fanfic_name = The Sit. Room Incident

chapter = 15

author = Dwparsnip

Rating = AP15

Type = Romance

fanfic = During the next month, Lisa and Rick returned to work and they finally got back into their old routines. Lisa's day consisted mostly of meetings, going over crew rosters, maintenance and repair reports and organizing the Fleet and its resources for their imminent return to Earth space. Rick's day was spent going over mecha inventories, crew assignments, battle plans and strategies, and more and more recently trying to get Baker to live up to his potential.



They called each other when they could, and when their days were done and their evenings began, they were seldom apart and always happy.



Max and Miriya enjoyed their friends' behavior, so much so that it positively influenced their own relationship as well. Max would comment that love was in the air and it was the same wind that gave Lisa and Rick, and by extension everyone, what Lisa called their second wind. And so it seemed with many a couple.



Lisa and Rick's relationship was always the on everyone's mind, but the couple that had captured everyone's immediate attention lately was that of Lieutenant Simon James from the Skull and Lieutenant Jessica Thorne, also from the Skull. James had asked Thorne to marry him the day before the MED, but she said she wanted to think about it. He waited and waited while she made him sweat. What made this news aboard ship was the history of their relationship. It paralleled Lisa and Rick's in many ways, only this time the lad was head over heels while the lass was a bit in the dark. Their romance was the hot topic aboard the SDF-3. When he popped the question and she said she wanted to think about it, a betting pool developed among the pilots concerning when she would buckle and give in. The fact that she would say yes wasn't in question, just the timing. Finally two weeks after the MED, she did indeed say yes. There was celebration in the air, and the plans began for the big wedding.



The winner of the pilot's betting pool?



Captain Miriya Sterling. She was off the exact time by only twenty-one minutes. She blamed that on Max's slow watch.



When the couple asked Lisa to officiate at the wedding and Rick to give the bride away, they were pleased as punch. The happy couple told Lisa and Rick that they were their inspiration, and Max, who was to be the best man said to Miriya, the maid of honor, "See, it's like I said. They're the best mascots we could ever have."



Two weeks later, one month after James first asked the question to Thorne, they were married. It was a glorious celebration and it went off without a hitch.



And so it went for Lisa and Rick for another two months, with the day in and day out routine rarely being broken. Most importantly for them however, the monotony meant that Sue Graham was behaving herself and staying away from them both. She hadn't been heard from and very rarely seen, though both Rick and Lisa had noticed in their personnel briefs with some interest and amusement that Graham had received her wings.

------------------------------ ----

Lieutenant Andrea Grace woke up and found herself in an unfamiliar room. It took only a couple of seconds to remember where she was and how she got there. She turned her head and brushed her blonde locks out of her face with her hand and looked at the other side of the bed. She was surprised to find no one there, but she did notice that there was a note on the pillow.



She sat up and took the note in her dainty hands and opened it. She smiled as she read the note from Lieutenant Scott Montgomery.



Andrea:



I had to go out on patrol and didn't want to wake you.

Stay as long as you want.

Thank you for last night, it was incredible.

I'll see you later today.

I hope.



Scott.



A shiver ran down her back. It had indeed been an incredible night.



It had been three months since she first introduced herself to the young lieutenant. In the first couple of weeks, they spent hours together talking and getting to know each other better, or so it seemed to Montgomery. She had already gleaned some of the information that she wanted out of him and she took the next step in her devious plan. The pilot never suspected anything and he had been a perfect gentleman, letting her determine how fast to go. Before last night, the sexual encounters that they shared were always initiated by her, but for whatever reason last night he came out of his shell in the most passionate and sexual way without needing the slightest bit of coaxing from her. He did things that he hadn't done before and said things that he hadn't said before. Last night was even the first time that they had been together in his quarters instead of hers.



But it wasn't that he did or said those things that sent the shiver down her spine, or the fact that the night had been so passionate. It was what all that put together meant in the grand scheme of things. It meant that he would do anything for her.



It meant that she had him in her grasp. She had him in her power.



She leaned back, let her head fall back onto the pillow and laughed out loud. She looked at the note again and said in wicked voice, "Don't worry, Scott. You'll be seeing a lot more of me."

