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Date: Sun, 06 Jun 2004 23:32:59 -0400
Subject: [ASC] NEW TOS: The Lost Years: Unstoppable 2/3 [PG-13] Slayer Series
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Forwarded by the ASC-VSO 
Posted: 5 Jun 2004 19:52:59 -0700  
In: alt.startrek.creative 
From: djinn@djinnslair.com (Djinn) 
 

TITLE: The Lost Years: Unstoppable (Slayer Series)
AUTHOR: Djinn
CONTACT: djinn@djinnslair.com http://www.djinnslair.com
SERIES: TOS
RATING: PG-13
CODES: Ch, K, U, Others
PART: 2/3
SUMMARY: The tenth in the Lost Years series.



Christine could not remember a time when she'd felt more frustrated. 
As she stalked down the corridor toward the transporter room, she
tried not to replay the conversation with Jim.

Damn Spock.  Damn his timing.  Damn his perfect Vulcan mask.  Damn his
knack for ruining her sex life.

Damn, damn, damn.

She slowed as she approached the door. She was angry and she had a lot
of pent up energy--energy that would have been better dispelled by
having sex with Jim.

If she'd only pressed for that quickie.  Maybe then he wouldn't have
been so quick to let go of her.

Damn his honor.

Damn everything.

She leaned against the wall, forcing herself to breath slowly.  As she
waited for her blood pressure to come down some, it occurred to her
that while she was keyed up and incredibly disappointed and even very
angry, she was not out of control.  She was not on the verge of
running, or of losing it.

Christine smiled.  She was stronger.  She owed that to Emma.

The familiar sadness came over her.  She didn't try to push it away. 
She missed Emma.  Wished her watcher were here to go knock some sense
into Jim for her.  Although, from what he'd said, Emma hadn't had any
better luck with him than Christine had.

Damn the man's stubborn sense of nobility.  Spock didn't care what
they did.  Spock didn't care about anything anymore.

She pushed herself off the wall, channeled her inner bitch slayer and
walked into Rand's territory.

Her friend looked up.  "Christine."

Funny.  She'd never noticed the odd little lilt Janice put in her
name.  As if she was talking to someone not quite at her level.  Not
quite worthy of her friendship.  Is that how it had always been, and
Christine had never noticed?

"Janice."  Christine tried to inflect Rand's name the same way.

It worked.  Rand's eyes narrowed.  She walked over to Christine. 
"Something I can do for you?"  She didn't smile, didn't bare any
teeth, didn't show any pack behavior that meant she was subordinate. 
Her eyes were unblinking and hard.  She was the alpha wolf, they
seemed to say.  Christine had better watch her step.

Christine stared back, her mouth in a tight line.  Her eyes hard.  Her
message was just as clear.  Alpha bitch here too.

It was a draw.

And then Rand's pupils dilated--she was afraid.

Christine laughed, grabbed her by the neck and slammed her up against
the wall.

Rand's eyes went wide.

"Do you know what a slayer is, Jan?"

Rand nodded quickly.

She pushed Rand slightly up the wall, so her legs dangled a little. 
"Let me rephrase that.  Do you _feel_ in your gut what a slayer is?"

Rand nodded again, this time smiling, her hands stroking at
Christine's arm.  "I'm sorry, Christine.  Whatever I did, I won't do
it again."

"I just want you to know that I'll be watching you.  I don't trust
you."  Christine let Rand down.  "And stay away from Jim.  You come
near him, and I'll kill you.  Understand me?"

Rand quickly moved out of arm's reach.  Her tone turned mocking; her
old jealousy over Jim seemed to reassert itself.  "You and the
captain?  Yeah right."

Christine kicked Rand's leg out from under her and followed her down. 
Her hand tightened on Rand's neck again.  "Jan, I've had a really
shitty day.  Words cannot express how shitty my day has been.  And
it's going to get even worse because I have to go see my ex"--was he
really her husband?  "My ex-husband."

Rand suddenly looked very confused.

"And I don't anticipate that the visit is going to go very well.  So
don't piss me off."  She tightened her hold again and Rand began to
pant for breath.  "You got it?"

Rand nodded quickly.  

The door whooshed open, and Rand's colleague rushed in and knelt down
next to Rand.  "What's going on?"

Christine smiled at him.  "Janice slipped.  These new floors are
murder."  She smiled again, touched his arm.  "I'm her old friend,
Doctor Chapel.'

