Victoria's Challenge (14 page)

“Could there have been a head injury?”

“Thought of that
. The scan was negative.”

“Dodge
.” Victoria turns, knowing he and Lucas are there. “Grab a chair, sit down, and talk to her.”

“Is
he family?” Magnes asks.

“She matters to him
. It’s close enough.” Nodding, Magnes steps back. “I’ll make sure he’s cleared.”

“Thanks doc.
” Dodge sits.

“Have you got a minute to check the Major?
” Victoria turns to Magnes.

Magnes looks from her to Lucas then notices the loosely wrapped
, unboarded hands. “Yeah, I’ve got time.” Entering the private exam room, Magnes waits.

“I fe
el the Major is ready to go back on light duty. He’s responded exceptionally well to the treatments and while he has recovered full use of his hands, he still needs to rebuild his strength. You’re head medical, you have the final say,” Victoria tells Magnes.

“Sit
, Major.” Magnes points to the bed as he turns to gather up his supplies. Unwrapping his hands, Magnes eyes widen at the extent of the healing that’s occurred. He’s never seen burns heal so fast. As he puts Lucas through the same drills as Victoria, his respect for the young doctor grows.

“
I concur with your assessment, Dr Chamberlain.” He looks to her. “You don’t feel the need for further treatments?”

“Not unless he starts to cramp.
” Victoria’s eyes shoot to Lucas. “That isn’t going to happen because he’ll build his strength up slowly. Strength balls would be best.”

“I agree with that
. I have burn gloves he can wear while on deck.”

“I thought you would.”

“You’re back on light duty, Major. I expect you to check in daily so I can assess your progress.”

“Yes sir
,” Lucas replies.

“Now let me check
your
arms.” Magnes turns to Victoria. Lucas frowns.

“I’m fine.”

“Lose the shirt, Chamberlain,” Magnes orders. Sighing, she shrugs out of Lucas’ shirt and holds out her arms for Magnes inspection. When he turns them over, Lucas sees the raw patches of skin.

“What the fuck!
” Lucas’ eyes are enraged. This is why she’d winched earlier.

“Why weren’t you
treating these?” Magnes goes to a cabinet pulling out a tube of cream.

“If any of
the cream comes in contact with the burionic solution, it drastically reduces its cell regeneration capabilities.”

“So you left them untreated!
” Lucas is in front of her inspecting her arm and while his touch is gentle, his anger is visible.

“Major, I need to treat her.
” Magnes nudges him aside, having no doubt about the Major’s feelings for Chamberlain. Lucas moves, but stays close, watching Magnes treat and wrap her arms.

“You know what you need to do.
” Magnes hands her the tube. Nodding, she takes it.

“Tell
me
what she needs to do,” Lucas demands.

“Keep it clean
. Keep the cream on it. Change the dressings. It’ll heal in about a week.”

“How often do they need
changing?”

“Couple times a day.
” Lucas nods.

“It’ll be done.”

“Excuse me, I know the treatment.” Victoria’s eyes flash to his.

“And haven’t been doing it
.
I’ll
make sure you do.”

“Tori
! She’s waking up!” Dodge sticks his head in then is quickly gone. All three rush to follow.

“Well Lorre, nice to have you back with us.” Magnes smiles at her.

“What
? What happened?” She looks around and sees the Major, Chamberlain, and Dodge circling her bed.

“You were injured in the attack
. You’re going to be fine. You just need to rest,” Magnes tells her

“I
… Major?” Lorre looks to Lucas.

“You’re going to be fine Lorre
.” Lucas watches his longtime friend hold Lorre’s hand and realizes he’s in love with her. “Just rest. Dodge will stay with you.”

“Dodge?
” Confused eyes look to Dodge, who squeezes her hand.

“Hey there
. You gave us all a scare.”

“I did?”

“Yeah.” Dodge and Lorre don’t notice as other three quietly leave.

Pulling Lucas’ shirt on, Victoria finds he’s there to help her.

“Thanks
,” she murmurs, sighing as his hands rest on her shoulders.

“You should have told me.”

“There was no reason to. You needed to concentrate on your recovery.” She feels his hands tighten.

“Damn it
, Victoria.”

“Let it go.
” Stepping away from him, she heads for the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To my quarters. I need to change.”

“We’ll go see if it’s been cleared yet.”

“You’ve been cleared for light duty, Major. You need to report to the flight deck, especially with Dodge and Lorre in medical.”

