It was close to two a.m. Reese was parked on the pier, facing Commercial Street, watching the last of the visitors straggle out of town. She was looking for anyone who wasn’t fit to drive.

"Reese? You copy?" the disembodied voice of the night dispatcher called over the car radio.

"I’m here," Reese responded. "Go ahead."

"We just got a request for you to call the East End Health Clinic..."

Reese gunned the engine, flipping on her lights with one hand as she wheeled out into the street. "What’s the situation?" she questioned, her voice tight. "Is it another break-in?" She was two minutes away, and it seemed like an eternity.

"Unknown. Handle as routine."

A call from the clinic at this hour could hardly be routine, and Reese knew it. No one should even be there. It had to be Tory. Reese slammed into the lot, half-way out the door before she even had the car in park. Tory’s Jeep was the only vehicle in sight. She scanned the entire area as she raced toward the door, looking for signs of an intruder. The front door swung open just as she reached the porch. Suddenly Tory was there.

"Reese -" she began.

Reese grasped her shoulders, searching her face intently. "Are you all right?" she questioned hoarsely. She pulled Tory out of the backlit doorway as she peered into the interior of the building, automatically shielding her with her own body.

Tory was momentarily off balance and pressed both hands against Reese’s chest to steady herself. Reese’s body was tightly coiled, shimmering with tension.  "Whoa! Slow down," Tory gasped. "I’m fine." There was a fierceness in Reese’s eyes she had never seen before - a feral intensity that should have been frightening, it looked so dangerous. What Tory felt instead was closer to excitement. The powerful force of Reese’s emotional fervor was stirring.

"Reese," Tory began again, "I’m fine." As she spoke, she grasped Reese’s arms, shaking her lightly to get her attention. "I called you about a patient. Everything is all right."

Reese looked at her then, not yet accepting that she was safe. What she had felt in those few minutes when she thought Tory was in danger was completely foreign to her. Her entire life had been spent preparing for defense - in the military, in the police force, in the dojo. She was trained to confront any threat with the cold calm of a soldier. The gut wrenching near-panic she had just experienced rocked her to the core. For the first time in her life she had felt the iron grip of fear. Without conscious thought she pulled Tory to her. "Jesus," she whispered, "I thought something had happened to you."

The intensity of her embrace was more than Tory could resist, and she yielded to it. She pressed into Reese, her arms slipping around Reese’s waist.

"I’m sorry," Tory murmured, holding Reese tightly. "I only asked that they have you call me." She couldn’t seem to manage any other explanation. It was all she could do to control her own trembling. And it wasn’t from fear, but from shear overwhelming desire. With a soft moan she pressed her lips against Reese’s neck, aching with need. She clung to her while her senses raged, her mind clouded with the escalating physical arousal she couldn't contain. Oh, god, I want you so much. Her nipples stiffened, aching to be touched, and her clit expanded, screaming for contact. Her hips rocked against Reese's hard thigh, desperatelyseeking release.

"Hey, hey," Reese soothed, stroking her back gently. "I didn’t mean to scare you - ." Her own sense of relief was so intense she was shaking.

God almighty, Tory, you can't do this now!! Tory struggled for composure. With more restraint than she thought possible, she pushed away from Reese, breaking the exquisitely agonizing contact .

"Let me catch my breath," Tory said as lightly as she could manage, turning away with effort. She was on fire, and she was seconds away from touching Reese in a way that could leave no doubt about her desire. She was going to make a fool of herself.

"Tory?" Reese questioned, confused by Tory's abrupt withdrawal. She stared after her as Tory moved resolutely down the hall, putting distance between them. Reese felt the separation as more than physical. As close as they had been an instant before, a chasm stretched between them now. The pain of an old wound flickered to the surface for a searing instant, the deeply buried agony of loss. Reese automatically pushed it away. That stoicism had protected her for years and it was second nature to her now. Whatever vulnerable place Tory had unwittingly touched was safely defended once again. By the time Reese followed Tory into her office she felt nothing.

"What happened?" Reese asked.

Tory sat behind her desk, needing to get as far away as possible. She prayed she would be able to look at Reese without revealing her turmoil. Even now she was trembling with the urge to touch her. She took a deep, slightly shaky breath and pulled forth her own defenses. She had called Reese as a doctor, and that’s how she would deal with her. On that level she was safe.

"I just finished suturing a young boy’s forehead," she began, her voice sounding flat to her own ears. "He and his boyfriend were walking back to town along Route six, out near Herring Cove. Apparently they had been up in the dunes -"

"Damn," Reese muttered, intent on Tory’s story. She gave no sign of her own lingering agitation.

"They said a group of men in a truck tried to run them off the road. Someone threw a bottle at them. It struck one boy in the head. He had a nasty scalp laceration. I didn’t think I should wait until morning to tell you, in case the men in the truck are still cruising around looking for trouble." She was finally calm enough to look at Reese, and she caught her breath at the undisguised fury in Reese’s face.

"Where are the boys now?" Reese questioned in a voice taut with anger.

Tory shook her head apologetically. "I couldn’t get them to wait, Reese. I tried. They’re local kids, and they’re scared. They don’t want their parents to know about them."

"God damn it! How am I supposed to protect these kids? They won’t let me!"

Tory had a feeling that some of Reese’s frustration was motivated by her increasing concern for Brianna Parker. She knew that Reese was fond of her, and that their bond was growing as a result of their nearly daily contact in the dojo. And she also had a feeling that the outwardly tough, inwardly sensitive young girl reminded Reese of herself at that age.

"Reese, I know how hard it is for you. I’m sorry. It’s not that they don’t trust you -"

"I know you tried, Tory. You did exactly right in calling me now. Did they give you any details?" She knew better than to ask for their names. She knew Tory couldn’t breach her bond of confidentiality, and she wouldn’t put her in that position. But she felt so powerless!

"It was a pickup truck - dark blue or black. They didn’t get the make. There were at least a couple of men inside. One boy thought the truck had Massachusetts plates. It’s not much to go on."

Reese smiled thinly. "It’s a start. At least I can keep an eye out for similar vehicles, drive through that area a little more often. Maybe my presence will be a deterrent." She sighed. "It’s more than I knew an hour ago. I just hope this isn’t related to the other incidents up the Cape."

Reese studied Tory’s face in the dim light of the desktop reading light. The doctor looked drawn in a way that seemed more than simply fatigue. There was stress lines etched into the fine skin around her mouth and eyes. Her hands were shaking. Reese was aware of the long clinic hours Tory had been keeping since the summer began, but she had never seen her look quite so strained.

"What were you doing here at two o’clock in the morning?" Reese asked.

"I wasn’t here. They called the number I leave posted on the door for emergencies."

Reese stood. "You look worn out. Let me drive you home."

"I’ve got my Jeep. I’m fine."

"I’d feel better if you’d let me drive you - please," Reese said softly. She couldn’t explain it any better to herself. She simply wanted the peace of mind of knowing that Tory was safe at home.

