New Orders (closed for the_gladiator)

wideeyedone

Baby did a bad, bad thing
Joined
Jan 5, 2007
Posts
7,070
Darby Harper had her new orders in hand, she was riding a transport to the outpost on Luna 9. Her father was lifetime military, and so were her brothers. It had been her plan for her life too. But her plans had been disrupted. When she was wounded during a medical rescue mission, she was shocked to discover that she was pregnant. Per Allied Fleet regulations, she had been immediately sent home from the front and sent home. She wasn't allowed to say goodbye to anyone or explain. She was put on a medi-transport before she even healed from her battle wound. Her family was furious, especially when she wouldn't name the baby's father.

She had spent the last few months on Earth. She had given birth to her son, and gotten him settled in with her mother. However, the medical corp of the Allied Fleet was short handed and there were no extensions to be had. Now, she was dressed in her blue medical uniform. Her long dark hair was braided in a rope that hung to her shoulder blades. She felt at home in her uniform, but part of her heart was back at home with her son. And part of her heart was still tangled up with feelings about her baby's father.

She did her best to sleep on the journey. Her dreams were filled with twisted metal and fire and blood. She was back at the front, trying to heal, trying to keep her comrades alive. And then those dreams melted and she was there with him. She was in his arms, with his mouth against her throat, and his hands in her hair. She awakened with a start when the transport landed. She worried that her face was flushed or she might have made some sound in her sleep, but she looked around and no one seemed to have noticed her.

Then she gathered her satchel and followed the others down the ramp into the hanger. She was greeted by the chief medical officer, Colonel Martz.

"Captain Harper, we are glad to have you. We have been short a doctor for almost a month. Let me show you to your billet."

He took her down the cold, steel colored hall. The windows looked out on a cold, lifeless grey landscape. Luna 9 was not going to be a plush assignment. Everything about the base seemed utilitarian, even more so after her time back on Earth.

"This is your room. Your hand print is your key. You already have access to the main doors and the hospital. Your first shift will be tomorrow morning. Meals are in the mess." He droned on about some other specifics. She stowed her bag. Then he took her to the infirmary.

She did her best to take in her surroundings, but she missed her son, and she was a bit overwhelmed. She took in a deep breath and did her best to focus. Darby checked out the medical equipment. The infirmary was well appointed and the pharmacy seemed well stocked. She thanked the Colonel for the tour and promised to be on shift at precisely 6 a.m.

She left the infirmary and headed back to her room. She wanted to see if her mother had messaged her any pictures of her darling boy. But then it felt as if her heart had stopped. He was training new recruits. It was him.
 
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“And I won’t have any of your lone ranger bullshit on my base, is that clear?” Spittle flew from his lips as Vice admiral Rudolph Harper punctuated each of his words with his finger in the face of the younger officer. A finger that Commander Jake MacDaniel “Mac” wanted to reach up and snap, if it were anyone else he probably would have done so, but this was a superior officer. Mac shrugged.

“If I recall, it was my “lone ranger bull shit” that made me famous in the fleet.” He could barely keep most of the acerbic tone out of his voice.

The admiral’s face almost turned purple at the insolence of this man. “I don’t care who you think you are, or where you think you come from, when you receive an order, on my station you say “yes Sir,” is that clear MacDaniel?”

“Crystal fucking clear… sir.” Mac responded, and fortunate for him, it sounded at least slightly less mocking this time, profanity aside.

“You’re training my recruits because you’re the best at what you do, but you won’t see another command assignment with real troops again.”

“That’s fine, sir. That’s not my greatest strength anyway.”

“And certainly no undercover missions, the fleet does not trust you.” There it was, spelled out. Mac had suspected just this fact, but no one had come right out and said so, he had just been reassigned from his deep cover role with intelligence and infiltration to what amounted to a school teacher on a backwater moon that no one gave a shit about. Contrary to popular belief, Mac and his compatriots had not gone native or rogue in their assignment, they were just very good at their jobs, but it was clear that someone up the chain of command did not believe that and thus the reassignment.

“And I suppose you won’t want me to teach any of the recruits my bad habits either?” back was the insolence. The vice admiral just glared.