"Oh, Doctor.  Well, that's okay then.  It just looked kind of funny
from the door.  I thought you were trying to hurt her."

Christine smiled again, then turned to shoot a concerned look at Rand
for his benefit.  "You know our motto is 'first, do no harm,' right?"

He laughed and helped Rand up.  "That's right, it is."

Christine pushed herself easily to her feet, touched Rand on the hand.
 "Do be more careful, Jan."

Rand scowled at her, but the expression was mixed with a good bit of
fear.

"Have a good day," Christine said brightly, as she headed out the
door.  She waited for the lift that would take her to engineering for
her next meeting, a meeting she didn't think would be quite so easy. 
Somehow, alpha rolling Spock didn't strike her as the most prudent
approach.

Although it might make her feel better.

He didn't even look up as she walked over to where he and Mister Scott
were working.

Scotty smiled at her.  "Hello, lass."

She smiled back.  "Be a dear and give me a moment with Spock?"

Scotty shook his head, a small, very nervous gesture.

"It's all right.  I promise not to get him all riled up."

Scott made a face.  Clearly he was not enjoying his time with Spock,
and it looked like he thought that she wouldn't enjoy him either.

Spock's voice was shocking, the harsh tones--as if he'd not spoken for
months--filling the small space they were working in.  "Mister Scott,
I suggest you do as she says.  She can become quite violent when
provoked."  Spock's voice was devoid of any humor.  He seemed to be
simply stating fact.  His facts...and the truth.  He wasn't wrong. 
Not that Scotty had anything to fear from her.  Spock on the other
hand...

"She can?"  Scott looked over at her.  "Can you?"

She shrugged.  

"All right then.  If you want to talk to him, I'll not stand in your
way."

She patted his arm as he passed her.  "Thanks."  She sat down and
watched Spock work.  "So, here we are.  You .  Me.  The engines. 
Cozy."

He ignored her.

"How have you been since you drugged me and beat the crap out of
Spike?"

She thought he missed a beat with whatever he was entering into his
padd.  So he could still be rattled.

She wasn't sure if that made her feel better or not.

"Guess you're not in a talkative mood?  Well, I am.  I'm wondering why
you're here, for one thing.  No one else seems to be asking that
question."  When he didn't answer her, she leaned in, whispered, "I
think you're here to ruin my life."

He set the padd down.

She suddenly felt bad.  "Spock?  Talk to me."

He turned to face her, seemed to study her face for a very long time. 
"You are tired."

Of all the things he could have said, she was least prepared for that.
 "I am."

His eyes traveled to her insignia.  "You are a doctor now."

She nodded.  "I like it...being a doctor."  She didn't know why she'd
said that; he wouldn't care.

His eyes did not soften in the least.  "I must focus on this task.  It
is an unnecessary indulgence to talk to you."

She understood unnecessary in the Spock lexicon.  But indulgence?  On
whose part?

"Why did you come back?" she asked.

His eyebrow went up.  "I did not come back for you, Christine."  His
face seemed to get even tighter as he realized he'd called her by her
first name.

"Or for Jim either?"

"I came because I am needed.  And my answers may lie with this entity
we are en route to meet."

"Sure.  Okay then." She stood up.  "I'll let you get to it."

He nodded and turned away.

She felt a strange pain fill her as she watched him work.  She'd loved
him.  She'd bonded with him.  Part of her had died with him.

She leaned down, touched his shoulder very lightly.

He flinched.

"I'm sorry.  I'm sorry that I hurt you."  She let go, turned away.

"It is of no consequence," he said, but his voice was not as even as
before.

"Fine.  But I'm still sorry."  She watched him for a long moment, then
fled.

-----------------------

Uhura watched the lift doors close on Kirk and Christine.  Their body
language was unmistakable.  Angry, tense, disappointed.

She wasn't sure how she knew the last one, but she did.  And she also
knew it had to do with Spock's unexpected arrival.

She'd hoped that Kirk's presence on the ship, his willingness to grab
it away from Decker would mean that he was also willing to finally
reach out for Christine.  But he appeared to be farther away from that
point than ever.  Although, he'd seemed so light, so happy, when he'd
come back to the bridge, just before Spock appeared.  He'd seemed so
filled with possibilities.

"You ever going to let me in on what's going on in there?" Len asked,
tapping her forehead gently.

She shook her head.  "Just wondering what this means, Spock being
back."