Tory inclined her head in agreement, too exhausted emotionally and physically to argue. "Catherine can drive me to work in the morning," she conceded.

They were silent on the short ride to Tory’s home. Reese pulled up the drive beside the darkened house, flicking off her lights and killing the engine. She turned to face Tory where she sat framed in moonlight. Reese found her both beautiful and unusually vulnerable. Something instinctual stirred in her, a response at once protective and possessive.

"Something happened to me tonight when I thought you were in danger. I was—afraid," Reese confessed quietly. "All I could think was that I had to get to you. Nothing ever mattered so much-" She reached a hand tentatively to touch Tory’s hair.

Tory flinched. "Don’t Reese," she choked. "Don’t touch me right now."

Reese moved closer, her voice husky with concern. "Why? What is it?"

Tory tried unsuccessfully to contain a sob, her own conflicting feelings overpowering her defenses. "Because I want you so much it hurts, and I won’t be able to stand it if you touch me," she said in a strangled whisper. She tried to focus out the window into the darkness, searching for the familiar, anything to keep her from coming apart.

"And you think I don’t want you?" Reese rasped, her breath constricting in her chest. She was leaning so close her words ruffled Tory’s hair. Her stomach churned with emotions so powerful she ached.

"God, Reese, don’t play games with me!" Tory cried, turning to face her at last.

Reese cupped her face gently with both hands, her eyes burning into Tory’s. "I have never been more serious in my life," she breathed softly as her lips found Tory’s.

It was a kiss like none Tory had ever experienced. Questioning at first, tentatively seeking, then bolder as Reese pulled her deep into a swirling vortex of sensation, finally ending in something as tender as a prayer. Tory didn’t feel as if she had been simply kissed; she felt as if she had been worshipped. When Reese lifted her lips away, Tory cried out at the loss. Her hands were twisted in Reese’s shirtfront, and Tory clung to her, gasping.

"Where’d you learn to kiss like that?" Tory said unevenly when she could draw breath again.

Reese laughed shakily, pulling Tory against her chest, burying her face in her hair. "I have no idea where that came from. But I can tell you this. I want to do it again, and I don’t ever want to stop."

"God, you’re beautiful," Tory whispered. "And you’re scaring me to death."

"Why?" Reese questioned gently, pressing her lips to Tory’s forehead. She wrapped her arms around her, wanting to feel all of her near. Reese groaned softly, closing her eyes.

Tory trembled. "I want you to make love to me, Reese - so much I feel as if I’ll come apart if you don’t. And I’m terrified of wanting you so much. You don’t know how you make me feel-"

"I know how you make me feel," Reese said hoarsely, her hands stroking Tory's neck, her collar bones, moving closer to the full curve of her breasts with each caress. "And I know with absolute certainty that I want you."

Tory pushed away from her, although it took every ounce of her will power to do it.  She was shaking with the effort of not touching her. Her lips felt bruised, and she was swollen to the point of pain with desire. But for the sake of what little sanity she had left, she needed time. She knew instinctively that if this woman made love to her, her life would never be the same. "Reese Conlon," she whispered softly, "I do not intend to sleep with you in your patrol car."

Reese laughed unsteadily, grasping Tory’s hands to keep her near, but accepting her unspoken request for time. Every instinct in her body urged her to kiss her again, every cell cried out to touch her, but she would not unless welcomed. She brushed a kiss against Tory’s palm.

"Tell me when I can see you again," she asked frantically.

Tory tenderly brushed the dark locks back off Reese's brow, loath to let her go. "I’ll see you in the dojo, just like always," she said softly as she slipped from the car. "Now go back to work."

She watched until the red taillights disappeared around the bend toward town, fearing that Reese had just left with a piece of her heart.
 
 

"Are you just getting up, or haven’t you been to bed yet?" Catherine asked as she walked out onto the rear deck. Tory was hunched over in a canvas deck chair, her feet curled up under her. Jed lay beside her, asleep. The dawn was moments old; the tentative shafts of sunlight had yet to dispel the clouds that hung over the harbor. Catherine placed a cup of coffee in her sister’s hand and pulled a chair up beside her. She stretched her legs up to the rail and waited.

Tory sipped the hot brew gratefully, shifting from her cramped position. She must have been there for hours, but she couldn’t recall now what she had been thinking. "What time is it?" Tory asked at length.

"A little after five."

Tory groaned. "So soon?"

"I take it you’ve been out here all night?"

"Not all of it. I had a call about one."

Catherine studied her in silence. The dark circles under her eyes weren’t just from a few hours lost sleep. She had sensed something amiss with her sister since the moment she arrived.

"What’s going on, Tor?" she asked gently.

Tory’s instinctive reaction was to deny any problem. She was horrified to feel her eyes brim with tears. She was just so damn tired - of sleeping alone, of waking alone, of being alone! She passed a trembling hand across her face, desperately searching for composure.

"Talk to me, Tory. Please!" Catherine implored.

"I don’t know where to start," Tory managed.

"Is it work? You know you could use some help here -"

Tory shook her head. "No. I wish it were. That I know how to handle."

"You’re starting to scare me, Sis," Catherine said softly. "You’re not sick, are you?"

"No! No, I’m fine." She laughed a little shakily. "Actually, I’m a mess, but I’m not sick. It’s -oh, God- how can I explain this? It’s a woman. I mean, I’ve met this woman, and -and I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to do!"

Catherine regarded her intently. "How long has it been, Tor? Since there’s been someone?"

Tory fought back tears again. She fixed her gaze on the harbor, willing away the memories. "Four years - since K.T. left me."

"I still want to kill her!" Catherine muttered.

"God, I don’t want to do this again!" Tory cried.

"How serious is it?"

"I don’t know! I don’t know anything! I’m not even positive she’s gay!"

Catherine blew out a breath. "That tall, gorgeous cop."

Tory looked at her in surprise. "How did you know?"

Her sister shrugged. "Because for a minute there she made me wish I were gay. She’s charming, and sexy as hell. And because I saw the two of you dancing. She held you like you meant something to her. She held you like she cared."

"Oh, Jesus," Tory sobbed, "now you have made me cry!"

Catherine got up to search for tissues, and returned with the entire pot of coffee. "Here," she said, handing Tory the box of Kleenex. She poured them both more coffee, letting Tory shed the tears she needed to.

"Have you slept with her?" Catherine asked when Tory regained her composure.

"No," Tory admitted softly.

"Want to?"

"I hurt, I want her so badly."

"Jesus, god, Tor - does she know?"

Tory shrugged. "Not exactly. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, and then last night -" Her voice faltered as the memory of Reese’s touch stirred her like a caress.

"What!? Last night what?"

"She kissed me. I mean, we kissed - "

Catherine expelled another long sigh. "That ought to be some indication’s she’s gay, don’t you think?" she queried with just a hint of laughter in her voice. Her laughter died as a haunted look flickered across her sister’s face.

