Kassia had the day free and had decided to spend it in her shop. Her and Danni worked together to get inventory on the shelves and get things in order. She even had done a reading! Something she hadn't gone in awhile.
Suddenly, as she was refilling the incense containers, she felt a familiar presence open the shop.
"May I help you?" Danni asked.
"I'm looking for someone . . . The owner of this shop actually," said the man.
Instantly Kassia recognized the voice! It was a friend she had made on Santori, but she hadn't seen him since her move to the Starbase. Immediately she turned to face him.
"Gregory!!" Kassia cried, her green eyes sparkling as she went to him and embraced him. "It's so good to see you! What brings you here?"
"Well, I was looking for an old friend," he said. "My search brought me here. It looks like you've done well for yourself. Where's Troy?"
"I imagine he's either at home with Arianna, his daughter, or he's at Soma getting ready for opening," she replied.
"He has a daughter?" Gregory replied with surprise. "It seems I've missed quite a bit."
Kassia laughed softly. "That can happen when friends fall out of touch," she replied.
"We do have a lot to catch up on, don't we?" he replied.
Kassia thought over the last year of her life and knew that she had gone through more changes than she had ever experienced before. "You might say that," she agreed.
She was positively radiant, he thought, as he gazed at her. "Then I propose we catch up a bit."
"I think that's a wonderful idea!" Kassia replied. "Danni, I'm going out for awhile with an old friend. I don't know how long I'll be . . ."
Danni waved her hand at them. "Like I don't run this place without you here most days," she smirked. "Go enjoy yourself. I'll be here if and when you come back!"
Kassia smiled at her friend and business partner and waved good-bye. As her and Gregory stepped out into the Promenade, she turned to him. "So, do you want to talk over lunch?"
"Only if it's my treat," he replied with a grin. "If I remember, you paid last time, and rather under- handedly!"
Kassia laughed. "I did no such thing! I merely went to the lady's room and paid on my way back to the table! There's nothing wrong with that!"
"There is when I was going to pay!" he laughed back. "That is what a gentleman does for a lady . . . and you, my dear, are a lady." With that, he stopped and raised her hand to his lips, brushing a tender kiss to it.
"You always were a charmer, Gregory," she replied, her gaze tender.
"But not charming enough to charm you!" he said.
"Oh, you charmed me," she replied with a twinkle in her eyes, "But as a good friend. I was not the one for you then . . . or now . . ." she replied.
"Oh, you wound me!" he said and he playfully clutched at his chest.
She laughed again. "She's out there somewhere . . . You haven't met her yet?"
"No," he replied firmly, "I have not met Ms. Right yet."
"Well, then what have you been doing with your time?" she asked.
"Oh, I've been across the galaxy finding ancient parchments and studying long dead languages among other things," he replied.
"Hmmmm . . . We have to get you out more!" Kassia replied as she lead him to Harry's. "Here's one of my favorite places to eat. Good food, great atmosphere!"
A waitress dressed in a 1950's Earth waitress uniform and chewing gum lead them to a booth. As she pulled a pencil from her beehive hairdo, she looked at them. She popped a bubble and then asked. "Can I take your order now, or do ya need a minute to look over the menu?"
"Give us a minute," Kassia said.
The woman shrugged. "All right, honey," she said and walked off, still chewing her gum.
"Very interesting place," Gregory laughed.
"Thought you might like it!" Kassia replied.
They quickly scanned the menu and when the waitress came back placed their order. As Kassia handed over the menu, Gregory saw Kassia's left hand ring finger and the ring that sat there.
"Care to tell me about that?" he asked with a smile. "Seems like someone was able to finally net you!"
Her smile was bright. "His name is Tarik. He's a marine on the Station . . . Actually, he's in command of the marines. He's a colonel."
His eyebrows raised. "You are hooked up with a Starfleet officer? And a Marine to boot?" he said. "I have to say I'm very surprised. How did Troy take it?"
She laughed again. "Like any over-protective, older brother would have! But he and Tarik are good friends now."
"You did always have a way of bringing people together," he smiled.
"There's probably something else I should tell you about myself too, while I'm filling you in about myself . . . I'm also a Starfleet Office."
Suddenly Gregory's face was that of a deer stuck in headlights. It took him a moment to process what she'd said and he still didn't believe it. "How is that possible? I haven't seen you in maybe a year and a half, possibly two years . . . That's not long enough to go to the Academy and become an officer!"
"Well, it didn't exactly happen like that," she replied.
They were interrupted briefly as their waitress delivered their order. As she walked away, Kassia went into how the previous Commanding Officer of SB901 asked her to train to be an officer and to become the station's counselor.
"Of course, I accepted the position after serious consideration," she said.
"What's your rank?" he asked.
"I'm a Lieutenant," she replied with a proud smile.
"But you've been here only just over a year! How is that possible?"
She gently patted his shoulder. "Do you remember how I use to know things from your papers that even you had forgotten?"
"Yes," he replied.
"You never thought to ask if my memory was photographic," she replied. "I learned everything I needed to very quickly."
"I guess so!" He sighed as he looked at her. "I've missed quite a bit . . ."
"But that's okay," Kassia replied. "You're hear now and we're catching up! Oh, but you can't leave until you say hello to Troy! I think he'd take a personal offense to that!" she laughed.
"I believe you're right," he replied and then thoughtfully. "Maybe I won't leave at all . . "
Kassia observed him carefully. "And just what are you thinking about?"
"What I was thinking from the moment I stepped aboard this station . . . I think I might open shop. Something small, specializing in ancient parchments and books."
Kassia smiled again. "It would be nice to have you around again."
"Someone else for you to pick on, I imagine!"
Kassia laughed softly. "You never know! We still have a lot more catching up to do yet!"
As she took his hand, she suddenly had an image of Alexandra Faal, her new counselor in Gregory's arms. As the image faded she had a knowing look on her face.
"I remember that look, Kassia," he said. "What did you see?"
She took a sip of her iced tea and smiled. "You'll find out . . . eventually . ." she replied.
He looked at her and rolled his eyes, with a smile still evident on his face. .