"You and me both."  Len rested his hip on the bulkhead, arms crossed
as he shook his head, mouth held in a tight line.  "He's changed. 
That's for sure."

"He's not our Mister Spock anymore."  She sighed.  "I'm worried about
Chris.  And Jim."

Len nodded.  "This has got to be a shock for both of them."

She pitched her voice as low as she could, so only he would hear. 
"No.  I mean for them."  She held up her fingers as if for quotation
marks.

Len's eyebrow rose precipitously.  "Them?  I know you said he loved
her, but you implied that nothing was going on."

"Not on Earth, but on the ship?  With no Spock.  I think maybe they
could have had something."  She grinned wryly.  "Providing any of us
have a future."

He chuckled.  "Yes, well, there is that."  Len turned and stared at
the lift doors.  "I wonder if he's still in there?  Our Mister Spock."

Uhura shook her head.  "I don't know."  She saw Decker heading toward
them and let the subject drop.

"I haven't had a chance to welcome you aboard, and there was no time
for proper introductions, I'm afraid."  Decker smiled warmly at McCoy,
and Uhura's heart went out to him.  Even in a situation this
disappointing, he was still the epitome of class.  "I'm
Capt--Commander Will Decker."

"Doctor Leonard McCoy."  Len held out his hand, ever uncaring of the
protocol that said a salute, or at least standing at attention instead
of lounging against her terminal, would be preferred over a handshake.

Decker took his hand with a grin.  "Nice to meet you.  I take it you
were drafted?"

"You take it correctly."  Len scowled.  "I was supposed to be heading
out for another relief mission with my fellow retirees.  Now look at
me.  Racing to meet the unstoppable machine."

Decker nodded.  "It will be interesting to see what it is.  To find
out what kind of intelligence lies behind that much power."

"There might not be any intelligence, sir.  It might just be a killing
machine."  Uhura wished she could take the words back as soon as she
saw Decker wince.  "I'm sorry--"

He waved her apology away.  "It was a long time ago.  I'll get over it
someday."

Len laid a hand on his arm.  "No reason you have to get over it, son. 
Losing someone you love is a hard thing, no matter the circumstances
around that death.  And I was there.  Your father died trying to make
a difference.  He gave himself up for us all.  In my book, he was a
true hero."

Decker smiled.  "Thank you."  Then his smile twisted a bit.  "It was
Adm--Captain Kirk who stopped the machine though, wasn't it?  He was
the real hero."

"That depends on how you look at it.  And how narrow you want to be,"
Uhura said softly.  "I like to think there's room for all kinds of
heroes, and all kinds of people."

Len's voice was very soft as he said, "He stole your ship out from
under you, Commander.  I know that's hard.  But he's not a superman. 
He needs us around to make sure he doesn't slip up.  Don't be afraid
to question.  Don't be afraid to tell him when he's wrong."

"You never are, Len," Uhura said with a smile.

"Nope.  And it's why I'm here now.  Damn fool that I am, I couldn't
ever learn to keep my mouth shut around that man."  He grinned at
Decker.  "I better go check on my sickbay."  He frowned, shot a look
at Uhura.  "Christine going to mind that I call it that?"

Uhura shrugged.  "That's for you two to work out.  I'm not sure she
really wanted to be CMO."  She glanced at Decker.  "And we both know
it wasn't your original offer to her."

He shook his head.  "Very few things on this ship seem to be the way I
originally planned it."  He shot her a sweet smile.  "No offense,
Commander."

"None taken.  I'm where we always intended me to be."  She saw the
board begin to light up.  "And I have work to do.  If you gentlemen
will excuse me."  She busied herself with the incoming comms, felt Len
touch her shoulder gently before leaving.

She sensed Decker watching her work for a few moments before heading
back for the center chair.

The center chair that wasn't his anymore.

Uhura wished she could feel worse about that.  Decker was a good man. 
She liked and respected him.  But she was glad it was Jim that was in
charge.

Jim would protect them.  Just as he always had.

----------------------------

Kirk watched as Decker and the Ilia probe walked around the rec
lounge.  His heart hurt for Decker.  He kept imagining how he'd feel
if it were Chris, and he had to try to use her and the feelings she
had for him to get information.

But it was to save the ship...and a lot more.  Kirk kept reminding
himself of that.  He hadn't done this to be cruel to Decker; it was
the only way.

The only way.  What good did all his supposed magic do him now?  Had
he been able to use it in any useful way?  Had he been able to save a
single person with it?  He hadn't even been able to reach Spock with
it.

