Ty was so surprised to see a kid that he almost forgot what he wanted to say and he'd geared himself up to speak to Madi. "I was calling for Madison Gibson."

"She's not ….she can't come to the phone right now. You'll have to call back later," then looking at the man on the monitor, Reece remembered Billy Dunmoore telling him that his divorced mother had started dating again and how bad it sucked. She never had any time for him anymore and if she got remarried she'd probably want him to go live with his father. Reece figured now was as good a time as any to get rid of any new competition for Madi. If she got married she might want him to go live somewhere else too and he didn't know of any other place that would want him.

"If you're calling to ask her out then forget it. My mom does not date." Reece felt a thrill at being able to say the word 'mom'. He only did it when he was alone or like now, talking to a stranger while the girls were outside helping Madi carry in the groceries. He'd been on his way in with an armload of food when the phone rang.

"You're Madi Gibson's son?" McQueen was wondering why this information hadn't turned up when he'd put together the file on her.

"That's right and I have to go now." Reece put his hand on the End button.

"Wait!," McQueen spoke quickly to avoid being disconnected. "I called to check on Lt. Hawkes, is he there?" Ty decided this might be better anyway, get the information and avoid Gibson. He seriously underestimated Reece.

"Who wants to know?" Reece asked belligerently. Madi had warned him to keep quiet about Cooper. He liked the covert aspect of having a wartime secret even if he did hate having that wounded guy around. This was just like living out one of the stories in his GI Geequed Comics, the ones where civilians helped out in the war effort by hiding the wounded from the Chig slice and dice patrols.

"Colonel TC McQueen, Cooper Hawkes' Commanding Officer on board the USS Saratoga, young man, and I would like some information about Lt. Hawkes' condition, now."

Truth be told, Reece was rather impressed with the man on the monitor, something that didn't happen very often, but he still wasn't giving Hawkes up; it was a matter of honor. Like they were told at school, 'Loose lips sink spaceships.' "If you're his CO how come you're dressed like a civilian?" Reece asked suspiciously.

"I'm off duty, son," McQueen answered tersely. He had no idea how to deal with a child. "Just tell me if Cooper arrived safely and if he's doing all right, okay?" Ty tried using a softer voice. Maybe he'd just scared the kid.

"Got any ID?" Reece knew that's what adults always asked for. He noted with satisfaction that McQueen's face was getting several shades redder.

"When will Gi…your mother be home?" McQueen was highly upset that Madi wasn't there. If Cooper was there, who was watching him? He should have never let Dr. Hagen and Vansen talk him into this. "Who's looking after Lt. Hawkes, young man?"

"How about your serial number?" Reece got a pen and paper and held them up where McQueen could see that he was prepared to write. McQueen, already frustrated, almost blew up with anger. He no longer doubted this was Madi Gibson's son, she was just about the only other person who could irritate him so quickly. He glanced at the timer. Ten minutes of precious time. McQueen decided to try one more time before he hung up.

"Listen…what's your name anyway?"

"Reece…..Gibson," Reece tacked on. He had used the name for a while - but it was official now and he was proud that he and Madi shared it.

"Okay, Reece. What if I describe Lt. Hawkes? Hmm? Tell you about his injury? Now no civilian would know that right?"

"Maybe, maybe not. You could be an AI for all I know, maybe you're hooked into a modem and you have that information from some AI that shot him. Then again, maybe you shot him."

McQueen smiled in triumph. "If he's not there, Reece, how did you know he was shot?"

Reece didn't like being outsmarted and he was just about the cut him off when Madi came in. Reece's look told McQueen he'd been saved from being disconnected by only a thread. "Madi, there's a call for you." He moved out the way with another hostile glance at McQueen.

Madi stepped in front of the phone, smiling. Lucas had said he would call to check on Cooper this morning. Her smiled faltered, then faded as she saw McQueen. She glanced at Reece's avid face. "Reece, go outside and watch the girls for me." He started to argue but he saw from her face she meant it and he sulked as he left. Sometimes Madi treated him like such a kid. She turned back to the monitor, cool but polite. " Colonel McQueen."

"Gibson. I'm calling to check on Lt. Hawkes. That's quite a screening system you've got there," McQueen mentioned with a slight thawing of his voice. Since he'd had a minute to cool down, the humor of the situation was hitting him. Damn kid couldn't have been over 8 or 9 years old. There were sentries on the Saratoga that would have folded before his angry tone but it hadn't even phased the boy and he had protected Hawkes pretty well.

Madi ignored the warmer tone and the reference to Reece. She still hadn't forgiven McQueen or her father and she didn't know if she ever would. She certainly wasn't going to be chatty with him. "Cooper's here but he's running a fever. I don't think the medics on the transport gave him his prescription, the bottle was full when it got here. The wound looks good though, no bleeding and it seems to be mending," Madi answered in a very business like voice. She could have been reading the weather report.

McQueen's suspicions arose again over the care Cooper would receive at her hands. "Where were you when I called, Madi? Are you just leaving him there alone and going out? You of all people should know he needs protection until he gets back on his feet."

Madi tried to control her anger with deep breathing. Nobody could irritate her faster than TC McQueen. "I am not explaining my actions to you, Colonel. Cooper is in good hands here. You know I'll take care of him. He'll be healed and ready for you to send him out again before you know it." Madi was slightly abashed at herself for that veiled barb but McQueen's remarks could set off her temper like a flair.

"Well he wouldn't be in this shape to begin with, Gibson, if you'd left him alone like I asked. But you had to keep him stirred up didn't you, Madi? Every time he got one of your letters he lost his concentration." Then it was Ty's turn to be contrite, but he'd been so worried about Cooper and it felt pretty good to take a few pot shots at Gibson, petty as they were.

Madi neatly turned the tables on McQueen. "I haven't written to him for over five months, Colonel. Perhaps that's the problem. And for your information, Cooper was very glad to see me." Well he had been at first. "Do you want anything else?"

"Just to be kept updated on his condition. You can send mail to this address, it's a military priority line. Call me anytime you need anything." He punched it in to the bottom of the screen. "Let me know if he runs out of medical supplies or requires more medicine." McQueen's voice was just as cool as Madi's.

"Fine. Any message for Cooper?" Madi's question was a challenge to McQueen to say something personal to the man she knew he loved like a son.

"Tell him….he's missed," Ty struggled with the simple words.

Seeing his trouble forming the message, Madi felt mean and small and she forced a bit of warmth into her voice. "I'll give him the message, Colonel, as soon as he wakes up for lunch. I'll keep you updated."

McQueen nodded solemnly, having trouble meeting Madi's eyes. "Thank you for keeping him there," he added stiffly. Madi recognized effusive gratitude when she heard it from an InVitro. She knew what that cost him and she was equally quiet as she accepted and ended the transmission.

Madi sat staring at the blank screen, wearily wondering how two people who loved the same person so much could be at such odds. Reece pushed open the door glancing suspiciously at the screen.

"He won't be here too will he?"

Not if there was a God. "No, he's busy with the war in space, hon."

Reece moved to stand next to her, cautiously leaning against her and very carefully wrapped one of her curls around his small finger. His gesture made Madi smile. This would be a boisterous hug from the average child. She knew better than to return the hug, she didn't move an inch. "Madi, you don't want to date anyone do you?"

Madi directed a puzzled glance at the boy by her side. "No, not especially, Reece, why are you asking me that?"

Reece smiled a little and let his breath out. He knew it but he wanted it confirmed. Madi would never let anyone come between them. "No reason, I was just curious. Did you meet that colonel when you were in space?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Is he really Cooper's CO?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Did you see any Chigs?"

"No, thank goodness, I would have been scared to death without you there to protect me."

Reece grinned and Madi's heart melted. "Maybe next time, I could go too, huh?"

"I'm not sure the Chigs are ready for you, sweetie, but we'll see. Go play and let me get my chores done. Okay?"

"'Kay." Reece started out of the room and then turned back. "Madi, I've been thinkin' about this adoption stuff and I think maybe I should call you Mom, like we talked about. Maybe people, guys, would think twice about calling here if they knew you had a son watching out for you."

Madi nodded slowly feeling tears stinging her eyes. "Whatever you think, Reece. You know it's your decision but I would like that. A lot." She wondered if she would ever understand his thinking processes or know where he got these bizarre ideas.

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with his thoughts on the matter. "I think maybe I should," and then he ran from the room without looking back.

Reece's odd behavior pushed McQueen's call to the back of her mind and Madi went to check on Cooper.

McQueen was sitting in front of the monitor was well when Ross came back into his office.

"Get through?" Ty nodded but Glen could tell his mind was still in Scotland.

"How's our hero?" McQueen pulled his thoughts back to Commodore Ross and his references to Hawkes' saving the Secretary General with difficulty. With his kids scattered all over the universe he was as antsy as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs - Ty wanted his kids back on board the Saratoga where he could keep an eye on them.

