Love And War Bk. 05

As the song ended, the tough guys were all laying strewn about the bar floor like litter, groaning in pain or unconscious. Lou hit the stop button as the first uniforms busted through the doors, followed closely by Shawn and Julie. They started rounding up the Tough Guys and had to call an emergency medical transport for several of them. They also had to call in more uniforms to corral the rest and get them downtown to a holding cell.

"Well, hot damn!" Lou said. "Haven't had a barfight like that in nearly five years!" He was grinning ear to ear, as was Kralla. They'd been outnumbered against the local gang, but they'd won in a landslide.

The assembled Bikers, Starfleet, and Romulans were all clapping each other on the back and congratulating each other. Cole grabbed Dona, kissing her hard and passionately. Jason did the same with Delaara, and Rash with Rachael. Elizabeth was pressing an icepack she'd been given by Guinan against the back of Mac's head as he swigged a beer and winced.

"That was exhilarating!" Halak was grinning ear to ear. The big Romulan was more than happy to exhibit his prowess in helping to defend his new friends.

Jason clapped him on the back. "Yeah it was, Hal. Haven't had a good throwdown like that since Rash and I were both in the Academy!"

"True that, Jay!" Rash said, lifting his beer to his friend.

"Hey, guys. We've already called Starfleet Security, but we need your statements about what happened." Shawn said as he came up to him with his padd and stylus.

*****

"So you're saying the local gang started it?" Admiral Nelson had every one of them in his office, including Big Lou and Kralla. "I have five Starship Captains, a SFMC Colonel and Commander, a retired Master Gunnery Sergeant, a Romulan Commander and her bridge officers, and even Starfleet Cadets throwing down against local street thugs!" Nick was somewhere between angry and amused. "Who the hell threw the first punch?"

Cole stepped forward. "I did, sir. When I saw one of the local gang assault Commander Donatra, I moved to defend her, and broke the local's jaw, sir." He couldn't suppress the grin that broke out across his face.

"He was defending a diplomatic envoy, Admiral." Donatra said in Cole's defense.

Nelson chuckled at that. He knew all about Cole and Donatra. "What about the rest of you?" He looked at the Captains and their crews.

"We were defending the envoy as well, Nick," said Jean-Luc. "If it hadn't been for the quick intervention of Lieutenant McBride, I believe the assault on Commander Donatra may have escalated to her being physically harmed.

"Is that your official statement?" He looked at all of them in turn. Each person nodded.

"Sir, if it wasn't for the brave actions of the Starfleet crews, Cadets, and Marines in the bar, the Romulan delegation would have been left to fight alone. The Romulans more than acquitted themselves during the melee as well, sir," said Big Lou. "If I may, I would just like to say OORAH!"

"Semper Fi, Gunny." Nick grinned.

"Oorah, Nick." Lou said, nodding to his friend. He'd known Nick Nelson since the Admiral was a pea green ensign.

"Now, before you all un-ass my AO, I just want to say that officially, you did a good job of defending the Romulan delegation from attack by a local gang with superior numbers. Unofficially, Outstanding job busting some heads!" Nick grinned ear to ear. "Now, get back to Lou's while I file this under 'averted diplomatic incident.'"

"Yes, sir!" The unanimous reply sounded as they all smiled, then turned and left. He shook his head and laughed outright. He'd read the reports of each individual, as they'd been dictated to the SBPD, and had laughed then as well.

*****

"And another one bites the dust." Lou grinned ear to ear as they sat around the bar. They all raised their glasses to a successful bar fight.

"I haven't been in a melee like that in... well, more years than I care to recall." Jean-Luc said with a chuckle. He'd accounted for several unconscious thugs in the fight.

"Cap'n, you did a great job, and accounted for five enemies down." Lou nodded in respect to Jean-Luc. He then turned to Angie. "As for you, young lady! You fought like a Marine!" Kralla and Lou both grinned at his assessment of her skill. Angie had busted up seven thugs during the battle.

There was nothing like a good barfight to bring people together in a common cause.

"The thug who grabbed me thought I was Vulcan!" Donatra laughed.

"I got that too on my first time here." Delaara agreed, laughing with her cousin.

"Well, Dona. As long as I'm around, no man's gonna get away with gropin' ye, unless that man is me!" Cole grinned and kissed her.

"Cole is a Skull. Skulls look out for our own. Dona, you're one of us now, and so are your crew." Jason lifted his bottle to her and grinned.

"Thanks, Jay. As far as we're concerned," she indicated the other Valdore Bridge crew, "you're now a Romulan!"