Maybe Chris was right?  Maybe his friend wasn't ever coming back?

He stood up.  "I'll be on the bridge, Bones.  Call me if Decker has a
breakthrough with her--with that thing."

McCoy nodded, sipped at his coffee.

As Kirk stepped onto the Bridge, Chekov looked up from his station. 
"Sir, airlock four has been opened; a thruster suit is reported
missing!"

Spock.  It had to be.  He'd been so damned entranced with V'ger.  

Hurrying down to the airlock, Kirk climbed into a thruster suit and
went out into the blue murk to find his friend.  His friend who might
be a traitor, who might care more about this entity and its supposed
answers than any of his former friends and crewmates.

Spock--he wanted to shake the Vulcan, bring him back to the man he'd
once known.

What the hell had happened to all of them?

He saw a form ahead, a thruster suit drifting.  He steered carefully
to it, turned it to see Spock was unconscious...or dead.  Kirk
swallowed hard, reached out with the magic trying to find something,
anything that would tell him his friend was still alive.

He felt a slight pulsing tingle come back to him.  Spock was alive. 
Barely.

He got him back to the ship; the medics were there to meet him. 
Chekov must have called them.  He struggled out of the thruster suit
as the medics stripped Spock's off.  They were faster, already heading
down the corridor and into the lift by the time Kirk had escaped the
confining suit.

He took the next lift, practically ran into sickbay.  Chris looked up
at him, shook her head slightly.  He wasn't sure what that meant.

McCoy seemed to be watching them both.  Kirk saw Chris look at Bones
in a way she never would have before, her hard stare made McCoy look
away.

Her mouth was tight, not quite a frown, as she checked the biobed
readings.  "What happened out there?"

Her hand dropped, was resting lightly on Spock's shoulder.  Kirk
wondered if she was even aware that she was touching him.  She looked
over at him, then followed his gaze.  She stared down at her hand as
if it was a traitor, jerked it away and reached for an instrument.

She began to move the scanner around Spock's head.  "Now scanning pons
area at spinal nerve fiber connection."

McCoy watched the console that showed the results of the scan. 
"Indications of some neurological trauma--the power pouring through
that mind-meld must have been staggering."

There was a short bark of laughter.  Kirk hurried to Spock's bed.  Had
Spock really just made that sound?

Spock looked up at him.  The coldness was gone, and the friend Kirk
had despaired of ever seeing again looked up at him.  "Jim."

Spock reached out, took Kirk's hand in his.  Kirk could feel something
pouring into him through their clasped hands.  It wasn't thoughts so
much as feelings.  He felt fear and pain and regret.  And love and
friendship and need.  Spock needed him.  Spock needed him again.

He had never stopped needing Spock.  He wondered if that was flowing
down the link back to Spock.  How much he'd missed him.  How much he
needed his best friend back.

Spock's eyes softened even more.  "This simple feeling...is beyond
V'ger's comprehension."

Out of the corner of his eye, Kirk saw Chris's hand drop to the bed,
the scanner resting on the mattress.  He could imagine what was in her
expression.  The same thing as he felt.  Spock was back.  And that
changed everything.  For both of them.

He couldn't meet her eyes.  Kept his gaze glued to Spock's.

Hoped he wasn't broadcasting everything he was feeling to his friend.

Spock was talking, softly, as if the effort to speak was great.  He
told them of V'ger's nature, that the thing was a living machine.  "I
saw V'ger's planet: a planet populated by living machines. 
Unbelievable technology.  V'ger has knowledge that spans this
universe. I should have known..."  He faded out, seemed to lose
consciousness.

Kirk shook him slightly.  "Known what, Spock?  What?"  He shook him
again.  "What should you have known?"

Spock opened his eyes, seemed to forced himself to talk.  "No meaning.
 No hope.  And Jim, no answers."

"What answers?"

"Is this all I am? Is there nothing more?"

They were interrupted by Uhura's voice on the comm, telling them that
they were nearly in Earth orbit.  Kirk looked over at Chris; she was
staring at him, her expression unreadable.  Then she looked down at
Spock.

"I need Spock on the bridge."

She didn't argue, her expression didn't change, but he thought he had
hurt her somehow.  She looked at the med tech and said, "Dalaphaline,
twenty cc's."

