"Same guys, we appreciate your contribution. Feel free to drop by if you ever find yourself around." She shakes their hands. "We'll see about the non-professional stuff." Lina waves as the guys get underway while managing not to take any involuntary passengers with them on any parts of their van. Lina sneaks in a quick cigarette break while Lily is still preoccupied with the people surrounding her. Once the boss is done though, its time for the debrief. She details the encounter with Tiny and what else has been happening over the day and what she has done with Dot over the day. Lily seems to approve, so Lina carefully hints that Lily might want to see if she can't set Dot up for some of the more medical degree things at some point, but keeps the allusion vague. She doesn't want a direct answer or descision, its just to make sure that Lily has already heard about it before it becomes relevant... Apart from some details in the paperwork they discuss, nothing too relevant happens. Lily doesn't seem too troubled and dismisses the two.

Going upstairs with the Finleys, she takes a good look at the heat converter and listens closely to the explanations concerning it. To make sure, she asks a few things to make sure she's getting things right. It is experimental after all, and they don't want it to get broken, do they ? She thinks about the proposal and weighs showering now against showering later and eating instead. She is hungry, as her stomach is telling her. Which makes ther descision easier. "I don't know about Dot, but I think, I'd eat first. I'm starving !"

Stan is very patient at showing you the parts of the heat exchanger and answering your questions. At one point, he inadvertently bumps you and reaches out take an arm to keep you from falling. He is very apologetic, although his hand stays on your arm for just a bit. Dot is starving as well and all four of you head downstairs. Lily is at the counter and calls you and Dot over. "You two are lifesavers. We did have a weekend rota going before........before everything happened. It was my turn in the barrel so you two are off the hook until next weekend. So I do not want to see you in the clinic unless you need a bandaid for something. Got it? So go have some fun. At least get some rest. You are back on duty come Monday morning." Out to the street, Dot turns to look at the sign for a moment as you all leave the building. "Nice touch with the sign, Dad. I think it makes the right statement."

The 'Shack has a small crowd, but your normal booth is open and you all slide into it. The menus pop up, but Dot and Tony don't even bother looking, ordering the super deluxe chili dog and a large Soypepper each. Stan looks at his daughter, saying, "Where do you pack all that away?" The three of them are obviously a close unit, but they make you feel welcome by including you in the conversation. After finishing dinner, Dot challenges Tony to a race back to the van and they take off. Stan walks more slowly, shaking his head. "I don't know where they get the energy. I used to have energy like that. So, any ideas how you are going to spend your weekend? I can hear the crying of the patio barbeque from here, can't you? That offer is still open. I could swing by and pick you and Dot up? Up to you, of course and I understand if you have other plans."

"Not on duty, stay the hell away until Monday ! Can do, boss ! My commcode is in the office for emergencies." She still lives here, but they both know that that is not what Lily meant, so she heads out after confirming the instructions to get sopmething to eat. She follows Dot's eyes to the sign and nods as Dot calls the sign a nice touch. It is indeed, Lilys reaction confirmed that pretty much after all. Whether the letters will provide good or bad luck will be seen, but for now, things don't look too bad... They spand the way to the Shack mostly in silence as Lina uses the distance they have to cover to smoke a cigarette. She's trying out one of those packs Stan brought her. She checks the label as soon as she notices the things are pretty strong and find they have doses of stuff in it that have already been prohibited in Europe. She takes anothere drag and silently approves. Good stuff ! Once in the Shack, she orders a large bowl of extraHot! SoyChilli and a big soymilk that she then continues to wolf down (almost) without breaking a sweat. There is not much mnore than chitchat going on, but Lina is able to observe the dynamics between the other three well. She soon enoiugh finds herself back outside, smoking another of this deliciously deadly coffin-nails and watching the 'kids' speed off. She shakes her head. "None yet, will go see some people in ther hospital if circumstances permit and still have to prepare for that interview at KE on Monday..." She hasn't forgotten that and something still thought that there might be complications waiting for her. She leans somewhat to the side and puts a hand to her ear. "I think I can hear it too. Lets say Saturday at 7 and I'll see if I can get a few bits and pieces... We could test you guys' resilience to hot food." She grins, she hasn't learned the recipe for what was called the meanest meatsticks malagasy on their side of Europe for nothing. She'd only have to see about the soymeat, the original recipe worked great, but she only knows it with rat or dog meat. She doubts Stan and the others would like that too much if they found out... Nah, best not try to find out the hard way how they'd like that. "So you sem to be a guy of many talents Stan, what do you do in your free time apart from rebuilding clinics ?"

Stan laughs and shakes his head. "Seven AM is too early unless you plan on coming home with tonight, and seven PM is too late for a BBQ. But you know, coming out with us tonight might be a good idea. Save Tony and me a trip back here tomorrow. There is a very nice guest room and no limit on the hot water. The place also has a small pool and a hot tub, so you will want to bring a bathing suit. There are also no strings attached to the room and it can lock from the inside."

"As to free time, I usually do not have enough to worry about. I have to take time off to stay sane, which is what I did for today. But I like to hike a bit and there are some nice trails near the house I can use. Tony is just getting into the walking kick, which is nice to see. Hmmmm. I built that patio in the back, which took a couple three years to finish. I work out in the gym at the house when I get a chance, but usually am too beat after a long day to really do much. What about you? What would you like to do on your free time?"

Seven too late for a BBQ ? She thinks for a moment while he lays out the options and nods. "sounds like I should think about getting a bathing suit at some point... Well, if it's not too much of a problem, I'll take you up on that, if none of you minds, that is.

Free time... I've been getting not much of that lately. Mostly trid I guess." Lina scratches her head. "I should get back into my training routine, that got messed up really bad when I" Came to this country with forged papers, hid out in some house belonging to a criminal syndicate and started working in the clinic where I was almost blown up "got involved with the clinic and the recent development. In the long run, I'll have to pick that up anyway. I rad a lot, mostly those cheap criminal novels. Some of them are really bad, but they are addictive, I'd swear theres something in the paper."

Friday 8 June 2075 1954 Lily's Clinic Seattle Barrens

Stan nods. "A bathing suit is probably a must if you come out more than once or twice, unless you want to try it without one." He blushes a deep red as he says that and adds, "Well, that did not come out quite like I meant it too. I mean, I am sure that Dot has something you could wear in the pool or tub." He changes the subject quickly. "You like to read detective stories on real paper? You might be in for a treat, then. I have some by an author named Agatha Christie at the house. Fell in love with them as a kid when I found one on the matrix. Been rounding up real ones over the years and have a bunch. She wrote in the mid-twentieth century and has more than eighty books out. I have fifty-three and am bidding on four at an online auction house. You can take a look at them."

The two of you make it to the van, where Dot and Tony are waiting. They both emphatically agree that you should come out to the house for the weekend and Dot walks upstairs with you to pack some things while Stan and Tony finish putting the tools in the van.

"Oh, I know what you meant, no worries !" Thinking about Dot's physique, she is wondering whether Dot's stuff would fit her, but there's only one way to find out and they'll see whether that will become necessary. "Christie, eh ? I'd love to" The name rings a bell, of course. She's come across one or two of her thingies in the past and didn't find them too bad. But still she hadn't gotten around to those. In her little spare time, the dime novels were easier to get and also easier to fit into her schedule. But now, with a schedule back at the beginning ? They'd see... "Alright, I'll go get my stuff together."

