants.  The fact that three of the scientists were still below within the installation itself gave them a little leeway to bend their orders.  Couple that with the realization that a window to the transport field was open yet no one was coming to the transport site was enough cause for concern that Joey and the strike team were headed in to what they hoped wasn’t a trap.  Joey knew Mary well enough to know that she would have locked down access to the transport field had she been able.  So something was very, very wrong.

He checked his gear one final time and readied himself to step into the field.  Then he felt the transport activate and he suddenly found himself in the transport room of the mountain complex... mostly alone.  There were several dead bodies on the floor and the door looked as if it had been blown to kingdom come, hanging from a single metal hinge.  There was no sound, save his breathing, and no other indication of occupation nearby.  He trod carefully to the door, looking out and determining his solitude.  Then he contacted the transport shuttle, and his teammates began to arrive quickly.

When the last man arrived, he cut the field, locking it down with his own code.  Then he motioned to the others, and they slowly began to make their way through the facility, trying to discover what was really going on.

There were agents and mercenaries still strewn across the floor – the results, he knew, due to the energy pulse that had swept through the complex.  He noted that the mercenaries’ hands and feet had been bound, and closer inspection revealed Nathaniel’s signature laser knot.  Joey wanted to laugh in release; instead he grinned like a maniac as relief washed through him.  At least his husband was safe... or had been not long ago.

The strike team continued to make slow progress when a sound nearby startled them.  They all turned their weapons in the direction of it, only to see Joey lower his as he recognized the face that came around the corner.  Ephraim stopped as soon as he saw the number of laser rifles pointed his way, slowly raising his hands until he caught sight of Joey’s face.  Then he smiled and offered a hand, not surprised when Joey pulled him in for a brief hug before releasing him with a frown.

“Eph, what’s going on?”

“Long story,” Ephraim replied, waving him off.  “What are you doing here?”

“We monitored the energy pulse, and when the shield went we found the transporter had an open window.  We re-established the transport field and came down to shut it off since it didn’t re-establish on this end and none of the missing Alpha team showed up at the transport site.”

Ephraim’s eyes widened.  If the mercenaries had brought in more troops, he needed to send an alarm.  They had only just gotten them all bound and had begun removing the remainder of the detonation devices.  They didn’t need more conscious enemy bodies up and walking around... especially not wired.

“I need to let Ian know.  If there has been a second wave of mercenaries....”

Joey nodded his understanding.  “We’ll start sweeping the grid.  But I don’t think there was time for anyone to come through the window that was opened.  We were watching pretty closely and snagged it as soon as it came up.  We thought you were ready to send the remainder of the Alpha team through but a transport field was never established on this end.”  Joey shrugged.  “We figured it needed looking into.”

“We’re happy for the added forces,” Ephraim told him.  “It’s something of a cluster right now.  Do you remember the layout of this level?” waiting for Joey to nod.  “Good.  Most of the action took place between the med bay and the mess hall so most of the mercs are contained there.  If you and your team could work concentric circles to there, no one should be able to slip the net.  But Joey... be careful.  The mercs are all rigged for self-destruct,” holding up one of the devices he had removed from a mercenary Mary had killed in the office.  “We’re going through right now to deactivate them, and they’re beginning to come to.  Most of them are not happy about being caught... or disarmed.  And it’ll only take one blast down here to complicate things immeasurably.”

Joey nodded and started issuing orders to his team, watching them break up into several smaller teams and begin combing the lower level centimeter by vigilant centimeter.  He turned back to Ephraim.  “If there is anyone who doesn’t belong here running around, we’ll find ‘em.  We’ll meet you back near the med bay, so let the boys know we’re here, all right?  We don’t want any reason to have to utilize that infirmary.”

Joseph was gone before Ephraim had time to explain they had already more than utilized the medical wing of the facility.  He figured Joseph would learn that soon enough.  They were all still waiting on word about Mary.  In the meantime, he had work to do.  And he needed to notify Ian and Nathaniel to the presence of Joey and his strike team.  They certainly didn’t need the guilt of friendly fire injuries or worse to add to this cluster.

************

“You can’t do this!” the woman yelled as she struggled in his grasp.  “You have no right....”  Nathaniel snorted and looked at Ian, a smirk clear on his face when he turned back to his captive.

“Imagine that, Brother.  These people come in here – to a secret, secure facility that was rumored to have sheltered the famed Alpha team from unwanted visitors – uninvited and unannounced, and we have no right to detain them.  Especially since they came armed and ready to destroy themselves and everyone in their path.”  He glanced at Ian who was doing his best not to laugh as he removed the explosive mechanism from the body in front of him that was fortunately, still out cold.  Nathaniel snarled.  “We have every right.  And you’re going to live long enough to feel the shame of knowing you failed.”  He pulled back his fist and slammed it into the woman’s jaw, wincing and flexing his hand.  “That was for Mama and those kids.”

“You all right?” Ian asked steadily.

“Yes.  The stupid involved here makes me crazy.”

“Lots of things make you crazy, Little Brother.  It’s why you’re a Marine,” giving Nathaniel a cheeky grin.

“Watch it there, Fly Boy.  You really want a crazy Marine going nuts on your sorry self?  Pretty sure the Air Corps couldn’t handle the fallout.  And for the record, you don’t have to be crazy to be a Marine, but it certainly helps.”

Ian snorted.  “I’ve missed you, Nat.  Seems like forever since we’ve had time to talk.”

“It has been.  There’s always some duty pulling us one way or another.  Some days I just get so tired of it all.” Nathaniel shook his head.  “Don’t get me wrong – I love being a Marine, and I’m good at what I do.  But I wouldn’t be adverse to doing something different for a change.”

Ian moved to the next mercenary who was stirring but not quite cognizant yet.  He pumped a shot of tranquilizer into the woman’s neck and waited, tilting his head to study Nathaniel cautiously.  “Like what?” he questioned with sincere interest.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, and Ian waited.  He had the distinct feeling Nathaniel did know but was embarrassed to admit it.  “Fine!” Nathaniel blustered as he moved to the next mercenary – a man who was still wholly unconscious.  “I’d love to be part of this mission – going somewhere new; dependent solely on myself and my team for survival; discovering new things; establishing a new colony....”  He trailed off and shrugged.

“So why didn’t you apply, Nat?  You have the skills.”

Nathaniel snorted.  “The survival skills, yes.  But not the scientific ones.”

“Liar,” Ian accused.  “C’mon, Nat – you qualified in research and development before you went recon.”

Nathaniel shrugged.  “Maybe, but I don’t have that extra something those kids do.  It doesn’t matter, Ian.  I’m married, remember, and I’d never do that to Joey.  I wouldn’t want to leave him behind anyway.  It’s just sometimes I think it would have been nice to have been part of something like this.  This is groundbreaking.”

“It is,” Ian agreed, tranq’ing the next mercenary before releasing his cuffs.  He didn’t know the man was playing possum, however and didn’t allow quite enough time for the shot to take effect.  Ian was caught unawares when the man slammed his forehead into his face and he screamed as he fell forward.  Before the man could get to his feet, though, Nathaniel was on top of him.  The first hit knocked him stupid and the second bounced his head against the concrete... hard enough to give him a concussion and certainly to knock him into oblivion.

