Tyler hissed in agony as Julie probed his leg.
"It's broken. I'll have to splinter it until we get back to base then I'll set it properly."
"Damn."
She watched his ashen face carefully noting the uneven pupil size that warned of concussion. He had struck his head quite hard as he fell, and bruising around his left temple showed where his head had struck the concrete.
"Willie, could you bring me those pieces of wood. Yes, that one and another one like it. I need about a foot taken off."
The sound of splintering wood filled the air as the friendly Visitor snapped the narrow planks with a strength that belied his slender, gentle frame; he placed them by Julie's feet. She reached into her medical kit and removed a rolled up length of bandage. It was not going to be enough but it was a start. She placed the wood either side of the broken leg and, cutting strips of bandage, tied the wood securely against the leg at ankle, knee and thigh. She wound the remainder of the bandage around the splintered leg as far as possible.
Tyler watched through pain-narrowed eyes as Julie chewed on her bottom lip, capturing her blue eyes with his. He gritted his teeth and tried to conceal the pain but his partially glazed eyes and the trickle of sweat that ran down the side of his face betrayed him.
This scavenger hunt should have been simple as they had but one goal, to strip this warehouse of the few remaining supplies and conceal them away for emergencies. On arrival, it became apparent that it was a trap.
Though a part of him could understand why Barrett had betrayed them, Tyler felt nothing but anger mingled with the pain. They had all lost someone to the Lizards... friend or family. No human had been spared the grief of loss and Tyler knew from experience that the Lizards never kept any promises to return a loved one. Barrett had known this too, which made his betrayal more painful still but at least Tyler had been spared the task of dealing with Barrett's betrayal for the man had fallen in the first hail of laser fire.
It seemed as if their luck had turned from bad to worse since the disappearance of Elizabeth almost a month earlier. The half-human, half-Sirian starchild had left with the Leader in the belief that she would be bringing peace between their races. So many had wanted to believe the war between them had finally ended, but Tyler had learned not to take anything at face value in this life.
The peace had broken down within a week as Diana proclaimed herself the head of the Sirian forces and recommenced the pillaging of the Earth.
Since the start of the Sirian invasion, the water level of the oceans had dropped almost two feet, enough to cause serious drought in some parts of the world. However, there were few humans left in those areas as the Visitors had harvested most for food long ago. The Lizards had taken most before anyone truly understood their nature, filling the massive motherships like slaughtered cattle in refrigerated trucks. Eventually, the Visitors had started on the more technologically advanced countries, with whole towns disappearing overnight in the more remote parts.
Only the places above the red dust zone had been spared for a time, but even that small amount of protection had started to fail, with the dust slowly dissipating. Soon there would be no place safe left on Earth.
It did not take a genius to figure that Diana had been behind the destruction of the Leader's shuttle for the renewed attack on Earth had been more ferocious than ever. It was as if Diana knew she had no one powerful enough to question her actions.
The scattered remnants of humanity were no longer merely fighting for their freedom; they were fighting extinction.
With each passing day, the situation became more desperate and so they had taken more risks. Attacks against processing plants had done little to slow down the strip-mining of the Earth's resources, or the wholesale abduction of fellow humans for food. The only consolation was that these people were not dead--yet--and while they lived there was hope of turning those motherships around and bringing them back home.
Hope.
He snorted at the concept, wondering how much of Gooder's idealism had rubbed off him over the years, for he had never trusted to hope before meeting the man. Hope was for fools. However, he could not deny that there was still hope, though it all rested on the Inspector General, Philip. Tyler had not wanted to trust the Leader's envoy but he had to admit that the Lizard had managed to curb the most of Diana's excesses in the past, thereby reducing the savagery of her assault on this planet and its people. However, Philip was light years away, investigating the assassination of the Leader and humanity could only hope he returned with proof of Diana's guilt before there was no one left here to care.
Tyler gritted his teeth tighter and closed his eyes to prevent another cry from escaping as the broken bone ground across sensitive nerves with each pull of the bandage. Desperately, he wanted to give in to the desire to lose consciousness but fear of the consequences kept the darkness from closing in. Instead, he concentrated on the sounds around him and heard a familiar voice.
"What's happened?"
"It's Mr. Ham. He's burst a leg."
"What?" Donovan frowned and glanced around the thin Visitor frame. His eyes widened as he caught sight of Julie winding the remainder of the white bandage. "He's bust his leg. You mean it's broken."
"Yes."
"Mike, I need something else to hold this leg immobile."
Tyler saw Donovan glancing around the long-abandoned warehouse but it was obvious that he could see nothing of any use. Unable to pull his eyes away from the tall figure, he watched as Donovan handed his laser pistol to the reluctant Visitor before pulling off his jacket. Donovan hoisted the dark t-shirt over his head and proceeded to tear it into long strips. He dropped the lengths of cloth beside Julie and then knelt down beside Tyler. Tyler hissed through clenched teeth as Donovan carefully lifted his broken limb to give Julie easier access for wrapping the shredded t-shirt tightly around Tyler's ankle.
