The Date - Jamieson/Stark

[do]

SLAIN BEASTS TAVERN
GAIA
21st JUNE 2171

It had been a long time.

A few years even.

Pulling on jeans and a moderately feminine top to go grab a beer with the Marines downstairs did not constitute dressing up to go out. Nor did sporting the dress blues for some Starfleet function.

Skye Jamieson had found herself staring at her wardrobe a long time before giving up to go to the Soko market, hoping to find something decent enough for an evening concert at Town Hall.

Now, she was dressed in a long dark blue silk gown with an imperial waist sashed with black. She'd lifted her blond mane up and even put on some makeup. As she moved around her little apartment above the Slain Beasts, looking for her clutch, she was wondering if she should go down to wait for Stark or let him come up.

Was this like a proper date? She wasn't even sure. Over five days they had gone from total strangers to sharing breakfast every morning. It had been almost seamless. She didn't remember making a conscious decision about anything. She had gotten injured and they had talked some more and next thing she knew, they shared an interest and taste for classical music. Was going to listen to Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no.2 together make it a date? Dr. Tennyson Stark could have very well meant nothing by it even though, that morning, she had been convinced of otherwise. But now, a week later, she had no idea.

Woman, you're so putting too much thought into this.

*****

It was a strange place that Tennyson Stark found himself in.

After what happened with Vera and coming to the conclusion that he and the marriage state were simply not compatible and also the fact that he was sick and tired of having his heart stomped on, Stark had sworn he would not be doing this again.

In fact the oath made had worked out quite well for him since its original application. Indulging in every excess and vice he could think of since the dissolution of his marriage, trading on his currency as a doctor had ensured that he did not need to spend his time pining for Vera. On the contrary, the descent into the hedonistic lifestyle had worked very well for him and the women, well there were many, more than he could actually remember now, they were disposable enough for him not to care in the light of day.

With Maxy at his side, Stark had near perfected the art of the debauch, living a sybarite's lifestyle that would have made the Romans with their orgies envious. They drank, fucked (more often at the same time) all the women they wanted and woke up the next day, reeking with sin and completely uninvested in the women who stumbled dazed out the door, with the pleasure of knowing that, come next opportunity, they'd be doing it all over again.

Some would say it was a defence mechanism and Stark would have to concede his guilt. Yeah, he was being a pussy because he didn't want to get hurt again but it was more than the hurt, it was the hope of putting faith in someone who seemed destined always to burn you back to the elbows. As a physician, he told his patients, if it hurts, stop doing it. He applied that same truth to his love life.

And yet, now he was on his way to a date.

With a woman who was not at all disposable and Stark didn't know whether he was fucking insane or just a glutton for punishment. After consulting with Fabien which room Jamieson had taken above his tavern, Stark walked up the stairs, ignoring the rumble of revelry in the place from Sharks, revelry he would have happily joined in, by the way, telling himself that this wasn't going to be a disaster, even though his gut churned with disquiet.

Tugging at the collar of his a dark olive shirt, Stark looked far more respectable than he usually did with black slacks and polished black shoes, resembling what some would call a grown up. He did this to settle the anxiety he felt at putting himself out there again, knowing the minute her door opened, everything would change and that just scared the hell out of him.

Hopefully Lt. Jamieson would not see that. Jesus, he really had to start calling her Skye.

Trying not to be nervous and remembering that aside from the debauch, he usually had no trouble taking to women, Stark ignored what the date meant and resolved himself to just enjoy the evening with a friend who appreciated classical music like he did.

Arriving at her door, he took a deep breath and knocked against the wood twice, letting the chips fall where they may.

*****

Staring at some old music sheets she'd unearthed the day before, the knock made her jump and, snapping out of her contemplative state, Skye went to answer the door.

Her greeting died in her throat for a moment and she simply smiled, taken aback by the doctor's good looks. "You clean up good, Stark," she said, finding her voice again. "Please, come in."

Stark himself was at a loss for words in the first three seconds of viewing. She looked utterly breathtaking and he flashed to some of the women he had been seeing in more recent times. Sexy they were, every curvy inch of them, but there was something more about Jamie....fuck, Skye that reminded Stark again, how different she was. She was beautiful of course, but she looked so elegant with her hair up, exposing her slender neck, gold strands brushing the curve of it with gossamer threads and long tawny limbs that left him simply speechless.

And then there was the dress.

Clearing his throat because he was just standing there, Stark cracked a joke, which was what he did when he was nervous, in an effort to look polished and suave because this was not a woman you scored with by buying her two appletinis. "Well, thanks," he took her compliment as he followed her in. "I thought I should try for an evening ensemble instead of my breakfast lounge suit. You, however look incredible," he said, raking his eyes from top to bottom in clear appreciation.

Skye was just telling herself that she hadn't mind his casual look at breakfast the week before one bit when she felt the weight of his gaze along her form. While she expected Stark to be able to be more than smooth, this comment of his felt heartfelt and sincere.

"Thank you," she returned with a rather shy smile, the woman in her unable to not blush a little from his obvious appreciation. "We, uhm, we got time for a drink or...?" Wow, woman, can you be any less eloquent?

The bloom across her cheeks brought a small smile to his lips, though he didn't make comment on it because she seemed self conscious about his compliment as it was. "Sure, we have time. It's a nice night out, do you mind walking?" Town Hall wasn't that far away but she was wearing heels and that made him concerned about making her trek there.

"Sure," Skye said, taking a second too long to move off his blue eyes than she really should have. "What's your poison? I have beer, some Vulcan brandy..." She had Romulan ale also but she wasn't about to get hammered on their first date.

"Vulcan brandy will do," Stark replied. "Although I always find it odd that the Vulcans, who don't believe in drinking, would actually keep making brandy from their pre-Surak era. Apparently, they make it more as a tradition than the actual desire to drink."

"Yes." She nodded. "I was told it was mostly for ceremonial purposes or export. I guess they worked out long ago they could ply just about any other species with alcohol and facilitate diplomatic proceedings." She went to a little cabinet in the rather sparsely-furnished room and got out an elegantly cut glass bottle and two glasses. "Here," she offered him a drink once she'd poured them both a glass.

"Thanks," he said, taking it and sweeping his gaze around the room as he waited for her to join him. "You don't have a place down here?" he asked.

"No real need since I'm posted on a starship." She answered a little too quick and then hesitated a moment before she added, "I was going to make my home somewhere else, with my fiancé. This is just... well, pathetic really." She frowned as she looked around her before she gave him a self-deprecating smile.

"No, it isn't," he said, understanding completely even if the lodgings weren't exactly five star. "Look, it's where you feel comfortable that matters. I mean for me, I have a house down here. It used to be Hans'. When he died, he left the place to me and after the war, it's where I moved into when I got posted planetside. It works for me and if this works you, who gives a f.. damn." Oh hell, he was watching language. If Maxy were here, Stark was sure the pilot would be making whip snapping sounds.

She watched him speak of Hans and there was no denying that the man had meant the world to Stark. "It's not that it works for me so much as plain laziness," she admitted, thinking of her betrothed, Tal Danon. It was more being stuck in a rut - as much as someone driven like Skye would allow herself to be. "When it turned out I had to come back from Bajor, it didn't really matter where I found lodgings since it definitely wasn't going to be where I wanted anyway - or with whom. And when I transferred out of the Marines, I had to leave the barracks too."

"I'm sorry," he said sympathetically, feeling for her because she had a whole life planned with this guy and in one moment, it was gone, just like that. He took a sip of his brandy. "Must be rough, being displaced like that but Starfleet does offer planetside accommodations, you should look at that. Sometimes, just having a place of your own makes all the difference when you're trying to put things behind you."

