fanfic_name = The Sit. Room Incident

author = Dwparsnip

dedicate = Well, I don't know. Everyone involved with Robotech, and to all the fanfic writers out there whose own wonderful stories prodded me to try this.

Thanks.

Rating = AP15

Type = Romance

fanfic = (*)This fiction is based upon information taken from Jack McKinney’s books (although I didn’t really like the way he treated the Rick/Lisa relationship) and other Robotech sources (like Robotech.com), and of course my own imagination. I’ve always wondered about Sue Graham though.

All references to Robotech and its’ characters © Harmony Gold, Inc.

P.S.- This is my first shot at this, so all comments and criticisms are welcomed, and I hope I got the rating right.

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Lt. Sue Graham was a beautiful, young woman with long black hair and stunning hazel eyes. She was a photojournalist and it was all she had ever wanted to be. She loved cameras and shooting video, and she began shooting video as soon as she was old enough to lift the camera. Someone had to record the historic times that they were living through, and she was thrilled she that was one of the people doing it. In fact she prided herself on being one of the best at it.

Then she got what she considered the plummest of plum assignments: the personal photographer of Admiral Rick Hunter. She went with him almost everywhere, recording almost everything he did and said. She got to see him at his best and at his worst, and as far as she was concerned his worst was still greater than most other people’s best.

She was more than attractive enough to garner plenty of interest from members of the male persuasion. It flattered her and it was one of the primary reasons that she was supremely confident in herself and everything that she did. Her problem however, was that the interest that came her way from admirers was always shallow and without substance. She never placed the blame for failed or empty relationships on herself, but on the men that she was involved with. She had decided that she needed a mature and seasoned man to be in her life, and she found the perfect example in Rick Hunter.

She had become more and more enthralled with the admiral over the years and especially the last few months, and why not? What wasn’t there about Rick Hunter to admire, to respect, to honor, to…love?

‘Fighter pilot, hero of the Robotech War, a born leader and a very handsome man’, she thought. The only problem with Admiral Hunter was his marital status, but she reckoned it was merely an obstacle, not a roadblock. ‘I’m sorry Lisa', she thought. 'I admire you and I respect what you’ve done, but I want your husband.’

She was watching him even now, at this late hour in the Situation Room. It had become his habit lately, to come here late when it was all but abandoned, to analyze, to think, to strategize and to mull over the extremely difficult task ahead of them. At first when he started these late night contemplation sessions, she stayed only for a few minutes, and let him go about his business. But after a couple of weeks she started staying longer and longer. She started to get to know him more on a personal level lately too. They would talk about this and that, his son, his job, his life. Come to think of it, we almost always talk about him. That suited her just fine.

She looked at him intently. He had not been able to be with Lisa much for a while now with the both of them being so busy, and she had tried, surreptitiously, to fill the void. She knew he considered her a friend, but she had caught him once or twice looking at her with a look that indicated, to her at least, more than professional relationship. She took in a long steady breath and decided that tonight was the night.

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It had been yet another long day in a series of long days. What had become the norm, rather than the exception.

Admiral Rick Hunter was bent over one of the many consoles in the Situation Room, analyzing for the umpteenth time the patterns and reactions of the enemy in anticipation of the enormous battle that was looming ahead of them.

The Regent’s Invid were a merciless and deadly enemy. They had proven that countless times to the Zentraedi, the REF and the Sentinels. But now, they had to face the Invid of the Regis, in total control of Earth, with seemingly impenetrable defenses.

‘Troopers, Soldiers, Shocktroopers, Enforcers and God knows what else the Regis will have cooked up before we get there’, thought Rick glumly. ‘Protoculture farms, hives and, of course the biggest target of them all, Reflex Point. Add to all of this that the Mars Division attack was a complete disaster, and we’ve got a nice recipe for total destruction.’

