A Quiet Evening In

Posted on Mon Mar 4th, 2019 @ 11:03pm by Commander Torhild Jessen & Lieutenant Commander Halcyon Attixx

3,292 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: The Sincerest Form of Flattery
Location: Torhild's Quarters

It had been a long afternoon and an even longer evening and now that she was finally home, anxiety over the fact that Hal was coming for dinner was starting to rise within her. Since Astrid had been born, Tori had worked hard to make sure that Jordan never found out about her, and everytime anyone from her past came into her life, there was always a chance that that would come undone.

But this was Hal, and even though it had been years since they had even sent messages, she still thought fondly of him after their years at the academy together. If it wasn't for him she likely wouldn't have passed the advanced math classes she needed to get into her science major.

As she went through the motions of the evening, getting Astrid dinner, bathing her, brushing her hair, brushing her teeth, tucking her into bed and snuggling down with her as the little one begged for just one more, one more bedtime story, Tori found herself thinking more and more of their time at the academy together. During their third year, even after he had started getting serious with Charlotte, there had been rumors that he was allegedly in love with her, but the longer he was with Charlotte the more those rumors were dispelled until finally they seemed to just fall by the wayside completely.

The sound of Astrid's slow, rhythmic breathing startled her from her reverie and she carefully extricated herself from the child laying snuggled into her chest, making sure she was tucked in and warm before she showered quickly and dressed in her most comfortable jeans and an oversized sweater. Once she was dressed she returned to the living area, spending a few minutes tidying up quickly, packing away Astrid's toys and shoes and folding the blanket onto the couch before she poured herself a glass of wine and curled up on the couch in front of the virtual fire, picking up a book she had been reading to pass the time while she waited.

Was it a date? Was it just dinner with a friend? Halcyon wasn't certain which one it was, but decided it was best to assume it wasn't, but since he was going over there anyways... He dug around a couple of the crates he'd brought with him and finally found what he was looking for, a book he'd borrowed from Tori back before he'd graduated from the Academy. It had been a constant joke with her for a couple years before they'd lost touch. He also finally settled on a blue turtleneck before making his way through the convoluted corridors to where her quarters were supposed to be. He finally matched the numbers she'd given him with the ones on the door and pressed the chime.

Tori stood up from the couch and quickly glanced around, making sure things were tidy before she walked across and opened the door. "I was starting to think you'd changed your mind," she said with a grin. "What happened to your punctuality? If you weren't ten minutes early you were late!" She leaned in, hugging him again. "Come in, did you want a glass of wine? I only just poured mine."

“As long as it’s not diamond cut champagne, I’m game.” Hal laughed, remembering Charlottes favorite alcoholic drink, “But I’ve become much less on time over the last few years, heck, I’ve even been late a few times!”

"Now that I will have to see to believe," Tori replied as she padded bare foot across the carpeted floor to pick up the bottle of white wine that she had left sitting on the dining table. "And no, personally I never saw the interest in the diamond cut champagne, it tastes like swill. It's a light Bajoran wine, not replicated," she said as she poured some into the second glass and handed it to him before moving back to the couch, motioning for him to sit.

"And she never understood that." He smiled and sat about two feet away from her, not sure what would be an appropriate distance, then took a sip and commented, "Rather nice. But I'd say let's ignore Charlotte for now, she's... In the past, I dodged a bullet. So, has there been someone special in your life? I know you were popular at the Academy."

"Not like that," Tori replied vaguely. "I've dated a few times but..." She shrugged. "Once I graduated I was focused on my career. I guess I've just always had other things taking precedence over my love life, especially now." She took a few sips of her wine, watching the virtual fireplace momentarily. "If it's too warm I can turn it off or I can turn the thermostat down," she offered.

“I’m good.” He responded, something inside him jolting as she said she was by any other means single and available, “Honest truth time? How bad is it here, really? I heard a couple rumors that this is where careers go to die, then another that this is where they put the actually really competent people because they need to the best to keep this place functioning.”

"I've not been here real long myself," Tori replied, turning the wine glass in her hand. The Commanding Officer seems to be very on top of everything, quite incredibly so actually. I think career wise, if you survive being posted here you could likely have your pick of assignments, anywhere you wanted to go... you just have to survive it first." She laughed softly before taking a sip of her wine. "I'd really like to say I'm joking, but, yesterday I had to convince two Klingon's to NOT murder a Vulcan they thought was a Romulan spy right in front of me."

Halcyon winced, “Ouch... I assume by the fact you still appear to have the right numbers of appendages and heads that you didn’t have to unsuccessfully put yourself between the three of them?”

"Honestly, I'm still not entirely sure how the situation diffused, but I'm rather glad it did," Tori replied with a laugh.

"Momma? Not sleepy... Sing to me?" The little sleep heavy voice came from the darkness in the general direction of the bedrooms.

A moment of sheer panic washed over her as she cast a glance at Hal, before turning, holding her hand out toward the child. "Come over here baby," she said softly. Setting her wine on the side table next to her, Tori picked up the toddler, settling her on her lap before taking the blanket hanging on the back of the couch and wrapping it around her.

