Fly Me To The Moon - Part Two

Posted on Sat Jul 7th, 2012 @ 11:23am by Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad & Cassidy Wilde

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Outside Jackson's Quarters

Eli had awakened on Seyla’s sofa and for several minutes was really confused as to how he had come to be here, of all places. Throwing back the blanket, he’d done a quick check asn was profoundly relieved to see he was still dressed. As the previous night slowly returned, he groaned aloud. Chance. His confession, the downhill direction their conversation had gone. Then the strangeness down in the pit. Eli had known they were on station but to be this direct meant time might be short unless he could track the man down and flash the coin he’d found, pull off a god bluff. And failing that, remove him altogether.

Heavy thoughts for one his age, but then again, his life had turned heavy far younger than it should have. Survival at all costs was the order of the day. That old bat Claudia had been right when she had suggested that Intell was a good choice for him.

But first, he needed to get cleaned up and let some people know he was alright. Chance would be pissed beyond belief, and worried, but since Security had been on the alert, that meant Jackson would know and he needed to be seen first. Then Eli could go home to Chance and face the music. But first a shower.

Rising from the sofa, Eli noted that he’s slept much of the day away. Given the late hour they had gotten here, he wasn’t surprised. He slipped past a sleeping Seyla, now alone in bed, and Eli assumed Darwin had taken off for his shift. He made quick work of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself. Teeth and hair brushed, he returned to the living room and replicated a pair of jeans and a v-necked shirt in white. HIs old clothes he put into the recycler - there was no hope for them.

“Taking off?”

Seyla’s voice came from the open bedroom door and Eli turned.

“Dammit Seyla, don’t do that!” She stood before him utterly nude, and he turned his back to her. “I’m not Darwin.”

“No, sadly.” She laughed for a moment. “And I forgot I’m not exactly your type. A shame, I hope Chance realizes what he has.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll see. He may be glad to see me after he wrings my neck for taking off. Uhh...thanks for taking care of me last night.”

“Don’t mention it, honey. I should thank you, you got Darwin to my door...and helped keep him here. So you got saved and I got...a hell of a good night. You’d better go find Jackson though, he will be worried.”

“I will, thanks. See you soon.” And without looking back at the green goblin, he hurried from her quarters. Luckily, he had tonight off so he hadn’t missed his set, despite the late hour. First Jackson. He also needed to see Jan, but he wasn’t looking forward to that. Out of his two ‘parents’ here, she was by far the toughest but he adored her. And hated to disappoint her. Maybe she would understand...

It wasn’t much later that he emerged from the lift on Jackson’s deck. Hurrying along the corridor, he drew near Jackson’s quarters and drew up short. Cassidy was there, just pressing the chime. As he reached her, her mental unrest hit him and he was suddenly on guard.

“Hi Cassidy.” He was still a little shy around her, and more than a little tongue-tied.

Hearing her name, she turned to find Eli hovering near her, looking a little sheepish. Considering he’d been missing, something Jackson had mentioned to her earlier in the day when asking if she’d seen the young man, she wasn’t too surprised to see him here.

“Eli! Honey where have ya been?” Her own turmoil was temporarily forgotten as she moved forward and reached out to take hold of his hands. “Are ya okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine, and it’s sorta complicated.I just left Seyla’s and thought I should come see him, let him know I’m okay.”

“Sugar, it’s always complicated.” A slight look of distaste passed over Cassidy’s face at the mention of the Orion woman. Her reasons for not being exactly fond of the woman had less to do with her being green and more to do with her breaking certain people’s noses. “Jackson’s not here.” This close to Eli, she realized she was feeling a lot more things - his desire to let Jackson know he was okay, his worry about disappointing Jan...and a bit more. Oh hell. She could read him because he was a telepath.

“He left the club early tonight and then Jan left before closing as well.” Tilting her head to the side, she smiled up at him. “I know I’m not either one of them, but if ya wanna talk ta someone, ya could come keep me company for a little bit. I could make ya somethin’ ta eat, too, if yer hungry.”

Eli looked down at their joined hands, then up to her eyes. She really was lovely and Chance’s words came back to him yet again. Women. He’d thought of that during the night and still his thoughts returned to Chance.

“I....umm...is Jackson mad?”

“Mad?” She shook her head. “No darlin’, I don’t think he’s mad. A bit worried, of course, but that’s understandable.” Cassidy watched him closely for a moment. “He cares for you, Eli, so when no one could find ya, well...he wanted ta know if you were alright. Yer lucky I didn’t know ya were missin’ earlier, or I woulda come lookin’ for ya myself.” She winked up at him and smiled, but she meant every word she said.

Eli blinked back at her. “You would? Why?”