"I told you he was!" Delaara said with a wink as she draped her arms over Jason's chest from behind.

"Rash, I didn't know you could fight like that!" Angie was looking at her friend with a grin on her face.

"Angie dear, Ryan here beat the hell out of Q a few years back." Rachael said, and Angie's grin disappeared.

Angie blinked rapidly a few times, then said "Bullshit."

"No bullshit, Ange." Jason said. "Q interrupted Rash's sleep, and got his ass handed to him... after Rash got a double espresso, medium hot from the replicator."

"What was Q doing there, by the way?" Jean-Luc asked. "He wasn't mentioned in any of your mission reports."

"Oh, he stopped by to mess with us. Not sure why, but he interrupted our sleep, and I'd had enough in record time." Ryan shrugged. It would be pointless to tell them about a four year cycle that would never happen now, due to quantum reality.

"I'm still not sure how he did it, but Rash rung his bell pretty good." Jason added.

"Well, if Q ever shows up on the Enterprise again, I'm going to have a double espresso, medium hot." Jean-Luc grinned as he chuckled.

"Did someone take my name in vain?" A voice said from the entrance. They looked and saw a middle aged man with short curly dark hair, wearing sunglasses, jeans, boots, a 'Continuum' t-shirt, and a leather jacket.

-------------------------------------------------

Continuum Q and A

Rash stepped forward. "This one's on me, guys."

He cracked his neck from side to side and loosened up his shoulders. He started towards the man in biker gear. "What did I tell you, Q?" He reached him and slugged the godlike being across the jaw, staggering him back. "I'm sick and tired of you interfering in our lives!" Rash decked Q from the right this time, causing him to drop to his knee. "It will be a cold day in hell before you go anywhere near my wife or my son again!" Rash threw a straight punch right into Q's nose, breaking it with an audible snap.

Q held up his hands. "STOP! I'm not here to hurt you or anyone! I'm here for a social visit! Please, Ryan, I don't want any trouble."

Rash stopped and stepped back. "What? No 'Universe in Peril' bullshit this time, douchebag?"

"Ryan, I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I'm sorry about that." Q sounded sincere, and Jean-Luc raised an eyebrow at the tone of the godlike man's voice.

"Ryan, back off, Let the man speak," said Picard.

"Fine. But if you try ANYTHING, Q, I will break your face way more than that!" Rash turned and walked back to where Rachael was sitting and hugged her protectively.

Angie was standing with her eyes wide and her jaw halfway to the floor as she witnessed what should have been impossible.

"Thunk yu," Q said through his broken nose. He placed his hands on either side of it and a tiny flash of white light set his nose back to the way it had been.

He held up his hands in the signal of surrender. "Thank you, Jean-Luc. As much as you all may detest me, or even admire me..." He looked at them all.. "Ok, as much as you may detest me, I am really just here to talk with you, if possible."

"About what, Q? You haven't always been this polite, but you have to want something." Jean-Luc said.

"I do, Jean-Luc. I want certain perspectives on Love, in case you were wondering." Q looked at them all soberly. "For example, the love that Ryan and Rachael have for each, or the love that Jason and Delaara share. Or even the love shared by Collin and Donatra."

Cole bristled at that. "Yer not my mom or dad, Q. I'm Cole to you, boyo."

"Very well, Cole." Q acknowledged with a polite nod.

"Seriously, Q, you have to have an angle. You always do," said Jason as he stood protectively in front of Delaara.

"Q, the last time we met, you stole four years of our lives." Delaara said as she stepped around her husband. Then she did the unexpected and hugged him. "Thank you for giving us the re-do."

Q was taken aback by Delaara's show of affection and thanks. "Umm, you're welcome, Delaara." He said as she finally released him. She smiled at him and returned to where Jason was standing.

"What four years?" Jean-Luc asked.

"Oh, hell. We might as well tell them." Rachael rolled her eyes. "Jean-Luc, it was the past nearly four years and a bit more, only much different. Ryan, Jason, and Delaara were fighter pilot trainers at the Academy, Starfighter Command was still under direct Starfleet control instead of attached to the Marines, and neither I, nor Delaara had our children yet. Q found us aboard a ship that might never be built now, and convinced us to give up those years of our lives to save the galaxy from a Borg invasion. The bloody twit saved us all, or so he says, but I have to admit these last nearly four years have been better than what we experienced in the alternate timeline."

Jason and Delaara were both nodding, and even Ryan was looking at Q a bit differently. He walked up to him. "Q, sorry about the broken nose. You did do us a favor, and you have my apologies." Ryan smiled and held out his hand.