"Well, he got there in one piece. Gibson says he's running a fever. I don't much care for the sound of that but she seems to think everything else is squared."

"Relax Ty, if Madi says it's under control it's under control." McQueen let that slide. He and Ross had totally different opinions on the subject of Madi Gibson and they had agreed to disagree.

Ross tossed a large manila envelope across his desk to his old friend and smiled slightly as he watch him warily open it. It was the results from the socialization entrance exams that Cooper had taken earlier that month, his ticket to a college education. McQueen read the accompanying letter and looked at Glen.

"I'll be damned. He passed. All we need now is to win this war and he'll be on his way." Ty tried to keep the pride out of his voice but failed.

"Well he had a good teacher. Next time you speak to Madi you might mention that. While you're thanking her for performing this current valuable wartime service," Ross added with a meaningful look.

"I've already thanked her for watching him. Don't start with this, Glen." Ross held up a hand in a surrendering manner.

"I know better than to try to talk any sense into you, Ty, but mark my words, you and Madi will have to work through this animosity sooner or later." McQueen thought that later or never sounded like a better time frame but he kept that to himself.

"Hawkes will be back on the Saratoga in a few weeks at the latest. I don't expect to be having a lot of intimate conversations with her." He was still smarting from her comment about sending Cooper back into action.

"I hope we don't have any trouble getting him here. I know if I was earthside with my wife I might think twice about jumping back into this war." Ross's words darkened McQueen's mood and made the idea he'd been toying with seem more feasible.

"Well there's no danger of her ever being his wife and he'll be back. It won't take him long down there to realize how good he's got it here with his squadron." McQueen was thinking of the prejudice and hatred Cooper would be facing again without the support of the Wildcards.

Ross was thinking of how Madi's face had shone when she talked about Hawkes that afternoon so many months ago. Ross had smiled at her obvious infatuation - her conversation had been peppered with Cooper said this and Cooper thinks that. Glen was something of a closet romantic and he remembered thinking how lucky the Hawkes boy was to have stumbled upon this young woman.

Even with the ensuing mess that followed and her departure back to Earth, Ross had still given Madi the benefit of the doubt. When he received a letter apologizing for the disruption on his ship and thanking him for boarding them on the Saratoga he'd been charmed all over again. Ty refused to comment but had muttered something under his breath about 'a sucker for a pretty face.'

No matter how he'd argued Ross couldn't get McQueen to see Madi's point to view. She'd come into a situation blind, knowing no one, with a sole objective; watch for someone trying to kill Cooper Hawkes but don't give away the game. If the party trying to get rid of Hawkes found out about her they'd move underground and everyone's job would be that much harder. Madi was the element of surprise, their ace in the hole, and she couldn't afford to confide in anyone - not even Cooper. Jenkin's insanity and her father's defection had been completely unforeseen events that had ironically been brought about due to Madi's presence on the Saratoga. Regardless, she had still done her job to the best of her ability and Ross respected her for it.

McQueen stubbornly refused to see anybody's viewpoint but his own. To Ty it was black and white, Madi Gibson had lied to him and fooled him with that innocent face and he'd fallen for it. He'd trusted her with Cooper and she had almost gotten him killed. He was still worried. It occurred to him that he didn't trust Hagen either. And there was no-one on Earth to watch Cooper's back.

He thought long and hard about it. It nagged at his mind for several days. He could see no solution to it.

And then it came. The solution. It was so simple and elegant, and was handed to him on a silver platter. New updated hammerheads were awaiting collection on Earth, and there was a shortage of qualified pilots to fly them to the 'Toga. New pilots weren't being trained fast enough, and besides, the older experienced pilots would get the new improved model. West was still pining about his girlfriend, now safe on Earth but several light-years away. A short term solution, but that was all he needed. He'd make sure that West was among the pilots selected to collect the planes.

~*~

Cooper was awake when she went back into the bedroom. He ignored her when she came in, his back defiantly turned towards her. She wondered what she'd done now but she didn't have the energy to ask.

"McQueen phoned," she said softly. She could tell that had caught his interest. He half turned towards her, but still refused to look at her. "He wanted to know how you were. I told him that you were doing okay, that you were running a fever, but seemed to be getting over it."

He still didn't look at her. She sighed and turned away. He stopped her. "Madi?"

When she turned back, she noticed he still wasn't looking at her, his face turned towards the wall. His voice was hesitant. "Did he say anything else?"

Despite her irritation with him, her heart went out to him. "Yes, Cooper," she added softly. "He misses you."

"He say that?" His voice was quiet and awed, as though he was afraid that saying it any louder would mean that it wasn't true.

"His exact words were, 'Tell him he's missed.'" She paused for a moment, watching his back. As angry as she was with McQueen, as much as she disliked him, she couldn't leave Cooper in any doubt about the way McQueen felt about him. A natural born may have been able to read between the lines, with years of practice at interpreting words, but she knew that Cooper, that most InVitros, couldn't. They didn't have that experience and they were poor communicators for the most part. "I think we both know that he didn't mean just by the Wildcards. He misses you too, honey, even if he can't come right out and say it straight."

She watched him relax. If only she could convince him that she'd missed him too in as many words. But then her mother had always told her that nothing worth having in life ever came easy. Although she was sure her mom had never had anyone as difficult as Cooper Hawkes in mind when she'd said it.

~*~

The next few days were difficult. Although Cooper's fever was down, he was tired and sore and irritable, and the kids didn't help. They tried their best to be quiet, but being kids, their definition of quiet and Madi's definition of quiet differed dramatically. Cooper didn't take it out on them though. He didn't tell Madi, but he really didn't mind when the twins popped in to say hello and tell him about their day. It made him feel less alone. Reece avoided him studiously, but decided that telling the twins to avoid him wasn't the wisest course of action. He didn't think that they'd listen, being far too curious about Cooper, and if Madi heard him telling them that she might be angry.

The person that Cooper took his frustration out on was Madi. Half of the time he refused to acknowledge that she even existed, The rest of the time he scowled at her or snapped at her, and on one occasion, when he was feeling particularly mad at her, he threw a glass at her. He'd aimed to miss, but he could see from her face she was shocked and hurt that he'd even tried. He got immense satisfaction from that. It was time that she was on the receiving end for once.

Afterwards, though, he did feel something that he slowly realised was shame. Not that he'd never felt ashamed of course. He sometimes thought that that was the first feeling he'd ever had, shame at being a tank. But he'd never really been ashamed around Madi. The only other time he'd been ashamed of something he'd done was when he became addicted to meanies. He was still ashamed of that.

He tried to make it up to her by being a bit nicer to her. Well, he stopped scowling every time she came into the room and he stopped ignoring her when he wasn't scowling. He wasn't feeling so ashamed that he managed to smile at her.

Madi, meanwhile was repeating over and over like a mantra, 'He's ill, he's tired, he's scared, he's seven, he'll come round and start behaving and I won't be forced to throttle him with my bare hands.' It didn't help much.

She was therefore relieved when he settled down and stopped hurling missiles at her, although she'd have been surprised if she'd known the reason why. She was just glad that Reece hadn't been around during the glass incident. She wasn't sure which one of them, Reece or Cooper would have survived the aftermath. Given the way Cooper was at the moment, she wouldn't like to explain to McQueen exactly how a trained marine, who'd survived the Battle of the Belt, Demios, and no less than three assassination attempts, two of which were definitely aimed at him, couldn't survive her son.

Eventually they stopped trading insults and began to talk to one another with something approaching civility. However, Cooper seemed to become quieter and quieter, and she almost wished that he would yell at her again, even throw things. It would be better if he would react to anything than this god awful silence. She was really beginning to worry.

So she was very relieved one day when she opened the door to find Captain Nathan West standing on the doorstep.

"Hi, Madi," he said. "I was in the neighbourhood and thought I'd drop by the check on our wounded bird. How is he?"

"Nathan!" she smiled in relief. "How the hell did you get back to Earth... Captain?" He smiled back at her.

"McQueen's idea," he replied. "There was an opportunity for one of us to come back, and he sent me. I'm supposed to check on Coop, quietly."

She grimaced. "Still doesn't trust me, does he?" At least he hadn't sent Vansen. "And congratulations on the promotion, by the way," she added.

He grinned back at her, proudly. "Thanks. Coop's still bitchin' about it. He says that now there's two of us to order him around, and he's waiting for Vanessa to be promoted just so she can boss him around more too."

She had to laugh at that. She could just imagine Coop's face when he said that. Complaining, but bursting with pride at his friend's achievement none the less. Just unable to tell Nathan how proud he was.

Nathan's voice softened, and his face grew concerned as he asked the question that had been preying on his mind on the transport the whole way back. "How is he really?"

"He's getting better," she hastened to reassure him. "Still bitchin'," she added with a grin. "He hates being confined to bed, and he hates being fussed over."