Finally, she sat back to examine her handiwork, and Tyler remained silent except for his harsh breathing, as her eyes traveled up his leg from ankle to thigh and then sped to his face. He knew from her expression that he looked as bad as he felt, though he had trouble focusing on her, seeing her features fade in and out.
"Julie, we've gotta get outta here before Diana arrives with more troops. Go and bring the truck around to the front. Willie and I can carry him out to it."
Julie nodded and raced out of the warehouse to where they had left the truck, leaving Donovan still kneeling by Tyler's side. Tyler closed his eyes, wishing he could give in to the darkness that beckoned to him. Instead, he held onto consciousness by letting images of Donovan's naked torso fill his mind. Warmth seemed to seep through the layers of is clothing as Donovan sat down beside him and pulled him against that smooth, bare chest. Tyler let the rest of his mind drift as he focused on the warmth of Donovan's body and the strong arms holding him.
"Well, you've really done it this time, Hardrock," Donovan whispered.
Without thinking, Donovan reached out to stroke the dark hair, brushing the strands back behind one perfect ear. Ebony eyes opened at the gentle touch, catching him unawares and Donovan felt the heat rise in his cheeks when he realized Tyler was awake. He resisted the urge to snatch back his hand, with his gaze holding the dark eyes, challenging the slighter man to comment.
Eyelids framed with black lashes fluttered closed in response.
The throbbing pain rolled over Tyler, in wave after wave. His breathing shallowed as he fought to control the nausea that threatened to send his stomach contents spilling. He opened his eyes again as he heard the sound of the truck outside, intercepting a glance that passed meaningfully between Donovan and Willie.
Tyler knew what was coming and gritted his teeth once more as he felt Donovan shift from beneath him. Together they lifted him, racing out quickly towards the truck and laying him on the flatbed amid the armaments and supplies they had gathered on this scavenger hunt. Donovan clambered in and, using the cabin as a backrest, he pulled Tyler up until he was propped against him once again. Tyler tensed as he felt Donovan's arms tighten around him but then he leaned back against the broad chest, his head coming to rest at the junction of neck and shoulder.
Donovan grinned at the easy acceptance and, unconsciously, rubbed his cheek against the dark hair. The potholes and debris in what had once passed for a road allowed Tyler no respite from the pain but he made no complaint. For once, he was where he wanted to be, held in Donovan's arms.
The journey back to base took several hours and, eventually, they pulled into the abandoned library that housed what was left of the LA Resistance. Sometime over the passed hour, Tyler had drifted into unconsciousness as his mind gave in to the pain that increased with every bump and pothole in the long abandoned highway. Donovan had noted the slight change in the breathing and had held the body even closer to his bare chest.
He wondered at the change in Tyler that allowed him to trust him so implicitly. Certainly, he had been different since Diana's near successful conversion, losing some of the coldness that had kept him apart from the others--from him.
Fearing he could still be a danger to the LA Resistance, Tyler had offered to be the one to escort Robin the relative safety in the north of the country. He had returned only when the news reached them that Elizabeth had left with the Leader and only then, to fulfill a promise made to Robin.
Donovan sighed deeply but silently. It was not until after Tyler left that he began question his relationship with Julie. They had drifted apart after the end of the first invasion but, as soon as he saw her again, Donovan knew he wanted her back. He thought he loved her, thought he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her but, after Tyler left, all he could think of was the enigmatic ex-CIA operative. Tyler invaded his thoughts constantly while he was gone. Until this moment, Donovan had decided it was just the concern of one friend for another. However, he could no longer deny the incredible fear that had overwhelmed him when he arrived at the warehouse to find Tyler lying so pale and still on the floor, with Julie hovering over him.
With so much blood pooling from the head injury, he thought Tyler was dead, his heart only beginning to beat again when Tyler gave a soft gasp of pain.
Head wounds always bleed a lot. He recalled Julie telling him years ago, in another time, another war, but it had not lessened his fear for Tyler.
When the truck pulled to a halt, Donovan felt a pang of regret, partly because he knew moving Tyler would bring the man back into a world of pain, but also because they would take the smaller man from his arms. He waited, stoically, as Julie ordered a stretcher.
Tyler cried out as they took him from the flatbed, with the uncustomary sound tearing at Donovan's heart. He grabbed at Tyler's hand and held it as they rushed inside, grateful that he had not been one of the stretcher bearers as one of his legs had gone to sleep during the ride back to the safe house. He ignored the painful tingle as the blood began to re-circulate, almost hobbling to keep up.
"Mike?"
Donovan glanced into Julie's concerned eyes.
"Leg went to sleep," he offered as an explanation, knowing her eagle eyes had spotted his discomfort. He saw her features relax slightly, from knowing she did not have another patient on her hands.
Julie used the last of the morphine to keep Tyler pain-free while she set his leg, and then she sat back in exhaustion to study her handiwork. Fear crinkled at her eyes and he understood it all too well. Although she could call herself 'doctor', her training had not come through human anatomy and medicine. She was a biologist, and yet she had been called upon to set bones, cauterize wounds, patch up injuries and even to operate on occasion.
