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Ok, ok, please don't kill me! I know it has been the longest time. It was a shock for me to realize that I had not updated this story for a YEAR now. I am so sorry! I have been a very bad author. (slaps hand repeatedly). I truly have no excuse for it aside from the fact that even though I know what will happen in the story and I have several scenes in mind I am having trouble stringing them together. I am afraid they might end up looking more like a patchwork quilt, each depicting different scenes, more than an elegant blanket. (really horrible metaphor but that is truly how I feel). If you guys do not mind the patchwork effect I might attempt to go for that instead of banging my head against the wall ineffectively trying to get something coherent out of my crazy brain.
Aside from that you might be temped to kill me when you notice the length of the chapter…After a whole year I came up with this? You might ask. Traditionally all my even numbered chapters are shorter, so far be it for me to break that tradition!
I also have to give a warning for this chapter, so do not complain about it please… it is so sweet it was giving me cavities as I was writing it, it is that full of fluff. Also it is mostly about the younger couple (I thought I was neglecting them a bit) and the older couple's vacation is NOT GOING TO BE SHOWN.
Last thing and I will let you guys read in peace. I reposted both chapters 1 & 2. I thought they felt a bit dry so I decided to add a bit more detail on it. I do not know if I will repost the others any time soon. I think there is more priority in updating this story and The Battle for Earth (which I already started writing chapter 4 as it is also long overdue) much more than updating existing chapters.
Many thanks for dwparsnip for his great input and for screaming at me for even daring to upload without him looking at it first. You are the greatest!
Now without much further ado…
Rick gave a little smile and decided to take this opportunity to study Lisa unobserved. He turned on his side and propped his head with his hand. She had her long hair in a braid which bounced around while she moved and was still wearing her nightgown. Rick's smile stretched when he saw it. Of all the pieces of clothing that Lisa Hunter owned, trust Lisa to find the most concealing one. The nightgown's voluminous folds covered her from her neck and just afforded a little tantalizing peek of her toes. Looking closely he noticed the white pajamas had a bit of lace in the cuffs and in the tightly buttoned collar. Once he would have grimaced and declared it too uptight, as uptight as he thought the woman wearing it was. But now he had to admit that she looked perfectly adorable in it. He had to confess he would never have thought that prim and proper could be sexy but with Lisa anything was possible.
It also helped that the white cloth was rendered translucent when hit by the light. Rick smirked a little and wondered if his prim and proper friend knew of that fact. Unconcerned with his newly found voyeuristic tendencies, Rick's eyes wandered over the lithe form that was outlined by the table lamp. He was again reminded of the great body that Lisa Hayes had. Groaning at the direction his thoughts were taking him, he decided to turn away from the temptation that was in front of him. He sobered up at the thought. He would never have believed that he would have ever considered Lisa Hayes as sexy. Courageous, strong, capable… all those things seemed synonymous with the Commander but sexy… never! And yet it had taken this "trip" in time to make him realize that although those things were still part of Lisa Hayes, they were only a few aspects, that of the career woman. In this future he had come to meet Lisa Hayes the woman, a warm, caring person that not only was beautiful on the outside, she was also beautiful on the inside. And yes, as he was painfully reminded, she was also very sexy.
"You need to be quiet Roy. You don't want to wake up Rick now do you?" Came the husky whisper of his tormentor. It also sounded closer. Curious, he sat up and faced the direction where the giggles were coming from this time.
Startled green eyes looked up at him when he whispered 'Good morning'. He had no idea why they were all whispering but he sort of liked the sense of conspiracy. He was rewarded by his efforts with a warm smile that brought out the almond shape of Lisa's eyes.
"Morning" Lisa whispered back.
"Why are we whispering?" Rick asked and Roy tried to smother more giggles with his tiny little hands.
"Roy is going to wake up mommy and daddy." Lisa said, indicating the half open door that led to the master bedroom. "After all we don't want them to be late on their journey now do we?" Roy gave a forceful shake of his head as his eyes stayed riveted on Lisa.
"You sure it'll be okay?"
"Yep, they told me to make sure they didn't oversleep. In fact that is why they left the door cracked open like that." She explained. "Ok Roy go in now." She urged the blue eyed imp. The boy did not waste a minute as he stealthily tiptoed inside.
"I think he's had practice, don't you think?" Lisa asked.
Rick just shook his head, realizing that he had actually been mesmerized looking at her. "You are an evil woman, you know that Lisa Hayes?" He asked as her green eyes sparkled with mischief.