"Don't let him fool you," Nathan joked. "He loves being fussed over, he just doesn't want anyone to know it." His face turned serious once more. "How are things with you?"

She deliberately misunderstood him. "Oh, I'm fine."

"That wasn't what I meant, Madi. You know what I meant. Sometimes I wonder if you've picked up some bad habits from him. I meant how are things with you and Coop?"

"Well, he's stopped throwing things at me." Nathan looked shocked. "Don't worry, he only did it the once."

Nathan grinned at that. "I'm sure he did. So when do we pick him up from the hospital and how much additional damage did you do?"

She grinned back, relieved that things seemed to have improved between her and Nathan. The last time they'd had this long a conversation, she'd been reaming him out in the Tun about her opinion of his actions on the Bacchus. Which was not very high.

Now, she was so pleased to see him. Perhaps he could snap Cooper out of the depression he seemed to have sunk into. She'd had no success. Even the twins didn't appear to be able to raise a smile. She was beginning to think that she was the problem.

Still it wasn't a good idea to discuss this on the doorstep. She was fairly isolated here, but people did occasionally walk by, and besides, it was cold. So she dragged him in and sat him down, while she made them some hot coffee.

"Hmm," he said. "I can't remember the last time I tasted real coffee. The stuff they give us on the 'Toga is far from that. How did you manage to get your hands on some. I thought that there was a shortage."

"Lucas," she replied. He should have guessed. Lucas was bound to have black market contacts. Still he wasn't about to get all moral about it. It tasted far too good. But coffee was the last thing on his mind. He could tell that Madi was hiding something. She looked like she hadn't slept for a week. He put the cup down with a sigh that grabbed her attention.

"How is he really, Madi? I take it things aren't... exactly brilliant between you two?"

She snorted. "That's an understatement. He's hardly talking to me at all."

"But he's stopped throwing things?" Nathan teased. She had to smile at that. "Isn't that a good sign?"

It was her turn to sigh. "Nathan, he's.... he's hardly saying anything. And he's not responding to much. I can't seem to get through to him. He won't listen to anything I tell him." To her shame, she had to fight back tears. The last thing she wanted was a report going back to Vansen or McQueen that she broke down in tears at the slightest excuse. But she was so tired and worry over Cooper was wearing her down.

Nathan thought hard. It was worse than he'd imagined. He had hoped, they'd all hoped, including Vansen though she'd deny it, that things would be okay once Cooper was back with Madi. The only one who'd seemed to have doubts about that was McQueen. He wondered exactly what McQueen had said to Cooper that time on the 'Toga, after Gibson's attack. From what Vansen had reported, he'd obviously warned Cooper off. Whatever he'd said, Cooper had taken it to heart so hard that even away from McQueen's influence he couldn't shake it off. More's the pity. Because Nathan knew that he couldn't go on like this. Shane wasn't the only one to notice that Cooper was taking more and more risks. The one thing that terrified Nathan more than anything else was the thought that Cooper cared so little anymore that he'd get himself killed. In an odd sort of a way, Cooper had replaced Neil in Nathan's heart. And Nathan didn't think that he could stand losing another brother. Not after losing Paul too.

He was going to have to bite the bullet and tell Madi why they were so worried about him. He was beginning to believe that Madi was the key, that she was the only one who was going to be able to snap Coop out of it. Maybe if she knew how vital it was, she'd fight harder.

So he told her. And she listened intently as he knew she would, and then hightailed it into the bedroom. He could hear her yelling from the front room. The words "stupid" and "tank" and "bloody-minded" seemed to be used a lot. As well as "reckless" and "thoughtless" and "selfish". Nathan winced, and thanked god that he wasn't on the receiving end. It reminded him of being yelled at by his mother when he did something stupid, like climbing that tree in the backyard when he was eight, although his parents told him not to. The worst thing about that was he couldn't get away from his mom's nagging. Not with a broken leg.

The voice from the bedroom had quietened. She was still talking, he just couldn't make out the words anymore. He thought about trying to eavesdrop, after all you shouldn't leave a buddy to face fire on their own, but decided that discretion was the better part of valour. Coop was on his own for this one. Perhaps it would do him some good.

It was then that he noticed the child. A boy, about eight or nine years old, leaning against the door jamb, watching him. McQueen had warned him about this kid. He thought that his CO had been exaggerating until he was the subject of that stare. Even Cooper had never looked at him that inimically. The hostility came off the child in waves. It had to be Reece.

"Reece, right?" he checked, just in case there were two such belligerent children on this planet.

The boy didn't answer, just continued to glare at him.

"I'm Captain West." The boy glanced towards the bedroom.

"You with him?" The voice could have frozen water.

"Cooper? Yes, I'm a friend of his."

"How come?" Nathan looked confused. "How come you're a friend of his? You a tank too?"

Nathan felt his ire rise. How dare this snot nosed kid call his friend that. He was surprised that Madi allowed it. He reigned his temper in with difficulty, realising that the boy was amused rather than cowed.

"No, I'm not an InVitro," he stressed the InVitro, "and I'm proud to be Cooper's friend. He's a hell of a guy, no matter what race. And don't use that word. I'm sure your mom doesn't like it."

The boy didn't reply to that, just pushed himself moodily away from the wall. Nathan had to suppress a smile. The action reminded him so much of Cooper when he first joined the Marines, when he had the world's biggest chip on his shoulders, with reason.

Reece didn't notice the smile. He had other things on his mind. "You taking him back with you? Cos it's about time he was leaving."

By now, Nathan had spotted Reece's attitude for what it was - jealousy. The boy was jealous of the attention Cooper was getting from his mom. Nathan felt a momentary pang of sympathy. Must be difficult to know that you were going to have to share your mom with someone else, especially someone from a race as despised as InVitros. After all, it was Reece who was going to have to face the taunts at school, as well as Cooper and Madi facing them every day.

"I'm sure that Cooper will be well enough to leave soon," he soothed. "He's just not well enough just yet."

"Why aren't you looking after him?" Reece demanded.

Nathan was slightly taken aback. "I've just got back from the front," he explained. "And I've got to back there soon. I can't look after Coop, I just wanted to make sure that he was okay. We've been worried about him."

"How come your folks didn't then?" Nathan was even more taken aback. The kid was smart, and even tougher than even McQueen had led him to believe. "Too ashamed to let your folks know that you're friends with a tank?" Reece taunted.

Nathan felt his rage build again. He was surprised that Madi hadn't killed this kid yet. "No," he replied evenly. "I'm not ashamed. But Cooper needs to be kept somewhere safe and quiet. And he missed your mom dreadfully. We thought that it would do him good to see her."

Reece grunted. "He didn't seem that pleased to see her."

"He hides his feelings well. And your mom missed him too."

Reece bristled at that last comment. "If she missed him," he said hotly, "I'd have known. She doesn't need him. Or want him around any more than I do!"

Nathan returned the boy's gaze steadily. "Your mom loves Cooper as much as he loves her. She may not have told you that Reece, but that's probably because sometimes it's difficult to talk about things like that with your children. She missed him. And she's glad he's back even if it's not for long. They just need some time to sort some things out, and I'd appreciate it Reece if you gave them that time."

Reece didn't reply to that, just stormed off to his bedroom, throwing himself down on the bed and snarling into his pillow, "She doesn't need him. Why would she. She's got me!"

~*~

Cooper was very pleased to see Nathan, despite the fact that he'd got him into trouble with Madi. Actually, he didn't even mind that. When she was mad at him he could pretend that she cared, for a little while at least.

Nathan was relieved when he saw Coop. At least he seemed to be okay physically. He still looked unhappy, but Nathan put that down to the strain of his wound. His colour was much better, and he was able to sit up unaided.

In fact he insisted on getting up altogether, and nothing Nathan said could dissuade him. Reluctantly, Nathan helped him get up and dressed, hoping that Madi agreed that it was a good idea. After hearing her yell at Cooper earlier, he wasn't sure that having that wrath directed at him would be the smartest thing he'd ever do in his life.

Cooper wanted to know how Shane and 'Phousse were, how the mission was, how McQueen was. Nathan answered to the best of his ability, hardly able to keep up with the questions Cooper was throwing at him. What was he doing on Earth, did McQueen know where he was, how were the 'Cards coping without Cooper, had they been in any furballs.

"Actually, Coop, things have been pretty quiet on the 'Toga since you left. Maybe the Chigs have realised that with you gone, there's no weak link in our defences anymore and have decided to call it quits," he teased. Cooper glared at him.

"Ha, ha, ha," he said sarcastically. "You know, West, it's a good thing that I'm still not one hundred percent, or I'd kick your ass all the way back to the 'Toga."

Nathan grinned at him, glad to see that he'd perked up a little. "Why do you think I said it? Think I'd be stupid enough to say it when you were well?"

"You see Kylen yet?" The question threw Nathan off guard.

