Scheherazade: Part Six

by Alicia McKenzie

"Thanks, Becky," Domino said with a brief smile and a nod, accepting the packet of food and stowing it in her pack. "Appreciate you doing this at the last minute. I'd have put in an order last night," she said with a deadpan look, "but Someone didn't decide we were going out until this morning."

"Oh, not to worry. There's enough in there to last you two for a few days," the round-faced cook said with an answering, brighter smile that immediately turned into a concerned look as she glanced at Domino's pack, obviously assessing how much she had packed. "You are only planning to be out for a few days, right?"

"Yes," Domino sighed, trying to keep a pleasant expression on. Why did everyone in the Oasis consider it their business how long she and Nathan stayed out in the shifts? Bunch of mother hens, irregardless of gender. "Just a quick salvage trip."

"That's good," Becky said, her smile returning. "Quick and easy, right? Nathan surely can't be quite himself again yet after that unpleasantness in the bar last week."

"Oh, he bounces back fast, believe me." Becky looked doubtful, and Domino couldn't help herself. "Don't worry, Becky. Quick and easy, that's the plan. Unless we run into a member of the Twelve, of course," she amended, giving the older woman an innocent look. "In that case, we'll do our best to drag him or her back kicking and screaming, doing as much property damage as possibly until Franklin can subdue the poor soul--"

Becky sighed, shaking her head ruefully at Dom. "Look after yourself, girl. I have to go supervise the breadmakers."

"Bye, Becky," Domino said blithely, turning and making her way rapidly out of the communal kitchens before she could get waylaid by anyone else wanting to know their plans for the week. They'd told Franklin and Kitty, and the damned gossip mill could take care of informing everyone else. She just wanted to get out there; she was in dire need of some fresh air, or at least the closest shift-equivalent.

Nathan had been more or less bedridden for the three days following the incident in the bar. Ilsa and Franklin had conferred, and decided that it was best to let the fever run its course. According to Ilsa, it wasn't serious, just a 'bit of an infection', and according to Franklin, Nathan's system had been under enough strain lately, making further interference on his part not such a good idea.

Domino had actually managed to spend nearly the whole first day with him before he'd started shredding at her last nerve and she'd had to take a break. The others had kindly filled in for her, taking shifts. She'd gotten some food and rest, and come back to find Nathan and Patrick playing checkers and growling insults at each other as if they were working up to declaring their undying enmity. It had been cute, really.

The first three days had actually been the easiest. Once his temperature had settled back down to something approaching normal and he got more of his strength back, Nathan had been as cranky as hell. Typical; he'd always been a nasty convalescent. She'd nearly had to resort to clubbing him over the head to keep him in the house where he could rest for another couple of days. Feminine wiles only took one so far.

Nathan was waiting for her just outside the bar, busy checking the content of his own pack and examining the new knife he'd selected out of the last batch of salvage. Domino watched him carefully as she approached, satisfied with the fact that he looked much more like his usual ornery self. He was moving well, too, not giving any sign at all that he'd been stabbed in the gut barely a week ago.

"What took you so long?" he called out irritably as she got closer. "Cooks getting stingy with travel rations again?"

"Bite me," she suggested cheerfully, adjusting the straps of her pack. "I didn't know we were in a rush."

Nathan glowered at her. "Why waste time?"

"Hey, I'm not the one who spent the bulk of the last week sleeping, pal."

"Sleeping?" She could feel the indignant look boring into her back as she walked jauntily past him, heading for the shield wall. "I would have been up and around days ago--"

"Yes," she shot back over her shoulder, smiling sweetly at him, "and we would have been picking you up off the floor if you'd tried."

"You don't have to rub it in," he grumbled as he followed her.

"Would I do that?"

"In a heartbeat. You get some kind of perverse--"

"Cable?"

Domino stopped, turning back towards the voice and seeing Nathan doing the same. *Ah-hah,* she thought, seeing the thin, silver-haired man standing in the doorway of the bar. Pietro gave her a wary look and then turned back to Nathan. Domino smiled a bit cynically. She'd actually be expecting that Pietro would 'arrange' to run into them sooner, rather than later.

