SIM:All's Fair in Love and Mischief

((Monariat Lagoons, Poseidon))

True to her word, Talya hadn't left Xena onboard while she had come down to the surface. Also true to her word, she'd been teaching the little one to swim. Or rather...simply to feel comfortable in the water. Which hadn't been hard. For Xena, it was natural - like being back in the womb.::

The lagoon itself had been rather a good find, Talya thought. It was in amongst a host of other, larger lagoons, and some of them were currently occupied by natives and crew alike. But this, much smaller, much shallower lagoon, was deserted. Save from Talya and her daughter.::

But Xena was getting tired. She'd been happily playing in the water for close to an hour, with Talya supporting her. Not that she actually really needed to - the lagoon had an extremely high salt content, lending itself to giving extra buoyancy. Perfect for keeping baby and mother afloat.::

Climbing out of the shallow water, Talya took Xena into the playpen, where she rubbed her dry and got her into some dry clothes. Now that baby was tired and happy, within moments of placing her into a baby-carrier, the child was fast asleep.::

That just left one other person, but she waited for her two accomplices to arrive first.::

Blake: Talya!

After swimming with both Sabor and Faith herself, Sky had left the two to go back to the quarters - Faith was exhausted, and Sabor was probably desperate for a shower. Sky was *here*, however, because Talya had asked her to be.::

Eerie had not particularly wanted to beam down the surface and did not relish the thought of being so close to water, but Robins as requested it and he actually slightly enjoyed watching the rest of the crew. Of course, he was trying not to show that he was actually enjoying it ::

Eerie: No problem, you should have a helping hand. ::He stood standing by the pool of water a in however..::

Robins: ::trying to hide the grin:: Thank you for doing this. I owe both of you a very big favour...unless Chase turns nasty, in which case I'll be calling on your security skills once more...

Blake: Somehow I doubt he’ll get that bad . . . ::Not to mention that Sky would appreciate it if she didn’t have to tackle the Engineer to the ground in a white bikini . . .::

Robins: Let's hope not... I don't want Xena to watch her very first murder before she's even a week old.

Eerie:: The Brikar kept an close eye on the baby.:: I would shield her and then arrest the suspect.::It was again dry and formal.:: Robins: Talking of Xena, could one of you keep an eye on her for me once he's in? I don't want her to get too much sun, and she's a tired little sprocket. ::grinning anyway:: Ready?

Blake: As ready as I think I can be. ::Sky was still a little touchy when it came to forcing things. Enforcing Security was natural - everything else . . . not so much. Hence why she was with Sabor, and why things were being taken so slow . . . but she had to admit - the Terran male *did* deserve it somewhat.:: But hey, I’ve had to put up with him for the last few days. I’m sure he’ll live. ::The Brekkazoid grinned.::

Eerie: Commander. If you need a hand.

Robins: ::grabbing and tapping her comm. badge from where her bundle of clothes were:: =/\= Dr Robins to Valaine. Could you drop in at Monariat Lagoons please? =/\=

Valaine: =/\= Monoriat? Sure, I just got off duty anyway. =/\=

Chase had just sent Dickens the review of his assessment from their Space Walk through the damaged section, and now assumed she wanted some free time to swim, and needed someone to watch Xena. He’d promised to help out, and being off duty had no reason not to now. Plus, maybe it would get the most-athletic-but-unresponsive-to-his-advances Counselor Jolara off his back if he could say he’d been to the planet. ::

Robins: ::moving back towards the edge of the pool, smiling:: =/\= See you in a moment. =/\= ::to her two "helpers":: No throwing if he comes in willingly. And remember, this isn't *that* deep, so not too hard either, if you don't mind. I don't want to patch him up on his first visit to H2O.

Eerie Agreed.

Blake: How about you do the throwing, I do the keeping-him-in-the-pool thing?

Eerie: That is fair.

While she waited for him to arrive, Talya re-entered the water, and let herself float on the extra-buoyant water, not having to expend a single bit of energy to remain horizontal. She was plainly ignoring the two officers she'd enlisted, so that when Chase arrived, he wouldn't automatically get suspicious. It felt surprisingly good to be floating free after so long on the ship, and she already felt totally relaxed. She was now wondering why she hadn't even thought of swimming on the holodecks as a means of stress-relief, it was *that* good.::

The blue swirl of the transporter filled the air, displacing particles and replacing the space with molecules and atoms, a full Terran in the once empty space in the span of a few seconds. He still wore his uniform, which was just slightly smudged from his work in Engineering and about the damage of the ship. He faced the water and didn’t take too much notice of who from the crew was around otherwise. ::

Valaine:  ::stepping near the water in the sand, looking about him for Xena:: Talya?

