one in a million | dante, riley, and juliet

The coffee shop was not a place Melanie visited frequently, but she was there today at Riley's request. She would never admit to anyone why she was there in a million years, but hopefully Riley understood. For once, Melanie needed advice that she couldn't ask Dante or her brothers for. As soon as the clock struck 10, she began to get nervous. What if he had run in to Dante or Brax before they could talk? Would Riley hate her for the mess that she had inadvertently caused between the two friends? Her mind was racing as she held on tightly to her coffee cup.

The thought crossed her mind that she wasn't completely sure what kind of advice she was looking for in this situation. On the one hand she was in a very new relationship, something she hadn't done in quite a while. She couldn't even compare it to her ones from camp. This was more serious than that in a way she couldn't explain.

And then there was Dante. She knew exactly what he had done and why, but things still weren't sitting right with her. He was a major part of her support system and Melanie wanted him around, but how? Brax couldn't stand the mention of his name still, much less the idea of her hanging out with the son of Apollo. Things might never be the same if she didn't figure something out soon, she just didn't know what that would entail.
@riley

Riley looked at the time and cursed his luck. He was running behind thanks to one of his subordinates arriving late and he had to communicate how this was definitely a job that demanded punctuality, that in turn had set him back even more so when he came running into the coffee shop he quickly waved to Mel before he ordered his coffee and then took his seat opposite her. They had tried to meet twice a month to keep in touch they had known each other at camp and gotten along but grew closer when he worked under her at the garrison and though he left she seemed to still enjoy catching up with him. When he heard she had been hurt when he got back he called her to see if she would like to get together for coffee earlier than normal. Riley was happy when she accepted and yet here he was the one running late.

"Mel I am so sorry, I thought I would make it on time, but trouble with leadership you have to enforce the rules. How are you doing? Are you feeling a little more like yourself?" Riley looked a little concerned once he took in her appearance, something was off but he didn't want to press her to much to fast. So instead he took a sip of his coffee and nearly choked on it, well that was decaf and not what he wanted. He set it down after swallowing it waiting for his budding anger to cool and tossing an apologetic look at Mel in case she felt a little anger building in her.

((Ri's Usermane is David... when I thought he was going to be David Riley not Riley David...))

(...Jules has never messed up Ri's username. We'll just blame Mel xD)

Smiling as Riley had his small mishap with the coffee, Melanie took the time to contemplate her response. Physically she felt fine. Maybe not 100%, but well enough to go back in to the field whenever the time came. Emotionally was a whole other story. "Riley, I couldn't begin to tell you everything that's going on right now. It's not so much that I don't feel like myself...I just feel like all the situations I'm in aren't ones that I'm equipped to handle." Taking a sip of her own drink, she used it as an opportunity to pause. If she just rushed in to things, she knew that her hold on things would suffer and that wasn't what she wanted. She needed for this to be as productive as possible. "As for my injuries, they've healed enough for me to go back to work full time, should I want to. The thing is...Riley, I don't know that I want to." There, she said that part out loud at least. If anyone would understand wanting to leave intelligence, it would be Riley, Right?

Nodding as she spoke he thought about how he would respond, once she was finished he quickly excused himself so he could get the correct order and had to work on controlling his annoyance and anger when the barista told him that there was no mistake. He pinched the bridge of his nose and then said that he would take a green tea then. The younger barista began to give him attitude and he nearly growled out that he was not paying for another drink when the first wasn't what he had ordered. Today was definitely going in the right direction. Once he came back with his drink he took a small sip and though hot it was the correct beverage and he sighed contented.

Looking at her he said, "I am sorry that took so long." His tone was a little brisk and he took a few calming breaths choosing to tackle the first part of her comments, "You will have to start as I know that I am not the normal person you go to to talk about this stuff which leads me to believe some of the situations you're not equipped to handle are in part due to the younger son of Apollo. Then there are the rumours I have heard about you and Colonel Wyatt, that you and he are sleeping together or are you truly a pairing after all these years like Dante said you would be?" He smiled his support if that was true, though he wasn't close with the Colonel he wanted his friend to be happy.

The fact that she was struggling with the idea of going back to work was understandable, her job was dangerous and full of responsibility. He was happy to hear that she was able to go back to work full time though if she wanted. "What about work has you possibly deciding not to go back? In my case as you know, there was that mission that caused me to make the biggest mistake of my life, I will say that I have corrected it and Jules and I are working it out now." He smiled broadly at that but added, "It did however lead to other issues, overall though for me leaving was the best choice I could have made. The hours are a bit better since I don't have to leave the island for long periods of time. Though that is what I found was best for me, are you finding you don't like the position anymore?"

