"There you are! We've been looking for you all weekend." Bonnie smiled broadly at her friend. "You didn't have to go back to the hospital, did you?"

"No. I'm fine, really." Whitney smiled at the two officers facing her. "I didn't want to stay cooped up in my room all weekend after spending three days on quarters. You know how it is."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Julie looked at Whitney intently. "You look great. I guess you're feeling a lot better?"

"I feel great. My head doesn't even hurt anymore. I've still got a big bump, though, but the doctor said that would take awhile to go away."

Bonnie nodded her head knowingly. "That's true. My brother got conked on the head once and he had a welt for ages. Wanna go to Mom's?"

"Sorry, I can't. I'm supposed to meet Top at the Mess Hall in a few minutes. Thanks for asking."

"Okay. Maybe some other time."

Whitney didn't miss the look that passed between the two women, and it worried her. They were always popping up at the most inopportune times. She'd hoped Karen would suggest she come over after work, but it might be better to stay on post tonight. The last thing she wanted to do was cast suspicion on her relationship with Karen.

In a moment of stark honesty, Whitney realized she would have no qualms whatsoever about telling the Army she was lesbian and opting out, if it ever came to that. She'd just get a job and pay off her scholarship from them. At $37,500, it could be a lot worse. She knew students who owed upwards of $75,000 on student loans. It was doable, and a minor sacrifice to make for this relationship to work.

The first sergeant sat at a table in the rear of the Mess Hall with her legs stretched out comfortably. Karen had opted to shower on post to save time, and had arrived early. She’d gotten a cup of coffee and was watching the door intently, although her countenance reflected only an idle perusal.

Karen had talked to Gary briefly after formation. He'd gone to the hospital after they'd departed the day before to see Tilford, and had learned the soldier would be extubated today. That was good news. It meant he was much more stable and improving.

She sat up straighter when she saw Whitney enter, but it wasn't necessary because the young woman spotted her right away, smiling as she made her way to the table.

Whitney arrived at the table, still smiling. "Hey." Noticing Karen had only a cup of coffee, she added, "Is that all you're having?"

"Nope. I wanted to wait for you. I'll save the table while you get breakfast, then I'll get mine."

"Okay. Be right back."

She returned a short time later with SOS, a bowl of fruit, coffee and juice. Whitney noticed the look on Karen's face as she looked at her main course. "Don't even say a word."

Karen grinned. "Okay. No problem." She got up and walked over to the food bar returning with scrambled eggs, a couple of biscuits and fruit. "This meet with your approval - oh mighty advocate of hearty breakfasts?"

Looking at the food seriously, Whitney decided to play along. "Well, let's see. There's something from most of the major food groups, but you should get some milk."

"Not a chance." Karen slid in to the chair closest to Whitney.

"You don't like milk, either?" Whitney was used to large meals with plenty of home cooked food, and there really wasn't much she didn't like.

"Chocolate milk is okay. I've hated white milk from when I was a kid. My mother used to heat it and make me drink a cup of it before I went to bed. Supposedly it makes kids go to sleep faster. I dunno about that, but the taste of warm milk sucks. Haven't touched it in years."

"That would taste horrid." Whitney shook her head in distaste before digging into her breakfast. "Did you see Gary?"

"Yeah. Tilford's coming off the vent sometime today, so I want to stop there after work. You wanna come with me?"

Whitney nodded between bites of food. She was glad Tilford seemed to be doing better and wanted to stop in, but she was also concerned about what Karen's reaction might be if he verified all her suspicions. The XO intended to do her best to make sure Karen stayed out of it and let the MP's handle it.

After they finished eating, they sat there for a few more minutes, leisurely drinking their coffee.

"Are you going to come over tonight?"

"I thought it might be better if I stayed on post..." Before she had a chance to explain, her heart clenched at the fleeting look of disappointment that flickered across her lover's face, as she shrugged trying to hide it. "Karen."

When Karen looked at her, Whitney explained her interaction with Bonnie and Julie. "I want to come, but I want to protect our relationship, too. Is the offer open for tomorrow?"

Karen grinned reassuringly. "Sure is, and you're right. No sense in giving them anything to talk about. You ready?"

"Yeah."

Later that day, the XO sat in her office marveling at the tight control Karen seem to have over her emotions. The only difference was in those gorgeous blue orbs when she made eye contact. Whitney hoped she was doing half as well, but didn't think so. She'd had to stop herself from grinning happily every time she saw Karen. Good thing it was almost time to leave. They'd decided to ride to the hospital together, and then return to the company so Whitney could pick up her car.

Karen maneuvered easily through the traffic on the way off post and to the hospital. She reached over and quickly squeezed her partner's hand before moving her own back to the steering wheel.

Whitney smiled at the contact. "Think Richard will be able to tell us anything?"

"I hope so. The cops have probably already gotten a statement. They'd have been called when he was able to talk." Karen pulled into the hospital lot and parked.

The two women made their way to the elevator, and stood aside to let passengers disembark before entering and finding themselves alone for the first time since departing Karen's house that morning.

Karen pressed the floor button, and as the door closed, she found herself wrapped in a big hug. She shared a quick kiss with Whitney, then both had their professional faces on by the time the elevator door opened.

"We're here to see Richard Tilford." Whitney smiled at the secretary behind the desk.

"I'm sorry, but they're replacing one of his lines. Why don't you try back in half an hour?"

Whitney nodded. "Okay." As they walked out of the ICU, she turned to Karen. "Wanna go find some coffee?"

"Sounds good. There was a sign in the lobby for a gourmet coffee shop. Wanna try it?"

"Okay." Whitney smiled ruefully at Karen when she saw some other people waiting for the elevator.

When they arrived at the coffee shop, Karen turned to Whitney. "What are you going to have?"

"I'm gonna have cappuccino." Whitney grinned at her partner. "We do have a bet…"

Karen had no desire to try it, but was looking forward to the payoff dinner in Raleigh. "Okay. I'll try it, but I'm getting a cup of regular coffee, too."

"Somehow that doesn't sound very open minded." When Karen gave her a look, she chuckled. "Okay, okay."

Sitting at a small round table, Whitney took a sip of her coffee. "This is good. Try yours."

Karen took a sip and decided it tasted odd, kind of flat. It wasn't really terrible, but it wasn't anything to write home about either. She shrugged. "What do they put in this?"

"It's just coffee, milk they froth up, and a touch of cinnamon. And, of course, the whipped cream. What do you think?"

"It's okay, but... You want the rest of mine?"

"Sure. Guess I lose, huh?" Whitney smiled as Karen pushed her cup across the table.

Karen winked. "Nah. We both win. When do you wanna go?"

"Is this weekend too soon?"

"Not soon enough, but I think it's the best we can do. Maybe we can catch a movie, too."

"Oh, that'd be great!" Whitney's voice conveyed her excitement.

Karen grinned at the delighted look on Whitney's face. "I hear you."

Once they'd finished their coffee, the two women made their way back to the ICU.

Whitney glanced at Karen as they walked towards Tilford's bed. "I wonder if that's his brother?"

"Guess we'll find out."

Richard looked up at Karen and smiled weakly. "Hi Top." He shifted his gaze to Whitney. "Ma'am."

Whitney smiled at him. "How're you feeling?"

"Very sore. This is my brother, Bruce."

Karen nodded at the stocky man standing on the other side of Richard's bed, assessing him quickly. He was pretty average looking, with short-cropped chestnut-colored hair. The soldier was still in uniform and sported jump wings.

She turned her attention back to Richard. "Do you know what happened?"

Tilford fought to stay awake. The painkillers were making him very drowsy, but he needed to talk to Top. "Somebody ran me down. Did a good job, too. I couldn't get away."

He glanced at Bruce before continuing. "Top, that accident you had in the field?" When Karen nodded, he continued. "Jordan deliberately took the filter off his flashlight."

Whitney glanced at Karen and could see the subtle shift in her demeanor. She'd been right. "Richard, do you know why he would do that?"

"No, ma'am. I tried to stop him, but it was too late."

No surprise there. "Why didn't you say anything?" Karen wasn't sure Richard was going to answer. It was obvious he was having trouble staying alert.

Richard looked at his brother. "Bruce?"

Making a decision, Bruce nodded his head. "Okay. Get some rest." He directed his attention to Karen and Whitney. "I need to talk to you."

"Fine. We can go to the waiting room."

Bruce shook his head. "No. It needs to be private. Can we go to your company? I know where it's at."

Karen glanced at Whitney. "Okay. We'll met you there in ten minutes."

Whitney got in the car and placed her hand on Karen's thigh, hoping the contact would relax her partner. She found it was becoming easier to read Karen's moods, and she was like a coiled spring right now. "You're kind of tense."

"I know." Karen looked over at Whitney as she placed the car in gear. "We already knew this. Richard just verified what the doctor said." She placed her hand on top of her partner's and met her eyes. "You could've been killed." She glanced away, backing out of the parking space.

It was getting dark, but Whitney was overwhelmed by the intensity she'd seen in Karen's eyes. So that's what this is all about. Whitney felt a like a hand was caressing her heart. I know I love her. But I think she loves me just as much.

Gary was already gone, and Karen unlocked the orderly room, following Whitney into the building. "My office or yours?"

Whitney grinned. "Yours. I like it better than mine."

Her partner looked at her partner quizzically. "Why?"

"Because it feels like you." She chuckled when Karen raised an eyebrow, and shrugged. "It does."

Karen took Whitney's hand and led her to the windowless hallway. She softly kissed her. "I'm gonna miss you tonight."

Whitney sighed. "I'll miss you, too."

Both women separated as they heard the door open and Tilford call out. "Top?"

Her professional demeanor fully in place, Karen walked into the outer room. "My office is this way. Bring one of those chairs with you."

Bruce easily hefted a chair and followed the tall woman. He sat it in front of her desk, and glanced at Whitney. "Ma'am."

Karen riveted her attention on the soldier, waiting for him to begin. After watching him fidget for a few minutes, she decided to break the silence. "You have something you wanted to tell us?"

"Uh, yeah." Bruce sighed audibly. This had started out so simply, and was now so damn complicated. He didn't even know where to start. Shifting uneasily, he directed his eyes to the floor. "I know who was behind Richard's accident."

Whitney glanced at Karen before turning her attention back to Bruce. She'd suspected as much, but he seemed awfully reluctant to tell his story. The XO turned back to Tilford.

An hour later, Bruce finished relating everything he knew. Karen sat back in her chair deep in thought. It was obvious he was a low life with no regard for other's property or rights, but it was equally apparent he was not a killer. The soldier was running scared and wanted to bail. What he'd thought was a theft ring had escalated far beyond that.

The problem was that there was no proof. Sommerson was obviously very cunning. Every time a job had been pulled, he arranged for them to be met with a truck. She snorted. How convenient. None of his minions knew where he kept the stolen goods. Without evidence, it was going to be very hard to take Sommerson down.

"Do you know when the next job is going down?"

"I only get notified the day before." Bruce shrugged. "I think that's to prevent any leaks."

Whitney spoke up. "You need to talk to the MPs. You'll be charged for the thefts you were involved with, but at least you'll be out of it."

Bruce shook his head. "No. I heard he recruited someone from the MPs. The only thing that'll get me is dead."

"Does Jordan go on the jobs with you?" Karen wanted to bust Jordan immediately, but if he could be indicted for additional crimes, the bastard would rot in jail much longer.

"Yeah. He's one of Sommerson's middlemen. It's his job to make sure everything goes off without a glitch. He has the authority to cancel if there's any problem."

"Wait in the other room. I wanted to talk to LT Gordon. Close the door behind you."

When Tilford departed, Karen glanced at Whitney. "I have an idea."

"Why do I think I'm not gonna like it?" The XO had watched Karen's face harden as the story unfolded.

"He has no evidence. It would be his word against the others. You know they're gonna stand firm."

Whitney nodded. "So…?"

"I think we should tell him to notify us when and where the next job is going to go down. If it's on post, we wait until they arrive and then call the MPs. That way no one would be tipped off ahead of time and we'd get all of them."

"And just who is going to be there waiting for them to arrive?" Whitney already knew the answer, and didn't like it.

"Me."

"No. You'll probably be charged with withholding information. I think we should just have the MPs come and arrest him now."

"And let the others walk? Including the bastard behind Richard's accident? Did you see how scared Tilford is? He knows he's going to jail. He just wants to get there alive." Karen met Whitney's eyes and smiled. "I'll be fine."

Whitney sighed. "I still think they'll try to burn you for not turning this over to them."

"Not when they find out an MP is involved and Tilford feared for his life. Worst I'll get is a lecture from Smadge."

Against her better judgment, Whitney capitulated. "I don't like it, but I don't want anything to happen to Tilford. But promise you'll call the MPs as soon as they arrive."

Karen reached over and squeezed her lover's hand. "I promise."

"Okay." She walked over to the door and opened it. "Bruce, come on back in."

The first sergeant drilled Tilford with her eyes. "This is what I want you to do. You notify me the minute you're contacted about the next job. I'll wait until it starts going down to call the MPs. You got any questions?"

Bruce breathed a sigh of relief. "No." When Karen stood up indicating an end to the meeting, he turned to leave the office.

"Tilford."

