"Robotech - To The Stars: Aftermath - The First Year"
Chapter 15

February 14th, 2015

"Max!!" hollered Miriya from the bathroom.
Max was used to that tone of voice and nonchalantly walked to the bathroom to see what was wrong. He found Miriya frowning and tugging at her dress.
"Yes, Mir?" he asked patiently.
"Maximillian, we must go shopping right now," ordered Miriya.
"Right now? Why? I thought we were all ready," said a perplexed Max.
"Maximillian this dress is itching me like crazy. I will not be able to enjoy my evening in this dress, I must purchase another one," said Miriya, slightly annoyed.
"But Mir, you said you loved that dress when you tried it on," said Max.
"I did, but now it is uncomfortable."
Max looked at Miriya, then the dress and then noticed some white spots on the dress. "Uh...Mir, did you wash the dress?"
"I did, last night," said Miriya plainly.
"But I told you not to wash the dress. It needs to go to the cleaners," explained Max.
"But it smelled like the department store, and that smell makes me sneeze, so I decided to wash it," countered Miriya.
Max sighed and said, "Alright then, change out of that dress and we'll run to the dress shop down on Main Street and find you something. But. You won't be able to wash it, we won't have time for that, do you understand?"
Miriya nodded and Max went outside to wait in the car for her.
After half an hour Max and Miriya arrived back home and Max sat in the kitchen, eating a snack. Miriya came into the kitchen, in her slip and told Max to move so that way she could get the ironing board out.
"Miriya, you don't have to iron the dress, just wear it," said Max, chomping on some potato chips.
"I cannot wear it. It has a crease in it. I will iron it and then I can wear it," said Miriya matter-of-factly.
Max shrugged and moved out of her way by heading to the living room to watch some TV. After a minute, Miriya came out of the kitchen, still in her slip, and asked, "Max, what if other men ask me to dance with them?"
Max pushed his glasses up and smiled, "Well, I suppose you can do what you always do everytime we go to a party and men ask to dance with you."
Miriya looked at him and said, "You mean, tell them I will break their necks if they ask me again?"
Max chuckled, "Yes I suppose you could tell them that too."
Miriya looked at Max with some confusion, then Max walked up to her and put his arms around her waist and said cheerfully, "Or you could dance with me every single dance so that way they won't have the chance to ask you."
Miriya smiled proudly and Max asked her, "So how's your dress now, better than the first one?"
Miriya's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, then she ran to the kitchen. She came back to the room with her head down. She looked up at Max with a sad look then held up her dress, which had a hole in it, scorch marks ghosting the outline of where the iron had been.
Max scratched his head and offered, "Ah, well, at least you didn't start a fire again."
Max looked at the clock on the wall and Miriya's eyes turned to it too.
"Max, we won't have enough time to get another dress will we?" asked Miriya.
"Well, Mir, we can either go and get another dress and show up late, or...or you can just go in your uniform," suggested Max.
Miriya thought it over for a moment, "Well...," she started saying, "whenever I wear my uniform as opposed to an evening dress, the number of dance offers goes down. Maybe that's a good thing. Very well, I will just wear my uniform.
Max smiled then the smile turned into a grimace as Miriya said, "But I will have to iron it, it's wrinkled. It'll just take a few minutes."
Max sat back down on the couch and hoped that she would be able to iron her uniform without incident.

* * * * * * *

Sammie stood in front of the mirror, sniffling. Vanessa came storming into the bathroom saying, "Dammit where are my ruby earrings?" Then Vanessa caught sight of the distraught look on Sammie's face and became immediately concerned. "Sammie what's wrong?"
Sammie sniffled again before saying, "No one's going to ask me to dance because of this shoulder injury!"
Despite being notorious for her constant bickering with Sammie, Vanessa didn't have a witty retort for Sammie's plight, instead Vanessa felt sorry for Sammie and tried to cheer her up. "Hey Sam, don't worry about that. You just get out there on the dancefloor and when the guys see that you're not that much of an invalid with that injury, they'll ask ya to dance!"
Sammie wiped her eyes as she looked at her friend, "Do you really think so?"
Vanessa winked at her, "Of course. And I'm sure Max, Rick, and Vince will dance with you, injury or no injury and then all the other guys will get jealous and cut in on them."
Sammie beamed a smile and asked again, "Do you really think so??"
"I know so Sam," was Vanessa's reassuring reply.
Sammie smiled again then gasped before exclaiming, "Kim's lost the bet! I just remembered, it's already Valentines Day. Kim's deadline was midnight, nothing happened so she's out of it already."
It took a while for Vanessa to catch on to what Sammie was talking about but when she did she let out a sly, "Hey...that's right huh? Why don't we call her and make sure she didn't forget about it."
Sammie ran to grab a phone and then dialed Kim's number.

Kim: "Hello."
Sammie: "Hey Kim, you guys almost ready?"
Kim: "Almost. How about you two?"
Sammie: "Almost. Hey, you forgot something."
Kim: "What did I forget?"

Vanessa snatched the phone away from Sammie and picked up the conversation.

Vanessa: "You lost the bet. It's already Valentines Day. Your deadline was last night."
Kim: "Huh?"
Vanessa: "Don't tell me you forgot."
Kim: "Forgot...oh!"
Vanessa: "No way! You actually DID forget! Well, I suppose you have been busy and all, I wouldn't doubt it. I would probably forget too. So? You lost already right? Or did anything happen between Rick and Lisa last night?"
Kim: "Ah hell. I lost. Nothing happened as far as I can tell. Rick dropped Lisa off at 10pm and then she turned in early. I think she's still dreading the meeting, so she really hasn't been herself lately.
Vanessa: "I hope she will be ok during the party."
Kim: "I dunno, we'll just have to wait and see I guess."
Vanessa: "Right."
Kim: "Hey, did Sammie get upset about being injured and not being asked to dance cuz of her injury?"
Vanessa: "Yeap. You know her better than I do sometimes."
Kim: "Yeah, well tell that kid to cheer up and not to worry, there'll be plenty of guys asking her to dance, I already talked to some. But don't tell her that part of it."
Vanessa: "Yeap, I've told her not to worry about having a dance partner."
Kim: "Ok, I've got to get back to getting ready."
Vanessa: "Hey Kim."
Kim: "Yeah?"
Vanessa: "Uh...nothing. We'll see you at the party ok?"
Kim: "Sure thing, later!"

Vanessa hung up the phone but couldn't hang up the strange feeling that had passed over her when she talked to Kim. Sammie was standing next to Vanessa and waited for Vanessa to talk. Vanessa didn't say anything and headed back to her room. Sammie was perplexed by her behavior and hollered after her, "Hey, what about your earrings? I think I saw Kim wearing them the other day. Better make sure you get them back from her before she leaves or you might never see them again."
Sammie's comment was spoken with the air of jest, but it had sent a cold chill through Vanessa. She took a deep breath and tried to continue with getting ready, but couldn't shake the echo of Sammie's innocently spoken remark.

