**Hart**

When the MACO's first joined the ship it had caused quite a stir; everyone on the crew talked about them. Most wondered why they had been brought on board; after all MACO units specialize in ground warfare, assessment and infiltration of enemy targets, and other planet-based military activities. Those of us in Starfleet knew that MACO units had little to no experience living in space and wondered just how useful you would be.

To add to the tension on ship, there was a lot of hostility and suspicion on both sides—Starfleet crew resenting the implication we could not take on the job ourselves. MACOs knowing that we were trained as explorers, selected for our willingness to explore planets and cultures, likely seeing us as idealistic in that desire and na•ve as children. Starfleet was a new organization after all, with very few guidelines, and our only mandate so far to "explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations and to boldly go where no one has gone before". They know we have few guidelines, have had very little chance to develop traditions as an official representative of Earth, whereas MACOs have decades of tradition. They have guidelines that have proven themselves; guidelines based on other military units like the Navy Seals of the United States. Their focus has always been a military one and they seemed so aggressive in all that they did.

I watched carefully as we started toward the Expanse. Seeing how the two groups kept carefully separate. Suspicion and resentment held closely to heart, nurtured carefully and how no one seemed willing to try to bridge the two crews together. If we were divided amongst ourselves, divided on our flagship, how could we be successful in protecting Earth from the Xindi? Wouldn't we need to learn how to work together to be successful? Wouldn't we need to be a community, united, to have the best chance of surviving?

I worried as I saw my crewmates shun the MACO's. I worried as I saw that the MACO's carefully stick to associating with only other MACO's. Walking in pairs or groups, eating together as a group, going to the gym as a group, never mixing with Starfleet. I worried more as I heard of Hoshi attempting to join them one day and their getting up as a group and leaving her all alone. But what could be done to bridge the gap? Was there anything I could do to help bridge it?

Then I overheard Major Hayes speaking with the MACO's, telling of how to successfully infiltrate a suspicious enemy camp and I knew what to do. I called Liz to the office in Science Lab 2 and I told her that I was worried about the MACO's in general. How they seemed so isolated. Liz, being the woman she is started reaching out to them. Starting at the top, standing toe to toe with Major Hayes and giving no quarter. I almost felt sorry for Hayes as he had no idea how fierce and immovable Liz could be.

**Hayes**

Here I was just cleaning up after the latest of our training sessions, when Crewman Cutler entered the room. She nodded at me, went to change, came out in an exercise outfit and started in on stretching. Once warmed up she did what looked like an attempt at martial arts. A very bad attempt. I snorted and she must have heard me as she stopped and looked at me.

"Is there a reason you…snorted, Major?" she asked.

"Just surprised that Starfleet's training of its people in defensive maneuvers is so lax," I replied. "Your attempt at whatever it was you were trying to do, was pathetic. It's likely a good thing you haven't been down with us to any planets."

She smiled at that, now why would she smile when I just insulted her? "You might be surprised at what I could do when given a chance."

I looked at her. Just looked at her. So small and slender, so delicate, looking as if one of her insects could win a fight with her if given half the chance. "I highly doubt you could surprise me."

"Perhaps, perhaps not." She walked over to me and looked up at me, eyes meeting mine straight on. I glowered at her and she just stood there. Unmoving, unaffected, not even a glimmer of trepidation. So in addition to slight and fragile, she was likely foolhardy as well. "Would you care to go over a few moves with me, perhaps help me as I really don't think my defensive maneuvers are so terrible." There was a challenging glint in her eyes as she said that, as if she thought she had a chance against me, which was beyond ridiculous. I owed it to whomever might be unlucky enough to go on an away team with her to show her just how pathetic her fighting ability was. Might make her realize she should remove herself from consideration for any away team duty.

"Sure, let's go over to this mat here," I said, leading the way. Once there I got into a basic stance and nodded as she copied it. I made the first move, a maneuver that should have ended up with her on her back given the sloppy way she moved earlier. Yet I was the one looking at the ceiling.

"You purposely had sloppy warm up maneuvers earlier." I said more to the ceiling than to her.

"And you fell for it." She confirmed. "You took me at face value, didn't look beyond it. I would have thought you would have been taught to go into any fight cautiously so as to gage your opponent's true abilities."