------------------------------ ----

Angela Marques woke up from her blissful slumber realizing that she had to make another trip to Tirol with Admiral Lisa Hunter.



She groaned loudly as she got out of bed and raised her hands high above her head to stretch. She brought her hands down and headed to the bathroom, looked in the mirror and sighed. She looked like she had aged twenty years in the three months since the MED, since she started accompanying Admiral Hunter on her trips off ship.



That in itself wasn't the reason for her feeling apprehension and worn down. When she was introduced to the Admiral, the warmth that she generated, whether she was with the highest-ranking official or the lowest ranking crewmember, impressed Marques deeply. Though she had gone only on a couple of trips with the Admiral she found herself genuinely liking Lisa Hunter, and that disturbed her greatly. She could find nothing to personally dislike about her, except maybe that she never stopped or even slowed down her pace, and despite Angela's youth and excellent conditioning it was a challenge to keep up with her.



Angela looked out at the clock and decided she had just enough time to shower and grab a quick bite in the Mess before the shuttle was due to leave.



'With any luck something will come up and she won't be able to go', she hoped.



She turned on the shower and let the streams of hot water soothe her aching body. Five minutes later, against her will, she turned off the shower and dried herself off in her favorite oversized towel, wrapping it tightly around herself when she was done. She didn't know why she always wrapped herself up in the towel, the door was locked and no one could get in, but she never felt comfortable walking around in her birthday suit. She dried her hair and put on her dress uniform. The dress uniform was an oddity, as Admiral Hunter hated the damn thing as much as she did, but this was a special occasion and protocol called for dress uniforms.



She checked herself in the mirror and after she decided that everything looked okay, she left her quarters. She made her way quickly to the Mess. It was still a little early for the morning rush, so when she picked up her breakfast, two pieces of toast and a cup of coffee, she had her choice of tables. She picked one near the door and sat down.



She looked at the strawberry jam on her tray, weighing whether or not her favorite jam was worth the risk of messing up her uniform. In the end her taste buds won out and she had just finished putting the jam on her toast and was about to put a piece in her mouth when a familiar voice asked, "Is this seat taken?"



The smile that came to Angela's face came as naturally as it could. Jean Grant's joyful attitude was infectious and always brought a smile to her face.



Marques looked around and said in jest, "Well, seeing as how there is nowhere else to sit, have a seat."



Jean laughed softly as she sat down. She was worried about Angela and had been trying to get her alone for quite some time to see if there was anything wrong, and if there was, see if there was anything that she could do.



As Marques finally got her piece of toast in her mouth, Jean asked, "How is everything, Angie? I haven't had a chance to talk to you much lately, and the few times that I did get to speak with you, you seemed distracted." When she finished she put a piece of her omelet in her mouth and waited.



Marques swallowed her toast and took a sip of her still too hot coffee and she winced as the hot liquid burned her lip. She looked at Jean with, slightly embarrassed and said, "Sorry." She wiped her lip with her napkin and said, "I'm fine, Dr. Grant. Just a little tired lately." She blew into her cup and slowly took another sip.



Jean smiled and said humorously, "Lisa is a busy lady, isn't she?"



Marques smiled and nodded.



Not satisfied that that was what was really bothering Angela she asked, "Angela, you know you can talk to me, right? I mean if something is bothering you I'd like to help if I can."



Angela put down her cup and looked at the dark liquid as it settled. "Yes, Dr. Grant, I know that I can talk to you, about anything." She looked up at Jean and felt anger at herself when she saw the heartfelt concern in the brown eyes of Jean Grant. "And I really am fine."



Jean still wasn't convinced that her friend was telling the whole story, but she didn't want to push her either. They finished their breakfast, chatting mostly about the happenings in the infirmary and some minor gossip.



As they left, Jean looked at Angela and said, "See you later, Angie, and remember what I said."



Angela smiled and said, "I will, Dr. Grant, and thank you for everything." She lowered her voice in respect and looked at the floor, "I can't tell you how much everything you said means to me."



"Angie", said Jean. When Marques looked at her she continued, "You are my subordinate, but more importantly you are my friend. You don't have to thank me for being your friend."



All Angela could do was nod. They heard the announcement over the ship wide PA system for all personnel leaving with Admiral Hunter to report to the hangar.



