[USS Tempest] Raktajino Au Lait by Viviana Lazarra-Henderson & Rosie Le Beau
- From: TKilyle@xxxxxxx
- To: usstempest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 17:48:03 EDT
***Takes place before 'Coincidences' on Tempest
It had been a night of interruptions. The first one was thoroughly
welcomed. Nathaniel was such a sweetheart to bring her dinner. The second
interruption was eventually welcomed even though Byron's knowledge of her
relationship
with Nathaniel bothered her, despite assurances from both men that all would
work out. The third one...well...Jord was a bit different, to put it mildly,
but she supposed she was, too. We'll see about him, she told herself. I
guess we ought to give the man a chance.
She still smelled Nat's shaving soap on her as she headed for the station.
They had both figured that eating breakfast together, after she spent the
night with him, would be the equivalent of hanging out a flashing sign
advertising their status. Too bad, she thought with a grin. I would love to
see if
what Roberta says is true. A man that tall can't live on tea for breakfast.
I hope this day turns out better than yesterday.
Vivie slipped out of bed as quietly as she could so she wouldn't wake Alex.
They'd spent another wonderful night reconnecting, but now it was time for a
little alone time. With everything going on, Josh, Tawny, the weird behavior
of the women in her department, Vivie needed to think. So after taking a hot
shower, throwing her long curly red mass of hair into a pony tail, and
leaving Alex a note she headed out onto the promenade. A little window
shopping
always worked wonders for clearing the mind.
Rosie wasn't sure what she was planning on doing really. She was too
annoyed to be hungry but she knew that something was called for. She almost
giggled at the sight of a raktajino kiosk. Cafe au lait raktajino? This is
too
good to pass up. I wonder how it tastes?
Stepping up to the kiosk's tender, she asked, "Excuse me for asking but
how's a Klingon know about the first national drink of New Orleans?"
"What is the second?" the huge man asked.
"Hurricanes but they aren't made with coffee..."
"That would be blasphemous." Vivie added as she walked up to the kiosk.
She'd left the suite without having her morning coffee and she was starting to
feel that effects of not having her caffeine jump start.
Rosie turned at the sound of the familiar accent. She didn't know how long
it had been since she'd seen the redhead but it was definitely before the war.
"Vivie Lazzara, I don't believe it! What brings you out to the front end of
nowhere?" Rosie asked. Out of habit, she greeted the other woman with a
brief hug and a kiss. "I'm glad to see you made it through the war."
"Without a dancing red curl out of place." Vivie replied as she slipped five
slivers of latinum at the Klingon working the counter as payment for both of
their raktajinos. "It's good to see you again, Rosie, and looking so well."
Vivie said quickly before the other woman could protest over the money.
"How's your Mama and Père?"
"They're fine. I was on shore leave at home before I transferred and came
out here. I got a chance to slip down to the Quarter before I went away,
though. My lord but it was sweltering," Rosie replied. "How about your
mamas?"
"Mama's fine as always." Vivie replied as she slipped into a seat across
from her old friend. The girls had meet at the academy, having been in the
same
class year. "Mum's still reeling from my marriage, but at least she likes
Alex, T is another story." Vivie smiled brightly after taking a sip of her
coffee. "Eddie's fine as well by the way."
"You got married?" Rosie exclaimed. Her whole face lit up. "That's
fantastic! Is it a Fleet marriage or did you snag yourself a civilian?"
She was interested for two obvious reasons. First, because she just really
wanted to know. Vivie was one of the few people in her class who didn't shun
her after the whole chess piece incident. It was shortly after that that
she'd met the cousin she never knew she had. The second reason was more
personal. If it was working for Vivie and this Alex, maybe it'd work for her
and
Nathaniel one day.
She realized she sounded like an idiot but it was so nice to get a break
from the Tempest's fussiness. "And where's Eddie? I haven't seen him in so
long it isn't even funny."
Vivie smiled at the thought of Alex. Holding out her hand so Rosie could see
her rings she started to answer the other woman's questions. "We were
married almost a year ago. It's Fleet, she's a Lieutenant Commander; works Tac
on
the Georgetown. And Marine Captain Le Beau is on the Georgie with us. I think
he's either trying to break Captain Kirk's little black book record or your
Père's." Vivie laughed lightly at the last comment. Vivie would never forget
the time their parents meet. She thought for sure that Mrs. Le Beau and her
Mum were gonna blow their gaskets cause Remy kept flirting with her Mama.
