Siblings and Secrets

Posted on Tue Oct 8th, 2024 @ 5:03pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami & Lieutenant Fang Lee

1,757 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Chief Engineer's Quarters | USS Arcadia
Timeline: Current

ON:

Adrianna was furious and the one person who would understand was right down the hall. Donned in civilian clothes and gripping a bottle of grappa by the neck, she sounded the chime of her 'brother's' quarters.

Fang had just gotten his stomach to stop heaving. He'd thrown up years worth of food somehow and he had nothing to give. Having rinsed his mouth he managed to crawl out and sat with his back against the wall.

The chime filtered through but he didn't know how long the person had been ringing it. Pale, sweaty, and basically looking as if he'd fought ten Klingons he managed to call for the door to open. His throat was raw and his voice barley there but he managed it.

Adrianna walked in, "Fang? You in here?" She asked, walking in and not seeing anyone.

From the corner on the floor Fang looked up. "Down here. You look as pissed off as starting to feel." His voice was a bit weak. "Please tell me that's alcohol."

"Well 'brother'," she replicated some glasses before sitting on the floor opposite him. She popped the cork of the grappa, allowing the noise to punctuate her silence, "it appears our families have merged but it has backfired rather dramatically and I have a date tomorrow. What's got you looking like hell?" She poured two glasses and went to toast, "to meddling mothers who value the woman's lifespan of reproduction."

He snorted. Patting the spot on the floor next to him for her to sit as he took the glass from her. "A date? Already? Were they not supposed to focus on people more close to home?" He sighed. As far as all that woman's life span. Ugh, society is a bit messed up." He looked at her. "You could just refuse to go. Who did they set you up with?" For the moment focusing on her was helping him pull out of his own misery.

She tipped back the drink before refilling the glass, "I hear it-- I do. Apparently there are more meddling mothers out there. My mother and your mother contacted Jason Frankley's mother and now we have a date. He's the tall guy, right? Passed up promotion because he likes getting his hands dirty? Not my usual type-- but he's not the worst looking guy."

"He's a good guy. I would have chosen him for you too. You'd make a good pair." He grinned at the look on her face and held up his hands. "I'm a good brother what can I say. Your mother sent me a message asked me if he was a good guy."

"I have 8 brothers... you really want to compare yourself when you could have given me a heads up!?" she playfully warned him before downing her drink and pouring another, "mm-- reminds me: I'll be a good sister, but a better head of department. Change your access codes to everything. They're being used by your best friend-- for now, just to make hooch, but if something else happens, you know I have a duty to report it properly."

He sighed suddenly seeming down. "Yeah. I know about the Engineer's Hooch. It keeps the department happy to think they pull one over on the chief. As for the codes. Noted." He leaned back. "Let's have another one. I'm supposed to be on shift soon but to hell with it. Two won't make me drunk and the Gods know I need it." He looked at her. "So will you go on your date and see what happens?"

"Just give him access on his own codes," she replied, "one tube won't kill this place. Just -- you know. Be careful." She poured him another, "Jason is oddly ok with all of this-- his words were 'we go on a date, but tell them it went to hell'. So I have a date tomorrow." She looked the man over, "what's got you down?" Before he could answer, she poured him a third.

He downed the third drink. "A certain Engineer you just mentioned." He sighed and scrubbed his hand down his face. Perhaps the drink was getting to him and loosening his lips. "He risked his personal safety was hurt and rightly so I put a reprimand on his file but...He took it wrong. I mean the letter was never meant to be sent and I have to figure out why and how it was sent. I wanted to talk to him about it first but...I've never seen him like this and he inadvertently touched on a sore spot when he was venting at me." He sighed. "He brought back a rumor from our planet that if true...has so many implications."

Adrianna nodded, listening, "I don't know either of you well, but may I know enough to know that friendship like that doesn't just end overnight. Give it a minute and then get ridiculously drunk together-- fixes all things. Promise." She corked the bottle, "Damn lightweight. I need to stop drinking with lightweights. Where's the doctor when you need him? Oh-- any ideas if Jason can drink? It may make this first date at least a little fun for the pair of us."