A very undignified high pitched squeal was heard from the direction of the bedroom. Rick had a strong suspicion that it had been his older counterpart to make the noise.
"Roy!" His mother said even though she was apparently battling her laughter.
"Yeah, laugh it up. It wasn't your feet he tickled." Rick Hunter mumbled indignantly.
The prim little angel had apparently heard that tidbit of information and was raising an eyebrow to the groaning young man on the sofa. Her expression was definitely not saintly but had quite a devilish cast to it. Rick knew she would store that information for the future.
"Lizzie tole me wake you up." Came the piping voice of Roy Hunter.
"Really…" drawled the sleep roughed voice of Lisa Hunter. "I need to remember to pay her back the favor."
Lisa groaned at this causing Rick to chuckle.
"A ha! I think your partners in crime are still outside. Let's go see them." Rick Hunter announced and a high pitched squeal (this one distinctly baby-like) was heard. A few seconds after a very mussed up Rick Hunter appeared in the doorway carrying Roy like a sack of potatoes under his arm. He squinted bleary eyed at them. A few seconds later his wife appeared next to him, her eyes heavy lidded with sleep and her mouth twisted in an amused smile.
"You did ask me to make sure you woke up on time." Lisa said all innocent in her prim little virginal gown. She even gave a couple of innocent blinks for effect.
Hunter groaned at the display and with a rueful grin turned to his wife and said, "Did you start training her already?"
His wife gave a couple of innocent blinks herself and responded, "I have no idea what you are talking about." Her husband responded with a growl and she continued. "Maybe she's just seen you with Roy and knows how much of a sucker you can be."
"Why you…" he made as to lunge but she twirled away and went inside the room again. Rick sighed and looked at the hysterical pair in front of him. With a mock frown he told the young woman. "Talking about payback… let's see who gets stuck with no breakfast."
Lisa gave a shocked gasp. "You'll let me starve."
"That would work," the young fighter pilot interrupted. "IF you were the one cooking breakfast old man but today is my turn." Rick smirked at his older counterpart who just sighed dramatically.
"You won't let me starve?" Lisa said with a hopeful tone of voice and a pathetically hopeful expression in her face.
"Maybe." The young man said in a mysterious tone.
Lisa made her fingers look like claws and warned "I know your weakness." She pretended to lunge towards his feet. Rick just squealed and pulled his feet under him causing Lisa and the admiral to laugh hysterically.
"I think I'll reconsider that." Rick said with a glower and Lisa pouted. Admiral Hunter was very happy looking at them. They acted just as silly as his wife and he did when they had started going out. At least after Lisa had let down all her defenses and had allowed herself to play.
"Well, I'm going to get ready… After all we didn't want to be late." He added with a glower at Lisa's direction. "By the way I wonder what happened to the alarm…" As if on cue, their alarm went off as normal. It was then when Hunter realized Lisa had woken them up earlier than what they had planned.
"You evil…" He was going after her when she also squealed and ran to Roy's room and shut the door behind her.
With a shake of his head and a smile on his face Rick Hunter went to join his wife in the bathroom to get ready for their trip.
"So…" Rick drew out, his hand massaging his neck in an awkward gesture while Lisa placed her hands one on top of each other in shyness. They both gave each other nervous glances. It was the first time since they had come into that time zone that they had been completely alone. Added to that was the tension they had been feeling over the past few days. Now that they were alone they didn't know what to do with themselves… or each other.
Both of them had been avoiding looking at each other but as soon as their eyes met they started laughing and the awkwardness melted, leaving them both at ease. The easy camaraderie that had existed between them since their capture in Breetai's ship settled over them again.
"So," Lisa said, echoing his earlier opening, "what do we do now?"
Rick twisted his mouth in an exaggerated expression of thinking that caused Lisa to laugh softly. "We could watch some TV and then play it by ear…" he trailed off with a shrug. He was trying to play it casual, hoping he would not give away the fact that her low husky laugh had affected him in any way.
He guessed he might not have done that good of a job because Lisa stayed silent for a couple of seconds as she looked deeply into his eyes. Then a smile stretched across her face and she replied, "That's a great idea."
Rick crooked his elbow and offered it to Lisa who linked her arm thru his with a smile on her face.
In the time they'd been living together they'd talked but it had not been till that day when they could actually have the time to have an actual serious conversation. They commented on everything and anything they could think of. They had been very pleased, after all the fights of their original relationship, to realize that even though they sometimes held similar ideas they could also get thru many of their differences of opinions.