Rosie grabbed the other woman's hand to inspect the rings she was
displaying. "They're beautiful," she said warmly. "Congratulations! I want
to meet
her before we ship out." She shook her head at Vivie's description of her
cousin's antics. And her father's. "You know, I would have visited his
GrandMama while I was down there but whatever bad feelings there between her
and
Daddy are a bit too tense for me. Last time I was there, I got the impression
she wanted me to leave. But Eddie's on board with you? I didn't know that."
Eddie's grandmother, despite how much Vivie liked and respected her, was a
foolish old woman when it came to Rosie's father. He and Rosie were different
and for that she shunned them. "Yeap, he's in charge of out marine regiment.
Though I have a sneaking suspension that he's also there to keep an eye on
me." Vivie chuckled. "You should go see him before you leave. We'll be here a
while. Maybe we can all have dinner that way you can meet Alex. Though I have
to warn you she's the jealous type." Vivie winked at the other woman and then
laughed again. They'd been nothing more then friends, though that never
stopped Vivie from flirting. "So tell me what you've been up to, mon amie?"
"That big dope! He never told me you guys were even on the same ship,"
Rosie said with a chuckle. She'd never even known about her cousin until she
met
Vivie at the Academy. He's a smooth one like Daddy, that's for sure, she
told herself with a chuckle. Her mouth twitched at the words 'jealous type'.
Nathaniel wasn't jealous, she thought, so much as insecure. I wonder...I
have to talk to somebody about this... "You remember I was engaged to Magni
Asgardson? The coward expected me to drop everything I just got by being
promoted to Chief Engineer just to be with him on the Wilderness. He wouldn't
even
think about transferring. I, ah, kinda slugged him at Quark's yesterday.
It's for the best any way..."
"I never liked him. His royalness was a creep." Vivie replied as she sipped
more foam from her coffee. "I hope you knocked his teeth out. Chief Engineer?
Congrats, Rosie!" Vivie smiled brightly. "But something's telling me that
your promotion isn't the only thing makin' those hazel eyes of yours dance and
sparkle."
Out of habit, Rosie looked around before she spoke in a quiet voice. "I met
this man while I was at Sisko's eating dinner. Viv, you have to see him!
He's drop dead gorgeous and he's got the sexiest accent." She knew she
sounded like a silly teenager but that was how Nathaniel made her feel. "And
he's
a classy guy, too. There's only one problem."
"Don't tell me he's another uppity prince."
"No, he's anything but, actually. We didn't know it when we met but he's
Fleet, too, only he's an NCO, a grade four warrant officer. I don't care and
he doesn't care but you know how it goes. The really weird part is is he's
Captain Craig's aide. I thought Nathaniel was going to choke on his tea when
he realized who I was," she explained. "He keep saying that he's got enough
time in the Fleet that he doesn't care if they punish him but he doesn't want
me to get demoted or worse because of him."
"Rosie, I don't think Fleet would punish anyone for having a relationship. I
met and married Alex on our last assignment together and the only thing that
came from that was we had to make a choice. We either had to serve apart or
transfer together to a Galaxy or Sovereign class. That's how we ended up on
the Georgie." Leaning forward, Vivie looked her friend in the eyes. "What you
got to look out for is the attitudes about NCOs and officers."
"That's just it--he is an NCO. The one good thing in our favor is that I
served with Captain Craig on our last ship and Nathaniel is in pretty good
with
her because they've known each other for so long. I'm not lookin' for any
favors but I bet she'd take that all into account." She let out a sigh then
shook her head. "I don't want to be so gloomy, though. I want to take you up
on that dinner idea, though. You could meet Nathaniel, I could meet Alex,
and Eddie...well, Eddie can be himself."
Vivie laughed. "Could he be anything else?" She couldn't wait to meet this
Nathaniel person. He must be something else to have put that sparkle in her
friend's eyes. "Tell your Captain, Rosie. IF y'alls as close as you said,
she'll be a ally that you'll need on your side." Vivie paused before
continuing.
"I better be getting back before Alex wakes up. Dinner tomorrow night say
eight thirty, our suite? We have a kitchen and I can fix us up some real down
home food."
Rosie stood and gave her friend a warm hug. "I have to get back to the ship
any way. It's been misbehaving and probably misbehaving more while I was
gone. We'll be there, Viv. Count on it."
Other related posts:
- » [USS Tempest] Raktajino Au Lait by Viviana Lazarra-Henderson & Rosie Le Beau
