After their first partnership in the uncharted territory of the western ghats , it was clear to anyone who observed them properly that Chloe and Nadine were great partners. Not only did they actually discover and come back with the legendary Tusk, but they also took down a plot that would have annihilated thousands and sparked a full on war, battling countless enemies and terrible odds with complete success.
It would have been utter nonsense not to continue their partnership, so that's what they did, they continued working together and things just seemed to.. Well, work together. Chloe and Nadine complimented each other perfectly, and when things would go wrong it was in having each other's backs that they would see things through and come out the other end of whatever scrape they'd managed to get themselves in to. They trusted each other with their lives because that was what was on the line most of the time. Their partnership was literally battle tested.
true work wives married to the job and the adventure and devoted to each other.
As often happens in that kind of partnership, feelings whether terribly concealed or horribly ignored usually find their way to the surface. For Nadine and Chloe it had happened naturally but slowly, a glance of appreciation here, a long stare there, a tender touch one moment, a protective embrace another. It all finally came to head on one of their adventures when Shoreline had finally caught up to them.
Nadine and Chloe were both on a hill overlooking an old rope bridge that they would need to cross over again ,with their plunder safely in Nadine’s pockets, when while admiring Nadine’s ass that Chloe noticed a momentary flicker of light reflected on Nadine's back. With the sun in their faces and all her time actually listening to Nadine talk, Chloe knew what it was immediately. She didn't think for a moment before launching herself at Nadine with a shout.
“Nadine!”
Reaching her seconds before two consecutive shots rang out and her momentum sent them both rolling down the hill.
The second they stopped rolling Nadine checked herself over then checked the hill. She could hear the shouts of the shoreline enemies getting closer and she knew there was no cover to be had. Their only chance was to cross the bridge.
“Shit! They're on our backs, we need to move!”
Nadine frantically looked down when all she got in reply was a groan and a pained hiss in reply
“Frazer?”
When Nadine saw the blood it shook her something fierce. Chloe had been shot in the right shoulder and on her left side above her hip and she was trying to stop the bleeding with her hands as she tried to get up. Chloe had saved her again, like she always did, like they always did for each other, but she'd gotten hurt this time. She'd got hurt in her place, and as Nadine glanced up the hill again she knew there was no time to dress the damage she could see.
She tightened her resolve and knew what she had to do. She needed to get Chloe to the other side of the bridge and cut the ropes. It was the only thing that would give her enough time to care for Chloe and get them both back to their jeep and drive back to safety. She'd carry her if she had to.
As carefully and as quickly as she could she slung Chloe's right arm over her shoulder and held on to her waist, putting pressure on the wound there as Chloe groaned again and placed her own bloodied hand on top of Nadines to help stem the flow of blood.
“We’re going to have to run Frazer, think you can keep up?” Nadine jested like the always did now a days, even if she was lost in a sea of worry and determination.
Chloe laughed out changing her grimace to a smile for at least a little bit “you know I'll always keep up with you China”
Together the ran as quickly as they could over the bridge, bullets whizzing around them as they passed the halfway mark and they had almost made it too… but a few well placed, or dam lucky shots had the ropes snapping and both of them scrambling for some kind of purchase.
By some miracle Nadine managed to catch one of the ropes and snagged Chloe's wrist as they swung back towards the other side of the casum. Luckily they didn't slam into the cliff face or they most definitely wouldn't have survived. Instead it seemed as though the cliff had a lip which had saved them, but had also compromised the integrity of the rope.
“Hang on, Frazer!” Nadine whispered as the rope jerked as it slowly unraveled.
Chloe saw what was happening though “ Nadine, you have to let me go”and the added planks of wood and ropes that had somehow snagged to her leg weren't helping
Nadine’s watery eyes met Chloe’s.“No!”
“China,” Chloe whispered as gently as possible” that rope won’t hold us both love, and I won't make the climb down even if we make it to the cliff's face”
Nadine was stubborn though “Im not letting you go” she still hadn't told Chloe how she felt yet. They both needed to make it out of this like they always did. “I won't let you fall, not on my watch”
Chloe smiled sadly as she slid the ruby bracelet from their first partnership from her own wrist onto Nadine's own “I guess that's going to be a problem then” she said as she looked into nadine’s eyes and brought her free hand up and yanked her hand free “because I've already fallen for you.”
“CHLOE!!!” Nadine watched as she vanished beneath the water below. A broken “no” escaping her as she searched for her partner’s signature red shirt.
Another jerk of the rope brought her back to the problem at hand and she quickly reached the cliff’s face as the rope gave out, barely managing to get a hold of the rocks before she too could plummet. Mechanically she made her way down to the safety of the ground and allowed herself a moment to break down by the rivers edge crying silently as she clutched Chloe’s Ruby bracelet to her chest. It was now her most prized possession.
After composing herself a bit she took in her surroundings. To her back was the wall of the cliff she’d just climbed down from and in front of her was the raging river, the one she needed to get across. Going to the right wasn't an option as it would lead her towards choppier waters so she followed the river to the left hoping for a calmer stretch of water where she could cross easily then… Go home?… would it be home now that Chloe would never again break in and fill it with her voice?