Rick sighed loudly, rubbed the back of his neck and stood up straight, quicker than he meant to and immediately felt regret in doing so, along with the pain of the sudden movement. ‘Getting old Rick. You’re getting old,’ he thought, now rubbing his lower back with his hand.

He glanced over his shoulder to take in Sue Graham, not for the first time, and noted with some relief that she had not recorded his discomfort. It was another recently formed habit, to glance around to see Graham. To see if she was watching him, recording him. When the PR people, with the historians in tow, first approached him with the idea of saddling him with a personal photographer, he almost went nuts. That was all he needed, someone recording his every move and getting in the way. He wouldn’t be able to be himself, he’d have to be careful, and he would have to change. But when he met Graham, his fears were immediately alleviated. She made it clear that he was to be himself, and that she was there at his convenience. She would get lost the second he needed or wanted her to. Over time, he had come to know her well and in fact he considered them to be good friends.

Lately however, he began to sense a shift in their relationship, a sense that she wanted more. He looked at her again. She was a young, beautiful lieutenant with curves that could rival those of a veritech. ‘In another place and another time. In another lifetime’, he thought guiltily. He knew nothing could, or would happen between them and assumed that she knew the same.

He loved Lisa with all of his being. They were friends, husband and wife, partners and parents. He couldn’t imagine his life without her especially after all they had been through. The years aboard the SDF-1 and in New Macross, getting ready for the Expeditionary Mission, the Sentinels and Edwards. All the times she was there for him in the beginning when he barely noticed here. It had taken destruction and heartbreaking loss to make him realize how much she meant to him.

She was his strength, his reason for being and his reason for going on. He smiled as he thought of her. ‘I know we’ve had some hard times lately Lisa, but I still love you, maybe even more than ever.’ Indeed, things had not been the best in the recent months. Lisa was busy getting the ship ready. She had any number of things to deal with at any given time, not the least of which was their son, Roy. He had the same problem. Between Roy, organizing the attack plan and everything that went with that, he had no spare time. In fact, as strange as it sounded, he had become lonely.

‘Is this what they mean by loneliness of command?' Rick thought sourly. ‘Is Lisa going through he same thing?’

Thinking of Lisa made him yearn to see her, and to be with her. ‘Enough of this foolishness’, he thought with utter determination, ‘I need to be with my wife.’ He turned off the display on the console, turned to leave and ran straight into a very passionate kiss.

For a very brief moment, he thought Lisa had had the same feelings that he was having and had come to find him. But even as the thought came to him, he realized something was very wrong. The lips he felt on his own were different than those of his wife. ‘Got to stop this!’, he screamed at himself. For a couple of seconds however, the loneliness that had earlier pervaded his thoughts prevented him from stopping what was happening.

Finally, he grabbed Sue Graham by the shoulders and pushed her away.

“Sue, what are you doing? Are you insane?” he asked in a shocked voice.

“No Rick, I’ve never been more sane or sure of anything in my life”, she said as she reached up and touched his cheek.

He backed off quickly as she said, “I’ve been having feelings for you Rick, powerful feelings that I can’t stop or hide anymore.”

“Sue”, said Rick softly, as if to a child, “I…I’m sorry if I’ve misled you somehow, but nothing can happen between us. I’m married to Lisa.”

“Rick, when was the last time you were with Lisa, I mean really with her? If she’s not on the bridge or in some meeting, you’re in here or on the hangar deck or in the armory. You’re everywhere, except with her, and she’s everywhere, except with you. I can see that you’ve been feeling alone lately. I can’t blame you, I would be too in your position. I know you Rick. I’ve studied you for a long time now. You need to be with someone. Someone like me.”

She quickly put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him again.

This time he wasted no time and again pushed her away from him.

“Stand down Lieutenant.”

She came to an abrupt halt at the harshness of his tone. She could now see the anger in his eyes, and realized that she had made a terrible mistake.

“Rick…” she began.

