THE XO

C Paradee

Chapter 1

"Get that flashlight out of my face, Private!"

Startled, the soldier immediately clicked the flashlight off. Shit. There was no mistaking the crisp, clear tenor of that voice. It was the first sergeant. "I'm Sorry…"

Irritated at the loss of her night vision, First Sergeant Wilson growled, "Turn the flashlight back on, and direct it toward the ground. Then you might be able to see where you're going. I would suggest you double-time over to the Arms Room. At the rate you're moving, the Company will leave without you." The voice was calm and unhurried, but there was no mistaking the serious tone of the message being delivered.

"YES, First SerGEANT." The soldier quickly turned away from the tall woman and began running toward the Armory, still wondering how she could see in the dark without a flashlight.

1SG Karen Wilson covered the ground with feline grace, her movement silent and, seemingly, effortless. At 5'10" her long gait quickly traversed the Company area, vivid blue eyes measuring the progress of soldiers rapidly loading vehicles in the individual sections with practiced ease. Karen was beautiful, with high cheekbones, and a full mouth adding to an appearance that was feminine yet strong. Her long black hair, worn pinned up when in uniform, complimented her golden tan, and longish bangs fell from beneath the helmet on her head. The first sergeant's lean stature gave no indication of a sinewy strength ready to explode into action at the slightest hint of a threat. Her aura was a controlled force, at once sensuous and dangerous, that allowed her presence to be felt, or not.

Snatches of conversation wafted through the air.

"Come on, McKinley, hurry up."

"Okay, already. The damn thing's heavy."

There was a dull thud, and then one of the soldiers began hopping around in the truck. "Shit! Goddamnit! That was my foot, you jerk!"

"Well if you kept it out of way..."

The first sergeant shook her head. Typical alert. Satisfied that Supply and Commo were on schedule to meet the allotted one-hour assembly time, she began walking toward the barracks.

Soldiers that lived off-post and in base housing were arriving in their privately owned vehicles, and headlights flooded the area with halogen radiance. Karen watched them park in the area designated for POV's, exit their cars, and rush down toward the Armory. Everything was going smoothly. Her thoughts turned to the additional goal the Commander had set of beating the line companies to the battalion assembly area. We just might make it.

Walking toward Motor Pool, Karen heard the sounds of vehicles coming to life. The deep rumble of the larger vehicles' diesel engines, overshadowed the quieter sounding four by fours and Hummers. The air was electric with vibration, and Karen could feel the thrumming of the engines through her boots.

Raising her wrist, the senior NCO pressed a small button illuminating the blue indiglo lighting on the face of her watch. Twenty minutes. Not bad. She walked into the open bay and looked around, assessing the readiness status of the section. Karen located Motor Pool's NCOIC, and approached him.

SFC Joshua Herman was the same height as his superior, but he outweighed her by 60 pounds. The burly man's helmet was shoved back on his head exposing a shock of unruly sandy brown hair.

As was her nature, Karen wasted no words. "How close are you?"

Herman looked appreciatively at the first sergeant. The uniform did nothing to hide the natural beauty of the woman standing in front of him. "Another fifteen, twenty minutes. This is turning into a real clusterfuck. I just found out we're still missing the battery in NBC's four by four. I'm gonna kill Branson. The son of a bitch told me all the four by four's were operational. We had to sabotage one of Supply's. I sent him along with the vehicle to help them load since it was our fault their truck wasn't ready." As an afterthought, he added disgustedly, "I swear I'm gonna put some C4 under a few of their asses. Some of them seem to think this is all a big joke."

1SG Wilson's face tightened. Slacking off was one thing she would not tolerate. "Want a little help?" She preferred to let the NCO's handle their sections, but would step in if necessary.

Grinning for the first time that morning, Herman said, "Fire em up, Top." There was no better incentive than a good ass chewing from the first sergeant.

A clear loud voice rang out smoothly over the sound of idling motors. "LISTEN UP. You’ve got 10 minutes and 10 minutes only to get these vehicles on line, or you'll answer to me, and I can assure you that THAT will not be a pleasant experience. NOW MOVE!"

Herman looked around, satisfied. It now looked like a Motor Pool preparing for deployment instead of one preparing for a routine workday. No one wanted to fuck with Top. She was fair, but expected all the troops to perform to the best of their ability, and would not tolerate anything less. He also acknowledged that the first sergeant had the uncanny ability to know just what each soldier was capable of.

"Let me know if you have any other problems." She had no problem lighting fires under soldiers. It was part of her job. Karen didn't ask them to do anything that she wouldn't do herself.

"Will do." Herman watched her long sure stride carry her out of the Motor Pool. He shook his head, grinning. Sometimes I wished I wasn't married. Yep, THAT is one hot woman. Reluctantly turning away, he got back to the task at hand.

The first sergeant walked briskly toward the Armory. It was a square, nondescript red brick building that housed the weapons, ammunition, and protective masks. Firearms mounted on racks, secured in place by a heavy chain, lined the walls of the triple layered steel vault. It was the first stop for every member of the Company during an alert, and the best way to find out who had not reported was to see who had not signed for their weapons.

Hearing familiar footsteps, she moved through the inky darkness to join them. "Captain."

Captain Gary Johnson never heard her approach. He jerked his head to the left, and snapped, "How the hell do you do that?"

Karen smirked, her amusement hidden in the dark. "Do what?"

"Never knew I'd get a goddamn ghost for a first sergeant." Gary was a tall wiry man, overshadowing Karen's own 5'10" stature by a good six inches. A camouflage helmet hid a blonde crew cut, and he sported a short, closely trimmed reddish mustache at odds with his hair color. "How's it going?"

"Not too bad, Sir. Motor Pool was lagging a little, but the other sections are really hustling. "All that practice seems to be paying off."

The Company Commander looked at the tall NCO walking beside him. She was an imposing figure in the Kevlar helmet and full battle dress uniform. Hell, she's imposing without all the extra gear. "Think we'll beat them?"

"It all depends on the off post soldiers, but I think we've got a good shot at it. Looks like we're at about 85% already. I wanna see who hasn't picked up their weapons yet."

Gary grinned easily. "So do I. Great minds think alike. I'll be glad to delegate this part of the job to our new XO." As Headquarters Company Commander, he was responsible for the weapons, and protective gear of all the battalion level officers.

Under previous leadership, Headquarters Company had the dubious distinction of always being the last company to arrive in the Battalion assembly area. It was a standing joke around the battalion that they would be left behind in an actual deployment. In an effort to bury that joke, CPT Johnson and 1SG Wilson had mercilessly drilled the company in preparation for the next alert. Their private goal was to set a new standard for the other companies, and this morning was the acid test.

Entering the Armory, 1SG Wilson walked over to the Armorer, SGT Lloyd and waited for him to sign out weapons to a few stragglers. With her hands on her hips, Karen pinned the delinquent soldiers with her eyes. Raising her voice to drive her point home, she said, "You're just now picking up your weapons? You've got two minutes to report to your sections. NOW MOVE!"

The soldiers wasted no time obeying the order, and all three were in a dead run by the time they cleared the door. Shaking her head, Karen turned back to SGT Lloyd. "How many haven't picked up their weapons yet?"

SGT Lloyd gave new meaning to the word carrot-top. A shock of bright orange hair fell across his forehead when he grabbed the roster. Large, copper freckles dotted his face and arms, highlighted against pale skin slightly darkened by a reddish-toned tan. Running his finger down the rows of names, the Armorer replied, "Three enlisted, and two officers."

"Who?"

"Both Lawrence's, Tilford, CPT Kennerly and LT Jamison."

Karen was not surprised the Lawrence's were late. They had just gotten married, and had been due back by midnight. The newlyweds were good soldiers, and she hoped they did not put her in a position where she had to take action against them for failure to report.

Tilford was another story. The soldier's performance had deteriorated steadily since he had been assigned three months earlier. Tilford seemed to be putting a lot more value on his nightlife than on his military career.

Glancing over at CPT Johnson, Karen raised an eyebrow. The silent message was clear, and he nodded. There was no excuse for an officer to be late. They were supposed to set an example for their enlisted counterparts. Well, he'd be damned if they were going to hold his unit up.

Gary looked at SGT Lloyd. "Lock up the Armory at 0355." That would give the latecomers another ten minutes. He was pushing the envelope though. SGT Lloyd, and the NBC NCO, SGT Dickerson, would have only five minutes to lock up and join the unit before it departed for Battalion at 0400.

"Yes, sir."

The door banged open, and both Lawrence's ran into the room. Simultaneously glaring at them, and suppressing a grin at their disheveled appearance, Karen growled, "It's about time. Now get a move on. You both better be in place by the time I get there. And don't forget to blouse your trousers."

"YES, First SerGEANT!" yelled the two newlyweds simultaneously.

The Lawrences' drew their weapons and protective masks in record time and slammed out of the door, almost bowling over the two late arriving Battalion officers. Gary could not resist throwing a dig at his peers. He sure as hell had gotten enough flak from them about his Company. Approaching them, to prevent his comment from being overheard by the enlisted soldiers, he said in a barely audible voice, "I'm sure the Colonel would not be pleased if we report late because I had to keep the Armory open waiting for some of his officers."

Karen's keen hearing carried the words to her, and she smiled to herself. Glancing at SGT Lloyd, she said, "Lock it up and get on line." Turning toward SGT Dickerson, she added, "You, too." She'd deal with Tilford later.

Gary and Karen left the Armory together. When they reached the convoy, Gary took his place in front while Karen stayed near the rear waiting for Dickerson and Lloyd. Things were looking good. They were right on schedule.

Standing next to his vehicle, Gary waited for Karen to join him. Once she entered the Hummer, he climbed in after her, and ordered the driver, "Move out."

Headlights flared to life, and idling engines were shifted into drive as the long convoy began moving toward the battalion assembly area led by the Commander's Humvee.

****

Karen walked toward the Orderly Room. It was already after 1500. They hadn't been told to stand down until noon, and she had spent a good part of the afternoon in the Armory. The company hadn't drawn their weapons for over a month, so she gave the order to clean them before turning them in. Amused, she remembered the grumbling that had accompanied that order. Weapons that were well cared for were much less likely to malfunction when you needed them. The complaining didn't bother her. She wasn't in a popularity contest, and besides, one thing she had learned in her twelve years in the military was that there was a real problem when soldiers didn't complain.

The first sergeant entered the bright, sparsely furnished office. Four folding chairs sat against one wall, and the only other piece of furniture was a black metal desk. A cork bulletin board hung on the wall opposite two windows, and was covered with a myriad of Army regulations, memorandums, duty rosters, and the training schedule.

SP4 Kenneth Holloman, the Unit Clerk, watched the first sergeant approach his desk. His responsibilities included answering the phone and processing paperwork generated by the Company. The young man smiled, the white of his teeth in sharp contrast with his ebony face. Gold wire rim glasses had long ago replaced the black plastic military issue frames.

Karen nodded at the young man. He was a hard worker, and great asset to the Orderly Room. It was not at all unusual for him to anticipate both her and the Commander's requests ahead of time, and have whatever they needed ready. "Anything I need to know about?"

"SFC Herman and SSG Kingston called." He handed her two telephone messages.

She quickly scanned the slips. "Call Commo and tell Specialist Tilford I want to see him." Karen walked into her office and closed the door.

Holloman picked up the phone, dialed Commo's number, and waited for Tilford to pick up the phone. "Top wants to see you, and she don't look happy."

"Okay. I'm on my way." Sighing, Tilford looked at his NCOIC. "I gotta go see Top." The soldier knew he was in deep trouble. It was the responsibility of everyone who lived off post to provide their whereabouts to the CQ if they couldn't be reached at the number on the alert roster. His wife had finally found him in one of the lesser-known watering holes in Fayetteville.

Karen laid her helmet down, unhooked her pistol belt, and shrugged the suspenders from her shoulders, putting the combat gear in the corner behind her desk. Pulling out the chair, she eased her body down into it, and stretched her legs out under the desk. She was tired, although her public persona never reflected that. Her shoulders ached, and her feet were complaining. The senior NCO had been on the move constantly from the time the alert was called, walking from section to section monitoring the loading and unloading of the vehicles and the cleaning of weapons. Wiggling her toes in the roomy jump boots, before turning her attention back to the matters at hand, Karen had a brief thought about how good it would feel to take them off when she got home.

Leaning back in the chair, Karen pushed Tilford to the back of her mind. She would be dealing with him soon enough. A sardonic grin covered her face when she thought about the shocked look on CSM Grady's face when Headquarters Company arrived in the battalion assembly area second, right after Charlie Company. Of course she hadn't been able to resist a dig, "What's the matter Smadge? Surprised to see us so soon?"

Overall, the company had performed well. There were a few problem areas she had to address. Motor Pool was one of them. SP4 Tilford was another. He was headed straight for an undesirable discharge if he didn't clean up his act. The question was, what to do about him?

Her musing came to an end when she heard a couple of sharp knocks on her door. "Come In."

A soldier walked in and stood in front of her desk at attention. "Specialist Tilford reporting as ordered."

"Why were you late this morning?" Karen asked bluntly, her blue eyes riveted on the soldier.

"I wasn't home when SSG Sexton phoned, Top. I didn't find out until forty-five minutes after the alert was called."

Karen wasn't in the mood for excuses. "Why didn't you provide the CQ with a telephone number?"

SP4 Tilford had no answer to that. Nothing he said would make any difference now. He had been wrong. Top wasn't going to cut him any slack over this, and the soldier knew it.

He stammered, "I know I should have. I just didn't think..."

Karen interrupted him, her voice steely, "You just didn't think? What if this had been an actual deployment?"

Tilford made a last ditch attempt to salvage himself from the first sergeant's wrath. "I did make the convoy."

Karen rose from her chair and leaned over the desk. She deliberately increased the volume of her voice to drive home her next statement. "Without a weapon or your protective mask? What good would you have been?"

Tilford voiced the only acceptable answer he could think of. "No excuse, First Sergeant."

The tall woman settled back into her chair, and watched the silent soldier standing in front of her. His gaze was directed above her eyes, probably on the wall behind her. Tilford's actions just weren't consistent with his past Army record. What would it take to get through to him?

"At ease." Karen waited for him to comply. "Are you having any personal problems?"

Tilford hesitated momentarily, and then glanced away from the blue eyes looking at him. "No, First Sergeant."

Karen hadn't missed the indecision in his eyes before he broke eye contact. Something was going on, but if he wouldn't talk to anyone about it, her hands were tied. "I think there is. You had a perfect record until you were assigned here. You have a lot of potential, and I hate to see you throw it away. If you change your mind, let me know."

Maybe she could help. It was something to think about. Meeting her eyes, he said solemnly, "I will, First Sergeant."

Karen knew by the softening of his expression, and the sincerity of his words that she had reached him on some level. Now it would be up to him to approach her when he was ready.

When she heard a knock on her door, Karen looked up, irritated. She had told Holloman that she was not to be disturbed.

She barked out, "Who is it?"

CPT Johnson walked in and glanced at the soldier standing in front of her desk. "I can come back later."

"No, Sir. No need. We're finished in here. Tilford, you're dismissed. Report back to Commo."

When the soldier left, the company commander smiled. "Good job this morning, Top. Shocked the hell out of the Old Man." Gary enjoyed talking to Karen behind closed doors, where much of the military protocol could be dispensed with.

Karen smiled. "Yeah. You should've seen Smadge's face. Couldn't believe we beat most of his wonderful line companies."

Gary perched on the corner of Karen's desk, his gray eyes gleaming with anticipation. "It won't be so easy next time."

"I know. They're gonna have a hard time living this one down. They'll be ready. So I guess we'll just have to be a little more ready. " Karen grinned, up to the challenge.

Nodding his head, Gary said, "That's the way I see it, too. So what's your recommendation on Tilford?"

"Article 15," Karen said, without hesitation. It was the Army's form of nonjudicial punishment, and would go into his personnel file. It would be up to Gary to determine exactly what punishment would be meted out, but he usually went along with whatever Karen suggested.

Gary nodded. "I figured that would be your recommendation. Okay, start the paperwork. Maybe it'll wake him up."

Karen's blue eyes met the gray ones of her superior. "What time is the new XO supposed to arrive?"

"She called and said she was delayed in St. Louis. I told her to report directly to the BOQ when she arrived, and I would see her at 0900 tomorrow. I had hoped to have a little more time with her before I leave, but I know I'm leaving her in good hands."

Karen rolled her eyes. She had already voiced her opinion of just what she thought about being stuck with a brand new butter bar while the commander was reassigned for a week to attend a branch training course.

Gary looked at her expression, and chuckled. "It's only for a week."

"Why do I have this feeling it is going to be one hell of a long week?"

"I'll give her a laundry list of things to do while I'm gone. That should keep her out of your hair."

Karen sat back, and crossed her arms when Gary left her office. She wasn't looking forward to baby-sitting a butter bar. Like I don't have enough to do. Knowing there was nothing she could do about it, she began going through the papers in her inbox.

Chapter 2

Whitney Gordon's short, lithe form emerged from the airline terminal, her shoulder length golden blond hair highlighted by the sun's bright rays, giving it a slightly reddish cast. The fair woman glanced around for a cab, her sparkling green eyes squinting in the sunlight. A gentle breeze ruffled her bangs, and an open, friendly expression covered her face. She took off her jacket and laid it on one of her suitcases, revealing a light tan made more distinctive by the white short-sleeved blouse she was wearing. The attractive woman smiled when she saw a taxi pull up, and made her way toward it with a quick purposeful walk, hips gently swaying in tandem with her steps.

Whitney gave her luggage to the driver, then got into the cab. She told him her destination was the Bachelor Officer's Quarters on Ft. Bragg. The cabbie nodded. He and his peers knew where everything was on the Army post. It was where they picked up most of their fares.

Sitting in the cab, Whitney's thoughts turned to the last several months of her life. Everything had finally come full circle. There was a time when she wondered if she would ever be able to take advantage of her partial academic scholarship. If a friend hadn't suggested she sign up for ROTC, she might still be working to save enough money for college. Between the allowance they provided and what she had saved, Whitney had finally been able to attend college, three years behind her peers. She now owed Uncle Sam four years of her life.

"New to the area?" the cabbie asked, curious about the attractive young woman dressed casually in beige slacks and a pull over white cotton top.

Whitney's thoughts returned to the present, and she smiled at the friendly driver. She was outgoing by nature, and answered easily. "Yes. This is my first assignment. What’s Fayetteville like?" She was curious about the small town that bordered Ft. Bragg.

"Typical Army town. It wouldn't survive without Ft. Bragg. The soldiers keep it alive by spending all their money there."

That wasn't quite the answer Whitney was expecting, and she asked, "What about places to eat or things to see?"

"There's a couple of good local restaurants. One is the Fayetteville Diner. The name doesn't do the place justice. It's got the best home cooked meals around, and it's reasonable, too. Another one is the Chimney Sweep, if you like steak. You pick out the steak you want and they cook it. It's expensive, though. Then there are all the usual fast food places. Those are a dime a dozen."

The cabbie glanced in his rear view mirror. She looked so young and innocent. Maybe he’d better warn her about where not to go, too. "Now as for places to see, there's really not much here. You want to stay away from High Street, though. That place is bad news and it's dangerous too. I think it's on the off-limits list for soldiers but that doesn't seem to stop them."

Whitney was familiar with the off-limits list. She had been briefed about it at Ft. Huachuca and knew that places didn't just arbitrarily make the list. "Thanks." Looking out the window, she noticed that the town did seem quite rural, just like back home. One glaring difference was the pawnshops and bars that peppered the area. That was probably what the driver meant when he said it was a typical Army town.

Entering the gate of Ft. Bragg, Whitney began to take much more interest in her surroundings. The streets were heavily traveled with both military and civilian vehicles. Numerous roadside signs indicated routes to various places and units, including Post Headquarters, the PX, commissary, hospital, and a theater. As they traveled further along the thoroughfare, military buildings began appearing with unit designations and crests on the front of the structures. This post was much larger than any other Whitney had been exposed to, and had the feeling of a self-contained small town.

Fifteen minutes later, the taxi pulled up in front of a long two-story, red brick building, a large sign identifying it as the BOQ.

After Whitney signed in, she was given a key to room 115 by the Staff Duty Officer. It would be her permanent quarters during her tenure at Ft. Bragg unless her marital status changed. She walked about halfway down the hall and stopped in front of a door identified in black numbers as 115. Unlocking it, Whitney entered, and set down her two heavy suitcases with a sigh of relief.

Looking around the room, she decided it was kind of nice. Pale yellow curtains offset drab white walls giving the room a cheerful atmosphere. There was an apartment-sized refrigerator, a microwave, a TV, a round table with two chairs, and a small loveseat in addition to the walnut colored dresser that matched the frame of the bed. Whitney smiled when she saw the cable TV guide sitting on the dresser.

She opened the closet door, and was pleased to see the recessed area was spacious. The bathroom, on the other hand, reminded her of a hotel, though it did have a medicine cabinet. Whitney knew right off that she'd have to get one of those little wicker shelves that you could set on the toilet tank. There was no way one little medicine cabinet would hold all her things.

Walking over to the bed, she sat down and bounced. The mattress seemed comfortable. It was a lot better than the soft lumpy one she'd had at Ft. Huachuca. The officer on duty had told her the maid came by at 1000. She couldn't believe she got maid service. If her quarters were any indication, maybe all the stories she had heard about Ft. Bragg being such a hard-core post were exaggerated.

Whitney was wired. She was too curious to even think about staying in her room. She glanced at her watch, and saw it was only 1900. Opening one of her suitcases, Whitney pulled out the welcome packet she had received from Officer Assignments. She opened the folder, and took out the map that had been included.

Laying it on the table, Whitney found her new unit right away. It didn't look too far away, maybe a half mile. If she hurried and took a shower, there would be time to check it out before it got dark. Then she'd know where to go the next day. Twenty minutes later, dressed casually in jeans, running shoes, and a pale blue pullover top, Whitney departed the room after folding up the map and putting it in her pocket. She was looking forward to exploring her new home.

****

Karen stood up and stretched. It was almost 2000. Time to make one last check of the Company area, and then head home. Tonight was no different than any other, and everyone else had left long before. Maybe she'd treat herself to a steak at the Chimney Sweep. It was something to do.

Karen's thoughts turned toward the Army's policy on fraternization. It forbade personal contact both between officer and enlisted, and between different ranks of enlisted personnel. She understood the reasons for it well enough: It could compromise the ability of a leader to make impartial decisions; but she had finally acknowledged that her quick upward mobility had actually isolated her. Understanding the reasons for the policy didn't help when sitting in the confines of her own living room with nothing to look forward to but the next day at work. It wasn't that she didn't love her job, she did, but sometimes it just didn't seem like enough.

Early on, Karen had made the decision to make the Army a career. It had given her a home when she desperately needed one, and even though she intrinsically disagreed with some of the regulations, Karen had stayed out of a sense of loyalty until it became the only life she knew. The tall woman had no illusions about her looks, and had never lacked dating opportunities, but the relationships had been unfulfilling. Well, she didn't have to worry about that anymore. Now that she was First Sergeant, she had no social life or real friends. It was something she had gotten used to, and only thought about when it was time to go home.

Her ultimate goal was to become the first female Command Sergeant Major of the Army, and she had to be the best of the best to ever hope to attain that goal. It was the only way she could try to effect some direly needed changes in certain archaic policies the Army clung to so fastidiously. On nights like this when Karen longed for company, she just banished the thoughts by thinking of her goal.

After securing the Orderly Room, Karen began making her way towards the barracks. Her senses were in a state of heightened awareness in the dark. Ft. Bragg was not exactly crime free, and while she was fully confident in her ability to take care of herself, she didn't believe in being careless. She encouraged all the soldiers to stay out of unlit areas at night. Muggings were not uncommon, and there had been two women raped in the six months since she'd been assigned. The military police had increased patrols, but the perpetrator had not been found. Karen's thoughts turned dark. I'd love to get my hands on that bastard.

The tall woman blended with the shadows, her long stride covering the ground quickly and with minimal effort. She was totally alert, her eyes continually assessing her surroundings. Karen glanced across the street, narrowing her eyes when she saw a figure walking up the driveway between Supply and Commo.

She stopped abruptly. No one should be over there now. The two buildings were fenced on three sides and couldn't be used for a cut through. Other than her, only the NCOIC's of the respective sections had keys to the buildings. Although it was dark, it was obvious that whoever was exiting the area was not one of her Section Sergeants. The figure was too short and slight.

Karen stepped off the sidewalk and onto the grass, taking the most direct route to the intruder. Eighth Battalion's Supply building had been broken into the previous week, and a lot of equipment had been stolen. I'll be damned if that's going to happen to my Company.

***

Whitney folded up the map and put it in her pocket. Unfortunately, it wasn't very detailed. It just showed a black square for Headquarters Company, and not the individual buildings. When she had seen the sign on this building identifying it as Supply, Whitney thought the Company Headquarters would be in the same compound, but the only other building in the fenced-in area was Commo.

To make things worse, it had gotten dark much faster than she had anticipated. The main reason was because she'd forgotten to change her watch from Central to Eastern time. Whitney didn't realize her mistake until darkness began to fall, and it didn't help that the distance on the map was inaccurate.

She left the illumination cast by a gaslight in the center of the compound, and walked toward the street. There was a well-lit building across the street that was probably the barracks. Whitney decided to stop there and ask the CQ where the Orderly Room was. She hadn't planned to be out alone after dark on a strange post, and just wanted to find the Company and then head back to her room.

Nearing the street, Whitney noticed a tall dark figure veer away from the barracks and begin moving rapidly toward her. That didn't make sense. Whitney felt a tendril of fear at the speed with which the person was approaching. She quickly looked around. There was no one else on this side of the street. The person was obviously in uniform because Whitney could make out a hat on the head of the soldier. There was little comfort in that thought, though, because the entire demeanor and approach of the soldier oozed hostility.

Whitney instantly decided she would be much safer in the light. She turned onto the sidewalk and began quickly walking toward the streetlight, which was more than 100 feet away. The small woman knew she was probably just being paranoid, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Whitney spared a quick glance over her shoulder, and knew she wasn't going to reach the light before the stranger reached her.

Due to the small stature of her quarry, Karen had pretty much come to the conclusion that it was most probably a teenage dependent. As she closed on the figure, her observational skills added more information - definitely female. The senior NCO couldn't believe the nerve of the little brat. The damn kid was taking off down the sidewalk, walking so fast it was just short of a run. Wait until she hauled her right to her parents' house. It would be the last time this particular teenager would be hanging around her company. It was time to put an end to this game, once and for all. Summoning up her command voice, Karen growled, "Halt!"

Whitney had just decided to run when she heard the command, "Halt." Her mind was still registering surprise when her feet stopped moving, although on a conscious level she was not aware of giving them that order. Overcoming her shock that the voice belonged to a woman, and a little disconcerted that she had felt so compelled to obey it, Whitney whirled around to face her pursuer, wondering how she had gotten so close without making a sound.

Karen was ready when the individual abruptly turned around. Standing tall, with her hands on her hips, she glared at the trespasser. It was now totally dark, and although she could see the small figure in front of her, no detail was visible. "Let me see your ID Card."

Whitney felt very intimidated, but worked hard at not betraying this to the tall soldier addressing her. This woman had scared the bejesus out of her. She took a calming breath to slow her racing heart. There was a dangerous aura surrounding the tall woman, and something more that Whitney couldn't readily identify. She pulled out her ID card and handed it to Karen. Finding her voice, and trying to hide her nervousness, she asked curtly, "Would you mind telling me why you stopped me?"

When Karen turned on a small flashlight to look at the ID, Whitney suddenly realized the woman standing in front of her had a whole bunch of stripes with a small diamond in the middle, and she added, "First Sergeant." God. Talk about rotten luck. My first night on post and I get stopped by a first sergeant.

Karen took the ID Card and shined the light on it. She glanced at the picture before her eyes tracked to the name and rank printed in block letters beneath it, reading Whitney L. Gordon, 2LT. Karen wasn't sure if she should laugh or be angry, and was barely able to stifle a derisive snort. What a way to meet the new XO. Gary would never let her live this down.

Directing her attention to Whitney, Karen nodded her head toward the streetlight. "Would you please step over there, under the light?" Long experience had taught her to check things out thoroughly. She couldn't see the officer's face in the darkness, and wanted to match it with the ID to make sure the card was not stolen.

Karen followed Whitney until they were both under the light. Only years of wearing a military veneer like a second skin kept Karen from betraying the surprise she felt when she looked at Whitney. The picture on the ID card was the usual mug shot photo, and did the XO a huge injustice.

The young woman standing in front of her was beautiful, and had an open, questioning look on her face. Karen was so taken aback that she fell into the comforting role she knew so well, and saluted the Lieutenant. Technically it wasn't required since Whitney wasn't in uniform, but it gave her chance to get her bearing back, and file her impressions away for later analysis.

Whitney was surprised at the gesture--and immediately struck the pose--and returned the salute. She didn't expect the sight that greeted her. The first sergeant was stunning, and she was looking at her with a pair of large incredibly blue eyes. "Was I trespassing?"

Dropping her hand once Whitney returned her salute, Karen kept her face devoid of expression, and said very succinctly, "Welcome aboard, Lieutenant Gordon. I am First Sergeant Wilson, Headquarters Company, First Support Battalion. Eighth Battalion's Supply Room was broken into last week, and a lot of equipment was stolen. I wanted to make sure ours was not the next target, and that is why I stopped you."

Oh Great. This is the first sergeant of the Company I'm assigned to. Nothing like starting off on the wrong foot. Whitney didn't even want to know what the woman was probably thinking about her right now.

The first sergeant had just been trying to protect the company. Whitney realized it probably had seemed suspicious for her to be in the compound after dark. How could the senior NCO have known who she was? Deciding to try and ease some of the tension, and not knowing what she should say to the stoic woman looking at her, Whitney smiled, and said the first thing that came to mind, "Good job, First Sergeant."

Barely able to keep from rolling her eyes, Karen said, "Thank you, Ma'am." How lucky can I get? My very own seal of approval from our new butter bar. Thrusting the sarcastic thoughts aside, Karen said, "It's not a good idea to be out alone after dark, ma'am."

"Yes, I know," Whitney said, looking pointedly at Karen. Her mother's favorite saying ran through her mind. Nothing like the pot calling the kettle black. "Nice meeting you, First Sergeant. See you tomorrow."

Whitney turned, and began walking back toward the BOQ. She was totally embarrassed, and had all lost interest in locating the company Orderly Room. This had been a really stupid idea. Well, the idea might not have been so stupid if she'd taken the time change into account. Her fear had been unfounded this time, but it had made her realize just how dumb she had been. After that scare, Whitney was really uneasy. Disgusted with herself, and knowing how naive she must appear to the first sergeant, she quickened her pace, just wanting to get back to her room.

Watching the small woman walk away, Karen felt a pang of guilt. The new officer didn't know the base, and shouldn't be wandering around alone at night. She could offer her a ride. Nah. She got over here on her own; she can get back on her own. Karen turned and faced the barracks. Shit. She couldn't let her walk all the way back to the BOQ by herself. That was over a mile away. Ignoring the cynical voice in her mind that queried, Why not? she turned toward the departing officer, and called, "Lieutenant Gordon."

Even though Whitney was half block away, Karen's voice carried through the quiet night. She stopped, and turned around to see the first sergeant jogging toward her.

"My car's parked over at the Company. Want a lift to the BOQ?"

Whitney really wanted to accept. She was not looking forward to walking back in the dark. The long day of traveling had caught up with her, and quite frankly, she was tired. However, given her first encounter with the tall enigmatic first sergeant, Whitney didn't want to appear anything but competent. "Thanks, but it's not that far."

"Suit yourself, ma'am." Karen turned away, and began walking toward the barracks. Well, I offered. Can't make her accept. A nagging voice in her mind said, You could've tried a little harder.

"Wait." Whitney decided the hell with appearances. Damn it, she was tired, and here she was kicking a gift horse in the mouth just to show how tough she was. Well, she didn't feel like being tough right now. She just wanted to get back to her room. When Karen rejoined her, a winning smile covered the young woman's face. "I changed my mind. I'd love a ride."

Karen was taken aback by the warm friendly smile. Unconsciously quirking a half-smile in response, the senior NCO put a tight rein on the curiosity raging through her mind. She nodded her head in the general direction of the barracks. "The Company's that way."

After crossing the street, Karen gestured toward the long well lit building. "That's the enlisted barracks. The senior NCO barracks are on the other side of the Orderly Room." Reaching the sidewalk she had so abruptly departed a short time ago, Karen led the way to the company headquarters.

Whitney walked along silently. The first sergeant was definitely a formidable woman. She hadn't missed the black jump wings sewn above the US Army strip on the tall woman's uniform, or the shiny black leather, well rounded toe of the jump boots. The first time Whitney had seen jump boots at Ft Huachuca, she had asked if they were regulation. She'd almost gotten her head bitten off. They were regulation all right, and the soldiers wearing them, wore them with pride. Whitney glanced at Karen. She seems so confident, and sure of herself. I wonder if she ever gets rattled?

Arriving at the Orderly Room, Karen said, "This is the headquarters building." She walked over to the only car in front of the building, pulled out her keys, and pressed a button on the keypad twice to unlock all the doors. After starting the car, Karen waited for Whitney to settle in and buckle up before pulling out of the parking area and into the street.

Well, at least she knew where the company headquarters were now. Settling back in the seat, Whitney watched the scenery out the open window.

Karen surreptitiously studied the young officer. She had been extremely quiet. I wonder if she's even eaten? Breaking the silence, Karen asked, "What time did you get in, ma'am?"

In class, the value of NCO's, and most especially the first sergeant, had been repeatedly stressed. They had been told they were the backbone of the Army, and she had watched the camaraderie between the first sergeant and the Commander in the training company she'd been assigned to. Wanting to improve her relationship with the senior NCO after the earlier fiasco, Whitney replied, "About 1830, and you can dispense with the ma'am when we're alone."

Karen hid the surprise she felt. So she wasn't on a power trip. Interesting. "Have you eaten yet?"

Whitney hadn't even thought about eating. She had been so anxious to explore, she had completely forgotten. Suddenly realizing she was starved, Whitney said, "No. Is there any place on post to eat?"

"The only place still open to get a complete dinner is the Mess Hall over on the hill. It's open until 0100. I can take you over there if you want." The only meal Karen ever ate in the mess hall was lunch. She could only take its loud, boisterous atmosphere once a day. "Burger King and KFC should still be open, too."

Whitney wasn't in the mood for Army food or chicken, and didn't care for Burger King. What she really wanted was a Quarter Pounder, but she didn't want to take advantage of the tall woman, especially since she wasn't sure if the first sergeant was acting out of kindness or a sense of responsibility. Deciding to go for broke, Whitney said, "I saw a McDonald's right outside the gate. If I gave you gas money, would you mind taking me there? Just to the drive through?"

Karen bit off the retort that she wasn't a taxi when she looked over and saw the hopeful friendly look on Whitney's face. Shit. How the hell can I turn her down? Besides, Mickey D's does sound pretty good. Verbalizing her thoughts, she said, "No problem. Sounds good right about now."

"You haven't eaten either?" Whitney asked, surprised. She had just assumed the senior NCO had already eaten.

"Nope. I usually eat when I get home."

Whitney was curious. She hadn't seen a wedding ring on the first sergeant's hand. Matter of fact, she hadn't noticed any jewelry at all, except a watch that was visible on her left wrist as she steered the car. But the way she answered, you'd think she lived off post. The Army provided quarters for all their single members. "Do you live on post?"

Karen quickly glanced over at Whitney before turning her attention back to the road. Personally, she didn't think it was any of her damn business. Technically, since the woman was above her in the chain of command, she had the right to ask. Well, she might have to answer, but she didn't have to like it. "No."

The younger woman didn't miss the message delivered in the clipped answer. Well, I sure didn't make any points with that question. Guess I'll shut up for a while. It's obvious this is not Ms. Social Butterfly.

Karen decided two could play this game. "Lieutenant Gordon." When Whitney looked over, she asked, "What were you doing in the Supply compound?"

Whitney weighed her answer. Her decision to explore had not been a good one. Her excitement had overruled her common sense, and given the time change, she had been caught short. It was important to her that the first sergeant not view her as a dumb second lieutenant. They would be working together and there needed to be a basis of respect. She had already gotten off on the wrong foot, and there was no viable excuse Whitney could think to give that made sense. She decided to be honest, hoping that might earn her a little respect. "I was curious. I wanted to see where I'd be working. Unfortunately, the map in my welcome pack just shows the unit as a black block on Delta Street and it appeared to be much closer than it was. I thought the Orderly Room would be in the compound, too."

The honest answer surprised Karen. She'd expected some wild excuse about checking the security of the company or some such dumb reason. Honesty demanded honesty, and Karen replied, "The only thing those maps are good for is the general lay out of the post. We've got a better one at the company. I'll give you one tomorrow."

Whitney smiled appreciatively. "Thanks."

Karen pulled into McDonald's and drove up to the drive through menu. "What do you want?"

"I want a Quarter Pounder with cheese, a large fry, a chocolate shake and an apple pie."

Karen clamped her lips together biting back a laugh. Yeah right! Her eyes were obviously bigger than her stomach. The woman couldn't be much over 5-foot and a hundred pounds. No way can she eat all that.

Undoing the seat belt, Whitney reached into her pocket, pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to Karen. "Let me treat. I really appreciate the ride."

"Thanks, but it's really not necessary. I was hungry anyway." She just doesn't act like a second lieutenant. Most of the newly commissioned officers she had met tended to be very egocentric.

Karen's order was identical to Whitney's, except for substituting coffee for the shake. She requested separate checks and after picking up the food, handed the two bags to Whitney before driving back to Ft Bragg.

After showing her ID to the MP at the gate, Karen drove directly to the BOQ. She took her bag of food from Whitney, and said, "See you tomorrow, Lieutenant."

Whitney got out of the car with her bag and shake. On impulse, she leaned back in the passenger door. "Why don't you just eat here?"

Uh Uh. No way. Karen needed some time to herself right now. It had been a rather unusual night. Besides, she would be seeing enough of the young officer starting tomorrow, although that idea was less unpleasant than it had been. "Thanks. But I really need to be getting home."

"Okay." Whitney said, a little disappointed. Shifting the bag to the same hand that was holding the shake, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple of dollars. "Thanks for the ride. Here you go."

Karen shook her head. "Forget it. The gas is on me."

"Thanks. See you tomorrow, First Sergeant."

"Top."

Closing the passenger door, Whitney smiled, and said warmly, "Okay. Goodnight, Top." That simple invitation to use the more familiar title gave her a warm feeling.

Karen was surprised to realize she had an answering smile on her face, and quickly discarded it. "Goodnight, Lieutenant." She took one last look at the puzzling young woman before shifting the car into gear and pulling back into the street.

After watching Karen drive away, Whitney entered the BOQ and went to her room. Carrying the McDonald's bag over to the small table, she set it down and sank into the chair. She took her food out of the bag, and thought, Why do they always only give you two packets of catsup? How is that supposed to be enough for a large order of fries? Whitney was hungry and made short work of the food.

Sipping on the chocolate shake, she decided it was a good thing she didn't eat at McDonald's very often. Talk about major calories! She'd worry about eating healthy tomorrow. Whitney decided to find out where the commissary was the next day, and do some basic grocery shopping. With the refrigerator and the microwave in her room, she would have quite of few options besides the chow hall.

What a night it had been, too. Whitney still couldn't believe how badly she had misjudged the onset of darkness. She felt like kicking herself in the butt for forgetting to reset her watch. Getting stopped by the first sergeant of the Company she was assigned to was just plain bad luck. It was hard to garner respect when your common sense took a hike. She just hoped Top would be discreet. Otherwise, everyone in the Company would probably be laughing at her behind her back.

Whitney's thoughts turned to the first sergeant. She certainly was interesting. It was obvious she was hard-core military, but that didn't take away from the fact that the woman was drop-dead gorgeous. I wouldn't want her for an enemy, though. I wonder if she's ever been married? With her looks, she would've had plenty of opportunities. I wonder what makes her tick? She seems so controlled. Even when she found out who I was, her eyes were the only thing that showed any expression, and I'm not sure what it was. She just came to attention and saluted like it was the most normal thing in the world for me to be wandering around in the dark. It was like she hadn't even been really surprised. I'll be reviewing the Form 2's of all the soldiers in the Company. Maybe hers will have some answers.

Karen drove back to the Company area and parked in front of the barracks. There were the usual loud stereos and TV's blasting, but none were any more disruptive than the others were. Karen didn't interfere with the goings-on in the barracks any more than she had to. This was the enlisted soldiers' home. Other than rules that involved safety, cleanliness, and respect for others, she kept her intervention to a minimum. Entering the barracks, she walked over to the CQ's desk. "How's it going. Peters? Anything I need to know about?"

"Yes, Top," SGT Kevin Peters returned her greeting. "Matter of fact, there is. I just got a call from Post Headquarters. The new XO signed in earlier tonight."

Karen raised an eyebrow, and quirked a half-smile. "Yeah, I know."

Kevin just shook his head. "I'd sure like to know how you find out about everything before anyone gives you the message, Top."

Tongue in cheek, Karen said cryptically, "I'm supposed to. I'm the first sergeant." Didn't hurt to keep them guessing. Besides, once the story got around about how she and the XO met, and she was sure it would because what second lieutenant could possibly keep that one to themselves, she was going to be the butt of a hell of a lot of ribbing. Didn't matter that she was just doing her job.

"I'm leaving. Make sure it stays quiet."

"Right, Top." Peters watched her walk out the door. A lot of guys wondered why she wasn't married, but he thought it was obvious. She was gung-ho military. You did your job and stayed out of trouble, you didn't get hassled. Nothing hard to understand about that. Peters had no desire to cross her, and those that had chosen to do so had paid.

Karen pulled into the driveway of the small ranch-style house, parked the car, and closed the automatic garage door behind her. After retrieving her dinner bag from the front seat, Karen entered the utility room, unbuttoned her BDU jacket and loosened the laces on her boots. Once she freed her feet, her socks soon followed. After tossing the socks and jacket into the laundry basket, she retrieved her bag from the dryer and walked into the kitchen.

Karen looked around the kitchen, and wondered why she had never attempted to make it more appealing. Not that decorating was her forte, but it wouldn't take much to improve the plain looking room.

The walls were ecru, and devoid of any decoration except for a round gold trimmed clock and a small message pad hanging next to the phone. Beige curtains decorated with colorful mushrooms covered the lone window over the sink. A dishwasher was secured beneath the Formica counter top between two sets of drawers. Four black ceramic canisters sat next to the white electric stove. Walnut wood colored cupboards adorned the walls over the sink and beneath the counter tops. A white, butcher-block table sat in the middle of the floor with two chairs tucked up against it.

She shook her head. The whole reason she lived off post was because she couldn't stand being confined on post and living in the barracks, but she ended up spending most of her time there anyway. Karen knew she could be off post every day at 1800 if she wanted to, but for what?

Karen walked across the cool tile floor to the microwave. Taking the food out of the bag and placing it on a plate, she put it in the microwave and reheated it. Mushy fries were a poor substitute for the steak she had originally planned for dinner, but at the time, Mickey D's had sounded good. It would have been too, if she had accepted LT Gordon's invitation and ate while the food was still hot. She had been surprised by the invitation. Matter of fact, the new XO had surprised her a couple of times tonight, and Karen found that somewhat disconcerting. She didn't know quite what to make of her.

Karen ate like many of her career military counterparts, very quickly. Finished, she rinsed the plate, put it in the dishwasher, and wiped off the table. She took one last look around to make sure everything was put away.

Walking into the living room, Karen sank into the deep, overstuffed recliner. She removed the hairpins from her hair and placed them in a small box on the end table next to her chair and shook her head to let her long, ebony colored hair fall free.

Karen was tired. It had been a long day, complicated by an alert, and her unexpected run-in with the new XO. She picked up the remote, switching on the TV. Settling on CNN, she pulled up the footrest of the recliner and looked at the reporter, her thoughts on Whitney. Karen acknowledged to herself that she would've liked a lot better look at the new officer than the streetlight had provided, but from what she had seen, the woman was beautiful in a refreshing kind of way. A lot of heads were going to turn when she walked in tomorrow. Karen began systematically analyzing the impressions of the young woman she had carefully filed away. The XO seemed to be very outgoing, and she was definitely full of surprises. She didn't fit the stereotypical butter bar image in Karen's mind, but she had already exercised extremely poor judgment. She hoped it was not an omen of things to come.

Chapter 3

Whitney awoke before her alarm clock sounded the next morning. She knew that was a real sign of just how keyed up she was. As a rule, the young woman tended to hit the snooze button at least once. Smiling to herself, Whitney remembered setting her alarm clock fifteen minutes fast at Ft. Huachuca so she could hit the snooze alarm and still be on time. She didn't get any more sleep, but it made her feel better. Languishing in bed for a few more minutes, Whitney looked around the room. She had unpacked her suitcases the night before. It would be two weeks before the rest of her meager belongings arrived. In the meantime, she would just have to make do with what she'd brought with her.

After a leisurely shower, Whitney emerged from the bathroom in her underwear and opened the closet door. She decided on her Class A dress uniform to make a good impression on the Commander. Whitney pulled a light green blouse and dark green skirt out of the closet. After putting on nylons, she donned the uniform and slipped her feet into plain black oxfords. She thought about wearing her heels, but they had their place, and traipsing around post wasn't one of them.

Whitney walked over to the table and picked up the map she had left on it the night before. When she had traded a four-year obligation to the military for a college degree, it had made sense. It was a lot better than struggling to save enough money. Now that she was here, she could feel the weight of that decision. All I can do is my best, it's only four years.

Whitney suddenly realized that she was dying for a cup of coffee. Just what I need, some caffeine. Glancing at the map, it looked like the closest chow hall was about a block away. Remembering her mistake last night, Whitney automatically doubled the distance. She wasn't going to get caught short by depending on this map again.

She slipped the matching green jacket on, picked up her hat, and slung her purse over her shoulder before exiting the room, stopping briefly to lock the door. Whitney was walking down the hall when she heard a woman call out. "Hey, wait up." Turning around, she saw two uniformed women approaching with smiles on their faces. The taller one had short chestnut brown hair, and a light smattering of freckles across her nose. She wore the single silver bar of a first lieutenant. Her companion was a couple of inches shorter at 5"5" and had curly, dark brown hair. The single gold bar on her collar readily identified her as a second lieutenant.

"Hi," Whitney answered, meeting their smiles with one of her own.

"Hi," the taller woman responded. "I'm Bonnie, and this is Julie. We heard you move in last night. Wanna go get something to eat?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. I'm Whitney."

"Nice to meetcha," Julie spoke up. "We both got here a few months ago, so we know what it's like to be a newbie. So here's the deal. We usually go to Mom's for breakfast. It's a little place, but the food's great. They've got these omelets that are just divine."

"She's not kidding," Bonnie added, grinning.

"Sounds good."

Bright sunlight greeted them when they stepped outside. The weather was unseasonably warm for early fall, and it was already well into the seventies.

"My car's over there," Bonnie said, pointing to a white Chevy Cavalier. Whitney climbed into the back, while Julie and Bonnie got in the front. Julie played tour guide as Bonnie drove, and explained that they were going out the back gate. After passing several airborne units, Bonnie turned right, and a small guard shack appeared. The MP waved them through, and they arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later.

Mom's was actually an old colonial style house that had been converted into a restaurant. The maroon shutters and trim added just enough contrast to keep the off-white structure from appearing bland. Large flowerpots filled with multicolored flowers sat on either side of the door, and at the top of the steps leading to the entrance.

Whitney noticed the décor was very plain and serviceable. There were booths lining the walls, and tables in the center of the floor surrounding a food bar. She followed the two officers across the hardwood floor to a corner booth. Julie commented, "It's seat yourself, here." Whitney took a seat opposite the two women.

Bonnie suggested the specialty of the house, a Western omelet. Whitney readily agreed, and they all ordered one.

"So, this your first assignment?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah. I'm kinda nervous about it. I just keep thinking I'll make some dumb mistake and never be able to live it down." Like last night.

"Hey, don't worry about that. Everybody makes mistakes. It's no big deal. How else are you gonna learn?" Julie said. She remembered all too clearly her first year in the service, and the mistakes she had made. "Right Bonnie?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yep."

Whitney was curious about the two officers. "What unit are you assigned to?"

"We work at MILPO. We're personnel types. How about you?"

"HHC, 1st Combat Support Battalion. I'm the XO." Seeing their surprised looks, Whitney asked, "What?"

Bonnie looked at her. "We work in assignments. All the XO slots in that battalion are first lieutenant, infantry slots. How'd you get put there?"

"It was a last minute thing. The unit I was going to at Ft. Leonard Wood was being disbanded, so they diverted me here. I knew it was a first lieutenant slot, but I didn't know it was infantry. Why would they do that?"

Shrugging, Julie said, "Who knows? Probably just a SNAFU. Better you than me, though. I heard that's a pretty hard-core unit."

Whitney formed a mental image of 1SG Karen Wilson. She remembered all too well how intimidated she had been by the tall, confident soldier. Nodding her head, she said, "Yeah. I think you just might be right. I haven't met the CO yet, but I did meet the first sergeant, and she's definitely hard core."

"She?" asked Bonnie. Glancing at Julie, she turned back to Whitney. "The only female first sergeant on Ft. Bragg is Karen Wilson. That who you're talking about?"

Whitney nodded. "Yeah. You know her?"

"We know of her. She's supposed to be tough as nails. Not someone you want to cross. Rumor has it she knows her stuff, though. You could do worse."

So, the tall, aloof woman had a reputation throughout the post. Based on her initial meeting with the first sergeant, Whitney wasn't the least bit surprised.

A short time later, the three women returned to Ft. Bragg. Bonnie dropped Whitney off at her new company, and they made arrangements to meet at 1900. The two officers promised to take her to the commissary, and scare up some food to eat when they returned.

Whitney walked up the cement steps and opened the door to the Orderly Room. She approached the soldier sitting behind the desk, taking care to look at his nametag.

Specialist Holloman jumped up, and stood at attention. The XO immediately said, "At ease," still uncomfortable with the attention her rank received. "I have an appointment with CPT Johnson at 0900. Would you let him know I'm here?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Hollman picked up the phone, and dialed the Commander. "Sir, LT Gordon is here to see you."

After listening for a moment, he said, "Yes sir," and hung the phone up.

"Ma'am, I'll take you to his office now."

Whitney smiled at the soldier and followed him. Her butterflies were back, full force. After her adventure the night before, no telling what he thought of her. Holloman stopped at a door near the end of the hall. "This is his office, Ma'am."

"Thanks." She took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Whitney walked in, came to attention and saluted the senior officer. He returned the salute, and said, "Have a seat."

Gary silently assessed the new XO. She was an attractive, but small woman, and that would probably cause her some problems initially. How serious they were would depend on how she handled them. "LT Gordon, let’s dispense with the formalities when we are behind this door. Unfortunately, your arrival coincided with a course I requested to take, and I have to leave in a half hour. I'll be gone a week. In the meantime, I have prepared a memo outlining what your responsibilities will be. I've also included a few things I would like you to handle while I am gone."

"Do you have any immediate concerns?" Gary hated to rush this meeting, but he had to leave for the airport.

Whitney felt her stomach sink. "No, sir. I was told to report to Officer Assignments after my meeting with you."

Gary stood up. "Good. The first sergeant will help you out with any questions or problems you have while I am gone. I'll introduce you now."

She didn't tell him? He sure acts like he doesn't know we met. Whitney hoped that was the case, as she followed the Commander down the hall. When they passed the doorway next to his, he nodded toward it, and said, "That's your office." He stopped in front of the office closest to the Orderly Room, and knocked twice on the door.

Karen had been expecting the visit. She stood up and called out, "Come in."

Whitney followed Gary into the office. "LT Whitney Gordon, this is 1SG Karen Wilson." Once the two women exchanged greetings, he said, "Top, I have to leave. I told LT Gordon I was leaving her in your capable hands."

Thanks a lot. "Yes sir."

Gary directed his gaze to Whitney. "I'll see you in a week, Lieutenant. Good luck."

Karen studied Whitney for a moment after Gary left. She was definitely good-looking. Her thoughts were interrupted when the young woman addressed her.

"Top. I have to process in today. What time should I report tomorrow?"

"PT formation is at 0600. We form up in the parking lot outside, and then march over to the course. If you'd rather wait until CPT Johnson returns to join the company for PT, we open shop at 0900."

Whitney instinctively knew it was important for appearances that she attend PT her first day. "I'll be here at 0600."

Karen knew the young officer had no idea what she was getting into. Running the PT course on Ft. Bragg was something you had to experience to appreciate. She hoped LT Gordon was up to it. Quite a bit of attention would be focused on her the next morning, and it wouldn't all be friendly.

The senior NCO stood up. "I'll have Holloman run you over to Officer Assignments."

At least I won't get lost trying to find it. Whitney smiled her appreciation, and followed Karen to the Orderly Room.

"Holloman, take the Humvee and run LT Gordon over to Officer Assignments."

"Okay, Top."

Karen was half way back to her office when Whitney's words reached her.

"See you in the morning, Top."

The Lieutenant was just too much. "Yes, Ma'am."

Shortly before 5, Karen snagged her hat out of the inbox and walked out of her office. Looking at Holloman, she said, "I'm going to NCO call. Make sure the CQ knows where I am."

"Okay, Top."

