A Surprising Cease Fire

Posted on Tue Jun 9th, 2015 @ 1:42am by Admiral Ricky Wegener & Admiral Lucius Hawke

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Portín - The Promenade

Portín - The Promenade

Lucius had reserved a table at Portín, the French restaurant where the chef Angelique ruled the kitchen. His table was ready, but he preferred to wait until Marianna arrived. Besides, the entrance to the restaurant was done in the style of a French country house courtyard, complete with fountain and Lucius enjoyed relaxing there as he waited. A waiter approached and gave him a glass of burgundy.

“Thank you.” He sipped the heady red wine and relaxed.

A few minutes later, Marianna breezed in, all smiles. She wore a silk dress in a warm ivory that left her shoulders bare and provided a striking contrast to her tan skin and dark hair and eyes.

“Bonjour, Michel.”

The maitre d’ kissed her hand. “Bienvenue Madame Hawke. Quelle surprise! Monsieur l'Amiral ne dit pas que vous êtes sur le station. Il est ici.”

”Merci.” She followed Michel into the waiting area where Lucius sat. When she appeared, he rose and kissed each cheek.

“You look absolutely breathtaking, Marianna. It seems station life agrees with you.” He wasn’t actively reading her but he couldn’t miss the emotions that radiated from her. “Or someone does.”

She gave Lucius a bright smile. “There’s time for the admiring once we’ve been seated.”

“Of course.” He offered his arm and as she took it, a familiar figure entered. “Good evening Rick.”

As he was about to acknowledge Lucius, he saw who was with him, closed his mouth and turned around to walk away. You’re on your own, slick. he thought toward Lucius, rolling his eyes and hoping he could escape unscathed.

“Rick?” It was Marianna who called out. “Come say hello at least.”

He stopped just short of the threshold to the Promenade, his perceived goal of freedom. Slumping his shoulders, sighing heavily and pinching the bridge of his nose, he finally turned and fabricated a completely fake smile and walked back slowly. I’ll flay you for this, Lucius. Lunch with the devil?

No way around it and she has some news I think. Something’s up anyway. The thought was passed on to Rick as he approached.

Rick finally got within swinging range and stopped. “Hello, Marianna. It’s been a long time,” he said in a monotone voice, just going through the motions to try and stave off a fight in the restaurant.

“And you are as thrilled as always to see me,” her tone was dry. “I did want to offer my congratulations, both on ending that sham of an investigation and your promotion. The station seems to be flourishing under your iron fist.”

Shots fired Rick thought. Through the fake smile’s gritted teeth, which now looked more like a snarl, he muttered quietly, “I’ll show you an iron fist, witch.”

Lucius rested a hand on Rick’s arm but his gaze was on Marianna. Enough both of you. The words in their thoughts were stern. Play nice. Then he spoke aloud. “It’s just dinner. I gather you have some news for us Marianna?”

She nodded, but her gaze was still riveted on Rick. “If he can be civil,” she said softly.

“If I recall correctly, you lobbied the first insult,” Rick replied, his eyes narrowed. “Maybe you should concern yourself with your own civility before being so concerned with mine.”

Marianna looked back at him intently and finally sighed. “You are right of course, Rick. My apologies. I also understand you are planning to be married?” She resisted the urge to ask who would have him.

His ire was up but he knew Lucius wouldn’t have called--nay, tricked him into attending with Marianna here if it weren’t supremely important. “Let’s sit,” he said. “Who’s hungry?” He knew she wouldn’t be happy that he ignored her query about his pending nuptials but frankly, she could shove her query up her perfectly formed bottom and spin on it. Yep, Marianna was definitely a looker. She was also hell-spawn.

“Agreed.” Lucius nodded to the Maitre d’ who led them to their table. It was out of the way in a corner where the admirals could have some privacy. Lucius held Mariana’s chair and then sat down himself. Figuring that the sooner the alcohol arrived the better, he ordered the wine immediately.

Rick thought they had been seated in the best position, not for their privacy, but for hiding any attempt at a physical fight that may erupt between he and Marianna. That would be very bad for all involved.

“What is this news that required you to come all the way out here to deliver?” Rick asked, just barely skirting the line of a civil tongue, but not actually stepping over it.

“Well to get right to it,” she looked from one to the other, “I am getting married.”

The wine arrived and Lucius poured it, then raised his glass.He smiled but there seemed to be some evident relief in his eyes too. “Congratulations. Who’s the lucky man?” And don’t you dare comment on that, Rick. He glanced across the table for only a moment.

He didn’t. To be perfectly honest, he didn’t give two shits about the idiot who would shackle himself to her. But before the server left, he stopped him and asked for a bottle of white wine instead of the red that had been delivered.

“Tomas,” she said quietly. “It’s the right time, Lucius, and the right man.”

Lucius blinked and looked over to Rick. He wasn’t upset that Marianna was getting married but…Tomas? He wasn’t sure how to take that, and whether he should be concerned for Tomas.