Nathaniel ripped the flak jacket from his body, then wrenched his arms high enough up his back to arch his back even in unconsciousness.  When he had the mercenary secured again, he turned to his brother who was wiping the blood from a cut on his forehead.  “You all right, Brother?”

“Yeah,” wincing when he brushed the bruise.  “I gotta say, though – I’m really glad you’re here.  Thanks for having my back.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Nathaniel assured Ian.  “Even though I do occasionally get wanderlust.”

Ian snorted and flexed his face in an effort to force the pain from his mind.  “I think we all do.  Mama blames Dad for that.  She may be right.”

“You get tired of this too?”

Ian smirked.  “You think I haven’t wondered what it would be like to be part of this mission.  It’s history in the making, Nat.  But then I realized we are part of this mission.  Without us... without Mama... this mission would have gone haywire a long time ago.  Those kids wouldn’t even have the chance to make the history they are destined to.”

Nathaniel nodded, but before he could make a response Ephraim came around the corner.  His arms were full of deactivated explosives and he set down the crate he carried to collect the ones Nathaniel and Ian had already discarded.

“I have news,” he said, feeling their eyes on him.  He glanced at them briefly, then resumed his assembly of the devices.  “Joey is here, and he brought a strike team with him.  They are currently doing a sweep to make sure they are our only unexpected arrivals and he knows about the mercs.  They’ll meet up with us near the med bay when they finish their search.  These are the last of the mercs to be disarmed; the rest of the team is awake and has taken care of the others.  We need to know where to move them to though.  We figured you would want them confined.”

Ian frowned.  “Why didn’t you ask Caleb?  He is Mama’s second.”

“He is unavailable at the moment.  He is with the scientists still here, and they are sitting with Mama.  I figure that puts you in charge for the moment,” Ephraim said to Ian.  Ian nodded. 

“In that case, put them in the vault.  It’s the most secure location on this level.  It will be crowded, but that’s not a concern at the moment.  Maybe their discomfort will make them more cooperative.”

“And these?” hefting the crate of explosives.

“Take them to the transport room.  We’ll signal the Admiral to send someone to collect them.”  Ian looked between Nathaniel and Ephraim.  “C’mon.  The sooner we’re done here, the sooner we can go check on Mama.”

 
Chapter XLVIII

“This is inhumane,” one of the more alert mercenaries complained loudly as they dumped her into the vault where the rest of her compatriots were crammed.  “We have rights by interstellar law!”

“You make sure you bring that up when you stand before the Council for treason and attempted murder and genocide.  I’m sure they’ll offer leniency for your treatment here.”  Ian said with a nasty smile. 

“Genocide??  How do you figure??”

“Because the Alpha team is the beginning of a new colony – what amounts to a new race since each member is expected to contribute genetic material to any offspring that are conceived while they are gone.  So see... you gave up any rights you might have had the minute you snuck into this installation with the intent of destroying everything here.  So you get comfortable now, all right?  You’re going to be here a while.”  His turned to leave, then swung around, his smile feral.  “Oh yeah... one more thing,” he said with complete conviction.  “If Mama dies, so do all of you.  War is hell, you know.”

Ian walked out without a backward glance, shutting the door and leaving the mercenaries in darkness.

************

“How is she?” Ian asked as he strode into the infirmary.   He was glad Eli was caring for his mama; he knew she knew her business.

“Her leg is healing as well as can be expected.  She is apt to have a limp for the rest of her life though.  The shrapnel did a massive amount of damage, and it was exacerbated by the walking she did to get us all down here and what I believe to be a kick she sustained from our unwelcome guest,” jerking her head towards where Fernando remained bound to the chair.  “It’s the head wound that concerns me more.  The bullet only grazed her head, but it was enough to cause serious bruising and bleeding.  I didn’t put her under anesthetic for that very reason.  Unfortunately....”

“When we sent out the energy pulse, it knocked her unconscious with everyone else.”

Eli nodded. “And she has yet to wake from that.  She may simply be using the forced blackout to recover.  But I have no way of ascertaining that, and no way to pull her out of the coma.  It’s going to have to be something she does on her own... or not.”  Eli let her shoulders slump in defeat.  “I’m sorry, Ian.”

He opened his arms, and due to the rapport they had established on her home world, Eli stepped into his embrace... accepting the comfort he offered and tendering her own in return.  A throat clearing nearby brought their attention back to the fact that they weren’t alone in the room.  They slowly separated as they turned to look at Nathaniel.  Ian extended his arm and hugged his brother tightly, allowing Eli to slide out of the embrace.

“We have to let Joy and Ria know, Ian,” Nathaniel commented softly.  “If something happens – they need to be prepared for the worst.”

“Nothing will happen to Mama, Nat.  I fully believe that she is indestructible.  But you’re also right.  They need to be informed.  But we can’t bring them here – not until we remove the mercs.  There is too much danger.  In fact....”  He turned back to Eli.  “Is your patient stable, Doc?   Can we move you and your teammates to the ship for safekeeping?”

Eli looked at Eden, then exchanged glances with Mordecai who nodded his assent.  “Kai can carry Eden through the transport field... especially if we can utilize the infirmary on the carrier.  Our ship’s medical bay is not yet stocked,” motioning to the room around her.  “Which, of course, was a blessing in disguise as it turned out.”

“We’ll send Joey with you.  He can explain to the Admiral.  I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

Eli nodded slowly.  “I do have a bit of problem leaving Ms Wellesly, however, and I would prefer not to move her yet.”

“You’re not staying here, Eli.  I won’t permit it; none of us will.  Mama would have a conniption if she knew you were delaying on her account, and trust me... that isn’t a pretty thing to watch.  Dorcas knows enough to keep an eye on her.  If it comes to it, we’ll have the ship’s doctor transport down.  But if we can, we are going to get the three of you out of here and somewhere safer.

“He’s right, Eli,” Eden contributed as she sat up slowly.  Mordecai reached over and offered her his arm to help steady her as her equilibrium shifted.  “If we have the chance to leave, we need to take it.  Mary would be the first to insist.  And do you really want the Chief and Az ganging up on your ass?  Pretty sure that between them they can out-stubborn you, and you did promise.  Don’t make me pull out the ‘you owe me’ card.”

“Don’t waste it,” Mary whispered from her gurney, her voice so soft they nearly missed her words.  “You might need it for something really important later.  I’ve got this.”

At her first words, everyone turned in Mary’s direction, but they remained silent as she spoke.  But the moment she was silent, the boys exclaimed together, “MAMA!”  They moved in to embrace her, but Eli shook her head and motioned them back even as Caleb raced into the room.

“All of you – out,” Eli commanded softly.  “I need to check Ms Wellesly over, and she deserves the courtesy of privacy while that is done.  Therefore you all need to remove yourself to a different location until I’m finished unless your name is Dorcas... or Eden.”  She looked up to find no one moving.  “Don’t make me become unpleasant.  Out... now.”

Ian held her gaze for a long moment, then nodded, ushering everyone out in front of him.  He turned at the door.  “You’ll let us know...?”

