seaQuest DSV
To Dare Cerberus - Book 1
by katirene (XMP) & Paula (APB)
The End of the Valley, Chapter 6
Ari swiftly packed away Kent Adam's belongings into his duffle, tying it closed and setting it beside the door. Then she began on Miguel's, lovingly folding them, feeling as though he would walk through the door any second to twit her for going through his things.
She found his bible while stripping the bunk, hidden under the mattress. For a few moments, she held it, looking at the flyleaf to read the inscription. 'Para mi Miguelito. Amo te. Mama.' She smiled sadly, wiping a single tear from her cheek. Little Miguel. Not so little Miguel.
As she was slipping it securely in the duffle, she realized that there was something bulky between the pages. Something that would hurt the book if she left it there. So she opened the book, removing the chain Miguel had been using as a bookmark. Thinking that this would give her a contact with him, Ari began to read the last thing that Miguel had been reading.
'Jehova es mi pastor; nada me faltara.
En lugares de delicados pastos me hara yacer:
Junto a aguas de reposo me pastoreara.
Confortara mi alma;
Guiarame por sendas de justicia por amor de su nombre.
Aunque ande en valle de sombra de muerte,
No temere mal alguno; porque tu estaras conmigo.'Curiously, Ari turned her attention to the medal in her other hand. With a shock, she recognized it. Miguel's Christopher. But, what was it doing here? He always wore it, unless he was off on a mission. Or she was. They exchanged religious medals, then. As a pledge.
Struck by the find, Ari raised her hand to her own neck. She hadn't really thought about it, but she wasn't wearing the miraculous medal her grandmother had given her at her baptism. She sank down to the floor, puzzling it through.
"I left mine under my mattress, cara. Inside my Bible."
Miguel's voice. She heard the words so clearly that she looke dup certain that he was standing in the doorway, leaning against the jamb, laughing quietly at her introspection. There was no one there. He must have said that on Hyperion, just before he left for the final mission.
No, not the final mission. The mission with Captain Bridger.
So he would have been wearing fatigues. Teasing at the faint sense of familiarity, she closed her eyes and tried to regain the lost memory.
He was in her cabin, looking down at the delicate blue enamel on silver charm, while Ari buttoned the top of her uniform.
"I'll get it," she said, forcing the words around a lump of unshed tears. She kept her chin down, pretending to concentrate on what she was doing so that he wouldn't see them in her eyes. "Miguel ... just.. promise me..."
He placed a tender finger on her lips, sealing the words in, then leaned down and kissed her tenderly. With a sharp gasp, Ari flung her arms around him, burying her face in his chest as he pressed another kiss to the top of her head.
"When I get back, cara mia, don't you worry. Captain Bridger will force them to take up home again. Can you see us, in ten years, sitting in the honeymoon cave, having a picnic while our daughter..."
"Daughter?" she interrupted with mock indignation. "Son! Just like a man, can't tell one from another because he doesn't change diapers."
"Who doesn't change diapers?" he shot back, playing along with her joke. She tried to laugh, but a sob broke through instead. Tilting her chin up, he kissed her again, tenderly.
"Oh Miguel..."
"No tears."
"Of course not," she lied quickly, rubbing her eyes. Bravely, she added, "We'll talk about children when you get back, shall we?"
"Of course..."
The ship's speaker interrupted them, calling the assault team to the launch. Desperately, they clutched at one another, and then, she let him go. He ran up the steps to the door, skipping most of them, and then was gone.
Ari opened her eyes and her hand to find a prefect image of St. Christopher imprinted on her palm. Sniffing hard, she raised her head defiantly and slipped the chain over her head, settling the medal inside her uniform, against her skin and beside the UEO dogtags. Only then did she carefully set the Bible in with Miguel's other belongings.
As she was getting to her feet, the cabin door, partially closed, burst open. Lucas grabbed her hands, pulling her up and spinning around with her.
Remembering their earlier encounter, Ari pulled free, drawing herself up to her full height and glaring at the grinning young man.
" What's got into you?" she demanded.
He smiled back, unsquashed by her imperial tone.
"I took your advice. I talked to Hudson and I'm staying."
Ari's eyes widened with real pleasure and surprise, her irritation flow away like water.
"Really? Oh, that's great! You managed to get around the no civilian clause then? I'm so..." her voice trailed off as Lucas looked away guiltily.
"You did get around the 'no civilian' rule, didn't you?" she checked suspiciously.