She walks upstairs and begins packing up the things she wants to take with her. Grooming kit, complete. She makes sure and checks again so she doesn't forget anything. Would be a bit awkward to rely on Dot's stuff too much or have to get any replacements after all. The same goes for clothes. For now, she thinks two sets should be sufficient and packs in a few extra pieces, just in case she wants to go swimming and not leech on Dot. Not necessarily, but better have and not want than the other way around. Some cigarettes, of course. She decides she'll most likely will not need her medkit, but decides to put it into the backpack nonetheless. Not having it around doesn't feel right. Lina puts the .45 into the backpack too. After a short thinking pause, she gets it out again and puts it back to its hiding place under the bed. She won't need it where she's going, although she keeps the taser with her. Another item she likes to keep close to herself at all times. Once she has everything she thinks she needs together, she refills the oil in the lamp on her bureau. She hopes the oil will last long enough, but she isn't sure, as she doesn't know how long she'll be gone. Anyway ! She finishes her evening rituals and grabs her bag. Once outside, she slips into her shoes and heads downstairs as soon as Dot has joined her and put her shoes back on as well.

Friday 8 June 2075 2027 Lily's Clinic Seattle Barrens



Stan is waiting at the van, tony already in a seat in the back. Dot climbs in and buckles her belt while Stan walks you to the passenger door to let you in. Once he is in, he pulls away from the curb and leaves the neighborhood behind. He nods at the dash and points to a console button. "Lots of music choices there; take your pick. The drive will take about forty-five minutes or so, given traffic, so make yourself comfortable. He remains mostly quiet during the drive, except for once when he looks over his shoulder at his daughter, whose nose is buried in a reading pad. "That one of your bodice rippers, dear?"

Dot snorts and laughs, "Dad, you know I have not had time for those since I started med school. No, I am reading up on suture procedures. It might come in handy where I work."

Stan looks over at you and smiles. "Sounds like you are a positive influence already. I think I made the right choice to send her out to you."

The voice from the back is enthusiastic. "You did great, dad. I have learned a ton already and I am sure I will learn even more."

After a while Dot turns out the light on her reader and soon after you hear the gentle sounds of both kids sleeping. Stan talks softly so as not to wake them. "Really, I think you are a marvelous role model. Thanks for taking her in. I was a bit worried at first, but she jumped at the chance when I talked to her about it. Glad she did."

Stan takes the van out of the city, taking the highway into the mountains, remaining silent unless you talk. After about forty minutes, he turns off the main road and passes through a gate that opens for the van. A few minutes later you can see twinkling lights up ahead. He looks back and calls out for everyone to wake up. Dot does fine, but Tony barely stirs. Stan pulls into a large garage and shuts the van down. Dot opens the sliding door and tries to get Tony to move, but the boy is having none of it. Stan reaches over and picks him up, saying, "Poor little guy. He worked hard today. I will take him up to his room. Dot why don't you show Lina where she can put her things." He turns to you and adds, Come back down if you like. I would show you something special."

Dot grabs her bag and waits for you to get yours then shows you into the house. The door from the garage opens into a living room that is quite large. The furniture is rustic but looks well padded and comfortable. There is a large patio beyond glass doors off to one side. Dot motions and says, "This way, boss. Up one flight." She leads you up some stairs cut from logs and leads you to a spacious room. "Here you go; all yours. I am just two doors down the hall. There is a bathroom between us that you can access from that door there or from inside your room. Set your things inside and I will see you downstairs in a few."

Lina switches through the music that's available until she stumbles over a few things she likes. Thus, after a short while of working the console button, one of the lesser known songs from Mercurial's album "Chummers for life" seep into the van. Lina shakes her head. Almost unbelievable it's almost been 20 years already since that thing came out... Time really flies. She leans back in her seat and while it may appear that she is sleeping, she's not. "Well, we're doing what we can, but it depends on what we're working with. Dot has a good head on her shoulders and in contrast to other people I've had the fun of dealing with, she's not above using it. Nothing to do with me, I'm just giving her hoops to jump through and perhaps some advice on what not to do." They spend a while in silence, only accompanied by the music. "Eh, it's a win-win for everyone involved. I'm doing my best and that might motivate her to do her best. So you're welcome. I just hope we don't get another bang like Wednesday with her on site. Gun training or not, she's a civilian, as opposed to Lily or me and also a bit further down the squishy end of the scale I guess." At least compared to her, but then, that wasn't too hard if she kept the surroundings Dot comes from into account. "I might be mistaken of course, but I don't really feel like finding out the hard way. But yeah, she should be able to take a lot from that stay with us if she plays her cards right."

Once they have arrived, she sets down her stuff and sorts the things out of the bag. "Alright, will be down in a bit." Her grooming stuffs go into the bathroom, the rest is sorted to other opportunities that the room offers. Looking around, Lina gets the impression that something is amiss, but she can't really put a finger on what it is. Just that something bothers her. She has a short thinking break and then puts the holster with the taser with her other stuff before going downstairs. Once back down the stairs, she goes looking for Dot and Stan.

Friday 8 June 2076 2133 Stan's House



You head down the stairs to the large living room. You feel a whisper of a breeze from the open door to the patio and you see Stan and Dot out there in dim light. The room you are walking through is decorated in a western motif, to include the couches and several chairs and small tables. The floor is hewn logs that have been smoothed over and some sort of resin applied to them. As you move closer it seems that they are talking about her work and especially how you are teaching her about sutures. They hear you as you step onto the floor from a large rug and turn to greet you. Stan waves an arm for you to come outside. They are standing on a huge stone and wood patio that is softly lit from side lighting that accentuates without blinding. A large grill sits off to the left, built into the side wall. To the right you can hear the gentle burbling of a hot tub that could easily seat ten people and the light reflects off the water of a small swimming pool just beyond. The entire patio is covered with an awning to protect against the rain that seems to have stopped for now. Stan comes to you with a glass in his hand, saying, “I was not sure if you even drink wine, or what you like, but I think that you will find this to be very nice, whatever your tastes.” He hands the small goblet to you and motions for you to come with him. “Now, this is what I wanted you to see. Not sure what you are used to where you come from, but out here this is impossible to see from the sprawl.” He takes you to where some large paving stones form a walkway out into the darkness then points up to where a billion billion dots of light shine in the night sky. “Pretty awesome, eh?”

Lina moves through the house. She doesn't really make an effort to be too silent, but the thick rug under her feet surely helps with that. Although she finds the way the wood has been worked into the house an impressive display of craftsmanship, she has to grin as she thinks of the words of her uncle, who had once said that Americans will fight every attempt to build them a solid stone house tooth and nail, if need be. As a city kid, she leans more towards stone, but she's been in enough wooden houses to accept their merit as well. While she looks around, she decides to follow the breeze, although she could also straight up walk where she sees Stan and Dot outside. As she leaves the rug, she's spotted and follows the invitation outside. She accepts the glass from Stan and walks out further after Stan. Looking up, she can see an uncountable number of stars. They are way clearer than she remembers last seeing them, but then, with the sorts of circumstances, thats not too surprising. She hasn't really given that much thought, but now, actively trying to recall, it was indeed impossible to see those from the Sprawl. In Hamburg they had been somewhat more visible, but then, Hamburg is significantly smaller than Seattle, so no wonder there. "Sort of, it's not much better at home, but then, thats just a big city and not a sprawl. While the picture was a bit clearer, I wasn't really home when I last saw a display like this." And about half of the stuff might as well have been flares, but she wouldn't start and push this convo towards Serbia if she didn't have to. She takes a sip from the goblet. She's not much of a wine drinker, but the stuff is drinkable, which is a plus. "They're beautiful, aren't they ? You can't help but think about what sort of message you want to take home from seeing this. You guys didn't just pick this location for this, did you ? If so, I wouldn't blame you." Some more wine folows as she keeps looking eternity in the eye.

