[USS Tempest] Good Mornings and Better Afternoons by Nat Lynley and Rosie Le Beau

Pulling on his jacket, Nat took a look in the mirror to check his  
appearance.  Freshly showered and shaved, he'd put on one of the uniforms  in 
his closet.
 
"Why do you have so many uniforms in your closet, Nathaniel?" Rosie  asked.
 
She'd been lying in his arms, her head on his shoulder.  He was about  to 
fall into a very pleasant sleep when he realized what she was talking  about.  
He'd left the door to the closet open.  
 
"Hmmm?  You know, my nanna was a seamstress before she  retired.  She was 
rather horrified the first time I came home on leave and  saw how the standard 
replicated Fleet uniform fit.  She took it upon  herself to make several sets 
then and has done so just about every year  since.  Even now that's she's 
almost 
at the century mark, she made me all  of those while I was home," Nat said 
sleepily.  "She and my grand dad labor  under the delusion that they can scold 
me no matter how old I am."
 
"Your family sounds so wonderful.  I wish I could meet them,"  Rosie'd said 
wistfully.
 
"One day, you will, my love.  I expect they'll love you as much as  I do."
 
Not even that strange call from the Georgetown's counselor could make him  
feel that his evening with Rosie had been anything less than wonderful.   Even 
watching her work while he himself worked on the counselor's PADD had been  a 
pleasure.  You had to be sharp to be a chief engineer but she looked as  though 
she was enjoying herself, in spite of the troubles she was having.   It was, 
he thought, good to see somebody who loved their job.
~~~~~~~
On the station, he'd wandered about a while until Rosie's group message was  
broadcast on his comm badge.  Well, isn't that terribly inconvenient, he  
thought.  He made it a point to be loitering about by the Tempest's airlock  
when 
she arrived.  She was fairly scowling when she emerged.
 
"Lieutenant Le Beau, fancy meeting you here," he said casually as she was  
just passing him.  The scowl turned into a delighted smile which, in turn,  
made 
him smile.  "Having a bad day, my dear?"
 
"Now I am.  Stupid system reset.  Do you realize how  many people are 
probably going to be really mad at me for kicking them off the  ship when they 
probably just settled in?" Rosie asked as she started walking  with him.
 
"Well, take heart, Rosemary.  I promise I won't be angry even if it is  
terribly inconvenient," Nat told her.  "I take it you were having a good  
morning 
prior?"
 
"You mean aside from waking up next to a handsome Englishman?" she asked  
innocently.
 
"Lucky chap I'd say," Nat replied in the same vein.
 
Rosie giggled slightly and have him a playful shove.  "I came down  here 
after I left you and ran into my friend Vivie.  She's on the  Georgetown with 
your 
hockey buddy and, apparently, so is my cousin Eddie.   I didn't know either 
of them was there.  Viv was on the Golden Eagle last I  heard."
 
"That's the former Romulan war bird, isn't it?"  The expression on his  face 
made it clear what his opinion was of that ship.  "The George is a  proper 
Federation ship and they're much better off with her."
 
"I'm with you on that.  Ah, Nathaniel, I kinda told Vivie about  us.  She 
invited us to dinner with her wife and Eddie, too.  I said  yes without asking 
you if you'd want to go..."
 
Nat shook his head then looked at her with that half smile she found so  
endearing.  "Rosemary, in this particular case, there's no need to be  sorry.  
The 
truth is that I'm pleased that you even told anyone.  I'll  be happy to go 
with you, assuming I've got no conflicting orders from  Lindsey.  For now, 
though, have you got plans, love?  I've got  something I'd like to show you."
~~~~~~~
She couldn't believe Nat was leading her toward Quark's.   It didn't seem his 
sort of place, not considering how honest and upright Nat was  as compared 
to...well, Quark was nobody's idea of a paragon of virtue to put it  mildly.  
Even at that time of day the bar was doing a brisk business but  its proprietor 
made the time to approach them, giving Nat a beady eyed  glare.
 
"You would grab the finest looking woman from me, Lynley, just  when I was 
about to have her eating out of my hand," Quark grumbled.
 
"Dream on, you little pervert," Rosie retorted.
 
"I should think the lady has much better taste, Quark.   Now, if you'll 
excuse us, we're off to your holosuites.  I'll thank you if  you tell any 
Tempest 
crew you see that they are welcome to drop in.  If I  find that you tried to 
charge them, I shall be forced to tell your moogie," Nat  stated.
 
Quark narrowed his eyes at Nat, who simply regarded him with  those dark eyes 
of his without blinking.  "You're a hard man, Lynley.   Lieutenant, watch out 
for this guy.  The only thing worse than a scoundrel  is an honest man."
 
"You know his mother?" Rosie asked incredulously as they headed  for the 
suites.
 
"Charming little thing if you ask me.  Ferengi women are  excellent 
businesswomen, you know.  We had occasion to speak a few times  when I had some 
of her 
personal ships run supplies for me during the war," Nat  explained.  
~~~~~~~
They were at the entrance to the suite he'd already reserved and  he removed 
an isolinear rod from his pocket.  "I had this with me because I  hoped to 
show you this place.  Aside from the homes of my family and  Alfred's pub, this 
is my favorite place on Earth.  I didn't get a chance to  go when I was home 
this time but I usually do visit.  It was practically  our second home when we 
were children."
 
Rosie caught her breath as they stepped inside.  They stood  at the edge of a 
pristine lake in the middle of what looked to be a beautiful  park.  Birds 
chirped in the trees and she saw squirrels chasing each other  in the trees.  
She clapped her hands in delight when she saw ducks and  swans swimming in the 
lake.
 
"Where is this, Nathaniel?" she asked delightedly.  "It's  beautiful!"
 
"Welcome to Hyde Park," Nat said as he held out his hand.   "Come, let me 
show you where the quad pack of Lynleys and their friends played  Robin Hood 
and 
where I first got the idea that I wanted to join  Starfleet."

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