The soldier turned back towards Karen and he felt his guts tighten at the cold look in her eyes. Damn, I'd hate to be her enemy. His knees suddenly felt weak as he realized just how close he'd come to being just that.

"Anymore jobs go down before I hear from you, and I'll personally escort you to the MPs."

"Okay, Top." Bruce hurriedly left the office, anxious to get away from the feeling of danger that had suddenly permeated the air.

Karen looked at Whitney. "You’d better get going. It's gonna look funny if both our cars are here."

"I know. It's already after 2000. You need to go home, too."

"I'll leave in a little while. I have some things to catch up on."

Whitney could see the tiredness reflected in her partner's face. "You've been here since 0500. There's nothing that can't wait for tomorrow." Grinning to herself, she decided to try a different tactic. "I want you well rested for tomorrow night."

Karen's body immediately reacted to the promise in those words. She stood up and led Whitney back to the privacy of the hallway. Wrapping her arms around her lover, she savored the feel of Whitney's body against hers. "I'll leave right after you do. How about a goodnight kiss?"

The small woman met the full sensuous lips of her lover for a gentle lingering kiss. "I’d better go."

"Um hum. I hear you." Karen released Whitney and reached for her hand, lifting it to her lips and kissing it. "See you tomorrow."

Smiling, Whitney raised her hand to Karen's face, gently caressing it. "Count on it." She abruptly departed, worried at her weakening resolve to spend the night alone for the sake of appearances.

Whitney checked her mail and was pleased to see a box from Nana. She closed the door to her room, then began trying to open the tightly sealed box. Grinning, she walked over to her nightstand and took out a pair of scissors. Nana had used enough tape for three boxes.

Removing the lid, Whitney was delighted at the selection of home made cookies. Her grandmother had sent chocolate chip, oatmeal, and peanut butter cookies. She chose an oatmeal cookie and replaced the lid wanting to save them to share with Karen.

The XO called home and chatted with her parents before asking to speak to Nana. She spent a half hour talking to her grandmother, as the older woman brought her up to date on everyone in the family.

She ate her left over burrito, and spent the rest of the evening relaxing in front of the TV, looking forward to the next day. Whitney knew she'd made the right decision when Bonnie and Julie stopped by to see if she wanted to go to the store with them. She'd declined, and after visiting for a half hour, they left.

Whitney went to bed hoping Karen would make an appearance in her dreamscape.

Karen locked up the building right after Whitney left, and drove over to the barracks. She only spent a few minutes there before departing for home. After shedding her uniform, she opened the freezer door to take out a TV dinner, then closed it when she remembered what Whitney had said about them.

She smiled to herself. I'm being ridiculous. I've eaten those for years. Her thoughts didn't make the dinners any more appealing, so Karen opened the refrigerator and saw her left over enchilada. She'd forgotten all about it.

After showering, Karen went in search of her white robe and donned it before relaxing in front of the TV. She knew it was silly, but wearing it made her feel closer to Whitney. Karen fell asleep in her recliner, the white robe wrapped around her tall figure.

Karen shoved her chair back, lifting long legs onto the surface of the desk, and crossing her ankles. She folded her arms across her chest as her face became contemplative. It was the first time all day she'd had a moment to think about something that had been festering in the back of her mind. Her plan to take down Jordan and the theft ring had one serious flaw.

Although she didn't think it would happen, it was possible she could be charged with withholding information just as Whitney had suggested. Karen found it interesting that that didn't particularly bother her. Jordan had deliberately caused their accident and hurt Whitney. Any repercussions that might arise from her collaboration with the elder Tilford would be worth the gratification of seeing Jordan go down. She did regret that the plan didn't include knocking Jordan into the next century. Now, that would be satisfying.

What was bothering her, though, was that Whitney was now implicated. Karen knew her lover had only agreed because she didn't want to see Tilford harmed. It's just like Whitney to ignore the possible ramifications of her own involvement and worry about my career.

Karen shook her head disgustedly. She was after Jordan because he'd hurt Whitney, and could've killed her. Her thoughts became self-deprecating. Am I any better than he is? I wasn't even thinking about her career. She's an officer for God's sake. There's no way her involvement will be overlooked. I'm supposed to love her, not hurt her.

She got up and stalked around the office. Karen decided her plan posed too much of a risk to Whitney's career. She knew they were already both taking a chance with their careers by pursuing their relationship, but in her mind that was an acceptable risk. They'd taken extra precautions to be discreet, and baring some exceptionally bad luck, chances were fairly good they would escape scrutiny. The Tilford situation is different. There are alternatives.

She had five minutes before it was time to leave for NCO call. Quite simply, Karen was not in the mood to put up with Donnie's chauvinistic rhetoric. She was already irritated that it would delay her getting home by an hour.

The first sergeant heard someone knocking and strode over to the door, yanking it open. Her face softened when she saw Whitney standing there, and she backed away from the door.

"Mind if I come in?" The XO was taken aback by the look on Karen's face. Something was very wrong. Whitney walked in, shutting the door behind her. "What's the matter?"

"I'll tell you later. I've got NCO call, so I won't be home until 1900. I've got to stay at least an hour for appearances." Karen frowned again. What a bunch of bullshit.

"Hey, take it easy." Whitney smiled. "Come on, it's no big deal. I'll just come over a little later. Is 1930 okay?"

Karen forced herself to calm down. "Just a bad day. 1930 is fine. I'll stop and pick up something to eat."

"How about if I make something? I miss cooking. Meals were a big deal in my house." Whitney was tired of carryout, and enjoyed cooking.

"Sounds good." Karen quirked a half-smile. "But you won't have much time." She pulled a house key out of her pocket. "You can keep this. I had an extra made today." Karen felt her insides warm at the large smile that covered Whitney's face as she accepted the key.

"Do you like Chef's salad?" When her lover nodded, Whitney grinned and winked. "Then it won't take much time."

Karen followed Whitney to the door. "See you soon."

"You betcha." Whitney stopped before opening the door. "What kind of dressing do you like?"

"Ranch."

"Good choice. Bye."

Karen appreciatively watched Whitney walk back to her office, and then left hurriedly for the NCO club.

Whitney returned to her office, the key held tightly in her hand. She'd barely had a chance to see Karen all day, and wondered what was bothering her. She'd seemed so upset. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was 5:30. Close enough for government work.

She walked down the hall and stopped in front of Gary's doorway. When he looked up, Whitney smiled. "If you don't have anything else, I'm outta here."

"Nope. I'm out of here myself. See you tomorrow." Gary stood up and grabbed his hat. He was pleased with the new XO's performance. She would be a good officer. Gary had also noticed that Karen and Whitney worked extremely well together. Karen had taken the young officer under her wing, and had instructed her well.

He'd taken a lot of ribbing about both the first sergeant and XO. He wouldn't trade either one of them. Karen had taught him a lot of things, and he valued her opinion second to none when it came to the enlisted soldiers. Gary chuckled. He valued her opinion on anything military. The woman knows her stuff.

Whitney quickly changed into jeans, a mauve pullover top, and her running shoes. She grabbed the box of cookies, and left quickly hoping to avoid Bonnie and Julie.

She decided to stop at a grocery store off post, because the commissary was always busy and she'd didn't have the time to stand in line forever. Within a half hour, she was at Karen's house with all the makings for a good Chef's salad.

Her thoughts turned to Karen as she began washing the lettuce. Whitney wished she had some idea of what was bothering her lover, although it did warm her insides to know that Karen planned to share whatever it was with her. That took trust, and it was a great feeling. We've come so far, and I hope it is just the beginning.

Karen had told her about Donnie. What a jerk. Whitney hoped he wouldn't be a total idiot. With luck, he would still be cowed by their last confrontation. Whitney couldn't believe Karen had faced him down. Well, yes I can. The woman didn't take any crap from anyone, but Whitney couldn't believe she'd done it right in front of the BOQ. Good thing the MPs hadn't been around. That might've been a little hard to explain.

Some things about Karen were hard to understand. Her actions were often so contradictory. She seemed gung-ho military, yet she'd do things that were so unmilitary. Like the business with Donnie, and the plan she'd set into motion with Bruce the night before. Whitney smiled widely. And us.

Karen arrived home shortly after 1900. She hurriedly exited her car, anxious to see Whitney after having to endure Donnie's taunting for the first part of NCO call. Karen smirked. She'd put a stop to it, though.

Before she could turn the knob, the door swung open and Whitney stood there smiling at her. She was inside in two steps, kicked the door closed and wrapped her lover in a secure embrace. "I missed you."

"Missed you, too." Whitney greeted Karen, and followed it up with a kiss. "How'd it go?"

Karen released the smaller woman, and began unbuttoning her jacket. "Same as usual. Donnie's was an asshole. Fixed him good." She leaned over and began unlacing her boots.

Whitney leaned against the dryer watching Karen shed her jacket and boots. "What'd you do?"

"Challenged him." Karen grinned, with a triumphant look on her face.

"Challenged him to what?" Whitney had a feeling this was going to be interesting.

"A hand-to-hand combat match in the gym tomorrow night." Karen chuckled. "There was no way he could refuse. He'd spent an hour talking about how men were better than women at everything, so I called him on it."

"Karen he outweighs you by quite a bit. What if he cheats or something? You could get hurt."

"Nah. CSM Grady and the other first sergeants are going to be there. I think they're kinda tired of listening to his shit, too. Gets really old. Grady will call the match."

"I'm coming." Whitney wanted to make sure Karen didn't get hurt, and that the fight was fair.

Karen sighed. "I dunno. It's sort of an NCO thing. It might look funny if you showed up."

"So you don't want me to come?" Whitney voiced her thoughts, troubled.

"Whitney, it's not about that." Karen voice was gentle, but she felt her stomach tighten at the hurt in her lover's voice.

Whitney nodded reluctantly, her eyes downcast. "I know," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

Karen sat down in a kitchen chair, and beckoned for her lover to join her. Once Whitney was comfortably sitting in her lap, she rested cheek against the small woman's. "I hate this, too. I hate having to watch everything we say or do in public." She paused. "I missed you last night. A lot. And it irritates the hell out of me that the only reason you weren't here is because of what someone might think."

"I know. I get tired of it, too. Just be careful, okay?" Whitney moved her head so she could see her lover's face.

Karen knew that lately her world of black and white had taken on tones of gray. Things had ceased to be clear-cut and simple. She'd always taken exception to some of the Army's policies, but it was only lately that she'd admitted to herself that while in the Army, she was not truly free, and that knowledge was not sitting well with her.

She suddenly found herself unwilling ask Whitney to stay away. Matter of fact, she wanted her there. "I'd like you to come." A warm smile greeted her words, and Karen suddenly had to clear her throat.

"Don't worry. I'll stay in the background." Whitney felt Karen's arms tighten around her, and relished the contact. The older woman nuzzled her neck and murmured, "You don't have to."

Whitney sighed inwardly. How she wished that were true. Even though she wanted to be there, she intended to attend as unobtrusively as possible. "You hungry? The salads are ready."

"Sounds great." Karen waited for Whitney to stand up, and then joined her. "Need any help?"

"How 'bout you get us something to drink, while I get the salads out?"

Once they were finished eating, the two women moved into the living room. Karen turned on the TV. "News okay?"

Whitney nodded. She didn't care what they watched, and snuggled up next to Karen, smiling as her lover put an arm around her shoulders. Deciding she'd waited long enough, she prompted Karen. "What was bothering you earlier?"

"My plan for taking down Jordan and his group." Karen sighed. "It's no good."

"Why?" Whitney was curious what had changed her lover's mind. "You think we should just turn Tilford in? That might put him in danger."

"No, but we need another plan." Karen looked at Whitney. How do I tell her I wasn't thinking of her? Just do it. She looked down at her hands. "You could get burned for just knowing about this. I should've thought about that last night, and didn't."

"Well, I did. It's not like I'm going into it this blind or anything. Besides, I think given the circumstances, it's not that big a deal." Whitney looked at the downward cast of her lover's head. "Hey, come on. I'm willing to take that chance if it'll keep Tilford safe."

"You thought it out, but I didn't." Karen shifted uncomfortably, and looked at Whitney. "I don't want you to risk your career over this. Not when it could be done differently."

Whitney took Karen's hand. "What do you want to do then? We have to keep Tilford's safety in mind."

"Try to get Gary to buy it. Talk to him tomorrow, and see if he'll go along with it."

"You think that's likely?" Whitney had been concerned with Karen's role, not her own, and was glad of the change in plans.

Karen shrugged. "If we explain the whole thing to him, he might."

Whitney nodded, placed her hand on Karen's, and smiled gently. "So lighten up, okay?"

"I love you." Karen was more surprised than Whitney when the words spilled from her lips. It was certainly true, but this just wasn't the way she'd planned to say it.

Whitney jerked her head back, and saw the love clearly reflected in the vivid blue orbs, before losing herself in their depths. She felt her heart flutter and then begin racing wildly, as a warm feeling enveloped her a moment before she met Karen's lips for a soft lingering kiss. "I love you, too."

"I'm glad." Karen hugged Whitney. She met her lover's mouth with her own, in a deep, hungry kiss and shortly thereafter time became meaningless as the outside world was left behind.

***

Gary sat back in his chair. "The only part of your plan I have a problem with is not notifying the MPs after Tilford contacts you."