Friday 8 June 2075 2150 Stan's House



The light breeze brings the scent of the surrounding forest to you as you stand looking up at the stars. It is the eye of eternity and it is looking down on you. Standing behind you, Stan says, "I am not really sure why this place was picked. My grandfather started this place, working on it by hand. His son, my father, helped when he was old enough and then me. And now Tony. I love this place and am so glad that my son likes to work with his hands. He will help work on the house as he grows up, making it his when it is his turn." He reaches for your glass, "Come on and sit down. I can top this off if you like."

He walks you back to the patio and over to a small table with two chairs. He motions for you to sit in one and turns on a small gas fireplace that adds a bit of warmth to go with the breeze. He sits opposite you and points to the wine bottle that is sitting on the table with a question on his face. The burbling of the hot tub is a bit louder here and there is a faint light coming from the bottom, giving it a sort of bubbling cauldron effect.

Lina fixates the sky. In it's full beauty, it's a sight to behold. For her, it is also a rightful reminder that there are things that dwarf human intellect and imagination and humanity's place in the order of things. When she was younger, the notion about inescapable cessation on bodily existence and her inability to imagine what eternity would be like scared the drek out of her. If she's honest, it still does. As always, she stops thinking about it too hard. Life is short and busy. She doesn't need to weigh herself down with moments of doubt like this, although she does from time to time. All it boils down to is not having anything weigh her conscience down too much when things come to a head and to be able to make the final leap of faith with trust and confidence. The best she can hope for is that she's ready when the time comes. She wants that to be the case, but she won't know before getting there. Heh, talk about pushing inconvenient things aside...

Stan's voice tears her out of her thoughts. She nods, although she doesn't know if Stan sees it. "Something to work on and hand down the family line. A legacy. I wonder if your granddad knew what he kicked off when he laid the groundwork for all this." She hands Stan the glass and walks over to the table. She sits down and nods at his indication of the bottle. She stretches in the seat and leans back. "It's an expression I picked up from some of the Britishers with us. Short and sweet. If things go to drek, they don't go to drek, they go tits. Also works with persons. Calling an idiot an idiot is one thing. Calling them a tit is guaranteed to turn heads and make it stick way better. It worked neatly and with time, I took it over."

Friday 8 June 2075 2155 Stan's House



Stan tops off your glass and pushes it across the table to you. "Oh, granddad knew, all right. He lived long enough to see me take over for him after my father died. I think losing his son did more to him than everything he had been through. He died less than a year after my dad. It was hard to lose them both in such a short time." He chuckles at your comment. "I can see where that phrase could catch on. So how do you know if they are commenting on the situation or if they are admiring your......uh.....yeah." He goes silent and in the dim light it is hard to see if he is blushing or not, but you can bet he is. Looking over at him in the silence, you can tell that he is looking at you. "I hope that I am not too out of place if I tell you how attractive you are? It has been a long time since a beautiful woman was here." It is likely that he is blushing again.

"Well, the common outfit suited to foreign country deployment doesn't do much to accentuate a woman's assets, especially as thats not its job. Add a flak jacket to that and they become a lot less notable unless you're one of those pumped up porn-sim starlets. I mean, sure group showers mean the guys get to see some cleavage at some point. I also got to see a lot of dicks, so what ? Nobody left screaming in panic and nobody exploded." She shrugs. Her squeamishmess about mixed sex showers had dissipated fast once out-country the first time. An informal rite of passage, so to speak. "If we got some more... immature guys mixed in, I guess it might have helped that I had a few more stripes than they had. The only guy who ever posed a problem got the pointer after the Company Sergeant and I pulled him through the drekker for two weeks straight. So much for those who say the Army has no place as an educational institution in the modern times." She drinks to that. Stan's next remark is flattering, even though she doesn't normally think of herself as beautiful in the sense that has become common with the long line of surgically improved models and tridstars that flash their faces at people from almost every surface nowadays. But that doesn't mean she can't accept a compliment for what it is. "You're not, thank you." She looks around to make sure she can't see Dot around, but then decides to not rat her out for telling her about that last bit.

Friday 8 June 2075 2200 Stan's House



Dot is nowhere to be seen. Stan sits back in his chair and stretches out a bit and chuckles softly, "Yes, it has been a long time. So, about tomorrow. We can just stay here and relax in the morning. I am sure that Tony will want to challenge you to some sort of trid game on the large screen, but please only play if you want to. This is meant to be a relaxing time for you, not some effort to just keep you going. Sleep in as long as you like and breakfast will be a sort of do it yourself thing. We'll fire up the grill in the afternoon and you can certainly help if you feel adventurous." He motions idly over to the hot tub and pool. Take a swim or use the tub there. I can testify to the therapeutic powers of the hot tub; it can soothe your cares away. A light breeze across the water like tonight makes it almost perfect. If you want to use it now, I would certainly recommend it. That cabinet right behind you has some very nice towels and robes and I can withdraw to the living room to give you some privacy. If you have not tried one in a while, I would say go for it."

Lina thinks for a moment. A tub is not really her thing, but the pool looks tempting. Does she feel still able to take a swim ? Listening into herself, she decides that she does, those two wines don't really count. Good thing she has prepared thanks to Stans forewarning earlier. "Sounds like a plan, I'll see about when I get up and whats up tomorrow tomorrow then. I don't mind handling grills, so if you can use a hand, just say so and we'll work things out." She finishes off the glass and stretches, then walks closer to inspect the pool. "There may be situations where privacy is something I like, but this isn't one of those." She dips one of her toes into the water. It seems to be a bit chilly, but not exactly cold, but that's good enough. So she walks back to the chair and puts her glass onto the table. "Well, let's see if I'm still some good at this !" Getting out of her trousers is a quick process, as is pulling t-shirt and tanktop over her head. Having been warned of the possibility that her lack of dedicated swimwear might become a problem, she has chosen to incorporate dark underwear into her clothing choices. It's not a perfect replacement, but it will at least not turn transparent. Or not transparent too fast. She'll find out soon or so Lina assumes as she makes a few steps back towards the pool and takes a header into it. The water temperature takes getting used to, although it at least doesn't hit her like a hammer. As such, she just enjoys the feeling of being submerged and resurfaces after about a minute. "True, it is pretty nice !"

---STAN---

Stan shakes his head when you offer to help with the grill. “You grill, too? Are there any other surprises hiding in there? I am sure that we can work out something over the grill. Are you a steak or chicken woman?”

