1.13

Kaylee didn't have time to mope around the house missing Ty. The day after he left she received a call from Charles asking her if she could come into work a couple of days early. An assistant had gotten transferred and they needed her to fill the spot ASAP. It wasn't what she had been hired for. She was supposed to work in the labs but she agreed to go in because otherwise she would have sat around and missed Ty.
She threw up her hands once she finished digging through the laundry basket. She didn't have anything to wear. She didn't know what the dress code was there either. Sure Charles had said they were informal but was he talking about dress code or personal?
"What the hell Buster," she said as he came and sat at her feet. "What should I wear?" She grinned when he cocked his head and let his tongue loll out. "Yeah, that's about how I feel."
She frowned when her stomach lurched again. Pressing a hand against it she took several gulping breaths and that seemed to help. Blowing out a breath she shook off the nausea and went to look in the closet...again.


Staring at herself in the bathroom mirror she nervously tugged on her jacket sleeve as she debated on if she should change or not. The beeping of a horn cut off her indecisiveness. She quickly filled Buster's bowl, gave him a quick pat on the head before she shut and locked the door. Rushing down the driveway she dove into the taxi as the driver gunned the engine.

He glanced at her in the rear view mirror. "Hey, you're a new face. How long ya been at the Cove?" he asked as he pulled away from the curb.
People are so weird, Kaylee thought. Here the man was just about to leave her in the dust and now he wanted to have a pleasant conversation. She shook her head. "I've only been here a little less than a month," she said in response to his question.
"Huh, a newbie to the Cove. We don't get many o' them 'round here. What brings ya here?"
As she watched he fiddled with the dials on the radio, then tapped his fingers against the steering wheel in time to the beat. When she looked up she met his eyes in the mirror. He grinned. "I'm tryin' to quit smokin'. My wife ya know? Just got married and she's worried 'bout my health." He sat up a little straighter.
"I see you 'ave a nice rock on your finger. Engaged?"
Unknowingly Kaylee gently ran a finger over her engagement ring as a soft smile played around her mouth. "Yes," she whispered.
"Well, well, well. Lucky guy."
She shook her head. "I'm the lucky one."
He peered at her as they came to a stop then he shot her a grin. "Guess I better ask where ya going eh?"
Kaylee laughed. "That would be a good idea wouldn't it? My first day of work at SCBA."
There was a tense beat of silence when the man's smile froze on his face and she noticed that his hands tightened on the steering wheel. "You workin' for Mother?"
Kaylee frowned. "Who?"
"Nothing. I hope you have exact fare. I don't make change." He turned up the radio and sped up. Kaylee had to grab hold of the seat in front of her as the cab came to a screeching halt at the curb in front of a large building. Fishing out the money she handed it to him as she got out.
"Thank yo-" Kaylee stopped talking as the cab sped away from the curb.
"You must be Kaylee," came a melodious voice behind her.

"I am."
"Welcome to Serenity Cove Bio-Aquarium. I had wished to greet you earlier but unfortunately I was out of town on...business for the last few weeks. I am Hannah Moonstein but everyone calls me Mother."
Mother was not a word that tripped off of Kaylee's tongue. Sticking out her hand she smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you Hannah."
Hannah's face tightened for a moment before she slipped her hand into Kaylee's. "As well as you Kaylee."
Looking down Kaylee stared at their joined hands. One was tanned and the other was an almost olive in color. The same color as the girl in the grocery store...
"Come, let me show you around."

"I modeled the interior after my home. I miss it but every time I come here, it relieves a little of the homesickness. So, these are our cubicles. You can pick any available one. There's a small seating area with a TV and couch, a kitchenette over here and the elevators take you to the labs upstairs but I shall show you those at a later date. In addition to the labs upstairs is a sleeping area, in case one of the scientist is close to a break through and doesn't wish to go home, and a full bathroom. Once we find a replacement the labs are where you'll be spending most of your time." She stopped in front of a spacious office.
"Please," she said with an elegant wave, "after you."

Kaylee was expecting her to sit across from her and was surprised when she took the seat next to her. She cleared her throat and said the first thing that popped into her head.
"I've ran into several people who don't seem to think too highly of SCBA." As soon as the words escaped Kaylee wished she could call them back. For a moment Hannah's calm facade broke.
"That's because they don't understand the work that goes on here. We provide valuable revenue to this godforsaken place and they look down on MY...our...experiments because they're too 'new age' as a reporter pasted it across the front page of the S.C. Gazette. Imbeciles!" She sucked in a calming breath.

"But that's neither here nor there, is it? You WILL enjoy working here. Your scores and inquisitiveness in this field are exactly what we need here. Don't worry Kaylee, soon all Serenity Cove will come around to our way of thinking."
For some reason a chill passed down Kaylee's spine but she shook it off. She and Hannah conversed for several more minutes before there was an commotion outside the door and then a man they had passed in the hall earlier burst through the door.