"If there is a plant in the MPs, that'll tip the head honcho off." Karen shrugged. "If it was me, I'd make damn sure I found out where the leak was."

"You agree?" Gary turned his attention to Whitney.

Whitney nodded. "I hate the idea of putting Tilford in danger."

"Let me think on it." Gary watched the two women walk out of his office. Maybe it was time to call in a few markers.

Whitney was looking forward to getting off. She'd gone with Karen and Gary to visit Richard in the hospital, and was glad that he'd been moved out of the ICU.

The rest of the day had been interminably long and boring, with nothing but routine tasks to attend to. Remedial PT had been cancelled since she wasn't supposed to return to full duty until the following Monday. Karen was due over at the gym at 6, and Whitney wanted to change into sweats before showing up. She didn't want to call any attention to herself, and it wouldn't hurt to walk the track on the second floor anyway.

Karen looked at her watch, and a feral grin covered her face. It was time to head over to the gym. She'd been looking forward to the match all day. Whitney had stopped in before leaving and wished her luck. No way I can lose with that send off. Karen changed into sweats in the restroom, and departed after locking up.

Whitney's arms rested comfortably on the blue railing surrounding the track as she watched the area around the mat fill up. Word must have spread, because there were at least twenty NCO's standing down there, waiting for the fight to begin. She moved down the railing towards a corner in case any of them happened to look up. Her eyes settled on Donnie. He was short, but very muscular with a bit of a beer belly. It was easy to see how much he enjoyed being the center of attention, and Whitney shook her head at his posturing, unimpressed.

She smiled when Karen appeared and walked through the gym towards the mat. Sweats couldn't hide the smooth, feline grace of her movement, and Whitney felt her heart speed up just watching her. She crossed her fingers, hoping Karen would escape unscathed and put Donnie in his place. Her grin widened when Karen quickly looked up, and quirked a smile.

Karen felt the adrenaline rushing through her as the crowd around the mat parted to let her through. She tensed, and her entire demeanor changed from casual to deadly. Her eyes narrowed, becoming glacial while she listened to CSM Grady state the rules.

"First one immobilized loses. No dirty fighting." Grady looked at the two NCO's, and emphasized his warning. "That means no hitting below the belt. Any questions?" When none were forthcoming, he nodded. "Good. Move to your starting positions." He lowered his arm. "Start."

Karen circled Donnie waiting for him to make the first move. She needed to get a feel for his style before deciding on her best approach to end this quickly. The sounds of the crowd around the mat faded as she focused on her adversary.

Donnie's stomach was tight. The damn bitch had that look again, and it was freaking him. He needed to make his first blow count, and then use his weight advantage. She'd only gotten the best of him before because she'd taken him by surprise. Donnie sneered as his confidence returned. "Ladies first." He grinned at the hoots that followed his words.

Karen grinned lazily, and retorted, "Then what are you waiting for?" Before Donny had time to react, she feinted to the right, quickly closed in and landed a solid blow to Donnie's unprotected left side. She moved in as his arms lowered reflexively, and with a short, quick sweep of her leg, she tripped him while delivering a devastating blow to his chest.

Donnie went down hard, gasping for breath. He scooted backward across the mat attempting to regulate his breathing. Scrambling to his feet, he warily circled the devil woman. "You got lucky. Won't happen again."

A sardonic smile covered Karen's face. "Really." She laughed when Donnie lunged, grabbed his sweatshirt as she used his weight against him, and propelled him through the air, slamming him to the mat.

Determined to make it a fair fight, she moved away allowing him room to stand up. Her attention was momentarily diverted by a loudspeaker announcement ordering members of one of the airborne units to report back to their company. Her peripheral vision caught movement, but before she could jump out of the way, Donnie had delivered a sharp kick to her groin.

Karen dropped to the ground in agony. She doubled up, trying to will the intense throbbing away. She was vaguely aware of being kicked in the back, but the pain was secondary to that in her groin.

CSM Grady quickly strode onto the mat, stopping Donnie from delivering another kick. "I'll see you in my office first thing tomorrow morning."

The pain finally abating somewhat, Karen looked up, and between gritted teeth spoke. "I want to finish."

"Forget it Karen. I don't tolerate cheating."

Karen rose slowly to her feet, and appealed to Grady. "Don't stop this."

"Come on, Smadge. It should be her choice." The other NCO's echoed Nate's words.

Grady looked at his subordinates, and then turned his attention to Karen. "Take what time you need." Drilling Donnie with his eyes, his voice became hard. "You pull any more stunts like that and I'll have you locked up for assault."

Donnie glared at Grady. There was no way he was going to let a woman beat him, no matter what it took.

Whitney had flown down the steps, unable to stop her body from responding to her lover's distress. By the time she arrived, Karen was already on her feet, and Whitney faded away from the circle unseen.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." Karen limped off the mat, and made her way to the locker room. She wanted a few minutes away from all of the attention of her peers to get her focus back. She sank down onto one of the long wooden benches.

"You okay?"

Karen looked up at the sound of Whitney's concerned voice. She quirked a half smile. "Yeah. No big deal."

"Right." Whitney shook her head. "I wish you weren't going back out there. You're not gonna be at a hundred percent. It won't be fair."

"Don't worry. It won't matter, cuz it ain't gonna last long enough to."

Whitney saw Karen's face begin to harden. This side of Karen unnerved her, but this was one time she was glad to see it. That jerk deserved anything he got for cheating. She stayed on the bench at Karen's side until the tall woman stood up.

"I'm gonna go finish this. See you at the house."

"Good luck." Whitney quickly squeezed Karen's hand; glad there was no one in the vicinity. She grinned when Karen winked at her.

Whitney waited for a few minutes after Karen left to exit the locker room, and return to her vantage point on the second floor. She had no doubts about her lover's abilities, but she was still worried about her.

Karen returned to the mat and faced off against Donnie, deliberately goading him. "What's the matter? Can't play fair?" She was able to shove the pain into the background as she focused on the man standing across from her.

Donnie sneered. "That was an accident. This isn't." He brought his fist around, the full weight of his upper body behind the punch.

The tall woman wasted no time, and grabbed the arm coming at her. With a deft move of her shoulders, Karen sent him over her head and onto the mat behind her. She whirled around and faced him, not willing to give Donnie any advantage this time. As he scrambled to his feet, she again moved in and grabbed his sweatshirt, propelling him through the air to the mat again.

"You fuckin' bitch. I'm gonna kill you." Donnie kicked himself backward on the mat, trying to get far enough away to make it to his feet before she attacked again.

Karen's laugh was low, and carried only to the surrounding soldiers. "Well, you're gonna have to get off your ass to do it."

Her words had the desired effect as Donnie jumped to his feet, and Karen once again moved in with lightning swiftness, forcefully throwing him to the mat. She had no intention of giving Donnie a chance to touch her again.

Donnie didn't know if he was more afraid of her, or more embarrassed at being shown up. It wasn't fair, she wasn't giving him a chance. His body ached, and Donnie knew he couldn't fight her from his back. The soldier sat up warily before turning his back on Karen, knowing she wouldn't hit him from the rear, because it was beneath her ridiculous code of honor.

The tall woman watched Donnie warily, her eyes narrowed and her face calculating as she waited for his next move. His actions hadn't surprised her. He was a coward and a bully. When he swung around launching a vicious kick, she easily sidestepped and closed on him while he was off balance. She wrapped an arm around Donnie's neck, while simultaneously twisting his arm up behind his back. "You're finished."

"Like hell I am." Donnie began panicking when she tightened her hold around his neck cutting off his air. He thrashed around, unable to dislodge her arm, his face red with fury as she chuckled at his efforts.

Grady walked onto the mat, and looked at Donnie. "Looks like you lose."

"No…" Donnie's words were cut off by increased pressure on his neck.

"Let him go. It's over."

Karen released him, amidst much hooting and cheers from the crowd, and began walking off the mat with Grady.

"Karen, look out!" Tyrone couldn't believe Donnie wouldn't quit, and hoped his warning was in time.

Karen jumped forward as she whirled around, but Donnie's kick still caught her on the thigh. She grimaced, but immediately threw a well aimed fist towards his chin as he shifted forward, off balance. Karen dispassionately watched him crumple to the mat.

Grady just shook his head. "Some guys never learn." He nodded his head at a couple of the NCO's. "Come on, let's wake him up and get him outta here." He turned to look at Karen. "Good fight."

"Thanks." Karen walked slowly to the door, unable to keep the pain at bay any longer, but determined not to show it in front of her peers. When she was sure she was unobserved, Karen glanced up to the second floor. She smiled when Whitney gave her a wave, and proceeded out the door.

Whitney parked, and quickly made her way into Karen's house. Her lover was sitting in a kitchen chair and looked exhausted. "You okay?"

Karen nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Just a few bruises. I'm fine." Actually she couldn't decide what hurt worse, her groin, thigh or back. No sense in worrying Whitney, though.

"It looked like he kicked you awfully hard. Mind if I take a look?" Whitney knew Karen was downplaying her discomfort. She hadn't missed the pain she'd seen on her lover's face in the locker room before Karen had realized she was there.

"Okay. I'm gonna take a shower first." Karen knew the warm water would help her feel better, and she didn't want to appear weak to Whitney. Ignoring her complaining body, Karen got up and walked towards the bathroom.

Whitney shook her head. It was obvious to her that Karen was in pain. Her face had hardened as she stood up, and the usual grace she moved with was missing. She opened the freezer, planning to make an ice bag. She smiled when she saw a cold pack in the freezer. That would do very nicely. She closed the freezer and opened the refrigerator. I'm going to have to go grocery shopping. Looks like it's pizza tonight. Whitney removed a can of Coke, closed the door, and sank down into a chair waiting for Karen to finish.

A short time later Whitney sat on the bed looking at one of the bruises Karen had sustained. She touched the large angry discoloration on her lover's back where Donnie had kicked her. It was warm to the touch. "Ooh. That must really hurt. You need to put some ice on that." She pulled Karen's T-shirt back down.

"It's okay."

Whitney laid her hand on the bruise, and watched Karen flinch. "Yeah, sure it is. But I think some ice will make it feel better anyway. How about turning over."

Karen felt her insides melt at the concern in her lover's voice, but she didn't want to turn over. It seemed embarrassing to have a bruise in her groin. I should've never looked away from that little bastard. "Why don't you go get that ice pack?"

"Okay, if you promise to turn over when I get back."

"Sure." She waited for Whitney to leave the bedroom, stood up and limped over to the dresser. Karen pulled out a pair of thin nylon jogging shorts and put them on over her underpants, satisfied they covered the angry colored flesh.

She was sitting on the bed when Whitney returned with the cold pack she kept in the freezer. Karen pulled open the nightstand, took out a thin blue cover, and handed it to her lover. "This is what I put over that when I use it."

Whitney took the cover, and looked at the discoloration on the front of Karen's thigh. "This one's pretty nasty, too."

"It's doesn't hurt that much." Karen decided to cooperate, hoping to divert Whitney's attention. "I'll take the ice now. Twenty minutes should do it."

"He kicked you in the groin, too."

"It feels fine." Karen grinned, disarmingly. "I really don't think you need to put ice there."

Whitney chuckled. "Guess you're right. How 'bout I order us some pizza."

"Sounds good."

They spent a quiet evening together and retired early. Karen refused to let Whitney drive to post without escorting her, and 0430 rolled around very quickly.

***

Karen sat back in her chair, gingerly. She was even more sore today, and couldn't remember ever being so glad to finish PT. The first sergeant got to her feet, making her way to Gary's office. He'd told her after PT that he wanted to meet with her and Whitney at 1000.

Karen walked into Gary's office, seeing Whitney already sitting in a chair in front of his desk. She sat down in the other chair, and directed her attention to her superior.

"I've given your plan some thought. I agree with your reasoning, but think there's a possibility the higher echelons will frown on being left in the dark regardless of your motivation."

Whitney glanced over at Karen to see her reaction. She sighed inwardly, knowing she should've realized her lover would have her professional face on, and that it would be completely devoid of expression. Her own feelings were mixed, and she waited for Gary to continue.

"I have an old friend in the intelligence community. His wife is the XO of the MP Battalion. He explained the situation to her, and she agreed to keep it out of the normal MP channels. She is putting together a hand picked team to be waiting at the site of the job."

Karen was relieved this would keep Whitney out of it, but she wanted to be there as well. "Gary…"

He held up a hand, and smiled. "Wait. I'm not done. I know your secondary is MP. You've been invited to go along."

The first sergeant sat back, satisfied. "Thanks."

Gary cleared his throat, and chuckled. "Don't thank me. It appears that your reputation speaks for itself. Let me know when you hear from Tilford."

Karen nodded, and stood to leave. Whitney had told her Gary wanted to meet with her after their meeting to discuss some training courses he thought she was ready for.

Whitney's peripheral vision allowed her to watch Karen leave the office. There was no doubt in her mind that her lover was still in pain no matter how hard she tried to hide it. She'd kept a close eye on Karen during PT, and how the woman had called cadence was a mystery to her. She knew sheer grittiness was the only thing that could've kept her going. Whitney focused on Gary when he began to speak, leaving her thoughts behind.

The remainder of the day passed uneventfully, as did Friday. Karen and Whitney settled into a comfortable routine of spending all their free time together, and departing for work early enough to avoid calling any attention to their relationship.

