Chris watched as the helicopter landed in the ships helipad. He needed to see what or who King was bringing with him. Four men including his father went out to meet Brendan King. Chris watched them for another minute before he went back to Lisa's room. She woke up an hour before and at the doctors request Chris left them to do their work.
Lisa didn't know about Brendan. Chris thought it best not to tell her until they knew more about his plans. Chris snr didn't tell Brendan that Ryan was dead, he only told him that they had Ryan.
Chris saw Mina-Rose again on his way to Lisa but he didn't stop to chat he just pretended that he didn't see her. He didn't need that complication in his life. All of that happened years ago and Lisa wasn't in the picture then.
Chris found Lisa out of bed and on her way to get a shower. She had been asleep for three days and that was really stressful for Chris. "Hey beautiful, do you need help?"
Lisa gave him a weak smile. "Always making plans to get your hands on me."
"Yeah you know me, had someone come to shoot you just so I can help you in the shower." Chris said leaning against the door opening.
"Funny." Lisa said not smiling at all. "Doc said everything looks okay. The baby wasn't in any danger at any point during the surgery. She was worried before they took the bullet out but once she saw that the bullet missed all vital organs and the baby she was finally able to breath."
"She and all of us. You really had us worried there for a while. You were out for three days."
Lisa nodded. "Doc mentioned that." She walked to the bathroom door and stopped. "So are you gonna help me or are you just going to stand there and stare?"
"Help." Chris said and immediately made his way to her. "I think I can use a shower too."
Chris helped Lisa out of her hospital clothes and then took of his own. He got the water ready and as he watched her he saw the wound dressing just below her ribcage but more to her side. "How badly does it hurt?"
"Not so bad. I think the sleep helped me to heal a little faster than normal."
"Or you healed a little faster because your father is like me."
"Or that yes. Speaking of, any development on that front?"
Chris soaped her body and then his own. "My father told him we had Ryan, he just left out the dead part. He just arrived and I am not letting him see you until we know what his intentions are." Chris washed her hair and when he was done he got out while she still stood under the shower.
"He is here? By the way where is here?"
"Yes he is here on the ship. We are on a ship in the middle of the Pacific ocean." Chris held her towel open and she stepped into it. He only had a towel around his waist. He dried her hair and then helped her to dress into her own sleepwear.
"Thanks Chris, this feels so much better than those hospital clothes. What are you going to wear?"
Chris grabbed his clothes that he had on and started to dress. "I will go and change as soon as my mom or dad comes to sit with you. You should eat, mom will bring you something. Chris grabbed his phone out of his pants pocket and made a call. "Hi mom, Lisa needs food nd I need a change of clothes, could you help us out please? ... Thank you mother." He placed the phone on the small shelve and dried Lisa's hair. When that was done he brushed it out so that there were no knots in her hair.' His mom arrived just as he left the bathroom still only with a towel on.
"Did you shower?"
"Yes mother, Lisa needed help and I helped."
"Chris, you know that it is dangerous for the two of you ..."
"Yes mother, don't worry, we were on an island alone for almost five months. Nothing happened." Chris took the clothes from his mother and went back into the bathroom.
Lisa left after she brushed her teeth and found Donna in the room. There was something delicious on the table by her bed. "Hi Mrs Morgan."
"Lisa, I am so happy that you are okay. We were all so worried. How do you feel?"
"A little stiff and sore, but I guess that is from the long sleep. The food smells delicious, I am starving."
Chris came out dressed in his uniform. He could see his mother wasn't happy about something. "What is wrong mother, you don't look happy and don't say it is because we have seen each other naked."
"Really Chris, this is not the time. Eat before the food gets cold."
"Mother?" Chris asked forcing her to tell him.
"He is here and it is working on my nerves."
"It will be okay mother. Father has everyone on them and I must say I think he wouldn't try anything."
"Eat before the food is ruined."
Chris and Lisa both started eating and didn't stop until their plates were empty.
"Thank you mom the food was tasty."
"Yes thank you Mrs Morgan, the best I had in a while." Lisa said as she stood up. "Chris I need clothes I can wear outside this room, are yu going to get me some or do I have to go look for it myself?"
"Oh so bossy, but you are not leaving this room so neither you nor me will go and find those."
"I need to go see him. I need to speak to him."
