X - FORCE

Chapter 4 - Family? Absolutely not. ...Maybe.

*Half an Hour After*

B Force Captain, Christian Wells, heads over to see the unit's doctor for some pain relief. He throws the door open and is about to apologise for interrupting his lunch break when he spots the last thing he expected to see. Doctor Wolfe is looking over a scan and none other than Olivia Moss is sitting in the exam bed.

"You idiot."

"Thank you for treating me on your break." Olivia bows before walking to the door.

"Don't forget to change those bandages!" He throws her a small packet. 

"Ice these before putting them on loosely." Olivia nods her head before breezing out of the room.

"What was she doing here?" Christian eyed the doctor. 

"She's been coming to see me since she joined the Force. I was her doctor on the outside and she has a couple of long term issues, so it just made sense for her to keep coming to me instead of reciting her story to some stranger."

"What long term issues?" 

"Captain. You know I can't say." Dr Wolfe rolled his eyes. "What can I do for you though?"

"... I need some pain relief for a headache."

"Here you go. You still remember how many to take and how far apart?"

"Yeah."

Christian left the office and started the trek back across the base to his room. He ran into Ainsley in the common room. He was seated on the large lounge with his feet up on the recliner and his thick-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. The tv was on but he was reading and writing on different papers. The other members had gone off base for the afternoon to do the shopping, so it was just the two of them left. 

"Hey, man."

"Hey. Got another headache?" 

"Yeah. I don't know what's causing them though, maybe it's my pillow." Christian shrugged and took a closer peek at Ainsley. 

"Are you actually doing reports right now? You're seriously going to let that hot-headed woman get to you?"

"Just so you know, I do actually have to keep up with some reports." Ainsley chuckled at his Captain. "And for you to be calling someone else hot-headed is a little hypocritical, don't you think?" Christian huffed in his direction before falling backwards onto the lounge.

"Speaking of. Did you know that she's been visiting Dr Wolfe basically her whole life?" Ainsley paused before reaching up to remove his glasses and looking over at Christian with an amused smile.

"Did you look into her?" 

"No, I didn't! I saw her in there just now! Jeez. What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Just now? Why?" 

"Don't know. Looked like something happened to her hand though. She had bandages on her wrist and fingers. And a butterfly stitch on her eyebrow but none of it really looked serious."

Ainsley cracked his fingers as he thought about what had happened earlier. She may just be a temporary member of the unit, but she was still a member. Ainsley slid his glasses back into place and picked up the papers. Christian sat back and grabbed the remote, flicking the channel to some cartoons before laying along the couch and swallowing the pain pills.

"You shouldn't watch the tv if you have a headache."

"I'm not. I'm just listening." With that, he flung his arm over his face. They sat in silence for a short while before Christian fell asleep.

An hour later, when Olivia arrived at the B – Force base, both men were fast asleep on the couch and no one else was back yet. Olivia breathed out a chuckle at the sight in front of her and moved towards the couch. She couldn't help but remember Alfred's words to her about family and decided that she would take this opportunity to at least try to accommodate his suggestion. Unknown to her, she had woken Ainsley with her laugh. The sound tickled his ears and he breathed in deep, the scent of cherry blossoms and strawberries filled his nose. "She smelled really nice otherwise though! Like Cherry Blossoms and Strawberries!" Miris twitched her nose. Ainsley instantly relaxed and decided to leave his eyes closed. He steadied his breathing and heard her start to move around the room again. He wanted to laugh out loud when she gently took the papers from his hands and draped a blanket over his chest. She carefully slid his glasses off his face and placed them on the table. He felt a subtle breeze as she moved away from him, and he decided to sneak a glance at her. She had grabbed the small throw from the end of the lounge and placed it over Christian. She paused while looking at the pain medication just above his head and Ainsley watched as she kicked off her shoes and softly padded into the kitchen before he fell back into his sleep. Olivia came back about after a few minutes with a cup of hot tea and some stuff for Christian. She gently dabbed a drop of lavender oil on each of his temples before laying out the cold cloth on the table. She smoothed over a mix of Aloe Vera and Magnesium then laid it over his forehead. He groaned and rolled over. Olivia was worried he would wake but the cool cloth seems to be helping relieve the pain and he went right back to his sleep. She grabbed the papers from the table and the pen from the floor before curling up in the corner of the lounge, between the two men. The large 8-seater lounge suddenly felt smaller, but it was cosy, and Olivia smiled warmly. Olivia managed to complete the rest of Ainsley's reports using what he had already filled out and the information papers that he had been using. She put the papers back on the coffee table and stretched her arms up. Ainsley shifted in sleep, causing Olivia to look over at him. She padded off the lounge and stood in front of him. His hair fell softly onto the smooth skin of his face. She gently brushed it aside to get a better look at his features. He had slim, neat eyebrows and long eyelashes that curled slightly off his cheek. His skin was smooth and just barely brushed with colour and his piercing holes stood out above his eyebrow where he had obviously removed the jewellery. His ears, she noted, did contain some studs but she could also glimpse empty holes. His hair was styled in a fade that left the hair quite a bit longer on the top. Olivia let her eyes trail down to his exposed arms and noted the beginnings of a tattoo design on his left arm that must have extended up to his shoulder. She moved her hand towards him as she contemplated lifting the sleeve of his T-Shirt to get a better look but decided against it. Before she could stand back up though, a large hand shot out and gripped her wrist, pulling her forwards. She let out a breathless gasp as she fell onto Ainsley's lap, straddling one of his long legs. Her head whipped up and he caught her chin in his free hand. A deep blush bloomed on her face as she realised that she had been caught.

