Love And War Bk. 04

"About damn time you shits got here. Jay and Del already did your jobs, ya lazy slobs!" Lou was grinning as he said it, and Shawn just laughed with Julie.

The detectives put the cuffs on the two criminals, and said to the uniforms that took them "Make sure ALL the paperwork is filled out this time!"

"Yeah, or no donuts for you!" Lou yelled at the uniforms. Shawn sighed. "Jay, we're sorry about this. We didn't know until it came up on appeal that the paperwork wasn't filed correctly. Since you're our friend, we were taken off the case." He shrugged.

"No problem, guys." Delaara said happily. "That's probably going to be the last action I see for another nine months."

Julie got it first as they all walked back in towards the bar. "OHMYGOD! You're pregnant!" She hugged Delaara tight. "Congratulations!" She squealed and Shawn hugged her too, only without the lecherous undertones this time.

Apparently, Julie had put a stop to all of Shawn's jokes. Probably with a broken rib of two, and Jason grinned at the thought.

"Jay, where'd ya learn to fight like a Praetor- nevermind, dumb question." Lou laughed and gave Delaara a nod of respect.

Delaara just grinned, and Lou said "I'm bein' honest here when I say I'd rather fight a Klingon hand to batt'leth than fight an unarmed Praetorian."

Kralla slugged him in the arm for that. "Hey, I'll show you unarmed combat, ya big slob!"

"Only if ya give me some sweet sweet lovin' afterwards, darlin'." Lou grinned, and Kralla kissed him.

Everyone laughed at the exchange, since Kralla and Lou were completely devoted to each other. It was obvious in spite of their jovial arguments.

"You guys are the best, you know that?" Jason said to them.

"Bikers look out for their own, Jay. You know that. And since you're now an official Starfleet Marine, that makes you a Jarhead too!" Lou grinned at the pilots. "Even if Roadrash here couldn't hack it in Marine boot."

"Dammit, Gunny!" Rash was laughing and grimacing all at the same time.

"Just yankin' your chain, Rash. We loves ya, kid." Lou grinned and handed Rash another beer.

"Ooh, beer!" Rash drank and all was forgiven.

The usual crew showed up for dinner rush, and everyone at the bar was pressed into service by Gunny Lou and Kralla. Jean-Luc even chipped in, mixing drinks for customers, and enjoying himself immensely. The Starfleet Academy crew showed up after the Bikers, and the group of twenty or so Cadets were stunned to see no less than seven legends behind the bar and taking orders at tables.

As the dinner rush left and the place had calmed down, the Cadets came up and asked quite a few questions of the jeans and leather wearing heroes of two wars. Jason and Delaara were only too happy to help them out, and all of the Cadets vowed to apply for Starfighter Pilot training at their ealiest opportunity.

"Just keep calm behind the stick, listen to your instructors, and trust your instincts." Jason had said. "That's all the advice I can give."

"I'll add that if you ever become romantically involved with a fellow pilot, that no matter how the relationship goes, you leave the emotional baggage on the flight deck. Never take it out with you into space. Got it?" Delaara said.

"Yes, ma'am." The Cadets replied in unison.

Lou said "That's some good advice."

Delaara shrugged and smiled. "It's how I ran Gladius Wing when I was RIF."

"It's still damn good advice, Del." Lou grinned.

"I never knew shore leave could be so invigorating." Jean-Luc Picard was smiling ear to ear.

"That's because this is your first time in my bar, Cap'n." Lou said and nodded with respect. "You fix a mean mojito, sir."

"I learned mixing drinks from an old friend of mine, Lou." Jean-Luc said.

"I'd like to meet your friend. I could use a great bartender around here." Lou said with a nod of respect.

"Well, let me call her." Picard replied. He moved off a ways and hit his combadge. He spoked quietly for a moment and then returned to the bar, smiling. "She will be here momentarily."

"Sounds good, Cap'n." Lou said.

"You called her, didn't you, sir?" Will said with a smile.

"Of course. She's settled here on Earth and is one of the best bartenders in existence." He replied.

"I dunno if I can afford the best in existence." Lou chuckled.

"Lou, trust me on this. She's worth every penny." Jason said. He'd met her a few times aboard Enterprise before she'd "retired". He liked her a lot, and she'd counselled him a bit about his parents' deaths when he'd first met her shortly after. He'd still been in the Academy, but had met her when Jean-Luc had visited the Academy and had her with him.

"You know her, Jay?" Lou asked.

"Yeah, she's one of the coolest people I've ever met. Lou, you'll love her." Jason grinned.