"No, not yet. I came straight here." Cooper stared at him, his face vulnerable.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to see that you first. I know that Kylen's okay. And I'll see her tomorrow, now that I know you're okay."

Cooper busied himself with pulling on his socks, but Nathan wasn't fooled. He knew how difficult it was for Cooper to hear that people cared about him, but it was even more difficult for him not to hear it on a regular basis. Cooper's next words confirmed it.

"You came here first?" His voice was muffled as he leant over avoiding Nathan's eyes. Nathan gave into temptation and ruffled Cooper's hair, a gesture he'd seen Shane and 'Phousse do a thousand times, but which he'd never attempted himself. Well, the girls weren't here so he guessed it fell to him.

"Course I did. You want something to eat now?" Cooper's answering smile lit up his whole face.

~*~

Dinner was a much more lively affair than it had been recently. Cooper was up and moving about, quite well in fact, and Reece took some comfort in that fact. At least it meant that this guy would be gone in a few days. Reece gave no sign now that Nathan's words earlier had shaken him, although he watched both Madi and Cooper very closely, relaxing when there appeared to be no outward sign of affection between them. He even unwound enough to ask Nathan some questions about the war, although he studiously avoided asking Cooper any. Not that Cooper minded. Surrounded by these kids, he was struck with shyness. Other than the twins sometimes popping in to say hi, he hadn't really had a great deal to do with them or any other children, and he had no idea of what you said to kids.

So he also avoided entering into the conversation, letting Nathan answer the questions, and merely answering the ones Nathan threw in his direction with a simple yes or no.

Madi didn't say much either, dividing her attention among Cooper and the kids, watching Cooper's face light up whenever Nathan gently teased him. She also watched Reece closely, but couldn't tell what he was thinking. Sometimes she wished that she had Cooper's or Lucas' talent, although Thursday had told her several times that she really did not want to know what Reece was thinking most of the time. Thursday usually ended up muttering something about Reece reminding her far too much of Lucas as a child, and on no account was Madi to let him anywhere near a computer terminal unsupervised. She refused to elaborate.

But Reece seemed to be on his best behaviour, even calling Nathan 'Captain West' and, on the rare occasions when he had to refer to Cooper, calling him 'Lieutenant Hawkes'. She supposed that was a marked improvement on 'the tank'. So she relaxed some, and just contented herself with watching the pair of them, Cooper tongue tied and Reece suspicious, marvelling at how alike they were, whether they realised it or not.

Eventually, she packed the kids off to bed and settled down in front of the fire with Cooper and Nathan, until Nathan also made his excuses and retired early. She appreciated his tact, even if Cooper appeared not to.

She watched Cooper trying to make himself comfortable. His side seemed to be paining him slightly, and he also seemed to be having trouble with his back and neck.

"Problems?" she asked softly, watching him start slightly as she spoke. He looked at her warily, not answering. "Back sore?" she pushed.

"A little," he answered reluctantly. "I think its maybe because I've been spending so much time in bed."

"Lying on your side couldn't help much. Maybe we need to pile your pillows up so you're a little more comfortable."

"I'll be okay," he answered, still wary. It was beginning to dawn on him that perhaps Madi liked him a little, even if she didn't love him. Maybe they could be friendly if not friends. The thought gave him some comfort. Anything was better than her not being in his life at all. Maybe.... Ruthlessly he crushed that thought. Like McQueen said, it was no use wishing for something that you didn't stand a chance of getting, like a family. Like someone to love you. Neither McQueen or Cooper had heard the phrase 'Reach for the stars.' Or if they had, they didn't believe that it applied to them.

She was still watching him, her eyes warm. It was making him feel a little uncomfortable. "Tired?" she wanted to know now. He nodded. "Why don't we go into the bedroom, and I'll see if I can do something about your back, and maybe try out some more pillows, okay?"

He watched her for an eternity, his face expressionless. She kept hers warm and slightly distant, trying not to scare him off, and he was scared. She didn't need the little talent she had to tell that. Eventually he nodded, and hauled himself to his feet, this time not ignoring off the hand she held out to him. It made getting up easier.

She lead him to the bedroom, and sat him down on the edge of the bed, helping him remove his shoes and socks. She started to take his t-shirt off, stopping him when he tried to prevent her, suddenly skittish and shy, when she explained, "I just want to see that you haven't torn any stitches tonight."

His bandages were clean, she noticed with a mixture of relief and regret. Regret because she knew that it meant that their time together was going to be over soon. She moved so that she was sitting on the bed behind him, raising herself up on her knees and running her hands up his bare back. She felt him pull away from her slightly, his body tensing.

"Relax," she soothed. "I'm just going to try and get some of the stiffness out of your back. Hopefully that will stop it hurting." She continued to run her hands up and down his back, gently rubbing the tenseness out of his shoulders. She felt him relax against her, reassured.

"Thursday taught me how to so this," she added conversationally, not telling him where Thursday told her it usually led to. Lucas was remarkably appreciative of a good back rub by all accounts.

"Thursday?"

"You know Thursday?" she queried. He shook his head. "Yes, you do. She was the one who saved your life when you were shot." He thought hard for a moment.

"One of those voices in my head?" he guessed.

"Yes."

"Which one?" She didn't point out that she couldn't tell which voice it was, since she rarely heard it, unless Thursday was standing right next to her, and doing the equivalent of psychic shouting.

"The one that talks a lot," she explained, hoping that Cooper never mentioned that description to Thursday. She wouldn't appreciate it. But that explanation appeared to satisfy Cooper, because he nodded and said nothing else.

Her hands felt so good. He leaned into her more, enjoying the simple pleasure of being touched by her. He scarcely noticed when her hands stopped giving him a simple back rub and began to move over his body in a much more sensuous fashion. She was also enjoying the simple pleasure of touching him. Her hands stroked their way down his back and up again, following the shape of spine, roaming over his shoulders and down his arms. She moved closer and closer towards him, until their bodies were only separated by a hairsbreadth.

She couldn't resist any longer, hungry for the feel of him. One hand moved over his shoulder and down his chest, while the other moved around to cradle his other shoulder and pull him closer to her, and her lips pressed against his neck.

She felt him tense against her, and for a second she thought that he was going to pull away before she fastened her mouth on his navel and he was lost. His gasp was music to her ears. She had thought that she'd never get the opportunity to hear that sound again. She continued to tease him lightly, flicking her tongue across it, nibbling gently on it, enjoying the noises he made.

He was so hard it hurt. He wished she'd stop tormenting him like this, he knew that she didn't mean it, that she was just playing with him, and he thought it very unfair. Even if she didn't care for him she had to know that he cared for her, and surely she couldn't be cruel enough to mock him for it.

"Madi," he growled warningly. She misread him. She thought that he wanted her to touch him more. As he tried to pull away, she tightened her hold on him, and one of her hands moved down to cup him through his jeans.

"Madi, don't."

"It's okay, baby," she breathed in his ear. "I don't mind. I want to do this for you. I want to make you feel good. I love you."

He tried to pull away again, but she undid the buttons on his jeans, and moved her hand inside. He couldn't have protested if he still wanted to, as she slowly moved her hand up and down his length. And he wanted this as much as she did. He just wanted it to mean something to her too.

Her mouth continued to move over his neck and navel, licking, sucking and nibbling, while her hand continued to stroke and fondle him. Her free hand roamed over his chest and stomach, pulling him against her, and stroking his nipples, twisting them gently between her fingertips, causing fresh sparks of pleasure to shoot straight to his groin.

It didn't take him long to climax, hot and sticky over her hand and his stomach. He heard her laugh gently behind him. It was as good as any cold shower. He went cold, and drew away from her slightly, suddenly feeling disgusted and ashamed.

"Now then," she murmured against his shoulder, placing light kisses along it, "That was fun, wasn't it." She relaxed against him, absurdly happy, knowing that things were going to be okay now.

She was therefore stunned when he pulled away from her, using his t-shirt to clean himself up, and pulling his jumper back on. He refused to look at her. "Cooper! What's wrong?" she demanded frantically. "Didn't that make you feel good?"

He felt terrible. He remembered something 'Phousse had said once, about the way some jerk had made her feel when she was in high school. He hadn't understood it at the time, but now he did.

"It made me feel cheap."

She looked as though he'd slapped her, hard. He said nothing else, just pulled on his shoes and socks, his hands shaking, and then he left her sitting stunned on the bed as he stormed out, slamming the door behind him hard. She was shaken to the core. How could she have misinterpreted the situation so badly. When he'd said 'don't' he must have meant 'no'. Oh god, what was she going to do now. How was she going to get through to him after screwing up this badly.

Right now, she had a more urgent concern. She'd heard the front door slam too. It was dark and cold outside, and she doubted that he had a jacket.

She ran into Nathan in the hall. He'd also heard the front door slam. One look at Madi's face told him everything he needed to know.

"I'll go after him," he said. "Stay here. There's no point in us both going."