Karen woke up to sunlight streaming through the window. She had to forcibly stop herself from waking Whitney by jumping out of bed before she realized it was Saturday. Karen smiled at the small body tucked so comfortably against her own, and decided she must have been even more tired than she'd thought. Getting up at 0400 every morning took some getting used to. Not that she was complaining. She'd do whatever it took to spend time with her lover, and it warmed her heart that Whitney seemed to feel the same way.

She'd never thought it possible to feel such love for someone. That was the premise of romance books and movies, which she'd studiously avoided. Karen had never seen the point of those happy fairy tales, choosing instead to read and watch action or suspense oriented fare. She smiled and snuggled closer to Whitney, relishing the feel of her lover's body against her own. Guess they weren't just fairy tales after all.

Never one to languish in bed, Karen was amused that she was in absolutely no hurry to get up. She kissed the blonde head in front of her, and wished nature wasn't beckoning. Karen gently untangled herself from her lover, whispering softly in her ear. "I'll be right back."

As she got up Whitney stirred, but remained asleep, and Karen quietly left the bedroom en route first to the bathroom, then on to the kitchen to make coffee.

Whitney woke up with a smile on her face and rolled over, reaching out to Karen. Her green eyes blinked open as her arm found only air. She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Whitney yawned before glancing at the clock, then was surprised to see it was already 0900. No wonder Karen's up.

She stood up and made her way out of the bedroom. The tell-tale sounds of Karen rummaging around the kitchen drifted to her ears. Whitney smiled. She's probably making coffee. After using the toilet, Whitney opened the bathroom door and jumped. "God, you scared me."

"Sorry 'bout that." Karen grinned mischievously. "I just wanted to say good morning."

"You don't look too sorry to me." Whitney leaned against the tall form in front of her. "But I guess I'll forgive you."

Karen hugged her, smiling. "I'm glad. Don't want you mad at me."

Whitney stepped back when Karen released her. She ran her finger down her lover's sleeping shirt, teasing Karen's breasts on the way down to her stomach. Grinning, she patted the taut muscles beneath the shirt. "Guess it's time for coffee, right?"

Her heart already beating a staccato rhythm, Karen lifted Whitney's hand to her mouth and kissed it, then drew each of the smaller woman's fingertips into her mouth, sucking gently. "If you say so."

"You have something better in mind?" Whitney's eyes darkened as her body responded to the erotic sensations. She sucked in a breath when Karen ran her hands underneath her pajama top and caressed her breasts.

"Um hum." Karen's own arousal was responding to the desire reflected in Whitney's eyes, and she moved her fingertips to her lover's erect nipples, gently rolling them as she leaned forward to kiss the small woman.

Whitney wanted to melt into the soft touch of her lover. Unsure how much longer she could withstand the sensual assault and remain on her feet, she gently dislodged Karen's hands. She laid her head against the older woman's breasts and softly protested, "If we don't go lie down, I'm gonna fall over."

Karen's arms circled the woman leaning against her. "Good. Does that mean coffee can wait?"

Raising her head, Whitney found Karen's pulse point, sucking gently. "Only if you want it to."

The tall woman began moving towards the bedroom, Whitney tucked against her side. "That ole coffee just doesn't have a chance."

***

Whitney sat across from Karen at the kitchen table later that morning. "Have you ever been to Raleigh?"

Karen nodded. "Yeah. I used to go there quite a bit. Haven't been there in ages, though."

"What are some good places to eat?" Whitney was looking forward to their evening out. It should only take just over an hour to get there, and it would be nice not to worry about being seen for a change.

"Casual or dressy?" Karen actually preferred casual, but wanted this to be her lover's choice.

Whitney's eyes lit up. "How about dressy?"

"Okay." I wonder if I still have that dress? "Let's see, there's a place called Beaches that is nice, if you feel like seafood. Another place I've been to is Brahma's." Karen grinned when Whitney raised an eyebrow. "Steaks, of course. I don't know of any others off hand. It's been a long time."

"How about Beaches? Seafood sounds really good." Whitney smiled warmly. "I'm so glad we're going out. I can hardly wait."

Whitney's enthusiasm was contagious, and Karen returned the smile. It shouldn't have to be like this. Look how excited she is just to get to go out to dinner. Hell, I'm just as excited. We shouldn't have to sneak around. Karen shut her thoughts off. She knew where they would take her, and now was not the time.

"Hey." Whitney had watched Karen drift off. She'd been doing that more and more lately. It almost seemed like she was battling inner demons. She hoped Karen wasn't having second thoughts about their night out. "Is everything okay. You want to go, don't you?"

"Are you kidding? Yes I want to go!" Karen met the serious emerald green eyes gazing at her. She didn't want to put a damper on their plans by voicing her dislike of the constraints they were under, and wanted to convey to Whitney just how much this evening meant to her to. Karen leaned across the table and caressed her lover's cheek. "I've been looking forward to escorting my beautiful partner to dinner all week."

Whitney's face reddened at the compliment, but she hardly noticed. She said partner. She'd already been on cloud nine since Karen had professed her love on Tuesday, but somehow this made her declaration even more meaningful…as if that were possible. "I love you."

Karen felt the words resound through the depths of her being, their impact no less than when she'd first heard them. Unable to verbalize her feelings, she walked around the table and helped Whitney to her feet. Karen met her partner's mouth in a gentle, but loving kiss. Hugging her, she whispered heartfelt words into Whitney's ear. "I'm so glad I met you."

Hugging her back, Whitney said meaningfully, "No more glad than I am."

They sat back down at the table, twin smiles on their faces.

"I'm gonna have to see if I've got a dress to wear."

Whitney looked at Karen quizzically. "You don't know?"

"Um, well I'm not sure." Karen hadn't had any reason to get dressed up for years. "I might have given it to Goodwill or something." She glanced into the coffee sitting in front of her.

Whitney smiled gently at her lover. "Let's go look. We can always make a quick mall run."

Nodding, Karen stood up. "Hope I still have it, and it fits. I hate clothes shopping."

"Not me. I love shopping. I don't have anything in the…uh, I'm going to have to go the BOQ to get something to wear."

"Car." Karen supplied the missing words with a half-smile. She grinned when Whitney blushed.

"How'd you know?"

"I didn't for sure, but you've always seemed to have just what you needed in the car." Karen winked at her. "Why don't you bring your things in? I'll go clean out a couple of drawers for you and make room in the closet."

Whitney grinned, and quickly kissed Karen. "Okay."

A quick search of her closet revealed no dress, and Karen stood there disgustedly, wishing she could will it back from whatever she'd done with it. She watched Whitney put her things away. "I'm gonna have to run to the mall."

"I'm coming, too. I could use a new dress." Whitney held her hand up before her partner could respond. "If we go in separate cars, it'll be okay. So what if we ran into each other while shopping?"

Karen mulled it over. It was perfectly logical to run into someone you knew at the mall. Most people went shopping on Saturdays. Except me. Karen hated the crowded malls, and spent very little time in stores. Her idea of shopping was going into the store, picking up exactly what she needed, and leaving. "Okay, how 'bout we meet in Davenport's?"

"Sounds good to me. See you there." Whitney hurried out to her car, wanting to leave before Karen decided to change her mind. She really hadn't expected her to agree.

A short time later they were browsing through the women's attire in the large department store. After a half hour of looking, both had found some possibilities.

Karen held two simple black dresses she wanted to try on, and was irritated that no one was tending the dressing rooms. She snorted. Sooner I get out of here, the better. Bad enough it's crowded, but some of these shoppers need a lesson in manners.

Whitney glanced at her lover, not really surprised to see the hard, tense expression on Karen's face. Another shopper had actually grabbed a dress her partner was reaching for, and Karen had literally glared her away. The other shoppers had given them a wide berth after seeing the exchange.

She decided to try to lighten Karen's mood, and grinned. "No one's gonna wait on us, if you scare them all away."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Well, if they were doing their jobs…"

"Here comes someone now." Whitney had selected two dresses. One was powder blue, and the other teal. She really liked the teal one, but didn't know how it would look on her. Whitney wanted to look her very best for their first night out together. Who knows when the next time will be?

Karen quickly tried on both dresses, choosing the one that had a higher back, the multicolored bruise on her back being a determining factor. She opened the dressing room door, both dresses in her hand, and looked around for Whitney. A door opened, and her partner stepped out of the cubicle.

She had to physically force herself to take a breath. Whitney looked gorgeous. The teal dress gently outlined the curves of her body and contrasted with her fair complexion, giving her eyes a sea-green cast. Her blonde hair flowed over her shoulders contrasting beautifully against the darker dress. Karen swallowed to moisten her suddenly dry throat. "You look gorgeous."

Whitney felt herself grow warm as the words washed over her, even as her cheeks reddened at the intensity of the compliment. Her body tingled under the appreciative look in Karen's eyes, and the full impact of the dark beauty's importance in her life settled over her. "Thanks. Guess I'm done." She looked at the dresses Karen was holding. "You didn't like those?"

"I'm gonna get this one." Karen held her selection out.

"I don't get a preview?" Whitney teased. She knew Karen wanted nothing more than to get out of the store. When Karen raised an eyebrow, she chuckled. "Okay. I can wait."

After they picked up a few accessories and paid for their purchases, Whitney glanced at her partner. "Need anything else? Shoes?"

"I've got my Army pumps."

Surely she's kidding. "Um…Karen…"

Karen couldn't keep a straight face, and started laughing. "Oh, ye of little faith."

Whitney's attempt at glowering failed miserably against the rich sound of Karen's laugher, and she quickly joined in. "You’d better watch it. Paybacks are a bitch."

"I've got heels." Karen winked at her partner. "For some reason I never got rid of those. We are finished, right?" She'd had quite enough of shopping for the day.

Shaking her head, Whitney smiled. "Yeah. I've gotta stop at the BOQ first to pick up a few things." As they exited to the parking lot, she added, "See you in a little bit."

"Okay."

***

After arriving home, Karen hung her dress up and walked back into the kitchen, taking a Coke from the refrigerator. Moving into the living room, she sank onto the couch. She glanced at the top of the TV, smiling at the little wooden elephant that sat between the eagle and owl.

Whitney had brought it over to show her and had left it. Karen had put it on the TV. She remembered the happy look on her partner's face when she saw it there. Karen glanced around the living room. It was no longer the lifeless, sterile room it had been such a short time before. A popcorn bowl and two glasses from the night before were still on the coffee table. Whitney's paperback book lay on an end table, along with a few hairpins her lover had left there. CD's adorned the tops of her speakers, and two pairs of running shoes were kicked under the coffee table.

She laughed at herself. Never thought I'd be happy to see things scattered through the house. But that's the whole point. It's not just a house anymore. It's become a home. Whitney had taken her empty life and filled it with happiness and love. How can one person make such a difference? What would happen when one of them was reassigned?

Karen had long ago resigned herself to a life alone. Her relationships had always been unfulfilling, until she just quit trying, deciding the Army was the only family she'd ever have. She shook her head as she remembered trying so hard not to step into the unknown with Whitney. She'd been afraid to, maybe because deep down, Karen had known there'd be no turning back.

Stretching out her legs, she raised the can to her mouth, drinking deeply. Her thoughts turned to the one matter she'd been dwelling on lately. What was life like outside the military? Karen knew she'd have a lot more freedom, but did she want to work in some entry-level job? No. She had the respect and power her rank afforded her in the military. Problem is, it just isn't enough anymore.

So what's the answer? Karen sighed. If she lost Whitney because of the military, she'd never stay in. To go back to that barren, solitary life was unthinkable. It could happen easily enough, though. All it would take is one rumor blown out of proportion, and all this sneaking around and hiding would've been for nothing.

Karen stood up, and began pacing around the long room, her thoughts dark. We shouldn't have to hide. I should be able to take her out and show her a good time without the constant worry of being discovered.

She quickly strode to the bedroom and powered on her PC. Karen didn't bother checking her mail. Her mother was the only one who had the address, and she had more important things to do. She opened Netscape Communicator and typed in her favorite search engine, AltaVista. When the large yellow box appeared, Karen typed in "Corporate +investigations." She rolled her eyes when over 1700 matches were found, and began scanning the entries.

****

Whitney unlocked her door, moved into the room, and set her suitcase down. It was time for a refill, especially since she had her own drawers now. She grinned contentedly. Karen had told her she could wash her things there, but Whitney wanted a better selection of clothes to choose from, and proceeded to fill her suitcase.

She walked over to the closet, bent down to pick up her dress heels from the floor, and busted up laughing when she spotted her Army regulation pumps. The picture that had flashed through her mind at the mall came rushing back: Karen in a beautiful black cocktail dress wearing the ugly, plain black oval-toed pumps with the little nubby heels. I hate those things. Whitney secured a few pieces of jewelry in a small box, and added that to the suitcase before closing it.

Pulling it off the bed, she set it by the door taking one last look around to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. Satisfied, Whitney opened the door, and jumped at the unexpected sight of Bonnie. "God, you scared me!"

Bonnie shrugged, looking contrite. "Sorry. I was just going to knock, when you opened the door."

"No problem. What's up? I was just getting ready to leave." Whitney was fond of Bonnie, but was too excited about her evening out to have any desire to visit.

"I wanna talk to you. It's important."

