Skyport Virgo 1 - Refuge (11 page)

Laleh sarcastically smacked her forehead. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that while I was traipsing from one end of this godforsaken ship to the other? Gee, I could have saved myself so much aggravation if only I'd used my brain. Silly me!"

Pike glowered at her. "There's no need for histrionics."

"Histrionics?" She gaped at him. "You're the one acting like a colossal jackass."

"I'm the jackass?" Pike touched his chest. "You're the one who blew me off to have lunch with Petty Officer First Class Testosterone."

Laleh fumed. "That's right, Pike. I deliberately got lost and broke my toe so I could fraternize with
those guys
and blow off a lunch date I knew nothing about!"

Jaw hardened, she lowered her gaze and shook her head. When she lifted her face, tears glistened in her eyes. His gut clenched. "Laleh…"

She held up her hand, silencing him. "I don't expect a lot of you, Pike, but seriously, would it have killed you to have shown even the slightest bit of concern? You haven't seen me all morning. When you finally get around to looking for me, you find me with a broken toe. You haven't even asked if I'm in pain. Instead of asking me
why
I was lost, you jump down my throat and make stupid assumptions. I'm not an idiot, Pike. If I'd seen a crew member or had a working transmitter in my hot little hand, I would have made good use of either."

The elevator halted and the doors opened. Laleh practically stomped from the box.

Shame twisted Pike's belly. He'd be an unconscionable ass.

"Laleh, wait!"

She didn't even slow down. Instead she lifted her right hand over her shoulder and shot him the finger. Pike's eyes widened at her crass gesture. Apparently, he'd really pissed her off this time. Instinctively, he set off after her, fully aware he was going to have to prostrate himself at her feet to earn her forgiveness.

"Admiral Pike to the bridge. Receiving signal from unidentified starship."

Pike slowed as the intercom message filtered across the transmitter clipped to his waist.
Shit.

Laleh paused at the door to their quarters. She raised her tearful face as if wondering what choice he would make. What she couldn't understand was there was no choice to be made. His duty required him to report immediately.

And he did.

She couldn't believe he turned his back on her and walked away.

Prickling with anger, Laleh entered their quarters for the first time. It was a bigger space than she'd expected and furnished stylishly albeit a bit monochromatic and bland for her tastes. She liked the open floor plan, the living room flowing into the dining room and kitchen. Laleh spotted her stack of boxes in the corner. Homesickness rattled her.

What the hell have I done?
Laleh slumped into the nearest chair and placed her elbows on her thighs. Face braced on her palms, she tried to wrap her mind around the argument she'd just had with Pike. He hadn't struck her as the jealous type, but then again she didn't really know him that well. Maybe that kind exterior cloaked a rather possessive streak. Or worse.

Laleh's stomach tightened with unease. What if this was just the beginning of a nasty, controlling relationship? Could she last fourteen months?

A voice of reason interrupted her worst case scenario thoughts. Until just a few minutes ago, Pike had been unbelievably chivalrous and respectful. His jealous behavior was definitely an anomaly. Even Laleh had her moments, had lashed out at others during times of stress and change. It wasn't fair to assume Pike had done anything more than that.

Still—she deserved an apology. Anything less would be unacceptable.

Prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt, Laleh decided to explore her new home. On the opposite wall of the living area, Laleh found an entertainment center hidden in the wall. She wondered what sort of programming came standard on a spaceship. Hopefully she'd have access to some of her favorite shows.

Laleh poked around in the kitchen, examining the upscale appliances. She'd seen a small market in the mess hall. Cooking the occasional meal in their quarters would be much more preferable than eating in the cafeteria every day. The refrigerator shelves had been stocked with various beverages but nothing else. She'd need to make a small list before hitting up the market.

The dishes in the sink and the covered tray holding a steak and fries gave her pause.

Obviously Pike had ordered a nice lunch for them. How she was supposed to have known was beyond her. If she'd been informed of his plans, she would have gladly joined him for lunch.

