Quaranteam Down Under: Part 9
Blood, Bullets, and Bonds, what’s an Aussie soldier to do?

Based on a post by SilverRyden, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.

List of Characters:
House Marshall:

Tiberius ‘Ty’ Marshall, 35, Lieutenant Colonel Australian Army Special Air Service. Black Hair, Grey Eyes. Big teddy bear.

Charlotte ‘Lottie’, Valiant, 35, Captain Australian Army Special Air Service, Red hair, long hair, service submissive.

Leticia ‘Lettie’, Valiant, 35, Captain Australian Army Special Air Service, Red hair, shoulder length hair, tomboy.

Talia Becker, 27, Major Israeli Defense Force, Black hair, long hair, braided, willful, but devoted.

Alice Rai, 31, Doctor of Medicine, Black hair, blue eyes, partial Indian descent, complete submissive.

Elizabeth Connors, 21, younger sister of Jaxson Connors. University Student, Finance

Béatrice Martin, 32, with French Directorate-General for External Security. Tech expert and hobby tinker. Blonde, Blue eyes.
House Valiant:

Rayne Valiant, 28, 6'10, fit and muscular. Scientist, younger brother of the twins and head of Australian Quaranteam Project Research and Development.

Simone Jennings, 22, 2nd Lieutenant, Black hair, blue eyes, African descent, one of Rayne's dedicated security.

Patricia 'Trish' Barclay, 23, Lieutenant, Blonde hair. Girl next door vibes.
House Morgan:

Benjamin Morgan, 36, Doctor. Was acting (under duress) on behalf of the same Sheikh as Connors. Ex-wife and daughter kidnapped. Deceased.

Grace Lawry, 33, Captain, US Air Force. Tiberius' old friend. Partnered with Benjamin Morgan and the person who involved Ty in the Quaranteam Project.

Theresa Miller, 28, Latest addition to House Morgan. Details currently unknown. Critically Injured
Others:

Zoe Evans, 19, daughter of Tiberius' good friends Toby and Matilda Evans and Tiberius' 'niece'. University Student.

William 'Bill' Anderson, Colonel. Somewhat stiff, but very capable officer.

Barry 'Baz' Davis, Brigadier. Good friend of Tiberius. In charge of personnel at Victoria Barracks.

Jaxson Connors, Major, currently under arrest for abuse of authority and attempted murder. Was working with a Sheikh to develop the Assassin Variant of DuoHalo.

Juno Claudius, Lawyer friend of Tiberius and the Evans'. Has two children; Bellona(Bella) and Mars, twins, 6 years old.

"Tiberius!"

He ignored her, finding his uniform pants draped over a nearby chair and shuffling over to them. Putting them on would be an exercise in restraint and skill, what with one arm in a sling and bandages around his midsection. If either of them heard him voice his discomfort, they'd chain him to the bed for sure. He couldn't see his shirt, but then again, he didn't expect to. No matter. Hospital gown and pants would do the trick.

"You stubborn oaf! You could have died! You actually were bleeding out! You need to rest and let your body recover before you go pulling any of this nonsense!"

Talia was almost screaming the words as she stood there, barely centimeters away, but Ty knew it was coming from a place of worry and stress. Sinking into the chair, he grabbed Talia's wrist and pulled her into his lap. She didn't resist, startled at the suddenness of the action, and the big man wrapped his arm around the beautiful Israeli woman, holding her close.

"I get what you're saying. I also get why you're saying it. I appreciate it, my love. But while my health is certainly on your mind, you haven't said what's really bothering you." Ty felt her stiffening at the words 'my love' and suddenly, everything became clear. "Ah. Well. I got a little sidetracked that day, but I had intended to ask you to join me for a private dinner date, just the two of us. And though I reckon the item I ordered isn't quite ready yet, it was nevertheless going to be a night to remember. Tonight still can be that night, though."

Taking her left hand in his right, he brought it up to his lips and kissed just over where a ring would go. It was an action filled with a great deal of meaning and Talia buried her head in his chest, clearly unable to keep the smile from her face. "Idiot. With you injured as you are, I wouldn't be able to do half of what I'd want to. Nor would I be able to do it with half as much intensity." She turned her head and gave Béatrice a glance, her smile threatening to split her face in half. "Plus, you will likely have two women to imprint today as it is."

The French woman tutted. "Nonsense. I can hold off for another day. I also do have something of a request, if you don't mind, Tiberius?"