Whitney took in the serious expression on her friend's face, and sighed inwardly. There was no way she could turn her down. "Sure. Come on in."

"Not here." Bonnie nodded towards a wall. "I don't want to be overheard."

A frown appeared between Whitney's eyebrows as a pang of worry began weaving a path through her mind, evidenced by her terse reply. "Where?"

"Let's go for a ride." Bonnie sensed Whitney's unease, and smiled. "It won't take long."

Nodding, Whitney followed the taller woman out of the BOQ and climbed into the passenger seat of her car. Her stomach tight, she looked out the window as her friend drove.

Bonnie drove down the main thoroughfare, turning off on a side street that led to a small picnic area. She parked away from the other cars and turned to face Whitney. She'd been thinking of how to approach Whitney for days, but now felt awkward.

"Umm. I uh…do you know what you're doing?"

Whitney smiled, but her heart wasn't in it. "About what?" She wasn't sure where this was going, but every alarm bell in her mind was sounding.

Bonnie looked out the window before turning back to face Whitney. She was going to have to be direct. "About Wilson."

"What about Wilson?" Whitney's stomach plummeted. Bonnie had asked a loaded question, and she wasn't about to volunteer any information.

"Come on, Whitney. I'm your friend." When no answer was forthcoming, she continued. "It's obvious you're staying at her place. She follows you to work each morning and sits in the BOQ parking lot until you walk in. I've stopped over at the Mess Hall twice this week, and you never even saw me. You don't have eyes for anyone else. Why her? She's an NCO, for God's sake."

"The same thing could be said about you and Julie." Whitney decided the best defense was an offense. "What about that?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Yes it could. BUT we're both officers. If we get busted, it won't be for fraternization."

Whitney's face reflected the astonishment she felt at the admission. "You're admitting you're gay?"

"Somehow, I don't think you're really surprised."

"Well, no, but I never expected you to say so." Whitney looked out the window, and watched the leaves gently blowing in the wind. She'd volleyed, but the ball had landed squarely back in her court again. "Because I love her."

It took Bonnie a moment to realize that Whitney was answering her first question. "I'm worried about you. I just want to make sure you've thought this through."

Whitney looked at her peer, and smiled. "I have. I know what the risks are, but she's worth every one of them."

"Congratulations, then. I'm glad you're happy. Just be careful, okay?"

"We will. How'd you know about Karen following me in?"

"It was an accident." Bonnie shifted in her seat, getting more comfortable. "I had a toothache a couple of nights ago and couldn't sleep. I heard you come in just before 5am. The next morning, I got up early again. I happened to be looking out the window when you both pulled in."

"You were spying on me?" Whitney's tone was indignant. "You could've asked."

"I guess I was, but my intentions were good." She grinned knowingly. "Who's kidding who, here? No, I couldn't have asked."

Whitney's anger faded at the truth of Bonnie's comment, and she returned her smile. "I need to get going. We've got plans."

"Out of town, I hope."

"Of course. If you guys would hurry up and find a place, maybe we'd have someone to visit."

"Believe me, we're working on it." Bonnie shifted the car into drive and backed out. Before pulling onto the street, she looked at Whitney. "If you ever need us to cover or anything, just let us know."

Whitney smiled warmly. "Thanks. Same goes for us."

***

Karen stretched as she stood up from the computer. She'd been meaning to get a comfortable desk chair, and her kitchen stool was a poor substitute. Glancing at her watch, she was surprised to find she'd been on the computer for over an hour. Karen's search had yielded no results, and she was frustrated. Talk about a waste of time. I should've kept his card.

Her frustration slipped away to be replaced by curiosity. She'd thought Whitney would be home by now. Wonder what's taking her so long? Karen walked out into the backyard and sank down onto a lawn chair. The sun felt good on her tanned arms, and she sat back enjoying the warmth.

She wished Whitney would get home. Karen closed her eyes and wrapped her mind around the image of Whitney in the dressing room at the store. She'd always loved the natural refreshing beauty of her lover, but that dress had been made just for her. She grinned, realizing she was looking forward to their first date every bit as much as her younger partner. Hearing the garage door, Karen went to greet the woman she loved.

***

Whitney had the dress in one hand, her purse and bag with shoes in the other. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Karen smiled warmly, walking over to her partner. "Need some help?"

"Would you mind getting the suitcase out of my car?"

"No problem." Karen moved out into the garage, hefting the suitcase from Whitney's car. She grinned to herself at its weight, pleased that her partner felt comfortable enough to bring more clothes.

She took it to their bedroom, lifting in onto the bed. When Whitney turned away from the closet, she walked over and pulled her into an embrace. "I missed you. I thought you got lost or something."

Whitney returned Karen's hug, reveling in the pleasure that contact with her partner always elicited. "I ran into Bonnie, and she wanted to talk. It was interesting."

Karen leaned down and kissed her lover before releasing her. "Oh? Care to share?"

"Sure, but it's going on 4. How about if I tell you on the way?"

"Okay." Karen smiled. "Why don't you get a shower first?"

Whitney extended her lower lip, inwardly smiling. "I have to take a shower alone?"

Karen stepped back and slowly drew her eyes down her partner's small lithe body. Grinning sexily, she reached over and placed a finger on her partner's protruding lip. "Never. But we may be late for dinner."

Whitney's body was tingling at Karen visual exploration. "I think I will take a shower alone." She stood on her toes, brushed Karen's lips with her own, and made her way to the bathroom, murmuring. "A cold one."

The tall woman was quite aware of the effect she'd had on her partner and grinned contentedly. It was an indescribable feeling to know that her feelings for Whitney were fully returned.

Once she’d finished, Whitney called into the kitchen where Karen was sitting, "Your turn." She entered the bedroom and began drying her hair.

Karen got out of the shower, heard Whitney's hair dryer, and decided to dry her hair in the bathroom. She knew it would take at least forty minutes before it was even mostly dry, and both dryers going at the same time on the same outlet would probably blow a fuse.

Whitney walked into the bathroom, just as Karen turned off the hair dryer. She turned away from the mirror, smiling at her partner. Whitney had tastefully applied makeup, added a thin silver necklace and earrings to complement the teal dress and, to Karen's eyes, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. "You look great!"

"Thanks." Whitney felt a familiar warmth wash over her at the heartfelt compliment. Karen always made her feel so special.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes." Karen walked into the bedroom, opened a small box on her dresser, and began perusing the contents. She selected a gold rope chain with matching earrings. From another small box, she removed a gold watch her aunt had given her upon graduation. Dressy was not something Karen did often, but her aunt had made sure she was well schooled in the art.

Whitney sat on the couch waiting for Karen to finish dressing. She was still wrapped in the glow of her lover's words and smiled dreamily. Love is great.

"You ready?"

Not having heard her walk into the room, Whitney started. As she looked up, her eyes widened, and she was momentarily rendered speechless.

Karen's black dress outlined her figure, revealing and teasing as the low cut neckline highlighted the soft swell of her breasts. Whitney's eyes followed the dress down as it framed Karen's lean hips, ending well above her knees to show off long shapely legs. Three-inch spikes added to her already impressive height, and the old phrase -- 'legs that went on forever' -- sprang to Whitney's mind. Karen's ebony hair flowed unbound over her shoulders, and a gold chain and earrings offered exactly the right contrast for a stunning ensemble of classic elegance.

Holding out her hand to help Whitney to her feet, Karen smiled. "You like?" She was thoroughly enjoying the reaction of her partner.

"You look gorgeous!" She took Karen's hand, rising to her feet. Whitney just hadn't expected this. Her partner hadn't even had a dress to wear; yet here she stood looking better than the cover photo of a modeling magazine.

Karen moved a finger from her lips to Whitney's. "Can't mess up our lipstick, now can we?"

"Not yet." Whitney's words were filled with promise, and she grinned when Karen winked. "We'd better get going."

The taller woman placed her arm around Whitney's waist as they walked towards the door. "Did I ever tell you that you're beautiful?"

"Yeah, but don't let that stop you." Whitney leaned into Karen. "You smell good. What're you wearing?"

"Narcisse."

"I like it."

"Thanks." Karen lowered her head to Whitney's neck, drinking in the perfumed scent of her lover. "What about you? It really works."

"White Shoulders." Her arm was resting loosely around Karen's waist, and her hand squeezed the taller woman's waist. "Thanks."

Karen was enjoying the ride, listening to Whitney share some of her adventures in Chicago. Her partner spoke with such vivid imagery, it was easy to picture the stories she related.

"You've been kinda quiet." Whitney wondered if Karen ever got tired of listening to her. Her lover hadn't said hardly anything since they'd left the house.

"Just listening to you." Karen glanced over at Whitney, smiling. "So what'd Bonnie want?"

Now how do I put this delicately? Whitney decided a low-key approach would be best. "Just to warn me of the dangers of fraternization."

Karen turned her head sharply, trying to read the meaning behind her lover's words as her stomach sank. She directed her attention back to the road. "Does she suspect anything?"

"Relax. It's okay." Whitney rested her hand lightly on Karen's thigh. "She knows…" Feeling her partner's leg tense, Whitney quickly added, "She was just worried because you're an NCO. She and Julie are a couple."

Karen wasn't particularly surprised that they were together. She'd suspected as much. "Do they have a problem with that?" It was one thing to be involved in a same sex relationship, but quite another to breach the ranks.

"At first, but I think she's okay with it, now. She said if we ever needed a cover, they'd provide it." Whitney smiled. "I told her we'd do the same."

"How'd she know?" Karen knew they'd been careful, and this bothered her because the outcome could've been different.

"Cuz she's so nosy." Whitney repeated that part of her conversation with Bonnie, wincing at the disgusted expression on her partner's face.

Karen knew this was only the beginning. Whitney's comings and goings were bound to raise curiosity in anyone who noticed them, so Bonnie's actions weren't surprising. She was once again hit by a strong resentment of their situation. I don't want to live like this. So why don't you do something about it?

"Hey." Whitney had watched Karen's face take on a distant expression, and wished her partner were more talkative. "Wanna share?"

"Just thinking about how much I hate my life being under a microscope."

Whitney smiled gently. "Karen, we are in the military."

"I know," Karen replied thoughtfully. Deciding to change the subject, she glanced at Whitney, and smiled. "When's Nana sending another care package?"

Whitney chuckled. "Soon, I hope. You got most of the last one."

"I did not! I only had two of each. You ate the rest."

Whitney chuckled. She had eaten most of the cookies. "Guess I'll have to tell her to send more next time."

"Sounds good."

They spent the rest of the drive talking companionably, arriving at the restaurant right on time for their reservations.

As they followed the waitress to their table, Karen ignored the overt stares of other patrons, having eyes only for her beautiful partner. At her request, they were seated at a corner table. She waited for Whitney to be seated, and then lowered herself into the chair that had been pulled out for her next to her lover.

Whitney looked around the restaurant, smiling delightedly. The lights were lowered, adding to the intimate, romantic feeling that suffused the small room. The walls were adorned with antique looking seafaring pictures, and various sundry ship paraphernalia added charm to the atmosphere. "This is really nice."

"I thought you'd like it."

After looking at the menu, Whitney decided she was going to try the oven baked scampi. "What are you gonna have?"

"Swordfish." It was a favorite Karen rarely indulged in, having been spoiled early on by being introduced to the delectable entrée in the company of her aunt at one of Chicago's more exclusive restaurants.

"I've never tried that. I heard it was an acquired taste."

"Not so much so if you order it at one of the better restaurants. You can try mine." Karen smiled warmly. "I've got to make a quick trip to the restroom." She'd purposely waited until it was about time for their waitress to return to take their order.

Whitney turned sideways in her chair, watching Karen move fluidly through the room until she was out of sight. She didn't miss the looks that followed her partner and had to stop herself from glaring at the offenders. Whitney shook her head realizing how silly she was being. People were going to look at Karen. She was drop dead gorgeous, and dressed to kill, too. She smiled to herself. Dream on. She's mine.

Gracefully lowering herself back into the chair, Karen smiled. "Did you order yet?"

"Yeah. I didn't know what you wanted to drink, so I ordered us coffee for now. Do you want to order wine or something?"

Karen smiled as she saw a waiter moving towards their table with the champagne she'd ordered. She smiled at the delighted look on her partner's face. "This okay?"

"It's great." Whitney took a glass from the server, waiting until he moved away. "So that's where you went."

"Yeah. I thought we should celebrate our first date in style." She lifted her glass and touched her lover's. "To us."

Whitney sipped the bubbly drink and set her glass on the table. "You're so sweet." She grinned as Karen's faced reddened. "Well, you are."

Karen was saved from answering when their waitress appeared with their salads, which were followed a short time later by their entrees.

"What do you plan on doing when you get out of the military?"

Whitney met the curious eyes regarding her as she finished chewing. "I'd like to work as a news analyst for a newspaper or maybe a news agency like CNN and eventually work my way up. Maybe even to be a reporter. I minored in journalism and loved it."

"You'd be good. Your personality is perfect for that." Karen set her fork down, unable to eat any more of the large portion she'd been served.

"What about you? Have you ever thought about what you'd do after retiring?"

"I never used to. I figured I'd do thirty years so there didn't seem much point in worrying about it." Karen's eyes took on a distant look. "It'd have to be something independent. Starting in some entry level job doesn't cut it." She grinned. "I wouldn't mind starting my own business."