Leaving the kitchen, Laleh discovered a good-sized office just off the dining room. A comfy looking couch sat against the far wall. Built-in shelves lined two walls, one of them crammed with memory drives, the other free for her things. Whether Pike had planned it that way, she couldn't tell. Tomorrow she'd dig through the boxes in search of her books. It would be nice to have a place to retreat and think.

Laleh found the bedroom next. It was surprisingly roomy with a rather large bed and panoramic view of the seemingly endless star-specked sky surrounding them. She played with the buttons controlling the various shade settings for the window. Amusement tugged at her lips upon discovering she could project seaside views and urban landscapes on the window.

Utilitarian furniture rounded out the space. She ran her hands over the dove grey comforter before sitting down and testing out the mattress. It was a bit firm for her taste.

Kicking off her clogs, Laleh reclined against the pillows. They were soft and plush and smelled new. She wrinkled her nose and decided to spritz her pillow with a little lavender scented perfume later.

Careful not to bump her toe, Laleh rolled onto her side and faced the window. She hadn't seen that view in twelve years. Unlike some who found the vast unknown of space incredibly thrilling and exciting, Laleh found it daunting and frightening. Even if she'd been eligible to join Spacefleet, Laleh never would have. To spend years in space just wasn't her cup of tea.

And yet here she was, hurtling across the great wide open, toward a floating mega city of sorts.

Her disastrous first day aboard the
Spica
had confirmed her concerns about fitting in with a largely Spacefleet society. Until she learned the lingo and memorized the ship's layout, Laleh knew she'd be something of an outsider. But adjusting to a new culture wasn't anything new to Laleh. She'd done it twelve years ago when they'd landed in Houston and started their new lives. She could do it again now.

Remembering that trying period in her childhood, Laleh thought of her mother. She'd been gone almost ten months yet the grief remained raw. Her mother's accidental death had devastated Laleh, had left her feeling so very alone. She'd had no choice but to press forward through the mourning. Sometimes Laleh experienced tremendous guilt over her inability to mourn her mother properly. On Hezma-12, a girl went into complete seclusion for six months after the death of her mother. She embraced complete solitude, seclusion, and silence.

But Laleh had been in the very final months of her doctoral studies. She taught undergraduate courses and depended on that income to survive. So she'd modified the old rituals to fit her new life—and felt guilty the entire time.

And confused.

Even now Laleh still wondered what her mother had been doing in Houston's Beta Sector. In all their years living in Houston, they'd only crossed into that territory once or twice and never on purpose. The Beta Sector housed commercial ports and warehouses and served as the trading hub of the city. Almost all of the intergalactic trade sanctioned by the Federation moved through that sector. It simply wasn't a place her mother ever would have gone.

Yet, somehow, for whatever reason, she'd gone there that morning and had been crushed by a falling stack of shipping containers. The police called it a freak accident and hadn't done much more than the necessary investigation into the matter. After a few weeks, Laleh had simply accepted she'd likely never know what had really happened to her mother.

A part of her didn't want to know. Laleh had a sneaking suspicion she might uncover something ugly if she dug too far. Too much of a coward to brave such a discovery, Laleh had let it go.

Suddenly needing to do something, anything, to keep her mind off of her mother, Laleh sat up and left the bedroom. She made her way into the kitchen, snatched a bottle of orange soda from the fridge, and sat down on the floor by her stack of boxes. She called out to the entertainment center, activating the television and channel surfed for something interesting. Eventually she landed on a news feed and left it there.

With the news anchors droning on in the background, Laleh began sorting through her things, rearranging them in piles depending on where they should go. Hours passed as she stuffed her things back into boxes and slid them around to their respective rooms.

One box she filled with bric-a-brac she'd place around their home later. Another box held her mother's things. Laleh wasn't quite ready to go through that one yet.