"Not... exactly." He pulled a face. "Ensign Wolenczak reporting for duty ma'am. Ahh, sir."
The dumbfounded expression she wore was almost worth enlisting, in Lucas' opinion.
"Why?" she breathed, shaking her head, a stricken look in her eyes.
"You know why." He dropped the masks, letting her look at him without any shields. As pity began to dawn in her eyes, he turned away. "We get to keep Darwin."
"Darwin?" There was a brief explosion of breath, and Ari swung around in front of him again, smiling brightly at him.
"You are an amazing piece of work, do you know that, Lucas Wolenczak? Congratulations. I can't imagine a better place to be than an ensign on seaQuest. And..." she added, looking pointedly at the evidence of Kent and Miguel's residence in the room, "For your first duty, you can help me take these down to storage."
He grinned back, relieved that she was going to be all right with it.
"Yes sir!" he snapped and bent forward to take the closer duffle bag, carrying the stenciled legend 'ORTIZ" on it. Ari grabbed it away and shoved the other one into his arms.
"And then comes the hard part," she promised. "Telling your roommate. And the others. Considering some of the things you've said about the UEO and military...."
Lucas groaned at the reminder.
"Oh shit! I hadn't even thought of that."
With a sly, crooked glance at him, Ari snorted and nodded her head for him to proceed her.
"Just you wait. It's payback time," she promised and started to laugh as he groaned again. And under her bra, the gold saint medal warmed against her skin.
Tim slid his tray off the line and turned, taking a moment to look around for someone to sit with. The galley was more crowded than he remembered it being, and louder. It was as though the new people took up more room, or something.Spying Lonnie and Trey sitting off to one side, he made his way over.
"Mind if I ..." he asked, looking pointedly at one of the empty seats. Trey gave him a wan smile and waved him toward it.
"Be my guest," she answered. "It was saved for you, anyway."
She sighed heavily, as though even that minimum gesture had been an effort and picked up the tea cup, cradling it in both hands to raise it to her lips. He couldn't help but notice that her food was almost untouched as she looked into the bowl of the mug with a look of vexed perplexity.
"Damn. It's empty. I'll be right..."
"I'll get it," Lonnie offered, jumping to her feet, surprising the other two at the table. Or it did until they noticed that she just happened to run into Commander Ford at the drinks dispenser. Trey gave a sharp sniff, indicating her impression of the unlikely duo.
"Well, that's a match made in heaven," she remarked acidly, her lips twisting into a wry grimace. "Not. What do you suppose they were doing when they were found?"
"I heard that they'd just waken up when the shore patrol showed up," he answered carefully, taking the time to chew and swallow a spoonful of cereal.
"Yeah, it can take a lot out of you," Trey answered with a sly, shared grin. She reached across to touch his hand. "Speaking of which, you look horrible, lover."
"I feel horrible," he admitted wearily, blushing a little at the innuendo. "Nightmares, all night. Horrible things."
"Yeah, me too," she answered. "Hold that thought, will you? I'm going to get my tea."
Looking over his shoulder, Tim realized that Lonnie had abandoned them for the commander. While Trey was up, he took the time to check out the other diners again, this time more carefully, trying to locate the original crew. They tended to be sitting with one another, eyeing the new crew warily.
As his companion sat back down, he asked, "Where's Ari? And M... Lucas?"
"I have no idea, "Trey answered tartly. "She wasn't in her cabin when I got up this morning, though, I know that." After a short pause she added slowly, "Tim? Don't you think it's a bit... unhealthy ...? The way she keeps expecting Miguel to reappear? It creeps me out, big time."
Secretly agreeing, the tall, thin communications officer just shrugged.
"Give her time. She and Miguel ... They went through a lot together. I'm betting it doesn't see all that real to her yet.."
"It doesn't seem all that... HEY! Speak of the devil ..."
At Trey's unexpectedly loud exclamation, Tim's head shot up and he looked over in the direction tshe was gazing. Ari and Lucas were together, both beaming happily, talking to Commander Ford and Lonnie Henderson. The commander, looking surprised and pleased, jumped up to thump the younger man on the back in a congratulatory manner.
Trey whistled softly.
"Oh my. So much for needing time. If that isn't the glow of true love...." She looked over at her boyfriend, an arch glint in her eyes. "You don't suppose that they...?"
