Cram Session

                            By:

                         Fox Cutter

06/12/97:

I petted Sierra as I flipped though some notes on my padd.
The grey fox was curled up on the couch next to me, I think
asleep, I wasn't to sure.

I was making a few changes on _The Falcon_. There was a few
problems with the spaceframe, but that was easy enough to
fix. I didn't have to go through as much as I had to with
_The Phoenix_ as _The Falcon_ didn't have enough power for
the hypospace drive, so I only had to worry about
hyperspace.

It was still a pain, I had to gotten some remedial landing
gear attached to the frame so it was now raised up ten feet
so I could put on the normal gear. Then there is the two
tanks, one fore and one aft, that needed to be install
before I could do much of anything else.

At least everything was still on schedule.

Also, in the way of schedule, it had been brought to my
attention that I could safely make a short trip (about five
days) back home! I had decided to take it after Oriana
finished with Marn, which was in five days. I was rather
excited about it, as one might expect.

Strangely enough, I had completely forgotten about it. I
guessed with Burke and that it must have slipped my mind.
Though that was still a stretch for an answer as to why I
forgot about it.

Shaking my head I threw that padd on the table and rested my
head on the back of the couch. Still petting Sierra I
relaxed a bit. This month was rather cluttered with things.
First Oriana, then my being able to go home, closer to the
end of the month Sora was going to be able to get her
certification to use the portal controller.

I was seriously considering having a bar-b-q in the back at
the end of the month so I could introduce Sora to the rest
of my friends.

It actually sounded like a good idea and I decided to do it.
Sitting up so I could start coming up with a list of what I
needed, I found that Oriana was standing a few feet away
from me.

I smiled at her. "Welcome back, how was your visit?"

She smiled and walked over, sinking down into the couch next
to me. "Relaxing. You were right, I did need to talk to
someone. I spent the first few days at my Temple with the
High Priest. After that I went back to my House to see Rose.
She's become quite adept at running the House and she seems
to be enjoying it. I think maybe I should just make her the
Lady of the House and just work there at times to relax."

Patting her on the knee I chuckled a bit. "You're sister,
who, if I remember right, was always held you working at the
House, let alone running it, in contempt, may become the
Lady of the House? That's funny."

"I think she would be happy to take over the title. Even if
I'm still partly running it again, she still has most of the
duties. Though after all this with Marn is over I'll have
enough free time again to go back running it full time. I
actually don't want to give up the job or the title. I enjoy
being the Lady far to much to do that."

I smiled. "If she enjoys it so much maybe you should make
her an assistant or something, and if she stays long enough
that you do retire, make her the lady then."

Oria nodded. "Sounds like what I should do. Honestly I can't
wait to get back to running that House again."

I chuckled, "and servicing the clients as well I expect."

She hit me on the shoulder. "Fox," she said, the tone of her
voice making it clear that I was pushing it a bit.

"Sorry." I said.

She nodded. "It's alright I guess. You are right. It's one
of the perks of the job, and there are still a few of my
special clients that I miss seeing." A wide smile crossed
her muzzle, the lip spreading.

I shook my head, smiling a bit. "Well, you still have a few
days before your review. You could go back and arrange a
quick meting with one of them."

Her smile faded a bit. "Actually, that's why I stopped by.
Marn want's to give me some final training over the next few
days. He says I should have no problems with it, but he just
wants to make sure."

I nodded and then stood, pulling her up, and hugged her.
"Alright, if you have to."

She nodded. "I have to. Though if you could, meet me in the
bar on Mydisia Base? I think we could have a drink to
celebrate."

I nodded again. "Sure Oria, I think I could drink for that."

She hugged me back, then before I knew what she was doing,
she pushed down my glasses and put her finger right on the
bridge of my nose, right between my eyes. It gave me a bit
of a start, the last time she had done that was when she had
finally told me she was in love with me. I vaguely remember
her telling me it had some romantic overtures back when she
was in the hospital.

She held her finger there for a few seconds, then said.
"Thank you." She turned and was out the door before I could
say anything. I sighed and thumped down onto the couch. Glad
that this was almost over.

-----

This story is (c) 1997 by Fox Cutter, hardcopy reprints
limited to one a person, all other rights reserved. This
story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission
of the author, and this copyright notice may not be removed.