"Yes?" Nathan asked bluntly, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes. I'm--relieved you're all right," Pietro answered, staying where he was as if he were unsure about the wisdom of closing the distance between them.

The truly baleful look Nathan was giving him might have something to do with that, Domino thought a bit wryly. She moved up to stand behind Nathan, laying a hand lightly on his arm. "Be nice," she murmured. "He apologized, remember?"

Well, he had, although he'd done it via Franklin. Ilsa had thrown a bit of a fit about having him coming into the house to apologize in person, because "Nathan is volatile enough at the best of times, and I won't have him exposed to any further stimulus when he's convalescing!" Ilsa in a crusading mood was not someone you wanted to cross, so Franklin had merely relayed Pietro's apologies and fervent-sounding promises that neither he nor his friends would cause any further disruption in the community.

Domino had to admit she was cherishing some harsh feelings. He wasn't a person she'd be turning her back on anytime soon, that was for sure. But he and his two friends had been drunk, and probably more than a little unnerved by the Oasis. Similar things had happened before, and they'd probably happen again. No lasting harm had been done, and in situations like this, Franklin's policy was to give people a second chance. *And what Franklin says goes.*

Pietro, looking a bit heartened, pressed onwards. "I just wanted to assure you that--"

"Never mind," Nathan growled, and Pietro fell silent. Domino smiled faintly. Nathan sounded thoroughly unimpressed, but there was a distinct lack of heat on the link, and the first hesitant hints of something else. Hope would probably be the best way to put it. It made sense; Nathan had admitted to her that he and the Pietro in his world had been friends, and she'd detected more than a little wistfulness to that particular confession. It was amazing, how selective he could be about holding grudges. "But if you point a knife in my direction again, I'm going to take it away from you and use you to demonstrate the Askani version of hari-kari. Are we clear?"

Astoundingly, Pietro smiled. It wasn't much of a smile, but it had a flicker of real sincerity in it, and Domino felt that flickering warmth from Nathan's end of the link grow more steady. "Perfectly."

"Good. Because I'd hate to kill you." Nathan shrugged, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards in an almost-smile. "Anyhow, what's a knife in the gut between friends? I like people who play rough."

Domino coughed, elbowed him in the ribs, and then gave Pietro a repressive look. "I don't share that opinion," she said a bit warningly, locking eyes with him and trying to make it very clear that she was not going to tolerate any repeat performances.

Pietro seemed like a reasonably bright man. He nodded to her, his expression turning rueful. "Neither do I, really," he murmured.

"Good," Domino said brightly. "Then we're all clear. Crystal-clear. Isn't that nice?"

"Don't start," Nathan muttered at her.

She laughed breezily, hiked her pack up a bit on her back, and waved at Pietro. "Let's go, old man," she said. "Race you to the shield wall."

"You've got to be kidding--Dom!" he called out after her in exasperation as she took off towards the shield.

Laughing, she shot a look back over her shoulder and saw him starting to follow, a very determined look on his face. He caught her just before she reached the shields, and she laughed even harder as he slung an arm around her midsection, actually half-lifting her off her feet.

"You idiot!" she cried out happily, pushing at him. "Put me down before you pull something!"

"I'm not that decrepit," Nathan said haughtily, but set her back down on her feet, kissing the top of her head and hugging her from behind. "I caught you," he murmured, "so what do I win?"

"A story," she said irrepressibly.

He sighed, hugging her more tightly for a moment. "How did I know you were going to say that?" he asked wryly.

"You'd rather have sex?"

A thoughtful pause. "Let me get back to you on that," Nathan said, his voice rippling with laughter as he let her go, keeping hold only of her hand.

"Typical," Domino tsked, glancing at the shield wall, then back at him. "You ready?"

"Always."

Hand in hand, they stepped through.

fin

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