Scrooby Snacks and Common Ground

Posted on Sunday, 9 May 2021 - 4:19pm by Lieutenant Scarlet Rogers & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley

Mission: Operation: Neu Reich

It had been a resourceful few days. Scarlet had got her head buried into research. In one sense it was making up for lost time. Between being turned down for the research I'm favour of keeping her actively working on new projects and being scared about being on a starship, she'd wasted a few years. Ryan had definitely ignighted a touch a courage in her.

'Lunch Time' her PaDD nudged her with a reminder. The woman had started putting reminders for shifts and lunches because of working over or skipping a few meals. She looked up and saw Alex was still working without the appearance of stopping anytime soon. She stood up and cleared her throat, "Alex, it's lunch."

“Hm?” Glancing up from the report, Lieutenant Kingsley rubbed the back of her neck but stopped as she touched the inhibitor she had promised to wear for a few weeks. The things she did for her husband… “Oh lunch. Sure. Two seconds.”

Scarlet offered a small smile, "thought I'd let you know, just in case you are like me in more than just hair."

“Usually,” Alex admitted as she climbed to her feet. “Do you want to go to the mess hall?”

"Sure," Scarlet nodded, "a change in scenery might be good. Less temptation to work and eat at the same time."

“True,” Alex agreed, locking her workstation. “And might stop me staring at the same gene sequence over and over. Let’s go, I feel chocolate is in our future.”

Scarlet chuckled and started walking with Alex to the mess hall. "Chocolate pancakes for lunch," she chuckled before adding, "also a good way to get to know eachother being that we'll be working together."

“Sorry about disappearing on you for a few days, and again for the, erm, misunderstanding,” Alex apologised as they entered the turbolift. “Soral and I had a date night and after everything that happened, he booked us a few days stay as a surprise. It was a quick few days. I should have made sure you were settling in okay.”

Scarlet's head instantly started playing elevator music when they were in the turbo lift, but she was definitely listening. "Don't worry, I got my head down with research. It's not as if I can do much practically at the moment. I hope you enjoyed your date nights. And honestly, don't worry about your husband. It's an easy mistake."

“Don’t let him off that easily,” Alex grinned. “Tormenting him is part of my job.”

Scarlet chuckled, "if you say so. I'll leave that to you and maybe use it as a bargaining chip one day, but honestly, I'm just a wuss. I'm not going to upset an XO, a Vulcan at that."

“Don’t let the whole Vulcan thing spook you,” Alex confided, “they are all bark and nerve pinches. Well, most of the time. You haven’t been just living in the lab, have you?”

Scarlet shrugged a little, "this is my first time on a starship that soon won't be docked. I've mostly been in labs or hospitals installing new upgrades. I keep my head down. Too people-y out there." Scarlet half teased the latter comment.

“And some people are weird,” Alex agreed. “I swear I don’t think I saw daylight for six months when I was at uni. My mother says it’s why I’m so pale and didn’t grow taller.”

She rolled her eyes at that as she led them out of the lift and towards the mess. “And we don’t get a lot of vitamin D around here anyway. Did your supplies arrive okay? I just approved everything on the requisition so please tell me you didn’t include anything weird that’ll get me demoted back down to a cadet.”

Scarlet chuckled at little and the ginger-isms she herself had been told. She then replied, "I've taken stock of everything, requested. Everything I requested is here. Anything not here, is my fault. I've probably forgotten something, but, honestly, I'm sure I can replicate it or something."

They entered the mess hall, taking a seat. Scarlet ordered a chicken salad and a drink, then continued conversation." How long have you been doing science on a ship?"

"Just over four years now?" Alex replied as she took a bite out of her pasta. "After I graduated from Starfleet Academy, I served on the Rio. It was a lot different to here. Big ship, huge crew and two sprawling decks of labs. I think I knew about four people on board. I never left my little bubble unless I needed to. When I wasn't on duty, I was studying.

I graduated from Cambridge before I joined the academy and I kept studying remotely afterwards, so for a long time it was pretty much a case of living in my lab. And then I transferred here on a temporary assignment to complete some research before I was asked to become Chief. The only difference now is that I spend as much time on the bridge as I do in a lab and I make sure to go home and breath. This is now the first time I have not been doing any personal research studies so I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do to pass the time."

Scarlet nodded, "my father used to say that a work-life balance was only important after children. Not sure how right he was, but I'm not going to be worried about that level of balance unless the time comes. Which, heck, won't be aaaaaaany time soon."

