Three Square Meals Ch. 103

"Any chance we could get a bottle, Beth?" Tom asked hopefully. "I was hoping to distract Mace with the partying tonight, but it's not working."

She glanced down the bar to make sure the senior bartender wasn't watching, then slipped him a bottle of bourbon. "You two go have a quiet drink," she said with a kind smile. "Tell Mace I said..." she hesitated, unsure how to continue. "Shit... what do you say at a time like this?"

"I don't know," Tom replied with a heavy sigh, concealing the bottle inside his jacket. "Thanks for this, Beth, you're an angel."

Beth patted his hand and gave him a supportive smile. "Any time, Tom."

He weaved through the crowd on his way back to the corner sofa, smiling at his friends as they grinned at him and patted him on the back, while turning down calls to join them for a drink. Reaching Mason, he put his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Mace, let's get out of here," he said, flashing him a glimpse of the bourbon bottle.

Mason put the glass down and nodded, rising to his feet and following him out of the bar.

"My quarters I guess, they're closer..." Mason said, taking the lead.

"Sure, Mace," Tom said with an amiable smile, matching his friend's pace as they strolled along the quiet corridors.

Normally the passageways crisscrossing the Janus were a hive of activity, but for the first time that Tom could remember, they were practically deserted. After seeing the victory party in the Officers' Lounge, he could guess where all the rest of the crew had got to. It wasn't far to Mason's quarters and Tom leaned against the wall when they arrived, waiting as his friend placed his hand on the DNA reader. It flashed green and the door swished open, the embossed nameplate which read "Commander Mason Newmont" sliding into the wall.

Mason strolled inside the well-kept room, reaching for a couple of tumblers and grabbing an ice bucket from the fridge. He peeled off his jacket before hanging it up, then flopped out on the bed. Tom unscrewed the cap off the bottle and began to pour out the bourbon, his eyes drifting to the selection of holo-portraits on Mason's desk.

He smiled when he saw the picture of himself with Annabelle, Mason's younger sister. Tom's fiancée looked so happy as she stood at his side, the bright sunlight catching her golden hair and making her look radiantly beautiful. Mason had taken that picture of the two of them on the day his sister graduated from the Academy. To everyone's surprise, and much to Anna's relief, her parents had actually managed to remain civil to each other throughout the ceremony. Tom glanced at the next portrait in the row, lingering briefly on Natalie Newmont, who had a loving maternal smile on her attractive face as she looked at her son. Finally, his eyes settled on the picture of Mason's father, who stood stiffly in the full dress uniform of a Fleet Admiral.

"I can't believe he's gone, Tom," Mason said quietly, his words tinged with loss.

"I know, Mace... and I'm sorry," he replied, turning and handing the glass to his friend.

Mason stared at the picture of his father for a moment, then took a long drink, downing the glass. "I know he had his faults, but he was still my dad... you know?"

Tom refilled the glass and nodded sombrely. "They're there one minute, then just gone the next."

His friend looked up at him, sympathy piercing through his grief. "Your uncle..."

Swallowing around the lump in his throat, Tom nodded, then downed his own drink. His uncle, Commodore Daniel Walker, had been his hero since he was a small boy. In many ways, his Uncle Dan was the dad he wished he'd always had, so very different from his actual father. His uncle had been strong, decisive, and heroic, yet he'd always been willing to make time for his favourite nephew. Then Tom had received the news that the battleship Demeter had been destroyed in the Dragon March, his uncle killed along with every member of his fleet.

Pouring more of the bourbon into his own glass, Tom sighed with regret. "There's so many things I wish I could have said to him... but now it's too late."

Mason nodded, looking forlorn. "I tried not to judge my dad after the divorce. I understood he was under a lot of pressure as Fleet Admiral, but he still cheated on my mom and she hated him so much... I think it really hurt him when she got me and Anna to take her surname."

"Did you ever talk to him about it?" Tom asked, glancing at Mason over the rim of his glass before he took another sip.

His friend snorted and shook his head. "How would I even start? You know what my dad was like... it was impossible trying to talk with him about anything except the military."

"Too obsessed with his career," Tom said quietly, understanding all too well what Mason was talking about.