* * * * * * *

Rick Hunter hummed happily as he shaved. He was looking forward to the party, which was something new for him, since he wasn't very comfortable at parties, but now he felt anticipation. The situation was different this time than from other parties. This time he would clearly have a date, and a very attractive one at that. All the previous parties he had spent as a wallflower, bemoaning not being able to take Minmei to the party and wondering about where things had stood between himself and Miss Macross, but now all that was just a distant memory and he was glad.
He finished shaving and splashed some aftershave on his strong jaw. He continued trying to picture how the evening would go. He was looking forward to having the opportunity to leave the party early and spend some quiet time alone with Lisa. He was still disappointed that she could not get dressed up, but he understood why she needed to be in formal uniform. He also wondered how much he could get away with at the party. He had trouble keeping his hands off Lisa and he wanted nothing more than for everyone to know that they were a couple now, but he knew that if he and Lisa were too touchy with each other, that it would reflect badly on Lisa. He resigned himself to the fact that he would have to get used to the idea of having to keep hands-off of Lisa when they were in public, especially in the presence of high-ranking officers. They had enough trouble with Maistroff already, and they needed to make sure not to give him anymore ammunition against them.
Rick sighed and then tried to cheer himself up by thinking of how they would spend the rest of the evening, after they had left the party. Lisa had been out of spirits lately, no doubt due to her having to leave for the satellite factory. He didn't really have a plan, he just decided to let things go with the flow of the evening and try and make the most of their time together and cheer Lisa up.
Rick looked at himself in the mirror and had to smile slightly. He never was one to gloat, but he had to admit that he looked pretty good. He practiced his smile a few times, making sure that it was one that could make Lisa melt.

* * * * * * *

Lisa was ready to go but Kim was still scurrying around to finish getting ready. Finally, Kim came to the living room where Lisa was reading up on some reports about their upcoming assignment. She stood in front of Lisa, then turned around in a circle and asked, "Well, am I gonna have to beat the men off with a stick or what?"
Lisa laughed and told her, "Shall I assign an MP to be your bodyguard?"
Kim, ever witty, quipped, "Sure, if he's cute!"
Kim gingerly sat on the couch next to Lisa, "I don't want to get my dress wrinkled," she explained. Then she continued, "So, what's this about you and Rick planning to leave early tonight? Are you two going to have a special evening? Should I stay at Sam and V's tonight?"
Lisa honestly didn't know how to answer Kim. She thought it through for a moment then said, "It's alright Kim, you don't have to stay with them tonight."
Kim wore a slight pout, something she obviously inherited from Sammie. "Well, are you sure? I mean, it is Valentine's Day after all, and you and Rick will be here, all alone, and you won't be seeing each other for 6 weeks and..well, you know..."
Lisa suddenly remembered why the Terrible Trio was named Terrible and decided to ask Kim a question, "I get the feeling...I think I know you girls pretty well now...you all don't happen to have some kind of bet going do you?"
Kim shrunk down in her seat a bit and that was a dead giveaway.
"I see..." said Lisa suspiciously.
"You're not mad at us are you? I guess it was kinda bad of us," said Kim
Lisa gave Kim a crooked smile and said, "Not really. I know you girls by now."
Lisa's answer didn't make Kim feel better however, "Lisa, I apologize for Sam and V too. This is something serious and we shouldn't be so petty to bet on something important as this."
Lisa shook her head and sighed, "It's alright. I'm pretty sure half the base has already placed bets about anything and everything Rick and I do."
Kim leaned towards Lisa slightly, "You know, mostly everyone was rooting for YOU the entire time. Especially the women. I think it's a bit of a 'cheering for the underdog' type of thing. In a ways, you represented the regular woman to us all. Here you were in love with a man who was in love with a celebrity. And anyways, you know how Minmei annoys most of the women, we were all rooting for you
and waited so long to see the day when the Miss Macross was defeated. But it wasn't just that. You and Rick make a perfect couple. Even Exedore said so."
Lisa smiled shyly and remained quiet, still bothered by what would unfold at the meeting.
"You know it really sucks that you can't dress up. We were all so looking forward to it, you know, one big party where everyone is all decked out," continued Kim. "That sucks just as bad as the party planning being assigned to that committee, but I guess it wasn't avoidable, I don't know how much planning Sam, V, and I could've done, we have all been so busy lately."
Kim looked over at Lisa, who seemed to be a bit spaced out. Kim stood up and looked at Lisa scoldingly as she said, "You haven't told him about the meeting have you? Well, I suppose it's no use telling him today, it'll just ruin your evening."
Kim put her hands on her hips and huffed at Lisa, "Now you stop that! No more sulking! Just forget about it for now and concentrate on having a good time tonight because you won't be seeing him for six weeks."
There was a knock at the door and Kim grabbed Lisa's arm and pulled her off the couch, "Ok Lisa, that must be Rick. NO SULKING! That's an order Admiral."
Kim shoved Lisa to the door and managed one more, "NO SULKING!" then stood back and waited for the door to open.
Lisa put her hand on the doorknob, her heart racing. She turned the knob and then slowly pulled the door back. Rick Hunter was standing there, a bouquet of red roses in his hand, and looking incredibly handsome. Rick smiled at her and walked into the room. Lisa absently closed the door behind him and then looked at him. Rick smiled, the way he had practiced in front of the mirror. Lisa could only utter, "H..h.." but finally managed to get out a weak, "Hi."
Rick wanted to laugh, but he didn't, instead he continued his plan to dumbfound her. "These are for you," he said to Lisa as he held out the flowers to her.
Lisa took the bouquet, immediately aware of their aroma. She closed her eyes and inhaled the
scent, then she looked at Rick and gave him a warm smile, saying a bit unintentionally sultryly, "Thank you Rick."
"Uhh...you...you're welcome," said Rick. It was now his turn to be slow on the return.
They heard someone clear their throat and remembered that Kim was there also. When Rick looked at her he did a double take. Kim, proud of the reaction she caused, sauntered a few paces, then did a full turn, and sauntered back.
Rick whistled his appreciation and said, "Well well well, who DO we have here."
Kim did a slight curtsy and said proudly, "Commander Kimberly Young, aide to Admiral Lisa Hayes, but since you know me, you can call me Kim." Kim then held out her hand and Rick hesitated, then shook it.
Lisa burst into laughter and said, "It's alright Rick, go ahead, I don't mind. Just as long as it's not Minmei."
Rick mumbled something, in that usual awkward, but cute, way of his and Kim held her hand out again. Rick took a light hold of her fingertips and dunked his head to kiss the back of her hand.
"Ah...I feel like a princess," said Kim dreamily.
The three friends shared a laugh and then Kim went back to her room to make final preparations
to leave for the party.