"Well, the rumors are true. Colonel Wyatt and I have been an official thing for about three days, and we were seeing each other for about a week before that. Not that it hasn't been complicated by a million other things." Jealousy being the main one, though she wouldn't tell Riley that. Brax's issues with her and other men were for them to work on privately, not for her to hash out with a guy who barely knew him. "And Dante is one of those million other things. Do you know what went down during the battle, exactly? I know you knew I was injured, but do you know how?"

Work though...how could she phrase that without sounding like a coward? Riley wouldn't judge, but in the back of her mind she wondered if Brax would down the road if she left, not to mention Alex and Tavie. "Technically I'm already active, I'm just not in the field yet which is what I'm hoping to avoid for a little while longer. In a lot of ways, I'm worried about not coming back now. Before it was easy, because I didn't have a tangible reason to want to be here. Now my brother is alive, my best friend has resurfaced, and I have a boyfriend for the first time ever that I actually care about. I'm scared, Riley. I don't want to hurt them." Her face was tinted red from embarrasement, but she really didnt' care. Still, she looked at the tile rather than looking

Drinking his tea as she talked he was happy that she was finding a form of happiness though it still seemed like there were other things on her mind and when she said that Dante was one of the million other things that complicated her relationship he nodded in understanding to some degree. Dante had probably stuck his foot in his mouth and was having to correct it, though when she asked him if he knew how she was injured he shook his head adding, "No, I knew you were shot but that is it. I also heard Dante is in the hospital but other than that nothing. The first day I got back from a quest, I requested I lead we found out it was a trick trying to lure us away and so we got back after it was all over. I still wish I could have done more, I ran to Jules and my home to make sure she was safe. After that I was stuck there until the all clear was called. So I am still gathering information while at work." Taking a few more sips he thought about what to say to the rest of her comments. Finally he found the words though he doubted she would really like them, "I hate to say it but, no matter what you choose you might hurt them anyway and I have the proof with the last two years, even the attack on Concordia is proof of that. So you don't want to hurt those you care about, though a name was missing from your list I will leave that for now as I gather the issues there are larger than they appear, I will ask though do you still enjoy the job or better yet have you ever enjoyed the job?"

"You remember that I lost a brother in the last battle, right? Not just a half-brother, but my full blooded baby brother Damien? Turns out that daddy dearest resurrected him a few days after I petitioned for it but didn't tell me. He showed up in the middle of the battle, fighting on our side but we didn't know it. Apparently he's not an umbrakinetic like me, he's a necromancer." There was no way she'd be able to explain all of this to Riley without a little bit of back story. It just wouldn't make sense if she tried. Besides, she needed to hash this out with someone who wasn't a relative or her boyfriend. They were all too biased at this point, too scared to think of what could have happened instead of what did. "I went to sneak up on him like I would someone out in the field and he pushed me backwards to keep me from stabbing him. One minute I was in the middle of a battle, the next I was staring at my baby brother. Something caught my eye though, and I noticed just in time that Dante had taken aim towards Damien. I jumped in between and got shot twice in the process, hit my head pretty hard on the way down. When I came to, Dante was half dead and Braxton was holding me. I couldn't comprehend what had happened or why at the time. After I passed back out it took me two days to wake up, and by then everything had already gone crazy again.

Sighing, she settled back in to her chair to let Riley respond to the new information. Yes, she had avoided his questions about work, but this was more important right now. Melanie had managed to avoid seeing Dante since the confrontation at the hospital, but she knew it could only last so long. He had to go back to work some time, and she would be there when he did. "And the sad part is, that's only the beginning of it. If it was just that, everything would be so much more simple, but it isn't."

Riley listened closely to her story and and found himself getting drawn into a situation that had a lot of male dominated positions. Mel was hit by friendly fire but between her getting hit and waking up the first time there was something missing in the story, sure Dante was bound to be wounded but how the hell did he mange to become half dead in what would probably be minutes knowing the friendship the man had with Mel. Add that to a mix of finding out the brother you thought was long dead was really in fact alive and well with out you knowing about it, well that was already a list and a half, but there was more to make all that seem simple. He leaned back slightly and contemplated everything then closed his eyes for a moment before he started to answer, "Alright so it would seem that you have a bit of a trouble with the timeline as you blacked out. I know Dante well enough to know he would have and probably feels gutted that he hit you, in the heat of battle he could easily have thought you were shoved and in danger, but you already know that I think and come to terms with that part." Looking a Mel for some sign that he was right, but he continued anyway, "The Colonel leaving the fight in the heat of battle is a little surprising to me, makes me believe Dante's assumptions even more, the Colonel is in love with you. Still all of that is simple, what I seem to be missing and will need to figure out is how Dante went from having probably normal battle wear and tear to half dead. Though that will be at a later point as I will catch up with him later."

