Reunions and Rekindles

Posted on Fri Oct 26th, 2018 @ 11:05am by Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters - Calhoun & Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun
Edited on on Fri Oct 26th, 2018 @ 12:05pm

1,877 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 5 - It Would Be Their Pleasure
Location: Jennifer Masters' Quarters - Deck 2
Timeline: MD001 1100 hrs

Leslie Calhoun had spent the entirety of the trip to Casperia Prime buried in his work. It was his choice to do so as he did not want to forget anything that happened in the universe that he visited. One never knew if that information would come in handy. In that time he had tried to avoid Jennifer as he was still not sure what he or she wanted from each other. The avoidance was hard considering that Malbrooke had promoted her to Warrant Officer and given her the command of the Intelligence Division. Calhoun was happy for her, but he was also saddened by the loss of Joran Thal.

He knew that he wanted to explore a relationship with her, but now that she was his boss she would probably not want to explore that further. Billy Calhoun is a listener, an El Aurian, but he is also an abrupt and up front individual. As such he decided the best way to handle the situation was to hit it head on. So he marched down to her quarters while off duty and rang the door chime. His stoicism did not beleaguer the nervousness that was underneath.

After Joran Thal had left, and their return to the normal timeline, so much has changed. She accepted the position of Intelligence Chief. She felt safe in the SCIF. It was like a second home to her, so she wouldn't change, and there for she couldn't pass up the promotion. And he training to that end, she took without hesitating. And with a promotion came bigger quarters. So after her training she spend a lot of time redecorating the new office and her new quarters.

She didn't mean to avoid Billy, as he had been on her mind the whole time. But would the situation have changed now that she was his boss. And the fact that he was avoiding her, made her feel a bit insecure about herself.

She was sitting behind her mirror playing with her hair brush. Her hair hanging loose over her shoulders looking at her reflection. In the alternate universe she learned there was a side about herself. A mother, a starfleet officer. A marriage. That was her sister now. It made her wonder though if she could be a mother some day. And would be with Billy or someone else? She rather just like to be with Billy first, see how they would connect.

She was pulled out of train of thought by the door chime. She got up and walked to door. She was still wearing her nightgown she realized as she stopped at the door. Usually she would be in her uniform by now, but she had been so distracted today. She opened the door and then looked to Billy's eyes.
"Billy," She said half questioning, half with joy. "Please come in!" She invited. "Can I get you something?" She closed her eyes going through her memory. And said, "How about some Scotch?"

Man she was a sight for sore eyes. But he had to try to keep his head in the game as it were, concentrate on why he came down there to begin with. He smiled "You know me I can never turn down a good scotch." He walked in and took a seat on the couch. "Moved up in the world, they got you in these posh officer's quarters now." He teased, Billy saw her at the replicator and wanted to run over there and kiss her, he wanted to tell her a lot of things that had went through his head while over there. But that would have to wait until he could figure out how she felt.

She smiled looking around the room. "Yea, you could say that." She looked to the replicators. "Two glasses of scotch." She still had no idea how good scotch would taste like, but she would just have to try. She walked to the couch and said down, handing him his glass. She took a sip of hers. "I don't quite like it yet." She said grinning.

"It is an acquired taste I guess, but spend enough time with me and you will get used to it." He took a deep sip of the scotch and let the warmth of the alcohol snake down his throat. "I wanted to say that I was sorry for not saying this sooner. But, congratulations. Brevetted up to Warrant Officer is a large notch in your belt. So here's to you boss!" He raised his glass to toast. Billy had the thought to request permission to speak freely, but he judged by the way she was dressed that permission was not needed. Damn, she's gorgeous... he thought.

She smiled as she raised her glass to meet his. She then took a sip. "Arrgh.." She growled softly as she put the empty glass on the table. "I think I will have to do just that, spend more time." She leaned a bit closer to him. "It would help though if you stop avoiding me all the time." She grinned. "I did notice you were avoiding me."