"Exactly," Mason replied, taking a deep drink. He lowered the glass and had a haunted look in his eyes. "Don't let me get like that, Tom. I don't want to turn into my father..."

"As long as you promise to do the same for me," Tom said with a smile, finishing his drink, then holding up his first two fingers. "All for one..."

"And one for all..." Mason said as he returned the salute, his eyes welling up as he gave his oldest friend a look of profound gratitude.

***

Dana scratched her head as she looked up at the Tormentor-class destroyer, a look of puzzled frustration on her beautiful face. "So what the fuck's your story?" she asked the looming vessel, which was safely moored in the Primary Hangar.

She had finished rebuilding John's Paragon armour earlier that evening and planned to repair the Valkyrie's broken leg until Faye offered to take care of it. With the Mass Fabricators churning out all the required parts, the purple sprite had volunteered the services of her maintenance bots to construct the missing limb. Dana had gladly accepted, leaving the mech's repairs in Faye's more than capable hands, which freed her to take a look at the recently captured vessel.

The AI ship that Weber's men had dug out of Tartarus looked like a thrall vessel, but Dana knew instinctively that it wasn't the genuine article. Just a cursory glance at the external hull gave that fact away. The basic shape might have been an exact match, but the armour plating, the engines, the retro-thrusters, in fact the entire ship all seemed to be made from Terran tech. Her initial inspection of the outer hull had already proven fascinating.

It was clear to her that the engine mounts had recently been modified to accept a modern Interspace Aeronautics model ZK-5998 propulsion system. That was the standard model used in the Federation fleet, installed by the hundreds in destroyers throughout Terran Space. What was far more interesting, were the ill-fitting brackets that were no longer being used, indicating that a substantially different model of engine had originally been installed. Dana recognised those mounts too; they were used by a Type 356-R system engine, manufactured by Kornam Industries, which she knew went bust many years ago. In fact, a quick search of the Holo-net revealed that the company went into receivership shortly after the Ganymede Incident.

Walking over to the airlock, she pressed her hand against the gleaming DNA reader. Dana could tell by the shiny new plasma-welded joins on the titanium hull that the device was yet another recent addition to the ancient ship. The panel flashed green, recognising her genetic code after being hacked by Irillith, and the two interior airlock doors spiralled open. Poking her head inside, the redhead felt a jarring sensation as she looked into the vessel, instinctively knowing that there was something very wrong about the ship.

"Dana! Wait!"

She heard the faint shout and stepped out of the destroyer, glancing back towards the double doors that led into the hangar. Rachel was jogging across the vast room to join her, while behind the brunette, Tashana greeted her with a friendly wave. The armoured Maliri girl turned and headed for the express grav-tube, disappearing out of sight a moment later.

"How did it go, babes?" Dana asked with a grin, as Rachel rushed into her open arms.

The tawny-haired doctor's beaming smile revealed the answer to that. "It was wonderful!"

Dana nuzzled into her lover's long soft hair, before pulling back to give her a kiss. "You patched up a bunch of people?"

Rachel nodded enthusiastically. "I healed everyone in the three Medical Centres we visited, then started triage on the wounded arriving on the fleets from Terra. I dealt with the critically wounded but had to stop when I ran out of energy. I'll go back tomorrow to help out again."

"You're amazing, sweetheart," Dana said, hugging her tight. "I'm so proud of you!"

The brunette's eyes softened as she pulled back to smile at her lover. "Thank you. You know how much that means to me."

Dana gave her a knowing look. "So how did it go with your Dad? Did you two end up fighting again?"

Rachel shook her head, her expression one of joy. "No, it went really well, better than I ever imagined. My father actually said he was proud of me!" Her eyes filled up and she suddenly burst into tears, clinging to her lover as she was overcome with emotion.

"Baby, what's the matter?!" Dana asked in surprise, rubbing her back. "I would've thought you'd be delighted."

"I-I am..." she managed between sobs. "I just didn't know how much I needed him to say it... He told me he was sorry for everything that he'd done; that he failed me before and how much he regretted the past..."

"That's wonderful, babes, I'm so happy for you," Dana murmured in her ear.