The first sergeant walked out of the building, her BDU cap in place before the sunlight touched her black hair. Karen was looking forward to NCO Call. It was actually nothing but a fancy name for Happy Hour, but it was a welcome change of pace. CSM Grady was simply following an old Army tradition for improving morale and fostering good relations among NCO's within the battalion.

Karen flicked on her right turn signal and steered her Sable into a parking lot that was already over half-full. A large, white sign with brown lettering across the face of the adjoining two-story tawny brick building identified it as the NCO Club. She got out of her car and walked to the entrance. Pulling the heavy brown door open, she began walking down the familiar hallway.

The first sergeant smiled when she heard the distinctive crack of pool balls careening off each other. Karen was an exceptional pool player, but seldom played anymore because she felt it was inappropriate for someone of her rank to be hanging out in the poolroom at the NCO Club. She glanced into the room, and recognized several of the players. Karen knew there was probably a lot of money riding on the games being played. The fact that gambling was in violation of Army policy had never deterred anyone from accepting a challenge.

Grinning at the welcome from the players that recognized her, Karen turned down their offer to join them. "Sorry guys, NCO call." Leaving the disappointed murmuring behind her, she continued down the hall toward the bar.

Karen walked into a dimly lit room, and looked around. CSM Grady was in a corner with some of the other first sergeants and senior NCO's from the battalion. They had already pulled three of the heavy wooden tables together to accommodate the quickly growing group.

Karen walked up to the bar and ordered a beer before heading over to join her rowdy peers. She put her can and glass on the table, and sat down in a vacant chair. She quirked a smile at the group and began pouring her beer into the glass, holding it at a slight angle to decrease the amount of foam. Picking up pieces of the numerous conversations going on, she smiled to herself at the subject. They were arguing about which one of them had jumped in the most dangerous conditions. Figures. It was a constant theme when this particular group of NCO's got together. Who was the best?

Glancing across the table, she met Tyrone's brown eyes, and smiled. "Hey, Ty. How's it going?" Karen like the wiry, dark skinned Battalion Operations NCOIC. Their jobs required them to interact frequently, and over time, they had developed a healthy respect for each other.

"Okay. The question is, how are you doing with CPT Johnson gone? Grapevine has it your new XO arrived. You got a good, one or the typical 90 day wonder?"

Karen thought about her answer. "I don't know yet. She was in-processing all day, and I only met her briefly."

"Come on, Karen. What's your gut feel? You're hardly ever wrong when you size someone up." Tyrone was curious. It was all over Battalion that Headquarters Company had gotten saddled with a female military intelligence second lieutenant slotted against their Infantry first lieutenant position.

Karen knew quite a few ears were turned toward their conversation, and that anything she said would be all over Battalion by the next day. She didn't want the new lieutenant to have to overcome any more adversity than she would already encounter because of the staffing SNAFU.

She was actually reserving judgment herself. Wording her answer carefully, Karen said, "I think she may..."

A stocky man pulled out the chair next to Karen, colliding with her arm as he settled in. He pulled his chair up to the table, crowding her, his shoulder resting against hers.

Managing to keep from spilling her beer, Karen glared at the newcomer. "It's a big table, Donnie. How about giving me some space?"

Donnie Blythford, the first sergeant of Alpha Company, was a ruddy-faced man with salt and pepper hair worn long enough to comb over the bald spot on his crown. Thick eyebrows accented his heavy forehead ridge, making his eyes appear even more deeply set than they actually were.

"Don't get bent. I just wanna talk to you." Donnie had intentionally invaded Karen's personal space. It was an intimidation method he had learned, and it usually worked. He had no use for women in positions of authority. None should ever be promoted into the NCO ranks. Even Congress knew that. Why do you think they wouldn't let them on the front lines?

Karen exercised restraint and scooted her chair over until she could move freely. She couldn't stand the little bastard. Every NCO Call he challenged her in front of the others, and she was getting very tired of this particular game. Turning cold eyes on her peer, she growled, "Well?"

Conversation around the table halted, and the other NCO's turned their attention to the exchange between the two. The animosity between them was well known. Some of the older, more-senior NCO's happened to agree with Donnie's opinion of women in leadership positions, but the majority did not.

"You know you got lucky last alert, doncha?" Donnie had been furious when Headquarters Company had arrived at Battalion before his company. CSM Grady had really been riding him about it, too. They were both Rangers, and Rangers were the best. Women weren't allowed within their ranks, and to be beaten by one was unforgivable.

Karen looked at Donnie, and smirked. "Yeah, I know. We were running ten minutes behind schedule."

Donnie narrowed his eyes and glared at Karen. He spat out, "Very funny."

She shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Hey, it's true." Winking at a handsome muscular man across the table, Karen added, "Besides, Nate's company got there first. He's the one to beat."

Donnie looked over at Nate. "How'd you manage to get there so fast?"

Nathan leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms. This could be fun. He did not share Donnie's low opinion of women NCO's. He figured if you earned the job, you got it. Plain and simple. "We got lucky. Ain't gonna be so easy next time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Donnie asked, confused by the cryptic comment.

"This was Karen's first alert. I think we're going to have our work cut out for us if we don't want a mere woman to show us up."

Karen almost spewed her beer across the table. Nathan was deliberately baiting Donnie, and the overly macho Ranger was swallowing it. You could always count on him to liven things up a little.

"Well she might beat you, but she damn sure won't be beating me again." Looking pointedly at Karen, Donnie said, "I don't think women should be allowed in leadership positions any way. It's bad for morale. What real man wants a woman telling him what to do?" He sneered, and looked around the table for support.

The silence was deafening. CSM Frank Grady sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. Donnie was out of line, and Frank knew he should ream him a new asshole, but he wanted to see how Karen was going to handle it.

This was an attitude Karen had fought her whole career, and was one of the reasons she had chosen the career track she had. Karen knew opinion was changing, but the comment still hurt. She'd be damned if she'd let him know it, though. "Well now, you know what. Donnie?" Karen slowly drawled in a bored voice, "it's a good thing most men don't think with their little head."

Guffaws and laughter broke out around the table. "Go, Karen."

"Round one to Headquarters Company."

His face red with fury, Donnie jumped to his feet knocking his chair over, and snarled, "You bitch!"

Karen was on her feet, glaring at Donnie, before his chair hit the floor. She wasn't going to start anything, but she wasn't going to back down either. She could wipe up the floor with this idiot.

"Knock it off," CSM Grady growled, "Donnie, you had that coming. Now both of you, sit down."

Donnie gritted his teeth, and whispered. "It ain't over, bitch."

Before she could respond, Donnie stalked out of the Club. Karen turned her attention back to the table. Sitting down, she said, "I don't think he likes me."

The tension broken, chuckling and comments filled the air.

"Nah. You're kidding, right?"

"What ever gave you that idea?"

"He's just having a bad day."

Wanting to change the focus of the conversation, Karen asked, "Hey, Smadge, when are we going up?" Most of the NCO's in the group were paratroopers, and even though they were in a leg unit, jumping regularly was required to stay qualified.

"Couple of weeks. We're cleared already, I just haven't had a chance to add it to the training schedule."

Karen stayed for another hour before bidding the group farewell. She was a loner by nature, but with the exception of Donnie, and a few others like him, she didn't mind NCO call.

Chapter 4

Whitney got out of the car and smiled at Bonnie. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem. See ya later," Bonnie replied, intending to go and get a little more sleep in. Her unit's PT formation wasn't until 0700.

Whitney was dressed in the standard warm weather physical training uniform consisting of light gray shorts and T-shirt. She approached the group of like-attired soldiers milling around in the parking lot of the company orderly room.

The lieutenant saw Karen's car, but didn't see the tall first sergeant in the predawn darkness. Whitney was uncomfortable as ranking officer in the company, and she stopped a short distance away from the rest of the soldiers, unsure of exactly what would be expected of her this morning.

She glanced at her watch, ignoring the whistles and catcalls directed her way. It was 0555. She wished Karen would appear, instinctively knowing she should follow the senior NCO's lead. The soldiers began to move into a semblance of a military formation, and the section sergeants were checking to make sure each member of their respective squads was present.

At exactly 0600, the words, "FORM UP," rang out loud and clear over the muted laughter and conversations within the ranks. 1SG Wilson stood centered in front of the Company.

Whitney walked to where Karen was standing, and stood off to the side. She'd never even seen the first sergeant approach the formation. She shook her head, wondering where she had come from. Whitney was surprised to see full bangs, and long black hair flowing down the senior NCO's back, secured at the nape of her neck with a small tie back. She was still the most intimidating woman Whitney could ever remember meeting, but with her hair down, it seemed to soften her appearance somewhat.

From the position of attention, Karen commanded, "AttenSHUN." Once the command had been obeyed, she followed the order with, "Report."

"First Platoon, all present and accounted for," rang out the deep voice of SFC Mendoza, NCOIC of Headquarters Platoon. Once each of the other platoons had reported in, Karen turned to face Whitney and said, "Headquarters Company, all present and accounted for, Ma'am."

Whitney returned the salute, and said, "Take over, first sergeant." The Lieutenant knew she could've taken command of the formation at that point, but felt it would be ill advised. She did not know what the PT route was, and had no intentions of making a fool of herself in front of the entire company.

Karen never batted an eye when Whitney told her to take over. She simply said, "Yes, Ma'am," and turned back to face the formation, though again, she was surprised. Every second lieutenant she had ever met wanted to feel the power of control their rank allowed them at the earliest opportunity. Most didn't know there would be plenty of time for taking charge, and that there would come a time when they would wish that some of the responsibility for their decisions could be delegated. The new lieutenant's maturity and wisdom were clearly at odds with her age. Karen barked out, "Right face," and then proceeded to march the formation over to the PT area.

Whitney fell in at the rear of the formation joining, the last rank of soldiers. She watched Karen giving commands, and paid close attention to the route they were taking. After marching a block and a half, the formation turned off of the road, and stopped at the beginning of a mapped out physical training area.

Karen led the formation through the usual set of exercises, which included pushups, sit-ups and squat thrusts before informing the company that they would be running the two-mile route. That announcement got several cheers. She had chosen the shortest route because of the new XO. The trails they ran had a three-inch loose sand base, and it was much more difficult to run on than the usual pavement most new troops were accustomed to. Karen knew that two miles on the sand would feel like four to the new officer.

After giving the necessary commands, Karen began calling cadence. "One, two, three, four." The senior NCO waited for the soldiers to echo the words before continuing. She knew it was the most effective way to keep the soldiers in step with each other, and it also helped to regulate breathing. She gave the next set of commands with a pause between each set, "Give me your left, give me your left, give me your left, your right, your left."

Once all the soldiers were in step, Karen began singing out a cadence, "I don't know, but I've been told, Headquarters Company is good as gold."

Whitney looked up surprised. Even the routine words of the military cadence could not detract from the beautiful melodic voice of the senior NCO. She smiled to herself and began to enjoy the run.

A short time later, Whitney was dying. She figured they must be about half way through the run. The young officer knew she was in relatively good physical condition, but she had always run on pavement, and running on the loose sand was very difficult. She had to lift her legs higher, and it seemed that with each step, their speed was increasing. Whitney carefully regulated her breathing with the cadence being sung, and tried to ignore her complaining legs.

Karen was enjoying the run, but noticed that the last few ranks were beginning to straggle, and it suddenly occurred to her why. The pace man had gradually increased the speed until they were moving along at a clip that was uncomfortable for some of the soldiers. What the hell? Stephens knows better than that. With a sudden burst of speed, Karen ran to the front of the formation and began leading the run, reducing their speed. Once she had slowed the formation to a comfortable pace, she ran over to SGT Daniels and said, "Take over as pace man." She ran up to the front of the formation with SGT Daniels behind her, and said to SP4 Stephens, "Fall to the rear." Karen turned to Daniels and said, "Keep the pace slow and even. I have some stragglers to round up."

Stephens never said a word. He just wanted to have a little fun with the new XO. The SP4 had hoped the first sergeant wouldn't notice. He should've known she would catch on. Stephens sighed. He knew he would be in for some extra duty, but it had been fun. All the slower soldiers were straggling behind the rest of the formation.

Whitney's legs felt like rubber. Not only did they run on sand here, they ran fast. She focused totally on moving first one leg, then the other, counting a silent cadence in her head. Breath, take a step, breath, take a step, breath, take a step. If it killed her, she would finish this run. No one would be able to say she had fallen out on her first day of PT. Whitney watched several soldiers fall to the rear of the formation, and begin walking. Breath, take a step, breath, take a step.

Karen ran to the rear of the formation and began rounding up the stragglers. Using the threat of remedial PT, she soon had the walking soldiers back in the rear of the formation. A couple of the soldiers who would never be runners, shrugged their shoulders and continued walking. Both had been on remedial PT since being assigned, and were totally exhausted due to the fast pace they'd had to endure.

Karen was angry. She should have realized what Stephens was doing sooner, but running was second nature to her, and she hadn't noticed. Karen couldn't remember ever not loving to run. The first sergeant made her way to the new XO. "You doing okay, Ma'am?"

Whitney wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the question. No, I am not doing okay. My legs have turned to wood, and my side is on fire. No way was she going to let Karen know that, though. She managed to say, "Yes," before falling silent to concentrate on her breathing, and trying to ignore the sharp pain in her side.

Karen knew better, but she could see the fierce determination on the younger woman's face. Damn woman has a lot of guts. It’s no disgrace to fall out. It takes a lot of soldiers a couple of weeks before they can make this run. She almost voiced those thoughts, but thought better of it.

Karen spotted Stephens and quickly ran to his side. "Report to my office after work formation." She then moved back to the side of the formation, and began singing out cadence again.

Once the two-mile course had been completed, Karen gave the order, "Quick time, march," slowing the formation to a walk. When they arrived back in the company area, she called out, "Dismissed."

Whitney's breathing had finally returned to normal, and the pain in her side had eased considerably. She brushed her wet bangs to the side, dreading the thought of the walk back to the BOQ. She slowly turned and began walking toward the street. Whitney had always felt she was in good physical condition, and was not in the least happy with her performance. She was suddenly drawn out of her thoughts by Karen's voice. "Pardon me?"

Karen felt a pang of sympathy for the new officer. She looked exhausted. "Would you like a ride to the BOQ? I've got to go that way."

Whitney wanted to hug the first sergeant. Do I want a ride? Are you crazy? Of course I want a ride! Instead, she said, "If you're sure it's no trouble, I'd appreciate it."

Karen mentally shook her head. Whitney had already moved up a notch in the respect category for sheer grittiness. You don't have to try and be so tough, woman. "It's no trouble."

A car seat had never felt so good to Whitney. "Is that the PT route we run every day?"

Karen didn't want to discourage Whitney, so she hedged a little. "That is the route we run most often."

Whitney had seen signs pointing to a three and four mile course when they had arrived in the PT area. "We run the longer routes too, don't we?"

Karen glanced at Whitney and took in the resigned, but determined look on her face. She didn't need to hedge with this woman. The young officer was proving she could roll with the punches, and Karen realized suddenly that she liked that about her. "Yes, we do. We run four miles every Friday, and three miles on Wednesday. The other days we run the two-mile course."

"Today is Friday. We only ran two miles."

"That schedule is not cast in stone. I decided the two-mile route was sufficient today."

Whitney's first thought was to tell the first sergeant that she shouldn't have changed the schedule on her account, but she bit off the words. Karen had done her a huge favor, and saved her the disgrace of falling out on her first run. "I think I should probably thank you for that."

Karen replied cryptically, "It's my job."

Whitney surreptitiously studied Karen as she drove. The T-shirt and shorts left little to imagination. Not only was the senior NCO gorgeous, she had the figure to go with her good looks. Whitney suddenly realized she would like to know this woman much better. There was an almost mysterious quality about her that intrigued her. It was more than that, though. She was attracted to her. The honest thought rocked her. Mentally slamming the door on the foreign thought, she began looking out the car window at the scenery.

The first sergeant glanced over at the smaller woman. She had become extremely quiet. Based on her short interaction with the Lieutenant the night she'd arrived, Karen knew the woman was generally outgoing. For some unfathomable reason, she wanted Whitney to feel welcome. Karen pulled into the BOQ parking lot, and made an uncharacteristic overture. "I could pick you up for breakfast when I get back on post, if you want."

Surprised at the offer, Whitney tried not to stare. The first sergeant had not struck her as particularly socialble. Well, she was probably just doing her job since the Company Commander wasn't around. Yeah that was it. The idea was attractive, though. Maybe she could learn a little more about her. Why not? "Thanks. I'd like that."

Karen was already mentally chastising herself, but she couldn't back out now. "I'll pick you up at 0800."

"Sounds good. I'll wait out front for you."

The tall dark woman watched the young officer get out of the car. She was really cute. She had a great body too. Karen snorted to herself. Like that should matter. She placed the car into drive intending to pull away.

Whitney turned back to Karen, and smiled. "Thanks for the ride. See you in a little while."

Karen was suddenly uncomfortable when she realized just how much she was looking forward to that. The senior NCO hid her thoughts with a shrug, and said, "Sure." Karen found herself almost wishing the new officer would act like a normal second lieutenant. It only took a second for her to realize she was only fooling herself with that thought. She wanted the young officer to do well. Why? What difference should it make to you? Not having an answer, Karen turned her thoughts to the familiarity of what was on the training schedule for the day.

Precisely forty-five minutes later, Karen pulled into the BOQ parking lot. Whitney was waiting for her and got into the car. The senior NCO said, "Do you want to eat on or off post? Work formation's in an hour, so if we eat off post we should probably do fast food."

Whitney wanted to enjoy what she felt was probably a rare invitation, and decided that staying on post would give them more time. "How about the Mess Hall?"

"Okay." Karen wanted to eat on post, too. She normally ate breakfast at home, and wanted to make sure she arrived well ahead of the company for work formation. At least, that's what she told herself.

The two women made their selections from the food bar and walked over to a vacant table. Karen had chosen a raisin bagel, a bowl of assorted fruit, coffee and orange juice. She was still silently chuckling at Whitney's selections. The small woman had opted for a western omelet, hash browns, toast, fruit, coffee, milk, and orange juice. This should be interesting. I wonder if she can really eat all that?

A short time later, Karen's silent question was answered. She was unable to resist commenting, "Where did you put all that?"

Whitney smiled. "I've always had a good appetite. Fortunately, I have a fast metabolism, so it all balances out. You didn't eat much breakfast."

"Never do," Karen said. "Lunch is usually my largest meal."

"You do know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?"

Karen raised an eyebrow. "Save it, okay?"

Whitney nodded. "SP4 Holloman mentioned the company was going to the field when CPT Johnson gets back."

"Just for three days. The sections are preparing for that now."

"Is there a company SOP on field training?"

"Yes. There's a copy in your office. Let me know if you have any questions after reading it."

"It's your job, right?" Whitney teased tentatively, curious what reaction she would get.

Karen's eyes briefly reflected surprise. Oh, so you have a sense of humor, too, and a lot of nerve. Most people wouldn't have the guts to say that to me. "Yep. That's right."

Hmm. I do believe I actually surprised you. Didn't think it was possible. "Top, how long have you been in the Army?"

"Twelve years in December." Adeptly turning the focus of the conversation away from herself, Karen said, "I noticed you are a ROTC graduate. What made you decide on military intelligence?"

Whitney shrugged. "It sounded better than the other choices. Is it true I am slotted against an infantry slot?"

"Yes. Your assignment was a surprise to us, too. You have to remember this is the Army. You just adapt. You won't get to use your training much, though. I suppose you could talk to Officer Assignments and ask to be reassigned. There are MI units on post." Karen watched Whitney closely. She knew that reassignment was a possibility if the lieutenant pursued it, and it would probably be better for her career wise, but for some reason she really didn't want her to.

Whitney looked at Karen trying to read her expression. Are you trying to get rid of me already? That thought really bothered her. Well, I'm not leaving. This wasn't my choice either, but I am going to make the best of it. Whitney's flashing green eyes met Karen's vivid blue ones, and she said, "I have no intentions of asking to be reassigned. This is where I was sent, and this is where I intend to stay."

"No offense intended. I just wanted to let you know your options." After glancing at her watch, Karen added, "I think we should head over to the Company now. It's 0845."

Whitney stood up. "Okay." She was still disturbed that the first sergeant might have been trying to get rid of her. But then, why wouldn't she? It must have been quite a disappointment to get an inexperienced second lieutenant. It's up to me to prove myself, and I will. She also acknowledged that the first sergeant's opinion of her had become very important.

Karen introduced Whitney to the Company at work formation before dismissing the soldiers and directing them to their duty sections. She didn't miss the raised eyebrows and hooded looks she got from some of the other senior NCO's. The new officer certainly had her work cut out for her. Karen decided to meet with the NCO's and try to ease Whitney's acceptance into the Company.

After checking her box for any messages from the CQ, Karen turned to Whitney. "If you have any questions about anything, let me know. I'll be in my office." Karen stopped in her doorway. "There's coffee in the orderly room."

"Thanks." Whitney walked down the hall to her office. She sat down behind the desk, and took out the contents of the envelope Gary had given her. Amused, she laughed out loud at one of her areas of responsibility. She had oversight of remedial PT. Great. I just barely made it through the run this morning. I can certainly empathize with the soldiers who fell out. Whitney was already a little stiff. Thank God, remedial PT is only on Tuesday and Thursday. She had all the way until Tuesday to get in shape. Yeah, right!

Whitney set the envelope aside and opened the drawers of the old metal desk. She found nothing of interest there and looked around the rest of the office critically. The walls were the same off-white color as the rest of the orderly room and were completely bare. A half-closed miniblind covered the only window. The tile on the floor was white with small gray flecks. What a blah office. Whitney decided to look for some appropriate things to hang on the wall when she went to the Main Exchange. A clock for starters, and then maybe a military picture or two. She would bring in some personal stuff for her desk. The office needed to maintain a military atmosphere; it certainly did not have to be barren, though.

Chapter 5

Karen looked up when a knock sounded on her door. "Come in."

SP4 Stephens opened the door, walked in, and stood in front of her desk at attention. "Specialist Stephens reporting as ordered."

Karen wasted no time. "Just what were you trying to accomplish this morning?"

"I didn't think I was going that fast..."

"You have been pace man for over a year, so don't even think of handing me that line of crap or you'll be pulling extra training for twice as long. You want to try again?" Karen growled at the soldier.

"No excuse, First Sergeant."

"You're damn right there is no excuse! You can assist the new XO with remedial PT for the next two weeks."

"Top. Come on. Please. You know how slow those guys are. Can't I pick up litter or something instead?"

"NO! Now get out of here and report to your duty section before I decide to make it a month."

"Yes, First Sergeant." Stephens quickly left her office, mentally chastising himself for not realizing she would make the punishment fit the crime.

When the door closed, Karen sat back in her chair and smirked. He wouldn't pull that stunt again anytime soon. After returning her phone calls, Karen decided to check on the new XO and walked down the hall to Whitney's office, finding the door open. She stood in the doorway watching the new officer read a regulation for a moment, then cleared her throat.

Whitney looked up and smiled, "Hi Top."

An answering half-smile appeared briefly on Karen's face. "I thought you might like to take a tour of the Company, and visit each of the sections."

"Great," Whitney said, standing up.

"Wait a minute. I have to go to Motor Pool and get the Hummer first. I'll pick you up in twenty minutes."

"Do you mind if I go with you?" Whitney was looking forward to the tour, and wanted to see the procedure for signing a vehicle out of the Motor Pool.

It probably would be a good idea for the new officer to observe Motor Pool SOP. Karen shrugged. "Okay."

The two women left the orderly room and walked the two blocks to the motor pool. Karen pointed out the senior NCO barracks, and one of the shoppettes along the way. When they entered the large building that housed the motor pool, Karen called out, "Atten-SHUN."

Whitney almost immediately replied, "At ease."

Karen walked over to the NCOIC. "LT Gordon, this is SFC Joshua Herman. Josh, meet your new XO."

After the two exchanged greetings, Karen asked, "My Hummer on line yet?"

"Yep. Top, I could've had Gamble drive it over to the orderly room. No need for you to come down yourself." Josh knew she would refuse, but felt he should make the offer anyway. Her rank was afforded certain privileges, even if the first sergeant never acknowledged them.

"Josh, you know I prefer doing the vehicle check myself." Company policy required the driver to do a maintenance check before signing a vehicle out.

"The keys are on the board, and it's in bay seven."

After getting the keys, Karen performed the maintenance check while Whitney watched. She checked the tires first and then raised the hood, carefully inspecting each item on the checklist, even though she knew the routine by heart. Satisfied, she signed for the vehicle.

Once they were out of the Motor Pool, Whitney asked, "I thought most first sergeant's had a driver?"

"They do. I prefer to drive myself. Can't see wasting a good soldier's time by having them sitting around waiting for me. Besides, I prefer my own driving."

Whitney wasn't in the least surprised at the last comment. It was obvious this woman preferred being in control. "Where are we going first?"

"I figured we'd start with Commo and Supply, because they're the furthest; then we can work our way back to NBC and the Armory. I also want to take you up to Battalion, and introduce you around. Headquarters Platoon works up there, so you'll get to meet our administrative soldiers too."

"Okay," Whitney said, agreeably.

Several hours later, Karen pulled into one of the mess hall parking lots. It was already 1300, and the two women had decided to break for lunch.

Whitney was overwhelmed. She didn't think she'd ever remember all the people she'd met. The first sergeant had been a superb tour guide, and spent a significant amount of time in each section explaining their mission within the company. Whitney was absolutely amazed at the depth of her knowledge. No matter what she'd asked, Karen knew the answer right off the top of her head without even checking the authorization tables. She was beginning to feel very lucky to have this woman for a first sergeant. Whitney also acknowledged that even though Karen remained distant, never once had she acted condescending toward her.

Karen grudgingly admitted she was rather impressed with the new XO. She had asked intelligent, pertinent questions, and seemed to be genuinely interested in each and every soldier she met. The tall woman knew she was going to have to talk to the senior NCO's later, though. They weren't affording the new officer the same respect she was showing them, and that was something that Karen would not tolerate. It didn't help that Whitney was so little and cute, either. Karen glanced at Whitney. Well, actually, she is more than cute. Beautiful is probably more like it. God, sometimes guys could be so crude. You put them in a group, and they just have to posture. When she met with the NCOIC's, she would straighten that out.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Whitney was looking forward to the weekend to process some of the information she'd been bombarded with. She would be on her own, because her new friends were going out of town. Some cabbies are going to be making plenty of money off of me this weekend. Looking at her watch, she noticed it was 5:30. She decided to leave, and picked up her hat before walking out the office.

Karen was sitting at her desk going through the leave requests, and writing memos for the unit clerk to type. She looked up when Whitney stopped in her doorway.

"I'm going to leave now. Have a nice weekend."

"You too." As an afterthought, Karen asked, "You want a ride to the BOQ?"

Whitney wouldn't have minded a ride, but felt the older woman was just being kind and didn't want to take advantage of her. "Thanks, but it'll do me good to walk. My muscles are a little tight after this morning anyway."

"Okay. See you Monday."

Karen sat back in her chair, and looked at the now vacant doorway. LT Gordon was certainly not what she'd expected. In a way, Karen was sorry she wouldn't be seeing the XO until Monday. As much as it pained her to admit it, she enjoyed the interaction with the younger woman. She also found her very attractive, and there was something more about her that appealed to Karen when she opened herself to it, but she wasn't willing to take that thought any further. It bothered her that she was thinking it at all.

Karen thought about the reception the new lieutenant had received when they toured the Company and Battalion. Whitney had a very warm personality, and she had elicited a similar response from the majority of soldiers she'd met, with the notable exception of most of the senior NCO's. Karen understood where they were coming from. Experience had taught them that the arrival of a brand new second lieutenant was usually bad news. Karen knew the new officer would make mistakes. It was part of the learning process, but Whitney had already shown a maturity that many young officers' never achieved. She had scheduled a Section Sergeant meeting Monday morning, and would address the issue then. The woman deserved a chance, and Karen was going to make sure she got it. She was well aware that the senior NCO's could make or break the young lieutenant.

Whitney walked slowly back to the BOQ. She was a little stiff, and in no particular hurry to go to her room. The temperature was in the seventies, perfect for walking. Whitney thought about her first day at work. There was a lot more to the job of XO than was readily apparent. She had a multitude of extra hats to wear. The Armory and NBC were her responsibility, and she would assist the Commander with oversight of the other sections, as well.

Her thoughts turned to the first sergeant. She still couldn't get a handle on the woman, even after spending all day with her. There were times when Whitney felt she had penetrated the aloof air the tall woman wore like a second skin, but the glimpses disappeared as quickly as they surfaced. Whitney knew she was more interested in the senior NCO than her position required, but there was something about her that attracted her. And it was this thought that concerned the young woman the most, because she didn't understand it. Well, she did understand it, but it didn't make sense. She had never been attracted to a woman before. What is so different about this one? Whitney laughed out loud at that thought. More like, what isn't different? So what if I am attracted to her? Is that such a bad thing? Whitney rolled the new concept around in her mind for a minute, and then decided, "No. It's not." She knew this was an avenue that couldn't be pursued anywhere but in her thoughts, though. She certainly couldn't mention it to anyone, especially in a military environment.

****

Donnie sauntered through the door of the NCO Club and headed for the bar. He had been looking forward to meeting some of the guys from one of the Ranger battalions for Happy Hour. The senior NCO knew they'd have some good stories to tell. At least they weren't stuck in a lousy leg unit like he was.

His friends hadn't arrived, so Donnie ordered a beer, and sauntered over to a vacant table in the rear of the room. He sat in a chair against the wall, and took a big swig from the can. The seat gave him a good view of the doorway, and he'd be able to see his buddies when they showed up.

A short time later, Donnie called out, "Chuck, Matt, over here."

Chuck Singleton had been in the army eighteen years and was the first sergeant of one of the Ranger companies. There was nothing remarkable about his appearance. He wore his brown hair closely sheared, and his face was clean-shaven. He carried himself with the confident stride of a career soldier who was comfortable in his role.

Matthew Young was a blond ruddy-faced man of average height. His light blue eyes constantly twinkled, reflecting his jovial nature and good humor. The Sergeant First Class matched strides with Chuck, and they joined Donnie at the round wooden table.

Donnie nodded at the two men. "How's it going?"

Chuck shrugged, and lowered himself into one of the chairs. Matt piped up, "Same. Nothing exciting."

Matt looked at Chuck, and winked. He turned to Donnie. "Heard you got showed up by Wilson."

Chuck nodded his head. "Yeah, I was kinda surprised to hear that. You losin' your edge or something?"

Donnie's face turned a bright shade of red. "Bitch got lucky."

"Not what I heard," Matt said, intentionally goading Donnie. "I heard she showed up everyone except Nate."

"Sure doesn't do much for the Ranger reputation," Chuck drawled, enjoying the game.

"Yeah. Makes us look bad," Matt added.

Donnie was furious, but in an attempt to save face, he said, "She probably got tipped off. I bet she's sleeping with the Old Man."

Chuck and Matt guffawed, slapping each other on the back. When he was able to speak, Chuck said, "You are so full of shit. Hell, he's afraid of her." Still laughing, he added, "You're gonna have to do better than that."

"Yeah, get real. Why don't ya just admit it? You got beat by a woman," Matt said, still chuckling.

Donnie glared at his friends. "Fuck you. Yeah, go ahead. Have your fun. You won't get another chance."

The two men exchanged glances, and decided to relent in their teasing. Wilson was purported to be top notch, but they had wanted to have some fun at Donnie's expense. "Shit happens. Besides we heard she can hold her own with anyone."

"She ain't shit!" Donnie snarled. "Next alert will prove that."

Matt decided they better change the subject. Donnie was getting ugly. "I heard you guys are going to jump in a couple of weeks."

"Yep. Be nice for a change. Leg units suck," Donnie said, still silently fuming. He was going to have to make sure that fucking bitch didn't beat him next time. He began thinking about ways to do that. A little sabotage wouldn't hurt. "I don't know what the Army's coming to these days, any way. You should see the new XO Headquarters' Company got. Supposed to be an infantry slot, and they get a woman. Not only that, she's this little short shit that looks like a kid. Unbelievable."

Matt glanced over at Chuck struggling to keep a guffaw from erupting. Donnie had such a problem with women in ranking positions. What tickled Matt though, was Donnie was only about 5'7" himself. "A woman, huh? Wonder why they did that?"

"Who knows? I'm just glad it ain't my company. Figures though. The first sergeant's a woman, so why not the XO? Next thing you know, they'll bring in a female Commander," Donnie said, shaking his head disgustedly.

A couple hours later, the men decided to leave. Donnie had consumed a fair share of beer, and Chuck decided to give him a ride home. Wouldn't do for one of their own, and a first sergeant yet, to get picked up for DUI.

Chapter 6

"Ow." Whitney sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. I knew I was going to be sore. She stood up slowly, and gingerly walked to the bathroom. Normally she slept in on Saturdays, but she had set her clock for 0700 the night before. Whitney knew it was run today, or be even sorer tomorrow. If she was going to lead Remedial PT, she had better be ready. After donning a pair of light blue jogging shorts, a beige T-shirt, and her running shoes, she headed toward the PT area. Whitney was pleased that with each step she took, her muscles became less stiff. Running today might not be so bad after all. She only planned to do the short route, anyway.

Whitney began jogging down the two-mile trail, deciding the walk from the BOQ was sufficient warm up. She kept her pace slow, enjoying the pleasant morning. The trail was peaceful, and a warm breeze gently blew against her body, cooling small rivulets of sweat that were already forming. Gaps in the foliage allowed the sun to peek through, casting its beam selectively among the shadows. Small creatures hidden from view rustled amidst the leaves, and the sweet music of songbirds filled the air.

Wonder what the first sergeant is doing? It's hard to imagine her off duty, she's so military all the time. Everyone has a personal life, though. She's probably involved with someone. For some reason, Whitney had a very hard time conjuring up that image, though. The tall, dark woman seemed so gung-ho, it was hard to imagine her in any other setting.

***

Karen put a clean set of clothes, a white towel, and washcloth in her green nylon gym bag. Her personal things were already packed. She was antsy for some reason she couldn't put her finger on, and planned on running the four-mile route. That should take care of her excess energy, and then she would shower at the gymnasium instead of coming home to change. Karen wanted to put a few hours in at work, but needed to cut the grass. She had to do it on the weekend, because it was always dark by the time she got home during the week. Showering on post would allow her to get home sooner.

The first sergeant turned into the company area and parked the car. After spending ten minutes doing stretching exercises, she began jogging over to the PT area.

When she first arrived on post, Karen had been warned about running alone through the thick woods surrounding the sandy PT trails. Since she was an expert in hand-to-hand combat, a black belt in judo, and was the top graduate of a survival and stealth test course, the senior NCO wasn't worried about encountering any problem she couldn't handle. Grinning, she thought, Anyone stupid enough to try anything would be in a lot more danger than she was.

Karen moved down the four-mile course with a steady, ground-eating stride. The trails all started off differently, but merged together for the final mile. Once she settled into a brisk, comfortable pace, Karen's thoughts began drifting. Maybe I should have asked the new XO if she needed a ride anywhere this weekend. I know she doesn't have a car here. Karen shook her head. God, what's wrong with me? I must be nuts. She's only my responsibility at work. Well, Gary did say to look out for her until he got back. Karen began running faster, forcing her mind to concentrate on the increasing demands of her body. She's not my responsibility off duty. She's a grown woman, and can fend for herself. Karen didn't agree with her inner voice, though and, angry at the contradictory thoughts, she ran faster.

Whitney was over half way through the run, her mind drifting between her new job and the tall, dark first sergeant who totally intrigued her. She smiled to herself, amused that she was spending more time thinking about Karen than her new assignment. Whitney was also concerned by the extent of her interest. She wanted to find out everything she could about Karen. She had accepted that she found Karen physically attractive, but her interest extended way beyond the physical realm. She enjoyed being around the senior NCO, probably way more than she should. Whitney decided it was probably just because Karen was so confident and knowledgeable, but deep down she knew it was more than that.

Karen turned onto the last mile of the route. Her hair was damp, and the gray T-shirt and shorts were sweat stained. Rounding a curve, she saw a runner ahead of her on the trail. When she got a little closer, Karen realized it was the new XO. There was no mistaking the small, fit body, and shapely figure of the smaller woman. A mirth filled chuckled escaped her lips. She had finally cast this woman from her thoughts, and here she was. Just as well. Until Gary returns, I should be accessible to her. Like that's the only reason.

She closed the distance quickly, and was about to pull even with Whitney, when the younger woman glanced over her shoulder and stumbled when her foot hit an uneven rut in the sand.

Whitney quickly caught her balance, but not before Karen had grabbed her arm in an attempt to help steady her. She smiled at the taller woman. "Thanks. That's what I get for not looking where I'm going. I thought I heard someone. Guess I did."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Whitney was concerned about how much she liked the feel of the large strong hand on her arm. "You can let go now."

Karen quickly removed her hand, but was unable to stop a slight blush from creeping up her face. She quickly glanced away. God, I can't believe I did that.

Whitney didn't miss the flush coloring Karen's cheeks. Now, that was interesting. I don't understand why you are so embarrassed, it's no big deal. Attempting to put her companion at ease, she said, "I didn't expect to see anyone else out here."

Regaining her composure, Karen looked at Whitney. "I run every day. You really shouldn't run out here alone. It's kind of isolated on the weekends."

"You are," Whitney said, raising an eyebrow at the incongruous statement. What's with you anyway? This double standard has to go. You think you're invincible or something?

Karen narrowed her eyes, unused to being challenged, and bit off a sarcastic retort. Besides, what can I say? I am highly trained, and more dangerous than anyone I might encounter. Yeah, right. Doesn't matter that it's true, this stubborn woman would never believe it. "Mind if I join you?"

Whitney glanced at Karen. No answer, huh? Okay, I'll let you off the hook this time. "Not at all."

"Why don't you set the pace?"

A rueful smile covered Whitney's face. "I gotta warn you, it's pretty slow."

"No problem. Nothing wrong with running slow." Boy, are you a liar. Karen ignored the small voice in her mind, and began matching Whitney's stride.

Her height advantage allowed Karen to study the smaller woman as they ran. The XO's hair was a beautiful golden blonde with just a touch of reddish cast when they entered the sun lit areas of the path. Watching the movement of her companion's arms and legs, it suddenly hit Karen that she found Whitney more than just attractive. The senior NCO almost stopped in her tracks. Instead, she silently berated herself. I had better forget this, right now. I haven't been seriously involved with anyone for ages, and I have to pick a woman to become attracted to, and an officer at that? I better get a grip, because this is insane.

She looks a million miles away, Whitney thought as she eyed the dark haired woman. So what else is knew? Her gaze drifted lower. Has she ever got nice legs. Whitney's short stature gave her a really good view of the gentle movement of Karen's breasts each time one of her feet hit the ground. Feeling a visceral attraction, Whitney snapped her head forward, surprised at the strength of her reaction. Attraction is one thing, but... She began to increase her speed, and welcomed the demands on her body until she could focus on nothing but finishing the run. When the end of the path became visible, Whitney broke into a sprint, and finished at a dead run.

Karen appreciated the faster pace. She needed to get away from this woman for a while, and regroup. It's been to long since I've been involved with anyone. Maybe it's time to start looking around. Her mind supplied, I don't think so, and she silently agreed. Karen felt herself being inexorably drawn to the XO on a primal level that she seemed to have no control over, and that's what scared her.

The senior NCO was surprised to see Whitney break into an all out run for the finish line. Talk about strong finishers. It was no problem for her to match the shorter legs of her companion, and she was at Whitney's side in an instant when the young woman doubled over out of breath.

"Come on. You gotta walk," Karen said, bending over Whitney. "You can't just stop."

"Can't," Whitney forced out, bent forward at the waist with her hands on her knees, gasping for air. That was really dumb. What were you trying to prove any way?

"Yes, you can." Karen put her hands on the smaller woman's arms, and urged her up into a standing position. "Put your arm around my waist. Come on. You can do it." The first sergeant had been through this with other new soldiers who had pushed their limits too far. Whitney was one step shy of hyperventilating, and Karen knew she had to get her to regulate her breathing. Walking would do that, and also allow her cardiovascular system to wind down slowly. Karen placed the lieutenant's arm around her waist, holding it in place with her hand. She wrapped her other arm around Whitney's back, and began walking slowly around the PT area.

Whitney couldn't believe she had done that. Did you think killing yourself would make you feel any less attracted to her? I don't even want to know what she thinks about me, now. As her breathing slowed, Whitney's senses began feeding her information. With every step Karen took, the muscles in her back rippled lightly, playing out a rhythm through her damp T-shirt, against Whitney's arm. A larger hand held hers securely in place against the NCO's waist. A long arm was draped across her back diagonally, the hand resting against her side.

Every nerve in Karen's body was reacting to the feel of the other woman against her. She was enjoying this way too much, and was glad Whitney was unable to see her discomfort. It was going to be increasingly hard to maintain professional decorum around this woman. I don't know how it happened, but you have awakened feelings I haven't acknowledged in years. This is not good. I have a career to think about.

When Karen noticed the lieutenant's breathing had slowed considerably, she reluctantly let go. She carefully placed a neutral expression on her face, and turned to look at Whitney. "You okay now?"

Whitney had been prepared to see amusement in the first sergeant's eyes, and was surprised to see only concern. A wan smile fleetingly appeared on her face. "Yeah. I'm fine. Sorry about that. Thanks. I think I got a little carried away..."

"Hey. It's okay. No big deal. Don't worry about it." Karen paused, and then added, "Okay?"

Nodding, Whitney said, "Okay."

"Come on back to the Orderly Room, and I'll give you a ride to the BOQ, if you want."

Whitney looked at Karen, and grinned. "I want."

As Karen was maneuvering the car through the Saturday morning traffic, she said, "I'm glad I ran into you today. Any place you need to go this weekend? I meant to ask you Friday, but I wasn't thinking about you not having a car."

"I don't want to be a bother, but it's really nice of you to ask."

"It's not a bother, or I wouldn't have asked," Karen said succinctly.

Whitney wasn't about to argue. She wanted to spend some time with Karen, and would take it any way she could get it. "Okay. I really need a car. If you happen to know of any good lots, that would be great."

"Matter of fact, I do. I just bought my car last month. I have to go shower and check the Company, then I'll pick you up. How about an hour?"

Without thinking, Whitney asked, "Why don't you just shower in my room, and then we could go to the Company together?"

Oh no. The way I feel right now, that is not a good idea. "I'm going to shower over at the gym. It'll be quicker that way. I'll pick you up in a half-hour. Then we can go to the Company."

Whitney was a little disappointed, but not surprised. She hadn't really expected Karen to accept her offer. It was probably just as well. "Sounds good."

***

Richard Tilford got out of bed slowly trying not to wake his wife, Kim. He walked quietly out of the bedroom, and down the hall to the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, he sighed at the bloodshot eyes that greeted him after another fitful night. So what else is new?

The soldier's thoughts drifted back to the phone call that had been the beginning of his nightmare, then slammed the door on the memory. Dwelling on it wasn't the answer, and neither was the first sergeant's offer. Are you sure?

****

Karen quickly showered and donned her clothes. She had rolled her jeans and white pullover top when she put them in her bag to prevent them from becoming wrinkled. When she pulled up in front of the BOQ, Karen was pleased to see Whitney waiting out in front. She noted the young woman was similarly attired in jeans and a light mauve, short-sleeved blouse. Whitney's jeans were just form-fitting enough to reveal the gentle curve of her hips, and Karen watched her walk toward the car appreciatively before she realized what she was doing, and glanced away.

"Hey," Whitney said, and got into the passenger side of the car.

"Hi there. After I check in with the CQ, do you want to look at cars first or go get something to eat?" She clearly remembered Whitney's comment about breakfast.

"Well, if you don't mind, I really am hungry."

Karen had figured as much, and was hungry herself. "Anyplace particular you want to go? We can do the mess hall or fast food."

"Did you ever hear of Mom's? It's out the back gate," Whitney answered, wanting to share her great find with the first sergeant.

"Yep. Never been there, though," Karen said, wondering how Whitney knew about the small restaurant already.

"I'd love to go there. I ate there once, and it was great."

Karen didn't really care where they went. She'd already decided to take the lieutenant anywhere she wanted to go, and delay her yard work until Sunday. "Okay. Mom's it is."

When the first sergeant parked in front of the barracks, they got out of the car and walked toward the building. Civilian clothing was Karen's usual attire on non-duty days, and some of the soldiers saw her and called out to her, "Top." She nodded to them, and entered the building with the XO.

"AttenSHUN." The loud, sharp directive saw troops hurrying to obey.

The voice was so commanding, Whitney almost came to attention herself. Privately embarrassed at her reaction, she stammered out a quick, "At ease." She began walking around to hide her discomfort, hoping no one had noticed.

Karen approached the CQ, "Everything quiet?"

"Yes, Top. We got a new private in this morning. I put her in Room 157, like you said. Nothing else going on, though."

"Did you notify her sponsor?"

"Yep. Hanson's down in her room now. She got here a little before you did."

"Okay. Make sure it stays quiet." Karen knew the private was in good hands. Hanson was a good soldier. She would brief the new arrival on Monday.

Karen walked over to where Whitney was standing outside the Day Room. "Ready, Ma'am?" When Whitney nodded, the two women left the barracks.

***

"What are you going to have?" Whitney looked up from the menu, and smiled warmly at Karen.

Caught up in her companion's good humor, an answering grin appeared on the first sergeant's face. The woman facing her was irresistible, with her sparking emerald eyes and beautiful smile that lit up her whole face. "Steak and eggs. What about you?" Karen closed the menu and set it at the end of the table.

"I'm going to try the sausage gravy. When I was living at home, Nana used to make it every Sunday morning." Seeing the questioning look on Karen's face, she added, "She's my grandmother. She moved in with my parents after Grandpa died."

After they placed their orders Karen began fidgeting, not sure what to talk about. "Do you plan on making the military a career?"

"No. I want to get my civilian career started. I'm a little behind my peers."

Whitney picked up her coffee and took a sip. "Why did you join the military?"

Karen shrugged, and looked down at her coffee. "Something to do."

A small furrow appeared on Whitney's brow. "Something to do? That's it?"

Glancing up, Karen met Whitney's puzzled expression. "Yeah, that's it. What about you? Why go ROTC if you're weren't planning on a career?"

"I wanted to go to college, so after I graduated, I moved to Chicago figuring I could work for about a year, and that would be enough to supplement my partial scholarship. I had no idea it was so expensive to live in the city, and I'd probably still be saving if a friend hadn't suggested ROTC." Whitney grinned at Karen. "That's it in a nutshell."

Karen's curiosity was piqued. "Where'd you live in Chicago?"

"I had a little efficiency apartment near the university. You know Chicago?"

"I lived there for a few years." Karen moved her coffee cup to the side when the waitress appeared with their orders. "Where's home?" She already knew what Whitney's personnel form said, but wanted to know more.

"Danville, Wisconsin. It's a small farming community near Madison."

The women ate in silence for a few minutes. Whitney was brimming with questions, but didn't want to make the tall woman uncomfortable. "Were you born in Chicago?"

"No, I was born in Boulder, Colorado, but I consider Chicago my home. I moved there when I was twelve."

"Oh, I've always wanted to go to Colorado. What's it like there?" Whitney took a sip of water, and set it down, her eyes alight with curiosity.

Karen really didn't want to talk about Colorado. It was where her childhood had fallen apart, so she simply said, "It's beautiful there."

The XO picked up on Karen's discomfort, and asked, "What's there to do around here?"

Breathing a silent sight of relief, the first sergeant said, "Not a whole lot that you can't do right on post. There's a few good places to eat, couple of movie theaters, a mall, but not much else. You're a lot better off driving to the coast. It's geared toward tourist traffic and really nice. You can even rent beach houses for the weekend."

"Now that sounds nice."

Karen glanced at Whitney. "You ready to go?"

Whitney nodded, and they signaled the waitress for their check and left shortly thereafter.

***

Whitney ran her hand along the metallic green paint. This car was the nicest one she had seen, and it fit into her budget, too. It was a 2000 Chevrolet Lumina LS with a beige interior to go with the darker exterior. She had heard Chevrolet Lumina's were being discontinued, so it would be nice to have one of the last ones. "What do you think?"

Karen was taken aback. What do I think? "You're the one gonna be driving it. Do you like it?"

"I like it fine, but I'd like another opinion," Whitney said, grinning mischievously. She had not missed the fleeting surprise on the taller woman's face, and decided she liked catching the first sergeant off-guard. It was the only time she got a glimpse past the professional aura Karen wore like a cloak, and since breakfast the tall woman had been even more quiet than usual.

Karen walked around the car looking at it critically. She really hadn't been paying much attention to the cars Whitney looked at, instead concentrating on ignoring her growing attraction to the woman, and maintaining professional decorum. After opening the hood to inspect the engine, sitting in the car, and checking out the accessories, Karen finally turned back toward Whitney. "It's a nice car."

"Excuse me! You spend fifteen minutes studying it, and all you can say is it's a nice car?' That's not an answer. Do you like it?"

"Yes," Karen said, exasperatedly. "I like it. Satisfied?"

Whitney was a little hurt. She just didn't understand her companion's reaction. "Well you don't have to get angry."

Frustration crept into Karen's voice. "I am not angry."

"If you say so, but you could've fooled me."

Karen looked away from Whitney. Maybe I do sound angry. But what difference does it make if I like it or not? It's none of my business. I have nothing to do with anything she does off-duty. Just keep telling yourself that, and you'll be okay.

Whitney watched the taller woman look around the lot. She wished the senior NCO would just loosen up. Karen had been uptight ever since they had left Mom's. God, all I did was ask her if she liked the car. It's not like I asked her something personal.

Karen turned back to Whitney. "Sorry if I sounded angry. I just don't see what my opinion has to do with you buying a car."

"It has nothing to do with it. I asked you because I respect you, and was curious what you thought. If you would quit being so uptight and relax, you might even enjoy yourself."

She listened to Whitney's words in silence. Karen didn't know what to say. I can't relax around you. I can't allow myself to become any more attracted to you than I already am. I know you don't understand, but it has to be this way.

When her companion remained silent, Whitney's temper began to flare. She grabbed the collar of her blouse, and said, "Is this the problem? Is it because I'm an officer? Look, no insignia, and you don't have any on either. Today, can we just pretend to be two ordinary women? You never know, it just might be fun. And call me Whitney!"

Karen was surprised by Whitney's rapid transformation. Gone was the mellow, outgoing lieutenant. In her place stood a very angry woman, with beautiful flashing green eyes that emphasized every word she uttered. Unbidden, her mind supplied, You are so beautiful. Karen suddenly felt about two feet tall. It's not her fault I am attracted to her. She knows something is wrong. And it is. But not what you think.

Conflicting thoughts warred in Karen's mind. She wanted to capitulate, but was afraid she would cross a line from which there was no return. Would it hurt, just for today? Logic insisted 'yes,' her heart cried out 'no.' For the first time in years, Karen ignored the cold voice of logic. It won't matter for just one day. "Okay, Whitney."

Surprise momentarily rendered Whitney speechless. Karen had remained quiet so long, she had worried her anger might have increased the chasm between them. An engaging smile covered her face, and Whitney spoke her thoughts. "Oh, good. Now we can have some fun."

The full impact of the XO's words slammed into the senior NCO. Was I that obvious? No wonder she was angry. Meeting the green eyes gazing at her, she said, "Call me Karen." The answering smile warmed her heart.

Karen grinned to herself as Whitney dickered with the salesman over the price of the vehicle. She felt a sense of satisfaction when the smaller woman got the car dealer to lower the price considerably. They left after Whitney filled out all the necessary paperwork, and was told to return on Monday to pick up her new car.

"Where to now?" Karen took her eyes from the road for a quick glance at her companion.

The change in her companion was noticeable, and Whitney wanted to prolong it. She searched the depths of her mind for a reasonable destination, unsuccessfully. Disappointment clouded her voice. "I guess you can drop me off now. You've probably got a lot of stuff to do anyway."

"Nothing that can't wait. Want a tour of Fayetteville?" Karen chuckled at the surprised look on the XO's face. Gotcha.

Whitney couldn't believe her ears, and said enthusiastically, "I'd love it."

Karen was an excellent tour guide, and spent a couple hours driving through the small town, taking time to show Whitney even the most minor points of interest. She drove through the Off Limits area, giving a brief description of each establishment, followed by the reason each had made the list. After stopping to eat, Karen dropped Whitney off, and agreed to pick her up the next morning enroute to the PT area.

Chapter 7

Karen woke up Monday morning looking forward to going to work, even more so than usual. Once she dropped Whitney off after running Sunday, the day had seemed interminably long. The usual fix of catching up on paperwork in the office just hadn't worked. Instead, she had left her work behind and driven around post, making several swings past the BOQ. She hadn't seen the young woman again, though. Karen knew the idea of seeing Whitney was much more attractive than that of just going to work, and that thought was very unsettling to the senior NCO. Making a quick decision to eat breakfast on post, she packed her PT bag, and left shortly thereafter.

After showering and donning her uniform, Karen made her way to the dining hall closest to the BOQ. She got a cup of coffee and walked to a table in a rear corner of the room. Settling into a chair against the wall, she directed her eyes toward the doorway. Thirty minutes later she left, frustrated because Whitney hadn't shown up, and angry with herself because she was disappointed thst she hadn't.

Whitney thanked Bonnie for the ride, and walked up to the Orderly Room, looking forward to seeing the first sergeant. She had eaten with her friends off-post, and even though work formation wasn't until 0900, she figured Karen would already be in her office. She crossed the empty room and headed down the hallway, glancing in Karen's office as she passed, then coming to a stop. "Hi, Top."