Skye met his gaze and nodded her thanks for the sentiment, even though she felt embarrassed to have brought their meeting to this rather sad note. Surely it was bad etiquette to harp about a previous lover on a date. But then, Danon had been more than a lover, but she had also buried him three years ago and let the duranja extinguished itself when the pain of his loss had faded somewhat. She no longer mourned him.

"Maybe. Here." She moved to her desk to pick up a holoframe that displayed the Canadian Rockies of her homeland. After browsing through the different photos stored on the device, she settled on one of Danon, in full Bajoran officer ceremonial dress, and offered the frame to Stark.

"This was Tal Danon. He was a law enforcement officer. The Sharks were there to train them, to help the Bajorans militarised themselves in the face of the Xindi conflict. I was close to making my sergeant stripes and a few options were available to us. I could have remained on Bajor as liaison. I suppose, with what's happened now with the Dominion, my life with Danon was always doomed." She gave Stark a wistful smile before she shook herself. "But anyway, when I came back, I needed a change of scenery, hence the move to Starfleet, but not that much of a change. Moving here, I guess, is a way to stay close to my old unit, even though now there's plenty of new faces."

Being a doctor, delivering sympathy on cue was almost reflex, even for someone as jaded as Stark. However, he didn't want to offer sympathy when he had no idea of what she was going through. He looked at the photograph and saw the sadness in her eyes. Reaching for her hand, he squeezed gently. "I know it sounds trite but time does heal all wounds. Sometimes even better than doctors," he offered, meeting her gaze.

"Doesn't sound trite." She shook her head slightly, turning her hand in his so she could squeeze back. "I know from experience that it is true, though I had a totally different opinion of it at Azati!" she joked. "Look, sorry, I didn't mean to drag us down in doom and gloom." She placed the frame back and took a healthy swallow of her brandy before she turned back to him, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. "But you've got a point. Maybe I should bring in a decorator or something."

"And ruin the ambiance?" Stark grinned, letting go of her hand. "I think it's good just the way it is." He winked at her. A loud roar penetrated the walls of the room at that moment, indicating the drunken celebration downstairs. "Beside, you want to leave all this behind?"

"There is that." Skye chuckled, not hiding the fact she would join in more often than not. "I hear you know a thing or two about partying yourself, Doctor Stark," she returned.

Stark chuckled. "I do know how to have a good time," he admitted, not about to lie about it since the gossip would have undoubtedly reached her ears and he made no apologies for his life style. "I usually do it in private at the Outpost."

"There's rarely anything private about Shark behaviour, especially not in Fabien's tavern." Skye wasn't sure she wanted any detail about what Stark and McCulloch got up to when they went for a night on the town, even though she'd heard plenty already, sometimes some rather salacious ones too.

"Well, Sharks by nature aren't exactly shy," he joked, sipping brandy a bit more. "Besides, for what they have to do, I don't see any reason why they should hide having their good time if it's not hurting anyone. At least any more than they hurt themselves." He remembered the kinds of injuries he sometimes had been called to treat following their night of hard drinking and partying.

"Amen to that. You want a take a seat? Sorry for my manners..." Skye indicated the double seater and, one hand gathering the skirt of her dress, sat down. "So where do you hail from, Stark? If you don't mind me asking."

"Monterey, California," he answered, watching her perfectly shaped legs lower herself onto the sofa before he went to join her. "Steinbeck country. What about you?"

Eyeing him, she wondered if he had ever bothered looking up the author or if he'd just grown up hearing about him. "A bit from all over. Born on the west coast of Canada but spent quite a lot of time in Switzerland, London and Boston. All those fancy boarding schools," she explained.

"Really," he nodded. "Your parents were diplomats or something, weren't they?" Glad that she had volunteered this information at breakfast, Stark had no intention of letting on that he had 'perused' her medical file. "That must have been interesting..."

"Oh, yes," she said with a nod but there was an underlying sarcasm to her tone. "Got me interested in languages, if nothing else. But don't try at another way to ask me about what girls got up to in those boarding schools because I won't say," she warned him, a smirk chasing across her lips.

Unable to resist that gauntlet being thrown, Stark replied, "Well, it means you're good with your tongue." Yes, he was a bad man. Guilty.

"Some might say," Skye found herself returning, finding the man was relentless with that flirty way of his. She looked down at her drink, swirling the thick liqueur in her glass, before she took a sip in an attempt to fight the heat that threatened to creep up her cheeks once again.

"I'll behave," he conceded, seeing the slight blush on her cheeks. "Shall we finish this and get going?" Stark asked before he said anything else inappropriate.

"I don't believe you can even do that," she teased about him behaving as she met his eyes. "But yes, maybe we should get going."

"Sounds like a plan," he said, rising to his feet. He waited until she moved to the door before he followed, remembering his manners (such as it was). "Ladies first," he smiled, gesturing towards the door.

"Thank you." She reached for her clutch and shawl and headed out, locking the door behind them when Stark stepped out after her. Out in the hallway, the sounds of the crowd downstairs were a lot louder but Skye hardly noticed it. A) she was used to it, and B) she was paying way too much attention to the man beside her.

Stark wanted out of Beasts as soon as he could because on occasion he was here with Maxy, who liked drinking with Sharks even if he was a Grifter and there had been more than one occasion that Stark had headed out with a Shark playmate for the night. The last thing he needed was them to spot him with Jamieson and assume the same.

Stepping outside, the night was actually quite pleasant. It was cool but not enough to be biting and there was a full moon out. Of course Gaia's moon was nowhere like Earth's but it had its own charm. "So, has there been anyone since Danon?" he asked. His instincts said no.

Skye picked up on some anxiousness in Stark as they skirted the bar and its patrons and was about to ask about it when he mentioned Danon.

"Anyone?" She thought about the couple of nameless encounters she'd had since Danon's death and shook her head. "No, not really. You?" She gave him a sideways glance. "Anyone of meaning?" she thought best to add.

"No." He shook his head truthfully. "After Vera, I decided to give up on the whole idea for awhile. At least until I could stand to think of relationships without the need to set something on fire." He tossed her a smirk. Jesus, he had transferred off the boat as soon as he could, just to get Vera in minimum safe distance.

"Sometimes taking a step back is the only thing we can do," she commented. Had he had enough of a break? She wasn't sure if it was the case but then he was here with her and that struck Skye as not being the norm for him.

"I think I took a step back and then left the house entirely," he chuckled. "To tell you the truth, I haven't felt the need to participate in an adult relationship since the divorce. I know... I know... makes me sound like a bit of a coward but sometimes it's less painful that way." Of course the very fact that he was here right now was something of a watershed, though Stark didn't know exactly what it all meant yet.

"Oh, I don't know. Coward's a bit strong. Look at me, three years on and I ran away from my job, I live in a cardboard box and I don't have a relationship - adult or otherwise..." She grinned. "I don't really think it as being a coward... maybe more a way to cope, to survive, no?"

"Maybe." Stark shrugged, knowing it was a little more than that. Until he met her a week ago at breakfast, he didn't even consider the possibility of dating and even now, he wasn't sure what would be the outcome if the night went well. All he knew was; he liked her and that was more than he could say for the women he bedded in the past few years. Oh sure, he fucked them but liking them, no, that didn't even enter the equation. Disposable was the word he'd used and they had never risen beyond that.

Skye could tell Stark didn't fully believe her assertion and neither did she. But who could blame a girl for trying?

"But hey we're here, right?" He looked at her with a smile, thinking that the moonlight bounced off her skin and made her look almost luminescent. "I figure we can 'cope' together."

"Indeed." She returned his warm smile and played with her shawl, letting the silky fabric caress her shoulders. "I don't think I thank you," she said, suddenly remembering something she had meant to do upon seeing him again. "My arm and hand. Good as new, as you promised. So thank you."

