Three Square Meals Ch. 113

Rachel nodded to herself, having suspected as much. *Has he found a way of preventing those monsters from hijacking his energy stream and opening a portal?*

*He's deliberately avoiding thinking about the details,* the blonde explained, sounding horribly conflicted. *I'm terrified he's going to try something really dangerous, but at the same time... I want this so much it hurts. I might be able to actually meet my mom...*

*John's never reckless when it comes to our safety,* Rachel said, trying to calm her friend. *He won't do anything that might put you, Edraele, or any of the rest of us in danger.*

*But what about putting himself at risk to give me something I've desperately wanted my entire life?* Alyssa asked in a hushed voice.

Rachel paled, feeling a shiver of fear run down her spine. She wanted to reassure the blonde, but she found herself imaging all sorts of terrible scenarios as she realised the lengths John would go to for Alyssa.

***

Kelli paced back and forth, nibbling her nails down to the quick. She squatted down beside Tony for the tenth time in the last hour, holding her breath and feeling for his pulse. The big ganger felt like he was burning up, but she tried to ignore his worryingly hot skin, closing her eyes to concentrate on his heartbeat. It seemed weaker... but she was checking by touch and couldn't be sure.

"Please wake up, Tony," she begged him, gently shaking his muscular body.

Like the previous times she'd tried it, he was immune to her attempts to rouse him, caught as he was in the grip of a raging fever. Despite Kelli's best efforts to clean and disinfect the neutron gun wound in his back, the surrounding skin was heavily inflamed and the shot of antibiotics she had given him hadn't cleared the infection. Darting a fearful look at Perl, she saw that the pale blonde was still breathing erratically, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.

Fighting back the tears, Kelli picked up a bottle of water and carefully wet her friend's dry lips. "Don't leave me, baby..." she pleaded, brushing a strand of sweat-soaked hair away from Perl's face. "Keep fighting it... help's coming."

She felt terrible about lying to her friend, but she was desperate, hoping the blonde could hear her voice and draw strength from it. The truth was that she had no idea if a Terran Federation ship was even on the way to Karron, leaving her friends solely reliant on her to save them. With no medical training and without the holo-net to guide her, Kelli had been forced to rely on scouring the clinic for any kind of documentation she could find.

She glanced at the pamphlet she'd left on the desk, which listed a number of different antibiotics for treating sexually transmitted diseases. It had taken her several hours of searching through thousands of medicinal containers in the pharmacy, but she'd finally managed to find a bottle matching one of those on the list. Unfortunately, there'd been no instructions on the correct dosage, so she'd been forced to take a wild guess, filling up the hypo-injector and hoping for the best.

She was trying to decide what to do next when the lights winked out, plunging her into darkness.

***

John greeted each of the girls with a kiss when they appeared for dinner, then held out their chairs for them so they could take their places around the table. The Nymphs were in a jovial mood after an afternoon having their bodies strengthened by him, and he received a string of flirtatious kisses before they took their seats. Jade was just as cheerful, although in her case it was due to excitement at the prospect of eating Maliri cuisine. Her sense of anticipation had rubbed off on her sisters and their emerald eyes gleamed as they stared at the wide selection of exotic dishes arrayed on the table.

Dana gave John a sizzling kiss when she breezed into the Officers' Lounge. "Mission accomplished!" she declared with an impish grin.

Rachel smiled coyly. "She was going for a secondary objective when we heard the dinner gong."

"There's still plenty of time to mount another operation after dinner," he said with a chuckle, pulling the brunette into the hug with Dana. They laughed, but he could tell they were both a little tense. "Okay, that joke wasn't particularly funny, but you two seem to be distracted by something. What's the matter?"

Dana shrugged dismissively. "Returning to Karron... it stirred a few things up."

"We can talk after dinner if you like?" he suggested, looking at her with sympathy.

She grinned and replied, "If a talk leads to us screwing, then hell yeah!"

"Unfortunately, my dance card is already full this evening," John replied, with a sideways glance at Sakura and the twins. "But if you want to have a chat, I'm all ears."

Dana stood on tiptoe and kissed an eartip. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm okay. I just felt a bit weird about coming back to Karron again, but I talked it over with Rachel. Thinking about growing up on that shitheap wasn't very pleasant, but it was good to be reminded just how lucky I am to be here with you."