Astrid snuggled into her mothers lap, pulling the blanket up to her neck but at the same time sticking a socked foot out and wiggling her toes against the back of the couch. Thumb in mouth, she studied Hal closely for a moment before she wriggled, turning toward her mother and reaching up to pat her on the cheek a couple of times until she leaned in so Astrid could whisper to her.

"Astrid, this is a friend of mine, Commander Attixx, we went to school together a long time ago..." taking a deep breath, she steeled herself before speaking again. "Hal, this is Astrid... my daughter."

Hal gave a slightly curious look at Astrid and smiled, feeling the barest hint of sleepiness from the very small empathic gift he’d received from his fathers side of the family, “Why hello there, Astrid.” He said gently, quietly enough so as not to wake her up completely.

Astrid waved slightly with her fingers, her thumb still firmly stuck in her mouth. Satisfied, she turned her head into Tori's chest and snuggled down again, closing her eyes contentedly.

"Sorry," Tori murmured quietly. "She'll be asleep again shortly. She's been a bit unsettled since we got here." Tucking the blanket in once more, Tori smiled lovingly as she looked down at the little girl, brushing her hair back from her face as she started to sing quietly.

"Nuku Nuku Nurmilintu, Väsy, väsy, västäräkki. Nuku nurmelle hyvälle, Vaivu maalle valkialle

Nukuta, jumala, lasta. Makauta, mariainen. Kuro kiisan silmät kiinni, Anna unta aamuun asti."

It didn't take long at all before Astrid's breathing slowed and she was sound asleep again, her thumb teetering at the edge of her little mouth.

Finally, daring to glance across at Hal, she offered another apologetic smile. "I'll put her back in bed in a moment," she said softly. "But if you want to leave now, I'll understand."

Stifling a laugh, but keeping his voice down, Halcyon shook his head, “It’s all right, she just came as a slight surprise, no harm in that.” He glanced back and forth from daughter to mother, “She looks just like you.”

"Honestly I am grateful for that fact every single day. I don't think I would have handled it as well if she looked like her father in any way." Tori looked down at the small child curled into her chest and sighed softly. "I'll just pop her back into bed, I won't be a moment. If you're not planning on running away while I'm in the other room, do you want to refill the wine glasses?"

“Certainly.” Hal agreed and waited until Tori had gotten up to go put Astrid back to bed before reaching out and snagging the bottle, refilling the glasses most of the way, so as not to overflow. He’d taken another sip of his own and was idly swirling it around his glass when she got back, “Where is he? Did he just leave like a bastard?”

Taking the glass of wine and drinking it gratefully, Tori sank down on the couch, moving slightly closer to him this time, turning to face toward him. "He doesn't even know she exists," she said softly. "And if I have my way, he never will."

The bitterness behind the voice and that he could sense could have cut through steel and for half an instant, he felt sorry for the guy. Only half an instant though, "What did he do?"

Tori took a sip of her wine, closed her eyes for a moment and then exhaled slowly. "For tonight, can we please just not go down that particular rabbit hole?" She smiled sadly, reaching out and resting her hand on his thigh momentarily. "I will tell you, but another time, just not tonight."

Her expression changed rapidly, the sadness being replaced by a look of contentment. "Astrid is my world. She'll be 5 soon, it's so hard to believe. When I found out I was pregnant I didn't think I could cope with it, I didn't think I was cut out to be a mother. Now I can't imagine not having her here in my life." She took a deep breath and laughed slightly. "She's also the reason I don't date. There are very few men in the world that will take on a single mom and her child, let alone understand that she will always, always come first."

"Which is exactly the way things should be." Hal shrugged, "And if they couldn't see it, they're not the right sort for you in any case." He smiled at Tori, "She really is as good looking as her mother, I'm not lying about that." He raised his cup in a toast to that, then laughed, "You know? Finding that 'right' person is hard to do, really hard. But it isn't impossible, you know that?"

“You know, everyone keeps telling me that, but they have a pretty big set of shoes to fill... not from who left them behind but from who I expect them to be.” Tori sighed softly and then laughed. “Think about it Hal, you said it yourself... I was popular at the academy, I had a steady stream of boyfriends... did you, or anyone else, ever think I would end up a single mom on the run?”

“No, no I didn’t.” Hal admitted, “I always figured you’d find some brilliant tactical officer or a prince and settle down on a starship going out into the beyond. Two kids, a few major scientific awards, the whole happily ever after.”

"A prince?" Tori laughed openly, shaking her head. "Yeah, because I'm such a Princess? Nah, it was always Charlotte and the likes that were destined for that kind of life." She glanced at the bedroom door, a small smile playing on her lips. "Who knows, maybe there's still hope. The universe is a pretty big place, there has to be at least one guy out there that would take us on? Right?" She finished her glass of wine and turned the empty glass in her hand. "What about you? What do you see in your future?"

