Never So Few

[Red Ranger 1]

Update!I'd almost forgotten about this one.Nice chapter, I loved the banter and easy friendship between them.Could be interesting to see what happens when they turn up at the dance...

[CHARLENE2009]

loving this fic _ please update soon

xxxx

[Inactive User]

Great fanfiction. Loved it Update soon xx

[TelephotoMarigold]

Roman turned and saw the two new arrivals walk in through the pale blue painted doors. He gave a little smile before noticing two of his men make a beeline straight for them. Jack and Angelo started up a conversation with two tall brunettes. It took a moment before Jack whisked one of them to the dance floor, He danced around the others already dancing in a smooth waltz. Angelo was seeming to have less success with the other woman, something told Roman that his normal charm wasn't working on the tall slender beauty. He was almost tempted to walk over there himself and speak to her but decided against it opting instead for another drink of Scotty's rocket fuel.

"You know this tuff is lethal don't you?" Aden spoke from behind him gesturing to the drink in Roman's hand.

"I'm sure it is knowing Scotty." Roman turned and grinned at the other man. "So where is the girl you were ga ga over?" he asked.

"You mean Belle?" Aden murmured. "I'm not sure that she thinks that much of me to be honest." Aden said slowly sipping from his own drink.

"She seemed pretty keen a minute ago." Roman pointed out.

"Yeah but." Aden stopped talking and looked over to where Belle was talking to her friends.

"No buts mate." Roman said looking at him. "This is a rubbish time to meet anyone and have a relationship, nothing to stop you being friends though."

Aden looked at him thoughtfully.

"I dunno about that you should have seen Geoff go off with Nicole." he told Roman a serious look on his face before glancing back over at Belle. He missed the look that passed over Roman's face.

"I have a daughter called Nicole." Roman said quietly.

"My god you kept that secret." Aden burst out. He thought he'd misheard the other man for a moment but the sudden serious look on Roman's face convinced him otherwise. In an effort to keep the mood light he joked. "And I bet she is a petite blonde with big blue eyes too."

Roman gave him a look.

"Actually yes." he confessed. "I haven't seen her in a long time though."

"My god you are serious." Aden breathed out slowly and thought back to the woman who had left with Geoff. "Back in a minute." he said and began to make his way over the other side of the room where Belle was sitting with Annie, Geoff's sister and Ruby.

"Hey." he called out. "Can I have a word?" he asked Belle.

She gave him a look before standing slowly and moving to his side.

"Yes?" she asked cautiously.

"Your mate." Aden began not noticing the flare of emotion in Belle's brown eyes.

"What about her?" Belle said folding her arms across herself and resisting the jealousy that flared through her at his interest in her friend.

"Is she here for any reason?" he asked. "Like to find someone." he suggested.

"Oh so you're interested in her." Belle snapped out.

Aden narrowed his eyes as he looked at her and gave sigh.

"Just answer the question." he told her. "It's important." he added after a moment.

Belle looked down at her arm seeing that he was holding on to it, his fingers beginning to press into her flesh.

"She was looking for her father, ok?" Belle said frostily. "Can I have my arm back now?"

Aden looked down unaware that he was even holding on to her.

"Sure thing babe." he said with a sudden twinkle in his blue eyes.

He pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips before letting go of her and walking back over to Roman.

"Aden." Roman greeted a smile on his face.

Aden looked puzzled for a second before glancing back over at Belle.

"I guess I'm not going to give up after all." Aden said softly before turning and looking back at his Sqn Ldr. "Although there is something more important,"

Roman looked at him and waited for him to continue speaking.

"It seems that Nicole is here looking for someone." Aden said slowly.

Roman did a double take before look around the room as if expecting the absent Nicole to walk back in.

"Her father." Aden finished.

Roman groaned and put his cup shakily on the table beside him.

"I'm going to go find her." he stated and left before anyone could stop him.

"Where is he going?" Angelo asked walking over to Aden's side.

"To find Nicole." Aden murmured.

"Isn't that the blonde who left with Geoff?" Jack asked joining them.

Aden nodded.

"Someone is in trouble." Angelo whistled through his teeth.

"I don't think so." Aden said. "We don't call him Bible boy for nothing."

Angelo and Jack chuckled.

[HighwayUnicorn]

Just read through the whole thing. Love it!

Amazing stuff. Well done.

Love Carina xxx

[TelephotoMarigold]

Geoff looked over at Nicole, the moonlight made her hair seem like a silver halo around her heart shaped face and her eyes shine like sapphires. He focused on her soft cupid bow lips and smiled at the memory of kissing off her passionate ruby red lipstick not once but twice on this long walk. Anger had made her eyes glow with blue fire as she chastised him but she hadn't reapplied the lipstick again. He looked at her hand held tightly within his own and he smiled once more.

"What are you grinning at?" she asked making her voice sound cool and uninterested.

"You, us, this night." he told her.

"Oh." she gasped unable to think of a comeback.

He looked in the distance and saw the river that ran through the village and gave a goofy grin.

