Andy made it back to his office without being stopped but he wasn't sure
if that was a good thing or not. He hadn't actually lied to Victoria
about going home. He just hadn't told her the whole truth. He settled
back to read the drill reports and waited, glancing at the door every
now and then.
"This is a bad, bad idea," Victoria told herself as she stared at the
swirling violence of the Badlands. "If you go and see him, you are just
going to get mad." Alternatively, if you continue to sit here, talking
to yourself, you're going to just explode at him the second he gets
home. Shaking her head, she brushed her fingers against her viewport
and sighed. "Okay, Victoria, time to confront the demons." Not that
Andy was a demon, it was the whole situation that made her feel
physically sick, he just wasn't helping.
Slipping quickly from her office and Sick Bay, she marched down
corridors, her skirts fluttering around her legs. Once in the relative
safety of the turbolift, she called out for the Marine Deck and bounced
up and down as it made its slow progress through the ship.
Looking up from his work screen yet again, Andy blew out a soft breath.
How could he say something to her when he was not supposed to? Then
again--how could he not? Especially when they sat there watching the
wormhole and making plans? She's going to kill me.
Private Smith watched as the Cap's little redhead marched into the Squad
Room, looking less than cheery, but not quite looking pissed either.
More like a storm just waiting to explode, a spring wound tightly and
about to break, or a little redhead with a lot on her mind. Sliding
lower in his seat, his greeting died on his lips at the thought of
inadvertantly being the focal point for that little tornado.
Ringing the chime on his office, Victoria held her breath. She didn't
want to be angry, that wasn't fair, but she was and there wasn't a right
lot she could do about it.
He'd been actually looking at the door when it chimed so the sound
actually startled Andy slightly. He got up to answer it, smiling when
he saw Victoria. "Hey, pretty lady, come on in."
/Oh God, you're gorgeous. Snap out of it, Victoria, you're meant to be
angry with him./ But her irritation had melted just at the sight of her
lovely Marine and she beamed up at him, stepping into his office and
closing the door. "I'm supposed to explode in here, blazing fire at you
for not telling me the truth, you know," she told him with a grin.
Andy folded an arm around her waist and kissed her softly. "To tell you
the truth, I've been kind of waiting on that. I suppose I deserve it."
"Why didn't you tell me?" she said quietly as she brushed his cheek,
still smiling. "And if you say it was orders, I swear I'll tickle you."
Andy cringed. "Oh, don't do that," he said, stepping an arm's length
away, the smile back on his face. "But it really was. I think Grace
would've had a MacPack in her office if I told you."
"You don't think I can be trusted to not tell my siblings?" A curling
tendril of her anger snaked back through her stomach. Slowly, she
folded her arms and lengthened the distance between them.
"It's not that, Victoria. I was afraid of it upsetting you. If you get
upset I kind of think you wouldn't tell them but then they'd ask why you
were upset..." He left out a sigh of frustration. "I know one of your
brothers or sisters would want to know why."
"I'm that flappable, huh?" Victoria shrugged, moving to lean against a
wall. "I suppose that's my own fault for getting easily upset about
personal things."
"Never said anything about flapping," Andy told her. "I wasn't implying
that you'd get the hysterics type of thing but you'd still know and have
to keep it from them. You guys are like me and Tommy. He always knows
when something's up and vice versa."
"I just wish you'd trusted me," she sighed finally, covering her eyes
with one hand, the other arm wrapped around her stomach.
"/'Trusted you'/?" Andy shook his head and stepped closer. "It's got
nothing to do with trust, Victoria. I was trying to save you the grief
of having to lie to them."
Dropping her hand to her side, she fixed light grey eyes on him. "I
don't lie but I am adept at avoidance. 'How are you feeling today,
Victoria?' 'Like the sun is shining and the birds are singing.' Not a
lie but not the answer they think it is, when the true answer is 'I feel
like death warmed up, thank you very much, how would you feel after
major surgery?' It's an art form, you should ask your Vulcan Aunt about
it one day."
Andy sat back on the edge of his desk with a heavy sigh. "I will. When
we get home and we /will/ get home," he said softly. "Victoria, I don't
know what to tell you. I wasn't trying to coddle you in that way, like
you were an invalid. To me, you're this beautiful little woman who I
love and I'd do anything if it'd spare you pain, not because you're too
weak to take it, but because I love you."
