"Stand easy, Daly," he said. "You might be out here awhile," he added, rapping a short knock on the Commander's door and stepping inside.
He sighed and slumped against the wall until the door opened almost half an hour later and Mr. Stokes stepped out. The huge man plodded silently down the hall looking as if he had just been spit out of a combine. He grimaced internally and braced himself; it didn't look good.
"Airman Daly," the Commander barked. "Your turn. Get in here."
He stepped into her office crisply and stood at attention, noting the shards of a broken coffee cup in the corner. "Commander," he said respectfully, not meeting her eyes as she sat glowering at him from behind her desk.
"Rest easy, Airman," she said in a friendly tone. "Take a seat," she said, gesturing to the chair next to the silent Sergeant Major.
He blinked confusedly but did as he was told.
"I'm glad I spoke to Mr. Stokes first or I would've had a lot of egg on my face," she said mildly. "Since it was my original intention to have your ass removed for discharging your weapon for no apparent reason. However, I've been informed that you probably saved Ballenger's life. Tell me, were you aware that Mr. Stokes allowed Ballenger to unclasp his safety rope?"
"No, Commander."
"That's what I hoped you'd say," she said, rising from her chair. "On your feet, Airman," she added authoritatively, waiting for him to rise. "In recognition for your quick thinking and action in the performance of your duty, I'm pleased to award you the JSAM. I'll make it official as soon as the new season permits. Do you have any objections?"
He smiled. "No, Ma…" he started, "…I mean no, Commander," he corrected hastily.
"Good, now go grab something to eat," she said with a grin. "Dismissed, please shut the door on the way out."
He saluted crisply before turning on his heel and marching out the door, immeasurably relieved and terribly proud of himself.
--------
Corky stripped out of her scrubs and summoned Coy to watch over her patient for the night so she could make a beeline to the mess to collect the gossip. As soon as she entered, she was beckoned over by Dr. Lenard and company so she collected a tray and hurried over to take a seat.
"So what's the story?" she asked.
"We hit another pocket in excavation," Watkins said. "Not as bad as the first but Ballenger was right on top of it without a safety rope."
"Oh, my," Corky said. "I guess that's why the Commander was so pissed."
"Yeah," he agreed. "She confined Clovis to quarters."
"Why Clovis?"
"He gave Dr. Ballenger permission to disconnect his rope, it was giving him problems," Lenard explained.
"So what happened?"
"The pocket was situated right above the section we were working to uncover. He fell about twenty feet and landed on an exposed section of the spacecraft. We got down to him as soon as we could but there was a large sheet of ice pinning him down. We couldn't lift it so Daly used his rifle to break it in half and we were able to get him out of there," Watkins reported. "So how is Dr. Ballenger?"
Corky went through the medical laundry list. "… we'll have to watch him for the next few days, but I'm confident he'll fully recover."
"Damn," Lenard said. "It'll kill him not be involved in this."
"At least he has his life," Corky pointed out.
"Very true."
"Hmmm," Corky grunted. "So you found a big piece of the flying saucer?"
"Yes," Watkins said happily but then scowled. "No telling when we'll be allowed back down there though."
"Why?" Corky asked.
"Lovecraft threw a fit when she found out Dr. Ballenger disconnected his safety rope," Lenard said.
"A fit?"
"Oh, yeah," Watkins said. "Threw her hat on the ground and kicked it. Then told us all we'd be lucky if she allowed us to return and if we couldn't follow simple instructions for our own safety, perhaps the NSF could send another team that could."
"Ouch," Corky said. "So how long is Clovis incarcerated for?"
"He didn't say, but he looked like he had been read the riot act and I'm sure he's feeling bad over Dr. Ballenger. He told him to take off the rope only long enough to fix it," Lenard said. "It was just freak chance that what happened did when it did."
"Speaking of freaky things," Watkins said slyly. "Did you hear that screaming last night?"
