Virginia Hamilton looked up slowly, her heart beating a thousand times faster at the sound of Picard's voice. She looked into his face, seeing just a hint of a smile. "Of course," she managed to answer. She waved to the seat across from her. As he sat, she noticed his drink. "Earl Grey?"
"What else?" Picard took a sip of his tea, discretely admiring the admiral's femininity out of uniform. He set the tea cup in its saucer, thinking that the pale lavender of her outfit brought out the blue of her eyes. "Have you been friends with Guinan for long?"
"Yes and no. I only met her about 200 years ago, so it depends on your point of view. She listens to me."
"She's good at that."
"So are you. I can't believe you let me ramble on like you did earlier today in your office."
"I wouldn't call it rambling," Picard commented with a warm smile.
"I would."
"Excuse me, Captain, Admiral." Guinan was standing next to their table, her hands clasped in front of her. "I apologize for interrupting, but Deanna and Worf didn't want to."
"I see," said the captain. "Where are they now?" Picard glanced at the Hostess, but otherwise kept his gaze trained on the woman across the table from him.
"They're at the bar, no doubt mortified at my boldness," Guinan answered.
"I take it they wish to speak to me?" he asked.
"Actually, I think they wish to speak to both you and the admiral."
"Very well," decided Picard. "Send them over."
Guinan inclined her head and left.
Picard surveyed the seating arrangements and decided it would be best for him to move to allow the coming couple to sit together. "Ah...may I?" He gestured to the seat next to Virginia.
"Of course," she answered, sliding over to allow him more room.
Now side by side, there seemed to be an increased awareness between the two.
Virginia moved her glass in a circle, enjoying the captain's closeness. "You smell nice," she said softly.
Picard's eyebrows rose in amusement. "Thank you."
She looked up at him, startled. "Did I say that out loud?"
"Yes, you did." He was mildly surprised to see her face suddenly turn a bright shade of pink. It was very becoming to her.
The arrival of Counselor Troi and Commander Worf prevented Virginia from replying further.
Deanna, now dressed in a less dressy outfit slid into the booth across from the two commanding officers, a rather pleased smile on her face. Worf sat next to her, wearing his uniform with the Klingon slash over it and his usual scowl.
"We apologize for interrupting," the Klingon said gruffly.
"It's quite all right," lied Picard, which he had no doubt that both women were keen enough to pick up on as one was empathic and the other was highly telepathic.
"Admiral," began Deanna, her expression and tone turning serious. "You said you had 48 hours before you had to report back to the Council."
"That is correct," the other woman confirmed, her face slightly less pink.
"I've spent the evening reviewing the files you sent me and no where did I find a time table for this mission."
"There isn't one, not really." The admiral drew a deep breath and her forehead crinkled in frustration. "If you say no, then I shuttle back so the Council can meet again and debate whether or not to actually order you to comply. If you say yes, I let them know and the Enterprise breaks from its current heading and turns for Borg space. Given varying warp speeds, this could take anywhere from 3 days to a week. And if you give your resignation, then I go home and the Council will try to come up with something new." Virginia downed the rest of her root beer.
"That won't be necessary," replied Deanna. "I'll do it...but I'd like to marry Worf first."
There was a moment of silence before the counselor's captain asked, "Are you sure about this, Counselor?"
Deanna deliberately misunderstood. "Yes, Captain, I love Worf."
Picard chided her. "Deanna..."
"Captain, Worf and I have discussed this quite thoroughly tonight. Neither of us like it, but I feel it is my duty. The admiral has been authorized to rescue me no matter the outcome, so it's not like I won't be coming back."
"It is not an honorable request, but Deanna will do the honorable thing," commented Worf.
"God save me from Klingon honor," Virginia muttered. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go inform the Council and probably wrangle out a few more days. Captain?"
Picard stood to let her out. He watched her exit for several long moments, enjoying her stride, before he sat back down. "How long before you would like to be married?" he asked the couple.
"Tomorrow night," answered Deanna without hesitation. "We've already discussed a few things with Guinan and it's workable. Our mother's won't be the happiest, but...our wedding isn't for them."
Picard nodded. "Very well. Make it so." The captain looked at his executive officer, unconsciously waiting for him to deliver a gruff one-liner.
"The admiral has never been fond of Klingons," Worf said. "It is a good thing she was away for the Khitomer Accords."
Deanna covered her laughter with a cough. "Worf, may I speak to the captain alone for a moment?"