“Now hear this Lieutenant,” Rick said, barely controlling his rage. “You will never, and I mean never, do anything of this sort ever again. I am your commanding officer, and I am married to a woman who I love very deeply. If I have misled you in any way I am truly sorry but our relationship is a professional one, and that is all it ever can and ever will be. Do you understand?”

She stood at attention and said, “Yes sir!”

He turned away from her, ashamed of himself for letting this happen.

“I think Lieutenant, that it would best for everyone concerned that you remove yourself from this assignment”, he said quietly.

“Yes, Admiral.”

“Dismissed.”

“I’m sorry Rick.” Then Lt. Sue Graham turned on her heel and walked out of the Sit. Room with tears streaming down her face.

Rick stood there for several minutes, trying to compose himself. ‘What have I done?’ he thought.

He shook his head hard as if to clear the cobwebs, and with that he left the Sit. Room in search of Lisa.

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The object of Rick’s thoughts, Admiral Lisa Hunter had just left the bridge and was on her way to their quarters. It had been another day of reports, decisions and disappointment. The schedule for deployment had to be revised again, backwards. This time it was the starboard defensive armaments. Last week it was the port maneuvering thrusters. The week before it was the failure of the anti-gravity generators. The ship just didn’t seem to want to get ready.

‘Maybe it knows something we don’t’, she thought with a sense of melancholy. She had had enough for one night and she had a burning need to see and be with her husband.

Lisa too was having the same feelings that Rick was having. It seemed as though days would go by and he and Lisa would spend very little time together. It almost seemed as though they were drifting apart, and it was a thought that frightened her more than anything else could have. Added to that was her growing unease with Sue Graham. Lisa had been getting a bad feeling from her recently, a sense that Graham was becoming more and more obsessed with Rick. Lisa could see it in the way she looked at him and in the way she spoke to him. Rick, the nut, didn’t seem to see it. She even asked Max if he noticed anything. Max, their ever loyal friend, told Lisa that he had not noticed or sensed anything threatening from Sue Graham, but he couldn’t be certain. She then thought that just maybe it was her own insecurities getting the better of her, but the more she thought about it, the more she thought she was right about Sue Graham becoming obsessed with Rick.

‘Oh Rick. I love you too much to let anything happen to us now.’

She arrived at the door to their quarters and went inside. Roy was on a campout on Tirol with the other children and several of the Nursery/Daycare personnel. It was more of a summer camp than a campout, while the parents were trying to get the ship ready. He called up regularly to tell her of the activities they were doing, and bless him, he really seemed to be having fun. That had helped to put her a little bit at ease with the situation, but her heart still ached at his absence.

“Rick”, she called. No answer. She was just about to open the door to go look for him when it opened and in he walked.

“Lisa”, said Rick, with a desire in his voice that she hadn’t heard in what seemed to be a long time. He looked at her intensely, and as their eyes met they instantly fell in love all over again. That single look told the both of them all that they needed to know. They loved each other more than anything and nothing was going to change that.

He took her in his arms and held her as though he would never let go, and she held him just as tightly.

“I love you”, she whispered into his ear.

He leaned back to look into her beautiful green eyes and said, “I love you too. Don’t ever forget”

“Never”, she said and kissed him tenderly.

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Hours later, after a night of passion that had left them both physically exhausted and emotionally recharged, Rick was lying on his side with his right arm propping up his head, watching his wife sleep peacefully. It had been a long time since he had done this, watch Lisa sleep.

Despite the years, she hadn’t changed much from the military brat he’d first met those many years ago after the initial Zentraedi attack on the SDF-1. In those first months aboard the ship, he never considered her anything more than a military snob, not really attractive, an old sourpuss. That memory made him smile. It was only later he realized how beautiful, intelligent and kind she was. ‘I was blind. Young, bind and oh so stupid’, he thought with a pang of honest regret. Her skin color and tone was the same, her brown hair still flowed perfectly around her face and she was probably even fitter now than she used to be. And her eyes, those gorgeous emerald eyes that looked into his with a force that seemed to be limitless, they shone brighter now than when he first noticed them years ago.

