The Bitter Morning After Pill
Posted on Sun Feb 12th, 2023 @ 6:03pm by Captain Akiva ben-Avram & Lieutenant JG Jaya Maera Garlake & Lieutenant Colonel Storr Garlake & Commander Arianna Frost & Lieutenant Calderon Jarsdel & Lieutenant Commander Leonora Wolf MD & Lieutenant Teejay & Warrant Officer Laena ben-Avram
6,146 words; about a 31 minute read
Mission:
Season 1 Interlude II (E5.5)
Location: Villa 17 | Temtibi Lagoon, Risa
Timeline: ID 4&5 - just before and morning following 'Darkness On Evora'
The moment they were in the room Arianna stepped away from the Risan man and headed towards the entertainment hutch.
Matija moved to speak but Arianna held up a hand. The effect had to be spot-on for this to work.
"You know, with all our transactions over the years, I'm more than happy to do you a freebie, you've been a great customer," Matija said with a grin as he paced the room.
Frost shook her head, "I'm paying you to make people think we're doing it. I'm not paying you to sleep with me."
The tanned man slinked over to her with crazy confidence, "I know...but you could be, for free. That's what I'm saying, Jade."
Jade Farwynd, yet another alias. Soon there would be another in use.
Arianna turned to look at the man, "if circumstances were different I'd be jumping your bones, right here, right now, Matija." She said in earnest. "Unfortunately I have restrictions and a job to do...and so do you. Just remember, periodically they need to hear sounds to make them think we are actually doing it, so I expect you to sell it." Frost chuckled.
Matija grinned, "not going to be a problem. Have you got the snacks and games I asked for?"
Arianna nodded and pointed over to the big display and a food storage unit. "Have fun."
The Risan plopped on the bed with a giddy, childish energy. "Oh, if anyone comes looking for you?"
Arianna stepped into the bathroom and began changing, "make it look and sound like they just interrupted a post sex nap...do your best sex hair and just be in your shorts...you know the drill."
He winked at her from underneath a curly fringe. "Not too late to change your mind!"
"I'll leave you an extra tip instead." Came a reply from Frost in the bathroom.
Moments later a dark haired, dark eyed woman stepped out, wearing civilian maintenance contractor's clothes. "What do you think?"
She gave a little twirl as Matija looked over, and he made a grimace. "Awfully dull and ordinary, I much prefer the real Jade."
Oh the irony of that statement.
"Excellent, exactly what I wanted." She grinned, her smile crooked and buck toothed. "I'll see you in the morning."
With that said she pulled out a bajoran style commbadge, "I'm ready."
"About damn time!" An annoyed female voice came from the other side. "Transporting."
Moments later the woman disappeared in a transporter signal stream.
The transporter beam dissipated, leaving behind the same 'dull' looking woman that had left the night before.
"Good morning!" Came a groggy greeting from the kitchen. A smell of coffee followed.
Arianna pressed a button in her pocket and the holographic disguise fell. The sweet, delectable, trustworthy, reliable smell of coffee. Oh how she longed for something stabile and reliable right now. While last night was successful it opened up more doors than it closed.
She'd need to tell the others. Coffee first though.
"Mornin'!" She called back as she stepped back into the bathroom and began changing. She put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and mussed up her hair and did a messy rub at her eyes and lips, making the makeup she wore last night look smudged. She did take a packet of cleansing wipes and put them in her pocket before venturing back out.
Matija stood there, eyeing her up head to toe. "Much better look on you, Jade."
Arianna shook her head and reached for the coffee, "stop...it!" Her words were scolding but her expression was amused.
Matija laughed loudly, "I'm just having a laugh. I honor my contracts, always my dear." He laughed even harder when she snatched the coffee out of his hand. "Did you find what you needed?"
Arianna took a sniff of the coffee first, a serene expression seeping into her features. Reliability...so...nice.
She took a long sip before answering. "Yes...well some. I will need more, but it's plenty for now."
Matija nodded and finished his coffee. He began looking for his clothes. "Next time can you bring the other snacks? I mean these were good but, I much prefer the chili ones."
Arianna nodded then took another long sip, watching him as he got dressed. "We good to do the final part? I'll pay you now, but I just need that one scene as you leave, just for the final effect."