John enjoyed a kiss with the grateful redhead, then turned to look quizzically at Rachel.

She studied him with those perceptive grey eyes. "I'm concerned about visiting Karron too... but for a very different reason. Alyssa knows you're up to something and she's worried about you."

John blinked in surprise, then said defensively, "Nothing's set in stone."

The brunette simply raised an eyebrow and gave him a knowing look.

"I know how much speaking to her parents means to Alyssa," he explained with some reluctance. "And yes, I admit I want to try to bring them back for her."

"Do you think she'll still appreciate your gift, if you get seriously hurt trying to do this?" Rachel asked quietly.

That made John pause and he mulled it over before answering. "I wasn't planning on taking any stupid risks. If it seems too dangerous, I won't attempt anything."

The brunette looked pensive, her expression torn. "I have a vested interest in you succeeding, so a large part of me doesn't want to dissuade you completely. Just promise me you'll be careful?"

"I promise," he said earnestly, releasing Dana so he could wrap Rachel in a tight hug. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, "And whatever happens, I'll make sure you get a chance to speak to your mother again."

She squeezed him back. "Thank you so much. I knew you'd never give up."

"You're welcome." John looked over her shoulder as they hugged, watching Alyssa and Calara enter the room. Alyssa made eye-contact with him, and he could see the tension there. *We'll talk after dinner, beautiful.*

The blonde nodded, giving him a pensive smile as she walked past, while trailing her fingers along his arm.

Releasing Rachel, John held out a seat for her, just in time to turn and greet Helene as she joined them. He was still connected to the aquatic girl, as she hadn't fully absorbed her late lunch yet, her aquamarine dress still sporting a pleasant curve.

"I've never seen such a splendid feast!" she gasped, her face lighting up in delight at the wide array of exotic dishes spread across the table.

"It was fun preparing it," John said with a smile, giving her a friendly kiss when she approached him. "How are you feeling after our discussion this afternoon?"

Helene looked up at him with trusting eyes. "It was a shock to hear how much my people will be affected when we free them... but I feel much better now I've had some time to think about it. I spoke with Faye too; she was very helpful and told me all about Terran, Maliri, Ashanath, and Trankaran families."

At the mention of her name the purple sprite gave Helene a friendly wave. "It's always lovely spending time with you!"

John smiled at the cheerful girl, then faced Helene again. "Faye's a very good listener, she's helped me a lot too."

Helene nodded, but she was lost in thought. "I can see that having far fewer children is the only way my people can have a positive future... but convincing them of that truth will be an impossible task. To go from having over 30 children to just two or three... I can't see them ever accepting that."

"Oh, I wouldn't say impossible," John said, gently cupping her face. "I think they'll be able to adjust if we explain the problems they'll be facing if they continue as they are. The Abandoned that I've met are very intelligent and wise."

She blushed at the compliment. "No one's ever called me that before."

He kissed her on the tip of her delicate nose. "In that case, maybe your people aren't that smart after all."

Helene laughed and gazed up at him adoringly as he led her to the table. Calara had moved down to sit next to Sakura, allowing the teal-skinned beauty to take her place on John's left. Helene had seen him hold the chair for Rachel, so she knew how to respond to the archaic chivalry, even if she was completely bemused by it.

*It's an old Terran custom. John's doing it to be considerate and show he respects you,* Alyssa explained, smiling at Helene across the table. *I like it, because it makes me feel that he's looking after me.*

Nodding her understanding, Helene waited until John had walked over to the bar to fetch the wine and leaned over to whisper, "I like it too!"

"This meal is very special," John said, as he returned with the wine. "Irillith and Tashana picked out all the dishes when they were younger and planned a Maliri wedding feast."

Dana grinned at the violet-eyed twins. "So does that mean I'm married to John after this, or married to you two?"

"What do you think, Rill?" Tashana asked with a smile. "The redheaded Terran is making quite the intriguing proposal."

Irillith made a show of looking lasciviously at Dana. "True, she's very alluring... if a little feisty."

Rachel put her arm around Dana and shook her head. "Sorry, ladies, she's already spoken for."