Donovan snorted softly. Before the Lizards came, the US had become a blame culture, using any excuse to sue another. Now, the remnants were willing to place their safety in the hands of the untrained because some hope of survival, for them or their kin, was better than no hope. Still, Julie suffered with every demand on her limited skills, with her nightmares fueled by the ones she could not help.
In the beginning, this is why he had come to love her, admiring her determination, and her courage in the face of adversity. He had wanted to be there to shake her out of her nightmares and let her know that she had made a difference to others. He still wanted that but, somewhere along the line he realized that it was deep friendship rather than love governing his feelings.
For a moment, he wondered he could say the same of Tyler. Perhaps it was just a deep friendship between them, one formed out of pain and suffering as they fought side-by-side over the years but that would not explain the erotic turn of his dreams of late. Moreover, thinking back to his initial reaction in the warehouse, Donovan knew that it could not be just comradeship. What he felt for Tyler went far deeper.
He pulled out his small diary and began to make a few cryptic notes, the reporter in him never truly exorcised. One day, he hoped to use these notes to write a book about his experiences.
Donovan glanced at his watch. Another two hours had gone by and, though he was loath to do it, he knew he had to wake up Tyler. With the head injury, they could not risk him falling into a coma. He reached over and patted Tyler's cheek, smiling as the man began to moan softly.
The smell of antiseptic assailed his senses moments before his eyes flickered open to reveal the familiar surroundings of the makeshift hospital. His leg felt heavy and he glanced down expecting to find it still tightly held between two strips of wood by scraps of tee shirt and bandages. Instead, the pristine white of a new cast glared back at him. His leg was raised slightly and he wiggled his exposed toes experimentally, relieved when the command from his brain gained the required result. At least he had not severely damaged the muscles and nerves. A small noise brought his head round to find Donovan seated close by, and Tyler frowned to cover his embarrassment.
"Your toes are fine. Julie already checked you over. I never realized you were so ticklish."
This time, Tyler could not prevent the slight blush that stained his cheeks but quickly allowed anger to rise to his defense.
"If you'd done your job right then you'd still be none the wiser."
Instead of rising to the bait, Donovan's grin expanded. Over the passed few years of living and working together Donovan had begun to recognize the way Tyler dealt with anyone who tried to get too close. His gruffness, anger, and arrogance were just a ruse to stop people from caring for him. Some, like Chris Faber, had ignored the armor by pummeling away at it until they broke through but Donovan had taken a different approach. He seeped through the tiny holes in Tyler's shields, secretly linking himself to the other's soul, as if waiting for the day when Tyler would wake up and discover the unbreakable chain that bound them together.
"How's your head?"
Tyler grimaced. His head throbbed with each beat of his heart like a monotonous bass drum. His head ached, his leg ached... in fact his whole body ached. His lips tightened as the grin on Donovan's face widened, not in the mood to put up with the other's strange sense of humor. Donovan sat down on the side of the bed, ignoring the indignant expression and opened his hand, palm up, to reveal two small capsules.
"Julie said to give you these."
"What are they?"
"Pain killers."
"What kind?"
"How the hell should I know? I'm an ace reporter not a doctor."
Donovan felt another smile tug the corners of his mouth as his bad-tempered associate reached out to scoop the capsules from his palm. He leaned over, grabbed the glass of water from the bedside cabinet, and handed it to Tyler, watching as the man washed down the painkillers.
"You're supposed to get some rest now. Doctor's orders."
Tyler glared at him but obeyed him nonetheless, inadvertently allowing Donovan to see that he was far more tired than he would care to admit. Donovan watched as Tyler closed his eyes, knowing Tyler had no intention of sleeping. He knew it was just a ruse to get him to go away but it backfired for Tyler drifted off back to sleep within seconds.
Donovan waited as the soft breathing deepened, his eyes tracing a path across the strong features from the high arch of an eyebrow to the downward turn of the sensitive mouth. Recalling one vivid dream, he reached out and gently skimmed the soft lips with a fingertip, entranced by the tiny glimpse of rose pink as a wet tongue tip flicked against his finger. The corners of the sleeping mouth curved gently upwards into a faint smile. Donovan picked up one of the fine-boned hands, turning it over to study each side. It was smaller than his, and more delicately built, but he could visualize the nimble fingers building bombs, stripping down a gun and... caressing his skin with feather-light touches.
He jumped as the sound of the door opening broke into his reverie and could not prevent a blush climbing up his features as Julie noticed the way he held Tyler's hand. Julie went around the other side of the bed and checked her sleeping patient. Once satisfied that all was okay, she smiled at Donovan and left the room.
Outside in the corridor, Julie's smile widened. When she first met Michael Donovan, she had been drawn to the dashing looks and the action-man, brash exterior. At first, she thought it was the typical traits of a reporter but as time passed, she recognized a deep hole within his soul and wanted to fill it with her own love and comfort. Her early thoughts had assumed this hole had been scooped out by too many years of seeing death and destruction both physically, through the many wars he had covered, and spiritually, through his failed marriage. It had taken so many months to recognize that he had dug that hole all by himself through unrequited love, and it took the renewal of the Visitor war to discover the object of that seemingly doomed love.
