Family dinner
Posted on Wed Aug 7th, 2019 @ 4:16pm by Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun & Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters - Calhoun & Major Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Thu Aug 8th, 2019 @ 12:29am
2,683 words; about a 13 minute read
Mission:
Episode 7 - Home Again
Location: USS Pioneer - Deck 2 - Jen's quarters
Timeline: MD006 2000 hrs
Jenn was setting up the table. She had taken some time to go home early and set up the table in advance. Because Billy was so busy so far in to the shore leave, she hadn't been able to speak to him about tonight, but it was time for him to get his head out of the data and spend some time with her.
She tapped her badge. =/\= "Chief Petty officer Calhoun, this is Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters, remember me? Please report to my quarters right now." =/\= She tried to make it sound like an order as she wasn't angry with him. Not yet.
Billy had been working on the classified project for Quinn. He was basically burning the candle at both ends trying to figure out this conundrum. He snapped his fingers when he heard Jennifer's voice. "Damn I nearly forgot." He said to the empty room. "I am on my way." He spoke into the comm badge.
In short order he was in their quarters. "Sorry I am late hon, this project is a killer."
Jennifer sat down at the table and she looked at the wine bottle that was opened in the middle of the table. "You know, the entire crew is enjoying themselves on their shore leave. Even the commander. And I am here spending most of my shore leave with my eyes in bandages and my sister coming here being the perfect starfleet officer, which clearly is not, hanging out with the Marine captain, and you don't even come home for dinner forcing me to order you home. Do you know who brought me dinner the past 3 days I was out of commission, Lieutenant O'Flannigain. Guess who I had to enjoy it with?" She sighed. "Do you think the commander cares if you finishes the project now or in two days, he is not even on the ship right now. He is probably having a nice family dinner with his wife and child."
She wasn't angry, she was just talking calmly. And then she continued on before he could say anything, "So I prepared us dinner, my sister and Neil are coming over and we're going to enjoy ourselves and tomorrow we have booked time on the holo suite on Empok nor, just the two of us." She then got up and walked to the replicator to check on the food. On the way she winked to him as she said, "And for tonight I have a special surprise for you. So you won't be leaving my side till the end of shore leave." She tasted the soup and smiled feeling very good about that.
"Actually it is not that anyone is forcing me to work. It is that this project is just interesting, it is a mystery that begs to be solved. Nothing adds up and as I pour through the data I am learning that our girl the Pioneer has been on quite the adventure while we were all gone. But everything smells great, and you have not been so alone. I have definitely been in to see you." Billy was a workaholic but he hated being told something that was wrong. She may have wanted him to be there more, but he was definitely there.
"Why is your sister coming over if she gets on your nerves so much?" He asked as he looked for a reason not to meet family.
"She does get on my nerves, but she is still my sister," Jenn replied, "And she came all the way here to see me for a few days. And if I told her to leave again, I probably wouldn't hear the end of it. From both her and my aunt." She moved the soup to the table. She then walked to him and put her arms around him. "I know you love your work. I totally get that, I am the same way. But sometimes, I need to know I am not alone in this relationship, this quarters for that matter. I have been alone since I left the academy, and sure there were people, but I didn't had anyone to share my life with. Not until now."
Billy smiled and nodded, he knew that being in any relationship would be give and take. It was time for him to give a little. "I will try my best to be around more. All of this food smells delicious, I can't wait for everyone else to arrive." Billy said with a smile as he got a glass of scotch for himself.
Neil was hustling. He'd gotten tied down with paperwork...and then the engineers had waylaid him about tearing apart the Pioneer...or at least the areas around Marine Country for the new facilities and the power requirements.
He had had time to do a quick search on etiquette and had finally found a bottle of a ten year old dry rosé off of Epiphany which would go with mostly anything or nothing. Neil vaguely remembered his grandfather telling him about wines when he was younger and that had given him a stab or two of nostalgia.