"Tory," she said gently, "tell me what’s really happening here."

Tory’s hands clenched around the clay mug while she struggled for words. Haltingly she gave voice to her fears.

"I haven’t wanted anyone in so long. I don’t mean sex." She looked away, blushing. "Although come to think of it, I haven’t wanted that either. I’ve made a good life for myself here. I’ve been happy. Now all I can think about is her. I can’t look at her without wanting to touch her. It’s like I’m another person. I don’t even recognize myself! Then, when she kissed me! It’s as if I was suddenly living someone else’s life! All I’ve been able to think about was how she made me feel, how her breath brushed against my neck, how her hands seemed to reach inside of me. I’m losing my mind!"

She stared at her sister, her expression agonized. "What if it doesn’t mean anything to her, Cath? What if it’s all a mistake? How will I bury all these feelings again?"

Catherine slid her chair closer, removing the cup from her sister’s unconscious grasp. She took Tory’s hands in hers.

"Tory - honey, you’ve been sleep walking the last four years. You think you’ve been happy, but it’s more like you’ve been numb. Those of us who love you know that. I don’t know a thing about this woman, but for her to move you like this - there has got to be something there. I don’t know if she deserves someone as wonderful as you, or even if she has the good sense to know how lucky she is that you want her. But I could kiss her myself for making you feel this way. God knows, I never want to see you hurt again, but Tory! You’re not in someone else’s life. You’ve just come back to your own!"

"I don’t know if I want these feelings, Cath," Tory whispered. "I’m afraid to trust her, afraid that I’ll be wrong again. I trusted K.T. completely, and I was so wrong!"

Catherine smiled sadly. "Some things we can’t chose,Tory. Sometimes our life just finds us."

Tory was silent a long time. At last she gave her sister a tremulous smile. "I sound like a lunatic, don’t I?"

Catherine laughed. "You sound like a woman mad with lust! What are you going to do?"

Tory grimaced. "I wish I knew. I’m almost afraid to see her again. I’m afraid I might have imagined last night. And I’m just as terrified that I didn’t!"

Catherine chose her next words carefully. "Are you in love with her?"

"I can’t think about that, Cath, I really can’t."

"You might want to before you sleep with her."

"I know," Tory whispered softly.

**********

"Brianna! Wait a minute after class, will you," Reese asked when she and the teenager finished their training.

Brianna looked uneasy, but nodded her assent. She followed Reese through the breeze way to the house.

"Sit down," Reese said, gesturing to the stool by the counter. She poured them both orange juice and took a seat next to her student.

"Bri," she began, "has anyone been hassling you, or any of your friends?"

"What do you mean?" Bri mumbled, uncertain of the conversation, still uncertain of any adult. And as fair as Reese had been, she still worked with her father!

"Is anybody giving you a hard time about being gay?"

Bri snorted in disgust. "Shouldn’t you be asking who hasn’t hassled us?"

"How? What are they doing?"

She wasn’t yet ready to believe that Reese was really on her side, as much as she wanted her to be. She tried so hard to be strong, especially when Caroline was with her. She had to be able to stand up for them, didn’t she? Deep inside she feared that if Caroline saw her uncertainty, and her vulnerability, she would leave her. Bri looked at Reese directly for the first time. Reese just looked back at her with eyes filled with concern. Bri took a deep breath, and took a chance. Sometimes it was just too hard to be alone.

"Most of the kids at school who know about us just avoid us. All of a sudden we don’t get invited any where any more. Some of them make noises when we walk by, or call us names under their breath. Nothing you can really call them on. They just make it real clear that we don’t belong. There’s not that many of us - at least not that I know about. Some of the guys are pretty obvious. You know, kind of faggoty. A couple of them have been beat up."

"Who beat them up?" Reese asked, her voice like flint.

Bri shrugged. "Some of the jocks. They were mostly showing off, I think."

"Has anyone bothered you?"

Bri looked away, shaking her head noncommittally.

"Bri?" Reese persisted gently.

"Not exactly. There’s a guy who had the hots for my girlfriend. He tried to push me around once."

Reese forced down the surge of anger. "What happened?"

"I kicked him in the balls."

Reese would have smiled if the situation weren’t so serious, and so intolerable.

"And that was that?"

Bri shrugged again, her expression nonchalant. "So far."

"Have you heard of anyone being followed, or threatened by a bunch of guys in a truck?"

"No." Bri stared at her suspiciously. "What’s going on?"

"I’m not sure anything is going on," Reese admitted. "Two boys were bothered last night by some men in a drive by thing. I’m not sure it was because the kids were gay. But it worries me. Ask around among your friends. If there’s gay bashing going on, I want to know."

"Why?" Bri asked bitterly.

"Because I won’t have it in my town," Reese said darkly.

"Yeah, wells, you’re the only one then."

"I don’t think so, Bri. There are plenty of people who wouldn’t tolerate it, your father included."

"He’s said the only reason the gays and lesbians are welcome here is because it’s so good for business!" Brianna exclaimed.

"Maybe he did say that, Bri, but that doesn’t mean he feels that way himself!"

Reese could tell the young woman remained unconvinced, but she needed to get her message across. "Bri, I want you and your friends to be careful. And I need you all to help me out. If you see or hear of anything happening, please tell me. And you’ve all got to stay out of the dunes at night."

Brianna’s face set in defiance. "Right."

"Bri -"

The teenager stood suddenly, her dark eyes flashing. "You don’t get it, do you? You act like you do, but you don’t. I want to be able to kiss my girlfriend, okay? That’s what it’s about -out there in the dunes - it’s about making love with the person you love. Do you think my father would understand that? What I want to do with my girlfriend? Do you understand?" She turned away, a cry escaping. "If I can’t make a place for us, I don’t deserve to have her!"

Reese laid her hand on the young woman’s shoulder, meaning only to offer some comfort. She was shocked when Brianna turned to her, burying her face against Reese’s chest. Bri was sobbing like a child, but Reese knew she wasn’t. She didn’t need to have experienced it herself to believe that Bri and Caroline were in love. And she had an idea what that meant for a girl like Bri. Bri would need to feel that she deserved Caroline’s devotion, and she would need to feel that she could protect her. Reese hesitated for only a second, then she gently folded the trembling youth in her arms.

"I do understand, Bri," she whispered, rocking her softly. "I understand exactly how you feel." She had only to think of Tory to know how true her words were. Would she do anything differently were she in Bri’s place? "Just give me a chance to keep you safe - please. Just give me a little time."

Bri drew a shaky breath, then stepped away self-consciously. "I’ll talk to my friends. Tell them what you said. Okay?"

Reese nodded, "It’s a start. I appreciate it, Bri. Thanks."

Bri studied her shyly. "I guess you won’t tell me if you’re gay, huh? Some kind of teacher thing."

Reese recalled Marge asking her the same thing, and her inability to give an honest answer. She thought she had a clearer answer now.

