<USS Avalon> "Welcome Interruption"

Welcome Interruption
By Lieutenant First Class Melanie Redgrave
and Junior Lieutenant Elijah Dareth
 
Elijah gathered up the things he had prepared and placed them all into the 
large picnic basket.  It almost felt like Melanie had been avoiding him the 
last couple days, claiming work was keeping her too busy.  Eli was pretty sure 
she was hiding, and as unobtrusively as possible, he was going to make sure she 
took a break.

He made his way to her office, picnic basket in tow.  
 
"Bloody hell!" Melanie spat as she looked over the files on her computer. She?d 
been assigned three people from other departments and had yet to meet any of 
them. Normally more help wouldn?t be so bad, having an MD and a physicist on 
board could come in handy, but she hated having to be tied to a security grunt 
who?d most then likely get in her way.  

 
"This is bullocks. Just bullocks," she muttered as she tried to figure out how 
to incorporate the outsiders. In all honesty though, Melanie was glad she had 
the extra work to keep her mind busy. Skyler was still looking over the things 
she?d sent her and the two hadn?t talked since that night in Skyler?s quarters. 
With Elijah covering for Elissabeth and Skyler in her mood, work was Melanie?s 
protective wall. 

 
He stepped through the door to the Forensics department and the staff eyed him 
oddly.  His walk to Melanie's office was interrupted by some ensign that said, 
"I wouldn't go in there if I were you, she's in a mood."

Eli just smiled, "Thanks for the warning.  If she tosses me out, you can help 
me hobble to sickbay."  The he pressed the chime.  
 
The sound of the chime caused Melanie to roll her eyes and sigh as she threw 
her head back against her chair. If it was Paul asking about something stupid 
again, she?d scream. "Enter."  
 
He heard the irritation in her voice and quickly grabbed one of the white 
napkins from the basket.  He opened the door but stood to the side waving the 
white flag in the doorway before he poked his head around to look at her.  "Is 
it safe?" he asked with a small grin.  
 
Melanie couldn?t help but smile and even laugh a little at the sight of Elijah 
and his surrender. "Ya know I think that might be the only time you Yanks have 
ever surrendered to a Brit." She teased.    
 
He stepped inside, allowing the door to close behind him.  "Well, if all the 
Brits had been as beautiful as you, we'd never have declared independence in 
the first place."  He knew his over-the-top flattery would bring a smile to her 
face.  "Am I guessing correctly when I say you haven't eaten lunch?"  
 
"Lunch?" Melanie looked over at the old mantel clock that rested on top one of 
her cabinets and blinked. "Bloody hell it?s that late already." She?d come in 
after hitting the gym at five and hadn?t left her office since. As her gaze 
returned to the young man standing near her desk, she offered him a wry smile. 
"Guess I lost track of time." 
 
"I have come to save the day."  He held up the basket before sitting it down on 
the chair across from her desk and removing the checkered cloth.  He walked 
over and spread it in the corner of the room.  Looking up from his task, he 
couldn't help but notice the pig fetus staring at him.  Eli picked it up and 
asked, "Mind if Herbert doesn't watch us eat?  It's a little freaky."  
 
It felt good to laugh and it seemed as if Melanie only did around Elijah now a 
days. She got up from her desk and walked over and opened one of the cabinet 
doors. "He can stay in here for now. That?s where he stays when I?m having pork 
for lunch." She liked the way he played along instead of looking disgusted and 
as if she were off her rocker.  
 
"I can see as how that would be rather offensive to the poor little guy."  He 
moved over and wrapped his arms around Melanie's waist as soon as she closed 
the cabinet.  "I missed you," he said into her ear while he held her back to 
his chest.  
 
Melanie rested her head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heart as 
it beat. She?d missed him too. "I?m sorry things have gotten so.. crazy.. 
lately. I?ve been rather unfair with my time." 
 
"It wasn't an accusatory statement, Mel.  It was an expression of my desire to 
spend more time with you."  He kissed her temple before releasing her, taking 
her hand and guiding her to the checkered cloth.  She sat and he retrieved the 
basket, settling beside her and beginning to pull things out of it.  
 
A small smile tugged at the very corners of her lips. "I?d like to go back to 
spending more time with you too, Eli. Maybe we can now that Skyler?s awake and 
Elissabeth?s done with hell week." Melanie had heard of the ops training week 
and was indeed impressed. Most COs these days didn?t have the guts to push that 
hard.  Then, Melanie nearly laughed at herself, for all her respect for what 
Elissabeth was doing, she was sure glad as hell she wasn?t under the other 
woman?s direct command.  She was far to girly to have survived the first day, 
let alone a week. 

 
"I would like that."  He pulled out two glasses and filled them with sparkling 
cider, giving Melanie one.  The next thing he reached for were some canape 
appetizers that he knew Melanie was rather fond of.  "So, tell me how things 
have been going.  Is Skyler talking to you at all?  Have you had a chance to 
really speak with her?"  
 
Melanie was impressed. Not many men would remember just little things as what 
kind of finger foods a girl liked. "She called out to me when she woke up and I 
went to her. We ended up back in her quarters and the first thing we do is get 
into a fight. I thought at one point Elissabeth was going to put us both in 
corners, we were acting so much like children." Melanie laughed a little before 
sipping her drink. "I sent Skyler the things I had, the things Georgia sent 
me... Haven?t talk to her since." 
 
"Well, it sounds like a step in the right direction."  He reached for the warm 
bowls of pasta next.  It had taken him awhile to realize that Mel didn't eat 
much meat because she was too well-bred to state her preferences, but he 
finally caught on and had been catering to her ever since.  "Tell me how work 
is," he said, twirling some pasta around his fork. 
 