Nadine shook her head she couldn't do this now. She reverted into herself masking the hurt and the pain ignoring the sorrow as she walked on autopilot along the river.
She walked for some time head down watching her step, listening to the water and keeping an ear out for any sign of shore line until she felt a buzz and swore she saw Chloe's bracelet shine.
Nadine stopped and looked at the river, the light must have reflected off the river and hit the bracelet just right. The river was more tame now but something else caught her attention. There to her left was a rock with a bit of the ridge attached to it.
She slowly approached it in the water and stoked a leth of wood with her hand and after a moment continued walking her way towards the deeper water so she could cross but she froze as she passed the rock.
“Chloe” she breathed. There she was face up floating in the water as the rope attached to her leg kept her in place. Nadine hurriedly made her way to chloe’s side and carefully cradled her body as she cut the rope with a knife from her pocket.
Slowly Nadine made her way to the other side with chloe’s body in hand. At least now, she could… She could bury her properly, somewhere beautiful… say goodbye.
As she got out of the water two things became very clear. One, Chloe’s wounds were still bleeding, and two, her chest was rising and falling. Which could only mean one thing. Chloe was alive!
“Chloe?! Chloe! I've got you okay I'm here. I'm going to get us out of here and you're going to be just fine okay” Nadine hurriedly yanked at her pockets and pulled out a Ziploc with clean and dry first aid equipment quickly cleaning and packing the wounds before wrapping them and getting them out of there.
It was after that adventure that they had admitted their feelings towards each other. One date turned into two two turned into twenty and by then they had truly turned into partners. Wives both on and off work.
They'd taken to marriage like ducks to water. They did everything together. they always discovered new things about each other, when they figured out they watched the same show.
Nadine was looking for Chloe, she was supposed to be planning out a new adventure for them so she went to their living to see if she was there like she usually was, and she was. Chloe was sitting on the couch with some maps scattered around her on the coffee table in the process of mapping out their journey, but when Nadine took a closer look she realized that Chloe’s attention was on the tv instead.
Nadine smirked instantly recognizing the judges on the show as she snuck up behind her wife. “What are you watching?” laughing as chloe scrambled to turn off the tv and pretend like she hadn't just been caught.
“Nothing” Chloe lied embarrassed even if she knew there was no reason to.
Nadine rounded the couch and settled on her wife’s lap boxing her in and locking eyes. “Chloe” voice low and dominating “ you know I don't like being lied to” she reminded as she caressed her face.
Chloe loved Nadine's dominant side so it took her a moment to actually focus and reply. “hmm.. Oh umm the great American baking show”
Nadine scrunched her face then lifted a single eyebrow “you mean The Great British Baking show”
This time Chloe tilted her head “no, I mean the great American baking show.. I just found it”
Simultaneously they asked“There’s an American one?” “Is there a British one?”
“Yes” “ja” they laughed
After that they decided to postpone their next trip in favor of a risk free staycation watching each others shows bonding over favorite characters and preferred ships.
They'd even gotten a bigger place together and had both agreed on an exercise room so they could not so subtly check each other out as they stayed in shape for their missions where Chloe always took the reins. It was only in the bedroom and alone together where she'd hand them over. As they got older and had many successful adventures they finally got a few dogs. Nadine had always wanted one and Chloe had never stayed in one place long enough to have a pet. Nadine trained them so well they'd even gone on a few missions together with them.
Chloe and Nadine had decided that this was their last adventure and Chloe was really regretting it right now. They had enough money for ten life times but they wanted one last run. It was that want that had her pinned under a fallen wall and bleeding out (again) after the last remnants of shore line decided this was their chance to ambush them. And honestly it had been.
Nadine had gone off with the dogs to scout out the safest way back to the jeep since it was night time and there were admittedly a few dangerous predators out there, while Chloe’s back was to the mouth of a small cave torch in hand studying a depiction on the cave wall which had been hidden behind an ancient fake wall. There hadn't been any signs of shoreline for a few years and the whole trip had gone without a hitch or any clue that someone was out there with them so she never expected it when someone’s arm wrapped around her throat from behind as they drove a blade to the hilt into her back.
As the blade left her body she immediately turned around in her assailant’s hold and redirected what would have been a second stabbing. Continuing with a kick to the family jewels and a knee to the chin as the man fell down in an unconscious heap.
Chloe stumbled holding herself up against the cave wall for a minute before he heard the bullets “Nadine”
She made her way towards the false wall when a massive explosion had part of that wall colliding with her front and pinning her to the ground.
The next thing she registered was the need for air. Chloe didn't know how long she'd been unconscious for but she knew she needed to move. Unfortunately she was stuck ,and with the way the wall was on her, she could really only use one arm to lift it just enough to get some air into her lungs before she begrudgingly had to put it back down. The only plus at the moment was that she could tell that the pressure she was under was actually keeping her from bleeding out as quickly as she would be.
Chloe was a bit fuzzy so she didn't notice when the explosions and the gunfight had stopped. As she was again letting the wall drop on her, with her now very shaky free hand, two hands cupped her face and gingerly redirected her gaze.
