Cmdr Ridire

USS Reaent September 25th 2014 USS Reaent September 25th 2014.txt

USS Reaent Sept 18th 2014 USS Reaent Sept 18th 2014.txt

As Aidan walks away from the Romulan First officer he can’t help but feel wary of the Romulan..especially that coy smile he was wearing. Aidan walks over to Shamor and tells him they need to talk in the hallway. Once they’re out of Sickbay and out of hearing range of the Romulans, Aidan explains that he wants security posted inside and outside of Sickbay and that he also wants security posted to all critical areas. He also instructs Shamor to make sure the security guards in Sickbay are armed only with phasers that can stun in case one of the Romulan’s makes a grab for the weapon. And finally he instructs Shamor to let Deb know to keep the Romulan’s sedated as much as possible and when they were sedated to make sure any and all hidden weapons were found and confiscated. And that no one was to talk about how undermanned the ship is within earshot of the Romulans. As Aidan walks away from Shamor he muses that the Romulans might try something if they figure out that the Reaent is severely undercrewed at the moment. And he was not going to let that happen.

USS Reaent September 4th, 2014

and here is the chat log USS Reaent September 4th 2014.txt

USS Reaent August 21, 2014 USS Reaent August 28th 2014.txt

USS Reaent August 21st 2014 USS Reaent August 21st 2014.txt

USS Reaent June 19th 2014 USS Reaent June 19th 2014.txt

USS Reaent June 12th 2014 USS Reaent June 12th 2014.txt

USS Reaent May 29th 2014 USS Reaent May 29th 2014.txt

USS Reaent May 8th 2014 USS Reaent May 8th 2014.txt

USS Reaent May 1st 2014 USS Reaent May 1st 2014.txt

USS Reaent April 17th 2014 USS Reaent April 17 2014.txt

USS Reaent April 10th 2014 Reaent April 10th 2014.txt

USS Reaent April 3rd 2014 USS Reaent, April 3rd 2014.txt

Aidan leaves Shamor in charge of the bridge with orders to maintain their current position. With that he heads for his office to do the research the Captain ordered him to undertake. As the turbolift takes him to his office he wishes not for the first time that Deb and he were already retired and back home in Hawaii, that way they wouldn’t have to deal with this situation..whatever it turns out to be. And whatever it turns out to be is clearly not going to be good. Within a few minutes he enters his office and moves to the chair. The first thing he does is have the computer lock the door, instructing it to only let one other person on the ship into the office. That being the Captain. The next thing he does is give a simple command, “Computer, I need all regulations concerning the rendering of humanitarian aid in the case of a Class 1 level emergency. And I also need access to all Omega files regarding the Romulan Neutral zone. Encryption and authorization are as follows.” After he finishes the order he leans back in his chair and closes his eyes. The files will take the computer some time to compile and he spends the time focusing his thoughts.