"Think of it as a cop thing," she responded lightly. "But you can believe me when I tell you I know what you’re feeling about Caroline, okay?"

Bri grinned. "I guess that’s answer enough."

Reese grinned back. "Get out of here. I’ve got to go to work."

Bri glanced at the clock as she headed for the door. "I guess Tory’s not coming today, huh?"

Reese knew without looking that it was well past the time for Tory to have arrived. She had known for some time now, she just didn’t know what it meant.
 
 

Tory came fully awake at the first ring of her bedside phone.

"Tory King," she said tersely, her pulse racing. No matter how many hundreds of times she had received these middle of the night calls, she never became immune to the sudden surge of adrenalin, wondering what challenge awaited her.

"Tory, it’s Nelson Parker. I’ve got a situation out here at Race Point, and I need you."

She was already strapping the velcro binders on her leg brace, the phone tucked between her shoulder and her ear.

"What is it?" she asked, reaching for the pair of sweats she had dropped near the bed earlier.

"Can’t say on this line," he replied in a voice taut with strain. "Just get here fast."

The line went dead as Tory tossed the receiver down.

In the middle of the night it took her less than five minutes to reach a barricade of cars crowding the parking lot below the ranger’s station at Race Point. It took her a few minutes longer to convince an unfamiliar officer that she belonged there. Officers, many of them from neighboring townships, were milling about, walkie talkies blaring. There was also an impressive array of weapons on display. The air crackled with tension. Someone finally directed her toward a clump of people crouched behind a large dune at the crest of a hill. The roar of the Atlantic just beyond was unmuted by the noises of the crowd.

She found Nelson peering down toward the beach below with night binoculars.

"Nelson!" she called, shouldering her way toward him. "What’s going on?"

He turned to her, handing the glasses to the man next to him. His face was grim.

"A Coast Guard cutter tried to board a craft running without lights a mile off shore. They were fired upon, and ended up in pursuit. They radiod us for back-up on the beach. Before we knew what was happening, the suspect ship ran aground and began firing on my people. I’ve got an officer down out there on the beach."

Tory fought to draw a breath against the crushing fear that gripped her.

"Is it Reese?" she asked in a voice that sounded foreign to her own ears. The shouts, the crowds, the occasional crack of what must be gunfire receded from her consciousness. All of her awareness fixed on his face, awaiting the words that would change her life.

"It’s Smith," he answered tightly. "Conlon’s right over there."

She looked where he pointed, almost afraid to believe him. When she recognized Reese’s unmistakable form, the rush of relief was so intense her legs threatened to desert her. Thank you God, she thought as she struggled for calm. Reese turned abruptly from the men she had been talking with, crossing the sand toward them with powerful strides.

"Nelson," Reese snapped, her face rigid with anger, "you’re going to have to back me on this. You have jurisdiction here, not the Coast Guard. We’re wasting time Smith may not have." As she spoke she pulled her jacket off and began unbuckling her gunbelt.

Tory looked from one to the other in confusion. Nelson’s face was set as he watched Reese, clearly unhappy. As if she sensed his uncertainty, Reese locked eyes with him.

In a surprisingly gentle voice, she said, "You know it’s the right thing to do. Even by helicopter, the SWAT team is twenty minutes away. I am a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corp. This is what I’m trained for. There’s no one here more fit for this action than me."

He stared at her, then nodded his assent. "At least get a vest," he rasped.

"Right," she said as she stripped off her uniform shirt. The tee shirt she was wearing underneath was stretched taut across her chest as she restrapped her revolver into a shoulder holster.

"What the hell is going on?" Tory demanded. She was staring at Reese with the sinking feeling that she wasn’t going to like the answer. Nelson looked at her as if he had forgotten he had requested her.

"We need to get Smith off the beach," Reese answered in his stead.

"And you’re going to go?" Tory asked, deathly cold gripping her.

"Yes."

Tory looked into the face of a stranger. What she saw there was something ferocious, something dangerous - an invincible conviction she knew men would follow into battle. Everything about Reese, from the set of her shoulders to the piercing focus in her eyes, radiated a sense of certainty and purpose. Tory’s words of protest died on her lips. As much as her mind recoiled from the fear of seeing Reese lying bloodied on that beach, she could not deny the rightness of her going.

"Do not die out there, Conlon," she whispered fiercely to her, stepping close enough that she could have touched her. She didn’t; she was too afraid she might not let go. "Don’t you dare let that happen."

Reese’s face softened for the briefest moment. "I won’t." Looking at Nelson then, her eyes were like ice, her tone unrelenting. "Give me five minutes to circle around behind that line of scrubbrush, then have the Coast Guard lay down a steady barrage of fire on that boat - and don’t quit ‘til I have him under cover of the dunes."

As Nelson brought the radio to his lips, Reese melted into the night. Tory watched her shape fade into shadow while a part of her prepared for the pain she feared was coming. The simple fact that life as she knew it hung in the balance was as clear to her as any truth she had ever known.

"Give me those glasses, Nelson," she demanded.

Wordlessly he handed them to her, motioning to a man next to him to relinquish his. Together they cautiously crept to the top of the last dune and looked down into a nightmare. A large vessel wallowed in the wake just off shore, illuminated by the lights of half a dozen Coast Guard ships ringing the grounded craft. A body lay in the sand twenty yards from the board stairs that led up from the beach. With the night glasses Tory could make out Smith’s features, but she couldn’t tell if he was alive. She could also see the officers crouched in the scant shelter of the stairs. Suddenly the night was ablaze with flashes of light as gunfire erupted across the water. Tory flinched involuntarily, but her eyes never stopped scanning the eerie tableau below. From out of the darkness a shadow raced along the sand, crouched low but clearly vulnerable in the merciless light of the moon. Reese dove and rolled, coming to rest beside the body in the sand. In the next instant she was up, Smith balanced across her shoulders as she sprinted toward the protection of the dunes. Tory saw the flickers of fire from the guns on the outlaw ship, she saw Reese falling, she heard Nelson’s groan beside her.

A scream of protest at the unthinkable exploded from her. Something deep inside of her was shattering, bleeding her soul into the darkness. She hadn’t realized she had started to rise until a firm hand pulled her down. "Let me go!" she raged, blindly clawing at his arm. "Goddamn it, let me go!"

"Tory!" Nelson shouted, shaking her hard. "Tory! She’s up!"

Tory stared back down the slope, unbelieving. Reese crawled toward the cover of the scrubs, dragging Smith with an arm around his waist. Suddenly shapes emerged from the night, surrounding them, shepherding them to safety.

Tory sank to her knees, sobbing softly. The hand on her shoulder shook her again, softly this time. "We need you now, Doctor King."

"Yes," Tory gasped, struggling to stand. "Yes." Squaring her shoulders, she pointed to the emergency vehicles pulled up beside the patrol cars. "Have them brought to me there. I’ll need their equipment."