When she heard him approach, even though he kept some distance, Talya twisted round in the water to face him, putting her feet on the bottom and standing up.::

Robins: Come on, its your turn.

At first, he stopped and blue eyes widened in curiosity... then understanding. They narrowed into a less-than-humored expression, a half sneer threatening his expression. He’d understood her, but now addressed her... as if giving her precious seconds to retract her intent. ::

Valaine: … what?

Robins: Don't be nervous. Xena's still breathing. I'm still breathing. Why don't you come in with me? My feet are on the floor, so you can see its only waist deep.

Valaine:  ::sharply:: I’m not nervous. And I’m *not* swimming.

Robins: I didn't say you had to swim, and you *are* nervous. So don't argue with me.

Valaine: Am not! And I’m not arguing with you, *you’re* arguing with *me!*

She sighed, putting her hands on her hips, then spoke to her not-very-well hidden, but certainly missed-by-Chase helpers.::

Robins: Eerie? Blake? Would you do the honours?

Blake: ~~ Eerie, if you’d please? ~~

Eerie got a strange message in his head. It was not the first time, but it was still a odd sensation. It had happened last during his academy days, it was like hearing voices, not your own in your head.::

Eerie: By your command. Commander. ::Eerie had agreed to this for Robins and even he was aware that it was a ‘odd’ couple. But sometimes such an experience could actually draw people together and Eerie wanted Chase to be part of the baby’s life, and in that regards part of Robin’s life.::

Valaine: … Blake... Eerie?!

Sudden worry plastered him as he turned to face the behemoth that was his crewmate, as well as the smaller bikini-laden Security Chief, both of which had somehow come up just behind him without a sound. How the heck had they done that?! Especially EERIE?! ::

Blake: ~~ Sorry, Valaine. ~~

Eerie moved with unusual speed and picked up the engineer carefully. Eerie had lifted anything like this is a while, but the engineer was just about 200 pounds and picking him up was like picking up a PADD. He tossed the Valaine in the water so he would land on his butt. Making sure his head was protected. He was well aware of the possible damage to nervous systems of humans:::

Sudden displacement and submersion. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen it coming in that moment prior, but there was little that could be done to stop it, seeing as how he was a tiny obstacle in the face of Eerie’s massive strength. He managed to cringe once his body was in the air... knowing full well what was coming. ::

Water flew as he landed, then again as he gracelessly righted himself in the waist deep water, his sense of up and down momentarily lost. After swallowing a good draw full of salt water, he came out from under the surface with a watery explosion... and a gasp. His feet firmly planted, he’d done his best not to flail mindlessly... though he couldn’t be certain he hadn’t... and soaked as he was now, arms held above the level of the water, he leveled a deathly glare on the one responsible. ::

He coughed up a mouthful of salt water... and when he could breathe, he leveled an equally deathly glare at the ones who enabled his watery fate. ::

It had been a bit silly of her to duck when the splashes came her way, seeing as she'd been submerged in water most of the morning, but duck she did until he righted himself.::

Robins: ::ignoring the glares, still rather cheerful:: See? Wasn't so bad. You didn't drown. Now you're on a par with Xena.

She was having far more fun than she should've done, considering the fact she wasn't exactly teaching her young daughter any rules of safety with the water... Thankfully the child was too young to realise this. And as long as Chase didn't decide on any revenge, everything had worked out fine.::

Altered blue eyes peered past the surface and bored a hole into Talya’s soul. At least, that’s how he felt on the matter. The issue of the water itself was... it was water... and his itching instinct was to be free of it, *immediately.* But he restrained the clawing urge, standing stock still... frozen for a moment of shock. ::

He had to be *kind,* damn it... be nice... be nice... don’t drown her... be nice! ::

Valaine: Ah ha ha... you got me... all cured now...

Not exactly a convincing performance. ::

Robins: ::totally unconvinced:: Uh huh. You're a worse liar than I am.

Sky glanced at Eerie, now a little bit concerned. Suddenly this didn’t seem like a good idea . . . but Sky shook off the feeling. There were two Security officers standing there as well as a Medical officer - he would be *fine* . . . hopefully.::

Eerie was not overly concerned, but he was always in Security mood. After 10 years on Eden, and doing Security it was second nature to him. ::

Valaine: No. Really. Loads of fun. But if we’re done having fun, I think there’s a fish in my boot.