Matija nodded as he began buttoning up his shirt, but stopped halfway as he saw her raise a hand.
"Fluff your hair up a bit and leave it unbuttoned and no shoes...remember. Walk of shame," she set her cup aside and stepped over to her bag.
"So meticulous, you..." Matija chuckled, "don't worry, I can pull off the morning after like a pro."
Ari chuckled and stepped back over to him, two strips of gold pressed latinum in her hand. "Much appreciated, Matija." She handed him the strips and then took his hand and they headed out the door.
He stepped out first still holding her hand. "We have to do this again, my dear." Matija put on his warmest grin and stepped back closer to her as she remained at the door, in a good angle for other to see. He slipped a hand around her waist and leaned in, stopping just shy of her lips, while her arms wrapped around his neck.
"We do indeed..." Arianna purred as he pulled away, "thank you for a wonderful night. My steam has definitely been released." She said as she leaned against the door frame, one leg propped up, bent at the knee, her arms behind her back, serving as a cushion.
She then took his hand and together they walked towards the entrance. Matija leaned in again and gave her a peck on the cheek before they both noticed they had company, causing them both to grin.
Jaya lounged in the common area of the hut, sipping a Seyalian tea and enjoying the sight of the waves gently lapping up over the northern section of the villa's wrap-around colonnade. At the sight and sound of the guest leaving Ari's room, however, her right eyebrow arched over the rim of her steaming mug.
"Morning," she greeted the both of them. "And a good one, I take it."
Ari turned sideways to look at Jaya, "it certainly was," she threw on a grin, "you remember Matija, from last night?"
"Mmhmmm..." Jaya hid her smirk behind her mug.
The kitchenette portion of the common area was busy with the searing of eggs and a whiff of spices. When Akiva looked up, he dropped an egg on the ground. "Ben-zonah!" he cursed as he knelt down to wipe it up. Resuming an upright posture, he forced a smile. "Hello..." It took everything he could do not to flinch or tense up. Maybe it was just his imagination, but Akiva would swear he could smell sex over the spice blend in front of him. "I was making some shakshuka... would you care for some?"
Arianna could feel herself tense up as Akiva made his presence known, but she recovered quickly. "Sure, I'll just see Matija out and come join you?"
Matija didn't hide his grin or his amusement at the situation at all. "It's good to see you again, friend of Jade's...I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?"
"Jade?" repeated Akiva with confusion.
"Yes, Jade has become almost like family to us. My name is Jaya and the breakfast cook is Akiva." Setting her teacup down, Jaya lurched into a hug for Matija. "Thank you," she whispered up into his ear, "for scratching her itch. It was becoming a problem for everyone."
While they hugged, Akiva could only gulp. What... what game was Ari up to?
"You are most welcome." Matija gave Jaya a tight, friendly embrace, his amusement still prevalent, "I enjoyed helping her scratch. Almost as much as she enjoyed it." He said, giving Ari a cheeky wink.
"Yeah okay, time for you to shoot through, mate, and me to have breakfast." Arianna stepped in before things got too out of hand. She knew Jaya would take the point and run off with it and she was prepared for it.
She did however hope that she wouldn't have to interact with Akiva while Matija was there. Rumors and hearsay was the goal, not rubbing it in. Yet, here they were, so she'd have to salvage what was and get to the point of telling them what information she found with Xanthe and Korra.
Matija grinned and stepped away from Jaya. "Pleasure to meet you both." He said nodding to the Deltan and the Hebron, "walk me out?" He gave another cheeky wink to Ari and reached for her hand. Time for one final show.
"I'll be right back!" Arianna said with a squeal and a nod as he tugged her away.
"Well, that went perfectly for what you wanted, didn't it?" He said quietly as they walked away hand in hand.
Ari steepled her fingers through his hand, "as good as we could make it." If it worked, why did she feel this guilt all of a sudden?
"Anyway, this is me." He announced loudly and leaned down at an angle just so their faces couldn't quite be seen, enough to make it look like a kiss from a distance. "I'm at your disposal, as always. See you around, Jade Farwynd!"
With a proverbial tip of the hat, Matija straightened up and stepped outside of the bounds of the resort.
While they left, Jaya turned her attention to Akiva. His agape jaw had been open for all to see. "Are you all right?" asked Jaya with a knowing look.