John poured out a glass of Holaris wine and kissed the redhead on top of her head. "She certainly is..."

Dana pretended to fan herself. "I've never had so many suitors! What's a lady to do?"

As the girls laughed, John gestured to the Maliri banquet. "Please don't wait for me, go ahead and start."

The air of anticipation quickly dissolved into excited chatter as the girls asked the twins about the dishes on the table and how they'd imagined their wedding. John circled the table pouring drinks for everyone, while enjoying listening to them talking amongst themselves. He was aware of eyes on him and glanced up the table to see Alyssa watching with an ambivalent expression on her face.

*Just enjoy dinner for now,* John said, his voice soothing. *We're going to have a long night ahead of us dealing with infested colonists, so I want you to relax while you have the chance. I'm not going to even think about trying anything with the Astral Plane until the Kirrix have left Karron.*

Alyssa nodded, the tension easing from her shoulders. *Alright, I can do that.*

He worked his way up the other side of the table, switching bottles when the first emptied, until everyone had a drink. Returning to his seat, he brushed his fingers along Alyssa's shoulders when he passed her.

*I appreciate that you're worried about speaking to your parents, even though I don't think you have anything to be afraid of,* he said, using his fork to spear a cluster of Trisrel roots that had been shaped into an intricate spiral. Helene copied him and he watched her take an exploratory bite of the soft vegetable, her expression lighting up as she enjoyed the flavour and texture. *I want to do this for you because it's something you want; I'd never force you into a situation you're not completely comfortable with.*

Alyssa reached across to place her hand on his thigh. *I know you wouldn't. My head's just in a spin at the moment... I'm worried about you, worried about returning to Karron, worried about the colonists, worried about the Kirrix, worried how my parents will react when they meet me... it's exhausting!*

John gave her a stern frown. *Hey! I thought we established that I was the worrier? If you start, what am I supposed to bring to the relationship?*

She smiled at him fondly. *I'm sorry. I'll go back to being the lovestruck, adoring teenager...*

He clasped her hand in his and gave her a supportive squeeze. *I prefer the brilliant, confident, and incredibly talented woman I've got to know over the last six months, she's far sexier. That's the kind of girl I want to spend eternity with.*

Alyssa let out a happy sigh and stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. *I'm afraid the lovestruck bit is here to stay.*

The rest of dinner was a great success, with the piles of food vanishing under a determined assault by the hungry crew. It was obvious that Jade's sisters shared her preference for Maliri cuisine, all enthusing about how delicious everything tasted. Once everyone had finished eating and the table had been cleared, they settled on the sofas to enjoy their wine, snuggling up together as they watched the stars flash by.

"Dinner was absolutely delicious, John, thank you," Helene said appreciatively as she curled up next to Jade.

John put his glass on the coffee table, then put his arms around Alyssa and Calara. "The credit should go to the twins, the recipes were all theirs and they showed us how to make everything." He smiled at Sakura who was sitting between the Maliri. "And of course, we can't forget all the hard work from my talented fellow chefs."

The girls chorused their thanks and the trio accepted magnanimously, having all enjoyed the meal as much as everyone else.

When they all settled again, John said, "We've still got a few hours to go before we arrive on Karron, so I want you girls to make the most of this opportunity to get some rest. When we get there, I expect the Kirrix will have unloaded all the colonists and left the system, or at least be in the final stages of releasing their captives. That means we might be facing another situation like Brecken's World, but with the added complication of an unfriendly alien force present. We'll probably have to spend all night treating infested colonists, while also trying to keep the peace until the Kirrix leave."

Rachel nodded, her brow furrowing with concern. "With us there, the colonists might feel brazen enough to try to get revenge, making the assumption that we'll intervene to protect them."

"That's the kind of thing I'm worried about," John said, nodding his agreement. "At the very least we're going to need some of us overseeing the prisoner transfer from the Kirrix."

"I'm happy to do that," Sakura immediately volunteered.

The twins glanced at each other, then Tashana spoke up, "We'll help too. With our faces hidden behind our armour, it's harder for us to build a rapport with the colonists being treated for infestation."

"My sisters and I can help those people," Jade said, brushing her fingers through her aquatic companion's long green hair. "And I'll be there to make sure Helene's safe while she's comforting the colonists."