"Well, this time I will." I said, getting up and facing her again. She was pretty good, maybe even good enough to defend herself against her insects. We had quite a work out together. I showed her how to improve a bit and was about to show her a maneuver that Mackenzie had taught me, one that would be very useful for someone a bit slight in size like herself when we heard the announcement.

"Medic team two report to sickbay immediately this is a type 3 alert." Phlox's voice said.

I saw her run to the COMM by the door, press the button. "Cutler, on my way." She said and out the door she went. I went to the door myself, saw Starfleet crew clear the way for her as she went toward sickbay. She wasn't running, but her walk was very fast and determined. I wondered just what a type 3 alert was.

**Trip**

I hate the Expanse, the way it's laws of physics twist themselves around to any position they god damned well please without so much as a by your leave. Containers don't stay on the floor where they're supposed to, gravity just changes in one spot and their thrown here, there and everywhere. Time seems frozen in other places, suspending dropping cups of coffee…well since time is frozen in that spot I suppose you can't say the coffee is dropping but…hell, this is just hell. Trying to keep the ship and all its equipment running right is hell. And I need to keep the ship in one piece to even have a hope of protecting Earth and its people from what happened to Elizabeth.

And now an electrical connection went belly up, imploding and exploding at the same time, somehow right along a wall in messhall. People were injured, shrapnel, electrical burns, both Starfleet and MACO personnel and somehow it was all my fault. If he had been able to see the overload in that circuit building from the master board in engineering, if I could just find a way to safely protect them all from the expanse, a way that wouldn't make T'Pol insane, if…too many ifs in the last year.

Now the only thing is if I'll survive telling Hayes two of his MACO's were in sickbay due to a malfunctioning electrical circuit.

**Mackenzie**

I'm covered in blood, dazed, and gritting my teeth. Friends of mine were hurt, I have their blood on me and there's no one I can seek out to exact vengeance. Chang, Romero and I were just eating lunch together, talking about the Starfleet crew at the next table. We were being derogatory too, saying how they obviously needed all the help they could get, that none of them would ever be able to succeed in a fight against a paper bag, much less the Xindi. The Starfleet crew at the next table had no idea we were even talking about that since we were using our "camouflage code" the one where we've given all the main crew their own code names and where certain words or phrases mean something completely different. Not even their linguist has caught on to the fact that we're talking in code when out in public.

Then I saw my friends hit by shrapnel, their blood splatter on me; I saw some of the Starfleet crew at the next table hit by debris, and then…well it was odd. I saw the wall go from looking as if it just exploded, exposing electrical circuits, to closing in on itself, the shrapnel that wasn't in the injured going back to the wall and the wall then imploding or something. The hole was still there, showing a storage bay or larder beyond, the pieces of the wall just suspended within the wall and then falling straight down to the floor. And then I heard the explosion.

It was like it happened in reverse. The uninjured crew and I did what we could for first aid, working together to do what we could in order to get them here safely. I look up as I hear the sickbay door open and see Ensign Cutler, the first medic to arrive after the ship wide page Phlox sent out. She sees me, grabs a scanner and comes over to me. "I'm fine, no injuries, just shock I think."

She scans me anyway, nods then briefly squeezes my shoulder. "Yes you are. What happened?" I explain it to her as best as I can and she nods. I then see Phlox come in and hear him say, "I need you in surgery, Liz."

"Yes, Doctor." She looks me in the eye. "Go get cleaned up so no one else assumes you were injured too." Then she scurries to sickbay and I touch my arm where she had squeezed me. I feel a little bit better now, my mind clearer, and I go to get cleaned up.

**Hayes**

It's been almost 5 hours since I saw Crewman Cutler rush out of the gym toward sickbay. I know now what a type 3 alert is. It means multiple people injured due to an electrical blow out. Usually the alert that is only used when something goes wrong in Engineering; this time it was in the messhall. Romero and Chang are being treated, a few Starfleet crew too. I went to Sickbay when Commander Tucker informed me of my men being injured, saw various medics treating the injured, keeping them stable. No sign of Romero, Phlox or Cutler though, apparently they were in surgery, Romero taken in first since he was most in need.

I've seen Cutler a few times since then, the first just after surgery on Romero. She came up to Mac and I; Mac had come in and told me what she had seen. Liz stood toe to toe with me again and after a reassuring nod to Mac, looked up into my eyes without flinching. "We've done all we can with Romero, the next 24 hours will be critical for him. He has burns over 50 percent of his body, he's in shock, and there was blood loss due to shrapnel hitting an artery in his left leg. The only thing now we can do with him is wait."

