Final Farewell but Hello Love

Posted on Sat Nov 16th, 2024 @ 11:05pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami & Lieutenant JG Zai

1,556 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Starbase 2

ON:

Vance, Sabastian, who'd recently been released from Sickbay, and Giovanni sat at the local cafe. They were having some breakfast and coffee before Vance and Sabastian would depart on the shuttle from Arcadia that had brought Jason. Vance looked over at Sabastian. "You okay there. You still look pale."

He sighed. "I'm going to see Zai in two days. I'll be right as rain."

Vance sniggered.

Sabastian looked at Vance, "by the way what the hell is it with that Chicken costume you had put on the shuttle?"

Vance laughed. "It's for his sister." He pointed at Giovanni.

Giovanni raised an eyebrow, putting his coffee down, "Adrianna? She's terrified of people in costumes like that. What possessed you?"

He smiled. "We actually had a crew member that was in my situation once. So we promised one another we'd do certain things to prove we got our memory back. For me it was find her, go to Betazed and get back a necklace we left there at the cave of the Love Goddess and dress like a chicken."

"That is actually a great idea. Must be difficult to prove you're you after something like that," Giovanni nodded, "wear something that can deflect phasers under it. I don't want my brother in law dying because he's an idiot. Also-- come on-- but of romance-- don't propose in that suit. I know whilst undercover her birthday was set to September, but she was actually born on valentine's day and lives up to it."

He paused, "I'm curious-- did she promise the same?"

"No she was going to take my ship and drive around Saturn until she was sick." He grinned.

Sabastian shook his head smiling.

Giovanni chuckled, "ah, so find each other, necklace and something dumb as hell." He looked at Sabastian, "my sister says that you are a romantic. Can you beat this man until he agrees to a proposal that doesn't involve a chicken suit please?"

Sabastian laughed. "I will help him as best as I can."

Vance crossed his arms at his chest. "I do not need help I am the poster boy for romantic."

Sabastian rolled his eyes. "Sure you are." Sabastian looked at Giovanni. "Listen I need to thank you again for your help."

"Sure-- please-- no chicken suit," Giovanni shook his head, "as for you, Sabastian, you don't owe me anything. It's all part of the job." He chuckled, "gawd, poster boy for Starfleet much. I think I just threw up a little saying that." He paused, "actually, if you're heading for the Arcadia too, I could just be the usual brother and say 'keep an eye on my sister'. She needs looking after-- takes a village to raise a family, but it takes an army to keep her in check. She's a ticking time bomb and she doesn't ask for help. I just have the feeling in the pit of my stomach that she's descending again. I don't want her to get as low as she was after that guy there decided to play dead." Gio tried to make light of it, not holding it against Vance at all, it was just banter, "I don't want her adding another tally. Eight is enough, well, seven. I know she had her soulmate one removed recently."

Vance looked at him. "The what now?"

Sabastian gave a nod to Giovanni. "Zai and I will take care of her and despite the fact that Lee Fang is an idiot of epic ..well you know he still likes her so he will look out for her too."

Vance waved his hands. "Soulmate what now?" He looked at Giovanni again.

Giovanni smiled and nodded, "thank you. I appreciate it. We all will." His smile faded and looked back at Vance, "whilst undercover, she accrued 6 tallies. Over taking me. Anyway, so black tallies, one for every near death experience, you know. Then you would receive a red one if your partner, husband, wife, soulmate or whatever does. We call it the soulmate tally. We treat it as a near death experience because a part of you dies when someone you're attached to dies. We have some other colours of significance too, like death of a parent and so on. I know from a friend of ours that she got another tattoo, but I'm not sure what or where, but it wasn't a tally. They called me after because Ade was-- well, not herself. It wasn't long after that she got her eighth tally." He sighed, "but she was getting better-- it's just with this stuff with Frankley and stuff, I am concerned."

Vance gave a nod. "I'll make sure she's okay. I promise." He smiled then. "I guess I'm a soulmate."

Sabastian rolled his eyes. "Dear god. That's all he got out of the story. Vance you are a child."

Giovanni shook his head with an amused look, "focus. Think. Try responding again, Vance. Sabastian-- Zai is an empath, right? Ade can fool an empath-- it's part of the intel training. If he can feel something, it's too late. She needs help."

"Well he did mention that he was able to read her more. She spiraled a while ago. Fear, anger...He's been trying to helper quietly. His people have a method for dispelling negative emotions. He's going to talk to her about trying a more direct approach. I think having this idiot." He pointed to Vance. "Having him there might help."

Sabastian looked over at Vance. "What are you grinning about."

Vance bounced in his seat. "Soulmate."

Sabastian rolled his eyes and laughed. "Well if nothing he'll make her laugh."

Giovanni couldn't help but chuckle. He reached over and punched Vance's arm rather hard though. He then looked back at Sabastian, "Jason shouldn't be a problem any more. With Vance back, at least she has the good kind of cazzone looking out for her."

Sabastian sighed. "Now if only I could get rid of my own Jason on that ship and then I'd be sure Zai would be fine."

"From what Adie said last time I spoke to her, she thinks Fang is getting laid. He's been, and I quote but translate, the 'soppy kind of happy'," Giovanni shrugged, "maybe he doesn't pose that much of a threat now?"

"I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. He's...toxic. Always was. When Zai is a tiny bit happy he figures a way to ruin things but if he is getting laid and not focused on my Zai good riddance. Hence why I'm going to help in Navigation and Helm to keep an eye on your so called adopted brother. I apologize if he accidently gets vented."

Vance rolled his eyes. "So, Giovanni where are you off to?"

"I have enough brothers," Giovanni shrugged, "I don't know this guy. He's no brother of mine. I do appreciate him looking out for Ade though."

He looked back at Vance, "we are actually off on a few escort missions for a little while. Keeping close to base. I'll be back the day before the Arcadia is set to be back. Franco gets in the day after and then my parents should be arriving on the same day as him. They're very excited to meet you. I've already relayed my approval of you to my father. He wanted to know if you have a ring yet otherwise, we have a family heirloom that would be handed to Ade anyway. I said I'd check."

Vance sighed. "Actually I do have a ring. It was the one thing my mother and father left at the house when they left me and my sister. It was my grandmothers so I always kept it a Rudy and Emerald." He pulled it out of the pocket and passed it over to Giovanni. "I had hoped my sister to inherit it but she died. But I want it to stay in the family."

Gio opened the box and smiled, "seems like something Ade would like." He pushed it over to Sabastian that he could see, "I'm actually surprised that an engineer didn't make his own ring."

He laughed. "I'm not that talented. Actually can you keep it for me? If I'm going to propose I want your family there."

"No chicken costume?" Giovanni urged.

He laughed. "Well that's more of prop. I want to do something that involves all the people she loves."

"Save it for my mother's birthday then. All of us will be there," Giovanni took the ring and placed it in his pocket, "I'll keep it safe for you and give it back when you join us in the family estate in Roma."

He smiled. "Good. Now the two of us have a shuttle to catch and you have a hairball coughing poop dropping tactical officer to laugh at."

Giovanni smirked before dropping to a smile, "with you being part of the family soon, I will tell you the same thing we tell each other. Usual rules apply: don't decrease the population; don't increase it without getting married first; don't get into any trouble; don't do anything to warrant being institutionalized; and, for the love of all things holy– don't give away the family secret recipe." He paused, "safe travels, both of you."

They said their goodbyes and parted ways.

OFF:

 

RSS Feed