"Of course. I will wait for you at the bar." Worf stood and nodded to his captain. "Good evening, sir." And walked away.
"What else?" Picard took a sip of his tea, discretely admiring the admiral's femininity out of uniform. He set the tea cup in its saucer, thinking that the pale lavender of her outfit brought out the blue of her eyes. "Have you been friends with Guinan for long?"
"Yes and no. I only met her about 200 years ago, so it depends on your point of view. She listens to me."
"She's good at that."
"So are you. I can't believe you let me ramble on like you did earlier today in your office."
"I wouldn't call it rambling," Picard commented with a warm smile.
"I would."
"Excuse me, Captain, Admiral." Guinan was standing next to their table, her hands clasped in front of her. "I apologize for interrupting, but Deanna and Worf didn't want to."
"I see," said the captain. "Where are they now?" Picard glanced at the Hostess, but otherwise kept his gaze trained on the woman across the table from him.
"They're at the bar, no doubt mortified at my boldness," Guinan answered.
"I take it they wish to speak to me?" he asked.
"Actually, I think they wish to speak to both you and the admiral."
"Very well," decided Picard. "Send them over."
Guinan inclined her head and left.
Picard surveyed the seating arrangements and decided it would be best for him to move to allow the coming couple to sit together. "Ah...may I?" He gestured to the seat next to Virginia.
"Of course," she answered, sliding over to allow him more room.
Now side by side, there seemed to be an increased awareness between the two.
Virginia moved her glass in a circle, enjoying the captain's closeness. "You smell nice," she said softly.
Picard's eyebrows rose in amusement. "Thank you."
She looked up at him, startled. "Did I say that out loud?"
"Yes, you did." He was mildly surprised to see her face suddenly turn a bright shade of pink. It was very becoming to her.
The arrival of Counselor Troi and Commander Worf prevented Virginia from replying further.
Deanna, now dressed in a less dressy outfit slid into the booth across from the two commanding officers, a rather pleased smile on her face. Worf sat next to her, wearing his uniform with the Klingon slash over it and his usual scowl.
"We apologize for interrupting," the Klingon said gruffly.
"It's quite all right," lied Picard, which he had no doubt that both women were keen enough to pick up on as one was empathic and the other was highly telepathic.
"Admiral," began Deanna, her expression and tone turning serious. "You said you had 48 hours before you had to report back to the Council."
"That is correct," the other woman confirmed, her face slightly less pink.
"I've spent the evening reviewing the files you sent me and no where did I find a time table for this mission."
"There isn't one, not really." The admiral drew a deep breath and her forehead crinkled in frustration. "If you say no, then I shuttle back so the Council can meet again and debate whether or not to actually order you to comply. If you say yes, I let them know and the Enterprise breaks from its current heading and turns for Borg space. Given varying warp speeds, this could take anywhere from 3 days to a week. And if you give your resignation, then I go home and the Council will try to come up with something new." Virginia downed the rest of her root beer.
"That won't be necessary," replied Deanna. "I'll do it...but I'd like to marry Worf first."
There was a moment of silence before the counselor's captain asked, "Are you sure about this, Counselor?"
Deanna deliberately misunderstood. "Yes, Captain, I love Worf."
Picard chided her. "Deanna..."
"Captain, Worf and I have discussed this quite thoroughly tonight. Neither of us like it, but I feel it is my duty. The admiral has been authorized to rescue me no matter the outcome, so it's not like I won't be coming back."
"It is not an honorable request, but Deanna will do the honorable thing," commented Worf.
"God save me from Klingon honor," Virginia muttered. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go inform the Council and probably wrangle out a few more days. Captain?"
Picard stood to let her out. He watched her exit for several long moments, enjoying her stride, before he sat back down. "How long before you would like to be married?" he asked the couple.
"Tomorrow night," answered Deanna without hesitation. "We've already discussed a few things with Guinan and it's workable. Our mother's won't be the happiest, but...our wedding isn't for them."
Picard nodded. "Very well. Make it so." The captain looked at his executive officer, unconsciously waiting for him to deliver a gruff one-liner.
"The admiral has never been fond of Klingons," Worf said. "It is a good thing she was away for the Khitomer Accords."
Deanna covered her laughter with a cough. "Worf, may I speak to the captain alone for a moment?"
"Of course. I will wait for you at the bar." Worf stood and nodded to his captain. "Good evening, sir." And walked away.
1 comment:
A first rate story, excellently written.
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