The big man nodded, sweeping his left arm out for her to continue before remembering that the arm in question was in a sling and not going to move very fast, or without pain. When he winced, Talia shifted and pulled the arm back to his side before getting up and allowing the French woman to take her place on his lap.

"Would you take me on another date as well?" For the first time, their eyes met, and though he could see the undertones of lust, there were two overarching emotions in her eyes among the myriad others. One was hope; hope he'd agree. Hope she'd make the impression she clearly thought she hadn't before. Hope that the relationship she'd wanted would bloom this time. But it was the second emotion that brought Ty's brain to a crashing halt.

That emotion, in those unforgettable eyes.

I know those eyes.

Rebooting, his eyes widened and he felt a renewed sense of guilt that he hadn't done right by the woman the last time they'd met. He'd agreed to go out with his brother and the two French ladies, but it hadn't been all that long since his last relationship had ended and he'd been distracted. Ty had to admit that with him being summarily abandoned by his previous partner, he wasn't in the right headspace for a date, but he hadn't been able to say no after just reconciling with his brother.

Over the course of that night, Ty hadn't once looked the woman in the eyes. Oh, he'd looked at her, and he'd conversed politely, but that hadn't been fair to her. Sure, he'd been hurting inside, but that gave him no right to hurt others with his casual cruelty. How he wished he could go back and kick himself.

And still she looked at him with those azure eyes. Eyes he hadn't seen during their previous encounter. Because I never looked her in the eyes after that. I'm a bastard.

"Definitely. And this time, Béa, you will get the evening you deserved the first time. The evening my self-absorbed ass should have given you then."

He knew those eyes. He'd seen them once before, long ago. Long before the double date. How had he not put it together in all this time? The borderline obsession she seemed to have with him. Her insistence on him.

"Amsterdam. In the alley. That was you."

At the mention of the city, Béa smiled so brightly she outshone the sun and she leaned in to kiss the man that had changed her fate all those years ago. Unable to believe it, Ty stared into those eyes; those pools of purest azure blue. When he had last seen them, the woman, Béa, Ty had to correct himself, had much longer hair, and it was midnight black, falling in waves around her face, not the straight ash blonde locks she shared with her sisters. She had been drunk, maybe drugged; he didn't know for sure at the time and hadn't been able to stick around for the report. He and two of the guys from the unit had been on leave, crawling through the pubs and nightlife of the famous city when they'd come across the scene. Six men were holding her down while she struggled. Their intent was clear, and the three Australians had intervened.

Three highly trained soldiers against a group of drunks. It wasn't anything as overstated as a fight. It was cleaned up in less than thirty seconds and while his companions had watched over the groaning goons, Ty had checked Béa's injuries. She had seemed dazed, but at the very least she was conscious. He knelt beside her and pulled his jacket off, checking for severe damage before he covered her. He could already see the bruises forming on her face, and scowled, wanting to turn and inflict further injury on the clowns behind him, but he met her gaze and was frozen to the spot.

Those perfect azure eyes. At that moment, they were filled with fear and panic at the situation around her, but they were no less beautiful for it.

He spoke gently, his eyes never wandering, not knowing if she spoke English, but he tried nevertheless, hoping his tone would do enough to keep her calm while he called for a cab. He could see that it was having some effect, as the fear and panic in them was slowly, but surely replaced with calm, and then something else. It was only when the cab arrived that he broke eye contact and lifted her in his arms. Ty gave the cabbie a single word, hospital, as he gently placed the bruised woman in the back seat and sat down beside her. All the while, her gaze never left Ty's face; her hand gripping his sleeve like a lifeline.

The moment they entered the hospital, the staff took one look and forcibly separated them, holding Ty in the lobby while security glared at him. At some point, a couple of others raced past him, their ash blonde hair flying like banners behind them. Ty ignored them, his attention focused on the security people who looked ready to attack him at any moment.

Eventually, a nurse came in and apologized, letting him know that Béa had vouched for him, but that she couldn't allow visitors aside from family, and they were already there. He nodded and asked the nurse to pass on a message, saying that he had to leave. He gave her a note with his name and a message to look him up if she was ever in Australia. With that, he had turned and left.

Back in the moment, Béa, still straddling Ty's lap, pulled something out of her chest pocket and showed it to the big man. He glanced down at it reluctantly, not wanting to break eye contact, but had to do a double take when he saw what it was. The note. Clearly laminated as if to preserve it. His eyes found hers again, and she smiled as the tears began to flow.

Those eyes hadn't changed at all. They were, just as they had been 10 years ago in that darkened alley, watching him, filled with adoration.