The thrum of the transporter made everyone's head turn as Guinan appeared before them. She smiled serenely and hugged Jean-Luc tight before turning to look at everyone else.

"Well, HOLY SHIT!" Lou exclaimed, grabbing her up in a Bear Hug. "Damn, Guinan! Still lookin' good as ever!"

"Gunny Gibson!" Guinan laughed. "Jean-Luc said that someone was looking to hire a bartender, so I thought I would drop by to see if I would be interested."

"Hey, Guinan. How've you been, ma'am?" Jason said, and Delaara raised her eyebrow at the quiet respect he showed her.

"Jason, it's good to see you. There's something different about you. You're smiling a lot more than you used to." She smiled at him and hugged him.

"Guinan, I'd like to introduce my wife, Delaara. She's the main reason I'm smiling a lot more now. Delaara, this is Guinan. She's a good friend who helped me through a really rough time with some great advice." Jason introduced them.

"Jason, hon. You married way up!" Guinan smiled as she nodded to Delaara. "Delaara, it's an honor to meet you, and thank you."

"The honor is mine, Guinan. Jason holds you in the utmost of respect, and now so do I." Delaara replied. "Also, there's no need to thank me." She laughed.

"Yes there is, Delaara. Just trust me on this." She smiled at them all, then turned to Lou.

"Guinan, I can't afford to pay you as much as you're worth." Lou shrugged apologetically.

"I'm not that expensive, Lou." She replied with a smile, and moved off with him and Kralla to discuss a possible job.

"So, what was the great advice she gave you?" Delaara said to her husband.

"She told me not to give up hope, and to focus on the future. I didn't really listen at the time, but her words stuck with me even when I was at my lowest." Jason said, stroking her hand.

"And what was she thanking me for?" Delaara was wondering.

"For saving my life, and helping me grieve. I'd always been afraid to grieve over my parents. I was afraid of being judged, until you showed me unconditional love with no judgment." He whispered to her in Romulan.

Delaara melted at that, and threw her arms around him. "I love you, Jason MacKenzie."

"I love you too, Delaara MacKenzie." Jason replied, kissing her lovingly. "I shall love you for the rest of my life, my heart's desire." He said in Romulan.

"As I shall love you for the rest of my days, dearest heart." She replied in her native tongue.

"Jason, I didn't know you spoke Romulan." Guinan had come up to them from behind the bar.

Jason looked at her and blushed. "I learned it for Delaara's birthday last year."

"You speak it perfectly." Guinan said. "So, I hear you're expecting? A boy or a girl?"

"We don't know yet, but we will when we get back aboard the Nimitz." Delaara said with a smile. "And you don't need to thank me, Guinan. I never need thanks for loving Jason."

"You speak with the wisdom of the ages, Delaara." Guinan bowed her head in respect.

"I remember what you told me, Guinan. After my parents died, that is. I never completely lost hope in the future, and Delaara was there when I needed help the most." Jason told her.

"Just another reason to listen to your Aunt Guinan." She grinned.

"... so I clocked him in the jaw and slugged him in the gut. It felt great!" Rash was saying to Will Riker and Deanna Troi.

Jason and Delaara started laughing, then noticed Guinan looking at them funny.

"Ryan's talking about beating the tar out of Q a few months ago." Jason explained.

"He interrupted his and Rachael's sleep." Delaara shrugged.

"Ryan!" Guinan shouted.

"Yes, ma'am!" Ryan answered her, coming to Attention.

"You beat Q in a fist fight?" She squinted at him.

"I hit him twice, and rung him up pretty good." Ryan shrugged.

"It's true," said Rachael. "Bloody bravest thing I've ever seen." She was grinning broadly.

"Well if that don't beat all." Guinan started laughing. "Felt good, didn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ryan replied with a grin.

"Rash, how the hell did you beat Q and not die?" Jean-Luc asked.

"Honestly, sir, I have no freakin' idea." Ryan shrugged.

"He said that Ryan throws a mean left cross, though." Rachael helped.

Jean-Luc laughed. "Son, you have done what I wished I could have done for years!"

"I was pissed off, sir. He deserved it." Ryan nodded sagely.

"Maybe it was the double espresso, medium hot." Jason said with a smirk.

"If that's the case, I'm drinking one the next time Q shows up." Jean-Luc laughed.

"I'll drink one and then stab his hand again." Guinan agreed.

"Never underestimate the power of the Double Espresso." Ryan did his best Darth Vader impression.

"I swear, Tony! I'm going to kill you and burn all those flatvid movies!" Jason growled in mock anger.

"Hey, Jay. Don't look at me, man!" Bounce was looking nervous. "It's not my fault!" He grinned.

