====== Captain's ready room, USS Chimera ===== A long silence ensued."I believe you Shane" Rangi said at last but looking again at the intricate carving on the knife, the slight curve of it, the simple beauty. She lifted her eyes to his. They seemed to look deep into his soul. "I'm surprised you never wanted to touch her. She's very beautiful...very..appealing to a man I would think..and she looks at you Shane..... as though she might like you to." Shane paid her a deep look back. {She's that jealous of Athena? For how long? Since the beginning?} he asked himself. Shane began to realise that Rangi was not the first time jealous of some other woman ... That was quite surprising for Shane as by himself he was quite an unjealous man. Sure, he could not say that he was not jealous at all, but he never thought of other men in Rangi's surrounding as potentional love enemies ... "Beautifull" he started looking at the same knife as Rangi did before, "sure. Appealing? Yes. She would like me to? I dont know" Slowly he moved his gaze at Rangi and continued: "I do not deny that Athena is an attractive woman nor that I 'might' find her appealing to me in some moments, but thats not the thing what matters to me most on a woman. I thought you know me good enough to know that by now Rangi ... I dont love you cause your appearance or how sexy you are ... but cause what you are inside, how do you treat me, trust me, be there for me ... share our dreams ... THATS what matters to me ...." He turned away and looked out the little window at the stars: "Athena ... she's different. I dont say she is not good or caring for those she loves, but she's just not my kind ... maybe we could be happy for a certain time ... but sure not for long" He turned back to face Rangi and said: "But I DO think that about you Rangi ... you are what I was searching for ..." He looked away and whispered: "Please dont destroy it ..." {Why are you doing this?....why are you putting both of you through this?...leave it...dont ask more...it's enough that he's told you this....}Rangis inner voice reasoned as she watched Shane staring out to the stars.She bowed her head and pressed her left palm to her forehead. "I dont want to destroy it.." she answered,her voice muffled.She closed her eyes and ran her hand across her hair, raising her head and looking at him once more.She paused, uncertain how to frame the words she needed. "Perhaps its because Ive been thinking about Rob recently." she began watching Shanes profile."It made me SO angry to hear what they're saying...partly because I dont want you spoken of that way.But...partly because it slapped so much of what happened before.And when you wouldnt answer me...I thought you were denying it...as he had done.Shane.." Rangi stood up and walked across to him. "Shane...if you tell me that nothing happened between you and Athena...then I believe you.I know you're not the sort of man who would try to cover his tracks...tell me barefaced lies.I'm sorry....I shouldnt have let what happened in the past overspill to the present.I know you're nothing like Rob Richards. "Ah Rangi" he sighed. With her revealing her biggest fear Shane seemed to understand few more things. {Rob ...} went through his head. He disliked that man, he disliked the way he treated Rangi ... and thought that he could never be like him. {Its still true?} he asked himself. "I wont hurt you like he did Rangi" He moved towards her and for the first time he touched her hair. "I love you Rangi Summers. More then anyone else and there is no other woman in my heart anymore. Athena is an attractive good friend, nothing more ..." Rangi reached up to touch his hand and smiled weakly."I doubt myself you see." she half whispered. "I couldnt bear to lose you." "I am here Milacik" he whispered, "not going anywhere", he hugged her tightly and gave her a kiss on her hair. Rangi closed her eyes and breathed a long sigh.{And there was really nothing in the rumours} she thought opening her eyes and looking out at the stars as Shane had done."Promise me one thing.." she whispered "Promise me...that if you change your mind...you'll tell me...and not hide anything away. Shane looked in her eyes like to try to see in her heart. Smiling he said: "If I will ever change my mind, be sure you wont be told by some rumours, but on a quiet dinner in a Ferengi restaurant ..." He squeezed her hand: "Please, you promise me that you wont take rumours for truth ... " " I promise." She smiled up into his face, relief clear for him to see."...and I'll do my best to make sure we never go near a Ferengi restaurant!" With the slightest hestitation she reached on to tiptoes and kissed his cheek. *** End Log *** LtCmdr Shane Guzman XO USS Chimera & LtCmdr Rangi Summers 2XO/CMO USS Chimera