“One more thing MacDaniel, you’re the resident trainer period, recertification, making sure the teams are in shape, it’s all on you.” Was the man serious, not only was he supposed to be the babysitter for new recruits, but he was the personal training nag who had to hound people to stay in shape? He just nodded, threw a sloppy salute, one which the admiral did not bother to return, and walked off promising that he would get a “proper fucking uniform,” Harper’s words, as he left.



Two months later Mac was leading a class through sword practice, outdated weapons to be sure but it was good exercise that taught balance, and a lot about body movements. His course was in the main concourse as there were too many students to fit in one of the gyms. Apparently Mac’s popularity was growing. It was only an hour into the 2 hour class when he felt eyes on him. He turned and his eyes widened. He honestly couldn’t remember her name, but he’d never forget that face. Best damn lay he’d ever had. He couldn’t see them now, but he could remember those eyes looking up at him as she did the most wonderful things to him with her mouth, what was she doing here? He had known she had been with the fleet, Medical if he recalled. Just then he tried to lose himself among his students, realizing probably too late that he knew that about her, but she did not know he was with the fleet, well until now that is. She knew him as Jake Danielson, the less than reputable smuggler which had been Mac’s identity for over 2 years as part of his mission, a flirtatious playboy who had won the bed if probably not the heart of a young fleet doctor for 2 months almost a year ago now.

He could still see the fire and flames as he pulled her out of that hell hole when the mission went to shit and she was injured. He had rescued her, but it was because of him that she was there in the first place. Dumping him if he recalled. That was right; she had caught him with Annabel, his actual girlfriend. Ok, she had been his actual girlfriend as well, but Darby had been Jake’s girlfriend while Annabel had been Mac’s girlfriend. It was all very confusing and Mac could not explain it all to her without blowing his cover, so he had allowed Darby to dump “Jake” and just moment’s later things had gone to hell. However he couldn’t remember her name, she had been part of a role he had adopted, a role he had since discarded.

All this and more flashed through Mac’s mind in several heartbeats and now he wondered what the hell he was supposed to do now? It wasn’t like he could just avoid her, he was the physical trainer, she would have to come visit him eventually. Mac had a bad feeling about this.
 
Darby couldn't believe her luck. First, she was sent to this outpost where she would mostly be treating colds, minor injuries and black eyes from scuffles among the recruits, she was stationed under her father which was another level of hell unto itself and now Jake was here.

How was that possible? He wasn't fleet. He had been some sort of trader, she had met him off post and their relationship had been mostly physical, but he had made her feel so feminine and world's away from her life in the Fleet. It had literally taken her breath away when she saw him with that other woman. She had told him to go to hell. And then just a few moments later, therewas an explosion. She had never been briefed on the details. She was told it was classified. But someone had pulled her from the wreckage. Her arm was broken, she had some debris lodged in her shoulder. And she had had a concussion. She had been in the infirmary when she was informed about her pregnancy. She was stunned.

And now he was here. He was fleet? And he was here, under her father's command. If he ever found out, he would go ballistic. Her mind was racing. She was desperate to get back to her billet and close the door, and wish all of this away. But her father was in the corridor.

"Captain Harper, I am glad to see you are getting acquainted with the place." Her father's voice boomed in the confined space. Her father loomed over her, and he was very comfortable using his size and rank to intimidate others.

"Yes, Sir." Darby responded with a firm but deferent voice. "The medical CO briefed me. I will be on shift in the morning." Her father gave her a steely glare.

"How is the arm and shoulder? Are you fully recovered?" She felt tears pin prick the backs of her eyes. She blinked hard to fight them.

"My arm is recovered, Sir. I am still building back my strength." Darby could feel eyes on her as the young recruits were paying attention to their Vice Admiral. Her father took a few steps away and his voice boomed over the crowd.

"MacDaniel! MacDaniel! Our new medical officer has been on medical leave and I need to see if she is back to full strength. I need a sparring partner for her."

Darby felt her cheeks flush with anger and humiliation. Her father would never take her word for anything, and he hadn't even asked about his grandson. He was furious with her and now he was going to punish her, as if her new orders hadn't been punishment enough.

She saw Jake acknowledge her father's request. She sighed, there was no getting out of it, she just needed to keep herself together.
 
