Troubles in Paradise

Posted on Sat Jul 17th, 2010 @ 5:33am by Captain Anna Johnson & Commander Raven Adams & Commander Ian Casey & Commander Dhindara Vrel

1,675 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: On Typhon Station
Location: Johnson Quarters

Anna and Jana were getting the food set out. Typical dinner party food for starters. Appetizers sat out for when the guest started to arrive. Jana was looking forward to spending more time hanging out with Raven and Dhindara and she knew Anna was looking forward to spending time with Ian. Jana picked up Elenore and took her to her room so she wouldn't get underfoot then after washing her hands she came back and grabbed a celery stick and waited for the guest to arrive.

Anna was cooking a poppy seed chicken, dressing, broccoli, cheese and rice casserole and a nice chocolate layer cake for dessert.

Raven, dressed in her usual black jeans, black vest and deep red blouse, was the first to arrive. She brought a loaf of pain au chocola as a gift for Anna and Jana. She rang the chime and waited.

Anna looked up from the kitchen toward the door. "Come in." She said as she put the crumbs on the chicken and placed it back in the warmer.

Raven walked in and sniffed appreciatively. "It smells great," she said by way of greeting. "I brought you some pain au chocolat -- bread with chocolate. I don't know if it goes with dinner, but you can't go wrong with chocolate," she said, grinning.

"There is an old Earth saying that diamonds are a girls best friend. Now that they can be replicated though I think chocolate is a girls best friend." Anna said moving and taking the dish from Raven. "Thanks for bringing something."

Jana stood and moved over to give Raven a hug. "Thanks for coming." She said, "Come in my room a minute I wanted to show you a poem I wrote a couple of days ago." She said. Tonight her hair was actually the same color as Anna's and without the make up to pale her face and darken her lips she looked a lot like Anna in fact.

"I would love to see it," Raven said, smiling as she followed Jana. "You look very pretty tonight."

"Thanks," Jana said, "Anna likes my natural look better and since this is kind of her birthday party I thought I would make her happy." Then she carefully opened the door so that Elenore didn't get out and closed it behind them to show Raven the poem.

The next person to arrive was Dhindara. She rang the doorbell, then entered as it opened. "Hello", she greeted, smiling. She was carrying a chocolate cake she had made earlier, specifically for this auspicious occasion. "Happy birthday, Anna", she smiled, putting the cake down and giving Anna a hug.

"Thank you, It looks like we will be having chocolate overload tonight." Anna said with a smile placing the cake Dhindara had brought beside the one she had made and the dessert Raven brought. "Just one more guest is expected, Raven is in with Jana at the moment and Ian should be arriving soon. Help yourself to the appetizers."

"How do you feel, old woman?" Dhindara joked.

"I don't exactly consider twenty-eight to be old." Anna said with a grin. "I'm still young enough to have kids one day if I want to." She said as she moved to take the poppy seed chicken out of the warmer and set it on the counter as well as the other dishes.

"Hmm, technically, so am I", Dhindara responded. "That's not usually the concept in which I think... but regardless, I was joking."

"I know." Anna said as she reached for one of the cheese sticks that were already out. "Thanks for coming all the same. Birthday celebrations are always more fun with friends."

Ian paused outside the door and pulled his hair back into a ponytail. He'd considered leaving it down but he wasn't sure who would be at the dinner. Satisfied with his hair, he pressed the chime and waited.

"That has to be Ian," Anna said to Dhindara her face lit up at the thought of him being there. She moved over and opened the door. "Hi handsome." Anna said as she pulled him into the room and kissed him deeply on the lips.

"Sorry I'm late," he said to her with a smile.

"It's okay I just have pulled everything out of the oven," Anna said.

Ian nodded and put his arm around her. "Where's Jana?"

Jana stepped forward Raven was standing right beside her, "I'm right here." Jana said, "Do you know Raven and Dhindara?" She asked.

Raven stood in the doorway, her face ashen, unable to move. She'd come out of the room just in time to see the kiss... She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her mind had to be playing tricks on her. She'd been with Ian the night before...