I opened my mouth to say something, no idea what when Phlox poked his head out of the surgery room. "Liz, I need your help with Foster."

She nodded in apology to Mac and I and went back to the surgical room. Since then I see her only when she's out in main sickbay going from bed to bed, going in and out of the supply room, so very busy and looking very tired. But for the people in sickbay she always has a kind smile, a gentle touch and she even made time to update Mac and I on Romero and Chang's condition.

I went to my quarters during that time since there was nothing I could do to help and came back to see her working. Chang told me she hadn't left sickbay in all that time. Just stopped to have a bite to eat and something to drink and even then she sat next to one of the people in sickbay and chatted with them.

Now though Phlox had chased her out of sickbay, her having been on duty for 12 hours. Another medic has taken her place, the change over so seamless that sickbay barely noticed, and I'm left with nothing to do but blend into the wall.

**Chang**

Well, I was finally released from sickbay. Mackenzie had been by a lot to visit and to keep me updated on the gossip aboard ship. Sure she calls it intelligence, but we both know its gossip. I was so glad to hear that Romero would be okay, that he'd recover. It'll take a few weeks before he's ready to go back on full duty, but at least he'll be okay. Liz made sure to tell the other MACOs and I that he would be okay as soon as she knew. She's all right.

**Liz**

Ever since Romero and the others were injured, there seem to be more MACOs and Starfleet crew talking together. We're slowly becoming a united crew now. It's nice to see. Romero will be released from sickbay soon. He will need a few weeks of physical therapy to get back to normal, but he's going to be okay. I hear the door to sickbay open and see Mackenzie come in; she walks up and smiles at me. "So does Phlox ever let you out of sickbay or does he make you live here?"

I hear a chuckle behind me and see Phlox. "Corporal, I assure you that I don't make Liz live here. She just seems unable to resist the allure of sickbay; however you'd be doing me a favor if you dragged her away. She needs a break and perhaps a reminder of where her quarters are."

"Okay, dragging her away now, Doctor." Mac says grinning, as she actually grabs my hand and drags me out of sickbay. I glare at her, but she just smiles. "How about joining me for dinner and then if you want to turn your stare of death on me, you can be my guest."

"If I join you for dinner, I'll be your guest either way." My stomach growls loudly enough that it makes her smirk. "Dinner sounds good, at the moment I'm hungry enough to eat anything."

"Okay, lets me and you go to sickbay." She links her arm with mine, reminding me of the way Dorothy and the lion and the scarecrow linked their arms in the movie we saw last week - Wizard of Oz, I think, and we walk that way to the messhall. I'm almost tempted to skip along as they do in the movie.

**Trip**

Well, Liz let me know everyone would recover; she dragged me over to the messhall and made me eat while telling me. While we ate, I just kind of let go of all the tension and told her of how I was working on a harmonica composition. Telling her of how irritating I found the Expanse and griping at how lonely I felt due to not having anyone from the South onboard to talk to. Sure I have some good friends on board, but the southern states have a culture of their own and talking to another southerner means we understand some things about each other without having to try to explain it. I told Liz how nice I thought it'd be to talk to another southerner again about how important family is, what a good old-fashioned southern barbecue was like, and just what it was like to see a hurricane a-coming. Liz smiled at me and pointed to a nearby table where some MACO's were teasing Hoshi and Mayweather. Liz mentioned that Cole was from the southern states, and Cole and I got to talking. Cole's pretty nice; talking with her is like talking to one of my old friends.

**Malcolm**

Hayes! I could really learn to hate him. He went over my head to arrange these training sessions between the command crew and his MACOs. The captain did nothing to explain how inappropriate this was to the major. He should have at least told the major to come to me and bring the idea up to me to see what I thought. Shipboard security, training sessions, and the like are my responsibility after all. That the captain would allow this end run around my authority, well it could be taken by the major as proof that the captain does not respect me.

I glare at Hayes, who has never tried to work with me, who seems to undermine my authority every chance he gets and I remember talking with Liz earlier. Her trying to calm me down, to give Hayes a chance and to make the first move in trying to work with him instead of holding him at arms length. Fat chance that! If I gave into Hayes, even just an inch, he'd work on getting the whole ship to himself.

