Author's Note: This is a departure for me - more of a romantic story than I usually do. I typically stick to hard drama, but for some reason, this spoke to me. Plus, I wanted to try my hand at writing the Wash/Reynolds perceived bro-sis relationship a bit. As is obvious, some creative license has been taken in regards to the relationships between Wash/Reynolds and Wash/Taylor. Let me know your thoughts, and if I pulled it off. Or if I should return to my drama roots.

She's waiting for him in front of the enlisted barracks when he arrives back in Terra Nova just a few minutes before ten in the morning. He should have expected her presence, should have known she'd be here (he figures at the very least, he'd missed morning roll call) but perhaps his mind is elsewhere.

Never a smart idea when you've been MIA for over twelve hours.

"Reynolds," she says as he approaches. "What the hell is that on your face?"

"Lieutenant," he stammers, his eyes searching her face. He's trying to read her, trying to figure out if she's here as his commanding officer or as a friend. The fire in her dark eyes quickly tells him that it's the former not the latter.

"Not an answer," Alicia Washington snaps as she steps towards the younger soldier. "Is that…is that…"

"Stink leaves mixed with dirt," he sighs. "Yeah."

"Care to tell me why? And how? You've been missing since late yesterday."

"I know…it's a long story."

"Shorten it up, Soldier."

"I was OTG," he admits with a slight internal flinch. He knows her well enough to know she's going to react.

"Without permission?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Why?"

"I…needed air?" It sounds lame to even his ears. The alternative, though, means telling her the truth, and that will likely end up with Maddy in trouble. Still, he finds that telling even this small lie to Wash troubles him more than he cares to admit.

"Air," she repeats, and her icy tone has him rethinking his resolve. "Do you understand what happened around here while you were out…getting air? I presume you saw the meteor?"

"Yeah. And the shockwave. Knocked out the power on my rover. And on my gun. I had to take to the trees. Hence the…stink leaves."

Normally, that would have been enough to get at a least a smirk of amusement from her, but right now, it seems like very little is going to make her laugh.

Instead, Wash grits her teeth. "Yeah, well the shockwave knocked out all of our power as well. And all of our defenses. Which left us wide open for Mira."

He reacts with alarm, "The Sixers attacked? Is everyone okay? Are you-"

She puts up a hand. "I'm fine. They came for…something else. But what if they hadn't? What if they'd come to take the colony? We would have needed every man, and where would you have been? Getting air."

Her words are harsh, and they freeze his insides cold. "I'm sorry," he replies, his voice extremely quiet. He'd like to look away from her, but he knows that she sees inability to meet her eyes as a sign of weakness. And disrespect.

She shakes her head. His apology is clearly not enough. She steps closer to him, meaning to get right into his face, but abruptly, she pulls up short, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Jesus, Reynolds, go take a shower."

"Right. Yes, ma'am. Sorry." He moves to step past her, but before he can get even an inch, she grabs his arm.

"When you're done showering, and when I can't smell you from a hundred yards away, I expect you to report to my office. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," he says again, knowing that any other answer he gives is likely to just make the punishment he's sure to eventually receive that much worse.

She nods sharply, then turns on her heels and walks away. He stares after her, frowning just a bit. Sure, he understands that she's annoyed – even pissed - about his breaking rules and going OTG – especially considering the timing - but her reaction had seemed maybe…a bit over the top?

"Hey, Reilly," he calls out as the woman approaches. She looks at him, taking in his dirt and dung smeared appearance with ill-disguised disgust.

"There you are, Reynolds," she replies. "Did you fall into something? People have been looking everywhere for you. Wash was looking for you." She glances down the road where they can both still see the form of their commanding officer as she makes her way back towards the central tower. "Guess she found you."

"Yeah, she did. Hey, was anyone hurt in the attack? Was Wash?"

"Not her, no. From what I heard, Commander Taylor and Mr. Shannon got the worst of it. Bowen over in Medical told me that Commander Taylor came in about an hour ago with a wound to his shoulder – apparently he got shot with an arrow."

"Ah," Reynolds nods, his eyes on Wash as she climbs the steps to the central tower, disappearing into the hut a few seconds later. Suddenly, he thinks, her demeanor makes a lot more sense. When it comes to Commander Taylor, try as she might, she tends to wear her emotions for and about him on her sleeve.

"Yeah, leave it to him to not take of an injury for like six hours," Reilly chuckles.

"Right. Thanks, Reilly."

"Sure. You know you smell like shit, right?"

"Yeah, I have a pretty good idea."

It's a few hours later – about fourteen-thirty in the afternoon - when he arrives at the door of her little office at the back of the main hut. Her small space is just off to the side of Taylor's office, within calling distance. No shock really. It's well known around the colony that Wash is very rarely far from Taylor's side.

Not if she can help it anyway.

Which is what this is all about, of course.

"Lieutenant," he says, knocking on the wall as he enters. She looks up from her desk, her gaze seeming much calmer now. "Reporting for duty, ma'am."

"You mean discipline, don't you, Reynolds?" she asks, but the coldness from earlier is gone. It almost seems like she's teasing. At least a little.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Relax, Mark," she says softly. "Take a seat."

He does so, seating himself on the opposite side of her desk. Unlike Taylor, her desk is ordinary and simple. She's not a splashy woman by nature, and she's never been one for trophies. No, her desk is functional not dramatic.

"Why were you OTG? And tell me the truth."

He considers his answer for a long moment, trying to figure out if he really does have the courage to lie to her a second time. Turns out, he doesn't. "I was…this is stupid…I was on a date."

"With Maddy Shannon?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You know how dangerous that was? Being out there without any of us knowing?"

"I do, but –" he frowns then, knowing that what he's about to say is likely to sound ridiculous to this woman. "I wanted to show her…something."

