Woman Troubles...

Posted on Mon Apr 9th, 2018 @ 9:48pm by Johnathen Anderson Jr & Captain Rueben Gregnol

Mission: Mission 6 - Azzia
Location: Azzia
Timeline: TBD (immediately following "That Time in Life...")
1845 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Johnathen was brooding. That was quite clear to anyone who saw the young pilot. Sitting at the bar of one of the numerous pubs that were situated on the main roadway of the capitol city, he slowly began to drink his third cocktail. He couldn't remember what it was called, but it tasted much like a malibu and pineapple, a favorite of his back home.

He was trying to shut his brain down and not listen to his broken heart as both screamed at him. What was eating him up was that the woman he loved apparently didn't fully feel the same way about him. This had been the second time that she had refused to let him in to her life. The first time it had happened, it had hurt. This time, after they had been through so much together, he felt destroyed.

As he sat there, drowning his sorrows, he was propositioned several times by the local women. Each time, he refused politely, however, his temper was starting to wear thin. The last beautiful brunette that had stepped up to him had been answered with a curt reply, sending her away with a frown of bruised feelings.

"Da, you look like me on a good day." A voice said as the familiar frame of Reuben Gregnol sat down on the stool next to Johnathen, wearing his usual beaten leather jacket, black tee and black trousers. He hadn't dressed up for going out. "That one looked like she wanted to hit you." He added as he looked over his shoulder at the retreating back of the woman.

Johnathen shrugged noncommittally. "I don't care. This whole planet can go scratch for all I care." He downed the rest of his drink in a single gulp. He then ordered another.

"What has this planet done to you, Anderson. This planet is amazing. No rain but oceans of dew water so fresh and clean." Reuben definitely wanted to come back to come back on a holiday where he didn't have to check every blasted second that his ship was still in orbit.

Taking another large gulp of his fourth drink, he glanced at Reuben and replied, "Oh yeah, so amazing, my girlfriend has apparently gone into..." He stopped himself, remembering that Cassie wanted her Pon Far issues to be kept private. He shook his head and turned back to his drink. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. This place is amazing." He finished the statement with very little enthusiasm.

Reuben held his tongue as the man started to explain the reason. So, Cassie was involved. This didn't surprise him at all after the last month or so since they had all been freed. Seemed the pair came as a package deal or at least some type of deal. "I see." The older man sighed. "Seems we both have women issues then my friend,"

Johnathen nodded wirelessly as he continued to drink. After a few quiet beats, he looked back at Reuben. "Sir, if I may ask, though I am older than you are, I'm sure your experience with women vastly surpasses mine. Does it ever get easier?"

“You aren’t older. Genetically you're still however old you were when you went inside.” Reuben countered, then indicated another round. “Can't discuss women on empty stomachs and the answer is no, not at all,” he said, thinking about Jeassaho and how close he had been to marrying her.

The bartender dropped off another round of drinks, after which, another woman approached the men, a stunning redhead this time. "Good evening, gentlemen," she demurely. "Would either of you care to join me for a stroll on the beach?"

The Captain smiled it was amusing being on a planet with so many women and not to be interested. If he had been younger or a less man or not madly in love with Jeassaho Kea he would already be walking out the door. "Afraid not." Reuben said holding up his hand to show his wedding band off.

Johnathen didn't even look at the beautiful woman.

"What about you, handsome?" She asked seductively, as she gently ran the fingers of her left hand through the hair on the back of his head.

Twitching away from the contact, he nearly growled, "Please stop."

Reuben raised an eyebrow as the woman walked away, looking upset. "Please don't upset everyone who comes to talk to us... get yourself a ring or something that hints you are married."

Johnathen turned his head and looked directly at Reuben. "Once I get married, I will have a ring. By putting on a fake now now, it would tarnish the power of the real thing. I don't want to take a marriage. I want a marriage! The only problem is, the woman I want to marry, is already joined to someone else. Or at least, she was, a hundred fifty years ago." He turned back to his drink.

“Okay then.” Was all Reuben said putting down his hand going back to the silence of his drink. It was all good points and he was starting to see the bigger picture. To see the issue that was bothering him.

"What should I do?" Johnathen asked to no one in particular, almost as if he was thinking aloud.