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Harper was it? Captain harper. He hoped to everything holy that that irritating prick of a Vice admiral hadn’t spawned, he couldn’t imagine him with family. His day couldn’t get worse, could it? Fate must have heard him because not long after the admiral requested a sparring partner for Captain Harper—he still didn’t know her name. Jake gestured to one of the recruits. However the admiral was having none of that. “She was rated as a master fencer back on earth, when she was young, assuming she has properly kept up with her training, she will not be properly tested by any of these recruits.” He said with an imperious gesture of dismissal.

Mac cleared his throat, “I was not aware sir, the only one that might be able to offer her the challenge you are requesting is myself.”

“Excellent, then what are you waiting for, an invitation?” Harper barked. The recruits jumped, quickly forming a circle. Sighing, Jake stepped to the center of the ring, his blunted saber in hand. He finally let his green eyes flick up to meet those of Darby for the first time since this all started—she having descended to the level him and his men stood on. “Do you prefer saber or rapier?” he asked her finally gesturing at two of his recruits, both offering their blades hilt first, allowing her to pick her preference. Mac himself favored the saber, favored the cut and slash style over the thrust heavy style of the rapier, although was trained in both. Jake could see in her eyes that she did not want to be doing this, but was it because of the Admiral, because of him, or perhaps most likely, both?
 
Darby choose the saber, she hoped that it would be easier on her shoulder. She knew there were more chances to score points with the saber since you can score with the side of the blade as well as the tip.

She held the saber in her hand, adjusting to its weight. She hadn't trained with a sword since before her injury. Her father was determined to humiliate her. She settled into a sparring stance.

"So, MacDaniel is it?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "I am a little rusty, but I hope to give you a run for your money."

As soon as he was settled into his stance, she went on the attack. The saber felt comfortable in her hand, she was able to let everything else go and focus on the blade and her target. He matched her blow for blow and his arm strength made her blade rattle all the way up her arm.

His blade caught her shoulder and she cried out sharply. Her blade clattered to the ground. Her eyes were wet with tears but she was determined not to cry. Her shoulder was still tender and she saw the anger on her father's face.

"MacDaniel, Darby isn't as in shape as I would have hoped. She is your assignment now. By the end of the month, I want her ready to test at master levels again." Darby let go of her shoulder long enough to shake MacDaniel's hand.

"I am sorry." She whispered.

"Captain Harper, I think you need to stay and work out with the recruits. It would be a shame for you to not pass your first fitness exam. Stop by my office when you are finished, Captain Harper." His voice was cold and level and Darby's cheeks were flushed a deep pink.

"Yes, Sir." She answered but she was already speaking to his back as he stormed down the concourse.
 
She was quick; he had to admit—that speed making up for the evident weakness of her thrusts. Mac had seen what that arm looked like after the explosion, that she even had full range of motion still was a miracle and the admiral had just callously acted like that was not good enough. Mac felt a slight twinge of pity for her, but then the rapidness of her blows distracted him from that as he met her stroke for stroke, his free hand serving for balance, in a real fight he may have used it to try to grapple her as well.

It was only a few moments later when his blade slid up along the outside of hers and impacted her shoulder. It hadn’t totally been a purposeful strike, however proved affective as she soon let go of her weapon, hand unconsciously going to cover where he’d struck her. Lowering his saber tip to the ground, he listened to Harper’s words and could only nod. Fate, that cruel bitch was determined to make him miserable. Karma had come calling that was for sure.

“Well fought.” He said after shaking her hand. Her hand was as he remembered it, delicate yet strong, such a contrast he loved about her. Soft, yet with callouses in the places to prove that a sword had been in her hands before. He dropped her hand after only holding it a few beats longer than was probably proper. “You’re welcome to work out with us, but let’s be honest, we both know if you ever tested at master level, you could teach this group, so let’s not pretend otherwise, just work out because that’s what he ordered but I’m not even going to pretend to teach you anything.” Frankly he probably could use the help in teaching the course, as there were far too many recruits to truly teach well for just one person, but he’d be damned before he asked for her help, invited anymore contact between them. What did he say to her, since he didn’t know he acted like they’d just met, staunchly ignoring their history together save for little slips, such as when he held her hand too long, a flash in his eyes, and when he’d hit her shoulder. It was a move he’d pulled on her before, a move made possible because he was left handed to her right and that enabled him, with his longer arms to reach around her arm to tag that shoulder if she did not block his blade just right.

