Act 1: Plenty Of Plans

Posted on Saturday March 28th, 2026 @ 4:24pm by John Eagle
Edited on on Sunday March 29th, 2026 @ 8:21pm

2,674 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: VFY S1, E5: Del'a soran
Location: Eagle Runabout

Location: Eagle Runabout

Having spoken to Martinez about their quarters Nicole was wondering what John had in mind for the eventual layout of their quarters. She turned to look at him as she sat down on the bed in the rear of the runabout. "So what do you have in mind for our quarters my love?"

"Me? I was thinking you would do the decorating. I might need a little corner for myself just like you need one. We could always use some of our items to make the place very nice." he handed her the PADD with their inventory.

"Well I'd like to plan some specific things for the nursery, we haven't even bought a cot or anything yet!" She looked at him as the reality of the situation set in. "I'd like to make sure we have everything we need before the twins arrive."

"Of course. We will have the nursery and all that done before that time arrives. But we might want to wait to see what kind of space we have with two quarters, then we can start the practical parts." he kissed her on her cheek.

"So does that mean we're going to go and take a look to see what we've got to start with?" She looked at JJ curiously. "Or do we have the schematics already?" She knew how good her husband was with computers and getting information.

"Well, I don't think it would be smart to hack their systems when we just arrived. So going their our selves might be best. Did we have a few of those bottles?"

"We do indeed" Nicole nodded. "Infact we have a whole crate! It's the last one though so I'm only bringing along those two bottles I promised." She smiled warmly at JJ. "I'm really looking forward to sorting out our quarters and choosing what we want to go in them. One thing I do want is that queen size bed you've been promising me!"

"Pfft!" he snorted. "Queen? No my goddess of love. You will get a king size." JJ pulled back the sleave of his jacket to reveal his wrist PADD. He secured the connection to the runabout and added the commands to contact the safe house. "Can I get the lot number for the bottles?" he asked, a green button gently flashed as it was ready to send the command.

"When you promise me my queen bed!" Nicole stood with her arms folded. "It's not like we won't be needing the room in the foreseeable future" She sat looking at JJ with her hands gently resting on her stomach.

"Babe, king sized bed is larger than queen sized bed. So I am getting you an even bigger bed." he still waited for the lot number for the goods.

"Seriously? I always thought it was the other way around?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Lot number....is right here." She handed him the inventory list with the number he needed clearly displayed. "How are we going to get a drone to us here? Isn't it going to be noticed?"

"No. A.D.I. will warp in at the edge of the system, then send an encrypted message to us with the coordinates, then I will go and pick up the goods. I will also do a visual inspection of the drone just to be sure." he tapped the number in to the PADD on his arm and sent it. Another message flashed across the small screen, saying that it was sent and confirmed. They were lucky the stash wasn't to far away.

"This station is just perfect for us in relation to the location of our shall I say....products?" She grinned a crafty grin. "What is the plan for the shop? We're not actually going to keep the merchandise in the shop are we? We were talking about using holoemitters instead I do believe."

"Oh heavens no. That would be far to risky, knowing what we did to get the capital for most of the stuff, not to mention it isn't illegal to have a... stolen item on display. Sort of speak. So yes, holoemiters would be best, we can keep some of the less valuable but beautiful items here." he offered her his hand. "Want to go and have a look at the shop premises?"

"You bet I do!" Nicole took his hand pausing to take a breath for a moment, seeing the worried look on JJ's face as she did so. "It's okay, one of the girls just gave me a kick and a half!" She grinned. "Another two to three months of this and I'll be covered in bruises!"

He smiled at her. "I think you are quite tough." he patted her hand to give her support if she needed. "Lets go and set up the shop. We can think of what real items we should have in the shop." he rubbed his chin. "You think we should have one of our antique earth cars just because it's a show piece."

"Perhaps" She nodded. "How's about we have a section for our rarer jewellery items as those are always going to be a good seller."

"Yes, jewellery is always a good seller, so is art of different kinds." it was fun to think about running a shop instead of plundering it.

"Yes I agree" Nicole smiled. "Not forgetting the pottery pieces as well as some of our rarer items." She enjoyed being able to feel more part of the decision making. On jobs it had been John that made the decisions and trained her to do her part. "Let's see the shop first and plan out how we're going to do the layout from there."

John had always wanted his wife to more involved in the decitions, he often asked her if there was something she wanted to take or do. Then he would simply do the research and help her train to keep her safe. What she did inside during the jobs was all hers and it was thanks to her initiative that they found the A.D.I. data, granted he saw the potential but she was the one who found it.

"Good. What about we have dinner after we looked at the property? My treat." he asked as JJ offered his hand to guide her.

"I'd like that!" Nicole nodded enthusiastically. "I think the old saying about eating for two, or in this case three, is correct! I've never had an appetite like I do now." She grinned. "At least that means the twins are getting what they need. Perhaps we should look into hiring an employee to help out at the shop once it's up and running? After all I'm going to need your help once the twins are born until I can get into a routine."

"I think that is a smart idea. Very smart. But we need to be very careful who we hire."

"That's true" She frowned. "Well I'm sure we'll think of something. We have time to get the shop up and running before the twins are due anyway. You know something JJ I'm looking forward to us living a normal life with our children, just the way we always wanted."

"As am I. But we should never let our guards down just in case..."