“Things have been difficult since you’ve been released from the computer?” Reuben asked softly playing with his wedding band. “How were they before?”

Johnathen's brows furrowed slightly. "No, not at first. The difficulties didn't begin until we entered the anomaly." The corners of his mouth turned upward slightly as he continued. "Things were wonderful before."

"Really?" Reuben was surprised at that. He had heard them arguing and someone called Tevir had been mentioned quite violently to the point he had nearly gotten up and gone out to them in the corridor. He had always from the second they were released thought there was something between them but he hadn't thought it serious until now.

The young pilot nodded. "Yes. She and I have known each other since the Academy. We were happy together. Then, she was married off to Tevir. It was an arranged wedding between the two families. That was the worst time of my life. When we found each other on the Ishimura later, it was as if Fate decided to give us another chance." He paused as he remembered those days. "She was, and is, still married to Tevir. However, she told me that the wedding was not what she wanted. She was happy with me. In fact, we were planning on going to Vulcan to get the marriage ended during our next shoreleave. Unfortunately, we were attacked by that damn cloud creature first." He shook his head. "And now, she's losing control of herself."

It was standard for Vulcans as far as he could tell. Arranged marriages for their culture seemed to work. Each to their own, he wanted to love and be loved. "Vulcan marriages are nothing like ours... " Reuben said softly wondering if Cassie felt the same now as she had back then or if everything had changed.

Johnathen nodded. "I know that, Captain. But, Cassie, she's.. she's only half Vulcan. Her mother was Human." He finished his drink and stood up to stretch his legs.

"But where was she raised? She still reacted to that biological need and went home for it I bet." The older man said turning a little as he told the younger man that it could have been the reason she went home.

"She was raised both on Vulcan and Earth. However, she only returned to Vulcan because of the prearranged marriage that her father had put her into. Most of her life has been spent on Earth." He excused himself briefly and went to use the facilities. A few moments later, he returned. "What should I do, Captain?"

The Captain sighed softly. It was a hard situation, to say the least. Biology was a fickle beast and Vulcans, despite their claims that they were different, they were more controlled than any other species. There was something in them that would drag them across space back to Vulcan. He turned a little in his chair as the man returned. "Johnathen... you love that woman, it is easy to see, right?" The Captain played with the ring on his finger as he did.

Johnathen nodded emphatically as he replied. "More than my own life. I would give anything to keep her safe and happy." He returned to his stool as he spoke. The alcohol was starting to affect him a little. He decided to switch to water.

“You're soulmates...Soulmate relationships are often not forever, this is because sometimes the relationship can be too intense,” Reuben said, thinking of Jeassaho and their relationship. It was similar to this man’s relationship with Cassie so he could relate to the mans heartache over what ever was going on.

Johnathen thought about Reuben's words for a few beats, then shook his head. "No, we aren't soul mates. That would employ that we were meant to be together. That's not the case. Do I love her with every fiber of my being? Absolutely. Does she feel the same way about me? Her actions have shown me that she does. However, our relationship has never been easy. We both have worked very hard to build it up and make it as strong as it is today."

“You don’t think you are meant to be?” Now that suprised the Russian to say the least. He didn’t get supeis d often and that certainly did it. He was sure that they would have been they had been through so much.

The young pilot shook his head again. "You misunderstand, Captain. While I love Cassie, I know that it wasn't written in the stars. We found each other and, over time, our friendship grew too much more. If we were meant to be, when we met, we'd be instantly inseparable. That's not what either of us wants. We have had our rough spots over the years. However, we always worked at getting back together. That work, that struggle, has made our love nearly unbreakable."

“Yet here you are drinking in a dive with another sad and depressed man,” Reuben commented on not for a moment believing they were soulmates. “Soul mates don’t always work like that. Not all soulmates are made of the feel-good “we fell in love the moment our eyes met and are going to love each other till the end of time” kind. Gods look at me and Jeassaho.” He muttered looking at his hand again.

Johnathen listened to Reuben, however, he finally made up his mind. Suddenly smiling at the Russian, he hopped off his stool and slapped Reuben on the shoulder. "Thanks, Cap! I know what I need to do!" That said, the young pilot rushed out, full of optimistic energy.

OFF::

Rueben Gregnol
Captain
SS Mary Rose

Johnathen Anderson Jr
Helm
SS Mary Rose