* * * * * * *

Rick and Lisa arrived at a crowded reception door. It appeared that everyone who had received a notice, had definitely decided to show up.
Rick, looking around the crowd, said, "Wow, it's a pretty good turnout."
Lisa agreed, "Yes it is. I'm glad. I hope everyone has a good time, God knows that everyone could use a few more moments like these."
Rick answered by wrapping an arm around Lisa's waist and as the line proceeded forward, they were essentially attached at the hip. Kim, Vanessa and Sammie were behind them, ooo-ing and ahh-ing at people passing by. Claudia was already inside with her brother and sister-in-law as was the Sterlings.
After a few more minutes, Rick and Lisa finally made it to the entry where they were greeted by a public affairs officer. The public affairs officer looked at the guardsman that was standing opposite her and said to him, "Admiral Lisa Hayes and Captain Rick Hunter." The guardsman, decked out a bit too much with a rather silly looking hat, clacked his boots together and announced loudly, "Admiral Lisa Hayes and Captain Rick Hunter!" Then Rick and Lisa realized that there were two lines of full-dressed uniformed soliders in front of them, brandishing shining swords. After the guardsman had announced them, then clacked his boots again, the rows of soldiers held up their swords, making an archway above Rick and Lisa.
At first the couple hesitated, and Lisa thought to herself that this certainly looked like many of the military weddings she had been to. The public affairs officer, noticing their hesitation, said, "This is just a little fun fanfare, for the senior officers, courtesy of General Maistroff."
Well that explained everything, Maistroff certainly liked to make his presence known, and the best way to do it was making a big scene, having a loud announcement and a sword salute. Strange that he had ordered it for the other senior officers too.
Rick held out his arm to Lisa and she smiled as she took a gentle hold of it and let Rick lead her through the sword overpass and into the commotion of the large reception hall. They got stares from all direction, the commotion of the swords and announcement, loud enough to be heard for some distance. Rick could not help but feel proud as he saw people here and there turn to each other and whisper something, then turn back with amazed looks on their faces.
The Trio had seen the pomp and circumstance that Rick and Lisa got and had quickly made sure they fixed their hair and straightened their dresses before it was their turn to be announced.
The guardsman announced loudly, "Captain Vanessa Leeds, Captain Sammie Porter, Commander Kim Young!"
The girls were waiting for the sword bridge salute but it didn't come. They paused for a moment then realized they weren't going to get a sword salute and Kim led the way, holding her head up high, pretending that she hadn't expected a salute.
"Well! The nerve! I bet Maistroff told them not to salute for us!" complained Sammie.
"Hey Sam, come on, that is probably just reserved for Admirals and Generals. Really, you don't honestly think that Maistroff would let us lowly Captains have a salute like that would you?" reasoned Vanessa.
"I suppose not. Hey...that tall guy was checking you out did you notice?" said Sammie.
"Who me?" asked Vanessa distractedly.
"Yes YOU!" confirmed Sammie.
Vanessa looked over her shoulder. The soldier was somewhat handsome, although not Vanessa's exact type. "He's not too bad," she mused.
"Well, I think he's cute! What about you Kim?" asked Sammie.
Kim looked him over, unimpressed, and said plainly, "Well, he is a bit thin. I prefer more muscle."
Sammie hit her on the shoulder, "Not you! I mean, for Vanessa."
Kim rolled her eyes, "Come on Sam, you know that me and V like guys with muscles."
Sammie huffed and complained, "Everytime I try and find dates for you guys you are just TOO picky! No wonder why you're old maids!"
Vanessa jabbed back, "Look who's talking!"
"Is there a problem here ladies?" asked a very elegantly dressed, but still very imposing, Claudia Grant.
The Trio shook their heads no and Claudia smiled knowingly.
"We managed to snag 3 tables and put them together so there's one huge table for you girls, the Sterlings, Vince and Jean, and the Hunters," said Claudia, in a host like manner.
The Trio giggled and Kim poked her elbow at Claudia, "Hey that's a great one! 'The Hunters', that has a nice ring to it!"
Claudia gave her a look and said, "Now don't you go calling them that now. This is just a little inside joke between us. If you go around calling them the Hunters, especially here, you know some concocted misinterpreted rumor will start and that's certainly not what Rick and Lisa need right now."
"Yea Kim, keep your mouth shut," said Sammie teasingly.
"Why don't you keep your mouth shut," shot back Kim, ready for a joust.
"Ladies! I want to enjoy this party, don't give me a headache before it even begins!" scolded Claudia.
Vanessa, who watched it all with amusement, suggested, "Hey, let's go get our seats then get something to drink."
"Good idea!" chirped Sammie.
Claudia held Kim off to the side for a moment and asked, "She hasn't told him yet has she?"
Kim sighed and shook her head.
"Make sure you bring your earplugs to the meeting tommorrow," said Claudia somberly, then walked back to her table to join her brother and sister-in-law.
Kim sighed and followed after Sammie and Vanessa.

The large reception hall was buzzing with enthusiastic chatter and a string ensemble and light jazz band were alternating songs. Miriya surveyed the scene and turned to Max and said, "Maximillian. This is indeed one of the nicer parties we've been to. The decorating is very, what is the word... very light and fresh, and look, even the dinnerware is very beautiful."
Max adjusted his glasses and smiled, "Yeap, well, that's the Trio for you. They do have good fashion and decorating sense. Too bad they only got to do a little bit of the planning, or else you'd really see something spectacular."
"I assume they were rather disappointed they didn't get to continue the entire plan," commented Miriya.
"Yea, well, you know, Sammie got injured and Vanessa's been in training and Lisa's needed Kim to help her out on a few things. I hope that the committe that took over after them doesn't mess things up, the Trio will be so pissed," said Max with a chuckle.
"Antell is on that committe right?" asked Miriya.
Max nodded his head.
"That's an awful thought. She's a hideous woman. There's just something about her that I don't like," said Miriya, observing Antell off in the distance.
"Well, join the club, no one likes her," answered Max.
"Maximillian. When are we going to get a house of our own? I do enjoy sharing a house with the Grants but I would enjoy having our own house. I have been watching those shows on television, what are they called? 'Do-it-oneself' ?? They have some very unique ideas that I would like to try."
Max silently shuddered, the last time Miriya got bitten by the DIY bug, she ended up accidently knocking a huge hall in the kitchen wall. Max turned to her and smiled, "Don't worry Mir, hopefully within the next month we can move into our own house."
Miriya beamed a smile at her husband and then she proceeded to tell him the home decorating ideas she had seen on television.

After stopping and being stopped to talk to several people along the way, Rick and Lisa finally made it to their table. Rick held out Lisa's chair for her and she smiled her appreciation. Rick took a seat next to her and picked up the menu to preview their dinner.
"Would you like something to drink?" he asked Lisa cheerfully.
Lisa looked over the menu and made a note to herself to play it safe and she answered, "I think, I'll just have a cherry soda for now."
Rick winked at her and then announced that he would have the same.
Max and Miriya came back to the table, wine glasses in hand, and the couple sat opposite Rick and Lisa.
"Hey, Rick, Lisa, this looks like it's going to be some party eh?" said Max in his usual upbeat manner.
Rick reached over the table to give Max their customary handshake and said, "It sure does look that way, and I'm glad I have such a beautiful date to share it with."
Lisa looked down shyly and Rick gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Miriya, sitting opposite of Lisa, asked, "I heard Maistroff is going to give a speech to open the party, is that true?"
Lisa shook her head, "Yes."
Rick groaned loudly, "Oh no. I can just picture his speech now. Can't they just skip Maistoff and have only you give a speech?"
"Maistroff is an a--hole!!" said Miriya angrily.
Rick and Lisa stared at her, surprised at the viciousness in her tone. Max looked at his wife then at Rick and Lisa, then back at Miriya again and fidgeted in his chair uncomfortably but saying sternly, "Miriya. Now is not the time nor place." Max then put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and softened his tone, saying, "Mir, let's not worry about Maistoff for now. Let's just enjoy the evening alright?"
Miriya narrowed her eyes one more time, casting one last angry glare at where Maistroff was sitting, then picked up her glass and sipped her wine quietly.
"So," said Max, trying to change the subject, "Lisa, how come they didn't let you give a speech?"
Lisa shrugged, "Well, I guess Maistroff wants to be the one to give the speech."
Miriya, having finished her wine, looked over Rick and Lisa and said, "Rick. I've never seen you in a suit before, you look very handsome."
"Uh..." was all Rick could say.
Lisa smiled with pride and said, "Yes Miriya, I agree with you, he is very handsome isn't he?"
A few minutes later the Trio and the Grants joined the table and the close-knit group of friends spent half an hour enjoying each other's company and conversation.
Whenever Rick spoke, Lisa found herself doing nothing but stare at him. His manner was carefree and enthusiastic and he had looked happier than she had seen him in a long time. Whenever he turned to her and smiled, his sky blue eyes sparkling, Lisa thought she would faint right there in front of everyone. He was handsome, strong, brave, and kind, and he loved her. Not Lynn Minmei, but her, Lisa Hayes, the woman he had once called an old sourpuss. She still had trouble believing that she was actually at this Cinderella-like party, with Prince Charming.
Whenever Lisa spoke, Rick looked at her intently and let everything about her saturate his senses. Her voice was very soothing to his ears, her tone, confident and full of intelligence but still having a hint of an underlying sharp, humorus wit. Her profile, delicate and gentle, and when she smiled or looked at him with those illuminating and almost crystal-like green eyes of hers, he felt as if the only two people in the world were he and Lisa.

