"Robotech - To The Stars: Aftermath - The First Year"
Chapter 5, part 1

January 22nd, 2015

Lisa woke up still tired from her adventure from the previous day. Her bones hurt and she felt a little bit congested and assumed that Edwards and Kim were probably feeling worse than she was.
After taking a long hot shower Lisa went to the quarters next door and knocked. Kim answered looking groggy. Apparantly she was still asleep when Lisa had come by. Lisa resisted the urge to laugh, even though Kim looked extremely laughable. Kim's hair was a huge mess and she stood there with one eye closed and the other half open. Sammie and Vanessa would always tease Kim about how she looked in the morning, now Lisa knew why.
"How's the ankle Kim?"
"Ankle...what ankle...oh my ankle," said Kim, still half asleep.
After being rescued, Kim, Lisa, and Edwards had been taken to New Detroit by the order of Anatole Leonard. Lisa couldn't understand why he insisted on them going all the way back to New Detroit instead of just treating them and releasing them from a less distant base. Kim had a slightly sprained ankle and no other injuries. Lisa somehow managed to get through her adventure injury free, but Edwards had sustained a small concussion.
The two women agreed to go check on how Edwards doing and then speak to Field Marshall Leonard about arrangements for the trip home. When they reached the door of Edwards room, Kim changed her mind and told Lisa, "You go ahead and visit him and send my regards. I'll go sit in the waiting room."
"Why don't you want to come?" asked Lisa, wondering why Kim would pass up a chance to meet a new guy.
"I don't know, it's just wierd. I gave the guy CPR, and he looked kinda gave me the creeps even when he was unconscious."
"Is it because of the faceplate?" Lisa asked her.
"No, it's not that. You know how Vanessa is always talking about her 'vibes' she gets from people and places? Well, this guy just gives me a creepy vibe thats all."
Lisa looked at her for a moment then shrugged, "Alright. If he asks about you, I'll just tell him you're resting because you're not feeling well."
Lisa quietly knocked on Edwards door but didn't hear an answer, so she opened it slightly and peeked inside to see that Edwards was still asleep. She decided she would wait for a few minutes and if he hadn't woken up by then then she and Kim would leave and come back later. Lisa sat quietly in the chair next to the bed and after about five minutes Edwards began to stir.
Edwards felt that someone else was in the room and he looked to his right to see Lisa sitting there.
"Good morning Major," she said with a smile.
He stared at her and said nothing and Lisa wondered if he was experiences some side effects from his head injury, "Are you alright Major?" she asked with a concerned tone.
Edwards managed to speak this time, "Yes Admiral, I'm doing well, except for this terrible headache."
"You took quite a bad bump on the back of the head," Lisa replied.
Edwards looked at her with an neutral look, "I was told that you and your adjutant saved my life. I am very grateful to you both."
Lisa nodded, "There is no need to thank us, Major Edwards."
Edwards thought for a moment then asked her, "Perhaps I can take you ladies to dinner sometime?" Edwards surprised himself by being so gracious. He remembered the time when he could've been rescued at Alaska Base but then was left behind, and one of the person's who had left him behind was Lisa, although she hadn't known it at the time. If he had forseen that one day she would save his life, he would put it down as being 'even' and that he didn't have to be overly grateful to her since she should've saved him at Alaska Base in the first place. But now seeing her in his room made him let go of his grudge for a moment. Nobody in the past had ever visited him when he was injured just to see how he was doing, it was always to see if he was ready to report back for duty.
Lisa could not hide that she felt awkward, "Uh...that's very kind of you, but you don't owe us anything."
Edwards, upon hearing her response, nodded and said, "Very well. The offer still stands, please let Commander Young know that as well."
Lisa smiled, relieved that he let the issue drop, then stood up and told him that she needed to head over to Leonard's office to see about some arrangements for the trip back to Monument. Edwards stopped her by holding out his hand and saying, "Again, I wish to thank you and Commander Young." Lisa hesitated for a moment then shook his hand and noticed that his grip was very strong, even though he was injured.
Lisa turned and walked towards the door then opened it and walked out, Edwards watching her every single move.

