Gone

41.

By the time Stone wakes back up the humanist have been taken care of and the vampire poison has been collected. "You feeling better Stone?"

She sits up as the doctor walks out, "yes I am," Before Williams could reply, the Commander walks in.

"May I speak to Stone alone." They nod and leave them alone.

"Do you remember me, Stone?" Amoura nods.

"Yes, you're Stephan J. Austin, the man that saved my life, multiple times now, thank you for tonight," Stone mutters the end as she rubs her throbbing temples.

"Just doing my job." Smith walks in and looks at the Commander.

"Sir-" Austin cuts him off.

"Smith here thinks you're reckless." Stone smiles.

"I am reckless sir. Not with my team though, I keep them on point and on mission, I tend to go rogue for I'm not easy to kill," Stone speaks up.

"And today?" Commander Austina asks.

"As much as I hate it, it could have either way. I brought my human prisoner into that room so I can find out which humans were posing as civilians. If I had killed the human earlier they would have made it here and killed more people. But, if I wouldn't have waited too long maybe they'd be alive," Commander Austin looks at her.

"Or they would have done the same sooner," Stone speaks up.

"Commander she doesn't have-" Stone cuts Smith off as the word crosses her mind.

"Commander?" The humor fades as she realizes Smith isn't playing around.

"You should have told me sooner sir," Stone straightens out her relaxed body.

"No, I wanted to see who you were without the title getting in the way," Commander Austin speaks up.

"You trying to recruit me or something, sir?" Stone lets the words slip.

"Or something." He smiles at her.

"Captain Stone I came all from Hawaii to meet you," Stone looks at him puzzled.

"Why?" 

"I've heard good things about you," Stone impulsively huffs.

"From who?" He smiles at her.

"You'd be surprised from who, but I'm here because I want you as a replacement," Commander Austin comments.

"For your secretary?" Stone asks and he sighs.

"No as my successor. I want to retire," he stops her from speaking.

"I've seen your live drills, I've seen you in action and I've seen how your brain works. I want you to take over for me," Stone looks at him.

"You can't be serious?" She asks him.

Commander Austin nods at her, "I'm honored that you think so, but I don't agree. I do well as a Captain because its a small team of men I command and I follow the commands of my General. Sixteen lives in a unit are not the same as a whole army." 

Commander Austin sighs, "I was really hoping you wouldn't say no. How about you take some time to think about it, you might change your mind." Command Austin ushers Smith out.

"Change my mind? Why would I change -" A General and a Commander isn't fraternizing. He nods as she catches what he was referring to.

Stone stops him from leaving, "I wouldn't take a position like this for something that trivial." Austin turns to look at her with a sad look.

"Funny he said the same thing," Commander Austin comments sadly.

Pain fills her as she realizes McAllister knows her so well he can tell what Stone is thinking. He knows he will never be a reason for Stone to want more. It's also sad he see's himself so unimportance that he'd say such words, especially when he's far from it.

He walks out and Stone lays back down, what the hell is she going to do? "Can we come in?" She mutters yes.

"What's up Stone?" she looks at them as she tells them what Commander Austin asked her.

"You said yes right?" Williams speaks up first.

"No. Why would I say yes?! I don't want that kind of responsibility, I just got three of my men and ten humans killed. What makes you think I'm Commander material?" 

"Because you're conscious of what war is, proves that you are Commander material." Coon says before Row and Williams explode,

"'Who passes up Commander!'" They both shout.

Stone sits back up, "I do! I don't want that kind of responsibility, no matter the perks. I don't want it."

After they all walk out McAllister walks in and looks at me, "you think you're invincible, I get why you think that, but each time you end up in the hospital it scares me half to death." Clive walks up to her.

"Sorry," He takes her hand in his.

"Here," he gives her her dog tags.

"Where did you find these?" He covers her hand with his.

"I found the tags laying in the restaurant bar where the bomb threw you. I thought it would be a bad omen, but apparently, you do reckless things with or without them," Clive lectures.

"Were you serious about wanting us to be together?" Amoura looks at him dead in the eye.

"I am." 

"Is that why you didn't tell me about Austin wanting me as his successor?" McAllister nods as he looks at her patiently.

"A Commander and a General aren't fraternizing," he speaks up.

"McAllister-" He kisses her forehead before letting her go.

"Is this your way of saying its over?" He stops at the door to reply to her.

"Did we ever really start?" Amoura watches him leave.