Dinner

[Annabelle O'Halloran 0]

Anna reached her quarters with only fifteen minutes to spare before Will was due to arrive for dinner. She was calling herself six different kinds of an idiot for not saying they should meet in one of the lounges or the mess when she heard a squawk she was becoming very familiar with. Sitting right by his cage door and bobbing his head was her new roommate, still unnamed, and looking desperate to be released.

 

"Hey there, sweetheart, who's a handsome boy? That's right, you are. What a pretty baby," Anna crooned to him, releasing the very secure door latch. The pet storeowner had been adamant that this bird was good at releasing locks and so his cage had a latch on it that supposedly could defeat a clever primate. She grinned as a couple pounds of parrot stepped onto her outstretched arm and climbed to her shoulder.

 

Will had picked out a nice sport shirt and slacks. Nothing too fancy but nice and comfortable. He smiled as he replicated another little gift for Anna. He had taken a shower and cleaned up nicely. He looked at himself in the mirror once before departing his quarters.

 

"I have to get changed. Will's coming over. You remember Will? You should; you bit him and he didn't bite back." Anna set the bird on the perch in the bedroom. It was made of something supposedly indestructible and hopefully would fare better than her couch had. She went to the closet and grabbed a blue tunic and slim fitting trousers, changing quickly. She pulled her hair out of its usual headband and let it fall loose to her shoulders and then ran a brush through it. She gave a little grimace to the mirror and then looked at the bird. "No time, hon, no time." She offered him her arm again and transported him back to the living area. The sight of her half destroyed couch made her sigh and she tossed the afghan made by her grandmother over the wrecked half. "I should have said the lounge, I really should have," she muttered.

 

Will made his way to Anna's quarters. He straightened his clothes and pushed the chime on Anna's door and raised his hand with his latest little gift: A yellow rose.

 

Feeling just a little harried, Anna called 'enter' and gave the cockatoo a warning look before walking to the door, and then realized she hadn't given dinner much thought. She bit back something she'd been taught a lady didn't say out loud and managed a smile that warmed into something genuine as the door slid back to reveal Will. Holding a yellow rose. And looking very nice. "Will, right on time!" She even managed to make that sound like a good thing.

 

Will gave her a quick once over and his smile was warm and soft. There didn't seem to be any real mischief behind it...yet. "You look lovely tonight Anna. I went through the database and the computer told me that one of the primary meanings of the yellow rose is friendship. May I come in?"

 

"it is?" Anna looked a little puzzled as she took the rose and then stepped back, gesturing for him to come in, as she answered with a smile, "Of course, please do. I just got in a little bit ago so things are a little messy, but I know you understand about not wanting to leave the bird alone too much just yet."

 

Will chuckled a bit but kept a respectful distance from the bird. "Oh yes I understand indeed." Will looked around, "So what are we doing for dinner?"

 

"Well, ok, the thing is, I meant to get back here in time to actually have something ready for when you got here. But I didn't. I lost all track of time and now I'm wondering if you wouldn't mind just having something from the replicator?" Anna looked once again at the rose in her hand. Yellow means friendship? She looked back to Will, her smile bright but her eyes a little worried. "I'm sorry, this just turned out to be a busy day."

 

Will smiled, "Well, the company is good so I'm sure the food will be fine." He sees her confusion and goes to the replicator. "So, what would you like Anna?"

 

Embarrassed, she followed him over. "Will, I can do that. You tell me what you want. Do you want to start with a salad? There's a great beet one on file and what do you want to drink?"

 

Will stepped aside, "The salad sounds fine and I'll take a sweet tea. Thank you."

 

Feeling more relaxed, Anna waved him towards the living area, setting the rose on the counter of the tiny kitchen. She had to put it in water. "Sweet tea. it is." That was served cold, she remembered, having had it once before. "Sweet tea," she told the replicator, and then took the frosty glass over to Will. "Beet salad is really good with fish stew. Would you like to try that? It's kind of spicy. I brought the program from home."

 

Will accepted the glass, "Spicy fish stew sound great." Will took a seat and watched as Anna busied herself with the food.