Taking another sip of his tea he sighed thinking about what he would have done had he been at the battle and something happened to Jules, he would have gone to her in a heart beat and broken ranks. Brax really did love Mel then but knowing what he did of the man it was probably still to soon for him to admit it and he smiled at that. "So in short your brother shoves you out of the way, Dante thinks he is the enemy and as a good soldier works to protect those around him, you don't want to lose your brother and step in the way creating a friendly fire incident that would have Dante rushing to make sure you are okay and probably losing a bit of focus on the battle. Brax has a moment of realization that he needs you in his life and rushes to your side. From there things are a blank from your point of view until Dante is half dead, you then pass out again pretty normal given your injuries and when you get up things are crazier than before you passed out the second time. Did I get all that? He said looking at his friend summarizing what she said and his inferences as best he could.

"I don't see how it could all get crazier unless of course Dante realized his feelings and admitted them to you. Though even then that would be pretty minor since he wouldn't act on them since he cares to much for your happiness." Riley smirked thinking he was making a bit of a joke and then he saw her face, "Wait... you have to be joking the kid actually admitted he had feelings for you?"

"In the middle of an argument with Braxton." She conceded, laying her head on the table for a moment in exasperation. "I still haven't put some of the pieces together, but I do know that Brax attacked Dante. Damien told me that much. He was pretty heavily injured before that. We have t had much of a chance to talk. I went to check on him once, but we were interrupted. Then the next time we spoke he and Brax got in to it." Taking another drink, Melanie realized she was already out of coffee. There wasn't enough caffeine in this entire store to make things make sense, but it could have at least taken the edge off.

"For he record, my boyfriend and I are wel, aware of our feelings towards each other. I think he struggles more than I do, but that's just because of the weird situation. I mean, his First Captain shoots a girl that he didn't even know he has feelings for, causing this huge emotional chain reaction that no one was prepared for. It's insanity for anyone to think he COULD take it well, especially so soon." Leaning back in the chair, Melanie took a moment to reasses everthing that happened after the battle. If she was going to tell the story, she would have to tell it right. "Anyways, so I wake up two days later in the hospital with Braxton in my bed. As far as I know he stayed there from the time the battle ended until I woke up. Everything felt so off that I didn't believe my memories and wrote them off as weird dreams, so I asked him if Dante was alright pretty much right off the bat. He got so angry that he actually left the hospital for a while so that he could cool off. I wish I had known that then."

Her heart was aching at the thought of how much emotional pain she had caused Braxton with what came next, but part of her couldn't regret it. If she hadn't, they probably would still just be friends. "About an hour or so after he left, I got myself out of bed and went looking for Dante to get answers. Brax caught me there and ran off to try and drink himself to death, which lead to my discussion with Dante being cut short by one of Brax's buddies. That was the last time I've seen him unaccompanied. By the end of that night, things were said and Braxton and I became an official couple, though I was not informed of that until the next morning." That part made her laugh softly, some of the knots in her stomachs caused by the topic loosening up as she did so. Things had to get better eventually, she just knew it.

Riley reached out and took hold of Mel's hand and said, "Alright so that helps fill in the blanks. Dante didn't really do anything wrong in the course of the battle but it did start a chain of events that have broken the trust Brax had for him. I think you might have had that issue as well,but since it has been six days since the battle and you haven't seen Dante since the confrontation you have been thinking haven't you. I will keep my nose out the the Brax stuff, though I can tell he is jealous with out really looking for anything, Dante and you though were unique though he was in love with you he never let you see that side because he saw where your heart was. I know for a fact for an man to do that takes a lot of guts, but he translated that in to a deep devotion to the friendship. I have to leave it there as I know Dante better than I do Brax and it isn't fair for me to side one way or the other. I chose you and your heart, it picked Brax and that is good enough for me but I need you to be, and want you to be happy with everything, maybe even talk to Jules since she is the councillor and I am a friend." Finishing his tea he stood, "Since it seems we have a bit more to talk about would you like a refill and I think a bite to eat, my treat."

Standing up, Melanie shook her head as they entered the line again. "It's not that I've been thinking, it's the exact opposite. I havent been able to stop and actually decide how I feel about Dantes revelation yet. I mean, I care for him, he's my best friend. There was a time when he had a chance, back at camp. But he was older than I was and I wasn't ready to settle down. Even then I had Brax and that was enough for me. Dante and I were never going to end up together, Riley. It was always Braxton and it was always going to be Braxton in the end. You of all people have to understand that." From what he had said about Jules,Melanie knew she was right. Some people were just in a collision course with each other . There was no other way for them to exist, other than Together.. Ordering her coffee and a blueberry muffin, Melanie made her way back to their table feeling a little more resolved than she had before.

