By -=/\=-Zanh Liis
80319.17
Following A Warm Reception
-=Arboretum=-
80319.17
Following A Warm Reception
-=Arboretum=-
As Zanh Liis prepared to depart the arboretum and move to the holodeck for a continuation of the day's scheduled festivities, she waited until the last of the guests had left and Reece was standing alone.
She had told Jariel to go on ahead of her to the Mardi Gras promotions party, waiting for just such a moment as this to present itself for the special gift she had to give Reece herself today.
She observed him now as he stood by the gazebo, gazing adoringly at February, who was hugging Arie goodnight near the exit.
Zanh Liis was a woman who, unlike the rest of her own gender among her species, found that the more she cared about something, or someone, the harder time she had finding the words to talk about it.
Smiling now at Reece, she thought about how much she'd seen him change in the time that he'd been with Grace. About how much good the relationship had done him. For the first time since she had met him so many years ago, she found that Dabin Reece's humor was genuine; not something he clutched onto talismanically for protection to keep anyone from discovering the unhappy, lonely man hiding beneath.
He was a deep and thoughtful soul, so much more so than most people ever got to know. That was why she put up with his hyperactivity and his flippant attitude, because she knew that there was so much more to the man than that.
"Hi there."
"Hiya, Crinkles! What's this, huh?" He tugged on a strand of her hair and grinned broadly, draping an arm over Zanh's shoulder. "Love the new 'do."
"Thanks." She leaned her head closer toward him. "Happy?"
"You kidding?" Reece nodded toward February. "Just look at her."
"I see her. I also see you, and I'm so happy for you, Reece." She turned to him and did something she had never done in the near decade she had known him.
She kissed him on the cheek.
"Wow. What was that for?" He reached up and touched his face as if she'd slapped him. A slap would have, in fact, been more expected.
"For a lot of things." She looked at her shoes. "For saving my suitcase from the original Stella Polaris. For The Great Ferenginar Tongo Tournament. For. . ." she paused.
"Reece," She looked back up at him, desperately trying to articulate how much their friendship meant to her. Once again, she ran short of words to do her feelings justice.
He nodded and spoke, relieving her of the necessity of trying.
"I know, Liis," He brushed his finger along the ridges of her nose. "Me too."
She nodded, and drew a deep breath, glad the moment had passed. "I have something for you."
"Something more? What more could you possibly give to me today?"
"Something that rightfully belongs to you already." She unfurled her fingers, and he saw a single gold pip in her palm.
"No way."
"Way." Liis borrowed one of his wife's favorite expressions in reply, placing the pip into his hand and closing his fingers around it.
"I've already done the paperwork. You never should have had to give this up to begin with."
Dabin glanced again at his wife across the room. "If I'd been driven from Starfleet entirely, it still would have been worth it."
"It wasn't right, and it has needled me ever since it happened." Zanh insisted. "Starfleet agreed that your performance of your duties during the last mission more than entitled you to reclaim your former rank. Congratulations, Commander."
"Today can't get any better." He shook his head, genuinely awed. "Thank you, Captain."
"My pleasure." Zanh saw that February was now standing by the doors, watching the two of them and waiting patiently for them to finish. She flashed Reece a smile.
"Maybe the day can still get better." He gave Liis a big hug, squeezing her until she finally pushed him away.
"Okay, okay. Enough already."
"Never enough!" He giggled, as he released her and leapt down the steps of the gazebo in one hop. "You know you love it. Later, Liissy."
Liis shook her head, and watched the couple leave the arboretum, hand in hand.
"You know I do."
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-=/\=-Zanh Liis
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
-=/\=-Zanh Liis
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012