“Oh, you and Jackson both wonderin’ why someone would do somethin’ that’s just the nice thing ta do or because it’s what’s right. Why? It’s just the way I am. Even though we’re not friends yet, yer very important to someone I happen to care about.” Shit. “Let’s just leave it at that’s what you do for friends. Ya go lookin’ for them if they drop outta sight.”

Cass shook her head, realizing that he probably thought the same thing Jackson did of her, though maybe not the same exact term. Cream puff.

Eli eyed her a moment, her words settling in. He couldn’t miss the emotion behind her words and he sighed inwardly. Complicated.

“Thanks. But I’m fine. Oh....I didn’t sleep with Seyla, it that’s what you’re wondering. Things got a little strange down in the Cherry Pit and I wasn’t exactly at my most sober so she brought me home and gave me the sofa.” He shrugged. “Darwin from Security showed up at some point, when I got up in the night to get some water..he was...there.”

“I wasn’t wonderin’ if ya had slept with her. If I wanted ta know somethin’, I woulda asked you, but I didn’t because it’s none of my business. Besides, I know yer with Chance.” Sighing, she let go of his hands. “Just because you stayed at Seyla’s place doesn’t automatically mean I’d assume ya did anythin’ with her.” Cassidy wasn’t even going to get into the fact she was grateful that at least someone had been there to keep an eye on him. Glancing at Jackson’s door one more time, she realized standing there wasn’t going to make him magically appear.

“If ya say yer fine, then I’ll leave ya be. I’m gonna go home.” She turned to go, but stopped and looked up at Eli. “I’m not complicated.” Reaching up, she caressed his face gently. “Have a good night, Eli,” she murmured softly, rose up on tippy toe and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, then turned to go.

“Umm...Cass?” Her kiss had the heat pounding in his face and moving lower.

She had made it a few steps away, so she paused and looked back over her shoulder at him. “Yes sugar?” she drawled. The diamond chandelier earrings she wore sparkled brightly as they swung slightly from the turn of her head. “Ya know...I don’t bite. Not hard at least. If ya wanna ask me somethin’, just ask.”

“Would you bite?” The words slipped out before Eli could stop them and now he flushed a deep red. He was absolutely mortified, but the heat within him grew.

She was positively stunned. That was not anywhere close to what she thought he might ask. Her eyes widened as she fumbled for an answer, her own cheeks getting a splash of color. Cass was stumped, so she gave up trying for a witty comeback. “I’ve been known to...” What the hell? She couldn’t believe she said that. Clearing her throat, she smiled widely, a breath away from laughing at her own foolishness. “That wasn’t what ya really wanted ta ask me, was it?”

“Oh yes, it was...I mean...oh hell.” Eli ran a hand through his hair as he looked back at her. Talk about complicated.

“Uh-huh.” Arching a delicate brow, she walked back to stand in front of him. “Ya had a different question before I made that oh so brilliant comment ‘bout bitin’.” Cassidy pinned him with a direct look, her pale blue-green gaze unwavering. “Out with it. What’s yore question? Unless it flew away like a little bird on the wind?”

It did. His words whispered in her mind, slipped in so easily. You are beautiful Cass.

What? Where the hell did that come from? Cassidy blinked up at him, stunned. It had been a long time since she had the opportunity to communicate with someone telepathically, but it wasn’t an ability she ever let get dull. Beg pardon? Why would ya say that?

Because it’s true. Eli buried his hands in her hair, tilted her face up and kissed her, his lips gentle at first but then he deepened it. It never occurred to him to question his actions. Spending a night in close proximity to Seyla, who’d spent the night drowning the place in her pheromones removed any good sense.

“Mmmph!” Cassidy was completely unprepared for the kiss. Being telepathic was not psychic by any stretch of the imagination. If she had seen it coming, she would have dodged him. Despite the fact that Eli was a good kisser, a really good kisser, he wasn’t the man she wanted to be locking lips with. There was also something a bit...off with him.

Grabbing a hold of the front of his shirt, she pushed him back, slowly, but quite firmly as she turned her head and broke off the kiss. This close to him, she caught a scent coming off of him that wasn’t him, but something more like the way the smell of smoke will cling to someone. It took her only a second to figure out what it was.

“Eli, ya really don’t want to be doin’ this with me,” she said, looking deep into his eyes. Oh yeah...he was swimming in a cloud of Orion cooties. Figures. She finally got kissed properly, but by the wrong man and one under the influence.

“I don’t?” Certainly felt like I did. But her words seemed to penetrate the sudden haze. She was right. It was Chance he wanted. And now, he put two and two together. Seyla’s quarters. He must be reeking of it. “Oh...shit.”

“It’s okay, Eli. No harm done.” Smiling gently at him, she gave him a quick hug and took his hand when she pulled back. “Come on...you’re comin’ with me. Let’s get ya fixed up, then I’ll take ya home.”