"Doing what?" Whitney took a sip of coffee, regarding her companion curiously.

"Corporate security maybe. That's a wide-open field. Dunno for sure."

"How come you never went to OCS?"

"By the time I got my degree, I was already an NCO. I was being slotted in positions higher than my rank, and my career was on a fast track." Karen shrugged. "I couldn't see giving that up to start all over again down at the bottom."

Whitney could see where that idea would not appeal to her lover. She was a natural leader, and wore the power of her rank well. "What's your degree in? It wasn't in your personnel file."

"I have a double major. Computer science and criminal justice."

Whitney grinned. "That's quite a combination."

"I wanted something I might be able to use someday. Computers seemed like a good choice. The technology opens a new criminal arena."

Karen suddenly looked over Whitney's head and grinned. "Isn't this place a little too classy for you?"

Whitney turned her head curiously, just as an amused rumble floated from behind her.

"What do you know? Never thought I'd see you outta fatigues, Hardcore."

Whitney chuckled. Hardcore? Now that's precious.

Karen glanced at Whitney. "This is Sandy Billings. Once known as Colonel." Directing her eyes to the newcomer, she added, "Sandy, this is Whitney Gordon, a friend of mine."

"Pleased to meet you."

Whitney returned the tall muscular man's greeting. He was good looking in a rugged sort of way, with sandy colored hair falling onto his forehead and twinkling blue eyes. She watched him pull out a chair, and make himself comfortable.

"How's business?" Talk about coincidences. She'd spent an hour searching futilely for his website that afternoon, and now here he was.

"Good. My offer still stands. Not that I ever expect you to take me up on it." Sandy looked across the room. "Told my wife I'd only be gone a minute. Nice to meet you, Whitney. Good seeing you, Karen." He handed her a card. "Just in case."

Karen took the card and grinned. "You never know."

"Who's he?" It was obvious to Whitney that Karen liked the outgoing stranger.

"He was one of my course instructors. Kind of a long story about how we got to be friends. How 'bout I tell you on the way home?"

"Okay."

Karen moved her leg against Whitney's under the table, smiling at the return pressure. "We should get going if we're gonna make that movie on time."

"Right." Whitney's eyes sparkled alluringly. "Wouldn't want to miss that now, would we?"

"You keep that up, and we're going to." Karen tried to slow her racing heart.

Whitney captured Karen's gaze and moved a hand to her leg, glad for the long tablecloth. "Would that be such a bad thing?" She trailed her fingertips teasingly across her partner's thigh, smiling with satisfaction as the blue orbs darkened.

"You are a tease." Karen winked, lowering her voice a notch. "Wanna go home?"

Her words were innocent enough, but the look on Karen's face and her sexy voice sent shivers through Whitney. "Sounds like more fun than a movie."

Karen stood, and pulled out Whitney's chair. "Does, doesn't it."

Movie plans abandoned, Karen and Whitney hastened to the car, eager to reach the privacy of their home.

Karen settled back in her chair after hanging up the phone, grinning with anticipation. Finally. She'd pushed the impending mission to the back of her mind over the weekend, wanting to fully enjoy her time alone with Whitney. This morning it had jumped back to the forefront of her thoughts, and Bruce's call had been almost a relief.

She pulled a map of Ft. Bragg out of her drawer, spreading it open on her desk. The target was a supply room across post, and the burglary was to take place at 0300 on Wednesday morning. Only two more days before that bastard goes down. After locating the company Bruce had indicated, Karen stood up and walked down the hall to brief Whitney and Gary.

The rest of the day passed quickly, with each of the sections conducting safety classes in preparation for arms qualification later that week. Karen monitored several classes, assessing the different training techniques her subordinates were employing and making mental notes about areas they could improve on.

Whitney spent her day with Gary, going over the training schedule and studying company SOP for the firing range. She, Karen, and Gary had visited Richard after lunch, and she'd been pleased to find out he was being discharged that afternoon.

The XO was glad when quitting time rolled around, looking forward to spending a quiet evening with Karen. She knew how much her partner was looking forward to catching Jordan and his crew, but the whole thing filled her with trepidation. Whitney shook off the thoughts. She'd talk to Karen about her concerns later.

Karen had told her she would be cooking tonight, and Whitney was curious as to what her lover had in mind. She had insisted on going grocery shopping the day before, and the refrigerator now looked like someone actually lived there.

After arriving home, Karen immediately began preparing dinner. Spaghetti was one of her favorite dishes, and her aunt had taught her an old family recipe that was delicious. She tossed a pound of ground chuck into the frying pan, and added her own concoction of herbs and spices to the spaghetti sauce she was preparing in a separate pan. She turned it on low and left the kitchen to change her clothes.

When Whitney walked into the kitchen, she raised both eyebrows skyward. Karen was standing at the stove with an old-fashioned potato masher, steadily squashing something in the skillet. She walked over to the stove and started chuckling when she peered into the skillet. "Now that's original."

"Best way to do it." Karen set the masher down once she was satisfied that the ground chuck was broken up enough. She leaned down and kissed her lover. "So, how'd your day go?"

"Boring. How about yours?"

"Same. I'm supposed to meet Major Lewis at 0930 tomorrow to review our strategy for Wednesday morning."

"I wish you weren't going. The MPs can handle it." Whitney knew Karen was fully capable of taking care of herself, she seen her in action, but that didn't lessen her fear. She knew that desperate people did unexpected things, and the leader of this theft ring had no qualms about removing people who got in his way. And if Jordan was any indication, the people that worked for him didn't either.

Karen put her arm around Whitney. "Don't worry. They'll never know what hit them." Wanting to further allay her lover's concern, she added, "I won't take any unnecessary chances." I'm just gonna make sure that bastard goes down.

The evening passed quickly, and Whitney suggested they retire early. She knew Karen would never sleep before the operation early Wednesday morning, and Whitney wanted to be sure that her lover was well rested.

***

Karen snagged her hat on the way out the door, relieved that the workday was finally over. She'd been like a caged animal, and couldn't remember a day ever passing so slowly.

Her meeting with Major Lewis had gone well. Tilford had indicated that the thieves worked in groups of five, plus Jordan. When queried about weapons, he indicated that he'd never carried one on a job, but couldn't speak for the others. Since Bruce wouldn't be a player once they made their appearance, Karen agreed with Lewis' decision to limit their team to five, with the two of them as insurance.

Reconning the supply room had been incredibly simple, because the targeted unit had been away from garrison performing common task testing at the posting training facility. Karen had suggested that they place personnel at a couple of strategic points on the street near the compound, along with planting two of their members inside of the supply room. The last MP would be stationed out of sight near the rear entrance. Karen would've liked another soldier at that entrance, but that would most probably be their entry point, and neither she nor Lewis wanted to do anything that would cause the theft attempt to be aborted. Karen found herself liking Lewis, and was pleased to find that she had already procured a key to the targeted supply room. Now that the strategy had been planned, there was nothing to do but wait.

Despite the planned early morning mission, Karen and Whitney still intended to spend the evening together. Whitney stopped at the BOQ as she did every night to change clothes. She was not about to take any chances by arriving at Karen's house in uniform. Donning a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved blouse, she noticed that the message light was blinking on her answering machine.

She played the message back and smiled at the familiar voices of Nana and her parents. Whitney didn't blame them for wondering what had happened to her. Since joining the military, she'd usually called home a couple of times a week. Lately, it hadn't even been once a week. She picked up the phone and dialed, smiling when her mother answered.

Arriving back at her house following the lengthy planning session, Karen quickly changed out of her uniform and sat down at the computer. She'd been meaning to take a look at Sandy's website to learn more about just exactly what he was doing. He'd told her he was into corporate security of all kinds, and she wanted to see what he'd branched off into during the last few years.

She smiled as she recalled their meeting almost ten years before. He'd been head honcho of the only test course in stealth and survival that allowed women to participate. Karen had been the only woman who'd passed the rigorous physical testing for entrance into the program, and she'd known at the outset that allowing women had just been PC. Sandy hadn't been pleased to have a woman in the ranks, and had done his best to weed her out. Karen chuckled, remembering just how determined she'd been to complete the course.

By the time graduation rolled around, she and Sandy had a healthy respect for each other. Karen wasn't sure who was more proud that she'd finished at the top of her class--Sandy or herself.

Their graduation party in July of 1990 had been interrupted when Karen and her classmates were issued orders for Iraq. She remembered the anticipation she'd felt at getting a chance to put her new skills to the test.

Karen returned stateside after being injured helping her five-member team escape when they'd been trapped behind enemy lines. She unconsciously nodded her head, thinking about that night. Sandy and two senior NCO's had been injured, so she'd taken charge. Got them out, too.

Leaving her thoughts behind, she copied Sandy's email addy from his card, and hit 'send' on the note she'd typed. She heard a car pull into her driveway and got up to go greet her partner.

Whitney entered the kitchen and smiled at her tall lover. "Hi."

"Hi, yourself." Karen pulled Whitney close, relishing the contact after spending another day at work where feigned disinterest and professional decorum had to be maintained. She shared a kiss with her partner before releasing her. "How 'bout leftovers so we don't have to bother cooking."

"Sounds like a plan." Whitney grinned. "Gotta love microwaves."

"I hear you."

A short time later, Whitney finished her spaghetti and smiled warmly. "This is even better than it was yesterday."

"Thanks." Karen tried to will away the blush that was creeping across her face, and knew she'd failed when Whitney started chuckling.

"I love it when you blush." Whitney started laughing again at the incredulous look on her partner's face.

"Why?"

Whitney's face became serious. "When I first met you, everything about you was so controlled. I was always wondering what you were really thinking or feeling." She smiled gently. "You never gave a thing away. Then, the first time you blushed, I remember how you tried to hide it, but to me it meant so much." Her eyes reflecting love for the woman sitting across from her, she continued, "I knew then that I had to try harder to find the woman behind that mask."

Karen felt a warm glow embrace her as she searched Whitney's eyes finding nothing there but love. She reached across the table and laid her hand on her partner's. "I'm glad you did, because now I'm the luckiest woman in the world."

The simple, but heartfelt words of her lover reached Whitney's very soul, strengthening the connection she'd felt between them from the moment she'd laid eyes on Karen. "So am I."

Whitney got up, walked around the table, and stopped behind her partner's chair. She draped her arms around Karen's neck and leaned down kissing her on the cheek. "I love you."

Turning sideways in her chair, Karen looked up at Whitney. She held out her arms, encircling her partner once she was settled comfortably in her lap. "I love you, too."

"I was thinking."

Karen took in the serious expression on Whitney's face, and became uneasy. "About what?"

"Since Bonnie found out about us so easily, anyone could. You've got a lot of time in. I don't want our relationship to end your career."

"And I don't want my career to end our relationship. We've been discreet. Bonnie only found out 'cuz she was looking for something." Karen knew this to be true, but understood her partner’s concern.

Worried green eyes looked at Karen. "But what if someone else does? Someone less open minded?" This had bothered Whitney ever since Bonnie had confronted her.

"Whit, you have a career, too." Karen’s face reflected her own concerns. "The Army would be much harder on you because you're an officer. That's what I worry about."

Smiling at Karen's abbreviated use of her name, Whitney was touched by her partner's concern. "You don't have to worry about that. These four years are just a steppingstone for me. It's different for you."

Karen nodded and met the sparking green orbs. "Remember when I told you that you're worth the risk?" When Whitney nodded, she continued, "I meant that." She kissed her lover deeply trying to convey the strength of her love. "I think about it sometimes, too. But when I do, I think about how I'd feel without you." She hugged Whitney and could feel their hearts beating as one. Her voice husky, she quietly added. "It's no contest."

Whitney found herself speechless as Karen's words caressed her heart, enveloping her with a sense of contentment and well-being like none she'd ever felt before. She drew her lover into a soft kiss that grew in intensity as she felt her soul reach out to Karen's. "Umm. I was thinking maybe we should go to bed early since you have to be up at midnight."

"Okay." Karen didn't need a second invitation, and felt her slowing heart begin to race again. She knew it wasn't even 1900. That left a lot of time for sleep…later.

***

Karen quickly reached over, shutting the alarm off. She kissed Whitney on the forehead before softly calling her name. When sleepy green eyes fluttered open, she smiled. "Time to get up."

"It's midnight already?"

"Uh huh. I'm gonna take a quick shower." Karen swung her legs over the bed and gracefully rose to her feet, clearing the doorway within seconds.

Whitney rubbed her eyes as she sat up, fully awake. She made her way to the kitchen and started coffee brewing. Caffeine sounded really good to her right now. Besides, she wanted her partner fully alert to deal with those dangerous thugs. Whitney chuckled to herself. Yeah, like Karen needs any coffee. She hadn't missed the eager, fluid movement of her partner as she departed the bedroom.

A short time later, both women were fully dressed and sitting across from each other at the kitchen table drinking coffee.

"I'll follow you in, then head over to the armory."

Glancing at the clock, Whitney nodded. She knew SGT Lloyd was meeting Karen at the armory at 0045 so she could draw her weapon before meeting Major Lewis at 0100. "What time are you guys gonna head over there?"

"We're going to be in place by 0200. We don't want to take any chances, in case they get there early." Karen glanced at her watch. "We'd better get going."