"Finally, you see me, mon amour. I have long awaited this day."

"I wasn't the only one to help you, Béa. Why me?"

"I have long since tracked down the other two and thanked them for what they did. I did also tell them not to tell you about it, since I wanted to thank you myself. I even saw one of them again at your base when I got here the other day. But to answer the real question, there was no singular reason why. I simply fell in love. And now that we are on equal footing, I can only hope that you will too."

Ty had no response and Béa just smiled.

Ty had expected tears from Zoe. The young woman had been through a lot over the last year, and any threat of losing what little she had left could destabilize her. When he made his way to her room, just a couple of doors from his own, he was greeted, not by tears but by her throwing things at him. He dodged the best he could and wrapped her in a hug.

"You stupid prick! What would we have done if you died! You need to be more careful!"

"You'd pick up the pieces and go on. You'd have to, sweetheart. But I didn't die, and I promise I'll take better care of myself. I get that I have a responsibility to all of you, but that isn't going to stop me from doing my job."

Her voice dropped to barely a whisper as she nuzzled into his chest. "A lot of people would be very sad if you died, Ty. More people than you even realize, so please, be more careful."

Ty had no time to ponder the words as Zoe pulled away and leaned upwards, giving him a chaste peck on the lips. Liz gave him a quick hug and kiss and looked to be about to speak, when suddenly, Alice was there, hooking her arm in his before pulling him out of the room. He was actually staggering backwards as she pulled him around the corner and back into his own room. He was just catching his balance as he turned, watching her shove the door shut before she laid a ferocious kiss on him. Not one to shy away from an aggressive woman, Ty responded, grunting only slightly as Alice's hands shifted and brushed the bandages wrapped around his midsection. But she didn't let go, burying her face in his neck.

"I'm sorry, but I've only just found you, Sir. You can't go around getting yourself killed."

Ty sighed. "I'm sure I'll be hearing variations of this all day, beautiful, so I won't apologize right now, but like I told Zoe, I promise I'll be more careful." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Alice, were there any other casualties? Either here or from Ray's Team?"

"A nurse. She was beaten unconscious and stuffed in a laundry closet."

"Probably the same closet the gunmen got the scrubs they were wearing from. I can't believe those clowns actually did the whole trope thing. Is she gonna be okay?"

"She's battered and bruised, but she'll heal. Admin will make sure she goes to therapy and the other nurses will keep an eye on her for a while."

"Good. Now, how are you holding up? You've carefully avoided mentioning that."

Ty could feel his beautiful doctor shudder as he asked the question, so he wrapped his arms around her tighter.

"I was terrified that either the abdominal wound or the head wound was fatal. At the time, with all the blood, it was impossible to tell how bad it was. Tiberius, I can't lose you. I just can't."

"I'm thankful I have a hard head. Now, I want you to look at me, Alice." She looked up, and her ice blue eyes met his, filled with anxiety. "I am right here. I am alive and you are mine, beautiful. So I need you to look at me and understand that I am here. If you ever need reassurance, touch that choker and remind yourself that you are claimed, and my word is your law. I gave you certain tenets to abide by when we pledged ourselves to one another. I'm adding one more, and this you will abide by, whether you hate me for it or not. Even if something should happen to me, you will move on and live until it is your time. I will not dictate that you should find another, that is a choice you must make. But you will continue living to the best of your ability, because I love you and do not want for you to follow me into death should the worst happen."

As the words spilled out, Alice's expression grew horrified and she made to speak, but Ty put a finger to her lips.

"I'm not done. This isn't being done to hurt you, nor am I planning on charging into more gunfights. I am giving you this order for my peace of mind, so that even if an accident were to occur, I wouldn't go knowing I dragged someone I love with me. I plan to live a long, happy life with all of you, so don't get all bent out of shape, okay?"

She still looked conflicted, but she nodded. "Can I assume you want the same for everyone in the family?"

"Absolutely. Now, according to Talia and Béa, the twins and Grace will be here soon, so let's gather everyone up in Zoe's room and have our discussions."

Alice looked surprised, then nodded. "Zoe didn't tell you? She said the woman you spoke to just before the attack is also coming. Her aunt?"

Ty smiled. "Not by blood. Same way I'm occasionally called 'Uncle Ty', Juno is 'Auntie J'. They've been close since she was an infant, even more so than me. Hell, I haven't actually seen Juno in person in almost 6 years. We've just both ended up so busy. It seems lawyering and soldiering have pretty bad compatibility, timewise. I've never even had a chance to meet her kids."