Riley laughed a little, Mel seemed to be relaxing a bit and that helped. "Dante knew that from the beginning I think so if he was challenged on his feelings he would have admitted it because he doesn't want to lie to you." He paid for the refill and the muffins, he picked up an apple cinnamon muffin himself. As they sat down he smiled, "I know things will be hard right now, you love Brax and he loves you. Dante will figure out his heart in time but sometimes trying to change your hearts desire isn't easy. Nothing will be easy now though I think you need to figure out what you want to make you happy. We know part of that is Brax, and you have your brother home and I hear even Octavia so you have a boyfriend, brother, and best friend is that enough for you in your inner circle. Does that complete all your needs? You have other friends outside of your inner circle Espn and I are the ones I know for sure." Taking a bite of his muffin he took his time eating so that he could get her to think about the question he posed.

After taking a sip of coffee and smiling, now that was a good coffee and it helped him relax a little he began again, "I guess the biggest question though you might need to ask yourself is this, despite everything that has happened in the battle and the confrontation, despite the revelation of feelings he tried to hold back, are you willing to lose the friendship you have with Dante? Remember this is not a question based on what Brax or your brother wants. This is about you and what you want in your life." Taking another sip he added, "I think whatever you decide that man will honour." Looking up at Mel he smiled supportively.

"My inner circle is complete for the first time in five years, if not better than it was then. I just don't know where things stand with Dante. I know how he feels, and I know how I feel. Those are two very different things. Not to mention, even you have said that Brax's trust in Dante is broken. How is he supposed to willingly allow me around Dante ever again?" Setting the muffin down, Melanie looked around the small shop in search of a distraction for a moment. She was being harsh, and she knew it. At least that was how it sounded in her head. "I know he doesn't control me, that I'm free to do what I want, but his reasoning is solid. Not only did Dante confess that he had feelings for me, he also was the cause for my near death. I almost died in Braxton's arms that night. If it had been Jules, would you have forgiven him so easily? Would you want her to be around him, to call him her best friend despite all of that?"

Her hands were shaking now, grasping the cup tightly as she tried to force down the bile rising in her throat at the thought of what could have been. There was no use lingering on the topic, but it was too close, too real. "I'm afraid that simply saying that everything is going to be okay may be harder than it seems. At the end of the day, we all still have to realize that he could have killed my brother for the simple fact that he didn't trust me to handle myself in combat. I. Was. Fine. Riley. I was in no danger and in my element. How could he have known that it was an enemy? I could've been facing off with one of my agents for all he knew. He acted just as irrationally as Braxton, if not more so, and it got people hurt. That is a fact that I cannot ignore, no matter what his feelings are for me or his status as my best friend."

@juliet

Riley looked at her and sighed, "No you are right, it wouldn't be easy for me. I would want to protect her as much as I can but in the end I have found that trying to protect someone can in the end hurt them. Dante was the cause, I don't think he ever had trust issues with you, he just reacted, everyone reacted and things will never be the same." He tore off a piece of the muffin and began rolling it around in his fingers realizing he had gone off topic and needing to refocus. "Going back to your question though, in the end I would have to trust Jules to make the right choice for her because like it or not there is a chance I might not be here to protect her one of these days." Taking another sip of his coffee he sat back and loosened his tie finding the perfect appearance was getting rather stuffy.

"I can't truly begin to understand all the little issues that his one action caused but I know this much, Dante is a wreck inside. Be happy that you are finding the completeness you need which makes this job unnecessary if you aren't having instinctive desire go back."Reaching out he touched her hand and smiled, "You are alive, and with that comes choices and consequences. In then end things will work out, they will never be the same but if he is meant to be in your life and you want him there Dante will be part of it, that is excluding work or public places as this is an island and you can only avoid him for so long since you are in a relationship with his commanding officer. " Looking outside he sat up a bit seeing someone he didn't expect to see, as far as he knew Jules was at work why was she at the coffee shop, when he saw who she sat with he realized this day really was going to take an interesting turn, well at least his mother was right problems usually come in threes.

Settling in to a chair outside, Juliet pulled a book out of her bag while she waited for Dante to arrive. Even though she had been at work, Dante's request to meet had concerned her enough to take her lunch break away from the school for the first time since the battle had occurred. Luckily for her, it didn't take him long to show up after their appointed meeting time. "Hey Dante, what's up? You sounded a little ... distraught on the phone." Setting her book down, she took the opportunity to look him over for a moment. The man definitely looked worse for the wear. Should he even be out of the hospital yet, much less walking around in the middle of the day?

@kkram265