<USS Avalon> "Evening Out"

Evening Out
Melanie Redgrave
and
Elijah Dareth


Work was slow, everyone she knew except Elijah was off on the starbase, Elijah 
was working through his shift, and Melanie saw no reason to sit around in her 
office yawning and rearranging her cabinets again. So after telling most of her 
staff to cut out early, she followed suit. She had every intention of taking a 
hot bath, slipping into her favorite lounging clothes, and writing a nice long 
letter to her mother. 

She had so much to tell the elder English woman about. She wanted to tell her 
about Skyler, about her promotions, and all about Elijah. The best laid plans 
however never quite worked out the way the were meant to. Melanie had gotten 
past the bath and change of clothes but it didn?t take long after she?d settled 
into her couch for her to fall asleep. 

It was near evening before Eli finished up his work. The down time had gotten 
him all caught up, though while the rest of the ship seemed to have trouble 
finding work, Security was at their peak. He'd just made sure to keep an eye on 
everything, or tried anyway. It seemed as though when things were quietest that 
something was likely to happen and he didn't want his team lax.

And, of course, he'd been in a perpetually good mood for the last couple weeks. 
In fact, he'd stayed at Melanie's all but the night she stayed at Skyler's and 
he was wondering when she'd get tired of him and tell him she needed some 
space. Elijah didn't even bother going home, but instead, straight to his 
girlfriend's. 

When the door opened, Eli smiled, finding Melanie asleep on the sofa. It was 
too late in the evening for a nap. Of course, we have been staying up a lot at 
night, he thought with a smirk. Kneeling down beside the couch, he kissed her 
forehead gently. "Hey, sweetheart," he greeted her softly. 

A small smile tugged just at one corner of Melanie?s lips from kiss she felt on 
her forehead. For a moment she thought it must be morning and she didn?t want 
to get up. She moaned lightly as she felt Elijah?s fingers in her hair, but the 
more he brought her out of her sleep induced haze, the more it dawned on her 
that it wasn?t morning. "Mmm... What time is it?"she asked with a light yawn as 
she sat up slowly, pulling Elijah in next to her and curling up into perfect 
space she seemed to fit into on his side. 

Wrapping his arms around her, Elijah pressed his face into her hair and 
inhaled. "It's 17:30. How long have you been home?" Funny how it was starting 
to feel more like home than just her place to him.

Melanie frowned. She?d been asleep for nearly two hours. "I left the office at 
two. It?s so slow down there Herbert the pig fetus is bored." She liked it when 
he held her that way. It made her feel safe and protected. "I came home to 
relax a little now that all personal crisis in certain peoples? lives seem to 
be worked out for the moment. I was going to write to my Mum, but I guess I 
feel asleep." Melanie frowned again, this time her forehead scrunching as she 
did so. Napping wasn?t something she did.

"Wow, it really is boring if the formaldehyde soaked party animal isn't 
partying anymore," he grinned. "Since when do you nap after work? I didn't 
think I'd ever catch you doing it." Sitting up, he pulled her up with him and 
wrapped his arms around her. "How about we get something to eat? I'd love to 
take you somewhere nice on the station for some real food."

A devilish smile danced not only on her lips but in her dark eyes as she 
wrapped her arms around Elijah?s neck. "Well, I don?t normally nap at all, but 
you see this big abdomen of a yank has been keeping me wide a wake at night 
doing all these really wicked things to me." 

"Really now?" he mumbled against her neck. "If you prefer," Elijah continued, 
mischievously sliding his hand up her thigh, "he could do really wicked things 
to you in the day time too."

Melanie bit her bottom lip and then took a deep breath. "That would require us 
both having the same day off. Definitely something to look forward to." Tipping 
her head up while she pushed Elijah back just a bit, Melanie captured his lips 
with her own. She moaned into the kiss when she felt him pull her closer. When 
the kiss ended she smiled and managed to breath out, "Did you mention food?"

Elijah rolled his eyes theatrically and mumbled with a smile, "You little 
tease."

"So I am," Melanie replied with a light laugh in her voice. "Give me five 
minutes to change and then we?ll go get something to eat. We both need to keep 
our strength up." After kissing him again, Melanie slipped into the bedroom and 
threw on a simple blue dress and a pair of heels. After she ran a brush through 
her hair, she stepped back into the living room. "Say, does this station have 
place to get barbeque? I?d love a nice steak and salad." 

"A - what?" Elijah laughed at her. "Are you just being sweet again because you 
know I haven't had real steak since we went home last? You know you don't have 
to do that, sweetheart." Just then catching a glimpse of her he whistled. "Wow, 
I'd almost forgotten how nice you could look in clothes, too."

