<USS Avalon> "The Luncheon Club"

 The Luncheon Club 

*by Annabelle Chase, Joshua Garrity, Patrick McEntire and Sussanna Jameson*

Despite the fact that her head was pounding and every single noise made 
around her sent a jackhammer through her skull, Annabelle worked her shift 
with a small smile plastered on her face. She'd actually had to stop a 
couple of times to remind herself that it all hadn't been a dream. She 
really had gotten drunk with Anna, she really had gone to Josh's room, she 
and he really had made love, he really had stayed with her, and she really 
had...

Annabelle looked up suddenly. "Double wedding?" She blinked. "Oh shit." 

Wandering into Main Engineering, a small box tucked under her arm, Anna 
winced at the bright lights whilst trying to maintain a cheery attitude. *Here 
to see Mac, remember? Keep smiling!*

She spied him fiddling about and waved. "Brought lunch again," she said.

"Alright," Mac roared with a grin, swinging down from the catwalk. "Hold 
on," hitting his combadge he said with a grin, "Okay, kid, soup's on. Head 
back. Time to down and..in your case.. not eat again." Kissing Anna lightly 
upon the cheek, he asked, "What'd you bring me?"

Shrugging one shoulder, Anna offered him the box. "Sandwiches. Still not 
sure what you like so I made my favourite: ploughmans."

"Ploughmans?" Mac asked, having no clue what that would be. He peeked into 
the box curiously.

"Well, yeah," Anna said as if it were obvious. Unpacking two sandwiches, she 
handed one to him and kept one for herself. "Strong cheddar cheese with 
spiced chutney in malted granery rolls."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Annabelle suddenly replied from above them.

Mac shrugged. "What the hell," he laughed, "always said I'd try anything 
once." Tapping his combadge again, he asked. "Okay, Bean, where are you at?"

"Shuttle bay two," came the soft reply, with no indication he intended to 
break for lunch or anything else. Mac frowned. "Okay, ladies, let's take our 
lunch break aboard the Copernicus, shall we?"

Annabelle sighed as she made her way down to join the others. "I don't blame 
him for hiding. I'd hide from me too."

Mac looked at her oddly. "Things didn't go well last night?" he asked, 
frowning.

Slipping her arm around Annabelle's waist, Anna sighed. "Oh honey, I'm 
sorry."

Annabelle looked up at them both for a moment before her eyes went wide. 
"Huh? Oh! No!" She blushed. "Things were amazing last night." She blushed a 
little more. "I meant.. I just rememeber.. The whole wedding thing."

Anna grinned. "Yeah, the whole wedding thing. Wonderful, isn't it?" 

"Amazing, huh?" Mac grinned, then laughed. "Not bad for a first time. I 
can't say I was 'amazing' my first...but then..yeah. Anyway..." he laughed 
harder, then shook his head. "Did you talk about it anymore this morning?"

Annabelle shook her head. "I didn't remember that part this morning." 

Mac laughed even harder, putting an arm around her. "Can't say I'm 
surprised. You girls were pretty damned gone by the time we found you. Maybe 
that's why he was so amazing..."

Something about the previous night hit her and Anna blushed. "Oh God, in the 
corridor, we didn't, did we?" 

Mac laughed even louder then, nodding as he led them toward the shuttle bay. 
"Oh, yeah. Tried to, anyway. Right there in front of God and everybody."

"Oh baby, I'm sorry," Anna cringed, her cheeks flushing crimson.

"For what? I thought it was great. Poor Bean..." he shook his head, shaking 
with laughter. "I swear, it was priceless..."

"See!" Annabelle winced at her own voice. "I'd hide from us too." 

Mac gave Belle a quick hug and entered the bay, dragging both embarrassed 
women along. "Bean, you freaking twig, get out here. It's time to eat." 

"Suddenly I want the ground to swallow me whole," Anna whinged.

"Can I come with you?" Annabelle asked her friend as she rubbed her eyes 
with her hands.

Slowly, the ramp lowered so they could all come aboard, Josh's way of 
telling them he wasn't done or coming out.

"Hell yeah, misery loves company after all." Anna eyed the ramp warily, 
looking up at Mac as if to question the reason she was there. 

