=/\= Athena's Quarters =/\= Athena sat on the floor leaning against the sofa and staring at her glass of water. She had been trying to move things for a couple of hours and although she usually succeeded it seemed to take so long and didn't comes as natural as she thought it would. She lost herself in thought as she continued to look at the full glass of water. She gave a deep sigh as she contemplated what she could do different or if there was perhaps a better way to practice. She looked around at several items that littered her floor. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the sofa seat. She unconsciously thought about the glass of water as she reached for it. She reached out for the glass and was surprised when her hand hit something mid-reach. "OOHH," Athena yelped as the cool clear liquid poured down the front of her royal blue nightgown. {NOw it works!} She looked down at the filmy fabric now plastered to her skin. She slid her arms from the strap and reached for the zipper that would allow the garment to slip away into a pool at her feet. She tugged at the zipper, but it didn't give the whispery sound or even budge at all. Thinking that she just didn't have a good hold, Athena tried again only to come to the conclusion that the zipper was stuck. She looked at the door figuring there would be a marine right outside. She looked heavenward and gave a large sigh as she moved toward the door. =/\= Corridor outside Athena's quarters =/\= Billy stood across the hall from the counselor's door staring at it as he wondered about how the XO could possibly end up with two beautiful women. {It just doesn't make sense. I don't get it on so many levels, but the counselor confuses me even more.} Billy knew and respected Lt. Richards and knew that the counselor had spent a lot of time with the man. {How could she go from one to the other? Its like picking a flavor of the month. The two men have nothing in common. Do they?} It might not have been a professional train of thought but it kept his mind occupied as he waited through his shift. The door in front of him slid open and the marine stood away from the wall. He hid the surprise from his face as the counselor appeared in just her nightgown. Athena looked up to see where the marine was as she continued to struggle with the zipper and said, "Excuse me..... but could you help me with this?" {What's holding that up?} The marine shook his head as he took in the bare her shoulders and the filmy fabric that clung like a second skin to the woman before him. He shook his head as the counselor's words slowly sunk into his thoughts. "Ma'am," he said hesitantly and questioningly. "A little help, please," Athena answered as she turned her back toward the marine. "Oh....um.... sure," Billy answered as he reached for the zipper. His mouth went dry as he struggled with the zipper a bit himself. He felt as though he had all thumbs. "Its caught .... on the ....fabric," he said as the zipper began to give. Steve yawned as he made his way towards the main doors of sickbay. He looked right to the CMO's office as he passed, saw the door was closed, and hoped Rangi had taken a chance to leave for a while and rest. One of the marines standing 'guard' duty at the entrance, noticed the AMO approaching and stepped towards him. "I'm detailed to escort you about the ship Sir," he said. Steve, stifling another yawn, replied "Just going to my quarters." The two men set off together in silence and Steve's thoughts returned to Rangi. They had been working together when the XO had arrived. It cut him to the quick to see look in Rangi's eyes whenever Guzman showed up. {The GREAT commander} he thought bitterly {.. carefully tucked away on the Bridge ...sitting in his comfortable chair...while the rest of us face ALIENS....even when she was reported missing, what did he do? NOTHING, just sat there and told everyone to search for her. He deserves NOTHING he has...least of all Rangi.} Private Catlin, pacing alongside, wondered at the fierce scowl on the doctor's face. {Things must be bad in sickbay} he thought. They rounded a turn of the corridor and stopped dead. Catlin, recognizing Billy, raised his eyebrows in surprised amusement and glanced at Steve who stood in jaw dropping amazement. They exchanged a look which said 'Are you thinking what I am thinking?' The zipper only moved fractionally before getting stuck on the fabric again. Billy let out a sigh as his finger's nervously tried to work the zipper away from the fabric without touching Athena's back. {OH God} Billy thought. He let go of the night gown and wiped his brow with the back of one of his hands and then dried his hands on his pant legs. He cleared his throat and said, "It seems... to be stuck....again." Athena turned her head and gave him a polite smile. She gave a small sigh and said, "That's, OK Just try again........ please." She turned and looked down the hall and saw Steve and another marine. She gave a small wave and said, "Oh, Steve maybe you could help." Private Catlin developed a sudden intense, though short lived, coughing fit. Steve, not fooled by it, ignored the faintly amused expression on the marines face and looked at the counselor. "I'll certainly try," he said, walking towards her as though that sort of thing happened to him every day. Billy turned in the direction Athena was looking and saw the two other men head their way. Quickly he looked away as a blush crept into his cheeks. {Why Me?!?