USS Reaent March 27th 2014 USS Reaent March 27th 2014.txt

USS Reaent March 20th 2014 USS Reaent March 20th 2014.txt

By: Cmdr Ridire & Dr. Matthews Aidan had spent the hours of his shift after the staff meeting starting to deal with all the issues involved with decommissioning a ship that he needed to take care of. He had also attended Deb’s medical staff meeting just to sit in. For two reasons really..he wanted to be with his wife right now and to have some indication on how the crew was likely to take the news. When he got back to his office after the meeting he found several messages waiting for him on his computer. One of which was, to his displeasure, an offer from Starfleet Command regarding the command of the new Sovereign class USS Essex. The message also noted that, of course, the Chief Medical spot would be Deb’s for the taking if he accepted. He had spent a little while trying to decide how and what to tell Deb about this little offer. He knew he couldn't hide it, he just hopes she believes him in the decision he is willing to, and wanted to, make regarding their future in Starfleet. Somehow he suspects this little offer was going to cause her a little consternation. But right now he’s stretched out on the couch waiting for Deb to get home from her shift. A prepared supper of chicken salad sandwiches, a salad and slices of the cake they had bought on the Starbase is spread out on the low table in front of the couch. There were things they definitely needed to talk about and he suspects he’s going to have to put a little effort into convincing her that he really didn't have a problem with retiring and leaving Starfleet at this time. He also suspects that she is going to be a bit sad over Gracie’s upcoming transfer. Not that Aidan didn't feel the same, the Chief Nurse had become a close friend thanks to her helping them with advice at the start of Deb and Aidan’s relationship. And there was something quite personal that Aidan hoped to discuss with Deb though he’s not sure whether he should bring it up now or wait until later. Though to be honest he is a little concerned she may have changed her mind over it. Deb wanted to speak to Aidan as the turbolft whisked them from the bridge to Sickbay. Unfortunately, they weren't the only passengers in the lift so she kept her thoughts to herself. By the time they arrived in Sickbay, most of the medical staff were already milling about wondering what the meeting was all about. Aidan stood nearby monitoring as Deb informed her staff that Reaent was being decommissioned and most of them would be leaving for other assignments at Starbase 709. The announcement was met with stunned silence. She advised everyone she would meet with them privately starting the following day. But there were a couple of people she needed to speak to immediately. One was Merina....to advise her she would be staying with the ship. The other two were Studly and Gracie who would leave once the ship arrived at Starbase 709. Rocco was upset but stoic. Gracie....not so much. She quickly retorted she would fight the transfer. Deb found herself agreeing to help. Twenty minutes later, as Deb was about to leave, Gracie informed her, in no uncertain terms, she would not leave Reaent at Starbase 709. Her "man," Cullen McBride, was staying with the ship. Gracie insisted she would stay as well. She'd already filed her appeal. By the time Deb made it back to her quarters, she felt like she'd been run over by the entire Romulan fleet. She was tired, hungry and emotionally undone. For all of her talk about retiring, she suddenly found the idea of leaving Reaent quite disconcerting. When the door opens Aidan gets up off the couch and steps over to Deb where he embraces her and kisses her gently. He starts to say "I take it you had a..." and he was going to say "rough day" to finish that until he realizes that of course, she had a rough day and his stating the obvious was silly. Instead he hugs and kisses her again. He decides to hold off on bringing up the conversation they needed to have until she's recovered a little. Gesturing to the couch he says "I have supper waiting if you're hungry. You want some wine or something else to drink?" Deb more or less melted into her husband's embrace. It had been a rough day....for everyone. "Gracie's fighting her transfer," she mumbled into Aidan's shoulder. "Cullen is an engineer and he isn't leaving so she's not willing to go either." She pulled back and looked up at his handsome face. "I told her I'd help. Maybe you can suggest something that will persuade the brass to allow her to stay." She immediately burrowed her face into his shoulder once again then nodded. "And yes, dinner sounds good but I think I'll skip the wine." He leads her over to the couch as he asks "Well, what do you want to drink?" After settling down on the couch he says "I'll see if I can pull a favor for Gracie or at least make a strong push. Though..she can always break down and marry the man, you know." He smiles and shrugs "It's worked out for us rather well, after all." He reaches to squeeze her hand gently "Either way, I'll see about pulling some favors, might as well use them while I have them." "Thanks," she replied then promptly leaned back into the couch and closed her eyes. "I've already told her marriage would be the simplest solution." Deb paused a moment and frowned. "Maybe I need to tell Cullen the same thing." She took a deep breath and rotated her neck before looking up at Aidan. His smile was a bit off...didn't quite reach his eyes. But why should it. This had been an awful day. She wasn't sure she could muster a smile at all....even a fake one. "I'll have an iced tea she finally replied. "But I'll get it myself. There's no reason for you to wait on me." She pushed herself to her feet and stood in front of him. He didn't move. She again studied him closely with a strong feeling something was amiss. Maybe it was just the situation with Reaent. It was bound to unsettle him. "Thanks again for helping out with Gracie," she said quietly. Deb gently cupped his face and softly kissed his inviting lips before stepping around him. "So what have you been up to during past couple of hours?" she called over her shoulder as she made her way to the tiny kitchen area. He sighs and shakes his head "I've been dealing with many the same things you're dealing with except mine is on a shipwide scale. I signed off on an