Kim and Lisa left Leonard's office and when they were out of earshot, Kim blurted out, "I'll be glad to leave this place! Everyone's so creepy! Did you see him leering at us?!"
Lisa chuckled, "I thought you liked guys leering at you?"
Kim looked at Lisa as if she were crazy, "Not guys like THAT! He's so much older than me, yuck!"
Lisa laughed again, "I guess the people around here don't hesitate on being forward. Edwards asked us out to dinner, but I declined."
Kim grabbed Lisa's arm and shook it as she said, "Thank you SO MUCH. I'm still grossed out about having to do CPR on him."
"But you saved his life at least," offered Lisa.
Kim grumbled, "Yea I know, still though, why did it have to be him?"
Lisa gave her a sidelong glance and wore a mischievious look as she teased, "I see...you were hoping it would be Leonard right?"
Kim stopped, hit Lisa on the upper arm and exclaimed, "You're bad!! Look at what happened to you after just a few days of having Sammie and Vanessa as roommates!"
The two women laughed as they continued down the hallway.

Anatole Leonard entered Edwards room without knocking and saw Edwards sitting up, watching tv. Leonard came to the side of the bed and remained standing as he took the remote control and turned off the tv.
"You will be heading back for Monument City tommorrow, so we need to discuss several things before you leave," Leonard said gruffly.
"Very well," said Edwards plainly.
"You're positive of the location of the gold mine?" asked Leonard.
"Yes I am," said Edwards flatly.
"I'll take the risk and take your word for it, there's too much at stake to be indecisive. I shall be accompanying you to Monument so we can have negotiations with the people there. I think I've buttered up Hayes enough to have her agree to letting New Detroit take over control of the Central American Quadrant. Once we have control of it we can go back and flush out the rest of those Zentraedi and start our mining operations. I've got a team already setting up the 'observation post.' Once they are finished and I've got the land rights settled with the locals then you can transfer over here and take over this little pet of ours."
Edwards nodded, not looking at Leonard.
Leonard stooped over a bit so he could look Edwards in the eye and said, "Make sure you don't doublecross me and run away with the pot of gold all for yourself. Messing with me will be very costly."
Edwards eyes flashed with anger but he managed to keep his voice steady and stern, "And messing with ME can also be very costly as well, don't forget that. You don't know how to tell me how to play this game. I know how it goes. We cooperate only because we will both gain from it, not because we are friends, and also because each has something to hang over the others head incase someone gets greedy."
Leonard saw an opportunity to push Edwards buttons by saying, "Hayes and Young are quite attractive aren't they T.R.? Wasn't it one of your wishes to be a member of the great Hayes military dynasty? Now's your chance, seize the opportunity before it's gone. But then again, why would she want to be seen with someone like you? You look quite evil."
Edwards scowled, "As evil as you, Leonard."
Leonard laughed as he said, "You only wish you were like me and you know it," and left the room.
Edwards stared at the door and seethed, "In time you will see that NO ONE will be a match for me!"

* * * * * * *

Rick was awoken by a knock at his door, when he answered it, Sammie pushed her way into the room, wearing a big smile.
"Rick! Guess what?! We just got word that Lisa and Kim are coming home tommorrow!"
Rick didn't know what to say and just smiled until he was struck with an idea. He grabbed Sammie by the elbows and said, "I've got an idea for a little homecoming celebration, will you girls help me?"
"You bet we will Rick!" said Sammie excitedly.
"Alright, I'll tell you girls my plan during breakfast."
"Ok! I'll go wake up Vanessa and we'll meet you at the table in about half an hour!"