“You know I will.  Now go – the sooner we do this, the sooner you can move forward with the things that need to be done.”  Eli let her gaze drop to Mary’s closed eyes.  “How do you feel, Ms Wellesly?”

Mary’s smirk was the barest ghost of smile, but the effort caused an echoing one to resonate on both Eli’s and Dorcas’ face.  “Like I got shot by a shredder and then kicked for good measure.”

“Can you open your eyes for me?”

“I’d really rather not,” she replied.  “I’m trying very hard not to throw up.  I’m pretty sure that would make the headache worse at this point, and I really don’t want to that.  I’m not sure my head would stay attached and I don’t have the resources to keep up with it if it falls off.”

“Dorcas, dim the lights and bring me a cocktail for nausea and pain.  If we can relieve those, it will go a long way to making the Chief functional again.  And I think that should probably be our short-term goal.”

“You got it, Doc,” Dorcas acknowledged even as she moved to take care of Eli’s requests.  Mary kept her eyes closed, but her smile grew.

“You’re very good at that,” she commented, sighing slightly when it got darker behind her eyelids.

“Lots of practice,” Eli confessed.  “Now try and open your eyes for me.” She reached out a hand and accepted the syringe Dorcas had for her.  “You’re going to feel a slight pinching,” she informed Mary even as she released the cocktail into her bloodstream with a hiss of pressure.  “But you should also feel somewhat better almost immediately.”   Eli watched as Mary slowly released a breath and its accompanying tension.  “Better?”

“Yes.”

“Good.  Now open your eyes for me.  Dorcas, go back to the lights.  We’re gradually going to increase the light level, giving you a chance to adjust slowly, all right?  Then we will check the rest of you over and make sure you’re recovering as you should be.  Once I’m satisfied, Eden, Kai and I will head out and leave you to whatever it is that you need to do.”

“Once you are satisfied?  And if you aren’t?”

“Then I won’t be going anywhere, Ms Wellesly.  As your physician, I outrank you.  And Dorcas has already conceded to my authority in this matter so don’t even consider thinking about it.”

This time Mary’s grin was full and broad.  “You know something, Eli?  With you as the leader of this mission, you guys are going to be just fine.”  Then she blinked and started opening her eyes.  The sooner she got herself together, the sooner she could get Eli and the rest of them where they belonged.  Then it would be time to deal with the mercenaries... and Fernando.

************

“Has anyone seen Joey?” Arianna asked her friends some time later.  Her conversation with Joy had been soothing and so good for her in so many ways.  It was such a novel experience to have family to worry about and commiserate with.  But she knew she couldn’t forget the family she was going to be living with for the next five years either.  She needed to know she could depend on them; just as they needed to know she was willing to rely on them to help her.

So after they’d all talked with Joy for a little while, they had said goodbye and turned to physical activity to keep their minds off their missing teammates and what could be happening.  Jacob had dug up an ancient laser hunt game and they had split into two teams.  The Admiral had given them access to one of the carrier’s holo-rooms, and they had gone at it long and hard.  It was quite entertaining and there was a lot of squealing and laughter involved.  And when they finally exited the room, they were all pleasantly exhausted.

Now they were back on their own ship – freshly showered and sharing pizza and beer.  Arianna’s question startled them all into stillness and for a moment only their eyes moved as they looked at one another.  Finally Danny spoke.

“Honey, you do know he’s really assigned to that big carrier ship next door and not to us, right?”

Arianna gave him a look.  “Yes – thank you for pointing that out, Daniel.  But I’m also aware that Mama basically put him in charge of us.  Wouldn’t that mean he would check in with us periodically?”

“I suppose so,” Esther drawled.  “Unless he was busy taking care of military business.  Let’s face it – we’ve got a ship full of people watching over us at the moment.  He may not be able to get away to do so personally.”

“Or maybe I just needed to go and fetch the remainder of your team,” he announced from the doorway.  Silence fell for the split second it took for his words to register, but before they could move, Joseph held up a hand and walked further into the room.  “There was some excitement while you were separated, and I’m sure your comrades will give you all the details.”  He looked at Jacob.  “Won... Eden,” he corrected, not wanting to confuse them with code names, “was hurt while she was defending herself and Eli and Kai.  Eli made the necessary repairs and Eden has recovered nicely, but she still needs rest.”

“Can I see her?”

“Eli is getting her settled on a hover bed as we speak.  As soon as they can, they’ll join you guys.  I heard Eden grumbling about needing a beer and Eli forbidding it so it should make for an interesting evening,” getting the relieved chuckles he was hoping for.  He turned to Arianna.  “Can I speak to you about a family matter?”

She motioned around the room.  “This is my family as well, Joey, so it kind of makes them yours too.  Anything you need to say to me you can say in front of them.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Ria.  If you want to share it with them later....”

“Joseph,” she said sternly, drawing forth the princess persona she only very rarely used.  He held up his hands in surrender and shook his head. 

“All right, Ria.  But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  He closed his eyes to compose himself and took a deep breath.  “Mama was also shot, but due to extenuating circumstances, her injury was worse and much harder for Eli to repair than Eden’s was.  She is cognizant again, but her mobility is limited for the time being.”

“What happened?”

Joseph shook his head.  “That is part of their story to tell,” motioning vaguely behind him.  “I wasn’t there so I only know the ending.”  He released another nervous breath and she tilted her head at him.

“What else?” she demanded.  “I know there is something more, Joey.  If what happened to Mama is Eli’s story to tell, then there is another reason you wanted to speak to me privately.  So what is it?”

Joe scratched the back of his neck and sighed.  “Your father, Arianna.  Fernando showed up at the facility behind the mercenaries.”  He watched her eyes widen as she covered her mouth with her hand.   “I don’t know why he was there, but the fact remains that he never should have been there.  He had no business being there at all.”

“And Mama thinks he hired the mercenaries?”

“That I don’t know,” Joey stated without hesitation.  “She hadn’t started questioning him when we left and I wasn’t there when he arrived.”

“Well, I hope Mary gives that man a lesson or two right up side his hard head,” Esther said, garnering gasps from around the room.  She rolled her eyes.  “Oh pul-eeze,” she drawled.  “Like the rest of you weren’t thinking it.  Girlfriend here deserves better than him for a papa and the Chief is just the one to teach him that.”  She turned to Arianna. “We got your back, girl... no matter what.”

Arianna dropped her hand from her mouth and shook her head rapidly.  “Thank you. Esther.  That means so much.”  She turned back to Joe.  “So what happens now?”

“Right now?  Not much aside from you celebrating the safe return of your teammates.  Mama will let us know when she’s done with whatever she needed to do.  And then we’ll have a better idea how to proceed.  But I do think we’ll all be celebrating the holiday at Joy’s in a couple days.”

“I hope so,” Hannah said.  “I’d like the chance to say goodbye to my family.”

“Hannah!!"
“How insensitive!!”
“Kinda heartless, dude!”
“God, Hannah – think much?”

“Guys, that’s enough,” Arianna barked to be heard over the din they were creating in their outrage.  “I know what she meant, and I don’t blame her or any of you for feeling that way.  I’m luckier than you guys.  My family is already here,” taking Joey’s arm, “and here,” reaching for Abigail’s hand.   “I don’t have to say goodbye to most of you, and the other part of the family is working on how to streamline our communication so we can stay in touch.”