Marie laughed at that. "Hey, stud!" She said to him.

"Yeah, baby?" Tony replied.

"Take me to bed or lose me forever!" Marie grinned and winked.

"Take me home, momma!" Tony grinned. She moved a little away from everyone with him.

"Bye everybody. We're going to go have some 'us' time." Marie winked. She tapped her combadge and they thrummed out in a beam back to the Nimitz.

"Saved by his girlfriend!" Ryan chuckled.

"Yep." Delaara grinned.

Guinan was having a great time pouring beer and mixing drinks, and Lou was nodding in appreciation and respect for her and her skills.

The rest of the night passed in good humor and fun, and was pretty uneventful except for one shining moment on the dance floor when Alex pretended to drop something while in a slow dance with Jenny. He said loudly "I need to find it!" as he knelt, drawing everyone's attention.

He then pulled a small velvet covered box out of his pocket and Jenny's eyes went wide. He opened the box. "Jenny, will you marry me?"

"OhmyGod, yes! Alex, YES!" She grinned as he slipped the engagement ring onto her finger and kissed her lovingly. Her arms went around his neck as they kissed.

"Well, hell. Beers are on me, guys!" Lou said with a grin.

Everyone congratulated them, and Rachael called dibs on conducting the ceremony. Worf was laughing until he heard "Dad, we're going to make you a grandfather!" He stopped laughing and smiled warmly at his son.

*****

After the bar had closed, Lou and Kralla went out to check out Rachael's Ducati. Will Riker and Deanna Troi joined them to look over the bike. Deanna was a motorcycle fan, and loved the look of the bike. She also appreciated all the work that Jason had put into his Harley. "Hey, Captain." He said to Rachael. "We'll be up tomorrow morning. We're going to sleep at home tonight."

"Ok, Jason. Good night, guys." She said with a smile. "By the way, I put a down payment on that house today." She grinned.

"Which one, Rachael?" Jason asked.

"The one that belonged to Mrs. Schmidt." Rachael replied.

Jason laughed. "Well, come on, then! We can all ride home together!" Mrs. Schmidt had finally passed away, and her house had gone up for sale after her extended family and cleaned it out of anything valuable. As much as Jason had wished her gone, a part of him missed her. Probably the masochistic part of him, so he dismissed that thought process and grinned.

"I know it's not good manners to speak ill of the dead, but she was an evil old woman." Delaara shuddered at the memory of the old shrew calling her every racial slur under the sun.

"I agree. She was a real piece of work." Lou said with a nod.

"Ok, guys. We'll see you all tomorrow. Lou, until we're home again, keep little Vinnie out of trouble!" Jason and Delaara got on their bike with the goggles on, and took off for home.

*****

As Jason shut the bike down inside the garage, he got off and picked Delaara up in his arms, carrying her inside.

"Mmmmm, are you going to have your wicked way with me, sailor?" She winked and grinned.

"I do believe so, my dearest wife." Jason grinned as he carried her to their bedroom.

They undressed each other slowly as they kissed. They spoke only in Romulan as they kissed and touched, held each other close. They lay down together, still kissing as they moved to the middle of the bed. He kissed her ear, causing a shiver of pleasure up her spine, and whispered "Thou art the seasons of my life, Delaara."

Her eyes shot open at the old language and she whispered back "As thou art mine only love, Jassonn." as she felt him enter her.

Jason thrust slowly inside her, still marveling at how she felt and looked when her face was full of pleasure as she engulfed him inside her pussy. They fit perfectly, as if made for each other. He moved his hips slowly in circles, loving her with every part of him. Their mind meld was sensual, loving, caring, their minds and thoughts starting as two but ending as one. One mind. One soul. Two hearts beating as one. They felt their climaxes coming, and revelled in their love as they came together over and over. She rolled them over and lay on his chest with him still inside her, on their bed. The bed they would share for the rest of their lives.

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Best of the Best

Delaara and Jason woke the next morning refreshed and ready to start the new day. They showered, dressed, and hit their combadges to beam up to Nimitz.

They grinned as they walked through the ship, still in their t-shirts, jeans, boots, and leather jackets. Delaara's skin tight jeans drawing more than her fair share of appreciative stares from both men and women alike.

"You look sexy as hell, sweetheart." Jason whispered, knowing that she would hear him. Her smile only broadened.

"And everyone here knows that I'm all yours." She replied in a whisper back to him, entwining her fingers with his.

"And I'm proud to be all yours as well, Delaara." Jason replied, grinning.

