The Alliance Boxset Books 4-6

Chapter 5-1

Chapter Five

“Hey, old man,” Taylor said with a grin, two and a half months later.

Saber gave her that wary look that he seemed to always have on his face when she spoke to him lately. She knew why, too! It was probably all the pictures she was sending him of his house.

“I’m not that old. What have you done to the house now?” he asked, ignoring the chuckles of the men behind him. “Hold on a moment.”

Taylor watched as Saber stood up. She caught a flash of what looked like the galley of the warship. In the background, she could hear the other warriors complaining to Saber.

“Hey, guys!” she called out and waved.

“Hello, Taylor!” The men yelled before they vanished and Saber’s scowling face replaced the upside down hallway.

“You know they are enjoying this far too much, don’t you?” Saber complained. “They are constantly teasing me now. It is very unwarrior-like.”

Taylor rolled over onto her back and lifted the tablet in her hand. She laughed when Saber grinned back at her. Pulling the tablet closer, she pressed a kiss to the center of the screen.

“Does that make it better?” she teased.

Saber groaned and shook his head. She blinked when everything suddenly went dark. In the background, she could hear him curse before he muttered for the lights. It took a moment for her to recognize where he was sitting.

“Are you in a closet?” she asked, rolling again and looking down at the tablet.

“Are you rolling all over the bed again?” he retorted.

Taylor giggled. “Yes,” she replied with a sigh. “I miss you.”

Saber’s gaze softened. “I miss you as well, little warrior. How are your new classes going?” he asked.

“Better,” she admitted. “I like this new school. The kids are nicer. Oh, did I tell you that Buzz transferred over this past week? He says their science curriculum is better than the old school.”

“Buzz!” Saber snapped before he glared at the door when it opened. “I’m having a meeting!”

“My apologies, warrior,” the man stuttered. “I just needed more cleaner.”

Taylor watched as Saber reached behind him and grabbed a bottle off the shelf and handed it to the man. He ordered the man to shut the door before blowing a deep, frustrated breath. She shook her head at him.

“You know, you’re in his closet. You might be a little nicer,” she teased.

“There is very limited privacy on this warship,” Saber complained. “Now, explain to me why this Buzz transferred to your school. I thought Hunter said you were doing better. Why do you still need Buzz around if you are doing better?”

“I am doing better, thanks to Buzz,” Taylor retorted. “The school is nice, but it is really cool to have someone that I know there, too. I still get to see Charma and Bronze’s grandkids, but it isn’t the same. They have a busy life, and well, I’m still trying to figure out how to get back into the swing of things.”

She knew that Saber understood what she was saying. They talked twice a week, the maximum amount allowed. She counted down the days until she could contact him.

“I’m proud of you, Taylor,” Saber murmured with a sigh. “There have been a lot of changes in your life, yet you never give up.”

Taylor propped her chin on her hand and gazed down at Saber. “Giving up meant dying back on Earth,” she said in a soft voice. “Jesse, Jordan, and I swore we’d never do that, as long as we were together.”

“So, what have you done to the house this week? Are the walls in my bedroom still that horrible neon pink?” he asked with a grimace of distaste.

“Nope, I changed it,” she admitted. “How do you feel about purple? It’s supposed to be the color of royalty, you know. Here’s a picture of it.”

She laughed when Saber groaned at the hideous, dark purple color. He was definitely going to hide the painting wand when he returned. She had no doubt about that. Ever since she discovered that all she had to do was point it at a wall, choose a color, and it would change, the inside of his house had been a virtual color wheel.

“I’m not sure I care for that color,” he finally admitted. “I hate to say this, but the pink was slightly better.”

Taylor released a sigh. “I thought so, too,” she said.

“I see that you still have the curtains up,” he commented. “They are very… womanly.”

“You should see the garden! The Gnomes are multiplying like rabbits and have taken over the patio area,” she warned, sending him another picture.

“You are right,” Saber reflected. “They are nasty looking little creatures. I’ll make sure I return home with all my weapons fully loaded.”

“When are you coming home?” Taylor asked in a voice filled with longing. “I’m only working on the stuff I know how to do. Scout and Bronze have been helping some as well. I’ve got most of the garden cleared out.”

Saber leaned back against the shelves. “Hunter, Dagger, Edge, and I are leaving for the planet tomorrow. If all goes well, I should return by the end of next month,” he explained before he pursed his lips together. “Our time is up.”

“I know,” Taylor whispered, looking at the timer. “Be careful.”

“I will,” he promised.

“Oh, and Saber, I want you to know…,” her voice faded and she bit her lip.

“What is it, Taylor?” Saber asked, a frown creasing his brow.

“I just want you to know that I love you,” she whispered just as the signal cut off. “I love you, old man.”

Rolling on the bed again, she held the tablet to her chest. She wasn’t sure if he heard her confession of love. She hoped so. If he hadn’t, well, she’d tell him again the next time she talked to him.

“Yep,” she whispered, staring up at the ceiling. “You’re mine, big guy.”

* * * *

The next day, Taylor stood in the shadows of the kitchen, listening to the man who had come to the house. She could hear Jesse’s soft denial and Shana’s voice trying to soothe her. She couldn’t hide any longer when she heard Shana mention Saber’s name. Stepping around the bar in the kitchen, she walked over to stand next to Jesse and Jordan.

“If you would all have a seat, I will update you on the information I received on the way over,” the man said.

Taylor reached down and gripped Jesse’s left hand. She didn’t want to sit down. She wanted to yell and scream. They had lost so much in their lives already. There was no way that life could be so cruel as to take the men that they loved away from them. Hadn’t losing their mom and dad been bad enough? Hell, they had lost their whole world!

But, we found a new one, Taylor thought as she gazed around the table. And a new family. Please… Please, don’t take it away from us.

“Unexpected fighting broke out in an area previously thought to be secure,” the man said.

Taylor listened as he explained what happened. Deep down, she refused to believe any of them were dead. They couldn’t be, especially Saber. She had just talked to him the night before. She had told him that she loved him. He couldn’t be dead. He just couldn’t. She glanced at Jordan before looking down at Jesse’s pale face.

“What of Dagger?” Jordan asked in a barely audible voice.

Taylor glanced at Jordan again when the man answered. A searing numbness swept through her. She was wrong. Once again, Death had come to visit her family.