“China” Chloe breathed. Her wife was beautiful and she had aged gracefully. There were streaks of grey in Nadine’s hair, (which Chloe herself had caused) and she now had laugh lines on her face (which she also had caused), but she'd never lost her body, her strength, or her heart. They were older but not that old.
Nadine’s worried eyes took her in. “ How bad is it Chloe?”
“Mmm I'm fuzzy” Chloe shook her head trying to focus better “one of em got me in the back” she scrunched her face “I think you're going to have to go all Xena on it. It was to the hilt”
Nadine grimaced Xena warrior princess was a show where the main character was definitely sapphic to them at the very least bi, but set in a time where sometimes the best medical care you got was a burning knife to cauterize your wounds. She was not looking forward to that, the smell of burnt flesh, scaring her beautiful wife, and bringing her more pain before any relief, but she would do all that to get her back home. “What else?”
“The walls makes it h hard to breathe but if you move it I might bleed out before you get a fire going”
“Not on my watch.”
“Aww how touching. Saying your last goodbyes?”
Chloe felt Nadine stiffen as three men came in with their guns drawn. An older man who looked like someone from their past that she couldn't place and two masked goons who looked like they'd seen better days.
“Looks like you missed the last three of us” the old man laughed. “ now take a few knees backwards and raise your hands or we’ll shoot your precious wife”
Nadine’s breath hitched before she immediately capitulated the man’s orders. “Whale, so you're the one who's been coming after us all these years, keeping the shoreline barely alive.”she said as one of the men got her to her feet and into and wrapped an arm around her throat while the other went around her waist.
Whale made his way in front of her with his gun pointed at her head and gestured for the last man to do the same to Chloe “ of course it's me!” he seethed “ because of both of you I lost my son! You both killed Orca!” he breathed in and tried to compose himself “ but unlike you I'm a gentleman, unlike you ill let you live as you watch her die,” he continued loving the way Nadine’s eyes widened and she struggled before stopping as the third mad placed the barrel of his gun on her wife's head “ unlike you, ill let you hear her last words and then say goodbye.”
Nadine scrambled to find a way around this. If she offered her life instead, Chloe would still bleed out, suffocate, or get shot. If she fought back Chloe would still be shot. If she herself got hurt too bad then she wouldn't be able to help Chloe and she'd die anyway. … It didn't matter what Whale had planned for her. Chloe was still going to die.
…This really was their last adventure
Chloe watched as Nadine struggled mentally, emotionally, and physically as Whale turned around and directed his aim at her, stepping on the portion of wall still on her.
Chloe gasped at the added weight, coughing when he removed it.
“Any last words for your traitorous wife?”
Chloe being Chloe most certainly did “ first of all your son was the traitor. If he hadn't double crossed Nadine then he'd still be alive and shoreline would be thriving” which earned her a kick to the head from the man behind her “and second” she made eye contact with Nadine “Aanval!”
The older man loosened his hold on the gun “anvall? did that kick to the head UGGH!”
Before any of the men knew what was happening two vested dogs bulleted forward knocking away the guns and attacking the men as Nadine easily got out of the arms holding her in place.
She quickly took down the masked men now that she had an opening and walked up to Whale “Goodbye” and pulled the trigger. Her shoulders slumped in relief. Shoreline was finally gone and Chloe was hurt but alive “ beskerm”
Their two dogs took protective stances around Chloe ready to intervene in case any stragglers were left or any predators got curious, not that any should since the had a feast just waiting for them outside.
Shadow and Jagter were always very protective of them ever since Chloe and Nadine had rescued them as pups from cruel hands. Nadine had grown and directed that instinct for moments like this . They were the kindest of furry girls until you crossed and hurt their mommies.
Nadine made her way back to Chloe who was struggling to breathe again quickly she removed a bagged cloth and bottle of alcohol and laid them on the floor then grabbed a clean knife out of Jegter’s vest and a road flare out of shadows vest and placed them on the cloth. “Okay Chloe, I'm right here. I'm going to flip over this wall then I'm going to cauterize your back and get us out of here okay. Then we can go home and watch some marvel movies and dc shows till you get back on your feet okay”
“ yeah love, Th that sounds great”
Nadine easily flipped the wall of Chloe then carefully turned her over and poured the alcohol on her back before opening the flare, heating the knife, and placing it to her wife's pinched flesh. It was not a fun experience to say the least and she was woman enough to admit she cried as Chloe screamed and her fur babies whined.
Chloe had been right though and the doctors told her as much after she'd come out of surgery. If she hadn't cauterized Chloe's wound she would have bled out before they'd arrived.
After that life slowed down a bit though they always stayed in shape. Nadine taught self defense classes for women who'd been hurt in the past on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays she worked at the wildlife preserve. Chloe worked as a curator on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while on Tuesdays and Thursdays she was the local rock climbing instructor. Nights, weekends, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays always remained free though. They loved the time they spent in each other’s arms and with the pups they still saw the sights and visited some old adventure spots just without taking risks or having anyone trying to kill them.
They'd made a wonderful life together as partners and they treasured each other till the day they died hand in hand surrounded by the people whose lives they'd touched and changed.
Partners forever till the end of their days