Kirk stared at her for a long moment, then back down at Spock.  His
hand still tingled slightly.  He saw Chris inject Spock; Spock turned
to look at her.  He began to smile, the expression so wistfully sweet
that Kirk felt as if someone had smacked him in the gut.

"Get him up there as soon as you can," he spat out, then nearly ran
out of sickbay, hurrying to the lift that took him up to the bridge. 
His bridge.

Spock came up a few minutes later.  His look was warm, the expression
Kirk hadn't seen for far too long.  His best friend was back.

And now it was up to him to not chase Spock away again.  Assuming they
survived V'ger.

----------------------------

Christine followed Scotty onto the bridge.  He had done it, Jim had
found a way again to save them, to bring them all home.  She looked
around the bridge, realized Decker was gone.

She felt Uhura's eyes on hers, then her friend looked over at Decker's
station and shook her head.  Christine felt a rush of sadness fill
her.  He'd been a good man.

Then Uhura pointed up.  She shrugged as if she was saying she didn't
know where Decker was.  Her expression was sad and a little awestruck.

Then Uhura looked over at Spock, and at Jim.  She turned back to
Christine, but Christine looked away.  She couldn't do this--not now. 
She couldn't face the look of pity and compassion she was afraid she'd
see in Ny's eyes.  Christine knew that her friend understood what she
felt for Jim.  And she'd lived through all those years when Christine
had been fixated on Spock, and had been there for the much shorter
time that he and Christine had been together and happy.

And now both men were here, on this bridge, on this ship.  With her. 

Christine felt as if the air was heavy, as if she was a step behind
what was going on around her.  She heard Scotty offer Spock a ride
back to Vulcan, heard Spock turn him down.

She desperately wanted something to lean against.  This was not how
she envisioned this mission ending.  With all of them--_all_ of
them--back together.  She heard Jim order Difalco to take the ship out
thattaway.  She didn't laugh with the others at his whimsy.

She knew Jim's whimsy better than any of them now.  She knew him
better.  And he was slipping away from her.  He loved her and she
loved him and it was wrong that he seemed so far away and was moving
away even faster.  Leaving her behind at warp speed.

Spock stood and walked toward her.  His expression was calm and filled
with affection, the Spock she'd known--god, it seemed so long ago now.
 This was the Spock she'd fallen in love with.  The Spock who had
fallen in love with her.  But so much had happened.  So much had come
between the two people they had been before.  His death on the fields
of Sekanik, Spike, David.  And Jim.

She'd changed.  She was in love with Spock's best friend.  And he was
in love with her.  And now that didn't matter.  She could see it in
Jim's expression as he walked toward them.  His eyes caught hers and
held.  His gave nothing away as he turned away from her, toward Spock.

She swallowed hard, found it hard to get the motion to complete, as if
her throat had closed up.

"Jim?" Spock's voice was full of affection, emotion he wasn't afraid
to show, emotion that had been blasted out of him in that unimaginable
mind meld.

She turned away, couldn't bear to see what that affection meant for
her and Jim.  She felt Jim's hand on her arm, looked up to see him
touch Spock's arm as well.

He smiled at them both.  The old Kirk grin that turned slightly sad as
he looked at her. Then he rallied.  "You two probably have a lot to
catch up on."

"We do," Spock said.  He looked at her, his lifted eyebrow adding
emphasis to his assertion.

It was McCoy who came to her rescue.  "Not so fast, Jim.  I need to
check Spock out.  We rushed him up here so quickly that we never got a
chance to scan for long term damage from that meld with V'ger."

"I feel fine, Doctor McCoy."

"Humor me, Spock."  McCoy looked at her, seemed to incline his head
just slightly toward Jim.  "You and Christine can catch up as soon as
we're done, Spock.  Can't you, Christine?"

She nodded, trying to keep her expression neutral.

"Very well."  Spock followed McCoy out.

She turned to Jim.  "Sir, I need to speak with you."

"Later perhaps, Doctor?"  He turned away.

"No.  Now."  She put every ounce of slayer steel in her voice.

He shot her an annoyed look.  Something darker and more hurt shone
through the annoyance.

"Please?"  She used his tone, the one she could never resist.

He looked back at the rest of the bridge crew.  Other than Uhura, they
appeared to be ignoring them.  He nodded slowly.  "My office.  Mister
Sulu, you have the conn."

"Aye, sir."

He led the way to the lift and to his quarters.  Once there, he hit
the button that would seal off his quarters from the office.

"Don't want me to see the bed?"