"I stand by my work," Stark replied smoothly as they stepped off the dirt road onto the cobblestone pathway that led to the paved avenue leading to Town Hall Square. A recent development, the wide avenue, framed by leafy Betazed oaks, was part of the city's beautification initiatives and led to the heart of the colony. It had become a favourite of recreational walkers and couples going out for a moonlight stroll. "Besides, I prefer to leave limbs in better condition than when I first found them." He smiled.

"Really?" She gave him a sultry look from beneath her eyelashes, equally full of promise as his statement was. "Makes me wonder what miracle you could do with my back," she teased. "Or my feet after an evening wearing these."

He grinned. "Well, I could give you anti-inflammation shots but I'm not a fan of overprescribing so I might have to resort to more hands-on remedies." He gave her a look of mischief, to match the sultry one she was throwing his way.

"Don't tempt me," she returned because, hell, she just might, she realised as she took on their surroundings, the sweet evening air and the moons above. It was almost as his mother would have written it - not that Skye would point that out.

"I live to tempt," Stark said wickedly as he offered her his arm. It seemed like the thing to do as they walked through the avenue, taking in the sweet scent of the flowering trees.

"Yes, I'm beginning to get that," Skye said, taking his arm with more enthusiasm than she liked to admit. "You and Commander Whelan, you get along?" The question was more for chit-chat than anything else because she already had a pretty good idea of the answer, but at the same time she wondered what was between the two men. "I asked because he..." How could she put it delicately? "He seemed... preoccupied."

And that was nowhere close. Obviously Scuttlebutt had done the rounds about her and Stark meeting up for breakfast, even their little tete-a-tete in Sickbay she'd heard of in whispers. Matt hadn't so much said anything as double-checking her plans for the evening, which wasn't entirely odd. Skye and he weren't close friends but as First Officer and Comms Officer on the Bridge, they spent ample time together, enough to discuss leave in-passing. But the look in his eyes at the mention of Stark and an evening out had spoken volume.

"Oh, so he hasn't staged an intervention yet?" Stark chuckled, guessing what bug crawled up that guy's ass. "He doesn't much approve of me and the twelve transfers he has had to approve don't help either. The Captain and I have an understanding, I get to be as brutally honest as I want with my nurses and she leaves me alone... but it's Whelan who has to deal with most of the fallout."

"Ah, I see." Skye nodded. "And where does the need to be brutally honest with women come from?" She guessed after two ex-wives, it wasn't really a surprise but she'd rather hear his take on it.

"Actually," Stark felt the need to explain himself, "it's not so much the fact that I was divorced twice. It's the scuttlebutt about who my mother is." He rolled his eyes. "I treat every nurse with respect until I get the inevitable 'oh my god, I love her books - she's a genius!'." He made a face. "Look, I loved my mom, she was crazy, flamboyant, a little unstable but she was best time my father ever had but those books are drivel and I'm not about to trust the lives of patients to the judgement of anyone who thinks those books are masterpieces."

Skye was chuckling. "I'm not questioning your reasoning but are you actually telling me that all twelve of them were fans?" She found that hard to believe.

"I'm sure the first two or three were flukes but after that I'm convinced it's a conspiracy," Stark said with a perfectly straight face. "Possibly perpetrated by Whelan," he said, glancing upwards as if he could see the NX from where he was standing.

Arriving at Town Hall Square, the concert was being held in the auditorium that also hosted other civic functions. Large steps led to the ornate front doors and external lighting gave the building an amber glow along its polished stone walls. Other concert goers were making their way up the steps into the hall.

"Do you feel like dinner after the concert?" Stark asked, realising he should have thought about that. "I should have asked you this before. Told you I'm out of practice."

"Don't you worry about that; I'm not marking you, you know. And it's not like I'm an expert at this." She gave him an amused look. If anything, from what she'd heard, he was the smooth Valentino, sweeping women off their feet. Maybe his fretting over this should flatter her, since he obviously cared more than usual. "Dinner would be nice."

"Terrific," he replied. "There's a new place that's opened up around the corner from Town Hall, Molly's I think it's called. Not as five star as Infinity's but I hear good things about it." Stark was trying to remember everything he could about dating etiquette because she wasn't some girl who'd be happy as long as you plied her with drinks and pretended to listen to her crap.

"I think I've seen it, but haven't had a chance to try it out." She let him lead her inside, her eyes catching the beautiful decor. "It's been such a long time since I've been here for anything other than some function linked with work. They've really done the place up, haven't they? Makes me feel like a million bucks." She laughed at herself, her arm tightening around his momentarily as she finally felt the excitement of the performance ahead.

"Well, you look amazing," Stark replied, liking her arm around his and feeling a sense of contentment he hadn't felt in too long. Damn, he was so tumbling into this head first. Moving through the front lobby, the other attendees were already moving to the auditorium and the whole place had a sense of elegant fanfare that seemed out of place in a city that they had cobbled together only seventeen years ago with the remnants of old freighters and plasticrete emergency shelters. "I'm told that the soloist for the second movement is pretty good," he added.

"Thank you. I did try," she replied to his compliment. Second one - not that she was counting. "I'm looking forward to it. It's been too long," she admitted. "Didn't Rachmaninoff dedicate this to his physician? It's like he composed it just for you. You can play?"

"Yeah, I can." He nodded, "I haven't played much Rachmaninoff, I'm more of a Beethoven man myself but Hans got a piano from Betazed a couple of years ago so I got back into it when I moved in to his place after the war."

"I'd like it if you'd let me hear you play one day," she said. Rachmaninoff wasn't a favourite of hers so was glad he wasn't one of his either but she was still looking forward to tonight's performance. "Beethoven, you can't go wrong. Mendelssohn and Chopin too. I found some old music sheets actually." Not that she would admit that since his invite she had been tempted to pick up an instrument again and had been going through her things. Luckily her injury had prevented her from making a fool of herself. "Stravinsky, Le sacre du printemps... Rite of Spring. It was one I often played at school in Geneva. It's for the piano. Thought you might like them."

"Thank you," Stark replied as they stepped into the auditorium and were greeted by ushers on duty. Once he'd handed their tickets, he regarded her gesture more fully. "I appreciate that." He was actually touched. He hadn't had anyone to share his appreciation of classical music since Hans passed and while Vera liked to hear him play, Becky had little patience with it. "If you still have an instrument, we should play that together," he suggested.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, though part of her was thrilled by the idea. "It's just been so many years. And anyway, I don't have one anymore. When we were evacuated, they were short on space. Couldn't find room for my cello and I can't blame them."

"Yeah," Stark shrugged as they were led to their seats, a few rows from the front. Behind the stage, the assembly of the orchestra could be seen by the sudden ripples in the swaying velvet curtains. "I was sure they'd have the same problem with my piano." He smiled. "But still, you can replicate one fairly easily now. You should do that, we can have a jam session," he joked.

"True." She smiled, entertaining the idea for more than a brief flight of fancy. Maybe. "You really got us nice tickets," she commented, looking around. At the front, behind the heavy scarlet drapes, they could hear the musicians warm up. It made Skye's hands itch.

"Well, if a beautiful grown up woman agrees to come to a concert with me, the least I can do is get good seats." Stark smiled at her, grateful that he hadn't told Maxy about this or he'd never hear the end of it. Of course, gossip tended to run rife on starships so if Max didn't know today, he'd know it when Stark got back to the NX.

"So, are you saying that if I was, say, near twenty years younger, you would have gone for the back row?" she teased.

"If you were twenty years younger, we'd be at the Outpost doing jello shots because you'd be snoring through the performance," he said with a leer. "At least that's my experience with twenty years old lately." He winked.

"Actually," Skye retorted with a chuckle, "twenty years ago would have put me up there." She pointed at the orchestra behind the curtains. "And then out for jello shots. I guess I just wasn't your regular young woman..."

