Notes and an EP

[soldier_blade]

Her door was still there. That gave Sonya some hope that she was able to leave.

Not yet though, there were still sonext time he's here?" me things she had to do. Firstly, she had to give Dixie his afternoon run, then come up with a good cover story as to explain why she had him in the first place. Secondly, there was a note she meant to send out.

"Bar, can I a note pad, pen and some pencils?"  The items appear on the table before her, along with a platter of BLT sandwiches cut in half. "Um, not that hungry."

She started writing-
Dear Olivier,

My Door appeared some weeks ago. Before I leave, though, I'd like for one more meeting with you. I don't know when I'll next be able to spend time in Milliways after this, but I'll take advantage before I go.

Your friend,
Sonya Blade.

"Bar, could you give this to Olivier next time he's here?" The note vanished.

Taking half a sandwich, she started writing notes and drawing diagrams. Her talk with Cadfael had given her an idea, but before she could even think of ordering supplies, it needed to be thought out on paper.

Feel free to take half or whole of a sandwich.

Comments

[equal_of_any_man]

Olivier comes in a few hours later, calling out to Mary to stay with her mother.

He spots Sonya before he reaches the bar to retrieve the note. He greets her with a smile.

[soldier_blade]

She was still working though the diagram when she saw him enter. The note was more for an emergency anyway; she returns the nod with one of her own, waiting till he reads it.

That still doesn't stop her from pulling out a chair for him.

[equal_of_any_man]

And he joins her gladly. "Sonya, hello." He smiles. "How are things with you? It had been some time."

[soldier_blade]

"Things are, alright." That was the best way she could describe it. "My door appeared some time ago. I'm no longer Bound, so I wanted some time with my daughter and you before I leave."

Because she had no real idea what would happen once she got back home. Her life..her career..was unpredictable and she wanted some lasting memories of this place. "Blt?"

She pushed the platter of sandwiches besides him. "For reasons known only to her, Bar gave me an entire platter."

[equal_of_any_man]

"Thank you." He takes sandwich gladly, enjoying the softness of the bread. "Are you concerned to go back?"

[soldier_blade]

She nodded. There was little point in denying it. "The ongoing civil war in Outworld. Earth is officially a neutral realm at the moment, but it's only been recent after five hundred years of conflict, and the truce was only agreed on between the armies of the current Emperor and my own. The Rebels on the other hand are being led by the daughter of the previous Emperor, and is declared an enemy of Earthrealm. She reclaims the throne and the possibility of another inter-realm war is a near definite."

Mileena was mad, but if she won there was a sure chance that she'd set her sights on Earthrealm as revenge for her father's death. Much as she could related to loosing family and felt it was wrong for her to be usurped, she had to put her realm's safety first. "Also, Cassie and her team are scheduled for their first mission soon, which is always cause for concern."

She wasn't a military general here: she could voice her worries without fear of judgement.

[equal_of_any_man]

He takes her hands, very gently. "I may only be a new parent, I understand how worrying that must be."

[soldier_blade]

She twisted her grip to give his hands a gentle squeeze. "I'm also not looking forward to dealing with her father. He took up the position of consultant to Cassie's squad to spend time with her, and I was in no position to refuse." Not official or even personal. "He's a good man, and good father, but he's not bound by military regulations or chain of command...he can still get away with addressing and treating Cassie as his daughter."

Such wasn't the case for her. "It never occurs to him that as an officer, I have to appear impartial. It's not just about me and Cassie, it's about me and the entire Command."

Her hands tightened around his. For all her time here with Cassie, it never failed to make her a little jealous of how much and what she and Cage could get away with.

[equal_of_any_man]

"That must be very difficult - to play the officer, when he can play the father. Surely, if your daughter understands the rule by which you must both live, she will understand this too."

He squeezes her hand, "I know that will make it no easier for you."

[soldier_blade]

She nodded. "She understands." She lets out a relieved sigh. "She doesn't care for the arrangement, but since joining, she understands a lot more of what goes on behind the scenes."

Feelings aside, it was still a relief. Johnny may've never understood, but atleast Cassie did.

"Though," She actually had to avert her gaze just a twitch. "I may've called in a number of favors to even get Cassie signed under my command. The army frowns on family members serving under the same unit or division, especially if they're working close with eachother, but I've done enough for the Defense that they would allow me this."

She said this with no small amount of certainty. "I may not be allowed to address Cassie as my daughter, but atleast when she's under my command, I can keep an eye on her."

A double-edged sword in reality: for all she could keep an eye on her, it wouldn't be enough to keep her from the dangers of combat.

[equal_of_any_man]

"You are together, even if it is difficult for both of you to bear."

[soldier_blade]

She nodded, swallowing down emotion. "She wished to be part of Earthrealm Defense, and I allowed it because if something were to happen, I want to be the first to know, not find out through a phone call. Far as I'm concerned, it's the lesser evil."

Sonya new she'd could be a hundred years old and senile and still remember the Reiko ordeal. "Course, I'd rather her chose a career outside the military, but she's of age and passed the examinations with flying colors," She gave a slight laugh, because of course Cassie would do just that well-she's her kid. "I've no legal right to refuse or hold her back."

Painful as it was, she had to respect Cassie's decisions.

[equal_of_any_man]

"Like you, she's a solider. With a soldier's sense of duty." Olivier shrugs. "She takes after her mother too well."

