Morgan's Genie

February, 2009

Landstuhl, Germany

Her eyes fluttered open to the sight of Thomas in the chair across from her hospital bed. Whatever book he was reading had him interested well enough, though she couldn't really make out the title. He seemed relaxed. Calm. Unconcerned. Morgan was about to ask him what he was doing over there instead of getting into bed with her, when she realized that this wasn't Baghdad anymore. This was Landstuhl.

And then her heart leapt into her throat and her eyes snapped open wide. She hadn't meant to fall asleep.

Alerted by her sudden change of breathing, Thomas looked up with a warm smile. "I didn't mean to frighten you," he said.

"No, it's not... I just..." Morgan blinked away her surprise and took a few breaths to steady herself. Her hospital gown was back in place, the sheets covering her once more, but she still felt as disheveled as she had been when the doctor left.

Or, more to the point, when the doctor left his nicely-fucked patient lying in her bed.

Thomas waited for her patiently. He kept doing that. She felt no less flustered for it. He had said that he was fine with this—he encouraged her, covered their sounds and made sure they'd get away with it, and left to allow her some privacy for her spontaneous fling. Even so, wasn't he the least bit bothered?

It had been an easy thing to accept when she was excited and aroused. It wasn't so hard to worry about the repercussions of a random lay while it was actually going on, but then Thomas didn't come back afterward. That had left her worried. Her smiling afterglow had given way to pensive waiting, then a nervous series of rehearsed apologies, and now...

...now, she realized, she had fallen asleep while waiting for him. Some show of sincerity that must be. Morgan bit her lip as she thought of something to say. All those words she'd thought up before falling asleep deserted her.

"Hey," she tried, and felt stupid for it.

"Hello yourself," Thomas smiled. "I have patrolled the hospital and alleviated what suffering I could without arousing suspicion. I believe I have done some significant good. There may be a miracle recovery or two in the offing," he shrugged.

"You did that without my even asking?" Morgan asked in a small, quiet voice.

"It seemed the most likely thing you would want me to do. To be honest, I've come to expect it. And as long as you've no need of my power, I thought... I thought I might take the liberty. Was this wrong?"

She sniffed. Her eyes welled up. "No."

Thomas stood, stepping toward her with his concern plain on his face. "What is it?"

"You're just... everything's really normal? You aren't mad? Hurt?"

"I hesitate to call anything 'normal' after all that I have seen. And you have a genie in your life, so there's that, but... why? What should I be upset about? Your tryst?"

The lump in her throat threatened her ability to speak. She merely nodded, looking up at him with apologetic eyes.

His easy smile remained. "Do not trouble yourself. As I said, I don't feel particularly jealous." He paused, searching for the right words. "It was probably good for both of us to verify this. I am yours, Morgan, not the other way around. I cherish you, but I have no claim upon you."

She shook her head, grabbing his wrist to draw him close enough to hold him. Her head leaned against his chest. "That's not true."

He knelt beside her, bringing his eyes level to hers. "Did he hurt you? Was something wrong? You slept so peacefully, I thought—I thought you must have enjoyed yourself."

"I did," she sniffed, "I mean, yeah, but not as much as with you."

An amused grin crept across his mouth. "Morgan, you are free to dally or not as you wish. But I would ask that you not make a habit of comparing your lovers' performance, at least out loud. Sooner or later someone's feelings will be a bit bruised. Even mine."

Laughter burst from her, short and unexpected. "No, I just mean you're..." she couldn't help but smile at him now. "You're amazing, Thomas."

"I have unfair advantages."

"No," she shook her head. "It's not those." She squeezed his hand. "But keep using them anyway, okay?"

"Of course."

"I was just worried when you didn't come back right away that you might be mad."

"You could have summoned me."

"I don't know how."

"Just call for me. Even under your breath. I'll be there quickly. I don't believe I can simply vanish in one place and appear in the next," he shrugged, "but I can move very quickly these days." He tilted his head curiously. "Was I away too long? Admittedly, I got distracted by watching what was going on in the operating rooms, and then there was another room with a television going. I thought you wanted to make sure we both had some space from one another on occasion. That has been one of your concerns all along."

Morgan gave a nod. "Yeah, it is, I just..." she looked around for the clock. He had been gone for hours. Night had fallen. She smiled again. "I'm starting to think we're gonna be fine."