"Accepted, Ryan. You were acting out of love for your wife and son, and I cannot fault you for that. In fact, that is one reason why I need your perspectives on Love in all of this." Q said as he shook Ryan's hand. Ryan nodded and returned to Rachael's side.

"I owe you an apology, Q," said Jason. "You're still a douchebag, but not quite as big of a douche as I thought you were." Now that he thought about it, these past four years had been much better than the original four. While they had enjoyed being flight combat instructors, it hadn't been as satisfying as when they'd been flying against the enemies of freedom on the frontiers of space, as they had these past four. And even then, most of the past year had been spent as flight instructors anyway due to the extended refit of Nimitz.

"As do I, Q." Rachael walked over and shook his hand. "I would have missed the command chair on Nimitz. That ship is more of a home to me than any other, as long as my husband and son are with me."

"Thank you, everyone. Now, if I may, I would like to ask you some questions." Q looked around at the nodding and shrugging people.

"Hello, Q." Q's eyes went wide as he recognized the voice of Guinan, and he remembered the fork through his hand.

"Guinan, always a pleasure." He smiled at her. "I am not here to cause anyone any trouble."

"Good. As long as you come in peace, you won't leave in pieces." She smiled serenely at him, then turned to Lou and Kralla. "Lou, if you don't mind, I would like to take a few hours for an extended lunch. I would not be much use around here, as I would be most likely to kill Q as look at him."

"Sure thing, Guinan. I think me and Kralla will join ya." Lou and Kralla didn't like or trust Q, or any other powerful entity for that matter.

Angie was still just looking at Ryan with a weird expression somewhere between fear and respect.

Mac sat back and enjoyed the show with his arm around Elizabeth.

Q looked at Rachael first. "Captain, how did yours and Ryan's love start?"

"From loneliness, and the fact that Ryan was there and more than willing to fulfill my needs." Rachael squeezed Ryan's hand, and he smiled at her.

"For you, Ryan? How did it start for you?" Q asked her husband.

"Infatuation more than anything. I was attracted to Rachael from the first time I saw her." Then after spending a lot of time sleeping next to her, it grew into real love." Ryan kissed her lovingly.

"I see," said Q. He turned to Jason and Delaara.

"Colonel, and Commander, how did your love blossom?" He asked.

Jason smiled. "It started for me before we even crashed on the planet surface of NZ8-257. It started as respect. We hadn't even met yet, but she shot me down. Then once we crashed, and I met her, it was an instant connection. At least for me."

"For me, it started when I awoke on the beach with Jason breathing air into my lungs after I nearly drowned. But even before that, the respect was there. He was deadstick going into the atmosphere, but he managed to flip his fighter one hundred and eighty degrees and shot my wings off. To me, in addition to loving him, he's the best fighter pilot in the galaxy." Delaara kissed Jason then, With more love and passion than most there could watch without blushing.

"Very interesting," said Q as he nodded. Then he turned to Cole and Donatra.

"And how about you two?" He asked them.

Donatra smiled. "Respect and being horny. When I first spotted Cole, I wanted to f.." she looked around the room and censored herself. "..Have sex with him. But when he finally left after that Liberation Day, I found myself missing him more and more, and not just for the physical contact."

"Aye, it was the same for me. I missed the feel of her in my arms, and I missed the touch of her lips. Then I missed her smile and her laugh. I missed everything about her." Cole kissed her and whispered "Do ye have any Irish in ye yet, luv?"

"No, but I would like some, Cole. If you would like to share yourself." Donatra winked.

"Aye, I would. Your ship or mine?" Cole said with a grin.

"Yours, honey. Some of my crew are getting jealous." She grinned back.

Cole nodded with his trademarked grin in place and hit his combadge. "McBride to Nimitz. Two to beam up."

They disappeared in the transporter beam.

Q cleared his throat. "Well, then. Captains Calhoun and Shelby. How did yours start?"

"Us? Oh hell, Q." Mac said. Then he sighed. "Well, I guess there's no harm in telling you. It started for us back in the Academy. We fell in love after some very torrid sex, if you must know."

"That was when it started for you? For me, it was my attraction to the savage warrior who was now civilized by the Federation." Elizabeth chuckled, and Mac kissed her.

"I can still be a savage sometimes, baby," he said to her with a hint of a snarl in his voice.

"Ooooh, Mac! Your ship or mine?" She winked.

"Mine, baby. Let's go." He tapped his combadge, and initiated site to site directly to his quarters.

Q was amused. "Anyone else want to leave?"