Lisa was surprised to note that even if Rick did not possess knowledge as diverse as hers, he would listen intently as she exposed her ideas and would make remarks based on her information. She was very happy for it since she knew many men had been intimidated by the capacity of her knowledge. Rick took it all in stride and instead of letting her preach as many others would have done, he actively took part in the discussion, analyzing her point and giving his opinion on it. She was pleased by the insight of how well they complemented each other. She knew a lot of facts and theories while most of Rick's knowledge came from being so street smart. His practical, earthy theories complemented well her abstract theoretical ones well.
Lisa was also impressed with Rick's conversation. It's not that she's thought he was uneducated or dumb but she never expected to find herself stimulated by a conversation with the young pilot. She recognized the potential in the young man and could easily see him in a position of authority. Her appreciation for Rick increased tenfold.
Rick lay back spreading his arms over the back of the couch, as he looked at Lisa. Gods he knew she was intelligent but it was really surprising to see how passionate she could get about the subjects they talked about. He also liked the fact that as much as she knew, she never made him feel inferior, in fact she made sure she explained everything before asking for his opinion. She listened to his side carefully before replying, agreeing with him or hotly debating his point.
Unbidden images of his conversation with Minmay came to his mind. She always talked, never letting him say anything and whenever he did he had the suspicion that she barely heard him. Minmay seemed to have a special filter that sifted thru his words and only allowed the opinions that reflected her own to filter thru. Anything else was promptly bounced off and she would continue on her own little world.
He had to admit that he'd not had anybody truly value his opinion in such a long time. It's not that he didn't have friends to talk to… but it was different with them. With Lisa there was this sense of being… recognized. For the first time in a long time he felt truly happy.
"And even with my head cracked open managed to fly loops around the other guy." Rick was regaling Lisa with one of his flying circus tales. "I earned 1st place but I also got quite an earful from both Pop and Roy." –he recalled fondly.
"You love to fly don't you?" Lisa asked, strangely subdued. Rick's smile dimmed in wattage. He cocked his head to the side, trying to determine where the conversation was leading. It was obvious even to him that Lisa was thinking of something.
"Yeah, flying was and still is my 1st love." He said, oddly solemn.
Lisa's eyes lowered for a second, veiling her feelings from him. At this point Rick had learned how to read her little cues so he was instantly alert.
"Hey, what happened?" he asked her gently.
"You must be miserable now that you cannot fly." She said softly.
Rick narrowed his eyes and studied her slightly averted face. He knew there was a double meaning there somewhere.
"Do you mean me or the Admiral?" he asked strangely perceptive. He figured he had nailed it when her eyes jumped to his face in surprise.
"I have to admit a part of me feels dead when I don't fly. It's more than a whim for me, it's a need. It calms and grounds me. Even when I am flying for a mission the simple act of it helps to put everything into perspective, to find my center." Rick admitted passionately. He then blushed deeply when he realized what he had revealed. He had told no one of this. He felt naked and open. None of the conversations they'd had had prepared him for this exposure. For a second he froze, scared of the feeling.
Lisa it seemed, understood him too well. Her eyes took that tender expression that softened her gaze and she patted his hand in understanding.
"I think we need something to drink." She told the confused young man. "I'll go and make us some iced tea." She said as she got up and moved to the kitchen.
Rick looked after her, profoundly grateful that she had given him some time to understand his feelings. He had never felt so comfortable in his whole life, not to the point of opening up like that. Everybody knew the happy Rick, the one that jokes around and doesn't seem to have a care in the world. Roy is the one that at least has seen him at his moodiest but instead of trying to talk to him, he always talks him out of his moods. Never since his mom had passed had there been anybody that truly listened to him, not to cheer him up and make him forget but to actually try to help him overcome what he was going thru. At least not until Lisa. He now looked back at all the times she had been there for him, even before they had come to this bizarre future, and he could see clearly how she was there for him whenever he needed it most. Not to cheer him up but to give him the support he needed.
A feeling of rightness settled in his soul and he smiled as everything fell into place. He couldn't say for sure that he was in love with Lisa, there was still too much for him to discover and too much to make sense of. There were so many things that he thought love would be and now he understood that maybe he had been wrong. It was a lot to take and he needed time to reevaluate but what he did know is that he cared deeply for Lisa and that he was probably falling in love with her, the real kind of love. The smile that had been shadowing his lips widened as he listened to the sounds of domesticity coming from the kitchen and he was further comforted by them.