Karen smiled at Whitney. "Morning. What's on your agenda for today?"

"I thought I'd review the company inventory. That'll take the longest, so I want to start on it tomorrow."

Karen's eyes narrowed slightly, and the smile faded from her face. "I don't think that's a good idea. The sections are all getting ready for the field."

Whitney looked at the memo in her hand. "CPT Johnson asked that I complete it prior to his return."

The first sergeant sighed to herself. This was going to piss everyone off. "I don't think CPT Johnson was thinking about the bivouac when he put hand receipts on the list. I'd be happy to let him know that I suggested you wait until after we go to the field to sign for the equipment."

Whitney understood it was bad timing, but she was not about to let something on the list go undone. It was important she show the Commander he could count on her in his absence. She directed her gaze to the tall woman. "Would you let the Sections know that I will be signing for the equipment in NBC and the Armory tomorrow. Wednesday I'll do Supply and Commo, and Thursday Motor Pool and S1."

Karen bit off her words, "Yes, Ma'am." She leaned back in her chair, extending her legs under the desk. She would support Whitney's decision because it was her job to do so, but she didn't agree with it, and wasn't looking forward to telling the NCOIC's. They were going to be very upset and, quite frankly, she wouldn't blame them. The Section Sergeant meeting was due to begin in an hour, and it was not going to be a pleasant one.

A short time later, the NCOIC's were gathered in Karen's office. She paced back and forth across the front of the room. "I've noticed that when the new XO has asked perfectly legitimate questions, quite a few of you have given the short answer. Some of you have been downright rude. She needs to learn, and giving her only minimal information when she asks about how something is done in your section isn't a good idea. All of us were new at one time. I think we owe LT Gordon the benefit of the doubt. It is our job to teach the officers, not make them look bad. Would you rather follow orders from an informed leader or an uninformed one?"

Grumbling filled the room. "She's just a butter bar, what's the big deal?"

"We had to learn the hard way."

"What are you gonna do, Top, hold her hand?"

Projecting her command voice over the complaining, the tall woman ordered, "KNOCK IT OFF! All I'm asking is that you act like professionals, and do your jobs, and that INCLUDES training the officer cadre."

Karen covered some other NCO business, and then brought up the subject she was dreading. "LT Gordon will be signing hand receipts for weapons, and protective gear tomorrow. The other sections will follow later in the week. You know the drill. Make sure you're ready."

"WHAT? You're kidding!" SFC White, NCOIC of the Armory bellowed, his face turning red. "Does she know we're going to the field next Monday?"

Karen crossed her arms, inwardly sighing. "CPT Johnson left instructions for LT Gordon to sign for the equipment. She is following orders."

"Top, come on. You need to make her see reason. We don't have time to pull out each weapon, and compare the serial number against the hand receipt. That'll take all day. You said to make sure all the weapons are serviceable. That's what we're doing. I finally got that back order of parts in."

Karen listened to the entreaty with mixed feelings. She'd known White for a long time. He was a good soldier. "Look. I know the timing sucks, but LT Gordon said she wants to sign hand receipts, so that is what we're gonna do. Deal with it."

"You on her side? You forget what it's like to run a section?" White snapped. "This is asinine."

The first sergeant strode across the room, until she was standing in front of the irate NCO. Her eyes glittered dangerously, and she growled, "You are out of line. There AREN'T any sides. Until the Commander returns, LT Gordon is in command. We WILL support her just like we do the Commander. IS THAT CLEAR?"

The room was deathly quiet. It had been a long time since anyone had challenged the tall woman. She was a good leader, and used her considerable influence with the Commander to support them, but she would not tolerate being challenged.

White dropped his gaze, nodding. Top was just doing her job, but he didn't need this. They'd never finish the repairs if a whole day were lost for inventory.

Karen looked around the room, her eyes stopping briefly on each of the NCOIC's. "Are there any questions?" When none were forthcoming, she said, "Okay then. That's all I have."

She listened to the complaints filtering through the air once the sergeants cleared her office, and shook her head. Her thoughts followed them. I hear you. I tried.

Whitney sat in her office looking over the equipment list for the Armory, before returning it to the desk, her concentration broken. She would have been deaf not to hear the bitter complaining of the NCO's. The young lieutenant knew she would make many decisions that were not popular. I just wish it hadn't happened this soon.

The XO understood the Section Sergeants would have to work harder to prepare their sections for her inspection, and also get ready for the field at the same time. She also knew her decision was being questioned. The fact that the Commander had left instructions for her to sign hand receipts in his absence didn't seem to pull much weight with the NCOIC's.

Squaring her shoulders, Whitney mentally prepared for the hostility she would probably face. Karen had not approved of her decision, and that really bothered her. The Lieutenant had hoped the first sergeant would understand that she had to complete the tasks CPT Johnson had outlined. What kind of officer would let the first sergeant intervene on her behalf for not completing one of his directives? What would CPT Johnson think of her? She made the decision, and would deal with any repercussions that arose as a result of it.

***

Karen stood up, and snared her hat out of the inbox. She rounded the desk and cleared the doorway within seconds. The squeaking of leather soles impacting against the waxed tile heralded her progress down the hall. The senior NCO stopped in front of Whitney's open door, and rapped on the frame.

The Lieutenant heard the first sergeant approaching, and laid down the regulation governing hand receipts. "Come in."

"Are you ready to pick up your car now?"

The fair woman felt a surge of excitement, and a grin appeared on her face. "Sure am." I can't believe I am finally getting my very first new car. Whitney pulled her hat out of the desk drawer, and quickly joined Karen at the door.

The animated expression on Whitney's face was contagious, and Karen found herself quirking a half-smile in return. She wanted to be angry with the XO, but instead felt a grudging respect. The woman definitely had backbone. Karen's step faltered when a sharp pang of disappointment coursed through her, and all thought of the hand receipt incident was forgotten. She won't need a ride anymore. I'll only see her at work. A shocked voiced filled her mind, Do you have any idea how far gone you are?

Whitney happened to glance at her companion just in time to see the naked emotion reflected through the vulnerable look on Karen's face. She looks so sad. I wonder what's wrong? Not wanting to intrude, but very concerned, Whitney hesitantly asked, "Are you all right? If you'd rather not go, it's okay. I can call a cab."

The worried voice snapped Karen from her thoughts, and the unguarded expression melted from her face, replaced by a slightly pink tinge. "I'm fine. I don't mind taking you." Karen directed her attention to a spot on the wall, until some of the heat dissipated from the tips of her ears. When she finally met Whitney's eyes, the senior NCO managed a terse smile. "Really." Angry at her lapse, she mentally berated herself. Get her out of your mind. Let it go. Is she worth sacrificing your career over?

Whitney thought, Do you know I don't believe you? Oh, I don't think you mind taking me. But I don't believe for a minute that everything is all right. I think you need someone to talk to. Someone needs to tell you that showing your feelings is nothing to get embarrassed about, even if you are adorable when you blush. I wonder if I can get you to open up a little in the car? "Okay."

Karen let Whitney take the lead, and the two women entered the Orderly Room. Holloman had already cleared his desk and was lounging back in his chair. When he saw the two women enter, he immediately jerked upright. The first sergeant stopped in front of his desk. "I'll be off post for a while. Has the CQ picked up the keys and log yet?"

"No, Top. I just called Motor Pool. SFC Herman said Marshall's on his way up here now."

"Okay. Make sure he knows I'm off post. I'll stop by the barracks when I return."

"Will do, Top."

Karen was already making her way towards the door, when she heard Whitney address the unit clerk.

"Goodnight, Specialist Holloman."

"Goodnight, Ma'am."

The senior NCO mentally shook her head. You are so polite, and nice to everyone. It would be so easy to forget you are an officer, and that is something I can't afford to do. Even if you weren't, you're still a woman, and that wouldn't bode well for either of our careers, even if you were interested. I guess there is one good thing about you getting your own car. It'll give me a chance to get things back in perspective, and start thinking about something besides you.

Once they were both seated comfortably and buckled in, Karen put her car in gear and merged into traffic leaving the post. She drove slowly to prolong the last few private moments she would share with the beautiful woman sitting next to her.

Whitney studied the high cheekbones, and smooth, tanned complexion of her companion. A few wisps of hair had fallen from hairpins holding Karen's long ebony hair in place, and they blew gently in the wind coming through the open window. You are such a beautiful woman. "Karen."

The tall woman's heart quickened at the familiar use of her name. "Yes."

Here goes nothing. "If you ever want to talk about anything, I'm a good listener."

Okay. Now what brought that on? Oh yeah, the Orderly Room. If anyone else had made the offer, Karen would have ignored it, but she couldn't find it in herself to disregard her companion's concern. I wish I could talk to you. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." No longer able to trust her emotions around Whitney, Karen quickly changed the subject. "I bet you'll be glad to finally have transportation."

"It will be nice, but you've been great. I really appreciate all your help. You've made my life a lot easier." Whitney watched Karen closely. "It's probably a relief for you. You finally get a break from the pesky butter bar."

Karen quickly glanced over at Whitney, and saw the sober countenance of her face. You're not serious, are you? Pesky? I don't think so. "You're welcome, and I don't consider you a pesky butter bar."

Well, that's a relief. "Are we still going to run together on the weekends?" Whitney intended to use any means she could think of to see Karen off-duty.

The first sergeant's mood brightened perceptibly. Yes! I didn't even think of that. "Sure. If you want to."

Oh yeah. You have no idea how much I want to. "I'd like that. I still have a ways to go to work up my endurance for the four-mile route."

Karen pulled into the car lot, and parked. "I can wait here, to make sure it's ready."

"Okay. Let me check." Whitney had already called the salesman, but was very touched by Karen's offer, and in no hurry for her companion to leave.

The tall woman tracked Whitney's movement away from the car, and into the building. The roomy BDU's couldn't hide the gentle sway of her hips, and Karen felt her pulse begin to race. You have such a cute walk. A sardonic chuckle filled the air. So what? What if she does? There is nothing I can do about it, and even if I could, I seriously doubt she would be interested. I'm just in lust. That's all it is.

Whitney emerged from the building with a warm smile on her face. She walked around to the driver's side of the car and leaned down, resting her arms on the window opening. Impulsively, she placed a hand on Karen's arm. "Thanks for waiting. It's ready."

Karen's heart was pounding so hard, she was sure Whitney could hear it. "Uh, sure. You're welcome."

The smaller woman was in no hurry to move her hand. She was enjoying the feel of the soft, smooth skin, and the gentle movement of the muscles twitching beneath her touch, until she suddenly realized that Karen was flinching. As quickly as the sensation registered in her mind, Whitney pulled her hand away. What am I doing? Has she guessed how I feel? She really didn't like me touching her. Suddenly feeling despondent, the XO slowly backed away from the car. "See you tomorrow."

Karen was upset with herself. She'd tried to hide her reaction to Whitney's touch but obviously hadn't, because the small woman had practically snatched her hand away. I have to get my control back, before she really gets suspicious. Putting the car into gear, Karen feigned nonchalance. "Yeah, sure." She exited the parking lot, ignoring the urge to look in her rearview mirror.

Whitney watched the senior NCO drive away. She had actually dared to hope, in the hidden recesses of her mind, that Karen might share her interest, or at least be willing to share a friendship with her. The XO had even managed to convince herself that with discretion their careers could remain intact. Not any more, though. It was obvious Karen was not interested in her company.

***

The Mercury Sable moved effortlessly through the traffic, guided by a strong arm still tingling from contact with the small hand that had rested on it so briefly. Karen berated herself for being so transparent. What has gotten into me? It's not like I haven't been attracted to anyone before. Why is she different? It doesn't matter, anyway. Don't worry, Whitney, as of today, I am going to limit my contact with you to only what is absolutely necessary. Karen shoved the troubling thoughts to the back of her mind with a steely resolve.

A short time later, a new Chevrolet Lumina LS followed the path of the Mercury Sable toward Ft. Bragg. Whitney was unable to totally enjoy the thrill of driving her first new car because a tall, black-haired woman with vivid blue eyes was firmly planted in her mind. The detailed image of the exotically beautiful woman just wouldn't go away. Whitney decided the only answer to her dilemma that made sense was to avoid Karen. It would be hard since they worked in such close proximity, but it was possible.

***

Whitney watched Bonnie and Julie inspect her new car. Her friends were a welcome diversion, allowing the XO to push Karen from the forefront of her mind's eye. "What do you think?"

Bonnie climbed out of the front seat. "It's beautiful! I love the CD player. When do we get a ride?"

"Any time you want." Whitney reached out, catching the keys Julie tossed to her.

The two women exchanged a quick, barely perceptible look before turning back toward Whitney. Bonnie said, "We were just going to get something to eat when you got home. We could use a chauffeur."

Catching sight of the twin smirks on both faces, Whitney responded, "So, now I'm a chauffeur? Okay. I'm game."

After all three were settled in the car, Julie spoke up, "How about the Fayetteville Diner?"

Bonnie and Julie shared some of their weekend adventures during the leisurely dinner, before turning the focus of the conversation to Whitney.

Julie picked up her coffee, and took a sip. "How was your first day of work?"

The simple question brought Karen right back into view again. Whitney mentally shook off the image, and stirred another packet of sugar into her iced tea. "It was interesting. PT was a real challenge. They don't play, but other than that, it was pretty routine. 1SG Wilson took me around to each of the sections, and introduced me to everyone."

Julie was intrigued with some of the stories she had heard about Wilson. The woman was touted as an excellent first sergeant, but scuttlebutt had produced very little other information. "What's she like?"

You would have to ask that. Whitney gathered her thoughts, trying to decide how to adequately describe the tall, aloof woman. "She is very competent, knowledgeable, and professional. Knew the answer to every question I asked, right off the top of her head, even specific ones on the equipment and organization."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Come on. What's she really like? We already heard all that. Is she friendly, or a bitch? Is she easy to work with, or on a power trip? I heard she can hold her own with any guy. Is that true? Do you like her?"

Not expecting the last question, Whitney choked on her iced tea. When she was finally able to speak, she apologized to the two women sitting opposite her in the booth. "Sorry. It went down the wrong way."

"Are you okay?" Bonnie furrowed her brow. She knew it was ridiculous, but it almost seemed like her question about Wilson had prompted the mishap.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Whitney picked up her water and took a swallow to help ease the discomfort in her throat.

Bonnie's expression changed from concerned to curious. "Well, in that case, tell us about Wilson."

Where do I start? The blonde woman took a deep breath. Better keep it short and simple. "First off, she's not a bitch, or on an ego trip either. She's very comfortable in her role, and exudes confidence. Most of the soldiers seem to respect her." Whitney decided she had said enough, and hoped it would appease her two friends.

Julie's curiosity wasn't totally satisfied. "What about you? Do you like her? Is she easy to work with?"

Whitney did her best to adopt a disinterested look, and stirred her tea with the straw. "Yeah. I like her okay. Understatement of the year. She seems easy to work with. So, can we talk about something else?"

"Oh, come on," Julie chuckled. "You can't blame us for being curious. We're stuck up at garrison. Nothing interesting ever happens there. We just hear all the good gossip."

Delighted at the opportunity to change the subject, Whitney grinned. "Care to share?"

"The biggest news right now is a bunch of supply rip-offs. Nothing major is getting stolen. It's stuff like BDU's, especially the nonissued ones like the desert cami's. Another hot item seems to be MRE's. Like who would wanna eat that stuff if they didn't have to?"

"Oh, I don't know." Whitney shrugged her shoulders, smiling. "They're not that bad. I heard the old C-rations were really nasty."

"Matter of taste, I guess." Bonnie grimaced. "Everything else is kind of boring. Who cares who is sleeping with whom? Never could understand what was so interesting about that."

Julie commented, darkly, "Some people have nothing better to do."

Whitney glanced at her watch. It was already 2030."I don't know about you guys, but I have a busy day planned tomorrow."

The two other women picked up their joint check, and began sliding out of the booth. Julie commented, "Already? What's up? I thought the CO was TDY."

"He left me a list of things to complete while he was gone. I've gotta sign for equipment, and it wasn't a particularly popular request."

Bonnie noted the furrowed brow and pensive look on Whitney's face. "Why not? That's just routine stuff for a new officer. It is a pain in the butt, though."

"The company is going to the field next week. They're doing a lot of routine maintenance, and well, the timing is really bad."

"So, they'll get over it." Julie cocked her head to the side. "Is Wilson giving you a hard time about it?"

Whitney shook her head. "Not really. She did recommend I wait until after the bivouac. I decided not to, and when I told her to notify the sections, she just said, "Yes, Ma'am." I can't read her. I don't know what she really thought."

Bonnie glanced at Julie to gauge her reaction to Whitney's words. What Wilson thought seemed to bother their friend more than it should. She decided to try and allay the new XO's concern. "It doesn't matter what she thinks. Wilson is a professional. You gave an order. She'll follow it. I wouldn't worry about it."

"I'm not worried about that. I'm comfortable with my decision. It's just that I wish I could tell where I stand with her."

Julie jumped into the conversation. "What do you care? If she doesn't like it, tough. Quit worrying about things you have no control over. You'll drive yourself crazy. Just go with your gut, and you'll be fine."

Whitney wanted to laugh out loud. Yeah, right. Like my gut has been objective lately. "You're right. I'll keep that in mind."

After returning to post, Whitney showered and put her pajamas on. She picked up the remote, clicked on the TV and began surfing the channels. There wasn't anything particularly interesting on, so she settled on a program about whales on the Discovery channel. When her concentration wavered, and Karen entered her thoughts, she shoved the image from her mind.

***

She had accomplished her goal. She was tired. A quick glance at her watch showed it was already 2230. There wouldn't be time tonight to dwell on things that could never be tonight, or to feel the tug of loneliness that she'd been managing to keep in check until she'd met Whitney. Karen locked up the building, deciding to drive over to the barracks instead of walking.

The first sergeant strode up the sidewalk rapidly, entered the long brick building, and glanced around the lobby. She narrowed her eyes at the empty desk. Whooping and yelling broke the silence, and Karen followed the sound to the day room entrance, glancing inside. A steely tone conveyed her displeasure, as Karen projected her voice over the noise. "SGT BELDON."

Beldon jumped out of his seat, and was at the door a moment later. His heart was thudding loudly. What the hell is she doing here? She always leaves at 2000. "Yes, Top."

The senior NCO backed away to allow her subordinate enough space to leave the day room. "Why is your post uncovered?"

"Sorry, Top. I just wanted to see what the score was."

Ice-cold eyes drilled into the sergeant. Her words were delivered forcefully, but quietly. "You could've seen the score from the doorway and still observed the entrance. Looked to me like you were settled in for the game. Anyone could've walked in while you were checking the score. I hope the game was good."

Beldon nervously rubbed his palms against his pants. He was so upset, the significance of her last comment eluded him. Why does she care if the game is good? I just got chewed out for watching it. Not really knowing how to respond, Beldon said, "Uh, no. Minnesota's losing."

Karen narrowed her eyes. "That's too bad. At least if it was good, getting written up might have been worth it."

Beldon was devastated. He had just been promoted to sergeant and could lose his stripe over this. "Top. I'm really sorry. I thought it would be okay for just a few minutes."

Karen interrupted. "Where's your runner?"

"Kelly got stranded at the airport and didn't have money for a cab." Beldon shifted his weight to his other leg. "I sent Johnson to go get him."

The words were no sooner out his mouth than Karen rapidly fired off another question. "Where are the CQ orders?"

Beldon opened the desk drawer and pulled out a black notebook. "Right here, Top."

"I suggest you become very familiar with what's in that book tonight. Report to my office when you are relieved tomorrow, and I had better not find your post deserted again, or I'll relieve you from duty. Is that understood?"

The soldier's head bobbed up and down emphatically. "Yes, Top."

Karen arrived home a short time later, and prepared for bed, exhausted. She was too tired to think about anything except entering the dreamscape.

Chapter 8

Whitney stopped outside the first sergeant's door and knocked.

Karen looked up, and waited for Whitney to speak.

"I'm going down to the Armory now."

The first sergeant pushed back her chair. "I have to make a phone call. Then I'll join you."

Whitney carefully measured her words. She didn't want to offend Karen, but she didn't want to spend the day in close contact with her either. The section sergeants would probably be a little hostile, but she could deal with that. "There's really no need for both of us to be tied up all day. If there are any problems, I'll give you a call."

Karen looked at Whitney speculatively. So you decided to avoid me? No problem. Saves me the trouble of avoiding you. "Fine."

The way Karen had looked at her was unsettling, and she left the doorway plagued by conflicting emotions. It almost seemed as if the tall woman could read her mind. Whitney had clearly read the message the deep blue orbs had delivered. It had been resignation.

***

Whitney checked the last weapon against the list on her hand receipt. They were all accounted for. It had been a long day. She had worked through lunch in an effort to hurry the inventory. The worst part had been the cold demeanor of the two NCOIC's. SFC Jackson hadn't been too bad while she was inventorying the NBC equipment, but SFC White had been notably distant. She walked over to him. "Sergeant White."

White turned cold eyes toward the new XO. "Yes, Ma'am."

The lieutenant ignored the hostility emanating from the senior NCO. "How many weapons are unserviceable?"

The section sergeant literally growled at the lieutenant. "Fifty-four."

No wonder he is upset about the lost time. "How come there are so many?"

"The spring in the firing mechanism of the last bunch of new weapons was bad. We just got the replacement parts."

"I'll help. Where are the weapons that need new springs?"

White couldn't believe his ears. She wants to help? Since when do officers help with maintenance? This has to be some kind of joke. White decided he didn't want to take the time to show her how to replace the spring, when she'd probably just leave after doing one or two anyway. "Thank you, Ma'am, but you shouldn't have to be bothered with this. We'll handle it."

Whitney squared her shoulders and met the sergeant's gaze. "I said I would help. I am aware of the untimely nature of this inventory. It was necessary, but so is replacing the springs in the weapons. Now if you would show me what has to be done, we can get started."

White knew an order when he heard it. "They're in the back of the Armory, Ma'am. Come on. I'll show you where we're working on them."

After a quick but thorough lesson, she joined White and his subordinates on the floor in a back room. Whitney became engrossed in the work, completely losing track of time.

***

Karen had let Beldon off with a written counseling. When grilling him on the CQ orders, she quickly realized he'd practically memorized the book. The first sergeant seriously doubted she'd ever find him away from his post again.

After clearing her inbox, Karen began to grow restless. Curiosity gnawed at her. What was taking the new XO so long? It had just been too quiet. It didn't make sense that White hadn't called her to complain about how slow Whitney was. Karen would've agreed with him, too. It was almost 1700, and there was still no sign of the Lieutenant. Finally, unable to stand the confines of her office for another minute, she decided to visit the Armory.

She opened the heavy door and quickly perused the area, noting that the vault was secured. Walking towards the back of the building, Karen came upon a scene reminiscent of basic training. There were eight soldiers, including White and Gordon, sitting on the floor surrounded by weapons.

Karen quickly determined that no one had seen her and quietly left the area, deep in thought. She knew she should've been surprised to see the XO sitting on the floor repairing weapons, but she wasn't, and her respect for Whitney increased a notch, along with an increasing desire to spend more time with her.

White had been the most vocal in his protestations against the inventory, and there he was sitting next to Whitney, chatting like he had known her for years. The tall woman shook her head. Whitney had won her over, hadn't she? Karen rolled that thought around in her mind wanting to deny it, but in a moment of complete honesty, was unable to. It's true. She has.

Karen had tried all day to believe the voice in her mind that insisted she didn't care Whitney had chosen to avoid her, but had finally had to acknowledge that she had missed the XO. A brief flicker of jealousy made itself felt. White was sitting right next to Whitney getting to know her, and she was relegated to the role of an outsider. The flicker of jealousy gave birth to a flame of resentment. She was in an environment that forbade her to pursue a friendship with the young woman. Karen stopped walking, totally shaken by the unfamiliar emotions.

Everything had been so simple before the new XO arrived. She had set a goal, and was working towards it. But what would it cost her in the long run? A lifetime of loneliness, and was her goal even realistic? It had seemed to be when she had set it, but since she had enlisted, none of the policies that were detrimental to some soldiers had been relaxed, most specifically the newest trend of targeting gays and lesbians. She wouldn't tolerate it in her company, but there was reportedly widespread harassment ever since the "don't ask, don't tell" policy had taken effect. Karen snorted. And that policy was supposed to improve things. Karen had always used the utmost discretion in her relationships, because to do otherwise was a ticket out of the service. She also acknowledged that most of the career opportunities that had been closed to women remained so. And you're going to change all this yourself? Don't you think you're deluding yourself a little bit? With a willpower finely honed over the years, Karen forced the thoughts from her mind. They scared the hell out of her. The Army was all she knew. There was no other life.

When the first sergeant arrived back at the Orderly Room, Holloman had already left. If Whitney hadn't returned by 1730, she would call the Armory. Remedial PT started at 1800, and with everything else going on, the XO might have forgotten.

White stood up, walked over to the ringing phone, and answered it. "Sergeant White."

Karen wasted no words. "John, I want to talk to LT Gordon."

"Sure, Top." White laid down the phone, and returned to the back room. "LT Gordon. Top's on the phone for you."

The new XO slowly got to her feet, her body conveying its displeasure at being forced to remain in an unmoving position on the cold cement floor. She walked past White, picking up the phone. "LT Gordon."

Karen sighed to herself. The voice was the epitome of professional detachment. "Top here. Remedial PT starts at 1800. Soldiers usually start showing up about fifteen minutes early. Thought you might want to know."

Whitney rolled her eyes. She had forgotten all about that. It wasn't something she was particularly looking forward to anyway. "Thanks for the reminder. I'll be up there shortly."

"Sergeant White." The XO waited until he looked up to continue. "I have to leave now. I'll try to get back down here tomorrow."

It has been an eye-opening afternoon for White. He had learned a valuable lesson about being caught up by preconceived stereotypical images of people. He had totally misjudged the new officer, and made a silent vow never to fall into that trap again. "You've already helped enough, Ma'am. Thanks."

Whitney quickly made her way to the orderly room. She needed a lesson on remedial PT and that entailed talking to Karen. Remaining detached on the phone had been easy enough, but try as she might, the small woman could not quell the quiver of anticipation at the prospect of seeing the first sergeant.

Karen paced the office restlessly. After some of her excess energy had dissipated, she sat down behind her desk, pasting a neutral look on her face in preparation for the XO's arrival. When the phone rang, she answered it. "First Sergeant Wilson."

"Hey, Karen, Ty here. How 'bout joining me and Nate at the Club around 1830?"

Her first inclination was to refuse, but it would be a distraction, and she was in no hurry to go home. "Sounds good." The senior NCO had no sooner hung up than a knock sounded at her door. "Come In."

Whitney walked into the first sergeant's office. She couldn't read the inscrutable expression on Karen's face, and her anticipation faded. "Top, what is the procedure for remedial PT?"

Karen studied the XO. She looked so cute in the large T-shirt that extended down to just above the bottom of her gray shorts. She was unable to stop her eyes from traveling down Whitney's shapely legs, and quickly looked up, hoping the small woman hadn't noticed. For a brief instant, Karen thought she could see friendliness and warmth in the emerald green eyes gazing at her, but it had been so fleeting, she could have been mistaken. "We keep it really basic. Just some warm up exercises, and then the two-mile run."

Keeping her voice pleasant, but neutral, Whitney said, "Okay. Thanks." She turned to leave, but stopped when Karen called her name.

"LT Gordon." The tall woman knew it was in her best interests to avoid the XO, but she couldn't stop herself from prolonging the contact. "How did the inventory go today?"

A small crease formed between Whitney's brows. It sounded like a sincere question, and the vivid blue eyes gazing at her were...friendly? She smiled tentatively, and her insides warmed when she saw the corners of the first sergeant's mouth turn up, into this cute little rendition of a half-smile. Whitney's smile broadened. "Good. Everything checked out. Thanks for asking." She had a sudden urge to see a glimpse of the woman she had spent the better part of Saturday with, and added, "I know, it's your job."

Karen started chuckling, dissipating some of the tension. The senior NCO stopped laughing, but was unable to completely wipe the smile from her face. That really felt good. Her brow furrowed slightly when she realized the XO was looking at her curiously. "What?"

"You're really pretty when you smile." When Whitney's words played back in her mind she was mortified, and whirled around to hide her burning cheeks. "I have to go. I don't want to keep the troops waiting."

Karen watched the XO depart, her visage one of shock. She leaned forward in her chair, propping her elbows on the desk to create a comfortable place to rest her chin in the palms of her hands. Her words were innocent enough, but the delivery had been...what? Fraught with meaning. No, probably just my imagination. She couldn't deny the warm feeling the simple comment had elicited, and couldn't stop herself from reveling in it. You are in major trouble, a cynical voice admonished. Think about your career! Talk about grasping at straws. Get her out of your mind. She is not interested in you, so leave it alone. You're only going to get hurt, and lose everything. Deep from the recesses of her mind, a lone voice cried out to be heard. She does like you. Karen's face tightened, the only outward sign of the conflicting emotions warring in her mind.

Whitney stopped at the door inside the Orderly Room willing the red to drain from her face, and trying to slow her pounding heart. I can't believe I did that. I'd like to get to know her, not scare her off. Trying to set her thoughts aside, she left the building.

At least I remembered to pick up the roster. Whitney quickly read off the names, before folding the paper and putting it in her pocket. "I know you don't want to be here, so we'll get started right away." After doing some stretching exercises, she led her subordinates to the PT area.

"Okay. We're going to keep it slow and even. The whole purpose of remedial PT is to build up your endurance. I don't know any of you, so who would like to set the pace?"

Specialist Stephens remained quiet. No way was he going to set the pace for this group of losers. It was bad enough he even had to be there.

When no one volunteered, Whitney pointed to a tall, thin soldier with grain colored hair. "You set the pace, Prasky. We'll run single file. There are not enough of us for any kind of formation."

Prasky did a fair job of setting a slow, steady pace while the XO called cadence. She noticed a tight expression on Stephens' face as he struggled to avoid the feet of the soldier in front of him. Whitney slowed down until she was running beside him. "Why are you on remedial PT? You don't have any problem running."

"Top didn't tell you?" Stephens' question was answered by a puzzled look on the lieutenant's face.

He sighed. Oh boy. How embarrassing. This was no oversight by the first sergeant. She was gonna make sure he paid for his crime. "Uh. I'm on extra training."

That doesn't make sense. Since when is remedial PT used for punishment? "This seems like an odd form of extra training."

A knowing look covered his face. "Not if you know Top, Ma'am."

Now Whitney was really curious. Some of the soldiers had gotten out of step, so she began calling cadence again. Once they had settled back into step, she turned her attention back to Stephens. "What did you do?"

Stephens could feel his face warm and was thankful his dark complexion would hide the blood rushing to his face." I set the pace too fast last Friday."

Oh. So you set the pace that day. Whitney still wasn't satisfied, though. It was hard for some soldiers to keep an even pace. Why would he be punished for that? "I still don't see why that landed you in remedial PT."

The young man looked at the ground. Might as well get it over with. "I did it on purpose, and Top knew it."

Whitney was honestly puzzled. "Why would you do that? Didn't you think about the rest of the Company?"

Stephens continued to look at the ground until the XO prompted him. "Well?"

"I was just having a little fun. You were new and..."

The humor of the whole story hit the young woman, and she silently chuckled. "And you got busted." Have to give Karen a lot of credit for this one. "Stephens, I think that was a mean thing to do. You caused a lot of soldiers to fall out that day. Starting Thursday, I want you to be the pace setter."

Stephens raised his eyebrows in a silent appeal. "Ma'am, I can't run that slow."

Whitney just grinned. "You are right now." She left Stephens’ side and moved to the center of the file, calling out cadence. On the few occasions when someone started struggling, the XO slowed the group, and was effusive in her praise when the soldiers completed the run together.

***

Karen strolled to the bar of the NCO Club and looked around for her peers. The first sergeant's nonchalant perusal disguised a very thorough scan of the room. She gave no sign of recognition when she glimpsed Donnie, her eyes moving beyond him searching. Satisfied Nate and Ty hadn't arrived, she made her way to a vacant table, settling into a chair.

Her thoughts had just turned to the most confounding thing in her life, when the other two first sergeants' appeared. She waved, nodding when they joined her.

Nate smiled. "Hey." Ty pulled out a chair, and sat down. "Karen." The three ordered a round of drinks and began chatting.

"How's it going?" Karen queried, taking a sip of her drink.

"Same ole. Had a little excitement on the range today." Nate shook his head, thinking of the close call. "One of my pea brained soldiers decided to clear his weapon by pointing it at the adjoining foxhole. Fortunately I was right there, otherwise I'd be doing a casualty report right about now. I'd like to know how he ever got out of basic."

After the three commiserated with Nate, Ty asked, "What about you Karen? Ready for the field?"

"Getting there." The tall woman set her glass down on the napkin. "We got a bad shipment of weapons that set us back." She shrugged her shoulders. "We'll be ready."

"Yeah, we always are, aren't we? At least it's only for three days." Nate looked into his drink. "I think they should revamp our job descriptions to include miracle working."

Feigning a surprised look, Ty said, "I thought that was already in there."

Karen smiled in agreement. It was all just part of the job.

Ty looked over at the beautiful woman. "You've haven't said much. So, how's your new butter bar? Help or hindrance?"

"Cute, Ty." Karen stirred her drink, formulating an answer. "She definitely doesn't fit the stereotype. I think she could be a good one."

Nate looked at Ty surprised. The XO must be some piece of work to warrant such high praise from Karen. Her opinion of officers was well known to them. "What makes her so different?"

"In a word, maturity." Karen decided not to elaborate. Her reason for joining her peers had been for a diversion, not a discussion of what she needed a diversion from.

Ty sighed loudly. "You are so forthcoming. Care to elaborate?"

Nate winked at Karen. "Another sentence or so would be nice."

Karen snorted. "And they say women like gossip."

Ty placed a hand on his chest in an exaggerated gesture of hurt. "Gossip! This isn't gossip, it's professional curiosity."

Nate and Karen laughed at the mock-horrified expression on their companion's face.

"It's kind of hard to explain. Just a gut feel, more than anything. She seems to genuinely care about the soldiers. She doesn't flaunt her rank, and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty." Karen took a sip from her glass. "I heard another supply room got ripped off."

Ty waved to the waitress. "Yeah, so did I. Over on the hill."

***

Donnie glared at his peers one last time before sauntering out the door. He couldn't believe Nate and Ty were associating with that crazy bitch. They are nothing but assholes. No woman was gonna tell him what to do. Bitch is probably a dyke. She don't act like no natural woman. A burst of inspiration filled his mind as he looked at the parked cars outside the club, and he quickly looked around to make sure he wasn't being observed. Donnie slid his hand into his pocket, pulling out a small knife. He ran the blade against his thumb, smiling malevolently. Dropping to the ground, he rolled onto his back, sliding his head and shoulders under the front end of the silver car. Donnie snaked his arm through the tight opening, grasping his target near the crankshaft, and began sawing with the knife. When he met some resistance, brute strength offered the solution.

The short man scooted from beneath the car and stood up. He casually strolled across the parking lot toward his own car, quite pleased with himself. Donnie smiled at the various scenarios playing through his mind of Karen stranded on the outskirts of Fayetteville, on a dark lonely road, with no one around.

***

The tall woman stood up. "See you two later."

Nate asked. "Would you mind dropping me off?"

Karen shrugged her shoulders. "No problem. I have to stop by the Company first."

"Thanks. My car's in the shop again. I'm gonna have to break down and buy a real car, one of these day."

Ty laughed. "Yeah, right. "You’ve been saying that for the last three months."

****

Karen drove home on automatic pilot. Another late night. She was purposely pushing herself to exhaustion, so she wouldn't be able to dwell on Whitney, but it was already taking a toll. After dropping Nate off, the senior NCO had stopped at the grocery store, and picked up a few prepared dinners. It seemed like she never had time to cook, and the ready-made meals served their purpose. When she finally got home, her appetite had deserted her, giving way to exhaustion, and she opted for bed.

Chapter 9

The irritating chirp of the alarm clock assaulted her ears, and Karen absently reached over to silence it. A quick glance out the window verified it really was already 0500. After donning her PT uniform, she walked out to the garage, promising herself tonight would be an early night.

She settled tiredly in the car, and after fastening her seat belt, slid the key into the ignition, turning it. Nothing happened. The car was dead. Disgusted, she popped the hood, got out of the vehicle and flipped on the garage light. Karen quickly checked the battery cables to ensure they were tight, and then peered at the engine. Okay, let's see. If it's not the battery, and the car is dead, what else? The alternator. The tall woman bent over directing her attention to the silver contraption, and suddenly raised upright muttering a curse. The drive belt was missing. Great, just what I need.

Karen closed the hood, turned off the light, and walked back into the house to call for a taxi. Now in a dark mood, she quickly packed a bag and retreated to her front steps to wait for the cab. There would be no trip home after PT today.

***

Puzzled, the XO looked around intently. The first sergeant hadn't arrived. One thing Whitney had learned during her short tenure was that Karen always arrived at least a half-hour before PT. She raised her wrist, checking the time again. It was 0555. The lieutenant mentally prepared to take charge of PT. The routine was familiar enough, but it was not a choice she would have willingly made. When she saw Karen emerge from a taxi, Whitney breathed an audible sigh of relief.

Her eyes tracked the tall woman, who was carrying a bag and rapidly crossing the parking lot. A short time later, Karen emerged from the orderly room, and at precisely 0600, the words, "Form up," rang out across the parking lot.

***

Whitney had spent the majority of the day inventorying Supply, and was almost finished. She looked quizzically at the NCOIC.

SFC Fuller's brow was creased over his bushy eyebrows. This didn't make sense. The NCOIC was positive all the generators had been accounted for before he went on leave. He had been busy preparing for the field during the week since his return, and hadn't had any reason to check on them. There was no mistake--one of his small generators was missing. Fuller glanced at the short woman looking at him expectantly. "It's missing. SSG Jordan was in charge while I was on leave. I'll check with him."

He quickly walked out into the main Supply Room trailed by the XO. "Sergeant Jordan."

A dark-haired man looked up. "Yeah?"

"One of the small portable generators is missing. You know where it's at?"

"I tested all the generators last week. It wouldn't fire up, and I couldn't find anything wrong, so I sent it for repair."

Fuller breathed a sigh of relief. "Where's the paperwork?"

"It's in the file." Jordan strolled over to the file cabinet and began rummaging through a drawer. Five minutes crawled by. "I can't find it." The sergeant looked at his NCOIC. "I'm sure I put it in here. I must have misfiled it."

The supply sergeant shook his head. If he had his choice he would have left SGT Morrison in charge while he was gone. The only reason he hadn't was because Jordan outranked Morrison, and he couldn't legally do it. "Find it."

Fuller turned his attention back to Whitney. "Ma'am, it's been sent for repair. I'll show you a copy of the paperwork when Jordan locates it." He narrowed his eyes, and glared at his subordinate. "Which will be very soon."

About five minutes later, Jordan reappeared with a form in his hand. "Here it is."

Whitney took the proffered form. "I need a copy of this to attach to my inventory."

Fuller glanced at Jordan. "Go make a copy."

Narrowing his eyes, Jordan glared at the senior NCO, his facing turning bright red. Staff Sergeant's didn't run errands. Snatching the form from Whitney's hand, he angrily strode out of the building.

The XO looked at Fuller questioningly. "He always like this?"

"Let's just say he ain't gonna burn any bridges down, Ma'am."

Several hours later, Whitney trudged back to the Orderly Room. She had skipped lunch again and was exhausted. It was almost 1700. She knew Supply and Commo would be hardest because the bulk of the TO/E inventory was located in those sections, but Whitney hadn't realized just how long it would take to complete the job. Fuller had been courteous, but it was obvious that he was unhappy about the inventory. His body language had spoken volumes, and the tension had taken its toll on the small woman.

***

Karen slammed down the phone and paced around her office. Her car was still under warranty, but what good was that if they wouldn't be able to fit it in until Friday. She'd just replace the belt herself; the cost of the part wasn't covered under the warranty anyway. The first sergeant picked up the phone again, but laid it back in the receiver when she heard the Orderly Room door open.

Curiosity drove her to the doorway of the office. Her workload had increased because of Gary's absence, and she hadn't had time to call Supply to check on the status of the inventory. Karen observed the XO's slow walk and felt a pang of sympathy. "Motor Pool and S1 will be easy compared to Supply."

Whitney hadn't seen Karen standing in the doorway of her office. A wan smile covered her face. "It has to be."

Karen leaned against the doorframe. "Any problems?"

"No. Not really. One of the generators was missing, but it had been sent for repair last week. I made a copy of the request for maintenance."

The first sergeant raised an eyebrow. "Mind if I take a look at that?" She was supposed to be informed any time that equipment was sent out for repair.

When Whitney handed her the form, Karen quickly perused it, and found no discrepancies. She made a mental note to check it out before returning it to the XO.

The small woman cocked her head to the side. "Something wrong?"

"Doesn't seem to be. Company procedure requires all requests for repair to be routed through me. This one wasn't. I'll check on it."

Nodding, Whitney's brow furrowed. "Where's your car?"

Karen scowled. "The drive belt decided to take a hike. I'm gonna replace it tonight."

"Need a ride?"

"Thanks, but I'll just call a cab." Karen had been tempted to accept, but Whitney looked tired.

The XO was unable to completely hide her hurt at the rebuff, and a protective anger emerged. Emerald green eyes flashed their displeasure. "You can run me all over God's creation, and I can't repay the courtesy?"

I just can't win. Karen mentally sighed. "You look tired, that's all. I have to stop at the parts' store to pick up a belt before I go home, and I didn't want to delay you that long."

Whitney's anger began dissipating. "Thanks for being so considerate, but if I was too tired, I wouldn't have offered."

Deja Vu. That's basically what I told you, isn't it? "A ride would be great."

"Okay. Let me know when you're ready." Whitney went to her office and carefully filed the inventory into the folder that she had created for hand receipts. The tiredness faded from her countenance, only to be replaced by curiosity. She would get to see where Karen lived. It just might give her some insight into the tall woman.

Whitney followed Karen's directions first to the parts store then to her house. The senior NCO had been pleasant but aloof, and seemed to weigh every word she uttered. The fair woman didn't understand the mixed messages emanating from her companion. She would open up, and then when Whitney responded in kind, Karen became aloof again. It almost seemed like she was afraid they might become friends. Whitney frowned. Maybe that's the problem.

Karen got out the car and smiled warmly. "Thanks for the ride."

Whitney's pulse began pounding, and she had to remember to take a breath. What a smile. "Anytime." The XO wanted some insight into her aloof companion. Thinking quickly, she used the only excuse that came to mind, "Would you mind if I used your bathroom?" Perhaps the inside of the first sergeant's house would answer some of her questions.

"No. Come on. I'll show you the way." Karen opened the garage, tossed the drive belt onto a workbench, unlocked the house door, and quickly walked through the house to the bathroom.

Whitney wished Karen would slow down. She had little time to absorb anything and still keep up with the long-legged woman. Her companion stopped in front of the bathroom door. "I'll be out in the garage."

Karen was gone before she had a chance to respond. That was abrupt. Whitney glanced around the bathroom absorbing the images it provided. Two thick, plush blue towels hung from a rack on the door, accented by a white rug with blue trim and matching curtains. A hamper sat in the corner, and a clear shower curtain hung from the rod. Other than a couple of hairpins sitting on the tank cover, everything was neat and tidy. Even the garbage can was empty. She turned toward the mirror over the sink and eyed the medicine cabinet. No. Stifling her curiosity, she turned away with a sigh, used the toilet, and emerged a few minutes later.

On the short walk up the hallway towards the kitchen, Whitney stopped to glance in an open door. There was a large mat on the floor and some weights lying around, but the room was devoid of anything else that might give an indication of just what the mat was used for. She glanced back down the hall, and decided Karen's bedroom must be the door at the far end of the hall. Not wanting to intrude, she again checked her curiosity and proceeded up the hallway.

When she reached the end of the hall, Whitney walked through the dining room, glancing at the living room on her left. A TV sat centered in front of a large bay window covered by partially open ivory drapes, and three videos lay on top of a walnut-colored coffee table. Hesitating only a second, Whitney quickly crossed the carpet to take a closer look. She noticed an overstuffed, dark-blue recliner, and earth tone couch on the wall opposite the window, but her attention was drawn to the videos. She stooped over for a closer look, not in the least surprised to see that one of them was Saving Private Ryan. That movie had been intense. Her eyes quickly scanned the other titles. Judging from the jacket picture, Best of the Best was some karate movie. Spit Fire Grill was the other one. She'd never heard of it, and picked up the movie to read the back cover of the jacket, mentally recording the name to check out later.

"See anything interesting?"

Whitney jumped and whirled around, simultaneously embarrassed and chilled at the steely tone of voice directed at her, and then she stammered, "Uh. No. Sorry." Her stomach plummeted at the cold expression on Karen's face, and she felt a brief flicker of fear. Determined not to let it show, Whitney forced herself to meet Karen's eyes, and repeated, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see what that movie was about. I didn't think you would mind." When Karen remained silent, she quickly laid down the video, stepped around her, and walked to the door, feeling the tall woman's eyes watching her. She glanced back at Karen one last time, and said, "Sorry," before exiting the house, and doing a good imitation of an Olympian walk to her car.

Karen stood in the living room watching Whitney back out of the drive. She was angry, and a little hurt, that Whitney had chosen to invade her privacy. Her actions were not in agreement with her thoughts, and she waged an argument with herself. You overreacted; it was only a couple of movies. [That's not the point]. What are you so afraid of? That you care what she thinks?

Her irritation doused her inner voice, and Karen stalked back to the garage to continue replacing the drive belt. She had only gone in to change out of her uniform, and had been taken completely off-guard when she saw Whitney standing in the middle of her living room. Was that such a bad sight? A loud curse, caused by a slipped wrench and bloody knuckle, was the only answer heard.

After Karen got the belt on, she paused and leaned over the engine in exasperation, shaking her head. Any fool knows you need a jump when the battery is dead. What is wrong with me? She walked into the house and called the number her car insurance provided for emergency service. When the dispatcher advised her it would be at least an hour before the truck would arrive, Karen went into her workout room and began a series of complicated exercises to work the stress from her body.

After getting a jump from the tow truck, Karen went riding around to charge the battery. With no particular destination in mind, she drove the quiet country roads surrounding Fayetteville. Karen was trying to come to terms with why she'd been so angry, and why the younger woman had been curious enough to look at the movies. Why should she care what movies I watch? [You'd have done the very same thing, who do you think you're kidding?] By the time Karen returned, she wasn't sure who she was angrier with, herself or Whitney. A short time later, she prepared for bed, but sleep proved to be elusive, and when found, it was restless.

***

Whitney never remembered the ride back to post. The XO now knew one thing with absolute certainty; the feeling of danger that had permeated the air during her first meeting with the first sergeant had not been her imagination. How was she ever going to face Karen tomorrow? How could she ever justify her curiosity to the tall woman? You could be honest. Frustrated, she answered herself. Not likely.

TV held little interest for the XO, her mind occupied with trying to come up with a way to undo what she had done. So far, she had come up blank. Whitney thought about telling Karen that she saw the movies, and had just been curious. That was true, but she'd looked so angry.

The events of the long day, coupled with an evening of worrying about what Karen thought of her and what would happen the next day finally caught up with her, and she fell into a troubled sleep.

***

The XO studiously avoided Karen the next day, which was relatively easy since she spent most of the day hand receipting equipment in Motor Pool, and S1. It was 1700 before she finished, and in an hour she had to lead Remedial PT. Whitney could understand why second lieutenants got stuck with that job. Who wanted to run PT twice a day? At least it's only twice a week.

When Whitney entered the Orderly Room, Holloman called, "Attention." Immediately responding, "At ease," she waited for the clerk to sit back down.

"CPT Greer called for you, Ma'am. He just said to tell you tomorrow morning would be a good time to review the personnel forms you wanted to see."

"Thanks." Whitney walked past Karen's door and managed to keep from glancing in. Arriving at her office, she closed the door, pulled the miniblind, and quickly changed into her PT uniform. The XO sank down into her chair, knowing she had to find some way to approach Karen. Avoiding her would only make things worse, and CPT Johnson might pick up on the tension when he returned the next day.

Karen never looked up when the XO walked past her doorway, but her sharp senses followed the small woman down the hall. She hadn't really expected Whitney to stop, and was glad she'd chosen not to. Karen didn't know how she felt about the whole thing right now. She was still upset that Whitney had chosen to nose around, instead of asking if she wanted to know something, but at the same time, Karen knew she'd done nothing to encourage that type of openness. She decided to go check the barracks, and left.

Whitney walked down to Karen's office, saw it was empty, and breathed a silent sigh of relief. She'd decided to try and make amends with the first sergeant, at least on a working basis, but she still welcomed the reprieve. A short time later, she walked outside to lead PT.

Karen stood out of sight, appreciatively watching Whitney lead one warm-up exercise after another. There was no denying that she was attracted to her, but she had a better handle on it now, and had decided that it was just primal physical desire. Yeah, and the Pope's not Catholic. [That's all it is]. Really? Is that why you read her whole Form 2 over again yesterday? Twice? Karen willed her mind to silence and angrily trekked to the orderly room after the remedial PT troops departed the area.

She needed to work off some stress, and decided to call Manny to see if he was up to a match. He was the only one who could still offer any type of a challenge to her Judo and hand-to-hand combat skills. Manny agreed to meet her at the gym at 1800, and Karen departed after locking up the building, knowing it wouldn't be a problem because Whitney had been issued a key.

Refreshingly tired, Karen returned to the orderly room an hour later in a sweat stained T-shirt carrying her gi jacket, and wearing the gi pants. She was going to have to remember to bring in some fresh ones. This had been the last gi in her locker. Manny had hit the mat so many times, she'd felt sorry for him, but her timing and balance had been perfect, and he'd never really had a chance. One last check of the barracks, and it looked like she was finally going to get that early night in.

Whitney had returned in Karen's absence, gathered her belongings, and locked the building back up. Since Karen's car was still in the parking lot, she knew the first sergeant would be back, but there was no way to know when that would be, so she decided to go shower and try to catch her afterwards.

Whitney drove up to the orderly room a short time later, just as Karen was locking up the building. "Top. I'd like to talk to you for a minute."

The senior NCO opened the door to the Orderly Room, and waited for Whitney to enter, following her into the building. "Your office, or mine?"

"Yours is fine." Whitney didn't want to set the wrong tone by insisting on her own office.

After they entered her office, Karen walked around behind the desk, and waited for the XO to sit down first, following suit when she did.

Whitney nervously stood right back up after Karen sat down. "About last night…"

"Forget it. That has nothing to do with work."

"Yes it does. We have to work together. What I did was wrong, and I shouldn't have done it, but I did, and I can't change that. I told you I was sorry, and I meant it." Whitney paused for a moment. She could not read Karen. The woman was sitting there looking at her with an implacable expression on her face. You are so frustrating. "Are you just going to sit there and say nothing?"

Karen was unnerved when she found herself wanting to apologize for over reacting, and became defensive. "What do you want me to say? You invaded my privacy. Why didn't you just ask if you wanted to know something?"

An unbelieving laugh forced its way out of Whitney's mouth. "Yeah, right. You hardly said anything all the way home, unless I specifically asked you something, and then I'm going to ask you what kind of movies you like." Whitney walked over to the window trying to gather her thoughts before turning back to face Karen. "If I had, would you've answered?"

Would I have? Karen met the inquisitive green eyes, before glancing away. "I don't know."

"Neither did I." Whitney walked back over to the chair, and sat down. "Karen, could we please put that incident behind us. It's not something I will ever do again. If I ever want to know anything, I'll just ask you."

The tall woman was finding it increasingly difficult to remain aloof. First, she looked at me with those beautiful green eyes, and then she calls me Karen. Where is my will power? And why do I think I just may have come out on the short end of the stick in this conversation? Managing to maintain what she felt was the appropriate level of professional decorum, Karen said, "Fine. Consider it forgotten. Anything else you want to talk about."

A rueful smile appeared on Whitney's face. "Yes, but nothing that would interest you."

"How do you know? Try me." She needed to know if the new officer was having any problems. It was her job.

The XO just shook her head. "Some other time maybe. Thanks for hearing me out. Goodnight, Top." All Whitney wanted to do was leave, before she gave in to her temptation to tell Karen some things that she was quite sure would shock the woman.

Karen hadn't missed the crossover from personal to professional when Whitney addressed her, and a little disappointed, she countered with, "Goodnight, Whitney."

The small woman stopped in her tracks. Karen had actually called her Whitney without being prompted to? She glanced over her shoulder and smiled, before turning back to the door, not trusting herself to speak. The XO knew it was just a little thing, but somehow it seemed like a huge breakthrough, and she didn't want to say anything to spoil the moment.

Karen's eyes tracked Whitney to the door. Actually, she did feel better with that incident behind them, but she didn't understand the XO's motivation for looking at the movies in the first place. Whether she would've answered a personal question or not, still didn't explain why Whitney was so curious. The first sergeant acknowledged she was increasingly curious about the young woman, and wanted to know more about her, but it seemed like Whitney was just as curious about her. Interesting. She's naturally curious and friendly. That's all it is.

Karen left her thoughts behind, and locked up once again before walking over to the barracks. It looked like she was finally going to get an early night in. Her lack of sleep was affecting her focus, or so she chose to think.

