Chapter 11

Once out of the ward room, Lucas had managed to convince Alex to have dinner in the galley with him. She had resisted at first, wanting to remove herself from the press of people but Dr. Smith had even agreed it was a good idea. She thought it would help if Alex started to reintegrate with society. There wasn't much society to be had on a deep submergence vehicle but the galley was the place to find some of it.

"Well what do you want to eat?" Lucas asked her as they stood in line waiting to pick from the day's offerings. Alex was busy chewing her thumbnail and glancing around like she might jump at her own shadow. He squeezed her shoulder companionably to reassure her. "Relax, it's just dinner. How many times have you eaten in a cafeteria? It's no different than it ever was."

Alex took a deep breath, forced a smile on her lips and pulled her thumbnail out of her mouth for a moment. "You're right. Of course, you are. I'm just nervous. That's all," She told him, before resuming chewing her thumbnail.

"Well, don't be. Decide what you want to eat yet?" he prodded her again. She took a moment to look over the menu tacked behind the counter before she decided. "I think I want the meatball sub with provolone cheese, fries and tea." she rattled off. Lucas shook his head at her, she had ordered almost the same thing for lunch anytime they had eaten in the college cafeteria. "I'll have the roast beef sandwich with tomato, lettuce, chips and a soda," Lucas told the server. It wasn't actually beef, it was really a protein replacement made to look like the real thing, but somehow roast protein sandwich just didn't sound right even if Lucas had never had beef in his life.

"Coke," Alex said grinning despite herself. Lucas grinned back catching on.

"No it's a soda," He corrected her.

"Still a coke to me," she teased.

"Okay carbonated beverage. I'm not the one who was born in Georgia, ya hillbilly," he teased back, sharing an old joke with her. She picked up the thread, seeming to forget for a minute that she should have been tense and nervous surrounded by people.

"Don't start yankee. I was born there I didn't grow up there," she retorted, taking her tray off the line and waiting for Lucas to get his.

Lucas laughed at her and eyed her tray briefly. "Ya know you're going to die of a heart attack one day from eating that," he picked. Alex took the ball and ran with it.

"Not if I develop a synthetic heart first," she quipped as Lucas lead the way to an empty table, chuckling. They had just gotten sat down good, when Tony decided to put in an appearance. Lucas shot him a look that said go away and he knew Tony saw it, but he made himself at home anyway.

"Heya Lucas. Mind if I join you?" he greeted as he sat his own tray full of something that resembled a hero sandwich down with a clank.

"Yes," Lucas informed him coldly but Tony ignored him, speaking instead to Alex.

"So besides being beautiful, what do you do for a living?" he asked smiling at her. Alex sat down her drink and gave him a pained look for the bad pick up line. She had relaxed again though and took it in stride. "I'm a biomedical engineer with a specialty in genetics," she said mildly. Lucas wanted to reach over the table and flip the tray of food into his face. Being a flirt was his nature but this was just pushing it.

"Fascinating. Where ya from?" he asked. Alex leaned back in her chair and looked at him oddly. "As if you would know what that is. She's from Georgia," Lucas answered for her, trying to get Tony's attention off Alex.

"I'm not stupid Lucas. Let the lady answer for her self. A southern belle eh?" Tony said turning the conversation right back to Alex. Alex rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"I was born in Georgia I grew up in Florida. I am not a southern belle," she corrected him.

"Why do you want to know anyway?" Lucas shot at Tony angrily. Tony gave him a reproachful look. "Just making conversation," he remarked wiry. Lucas glared at him. "You aren't making conversation with her, you're hitting on her."

Tony shrugged nonchalantly. "So what if I am, she's a single woman, let her tell me if she doesn't want me flirting with her," Tony shot back. "Tony. Stop it," Lucas warned, his eyes flashing with subdued venom. No, Tony didn't know he and Alex were a couple now, but he was just pushing it like he was trying to provoke an argument.

"Hey now, wait just a minute," Alex tried to get a word in edgewise but the two of them were on a roll now. It had become an issue between the two of them and Alex might as well not been there at all.

"Or what Lucas?" Tony taunted. Lucas could not figure out why he was pushing his buttons. It wasn't like him to take it this far and it was really beginning to tick him off. Lucas got up and took Tony's arm trying to get him to step into a quiet corner rather than make a scene, but he refused to move. "I'm not going anywhere. You got a problem you can say it right here, right now," he challenged. Lucas gritted his teeth, by now half the galley was watching them. "Leave her alone," he hissed, trying to keep his voice low enough no one could hear what was being said. Alex had thrown up her hands in frustration. She kept trying to get a word in and was being ignored.