But what amazed Rick most about Lisa, was not what was on the outside, but what was on the inside. ‘It’s a cliché to be sure, but it’s so true. She’s the most incredible woman, the fact that she’s beautiful is just a bonus’, he thought. She was still sensitive and caring, and still the confident commander while at the same time an insecure woman. ‘Lord knows with all we’ve been through that we have a right to be jaded and desensitized. But not you’, he thought as he very gently stroked her cheek.

The incident with Sue Graham last night in the Situation Room flashed in his head like a lightning bolt, and he knew he had to tell Lisa what had happened. He owed her that much. He had hurt her so much in the beginning of their relationship that he had long ago resolved that he would never again hurt her by keeping something from her.

He couldn’t resist any longer and reached over to kiss her on her gently on her forehead. Then another kiss on her left cheek. Then another kiss on the tip of her nose. She finally smiled and he kissed her very gently on her lips. He moved back to look at her and found her looking at him with those radiant emerald eyes, and his heart actually skipped a beat.

“Good morning, beautiful. Sleep well?” he asked with a smile.

“Good morning, handsome. Yes, but not long enough. You really know how to drain my energy don’t you?” she said as she brought her hand up to touch his cheek.

He kissed her hand as she did that and said, “Yep, still got it. In the meantime, you did a pretty good job of tiring me out too Lisa.”

She flashed him sheepish grin and felt her cheeks go a bit red. “Amazing”, he said, “after all this time I can still make you blush.”

Lisa poked him the stomach and they laughed, really laughed together. Rick turned and lid on his back, reaching his right arm out allowing Lisa to cuddle into him, and he wrapped his arm around her bringing her as close to him as he could. Her right hand caressed his chest as his hand stroked her shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes.

Rick finally built up the nerve and was just about to start telling Lisa about Sue Graham when she asked, ”Rick, do you trust me?”

The question caught him completely and totally off guard. He tightened his embrace and said, “Of course I trust you, Lisa, more than I have ever trusted anyone. Why would you ask such a question?”

She looked up at him, with a longing that seemed to engulf him and said, “And do you still love me the way that you used to?”

“Lisa …what’s going on?” but as he looked into her eyes he could see that she needed to hear it.

“Lisa, I love you more than I could ever possibly tell you. More than I can put into words, more than I have ever loved anyone. What’s wrong Lisa?”

She put her head back down on his chest and snuggled closer.

“We haven’t been able to spend much time together lately Rick, and it’s starting to worry me. Promise me we’ll stop working so much on other things and start working more on us.”

“I promise Lisa. I was thinking the same thing last night, that’s why I came looking for you. I missed you. I have been feeling a little bit lonely lately, not being able to be with you. I needed to see you and be with you.”

Again, he was just about to start telling her about Graham when she said, “I’m worried about Sue, Rick.” He opened his eyes wide, startled.

“What do you mean Lisa?”

“I think she thinks of you as more than her superior officer, more than a subject to be recorded. I think she even thinks of you as more than a friend. I think she wants more, a lot more.”

‘Have I been blind?’ he thought, alarmed. ‘I knew that maybe she had a crush on me, but I had no idea of how far it had gone. But Lisa could see it.’

“Lisa…”

“And don’t patronize me Rick.” She looked up at him again. “I really believe she’s become infatuated with you, and it seems as though she has been with you more than I have over the last few weeks. I’m worried about you, about us. You just said yourself that you’ve been feeling lonely. I…I’m worried that she may try something. I don’t trust her Rick.”

Not for the first time, Rick marveled at his wife as he looked into her eyes. Her intelligence and her insight, her love. She had hit the nail on the head.

He kissed her forehead again and she rested her head on his chest.

“It’s my turn to ask. Do you trust me Lisa?”