"No, you weren't," Stark agreed with her on that point, "but I'm kind of disappointed I missed knowing you back then." He teased her with a smile. "I'm glad I'm making up for it now." He meant that too and once again, felt his gut tightening in anxiety because he was drawn to her in a way that could change his very comfortable existence. For someone who so often claimed to have no boundaries, Stark knew himself he could be rather limited.

There was an enigmatic look about him and Skye settled her eyes on him rather than letting them roam the large auditorium like she had been doing. And as she did so, it felt like the world was narrowing down to only just them. Them and the rather large man who was sitting next to her and nearly squeezing onto her seat. "Now, you're just flirting with me," she said, at a loss for anything else.

"Flirting? Me?" Stark feigned ignorance. "Never happen." He noted however the man pressing up against her and leaned forward. "I'm not trying to hit on you... well, no more than usual but if you want to move closer, I'll try not to get too excited," he said, reaching for her hand and squeezing.

"You like this too much," she noted but she shifted closer to him nonetheless, a little voice inside of her wanting to know who was flirting now. She glanced at her hand in his elegant one. Hers had done many things since she had held a classical instrument. They were roughened, with small marks and scars. His, in comparison, still could be that of a pianist, and certainly a physician's hands. She liked his warmth and pressed her palm to his in response.

The curtains pulled back, revealing the orchestra who were poised with instruments ready. An unseen emcee made the introductions before the conductor took centre stage.

"I do, I really do," Stark answered without hesitation, not removing his hand as she moved closer to him and the orchestra began to play, providing accompanying music to his already soaring spirit.

*****

The piece swept Skye off, not once letting her need for detail or perfection focus on execution. The passion in her ebbed and flowed with the music, each movement coaxing a myriad of emotions. By the time the third movement concluded and the audience found their feet to applaud the conductor and musicians, she found she'd nearly forgotten where she was and glanced down at her hand still in Stark's, her fingers holding onto him rather tightly. Turning her head, she looked at him with tears in her eyes, thoroughly moved.

He'd stolen glances at her during the performance.

Watched the emotion splayed over her face, naked as the music soaked into her, moving her. In her eyes, he saw wonder and joy at rediscovering something within herself, perhaps. Her hand had remained in his and Stark felt himself similarly affected by not merely the music but by the fact that he could get very attached to that gleam in her eyes.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he said affectionately, none of the usual sarcasm or flippancy in his manner. "They play well."

"They did," she agreed, a chuckle leaving her as the emotional tension bled away. "I'm glad you invited me." Squeezing his hand, she released it and found a tissue in her purse to dab her eyes. "See, hardass Shark appreciating classical music," she quipped before the intensity in his look made her pause in her movements. It obviously pleased him that she could...

"Well, they say music soothes the savage beast," Stark pointed out. "I think the saying could be applied to Sharks as well." He smiled, wishing he had a handkerchief to give to her.

"Savage beast, huh? You certainly know how to charm a woman." She carefully dealt with her eyes, silently cursing the makeup she'd foolishly applied, and gave him a smirk, letting know she took no offence. She was just toying with him.

"Well I don't know everything about you yet," he replied, guessing no offense had been taken. "You could be a savage, I just haven't seen it yet." His voice was laced with innuendo.

"And you'd like that, wouldn't you?" She raised an eyebrow. She guessed all those party nights he went on with McCulloch had plenty of wild girls. If that was what he was after, maybe it was best to find out now and avoid disappointment later. Skye still had a savage side to her still but she'd long outgrown the worst of it.

"Possibly," Stark shrugged, "personally I think I'm getting a little too old for savage, adventurous without needing traction would be my preference," he answered, guessing that he was being gauged here and went for the most truthful if politic response he could give her.

Chuckling at that, Skye stood up as many around them were starting to head out of the auditorium, and smoothed her dress down. "I think dinner is safe in that way? No risk of traction, I think Molly's is far enough from the Beasts."

"Definitely," Stark stood up and once again, allowed her to go first before he followed her down the row of chairs into the aisle to join the throng leaving the auditorium. "Should I have tried to get my hands on a skimmer?" he asked her. "I feel kind of guilty making you work in those heels, no matter how great your legs look." He smirked.

"I'm sure I'll survive," Skye returned with a smile after waiting a beat for him to join her side. "Besides, you said you could take care of it if there's too much damage..."

Stark spared her a look of pleasant surprise. "I didn't think I was going to go back on duty because of a first date but okay," he grinned, "I can sacrifice my time enough to take care of you. After all since I'm making you walk, I guess it's in my duty of care."

"Damn straight," she replied, reaching for his arm once more. "Now, take me there; I'm famished."

"Yes, ma'am," Stark answered, letting her link her arm through his as they walked out of the auditorium.

~

[do]

NEAR TOWN HALL SQUARE
GAIA
21st JUNE 2171

The walk to Molly's was pleasant, the avenue bordered by trees was simply gorgeous and Skye was glad they walked along it again. Soon they were standing in front of the little Irish-style restaurant, which was still rather busy despite the dinner rush was long passed.

"Popular spot," Skye commented as they took a second to take in the place and the atmosphere. The lovely evening had drawn a lot of people out, some for a late meal, a drink or a simple stroll. Many of the ladies threw them a look and Skye was reminded of the hot property she had as a date.

"Yeah," Stark nodded, noting the stares and finding it odd that they were staring so. Was it such a big deal that he was actually out on a date as opposed to the string of women he usually dated and then never called or passed on to Max? "It's pretty new, I'm told. Seems the chef came from Acheron about six months ago and set up shop. I'm going to take all the clientele as a good sign," he remarked as they stepped onto the carpeted walk to the front door.

"Yes, it's usually a good sign, unless it's the first time for all of them." She threw him a smirk before walking in to be met by a pretty hostess.

"Good evening. Table for two?"

"Yes, please," Stark said politely and was greeted by a smile from the young woman, which left Stark racking his brain as to whether or not he knew her. She was the right age... No. Fate wasn't going to fuck with him that much tonight.

They were led to a nice table by the window, affording them a look of the view outside. Stark pulled out the chair for Skye before seating himself and looked at the hostess, who had lingered long enough to take their drinks order first.

"White wine?" Skye suggested, amused at the certain interest Stark garnered in some. The woman barely made eye contact with her but she didn't have the same problem with Stark, whom she had doey eyes for.

"Sounds good," Stark replied, making certain he did not make eye contact with the hostess, whose name if memory served was Tessa, who was a dancer or a singer or something... he remembered that being one of her aspirations but little else. "White wine for now, we'll figure out our food order shortly."

"Certainly, Doctor Stark," the girl remarked, giving Skye a look of puzzlement as if she was not the kind that normally frequented the good doctor's company.

Skye grinned when Stark looked uncomfortable. "Small world, huh?" She chuckled, throwing a look at the young woman retreating with a pronounced sway of her hips, heading to the bar to put in their order.

"Too small," Stark shrugged, managing an embarrassed smile. "All I seem to remember about her is that she holds a tune pretty well, no matter what the circumstances." Then winced because he knew perfectly well what those circumstances were and with the look on his face, so did she.

Oh, hell. Skye felt like clearing her throat, sharing his embarrassment up to a point, and finding out she knew a little too much about that girl now, but she kept her smile on. "It's okay." She reached out, patting his hand.

For the first time, Stark felt somewhat self-conscious about his previous conquests. His parties or rather orgies with Max had been all about fun, rediscovering his zest for living, which had felt somewhat deflated since his split with Vera. He had been so damn angry, he wanted to take it out on every woman he met, in those first few months. Later on, it was simply easier to shack up with some girl and forget her the next day then pursuing a relationship since those had ended so well for him before.

"It isn't." He met her gaze. "But thanks for the effort anyway."

"No problem." Trying to move them past the moment, Skye picked up the menus and handed him one. "What do you feel like?" she asked, having a quick scan.