"Let's go for a boat ride." he called out letting go of her hand long enough to run along a wooden jetty and untie a red boat from it's moorings.

"We can't." she cried out. "It's stealing."

"It's not stealing Princess I'm only borrowing it." he called.

It must have been the crazy moonlight that made her kick off her high heeled shoes and pad carefully along the jetty to join him in the boat. It rocked alarmingly for a moment with their combined weight and they both laughed even as they clutched one another for a few moments.

"Ok." he said slowly moving carefully he took off his jacket and placed it on the seat opposite gesturing for her to sit down.

"Thank you." she murmured and found herself smiling again.

Geoff nodded and sat down himself giving another laugh as the boat rocked once more. He picked up the oars and used one to push them away from the jetty before rowing them into the main part of the river. He watched as Nicole sighed and lowered her hand into the cool water trailing her fingers through it creating more ripples that seemed to be tickled by the silver moonlight.

"This is so beautiful." she sighed.

"You are beautiful." he told her. "Like a moonlit fairy princess. If I close my eyes will you disappear?" he asked her his voice huskily.

Nicole laughed before carefully leaning forward and kissing him.

Both of them broke apart as the boat rocked alarmingly and he heard a splash.

"What was that?" she asked looking around fearfully.

"That, Princess was one of our oars." he grinned.

She looked in the direction he was and gave a moan as the oar drifted away from the boat.

"Will we get back?" she asked him quickly.

"Don’t worry." he said confidently. "It will just take some time."

He began to paddle first one side and then the other feeling the undercurrent dragging them further away. He tried to compensate but it seemed to pull them further and further away.

"They'll come looking for us won't they? I mean you have to be back at base." Nicole gulped in a deep breath as she looked around seeing an expanse of dark water all around them. The moonlight no longer leaving moonbeams playing on the rippling waves.

"Of course." He told her confidently.

"Oh I wish I hadn't..." she said petulantly.

"What?" Geoff asked. "Met me?"

"Got into the boat actually." she finished folding her arms across herself.

Geoff tried to think why that gesture seemed so familiar before turning and looking in the distance. He saw they were drifting towards something dark and menacing in the distance and he began to paddle trying to move them away. The currant fought him and after twenty minutes he was forced to give up. They moved closer and he smiled with relief when he saw that they were heading towards an island.

"Look." he told her.

Nicole raised her head and looked where he was pointing.

"We can shelter there. Light a fire." he said.

"No fire." she muttered. "There is a blackout." she added in a supercilious tone.

Geoff smiled despite himself. He paddled with the currant and got them close enough for him to jump out and waded the rest of the way to the shore. He dragged the boat as far as his aching body could manage and held out his hand to her.

Nicole looked at his hand frowning. She stood slowly and collected his jacket before accepting his help to climb out of the boat.

"Thank you." she said her face half turned away. She didn't see the tree root half submerged in the water and stumbled. Geoff reached out to steady ehr and the two of them fell into the shallow water.

"Eek!" Nicole screeched out. "Get off me." she cried pushing at him.

Geoff bit back a curse word as he felt the same tree root gash his leg.

Nicole felt him move his weight off her and she stood up shaking her dress as she stepped on to the small stretch of beach.

"This is ruined." she cried out turning around to accuse him some more when she notice that he was still in the water. "Geoff?" she murmured.

"I'm alright." he told her.

"Of course you are that's why you are sitting in the river." she said resisting the urge to giggle.

He looked at her and smiled himself before gasping as his weight shifted and he felt the cut get wider.

Nicole threw his jacket to one side and waded back into the water next to him.

"Where does it hurt?" she asked slowly.

"My leg." he admitted.

She placed her hand down under the water and began feeling for his injury.

"Er Nic, that isn't my leg." he told her after a minute.

"Oh!" she gasped out blushing.

"But well carry on." he murmured smiling at her.

"You." she gasped out embarrassed.

She pulled at the root slowly and freed his leg.

"Can you stand?" she asked him.

He nodded looking very pale before slowly easing to his feet and hobbling ashore.

Nicole followed behind him making sure that he didn't fall. She didn't offer to help because she knew that his male pride would be dented. They moved further into the island until he collapsed unable to walk any more.

"Let me look." she said slowly.

He nodded and held his leg out straighter.

"It's fine just a cut." she whispered feeling just a little bit queasy. She stood up straight and reached to her zipper at the side of her dress peeling it down.

"W..w...what are you doing?" he stuttered out his lips chattering with a mixture of cold and shock.

"We need to get out of these wet things." she murmured.

She took off her long dress and hooked it on a nearby branch to dry before bending down and reaching for the hem of her petticoat. She pulled at the side seam and felt it give before she was able to tear off a long strip.

"Take down your trousers." she instructed him.

He glared at her before slowly moving his hands to his waistband. He got the button undone before collapsing back once more. Nicole looked at him and knelt down peeling them off and down being careful of his leg. She gasped when the dark material caused the wound to bleed again before she got them down his legs and off. She hung them on a branch before turning her attentions to his leg and started wrapping a bandage made out of her petticoat around it tying it off securely.