Strange how the human mind could contort emotions into some semblance of reasonable behavior. It had taken someone from another planet to reveal the truth of Donovan's love for Ham Tyler. Julie wandered towards her own private laboratory and sank into a waiting chair as her thoughts reflected back along the path of their relationship.
Willie had asked in all innocence, one day, why Donovan and Tyler continually bickered when it was obvious that they cared deeply for each other. His question had taken her by surprise and had planted the seeds of curiosity that made her watch them both with greater interest. Now her eyes were fully open, what she saw stunned her. She had been both dismayed and incredulous at the number of excuses they could find to explain away their desire to be together. Usually, they were negative excuses: lack of trust, boredom, and inexperience. They were never anything positive, as if they were afraid to say 'I'm here because I want to protect you; want to be with you'.
As time went by Julie realized she was a buffer between the two of them, a way of keeping them apart yet together, and with that knowledge came a lot of pain. She had mapped out her future expecting Donovan to remain at her side but now she knew it was all a pipe dream. He belonged with Ham Tyler--if only they could both admit it.
The year of peace between Liberation Day and the second invasion had served only to prove this the case. With no battle plans and life or death decisions to bind them, Julie and Donovan had drifted apart. When the war restarted so did their love affair, as they renewed old comradeship was--for a while. She sighed deeply as she recognized how often Donovan had found excuses to be with Tyler rather than her, although she doubted he truly understood his need for the other man. Even now, Julie was convinced Donovan believed he felt only brotherly affection for Tyler, not wanting to admit to any other reason for the surge of emotion that filled him following Tyler's return from Chicago.
Tyler had used the excuse of taking Robin Maxwell to join her family in Chicago to avoid a confrontation with Donovan following his near-conversion. Julie knew Diana had somehow twisted the feelings he had for Michael Donovan but, in her ignorance, she had thought Donovan and Tyler were comrades-in-arms, competitive with each other for leadership of the Los Angeles resistance group. Julie smirked as a warm feeling trickled into her, bubbling through her innards until it exploded into a snigger of contempt for the head of the Visitor forces. Diana's conviction of her own superiority was the major contribution to her continual downfall--and the reason why humanity would eventually win the war. Just like everyone else, she had seen the way Donovan and Tyler rubbed each other the wrong way and looked no further for an explanation. If she had then she would have realized that it was all just a cover for a deeper love that neither were prepared to acknowledge and, therefore, her attempt to make Tyler hate Donovan was always doomed to failure.
The sound of birds singing intruded upon her thoughts bringing back more pleasant memories and she smiled as she realized that sadness tinged even those memories. Elizabeth had loved the sound of birds but she was dead. Diana had used the destruction of the shuttle containing both her, Kyle and the Visitor Leader as a reason to continue the war, blaming it on the humans. Julie knew it was a last ditch attempt by Diana to gain some foothold on this world for her days were numbered. Philip had ordered an investigation and it would only be a matter of time before he caught Diana and James in his trap. Once that happened, then the war would be over for good, for Julie had no doubts of Philip's influence in the higher echelons of the Sirian Empire--and Earth would be a good ally in its battle against other more predatory alien species.
However, that was the future and what concerned Julie Parrish right now was the present.
It was about time Donovan and Tyler stopped playing their emotional games with each other.
Julie paused as she wondered exactly how she was going to bring those two together, knowing the difficulties they would still face in modern society. She smiled again. Since when had either Donovan or Tyler ever shirked from breaking the rules? Donovan was a reporter willing to hang out Societies dirty laundry anywhere across the planet, and Tyler was an ex-CIA agent responsible for soiling some of that laundry in the first place. They were a match made in heaven.
Donovan glanced around the small room that he called his own. The walls were thin but he had plenty of experience in keeping the sound down. He lowered himself onto his back on the bed and, with eager fingers, he unzipped the fly on his jeans and pushed the denim down his legs. He rubbed his hand across his burgeoning erection and smiled as he felt the sensitive flesh push against the restrictive material of his briefs. He pulled the briefs down feeling the cooler night air against his sensitive flesh. His vision tunneled as he let his thoughts move away from practical considerations of locked doors and covered windows to focus on some erotic image.
In his mind's eye, he gazed across a jungle clearing where a half-hidden woman stood in camouflage green. Her head turned towards him, dark eyes burning with need and lust, a pink tongue tracing a path across thin lips in a deliberately provocative manner. Strangely, that was all he could visualize from her features. The rest seemed to be out of focus so his mind traveled down her body instead. Her frame seemed almost too masculine in the loose fitting camouflage, losing the subtle curves and gaining more muscle and sharper lines, but that only enflamed his senses more.
Each change in his fantasy mate excited him further as Donovan moved into his dream lover's arms, feeling the brutal strength of arms wrapping around him in turn. He looked into his lover's face... and his eyes flew open in shock even as the most intense sensation shot straight to his groin.