Stan watches you in amazement as you disrobe down to your underwear, saying, “I guess there are more surprises in there.” The water is not cold enough to make you race back to the patio, and you adapt to the temperature pretty quickly. The pool itself stretches out into the yard and is about fifty feel long and twenty wide, so you can get a god lap rhythm going if you want. As you surface from your initial dive into the water, you see Stan in boxer shorts walking into the pool from one side, where steps descend from the deck. You note that his body is toned from some sort of exercise regimen as he slips under the water, only to rise next to you. “Sorry for the wimpy entrance, but I was concerned that the boxers might not stay on if I dove in and I see no reason to scare you away when you have just arrived.” He pauses then adds, “OK. I am going to say something and hope that you do not hit me or something. But if I do not let it out, I will kick myself forever for not doing so. Please remember that I have very little experience in this.” Deep breath. “I think that you are an amazing woman. You are an accomplished medical professional, you remain calm in extremely dangerous situations, you obviously know how to use a gun effectively but not indiscriminately, you do not fall to pieces at the adversity of losing friends or having your room blown up, and you are willing to be a teacher and role model to an impressionable young woman. All of that makes you very attractive on the inside, but on top of all that, you are incredibly attractive in a physical sense as well. After seeing you strip down to your underwear, I can promise you that the sight of you like that will stay with me, no matter what sort of garb or flak jacket you are wearing. And I am afraid that I must be one of the immature guys, because my body is reacting in a manner that might prove embarrassing if I were to leave the pool right now.”

---LINA---

"That's the benefit of the green carnival... When you're out in the woods and the supply truck gets stuck, you learn to cut up some..." Dogs,rats or birds "stuff and how to get it edible on a stick over the flame or you have to make do with the rations. Not a really hard descision, if you ask me. I'm not a picky eater, as long as it's hot, dead, seasoned and not human, I'll try it." She grins at these words and blows some air through her nose to get the water out. "Didn't figure I should be scared of the things that lurk under the surface of the pool... Should I be ?" She leans in to Stan. "I have to say... It's really nice to know you appreciate all that and I appreciate your forwardness about it. I'd even go as far as saying that not making a total ass out of yourself and being honest about your opinion as well as your bodily reactions is the opposite to immature, really. As is going for what you want." Lina could also appreciate the bodily reaction as another, more obvious token of flattery. She runs a finger down Stan's chest and gives him a sly grin and a shove into the water. "What do you think about 60 laps ? Winner gets a prize. What would be fair in your opinion ?" She gives him time to thing and uses that time to get her hair out of the ponytail she is wearing it in normally and throwing the scrunchie back to where her clothes are.

---STAN---

Stan gives you a serious look. “If it were up to me, I would do my best to make sure that you were never scared of anything again. But just from the little I know
of you, I do not think you need or want that sort of smothering protection. I would like the opportunity to learn just what you do want.” When you push him under
the water, he comes up shaking his head. He takes a step forward and you find yourself wrapped in strong arms, his head lowering and his lips brushing against
yours. There is am immediate jolt and you can almost physically feel the magnetism between you as your body reacts to his. He breaks the kiss and lets you go,
stepping back with a strange expression on his face. “Wow. That was……….unexpected. Extremely nice, though.” He shakes his head and smiles. “That was to show you that I am interested. So, sixty laps? I have to warn you that I did not build this pool just to look at it. And my reward if I win? Certainly not anything more than you are willing to give, but in light of being honest with you, I am pretty certain that my request just might include you removing your impromptu swim suit and seeing if you might want to go any farther than that. What about your prize if you win?” He waits for you to toss your scrunchie and get ready. “Last chance to back out, Lina. I have a pretty good idea of your military background from what you have said. Mine was UDT and marine spec ops. Granted, it has been a while since I needed those skills, but I never lost my love for swimming. I do not wish to take unfair advantage of you. Still in?”

---LINA---
The kiss comes unexpected, but she doesn't struggle as their bodies meet and returns the kiss. "Unexpected, but nice, I agree. Didn't see that coming, but I don't really mind." She smirks and gives Stan a wink. "I'll think of something nice to keep things interesting." She stretches to warm up a little and makes her way to the brim of the pool that borders the house. Him recounting his previous occupation made her wonder about what made a navy man go for a landlocked job with KE, but then, there was enough time to find out, even if that time wasn't now. It also made clear that Stan might be a tougher nut to crack than she thought, but she had some advantages of her own. Those might or might not be able to help her with this, but she had confidence in them and now was a good time to find out if this confidence was well-placed. Even if that meant the hard and painful way. She looks at her clothes, then back to Stan. "I appreciate the warning. That combination is indeed not bad..." She flashes him a grin. "For the Navy. Didn't think I'd back down that easily, hm, sailor ? You do the swimming and leave the worrying about keeping up to me. Just don't hold back." She finishes her warming up and gets out of the pool to take starting position at the brim. "Ready ? Say when !" She bounces up and down a bit and waits for the signal to jump back in and see how far she would get against Stan. As soon as he gave the 'go', she'd propel herself back into the water.

Stan watches you climb out of the pool and shakes his head as you stand there dripping wet and illuminated by the dim light. “Are you kidding? If there is any chance that I might see more of you I will be pulling as hard as possible.” You hear him suck in his breath as he watches you stretch. When you nod that you are ready, he counts from five and says go. Your dive carries you well past him initially and your bio-enhanced muscles propel you through the water at a fast rate of speed. You reach the end of the pool and kick around to see him lagging behind, but coming up strong. You hear a loud curse from behind you as he reaches the wall, indicating that he must have had a problem. You hold a comfortable lead through the first lap and by the time you reach the wall at the middle of the second lap you see a pair of boxer shorts floating on the water near the wall. The incongruity causes you to miss a stroke, but the delay is only momentary and you are on your way again.

His powerful strokes eat away at your lead and you can see him closing at every wall turn. Still, your stamina and strength are greater than normal and you continue to power through lap after lap. By the end of the twentieth lap you can hear him close on you and his push off the wall carries him even with you. From there, he moves incrementally past you, but it is no easy feat as you continue to push him. You feel the strain in your arms, legs, and lungs, but do not quit. Lap after lap rolls by and you are still within striking distance, counting on your final stamina to make a mad dash over the final few laps, hoping that he has used himself up by then. In a massive effort, you power past Stan at the half-way turn in lap forty-seven. Unfortunately, he must have the same thought and abilities and although he gives a surprised grunt, he regains the lead at the end of the forty-eighth lap, surging past you.

You try to get just a bit more from your failing muscles and get almost back up to his toes as he makes the final turn. Kicking in his own final burst, he moves out of reach and touches the final wall almost three body lengths ahead of you. He stands with his upper back and shoulders out of the water, drawing in huge breaths of air as you come up to the wall. Turning his head, Stan looks at you and grins. “Damn fine for the Army. I thought you were going to kill me.” He hauls himself out of the water to sit on the deck and reaches down to offer you a hand to help you up. Suddenly, he notices that he is naked and swears as he slides back into the pool. "Now where did I put those? Oh yeah." He laughs. "I came out of that first turn and shot forward and my boxers ended up at my knees. I had to kick them off to keep going. Sorry about that." Once he has his underwear back on he pulls himself up out of the water and lays on his back, still panting but not as heavily. After a a few moments of mutual panting, Stan rolls over on his stomach and raises his head above yours to look into your eyes. “Alright, here is the deal. It is pretty presumptuous of me to talk about you getting naked on our first date, so I will just take a kiss as my prize and let you decide if you want to go beyond that.” He shifts closer to you and lowers his head, kissing you. For a prize kiss it is pretty fragging good, sending electricity-like bursts through your body. After a few moments of moving around to get the best angle, your leg touches him and you can tell without a doubt that he is reacting to you as his hardness presses against your hip.