"I?ve been given outside help. A doctor, a shrink, and a grunt. I somehow have 
to find a way to work them into things on a part time schedule," she answered 
dryly as she picked at her pasta. She?d noticed the change in Elijah?s ordering 
habits when she was around and found it to be just another thing she found 
sweet and endearing of him. "Other than that, it?s been slow as far as cases, 
so my normal staff is a bit board.  Last thing we had to work on was finding 
our who was leaving sex accessories in the turbo lifts." Melanie hadn?t 
realized how hungry she was until her first bit of the pasta. In that moment 
she couldn?t actually recall if she?d eaten the day before. "What about you? 
How?s things been with Elissabeth so busy?"

 
Eli raised his brow with the comment about her latest case.  How odd.  "This 
'grunt' you speak of... security?  We're not that bad, y'know."  
 
"A junior lieutenant named Orton." Melanie answered with a nod. Then she 
smiled. "And I know you're not all bad, but security does have a habit of 
wanting to take over a case and get in the way. But keep in mind, however, 
that?s a professional opinion." Reaching out, Melanie brushed hair from 
Elijah?s forehead. "Personally, I happen to think security grunts have a charm 
about them, especially ones with southern accents." 
 
He smiled.  "Greg's a really nice guy.  Kinda blends into the background 
sometimes, but I think we all have a tendency to at one time or another."  He 
paused a second, but decided since it was on his mind, he'd talk about it- at 
least a little.  "I'm not sure if Marksbury really likes me anymore," he said, 
almost in a way that made him see very boyish and insecure, but not quite.  "I 
guess I made a bigger mistake than I thought by not calling her about Manson's 
accident in the turbo-lift.  Something's wrong.  I swear, Melanie, something's 
being covered up.  I've never known her to back down from anything and she just 
acts like there's nothing that we can do about the whole thing and dismissed 
it."  He shook his head.  "I'm sorry.  That's not fair.  I'm sure she knows 
what she's doing.  She always has before.  I just hate feeling like people are 
mad at me, you know?" 
 
Melanie looked right into Elijah?s eyes as she smiled at him. "Eli, I?m sure 
she isn?t mad at you. From what I?ve seen in passing I think she and Manson 
might be friends, so his attack might seem somehow personal to her. Add that to 
what she?s been through with Skyler, dealing with that and me, plus at this 
point, it might be a safe bet to say her team pretty much hates the decking she 
walks on." Melanie reached out and touched Elijah?s face in a comforting way 
again as she went on. "If she didn?t like or at least trust you, she wouldn?t 
have picked you to look over things."

 
He turned his head and kissed Melanie's palm.  "You're right.  I'm being silly. 
 But, Mel, answer this:  If the attack on Manson was so personal, why did she 
botch or sorta skim over the investigation?  There was more we could've done.  
Much more."
 
Melanie allowed herself a moment to enjoy the sensation his kiss left on her 
skin before answering him. "We?ve both been in Star Fleet long enough, Eli, to 
know sometimes things happen you can?t explain. Elissabeth has more experience 
under her pips than both of us put together.  If she saw fit to handle this in 
this way you have to trust her enough to know she had a good reason." Melanie 
bit her lip a moment as she thought about what she wanted to say next. Eli 
wasn?t the type to confront someone like Elissabeth, but from what she?d been 
able to make of the woman in question, it might be just the thing she looked 
for in her best. "If this really bothers you, Elijah, ask her about it." 

 
"I think I will, actually," he said, not having realized how much it bothered 
him until he started speaking it out loud.  He then offered Melanie the 
raspberry crepes he had brought.  Someone had told him they were all the rage 
as of late, being programmed left and right into starship replicators and he 
thought Mel may like them.  "You know, Melanie," he said, looking into her 
eyes, "walking up and talking to you that day was one of the smartest things 
I've ever done."
 
A slow blush crawled across her nose as Melanie smiled at the comment. "Well, 
I?ve always thought you were quite bright. I?m really glad you came over too, 
Eli." Leaning in, Melanie smiled as she looked into his eyes.  She hesitated 
only a moment, but then kissed him. 
 
He loved it when she did that.  He kissed her back, but pulled away gently 
before he got too carried away.  It was easy to want to do around her.  He 
kissed the tip of her nose.  "Did you enjoy your break?" he asked.  
 
Melanie smiled as she wiped her lipstick from Elijah?s bottom lip. "Very much, 
thank you." She found herself wondering once again what it would be like not to 
stop at just a kiss, but after spending time with Elijah and his family, she 
knew that even though they were dating, he wasn?t the casual type.  "You know, 
I never thought I?d like having someone take care me like this, but I have to 
admit I do. I?m also glad I can give it back to you in a way, I like that you 
can come to me and talk to me about what?s on your mind."

 
"Thank you, sweetheart," he said, leaning over to kiss her forehead.  "And I 
hate to say it, but I have to get back to work.  Do you want me to leave the 
leftovers for your team outside?"  He began packing everything back up into the 
basket.  
 
"If you do, they?ll adore you forever." Melanie replied as she got up from the 
floor as gracefully as she could. "How about I make us dinner sometime this 
week?" 
 
"I would love that," he grinned, folding up the cloth.  Placing everything back 
in the basket, he stepped over and kissed Melanie again, running his hand over 
her cheek and into her hair.  He didn't want to pull away this time.  "How 
about we make it tonight?  I've missed you something awful," he told her, 
leaning his forehead against hers.  
 
Melanie closed her eyes, taking in the warmth of his kiss, his breath, as he 
spoke. "My place, say 2100 hours." 
 
He kissed her quickly and said, "I'll be there."  Elijah grabbed the basket and 
handed it to the guys outside as he left.  There was a new spring in his step 
as he made his way back to the security offices, counting down the hours. 



                
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