Cargo Cult (S2E12): Episode Tag

Disclaimer:  I do not own either of the Mission: Impossible series or any of the characters therein.  I receive no compensation or any other tangible benefit from this story.  I am just a fan who enjoys taking the team out for an adventure every now and then.  🙂

*****

It was late by the time the team made it out of Katu Gorge and back to the civilized part of New Belgium, so they rented a suite near the airport for the night, with plans for an early morning flight back to San Francisco.

This mission had been among the most dangerous they'd undertaken, and all of their lives had been at risk. So even though they were all exhausted, Jim guided them through an abbreviated version of their customary debriefing. Each of them got a chance to express their concern for one another and their gratitude that everyone had gotten out safely.

They were all worried about Shannon, who had been in Regher's clutches for a big part of the mission. But Shannon made light of things, and assured the others that she was just fine.

With that, Jim retired for the evening. Max and Grant stayed up a little while longer, but eventually exhaustion overtook them both.

"You guys better get some sleep," advised Grant, as he headed to his room. 'We have an early flight."

"As soon as I finish my tea," promised Nicholas.

Then only he and Shannon remained, sitting on the sofa facing one another, sipping tea and talking. After a while, Nicholas tried to stifle a yawn, but Shannon noticed.

"You should go on to bed, Nicholas," she smiled. "I know you're tired."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you, without the others here," he replied softly. "I needed to make sure you were really okay."

"I told you guys already, I'm fine," Shannon said dismissively.

But Nicholas noticed that she didn’t meet his eyes when she spoke. He reached for her hand. "I know what you told us, Shannon," he countered gently. "Now, I want the truth."

Shannon's mind drifted back to the conversation she'd had with Nicholas less than three months before, the last time that she'd had an unwelcome encounter with a villain who'd crossed the line. Nicholas was the only one who knew how much it had affected her then. She smiled to herself as she recalled his gentleness and his patient persistence; she knew he wasn't going to give up until she was honest with him.

"The truth?" she repeated, her voice barely audible. "The truth is, I'm afraid to sleep. Afraid that he'll be in my dreams."

"Regehr?"

Shannon nodded. "And Savitch."

At the mention of the Baltic villain's name, Nicholas' heart came up in his throat. He'd been afraid of this; it was the biggest reason he'd been so concerned about her.

"This has brought all that back, hasn't it?" he whispered.

A single unbidden tear rolled down each of Shannon's cheeks.  Only worse, she thought to herself, but left the words unspoken for fear that if she said them aloud the tears would never stop.

As it turned out, she didn't have to say anything.

Nicholas reached out to grasp her other hand.  "I remember how it was with Savitch," he said carefully.  "What really happened with Regehr?"

Shannon sighed heavily and wrinkled her nose. "He kissed me, once," she recalled, "and this time my hands were tied and I couldn't slap him."

Nicholas smiled to himself at his teammate's spunk, but his expression remained serious. "Nothing else?" he asked, with a bit of trepidation at the answer.

"Not really," she responded. Nicholas raised his eyebrows in an unspoken query. "He put his grubby hands on me once or twice," she elaborated, blushing slightly despite her friend's comforting presence. She looked down at her hands, still resting in Nicholas' own, and her voice grew quiet. "But not like that."

Nicholas let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Thank God for that," he said in relief, though just beneath the surface his anger toward Regehr still burned. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Shannon."

"It was hard being trapped," she recalled with a shudder, "seeing you and Max being carried up the mountain, and knowing that Grant and Jim were on the other side of the bridge with no way to get to the mine." Her brown eyes were liquid as they locked with Nicholas' own. "I was terrified I'd never see you guys again."

Once again, Nicholas longed to pull her close to him, but he held back. Instead, he squeezed her hands a little tighter. "It's okay, Shannon," he soothed. "Everyone is fine."

"Nicholas," she said suddenly, her voice thick with tears, "would you please hold me?"

The dark-haired agent was taken aback by the request. "Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.

Wordlessly, Shannon nodded, biting her lip. Nicholas sat forward on the sofa and wrapped his right arm around Shannon, who nestled up against him as the tears began to flow. After only a moment, he felt her raise up slightly.

"I'm getting you all wet," she said apologetically.

"I don't mind," he assured her, pulling her close again.

They sat there in silence for an untold amount of time, with Nicholas rubbing Shannon's arm gently. Presently, her breathing became slow and even, and Nicholas realized that she had fallen asleep in his arms.

Reluctant to wake her, and determined to be nearby if the nightmares came calling, Nicholas laid his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes. It wasn't the most comfortable position, he reasoned, but Shannon was worth a little sleep disruption tonight.

*****

Shannon woke to Nicholas' gentle touch on her arm. As she stirred and opened her eyes, she was surprised to see the first signs of daylight peeking through the curtains. Had she really been here all night?

"Shannon," Nicholas said softly, "I hate to wake you, but it's daybreak. The others will be up soon."

Shannon sat up and blinked her eyes as his words registered, as unwilling as her companion to answer the questions that might be asked if the others found out they'd spent the whole night together on the sofa.

Nicholas moved his arm from around her and did his best to stifle a wince as the circulation came back. He reached up to rub his stiff neck.

Shannon turned to face him and was troubled by the gesture. "You should have woken me sooner," she chided gently, her voice filled with empathy. "You couldn't have gotten much sleep."

"I'm fine, Shannon," the dark-haired agent assured her with a smile.

Shannon returned his smile and impulsively leaned over to plant a light kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, for keeping the nightmares away." Then she hurried toward her bedroom to prepare for their trip home.

"You're welcome," Nicholas replied quietly, reaching up to rub his face where her lips had been. Then he followed suit, closing his door just a moment before Jim emerged from his room.

The End.

(C) 2022