"Not sure. But fun to try." He rested head on her shoulder very much feeling like a brother needing to talk. "Can I confess something to you?"

"I'm not into incest," she replied with slight humour before turning serious, resting her head on top of his, "what is up, fratello?"

He chuckled at her joke. "Good cause neither am I." There was a pause. "Things with Zai are complicated right now, we've known one another since the Academy and we have very few secrets but things are complicated and I find myself walking a line I can't cross for so many complicated reasons." He sighed. "That's makes arguments like one we had today...more painful."

"We talking about the fact that you're in love with him, or the fact that he's lying to you about his role in your life?" she asked. Adrianna may not have had the proof, but her job, and being undercover long before this, made her acutely aware of when something wasn't as it seemed.

"Well I was going to say the first one." He sat up. "But...now it's both. What do you mean lying about the role in my life?" He was genuinely puzzled.

"I don't have proof," she started off, "so if I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but I don't think I'm wrong." She uncorked the bottle and poured herself another, downing it before continuing, "check the security cameras near the hooch tube, yesterday about 1930. I was talking to him. Seemed a sure tell to me, that not all is as it seems. Think about your life with him-- how much of it is one hell of a coincidence. Realistically. Come on. I'd love to believe in fate and true love and all the other merde that makes me want to--" she didn't know the word so made a hand gesture to show what she meant, "-- but it's not real. Something isn't right there and I think you know it. Change your codes. If I'm wrong-- I'll take it. But as your pseudo sister-- please. Trust me-- something is not right."

He gave a nod. He did have a feeling that there was more to Zai then meets the eye but..."I will take your advise. I will change the command codes" And he would but Zai would still know his codes for his quarters, there was nothing to hide here and recently since his appointment to Chief he'd made sure that no work ever came here. He needed his quarters free of it. "If it makes you feel any better I doubt he feels the same about me as I about him. If he knew how I felt he'd probably run for the mountain...that's the expression right?"

"Nothing translates well-- so maybe," she shrugged, "I'd be willing to put latinum on him not running-- just to stay close. Something is really off there. You could tell him that you had some crazy religion or still believed in santa clause and I can guarantee that he'd stay. You won't get rid of him unless it's through an airlock or he gets what he's really after."

"I will be cautious. It's been so many years and he's saved my life so many times I owe him some trust. But caution is always wise." He sighed. "Am I that obvious in my feelings for him?"

"Love blind," she nodded, "it's why I broke off my engagement with my first fiancé-- I was too dumb to realise that he was gay and only marrying me to keep up appearances for him."

"Never a good reason to marry." He sighed. "Give me a name and position and I'll find him and have a brotherly talk with him." He smiled. "I may or may not use the butt kicking method of conversation."

"I think eight brothers kicking his ass was quite enough," she replied, "nine may kill him. Either way -- we're friends now."

He smiled. "Well then. I guess I should head to Engineering." He paused and then smiled "My adoptive parents are Chinese so I think it fitting you officially become Xiao mèimei. That is your nickname from now on."

"The only mandarin that I know is Jiǔbā zài nǎlǐ," she smirked, standing up, "you realise that we'll confuse the hell out of the ship?"

"But that's the fun. That means little sister by the way oh and for that matter the Lee's have a daughter so now you have a sister too! Surprise." He grinned.

"Tell me she's younger than me and I will lose my identity in this family. I'm so used to be the youngest and only girl," she chuckled, "Fratello, means brother by the way." She cocked the grappa and started heading for the door, "you may want a coffee before work. This stuff tends to kick in when you least expect it, if you've not had it before."

"She's younger, and coffee was my next step!" He watched her go feeling better about everything. He'd check the security tape and then he had some things to take care of, feeling the anger at Rogers and the situation taking over the sadness he'd felt just a short while go. He needed to vent and it was time he vented.

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