~*~

Nathan caught up with Cooper on the beach. Cooper had at least enough sense to shelter from the bitter winter wind behind some large rocks, even if he hadn't had enough sense to put on a jacket. Nathan wrapped his around him, stopping him from shrugging it off. And then he sat down beside Cooper and waited.

They sat in silence until Nathan couldn't stand it any more. He was cold, and he wanted to get Cooper into the warmth as soon as possible.

"What happened?"

Cooper refused to answer, turning his face into the rock. Nathan watched him concerned. "Cooper, please tell me."

At last Cooper turned towards him. The moonlight shone full on his face, and Nathan's heart almost broke at the pain he saw there. "She doesn't love me, Nate. I doubt she even likes me. Why would she pretend like that? Doesn't she know how much it hurts?"

"Oh Coop. She does love you. Even I can tell that." Cooper shook his head in despair.

"No, McQueen was right. She's just using me." Nathan counted to ten, slowly. How was he supposed to argue against McQueen.

"McQueen was wrong, Cooper." He watched Cooper shake his head again. "Hey," he said trying to lighten the mood. "It's not completely unheard of."

"McQueen wouldn't lie to me."

"Cooper..."

"I'd know if he lied to me!"

"How?" There was no mistaking the contemptuous look Cooper gave him. "Oh." Nathan tried again. "Cooper, McQueen could tell you something that he believes to be true, which means he wasn't lying. But just because he believes it, doesn't make it true." He had Cooper's attention now. He changed tack. "Cooper, do you trust me?"

Cooper looked at him astonished. "You know I do Nate..."

"Do you trust Shane and 'Phousse?"

"Yes, but...."

"Do you think we'd do anything to hurt you deliberately?"

"No."

"It was Shane's idea to send you here. She decided to do that because she knows how much you love Madi." He watched Cooper wilt at that. He was still feeling guilty, but Nathan couldn't let him dwell on it. "But more than that, she knows how much Madi loves you. She would never have sent you here if she had any doubt about that. None of us would."

He could tell that Cooper was wavering, but there was still one thing preying on Cooper's mind. "What about McQueen?"

Nathan took a deep breath. He knew how much Cooper looked up to their CO and he wasn't sure how he'd react to finding that his idol had feet of clay.

"You know that McQueen was married to a natural born?"

"Yes, Kelly told us that before she..."

"Before she died, yes. Well it didn't work out, and ...well... I wonder if maybe that experience has coloured his opinion of Madi. I think maybe he's worried that you're going to end up hurt as badly as he was." Cooper was now watching him intently.

"You think, maybe she really cares?"

"Cooper, I know she does. I think she loves you as much as Kylen loves me." Cooper gave him a ghost of a grin.

"Well," he teased, "that's understandable. Given you or me..."

Nathan punched him gently on the arm, relieved that he'd lightened up enough to be able to joke about it. Then Cooper's expression became vulnerable once more as he searched Nathan's face for reassurance. "You really think so?"

"Yes," Nathan confirmed. He watched Cooper's face relax. It was about time the kid had some happiness. There was something else he needed to do as well.

"Cooper?" Cooper turned towards him, his face questioning. "I'm sorry." Cooper frowned in confusion.

"About what?"

"About the Bacchus. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to find out. I just.... I just wanted you to have fun. I never meant to make you feel bad. It was a stupid thing to do and I just want you to know I'm sorry."

"It's okay Nate."

"It's not okay. If I hadn't done that, you would never have got the idea that Madi was only with you because someone paid her. You would never have known that there were people like that."

"I knew." Nathan looked at him in shock. "Hey, Nate, I was on the streets for five years. I even had offers myself. I was just never that hungry. And I never thought of paying for it myself. And I thought she liked me, you know. Cos she was an InVitro too. But it's okay. I stopped being mad at you for it a long time ago. Cos you were there when I needed you, in detox, you know?"

Nathan nodded, speechless. He kept forgetting what a good friend he had in Coop. He felt absurdly grateful for that fact. So he cleared his throat, he seemed to have got a frog in it for some reason, and said. "Let's just get back to where it's warm okay?"

~*~

"I spent last winter in New York
And came upon a man
He was sleeping on the streets and homeless
He said 'I fought in Vietnam'"

"War Child" - The Cranberries, 1995

It was Nathan who reassured Madi that he was going to be okay, and it was Nathan who insisted that he have a hot shower to warm him up. Cooper grumbled a little about being fussed over, but Nathan wasn't fooled. Finally, he managed to get Cooper back into bed and watched affectionately as he fell asleep. Then he said goodnight to Madi, and went back to bed.

Madi didn't go back to bed. Wearing her favorite white nightgown, she sat staring into the fire for hours with an old quilt wrapped around her, rocking back and forth in her grandmother's rocking chair with her knees drawn up to her chest. It was late and the only sounds heard were the occasional settling of the old timbers and the rain dripping off the roof. She was emotionally drained from these past few days with Cooper, but her mind was too active for her to sleep. So she sat and pensively stared into the flames, thinking how odd life turned out sometimes. A log popped and her eyes absently followed the sparks up the chimney.

She thought of Reece, how small and frightened he had been the first time they met. Madi had been walking through the box neighborhood on her way to the InVitro center where she taught when she noticed a child run into an overturned refrigerator box. A few minutes later an older boy rushed up to the box and tried to drag the smaller boy out. Madi had yelled at him and the bully had run; only then did Madi bend down to look at him. Seeing InVitro children and their parents was no new thing in this miserable place, but to see one so young alone alarmed Madi. The boy was no older than four or five she figured and he cowered in the back while glaring at her, looking almost feral.

Madi left him for a moment and asked the families around her until she learned that there was an elderly lady around the block who was responsible for the child. She knew she would remember until the day she died standing out in the cold on her doorstep and seeing the revulsion cross the old woman's face as she saw what Madi held firmly by the wrist.

"Don't want that tank kid around here no more." The woman jumped in before Madi could even introduce herself. "He'll either steal me blind or kill me now that he's growin'. Said good riddance when he run away. I should'a known better than to rent a room to them two tanks what whelped him. Wait right here." Madi was left there with her mouth open trying to get a word in edgewise. The old woman returned shortly with a packet of papers and a woman's silver necklace she was dangling by one finger out to Madi. "They left these papers here, birth records and such. Reckon you'll be needin' em." Madi touched the charm with her free hand and read the inscription.

"'Reece?' Is that his name? Reece"

"Got no idea what his name is but that's worked up til now. He'll answer to it if he gets hungry 'nough. Might be that he's sort of retarded. Nothin' would surprises me with his folks. Did I mention they was tanks?" She handed the papers to Madi along with the necklace and she took them automatically.

"Um, I believe you did, but I think you've misunderstood; I'm not with Human Services. I just found him, Reece, over in the box neighborhood. It's cold and it's supposed to snow tonight. He needs to be indoors." She smiled reassuringly down at the child she was holding and he kicked her shin for her trouble. Madi gave his arm a shake and said, "Stop that Reece." Apparently the firmness of her tone got through to him because he settled down.

"I don't care you who are, you're welcome to him. I've been keepin' him since he was three months old and I'm tired of the worry of him." Madi was shocked even though she was aware of the prejudices against InVitros. How could you keep from becoming attached to a baby you had cared for almost five years? He was an especially beautiful child, or he would be she thought, if someone took the time to wash away the dirt and the dried snot off his face. "You take him and go on now." The woman reached behind her again and held out a wrinkled paper bag. Madi's hands were full though.

"What's that?"

"Them's his clothes." Madi gaped at the bag. It wouldn't have a held a large bunch of bananas. She wondered what the woman had been spending the money on she received from the government for keeping the child. It certainly hadn't been soap. The crone took the papers and necklace from Madi and dropped them into the bag then thrust the whole thing back into her free hand.

"That's all his clothes?"

"He didn't need much. I kept him in the basement mostly, away from decent folks. You get on now and don't think of sneaking him back here. Understand? If I catch him back here again, I'll sell him to the man down the street what takes in boys. Lot of men like 'em young and pretty like this."

Madi turned and fled then, dragging the child with her. She made it to the next alley before she vomited in the street. She tucked the package under the same arm that held Reece and wiped her face with a tissue trying hard not to be sick again. She glanced down at the boy who was watching her warily with big blue eyes and wondered if he could speak. It was so late Madi decided to take him home with her and clean him up. She would take him to the orphanage the next day.

She smiled sleepily into the fire as she remembered the time she'd had giving him a bath. It was a wonder they hadn't both drowned. Onlookers would have compared it to a calf roping or maybe a greased pig contest would have been a better example. Finally after four scrubbings with scented soap she had gotten the smell off of him. Reece even seemed pleased with the results. He kept smelling of his arm and looking at the bathtub. Madi took that to mean he hadn't seen one before which she could easily believe. Then it was on to brushing his teeth and again Reece seemed pleased with the final results. The next morning she woke to the sound of him brushing and swishing her mouthwash and she smiled.

