All of My Tomorrows (COMPLETE)

12: Leather and Lace

The next time John saw her, the woman was leaning over a display module on the Bridge. He could have said what the module was, unerringly, if he had been in the right state of mind. After all, once they had successfully stolen the Avenger, he had made it a point to remember everything to do with the currently flightless bird. He had wanted to know how everything worked, short of the tech that Shen and Tygan used, so that he could teach it all to Janis.

As he watched her, realized that the woman was talking to Bridge personnel with her almost trademark casual demeanor, John felt his chest constrict. He was overwhelmed by the feeling that his knowledge wouldn't be needed.

John walked across the room, mentally checking to make sure he was outwardly appearing as if he were doing nothing but approaching his superior. As he walked closer, one of the members of personnel walked in front of him, then swooped around to take his place at Janis' side. He could hear the man murmuring a question to her and watched as Janis answered it easily, gesticulating warmly with her hands.

John stopped mid step as though he had hit a force field. Why did he get the feeling that this was as close as he deserved to get to her? He roughly pushed the uneasy thought from his mind. Still, he stood back as Janis spoke to some of the personnel, both answering and asking questions. After a minute or so, as though those around her could sense that they weren't wanted in the vicinity, they seemed to disperse, walking more than far enough away for John to feel as though he could get enough space for a semi private conversation.

As he approached, Janis remarked, without looking up at him, "Been wondering when you'd wake up."

All in a moment the unease that John felt seemed to disappear. With an easy smile on a face that never used to be able to support one well, John walked around her, a feeling in his chest that felt like it might expand, then burst at any given moment. "Commander." He had meant to call her Janie, low under his breath so that no one else could hear it but her, but something stopped him, had him instead call her her seemingly permanent title.

As he stood, facing her at her side, John took a moment to try to store away in his memories the way she looked. A few strands of errant black hair had come loose from the ponytail she had put it up in, and the always slightly ghoulish light on the Bridge seemed to bathe her pale skin in an ethereal glow. Her golden eyes were animated, full of curiosity and planning. Something that seemed to never leave her in as long as John had known her.

"Figured there'd be one way to lure you out onto the Bridge," Janis explained, leaning back as she stood up straight, then turning to look back at the console she had been leaning on. "and I was hoping I could find out how much of this place you already know about. I found out you know almost everything there is to know about how this place operates. Which is good; I have a major gap in knowledge about this stuff, especially compared to you."

John nodded, a smile that he could not suppress growing across his face as though it had never left. "Good to hear." it felt like he itched with things that he wanted to say. Needed said.

She paused, as though Janis wanted to tell him something. He almost pushed her to tell him what was on her mind when she leaned in closer to him by a few precious, conspiratorial inches, said, "We have a few days till this comes back. You're good enough at all of this, we'll get caught up by that time, no sweat." Before he could say anything to her, Janis stepped away, telling him, "I have a lot to tell the Engineers, or let them tell me. We're gonna talk later, alright?" She winked, nodded slightly.

She never let John say anything in response, already headed out of the Bridge.

He watched her leave, the doors shutting automatically behind her, a barrier between them. Too late did John realize that he hadn't been able to tell her anything, let alone ask her of what she thought of last night.