“I’ll get there
. You’re first. And it’s
Lucas
!” With his hand on the small of her back, he guides her out of medical.

With E Deck cleared, Lucas walks with her to her quarters. Entering her code, she pushes open the hatch.

“There
. I’m here. You’ve done your duty. Now go do your job.”

“Duty…
” Lucas’ voice is so soft as he closes the hatch. “You think you’re a ‘duty’ to me?”

“I think you’re feeling grateful for my h
elp and you’re confusing it for something else.”

“Confusing…
”

“It’s called transference
. I should have taken precautions. I didn’t think it would become an issue. Not with you.”

“You think that the only reason I have feelings for you is because you treated me
? Healed me?”

“You made your feelings for me perfectly clear
before
you were injured. You’re not one to change your mind once you’ve decided on something. This is no different.”

Lucas rubs his hands across his face, the hands she’d healed
. The reason she doesn’t think he loves her. “You’re wrong.” His eyes meet hers. “You couldn’t be more wrong, Victoria. I’ve waited nine cycles for you.”

“I know, for me to grow up so you can stop avoiding your family
. Well I have and you can.” She has to turn away, so he doesn’t see the hurt in her eyes. “I won’t be a problem any longer.”

“Damn it
, Victoria! That was never what I meant! You have to know that! I love you!” Gripping her arm, he pulls her around, when she hisses, he realizes he’s grabbed her where she’s injured. “Fuck! God, I’m sorry!” He immediately releases her.

“Major Zafar to the flight deck
. Major Zafar report to the flight deck.” The comm announces.

“You need to go
, Major.” Victoria’s eyes are shuttered.

“Damn it
, Victoria, we need to finish this!”

“We have.
” She opens the hatch.

“No, we haven’t.
” Gripping her face, he pulls her up for a hard kiss. “But we will. I’m not losing you, not now.” Releasing her, he walks through the hatch and hears the locks engage, shutting him out.

Oh God, Victoria walks over, collapsing on the couch. How is she going to survive this? She knows Lucas is going to come to his senses eventually and realize he doesn’t love her. She just has to stay away from him until he does, because she knows she won’t survive losing him again, not after she’s been in his arms, slept in his bed. Closing her eyes, she remembers the feel of him beneath her, his warmth, his scent. Lifting the hem of her shirt, she breathes in deeply, it still carries his scent.

Dropping it
, she forces herself to her feet and looks around her quarters. What a mess. Time to get back to real life. A life without Lucas. Walking around the room, she starts picking up the items dislodged by the decompression.

“What have you got, Tank?” Lucas storms onto the flight deck.

“Major, I’ve got two Blades
, badly damaged and a missing deck hand. Lorre.”

“She’s in medical, serious condition
. It’ll be awhile before she’s back. Pass the word, everyone fills in.”

“Yes sir
. Sir?”

“What?”

“You’re back, sir?”

“Cleared for light dut
y. Who’s working on the Blades...” As Tank fills him in Lucas realizes they’re in for a long day.

“Where do you want me?” Dodge finds Lucas giving orders on the flight deck.

“What are you doing here?”
he demands.

“Lorre kicked me out, told me to go do my job.”

“How is she?”

“The same.”

“I want that Blade up and running by 1800, can you handle it?”

“Yeah
. How are the hands feeling?”

“Getting sore.
” Lucas has to be honest with his second in command.

“Then take a break
. Tori will have both our asses if you have a setback.” When he gets no response, he looks at his friend. “Lucas?”

“Yeah, I hear you.
” Turning he walks into his office closing the hatch. What is he going to do about the mess he’s made with Victoria? He needs advice. Before he can stop himself, he enters a code and pulls on the headset.

“Zafar.”

“Dad, it's Lucas.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I need your advice.” Leaning back, he tells his father everything.

“Fuck Lucas, could you have screwed it up more?
” William sighs.

“I know
. I just wanted her to see me as a man, not some childhood hero, and somehow it went wrong.”

“It went wrong because you don’t know what she’s gone through since you left
. The crap she’s had to put up with.”

“What do you mean?
” Lucas sits up stiffly. “You promised to protect her.”

“And I did
! Cassandra did! Nevertheless, you know that only goes so far. Was I able to protect
you
in the Academy? In the fleet? From the comments, the slurs?”

“You’re telling me Victoria’s had to put up with
that crap?”

