A moment later Terah stuck her head out of her room, and tilted it slightly. "What happened, Jes?" It took a moment to realize she was probably monitoring the whole conversation on a very passive emotional level, and Tyne's sudden upset must have shocked her.

"I'm... really not entirely sure, Terah." Stephi popped her head out from behind Terah. This caused Jesa to smile a little, then her face turned cloudy and she almost cursed, reminding herself that Stephi was in the room.

"Jesa, what's wrong?" Terah sounded, quite concerned as she approached her sister. Jesa was rising as her sister said that statement.

"I'll tell you later, right now I must go." And with that, Jesa started running for the door, leaving her sister behind looking quite confused.

Jesa sprinted down the hallway, as she noted people picking themselves up off the floor or steadying themselves. She grabbed one woman by the shoulders as she just had regained her balance.

"Which way did he go?" she asked. The woman was completely frazzled and only managed to point one direction. Jesa released her and continued running, following the line of people scattered pell-mell throughout the corridors. In some distant part of her mind, she couldn't help think that a Klingon running full force down the corridor could have caused any more evidence of his movements.

And then the trail of evidence stopped. Jesa backtracked until she saw a Jefferies tube entrance left open. Jesa crawled on her hands and knees, pausing to listen. She heard something, and tilted her head. Then she turned the corner and continued down, coming to an open junction. She could just see the edge of a black uniform in the opposite corner. Jesa approached slowly, thinking to herself what kind of hell this day had been.

"Victor..." she said softly, hoping she wouldn't startle him. There was no reply and she continued in. As soon as she stuck her head through, she could see him fully, standing with his back against the wall, mumbling to himself... It seemed he had also been crying; his eyes were red as he stared off into space.

She hated to intrude upon this, but it was his safety she was worried about, after all, less than an hour ago they had just come a hair's breadth away from being blown up. He didn't seem to notice her as she moved silently to him. She reached out and touched his shoulder softly, standing beside him.

He jumped, startled, so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed her approach. 'We're getting sloppy,' he chided himself, 'nobody's been able to sneak up on us in a long time.' Victor straightened up a little, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Commander," he said softly, clearing his throat. Finally he turned to look at her, his eyes searching her face.

"Jesa. Jesa I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." he trailed off, searching for the right words. "I was rude, to you and your family, and I'm sorry." Victor watched her for a moment, and though he couldn't read her thoughts there seemed to be genuine concern written on her face. Concern for him, for someone she barely knew. She looked back at him, pondering whether to say it was alright. But from the way he studied her eyes, she figured he already knew.

Victor sank down to the floor of the junction, letting out a long sigh as he shed the image of the person he was trying to be. It felt as though he'd set aside a weight he'd spent forever carrying, but it also made him feel completely stripped of any protection he had.

"You were right, Commander, back there in the restaurant. There is a lot more to me than is immediately obvious. It's not obvious because I've been hiding it, and I've been hiding it because I'm involved in something---I've been doing something---that is probably going to get a lot of people hurt." Victor turned his head to look up at her, watching her closely. "I suppose I've always known that, it's just... seeing you with your family..." He hated this, hated the necessity of this, but it was the only way. If he tried to keep any of it in, he'd be stuck like this.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "I know what I'm doing is right, Jesa, I know it in my heart. But I don't want anyone to get hurt. I don't want to know that Terah and that little girl will spend a single evening worrying about you because of something I caused."

Jesa sighed softly and knelt down beside him, laying her hand gently on his shoulder. She stayed silent for a while, obviously trying to organize her thoughts before speaking. "A lot of people have influence on the lives of others, myself included..." She broke off, trying to figure out what needed to be said.

Shaking her head, Jesa looked at him a moment and continued speaking, "I've never really had a firm feeling that I've done the right thing. I only muddle through... What am I trying to say?" She asked rhetorically.

Jesa willed herself to meet his eyes, "I know you are part of something that I probably will not know anything about until all the decisions have been made. I've just felt that." Jesa wanted to say something else but just shook her head, ending with, "I've made my own family suffer for what seems like now, very silly reasons... hate myself for that. I think any worrying they will be doing over me would be my fault." She looked up at him, strangely open. "Sometimes it's cruel to let anyone get close... you know?"

"Je...ahem... Commander Callen..." he tried to continue, to apologize for everything, but the words caught in his throat. Jesa squeezed his shoulder gently, looking at him.

"Take your time..." she said, hoping that he understood what she meant; and somehow trying to convey that it was okay. Jesa recounted many of the times this last week that her cheeks had seen tears, here she was returning the favor that another had paid her. She could only think that the universe worked in very strange ways.

He just looked deep into her eyes, reaching out for her hand as the last few tears rolled down his cheeks. She smiled back at him slightly, taking his hand in hers and holding it warmly. "It's okay..." she said again, softly. Victor squeezed her hand gently, taking a deep breath. Jesa did not know what to do in response, so she simply sat silently, looking at him and patiently waiting for any clue as to what she was supposed to do. A part of her was quite confused, and felt like she was strangely on a roller-coaster ride, the same ride she had been on for as long as her mind could really remember on such short notice.