"Gotta go, Doctor. I'll see you later."





"Be careful, Angie."



Marques headed for the hangar in a slow jog, and Jean thought to herself, 'I really hope she's okay', and headed for the infirmary.

------------------------------ ----

Sue Graham was eating a small breakfast in her quarters by herself. Not long after waking up she got a message that a slot had opened up on the Pegasus squadron, slated to leave the ship on a system wide patrol after lunch.



She had taken the flight certification test as soon as she could and passed with flying colors. After successfully earning her wings, she informed a couple of squadron leaders that she would be available to fill in if the need arose, and she had the opportunity to fly several times on routine patrols, which she enjoyed immensely. It was from one of those squadron leaders that she got the invitation to fly.



She would have to get the permission of Major Woods, but she was fairly certain it wouldn't be a problem. Her schedule for the day was light, and Woods had been more than supportive when she told him about going through flight training and taking some patrols. Besides, through her instruction, through her training and through the patrols that she had been on so far, the quality of her work at Fleet Intelligence hadn't diminished at all.



She finished her scrambled eggs and after making a final pit stop in her bathroom, she headed for Fleet Intelligence.



Six hours later, Alpha two-one-six, call sign 'Pegasus Five', leisurely banked left, increased speed and headed for the moon that had hosted the MED three months earlier.



Pegasus Five skirted the atmosphere, making the Alpha shake as the friction generated on the Alpha's underbelly by the atmosphere increased, and Sue tightened her grip on the stick and embraced the rush of adrenaline. She looked out the left side of the canopy to see the place that meant so much to her, the place that would be an essential part of her plan.



When she saw that place her heart pounded at the memories that easily flooded her mind. The memories always came easily because they were never far away. It had always happened when she visited the moon. It was almost a ritual.



She sighed, realizing her time away from the patrol squadron was up. She never even had time on this trip to drop off any of the items that her plan required, as she had done on a few of her earlier trips. She pulled the stick back and the vibrations eased up as she moved away from the atmosphere, and seconds later they stopped altogether. She looked at her radarscope and found the patrol squadron that Pegasus Five was a part of, about five minutes away at her current speed on a vector that would take them back to their ship. She kept her speed constant allowing herself a few more minutes of remembrance.



Her reverie was interrupted when a voice came over the TAC net. 'Pegasus One to Pegasus Five. Are you planning on joining us anytime soon, Commander?' She could hear the humor in the voice of Lieutenant Jonathon Roberts. The pilots of Pegasus gave him the nickname of Romeo, and it fit. He was a real ladies man, or at least he thought so, and in the few weeks since she had been introduced to him he had made several passes at her. She wasn't sure if he was genuinely interested in her or if he just considered her another possible trophy, but it didn't matter. His interest in her allowed her to gain from him some leeway when she was on patrol with his squadron, like the trip she just made to the moon.



Besides, she had her own interests.



She gently pushed the throttle forward, allowing herself to sink slowly into the seat as the inertial force pushed her back. She keyed open the channel and replied professionally, "Affirmative, Pegasus One. I'm thrusters hot and will catch up to you in sixty seconds."



His laughter came over the line, followed by, 'I was just kidding, Commander. Take your time, we're almost finished anyway.'



She smiled. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Pegasus Five out."



She eased up on the throttle a little and took in the stars. 'Now I can see why Angie never totally gave up flying', she thought with realization. 'I could never understand why she pushed herself so hard, gave herself the extra work and hassle to keep certified. Now I do.'



A few minutes passed and she rejoined the Pegasus patrol group.



'Welcome back, Commander', came Roberts' merry voice.



She answered him with a neutral, "Thank you, Lieutenant."



She heard Roberts announce to the squadron, 'Okay Pegasus group, our time is over. Let's return to the ship. I have the lead.'



One by one the Alphas of the Pegasus patrol group entered the main hangar bay of the SDF-3. After landing her Alpha, she powered down her ship and opened the canopy. When she took off her helmet, she shook her head and her long black hair waved back and forth, finally settling on her shoulders.



She ignored the admiring glances she received as she climbed down out of her Alpha and when she stepped onto the deck she heard, "How was the visit to the MED moon, Commander?"