"Thanks," he said, grateful for the distraction as he looked at the menu. "I don't know, I think something light for this time of night. Maybe a club sandwich or something. What about you?"

"If it's got bacon in it, I'm sold," Skye returned. "That and something sweet for after? Cheesecake maybe? Do they have some?" She was prattling on as she perused the menu, her stomach growling in response to all the items on their, except for the fish. She really didn't fancy fish tonight.

Stark ran his gaze through the desert selection and then responded, "Yeah, strawberry cheesecake, no less." He met her gaze across the table. Women. "I'm guessing the strawberries are replicated but in a pinch, right?" He chuckled, lowering the menu down onto the table. "You k now what I miss?" He looked at her. "Cows."

"In a pinch," she repeated, grinning. "You miss cows?" Skye looked at him, dumbfounded. "Why?"

"Yeah." He saw her stumped. "Cows, sheep, horses. You know, driving through the country and seeing them in fields along the highway, just grazing, doing nothing. Completely oblivious to all our shit."

"Oh, yes. I see what you mean." Starfleet had saved the genome of most things from Earth and other human colonies. Animal and plant life so the human race could sustain itself on another world. Not everything took on Gaia, but some did, cows being one them. But as Stark elaborated, Skye got what he meant. Gaia was barely developed and there were only a few roads heading out of the city. The feeling of freedom he was referring to, driving along an open road with fields as far as they eye could see, this was missing from their new home. She suddenly thought of something. "Do you ride?"

"Horseback?" He stared back at her. "Not since I was fifteen," he replied. "Why?"

"I k now someone in the hills. They have a few horses." Actually, their place was starting to resemble a real ranch as more years went by. "It's not driving through the country but it's damn close. Could take you, if you'd like..."

"That sounds promising," he replied, giving her a little wink and then sobered up to answer her request. "I'd like that though I'm not kidding; it's been awhile since I rode. My mother insisted I learned." He rolled his eyes. "She thought that I'd never date if I couldn't learn how to ride and sweep some girl off her feet when I came up on a horse."

Skye grinned at that, trying to picture how his mother must have been in real life. Her public image was just so popular, there was probably little of the real woman in it. Though, from what Stark said, some of the romantic notions she pumped in her books remained. "I'm sure you'd pick it up again fairly easily," she returned, dodging the obvious joke she could have made about him not having ridden in a while, and added, "It came back quickly for me."

"I'll take your word for it." He grinned. "As long as I get to use a saddle. Mom seemed to think bareback was the way to go too." There was only one thing bareback Stark did and that had nothing to do with horse riding. "Do you ride much?" he asked, not imagining a Shark would engage in such an activity that often but then Skye wasn't your regular Shark either. No way would she have stayed awake during the performance tonight if she were anything but extraordinary.

"Any chance I get." Mischief twinkled in her eyes at his mention of bareback but also as she remembered his earlier tease. Oh, she could take him alright. Had he been a Marine, she would have pointed out that it wasn't because his failure to keep it in his pants made her look like a nun that, in fact, she was behaving like one. But this wasn't Shark company nor the usual taunts she used to get from the guys. "Which isn't often enough."

Stark knew as much as she that the NX was often deployed, and there was also the fact she didn't own any of those horses. She'd just befriended one of the farmers settled in Cochrane Hills when they'd had all those run-ins with the Vexcians a few years ago. Horse riding had come as a thank-you gift for saving his livestock but she tried not to abuse it.

"I hear you," he nodded, understanding the limitations of starship limitations better than anyone else. It had taken some getting used to being on the NX after spending on year in the colony. He missed feeling grass under his bare feet and being able to look out a window and see something other than the emptiness of space. "We should try and see if we can do it the next time we're back."

Whenever that might be.

"Sure." Skye smiled, pleased that he was game to jump back on the horse, no pun intended. "Can doctors work on themselves if they happen to break a bone?" she teased before she had to pull back while a waitress brought them their wine. She watched the woman look at Stark but this one had more maturity, it seemed, and didn't undress him with her gaze - at least not in an obvious manner. "Thank you."

"Sure," Stark answered as he looked up at the hostess, "we know how to take care of ourselves, provided we have a mirror for the parts we can't see." He smirked back and then noted the look on the waitress' face. She was staring at him with a look of clear bemusement. "Uh...ladies first." He gestured to Skye.

Skye was shaking her head lightly, grinning at the fact the man simply seemed to be unable to help himself. She gave the woman a smile, an expression that said to never mind him, and pointed at a spot on the menu. "I'll have the club sandwich, mayo, extra bacon, and the cheesecake for dessert and coffee to go with it."

Stark gave his order after her, which was more or less what she ordered minus the mayo (only Canadians seemed to like that stuff), before the waitress went on her way again. Once she was gone, he regarded Skye. "So am I a lost cause or would you like to do this again?"

"Lost cause?" Skye looked at him, a little puzzled. "You're the one who usually doesn't bother with wining and dining them, I was wondering if I was too much work..."

"Too much work?" His blue eyes widened at the thought. "It doesn't feel like work. It feels good. I haven't been this interested in anything in a long time." And that was the truth too. Whatever happened after tonight, Stark could at least admit that to himself. He enjoyed her company.

A little surprised at his admission, Skye's face lit up. "I'm glad to hear that." Against all odds, if Whelan was an authority on the matter, she was really enjoying herself and finding there was much more to the doctor than the gossip let on.

"I'm going to go for broke here," Stark replied, liking the way her eyes lit up. "I'm thinking..."

"Tenny?" A voice spoke up that made his skin crawl. "Darlin, is that you?"

There was no God. Stark was convinced of it now. Shifting his gaze in the direction of the odious voice, Stark saw his worst nightmare unfold (not not the one where he woke up and his balls were...never mind), one even worse than that, the presence of wife number 1. Charlene.

Charlene Walker Stark Cropper stood at their table with her husband, one of the civilian councilmen of Gaia's municipal community. She had married the guy about three months after their divorce was finalised and other than a meeting a year ago when Charlene had come seek him out at the Outpost, Stark hadn't seen hide nor hair of her. He had hoped that state of affairs would continue. Charlene and her husband Stanley were on route to their table when she'd spotted him. Perfectly manicured and looking spectacular as always, Stark remembered a time when he was so in love with her.

Now he listened for children crying and dogs barking whenever she was in his proximity.

"Oh, Jesus," he muttered under his breath and looked at Skye with a look of apology. "Charlene, how...nice...to see you."

"Oh, Tenny," she greeted, perfectly aware that he hated it. "I'm surprised to see you here. Aren't you going to introduce us?" She turned her gaze at Skye.

Stark struggled to remain civil. "Skye, this is Charlene Cropper, my ex-wife and her husband, Stanley."

"Nice to meet you," Stanley, a slightly pudgy and balding man greeted.

"Charlene, Stanley..." Skye nodded to them in turn, feeling for Stark, who looked like the sky had fallen or was about to. So much so that he'd actually called her by her first name, a thing he'd never done yet.

While Skye wasn't blind and could appreciate the woman's beauty, Charlene didn't strike her as Stark's type. But then again, she was only starting to know the man and, obviously, Charlene had been his type enough for him to marry her. She did remember what he'd told her about his first wife though, that she'd turned out to be quite different than the woman he thought he'd fallen in love with. In Charlene's case, the old adage that beauty was only skin deep might be true.

"Honey," Charlene looked over her shoulder at her husband. "Why don't you run along to our table and order our drinks. I shouldn't be too long. I just want say hello to Tenny."

Stark bit down in reflex, certain she was doing it to piss him off. Charlene brought out the worst in h im. Perhaps not as badly as Vera but close.

"Sure," Stanley nodded and padded off like a good little soldier.