“It’s worse than that
, Lucas. There are those that claim she’s not ‘Carinian’ and therefore has no rights.”

“That’s
bullshit!”

“It is
, but she’s heard it, there was no way for her not to and we weren’t going to leave her unprepared.”

“You told her?”

“Yes, we couldn’t send her to school not knowing what she was facing. It made her… selective, very selective of who she’d reveal her true self too. She would always interact but few if any became friends. She never brought a friend home and when she excelled beyond what even Cassandra expected, well, that presented a whole new set of complications.”

“Complications?”

“Lucas, she was fifteen competing with twenty-two cycles for positions. Grown men and women, and she was better. It didn’t go over well. It caused a lot of hard feels. Comments were made about
why
she was accepted. You, of all people should understand that.”

“And you couldn’t have done anything?”

“Would it have helped you?”

“No
.” He sighs heavily. “It would have made it worse.”

“Yes, so whenever we sensed it was becoming too much, that she needed something, we’d force you to come home.”

“What? I hardly spent any time with her!”

“But what you did, whether
for an official visual or just a valsa, gave her what she needed to survive it. Like you did during the Challenge. Now you’ve taken it away from her. Making her doubt everything and everyone, including herself. Making her wonder if those people were right and she doesn’t belong here, with us.”

“God dad, what do I do?”

“You fix it!”

“How
! I’ve told her I love her, she doesn’t believe it. She thinks it’s transference from the treatments.”

“You make her believe you and if she doesn’t you keep telling her until she does
, and Lucas, the problem is she
wants
to believe you, that’s why she’s fighting it so hard. She won’t survive losing you twice.”

“It started because
I told her the truth, at least part of it.”

“Then tell her the rest
and Lucas, it’s going to take time. You have to regain her trust.”

“I know
,” Lucas pauses. “So I suppose I can’t gain it if I fake needing treatments.”

“What do you mean fake
?” William demands. “Are you telling me you’ve completed your treatments?”

“
Just today, Magnes cleared me for light duty. I still need to rebuild my hand strength, Victoria says a couple weeks. Then I should be back in a Blade.”

“You have full use of your hands?”

“Yes.” His father’s stunned silence has Lucas looking at his scarred hands.

“I owe that girl more than I can ever repay.”

“You tell her that and she’ll say she owes you.”

“
Owes me!
” Lucas hears the rage in his father’s voice.

“Pisses you off
, doesn’t it,” Lucas tells his father. “That she’d think we were keeping score.”

“Fix this
, Lucas,” William orders. “I want my daughter back.”

“Trust me
, dad, I will. I’ve got a good grip and I’m trusting it.”

“What?”

“Long story. Give Cassie and the boys my love.”

“I will
. I expect to hear from you soon.” With that, the High Admiral disconnects.

“Dodge, is that Blade fixed yet!” Lucas demands.

“Mostly.”

“Mostly! What the fuck does that mean?”

“Means she’ll fly but I wouldn’t recommend it
. Its laser system is fucked! Needs a complete overhaul.”

“How long?”

“Twenty four if Lorre was doing it, forty eight for anyone else.”

“Fuck
! Get it started then call it a night.”

“I hear that.”

“You going for third?”

“Later,
want to check on Lorre.”

“Tell her we miss her
. You and I need to talk sometime.”

“I hear you
. Is it going to be a problem?”

“Not with me.”

At Victoria’s hatch
, Lucas pounds. Damn it, if she doesn’t answer, he’s contacting the Admiral for the code. She’s not shutting him out. Finally, he hears the lock release. When it opens, he pushes his way in.

“What took you so long?
”

“I was in the bathroom.
” He can tell she’s angry. Looking down, he sees she’s in the middle of treating her arms.

“Come on, I’ll help.”

“I can do it.” Turning back to the bathroom, she knows he’ll follow. “What are you doing here?”

“Taking you to third meal
. After we treat your arms.”

“I told you
, I can do it.”

“And I’ll help.
” Stepping into her bathroom, he finds it's smaller than his. They’d never have been able to do treatments in this one. He’d forgotten how much smaller the quarters were for the support personal then active crew. Seeing her pick up the tube, he takes it from her.

“Here, let me do that.
” Having watched Magnes closely, Lucas spreads the correct amount of cream gently across her raw skin. He feels the slight tremble in her arm as his fingers glide across her skin. “Where is the bandage?” Lucas asks softly, looking into confused green eyes.

