Form 3578-K: Who knew Jonas Balker knew how to find hard to find forms?: Headcannon, Kheari and Aric, minor references to Gauntlet, no real spoilers
Kheari stared at the email on her data pad from Jonas Balker again. It was still hard to believe. Granted Balker, being SIS, knew a lot of things, but somehow she had never imagined him as a resource for hard to get or even mostly unknown regulation forms.
And he just sent it, out of nowhere, along with thanks for the introduction to Elara. Like he wasn't doing anything special. Kheari wiped away her tears unsure if it was happiness or fear or maybe both fueling them.
The form on the attachment looked remarkably simple. Form 3578-K, Notification of Mutual Romantic Relationship. Stars, who thought up the names of these things? Garza didn't even have to sign or okay it. It looked more like a statement of intent anyway. Just a warning to higher ups that required no authorization.
Granted Garza would probably call and talk to them but the only action Kheari could think of that Garza could do was move one of them to another unit. That seemed unlikely with the Gauntlet still to come. Too much planning had gone into creating the team that currently formed Havoc squad. They were too valuable to her together. Just had to make sure Garza never saw it differently.
Her heart was racing, pulse pounding. Fight or flight fear was even kicking in. It was totally insane. Why would everything being okay and out in the open scare the shit out of her?
Well they had to finish up reading and submitting today's After Action reports anyway. She could show it to Aric then. Once she saw how he reacted, how he felt, it ought to calm her nerves.
Going to the meeting room certainly wasn't normally her scary proposition of the day but today might be the exception. The half completed form sent and flagged for Aric's completion helped steady her. "You're being silly. Aric will be thrilled. He won't be afraid. And a steadier man never existed. He means what he says, and he isn't going anywhere." Staring at her hands till they were steady she headed to the meeting room.
Aric had a puzzled look on his face as he read his emails. He did what she had done, opening Jonas' mail and re-reading it several times before going on to the attachment. He looked at the partially filled form more than once. Then he looked up at her grinning and shaking his head. "I think we owe Balker a number of very large favors. I had no idea a form like this even existed." His grin faded a bit when he looked at Kheari's face. "What's wrong?"
"It just ... I don't know. It was a little frightening seeing something so little that changed so much just instantly. Sort of scared me you know?"
Aric leaned forward his eyes guarded, masking his feelings. He cleared his throat, his voice a little unsteady while he asked, "Not thinking of changing your mind are you?"
Kheari put her arms around him and moved into his lap. "Never changing my mind. Doesn't mean I can't get scared. Had a few moments when I thought, well, wasn't sure how you would feel."
Aric pulled her close and kissed her looking happier, relieved, though not entirely returned to his original good humor. "I can't imagine feeling much better Kit." He thought a moment and then spoke. "I don't run. Couldn't if I tried anyway." He placed his cheek against hers. "That's why they call it a life bond." He lifted his voice lightly while he spoke and then pressed his nose against hers and smiled.
"Well lets see what we can do to fill the rest of this out then." He typed in his half of the form and attached his data signature and sent it back to Kheari's data pad for approval and submission.
With a nervous laugh she palmed her data pad and found the form in the queue and submitted it. "You know Garza's probably going to call when someone actually shows this to her. Just to make sure. So we need to expect the call."
Aric nodded. "I know. You feeling less nervous now?"
Kheari looked into his eyes. Held them. "I love you more than I could ever express Aric Jorgan. Just got a little scared. You can forgive that can't you?"
Aric brushed her cheek and wiped away the tears sneaking out of the corners of her eyes. "Of course I can Kit. I forget sometimes our fears aren't exactly the same. It's good to remember that." He lifted his eyes and looked into hers slowly smiling and gave her a lingering kiss that Kheari sank and melded into until they finally had to breathe again.
She let out a breath and moved from his lap to the chair next to him. "I already finished the After Action reports before I came in. You just need to forward them on once you read them. Verify I didn't forget anything. I might have been a bit scattered when I was filling them out."
Aric read them and forwarded them quietly and looked up at Kheari. "Why don't we change and work out a while. Might be a good form of stress relief while we wait for Garza."