"Stop scowling, can't you at least try and pretend to be enjoying the party," said Maistroff as he handed a glass of brandy to T.R. Edwards.
"I don't like to pretend, it's silly," said Edwards as he gulped down one-fourth of the glass he was given.
"Well then why did you come then. You should've just stayed home," said Maistroff sourly.
Edwards said nothing and took another gulp of his brandy and let his eye cast a hateful glare as he watched Maistroff walk away.
Edwards turned his attention from Maistroff to the party-goers around him. Edwards looked disinterestedly at tables on the left and tables on the right, then his glance fell on one table table near the center of the room, then his eye caught sight of two people who particularly interested him.
He watched Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes talking to each other, smiling at each other as if they didn't have a care in the world. Every minute or so Rick would either take hold of Lisa's hand, or touch her on the shoulder, or caress her chin or kiss her on the tip of her nose or whisper something in her ear. The scene only fueled Edwards growing loathing. There was the protege of his old nemesis, Roy Fokker. There was the hot-shot VT jock that had been so distracted by having a woman sitting on his lap that he hadn't bothered to check for other survivors at Alaska Base. There was Rick Hunter, the man who had put a spell over the woman that should have belonged to him, T.R. Edwards.
Edwards watched the scene for a few more minutes until he was to overcome with rage and resent. Who was he now? He was an angry, bitter, scarred man. Had it not been for the faceplate, no doubt he would not get rejected by so many women when he asked them to dance. And who's fault was it? Rick Hunter's fault. Rick Hunter had been the reason why his plans had been interrupted, his future changed and put on a course that was not his ideal plan.
He would never forget, never forgive, and one day, when he was in a better seat of power, he would come back and rain down his vengence on Rick Hunter.
Maistroff was making his way to the front stage, apparently ready to make his speech. Edwards took a seat at a small table, making sure he had a clear view of the table that Rick and Lisa were at.

"Oh hell, Maistoff is going to speak, wake me up when he's done," grumbled Sammie.
Maistroff rambled on for a good 20 minutes, spending half of the time talking about himself and his accomplishments. He spoke of the Earth of the past of how great it had been, but didn't talk about how he actually proposed to return it to it's greatness, or at the very least, some semblence of normalacy. Whatever else he said, was pretty much lost on everyone. After the first three minutes, everyone had tuned him out and the murmer of scattered personal conversations was obvious. Perhaps as a result of the inattentiveness given to him, Maistroff gruffly ended with, "Everything depends on all of you. If you have problems, fix them and move on, and make sure you don't let us down."
As he stepped away from the podium, Maistroff was given only a small, polite applause and this was not lost on him.
Kim, having finished an an fried dumpling appetizer, snorted, "Boy, he sure made an ass of himself!"
Those at the table didn't comment, but their laughs and chuckles let her know that they agreed with ehr.
"That's because he IS an ass!" said Miriya quickly.
The table laughed again and Miriya's angry expression gave way to a knowing nod.
The MC came back to the microphone and wished everyone a good and fun-filled evening.
Sammie lifted her head off of the table and said, "Has he finished rambling yet?"
Claudia laughed and nodded, "Yes Sammie, you can take the earplugs out of your ears now."
"Phew, I'm glad I had these earplugs with me, I can't stand the sound of his voice!" said Sammie as she put her earplugs back in her purse.
Rick told Lisa that he had a friend he wanted her to meet so they left the table and went to talk to Rick's friend for several minutes, then the friend left, and Rick and Lisa were alone near the punchbowl. Kim motioned to Sammie and Vanessa and the three left their seats and made a beeline for Rick and Lisa. Lisa saw the mischievious looks on the Trios faces as they got closer and could guess what they were planning to do. She thought about warning Rick, but then she decided against it and smiled at the Trio as they drew nearer.
The Trio, in unison, gave a very sly, "Hi Riiiiick."
Rick recognized that tone and started to feel slightly nervous, "Uh...hi girls." He looked at Lisa to see if she was going to be able to help him out but she was watching the crowd.
Vanessa asked, "So are you enjoying the party Rick?"
"Uhh, yea, it's started off pretty nicely, if you exclude Maistroff's speech," answered Rick.
The Trio giggled in unison, one of their trademark signs that they in flirt mode.
Sammie looked Rick up and down and said, "Girls, doesn't Rick look very handsome today."
"Mmmmhmmm," was the reply from Kim and Vanessa in unison.
Vanessa made the bold move and said, "Those are nice pants Rick. Kim tells us that you wear pants well."
Rick could feel the perspiration start to form at his temples and he looked at Lisa again for help, but she seemed to be distracted by something off in the distance.
Kim narrowed her eyes and said, "Oh yes. Especially jeans. You know, some guys just don't have what it takes to look good in jeans, but Rick doesn't have that problem, right Rick?"
"Uh..." was all a perspiring Rick could mutter.
The Trio giggled again and Rick felt like a trapped laboratory animal.
Sammie giggled again before saying, "I'm sure Lisa must be very proud of you Rick, right Lisa?"
Lisa, had managed to keep a fraction of her attention on the teasing the Trio was putting Rick through and managed to say, "Yes, I am."
The Trio laughed again and then Lisa distractedly said, "Excuse me, I'll be right back," and headed off in the direction to which her attention had been fixed upon for several minutes now.
Rick took a step to follow her but Vanessa grabbed his left arm and Sammie grabbed his right arm and they turned him around and continued their teasing tirade.
"So Rick, what's your shoesize?" asked Kim after which, Sammie and Vanessa burst out into a fit of giggles.