"I know JJ" She nodded. "That's the one thing that scares me, I don't want our past lives and careers to come back and haunt us. I don't want to be locked up somewhere away from our children!"

"We left nothing for the authorities to find. But one of our other contacts might try and make us do jobs again. We were damn good at it." he sighed.

"Too good" Nicole sighed too. "I guess we'll have to face that if it happens, I really hope it doesn't."

The came to a turbo-lift and he guided her inside. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worse."

"I'd rather not prepare for the worst" Nicole held onto her husband's arm as they talked. "I think we've had enough of the worse times after the miscarriages I had in he past, I just want us to be able to look forward to a happy trouble free life together."

"Yes, I want that too. But I wouldn't want to risk you or the kids. So I rather have safeguards in place." the mention of the miscarriages still hurt, but he didn't mention it because he thought she would feel just as hurt as he and that he didn't want.

Nicole looked at JJ observing him for a moment. "I'm sorry I brought up bad memories didn't I? I didn't mean to, forgive me." She smiled as she looked into his eyes. "We got through that and we're both stronger for it, so we'll be as careful as you want us to be."

He smiled, grabbed her wrist, twirled her around and planted a kiss on her lips, leaning her back at a close to 45 degree angle.

Nicole smiled as she looked up into his eyes, slid her arms around his neck and gave him a long lingering kiss before finally letting their lips part. "It's been a long time since last time you danced with me JJ."
Her piercing blue eyes looked up into his, she loved it when he was spontaneous.

"Well, I don't know if they have a club onboard..."

"Then how's about we see if they have a suitable holodeck program? Would you mind lifting me up again now though it's getting a little hard on my back." She smiled as she looked up at him.

He lifted her up and held her as if they were about to dance. With a smile he started to move and sing at the same time.

I found a love for me
Darling just dive right in
And follow my lead
Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet
I never knew you were the someone waiting for me
'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love

Not knowing what it was
I will not give you up this time
But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own
And in your eyes you're holding mine

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath
But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight

Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know
She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home
I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets
To carry love, to carry children of our own
We are still kids, but we're so in love
Fighting against all odds
I know we'll be alright this time
Darling, just hold my hand
Be my girl, I'll be your man
I see my future in your eyes

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful
I don't deserve this, darling, you look perfect tonight

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song
I have faith in what I see
Now I know I have met an angel in person
And she looks perfect
I don't deserve this
You look perfect tonight


John singing romantic songs always brought tears to Nicole's eyes, she smiled the biggest smile yet as the lift came to a halt at their requested deck. She was still grinning like a Cheshire Cat as the lift doors opened to let them out. "You know I love it when you do that!"

"Well, I must cheer you up somehow and you wanted to dance. So I just had to do dance and sing and voila."

"You always cheer me up just by being there for me!" Nicole's smile beamed. "We've been together since we were kids JJ and I love you with all my heart. I still remember your face that day you were caught stealing from our kitchen!" She grinned. "Even then I knew you were going to be special to me."

He smiled. "Your family gave me so much, you think I have paid it back enough?" he asked, he had made sure that her family was well provided for, even donating quite a few antiques for her mother and father.

"JJ..." Nicole paused to look at her husband. "You don't owe my family anything! If they didn't want you they wouldn't have kept you with us and raised you alongside me. They took you in because they wanted to, my mum always wanted another child and for her you were that child."

"Not all of your family like me." He said, thinking about her other adopted brother. He was older than her and JJ had caught him a few times trying to spy on her when she was in her room. Each time JJ had called out what he was looking at loud enough for Nicole to hear. The peeping brother had almost hit JJ each time, but Nicole had always been quick to head to the door so he fled each time instead.

"To be honest there were times when Andy used to give me the creeps. There was just something about the way he used to look at me." She shrugged her shoulders. "Thinking about it now he was just a growing teenager at that point, allowing for growing up and those famous hormones that were always blamed for teenage behaviour, I guess I was just being over sensitive." She smiled. "Besides he's already been in touch, he wants to visit me once we're settled if that's okay?"

"You know he used to peep on you right?" JJ asked calmly as he held on to his wife. "You remember those times you heard me outside your room. I didn't really say what he did back then because he was quite a bit older and larger than me. To be honest, I am not very comfortable with him being around you... but if you want to meet him, then I will protect you as best I can.

Nicole frowned she had no idea he used to peep in on her. "I could sense the way his emotional state used to change when I was around, I just used to put it down to him being a boy going through his teenage years. Mum used to explain it to me as simply as she could so I used to just ignore it. It's been quite a few years since we last saw him, he's probably changed."

"I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I remember you getting angry with me a few times when you burst through the door. Me lurking outside your door while you where probably changing. You did believe me when I said I just arrived." He smiled, he felt she could have been a little more strict about that.

"I could sense you were being honest when you said that you weren't spying on me." She smiled. "Besides even then I liked you more than I should have." She smiled warmly. "You were always the one I tried to impress and show off for."

"Oh? What did you do to try and impress me?"

"Didn't you notice the way I used to dress around you? I tried to make sure I always looked beautiful for you. To be honest if I hadn't been so shy I'd have been chasing after you a lot sooner than I showed interest."

"I never thought you did that for me. I always thought you did that for yourself. Not that I didn't enjoy your beauty."

"Beauty that's always been yours!" Nicole smiled warmly. "So how's about we go and get that dinner you were talking about, we're starving!"

 

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