"Leave her alone? Why's that Lucas? You said you're just friends. She's fair game," Tony prodded leaning around him to speak to Alex. "Hey doll, how do you feel about poker? Want to play a game? My quarters? Just you and me?" he asked laying on his most suave voice. Alex started to reply and Lucas cut her off again.

"She is not fair game," Lucas growled at him. Now it wasn't half the galley staring at them it was everyone in the place. He wondered why one of the ranking officers hadn't stepped forward to split them up yet. Maybe they were too rapt by what they were seeing or thought things hadn't gotten to the point were someone needed to intercede yet.

"Little jealous Lucas? Why don't you let her decide if she wants a date with me," Tony provoked. Alex didn't bother to try and reply this time she just sat there shaking her head.

"She doesn't want a date with you, trust me," Lucas said coldly, trying his best not to blow up.

"Oh and why's that? I think she does. She hasn't said no, now has she?" Tony needled at him. That did it, Lucas had opened his mouth and yelled it at him loud enough for the whole galley and probably half the deck to hear before he could think better of it. "She's mine Tony. She's my girlfriend. That's why!" Tony put up his hands in surrender and backed away. He smiled at Lucas, winked and took himself out without a word. Lucas followed hot on his heels, wondering what exactly Tony's problem was. Alex was left sitting alone, a deep, bashful shade of scarlet, smiling discretely from ear to ear. The whole galley was whooping and clapping behind them.

"What the hell was that?" Lucas demanded once they had made it far enough down the hallway no one could hear them as long as no one yelled. Tony stopped and turned around grinning. "I wondered when you'd admit it."

"Admit what?" Lucas asked truly confused.

"That she's your girlfriend," he said simply, that ironic grin still plastered on his face. Lucas narrowed his eyes and advanced on him.

"You did all that, just to get me to say she's my girlfriend?" he couldn't phantom why he would have bothered going to such elaborate lengths to do it.

"Well, yeah. Girls like that sort of thing. I thought she could use that. Ya know her guy fighting for her and all," Tony explained, crossing his arms and looking smug.

"What? How could you even know? I told you we were just friends!" Lucas said exasperated. Tony rolled his eyes."Oh come on Lucas. How could anyone not tell? She doesn't take her eyes off you. Not even when she was in the medical bay. You've been wandering around like a lovelorn puppy for weeks."

"No I have not! Really?" Lucas questioned and defended himself at the same time. Tony laughed and clapped Lucas on the back. "Yeah. Really. I thought it was about time you admitted it to yourself. Because you didn't look like you were going to do it on your own," he told him. "She's cute. I like her. Hang on to that one," he added and left Lucas standing in the hallway trying to sort it all out in his head. Every once in a while gill boy got it right.

#***#

Lucas was still reconciling with what Tony had told him as he returned to the galley. Alex was finishing off her sandwich in the company of Lieutenant Henderson and Lieutenant O'Neill, with whom there was a heated debate going on about the pros and cons of interactive movies versus regular formats. Apparently it was two to one for interactive and Lieutenant O'Neill was losing. Now it was Alex who ignored him as he wedged himself back in his seat and ate his sandwich while listening to the heated exchange.

"What? So you are saying that people who like interactive movies over regular ones are shallow?" Henderson quipped at Tim. Tim looked rather uncomfortable being cornered by two very opinionated women.

"No, I'm just saying that it takes a lack of imagination to prefer them," he argued, stuffing a bite of food in his mouth.

"That doesn't mean they lack imagination, maybe it means they'd like to experience it first hand instead!" Alex put in leaning forward on the table to emphasize her point.

"Lack of imagination," O'Neill insisted. Alex huffed at him.

"I'm a biomedical engineer. I created a synthetic pancreas. Are you going to try and tell me that didn't take imagination?" Alex retorted in a disbelieving voice. Henderson nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'd say that took some creativity. I've already had this argument with him and was informed my tastes were vapid," she said.

"Vapid?" Alex repeated scornfully.