Linking arms tightly with both of them, Mac laughed and nearly ran up the 
ramp, pulling them along in tow.

"Nonono, you know what happened the last time I came in here. We are not 
going through that fiasco again." Stuffing the box into Mac's hands, Anna 
tried to leave. "No way, not again."

Grabbing Anna's arm, Annabelle stopped her cold. "Oh no you don't. We're a 
matched set the four of us."

Mac continued foward without letting go, helping Belle pull Anna along 
whether she wanted to join him or not, then closing the ramp after them all. 
"Honey," he called out, trying to stop laughing, "We're home!"

Annabelle looked over at Anna and hissed. "Make yours stop yelling."

"Not matched, not home and certainly not a set. Can only be a set when all 
parties like each other." *And that boy hates me*, Anna thought as she tried 
to back away again. "He'll beam us all out and, knowing my luck, into the 
brig."

"Hell, he drank with you, didn't he? Brought you into his home...let you sit 
on his floor...he doesn't hate you!" Mac laughed. "Stop being paranoid and 
move..." he said, pushing her forward.

"He's right," a quiet voice said from somewhere off to the left of the 
entryway. "I don't..."

Anna jumped out of her skin, letting out a tiny yelp. "You have every right 
to," she muttered, not looking him in the eyes. 

Josh just shook his head, as if that made no sense to him at all, gesturing 
to the open area near the pilot's chair for them to sit.

Annabelle walked over to Josh as soon as he appeared. She kissed him softly 
and smiled before taking his hand. "You need to eat."

He drew back slightly, gesturing toward the sensor console he was still 
reconfiguring. "This first...." he answered only just audibly.

"Five mintues." Annabelle said firmly before letting go of his hand and 
walking over to the others.

Curling her knees up under her, Anna gazed around the shuttle. "It's looking 
good," she whispered to Mac.

Mac grinned, watching Belle and Josh. "Yep. It sure is."

"You really love that boy, don't you Mac?" Anna said. 

"Geez, make it sound like..." Mac shook his head, then laughed. "Yeah, I 
guess I do." He shook his head," Not guess. I do. We've pulled each other 
through a lot of hell already, just since meeting up. He's more than just my 
best friend out here, he's family." He watched a moment longer then added. " 
'Bout damn time he got a chance to be happy." 

Annabelle watched Josh as he worked. She wasn't surprised he'd pulled away 
from him. She couldn't have been any more pushy last night.

Finishing up quickly, Josh turned back to Belle and placed his hand again in 
hers, looking her in the eye as if daring her to continue along the train of 
thought she'd begun.

"I wish I understood," Anna said as she watched Mac watch Josh. "I honestly 
do."

"Stick around, sweetness," Mac said, placing an arm around her and drawing 
her closer to him. "You will."

"You had a fourty-sex seconds lift." Annabelle teased as she leaned into 
Josh. She was a little taken aback at the look he'd given her, for a moment 
it felt as if he'd known what she'd been thinking.

"You have amazing friends Mac." Sighing, Anna leaned into him, wishing she 
could say the same.

"They're your friends too, sweetness, in case you missed it," Mac answered 
softly, looking at her. "He wouldn't have lowered the hatch if he thought 
otherwise. And she wouldn't helped drag you aboard. Now relax, will you." he 
added with a grin, opening the lunch box. "Time to eat 
these..interesting...sandwiches....you brought."

Josh blushed then headed for the replicator for coffee, indicating once 
again that she should make herself comfortable.

"There's nothing wrong with them," Anna said with a little affront. "Try 
one, they're nice." Taking a large bite out of hers, Anna dared Mac to try 
his. 

"Yeah Mac try it." Annabelle teased. 

Mac laughed and gamely took a big bite of his as well, then looked 
surprised. "Actually," he told Belle as he took another, "it's not too bad. 
Here...try some," he held his out so that she could taste it.

Taking a bite of Mac's sandwich, Annabelle smiled. "That is pretty good." 
She replied and then reached for one of her own. "Josh, order more then just 
coffee, you didn't have any breakfast."

Josh paused, sighing, then glanced back at who all was there. Shaking his 
head, he ordered something he thought might make Anna smile, at least a 
little. He returned with a plate of cheeses, each carefully separated, a 
plate of fruit, peeled and slice, a plate of vegetables, and a plate upon 
which sat one roll. Setting them down between them all, he joined them, 
cross-legged on the floor, and sipped his coffee quietly. 