Ham Tyler.
Donovan reddened as he recognized the erotic path his thoughts had taken, following in the same direction as his dreams of late. He lay back on the bed and let his hands drop to his sides, allowing the pleasurable sensations to ebb. Once his mind had calmed, he thought back to the erotic image of Ham Tyler, images that had become more vivid since Tyler's return from Chicago. He could no longer carry on deceiving himself that love for a brother-in-arms had filled him whenever his mind dwelt on the dark haired agent. The insistent throb in his groin was proof of that.
For a moment, Donovan wondered about Tyler but he was not foolish enough to believe Tyler could return his feelings. That sort of thing only happened in fairy tales. He snorted in disbelief at his own train of thoughts. Since when had any fairy tale involved two men falling in love and living happily ever after? Certainly, he could recall none from his childhood.
Part of him wondered how far his desire for Tyler went. For all he knew, the fantasy would fizzle out and a vision of Julie might replace Tyler in his lust-filled thoughts. Feeling a fluttering in his belly, Donovan came to a decision. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts journey along the path his dreams had been taking him. His body reacted to the mental image of Tyler's fingers stroking across his chest then lower, across the flat abdomen, sweeping sideways over his hip and down his flank before creeping back up the soft skin of his inner thigh. A familiar tingling sensation sang along his nerve endings as he imagined the gentle fingers tangling in the thick thatch of dark hair before closing around his straining flesh.
Donovan rubbed fingers against the flared head of his erection, his thumb sliding across that sensitive place, sighing as soft tingling spread warmth through his lower abdomen and thighs. In his hand his cock grew thicker, and firmer. The eyes of his dream lover were now only inches away from his own. He could feel the softness of his lover's breath upon his face, and then those eyes closed, with the face moving forward until he felt the most delicate of touches against his lips. The gentle, insistent pressure increased as the hot mouth crushed against his own, tongues entwining, teeth grazing his inner lip. His hand moved harder and faster along the length of his shaft while his other hand reached beneath his denim shirt to rub across one nipple, feeling it harden with the onslaught of physical pressure and mental torture. Delicate ghost fingers danced across his chest and Donovan threw back his head as his body took flight, his senses overloading, leaving him soaring high above the world for an eternity before he came tumbling headlong back to earth.
Warm liquid had coated his fingers and abdomen as he pulled himself to completion, his final vision the dark eyes glowing within the radiant face of Ham Tyler.
He shuddered in satisfaction, his breath ragged as his racing heart began to slow.
"Christ! If only you knew."
Three Days Later:
It was very late in the evening when Donovan sat down beside the bed watching Tyler as he tried to reach an itchy spot half way down the plastered leg.
"Don't just sit there, Gooder. Do something."
The ex-Reporter took the thin plastic ruler that Faber had found in one of the rooms and, following Tyler's instructions, he slipped it between the leg and the plaster. He angled it first one way and then another until...
"Yes, just there."
Donovan felt his cock twitch as he watched Tyler throw back his head, eyes closed, sighing raggedly as Donovan dealt with the infuriating itch to his complete satisfaction. The sight echoed Donovan's dream as he imagined this same response to his fingers traveling over other parts of the strong male body. He pulled his thoughts back sharply when Tyler opened his eyes, staring straight at him. Confusion filled the dark eyes, as if Tyler had read Donovan's mind but could not work out what he had seen, but Donovan had no plans to enlighten him.
"I have to go. Julie wants me to pick up some more medical supplies."
"Sure."
Tyler watched as the taller man rose to his feet and moved quickly to the door but, as the hand reached out to open it, he called out, curious when the other man hesitated but did not turn back. Donovan's averted gaze only added to the confusion.
"Thanks, Gooder."
He gained a quick glance from Donovan and frowned as he caught a strange expression attempting to flee from the chameleon eyes. He did not want to understand why it bothered him so much, in case the incredible feeling it provoked was caused by the remnants of Diana's attempt to convert him.
"Sure. I'll catch you later."
Tyler waited until Donovan had closed the door behind him before he sank back into the waiting pillows, his mind replaying the last few minutes as he tried to make sense of the strange softening of his comrade's features and the faraway look that seemed to pull him into another time and place. A small voice in his head insisted he knew what he had seen but Tyler was not ready to make any move based on so little evidence. Silently he cursed Diana.
Until her conversion experiment, he had remained in blissful ignorance of his strong feelings for Michael Donovan, putting it down to the closeness that often formed between men on the battlefield. Diana's attempt to make him hate Donovan enough to kill him had merely opened his mind to how much he loved the other man, but it was more than just brotherly affection. Tyler wanted Michael Donovan in ways he could never have believed before his partial conversion. He wanted him mind, body, and soul, from now unto eternity.
"To death us do part."
For a moment, he believed he had read that same need, written across the strong, square-jawed face.
