Emergence

[Annabelle O'Halloran 0]

This log takes place the night before the morning staff meeting of last week's sim.

Anna entered the quarters she shared with Will, Jon's sword still in hand, her mind preoccupied with the successful outcome of her 'experiment'. The bracelet had somehow endowed her with its previous owner's skill with a blade and only her own body's weakness had kept her from completing the training exercise. To the woman who'd once worn the bracelet, the movements had been routine, something she did regularly to keep her skills sharp...for fun, even. Up until tonight, Anna had considered herself to be very fit, but clearly, she had a ways to go. It would be interesting to see if she could train to the point of eventually being able to complete the exercise; see if she could meet the challenge she felt had now been posed.

 

Will heard the front door open and came out to see Anna. He smiled at first but then his smile disappeared when he saw the sword in her hand. He was curious but he tried to keep his alarm in check. He'd never known Anna to show an interest in swords before. He watched her and smiled again. "Hey, beautiful. I got your message. How did dinner go?" He asked casually.

 

Her initial wariness fading with the appearance of his smile, Anna relaxed, her own smile coming easily, as she walked across the room to lay the sword carefully on the counter that separated the small eating area from their living room. "We had a nice meal," she answered, pulling off her warm up jacket. "Caro is always good company."

 

Leaving the jacket on one of the stools in front of the counter, she walked around it to request a glass of water from the replicator. "How'd your day go?" she asked him as she took the glass and turned around to face him, the counter now between them.

 

He shrugged a bit, "Well you've been on my mind and that bracelet as well." When he saw her tense up a bit, he came up behind her and gently rubbed her shoulders. "Relax, I'm not going to harass you about it. I did however go see Caroline. And, for the record, I saw her BEFORE I got your message about dinner with her so don't worry about any thought that your meal together as something I set up please."

"She didn't mention that," Anna replied slowly, mentally replaying the conversation she'd shared over dinner with the counselor. She turned abruptly to face him, tilting her head back to meet his gaze directly. "I'm the one who asked Caroline if she'd like to meet for dinner, Will. It wouldn't have occurred to me that you would do that although, I guess based on your enthusiasm for discussing things with Commander Ridire, maybe it should have."

 

Regretting the words as soon as they were out of her mouth, she immediately held up her hand to forestall his reaction. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," she apologized, clearly sorry. "It's been a long day, Will. I didn't mean that how it came out. I'm sorry to sound so defensive."

 

Will eyes flashed with anger and hurt the instant she talked about Ridire but he let his gaze soften and he smiled again, "Forget about it right now." He kissed her forehead and moved away from her, heading for the sword that she set down. He picked it up and tested the weight and balance. "This is nice workmanship. Definitely not replicated. Where'd you get this?"

 

"It's Jon Shamor's," Anna answered quietly. "He's letting me borrow it for a little while." She took a long swallow of the water and wondered what he was thinking.

 

He set the sword back down and looked at her curiously, "I know you're skill with knives, my love, but I didn't know you had an interest in swords."

 

"It's recent," she understated with a wry smile. "I wanted to run an experiment--to see if there's been any kind of transference between myself and the previous owner of the bracelet." She took another sip and then set the glass to the side before meeting his eyes. "Turns out there has been. When I pick up that sword, I feel like I've been training with it for years. Jon thinks the stones on the bracelet might be a device to hold stored memories."

 

Will nodded. He turned away from her and closed his eyes trying to keep his instinctive alarm from overwhelming him. He took a deep breath and then looked at her again as he sat on the couch. He patted his lap, "Come here." As she sat, he gave her a warm hug. "Well, maybe we should spar sometime then." He smiled up at her.

 

Automatically putting her arms around his neck, Anna looked back at him in horror, feeling once again the impact blow she'd dealt that has severed Edalt's arm from his shoulder. "No, that's a terrible idea," she whispered. "You don't understand, Will."

 

He looked at her and caressed her cheek. "Tell me, Anna. Tell me." He sat back and listened as his love spoke.

 

"I just don't want to do that; it's not a good idea," Anna insisted. "It's an experiment and it's not always possible to control the outcome of an experiment. Her skill level was...is that of a trained warrior. I don't yet have her upper body strength but even so, I don't want to even think about being in a position where I might harm you." Anna looked away, laying her head against his shoulder. "I can't even stand to think about it."

 

He ran his fingers through her hair and just held her for a few minutes, "Fair enough, my love." He thought about it for a second, "Tell you what, next time we get some holodeck time, why don't we get a couple of training swords and see what kind of skill you, or this other woman has. Those swords won't cut or kill, just hurt a bit if hit." He turned his head to her, "And don't worry about hurting me, my love. I think I can handle myself." He smiled and winked at her.

I know you think you can, Anna thought, managing a smile even though she still felt chilled. "Maybe," she grudgingly offered, her arms tightening unconsciously around him. "I did see Debbie, today," she said, thinking a change of subject was a good idea."

 

He smiled relieved that he didn't have to ask. He kept a tight holdo fher, "And what did she say?"

 

"That I am showing signs of not having gotten enough sleep for the past two nights." Stroking the back of his neck, Anna angled her head and kissed the corner of his mouth. "She thinks I should get some. Soon."

 

He smiled at her choice of words. "I can agree with that. And, if it pleases you, I know of various ways to ensure that you sleep long and well." His grin was playful and teasing.

 

"Oh, yeah, it pleases me," she murmured, alternating her words with kisses. "You please me," she whispered, the small part of her that was still thinking of anything beyond the immediacy of being this close to Will, relieved that he hadn't asked for any more details of the exam. She stood up from his lap and held out her hand to him. "I've got some ideas of my own," she promised.

 

He eagerly took her hands and let her pull him to his feet. Even though he always looked forward to intimacy with her, a small part of his mind was still on alert. Now he would find out just how much of this other woman was ingrained into Anna's personality. Now he would find out a lot more about the potential enemy he was up against.

 

As they entered the bedroom, Anna slipped her arms around his neck, pressing close, the warmth of the bracelet against her skin noticeable but not unpleasant. "I've missed you," she told him, feeling oddly like it had been forever since they'd been together like this.

 

He nodded. "Indeed it has my love," he laughed teasingly at her. "Now, let's go and make up for lost time."

 

"My thoughts exactly," Anna murmured. "I've been waiting." For a very long time.