Dana held her close, letting Rachel cry herself out as she dealt with the flood of repressed feelings about her father. Although Dana was really pleased for her girlfriend, the tearful reconciliation between the Voss family stirred up plenty of strong emotions for her too; feelings that the redhead had studiously avoided for years. To be reunited with a long-lost father like that, then being told that he regretted failing her and was proud of his daughter... it was like acting out an orphan's pipe dream. Dana fought hard to squash any feelings of envy, desperate not to reveal her inner turmoil to her lover.

Rachel pulled back and gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you for being so lovely and supportive. It was really hard to truly put the past behind me, but I'm so glad I did. I thought I'd never be able to rebuild things with my father, but now-" She suddenly froze as she saw the conflict in Dana's expression and looked aghast. "Oh God, I've done it again! First Tashana, now you! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be so insensitive..."

Dana winced then let out a heavy sigh of remorse. "No, I'm the one who should be saying sorry. This is a big deal for you, I don't want to take anything away from it. Just ignore me being a dumb jealous bitch... I think it's awesome that you've patched things up with your dad, I promise."

Rachel was quiet for a long moment, then said softly, "Everything that happened this evening was wonderful, because it let me finally close that chapter in my past. You're my real family now and my future's with you." There was a twinkle in her eyes, as she added, "And with a certain Progenitor lover of ours that we're both rather fond of..."

The two girls laughed as they hugged, squeezing each other tight as if never wanting to let go.

When they finally separated, Rachel glanced up at the ferocious profile of the sleek destroyer that loomed overhead. "I believe I caught you just as you were going to take a look inside. Would you like some company?"

"Always," Dana replied, sharing a smile with her as they walked into the ship hand-in-hand.

***

John felt a pair of soft lips brush against his, gently rousing him from sleep.

"Thank you..." Helene breathed, her eyes sparkling as they caught the dim light from the corridor.

He blinked as he woke up fully, to find the teal-skinned girl propped up on one elbow beside him, her other hand slowly tracing circles over her curved belly.

"It was definitely my pleasure," he whispered back, before glancing around the bedroom to check that the rest of the girls were still fast asleep. "I'm really sorry I overslept, I meant to ask Faye to wake me before your four hours were up. How are you doing? Are you alright?"

She leaned closer so that she could whisper in his ear. "I'm so happy, John. I never thought I'd feel this way again..."

Helene's voice caught and John pulled back so that he could look into her eyes. He saw a tear roll down her cheek, her expression a poignant mix of grief for the baby she'd lost and joy for the babies she might have in the future. Placing his hand on her curved tummy, he met her loving gaze with one of sympathy and understanding, trying to communicate wordlessly his feelings for her. She leaned down to kiss him again and the feel of her lips was different this time, full of yearning and a promise of passion. It was an almost spiritual experience, filled with the simple purity of her devotion to him, the likes of which he hadn't felt before.

When they ended the kiss, he opened his arms and held her close as she snuggled into him. "Only good things for you now, honey. I'll do whatever I can to make your dreams come true."

"I believe you, John," she murmured, looking up at him with trusting eyes. "I know you can see into my heart."

It didn't take long for Helene to get drowsy as she lay beside him, feeling safe and secure with his arm wrapped protectively around her. She fell asleep soon after, her adorable heart-shaped face a picture of serene contentment. When John turned to glance at the ship's chronometer, he realised that Lynette would be waking in ten minutes. Movement across the bed drew his gaze and a pair of glinting emerald eyes caught his when he glanced that way to see who else was awake.

*Alyssa was right, you do have lots of busy thoughts when you wake up,* Jade said, smiling when she saw she had his attention. She tapped a finger against her temple. *I could hear you while I slept... it was like being called by the Sirens.*

*Sorry, Jade, I didn't mean to wake you,* he apologised, as he untangled himself from his sleeping bedmate and climbed out of bed. He paused and smiled back at her. *If you're comparing me to the Sirens, I hope that doesn't mean you think I'm luring you to your death?*

She stifled a giggle and shook her head. *I trust I'm in safe hands. Would you like me to come with you to see Lynette?*

*Let me speak to her alone first,* he replied after a moment's thought. *I'll let you know if I need your help.*

Jade nodded, then carefully picked her way over the sleeping girls until she had taken his place in bed with Helene. *I'll look after her until you call for me.*

*Thanks, honey,* he said with a grateful smile, then dressed in the dark, using the faint light from the hall to make sure he wasn't putting his clothes on inside out.