Smith was the first to arrive, carried on a stretcher by three men and a woman, all in body armor, bristling with weapons Tory scarcely recognized.

"Put him down gently," she cautioned. Looking past them for the other stretcher, she saw no one. "Where’s Conlon?" she asked, her throat painfully tight, her stomach clenching.

"Debriefing the Chief," one of the men grunted.

"Get her over here - no excuses," Tory ordered as she knelt by Smith’s side. She didn’t look up again until she had two IV’s inserted in the large veins just under his collar bones, blood running through both of them, and a compression bandage on the sucking wound in his chest.

"Somebody hand me a number thirty chest tube, on the double," she called. An EMT opened a sterile cut down tray so that Tory could make a one inch incision between Smith's ribs, passing the firm plastic tube into the space around his deflated lung. "Hook this up to a suction pump now," she instructed the woman assisting her. She continued to monitor his pulse and blood pressure as the blood was evacuated through the chest tube. Finally she was satisfied that he was as stable as she could get him.

"Okay, let’s transport. Advise them that they have a GSW to the chest, hemopneumothorax, probable lung injury. He’ll need an open thoracotomy ASAP!"

"Right, Doc," the male EMT replied. "We’re rolling. You want us to send a second squad back for the other one?"

"What’s her condition?"

"Looks like just a flesh wound. She was walking and talking."

"Have her transported to my clinic. I’ll handle her there."

"I’m not sure she’ll leave," he called as he climbed into his vehicle. "It was a struggle just to get a look at her."

"Get going," Tory shouted, fire in her eyes. "I’ll deal with her."

She found them hunkered down behind the dune where she had left Nelson what seemed like another lifetime ago. They were sketching out some kind of map in the sand. The left side of Reese’s shirt was stained dark with blood. Her face was beaded with sweat.

Tory forced herself between them, taking them both by surprise. "You’re done here, Reese. You need medical attention, and you need it now."

As Reese started to protest Tory calmly turned her back.

"Nelson, I’ll have your job for reckless endangerment if you don’t order her to come with me," she informed her good friend.

Nelson’s eyes widened in shock, then he nodded. "Of course, you’re right. Conlon- get your butt out of here."

"Yes, sir," she conceded. She turned to accompany Tory, wincing involuntarily as she became aware of the pain in her side for the first time. She found she couldn’t straighten up, and her legs were a little rubbery. Tory steadied her with an arm around her waist, carefully avoiding the wounded area.

"Thanks," Reese managed.

"Don’t thank me," Tory informed her remotely. She steeled herself against the awareness of Reese’s pain. For now she was only a doctor, and Reese just a patient in need.

**********

"Can you get up on the examining table?" Tory asked as she led Reese slowly into the procedure room.

"Yes."

"Get your shirt off then. I need to get the instruments out of the sterilizer."

When she returned Reese was trying hard to sit up straight, but she was obviously in pain. An eight inch gash just below her ribs leaked a steady ribbon of blood down her left side. Tory had never seen her without clothes before, and she noted with clinical detachment the prominent pectoral muscles and etched abdominals of a superbly developed body. Despite her tone and muscle mass, Reese's breasts retained a soft fullness. She embodied the image of a female warrior. Unfortunately, at the moment, she was a wounded warrior.

"Lie down, Reese," Tory murmured as she set up the instrument tray and pulled on sterile gloves. At a glance she could tell the bullet track was tangential to the abdominal cavity, and she automatically relaxed. Although the wound was deep, Reese was not in any serious danger as long as the wound was treated properly and she didn’t get infected.

"How did the bullet get through that vest?" Tory questioned as she began to inject the area around the wound with lidocaine.

"I wasn’t wearing it," Reese replied, breathing deeply as the burning pain began to subside.

"You took it off?" Tory asked, trying to keep the anger from her voice.

"It was slowing me down."

"And the bullet didn’t?" Tory responded acerbically.

"It was a judgement call," Reese answered calmly.

"I see," Tory said, not wanting to admit to herself just how frightened she was by Reese’s willingness to risk her life. She irrigated the wound with Betadiene and saline, cleansing it of clots and debris from Reese’s shirt. The tissues had been separated down into the muscles of her flank, but thankfully there was no deeper penetration. She began to approximate the subcutaneous layers and fascia with absorbable sutures. She concentrated on her work to keep the terrible knowledge of how close Reese had come to death from her mind. If she let that realization sink in, it would incapacitate her.

"Are you angry?" Reese asked quietly into the expressionless green eyes that stared down at her.

"I can’t talk about that now, Reese. Just let me do this."

"Tory-" Reese began, disturbed by Tory’s distant manner. The last time they were together she had held Tory breathless in her arms. Now Tory wouldn’t even meet her eyes. Reese was afraid for the first time that evening.

Silently, ignoring the urgency in Reese’s voice, Tory started on the skin sutures, placing them far enough apart so that the inevitable swelling would not tear them through.

"Please tell me why you’re angry," Reese asked again.

Tory gently taped a compression bandage in place and stripped off her gloves. She threw them at the wastebasket, not caring that she missed. She spun back toward Reese so quickly that Reese jumped. Leaning down, Tory grasped Reese’s shoulders, just managing not to shake her. Her eyes burned into Reese’s, inches away.

"I am angry because you nearly got yourself killed, and willingly at that! I’m angry because it doesn’t seem to occur to you that that would have ruined my life. I’m angry, Reese, because -because-" Her fury evaporated as she saw the confusion in Reese’s face. She was so damn beautiful! "Oh, hell," Tory muttered, doing what she had been wanting to do forever. She kissed her, hard, not caring what it meant, because she had to. Because she wanted to more than anything else in the world.

Reese stiffened in shock, then she was lost. She yielded to the pressure against her mouth, closing her eyes, surrendering to the waves of heat that coursed through her. She felt no pain, except an ache that tore at her more than any bullet ever could. She tried to pull Tory closer, knowing that only her touch could satisfy the longing.

"Ah, Jesus -" she gasped as Tory wrenched away. "Tory, please don’t stop. I need you to- "

Tory pressed trembling fingers to Reese’s lips, drawing a tremulous breath. "This is insane! God, I want you so much!" She took a step back, groping for Reese’s shirt. "Put this on before I totally lose my mind!"

Reese groaned in frustration. "This is killing me! I’d rather be shot!"

Tory laughed grimly. "Don’t tempt me, Conlon! I swear to God I’m not responsible for my actions! Now get dressed. We’re going to my place. You need to rest."

Reese slowly rose to a sitting position, fixing Tory with an icy glare. "What I need, Doctor King, is for you not to run from me every time we kiss!"

Tory slumped against the wall, struggling for words as she watched Reese fumble into her bloody shirt. "I don’t want to. It’s just - I’ve never felt quite like this! And now is certainly not the time for sex! You may not think anything of it, but you’ve just been shot!"

