[USS Tempest] "Family and Old Friends"
- From: Elizabeth Bethell <ejbethell@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: USS Tempest <usstempest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 23:47:19 +0100
Family and Old Friends
by Ensign Miranda Craig and Captains Jonathan Hale and Lindsey Craig
It had taken her forever to find a clean blouse to wear with her favorite
pair of black jeans, and the search had made her late for dinner. Miranda
hated being late, especially if being late was going to cost her time with
Lindsey. Plus being late really wasn't going to help her case after being
caught red handed in the bar again. So Miranda ran down the corridor towards
the lift that would take her to Lindsey's as best she could while dodging
people and things that got in her way. That is, she avoided the people and
things she could see ahead of her. She hadn't seen the man who'd stepped out
of an air lock to her left at all. She wouldn't have even known he was there
but he was hard to miss as she crashed into him.
"Whoa, Missy, slow it down," He chided her gently and he placed a steadying
hand on her shoulder to keep her from falling over. "What's the hurry?"
Miranda looked up at man who's hand was on her shoulder. He looked familiar,
older but familiar. Stepping back she absentmindedly played with the
dragonfly pendent she wore around her neck. "I'm sorry, Sir. I'm running
late and my sister's gonna skin me if I don't get to her place sooner rather
then later." When the man smiled at her she suddenly realized who he was.
"Captain Hale?"
"That's me." He eyed the pendant around her neck, recognizing it
immediately. He tried hard not to let it upset him that she'd given it away,
but failed. "And you must be Missy Craig, right?"
"Miranda, your the only one who's ever called me Missy." Miranda smiled
brightly at Hale. Noticing that Hale was looking at her necklace she
couldn't help but smile. "Lindsey gave it to me, it's been around my neck
since the day I was born. It use to be hers."
Hale nodded, remembering when he gave it to Lindsey. Remembering how she'd
promised never to take it off. Somehow, he couldn't seem to help but feel a
bit let down that she'd given it away after all it represented between them.
He couldn't say all that to the girl, though. It wasn't her fault, after
all. Instead, he simply answered, "It's beautiful."
Miranda looked down at the little dragonfly with it's amethyst wings. "She
told me it was very special to her and that I was the only person she'd ever
give it to." Miranda's mind flashed to Lindsey getting anger with her
earlier for running off at the mouth, and it made Miranda flinch inwardly.
Then a sudden idea made her smile again. "She's here ya know. She's gotten
her own ship and I'm going with her." Miranda babbled proudly. "Hey, I'm
actually heading to her place for dinner, wanna come? I know she'd love to
see you again."
"Might be nice to say hello," he agreed, trying hard to keep his mind off
other things as he followed where she led.
"Where is that girl?" Lindsey did another turn of the main room of her
quarters. Glaring at her chronometer for the millionth time, she threw
herself down onto her couch and folded her arms. "Damnit, I swear if she's
in that bar again, I'm gonna nail her feet to the floor of her own quarters
and lock her in there for the remainder of the mission."
Miranda walked along side Hale as best she could. She wasn't really short by
any standers but walking next to the taller man was much like walking along
side Lindsey. Damn people with longer legs. As they crossed into the tunnel
that would take them into the Tempest, Miranda couldn't help but look up at
the man. She wondered what it was that attached her sister to him aside from
the fact that he was handsome. She also wondered what had happened between
them. When Hale caught her looking at him she blushed, smiled and looked
away. What is it about his eyes?
A few moments later Miranda and Hale stood outside Lindsey's quarters on the
Tempest. A sly smile dancing across Miranda's face as she reached over and
opened Lindsey's door. She laughed inwardly as she stepped into the room.
There was never a lock that could keep her out of Lindsey's space. "Linds!
I'm here and I brought you a surprise!"
Looking over her shoulder she could see Hale was still in the hallway. She
walked over grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into the cabin. "We're
not eating in the hallway, Sir. You gotta actually come into the cabin."
"Where have you been?" Lindsey said as she span away from her pacing. "I was
beginning to think you'd got locked in the Brig again." Glancing up at the
man in the doorway it took a few moments before she registered the
unexpected features of her friend. "John... Hi... Come in, please, join us."
Miranda smiled. "Sorry Linds. Wardrobe issues and then I kinda ran into
Captain Hale on my way here. So I asked him to join us."
"If you don't mind me crashing your little party right now, Lin." John
responded, smiling. "I could sure use the company."
"Mind? Why on Earth would I mind?" She grinned warmly at him as she ushered
them both in. "Can I get you a drink, John?" Wandering over to the
replicator, she ordered a bottle of red which she uncorked and set to rest.
"It's not anything fancy, just steak and wine."