She laughed to herself, as she always did when she heard the name that had been placed on the moon. "Fine, Lieutenant. Thanks again for letting me take the detour."



Roberts shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her. "Anytime, Commander. I can see why you would want to visit there every once in a while, where you faced your own mortality and all that."



She just smiled at him and let him think that he was right.



She looked at the watch on her wrist and said anxiously, "I better get changed and head to the office. Thanks for letting me join you today, Lieutenant Roberts."



"It's Jonathon, or Jon", he said with his smile still in place. "And it was my pleasure. If you ever want to go out again, let me know. I'll make room for you."



"I appreciate that, Lieut.Jonathon. See you later." She turned on her heel and walked towards the female pilot's locker room, highly aware of his eyes watching her.



As she walked away from him, Roberts admired the shapely form under the very tight fitting flight suit and said quietly, "I certainly hope so, Sue." He shook his head and headed for the male pilot's locker room.

------------------------------ ----

Graham exited the locker room after having changed into her regular uniform and headed towards the exit that was closest to the offices of Fleet Intelligence, the starboard exit. She was almost there when she heard someone announce from across the spacious bay, "Admiral on deck!"



Like everyone else on the deck she came to attention. He heart fluttered when she heard him happily say to everyone, "Carry on." She turned around to look at the midships entrance to the hangar and her breath got caught in her throat.



Graham took a moment to size up Admiral Rick Hunter. He was stunning in his uniform. 'But then he always was, and always is', she thought dreamily. His eyes were bright and dancing around the hanger, taking in the sights of the aircraft, pilots and maintenance personnel. As was the usual in the last four or five weeks, standing by his side was Max Sterling.



She was about to turn and head for the exit when she again heard, "Admiral on deck!" She automatically came to attention, and as she did she realized that there was only one reason to hear that order again. She was there.



Her blood began to boil over as Admiral Lisa Hunter announced from a shuttle in a pleasant voice, "As you were." Sue had been that focused on Rick that she hadn't even noticed that a shuttle had landed while she was changing into her uniform.



She looked at Rick, then at Lisa, and watched as Lisa walked slowly towards her husband. He began walking as well, towards her with a very big smile on his face. When they met they walked right into each other's embrace, not caring about the murmurs of surprise, jealousy, approval and warmth from the crew. She watched as Rick leaned back to look at Lisa and say something that made her laugh, and when her laughter stopped, Rick laid a very passionate kiss on her lips.



The hangar deck erupted in applause, cheers and whistles. It was about then that she had had as much of it as she could handle.



Sue growled and spun around to leave, but when she took her first step towards the starboard door she ran into someone. Literally.



She looked up and saw the deadliest green eyes in the REF, framed by long green hair that seemed to be snapping at her.



Captain Miriya Sterling looked at her and said, "Enjoying the show, Commander Graham?"



Miriya's voice betrayed the fact that she was obviously enjoying her discomfort with the situation, and that only made her blood boil more. "Excuse me, Captain.I didn't see you there. I'm sorry for running into you, ma'am. Excuse me."



She tried to step around her, but Miriya wasn't finished yet. She blocked Graham's path and said in a soft voice, "They make a cute couple, Commander. Don't you agree?"



Genuinely fearful of the female Sterling, she swallowed her original response concerning Miriya's heritage and said simply, "Yes.ma'am."



Miriya narrowed her eyes and said in an ominous voice, "I'm glad we agree on that, Commander. Dismissed."



Miriya, with a smile on her face, stepped aside to give her access to the hatch. Sue cast a glance back at the shuttle to see Marques, who exited the shuttle and was standing behind the Admirals, and then walked past Sterling without acknowledging her any further. She stepped outside the hangar and as the door closed she could still hear the buzz of excitement from the crew.



She walked quickly down the corridors, entered Fleet Intelligence and went straight to her office. She went inside and slammed the door shut and locked it, leaned back against it and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down.



She succeeded and a couple of minutes later she sat in her chair behind her desk, but couldn't bring herself to do anything but remember the nauseating image of Rick kissing Lisa on the hangar deck.



It fed her anger towards Lisa. On the hangar deck was the first time in weeks that she gotten to see him. He had been avoiding her she realized, but that was okay. She avoided him as well, not wanting to bring any more attention to herself before it was time. And the time was coming.