authorization for Tomlinson to transfer to where Anna is stationed once we reach the end of the line. Had an entire shift of people stopping by on the bridge or my office to talk. And through the grapevine I've heard of possibly three engagements. Which I can guess I can understand because if we weren't already married I'd have made bloody sure to propose now. I also recommended quite a few people for promotion including Shamor, the aforementioned Tomlinson and even Murray..which I'm quite sure will come as quite a surprise to him." He smiles and adds "I figure a good revenge on him is doing what he least expects. I also recommended T'kar be given a medical assignment that she's been asking for the last few years, presuming she can test out with high enough grades. And I assume you will be recommending promotions for Merina, Studly and Gracie for sure, yes?" He pauses slightly "I was going to call home as well but then decided that should wait until everything is finalized." He frowns and pauses for a few seconds, not sure he wants to say the last thing..the part about the Essex..at least not right now. Deb listened quietly as Aidan spoke but her thoughts were moving at warp speed. Her husband's words only served to remind her of all she still had to do. She frowned at the thought of the paperwork involved with the upcoming transfers at Starbase 709 followed by the ship's decommissioning once they reached Utopia. "Merina can run a Sickbay blindfolded and with one paw tied behind her back," mused Deb as she returned to the small dining table. "So can Studly...so can Gracie for that matter. She's better than some of the MDs I've run across." Deb returned to the couch and sat down in front of the plate of sandwiches. "I'll ask Merina and Gracie to help me review the service records of all of our staff." She chuckled mirthlessly. "It should only take us a couple of weeks to do that." Leaning back in the chair, she gave Aidan a mischievous grin. "So you're really gonna promote Murray?" "Well, as Gracie is Chief Nurse it seems to me that her input in reviewing the service records of all the medical personnel on this ship would be valuable to the point of being necessary." He smiles "I'm considering recommending Murray for a promotion. He's had the bridge several times and he managed to not get the ship blown up which is a definite plus in his favor. And like I said..I think the best revenge against some of his shenanigans that he pulled when he was younger is doing what he doesn't expect and he'll definitely will not expect me to recommend that he be promoted. I think he's earned it." He reaches for one of the sandwiches and takes a bit from it. He chews quietly for a few seconds as his thoughts return to the offer regarding the Essex. Deb couldn't help chuckling. Murray was certainly the life of the party. Even when his "shenanigans" were less than appreciated by command, she would often find herself choking down her laughter. She was pleased to hear the man was up for promotion. But there was another question that loomed large before her. And there was no point avoiding it any longer. Although Reaent's forced retirement was unexpected, it had pushed this particular question to the forefront of Deb's concerns. She looked at Aidan and smiled slightly. "So, what about us? Where are we going after you hand Reaent over to Utopia?" He finishes the bite of the sandwich before answering, which gives him time to form the words. "Well you do deserve to know that Command has offered me the Captaincy of the new Essex and the CMO position is also open, I'm pretty sure there is a notice of the offer for you on the computer." He watches her reaction carefully for a few seconds before adding "Though, however, I've decided to turn it down. I think its past time that we retire..to Hawaii." Deb heard the words but it took her weary brains a couple of seconds to process them. She was on her feet in a heartbeat. "Essex!" she very nearly shouted at her husband who continued eating as though none of this was earth shattering. "They've offered you Essex? Aidan....that's wonderful. It's a dream come true for you. I'm so happy for you." Her shoulders slumped a bit and she slowly returned to her seat. "Are you sure about turning it down? Please give this careful consideration....and I mean more than a couple of hours. This is a big deal....a really big deal. I don't want you giving up this opportunity because of me." He studies her for a minute, trying to gauge how honest she was being about what she said. He doesn't fail to notice the slump in her shoulders as she sits back down. "Darling, we have been saying ever since we got married that we would retire to earth and settle down to have a family. We both agreed to not have kids until then. Retiring to earth and living in that house with you, whether or not you choose to bless me with any children, means more to me then anything else. It's what I want more than anything else, even more than a boyhood dream of commanding a Starship. If I accepted that Captain's position it would mean at least several more years of traveling the stars." He shakes his head slightly and continues, "I've lived my dream in Starfleet and I am grateful for it and to it..especially since it led me to you. However, it's time to move on to something else, it's time I simply be your husband and nothing else." He frowns slightly "Besides not two days ago you were telling me that you were done with Starfleet, that you had seen too much death and destruction to continue it. Even if I wanted to remain in Starfleet how could I force you to stay when your heart is no longer in it? That would be a bit cruel of me don't you think? You have to be getting tired of worrying about whether or not I'd return every time I step foot off the Starship for a mission and to be honest I am getting tired of making you worried just as I'm tired of worrying about your safety every time. And under no circumstances would I ever agree to be separated from you with you living in that house alone and me on the Essex alone. I have no inclination to want to relearn how to live alone without you....even on a short term temporary basis." He leans over and kisses her gently "The most important thing to me is keeping you safe and making you happy and there is absolutely nothing I wouldn't sacrifice to see to that and sacrifice it gladly and willingly." He shakes his head and asks "Tell me, if the situation was reversed..would you choose any different? Would you choose to remain over going home with me?" Deb never looked away from his face as Aidan explained himself. She felt very much as she had when, at the tender age of nine, her grandparents told her the awful truth about Santa Claus. Deep down, she knew what they said was true. But she wasn't one hundred percent convinced. " I remember what I said a couple of days ago. But you must know," she began softly. "Certainly you must know I wouldn't go anywhere without you. It would be completely selfish of me to deprive you of your life long dream now that it's finally at hand. If you want the Essex, I'll go with you. It wouldn't be the first time I underwent an attitude adjustment." She paused, her eyes wet and her throat burning. Clasping his hand in a death grip, she continued. "All I ask is that you be absolutely certain you're willing to walk away from this.....absolutely certain. Because it would kill me if we retired and a year or so later, you regretted that decision." He kisses her away her tears and smiles, "Deb, you are my lifelong dream now..you have been for years." He glances out at the stars for a few seconds before returning his attention to her. "I can't say I won't have some small regret..a "the path not traveled" type thing...but I am absolutely sure that this is what I want. I want to go home, Deb, and I want to stop being a Starfleet officer and be only your husband. Six years of this vagabond life together is long enough, it's time we settle down somewhere and put down roots. Can you say this wouldn't be your choice if the situation was reversed? Which would you choose?" He tucks his head against her neck and murmurs "All I want is to go home and live a good long life with you....to grow old in your arms in that house. So please..." All she could manage were a couple of quick nods. They sat quietly for a few minutes before Deb snuffled a bit and cleared her voice. "So I guess this is it. I never thought it would end this way. But I suppose it was destined for us to leave with our ship." A small smile curled her lips. "I suppose it's the best way possible. We all retire together....you, me.....and Reaent." He nods and smiles faintly before kissing her gently. He murmurs "The other..thing I mentioned..that I leave up to your decision." He smiles, "I am looking forward to being able to be home every night with you. No situations, no stubborn aliens, no alarms, just a quiet night with you every night. Yes, I am very much looking forward to that. As for the days..I'll try to stay out of your hair as much as possible. I presume you're going to continue doctoring at least part time?" Deb shrugged and cuddled a bit closer to him. "I suppose the doctoring depends on that other thing you were talking about." She smiled at the thought and continued. "But I don't think I'd mind if you were around during the daytime....maybe just for awhile....until we figure out all of the details." He chuckles softly "Well, you might get bored if you didn't do some doctoring but I think you can count on me insisting on being around during the daytime..some of the time. Though why would you doing any doctoring depend on the other thing I mentioned? That other thing, however, I leave up to you on if and when..I do have the easy end of that after all." He rests his head against her shoulder and purrs contentedly. After a minute he says "But since you mentioned figuring out all the details..I do have an idea about that I'd like to run past you and see if you approve." "What idea," she asked quickly, pulling away and sitting up straight. "Please tell me....and I hope it's a good one. There's been two many lousy ideas floating around here lately." "I think for the first two or three months after we retire we should simply take the time to ourselves, to settle in to the house and be together in that place while we..figure out the details. And not worry about work or finding new jobs as well as being able to decompress and relax from the time we've spent traveling the stars" He murmurs "I think I would like you all to myself for a two or three month vacation to simply be..together." Deb relaxed against him, dropping her head on his shoulder. "That sounds wonderful," she murmured contentedly. She looked up at him with a smile. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me," she continued softly. "We'll get through these next few weeks and then our lives will be our own. I still feel badly about Reaent but I can't wait for our future to begin." He slips his arms around her and holds her tightly as he presses a kiss to her forehead. Softly he murmurs "And you, darling, are the best thing that ever happened to me as well. And I am looking forward to this future of ours as well." He smiles at a thought then adds "Once things have settled down here a bit I suppose we should notify our families. I mean, Ciara will have to get her little self out of her house by the time we get back to earth. Though..hopefully..my mother and your grandmother won't be too much a hassle about grandchildren. I suspect they are going to insist on reminding us of their wish in that department." She stifled a giggle and allowed the thought of children to wash over her. It felt warm and inviting. "I don't know about your folks, but my grandparents are already.....older, shall we say. I'm not expecting them to hassle us about kids. But my grandma can be very persuasive yet quite subtle. So get ready." Deb smiled brightly but, of course, with her head buried against Aidan's shoulder, he couldn't see it. "Why don't let that be one of the details we figure out once we go home." He chuckles softly and murmurs "Oh yes, I imagine she can be subtle. But she was about as subtle as a dump truck that time she was trying to get you to..pursue me. Though it was funny considering we had already beat her on that particular score. I'm afraid my mother, however, will just be the proverbial dump truck on this one." He moves so he can look her in the eyes. He smiles "And I'm fine with figuring out the details on this one when we get home. We'll have all the time in the world so on the subject of children I'm fine with..letting nature take its course." He kisses her gently as he says that. Deb closed her eyes and smiled. "Oh yes," she whispered. "Let nature take its course. That's one detail I'll be happy to work on."