"Linds makes a great steak, Sir." Miranda watched her sister and Hale
closely and had to hid the smirk on her face. Lindsey was somewhere between
being herself and a sixteen year old again. "Linds you should show the
Captain Tempest before he goes." What harm was there in playing match maker?
Miranda wanted nothing more then for her sister to be happy and Hale did
that for some reason.
"Sounds wonderful," Hale grinned. He walked over and put his arms around
her. He hugged her tightly a moment, then let her go and stepped back.
"You're looking good, Lin. How the hell are you?"
"Good, I'm good." All the better for seeing you. "And yeah, if you'd like
to see her, I'll show you Tempest. She's gonna be one hell of a ship." She
beamed, although her smile was dimmed a little at the memories of all the
malfunctions. "How's GT? Not crashed her into any low flying stars yet, have
you?"
"Crashed, no, but..." He looked at her, his eyes flashing with anger and
sorrow before he looked away. "Good enough, I suppose. She's a good ship."
"John?" Crossing to stand in front of him, Lindsey took one of his hands,
rubbing a circle over his palm with her thumb. "Hey, what's happened?"
"It's my boys, Lin." he answered at last, the agony in his voice plainly
evident. "They've found them. They're in trouble."
Miranda blinked as she slipped over to the replacator to get herself a
lemonade. He has kids? Damn does that mean he's married? He's not wearing a
ring.
Searching his eyes, she placed her hands on each side of his face. "How can
we help you?" Anything, God please, anything to help. "Just tell me what
you need and I'll do it."
"I wish I knew, Lin, but I'm out of ideas." He looked at her, completely
heartsick as he told the whole story of his boys up to the trouble they were
in now. "I don't know how to get him out of this one."
Miranda looked stunned as she listened to Hale telling Lindsey what was
happening. Did things like that really happen in Star Fleet? She knew that
Lindsey was trying to right some kinda wrong that had happened but she
didn't know any details.
"But he didn't do it, right? I mean, it's Josh, he couldn't have killed all
those people, could he?" The mere thought of that quiet young man as a
murderer just did not sit right in Lindsey's head. "Tell the Admiralty,
you've got contacts same as me. In fact, I'll talk to Malcolm. He may be a
stuck-up old fool, but he's a fair man. I swear, John, I will help you."
"Me too, Sir." Miranda added just in case they'd forgotten she was there.
There must really be something special about Hale if Lindsey was willing to
stick her neck out, so the least she could do was offer hers too. It's how
Lindsey and her parents had raised her.
"I'm not sure what any of us can do. Even if we got Malcolm to help, that's
five admirals against his one. I doubt it'd do much good."
"He's a Fleet Admiral, it can't hurt to ask, can it?" Lindsey rubbed her
hands up and down his arms.
If Miranda needed any more evidence that there was something more between
her sister and John Hale the only thing left would be for her to see them
kiss.
"I'm not so sure," John admitted. "You know the score as well as anyone,
Lin. It's getting ugly out here."
A short flash of Fishler's smug face after he knew he'd beaten her was
enough to make her sag. She wanted to help him, she'd do anything to, but
that was the thing, there was very little that she could do. "If only
Grandpa were still in the 'Fleet, he'd help you, I know he would." And then
the thought hit her. Clicking her fingers, Lindsey moved off to start
pacing. "He may have retired but he still has a huge network of contacts and
friends within Starfleet. He was the one who got me in touch with Malcolm in
the first place." She span and fixed John with a tight-lipped smile. "Talk
to him, he'll help you in lots of ways that I can't."
"According to my sister our grandfather hung the moon and you painted the
stars." Miranda said quickly and without thinking what she was saying.
Lindsey's face blushed the colour of her normal uniform before she turned to
scowl at Miranda. "What my little sister means is that I have a great amount
of respect for you," she said through gritted teeth.
Miranda had to hold back the giggles as she looked at Lindsey. "What?" She
asked as she made her way to the couch where she then used the pillows as a
possible defense.
"See now, and here I was hoping she meant something more," Hale grinned,
moving in closer to Lindsey. "See, Missy, I always thought your sister here
was a beauty more stellar than the sun itself." He kissed Lindsey gently,
then smiled. "Not to say I don't respect you too, Lin, but we both know my
feelings run a bit deeper than that for you. Always have."
"I know," she whispered as she slipped her arms around his waist and laid
her head on his shoulder.
Miranda watched on wide eyed. "I knew you two were more then friends!."
Miranda smiled brightly before asking. "So what happened? Hope come Captain
Hale isn't my brother-in-law?"
"I wondered that myself a time or ten," John admitted, looking deeply into
Lindsey's eyes.