 

She glanced at him over the breakfast bar that sat two, and smiled as she put the rose, now in a slender glass vase, on the counter. "You looked up what different flowers mean?"

 

Will nodded thoughtfully, "Well I just wanted to express myself clearly with you. The globe I bought you was perfect because it was a nice way of saying how beautiful and vibrant I find you." He gestures to the rose, "The yellow rose expresses friendship because you are my good friend right now."

 

She felt a blush start, the warm flush moving its way up her neck. "You're very generous, Will, and I want to say thank you again for the globe--it's beautiful and you've paid me a wonderful compliment along with it." She turned away and requested the salads from the replicator. She brought them over to the small dining table and then grabbed cutlery and napkins.

 

She looked over at Will sitting on the couch and smiled, glad he couldn't see the wrecked part. "Please, come join me." She really wished she'd gotten around to getting candles. She'd spent no time decorating since moving in. Unfortunately, it showed.

 

Will stood up and followed Anna over to the table. He smiled at the salad and went to her seat and pulled it out for her. "Ladies first."

 

She gave him a smile over her shoulder as she took the seat he held for her. "Thank you." She shook her napkin out and laid it over her lap as he went around the table and took the seat across from her. "Did you have a busy day today?"

 

Will shrugs as he picks up his fork, "Not too bad, just running errands for Angel while he went to some senior staff meeting." He looked at Anna, "I assume that you went to said meeting as well. New mission coming up?"

 

Stabbing a pickled beet, Anna paused, nodding, her eyes on Will's. "Something strange was picked up on scans. A repeating signal coming from an area where there's...nothing. It seems to be a fragmented data packet transmission--it's Federation, but not much else is known about it." Anna took a bite of the beet and chewed it before adding, "I think of you as a good friend, too."

 

Will mulled that over for a moment before smiling again, "One thing my father always told me when it came to women, 'Will, never ask more of a woman than she is willing to give.'" Will reached over and touched Anna's hand. "I am your friend. If that is all we are than I will count myself fortunate. If it becomes more than that then I will count myself blessed." He smiled gently.

 

"Your father sure has a lot good advice, Will," Anna said, after a moment, very aware of the warmth of his touch. She smiled shyly, and then stood. "I'll get the stew."

 

He released her hand and watched her move to get the stew. He took a few bites of his salad, his eyes never leaving her as she moved. Will smiled at how graceful she was.

 

Calling up the stew and the crusty sour dough rolls that went with it took no time. She glanced over to look at Will and blushed to find him watching her. He must think she was backward or something, she thought, as she carried two bowls of the hot stew to the table. "Go ahead and try some. It's a family recipe and may be something of an acquired taste. It won't hurt my feelings in the least if you don't like it and I can easily make something else." She squeezed his shoulder lightly as she headed back to get the bread and butter. "I can always make you a peanut butter sandwich," she tossed back over her shoulder, thinking of the lunch they'd shared in the holodeck while exploring his Big Bear program.

 

Will nodded, "Thank you Anna." Will waited for Anna to be seated once more before trying a bite of the stew. He tasted it slowly and thoughtfully, discerning the different tastes and smiling, "Actually its very good." He looks thoughtfully at her, "Salmon?"

 

"There is salmon in there. Very good!" She smiled and dipped her own spoon in. "It's peppery and that can mask the flavor." She picked up her glass of water and took a sip, fighting a little battle with herself before she put the glass down with a sharp clicking sound. "I think there's something I should tell you about myself, Will."

 

Will's brows rose slightly as she set her glass down with a little more force than necessary, "Please do."

 

She sat back and eyed him across the table, momentarily distracted by his eyes. They really were a pretty shade of green, she thought, and they were so intent on her. She liked how he watched her when she spoke, it was as if-- Oh for heaven's sake! She looked at him thoughtfully, and then decided to just plunge in and be straightforward. "My upbringing was a little different than most everyone's I encountered at the Academy and I soon came to realize that it was a little unusual by normal standards. In my family...well, culture really, we enter into bond agreements when still very young. Our families arrange them and we grow up knowing who our bond mate will be and then in due course we go through the ceremony, very like what you think of as marriage. I had every expectation that I would go through the same thing, but in the end...I chose Starfleet for a variety of reasons and left my family and my Promised behind." Anna shifted uncomfortably in her seat, continuing, "Anyway, I went to the Academy and had to work my butt off to maintain grades high enough to do well enough to make the cut. I never made time for anything extracurricular and when the subject came up and someone was interested I never let it go anywhere." She leaned back in her seat. "I must sound like an idiot."

