We meet again

Posted on Tue Jun 26th, 2018 @ 4:58am by Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne & Cadet Senior Grade Marcus Mattson

3,673 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Episode 95 - Helping Old Friends
Location: Promenade
Timeline: Day 5 1430 hrs

Having finished in sickbay Ariana had been to her quarters to change, she wasn’t officially on duty as yet even though she’d already counselled Markus. Deciding to head for the station Promenade she wore a flowing red dress that Jonatjon had bought for her it made her feel comfortable. She was busy looking in a shop window when she sensed a familiar presence and spotted Marcus Mattson's reflection. "Hello Markus" she turned to greet him smiling warmly as she did so, "it's nice to see you again"

Markus had spent some time relaxing mentally by exorcising. An hour of working out in martial art always was a nice way for him to calm down. He had left the counselors office knowing he was ready to go. Now all he had to do was wait to be called for the mission. He was walking down the promenade wearing black soft pants and a tank top, a towel around his neck as he was finishing his sweating. He was addressed and looked around. He was so surprised to see her in her red dress and she looked fantastic. "Hello doc..." he was a little stumped by her look.

"I see you've been spending some time in the gym" she grinned as she realized how stupid that must have sounded, "I'm getting good at making silly comments... Let me try again, it's nice to see you again and not looking so shy & nervous this time."

"I am finding calmness in martial arts." the cadet said. "That dress fits you well." he commented before he realized what he had said. He got a little nervous that he might had overstepped.

"Thank you" Ariana felt herself blush this time, she wasn't used to getting compliments, "it used to be one of my husband's favourites" her smile faded just a little, "I thought I'd do a little window shopping."

"He has good taste." he caught himself again. "What are you looking for?"

"Just looking for baby things I'm not buying yet but I like to look and see" she turned to look in the window, "you're right my husband did have good taste, unfortunately he passed away a month ago."

"I wish I could bring him back." he sighed. "Seeing that you have been crying makes me very sad." he had no idea how to make things better. "I don't think you would want to spend time with me now. I am a little sticky from training and all..."

Ariana had to admit this young man was charming to a fault, as much as she missed her husband it was nice to have someone else to talk to who seemed genuinely interested. "I've only just started looking around, if you want to go & shower I'll probably still be here when you get back."

Markus looked at his wrist-watch. "I have about stopped the sweating by now so it is possible." he informed the woman in-front of him, that dress really made her look stunning and for a moment he was lost for words and just looked her over, lost in the fact that she was so beautiful and he was quite lonely.

He mentally shook himself out of it and coughed. "Sorry, I can go and take a shower. After that I can keep you company if you so desire." he facepalmed himself in his mind, 'why did you say that. Now she will think you a creep or something.' he cursed himself in his head. His face didn't show it how ever.

Ariana looked at Markus "Do I embarrass you?" she smiled in an understanding kind of way, "You haven't been comfortable around me at all yet although I guess I can understand that" she looked back in the window at a white lace covered old earth style swinging crib was on show. "What do you think of this?" she pointed to the crib, "I know it's a strange thing to ask but I don't have anyone else to ask, I'm tempted to go in and buy it."

He walked up next to her, grateful of the distraction. He observed the crib and rubbed his rough chin that needed a shave, his facial hair grew pretty fast to a point. "I wouldn't think it is strange. I have not read up on the whole child room area yet. Thinking I have roughly nine months to do that you know." he looked around and a small PADD on the side of the door of the entrance. "I would advice you take one of these..." he calmly walked up and took one of the PADDs before coming back and offering it to her. "Then book a holodeck, pull up your quarters and decorate it with all the items in this list that they offer. That way you can test and see what you like and what goes best together right?" Markus offered in terms of advice.

Ariana looked at Markus and couldn't help but grin, here was a young man who actually had an interest in pregnancy & children which seemed strange in itself most men didn't have that interest until they were married and not always then. "You do surprise me Markus, for a single young man you seem well versed in family matters... do you like children?" she didn't pay much attention to his sweaty demeanor or the towel hanging round his neck.

"I hope to get a child of my own one day, even if I get unlucky and have to adopt. Not that adopting is bad, but who knows what happens in the future right." he started before narrowing his eyes. "How did you know I was single?"

"To be honest it was a guess" Ariana turned to look at him, "You don't say much about yourself, is there no one for you here on the station? I'm sure there must be someone out there, you're a very charming and polite person women normally appreciate that."

"I see..." he began. "I have learned that when women learn what I have done, they run for the hills. Doesn't matter how charming and polite I am until they learn that I nosedived a fighter in to the desert because I wanted to try the upper limits and being a thrill seeker as they think I am." he shrugged at that. "I will go and take that shower now. You should book a holodeck and build your dream baby room."