Instead of the orphanage she had taken him to the first pediatrician who could see her and had him tested for diseases and given immunizations. Her packet of papers worked wonders. They spent the rest of the day shopping for clothes and she even bought him a few toys although he seemed to have no idea what to do with them. One day turned into three and on Monday she finally took him to the InVitro center where she enrolled him in day care. She made a quick visit to her father's attorney to discuss guardianship issues and rushed back, afraid he might have slipped out. Reece was still there sitting exactly where she'd left him and Madi swallowed tears at the surprised look in his eyes when she came back for him.

They'd survived and argued and adjusted and bonded and even thrived together. Madi had never really planned to fall in love with him or even keep him - it just happened. As with Cooper, destiny was at work and while Madi wouldn't have done it that way, she accepted it because it felt right.

Reece had stopped fighting and eventually started talking and his test scores had put him in the gifted program at the orphanage school. Retarded indeed, Madi thought. Except for his tendency to run away when he was upset she couldn't have asked for a better child, although she wouldn't complain if he smiled a little more. He would turn nine in a few months and he looked so grown up it nearly broke Madi's heart. She missed the times when he would bring his books and crawl into her lap for her to read to him. It was as close to cuddling as he would allow her and now she didn't even have that though she did force him to submit to the occasional hug and kiss on his cheek. She was his mother, she had rights too, she'd remind him. He would remind her that if they adopted the twins she would have two new and willing victims to cuddle and kiss all she wanted and the old fight would be on again.

Madi remembered vividly the day at the orphanage eighteen months ago when the three-year-old twins had been abandoned at the front door, hungry and dressed in rags. Reece had been killing time waiting for her to finish work when he discovered them crying and clinging together on the top step. He gathered them up and found a female orderly to bathe them while he routed the salvage room for clean clothes. After they were dressed he assured the orderly he was carrying out Ms. Gibson's orders and had taken control of the girls once more. A person had to see Reece in command to appreciate the authority he wielded at the home. It never failed to amaze Madi what he could get accomplished. He'd fed them and watched over them while they napped and when Madi came to pick him up after class, he announced with total confidence that the girls were coming home with them as well. War had ensued.

Madi had seen them and agreed that they were precious and hardened her heart purposely. The orphanage was full of cute kids; she couldn't take care of them all. She had her hands full with Reece and the ones she taught. But he worried the issue like a sore tooth. He made lists of things they needed and read them to her until she caved in and bought toys and shoes and underwear and she even bought a few outfits - not matching like she wanted either. Reece said they needed to dress differently. Madi had no idea how he knew that but she knew better than to ask; he'd just make another list. She tried to get him to see that it wasn't fair to the other children to show favoritism but he had no such qualms. Reece cared for himself and those he considered his, everyone else was on their own. When he started telling everyone they were his sisters, Madi hit the ceiling. Reece calmly packed his clothes and moved over to sleep at the orphanage. After Madi came to her senses and adopted them, they would ll move back home he assured her. While she was fuming about that Lucas called and she had met Cooper and her life had twisted once again.

Still staring into the fire, she felt his presence as he came silently into the dark room. She slowly turned her head to see him propped against the door jamb, the firelight bronzing his face and chest. He'd managed to pull on a pair of jeans but hadn't fastened them and he was barefoot. He looked rumpled and sleepy and so handsome that Madi couldn't look at him. She turned back to the fire.

"What are you doin' up so late?" His voice was hushed in the dark even though they were alone.

Madi just shook her head. She was too dispirited to fight tonight, tomorrow would do.

"Got anything to drink?" She nodded towards the refrigerator and watched him closely as he took a can of soda out and popped the top. InVitro healing was an amazing thing to see. He was still very tender and sore but anyone else would be in intensive care. Her thoughts went to the lab and the things she'd witnessed, experiments she'd seen performed so healing could be monitored and she shivered despite the warmth of the fire. She remembered how enraged her father had become when he learned of some of them… her thoughts screeched to a halt there, she refused to think of her father; she had barely spoken to him since she'd left the Saratoga.

She was surprised to see Cooper move back into the living room area and ease cautiously down on the sofa. He had certainly made sure she knew that he didn't want her company these past few days. She continued to rock softly and watch the sparks fly off the wood, trying not to remember the disgust on his face earlier that evening.

Cooper sipped his drink and watched Madi. The firelight caused her hair to glow and she was so pretty she took his breath away. He'd had the dream again. The one where he looked and looked for her then finally found her, only to see her dissolve in his arms. He woke himself up calling her name and he'd stayed in the bedroom as long as he could stand it before he had to see if she was really here. Now that he'd seen her he was content.

"Any word from McQueen?" he asked softly.

Madi shook her head, still not looking at him, and suddenly Cooper wanted her attention. She'd left him alone all evening he thought sulkily, with just Nathan to look after him - she knew how he hated being without her. He conveniently forgot about throwing the glass at her or their argument earlier that evening.

He thought of their first lessons on the Saratoga and how much fun they had been. It seemed so long ago - he felt ancient inside. He'd seen so many people die on Demios and he wanted to tell Madi about it and have her hold him and whisper that he would stop feeling the pain of their loss eventually. He wanted to tell her he'd never stopped thinking of her or loving her the whole time they were stranded. He wanted to tell her he thought of dying on that hell hole of a planet every day and what bothered him most about it was that she would never know how he felt about her. He wanted to tell her that if he died when he went back he would like it if she accepted the flag draped over his coffin and that he wanted her to promise to remember him at times. He wanted to tell her that Shane had lied to him, too, for his protection; and now he understood better about what she'd done. He wanted to explain that he had needed Shane's comfort but had never stopped loving her, that he'd closed his eyes and pretended it was her he was holding. He wanted her to know that Nathan had explained it all to him, and while he wasn't entirely convinced, some part of him had started to believe that she might really love him.

But words, as always, failed him and he suspected they always would. Even if he could put them in the right order they would come out all wrong. But he knew some words that might help. Words he should have spoken before.

He silently crossed to where Madi sat rocking. She looked tired and he felt guilty for being such a burden on her. She didn't need him as well as three kids to watch over. Madi looked up questioningly, he hadn't been this close to her voluntarily since the night they'd made love. The night he couldn't remember. And she thought that she'd driven him away forever after the events of tonight. Cooper dropped to his knees in front of her and stopped her rocking by putting his hands on the arms of the chair. She watched him solemnly as he wrapped his hands around her ankles and pulled her bare feet to the floor. Then he pressed his cheek into her lap and put his arms around her hips, pulling her tight against him. The cotton from her long gown was soft against his face and carried the scent of roses. He had to close his eyes at the torrent of pleasure that her smell and feel brought him. "I'm sorry Madi. I'm so sorry." He squeezed his eyes together to keep the tears in as he felt her long fingers burow into his hair, soothing him, forgiving him, healing him.

Her tears fell on his hair, as she cried silently, trying not to scare him away. She dropped her head and pressed her face into his hair, wrapping her other arm around his shoulders an pulling him closer to her. "Oh Cooper," she whispered, and felt his arms tighten about her waist.

"Madi," he said. "Don't hate me please. I don't care if you don't love me, but please don't be mad because I can't stop loving you. And, maybe.... maybe someday...."

"Cooper," she whispered again, "I do love you. What do I have to do to convince you of that?"

He turned his tearstained face towards her, hope flaring in his eyes. "Nathan said that you did, but McQueen... he said you didn't. I don't know which one to believe."

"Well I say I do, so that's two against one. I'd say the motion is carried."

He pulled her off the seat onto the floor beside him, wrapping his arms tightly around her, burying his face in her hair. "I want to believe," he whispered. "But both McQueen and Nathan were telling the truth, and I don't understand." She felt despair again.

"Can't you tell that I'm telling the truth?" she asked. She felt his head shake.

"I can tell with them, but not with you. I can't tell with you at all." Because she could shield, she realised. He couldn't tell the truthfulness of her words because he couldn't pick up any traces from her the way he could from Nathan and McQueen and the others. She was going to have to let her shields down. The thought filled her with trepidation. It was an uncomfortable thing to do, one she'd only attempted with Thursday. She hadn't even tried with Lucas, although she sometimes got the feeling that Lucas was strong enough, experienced enough, to read her anyway.

"Cooper," she said. "You can tell that I'm telling the truth. And that's all that counts."

He was clumsy, and it hurt. He also didn't know how to shield his thoughts from her while he wandered through hers. So while he could check the veracity of her statement, she felt the pain he felt at the deaths he'd seen, the fear he'd felt on the streets, the loneliness, the hate. She remembered what it felt like to be hanged, while he remembered what it felt like to watch your father harm someone you love. He remembered what it felt like to lose a mother, while she remembered what it felt like to kill your sister to save your friends and do your duty. And both of them remembered what it felt like to be held by someone you loved more than your own life.

