Part 3

"That must be Commander Sword."

The elderly man smiled as he leaned back in his chair. "Good….I'm starting to get hungry."

"Me too." Monroe nipped at his lover's neck, and then moved quickly to dodge the playful smack that he knew would follow.

Commander Lewis watched Monroe walk to the door. Never in his life had a lover made him feel so special and loved. Even in his last days, Tom felt as handsome and strong as he had been 40 years ago.

"Monroe you are so good for me."

The everlast turned to look at his partner. "As you are for me love."

Monroe pulled the door open, and immediately noticed a change in his new commander. He cocked his head to the side as he tried to figure it out. It was a subtle change but none the less very evident.

"Good evening Robin. Please come in."

The tall woman walked into the large chamber that belonged to the two men. It was divided into several large rooms, none of which had windows. She figured the commander had seen enough of the blackness to last him a lifetime and didn't need a constant reminder. She on the other hand, loved gazing out at all of the stars that surrounded her. They provided her with an escape. Sometimes she would try and guess how many stars were floating around her but there were just too many to count. She figured nothing could be as great as the number of stars that cradled her to sleep every night.

"Sorry I'm running late. I stopped to check on our new passengers and make sure they were doing okay."

Tom stood and motioned for everyone to head to the dining area.

"So…how are they?"

Robin pulled her chair out and sat down.

"They seem to be doing just fine."

Monroe began to fill everyone's plate. He watched the dark headed woman closely. She appeared nervous. She wouldn't make eye contact with either of them. "She's hiding something." Monroe thought.

"Well that is good to hear."

Commander Lewis picked up his glass of wine and took a drink. A quick smile to Monroe told the everlast his lover was pleased with the selection. He then began talking with his protégé.

"We will be landing in Thrace in two days. I'm sure our guests will find it to be a wonderful place to start over now that they are no longer slaves."

Robins blue eyes fell to her plate. The commander's words reminding her that Sarah would soon be leaving the ship. The everlast immediately noticed the look of sadness that passed over the young woman's face.

"Robin is something bothering you?"

Both the commander and Monroe watched as Robin tried to find the words to express what she was feeling.

"Yes. No. Well it's not really a bother." Robin stopped and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

"I just can't seem to describe it."

The commander put his utensils down and Monroe followed suit. They waited patiently as Robin struggled to put her feelings in to words.

"When I first saw Sarah…."

"Wait." Monroe interrupted. "Who is Sarah?"

The new commander's face lit up at the mention of the woman's name. This did not go unnoticed by the two men sitting across from her.

"She is one of the slaves that we rescued."

Monroe nodded his head and the commander motioned for her to continue.

"When I first saw her on the ship, I thought she was dead. I noticed a soft glow surrounding her, but I wasn't afraid of it. As a matter of fact it seemed to call me to her. I stepped closer and that's when I heard her. She was alive."

As the two men listened to the commander's story, they smiled knowingly at each other. They too had seen a warm glow surrounding the other when they first met. Soul mates. That's what everyone called them.

"Then I saw it again at the hospital while I visited her. It seemed to draw me to her." Robin looked up to see two very big smiles beaming at her.

"Whaaaat?" she asked, thinking they didn't believe her.

"Did you feel your heart beat faster as you got near her?" Monroe asked.

Nod.

"Were you surrounded by warmth?" The older man asked.

Nod.

Robin teetered on the verge of an all out panic attack. Had she grown ill? Maybe she ate something bad? This must be a test to prove her worthiness.

"Robin it sounds to me like you've just met your soul mate."

The words sank in slowly, as if she could feel the thickness of them seeping through her every pore. 'Soul mate?" She didn't think her soul was worthy of a mate. She had killed so many people as a soldier. How could she deserve to find her soul mate?

"Are you sure?" She asked skeptically.

Monroe reached for his lover's hand as he answered her question.

"It happened with us. I came aboard this ship, as a chef for the commander and his crew. When I saw Tom for the first time, the most magnificent glow I had ever seen surrounded him. It called me to him and I couldn't resist. I am still unable to resist."

Commander Lewis squeezed the strong hand holding his.