Joseph jerked and turned to face her.  “How did you...?”

“A woman never tells all her secrets, Joey,” unwilling to remind him that he’d been the one to tell her about that project.  “Now what do you guys say to finding the rest of our friends?”

“How about we join you instead?” said a voice from the doorway.  Eden was standing with Mordecai bracing her on one side, and she gave them an exhausted, lopsided smile.  They moved as one body to embrace them both, but Eden held up a hand.  “Not yet, guys.  I’m still a little sore and sensitive.  But I refused to remain in bed like an invalid.”

“Because admitting you need a little more rest would kill that macha image thing you have going for you,” Eli said dryly from behind them.  “Well, let’s move this back inside, please.  I need more than a beer after the day I have had,” grinning at the glare that earned her from Eden.  And then she wasn’t seeing anything but the inside of her eyelids when her eyes slammed shut as Arianna attacked her.

Eli’s arms lifted automatically – her body registering what was happening even though her brain would take a little longer to catch up – and caught Arianna as she jumped.  She cradled Arianna’s behind in her arms as long legs wrapped around Eli’s waist and tanned arms snaked around her neck.  Then their mouths met, and Eli forgot to breathe.

Arianna was vicious and hungry, pouring her anger and anxiety and frustration into the single melding of their lips.  Her tongue was forceful as it explored every inch of Eli’s mouth, and Eli wasn’t shy about responding in kind.  She didn’t want this to become some sort of frenzied sex display, however, and she began soothing Arianna, reassuring her of her presence and her safety and her love.  As Arianna’s apprehension eased, the kisses became languid and sensual, and Eli could feel her knees buckling under the assault.

Finally, Arianna tangled her hands into blonde locks and tugged gently, just enough to allow them to separate for air though their lips remained in contact.  They both crossed their eyes to be able to focus on one another and then they smiled.

“Hi,” Arianna whispered.

“Hi,” Eli whispered back.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too... so much.  But I’m here now, just like I promised you.  Although it was a good thing for Mary I was stranded.  Dorcas couldn’t have done the surgery she required.”

“So she’ll be all right?”

“She will.  She needs rest, and she will probably always walk with a slight limp now, but she’s fine.  And the rest will be fine too.  We’ll get through it... together.  But for now I suppose we should go join the rest of our friends.  They’re going to want to hear the whole story, and I don’t want to tell it more than once.  It was exhausting enough to live through the first time.  I don’t believe the telling will make it any less so.”  Eli released her arms and Arianna slid down her body until her feet touched the floor.

“Will you stay with me tonight?”

“And every night for as long as you will have me, Angel.”

“That’s a forever commitment. Amado.”  Eli smiled.

“Forever with you sounds perfect to me.”


Chapter XLIX

“Break it up, you two!” Jacob hollered from inside the room, causing the two of them to laugh.  “Eden says you don’t want to make her have to get up to separate you.”  Eli and Arianna exchanged grins, and caught one another’s hands.

“I’d like to see her try,” Arianna proclaimed and she and Eli crossed the room to the sofa Eden was stretched across.  Her head was in Jacob’s lap and her feet rested on Mordecai’s long legs.  She had an arm flung over her eyes and Arianna dropped into a kneeling position beside her and lightly tugged on her hand until Eden had removed her arm.  Arianna brushed dark hair from Eden’s face, causing black eyes to blink open.  “How are you, Eden?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say it was a red-letter day, but we’re all alive and together at the end of it, so I guess I can’t complain.  I wouldn’t mind a beer though,” glaring at Eli.

“No, Eden.  We talked about this.  You are already out of bed against medical advice.  No beer or any other sort of recreational drug.’’

“But Eeeeeliiiiii,” Eden whined as she unbuttoned her shirt.  “I’m almost healed.  See?” pulling the shirt apart and revealing the pink of newly regenerated skin.

“On the outside, maybe,” Eli replied, tapping the smooth skin and watching Eden flinch and wince in reflex.  “But your insides need more time and rest.”  She knelt beside Arianna and met Eden’s black eyes uncompromisingly.  “Are you really willing to risk your health, your strength... your second heart... to prove you know better than I do about this?  Come on, Eden – you are smarter than that.  You know I’m right.”

“Of course I do,” Eden grumbled.  “That’s part of what makes me crazy.”

“You want me to bring the board in here so we can take you back to the ship’s infirmary?”

“No... please.  I’ll be all right if I just lie here for a while.”

“Okay, but you need to tell me if anything changes.”

“I will.  But I wanna hear this story too.  I know I missed parts of it... what with being unconscious and all.  And I really wanna know what happened after we left the complex.”

“Me too,” Eli confessed.  “Perhaps Ms Wellesly will share with us when it’s all over.”

“In the meantime, will you tell the rest of us what happened after we left?  No one would tell us anything.”

“Which is to be expected on a military ship, Titus,” Mordecai replied, noting Joseph had left them alone again.  “They’re as secretive and need-to-know as the Committee.  The difference is, they seem to be here for our protection....”

“... as opposed to the Committee whose sole objective was to drive us all crazy?” Naomi cut in with a laugh.  “I know they are important to the project and they do serve a purpose, but there were some interview days that I just wanted to pull my hair out by the roots.  Given how long it took mamãe to get the color right - that would have been very unhappy.”

Jacob caught Eli’s eye and raised his brow.  Eli gave him a subtle nod that did not go unnoticed by both Eden and Arianna.  But they determined to find out the truth later when they were alone.  

“Be that as it is,” Deborah said drolly, giving Naomi a look.  “We’re not getting any closer to hearing what happened when you guys got stranded.  It was a little crazy around here, let me tell you.”

“How so?” Eli asked as she shifted to sit on the floor against Jacob’s knees.  She tugged on Arianna’s hand until she was sitting between Eli’s outstretched legs.

“Wait,” Isaac called out.  “Before we get started, does anyone want a drink?  Besides your beer,” he said with a look at Eden.  “Because Eli already said no.”  He went around the room, and Luke got up to help him, and soon they were all settled with drinks and Eli broke the silence that had settled.

“So what happened here?”

“Aside from your girl having a come apart at the seams?” Deborah snarked though her smile was tender and her eyes twinkled with mischief.  “I mean honestly... you’d have thought Reuben collapsed the field just to mess with her,” getting smiles from around the room.

“I was not that bad,” Arianna muttered though she refused to look at anyone.

“Uh... yeah, Az – you were,” Jacob commented.  “But it was understandable...” he added, holding up a hand when she looked up and glared at him.  “Especially since we lost communication with you guys immediately.  Even the ship couldn’t reach you for a while, and I know they tried once they blasted the threat back to the Stone Age.”

“What was the threat?  Was that ascertained?”

Jacob cleared his throat.  “From what I could discover, it was some sort of drone,” and Eli understood exactly what he was saying... and what he wasn’t.  She nodded.  “There was a bit of a scramble – Reuben got us under cover, and as soon as the ship took care of the problem we were brought here by shuttle.  So what happened with you guys?” he asked with a yawn, starting a chain reaction around the room.  “Sorry... been forever since I’ve had decent sleep.”