Donovan leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath as he tried to still the rapid beating of his heart. For one terrible moment, he thought he had betrayed his feelings to Tyler, revealing the depth of his desire for the other man. He had no idea how Tyler would react if that had been the case but he doubted it would have been with soft words of thanks. Donovan groaned, wishing he had never let loose the desire he felt for Tyler, but he had opened that particular Pandora's Box, and now he could think of no way to close it. Instead, Tyler filled every waking moment, and every dream, turning Donovan's blood to liquid fire as he found release with his dream lover.
"Mike?"
His heart leapt into his throat, and Donovan turned, coming face to face with the only other person who could breach his shields. He saw her blue eyes narrow, and her head tilting questioningly, as she took in his sudden discomfort. As she opened her mouth to say something, Donovan spoke up.
"Julie! What's up?"
"Nothing...I thought you looked a little preoccupied there. Care to let me know what's going on?"
"Did you get the details of that guy with the medical supplies? I thought I might pay him a call."
Julie frowned as Donovan deliberately ignored her question by changing the subject, and he could read her growing confusion. However, he was not ready to share his problem just yet. Not until he had found the chance to figure it out a little more... alone. He was grateful when Julie did not press the issue.
"No. Not yet... but I do have a message for you. Philip is back on Earth, and he wants to meet. He'll be in the usual place in one hour."
"Then I'd best get going, 'cause it could take me an hour to get there."
He moved off quickly, his relief at escaping Julie lasting only a moment before his thoughts turned to Philip. If Philip wanted to meet him covertly then all was not well, leaving Donovan with the fear that a human had assassinated the Leader. If that was the case, then all hope of a quick end to this war was lost.
Philip waited in the dark corner of the depot behind a bank of large wooden crates, using his sensitive eyesight to carve a hole through the surrounding shadows. His sharp hearing picked up the sound of movement and moments later, he saw a familiar silhouette framed in the gloomy light before him. He called out to him softly.
"Mike."
Donovan froze and then headed in his direction, hunkering down behind the stack of crates so no one could see them.
"What's happening?"
"The new Leader has been chosen, and Diana is not best pleased with the selection. She thought it should be her but she hadn't figured on losing so much influence with the High Council following Lydia's accusations of treason."
"Who have they chosen?"
"Me."
Donovan took a step back in astonishment. "I don't understand. If you're the Leader then why are we meeting like this--in the dark?"
"Diana is not aware of the identity of the Leader, only that one has been chosen and that it is not her. Until I am officially proclaimed Leader, I cannot give Diana any cause to have me arrested for 'consorting with the enemy'."
"When will the official announcement take place?"
"At 02:55 today... your time."
"Then why risk coming here now?"
"Diana has planned a last attempt to overthrow the LA Resistance. She knows where your new base is and she is planning to release a chemical that will render every living creature within a mile radius unconscious. Her plan goes into operation at 02:00."
Donovan glanced at his watch and raised horror-stricken eyes to Philip. "But that's less than an hour away; I've got to get back to warn the others."
"No." Philip reached out and grasped hold of Donovan's arm. "Diana does not know about the announcement, and her attack on your headquarters will keep her occupied until it is too late. Once I am Leader I can end this war immediately--and free all the humans taken captive--including your comrades."
Donovan felt his heart tighten in his chest. "Then why tell me all of this? Why not leave me there in ignorance?"
"Because I need someone to co-ordinate the effort against her, to delay her and her cohorts." Philip took a step back as he recognized the anger in the blue-green eyes, knowing he was asking Donovan to trust him with the lives of all his closest friends, and the rest of humanity too. Philip spoke hoarsely, pleading for understanding. "Believe it or not, your friends will be safer than you. The drug will keep them unconscious for several hours. By the time they come round it will all be over--the war, Diana, all of it. You, on the other hand... You could lose your life tonight, and that gives me no pleasure."
Philip relaxed as Donovan sighed in acceptance, realizing how Philip must have deliberately set up the LA Resistance as the only way to protect them from the violence of this final battle. He reached out a hand, and Philip clasped it tightly.
"I hope we'll meet again under far better circumstances."
"I hope so too."
The final minutes ticked away too slowly as Donovan waited with members of several other resistance groups from around the Los Angeles area. By the time he had gathered the others, the attack on his group had already taken place, and they accepted his explanation that he had been out hunting for supplies at the time.
His heart fluttered in fear as he heard the shuttles passing overhead on their way back to the Mothership, having picked up the unconscious members of his group. He could only hope they had all succumbed to the gas without a fight, especially Ham Tyler. His greatest fear was that Tyler would suffer further injury during the attack, or that Philip's information on the gas was wrong.
What if she did not intend to take hostages? They had caused so much damage to her plans over the years, being a constant thorn in her side, that she might easily avail herself of the opportunity to eliminate them altogether. However, Donovan knew his enemy. He knew her ego would not allow her to dispose of them out of hand. She would want to gloat over her victory. She would want to hold their living bodies up to the cameras so she could crush the spirit of what few humans remained. She would torture the leaders--Julie, Ham, even Willie--until they betrayed whoever was left... and then she would eat them... alive.