**Hayes**

I know Liz tells me that I should respect Lieutenant Reed and give him a chance, but he just rubs me the wrong way. The fact he can give me orders in tactical situations when I have more experience and training is just wrong. It's why I accepted his challenge and fought him one on one. He's a stubborn asshole and he kept on fighting beyond what was reasonable. He got me onto the ground in the hallway and we both knew he had me dead to rights. Then we heard of the intruder headed to engineering and we ran to help out together. We worked together, cooperating fully for the first time and we neutralized the enemy together.

He's a stubborn asshole all right, but he's also a damn good man to have on your side. He proved that to me in engineering. The way he used the engine like that to injure the intruder was brilliant and the way he looked into that guy's eye without flinching tells me that he has what it takes. He would have made a good MACO, not that I'll ever tell him that. I respect him a bit more now, but I doubt he and I will ever be friends.

**Liz**

Mac and I are spending a lot of time together when I'm off duty. She has this wonderful irreverent attitude, as if she's secretly laughing at the universe. She teases everyone, even Hayes, her CO, and gets away with it too. Whenever she and I talk we end up sharing laughter for awhile. She's so beautiful when she laughs, as her laughter travels through her whole body. Though we talk of our families, friends, and schooldays we also talk about other things. Is there life after death? Do the books written by Dr. Seuss advocate that we should interfere with other cultures, especially the books Horton Hears a Who or Horton Hatches the Egg? Is Porthos planning a mutiny?

I of course let her know that I was sure Porthos would never plan a mutiny. She told me she was sure he was and started telling me of what she had seen that made her think so. After hearing all of her evidence there was actually a minute or so where I actually found myself wondering if Porthos was planning a mutiny.

It's nice to have someone I can be silly with and talk of silly things with. Someone to talk about the serious things too, like how hard it is to see someone in pain, how I feel at a loss sometimes since I'm not sure how to help someone. How I wish there was a way to keep everyone safe and happy. And talking to her helps me see that no matter how little I think I'm doing, it means a lot. That just being there to help means a world of difference. She helps me to see that I'm doing what I can, all that I can, and I then breathe a sigh of relief. At least till the next time I start wondering if I'm doing enough.

Yet it isn't the talking that I like the most, or being able to be silly for awhile, or even the laughter, it's the just being with her that I like. Just having her nearby makes me feel better. Sometimes we just sit in the observation lounge, neither of us talking, just sitting and spending time together and my heart starts to soar.

I'm just so very glad I started reaching out to the MACOs when Hart told me they seemed lonely and adrift from the rest of the crew. Reaching out to them led me to Mac and she's one of the best things to happen to me.

**Travis**

I entered the messhall today and something seemed different. I wasn't sure of what it was at first but then it dawned on me. Trip was talking to Romero and Chang at one table, Michael Rostov and Stephen Tanner sitting there too. Rostov and Tanner were just looking at each other and smiling though, to the point that I wanted to tell them to just get a room already.

I spotted Liz and Ethan at a table with Cole and Mackenzie. The way Liz and Mackenzie were looking at each other was interesting, so interesting I decided to sit at that table to eat. I wanted to catch up with Ethan anyhow, see how his latest experiment was going. See if he thought Liz would be moving to sickbay duties full time, just tease him a bit.

So I went over with a tray full of my favorite food, sat opposite to Ethan and smiled at everyone. Liz was looking at me a bit funny, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "What?"

"Nothing." She said, I didn't believe her of course, not the way she was looking at me. I was about to challenge her on what she said when I spotted Ethan stealing some of the cake I had on my tray. So I glared at him and he just put on his 'who me?' expression and we were off and running. Talking to each other, teasing each other, and laughing together the way we usually did.

Yet I was also keeping a discreet eye on Mackenzie and Liz, especially after Cole left to join Romero and Chang. Liz and Mackenzie weren't talking about anything in particular. Just seemed to be letting each other know the most recent gossip and trading information on their family and life so far. But the way they smiled at each other, the way they talked to each other and teased each other, and the way they would smile at each other after sharing a laugh well it all pointed to romantic interest.

