"Let me come with you." Luana insisted as she walked with Starbuck from the Fitness Center and the triad court towards the Life Station. After giving a statement to Security and then having a turbo wash, it was getting late. Still, the Life Station was definitely on Starbuck's 'to do' list if he was going to make patrol the next morning.

"Lu, Cassie is on duty. I . . . don't want to deal with . . . " he paused, not sure what to say.

Luana nodded. "Look, Starbuck, I already told you, I'm not expecting any commitment from you. You don't have to say anything to Cassiopeia if you don't want to." She watched carefully as an array of emotions flickered across his face. The prominent one was surprise.

It hadn't occurred to Starbuck to not tell Cassiopeia. Lords, he was obviously losing his edge. He had officially become responsible. He stopped and considered the young woman before him. Luana was watching him calmly. She meant what she said. Still, there was something behind those dark, brown eyes that he just couldn't put his finger on. If their roles were reversed, he would say she had her card playing face on.

"You don't want me to tell her?" he asked her, as much to clarify his position as to probe her façade.

"Do what you want to, Starbuck." Luana grinned and winked at him. "Personally, I think it would be silly for you to tell Cassiopeia. Especially in the Life Station. After all, she could turn your examination into one miserable experience." She chuckled as she started walking beside him once again.

Well, that was true enough. Cassiopeia had done that before when she had been angry at him for kissing Lady Aurelia at the Empyrean Ball. Lords, that seemed like ages ago now.

Luana could see he was mulling it all over. He was still stunned that she wasn't asking him to make a choice. That was the fatal mistake that Athena had made. She wanted all or nothing. Luana could wait for 'all' if it meant she could have a piece of him now. She would work on 'all' later. It was the 'nothing' she knew she couldn't live with. She had tried.

"Are you sure about this?" Starbuck asked her. There was something so . . anti-female about this whole thing. Never had Starbuck slept with a woman who hadn't expected . . . something in return. Commitment usually. At the very least a nice dinner.

Luana nodded at him matter-of-factly. "I'm sure. Look, I think I should come with you. Cassiopeia would wonder why I didn't otherwise. She knows I care about you. It would look more suspicious to her if I just went back to the billet."

Starbuck stopped in his tracks as he thought about her words. Frack, she was right. Cassie would think it was strange if Luana didn't escort him there. Ah, Hades, this was so bizarre. He had assumed that Luana was interested in having a relationship with him. Maybe not. But . . . it was her first time! A one night stand for your first time? Not unusual with a man, but with a woman?

His thoughts swirled around his head in a tangled mess. It was as if everything he had known for certain about women up to that point had suddenly changed . . . but no one had shown him the new procedure manual. He felt Lu take his hands in her own and became aware that she was staring up at him with concern on her lovely face.

"Hey, are you all right?" Luana asked him. Oh, she had either shaken him to the core with her assertion that he needn't tell Cassie . . . or he was truly injured.

"Uh, yeah. I'm okay." Starbuck replied. Maybe she hadn't enjoyed their lovemaking as much as he had. Lords, perhaps he should have taken more time . . .

"C'mon, I don't know about you, but I have early duty tomorrow." Luana told him as she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the Life Station and Cassiopeia.