It was then that she remembered his total absence in her life. She was too angry to cry. Too angry with Lisa, with Miriya and even herself for letting them get to her.



But she knew Marques had seen her on the hangar deck, and knowing her friend as well as she did, she knew Angela was on her way to see her, so she made the tears come.

------------------------------ ----

Angela was tired. She didn't realize that gallivanting around after an Admiral would be such hard work, and she wondered yet again how Admiral Hunter kept up the pace she set. Meeting after meeting, inspections and numerous functions. Angela was dead on her feet and almost had to crawl off the shuttle, but there was Lisa who hit the deck almost in a run to Rick.



'Maybe it's because she has someone to run to', it occurred to her as she watched the Admirals hug and kiss.



Marques came up behind the Admirals and cleared her throat. It was one of the few times that she had actually been close to Rick, as she very rarely had an opportunity to be around him.



Rick and Lisa separated, and as they did Angela saluted.



When they returned her salute she asked Lisa in a tired voice, "Will there be anything else, Admiral?"



Lisa smiled and shook her head. "No Lieutenant. You go and get some well deserved rest." She turned to Rick and explained, "She kept up with me no problem. I don't know how she did it."



Rick laughed and reached over to shake Angela's hand. "Well done, Lieutenant. Lisa has gone through that many medics and security guards it isn't funny anymore."



Despite herself, Angela smiled. "Thank you, sir. She does run around a lot. Good night, sir. Ma'am."



"Good night, Lieutenant", said Rick as Lisa said, "Good night, Angie."



She turned around and headed for the starboard exit, the same exit she saw Sue Graham storm out through after talking to Miriya Sterling. And she didn't look particularly happy. She assumed by Graham taking the starboard exit that she as heading back to her office. If she was heading home, she would have left via the midships entrance.



Angela walked down the corridors, getting more and more tired with every step, but she refused to give in until she found out if her friend was okay. Graham had to see and hear the reunion of Lisa and Rick on the hangar deck, and knowing Sue's deep feelings for Rick, it had to hurt her. She wasn't sure where Captain Sterling fit into Graham's obvious discomfort, but she was sure that whatever was said or did, it didn't help Sue.



She entered Fleet Intelligence and headed for Sue Graham's office. She knocked on her door and waited for a response from inside. When there was no immediate response, Angela said softly, "Sue, it's me, Angie. Can I come in?"



She heard the door unlock. She reached down and turned the handle, opening the door just in time to see Graham collapse back into her chair behind her desk. Her eyes were red and her chiseled cheekbones were tear streaked.



Angela closed the door and went to stand beside her friend. As she put her left hand on Graham's shoulder she said quietly, "You'll be okay, Sue."



Graham looked up at her, tears still falling along her face. "It hurts so much, Angie", she said shakily. "I don't know how much more I can take."



'I've never seen her be so emotional before', thought Marques. It made her uncomfortable to see Graham in such a state. She rubbed Graham's shoulder and Graham in turn threw her arms around Angela's waist.



Graham sobbed as she cuddled into her stomach, and Angela had to fight back tears of her own. She hated seeing Graham in such pain.



"It's going to be okay, Sue", she said as she put her right hand on Graham's other shoulder. "We're almost ready, and Andrea and I are behind you all the way. They'll never know what hit them."



Graham released her hold on Angela's waist and leaned back. When she looked up, she could see that her friend brightened up a bit.



Graham took a tissue out of her desk drawer and wiped her eyes as Marques sat down in the chair opposite her.



When she was done, Graham looked at her and said, "Thanks, Angie. I don't know what I'd do without you."



"Come on, Sue", she said humorously, "your too tough to be anything but fine."





Sue laughed and said, "I may not be as tough as you think. One look at them together and I fell apart." She lowered her voice as she lowered her head and said, "I just love him so much."



Marques nodded and said, "I know, Sue. I know." She got up and said, "I have got to go home, clean up and get out of this damned dress uniform. Give me a couple of hours and come by. We'll see what's left to do. Okay?"



Graham looked up at her friend and nodded. "Thanks, Angie."



Marques smiled and as she took the door handle in her hand, she said, "That's what family is for, right?"



She turned the handle, opened the door and walked through. Before she shut the door she heard Graham say, "I suppose it is."