Whitney joined her partner near the door, and met Karen's lips for a quick kiss. "Be careful, okay?"

"I will. I'll call you when we're done. You're gonna get some sleep, right?"

Get real! How am I supposed to go to sleep worrying about you? "Okay." Whitney walked out the door, got in her car and turned to wave. She felt a chill at the sight of her partner. The warm, loving woman was gone, and in her place stood a predator who looked more dangerous then the prey she would be seeking. At that moment, Whitney almost felt sorry for the thieves, but not quite.

***

Karen lay flat on the roof of the short, squat building facing the supply room, resting comfortably on her elbows. She'd picked her location precisely because it was near the rear entrance to the compound, which--in her mind--was the most likely avenue of a successful escape should the thieves be alerted to their presence.

She looked around, satisfied that none of their team could be spotted. Two MP's were inside the supply room, and had been instructed to remain out of sight until equipment was actually being carried out of the building. Two other soldiers were hidden on the street near the front entrance--one under a dumpster, and the other in a parked car. Lewis was inside a building adjoining supply with an unobstructed view of the doorway; and the last soldier was hidden in a car near the rear entrance.

The first sergeant glanced at her watch. It was 0245. Bruce had told them that Jordan would drive a van up to the supply room door and remain on watch outside while the vehicle was loaded. Karen's only regret was that she wouldn't have the pleasure of subduing Jordan herself. Now that would've been fun. At least he'll be punished for his actions. Richard had already provided Legal with a deposition implicating Jordan in her accident, and Karen had been pleased to hear he'd been offered immunity for his testimony in light of the attempt on his life.

Karen continually scanned the area as she relaxed on her rooftop perch. Her eyes passed over the grappling hook and rope that was already tightly secured to the rooftop. She didn't plan on being caught short if she needed to exit the roof quickly.

One lesson she'd learned well in her stealth and survival course was the value of patience. She knew that very often the element of surprise was the determining factor in the success or failure of a covert operation. At the sound of an approaching vehicle, Karen glanced to the right and smiled grimly as a van slowly turned into the supply compound.

She could feel adrenaline speed through her body, as taut muscles prepared to react within nanoseconds of receiving her brain's command to do so. Karen watched five people stealthily exit the van before melting into the darkness around the building. A dull thud and the tinkling sound of glass hitting the pavement heralded their progress, and within a few minutes she saw the doorway opened from within.

Karen squinted, trying to ascertain the driver's identity as he emerged from the van once the supply room door was open. The distance was too great for a positive ID, but his build was similar to Jordan's.

Suddenly, with her peripheral vision, Karen caught sight of a vehicle pulling against the curb on the street not far from her vantage point. Her eyes took on a dangerous glint as she simultaneously kept her main focus on the car on the street and watched the proceedings near supply.

She tracked the progress of the lone individual emerging from the car and moving stealthily towards her location. Karen quickly determined that the figure was male, and her eyes narrowed when she realized it was Jordan. The sonofabitch brought his own getaway car.

Glancing quickly towards the supply room, Karen noted that equipment was being carried out and loaded into the van. She knew it was only a matter of seconds before Lewis would give the signal to move in and arrest the criminals. Karen willed her superior to wait until Jordan was far enough into the compound to be apprehended along with the others, but she knew there was no way Lewis could see him, and they were on strict radio silence.

A short burst of static signaled the start of the operation, and Karen silently cursed that her thoughts had gone unheard. She grabbed the rope and rappelled down the side of the building, jumping the last few feet to the ground. She whirled around in time to see Jordan emerge from the shadows and cold cock an unsuspecting MP with the butt of a handgun before he took off running.

Karen was off and sprinting as she hit the ground, and quickly accelerated to within reaching distance of Jordan. Her arm snaked out and she grabbed his shoulder, getting a handful of shirt. Tightening her hold, she jerked back, stopping his forward progress.

Jordan dropped his shoulder allowing the shirt to fall from his arm. Turning to face Karen, he drew his gun out with his opposite hand and aimed it at her. His eyes reflected shock when he recognized his pursuer, and in that minute fraction of time when his control wavered, Karen knocked the gun away, ignored the loud sound of a bullet being discharged as his finger depressed the trigger, and drove a fist into Jordan's solar plexus. When he gasped for air, she put the weight of her body behind a blow to his chin and watched dispassionately as his limp body impacted against the ground.

Her knuckles turned white, the only indication of the war she was fighting against her desire to watch his head bounce against the pavement a few more times. He could've killed Whitney. The thought conjured up an image of her lover's smiling, gentle face, and with it came the sure knowledge of just what Whitney's reaction to excessive violence on her part would be, so she quickly quelled the urge.

Karen glanced up as Major Lewis and two other MP's came running up with their weapons drawn. She nodded towards the ground. "He won't be any problem."

Major Lewis grinned. "I knew we had you along for a reason. We've got the rest of them in the compound." Smiling, she added, "Guess I'd better radio for an ambulance. What'd you hit him with? A sledgehammer?"

Karen looked at the bruised knuckles on her hand. "Nope. But he hit the ground hard enough to rattle his brains."

Once Jordan was loaded into an ambulance, Karen joined the other MP's and helped them transport their prisoners to a confinement facility on post. She then accompanied Major Lewis to MP Headquarters, and began filling out a report chronicling her activities during the undercover operation.

Karen sighed when Lewis handed her two additional forms that had to be completed because Jordan had been injured. She glanced at her watch and was surprised it was already 0530. Pulling the phone sitting near a corner of the desk towards her, she quickly dialed Whitney's number. Karen smiled at the sound of her lover's voice. "Hi."

Whitney breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been unable to sleep and had become increasingly worried when Karen hadn't called. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Can't say the same for Jordan. He ended up in the hospital with a concussion. I would've called you sooner, but didn't want to wake you up."

"Um, Karen?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time, don't be so considerate." Whitney's tone was gentle, but her meaning was clear.

Karen unconsciously nodded. "You stayed up, didn't you?"

"I couldn't sleep without knowing you were okay."

You didn't make any points today, kiddo. "I'm sorry."

Whitney's tension faded away. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're all right."

"I'm not gonna make PT or breakfast. I'll see you at the company."

"Okay. See you then." Whitney hung up the phone and sank down onto the bed. She was already dressed for PT, but dreaded it--since she'd gotten very little sleep and hadn't run in two weeks.

Karen finished a little earlier than she'd expected and arrived at the orderly room before anyone else. She sank down into her chair and looked at the inbox disinterestedly. The adrenaline had faded from her body, and tired, she was already looking forward to getting off. She shook her head in amusement. It's gonna be one hell of a long day.

She looked up when she heard the door open, then returned her attention to a memo on her desk when the distinctive sound of Gary's footsteps reached her ears. Karen had hoped it was Whitney.

"Top."

"Captain." Karen grinned at her CO as she completed their ritual morning greeting.

"Go home."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I just talked to Major Lewis. Go get some sleep."

"I'm fine. It's not the first time I went out on a night operation."

"Get out of here. That's an order. And I don't want to see you until tomorrow." Gary was having a hard time maintaining a straight face as Karen rolled her eyes at him.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and Karen?" When she turned back towards him, he continued, "You did a great job. I heard Jordan would've gotten away if you hadn't spotted him and subdued him." He grinned. "Just remind me not to ever make you mad."

Karen grinned back. "Keep that thought."

Gary shook his head, laughing as he watched her exit the building.

***

Whitney had to stop herself from taking the steps to the orderly room two at a time. She knew Karen was okay, but would feel better when she actually saw her partner. Her plan to arrive early had been circumvented when Bonnie found out she wasn't eating with Karen that morning. The officer had insisted that Whitney accompany her and Julie to breakfast.

When she glanced in Karen's office and saw it was empty, Whitney continued down the hall to her own office, disappointed. Her schedule included monitoring classes in both Commo and Motor Pool, limiting her chances of seeing Karen once the workday started. She was surprised when the phone rang. "Lt Gordon."

"Hi. It's me. Gary ordered me home for the day. Just wanted you to know."

Whitney smiled into the phone. "Good for him. See you later."

She hung up the phone, and walked out of her office to attend work formation.

After sleeping most of the morning, Karen got up and straightened the house. She checked her email, pleased to find that Sandy had already answered her. Karen responded, asking for clarification on some of the information he'd provided, and sent it off.

Karen knew Whitney would be tired since she'd hadn't gotten any sleep last night either, and decided to go pick up Chinese food for dinner. On the way home, she made a quick detour to the post flower shop and purchased a dozen long stemmed red roses. She smiled, imagining her partner’s reaction.

Gary returned from Battalion and entered his office, slamming the door behind him. He threw a fax onto his desk, sinking into his chair. What am I supposed to say to Whitney? Goddamn it anyway. I don't even want to think about talking to Karen tomorrow. He ran a hand through his hair. Might as well get it over with.

Whitney was just walking out her door when the phone rang. She frowned at it and walked over, picking it up. "Lt Gordon."

"I need to meet with you."

"Okay." Whitney hung up deep in thought. Gary had been all business. She tried to think of anything she might have done incorrectly, and came up blank. A sense of foreboding filled her as she walked to his office.

Whitney left the orderly room a short time later and drove her car to the BOQ on automatic pilot. Her world was turning upside down. This can't be happening. Not now. Not when things are going so well. We've been so careful to be discreet, and now this. The Army isn't fair.

Disjointed thoughts continued to float through her mind as she opened the door to her room and threw herself onto the bed, tears spilling down her face. What's going to happen now? What will Karen think? No answers were forthcoming as Whitney tried to will the tears away. She couldn't let her partner see her like this.

Karen looked at the clock for the third time in the last half hour. Whitney was running later than usual. No problem. We can always nuke the food. She smiled as she heard her lover's car pull into the garage, picked up the bouquet of roses and went to greet her.

Glancing in the car mirror, Whitney decided she'd done the best she could to hide the traces of her tears. She lay what had been a cold washcloth on the seat of her car, and quickly rearranged her hair before alighting.

Whitney was just about to open the door into the house when it swung open. Framed in the doorway, her tall, svelte, beautiful lover stood, looking at her with a warm smile and holding out a bouquet of gorgeous red roses. She felt her resolve slip away as her eyes filled with tears.

Karen's stomach plummeted as she wrapped her arms around Whitney and backed into the house. She laid the roses on the table and placed one hand on her partner's head, holding her tightly against her body hoping to offer comfort through contact. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Whitney answered in a barely audible, hoarse voice. "The Army's not fair." Her voice hitched on the last word, as she struggled to keep the tears from spilling over.

"What do you mean?" Karen's heart began beating erratically, and she held her breath waiting for Whitney to explain.

"Gary just gave me this." Whitney held out a folded piece of paper and waited for Karen to take it.

Karen held the unopened paper in her hand. "Come on. Let's go sit down." She led her partner over to the couch, placing her arm around Whitney's shoulders once they were seated.

She unfolded the piece of paper and began reading, then dropped it onto the coffee table as she mulled over the contents. Due to an Army-wide reduction in force, and an excess of military intelligence officers, Whitney's status had been changed from reserve officer on active duty to inactive reserve for the remainder of her military commitment. Karen knew that the likelihood of someone who was assigned to the inactive reserves being called back to active duty was slim to none. In other words, her lover would be a civilian in two short weeks.

Whitney is right, it isn't fair, but then, when is the Army fair? Karen sighed inwardly. Her own stomach had tightened with emotion, but she forced her voice to remain light, and soothing as she searched for something positive to say. "You said the Army was only a steppingstone. You can start your own career now. Is that really so bad?"

"If I hadn't met you, I'd be thrilled. But, I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you. I just don't know how I'm going to support myself and pay back my college loan with any job I might find in this town."

The full ramifications of Whitney's words lifted the dark cloud that had started to envelop Karen. Fayetteville had little to offer anyone job-wise, let alone someone with Whitney's career aspirations; yet she wanted to stay here with her anyway, worrying instead about money.

"Don't cry. We'll figure something out." Karen wanted to assure her lover that money wasn't a problem. She had more than enough to support them both, but it was unfair to ask Whitney to stay there with her indefinitely.

Karen's words had been gentle, but they'd been spoken with conviction, and Whitney felt some of her tension fade. Worried green eyes met sincere blue orbs, and she nodded. "We have to."

"We will. I'm gonna get you a washcloth." A hand on her arm stopped Karen.

"I'll go." Whitney smiled ruefully. "I need a little more than a washcloth."

Karen watched her partner leave the room, then walked over to the bay window. She gazed out, seeing nothing as thoughts ran rampant through her mind. It's decision time. So what are you gonna do? A short moment later, she squared her shoulders and turned away from the window. What I would've done a long time ago, if I had had any reason to do it.

She walked into the kitchen and fixed a plate of Chinese food for Whitney, placing it in the microwave. Opening a cupboard, Karen searched for something to put the roses in, finally settling on a clear plastic pitcher. Should've bought a vase, too. She set them on the table, removed her partner's plate from the microwave, and then inserted another for herself.

Karen turned as Whitney entered the kitchen, and smiled. "You'll feel better if you eat something."

Whitney looked at the long stemmed roses and almost choked up again. She walked over and hugged Karen. "No one ever gave me roses before. Thank you. They're beautiful." She tightened her arms around her lover. "I love you so much."

