Watered Down Conversations

Posted on Fri Nov 29th, 2024 @ 11:00pm by Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,416 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Ship Pool | REC Room

ON:

Adrianna was on her last lap at the pool. Almost drowning whilst undercover with Vance meant that she'd taken up swimming as a hobby and now was a rather quick swimmer. It most definitely got rid of her fear of the water. Gliding through the water of the empty pool, her hand reached out and touched the edge of the pool. She stopped, breathless. She took a minute to get her breath before pulling herself out and looking to her watch to see her lap times, keeping her legs in the water, but sitting on the poolside, oblivious to anyone that may have entered whilst she was swimming.

It had taken Annabelle years to get over her fear of water. Finally she was able to enjoy it but only in the shallow end. She got to the pool and stowed her stuff in the lockers. Slowly she slipped into the shallow end trying to let the water wash her troubles away. She still wasn't brave enough to go under water but just sitting there it was a healing thing. She found a perch on one of the under water chairs that were at the side of the pool and sat down with the water coming just to her chest leaving her shoulders above water.

Adrianne stood up, grabbing her towel and shaking it through her hair, her natural curls forming very quickly. She saw Annabelle and softly smiled her greeting as she wandered over. The shallow end and where the seats were was where the lockers also were.

"Hi," Annabelle said.

"Buonosera," Adrianna smiled, "thank you for not actually hitting Vance for being a cazzone last night. Think he's just on edge."

She shrugged. "He's been hit enough in life. I don't want to add to it. Maybe I should just keep my distance. I was telling Frankie it might be better for all involved."

Adrianna nodded, thinking for a moment, "may I join you?" Adrianna had spotted a small birthmark on Annabelle's shoulder and smiled a little. Vance had been right: it did look like a purple orchid.

Annabelle gave a nod. "Sure."

Adrianna carefully got into the water, keen to not splash up any water. She sat next to Annabelle and took a breath, "does Frankie also know the truth?"

There was a moment of panic in her eyes but then a resignation and weariness. "You are an intelligent woman so figures you'd figure it out." She sighed. "Nope. Nobody knows."

"Don't worry-- I won't be the one to tell anyone," Adrianna replied, "for the record though, I did put feelers out with Intel before I figured it out. I was hoping to do something nice for you as an olive branch. It's easy enough to say that it failed."

She smiled. "It is a nice gesture but...he's better off without me. He could have died because I loved the wrong person and he warned me something was wrong...so I can't do that to him again. I betrayed him by not listening and it could have gotten him killed."

"His answer about who he'd want dinner with-- that was a truth," Adrianna nodded before adding, "he always said that we'd get along. I never believed him any guy I've dated in the past-- Madonna, sisters always hated me. Look, obviously, keep it between us-- the file is redacted for good reason, but I was the Starfleet op after that guy. Because of what happened, a new law was passed so that we couldn't use the love interest angle unless an admiral signs off. Because of what happened, you potentially saved a lot of lives." She paused, "not the point-- there was not, and is not, a day that goes by where he doesn't mention you. And I know, after an incident on board the Pendragon, that he feels like all of this was his fault."

She sighed. "Well you didn't kill him so ... that works." She looked at Adrianna. "Maybe he just wants to let me know how I've let him down. When I got my memories back I was already on my second posting...I could have just vented myself but then I had Frankie with me...and I knew I would suffer because of what happened to Vance...or could have happened if I didn't wake up in the end and step between him and that asshat." She bit her lip. "I figured a life of suffering was better then an easy death and I would have only hurt Frankie with it. That fool was hooked on me the moment I opened my eyes...it was creepy in a sweet sort of way."

"I hate to say it, but you married your brother," Adrianna snorted, "he told me that I was going to be his wife in the first ten minutes of meeting me."

She waved her hand, getting back to topic, "when I was on the Pendragon, I was sent to investigate-- I was merely there to observe, since the last guy got murdered because of a quote 'psychotic and grieving brother'. Gawd knows why they sent me, but they did. There was an incident on the Pendragon. I questioned whether Vance was using me because of how he reacted to me almost dying trying to save his ass retrieving a diamond. When he finally got a minute, he came to find me and he told why he reacted the way that he did."

Adrianna sighed, recalling the memory, "Piccola, he lives his life in seconds. He knows exactly how long, in seconds, everything takes-- brushing his teeth, putting his shoes on, walking from the captain's chair to his quarters on the Pendragon. Even now. He does that because it took less than five seconds of him turning his back for this to go so wrong with you and he cannot allow anyone else he loves to be lost because of misjudging how long he had left with you."

Adrianna ran her fingers through her drying hair, it was getting rather curly by the second, "I come from a big family. No matter how much I have screwed up, or my brothers screwed up, we see past it all. Love remains-- because family forgives. In your case-- there's nothing to forgive. You were blinded by the love of a guy-- show me a person that hasn't been blinded by love and I will show you a liar."

She finally looked at Annabelle, "I'm not going to force you to tell him. I'm not going to out you either. But I will say this-- you dying, killed him and he would do anything to bring you back. Anything. You are wrong about him. If you don't tell him, I suggest that when we get back to base, you put in for a transfer, because he will figure this out, Aribelle. If you choose to tell him, I'm sure that he would love to have you at as a guest of honor at our wedding-- though I will give you a heads up and say that my family is chaos -- but at least you're married, so my mother will only bother you for grandchildren-in-law."

She smiled a little. "Um... well I was going to suggest Sabastian for not blinded by love but... yeah no I can't." She paused. "I don't know. I have to think about all this. So many people will be impacted. Sabastian, Frankie, their crazy ass mother, their sweet and kind father....Vance..."

"Your husband loves you. Sabastian loves you. Vance loves you. Crazy mothers? I can't help there. I don't know the woman," Adrianna smiled, "I'll keep my mouth shut and help where I can. But if Vance figures it out by himself-- it's out of my hands and I plead the something - eth. She pulled herself out of the pool, "if you need anything, or want to talk to someone-- I'm here."

She sighed. "I'll think about it. I can't promise."

"I know," Adrianna smiled, "Vance normally comes in for a swim in about an hour. I suggest that you cover your birthmark."

"Crap I forgot about that." She got out of the pool. "I should get back work waits for nobody."

Adrianna chuckled, "you have an hour. I can give you his schedule if it helps?"

She sighed. "No I should go back and get stuff done." She paused. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Piccola," Adrianna smiled, grabbing her stuff to get dressed.

OFF:

 

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