"I heard some kind of commotion going on so I glanced up from across the main deck. That's when I saw Monroe. I saw the same glow, and as soon as our eyes met I knew we were destined to be together."

Robin listened intently. It sounded too good to be true. Could Sarah be her soul mate? She certainly hoped so. Her mind filled with visions of the young blonde. Her sweet face smiling up at her. Her emerald eyes touching a place deep inside her. The sound of her voice saying her name. It was definitely worth investigating.

Monroe's deep voice brought Robin out of her reverie.

"Robin, we will be staying on Thrace for awhile. Why don't you spend some time with Sarah, get to know her." Monroe watched a smile work itself onto the tall woman's face.

"I think I'll do that Monroe."

They finished eating and continued to talk about what they needed to get while on Thrace. Robin could barely keep up with the conversation. All she could think about was the small blonde and her daughter that had come into her life unexpectedly. She felt her stomach flutter when she thought about those emerald eyes that smiled up to her from the hospital bed. She would definitely be investigating this.

The next day Robin worked on the lower deck making sure an accurate inventory of goods was being taken. Once the ship landed on Thrace they would re-stock. It would be a long time after the Phoenix left Thrace, before they would be able to purchase supplies.

"Make sure you check the water supply. Get extra if you need to."

"Yes Commander Sword."

She was pleased to see that everyone kept busy. The Phoenix had one of the hardest working crew's she had ever seen and it showed. Everything was neat and tidy. Each deck had its own maintenance crew who spent months in training. No wonder people were thrilled to work on this ship. Its reputation was as spotless as its floors.

Robin did a quick run down of the supply list before she began her trip back to the main deck. Once satisfied that everything was in order, she headed for the elevator. As she stepped on board her thoughts became flooded with two little blondes. Robin decided to make a quick stop on the second floor.

As the elevator stopped she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She brushed her fingers through her dark bangs and tugged a little on her uniform. She stepped off the elevator and laughed at herself for acting like a lovesick schoolgirl. 'Oh well.' She thought. 'It feels good.' With that thought in mind she headed for the sick ward.

Robin came around the corner and found one frustrated Mommy trying to hold on to one squirming little girl.

"Angel…sit still so I can brush your hair."

The little ball of energy didn't care what her hair looked like. She wanted to play and she wanted to play NOW. Angel had noticed other little kids playing and she wanted to join the fun.

"Hold still baby and let Mommy brush your hair, then you can go play."

The little girl sat still as could be. Sarah smiled. Pleased that her daughter minded so well. Then she noticed why Angel had stopped squirming.

There in the doorway stood six feet of drop dead gorgeous. Sarah let her eyes take in the sight slowly. The commander stood against the door with her arms crossed. Her long black hair hung loosely around her shoulders. She wore her black flight suit, which made her eyes appear even bluer than before. She was a vision to behold.

When green eyes finally connected with blue, Robin couldn't help but grin at the bold appraisal she had just been given by the small blonde. Sarah quickly blushed and looked away when she saw the commander returning the appreciative stare. 'Those eyes.' Sarah wanted to drown in them.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Sarah looked back at the commander.

"No!" She said a little to quickly. "I mean…..no….Angel was just getting ready to go play with the others."

Both women stared at each other but not for long.

"Mommy can I go now?"

Angel wanted to go play. She didn't have time for grown-ups. She could hear the other kids laughing and playing and it was all she could do not to run out of the room with or without her mother's permission.

"All right but be careful."

Sarah barely had the words out before the girl was running out the door to join the fun. Robin laughed as the girl ran by her. The smile never left her face as she looked back to see Sarah looking at her.

Robin walked toward the hospital bed.

"Mind if I sit down."

The young blonde scooted over the small bed and made room for the tall commander.

"Of course not."

As Robin sat down next to Sarah, she was amazed at how fast her brain had forgotten to form a sentence. Silence filled the room. Sarah wasn't for sure how to address the commander, even though the tall woman made her promise to call her by her first name.

Finally Robin spoke up.

"How are you feeling?"

Sarah looked to the commander thankful that she had broken the silence.

"Much better. I can't wait to get my clothes so I can walk around. Delilah has been telling me about the rink, it sounds like so much fun."