Even though he'd only been asleep for four hours after feeding Helene earlier that evening, John was feeling remarkably alert. Sleeping for several hours directly after the Battle of Terra had refreshed him earlier, so he felt in a cheerful mood despite the early hour. He strolled to the grav-tube, then floated down to Deck Seven, where he walked along the corridor to the Medical Bay. Admiral Devereux was still resting when he entered, with Faye standing beside the bed, keeping a watchful eye over her charge.

"Morning, Faye," he said, joining the cute elfin girl and putting his arm around her slim shoulders. "Everything okay?"

"All good, John!" she replied, giving him a bright smile. "My boys have finished assembling and attaching the new leg to the Valkyrie, and they've also replaced all the armour plating. The mech's fully functional and ready for action!" Before he could respond, she added, "Dana's got the Mass Fabricators building all the parts we need for the replacement Trankaran engines, but we haven't got a full set of components yet. While we're waiting, I've got my boys swapping out all the new armour plates that Alyssa's been shaping for the Invictus."

"I can't believe how much you get done while the rest of us are sleeping," he said, shaking his head in admiration. "If you ever doubt how useful you are to the crew, just replay this conversation."

"I love helping out," she replied, her smile going from ear to ear. "If me and my boys can save you from doing something tedious, then that's a fantastic day's work as far as I'm concerned!"

John grinned at her. "Like I said, we'd be lost without you."

Faye glanced down at the woman lying fast asleep on the bed. "Lynette will be waking up in just under a minute. I'll leave you two alone to chat."

"Thanks, honey," he replied, watching as the purple sprite bounced over to the door and left the Medical Bay.

Turning his attention back to the older woman, he studied her sleeping form, smiling to himself in satisfaction. The change she'd already undergone was remarkable, even after only fourteen hours in his care. While Lynette was still the same height as before, her skin looked fresh and supple, the worry lines and crow's feet smoothing out as he rejuvenated her body. The changes to her facial features were too subtle to pinpoint the exact differences at this stage, but taken together, the overall effect made her notably more attractive. Finally, she'd slimmed down considerably around her waist, the covers over her torso lying much flatter now.

John walked over to the water-dispenser and filled up a big glass, knowing what Lynette's first request would be. They still hadn't come up with an explanation for that initial desperate thirst, but discovering the answer hadn't exactly been a priority so far. He knew Rachel had been monitoring Lynette when they brought her aboard the Invictus, so it was always possible that the inquisitive young woman had already begun testing to satisfy her own curiosity.

Lynette began to stir, shifting on the bed as she woke from her long slumber. She suddenly brought her hands to her throat, her hazel eyes flashing open and darting to him in panic. "I'm so thirsty..." she rasped as she sat up, her voice sounding scratchy and hoarse.

"Easy now," John said, bringing the glass to her lips. "Just drink this, you'll feel much better."

She gulped down the water, calming after the first few swallows, but continuing to drink until she'd drained the glass. "Oh, I needed that," she said gratefully, sighing with relief.

John put the glass on the bedside table. "How're you feeling now?"

Lynette grinned at him as she stretched. "Absolutely wonderful!"

He smiled back at her, pleased to see how well she was coping. "I healed all of your injuries. Would you like to test your legs and see for yourself?"

She wriggled in the bed, her legs jiggling as she tried a few experimental movements. "I can feel them again!" she exclaimed, a look of delight on her face. Lynette was about to pull aside the covers to get out of bed, when she suddenly blushed. "Ah... I don't appear to be wearing very much."

John felt himself blush as he nodded. "You were in that surgical gown when we rescued you. Your uniform must have been ruined when you were shot." He glanced across the Medical Bay. "Let me grab you a bathrobe, one second."

He strode across the room to retrieve a fluffy white robe, then handed it over and turned around to give her some privacy.

"Alright, I'm decent," she said with a lilting laugh.

Turning around again, he watched as she strolled back and forth, a look of profound relief lighting up her face. "I can't believe it... I thought I'd never walk again!" Her eyes welled up and she stepped close to place her hand on his chest. "Thank you so much... I don't know how I can ever repay you for this."