"I am glad to hear it. You were worried that I was hurt by your tryst?"

"Nobody calls it that anymore," she said, embarrassed by her snorting laugh. She covered her mouth, then laughed again. "You call it a fling. Or a booty call. Or a one-night stand."

His eyebrow quirked. "People stand now? That seems strange."

"No, you doof!" she shoved him playfully. "Well. Okay. I mean you and I should try it, but only because you can use magic and I'm sure it'll be awesome." She smiled at the look of interest on his face. "Anyway, yeah. I was worried. I know you arranged all that—"

"You seduced him all on your own," Thomas corrected. "I just made sure he wouldn't have to worry about being caught."

"Okay. Fine. Anyway, yes. People say and do things they don't mean for the sake of other people all the time. I'm sure they did it in your era, too, didn't they? I don't want to hurt you, Thomas."

"As I said, you are my liege. All my affection aside, I would not presume otherwise."

"I don't

want

you to put your affection aside. We've gone too far for that now."

He took up her hands and kissed them. "I feel no jealousy. No betrayal. I am happy to know that you had a pleasant time. If you wish to pursue this man, I will aid you. If not, I need no further details. It will be the same in the future."

Morgan bit her lip. "Can you, um... clean me up?" she asked.

He smiled, showing nothing but understanding, and then kissed her forehead. The feeling was subtle, but it was there: her skin felt fresher, the matted feeling in her scalp vanished, and the sense that she needed to get into the shower or the bath no longer troubled her.

"All the way?" she asked quietly, blushing fiercely. "Inside, too?"

"It's done."

"Little too much information there, huh?" she smirked.

"You are not my first liege," Thomas assured her, "and I'm able to use magic. I hardly even need to think about this. Even so, at least you haven't gotten so drunk you can't find your way outside to—"

"Too much! Too much," she laughed, then squeezed his hands again. "I can't believe I get to have all this."

He shrugged. "It's magic. I wanted a liege whom I would truly feel deserving of my loyalty. I don't pretend to know the intricacies of magic, but on some level, you earned me."

"I don't plan to make a constant habit of this."

"I don't care if you do. Well," he corrected, "I imagine I'll care if you stop making a habit of me."

She just grinned. "I'd really just like you to hold me tonight, Thomas. Not because the other guy was better or because I don't want you. He wasn't—yeah, you'll have to live with knowing that—but he wasn't, and I do still want you. But tonight I just want you with me because I know we'll have more time together later."

Thomas slipped one leg up onto the bed, then another, his clothing vanishing as he moved until there were only the boxer briefs she seemed to like so much. The pair indulged in a kiss before Morgan settled into his arms, putting her head up against his chest as she had on other nights. His fingers drifted through her hair, leaving her feeling all the more spoiled.

In the solace of his arms, Morgan found her feelings for him growing. She'd been increasingly attached to him all along, but now she knew just how little she had to worry about Thomas getting clingy. He could give her space. Stay away for more than a couple hours at a time. Find his own interests. And even step aside for other men.

She had a lot to think about, and a lot of feelings to sort through. She'd known that all along, too. Yet now she looked forward to coming to those conclusions.

* * *

"Bored now," Morgan declared. She turned off the television set, put aside the remote, and stared at the blank screen. She had been in Landstuhl for little more than forty-eight hours and had been told earlier today that she'd likely be on her way back to the US in five days. She'd spend two weeks at Walter Reed, give or take, and then be on her way home to Fort Lewis.

That sounded dumb to her. There was a perfectly good hospital at Fort Lewis. Largest military hospital on the west coast, even, last time she checked. There was also a car there with her name on the registration. And an apartment full of her stuff. And her future.

Five. Days.

"Thomas, I wish you were here," she said out loud. And then she waited.

She remembered what he said about coming to her when summoned, but just the same it hadn't happened yet and sometimes his powers surprised him. She had been with him for the vast majority of his practical experience with his magic. Maybe he was wrong, and he'd appear in a big blue puff of smoke? Or maybe a bolt of lightning would crash through the ceiling and boom! Genie! Or maybe a big shower of glitter?

Please God, no, not glitter,

she thought to herself.

I could not fuck any guy who glittered for any reason. That shit's just not okay.

