Nika and Christian. FIGHT!

Londinium is not that far away, and once the ship leaves Osiris Nika doesn't leave the bridge except briefly to see Rick and make sure he's all right. Trusting a politico in the Core sort of goes against the grain for her, and considering the /rest/ of the information that came to light, Nika's got a lot on her mind. Sitting in the bridge with a cup of coffee, she's watching the instruments and pondering... some might even call it brooding.

"I owe Rick and Arden an apology. You and Rina as well." Christian says as he steps onto the bridge. He shuts the door behind them. This is something he doesn't want their reality film maker hearing.

Nika looks up from the viewport she was studying and asks in surprise, "You do?" She can't think of anything he's done that would require an apology. "What for?"

"If we had left Osiris right away, as Arden wanted, none of this would have happened." Christian notes. He settles down in the co-pilot's seat.

There's a grimace at that. "Well... on the one hand, you're right. But you needed to take care of some things, and we can't just avoid Osiris altogether. Your parents are there. And that's important. On the other hand, if we hadn't gone, we wouldn't know some of what we know now... and we have someone who may be an extremely useful ally." Nika pauses. "Of course... we're starting to tread into territory that some of us were leery with before. The kind of shadow territory where everything's a conspiracy."

Christian stares out at the stars. Londinium shows up as a green dot, brighter than any star except the sun itself. He's silent for a good, long while. "I've wondered about this. Look at us. None of us belong on this ship, in a perfect world. We're all too skilled. Too talented."

Nika sips from her coffee cup and says, "I don't think there's such a thing as 'too talented,' but ... the Universe lands you where you're supposed to be at any given time. It's why I stayed." She smiles faintly. "If I'd gone when you offered me the out, hooked back up... there wouldn't be anyone heading for Blue Sun right now to pull their fat outta the fire, would there?"

Christian mmms, thoughtfully. "My point exactly. Think of the coincidences. Rina's lover is captured forcing us to become involved with chempliant and the pax. Arden's entire existence seems to tied to it in some way. Your lover and old crew are on a ship investigating it. My client happens to work for the man who sent them on that investigative run."

"Wheels within wheels, all spinning at their own pace in random directions," Nika says quietly, looking out the viewport again.

"Karma." Christian adds. "I must wonder, what we all did in a past life to nail our destinies together so."

Nika chuckles at that. "If you believe in such things, the people you happen upon in each life are the same people you'll travel the circle of life with throughout the ages. In different relationships in each incarnation, but still... the soul being eternal, it seems to make sense that the relationships that are most important will remain from life to life."

He can't help it. Too easy to make the dig. Too easy to segue into the topic. It is a big, shiny button begging to be pressed. "Such as Brian and yourself."

Subtle tension immediately tightens Nika's body language. "Such as all of you," she replies mildly, sipping her coffee.

"The eyes." Christian says. "And the corners of your mouth. Also, the way your fingernails go white around the coffee mug."

Nika slants him a look. "Pardon?" she asks blankly.

Christian explains. "How I can tell I hit a sensitive spot and you were trying to change the topic."

Nika sighs and moves to set the cup down. "Why do you keep bringing him up?" she asks, resisting the urge to get up and pace.

"You're in love with him." Christian says, his voice growing soft. "And that terrifies you for some reason."

Now she does get up and walk. "Good Lord, Christian!" she exclaims. "Knock it off. Brian and I've got history, sure. And maybe we've even got a relationship or something. But I'm not in love with him, and he's not in love with me. We're just... we just *are*, that's all. It works because neither one of us tries to make the other into something we're not. And there's no expectation between us except friendship." Nika looks at him. "Is this why you're always watching and worrying about me and Arden? Cuz you think... what? That I'm using him?"

Christian stays still, watching Nika pace in the small space of the bridge. "Do you think you are?"

Glaring at him, Nika says firmly, "No. He and I have been very clear with one another. And it bothers the crap out of me that you're harping on this. Why are you doing it?"

"The human capacity for self-deception exceeds all his, or her, other skills." Christian says as he rises to his feet. "You are constantly saying what you want when it comes to Brian and Arden but not what you actually have. You can only bite into a green apple with your eyes closed and pretend it is a red apple for so long, Nika. Eventually, you're going to have to face the fact that it is green."

Staring at him, Nika looks blank once more. "I don't even know what that means." She sighs. "Look... you remember when you asked me if I wanted kids?" Back when he was sick, she means. "Seems to me that being in love with someone only has one of two ends when it comes to those of us who live in the Black, Christian -- you wind up with a relationship like Rina and Mike's, where you sort of dance around one another and try not to be hurt and live by a don't ask, don't tell mentality about what the other is doing when you're not near. Or you give up the Black. And neither of those really apply to me...." And now she sounds uncertain and unhappy, as if the words "do they?" are tacked on the end where before she was actually quite content with her life as she saw it. And on some level, she's angry at him for making her feel this way ... and angry that his opinion actually matters.

Christian stands up and looks at Nika, a bit sadly. 'You've spent much of your life defying expectations and carving out your own path and your own way to do things. Why would you let society tell you how to do this one thing when you won't let it control anything else?"

Nika eyes him. "That's exactly my point," she says in confusion. "I like what I have with Arden. And I like what I have with Brian. I don't see any need to make it either more or less than it is. You're the one who keeps harping on the 'in love' thing."

Christian walks towards the door. "Honesty with yourself is the hardest kind, Nika. Maybe you should listen to what your stars are singing about your feelings."

There's a growl. "You make me crazy. And you're ridiculously confusing. Just come out and say what you mean, will you?" Nika demands.

"You're in love with Brian." Christian says. "And you are using Arden as a substitute because you're horny and because you're trying to convince yourself that you can have what you have with Brian with any man you find sexually attractive and emotionally appealing. It will hurt all three of you in the long run."

Nika looks like he slapped her for an instant, and then the shutters come down and her expression returns to neutral. Her chin lifts in an unconscious movement, her pride not wanting him to see just how deeply that cut. "I see. Well, I did ask you to say what you think," she tells him mildly, and then heads back toward her chair to sit down. "It's good to know where we stand."

"We stand next to each other." Christian says gently, "I will always be there for you. You know that. I'm sorry what I said hit you like that but..." He shakes his head and opens the door. "You know where to find me if you need me."