"Fine." Akiva flipped the eggs on top of the tomato mash and set them to simmer. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Do you want me to answer that truthfully?" Jaya's eyebrow arched nearly to her forehead.
"No."
Jaya chuckled. "If you have intentions, Akiva, then you should act on them. The opportunity of a lifetime is only good for the lifetime of the opportunity."
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Akiva said, eyes turned down at the skillet.
"Mmhmmm..." Jaya smirked and returned to her teacup. Ari was due back any moment and Jaya wanted to be ready.
Ari took a deep breath as she turned from watching Matija go and headed back toward her friends. The ruse had worked better than she had anticipated. Initially it was only for the benefit of other prying eyes, in case they were being watched. One could never underestimate one's enemy, especially not one with Taskmaster's skillset.
Enemy...damn, how the tables had turned.
Frost shook the thoughts away as she returned to the kitchenette. "That smells fabulous, by the way, Captain," she said, trying not to roll her eyes at the 'cat-that-ate-the-canary' look that danced across Jaya's very much amused features.
She couldn't resist saying something though, so she settled for "what?" A shrug followed.
"I second that!" Jaya called out, her smile now carrying her away with pregnancy cravings.
"You are welcome to have a plate," Akiva said. "I made extra." He avoided Ari's gaze. "I... I promised Laena some hot breakfast, but I'm not sure if she's awake yet."
Now was as good a time as any.
Arianna took a seat at the counter. "Well, I'm sure she'd love to have breakfast with us, as would Storr..." she raised her palm off of where it was on the counter and made the sign. "I'll go change, I'll extend invites to see if anyone else wants to pitch in and cook?"
Without a scrambler device, she couldn't name names, she just hoped the other two would catch on that she was referring to Nandi, Leonora and Teejay.
Akiva just shrugged without looking up from the stovetop. "Fine. Whatever."
But Jaya noticed. "Yes, that would be wonderful," she said while giving Akiva a pointed glare.
The expression on Arianna's face clearly said what the fuck? This flippant attitude was very much unlike Akiva. Or perhaps it was she just didn't know him well enough to expect it? Definitely something to think about. Later. Not now. Now they all needed to talk so she could share what information she'd found and so they could decide their next steps.
"Alright, I'll be back. If you two could call Laena and Storr?" Frost got up but didn't actually wait for acknowledgment from the other two.
Instead, she ducked back into her room and sent off a message to Nandi and to Leah, telling the latter to grab Teejay and come over to their hut for breakfast. Then she set about finding her scrambling device and changing into something more appropriate and wiping that bloody mess of makeup from her face.
"Oh, darling..." Jaya called out in a singsong tone as she sauntered toward their shared room.
Left alone, Akiva realized there was nothing left to do but see if Laena was awake yet. He set the food aside to cool, then went to Laena's door to give it a knock.
"Come in," came the voice from within. As Akiva entered the room he found Laena sitting in front of a large open window overlooking the terrain beyond. Her legs were in a lotus position and she made no move to see who had entered her room. Her eyes were closed as her chest rose and fell with deep breaths.
Walking inside, Akiva closed the door and used Laena's meditative state as an opportunity to find his own center. There was conflict inside him which he couldn't even begin to understand, much less face. Yesterday had been so beautiful, almost a dream come true. So why was today shaping up to be so... "I made some breakfast," he said at length. "If you're hungry. Although... Ari has called an emergency meeting. It's about... you know... that thing." Why was it so hard to talk? Thinking was no easier. "Looks like we'll have a crowded hut before long. You're part of the secret team now, so..." He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I just wanted to let you know all of that."
"I'd love breakfast," she said, not turning towards him. "Is there time to eat before we meet or will we be eating during?"
"If we hurry, you might be able to catch a quick bite before everyone arrives." Akiva made a soft frown, speaking in an apologetic tone. "I may have to make extra..."
Laena kept her composure, though inside she was a little hurt that this offer of breakfast seemed more of an afterthought than a plan to actually include her. She stood, letting the long hem of her bright yellow dress fall to the floor. While the bottom was freely flowing, the bodes was form fitting, if not slightly too tight, showing off an asset of herself that she knew Akiva quite enjoyed. What she had hoped would be a chance to redo what wasn't able to be finished yesterday had quickly become yet another day on the job. She smiled at him. "No need for that, then," she said. "We shouldn't waste any time if they'll be here soon." She held out her hand for him to take it. Despite her current feelings, she was determined to do everything she could to make this work.