Ariana could see and feel the pain that Markus was holding back, "Was there someone you liked? Did she 'run for the hills' as you put it? I can feel you're holding back but I can't help you unless you let me and if you notice I'm not running away" she smiled warmly, "as for the baby room I'm not worried about a dream room just a few things that'll make him or her comfortable for the first few months then I'll have to request bigger quarters so I can have a nursery."

The 'I'm not running for the hills' comment confused him. Was she saying she was interested or was she saying as a woman she wasn't running. "Yes and yes." he simply answered, not wanting to really go there. "I am not sure if you are aware, but the whole thing about the nursery is for YOU to get hyped and happy about it too. The baby probably doesn't care what color the walls are, what design the bed is in. But what they probably would love is many different shapes, sizes and colors of things that move about, helping the child developed during the first few years. I can't tell you want to do, but I think you should definitely go all out, enjoy the experience. You wouldn't be here if you didn't feel some way like that." he smiled at her as he folded his arms over his chest. He then realized that he was still sticking around, even after saying he was going to take a shower.

"Don't worry I have plans to go 'all out' at the right point in time, it's still early in my pregnancy I'm only two months & I still have another eight to go some women consider it back luck doing things too early and I...." she paused for a moment, "... I'm not risking anything happening to my babies, he/she or both are all I have left of Jonathon" she massaged her temples her own stress levels were allowing the emotions, thoughts and feelings of those on the station to overwhelm her senses.

He could see she was getting very stressed from her body language. "Are you sure there are two? Or is it just a feeling you have?" he was alright with her feeling it.

"No guesswork involved, I had my first scan earlier today, the doctor tells me I'm expecting twins" she smiled warmly, "it came as somewhat of a shock but I'm getting used to the idea."

"Well. I am sure Jonathon the second or Jane or perhaps both will be healthy and happy children. His or her mother is clearly stressing out over that fact. So, as a simply bystander who is worried about the mother and the children. I order you to head home, take a warm shower, maybe read a good book and stroke that lump on your stomach. Perhaps read a children's book, sing to the child." He hoped that giving the child names was alright. Having heard the name of the father that she clearly cared deeply for, he figured she might want to honor him with naming it after her and he thought Jane was the female version of it.

"You're ordering me Cadet?" She grinned, "actually I think I might do just that I could do with the rest, the downside to being born with my abilities is I don't get to switch them off its not very conducive to being stress free."

He rubbed his chin again. "You think there is a way for you to allow your ability to be dampened. That and take a very nice warm bath. I do not know how your ankles are yet or if they ever will come. But you might need a spa or something."

"Pregnancy advice, helpful suggestions for my care..." She couldn't help but feel guilty that she was enjoying another man's company, "it's all very welcome & I appreciate it very much. So you've heard a bit about me how's about you tell me a little more about you before I go?"

He felt very bad that he was so clamped down. Her wording was flawless and effective, she was good. "There is nothing to know. I like water showers over sonic shower. I am a master of Wing Chung. Raised on a farm." He wasn't sure what else to say that he was ready to talk about.

Ariana walked on a little as she looked in the windows of the shops, waiting for him to catch up before she asked her next question. "What about the certain someone you mentioned earlier? I believe you told me there was a someone who left that you cared about? You don't have to tell me about her now but I think it would do you some good to talk about it."

"I-- I rather not. It is a mark of shame and a... source of... depression. Speaking of it is painful. So please... don't ask." His body language was that of extreme discomfort.

Ariana nodded "It's okay.... another time when you're ready, I'm sorry..." she stepped forward and gently gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek, "that's for all your help and advice" with that she turned to head back to her quarters but not before she stopped to look in a few more windows on the way.

He smiled at her response to his request, but as she leaned in he was quickly starting to panic, thinking of a million things she was going to do and became very rigid. The kiss instantly cleared his mind, in fact it became so black that he lost track of what to do and he just stood there. Looking at nothing.

Markus was pulled out of it after a few minutes by the owner of the store, telling him to buzz off because he was blocking the entrance. The cadet didn't respond and headed in a haze off to his quarters. Once there he undressed, folded his clothing and placing them in the replicator since he had replicated them not long before he was going to work out. Having plenty of power on a station made things relatively easy, but he didn't want to waste any energy and knew his old clothes would be re-purposed.

Ten minutes later Markus was in the shower with Bruce Springsteen playing in the bathroom. The day had been... Eventful and his head was still spinning from something as simple as a kiss on the cheek.

When Markus finished with his shower, he came out and sat on a comfortable chair close to the view-port. He had been lucky to get a view of space and the sun was shining in to the room, washing his room with warm rays. After a few moments, he turned the chair around to face the window before walking in to the his bedroom, pulling a guitar case out from under the bed. The sweed smiled as he opened the case, revealing a seagull acoustic guitar, gently he ran his fingers over the strings before he pulled it out of the case.

Taking a comfortable seat in the chair, he slowly ran his fingers over the strings and listened closely. He did this again a few times before he turned a few of the string heads, properly tuning the instrument. Satisfied he smiled and started to play the guitar (Bohamian Rhapsody) and sang with a clear voice.

