<USS Avalon> "Welcome Interruption"
- From: Lyryn Cate <wistful_fancy@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: avalon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 19:19:43 -0800 (PST)
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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