Mac turned away from her to snap orders to the recruits, “Shape up, there’s nothing else to see here, back to practice.”
 
Darby watched him go back to work on his recruits. She returned her borrowed saber and then took another one from the rack at the side of the room. She unbuttoned her uniform blouse and shucked it off. She was wearing a tank top underneath in the same blue as her medical uniform.

She found a group of female recruits training together. She asked if she could join them. After a few minutes, she felt comfortable giving them some tips.

"You are going to spar against people that will feel twice your size. You use your small size against them. Get in tight. Be quick." She noticed a few of the young women eyeing the burn and puncture scars on her shoulder. Darby knew it would be best to just explain, she often told patients that had severe injuries that people stare because they wonder.

"Fleet isn't always safe. I let my guard down, and I was somewhere I shouldn't have been. I got caught in an explosion." The other young women made sympathetic sounds. Darby thanked them and moved on to another group. This time she joined the group of alphas. They weren't hard to spot. They were trying to catch MacDaniel's eye and they were expending too much energy.

She asked the biggest fellow to face off. She was prepared now, no longer unsettled by seeing Jake, not flustered by her father. It was just her and the saber. Her opponent was already tired, but he was determined to beat Darby since MacDaniel had beaten her. He jabbed and swashed with too much energy. She lightly tapped her blade against his torso. She ducked under his arm and tapped his back. His muttered curse made her smile. He slashed his blade with great force, but missed her. He stumbled and cursed again. Darby finished the match. She shook the fellow's hand but she could tell he was greatly annoyed and being beaten by a woman, especially a little one.

She was smiling when she returned her saber to the rack. She looked over to MacDaniel. He was correcting a recruit with little skill.

Darby decided to head back to her room to shower. She went back to her billet and unbraided her hair. She was glad to stand under the pounding hot water. She brushed out her hair and slipped into a clean uniform. She knew she had to go see her father, but she was dreading. Dad then dinner, she told herself.

She used the signage to find Vice Admiral Harper's office. He had his glasses on and was working on his computer. She stood in the doorway and knocked. He looked up and waved her in, but he didn't stop working for a few moments.

"Darby, you know there will be no favoritism for you on this post. You know that." His voice was stern, but Darby was used to that. "Your older brothers both served under me at different points, and they will both tell you I was harder on them than any other officer."

It took all of Darby's will not to roll her eyes. Her father had never shown his children favoritism, or given them the benefit of the doubt. She didn't expect it from him.

"Yes, Sir." She offered formally. He nodded his approval and then dismissed her. She left his office and made her way to the mess. She went through the line with her tray and found an empty table. She was glad to have a little quiet with her mediocre dinner.
 
Mac watched her out of the corner of his eye. He tried not to, but honestly he found his eyes drawn her way. Was he that desperate? That lonely? Had she been that good a lay? Perhaps—it was more than that, perhaps it was like watching a shuttle crash, you knew it was coming and just could not look away.

She started out with a group of young female recruits. She seemed to fit in well fairly easily, and after witnessing her fight with Mac they seemed to look up to her. Things however were much different for her when she ended up with the alpha male group. If this were a high school back on earth, these would be the jocks. He almost laughed as she promptly singled out and humiliated the biggest of them. He wondered if that was the smartest move. She was no recruit, but she was a newcomer, she had just opened herself up to some hazing and probably made an enemy. He hoped the big guy, Garret was his name, would learn from what she’d shown him. Alas, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t.

He took a shower after the practice split up. Silently he cursed the vice admiral. He wanted him to tutor his ex? Well, Jake’s ex. He rubbed his head back to the confusion that was deep cover work. He didn’t want to answer her questions; he knew she would have them. He would prefer to avoid her, but nothing was ever easy so Mac would deal.