"Well now," Charlene turned to Skye. "That's an awful pretty name. Skye. I don't think I've heard quite anything like that. How very Bohemian."

"Thank you," Skye answered, wondering if the irritating lilt and Southern Belle accent was put on or real. "It's of British origin." She thought of giving the woman a geography class about Scotland and the Isle of Skye but figured that would be rude. 'Tenny' was embarrassed enough as it was.

"I'm so glad you're finally getting out of the Outpost, sweetie." She tossed Stark a look. "It's nice to know that you're dating again, not tomcatting around with every young thing you can get your hands on," she teased.

"Yeah," Stark found his annoyance escalating, knowing perfectly well she was doing this to embarrass him. "Yeah, I have to admit after being married twice, it's nice to have a change with the pretty young things."

Caressing Stark's hand, Skye wasn't sure what got into her but couldn't stop herself. "Actually, Charlene, I'm with an escort service. Tennyson here just decided to trade a few years for experience."

Stark shot Skye a 'WTF' look before he recovered and broke into a wide grin. "And she used to be a gymnast, very bendy. You know, like how you used to be before you put on all that thigh cheese." He winked before lifting Skye's hand to his lips and planting a soft kiss on her knuckle.

Charlene's eyes narrowed. "I do believe I've overstayed my welcome. Have a good evening, y'all." She snorted and turned on her heels.

His kiss and warm breath were distracting enough that Skye didn't actually get to fully enjoy the result of her silly comment. Eyes on his, it took another second before she blinked and turned to look at Charlene's back. "I'm... shit, I'm sorry, Stark. I don't know what came over me... but thigh cheese? Ouch. Remind me to never get old near you." She grinned.

"I strongly suspect that you won't have to worry about that," he replied. "And frankly, I don't imagine I'll be looking like an Adonis when I'm older either. That comment was for her benefit only; she does bring out the worst in me." He shook his head. "Usually, I get a heads-up she's coming, you know, like storm clouds rolling in or dogs barking...." he grinned.

"Maybe there was and we just didn't notice," she returned, her eyes back on his face, finding that he held her captive by his hand on hers alone.

Trading a dark look with Charlene, who was now seated at her table, Stark's gaze returned to Skye again. "Believe it or not, when I met her during my last year as a med stud ent, she was a student nurse and she seemed a little wild but fun. I had no idea what I was letting myself in for." He sighed.

"Error of youth? How long did you two date before getting hitched?"

"A couple of months," Stark answered, remembering those days. "She always had big dreams but I figured, you know, that was just her. I mean, there were things she wanted, we wanted, family, a nice little house, that sort of thing, and for awhile that seemed enough but after we were married and I finished my internship and began residency... her priorities shifted. I mean, you know, what it was like back then, no one had luxuries. I think Charlene just got tired of not having things and wanted a lifestyle where she'd never had to go without. She thought marrying a doctor would ensure that."

"She probably found that with a politician," Skye said. "I mean unless the doctor works for a private practice, everyone knows they don't make all that much money," she joked. But anyone on the political stage did. Skye had grown up right in the middle of that in a way and had never wanted for anything (except for her parents' time and attention). As limited as Gaia's resources could be, she was certain the council looked after their own well enough. Humans were like that; they couldn't help themselves.

"Yeah, she wanted me to go that route but that's not what I was about. Being a doctor is all I ever wanted. The money never meant anything to me. I wanted to do some good... yeah, I know, corny but true. Charlene never got that. When she divorced me, I couldn't say I was all that surprised and by then, she had the charming personality you just saw."

Skye's gaze went to his ex-wife without being too obvious about it and she sighed. "She must have loved you very much... for it to turn to this. Her dreams dashed and all, looks like she couldn't handle it as gracefully as some."

"I don't know." Stark shrugged. "I wondered if I was the one who was in love and she just picked me because of who I was going to be. Figured she'd get in on the ground floor and got turned off quickly when things went in a different direction than what she expected."

Skye wasn't so sure of that. Why get in on the ground floor? "Maybe I'm not as cynical as you, but if she was only after the money and... stature, say, I don't see why she wouldn't have simply gone for a sure thing." Stark as a person, must have factored in her choice. And usually, only love could bring an equally strong opposite feeling. Had she not feel anything for Stark, disinterest would be what she'd be dishing out now, and that wasn't what Skye had witnessed.

"I suppose," Stark replied, not wanting to think on Charlene's motivations too much since it was clear what kind of person she was now. "Maybe you're right but I kind of think it's more jealousy because she's just not the centre of my universe anymore and Charlene likes to engender that feeling in everyone, even if she could care less about them in return."

Skye couldn't really say either way so she simply nodded. Stark was certainly in a better position to know in any case and Charlene did come across as liking centre stage. "Does Vera like to walk up to you and say hi too?"

"No." Stark shook his head. "She knows better." He tried to maintain a neutral expression but his eyes hardened and if Vera were to walk in, Stark knew he wouldn't be as civil as he had been to Charlene. The wounds Vera left were far deeper than anything Charlene could have left behind in her wake.

Seeing his demeanour change, and in a very different way than it had upon hearing Charlene's voice earlier, Skye regretted bringing his second wife up. There was something really painful there and tonight shouldn't be about revisiting his past. Clearing her throat, she reached for her glass. "To tomorrow?" she suggested, wanting them to shift focus to the future for a spell.

"To tomorrow." He smiled and raised his glass, holding her gaze.

His eyes reminded Skye of the sea. Not the azure, blue-green of some warm island beach, but the deep blue ocean. If she wasn't careful, he'd pull her in and there was no telling how far she'd willingly follow. She had been prepared to leave her life here on Gaia for the love of a man not that long ago, leave all she knew to make a home on another world, adopt a new culture. In retrospect, it scared her the length to which she would go for someone's love. You would think she would have learned better, yet this man...

Swallowing, Skye tried to regain some senses before she took a sip. "Do you remember what you were about to say, before we got interrupted?"

Stark thought back and then remembered, uncertain if he should bring it up after Charlene but supposed he owed it to Skye to be honest. "I was going to say that I've had a great time living the bachelor lifestyle since my divorces and it's true, I probably forgot more names of girls that I've slept with than it's decent but I never cheated when I was married, ever. True, I left Vera but that was reasons that have entirely to do with her. I guess I wanted to say that I like you, I like having breakfast with you," he smiled, "and I hope you give me a chance to show you I'm more than my reputation."

Wow. Skye hadn't expected that. "I'm touched by your candour, Stark." And surprised and pleased. And that heavy shadow was back again on his features, in his eyes, at the mention of Vera and Skye was burning to ask what it was the woman had done to him that had hurt him so. He'd mentioned a disagreement over having children but it seemed to be more than that. Breach of trust? Lies? If that was the case, Skye wanted to be upfront with hers from the get-go.

"I've never cheated but I've been duplicitous," she offered. "For my job." She glanced at her wine glass before meeting his gaze again. "I like you too, and that chance has already been given. I'm not regretting it so far." She gave him a warm smile, wanting him to know the little scene with his first wife, or even with the hostess, wasn't bothering her. "I must say that it tickles me to hear you say you like having breakfast with me. It's hard enough to find someone to like waking up to, let alone eat breakfast with, and here we are, appreciating each other's company without even doing the deed first."

"Yeah." He smiled "Back in the days of yore, I used to appreciate women for their minds, more than just the sex. You must be regressing me." He laughed.

"Maybe not so much regression as a reset?" Skye shrugged, returning his smile. "I think we both might do well with the therapy."

The waitress chose that moment to bring them their dinner, placing plates in front of them and refreshing their drinks. "Would you like anything else?"

"Not right now, thank you," Skye said, eyeing her club sandwich. "This looks great."

Stark looked across the table and added with a little smile, "It certainly does."