Whitney arrived back at her room and sank down into the loveseat, a huge weight off of her shoulders. Now what? Now nothing. It was obvious Karen wasn't particularly interested in her friendship, but the first sergeant's unexpected use of her name still brought a smile to her face. Maybe there was a chance after all.

Suddenly wishing she had someone to talk to, Whitney picked up the phone and dialed her parents' number. She spent a few minutes conversing with her mother and father before asking to speak to Nana. She enjoyed a close relationship with the small feisty woman, and talking with her might divert her attention from the emotional roller coaster she'd been on for days.

Whitney hung up the phone smiling. Nana had used her unique sense of humor to bring her up to date on everything happening in her small home town, and just talking to her had lifted the XO's spirits considerably. She decided to spend the rest of the evening just relaxing and watching TV. Searching the listings, she settled on one of her favorite movies, As Good As It Gets. She began losing herself in the romantic comedy, finally pushing Karen from her mind. There was no point in dwelling on something she couldn't do anything about. Whitney almost convinced herself of that, too.

***

After arriving home and eating a TV dinner, Karen walked into the living room and sank onto the couch. She glanced at the coffee table where the three movies still sat, untouched since Whitney had looked at them. Out of habit, she switched on the TV, but was uninterested in watching it and got up restlessly. Karen walked outside, the clear night affording her a gorgeous celestial display. Opening a lawn chair, she sat down enjoying the cool evening breeze. A sudden burning desire to talk to Whitney filled her mind, before she angrily quelled the thought.

Unsettled, Karen walked back into the house. She pulled an old copy paper box out of the closet in her bedroom, and sat down on the floor, straddling it with her long legs. She removed the lid and pulled out a black three-ring notebook. The tall woman opened it, and looked at the first of many military certificates, all carefully encased in document protectors. It was her certificate awarded upon completion of the First Sergeant Academy. Karen had graduated at the top of her class, and clearly remembered the extra effort she'd put forth to make sure her efforts were recognized, but that was always the case. She'd always had to prove herself and work twice as hard as her male counterparts to receive the same recognition they did for lesser feats. She slowly paged through the book, reading each entry.

Karen remembered how proud she been when presented with her myriad of awards, and closed the book after reading the last entry. She pulled a small black box out of the larger one. Taking the lid off, she looked at the Bronze Star, her most coveted award. She had some scars to show for that one, compliments of the Persian Gulf. Karen suddenly realized her whole adult life was contained in the copy box, and finding that thought very disturbing, she closed the box and shoved it back in the closet.

Snorting self depreciatingly, Karen decided the only way she was going to get to bed early was to shut off her thoughts, and her mind was no longer obeying her will. Frustrated, she went to her workout room, and brutally worked her body until physical exhaustion surpassed her ability to think, and after a quick shower, she fell into bed, immediately falling asleep.

Chapter 10

The next morning, after checking to make sure she had completed all the tasks Gary had given her, Whitney walked up to Battalion intent on finally reviewing the green sheets that captured the essentials of each soldier. She was given a thick stack of computer-generated forms, and was directed to an empty desk in the personnel office.

The XO glanced at the first one, but her attention soon wavered. A few minutes later, she gave up trying to remain detached, and quickly located Karen's form in the alphabetical stack. Her birthday was October 31, 1969, and she had entered the Army in 1987, scoring a very high 142 of 160 on the entrance exam. Now that was impressive. Other than that, the personal part of the form was not very enlightening, except for two things. Karen had never been married, and she had a bachelor's degree. I wonder why she didn't pursue an officer track?

Whitney began reading the military information listed. Karen had been promoted very quickly throughout her career, and had attended all the NCO leadership courses through the first sergeant's course. No surprises there. Her specialty was Radio and Communications, and previous assignments included Texas, Germany twice, South Korea, Grenada, and the Persian Gulf. Whitney paused, and then carefully reread the awards section. Bronze Star, Purple Heart (2), Meritorious Service Medal (4), and two Army Commendation Medals. That's some list of medals. She turned her attention to the other awards, noting that she was an expert in marksmanship, an expert driver, and had several ribbons for overseas service, including those specific to duty in Grenada, and Saudi Arabia. Of course there were also the usual ones everyone got, like one for service, and another for good conduct.

Whitney laid the form down. While it had answered some of her questions, it had brought up several more. She said if you wanted to know something, you should ask. Whitney held back a rueful chuckle at the image that thought evoked, and began reviewing the other forms.

***

Karen returned to her office after spending most of the morning checking the sections to determine their readiness for the field. Gary was due back later, and she'd review her findings with him.

The first sergeant picked up the repair form Whitney had given her yesterday. She dialed Supply's number, waiting impatiently for it to be answered. "Greg, who sent in the maintenance request on the generator?"

"Jordan did."

"Send him up here. I would like to personally ask him why the form wasn't routed through my office."

Greg shook his head and sighed. "Why am I not surprised? Will do, Top."

Karen looked up at the staff sergeant standing in her doorway when he rapped on the doorframe. His black curly hair hung loosely over his forehead giving him a boyish appearance. "Come in."

Jordan walked in and stood casually in front of the first sergeant's desk. "SFC Fuller said you wanted to see me."

"Why didn't I see the maintenance request on the generator before it went out?" Karen watched Jordan closely. He never showed any initiative, doing only enough to get by, and she had no use for NCO's with that attitude.

"You were busy, and I wanted to make sure we got it back in time for the field." Jordan was irritated that she had noticed the oversight, but was careful not to let it show. If it hadn't been for that damn butter bar, she'd have never even known about it.

Karen raised an eyebrow, angry at the casual attitude of the man standing in front of her desk. His demeanor was just short of insolent. "So you decided to bypass SOP and send it off. Why isn't it back yet? Certainly, since you personally handled the request, and…" she picked up the form, and read from it to make her point, "it was sent to maintenance almost two weeks ago, it should've been returned by now."

"They're probably just behind. I'll give them call." Jordan folded his arms across his chest, and shifted his weight to his other leg trying to keep his face expressionless to hide his concern.

Suddenly standing up, Karen growled, "Don't bother. I already did. They have no record of ever receiving it. You want to explain that to me?"

Shit. Jordan had known the generator would turn up missing, but they weren't due for an inspection for several months, and by then, no one would have known when it had disappeared. He'd planned on telling Fuller it was in repair if he asked about it, and Jordan knew the NCOIC would never have questioned it. Goddamn XO. The last thing he needed was Top on his ass.

His voice sincere, Jordan met the tall woman's eyes. "There has to be some mistake. I took it over there myself in the four by four. I'll go check with the guy who signed it in."

Karen narrowed her eyes. She had her own suspicions about the missing generator. "You do that."

Jordan turned to leave, and was halted by Karen's steely voice. "If that generator doesn't turn up, you're looking at an Article 15 when we get back from the field. And I will recommend a reduction in grade to the Commander. So you might want to think about that while you're looking for it."

Jordan's eyes narrowed, and he departed the office without a word. I don't think so.

Karen picked up the next item in her inbox, Whitney's personnel form. She didn't have to read it. She'd already memorized every entry. The XO was born on October 4, 1974 in Dansville, Wisconsin, but listed her home of record as Madison. She smiled when she saw her degree was in political science. Her next of kin was Linda Gordon, and her marital status was single. Karen had no interest in the few military entries. Realizing she had not even glanced at the form in her hand, she put it back in her inbox, and tried, unsuccessfully to focus on the upcoming field exercise.

***

CPT Johnson sat behind his desk contemplating Karen's briefing. He'd known she would ensure that everything ran smoothly while he was gone, and the field preparations would be completed. What had been surprising, though, were her positive comments about the new XO.

He picked up the memo from LT Gordon again and looked at it. She'd meticulously given him the status of each of the things on his list. Gary picked up the phone and dialed her number.

"LT Gordon."

"I'm ready for you to brief me now."

"Yes, Sir. I'll be right there."

Gary listened to the thorough briefing closely. This was an impressive young woman, but there was something she needed to learn, and in a way, he hated to bring it up because it was the result of his own oversight. He should've known better than to put hand receipts in the memo with a field trip coming up, but he'd wanted to keep the new officer busy while he was gone.

"I think you did a great job with the hand receipts. Through your efforts we have identified a missing generator."

"It's at maintenance," Whitney commented, puzzled.

"No it's not. Top hasn't seen you since you returned from S1, but it was never logged in. Good work."

Whitney smiled, pleased with the compliment. "Thank you."

"There is one thing I want to mention, though. We have an excellent first sergeant. I rely heavily on her, and trust her implicitly. She's the best I've ever served with. When she makes a suggestion, I listen because she doesn't make them arbitrarily, or without looking at the overall picture. The three of us are a team. I want you to keep that in mind."

The XO knew she had just received an important piece of advice. She met Gary's eyes. "The hand receipts."

He nodded. "I shouldn't have put that on the list. It was an error on my part. Karen knew that. By the way, she never mentioned her disagreement with your decision in her briefing."

She didn't? Whitney had mentioned it figuring Gary already knew about it anyway. Karen had tried to protect her, and that thought was of much more importance to her than Gary's gentle lecture.

"I won't make the same mistake again."

"No problem. You did do a great job with the hand receipts."

"Thank you."

"Oh, and Whitney?" When he had her attention, Gary said, "I probably would've done the same thing when I was new."

Whitney smiled her appreciation at him before leaving the office. Curious about why Karen didn't tell Gary that she disagreed with her decision, Whitney decided to stop in the first sergeant's office. She stopped in the open doorway and waited for Karen to glance up. "Mind if I come in?"

"No. What's on your mind?" Karen laid down the new regulation she'd been reading, and directed her full attention to the XO.

Whitney closed the door and sank into the chair next to Karen's desk. Slouching comfortably, she turned to face Karen. "Remember when you said to ask something if I wanted to know it?"

Uh oh. Karen instantly became wary. "Yeah."

"I was just wondering why you didn't tell Gary you disagreed with my decision to go ahead and do the hand receipts."

What a loaded question. Karen thought her answer over carefully. She knew it was something she normally would've mentioned, but hadn't wanted to call attention to what she still considered a poor decision. She must have mentioned it herself. That's the only way it would've come up. "Didn't seem much point. It's over and done with. Besides, I didn't get a chance to tell you, but the generator that was supposed to be in repair is actually missing." Karen smiled. "So I'd say some good came of it."

Whitney returned the smile. "Thanks. I'm glad you didn't mention it." She paused for a moment before voicing her thoughts. "We still gonna go running tomorrow?"

"Sure, if you want to." The tall woman leaned back in her chair enjoying the private exchange with Whitney.

"I'd like that. Want to go to Mom's afterwards?"

Karen hesitated, knowing technically it was a violation of policy, and now that Gary had returned, she could no longer justify it as looking out for the new officer. And Mom's was frequented by a lot of military personnel. "You know, technically that could be considered fraternization."

The hopeful expression faded from Whitney's face, to be replaced by disappointment. "Yeah. You're right. I didn't think breakfast was really a big deal."

Watching the change come over Whitney's face was more than Karen could stand. Damn it. It's only breakfast. Karen had a burst of inspiration. There was a way to do breakfast and not worry about being seen. "How about this. After running we go to my house, and I'll make breakfast."

Shocked, Whitney was barely able to keep her mouth from falling open. She turned dancing green eyes to Karen, her excitement conveyed in her voice. "That would be great."

Karen smiled, and ignored the voice in the back of her mind that questioned the wisdom of her decision.

The rest of the day passed quickly, and before departing, the two women agreed to meet at the PT site at 0900 the next morning.

***

Karen woke early, filled with anticipation. She had slept well, and was pleased to note she'd been able to subdue her doubts for the time being, or rather, ignore them. She quickly vacuumed and walked through the house, straightening it. After dressing, she drove to a nearby grocery store.

She had no idea what Whitney liked, and ended up purchasing a dozen eggs, a couple of ham steaks, a package of sausage, a package of bacon, two loaves of bread--one white and one rye--a gallon of orange juice, one tub each of butter and margarine, and just to make sure she had all bases covered, she added a half gallon of cranberry juice. At the checkout, Karen grabbed a small bouquet of carnations to decorate the table. Arriving back home, she put everything away and quickly changed into her shorts, hoping she wouldn't be late.

Whitney was so excited that she woke up at least half a dozen times during the night to look at the clock. Unable to sleep, she finally got up at 6am and tried to watch the news, but found herself pacing around the room instead, as the time crawled by. When 0900 rolled around, she was more than ready to go and run off her excess energy, and drove to the PT area barely able to quell her excitement.

Karen hadn't arrived yet, so she sat in the car listening to the radio. The one thing she'd noticed since her arrival was the prevalence of country music. Well, she had no problem with that, she'd grown up listening to it. The unmistakable voice of Reba McEntire wafted from the radio, and Whitney was caught up the lyrics of the sweet love song. A glance at her watch revealed it was 0910, and a tendril of worry made itself felt. What if Karen changed her mind? That thought never had time to fully formulate before the silver Sable pulled in next to her and the tall woman exited, smiling warmly. "Sorry I'm late."

"Not a problem." Whitney was so happy to see her, she could care less she'd arrived a few minutes late.

"You didn't have any problem running the three mile route Wednesday and Friday. Want to try four miles today?"

Whitney was up to the challenge. She inwardly smiled. I could run any distance with you. The thought almost made her laugh aloud. Yeah, sure you can. "I think I'm up to it."

Both women enjoyed the leisurely run, and while it had taxed Whitney somewhat, she finished with the tall woman. Karen glanced at her companion. "Do you remember how to get to my house? Or I could wait until you have time to shower." Karen impulsively added, "Or you could shower at my place."

Hiding her surprise, Whitney had no problem selecting her preference. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd rather shower at your place. Then I could watch breakfast while you shower."

"Sounds like a plan. Why don't you go get your clothes while I check the barracks? I'll meet you back at the Company."

Whitney couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Okay, see you in a few." She knew why Karen had selected the Company to meet at. No one would be there.

****

When they arrived at her house, Karen asked Whitney to pull her car into the garage and after she closed the garage door, they made their way into the house.

"Why don't you take a shower first?"

Whitney nodded. "Sounds good." She followed Karen down the hall, and took the towel and washcloth Karen handed to her from the linen closet. The warm water felt good as it washed the sweat off her body, and she emerged a short time later in a pair of cut-offs and a blue pull over top.

She joined Karen in the kitchen, and had to stifle a chuckle. The tall woman had enough food out to feed ten people. Two empty skillets sat on the stove, and there were eggs, ham, bacon, sausage and two loaves of bread sitting on the Formica counter.

Karen was frustrated, and with a rueful look said, "I forgot to ask you what you wanted. I've got ham…"

The shorter woman interrupted, wanting to set her companion at ease. "The ham steaks look really good."

Karen smiled her appreciation and adjusted the flame under both skillets, placing the ham steaks in one and a chunk of butter in the other. She quickly put the remainder of the food back into the refrigerator.

Whitney watched her interestedly. Karen seemed nervous, and had the heat too high. Vegetable shortening was already popping and splattering the stove from one skillet, and butter was taking on an odor in the other. She looks so uncomfortable in here. Whitney joined Karen at the stove. "Why don't you go take a shower? I can watch over breakfast until you get done."

"You sure you don't mind? I mean I did invite you…"

"Hey, relax already. It's no problem." Whitney smiled warmly. "Really."

"Okay, I'll make it fast."

The minute Karen left the kitchen, Whitney turned down the flames under the ham steaks and flipped them. She took the other skillet over to the sink and ran hot water in it, standing back to avoid the splattering brown butter. After quickly washing and drying it, she returned it to the stove and put a small amount of shortening into the skillet, waited for it to melt, and then broke four eggs into it. Whitney put two pieces of rye bread in the toaster and then grabbed a dishcloth to wipe the splattered grease from the stove. She found two plates in the cupboard, and by the time Karen returned, she had breakfast on the table.

Smiling, Karen said, "Thanks. It looks great. What do you want to drink? I have orange juice, cranberry juice, milk, coffee, tea…" Karen trailed off when she ran out of options.

"How 'bout coffee and cranberry juice?"

Karen poured the juice and coffee, and joined Whitney at the table. Not knowing what to say, she turned her attention to her food. She glanced up at Whitney. "This is really good."

"Thanks. Hope you like your eggs over easy."

"Yeah, that's fine."

Between bites, Whitney tried to engage Karen in a conversation. "What're you going to do this weekend?"

"Nothing special. I should cut the grass. I'll probably go into the office for a while. What about you?"

"I thought I might go see a movie. I don't know too many people, and the few I've met don't hang on post on weekends." Whitney shrugged. "Living out of a room isn't much fun. They charge enough for it, too. I could probably rent an apartment for a lot less."

Upon her arrival, she'd thought the room was nice, until she realized there was absolutely no privacy. The walls were paper thin, and visitors would never escape the scrutiny of some of the other tenants. While that hadn't bothered her before, it had suddenly become more important.

Karen began to relax, and countered, "I know exactly what you mean. That's why I bought this place. I hate living out of a room."

Both women had finished their breakfast and were sipping on their coffee. Neither was in any hurry to part. The small woman glanced at Karen. "These carnations are really pretty. I love the little dab of red on the edges."

"I thought they would look nice on the table." Karen could feel her cheeks begin to warm, and hoping Whitney wouldn't notice, she added without thinking, "My aunt always put flowers on the table when we ate."

"Did your aunt live with you?" Whitney hadn't missed the slight rise in color, and it warmed her heart to know that Karen had gone to the extra trouble of adding flowers.

"I lived with her. My mother was too busy with my stepfather to be bothered." Karen shifted in her chair uncomfortably. What is wrong with me? God, nothing like telling her my life history.

Whitney was surprised by the revelation, but didn't miss Karen's discomfort. Gently, she said, "I'm sorry. I hate when parents palm their kids off. I was a lot luckier than you. I've got pretty good parents. I grew up on a farm, and all three of us kids had to work hard. My parents were poor, but we knew they loved us. Dad could be pretty tough sometimes, but when Nana came to live with us, he mellowed out a lot. Nana's his mother." Karen seemed less withdrawn, and Whitney asked, "You have any brothers or sisters?"

"No. I was it." Karen countered, "You have brothers or sisters?"

"Two brothers. Jacob is the oldest. He's married, and is the proud father of a baby girl." Whitney grinned, still excited about her first niece. "Chrissy just turned four months old yesterday. I called home, and Nana said she's sprouting bright red hair." She chuckled. "Don't know where she got that. None of us have it. Peter's my younger brother. He just graduated, and decided to go ROTC, too. I think he'll probably make a career of it. The military has always fascinated him."

Karen listened to the lilting sound of her companion's voice, and began to relax. She was enjoying her time with Whitney and didn't want it to come to an end. In the back of her mind, the nagging voice remained, but the tall woman continued to ignore it and live for the moment, for once in her life.

"What was your aunt like?"

Karen was startled by the question, quite content to continue hearing about Whitney's family. It surprised her that she was considering answering, because she'd long ago ceased to talk about her personal life with anyone. Whitney was different. Something about the woman called to her. "She was one cool lady. Treated me like I was her own. She put up with a lot of shit from me when I first arrived, too. All worked out though." Karen shrugged signaling an end to what she wanted to say.

Whitney was thrilled that Karen had finally trusted her enough to share a little about her past. She had no intentions of pushing her, and quickly turned the conversation to some of her childhood adventures on the farm. Before either woman was aware of it, a couple of hours passed. Whitney had done the most talking, but Karen had occasionally given glimpses into her childhood, as well.

Karen stood up. "I've got to use the bathroom. Be right back."

The younger woman gathered up the dishes and rinsed them, not that it would do much good, because the remains of their food had long ago dried. She was putting them in the dishwasher when Karen returned.

"You don't have to do that. I was going to get it later."

Whitney smiled at the tall woman. "I'd feel better if you let me help. I did make half the mess."

"Well, if you feel that way about it, don't let me stop you," Karen teased, and then laughed at the startled look on Whitney's face.

Knowing she'd probably been standing there with her mouth open, Whitney joined in the laughter. It was so good to see her companion in such good humor.

Once the kitchen was cleaned up, Whitney decided to leave before she outstayed her welcome. "I’d better go now."

Karen hid her disappointment. "Okay. It was fun."

"Yes it was. Do you think we could do it again sometime?" Whitney held her breath, waiting for the answer.

"How 'bout next Saturday?" The doubts in her mind about the wisdom of her invitation disappeared when a bright smile lit up her companion's face.

"Okay. I'll bring the food."

Karen quirked a half-smile, and shook her head. "I'll never eat all that stuff in the fridge. Maybe you could bring food another time."

Whitney wanted to shout for joy. Another time. She said another time. Yes!!! Only partially successful at hiding her excitement, she grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

Walking the small woman out to her car, Karen opened the garage door and waved as she pulled into the street. She smiled at the return wave, and with it came the sure knowledge that she already missed her. At least they would be running together tomorrow.

Driving toward post, Whitney was on cloud nine. She'd have been content to stay at Karen's all day if she'd thought she could get away with it, but at least there'd be another time, and she would get to see her the next morning.

Chapter 11

Karen walked through the company area checking on each section's readiness status. PT had been cancelled that morning due to the Battalion training exercise, and work formation had been at 0500. Glancing at her watch, she noted they still had another forty minutes before they were due at the assembly area. Satisfied with her findings, she went in search of the Commander to brief him. Yeah, right. Update Gary AND see Whitney. She ignored the cynical voice in her head, but did acknowledge she certainly wouldn't mind seeing the XO.

She located both officers in the Motor Pool, and updated them on the Company's status. Her morning brightened the moment she saw Whitney, and although her demeanor remained totally professional, Karen smiled inwardly at the warmth she saw in XO's eyes. At precisely 0700, the convoy pulled out enroute to Battalion.

***

Karen walked through the bivouac site monitoring progress and giving instructions when needed. All the supplies were offloaded, and the tents had been set up. The latrine was being dug well beyond camp perimeter, and the Mess Hall was handing out field rations. Satisfied there was nothing further she could do, Karen headed toward the tent she shared with the Commander and XO.

Opening the flap, she ducked inside and dug her backpack from beneath the others. Karen unbuckled the cover and shoved her clothes aside until she felt a narrow cardboard box. She pulled it out, and sank down onto her nylon cot with a sigh of relief. The first sergeant adjusted the forty-five on her hip to a more comfortable position, and then opened the box. Pulling out a HoHo, she removed the wrapper and took a bite, enjoying the sweet taste of the chocolate dessert. She was still chewing when Whitney emerged through the tent door.

Whitney grinned. "You brought a private stash, too?"

"Of course. What'd you bring?"

Her eyes twinkling, the XO walked over to her backpack, pulled out a plain brown box and held it up in the air. "I've got home made oatmeal cookies from Nana. I told her I was going to the field, and she sent them overnight delivery. Want one?"

"Are you kidding? I don't remember the last time I had home made cookies. I'll trade you a HoHo."

Laughing, Whitney opened the box and passed it to Karen. "That's okay. I think I'll pass. Here, help yourself. Feel free if I'm not around, but save me a couple, okay?"

Karen rolled her eyes and feigned hurt. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna eat all your cookies."

Whitney chuckled and plucked a cookie from the box, enjoying the tasty treat after the long morning of work. "Gary's up at battalion. I heard the Division Commander's planning on stopping out tomorrow."

"He usually does. I gotta go check to see if all the camouflage is in place yet. I want to make sure we're not spotted during the fly over. Want to come?"

"Yeah, I'd like to." Whitney appreciated Karen's offer, and knew she would learn much by accompanying her. Grinning to herself, she knew that was not the only reason she wanted to stay with the tall woman.

Karen picked up her helmet, placed it on her head, and walked out of the tent holding the flap open for Whitney. They toured the entire camp area, chatting companionably, stopping when necessary to lend advice or instruction. Karen spent considerable time explaining what was wrong and right about each section that they visited, and ensured any deficiencies were corrected before moving on.

Turning to the XO, Karen nodded her head toward Commo. "Do you notice anything wrong here?"

Whitney had paid close attention to everything the first sergeant had pointed out on their rounds, and the deficiency was obvious to her. "The camouflage doesn't blend with the surroundings, and their vehicles are parked too far away."

Karen smiled warmly at her companion. It was a pleasure to teach someone who learned so quickly and was genuinely interested in gaining knowledge. "How about letting them know."

"Okay." The XO was pleased at the show of trust by Karen and approached the NCOIC, SSG Sexton. Walking around the camp area with him, she offered suggestions to make the camouflage look more natural and explained why it might be a good idea to move the vehicles closer.

The tall woman leaned against a tree watching the interaction between the two. Whitney had approached the NCOIC with sensitivity, never criticizing, merely suggesting a better way to do things. She was so disarming; Sexton hadn't even been offended, and was soon nodding his head and smiling at the officer. You are something else. Darkness fell, and they continued making rounds, ensuring blackout procedure was being followed.

Whitney began to wonder if Karen ever got tired. Her legs were complaining, and she longed to sit down somewhere; even the ground would be fine at this point. She gamely kept up, though, determined not to complain.

The Commander caught up with them when he returned from Battalion and briefed them on the training schedule for the next few days. It was all fairly routine to Karen, but she was looking forward to the night driving exercise. That was always fun. Gary had been invited to ride with the Battalion Commander, so Karen and Whitney would lead the Company through the treacherous trails the following night.

Whitney decided to make one last trip to the latrine before turning in. She picked up her flashlight, unscrewed the top, and placed a red lens cover over the light before replacing it. Blackout orders had been issued, and the red lens was not visible for any distance, thus protecting their location. Whitney acknowledged ruefully, it also didn't lend much light when trekking through the woods at night. She left the immediate camp area, following a narrow trail through the woods. It was a breezy night, and leaves skittered along the ground, the night alive with the sounds of nature. Whitney ambled along enjoying the walk, her thoughts on a tall, dark woman.

Karen had disappeared about an hour before to check the perimeter. Knowing her, she was probably sneaking up on the guards and scaring the heck out of them. There was no way anyone would hear the first sergeant approach if she didn't want them to. Whitney knew that from personal experience, and was glad she wasn't standing watch.

She looked off to her left when she heard a rustling in the leaves, and saw a rabbit emerge before it disappeared back into the woods. A little further on, she came to the tent surrounding the make shift bathroom, and directed her light to the sign, noting that it was not in use. She pulled the door back and entered, shining her light around the dark area. Wind rippled the canvas walls creating a dull thwopping sound each time it impacted against the heavy cloth. Whitney knew the reasons for the distant location of the tent, but it still gave her a very isolated feeling.

Hearing a slight rustle of leaves on her left, she pointed her red light toward the ground, and froze. She may have been raised on a farm, but that didn't mean she had to like snakes. Matter of fact, she hated them, and the idea that she was sharing the tent with a very real, very live, very poisonous rattlesnake totally shook her. The diamondback was a couple of feet away, and she breathed a sigh of relief that it had not coiled to strike or sounded its rattle. It was a large specimen, and Whitney wasn't about to take any chances with its reach. She could feel her heart pounding, and prayed for the snake to move on. Instead, it had stopped, its tongue flicking in and out, constantly checking the air.

An irritated male voice yelled, "Hey, hurry up in there, will ya?"

Whitney took a deep breath preparing to answer, but the snake had raised its head higher at the sound, and she didn't want to do anything to direct it's attention to her. She knew they heard through vibration, and wished the soldier hadn't yelled so loudly. It felt like she'd been standing there for hours, but it couldn't have been more than ten or fifteen minutes, and her arm was aching from holding the flashlight on the reptile.

From the rear, Karen stealthily approached the soldier who had yelled. Noise discipline was being enforced, and that meant low voices. Standing right behind him, she leaned forward and hissed, "What the hell are you doing yelling out here."

The soldier jumped and practically fell into Karen, he was so startled. "Sorry, Top, but I gotta go, and someone's been in there for at least ten minutes."

"That's no reason to break noise discipline. Now I suggest you take your entrenching tool and put it to use, now."

Nodding his head, he said, "Okay, Top," and quickly walked off into the woods. Karen directed her attention to the tent. In a voice barely audible, but carried on the wind, she asked, "Is anyone in there?"

Whitney's eyes were on the unmoving snake, and trying to keep her voice low and calm, she answered, "There's a rattlesnake about two feet from me."

Karen recognized the XO's voice, and forced herself to remain calm. "Where are you in the tent, and is the snake to your front or rear?"

Still frozen, Whitney softly called out, "I am about three feet directly in front of the door." Trying to calm her trembling voice, she added, "It's maybe two feet away on my left side, facing me."

Karen's stomach was already tied in knots, and the fear in Whitney's voice cinched each one a little tighter. She pushed her concern aside, focusing instead on how to best help the younger woman. Entering through the door behind her would most likely result in Whitney being bitten, so she'd have to find a way to distract the snake.

She quickly searched the ground for a branch that was heavy enough to use as a club, and thin enough to probe beneath one of the canvas walls. Finding one suitable, she tested its strength, and removed the small twigs from it. Karen quickly removed the red lens cover from her flashlight, and silently moved toward the canvas on Whitney's left. "I'm going to try to distract it, so be ready to back through the door."

Karen had to know where the snake was to help Whitney, so she laid on the ground and slowly lifted the canvas high enough to enable her to illuminate the inside with her flashlight, every muscle tensed and poised to jump back. A loud burring sound immediately permeated the air, and Karen found herself looking into the cold flat eyes of a very angry rattler.

Whitney began moving the moment the snake turned toward the canvas, but when she saw the shadow of Karen's face beneath the tent, and the snake coiled to strike, she took her flashlight and threw it, hitting the snake squarely in the head before jumping out the door.

The first sergeant took advantage of the diversion and jerked back, rolling away from the tent wall, and regaining her feet in one fluid motion, but she didn't miss the thunk of the snake impacting against the canvas where her head had been only scant seconds before.

Her heart in her throat, Whitney ran around the side of the tent and collided with Karen. Never hesitating, she threw her arms around the taller woman. "I'm so glad you're okay. You could've been bitten."

Karen was caught completely off guard by the hug, and instinctively wrapped her arms around the smaller trembling woman. "Hey, it's okay. I'm fine." She would've been more than content to continue holding Whitney close in her arms, and had to force herself to let go. Peering down at the XO, Karen's concern was reflected in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Whitney dropped her arms, her heart slowly returning to a regular rhythm, and shakily said, "It was horrible. That beast just wouldn't go away, and then I was so scared you'd been bitten. Why did you get down on the ground?"

"It was the only way I could see it, and make sure to draw its attention away from you. I sure wasn't gonna let you get bitten if I could do anything about it." Karen was suddenly afraid she might've said too much, and changed the subject. "We've got to get that snake out of there. The next person might not be so lucky."

"What're you gonna do? Kill it?"

"Not if I don't have to. It'll depend on the snake." Karen began looking around for a longer branch, and looked up when the XO began talking.

"Do you need me to help?" Whitney looked away, embarrassed. "I hate snakes."

Karen's heart went out to her companion. It must have been terrifying for her to stand in that tent and face both the terror of being bitten by a rattler and her fear of snakes, too. Gently she said, "No. It's not the first time I've had to relocate a snake."

The small woman wrestled with her fear, her desire to help Karen in the forefront of her mind. "Well, I could hold the door open, and I could hold the flashlight."

Karen's warm smile went unseen in the dark. "Thanks. I'd appreciate that."

Following Karen to the door, Whitney said, "My flashlight’s in there." The first sergeant grinned as she pulled back the canvas and shined the light inside. "Okay, the snake’s over there near the commode." She handed Whitney her flashlight. Keep your light on it." Once the reptile was illuminated, Karen entered the tent.

Not wanting to watch, but unable to turn her eyes away, Whitney saw Karen expertly trap the snake's head against the ground, before picking it up, her hand securely enclosed around the reptile's body just behind it's head. It took every ounce of courage Whitney possessed to stand at the door, holding the flap open as Karen carried the writhing reptile through it, disappearing into the woods. And she knew in her heart if it had been anyone else, she never would have managed it.

Karen checked the tent thoroughly for any other unwelcome visitors, then picked up Whitney’s flashlight and returned it to her. She proclaimed it secure, and stood guard until Whitney finished. Gary was asleep when they returned to their tent, and each woman quietly removed their field equipment, jacket and boots, opting to sleep in their T-shirts and trousers, as was field custom.

Karen lay on top of her sleeping bag with her arms crossed beneath her head. She relived her fear at Whitney's predicament, and the feel of the small woman in her arms. She had fit so comfortably against her, and it had felt so right. Karen was aware she'd begun to feel a strong protectiveness emerge when around the XO. It suddenly occurred to her that it had been present all along, from the night she'd met her and offered her a lift to the BOQ, until tonight when she willingly put herself at risk to keep Whitney safe. And she still couldn't put words to her feelings when Whitney diverted the snake's attention, so that she, too, could escape unscathed.

She'd done everything she could to push the XO away and keep her at arms length, but had been unable to. Not only had Whitney been persistent, but she couldn't bear being away from her either. This was a no win situation. If she pursued this friendship, and it evolved into anything more, she'd likely be looking at a court martial for fraternization, and a less than honorable discharge that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Even if they were lucky enough to avoid detection, did she want to live like that? In constant fear that her military career could come crashing down at any time?

The only answer that made sense was to forget the friendship. The problem was she didn't want to. At the same time, Karen was having difficulty understanding why she would put so much at risk to pursue it when there were no guarantees it would even be lasting. For the first time in her career, the tall woman began to feel totally suffocated by the regulations she'd lived under for years, and her resentment began to grow.

Whitney crawled into her sleeping bag, too keyed up to sleep after the events of the last hour. She glanced across the tent in the direction of Karen's cot and was comforted by her presence. Whitney knew she was being ridiculous. The snake was nowhere near the campsite, but she been unnerved by the standoff and was still a little shaky. She remembered the feel of Karen's strong arms holding her close, and wished she were still wrapped in that comforting embrace.

Hugging Karen had been a totally instinctive response driven by her own fear, and concern for the tall woman's safety. She was glad Karen hadn't been offended. Whitney thought about her interest in the first sergeant. She wanted to spend time with her, but in moments of close introspection, she also realized Karen had a lot more to lose than she did if they chose to continue building their friendship. The implications for her were much less dire because she had no intentions of staying in the Army. If she really were a friend, she'd be thinking about Karen, instead of her own desires. Suddenly something Karen had mentioned her first day on the job came to mind. It wouldn't solve the problem, but it might diminish it some. Whitney decided to check it out when they returned to garrison, and feel asleep shortly thereafter.

***

The next day was uneventful, and Whitney divided her time equally between Karen and Gary. She helped oversee a map-reading course, and NBC training. At 1255, Gary left for a battalion meeting, and Whitney decided to eat lunch in the tent, hoping Karen might chose to do the same. She had no idea where the first sergeant was, but took some consolation in the fact that the Mess Hall had prepared hot roast beef sandwiches for the noon meal. After eating, she dug out her backpack. In addition to the oatmeal cookies, she'd brought along granola bars and hard candy. The XO would've preferred chocolate, but had been afraid it might be too messy. Relaxing on her cot, she bit into one of the oatmeal cookies, savoring the home-cooked flavor.

Karen finally got the last soldier through the short confidence course they'd set up. Geez, you'd think it was hard or something the way some of them acted. She decided their poor performance merited some additional training when they returned to post. Looking at her watch, she noted it was already 1330 and hoped Whitney was in their tent. She'd enjoyed the short break with the woman yesterday and stepped up her pace, anxious for a repeat of the previous afternoon.

Pulling the flap open, Karen smiled at Whitney's greeting. "Hi yourself. You eating cookies again?"

Chuckling, Whitney teased, "You're just jealous. Want one?"

"I'm not jealous, but yeah. I'd love one." Karen retrieved a cookie from the box and bit into it, thoroughly enjoying the sweet taste. She grinned, and picked up her box of HoHo's. "Want one?"

"Thanks, but I'm kind of full. I had a hot roast beef sandwich. Wasn't too bad either. Better than field rations. Did you eat?"

"No. I'm not that hungry, besides they've already closed up the chow line." Karen took another cookie from the box. "You ever been night driving before?"

"No. Why are we waiting until 2200? It's dark way before then." Whitney wasn't particularly keen about driving around in the dark with low illumination headlights that were about useless from what she'd seen.

Karen shrugged. "Old Man set the time. Who knows what motivated him to set it that late. Doesn't really matter, though. Dark is dark."

Whitney opened her canteen, and took a drink of the cool water. "Karen?"

The first sergeant turned vivid blue eyes on the smaller woman. "Yeah?"

"I never thanked you for helping me last night."

Karen never thought and responded from the heart. "Yes, you did." She remembered all too clearly, the feel of Whitney's body against her, and that was plenty thanks enough. "Besides, you helped me, too."

"I still don't remember thanking you, but I guess we did both sorta help."

The tall woman winked, wanting her companion to relax. "Yep. We sure did. Poor Old Jake just couldn't compete with us."

Looking at Karen's twinkling eyes, she grinned. "Old Jake? Where'd you come up with that?"

The smile faded from Karen's face, a puzzled look taking its place. "They didn't teach you that in ROTC? It's a standard Army acronym for rattlesnake."

It took Whitney a second to realize Karen was kidding, and she laughed. "You are bad!"

Karen lazily smiled, her eyes conveying her feelings. "Some people say that."

Whitney's eyes widened slightly. She's flirting with me!

Taking in the look on her companion's face, the dark woman suddenly realized her words had come across exactly as she thought them, not as she meant to say them. "I'm due back at the confidence course. See you later." She cleared the tent as the words left her mouth.

The XO was still dumbfounded, but the warm glow the words had elicited stayed with her. She blew out a breath. Whoo. Is she sexy!

***

Karen drove the jeep slowly, her night goggles in place, giving the darkness an opaque green cast. She kept their speed slow, varying between five and ten miles per hour to allow easy maneuverability on the steep, rutted trails.

"This road's a trip. What'd they do, bring a bulldozer out here to make it worse?" Whitney was uneasy, not fully trusting the Hummer. A couple of times it seemed like they would roll for sure. Karen had reassured her by explaining the vehicle's suspension was built for this kind of terrain.

The first sergeant smiled, knowing the XO didn't expect an answer. Many soldiers hated their first exposure to night driving. She hadn't, but then she'd always liked to push the limits. They had come up an incline, and it gave her a good view of the rest of the Company. One Hummer was 500 feet behind the rest of the convoy, and looked like it was sitting still. Just what they needed, a broken down vehicle on a battalion training exercise. Stopping, she turned to Whitney, and said, "I'll be right back." Karen jumped out of the vehicle, and walked to the Hummer directly behind hers. SFC White was the driver. "John, take over until I get back. One of our vehicles has fallen way behind. Keep it between five and ten until I get back."

"Will do. You going cross country?"

Karen grinned. "Yep."

John shook his head, chuckling. "I shoulda figured."

Climbing back in the vehicle, Karen swung off the road and started down a steep hill, taking the most direct route to the stalled vehicle. Whitney hung on for dear life. Even with the night goggles to light the way, the terrain was steep, with deep ruts cutting across the earth, and trees dotting the landscape. Karen crested the last hill, and saw the stalled vehicle five hundred feet in front of her. They bounced toward their goal, Karen expertly dodging the trees and ruts. Whitney began to feel comfortable once she noticed the practiced ease with which Karen maneuvered the hilly terrain, even though this last stretch was straight down.

Karen drove down the steep incline in second gear, her foot occasionally tapping the brake, dodging trees and deep ruts in the road. Suddenly, a bright white flash blinded Karen, and she simultaneously hit the brake and ripped the goggles from her eyes, cursing loudly. She couldn't see, and desperately tried to bring the sliding Hummer to a stop, knowing there'd been trees all around them, but the front wheel hit a rut, propelling them forward into one of the trees she'd tried so hard to avoid. Karen's head slammed against the windshield, and little sparks of light danced in front of her eyes.

Whitney removed her goggles seconds after Karen did, and reached for something to hold onto. The Hummers had been field stripped, their doors and roofs removed. She instinctively reached for the dashboard, but they hit a rut before her hands found purchase, and when the Hummer impacted against a tree, she was thrown from the vehicle. Her fear never had time to register before she felt a sharp pain in her head, and the darkness became even darker as the night sounds faded to nothingness.

When SSG Jordan raised his arm with the flashlight in his hand and flicked it on, SP4 Tilford body tackled him, but the damage had already been done. "You sonofabitch!" You'll blind them. He was still grappling with Jordan when the loud sound of the crash filled the air. "You bastard!" Tilford pulled away from Jordan prepared to run and help at the crash scene. Jordan jumped him from the rear, and pinned him to the ground. "Shut up, and listen to me. You say one goddamn word, and I'll blow the whistle on your brother. I'll make damn sure you're implicated, too. So you better think about that." Jordan released the younger man, and watched him run toward the first sergeant's vehicle. He quickly replaced the red lens in his flashlight, and followed the path of his subordinate.

Karen raised a hand to her forehand, and looked to her right to check on Whitney. Her heart began thudding quickly when she realized the XO wasn't there. Quickly exiting the Hummer, she had to stand still for a minute to let her head clear. She walked around to the far side of the vehicle and fear clutched her gut when she saw the unmoving form of the smaller woman; and before Karen realized she was moving, she was on her knees at Whitney's side. She placed two fingers against the side of her throat, and prayed to any higher entity that might be listening.

Chapter 12

Karen breathed an audible sigh of relief when she felt the steady, even pulse. She quickly ran her hands down Whitney's arms and legs, somewhat comforted at not finding any obvious injuries. Knowing she must have hit her head fairly hard to lose consciousness, Karen was afraid to move her for fear of causing further damage in case of a neck or spinal injury. She glanced at Tilford as he slid to his knees beside her.

"What can I do, Top?"

Karen rapidly fired off orders. "Go see if the radio in my Hummer works, and get the medics down here. Then call the CO. When you get him, let me know."

Tilford ran over to her vehicle, found the radio intact, and did as instructed.

The tall woman quickly unbuttoned her jacket and laid it over the XO, ignoring the chill she felt clad in her brown T-shirt. "Whitney, can you hear me?" She placed her hand against the XO's cheek, speaking softly. "I'm so sorry, please wake up…"

"Top, I got CPT Johnson on the radio."

She quickly stood up, ignoring the increased throbbing in her head at the movement, and strode over to her vehicle. Karen saw Jordan approach out of the corner of her eye as she depressed the button on the radio. "Sir, my vehicle is wrapped around a tree. The XO was thrown clear and is unconscious. Medics are en route."

Gary was shocked, immediately grasping the gravity of the situation by the succinct report, and abandoned radio procedure. "Where are you?"

"Approximately 2.5 miles from the start of the trail, in the free drive area." Karen delivered the location quickly, the need to return to Whitney foremost in her mind.

"Roger. I'll be there shortly. Out."

Jordan stood off to the side watching Karen talk to the CO, and Tilford look nervous kneeling next to the XO. He'd hadn't intended to do permanent damage, merely put their nosy asses out of commission for a while until he had time to find a replacement generator. He grew concerned at Whitney's unmoving form, and followed Karen when she returned to the XO's side.

Kneeling down, Karen caught both soldiers in her gaze. "Get up on the road and direct the medics and CO down here." They scurried off, unnerved by her cold, hard tone. She returned her attention to the prone figure on the ground. Glancing at her watch, she realized only three minutes had passed, but it seemed like hours.

Laying her hand on Whitney's forehead, she spoke quietly. "Come on sweetie, open those pretty green eyes. Please be okay." Her tone became more desperate when there was no reaction, and she continued to croon soft words while gently stroking the small woman's face.

The first thing Whitney became aware of was a dull throbbing in the back of her head that became more pronounced as the blackness she'd been encased in began to recede. Gradually regaining her senses, she realized someone was talking to her, and caressing her face. Her eyes fluttered open, and when her sight cleared, she saw a dark face leaning over her.

Karen was so relieved when Whitney's eyes opened, she had to forcibly stop herself from wrapping her arms around the XO and hugging her. She breathed a sigh of relief, her words barely audible. "Oh thank you, thank you." Peering intently at Whitney's face, she asked, "How do you feel?"

The XO didn't remember anything except the bright flash of light, and was trying to understand why she was lying on the ground. "I have a headache that won't quit, and the back of my head really hurts." She paused, trying to keep the pain at bay. "What happened?"

"Oh Whitney, I'm so sorry. I just couldn't see. I'm not sure what it was, could've been an unfiltered flashlight."

The XO's head continued to clear, and she was confused when she heard the pain in Karen's voice. She began to sit up, but strong hands held her in place.

"No. Don't sit up." Karen's voice was gentle, but firm. "You might hurt yourself further. Medics are on the way."

Whitney ceased her attempt, and said gently. "This wasn't your fault. I remember being totally blinded by that light, so you had to be, too. So why are you apologizing?"

Looking away, Karen explained, "I was driving."

"Good thing, too. Anybody else was driving and we'd probably be a lot worse off." There was no way she was going to let Karen take responsibility for something she'd had no control over.

Thoughts tumbled randomly through Karen's mind. Here Whitney was lying on the ground, with, at the very least, a head injury that had to hurt like hell, and she was trying to make her feel better. Finally able to verbalize, Karen spoke from her heart. "You're a very special woman."

The sound of voices began to fill the air, and Whitney smiled through her headache, quickly whispering, "Thanks. So are you."

Karen gently squeezed Whitney's hand before moving away to allow the rapidly approaching medics access to their patient. When one approached her and insisted she be checked out, she inclined her head toward the XO, and brusquely insisted, "I'm fine. It's fairly obvious to me that patient is the one who needs your attention." The unnerved medic quickly moved back toward his two peers already checking out the prone figure.

A short time later, the medics slipped a backboard under Whitney, and transported her to the waiting ambulance. Gary arrived, and waited until Whitney was safely aboard the military vehicle before questioning Karen. "What happened?"

"When we crested Timber Ridge, I saw one of our Hummers straggling behind the convoy. I put White in charge, and cut through the free space to find out what the problem was. A flash of light blinded me. My guess is it was an unfiltered flashlight."

"Sonofabitch!" Gary spat. "We just covered that in class today. What goddamn idiot could've been so stupid?"

Karen's demeanor abruptly changed, danger rolling off her in waves. Her voice flat, and cold, she said, "I don't know, but I will find out."

Gary felt his guts turn to ice as he witnessed the transformation. "Top, take it easy. There'll be a thorough investigation. You know the snoops will be all over this one." Trying to redirect her attention, he asked, "What are Tilford and Jordan doing here?"

"I haven't had a chance to ask them, but I suspect they were in the straggling Hummer." Karen glanced over at the two soldiers standing off to the side. "I think I'll go find out right now."

She was gone before Gary could take a step, and he called out, "Wait up."

Jordan felt a tendril of fear course through him when Karen pierced him with hard blue eyes. "Let me see your flashlight."

He quickly handed it over. After checking it, the first sergeant pointed toward the wayward Hummer sitting on the dirt road. "That your vehicle?" When the sergeant nodded, she continued, "Did you remove the red lens from your flashlight at anytime tonight?"

"No Top. I know better than that. Besides, they even covered it in class today. I was shocked when I saw that light. Came from somewhere behind us in the woods."

"Why were you straggling so far behind?"

"Tilford was having trouble with his night goggles, so I stopped to try and help him. The strap had broken and I was trying to rethread it so he could see, because I knew it wasn't safe to drive at night without a spotter."

Karen narrowed her eyes. She couldn't argue the explanation. Matter of fact, his answers had been just a little too pat, but she didn't have any proof other than the screaming of her senses that he was lying. "Send Tilford over here." When he left, she glanced at Gary, and growled, "I don't believe him."

"I'm not sure I do either, but without proof, there's not much we can do."

Jordan approached Tilford, and said, "It's your turn." Lowering his voice to a whisper, he added, "Don't forget what I said." Tiford glared at the sergeant, and jogged over to where the first sergeant and Commander were waiting.

Karen repeated her earlier questions. Tilford backed up Jordan about his goggles breaking, but kept shifting nervously back and forth. He was relieved when she finally finished grilling him. "Is LT Gordon gonna be okay?"

Karen momentarily glanced away. It was the same thing she was worried about. Even though Whitney had seemed alert, Karen knew how dangerous head injuries were, and that Whitney could have a fractured skull or internal injuries from the impact. She turned back to Tilford. "We haven't received a report on her condition yet."

The remainder of the evening passed quickly with the arrival of an internal investigative team. Karen was like a caged animal. Unable to sleep, and not able to find out anything on Whitney's condition, she roamed the dark woods relentlessly, busting one soldier for sleeping on guard duty, and securing another soldier's weapon when he set it down. New guards were quickly warned at the beginning of each two-hour shift. "Top's on the warpath. Play it by the book."

Karen's worry began to grow to alarm as time continued to pass without a report. Hourly visits to Commo had proved fruitless. She wanted to be with Whitney, and instead she was stuck out here with no hope of returning to base until the field exercises ended the next afternoon.

***

Whitney lay on the gurney looking at the bright lights overhead. She'd already had both a CT scan and an MRI after the Radiologist thought he saw something abnormal on the routine head films. Her neck was secured in a collar, and she was waiting to hear the results of the latest tests. Whitney's head was throbbing, but the medical personnel had given her nothing for pain, insisting it was important for her to stay alert, and a nurse had been at her side since her arrival. From the way she felt, Whitney decided there were probably quite a few bruises on her body, but didn't feel too badly overall, except for a god-awful headache.

She played back the words Karen had spoken to her, remembering the concern and worry the voice had reflected. The gentle squeezing of her hand by the tall woman's larger one had been so reassuring. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that Karen cared at least a little about her. Where were they headed? No one knew what the future held, and Whitney was beginning to realize just how heavily the odds were stacked against a successful friendship, let alone anything else.

Her thoughts were interrupted when one of the ER doctors walked into her cubicle. "LT Gordon, you were extremely lucky. You've got a slight concussion and a small subdural hematoma, but everything else checks out. You've been cleared by neuro, so we can take the collar off. We're going to keep you overnight for observation, and then release you to quarters. You're scheduled to report to Clinic Friday afternoon, and if there are no problems, you'll receive a pass to return to duty."

Whitney smiled with relief. "Do I still have to stay awake?" The events of the long day and her traumatic experience had exhausted her, and the small woman longed to close her weary eyes.

"No, but you will be awakened every hour so your neuro signs can be checked."

Well, that's better than no sleep. "Thanks. Could someone let my unit know my status?"

A nurse glanced over, and said, "Yes, ma'am. I'll take care of that."

Whitney was transported to her room a short time later, and fell asleep.

****

Tilford paced back and forth on guard duty. He was torn between the desire to protect his brother, and the need to turn Jordan in. He had no doubt the sergeant would take his brother down with him and implicate him as well. His major fault in this mess was family loyalty, but things were getting out of hand. It was one thing to be aware of a theft ring, and quite another when a member started hurting people. But who would believe me anyway? It would be my word against that of NCO's. I wouldn't have a chance. No closer to a solution than he had been, his inner turmoil grew as he continued to be haunted by the still form of the XO lying on the ground.

***

Karen's fears were finally put to rest at dawn the following morning. Battalion sent down word that the XO was fine, except for some bruises and a concussion. She walked back to her tent and sat down, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. Karen picked up Whitney's box of oatmeal cookies and closed the flaps tightly, carefully placing it in Whitney's backpack before cinching the straps. Maybe they would stay fresher that way. Karen repacked all the XO's gear, and neatly placed it with her own. Sitting down again, she shoved the locks of hair that had escaped hairpins back up, readjusting the pins. You know you're falling in love with her, don't you? You're a wreck. Look at yourself. The first sergeant lowered her head to her hands, and never even tried to disagree with the inner voice that taunted her.

The day crawled by, and when the convoy was finally ready to return to garrison, Karen breathed a sigh of relief. There would be several hours of work once they returned, but at least she could go see Whitney then, and make sure she really was okay.

****

Whitney slept on and off throughout the remainder of the night and morning. At noon, her doctor told her she would be discharged a little later. Whitney still had a throbbing headache, but they'd given her codeine for pain, and that had helped considerably. Once her discharge was processed, she called a cab, arriving back at the BOQ at 1600.

She took a bath, and then put on jogging shorts and a T-shirt. Pulling back the bedcovers, she leaned against the headboard, her back and head supported by pillows. Picking up the remote, she turned on the TV and absently flipped through the channels, settling on the Disney Channel.

About an hour later, a knock sounded at her door. She got up to answer it, and smiled when she saw Bonnie. "Hey."

"Hi there. We were going to get something to eat. Want to come?"

"Nah. I'm on quarters 'til Friday. Thanks for asking."

A questioning look appeared on Bonnie's face. "What's wrong?"

Whitney gave a brief version of the accident. "I guess I was pretty lucky."

"I'll say! I'm so glad you're okay. You could've been killed!" Bonnie couldn't believe some idiot would turn on a flashlight during night maneuvers. "Do you know who did it?"

Whitney shrugged. "I have no idea."

Bonnie just shook her head. "Idiot. Hey, you want us to bring you something back?"

"No thanks. I'm really not hungry, and I've got things in the fridge to snack on, but thanks anyway."

"Okay. Mind if we stop in for a few minutes when we get back?"

The XO smiled. "No, I'd like that."

"Okay, see you later."

***

Karen visited each section, monitoring their progress as they unloaded and secured vehicles, turning in weapons and protective gear. At 1900 she released the soldiers. The CO had already left, and Karen quickly locked up the Orderly Room, stopping briefly at the barracks before leaving post. She'd made time to call the hospital and knew Whitney had been released.

