<USS Avalon> "Our Guys"

"Our Guys"
Anna Jameson and Annabelle Chase. 

Coldness clung to her as Anna wandered up to the Lounge and the doors swished 
open. Very few tables had occupants but Anna didn't really care. She just 
wanted the general company of a crowd, however small. Sitting at a table alone, 
she ordered a latte and leaned back, tiredness dragged at her eyes. 

It had been a long shift for Annabelle. Maybe it was because she knew she'd 
soon be working Gamma, or perhaps it was because she couldn't keep her mind on 
her work. Her time with Josh kept playing over and over in her mind. The way it 
felt when he kissed her, the way she felt when he admitted to loving her, she 
was honestly afraid that it had all been a dream. 

She'd wanted to go to the boys' cabin, but knew they'd already be on shift, so 
instead Annabelle headed for the lounge to grab a quick bit before trying to 
sleep. Walking in, she scanned the room and then smiled at the sight of Anna. 
She stopped at the bar and placed her order before making her way to Anna's 
table. "Hey there."

Anna blinked and then looked up. Smiling, she waved Annabelle to a seat. "You 
look tired." With a small grin, Anna added, "Know the feeling."

"Long shift, but it was my last day on Beta, which means I now have to adjust 
to working Gamma." Annabelle replied as she slipped into the chair across from 
Anna. "Hey, I didn't get the chance before to say congrats on the promo."

"Thanks." Sipping her coffee, Anna tried not to grin again. "It was kind of a 
surprise, I have to say. Means more responsibility though."

Annabelle smiled and nodded slightly. "You'll be great. I mean if you can 
handle being friends with my guys, then you'll have no issues with heading a 
department." A light laugh escaped from the back of Annabelle's throat just as 
the waiter placed a plate of chipped beef over toast and a glass of cranberry 
juice down in front of her. 

Nodding, Anna tried not to blush at the thought of Annabelle's 'guys.' "You've 
known them a long time, haven't you?" 

"Josh and I were in the same class at the academy, plus we had the same major 
so we shared a lot of actual classes." It wasn't like the chipped beef her 
mother made, but it would do. She hated eating heavy before sleeping. "Mac was 
ahead of us as far as class went. Back then I knew of him rather then knowing 
him personally. He was the cat's meow back then. Typical hottie jock type."

"A lot like now, I guess. How well do you know him? Mac that is." Anna wasn't 
sure how much the other woman knew of their relationship. "Did he tell you 
about me?" 

Annabelle smiled. She was familiar with the look in Anna's eyes. It was the 
look of a woman trying like hell to figure out her man. "No, back then it was 
all about scoring. Even now with those others, it's not about anything real. 
What's real is the way he lights up when he talks about you or when you walk 
into a room."

"He does?" Anna smiled to herself, flashes of how Mac held her or kissed her 
danced through her mind. "He's the sweetest man I know. Well, with exception of 
your Josh that is."

Annabelle smiled. "I think I can feel him blushing from here." She laughed 
lightly again. "I've always thought that whoever finally landed him was going 
to be one lucky girl. He's got this huge heart that he's kept protected for the 
most part."

"You're one smitten kitten, aren't you? I know the feeling." Anna laughed. "Mac 
is funny and interesting and charming. I think I'm falling for him," she 
admitted.

This time Annabelle blushed. "I had a crush on him back at the academy. Well, 
it started out as a crush. The more time I spent with him the more it seemed I 
was falling for him. I never thought I'd ever have a chance with him, with him 
being all shy and withdrawn the way he is. That's why I had to go to such 
measures to get his attention when I got here."

"Yeah, Mac told me about that." Giggling, Anna finished her coffee. "You're 
nothing if not persistent." Narrowing her eyes, something suddenly occurred to 
her. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Annabelle just nodded and suddenly found her glass of juice interesting.

"Annabelle? What's wrong?"

"I asked him to love me the way I loved him and he said he did." She replied 
softly. "But he also said he's to afraid of losing me to have me."

Blowing out a sympathetic voice, Anna played with the edge of her empty cup, 
thinking. "Be patient. The Sport is still hurting, let him finish grieving and 
he'll realize how much he can't live without you. Trust me," she grinned, "I'm 
a doctor." 