Rick tried desperately not to laugh, even biting hard into his lips to keep his mouth shut. But he couldn’t hold it in. He burst out laughing loudly, causing several other diners to look their way. “Tomas?” he asked, completely amused. “Oh, that dear, dear man. Holy shit,” he said, still breathing heavy from the laughing. “I may still have time for a snatch-and-grab team to get him to safety,” he added. “I think I owe him that much!”

The moment the words left Rick’s mouth, Lucius knew they were at ground zero. The urge to smack his own forehead was almost more than he could resist. Marianna, however, stopped it with a smack to the table.

“You,” she looked at Rick, her eyes narrowed. “Quiet. And Lucius, I know what you’re thinking so stifle it and make him behave.” Her expression shifted, the anger draining away. “I came to share what, to us, is good news. It has been twelve years since we parted ways, Lucius. I think it’s high time I had a little happiness and some good wishes, not insults from you Rick. You don’t even have the decency to say thank you when I congratulated you on your engagement. Honestly, you pity Tomas but he’s a better man than you may ever be unless you change your ways.” She stopped finally to take a breath and drained her glass of wine.

There was a long period of silence around the table. Rick’s initial reaction was to return fire and describe her shortcomings as well, but for once, he saved the ‘go fuck yourself’ for someone else more deserving and decided to change tack.

With a clearing of this throat, he replied. “Marianna, I will admit that you and I have never been more than loosely cordial to each other, something we have both done our best to keep in that status.” He raised his hand and closed it. “Iron fist, remember?” When she looked down, realizing she was just as to blame, he put his hand lightly on hers. “This is me calling a permanent cease fire,” Rick said. “You’re right. It’s been too damn long for us to be acting this way, especially when the one major thing that connects us is family. Your family, specifically, but one that I claim as my own and that you’ve never denied me of. So,” he said, clearing his throat again, realizing that this was a big leap, “with the cease fire in place, I want to congratulate you on finding someone and I wish you and Tomas nothing but happiness. Feel free to read me to see if I’m bullshitting you.” He fully expected to kind of feel her poking around in his noggin’, but he was never able to tell. “And thank you for the congratulations on my engagement. I thought you were just gathering more fuel for insults. I apologize for that.”

After a moment of sitting there with his hand on hers, he pulled it back and felt drained, as if that had taken every bit of life force from him to pull off. Sure, he had been completely honest, but damn if it wasn’t hard as hell. It was then that he looked at Lucius and saw a wide eyed, open mouthed gape returned in his direction.

“What?” he asked, then grabbed for his wine glass. “Shut up.”

Lucius lowered his glass and began to laugh, softly at first but then it grew until he had to wipe his eyes. “I think hell just froze over.” He held up his hand however, then both Rick and Marianna started to speak. “Just kidding. But thank you, both of you. And you’re right. It is time you moved on, my dear. At least it’s someone we like so he has the Rick and Lucius stamp of approval.”

“Thank you.” She smiled at Lucius, then looked to Rick. “I don’t need to poke around in your head Rick. But I’ll tell you the same thing I told Lucius when he married Aia. Be good to her or I’ll kick your ass.”

“True story,” was Lucius’ only comment.

Rick felt trapped now. He had so many good replies for that but he’d just promised to be a good guy to her. What the hell had he done?

But like a white knight in to save the day, their server reappeared to take their orders. “Ah, excellent,” Rick said. “Are you two ready?”

“I am.” Lucius looked at Marianna for a moment, then ordered for her and himself.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“The Navarin D’Agneau and a fig tart for dessert.” Rick handed over his menu and looked around the table. “So, when is the big day?”

“Once Li is home,” Marianna answered. “I know about the arrest. Tomas projects a lot, he can’t help it. I’m worried about them. Is there anything new?”

“No report that I’ve seen yet,” Lucius answered. “Though I do know that Ambassador Sokar has taken the matter in hand. Have you heard anything Rick?”

“Not as of yet, but I’ve put a team on standby in case we need to send a diplomat backed up with a bit of firepower, just to make a point.”

Marianna smiled and suddenly there was a noticeable sheen of tears in her eyes. “Thank you. That means more than you may ever know.” She held her glass out to Rick. “Wine? I much prefer white.”

“I would do it for any one of my team in that situation,” Rick said as he poured wine into her glass, “but I send in overkill because it’s Li. We,” he punctuated with the tip of the bottle circulating between the three of them, “can’t lose her. I won’t allow it.”

Her smile widened and she sipped the wine. Beside her Lucius nodded. “I promise you won’t lose another, Mar.” He squeezed her hand, then reached for his glass. “But this is supposed to be a celebration, yes?”

“That is what I was led to believe,” Rick replied with a short smile of his own. “A toast. To Marianna, for landing a good man and getting back to happiness. And to Tomas, the craziest bastard I believe I’ve ever met.” He added a wink for Marianna’s sake.

“Cheers,” Lucius added.

“Cheers.” Marianna touched her glass to theirs.

******************
Admiral Ricky Wegener
Waving the White Flag

Admiral Lucius Hawke
Referee

Marianna Hawke
Lowering Her Guns