She closed the door and walked through Fleet Intelligence, and when she reached the door, she opened it and began the walk home, feeling very uncomfortable with herself.

------------------------------ ----

When Marques closed the door the smile that came upon her face was enormous. She felt bad for deceiving Angie like that, but she had been having doubts lately, serious doubts.



Angela needed to be on side with the plan, or it would have zero chance of success. She went over her plan in her mind and tried to work out the timing and details. She got up and went to the door, and after making sure the door was locked, moved to the safe in the cabinet behind her desk. She entered the combination and took out the small silver box she had placed in there recently. She opened the box and looked at the two small vials of liquid and smiled.



'So much power', she thought to herself with wonder.



For Angie's sake she had actually tried to figure out a way to do the job without hurting anyone, but she couldn't come up with a way. At least two people would die, possibly as many as four or five, depending on the escort formation near the shuttle.



'Andrea is right', she thought with increasing discomfort. 'I'm going to have to tell Angie about it, and I'm going to have to make her understand.'



She closed the box and after gently placing it back into the safe, she closed the door and locked it.



Satisfied with the security of the items, Sue picked up the communication headset and dialed the number for Andrea Grace's duty station.



"Andrea", she said when Grace answered, "we're ready, and we need to figure out how to tell Angie."



She listened to Grace for a few moments and she said, "Perfect. I'll see you then."

------------------------------ ----

Two hours later, Angela sat on her couch and waited for her friends to arrive. She had gotten home, showered, dressed and started to do some intense soul searching.



She thought about Andrea Grace and the trials and tribulations that they had been through growing up. It hadn't been easy for either of them, but having each other to count on and depend on got them through some pretty tough times. She thought long and hard about her childhood and she realized, with some affection, that she didn't have a single worthy memory of anything during her that time that didn't have Grace in it somewhere. They had done things for each other, and to each other, that catapulted their relationship beyond friendship, maybe even family. She owed Grace.



Her thoughts then turned to Sue Graham. She hadn't known Graham for nearly as long as Grace, but she felt as close to her as she did to Grace, perhaps because of the fact that their relationship was forged in their teenage and early adult years, when almost everything that happened was life shaping and serious. From her first class at the academy to her first time with a man, Graham had been there for her, as had Grace. But something about Sue Graham was more mature, so it was always to her that she had gone to concerning such things as romance, and to her recollection Graham had always steered her in the right direction. She remembered the first, and only, time she had fallen in love. He was a recruit at the academy and they were both training to be pilots. He was smooth talking, handsome and everything she had wanted in a companion. Not long after she finally made love to him, her first time, he broke it off suddenly. It wasn't long before she realized that that was all he had wanted from her. Graham was livid, and when rumors of his conquest caused snickers to be heard behind Angela's back, Sue went to the source and persuaded him to recant his stories and put an end to the gossip. He did, and the gossip ended, as did the snickering.



The last time she saw that man, only a few short days ago, the scar Graham gave him was still very visible on his left cheek.



She owed Graham.



Her thoughts drifted to other things like her oath to the REF, her oath as a medical professional, and Lisa and Rick Hunter. Finally, she thought of the person who most influenced her life in the last few years: Jean Grant. She considered Jean much more than a friend. Jean put her on a career path that she hadn't considered but had come to love. And Jean was always there when she needed a hand, and she was always willing to listen and help.



She gave them all serious attention, but in the final analysis, it always came back to Grace and Graham.



She was so deep in thought that she jumped when someone knocked on her door. She got up and opened it to find Grace and Graham waiting. She left the door open and without saying a word she turned and walked back to the couch.



Graham and Grace looked at each other, realizing that Marques had been contemplating their situation, and followed her inside. They moved to stand in front of her, their united front.



Grace began, "Angie."



"Wait", interrupted Marques. She stood up and faced her friends, and she could see the trepidation in their eyes. She let a slow, wide smile surface on her face and said quietly, "No matter what, we're in it together."



She watched as smiles came to the faces of her friends, and Graham said ominously, "On her next trip to Tirol then. Two weeks from today."



The three conspirators sat down on the couch and went over their plan, step by step by step.







State = Continuará/To Be Continue

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email = dparsnipAThotmail.com