Philip did not believe she would have time to do any of this, but Donovan had a terrible vision of Diana introducing another gas or drug to bring his people out of their comas before Philip could help them. He clenched his lips together into a tight line. The thought of Diana torturing Tyler and then eating him, was enough to fuel his determination to keep her occupied, no matter what the cost.
The predicted thunderstorm started just as a report filtered back that all the shuttles had reached the Mothership; Donovan gave the signal to attack.
"Diana! There are reports from all over Los Angeles of attacks on our installations and people."
Diana looked up from the medical couch where Ham Tyler lay in a chemical-induced sleep, her eyes blazing with fury at the interruption. They had brought him onboard only a few minutes previously, along with several other key members of the LA Resistance, including Julie Parrish and the traitor, Willie. Diana had been looking forward to interrogating her dark-haired nemesis and she held up her hand as her assistant stepped forward with the means to awaken Tyler from his sleep.
"Give Mr. Tyler the serum but leave the others for now. I have other matters to attend to first. Where's Philip?"
She stalked out of the room with short, angry steps. The reply to her question cut off as the door closed behind her.
The battle raged on as both laser bolts and lightning split the darkness. The staccato and flashes from sub-machine guns, handguns, shotguns and any other weapon capable of inflicting harm upon the Visitor forces accompanied them. A lizard fell, clutching his neck as a bolt from a crossbow impaled him. Another two flew through the air as a grenade exploded at their feet.
Donovan glanced around in concern as a human scream sounded close behind, in time to see a young woman lifted from her feet by the impact of a heavy-duty laser beam that burnt a hole the size of his fist through her fragile frame. He dodged back and forwards, zigzagging through the open clearing, and dropped behind the cover of the burnt out wreckage of a Visitor jeep. He knew, as he picked off targets one by one with astonishing accuracy, that only the man he loved surpassed his battle instincts, but Diana had Tyler.
Another cry from his left brought his head around. The man had been shot in the leg and Donovan reached forward, grabbed hold of the man's jacket and hauling him behind the relative safety of the overturned jeep. He handed the man a gun.
"Cover me."
Donovan did not wait for a reply before leaping from cover and running towards the doorway by the corner of the building, but the sound of a familiar retort from the small handgun reassured him. Keeping sideways with his chest against the door, Donovan leaned out to take potshots at the remaining Visitor forces, and then he pulled the radio from his pocket and called in.
"Romeo to Giant. Go."
They could scarcely hear the roar of an engine above the sound of gunfire. Moments later, a lorry thundered passed and ploughed through the security fence surrounding the Human Processing Centre. Humans and Fifth Columnists poured through the gap, clambering over the bodies of the dead, injured, and dying as they fell beneath the superior Visitor weaponry.
Donovan knew they had to take out the laser cannon before more of his people died. He saw a missile launcher still clasped in its dead owner's arms and tugged it free then aimed at the Visitor's laser cannon, launching the deadly contents. The missile struck the cannon dead on and Donovan felt a small amount of satisfaction as the laser exploded in a red and yellow ball of flame, taking its operators with it. With a final burst, the human attack force battered down the doors to find chaos inside as humans, waiting in crowded rooms for their turn to be processed, had rounded on their Visitor guards, their instinct for survival rekindled by the sound of the battle raging outside of the walls.
Donovan took a moment to glance at his watch. Only seven minutes remained until the Sirians would proclaim Philip as the Leader of their Empire. They had to keep Diana's attention for just a little longer and Michael Donovan knew exactly how he could accomplish that. He made his way towards the command centre and, pushing aside the frightened control staff, used the Visitor communications console to make contact.
"Diana."
Diana's eyes widened in shock at finding Michael Donovan within her most important processing installation, but the reaction was only momentary as a sneer crossed her face.
"What a pleasant surprise."
"But then life is full of surprises."
"And I have one more surprise for you, Mr. Donovan."
Diana beckoned to someone off-screen and moments later the visual display rotated away to reveal Ham Tyler held firmly between two burly Visitor guards. Donovan felt his breath catch in his throat as his eyes met the pain-filled depths. His worse fear was about to be realized, unless he could keep Diana talking for just a few more minutes.
"I thought you would be interested in my little surprise--and I have several more surprises waiting for you, but enough of these games. You and your ragged band of resistance fighters will put down your weapons and leave the processing complex...or I will kill him. You have three minutes to comply."
"That's not enough time..."
"Then I shall be generous and give you five minutes."
The screen darkened leaving only the memory of Diana's threat.
"I'm sorry Donovan but we can't give in now, not even for him."
Donovan nodded and wiped the back of his hand across his dirty, sweat and bloodstained face. "I know."
He sank into the command chair, staring at the blank screen and wishing there had been the opportunity to say something to the man who had become more important to him than life itself. He spoke so softly that no one heard.
"Don't let me down, Philip."
"Well, Mr. Tyler. It appears we will only have a few minutes of each other's company."