Seconds passed, but not minutes. To Morgan's mild disappointment, Thomas merely walked through the door. Not flashy, but very punctual. "You called, mistress?"

She sat with her arms folded across her chest. Her frown diminished somewhat with his greeting. "I can't decide whether you calling me 'mistress' is ridiculous or hot," she said.

"I will call you whatever you wish," he replied with a slight bow. "We've established this already."

"Yeah, I'm not complaining. That's the thing. I feel like it's terrible of me to enjoy the power trip, but I really enjoy the power trip!"

Thomas only smiled. He playfully got down on one knee and reached up to hold her hand. She burst out laughing before he could even say anything, and stopped him with a raised hand. "Don't. Whatever you're gonna say, don't."

As ever, he bowed to her wishes. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Oh, lots, but right now I have something in particular in mind. Thomas, I'm being a crabby, selfish bitch right now and I've run out of ways to talk myself out of it. Did I interrupt anything for you?"

"Your courtesy and your laugh would seem to indicate otherwise," he observed hesitantly. "A crabby bitch wouldn't ask me if I was doing anything important. And no, I was merely out walking around. For all the modern wonders, this place wears on me."

"Huh. How about that. Thomas, I need you to make me all invisible and stealthy and stuff. I need you to make sure the cameras don't record us going anywhere and that nobody notices that I'm out of the bed, and I need you to come with me. We've got a job to do."

He nodded, then rose and offered his hand. "We shall be as ghosts," he said, helping her courteously out of bed.

"Thank you, kind sir," she smirked. "Will we be able to talk to each other without anyone knowing?"

"As you wish," he nodded.

"Good. Follow me." With that, she walked out of the hospital room.

Thomas fell in behind her. He kept silent, staying close by and watching as Morgan went to the nurse's station for her ward. Naturally, he had plenty of questions—he always did—but since the previous day's tryst and their conversation last night, Morgan had kept her own counsel. She asked politely to be left alone to think, and though her tone remained no less friendly, she had been decidedly less affectionate today. That she admitted being called mistress was "hot" was something of a relief. At least she still openly acknowledged their attraction.

Yet here they were together again, and she was still short on conversation.

The floor was quiet at this time of night. The nurse was not actually at her station when they got there, which suited Morgan just fine. "You're on lookout duty," Morgan said. "Anyone starts coming this way, let me know."

"I shall," Thomas nodded, and took up a spot where he could watch the hallways. He saw Morgan move to the vertical file holders along the wall behind the nurse's station. She quickly searched through them, pulling out a few key papers and laying them aside.

"Make sure nobody bothers to look at these files until I'm finished with this stuff," Morgan said. "Just throw the same enchantment over the file rack that you use for us. You can do that, right?"

"Ah," he blinked, "yes?" He scratched his head. That was, he realized, within his power, yet he hadn't really considered it before. "How did you know?"

"Seemed like a reasonable guess, given what you've already done. Now give me a minute to read through this." She shuffled through more of the papers, removing a couple from the files. Then she put the group of files back where they belonged. Finished, she found a seat just by the nurse's station. "Okay, you can let the nurse come back now."

Thomas frowned. "I hadn't really done anything. She isn't here."

"No, but when she comes back," Morgan muttered, waving her hand. "Should be in just about a minute."

"Ah." He waited again until finally he saw the nurse coming. "On her way now. How did you know?"

"It's my job to notice things," she muttered. A moment later, she finally lifted her eyes from the papers the nurse as she strode casually toward her station. "Okay, you can't read minds, right? Right. But can you make people move slower without noticing?"

He blinked. "I suppose?"

"Great. Put Nurse Oblivious here into slow motion as soon as she sits down at her station and memorize what I say." She stood and loomed at the nurse's station, looking carefully at the keyboard to the computer.

Thomas waited until the nurse pulled out her chair before he used the enchantment. Morgan watched carefully as the nurse rolled the mouse on its pad and then lazily keyed in a single word. "G-O-S-L-U-G-S-1," she said aloud, heedless of how close she was to the nurse. True to Thomas's word, the woman noticed nothing. "G-O-S-L-U-G-S-1," she repeated, and then looked at Thomas.

"G-O-S-L-U-G-S-1?" he asked.

Morgan chewed on it. "Oh. She went to UC Santa Cruz. That won't be hard to remember at all. Damn, they really do have the coolest mascot," she muttered. "Um. You can let her move at normal speed again."