Reese grinned despite herself. "Actually I think quite a lot about it. It hurts like hell. But just now, when you kissed me, all I felt was you." She tried standing, then crossed the distance between them, resting her hands lightly on Tory’s waist. "I’ve missed you. You haven’t been to the dojo all week. I wanted to call, but I didn’t know if you wanted me to. When you touch me - I- it rips holes in my soul."

Tory couldn’t look at her any longer. There was too much wanting in Reese's face. She sidestepped out of her grasp, catching her hand as she did. "Come on. Let me get you out of here. You’re going to crash any minute."

Reese relented, allowing Tory to lead her to the Jeep. As they drove through the night exhaustion finally claimed her. She was asleep by the time Tory pulled into her drive.

**********

"Is she asleep?"

"Closer to unconscious," Tory sighed as she leaned against the deck rail. "Let me have one of your cigarettes."

Catherine raised an eyebrow but handed the pack to her sister while they both waited for another imminent sunrise.

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Yes," Tory murmured as she blew out a soft stream of smoke.

"Are you?"

Tory laughed shakily. "I don’t think so."

She took another deep drag on her cigarette, enjoying the acrid bite of the harsh fumes. It suited her disquieting unrest. "I don’t know what I’m going to do about her."

"You know, Tor, there’s something really spooky about her."

Tory looked at her sister in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Catherine stared out over the harbor, her voice pensive. "I had the strangest experience just now - when I was helping you put her to bed. I have never seen anyone quite so beautiful. I mean, it was like looking at a painting of some ancient goddess-warrior queen or something. I was standing there, staring at this naked woman like an idiot, when she opens her eyes and looks right at me. ‘Thank you" was all she said, and I thought my heart would break. She seemed so innocent. She reminded me of my children. Not their helplessness, but their untarnished goodness. But that can’t be, can it? There aren’t any adults like that! Tell me, Tor, what do you see?"

Tory smiled softly as she reflected on the woman asleep upstairs in her bed. "She is the most infuriatingly noble person I have ever met. She believes in doing the right thing," her voice caught and she brushed impatiently at the tears clinging to her lashes, "even if it kills her."

She stubbed the cigarette out carefully, continuing in a quiet tone, "And that is as near to innocence as you can get."

"It would be hell to be in love with her," Catherine ventured.

"Yes."

"It’s hard not to fall in love with her," Catherine laughed.

"Impossible."

"This place can’t always be so dangerous, can it? I mean, what’s the chance she’ll ever get shot again?"

Tory shuddered at the thought. "Cath, she is going to ride out on her white charger every day of her life, and if it isn’t her body in danger, it will be her heart. She has layers of armor, but one kid in trouble tears her apart."

"Anybody with half a brain would stay away from her," Catherine concluded.

"Yes."

"You know what the real problem is with people like her? The heroes - well, heroines, I guess."

"What?" Tory asked.

"They’re so single-minded. Everything is either black or white. Like with love - it has to be this grand passion, you know? Nothing halfway. Mate for life, die in the name of it..."

"Don’t, Cath," Tory warned.

"Why not, big sister? Are you scared that you might love her?"

"Yes," Tory shouted, the terror and strain of the last six hours finally erupting. "Yes I’m scared! Because I’ve known her three months, and I’ve kissed her exactly twice, and she’s claimed some essential place in me. I cannot imagine what life would be like without her. The last four years - even the time with K.T.- seem like pale imitations compared to what she stirs in me! Now tell me I haven’t lost my mind!!"

Catherine slipped an arm around Tory’s shoulders, hugging her in the chill morning air. "You have lost your mind. That’s what happens when you fall in love."

"I’ve been in love - I loved K.T. with all my heart. But this! This is too much. She is too goddamned much! This isn’t my heart we’re talking about, this is my soul! I could lose myself here, Cath. When I saw her go down tonight, I thought she was dead. I felt something inside of me begin to die, too. That terrifies me, Cath. I can’t let this happen."

"Yes, I know," Catherine rejoined softly. "But what’s your alternative?"

"I don’t know."

As a brilliant sun broke through the cloud cover, the two sisters stood in silence, wearily awaiting the new day.
 
 

Reese lay with her eyes closed, listening to Tory breathe. She took cautious stock of her body. Her side throbbed, but when she carefully stretched, it didn’t feel any worse. She continued to ease her long limbs out until she turned onto her side. She opened her eyes, and studied the woman beside her. Tory was wearing a light tee shirt and loose green scrub pants. The tanned flesh of her smooth abdomen was exposed where the shirt had rolled up. One hand rested on her thigh, the other on the bed between them. Her breasts stretched the front of the thin cotton, rising gently with each breath. Her wavy hair was spread out over the pillow, a few wisps clinging to her cheek. Reese caught the loose strands with one finger, lightly brushing Tory’s cheek as she did. Tory smiled slightly in her sleep. Reese couldn’t remember ever being this close to another human being. She laid her hand against the bare skin of Tory’s abdomen, rewarded by a flicker of muscle and a soft sigh from the sleeping woman. Warmth spread up her arm, and she tightened deep within. Leaning on her uninjured side, she watched Tory’s face in wonder as she gently stroked the curve of her rib. Tory’s lips parted as Reese reached the swell of her breast, and when Reese’s hand closed around the sensitive mound, Tory gasped. Her delicate lids fluttered, then opened as insistent fingers caught her nipple in a teasing caress.

"Oh!" Tory moaned, searching the face so near hers. Hazy blue eyes swallowed her whole. "Reese," she murmured brokenly as the hand slid to her other breast. Her back arched in response to this new sensation. "Oh god, wait -"

"No," Reese stated, her breath quickening with Tory’s, "I won’t." She lowered her lips to the taut nipple her exploring hand exposed, catching it lightly in her teeth. Tory’s hands came into Reese's hair, holding her there, as the breath fled from Tory’s chest.

Reese’s fingers stroked the quivering flesh of Tory’s abdomen as her mouth moved from one breast to the other. Blood rushed in her head, and the inner tension coiled tighter with each groan from Tory’s throat.

"Oh please, Reese - stop," Tory moaned, knowing she could no more push her away than she could stop breathing. Her control was shattered, and her need so powerful! Her legs twisted against the sheets, wetness soaking through the light cotton of her scrub pants.

"Never," Reese rasped, raising her head, capturing Tory’s emerald gaze with her own. "Not this time. Not ever."

Tory stared back into eyes full of fire and promise, unable to look away as her body became not hers, but something Reese commanded with the slightest of caresses. Her vision grew cloudy as a long-fingered hand stole beneath the ties of her pants. She whimpered, aching, when fingers brushed over the fine hair at the base of her belly. For a second she couldn’t breathe at all. She clenched her jaws to keep from crying out. Her hips rose of their own accord, seeking that elusive stroke.

Gasping, she turned her face away. "Reese, if you touch me I’ll explode-" oh god, you're going to make me come

"Look at me, Tory," Reese demanded softly, her fingers caressing the velvet inner thighs, allowing her fingertips to stray into the heat. She parted the soft folds, teasing the delicate moist lips surrounding the distended clit.