"It's a new design.  I'll have to get used to closing my personal area
off when I leave."  His tone was that of a perfectly correct starship
captain, concerned with nothing more than normal protocol.

She sat down in one of the chairs.  "So this is it?  You just give me
up without a fight?"

He sat down across from her.  "This is Spock.  The Spock you said
would never come back."

"I was wrong."

"About that, maybe about lots of things."

"Not about the feelings I have for you."  When he looked away, she
leaned forward.  "Not about the ones I know you have for me."

He sighed.  "Those feelings are irrelevant now, Chris."  His voice was
cold.

"You can turn it off that easily?"  

He finally met her gaze fully.  And it was as if he dropped a veil
that had been between them because hurt and desire shone from his
eyes.  "No, I can't.  But I'll have to.  For him.  For you.  To give
you a chance."

"A chance for what?"

He took her hand.  "Chris, I had eighteen months to get to know the
real you.  To fall in--"  His lips twisted.  "Give him a chance, get
to know him again.  He deserves that from you."

"Why?"  She could feel him pulling his hand away, wanted to hold on
and never let him go.  But she let go.

"Because it's the right thing to do."  He stood up and straightened
his shoulders.  She saw the captain standing before her, not her
friend, not the man she loved.

She got up.  "Getting to know him again won't make any difference."

"Why don't you try doing it before you say that?"

"Because I don't have to."

"Maybe you're scared to.  Maybe you know that what we have--as real as
it is, as strong as it is--isn't right.  Not when he's back.  Not when
he still loves you."

"You don't know that." 

He shook his head.  "I saw how he was looking at you in sickbay.  I
saw how he was looking at you just now on the bridge."  He sighed, the
sound was ragged.  "He's not over you, Chris.  Are you so sure you're
over him?"

She stood up and walked over to him.  As she got close, he backed up
until he was leaning against the viewscreen.  She reached for him.

"Chris.  Don't."  The sheer pain in his expression made her drop her
hands.

"Jim?"

"I can't hurt him again, Chris.  No matter how much I want you."

"And what if I don't want him?  What if I want you?"

He looked down, just shook his head.  

"Well, I better get to sickbay then.  Should I screw him now or can I
wait a few days?"

He looked up sharply.

"Well?  You have all the answers.  How soon should we have sex?"

"Chris.  For god's sake..."

She pushed forward, until there was barely a space between them.  "Do
you even care?  Does it bother you to think of that?"

He tried to move but she held him.  He looked slightly panicked.  She
leaned in, kissed him, felt him kiss her back.  But it was a
desperate, guilty kiss and he pulled away too soon.  She wanted more;
she pushed against him for more.

"No!" the sound seemed to fill her entire body and then she was flying
through the air, landing hard against the opposite wall.

She sat up slowly.  "Holy shit.  Your magic has gotten stronger."  She
rubbed at her back.

He rushed over.  "My god, Chris. I'm sorry."

She touched his hand, felt the remnants of the energy that had pushed
her away from him.  It seemed to crackle between them.  A warning. 
Don't push him.  Don't panic him.  "No, Jim. I'm sorry.  I know how
strongly you feel about this.  What I want doesn't matter."

He grasped her hand.  "It does though, Chris.  It does."  He sat down
next to her, slumped and shook his head.  "You don't have to do
anything.  It's your life."

"But I can't have you."  She leaned her head back against the wall. 
"I'll get to know him again.  I will.  But I'm not falling into his
arms just because he's your friend and you want to put everything back
together again."  She turned to look at him.  "Maybe Spock and I are
like Humpty Dumpty.  Some things you can't fix."

He nodded tiredly.

"Are we still friends?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Okay."  She closed her eyes, unwilling for him to see the tears that
were threatening.

She felt his hand steal into hers.  Then he squeezed and she did sob.

His hand tightened on hers.  "I'm sorry, Chris.  You know if I
could..."

"I know."  She wiped the tears away angrily.

They sat for a long time.  Then he pushed himself to his feet, pulling
her up with him.  "You were going to check on Lori's remains?"

She nodded.  "I'll get right on it."  She turned to the door.  "What
would it take?  To make it all right for us to be together?"  She
looked over her shoulder at him, caught the look of longing that had
filled his eyes.

He bit it back.  Just shook his head.  

They stared at each other for a long time before she turned and fled.



End part 2 of 3

--
Forwarded to ASCL by:
Stephen Ratliff
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