She started in the kitchen, unpacking her small selection of dishes, cookware and cutlery and finding new homes for them on the shelves. In the office, she unloaded her collection of antique books, taking the time smell each one and run her fingers over the hard spines. While her transmitter contained thousands of eBooks with untold numbers more available for download, Laleh still loved her hardbacks. She'd always wanted to add paperbacks to her collection, preferably some deliciously naughty romance novels from the early twenty-first century, but they were so costly! So very few had survived the last three hundred years. Some day…

Her books dealt with, Laleh considered where she might set up a work station. Using Pike's desk seemed like a rather bad idea. She supposed she could simply use the dining room table during the day. Until then, she left her desktop items in a box in the corner of the office.

Laleh turned her attention toward the bedroom. She inspected the built-in dresser, finding half of the drawers empty. Laleh moved her socks, bras, and undies to the drawers. She tugged a box of folded clothing over to the closet. Pike's uniform tops and tees hung on the upper bar, his pressed pants on the lower bar. She found some extra hangers in a recessed cubby hole and used them to hang up her things.

Stepping back, she eyed the collection of clothing with amusement. Where Pike's half was nothing but steel grey and black, Laleh's side burst with vibrant colors. She couldn't help but wonder what Pike wore on his days off—if he ever had them.

She checked the drawers of the left bedside table and found an eReader, an extra transmitter, and small container of heartburn medication. Realizing Pike had already staked his claim on this side of the bed, she moved to the right side and set up her things: a digital photo frame, an eReader, and a selection of lip balms and hand lotions.

Laleh carted her toiletries into the bathroom and chose a shelf for her dental and facial care. She took a few minutes to play with the shower's various settings. Jamming her hair care and soap refills into the extra dispensers mounted on the shower wall took a little extra work. They were brand new and the latches difficult to pop open and closed.

The shower set up, Laleh checked out the control pad for the lighting, heating and cooling. Pike had already programmed specific settings so she decided to leave them be for the moment.

A devilish smile curved her mouth. If Pike ever pulled a stunt like he had earlier, Laleh doubted she would be as considerate.

Back in their bedroom, Laleh noticed the time. Her eyes widened in surprise. Time had flown by as she unpacked. It was late and she was hungry. Uncertain, she teethed her lower lip. Should she wait for Pike or make her way to the mess hall alone? She settled on waiting half an hour before heading out on her own.

Laleh collected the empty containers from the bathroom and bedroom and carried them into the living area. She darted into the office and grabbed a pair of empty boxes.

As she entered the living room, Laleh froze. She sensed another person's presence.

Her gaze jumped to the doorway. Pike stood just inside their quarters, arms at his sides, face serious. He still held the white box he'd been holding earlier. She held her breath, wondering what was about to happen between them.

"I'm sorry, Laleh."

She exhaled with relief.

Pike took a tentative step forward. "I was a complete jackass. There was no excuse for my behavior."

Laleh smiled understandingly. "It's all right, Pike. I'll let it slide this one time," she teasingly added.

Pike grinned and shook his head. "You're too kind."

She shrugged playfully. "I'm feeling rather forgiving at the moment."

"Lucky me." Placing the box on the sofa, Pike crossed the living room and removed the containers from her hands. He set them aside and then leveled his gaze. "There's one thing, though, I can't apologize for, Laleh."

She frowned. "And that would be?"

"Walking away from you earlier," he clarified. "It turned out to be nothing, just a freighter with communications problems, but it could have been something serious. This entire ship depends upon me. I'm bound by very specific rules and regulations, and as much as I wanted to come after you and make things right, I couldn't. My duty comes first."

The magnitude of Pike's reality struck her. Even though he'd risen to nearly the highest ranks of Spacefleet, he was likely less free than he'd been as a young cadet. She began to understand the weight of his responsibilities.

He moved even closer, his hand cupping her cheek. "Even though my duty comes first, it doesn't mean I—," he paused, as if searching for the right word, "care for you any less. You are my wife. In all things, you come first."

Laleh's tummy trembled at his declaration. She wondered what she could possibly say in return.

"It's just that," Pike continued, "there's always the possibility I may have to put you second for a short while. I don't like it but it's simply the reality of my position."