“Wholeheartedly”, came her instant reply, and before he could ask, “and I love you more than I ever thought was possible.”

He smiled. As usual, she was a step ahead of him.

“Lisa, last night when I was getting ready to leave the Sit. Room to come and find you, Sue kissed me.” He felt Lisa tense up, as though someone had slapped her.

He told her the entire incident. The kiss, what she had done and what she had said, the second kiss and what he had said and what he had done. He left nothing out. He told her, he assured her, that Graham’s advance meant nothing to him.

Then he waited, anxiously.

He had expected her to jump up, lash out, be angry and start yelling. Instead, she just stayed there, holding him tightly. A few seconds passed by and Rick felt the wetness of her tears on his chest.

He tightened his embrace, bringing his left arm around to hold her as well. He waited for her to say something, but she didn’t.

She couldn’t. She was speechless. She had no idea what to say, or what to do. So she held on to him and vowed silently never to let him go. She was terrified of how Rick would react if Sue had come onto him. Lisa knew how alone he was feeling recently, she was going through it herself, and Graham was a very young, smart and attractive woman. She had all the weapons.

“You were right Lisa. She did try to take advantage of our separation, but it didn’t work, I didn’t let it and I won’t let it. I love you and nothing in this universe is going to change how I feel about you. You’re my wife and my soul mate, Lisa. It was you and your strength, your faith in me that kept me strong, keeps me strong”, he said, almost as if he knew what she was thinking.

He put his left hand under her chin and lifted her head up so he could see her beautiful face.

“You’re not getting rid of me ever, no matter what or who tries.” He softly wiped the tears from her cheek. “Just remember, that means I’m not letting anyone or anything take you away from me either.”

As she looked into his eyes, Lisa understood, and still not trusting herself to speak, kissed him on lovingly on his lips, and then cuddled again into his chest.

“I love you Lisa”, he whispered.

“I love you Rick”, she finally whispered back.

The clock alarm sounded a few minutes later, indicating it was time to get up and get ready to go to their respective posts.

Neither of them moved. And an hour later when the intercom sounded, Rick told them they were taking the day off, and they were not to be disturbed for any reason.

Admiral's orders.

And they weren’t.

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Rick had spent the day after what he would later call the ‘Sit. Room Incident’ right where he belonged: with Lisa. They just held each other the entire day, beginning to make up for lost time. They never even stepped a foot outside their quarters. It had been a wonderful, well-needed day for them both.

The next day he got together with Maximillian Sterling in his quarters to talk about it all. He had left the Sit. Room early in the hopes of meeting with Lisa, but she had an inspection tour of one of the other cruisers and would be gone for another hour at least. It just so happened that Miriya had accompanied Lisa, which left Max free to talk to Rick. Max hadn’t changed much either. He was still an ace pilot, still had his blue hair and those aviator glasses, and he was still fiercely loyal to and protective of Rick and Lisa.

“I gotta say, I never saw that coming Boss”, said Max. “Wow”.

Rick could see the honest surprise in his friend’s eyes. “I confess Max, I kind of suspected that she may have had some sort of crush on me or something, but I never in my wildest dreams...”

“Nightmares”, Max corrected.

“... nightmares suspected that she would actually act on any feelings that she may have had.”

They were nursing a small glass of Scotch each. Rick thought he could definitely use a drink, and when he started telling Max about that night, Max poured one up for himself too.

“You were just there….”

Rick nodded.

“And you were leaving to find Lisa…”

Rick nodded.

“And she just up and kissed….”

Rick nodded.

“Holy….”

Rick nodded.

“Man Rick, I always knew you had a weird way with women but really.”

“Max!”

Max held his hands up in mock surrender and said, “I’m just kidding Rick.”

“Max, what am I going to do”, Rick said with concern.