The tall woman took a short but welcome shower, washing the field dirt from her body, and then quickly washed her hair. She blew it most of the way dry, donned a pair of jeans, and a white pullover shirt. Slipping on her running shoes, she was out the door less than an hour after she'd returned.

Driving back toward post, she made a detour to the mall, stopping at one of her favorite stores. She parked outside the BOQ, looked in the rearview mirror, quickly arranging her hair with her hand, and grabbed her purchase before exiting the car.

Karen walked down the hall, stopping outside Whitney's room, suddenly nervous. Hesitating momentarily, she rapped twice. The door opened and she found herself looking at a strange woman with dark curly brown hair. "I must have the wrong…"

Julie opened her eyes slightly, hardly able to keep from staring. Talk about gorgeous. Finding her voice, she said, "If you're looking for Whitney, you have the right place." When the visitor nodded, she moved away from the door. "Hi, I'm Julie."

She took the offered hand, and said, "Karen," her eyes searching out Whitney. Julie's eyes widened as the name sank in. This had to be Karen Wilson. Damn, has she got presence.

A warm smiled covered Whitney's face. "Hi, Ka-Top." Her cheeks warmed at the partial slip.

Karen returned the smile, and said, "How're you feeling, Lieutenant?"

"Not bad really," Whitney assured the tall woman.

"I can come back later. I didn't know you'd have company."

Bonnie and Julie watched the interaction with interest. Standing up, Bonnie said, "No. We were just going. See ya tomorrow, Whitney."

After seeing her friends off, she turned back to Karen. "Thanks for stopping by. Why don't you sit down?"

Karen pulled out a chair at the small table near the bed and sat down. She reached into her bag, pulled out a box and handed it to Whitney. "I thought you might like this."

Whitney's pleasure was reflected in her face as she opened the box of mixed chocolates. Plucking one from the assortment, she bit into it, savoring the rich taste of good chocolate. She held out the box. "Want one?"

The tall woman smiled, and shook her head. "No, you go ahead." She watched Whitney eat two more pieces of candy before replacing the lid and setting it aside. "I have your things in my car. I can go get them now."

"Why don't you just wait until you leave?" Whitney asked reasonably.

"I don't want to stay too long. You should be resting." Karen wouldn't have minded staying all evening if she thought the younger woman was up to it, but Whitney needed to rest, and she hadn't missed the veiled look between Whitney's guests when they decided to leave, and knew her visit was being monitored.

Whitney sat on the bed looking closely at Karen. She had dark circles under her eyes, and looked a little haggard. "You look tired. Did you get any sleep last night?"

Karen glanced away. How could I? I was too worried about you. "Not much. I figured I'd catch up tonight. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine. They gave me some pain pills, so I sleep a lot, but my head already feels much better."

Standing up, Karen smiled. "I'm glad. I'll go get your things now. Be right back."

Watching her walk out of the room, Whitney felt a moment of pure happiness. Not only had Karen come to visit, but she had gone to the trouble of bringing her candy. Unable to put words to her feelings, she just grinned contentedly.

Karen grabbed Whitney's field gear, and closed the trunk. She felt a huge sense of relief. Even though she'd heard the XO was okay, she'd needed to see her to verify it with her own eyes. Her face was a little pale and there were some bruises on her arms, but everything considered, she looked good.

She knocked twice, entered the room, and set the gear in a corner. Karen turned to look at Whitney. "Guess I should be going now. You sure you don't need anything?"

Whitney got up, walked over to the tall woman and handed her a piece of paper. "That's my phone number in case you need me for anything tomorrow."

Karen folded up the piece of paper, putting it in her wallet. "Thanks. I'll give you a call if anything comes up." She was aware they both knew it was unlikely, but the gesture had touched her. It had personalized her visit.

Chapter 13

Karen sat back in her chair and sighed. The day had been interminably long; with clean up from the field exercise being conducted in each section amidst frequent interruptions from a team sent to investigate the accident. Nothing had been uncovered, and Karen felt it unlikely that anything ever would be given the circumstances surrounding the accident. She still didn't believe Jordan had nothing to do with it, but Tilford's statement had been unforthcoming, as well.

She took out her wallet, opened it, and plucked out a small piece of paper. Unfolding it, she smoothed it out on her desk and looked at it. Karen had resisted the urge to call Whitney all day, unable to think of a plausible reason to contact the younger woman. She had finally come up with an idea. Whitney was on quarters and wouldn't be able to leave to get a hot meal. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number on the paper, waiting impatiently for the XO to answer.

"Hello."

Karen grinned at the sound of Whitney's voice. "Hi yourself."

"Hey, how you doing?" Whitney was surprised and pleased by the phone call. Even though she'd given Karen the number, she hadn't really expected her to use it.

"I'm fine. Question is how're you feeling?"

"Better than yesterday, that's for sure. I still have a headache, but it's not nearly as intense." She smiled into the phone. "Thanks for asking."

Karen momentarily hesitated, not expecting to be thanked for her concern. "Uh, you're welcome." She plunged ahead, feeling awkward. "I thought maybe since you're on quarters and can't get out, you might like a hot meal."

"Oh would I ever. That would be great!" Whitney stood up and walked to the end of the cord length, too excited to sit.

Picking up the piece of paper and folding it back up, Karen grinned at the response. "What do you want? You're choice. Anything at all. My treat."

"Oh you don't have to…"

"I want to. So what's your favorite?"

Whitney thought quickly. She loved Chinese, but she didn't want to put Karen out either. "Are there any good Chinese restaurants around?"

"Yeah. There's a really good one downtown." Karen would've eaten anything just to spend time with the small woman, but was delighted at her choice. Chinese was a favorite of hers, too. "What do you want?"

"Lets see. How about two shrimp egg rolls, beef and broccoli, and fried rice instead of white."

Karen just shook her head as she listened to the order and decided to tease the XO. "You sure that's going to be enough? I mean it is only two egg rolls…"

"Very funny! Just wait. Paybacks are a bitch." Her tone started out indignant, but she ended up quietly laughing.

"Um hum. That's what they say." Karen began chuckling with Whitney and glanced at her watch. "Hey, I gotta go. I'll be there about 1900. That okay?"

"That's great. Thanks, Karen." Whitney would've liked to say more, but didn't want to make the dark woman uncomfortable. She was absolutely ecstatic that Karen had thought of her.

"Okay. See you then." The first sergeant was still grinning when she replaced the receiver. Karen walked down to Gary's office. The investigative team was to brief them in five minutes on their findings.

Whitney sat on the bed trying to calm down. She would've been happy with just a phone call, but dinner, too? It was like a dream come true. Come on. Settle down. It's only because she feels bad about the accident. Whitney shook her head, disagreeing. No it's not. She likes me. The young woman examined that thought, and knew there was some truth to it. She decided to take things as they came, and to enjoy each moment for what it was.

Glancing around the room, Whitney decided it was presentable and began rummaging through her dresser drawers trying to decide what to wear. She finally settled on her teal shorts, and the matching white top with teal trim on the collar and sleeves. A quick look at the clock revealed it was only 4:30, and Whitney sank down onto the love seat, amused. This isn't a date. She's just bringing you something to eat.

Knocking interrupted Whitney's thoughts. She got up, looked through the peephole and smiled. Opening the door, she grinned at Bonnie. "Hey."

"Hi. You feeling any better?" The officer eyed Whitney closely. Surprisingly, she looked great.

"Yeah. My headache's mostly gone." She nodded her head toward the loveseat. "Have a seat. You're off kinda early, aren't you?" Whitney sat down on the bed.

"A little." Bonnie sat down and grinned, her eyes alight with curiosity. "So how long did Wilson stay last night?"

Whitney started chuckling, and decided to blow off the answer. "Only a few minutes. She only came over to see how I was doing. Anything else you want to know, Ms. Gossip Central."

"Ah come on. I'm not that bad. She's very attractive. Did you see the look on Julie's face when she realized who she was? I almost started laughing, but Julie would've killed me."

"She is good looking." Whitney's comment was supplemented by her thoughts. Drop dead gorgeous fits her to a tee, actually.

"Is she married?"

Whitney shrugged, attempting to appear disinterested. "No. Why are you so curious about her anyway?"

"Because no one knows a thing about her personal life, so that makes everything much more interesting. Haven't you ever been just curious about someone before?"

Where she's concerned, I'm curious about everything. "Yeah, I suppose so." Whitney got up and walked over to the refrigerator. "Want something to drink?"

"You got any Coke?" Bonnie noticed Whitney's shorts and top sitting on the dresser. "What are you gonna get dressed for? You can't leave until tomorrow anyway."

She handed Bonnie a Coke, and sat back down. How do I handle this one? Oh well, here goes nothing. "I'm tired of sitting around in my sleeping shirt."

Bonnie furrowed her brow. "Okay." She didn't think that made a whole lot of sense. "You want us to bring you some dinner?"

I have no luck. "Thanks, but it's already taken care of." Whitney quickly changed the direction of the conversation. "Where do you and Julie go every weekend?"

"Whoa, wait a minute. It's already taken care of? What does that mean?" When Whitney didn't immediately answer, she added, "Hey, I know it's none of my business. If you'd rather not say, no problem."

Sighing inwardly, Whitney knew she had to be honest in case Karen was seen. "1SG Wilson is dropping off dinner."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "She's coming over here again?"

In an attempt to downplay the news, Whitney feigned nonchalance. "She feels bad about the accident. It's no big deal." Actually, it's a huge deal, but you don't need to know that. "So anyway, are you avoiding my question or is it too personal?"

The dark haired woman looked at Whitney intently, searching for any hidden meaning in her face. "We just prefer to spend time away from here on the weekends. We've decided to get a place off post, so we've been out looking."

"You two been friends long?" Whitney was curious about the inseparable women. This was the first time she'd ever seen one without the other.

"We both got here around the same time and just hit it off." Bonnie stood up. "I should get going. You're supposed to be resting."

Whitney smiled. "I'm glad you stopped by. Tell Julie I said hi."

"Okay. See you later."

After seeing Bonnie to the door, Whitney started her bath water and wondered if there was something more than just friendship between her friends. It might explain why Bonnie had been in such a big hurry to leave. She knew it was going to have to be one of those unanswered questions, though, because even if she found a way to approach the subject, Whitney didn't want to do anything to invite their suspicion on her and Karen.

***

Karen listened to the briefing in silence. Just as she'd suspected, the team had uncovered nothing and was going to close out the case as a suspicious accident. She still thought Jordan was either behind it or knew who was. What didn't make sense was that if her suspicions were correct, why hadn't Tilford said anything? The first sergeant decided to talk to him again tomorrow since the investigation would be "officially" over. She wanted to catch him off-guard.

Precisely ten minutes after Gary departed, Karen locked up the building and drove to the barracks. She briefed the CQ, advised her she was leaving, and departed, ignoring the surprised look on the sergeant's face.

She arrived home at 5:30 intent on finding something appropriate to wear. After a quick but thorough perusal of her clothes, she settled on a pair of black walking shorts, and a red, short-sleeved pullover top.

Karen called the restaurant before taking her shower, and was out the door at 6:30, which had been no easy feat considering the amount of time it took to dry her hair and the extra time she'd taken with it to style it just right. She drove with the window down enjoying the warm breeze on her face, her thoughts on Whitney.

The XO had only missed two days, yet it felt like much longer. Karen kept expecting her to walk by the door, or pop in and say hi. If she'd had any doubt about just how much she enjoyed being around the younger woman, it was now gone, and Whitney seemed to enjoy her company just as much. One of these days they were going to have to talk. Really talk.

Karen had just exited her car when a red pickup made a sharp turn into the parking lot, blocking her path to the BOQ. Her eyes narrowed when she recognized the driver.

Donnie leaned out the window grinning wickedly. "Hey Karen, I heard you almost killed your new XO, then tried to blame it on a flashlight." He had been thrilled to hear of the incident, and his tone became belligerent and derisive. "What happened? Big ole tree just jump out and bite you?" He started laughing. "Guess you ain't so perfect after all. Geez, what a surprise."

I am not in the mood for this. Donnie's comments hurt even though Karen knew she could've done nothing to prevent the accident. She quickly thought over her options, deciding her best approach would be to ignore the idiot, and not give him the satisfaction of seeing a reaction to his words. Karen moved toward the front of the truck to go around it, but before she could do so, Donnie inched the vehicle up, stopping her again.

Her entire demeanor subtly changed as she set the bag of food on her car, approaching the truck window empty handed. Donnie was hanging out the window, smirking. Karen glared at him, and delivered her message in a steely voice. "I'm not in the mood for your shit, and I would strongly advise you to move, now."

The man was having way too much fun, and resented her attitude. She was the one who had screwed up, not him. "What's the matter? Truth hurt? Why else you bringing food here?"

Donnie suddenly felt himself falling as the door was jerked open, and before he could latch onto it, he was slammed against the truck and pinned in place by an arm locked across his neck. He started struggling, then found his wrist encased in an iron grip and his elbow suddenly hyperextended. "I'm only gonna tell you this once, so listen closely. We can do one of two things here. You can get back in your truck and drive out of here, or I'm gonna wipe you all over this lot. Your choice."

A pang of fear rippled through Donnie, but there was no way he was going to take this crap from a woman. He sneered, and bravado colored his words. "We both know you ain't gonna start something in front of the BOQ, so fuck off, bitch."

Karen twisted Donnie's arm until pain was etched across his face, her countenance hard and controlled. "Try me."

"You're assaulting an NCO." Donnie was unable to move and he gritted his teeth against the torturous strain on his elbow.

A sardonic grin covered Karen's face. "What you gonna do? Go crying to Smadge?"

"Fuck you." Donnie struggled and felt increased pressure against his throat. She was glaring at him like some demon from hell, and his guts tightened when he suddenly realized that she meant exactly what she'd said. "Let go of me, you bitch. I'm leaving."

Karen let go and stepped back, her finely honed muscles tense and set to explode into action at the slightest provocation. Donnie slowly got into his truck, determined not to show her how unnerved he was. Glaring at her, he put the truck into reverse. "This ain't over." He backed away, burning a short strip of rubber as he exited the parking lot.

The tall woman watched him pull away, and took a deep calming breath, feeling her tight muscles begin to loosen. Jerk. She retrieved the bag of food, and made her way to the BOQ entrance.

Whitney smiled warmly. "Hi. Come on in." She moved aside shutting the door behind her visitor.

"Hey." Karen walked over to the small table, set the bag down, and lowered herself into a chair. "You look better; how ya feeling?"

"Good. I can hardly wait to get off quarters. I'm starting to get claustrophobic." She sat down, watching Karen remove the contents of the bag that included Styrofoam plates and plastic ware.

After divvying up the food, the women began eating, both hungry. Whitney glanced at Karen. "The investigative team stopped here earlier today. Did they find out anything?"

"No. I didn't figure they would. I think Jordan knows more than he's saying, and I intend to talk to Tilford again tomorrow. The whole thing just doesn't ring true. A light coming from the woods? I don't think so."

Whitney's forehead furrowed. "Is that what they said? I don't know, but it seemed awful bright to be coming from across the road."

Shrugging, Karen agreed. "I know, but any light at all when wearing night goggles is magnified so it's hard to tell. If it was deliberate, someone knew what they were doing."

"You think it might have been deliberate?" Whitney stopped eating and met Karen's eyes. "Why would anyone do that?"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out. Now that the investigative team's out of here, people will start relaxing. I still think Tilford knows more than he's saying. Something's been going on with him for a while now. It may be totally unrelated, but it won't hurt to check it out."

"I want to know who did it, too, but I really hope it was an accident. The idea that it was done on purpose is a little hard to take. "Whitney's face was troubled, and she absently stirred the food on her plate.

"Hey." Karen waited until Whitney looked up before continuing, and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. The main thing is you're okay."

"Yeah. You're right. "Whitney took a bite of her egg roll. "This is really good."

"Glad you like it. I think it's the best Chinese place in town, and I've tried them all." Shrugging, she grinned. "What can I say? I like Chinese."

"You have good taste."

Not expecting the simple compliment, Karen could feel her ears beginning to heat. "Thanks."

Whitney resisted the urge to tease Karen about blushing, and began to close up the containers. She was full and it looked like her companion was, too. "I'll put the leftovers in the refrigerator for now, okay?"

"I really should go." Karen would've liked to stay, but this was the BOQ and it wasn't a good idea.

"I thought maybe you could stay and watch TV for a little while." Whitney tried to keep her disappointment from showing. "There's a movie on pay-per-view that's supposed to be good."

The tall woman wrestled with her conscience. It was not a question of whether or not she wanted to stay. That was a given, she did. So why not just do what you want? Don't you think it's about time you started controlling your own life? I do control my own life, she answered herself. Really? Then why not just do what you want to? "Okay."

A warm smile lit up Whitney's face. "Great." She flicked on the TV and nodded her head towards the loveseat. "You can't see TV very well from there." She shrugged. "I usually just watch it from the bed." Whitney paused, and glanced at Karen. "You could have part of the bed. There's room for both of us."

"That's okay. I can just pull the chair next to the bed and sit there. I'll be able to see fine." Karen decided there was no way she wanted to sit that close to Whitney. She had a hard enough time controlling her libido when around the smaller woman.

"Okay, but that isn't a very comfortable way to watch TV." Whitney sat on the bed and scooted until her back was resting against two pillows in front of the headboard.

Karen pulled a chair from the table next to the bed and sat down. She crossed her legs at the ankles and slouched down, her arms folded across her chest. "This'll be fine." She glanced at Whitney, and smiled.

"Do you want something to drink?" Whitney began moving off the bed.

"Wait. I can get it." Karen stood up. "What do you want?"

"Coke. Thanks." She sat back and watched Karen bend down to remove the cans from the refrigerator. She was thoroughly enjoying the view and wished the dark woman would sit on the bed with her.

"Here you go." Karen handed Whitney a can, and settled back into her chair popping the top on her own can, and taking a big swallow. She rested her ankle on her knee, holding the can loosely between her hands in her lap.

Whitney opened her can and took a drink before setting it on the night table next to the bed. She surreptitiously watched Karen from the corner of her eye.

"So, what's the movie?" Karen knew Whitney was watching her because she'd been doing the same thing. This is getting ridiculous. We really need to talk.

"Double Jeopardy. I heard it was good. Guess we'll find out." Whitney knew she'd been observed, and was a little embarrassed. She was going to have to be a little more discreet. Karen had given no indication of wanting anything other than a simple friendship with her, and while she wanted more, Whitney had no intentions of pushing her.

The women watched the movie in a comfortable silence. Karen began shifting around in the chair about an hour after it started, the hard seat becoming quite uncomfortable.

Whitney looked over, smiled, then scooted to one side of the bed. She patted the space next to her. "There really is enough room for both of us here."

Standing up, Karen pushed the chair back up under the table, walked to the bed and sat down. She quirked a half-smile. "Thanks. My butt was going to sleep." Whitney handed her one of the pillows, and she propped it in front of the headboard, resting against it.

She tried to refocus on the movie, but was unable to even though she continued to stare at the TV. Her senses were tuned to the smaller woman sitting next to her on the bed, her body providing an unending stream of sensations; and to make matters worse, she could feel her body responding. This is never going to work. I need to go home.

Whitney was happy that Karen had finally relaxed enough to move onto the bed. It seemed perfectly normal for them to be sitting side-by-side on the bed watching a movie. "You like the movie?" Her own attention had wandered ever since Karen had joined her on the bed, and she was very aware of the sensuality that seemed to roll off the enigmatic woman in waves.

"Yeah, it's really good, but I think I should go so you can get some rest. We could watch it again another time."

"I'm not that tired." Whitney briefly laid a hand on Karen's arm and gazed into her vivid blue eyes. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

Karen was captured in the depths of Whitney's sparkling green eyes, and her heart began thudding wildly. She broke contact in attempt to dissipate the sexual tension. Oh god. And she wants me to stay? "Okay, but just for another half-hour."

The younger woman had felt the impact of their connection just as intensely and she had to catch her breath when Karen looked away. Turning back to face her companion, she smiled. "Good. Want another Coke?"

"Nah. I'm fine. You want me to get you one?" Whitney smiled and shook her head. She was just happy Karen wasn't leaving yet.

Whitney walked Karen to the door a half-hour later. "Thanks for bringing dinner and keeping me company for a while."

"You're welcome. I enjoyed your company, too. "Karen smiled down at the smaller woman. " When's your appointment tomorrow?"

"1500. I should get a pass back to work then, but I don't know if I'll get finished in time to come in." Whitney had her hand on the door, but was delaying opening it. She was still in no hurry for Karen to leave.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Monday is soon enough. That was a pretty hard hit you took." Karen stood casually against the wall, her casual demeanor hiding her intense desire to wrap Whitney in her arms.

"It's a good thing I have a hard head." Whitney couldn't think of any other way to prolong Karen's departure, and finally opened the door. "If I get done early enough, I'll still stop in."

"Okay. If you don't, would you mind giving me a call? To let me know how your appointment went?"

"Count on it." She smiled up at Karen. "Bye."

Karen returned her smile and stepped out into the hallway. "See you."

***

Jordan walked into the nightclub and sat down at the bar. Waving the bartender over, he ordered bourbon and Coke. He'd arrived early and his contact, Sommerson wasn't here. The man was not going to be pleased when he asked for the generator back. The NCO sighed. He probably shouldn't have called him. Sommerson was a real bastard. He'd known the risk he was taking by getting involved with the guy, but his gambling had gotten him in trouble with loan sharks. That's how he'd come to Sommerson's attention in the first place. The man had offered him a way to pay off his debts, but now he owned him.

A tall man wearing a blue sports shirt and black Chinos sauntered in, glanced around and then made his way to the bar, sliding onto the stool next to Jordan. "So what's so important it couldn't wait until next week?"

"I need the generator back." Jordan shifted nervously on his stool.

"Are you crazy? Even if I was inclined to return it, which I'm not, that generator is long gone. I'm not in the storage business." Sommerson turned to look directly at Jordan, his face hard. "That's what you wanted to see me about?"

Jordan knew he was treading on thin ice, and plunged ahead. "The theft was uncovered already."

"That's your problem, handle it. And if you ever call an emergency meeting for some bullshit like this again, it'll be the last time you do it."

Fear coursed through Jordan. He'd heard rumors about a couple of ring members that had mysteriously disappeared. Trying to save face, he plunged ahead. "Uh, we got a problem."

Sommerson turned his full attention to the man sitting next to him and sneered. "And just what might that be?"

"A guy in my company. You know, Tilford's younger brother. He could blow everything."

"We've known about him. Tilford guaranteed he'd keep him quiet. I believe his words were, 'He's real into that family loyalty shit.'"

Jordan hesitated, and the crime boss turned angry eyes on him, and growled, "What?"

"Uh, he was with me…" Jordan searched for way to keep from implicating himself, and came up empty.

Iron gray eyes drilled into him. "He was with you when...?"

Jordan looked down at the floor. "I staged an accident. I was just trying to create a diversion 'til I could replace that generator."

"You stupid sonofabitch. You got shit for brains? I should feed you to the dogs right now." Sommerson shifted in his chair, rapidly processing the information and the threat to his lucrative business. "I'll have him taken care of. One more fuck up, and I'll take care of you, too. "He glared at his subordinate. "Got it?"

The NCO's insides had turned to water. "Yes."

"Good. Now get the hell out of here before I change my mind."

Chapter 14

Whitney felt considerably better the next day, and was looking forward to her appointment at the clinic so she would be free to leave her quarters. She hated being cooped up in her room all day, and had alternated between watching TV--well, more like flipping through the channels since she'd been unable to find anything that captured her attention--and trying to read a new paperback she'd bought at the PX.

She glanced at her watch after being seen by the doctor and cleared for duty, noting it was already 4:30. She still had time to make it to MILPO before they closed, so she hurriedly left the building.

Karen strode toward Battalion Headquarters, irritated at the late summons by CSM Grady. She'd been expecting a call from Whitney when she answered the phone, not a 1700 meeting with her boss. It occurred to her that Donnie may have complained, but she quickly dismissed that thought, figuring he'd be too embarrassed to say anything. It was more likely about her accident in the field.

Forty-five minutes later she returned to the Company, angry at the outcome. Normally, she'd have just taken it in stride and ignored its negative implications, but lately Karen had found herself being less open minded when treated unfairly. Grady had reviewed the investigative team's report with her. Then she'd been subjected to a lecture about placing more emphasis on field safety when conducting training so incidents like this didn't happen in the future. Karen snorted. Yeah, right. He'd been uninterested when she patiently explained they had conducted just such a class prior to the night driving exercise. In her mind the whole damn thing had been nothing but an exercise in posturing at her expense.

Whitney glanced around her room restlessly. She'd looked forward to talking to Karen all day, and the woman had literally disappeared. After obtaining the information she wanted from Personnel, she'd stopped at the Orderly Room only to find Karen's car in the lot, but the building locked up tight. She'd called three times in the last half hour without success. She was about to call again when the phone rang, startling her. Hoping it was Karen, she answered. "Hello."

Her irritation with Grady slipped away at the welcome sound of the XO's voice. "Hi there. How'd it go today?"

Flopping down onto the bed, Whitney smiled into the phone. "Good. I'm off quarters and return to light duty Monday. Guess I won't be running PT for a few days." She absently twirled a lock of hair resting on her shoulder before blurting out what she was worried about. "We're still doing breakfast tomorrow, aren't we? I know I can't run yet…"

"So what? Do you really think…" Karen clamped her mouth down to shut off the flow of words. "Besides you have to help me eat all that food."

Relieved, Whitney pondered Karen's unfinished sentence. Do I really think what? She chuckled as she remembered the scene from the previous weekend. "Sounds good. Same time as last week?"

"How about 0900 instead?" Karen had a sudden thought, and if all went well, they'd need to eat earlier.

"Sure." I have no problem with that at all. "But does that give you enough time?"

Karen's brow furrowed. "Enough time for what?"

"Um, well, for you to go running and check in with the CQ and stuff." Whitney had been taken off-guard at explaining what she meant. Karen always spent time on post Saturday morning.

"I'm not planning to go on post tomorrow. I'm sure they'll survive if I don't show up for one day." Karen knew her regular presence at Ft. Bragg on weekends was only because she'd had nothing better to do, and it kept her from feeling isolated and alone.

Whitney's mouth dropped open in surprise. She found herself agreeing, and wondered when she'd made the conscious decision to answer. "Yeah. It won't hurt them at all, and besides it's about time you took a break."

For you, yes. "Glad you agree. So what would you like for breakfast?"

"You know, it's my turn to cook."

"It seems to me you cooked last week." Karen remembered her relief that breakfast had been finished, even though she'd taken a very quick shower and had intended to do it herself.

"I like to cook. I used to help Nana in the mornings, and I can't really cook in my room. All I've got here is nuking ability."

Karen was relieved. She had a few special recipes of her own, her aunt had seen to that, but they were dinner meals. Breakfast had never been her forte, and she'd been chased out of the kitchen on more than one occasion until breakfast was ready. She smiled into the phone. "I'd like that. Making breakfast isn't really my thing."

"Great. Makes me feel like I'm helping, too."

You don't have to do anything to help. Just being with you is enough. "Okay, sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow morning then."

Whitney clearly conveyed her enthusiasm. "Count on it."

"I am." Suddenly nervous about having spoken her thoughts so plainly, Karen decided to end the conversation before she put her foot too far in her mouth. "See you tomorrow."

You sure will. "Okay. Have a nice evening." Whitney hung up the phone and lay back on the bed. How am I ever going to get through the evening? Sitting up, she decided to try and figure out what to wear tomorrow.

"You too." Karen hung up the phone and sat back in her chair propping her feet on the desk. She was in no hurry to go home and looked at her inbox. Sitting upright, she picked up the first document, hoping the evening would pass quickly.

***

Whitney had spent another long night in anticipation of spending some time, alone, with Karen. She shook her head beginning to realize just how in over her head she was in her feelings for the tall woman. Everything about her was fascinating, and those eyes... Every single time she looked into the blue orbs, it seemed like she was entering the doorway to a place where only the two of them existed.

She chastised herself. Just friends, huh? Whitney banished the thought. She no longer held any illusions about whether she wanted more, and was nervous about what Karen's reaction would be when she mentioned her visit to Personnel the day before.

After going through her entire wardrobe--which needed some enhancing--and not finding anything that appealed to her, Whitney finally decided to just go casual like she had last week, and wear her cutoffs and a tank top. It was supposed to go into the eighties, one of those rare days that time of year, and those clothes would be comfortable.

Karen had stayed on post until 2200 the night before hoping to pass the evening quickly. It hadn't happened, because she'd spent more time thinking about Whitney than doing work. She had decided to talk to Whitney today and was extremely uneasy. Had she read the signs correctly? If she hadn't, Whitney could burn her if she chose to, but somehow Karen didn't think she would. It was still risky, though, because there were no guarantees of that, nothing but a gut feeling and deep-seated hope that the smaller woman wanted more, too.

She'd already straightened the house, and Whitney was due to arrive in ten minutes. Karen had donned cutoffs and a blue T-shirt in preparation for the expedition she wanted to take Whitney on, and hoped she would agree to spend the day with her. She glanced around the house one more time, knowing there was nothing out of place, but filled with nervous anticipation and needing to do something. Glancing at a throw pillow on the couch, she picked it up and fluffed it, before she started chuckling, and tossed it back. You are hopeless.

A large smile covered her face when she saw the Chevy Lumina pull into her driveway. Karen quickly made her way to the door and pressed the button activating the electronic garage door, closing it once Whitney drove in. She stood at the doorway smiling warmly. "Hi."

Whitney quickly exited the car grinning. "Hi yourself." She walked through the door Karen was holding open for her. "So what're we going to have for breakfast today?"

"If it's not too much trouble, a cheese omelet sounds great. We could have bacon or sausage with it. What do you like?"

"An omelet sounds good. I have a taste for bacon, how about you?" Whitney walked over to the two skillets sitting on the stove and turned the burners on low.

"Same for me. I made some coffee, want a cup?" When Whitney nodded, Karen got two cups out and filled them both. Handing one to Whitney, she opened the refrigerator and removed the eggs, bacon, and margarine, setting them on the counter. "I'll make the toast."

They ate breakfast, enjoying each other's company, and the meal was spent mostly in companionable silence, occasionally peppered with small talk. They both helped clear the table and clean up the kitchen, and then sat back down at the table.

"Want some more coffee?" At Whitney's affirmative answer, Karen walked over to the pot and refilled their cups. She returned to the table and sat down. "Do you have plans for today?"

"Just for breakfast." She grinned and looked at Karen speculatively wondering what she was thinking. "What about you?"

"I have a favorite place I like to go sometimes, just to get away." Karen paused, watching Whitney closely. She saw curiosity in the green eyes meeting hers, and continued. "It takes over an hour to get there, but it's a nice drive. Would you like to go with me?"

"Oh Karen, I'd love to." Whitney was unable to contain her excitement. "Where is it?"

"It's a really nice place." Karen answered evasively. She wanted to surprise Whitney with her discovery, made a few months before. The weather had turned out perfectly, and it would be pleasant and private. The tourists would be heading further south this time of year.

"A mystery, huh? Well, if you're not going to tell me, am I dressed okay?" She couldn't believe how great the weekend was starting out. A whole day with Karen. Yes.

Karen grinned and winked. "You look fine. I'll bring along a warmer shirt for both of us, in case it gets too cool." She left the table, returning a short time later with two long sleeved, button-down shirts.

Whitney stood up and smiled. "We ready?"

"Yep. Just gotta make a couple quick calls. She dialed SFC White's home number. "Hey John. We still on for today?" Karen had already talked to him Friday to make sure he would be home in case she did take off with Whitney.

"Yeah. Just give me a call when you get back. Wherever you're off to, have fun. You don't get away from here enough."

"I plan to. Thanks." Karen then dialed the barracks, and when the CQ answered, she informed him SFC White was to be notified in the event of any emergencies. She hung up the phone and turned to Whitney grinning. "We're ready. Mind if I drive?"

"Not at all." She was perfectly content to ride instead of drive, but decided to tease the tall woman, and crossed her arms. "It's probably a good idea since I don't know where we're going."

Karen quirked a half-smile. "It'll be worth the wait. You'll see."

Whitney chuckled. "Well, okay, if you say so."

"Good. Glad that's settled."

They'd been on the highway for about fifty minutes; Karen had pointed out a few landmarks they passed, and Whitney had been sharing some of her past experiences when something they passed reminded her of home or her few years in Chicago.

"Karen." The tall woman briefly glanced over at Whitney, her eyebrow raised in question. "I want to start looking at apartments and wondered if you would mind helping me out. Like which ones are nicer and stuff like that."

"Sure. Just let me know when you want to go looking. I know of a couple nice complexes that aren't all military if you want some privacy."

"That would be great." It had almost seemed as if Karen had read her mind. That was exactly what she was looking for. A place where her every movement or visitor wouldn't be monitored. Impulsively, she asked, "What do you think of the fraternization policy?"

Karen almost swerved when she riveted her eyes on Whitney for a moment too long. That was one of the things she'd wanted to talk about today. It was almost eerie that Whitney had obviously been thinking along the same lines. "In some cases it makes sense. Like when two people are in the same unit, it could compromise their ability to make unbiased decisions."

"What about if they aren't in the same unit? Do you think it should matter then?"

The XO knew by Karen's immediate reaction to her question, it was something she'd thought about, too.

"No I don't. If each is assigned to separate units, the potential for favoritism or biased decision making no longer applies." Karen glanced at Whitney and smiled ruefully. "Obviously the Army doesn't agree with me. What about you? What do you think about it?"

"Pretty much the same as you." Whitney watched Karen carefully as she formed her next question. "How do you feel about regulations you don't agree with? I mean have you ever considered breaking one if it didn't really serve any good purpose?"

Whoa. Well, you wanted to talk, so talk. "Yes." Karen glanced at Whitney. "You look surprised."

"I guess I just thought, well you seem so, oh, I don't know." Suddenly uncomfortable, Whitney looked away from Karen and out the window.

"So military?" Karen decided to help the younger woman out. She was curious if this was going in the same direction that she wanted it to. Curious green eyes met hers briefly before she returned her gaze to the road.

"Yeah." Whitney smiled, relieved she hadn't offended Karen.

"My aunt died when I was eighteen." Karen paused, trying to decide just how much to tell Whitney. She glanced over and saw friendly, interested eyes turned her way. "I was her sole beneficiary, but the money was to be held in escrow until I was twenty-five. She left her house to me, but I didn't want to stay there. One day I was watching TV and a recruiting ad came on, so I had the lawyer sell the house and signed up for four years. I reenlisted the first time because I didn't have anywhere to go, and that never changed, so I kept reenlisting. That's it in a nutshell."

"Are you glad you stayed in?" Whitney watched an unreadable expression float across her companion's face before it disappeared. "If you want me to shut up, I will."

"No." A quick smile accompanied the answer. "I just really never thought about it that way. There are a lot of things about the military I love, but there are some things I hate, too. The Army really needs to readdress some of its policies. I thought in the right position, I could help get some of those changes made." Karen glanced at Whitney. "What about you? Are you glad you traded education for military service?"

"Yeah." If I hadn't, I never would've met you. "It was the only way I could swing college and I'll always have my education. I figured I could put up with four years for that."

Karen exited the highway and turned onto a state route. "We're almost there."

"We're getting close to the ocean. Do you think we could stop and see it before we go back? I've never seen either one."

Smiling inwardly, Karen shot Whitney a cagey grin. "Sure." A short time later she steered the car onto a narrow gravel road before turning into a dirt road and pulling off to the side at the end of it, the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean visible before them.

Whitney stared at the view in awe. The white-capped waves gently splashed against the shoreline before retreating only to surge forward again. She turned to Karen, her voice just above a whisper. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah. I love it here. Wanna take a walk?"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and the car door swung outward. "Are you kidding?"

Karen chuckled, pleased that Whitney liked her hideaway. They walked side by side across the pebble-strewn beach, stopping just short of the water. Whitney kicked off her shoes, preparing to take her first walk in the ocean.

"Watch your feet. Some of these pebbles are sharp, but it keeps the tourists out." She removed her shoes, joining Whitney at the water's edge, and looked at her grinning. "Last one in has to spring for dinner."

Whitney ran forward stopping as Karen passed her by. "It's cold!"

"Yep. Always is this time of year." Karen was standing in knee-deep water. "Guess you lose."

"You cheated!" Whitney tried desperately to glower at the tall woman, but was unable to keep a smile from appearing on her face.

"I did not. You're the one who stopped."

"You knew the water was cold." Whitney turned as if to leave the water and suddenly whirled around sending her hand skimming across the top of the water splashing Karen who'd moved closer.

"Oh, wanna play dirty!" Karen returned the favor, and the two engaged in a free-for-all water fight amidst much laughter. Thoroughly soaked, they both left the water for the beach a few minutes later.

"At least the sun's warm." Whitney crossed her arms, a little chilled.

"Just a second, I'll be right back." Karen slipped on her shoes and jogged to the car. She opened the trunk, removed a blanket, two towels, a bottle of Skin-so-Soft, and a thermal water jug then returned to where Whitney was still standing. "Come on. There's a clear patch of beach over there."

Whitney put her shoes on and followed Karen eyeing the items in her arms. "You came prepared. Want some help with that?" She reached out and took the water jug when Karen handed it to her.

After she spread out the blanket, Karen took the water jug back from the smaller woman and threw her a towel. "Come on and sit down." Karen briefly turned away, hiked her t-shirt up around her neck before turning back around, bra in hand and T-shirt back in place. "This'll dry better in the sun."

Whitney had watched Karen, surprised at her obvious comfort level in the open and decided to follow suit. She gasped when the cold tank top hit her sensitive breasts, and pulled the front of the top away from her body. "This is cold."

"It'll be better if you lay down. The sun'll dry it real quick." She reclined to a prone position on one side of the blanket, and glanced at her companion.

The smaller woman quickly joined her after pulling her eyes away from the sight of Karen's fully erect nipples clearly outlined by the wet T-shirt. Whitney felt the beginnings of desire course through her, and tried to ignore it. "Sounds good."

Lying down, she was embarrassed to notice that her tank top was just as revealing as Karen's T-shirt, and was unable to keep from sneaking peeks at the woman beside her. "How'd you find this place?"

"By accident. I was looking for a place on the beach that wasn't full of tourists, so I kept driving further away from the main beach area." Karen was actively fighting with her libido, thoroughly aroused by the revelations of Whitney's wet tank top. It was your bright idea to take off your bra. What'd you expect? "It tends to stay empty because of the pebbles. I cleared this spot the first time I came. You like it?"

"I love it." She met the deep blue pools looking at her. "Thanks for sharing it with me." Whitney knew how private Karen was, and it made her feel warmer inside than she already was at the sweet gesture.

"I thought you'd like it, too."

The women remained silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Karen wanted to talk to Whitney about them and was searching for a way to bring it up so she could still escape gracefully if she'd been reading her companion wrong. Whitney was in the same quagmire, and she was the one who finally broke the silence. "What do you think of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Karen was immediately pulled form her thoughts by the question and met the sparkling green eyes looking at her. "It sucks. It shouldn't even be a policy. Sexual preference has nothing to do with the way someone performs their job."

"If one of your soldiers came to you and told you they were a lesbian, would you turn them in for breaking the policy?"

The tall woman never hesitated. "If they wanted out of the military, I would help them get discharged, but no, I would never turn them in. I would strongly advise them not to tell anyone else, though." Karen watched Whitney intently. "Why?"

"I was just wondering. Well, no, I, what.. Let's just say, hypothetically, I told you I was a lesbian. What would you think of me?"

Karen raised an eyebrow, probing for more information. "Hypothetically?"

Whitney glanced away, unable to meet her eyes. "Yeah."

"If you mean would I think less of you, of course not." Karen paused, trying to gather her thoughts. "Whitney, our sexual preference has nothing to do with the kind of person we are or how we perform our job or anything except just that. It's nothing to be ashamed of, but it's tough being gay or lesbian in the military."

"Hypothetically, what would you think if you were ever attracted to another woman?"

Karen looked away and gazed at the sea gulls calling as they fished over the water. This conversation had quickly spiraled out of control. She'd intended to talk to Whitney about fraternization today, but hadn't intended to push the limits to include lesbian relationships. "I wouldn't think anything of it."

"You wouldn't think it was odd?"

The tall woman turned back to Whitney and met her eyes. It had been a long time since she'd gambled with her future, but it was time. "No. I've always been attracted to women." Karen held her breath waiting for her companion's response.

A myriad of emotions flickered through her mind as she comprehended the magnitude of the risk Karen had taken by the intimate revelation that had opened an entirely new realm of possibilities. Whitney realized the admission wasn't so much surprising as courageous, and overwhelmed by her thoughts, she was rendered speechless. Karen was the first woman she'd ever been attracted to, so she couldn't identify with her companion's comment without admitting her attraction, and she wasn't sure how the tall woman would feel about that. Desperately searching for the right thing to say, she stammered, "Umm, I uh…"

Karen watched the changes dance across the beautiful green eyes, and sighed inwardly, hoping she'd made the right decision. "Does that bother you?"

"No." She quickly added fervently. "No it doesn't." Whitney was still searching for a way to approach Karen about their friendship and her own feelings, but didn't know where to start.

Not wanting to put Whitney on the spot, Karen chose to remain silent for the time being. She was sure the "hypothetical" wasn't hypothetical at all, but she wasn't going to push the smaller woman either, especially after getting a glimmer of hope about the direction that they might be headed. Changing the subject might be helpful right about now. "You get anymore surprise packages in the mail?"

Whitney relaxed, temporarily setting aside her thoughts. "No, but I talked to Nana yesterday, and she's going to send a care package this week. No telling what she'll put in it." She chuckled. "You're invited to the opening."

"Thanks." Karen was pleased by the invitation. "Nana's a good cook."

The two women spent the next few hours talking and growing even more comfortable around each other. Both told stories of their childhood and life before the military, while remaining acutely aware of how close the other was.

Karen sat up, slapping at her arm. "These bugs gotta go." She reached for the Skin-so-Soft, removed the lid and began spreading it on her arms and legs. "Best bug repellent there is." She stuck her leg in the air applying oil to the back of it.

Whitney watched fascinated with the woman next to her. Words spontaneously spilled from her mouth. "It'd be easier if I got the back of your legs for you."

Now that's an offer I can't refuse. "Okay, and then I'll do the same for you." Karen handed Whitney the bottle, and lay down on her stomach, turning her head towards the small woman.

Pouring a little oil in her hand, she leaned over and began spreading the oil over Karen's thigh, immediately feeling herself react to the feel of the smooth skin covering the muscular leg her hand was sliding so effortlessly over. She slowed the motion of her hand, in no hurry to complete the task or end the pleasurable sensations racing through her own body. She slowly worked her way down Karen's leg taking care to make sure no one spot missed her attention. Whitney moved to Karen's other side and began repeating the process. A little more confident, she moved her fingertips to the very edge of Karen's short cutoffs, working across her thigh before beginning to work her way down, ever so slowly.

Karen was trying desperately to contain her libido when she wanted nothing more than to pull Whitney into her arms and passionately kiss her. The young woman was driving her crazy with the slow massage of her legs, and the teasing movement of her fingertips. She's killing me. Karen hands pressed into the ground as her desire grew.

Unable to prolong her task any longer, Whitney finally sat back. "Done."

Karen took a deep breath trying to contain her tumultuous emotions before turning over and sitting up. "Thanks. It's your turn now."

Grinning to cover her anticipation, Whitney moved to her side of the blanket and laid face down. Karen sat on her heels appreciating her first unobstructed view of the beautiful legs in front of her. She poured some oil in her hand before laying it on the smaller woman's leg. Karen's pulse began racing again as she slid her hand slowly over the smooth expanse of skin, her fingertips grazing the area just above the rough hem of Whitney's shorts and working her way down. She took care to spread the oil thoroughly, first sliding her hand along each leg and then gently rubbing it in. Another area of exposed skin caught her attention. "I think you need a little on your back. That tank top is kinda low."

Whitney had been lost in the pleasurable feelings emanating from the tall woman's touch and readily agreed. "Okay, thanks."

She gently brushed Whitney's hair away from her neck and poured a little more of the oil into her hand. She began on her upper back, gently massaging the liquid into her skin before deciding to move upward to include the bottom of Whitney's neck. Her fingers danced across the soft surface, and suddenly Whitney jerked and scrunched her neck down. "Hey, that tickles."

"What does?" She grinned mischievously and moved her fingertips across the same spots. "That?"

Whitney turned over laughing. "You did that on purpose!" The words had barely left her mouth when she was caught up in the intense blue eyes looking at her. Blue orbs became darker, and she was not willing or able to break the gaze. Her heart began racing wildly and she reached up, placing her hand on Karen's face needing to touch her.

Karen took the small hand and moved it from her face, fleetingly kissing Whitney's palm before returning her gaze to sparkling green eyes, intently looking for any sign of acceptance or rejection. She didn't have to wait long. The younger woman began to rise and placed a hand on her neck urging her down. Their faces were only inches apart when Karen threw all caution to the wind. "I want to kiss you."

"What are you waiting for?"

She didn't need another invitation, and slowly lowered her lips to the mouth awaiting hers, barely brushing them before pulling back, enjoying the brief, sweet taste. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

Whitney smiled. "Me too. Since we both wanted to, think we could try that again?"

"Oh yeah." She looked at the desire reflected in the young woman's eyes, and knew her own mirrored their passion. Karen leaned down and was met half-way as the younger woman pulled her head down, meeting her searching mouth with soft full lips, eliciting a jolt to her core as she allowed her emotions free rein. The kiss was long and lingering, open mouthed but noninvasive, ending only when breathing became more important than pleasure.

Propping her head on her elbow, Whitney reached over and brushed a lock of hair from Karen's face. "You're a good kisser."

"You aren't exactly a novice either." A sultry expression covered Karen's face, and her voice became low and sexy, sending shivers through her companion. "Bet we could get better with practice. Wanna try?"

Whitney smiled in anticipation. "Sounds like a plan." She reached for the tall woman urging her closer. Karen shifted the top of her body over Whitney's and once again lowered her mouth, firmly meeting her lips and urging them open with her tongue, starting a mutual exploration of the sensual orifice.

Whitney felt like every nerve ending in her body had come to life and took the short reprieve after the kiss to slow her racing pulse. "I think we practiced enough for now." She wished they weren't out in public, because the last thing she wanted to do was stop, but this just wasn't a good place to continue this. Whitney wasn't sure how long she could take the sexual onslaught before ceasing to care.

The tall woman eyes were purple with passion. "Can we practice later? At my house?"

Whitney winked at her tall companion eliciting a raised eyebrow in return. "I think that's a great idea."

Karen leaned forward, her voice husky. "Can I have one more kiss for the road?"

"I'd like that, too." Whitney was shocked a moment later when Karen raised her top and began a series of small moist kisses across her breast, grazing her teeth lightly across a fully erect nipple before carefully replacing the tank top to its original position.

Whitney moaned. "You cheated."

She wrapped a long arm around the smaller woman's shoulder and pulled her close. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't change your mind."

"Trust me, that won't happen." Her knees feeling rubbery, Whitney got to her feet, and held out her hand. "Come on. Let's go."

Karen winked. "Yes, Ma'am."

"You know what you can do with that ‘ma'am,’ right?'

The tall woman chuckled, gathered up their gear and trekked back to the car with Whitney. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this happy.

Chapter 15

Whitney followed Karen into the house, suddenly nervous, stopping in the kitchen when the first sergeant did.

Karen closed the distance between them and rested her arms on Whitney's shoulders. She'd picked up on the small woman's uneasiness, and her blue orbs reflected concern. "You okay?"

The XO nodded, smiling nervously. "Yeah." She turned uncertain eyes on Karen. "I don't know…"

"It's okay. We don't have to practice anymore." Karen's voice was gentle and soothing. "I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with. Okay?"

"It's not that." Whitney looked away embarrassed, not sure how to tell Karen she'd never been with a woman before. "It's just…" She was still unable to find the words to convey her inexperience, but not wanting the tall woman to misunderstand, she hugged her. "I still wanna practice."

Karen wrapped her arms around Whitney luxuriating in their closeness. She wasn't sure exactly what was bothering her friend, but didn't want to rush her. "Plenty of time for that. How about you get a shower and I'll order us some pizza." She quirked a half-smile. "I'll go get you some clean clothes to wear."

Whitney felt her body react to the tall lean form she was pressed up against from the moment their bodies connected, and she laid her head against soft breasts. "Umm…I like it right here." She looked up shyly. "Could we take a shower together?"

Oh, yeah. Karen's heart missed a beat and then began thudding wildly. She tried to will her control back in place, only partially succeeding before admitting to herself it was hopeless. "I'd like that." She leaned back and raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" Swirling green orbs met her deep blue eyes, and she saw the answer clearly reflected in their depths. Karen was totally unprepared when small fingers lightly pinched her nipple through the T-shirt precipitating a sharp intake of breath. "Ah…"

Looking at her innocently, Whitney rolled the nipple again before releasing it. "Paybacks are a bitch, aren't they?"

Karen's eyes darkened. "I think I'm gonna like this payback." She lowered her head searching out the smaller woman's full sensuous lips. The kiss was soft and lingering, a promise of things to come.

"I think we’d better take that shower now." Or we might never make it. Whitney's nervousness was lessening as her desire rose, and she shivered in anticipation.

Nodding her head in agreement, Karen released Whitney and took her hand. leading her to the bathroom. She kissed her lightly in the doorway. "I'll get you a change of clothes."

Whitney laid a hand on her arm. "Later."

Karen sucked in a breath. "Okay." She opened the linen closet, removed a couple of towels and washcloths, and joined her companion in the bathroom. Turning on the shower, she adjusted the water and partially closed the curtain, before turning to face Whitney.

The XO watched Karen, enjoying the smooth movement of her body as she performed the routine tasks. When the tall woman turned to face her, she smiled nervously and unfastened her shorts.

"Need some help?" Karen moved closer to Whitney, a sultry smile covering her face.

Her heart beating a staccato rhythm, Whitney's knees became weak. You are so sexy! She nodded her head, giving no outward indication she was treading on new ground, and answered sassily. "Love it."

Karen didn't need a second invitation and she unzipped the shorts, sliding her hands inside, softly caressing Whitney's buttocks through her underpants as she eased the denim over her hips. When they fell free, she hooked her thumbs on the elastic waist band of the thin bikini pants and lowered them, her fingers trailing over the skin leaving goose bumps in their wake as she lost herself in the deep green orbs.

Whitney's body tingled in the wake of Karen's soft touch, and her voice became low with desire. "Come here." She slid her fingers around the inner waistband of Karen's shorts before unfastening them, her hands acting of their own accord as she gazed into blue eyes almost black with passion. As she slid Karen's shorts down, her hands found their way beneath underwear to firm flesh that quivered at her loving exploration, driving her own arousal higher. Whitney's caress moved over hips on their journey forward, lightly grazing curly hair before hooking Karen's underwear and urging them down.

At Whitney's touch, Karen's breathing became rapid and her voice husky. "I think we’d better make this a quick shower." She raised her fingers to Whitney's face and softly stroked it before quickly flinging her top over her head. She'd never been particularly modest and waited for Whitney to do the same.

Whitney looked at the gorgeous woman standing in front of her with the perfectly formed body. Modest by nature, she was surprised that it seemed incredibly erotic to see Karen standing naked before her. Perfectly formed breasts and the gentle curve of her hips accentuated the long lean planes of her body. Acting of their own accord, her eyes moved downward to dark curly hair at the apex of Karen's legs. Suddenly realizing she was staring, Whitney felt blood rush to her face and she glanced up. She forgot her embarrassment when she saw Karen looking at her with a gentle, knowing smile. Whitney shyly lifted her top and suddenly felt larger hands on top of hers helping complete the task.

Karen stepped back, her eyes slowly raking the length of the small woman, pausing momentarily on her breasts and again on the thatch of blonde curly hair as her orbs continued their downward journey.

Whitney had never felt so vulnerable, and had to momentarily fight the urge to cover up. That thought was short lived as she felt her body tingle in reaction to the open appreciation in Karen's eyes. She tentatively reached out, wanting to feel the tall woman against her.

Accepting Whitney's invitation, Karen hugged the small woman close, every nerve ending in her body responding to the contact. She brushed her lips across the inviting mouth before softly speaking. "You're beautiful." Karen smiled at the blush her words caused, and her heart soared at Whitney's response.

"So are you."

She stepped into the bathtub, holding the smaller woman's arm as she followed her. "Want me to do your back?"

Whitney nodded. "Then I'll do yours."

Karen soaped up the washcloth and began to wash the short woman's back, doing her best to contain her arousal as the water rained down on them. Unable to resist, she ran soapy hands over Whitney's breasts and down the front of her body, before bringing her hands together on the inside of the smaller woman's thighs. She slowly raised them, pausing where Whitney's legs joined before slowly moving her hands upward never touching the locks of wet curls. She handed Whitney the washcloth. "Your turn."

Her eyes alight with passion, Whitney gently scrubbed Karen's back, her body still tingling from the feel of the tall woman's touch. She noticed a jagged scar beneath Karen's shoulder blade, and her brow furrowed. "What happened to you?"

"Just an old war wound. Piece of shrapnel." Karen turned around and smiled in admiration of the full breasts facing her. "Need any more help?"

"I think I can handle it. How about turning back around? I'm not done."

Karen winked as she turned around. "Whatever you want."

Smiling to herself, Whitney soaped her hands and pressed her body against Karen's back, relishing the contact. She moved her arms forward and lovingly ran them over Karen's breasts, before a finger on each hand began concentrating on cleaning the erect nipples. When she felt her shower partner begin to breath deeply, she moved her hands down across the dark wet curls, lathering them in a slow exploration until she felt larger hands cover hers and still them.

