The Next Level

[Annabelle O'Halloran 0]

As they entered her quarters, Will chuckled as he and Anna kissed and nipped teasingly at each other. He let Anna go and stepped back a little to drink in her beauty, his smile widening as she walked around his quarters. He loved how she moved in the cocktail dress that she'd worn to the anniversary party earlier in the evening. He wanted nothing more than to unwrap that dress and once more experience the treasures that lie underneath but instead, he took a deep breath and spoke, "Anna, before anything more happens, I have a small proposal for you. I think that it is time to..."

 

"Oh, Will, I do, too!" Anna exclaimed, interrupting him.  She'd been kicking off her high heels, but excited and sure she knew what he was going to say, rushed across the room to him, stumbling because one shoe was still on, and ended up flinging herself at him, winding her arms around his neck to keep herself from falling.  Her eyes sparkling with excitement, she kissed him enthusiastically, not even allowing him to speak before she breathlessly said, "I know it hasn't been that long, but all this back and forth, down one deck and over four corridors, and worrying about Chauncey--yes, sweetheart, I think we should combine our quarters."  Loving that they'd both been thinking the same thing, she kissed him again, thinking it was almost like they could read each other's mind.

 

As Anna kissed Will, his mind raced furiously. He remembered a piece of advice that his Dad once told him:

 

~Flashback~

 

Young William watched his father and mother who were talking. After his Mom left, Jared waved Will over, picked him up and put Will on his lap. "Son," Jared spoke slowly, "we're going for a picnic today."

 

Will tilted his head with confusion, "I thought ya said that we was goin' flyin' today, Dad."

 

Jared nodded, "Yes son, I know, but your mother was under the impression that today's little family day was going to be spent out on the lake."

 

Will frowned, "Well, why didn't ya jus' tell her we was goin' flyin' today?"

 

Jared smiled slightly. "Son, let me give you a little piece of advice that you might find useful someday. Are you listening?" Will nodded and listened intently. He loved hearing his father's little pearls of wisdom. When Jared saw that he was listening, he spoke again. "When a woman agrees with you, agree with her because it will make her happy. In this case, we'll go to the lake today and we'll go flying next weekend. It'll make Mom happy. You want Mom to be happy, right?"

 

Will smiled and nodded, "Yes Daddy." Jared kissed Will on the forehead and then set him down to get ready.

 

~End Flashback~

 

As their kiss ended, Will ran his fingers through her hair, his confident grin restored when he looked her in the eyes, "Yeah, you're right. Combining quarters would be a wonderful idea." He sat on the couch and patted his lap. When she sat on his lap, he smiled up at her, "I was curious on who should move? You? Me? Requisition bigger quarters? What do you think?" As she began to respond, Will thought to himself, Thanks Dad. Once more his father had come to his rescue at a critical moment.

 

Anna wreathed her arms around his neck and leaned into him.  "I've been thinking we should try to requisition new quarters.  It would be perfect if we could get a configuration that includes one smaller room besides the main bedroom.  That could be Chauncey's room.  If he has his own space there's less chance of him destroying the furniture in the other rooms.  He's ruined my couch."  She looked silently around the room, happily imagining how it would be to not have to go back and forth between two places anymore.  How all their stuff would be in one place and how much easier it would be.

 

Will looked at the couch and nodded, "Yeah I see that." He inspected the damage for a moment before settling his gaze on the light of his life once more, "All right I'll put the requisition in to the XO when I go on duty next." His hands circled around her hips, "It would be nice to know that I'd be coming home to you every night. It would make the more boring days on duty more bearable." His eyes wandered off for a moment as if recalling a pleasant memory before returning to her once more. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'd do it again and again and again."

 

Anna smiled impishly and bent her head so that their foreheads were touching.  "I'll remember this conversation and remind you of it the day you reach a breaking point and demand of the Universe at large, just exactly what it was you did to deserve me."

 

Will caught her gaze and held it with is own. "Yes, I'm sure you will as I am sure that I will have to remind you of it as well, when our kids are screaming at Mom for everything from having dinner ready to new toys," he replied as he ran a finger down her cheek.

 

She mentally raised an eyebrow at the 'children', not having given much thought to the idea of having a child, let alone having plural of them.  If she'd stayed on Kilo with Colum, no doubt she'd have already had her first by now, and since she'd left, she'd put the idea of a family squarely behind her.  Apparently, Will had been giving it some thought.  She gave him a faintly suspicious look wondering what else he was planning, but then turned and gave his finger a kiss before slanting him a bold grin.

 

"I don't worry about them screaming at me, William," she told him airily. "They'll be very bright children who'll want to stay on their mother's good, sweet side.  It's their da who'll hear the screaming, what with me working late in the lab.  I'll come home to find them all tuckered out from driving you crazy." 

 

"Oh, thanks a lot." He replied drolly, but smiled again at a thought. "Well, the good news is that when they drive us both to the point of insanity, we can send them to Grandma and Grandpa on Earth. Of course..." His fingers brushed her neck suggestively, "Time to ourselves might lead to more children." He chuckled as he let his hand move to her shoulder.

 

"Well, we're by ourselves right now, and I can assure you it is not going to lead to any children for the foreseeable future," she answered lightly.  "However, I see no reason why we shouldn't practice in the meantime."  With that, she gently held the side of his jaw as she bent her head to kiss him deeply.  Will didn't realize it, but when he talked about his own parents as grandparents, she felt all too keenly, that any children she might one day have, wouldn't enjoy the benefit if knowing their maternal grandparents.

 

After he kissed her, he looked at the sadness in her eyes, "Hey what's wrong? Something I said?" Though her face was smiling, he could see that something had upset her.

 

"No, of course not," she hastened to reassure him.  "It's just...all this talk of children, well, I know it's hypothetical, of course, but it reminds me that I won't have my own family to share that with if the time ever comes."  Anna shrugged impatiently and deliberately changed the subject.  "Hey, I don't know how we got so ahead of ourselves.  We're just talking about moving in together.  We haven't even gotten the new quarters yet and you've already foisted our children off on your parents."  She smiled warmly, and ruffled his hair with her fingers.  "We have much more important stuff to talk about."

 

He thought about her family and briefly wondered if he could remedy that situation but decided that now wasn't the time. He didn't want to upset her further. "Yes, you're right as always. So tomorrow we can both put the request in for new, bigger quarters. But since that is tomorrow, perhaps we can make use of these old quarters tonight?" He winked suggestively.

 

 

She winked back. "You really can read my mind, Will."

Edited October 14, 2010 by Annabelle O'Halloran