The blonde continued talking and Robin became enchanted by the sweet sound of Sarah's voice. It seemed the little blonde loved to talk. The commander, being a woman of few words, followed her lead and they spent several minutes just talking about the ship, and places Sarah and her daughter could investigate.

The sweet sound of Sarah's voice filled the commander's heart. She was totally captivated by the beautiful blonde in front of her. She watched as Sarah moved her hands while she spoke. Robin's eyes took in the many expressions Sarah made, and she loved the way the little blonde's nose wrinkled when she smiled. Without warning Robin interrupted the talkative woman.

"Sarah…would you like to have dinner with me?"

The blonde stopped in mid sentence. The commander's request surprised her. She looked into Robin's eyes and took a deep breath to calm her heart.

"I would love too."

The two women sat starring at each other. Robin felt as if her heart would pound out of her chest. She wanted to kiss Sarah. The commander trembled with anticipation as she watched a petite hand reach out to caress her face. She leaned into the touch, and watched as Sarah's lips parted invitingly.

Robin felt the small hand slip behind her neck and tangle in her hair. She felt a gentle nudge, urging her forward. A quick bolt of desire shot through the Commander at the bold move. She could feel warm breath against her lips. "So sweet." She thought. Both women closed their eyes. Lips a breath apart.

"Mommy….Mommy…..Guess what?"

Robin pulled back quickly. The moment shattered by the voice of one excited little girl. Sarah looked apologetically to the tall commander and received a warm smile. Sarah believed that lopsided grin of the commander's could very well be the death of her.

"What is it Angel?"

Breathing hard the little girl tried to explain herself. She quickly began talking about the other kids and why it was necessary for them to go to the rink. Both women smiled at the little girl's excitement as she began talking and prancing at the same time.

"Jojo said there's a big water fountain we can play in and Dottie said there's allllllll kinds of tunnels and secret hide outs…can we go Mamma…pleeeeeeezzzz?" The little girl's eyes were wide with excitement and her arms moved as fast as she talked.

Sarah cast a quick glance to the commander then looked at her little girl. "Let Mommy see if she can find something to wear and then we'll go down for a bit. How's that?"

The little girl hugged her mommy and took off running out the door to spread the good news. Angel couldn't wait to get to the rink.

"Well…I guess I need to get some clothes."

Robin had to bite her tongue, to keep from telling Sarah just how gorgeous she looked in the thin healing gown. She wisely chose to nod her head; afraid of what might uncontrollably tumble out of her mouth.

Before Sarah had a chance to say anything else, the commander stood and called for the nurse. Delilah came into the room worried that something was wrong. "Commander, you called me."

"Yes Delilah. I need you to do me a favor."

Sarah watched the nurse smile, as the commander whispered in her ear. Delilah spun on her heals and headed down the hallway. Robin walked back over to Sarah.

"I have to check things out on the main deck, but I would love to accompany you and Angel to the rink tonight."

Sarah felt her heart doing flips. This woman wanted to spend time with her and her daughter. Sarah couldn't help but grin.

"That would be nice Robin."

"Great." Robin smiled as she continued. "I have sent Delilah to get you and Angel some clothes. I will come back and pick you up in about an hour, if that's okay with you?"

Sarah ducked her head to hide her blush. She couldn't remember the last time she had blushed so much. There was just something about this woman that made her feel so alive.

"That is perfectly all right with me."

The commander turned to leave and was halted once again by the sweet sound of Sarah's voice. She turned around and saw the blonde walking toward her. It took all of her training to focus on the green eyes smiling up at her and not the gorgeous body outlined by the thin healing gown. Before she knew what happened, Sarah had reached up and kissed the commander on the cheek. Robin felt her legs go weak and new she had to get out of there before she looked like an idiot.

Sarah smiled shyly up at the commander. "Hurry back."

Robin couldn't believe the way her body betrayed her. Her hands were trembling, she couldn't form a complete sentence and she was certain she had stopped breathing. Finally, she walked out of the room and headed for the elevator. She had one hour to find something decent to wear and fix her hair and of course make sure the ship was running smoothly. A commander's work never ended…

TBC……

Still interested…….

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