The tall woman turned around and drew Whitney close, her voice ragged. "You're driving me crazy." Not waiting for a response, Karen's mouth sought out Whitney's lips with a deep passionate kiss which left both women breathless.

"I think we’d better get out of here now, while we still can. I mean…" Whitney trailed off and blushed.

Karen nodded. "I know what you meant. And you're right." She turned off the water and stepped out of the tub, holding her arm out to the smaller woman. They dried each other's backs and finished toweling themselves off.

Pulling a terry cloth robe from a hook on the bathroom door, Karen handed it to her companion. "Here you go. I'll go find you some clothes."

Whitney followed the bare woman down the hall, grinning appreciatively at the tall form walking in front of her which seemed to glide across the floor, finely toned muscles untaxed by the motion.

Karen dug through her dresser drawers, finding a T-shirt and a pair of jogging shorts that had shrunk in the wash. She knew the top would be huge, but she didn't have any smaller ones. "These should work…" Karen trailed off when she saw Whitney standing there with the robe hanging open, smiling sexily.

The forgotten clothes fell from her hands back into the drawer, and she closed the distance to her companion, drinking in the sight. Leaning down, she fleetingly kissed the smaller woman, and then murmured in her ear, "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"

Warmth flooded through Whitney, her voice but a whisper. "I hope it's the same thing you're doing to me. Wanna practice some more?"

"Guess that means pizza can wait?" Karen had been fighting to control her desire the entire time they'd spent in the shower, but those four words sent a jolt of sensations through her body, culminating in a throbbing at the apex of her legs. She stroked Whitney's face. "I'd like that." Wrapping her arms around the smaller woman, she drew her close enjoying the feel of their skin touching and meeting the open mouth that eagerly awaited her lips.

Whitney never knew she had so many nerve endings, and every one was screaming. She ran her hands though the dark woman's hair as she deepened the kiss, her tongue seeking and gaining admittance in a sensual dance. She moved with Karen as the taller woman walked backward towards the large double bed, falling onto it before rolling them both over.

Passion filled green eyes met blue orbs darkened by desire, and a sensual exploration began as Karen began placing moist wet kisses across Whitney's soft neck. The smaller woman reached up, gently rolling a nipple between her fingers, drawing a low moan from Karen and driving her own arousal higher.

Karen sucked in a breath at Whitney's touch, and knew she needed to slow down. She took both of Whitney's wrists and held them gently to either side of her head as she lowered her mouth to a firm breast sucking softly. She saw the trust in her partner's eyes, and began showering her body with kisses as her leg parted the smaller woman's.

Whitney was quivering under the onslaught and unable to stop her hips from rocking against the thigh between her legs. "Ooh, Karen…"

The tall woman released Whitney's wrists and moved her hands down the smooth soft skin. She gently caressed a breast as she met Whitney's mouth with her lips. Drawing back from the contact, she lovingly explored the small body, generously planting kisses on the soft skin, and relishing the smaller woman's reaction to her attentions.

Whitney never knew she could experience so many sensations at once, and was overwhelmed by her body's response to Karen's touch. She moaned with desire when Karen placed a series of kisses along her neck, and ran her hands through long black hair urging the tall woman's head down into a hot sensual kiss.

Sensing her partner's readiness, Karen's hand drifted lower, parting wet lips eager for her touch, circling lightly over the inviting opening before concentrating on the swollen nub so ready for her attention. A timeless while later, Karen's loving strokes sent Whitney hurtling over the edge, almost pulling Karen in her wake.

She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman, holding her securely as Whitney's body rocked with pleasurable sensations. Karen felt a contentment she'd never experienced before and with it came the realization she was absolutely, totally, impossibly in love with the beautiful woman in her arms.

Whitney was unprepared for the magnitude of her release, and when able to speak, she gazed up into the blue eyes watching her. "I never, I didn't..." Trailing off, she sighed happily. "That was great."

Karen heart skipped when she looked into the soft green pools filled with meaning. She leaned over and kissed Whitney. "Mmm. Good."

The small woman's face turned serious. "Karen."

"Humm."

"I want to do that to you."

Karen's pulse was racing, and she felt an electric jolt course through her body. She took a deep breath. "I'd like that, but we can wait until later if you want."

Whitney felt Karen's heart rate increase and placed a palm on Karen's face. She looked deeply into her eyes. "I want to make you feel like l did. Now."

The tall woman felt her center throbbing and knew it wouldn't take much. Her body had never reacted this way to anyone else, and all Whitney was doing was talking to her. She nodded her head and filled with anticipation, released Whitney.

Whitney scooted out of Karen's embrace and moved over her, straddling her abdomen. She eased down placing a leg between Karen's, thrilled at the wetness that she came in contact with. Whitney rained kisses over responsive breasts and shifted upward, capturing warm lips for a fleeting encounter, as her tongue flickered over Karen's mouth.

She looked into the passion filled eyes and lowered her head again, excited by the desire reflected in the blue orbs. Leaning forward she met the sensuous mouth and squirmed when Karen began caressing her breasts. A gentle smile covered her face. "No. It's my turn."

Whitney saw vulnerability in her partner's eyes as she trapped her wrists with her hands, and instinctively knew it was something other people never saw. Reveling in the trust she'd been granted, Whitney's tongue began teasing one of the erect nipples; stimulated by Karen's quiet moaning, she lovingly ravished her breasts.

The younger woman loved the feel of the soft skin covering the sleek muscles, and she explored the long body thoroughly, liberally leaving kisses along the way. Once again, she returned to the full breasts, caressing and kissing them before drawing a nipple into her mouth and gently raking her teeth across it, increasing her own desire at the erotic sensation.

Karen was sure she couldn't hold out much longer. Whitney was mounting a sensual assault on her breasts and teasingly running her fingers across the opening between her legs. Her voice laced with passion, she coaxed her partner on. "Whitney, now. Please."

The small woman separated the swollen lips, her fingers finding the most sensitive part of Karen's anatomy easily, and quickly driving her lover into the throes of a powerful orgasm. She hugged her close and waited for her companion to still. She smiled contentedly, her nervousness but a memory.

Karen hugged Whitney. "You're awesome."

Whitney leaned over and kissed her. "Had a good teacher."

An unreadable expression covered Karen's face, and she felt the beginnings of jealousy begin to stir. "Oh?"

The small woman delivered her answer with a warm smile on her face. "You."

Karen's mouth dropped open, and she shook her head. "This was, you've never…"

"Been with a woman before."

"But you said…"

"Hypothetically." Whitney grinned at her surprised partner.

Karen pulled Whitney on top of her and winked. "Am I ever in trouble, and I love it. God help me when you have more practice."

Whitney chuckled delightedly, a warm feeling coming over her as she looked at the relaxed face of her lover. This was a side of Karen she'd caught only glimpses of before, and hoped to see much more often. "I'm gonna squish you."

"Nah. Not a chance." Karen rested her hands on Whitney's back, enjoying their closeness before rolling on her side facing her partner. "This better?"

Whitney brushed a lock of hair from the tall woman's face. "Umm. I could stay here all day."

Karen hugged her, murmuring with pleasure. "Sounds good to me." She nuzzled Whitney's neck drinking in her scent and committing it to memory. "You know this changes everything. Are you okay with that?"

"You mean, do I want this?" Whitney raised her head trying to read Karen's expression. When the tall woman nodded her head, she met the blue orbs wanting to emphasize her answer. "I've never wanted anything more." The large smile that covered Karen's face warmed her, and she teased, "Since I must not have convinced you, guess I gotta try some more."

Karen grinned and pulled Whitney closer. "Sounds like a plan."

Leisurely, the two began to explore each other again, delighting in each caress and sensual discovery, rejoicing in the pleasure they drew from mutually eager bodies, until finally resting, they lay contently in each other's arms. Lazily, Karen asked her partner, "You hungry?"

Whitney ran a finger idly across Karen's breasts. "Um hum." After leaning over and kissing each of the firm mounds, she ran her tongue across her lips, her eyes conveying an eternal invitation.

Karen chuckled and shook her head in mock exhaustion. "Greedy woman," she teased, before meeting the sensuous mouth with her own, happily accepting the offer as food and time ceased to have meaning for the new lovers.

***

Much later, Whitney walked over to a computer desk in the corner of Karen's bedroom and looked at the PC sitting on it. The case was plain and larger than the ones she'd used in college. She glanced over at Karen who had just finished dressing. "What kind is this?"

"No particular kind. I built it from scratch. Couldn't find one that had everything I wanted and was upgradeable, too."

"What's in it?" Whitney's first exposure to computers had been in college, and she taken to them right away.

Karen rattled off the components. "Pentium III, 900Mhz processor, 256MB RAM, 20.5 Gig hard drive. I'm thinking about adding another one."

Whitney studied the PC. "You’ve got a CD recorder, too."

"Yeah. It's great for storage." Karen shrugged. "I used to spend a lot of time on it, but haven't since I was promoted."

"It's nice. I've thought about getting one, but there's not a whole lot of extra room in the BOQ." Whitney turned back to Karen. "Maybe when I get an apartment."

"You can use this one anytime you want to." Karen picked up the clothes she'd dropped back in the drawer hours ago, and held them out to Whitney. "These'll be a little big, but I don't think they'll fall off."

Whitney tightened the belt on the robe not wanting to take it off. It carried a faint scent of the oatmeal soap they'd used in the shower, and she liked wearing something that Karen had worn. So what if it hung half way to her ankles. "I thought maybe I'd just leave this on, if that's okay."

"Sure." Karen walked over to Whitney and peeked down the front of the robe, grinning. "Yeah. I like this better, too."

The small woman laughed. "You are so bad. We’d better order that pizza while they're still delivering."

"Sounds good. Pepperoni?" When Whitney nodded, Karen picked up the phone and placed their order, before quickly dialing another number. "Hey John. Karen. Anything I need to know."

"No. Been real quiet. Glad you took the whole day off. I figured I'd hear from you hours ago."

Karen winked at Whitney. "Nah. I was kinda busy. I'll give the CQ a call and let him know I'm back. Thanks."

"Sure. Anytime. You know that."

After making the last phone call, Karen glanced at Whitney. "Wanna watch TV for a while?"

"Sure. Hope they hurry with that pizza. I just realized I'm starving." Whitney followed her companion to the living room and sat down on the couch next to her.

"Me, too. Worked up quite an appetite somehow."

Whitney poked her in the ribs, blushing. "What are we gonna watch?"

Shrugging, Karen began flipping through the channels. "Do you like Unsolved Mysteries?" At Whitney's nod, Karen flicked it on and set the remote down. "Want something to drink?"

"Any cranberry juice left?"

Karen nodded. "Be right back." She opened the refrigerator and took out the juice setting it on the table. Her thoughts on the small woman in the living room, she wondered why she'd pushed her away for so long. Karen's mind immediately answered. Because it's illegal and a double taboo. She mulled that thought over and came to a sudden realization. I don't care. It felt right to be with Whitney, and Karen wasn't about to let anything spoil it. After pouring a glass of juice for each of them, she returned to the living room and handed one to Whitney.

"Thanks." After taking a sip and setting the glass on a coaster, the XO turned to face Karen. "I want to talk to you about something."

Karen's brow furrowed when she saw the serious expression on her lover's face. "Okay."

"You remember when we talked about fraternization today?" When Karen nodded, Whitney continued. "The first time we went to breakfast together, you mentioned I could probably get reassigned since I was slotted wrong. I checked into that Friday because, well, I thought, if I changed units you might…" She trailed off. After today, it didn't seem as important, but it would probably still be for the best.

"Want to be more than friends?" Karen supplied, gently looking into the deep green orbs. She leaned over and softly brushed Whitney's lips with her own. "It was a good idea."

Karen's thoughts turned inward. There was no way their relationship could any longer be construed as even remotely legal in the military's eyes, and if they were found out, a court martial was the likely result. If Whitney transferred, it might help prevent them from being discovered and allow them to justify their decision to disobey the regulation, since they'd agreed it shouldn't matter if the involved people were in different units. It was a temporary fix, but selfishly Karen hated the idea. How often would she get to see Whitney? It's not like they could be together every night without causing speculation about their relationship. She was drawn from her thoughts by her lover's voice.

"What are you thinking?" Karen had been quiet for so long, Whitney was worried she might be getting cold feet. This afternoon had happened so spontaneously; maybe the implications of it hadn't set in until now.

"Would transferring make you feel better?"

Whitney took hold of Karen's hand. "I was thinking more of you. You're a career soldier. You've got almost thirteen years in, so you've got a lot more to lose than I do." When Karen raised an eyebrow, Whitney grinned. "I checked out your personnel form." She glanced away, before turning unhappy eyes on Karen. "To be honest, no. I'd miss you."

"Then it's unanimous, because I don't want you to, either." Karen spoke from her heart. "I feel alive when I'm with you. I've never felt like this around anyone before. I'd forgotten what being happy felt like. You showed me. If you're willing to gamble, so am I."

The impact of Karen's words slammed against the smaller woman. "You'd risk your career for me?"

Karen held both of Whitney's hands and spoke with conviction. "You're worth the risk." She smiled. "Besides I'm being a little selfish. I don't want to be lonely anymore, and I'm not when I'm with you."

Throwing her arms around Karen, Whitney drew her into a big hug. She murmured in her ear, "You sure know how to make a woman happy."

Karen returned her hug and leaned back, meeting happy pools of green. "I meant it." She winked to lighten the moment. "Would you spend the night with me?"

"Just try and get rid of me."

Karen sat on the couch with her arm draped across Whitney's shoulders. They'd finished the pizza some time before, and were just relaxing enjoying each other's company. She picked up the remote. "Any requests?"

Whitney smiled at the contented look on Karen's face as she snuggled against her. "Uh Uh." It was enough to be sitting next to the woman she'd managed to fall in love with in the few short weeks since her arrival. It's true. I am in love. I have to be. I've never felt like this before, and I like it. She sighed blissfully.

"You're kinda quiet." Karen loved listening to the younger woman talk, and even though the silence was a comfortable one, she wanted to make sure they were okay. You're so insecure. Look at her. Does she look unhappy or like she's having any second thoughts? Karen grinned at the truth of her inner voice.

"I'm just too happy to talk. What are you smiling about?"

"Us."

Whitney feigned a totally innocent look. "Us? What about us?"

Karen moved her arm from Whitney's shoulders, and rested her hand on the back of the small woman's neck. Locating the ticklish spot she'd found on the beach, she ran her fingers across spot, laughing when Whitney scrunched her neck down. "I think you know exactly what I mean."

"I really don't." Whitney laughed. "Now stop that or..."

"Or what?" Karen chuckled, continuing to tickle her lover.

Whitney suddenly leaned forward, sliding her hands under Karen's T-shirt running her fingers across Karen's sides trying to find a ticklish spot.

"No fair." Karen was trying hard not to laugh, and reached over untying the belt on Whitney's robe. Pulling it open, she grinned, her heart beginning to race. "That's much better." She forgot her intent to tickle Whitney's sides instead choosing to caress the soft breasts. Karen's voice lowered as her desire rose. "Nice. Very nice."

Whitney leaned into the caress, aroused by the large hands gently stroking her skin. "Umm, Karen?" When Karen looked up, she winked. "I don't think those are ticklish."

Karen leaned forward and kissed Whitney on the nose. "I just wanna make sure."

Whitney's breathing quickened as Karen's hands moved lower, and she drew her into a lingering kiss. She lay down on the couch and held her arms out, further aroused by the glint in Karen's eyes. "You're insatiable."

The tall woman didn't need a second invitation as she joined her lover whispering in her ear, "And you're not?" TV became a muted sound in the background as the women explored the physical pleasures of their newfound love well into the night.

***

The tall woman fumbled in the dark and picked up the phone. Her voice was still raspy from sleep when she spoke. "Hello."

"Top?" A tentative male voice questioned.

Karen quickly became alert. "Yes."

"It's Sergeant Alexander. I just got a call from the local cops. They said Tilford's been hit by a car, and he's bad off. They took him to Mercy Hospital. Should I call CPT Johnson?"

"I'll do it." She turned on the light, and opened the nightstand drawer pulling out her copy of the alert roster.

Blinking sleepy eyes, Whitney slammed them shut when the lamp suddenly came on. She opened her eyes against the glare, sensing the seriousness of the conversation. "What's wrong?" Her voice was barely audible.

Karen placed her hand over the phone receiver, and whispered, "Tilford got hit by a car. Cops reported he's seriously injured. I'm gonna call Gary and then head over to the hospital."

The small woman listened as Karen filled Gary in and waited until she hung up the phone. "I want to go, too."

Karen furrowed her brows. "Um, you don't have any clothes here."

"I'll stop on post and meet you at the hospital." Whitney quickly moved off the bed and changed into the clothes Karen had selected for her earlier.

The first sergeant quickly donned jeans and a T-shirt, finishing about the same time as Whitney. "Mercy's on Main and Green. You know where that's at?"

Whitney nodded. "We saw it that day we toured Fayetteville."

"Oh, yeah. Ready?"

Karen followed Whitney to the garage, leaned over, and quickly kissed the small woman. "See you in a little bit."

Once both cars cleared the garage, she lowered the door and began speeding towards the hospital.

Chapter 16

Karen walked into the bright fluorescent-lit emergency room and approached a large desk. She pulled out her ID and showed it to a receptionist. "I'm First Sergeant Wilson. I want to check on the status of Tilford. He was hit by a car and brought here."

The receptionist barely glanced at the tall woman standing in front of her. She was used to the military presence in Fayetteville, and knew the soldier would be transferred to Ft. Bragg's hospital once he was stable. Rifling through paperwork, she pulled out a form. "He's in trauma three. They haven't reported his condition yet." She nodded toward the hard chairs lining the emergency room waiting room. "Have a seat and I'll see what I can find out."

Karen turned away from the window and paced around the emergency room before walking through automatic doors to the parking lot. She knew it was too soon for Whitney to arrive, but she wished for her company. Noticing a couple of cops standing outside their patrol car, she approached them.

One of the officers nodded when Karen walked up. "Need some help, ma'am?"

"I'm First Sergeant Wilson and I'm looking for the officers that responded to a hit and run. The injured man is assigned to my unit."

The taller cop ran a hand through his hair. "That'd be us."

Karen unconsciously settled into an interrogation role. "Does anyone know what happened? Were there any witnesses?"

"There was one witness. He's running scared right now and asked us to keep his name out of it. From what he says, the car deliberately ran your soldier down. He was crossing the street and when he saw the car coming, he ran for the sidewalk. Made it, too. Car never stopped, though. Jumped the curb, slamming him against a building before taking off. We've got an all points out on the car, but it's probably stolen. We'll be forwarding a copy of our findings to the MP's."

"Thanks." Karen turned away and walked back across the lot, her mind racing. Deliberately run down? She'd sensed something was bothering Tilford, but there'd been nothing to indicate it was life threatening. What in the hell is he into?

Whitney arrived back at the BOQ, and hurried to her room. Glad she hadn't run into anyone while in Karen's oversized clothes, she donned a pair of white slacks and a russet-colored blouse, and was on her way within minutes.

Driving to the hospital, Whitney thought about the little she knew about Tilford. She'd met him while inventorying Commo. He seemed quiet and polite, but was otherwise unremarkable. She hoped he would be okay, but judging from what Karen had said, that was doubtful. Arriving at the hospital a few short minutes later, Whitney parked next to Karen's car and then went in search of her.

As she made her way into the emergency room, Whitney saw Karen talking to a guy in a green scrub suit and decided it was probably one of the doctors taking care of Tilford. She walked over and stood next to Karen, hearing the last part of the conversation.

"He's got a broken pelvis, a compound fracture of his left femur, and multiple cuts and abrasions. Our biggest concern is internal bleeding, and we won't know the full extent of his injuries until after we operate. He is in extremely guarded condition, and there's a good chance he might not make it through surgery. If he does survive the procedure, he'll go directly to ICU. I recommend you go home and come back tomorrow. Give the receptionist your number to put on his file."

Karen glanced at Whitney, a fleeting smile on her face, before returning her attention to the physician. "Did he say anything?"

The doctor took his glasses off and ran a hand across his brow. "He was very agitated when he arrived and wanted us to give a message to someone named Top."

"That's me. What was the message?" Karen felt herself tense. Tilford must have thought the message was very important if it was on his mind even though he was severely injured.

"Nothing that made sense. He kept repeating three words, that sounded like dent, Jordan, and light." The man shrugged. "Told you it didn't make any sense. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have patients to attend to."

Whitney watched the doctor walk away and spoke her thoughts. "Dent, Jordan, and light. I wonder if he was talking about Sergeant Jordan. But 'dent'?" She shook her head, glancing up at Karen, and had to forcibly stop herself from taking a step back. She had that look on her face again, the really scary one. "Karen? What's wrong?"

Karen's eyes were narrowed, and her eyes ice-cold as she watched the scene play out again in her mind's eye. Whitney, lying on the ground unconscious. Her jeep wrapped around a tree. Jordan and Tilford the only ones nearby. It had only taken her a moment to realize 'dent' was ‘accident’ once Whitney had repeated the words. He couldn't have been talking about tonight, because Jordan was Staff Duty NCO at Battalion. He knew I'd understand.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a small hand on her arm, and the worried voice of her lover. Karen's expression softened as she turned to face Whitney. "I think Tilford was trying to tell us Jordan caused our accident."

"You've been suspicious about that all along. But why? That seems a strange thing for him to be thinking about, now."

"Not if this hit and run is tied to it in some way. Doesn't make sense, though. I did threaten Jordan with an Article 15 over that missing generator."

Whitney contemplated that and decided it just didn't seem likely. "An Article 15 is no reason to deliberately cause an accident. If it's related, there has to be more to it."

"I hear ya." Karen shrugged. "I told him I was gonna recommend a reduction in grade, but that sure doesn't seem worth going ballistic over." They began moving towards the door. "I need to go back to the Orderly Room and find his home number. Looks like no one called his wife."

As they walked past the receptionist, a woman could be heard talking. "Someone called me and told me my husband was in a car accident. His name is Richard Tilford. Is he okay?"

Whitney felt her heart go out to the aggitated woman standing at the window holding a carrier with an infant lying in it. She approached her. "Mrs. Tilford?"

Kim whirled around, a frantic expression on her face. "Yes. I'm Mrs. Tilford."

"I'm LT Gordon, executive officer of your husband's company, and this is First Sergeant Wilson. He's just been taken to surgery. I'll go find the doctor that took care of him." Whitney turned and headed for a nurse that had just entered the hallway.

"She'll be right back." Karen assured the woman standing in front of her.

Kim began talking nervously. "He's always spoken so highly of you. He loves the military. Did anyone call his brother?" When she saw Karen furrow her brows, she continued, "He's stationed here, too. I’d better call him." Kim set the baby carrier on a chair and pulled a small telephone directory out of her purse.

"Mrs. Tilford." Looking for the source of the voice, she thrust her phone book into Karen's hand, before picking up the baby carrier and hurrying to meet the doctor walking towards her.

Karen met Whitney coming down the hall. "Just found out Tilford has a brother stationed here. I'm gonna call his company now." He's spoken highly of me? I never expected that. She decided it was another thing that didn't fit in with his performance.

Nodding, Whitney walked over to the bank of phones with Karen, and watched as she flipped the small phone book open to "T."

"Good, she's got his company address and phone number in here, too." After calling the company and procuring the first sergeant's number, she dialed it and related the accident to her peer.

Karen glanced at Whitney after hanging up. "I want to talk to Tilford's wife. See if she knows anything. I've got to return her phone book, anyway."

Whitney sensed her partner's anger, and placed her hand on Karen's arm, speaking gently. "Do you think that's a good idea right now? Why don't we wait until we come back?"

Karen willed herself to relax. The idea that Jordan may have been behind the accident infuriated her. Whitney could have been killed, and that she couldn't forgive. Her lover was right, though. There was time for that later. "Okay. She's got enough to deal with right now. I'll be right back."

The XO smiled when Karen returned. "You gonna go home now?" Whitney had no desire to spend the day in her room while waiting to be updated on Tilford's condition. She could just as easily be waiting with Karen.

"I told Gary I'd call him once I knew anything. I've gotta stop at the orderly room and get his number, then stop at the barracks." Karen glanced at Whitney. "Are you gonna come back to my house?"

Whitney smiled warmly. "I'd like that. I wanna pick up a few things from my room first, though."

Karen nodded as they stepped outside into the cool, early morning air. She walked Whitney to her car, reaching over and squeezing the smaller woman's hand before releasing it. "See you soon."

"Real soon." Whitney got in her car, and looked in her rear view mirror as she pulled away. Karen was still standing in the parking lot watching her drive off. She waved and grinned when the wave was returned.

The first sergeant drove to the orderly room deep in thought. She had no evidence to turn over the MP's, just the words of a disoriented, severely injured man relayed to her second hand. It was obvious Tilford was into something over his head, but none of it made much sense. Why would Jordan deliberately cause an accident that could've been fatal? Why didn't Tilford say anything before now? She shook her head in exasperation, and her thoughts turned to Mrs. Tilford and her child. She sent a silent entreaty to whoever might hear that he would be able to return to his young family.

Arriving back in her room, Whitney pulled a small suitcase out of the closet. She planned on spending a lot of time at Karen's house - providing the first sergeant didn't mind - and was going to be prepared from now on. She didn't want Karen to think she was assuming anything, and decided to keep the suitcase in her car. The tall woman had made no promises, nor asked for any. Whitney grinned, acknowledging that she intended to be around for a long time if she had anything to say about it.

Her thoughts turned to the injured soldier and his family, and she hoped he'd be all right. Whitney wondered about Jordan's involvement in their accident. Nothing Karen had told her warranted the attack on them that night. Which one of them had been targeted? Had it been Karen for threatening disciplinary action, or her for uncovering the missing generator? She pushed the worrisome thoughts away. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on it until they had more information.

Whitney got some of her personal effects out of the bathroom, added them to the suitcase and closed it. She needed to go shopping and pick up some shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, at the very least, so she'd have them at both places. Well, rather, one set in her suitcase and one in her room.

After parking her car, Karen sat on her front steps watching the sun rise as she waited for Whitney. She wasn't particularly worried about the XO being observed when she arrived, because it was early yet and her neighborhood was still quiet.

Karen’s thoughts turned to the change in her relationship with Whitney. She'd fought off her feelings since meeting the younger woman because of the career threatening repercussions of being discovered.

What had changed? How had Whitney, in less than a month, managed to become more important to her than anything else, including her career? Since meeting the young XO, she'd suppressed her cautionary inner voice so effectively, that it had finally been silenced. Karen grinned to herself. Thank god! A sense of contentment came over her. How can this be wrong? It can't - unless it's wrong to be happy, or to love someone. One thing Karen knew with certainty was that she would do everything within her power to make this relationship work.

Whitney pulled into the garage, pleased to see Karen sitting on the steps waiting for her. She got out of the car as her lover lowered the garage door. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Karen closed the distance between them and kissed Whitney before following her into the house. "I can make some coffee."

"Sounds good. I'll get out the cups."

Karen smiled inwardly at Whitney's obvious comfort in her kitchen. Well, at least one of us is. After starting the coffee, she turned to the smaller woman. "Want to go sit in the living room while it brews? It's more comfortable."

"Sure. Lead on."

Once they were settled comfortably next to each other, Karen reached for the phone. "I'm gonna call the hospital and see if Tilford's out of surgery yet."

"I think it may be a little soon. It's only been a hour." Whitney knew Karen was worried about Tilford, but she hadn't realized just how concerned she was until now. "They have your number if anything happens. Why don't we watch TV for a little while?"

"I know. I just hate sitting here waiting." Karen picked up the remote and began flipping through channels. "Half the channels have those infomercials on this time of morning." She handed Whitney the remote. "Here you go. I'll go get our coffee."

Whitney didn't have any better luck and finally settled on the news. She took one of the cups from Karen and gratefully took a sip. "Umm. This is good coffee."

"It's Colombian. Grocery store I shop at carries a section with special blends."

"Do they have flavored coffee, too? I love those." Whitney laughed at the face Karen made. "I take it you don't."

"Nope. I like real coffee."

The small woman poked her in the ribs with her elbow. "Flavored is real coffee, too. Do you like cappuccino?"

"Never tried it." Karen quirked a half-smile. "Couldn't see drinking something hot with a bunch of whipped crème on top of it."

"It's good. I bet you'd like it."

Karen grinned. This could be fun. "Bet what? Better make it good if you want me to try that stuff."

"Let me think a minute." Whitney decided to make the bet mutually beneficial. "If you don't like it, I treat you to dinner in Raleigh. You like it, you treat."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "Raleigh, huh?"

"Yep. No one should recognize us there."

"Good idea." Karen glanced at Whitney and grinned. She knew her lover had purposely made the bet a sure winner. Woman after my own heart. "Okay. You're on." Karen put her arm around Whitney urging her closer. "You tired?"

"A little." Whitney looked up and met the warm eyes gazing at her. "We didn't get much sleep."

"That's cuz you’re insatiable." She chuckled when Whitney poked her.

"I didn't notice you objecting."

Karen grinned. "Never. You wanna lie down for a little while? Only one of us needs to stay up."

"No. I'm fine." She had no intentions of leaving Karen to wait alone. "You remember when you told me if I wanted to know something, to ask?"

Karen looked at Whitney speculatively. "Why, when you ask that, do I always feel like it's gonna be a loaded question?"

The XO chucked. "Probably because it usually is." She reached over and took Karen's hand. "It's kinda personal."

Slowly nodding her head, not sure what to expect, Karen squeezed Whitney's hand. "Ask away."

"Do you ever hear from your mother?" When her lover looked away, she hastened to add, "You don't have to answer, I was just curious."

"No. It's okay." Karen paused, gathering her thoughts and trying to decide just how much to reveal about her skewed relationship with her mother. "I hear from her around the major holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas when she wants me to come and visit. She thinks families should be together during those times." Karen shrugged. "I see it a little differently. She wasn't there for me when I was a kid, and now since I'm no longer a problem, she wants to do the family thing. Just doesn't work for me."

Whitney sensed the pain behind the casual explanation, and squeezed Karen's hand in understanding. "Since you don't go home, what do you do for the holidays?"

"Nothing, really. It's just another day."

The young woman vowed to herself that would change this year. Thanksgiving was fast approaching, and she was going to make sure it was one that Karen remembered.

The two women spent the next couple of hours companionably, enjoying each other's company.

After watching a commercial advertising cat food, Whitney glanced up at Karen. "Did you have any pets when you were growing up?"

"Yeah. My mother had one of those little fufu dogs. My aunt had a black cat named Halle, short for Halloween. I kinda adopted her when I moved in."

Whitney was barely able to suppress a guffaw. "Fufu?" She couldn't stop a chuckle from escaping. "Karen, just what is a fufu dog?"

Karen started laughing when she realized how her description of the little dog had come across. "You know, one of those little ones with long hair and a squashed up face. Mom named her Princess." She rolled her eyes. "How very original. I bet every one of those little cutesy dogs has a name like that."

"Those little dogs are adorable. What do you have against pretty little dogs?" Whitney laid her head against Karen's shoulder, enjoying the light-hearted conversation.

"Nothing. Just can’t figure out what they're good for. Sure ain't gonna protect anyone."

Whitney chuckled. "No. But sometimes people want pets just to love. Ya know? I mean, did your aunt's cat have a job?"

"Yeah. Keeping me company."

"That's what those little cute dogs do, too."

Karen shook her head, and teased. "Oh, the voice of reason."

"Look who's talking." Whitney yawned. "We had a bunch of dogs and cats on the farm. My favorite was a cat named Boots. I miss that. Not having any pets, I mean."

"You do make sacrifices in the military. Even if you live off post, it's unfair to have a pet because if you get shipped overseas, who’s gonna take care of it?"

Karen thoughts turned inward. She'd come to consider the Army her home and had only just recently realized it wasn't enough by itself. Pets were but one of the things you sacrificed. Even the bet she'd made with Whitney had to take place out of town because of their fear of being seen together. That bothered her more than it had in any of her past relationships. She was happy, and hated the idea of being discreet. Being discreet, hell. It just doesn't seem right that my personal life really isn't my own.

"Hey. Where'd you go?" Whitney had watched Karen disappear into her own thoughts. and wondered what she was thinking about.

"Just thinking about us." Karen smiled at the small woman.

Whitney snuggled closer. "Good thoughts?"

"Everything about us is good." Karen leaned down and kissed Whitney. "What isn't good is the way the military looks at a relationship like ours."

"Are you sorry?" Whitney watched Karen's face closely.

Karen's feelings were reflected in her vivid blue eyes as she met the worried green orbs searching hers. "I could never be sorry. Don't ever doubt that, okay?"

"Okay." Whitney fleetingly kissed her lover, and smiled. "I feel the same way."

"I'm glad." Karen glanced at her watch. "I think I'll call the hospital now." She picked up the phone, and then set it down. "I've got to look up the number. Be right back."

She returned carrying the phone book. Once Karen found the number, she dialed the phone. "This is First Sergeant Wilson. I'd like to check on one of my soldiers that was taken to emergency surgery." Karen fiddled with the phone cord as she was transferred to the surgical suite. Identifying herself again, she asked about Tilford. "They're just finishing up. Let me check and see if any of the surgeons have left the room."

"1SG Wilson, This is Dr. Carden. Tilford has multiple internal injuries including liver and colon lacerations, three broken ribs, one of which punctured his lung, and multiple internal hematomas. We removed part of the colon, removed his spleen, and performed an incidental appendectomy. He is in guarded condition, but stable right now. I just sent his wife and brother home. He can't have any visitors until later in the day. I've got to go. Another emergency just came in."

Karen thanked him, and hung up the phone. She related the information to Whitney as she dialed Gary's number to brief him. Once she'd done that, Karen turned back to Whitney. "Gary said he's going to stop up there later on. Want to take a nap?"

"Do I ever. I'm beat."

"Me too." Karen stood up and held out her hand to Whitney, pulling her up. "I've got a sleeping shirt you can wear if you want."

Whitney had brought pajamas with her, but the idea of wearing something of Karen's was much more appealing. "Thanks. I'd like that."

Karen woke up to a weight on her chest, and smiled as she looked at the blonde hair hiding her lover's face. Very carefully, not wanting to wake Whitney, Karen reached over and switched off the alarm clock she'd set for 4. They'd both been anxious to check on Tilford, and had decided to make sure they got up in time.

She gently brushed Whitney's hair out of her face, wanting to look at the beautiful woman. What I'd give to be able to wake up like this each morning. Knowing that wasn't possible, she decided to do everything in her power to make Whitney want to come over every weekend.

Karen softly kissed Whitney on her head in no hurry to get up, yet feeling guilty because she had an injured soldier to check on and a mystery to solve. She justified her inaction with the knowledge the hospital would've called if Tilford had taken a turn for the worse.

Blonde hair shifted when a sleepy face rose from its comfortable pillow. Whitney's green eyes flickered open, and she looked up with a contented smile. "How long you been awake."

"Just for a little while." Karen brushed her lips against Whitney's. "I was gonna wake you soon."

"What time is it?" Whitney hoped she hadn't delayed their trip to the hospital.

"1615." Karen smiled reassuringly. "We're okay. ICU visiting hours are until 1900."

"Guess we should get up." Whitney sat up and stretched.

Karen joined her and draped an arm over Whitney's shoulder, urging her closer. "Do I get a wake up kiss?"

Whitney grinned. "I thought you already got one of those."

"That was a hello kiss." Karen looked at Whitney seriously. "There is a difference, you know."

Playing along, Whitney feigned a puzzled expression. She leaned over and fleetingly kissed her partner. "That was a hello kiss, right?"

Karen chuckled. "Um hum." She lowered her head and met Whitney's moist sensuous mouth with her lips for a soft lingering kiss. "That's a wake up kiss."

"I'm not sure I got that one." Whitney couldn't stop a smile from appearing at the charade. "Think we could practice it some more later?"

"Sounds good to me." Karen reluctantly let go of Whitney and swung her long legs over the side of the bed. Leaning over and kissing Whitney one last time, she headed down the hall to the bathroom.

Whitney got up, slipped on her shoes and walked out to the garage. She opened her car trunk and then her suitcase. Carefully moving clothes, not wanting to wrinkle them, she selected a pair of teal slacks, and a white pull over top. Next she took out underwear, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste before closing the trunk, and heading back into the house.

Karen was in the kitchen rummaging through the refrigerator. "Where'd you go?" She turned around and saw the things in Whitney's arms, and grinned. "Oh, you came prepared."

"Yeah. Thought it might be a good idea. What are you looking for?" Karen was still standing in front of the open refrigerator.

"I'm starved. Nothing in here except a ton of breakfast stuff. Want to stop and get something after we leave the hospital?"

"Sounds good. I'm starved, too. Okay if I grab a shower?"

The tall woman walked over to her lover. "You can do anything here you want. You don't have to ask, okay?"

Whitney felt a warm glow come over her. The same woman who'd gotten totally upset with her for just looking at a couple of movies, had now given her carte blanche. She smiled warmly. "Okay."

"I'll start some coffee. You want any?"

Whitney nodded. "Yeah. It feels like morning for some reason." She stood on her toes and kissed Karen before walking out of the kitchen.

Karen's hand absently went to her mouth as she watched Whitney walk down the hall, her thoughts following the attractive woman. Love you.

She started the coffee, and then proceeded to her bedroom to find something to wear. Whitney had chosen to dress a step up from casual, and so would she. Karen ended up selecting a pair of navy Dockers and a light blue pullover top.

Sitting down on the bed, Karen thought about Tilford's message. She hoped his wife or brother would be able to shed some light on whatever the soldier was into.

Karen heard the bathroom door open and stood up as Whitney walked into the bedroom wearing her oversized white robe. "You need any help?" she asked hopefully.

Whitney chuckled. "I'd love it, but I don't think it's a good idea. We'd never get out of the bedroom, let alone to the hospital."

Karen's lower lip protruded. "You're no fun."

Laughing, Whitney walked over, and hugged her. "Well, you could help me undress when we get back."

Karen felt her heart start racing, and released her partner. "I'm gonna take you up on that."

Whitney winked. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't."

***

The two women walked into the hospital and stopped at the information desk to inquire as to the location of ICU. After being advised it was on the fourth floor, they proceeded to the bank of elevators.

"I hate hospitals."

Whitney looked up surprised at the vehemence of the comment. "Why? I mean I know people are usually in them because they're sick, but most people get better in them."

"Most people. My aunt wasn't one of the lucky ones." The elevator door opened and Karen followed Whitney into the cubicle, pressing the button for their floor.

"What happened to her?" Whitney was curious about the woman who'd taken Karen in and raised her as her own child.

"She was in a car accident. Drunk driver. Lived for a week, but never woke up." Her face reflected her pain as she remembered the sight of her aunt hooked up to all kinds of tubes, a ventilator breathing for her. "I never got to say goodbye."

The words were spoken so softly, Whitney barely heard her. "Oh Karen. I'm so sorry." She took her partner's hand and squeezed it. "It must have been terrible for you."

Karen was surprised at the thought she'd voiced aloud. She'd never admitted that to anyone, and while embarrassed at allowing the hurt to show, Whitney's concern felt good and she returned the hand squeeze.

They walked through the double doors of ICU and approached the large desk in the center of the room. There were beds lining the walls, the only separation being green curtains partially drawn around some of them.

"We'd like to see Richard Tilford."

A secretary looked up at the tall woman who'd spoken. "Are you a relative? Only immediate family is allowed to visit."

"This is LT Gordon and I'm 1SG Wilson. He's assigned to our company."

The secretary nodded. She pulled out her authorization book and looked up the page on military protocol. Commanders, executive officers, and first sergeant's were authorized visitation rights if the patient was a member of their company. She looked at Whitney. "Are you the commander or executive officer?"

Whitney smiled, and nodded. "I'm the executive officer."

"Okay." She pointed to a cubicle across from the desk. "He's right there. Please limit your visit to ten minutes."

Karen and Whitney walked over to the cubicle and stood on either side of the bed. The first sergeant's eye's narrowed. Whoever did this should be shot.

The XO's heart went out to the young man in the bed. His leg was suspended in traction and he was breathing with the help of a ventilator. Parts of Tilford's face and arms were covered in bandages, and multiple bags of IV fluids hung around the bed infusing their contents into the lines invading his body. Whitney sighed and leaned over the supine body.

"Richard. Are you awake?" Whitney shook her head, angry that anyone could deliberately hurt someone this way. It was obvious he was still too heavily sedated to hear her, but just in case Whitney continued. "You hang in there."

She glanced at Karen to gauge her reaction. Oh God. There she goes again. "Karen."

"I'm gonna make sure that whoever did this goes down, hard." Karen tried to ease the tension from her body, only partially succeeding.

"Let's go see if we can find his doctor."

Karen nodded and they left the cubicle, returning to the desk. Making their request, they waited in silence until the physician responded to his page.

The secretary hung up the phone. "He's already in the hospital. He'll be here in a few minutes. The waiting room is right outside the doors to the left. Dr. Simmons will meet you there."

Karen and Whitney both stood up when a short man wearing a white laboratory coat approached. After introductions were made, Dr. Simmons updated them on Tilford's status.

"Richard is still in guarded condition, but is doing very well considering the extent of his injuries. He came through surgery fine, but the risk of infection is high. The next few days are critical, but every hour that passes increases his chances of a full recovery. I'm sorry I can't be more optimistic than that, but you need to understand the severity of his injuries."

"Has he been conscious at all?" Whitney hoped he had.

"Yes. We woke him up after surgery. He's now heavily sedated to give his body a chance to heal itself. Any other questions?"

Karen shook her head. "Thanks." She watched the doctor walked through the double doors of the ICU. "I wish his wife was here. I want to talk to her."

"Looks like you're gonna get you wish. Here she comes."

Kim saw them and walked over. She didn't have the baby with her and looked worried, but less frantic than she had earlier. "Hi."

"Hello, Mrs. Tilford. I'd like to ask you a few questions after you see your husband."

"Thanks for being so considerate." Kim smiled wanly at the tall woman. "I know he's stable or they'd have called, but I need to see for myself."

Whitney smiled. "Take your time. We're in no hurry." Kim smiled her appreciation and hurried through the automatic doors.

"What are you going to ask her?"

Karen shrugged. "I just want to know if she's got any idea what's going on. Even if she doesn't, she'll know who his friends are, or if he was having problems with anyone. It's a starting place."

"True." Whitney glanced at Karen trying to gauge her mood. "If you find out anything, what are you going to do? Wouldn't it be better for the MP's to handle this?"

"I think this is tied into our accident." She met Whitney's concerned face. "You know what the Army thought about that. It was an accident. Do you really think if I went to them and related what Tilford said they'd reopen the case? I don't."

"No, they probably wouldn't. I'm just worried. Someone tried to kill him, Karen. I don't want you putting yourself in danger."

Karen quickly squeezed Whitney's hand and released it. "I don't intend to." She wanted her partner to understand, and tried to explain. "You almost got killed. If Jordan was behind that, he'll go down if it's the last thing I do."

Whitney didn't know what to say to that. She briefly laid her hand on Karen's arm. "Just be careful, okay? I don't want someone trying to run you down."

"I'll be careful."

They looked up at the sounds of a door opening and smiled at Mrs. Tilford. Karen waited for her to sit down.

"Did the police tell you what happened?"

Kim looked at them with worried eyes. "Yes. They said it wasn't an accident. I can't imagine anyone doing something like this."

"Does Richard have any enemies that you know of?"

"That's the same thing the police asked me. No. He usually comes home right after work. Lately he's been going out at night and drinking. I knew something was bothering him, but he said it was better if I didn't know. Now I wished I'd pushed him. I figured he'd eventually tell me. He always had in the past."

Whitney spoke softly. "You couldn't have known anything like this would happen. You can't blame yourself."

"I know. I just wish I could be more helpful. I asked Bruce if he had any idea what was going on. He was worse than I was. He never stopped pacing until Richard was out of surgery, then he took off, and I haven't seen him since."

Karen was curious about Tilford's brother. "Are they close?"

"They used to spend a lot of time together. Now, they hardly ever see each other. I overheard part of a phone conversation between them last week. Richard was really angry and yelling about someone named Jordan. I knew he was talking to his brother because he said, 'Bruce, you are a pig headed idiot,' and then he slammed down the phone. When I asked him if everything was okay, he just said, 'I can't believe how stupid Bruce is.'"

"Thanks, Mrs. Tilford. We don't want to hold you up anymore."

Whitney smiled at Kim. "You be sure and call if you need anything."

"I will. Thanks."

Karen and Whitney watched her walk back into ICU, and then turned to leave. "Something's definitely going on. Seems like his brother is the one I should be talking to."

"Karen, you can't do that. You don't have any authority in his unit."

The first sergeant frowned. "I know. I am gonna talk to Jordan again, though."

"I think we should wait a few days and see if Tilford can tell us anything. From what you said, Jordan is slick. If he thinks you're bluffing, he'll probably turn you into the IG for harassment."

"That is a possibility, although personally, I couldn’t care less." Karen sighed. "It would alert him, I'm on to him, though. Okay, we wait for now." For a very short while. Karen glanced at Whitney and smiled. "Let's go get some carryout and go home."

Whitney smiled warmly at Karen's words. She said go home. Not go to my house. When the elevator doors closed, she pulled Karen's head down and kissed her.

"What was that for? Not that I minded."

"Just because."

***

Bruce Tilford stalked around his room. He'd tried to contact Sommerson three times, and each time had been told he was unavailable. He'd told that cold bastard he'd keep his little brother quiet.

Richard might be a nerd, and naïve, but he was his brother. Someone was going to pay for this. He dialed his contact number again, and slammed down the phone when the tinny voice of an answering machine began reciting its recorded message. "Sonofabitch!"

Bruce was totally frustrated. They'd gone overboard now. Richard had told him what Jordan had done, but he'd blown it off. Now he was fighting for his life in ICU. Tilford grabbed his jacket with a new destination in mind. Bruce snorted. Hope you're up for some company, Jordan.

Chapter 17

Whitney stood in the living room of Karen's house looking out the bay window, thinking about how much things had changed between them since yesterday. It was so hard to believe, almost like living a fairy tale. Once they'd decided on Mexican food, Whitney had planned on following Karen to the restaurant, then to her house. She'd been totally astounded when her lover pulled a key off of her ring and handed it to her. Karen had just shrugged and said it made no sense for both of them to go since they were in separate cars. It was just like the tall woman to completely blow off the gesture as if it were no big deal.

Smiling, Whitney acknowledged that her earlier intense curiosity had been blunted. A heart-felt conviction that Karen was opening her life - all of it - to her, undercut any desire to inspect the tall woman's possessions. It was much more fun waiting for Karen to make each revelation as she allowed Whitney deeper into her world, and her heart.

Whitney noticed two glass birds sitting on the TV and walked over to look at them. She picked up an owl first, surprised by its weight. The bird was exquisitely designed, with every feather detailed in the clear glass. Whitney set it down and picked up the other bird, an eagle. Its wings were extended as it prepared to take to the air, and she decided it reminded her much more of Karen than the owl did. It seemed so regal and free. Looking around, Whitney noticed there were no other knickknacks, and wondered if the two birds were significant in some way. She set the eagle back on the TV making a mental note to ask Karen about them.

A short time later, Karen pulled into the driveway, and Whitney walked into the kitchen to greet her. "Hey." She took one of the bags of food from Karen, walked over to the table, and set it down. Whitney turned to face her grinning partner. "What are you smiling about?"

"Just happy to be home." Karen pulled Whitney into a hug. "Missed you."

"I missed you too." Whitney placed her hands on the back of Karen's head and met her mouth in a soft, lingering kiss.

Karen looked at Whitney intently before releasing her, and walking back towards the door.

"Where you going?" Whitney's forehead was slightly furrowed.

"I just thought I'd come back in again." Karen winked at her lover.

Whitney chuckled while breathing an inward sigh of relief. Everything was still so new, she'd wondered if something was wrong. "Come here." After sharing another kiss with her lover, Whitney glanced at the bags on the table. "What'd you get?"

"Burritos for you, just like you wanted, and chicken enchiladas for me. I got us a couple of soft shell tacos, too. Figured we could have them for an appetizer, besides they're great." She walked over to the refrigerator. "What do you want to drink?"

"Coke's good." Whitney opened a bag and began taking out their food. "These are huge! There's no way we're gonna eat all this. Geez, they must weigh a pound each."

Karen grinned. "I got us the supreme. They are kinda big, but we can have leftovers."

Whitney bit into the burrito, savoring the taste. "This is really good."

"Want to try mine?" Karen cut a good-sized chunk off of her enchilada and handed it to Whitney. When the small woman offered to return the favor, Karen grimaced, shaking her head. "I hate refried beans."

"And just what's wrong with them?" Whitney asked, amused at the look on her partner's face.

"I'll tell you when you get done eating."

Whitney rolled her eyes. "Oh, I can tell this is gonna be good."

Karen grinned. "You like it. That's all that matters."

After finishing, both women cleaned off the table and put things away. "Okay, now that we're finished, what's so bad about refried beans?"

"How they look." Karen decided not to go into detail.

Whitney put her hands on her hips. "How they look? That's got nothing to do with how they taste. Have you ever even tried them?"

"Yep, and they don't taste good enough to make up for what they look like."

"Well, they aren't the most appetizing thing to look at, but they're good. You just need to expand your horizons a little and not be so picky."

"I'm not picky." Karen walked over to the freezer and opened it. "Look here. I have macaroni and cheese, Salisbury steak, chicken…"

"Karen! You eat those things! Yuck!"

"What's wrong with TV dinners. They're fast and easy. And they look good, too."

"They might look good, but that doesn't mean they taste good. I'll take my refried beans over that stuff anytime."

Karen closed the freezer and turned to face Whitney. "The best things are the ones that look good and taste good, too." She pulled her partner into a hug, nuzzling her neck. "Like you."

What could she say to that? Whitney leaned her head forward enjoying the attention being lavished on her neck as she felt her body begin to react to the soft moist kisses Karen was placing in her wake. "Umm. I like that."

"Me too. Let's go into the living room." Leading Whitney to the couch, she pulled the small woman into her lap.

Whitney laid her head against Karen's chest. "I wish the weekend wasn't almost over."

"I hear you." Karen rested her chin on Whitney's head, and laced her fingers with her partner's. Her days off had been boring affairs, which she spent good portions of on post for no other reason than it was something to do. When was the last time I wasn't looking forward to Monday?

Whitney moved from Karen's lap to the couch when the phone rang. She grinned at the disgusted look on her partner's face because it mirrored her own thoughts. She'd been quite comfortable right where she was.

"Hello." Karen voice was at once crisp and all business.

"Top? This is Sergeant Hartman. I'm sick. Think I got the flu. Billings said he take over."

"Let me talk to him." Karen shook her head. It was always something.

"SGT Billings."

"Everything quiet?"

"Yes, Top."

"Good. Keep it that way. Tell Hartman he can go home. I'll make the switch on the duty roster. He can pull duty for you next week."

"Okay, Top."

Karen hung up the phone and joined Whitney on the couch. "CQ got sick."

"Good. I mean I'm not glad he sick, I just was worried it might be the hospital." Whitney snuggled up next to Karen. "Do you get a lot of calls at home?"

"No. I've usually been on post when something came up." Karen rested her arm across her partner's shoulders.

"I hope you start getting a lot more calls at home."

Karen brushed her lips lightly across Whitney's. "So do I." She turned on the TV and selected one of the audio channels the satellite company offered.

"Those birds on your TV are really nice. I've never seen glass with such detail in it before."

"My aunt gave me the eagle on my sixteenth birthday. She said I'd soar to great heights." Karen chuckled. "Corny, huh?"

"No. She was right. It fits you." Whitney smiled when her lover blushed. "She give you the owl, too?"

"No. It was hers. I kept it as a keepsake." Karen shrugged.

"When I was six, Mom and Dad took us to the circus. I guess I talked about it for days because Dad whittled me a little elephant. I loved that little toy. I used to pretend it was magical, just like the circus was to me, then. I still have it, but one of the tusks is broken off."

Karen listened to Whitney talk, picturing a pretty little blonde, bright-eyed child awed by the bright lights and mystique of seeing a real circus for the first time. "My aunt took me. I was older than you were so it was different for me, but still fun."

Listening to the soft music emanating from the TV, the two women continued to enjoy each other's company and shared memories intermingled with frequent kisses and caresses.

Karen inwardly sighed. She didn't want Whitney on the street too late and it was already after 2200. "It's getting late."

"I know. Guess I should go now." The last thing Whitney wanted to do was leave, but tomorrow was a workday.

Karen followed her lover to the door. Before Whitney could open it, she wrapped her arms around her, breathing in her essence. "I wish you didn't have to go."

"Me too." Whitney hugged Karen back and spoke her mind. "I'd rather stay and leave early in the morning."

"I hate the idea of you driving back to post by yourself at that hour. You know, drunks and nutsos." Karen lowered her head searching out Whitney's lips. They shared a soft lingering kiss. "I could follow you, but we'd have to go in real early."

"Works for me." Whitney urged Karen's head lower and met her mouth for a hot sizzling kiss.

Karen took a deep breath. "Me, too." Winking, she smiled alluringly. "Want to go to bed."

"You needed to ask?"

The tall woman chuckled softly and led Whitney towards the bedroom.