"I don't know how to thank you, Commander... for all you've done for me."

She smiled slightly and shook her head, "No need."

He smiled warmly and touched her shoulder. "Now, what do you say we get out of here before one of us gets a cramp? I think I'd like to meet your family."

"That's okay with me." She said, standing up, reaching with her hand so as not to bump her head against anything. 'Why do I always have my most important conversations in Jefferies Tube junctions?' Jesa asked herself silently. He chuckled and stood up slowly, staying hunched over slightly as he followed her out, stretching his limbs as they emerged from the tube.

Jesa stood and straightened her uniform, smoothing her hair as well. She turned around and caught one of the Isannah crewmembers looking at her; Jesa only stared at the woman until she decided she had better things to do. "There goes the grapevine." Jesa said, half to herself.

He chuckled softly. "Ah let it go, might be fun to hear some of the stories that come out of it!" He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled his uniform down, straightening out his armband. "So, tell me about your family..." Jesa briefly wondered if she should make some retort about if Victor woke up with Buck strangling him because of one of the 'stories' that came out of it, it wouldn't be her fault, but then decided to be silent.

"Well... Terah is my sister." She said, looking up at Tyne and started walking, she saw the question mark forming in his eyes.

"Adoptive." She added with a smile.

He blinked as he felt the word "Buck" bounce off his mind again and covered it with a quick "Ahhh I see. And the girl? Is she yours?"

Jesa smiled. "No..." then she chuckled "actually... I found her in my room when I was packing my things on the Isannah. I don't know where she came from, she says her parents are dead... so Terah and I are keeping watch on her." She paused "I know it's not probably the 'proper' way to handle it. I guess we identify. I was found, alone, five years old and wandering on a space station... Terah and her twin brother ran away from their abusive parents." She shook her head.

He smiled softly. "On the contrary, I think it's a rather good way to handle it. She's young and probably very frightened, and turning her over to anyone else would just traumatize her."

Jesa smiled, "That's my logic, at least... Terah is wonderful with children..." Jesa laughed "Heck, Terah is wonderful with everyone... in a way I've never been able to be." Jesa shrugged, thinking about her sister.

"Well, I can't wait to meet both of them." He pulled out his pocketwatch and checked the time. "I've still got a couple of hours before I'm on duty again. If it's no trouble for you now..."

'Pocketwatch,' she thought, feeling the one residing in her pocket. She didn't allow that half-thought to finish in her mind as she turned to him and shrugged, smiling. "It's either you, or paperwork..." her smile turned to a grin, "I'll let you take the logic of my decision from there." She smiled again.

"No trouble, besides, that is where I was heading anyway..." He smiled back, and bowed, one arm extended pointing down the hallway. "Ladies first, of course." He straightened up and smiled more, glad to have regained his "normal" bearing. Jesa smiled slightly and continued walking, relieved that he was acting more as... well, as she had expected him to.

It didn't take long to get back to her quarters. But as soon as she entered the room this time, Terah looked up and a thought loud enough for Victor to hear emanated from her. 'Oh dear, don't tell me we're about to be banished from the room again.'

He laughed out loud. "No, dear, not this time." He bowed his head to her. "Terah Callen, I presume. Your sister speaks very highly of you."

Jesa looked from one to the other, and shook her head. "Hello! Non-telepath in the room..." she said with a slight smirk.

Terah tossed a slight glare at Jesa and bowed her head to Victor slightly. "I'm afraid I don't know your name, but thank you..." He straightened up and smiled charmingly. "Where are my manners?!? I am Victor Tyne; rogue, scoundrel, and wooer of beautiful women such as yourself."

Jesa folded an arm across her waist and rested her face in her hand, shaking her head slightly in resignation.

Terah laughed, "Why, thank you."

Stephi, who had before been standing behind a chair tugged on Terah's sleeve. Terah knelt down and the little girl whispered, "What's 'wooer' mean?"

Then Terah blushed slightly, replying. "I'll tell you later."

The commander chuckled. "And this young lady is Stephi." She said, gesturing towards the girl.

Victor bent down to the little girl. "Greetings Stephi, it's a pleasure to meet you." He tentatively offered her his hand. She seemed a little shy, but with Terah right behind her she reached out and touched the man's hand. She seemed reluctant to say anything, however.

Terah smiled and squeezed the little girl's shoulder. "You want to go and read for a while, Stephi?" Terah asked. The girl seemed just a little wary of the man and nodded. Jesa chuckled as Stephi returned to Terah's room.

"She's darling." He sighed wistfully, thinking of the children he might have had when something behind Jesa squawked and he laughed, while Jesa gave a sigh. "And that would be....?" he asked.

"Peeko." Jesa said, as a red cat-sized parrot with a blue and green crest waddled into view. Then it half-hopped, half-flew up onto the back of the couch, mumbling to herself and bobbing her head up and down.

Victor bent down and looked at the parrot. "Cute." He chuckled softly and turned back to Jesa "I take it by your sigh you two don't much get along?"