When Lisa came back, she approached him with caution. She truly did not know what to expect. She had sensed that whatever Rick had revealed had meant much more to him than just a mere conversation. At the beginning she had been awed at the excitement and passion she had seen in him. She had always known Rick was a person that never did anything half measure. When he became your friend, he was the most loyal and devoted friend, when he loved, or thought he loved, he gave all of himself too. That was one of the qualities that had attracted her to him. She identified with him in that. Even though she did not like to show it too much, she was just as passionate and devoted to everything she did too, it didn't matter if it was a belief or a lover and seeing that quality in Rick only made her realize how compatible they were.
At the same time she realized she had experienced many things that Rick had not. She had loved and lost. And that lost love had taught her heartache and what it meant to love somebody so deeply that she had been wounded when he was gone. She knew Rick had not gone thru that. He was too young, still experimenting with life and she had understood that she needed to be more patient with him in that aspect. It was why she had decided to leave him alone when she had understood how overwhelmed Rick had become before. It was because she had already experienced that before when she was just his CO and meant nothing to him other than that. It was because she had not had that luxury whenever she had been comforting him and she had realized how important he had become to her. For all that, she had decided to leave him to his thoughts.
She almost dropped the glasses she was carrying when she saw that brilliant smile he flashed her way. She stopped, looking at him. Rick just looked back and his smile dimmed a bit with concern when she did not make any move to approach him. It did not take long for her to react however and as she approached the little coffee table, she returned his smile. Rick pretended he had not seen her little moment of hesitation and helped her as she gently placed the tea platter she had prepared in front of him. He served her some tea as she turned to sit next to him and with an unspoken agreement they settled back to talk about non consequential things as they both accepted the changes in their relationship.
"I knew you would like the triple chocolate cake." He winked at her with a satisfied look.
"When did you make that?" She asked curiously.
"Yesterday."
"And it survived intact?"
"Heck no! That is why I just gave you the piece. SOMEBODY attacked half of it, even if I made it at night."
"Rick got the munchies, huh?" She said knowingly.
"Dear lord I had not realized how much of a sweet tooth I had until I actually saw his eating habits! Well no more. I am going to ask you to hit my wrist with a ruler if you ever see me reaching for another brownie again." He exclaimed and Lisa snorted in laugher.
"Like that will stop you."
"Hey I have to think of the future. I have no idea how he can eat so much and still not roll around but I wouldn't want you to be looking at other young pilots because I have a belly." He said in a teasing tone.
Lisa sucked in her breath at his words. She knew he was joking around and if she thought about it rationally it made sense that he would allude to a future together since they had actually seen that it would happen, but it still surprised her to hear him say it. It just opened up too many hidden emotions that she had closeted away.
Rick, in a strangely perceptive moment, realized what had happened. He looked into Lisa's wide green eyes and all the emotions he had grown to feel for her overflowed him. His face grew solemn as he grabbed the pale hands that had fluttered to her lap like wounded doves. Lisa's eyes grew more luminous as he approached her and her heart started pounding in anticipation of the promise in Rick's eyes.
When Rick finally bent his head to softly touch his lips to hers, Lisa let out a sigh that came straight from her soul. Even though it was not the first time they had kissed, this caress felt much more like a magical first kiss than any of the others had been. Maybe because of the implicit promise that was in it, maybe it was because of all that they had gone thru during the day or maybe it was because at this point they both understood how deeply their feelings for each other were. For whatever reason the kiss felt magnificent to them.
In no time though, the kiss turned daring, more passionate and their bodies shifted closer. Hands became bolder as firm lips kissed a trail down a delicate soft neck. Sooty black lashes fell over emerald depths as she tilted her head back to allow him better access. Sighs escaped soft full lips as those hands found the hem of the skirt that lay across toned thighs and played with the sensitive skin there.
Buttons became undone revealing a hard, toned chest and delicate pale hands wasted no time in running over it, the small painted nails playing wickedly with his skin. Lips and hands traveled across more and more skin as it was revealed. Every bit of skin was worshipped as it was uncovered. Finally green eyes met blue as she answered his unspoken question as he moved in to claim what she so sweetly offered. Much later, as their bodies settled in sleep, entwined to the point that they seemed to be only one, they both smiled softly as they felt complete for the first time in the longest time.