"I know we'll get home, I have faith in the combined abilities of this
crew. And I know you love me and I even know why you didn't tell me. I
just find it..." Victoria huffed out a breath, glared at him then pushed
away from the wall to move in front of him. Poking a finger into his
chest, she said, "You frustrate me, sometimes. I love you so much but
there are times when I just," she let out a little growl and poked him
again. "Stop being so sweet and caring, then I can be mad at you for
more than five minutes at a time."
"Hey, cut that out," Andy said suddenly, biting back a smile. "I
thought you were joking about the tickling..."
Biting her lip mischievously, Victoria slid her fingers around his
stomach and up his sides, tickling in the places she knew were his most
sensitive. "I never joke," she teased.
He couldn't hide the smile any longer and the laughter was only
marginally easier to keep down. "You are a wicked, wicked woman,
Victoria, tickling defenseless Marines like this," he finally said
breathlessly. He reached to take hold of her hands. "If I kiss them
will you stop?"
"Helpless Marines? Hmm... I think I saw one cowering outside, want me
to call him in so you can kiss him?" Her grin was broad as she reached
onto tiptoe and kissed his nose. "He looked like he could do with
something, but his CO kissing him probably wasn't what he had in mind.
But hey, it'd be good for a laugh."
"Ah, that ain't happenin'," Andy said with a chuckle. He kissed both
her hands then said, "If it was Smith outside, he's probably looking at
you. He approves of you y'know."
"Well he can't have me," she chuckled. "There's only one Marine for
me." Then she tilted her head to the side and asked, "Approves of me?"
Andy nodded. "He asked me if it was true that I was living with you. I
told him that was none of his business but then he went and said 'Good
for you, sir. She's good people'. And you are." He kissed her hands
again. "Forgive me for not telling you?"
"Silly boy," she smiled as she gripped his hand tightly. "You've been
tickled, thus punishment has been served. Of course I forgive you."
Again, she stood on tiptoe, this time kissing his lips. "As if I could
ever hold a grudge against you."
As he had done the first time he dared touch her, Andy reached to easily
pick her up, settling her on his lap as he sat on the edge of the desk.
"You know, I can't bear to think of how our families are going to react
if they realize that we're missing but it's going to be hard on the rest
of our crew. They all have families at home but I have you here. I'm
glad of that."
Cupping his chin in her tiny hands, she rubbed her thumbs over his
smooth cheeks. "I don't know what I'd do without you now, I don't think
I'd survive this at least. I miss home so much it hurts."
"You and Moria are going to have your hands full I think. I will, too.
Assuming any of the guys or gals out there will bend and say anything,
I'll listen. Not that I can do anything but I'm the boss. It's my job
and one I don't mind," Andy said softly, holding her to him.
"Moria said she's already fully booked with appointments, run off her
feet. I have limited counselling training but I'm going to offer to
take the overflow." Then a funny thought struck her. "We need a morale
officer like they had on Voyager. We need a Neelix."
"Better be somebody on board already then," Andy said ruefully. "I
don't Grace is allowed to pick up hitch hikers."
"Hmm... very true. Though having a proper Neelix would be
interesting." Tapping her lips, she frowned. "Can you think of anyone
we can volunteer for Morale Officer?"
"Umm...not off the top of my head, especially since they're all going to
be so struck by this," Andy began.
"You know," she mused, "I always find Z to be very joyful company.
Maybe we could ask him."
"That might be interesting. Except for the look on his face when JM
mentioned his wife, he's been really good about this whole thing," Andy
mused.
"Maybe getting everyone else to feel better will make Z feel better too,
d'you think?" Victoria laid her head on his shoulder and smiled. "I
know that when I feel really bad, making someone else laugh always
brightens my day."
"Plus it'd keep his mind off of things and expend some of that huge
store of energy he's always got," Andy said, warming to the idea. "You
get to make the suggestion to Moria though."
"And you can tell Z," Victoria countered. "Fair?"
"And the crew will be in good hands," Victoria said cheerfully.
An evil smirk on her face, Victoria said, "As for example?"
"No, no, tell me," Victoria beamed.
"Or any day for that matter?" Andy asked, just about to laugh.
