Fiona continued walking, not really sure where exactly she was going. She had already found the pool, mess hall, and command room. She noticed the open door and walked through. She leaned against the far wall and surved the large room. "Whoa." This wasn't her first assaignment and it surely wouldn't be her last, but this was the biggest security center she has seen thus far. Smiling a little she slide into one of the chairs, she flipped on a monitor. She scanned the area on that monitor surprised to that people were already moving around on this screen. She stood and continued to go about the room. She was half way through some of the computer files when some one cleared their throat in the doorway.

"Um, hello," Fiona replied concomfortably. Becky, in uniform, tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and smiled a bit shyly. "Hi," she said. "Um... I'm Becky Rushton... and Uh... I think this is my post here..." She slowly walked in and looked around. "Yup, this is it..." She then turned to Fiona. "And you are....?"

"Fiona Sucara. I'm in Security too," she extended her hand to Becky. Shaking hands to two women smiled a bit uncertainly at each other. "So if you don't mind my asking, why did you join up?"

"See the world. Meet cute guys."**

"That's cool. Hope ya don't mind my questions, and you don't have to answer me, but do you have any family?"

"Yeah. A sister. My parents are still together."**

"Yeah, I have a big family, six brothers and both parents. You looked around the ship yet?"

"A little. I just got transferred here. You know the Navy, once you get settled, you're expected to pack up and move in less that 24 hours."**

Behind them,a sudden noise attracted their attention. Fiona and Becky whirled at the sound. Someone had entered the security office, banging their head on the door in the process.

"Sorry," The young man, duffel on shoulder, stepped in sheepishly.

"Can I help you?" Becky looked for the newcomer's rank patch. "...Lieutenant?"

John smiled. "Scaros, ma'am. Lieutenant John Scaros," John looked around the office as he approached the two women.

"I was looking for the chief. Know where he is?"

Fiona looked at Becky, eyebrow raised. Becky turned to John. "Actually, Lieutenant, you're looking at her."

John looked taken aback. He'd had two hours to report on board from the announcement of his new assignment here. He had even looked at the crew roster yet. He hadn't met ANY of the senior officers yet. This, he thought, was not the best way to start a new job.

"Oh don't worry about it Lieutenant," Becky said with that perpetual smile of hers. "A lot of people have trouble with a female security chief, but they get used to it. I'm pretty sure you will too."

John smiled. "I'm sure I will." He walked further into the office, to the monitor display, held out his hand.

Becky shook it warmly. "Welcome aboard, Lieutenant. I assume your my deputy?"

"That I am, ma'am... uh... sir.. uh.."

Becky's smile grew unabated. "Just Lieutenant Commander will do fine."

John sighed. "Well," he said,"now that I've met you, I've got to report to the captain. He would be... where?"

Fiona rolled her eyes, but Becky kept smiling. "Try the bridge, Lieutenant." A hint of mischief appeared in her eyes. "You know where that is?"

John smiled. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Becky said.

John turned, and walked out of the office, leaving Fiona and Becky staring after him.

For a while, neither woman spoke. Then, Fiona turned to Becky. "This crew gets better every time."

Becky sat down and gently banged her head on her desk. "This isn't happening...."

<"What?" Fiona asked.

"You sure you wanna know? Okay I'll tell you..." Her voice dropped slightly and she said, "That deputy of mine's kinda cute..." Then she banged her head on her desk again. "And I can't do anything about it!"

"Yeah yeah I know... ah well... Guess I can deal right?" she pulled out an mp3 player and headphones and said, "I hope I can deal," as she put the headphones over her ears and pressed the play button, turning the volume down enough so she could hear the captain if he needed to talk to her.

Fiona smiled tenatively at Becky. "I work for you too." Becky turned her attention to her.

"Well, glad to see at least two of my people are here," Becky chuckled.

"If I had know that you were the chief when I first introduced myself, I would have saluted or something." The petite blonde seemed really nervous suddenly. "I apologize for that."

