"You're always free to leave." He said, nearly out of the blue, though their thoughts were on the same road. "But I'd
rather you do it now if you're going to at all." He was already attached, it would be hard enough now, even then he'd
probably pull out all the stops.
And he wasn't talking about leaving the base either.
There was a trembling starting inside her. Deeper than flesh and bone. Instead it shivered in her lungs, curled its
shaking fingers around her stomach. Set her soul trembling. She swallowed and her eyes, large and dark and lacking
any defenses or guards met his. This wasn't her body they were talking about - that would have been terrifying
enough. It was more. If she said no, now, there was still a chance she could escape with enough of herself in one
piece to live a complete life. A partial life at least. Her hands slipped down, spread against his chest. Feeling the heat,
that warmth, that steady, solid...
What if he was just talking about her leaving for home before sunset?
"I don't want to leave." Her voice was soft, vulnerable. But sure. Her eyes didn't slip away from his. "Ever."
"Then you're stuck with me." He said with a soft smile. He moved one of his hands to caress her face as he felt the
slight heat of her hands through his shirt, right over his heart. which was beating pretty hard right now. So many ways
that could have gone, wasn't like the way he conducted his life wouldn't scare off most sane people. Or the idea of his
'slightly' dysfunctional family wouldn't be enough to make some people run. Or just his plain intensity at times could
be overwhelming on the best of days.
"I should ask if you've been secretly training under an occult shaman, because you've got me falling pretty hard
about now."
Her lips curved, tightness around her heart easing a little.
"Wrong god." She told him with that slowly strengthening smile. "Mine's better." Then she shifted, tucking as close to
him as she could without literally being in his lap, arms winding around his shoulders again as she rested her
forehead against his. "If we're both falling, maybe we just need to learn to fly before we hit bottom." She exhaled
softly. Brushed his nose lightly with hers as her hands tightened in contrast.
"That was frightening." She confided in a whisper.
He chuckled a bit. "I work hard at being terrifying, you know that." He teased about her frightened comment, knowing
what she was really meaning. "Besides, the fall is half the fun, isn't it? If I promise to catch you at the end, will you not
be as frightened?" He offered.
She went very still and very quiet against him. Except for her hands, catching against the fabric of his shirt.
"Promise?" She asked softly.
"Promise." He said, nodding his head. "And I plan to keep that promise that wherever you go, I'll find you. But the bad
thing right now, is Mike will find us and haul your ass back to the Red Cross camp before it gets too dark." Which he
whole heartedly agreed with. The Deltas and Rangers weren't the only scary things in the African night.
"And I do so have an arse worth hauling across the length and breath of Africa." She responded, jokingly. She drew
back from him enough to see his face and her own softened even more as she reached up and gently curled her
palm against his cheek. Leaned forward and softly brushed her customary 'smack' against his jaw line. Knowing he
was tired despite the fact it hid, almost invisible at the edges of his eyes. That she was selfish. And that some things
were more important than sleep. But only for just so long.
"I'll never hide from you." She murmured. Trust was a great deal like faith. And faith she was very good at. At least
with God. Faith in a man that wasn't her father... it would take some practice. Her lips softened into a quiet smile.
Thinking... she thought she might not mind the practice so very much. Edge of her mouth twitching upward even more
she met his eyes and innocently asked:
"So, does this mean we're going to let Mike find us kissing here or are we going to while we wait for him at the jeep?"
"We're going to make him hunt." Hector said with a laugh. "Besides, as a good chaperon he shouldn't have let you
out of his sight just for the promise of some alcohol!" He joked about Mike, knowing why Andi was let out of his sight
to begin with, because Andi would be out of Mike's sight with Hector. Which spoke a lot for the man. "But definitely
had kissing in mind while making him hunt." He said and kissed her, since she was so close and he was never that
good at resisting.
Okay, he was. Just not with her.
Her arms slipped around him again, fingers of one hand spreading to tangle in his short hair as her mouth answered
his. Soul sighing out contentedly as she sank into what they were together. Slipping easily into the new depth he'd
given her tonight. Somehow - it was easier to trust than to fight trusting the way she had been. Which made no
sense... and her mind didn't care... He didn't make her complete. Somehow... he made her more.
Mike found them that way at some indeterminent point later. Hunting them down along with Swanson as he traced
where they'd gone by the people that had seen them. Somehow - he knew he should have looked here first anyway.
Frankly, he was surprised they hadn't just come here first in the first place. Thank God barracks didn't have privacy.
Andi was curled up in his lap, long legs sideways and curled against one of his hips, arms wound around the Delta in
a way that was both fierce and tender at the same time. Hector's own body was mirroring the sentiments except there
was an element of protectiveness in the way he wrapped her so completely against him. Mike cleared his throat twice
and then just snorted while Swanson attempted to laugh without choking.
"We do have a deadline." Mike reminded them flatly.
Hector looked over at Mike and raised an eyebrow. "I could always take her hostage." He suggested. "Then it wouldn't
matter about your deadline." Then with a grin he looked at Andi. "Want to be my hostage? The food sucks, the
boarding leaves a lot to be desired...but it could be fun."