“Behind you.
” She nods to the shelf behind him. Picking it up, he carefully wraps her arm.

“Tight enough?”

“Yeah it’s good. Thanks.” When she goes to move away, he steps closer. “What are you doing?” Her voice is husky.

“I’m going to kiss you
, Victoria.” It’s all the warning she gets before his arms pull her close and his mouth descends.

She
has no time to prepare, to build her wall, his gentle touch has her trembling while his hard kiss leaves her gasping.

Pulling her close
, Lucas uses her startled gasp to slide his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. God, she was spicy, sweet and innocent. When her tongue touches his, he groans, sliding a hand under her shirt, he caresses the soft skin of her back.

“Lucas…
” Victoria finally rips her mouth away from his. This has to stop.

“What?
” He lifts heavy eyes to hers.

“I
… I thought you were going to feed me.” She grasps at the one thing she knows will stop him.

“What?
” Slowly his eyes focus on her, and he sees her need, her need for some space. She doesn’t trust him. Doesn’t trust that this is real.

“You said third meal.
” She watches as he banks his desire.

“I did.
” Lifting a finger, he gently caresses her fading bruise. “Let’s go.”

Lucas watches closely as they enter third meal. Things his father said are starting to make sense. Heads turn, watching her enter, whispers start. How had he never noticed before? Probably because he was always watching
her
, not others. Well, she isn’t alone any longer, never would be. Putting a hand low on her back, he guides her to the line. The eyes that look up to him are shuttered but he can see the confusion in them.

“Come on, fill your tray.
” Lucas nudges her on. Saying nothing, she does what he asks, picking up what she wants out of the line.

“Don’t even think about it
,” she tells him as he goes to add something to her tray.

T
he half-teasing light in her eyes has him pausing, when she realizes what she’s done, they go flat.

God he loved her when she teased
. He hadn’t realized it until just now. He had to make sure she did it more often. Following her, he lets her guide them to a table at the edge of the room that only seats two. People nod and talk to him in passing, but no one says a word to her. He never noticed that either.

“Usual table?”
he asks sitting down.

“It works.”

“It does.” Lucas watches her as he eats. “So what did you do today?”

“What?”

“What… did… you… do… today?”

“I cleaned up my quarters
. Worked in the classroom. Things were a little messed up.”

“Anything broken?”

“No.”

“Good.
” As he goes to take a bite, his forc slips out of his fingers.

Victoria’s eyes immediately flash to his.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it just slipped.”

“Lucas…”

“They’re tired is all
. I didn’t do anything to them.”

“Are they cramping?”

“No! Let it go. If you want, you can check them
after
we eat.” Wanting to argue with him, she realizes that this isn’t the place. Nodding, she eats. Finishing first, she leans back, watching him.

What
is he up too? He’d come to her quarters, insisting on treating her, kisses her senseless and now is making sure she eats. She needs to put some space between them, give him time to realize his mistake.

“Not going to happen.
” Lucas looks up at her.

“What?
” Victoria knows she hasn’t spoken out loud.

“I’m not changing my mind
, Victoria.” He sees the shock in her eyes. “I know you. You know me. I’m sticking.” He watches the quick flash of need in her eyes before it’s gone and they go blank.

“I’m going to go check on Lorre.
” She changes the subject.

“I’ll go with you, Dodge is there.”

In
medical, they find Dodge holding Lorre’s sleeping hand. Picking up the screen, Victoria is happy with what she reads. Lorre’s waking more and while still on liquids, is getting stronger.

“She’s doing good
, Dodge. It’s just going to take some time.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Turning to leave, Victoria looks at Lucas’ gloved hands.

“Do you want me to check your hands?
” She looks at him. Her eyes carefully blank.

“Yeah, I suppose you should but they’re just tired.”

“We’ll use Magnes, office since we’re here.” She turns, missing his frown. Why aren’t they doing it in his quarters?

Lucas sits
, watching her as she carefully removes one of the burn gloves he’s wearing. Her concentration always amazes him. She can close herself off from everything but what she’s doing. He wants that, directed at him as a
man
, not as a patient.

Forcing herself to concentrate
, Victoria examines his hand, gently probing areas that seem puffy. When she doesn’t feel him winch or withdrawal, she’s satisfied that he’s been telling her the truth. Putting it down, she checks the other hand. She finds it the same. Satisfied, she looks up at him.