*****

Dinner and th e desert that followed was worthy of the compliments that the restaurant had earned thus far. Once again, breaking bread with Skye Jamieson reminded him of how much fun relationships could be in the beginning. Even with Charlene giving them the evil eye from her table, after awhile, Stark forgot all about her and focussed on his dinner companion. Elegant despite her vocation as a Shark, Skye's graceful and somewhat classical beauty also revealed someone who had loved and lost as much as he had, except she had come out of the experience more grounded than he.

He admired her for that, being able to hold onto herself while finding a new life out of the ashes of the old. The pain tempered her, it did not leave her bitter or jaded as it left him and to a degree, he felt a little ashamed that he had degenerated so far in his efforts to forget about what Vera and Charlene had done to him. When the meal was done, he offered to walk her back to Beasts, having no expectation beyond that because the night had been a revelation in itself.

She had called it right that they had appreciated each other's company without doing the deed and while he was incredibly attracted to her (he wasn't that far gone not to notice that about her), Stark was happy if the evening ended with a promise to do this again.

Walking down the avenue, hand in hand, like a couple of teenagers, Stark smiled to himself, hoping that the feeling he was experiencing wasn't just the novelty of a new relationship. He would really hate it if this ended the way the others had.

"Well, we made it through the evening without you slapping me for something inappropriate," he joked as they headed back to Beasts.

"You expected I would?" she teased, giving him a sideways look. "Yeah, I think I expected I might too."

"I'm glad to disappoint you," he replied, smiling back at her. "You know, Skye, I didn't think I was going to be up for this again. Rolling the dice, trying to do this again. I was convinced that no matter how good this started, it could still end badly because I'd screw up one way or another. You know, not being housebroken and all after so long."

Well, she thought to herself, it could still go terribly wrong. Theirs so far was a little more than a handful of breakfasts and one evening out. But Skye guessed she understood what he meant. He hadn't even expected that to go this well.

"Proves it's more or less like riding a bicycle." She grinned before her expression turned more serious. "I don't know if it counts for anything but I..." She sighed, looking away before her hand tightened its hold on his briefly, trying to memorise the feel of it, of the contact. Maybe she hadn't expected it to go that well either. "I have a good feeling about this."

"Me too," Stark found himself saying, feeling her hand in his, thinking it felt like silk. "Look, God forbid we ever run into Vera but maybe you should know this and understand why it's been tough for me." He sighed, wondering if he should tell her about why he'd left Vera but it felt dishonest not to, especially when she'd seen the worst of him . "When Vera and I married, we were both career Starfleet, we figured we'd serve together, she'd run the starship, I'd be CMO. All very perfect," he said softly. "Kids were something we'd spoken about in general. There was a sense we'd have them at some point."

Skye nodded. He'd said his wife had changed her mind on him. "And she thought better of it later on?"

His jaw tightened. "No, she got pregnant and she didn't tell me." He shrugged. "I was on Betazed for a month so I didn't know. You know how it was back then before the Klingons. Travelling off world and coming back wasn't easy to do because we were still keeping the colony a secret from the Xindi. If I had been here, I probably would have seen it but we were apart for awhile so when she started to have the symptoms, I was already on Betazed. She..." he paused and tried to get the words out. "She had it terminated before I got back."

Skye faltered in her step and nearly stopped walking but pushed herself to carry on and pick her jaw up. "Shit, Stark..." She didn't know what else to say. "Without even telling you?" Even if Skye didn't want children, she didn't think she could be so... cavalier.

"Pretty much," Stark replied, seeing her shock and felt grateful for the reaction because he had often questioned whether or not he had overreacted to what Vera had done. Even though he had been reassured by Maxy on numerous occasions, it was assuring to see that on the face of another. "I got bac k and she told me she made the best decision for us. I think she figured if I knew, I wouldn't have consented, not that I have any choice in the matter if she wanted it done anyway but at least this way, it'd be over and I'd just have to deal with it. She said it wasn't the right time for us to have a child but you know, Skye, the career wasn't all that important to me if there was a kid on the way. I would have made it work without her having to sacrifice anything. I was so angry she never gave me the chance to tell her that."

Skye didn't know if Stark even noticed but he had stopped walking in the middle of telling her all this. "I'm sorry," she said as she reached for his arm with her free hand and unconsciously played with the fabric of his shirt. The words sounded wholly lame and she knew it. It was one hell of a betrayal, one she couldn't even begin to comprehend. Oh, she'd felt betrayed when Danon had gone and gotten himself killed, but that was different. She knew her feelings were illogical and unfair, borne out of immense grief and an unwanted revisit of childhood demons. But the fact Stark had been prepared to put his career on hold to raise an unscheduled baby made her feel like hyperventilating all of a sudden.

Just when they had both admitted liking each other...

"Stark, I have to tell you something." Skye looked around, eyes scanning their surroundings, remembering a park bench they had passed not too far back. Her eyes back on him, she gestured with her head her request for him to follow her. The subject of their conversation was simply too heavy to carry on whilst standing in the middle of the avenue.

Christ, what the fuck had he been thinking, unloading on her like that?

It had seemed so natural, just talking to her, that for a moment, Stark felt as if they had been doing this for ages, not for barely a few weeks. Letting her lead him to the bench, he sat down on it after gesturing her to do so first, expecting the worst. "I didn't mean to depress you. I guess, I'm trying to justify myself a little."

"No..." Skye shook her head. "It's nothing like that, I mean, shit, Stark, you don't need to justify your reaction to me." She looked at him, her teeth worrying her bottom lip for a moment. "It's just... I always... I mean, I don't want to be presumptuous but..." Shit, what was she saying? Obviously flustered, she looked away and took a deep breath to try and calm that heart of hers, which was pounding at a wild gallop in her chest. "We're not kids anymore and while I wouldn't presume to talk about this on a first date, what happened with..." She faltered for a moment, her hands clutching at the bench and wishing for a shot of liquid courage, or something. "What your second wife did to you, if things did turn out good between us..." And Skye had no reason after tonight to believe they wouldn't... just say it! "I don't believe I'd be a good mother," she sort of blurted out. "I mean, you should know this now, so we don't waste all this time, so we can save ourselves some heartache later on." She shook her head, aware that she was blathering on. "Last thing I would want to do is pull a Vera on you."

Not that Skye would have an abortion if she ever got pregnant, but letting him know a couple of years down the line, when they're both in love and invested in the relationship, that she thought she'd never be good with children, wouldn't that be just as bad?

Stark stared at her and remembered that when he wasn't behaving like a horny jackass, he wasn't exactly a stupid man either. Sitting back into the bench, he broke into a laugh and did so for the next few seconds. When he straightened up wiping his eyes, he looked at her affectionately and reached for her cheek. "You and I are thinking so far ahead from just this one date, it's actually funny." Sobering up, he looked at her seriously. "Thank you for being honest with me. I don't know how I feel about children anymore and to tell the truth, I've kind of shut the door on that part of my life. I think Vera burned the desire out of me. So I don't think you have to worry about that question if things 'got good' between us. Right now, I'm satisfied if you want to go to dinner with me again, let alone thinking that far ahead."

Skye let out a nervous chuckle that turned self-mocking. "Well, as long as that's settled," she quipped. "Just thought I'd spare you all this courting," she winked, "if what you're looking for is a mother for your children. Should we check we want to live on the same side of the river before we push further?" she joked.

Despite feeling like a moron, deep down, Skye was relieved that it meant they were still on but at the same time it saddened her that his ex-wife could have snuffed out his paternal instincts and desires just like that.

"Nah." He shook his head and smirked. "Anything else I want to know, I'll just look in your medical file," he teased. He wondered about her desire to avoid children though. She didn't seem like the type to dedicate her whole life to the job and she wasn't at the age yet where the tick tocking of the proverbial clock had begun. She might change her mind later and if she didn't and Stark was still around, he wouldn't mind that either.

