Tea and Sympathy

[Kalleeiha Maillanaarro]

Far'jaanderr was affable and discrete, keeping his voice down to not disturb the occupants in the main chamber. He nodded, placing a hand on the Commander's shoulder.

"jI underrsstand. jI'll get jit forr jyou."

The Meera'in paused, noting the obvious signs of slow-burning stress and emotional exhaustion on Akiena's face.

"Can jI offerr ssomethjing to jyou asss well?"

* * *

With Kes vacating his seat at Tish's side, Kalleeiha took the initiative to rise from her own seat, and take the place adjacent to the widow. Again, she placed a hand on the woman's knee, patting gently. For moments, she said nothing, but at last, she looked to the human.

"jI know jI offerr jyou ljittle, Rrou Nelljiss, but what jI have jiss jyourrss. Even asss ljittle asss a hug. Ssometjimess that helpss."

[Kes Akiena]

"No, no thanks."

Kes gave a shake of his head, a hand going up to wave off the question. He paused in thought though, as something occurred to him.

"You... wouldn't happen to have any Chandrilan scotch, would you... ?"

* * *

Tish let her eyes rise to meet the Madame's, and she felt her resolve crumbling once more. Delicate features twisted in internal pain, as fresh tears welled up to overtake her vision. Tisha Nellis felt her heart breaking all over again, and she slightly leaned in to Mrs. Maillanaarro.

"It hurts so bad," was all she could quietly sob.

[Kalleeiha Maillanaarro]

Far'jaanderr turned to the bar, looking through their selection. Mostly it was situated for domestic clients, but he managed to find a neglected bottle toward the back. He examined the label, noting that it said scotch, but the origin was all wrong.

"We have sscotch frrom Kuat, Commanderr. jIss thjiss acceptable?"

He still had the widow Nellis's drink to tend to, so the Meera'in simply placed a bottle and a glass on the counter for Akiena to dispense in the manner of his choosing as he began to prepare a heated concoction from a kettle on a hot plate.

* * *

"Come, come..."

Kalleeiha invited Tish into embrace, draping an arm over her shoulder to bring her in close.

"jIt'ss okajy to crrjy. jIt'ss okajy."

The Madame patted a soft hand on her back, taking in all of Tish's grief so it wouldn't build within.

[Kes Akiena]

"I don't know where to go... I don't know what to do... "

Tish spoke through her sobs as she was pulled into the Madame's embrace. Oddly enough, it was comforting, and she felt a strange sort of safety in it.

"If I stay here... "

It didn't need to be said, the conflict in her words. If she stayed on Jovan, was it a form of torture, or was it something that would honor her late husband?

* * *

Kes had nodded at the offering. Kuat was just as good, and as Far'jaanderr set the glass and bottle in front of him, the redhead instinctively leaned up again the bar, idly examining the label as he removed the stopper. He poured a level of amber liquid into the glass. The stopper was replaced as the bottle set back down, and Kes stared at what he'd allowed himself.

A moment of silent contemplation, and he plucked the glass up, bringing it to his lips for a sip.

[Kalleeiha Maillanaarro]

Kalleeiha's hands ran up to the back of Tish's hair, resting there as if to cradle her. She closed her eyes, and nodded at the human's words.

"jYou won't fjind the ansswerrss to that todajy. Majybe not even tomorrow. Don't hassten jyourr hearrt to ljissten and avojid hearrjing what jyou sshould. jI know jit'ss pajinful to thjink about sstajyjing, but the Commanderr carress about jyou a grreat deal. jI can ssee that plajinljy."

[Kes Akiena]

Tish said nothing as she cried silently, her eyes shut tight even as the tears fell down her cheeks. Finally, her voice returned.

"He and Jacob are... " she paused as reality once more reared its' ugly head.

"... were. They... they were old friends."

Presently she pulled away.

"They fought together against the Empire. I didn't meet either of them until Endor. Kes introduced us."

Her hand came up then, a thumb and forefinger pressing into the inner corners of her eyes even as she gave a small laugh.

"I hated Jacob when I first met him."

* * *

He was halfway through his first small portion, choosing to nurse it slowly, and Kes watched Far'jaanderr as the Cizerack continued to brew tea. Eventually, he spoke up, voicing a question to fill the quiet void.

"Have you been with Mrs. Maillanaarro for very long?"

[Kalleeiha Maillanaarro]

Kalleeiha smiled beyond Tish's sight as she recalled her first time meeting her husband. It was always funny to her how that happened. There was always a reaction. Sometimes it was a certain spark of love. Sometimes, that special someone irritated the hell out of you, and you didn't know how badly you'd been smitten until it was too late.

"jYou djid?" The Madam's embracing hand eased from the back of her head back down to her shoulder, still a comforting presence. "What changed?"

The more Tish told the story, the more her husband never truly died. This was healing.

* * *

Adding a shot of frothy, steamed cream to the cup, Far'jaanderr went about his task with professional resolve.

"Forr about two jyearrss. jI wass wjith Madame on the homeworrld. jIt'ss honesst worrk, and sshe trreatss me ljike a sson."

[Kes Akiena]

Kes watched Far'jaanderr for a moment, then set his attentions back to his drink. He took off another thing level.

"Well at least there's that," he idly mused.

More than aware that his words were spoken to fill some notion of empty space than anything else, he went one.

"Must be nice to get out and about. See the galaxy and all."

* * *

Tish seemed to pause as she thought on the question.

"I... don't know. We were arguing about something. A busted comm conduit or something. Nothing really important. It was just convenient to find anything to squabble over. I guess in at the time it was important, but not for the reasons that we expected."

A deep, shaky breath, and Tish sighed as she closed her eyes at the memory.

"I shoved him, and he just... he just came back with a kiss."