*****

Ensign Jon 'Raijin' Takamura entered 11Forward after he finished his Simulator training for the day, much to everyone's surprise. While he had been onboard for the past six months, he hadn't socialized much with his fellow pilots. He was nice enough, and had a quiet air of competence about him, but he was more interested in training himself to be the best.

Bounce was standing with Marie, Jason, Delaara, Rash, and Rachael at their normal spots at the bar, when Bounce spotted his newest Charlie flight pilot.

"Hey, Raijin! Over here!" He waved the young pilot over. At 5'8" and 150 pounds, the young Japanese American was shorter than most pilots in the Squadron, with the exception of the 5'5" Gem and the 5'6" Cherub.

Then he saw her standing next to Captain Thatcher, and his eyes were glued to hers as she looked back at him. He smiled for the first time anyone could remember, and joined his squadmates at the bar.

"Want a beer, Raijin?" Jason asked.

"No thank you, sir. Not at the moment." He glanced at his Squadron and Wing CO and smiled, then turned his gaze back to the stunningly gorgeous redhead that had captured his attention.

Jacqueline Chambers had been Communications officer since Day 1 when the ship had been commissioned. She hadn't dated much, even though Rachael's regs were pretty laid back. She was now struck by the pilot who was her exact height, with his exotic Asian appearance and his graceful stride. He was built for speed and grace, and she was struck gazing into his dark brown eyes.

Jonathan Takamura was equally struck by her sky blue eyes under her short red hair. He strode confidently up to her and smiled as he looked into her eyes. "I don't believe we've met. My name is Jon." He held out his hand to her.

"I'm Jackie," she replied with a warm smile of her own, shaking his hand, which he then brought to his lips to kiss.

"It is my pleasure to meet you, Jackie. Would you care to dance?" He asked as his smile widened.

Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'The Last Rebel' had just started, and Jackie accepted his hand with a smile as they stepped onto the dance floor together.

*****

"Well, what do ya know?" Bounce was smiling as he cuddled with Marie at his side.

"I know, right?" Jason said as Delaara just smiled and shook her head.

"I do believe we have just seen proof of 'love at first sight', everyone." Delaara finally said as she chuckled.

They'd all seen it. As soon as Jon had seen Jackie, their eyes had locked and he'd made a straight shot to her. Six months onboard, and this was only his second trip to the bar. And up until this moment, they'd never even seen the kid smile. He was already a damn good pilot, but he hadn't socialized much at all, until tonight.

"I don't think I've ever seen Jackie dance with anyone before!" Marie said in a bit of shock.

"I haven't either." Rachael chimed in.

"I tried to get her to dance when we first came aboard, but she wouldn't." Rash said as he shrugged and took a swig of his beer.

Jackie wasn't a wallflower on the scale that Mae had been before hooking up with Steve, but she'd been a bit on the shy side. She'd been fun to be around when in a group, but she usually turned guys down when they would ask her to dance or offer to buy her a drink. She was the same way with the lesbian and bisexual women of the crew, so it wasn't that she disliked men. Yet there she was, dancing with the most junior pilot in the entire Wing, and enjoying herself. Her arms rested on his shoulders as his hands rested on her waist.

Rash saw Rachael give him a dirty look. "Honey, it was before I even got promoted to J.G. I was still an Ensign at the time." He smiled and kissed his very pregnant wife.

"Hey, Captain. How long are we going to stay in Earth Orbit?" Jason asked. "We've been here over a month now."

Rachael shrugged. "I have no idea, Cobalt. Enterprise is in the same boat we are, and nobody at Starfleet Command is talking."

"Well, I say we all march into Nick's office and demand to know what the fuck is going on." Delaara said. She hated being kept in the dark and REALLY hated not being able to fly alongside Jason. She knew she would be flying their Desk for the next nine months until their baby was born. Jason wasn't taking any chances with their safety.

"Normally, I'd agree with you, sister." Rachael said. "Unfortunately, if Nick is keeping quiet over this, he has a good reason. I've known him a very long time."

Romulans, like Vulcans, had a ten month gestation for their babies from conception to birth. While she could run Simulations with Jason, he'd grounded her once her morning sickness and mood swings had hit. While her morning sickness had passed, her mood swings were being chemically controlled now by Doc's meds, so she was still grounded. She'd shrugged, knowing that this had been a very real possibility when she'd first decided to stop her anti-conceptive shots in order to become a mother. It wasn't the first time she'd been grounded and relegated to an administrative role. She knew it was the logical decision for her safety as well as their unborn child's safety. Doc had agreed, even though he wasn't the most Logical Vulcan alive. He was still extremely competent as Chief Medical Officer.