"Sound good, thank you," John replied, with a grateful smile. He looked around at the girls and continued, "While you're all here, we might as well discuss the elephant in the room. I'm sure you're all well aware by now what I'm planning to do for Alyssa..."

They all nodded... even the Nymphs.

He shook his head and said wryly, "I can't help feeling hopelessly outnumbered sometimes... and that there's this secret telepathic world going on right under my nose."

"You'd find it all dreadfully dull," Alyssa said, managing a teasing smile despite feeling anxious about their impending visit to Karron.

"Lots of talk about fluffy kittens?" John asked, remembering her coy deflection last time.

Alyssa gave him a furtive grin. "See, you already know 90% of it."

He rolled his eyes at her, then faced the rest of the girls. "I haven't made a final decision about whether I'm going to try to bring Alyssa's parents back for her, like I did for Sakura. I've had a few ideas about something different I could try which should stop that thing from interfering and creating any more portals... but it's still going to be dangerous. I'd love to be able to do this for all of you, but I don't want to risk trying anything which might put you in harm's way."

Dana made eye contact with him, an unreadable expression on her face. "How about me?"

Shaking his head with regret, he replied, "I'd love to, Sparks, but until we find out more about your parents, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. At the very least, I'll need their names and address so I know where to look for psychic echoes."

She considered that for a moment, then shrugged, a resigned look in her eyes. "Ah, don't worry about it... I don't even care anymore. They'd have to be a couple of real assholes to abandon me as a baby like that. I'm better off not knowing who they were." Cuddling into Rachel, she continued, "I've got all the family I need right here with you guys."

Alyssa grinned at the redhead. "Sounds like somebody needs a group hug!"

Dana smiled as she stood up to be wrapped in their loving arms. There were so many of them wanting to embrace her that it actually took two group hugs for everyone to get their turn.

"Thanks guys," Dana said, laughing as she brushed at her eyes. "Look at me tearing up... you got me all emotional."

John gently cupped her face in his hand. "If you ever change your mind, just let me know, okay?"

She gave him a quick kiss. "I will, thank you."

Retaking his seat, John looked around at the group. "I guess that's it from me. Take it easy for the rest of the evening, then I'll top you up later tonight just before we arrive at Karron."

"It sounds like you're suspecting trouble," Sakura said, watching him intently.

John shrugged, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture. "I don't want to take any chances. At least this way I can heal you if we do get into a fight."

The Asian girl's gaze flicked to Alyssa. "Would they really try crossing you? From the way you described your confrontation with the Hive Mind, you left them terrified..."

"If I was on the receiving end of that beat-down, I wouldn't risk trying anything," the blonde replied, with a slight shake of her head. "But the Kirrix think very differently to us and there's no guarantee how they'll react."

Dana hadn't returned to her seat and she nibbled her lip for a moment, before asking, "I know you want us to chill out for the next few hours, but would you mind if I go do that in my workshop? Keeping my mind busy will stop me thinking about Karron..."

John gave her a sympathetic look and nodded. "Sure, honey, go ahead."

Turning to look at the girls, Dana gave them a hopeful smile, "Anyone want to keep me company?"

"Like you have to ask," Rachel said, rising to her feet.

Jade stood as well. "I assume the Grand Engineering Overlord needs her assistant?"

"Always!" the redhead exclaimed, clasping the Nymph's hand and leading her away from the sofas, with the brunette following close behind.

Taking that as their cue to leave, the other girls started rising too. Helene walked over to give John a parting kiss. "Thank you for dinner." She gave him a coy smile as she stroked her tummy. "Both of them..."

"You're welcome," he said, watching her leave with Faye and the rest of the Nymphs.

Calara got up from her seat, giving John and Alyssa a playful smile. "Enjoy the XO meeting. I'll be up on the Bridge if you need me."

John caught the Latina's hand before she could walk away. "Please can you put together everything you found on Alyssa's parents? I'd like to know everything you found out about the Marants, including extended family and the location of their residences on Karron."

"I was on my way to do exactly that," the Latina agreed, darting a furtive glance at Alyssa. "Information was sketchy, but I believe I managed to find what you need."