Eli waved him off.  “I think that is true for a number of us... for more than one reason,” squeezing Arianna to her unconsciously.  Arianna patted Eli’s hands and turned slightly... enough that their eyes met and held.  It wasn’t until Eden pushed Eli in the back of the head that they broke their stare and Eli turned to glare at Eden.  “What did you do that for?”

Eden cocked an eyebrow at her.  “Really, Eli?”  She snorted.  “Tell the story – you were the only one awake for the whole thing.  THEN you and Az can go do nasty, wicked things to one another.  But cool it til you can share what we all missed, all right?”

Eli narrowed her eyes at Eden, though she couldn’t keep the flush from her skin.  “You are so lucky I like you.”

“And we all know that you like Az the best.  So tell the story, Boss.  I’d like to hear it before I need to go back to bed,” waving her hand when Eli’s expression immediately morphed into concern.  “I’m all right, Eli.   It’s just been a really long day, you know?”

“Yes, I certainly do.”  She turned to look back at her patiently waiting teammates.  Mordecai gave her a smile and the slightest nod of his head, and Eli released a sigh.  “All right, but please feel free to add your own perspectives,” she instructed Mordecai and Eden.  When they nodded their agreement, Eli took a deep breath and started to weave her tale.

************

“Wait - you really helped my Papa... after all he did to you?  After everything he put us through?”  Arianna asked the question to which everyone in the room wanted to hear the answer.  Eli was hyper-aware of the eyes and ears turned their way, but her only concern... her only focus... was Arianna.   She shifted them just enough to cup Arianna’s cheek and let their eyes meet.

“I did, Angel.  I had to.  My oath compels me to render aid to those in need... even my greatest enemy.  Are you saying you would rather I had not?”

“No, Amado... no,” her voice dropping to a whisper as she shook her head.  “I would never ask you to be less than you are.  I just... I didn’t realize I could love you more than I already did.  You have such a beautiful heart, Eli,” covering the hand cupping her face.  “I cannot say I would have done the same for him.”

“I know I wouldn’t have,” several of them muttered under their breaths, but Arianna heard them and she looked away from Eli to study her friends.

“Why?  Why would you say that?  None of you even knew him; he did nothing to you.”  There was stillness while they communicated silently.  Finally, Luke – who was considered the pacifist among them because of his planet’s mandate against fighting – met Arianna’s eyes and shrugged.
But he did do something to you, Arianna.  He hurt you; he hurt you and Eli... deliberately.  And we take care of our own.”

“And because we know that Eli is better than most of us,” Jake added.  “And she would care for him... because of her oath as a healer and because he’s your dad.  And despite everything - despite the fact that we can’t stand him for the way he has treated you both – you still love him because he’s your dad.  And she would never let her personal feelings for him override either of those things.”

Before Arianna or Eli could formulate a response, Joseph knocked on the doorjamb and peeked in the room.  He didn’t cross the threshold however, until he was invited inside.  He walked to stand beside Eli and Arianna, but he met the eyes of everyone in the room before allowing them to rest on Eli’s greenish ones.   His expression didn’t change, but he wondered at the difference he could see within her just over the last few hours.  Joseph didn’t even realize he was staring until Eli’s eyebrow rose ever higher on her forehead and Arianna flushed a bright scarlet color.  Then he cleared his throat and shook his head.

“I beg pardon.  I wanted to let you all know that I briefly heard from Mama.” smiling at their excited murmurs.  “None of you will be permitted to return to the mountain facility. It has been deemed too dangerous.  The security agents will pack up your belongings and will have them transported to the carrier where you will be able to pick them up and install them in your quarters here.”

“What about the holiday?” Danny asked, getting several nods of agreement from the others in the room.  Joseph held up his hands to stall further questions.

“That will go on as scheduled at Joy’s. We’ll leave tomorrow afternoon.  We could all use some sleep and I know Mama wants some agents in place there before we move you.”

“And she doesn’t think that’s an obvious target?” Isaac asked.  “I mean, she did already move us from there once.”

“No one knows where Joy lives.  You were moved because you needed a staging area, and Joy deserved better than to have her home and her life disrupted that way.  You saw how much room you needed to do your inventories and such,” Joseph replied shortly.  “But that part is over now.  It will just be you and the two family members each of you invited.”

“Is that why we were limited?” Hannah asked.  “Because I had a very hard time choosing.”

“That is one reason, yes.  Mama had always planned to invite those who were chosen for the Alpha team to celebrate this holiday as a family.  But the main reason is because of the security logistics involved.  This assignment will stretch us to the limit.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Abigail admitted.  “I would like my máthair to know all of you.  I think it would give her comfort and some peace to meet the people that will be part of my life for at least the next five years.  And maybe it will help our families find friendship and support with one another like we have.”

“One big happy family, Girlfriend?” Esther asked with a genuine smile.

“Why not?  There are families who are born to each other and families who we choose.  They are both still family to us.  It makes sense that it would be good for everyone if they were to become family to each other as well.”

“It will make for a fun and fascinating holiday anyway,” Deborah snarked.

“Joe, what about my medical supplies?” Eli asked above the din of conversation taking place around them.  “I still need to replenish....”

“I know.  Mama said if you know what you used, you can give a list to the doctor aboard the carrier and he will replenish from his on-hand stock.  Otherwise Dorcas can do an inventory before it is shipped up here and the Doc will supply you from that list.”

“Can Dorcas do a quick inventory there and let me do a follow up when it arrives?  I don’t think I could possibly remember everything at the moment – my brain is pretty fried.  But I’d like the opportunity to do a final check.  It’s ultimately my responsibility so I’d appreciate the chance to make certain everything is there.”

“A trait Mama values highly,” Joseph assured her.  “I’ll make sure she knows,” turning to leave the room.  Eli reached for his arm and he stopped with a questioning look.

“How is she, Joe?  I know she escaped her bed the moment I was gone.”

He snickered.  “Yes, she did.  But aside from being extremely tired, she appeared to be all right. Dorcas put her in a wheeled chair to keep her off her feet for the duration. Mama was issuing orders left and right while we talked, so she actually doesn’t seem to be doing much.  She is simply holding all the reins and riding herd on those who are.”

Eli nodded slowly.  “Thank you, Joe.”

Before he could turn to leave, Arianna spoke up.  “Joey, what about Papa?”

“That I don’t know, Ria.  Mama didn’t share.  I got the distinct impression she wanted to talk to you directly about that herself.”

“That’s fair,” she agreed.  She held up a hand, and Joseph accepted it as a matter of course.  He pulled her to her feet; then Arianna reached down and did the same to Eli.  When they were all standing, Arianna turned back to Joseph and wrapped her arms around him.  He smiled and returned her embrace.  “Thank you, Joey.”

“I’m glad I could be here for you, Little Sister.  Now why don’t you take your mate,” using the word he knew meant something to both of them, “and find somewhere to be alone for a little while?  Things are liable to be hectic from here on in.”

Eli snorted.  “Like they haven’t been already,” muttered loud enough for both of them to hear him.  Joseph laughed aloud.