Mike humphed as he stood there with his arms crossed over his chest.
"I'm serious. We don't want to be in the dark too much." He said, as a way of getting the Delta back on focus. Which it
did, and maybe not in the way he wanted.
"Then you'll need an escort." Hector said, all joking aside. But he knew what was out there in the dark, and knew he
didn't want it touching Andi if he could help it.
Mike raised his eyebrows. Mind clicking in right along with Hector's over African nights. Andi, head resting on Hector's
shoulder while the men bantered, knew as well. But also realized that they saw the things she never would.
"I wouldn't mind staying the night." She offered. Mike shot her a look and pointed a finger.
"There are rules against that kind of thing." He threatened.
"In the med tent!" Andi protested. Torn between trying not to laugh and trying to look properly offended. "What kind of
girl do you think I am?"
"We'll take an escort." Mike stated. "Just enough to scare Sam."
Hector chuckled. "So does that mean you want one or two battalions?" He asked with a grin.
"Come with heavy air cover and we'll see just how much of a pacifist Sam is." Mike replied dryly.
"Shit, he might be the first Red Cross director to declare war on the American military." Swanson said, leaning against
a bunk.
There was a beat of silence, that everyone was waiting for the other person to do something. Hector grinned at Andi.
"They're not going to leave until we do." He said, figuring out the game.
Mike figured he had given Andi and Hector enough alone time. Now they really had to head back. "Exactly."
"I don't know, our infirmary has some pretty comfortable beds." Hector said.
"Like you would know." Swanson scoffed, shaking his head. "Come on, let's get going before everyone heads in for
the night." He looked at all the empty bunks. Soon, the converted warehouse would fill with a hundred men in various
states of sobriety.
"Did it ever occur to any of you that I'm being held down here?" Hector offered, since Andi was on his lap, making the
other two men laugh at the thought of the willowy doctor, who weighed about as much as a whisper probably,
managing to pin down the well built Delta, at least without the help of restraints of some sort.
"Are you?" Andi pulled off 'innocent' amazingly well with her expressive eyes. "Someone should really do something
about that." She decided. Before giving him a kiss on the cheek. She hadn't meant to end up in his lap. Less for the
propriety of it and more for the fact she was well aware of just how bony she was. And self consciously aware that
she'd probably cut off the circulation to both his legs with it. "Sorry." She murmured against him before slipping lightly
off his lap and off the bed just as easily. Reaching up to make sure the pictures he'd given her didn't slid off the bed
as the mattress shifted.
"Next time, don't take so long to convince." She chided Mike. Who shrugged.
"Next time, don't offer me protein bars as incentive."
"I'll just ask Suz next time." Andi commented flippantly and Swanson raised his hands.
"Hey. Whoa. Not even funny."
"She misses you." Andi coaxed and Swanson looked like he was going to voice his opinion of just how violently
Suzette probably 'missed' him. Mike snorted.
"Come on." He interrupted. Always preferring the 'not run into trouble' to 'run into trouble and shoot your way out'
approach.
"He's awfully bossy." Andi confided in Hector but otherwise didn't protest as they made their way back to the Red
Cross jeep.
Hector chuckled as they headed toward the Red Cross jeep. "Swanson, go find some sober people." He said to the
fair Delta.
"Needle in a haystack, man." Swanson said with a chuckle, though it wouldn't be that hard. They were always on call,
after all.
"Just go." Hector said as Swanson headed back. "Two jeeps with Deltas should be good." He said. Actually, one
would have done the trick, but he wasn't taking chances. Mike looked at him for that, he knew also that one would
have done fine.
Then again, the round up of Deltas also allowed him to steal a few more brief moments as Mike went to the jeep and
made it look like he was checking it over for imaginary dents and scratches.
"Thanks." Hector said to Andi. "For coming."
She slid her arms around his shoulders against with a smile.
"You said I could come." She told him cheerfully. Lifting her face to give him a kiss. "So I did." Her eyes softened.
"Besides, I missed you."
"I did too." He said. "That's why I was doubly glad you came this time, or I might have gotten arrested tomorrow." He
said with a chuckle and kissed her on the tarmac underneath the moonlight until the protection squad gathered by
Swanson arrived.
"I'm guarding her. *He* can take care of himself." One of them said, gesturing to Mike. "After eating us out of house
and home and all, he should have the energy to take on a whole cell if need be."
Mike laughed, partly at the statement, partly at Andi and Hector being interrupted once again. "You coming, Garrett?"
"No." Swanson answered before Hector had a chance. He looked at Hector, then at Mike. Why delay the inevitable
after all?
Mike held up his hands. "Don't ask me. I'm not about to tell him one way or the other."
Andi smiled up at Hector. Touched his cheek gently with her fingers. Leaned up to kiss him again. "Soon. I'll see you
soon." She promised. Then she stepped away from him and pulled herself easily into the jeep. Mike gave Hector a
shake of his head and a crooked grin as he climbed in the driver's side.
"She gets evil when you're not around for too long. We'll be back."