At Last

Posted on Thu Jun 18th, 2015 @ 3:05pm by Commander Dae Nalas & Marla

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Nalas' Quarters

So happy she could nearly burst, Marla flitted about Dae's quarters, doing odds and ends chores. Had someone like Gilroy or Darwin seen her, he would have been reminded of an old Earth housewife - the type highlighted in "Leave it to Beaver" or "The Andy Griffith Show". She had a dress on that was close-fitted in the bodice but flared away into an a-line skirt and even had an apron on over that.

The reason for the apron was becoming obvious: the quarters smelled of cooking rosemary and lemon. As she straightened a piece of artwork on the bookcase, Dae entered and she smiled at him. "Hi."

He was silent as the doors closed behind him, looking Marla up and down. Her presence wasn’t what surprised him, she came and went in his quarters as she liked but her outfit did, as well as the delicious aroma drifting in the air. He smiled finally, crossing the room to pull her into his arms.

“Hi yourself. What’s the occasion?”

"Nothing special, really." She hugged him back then turned towards the kitchen. "Rosemary lemon chicken with pasta and asparagus. Oh, and," she looked back at him, smiling, "Seyla's in love." She laughed and continued on to the kitchen.

“Seyla’s what? Our Seyla? Did Science replace her with an android or something?” Dae followed Marla into the kitchen, and belatedly began to wonder who the other party was. He requested ice water from the replicator, then leaned back against the counter, watching Marla. “Okay, I give up. In love with who?”

"Mmm," she pulled the chicken from the oven and set it on the counter. "You could consider this practice for when we invite the happy couple to dinner. Of course, I suppose Doctor Harding might have someone cook for him. Seyla certainly won't."

“Harding….Will….” Dae’s mouth dropped open and stayed that way. Surely he had misheard what Marla said, or misunderstood her meaning. He shook his head but the words were still there. “Seyla….and the Doc. This is a joke, right?”

"Whatever would I joke about something like this? Dae, don't you realize what this means?" She stood, just looking at him waiting for realization to sink in.

“That in about two weeks, Will is going to explode with jealousy over all her clients? Or that …..” he stopped, looking back at Marla. “Okay, I’ve got nothing. Enlighten me.”

"Nope, she quit all her clients. Assigned them to some of the girls." Marla laughed and turned to pull the pasta from the water. "No, my dear, this means that you and I no longer have to hide."

“No longer...wait, she actually said that?” Dae’s expression was wary. “Is she dying or something?”

"I told you: she's in love! There's no other reason she'd write her clients off and say that we can see each other."

“Huh.” Dae let that sink in, then placed his glass on the counter. “So, all the sneaking around is over?” A smile lit his face and he swooped her up for a long, deep kiss. “I’m glad for them, though I sure as hell never expected that pair. I’m even happier for us.”

"I know!" She bounced in his embrace. "Oh! It's wonderful to not have to worry about her watching my every move, or hounding me about my income."

Dae, ever the Intel man, was suddenly curious. “What does this mean for you, business-wise?” He watched as she began to fill their plates and reached out to swipe a small stalk of asparagus.

"I imagine I'll take on a bit more of the administrative work, the things Seyla always handled alone, like disciplining employees and signing on new employees." She handed him the plates and shooed him out to the dining table. She picked up a salad and wine and followed him. "Oh, speaking of, we're going to find a new Orion to take her place with clients."

“Good luck with that, there aren’t many out this way,” he answered, and sat down. Once the wine glasses were filled he passed one to Marla. “And her clients?”

"What about them?" She sat and took the wine glass from him.

“Is she expecting you to be the ‘other’ that’s taking over for her?” He wasn’t sure why he’d asked that, really. He generally chose not to think about that facet of their relationship. Perhaps it had been his question about Will. He shrugged and began to eat his dinner.

Not looking at him, she considered how to answer that. Ordinarily, she and Dae never spoke of her clients. He obviously knew what she did, but one of the reasons she loved him was that he was able to put that aside and see her for her, not her job. "Well..., ah, Dae, Seyla asked her clients who they'd like to see since she wasn't available any longer. She had to give a few of them free sessions so they can decide. Do you really want to know?"

The answer to that was no, he realized and shook his head. It was better this way, he knew,or he might fall prey to what he had wondered about Will. There was such a thing as knowing too much, and if anyone understood that, it was an Intel officer.

“No. You’ll like me much better if I don’t.”

She smiled, "Indeed, love. Just like I won't ask what you're working; I'll only ask how your day was."

“So my next question.” He put down his fork and reached for her hand. “How often will you be here, lighting up my quarters and otherwise distracting me from my secret life? And should I go thank Seyla? Maybe she won’t threaten me this time even if I say ‘I told you so’.” Amusement lit his eyes at the memory of that threat.

"Oh! I can't believe you let her threaten you, Dae! She told me about that! Why didn't you say something?" She wasn't amused so much as she was irritated.

“It was like a fly buzzing around an elephant, you know? I found it funny to be honest. You notice it didn’t change anything. She knew that too, didn’t she?” he asked.

"She did," Marla confirmed. "But, before she told me about reassigning her clients, she gave me a good scare. She talked about sending me back to Dinaali because my income is down." Shuddering at the thought, she added, "You know how I'd be treated there."

“She only thought she’d send you back there.” Dae’s tone had hardened. “Even if she managed to get you home, you’d have been off the planet in five minutes or less. Trust me.”

Knowing that hard tone wasn't meant as anything but protectiveness of her, Marla felt a warm glow spread through. "You'd have come to get me?"

He gathered her hands in his and raised them to his lips. “I will always come for you, Marla. As long as you want me to, that is.”

She melted. "I adore you, Dae Nalas. You might be Mr. Badass Intel Guy, but really, you're such a sweetheart."

Dae had his internal doubts about that but he smiled. She was right about one thing, his softness extended only where she was concerned. As he looked back at her, he realized why their arrangement worked so well. What Marla kept secret was mild compared to the things in his past that she knew nothing of, and that was a good thing. Her idea that he was a sweetheart would have dissolved in an instant.

“Will you stay, Marla? Here?”

"Of course! As if we'd have dinner, sex and then I'd dash off. My evening is all yours," she said happily.

He rose to carry the empty plates back into the kitchen. “That’s not exactly what I meant, my darling Marla. You are no longer on the clock with me.”

She stayed seated, puzzling over that. "No, I'm not on the clock with you...," she spoke up so he could hear her in the kitchen. "I haven't been for a while." What did he mean? "Oh! You mean move in?!" That was a big step. She thought about the logistics... where would she entertain her clients? Seyla's? One of Seyla's rooms? She could always keep her current quarters. "You know that my schedule shifts around. Wouldn't that be a problem?"

“So does mine.” He returned to the table and sat beside her. “And there may be many nights I'm not home at all.”

"Oh, then...," she hadn't any other objections, "I'd be happy to move in." She looked up at him and kissed his cheek. "I don't have many things so moving isn't really any trouble."

“In that case, I think dinner is over.” He smiled back at her and was just as stunned by the beauty of the woman before him as he’d been the first time he saw her. He still had a plan where she was concerned but one step at a time, and having her here with him was a great first step. Perhaps one day…..but that was for later. He pulled her in for a kiss.

“Dessert later….”

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Lt. Commander Dae Nalas
A Happy Man With A Plan

Marla
Bearer of Good News