He rolls off and onto his back and turns his head to face you, saying, “That was a great sixty-lap prize, Army. Surprised the hell out of me. That will teach me to never underestimate you again. You are just full of surprises.” He bites his lip a bit. “Have to say that you kiss amazingly well and I would like to go further, but anything else is up to you. No means no in my world.”

It's been some time since she has been exhausting herself that much in such a short time and it shows. Lina's muscles hurt and she knows thats only the beginning and that she'll be sore with a capital 'S' tomorrow. She climbs out of the pool with Stan's assistance and lies on the ground and pants for more air while trying to convince herself that her lungs are not on fire although they certainly feel like they are. So she just keeps her eyes closed and focuses on shutting the pain out until it gets somewhat better and not having to do anything but breathe for a bit. After a while, she feels comfortable enough to interact with her surroundings again and exhales deeply. A painful sting reminds her that that just was a bit too deep. Damn. "Tell you what, it's been some time since I last had a ride like that. I guess I'll be able to remember that for a while." Yep, listening into herself, she definitely will. She's not looking forward to the first hours of tomorrow. Hewr heart rate has already decreased but it still feels like its beating up to the collarbone. "That sounds like a fair deal to me." Lina shifts a bit to acommodate Stan better and has to admit the guy is a pretty good kisser. Together with the general situation, especially their current small bodily distance and the pressure against her hip, this doesn't really help with the arousal that's building up inside her. Normally she wouldn't mind, but in her current form, she doesn't know how she'd take to another strenuous activity right away. A quick thought makes the read-out of her biomonitor appear on the inside of her left fore-arm in letters and numbers that glow in a pale green. Doesn't look too good, but also too bad either. She concludes that she'll live as she makes the projections disappear again.

"Well, what can you say, things aren't often what they seem, are they ?" She grins and gets out of her bra, throwing it to where the rest of her stuff is. "Tell you what, you're not a slouch when it gets to kisses... Mind if I get me another one ?" Lina doesn't wait for a reply, but rolls in closer to Stan, pressing against him and pulling him into another lengthy kiss. Ater what feels like not long enough, she gets up again and takes another header into the water to cool down again somewhat. Getting out of the pool again, she goes for the cabinet Stan had indicated earlier and gets a towel. "I doubt ourt bosses would appreciate if we get a cold, what do you think ?" She strips off her undies and starts rubbing herself dry. She doesn't make any effort to shield herself from Stan's view, for one reason or another. Once she's done, she wraps her wet clothes into the towel, picks up the dry ones as well and stuffs both the dry and the wet package under her arm nonchalantly. "That was a nice evening, Stan, we should repeat that sometime, perhaps without trying to kill each other."

Friday 8 June 2075 2341 Stan's House



As you turn to walk away you feel strong arms wrap around you and lips caress the back of your neck. Stan softly says, "You are just one surprise after another, Army. My muscles ache and I know I will be sore tomorrow, but all of that is worth it just to have you here. I may not be able to be energetic in bed right now, but I can certainly be gentle. And I might be out of practice, but I know where everything goes and am certainly willing to learn what pleases you." His hands shift on you and he palms your breasts, thumbing your already taut nipples. From behind you, his desire is pretty evident, as it the fact that he must have removed his boxers again while you were drying off. He releases your breasts as he gently removes the towel and places it on the decking then bends over and picks you up in his arms. "Are you willing to take a chance on this sailor? I will do my best to not make you regret it. Just nod or shake your head." He lowers his lips to yours and you get the tingly sensations running through you that indicate that your body is willing to try this.

---LINA---

Drek, so much for the cold water treatment... The sensation inside her is back quickly and it's not the muscles being sore. She lays back her head and presses against Stan as she feels his hands on her body. She audably sucks in some air and a small moan escapes her. "Hmmm... looks like you're having the best of the argument so far..." One of her hands runs down Stan's body and pulls him closer against her. The prospect of what looks like its going to happen soon is enticing, to say the least. She has to admit that Stan is doing his best to get her into the mood even more and he's doing a pretty good job with it... Her bodies' reaction leaves little doubt of that. She kisses back, but slowly shakes her head upon his question.

---STAN/DOT---

Saturday 9 June 2075 0930 Stan’s house


Stan whispers back. “You are right that I am interested and you are very interesting.” He holds you in his arms as he carries you up the stairs. It feels…………..safe………..to be there, safe and comforting. You are almost asleep as he deposits you in the bed and pulls the covers over you. You do not even hear the door close before you are fast away in a dreamless sleep.
You are awakened by the sound of a gentle knock on your door, and you hear Dot asking if she can come in. When you say yes, she enters and shuts the door behind her. She turns and you see that she has a bundle of clothes in one arm, which she places on a chair near the foot of the bed. Your early stretch reminds you of what you did last night and lets you know that your body will be reminding you of that for some time to come. Dot moves to sit on the side of the bad and looks at you. “I found your clothes on the patio when I got up this morning. I dried your “swimming suit” and brought everything up.” She pauses then continues. “Listen, if you are getting…..um…..recreational with dad, it is totally OK with me. And Tony, too. Whatever you did has certainly perked him up. Hell, just being near you yesterday brought something out in him that I have never seen before. As I was drying your clothes, he came out to the patio and jumped into the pool for some laps, something he has not really done much for a couple of years. I asked him why and he said something about getting some practice in and that if I was going upstairs any time soon I should stop by your room and tell you that the water is just great.”
She stands and moves towards the door before stopping and turning again. “You wouldn’t know it, but he has been in a death spiral sort of thing for about a year, since about the time I was finishing my pre-med stuff. I am not sure why, but it seemed something was sucking all the fun out of his life. He tried to cover it for us, and I think that Tony might not understand the difference, but he might…………he’s a really smart kid, for a little brother. Dad called me on the phone on Wednesday to tell me that he was OK and then he spent the next hour telling me about this amazing woman he had met at the clinic that jumped into the fight and saved a lot of lives. About how calm and collected she was. Then he asked me if I was still looking around for a summer intern program and told me to go see you on Thursday morning. And after yesterday it was obvious that he really likes you.” She glances over at your clothes. “And by now it appears that you already know that, so I will just shut up and go. And by the way, please don’t tell Tony I said he is smart? I will never live that down if you do.” She nods to you and leaves the room.

---LINA---

Lina doesn't recall much of how she has gotten into the room and is awakened at some point by a knock on the door. She's not really awake but still tells Dot to enter. Dot closes the door and Lina stretches, which reminds her of two things, namely that she really put some strain on herself yesterday and secondly that she's not wearing anything. She watches Dot place her clothes on the chair at the foot of her bed and take a seat. "Thanks a lot, I meant to bring them up yesterday, but didn't get to it. She tries to sit up a bit and the strain makes her groan a bit. While she does hear what Dot tells her, it takes a while for the content to fully register. In the end, it does compute, but she isn't sure what to say to that. "Noted, I'll see if I can get out there in a bit to see for myself. I don't know how he can already practice again... Damn bastard." She chuckles and tries again to get up, which goes better than the first time, but she still stays in the bed for now. "Is OK, Dot, I won't tell him anything. See you downstairs in a bit !" After Dot has left, Lina gets out of bed and goes through her morning routine before putting the clothes from yestrday into a bag inside her backpack and getting out a fresh set of clothes. She put the clothes on and made her way downstairs to see what was going on there.