[Kalleeiha Maillanaarro]

"jIt jiss."

Far'jaanderr brandished a small hermetically-sealed tin, opening it with a hiss as he carefully scooped a quarter spoon full of a pungent brown spice, which was stirred into the steaming concoction.

"And jI make a fajirr wage, whjich jI can ssend home to mjy famjiljy on Syragor. The Madame jiss verrjy kjind."

With the last bit done, the Meera'in retrieved a saucer from the cupboard, placing the teacup on it's base as he slid the drink service to the human.

"Perrhapss jyou wjill allow herr to be kjind to jyou jin turrn?"

* * *

"Kosa," Madame Maillanaarro chortled at the telling, a smile on her face. "the cheek of hjim! Ah, what'ss the ssajyjing? Who darress wjinss?"

It was a lovely anecdote that served to shine a light on the man Nellis was, not the act of violence that became of him. The Madame hoped to coax more of the telling from the widow Nellis in her own time.

"jI love a man wjith fjirre. Let the Hjigh Motherr have all the demurre oness."

[Kes Akiena]

Tish gave a small smile.

"He was devious, but not in a bad way."

Her features settled on a spot on the far wall as her features fell; not in complete sadness, but more a sorrowful recollection. A deeper acceptance of the cruel hand life had given to her. She let out a long breath, and leaning back into the sofa's cushions, her head fell and her eyes closed.

She was quiet for a short time, simply breathing in and out, letting her hands rest on her swollen midsection. Not so much out of a sense of protection now, it was more a soft-edged feeling.

"He was just right," she finally finished.

* * *

Kes raised a single eyebrow at that.

"It's... "

He looked from the tea to his own glass.

"It's not my way."

Though an abrupt halt, it was the best way that the Commander knew to deflect the prodding question. He afforded more of an explanation as he went on.

"But, if she can help to heal the wounds from the attack, then that is more valuable to me than anything she might think that I need."

Far'jaanderr provided a tray for the tea, and Kes' own glass. There was a moment of hesitation as the redhead moved the bottle itself onto the tray, but it passed in a bare moment.

"I'll not drink it all," he half-laughed while offering a reassuring smile to the Cizerack.

[Kalleeiha Maillanaarro]

"Funnjy how that jiss, ne?"

Still maintaining her embrace, though now with a more passive posture, Kalleeiha leaned back slightly on the couch.

"We all have notjionss of who we'll end up wjith, don't we? Ssomeone wjith perrfect lookss and talent who wjill do everrjythjing we want becausse we all ssharre the same jinterresstss. And then love makess foolss out of uss, and we fjind ourrsselvess wjith ssomeone wjith qujirrkss. And thejy'rre sstrrange and even jirrjitatjing and we wonderr whjy we can't sstop thjinkjing about them."

She paused for a bit of silence, patting Tish gently on her shoulder.

"Jusst rrjight. jI can't thjink of a morre beautjiful wajy to desscrrjibe that feeljing."

At that moment, Kes returned from behind the curtain, bringing a tray with Tish's drink, and apparently a tipple for himself. The Madame slowly began to withdraw her arm from around the woman, and prepared to defer her seat to Kes.

[Kes Akiena]

A quick shake of his head was sent to the Madame as - at the moment - both of his hands were occupied.

Rather than allowing Mrs. Maillanaarro to rise, Kes took the chair that she herself had been previously occupying. The tray was gently set upon an ornately carved side table, and the redhead took up the cup of si'enda tai and leaned forward, holding it out to Tish. She leaned forward as well, taking the offering with a silent nod of thanks. There was a look of uncertainty on her features though, and Kes did his best to assuage any creeping fears that she might've had.

"It's good. I've had it before."

Still that look, and he shrugged in helplessness while settling back into his 'stolen' chair. His own small glass of scotch was momentarily ignored until Tish took of her own drink.

She looked to the Madame then, and back to Kes before finally lifting the cup to her lips and taking a cautious first sip. She swallowed, eyes suddenly widening just a bit as they turned to the Madame.

"It's good," came the whisper of appreciation.

[Kalleeiha Maillanaarro]

"Mjy fatherr would make jit forr me. jIt passsess a rrajinjy dajy, and helpss when jyou'rre not feeljing well."

No matter the reason. The Madame allowed a moment to pass as Tish took solace in her si'enda tai, a look across to Kes with an appreciative smile at his discrete helpfulness.

[Kes Akiena]

Ever the gentleman, Kes made a helpless face as he plucked the glass of scotch up and held it out to the Madame if she so desired to partake. They'd have to share, as he'd not thought to bring a second glass out with him.

But, in light of the unspoken request for help in soothing the wounds of a woman that he could not help on his own, he figured that such a jointly undertaken endeavor was as good of a crash course as any in the act of sharing.

And, in his own way, it was the smallest, rather more subtle of indications that he truly appreciated the Madame's help. And though he was not exactly keen on whatever Mrs. Maillanaarro might've had in mind the moment she walked into his office, his gesture was one of thanks.

[Kalleeiha Maillanaarro]

Sometimes, even givers appreciated a moment to receive. Or maybe it wasn't so simple. Sometimes, what people wanted most was to be able to offer something in return, and the Madame knew how to accomodate. Kalleeiha's dimpled grin creased in appreciation at even a communal drink between the Commander and herself. It was a strange, alien sort of drink, but wasn't that the beauty of their experience? All of this had been strange and alien to Kes and to Tish, but they'd come nonetheless. Madame Maillanaarro finished her small sip, daubed her lower lip with a kerchief, and returned the snifter back to the Commander.

Returning her attentions back to the widow who was learning how to heal and how to live, the Madame remained patient and attentive. If it took a day, a week, or a year, Tisha Nellis would never feel like she was imposing. That was her way.