“Exactly,” he proclaimed.  “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need some rack time as well.  Go be good to each other – I’m off,” he said with a jaunty salute.  Then he was out the door without another word.

“I think he’s got the right idea,” Eden admitted exhaustedly.  “But I don’t think I can walk to my quarters.”

Eli turned to Arianna.  “Will you stay with her?  Jacob can go with me to get a hover bed and the meds I need to give her to make her comfortable.  Then I’m all yours... I promise.”

“Of course,” Arianna replied.  “We’ll be right here waiting for you to come back.”  Eli leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to Arianna’s lips, smiling when it took a minute for brown eyes to reopen.  She stroked the smooth skin of Arianna’s cheek.

“Be right back,” she promised.  Then she and Jacob walked out the door.

“That was very clever,” Arianna admitted quietly as she sank back to the floor beside Eden.

“It was,” Eden admitted with a tired smile. “It was also true.”

“Does it hurt very much then?” her question garnering the attention of the others.  They waited for Eden to respond.

“It aches, but it doesn’t really hurt.  I’m just... I feel like I was rode hard and wrung out to dry.  I could probably sleep for a week if I had the chance.   I just might try it if I wouldn’t miss my makuahine’s visit – because that would make her worry, and I try not to do that.  Worrying makes her unhappy, and no one is happy when makuahine is unhappy.”

“That must be a universal axiom,” Hannah said with a snort.

“Probably.  You guys don’t have to wait with me, you know,” Eden said.  “I know everyone here is tired and anxious to go to bed.”

“It’s not a problem, Eden,” Danny said.  “It would feel weird leaving you two here alone after everything.  Besides, this way we can all say goodnight.”

“Is it still night?  I lost track at some point.”  They looked around and realized they had no way of actually knowing, and it caused them to laugh and begin remembering other moments of lost time.  Eden and Arianna were content to sit back and listen as they waited for Eli and Jacob to return.

************

“So what’s the word?” Eli asked as soon as the lift doors closed behind them, confident Hannah could no longer hear their conversation.

“Well, I’ll tell you this – Fernando wasn’t the one who hired the army to come in and take out the Alpha team.  That was someone else.  Fernando’s agenda was to cause havoc for us.  He was going to remove Arianna from the mission.”

“You are sure of this?”

“Yeah – I broke into his files as soon as you told me to go looking.  I found the communiqués he sent out looking for her.”

“So why didn’t you tell Ms Wellesly?”

“Because I didn’t find them until I tapped into the ship’s resources when we were shuttled up here.  And then I had no way to reach her.  He literally got instructions two minutes before he stepped into the transport field.”

“So he was here on this planet?  Do we know where?” Eli asked as they crossed into the infirmary of the carrier.  She explained her request to the ranking medic in charge and he nodded.  He’d been given explicit instructions about giving this woman what she needed from the med bay, and it wasn’t worth his job to argue with her.  In moments, they were out of the infirmary and headed back to the other ship.

“He was with the Committee,” Jacob said softly in response to her earlier question.  “From what I can figure, he returned here shortly after Mary’s visit to his home world.  He intended to have Az removed from the project in one way or the other.  I’m thinking the attack was the other because they couldn’t find her to convince her to leave voluntarily.”

“Do you know who ordered the attack?”

“I have a pretty good idea,” handing Eli his Pad.  He watched as her eyes widened in surprise and nodded as he accepted the device back.  “That’s why I’d like for Mary to take a look at the evidence.  We don’t want to accuse without absolute proof to back it up.”  His ears perked up at the sound of laughter coming from the rec room.  “C’mon.  Or we may never get these guys to bed.”

Eli smirked.  “Would you care to bet?”  Jacob burst into laughter and shook his head.

“No way,” he said as they entered the room.  “That’s a sucker bet.”  The rest took that as their cue and cleared the room quickly.  And Eli and Jacob lost the thread of conversation as their attention focused elsewhere.


Chapter L

“So what did Jacob want to share with you privately?” Arianna asked Eli as they made their way across the narrow passageway holding hands.  They had followed Jacob as he guided Eden’s hover bed towards her quarters just in case they were needed – and had helped get her settled comfortably before bidding them both goodnight.  Eli doubted Eden would allow Jacob to remain... especially since his room was right next door, but she didn’t want to get caught in the middle of what would probably turn into a lovers’ quarrel.

“Caught that, did you?”

“I learned to pay attention, Amado.  For a long time it was the closest I could come to knowing anything about you.”  They stopped in front of Arianna’s door.

“About that....” Eli began as she rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand.  Arianna grabbed the hand and held on as she shook her head.

“No apologies, Amado.  I understand... I really do.”  Arianna took a deep breath.  “I’ve watched you dying in front of me so I know what it was doing to you – all of it.  And we’re both responsible for that.  And with that in mind, I have a proposition for you.”

Eli looked around and arched a brow as she smirked.  “Here in the corridor, Angel?  I’m intrigued.  Do tell.”  Arianna blushed and jerked a hand away to slap at Eli’s chest.  Eli laughed and pulled Arianna in close to her, kissing the top of her head.  “Come on, Sweetheart – let’s go inside where we’ll have a bit of privacy.”

Arianna scanned her hand and waited for the door to fully open.  Then she tugged Eli inside with her – away from prying eyes - and locked the door behind them.

Their eyes met and in that instant, they forgot about talking and conversation and discussions they needed to have.  Instead they focused on the fact that they were alone together by choice for the first time in an eternity, and they came together in a rush of heat and lust.

Their mouths melded – tongues exploring and teasing even as hands mapped increasingly bare skin and fingers reacquainted themselves with pleasure points that caused one another to writhe and moan in ecstasy.  It was only when slick, bare skin slid together that Arianna pulled back, breathing hard.

“Not here,” she panted.  “I can’t stand up anymore and I don’t want to end up on this cold, hard floor all night.  Come to bed with me, Amado,” extending her hand to Eli.  “Talk will wait until tomorrow.”  Eli took Arianna’s hand, tugging hard until they were pressed against one another.  Then Eli put her hands on Arianna’s hips, and groaned when wetness painted her belly as Arianna jumped into her arms.  She crashed their lips together again and started walking... praying to any deity that would listen that she could get them to the bed without killing them first.

There were only a couple of minor mishaps and that just made them break off their kiss to laugh with each other.  Then they reached the bed, and Arianna loosened her legs from around Eli’s waist, pushing her foot against the bed with just enough force to spin them around and put Eli on the bottom as they fell.

“Oof!” was the only exclamation Eli had time for before Arianna claimed her with passion, tongues dueling in an open-mouthed kiss as Arianna rocked against her.  Eli shifted her hands to guide Arianna harder against her to find her hands caught and raised above her head. She opened her eyes as she felt Arianna move away from her, chasing the lips she was nowhere near finished exploring.  Arianna shook her head; Eli frowned and sat up, shivering in reaction when Arianna’s wetness cooled as she slid down until their centers almost touched.

Arianna released one of the hands she held, not at all surprised when it landed on her waist and slid back to caress her ass.  She bit back a moan and allowed her hand to smooth out the furrows on Eli’s forehead, causing hazel green eyes to meet her nearly black ones.

“Angel...?”