“What do you mean Rick? It seems to me you handled it as well as you could have. You apologized for any misunderstanding that there may have been, you told her you loved your wife, you told her not to do it again, you told her nothing could or would happen, and you got her reassigned without seeming like she was being reprimanded or punished.” Max took a sip of his Scotch and continued. “But perhaps most importantly, you told Lisa. You told her everything…you did tell her everything right?”

“Of course, Max!”

“… Okay, you told her everything and you told her what she needed to know, that you love her. Not that I think she had doubted it or anything. Look Rick, I know you both have been suffering from a separation anxiety…”

Rick looked at Max, raising his eyebrows.

“I see you both regularly Rick, and to someone who knows the two of you, it was pretty obvious.” Max leaned back in his chair and smiled, “But I gotta say, from what I saw of Lisa this morning and you this afternoon, you are both going around like two teenage lovebirds, all happy and giddy.”

“Now Max…”

“And you guys deserve it Rick”, Max said with a sincerity that put Rick at ease. “Don’t think that you don’t or don’t be embarrassed about it. I think it is important for you both. Besides the importance for your own relationship, with all that has happened lately, it’s a big boost for everyone’s morale too. You guys don’t realize how important you are to everyone. Everyone looks to you both as sources of inspiration, guidance and strength. You guys got married just before we left for crying out loud. You’re like mascots!” he said as he finished his drink.

Rick looked at Max, and Max looked at Rick, and both of them burst out laughing as they realized what Max had just said.

“You’re going to have some explaining to do to Lisa when I tell her that you called her a mascot”, Rick said jovially.

Max’s cheeks turned a shade of pink as he pictured himself trying to explain to Lisa what he had meant.

“I’d rather face an army of Battle Pods”, said Max, suddenly wanting another drink.

“I would too old buddy”, Rick said, reading Max’s mind and pouring him another drink.

Max lifted his glass and said, “A toast…to Miriya Sterling and Lisa Hunter, the two most gorgeous women in the universe.”

“And to us Max”, Rick said lifting his own glass, “the two luckiest guys in the universe for having them in our lives.’

They saluted each other with their glasses and drank their drinks, both of them suddenly wanting to be in the company of their respective wives.

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Shuttle Pilot-“Shuttle 1 to approach control. We have left cruiser 113 and are on approach, ETA 12 minutes. Over.”

Approach Control-“Approach control to shuttle 1, we roger that and confirm, ETA 12 minutes, over.”

Lisa stopped listening to the goings on in the cockpit and turned to see the passenger next to her looking at her very seriously.

“Is there something wrong Miriya”, Lisa asked her friend.

“No Lisa”, Miriya responded, “as a matter of fact you look like, how does the saying go, you’re on the ninth cloud.”

“Cloud nine, not ‘the ninth cloud’”, Lisa said absently. “That’s exactly how I feel.”

“I am glad to see you so happy Lisa”, Miriya said with warmth she usually used only for Max, “it has been such a long time since I have seen you so happy.”

What Miriya was saying, and how she saying it was not lost on Lisa. She looked appreciatively at Miriya and gave her hand a grateful squeeze and said, “Thank you Miriya. I really mean that. And you’re right; it has been a long time since I’ve been this happy.”

Lisa looked ahead and caught a glimpse of the co-pilot, a young lady with long black hair and for a split second she thought she saw Sue Graham, even though she knew it really wasn’t her. The thought of Graham brought to Lisa an anger that she hadn’t felt since the day her father had kept her from returning to the SDF-1, a long time ago. Her beautiful smile left her face and her eyes narrowed in anger without her even realizing it.

Miriya noticed this not so subtle change in Lisa and became concerned. She also looked up to the shuttle’s cockpit to see what had angered her friend so, but all she saw was the pilot and copilot, two humans, a male and a female. She didn’t know either of them, and had assumed from something that Lisa had said earlier that she didn’t know them either.

“Lisa,” Miriya asked with alarm, “what’s wrong? What’s the matter?”