Corky immediately tensed and reddened guiltily, flushing darker as the men began to chuckle.
"My goodness, Doctor," Lenard said with a teasing smile. "You shouldn't save it up like that, it's unhealthy."
"Yes," Watkins added. "For all of our sakes, please pace yourself in the future. I was jolted out of a dead slumber thinking I should run for my life."
Corky ground her teeth and crossed her arms over her chest as they laughed jubilantly over their jokes, her face a solid scarlet. "Are you guys finished?" she growled.
"Oh, come on, Corky," Watkins chuckled. "You should take our advice, Grey here does it twice a day, isn't that right?"
"Certainly," Grey admitted. "Keeps me on an even keel and I don't impose on my colleagues by carrying on loud enough to wake the dead."
Corky was assaulted by another round of teasing laughter but she set her jaw and held her ground, clamping down on the impulse to flee from the room. "I shall take your suggestions under advisement. Obviously, I'm not as skilled at it as the rest of you."
Her comment delighted the men and they laughed rowdily. Grudgingly, she found their antics to be infectious and began to laugh a little herself.
--------
Malory remained at her desk until well after suppertime, attempting to fight off the straggling remains of anger that still stubbornly lingered. Since taking command, there had been several injuries to a staff that had endured exactly none prior to her arrival and she was feeling responsible. Firmly entrenched in her funk, it took her a moment to realize that Corky was waiting hesitantly in the doorway.
"Hiya," she said softly.
"Hi."
"Can I come in?"
"Of course," Malory said with a frown. "You can come see me whenever you want."
Corky entered and shut the door behind her. "You didn't come to dinner."
"I wasn't hungry."
"Someone looks like they're sulking," Corky teased, getting a small smile for her efforts.
"Maybe."
Corky walked around and scooted Malory's chair back so she could plop down on the desk in front of her. "I visited Clovis in his jail cell. He said you were so mad at him earlier he was afraid you were gonna order him shot."
"I considered it."
Corky chuckled and hooked her feet through the arms of the Commander's chair, slowly pulling her forward. "Expecting any company?"
"Nope."
"How fortunate," Corky said, leaning forward to kiss her tenderly.
"Well, Doctor," Malory said when she withdrew. "Whatever brought that on?"
"I just wanted to."
An evil smile.
Corky's brow wrinkled. "Why are you grinning like that?"
"Because you're mine now," she said wickedly.
"Is that so?"
"Uh huh," she purred. "You're powerless to resist me."
"Does this mean you're mine too?"
"I've always been yours, it just took me a while to find you."
Corky absorbed the words thoughtfully. "That was a sweet thing to say."
"It's true," Malory insisted. "I've waited my whole life for you."
Corky didn't know what to say in the face of such freely offered devotion, it touched her to the point of being unable to form words.
Malory read the emotions on her face. "I know."
"Y…you know what?"
"You love me too, you just can't bring yourself to admit it," Malory said smugly. "But you'll come around."
Corky smiled. " I want you to come around."
Crimson brows knitted. "What?"
For an
answer, the doctor pulled her feet from Malory's chair and leaned forward to turn the Commander's chair around, wrapping her arms around her from behind and placing a kiss on her neck.
Malory leaned into the contact huskily. "Now I see what you meant."
"So, if you're mine, can I do anything I want with you?" Corky murmured sexily in her ear.
"Anything."
"I'd like to see if I could get you to be as loud as I was last night," Corky whispered, chewing on an ear playfully.
"I dunno about that, I'm pretty incredible."
Corky chuckled, dropping her hands to softly knead the Commander's breasts, pleased when she arched her back and purred at the contact. "I won't deny that you're very skilled."
"Gimme a break," Malory scoffed. "I was so good I almost screamed out my own name."
Corky laughed, momentarily pausing in the application of her attentions. "You kill me," she chuckled, leaning further over the Commander's shoulders to unclasp her belt, letting the gun and radio fall to the floor through the back of the chair and moving on to the buttons of her fatigues.