“Shh, Amado.  This is my time,” covering pursed lips with her finger and shuddering when Eli’s tongue slid from her mouth to lave it with thorough attention.  “Eeeeeliiiii,” she moaned as her eyes slammed shut, getting a wicked smile from Eli before she felt a light kiss being pressed to her fingertip.  Arianna felt Eli shift back away from her and she opened her eyes.

“What’s wrong, Angel?”

“Nothing, Amado.  Nothing at all.  I just....”  She broke off and Eli waited, knowing Arianna was organizing her thoughts.  “Before... when we did this – when you claimed me as your mate....”  Arianna blew out a frustrated breath and then automatically relaxed when Eli started running her hand up and down her back.  She trailed her hand up Eli’s chest and tangled it in blonde hair, scratching Eli’s skull lightly and smiling at the purr it elicited.  Arianna sighed.  “When we were together before, you claimed me as your mate even though I wasn’t aware of it at the time.  I would like to claim you, Eli – to make you my mate as I am yours.”

Eli studied Arianna’s eyes so closely she could see the swirls in the brown rimming blown black irises.  She brought their lips together for a brief, chaste kiss, then laid back with her hands raised above her head.  “I am yours, Beloved – I always have been.  It is time for you to own that fact... and me.”

Arianna sucked in a trembling breath, relishing Eli’s surrender before she leaned down and took possession of Eli’s lips gently.  She mapped them carefully, memorizing everything about Eli’s mouth before moving her concentration elsewhere.

Arianna laved the smoothness of Eli’s neck, delighting in the delicate green color Eli’s skin flushed behind her attention.  It was everything to literally watch the skin tone return to its normal, healthy green.  Arianna sat up again and lightly ran her fingertips over Eli’s bare torso, savoring the goosebumps that sprang up in wake of her touch.

“Angellllll,” Eli moaned, shivering uncontrollably as she arched into the stroke.  Arianna looked up into bright emerald eyes and couldn’t stop the grin that creased her lips... or the tears that flooded her eyes. For all her experience, she had never felt this except with Eli and never before to this intensity.  She was startled when she felt the brush of Eli’s hand on her cheek.  Arianna caught the hand and held it, skimming a light kiss over the palm and watching another tremor shudder through Eli’s body.

“I love you, Eli,” she whispered.  “So, so much.  I never knew what it was to feel like this... until you.”

Eli smiled, emerald eyes glowing and skin flushed a lovely shade of spring green.  “I love you too, Arianna,” she whispered, lifting her other hand to cradle Arianna’s face.  “You complete me.”

Arianna leaned into the touch and allowed her head to be guided down until her lips touched Eli’s.  There was no rush in this kiss; instead there was passion and joy and love.  And it went on and on for an eternity.  Soon they were breathing harshly through their noses in an effort not to lose consciousness from lack of oxygen.

Eventually however, Arianna pulled back enough to meet Eli’s eyes.  “Mine,” she growled, and shifted her attention from Eli’s kiss-swollen lips.  She moved down Eli’s neck, marking her pulse point and celebrating the strong life beneath her.

Eli’s breasts received greater attention... and much more teasing.  Arianna’s touch was feather light to begin with – just a gentle tracing around the perimeter of her breasts and a slow working inward in small, concentric circles.  Eli arched her back, pushing into Arianna’s fingers seeking a firmer touch.  In response, Arianna tweaked a nipple once... hard enough to pull a groan from deep within Eli’s chest and force her back to bow higher.  Immediately Arianna leaned down and sucked the breast into her mouth, alternating licks and nips to the nipple until Eli was writhing beneath her.  Then she shifted her focus to the other side, laving it with the same attention, smiling when she heard Eli start to beg.

“Please, Angel… Angel, please.  Beloved, I need you.”

Those were the words Arianna had been waiting to hear apparently as they served as the catalyst to lift her head from Eli’s breasts and begin her decent down the centerline of Eli’s body.  She took a long moment to admire the smooth skin and strong musculature under her fingertips and lips, then swirled her tongue in Eli’s bellybutton.

“God, Angel... don’t tease me.  I need you.”

Then fingers, lips and tongue met wet heat and Arianna moaned at the taste and feel of Eli’s obvious response to her.  Her strokes were languid as she reacquainted herself with Eli’s most intimate self; but soon her touch became strong and firm, wanting to feel Eli’s wet warmth contract around her.  Eli was soon soaring and shaking in release – not once, not twice, but three times Arianna brought her to orgasm.  The first was almost immediate, as though Eli had been craving Arianna’s touch forever.  The second followed quickly on the heels of the first, brought to bear by the mere stroking of Arianna’s tongue.  The third, however – that was coaxed to fruition by both fingers and mouth and was drawn out until Eli was pulling Arianna up to lay on top of her.  Their sweat-slicked skin slid together easily and they moaned in tandem at the ecstasy that sparked along their nerve endings.

“No more, Angel,” she panted.  “I can’t.”

Arianna smiled and curled into Eli’s body, trembling when Eli wrapped her arms around Arianna as though she couldn’t bear the thought of any space between them.  She smoothed her hands over the quivering stomach muscles underneath her.  “Mine,” she whispered, her smile growing when Eli’s embrace tightened around her.

“All yours, Angel,” exhaustion clearly evident in her tone.  Arianna brushed a kiss over Eli’s breast.

“Sleep, Amado.”

“But....”

“Shh,” Arianna whispered as she snuggled further into Eli’s body.  “Sleep now.  You can have your turn when you wake.  I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise?”

Arianna heart broke a little when she heard the whispered plea.  “Swear,” she replied, and felt Eli’s arms tighten briefly again before she dropped into an exhausted slumber.  Despite the unresolved sexual tension still running rampant through her frame, Arianna closed her eyes and let the sound of Eli’s heartbeat relax her, never realizing when it lulled her into sleep.

************

Arianna woke with her body tingling to find Eli crouched over her, showering her neck and breasts with lavish attention. She wound her hands into short blonde hair, tugging just enough to bring Eli’s attention to the fact that she was no longer sleeping.  Eli grinned. 

“My turn,” she rumbled, sliding one hand down into Arianna’s slick, wet heat.  She was so wet Arianna had to wonder how long Eli had been awake loving her.  Then she bent her back in response to the feeling of being unexpectedly filled by Eli’s touch. 

“Eeeeeeliiiiii,” she drawled.

“Mine,” Eli growled possessively, leaning down to mark Arianna’s smooth skin.  Arianna’s hands clenched against Eli’s scalp, and she moaned at the bite that followed.

“Yours, Amado – only yours.  Please, Amado… I need your mouth... please Eli.”

Eli took Arianna’s words to heart, sliding down her body and adding her lips and tongue to the mix and smiling at the groan it drew from Arianna’s depths.  Her orgasm hit hard and Eli used both fingers and tongue to pull a second longer release from Arianna’s body.   Arianna was still trembling when she tugged on Eli’s hair, eliciting a growl that set off another round of tremors.

“Oh, Holy Father,” Arianna groaned.  “Enough, Amado.  I can’t take anymore right now.”

Eli shared one more intimate kiss with her, then slid up Arianna’s body, spooning behind her before rubbing light circles over her belly.  “Can I tell you something, Angel... and not have you laugh or think I’m a sentimental old fool?”

