Father Daughter Lunch...with Intel on the side

Posted on Fri Oct 18th, 2024 @ 10:37pm by Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,683 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Starbase @
Timeline: Current

ON:

Chen Lee sat behind his desk. The day was done. The Arcadia was at Starbase Two. He sent off a message in text format.

Dear Adrianna, second daughter. This is your second father. How about lunch? I'm on Starbase two and waiting at the Bolian Diner and Cafe for you....Oh God did I just rhyme? Ignore the rhyme about two hours? See you at the appointed time...damn I'm stopping here

Adrianna's PaDD chirped when the message came through. She looked down to it and saw the name. She couldn't help but smile. It was sweet how the families had got together. She was sure that her mother was in her element. She'd always wanted a large family-- probably why she had so many children.

Choosing not to respond, Adrianna just went down to the café. She spotted her 'second father' and sat down in the seat opposite, "Admiral, what a pleasant surprise."

"Bah. Let's leave rank. I'm just Chen or hey, try Pop!" He smiled.

"My own father would kill me for using the colloquial term for father," she chuckled, "but alright, Chen." It didn't feel like it sat well on her tongue, using his name.

"You can also call me Baba which is the Chinese version. Fang used to call me that now he calls me sir, or Da...hate both."

Adrianna shook her head, "I value my life, Chen. I'll leave it at your name, though you'll need to correct me if you call me. I will assume business over family."

"Nope. Family. Business I can take care of myself now that your Captain has given me the opportunity by sending my son on a mission and separating him from his shadow."

Adrianna nodded, keeping quiet on the matter. She spotted a waiter, seeing that Chen already had a drink. She ordered an espresso and then returned to conversation, "anyway, to what do I owe the pleasure of an invite for a drink?"

"I hear the mothers have been annoying you so I figured you could use a break. Honestly I could use a break myself. You'll be happy to know your middle brother is dating someone."

"Si, they are all middle brothers though. I'm the youngest and Giovanni is the oldest and very much single. He's out on an explorative mission though, so he's out of reach for now. Lucky man. I think I heard though-- you mean Franco? He's very happy with Genie. I think that was her name," she chuckled, "as for me-- I must admit, they did not do a bad job. I must admit. We'll see how it goes though." There was a slight waver in her look-- a split second.

Chen studied her. "There is someone else in mind. I know that look. Fang gets it every time he thinks of...well the past."

She shook her head, "a ghost of lovers gone by. I thought I was over it, but there are a number of similarities between Jason and my ex that I cannot ignore. If I believed in reincarnation-- I would put money on them being one and the same." Even as a pseudo father, she couldn't let all the information slip. He still had a duty, after all.

"Ah so he's gone but the memory still holds. How did he pass, if I may ask."

"Mission gone wrong," she shrugged, "he was one hell of a pilot, but you can't outrun torpedoes if you don't have shields. Still-- ode to being in Starfleet. As the French would say: c'est la vie."

"You spoke that way too fast to be true but I will respect your privacy. The point is that he passed. You need closure. Can I tell you a story, but it stays between us."

She couldn't lie to a season intel officer, but was grateful that he dropped it. She teased, "apparently all the men in your family and their friends seem to like telling stories." She then nodded, thanking the waiter as he placed her espresso down. Sipping it she smiled letting the caffeine hit her system, "go ahead."

"A long time ago before I was married to Ren, when our parents had just set up the marriage I was sent out on a mission. Angry as a bee about arranged marriage but determined to go through with it. As fate would have it I met Vilira, a Vulcan who was on the wrong side of the tracks and fell head over heals. A whole year we were together. I left determined to leave Starfleet, my fiancée and family. I did leave got to Vulcan where she would have been waiting for me. When I arrived I learned that she had indeed left her old life and had been waiting but at the time I didn't know that when I originally left her six months prior to tie up loose ends...she was pregnant. When I got back to Vulcan I learned she had passed I lost her and our child. I was devastated. I went back to work, destroyed all evidence of us...married and in the end Ren healed my heart and I grew to love her. Perhaps letting yourself move on is the key here."

Adrianna offered an understanding smile, "perhaps you are right, but you and I both know that life isn't always as black and white. I cannot do that to Jason. As much as I feel I am falling for him. He just reminds me too much of my ex. And for that, it makes it hard to see past that. I almost feel like we will be getting close and I will end up calling him by another name." She paused, realising how filled with innuendo that was, "merde, apologies, I don't think a father of any sorts would like to hear about their child's physical love life."

He laughed. "It's fine. I get it. But don't close your heart to love completely. The past is the past. You have to move on. He's been gone a long time I gather?"

"I won't, I just need a new type," she chuckled, brushing it off before answering, "si, about a year. We'd known each other for a few years before then. Just friends though." She knew it was dangerous territory timeline wise, but at the least, it could have meant 'friend from the academy'. He'd worked in intel, he knew that you could retain a relationship even if undercover for most of the year, "we were talking about getting married and moving in together just before he got himself killed."

"Ah so the grief is still raw. You should tell my wife, she'll understand."

"I was doing ok," she replied honestly, "but a few reminders keep popping up in days of late. So the wounds reopen. I've spoken to Jason about it. He's--" she tried to find the words, still surprised herself, "oddly ok with taking a step back for a while. He said he'd wait for me-- but it's all still new with him. He doesn't owe me the courtesy of such kindness and promise."

"If he says he'll wait he'll wait. That's a good man there." He smiled. Just as he was about to say something they heard a small yelp. He turned around. "Zai! I was coming to see you next."

Zai's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Well I am having coffee & Lunch with my adopted daughter and I was going to see my son but he's away thought I would bother you."

"You hate me."

Chen Lee snorted. "Not I my child, my wife. She thinks you've ruined his chances of meeting a nice girl and I for one have no intention of telling her my son's preferences in ... companions."

"What the hell has that to do with me?" He looked over at Adri. "Hello, sorry not ignoring you."

Just then a happy Bolian breezed by. "Zai my man. Here is your Green Tea Lavender flavoured. I heard you got roped into Commander Berrington's Engineering lecture in Base ENG. How the hell did Fang get out of it this year?"

"By applying for first officer."

The Bolian chuckled. "Well then I'll make sure I put salt in his coffee for you. Enjoy your nap...I mean lecture."

Zai laughed. "Thanks Hanra." He watched the Bolian leave and was about to say bye when Chen Lee did something unexpected. He hugged him.

Zai froze.

Chen pulled back. "There now. A thank you for taking a Berrington lecture on my son's behalf."

Zai looked from him to Adri. "Too early for this." He wave and hurried away muttering.

Chen for his part sat down and opened his fist. A hair of Zai's floated down. He grabbed a small container and put it inside. "There now, I don't have to hunt him down for this."

Adrianna chuckled at the oddity that was the hug. Something wasn't right there, but she noted the slight of hand and remained silent. She looked back to Chen, "taking something that isn't yours, Chen? Do as I say, not as I do, hm?"

He shrugged. "I have some news that our Zai may not be who he says. This will hold DNA, DNA will prove things...It will take time though our sources on Capella are known for their...slowness." He looked at Adri. "Oh he's no danger but...if I'm right this could be a blow for my Son. Call it protection."

"Well, I appreciate the slight of hand," she chuckled, "I must admit, I do miss that aspect of intel. There was a lot of adventure and slight of hand, misdirection and action. But alas, if a girl wants to live like a normal peasant, she must have stability."

He snorted. "People like us could never be normal dear." He pointed to the food. " Now let's eat!"

She shook her head in amusement, "what I'd do to leave it all behind properly and live a normal life on some colony planet in the middle of nowhere."

"It's never too late."

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