"Hello, hello." Ainsley smirked down at her. It wasn't a huge difference now but granted that she was leaning over him, she would have thought he'd at least have to look up.

"I didn't say anything when you came in, and I even held back when you tucked me in but if you're going to continue to stand that close to me, I might have a hard time controlling myself." He winked at her and his smirk deepened when he noticed her trying to look away and the pink tint rushing down to her neck. 

"Sorry." She breathed out.

"I'm not." Ainsley chuckled at her awkwardness, however, when he caught sight of the dark bruise on her other wrist, his smile faltered. He released her chin and grabbed her waist as he helped her off him. 

"It's been a long time since anyone has put a blanket on me and taken my glasses off. I'm sure Christian will feel the same when he wakes up. Those pills really knock him out though, so he won't be up for a while." Olivia nodded her head in response. Ainsley stretched his arms above his head as he yawned.

"I finished up that paperwork for you, but just make sure it's correct before I take it with me, please." Olivia picked up her tea and swallowed the last mouthful before turning towards the kitchen. Ainsley startled at her confession and picked up his glasses and papers.

"How?" His brow furrowed as he looked through the papers.

"I just used what you had already filled in, plus the information sheets were a huge help."

"Here I was thinking you were just here spying on me the whole time, turns out you really do have some smarts about you." Olivia nearly choked at the jab before scoffing at him and rolling her eyes.

"Do you want a coffee or something while I'm in here?" Ainsley didn't look up at her but nodded in response. 

"Black, One sugar, please." 

"Sure." 

Olivia brought the coffee back and sat it on the table in front of him. She bent down at the end of the couch and picked up a bag before heading towards a long corridor at the opposite end of the room.

"... What are you doing?" Ainsley shifted his gaze to her retreating form.

"Going for a shower. Why?" Ainsley gave her a long stare before replying.

"Why here, though? Why not in your own room or in your team rooms?"

"I'm not a Delta Force member anymore. They requested I was transferred to another unit after I was promoted. I'm doing your manager work, so this is my unit room. As for my management room, some of the higher-ups thought it would be funny to cut my hot water pipe and maintenance won't be able to get it reconnected for another 23 days." Olivia shrugged and Ainsley watched the way her small shoulders lifted and dropped with ease. 

"You're too small. I'm starting to wonder how you managed to make it through combat training." Olivia turned on her heel to look at him with a raised eyebrow and let out a small laugh. 

"Your flirty personality doesn't match your withdrawn, silent type demeanour but you don't see me commenting on it." She let out a small laugh before turning and disappearing down the hallway.

"I didn't peg her as the type to get bullied." Ainsley flinched at Christians sudden comment.

"I thought you were asleep." Ainsley sent a light glare his way and Christian chuckled.

"I was but you two were getting louder and louder." He rolled his eyes.

"You bully her all the time. I'm actually surprised you didn't say anything just now."

"That's different. I thought I had a valid reason to give her a hard time. You know as well as I do that we've had nothing but a rough time with managers." Christian rolled his eyes. 

"But I didn't say anything this time because my head feels better than it ever has and I'm 110% sure it wasn't you that got me the cloth and the blanket."

"Maybe you should say something then." Ainsley gave Christian a pointed look. 

"She will only go running to Thunder the minute she's beckoned over and you know it. While I appreciate the gesture, I'm not about to go and get attached." Ainsley was about to agree before the image of Nathan nearly breaking her small arm and the dark bruise he left came to the front of his mind. He gazed in the direction of the hallway.

"Actually, I don't think she will." Christian froze where he was.

"Ainsley. You're joking, right?"

"I'm not. I saw something after training today. She and Commander Lalfon seem to be at odds."

"Really? I find that hard to believe. Doesn't everyone love him?" Christian spat sarcastically as he gave a pointed look at the hallway.

Ainsley didn't reply.