Resting her chin on her partner's head, Karen knew with certainty that the small woman she was embracing was everything she could ever want in life. Careers were important, but they could be replaced. The love she shared with Whitney couldn't be. "You're welcome, sweetheart." She lowered her head, looking into her partner's eyes. "I love you, too." She gently brushed her lips against Whitney's before releasing her.

Whitney still didn't know what she was going to do, but her spirits had lifted considerably, and she smiled as she looked at her food. "You got Chinese."

"Special dinner for a special woman." Karen grinned as her lover's face reddened.

The rest of dinner was relatively quiet. Whitney made a few attempts at small talk, but her heart wasn't in it.

Karen tried to keep their conversation light, but her thoughts were focused on the discussion she wanted to have with Whitney after dinner. She had a lot of things she needed to discuss with her lover.

A short time later, they were both settled comfortably on the couch. Out of habit, Karen clicked on the TV, selecting CNN. She frowned as a story on the military’s reduction in forces headlined the news, and hit the mute button on the remote.

She looked down at Whitney, placing her hand over the smaller woman's. "I want to talk to you about something."

Whitney met the serious blue eyes tentatively. "Okay."

"I'm not going to reenlist." Karen’s delivery had been quiet and matter of fact and the reaction to it was instantaneous.

Whitney flew to her feet, stunned. "No! You can't sacrifice your career over this." She crossed her arms and met Karen's eyes. "You've got too much invested. It doesn't make sense." Whitney's expression still reflected disbelief as she searched her lover's face trying to understand her motivations by carefully scrutinizing her features. "You're doing this because of me, aren't you?"

Karen gently placed her hand on her partner's arm, urging her to sit back down, and placed a finger on her mouth. "Shssh. Let me talk. Please?"

Whitney bit off the protests that were tumbling unchecked from her mouth, and nodded.

"There have always been things that I didn't like about being in the Army. Mostly, I tried not to think about them, and whenever possible, I did what I could to make things better for the soldiers I led. But I wasn't doing the things I dreamed about as a kid. It was just half a life."

Karen smiled warmly. "Then I met you. You showed me the difference between existing and living. You taught me that love is real." She lifted Whitney's hand to her mouth and kissed it. "I've never been so happy. I want to walk openly down the street with you and let the whole world see us together. I'm proud to have you for a partner, and I don't want to stay in a career that won't accept that."

Whitney was wrapped in the warmth of Karen's words, but she had to make her partner see reason. "You'd be throwing your career away. You've only got to put in seven more years before you retire. "You wouldn't be thinking like this if I hadn't gotten that letter."

Kissing Whitney on the forehead, Karen stood up and held out her hand. "Come on. I want to show you something." She led the smaller woman to the bedroom, powered on her PC, and pulled out the stool. "Go ahead and sit down."

"Okay." Whitney sat on the stool and felt her partner move to stand behind her. She watched as Karen worked the mouse, bringing up her email program and then clicking on a folder titled 'Sandy.' Once it was open, her lover clicked on the first post. "Read that."

Whitney leaned back into her partner, once she'd read all of the posts that Karen had opened. She exhaled deeply, realizing the import of what she was seeing. "You've already been thinking about this."

"Um hum. I was going to have to do some major research to try and find Sandy, but it seems like it was meant to be. Lucky coincidence that we ran into him Saturday night."

Whitney looked back over her shoulder at her tall, dark lover. "You're excited about this, aren't you?"

"Well, the idea of working as an independent contractor in any city I want, choosing the cases I want to work, and being my own boss is kind of attractive." Karen grinned. "So where do you want to live?"

Whitney found herself caught up in Karen's enthusiasm, but there was still one big thing bothering her. "What if you don't like it? I'd hate it if you ended up resenting me for pushing you into this decision."

Karen understood her partner’s concern and spoke reassuringly, "I could never resent you. And you're not pushing me into this. It was time for me to make a decision. Besides, if I don't like this, I'll find something that I do like. The important thing is for us to be together." She squeezed her lover's shoulder. "I want to show you something else."

The small woman followed her lover out of the bedroom and into her workout room, watching as Karen opened the closet door and pulled out a box. When Karen sat on the floor, Whitney joined her, curious to see what treasures were hidden in the cardboard container.

Opening the box, Karen smiled. "This is my military career." She began removing one item at a time, explaining the history behind each before laying it beside her on the floor.

Whitney learned more about her partner's career in the few hours they spent together on the floor than she'd gleaned since their first meeting. To say she was impressed would be a major understatement. "And you want to leave all this behind?"

"But that's the point." Karen scooted closer to Whitney and draped an arm across her shoulders. "My whole adult life fits neatly into that small box. Thirteen, very lonely, empty years."

She gestured at the contents strewn across the floor. "I'm proud of these things, but it's just not enough anymore. It never really was. I want more out of life than a box full of medals and awards. You made me realize that."

Whitney's heart melted as her fears and doubts faded away. She met Karen's mouth for a sweet, lingering kiss. "How about Chicago?"

Karen grinned happily. "Sounds like a plan."

***

Karen sat down on the couch, stretched her legs out and looked around at the disarray. It had only been a couple of weeks since she had decided to leave the military behind, and it seemed there was barely time to fit everything in before her discharge date.

Her term of service wasn't up until March, but she had 120 days of leave saved up, moving her discharge date back to the middle of November. She knew Gary had been disappointed with her decision to leave the Army, but she'd teased him about just wanting her around to train the incoming XO.

Whitney had processed out the previous Friday and they had immediately left for

a weekend trip to Chicago. It had been a busy, but invigorating couple of days as they looked for places to rent and visited old hangouts. Surprisingly enough, her favorite restaurant, The Odyssey was also Whitney’s.

She smiled as she thought of her partner. Whitney had gone to the grocery store to pick up some things they needed after being gone for the past couple of days. Karen could hardly wait to pass on some information she had heard while checking in on post.

It turned out that fate had awarded Donnie a fitting reward for his antiquated attitude. Karen grinned. Maybe there was some truth to the adage that what goes around comes around. She heard Whitney pull into the garage and got up to greet her and help with the groceries.

"Hi." Karen leaned down, kissed her partner and took the two grocery bags she was carrying.

Whitney retrieved the last bag and followed Karen into the house. "When did you get home?"

"’Bout a half hour ago. Hey, guess what?"

"What?" Whitney smiled at the look on Karen’s face. Whatever she wanted to share, she was obviously pleased about.

"When you were stationed at Ft. Huachuca, did you ever hear of Major Callahan?"

"Yeah. I think everyone heard of her. They say she’s an excellent officer and on the fast track up the rank structure. Why?"

"That’s pretty accurate. We were in the same company once. She’s a good officer and fair. Doesn’t take any crap and will not tolerate discrimination of any sort." Karen’s mirth filled eyes met the sparkling green ones gazing at her. "She’s been assigned as the Battalion S2."

It took only a moment for the implication of the news to sink in, and Whitney started chuckling. "Oh, that is so fair. I’d love to see Donnie’s face when she puts him in his place."

"Or puts him out of the army." Karen knew that Donnie blamed his demotion from first sergeant to master sergeant totally on her and hated his new assignment in S2. She shook her head. I wonder if he’ll ever take responsibility for his own actions. Doubt it.

Seeing the thoughtful expression on Karen’s face, Whitney asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Donnie."

Whitney made a face. "He’s not worth wasting your time on." When she had been processing out at Battalion, she had overheard him bragging to one of the other NCO’s that he had cut Karen’s drive belt.

She had told Karen, but only after getting her to promise ahead of time that she wouldn’t seek retribution for what she was going to tell her. Since then, Whitney had been uncharacteristically critical of Donnie and anything related to him.

Karen kissed Whitney. "Okay. Let’s talk about something else."

"When’s Sandy visiting?"

"He’ll be here next Thursday. I figure we could just eat here and then I’ll go over all the job specifics again. I’ll be on my own except for choosing which cases I want to take until I get my own company set up. He still wants me to work directly for him. Think I’ll pass on that, though.

"This work isn’t dangerous, is it, Karen?"

"Nah. No more than the military can be."

"Great! That’s very reassuring."

Karen pulled Whitney into a hug. "It’ll be okay. You worry too much."

"Someone has to."

Karen just grinned. Love is great.

The next week passed quickly for both women. Karen had picked up boxes from a local self-move company, choosing to pack her own things instead of having the moving company do it.

***

Whitney was engaged in packing boxes, but her thoughts were far away. She had been pleased that Uncle Sam had given her ten years to repay her loan at an unheard of three percent interest because of the abrupt termination of her military service. It had allayed some of her financial concerns because even though Karen had told her money wasn’t a problem, she still wanted to contribute equally to their partnership.

Each day she had been checking the online version of each of Chicago's newspapers and had sent off resumes to several job prospects she found interesting. It had finally paid off, and she could scarcely wait for Karen to get home so she could tell her.

"Hi, sweetheart."

Whitney looked up, startled, from the box she was packing in the living room, and smiled at her tall lover. "Hi, yourself. You're home early." She'd never even heard Karen pull in. "How'd the court martial go?"

"Quick and easy. The verdict was unanimous on Jordan. He's going to Leavenworth for a long time. He was convicted of attempted murder, assault, aggravated burglary, and some lesser Army-related charges. Serves him right."

"What about Bruce?"

"He got off lightest. His cooperation was taken into consideration, and he was given a dishonorable discharge. He's gonna have a tough time getting a job with that hanging over his head, but he's lucky he got away without serving hard time."

Karen grinned at the bits of packing material in her partner's delightfully tousled golden hair. "So how'd your day go?"

"Super!" Whitney stood up, and hugged Karen. "Guess what?"

Karen kissed her partner. "What?"

"I got a job offer, and the couple that looked at the house Thursday met our price. Their credit's already been approved, but you'll probably have to fly back to close."

Karen immediately focused on the news that she knew was most important to Whitney. "That's great! What kind of job offer?"

"A political analyst with Chicago's main daily paper. We still have the salary to negotiate and some of the perks, but it’s looking good."

"We should go out and celebrate."

"Uh, Karen, you still have a week left." She chuckled at the frown on her lover's face, and smiled alluringly. "Wanna celebrate here?"

Running her finger across one of Whitney's breasts, she winked. "What'd you have in mind?"

Whitney's pulse was already racing as she slowly ran her tongue across her lips. "You need to ask?"

Eyes dark with passion, Karen steered them towards the couch, her answer given when she met Whitney's sensuous lips for a long lingering kiss.

***

Whitney stood near the barbeque grill keeping an eye on the hamburgers sizzling on it. Karen had gone to the post and was a little late getting back.

"Did Karen manage to sell the house?" Bonnie knew they had had an offer, but hadn’t had an opportunity to talk to Whitney during the last couple of weeks.

"Yeah. She’s really happy about that. It would be a pain to have to try and sell it from Chicago. Since we’re leaving Tuesday, she’ll still have to fly back to close. If I can, I’m going to come with her. Maybe we can get together then."

"Sounds good. I’m gonna miss you."

"I’ll miss you, too, but we’re only a phone call away." Whitney had already given their new phone number to her friends.

"Don’t worry. We’ll be putting it to good use."

"Remember, if you’re ever up that way, stop by."

Julie smiled, "We just may make it a vacation pit stop now that we know someone there."

"I hope you do. I’m gonna miss you guys."

Bonnie hugged Whitney. "Well miss you, too. Heck, we’ll even miss tall, dark, and sexy."

Karen cleared her throat as she joined the group, and grinned to herself when Bonnie’s face turned bright red. "You were saying?"

"Nothing important."

Whitney laughed and winked at Karen. "She speaks the truth."

Karen could feel the color creep into her face at Whitney’s compliment and retreated back into the house calling over her shoulder, "Be right back."

She was embarrassed to be seen blushing, a response that only her young lover could elicit from her. After all, she had an image to maintain.

When their company left several hours later, Karen and Whitney were cleaning up. "Found out something interesting while I was on post. That’s why I was late getting back."

Whitney looked at Karen curiously. "Well?"

"Remember when Jordan spilled his guts about the ring leader, Sommerson?"

"Yeah. I remember you telling me about that."

"They arrested him today. The cops have known all along who he was, but they didn’t have a thing on him. So an undercover cop infiltrated his operation under the guise of a down and out GI. Made friends with some of the other guys and found out who had actually driven the car when Tilford was hit. The cops told them they would reduce the charge from attempted murder to attempted manslaughter if they told them who had ordered the hit."

"Good! I hope they throw the book at him after what he did to Tilford."

"I hear you. With all those slimeballs singing, he should end up in jail for a long time. There are rumors about some other mysterious deaths being attributed to him, too."

Whitney shuddered. "God, what a nice guy. At least he’s off the streets now."

Karen wiped off the table and tossed the dishcloth in the sink, which Whitney promptly retrieved and rinsed. "What happened to Ms Neat and Perfect?"

"She has more important things on her mind than rinsing dishcloths."

"Oh? Care to elaborate?"

Karen walked up behind Whitney and wrapped her arms around her, before planting soft moist kisses on her neck. "Um hum."

Whitney leaned back against the tall body behind her. "I think I’m glad she does."

She turned around, pulled Karen’s head down, and met the waiting lips with her own. "So what, exactly, does tall, dark, and sexy have on her mind?"

"You." And Karen proceeded to show her just that.

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