For the first time in countless years Billy Calhoun blushed. She had him dead to rights. "I have been and I am sorry for that as well. It is just that there have been a lot of things to think about. The first is I had to get all of what myself and Lieutenant Zano knew into the SCIF records. You see there is something you do not know about me, or more accurately my species. We have an innate time sense, when there is something off about the timeline we can sense it, we can also use that to learn how and why the change took place. I had to get that out of our heads before we forgot. The second and more importantly..." His voice trailed off as he wasn't sure what to say or how to proceed. In truth the old man was acting quite sheepish. He sipped the scotch in an effort to cover.

"More importantly, I wasn't sure how you wanted to handle, well us. With your promotion there are regulations to think about. But, and I am not sure if Elen told you, when I got back the first thing I asked was if you were here. During my journey through all of the muck that is time, all I thought about was you. So I am sorry..." He looked at her in the eyes when he spoke. Billy hoped that she would start speaking soon, as he longed to just listen and forget his own thoughts for the moment.

"Oh, Billy, I..." She sighed. "You have no idea, all I could think about was you. Being there felt wrong in all ways. My other self is married, has 2 kids and you were not there. And when I came back everything went so fast. The promotion. And I didn't know what had happened to you so I just thought you needed some time for yourself. I know about regulations and such. I work for them, but I'll be damned if I let starfleet tell me how to live my life outside of the job." She took his hands. "I want to be with you and we are two grown adults and experienced enough to keep business and pleasure separate. Am I right?"

Billy chuckled warmly, and all of the doubt that was on his face had faded. "Adult? I haven't been an adult in four hundred years." He raised her hands to his lips. "But you are too right, sometimes one has to live their life for themselves. I guess I just lived it for everyone else for so many years that I forgot that." He leaned in and kissed her it was something that he had wanted to do since he got back, and this seemed like the right moment.

FinallyJenn thought as he kissed her. She pushed back gently to kiss him back. She pulled back a little and looked to him. She grinned. "You have no idea how long I waited for that." She then kissed him.

Billy relished in her touch, and her kiss. It was something that he never thought possible. She was so young, but in truth she was equal to him in age when it came to lifespans. When the kiss broke he breathed deeply and smiled. "I have as well, but it something that was worth waiting for."

Jenn smiled. "It certainly was." she laid her head on his chest. "How about we have another date on the planet? I heard some great things about it."

"That sounds amazing. Where would you want to go? Casperia has a lot to offer, not the least of which is a tour of the planets rings." Billy began to stroke her hair as he spoke. There was a small internal argument which occured within the El Aurian. She was a superior officer and fraternization was against regulations. Damn the regs for once. Right now I live for me. He thought.

"I don't care, as long as it is with you." She sighed and then said, "I haven't been here before. After I got kicked out of the academy I hung around places with a lot of dirt bags, where it smells like alcohol and cigarettes." She laughed nervous.

"Then perhaps a tour of the rings is in order. We could have the professionals do it or perhaps the Captain will let us take the Serenity. Then we can have our own private tour." Billy was elated, that he was back and that she was back. Most of all that she wanted to pick up where they had left off. He had not felt more at home in a long time then he had right now, aboard this ship and in her arms.

Jenn grinned. "I love the idea of a private tour." She looked up to him a moment. "Do you want me to ask him?"

Billy knew what she meant, since she was the senior officer it would be easier for her. But he could not help for part of his ego to be bruised. "I think I can have a conversation with our esteemed Captain. Besides rumor has it that we have a newly minted Chief of the Boat. Me making the request would give him something to do." He took her into his arms tighter. "But for now I think we have some time..." His voice trailed off as he kissed her again.

When their lips parted she smiled. "Fine by me." She looked to him and somehow the memories of an alternate ship and reality seemed to drift away like a bad dream. She had planned to go down to the SCIF if nothing else would come up, but now she just wanted to be here. In this moment. With him.

"A Joint Post By"

Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters
Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer

&

Senior Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun
Data Systems Analyst, USS Pioneer

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