Arriving at the mess Mac took a seat at the head of the table in the middle of the room, and it wasn’t long before he was surrounded by admirers and friends alike. It was one of Mac’s gifts. He made friends easily. Granted, he tended to make just as many enemies, but it came with the territory. He was listening to a young woman tell him a story, when his eyes caught sight of Darby across the room, and watched Garret approaching her. The very junior officer had balls; he’d give it to him, pretty stupid balls, but balls none the less. He was pretty sure he was coming to either hit on Captain Harper, or make trouble. Mac kept his eyes on the developing situation, all the while continuing to listen to the young woman talk, laughing in all the right places. The blonde had her hand on Mac’s arm and was leaning in close. Jake listened just enough to follow along, but his eyes kept flicking to Captain Harper, and the young Corporal and his compatriots as they swarmed to sit around Darby, in an assuredly predatory manner.
 
Darby was eating her fruit when Garrett slipped into the seat next to her. It took all of Darby's social graces to not just pick up her tray and head to another table. Garret smelled of cologne and sweat. He hadn't washed up after training. He was good looking, solid with a square jaw. Darby looked over at him. She raised her eyebrow.

"Garrett." She offered softly, reading his last name from his uniform shirt. She wanted to get along. She wanted to have friends on the post, but the way he looked at her made her uncomfortable. He eyed her up and down as if he was undressing her with his eyes.

"Harper.... is that like Vice Admiral Harper?" He asked with a sneer. "Your old man didn't seem to happy with you today. He is such a hard ass. All those scars on your shoulder why you were on med leave?" He asked. "Looks pretty intense for a doctor." He offered with a raised eyebrow.

"He is my father and yes, I was in an explosion, off post, at my last assignment. Several people were killed, but somebody pulled me out of the rubble. Some fleet officers called in med rescue." Shelby's cheeks flushed red as she talked about it. She pushed her tray away from herself after losing her appetite.

"You could have beaten me, if you had gone slower, and hadn't been trying to look like such a bad ass." The other men at the table hooted and hollered with laughter. She left the table and then looked over her shoulder. "If you are hurt, stop by the infirmary tomorrow."

Garrett scowled after her. "Bitch." He muttered. He didn't do anything else, but he set his jaw and thought about how he was going to get the uppity captain back.
 
He watched the exchange his eyes flicking over with short glances. He watched Darby stand to leave and watched Garret think about going after her. If he did, Mac would step in, but otherwise he wasn’t getting involved. Then it happened, Garret stood and headed after her.

Mac leaned over and kissed the cheek of the woman who was now petting his arm, “Thank you for the company Myra, but I really should be going.” She pouted at him but finally leaned up to kiss Mac’s cheek in return, doing as just as Darby passed by. Mac excused himself from the others and angled to cut off Garret’s progress, allowing Darby to exit cleanly without being caught by the corporal.

“You’re in a hurry corporal, something wrong?” Mac had on his happy go lucky persona tonight, his face was lit up with his smile, blue eyes sparkling with amusement that only he knew, He only hoped Garret didn’t see the good old boy act fade away. Others had, had seen those warm eyes go to cold ice chips.

Garret looked irritated until he looked up to see commander Macdaniel. “Uh, no sir was just going to ask Captain Harper to look at my wrist, she tagged me in practice, but I can do it in the morning like she asked me.” He smiled trying to smile and not look flustered by being stopped.

“Ah, ok, that makes sense, take care that she doesn’t need to look at your jaw also, lest someone happen to dislocate it, in practice—you know.” Mac said, the jovial flashing away leaving the coldest hardest look he’d ever given the man, but in a flash it was gone, as he added that last bit, as if he had not threatened the junior officer.

“I’ll take care sir. You have a good memory knowing I had hand to hand training tonight.”

“Not a good memory kid, Barns didn’t tell you all, he separated his shoulder recently, so asked me to take over his class, so I saw it on the roster.” He said no hint of his earlier threat. Lieutenant Gerald Barns was Mac’s assistant trainer and was slowly taking on more and more of his beginner classes, this allowing Mac to teach more advanced coursework, the kind of things he enjoyed teaching. Although he much preferred doing. He still emphatically believed those who could do did, and those who could not do, taught.

“Well I guess I’ll see you there, sir.” With that he saluted, somewhat grudgingly. Mac returned the gesture dismissing the junior officer figuring that she had had plenty of time to get safely away, and also hoping she hadn’t noticed his interference, he had this idea that she probably wouldn’t appreciate it. He wasn’t even sure why he did it. Maybe he thought in some twisted way he owed her—well no joke about that he owed her a whole lot, it was because of him she had all those scars. Mac headed back towards his table, he had an idea, he should get Myra to keep an eye on Captain Harper, and after all she had said something about getting a new roommate she hadn’t met yet. Strange that Harper, a captain wouldn’t have gotten her own room, but he had a feeling that There was going to be a lot of unfair things for Darby, serving under Admiral Asshole himself.
 