Annabelle smiled. "Thank you."

Josh nodded slightly, nudging the plates closer to Anna and Belle and 
frowning slightly at what they were all eating. How could they eat that?

"You know, you've got the makings of a Ploughmans all on your own there, 
Sport," Anna said with a grin as she polished off her sandwich.

He looked at her, his brows darting up behind dark curls and shook his head, 
looking down at the plates before them as if encouraging her to note that 
even the plates themselves didn't touch, let alone their contents.

"You know," Anna said wistfully, "you get whole platters of it at home. 
Mounds of cheese, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, coleslaw and the chutney 
comes in a little pot all of its own."

Josh offered her the roll, and indicated she should take whatever she liked 
from the plates, picking up a piece of cheese to nibble on himself.

"Such a nibbler," Annabelle teased before blushing at the image that turned 
up.

"Err, thanks, but it's yours." Anna cocked her head to the side, trying to 
make him out. *Strange one, aren't you sport*, she thought.

He blushed slightly as he shot a glance toward Annabelle, then gave the 
slightest shake of his head toward Anna. Not that strange, he thought, 
sighing. At least he'd never thougth so. 

Recognizing what Josh was doing, though remembering Josh himself never did, 
Mac laughed. "So how you feeling today, kid? Little more comfortable with 
the skin your in and the crowd your surrounded with, I see?" 

Josh looked at him, his expression lost. What did that mean?

Blushing furiously, Anna nudged Mac in the ribs hard. "Leave him alone," she 
muttered out of the side of her mouth.

Mac laughed harder. "Actually, kid, we were hoping to rekindle a bit of 
conversation from last night if you're up to it, weren't we girls?"

Eyes very wide, Anna mouthed, "Don't you dare!" 

"Mac!" Annabelle pleaded in a single word. 

Josh looked at them all confused. What were they talking about?

"Remember last night, when we were talking about Me and Anna getting 
hitched?" Mac prompted, enjoying this way too much.

Annabelle looked over at Anna. "Kiss him, hit him, just shut him up."

Anna elbowed him again even harder. "You git, I thought you were talking 
about another part of... that is... YES! Getting hitched, lovely, 
wonderful." Beaming at Belle, Anna shook her head.

Josh nodded. He remembered. Abruptly, it hit him what the girls were trying 
not to let him say. Josh blushed brightly.

Mac laughed louder still, "Yes, well, there is still that, too, isn't 
there," he winked at Anna.

At the sight of Josh's blush, Annabelle's cheeks and the tips of her ears 
turned bright red.

"Don't you dare, just don't go there, or you will regret it, Patrick 
McEntire, I swear." Leaning in close, she whispered, "Please."

"Well, I have to admit to a bit of curiousity," he whispered back, "seeing 
as he was 'amazing' right out of the shoot, you know." He winked.

Anna almost cried with embarrassment. "Baby," she pleaded, "don't." To 
everyone else, she said, "So... weddings?"

Josh looked at her blankly. Weddings? He shook his head as if to indicate he 
didn't understand.

"Yeah, okay, we'll let the girls compare notes on their own with that one," 
Mac laughed then let it go. "Seriously, Bean. What are you feelings on 
weddings?"

Again, Josh looked at them blankly. He'd heard the word before but had no 
real concept what it meant.

"Roses and lillies, swans and doves," Anna said, going misty eyed. "Standing 
there with the person you love, swearing you'll love them for the rest of 
your life, just them and no one else." Anna looked at Mac out the side of 
her eye and smiled to herself. 

Josh looked at her, confused. Had they not already sworn just that to one 
another?

Seeing his look, Anna grinned broader. "It's more for everyone else than for 
you two. It's so they can see how much you mean to each other. For their own 
gratification more than anything else."

Josh considered that and it seemed as if a thousand questions sprang to mind 
at once and yet he simply sat back and shook his head, more confused. 

"It's a ritural." Annabelle added.

"What's got you lost, kid?" Mac asked gently, smiling. He could see the 
questions there in his eyes, but knew Bean well enough to know that they'd 
never be voiced without a little prodding.