“Let’s go with yes, and you tell me.  But if it’s actually funny, you have to laugh with me, all right?”

“Fair enough,” Eli agreed, brushing her lips over Arianna’s shoulder and grinning at the trail of goosebumps she left in her wake.  “I’ve missed this,” she confessed softly, continuing to trail her fingers up and down the middle of Arianna’s torso.  “Not the love making,” wincing when Arianna jerked in her arms.  “Not just the love making, I mean – because that intimacy and level of trust with you is something I treasure... and have obviously missed,” feeling Arianna’s silent chuckle under her fingertips.  “But more than that, I missed this,” tightening her arms.  “This intimacy fills me in a way I can’t explain, and I missed it so much when you weren’t here.  I ached for it, and that made me angry – that I wanted something so badly that I would never again be permitted to share.”

Arianna turned in Eli’s arms until she was lying flat on her back and looking up into hazel green eyes reflecting the ambient light in the room.  “I think there will always be things we both regret about the way we did things... about the things we let happen between us,” seeing Eli bite her bottom lip as she nodded her head and let her eyes shift to one side.  Arianna cupped Eli’s face with one hand and gently nudged her until they were looking at one another again.  “We’re both to blame, Amado... equally culpable.  However, in an effort not to let our history repeat itself, I have a proposition for you.”

Eli grinned rakishly.  “I’ve decided I like being propositioned by you, Angel.  The last time turned out pretty well for both of us, I think.”  She chuckled when Arianna swatted her.

“Keep it up, wise acre.  We don’t have to have those sort of propositions anymore for a while,” smirking when Eli’s eyes widened.

“I’m being quiet now,” Eli commented, smashing her lips together tightly.  Arianna laughed.

“I love you, you know... so much I can’t even begin to tell you,” Arianna replied, stroking the cheek she still held.  “And I don’t ever want to do without it again.  I want to do things right this time – give us a real foundation we can live with and build on.”  Eli nodded.  “So I was thinking – maybe we should talk about everything.  Not just the things we find interesting or that we think will interest each other, but the wide-open truth about all aspects of our societies and cultures... our religions and faiths... our histories and families.  For instance, did you know that if I hadn’t been a princess, I would have pursued a career on stage like my several time removed great grandmamma did?  She was quite famous on my world, you know – much like Joy is now.”

Eli’s eyes widened.  “Really??  Even with your genius??”

Arianna shrugged.  “Even then.  I love science, don’t get me wrong.  There is something about its order and exactness that appeals to me in a very basic way.  And I’m thrilled, of course, that fuission became what it is.  But performance is something I do for me.  The fact that I can share that talent with others and bring joy to them through my music is just a bonus in my book.”

“I never would have guessed... even knowing how much pleasure you get out of singing.”

Arianna nodded.  “That’s just what I mean.  We need to know these things so they can’t come between us and break us up ever again.  Because I won’t let you go without a fight, Eli... not now that I know that you want this too.  And I have never been known to fight fair on anything I really wanted.” 

“I do, Angel... so much.”

“So we talk about everything this time... good and bad?”

“Absolutely.  Whatever it takes,” Eli agreed with a yawn.  Arianna yawned immediately afterwards and pushed Eli over.  “Wha...?”

Arianna curled into Eli’s side, tucking her dark head under the light green chin and curving one arm possessively over Eli’s thin waist.  “I know we still need to talk.  I owe you a story, and you owe me one as well.  And there are numerous other things we need to discuss... eventually.  But right now, it is still oh-holy-crap-o’clock in the morning, and yesterday was an everlasting kind of day.  We need some more sleep because I’d actually like to remember what we talk about when we start sharing all that stuff.”

“That would probably be for the best,” Eli commented.

“Right.  So shh... it’s sleeping time now, Amado.  I love you.”

Eli bent her head just enough to brush a light kiss over dark locks.  “I love you, Beloved.  Happy dreams, Angel.”  She felt Arianna smile against her skin.

“They already are, Elizabeth,” feeling Eli’s sharp intake of breath at the use of her full name.  “I’m in your arms again, and I am never letting go,” tightening her grip further as she drifted off to sleep.

“Goodnight, Angel.”

************

“So who’s going in there?” Esther asked as she looked around at the rest of the Alpha team congregated in front of Eli’s accommodations.  Everyone took a step back and her eyes widened as she shook her head.  “Uh uh!  Not me!” she proclaimed definitively.  “I like living!”

Eden snorted and unwound herself from Jacob’s embrace.  She wasn’t exhausted like she’d been twelve hours earlier, but she was still pretty drained.  She could feel her body struggling to recover from the blood loss despite Mordecai’s contribution.  Though Eli had supplemented that with synthesized blood, the fake stuff was never as beneficial as the real McCoy and it took longer to integrate into her system.  Still it was better than having to wait for her own body to produce enough blood to make her mobile again.  She’d still be in a bed in the mountain complex if that was the case.

Now she stepped forward and turned to face the others.  “You guys go ahead to the mess hall,” knowing they had to go to the carrier to eat.  “I’ll take care of waking the newlyweds.  We’ll meet you over there shortly.  We still need to find Joe.”

“I’m right here,” he commented from the back of the group, causing all heads to turn in his direction.  “I came to see if you guys wanted to have some breakfast before we go back down to the planet.”

“Can we eat at Joy’s if we skip breakfast here?”

“She’s not cooking if that’s what you’re asking,” Joseph replied with a smile as he watched their demeanors fall.  “I’d suggest eating here.  It may be a while before you get to otherwise.”

Everyone turned to Eden who shrugged at them.  “Go ahead.  We’re not going anywhere without Az and Eli.  And I still need to wake them.”

“Why?” Arianna said as she exited her quarters holding Eli’s hand.  “Are we still sleeping?” she asked Eli.  “Because if that’s the case, I want to go back to my other dream.  It was a lot more pleasant than this one.”

“Mine too,” Eli agreed with a smile.  She squeezed Arianna’s hand, then released it, moving to Eden’s side and checking her over with the eye of a physician.  “The rest of you go with Joseph, please,” she said in dismissal, knowing she wouldn’t get an honest answer from Eden as long as they had an audience.  The other team members seemed to understand and left without argument.  Eli waited until they were down the hall before she spoke.

“How do you feel?”

“Tired but I’ll live, and that’s the important thing, right?” Seeing Eli and Arianna both nod emphatically made her smile.  “I’m also curious about the byplay between you two last night, but we can discuss that on the way to breakfast, right?” glancing between Eli and Jacob.

Eli shrugged.  “I guess we can.  Angel’s been waiting to hear about that too since we were both a little preoccupied last night.”  Eden held up a hand.

“No over-sharing,” she demanded.  “I don’t need to know those things about you two, all right?  It’s enough that I can see the difference in you both.  Now tell me whatever it is that you and Jake were on about.”

Eli exchanged a look with Arianna, then motioned her to walk ahead with Jacob.  That way, she could talk softly and they would still be able to hear her.  This wasn’t something she wanted to be overheard.  With a sigh, she tucked Eden’s hand into the crook of her elbow and started talking.

Part 6