Meet The Parents

Posted on Mon Sep 5th, 2011 @ 6:12pm by Jackson Banning V & Janice Gree

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Jackson's Office

* * The Nexus Club - Jackson's Office* *

Following Norval's retreat to the bar, Jackson got back to work. Things were just about ready, save a little tinkering, and some adjusting of the sound system. Still, it was hot as hell in July under the stage and he needed to take a short break. There was time.

He shimmied his way out form under the stage, leaving his tools there for his return, and ambled to the bar. First, a tall glass of ice water. Once it was ready, he carried it back into his office and dropped into a chair, stretching out his long legs with a sigh, then drained half the glass.

Tonight was going to be a royal pain in the ass. The club was up to its armpits with security personnel and hardware. Add in Intel and the Divitian guards and the fact that they were all going to be on watch in case anything happened...and it all added up to one giant pile of tension.

There was plenty of things he'd rather be doing - like having a real drink, sitting and enjoying Janice's show, avoiding watching Oz. The last thought brought an audible grumble just as the familiar footsteps of Janice sounded outside his door.

"Jack, is that stage door all fixed?" Janice entered his office without knocking, indeed, without any warning at all. She dropped a PADD on the desk and eyed the man.

"It's done. I"m underneath now, fiddin' with a few last minute things. Some of the security monitors were interferin' with the sound system." He looked her over, inspecting the long red silk dress. "You look absolutely gorgeous by the way. Better watch out, Norval will be eyein' you." He grinned.

"Ha. Ha." She humorlessly laughed then wrinkled her nose at him. "As if. He'll be eyeing Eli or some other young buck. Seems to me he looks for qualities I don't possess."

"He likes it all, honey. More power to 'im I say. At least he enjoys himself." The fact that Jackson himself went home alone every night was left unsaid.

"Hmm." She wasn't going to be so tactful. "And you, Jack? Do you enjoy yourself? Ever?"

He tilted his head and looked up at her as she stood by him. "Course I do. What kinda question is that?"

"It's a very standard question. You have a passel of females willing to be your bedfellow but... near as I can tell, you haven't taken any of them up on it."

"I do? Names? Numbers? You have a schedule drawn up for me too, sweets?" He grinned at Janice now.

"Now I'm finding bedmates for you, too? No, no, you just have to pay more attention." She waggled a finger at him. "And distract yourself from those who already have someone in their beds."

Jackson started to speak, then stopped to shake his head. "I'm not strayin' over into anyone's shippin' lane Janice. This station ain't that big."

"It certainly isn't." Janice stepped away from him, the silk of her dress rustling as she did so. "You could talk to... oh... what was her name? Eunice? The little blonde girl, about so high, bubbly?"


"She thought Frank Sinatra was the Italian dishwasher in the mess hall." Jackson sighed and set his glass aside. "She also asked me what it was like to be born 'back then'. Like ten years older makes me ancient. I didn't bother to mention when you were born." He grinned and leaned out of her reach.

"Oh boy. Yeah, what would she think of a hundred year age gap?" Janice laughed. Even at one hundred, she was understating what the gap really would be. "All right, so not that one. How about that hermat? You know the one, sort of reddish hair, about your height...?"

All that got her was several blinks and a 'you've got to be kidding' look. "Next."

"Wee bit of prejudice there?" She chuckled, knowing that the hermat was, most likely, a touch too masculine for Jackson's taste. "Selena? The base's resident Orion?"

"She's in love with my wallet and would be perfectly happy if the two of them could go out and leave me at home. Well, there's another part of me that she'd like to take out and leave me at home without too, and I'm sure you can figure out which part." He reached for his glass and drained the water. "Face it, Janice. You have known me a long time, so say it. Every one I ever cast an eye on is now happily hooked up. It's my luck. That, or I had to avoid entanglements in the past for obvious reasons."

She nodded; further explanation about his past top secret dealings was unnecessary. "No such thing as luck, Jack. Sometimes you're just too much of a good guy."

He considered that for a few beats, then nodded. "Point taken. Sometimes, it's for their own good. They've all found someone who's better for them than me. I prefer to think of it as bein' unselfish. Not to belabor the comparison, but that's why it's me standin' on the pier and unfastenin' the ropes, then wavin' as the boat leaves."

"Someday, you'll need to stop that. Unless, of course, you like being alone and plan on not having children. Which means not having grandkids around when you're old."

"Kids? I don't even have a date tomorrow night and you're talkin' kids? Let's see if I can find someone to have dinner with first, huh?" He fell silent, thinking about what she'd just said. Maybe he had cast himself as the white knight, the good guy, the nice one who finished last, just as he'd observed in the wake of his last conversation with Oz. He made a mental note to keep out of arm's reach around her so that he could continue to be just that. Or maybe he was being too picky? Comparing everyone he met to others that they just couldn't measure up to?

No, that felt too much like settling for less than what he wanted and deserved, which was not fair to either him or whoever ended up in that position. Better to just chill and be himself, he supposed. Besides, right now he and Janice had become the erstwhile 'parents' of a 19 year old refugee working on his federation citizenship. Between that, and the club, there wasn't much room left.

He looked up to find Janice watching him intently. "Alright, darlin', get outta my head. Eli's in there enough."

"All right, Jack," Janice backed off and smiled. "Speaking of Eli, that's Oralia's brother he's bunking with, right?" She meant bunking as in living with, as roommates.

"It is. Chance, though he uses a different last name. Oz makes our kid nervous." He smiled up at Janice now that the conversational spotlight had moved way from his love life, or lack thereof.

"She playin' protective mother bear for some reason?"

"That I don't know." Jackson shrugged. "She and I haven't talked much since we got here to the station."

Janice had known Jackson a long time and she could read him like a book, sometimes. "Maybe that's a good thing. Especially with how you tied one on a night or three ago after talking to her."

"Hey, that's a rare thing for me. Besides, it makes the memory of the conversation nicely fuzzy. Not fuzzy enough, but I'll live. Eli did say she's not wild about telepaths."

"Isn't she friends with Li?" Janice's brow furrowed, trying to put that together with what Jackson had said.

"Yeah, but Li ain't sleepin' with her little brother." He smiled slightly as he waited for her reaction.

"Oh. Well." She blinked. "That would explain the mother bear sense I'm getting from her," Janice laughed.

Jackson shrugged. "Like I said to her, sometimes we have to see how they do flyin' solo. They both seem happy enough, so I think we should let it run and see how it goes. Any objection?"

"From me? As if, Jackie-boy. I'm all for people finding solace in another. It's even better when solace turns more serious, towards love."

"We'll see. They're a little young to be thinkin' that direction but who knows? At least someone in the family is enjoyin' themselves. Unlike us."

"Speak for yourself, young man!" Janice shot him an indignant look. "Do you think I wear dresses like this just for your viewing pleasure? Don't bet on it."

"Care to share?" He looked amused now. "I need something to make me smile so we can get through tonight."

"Ah... no." She winked and left him alone.

"You realize my curiosity is burning now!" He called out as she disappeared back out front. With a sigh he rose and followed. Everyone would be arriving soon, including Oz and Connor. He had one last thing to adjust, then it would be time to get dressed.

********
Jackson Banning V
Owner & White Knight
The Nexus Club

and

Janice Gree (Written by Oz)
Co-Owner and Hostess with the Mostest
The Nexus Club