"Make a good nurse." he said to her softly.

She gave him a small smile before taking off his wet shirt.

"You should..." he stopped and gestured to her wet petticoat.

"It'll dry soon." she told him. "Besides there is less of it now."

She walked down the beach and collected his jacket shaking it out. Relieved that it was dry she took it over to him and sat close to him draping it over them.

"Not quite the way I wanted to end the night." he said most of the shock leaving him as he warmed up slowly pressed close to her.

"And how did you intend to end the night?" she asked that sassiness back in her voice.

Geoff turned and looked at her seeing dancing moonbeams in her hair once more and stars in her eyes.

"Like this." he told her leaning forward and kissing her.

Nic gasped against his lips and wound her arms around his neck feeling him press them down into the sand.

Neither of them noticed the little red boat drifting away from the island leaving them stranded.

[Red Ranger 1]

Oh boy.Geoff and Nicole are definitely in trouble.Not least because if Roman finds them he'll probably shoot Geoff...

[TelephotoMarigold]

Roman pulled up the collar of his jacket before stuffing his hands in his pockets. Not that it was a cold night by British standards but well he was used to a slightly warmer climate he mused distracting himself for a few minutes. He continued on the footpath sensing this was the way that Geoff and Nicole had gone, although he was slightly concerned because the only thing up ahead was a boat yard. Sighing he began to walk quicker wanting to warm himself up.

“Well that was interesting.” Nic whispered softly looking over into Geoff’s eyes.

“Interesting?” he asked. “I’m pretty sure that was amazing.”

Nic giggled, sounding suddenly younger and definitely happier. She lifted her fingers to her lips and traced them before looking over at him.

“I’ve never been kissed in the moonlight like this before.” She said.

“I suppose you’ve been kissed lots of times.” He muttered pulling away and sitting up.

“Some.” Nic told him moving so that she too was sitting up. She looked out on the river and gave a gasp. “Where is the boat?” she asked.

“It’s just…” he began before standing up. He swore as he felt his full weight pressing on his injured leg before adjusting it and limping down to the shore. “gone.” He finished scanning the shoreline.

“That is just great.” Nicole shouted at him. “You strand us here and take advantage of me and …” she ran out of steam forced to settle for standing and glaring at him her hands on her hips.

Geoff turned and looked at her smiling when his eyes travelled down her barely dressed figure.

“What are you smirking for?” she screeched.

“Pretty sure being half naked wasn’t in your plan.” He said.

Nic swore under her breath, the kind of swearwords Geoff had only heard in a sheep station at shearing time and he felt his cheeks go red at hearing those kind of words let alone those kind of words from a lady.

“You should put my jacket on until your dress dries.” He said after a moment.

Nic looked at him before she gave him a reluctant smile.

“Thank you.” She said remembering her manners.

“You’re welcome.” He told her. “I think we need to stay tonight. We’ll have a much better chance of getting someone to notice us in the morning.”

Nic nodded and sat back down. She looked at him after a moment and stood walking over to him placing her arm around his waist.

“You need to sit down too.” She told him leading him back to where she had been sitting and helped him to sit. She placed the jacket around them both and sighed when she felt his arm go around her.

“If you get cold I’ll try and light a fire.” He told her. “If I do it over there the trees will mask it so that only the smoke should be seen.”

Nic nodded.

“I’m ok for a moment. Perhaps I should gather some firewood now just in case?” she asked him.

“That might be good. I’ll work on getting some rocks to go around it.”

She nodded and stood up moving along the small beach picking up driftwood and putting it in a pile near the spot he’d indicated earlier.

Roman reached the end of the path. Ahead of him was just a small jetty and a couple of small boats. He glanced around before heading down the wooden jetty his footsteps sounding loud in the otherwise quiet night. Sighing he walked back along it back to the pathway. There was nothing there to indicate that Nicole or Geoff had been there. He stumbled in the dark and tripped landing heavily jarring his shoulder. Sitting up he brushed himself down and looked at what had tripped him, frowning when he saw a pair of high heeled shoes.

“What the….” He muttered reaching out with his good arm and picking one up. He inspected it before looking along the river bank. Standing slowly he eased down the slope to where the river lapped on the bank and walked long it looking into the murky blue water. He dismissed it at first, thinking it was a piece of driftwood before realising that it was an oar. He looked at the ripples on the river seeing the way the current was flowing before looking further up the river. He nodded to himself and turned running back to the jetty he had been at earlier. Grinning he untied a boat and pushed it slowly away from the jetty before he splashed through the shallow water and climbed in it.

Groaning he forced himself to ignore his injured shoulder as he began paddling upstream. He had no idea if he would find Nicole but he had the feeling that he should keep going.

[HighwayUnicorn]

Wow, Tele, another great update.

I'm enjoying this. Well done, I look forward to more.

Love Carina xxx

[Red Ranger 1]

That bit with Geoff and Nicole was really sweet.Still slightly worried Roman will have Geoff shot if he finds them...