Before she had a chance to voice her base suspicion, the happy couple was standing in front of them. Tim studied them carefully, wondering if Trey could possibly be right. With a faint sense of relief, he recognized the slight air of reserve around the young woman, similar to his own 'no trespassing' attitude. Whatever was going on, it wasn't a romance. Then he looked at Lucas, and wondered again.
"You tell them, Lucas," the petite officer urged, nudging the young man with her hand. "It's your news."
"Guess what? I just talked to Hudson and I'm staying on seaQuest." he announced proudly.
A wide, cynical smile spread across Trey's face.
"I knew you would find a way," she said, nodding approval..
"That's great Lucas," Tim said, then winced. How lame, he thought. 'that's great.' "I mean, terrific!"
"So how'd you manage that? I would have bet that he'd kick you off first chance he got. You really pulled a fast one on him," Trey asked immediately, leaning forward avidly. "Come on, spill. I want details. Did you find out where he hid the bodies?"
Smiling fatuously at Ari, the young computer expert shrugged.
"A good friend told me to go apologize and I did."
Trey sat back, eyeing him with dubious skepticism.
"That was all it took?"
Ari laughed, thwacking the blond youngster on the back of his head.
"Tell them the rest. Or I will."
Tim sat up straighter, wondering what they were missing.
"Aww, come on, Ari..."
"That's Lieutenant Adler to you, mister." Grinning broadly, with a hint of mischief, she looked at the two diners and said, "Lucas here just enlisted in this man's Navy."
"He WHAT?"
The question came from Tony Piccolo, approaching with his breakfast.
"Well, well," he exclaimed, setting the tray down. Eyeing the slight young man with interested speculation, he walked around him, nodding. "I never thought I'd see the day. After all those lectures on how great you are, you'd never join the military, here you are, just the same as the rest of us poor slobs. Well, seaman Wolenczak? I do believe I rank you. I hereby order you to clean up the cabin and get everything in order."
Ari covered her mouth with her hand and looked off to one side as Lucas stared his roommate.
"That's Ensign Wolenczak," he corrected emphatically. "And as an officer, I rank you, sailor. I think cleaning our quarters is a good idea. Have it done before I get back there."
Amused, Ari shook her head.
"It doesn't work that way. And it doesn't work at all until the paperwork is done."
"It was a nice idea while it lasted," Tony said sadly, claiming one of the seats at the table.
"I don't believe it." Trey shook her head in wonder. "You couldn't have."
"It was the only way Hudson would let me stay." Lucas told them, giving Tony a hard look. "But I got him to agree that Darwin could stay."
"What about Dagwood?" Tim asked suddenly. The huge dagger had saved him from being crushed more that a year or ten years ago. He didn't want to see the man go. Lucas shook his head.
"Just Darwin," he said.
"Look you, guys, I've got to run. I'll see you later." And with a careless wave, she walked away.
"Looks like she slept all right," Trey remarked enviously. "So Lucas...?" She looked up at him. He was staring after Ari with the expression a man in the desert might give to a glass of water. "Earth to Lucas. Come in Lucas."
"Huh? Oh. Ah, yeah, she does look pretty good, all things considered. I would have thought ..." Realizing he was babbling, he stopped short. "I'm going to go through the line. Save me a place."
Pursing her lips, Trey whistled softly.
"All what things considered?" she wondered aloud.
Tony reached across the table to grab the salt, shoveling a forkload of eggs into his mouth at the same time. Talking around them, he said, "He left the room last night for a coupla hours. Maybe the two of them..." He let his voice trail off suggestively.
"Tony!"
"Yeah, you're right," the seaman replied to the verbal slap-down from Tim, nodding sagaciously. "This is Lucas we're talkin' 'bout here. Only way he's gonna get lucky is virtually."
"Tony!" This time, it was Trey sounding outraged. Reaching over, she slapped him on the shoulder as he ducked.
"What'd I say? What'd I say?"
Back in her quarters, Ari found that mail had been delivered while she was out. A package from Andrew. Suspecting she knew what it contained, she opened it to find a news archive for the past ten years inside, exactly what she'd asked her Uncle Paul's gentle partner to provide. And a demo tape. Examining it curiously, she walked over to the player and put it in. But before she hit play, there was a knock at the door."Petty Officer Rodriguez, ST, sir," the somewhat good-looking man at the top of the steps announced in response to her permission to enter. "You're wanted down in the WSKRS maintenance bay."
"Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez." She followed him out. As the cabin door swung shut, the play button on the recorder depressed and the opening notes of the song began to play in the empty room.
T H E . . . E N D