She raised her eyebrow. "Is nothing sacred?"

"Not to me." He grinned wickedly and then added, "Okay, okay, I'll do it the old fashioned way, I'll just ask." He rolled his eyes as if it was a great inconvenience before laughing. "I like the old fashioned way."

Skye eyed him a moment, thoughtful. Yes, she guessed he was old-fashioned too in a way. When he fell for a woman, he married her. And he struck her as loyal too, until betrayed - which was fair enough. "Yeah, you probably do but I'd bet you already had a look, didn't you?" It wasn't really a question and the fact she was pretty sure she knew the answer made her grin.

A look of school boy guilt crept into his face as she posed the question to him. "Maybe a quick look," he admitted guiltily. "But only so I could familiarize myself with your medical history in case of emergency, so I wouldn't waste any time to pull up files and review data." A slow smirk stole across his face.

"Right," she said, not believing him one iota. "Come on. I've delayed you enough, what with me dumping my life choices on you on a first date," she deadpanned.

"Oh, yeah, because I'm not guilty of telling you all my deep dark secrets," he served back. "I have to say though that all this honesty is pretty liberating. At least we're going into this with eyes wide open," Stark pointed out. "I just hope I haven't scared you off with all my issues."

Skye gave him an amused look. "Ditto with mine." She stood up and extended her hand.

Taking her hand, he stood up and offered her his arm again so they could resume their journey back to Beasts. "My issues are way more twisted than yours." He gave a wink as they started walking once more, admiring the lustre of blue moonlight against her skin. Christ, he thought to himself, o ne evening with her and he was thinking like Desiree fucking Stark.

God help him.

*****

It might have been a while and despite the incident with Charlene, Stark was rather surprised by the time he got back to the Slain Beasts Tavern with Skye, he had made up his mind that this was one of the more pleasant evenings, if not 'dates' he'd ever had. They'd spent the rest of the trip back to the tavern, strolling, hand in hand like a couple of teenagers where the talking had been more than enough to engage his interest. It felt incredibly easy talking to her, in a way that was very different from Charlene and Vera, though if asked to pin down how, Stark would be at a loss to answer.

When they returned to Beasts, the revelry had not quietened down. In fact, it seemed to have intensified somewhat as they neared the entrance to the bar. Through the door, he could hear the loud, drunken voices of Sharks in full celebratory mode though what the occasion might be was beyond him. Sharks would celebrate ten o'clock if given the chance.

"I really had a great time tonight," he said as he paused at the door, leaving it to her whether or not she wished him to escort her inside. "I hope we can do it again."

"Me too." Skye gave him a radiant smile, even as she loathed the idea of letting go of the hand she still held. "So..." She looked around them. "You're ditching me down here?" She gave him a look. Who knows what can happen from here to my door? But she was being ridiculous. She was an ex-Marine and she walked that dis tance every damn night the NX put down to Gaia and she wasn't on duty. She did not need Stark to escort her to the first floor but, damn it, she wanted him to.

The urge to walk her to her door was overwhelming. It tugged at him as if there were invisible threads that bound them together but as he looked at her, Stark knew that his affection for Skye was more than just physical. This thing between them was new, it had the potential to be amazing given time. For reasons he couldn't explain, he didn't want to rush things and it was important to him that she knew that. "I'm saying good night," Stark volunteered after a moment's debate. "I'd never ditch you." He smiled.

She eyed him for a second before she nodded slightly. "Fair enough," though she felt like saying, same difference, but that would have been childish, right? Obviously he was interested, she wasn't so insecure that she couldn't see that, so maybe he just felt the need to leave the evening to this, to draw a line here as to stress this was meant to be different to his usual nights on the town. She would have liked to tell him it wasn't necessary but she didn't want to appear pushy either so she left it at that. "Good night then. Thank you for a very lovely evening. The concert was moving."

"I'm glad you liked it," Stark said quietly, still wrestling with the desire for her and the need to be the gentlemen for the first time in years, really. Staring into her eyes, he felt guilty about leaving but knew if he succumbed, it wouldn't sit well with him. So he compromised as best he could. Taking a step forward, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, tender and exploratory but not demanding, at least not yet.

Skye smiled a little against his mouth before she returned the kiss, tentative and gentle as well. With a soft sigh of pleasure, she smiled again as she pulled back a little and nuzzled his cheek. "I'm glad you did that because I was about to ask you to."

"I've been wanting to do this all night," he whispered against her, still savouring her sweet taste on his lips. "I know this sounds crazy coming from me, Skye, but I like you and I just don't want to mess this up."

"Doesn't sound crazy." She shook her head a little. "You just want to let some time pass, make sure I'm out of my twenties. I get it," she deadpanned.

"Well, I probably won't take that long," he chuckled. "Maybe a second or third date at least." Hell, it was a struggle not to take what she might be offering now. His head was filled with her scent, sweet perfume that a mix of her and whatever she was wearing. She swirled around his senses, teasing him.

"No pressure." She sensed it was a real effort on his part and that was enough for her. She got his intent, his need to show that she wasn't a nameless piece of ass, one of those disposables he'd been indulging in since his last divorce. She really did get it. "I'll just take one more," she told him quietly before kissing him again, this time her hands made it to his shoulders and along his collarbone until they reached the collar of his shirt, idle fingers caressing his throat.

One more wa s going to kill him, Stark thought but he was in no position to refuse, especially when he felt the soft pads of her hands travel up his shoulders until her fingertips made contact with his neck. Closing his eyes, he allowed a moment of passion to grip him and dropped his hands onto her hips, pulling her closer as he gave into the sweet plunder of her mouth.

God. They sure had happened onto something with all these breakfasts. Skye's world tilted for a moment and her fingers gripped his shirt as she struggled to pull back. She met his eyes and saw her desire mirrored there. She sensed she was really playing with fire here and, since Stark wanted to behave, she felt she was being unfair. "Sorry, my mistake." She gave him a sheepish smile at the passion and electricity that still swirled between them.

"No apologies necessary," he said, still reeling from the exchange. Christ, she was so damn sweet. "I should go," he said, pulling away before he cracked under his own resolve and invited himself upstairs with her. "Are you on duty tomorrow?" he found himself asking, hoping she wasn't.

"No, got the next forty-eight hours off. You have something in mind?" She kept her hands to herself and moved back too, leaving a good foot between them.

"If you can stand my cooking," Stark replied after a moment's thought, "perhaps dinner at my place." He tried to make the invitation appear exactly as it was, no innue ndo. "I'll even play you something." He smiled.

Surprised and delighted by the offer, Skye smiled and shook her head playfully. "Well, in that case how can I refuse?"

Stark chuckled. "You can't unless you want to crush my fragile ego into a million pieces." He grinned. "I'll call you in the morning, give you directions and such," he said, stepping forward once more. The kiss delivered was nowhere as heated as their previous exchange but no less meaningful.

"Good night, Stark," Skye said when they parted once more. She squeezed his arm and stepped back before she changed her mind about behaving and honouring his wishes.

"Good night, Skye," he said finally and waited for her to step into the tavern before he'd leave himself.

About to push the door open, Skye's hand barely made contact with it before it was abruptly yanked back by some Marine well on his way to a drunken stupor. Stumbling forward, when his brain finally registered her and the dress, a lascivious grin threatened to split his face in half and he stumbled a couple of steps backwards to let her in.

"Ladies first," the man slurred, Skye's dress catching his eye.

Meeting him with a smile calculated only for politeness, she inclined her head in thanks and went in. Don't look back. But she ignored the little voice in her head and threw a look over her shoulder, catching sight of Stark still standing there just before the door swung shut.

Right.

Facing the bar and the crowd, Skye wasn't sure if she needed a drink or a cold shower.

Maybe both.

-Fin-