Peeko spread her wings and chortled a long string of chirped and whistled notes, clearly showing off. Jesa smiled at Tyne. "Well... we do, but I wouldn't admit it to anyone else." She reached over and playfully scratched the bird behind her crest and under her wings.

He laughed as she chirped and whistled for him. "Well... well... well quite the musician we have here..."

He followed Jesa's example and reached out to scratch under the bird's wings. Peeko simply basked in all the attention and continued her incoherent mumblings and ramblings. Jesa narrowed her eyes at the bird as she whole-heartedly accepted Victor's scratching, even holding her wings out for him.

Then Jesa rolled her eyes. "Oh, she just tries to make me jealous."

He laughed more and put an arm around Jesa, making a face at the bird. "Don't worry, Commander, I still like you better."

Jesa made a face. "Well, gee, thanks..." Then she smiled. Out of the corner of her eyes, Jesa caught the strangest look from Terah. She tilted her head, but as soon as she tried to figure out what it was, the look simply vanished from Terah's face. 'Strange...' Jesa thought.

He leaned back against the couch. "Quite a life you've made, commander. You're very lucky..." He patted Peeko absently, surveying her quarters. Jesa sat down at the opposite end of the couch, she couldn't really think of a response to what he said, thinking more about how she felt her life was falling apart around her. Buck held the key to everything in her life, her happiness, her love... she closed her eyes for a moment, she couldn't break down here into tears of fear.

Terah looked at Jesa for a moment, studying her expression with extreme accuracy. She turned and smiled at Victor. "So, I take it from the presence of your uniform that you're assigned to the Isannah." Small talk, that was one of her greatest strengths.

He winced as Jesa thought of Buck again, he was becoming more and more sensitive to that. He turned back to Terah. "Yes, one of the proud crew of the USS Isannah." He made a grandiose motion with his arm, quickly removing the rather conspicuous armband while her eyes were following his other hand. Terah may have been fooled, but Jesa was intrigued by this slight-of-hand he was working.

Jesa looked over at Terah, and a slight glint shown in the younger sister's eye. 'Oh dear...' Jesa thought, she knew that glint all too well.

"Ah... good for you. So... how come you're here? I mean, it's not every new officer addition to the crew Jesa brings here." she asked him, looking directly at with unwavering interest.

He bent down and whispered to Terah, keeping his expression serious and his voice level. "Starfleet must have thought it would be funny to condemn me to your sister's stern discipline and horrible sense of humor." He caught her eye and gave her a quick wink, struggling to keep his face serious.

"I heard that." Jesa said quietly but with good humor. Terah only laughed. "Jesa... if you ever need a smooth character for some underhanded scheme, I think you've found your man."

Victor straightened up and feigned offense, but inside he was smiling. This was exactly the sort of thing he needed to restore himself. Acting came naturally for him, and he loved playing to the crowd. "Me, a 'smooth character?' Why, I'm nothing of the sort! I'm just a simple man caught off-guard by two rather remarkable women and trying to keep from tripping over my own feet."

Terah pulled her legs up onto the couch and rested her chin in her hand, and her elbow on the arm of the chair, shaking her head with a grin. She tossed Jesa a look that said 'Where did you pick this joker up?' Jesa shrugged and smiled back, communicating 'He kind of fell into my lap' in their own personal form of gestured silent communication.

Terah stood up, giving Victor an apologetic smile. "Excuse me. I'd better see what mischief Stephi and Peeko have gotten themselves into." Without waiting for a response Terah rose and disappeared from the room. Jesa smiled and shook her head. "That girl is going to make one heck of a mother, and that's all I have to say on that subject." Jesa said, looking after Terah's departed form.

Jesa just looked at him for a long moment, wondering what was going on inside his mind. What he kept reliving that hurt him so. Why he was here.... why he was dropped into her lap especially, as if it was by someone's conscious choice. Why Drake disappeared. Why someone had tried to blow them up like a couple of common field targets earlier. A slight sigh escaped her lips, too many questions and not enough answers. She wondered if he even held any of the answers, or if they were simply entangling him, like some web that Jesa was only allowed to see part of.

He focused on her as she sighed. "Perhaps I should go... I don't want to take up too much of your time..."

Jesa just looked at him. "Shoulds are dependant on one's judgment. You're not bothering me by your presence, and my time is my own to manage." She thought for a moment, going to add something else, but she wondered how he'd respond to her rather... unusual way of answering to a statement like that.

He nodded and bowed gracefully over his right arm. "Then I think I'll take my leave of you, Commander." He glanced around the room, listening to his own mind. It had worked, or at least he thought it did; he would have to get back to his own quarters before he would know for sure. He turned on his heel and was out the door before she could say anything in return.

Jesa's brow furrowed; twice he had left before she asked what she needed to. To follow him a second time was unthinkable. She'd just have to find another way. Jesa frowned, she couldn't call security and have them put a guard on him, but there was no one in that department she knew she could trust. Then one name popped to the top of the list.

The commander hit her comm. badge and spoke. "Callen to Keeves... do you have a moment?"

Loaded: 05.21.2004