Stripes

[slidershal]

"Relax Riley," he said, and reached for her again, slowly this time. "You just have a little something on your face."

She stayed backed against the door, but didn't move. Her eyes locked on his. Her body still tensed to bolt, she let him rub his thumb over her chin. His smile and his touch were gentle, and she felt herself relaxing in spite of herself. Her heart still pounded, hard enough that she thought he must have been able to hear it. She couldn't believe she'd shown up to dinner with her CO with dirt on her face.

Tiny footsteps caught her attention, coming from the room off to her right.

"Daddy?"

Eyes wide with more than a little surprise, she looked at the toddler standing in the doorway. She looked back at Carter.
"Daddy??" she blurted.

[Shalimar P Fox]

David looked at rileys face and then picked up lizzie " riley this is my daughter lizzie" he looked at his daughter who looked right at riley.

lizzie " hi " she said shyly.

[slidershal]

Her mouth was hanging open in shock.
"I didn't know you had a daughter."

[Shalimar P Fox]

David let lizzie down and she stayed where she was

" no one knows i have a daughter"

[slidershal]

She didn't know what to say to that.

Lizzie was frowning up at Riley, apparently miffed that Riley had not acknowledged her.

[Shalimar P Fox]

" its ok riley i never told anyone about her" he looked at his daughter " i dont trust some of the people here just yet"

[slidershal]

"The base commander would know. You would have had to file papers," Riley said, and instantly wondered what the hell was wrong that she couldn't control what she was saying.

[Shalimar P Fox]

" he does know but after..." he started and then stopped " he and i have talked and she is not under my open files and um lizzie wants you to say hi"

[slidershal]

She immediately felt bad for ignoring the little girl. Kneeling down she brought herself level with Lizzie and, giving her warmest smile, snapped her a salute.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lizzie. I'm Victoria."

[Shalimar P Fox]

" you gonna have dinner wiff daddy?" she asked her and smiled. " you pretty"

[slidershal]

Riley blushed at that last bit. She could feel Carter's smile.

"That is why your dad invited me," she said to Lizzy.

[Shalimar P Fox]

" daddy good cook" she complimented just as the phone rang.

David excused himself to answer it


lizzie watched him go into the other room and then looked at riley she wanted to know if she was gonna be like the other woman who usually came by " you gonna date dady?

[slidershal]

Riley smiled at her, getting to her feet just as the phone rang. She watched Carter cross into the other room, then looked back at Lizzy, who was considering her carefully.

"You gonna date daddy?" the little girl asked innocently.

Instantly Riley's cheeks flushed. For a moment her mouth worked, but no sound came out. When her wits returned she asked Lizzy gently, "Do you think that is a question that you should be asking me?"

[Shalimar P Fox]

lizzie shrugged " i dunno" she shifted her feet like a nervious little girl.

David came back " lizzie honey you arent going to the baby sitter you are gonna be here" he said to her and she pouted.

" no park?"

David " sorry honey maybe later"

She walked off and he sighed

[slidershal]

For a terrified moment, she thought Lizzie was going to go ask her daddy. Instead the little girl just shrugged and said, "I dunno."

Riley breathed a soft sigh of relief. She had to admit that Lizze was adorable. Her mind shifted gears, wondering suddenly where her mother was.

When Carter returned, her attention shifted yet again, listening to him tell Lizzie that she wasn't going to be able to go to the park with the babysitter. She felt bad for Lizzie, seeing her disappointed pout.

Looking at Carter as Lizzie started to walk away, she said, "Maybe after dinner, if its still light, you could take her?"