He stepped toward the dry ground nearest to where he was, nice and slow, setting each foot carefully... forcing the slow pace despite his desire to evacuate the water as if it burned, Wicked Witch of the West style. He did *not* want them *all* seeing him panic, and that driving force was the only thing giving him the willpower to stay in control. ::

oO Valaine: Walk... do NOT rush... walk. Oo

Valaine:  ::quietly:: Probably something with teeth...

She tried not to grin fiendishly, but it was proving to be a more difficult task than actually getting him in the water.::

Robins: ::walking after him, trying to catch his arm:: Oh come on, sour puss. It's only water. It won't hurt you, and neither will that fish, if you just take your boot off.

Valaine:  ::stopping at her grip on his arm, but not liking it:: If my boots come off, they’ll be used as *projectiles.*

He spit the last word out in the direction of The Others. Which was officially his name for the ones who had crossed him. Oh, they would pay. SHE would pay. She would never be able to order water from the replicator again when he was done with her!!! They would all pay!!! ::

Quite suddenly he was torn from his murderous plotting and lurched away from her grip, the water sloshing loudly as he jumped. Surprising motion completed, he moved closer to the land, step by step and backwards now. ::

Valaine: There’s a frelling shark!! How do you not see the sharks in this?!

For her own sake, she also stepped back, but then after a moment she knelt down in the water, suddenly curious as to the *size* of this underwater menace.::

Robins: ::chuckling lightly, reaching into the water with one hand to brush against the rubbery creature:: It's only a baby one!

Valaine:  ::mumbling:: A baby one... probably dozens of them, waiting to frenzy...

By now he’d moved into shallower and shallower water, painfully slowly in his mind, with mythical baby sharks swarming all around, plotting his end, just waiting for the right moment to strike. With another step back he was out, relief flooding him as he escaped the dominion of the tiny sharp toothed terrors of the deep. The two foot deep, the twenty thousand foot deep... it hardly mattered. ::

Robins: Well...if there are, at least you'll know you've done a good job of staving their hunger for an extra day.

Having realised her mission was effectively over, she began heading out of the water, carefully making sure she didn't accidentally step on the shark that seemed to think her legs were something to play with... Just as it long as it didn't think she'd taste nice...::

Once out, she handed him her towel to at least partially dry himself with, which he used first on his face and head. ::

Robins: Forgiven me yet? I am giving you my towel after all.

His only reply was to grunt, and he tossed her towel back to her. It wouldn’t change the state of his uniform now. But he did reach down to his boot, which he tugged off and poured out. Thankfully, there was no predatory fish present in the spill out. He had to yank at the second to get the waterlogged boot off, also fish free. ::

Valaine:  ::finally speaking again:: You put our daughter in that death trap. I’ll never forgive you!

But this sounded rather less permanent than the words implied. It was mostly his pride hurt, seeing as how he’d evaded the cunning predation of the gigantic shark. In fact he *knew* it wasn’t a death trap... despite how it felt to him upon his own entry. ::

Robins: ::roughly toweling her hair:: Oh shut up, or I'll push you back in there myself.

Chase stepped slightly further away from the edge in a hurry, a wary eye on her and her criminals-in-arms as he avoided them too... he knew she’d do it. Because she was *crazy.* To avoid them all, he roughly tapped his comm badge. ::

Valaine: Avandar, one to beam up!

As he was beaming up, he took that last moment of physical presence to set two fingers pointing to his altered blue eyes, then spinning his hand to point at the trio of troublemakers. Translation? “I’ll be watching you!” ::

Talya watched him go, her arms folding across her chest, and then she turned on the spot to her two accomplices. She was thinking - evil, mischievous thoughts...which quickly faded to something a little more honest.::

Robins: What do you think - two minutes fair running time?

Eerie: I think the engineer needs what you call ‘ a cooling off period’, If that is the correct term.

Blake: Yeah, I’d leave it for a few hours, Talya. Let him cool off . . .

Robins: ::shaking her head:: Not this time. ::turning to pick up Xena in the baby-carrier:: If you don't see me at the next staff meeting, send a search party. I have to go apologise now...

Blake: Or I find you myself . . . ::She muttered.::

Eerie wasn’t planning on any search parties, and if the actions at the pool were now over he was going to beam back up to the ship to get some work done. ::

JP by

Lt. Cmdr. Eerie CTO USS Avandar

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Lt Talya Robins Medical Officer USS Avandar

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Lt. Cmdr. Sky Blake Mission Specialist USS Avandar

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CWO Chase Valaine Engineer USS Avandar