When Anna said her name Raven's gaze shifted from Ian to Anna. "We... I..." The words wouldn't come. She could barely breathe. She was beginning to shake so badly the others would notice. She had get away. Without looking at Jana she whispered. "I'm sorry, Jana. I don't feel well."

Raven's first steps were jerky. She had to concentrate on each step. The door seemed too far away. Her eyes met Ian's and she felt a sharp stab in her chest. She took a quick, sharp breath and moved on.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I have to go." She was crying now, the tears running down her cheeks. She practically ran out the door and headed for the nearest turbolift.

"Excuse me a moment everyone." Anna said and stepped outside the door after Raven. "Raven what's wrong?" She asked concerned for her friend.

Raven stopped but didn't turn around. How could she ruin Anna's birthday party? How could she let Anna go on thinking Ian was... That she... She took a deep breath. "I..."

Ian stepped into the corridor and saw the two of them together. He knew it would happen eventually. He sighed then moved toward them, a part of him glad that it was happening. He wasn't sure what he should, or could, say so he stood quietly and waited for his life to fall apart. He knew he had no one to blame but himself, though.

Anna looked at Ian then at Raven again, "Would someone tell me what is going on?" She asked.

Ian looked at Anna then at Raven. He sighed, then turned to Anna and said, "I....I've been spending time with both of you."

Anna looked at him and her eyes teared up a bit but she choked it back. "But you told me we were made for each other, the other night in the holodeck we almost. . ."

A sob escaped from Raven's mouth. "We did." He told her he loved her. She loved him. She trusted him. Or she had...

Anna stopped and turned to Raven, "I'm sorry I didn't know anything about this." She said reaching out for Raven's hand. She then looked at Ian, "I think you owe us an explanation." Anna said anger in her eyes. For now the hurt was pushed down and the look on her face was pure anger. It radiated off of her.

"I....I didn't mean to hurt anyone," Ian said to her. "Both of you started out as just friends. After a while, things started happening and before I knew it everything got complicated." He paused and looked at them. "I'm sorry," he said to them, not knowing what else to say.

"Friends don't spend all night in the holodeck together at least not the way we did." Anna said. "Tell me something that exercise you had in the holodeck last week. The one that made us have to schedule a date for the next night. Was it for work or did you already have a date with Raven? " Anna asked her voice just a bit louder but not enough to draw attention yet.

Ian looked at her then down at the floor. "It was with Raven," he admitted.

The aching cold in her chest shattered and the pain was almost overwhelming. "You took her to the holodeck the night after we... Did you take her camping as well?" She'd never known a broken heart could hurt so much.

Ian looked at Raven and said, "Of course not. I'm not that shallow."

"No he just suggested it when we had lunch that day before your date," Anna replied. She wasn't sure what else to say then she looked at Raven, "If anyone is leaving my party its him not you." she said.

In a shaky, barely audible voice, Raven said, "You went from holding me in your bed to Anna? Making love on the holodeck to Anna? You were alternate nights with us?"

She felt like something was dying inside. "I wasn't good enough for you?"

"I...." Ian began, "I didn't mean for this to happen. I care about both of you. I just....," Ian said, then paused to take a deep breath. "I don't know what else to say except that I'm sorry."

"Go home Ian." Anna said then turned to Raven, "I understand if you don't want to but please come back and have dinner with the rest of us. Neither of us needs to be alone right now." Anna said.

Raven couldn't cope. She had to get away. She turned haunted eyes to Anna. "I can't. I'm sorry." She didn't look at Ian. She'd given Ian her heart, her soul, and it was all a lie. Stifling another sob, she hurried to the turbolift.

Ian looked at the two of them turned and walked away without saying another word.

Anna hung her head and watched as Raven walked away, "All men want to do is hurt you anyway. Why did I give in?" She asked herself out loud then walked back into her quarters.

Commander Anna Johnson, Chief of Operations
Commander Raven Adams, Chief of Intelligence
Commander Ian Casey, Air Group Commander
Commander Dhindara Vrel, Chief Counselor
Jana Johnson (NPC Anna Johnson)

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