Pulling up short at Jenn's quarters, he looked himself over. There hand't been time to dig out civilian clothes, so he's simply put on a clean, standard ship's suit. He removed his beret, tucking it away under the loop on the shoulder and hit the annunciator.
"Come in," Jen called as she poured herself a drink as well. The doors opened and it revealed. "You have come, please have a seat." She pointed to one of the spots at the table. "My sister will be here any moment too."
She just said that when the chime ran again. "Come in," Jenn called again. Linda walked in and looked around the room. She walked to the table and looked at it. "Sounds nice," She said. She then looked to Billy. "Is that your boyfriend?"
Jenn nodded, "Yes, this is Billy. Billy, this is Linda, she is my twin sister."
Linda was wearing her hair loose over her shoulders again, where as Jennifer always wore it braided. And their taste in clothes, was also different. Linda held out her hand out to Billy. "It's nice to meet you." Meanwhile she was observing him up and down. She noticed his uniform and his rank.
When Tremble walked in Billy stood and smiled. "Major congratulations! I here tell you are now third in line for the most comfortable seat on the ship." Billy used the old custom of calling a Marine Captain Major when on a ship. A ship can only have one Captain after all. "Welcome, can I get ya anything a scotch perhaps?" He went over to the little makeshift bar and began to pour as Linda came in. He turned to see her and was taken aback by exactly how alike they were. "Great to meet ya! Have a seat and tell me all the embarrassing stories of Jen when she was little." He said by way of joke. Billy knew that she was scrutinizing him, it did not take a Intelligence Officer to see that.
"Well, thank you," Neil told Billy, shaking the man's hand and handing over the bottle he was carrying. "Scotch would do nicely, thank you. I'd be a bit nervous with a Marine taking command, if I was among the crew."
"Bah, there are times when this crew can do with a little ship shape and bristol fashion..." Billy said as he set the drink down and took a seat. "How do you feel about your first bridge shift? I presume that it is coming up shortly. Heck I wouldn't be surprised if Captain Malbrooke administered the Kobyashi Maru."
Neil sipped at the scotch and shook his head. "Well, if we go that route it will be a boarding action, Mr. Calhoun. Boarding cutlasses and phasers for everybody."
Billy smirked "I will have to dust off the old sabre and refresh my memory on how to use it. It has been a few hundred years." He laughed.
"Bound to make a mess, though it could be interesting to see how the crew takes to the drill," Neil grinned. "Though if earlier events were any indications, Jenn and Linda might have cutlasses out and be at each other before the dinners over."
"Ok, guys," Jenn said, "Have a seat, dinner is served. She put a salad on the table and continued, "I am not much of a cook. But the replicator does some decent work. I hope you enjoy it."
Linda sat down at the table. 'Well, let's hope so."
Jenn was tossing the salad and she stopped. And awkward silent fell. Linda looked to her sister. "Well, don't stop on my behalf."
Jenn sat down. "Alright, I have this feeling you want to say something every since you got here, now say it."
Linda shook her head. "No, no, let's just go to eat. It's nothing we can address later."
Jenn shrugged. "Alright." She turned to Billy and Neil, "Can I fill up your plate?"
Billy shot the woman who could become his future sister in law a quick stern look. He was about to say something however, if Jenn was content to leave the matter so was he. "It looks great I am sure it will be. I would love a plate."
Neil accepted his plate and his mouth was watering. "This looks great, Jenn. Thanks again for the invite. I'm not sure if that wine would go with the meal, but it's kinda supposed to go with most anything. Most especially a glass."
Jenn started to fill their plates and poured out their glasses. She smiled to them. Linda just stared at the food and then suddenly said, "Actually, Jennifer, can I talk to you in private?"
Jenn put a plate in front of Linda. Here we go! She thought and sighed an then said, "You know Linda, whatever it is, I am sure you can say in front of these guys."
Linda was still looking at the food and then looked up. "Alright..." She played with her spoon a bit. "Are you serious about this? Have you told aunt Willy?"
