< OOC ... Thx Jass for the nice JLing and for the editting ... ;)) Sorry for all the delay i caused.> =/\= Kinsi - restaurant =/\= Athena sat at a table waiting for Martin sipping a glass of sweet red wine. Her black hair hung loose around her shoulders in damp ringlets and the green of the shoulder blouse made her eyes take on an aquamarine type of color. Several tables away a young ensign was half shout and half mumbling something as he took the dinner that was in his lap and was throwing it back onto the plate that sat on the table. A waitress was trying to calm the young man as she tried to help him clean up. Martin gave some effort into his outfit as well. He spent the last hour in his quarters making himself up to a standard he used to have back on Artemis. His hair, normal brownish was now 'shoot' with some yellow ... haircut was short and with a careless elegance of a rebelish businessman. Dark Gray pants and a bright blue (tight) T-shirt made his slightly muscled figure something to not be over looked. Athena turned her gaze back to Martin realizing that he had asked her a question. "No, not long at all," she lied. She had made sure that she would arrive first by coming an hour early. She knew this would help continue the confusion of whether she belonged on a ship or the base. Turning his attention back from the unfortunate ensign {God, is the man a numb hand} he smiled again at the pretty woman in front of him and sat himself behind the table. "You look very good, Athena" he started. "If you won't think anything bad I've brought you something small as a compensation for the wasted time with me ..." And he handed her a small rectanglish box. Well ... it must have been looking very interesting ... at least according Athena's expression ... And truly, the little box looked like a bit similar to those 'engagement ring' boxes to which words like 'will you marry me darling?' were said. "Anytime meeting some...," Athena started and then fell silent as her gaze fell upon the box. Her expression was slightly confused as the scene before her and what she sensed didn't quite match. Martin smiled: "Its Cardassian chocolate, royal pralines. Please taste it ..." The start was a success as Martin managed to surprise and gladden Athena a bit. Athena took a small cleansing breath and smiled as she tried a small piece of the chocolate. "It delicious," she said sincerely. "But I really don't need any gift to spend my time meeting someone new. As that is an activity I always enjoy and never think of as a waste of time," she replied. Martin took notice of her reply not to wait for long for him and he tried carefully to find finally out what and where Athena was from. "This station is really a crap. There has been no warm water at my quarters for several hours in the evening. The Station OPS said a team is on the way but the two engineers appeared only three hours later. I wonder if they are experiencing this kind of problems on more places" Giving Athena a smile he asked: "What about your warm water?" "I've had plenty of warm water for every shower I've taken," she responded, "its strange that your isn't the same." She kept her answer simple and to what she knew but didn't pull from any of her experience from any where else. Martin nodded: "There are maybe more then one primary water supply circuits on the station." Finally Athena revealed something. She seemed to have a quarters on the base ... so she was most likely not here with a ship that was currently in the docks. {Maybe she's waiting for a transport to arrive or to be picked up by a private shuttle} he thought. His thoughts ran faster then a morning wind: {That means she's staying on the base for few more days ...} Athena's eyes followed the young ensign out the door, "He seemed to be having a bad day. I wonder if he's the one you talked to," she said as she brought her gaze even with Martin's For a moment Martin was confused ... he didn't knew what was Athena talking about. Only a moment later his brain cells kicked in and he looked at the leaving fleet officer once more and then shrugged: "Well, it was station's Ops, some ensign, but I don't remember the name anymore. But if this guy was an Ops officer ... I don't wonder about quarters lacking water ..." he said chuckling. Smiling at her he asked simply: "Athena, you are sure longer on this station then me. Can you gave me please a counsel where to spend some free time?" I could but it really depends on the way you want to spend your free time ..... doesn't it," she replied in more of a statement tone than a question. Martin had to smile again at Athena's cryptic answer. Honestly, this woman was either a secret service agent or a linguist ... Martin could not think about more professions where people would learn to muddle their answers like Athena constantly did. "But they do have here holodecks, don't they?" he asked, "I could show you some interesting places I have been ... Gelan II and its grant temple, Quo'nos with the high council hall or Artemis IV and its sun gardens ..." She smiled as she said, "Yes they have holodecks here." She took a sip of her wine as her gaze remained on Martin. A waitress stepped up to the table and asked, "Can I get you anything to drink, sir? Or perhaps you both are ready to order?" The waitress stood there expectantly as though she were eager to please. It was almost as if she were trying to impress royalty. Athena's gaze remained on Martin as she awaited his reply. "Just a coconut shake, thank you" Martin replied to the waitress not looking her way. He was not interested this time and his gaze remained on the pretty Athena too. It seemed to be a sort of a contest between them two ... and he doesn't want to lose. Athena smiled up at the young woman who was serving them and asked, "Could you bring me another glass of wine as well, please?" "Certainly," the waitress replied even though she was surprised at Athena politeness. Again, the game was the same ... Martin made a hint and Athena throw it in the corner ... replying