"Over my dead body. You will stay here until I think it is safe for you to see him. We know nothing about him or his intentions. We don't even know how he will react when he finds out that his son is dead and that it was one of our people who killed him. You need to relax now and I know that you have been in bed for three days so you can sit in this chair or walk in circles in this room but you are not leaving it."
"Who is bossy now?" Lisa asked and pulled her mouth mockingly.
"Be careful, or I might just kiss that mouth."
"Promises promises." Lisa said smiling. This was fun, playing around like this.
Chris made his move the second her eyes were away from him. He grabbed her and hugged her close. "I think you should leave mother, I am going to kiss my girl now." Seconds later he heard the door close and he kissed Lisa. All the fear and worries from the last three days faded away. "I missed you."
"Missed you too. It felt like forever since I have been in your arms."
"Yes like forever." He kissed her again and didn't stop for a long while.
Chris woke in Lisa's bed, she was asleep in his arms and he loved the feeling. After the many months on the island he had gotten used to her always there day and night. The past three days were hard because he couldn't hold her. Now that is over.
Lisa stirred and her eyes fluttered open. She saw Chris staring at her. "Season tickets available and it is on special only three kisses a day."
"That is my line but I will take every day for the rest of my life." Chris thought that sounded corny but he didn't care. He found the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. "Will you marry me?"
Lisa just looked at him. She knew what her answer was as soon as he asked but for some reason she wanted him to wait. "It is so sudden, can I think about it." Lisa said serious. "With everything that is happening, I think you need to be a little patient. Who knows you might not like me anymore in a few months or so."
"I don't like you I love you. This is a no-brainer, I will always love you no matter what you do or how you change."
"You know my father is on the ship, don't you think that he might make it difficult?" Lisa was actually worried about that. She didn't know how things would turn out with him but he was a factor.
"Your father wont be a problem because I don't think he has a right to have a say in your life. He was never there for you, as far as I know he isn't your father on your birth certificate."
"How do you know what is on my birth certificate."
"Well I am guessing, have you seen your birth certificate?"
"Yes it says Dennis Smith is my father. I have a copy of my birth certificate because the school asks for it every year."
"Well then I don't see why he would have a say in our relationship."
"No he doesn't but what if he kills one of us or both of us?"
"There is that?" Chris hated the fact that he didn't know anything. It has been hours since Brendan King has come onto the ship. "I need to go find out what is going on. I will call my mother to bring you some dinner and then she can wait here with you till I am back."
"I want to go with you."
"No we don't know what he will do or what state he is in. Please don't leave your room."
"Fine." Lisa said reluctantly.
Chris nodded and got off the bed. "If doc says it is okay I want to move you to a better room with a bigger bed. I love spooning with you but this bed is just too small." He got his phone out and dialed his mom. Seconds later he hung up and went to the bathroom.
Chris waited until his mother came and then left to look for his father. He found him in his study alone. "Father, what is going on with King?"
"He is in the morgue with his son's body. There is someone watching him."
"How did he take it all?"
"Not well. He doesn't know that Lisa is here, I will tell him over dinner."
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him that Ryan attacked you and the girl you were protecting from Ryan because he threatened her a few months ago. I told him that he was killed in self-defense and we didn't look for the fight, you were in a secret location and he turned one of our own to help him get to you."
Chris looked at his father, he looked tiered. "Why don't you go and get some dinner and then get to bed early. I will take it from here, you look like you need some sleep father. I can handle Brendan King."
Chris snr nodded. "I can do an early night, spend some time with your mother."
"Yes that is a good idea. She is with Lisa now but I am sure that as long as I am with King Lisa will be okay."
"Well I will see you in the morning then."
"Oh yes one more thing, if doc gives the okay, can Lisa and I move into a room with a bigger bed, I hate sleeping away from her. She keeps the nightmares away."
"My son needs a girl to keep the nightmares away, I never thought I would see the day. Don't worry your mom did the same for me. I will make the arrangements. You can take the room next to our's, it is vacant at the moment."
"Thanks dad sleep well." Chris went to stand behind the desk. One day he will in anway be in charge of all of this, he has been learning and training for this his whole life, all he needed now was Lisa to say yes so they could do it together. It helped that she had a father who was one of them. That made the odds of a son so much greater."
