Chapter 575

The TV on the wall opposite the bed came on, although the AI’s face did not show on it. “My Prime?” the AI quietly said into the stillness of the bedroom.

Jeff, a very light sleeper, was instantly awake. “Yes,” he said just as quietly.

“You said to notify you when the scout team returned.”

“Of course. Have you notified the General?”

“Yes, My Prime. He said to tell you that he would meet you aboard Ship.”

“Thanks,” Jeff returned, already worming his way from under a quietly grumbling Ann who had been sleeping on top of him. By the time he was clear of the women and the sheet, Kayla was already dressing.

“You don’t have to...” he began.

“And have the General chew my ass out. No way,” she whispered back.

“But you’re my wife now and have been. You don’t have to pay any attention...”

He hushed as she, ignoring him, hurried to go pee, the same thing he needed to do.

A few minutes later, Kayla, now wearing shorts and a tight top, shrugged into a light jacket as they left the bedroom. (It was spring in the mountains, but still quite cool at night and early morning.) She was armed this morning with her baby Glock in the middle of her back. Jeff, of course, didn’t bother, and as usual wore only jeans and a polo shirt – and as always, his belt with a few shiny steel balls that appeared to be adornment on it.

“Baby,” she said as they walked down the hallway hand in hand, “you have sneaked off from time to time, and the General really gets pissed when you do. So, please keep that in mind.”

“I don’t like my wife still having the assignment of being my last line of defense. And yeah, that was fine before you became my wife, but it’s not the same now. So ... are you saying that you still report to the General?”

“No,” she admitted, “but his orders still stand, and a check goes into my account every month.”

“And ... you immediately transfer it to the family account.”

“So? I can buy literally anything I want using that account or my charge cards, so why not? You’re my husband. And besides, my salary barely makes a blip when it’s deposited.”

“I’m going to have another talk with the General...”

“Won’t matter,” she said as she smiled at him. “I’ll still do my part to guard you.”

“Dammit, Baby, I don’t need guarding.”

“Good,” she said as she grinned at him. “Then I won’t have to shoot anyone.”

Jeff held the back door to the garage open for her as he continued to object. “Look, Kayla. If something happens, I’m afraid you’ll get hurt trying to protect me. Dammit, I can take care of most things with my TK, and you know it.”

“‘Most things,’” she repeated, “but I’ll be there for the other things you can’t take care of – the unexpected.” She turned into him, pulled his head down and kissed him hard – in more ways than one. “We have had this argument many times. You have never won it, and you aren’t going to win it this time. Now, let’s hurry and go hear what the scout team has to report. If we’re through before everyone else gets up, we can...”

Jeff interrupted. “If they’re up, you and I will still take some time out for ourselves,” he promised as her smile got even more prominent.

White and Martin were accustomed to being debriefed by a Sergeant, but as they walked down the steps from the belly hatch of their scout, they realized that the Sergeant had company on the flight deck of Ship – General Whitworth.

As they came to attention, the General quickly said, “At Ease. I realize that you two are tired after such a long mission, so we will have breakfast and make this as quick as possible. I’m very anxious to hear, in your own words, what happened during the last weeks. Let’s go on to Ship’s lounge, order a good breakfast, and when the Colonel gets here, we can get started with the meal and the debriefing.”

Since the General had decided to be there for the debriefing, the two wondered what they had done wrong.

Shit, Martin thought. Now’s probably not a good time to bring up our marriage, but the Sergeant has to be told. Sure, we’ve been having sex while we’ve been stationed to watch the alien ship, but that isn’t against the rules as long as both of us are consenting, and it doesn’t take away from work – which it doesn’t.

Whitworth, having long since become accustomed to the nervousness of troops when he, a General, was near, finally realized that they were a bit more tense than was the norm. As they took seats at a round table in the lounge, he asked, “Look, is there something that you two would like to tell me before the Colonel gets here and we start the debriefing?”

“Uh, no Sir,” Joe Martin assured him. “After the debriefing, we just need to speak with the Sergeant about another matter.”

“Well,” Whitworth said as he glanced at Sergeant Higgins, “maybe we need to discuss it before the Colonel gets here. I’m sure the Sergeant won’t mind.”

“No problem, Sir.”

Olivia White reached to take Martin’s hand. “Maybe we should, Sir. We’re going to be married, and ... we hope that won’t change our assignments. We’re a good team – and to be candid, even an excellent one, Sir – both in our interceptor and in our scout.”