She put her shields back up with difficulty, and felt him do the same. Her head hurt, but all she cared about was feeling his arms wrapped tightly around her, and his lips pressed against hers. He kissed her tears away, while she kissed away his, and then their lips met again, their tongues entwining.

Neither of them spotted Reece in the doorway, his face filled with pain. Neither of them noticed when he crept back into his bedroom, and lay there staring into the dark.

Eventually, Madi took Cooper by the hand and led him into her bedroom, where they fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

~*~

Reece said nothing to her the next morning to indicate that he was aware of any change in their relationship. Instead he ate breakfast, and was perfectly polite when Blaine picked all three of them up for school. Nathan also grabbed a lift into town to grab a train to the airport. Now that he was sure Cooper was okay he was desperate to see Kylen. He looked in on Cooper briefly to check that he was okay, and was reassured when he saw him fast asleep, his face peaceful. Instead he left a message with Madi and told her that he'd call later. She impulsively hugged him and kissed his cheek, thanking him for helping with Cooper. Her gesture seemed to please him.

When Cooper finally entered the kitchen, he was still half asleep. He'd pulled on his jeans but was still bare footed and bare chested. He was deliciously tousled. Personally, she thought that this was a delightful sight to be greeted with first thing in the morning.

He ambled over to where she was sitting, eating breakfast cereal wrapped in the old white towelling robe she'd had since college. The fact that she was wearing that rather than some sexy lingerie showed just how comfortable she now felt with him. Mind you, she was beginning to realise that it wasn't what she wore that turned him on. She could probably wear sackcloth and ashes, and he'd still think she was the most lovely thing he'd ever seen. She was eternally grateful for that, and for him now that she had him back.

He wrapped his arms around her, and nibbled his way up her neck, until his mouth met hers. He tasted vaguely of toothpaste. "Morning," he breathed.

She ran her hands down his cheeks, feeling the roughness of his stubble against her palms. "Morning, lover. Mmmmm... you need a shave," she murmured, trying hard not to be distracted by the feather light kisses he was now placing around her ear.

"Mmmm?"

She chuckled softly. Sometimes there was no distracting him when he had his mind on ....... other things. She placed her hands firmly against his chest, pushing him away.

"Shave, now, or I'll end up looking like my face has been peeled." He grumbled about that, pouting adorably. She ruffled his hair, knowing how much he hated that. He said that it made him feel like a six year old. And he was seven, not six.

"If you don't shave, I'll do it for you!" she threatened, then paused, thinking. That might not be a bad idea. It would head off any arguments, and he'd have to concentrate on the matter in hand if she had a razor to his throat. No arguments then.

"Stay here," she told him, jumping up and heading towards the bathroom. He gazed after her, puzzled. What was she up to?

She returned with a bowl, a stick of shaving cream, a shaving brush, a towel and her father's cut-throat razor, sharp and gleaming. He eyed it nervously, trying to decide whether or not he'd done anything to annoy her, whether she was still mad even though he'd apologised last night. He didn't think so, but on the other hand...

She almost laughed at the sight of his face, the looks he was directing at the razor, but she forced herself to keep an straight face, to be all business. "Okay Cooper, sit on that chair." She pointed at the chair she'd recently vacated.

"Where are you going to sit?"

She considered this for a moment. "I'll sit on the table behind you." He still looked like a cat on a hot tin roof. "Relax Cooper. I have done this before. I used to shave my father sometimes when I still lived at home, and I never cut him. I'll be really careful. I like that pretty face of yours too much to do any damage to it."

Only partially mollified, he sat on the chair, his back to the table. She eased behind him, sitting on the table so that he was nestled between her legs. His proximity made her hands shake, as she breathed in the scent of him, that warm musky masculine scent she thought that she could recognise blindfolded.

She forced herself to concentrate on the matter in hand, dipping the shaving brush in the bowl of warm water, and swirling it around on the shaving stick, and then sliding it over the contours of his face. Her feet rested on the arms of the chair, and he pressed himself back against her. She was suddenly conscious of every single point of her body in contact with his. She ran her fingers over his face, working up a lather. The brush would have done equally well, if not better, but she needed to touch him. The air around them had become electric.

Then she began to slide the razor across his face, being very careful not to nick him. He held very still, so there was no need for her to slide her free hand over his shoulder and down his chest, pressing him even closer to her. He was very conscious of that hand, and of the scratch of the razor. He was also very conscious of her breath in his ear, and of the smell of her, of the feel of her breasts against his back, her thighs against his waist, the heat they were generating between them.

The only sound in the room was their breathing, both a little ragged now, and the soft slide of steel against skin. After the last stroke, she picked up the towel, and gently ran it over his face to remove the last traces of the shaving foam. She followed the cloth with her hand, feeling his satin skin. Finally satisfied with the smoothness achieved, she tapped him on the shoulder, and murmured, "You'll do."

That was the only signal he needed. Abruptly, he was standing, and the chair skidded across the floor. He faced her, his hands suddenly on the inside of her robe, against her bare skin, leaving trails of heat in their wake. His eyes met hers, his face serious and unsmiling as his hands pulled loose the knot holding her robe together to allow him freer access.

He slipped his thumbs along her thighs and underneath the fabric of her underwear, stroking gently over her hips. He continued to hold her gaze as he caught hold of them and slipped them down over her legs and off. Her fingers caught hold of the buttons of his jeans, freeing him, stroking him, thanking god he wasn't wearing underwear. The way she felt at the moment, she couldn't cope with anything more complicated than buttons.

His eyes never wavered, and his expression never changed. She was so wet that he had no difficulty slipping inside her, grasping hold of her hips to pull her closer to him. His strokes were slow and steady, and already she could feel the familiar tension building. The most erotic thing was the way he continued to look deep into her eyes, his gaze never wavering as he slowly brought her over the edge.

He could feel the way her body tensed and her breathing caught. He could also feel the way the muscles in her vagina clenched around him, as she climaxed. He deepened his strokes to make the experience more pleasurable for her, as her nails dug furrows in his back. She shuddered to a rest, her heart still pounding and her body weak Finally she went limp in his arms, exhausted.

He was still hard deep inside her. She felt him move to withdraw and moaned her disappointment, wanting to prolong this as much as possible. The next thing she knew, he'd grabbed hold of her and spun her round so that she now laid spread-eagled face down on the table, her feet on the floor and her robe bunched up around her waist. She gasped her pleasure as she felt him plunge into her from behind. From this angle he was able to deepen his strokes to a depth she hadn't felt before. His hand was hard on her back, pushing her against the table. Each time he entered her, she slid back and forth across the table, creating a delicious friction that sent shivers up and down her body. Once again she felt the pleasure building unbearably.

His strokes became wilder and wilder as he also felt the pleasure building, the tension growing in him, demanding release. She was making little gasping sounds that drove him crazy. He felt a desperate desire to see her face, to watch her as she came.

She cried out in disappointment as she felt him withdraw again. "Cooper," she growled warningly, but could say no more as once again, he spun her round again and plunged deeply into her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, one hand placed against her back, and the other buried deeply in her hair, that red gold hair he loved so much. She wrapped her legs around his waist, determined not to let him get away again but careful not to hurt him. Her hands moved down his back and slipped beneath the waistband of his jeans to grasp his buttocks and pull him even closer. Her head fell back on her neck, her eyes closed, as she concentrated on the feelings he was causing. His teeth caught her neck in a sharp nip, that caused her to yelp, and then finally his mouth was fixed on hers, his tongue plunging into her mouth even as his cock plunged into her vagina.

He felt her tense against him, whimpering, as once again he drove her inexorably towards ecstasy. The sound of that, the sound of her climaxing, the sound of her screaming his name over and over again, drove him over the edge too, and he plunged into her once more, releasing her mouth to yell her name.

They shuddered to a halt, their arms still wrapped tightly around each other. Finally her breathing slowed sufficiently to enable her to talk. "See," she whispered into his ear, nibbling her way around the lobe. "That wasn't too bad, was it."

She felt his body shake with laughter, and he pulled his head back to look deep into her eyes, his own filled with love. "Mmmm," he agreed, wrapping his arms even tighter around her. When she followed suit, she felt him wince. She released him hurriedly.

"Cooper, did you hurt yourself?"

"It was worth it."

She gave him an exasperated look. "I'm okay Madi," he confirmed, wrapping his arms around her once more, and kissing her deeply. "Especially now."

She settled against him, purring happily, thankful that she had the chance to hold him in her arms once more, to hear his heart beat under her ear, to feel the rise and fall of his chest. Now all she had to do was get Reece to accept Cooper and her happiness was complete. Come to think of it she might as well wish for an end to racism against InVitros and an end to the Chig war. She had as much chance of that happening in the foreseeable future as she had of Reece calmly accepting a new man in her life.

Reluctantly she dragged her mind back to the present and untangled herself from his arms, smiling at his groan of protest. She placed a last kiss firmly on the end of his nose. "We've got to get dressed."

