I think I mentioned the family’s on vacation this week, so it’s just me and the story when I’m home.  And the effing honey-do list.  Got the front yard mowed this AM, a decorative garden bridge assembled and stained, and cleaned a dust bunny rhino that’d been building up in our pellet stove for the last ten years.  I may want to up my maintenance program on that….

Below, saw this all at once around noon.  Laughed out loud.  Hope everyone likes it, too.

“Defiant” – Episode 31, Part 1

The three rode back towards Fort Reilly. Brunelli had made Nichole laugh by passing on what gossip his brother Tony had given him as they were up late drinking. Nichole then told her story of some of the things that the Prior had spoken with her as night fell after Gil went to bed.

Gil avoided her eyes.

“…was so curious to find out both what’s happening in Japan and about my family!” She’d said to Brunelli, tossing him a friendly punch with her right hand. He leaned away from her on his horse. Back on duty, they were all in gear, including flak vests and helmets. Gil unconsciously glanced –

“Need more?” Nichole laughed at him, putting her right hand onto her chest. “Just think of it as your payback for me seeing you at the pool all the time!”

“What?” Brunelli was lost. “What’s up with you two? I thought you were an item, but lone-wolf there is sulking like a girl after her first time!”

He paused. The gears in his head slowly turning.

“Whoa!” He exclaimed. “Did you two do it back at the –”

“No, we didn’t!” They both yelled at him. Brunelli couldn’t help but grin.

“Yeah, sure!” He tapped his heels against his mare’s side as he moved ahead a few yards.

“I’m sorry.” Gil muttered, again.

“That’s twice, which is twice too many!” Nichole replied with some heat in her voice. “I didn’t mind at the time and… and I won’t mind again in the future!”

Gil looked over to find her eyes catch and hold his….

 

He’d knocked on her door, knocked again. He’d gone back to his room to make sure he’d got everything. He knocked on her door again. Dammit! He put his hand onto the doorknob.

            “Nichole? Are you okay?”

            He counted three. Nothing.

            “Nichole! I’m coming in!” He twisted the handle and pushed through the door…

            She was on the edge of her bed. Nichole’s head was slightly bowed; her hair was down, but Gil could still see one cord from the back of her neck one way for power, and another towards a jack for signal.

            Her pants were on, rolled up to her knees. She wore nothing else.

            Her breasts would perfectly fit into his hand… her pink nipples were just slightly…

            Her head came up. Her irises completely dilated, surrounded by a tiny ring of emerald fire.

            “HUMAN. GIL.” Her voice was harsh, metallic. “CANNOT RECOVER.”

            What? What?!

            “HUMAN. GIL. CANNOT RECOVER.” Slightly louder.

            Something was very, very wrong, but he knew not what.

            “HUMAN – ” It hurt his ears, now.

            He took three steps, reached, and jerked the cords out of the back her neck.

            She fell backwards onto her bed. Her arms straight out on each side. He took a breath, about to yell for a medic –

            “ME – ”

            Nichole sat up, her right hand onto his mouth. He saw her eyes had returned to normal. She lowered her hand, replacing it with her lips. After a few minutes, he’d allowed himself to touch her, here, there, as well.

            She’d suddenly stiffened and he’d pulled his hand away. She made a small sound and muttered “…more…!” into his mouth. His hands came back up. She moaned slightly. Time seemed to pass wonderfully. He….

            Her head came back sharply.

            “Someone’s coming.” She broke into a smile. “Let’s not see them break our promise!”

            Standing, she turned away from him and began getting dressed. Once his breathing – and the rest of him – was under control, Gil moved to the door.

            “See you outside.” He paused. “Sorry.”

            “For what?” She shouted back over her shoulder, tugging her shirt down and reaching for her flak vest. “You are so silly! I think I want this more than you do!”

 

This time, he didn’t look away while they rode next to each other.

“What happened to you?” He asked.

“Metaphorically, I went swimming in the data they have there.” Her smile grew bitter. “The waters were choppier than I thought. I… I could not come back to myself.”

Her smile fled completely. Until she looked up to him.

“Then you saved me!” It was back. “And right on the heels of that, you start touching me! It felt sooooo good!”

“Geez!” Brunelli muttered from ahead.

She moved her mount close to his and he watched her left arm in the sling flop a little.

“When we’re home, let’s touch each other more!” She didn’t bother to lower her voice.

“Geez, you two!”