} Steve assumed an air of professional detachment."What's seems to be the trouble?" he asked. "Stuck zipper," Athena said as she gave her eyes a roll. "We seem to be having a bit of trouble getting it unstuck," she continued and then smiled as she turned her back towards Steve. Billy gave a soft but relieved sigh as he finally met Private Catlin's gaze. Steve, looking at the zipper, pressed a clenched fist into the palm of his other hand. "Right" he said, eyeing the two marines who observed him with interest,"This shouldnt be too difficult." He took hold of the zipper and tugged gently. Nothing happened. He tugged harder. Aware of the amusemnet this caused the two marines, he looked up at Billy, pointed to the filmy material near the zip and said "Corporal...hold this." Billy nodded without question but wiped his hand s down the front of his pants before doing as requested. It looked for sure quite comical as one strong marine was holding his hand on Athena's back, wile Steve was trying to unzip her! RIght where they were ... in the middle of the corridor. This situation caused great amusement to the other marine who SURELY thought spicy things. Steve was stuck as well ... the zip just doesn't want to move. It stuck as though it was cursed to and if he would try to use more force, he thought the nightgown 'might' tear apart ... and THAT would be sure a whole new situation. After a second more Steve sighed: "This won't work ..." Athena turned around and faced all three men. Their attention was drawn to the wet front breifly before meeting her gaze. "As you can see I'm just a bit damp and would really appreciate some dry clothing if I'm going to be wearing any. So, would scissors help," she asked. She turned to the one man who hadn't tried to unzip the zipper and asked, "Or maybe you could try?" Dave Catlin was never a man to shirk a challenge. "OK, " he said stepping forward. Steve raised an eyebow as the tall marine advanced towards the counselor. {The man has courage!} he thought, {or just doesn't want to feel behind?} he thought. Noticing the little light in Dave's eyes he got it at last: {He's gonna to play with the fire!} went through his head. Turning her back toward the Tall marine, Athena waited patiently. She felt his warm fingers brush against her back as he tried to work the piece of fabric away from the zipper so it could slide properly. Athena took in a deep breath as she stood there. her deep breath brought more contact then either the counselor or the marine expected as the zipper gave away fractionally before catching on the fabric again. Dave turned to the doctor..devilment clear in his face. "It's coming loose." he said and stepped a half pace aside. Steve (and surely the marines as well) was VERY well aware of the wet material ... and about the fact that it was only this wet {geeez ... wet!} material that the counselor wore and thought about what might happen when the zip will be unzipped completely. The possibilities were now bad ... {from man's side} but Steve's good manners were (even if only slighty) kicking in. He cleared his throat and said with a bit shaky voice (and hoped no one would notice it): "Erm ... counselor ... don't you think we should finish this somewhere less in open space?" He pointed towards her quarters. She took a deep breath and said, "I'd really just like the zipper freed," she paused a moment and then continued, "but if you'd prefer..." Steve's cheeks went somewhat red. He could not stop the influx of 'pictures' in his head about the counselor in her room ... Well, he was a man in the presence of a woman clad only {only!} in a wet night dress and so he was quite slow ... and got her words only seconds later. He imagines how she must feel in the presence of three such 'man' like him ... with all their thoughts ... {damn, she's a telepath!} It all now sounded like he needed a counselor to talk about his problems to find a girlfriend ... {Geez no, it all only the XO!, she would be mine!} he thought. Looking at the counselor he shrugged a bit injured in his pride: "Lets do it here then ..." He turned to the marine and said: "You don't have your knife there, have you?" A little surprised at the question. Dave nodded. "Yes.." he reached to unfasten the knife and offered it to Steve."..want me to do it?" he asked. "Oh Hell, I'll do," Athena replied as she took hold of the knife. She unsheathed the blade and handed the protective cover to the marine. Holding the gown to her front with one hand and reaching back with the one holding the knife Athena started to slowing cut the fabric away from the zipper. She let the blade slice through the fabric until she couldn't reach any further. With her back exposed to her waist, She flipped the knife in the air so that she was holding the blade with her free hand (the other still cluthed the gown to her front). She held out the knife to the marine who offered it and said, "Thank you." Steve could not help himself ... for a moment he just stared at the woman in front of them three. She was beautifull, but there was something more that made her so dammed attractive ... maybe it was the 'spice' she promissed. Very slowly ... he began to understand what the XO was seeing in the counselor and that a weak man like the Commander might have fallen to her charms. He of course, was a strong man of principes and was resistent to her ... ::still looking NOT in her eyes:: Steve gulped as did one marine as well. For a moment the three men were just standing there ... like paralysed by a phaser. Only then all three suddenly looked IN her eyes. "You don't need ... erm ... any more help" Steve started with a changed voice, "do you?" "I don't think so," Athena responded before surprising each man further by giving each one a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for all your help," she said as she turned toward her door. She gave the group of men a small smile before the door slid shut behind her. Dave exchanged a glance with Billy, grinned and turned away. {Perhaps the rumours are true then} he thought. Steve looked at the closed door and cursed the XO again: {How come he has the best woman!} Billy took the back of his hand and wiped his brow again. He gave Dave a smile and asked, "Wouldn't want to change duty stations would you?" Dave slapped him on the back and grinned. =/\= End Log =/\= Lt. Athena Wellington Counselor USS Chimera & Steve DeSotto NPC - AMO apb: Shane Guzman & Private Dave Catlin NPC - Marine apb: Rangi Summers & Corporal Billy (NO last Name Yet) NPC - Marine apb: Athena Wellington