"You imbecile, you should be thrown in the brig!" said an angry Maistroff, wiping off his jacket with a napkin.
"Hey, come one, we aren't on duty you know," said a stocky, bearded man.
"Get your friend to the MP's, that's an order!" barked Maistroff.
"Wait a minute, he's just a little bit drunk, and he didn't mean to spill his drink on you," explained the bearded man.
"Like hell he didn't, I saw your crowd during my speech, how disrespectful! Laughing and talking, not even listening to what I was saying. When a superior speaks, you are to listen!!" spat Maistroff.
"Like Jim said, this isn't formal operating hours, this is a party for goodness sakes," said a woman.
"What's going on here?" asked Lisa as she arrived on the scene.
"These poor excuses for soldiers have no respect whatsoever for their superiors and are just a bunch of reckless drunks! Look at my uniform, that good-for-nothing spilled wine all over me!" shouted Maistroff.
"How DARE you-" started another person who had been watching the scene.
Lisa cut him off by holding up her hand and saying calmly, "Will someone please explain what happened."
The bearded man spoke up, "Admiral ma'am, see our friend here has had a little bit too much to drink, and we were going to take him over to one of the rest rooms so he could lie down for a bit. We forgot to take the wine glass out of his hand and we walked past General Maistroff here and because this particular aisle was a bit crowded we accidently bumped into him and Joe here spilled his drink on the General."
Lisa nodded her head and turned to Maistroff and said, "General sir, please calm down, it was just a simple accident."
"Like hell! I bet they planned it," said a furious Maistroff.
Lisa raised an eyebrow as she said, "General, don't you think that is being a bit paranoid? It was a simple accident, can we just please let it drop?"
"These hooligans are a disgrace to the military! I want this drunkard court-martialed! I expect you to go along with me in this matter, Admiral!" said Maistroff as he tried to give Lisa an intimidating look.
By now a sizable crowd had converged to watch the scene. Lisa knew all eyes were on her. She took a deep breath then held up her head and said sternly, "I will not, General."
Maistroff's face turned red and he shouted, "You are going to side with these, these, pathetic excuses for soldiers?!"
Lisa knew the sacrifice that all the men and women made, she had worked along side of many of them, and had many friends who died in the line of duty, and the insult to any fellow soldier who had sacrificed so much to do their duty made Lisa angry. She remembered the time that Maistroff had purposely chastised Admiral Gloval in a television interview in order to make Gloval look bad and himself look good, and the fact that Maistroff was here now, criticizing everything and everyone, made Lisa lose it.
"How DARE you even think those words, let alone speak them! Do you know what these men and women sacrifice, General? Do you know how many of them have lost friends and how painful that is?? And you begrudge them ONE evening, one party? Downtalking to them and any other soldier who has sacrificed themselves for the protection of this planet is unacceptable, unforgivable! How do you expect them to respect you if you treat them in this way? I think you have no idea what these people have been through General. How many condolence letters have you written? How many families have you visited, to tell them that their son or daughter has been killed?? How many soldiers have you visited in the infirmary General?? And you begrudge them one evening, one rare chance to just sit down with friends and unwind. I think YOU are the one who's a disgrace General. You do not talk to subordinates like this, you do not treat them like children, because they have sacrificed more and worked harder to defend the planet more than you ever have!" Lisa finished and could feel her ears burning with anger.
Maistroff was as red as a tomato and shaking with anger as he shouted, "You are inciting mutiny Admiral Hayes!"
The large crowd that was watching jeered Maistroff.
Lisa cocked her head to the side and said calmly, "I am not inciting anything General, I am telling it like it is."
Maistroff glared at Lisa and everyone present glared at Maistroff.
"This soldier will not be court-martialed, is that correct General?" asked Lisa, feeling confident with the crowd being on her side.
Maistroff, still shaking with anger, growled out, "No court-martial."
Some in the crowd cheered. Maistroff walked up to Lisa, and the crowd hushed each other quiet.
Maistroff looked at Lisa with a narrow-eyed glare and said sarcastically, "Oh Admiral, it doesn't surprise me that you stood up for this drunken soldier. I think everyone knows, that you've been in his shoes yourself a few times."
Lisa glared at him, trying to keep her anger and embarassment from showing. He was not going to win. Lisa looked over the crowd and could see Rick and the Trio off to the left, she wondered how long they had been there. The crowd was deadly silent, waiting to hear what else would spill out of Maistroff's venomous tongue.
"I remember you in the early days, Hayes. You wouldn't have let this stand either. You've grown too soft. Perhaps...perhaps it would've been better if you had resigned last month, like you had planned," continued Maistroff.
There were murmurs throughout the crowd. Lisa looked and saw the shocked look on Rick's face.
Maistroff turned to leave but turned back and said, "Oh by the way Admiral, I'd advise you to make sure you don't overdue it on the liquor tonight. Your tolerance is so low it's unbelievable. Oh and may I also advise you, to NEVER EVER cross me again, because you will be the first one court-martialed. I wonder what your father would say if he saw you now? I wonder what he would say if he knew you nearly through your life and career away from some hot-shot pilot, younger than yourself, lower-ranking than yourself. I think your father would turn over in his grave. And one other thing, I'll be watching you like a hawk. Good day, Admiral."
Maistroff walked away and at least a dozen people assembled at the scene, were sticking their middle-fingers at his retreating form. Those soldiers directly involved in the argument, shook Lisa's hand and thanked her standing up for them. Then the rest of the assembled onlookers started shaking Lisa's hand as well and voicing their appreciation for her and their disgust for Maistroff.
Kim growled, "That bastard!"
Vanessa said worriedly, "Dammit, she's on Maistroff's s--tlist now."
Sammie looked at Rick who seemed to be frozen in place. She had always taken special care to not let it slip out that Lisa had been planning to resign because of him. Now, the hidden secret had been unmasked, in the most callous way.
Lisa saw the haunted look on Rick's face. Maistroff's tirade was purposely aimed to inflict emotional damage on both she and Rick, and from the look on Rick's face, Maistroff had succeeded. The resignation was something that Lisa made her friends promise never to bring up or let Rick know about. Now everyone knew, including Rick, knew.
Lisa felt sick, she excused herself from the crowd and quickly headed outside. Max looked at Rick quickly and then saw Lisa nearing the door and decided to take off after Lisa. Rick shook out of his stupor and chased after Max and Lisa.
As she walked in the garden in front of the reception all, Lisa heard the murmer of the crowds inside, heard the light sound of the waterfountain, heard the sound of heels clacking on the concrete as she walked. She looked up at the clear night sky and felt the rustling wind tossle her long hair. She could not think of anything but the look on Rick's face just a few minutes before.
She heard the sound of quickly approaching footsteps and looked in the direction from where they were coming from and saw her friend Max Sterling approaching her. He stopped in front of her and put his hands in his pocket and was about to open his mouth when they both heard another set of footsteps approaching. Rick stopped a few paces away from them and remained silent. Max looked at Lisa and then at Rick. Max gave Lisa a light and reassuring squeeze on her shoulder then announced to them both, "If you two need anything, don't hesitate to ask alright? And...don't let that bastard Maistroff get to you, because that's exactly what he wants to see happen." Max gave a short salute and then turned and walked back to the reception hall.
"Lisa...I don't know what to say...is it true? You were going to resign?" said Rick, his voice full of disbelief and dread.
Lisa took a few steps away from him and stood in front of the lighted waterfountain. "At that time, I... I didn't feel I had the ability, nor did I have the wish to carry out my duties. I think we could just call it a severe case of burnout."
"Lisa don't lie to me," said Rick with hurt in his voice. "Lisa, was it because of me? Were you going to resign because of me?"
Lisa looked down at the floor and Rick knew that was her answer. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, trying to, yet at the same time afraid to comprehend how he had driven her to the brink of resignation just a month ago.
Lisa saw Rick trying to sort out the realization in his mind and quickly moved to try and get him to stop thinking about it. She walked up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders and pleaded, "Please, please don't think about it Rick. It's in the past, let's just forget about it. Come on, let's enjoy the rest of the evening."
Rick still hadn't said anything and Lisa was worried, so she thought to try something else. She kissed him feverishly, trying to show him that she didn't blame him for anything. It took him several seconds, but Rick finally responded to her. He kissed her back with emotion, trying to show her how sorry he was for his wrongdoings of the past. They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't here the footsteps approach.
"Hey...oops, I'm sorry!" said Sammie as she and Vanessa came into Rick and Lisa's view.
Rick and Lisa separated from each other a bit and Vanessa added, "We're sorry. We just came out to see if you were alright, we saw the incident with Maistroff. Max said you would be ok but we needed to come and check on you ourselves to make sure."
"It's alright girls, we're ok now," answered Rick, his face still betraying signs of confusion.
Vanessa and Sammie turned to go but Sammie managed to say, "Oh, by the way, they are going to start the entertainment in a few minutes. They said there's a special guest. I wonder who Antell booked. She was in charge of the entertainment. Whoever it is, if Antell chose them, they are probably horrible!"
Lisa managed to crack a small smile as she watched Sammie and Vanessa head back to the hall. She looked at Rick and smiled at him. He took her hand and kissed it and then asked her if she were ready to go back inside.
When they got to the door, before they entered, Rick made it a point to kiss Lisa one more time. Lisa smiled, relieved that Rick had let the resignation issue drop for the time being.
Back inside the reception hall, on their way to their seats, Rick and Lisa were stopped by numerous people who had now heard about the Maistroff standoff incident. The people expressed their appreciation and support for Lisa's standing up for them.
Lieutenant Antell took the microphone and Sammie moaned, "Oh gosh, someone give me a tomato so I can throw it at her!"
Everyone at the table laughed and Rick patted Sammie on the back to console her obvious irritation.
"Today we have a special guest and I would just now like to express my deepest thanks for her willingness to come and entertain us for the evening," said Antell, in the most animated fashion anyone had ever seen from her. "May I present to you, the one and only, Miss Lynn Minmei!!"
There were cheers and whistles from the audience but at a certain table, one Commander Kim Young, dropped her forehead on the table with a loud thump, making the silverware clank, and groaned loudly, "Oh s--t!!"
"I'm glad I was asked to come here today to sing for you and show my appreciation for all the hard work you soldiers do for us," chirped Minmei as she scanned the crowd. Her eyes caught sight of Rick, sitting with his arm around Lisa, and she instinctively paused, long enough to cause a rustle among the crowd. Rick knew Minmei was looking at him and Lisa and felt extremly uncomfortable. Reflexively, Rick's arm started to drop from Lisa's shoulders, but Minmei hadn't seen it as she shook herself back to attention and continued talking about what she was doing these days. Lisa was hurt but understood that it was a natural reaction. Rick knew what he had done and he grabbed Lisa's hand and said, "Come on, let's go outside."
Back outside, Rick didn't even bother to look around to see if there were any other people milling about, he backed Lisa up against one of the pillers and placed his hands on her waist and kissed her. Rick could hear the footsteps and chatter of a few people around them but he didn't care.
After he and Lisa each managed to catch their breath, Rick put his arm around Lisa's waist and led her back to the hall. They sat at their table and ate their dinners and dessert as Minmei entertained the crowd for a good hour, then when she finally left the stage, the DJ came on the microphone saying he was accepting requests.
Sammie clapped her hands together and said loudly, "It's about time!" Everyone had finished their eating about some 30 min prior and had been chatting amongst themselves, not paying much attention to Minmei's stage show.
A rather fast-paced dance song started playing and Kim smiled as she saw a young soldier approach Sammie and ask her to dance. Sammie's face lit up and she followed the soldier out to the dancefloor.
"Is that the guy you were talking about?" asked Vanessa.
"Yea, but he's not the only one, I lined up a few more for her," said Kim proudly.
"That was very thoughtful of you to do that for her," responded Vanessa.
"Yea well, she's a good kid, and I hated seeing her so depressed, and besides, what are friends for," said Kim humbly. Kim stood up and said, "Now come on, what are we waiting for, let's see if we can get ourselves some suitors now!"
Claudia and her brother headed out to the dancefloor and Miriya dragged Max out there as well and Jean wandered over to talk to a fellow doctor whom she had not seen for some time. Rick and Lisa were left alone at the table and Rick was about to open his mouth to say something when they heard a familiar voice.
"Rick, Lisa, hello. How are you?" There stood Lynn Minmei, Rick Hunter's old flame, looking glamorous in her evening gown.
"Hello Minmei," said Rick, trying not to sound too wary.
"Hello Minmei," said Lisa neutrally.
"I just thought I'd stop by and say hello. You look very handsome this evening Rick," said Minmei, with a tinge of sadness in her voice.
Rick fidgeted, not knowing how Minmei's comment would sit with Lisa. "Thank you Minmei," said Rick warily.
Minmei smiled and said, "Well, I can see I've got a long line at my autograph table, so I better get over there, goodbye."
"Goodbye Minmei," said Rick.
Lisa inclined her head in acknowledgement and Minmei turned around and went on her way. Rick breathed a sigh of relief and moved closer to Lisa.
Kim came over, her heels shuffling, and said excitedly, "You guys! Maistroff left, now you can get out there and have some fun!"
Rick and Lisa looked at each other and shared a slow smile. Lisa looked at Kim and told Rick, "You go on ahead first." Rick looked at Lisa then at Kim and saw an eager look on her face, so he stood up and held out his arm to Kim and the two were on their way.
After the song was over Rick came back to the table and draped his arm around Lisa, saying, "Geez, that Kim sure has a lot of energy!"
Lisa laughed and teased, "Don't tell me you can't keep up with her."
Rick waved his hand in the air, "Nonsense, I can keep up with anyone."
Lisa narrowed her eyes and stated, "We'll see about that."
Rick smiled and winked at her, then he grew serious, "I didn't know she was going to be here. I heard that Antell is a huge fan but I didn't actually think she could snag Minmei to come. I guess this has been a pretty sucky evening for you hasn't it?"
Lisa shook her head and smiled weakly, "No, it's ok Rick. I'm here with you, and my friends, I am having a good time, despite Minmei and Maistroff."
Rick kissed Lisa lightly then said, "Why don't we stay here for about another half an hour and then take off. Spend some time alone."
Lisa grinned, "That sounds like a great idea."
Rick stood up and held out his hand, "Well, come on and lets dance for a bit, then we'll sneak out of here."
Lisa smiled and stood up, taking Rick's hand. On their way to the dancefloor they heard a voice say, "Well, good evening Admiral." They turned back to see who it was. Standing before them was T.R. Edwards.
"Major Edwards, good evening," greeted Lisa.
"Good evening Admiral," returned Edwards.
"Major, this is Captain Rick Hunter. Rick this is Major T.R. Edwards," said Lisa as she introduced the two men.
Rick said politely, "Pleased to meet you," and held out his hand and Edwards took it, grasping it purposely over-firmly and shaking it strongly. Edwards didn't say anything in return and turned to Lisa asked her if she were enjoying the evening, how work was, and then asked her to dance.
Rick spoke up quickly, "She's with me."
Edwards raised an eyebrow and asked in a fake innocent tone, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Is this true Admiral? I guess this means I won't have the pleasure of dancing with you this evening."
Lisa, feeling slightly uncomfortable and trying to head off any type of confrontation, said, "I'm sorry Major, perhaps some other time."
Rick grabbed Lisa's hand and continued walking to the dancefloor. Edwards managed to say to them, "Have a good evening!" before they were out of earshot.
Edwards saw that Rick was clearly frazzled by him and he laughed outloud, thinking to himself, 'Oh Hunter, this is going to be such fun pushing your buttons. Too bad I have to go to New Detroit, but when we meet again, I'll know how to get inside your head!' Edwards looked at the couple one more time then walked off wearing a sardonic grin.
"I don't like the way he was coming onto you Lisa," said Rick as his eyes were searching for Edwards through the crowd.
Lisa put her hands on Rick's shoulders as the music started, "Rick, don't worry, he didn't mean any harm, he was just trying to be friendly."
"Too friendly if you ask me," said Rick with a tinge of jealousy in his voice.
"Rick let's forget about it alright?"
"Well, if he bugs us again I'm gonna let him have it," said Rick. Lisa was going to make another comment to try and get him to calm down, but he pulled her closer to him and put his arms around her waist, a sign that he was starting to calm down.
"I can't really blame him though," said Rick as he pressed his cheek up against Lisa's. "I mean look at you. You're an Admiral, intelligent, witty, you have a great body, you've got such a sexy voice, and you're so damn beautiful." Rick ended his sentence and pulled back to smile at Lisa. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came. Rick chuckled at her then held her close again and danced with her as the music played.