Holding his hand, Cassidy tugged him along the corridor. “There’s no way I can, in good conscious, take ya home ta Chance covered in that woman’s stank.” Pressing the call button for the turbolift, she watched him quietly, her expression calm.

“Umm...Cass?” He glanced at her as she pressed the button, then looked away. “This may be more than you want to hear, but if I come home like this? It may be the best homecoming I ever had.”

There was no way she could hold back the laughter. Tossing her head back, she laughed, not caring how loud she was for the moment. Shooting him a mischievous look, her smile was as big as it ever got. “Ya know, I think ya might be right. Boy he won’t know what hit ‘im.” Taking a deep breath, Cass narrowed her eyes.

“Are ya sure? ‘Cause either way, I’m not lettin’ ya outta my sight until I deliver ya safe and sound back home.” Her words left no room for argument about the walking home part. Letting a handsome young man like Eli wander around the station jacked up on Orion pheromones by himself would be completely irresponsible of her.

‘Yes, unless you’re sure you don’t want to take me home with you.” As soon as the words came out, he smacked his own forehead.

Cass was a split second too late to stop him from smacking himself, but she still took a hold of his other hand so he couldn’t do it again. “Sugar, if I took ya home, I’d shove ya inta the shower to get rid of that smell that’s messin’ with yore head...” Both of them, she thought, but didn’t give voice to it. “Then I’d feed ya and put ya in the guest room ta sleep it off...alone...or I’d take ya back ta yer place like I said I would.”

She grinned again and pulled him into the lift when the doors opened. “Since ya seem ta wanna take advantage of the green voodoo, I’m gonna take ya home ta the one ya really wanna be with.” Cass sobered some. “I’m tryin’ not ta be too offended that because of a cloud of pheromones, I’ve become the equivalent of a twelve-pack beauty queen.” She rolled her eyes. “What deck, honey?”

He gave her the deck number, then turned to face her. “Would you believe me if I said I’d do it sober too?”

Okay. She might have to retract her statement to Jackson that she didn’t suffer the problem of too much attention suddenly. What the hell had happened today? First Vic, now Eli? It wasn’t even as if she had been flirting with them or encouraging them in anyway to gain attention from them. Hell, this was really the first time she had talked with Eli, other than their quick introduction at the Nexus the first night and the few quick hellos in passing while working.

“That’s sweet of you to say, but we both know you’re in a relationship with Chance.” Cassidy realized that he might not realize how old she was, since she looked only a few years older than him. At the most, she looked twenty-four, maybe twenty-five.

“Eli, I’m thirty years old. I’m also not the kind of woman that gets into casual relationships just to have sex.” Her jaw set when she thought about how she had stuck to her guns before where that was concerned. It hadn’t turned out well.

“Neither am I.” The lift began to slow. “As for Chance, wish me luck. I am in trouble when I get home, most likely.”

Moving closer to his side, Cassidy took his hand in hers again and squeezed it reassuringly. “Good luck with Chance. I’m sure you’ll be able ta work things out...oh geez. What a way ta phrase it.” She laughed, the sound low and slightly husky. Sometimes she didn’t put much thought into what she said and well...the damnedest things came flying out of her mouth.

“Do me a favor?” she asked, looking up at him. “If ya ever get the urge to take off again, if ya can’t go ta Jackson or Jan’s because they aren’t available, and ya need a place ta lay low or just want a quiet place ta think things over...ya can come see me. Anytime. I’d feel much better knowing yer not gonna end up sleepin’ on Seyla’s couch again. I’ve got a guest room with its own bathroom. Ya can have complete privacy and if ya don’t wanna talk ‘bout what’s botherin’ ya, that’s fine, too.” Looking deep into his big, brown eyes she sent a thought directly to him. Of course, if ya ever wanna talk or need to, I’m pretty good at that, too.

Eli nodded as the turbolift stopped. Thanks. The doors opened and he waited for Cass to step out, then followed her.

You’re welcome. Inwardly, she sighed, realizing everything she said to him probably went in one ear and right out the other. First off, he wasn’t exactly thinking clearly thanks to Seyla’s special brand of funk. Second, he was very young and might not realize that she truly wanted to make sure he’d be safe. “Which way are we goin’?”

“Just down here.” He led her a few doors down, and stopped before his doors. “Home.”

Cassidy waited, a bemused expression on her face when she realized he wasn’t going to just walk in. He didn’t look all that worried, but she felt it coming off of him in waves. She gave his arm a squeeze.

“Yer gonna be alright,” she said softly.

“Yeah, thanks, Cass. And...sorry about...that kiss. I blame Seyla.” He smiled then opened the doors and passed through.


*********
Eli Ziyad & Cassidy Wilde
The Crazy Night Continues