***

Jordan closed his front door, leaning against it with a sigh of relief. It had taken him a couple of hours to calm Tilford down, but he finally convinced Bruce that he couldn't have been behind his brother's accident, because he been on duty at Battalion all night.

For the first time since he'd been in the military, he was thankful he'd been scheduled for duty. Damn, Sommerson didn't waste any time. At least now he was off the hook for the accident. That had been a bust, anyway. He was still getting the Article 15. Maybe I can convince Johnson to just fine me if I explain what a hardship it would be on my family. It's worth a try.

Jordan knew he was going to have to lay low for a while. Things were a little too hot now with Tilford's accident. Bruce was probably going to end up getting knocked off if he tried to confront Sommerson, and then things would heat up even more. No problem, I can play good soldier just fine.

***

Whitney walked into the BOQ, and stood inside the doorway watching Karen drive off. It was only 0500, but they had both decided it would be better to arrive before most of the post began coming to life. Whitney knew Karen was going to the orderly room, and wished there was a better solution than having to get up even earlier than usual. It wasn't as bad for her, because she was still on light duty this week and exempt from PT. She'd have time for a nap before meeting Karen in the Mess Hall at 0730.

Walking over to the bed, Whitney reached over and set her alarm clock for 0645. She had no intentions of oversleeping and missing Karen. She lay back, closing her eyes. What a weekend! It had exceeded her wildest expectations. Whitney nodded off with the image of Karen smiling at her, and unconsciously her lips turned up in answering smile as she drifted deeper into sleep.

Karen briefly glanced at the paperwork in her office, and then decided it could wait. She was already dressed for PT, and kicked her chair back against the wall to give her long legs room to clear the desk, before propping them on the surface. She folded her arms deep in thought.

The first sergeant had never expected to find the happiness she'd found so quickly with Whitney, nor the contentment she experienced when with her. It was new ground for her. Karen had never allowed anyone this close before. She'd always used the Army as an excuse; now that very excuse was becoming onerous. Where would they go from here?

Karen knew there was no way to know, but she resented the fact that the Army could invade her private life and choices. How long could they go without being exposed? What happened when she or Whitney got reassigned? Sure, her partner was only in for three and a half more years, but chances were good that she would be reassigned at least once or twice during that time. Reassignment all depended on the needs of the Army, and one year at each duty station was the only guarantee made. Whitney was already slotted incorrectly. That wouldn't go unnoticed for too long. Karen shook her head, frustrated. There were no easy answers.

Not quite two hours later, after showering and donning her uniform, Whitney made one last check of her hair before leaving the room. She hadn't even had a chance to lock the door when she heard a familiar voice.

"There you are! We've been looking for you all weekend." Bonnie smiled broadly at her friend. "You didn't have to go back to the hospital, did you?"

"No. I'm fine, really." Whitney smiled at the two officers facing her. "I didn't want to stay cooped up in my room all weekend after spending three days on quarters. You know how it is."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Julie looked at Whitney intently. "You look great. I guess you're feeling a lot better?"

"I feel great. My head doesn't even hurt anymore. I've still got a big bump, though, but the doctor said that would take awhile to go away."

Bonnie nodded her head knowingly. "That's true. My brother got conked on the head once and he had a welt for ages. Wanna go to Mom's?"

"Sorry, I can't. I'm supposed to meet Top at the Mess Hall in a few minutes. Thanks for asking."

"Okay. Maybe some other time."

Whitney didn't miss the look that passed between the two women, and it worried her. They were always popping up at the most inopportune times. She'd hoped Karen would suggest she come over after work, but it might be better to stay on post tonight. The last thing she wanted to do was cast suspicion on her relationship with Karen.

In a moment of stark honesty, Whitney realized she would have no qualms whatsoever about telling the Army she was lesbian and opting out, if it ever came to that. She'd just get a job and pay off her scholarship from them. At $37,500, it could be a lot worse. She knew students who owed upwards of $75,000 on student loans. It was doable, and a minor sacrifice to make for this relationship to work.

The first sergeant sat at a table in the rear of the Mess Hall with her legs stretched out comfortably. Karen had opted to shower on post to save time, and had arrived early. She’d gotten a cup of coffee and was watching the door intently, although her countenance reflected only an idle perusal.

Karen had talked to Gary briefly after formation. He'd gone to the hospital after they'd departed the day before to see Tilford, and had learned the soldier would be extubated today. That was good news. It meant he was much more stable and improving.

She sat up straighter when she saw Whitney enter, but it wasn't necessary because the young woman spotted her right away, smiling as she made her way to the table.

Whitney arrived at the table, still smiling. "Hey." Noticing Karen had only a cup of coffee, she added, "Is that all you're having?"

"Nope. I wanted to wait for you. I'll save the table while you get breakfast, then I'll get mine."

"Okay. Be right back."

She returned a short time later with SOS, a bowl of fruit, coffee and juice. Whitney noticed the look on Karen's face as she looked at her main course. "Don't even say a word."

Karen grinned. "Okay. No problem." She got up and walked over to the food bar returning with scrambled eggs, a couple of biscuits and fruit. "This meet with your approval - oh mighty advocate of hearty breakfasts?"

Looking at the food seriously, Whitney decided to play along. "Well, let's see. There's something from most of the major food groups, but you should get some milk."

"Not a chance." Karen slid in to the chair closest to Whitney.

"You don't like milk, either?" Whitney was used to large meals with plenty of home cooked food, and there really wasn't much she didn't like.

"Chocolate milk is okay. I've hated white milk from when I was a kid. My mother used to heat it and make me drink a cup of it before I went to bed. Supposedly it makes kids go to sleep faster. I dunno about that, but the taste of warm milk sucks. Haven't touched it in years."

"That would taste horrid." Whitney shook her head in distaste before digging into her breakfast. "Did you see Gary?"

"Yeah. Tilford's coming off the vent sometime today, so I want to stop there after work. You wanna come with me?"

Whitney nodded between bites of food. She was glad Tilford seemed to be doing better and wanted to stop in, but she was also concerned about what Karen's reaction might be if he verified all her suspicions. The XO intended to do her best to make sure Karen stayed out of it and let the MP's handle it.

After they finished eating, they sat there for a few more minutes, leisurely drinking their coffee.

"Are you going to come over tonight?"

"I thought it might be better if I stayed on post..." Before she had a chance to explain, her heart clenched at the fleeting look of disappointment that flickered across her lover's face, as she shrugged trying to hide it. "Karen."

When Karen looked at her, Whitney explained her interaction with Bonnie and Julie. "I want to come, but I want to protect our relationship, too. Is the offer open for tomorrow?"

Karen grinned reassuringly. "Sure is, and you're right. No sense in giving them anything to talk about. You ready?"

"Yeah."

Later that day, the XO sat in her office marveling at the tight control Karen seem to have over her emotions. The only difference was in those gorgeous blue orbs when she made eye contact. Whitney hoped she was doing half as well, but didn't think so. She'd had to stop herself from grinning happily every time she saw Karen. Good thing it was almost time to leave. They'd decided to ride to the hospital together, and then return to the company so Whitney could pick up her car.

Karen maneuvered easily through the traffic on the way off post and to the hospital. She reached over and quickly squeezed her partner's hand before moving her own back to the steering wheel.

Whitney smiled at the contact. "Think Richard will be able to tell us anything?"

"I hope so. The cops have probably already gotten a statement. They'd have been called when he was able to talk." Karen pulled into the hospital lot and parked.

The two women made their way to the elevator, and stood aside to let passengers disembark before entering and finding themselves alone for the first time since departing Karen's house that morning.

Karen pressed the floor button, and as the door closed, she found herself wrapped in a big hug. She shared a quick kiss with Whitney, then both had their professional faces on by the time the elevator door opened.

"We're here to see Richard Tilford." Whitney smiled at the secretary behind the desk.

"I'm sorry, but they're replacing one of his lines. Why don't you try back in half an hour?"

Whitney nodded. "Okay." As they walked out of the ICU, she turned to Karen. "Wanna go find some coffee?"

"Sounds good. There was a sign in the lobby for a gourmet coffee shop. Wanna try it?"

"Okay." Whitney smiled ruefully at Karen when she saw some other people waiting for the elevator.

When they arrived at the coffee shop, Karen turned to Whitney. "What are you going to have?"

"I'm gonna have cappuccino." Whitney grinned at her partner. "We do have a bet…"

Karen had no desire to try it, but was looking forward to the payoff dinner in Raleigh. "Okay. I'll try it, but I'm getting a cup of regular coffee, too."

"Somehow that doesn't sound very open minded." When Karen gave her a look, she chuckled. "Okay, okay."

Sitting at a small round table, Whitney took a sip of her coffee. "This is good. Try yours."

Karen took a sip and decided it tasted odd, kind of flat. It wasn't really terrible, but it wasn't anything to write home about either. She shrugged. "What do they put in this?"

"It's just coffee, milk they froth up, and a touch of cinnamon. And, of course, the whipped cream. What do you think?"

"It's okay, but... You want the rest of mine?"

"Sure. Guess I lose, huh?" Whitney smiled as Karen pushed her cup across the table.

Karen winked. "Nah. We both win. When do you wanna go?"

"Is this weekend too soon?"

"Not soon enough, but I think it's the best we can do. Maybe we can catch a movie, too."

"Oh, that'd be great!" Whitney's voice conveyed her excitement.

Karen grinned at the delighted look on Whitney's face. "I hear you."

Once they'd finished their coffee, the two women made their way back to the ICU.

Whitney glanced at Karen as they walked towards Tilford's bed. "I wonder if that's his brother?"

"Guess we'll find out."

Richard looked up at Karen and smiled weakly. "Hi Top." He shifted his gaze to Whitney. "Ma'am."

Whitney smiled at him. "How're you feeling?"

"Very sore. This is my brother, Bruce."

Karen nodded at the stocky man standing on the other side of Richard's bed, assessing him quickly. He was pretty average looking, with short-cropped chestnut-colored hair. The soldier was still in uniform and sported jump wings.

She turned her attention back to Richard. "Do you know what happened?"

Tilford fought to stay awake. The painkillers were making him very drowsy, but he needed to talk to Top. "Somebody ran me down. Did a good job, too. I couldn't get away."

He glanced at Bruce before continuing. "Top, that accident you had in the field?" When Karen nodded, he continued. "Jordan deliberately took the filter off his flashlight."

Whitney glanced at Karen and could see the subtle shift in her demeanor. She'd been right. "Richard, do you know why he would do that?"

"No, ma'am. I tried to stop him, but it was too late."

No surprise there. "Why didn't you say anything?" Karen wasn't sure Richard was going to answer. It was obvious he was having trouble staying alert.

Richard looked at his brother. "Bruce?"

Making a decision, Bruce nodded his head. "Okay. Get some rest." He directed his attention to Karen and Whitney. "I need to talk to you."

"Fine. We can go to the waiting room."

Bruce shook his head. "No. It needs to be private. Can we go to your company? I know where it's at."

Karen glanced at Whitney. "Okay. We'll met you there in ten minutes."

Whitney got in the car and placed her hand on Karen's thigh, hoping the contact would relax her partner. She found it was becoming easier to read Karen's moods, and she was like a coiled spring right now. "You're kind of tense."

"I know." Karen looked over at Whitney as she placed the car in gear. "We already knew this. Richard just verified what the doctor said." She placed her hand on top of her partner's and met her eyes. "You could've been killed." She glanced away, backing out of the parking space.

It was getting dark, but Whitney was overwhelmed by the intensity she'd seen in Karen's eyes. So that's what this is all about. Whitney felt a like a hand was caressing her heart. I know I love her. But I think she loves me just as much.

Gary was already gone, and Karen unlocked the orderly room, following Whitney into the building. "My office or yours?"

Whitney grinned. "Yours. I like it better than mine."

Her partner looked at her partner quizzically. "Why?"

"Because it feels like you." She chuckled when Karen raised an eyebrow, and shrugged. "It does."

Karen took Whitney's hand and led her to the windowless hallway. She softly kissed her. "I'm gonna miss you tonight."

Whitney sighed. "I'll miss you, too."

Both women separated as they heard the door open and Tilford call out. "Top?"

Her professional demeanor fully in place, Karen walked into the outer room. "My office is this way. Bring one of those chairs with you."

Bruce easily hefted a chair and followed the tall woman. He sat it in front of her desk, and glanced at Whitney. "Ma'am."

Karen riveted her attention on the soldier, waiting for him to begin. After watching him fidget for a few minutes, she decided to break the silence. "You have something you wanted to tell us?"

"Uh, yeah." Bruce sighed audibly. This had started out so simply, and was now so damn complicated. He didn't even know where to start. Shifting uneasily, he directed his eyes to the floor. "I know who was behind Richard's accident."

Whitney glanced at Karen before turning her attention back to Bruce. She'd suspected as much, but he seemed awfully reluctant to tell his story. The XO turned back to Tilford.

An hour later, Bruce finished relating everything he knew. Karen sat back in her chair deep in thought. It was obvious he was a low life with no regard for other's property or rights, but it was equally apparent he was not a killer. The soldier was running scared and wanted to bail. What he'd thought was a theft ring had escalated far beyond that.

The problem was that there was no proof. Sommerson was obviously very cunning. Every time a job had been pulled, he arranged for them to be met with a truck. She snorted. How convenient. None of his minions knew where he kept the stolen goods. Without evidence, it was going to be very hard to take Sommerson down.

"Do you know when the next job is going down?"

"I only get notified the day before." Bruce shrugged. "I think that's to prevent any leaks."

Whitney spoke up. "You need to talk to the MPs. You'll be charged for the thefts you were involved with, but at least you'll be out of it."

Bruce shook his head. "No. I heard he recruited someone from the MPs. The only thing that'll get me is dead."

"Does Jordan go on the jobs with you?" Karen wanted to bust Jordan immediately, but if he could be indicted for additional crimes, the bastard would rot in jail much longer.

"Yeah. He's one of Sommerson's middlemen. It's his job to make sure everything goes off without a glitch. He has the authority to cancel if there's any problem."

"Wait in the other room. I wanted to talk to LT Gordon. Close the door behind you."

When Tilford departed, Karen glanced at Whitney. "I have an idea."

"Why do I think I'm not gonna like it?" The XO had watched Karen's face harden as the story unfolded.

"He has no evidence. It would be his word against the others. You know they're gonna stand firm."

Whitney nodded. "So…?"

"I think we should tell him to notify us when and where the next job is going to go down. If it's on post, we wait until they arrive and then call the MPs. That way no one would be tipped off ahead of time and we'd get all of them."

"And just who is going to be there waiting for them to arrive?" Whitney already knew the answer, and didn't like it.

"Me."

"No. You'll probably be charged with withholding information. I think we should just have the MPs come and arrest him now."

"And let the others walk? Including the bastard behind Richard's accident? Did you see how scared Tilford is? He knows he's going to jail. He just wants to get there alive." Karen met Whitney's eyes and smiled. "I'll be fine."

Whitney sighed. "I still think they'll try to burn you for not turning this over to them."

"Not when they find out an MP is involved and Tilford feared for his life. Worst I'll get is a lecture from Smadge."

Against her better judgment, Whitney capitulated. "I don't like it, but I don't want anything to happen to Tilford. But promise you'll call the MPs as soon as they arrive."

Karen reached over and squeezed her lover's hand. "I promise."

"Okay." She walked over to the door and opened it. "Bruce, come on back in."

The first sergeant drilled Tilford with her eyes. "This is what I want you to do. You notify me the minute you're contacted about the next job. I'll wait until it starts going down to call the MPs. You got any questions?"

Bruce breathed a sigh of relief. "No." When Karen stood up indicating an end to the meeting, he turned to leave the office.

"Tilford."

The soldier turned back towards Karen and he felt his guts tighten at the cold look in her eyes. Damn, I'd hate to be her enemy. His knees suddenly felt weak as he realized just how close he'd come to being just that.

"Anymore jobs go down before I hear from you, and I'll personally escort you to the MPs."

"Okay, Top." Bruce hurriedly left the office, anxious to get away from the feeling of danger that had suddenly permeated the air.

Karen looked at Whitney. "You’d better get going. It's gonna look funny if both our cars are here."

"I know. It's already after 2000. You need to go home, too."

"I'll leave in a little while. I have some things to catch up on."

Whitney could see the tiredness reflected in her partner's face. "You've been here since 0500. There's nothing that can't wait for tomorrow." Grinning to herself, she decided to try a different tactic. "I want you well rested for tomorrow night."

Karen's body immediately reacted to the promise in those words. She stood up and led Whitney back to the privacy of the hallway. Wrapping her arms around her lover, she savored the feel of Whitney's body against hers. "I'll leave right after you do. How about a goodnight kiss?"

The small woman met the full sensuous lips of her lover for a gentle lingering kiss. "I’d better go."

"Um hum. I hear you." Karen released Whitney and reached for her hand, lifting it to her lips and kissing it. "See you tomorrow."

Smiling, Whitney raised her hand to Karen's face, gently caressing it. "Count on it." She abruptly departed, worried at her weakening resolve to spend the night alone for the sake of appearances.

Whitney checked her mail and was pleased to see a box from Nana. She closed the door to her room, then began trying to open the tightly sealed box. Grinning, she walked over to her nightstand and took out a pair of scissors. Nana had used enough tape for three boxes.

Removing the lid, Whitney was delighted at the selection of home made cookies. Her grandmother had sent chocolate chip, oatmeal, and peanut butter cookies. She chose an oatmeal cookie and replaced the lid wanting to save them to share with Karen.

The XO called home and chatted with her parents before asking to speak to Nana. She spent a half hour talking to her grandmother, as the older woman brought her up to date on everyone in the family.

She ate her left over burrito, and spent the rest of the evening relaxing in front of the TV, looking forward to the next day. Whitney knew she'd made the right decision when Bonnie and Julie stopped by to see if she wanted to go to the store with them. She'd declined, and after visiting for a half hour, they left.

Whitney went to bed hoping Karen would make an appearance in her dreamscape.

Karen locked up the building right after Whitney left, and drove over to the barracks. She only spent a few minutes there before departing for home. After shedding her uniform, she opened the freezer door to take out a TV dinner, then closed it when she remembered what Whitney had said about them.

She smiled to herself. I'm being ridiculous. I've eaten those for years. Her thoughts didn't make the dinners any more appealing, so Karen opened the refrigerator and saw her left over enchilada. She'd forgotten all about it.

After showering, Karen went in search of her white robe and donned it before relaxing in front of the TV. She knew it was silly, but wearing it made her feel closer to Whitney. Karen fell asleep in her recliner, the white robe wrapped around her tall figure.

Chapter 18

Karen shoved her chair back, lifting long legs onto the surface of the desk, and crossing her ankles. She folded her arms across her chest as her face became contemplative. It was the first time all day she'd had a moment to think about something that had been festering in the back of her mind. Her plan to take down Jordan and the theft ring had one serious flaw.

Although she didn't think it would happen, it was possible she could be charged with withholding information just as Whitney had suggested. Karen found it interesting that that didn't particularly bother her. Jordan had deliberately caused their accident and hurt Whitney. Any repercussions that might arise from her collaboration with the elder Tilford would be worth the gratification of seeing Jordan go down. She did regret that the plan didn't include knocking Jordan into the next century. Now, that would be satisfying.

What was bothering her, though, was that Whitney was now implicated. Karen knew her lover had only agreed because she didn't want to see Tilford harmed. It's just like Whitney to ignore the possible ramifications of her own involvement and worry about my career.

Karen shook her head disgustedly. She was after Jordan because he'd hurt Whitney, and could've killed her. Her thoughts became self-deprecating. Am I any better than he is? I wasn't even thinking about her career. She's an officer for God's sake. There's no way her involvement will be overlooked. I'm supposed to love her, not hurt her.

She got up and stalked around the office. Karen decided her plan posed too much of a risk to Whitney's career. She knew they were already both taking a chance with their careers by pursuing their relationship, but in her mind that was an acceptable risk. They'd taken extra precautions to be discreet, and baring some exceptionally bad luck, chances were fairly good they would escape scrutiny. The Tilford situation is different. There are alternatives.

She had five minutes before it was time to leave for NCO call. Quite simply, Karen was not in the mood to put up with Donnie's chauvinistic rhetoric. She was already irritated that it would delay her getting home by an hour.

The first sergeant heard someone knocking and strode over to the door, yanking it open. Her face softened when she saw Whitney standing there, and she backed away from the door.

"Mind if I come in?" The XO was taken aback by the look on Karen's face. Something was very wrong. Whitney walked in, shutting the door behind her. "What's the matter?"

"I'll tell you later. I've got NCO call, so I won't be home until 1900. I've got to stay at least an hour for appearances." Karen frowned again. What a bunch of bullshit.

"Hey, take it easy." Whitney smiled. "Come on, it's no big deal. I'll just come over a little later. Is 1930 okay?"

Karen forced herself to calm down. "Just a bad day. 1930 is fine. I'll stop and pick up something to eat."

"How about if I make something? I miss cooking. Meals were a big deal in my house." Whitney was tired of carryout, and enjoyed cooking.

"Sounds good." Karen quirked a half-smile. "But you won't have much time." She pulled a house key out of her pocket. "You can keep this. I had an extra made today." Karen felt her insides warm at the large smile that covered Whitney's face as she accepted the key.

"Do you like Chef's salad?" When her lover nodded, Whitney grinned and winked. "Then it won't take much time."

Karen followed Whitney to the door. "See you soon."

"You betcha." Whitney stopped before opening the door. "What kind of dressing do you like?"

"Ranch."

"Good choice. Bye."

Karen appreciatively watched Whitney walk back to her office, and then left hurriedly for the NCO club.

Whitney returned to her office, the key held tightly in her hand. She'd barely had a chance to see Karen all day, and wondered what was bothering her. She'd seemed so upset. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was 5:30. Close enough for government work.

She walked down the hall and stopped in front of Gary's doorway. When he looked up, Whitney smiled. "If you don't have anything else, I'm outta here."

"Nope. I'm out of here myself. See you tomorrow." Gary stood up and grabbed his hat. He was pleased with the new XO's performance. She would be a good officer. Gary had also noticed that Karen and Whitney worked extremely well together. Karen had taken the young officer under her wing, and had instructed her well.

He'd taken a lot of ribbing about both the first sergeant and XO. He wouldn't trade either one of them. Karen had taught him a lot of things, and he valued her opinion second to none when it came to the enlisted soldiers. Gary chuckled. He valued her opinion on anything military. The woman knows her stuff.

Whitney quickly changed into jeans, a mauve pullover top, and her running shoes. She grabbed the box of cookies, and left quickly hoping to avoid Bonnie and Julie.

She decided to stop at a grocery store off post, because the commissary was always busy and she'd didn't have the time to stand in line forever. Within a half hour, she was at Karen's house with all the makings for a good Chef's salad.

Her thoughts turned to Karen as she began washing the lettuce. Whitney wished she had some idea of what was bothering her lover, although it did warm her insides to know that Karen planned to share whatever it was with her. That took trust, and it was a great feeling. We've come so far, and I hope it is just the beginning.

Karen had told her about Donnie. What a jerk. Whitney hoped he wouldn't be a total idiot. With luck, he would still be cowed by their last confrontation. Whitney couldn't believe Karen had faced him down. Well, yes I can. The woman didn't take any crap from anyone, but Whitney couldn't believe she'd done it right in front of the BOQ. Good thing the MPs hadn't been around. That might've been a little hard to explain.

Some things about Karen were hard to understand. Her actions were often so contradictory. She seemed gung-ho military, yet she'd do things that were so unmilitary. Like the business with Donnie, and the plan she'd set into motion with Bruce the night before. Whitney smiled widely. And us.

Karen arrived home shortly after 1900. She hurriedly exited her car, anxious to see Whitney after having to endure Donnie's taunting for the first part of NCO call. Karen smirked. She'd put a stop to it, though.

Before she could turn the knob, the door swung open and Whitney stood there smiling at her. She was inside in two steps, kicked the door closed and wrapped her lover in a secure embrace. "I missed you."

"Missed you, too." Whitney greeted Karen, and followed it up with a kiss. "How'd it go?"

Karen released the smaller woman, and began unbuttoning her jacket. "Same as usual. Donnie's was an asshole. Fixed him good." She leaned over and began unlacing her boots.

Whitney leaned against the dryer watching Karen shed her jacket and boots. "What'd you do?"

"Challenged him." Karen grinned, with a triumphant look on her face.

"Challenged him to what?" Whitney had a feeling this was going to be interesting.

"A hand-to-hand combat match in the gym tomorrow night." Karen chuckled. "There was no way he could refuse. He'd spent an hour talking about how men were better than women at everything, so I called him on it."

"Karen he outweighs you by quite a bit. What if he cheats or something? You could get hurt."

"Nah. CSM Grady and the other first sergeants are going to be there. I think they're kinda tired of listening to his shit, too. Gets really old. Grady will call the match."

"I'm coming." Whitney wanted to make sure Karen didn't get hurt, and that the fight was fair.

Karen sighed. "I dunno. It's sort of an NCO thing. It might look funny if you showed up."

"So you don't want me to come?" Whitney voiced her thoughts, troubled.

"Whitney, it's not about that." Karen voice was gentle, but she felt her stomach tighten at the hurt in her lover's voice.

Whitney nodded reluctantly, her eyes downcast. "I know," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

Karen sat down in a kitchen chair, and beckoned for her lover to join her. Once Whitney was comfortably sitting in her lap, she rested cheek against the small woman's. "I hate this, too. I hate having to watch everything we say or do in public." She paused. "I missed you last night. A lot. And it irritates the hell out of me that the only reason you weren't here is because of what someone might think."

"I know. I get tired of it, too. Just be careful, okay?" Whitney moved her head so she could see her lover's face.

Karen knew that lately her world of black and white had taken on tones of gray. Things had ceased to be clear-cut and simple. She'd always taken exception to some of the Army's policies, but it was only lately that she'd admitted to herself that while in the Army, she was not truly free, and that knowledge was not sitting well with her.

She suddenly found herself unwilling ask Whitney to stay away. Matter of fact, she wanted her there. "I'd like you to come." A warm smile greeted her words, and Karen suddenly had to clear her throat.

"Don't worry. I'll stay in the background." Whitney felt Karen's arms tighten around her, and relished the contact. The older woman nuzzled her neck and murmured, "You don't have to."

Whitney sighed inwardly. How she wished that were true. Even though she wanted to be there, she intended to attend as unobtrusively as possible. "You hungry? The salads are ready."

"Sounds great." Karen waited for Whitney to stand up, and then joined her. "Need any help?"

"How 'bout you get us something to drink, while I get the salads out?"

Once they were finished eating, the two women moved into the living room. Karen turned on the TV. "News okay?"

Whitney nodded. She didn't care what they watched, and snuggled up next to Karen, smiling as her lover put an arm around her shoulders. Deciding she'd waited long enough, she prompted Karen. "What was bothering you earlier?"

"My plan for taking down Jordan and his group." Karen sighed. "It's no good."

"Why?" Whitney was curious what had changed her lover's mind. "You think we should just turn Tilford in? That might put him in danger."

"No, but we need another plan." Karen looked at Whitney. How do I tell her I wasn't thinking of her? Just do it. She looked down at her hands. "You could get burned for just knowing about this. I should've thought about that last night, and didn't."

"Well, I did. It's not like I'm going into it this blind or anything. Besides, I think given the circumstances, it's not that big a deal." Whitney looked at the downward cast of her lover's head. "Hey, come on. I'm willing to take that chance if it'll keep Tilford safe."

"You thought it out, but I didn't." Karen shifted uncomfortably, and looked at Whitney. "I don't want you to risk your career over this. Not when it could be done differently."

Whitney took Karen's hand. "What do you want to do then? We have to keep Tilford's safety in mind."

"Try to get Gary to buy it. Talk to him tomorrow, and see if he'll go along with it."

"You think that's likely?" Whitney had been concerned with Karen's role, not her own, and was glad of the change in plans.

Karen shrugged. "If we explain the whole thing to him, he might."

Whitney nodded, placed her hand on Karen's, and smiled gently. "So lighten up, okay?"

"I love you." Karen was more surprised than Whitney when the words spilled from her lips. It was certainly true, but this just wasn't the way she'd planned to say it.

Whitney jerked her head back, and saw the love clearly reflected in the vivid blue orbs, before losing herself in their depths. She felt her heart flutter and then begin racing wildly, as a warm feeling enveloped her a moment before she met Karen's lips for a soft lingering kiss. "I love you, too."

"I'm glad." Karen hugged Whitney. She met her lover's mouth with her own, in a deep, hungry kiss and shortly thereafter time became meaningless as the outside world was left behind.

***

Gary sat back in his chair. "The only part of your plan I have a problem with is not notifying the MPs after Tilford contacts you."

"If there is a plant in the MPs, that'll tip the head honcho off." Karen shrugged. "If it was me, I'd make damn sure I found out where the leak was."

"You agree?" Gary turned his attention to Whitney.

Whitney nodded. "I hate the idea of putting Tilford in danger."

"Let me think on it." Gary watched the two women walk out of his office. Maybe it was time to call in a few markers.

Whitney was looking forward to getting off. She'd gone with Karen and Gary to visit Richard in the hospital, and was glad that he'd been moved out of the ICU.

The rest of the day had been interminably long and boring, with nothing but routine tasks to attend to. Remedial PT had been cancelled since she wasn't supposed to return to full duty until the following Monday. Karen was due over at the gym at 6, and Whitney wanted to change into sweats before showing up. She didn't want to call any attention to herself, and it wouldn't hurt to walk the track on the second floor anyway.

Karen looked at her watch, and a feral grin covered her face. It was time to head over to the gym. She'd been looking forward to the match all day. Whitney had stopped in before leaving and wished her luck. No way I can lose with that send off. Karen changed into sweats in the restroom, and departed after locking up.

Whitney's arms rested comfortably on the blue railing surrounding the track as she watched the area around the mat fill up. Word must have spread, because there were at least twenty NCO's standing down there, waiting for the fight to begin. She moved down the railing towards a corner in case any of them happened to look up. Her eyes settled on Donnie. He was short, but very muscular with a bit of a beer belly. It was easy to see how much he enjoyed being the center of attention, and Whitney shook her head at his posturing, unimpressed.

She smiled when Karen appeared and walked through the gym towards the mat. Sweats couldn't hide the smooth, feline grace of her movement, and Whitney felt her heart speed up just watching her. She crossed her fingers, hoping Karen would escape unscathed and put Donnie in his place. Her grin widened when Karen quickly looked up, and quirked a smile.

Karen felt the adrenaline rushing through her as the crowd around the mat parted to let her through. She tensed, and her entire demeanor changed from casual to deadly. Her eyes narrowed, becoming glacial while she listened to CSM Grady state the rules.

"First one immobilized loses. No dirty fighting." Grady looked at the two NCO's, and emphasized his warning. "That means no hitting below the belt. Any questions?" When none were forthcoming, he nodded. "Good. Move to your starting positions." He lowered his arm. "Start."

Karen circled Donnie waiting for him to make the first move. She needed to get a feel for his style before deciding on her best approach to end this quickly. The sounds of the crowd around the mat faded as she focused on her adversary.

Donnie's stomach was tight. The damn bitch had that look again, and it was freaking him. He needed to make his first blow count, and then use his weight advantage. She'd only gotten the best of him before because she'd taken him by surprise. Donnie sneered as his confidence returned. "Ladies first." He grinned at the hoots that followed his words.

Karen grinned lazily, and retorted, "Then what are you waiting for?" Before Donny had time to react, she feinted to the right, quickly closed in and landed a solid blow to Donnie's unprotected left side. She moved in as his arms lowered reflexively, and with a short, quick sweep of her leg, she tripped him while delivering a devastating blow to his chest.

Donnie went down hard, gasping for breath. He scooted backward across the mat attempting to regulate his breathing. Scrambling to his feet, he warily circled the devil woman. "You got lucky. Won't happen again."

A sardonic smile covered Karen's face. "Really." She laughed when Donnie lunged, grabbed his sweatshirt as she used his weight against him, and propelled him through the air, slamming him to the mat.

Determined to make it a fair fight, she moved away allowing him room to stand up. Her attention was momentarily diverted by a loudspeaker announcement ordering members of one of the airborne units to report back to their company. Her peripheral vision caught movement, but before she could jump out of the way, Donnie had delivered a sharp kick to her groin.

Karen dropped to the ground in agony. She doubled up, trying to will the intense throbbing away. She was vaguely aware of being kicked in the back, but the pain was secondary to that in her groin.

CSM Grady quickly strode onto the mat, stopping Donnie from delivering another kick. "I'll see you in my office first thing tomorrow morning."

The pain finally abating somewhat, Karen looked up, and between gritted teeth spoke. "I want to finish."

"Forget it Karen. I don't tolerate cheating."

Karen rose slowly to her feet, and appealed to Grady. "Don't stop this."

"Come on, Smadge. It should be her choice." The other NCO's echoed Nate's words.

Grady looked at his subordinates, and then turned his attention to Karen. "Take what time you need." Drilling Donnie with his eyes, his voice became hard. "You pull any more stunts like that and I'll have you locked up for assault."

Donnie glared at Grady. There was no way he was going to let a woman beat him, no matter what it took.

Whitney had flown down the steps, unable to stop her body from responding to her lover's distress. By the time she arrived, Karen was already on her feet, and Whitney faded away from the circle unseen.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." Karen limped off the mat, and made her way to the locker room. She wanted a few minutes away from all of the attention of her peers to get her focus back. She sank down onto one of the long wooden benches.

"You okay?"

Karen looked up at the sound of Whitney's concerned voice. She quirked a half smile. "Yeah. No big deal."

"Right." Whitney shook her head. "I wish you weren't going back out there. You're not gonna be at a hundred percent. It won't be fair."

"Don't worry. It won't matter, cuz it ain't gonna last long enough to."

Whitney saw Karen's face begin to harden. This side of Karen unnerved her, but this was one time she was glad to see it. That jerk deserved anything he got for cheating. She stayed on the bench at Karen's side until the tall woman stood up.

"I'm gonna go finish this. See you at the house."

"Good luck." Whitney quickly squeezed Karen's hand; glad there was no one in the vicinity. She grinned when Karen winked at her.

Whitney waited for a few minutes after Karen left to exit the locker room, and return to her vantage point on the second floor. She had no doubts about her lover's abilities, but she was still worried about her.

Karen returned to the mat and faced off against Donnie, deliberately goading him. "What's the matter? Can't play fair?" She was able to shove the pain into the background as she focused on the man standing across from her.

Donnie sneered. "That was an accident. This isn't." He brought his fist around, the full weight of his upper body behind the punch.

The tall woman wasted no time, and grabbed the arm coming at her. With a deft move of her shoulders, Karen sent him over her head and onto the mat behind her. She whirled around and faced him, not willing to give Donnie any advantage this time. As he scrambled to his feet, she again moved in and grabbed his sweatshirt, propelling him through the air to the mat again.

"You fuckin' bitch. I'm gonna kill you." Donnie kicked himself backward on the mat, trying to get far enough away to make it to his feet before she attacked again.

Karen's laugh was low, and carried only to the surrounding soldiers. "Well, you're gonna have to get off your ass to do it."

Her words had the desired effect as Donnie jumped to his feet, and Karen once again moved in with lightning swiftness, forcefully throwing him to the mat. She had no intention of giving Donnie a chance to touch her again.

Donnie didn't know if he was more afraid of her, or more embarrassed at being shown up. It wasn't fair, she wasn't giving him a chance. His body ached, and Donnie knew he couldn't fight her from his back. The soldier sat up warily before turning his back on Karen, knowing she wouldn't hit him from the rear, because it was beneath her ridiculous code of honor.

The tall woman watched Donnie warily, her eyes narrowed and her face calculating as she waited for his next move. His actions hadn't surprised her. He was a coward and a bully. When he swung around launching a vicious kick, she easily sidestepped and closed on him while he was off balance. She wrapped an arm around Donnie's neck, while simultaneously twisting his arm up behind his back. "You're finished."

"Like hell I am." Donnie began panicking when she tightened her hold around his neck cutting off his air. He thrashed around, unable to dislodge her arm, his face red with fury as she chuckled at his efforts.

Grady walked onto the mat, and looked at Donnie. "Looks like you lose."

"No…" Donnie's words were cut off by increased pressure on his neck.

"Let him go. It's over."

Karen released him, amidst much hooting and cheers from the crowd, and began walking off the mat with Grady.

"Karen, look out!" Tyrone couldn't believe Donnie wouldn't quit, and hoped his warning was in time.

Karen jumped forward as she whirled around, but Donnie's kick still caught her on the thigh. She grimaced, but immediately threw a well aimed fist towards his chin as he shifted forward, off balance. Karen dispassionately watched him crumple to the mat.

Grady just shook his head. "Some guys never learn." He nodded his head at a couple of the NCO's. "Come on, let's wake him up and get him outta here." He turned to look at Karen. "Good fight."

"Thanks." Karen walked slowly to the door, unable to keep the pain at bay any longer, but determined not to show it in front of her peers. When she was sure she was unobserved, Karen glanced up to the second floor. She smiled when Whitney gave her a wave, and proceeded out the door.

Whitney parked, and quickly made her way into Karen's house. Her lover was sitting in a kitchen chair and looked exhausted. "You okay?"

Karen nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Just a few bruises. I'm fine." Actually she couldn't decide what hurt worse, her groin, thigh or back. No sense in worrying Whitney, though.

"It looked like he kicked you awfully hard. Mind if I take a look?" Whitney knew Karen was downplaying her discomfort. She hadn't missed the pain she'd seen on her lover's face in the locker room before Karen had realized she was there.

"Okay. I'm gonna take a shower first." Karen knew the warm water would help her feel better, and she didn't want to appear weak to Whitney. Ignoring her complaining body, Karen got up and walked towards the bathroom.

Whitney shook her head. It was obvious to her that Karen was in pain. Her face had hardened as she stood up, and the usual grace she moved with was missing. She opened the freezer, planning to make an ice bag. She smiled when she saw a cold pack in the freezer. That would do very nicely. She closed the freezer and opened the refrigerator. I'm going to have to go grocery shopping. Looks like it's pizza tonight. Whitney removed a can of Coke, closed the door, and sank down into a chair waiting for Karen to finish.

A short time later Whitney sat on the bed looking at one of the bruises Karen had sustained. She touched the large angry discoloration on her lover's back where Donnie had kicked her. It was warm to the touch. "Ooh. That must really hurt. You need to put some ice on that." She pulled Karen's T-shirt back down.

"It's okay."

Whitney laid her hand on the bruise, and watched Karen flinch. "Yeah, sure it is. But I think some ice will make it feel better anyway. How about turning over."

Karen felt her insides melt at the concern in her lover's voice, but she didn't want to turn over. It seemed embarrassing to have a bruise in her groin. I should've never looked away from that little bastard. "Why don't you go get that ice pack?"

"Okay, if you promise to turn over when I get back."

"Sure." She waited for Whitney to leave the bedroom, stood up and limped over to the dresser. Karen pulled out a pair of thin nylon jogging shorts and put them on over her underpants, satisfied they covered the angry colored flesh.

She was sitting on the bed when Whitney returned with the cold pack she kept in the freezer. Karen pulled open the nightstand, took out a thin blue cover, and handed it to her lover. "This is what I put over that when I use it."

Whitney took the cover, and looked at the discoloration on the front of Karen's thigh. "This one's pretty nasty, too."

"It's doesn't hurt that much." Karen decided to cooperate, hoping to divert Whitney's attention. "I'll take the ice now. Twenty minutes should do it."

"He kicked you in the groin, too."

"It feels fine." Karen grinned, disarmingly. "I really don't think you need to put ice there."

Whitney chuckled. "Guess you're right. How 'bout I order us some pizza."

"Sounds good."

They spent a quiet evening together and retired early. Karen refused to let Whitney drive to post without escorting her, and 0430 rolled around very quickly.

***

Karen sat back in her chair, gingerly. She was even more sore today, and couldn't remember ever being so glad to finish PT. The first sergeant got to her feet, making her way to Gary's office. He'd told her after PT that he wanted to meet with her and Whitney at 1000.

Karen walked into Gary's office, seeing Whitney already sitting in a chair in front of his desk. She sat down in the other chair, and directed her attention to her superior.

"I've given your plan some thought. I agree with your reasoning, but think there's a possibility the higher echelons will frown on being left in the dark regardless of your motivation."

Whitney glanced over at Karen to see her reaction. She sighed inwardly, knowing she should've realized her lover would have her professional face on, and that it would be completely devoid of expression. Her own feelings were mixed, and she waited for Gary to continue.

"I have an old friend in the intelligence community. His wife is the XO of the MP Battalion. He explained the situation to her, and she agreed to keep it out of the normal MP channels. She is putting together a hand picked team to be waiting at the site of the job."

Karen was relieved this would keep Whitney out of it, but she wanted to be there as well. "Gary…"

He held up a hand, and smiled. "Wait. I'm not done. I know your secondary is MP. You've been invited to go along."

The first sergeant sat back, satisfied. "Thanks."

Gary cleared his throat, and chuckled. "Don't thank me. It appears that your reputation speaks for itself. Let me know when you hear from Tilford."

Karen nodded, and stood to leave. Whitney had told her Gary wanted to meet with her after their meeting to discuss some training courses he thought she was ready for.

Whitney's peripheral vision allowed her to watch Karen leave the office. There was no doubt in her mind that her lover was still in pain no matter how hard she tried to hide it. She'd kept a close eye on Karen during PT, and how the woman had called cadence was a mystery to her. She knew sheer grittiness was the only thing that could've kept her going. Whitney focused on Gary when he began to speak, leaving her thoughts behind.

The remainder of the day passed uneventfully, as did Friday. Karen and Whitney settled into a comfortable routine of spending all their free time together, and departing for work early enough to avoid calling any attention to their relationship.

Chapter 19

Karen woke up to sunlight streaming through the window. She had to forcibly stop herself from waking Whitney by jumping out of bed before she realized it was Saturday. Karen smiled at the small body tucked so comfortably against her own, and decided she must have been even more tired than she'd thought. Getting up at 0400 every morning took some getting used to. Not that she was complaining. She'd do whatever it took to spend time with her lover, and it warmed her heart that Whitney seemed to feel the same way.

She'd never thought it possible to feel such love for someone. That was the premise of romance books and movies, which she'd studiously avoided. Karen had never seen the point of those happy fairy tales, choosing instead to read and watch action or suspense oriented fare. She smiled and snuggled closer to Whitney, relishing the feel of her lover's body against her own. Guess they weren't just fairy tales after all.

Never one to languish in bed, Karen was amused that she was in absolutely no hurry to get up. She kissed the blonde head in front of her, and wished nature wasn't beckoning. Karen gently untangled herself from her lover, whispering softly in her ear. "I'll be right back."

As she got up Whitney stirred, but remained asleep, and Karen quietly left the bedroom en route first to the bathroom, then on to the kitchen to make coffee.

Whitney woke up with a smile on her face and rolled over, reaching out to Karen. Her green eyes blinked open as her arm found only air. She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Whitney yawned before glancing at the clock, then was surprised to see it was already 0900. No wonder Karen's up.

She stood up and made her way out of the bedroom. The tell-tale sounds of Karen rummaging around the kitchen drifted to her ears. Whitney smiled. She's probably making coffee. After using the toilet, Whitney opened the bathroom door and jumped. "God, you scared me."

"Sorry 'bout that." Karen grinned mischievously. "I just wanted to say good morning."

"You don't look too sorry to me." Whitney leaned against the tall form in front of her. "But I guess I'll forgive you."

Karen hugged her, smiling. "I'm glad. Don't want you mad at me."

Whitney stepped back when Karen released her. She ran her finger down her lover's sleeping shirt, teasing Karen's breasts on the way down to her stomach. Grinning, she patted the taut muscles beneath the shirt. "Guess it's time for coffee, right?"

Her heart already beating a staccato rhythm, Karen lifted Whitney's hand to her mouth and kissed it, then drew each of the smaller woman's fingertips into her mouth, sucking gently. "If you say so."

"You have something better in mind?" Whitney's eyes darkened as her body responded to the erotic sensations. She sucked in a breath when Karen ran her hands underneath her pajama top and caressed her breasts.

"Um hum." Karen's own arousal was responding to the desire reflected in Whitney's eyes, and she moved her fingertips to her lover's erect nipples, gently rolling them as she leaned forward to kiss the small woman.

Whitney wanted to melt into the soft touch of her lover. Unsure how much longer she could withstand the sensual assault and remain on her feet, she gently dislodged Karen's hands. She laid her head against the older woman's breasts and softly protested, "If we don't go lie down, I'm gonna fall over."

Karen's arms circled the woman leaning against her. "Good. Does that mean coffee can wait?"

Raising her head, Whitney found Karen's pulse point, sucking gently. "Only if you want it to."

The tall woman began moving towards the bedroom, Whitney tucked against her side. "That ole coffee just doesn't have a chance."

***

Whitney sat across from Karen at the kitchen table later that morning. "Have you ever been to Raleigh?"

Karen nodded. "Yeah. I used to go there quite a bit. Haven't been there in ages, though."

"What are some good places to eat?" Whitney was looking forward to their evening out. It should only take just over an hour to get there, and it would be nice not to worry about being seen for a change.

"Casual or dressy?" Karen actually preferred casual, but wanted this to be her lover's choice.

Whitney's eyes lit up. "How about dressy?"

"Okay." I wonder if I still have that dress? "Let's see, there's a place called Beaches that is nice, if you feel like seafood. Another place I've been to is Brahma's." Karen grinned when Whitney raised an eyebrow. "Steaks, of course. I don't know of any others off hand. It's been a long time."

"How about Beaches? Seafood sounds really good." Whitney smiled warmly. "I'm so glad we're going out. I can hardly wait."

Whitney's enthusiasm was contagious, and Karen returned the smile. It shouldn't have to be like this. Look how excited she is just to get to go out to dinner. Hell, I'm just as excited. We shouldn't have to sneak around. Karen shut her thoughts off. She knew where they would take her, and now was not the time.

"Hey." Whitney had watched Karen drift off. She'd been doing that more and more lately. It almost seemed like she was battling inner demons. She hoped Karen wasn't having second thoughts about their night out. "Is everything okay. You want to go, don't you?"

"Are you kidding? Yes I want to go!" Karen met the serious emerald green eyes gazing at her. She didn't want to put a damper on their plans by voicing her dislike of the constraints they were under, and wanted to convey to Whitney just how much this evening meant to her to. Karen leaned across the table and caressed her lover's cheek. "I've been looking forward to escorting my beautiful partner to dinner all week."

Whitney's face reddened at the compliment, but she hardly noticed. She said partner. She'd already been on cloud nine since Karen had professed her love on Tuesday, but somehow this made her declaration even more meaningful…as if that were possible. "I love you."

Karen felt the words resound through the depths of her being, their impact no less than when she'd first heard them. Unable to verbalize her feelings, she walked around the table and helped Whitney to her feet. Karen met her partner's mouth in a gentle, but loving kiss. Hugging her, she whispered heartfelt words into Whitney's ear. "I'm so glad I met you."

Hugging her back, Whitney said meaningfully, "No more glad than I am."

They sat back down at the table, twin smiles on their faces.

"I'm gonna have to see if I've got a dress to wear."

Whitney looked at Karen quizzically. "You don't know?"

"Um, well I'm not sure." Karen hadn't had any reason to get dressed up for years. "I might have given it to Goodwill or something." She glanced into the coffee sitting in front of her.

Whitney smiled gently at her lover. "Let's go look. We can always make a quick mall run."

Nodding, Karen stood up. "Hope I still have it, and it fits. I hate clothes shopping."

"Not me. I love shopping. I don't have anything in the…uh, I'm going to have to go the BOQ to get something to wear."

"Car." Karen supplied the missing words with a half-smile. She grinned when Whitney blushed.

"How'd you know?"

"I didn't for sure, but you've always seemed to have just what you needed in the car." Karen winked at her. "Why don't you bring your things in? I'll go clean out a couple of drawers for you and make room in the closet."

Whitney grinned, and quickly kissed Karen. "Okay."

A quick search of her closet revealed no dress, and Karen stood there disgustedly, wishing she could will it back from whatever she'd done with it. She watched Whitney put her things away. "I'm gonna have to run to the mall."

"I'm coming, too. I could use a new dress." Whitney held her hand up before her partner could respond. "If we go in separate cars, it'll be okay. So what if we ran into each other while shopping?"

Karen mulled it over. It was perfectly logical to run into someone you knew at the mall. Most people went shopping on Saturdays. Except me. Karen hated the crowded malls, and spent very little time in stores. Her idea of shopping was going into the store, picking up exactly what she needed, and leaving. "Okay, how 'bout we meet in Davenport's?"

"Sounds good to me. See you there." Whitney hurried out to her car, wanting to leave before Karen decided to change her mind. She really hadn't expected her to agree.

A short time later they were browsing through the women's attire in the large department store. After a half hour of looking, both had found some possibilities.

Karen held two simple black dresses she wanted to try on, and was irritated that no one was tending the dressing rooms. She snorted. Sooner I get out of here, the better. Bad enough it's crowded, but some of these shoppers need a lesson in manners.

Whitney glanced at her lover, not really surprised to see the hard, tense expression on Karen's face. Another shopper had actually grabbed a dress her partner was reaching for, and Karen had literally glared her away. The other shoppers had given them a wide berth after seeing the exchange.

She decided to try to lighten Karen's mood, and grinned. "No one's gonna wait on us, if you scare them all away."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Well, if they were doing their jobs…"

"Here comes someone now." Whitney had selected two dresses. One was powder blue, and the other teal. She really liked the teal one, but didn't know how it would look on her. Whitney wanted to look her very best for their first night out together. Who knows when the next time will be?

Karen quickly tried on both dresses, choosing the one that had a higher back, the multicolored bruise on her back being a determining factor. She opened the dressing room door, both dresses in her hand, and looked around for Whitney. A door opened, and her partner stepped out of the cubicle.

She had to physically force herself to take a breath. Whitney looked gorgeous. The teal dress gently outlined the curves of her body and contrasted with her fair complexion, giving her eyes a sea-green cast. Her blonde hair flowed over her shoulders contrasting beautifully against the darker dress. Karen swallowed to moisten her suddenly dry throat. "You look gorgeous."

Whitney felt herself grow warm as the words washed over her, even as her cheeks reddened at the intensity of the compliment. Her body tingled under the appreciative look in Karen's eyes, and the full impact of the dark beauty's importance in her life settled over her. "Thanks. Guess I'm done." She looked at the dresses Karen was holding. "You didn't like those?"

"I'm gonna get this one." Karen held her selection out.

"I don't get a preview?" Whitney teased. She knew Karen wanted nothing more than to get out of the store. When Karen raised an eyebrow, she chuckled. "Okay. I can wait."

After they picked up a few accessories and paid for their purchases, Whitney glanced at her partner. "Need anything else? Shoes?"

"I've got my Army pumps."

Surely she's kidding. "Um…Karen…"

Karen couldn't keep a straight face, and started laughing. "Oh, ye of little faith."

Whitney's attempt at glowering failed miserably against the rich sound of Karen's laugher, and she quickly joined in. "You’d better watch it. Paybacks are a bitch."

"I've got heels." Karen winked at her partner. "For some reason I never got rid of those. We are finished, right?" She'd had quite enough of shopping for the day.

Shaking her head, Whitney smiled. "Yeah. I've gotta stop at the BOQ first to pick up a few things." As they exited to the parking lot, she added, "See you in a little bit."

"Okay."

***

After arriving home, Karen hung her dress up and walked back into the kitchen, taking a Coke from the refrigerator. Moving into the living room, she sank onto the couch. She glanced at the top of the TV, smiling at the little wooden elephant that sat between the eagle and owl.

Whitney had brought it over to show her and had left it. Karen had put it on the TV. She remembered the happy look on her partner's face when she saw it there. Karen glanced around the living room. It was no longer the lifeless, sterile room it had been such a short time before. A popcorn bowl and two glasses from the night before were still on the coffee table. Whitney's paperback book lay on an end table, along with a few hairpins her lover had left there. CD's adorned the tops of her speakers, and two pairs of running shoes were kicked under the coffee table.

She laughed at herself. Never thought I'd be happy to see things scattered through the house. But that's the whole point. It's not just a house anymore. It's become a home. Whitney had taken her empty life and filled it with happiness and love. How can one person make such a difference? What would happen when one of them was reassigned?

Karen had long ago resigned herself to a life alone. Her relationships had always been unfulfilling, until she just quit trying, deciding the Army was the only family she'd ever have. She shook her head as she remembered trying so hard not to step into the unknown with Whitney. She'd been afraid to, maybe because deep down, Karen had known there'd be no turning back.

Stretching out her legs, she raised the can to her mouth, drinking deeply. Her thoughts turned to the one matter she'd been dwelling on lately. What was life like outside the military? Karen knew she'd have a lot more freedom, but did she want to work in some entry-level job? No. She had the respect and power her rank afforded her in the military. Problem is, it just isn't enough anymore.

So what's the answer? Karen sighed. If she lost Whitney because of the military, she'd never stay in. To go back to that barren, solitary life was unthinkable. It could happen easily enough, though. All it would take is one rumor blown out of proportion, and all this sneaking around and hiding would've been for nothing.

Karen stood up, and began pacing around the long room, her thoughts dark. We shouldn't have to hide. I should be able to take her out and show her a good time without the constant worry of being discovered.

She quickly strode to the bedroom and powered on her PC. Karen didn't bother checking her mail. Her mother was the only one who had the address, and she had more important things to do. She opened Netscape Communicator and typed in her favorite search engine, AltaVista. When the large yellow box appeared, Karen typed in "Corporate +investigations." She rolled her eyes when over 1700 matches were found, and began scanning the entries.