"You promised ME that position Hannah! I've stood by year after year and watched your promote everyone but me. This time you go too far hiring an outsider. You-"
Hanna threw up her hands then stood quickly. "Forgive me a moment Kaylee. I have some business to attend to."
Uncomfortable, Kaylee sat in the office and tried to block out the fierce whispering going on outside the door.
"Hannah, you said-"
"Don't tell me what I said Winston. I know what I said. However, circumstances change and one must change with them. Isn't that right?"
There was a taunt moment of silence then, "Yes Mother. We must all change with the times."
"Good boy," Hannah cooed then her voice sharpened. "Now don't you have something to say to Kaylee?"
There was shuffling outside the door and when Kaylee looked to the side it was to see Winston standing in the door with a strained look on his face. When he saw her looking at him his face transformed into jovial planes.

"Kaylee, I apologize for my rudeness. It was inexcusable. Please accept my apologies."
"Apology accepted it. It's a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps we can work on some projects together in the future," she suggested as he held out his hand to shake. His eyes narrowed but at the clearing of a throat behind him he smiled.

"Perhaps," he said as he slipped his hand from hers. She noticed that he didn't exactly look her in the face.
"Kaylee, I would like to speak with Winston in private for a moment. Perhaps you'd like to find a cubicle?"
Taking the hint Kaylee nodded to Hannah and Winston before exiting the office and walking down the hall.

"Hey! Psssssssstttt!!"
Kaylee stopped walking and looked over her shoulder to see a woman motioning her over with a nod of her head. Curious Kaylee turned back around and walked up to her.
"Hey, how's it going? I'm Patrica. Call me Pat. Don't worry about Winston. He's such a fuck head. He thinks he should be at the top of every field just because he's usually on top of Hannah...if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I get it. I could have done without the visual though."
Pat laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Anyways, you need something don't be scared to ask. I'll help anyway I can. Cool?"
"Sure. Thanks."
Not a problem," Pat said with a smile and wave before she headed back to her space.

"Hey, Kaylee is it?"
Oh for god's sake, Kaylee thought with a inward groan. She was never going to get to her desk if everyone wanted to talk to her. She stopped when a woman stepped in front of her.
"Hello."
"Hi, my names Zeta. You can call me Z though. I'm loving this whole ensemble," she said as she reached out and fingered Kaylee's jacket.
Kaylee had to resist the urge to step back. Hello, she wondered, hasn't anyone ever heard of personal space here?
"Between you and me it looks as if we're the only ones with any sort of fashion sense. I like your hair by the way. You get it done by that girl in the mall? So did I," she went on before Kaylee could answer. "She's pretty good but has NO fashion sense! You see that girl right there?" she asked with a quick motion of her of thumb.

Kaylee followed the motion with her eyes to see a girl in a cubicle across the way. She was very involved in whatever was on her computer. "She looks as if she's hard at work."
Z snorted. "Riiiiight!! Computer games all day long but she won't get fired because she was the first one to splice the Alien X gene and the human gene. Anyways," Z said with a flap of her wrist when Kaylee opened her mouth to ask what the Alien X gene was. She leaned closer. "You see that guy down the hall?"

She made a motion with her hand. "Totally has the hots for Winston who is banging Mother who is over fifteen hundred years old." She nodded her head when Kaylee stared at her in amazement. "I know right? How can such a prime piece of male meat be gay? Sooo not fair! Anyways, you want to know anything just find me. I have my sources," she said with a wink.

Kaylee shook her head in amazement. "Wow," she muttered as she finally walked toward a vacant desk. "This is just like high school all over again." She grimaced as she plopped down into her seat. "And I hated high school."

"So, is that your boyfriend?" Winston asked as he dug his hand into a bag of cookies that he had discovered on top of the fridge. Ty must have put those there, she thought absently as she had the sudden urge to rip the bag from his hands and eat them herself. And she didn't even like those cookies. Shaking herself she stared at the picture Winston was staring at.
"No, that's my fiancé."
"Oh god he's gorgeous!" Z exclaimed from the couch.
Kaylee didn't know how Pat, Z and Winston had somehow invited themselves over. She had thrown together some food, had cranked up the music and was actually enjoying herself.
"How long have you been engaged?" Z asked as she tore into another plate of food.
"Five months."
"Lucky girl. Where's he at?"
"Spring training."
"No shit! You're engaged to Ty Jameson?"
Winston looked between the two of them in confusion. "Who?"
Z did her little flip of the wrist thing in his direction. "Excuse geek boy here! Hello? Ty Jameson is only the hottest piece of ass this side of the coast." She stared at Kaylee over the back of the couch. "Lucky bitch," she muttered without malice before she turned back to the TV.
"You'll have to pardon Z's language," Pat said as she came in from the beach. "When she gets excited she has a gutter mouth."

" Piss off Pat."
"I rest my case," Pat said with a smile. "But I do have to agree with her on this particular point. Your man is hot girl."
Kaylee grinned slyly. "I know."
About an hour later Kaylee stared to feel ill and had to beg off from going to the movies with them. After they left, she took a quick shower, changed into her PJs and cleaned up. She stared down at the trash and debated on if she should take it to the curb or not. With a sigh she picked up the bag and headed outside. She inhaled a deep breath as she peered up at the cloudless sky.
"Hey kid."
The bag of trashed slipped from her suddenly nerveless hand.