"Well?" Miranda asked as she looked at her sister. She'd pay for this later
but it was worth it.
Blushing again, Lindsey smiled nervously. "I... that is..." She melted
inside. "You want me to..." Her throat closed up and she couldn't talk any
more.
"Yeah," he answered quietly, "I think I do..."
Lindsey was acting odd and Miranda suddenly felt really awful for pulling
this on her. Clearly there was more here then just them getting into some
silly fight and breaking up. Lindsey's hurting over this. "Um.. Should I
like get lost or something?"
Hale hesitated a moment, reluctant to let go of Lindsey now that she was
there in his arms again, but he could sense her pain too. Clearing he thoat,
he stepped over to the food she'd prepared and gathered it to place on the
table, answering, "No...you can get plates. I'm starving. Lin, you get the
wine?"
As soon as Hale let go of Lindsey, Miranda walked over to her, biting her
lip. Softly she asked, "Linds? You ok?"
"Yeah," she whispered. Squeezing Miranda's hand, Lindsey wandered off to
grab the wine. Placing everything out on the table, she sat next to Miranda
and smiled. "I'll be fine."
Miranda still felt uneasy. She's opened up something she wasn't expecting.
Leave it to a kid who's never been in love to reek havoc on an evening.
Miranda needed to do something. "I still have the rabbit you gave me the
last time I saw you, Sir."
Hale laughed. "Do you now? That's good. Thought that was just too damned
cute to pass up, myself, but let me ask you something now, Missy. We been
neighbors and friends nigh all your life. Think you'll ever get to the point
where you remember my name is John?" He winked at her as he poured more wine
all the way around. "I'd like it if you'd call me that. At least when we're
not working."
Miranda looked from Hale to Lindsey and then back to Hale. "Lindsey told me
I had to use your rank and title."
"Well, okay, but you're using the wrong ones, then. Here you go...the rank
is 'stupid' and the title is 'dumbass'. Try those next time. I answer to 'em
faster. I hear 'em more often." He winked again, trying not to laugh at
Lin's expression across the table.
"Yeah, he also answers to Obnoxious." With a glare, Lindsey poured his wine.
"I can see why Lins is so found of you, Si.. John.. Your a lot like our
grandfather." Miranda had to laugh. Tonight could have gone better, but
maybe things were salvageable. Turning to Lindsey, Miranda decided to ask
first this time, although she knew she was making it hard for Lindsey to say
no. "Can John come riding with us before the launch party, Linds?"
"Well, I guess, I mean... If he wants to." Lindsey smiled up into John's
eyes. "Would you care to join us for a ride?"
John smiled. "I'd love to. I haven't been riding in so long. Promised the
yungun I'd take him next time we got..that...way." he trailed off, frowning,
remembering again where his boys were while he was sitting here enjoying
himself.
"Why don't you two go have coffee?" Miranda said quickly after noting the
sudden renewed sadness in John's eyes. Why do his eyes look so familiar?
"I'll clear the table and bring over dessert. Ok?"
"Thanks," Lindsey said. Why was that girl being so attentive? Absently, she
said, "I never will figure that girl out, I swear."
John followed Lin to the couch silently, his mind on the boy and the reason
they were all there.
Lindsey leaned over and kissed his cheek very softly. "We can only do what
we believe to be best for the ones we love, John. There ain't no more anyone
can ever ask of us."
"Yeah," he answered dejectedly as a tear threatened to spill down his cheek.
"Tell my boys that."
"Every day and forever, if you'll let me," she whispered as she let her head
drop to his shoulder.
Miranda watched her sister and John as she cleared the table and it made her
smile. Even with so much between them there was something good there. After
she finished cleaning up she replacated three pieces of pecan pie and
herself a class of strawberry milk. She let Lindsey and John have the couch
while she made herself comfortable on the floor close to Lindsey. She
couldn't explain why sitting there talking to the two older people, or just
simply sitting there listening to them talk, seemed to feel so oddly right
to her, but it did and she liked it.
She smiled as she listened to John talking about taking Lindsey swimming
when they were teens, and as Lindsey talked about going to the ice cream
socials with John the summer before he left for the academy. Slowly her eyes
closed as the evening went on, and Miranda tried to picture her sister as a
teenager eating home made ice cream and laughing while John told bad jokes.
Miranda still had a slight smile on her face as she feel asleep listening to
Lindsey and John who were sitting cuddled together on the couch, her head
bobbing to the side before coming to a rest against Lindsey's leg.
Glancing down, Lindsey stroked Miranda's hair absently. This was how it was
meant to be, this was how she'd always wanted things to be. Snuggling down
next to John, they chatted on about old times, old friends and the warmth of
things long gone but fondly remembered.
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