A deep crimson blush colored Melanie?s cheeks as she slapped Elijah?s arm. 
"Don?t be crass Eli Love,"she scolded, although her voice clearly gave away 
that she was only playing. "And although I may on occasion be incredibly sweet, 
I do actually want a steak. It?s been known to happen." She laughed. "I may not 
eat red meat often but I?m far from being a vegan." 

"Well, yeah, but... you just never do." Moving from the sofa, he stood in front 
of Melanie, cradling her chin in his hand and leaning down to place a sweet 
kiss on her lips. "Anything you want, it's yours," he promised. Offering his 
arm, he guided them from the room and through the ship to the station. "Did you 
get the tea you were looking for or are you going to make me shop too?"

Melanie laughed again. "Yes I got the tea, so don?t worry, I won?t be making 
you go shopping with me. I also picked you up a few things to make my place a 
little less girly. Oh, and while I was out I ran into Elissabeth." Melanie left 
out the part about the way Elissabeth had found her. "We had a lovely lunch 
together."

"Is she doing okay? She's seemed a little scarce... and every time I've seen 
her she looks so pre-occupied that I haven't bothered her. She logged quite a 
few hours in the security training holodeck last night. I didn't even know 
she'd recovered enough to start training again." 

"She?s Elissabeth, of course she?s going to be pre-occupied," Melanie replied, 
keeping her concern out of her voice. Though Elissabeth was looking better and 
better as the days went on, she still didn?t look up to training for hours. 
"I?m sure she?s just been really antsy about getting back into her routine. I?m 
surprised she lasted this long."

"I guess. It just struck me as odd. The same way you sleeping in the middle of 
the day and wanting to eat steak does. It's like you're becoming a whole other 
person or something," he grinned, wrapping his arm around her as they walked 
the promenade of the station. 

Melanie couldn?t help but roll her eyes as she laughed. "A whole different 
person. Really Eli, don?t be so dramatic."

"You know me, always the drama queen." He led her to a nice looking restaurant, 
and once they were seated, he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small 
box. Sliding it across the table, he smirked, "I found this two days ago and 
was going to save it for a special occasion, but then thought, as cheesy as it 
sounds, that everyday with you is special." 

Melanie looked down at the box and then up at Elijah. She held his gaze for 
several moments before looking back down at the box and opening it slowly. 
Melanie gasped at the sight of the gold pendant which held a small white stone. 
"Oh Elijah, it?s beautiful." 

"It's a chameleon charm. It's supposed to change colour with each wearer to 
reflect their personality. Though, sometimes mood too, the jeweler said." He 
hoped that the pendant was enough reason for him to have been at the store. He 
had actually went to purchase an engagement ring, but knew Melanie would love 
the charm as well.

Picking up the small box, Melanie stood and walked around to Elijah?s side of 
the table. She leaned down and kissed him deeply and then whispered her thank 
you against his lips. She then put the box down on the table, lowered herself 
onto his lap, and asked, "Put it on for me?"

"Of course," he whispered huskily, surprised by her level of affection in 
public. He fastened the clasp just as the waiter approached their table with a 
questioning look.

Melanie didn?t spring right off Elijah?s lap, but when she did finally remove 
herself, she did it slowly and gracefully and while giving the waiter her most 
dignified high class glare. She moved back around the table and lowed herself 
into her chair, glared again at the waiter daring him to say a word, and then 
turned to Elijah and smiled brightly. She?d let him handle the ordering this 
time, deciding she?d take her turn when they went to this little French place 
she loved so much in New York. 

Steak, salad, and baked potatoes for both of them. The real thing. Elijah was 
going to be glad when this stop at the starbase was over. As it was, he'd used 
over half his savings for Melanie's ring, and as much as he enjoyed treating 
her out to dinner, he knew that the cost of non-replicated ingredients out here 
was pricey to say the very least. They talked of idle things until the waiter 
brought the steaming rib-eyes, medium well, to them, offering to pour more 
wine, then disappearing. "Wow," was all he could manage as the smells wafted to 
him and all thoughts of cost went out the airlock.

"Mmm... Just what I needed. This is wonderful," Melanie cooed as she enjoyed 
her dinner. Life on a starship seemed to give one an appreciation for such 
simple things, like real food and wine. "Now if they have a cheesecake I?ll be 
a happy little girl." 

"Did you miss the part where I ordered dessert?" Eli teased. He knew it was her 
favorite and couldn't pass it up. "After we finish, how about a walk through 
the arboretum? I heard they even have a waterfall. A really tall one." 

Melanie smiled. "Your truly too good for me Elijah Dareth." 

"Nonsense," he smiled, over his glass. "Nothing's too good for you, Mel. Not a 
damn thing in this universe."


                
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