him but giving no answers. Maybe it was time for a more direct approach. Sometimes ... it was a better and safer way. But sometimes it wasn't ... Not really moving his gaze from Athena's eyes he asked: "Maybe you would like to have a holodeck trip to Artemis. There are mountains as well ... so hiking is in price as well. I can imagine you in some empty quarters, or am I interrupting your plans with someone else?" "I can make room as I have nothing planned except for a standing game of tag," She replied and waved at a shy little girl who smiled at her. "Hiking up a mountain trail sounds like a lot of fun," she continued and gave him a bright and sincere smile. "Tag?" Martin asked not really believing his ears. There were many many games in the universe ... every race had at least a hundred of them ... but the game of Tag was among the very few that were known across the whole galaxy ... Tag and hide&seek. Not much ready to imagine Athena with a dozen of kids racing through the station's corridor Martin smiled and opened his mouth to doubt her words when he noticed the wave Athena gave the little girl. Athena wasn't the mother type of a woman so Martin started to think that there 'might' be some truth in the Tag thing ... The waitress returned with their orders, "Is there anything else?" the young woman asked. Athena shook her head as she focused all her attention on Martin. Just for a moment Martin looked at the young waitress and shook his head while replying: "NO, thank you" Obvious the waitress was interested in money or Athena or him. Since none of them looked to be a duke, it was most probably the interest in one of the couple. Whether Athena or him ... Martin could not tell. As the waitress walked away Athena asked, "Is there a nice spot to set up a picnic?" Martin, with all his thoughts back on Athena nodded: "Sure thing, I used to visit the riverside of Antioch ... a small but fast river near the peak of Mount Dertach. There are more nice spots for ... a picnic, but I'll lead you then to a special place I like the most." He glanced at Athena: "You won't be disappointed". There was something in Martin's expression that reminded her of why she thought he looked familiar. "Shane," she barley breathed the name aloud just as a serving tray was dropped. Martin held his breath for a second. First he thought he'd heard wrong ... but no ... Athena really said 'Shane' {My brother?}. Well, Shane was on the base ... she might have seen him, maybe they were known to each other .. {maybe she's ........ from his ship !} went through his head. His eyes widened a bit as he asked: "Excuse me?" half hoping that there was some mistake ... that Athena said something else. Athena didn't look like a fleet officer ... but on the other hand ... impressions can fool and what Athena wasn't for sure ... was ordinary. She shook her head a second and replied almost bluntly, "I said Shane. It dawned on me that you remind me of someone I know named Shane." SO ... he wasn't wrong ... she really said it. But of course that could mean any Shane ... there were surely tenths of Shanes on the base, not necessary his brother. It would change a lot if she really was somehow connected to his brother ... so Martin had to know more. Pretending not to care much he asked: "I don't suppose you met this Shane here ..." and looked in her eyes trying to guess the truth. Athena's expression remained innocent as she truthfully answered Martin, "No, I met him on starbase Aurora." Martin's expression hardened a bit as he asked: "You don't speak about the great Commander Shane Guzman, do you?" Martin tried not to express much of his feelings for his brother, but his face betrayed him. A good observer could tell that a 'yes' answer will not be too praised. Athena met Martin's gaze steadily as she thought about her answer. She took a swallow of the Sweet wine she was drinking and savored it. "Shane wasn't a commander when I met him but I believe he is now." She watched the look on Martin's face become almost steal like just as Shane's would when discussing Rob. She rushed on to be heard, "Shane makes that same face when you talk about someone he isn't particularly fond of too." The anger level raised by far in Martin's heart and it seemed that his brother was always in his way. It was so when they were young ... Shane was the older one and always in charge of the kids, the same later while in school ... Shane always had good notes and Martin was expected to be at least the same good as Shane. It was Shane who was supposed to follow their father's footsteps ... it was him who should become the next generation of the Guzman's diplomats. Only the fact that he ran away from home and enlisted in the Fleet academy made Martin 'worthy' to carry on the family's tradition. He gave Athena a look that was saying that a woman who likes his brother isn't a good company for Martin ... Athena had given Martin the most insight as to where she came from in the last few sentences, but she was not going to remain there with someone looking at her like that. She quickly finished her wine and said overly politely, "Excuse me," as she stood up to leave. Two feelings wrestled in his mind. He really found Athena interesting and nice and wanted her to stay ... but his feelings towards Shane mixed with his own pride prevented him from asking Athena to stay. He just remained sitting in his chair and watching Athena to leave. {Damn you brother} he thought, {why you have to make all nice things to break ...} The adrenaline level in his blood raised as it seemed that Athena disliked his reaction about Shane ... like she would be somehow fond of him. Not wanting to blow up like a stun grenade, Martin only muttered: "See you" and turned in the opposite direction. {Athena isn't good enough for me ....} he tried to persuade himself. With little effect ... Athena sighed softly and then turned around and exited. ===== End of log ===== LT. Athena Wellington Counselor USS Chimera & Martin Guzman (NPC by Muma) Civilian, XO's brother