The dreaded message had come. Somehow he knew this was possible but couldn't believe it had finally caught up with him. Storr had been recalled to Sandhurst because a routine records review showed that he had not finished his final semester and needed to return to complete his degree if he wanted to retain his commission in the SFMC. There he stood in the quad, wearing the wrong uniform of the day while dread filled his stomach, realizing slowly creeping in that he didn't know his class schedule or even where the classrooms were. To top it off, finals were today, and he had been marked absent/failing for the entire semester, so his entire grade rested on this one event. The bell rang, and he was already late for every class. Sweat poured down his brow as he tried to make his way to the counselor's office, but every door in the long hallway was locked, and everyone was suddenly gone. Jaya would be ashamed of him, kicked out of the dorms for failing his classes, and the triplets born in a box under the highway. The bell rang again as a mental image of a class roster flashed across his vision, the Commandant running but his legs barely moving in the quicksand that had replaced the floor. Panic and terror replaced the dread as he began getting sucked under the swirling sand when an angelic voice broke through the fog. It was like the trilling of bells, a voice for sure, but he couldn't understand it. He struggled to keep his head above the sand to listen. He strained, coughing out mouthfuls of granules as he bent to put his ear higher, higher...
"I didn't study, I'm sorry we have to live in a box!" he spat out, sitting up in bed, reality crashing in via bright light, cool breeze, and a beautiful Deltan sitting beside him on the bed. His heart beat like an asteroid trash hauler as he blinked several times and sighed, flopping back down on the bed, forearm over his eyes. After taking several breaths, he began to chuckle, feeling Jaya's hand slowly stroking his arm. "Yearly dream, right on schedule. You'd think school wouldn't give you PTSD," he said, the chuckle becoming more tender as he moved his arm to take Jaya's hand. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Well, breakfast for one," Jaya said. "Akiva made something that smells amazing. But... Ari has also called for a special meeting of... well, you know." She raised her hand up, palm facing outward, to signal the secret team they had formed around Akiva's oath to investigate and avenge the hidden atrocities recently discovered among the barely functional Borg drones. "We really need a name for it, you know."
"Breakfast sounds and smells amazing. As for the meeting..." he shook his head, "breakfast first. Well, actually, I like a little sugar before my coffee," he said with a sly grin, pulling his pregnant wife to him in the bed, her playful squeal much to his delight.
Leah's communication device began beeping, rousing the nord out of the most peaceful sleep she'd had in a long while. Sleep draped over an equally peaceful-looking half-Vulcan man. A soft smile formed on her face as she looked down on him, remembering the day and night before.
Then she remembered that she was being sought after and rolled over to check what was going on. It was a message from Ari.
"Got a new version of Little Red Riding Hood I know you'd love to read, bring Tee and I'll give you a copy over breakfast."
The message was clearly code. Leah sent a message back.
"Love to! And breakfast sounds great, will be there soon."
"Tee, you awake?" Leah rolled back over gently.
"Nope!" Insisted Teejay, mumbling words into his pillow even as he twisted gently and rolled over to crash happily into Leah and attack-cuddle. "Maybe..." he added, voice warm, rough and right up against her ear.
Leah pretended to lose her breath loudly, partly due to the goosebumps his breath and voice elicited, partly due to the cuddle attack. "We can pick this up later," she said nuzzling her head against his, "Frosty has news and food. We'll need energy for later." Leah brushed her lips against his gently.
Take the smooth with the rough, Teejay decided, and he nodded even as he lingered in that kiss for as long as Leah allowed. "Yes sir, Lieutenant Commander, sir," he lampooned politely, and then hopped, utterly naked, out of the bed. "Food sounds good." News? Well, that was a mixed bag lately, he'd worry about that when he'd had some of the aforementioned food.
Leah found herself watching, conscious thought utterly gone for a moment. "Hm? Yes, yes, it does." She added finally and rolled out of bed herself, in her birthday suit as well and went about finding something to wear.
