=/\= Begin Log =/\= Athena sat relaxed in her chair in the mess hall. She tossed her empty glass a short distance up in the air and caught it as she watched her marine escort change position yet again. He was beginning to look tired and she wondered if he'd even consider sitting down on the job. {Probably not.} His gaze followed the path of the glass from the air to her hand several times and he looked almost mesmerized. {I wonder If I could get this stopped with my telekinetics if I threw it up far enough.} The glass went a little higher in the air and she deftly caught it as her thoughts continued. Her attention became more focused on the object in her hand and less on the atmosphere around her. She sensed that there was a change in the room, but chalked it up to people coming and going out of the mess hall. Not that a lot of people were around but a few pick up meals before heading back to their quarters or were just burning up a little nervous energy. Before the away teams left the ship, Rangi went to sickbay. She knew that work would focus her mind away from Shane and the danger he and the other away team members would face. It didn't work entirely, she wanted to be there too. But there was much to be done in finding treatment for the injured crew. Scott had taken a well earned rest and Mercedes had taken his place working alongside the EMH. Rangi had joined them for a while but having to admit her own tiredness, eventually left them and headed for her quarters, deciding to stop for a small meal on the way. She headed to the mess hall, her marine escort walking beside her. A number of faces turned to her as she entered the room, most looked hurriedly away, one or two watched her with interest, wondering how long it would be before she noticed the counselor there. Athena noticed the sudden change in the room it was like there was an audible gasp even though one didn't occur. Athena threw her glass a little higher. {Should I take him a glass of water and make him sit down?} She watched as the glass fell into her waiting grasp and threw again at about the same height. {Would he even except it?} Her waiting hand, the toss up; {would it remind him of my wet night gown?} The cool smooth object was clasped in her hand again before she sent it on an upward assent. {Probably.} Rangi noticed something moving in the air and glanced to her left, astonished to see the glass in free movement. A moment later she murmured "Athena?" as she recognized the counselors slender figure at a nearby table. The marine escorting Rangi said more loudly, "Hey look at that" and in an instant, the glass dropped to the table with a crash. At the sounding of the booming marine's voice Athena looked away from the glass and missed catching it. She jumped away from the table as bits of glass began to spray everywhere. Fortunately no one had been standing around her. Her escort jumped at the loud noise and pulled his weapon. He rapidly replaced it when he saw what was going on and was thankful he looked first instead of shooting first. He wondered what kind of leave he would get for accidentally shooting the counselor. "Are you all right?" Rangi hurriedly moved towards Athena, skirting her way between the tables. "What were you 'doing'?" she asked as she drew near, surprised that Athena was practicing her new found skill so plainly for all to see. Glancing down at the shards of glass lying on the floor and table top, she looked up at Athena with an expression of concern. "Ummm.... I was tossing the glass in the air and catching it to pass the time," she said as she looked at a few small cuts in the material of the uniform she was wear. She didn't see any cuts on her skin as she brushed a few pieces of glass off of her. "And Yeah, I'm all right." She smiled as she looked up and met Rangi's expression. "Man, is he ever loud," she said as she pointed to Rangi's escort. She continued, "I'd been doing that for the last five or ten minutes before boomer over there broke my concentration." Athena knew she had finally gotten the glass stopped in mid air right before the marine yelled but she just explained it away as if nothing strange had happened at all. "Mind the glass!" Rangi warned, reaching her hand towards Athena. She looked around. "Lets sit over here," She led the way towards a corner table, pulled out a chair and sat down, waiting for Athena to do the same. Athena followed Rangi carefully through the glass that the two marines had started to pick up. She sat in the chair across the table from Rangi. She spared a short glance at the marines and asked, "Do you think they're that bored or did I embarrass them?" Waiting until Athena looked at her, Rangi replied "I thought you wanted to keep this 'under wraps' for a while....are you feeling more confident that people know then?" "No," she replied and paused looking at the two marines briefly as they were the only ones moving in the room now. "It was an accident," she started and looked back at Rangi. She went one to explain, "I started throw the glass in the air out of boredom and wonder if I could get it stopped before it fell. As my mind became relaxed in the rhythm of what I was doing and I thought about other things," she paused. Athena took a deep breath and said, "It..."