"Mmmhmmm," Henderson confirmed and sat back in her chair her arms crossed. Lucas had a feeling he had just walked into a gender war. O'Neill didn't have a chance and Lucas was not about to stick his nose in it half way through.

"Yes vapid. Inventing a synthetic pancreas takes science not imagination. Your tastes in movies is just so provincial," O'Neill spat in annoyance. Alex looked like her jaw was going to fall off in shock.

"Provincial? I'm provincial? My tastes are not provincial they just happen to be more adventurous than yours!" Alex retorted cramming the remainder of her meal on her tray and rising from the table. Henderson rose with her, they both looked each other in the eye and said "Men!" stalking off together to dump their trays in the trash receptacle. Lucas pretended he hadn't heard.

"I don't think I like her," O'Neill muttered under his breath. Lucas grinned, he wasn't far enough away for him not to hear it. "She grows on you." O'Neill looked doubting as he checked his watch and got up. "I have to be back on shift. See you later Lucas."

"Me too. If that's not too vapid," Henderson jabbed at Tim. Tim just rolled his eyes as he left. "It was nice talking to you Alex. I hope we can do it again sometime," Lonnie said as she turned to follow him. Alex smiled at her and looked more like herself than she had since Lucas had found her. Dr. Smith was right social interaction had been a good catalyst for her. "You too Lonnie. Better hurry wouldn't want to be so provincial as to be late," she joked. Lonnie snickered and waved good bye. Lucas polished off his meal and looked up at her. "Done? Ready to go?"

"Yes. Ready when you are," she said her attention again on him . "Alright, I'll walk you back to your quarters," He told her as he rose and dropped his own tray into the trash receptacle.

#**#

"Making friends already I see," Lucas said as they made their way toward her quarters. Alex chuckled. "Well he started it. I swear," she protested as she reached out for his hand. This time he took it without reservation. Tony was right about that, everyone else already seemed to know, if they hadn't they certainly did now after the fiasco in the galley. So there was no point in denying it, he might as well enjoy it.

"Uh huh. Some how I doubt that," He replied mildly. "Okay so maybe I started it. But provincial!" she confessed. He just laughed. "Well I'm glad you are at least talking to people, coming out of that shell of yours," he said changing the subject. "Yeah, at least about somethings," her face darkening briefly as they stepped onto the maglev. Lucas relayed their destination automatically to it and pulled her down beside him. He stole a kiss as they rode, ending it just before the maglev stopped and announced its thanks for riding and opening the doors with a hiss. They walked quietly the rest of the way, he liked the way her hand felt in his and found himself tracing gentle circles with his thumb on her hand as they went. Freed of the fear of discovery, he found even in that short trip that he liked being open about it. The walk ended too soon as they came to her quarters.

"Listen I'm sorry for the mess in the galley. I don't know what got into me. Tony thought he was proving a point," he apologized. To his surprise Alex smiled up at him "Well then I'll have to thank him the next time I see him. Don't apologize, I kind of liked it. Some primitive part of me thrilled seeing you stand up and stake your claim, like that," she said turning a dark shade of scarlet. "Really?" he asked slipping his arms around her waist. She automatically threaded hers around his neck, her fingers trailing down the back of his neck made the hairs stand on end.

A soft, deep sigh escaped her lips and he sucked in a breathe, lowering his head close to hers. If she had thought the argument in the galley was primitive this was down right primal. "Well, I suppose I'll see you in the morning," He said regretfully, he thought he was going to run out of water rations in the showers quickly. At least he wouldn't be wasting energy, they would all be cold.

"I suppose so. I had a good time at dinner, despite the briefing earlier," Alex said her face darkening again. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Not really. I'm afraid to go to sleep. I still have nightmares," she admitted, casting her eyes down. His heart clenched in sympathy. "I wish I could make them stop," he whispered, he was cheek to cheek with her and her breath was tickling his ear. "I better go," he breathed as he tried to step away but she refused to let go of him.

"Lucas, don't. Stay please," she pleaded. He looked down into her eyes, fighting with himself. One part wanted to stay and comfort her, make sure she could sleep without the nightmares for a change. Another had its own agenda for staying, a third thought this was probably a very bad idea. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"I don't think I can take this alone anymore. Lucas please?" she begged, pulling him closer. He took a deep breath, swallowing his indecision. "Okay," he muttered, his mouth covering hers. She fell into it, one hand fumbling the door open as they disappeared inside, still wrapped around each other.