Shelby went back to her billet and slipped into bed. The day had been taxing and she just didn't want to think about it anymore. Her father. Her son. Jake. All of it. Her heart was tired.

She curled up under the blanket and thought about her son. She tried to remember what it was like to rock him to sleep. She imagined his smell and the feel of his head tucked under her chin. But instead of being a comfort, it just made her sadder. She had to fight off the tears.

It took a long time for her to fall asleep. Her alarm went off at 4:30. She awakened and dressed in her running clothes. She slipped into a pair of shorts and a tank. She tied on her athletic shoes and headed to the gym. She wanted to get a run in before her shift. She hoped running would clear her thoughts and shake off her nerves.

She stretched and then began running. With each strike of her foot, she felt more awake and more confident. Her body was getting back to how it was before the accident and before the birth of her son.

She found a steady pace that was just a little bit of a challenge. There were only a few people in the gym. She didn't want to talk to anyone, she just wanted to run. She saw some recruits running in a group ahead of her. She tucked in her elbows and gave them plenty of space when she passed them. She inwardly groaned when she saw that Garret was among them.

"Damn, did you see her shoulder?" She overheard one of them say. She knew her scars were obvious, but she wasn't willing to hide them anymore. The scars were part of her story and sweating in a t shirt wasn't necessary when she could run in her tank. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and swung back and forth as she ran. She looked up as she made the corner, and saw Jake entering the gym.

She tried not to look as if she noticed him, and was trying so hard to look unaffected that her feet got a little tangled. She didn't fall, but she had to catch herself and she muttered a curse as she righted herself and then picked up the pace.
 
The class went as expected with little to make it stand out. This was a bit surprising considering the interaction he had had with Garret. The next morning he rose early for a morning workout. He found only a small number of individuals in the gym, something he had expected. He headed to the mats to begin stretching. He needed to warm up before he began his workout. So much ran through his mind, most from the night before and the questions and feelings in his mind that seeing Darby had triggered. He knew that he would have to set up a private time for them to work out today, and wasn’t thrilled about that. He also knew he needed a physical, his luck she would be the doctor on duty. How long before she started asking awkward questions? Maybe she would continue to try to avoid him as well.

Sometime later, Mac was cursing his job. He missed being out in the field, missed the excitement the challenge. This was just boring. He was teaching another of Barn’s hand to hand fighting courses. He had managed to avoid Darby until that very moment when he looked up at the sound of laughter. The damn corporal had challenged Darby to spar, thinking that he could beat her unarmed where he could not best her with a sword. “Are you serious?” Mac muttered, “Didn’t she already kick your ass last night?” he questioned as the class soon moved into a circle similar to last night.

“She can poke me with a sword; I don’t think she can take me unarmed.” Mac looked to Darby. She technically didn’t need to accept, but would she, would it look bad if she accepted stooping to his level, or would she be branded a coward for refusing. Strangely enough, Mac almost volunteered to fight in her place, why did he even care?
 
Darby sighed deeply when Garrett challenged her to spar. He was almost twice her size, but what he didn't know was that she had been raised to be in fleet. Her father had had her sparring with her brothers since before she was old enough to go to school. She looked at Jake and smirked.

"I can handle him." She offered with little fanfare. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She got in position and exhaled lightly. She waited for him to lunge for her and she was able to dodge him, but he turned and hooked his fingers into her scarred shoulder blade. She cried out sharply and she heard him chuckling. She took the moment to sweep his legs out from under him.

She scrambled onto his chest and pressed her forearm on his throat.
"Is that enough? Is that enough for you to realize that I am not impressed by you nor am I interested in you?"

She waited to see if he was going to give in. But she expected him to just get more angry. He tried to take a swing at her but she deflected his blow with her elbow and then she landed a knee to his inner thigh, hard. He cried out in pain.

