There had been murmurs running rampant through engineering. Whispers here and there could be heard over tables about a special bit of cargo that only those who had been punished knew about. The hot tub! Ever since Jack's threat over the coms to "Horndog", the crew had been speculating if she had gone through with it and where it would be. After shifts select crew members tried their best, finding any excuse to scurry around the lower decks near Jack's lab. Even the doctor had confirmed an increase in wrench head traumas since the gas collections. Jack on the other hand said nothing. Hold up in her lab working day in and day out. No one seemed to ever really know where she was for hours at a time.

The records showed her com badge would disappear from the system. The hours were long and work seemed thankless. Jack rubbed at the back of her neck looking over the plans for improving the power distribution system again. There had to be a way to pull power faster when they were in battle instead of using the reserves in between. Her coffee had run cold and the thought of cherry coke...it was too soon. What to do with a tired half fae"

Hunter had taken to looking in on the lab now and again. True he did make a stop on his morning run that he hadn't before, but that was only a short one to get an idea of anything that had been improved overnight. The explanations might be complex, but they were far more helpful than a digital posted note. The heavy lab door opened for the admiral silently. He watched her hunched over a holographic table trying to determine if he should disturb her or not. It was an Admiral's privilege to be able to interrupt any of the crew regardless of what they were doing.

"You hiding again Absinthe?" He was preparing to duck a wrench in case she fired first and asked questions later. The framing of the door would provide some cover. He should have let the question stand for itself, but the next question came tumbling out. "Or perhaps just doing what you can to get off the ship as soon as possible so you can get back home?" He was very lucky to have kept talking. Jack spun from her spot stopping herself just short of throwing a wrench. It hung at her side naturally as a silent challenge.

"Why would I be hiding in my own lab' Second, have you seen my "to do' list' Computer! Display and highlight the list." The computer happily chimed in a cool feminine voice. The daily list as follows. Check on any overnight experiments, if on floor smell self and then operate accordingly, adjust small irregularities in warp drive, double check the readings, make sure the radiation exposure is with acceptable limits, eat something, continue personal experiments, continue.... "That's enough display list only."

Jack was annoyed at herself for letting the computer do the talking for her. Rubbing at the back of her neck she eyed the admiral in his pristine suit.

"Did you have a special request or just running through?"

"You are the Admiral Hunter. Wouldn't want to stain your uniform."

Smiling as her hands pulled away from her body to study him more. Hands resting on her hips empty of anything to throw, she was aware he was looking. "You are forgetting when I first came on board I hacked the system and left the bridge a posted note. Do you really think that it would be that hard for me to hack in and make myself drop off the radar for a bit?"

Jack was aware of what the crew was trying to find and they were nowhere near close. The question was did the great Admiral K'lar have interest in her hiding spot. "Do I want to know what connections you are talking about or shall we cut to the core of the matter and then I might let you rub my neck?" She couldn't hide the smirk on her lips as she threw down the gauntlet. "Simple math really Absinthe. New equipment means rerouting of conduits. Duty logs don't show a lot of the work that is happening. I am not so much a fool to believe anything other than the work is being done by you." He moved a little closer, still having a few inches on her despite the boots on her feet. She smelled of coffee, musk of the manual labor she did daily with a hint of something sharp and bittersweet.

"Seems to me that you do that so you won't be found. A little time alone, where you don't have to worry about being called on or having to explain what you are doing." He let out a breath and shook his head. If all he had to do was answer to close the gap between them, it was a price he was willing to pay. "As for what I am asking. Why not spend time with someone" I know a place that is quiet enough, no one will bother u...you." He let the slip of the tongue out as though it were intentional from his lack of reaction. One eyebrow went up for most of the conversation and fell at the near slip. He was the admiral, but first and for most like any other being and she refused to treat him any differently. Jack chuckled and reached back and up to pat his shoulder as he came up behind her. Boots and all she was lucky if her head reached his shoulders.

"Chief, when I spend time with people I get asked what I do for work or I start talking about work cause let's face it, that is most of my time and one thing snowballs into another and it is...it's just a mess really. I have no personal life for many reasons and I can't see that changing on one ship just because the admiral suggests it. People will do what they want. Chaos." Shaking her head Jack was going to give him some slack.

"If anyone doesn't have a place to hide, it's you so I suppose I will share mine. Just let me hack the badges. Alright?"

"So long as you keep that up, my lips might be sealed." Jack had hacked the badges a while ago, but she was not about to have him stop for at least the next few minutes. The knots in her back slowly starting to let go. Glowing green eyes looked over her shoulder and her grin with it. "Your suit is at the replicator in the corner. You can put it on when we get there."

She pulled away from him regrettably leading him down the hall to the cargo bays. For anyone seeing them it would appear that they were off to inspect one of her many projects. The heavy leather bag that normally held tools slung a crossed her body. "I can understand why you need to keep things separated professionally, but I deal much better when people just talk to me. No walls, no pretenses, just actual conversation." Hunter retrieved the suit from the replicator and listened to her as they walked to the cargo bays. "I can understand why you would be a little standoffish. I have been told I am not the most pleasant person to be with. Something about lacking of a sense of humor. Personally I don't see it." It was meant as a joke. He could joke, he just wasn't very good at inflection. "Where exactly are we going Jack?" He was curious, and he was trying to get the idea of her neck in his hands out of his head. "I'll be as straightforward as I can obviously." "First off, lower your voice or you are going to tell the whole crew where we are going." Jack rounded the corner out of sight and pulled off a panel. It looked natural for her to crouch down and start to working her way through a Jeffries tube while continuing the conversation. "Second, no. You have a great sense a humor and I find it a tragedy that you can't share it with your crew."