He stared into his glass, swirling the remains of the wine in it, "I don't know." Hal admitted, "I know I shouldn't be alive still, not when so many from Perseus aren't. I know Tara would want me to keep living life, but..." He cut himself off, "Sorry, Tori... Tara was a friend I had on Perseus, my best friend there. The ship had an 'incident' and we lost a lot of the crew as well as the ship chasing a pirate. She... Didn't make it. Neither did about seventy percent of the crew. I've been told I have survivor's guilt, but really who wouldn't? It was a good three years ago."

Instinctively, Tori moved in closer and slid her arm around his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said softly as she rested her head on his shoulder in a half hug. “It’s never easy, and it will never be any easier, but you’re right, if this Tara cared about you she would want you to keep living and loving and having fun.”

"I met her about a year and a half after Charlotte left, never turned into anything serious." Hal accepted the hug, "I think we actually dated about three months, but we served together for five more on and off. You know those friends that think just like you, get in trouble with, never lose touch with?" A pang of guilt for that situation happening with Tori, even if they WEREN'T that type of friend hit, "Well, that was she and I. Brilliant starship pilot. I was right next to her when it happened."

"I'm sorry," Tori said again, her voice gentle as she spoke. There wasn't much else she could say, so she just lapsed into silence, giving him the chance to talk as much as he wanted, if he chose to.

"It's... In the past." He said as casually as he could, then changed the subject, "I got to see the General a couple hours ago, he's a remarkably paranoid person, it seems."

Tori laughed slightly as she pulled away. Clearly he wasn’t in the mood for touchy geeky emotional stuff. “Yeah, he is a bit unlike anything else,” she said quietly. “He seems friendly enough though. “He seems to be very aware of everything that is going on, everywhere.”

"I think that could get rather awkward." Halcyon got a laugh out, "I mean, if he knows when we're sleeping, and if he knows that we're awake, does that really make him Santa Claus?"

"Ssshhh, don't say that out loud!" She shook her head suddenly. "Astrid loves Christmas, she's disappointed Santa doesn't come every day. But yeah, he seems to be on top of things, I'm kind of surprised. My last CO was kind of distant, to be honest I don't think I actually saw him at all the entire time we were on the ship." She finished the glass of wine and poured some more from the bottle. "It's going to be an interesting assignment if the first few days have been anything to go by."

"I think interesting is the right word, Tori, absolutely the right word." Hal agreed. "May it not be the Chinese version of interesting."

"Hey, at least no matter what it throws at me, I know I have at least one friendly face here," Tori replied with a laugh. "Even if it is just you..." She grinned wickedly, clearly teasing him.

"Always. I know the next few days are going to be rather awkward as I poke my head all around... But that reminds me, I need to bring Artemis over at some point, let her meet you and Astrid, I think you'll really like her." Hal half-grimaced at the thought of poor Artemis, just sitting in his quarters waiting for him.

"Artemis?" Tori queried, almost hesitantly. "Oh... well, I'm sure she's lovely and all," she said, forcing a smile onto her face.

"She is. She's six years old and rather petite." He saw the confused look on Tori's face at that, "A beagle. She's a beagle, Tori, not a woman! we rescued her from Perseus when her owner... Didn't make it. She helped me through my recovery and I wasn't about to leave her behind."

Tori laughed suddenly, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she shook her head, trying to shake away the thoughts. "That is not at all what I had expected," she said with another laugh. "A beagle huh? You know, I really don't know if you should introduce her to Astrid.... she's been after a puppy for so long... you may never get her back again."

"I might not get her back? She'll probably be so excited she'll drag Astrid back with HER!" Hal became mock-mysterious, "And you'll never see her again as Artemis buries her in a closet or something."

Tori stood up suddenly, a strangled expression on her face. "I'll get some more wine," she said softly as she headed toward the small kitchen area, trying to regain her breath. "I offered you chinese for dinner didn't I?" she said with a faint laugh. "Want me to replicate it now? Or do you want to wait a bit longer." It was clear she was trying to use small talk to cover the sudden change in her demeanor. "Did you want fried rice with it? Or spring rolls? Or chow mein?"

Rice, or chow mein, and spring rolls and I'm not all that picky about food anymore!" Halcyon laughed, "As I said, General Tso's is the best, but orange chicken is good, black pepper chicken, beijing beef, I could go on and on."

Tori rolled her eyes while her back was turned so he couldn't see as she headed to the replicator. Ordering up a small smorgasboard of dishes, she made several trips back, setting them out on the table in front of the couch before she returned to the replicator one last time and grabbing plates, chopsticks, cutlery, napkins and another bottle of wine.

Setting a plate and some cutlery in front of him, she opened the bottle of wine and refilled both of their glasses before finally sinking back down onto the couch next to him. "Help yourself," she said with a slight smile. "If there's anything else you want let me know and I can get it for you."

"You may eventually regret that." Halcyon laughed, already with chopsticks out and poised, "But not tonight, you've already made me happy with this!"

"Good, I aim to please," Tori replied with a laugh, returning to the couch and sinking down next to him, taking a sip of her wine before helping herself to some of the food. "Just like old times."


=/\=


Lieutenant Commander Torhild Jessen
Chief Science Officer
Starbase Versailles

Lieutenant Commander Halcyon Attixx
Chief Operations Officer
Starbase Versailles

 

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