Miriya unbuckled her safety belt and was about to go to forward to see if either one of the pilots had done something to cause her friend to be angry, but she felt Lisa’s hand grab her arm, and Lisa asked her to sit back down, which she did.

“It’s nothing Miriya”, Lisa said as Miriya refastened her seat belt. “The copilot just reminded me of someone for a second.”

“From the look that came to your face Lisa, I am glad not to be that person.”

Lisa smiled again. Miriya’s frankness could almost always be counted on to cheer her up.

“May I ask what the trouble is Lisa?”

Lisa looked at Miriya, one of the closest friends she had left in her life, and told her everything that transpired over the last 2 days. Sue Graham, Rick, their night and day together, everything.

The look on Miriya’s face varied from sentence to sentence. When Lisa told her of Sue Graham and her actions Miriya looked as though she wanted to kill someone, namely Graham. When Lisa told her of how Rick told her everything and of the night that she and Rick had spent together, Miriya had tears in her eyes. And when Lisa told her of how they spent the next day together, rarely out of bed, Miriya had a knowing, delightful look on her face.

“I believe that you would be well within your rights to challenge her to a duel to the death”, Miriya told Lisa.” I would gladly take your place and do it for you.”

Lisa coughed to try to hide her smile. “No Miriya, that isn’t the way to go, but thank you”, she said amused at the thought and genuinely touched by the sentiment.

“As you wish Lisa”, Miriya said. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing”, said Lisa, and when she saw the dismayed look on Miriya’s face she continued, “I’m not going to do anything because Rick took care of it. He told her what his situation was, that he loves me, and he got her transferred away from him. Rick and I both agreed that it was taken care, and that we should not dwell on the events of the past, but work on the present and the future.”

Miriya still looked unhappy. “But I’ll tell you one thing”, said Lisa, “if she ever comes near me or Rick again, she will regret it for the rest of her days.”

To that, Miriya smiled a big beautiful smile and said, “Now that is what I wanted to hear.”

The two women looked at each other and had a heartfelt laugh.

Shuttle Pilot-“Shuttle 1 to approach control, ready for final approach. Over.

Approach Control-“Roger shuttle 1. Reduce speed and adjust heading accordingly. You have the priority landing pattern. Over.”

Shuttle Pilot-“Understood approach control. ETA now 2 minutes. Over.”

A few minutes later, as Miriya and Lisa walked down the steps from the shuttle they heard “Welcome back Admiral Hunter, Captain Sterling.”

“Thank you, Ensign.”

The two women walked along the hangar deck, oblivious to the admiring glances they received from male onlookers, and came to the door leading to the inside corridors of the ship.

Miriya spotted one of Max’s wingmen, Lt. Carter, and asked if she knew where Max was.

“I believe he’s with Admiral Hunter, ma’am.”

Miriya thanked the lieutenant and then looked at Lisa and said “Oh, oh.”

Lisa laughed and said, “We better go make sure they aren’t in any trouble.”

As luck would have it, (or was it female intuition?), the men were in the first place the ladies looked: Rick’s and Lisa’s cabin.

“Hello beautiful ladies!”, said Max as he got out of his chair and hugged and kissed Miriya.

Rick took Lisa’s hand and pulled her to him, and she sat on his lap. He too, hugged and kissed his wife.

“And what have you two miscreants been doing?” Lisa asked in a fake accusatory tone.

“Max has been teaching me the finer points of morale aboard ship. Congratulations honey,” said Rick. “Max says we’re mascots!”

Max was kissing Miriya when Rick said this, and he started laughing so hard that he almost gave Miriya a head butt.

“We’re what?” asked Lisa, looking at Max, bewildered.

Face beet red Max coughed and then stammered, “That is…well you see…I was trying to tell Rick…ahem…well, Lisa what I meant was…wow, is hot in here?”