"That's okay," Becky said, "I'm kinda uncomfortable being saluted. I usually think that should be reserved for the captain."

"Still, you're the chief. I respect that." Fiona brought herself up as tall as she could. "Though if you don't mind my saying, its about time we got a woman chief. I've never had one before." She smiled tentatively again.

"Yeah well," Becky smiled. "...Guess there's a first time for everything huh?" She glanced in the direction John left and sighed. "It kinda sucks having a crush on your deputy... just promise me you won't tell him?"

"The words will never escape my lips," Fiona assured.

"Thanks....I appreciate that a bunch," Becky said quietly. Changing the subject, Becky said, "I wonder if everybody else is as interesting as you two.

"Yeah well..." Becky smiled. "Guess there's a first time for everything huh?" She glanced in the direction John left and sighed. "It kinda sucks having a crush on your deputy....just promise me you won't tell him?"

"The words will never escape my lips." Fiona assured.

"Thanks....I appreciate that a bunch," Becky said quietly. Changing the subject, Becky said, "I wonder if everybody else is as interesting as you two.

"Met anyone else besides myself and your deputy?" Fiona asked.

"Not yet, I've got to go check in with the captain soon. How about you?" Becky asked.

"Yeah, I've met two other than you and him, and I didn't come across very well. I yelled at a seaman and think I maybe scared a Ensign." Fiona sighed.

"Youch...I hope they didn't take it the wrong way...." Becky said, fluffing out her hair.

"Maybe, I did apologize to the Ensign, it hasn't been a good day thus far. I'd have to say the highlight has being meeting you actually." She smiled and blushed a little before aburptly changing the subject. "So, how has your day been so far?"

"Pretty good..." Becky said as she got all her music stowed away in her desk. "Tell you what....keep an eye on the place for me, and I'll be back before I go meet the captain, okay?"

"Sure thing," Fiona said.

"Okay later!" Becky said, waving as she left to find her quarters.

Fiona settled back down into her chair and had picked up the file she had put down earlier.

"Hey, I didn't come off half bad this time." Fiona voiced to the empty room, a pleased smiled appeared, then quickly fled her face.

D Deck, Section 26, John thought. That's where my quarters are. He strolled along the corridor, checking section numbers on the wall. Section 24... Section 25... Section 26.

John sighed, and opened the door... to be confronted with the hydroponics bay. "Whoops." He turned and walked out, noting that the door said: Hydroponics Bay, C Deck, Section 26. "Can't go five minutes without getting lost,can you,John?" he muttered to himself, setting off down the corridor.

John opened the door. His quarters weren't spacious, but at least he didn't have to room with anyone. Being Deputy Security Chief had some perks after all.

After setting his duffel down on the bed, John went into the bathroom, and washed his face. As he dried it, a sudden beeping attracted his attention. He turned to see a small com unit on the wall,and went over to investigate. As he activated it, a face appeared on the wall screen.

Anyone who walked into John's quarters at that moment would have sworn he was looking in a mirror,because the face on the screen was identical to his own.

"Josh," John relaxed slightly.

"Hey, bro," his twin brother smiled back.

"I just heard from Mom. Congratulations."

John shook his head. "It's only Deputy Chief at the moment, Josh. Tell Mum to keep the champagne on ice."

Josh laughed. "Only Deputy Chief of the most advanced sub in the water."

John looked around at the newly painted walls. "We're not in the water yet. The boat is barely finished."

"Not what I heard..."

John frowned at this.

A sudden knocking caused John to whirl around. He turned back to the screen. "Sorry, gotta go."

Josh smiled again. "Can't wait to get rid of me, huh?" The smile suddenly vanished. "Dad would have been proud, John."

John's face fell. "Yeah."

Josh suddenly fell into a mock salute. "Catch you later." The screen went blank.

John turned to the door. "Come in."