Annabelle wanted to believe her. "What if this plan of his doesn't work? What 
if he gets caught in the damn worm hole or one of the charges blow him up?" 
Sighing Annabelle just shook her head. "Things are going to be easier with you 
and Mac."

"Are you joking?" Laughing loudly, the only reason she didn't cry was that it 
was public. "I only found out about his 'kittens' yesterday. They scare me." 
Realizing how weak she sounded, she stared down at the table and tried to 
clarify. "They said that I would never be able to satisfy him on my own. I 
trust him, I do, it's just that if he's used to having more than one woman, how 
could he ever be happy with just me?" 

"First off, if your talking about the four I think you are. They're the ones 
who should be insecure. I mean it takes four of them to get done what one real 
woman could do. If they came to you then they think you must be some kind of 
threat." Annabelle smiled a little. "Second, he'll be happy with you because 
your more then just mindless sex with him. He cares about you and then means so 
much more."

Uncertainty still shadowed her eyes. "I'm scared. I won't be enough for him. As 
much as he wants me to be, I'm not as wonderful as he thinks I am. He'll find 
out and then hate me for it." Her voice cracked finally. "I don't want to lose 
him. I'm in love with him." She realized what she'd said and instantly 
regretted it. "Don't tell him! Please."

"I won't tell him. I wouldn't take that moment away from anyone let alone a 
friend." Annabelle reassured. "But your wrong about not being enough for him, 
and ain't none of us perfect, hun. Mac's got just as many flaws as anyone else. 
He could never hate you for not being perfect, cause he'd never expect you to 
be."

"It's all happening so fast. I won't allow myself to trust until I know for 
sure. You know what I mean?" Anna searched her friend's face for confirmation.

Annabelle nodded. "I do. It sorta feels like your waiting for the other shoe to 
drop and conk you on the head."

Smiling, Anna nodded. "That's the one. Like it's too good to be true. I don't 
know, maybe he'll just get over it. Be easier that way. I've not exactly got 
the greatest of track records." Glancing up, she caught Annabelle's eyes. 
"Sorry, I'm being a depressing muppet. Let's talk about something else, okay?" 

"Your not being a depressing muppet. I don't think muppets do depressing, but 
Ok change of subject." Annabelle had to think quick and came up with the latest 
bit of scuttlebutt. "So what's with all the pregnancies all of a sudden? Did 
the birth control hypos go bad?"

The grin that spread across Anna's face reflected her relief. "Tell me about 
it, you'd think they'd remember to take their injections, wouldn't you?" 
Rolling her eyes, Anna said, "Wouldn't mind, but I'm not all that fond of 
babies." She winked.

"Really? Can't say I want one right now but someday." A dreamy faraway look 
clouded Annabelle's eyes. "Josh'll make such beautiful babies." When she 
realized what she'd said Annabelle blushed and then laughed. "Ok that confirms 
it. It's hopeless."

"Yep, you're smitten. Gone completely." Chuckling, Anna offered her friend 
another drink. "How good a father do you think he'd be? Josh that is."

Annabelle's mind quickly flashed back to the academy again, and the memory made 
her smile. "You'd be surprised, but he's really good with babies. The Commodore 
asked us to watch one of hers once. Josh didn't want to do it of course but I 
was always getting us into stuff, especially with her cause she understood 
Josh's standoffishness. He was so gentle with the baby, sang to her, feed her, 
spoke to her in his language. The kid didn't cry once the whole three hours we 
had her." A devilish smile then danced across her lips. "Mac'll be great too if 
you ever change your mind. With all his little brothers and sisters he's got 
the practice in."

Anna cringed. "Oh God, he's from a huge family, isn't he? All those people. 
Have you met them?" 

"You don't exactly meet the McEntires.. It's more like you... experience them."

"Oh?" Anna winced. 

Annabelle laughed. "Don't look so stricken, Anna. They're a great bunch. Even 
took in Josh as one of their own. They'll love you. Especially once they see 
your not one to take Mac's shit."

"I'm an only child. I've never been with anyone with a large family. I've never 
been in the kind of a relationship that would lead to meeting his parents." A 
terrible thought struck her. "Is he going to want to meet my father?"

"Only if you want him too." Annabelle went back to being reassuring. "He'd 
never do anything that made you uncomfortable."

"I know," Anna smiled shyly. "He's a really lovely guy, isn't he?"

Annabelle smiled brightly. "Second only to my guy."

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