A damn shame, that's what it was. Being called to action under the illusion of a very real vacation. But nothing hurt quite as much in that moment as watching all that soft, pale white skin be covered with clothing. In futile protest, Teejay opted for cut-off shorts and a vest, leaving his feet bare and administering cocoa butter to his dark skin while he watched Leah dress. Whatever Frost wanted - needed - them for, he had a sour feeling it wasn't something that involved dancing, breakfast or pineapple smoothies.
Leah pulled off another two-piece bathing suit/saree combo, pulled her hair in a messy bun, donned on a straw hat and sandals. With a wink and a grin, she grabbed Teejay's hand and together they left the room and headed for Hut 1.
"Got a new version of Little Red Riding Hood I know you'd love to read, I'll give you a copy over breakfast."
A message blared on Nandi's communication device, a predetermined code requesting a meetup. Commander Frost was summoning Nandi to the Administration team's hut.
"Mmmmmm...." Nandi was bleary-eyed and pelvically exhausted, but she managed to roll over to check her pocket communicator. It took a moment to mentally process. "What? Little Red Riding... Bloody hell!" she exclaimed, eyes wide. She did her best to slide out from under Cal's muscular arm. "Excuse me... I, uh, need to..." No, the call of duty would raise more questions than it answered. "... to go for a swim. Be back soon!" She slid back into her panties and pulled a robe around herself. It wasn't classy but it would have to do. Commander Frost's instructions were that these clandestine meetings were always dire and one should never delay attending.
Little Red Riding Hood? That raised an eyebrow even as Cal pulled his consciousness from sleep to mostly-awake. Taking quick account of where his and Nandi's limbs all were, he sat up, instantly awake at the young woman's 'bloody hell!' comment. Something - you didn't need to be telepathic to figure out - was up. "A swim?" He asked, smiling wryly at the lame reason. "So, just you and 'Red Riding Hood' are going for a 'swim'?" You could hear the air quotes as Cal stood up, stark naked, and looked around for clothing. "Kinda hard to keep secrets from me," he pointed out, good-naturedly. "But if you prefer I can pretend?"
The blood drained from Nandi's dark face, leaving her pallid and deathly looking. "Red... Red R-r-riding Hood?" she stammered. Oh dear. He knew! He knew? He knew. How much did he know? Could he be trusted? Did he work for the Taskmaster? Was he going to kill her? Would she end up another Borg drone butler wandering around Overwatch Station? Would anyone look upon her as Teejay had looked on Miton? The whirligig of thoughts and fears swirled Nandi's mind into a full-blown panic attack. Nandi clutched her hands together to still them from shaking, but she could do nothing about the tremors in her chest. "I... I... I..." Was there any point in lying to a telepath? Oh, if only Commander Frost were here...
He couldn't help it. Cal chuckled as he 'listened' to Radio Nandi firing off on all 'verbal' cylinders. But damn, she looked so pale and uncomfortable and didn't that just end the amusement faster than even the unfolding internal reverie drama could. Reaching out from his position of amused calm, Cal took a gently supportive grip of Nandi's hands and looked into her eyes as soon as she allowed it.
"That's a lot," he said. "But yes, I can be trusted. It's okay. I can teach you to work with me to block some things though, if you want." Not so much block, as code to him that she was entering a private line of thought, but whatever helped ease the panic down was good, right? In the interest of less of said panic in the room, Cal didn't ask any more questions right now, but he was definitely curious about the drones and whoever Miton was. Those seemed like questions for 'Red Riding Hood, ' though.
"Nandi," Cal said, quietly but firmly in kindness as he quickly washed himself and pulled on towellling shorts. "It's okay. I'll explain it to whoever's summoned you, okay? You're not in trouble. They cleared me for duty. But I am really curious," he admitted, a soft smile offering hope.
"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone," Nandi said timidly, "but something tells me I already did." Tears of relief welled up within her eyes as the panic slowly ebbed away. "Heh. Technically I still haven't said anything." But it was still a conundrum. How angry would the others be if she brought him along? She doubted that her inclusion was anything more than happenstance. But Cal...he had a certain reputation. It had been well represented during the Trill insurgency on DS9. Perhaps her contribution could be bringing him into the secret fold. "If you can keep a secret better than I can, then maybe you should come with me."