 

Will sighed patiently, "You are not an idiot for wanting your life to be your own Anna. And you never sound like an idiot when talking to me." Will sat back and thought for a moment, "It's not really my business, but do you plan to go back to your family and the one you were promised to?"

 

"No!" Anna stated vehemently. "That is, no, I have no intention of returning to him, the one I was promised to, or of taking up my designated role in the community. I would love to be able to be accepted by them for what I've become," she added wistfully, "but that seems a rather vain hope as things stand now." She looked down at the roll she'd torn to shreds, and then smiled at Will, her eyes starting to sparkle a bit. "I bet you're really glad you came to dinner."

 

His smile grew and he rested his chin on his hand, "I am VERY glad that I came for dinner." Will thought for a moment and stood up. He winked at her and went over to the computer. Anna couldn't see what he was doing though as he was deliberately blocking her view with his body.

 

"I'm glad," she smiled, suddenly very happy herself that he was here. She watched him, wondering what he was up to. Will was full of surprises and he had a way of making her feel just a little off balance, something she was not used to at all. "Uh, Will...what are you doing?"

 

Will merely smiled over his shoulder at her and winked before going back to what he was doing. A moment later some soft music came up. Will offered his hand to her, "May I have this dance?"

 

Anna set her napkin on the table and took his hand, allowing him to draw her out of the chair and into his arms "You really do have a way of disconcerting me," she murmured.

 

He takes her into his arms and holds her close but not stifling her. "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable." He whispered in her ear.

 

"It does," she whispered back, and then turned her head back to meet his eyes, still whispering, "I don't think you're sorry at all." She didn't sound like she minded.

 

She saw that twinkle in his eyes and smile of mischief surfaced again, "You might be right, but right now I am probably one of the happiest unmarried men on this ship since I'm here with you." Will cleared a stray strand of hair out of her face before running his fingers through her hair once as they continued to dance.

 

His touch was very gentle and Anna tightened her fingers on his shoulder in response. "I'm happy, too."

 

Will being one to go for what he wants slowly moves in with his lips parting slightly.

 

Anna realized his intention and smiled softly, angling her head to meet him.

 

He slowly closed the distance between wishing to enjoy the moment for as long as possible. With only a few scant centimeters left, Will moves forward...

 

..but just before they can make comment, a screeching sound comes from the bird cage and Will ducks his head a bit as the bird does a couple of flybys over his head.

 

The bird then proceeds to return to his original post on his cage.

 

The moment shattered, Anna watched in disbelief as the bird resettled himself and went back to quietly preening as he'd done throughout their meal. Excitedly, she stepped back, meeting Will's gaze. "He's never flown like that before! The storeowner said he wasn't a good flyer!" She beamed over at the cage, saying proudly, "That guy didn't know what he was talking about!"

 

Will laughed, "I guess it was just a matter of motivation." Will checked the time, "And I think that is my cue to leave." Will began to walk to the door.

 

"I think I just need to work with him on his timing," Anna chuckled, following him to the door.

 

The door opened and Will turned before he left, "I had a wonderful time tonight Anna. I hope we can do this again soon." Will looks over at the bird. "My quarters perhaps next time?"

 

Anna followed his glance and then turned back to face him, her eyes alight with amusement. "You pilots are supposed to have nerves of steel but I take your point. Next time, it's your pick."

 

Will nodded, "Deal and maybe next time I'll have a red rose ready for you." He winked at her and after a quick glance at the bird; he gave Anna a quick peck on the cheek before stepping out the door before the bird can respond.

 

She smiled at the wink but raised an eyebrow. She knew what a red rose meant. She turned away from the closed door and eyed the bird from across the room. "Nice timing. Keep this up and you may never get out of that cage again."