[soldier_blade]

"Not entirely," She let out a slight laugh. "She told me part of her reason for enlisting was because years ago I forbade paparazzi-that is, people who try to take pictures for entertainment papers-from going anywhere around HQ, and she wouldn't have to worry about unwanted pictures."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course, part of why I did it in the first place is because as a teenager, she and my niece would lure them over with news, only to use them as paint ball targets or some other prank. Had to put a stop to it someway."

Milliways was neutral territory, she could tell him this and get away with it.

"Speaking of which, how're things with the family? What'd Ermina think of the beaded braids I gave Mary?"

[equal_of_any_man]

Olivier frowns, not following the logic that lead from avoiding people who took photos to serving in the army. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Ermina loves the beads, Mary rarely takes them off." He frowns softly. "Ermina is heavy with our second child but it has not been an easy laying in."

[soldier_blade]

"Next time you see Cass, she can tell you all about it." Sonya had a strong feeling this was one guy who'd be well to have as an ally or friend.

She smiled at the bit of news, about to suggest to try to do Ermina's hair the same-or atleast a demonstration-until the last bit of what he said.

"Laying in..?" It took her a moment to recognize what he was talking about. "Is there something medically wrong or is she just going stir crazy?"

The former was a genuine reason to be stressed, the latter-well, she could definitely sympathize.

[equal_of_any_man]

"The time a women spends in preparation for birth." Olivier explains, rubbing his hands a little fretfully. "I fear it's more than her boredom. There have been times... I've not been able to find anything that helps with the pain."

[soldier_blade]

Sonya nodded, now recollecting the bits of non military history from school all those years ago.

She didn't need a reference to know how nervous he was. He may've had more medical knowledge thanks to his time here, but even back home, birthing could be risky.

Sonya forced her own hands to remain steady, not wanting to fuel his nerves more than they already were. Her labor with Cassie was long and resulted in more blood loss than the doctors were comfortable with, but nothing that especially put her or her daughter at risk.

She tried to think. "Is she in labor now? What sort of pain is she having? I'm sure the library has books on the subject?"

Good lord, Johnny had enough material to start their own library.

The thought of going back home was momentarily put on the back burner.

[equal_of_any_man]

"She is still a month from birth at least but she suffers great pain from time to time." He tries to keep his hands from shaking. "I shall make the most of my time here and bring back both books and medicine. I hope... if it comes to that, I might bring her here."

[soldier_blade]

She reached over and clasped his hands, holding them steady. Understandable as his nerves were, they weren't helping him or his wife.

"With any luck, it might just be the baby moving in tight quarters." Lord knew Cassie kept squirming and kicking her insides the sooner it got to her due date. "But when I was pregnant with Cassie, the doctor kept telling me that every pregnancy is different."

So even if she could give suggestions, there was the likelihood things weren't the case this time. Taking her here would be a best-worst case scenario. "Do you think you could smuggle her here now? Atleast to see if it's possible. There's the risk that when things do get rough with the delivery, she maybe too far gone to be moved, or the Door may not work."

In which case would result in even more worry. Better to test it now before things got worse.

[equal_of_any_man]

He knows the issues of a moving child. And knows this is more than that. But he doesn't say that. But he nods. "I hope to try, to bring her here. To have Guppy look her over." Guppy has modern machines he can use to check on the progress of the pregnancy.

[soldier_blade]

She nodded. The clinic here would have the technology to determine what was wrong, and hopefully the means to keep her and the baby stable if the worst happened.

"Could you bring her here now?" She and Olivier may've not been as close as him and the other Sonya, but she couldn't help feel some need to help him however way she could. "If the worst should happen, wouldn't it be better to know the Door could take both of you? As opposed to finding too late that the Door won't accept her. Not to be an alarmist, but if something's wrong, the earlier its found the better."

She didn't think that was something he could argue against. "You could experiment now, while I message Guppy. If you can't bring her, come through and tell him Ermina's symptoms-there may be a way you could help her even back home."

He'd have to be careful of course, but any advice or direction was better than none.

[equal_of_any_man]

"I will speak with Guppy while I am here, and try when I return." He nods.

[soldier_blade]

The talk of 'return' had her mind back on her own duties back home. "You'll let me know how things go.." She frowned. "Or a note or something..I don't know when I'll next be back, or even if it'll be the Sonya you've taken as family, but even so I'd like to know."

She looked down at her notes, the concept of such a device seeming even more necessary. "I need to leave soon."

It was hard to determine if she was talking with him, or trying to work the nerve up herself. The twisted feeling in her stomach that came with such goodbyes was something she had to get used to-even if she never enjoyed it.

[equal_of_any_man]

He stands, offering her his arms in an embrace. "I'm glad I saw you, sister."

[soldier_blade]

She stood with him and gladly returned the embrace, his words touching her more than he probably realized. "Please, let me know how things go back home."

Besides being Milliways, knowing there was news waiting for her was always something to look forward to-or dread.

She gathered her things from the table, getting ready to leave, before realizing something. Taking out her wallet, she put a few bills on the paper. "Bar, I'd like a sketch pad and some pastel crayons."

A pack of crayons appeared, along with a book of blank pages. Both of these Sonya pushed both of these towards him, remembering how much Mary enjoyed the coloring book she gave her last time. "Little something for Mary, from me."

The girl was only a year or two old, but with her mother not well and her father stressed, Sonya knew she'd feel the emotions if not understand the reasons for them.

Only then did she turn to leave towards the stables, taking Dixie with her by a leash towards her Door and disappearing through it.

ooc: And wrap..
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