Lisa was eating her dinner at the small table in her room when doc and Mr. Morgan came in. Mrs. Morgan stood up to greet her husband and Lisa saw the love they shared. She wanted that with Chris.
"Hallo Lisa, how are you feeling?"
"Hi doc, good, happy that I can walk around."
"I think you are good to be discharged, I will need to see you every day to clean your wound and check on the baby. A room is being prepared for you so when you are done eating and when you have everything we can get you out of here. You should know that if you didn't have a father with altered d.n.a. you would not have healed as fast as you did. You are a lucky girl and the baby has altered d.n.a. and that helps with your recovery too."
"Speaking off my father, do I have to see him?"
"Do you want to see him?" Mr. Morgan asked.
"I don't know, I don't think so. Does he know that I am here?"
"He only knows that Ryan is dead, he is with him now. Chris will tell him about you when he thinks it is safe. Don't worry about it, everything will be fine." Mr. Morgan said reassuringly.
"We can help you get to your room once you are done with your dinner."
"No please don't stay, I am sure you had a long day, I will manage and I am sure doc or someone can show me where to go. You should both go ahead." Lisa said knowing that Mr. Morgan was tiered, she could see it on his face. "I will be fine. Right doc?"
Dr. Andrea Morgan went to sit in the other chair. ""I will take you there personally."
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan left then hand in hand.
Lisa finished eating but she could see that doctor Morgan had something on her mind. "Is something bothering you doc?"
"Please call me Andrea." She sniffed back a few tears. "I am sorry about what my sister did. She will be prosecuted and will be jailed for what she did. I am so ashamed."
Lisa stood up and went to Andrea. "You didn't know that she would betray us. I don't blame you and neither does Chris." Lisa didn't know what else to do.
"I just thought that I should apologize, I know she wouldn't." Andrea stood up and hugged Lisa. "Let's get you to your room.
An hour later Lisa was sitting on a sofa in her and Chris's new room. It was spacious and had everything, it was all open plan except for the bathroom, there was the sofa, a very comfortable looking wingback chair in the corner and a television and a big bed and wardrobe. Lisa didn't ask many questions about the ship and its purpose but she could guess. Either they were somehow deeply involved in the Marines and even maybe the Army or they just had a lot of power that she and everyone else didn't know about. Well she was one of them now so she should probably start asking a few questions.
A knock on the door brought Lisa out of her thoughts. Lisa walked to the door and opened it just as the second set of knocks sounded. A girl with red hair and green eyes stood in front of her. She was dressed in the ships uniform camouflage pants and a white t-shirt with black boots, her top a little too tight Lisa thought to herself. "Hallo, can I help you?"
"Hi, my name is Mina-Rose but everyone just calls me Mina. I am an old friend of Chris. We started our training here together. I thought I should come and introduce myself. I am high up in the ranks so I could probably help you with a lot."
"Oh, hi my name is Lisa Stone." Lisa motioned for her to enter the room. "Why are you here other than to introduce yourself?"
"You don't trust people easily?" Mina said and entered the room.
"Well do you blame me or don't you know the story?"
"I know just what Chris told me."
"I think you should leave." This red head with her tight top was irritating.
"Sure thing. I should maybe just warn you, Chris made me a promise that he can't back out of and I am going to keep him to it and soon."
"Like I said, you should leave and fast, because I can guarantee you now that if you don't Chris will be here in the next seven seconds and then you might just find yourself on land tomorrow." Lisa didn't know what made her say that. "Seven, six, five, four, three..."
Chris burst into the room looking as if he could kill. "Lisa, are you okay?" He was calm on the outside but inside he was burning with anger. "Mina-Rose, I am not joking when I say that you will regret it if you come near Lisa or me again. I can make your life hell. Get out before I throw you out."
The tone of his voice scared Lisa and she saw Mina leave looking like someone who just got a well-deserved hiding. "You will regret this."
"Seriously, what is it with everyone?" Lisa went to sit on the bed. "How did you know to come?"
"I felt you, you were mad and annoyed, I knew something was wrong."
"How long?"
"Since we met, I can feel everything of the people close to me, the people I care about."
"I didn't know that but I told her you would be here in seven seconds, you opened the door with two seconds to spare."
"And how did you know to tell her that?" Chris was curious.
"I don't know, maybe I had a feeling that you would." Lisa walked to him and leaned into his chest.
