"Oh!" Abby stepped back swiftly as the enormous spotted cat dashed by her, lifting up one combat boot as her pale blue eyes widened in surprise. A quick glance told her all she needed to know of the apparently unholy advent of the 'Antichrist.' Reece's bandaged hand and his farewell snarl at this most exceptional of felines speaking volumes about who got the very worst of Connor's aforementioned bitch-slapping - and apparently her azure-haired friend hadn't exaggerated in the least.
"Ah Reece, making friends wherever you go... " Abby shook her head with a teasing roll of her eyes as she nodded toward the escaping cat as the source of her teasing, and not Pauline Weber . A long-practiced and easy tilt of her body, a quick glance and a mischievous smile effortlessly pulled the radiant young woman she recognized in a moment, into their easy, bantering conversation.
Of course Abby recognized her in an instant, though nothing of this perception showed on her face thanks to Connor’s heads up. She had, after all, just shown Gavin a picture of the young woman only minutes before. But something about seeing this Pauline in the flesh gave her pause, the inexplicable, simultaneous lightness and gravity of her demeanor, a little child’s innocent delight married with an ancient poignancy in the younger woman’s pale eyes. Abby could not shake the impression that was not some inner quality newly born with her waking, but rather a reason that explained fully, all Pauline had decided since the cruelty that woke her long sleep.
“Hello,” Abby said as she held out her hand to Pauline easily, smiling widely. “Abigail Larson – Abby, please. Head of security, and Captain Stanford’s replacement for a few years yet. I don't believe we met a the briefing today.”
All true enough of course, but Abby did not feel very good about herself at the moment, for the pretense she did not know Pauline's identity, and that she knew very well that the younger woman had not been at the Third Shift briefing. But Abby knew, of course, that this was the right instinct, to preserve the younger woman’s dignity.
“Pauline. Pauline Weber.” She took the hand offered with a smile turned hesitant and unsure, not nearly so steady or bright as the one she gave to Owen. Though there was certainly none of that painful, bone-crushing pressure some people felt the need to dispense in a handshake, Pauline still felt the reassuring strength that wrapped her own smaller, slender hand.
And of course Abby knew her name. Pauline had come to know the kind, morose Captain Stanford very, very well after all. Yes, Abby knew her name, and she could see that knowing in the taller woman’s steady azure gaze. But something in the soldier’s eyes comforted her, as much as the uniforms she would always associate with safety. Abby would not be careless with her.
“Owen just agreed I’ll be working with him and Connor in Hangar Six, helping here and there to tighten up the mining training programs.” The warmth of Pauline’s smile returned as she looked to the grey-eyed man, who had just reassured her she’d have a home here for so long as she wished. There truly were not words, to explain all that his confidence meant to her.
“Owen… ? Oh!” Abby laughed, not cruelly, only with a touch of surprise when somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered Reece actually did have a first name. “You must be quite talented then,” she continued amiably, a rather impressed lift of her brows and a nod for the good-looking grey-eyed man sitting on the edge of one of the desks. “Reece… Owen… Would not let just anyone here into Hangar Six to stay, much less Connor. You just keep these guys safe Pauline. We’d be lost without them.”
To Reece’s eternal credit, it never once occurred to Abby that the man would have taken on Pauline for her simple, bright beauty. Of course he could certainly be something of a roguish scoundrel on occasion, skirting the edges of polite company whenever humanly possible it seemed some days. Yet Abby never once had reason to doubt his rough-around-the-edges but rock solid honor – to say nothing of his undying professionalism. If Reece let her stay, then Pauline undoubtedly belonged right here.
“But I’m here to steal your boss away for a few minutes, if he can spare them. I promise I’ll return him exactly as I found him, bandages and all… “ Her attention returned to Reece with a grin. “Can we go to your office Reece? We should probably speak alone – “
“No wait, it’s all right. I can step out,” Pauline piped up quickly, holding her tablet closely with one hand to her chest. “I can take the garbage out with me now anyway, keep it from stinking up Connor’s office anymore – but I’ll be right back of course. I should have at least one preliminary simulation done by the end of the day, a little something for you to try… “
’And I do need a moment, to answer Pastor Park… ‘ Pauline grinned reassuringly to Owen, that leaving was not putting her out in the least. ’I wonder if he hears confession?’
Her voice trailed off swiftly though she bent to secure the garbage bag that Owen had opened before taking all the ties in one hand. The bags really weren’t so heavy as all that. “If you could get the door behind me?” she asked, shrugging her shoulders lightly to show him both her hands were taken up at the moment before she stepped out into the strange tableau playing out further into the hangar.
Abby sighed softly as she watched the young woman leave before all her attentions returned to the handsome grey-eyed man with an apologetic smile. “Sorry to interrupt your operations here Reece – I really don’t want to suck up any more of your time than need be. But after the Third Shift briefing, there was no way I was going to leave you hanging. I’m here to field your questions, best I can.”
“And as a Shift supervisor, I know very well you’ve gotten some information on your crew you normally… Well, you normally wouldn’t have access to. Yeah, you’ve got to have some questions. I sure the hell would.”
Again, all credit to RoadRash, for taking me by the shoulders and gently, but firmly, turning me about and pointing out this amazing author.