Releasing the nurse from the spell, Thomas stood waiting for further instructions. None were forthcoming. Morgan kept watch over the nurse's shoulder. "Oh, awesome," she said to herself, "Dr. Booty Call has the next two days off. He won't even know."

"Ah, mistress?" he asked, hoping he wasn't overstepping his entirely-unclear bounds.

"Yeah, you should only call me that if you're hitting on me," she grunted. "I'm not complaining, but still."

"What are we doing?"

"Hm? Sorry, I guess she's just gonna sit here and surf the internet for awhile." Morgan stood. "We're going home, Thomas."

He tilted his head curiously. "I thought you said that would cause problems for you? Force you into hiding?"

"Only if we vanished into thin air or if I walked out of here on my own power," Morgan said. She waved for him to follow and headed down the hall. "If I did that, then yeah, I'd wind up with a lot of questions to answer. I could probably pull a good disappearing act—a great one with your help—but I don't really want to have to keep up with it. I'd have to work out a new identity and everything, and I'm not interested in that. I like being me."

"...so?" he asked.

"So we're gonna cut me some slightly unusual orders sending me to the hospital closest to home. Practically my hometown. And it'll be all in the paperwork and the computers, so nobody'll think twice about it. By the time anyone notices it's wrong, I'll be home and it won't be worth fixing."

"I see," Thomas said. His tone conveyed some of his doubt about this. "I'm sure I could work this out with magic...?"

"You don't understand well enough how computers work," Morgan said with a shake of her head. "Or Army bureaucracy. That's okay, though. I've been taught a thing or three about how to catch people being naughty. Turns out you learn how to

be

naughty along the way. Watch and learn, buddy. First thing we need is a copier, and then we need to find Dr. Richmond's computer and figure out how to get into that.

"Goddamn counterintelligence specialist with a fucking genie," she grumbled under her breath. "No reason at all I should be taking up a hospital bed."

* * *

February, 2009

Madigan Army Medical Center

His hopes for an amorous flight, like the one they'd had from Iraq to Germany, were dashed when she asked to be put to sleep for the duration. Thomas fully intended to provide a long, lingering bout of intimate bliss for his mistress, but that was not to be. He wondered if he should have suggested his intentions openly before they got on the plane.

The flight did not bore him, exactly. Flying in a giant metal machine was still exciting and new. Everything, it seemed, was still new. He wandered the plane listening to conversations and watching the pilots work. Maps and charts fascinated Thomas, showing him how the world truly looked when all he'd ever seen before this century were effectively scribbles and wild conjecture. He stimulated the healing of the other injured soldiers. He read, too, which was something he could not get enough of now that his magic had taught him how.

But nothing, he found, fascinated him as much as Morgan. He adored his liege and his friend, and had dared to begin thinking of her as more than both. She never took him for granted, always showed her appreciation, and still spoke to him with affection, and yet the flirtation had diminished significantly since her tryst with the doctor. Thomas believed her when she said that it wasn't as enjoyable nor as fulfilling as what they shared. He did not feel jealousy and couldn't fault her for indulging in her freedom. If she wanted another, he would aid her in that pursuit, and be happy for her.

Just the same, her apparent loss of interest bothered him. It wasn't as if she had shut him out of conversation, but the tone had changed somewhat. What had he done wrong? Was it actually that—

had

he done something wrong? Or failed to do something?

She liked him a great deal. Found him attractive. Enjoyed his company, both as a friend and as a bedmate. But now she seemed preoccupied and distant. Could it simply be a matter of pensive feelings as she returned home?

Moving to wake her before they landed, Thomas leaned in to kiss her forehead and then paused. Was this still appropriate? Was it what she wanted? She knew his affection for her. Yet if for any reason she wanted to ease the passion between them, he had to respect that. Regardless of what they had shared, fate had forced him upon her and her life.

He reached out to place his hand on hers, and smiled down at her as her eyes fluttered open. "We have arrived," he said to her.

Morgan took a deep breath and stretched her arms over her head, arcing her back slightly and consequently pushing out her breasts. Enamored as he was by Morgan's original, natural appearance, Thomas still couldn't help but feel a bit mesmerized by her now. He'd done an amazing job in enhancing her beauty.