"That something had better be proper," Wash tells him, though he's pretty sure she's just busting his chops at this point.

"Flowers," he shrugs.

"You went OTG to show her flowers?"

"A whole field of them technically, but yes, ma'am, flowers."

"Which kind?"

"Dayflowers."

She chuckles. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Oh, no, no, you're not out of trouble, but at least now I understand why you would do something you had to know I'd kick your ass for."

"There's something about her."

"I'm getting that," Wash replies dryly.

"So, what about you?"

"Me?"

"Earlier. I…" he halts, seeming unsure. He's known Alicia Washington for several years now, become something of a brother to her, and yet he's still not completely sure where the line between duty and friendship lies.

"Go on," she prompts, leaning forward, her elbows resting on her desk.

"I presume earlier was about the Commander." She narrows her eyes, but doesn't correct him so he continues. "I heard he was…hurt."

She lets out a decidedly unladylike grunt. "He's fine now. Just a small flesh wound. The armored plating he was wearing took the majority of the arrow."

"I should have been here," Reynolds says, quite unnecessarily.

"Wouldn't have mattered if you were. Neither you nor I are ever going to stop him from running into danger. It's how he's built. It's who he is." She shakes her head then, as if realizing that she's probably exposed herself just a bit too much.

He wants to tell her that he understands, that he knows that she feels…well something for the Commander. Whether his emotionally guarded superior officer has actually ever defined her feelings – even to herself – he doesn't know. What he does know, though, is that she's not the type to talk them out. So instead of empathizing, he replies, "Probably, yeah."

"All right, Reynolds, enough bullshitting. I need to get back to work. You wouldn't believe the amount of incident reports that have been dropped on my desk."

"Can I help?" he asks with a bit hopefulness. If he can maybe work out his punishment here then perhaps…

"Not so fast there. I can deal with paperwork. You get my morning patrol for the next month. Every day."

"The oh-four-hundred one?" he asks with a hint of dread. He's never quite gotten a liking for getting up so damned early in the morning. Then again, it's pretty well known around the barracks that even though she's part of the before the sun comes up patrol, she's no fan of it either.

"Yep. I get to sleep in."

"Yes, ma'am," he answers, knowing damn well that her instincts and almost obsessive need to ensure the safety of Terra Nova will have her out with the patrol even if he is on it. He considers telling her he'll bring the coffee, but decides not to. Better to let her believe for a few hours that she can control the compulsion that will push her out of bed come three-thirty the next day.

"Perfect. Then you're dismissed."

He nods, then gets up and turns to leave.

"Mark."

He turns back.

"I'm not going to say a word to Jim Shannon about you taking Maddy OTG, but I will tell you this – as a friend; lying about dating her and taking her into danger is no way to gain his trust and respect. You owe them both more than that."

"I know."

"You're a man, Reynolds. Act like one."

"Understood. And Wash, I am sorry I wasn't here. And I'm glad you're okay."

In spite of the inherent corniness of his words, she smiles at him warmly, almost affectionately. "Go on. Get out of here."

He grins back at her, then turns and exits her office.

Once he's gone, she leans back in her chair, and exhales. She'd known almost immediately that she'd been too hard on him earlier, but at the time, she'd been running on anxious fumes. He'd been MIA and Taylor had just checked himself into the clinic. Those two things, and her utter helplessness had been a volatile cocktail. One she hadn't been able to contain or control.

Now, knowing that both men are safe and sound, she feels calm steal over her.

It's a nice feeling even if she knows it's unlikely to last. Her soldier instincts are on fire with anticipation. There's something coming and coming fast.

Taylor had promised Mira and her people war if they came at Terra Nova again.

They had.

She'd never in all of her years of knowing Nathaniel heard him break a promise. She doesn't expect him to start now.

Which means that there is a storm on the horizon. A storm that likely carries with it loss and pain. She's been in the eye of it a few times before. She knows that war tends to take the lives of young men like Mark Reynolds.

She's a bit surprised by just how much the very idea of that bothers her.

"Wash," she hears. She looks up, not at all surprised to see Nathaniel Taylor in the doorway. He should still be in Medical so, of course, he's not.

"Sir."

"How are the reports coming?"

"Slowly."

"I bet. You okay?"

"You?"

He chuckles. "Fine, Wash. You worry too much."

"Of course, sir," she replies, her tone dry and slightly scolding. She's telling him in a way that only she can that she doesn't much appreciate him scaring her.

Again.

"You ever find Reynolds?"

"I did."

He tilts his head, not missing the shortness of her answer. "Everything good?"

"Good, sir."

"Okay. Then I'll take my leave. I've been ordered to bed."

"You're actually listening to doctor's orders?" she asks, clearly surprised.

"Let's just say that Doc Shannon is very…convincing."

"She threatened to knock your ass out."

"She did."

"I like that woman."

"I figured you'd say that." He laughs, then shakes his head. "See you in the morning for the oh-four-hundred Patrol, Wash."

"See you then, sir," she tells him. He grins at her (making her wonder if Dr. Shannon had given him some kind of painkiller), then turns and leaves.

For a moment there, she'd considered telling him that she wouldn't be taking part in the 4AM Patrol, that Reynolds will be there in her place, but she'd stopped short because in the end, she knows the truth; she will be there. If for no other reason than because seeing the sun come up reminds her she'd been given a second chance, a new beginning.

Being there, seeing the first rays of light, well it reminds her she's alive.

And having Taylor there with her reminds her that he is as well.

Maybe she can't put her feelings into words. Maybe she can't define them. And maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe it never did.

What matters is that each morning, they join each other on patrol. They walk beside each other, talking about little of consequence if they talk at all. It's comfortable and calm. And in a weird way, strangely intimate.

And in the end, maybe that's all that matters.

-FIN.