“Well,” the General said while drawing out the word. “Normally, we don’t have a husband and wife on the same assignment...” After thinking for a moment, he went on, “To be candid with you, it’s far too late to split up interceptor crews who have trained this long together, especially when a battle looms near. The same goes for scout crews. But ... the Colonel has two of his wives in one of those interceptors. I won’t override whatever your Sergeant here decides – as long as Colonel Matthews doesn’t object, so I will tell him that I have no problem with it – if it doesn’t interfere with your jobs. I would strongly advise that you not become entangled in marital squabbling, though. And yes, I know that you can’t imagine that happening at this point, but after you have been married for a while, it can happen. I will be very displeased if it interferes with your efficiency – especially with what is probably coming. In other words, a battle involving those Paladins. Do you copy?” he stressed.

“Affirmative, Sir,” they said in unison.

“I suggest that you discuss it with your Sergeant after the meeting.”

“No need, Sir. They have proven to be an excellent crew. Split them apart at this juncture, and they’re going to be worrying about what the other is doing too much to concentrate on what they should be thinking about. I’d be amazed if the Colonel doesn’t agree.”

“And I agree with you about the Colonel, but just to be sure, we’ll ask him when he gets here.”

“Thank you, Sir,” they again said as one.

Jeff and Kayla walked in, but Kayla held back since she was not part of the debriefing.

“Sit with us,” Whitworth said as he motioned her to a seat. “I value your opinion, too.”

When Jeff and Kayla were seated, Whitworth continued, “I think this can be conducted just as well while we eat. Ship, would that be okay with you?” he politely asked.

“Certainly, General,” she returned as breakfast menus appeared in front of them.

We can get by with coffee if you aren’t prepared for this, Jeff told Ship in his mind.

The time of day means little to me, because I am always fully awake. Please order anything on my menu, she responded.

Jeff, noticing that White and Martin seemed tense, turned to them. “What gives? This is a simple debriefing of which you have had many. Both of you are sitting there ramrod straight, and I know damned good and well that General Whitworth doesn’t normally bother you two that much.”

“They’re going to ask you if they can be married and stay partners,” Whitworth casually said as he perused his menu.

“So, what did you and the Sergeant tell them?” Jeff asked as he sipped his coffee while trying to hide a grin.

“Oh, bullshit. Tell them it’s okay before they stop breathing,” Whitworth responded before giving his breakfast order to Ship.

“Ann and Arlene were taking bets on when you would get around to it,” Jeff told the two offhandedly before ordering an enormous amount of food.

“Ham, three scrambled medium, hash browns and biscuits,” Sergeant Higgins told Ship.

“Gravy for your biscuits?” Ship asked as if she had been serving food forever.

“Sounds good. Thank you.”

“Kayla?” Ship asked.

“Are we going to run this morning?” Kayla asked her husband.

“Yep.”

“No way am I running on a full stomach. One piece of toast and strawberry jelly. I’ll eat when we get back.”

“Okay, you have our approval. Are you two ready for breakfast?” Jeff asked White and Martin.

“Eat hardy,” Whitworth said. “Marriage takes a lot out of you.”

“Amen to that,” Jeff firmly agreed as they all chuckled.

Finally, the two seemed to relax somewhat and ordered a light breakfast each that Jeff mentally increased for them.

Whitworth started the debriefing by asking simple questions, while Jeff and the Sergeant offered comments and asked their own questions. In moments, the two were relating every detail of their trip while barely noticing how much food they were consuming.

An hour later, the debriefing and the breakfast were both over, and the table now contained only a couple of recorders and coffee cups. “So, when are you two going to do it?” Whitworth asked.

White and Martin looked at each other before White said, “As soon as we can get our license, tell our parents and make arrangements for them to come. As you know, we both normally live on base, but because of the training on Ship, we have been stationed here with Security for the past few months.” With a glance at Martin, she went on, “I suppose we’ll make arrangements for our parents to stay in Winter Park, and we’ll get married at the courthouse.”

Strangely, the Colonel, General, the Sergeant and Kayla all chuckled at the same time.

Jeff caught their eyes. “Do me a favor and hold off on your plans for a few hours. Since you probably need some sleep, anyway, I suggest that you go on back to your quarters after we’re through here, and I’ll get back to you late this afternoon. Please don’t make any firm plans until I contact you.”