“Ha!” Alex laughed shaking her head. “In under a year I’ve gotten married and now have two adopted children and two stepchildren.”

Scarlet looked shocked, "Gawd! Sorry, I didn't mean to offend!"

"You didn't," Alex assured her quickly. "I just wanted to be sure you appreciate how quickly your life can be turned upside down."

Scarlet chuckled a little, "a little chaos in love never hurt anyone. Except... Well... Any super hero movie... Or romcom."

“True,” Alex laughed. “I gave up watching superhero movies, Soral gets this look and grinds his teeth trying to deal with plot holes. He used to say ‘that’s illogical’ about every five minutes until I started hitting him with a pillow.”

"Rookie mistake watching fantasy with a Vulcan," Scarlet teased, "I'd imagine they'd find plotholes in biopics if you give them half a chance."

“Don’t even ask what happened when he walked in on me and Bones watching Scooby Doo,” Alex advised with a roll of her eyes.

"I really hope that's the name of a dog and not one of the children," Scarlet chuckled.

“Bones is Soral’s dog, still a puppy at heart,” she explained. “I figured he could solve crimes and mysteries when we are at work. Turns out the only takeaway from it was that he now has the appetite of a Great Dane.”

Scarlet nodded, "with any luck the scooby snacks will help him solve mysteries."

There was undeniable delight, “see! I knew I’d like you!”

Scarlet blushed slightly, "thanks. I try to be likeable."

“So what do you think of the ship? Obviously I’m amazing and our small but newly rebuilt labs are fantastic…”

"Of course, of course," Scarlet chuckled then thought about it, "it's not too bad. Not as scary as I thought it was going to be. Haven't got space sickness, so there's a bonus, but I don't know if that only happens after we depart. I know a few people on board from before boarding." Scarlet blushed a moment as her mind went to Ryan. She pulled it back though, "I also don't have a roommate, so it's nice to continue independence."

“I escaped having a roommate until I moved in with Soral,” Alex grinned, “I’m a terrible roommate. Too messy as I’m usually thinking about what I need to do in the labs or engrossed in an article… tell me to butt out if you want but … why the blush?”

Scarlet blushed at the question, "I uhh... This ship came recommended... By the CMO. We dated when he was last on Earth, then kept in contact... And... Well... I guess I followed my heart and it's like we've not been apart, ever."

“CMO? Dr Rose?” Alex clarified, grinning as she raised her orange juice, “to following your heart. It may not be scientific but my mother swears by it. And I can totally see it. The two of you as a couple I mean. Maybe you can get him to stop practically living in that sickbay of his. I keep expecting to find a hammock installed in his office.”

She felt it unfair to ask if she had met the alligator yet. He had seemed rather private about it. And the only reason she knew of the stuffed toy’s existence was the fact it fell on top of her…

Scarlet chuckled, "thank you. I think, from what I know, he's been trying to be back in his quarters more, since we've been dating." She a smiled, "to be honest, it's just nice to have someone that gets me."

“Well I’m happy for you both,” Alex reiterated.

Scarlet offered a small smile, "thank you. I'm not sure how public he's feeling about it though. I guess, in his profession and on such a small ship, news would carry quick. So I don't know."

“News goes faster than warp ten,” Alex agreed. “I had wanted to keep things low key when Soral and I started seeing each other but it didn’t work. First time I stayed over with him, our CO at the time came to see him and I was stuck hiding behind the couch as I was wearing nothing but one of his shirts. It was embarrassing as hell.”

Scarlet put her hand over her mouth, "Gawd! That is... Wow... That's bad!" Scarlet then shrugged a little, "I mean, I don't mind who knows. I don't know if he's a 'scream it from the rooftops' kinda guy. I mean, let's face it, no one here knows me or of me. I guess that's OK though because we weren't together in person so it may have been difficult. Personally, the whole of my department knew in a minute, but that's me."

“Maybe he wants to have some time to just enjoy being a couple and getting used to it. I dated a guy who wanted to be super secretive but it was for all the wrong reasons, and Dr Rose is not like him at all. Fewer tattoos for a start.”

"No tattoos," Scarlet blushed at a memory of the couple together that once, then moved on the conversation, "well, on that note, perhaps we head back to work."

“Yeah, cos the paperwork never takes care of itself,” Alex sighed as she stood. “I’ll meet you back at the lab. I have a quick call to make.”

Scarlet nodded, standing up, "I'll see you soon. Thanks for lunch."

 

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