On her hands and knees, her wings lightly brushed the top of the tube. The pack was slung around her torso, dangling over her chest. "Last, but not least you are not claustrophobic are you?" Jack realized it was a little too late for that, but a well. It was a short trip anyway. Suitably chastised he quieted down. Hunter saw a certain irony in taking orders from her on his ship, but there were prices to pay for company. "You may be the only one who thinks that." The narrow tube may not have been his favorite place to go, barring a need to simply stretch out and lay down that is. He had no real phobia over it though. "I've seen my share of tight spots, Jack, this shouldn't be a problem."

He did his best to be respectful and look at everything but the backside of the Engineer ahead of him. It didn't always work. He had to keep her in sight after all, right' He did spend a lot of that time trying to watch her wings as the crawled.

Jack smiled wistfully at Hunter, handing over a glass jar filled with a pale green liquid. "Enjoy chief."

Climbing over the side into the tub she settled into one of the lounge seats. "Computer, heat the water to 101 degrees F and turn all jets on medium, sea set sky please."

The tub jumped to life, lights shifting to shades of orange, purple and brooding wine red. Above their heads the sky changed to match the lights. "Did you have a preference for music?" She found herself debating about a remix or techno. Hunter took the jar from Jack and stepped over the side. He eased himself under the warm water, and rested the jar on the lip of the hot tub. "Honestly I hadn't thought about it. I'm up for anything really."

He took his first drink from the green liquid and looked over at Jack, just as a means to be polite. The extra scrutiny on her face was merely something he was doing so he could be sure he was really welcome. "This is where you have been going then?" He suspected there were other nooks around that she was keeping to herself. It had taken a bit to get her wings settled so she could lay on the jets and have them continue the work Hunter started. Her bathing suit pure black with hints of faded silver stars. Twisting off her own lid, Jack savored the margarita and smiled at the Admiral. She was familiar with playing the game of hostess/diplomat, but he would be able to spot the shift in her. Setting her own drink aside she shifted towards him and put things simply. "This is one of the places I have been going and the one I thought you would enjoy the most. Besides..."

Her hand came out of the water and rested on his shoulder tenderly molding to the muscled curve. "If I didn't want you here, I wouldn't have brought you now would I" I have gone to great pains to keep this to myself and you are the only one I have allowed to enter." Just to see if she could get a laugh out of him she played the same song as when the crew had danced in space. I'm glad you came. Hunter's reaction was even more muted. The corner of his mouth rose as he envisioned the space dancers for a moment, but there was the more physical presence of a hand on his shoulder that didn't belong to him. He lifted a hand to the chain earring he wore as though it were newly done and needed to be wiggled periodically. It didn't, he just needed to do something to get the touch out of his mind.

"I thought as much, about the other places, not till we got here of course. You don't seem to be the type that would get caught in a rut for your relaxation though. This might be a nice change, but it wouldn't be enough for you." He fixed his eyes on her face, fascinated with the way her eyes glowed. "I'm not going to press you for details....yet."

Wings flickering, she just couldn't help it. A blush was starting to form on her cheeks and flicking water was the only thing that might help buy her time. Did he really just invite her to play games" Jack kept a wicked grin, but the chuckle slipped out. "I'll accept that invitation, but prepare to lose."

He let out a laugh as the water hit him. "I'm prepared to lose, it is the only way I get better. You of course should be prepared to have to work for it, because I don't give up easily when I see something I want." He fixed her with a look that took all of her in, rather than trying to focus on just her face or her wings. "I've heard there is a new kind of virus in engineering. It causes localized bruising in the form of a crescent."

"If you want one that can be arranged." Jack looked into his ice blue eyes without bashfulness of who she is. The many levels of meaning in their playful banter had not gone unnoticed, but she would not push or put him in a position that was compromising. Hunter had earned his place as Admiral of this ship and she a place in engineering.

He plunged his head beneath the water for a moment, resurfacing and fixing her with a look again. "Have I crossed a line" No one is complaining Jack, not yet at least. There was a bit of an uproar at first now it seems to be taken in stride." He turned to sit instead of lay down so he could look at her on the same level. "You'll find I have many crescent moments Jack. I tend to keep some things close to the vest. People don't always like not understanding why they must do a thing."

Holding up a hand, it slowly sank back under the water as he continued. "You haven't crossed a line, that was meant as a...sexual pun." Did it just get hotter in here? Through the chaos of her mind, she was sitting at the eye of the storm with Hunter enjoying the fact that what else was around them didn't matter. He had a funny way of doing that to her. "Most people don't like being told what to do without a solid reason or at least an obvious one, but sometimes it's better to know nothing. To know everything, guess each moment, you start to over think it and then....the surprise, all the joy or victory in that moment, things you look back on and laugh or blush reliving in telling is...gone. It just is. But that is the wonder of it."

http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s573/AKrugerAllen/Jack%20and%20Hunter/HunterJackVictory_zps951598db.jpg

*Image by H.K*