... "Go on..." Rangi said quietly, leaning forward slightly so as best to see Athena's face. She was concerned to see Athena so pale but at the words 'other things', Rangi's mind shifted back to Shane and the recent misunderstanding that had arisen. She felt a warmth come to her cheeks as she remembered what she had suspected and turned her attention to the marine nearest her who, with great concentration, removed a sliver of glass from his thumb. "Well, I considered giving my lovely escort a drink and asking me to join me but.... figured if he was any thing like..." Athena fell silent for a moment and then continued after taking a deep breath, "like Rob he wouldn't accept during his duty shift." Athena's eyes focused on a point way past Rangi but her expression didn't give an indication of whether it was in the past or in the future. The silence stretched on between the two women until it was almost uncomfortable to remain silent. "Did you know that the Colonel wants me to be sedated for away missions until ..." "I haven't had time to talk to the Colonel, yet," Rangi said, still in the same quiet tone. Her lips curved in a small smile, " ...and I'll decide on sedation," she added and widened the smile when Athena looked at her. "I wanted to talk to you," she said, surprising herself with her own words and stopping unsure of how to continue. It was one thing to think something, quite another to say it. "Its about Shane," she said and tried to gage Athena's reaction. Athena thought about Shane and the others on the away teams for a moment and silently wished them luck before responding, "Sure, go ahead." "We...I...." Rangi frowned at the table top, took a deep breath and met Athena's eyes. "I owe you an apology.I...foolishly.," she forced a smile that didn't work, "...heard the rumour.... added two and two together and got five." Athena smirked and replied, "Its been known to happen on occasion. Don't sweat it." She gave Rangi a soft look and continued, "its not as easy to be rational about rumors when terribly stressed." Rangi watched Athena's expression. {She knows} Rangi thought and nodded her head once slowly {...and she's giving me a way out.} "True," she replied simply. Athena smiled and went on, "it seems to me the last time we talked something was said about chocolate sundaes." Her smile became Cheshire like as she said, "Shall we see if those marines want to join us or if their into torture?" Rangi laughed. "mmm...either possibility results in the same?" she asked lightly. Athena went over to a replicator and ordered up two chocolate sundaes. She then paraded by the marines who focused in on the sundaes. "Would you two like to join us," she asked. Athena could sense their desire to agree but both men gave her a very firm no. She gave them each a small smile and said, "Torture it is." She walked back to the table and set the sundaes down. Athena slid into her chair and picked up her spoon. She held the spoonful of ice cream and chocolate in front of her mouth and licked her lips before putting the spoon in her mouth and easing it out slowly. She glanced up and to be sure the marines were watching as joy spread across her face as the chocolatey confection slid across her tongue and down her throat. Rangi took the cold glass dish into her left hand and picked up her spoon. "This looks soooo good," she smiled to Athena and loading her spoon with care, lifted it slowly to her lips. After eating several bites relishing each one Athena finally called over to the marines and asked, "Are you sure you don't want one?" In typical fashion they assured her they didn't need one, but Athena persisted and holding up a spoonful asked, "Not even one bite?" The marine moistened his lips, swallowed hard shook his head. Rangi grinned to herself and glanced up at Athena. {This is doing her good...its what she needs.} Rangi tasted the chocolate and concentrated on the ice cream in the dish. Athena licked some chocolate off her lips and remembered another time were she had teased Rob in much the same manner. He had finally given in and licked the chocolate from her lips himself. Athena's expression became dreamy for a second and then she took another bite of the gooey sweetness. Rangi found herself smiling. {Its done me good too} she thought {Its broken the tension.} Athena got down to the last few bite of the sundae and took it over to the marine assigned to baby-sit her. "Do me a favor," she said, "and eat the rest of this and don't argue." She hesitated before adding, "Because technically I out rank you." She sat back down with a satisfied smile on her face as she met Rangi's gaze. Rangi returned the smile. {Rangi...sometimes you are a fool!} she told herself. She pushed her own dish aside. "I cant eat another spoonful" she said. Athena gave a devilish grin and took the other dish to "boomer" (the marine that entered with Rangi). She raised her eyebrow as she handed this dish to the other marine, "The same order goes for you." She stared at them until they both took a bite. She walked back over to the table but instead of sitting back down she grabbed Rangi's arm and said, "Come on," and she hurried them both out the door. "Hey..." Rangi glanced back as Athena pulled her towards the door. "We can't go without them!" "Oh, yes we can," Athena replied, "besides we'll stop right outside of the doors.... but against the wall so they don't shoot us." Athena kept them moving until the were out of the door and leaning against the wall. It was only a moment before both marines crashed through the mess hall doors with horrified expressions on their faces. Athena looked the marines over and said calmly and seriously, "I hope you both finished those sundaes." Rangi heaved a sigh of relief and looking at her escort's dismayed expression told him: "Its, OK corporal...just the counselor's little...joke!" It was obvious he wasn't going to laugh. Athena smiled sweetly at both the marines, "Don't you feel better to have done something that required some action?" Billy, the marine that seemed to be permanently attached to Athena, smiled and shook his head before replying, "Actually, yes." Rangi shook her head in disbelief and smiled at Athena. "I think I'll head for home!" she said. "Yeah, us too," Athena said with a smile. Rangi and he escort turn to go and she shook her head at Athena's words before saying, "I'll just be going then." "Me, too. But I'm leaving him in the hall," she clarified for anyone who might still eavesdropping. =/\= End Log =/\= LtCmdr. Rangi Summers CMO USS Chimera & Lt. Athena Wellington Counselor USS Chimera