Alice looked taken aback. "Not once? In six years?"

"Nope. We're never in the same place long enough. I barely spent time here at home until this year, and then it was in lockdown, and I was injured. I couldn't go and meet them because while the kids may not suffer the effects of DuoHalo, they're carriers, and if they had it and gave it to me, I'd probably be dead, so we'd have never met. I admit, now that I'm not in danger, I'm looking forward to it. I've sent them a lot of gifts over the years, and I'd like for them to be able to put a face and voice to my name."

Alice gave him a gentle smile. "You really do like kids, huh."

"Very much so. I'm already looking forward to you telling me you're carrying ours, beautiful. We now know it all works, at least as of seven years ago."

Her smile grew, along with a definite blush. "Any one of the last few times we've been together may have taken. The timing is right, but we'll have to wait and see. I truly hope it did, though I would never tell my master no if he wanted more of me." She placed a hand on her belly and then pushed Ty down onto the edge of the bed. "But that's a question to be answered another day. Take that gown off. I need to check your bandages, and then we shall go and have your conference."

Ty grinned. He could smell her arousal, and his instincts were threatening to take over. Pulling her to him, he claimed her lips before kissing his way down her neck, his good arm holding her in place while he used his other to tweak her nipple over her clothes.

"Maybe you can check a few other things, too, beautiful. Undress."

She hesitated for just a moment, her professional concern warring with her desires.

"Tiberius; we shouldn't. Your injuries;”

He finished the thought for her. "Will be fine, beautiful. If it'll make you feel better, you can control the pace. Now undress and help me back out of these pants."

Taking a deep breath, she complied, unbuttoning his pants and sliding them down before her hands found the buttons on her blouse. Ty felt a growl building in his throat, and his kisses went from her neck down the curves of her marvelous tits, still sheathed in her bra. It wasn't anything particularly fancy, but Ty supposed she hadn't expected to be seducing anyone. Nevertheless, it was in the way.

"If I were an impatient man, Alice, I'd be biting my way through this bit of cloth already. But I'd hate to ruin a good bra."

She giggled, reaching up to undo the hook. "I thank you for your restraint, because in doing so you would get a mouthful of wire too. I'm rather generously equipped, my oh-so-patient master. The girls need the support and bras for larger cups are a nightmare to find."

She dropped her upper garments to the floor, and Ty wasted no time latching onto a nipple as she began to undo the button on her pants.

"Beautiful, we definitely need to get some milk going here. Can you turn on the spigot?"

His voice was muffled as he spoke around a mouthful of tit, and Alice laughed at the strange sensations and stranger words.

"I'll get right on that, sir. Give me about sixteen weeks from conception."

Dropping to her knees, she sucked his length into her mouth, taking it as deep as she could right away. Ty let his good hand find the back of her head and pushed down, getting himself even deeper in her throat.

"That's it. Get it all the way down. You want me to be good and ready. Once I'm nice and slippery, go ahead and take a ride. You can control the pace." He paused, stroking her head for a moment and smiling as his hands ran across her signature Alice band. "Gods, you're fucking perfect. How did I ever get so lucky?"

Alice pulled off his cock and looked him in the eye. There was passion in her eyes and she gave his shaft a good lick as she rose. "The same way I did in finding my perfect master. Serendipity and a mutual friend who knows us too well. But, well, it was love at first sight for me." Her eyes softened as she lined up her sex with his, and Ty could see the love she had for him as she gently slid herself onto his shaft.

Bottoming out, she squeezed him for a moment before slowly rocking her hips back and forth. Ty ground his hips into her, but she squeezed down against him and pushed him onto his back.

"Please, sir. Let me pleasure you with my dripping cunt. You just lie back and enjoy. "

She bounced carefully on his cock for a few minutes and Ty felt his climax building, so he reached forward and started playing with Alice's clit, rubbing and flicking. She writhed under his hand but ground her hips harder.

"Oh god, I'm going to cum. Sir, please, can I cum? Please master, I need to cum!"

"Very well, cum for me, beautiful. Let yourself go." He pinched her engorged nub and twisted it, drawing a scream of pleasure from the woman. Her back arched and she fell forwards, her body spasming. Ty was close, so he ground his hips and she groaned, hypersensitive since she was still right in the middle of her first orgasm.

"Now, my love, have another. Cum!"

He felt himself reach his own climax and he blasted his load deep into the lovely mixed-race woman. Alice's eyes rolled into her head as the sensations of