When you get downstairs, you see Tony sitting on the large couch, his attention riveted to the large trid screen as he plays the Mario Krash Kart game, Dot is sitting on one of the lounges on the patio, reading from her pad, and Stan is standing in his swimming trunks at the grill. His hair is still wet from the pool and you can see the sunlight glinting on drops of water along his well-toned chest. He looks over at you as you come out, saying, "Hey. Good morning. I hope that you slept well. I have to say that I need to carefully consider taking on any more of your swimming challenges until I get back into the swing of speed laps again. There is a toaster on the kitchen counter, along with bread, butter, and an assortment of jams. A couple of boxes of cereal are also available and milk in the frig. Help yourself to what you want. I think there are some apples left if Dot has not gotten to them all, yet."

Dot looks up at her father and sticks her tongue out at him. "It is not that bad, Lina. I do love apples, but I left a couple in case you do. If not, they will not go to waste around here."

Stan smiles and says, "And I am working on the marinade for the meat. I hope that you like it." he taps the side of the grill. "We will fire up the green beast in a couple of hours to get it nice and ready."

Tony calls out from behind you. "So, you want to try dual controls on the large screen? Totally different game."

"Morning all." Nope, she's not yet fully in best condition, but after yesterday, that's no small wonder. "I need to watch what challenges I issue, I guess. I feel like some more training would do me good, I'll admit I let that slide a bit in the past days." She stretches and walks over to where the food is and starts to throw her breakfast together. "Marinade sounds good, what sort are we talking ?" She returns to the table with two apples, a bowl of cereal, half a dozen sandwiches and a big glass of soymilk. She takes a seat, putting the food down onto the table and starts eating. She eats fast, although not hastily, and methodically. She takes a small break to look over to what Tony is playing. "We'll see, I have to warn you though, I'm faster than I look, just ask your dad." That and she didn't really plan on pulling her weight on a six-year-old. Things being as they are, she just winks in Stan's direction on her last remark and continues getting her breakfast down.

Stan laughs and says, "And I need to be more careful about what challenges I accept. As to the marinade, it is an old family recipe passed down for generations. you would have to be a member of the family to be told. Hey, there, Army. Save some room for the steaks."

Tony barely looks up from his game as you warn him. "That is OK. You have to be better than dad."

"Hey!"

Dot chimes in, "He's right, dad. You sort of suck at that game."

They all laugh and Stan admits his failings. Tony waits for you to finish eating and says, "Come on, Lina. Just one game?"

Stan says, "Hey, sport, give her some time for that. She's only been here a short while.'

"The old blood oath stuff, eh ? Almost sounds like this thing that some..." She remembers their company and decides not to finish that sentence with minors around, especially without much insight into Stan's parenting methods and preferences. She pats her stomach. "Afraid you're still too tired from yesterday to roll me back into the house after the BBQ, sailor ?" She chuckles and finishes the soymilk as the signifier that her breakfast is officially over. "Well, I can't really say whether I'm better than Stan at this before I've tried, right ?" She gets up and makes her way to the couch. "Ok, sport, one game. Move over and we'll see how good or bad I really am with that stuff." She cracks her fingers and lets Tony give her the basics on how thigns work and the controls.

The game is easy to learn and you are actually pretty good. You and Tony have a good time and laugh at the various accidents you have and both have a lot of fun. At the end of the game he sits back in the couch and laughs. That was so much fun, Lina, thanks for playing." He looks over at you and says, "Lina, are you going to be my mom? It's OK with me if you do."

There are two voices from the patio. Dot says "Tony!" But looking at her, she is actually looking an unspoken question. Stan, calls out, "Tony!" at the same time as his daughter. "That is not polite." Dot looks at her dad then goes to Tony. "Let's take a walk." The boy looks a bit resistant but sees the look in Dot's eyes and goes off with her. Stan is standing at the door to the patio. "Sorry about that, Lina. Out of the mouths of children."

Lina is surprised how good she seems to be at this game, especially as she's preoccupied with slowing her amped reflexes down to make things somewhat more fair. Luckily things ease up as things progress, as its becoming less about who gets to the finish line first and more about who can find more creative ways to crash the other participants or at least give their own crashes some sort of funny spin. Tony is particularly apt at this, as they find out while time runs by. Which is why his sudden question about her assuming parental status comes pretty much out of the left field and ccatches her pretty flat-footed. "Err... you're welcome. Was a lot of fun indeed." She concentrates on the first statement to buy herself some time to think of the situation Tony just brought up. Is she going to do that ? Does she want that ? Is it something thats feasible in her current situation ? She doesn't fail to notice Dot's reaction to the question hanging in the room. And she hasn't forgotten what Dot had told her yesterday, at least she thinks she still recalls the major points. Even after Dot and Tony have left, Lina doesn't find anything remotely intelligent to say. She puts down the controller thats still in her hand and looks at Stan. "You can say that again. They surely don't make a habit of beating around the bush, do they now ? Not always a bad thing, but quite able to catch people with their pants down, as we have just seen." She chuckles, although she's not sure why. Thoughts are spinning in her head and while she's sort of used to that to some degree, she still doesn't like it. Think ! Focus ! she chides herself and gets up. "I guess I'll get another drink. Can I bring you something from the fridge ?"

Saturday 9 June 2075 1153 Stan's House


Stan just points over his shoulder at the grill. "Thanks, but I have one open already." You make it to the frig and look through the small selection of beers he has there. He follows you into the kitchen and says. "Stronger stuff in the cupboard above your head there, if you like whiskey instead." He pauses then adds, "You know, you did not immediately reject the idea. The position IS open and I just happen to know that no one else has shown any interest in applying. You would have to go through a pretty detailed interview process if you apply. Do you think that you might be even remotely interested in applying for the position? One of the perks of the job is that you would have a dual role as mother and wife. Ah, yeah. Probably said too much already. Just shut up Stan and let the beautiful woman think."

"Well, I don't mind detailed interviews on principle, but so far I don't know how good the health plan and benefits are, if there are some in the first place..." She eyes the cupboard shortly, but then decides that it's a bit early for the strong stuff. Also she likes to have some wriggle room and that'd poof quickly if she already breaks out the Whiskey. So she just gets a beer out of the fridge, opens it and leans against the counter. "I'm currently having a think about that. Not saying it's not an interesting prospect, but I think we both know each of us comes with strings attached, some of which are more obvious than others that may or may not overpower the perks and also aren't necessarily as obvious as they could be." She sighs, takes a swig of beer, walks over to the couch and drops into it. "So it's less the thinking and more tha talking I got a problem with, because I guess we should set a few things straight right away, what do you think ?"

Saturday 9 June 2075 1158 Stan's House


Stan nods several times as you talk and follows you out to the living room. He considers sitting on the couch next to you, but opts for a chair opposite. "I agree that there should be more talking. I am well aware of the problems that could arise from jumping too quickly into this. For starters we barely know each other's names and very little of our pasts or personalities. Marriage and parenthood are huge steps and you deserve the opportunity of going into this with your eyes open. What do you want to know?"