A worn thumb lightly brushed the first sign of tears from those big brown eyes and Cal looked into their depths with a sensitive look of his own. Technically Nandi hadn't said anything, but also he needed to teach her some basic protective measure, or they'd never have any secrets. Jumik would have capitalized on that option, but Calderon was back in charge of himself now and he aimed to respect privacy for the most part. He wasn't perfect, but he also didn't need to know every detail of Nandi's (or anyone else's) mind.
"They won't be mad at you," Cal promised, pulling on a clean t-shirt. "It's on me, okay. If you prefer I pretend not to have heard anythuing, I'll act dumb, but I'd prefer not to keep this secret. I'm officially trusted, but people are going to be making up their own minds on a day to day basis. So your call, want me to stay here and be quiet or follow you to your clandestine brekkie?"
Nandi shook her head. "No, I must tell them of my... my breach. And I am certain they would rather have you at hand than at large." She gave a soft chuckle that hoped against harsh repercussions. "It's... it's fine. I'm sure of it."
Running hands through his hair and checking his breath by breathing into a cupped palm, Cal then looked to Nandi and nodded. "I guess we'll find out soon enough then," he said, gifting her a grin in response to her chuckle. "Let's go..." He reached out a hand to hold hers and paused briefly. "We're going openly together-together then, right?" He double-checked.
"Right..." Nandi gave a nod that was far more confident than she felt. There was just something about the way Cal's penetrating eyes bore into her that made her want to be brave.
Storr and Jaya arrived hand-in-hand, dressed for another lazy day on the shore. While Garlake was no master of interpersonal non-verbal dynamics, he immediately sensed the tension in the room, mostly emanating from Akiva toward...Arianna? Could it have anything to do with that slimeball from last night?
"Cook enough for the whole class, boetie?" Storr asked with a smile, saddling up to Akiva in the kitchen. "Need a hand?" Not waiting for an answer, the Afrikaaner put the skillet back on the burner and turned it on, seeing that only one plate was left on the bar. Opening the fridge and grabbing a handful of eggs, he splashed some oil in the pan before cracking a half-dozen golden dollops into the now-sizzling liquid. "Hand me a glass of water?" he asked Akiva, slowly rotating the pan above the heat to spread the oil evenly around.
"So, how's everything going?" he asked his best friend in a much lower tone, cutting his eyes to the slowly filling communal room and then back to the Hebron.
"I don't know," Akiva said honestly. It was a layered response that felt true on multiple levels.
Laena stood off to the side, slightly away from the group. She felt out of place being here with them for some reason. While she and Akiva were trying to work on their relationship, she hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Jaya since she returned. She honestly wasn't sure where they stood. The added frustration of the current happenings with Akiva wasn't helping.
Jaya stood attached to Storr's hip like a conjoined twin, except for the intimate body language between them. The satisfied look on her face was like a beacon of joy. Anyone who thought twice would know precisely what had kept them. "Then maybe you'd better find out," she suggested in reply to Akiva. "One way or another."
If Akiva heard her, he gave no acknowledgment.
The chef looked over the Hebron with a mixture of concern, pity, and admittedly some frustration. Dipping his fingers in the glass of water, he flicked the liquid onto the top of the sunny-side-up eggs to help cook the tops.
"Well, brother, honesty is the best policy, and I feel you nailed that one. So did my lovely Jaya." Garlake smiled at them. There really wasn't more to say until the meeting started but still much to do. Before sliding the six eggs onto an awaiting plate, only a few more moments of heat were needed...perfect. The golden yolks transferred flawlessly with their whites onto the awaiting serving plate. Looking back to see more figures making their way into the room, the Afrikaner started up the rapid-oven and racked two pounds of bacon onto a sheet before jamming a dozen eggs into the already hot pan. Storr also flicked on the waffle iron before grabbing a large bowl of batter from the replicator. The smells alone were divine...Lord, he loved breakfast.
"And Darling, this is not all for you," he said with a boyish grin at his bride. He was joking. Somewhat. Slightly. Not really. No, it was an actual admonishment. He still had no idea how the Deltan had turned into a bird to eat her body weight (or more!) each day.
Arianna, who had returned first, was set up close to where Jaya had sat originally, cutting up fruit for a bigger platter and making coffees. Her body went through the motions while her mind was going through the post-action analysis of the information she'd gained that night and what it all meant going forward, unaware of how the distance and the postures looked to arrivals and onlookers.
