a/n : thank you so much for your reviews for Bittersweet. Wasn't quite sure how the first part would be received as it was a bit dark and rambling … i e : exactly how I imagined JH would have to be to commit speciecide (?) and to go on to do what he did in part two ….but I,m pleased that overall it was liked.

DISCLAIMER : I'm sorry if anything I mention in the following fic breaches any legal boundaries …..totally unintentional .

THE BETTER WIFE

Chapter One

The flaking grey paint clung on desperately as the shuddering walls did nothing to improve the ambience of the stark, dank hall. Empty wooden tables reverberated against equally as empty splintering wooden benches. At one time they had been creaking under the weight of a hundred or more carousing fleet officers enjoying their regular repasts and relishing the brief respite that came with the call to mess. Sadly, the carousing days of the hall were long gone and the atmosphere was now cold, uninviting and in stark contrast to the laughing and chattering that had prevailed in the past it was now mostly quiet. Mostly, but not completely because over in the far corner of the hall a figure rocked through a gentle snore; with head resting against a palm propped up on an elbow that threatened to slip at any moment the motion was repeated and the low nasal sound once again broke the silence.

Unusually, the stillness was once again disrupted, this time by the hissing of a door as it slid back to reveal two important looking men. Dressed in cargo style uniforms with well worn black leather boots laced to the knee they entered the hall and made their way across to the sleeping form in the corner. They cut an imposing figure compared to the one that they were now disdainfully staring down at.

"Where did we pick him up?"

"Received a signal as we were passing through the 21st …..he followed"

"He's a mess!"

"He said he would work his passage!" laughed the younger of the two men

"Well, I don't think that was ever going to be an option! Do you?" replied the senior officer with the raise of one eyebrow.

"So, General, what are we going to do with him?"

"Let him off at the next stop!"

He tapped at a badge on his lapel and a voice echoed around them

"Yes, General?"

"Captain, how long until we take up orbit around Varien Four?"

"We don't Sir" he told him "We're going to jump twenty in just under an hour"

"Who changed the command without informing me? I thought we were to pick up two prisoners for the Proclamation!"

"Sorry, Sir I was under the impression that somebody had informed you …. We've had a visit from an agent, they need us for a sat retrieval …a rogue Orion class broke free from orbit. They've been tracking it for a couple of months …. Seems it's now on c- course with atmos break in just under six hours."

"Another one?" Obviously not impressed the General shook his head in despair "How many of those fucking things did they send up?"

"Reports vary, Sir. Now, as we still have the issue of the prisoners on V Four shall I inform Shadow Control or do you wish to talk with them?"

"I'll be back up in 10" the general told him

"Very good, Sir" he replied and the comms fell silent.

The general gave a deep sigh

"So, looks like matey here is going to continue with his wallowing in the forty second!"

"We need to get him sobered up" the younger officer scowled

"Getting rid of this might be a start!" the general reached into the side pocket of a blood splattered coat and pulled free the nearly empty bottle.

The other officer snorted sarcastically and kicked out a table leg causing a head to shoot off of a flailing palm. As the head turned to face them, attempting a smile, a gurgled burp escaped the lips. Turning back around, groaning in disgust at the combination of bile, acid and whiskey that had risen to burn at the back of the throat the head was allowed to unceremoniously drop down onto folded arms below.

"He'll sleep it off! Come on, I've got a grovelling apology to make!" The general turned to leave the hall, the officer followed.

Ten minutes later eyelids began to flutter and arms and legs began to twitch. A whimper escaped from lips as the sudden jolting of a leg caused the figure to shoot upright. A long sigh was followed by a hand reaching down to feel for a bottle that was no longer there. With another sigh the hand came back up to brace against the table and pushing back slightly the other hand was allowed access to the inside of the coat and came away with what it was searching for.

In a small locker room at the back of the hall two uniformed men sat playing poker. Images of playing cards floated above the table before them and with flick of a finger a card flipped to face downwards. Their concentration was broken by a single gun shot. Hardly flinching they stared at each other. With a sigh one of them glanced over to the bucket and cloth in the corner. The other man grinned with satisfaction and told him

"Your turn!"

tbc