An Unexpected Visitor

by Merry Amelie (MerryAmelie@aol.com)

Archive: MA only

Category: Alternate Reality, Qui/Obi, Romance, Series

Rating: PG

Summary: Unusual office hours for Ian

Note: Miniseries within Arcadia: 1) A Wedding in Arcadia #13 -- An Unexpected Guest (#62), 2) An Unexpected Viewer (#75), 3) An Unexpected Visitor (#76)
Series: Academic Arcadia -- # 76
A chronological list of the series with the URLs can be found under the header 'Academic Arcadia' at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/master-apprentice/files/
My MA story page: http://www.masterapprentice.org/cgi-bin/qs.cgi?keyword=Merry+Amelie

Feedback: Is treasured at MerryAmelie@aol.com Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.

To Alex, Ula, and Nerowill, my friends and betas extraordinaire

Many thanks to terri for inspiring me to create Wendy, and to Carol for her input in developing the miniseries.

This story is a sequel to A Wedding in Arcadia # 13 -- An Unexpected Guest, in which Wendy was introduced.

Wendy's thumbnail tapped absently against the phone cradle. "Hi, Ian. Mind if I stop by during your office hours today?"

A pause, then Ian said, "Not at all. I'll be glad to see you again." Ian sat back in his chair, wondering what had prompted her call. They were all supposed to meet at the house after work that night. He gazed speculatively at his wedding band, wondering what to do.

When he had married Quinn, Ian had assumed that his ring would stay on forever because his family and friends all knew about them now. But he'd neglected to factor in Masterson visits, since at that point they still lived in separate apartments in Landowe. As soon as they'd moved, it became obvious that he would have to take off the wedding band, just as Quinn did, every time the Mastersons came over. Luckily, this wasn't often, since Quinn usually visited his folks to spare them the trip.

They would take the rings off together in an ironic inversion of their marriage ceremony. Ian had always empathized with the subtle battles Quinn waged for their love, a veteran of his own skirmishes also, as they made their way through the minefield. Now he felt it to the bone.

They no longer could wear them around their necks; the heaviness had grown unbearable. The first time they'd had to hide them, Quinn had nested Ian's within his, as he'd done in Williamsburg, nestling them in his left shirt pocket. His spontaneous gesture had started a tradition. Each time since then, they'd alternated carrying the rings in this way.

At least they were together.

And now, Ian would have to decide whether to take his band off again, amidst the larger question: What to do about Wendy?

She'd phoned him, not her cousin. Why? Instead of showing up unexpectedly at their office, she'd called, an early warning, perhaps. Just what did she know? Why did she want to meet him here, without Quinn present? Ian had been there when Quinn had phoned Wendy to say that he would be tied up in meetings that afternoon.

It looked very much like Wendy had something to hide from her cousin. Chuckling at the irony of it all, Ian made a concentrated effort to get back to work, and not worry at problems before they even appeared at his door.

But two words kept repeating themselves in silent certainty, pre-eminent over every other thought: Wendy knows.

Wendy came by near the end of office hours, clearly remembering her own college days when students would show up early on or not at all. Sure enough, no one was there, the last straggler shuffling out twenty minutes before when she'd been sipping coffee in the study area across the hall.

The last time she had visited Quinn here, he'd had the office to himself. She could see touches of Ian, not only in the blizzard of paper he had brought with him, but in the new prints on the walls. The Unicorn in Captivity reared over his desk, defying the fence that held him in. Mole and Rat enjoyed their Wind in the Willows picnic above his filing cabinet, courtesy of Arthur Rackham. They joined Chesley Bonestell's vision of Jupiter from Europa, which Quinn had gotten at Bailor, on the left wall. Quinn's bookends of medieval monks now had Yoda's company bracketing Ian's texts.

Ian stood and called "Come in" when he spotted Wendy just outside the open door, which she closed behind her.

Wendy saw instantly that he had made his decision. The ring was on. And it was his wedding band. The sheer rightness of it on his finger brought a smile to her face.

Ever intuitive, Ian grinned back upon seeing the focus of her gaze. His conjecture was right -- Wendy knew about them. And her reaction was better than he dared hope for. He could hardly believe it -- an ally in the Masterson camp. Taut shoulders flexed as he relaxed his battle stance.

Wendy held up her hand with its engagement ring and her smile deepened. She saw the silent message of solidarity register on Ian's face with the force of his answering smile.

Ian waved her into the student chair as he sat down himself. "Congratulations, Wendy! When's the wedding?"

"Next December. We'd like it at Christmastime." She put out her hand to give him a close-up view of her oval diamond, and was not disappointed by his reaction.

"Just beautiful." Ian was always generous in his praise.

Buoyed by their implicit understanding, Wendy dared to make it explicit. "And congratulations to you!" She had never seen Ian blush before, and was amused by the splotchiness of his cheeks. He looked for all the world like a kid with measles.

"Thank you," he said softly, not having to ask what she was congratulating him for. Silent acknowledgement had definitely been easier. He looked at his ring meditatively.

"I've known for months," Wendy said impulsively, and the whole story came flooding out of her on a wave of guilt.

Ian sat back, stunned. "You were there?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes. It was perfect," she said softly, smiling down at her own ring. "I wanted to congratulate you then, but was afraid I'd ruin the ceremony. Quinn might've assumed the worst." She looked in dismay at his downcast eyes. "I'm sorry."

Ian's blush intensified. "Don't apologize. I appreciate your support. I'm just worried about Quinn's reaction. Does anybody else in your family know?"

Wendy was relieved to be able to shake her head. "No. I've been very careful."

Ian looked at her in sudden realization. "Perhaps not that careful," he chided. "Didn't you talk up tax deductions to Ginny and John just before we went house-hunting?" At her nod, he continued. "There's just so much of that forced manipulation you can get away with. They're extremely bright and, as Quinn says, I have a feeling that the only reason they don't know already is that they don't want to know. It's not a good idea to press them."

Wendy hung her head. Sitting in the student chair, she didn't have to imagine how it felt to have Professor Prentice correct her work. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I didn't think it through."

"Wendy, it's taken us years to think it through. I'm sorry that you've found out what it is to be in an untenable position." Ian laughed without humor. "Thought we were the only ones in the family wrestling with it."

They both looked up when they heard sounds in the corridor.