She saw out of the corner of her eye Leah and Teejay arriving next. She set the knife aside and walked over to the entrance to help them get in.
"G'day you lot." Ari greeted the two with a smile, though she felt a surprising amount of apprehension when she looked over at Teejay.
But Leah seemed to have it well in hand if their intertwined hands were anything to go by.
The science guy was quiet, his expression somewhere between happy to be here and curious. He didn't speak or smile at Ari, but pressed his fingertips hard, just for a second, on Leah's hand.
Leah chuckled, "I hope you have coffee and sweets."
Arianna placed a hand on both to help them cross the security frame, "I know there is coffee and I just cut up some fruit, the others are helping out with the rest. Nandi should be arriving soon, the others have other plans. So it won't be all of us."
"Oh that's fine!" Leah played along, giving Teejay's hand an extra squeeze. "What would you like us to do?"
The second he crossed the barrier with Frost's help, Teejay offered up a gracious grin and slipped straight into relaxed-mode. "Morning Commander," he greeted Ari. "Thanks for the invite."
"Set up some chairs and plates? They're over there." Arianna pointed over to where Storr, Jaya and Akiva were.
"No problemo," said Teejay in a confident singsong voice, and he stepped away from Leah to start grabbing chairs and moving them enthusiastically, dance-walking to the beat of some internal song that was accompanied by the occasional thump of a palm on a chair back or leg in order to keep an external beat going.
Leah looked after him with a chuckle before turning to Ari.
"Hello..." Nandi said, knocking on the open door as she entered. Her demeanor was far more bashful than normal, yet there was a resolute quality to her body language that held a sense of urgency. "I... I have something to tell everyone." Just rip the bandage, right? "You all know Cal...deron Jarsdel."
As Nandi and Cal made an appearance, both blondes turned to face them. A look of surprise washed over Leah's face, while a raised eyebrow graced Ari's. A raised eyebrow and quick raising of mental barriers.
His right hand wrapped comfortably tight about Nandi's left, Cal strolled purposefully into the room alongside his recently nocturnal company. Casual in his dark sleeveless tee, toweling shorts, and low tops, Cal's form was impressively muscular, a testimony to Jumik's desire for power on all levels. He didn't speak, but offered a brief nod and a cautious smile as that sense of internal doors locking clicked within his mind. Like walking through the streets of a village and hearing doors slam, people clearing back inside their homes to watch a new arrival from behind their window panes, it was abrupt, definitive and cool.
Teejay stopped in his own labours, turned to see the two new arrivals and grinned broadly then gave the universal okay sign with his free hand. Seemed Risa was working just fine for vacations from the normal day-to-day working troubles.
Cal's instant response was a casually easy grin/duck of his head combo, his silence allowing Nandi the freedom to continue with their intro as she wished.
Nandi went on. "He... is... kind of... read into our little operation here." Though her mouth spread into a grin, it was that of the French resistance fighters of old facing a firing squad. Death, one might say, becomes her.
Cal squeezed that hand harder and mentally gave Nandi a friendly warning nudge before letting go of her and stepping to one side as Frost shifted position. He was ready to leave, if they wanted, but - with their barriers up - he wasn't prepared for what the secretive blond did next.
Arianna stepped over to Nandi and gave her a hug. "You're fine, relax." She whispered to the young woman, "no more talk of our common goal until we got scramblers on. With me so far?"
"Oh! Right!" Nandi's eyes popped wide open inversely to her mouth which closed tight.
"Book clubs are serious business," noted Cal from two steps away. Internally, he'd relaxed a little and was trading a silent sequence of related facial expressions with the human-Vulcan scientist.
Arianna nodded and pulled away, plastering on a smile. "Welcome, mate. We'll pull in a chair for you. Breakfast should be finished soon, and then we'll eat and talk. That Red Riding Hood tale is a doozy." She winked at the new duo and motioned for them to follow her without waiting for answers.
"Thanks," Cal acknowledged, though he wasn't buying that smile of hers any more than he suspected she genuinely wished to welcome him into the mix. Frost was likely far too professional to give more away in this moment, but Cal was surprised to be included and even more so to see her wink. Maybe he really was on a pathway to some form of trust? Either way, he wasn't about to question his inclusion for the moment.
To Be Continued...
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