All Roses Have Thorns

Zach I

When Sierra stormed into room 304 with a look that said she was ready to kill someone, he knew Erin's attempt had not gone well. The door slammed shut and Maggie looked up from her cards. Sierra stormed past them and into the bedroom she shared with Safiya, slamming another door shut.

Zach and Maggie's eyes met.

"Well, #!@$," he threw down his cards. "I'm going to look for her."

She nodded vigorously before answering firmly. "Go."

He nodded and ran out the door. The elevator would take too long, so he went down the stairs, a little too fast, almost crashing onto the floor. He almost did a lot of things. He almost ran into the wall instead of the door, he almost tripped over a piece of luggage, he almost ran over two children in the lobby, he almost took the wrong path, and he almost got lost when he did get on the right one.

Nonetheless, he made it to the cliffside where a small figure was huddled on the edge.

"Erin."

She turned, but he could tell from the way her hair covered her face that she had either been insulted or cried, maybe both. She didn't say anything. No words spoken, she turned back to the ocean.

He sat down next to her and wrapped his right arm around her shoulders. Erin leaned into him, and he could hear it in her shaky breathing: she felt broken.

"You know, I meant what I said last night."

She didn't respond, but her breathing slowed and became quieter.

"About making you happy, no matter what it takes?"

She weakly nodded against his shoulder.

"I'll always be by your side."

She laughed, but her voice sounded hoarse. Had she really cried that much? "Are you sure?"

"What kind of deserter do you think I am? I'll always be right here, Admiral."

Erin shook her head, her lips slightly curved up in the tiniest smile.