"Satisfied now?" She asked softly. She got off of him, and pushed her way through the circle. She hit the showers and then made her way to the clinic. She was still steaming. She hated that Garrett had called her out. She wanted to have friends. She wanted to fit in. She wanted... What she really wanted was a tumble with Jake. She wanted to forget. She wanted to just feel.

Her first patient was an officer with a nasty stomach virus. She treated him with meds and sent him on his way. Her next patient was a mechanic that had slipped and fallen on an oil spill in one of the hangars.

One of the nurses, told her that there was an officer waiting for a yearly medical check. She washed her hands and headed into the exam room.

"I am Dr. Harper." She said looking down at her clipboard. She looked up to see Jake in her exam room.
 
Mac watched the fight and had to admit she fought well, certainly better than garret. The class was silent as she walked off leaving the class early. “And that folks is why you don’t ever underestimate someone.” Mac said dryly. Unable to hide his smirk. He offered Garret a hand up. The younger officer accepted it and he spat in frustration.

“Stupid show off bitch.” He snarled under his breath. Mac struck without warning, his open handed slap catching the corporal across the face, promptly putting him out on his ass again. The irony of the younger man’s being bitch slapped after calling a fellow officer a bitch was not lost on the crowd who laughed at his fate. Which was exactly what Mac hoped to accomplish. What followed was probably inevitable but still regrettable. Mac ordinarily did not enjoy kicking the ass of one of his pupils, but when Garret came off the ground and took a swing at Mac He had to admit he was more than ready. The fight did not last long.

Sometime later Mac sat in the exam room. He had planned on delaying this as long as possible, but since he had had to hall the corporal here to treat his injuries he realized he couldn’t waste the opportunity, and so here he was.

“I believe we’ve met.” He said sardonically as she introduced herself clearly not having seen him yet. “Garret’s being treated byDoc Johnson.” He couldn’t help the slight smirk, leaving that hanging in the air, would she think she’d injured the corporal in some way. His eyes flicked over her face watching her expressions, wanting to see her reaction but also because he’d always been drawn to her, into those eyes, that mouth—god that mouth.
 
She held her breath. All she could picture was the last time they had been in bed together. His hands tangled in her hair. His mouth was hard on hers, and his teeth grazed her shoulder. She bit her lip trying to get the picture out of her mind.

"I need you to take your shirt off." She offered, hoping that her voice didn't betray her thoughts even though she knew her cheeks were flushed.

She had him sit on the exam table. She listened to his heart and his lungs. She examined the bruises on his ribs.

She saw his familiar scars. She could remember running her hands across them as she rode him, smiling down at him.

"How are you feeling? Any complaints?" She asked softly. "You seem to be in good health. I can sign off on your physical for the year."
 
He lifted an eyebrow at her request for him to remove his shirt. Did she have to make such a request sound so wicked? Maybe it was just his imagination He hadn’t gotten a reaction out of her about Garret being treated by the other doctor; perhaps this would get her attention. That made it that way. “Not much you haven’t seen before, today’s bruises notwithstanding.” He hoped she wouldn’t notice the new scars, the scars he had picked up from that night. He really did not want to discuss that.

Her touch was cool against his heated skin, and felt way better than it ought to. He met her gaze briefly when she asked about any complaints. “Well sometimes I get this swelling.” He said his smirk becoming a wicked grin, now clearly teasing her, unable to hold it back. Things were awkward as hell between them, but that was his personality, he would tell a joke to Satan on the way to hell. “Any suggestions on how to treat it?” he continued the joke, trying to get a reaction out of her, at the least a blush.
 
She nudged his shoulder playfully. She noticed a new, jagged scar on his arm that reached to his back.

"Is this from that night?" She asked softly. Her voice shaking a little. She could smell the fire and almost hear the blast and the screams. Her fingers shook as she touched his arm.

"You pulled me out, didn't you?" She asked softly. "I got sent home right after...." She looked up at him with her big brown eyes, she blinked hard, fighting off her emotions.
 
She only responded to his lewd comments by shoving at his shoulder. Before her searching eyes sought out the long scar, it was from a particularly wicked piece of shrapnel he’d taken when trying to get to her. He also bore burn scares both from the fire and the weapons of the attackers.