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go
A little high, little low
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me, to me

Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooo
Didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters

Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine
Body's aching all the time
Goodbye everybody I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, ooo (anyway the wind blows)
I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all

I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango
Thunderbolt and lightning very very frightening me
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo Figaro - magnifico

But I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Easy come easy go will you let me go
Bismillah! No we will not let you go - let him go
Bismillah! We will not let you go - let him go
Bismillah! We will not let you go let me go
Will not let you go let me go (never)
Never let you go let me go
Never let me go ooo
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me
For me
For me

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye
So you think you can love me and leave me to die
Oh baby, can't do this to me baby
Just gotta get out just gotta get right outta here

Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Nothing really matters
Anyone can see
Nothing really matters nothing really matters to me
Anyway the wind blows

Ariana was passing by the crews quarters on the way to her own when the sound of music had drawn her closer to the door, not wanting to seem like she was loitering in the corridor she pressed the chime if only curious about who was inside.

Markus had just finished the song when the chime rang, carefully he placed the guitarr back in the box after standing up. Moments later he was at the door and to his surprise it was the lovely councilor. "Doc? What can I do for you?" he looked out the door and down both directions, thinking that it was some kind of medical thing.

Her eyes widened in surprise as Markus answered the door, "Markus... I mean Cadet... I wasn't expecting to see you. I heard your music and I wanted to say..." she actually looked flustered which made a change for her, "it sounded lovely."

He looked at her for a moment before it settled in, she was here by chance. Figuring she was off to see someone else in this area or she lived close herself. "Thank you. I enjoy the old classical music from earth. Late 20th century is my favorite kind of music." he explained, not sure why or even if she cared. "Come in, I'll get you some water. A woman in your condition needs to drink plenty of water." Markus added and headed inside for the replicator.

Ariana paused for a moment before walking inside, she had to admit she wasn't sure what to expect but like most, if not all, marines his quarters were tidy & orderly. She smiled politely as he walked back from the replicator and handed her the glass of water "Thank you"

"I put a little bit of lemon taste in to the water. Since I don't know if you like the taste of pure water." he offered her the slice of lemon if she wanted more of it. "You live around this area of the station?" the marine asked, not really realizing why.

"A little further on round" she smiled before sipping the glass of water, "seems I'm still unfortunate enough to be stuck with a sonic shower I'd much have preferred a bath especially now I'm pregnant. There's nothing like soaking in the bath to ease away tension." she silently scolded herself for saying something so stupid, but now it was said she couldn't change it.

He was a little confused as to why she mentioned the bath. Perhaps she was in need of a simple ear where she can just talk. He figured even councilors needed someone to talk to. "Well..." Markus began and rubbed the back of his head. "I have a bath. I might be bold as to offer it to you, but I can let you use it. I will be going on a week long maiden voyage of the U.S.S. Falcon soon, I am just waiting for the confirmation and the departure date." he figured that since she mentioned it, she was craving for it. "You know what? I think I will be taking a two hour stroll down the promenade, it's a nice day and you will make me feel like a million latinum bricks if you let me give you this time to soak in the bath."

"I couldn't possibly...." Ariana looked at Markus in surprise, "I can't expect you to let me use your quarters for something as silly as a bath!" she felt highly embarrassed but at the same time she didn't want to offend him, she stood for a moment before nodding in agreement "Actually... that would be lovely thank you"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Markus walked up the replicator and replicated a bath bomb that would make the bath smell of citrus and give a light pinkish hue to the water. Thinking she would like that.

"I'm going to have to make this up to you sometime" she grinned, "just give me some time to figure out how, so how long will you be away on the Falcon?"

Markus smiled at her. "A smile is more than enough. I will be away for a week if all goes as planned." He headed for the door. "I would advise dimming the light, put on some music and light some candles. Perhaps pamper yourself painting your nails? This is 'you time."

Ariana smiled and nodded, before turning and heading towards the bathroom getting inside she slid out of her dress and dropped the bath bomb into the bath waiting for it to do its job before stepping in & sinking down into the water.

Markus quickly left to leave her alone. Walking down the corridor to the closest turbo-lift. Even if the walk would be uneventful, he was feeling very good that he had given her something special. Maybe it wouldn't be much to anyone else, but to him, feeling that he had served her to make her happy was more than enough to make him feel fantastic. The cadet found himself sitting in a restaurant that looked out the view port, just drinking some orange juice.

Ariana lay soaking in the tub, even though she wasn’t officially the station counsellor until she’d had chance to pass over her orders she felt she should be available to those who might need her. Finishing off her soak she gently got out of the bath and grabbed a towel, drying off she put her clothes back on & made sure to tidy up before leaving Markus’ Quarters. Heading back to her own she changed back into her uniform, brushing her hair she smiled to herself. Finishing off she felt much more relaxed as she headed back to her office.

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