Rick, reveling in his best friend’s discomfort decided it was enough. “What he meant my darling wife, is that apparently the entire force likes to see us happy, and when we’re happy, they are happy.”

“Yes”, Max said eagerly and pointing at Rick, “That’s exactly what I meant. Thanks Boss”, and Rick inclined his head in a ‘you’re welcome’.

Lisa got up and went over to Max and he thought for sure he was in for some type of grief, but as she neared him Max could see that Lisa was trying to hide a smile. When she saw that he noticed she let the smile surface, and Max, somewhat relieved, broke out into his famous boyish grin. Lisa took Max by his shoulders and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.

“Anyone want anything from the kitchen?” she asked as she headed there.

Everyone wanted something to drink, and as Rick got up to help her Max said, “ I got it Boss. Why don’t you and Miriya go get comfortable in the living room?” Rick held out his arm for Miriya. She took it with a smile and they made their way to the living room.

Lisa waited for Max. Max had become more than just Rick’s best friend over the years, he had pretty much become hers too. Sure there was Jean Grant and Miriya, but Max was always the one she could most easily talk to about Rick. She had never been able to figure out why. It could have been that she had known him so well through Rick talking about him so much, or the fact that he was Rick’s best friend or the fact that he knew their history more than anyone. ‘Perhaps it’s all of those things’, she thought as he came into the kitchen.

Max had indeed come to know Lisa well and he sensed that she needed to talk to him, which is why he stopped Rick from helping her.

“Are you okay Lisa?” he asked in a hushed voice, almost whispering in fact.

She smiled at the genuine concern in his voice.

She looked at him and said, “Max, Sue Graham transferred to Fleet Intelligence.”

Max understood immediately. Graham had transferred away from Rick, but to one of the other divisions onboard the ship. Out of immediate sight, but still close.

“Lisa you have nothing to worry about. Rick loves you…”

“I know Max, really I do. It’s not him I’m worried about. I don’t trust her”, she said visibly troubled, making his heart ache. “She doesn’t seem like the type to just give up after the first try.”

Silently, Max agreed with Lisa.

“Are the rosters finalized for the Jupiter Division yet?” she asked.

“No they’re not Lisa’, he said as he nodded his understanding to her. “I’ll take care of it before the rosters are set. Should only be another couple days.”

The relief that flashed across her face made Max want to hug his friend, so he did.

“Thank you Max”, she whispered.

Max gave her an affectionate squeeze and then let her go so she could see the seriousness in his face. “Anything Lisa”, he said. “I would do anything for you and Rick.”

She nodded as Rick called out “Sterling, what are doing in there with my wife?!?!”

Max rolled his eyes and started towards the living room. “Nothing Boss, I promise.”

“I hope not”, said Miriya, unable to totally hide her smile. Max kissed her cheek and she laughed.

They all sat down for the next little while, drank their drinks and talked about everything under the sun, everything that is except Sue Graham.

An hour later the Sterlings excused themselves and left the Hunters alone in their quarters.

When they were alone Rick gently pulled Lisa closer to him on the couch.

“What were you two talking about in there?” he asked her.

“Nothing Rick. He just wanted to make sure that I was okay.”

He was about to push the subject when Lisa kissed him lovingly on the lips, a kiss that neither of them wanted to end.

Finally they stopped, more out of need for air and a rest than a want, and they cuddled together on the couch.

“Roy called earlier”, said Rick, knowing that she had successfully been able to change the subject, and not really caring. “He said he’s having a great time and he doesn’t miss us.”

Lisa laughed, and Rick looked at her with adoration. “I missed you. I missed you so much that I couldn’t concentrate”, he said.

She kissed him and said, “I missed you too, Rick, badly.” She kissed him again.

“It’s past dinner time Lisa, are you hungry?”

“Only for you”, was her reply.

“I was hoping you were going to say something like that”, he said with a grin.

And they picked up, right where they left off the previous day, that wonderful, glorious day.

State = Fin/The End

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