Diana reached out and trailed one long-nailed finger along the length of the slightly stubbled jaw then curled it underneath to raise his chin until their eyes met. His smoldered with hate, while hers danced like sapphires held up to the light.
"A shame. I had such romantic plans for us."
"Only in your dreams."
"Yes. Dreams. I spent a long time going over the finer details of your conversion--"
"Failed conversion."
Diana ignored the rude interruption with a toss of her long, curly, black hair. "Do you want to know what I discovered?"
She placed her face scant inches away from his own and he recoiled slightly as he felt her hot breath upon his cheek. "Such intimate thoughts of Michael Donovan. Fleeting, erotic images of his naked form writhing with yours."
A forked tongue flicked out to caress his cheek feeling the increased heat in his face despite his attempt to keep a cool exterior. "I wonder if Mr. Donovan is aware of your lascivious designs on his body. Perhaps we should let him know. Would he be disgusted, or would he be intrigued? Such a shame if his last memory of you should be filled with disgust and loathing." Diana smirked. "It would be very interesting to see which it would be."
The petite Sirian Commander turned back to the screen and activated it. She was not disappointed to find Michael Donovan exactly where she had left him.
"Mr. Tyler has a little secret he would like to share with you in his final moments."
Donovan felt his heart go out to the rigid figure, feeling a strange mixture of passion and pride in the stocky frame that waited calmly for the end. No hysterics, no anger, yet Donovan wished Tyler would look at him. The dark eyes were averted from his, staring at a spot above and beyond the screen, and in that moment, as Diana drew breath for her 'startling revelation', Donovan knew what he had to do.
"I love you."
The cold, sapphire eyes flicked to the screen in shock then narrowed in fury with the realization that he meant those words for Ham Tyler. As tension drained out of the tightly held frame, Donovan responded quickly to the words that Tyler fought to pass his lips.
"I..."
"I know."
With her anger heightened by Donovan ruining her little game, Diana pulled the laser pistol from the holster on her belt and aimed it at the defenseless man.
"Time's up, Mr. Donovan."
"Fire and the next breath will be your last."
Diana glanced at the open doorway where the Inspector General stood, laser pistol held in a steady hand, pointed towards her.
"Philip. So many surprises today. Perhaps you would care to explain why you are interrupting the execution of a well-known leader of the Earth Resistance."
"The war is over, Diana. Put down the weapon."
"By who's command?"
"By the Leader's command."
"And who is the Leader?" she sneered.
"I am."
The beautiful face contorted with hatred as Diana turned the weapon upon Philip. The discharge from three laser pistols struck her full force in the chest, throwing her backwards across the communications console, to land in a broken heap on the floor beyond.
Philip faced the screen; he smiled and nodded his thanks to his human friend as his guards went to support Ham Tyler.
Birds were singing, the skies were a deep azure blue, and not a single cloud spoiled the view from one horizon to the other. It was a beautiful day but not for those reasons. The war was over and this time there would be no fear of another invasion.
Donovan gazed behind him at the sight of the ruined city. Philip had promised to help the humans rebuild not just in Los Angeles but all over the globe but Michael Donovan could not find too much enthusiasm. He had other matters on his mind and today, if he was lucky, he would have the chance to start building something far more precious--a new life with the man he loved.
His eyes narrowed as he stared up towards the Los Angeles Mothership. He could just make out the small shape of a shuttle detaching itself and heading towards him. Onboard would be the people he cared for most in this world: Philip, Julie Parrish, Willie..., and Ham Tyler. The black dot grew larger as it approached and a few minutes later, he watched as the shuttle landed close by. The door opened downwards to provide steps to the ground beneath and Donovan hurried forward as the first figure appeared.
He grabbed Julie up in a hug, almost crushing her more fragile frame in his exuberance, and then he released her to greet Willie with equal pleasure. Philip stood by the door and Donovan reached for his hand, knowing it made little difference that Philip was now the Leader of the Sirian Empire. He felt the strong pseudo-fingers clasp his own, and smiled as Philip reached up to pull off the false human mask, revealing his true features. Donovan turned back to see Willie do the same, knowing there would be no more pretence between their people.
When he looked back, Philip stepped aside and Donovan froze as Faber assisted a slighter figure move towards him.
Tyler paused just a few feet away from Donovan, his dark eyes bereft of any coldness, filled instead with a little trepidation and something more besides. It took only a moment for Donovan to recognize that underlying emotion, seeing his love for Tyler reciprocated. Unshed tears burned in his eyes as he stepped forward, reaching for a man he had come to love with all of his being: heart, body, and soul.
Uncaring of the reactions of others, he leaned in and kissed the firmly set lips, feeling them soften as Tyler gave into the pleasure.
"I love you," he whispered one more time, for Tyler's ears alone, cutting off any response as he claimed those lips again.
Behind him, he could hear soft cries of joy for him and Tyler, from Julie and Willie, and a whoop of delight from Faber. However, Donovan held the only person that truly mattered in his arms. They had fought together through desperate times and, finally, they had found each other.
War or Peace, Donovan did not intend to let Tyler go, not ever.
THE END