"Oh Kim don't they look so cute!!" exclaimed Sammie as she watched Rick and Lisa in the distance. She was standing at the punchbowl, taking a break from the dancing.
"They sure do, I'm glad that Maistroff left, so that way they can let loose a little bit," replied Kim, pouring herself some punch.
"Mmmhmm! It's so cute when they kiss!" squealed Sammie with delight.
"Hey Sam...is something wrong with V?" asked Kim with concern.
"Huh?"
"Yea, she's been sorta avoiding me all evening. Is she mad that I borrowed her ruby earrings??" asked Kim.
Sammie thought for a moment then said, "I don't think so. She usually doesn't get too mad over stuff like that. I'm sure it's nothing, she's probably just really uptight about the sub assignment."
Kim looked at her with doubtful eyes and sighed, "You know, I don't like the idea of her going out on that sub. Who knows for how long she'll be out there or what they might run into."
Sammie shook her head and lowered her voice as she said, "I've been hearing rumors that there's some strange things going on in the Pacific Ocean, lots of strange noises are being report by vessels."
Kim was scared yet at the same time intrigued, "What kind of noises?"
"Well, they say that there's a sort of grinding metallic sound that can be heard and some rumbling from beneath the surface, but the ships that have come from that area say they can't find anything," reported Sammie.
Kim put down her cup, "Do you think that's where they're sending Vanessa?? To investigate those noises?"
Sammie quickly put down her cup too, "I hope not! It might be dangerous!"
"Well, I overheard some of the trainers one day while I was delivering a report and I heard one of them mention something about the Atlantic Ocean. Maybe that's where they're going to send her," said Kim.
"I hope so. God, I'm going to spend these whole two to three months worried to death about you and V," said Sammie sadly.
Kim patted Sammie on her good shoulder, "Don't worry about us kid, we can take care of ourselves. You just concentrate on your job and getting us some dates when we come back."
Sammie managed a smile and turned her attention back to watching Rick and Lisa.