What does she want to know ? Thats a damn good question. She can think of a lot that comes to mind, but then... Will she be in a position to ask those questions once they're done ? She washes that thought down with some more beer. Lina doesn't like not being sure how to handle something. And right now ? She's no idea how to go about it or what to say... Ah, drek. "I'll start. I don't know how many details you got from Paul or others, but there are a few things that people assume about me that aren't quite right." Phew, where to start ? "For one, I have made a few wrong statements on my employment papers. I haven't entered the country lawfully. I have some dealings with pretty shady people. And I'm not really sure, but I think I also lied about my age." She smirked at the last one and took another sip from the bottle. "That doesn't mean I'm actually a danger to you and your kids, but I might become one at some point in the future under the wrong circumstances. Under the current circumstances, I think you're entitled to some of the less pretty truths before we decide if and how we will continue this conversation." She looks at him. "So I guess it's best with what you want to know."

Saturday 9 June 2075 1210 Stan's Home


Stan seems to be considering your words as watches you. He is silent for a bit then says, "Well, Army, you are just one surprise after another. Just two questions to start. First, are you willing to talk to me about why you are here illegally, what you are running from, and what sort of shady characters you are doing business with? Second, are you willing to let me help you?"

"I can tell you a bit more about what is going on, you deserve as much. We'll see about the letting you help me part. As I said, I don't want you and the kids sucked in deeper than necessary. So... Where to start ?" Lina empties the bottle and puts it onto the ground next to the table with a sigh as she thinks about how to put things best for a bit. "You see, I worked with the European equivalent of DocWagon after I left the Army. I also did some work on the side for a doc. One of those nights, we were set up by some thugs. Don't get me wrong, they opened fire first and I shot the guy I killed that night in self-defense. Problem is, that's nothing that matters really when that dead boy is the favourite nephew of some Vory-executive. Add to that that it's pretty easy to find out that my people have more than a few bones to pick with the Russians and that they belonged to the same outfit that made my dad vanish... I decided it's better to get the hell out of Dodge without finding out how much those guys carry grudges. I got over here on the advice of a friend and used my last money to pay a decker to erase any traces of where I had gone. I don#t expect the Ivans to send killers after me, but I didn't feel like taking chances with that." She ges up, walks to the fridge and gets another beer she then proceeds to open and drink from.

"I got here, met some friends I didn't know I had and they agreed to give me a place to hide in for some time. They also tipped me off that Lily might need some fresh blood. Well, the job's good, I like my coworkers, at least those that are still there, and it pays the debts I owe. Woman can't ask for more than that in that short a time, can she now ? These people don't like meddlers and they don't like cops. Now I'm not sure if that dislike has to be doubled or squared when it comes to meddling cops, but I doubt it'd be pretty. I don#t want you, Dot or Tony involved in that. Especially because they tried to get you involved already, but I'll have none of that."

Saturday 9 June 2075 1220 Stan's House


Stan sits back in his chair and looks at you. He shakes his head and whistles. "Whoa, Army. You do come with a package, don't you? OK, the Vory are not known for forgiving a slight, so they might still be looking for you back home. The good news on that is the Vory here do not get on well with their cousins in the homeland and so that should not be a problem. My guess is that we are talking about the Chinese, Japanese, Irish, or Koreans? All of those are bad news around here, but not so much that you cannot deal with them, especially if you have the money and are willing to pay extra to get out from under the debt. In some fashion, they are all just businessmen. Violent ones, yes, but businessmen. That means they might be willing to work with you." He nods his head. "You are right about not liking meddlers, especially cops who meddle, however we might be able to come up with a plan. And I am emphasizing the WE here, Army. If you are willing to let someone share your burden, we can look at all the angles and come up with something. You strike me as being an intelligent woman; so let me help you. I very much want to be part of this."

"I figured as much, which is why I'm looking at spending quite some time over here. Might even wait until that uncle bought it to be safe. But they are willing to work with me, that much is true, they can be pretty forthcoming when it suits them, I'll give them that. But they're still cutthroats when things don't suit them." And meddling cops rarely suit them, especially when not adhering to their plan of action. Which is pretty much what she's envisioning happening if things come around like she's starting to suspect they will. "I can imagine you want to be a part of this, I'm just not entirely sure how to think about that. I mean, at the moment, the plan is simple. Get those people their money, see what can be done to keep the clinic afloat and be done with it. Any suggestions where you'd come in ?" She takes another big swig of beer and looks at Stan quizzically.

Saturday 9 June 2075 1225 Stan's House


Stan nods at you. "That depends on how much you want to let me help. How much do you owe and are they fronting anything for the clinic? And how much does Lily know?"

"Around 23.000 NuYen, about 25.000 with interest. After the supply is dwindling and the clinic seems to get more difficulties remaining open, they offered to take over providing the steady supply that the hospital is unable or unwilling to provide. We're going to work with that. They also offered me a nifty incentive for encouraging our relationship, wherever the frag they got those news, and 'see where it goes'. Even alluded to the possibility of supplying some info on their competitors as a bonus to make you look good and all that. Nice, eh ?" Lina downs the content of the bottle and puts it down to the other. "I'm obviously not going to even consider agreeing to that for reasons I have already talked about." She hopes she is wrong about whatshe imagines to happen next, but she has little illusions about that. One can hope, though... "Lily knows everything she needs to know. She knows about my debts, my business with underworlders. I have talked to her about the alternative supplies. I'm not the biggest fan of it, but so far, she thinks its the best option to keep the clinic open. She knows that some people are taking an interest in her work and are starting to get to places to influence it. That is all that directly concerns her, thus she has the right to know it. And as far as I am concerned, that's all she needs to know and all she will know, too."

Stan whistles. "That is some debt, Lina. And thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt on working with these gangsters." He slips out of the chair and comes to stand before you then kneels on the rug. He takes your hands, takes a deep breath, and says, "Listen. I can help you, if you let me. I ask for nothing in return. I think that we can work out a plan to make this go away. I can make the debt go away. If you are stubborn enough to not take it as a gift, we can call it a loan and set the interest rate to zero and you pay it back as you can. I do not know how to fix the supply problems for the clinic, but I know someone who might. I can bring her in on that part without saying anything about the rest." He looks you in the eyes. "Will you let me help?"

"Eh, not much more than some bigger mortgage, really... Nothing I'm currently too worried about. I brought that debt down onto my head myself and I'll get rid of it again on my own as well. You got better things to do with that money, don't you ? I'm grateful for your offer, but please don't do that..." She shakes her head. However, she perks up a little when things get to another topic that is of equal importance to her but has less at stake on a personal level. She doesn't doubt that while this might come in handy, it also means that things might get complicated once the Koreans enter the picture or at least they'd most likely try to get the poachers out of the picture or smother them with red tape. "Who do you have in mind ? Should I even know ?"

Stan looks pained that you do not accept his offer, but nods. "That is your decision and I accept it, for now. These money grubbers always seem to have some way to pull people deeper into debt. My offer stands and I urge you to take it. You could still owe the money, but the holder of the IOU would be considerably friendlier. Please? As to the other, I happen to be on pretty good terms with a wealthy woman who gives quite generously to worthwhile charities. I think that you might be able to convince her that the need is real. I want to talk to her first, to be sure that she is willing to take a risk. If she says yes, I will get you two together. Deal? So, who are these gangsters? If you have said, I am afraid that I missed the reference."

He looks closely at you and smiles into your face. "Now that we have talked of these things, I see no reason why, if you are interested, that is, why we cannot go back to the original topic. What do you want to know of me?"