Malory's eyes dropped to the fingers at her waist, watching desirously as they lightly completed their task and a gentle hand snuck in under the elastic of her panties. She hooked her knees over the arms of her chair in anticipation, shivering with the sensation of the long awaited contact and slowly exhaling the deep breath of a softly contented moan.
"You're very wet," Corky whispered into her ear and curiously withdrew her hand to verify.
Malory watched the hand emerge excitedly, feeling the doctor's interested gaze over her shoulder as she examined her glistening fingers.
"Very wet," Corky confirmed, flushing powerfully in arousal when her hand was seized and Malory erotically sucked on her fingers, her knees wobbling weakly by the time she was finished.
"God, Malory."
"Touch me again."
Corky chewed on her neck passionately. "Why doesn't the Commander rate a larger bed?"
Malory blew out a frustrated breath, in no mood to have a conversation.
"I mean it's so hard to fit two on a cot comfortably," Corky said seductively, brushing her hands over Malory's breasts, smiling at the whimper she emitted at the touch.
"Don't tease me," Malory said. "Please touch me again."
"I know a way we can both fit on a cot," Corky whispered, teasing nipples so hard they stood out proudly through the fabric of Malory's shirt.
"I'll do anything you want, Corky," Malory said submissively, biting her lip at the stir created by the doctor's caresses.
"Would you like to be on the top or bottom?" Corky asked, pinching the nipples between her fingers painfully and gleefully soaking up the stifled weep of pleasure.
"Huh?" Malory rasped.
"I want to be on bottom, wanna know why?"
"Tell me," she squeaked.
"Because I want all of you."
Malory flew to her feet and shoved the chair out of the way, engulfing Corky within her arms and single-mindedly capturing the doctor's lips with her own.
Corky wrapped her legs tightly around Malory's waist as she was lifted bodily off the desk, returning the kiss with equal fervor while the Commander bounced them off the furniture and walls haphazardly in the haste to enter her quarters.
II
05/07/02 - 0745 hours
The first thing Corky noticed upon rising was Malory's ass, which was inevitable since her cheek was resting on it. They were spread out on the floor, their bodies forming a large 'T' in a mass of scattered blankets and an overturned cot. Her gaze traveled down the length of a shapely pair of legs to note that one foot was still wearing a sock. She smiled at the sight and rolled over onto her back for a long, satisfying stretch.
Her companion was apparently still dead to the world as her soft snoring indicated and Corky rolled back over to place a kiss on her new pillow, happily reliving the memories of the previous evening. Her new lover was relentless in her need to please and be pleased, wonderfully uninhibited, frighteningly passionate, surprisingly submissive, and energetically attentive. Abruptly, her thoughts turned dark and the sated smile she had been wearing slowly transformed into a scowl. Had Malory shared herself in the way she had last night with her previous lover? The idea raised her hackles in jealousy and she rolled over to glare at the sleeping mop of red hair, deciding to ask her about it when she woke.
Another thing that bothered her was Malory's easy confession of love. She seemed so convinced and cavalier about it that she felt guilty about not being able to say it back. The Commander began to stir so she put the thought away for later consideration and turned her attention upon her waking companion.
"Malory."
"Hmmm?" she purred.
"You gonna get up?"
"No."
Corky chuckled and craned her head around to bite her pillow.
"Hey!" Malory yelped.
"You didn't like?"
"It just tickled," Malory rumbled.
A smile. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How long were you with your lover?"
"Which one?"
Corky's brows knitted angrily. "What do you mean which one?"
Malory chuckled. "You're so easy."
She rolled her eyes. "I guess I set myself up for that," she said with a sigh. "Are you gonna answer my question?"
"I dunno," Malory said. "I wouldn't consider a few hours of teenage fumbling in the backseat of a car very long."
"Is that it?"
"Yeah, until I was with you."
"But…never mind."