Rick entered the kitchen to find Vanessa and Sammie already waiting for him at the table. He saw Vanessa and asked her if she were feeling alright. She knew he was referring to her hangover and she told him she was doing better than she expected thanks to some ultra-strong Cappuccino and then inquired how he was doing and he replied, "I hit a valley last night, but it was something I needed to experience. I'm on a high right now and plan to keep it that way."
Rick sat down and started telling his plan, "I was thinking of having a nice quiet dinner here at home, just the five of us."
Vanessa interrupted him, "Rick, thank you for thinking of us, but wouldn't you prefer to spend some time alone with Lisa? I mean, we know you two haven't had very much time alone together and we don't want to be in the way."
Rick shook his head and smiled, "Ah well, don't worry about that, Lisa and I will get some time alone. After we had dinner I plan to take her out somewhere. Where? I don't know yet, that's what I was hoping you could help me with. Since going out for a drink is out of the question, and I'm not familiar with the area, and since everything is still pretty chaotic, I was hoping we could put our heads together and figure out something.
Sammie sat up straight an saluted, "Don't worry about that at all Rick, me and Vanessa can take care of it with no problem!"
"Great! Thanks girls! I was also wondering if you had suggestions as to what to get Lisa. I wanna buy her something nice, but I've never been good at things like that, so would you happen to know what to get and where I should go?"
Vanessa thought for a moment and Sammie was about to say something when Rick stood up suddenly and said, "Oh no..."
Sammie was startled, she had had so much bad news in the past couple of days that every hint of something not working the way it was suppose to, worried her immensely. "What is it Rick?" Sammie asked with a feeling of dread.
Rick paused a moment before uttering, "Gloval..." He looked at the girls and saw their reaction, one that he had expected and felt all the more guilty for having brought up the subject.
"Oh my god..." said Vanessa absently, staring at nothing. "It's been so crazy these past few days, it still seems so hard to believe he's..."
Sammie started to sniffle and Rick sat down again and said quietly, "I'm sorry, I know how much this must upset all of you."
Vanessa had caught onto Rick's previous train of thought and said, "I think it would probably hit Lisa the hardest, they were very close. I think, it's actually good that she's been so busy, it can keep her mind off of him, but eventually, it will hit her."
Sammie dried her eyes and added, "She'll need you now more than ever before Rick."
Rick looked at both of them and said earnestly, "I know, and I'll be there for her...this time, finally, I'll be there for her when she needs me."
A few moments of silence clouded the table, then Rick pondered, "Do you think that it's a good idea then to go out, with everything still so chaotic. I don't want to make it seem to everyone like we don't care or that we're trying to not face these difficult issues..."
Vanessa answered immediately, "No. I think you shouldn't worry about it at all, and continue with what you had planned. People shouldn't keep you from living your life, and even though there's a lot of grief hanging over this town now, it's better spend time with the ones you love and appreciate the shear fact that you're alive, rather than depress yourselves into half-humanness over things that have already happened and cannot be changed."
Sammie and Rick looked at her, and Vanessa surprised herself even with her sudden burst of wisdom. Rick's watch alarm sounded, signaling he was suppose to be heading for the base. He got up from the table as Vanessa added, "Don't worry about your date with Lisa. Sammie and I will have a full plan by midnight tonight."
Sammie finished drying her eyes and managed to feel better enough to smile, "That's right Rick! We will have everything taken care of. Lisa will think she has turned into a princess and that you're her Prince Charming!"
Rick knew the Trio's reputation for tending go crazy at times, and a few doubts started to enter his mind, but as he stood there looking at his two friends, the doubts disappeared and he felt safe to trust them completely.

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Author's notes:

1. This is probably the shortest part I'll ever write :) I'll be very busy for the next week and a half and I didn't want to not have this go unupdated until after New Years, and also because I'm going to put out an S.O.S. right now, before proceeding any further :)

2. S.O.S ! I already have something in mind for Rick and Lisa's reunion but I'm also looking for any suggestions you have, and the end-result might be something of a hybrid of mines and your ideas! :)
Please EMAIL any suggestions to sphersianATyahoo.com . thanks!

3. Alpha, you bring up some very good points! Thanks, it's given me a few ideas! :)

4. aikiweezie, don't worry, I don't intend for Rick to be too much of a softy. I have a few ideas, but please feel free to elaborate on how you envision Rick's character, you can email me at sphersianATyahoo.com . I always enjoy discussing the characters :)

5. Merry Christmas everyone! and (if I don't get a chance to update before then) Happy New Year! :)