It reminded me of the way Rostov and Tanner interacted, but it was also reminding me of something else. Though I was enjoying watching Liz and Mac flirt, I was distracted from watching them when Ethan mentioned his latest experiment. To hear him talk sometimes, you'd begin to wonder if he was trying to give Doctor Frankenstein a run for his money. I got so involved in talking with him about his experiment that I almost didn't notice when Liz and Mac left together, still talking.

**Foster**

Everyone has fallen for the act Cutler puts on. Seeing the hours she puts in at sickbay, the time she uses to poke at creepy crawly things, and the way she seems to go out of her way to pat someone on the back. Sure it may seem as if she's a nice person, always there to listen to you, but no one sees the other side of her.

Like there was one time a virus was going around ship and we all had to be inoculated. Most people choose to remember her being as gentle as possible for the inoculations, but not me. I mean I waited in line forever, trapped in-between Rostov and Tanner who are so lovey dovey, which got on my nerves. She saw me trapped there, saw what I was putting up with, but did she let me cut ahead in line? No! She actually made me wait, I even asked in a voice loud enough to carry to her, "Do you think you can manage to hurry this up a little? I mean it can't be too hard to inject someone, unless it's too much for your pretty little head to handle." The rest of the line got hostile at me for saying that, even though I'm sure we were all wondering why it was taking so long.

Finally I got to the head of the line; she drew the curtain around us as she's had with every person she's poked. She told me it was necessary to inject the stuff in a muscle and the best, safest place was the butt. She made me drop my pants, she injected me and there was a bit of a pinch. "Hey!" I said, "that hurt, shots don't normally hurt." She actually smiled at me, trying to look gentle, but I could tell she was likely laughing at me. "Sorry," she said to me. "It occasionally does pinch a little. You can pull up your pants and leave now." As if I didn't know enough to figure out when to pull up my pants, as if I was an idiot. Heck, it's likely that no one else had to drop his or her pants. Likely wasn't necessary to embarrass me by making me drop mine and she likely could have made sure the injection was painless but had it pinch me on purpose. She doesn't think I'm on to her. That I know she isn't as sweet and innocent as she pretends.

Well, I tell you, I know a thing or two about her that few people do. Remember that time that Phlox was convinced his bat was talking to him? That he swore up and down that whenever he was alone with her, he'd hear her speak and have conversations with her? And then when he pulled others into sickbay to hear her and they'd only hear normal animal noises? Well, Cutler had a small chip attached to the bat that she had Hoshi make, one that would act as a broadcast or something like that. Cutler sat in a different room with another chip, she'd be able to hear what Phlox said, sort of like an intercom and she'd change her voice and Phlox would hear the bat respond to him. So it was really Cutler who did all that as a sort of practical joke.

In fact she does little things like that a lot. She had Travis convinced that Shuttlepod one was out to get him for awhile. Even had ominous organ music pipe from it any time he got near. Most practical jokes can be traced right back to her. So she isn't the all so sweet and innocent girl next door she pretends to be.

I just wish other people would open their eyes and really see her. She doesn't really belong in Sickbay; they should just keep her out of sight in her insect lab. And one day, I'll make sure that happens.

There she goes, all smiling and happy. Walking hand in hand with one of the MACOs, how dare she have made them feel as if they are actually welcome on the ship? Gah! It's sickening I tell you to watch her go around with that Mackenzie. They act all lovey dovey—it's inappropriate. We shouldn't be starting relationships in the middle of such an important mission. We especially shouldn't be starting them with MACOs.

** Liz**

Mac and I had a quite dinner tonight in the messhall. We sat and talked for a while, flirted a bit, and then went for a walk within the ship. The only time my attention wasn't solely on Mac, was when we passed Ensign Foster. He glared at us as we went by and it bothered me. He can be such a prick at times, but it looked as if he was just one step away from telling us off for daring to enjoy each other's company. Mac noticed my distraction and put her arm around my waist, pulling me away from him. "Hey Liz," I turned to look up into her eyes. "I'd rather you were looking at me than him, I'm much prettier."

"That you are." I stopped our progress, tiptoed and kissed her on the cheek. "Very much prettier."

She grinned at me and we went back to walking hand in hand talking till we got to my place. I turned to her and smiled. She leaned down a bit and gave me a kiss that made my knees melt. I swallowed, "Come inside?"

"If I do, I won't want to go till morning."

"I know." I grinned, "I wouldn't want you to go."