"Nice" John said, as Becky walked into the room. "Guess us security grunts get some priviliges before we lay down our lives," he said,looking down at the photo of him and Josh he'd just unpacked.

"Yeah," Becky said, stifling a giggle. "So...any other family members in the navy?"

"Yeah, third-generation navy. Sea water in my veins," John replied, holding up his arm to demonstrate the point.

"Yeah well, I'm the first generation in my family.... joined up to get away from my sister Amber," Becky said, not really wanting to talk about her. Then she perked up and said, "So you were lost earlier?"

"Lost?" John said,indignantly. "I wasn't lost, just... wandering."

"Okay, just let me know if you need any directions," Becky said.

"Thanks. So..." John added,as he walked around the room, "anyone waiting for you back on dry land?" >

"No!" Becky said quickly... almost a little too quickly. Dammit I hope I didn't give myself away there, she thought. "How about you?"

"Me?" John sighed. "No... no one... not now, anyway."

Becky smothered a smile behind her hand, maybe she'd have a chance after all. "What do you mean, not now?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind."

"Please?" Becky said tentatively.

"I said NO!" The ferocity of his reply made Becky step back slightly, shocked. John sank down on the bed, looked up at Becky. "Sorry, but... I don't like talking about my past."

"It...it's okay..." Becky said quietly. "I don't like talking about my sister much either...."

John looked up at her, smiled slightly.

"Don't worry. It doesn't happen often," he stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm due on the bridge." He walked to the door, and left it ajar.

"See you later," Becky said weakly as she watched him leave. I blew it, was all she thought as she headed back to security.

Not bothering to look back, John stalked down the corridor,his anger subsiding gradually. He found the MagLev much more easily this time.Perhaps the signs on the corridor walls helped.

The clamshell doors opened as John walked towards them. Behind them, the vast catacomb that was the bridge loomed before him. Technicians and crewmen hurried across the room. John could feel the vibration of the engines here, closer to the outer hull. He guessed they were leaving port at around one-quarter speed.He looked around the room.

"Wow."

John walked onto the upper level, and found the Tactical console. A noncom was busy adjusting something on the console.

John coughed, softly.

The crewman jumped suddenly,hitting her her? head on the console.

"What the hell do you..." she started. John detected an Australian accent in her voice.

"Sorry, Crewman. Didn't mean to scare you." She blushed.

"It's my fault, sir. I wasn't looking. Is... this your console?"

John smiled. "It is."

A noise across the room attracted his attention.

Becky walked back into security and plopped down in a chair near her desk.

"Welcome Back," she paused and studied her superiors face "What's wrong?"

Becky jumped, forgetting that Fiona had been waiting for her. "Oh.. um... nothing...."

"It doesn't look like nothing." She paused for another beat. "If I may take a guess, would you have happened to run into John?"

Becky's eyes widened slightly. "How'd you guess?" she said, slumping back into her chair and running her hand through her dark brown curls.

"Think of it as sort of a sixth sense," Fiona replied with shrug.

"Yeah well, I blew it," Becky said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't want to talk to me anymore..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Would you mind if I asked what happened that was so tragic he wouldn't want to speak to you again?"

"Pushed something he didn't want to talk about..." Becky said as she reached into the drawer and pulled out her mp3 player. Putting the headphones on, she asked Fiona, "So what do I do now?"

"Now, that I can't help you with."

"Damn... ah well..."

"Sorry."

"Thanks... sheesh I can't believe I did that!" Becky buried her face in her hands. "I'll be lucky if I can face him anymore!"

"But, hopefully he'll forgive you quicker than you'll forgive yourself," Fiona smiled reassuringly. "Want me to leave you alone?"

*** Before the girls could react, a blast of light flashed, across the room, and an explosion threw Becky against her desk, and Fiona was thrown halfway across the room. But don't worry, seaHawk fans. We'll be back soon, same bat place, same bat time, starting mission #1. Saboteur.

**(Since Kate's being a dork and won't finish her part, I, Eleni, finished it instead)