For now... She has suspected that she'll hear something like that. She knows Stan is right, of course, she has witnessed those ways to pull people into debt first-hand. Damn, she hopes that putting the cards onto the table wasn't a mistake. Stans word sand reaction make clear that the last word on this hasn't been spoken yet. She can live with that, it's really more the suspicion that Stan might try to work some of his magic behind her back that worries her. Lina exhales with a sigh. "Fine, I'll think about it." She decides to trust Stan with not pulling any hasty stunts on her, so buying some time to look through the particularities is something she thinks she can afford. "Deal. You know her better than I do, so I won't interfere or rush anything." She wonders what sort of woman that might be, but decides not to ask for now, she'll see anyway should some meeting come to pass. "There was no reference." Which now leaves the question... Open the box and hope she can keep the lid on it or not ? Ah, frag. She'd like to keep details hidden for safety's sake, but knows that if Stan won't leave it alone, there'll be little she can do to keep him from figuring it out. She sighs and answers reluctantly. "Koreans." There it is. They'll see what comes of it, she assumes.

As the topic drifts back to the original subject, she ponders the question. "Well, what would you like me to know first and foremost ? Keep in mind, I basically know little more than your name, some rough ideas about your job, where you live now and some tidbits I got from Dot and Tony. I don't even know how old you are."

Stan nods. "Thank you, Lina. You are your own person and I will not do anything to break your trust on this. We do not have to see eye to eye on everything, and can agree to disagree on this. Thank you for telling me about it."

As for me, I am thirty-nine years old, and praying desperately that I am not too old for you. I was born and raised in Seattle and helped my dad and granddad work on this place from the time I could hold a hammer or wrench. Sort of an athlete in high school, mostly on the swimming team. Entered the Navy right after graduation and went for the naval special operations stuff right away. Bombed out badly for a number of reasons. They sent me to a surface billet where I studied and prepped to go back. Finally convinced my CO to let me have another shot and passed the course the second time through. Served in lots of places I still cannot talk about and took specialized training in underwater operations, including demolitions. Might have stayed in as a lifer, but something happened and I got out. Came home and got a job in Lonestar. Was swept off my feet by a beautiful woman who had a daughter. Ignored all the warnings from friends and family and married her, only to find that she had no soul. All she wanted to do was party in the city. She hated it out here and I soon came to realize that she did not like her daughter. Or me, either, for that matter. I was just convenient. She had a son she said was mine but isn't. I found out that she was sleeping with just about anyone in pants that wanted to have her. I am not even sure that she knows who Tony's father is. Very sad woman. Divorced her about three years ago. She willingly gave up both kids to me, telling us all that she was glad to be rid of all of us. Tony did not understand and kept calling for his mother, but Dot kept him from running after her as she left without even looking back at him. I have had a very good career here, first in Lonestar then KE when they got the contract. And now here I am, on my knees in front of another beautiful woman, but one who I feel has a soul. One who would fight the devil himself to keep her kids. One I am fast falling in love with. Do you need any other information about me? I could try to list all the reasons I am falling for you, but I am afraid the list is very long and my knees might wear out before I finished. It may be too soon for you, but I already know my heart and am hoping that you come to feel the same way about me and the kids as we already do about you. If you give us a chance, we might just grow on you." He finishes talking and stays there, looking at you.

"You're welcome." Thirty-nine... She runs a few numbers until she remembers that Dot isn't Stan's kid. Well, she sorta is, just not like that. "We'll see, but I think you guys just might indeed." She smirks. "Me, I'm thirty-four. Not much fun stuff to tell, really. We got by, mostly. I went to a state school and when I didn't get a job right away, I got into the Army. We still had national service back then. I got sent to the medical community and spent my nine months there. It didn't suck too much, so I signed on for the next thirteen years and got a job qualification. Got some paid vacations as well while I was there. They didn't have a free billet when my contract ended, so I left and worked in a civilian capacity. You already know how that turned out..." She rolls her eyes as she thinks of the 'small problem' that landed her here again. "I've had my share of boyfriends, so to speak, but either they had a problem with me or the requirements of my job at some point, or someone, of not both, weren't looking for something ongoing at that particular time. As those things tend to go. Just take care, I can be a bitch when crossed, or so I heard." She chuckles and offers her hand to Stan. "Just get up already, as you said, your knees might not like that sort of strain for too long." Provided he doesn't resist, she pulls him up from the floor and offers him a place on the couch. "That was a very nice declararation of affection, though. Anyone told you I'm a sucker for those ?"

Stan moves to the couch near you and looks at you. "I am pretty new at this sort of thing, so you might have to lead me. I do not know if what you just said is an invitation to take you in my arms and kiss you or not. I certainly hope that it is, but I do not want to scare you away by misinterpreting things."

"All I'm saying is I don't know how far I can commit with the stuff going on at the moment. But I'm more than happy to give it a shot, so three guesses whether it is an invitation or not..." Lina smirks and looks back at Stan. "First two don't count." She pulls him closer to herself and into a long kiss to make sure he knows that she's serious, despite the vagueness of her first statement.

Stan kisses you again as he pushes the door open with his foot and enters the room. He leans against the door to close it and carries you to the side of the large bed before putting you down to stand in front of him. He begins to slowly undress you, kissing the skin he exposes, tantalizing you with his lips and tongue as he makes his way down your body. He stops to give more attention to various places, some of them unexpected, concentrating on the areas that make you moan. His touch is fire on your skin and sends electric jolts to your core. He kneels to remove your pants and underwear and continues kissing your thighs. He pushes you gently back so that you sit on the edge of the bed and lifts your legs to kiss your lower legs and your feet. You are both feeling very aroused by this time and his breath is coming in pants as he stands up to look down into your eyes. He opens his mouth twice before finally saying. “Lina. It has been a long ti……..” He falls silent and seems a bit lost for words.

Lina kisses Stan and contemplates lending a hand when he starts to undress her, but she doesn't and simply enjoys his touch and the effect it has on her. His way down her body is accompanied by her low moans and a few surprised gasps as he caresses her skin and several of her sensitive spots. Thus, her level of excitement is steadily building, the symptoms of which are hard to miss. His slow and methodical approach to exploring her feel like torture, although the pleasurable kind and soon, she find herself lying with her back on the bed in a state of complete undress. They are both panting and as Stan gets up and looks down on her, his arousal is clearly visible. Stan looks out of words, so Lina breaks the silence hanging in the room after catching some breath. "You're not... as out of practice as I'd have thought..." She grins, props herself up and begins to even the odds a bit by undressing him. She takes her time, though. When she's mostly done, she pulls him onto the bed and starts carefully caressing his body with her lips, tongue and teeth, gently rubbing him slowly, as if to see how long he'll be able to take it.

"Oh, God, Lina, what you are doing to me is so.................so.......................oh, I can't even think enough to be rational." It is not long before you have him moaning and struggling to avoid finishing too soon. After a while he reaches down and pulls you up so that he can kiss you, placing you in a very good position to take advantage of his being more than ready for you. He slides into you and the groans get louder and more intense as he gropes and stimulates you from his position under you. He clenches and reaches up to pull you down to him in an embrace, loudly calling out your name. After the first explosion, he shudders through several aftershocks, whispering your name over and over. He will roll you over and make sure that you are completely satisfied before he collapses near you, entirely spent. "God, Lina, never......never."