"Oh, god," Tory sobbed, surrendering to those eyes. Her pelvis lifted, the muscles in her thighs tightening. When finally Reese stroked the length of her clitoris, pressing the stiff shaft, she came instantly. She could no more stop the scream than she could halt the eruption that rocketed through her. Her last conscious sensation was of Reese’s mouth claiming hers as her body convulsed.

**********

An insistent tapping at the door roused her. Tory reached for a sheet to cover Reese’s nakedness. She was still in her clothes, although the scrub pants pushed down on her hips reminded her guiltily of her earlier abandon. Reese slept soundly beside her, one arm encircling her waist possessively. Tory quickly scanned the gauze taped to Reese’s side, noting with relief that there was no sign of fresh bleeding

"Tory?" Catherine called softly.

"Come in, Cath," Tory answered, straightening her clothes hastily.

If Catherine was surprised by the sight of her sister holding the woman she had only hours before claimed was "too much" for her, she didn’t show it. She simply crossed the room to stand by the bed, whispering urgently, "There’s a horde of people downstairs threatening to come up here if they don’t get a progress report on your, uh, ‘patient'." She couldn’t hide her grin. "This might strike them as unorthodox treatment."

"It strikes me that way, too," Tory said with real concern.

"Well, ease your conscience, Doctor," Reese said, opening her eyes. "It wasn’t your idea." She flashed Catherine a smile, who grinned back. "Who are they?"

"Your boss, two kids who look like punk rockers, and your family."

"My family?" Reese repeated uncertainly.

"Your mother and her lover."

Reese started to rise. "I better get down there."

"Not so fast," Tory ordered, swinging out from under the sheets. "I need to check you over first." She tossed her sister a stern look. "Tell them I’ll be with them in a minute."

Reese started to protest, then thought better of it when she saw the look on Tory’s face. She lay back quietly with a sigh. Catherine decided her sister was not in the mood for levity and made a hasty retreat.

"This looks fine," Tory said as she inspected the wound. "How do you feel?"

"Like a million bucks," Reese responded, unable to contain a grin. Tory glared at her. "Okay, it stings like hell, but I don’t feel too bad." She grasped Tory’s hand, suddenly serious, "Tory-"

Tory extracted her hand to reach for new bandages, determinedly avoiding eye contact. "You ambushed me this morning, Conlon." She bent her head to work on the dressings.

Reese slipped a hand into Tory’s hair, stroking it back from her face, running her palm along the edge of her jaw. "I didn’t mean to," Reese whispered, tracing one finger down the side of Tory’s neck. "You are so beautiful. I had to touch you, and then nothing could have stopped me."

"You’re doing it again," Tory choked, finally looking at Reese. Her eyes were hazy, almost wounded with desire.

"Can’t help myself," Reese murmured, her hand behind Tory’s neck, pulling her near for a kiss.

Tory placed both arms straight against the bed on either side of Reese, stopping her forward descent. "Neither can I, it seems," she groaned, "but one of us has to. Please stop."

"I can’t look at you without wanting you," Reese confessed, not loosening her hold. Every fiber of her body was taut with nearly unbearable tension.

Tory laughed shakily, "God, I’m glad. But if you don’t take your hands off me this minute I will not be responsible for my actions, and you’re in no condition for what I want to do to you. Besides that, we’re likely to have an audience if we’re not downstairs soon."

"Tory," Reese implored, her breath constricting in her chest, "just kiss me—please."

Tory couldn’t have resisted the plea in her eyes if twenty men trooped into the room. She took Reese's mouth with bruising authority, shocked by her own possessiveness. Reese opened to her, her whole body pressing urgently upward. When Tory’s hand claimed her breast, fingers squeezing hard on the erect nipple, Reese groaned, shuddering convulsively. Unbelievingly, Tory felt a rolling tide of tremors rage through the woman in her arms. She raised her head, stunned, as Reese clung to her, shaking.

"Ah, god-" Reese gasped, collapsing against the pillows. "One kiss and I’m wasted."

"Did what I think just happened really happen?" Tory asked in wonder.

Reese smiled shyly. "It seems to be happening every time we touch."

Tory’s mouth was dry, her head pounding. "Every time?"

"This morning, with you- "

"Oh my god," Tory said, shocked. "You’re incredible - in fact, you’re dangerous. You are definitely not safe on the streets of Provincetown." She brushed her fingertips over Reese’s face in awe, amazed by the feelings just looking at her inspired. "I’m getting up, because if I don’t I’m going to make love to you for the rest of the day."

"Don’t think I’m going to let you forget that!" Reese warned.

**********

Conversation stopped, every eye in the room on Reese when she walked out onto the deck. She was wearing a pair of Tory’s jeans and a frayed cotton shirt, both of which were a little snug. Tory hoped no one was looking her way, because she was afraid what she was feeling might show on her face. Reese had to be the most captivating woman she had ever seen, and the most desirable. The urge to touch her was physically painful. To her great consternation, when Reese smiled at her, she blushed.

"Are you all right, darling?" Kate asked anxiously.

"I am, Mother. Just fine."

Kate looked to Tory, uncertain whether to believe her daughter. She was in time to catch the look that passed between the two of them. She was first surprised, then immensely pleased. She relaxed perceptibly, as she added, "Jean and I just had to be sure."

"Doctor King is taking very good care of me."

Tory blushed a deeper crimson as Reese grinned rakishly at her. I’m going to kill her for this! Tory thought.

Mercifully, Nelson spoke, dispelling the silence and drawing Reese’s eyes from her. "The doctors say Smith is going to be okay, too. Thanks to the both of you. You sure you’re okay?"

"Yes, sir. I’m fine."

"There’s been a lot of calls from reporters. This is big news. They’re camping out over at your place. I‘d stay clear of there for a few days."

"She can stay here," Tory responded.

"Good," Nelson rejoined. "So I’ll see you in five or six days."

"Excuse me?" Reese asked in confusion.

"The Doc said you’d be okay for desk duty next week."

"Desk duty?" She turned to Tory in astonishment. "Desk duty!!"

"What I actually said was that you might be ready for desk duty next week," Tory replied stonily. Her expression suggested any further discussion from either of them would be extremely unwise.

"Right," Reese conceded, deciding to fight this particular battle another day. Nelson seemed satisfied that his irreplaceable second in command was in good hands. "You coming, Bri?" he asked as he turned to leave.

"I want to talk to Reese. I’ve got my motorbike."

"Well, be careful with that damn thing if you’re carrying a passenger," he admonished with a nod toward Caroline.

Bri gave her father a look which suggested he had just insulted her. The stiffening of her shoulders and the tilt of her chin reminded Tory of Reese. Oh Lord, not another bull-headed baby butch!

"I’m always careful, especially when I’m carrying Caroline," Bri replied as if her father should know better than to suggest otherwise.