Jenn bit her lip and then she said, "No, and I don't think I need to. She dropped me when I left the academy." She picked up her spoon and started stirring the soup. "Also, I don't think it's any of her or your business. Just because you were born before 2 hours doesn't make you the head of the family or give you the right to tell me what to do. And that is what you do all the time. Please stop it, I just want to have a quiet dinner."
Linda raised her hands and said, "What would mom and dad think?"
Jenn dropped her spoon in her bowl. "I will tell you exactly what they would think." She hid the table. "You never wanted to pursue why they died. I never gave up. Do you know what they did? What they did with us? With...." He voice broke as she tried to stop the tears from coming. "With Killian?"
Linda fell silent and swallowed. "What are you talking about?" She exclaimed. "Our parents were scientists."
Jenn looked to her and nodded, "Do you even know what field? Genetics. They conducted illegal experiments on young children. Guess who their first subjects were."
Linda breathed in deeply as that shock hit her. She leaned back sighing. "I...I had no idea."
Jenn looked to the food. And then she looked to Billy and Neil. "Sorry about that," She rubbed her face. "This has been bothering me for a while now. And it's also why I took custody of Killian, I didn't trust Aunt Willy. She is suspected to have been in it with them. So I don't really feel I owe her the satisfaction of telling her about my relationship."
Linda just nodded.
Neil wasn't sure how to respond. If he should respond, but as the silence hung there, he ate a few bites of food and cleared his throat. "Well. Um. This is great, Jenn...I" He met her eye and shrugged, giving a ghost of a smile. "I don't know what to say, really. So..."
The new familial information was a brief revelation for Billy. That was some story, however, the old man being the old man he would back his girl's play. "When or if Jenn feels like they should know is when they will know. For now the best thing is going to be to sit back and enjoy this dinner. When you get as old as I am you realize how to handle family squabbles."
Neil cracked another grin at Calhoun, "Properly on a sparring mat? I've been getting a few beatings lately."
"It's either that or simply don't talk to them again. I wouldn't recommend the latter." Billy quipped back.
"Well, not. I suppose not," Neil responded. "My father used to get the silent treatment from my mother for years at a time...."
Linda took a spoonful of soup. "This is actually good, Jen," She said. Jen looked up to her and replied, "Thank you, Lin, this is actually the first time you gave me a compliment."
Linda smiled and said, "Well, you don't turned out that bad after all. Look at you, back in starfleet. And to be honest you have always been careful with whom you connected in life. I can't even keep my husband." She sighed. "And I can't exactly say I made such great choices in my life, joining starfleet might have been the only right one." She stirred in her soup a little. "And if I am completely honest, I kind of envy you." She turned to Billy. "Please take good care of her. We don't have much family left, and she is my only sister."
Jenn looked to her sister feeling her eyes get a bit wet. She blinked a few times. "And here I was envying your life."
Linda chuckled and shook her head. "From the two of us, you kept it on the straight." She took another sip from her soup. "I will return back to the Siberia tomorrow. You got it handled here, you don't need your sister here."
Neil felt the tension in the room subside and he too, relaxed more. For a minute he was back in St. Johns, listening to his folks harangue at one another and those memories weren't worth living through again. He raised a glass then and stated, Thank yo again for inviting me to dinner. "As they say in the Corp, Pain makes you stronger. Tears make you braver. Heartbreak makes you wiser. And booze makes you not remember any of it!"
"There are only two things that a man needs in this world. One is a good hat, and the other is a better woman. For it is the latter that will keep him together, keep him from tearing the world asunder. I have found that woman in Jenn. I assure you that so long as it is within my power she will be safe and sound. You of course will always be welcome here." Billy replied as he tucked into his food. "This really is delicious darlin" he added as he turned toward Jenn.
Jenn smiled. First to Billy when he said such sweet things. And then to her sister. She has never felt so close to her sister as she did now.
A Joint Post By
Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters
Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer
Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun
Data Systems Analyst, USS Pioneer
First Lieutenant Cornelius Tremble
Marine Commanding Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Linda Masters
Sister to Jennifer masters
NPC Jennifer Masters
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