"Why?" he pouted, wrapping her up in his arms again. "Can't we just go back to bed?" The offer was very tempting, but if he'd hurt his side, she didn't want to do anything further to aggravate it. She hugged him back, gently and shook her head.

"Don't you want to see the village? Get out of the house for a while?" Now it was his turn to be tempted, but the thought of Madi in bed was even more tempting, especially now he had her back, now he was sure that she loved him. He rubbed his face against her hair. He knew that when she got that tone in her voice there was no arguing with her. So reluctantly he let her go once more, with one more kiss.

He watched her with warm eyes as she moved around the kitchen, washing dishes, being domestic. It gave him an odd sense of pleasure, although he couldn't pinpoint why. He also watched her get dressed in the bedroom, reluctant to let her out of his sight for long, in case she vanished.

She helped him dress, although he was now perfectly capable of dressing himself. It gave her an excuse to touch him, and like him, she also needed reassurance that this wasn't a dream, that he wasn't going to vanish from her life.

It was a little warmer than last night, but not much. The sun was weak and watery, the air crisp. They walked slowly along the beach, listening to the sounds of the waves, and breathing in the ozone. The beach was deserted, not a soul in sight. They held hands like teenagers, and frequently stopped to steal a kiss or two.

By the time they'd reached the end of the beach, where to go any further meant they had to clamber over rocks, something he was not going to do, she informed him sternly, the light had already started to fade. It got dark early in February, and the weather was worsening.

It started to rain before they reached the cottage. She cursed herself. How could she have been so stupid not to check the weather forecast. If he got sick again, it would be her fault.

He didn't seem sick. He was wet and cold, yes, but he was also amorous. She'd barely got the door closed before he was trying to remove her clothing. When she protested, he told her firmly that he just wanted to get her out of those wet clothes before she caught a chill. She wondered which film he'd got that from. Still, it was a good idea, and one she wholeheartedly agreed with.

She managed to get him into the bathroom before they were completely naked. Just in case the children decided to come back on a Monday night. She began to run a hot bath while he continued to press hot kisses up and down her spine, making her knees go weak. There would be enough time for that later. Right now the important thing was to get him warm as quickly as possible. The last thing he needed was to be cold after being out the night before.

His skin was cold and clammy. She grabbed a towel, and wrapped him in it, shivering herself as she darted into the bedroom and grabbed more large towels from the chest at the end of the bed. She was thankful that Thursday had a thing for large soft bath towels. She wrapped herself up in one and grabbed several more to hang over the radiators in the bathroom.

She bustled about while the bath ran, building up the fire in the bathroom, making sure that the towels were hanging over the radiator properly, ensuring that the doors and windows were locked. She found some candles under the kitchen sink and located a bottle of wine. Well, why not. It wasn't often she got a chance to pamper herself. Or him.

The bathroom was now full of steam, warm and cosy. Cooper was sitting on the floor beside the large ornate tub wrapped in one of Thursday's oversized towels, watching the bubbles float on the surface of the water, fascinated. She wondered if he'd ever seen a bath before.

"No," he answered. "They had showers in the facility, and on the 'Toga. I couldn't get clean on the streets. I hated that. The hostels had showers though, so I used those."

She stared at him in shock. How had he known what she was thinking? Up until last night he hadn't been able to hear her. Cooper she sent. He continued to stare at the bath, either not hearing her or ignoring her. Oh well, she wasn't much of a 'path. Maybe he could only hear her thoughts sometimes. If that was the case, then she'd have to be careful. Some of her thoughts were definitely not for public consumption. Especially when she thought of him.

The bath was almost full. She tested the temperature. Hot enough without being too hot. There was nothing that she liked more than a hot bath. One thing that both she and Thursday agreed on. It warmed somewhere in the soul, as well as the body. She was also glad that Thursday had a thing for large baths. This one was huge. A good idea given the size of this marine.

She lit the candles, placing them strategically around the room and dimming the lights.

"Nice," he said. "Kinda... cosy, you know."

She grinned at him. "That's the general idea." She ran one hand tenderly over the planes of his chest. "Still cold?"

"A little, not much." He watched her hand transfixed as it continued its downwards journey, to loosen the towel around his waist, sighing as it fell away. His skin was a little warmer, although he still had goose bumps. The hairs on his arms and legs weren't the only part of his body standing up. Although she didn't think that was due to the cold.

"Bath," she ordered. "now, before you freeze." He looked at her, disappointed.

"What about you?" She glanced at the bath, her gaze considering.

"Well," she said. "I think that bath's probably big enough for both of us. What do you think?" His grin was all the answer she needed. "You first," she added.

She helped remove the bandages from his waist, relieved and amazed at the rate at which he healed. The wound was closed now, the skin shiny, red and puckered. It certainly didn't look like the skin of someone who'd been shot two weeks ago. Any natural born probably wouldn't even be out of intensive care, that is if they'd even survived the attack. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, shaking slightly when it hit her how close she'd come to losing him completely. He could have died without ever knowing just how much she loved him, without her ever seeing his face again. She didn't even have a picture of him, she realised. Nothing to remember him by if she did lose him.

He hugged her back, hard. "Cold, Madi?"

"A little," she replied, her head still buried in his chest. His hands began to loosen her towel, now, and soon that joined his on the floor. Before she could react, he'd swung her up in his arms, and was lowering her gently into the water, his face concerned.

"Better?" he checked, as she relaxed into the hot water. She nodded, smiling back at him, watching the tension ease from his face. Playfully she flicked water into his face, watching him start back in surprise. She grinned evilly at him.

"Come on in," she invited. "The water's fine." The reference was lost on him, but he joined her in the tub anyway, settling himself behind her.

This was fun, he decided. He liked bathing with Madi. He settled himself behind her, pulling her close so she nestled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her once again, sighing happily, and placed gentle kisses along her hairline. He could definitely get used to this.

For a while he was content enough to merely snuggle up against her, feeling the heat of the water seep into his bones, while the nearness of her seeped into his heart, warming him. No matter how often he held her close, he still couldn't get over the wonder of her, the wonder of having her want to be near him. To love him. He could feel the rhythm of her breathing against his chest, a comforting feeling. Every time she breathed in, he could watch the rise and fall of her chest. It was an interesting view. One of his favourites.

He stretched out one hand, and gently ran his fingers down the side of her neck, and over her collar bone before proceeding downwards. She stretched languorously against him, enjoying the sensation of him against her skin. He gently ran his fingers over her nipple, watching it pucker against his hand. That never failed to fascinate him.

His fingers continued on their downward journey, over the soft swell of her stomach, down to the curve of her thigh. Then they began to edge inwards, gently tangling in the curls between her thighs, while his other hand moved down to her stomach, pressing her against his erection. She gasped and twisted against him, turning her head so that he could capture her lips with his, her tongue gently pressing into his mouth. Their kisses became harder, more demanding, leaving them both breathless with need.

She twisted around so that she was now lying on top of him, her hands wrapped around his neck. His hands caught hold of her hips, pulling her even closer, as her long fingers gently stroked his navel, arousing him further. One of his arms wrapped itself tight around her waist, while his free hand crept up her back to entangle itself in her hair, deepening their kiss.

He was poised to enter her, when the phone rang. "Shit," she groaned. "Why the hell does the phone have to ring at times like these."

"Madi," he said, frowning. "How often are you in the bath with a guy when the phone rings?"

She stared at him, her mouth agape. He couldn't possibly think...

He couldn't keep a straight face for any longer. She looked so funny with that expression on her face. She looked even more surprised when he started to howl with laughter, a look that turned to exasperated amusement, when she realised that he was winding her up.

"Cooper!" she yelled, slapping his arm playfully, before leaping out of the bath to rush into the front room and grab the phone. She managed to grab a towel on the way out, so she was at least semi decent before she hit the receive button, praying that it wasn't McQueen on the line. She didn't think that she could stand the indignity of that.

It was Nathan. He took in her wet and tousled appearance with an amused look. Sometimes she knew exactly why Cooper had spent two or three months trying to beat the crap out of this guy. She gave him her best patented 'Thursday' stare. It was obviously lacking something, because his expression remained amused.

"I just called to see how Coop is. Is he there?"

"He's in the bath, Nathan." Wrong answer. Nathan looked even more amused as he put two and two together and came up with wet Madi plus wet Cooper equals a reconciliation of sorts. She put on her best 'Lucas exasperated' stare. That seemed to work better.

"How are things between you guys then. Kissed and made up?" There was genuine concern in the question, and she forgave him everything for that.

"Better," she replied. "Much better. I think that things are going to be okay." She hoped that wasn't tempting fate. "Do you want to talk to him?"

"If he's not... busy," Nathan replied, with an evil grin. She gave him an evil look in return, before returning to the bathroom, and dragging Cooper, complaining, out of the tub.