****

Whitney unlocked her door, moved into the room, and set her suitcase down. It was time for a refill, especially since she had her own drawers now. She grinned contentedly. Karen had told her she could wash her things there, but Whitney wanted a better selection of clothes to choose from, and proceeded to fill her suitcase.

She walked over to the closet, bent down to pick up her dress heels from the floor, and busted up laughing when she spotted her Army regulation pumps. The picture that had flashed through her mind at the mall came rushing back: Karen in a beautiful black cocktail dress wearing the ugly, plain black oval-toed pumps with the little nubby heels. I hate those things. Whitney secured a few pieces of jewelry in a small box, and added that to the suitcase before closing it.

Pulling it off the bed, she set it by the door taking one last look around to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. Satisfied, Whitney opened the door, and jumped at the unexpected sight of Bonnie. "God, you scared me!"

Bonnie shrugged, looking contrite. "Sorry. I was just going to knock, when you opened the door."

"No problem. What's up? I was just getting ready to leave." Whitney was fond of Bonnie, but was too excited about her evening out to have any desire to visit.

"I wanna talk to you. It's important."

Whitney took in the serious expression on her friend's face, and sighed inwardly. There was no way she could turn her down. "Sure. Come on in."

"Not here." Bonnie nodded towards a wall. "I don't want to be overheard."

A frown appeared between Whitney's eyebrows as a pang of worry began weaving a path through her mind, evidenced by her terse reply. "Where?"

"Let's go for a ride." Bonnie sensed Whitney's unease, and smiled. "It won't take long."

Nodding, Whitney followed the taller woman out of the BOQ and climbed into the passenger seat of her car. Her stomach tight, she looked out the window as her friend drove.

Bonnie drove down the main thoroughfare, turning off on a side street that led to a small picnic area. She parked away from the other cars and turned to face Whitney. She'd been thinking of how to approach Whitney for days, but now felt awkward.

"Umm. I uh…do you know what you're doing?"

Whitney smiled, but her heart wasn't in it. "About what?" She wasn't sure where this was going, but every alarm bell in her mind was sounding.

Bonnie looked out the window before turning back to face Whitney. She was going to have to be direct. "About Wilson."

"What about Wilson?" Whitney's stomach plummeted. Bonnie had asked a loaded question, and she wasn't about to volunteer any information.

"Come on, Whitney. I'm your friend." When no answer was forthcoming, she continued. "It's obvious you're staying at her place. She follows you to work each morning and sits in the BOQ parking lot until you walk in. I've stopped over at the Mess Hall twice this week, and you never even saw me. You don't have eyes for anyone else. Why her? She's an NCO, for God's sake."

"The same thing could be said about you and Julie." Whitney decided the best defense was an offense. "What about that?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Yes it could. BUT we're both officers. If we get busted, it won't be for fraternization."

Whitney's face reflected the astonishment she felt at the admission. "You're admitting you're gay?"

"Somehow, I don't think you're really surprised."

"Well, no, but I never expected you to say so." Whitney looked out the window, and watched the leaves gently blowing in the wind. She'd volleyed, but the ball had landed squarely back in her court again. "Because I love her."

It took Bonnie a moment to realize that Whitney was answering her first question. "I'm worried about you. I just want to make sure you've thought this through."

Whitney looked at her peer, and smiled. "I have. I know what the risks are, but she's worth every one of them."

"Congratulations, then. I'm glad you're happy. Just be careful, okay?"

"We will. How'd you know about Karen following me in?"

"It was an accident." Bonnie shifted in her seat, getting more comfortable. "I had a toothache a couple of nights ago and couldn't sleep. I heard you come in just before 5am. The next morning, I got up early again. I happened to be looking out the window when you both pulled in."

"You were spying on me?" Whitney's tone was indignant. "You could've asked."

"I guess I was, but my intentions were good." She grinned knowingly. "Who's kidding who, here? No, I couldn't have asked."

Whitney's anger faded at the truth of Bonnie's comment, and she returned her smile. "I need to get going. We've got plans."

"Out of town, I hope."

"Of course. If you guys would hurry up and find a place, maybe we'd have someone to visit."

"Believe me, we're working on it." Bonnie shifted the car into drive and backed out. Before pulling onto the street, she looked at Whitney. "If you ever need us to cover or anything, just let us know."

Whitney smiled warmly. "Thanks. Same goes for us."

***

Karen stretched as she stood up from the computer. She'd been meaning to get a comfortable desk chair, and her kitchen stool was a poor substitute. Glancing at her watch, she was surprised to find she'd been on the computer for over an hour. Karen's search had yielded no results, and she was frustrated. Talk about a waste of time. I should've kept his card.

Her frustration slipped away to be replaced by curiosity. She'd thought Whitney would be home by now. Wonder what's taking her so long? Karen walked out into the backyard and sank down onto a lawn chair. The sun felt good on her tanned arms, and she sat back enjoying the warmth.

She wished Whitney would get home. Karen closed her eyes and wrapped her mind around the image of Whitney in the dressing room at the store. She'd always loved the natural refreshing beauty of her lover, but that dress had been made just for her. She grinned, realizing she was looking forward to their first date every bit as much as her younger partner. Hearing the garage door, Karen went to greet the woman she loved.

***

Whitney had the dress in one hand, her purse and bag with shoes in the other. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Karen smiled warmly, walking over to her partner. "Need some help?"

"Would you mind getting the suitcase out of my car?"

"No problem." Karen moved out into the garage, hefting the suitcase from Whitney's car. She grinned to herself at its weight, pleased that her partner felt comfortable enough to bring more clothes.

She took it to their bedroom, lifting in onto the bed. When Whitney turned away from the closet, she walked over and pulled her into an embrace. "I missed you. I thought you got lost or something."

Whitney returned Karen's hug, reveling in the pleasure that contact with her partner always elicited. "I ran into Bonnie, and she wanted to talk. It was interesting."

Karen leaned down and kissed her lover before releasing her. "Oh? Care to share?"

"Sure, but it's going on 4. How about if I tell you on the way?"

"Okay." Karen smiled. "Why don't you get a shower first?"

Whitney extended her lower lip, inwardly smiling. "I have to take a shower alone?"

Karen stepped back and slowly drew her eyes down her partner's small lithe body. Grinning sexily, she reached over and placed a finger on her partner's protruding lip. "Never. But we may be late for dinner."

Whitney's body was tingling at Karen visual exploration. "I think I will take a shower alone." She stood on her toes, brushed Karen's lips with her own, and made her way to the bathroom, murmuring. "A cold one."

The tall woman was quite aware of the effect she'd had on her partner and grinned contentedly. It was an indescribable feeling to know that her feelings for Whitney were fully returned.

Once she’d finished, Whitney called into the kitchen where Karen was sitting, "Your turn." She entered the bedroom and began drying her hair.

Karen got out of the shower, heard Whitney's hair dryer, and decided to dry her hair in the bathroom. She knew it would take at least forty minutes before it was even mostly dry, and both dryers going at the same time on the same outlet would probably blow a fuse.

Whitney walked into the bathroom, just as Karen turned off the hair dryer. She turned away from the mirror, smiling at her partner. Whitney had tastefully applied makeup, added a thin silver necklace and earrings to complement the teal dress and, to Karen's eyes, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. "You look great!"

"Thanks." Whitney felt a familiar warmth wash over her at the heartfelt compliment. Karen always made her feel so special.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes." Karen walked into the bedroom, opened a small box on her dresser, and began perusing the contents. She selected a gold rope chain with matching earrings. From another small box, she removed a gold watch her aunt had given her upon graduation. Dressy was not something Karen did often, but her aunt had made sure she was well schooled in the art.

Whitney sat on the couch waiting for Karen to finish dressing. She was still wrapped in the glow of her lover's words and smiled dreamily. Love is great.

"You ready?"

Not having heard her walk into the room, Whitney started. As she looked up, her eyes widened, and she was momentarily rendered speechless.

Karen's black dress outlined her figure, revealing and teasing as the low cut neckline highlighted the soft swell of her breasts. Whitney's eyes followed the dress down as it framed Karen's lean hips, ending well above her knees to show off long shapely legs. Three-inch spikes added to her already impressive height, and the old phrase -- 'legs that went on forever' -- sprang to Whitney's mind. Karen's ebony hair flowed unbound over her shoulders, and a gold chain and earrings offered exactly the right contrast for a stunning ensemble of classic elegance.

Holding out her hand to help Whitney to her feet, Karen smiled. "You like?" She was thoroughly enjoying the reaction of her partner.

"You look gorgeous!" She took Karen's hand, rising to her feet. Whitney just hadn't expected this. Her partner hadn't even had a dress to wear; yet here she stood looking better than the cover photo of a modeling magazine.

Karen moved a finger from her lips to Whitney's. "Can't mess up our lipstick, now can we?"

"Not yet." Whitney's words were filled with promise, and she grinned when Karen winked. "We'd better get going."

The taller woman placed her arm around Whitney's waist as they walked towards the door. "Did I ever tell you that you're beautiful?"

"Yeah, but don't let that stop you." Whitney leaned into Karen. "You smell good. What're you wearing?"

"Narcisse."

"I like it."

"Thanks." Karen lowered her head to Whitney's neck, drinking in the perfumed scent of her lover. "What about you? It really works."

"White Shoulders." Her arm was resting loosely around Karen's waist, and her hand squeezed the taller woman's waist. "Thanks."

Karen was enjoying the ride, listening to Whitney share some of her adventures in Chicago. Her partner spoke with such vivid imagery, it was easy to picture the stories she related.

"You've been kinda quiet." Whitney wondered if Karen ever got tired of listening to her. Her lover hadn't said hardly anything since they'd left the house.

"Just listening to you." Karen glanced over at Whitney, smiling. "So what'd Bonnie want?"

Now how do I put this delicately? Whitney decided a low-key approach would be best. "Just to warn me of the dangers of fraternization."

Karen turned her head sharply, trying to read the meaning behind her lover's words as her stomach sank. She directed her attention back to the road. "Does she suspect anything?"

"Relax. It's okay." Whitney rested her hand lightly on Karen's thigh. "She knows…" Feeling her partner's leg tense, Whitney quickly added, "She was just worried because you're an NCO. She and Julie are a couple."

Karen wasn't particularly surprised that they were together. She'd suspected as much. "Do they have a problem with that?" It was one thing to be involved in a same sex relationship, but quite another to breach the ranks.

"At first, but I think she's okay with it, now. She said if we ever needed a cover, they'd provide it." Whitney smiled. "I told her we'd do the same."

"How'd she know?" Karen knew they'd been careful, and this bothered her because the outcome could've been different.

"Cuz she's so nosy." Whitney repeated that part of her conversation with Bonnie, wincing at the disgusted expression on her partner's face.

Karen knew this was only the beginning. Whitney's comings and goings were bound to raise curiosity in anyone who noticed them, so Bonnie's actions weren't surprising. She was once again hit by a strong resentment of their situation. I don't want to live like this. So why don't you do something about it?

"Hey." Whitney had watched Karen's face take on a distant expression, and wished her partner were more talkative. "Wanna share?"

"Just thinking about how much I hate my life being under a microscope."

Whitney smiled gently. "Karen, we are in the military."

"I know," Karen replied thoughtfully. Deciding to change the subject, she glanced at Whitney, and smiled. "When's Nana sending another care package?"

Whitney chuckled. "Soon, I hope. You got most of the last one."

"I did not! I only had two of each. You ate the rest."

Whitney chuckled. She had eaten most of the cookies. "Guess I'll have to tell her to send more next time."

"Sounds good."

They spent the rest of the drive talking companionably, arriving at the restaurant right on time for their reservations.

As they followed the waitress to their table, Karen ignored the overt stares of other patrons, having eyes only for her beautiful partner. At her request, they were seated at a corner table. She waited for Whitney to be seated, and then lowered herself into the chair that had been pulled out for her next to her lover.

Whitney looked around the restaurant, smiling delightedly. The lights were lowered, adding to the intimate, romantic feeling that suffused the small room. The walls were adorned with antique looking seafaring pictures, and various sundry ship paraphernalia added charm to the atmosphere. "This is really nice."

"I thought you'd like it."

After looking at the menu, Whitney decided she was going to try the oven baked scampi. "What are you gonna have?"

"Swordfish." It was a favorite Karen rarely indulged in, having been spoiled early on by being introduced to the delectable entrée in the company of her aunt at one of Chicago's more exclusive restaurants.

"I've never tried that. I heard it was an acquired taste."

"Not so much so if you order it at one of the better restaurants. You can try mine." Karen smiled warmly. "I've got to make a quick trip to the restroom." She'd purposely waited until it was about time for their waitress to return to take their order.

Whitney turned sideways in her chair, watching Karen move fluidly through the room until she was out of sight. She didn't miss the looks that followed her partner and had to stop herself from glaring at the offenders. Whitney shook her head realizing how silly she was being. People were going to look at Karen. She was drop dead gorgeous, and dressed to kill, too. She smiled to herself. Dream on. She's mine.

Gracefully lowering herself back into the chair, Karen smiled. "Did you order yet?"

"Yeah. I didn't know what you wanted to drink, so I ordered us coffee for now. Do you want to order wine or something?"

Karen smiled as she saw a waiter moving towards their table with the champagne she'd ordered. She smiled at the delighted look on her partner's face. "This okay?"

"It's great." Whitney took a glass from the server, waiting until he moved away. "So that's where you went."

"Yeah. I thought we should celebrate our first date in style." She lifted her glass and touched her lover's. "To us."

Whitney sipped the bubbly drink and set her glass on the table. "You're so sweet." She grinned as Karen's faced reddened. "Well, you are."

Karen was saved from answering when their waitress appeared with their salads, which were followed a short time later by their entrees.

"What do you plan on doing when you get out of the military?"

Whitney met the curious eyes regarding her as she finished chewing. "I'd like to work as a news analyst for a newspaper or maybe a news agency like CNN and eventually work my way up. Maybe even to be a reporter. I minored in journalism and loved it."

"You'd be good. Your personality is perfect for that." Karen set her fork down, unable to eat any more of the large portion she'd been served.

"What about you? Have you ever thought about what you'd do after retiring?"

"I never used to. I figured I'd do thirty years so there didn't seem much point in worrying about it." Karen's eyes took on a distant look. "It'd have to be something independent. Starting in some entry level job doesn't cut it." She grinned. "I wouldn't mind starting my own business."

"Doing what?" Whitney took a sip of coffee, regarding her companion curiously.

"Corporate security maybe. That's a wide-open field. Dunno for sure."

"How come you never went to OCS?"

"By the time I got my degree, I was already an NCO. I was being slotted in positions higher than my rank, and my career was on a fast track." Karen shrugged. "I couldn't see giving that up to start all over again down at the bottom."

Whitney could see where that idea would not appeal to her lover. She was a natural leader, and wore the power of her rank well. "What's your degree in? It wasn't in your personnel file."

"I have a double major. Computer science and criminal justice."

Whitney grinned. "That's quite a combination."

"I wanted something I might be able to use someday. Computers seemed like a good choice. The technology opens a new criminal arena."

Karen suddenly looked over Whitney's head and grinned. "Isn't this place a little too classy for you?"

Whitney turned her head curiously, just as an amused rumble floated from behind her.

"What do you know? Never thought I'd see you outta fatigues, Hardcore."

Whitney chuckled. Hardcore? Now that's precious.

Karen glanced at Whitney. "This is Sandy Billings. Once known as Colonel." Directing her eyes to the newcomer, she added, "Sandy, this is Whitney Gordon, a friend of mine."

"Pleased to meet you."

Whitney returned the tall muscular man's greeting. He was good looking in a rugged sort of way, with sandy colored hair falling onto his forehead and twinkling blue eyes. She watched him pull out a chair, and make himself comfortable.

"How's business?" Talk about coincidences. She'd spent an hour searching futilely for his website that afternoon, and now here he was.

"Good. My offer still stands. Not that I ever expect you to take me up on it." Sandy looked across the room. "Told my wife I'd only be gone a minute. Nice to meet you, Whitney. Good seeing you, Karen." He handed her a card. "Just in case."

Karen took the card and grinned. "You never know."

"Who's he?" It was obvious to Whitney that Karen liked the outgoing stranger.

"He was one of my course instructors. Kind of a long story about how we got to be friends. How 'bout I tell you on the way home?"

"Okay."

Karen moved her leg against Whitney's under the table, smiling at the return pressure. "We should get going if we're gonna make that movie on time."

"Right." Whitney's eyes sparkled alluringly. "Wouldn't want to miss that now, would we?"

"You keep that up, and we're going to." Karen tried to slow her racing heart.

Whitney captured Karen's gaze and moved a hand to her leg, glad for the long tablecloth. "Would that be such a bad thing?" She trailed her fingertips teasingly across her partner's thigh, smiling with satisfaction as the blue orbs darkened.

"You are a tease." Karen winked, lowering her voice a notch. "Wanna go home?"

Her words were innocent enough, but the look on Karen's face and her sexy voice sent shivers through Whitney. "Sounds like more fun than a movie."

Karen stood, and pulled out Whitney's chair. "Does, doesn't it."

Movie plans abandoned, Karen and Whitney hastened to the car, eager to reach the privacy of their home.

Chapter 20

Karen settled back in her chair after hanging up the phone, grinning with anticipation. Finally. She'd pushed the impending mission to the back of her mind over the weekend, wanting to fully enjoy her time alone with Whitney. This morning it had jumped back to the forefront of her thoughts, and Bruce's call had been almost a relief.

She pulled a map of Ft. Bragg out of her drawer, spreading it open on her desk. The target was a supply room across post, and the burglary was to take place at 0300 on Wednesday morning. Only two more days before that bastard goes down. After locating the company Bruce had indicated, Karen stood up and walked down the hall to brief Whitney and Gary.

The rest of the day passed quickly, with each of the sections conducting safety classes in preparation for arms qualification later that week. Karen monitored several classes, assessing the different training techniques her subordinates were employing and making mental notes about areas they could improve on.

Whitney spent her day with Gary, going over the training schedule and studying company SOP for the firing range. She, Karen, and Gary had visited Richard after lunch, and she'd been pleased to find out he was being discharged that afternoon.

The XO was glad when quitting time rolled around, looking forward to spending a quiet evening with Karen. She knew how much her partner was looking forward to catching Jordan and his crew, but the whole thing filled her with trepidation. Whitney shook off the thoughts. She'd talk to Karen about her concerns later.

Karen had told her she would be cooking tonight, and Whitney was curious as to what her lover had in mind. She had insisted on going grocery shopping the day before, and the refrigerator now looked like someone actually lived there.

After arriving home, Karen immediately began preparing dinner. Spaghetti was one of her favorite dishes, and her aunt had taught her an old family recipe that was delicious. She tossed a pound of ground chuck into the frying pan, and added her own concoction of herbs and spices to the spaghetti sauce she was preparing in a separate pan. She turned it on low and left the kitchen to change her clothes.

When Whitney walked into the kitchen, she raised both eyebrows skyward. Karen was standing at the stove with an old-fashioned potato masher, steadily squashing something in the skillet. She walked over to the stove and started chuckling when she peered into the skillet. "Now that's original."

"Best way to do it." Karen set the masher down once she was satisfied that the ground chuck was broken up enough. She leaned down and kissed her lover. "So, how'd your day go?"

"Boring. How about yours?"

"Same. I'm supposed to meet Major Lewis at 0930 tomorrow to review our strategy for Wednesday morning."

"I wish you weren't going. The MPs can handle it." Whitney knew Karen was fully capable of taking care of herself, she seen her in action, but that didn't lessen her fear. She knew that desperate people did unexpected things, and the leader of this theft ring had no qualms about removing people who got in his way. And if Jordan was any indication, the people that worked for him didn't either.

Karen put her arm around Whitney. "Don't worry. They'll never know what hit them." Wanting to further allay her lover's concern, she added, "I won't take any unnecessary chances." I'm just gonna make sure that bastard goes down.

The evening passed quickly, and Whitney suggested they retire early. She knew Karen would never sleep before the operation early Wednesday morning, and Whitney wanted to be sure that her lover was well rested.

***

Karen snagged her hat on the way out the door, relieved that the workday was finally over. She'd been like a caged animal, and couldn't remember a day ever passing so slowly.

Her meeting with Major Lewis had gone well. Tilford had indicated that the thieves worked in groups of five, plus Jordan. When queried about weapons, he indicated that he'd never carried one on a job, but couldn't speak for the others. Since Bruce wouldn't be a player once they made their appearance, Karen agreed with Lewis' decision to limit their team to five, with the two of them as insurance.

Reconning the supply room had been incredibly simple, because the targeted unit had been away from garrison performing common task testing at the posting training facility. Karen had suggested that they place personnel at a couple of strategic points on the street near the compound, along with planting two of their members inside of the supply room. The last MP would be stationed out of sight near the rear entrance. Karen would've liked another soldier at that entrance, but that would most probably be their entry point, and neither she nor Lewis wanted to do anything that would cause the theft attempt to be aborted. Karen found herself liking Lewis, and was pleased to find that she had already procured a key to the targeted supply room. Now that the strategy had been planned, there was nothing to do but wait.

Despite the planned early morning mission, Karen and Whitney still intended to spend the evening together. Whitney stopped at the BOQ as she did every night to change clothes. She was not about to take any chances by arriving at Karen's house in uniform. Donning a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved blouse, she noticed that the message light was blinking on her answering machine.

She played the message back and smiled at the familiar voices of Nana and her parents. Whitney didn't blame them for wondering what had happened to her. Since joining the military, she'd usually called home a couple of times a week. Lately, it hadn't even been once a week. She picked up the phone and dialed, smiling when her mother answered.

Arriving back at her house following the lengthy planning session, Karen quickly changed out of her uniform and sat down at the computer. She'd been meaning to take a look at Sandy's website to learn more about just exactly what he was doing. He'd told her he was into corporate security of all kinds, and she wanted to see what he'd branched off into during the last few years.

She smiled as she recalled their meeting almost ten years before. He'd been head honcho of the only test course in stealth and survival that allowed women to participate. Karen had been the only woman who'd passed the rigorous physical testing for entrance into the program, and she'd known at the outset that allowing women had just been PC. Sandy hadn't been pleased to have a woman in the ranks, and had done his best to weed her out. Karen chuckled, remembering just how determined she'd been to complete the course.

By the time graduation rolled around, she and Sandy had a healthy respect for each other. Karen wasn't sure who was more proud that she'd finished at the top of her class--Sandy or herself.

Their graduation party in July of 1990 had been interrupted when Karen and her classmates were issued orders for Iraq. She remembered the anticipation she'd felt at getting a chance to put her new skills to the test.

Karen returned stateside after being injured helping her five-member team escape when they'd been trapped behind enemy lines. She unconsciously nodded her head, thinking about that night. Sandy and two senior NCO's had been injured, so she'd taken charge. Got them out, too.

Leaving her thoughts behind, she copied Sandy's email addy from his card, and hit 'send' on the note she'd typed. She heard a car pull into her driveway and got up to go greet her partner.

Whitney entered the kitchen and smiled at her tall lover. "Hi."

"Hi, yourself." Karen pulled Whitney close, relishing the contact after spending another day at work where feigned disinterest and professional decorum had to be maintained. She shared a kiss with her partner before releasing her. "How 'bout leftovers so we don't have to bother cooking."

"Sounds like a plan." Whitney grinned. "Gotta love microwaves."

"I hear you."

A short time later, Whitney finished her spaghetti and smiled warmly. "This is even better than it was yesterday."

"Thanks." Karen tried to will away the blush that was creeping across her face, and knew she'd failed when Whitney started chuckling.

"I love it when you blush." Whitney started laughing again at the incredulous look on her partner's face.

"Why?"

Whitney's face became serious. "When I first met you, everything about you was so controlled. I was always wondering what you were really thinking or feeling." She smiled gently. "You never gave a thing away. Then, the first time you blushed, I remember how you tried to hide it, but to me it meant so much." Her eyes reflecting love for the woman sitting across from her, she continued, "I knew then that I had to try harder to find the woman behind that mask."

Karen felt a warm glow embrace her as she searched Whitney's eyes finding nothing there but love. She reached across the table and laid her hand on her partner's. "I'm glad you did, because now I'm the luckiest woman in the world."

The simple, but heartfelt words of her lover reached Whitney's very soul, strengthening the connection she'd felt between them from the moment she'd laid eyes on Karen. "So am I."

Whitney got up, walked around the table, and stopped behind her partner's chair. She draped her arms around Karen's neck and leaned down kissing her on the cheek. "I love you."

Turning sideways in her chair, Karen looked up at Whitney. She held out her arms, encircling her partner once she was settled comfortably in her lap. "I love you, too."

"I was thinking."

Karen took in the serious expression on Whitney's face, and became uneasy. "About what?"

"Since Bonnie found out about us so easily, anyone could. You've got a lot of time in. I don't want our relationship to end your career."

"And I don't want my career to end our relationship. We've been discreet. Bonnie only found out 'cuz she was looking for something." Karen knew this to be true, but understood her partner’s concern.

Worried green eyes looked at Karen. "But what if someone else does? Someone less open minded?" This had bothered Whitney ever since Bonnie had confronted her.

"Whit, you have a career, too." Karen’s face reflected her own concerns. "The Army would be much harder on you because you're an officer. That's what I worry about."

Smiling at Karen's abbreviated use of her name, Whitney was touched by her partner's concern. "You don't have to worry about that. These four years are just a steppingstone for me. It's different for you."

Karen nodded and met the sparking green orbs. "Remember when I told you that you're worth the risk?" When Whitney nodded, she continued, "I meant that." She kissed her lover deeply trying to convey the strength of her love. "I think about it sometimes, too. But when I do, I think about how I'd feel without you." She hugged Whitney and could feel their hearts beating as one. Her voice husky, she quietly added. "It's no contest."

Whitney found herself speechless as Karen's words caressed her heart, enveloping her with a sense of contentment and well-being like none she'd ever felt before. She drew her lover into a soft kiss that grew in intensity as she felt her soul reach out to Karen's. "Umm. I was thinking maybe we should go to bed early since you have to be up at midnight."

"Okay." Karen didn't need a second invitation, and felt her slowing heart begin to race again. She knew it wasn't even 1900. That left a lot of time for sleep…later.

***

Karen quickly reached over, shutting the alarm off. She kissed Whitney on the forehead before softly calling her name. When sleepy green eyes fluttered open, she smiled. "Time to get up."

"It's midnight already?"

"Uh huh. I'm gonna take a quick shower." Karen swung her legs over the bed and gracefully rose to her feet, clearing the doorway within seconds.

Whitney rubbed her eyes as she sat up, fully awake. She made her way to the kitchen and started coffee brewing. Caffeine sounded really good to her right now. Besides, she wanted her partner fully alert to deal with those dangerous thugs. Whitney chuckled to herself. Yeah, like Karen needs any coffee. She hadn't missed the eager, fluid movement of her partner as she departed the bedroom.

A short time later, both women were fully dressed and sitting across from each other at the kitchen table drinking coffee.

"I'll follow you in, then head over to the armory."

Glancing at the clock, Whitney nodded. She knew SGT Lloyd was meeting Karen at the armory at 0045 so she could draw her weapon before meeting Major Lewis at 0100. "What time are you guys gonna head over there?"

"We're going to be in place by 0200. We don't want to take any chances, in case they get there early." Karen glanced at her watch. "We'd better get going."

Whitney joined her partner near the door, and met Karen's lips for a quick kiss. "Be careful, okay?"

"I will. I'll call you when we're done. You're gonna get some sleep, right?"

Get real! How am I supposed to go to sleep worrying about you? "Okay." Whitney walked out the door, got in her car and turned to wave. She felt a chill at the sight of her partner. The warm, loving woman was gone, and in her place stood a predator who looked more dangerous then the prey she would be seeking. At that moment, Whitney almost felt sorry for the thieves, but not quite.

***

Karen lay flat on the roof of the short, squat building facing the supply room, resting comfortably on her elbows. She'd picked her location precisely because it was near the rear entrance to the compound, which--in her mind--was the most likely avenue of a successful escape should the thieves be alerted to their presence.

She looked around, satisfied that none of their team could be spotted. Two MP's were inside the supply room, and had been instructed to remain out of sight until equipment was actually being carried out of the building. Two other soldiers were hidden on the street near the front entrance--one under a dumpster, and the other in a parked car. Lewis was inside a building adjoining supply with an unobstructed view of the doorway; and the last soldier was hidden in a car near the rear entrance.

The first sergeant glanced at her watch. It was 0245. Bruce had told them that Jordan would drive a van up to the supply room door and remain on watch outside while the vehicle was loaded. Karen's only regret was that she wouldn't have the pleasure of subduing Jordan herself. Now that would've been fun. At least he'll be punished for his actions. Richard had already provided Legal with a deposition implicating Jordan in her accident, and Karen had been pleased to hear he'd been offered immunity for his testimony in light of the attempt on his life.

Karen continually scanned the area as she relaxed on her rooftop perch. Her eyes passed over the grappling hook and rope that was already tightly secured to the rooftop. She didn't plan on being caught short if she needed to exit the roof quickly.

One lesson she'd learned well in her stealth and survival course was the value of patience. She knew that very often the element of surprise was the determining factor in the success or failure of a covert operation. At the sound of an approaching vehicle, Karen glanced to the right and smiled grimly as a van slowly turned into the supply compound.

She could feel adrenaline speed through her body, as taut muscles prepared to react within nanoseconds of receiving her brain's command to do so. Karen watched five people stealthily exit the van before melting into the darkness around the building. A dull thud and the tinkling sound of glass hitting the pavement heralded their progress, and within a few minutes she saw the doorway opened from within.

Karen squinted, trying to ascertain the driver's identity as he emerged from the van once the supply room door was open. The distance was too great for a positive ID, but his build was similar to Jordan's.

Suddenly, with her peripheral vision, Karen caught sight of a vehicle pulling against the curb on the street not far from her vantage point. Her eyes took on a dangerous glint as she simultaneously kept her main focus on the car on the street and watched the proceedings near supply.

She tracked the progress of the lone individual emerging from the car and moving stealthily towards her location. Karen quickly determined that the figure was male, and her eyes narrowed when she realized it was Jordan. The sonofabitch brought his own getaway car.

Glancing quickly towards the supply room, Karen noted that equipment was being carried out and loaded into the van. She knew it was only a matter of seconds before Lewis would give the signal to move in and arrest the criminals. Karen willed her superior to wait until Jordan was far enough into the compound to be apprehended along with the others, but she knew there was no way Lewis could see him, and they were on strict radio silence.

A short burst of static signaled the start of the operation, and Karen silently cursed that her thoughts had gone unheard. She grabbed the rope and rappelled down the side of the building, jumping the last few feet to the ground. She whirled around in time to see Jordan emerge from the shadows and cold cock an unsuspecting MP with the butt of a handgun before he took off running.

Karen was off and sprinting as she hit the ground, and quickly accelerated to within reaching distance of Jordan. Her arm snaked out and she grabbed his shoulder, getting a handful of shirt. Tightening her hold, she jerked back, stopping his forward progress.

Jordan dropped his shoulder allowing the shirt to fall from his arm. Turning to face Karen, he drew his gun out with his opposite hand and aimed it at her. His eyes reflected shock when he recognized his pursuer, and in that minute fraction of time when his control wavered, Karen knocked the gun away, ignored the loud sound of a bullet being discharged as his finger depressed the trigger, and drove a fist into Jordan's solar plexus. When he gasped for air, she put the weight of her body behind a blow to his chin and watched dispassionately as his limp body impacted against the ground.

Her knuckles turned white, the only indication of the war she was fighting against her desire to watch his head bounce against the pavement a few more times. He could've killed Whitney. The thought conjured up an image of her lover's smiling, gentle face, and with it came the sure knowledge of just what Whitney's reaction to excessive violence on her part would be, so she quickly quelled the urge.

Karen glanced up as Major Lewis and two other MP's came running up with their weapons drawn. She nodded towards the ground. "He won't be any problem."

Major Lewis grinned. "I knew we had you along for a reason. We've got the rest of them in the compound." Smiling, she added, "Guess I'd better radio for an ambulance. What'd you hit him with? A sledgehammer?"

Karen looked at the bruised knuckles on her hand. "Nope. But he hit the ground hard enough to rattle his brains."

Once Jordan was loaded into an ambulance, Karen joined the other MP's and helped them transport their prisoners to a confinement facility on post. She then accompanied Major Lewis to MP Headquarters, and began filling out a report chronicling her activities during the undercover operation.

Karen sighed when Lewis handed her two additional forms that had to be completed because Jordan had been injured. She glanced at her watch and was surprised it was already 0530. Pulling the phone sitting near a corner of the desk towards her, she quickly dialed Whitney's number. Karen smiled at the sound of her lover's voice. "Hi."

Whitney breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been unable to sleep and had become increasingly worried when Karen hadn't called. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Can't say the same for Jordan. He ended up in the hospital with a concussion. I would've called you sooner, but didn't want to wake you up."

"Um, Karen?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time, don't be so considerate." Whitney's tone was gentle, but her meaning was clear.

Karen unconsciously nodded. "You stayed up, didn't you?"

"I couldn't sleep without knowing you were okay."

You didn't make any points today, kiddo. "I'm sorry."

Whitney's tension faded away. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're all right."

"I'm not gonna make PT or breakfast. I'll see you at the company."

"Okay. See you then." Whitney hung up the phone and sank down onto the bed. She was already dressed for PT, but dreaded it--since she'd gotten very little sleep and hadn't run in two weeks.

Karen finished a little earlier than she'd expected and arrived at the orderly room before anyone else. She sank down into her chair and looked at the inbox disinterestedly. The adrenaline had faded from her body, and tired, she was already looking forward to getting off. She shook her head in amusement. It's gonna be one hell of a long day.

She looked up when she heard the door open, then returned her attention to a memo on her desk when the distinctive sound of Gary's footsteps reached her ears. Karen had hoped it was Whitney.

"Top."

"Captain." Karen grinned at her CO as she completed their ritual morning greeting.

"Go home."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I just talked to Major Lewis. Go get some sleep."

"I'm fine. It's not the first time I went out on a night operation."

"Get out of here. That's an order. And I don't want to see you until tomorrow." Gary was having a hard time maintaining a straight face as Karen rolled her eyes at him.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and Karen?" When she turned back towards him, he continued, "You did a great job. I heard Jordan would've gotten away if you hadn't spotted him and subdued him." He grinned. "Just remind me not to ever make you mad."

Karen grinned back. "Keep that thought."

Gary shook his head, laughing as he watched her exit the building.

***

Whitney had to stop herself from taking the steps to the orderly room two at a time. She knew Karen was okay, but would feel better when she actually saw her partner. Her plan to arrive early had been circumvented when Bonnie found out she wasn't eating with Karen that morning. The officer had insisted that Whitney accompany her and Julie to breakfast.

When she glanced in Karen's office and saw it was empty, Whitney continued down the hall to her own office, disappointed. Her schedule included monitoring classes in both Commo and Motor Pool, limiting her chances of seeing Karen once the workday started. She was surprised when the phone rang. "Lt Gordon."

"Hi. It's me. Gary ordered me home for the day. Just wanted you to know."

Whitney smiled into the phone. "Good for him. See you later."

She hung up the phone, and walked out of her office to attend work formation.

Chapter 21

After sleeping most of the morning, Karen got up and straightened the house. She checked her email, pleased to find that Sandy had already answered her. Karen responded, asking for clarification on some of the information he'd provided, and sent it off.

Karen knew Whitney would be tired since she'd hadn't gotten any sleep last night either, and decided to go pick up Chinese food for dinner. On the way home, she made a quick detour to the post flower shop and purchased a dozen long stemmed red roses. She smiled, imagining her partner’s reaction.

Gary returned from Battalion and entered his office, slamming the door behind him. He threw a fax onto his desk, sinking into his chair. What am I supposed to say to Whitney? Goddamn it anyway. I don't even want to think about talking to Karen tomorrow. He ran a hand through his hair. Might as well get it over with.

Whitney was just walking out her door when the phone rang. She frowned at it and walked over, picking it up. "Lt Gordon."

"I need to meet with you."

"Okay." Whitney hung up deep in thought. Gary had been all business. She tried to think of anything she might have done incorrectly, and came up blank. A sense of foreboding filled her as she walked to his office.

Whitney left the orderly room a short time later and drove her car to the BOQ on automatic pilot. Her world was turning upside down. This can't be happening. Not now. Not when things are going so well. We've been so careful to be discreet, and now this. The Army isn't fair.

Disjointed thoughts continued to float through her mind as she opened the door to her room and threw herself onto the bed, tears spilling down her face. What's going to happen now? What will Karen think? No answers were forthcoming as Whitney tried to will the tears away. She couldn't let her partner see her like this.

Karen looked at the clock for the third time in the last half hour. Whitney was running later than usual. No problem. We can always nuke the food. She smiled as she heard her lover's car pull into the garage, picked up the bouquet of roses and went to greet her.

Glancing in the car mirror, Whitney decided she'd done the best she could to hide the traces of her tears. She lay what had been a cold washcloth on the seat of her car, and quickly rearranged her hair before alighting.

Whitney was just about to open the door into the house when it swung open. Framed in the doorway, her tall, svelte, beautiful lover stood, looking at her with a warm smile and holding out a bouquet of gorgeous red roses. She felt her resolve slip away as her eyes filled with tears.

Karen's stomach plummeted as she wrapped her arms around Whitney and backed into the house. She laid the roses on the table and placed one hand on her partner's head, holding her tightly against her body hoping to offer comfort through contact. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Whitney answered in a barely audible, hoarse voice. "The Army's not fair." Her voice hitched on the last word, as she struggled to keep the tears from spilling over.

"What do you mean?" Karen's heart began beating erratically, and she held her breath waiting for Whitney to explain.

"Gary just gave me this." Whitney held out a folded piece of paper and waited for Karen to take it.

Karen held the unopened paper in her hand. "Come on. Let's go sit down." She led her partner over to the couch, placing her arm around Whitney's shoulders once they were seated.

She unfolded the piece of paper and began reading, then dropped it onto the coffee table as she mulled over the contents. Due to an Army-wide reduction in force, and an excess of military intelligence officers, Whitney's status had been changed from reserve officer on active duty to inactive reserve for the remainder of her military commitment. Karen knew that the likelihood of someone who was assigned to the inactive reserves being called back to active duty was slim to none. In other words, her lover would be a civilian in two short weeks.

Whitney is right, it isn't fair, but then, when is the Army fair? Karen sighed inwardly. Her own stomach had tightened with emotion, but she forced her voice to remain light, and soothing as she searched for something positive to say. "You said the Army was only a steppingstone. You can start your own career now. Is that really so bad?"

"If I hadn't met you, I'd be thrilled. But, I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you. I just don't know how I'm going to support myself and pay back my college loan with any job I might find in this town."

The full ramifications of Whitney's words lifted the dark cloud that had started to envelop Karen. Fayetteville had little to offer anyone job-wise, let alone someone with Whitney's career aspirations; yet she wanted to stay here with her anyway, worrying instead about money.

"Don't cry. We'll figure something out." Karen wanted to assure her lover that money wasn't a problem. She had more than enough to support them both, but it was unfair to ask Whitney to stay there with her indefinitely.

Karen's words had been gentle, but they'd been spoken with conviction, and Whitney felt some of her tension fade. Worried green eyes met sincere blue orbs, and she nodded. "We have to."

"We will. I'm gonna get you a washcloth." A hand on her arm stopped Karen.

"I'll go." Whitney smiled ruefully. "I need a little more than a washcloth."

Karen watched her partner leave the room, then walked over to the bay window. She gazed out, seeing nothing as thoughts ran rampant through her mind. It's decision time. So what are you gonna do? A short moment later, she squared her shoulders and turned away from the window. What I would've done a long time ago, if I had had any reason to do it.

She walked into the kitchen and fixed a plate of Chinese food for Whitney, placing it in the microwave. Opening a cupboard, Karen searched for something to put the roses in, finally settling on a clear plastic pitcher. Should've bought a vase, too. She set them on the table, removed her partner's plate from the microwave, and then inserted another for herself.

Karen turned as Whitney entered the kitchen, and smiled. "You'll feel better if you eat something."

Whitney looked at the long stemmed roses and almost choked up again. She walked over and hugged Karen. "No one ever gave me roses before. Thank you. They're beautiful." She tightened her arms around her lover. "I love you so much."

Resting her chin on her partner's head, Karen knew with certainty that the small woman she was embracing was everything she could ever want in life. Careers were important, but they could be replaced. The love she shared with Whitney couldn't be. "You're welcome, sweetheart." She lowered her head, looking into her partner's eyes. "I love you, too." She gently brushed her lips against Whitney's before releasing her.

Whitney still didn't know what she was going to do, but her spirits had lifted considerably, and she smiled as she looked at her food. "You got Chinese."

"Special dinner for a special woman." Karen grinned as her lover's face reddened.

The rest of dinner was relatively quiet. Whitney made a few attempts at small talk, but her heart wasn't in it.

Karen tried to keep their conversation light, but her thoughts were focused on the discussion she wanted to have with Whitney after dinner. She had a lot of things she needed to discuss with her lover.

A short time later, they were both settled comfortably on the couch. Out of habit, Karen clicked on the TV, selecting CNN. She frowned as a story on the military’s reduction in forces headlined the news, and hit the mute button on the remote.

She looked down at Whitney, placing her hand over the smaller woman's. "I want to talk to you about something."

Whitney met the serious blue eyes tentatively. "Okay."

"I'm not going to reenlist." Karen’s delivery had been quiet and matter of fact and the reaction to it was instantaneous.

Whitney flew to her feet, stunned. "No! You can't sacrifice your career over this." She crossed her arms and met Karen's eyes. "You've got too much invested. It doesn't make sense." Whitney's expression still reflected disbelief as she searched her lover's face trying to understand her motivations by carefully scrutinizing her features. "You're doing this because of me, aren't you?"

Karen gently placed her hand on her partner's arm, urging her to sit back down, and placed a finger on her mouth. "Shssh. Let me talk. Please?"

Whitney bit off the protests that were tumbling unchecked from her mouth, and nodded.

"There have always been things that I didn't like about being in the Army. Mostly, I tried not to think about them, and whenever possible, I did what I could to make things better for the soldiers I led. But I wasn't doing the things I dreamed about as a kid. It was just half a life."

Karen smiled warmly. "Then I met you. You showed me the difference between existing and living. You taught me that love is real." She lifted Whitney's hand to her mouth and kissed it. "I've never been so happy. I want to walk openly down the street with you and let the whole world see us together. I'm proud to have you for a partner, and I don't want to stay in a career that won't accept that."

Whitney was wrapped in the warmth of Karen's words, but she had to make her partner see reason. "You'd be throwing your career away. You've only got to put in seven more years before you retire. "You wouldn't be thinking like this if I hadn't gotten that letter."

Kissing Whitney on the forehead, Karen stood up and held out her hand. "Come on. I want to show you something." She led the smaller woman to the bedroom, powered on her PC, and pulled out the stool. "Go ahead and sit down."

"Okay." Whitney sat on the stool and felt her partner move to stand behind her. She watched as Karen worked the mouse, bringing up her email program and then clicking on a folder titled 'Sandy.' Once it was open, her lover clicked on the first post. "Read that."

Whitney leaned back into her partner, once she'd read all of the posts that Karen had opened. She exhaled deeply, realizing the import of what she was seeing. "You've already been thinking about this."

"Um hum. I was going to have to do some major research to try and find Sandy, but it seems like it was meant to be. Lucky coincidence that we ran into him Saturday night."

Whitney looked back over her shoulder at her tall, dark lover. "You're excited about this, aren't you?"

"Well, the idea of working as an independent contractor in any city I want, choosing the cases I want to work, and being my own boss is kind of attractive." Karen grinned. "So where do you want to live?"

Whitney found herself caught up in Karen's enthusiasm, but there was still one big thing bothering her. "What if you don't like it? I'd hate it if you ended up resenting me for pushing you into this decision."

Karen understood her partner’s concern and spoke reassuringly, "I could never resent you. And you're not pushing me into this. It was time for me to make a decision. Besides, if I don't like this, I'll find something that I do like. The important thing is for us to be together." She squeezed her lover's shoulder. "I want to show you something else."

The small woman followed her lover out of the bedroom and into her workout room, watching as Karen opened the closet door and pulled out a box. When Karen sat on the floor, Whitney joined her, curious to see what treasures were hidden in the cardboard container.

Opening the box, Karen smiled. "This is my military career." She began removing one item at a time, explaining the history behind each before laying it beside her on the floor.

Whitney learned more about her partner's career in the few hours they spent together on the floor than she'd gleaned since their first meeting. To say she was impressed would be a major understatement. "And you want to leave all this behind?"

"But that's the point." Karen scooted closer to Whitney and draped an arm across her shoulders. "My whole adult life fits neatly into that small box. Thirteen, very lonely, empty years."

She gestured at the contents strewn across the floor. "I'm proud of these things, but it's just not enough anymore. It never really was. I want more out of life than a box full of medals and awards. You made me realize that."

Whitney's heart melted as her fears and doubts faded away. She met Karen's mouth for a sweet, lingering kiss. "How about Chicago?"

Karen grinned happily. "Sounds like a plan."

***

Karen sat down on the couch, stretched her legs out and looked around at the disarray. It had only been a couple of weeks since she had decided to leave the military behind, and it seemed there was barely time to fit everything in before her discharge date.

Her term of service wasn't up until March, but she had 120 days of leave saved up, moving her discharge date back to the middle of November. She knew Gary had been disappointed with her decision to leave the Army, but she'd teased him about just wanting her around to train the incoming XO.

Whitney had processed out the previous Friday and they had immediately left for

a weekend trip to Chicago. It had been a busy, but invigorating couple of days as they looked for places to rent and visited old hangouts. Surprisingly enough, her favorite restaurant, The Odyssey was also Whitney’s.

She smiled as she thought of her partner. Whitney had gone to the grocery store to pick up some things they needed after being gone for the past couple of days. Karen could hardly wait to pass on some information she had heard while checking in on post.

It turned out that fate had awarded Donnie a fitting reward for his antiquated attitude. Karen grinned. Maybe there was some truth to the adage that what goes around comes around. She heard Whitney pull into the garage and got up to greet her and help with the groceries.

"Hi." Karen leaned down, kissed her partner and took the two grocery bags she was carrying.

Whitney retrieved the last bag and followed Karen into the house. "When did you get home?"

"’Bout a half hour ago. Hey, guess what?"

"What?" Whitney smiled at the look on Karen’s face. Whatever she wanted to share, she was obviously pleased about.

"When you were stationed at Ft. Huachuca, did you ever hear of Major Callahan?"

"Yeah. I think everyone heard of her. They say she’s an excellent officer and on the fast track up the rank structure. Why?"

"That’s pretty accurate. We were in the same company once. She’s a good officer and fair. Doesn’t take any crap and will not tolerate discrimination of any sort." Karen’s mirth filled eyes met the sparkling green ones gazing at her. "She’s been assigned as the Battalion S2."

It took only a moment for the implication of the news to sink in, and Whitney started chuckling. "Oh, that is so fair. I’d love to see Donnie’s face when she puts him in his place."

"Or puts him out of the army." Karen knew that Donnie blamed his demotion from first sergeant to master sergeant totally on her and hated his new assignment in S2. She shook her head. I wonder if he’ll ever take responsibility for his own actions. Doubt it.

Seeing the thoughtful expression on Karen’s face, Whitney asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Donnie."

Whitney made a face. "He’s not worth wasting your time on." When she had been processing out at Battalion, she had overheard him bragging to one of the other NCO’s that he had cut Karen’s drive belt.

She had told Karen, but only after getting her to promise ahead of time that she wouldn’t seek retribution for what she was going to tell her. Since then, Whitney had been uncharacteristically critical of Donnie and anything related to him.

Karen kissed Whitney. "Okay. Let’s talk about something else."

"When’s Sandy visiting?"

"He’ll be here next Thursday. I figure we could just eat here and then I’ll go over all the job specifics again. I’ll be on my own except for choosing which cases I want to take until I get my own company set up. He still wants me to work directly for him. Think I’ll pass on that, though.

"This work isn’t dangerous, is it, Karen?"

"Nah. No more than the military can be."

"Great! That’s very reassuring."

Karen pulled Whitney into a hug. "It’ll be okay. You worry too much."

"Someone has to."

Karen just grinned. Love is great.

The next week passed quickly for both women. Karen had picked up boxes from a local self-move company, choosing to pack her own things instead of having the moving company do it.

***

Whitney was engaged in packing boxes, but her thoughts were far away. She had been pleased that Uncle Sam had given her ten years to repay her loan at an unheard of three percent interest because of the abrupt termination of her military service. It had allayed some of her financial concerns because even though Karen had told her money wasn’t a problem, she still wanted to contribute equally to their partnership.

Each day she had been checking the online version of each of Chicago's newspapers and had sent off resumes to several job prospects she found interesting. It had finally paid off, and she could scarcely wait for Karen to get home so she could tell her.

"Hi, sweetheart."

Whitney looked up, startled, from the box she was packing in the living room, and smiled at her tall lover. "Hi, yourself. You're home early." She'd never even heard Karen pull in. "How'd the court martial go?"

"Quick and easy. The verdict was unanimous on Jordan. He's going to Leavenworth for a long time. He was convicted of attempted murder, assault, aggravated burglary, and some lesser Army-related charges. Serves him right."

"What about Bruce?"

"He got off lightest. His cooperation was taken into consideration, and he was given a dishonorable discharge. He's gonna have a tough time getting a job with that hanging over his head, but he's lucky he got away without serving hard time."

Karen grinned at the bits of packing material in her partner's delightfully tousled golden hair. "So how'd your day go?"

"Super!" Whitney stood up, and hugged Karen. "Guess what?"

Karen kissed her partner. "What?"

"I got a job offer, and the couple that looked at the house Thursday met our price. Their credit's already been approved, but you'll probably have to fly back to close."

Karen immediately focused on the news that she knew was most important to Whitney. "That's great! What kind of job offer?"

"A political analyst with Chicago's main daily paper. We still have the salary to negotiate and some of the perks, but it’s looking good."

"We should go out and celebrate."

"Uh, Karen, you still have a week left." She chuckled at the frown on her lover's face, and smiled alluringly. "Wanna celebrate here?"

Running her finger across one of Whitney's breasts, she winked. "What'd you have in mind?"

Whitney's pulse was already racing as she slowly ran her tongue across her lips. "You need to ask?"

Eyes dark with passion, Karen steered them towards the couch, her answer given when she met Whitney's sensuous lips for a long lingering kiss.

***

Whitney stood near the barbeque grill keeping an eye on the hamburgers sizzling on it. Karen had gone to the post and was a little late getting back.

"Did Karen manage to sell the house?" Bonnie knew they had had an offer, but hadn’t had an opportunity to talk to Whitney during the last couple of weeks.

"Yeah. She’s really happy about that. It would be a pain to have to try and sell it from Chicago. Since we’re leaving Tuesday, she’ll still have to fly back to close. If I can, I’m going to come with her. Maybe we can get together then."

"Sounds good. I’m gonna miss you."

"I’ll miss you, too, but we’re only a phone call away." Whitney had already given their new phone number to her friends.

"Don’t worry. We’ll be putting it to good use."

"Remember, if you’re ever up that way, stop by."

Julie smiled, "We just may make it a vacation pit stop now that we know someone there."

"I hope you do. I’m gonna miss you guys."

Bonnie hugged Whitney. "Well miss you, too. Heck, we’ll even miss tall, dark, and sexy."

Karen cleared her throat as she joined the group, and grinned to herself when Bonnie’s face turned bright red. "You were saying?"

"Nothing important."

Whitney laughed and winked at Karen. "She speaks the truth."

Karen could feel the color creep into her face at Whitney’s compliment and retreated back into the house calling over her shoulder, "Be right back."

She was embarrassed to be seen blushing, a response that only her young lover could elicit from her. After all, she had an image to maintain.

When their company left several hours later, Karen and Whitney were cleaning up. "Found out something interesting while I was on post. That’s why I was late getting back."

Whitney looked at Karen curiously. "Well?"

"Remember when Jordan spilled his guts about the ring leader, Sommerson?"

"Yeah. I remember you telling me about that."

"They arrested him today. The cops have known all along who he was, but they didn’t have a thing on him. So an undercover cop infiltrated his operation under the guise of a down and out GI. Made friends with some of the other guys and found out who had actually driven the car when Tilford was hit. The cops told them they would reduce the charge from attempted murder to attempted manslaughter if they told them who had ordered the hit."

"Good! I hope they throw the book at him after what he did to Tilford."

"I hear you. With all those slimeballs singing, he should end up in jail for a long time. There are rumors about some other mysterious deaths being attributed to him, too."

Whitney shuddered. "God, what a nice guy. At least he’s off the streets now."

Karen wiped off the table and tossed the dishcloth in the sink, which Whitney promptly retrieved and rinsed. "What happened to Ms Neat and Perfect?"

"She has more important things on her mind than rinsing dishcloths."

"Oh? Care to elaborate?"

Karen walked up behind Whitney and wrapped her arms around her, before planting soft moist kisses on her neck. "Um hum."

Whitney leaned back against the tall body behind her. "I think I’m glad she does."

She turned around, pulled Karen’s head down, and met the waiting lips with her own. "So what, exactly, does tall, dark, and sexy have on her mind?"

"You." And Karen proceeded to show her just that.

THE END