It was his turn to look confused. He was rescued by Tory’s suggestion that they all go inside and have some lunch. Nelson declined, but Reese’s mother and Jean offered to lend a hand. They followed Tory inside.

"I’ll be right there," Reese said. Turning to the two young women she asked, "What’s up?"

The instant her father started down the path to his car, Bri clasped Caroline’s hand. Her eyes were smoldering with anger. "Someone’s been bothering Caroline," she seethed.

Reese nodded seriously. "Sit down. Start at the beginning."

"At first I didn’t pay much attention," Caroline informed her. "There were some notes pushed into my locker - the usual stupid stuff."

"What did they say?" Reese asked.

Caroline glanced at Bri, uncomfortable. Reese waited. With a sigh, Caroline recounted, "They just called me names. You know, like dyke and queer. Then last week—" She hesitated again, and Bri stared at her suspiciously.

"What? Is there something you didn’t tell me?" Bri asked.

Caroline nodded, looking miserable. "Someone wrote if I knew what was good for me I’d get rid of Brianna and find a man. Otherwise they’d show me what I was missing. And now I think someone is following me."

"Motherfuckers," Bri swore, dropping Caroline’s hand as she stormed across the deck. She grasped the railing with all her strength to hide the trembling. Caroline started to follow, close to tears. Reese motioned for her to wait.

"Your anger is just," Reese said when she joined Bri at the rail. "But if you let it, it will make you weak. If you don't control it, it will strike anyone in its path. You will hurt those who love you."

"I want to kill them!" Bri choked, struggling for air.

"I know," Reese said.

"When I think about someone hurting her," Bri said, "I can’t stand it! I think I’ll go crazy!"

"Yes," Reese agreed. "But you can’t. You cannot afford to be defeated by words, or threats, or your own undisciplined emotions. You are being tested, Brianna. It’s not fair, and it’s not just, but that is beside the point. I’m going to need your help, but more importantly, Caroline needs you."

Bri glanced over at her girlfriend, who was watching them anxiously. Just the sight of her made her heart catch, the joy almost like pain. She wanted so much to deserve Caroline's love. Bri straightened her shoulders, drew a deep breath, and crossed the deck to her.

"I’m sorry," Bri whispered, as she sat beside Caroline, slipping an arm about her waist. Caroline kissed her neck, murmuring reassurances against her skin.

"Okay, let’s have the rest of it," Reese directed.

As Caroline was finishing her story, Tory reappeared from the house. She looked at the two young women, both of whom were looking scared. At first glance they looked tough enough in their leather pants, silver arm bracelets, ear cuffs, and punk hair cuts. She thought that Bri had a tattoo on her upper arm that hadn’t been there before as well. But she could tell from the way Caroline pressed against Bri’s side and the cold set to Reese’s features that something was wrong.

"What’s going on?" Tory asked.

Reese said a few more words that Tory couldn’t hear as Bri and Caroline rose to leave. Tory waited until they were out of ear shot before she asked again, "Trouble?"

Reese nodded as she joined Tory. "I think so. I’ll tell you when we’re alone."

Tory noted Reese’s uncharacteristically slow approach. "You’re in pain, aren’t you?"

"Some," Reese admitted reluctantly. "Is my mother still here?"

"They’re in the kitchen. I really think she just wanted to see that you were all right, but come have something to eat. Then you’re going back to bed."

Reese followed her, wondering how she was going to tell her that she needed to go to work. Just as they entered the dining area, Catherine turned to them with the phone in her outstretched hand.

"Somebody wants to talk to Colonel Conlon --- won’t take ‘no’ for an answer," she announced with an edge to her voice.

Reese took the phone. "This is Colonel Conlon." She straightened unconsciously as she listened, her face unreadable. "Yes, sir - that’s correct sir. ... In my opinion it was the best course of action, yes sir.... He’s going to live, sir. ... I’m fine, sir, just a scratch."

She looked over at her mother, who was watching her intently. "She’s here, yes sir. ... No sir, I’m staying at the doctor’s.... Victoria King, yes sir."

Her fingers tightened on the phone, her blue eyes darkening. "Are you sure you want me to answer that, General? It seems to me it’s specifically against regulations to ask questions of that nature." Her eyes met Tory’s, and held them fiercely. "I won’t deny it. I won’t deny her, sir."

After a moment, she slowly replaced the receiver. Every face looked at her questionly. She spoke into the silent room.

"That was my father. Apparently he has very good intelligence sources." She looked at her mother sympathetically. "I appreciate what you must have gone through. He just threatened to have me court-martialled if I admitted to a relationship with Victoria."

"Can he do that?" Catherine exclaimed, clearly shocked.

Reese shrugged. "If he wants a very messy, very public trial. I’m an attorney, and he knows me well enough to know I would never give up my commission without a fight. I think he was just testing."

Despite her calm tone, Tory could see the conversation had taken a toll. Reese was pale and her forehead was dotted with perspiration. There was a fine tremor visible in her hands. Tory went to her, taking Reese's hand. "You need to be in bed. I never should have let you up as it is. Come upstairs."

"I’m afraid Tory is going to have her work cut out for her," Kate observed as she watched her daughter reluctantly follow Tory upstairs. "Reese has very few of her father’s bad qualities, but she does get her stubbornness from him." She pointedly ignored the snort of disbelief from her lover.

"My sister can handle her, I’m sure," Catherine stated as she accompanied Reese’s mother and her lover out to their car. "I’m glad I’m going to be here to see it. My kids will be with their grandparents until school starts, and my husband is on retreat at Kripalu."

"It should help that Reese appears to be in love with her. Is Tory aware of that?" Kate asked.

Catherine hesitated, not sure just how to discuss this with Reese’s mother.

"Oh, I don’t want you to betray any confidences," Kate assured her. "I couldn’t be happier."

"I think cautious would be the word to describe my sister at the moment," Catherine responded, hoping fervently that Kate was right about Reese’s feelings. Because it was painfully clear that Tory was hopelessly in love with the handsome, hardheaded cop, regardless of how she tried to deny it.

"I have no doubt that given time Reese will prove herself to her."

"Will her father really make trouble for Reese?" Catherine asked in concern.

"I doubt it, not after Reese made it clear she would fight it. Roger was always too ready to use his power for personal gain, unlike Reese, who is inherently valiant. She does what she does because she believes service is the highest form of honor. He would not want his own reputation tarnished. He could pass off a lesbian wife as some acquired perversion on my part, but a daughter?" She laughed, "How fate has conspired against the man!"

"Obviously, Reese got her good parts from you."

For a moment Kate looked pained. "I wish I could take the credit, but I believe Reese has simply taken what was once commendable about the military to heart. She is proud to be a soldier." She looked away for a moment, then smiled faintly. "And I’m proud she is, too."

"Call me if you need us for anything," Kate called as she pulled away.

Catherine hoped that they had had all the excitement they were going to see for one summer, but a nagging voice told her that August was going to be a long month.
 
 

Continued (Conclusion)

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