Chris put his arms around her and held her tight, his body calmed for the first time in minutes. "I think it is because we are already linked, you can just as well say yes and marry me."
"No Chris, I need to think about it and don't talk about it again until I am ready and I will tell you when I am ready." Lisa closed her eyes.
"Why don't you come with me and I then I can show you the ship?"
"Okay."
An hour later Lisa and Chris stood in his father's office, most of the ship was quiet. It was after ten and mostly all were asleep. "Tell me what this ship is for?"
"It is a safety measure. In situation like with King we use it, or we plan to if it is not resolved peacefully. We have never had the need to use it and we would choose not to use it ever. We mainly use it as a place of safety and it is mostly a training facility for the young ones. From the age of fifteen to nineteen we leave our normal school and come here to study and get army training. If you want you could also come here to get training."
"What kind of training?"
"Well, we learn to fight, firearm training, combat training, everything you would need to kill someone, tactics training and you learn everything about this ship, how to use the weapons and when you are done you will even know what it takes to steer this ship and a few other combat vehicles."
"I don't think I would like to know all of that, maybe just how to use a gun and to be able to defend myself." For everyone related to our family it is law to attend here."
"But I am not related to your family."
"You are, you are pregnant with Jason's baby and he was related to my family."
"That wasn't my choice."
"What is the problem, don't you approve of what we do here?" Chris asked annoyed.
"I don't need to approve what you do here, you won't change it even if I did and no it has nothing to do with what you do here. That girl said something."
"Mina-Rose, what did she say?"
"She said you made her a promise and she was keeping you to it." Lisa was now looking at him to see how he reacted to her answer. He looked kind of shocked.
"And you want to know what the promise was?"
Lisa just nodded.
"Did she also tell you that I made that promise when I was seventeen?" Chris shook his head. "It was at a stage in my life where I had to plan the future. She thought she didn't have another choice and we were sort of dating at that time. I thought she was what I wanted. No one knew that we were together because it wasn't allowed. One night we met up on the deck and she said that she wanted a baby, not right at that moment but in the future. I didn't know where she was going with that. She said that she would only once be able to conceive and at that time in my life I thought that she would be the only one for me, I thought she was the person I would marry one day. I promised that it would be our baby, I would be the father in every way. A year later things between us changed and the year after that I left and she stayed. I never thought of that night on deck again until she reminded me the first night back here while you were recovering in the sick bay."
Chris pushed Lisa away a little so he could look her in the eyes. "She is nothing to me, I have no feelings for her and I know now that what I felt for her then wasn't love. I love you and I don't want anyone else." He pulled her back against his chest and hugged her. He really did love her and he hoped that she believed him.
Lisa never had a boyfriend or even someone that she liked and he has a history with other girls and she was scared that they would always interfere in their life. Jason wasn't a relationship and she didn't know him and he is dead.
"I am scared that our pasts would always come to destroy what we have." Lisa said with tears streaming down her face.
"It will only destroy us if we let it and I won't let it." Chris dried her tears with his thump. "You are my future and I don't see my past anymore, I don't want to think about anything that you weren't in."
Lisa stepped out of his arms. She went to the wall with photos on it. Chris was in many of them with other boys and the photos were of him at different ages. One boy was in most of the pictures always close to Chris. Lisa knew when she saw the latest picture of them that the boy next to Chris was Jason. His dark almost black hair and dark brown eyes was familiar to her, she remembered them from that night in the park. The two boys looked happy in the photos. They looked young and carefree. New tears ran down her face and for once Lisa didn't care.
Chris saw how her shoulders trembled, her sobs tore through his heart and a lump formed in his throat. "I need to go check on Brendan. Will you wait here or do you want to go to our room?
Lisa didn't want to be away from Chris. "Maybe I could just go with you, I don't want to see him, I just don't want to be away from you."
"He is in his sleeping compartment, you can wait somewhere in the passage. I am just going to see what his mood is like." Chris took her hand and led her out his father's office and closed the door behind them. "He just found out that his son was dead."
Lisa walked beside Chris and when he stopped she looked up at him. His blue green eyes were big and there were so much expectation in them. His dark blonde shaggy hair had a little curl in them and he looked like a surfer with his tanned face. 'So sexy.' Lisa thought to herself. "I will wait here." Lisa kissed him once and then watched him go.