"Sport, you never heard of marriage?" Anna said. 

Josh shook his head slightly, then shrugged, trying to sort it out for 
himself.

"What do you want to know?"

He looked from Annabelle, to Mac and Anna, trying hard to formulate the 
questions into words. At last he settled for the first word that kept coming 
to him. "Why?"

"Because it's a way to show and share the feelings that we..er.. they.. have 
for each other," Annabelle answered.

"Commitment, love, proof that you want to spend the rest of your life with 
someone," Anna shrugged and looked at Mac. "Why?" 

"Because sometimes just saying something between the two of us isn't enough. 
When it's news this good, you want to share it with all of your friends and 
family. So you plan this celebration of your love, where you share your vows 
with them as well." He grinned. "It sort of puts the rest of the world on 
notice that I'm hers and she's mine, and nothing will ever come between us, 
so they better not try it."

Josh thought about it, then nodded. That made sense. Sort of. He supposed.

"Haven't you ever been to a wedding, Josh?" Annabelle asked with an odd 
face. She could have sworn he'd gone to one while they were at the academy. 
"Captain Hale's?"

Josh shook his head. He'd been invited to Captain Hale's, but hadn't gone.

"Oh," Annabelle replied. The more she thought about it the more she 
remembered that by the end of the academy the two really didn't talk. "I 
guess you didn't."

"Too many people," Josh clarified quietly, "...wasn't safe...."

"Who's Captain Hale?" Anna whispered to Mac.

"He's the one got him and his brother out of the mines," Mac answered 
quietly. "Smuggled meds and shit in to them 'til he got them out, then 
smuggled them out first chance he got."

"Oh," was all Anna could think to say. The whole idea of Josh's childhood 
was daunting to her still, especially since she'd seen the simulations. 
"Have you met him?"

Mac nodded. "Yeah, once. Him and his wife. Good people." He didn't elaborate 
then, knowing what a touchy subject it had become for the kid.

"They sound it," Anna said as she curled closer into Mac. 

"We could show him on the holodeck," Annabelle said. "Ya know a prerun 
through for you two." 

Mac grinned. "You mean for us four," then laughed at Josh's lost expression. 


Annabelle's eyes grew huge as she blushed again. "Mac," she hissed. 

Anna elbowed him for the third time. "Stop it, Mac, leave the poor boy 
alone."

"We'll head over after shift," he grinned, standing. "Which we better get 
back to." He nodded toward Josh, still grinning. "Finish eating, man. We'll 
see you at holodeck three after." 

Josh looked at them all, lost and even more confused, and finally nodded his 
head. Okay, he thought. If it would answe his questions, he supposed...

Annabelle kissed him, then whispered while leaning in, "I'm so sorry about 
all of that." Then she kissed him again before getting to her feet.

Dragging Mac by the hand, Anna guided him to the exit. "Please don't tease 
him, Mac."

"Why not?" Mac laughed, kissing her quickly. "It's so much fun sometimes." 
He winked, then added. "Besides...who's teasing?" 

"Don't push so hard then, you'll make it harder for them." Anna practically 
ran down the ramp.

"You'll come won't you?" Annabelle asked before reaching the ramp.

Josh caught Annabelle's hand once the other's were out of sight. Drawing her 
back to him, he asked her quietly, "Is it..important...to you, I mean?"

Annabelle smiled as she felt Josh drewing her close to him. She nodded a 
little. "Yeah, I guess it is." She blushed. 

Josh nodded, blushing slightly as well. "I'll be there," he reassured her 
then, kissing her lightly upon the lips. He turned from her then, gathering 
up the nearly full plates to take them to the reclamation unit.

With a smile on her face Annabelle nodded and then ran to catch up with the 
others.

Mac laughed when he saw her come running down the ramp, a cheesy smile upon 
her face. "Whoa! What'd we miss?" he asked merrily.

"Nothing." Annabelle replied. "Come on you thick headed lug. We got work to 
finish and Anna's got people to drug."

"I do not drug people!" Anna glanced at Mac's still beaming face. "Well... 
for him I might make an exception." 

Mac laughed happily as he led them out, one on each arm, looking forward to 
the possibilities that seemed to be presenting themselves for all of them.

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