"But what?"
Corky sighed. "You seem so experienced."
"I finally found the person I was meant to be with," Malory said. "I love her and I love being with her. I waited a long time to experience that."
"Malory," Corky sniffled, touched.
"Don't get all choked up on me or I'll have to fart to lighten the mood."
An involuntary snort of laughter. "How romantic."
"Ya think?" Malory said brightly, lifting a hand off the floor and waving it in Corky's face. "Here, pull my finger."
Corky slapped the hand away with a chuckle. "Don't be so gross."
Malory dropped the hand back to the floor and shrugged.
Corky raised herself to a seated position and pulled the covers off the Commander playfully. She frowned in disappointment when Malory didn't react in the slightest and slapped her pillow, which only resulted in an arousing rise of her hips.
"Oh," Malory purred. "Do that again."
Corky giggled. "Stop, won't someone be looking for you this morning?"
"Nope, McNeely has a crew in excavation today with a few of your nerdy friends."
"What are they doing?"
"Drilling and taking sonar readings to assure me that we'll not encounter any more pockets and clearing away the cave in from yesterday," she explained. "I'll be glad to see the summer."
"Why?" Corky asked. "You're not going anywhere are you?"
"No," she said. "But they'll be sending a lot more people and installing a long overdue elevator in that stupid pit."
"It's not stupid," Corky defended. "Think about the advances we could make in technology from a find like this. What we could learn."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe we weren't meant to find this thing?"
"No," Corky said. "Why would you think that?"
"I find it odd that back in the day when the highest form of life on this planet was probably a lonely protein, those aliens chose the most remote and uninhabitable region on the globe to crash into. What if they did so intentionally? What if they were carrying something that they didn't want found?"
Corky hummed thoughtfully for a long moment. "I never considered that but I should point out that there are several planets in our system they could have chosen that offered them a better a chance of never being discovered. I mean, Earth is the only planet in the system that supports life."
/>
"What kind of life are you talking about? According to what you guys tell me they would've found our atmosphere deadly and who knows, they might consider a planet like Jupiter paradise. And what if they didn't have the time to make a better choice and took the closest and best option?"
"Is that what you think?"
"I don't know what to think but I will say I could've lived my whole life without seeing that damn creature you guys pulled out of the ice. It gives me the heebie jeebies."
Corky giggled. "You mean our fearless leader is actually just a big 'fraidy cat?"
"Perhaps."
"How funny," Corky teased. "Wait 'til the guys hear."
Malory chuckled.
"Speaking of the guys, how long do you plan on imprisoning Clovis?" Corky asked. "He feels bad enough about it as it is and he only told Dr. Ballenger to take it off long enough to fix it."
"He should have clasped Ballenger to his own harness or instructed Daly to anchor another rope."
"Malory," Corky said. "Clovis isn't a soldier, he did what he thought was best, thinking it would only take a minute to correct the problem. It was just a freak accident; the odds of something happening when it did were astronomical. You were awfully hard on him and he was already coming down hard on himself."
"Did he ask you to plead his case?"
"No. He's a good man, Malory."
She sighed and grunted reflectively. "McNeely pretty much told me the same thing. Alright, I'll speak to your pal Clovis later today."
Corky smiled in satisfaction and let her eyes roam appreciatively over the form stretched out in front of her. "You know, if I had known how good you looked without your clothes and that dumb hat you wear, I might have warmed up to you sooner."
"Please, you were hot for me from the start," Malory said knowingly.
"I wanted to kill you."
"Fuckin' kill me," Malory agreed. "In that order."
A laugh. "God, you're vain."
"Nope, I just know the score."
"Uh huh, and how would you know I had anything else on my mind except your painful death?"
"Because every time you looked at me, angry or not, you had this little twinkle in your eye like someone was ticklin' your cooter with a feather."
"I did not," she said with a mixture of indignity and amusement.
Stories by Kiera Dellacroix Page 65