"Hey Mir, how are you enjoying the evening so far?" asked Max as Miriya came back from the ladies room.
"I am enjoying myself Maximillian. I think the highlight of the evening so far was when Lisa told off Maistroff," said Miriya with a triumphant smile.
"Ah, you liked that eh?" said Max with a grin.
"Of course. Someone needed to tell that bastard off. Everyone's too afraid of him though. I'm proud of Lisa for having the guts to stand up to him," said Miriya matter-of-factly.
"Yea that was pretty brave of Lisa, only thing is, I'm afraid Maistroff is going to be out to get her now," said Max as he put his arm around Miriya.
"He's an idiot if he actually tries anything. Everyone will know because he threatened her in front of everyone," replied Miriya.
"Yea well Maistroff thinks he's untouchable," said Max before sipping his beer.
"Someone should so something about him...do something to him...." said Miriya angrily.
"Now Mir, come one. Let's not think like that. Don't worry, 'what goes around, comes around.'" said Max, trying to temper his wife's hatred and anger.
"Well, I hope it 'comes around' soon for him, before he picks us all off one by one," retorted Miriya.
Max, sensing that Miriya needed a distraction, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of the seat, "Come on you gorgeous Zentraedi goddess, let's dance!"
Miriya follwed willingly, "I like it when you call me that Maximilian," said Miriya, smiling ear to ear.

"Hey honey, you ok?" asked Jean Grant as she handed her sister-in-law a glass of wine.
Jean Grant, just recently promoted to a permanent position the the main RDF medical staff, was an attractive, petite woman with an enoromous amount of compassion, courage, and intelligence. Claudia looked at her sister-in-law and was so proud and thankful that her brother had married such a great woman.
"I'm ok Jean, just...well, parties like this just bring back a bit of nostalgia you know," said Claudia, a little bit misty-eyed.
Jean gave Claudia an understanding look and followed Claudia as she headed back to the table.
"What about you hon, this is the first time Vince will be away for an extended period of time," said Claudia. She and Jean had busy schedules and just because they lived under the same roof didn't necessarily mean that they had a chance to sit down and talk once in awhile.
Jean gave Claudia a weak smile, "I'm holding up. I know that they picked him for a reason, because he's the best at what he does, and I'm proud of that fact. But still, it will be difficult being separated for six weeks, and then there's that trip to the mines. Do you know anything about that planet? I had hoped that Breetai would have been able to make do with the resources we had here, but I suppose he knows what he's doing."
Claudia nodded, "Yes, Breetai is definitely a man who knows what he's doing, and because of that fact, I feel a little bit more at ease about this mission than if someone else besides Breetai had been in charge."
"I'm glad that Lisa's going along instead of Maistroff," commented Jean.
"Well, Maistroff doesn't know anything about ships, although he would like everyone to believe otherwise. It was only natural that Lisa go. Nobody knows more about SDFs than her, except for Dr. Lang, " replied Claudia.
Jean nodded then said, "So what about that little boy of yours? When is he going to come over?"
Claudia blushed, "Well, I'm still in the counseling and evaluation phase with the adoption case worker. It's a rather step-wise process, you know they need to make sure things will be able to work out on both sides, James and mine, so it's taking awhile."
"Has he spoken up anymore?" asked Jean.
"Not really. I've yet to hear him speak an entire sentence," answered Claudia.
"That could also be why they want to take this slowly," said Jean.
"Yes, I assume so," said Claudia quietly.
Jean patted her sister-in-law's hand, "Don't worry honey, we're here for you whenever you need us and we support you one hundred percent!"
Claudia gave an appreciative smile, "I know."