"Well, I think I had better go as well." Jean-Luc stood up and pulled down on his uniform top in his patented 'Picard Maneuver' and turned to the two couples still there. "Have fun with Q, everyone. I'm just happy to not be his main focus this time around." He smiled and tapped his combadge, also disappearing to the thrumm of a Federation transporter.

The door opened and Alex and Jenny walked in in their Biker gear. Alex took one look at Q and his jaw dropped open. "Son of a bitch."

"I've been called worse." Q shrugged. "But since you're here, come on over and tell Uncle Q how you two lovebirds got together." He smiled.

"Is that THE Q?" Jenny asked.

"The one that usually fucks with people, yeah." Jason nodded. "Come on over. He's actually got a good question this time."

Alex and Jenny walked over hand in hand. Q turned to Alex and asked how he fell in love with Jenny.

"First it started as attraction. I mean look at her. She's beautiful. Then respect for her skill and a mutual love of flying." Alex shrugged.

"And you, Jennifer?" Q asked.

"Wow. I never thought I'd be talking to you. But anyway, I fell in love with Alex in much the same way. He's sweet, caring, and very good in bed. Also, his skill at flying is excellent and he can write some great combat programs for the simulator." She kissed Alex, and he smiled.

Q nodded. He turned to Angie. "Captain, why haven't you found someone yet?"

"I'm not sure. I've put my career ahead of everything else. To me, love isn't that important right now." Angie replied.

"Angie, when love hits you, let it in. Trust me on this," said Rachael as she squeezed Ryan's hand again.

Angie nodded and smiled. "You know, Rachael, I might just do that." Then she looked at Q. "We done? I think I have a call to make to someone I haven't seen in a very long time."

Without waiting for his leave, she hit her Combadge to get transported back to the Comanche.

Q sighed, then turned to Alex, Jenny, Jason, Delaara, Ryan, and Rachael. "Thank you all. I meant what I said before about not meaning any harm. I thank you for your insights into love and how it works. It seems that I a few different perspectives to consider." He bowed, snapped his fingers, and disappeared.

"Well, that went better than expected." Jason shrugged as he walked behind the bar. "Who wants a beer?"

*****

Cole and Donatra were all over each other as soon as they entered his quarters aboard Nimitz. Her padded tunic hit the floor first.

"No bra, luv? Aren't ye a naughty lass?" Cole grinned as he admired her high firm B cups. Her nipples were already erect, and he lowered his mouth to taste them.

Donatra groaned in pleasure as his mouth teased her and bit gently at each bullet hard nipple. "Yes, Cole! Yes, baby! Suck my titties!"

Cole went from one breast to the other, licking, sucking, tasting, and nibbling. She pushed him back on the bed and shucked the lower half of her uniform as he shucked his boots and flight suit in a hurry.

"Yes, baby! God, you look so damn hot!" Cole said as she stood naked before him. Her shaved pussy looked so good. "Get over here, Commander. I'm gonna make ye come like never before."

"Yes, sir." Donatra replied as she pounced on him. She was straddling his hips when he leveraged her over onto her back.

Cole kissed her hard and deeply. His tongue invaded her mouth as she moaned and squirmed beneath him. He broke the kiss and whispered in her ear: "Dona, I'm goin' to lick yer pussy until ye beg me to stop."

"Oooohhhh Godddsss Cole! Do it, please!" Her fingers entwined in his hair and she pushed him down toward her spread thighs and her sacred treasure between them.

Cole kissed slowly down her beautiful body. He loved exploring her every time they were able to be together. As he reached her pussy, he stiffened his tongue and slowly slipped it into her cunt.

"OhFUCK!" Donatra yelled as his tongue slipped into her like a little prehensile cock. He twisted it inside her, tasting her sweet wetness as she moaned loudly and gripped his hair harder. "That's it, baby! Lick me! Eat my fucking pussy! Ooooohhhh Fffffuuuuuuuucccckkkk!" Donatra moaned and screamed as she came. Cole gulped down her nectar as if he was dying of thirst. In a way he was dying of his thirst for her.

Even as her first climax abated, his tongue didn't. He sucked her clit between his lips and flicked it with his tongue. That set her off again, and she screamed his name loudly. Her ejacuation this time was powerful as he sucked and licked her pussy of all her cum.

"Ohgods... Stop, Cole. Please stop. Ohmygods!" Donatra was breathless after coming so hard.

Cole raised his head from between her thighs with his grin in place. "I take it ye liked that, luv?"

"No, you phaserbrain. I fucking LOVED it!" Donatra grinned back breathlessly and pulled him up to her.