Gone was the humorous mood now with her questions. The questions he couldn’t avoid. “Aye I pulled you out, don’t make nothing of it Captain, you’d have done the same for me.” He didn’t speak his feelings that it was his fault she was there in the first place, had be injured because of him. He didn’t speak those things, however they were written across his face, in the guilt in his green eyes as they met her pretty brown orbs. He didn’t answer about the scar; they both knew it was from that night. “I certainly didn’t get the scar teaching this bunch of idiots.” He finally said acerbically, trying to deflect the very real emotions written on both of their faces, as always flippant humor was his tool, his shield.
 
"Is this posting a punishment for you too?" Darby asked softly. She tossed her stethoscope onto the counter and leaned against the exam table. She looked up at him with a wry smile.

"I don't know for sure but I am pretty sure the admiral wanted me to here. Does he know you were there that night?" She wanted to know, no, she needed to know how much her father had put together. He was still fuming that she wouldn't name the baby's father.

"You could have told me you were fleet. I wouldn't have blown your cover."
 
He considered her, "you could say that. The first thing your father said to me was "I won't have any of your Lone Ranger bull shit on my station." He lowered his voice to imitate her fother's gruff tone, doing a better than possible imitation of him.

He studied her, "I didn't dare risk it." His tone was matter of fact not insulting just the truth. "I had been in that role for months, I couldn't risk any mistakes." He could have said something along the lines of he shouldn't have gotten involved with her, but to be honest it had helped his cover. Though he probably wouldn't have met her at all if that rat bastard hadn't shot him, and she hadn't been so willing to treat a stranger. It must be the healer in her. He schooled his thoughts and face putting that from his mind.

He spoke again, "Brass thinks I went native, that's why I'm here, what's your story, why would they punish you?" He was curious, unable to think of any reason she might be punished.
 
Darby sighed deeply. She tried to think of how much she wanted to say.

"My father got word that I was hurt in a dive bar I was frequenting with a smuggler. That was enough to get me in purgatory. Plus, I am the first of the bulletproof Harpers to get wounded."

She picked up her clipboard and signed off on his physical.

"I haven't gotten off to the best start making friends here. The med staff is small and mostly older and male. Plus, word has gotten out that the admiral is my father. I think that was thanks to Garret. I hope you kicked his ass."

She handed him his shirt.

"You are free to go. "
 
He considered her, “So my guess is he doesn’t realize the smuggler was me then, huh? Figure old grouchy pants would hate me even more if he made that particular connection.” He pretended to wipe his brow with relief.

He snorted, “Bastard took a swing at me,” he responded, “So—yes—I kicked his ass. I did provoke him to do it, but who’s splitting hairs.” He didn’t mention that he had done it defending her.

He pulled on his shirt, “Are you sure you don’t need to examine anything else?” he asked with a wink. This was the first meeting between them that he had actually shown her his personality since the accident, he had been fairly formal and reserved with her the evening before. “Guess I should go teach some more lone ranger bull shit to some more recruits, anything to piss your father off just a little more.” He grinned at that last, making it clear that this was what he lived for on this backwater station.
 
Darby couldn't help it. She smiled and laughed. Her real laugh, the one that lit up her face. Yes, he was good looking and sexy as hell, but it was his fun and humor that had made her want more than a one night stand. He made her laugh and he could make the most mundane activity fun.

She bit her lip again, thinking about them laughing together in bed.

"My dad doesn't know. I told him that i would describe sex acts in detail but wouldn't tell him your name."
 
He actually laughed aloud at that one, "You actually said that? I can't even imagine his response." He snorted trying to imagine that, "You really told him you'd describe sex acts to him?" He slapped his knee, "How purple was his face by that point?"

He slowly began to pull on his shirt. "Try getting to know your roommate, I told her to keep an eye on you, she's nice. Fawns over me a little too much for my liking but guess that's just the price you pay when you look like this." He flexed his muscles and adopted a ridiculous pose that might be featured on the poster for some kind of satirical holodrama
 
Darby was smirking.

"Yes, I started to tell him about when you bent me over the cases of beer in the backroom of the bar. He did not handle it well. He punched a hole in his office wall."

She rolled her eyes when he put on his gun show.

"She seems nice enough." Darby offered with a shrug. Having a roommate was a bother. She had to record her messages to send to her son when she was alone and she had to do the same with watching the messages her mother recorded for her.
 
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