Camp Lejeune

"But I'm going with you."

"Not an option unless I hear the truth in the next few minutes."

She broke down, falling on the floor sobbing. She spent the day comforting an ex-Marine they met yesterday so it wasn't too hard for Ryan to leave her there. He got the laundry himself figuring he'd be packing soon. When he got back Kallie was still a mess, but had crawled onto the bed.

*-*-*

The whole motel knew the moment the maid found Scully. Kallie jumped when she heard the maid scream, then looked over at Ryan with fear in her eyes, "What did you do?"

"Never mind. He won't feel much like fucking for awhile so you better start scouting for a replacement."

The cops came eventually. They knocked on Ryan's door asking if he knew anything about the beating. Ryan told them he'd been in Jacksonville all day getting his bike fixed. "I tend to mind my own business. It's safer." The cops looked at Kallie whimpering on the bed, but in the end they left without taking their names. An ambulance carted Scully away.

Ryan let Kallie alone so she could cry everything out. By nightfall, she was still whimpering and uncommunicative.

"I'm starving, Kallie. I'll get us some take-out. You hungry?" She just shook her head. He walked to the diner down the street and stayed for dinner. It gave him a chance to clear his head. He got some take out for Kallie just in case.

It had been a long trip. Ryan and Kallie were around one another 24/7 for days and sometimes weeks at a time. They never got away from one another. A lot of the time they were basically spooning on the bike for 6-8 hours a day. They occasionally stopped for a day or two to rest. They'd also spent a week with her relatives in Maryland. But they were still rarely out of sight of one another for very long.

They enjoyed one another's company and had fun during the day, but at night Ryan often pooped out after dinner. He didn't want to do anything but sleep. She was tired too, but she needed excitement more than he did. Unfortunately, Scully was that excitement. She was a natural flirt and that might have been all she was after, but it obviously got out of hand. Ryan had to admit Scully was a huge temptation for her. Confident, aggressive, dangerous, good looking, superbly fit, sexy, hung and skilled. The guy was out of central casting. Ryan wondered how he'd react around a female version of Scully.

*-*-*

The next morning, they dressed and went to the diner for breakfast.

"I'm so sorry, Ryan. I know I hurt you. I don't know why. I love you, " she blubbered.

"I thought about things a lot. Here's your choice. You can stay here if you want. Fuck every Marine in Scully's old outfit. Or you can go home. Your choice."

"I want to go home with you," she said.

"Fine. You can go home, but not with me."

"But..."

"It's not negotiable. I'll drop you off at the Wilmington Airport. Get the next flight to San Jose and wait for me at home."

"But I want to stay with you."

"I'll follow on the bike in about a week. That'll give us both time to think about what we want."

"I know what I want. I want to stay with you. Please, Ryan. I love you."

"I love you too, though god knows why sometimes. I don't know what I want. I don't think you do either. Take the time."

Ryan saw Kallie off at the airport. She cried all the way to the boarding area. He had no idea what was in store for them when he got home in a week. Counseling, maybe. Divorce, maybe. Whatever. He took his own advice to "Take the time" before deciding.

*-*-*

No sequel. I'll let them make their decision in private. I posted this story several years ago, but took it down for rewrite.