We went inside and we just stood inside the door holding each other, looking each other in the eyes. I saw desire flame in her eyes, tempered with a soft look that touched my heart. She caressed my face with one hand, gently tracing my features, from eyebrows to ears to cheekbones to nose then finally to my lips. As if wanting to memorize my face. Her touch so gentle, I opened my mouth as she touched my lips and licked her fingers with the tip of my tongue and was rewarded with a gasp.

We kissed slowly, tasting each other, exploring each others mouth. So sweet and spicy and tender. It seemed as if she was everywhere, each breath I took was full of that unique scent of hers. Each kiss full of her taste. Her hands caressing my back and arms tentatively. I grew daring and started to help her off with her shirt. In between the kisses and caresses we undressed each other. Soon we stood in front of each other and I felt anticipation, trepidation and wonder all at the same time. I just took a minute or two to look at her.

Taller than I, maybe 5 foot 8, slender, long honey blonde hair cascading past her shoulders a few inches, sleek muscles small hips and breasts, toned abdomen, and slightly tanned skin. I saw her lick those full lips of hers; her light brown eyes go dark as she pulled me in for a fierce kiss. "Gorgeous, you are simply gorgeous." She whispered in my ears. She moved us over to the bed.

I kissed her, ran my fingers up and down her arms, feeling the soft skin over firm muscle. I got her onto her back and straddled her. My hands traced her collarbone, my mouth following, open mouth kisses so I could taste the skin. Her long neck needing to be nipped slightly and sucked on. Leaving a slight mark above her collar. Feeling Mac's hands all over me, cupping my breasts, teasing my nipples as I went for another kiss. Whimpers of need teasing my ears, as we kissed again and again.

I kissed down her body going to her breasts. Cupping them in my hands I suck one pale pink nipple into my mouth, teasing the nub with my tongue, while using my hand to play with the other. Licking over and around the nipple, slowly licking over the curve toward the valley between her breasts. Tasting the slight saltiness of her skin, relishing her sighs and moans. She moves under me, "Please, Liz…" I hear her gasp.

I lift one leg to place it between hers and she arches up against me. I lick my way down her abdomen, one hand caressing her side, the others teasing her by stroking her inner thigh. The hand caressing the thigh slowly goes over to her thatch. Playing with the brownish blonde hair their. Testing its length and softness, fingers trailing downward, till they part the folds, one finger testing the wetness for a moment. Then hand lifting from there and going to my mouth so I can lick the wetness off. "Oh god, Liz!"

I smile and the fingers go back. This time teasing the clit, stroking the folds and my other hand comes down to help hold her in place. I look at her, look at her moist and waiting, clit swelling, folds parted and I can't resist. I go to taste. Licking her, lapping her, just like savoring an ice cream cone. Salty, sweet and spicy, both in taste and smell. So wonderfully Mac. I go to teasingly lick at her clit, tormenting it with the tip of my tongue, before going in to suck. As I suck, I gently enter Mac with one finger, exploring inside, and swirling it around. Hearing her gasps I add another finger and alternate licking and sucking. Thrusting inside with my fingers as I taste Mac. She thrusts against me gently, tension builds and I bring her to a gentle climax, licking her juices as they flow. Swallowing the taste and making them mine. She encourages me to come up and pulls me in for a kiss, sharing the taste and pulling me to lie underneath her.

I'm already on edge just from driving her wild. Her finger goes to my folds, part them and start teasing me. Flicking that hard bud, teasing me my thrusting just a little way in before taking pity on me. Her thumb on my clit, two fingers inside me, flicking and thrusting as she kisses me. Her tongue in my mouth, and then parting to gasp. My body shivers and tingles, then shudders as I come hard. Her eyes, those dark eyes looking at me as my world shatters, my eyes close and I feel light shimmer through me. When I open my eyes again, the first thing I see is her, her hair around her shoulders, just barely long enough to touch her nipples, her skin glistening and a triumphant expression. I kiss her and we stroke each other. Just comforting and petting, helping each other to cool down.

She lies beside me on her back. I cuddle on my side next to her, my head on her shoulder as those wicked fingers trail through my hair. Softly whispering to each other of how beautiful we think the other is, how delicious, and how glorious. My arm around her, one leg over hers, and we talk for awhile. With her petting me.

I really do not know how long this will last, but for now as I fall asleep I am glad to be in her arms now. And know that I will remember this night and my MACO for a lifetime.

The end.