Vanessa came scurrying over to the table and said excitedly, "Come on you two! Kim requested one of our favorite songs! We think you'll like it too. The beat is a bit irregular so we'll have to show you the trick to getting into the groove. Come on, you'll have fun!"
Lisa looked at Vanessa with a very worried look. She knew the type of music the Trio liked, and most of the time the songs were fast enough to cause a coronary. She also knew that you had to have a lot of attitude to pull off at least a decent look to your dance to the song, because otherwise, if you didn't groove, you could end up looking like a lame chicken. Also, Lisa thought she'd look absolutely ridiculous dancing to a fast song because she wasn't in a dress, she was in her stuffy, dowdy, uniform.
"You go on ahead, I'll stay here..." said Lisa, hoping that Vanessa wouldn't argue with her. Wrong.
"Nonesense! Come on, you'll love this song!" retorted Vanessa.
Rick stood up and looked at Lisa, smiling at her, "Come on Lisa, it can't be that bad."
"But I'm in this uniform and-" started Lisa, only to be cut off again by Vanessa.
"Just take off your uniform jacket, and then you'll have more mobility and will look better. Don't worry! Come on, the song is after this one playing right now!" said Vanessa as Rick follwed her. They turned and looked at Lisa and Lisa saw on their faces that they would not take no for an answer. She sighed loudly then stood up and took off her uniform jacket and placed it on her chair and walked towards them. Vanessa grabbed Lisa's left arm and Rick grabbed Lisa's right hand and they both dragged Lisa over to where Sammie and Kim were waiting.
"Don't worry Lisa, the song isn't that fast, it's just got a strange beat, but it's so cool!" said a very excited Sammie.
Kim pulled Lisa aside and whispered, "The title is 'Make U Wanna Stay'. Come on Lis, when this song starts Rick will be in your crosshairs. Aim and then reel him in!"
Now Lisa was really worried.
"Oh and we always sing this song, don't get too close to Sammie 'cause she sings off key, almost sounds as bad as Minmei," added Vanessa.

The song started and the Trio let out a loud cheer then started dancing. They were right, it was an irregular beat. Kim stood in the middle of the Trio and Rick and Lisa and showed Rick and Lisa how to get the hang of the beat. Rick managed to get the hang of the beat after a few seconds but Lisa still stood there frozen, watching them all. Vanessa rolled her eyes and ran over to Lisa's right side while Kim stationed herself on Lisa's left and tried to get Lisa to start dancing.
"Oh god! Come on Lisa, by the time you start moving the song will be over!" grumbled Kim. "Sammie, tell them to restart it!"
Sammie hurried over to the DJ to get him to restart the song.
By that time, Max and Miriya had joined the circle of friends. "I want to try this dance," said Miriya with determination. Max looked at his friends and shrugged, then took his wife's hand as they waited for the song to restart.
Minmei came over and asked if she could join the group. Vanessa had to bite her tongue from groaning. Rick looked around nervously. Everyone hesitated as Minmei stood there waiting.
"Uh...sure Minmei," said Rick sounding very hesitant. He then looked at Lisa and very quickly moved closer to her and away from Minmei.
The song started up again and everyone started moving except Lisa. The Trio looked at Lisa and yelled, "Lisa!!"
"Ok! Ok!" said Lisa defensively. She knew there was no way to get out of this.
Lisa looked over at Miriya and noticed that she was completey off-beat with the music. Max gave Lisa an embarassed smile and shrug. Lisa remembered hearing a bit of the lyrics before the song had been stopped the first time and remembered one line in particular, 'I'm gonna make you want me, I'm gonna make you come see me, never gonna want no-one but me.' Lisa looked over at Minmei, who was trying to catch Rick's eye and remembered Rick's hesitation when Minmei had visited them at their table. The line rang in her head again, 'I'm gonna make you want me, I'm gonna make you come see me, never gonna want no-one but me.' She looked at Rick again, then decided to throw all her insecurities and inhibitions out the window in order to solidify her position on the battlefield between her and Minmei for Rick's heart, mind, body and soul.
Lisa took advantage of the rap intro part of the song to get used to the beat. She looked over at Miriya again, who still hadn't settled into the right rhythm, and then at Minmei, who was also having trouble with the irregular beat. Minmei was still trying to catch Rick's eye but Rick kept his eyes on Lisa, aware of Lisa keeping an eye on Minmei.
Since Minmei, always the center of attention, had taken to the dancefloor, many pairs of eyes followed her, and many were keenly aware that the most infamous love triangle had transplanted itself to the dancefloor, and everyone was eager to see the outcome of the situation.
Finally the singer started and Lisa was ready to move in for the kill.
The Trio, as promised, started singing along with the song.

It's been a minute
We been talking on the phone
Hit me on my two way turning me on
And I'm a bout to lose my mind
Say you wanna meet me
Baby it's been way too long
Time to quit playing
Let's get it on
I'm a show you, I'm for-real, for-real
(1)

Lisa had held back during the opening verse, but when the chorus started she turned things up a notch. She moved closer to Rick, locked her eyes on him and narrowed them and tried to give him a confident and hungry look with her secret emerald weapon.

I'm gonna make you want me
I'm gonna make you come see me, never gonna want no-one but me
I'm gonna make you come see me, never gonna want no-one but me
I'm gonna make you mine
(1)

The Trio, seeking to help Lisa out in any way they could, tried to sing as well as possible, placing emphasis on the phrase, 'never gonna want no-one but me.'
Lisa smiled when she saw the look on Rick's face. She could see that he was oblivious to everything and everyone except her.

Make you wanna stay baby, I'm gonna
Make you wanna stay baby, I'm gonna
Make you wanna stay baby
Make you, Make you
(1)

Baby we been waitin, But I ain't gonna wait no more
Boy cuz what cha feel you can't ignore
(Baby you can't ignore)
Don't even deny it
We wasted too much time
I'm a bout to make you see
I'm a bout to make you mine
(1)

Lisa put everything she had into the dance and let the song flow through her. Her moves were fluid and confident. Rick had come to a point where he stopped dancing and just watched Lisa, and Lisa knew that she had accomplished what she set out to do. Now she just needed to put on the finishing touches.
The chorus played one more time and by now Lisa had gotten used to the words and mouthed the phrases

I'm gonna make you come see me, never gonna want no-one but me
I'm gonna make you mine
(1)

There were a few more lines of vocals and rap and then the ending chorus faded out. Minmei saw the way Rick looked at Lisa, and never could recall a time when Rick had looked at her that way. She knew that there would never be any way she could win Rick back. She turned around and walked back to her table where her fans were waiting for her.
The Trio and the Sterlings all looked at each other then at Rick and Lisa, who were locked in a staring contest. The friends headed back to the table, leaving Rick and Lisa still staring at each other on the dance floor.
Rick finally shook out of his stupor and took Lisa's hand and led her back to the table and told them, "Uh...we're gonna head out now. Everyone enjoy the rest of the party and behave yourself."
The group laughed and bid Rick and Lisa goodbye. Rick looked at his watch as he led Lisa out of the reception hall, it was almost midnight, time to prove to Cinderella that the ball didn't end at midnight.

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Song credit:
(1) Kelly Rowland - "Make U Wanna Stay"