USS Reaent March 13th 2014 USS Reaent March 13th 2014.txt

USS Reaent March 6th 2014 USS Reaent March 6th 2014.txt

It’s been several hours since the destructive end of the mission and the Reaent, the Valkyrie and the Endeavour were limping their way back to the nearest Starbase. The Captains of the three ships were making plans to arrange some sort of memorial service for the crew of the Regayov. As for the remaining Romulan ship, Aidan had transmitted the Captain’s and his thanks for their intervention, expressed condolences at the losses they had suffered and attempted to ascertain why and how exactly the Romulans had arrived at the scene..the latter of which got nowhere as the Romulan Captain simply said they were heading back to Romulan space and then cut the channel. With that the Romulan ship wheeled around on a course back to Romulan space and cloaked. Aidan had, naturally, ordered Shamor to keep an eye on the sensors to make sure the Romulan ship kept to its Captain’s word. The one good thing about all this was that Aidan didn't have to worry that the Romulans had somehow acquired the technology behind whatever weapon the terrorists were using at the end. Of course that didn't help Aidan’s annoyance at the deaths of the fake Mr. Drew and his confederates. Oh..he wanted them dead…but only after they were interrogated and gave up all they knew. He couldn't help but think that this possibly wasn't the end of the actions of the terrorist group. After the conversation with the Romulan captain and reporting the results to the Captain, Aidan had taken himself down to Sickbay in order to give his wife the opportunity to make sure that the radiation from the weapon hadn't had any lasting effect on him. Also he wanted to make sure that she wasn't effected detrimentally either. Though the first thing he did after he arrived in Sickbay was to pull her into her office so he could give her a good long kiss. He had nearly lost her again, and he needed the contact to reassure himself that no matter how bad things had gotten she was still safe. As much as he would have liked to have insisted that Deb leave Sickbay and come back to their quarters after the medical tests were taken care of he knows that isn't likely to happen. There was simply a lot for Sickbay to take care of now and he knew Deb wasn't going to abandon her duties like that. So he didn't even bring the subject up and simply said he would be in their quarters when she got off duty. Once he was done in Sickbay he returned to their quarters and flopped himself down on the couch after seeing to Nephtys’ empty food dish. He’s in the middle of finalizing his report when the now fed cat jumps up on his chest and promptly settles down purring contentedly. He idly pets the cat as he works on completing his report. Deb sat behind her desk sipping on an iced tea, battling the ever present threat of exhaustion. They were all alive. Even those who were ill from over exposure to radiation would survive. There was much to be grateful for. But they'd lost another ship.....another crew....gone....just as the Cairo was gone. At least the Regayov hadn't been blindsided, as if that fact would comfort the families of those killed. Regayov may have faced her enemy head on but they were still dead. It concerned her that she wasn't all that upset about the loss of the Regayov. Had she become so cynical that such catastrophes no longer bothered her as much as they once had? Or was she simply numb to it all? Maybe it was because there were no bodies to autopsy then reverently place into stasis units for shipment home. She considered the possibilities as she twirled the ice around in her glass with her straw. Deb was reluctant to accept cynicism as the root cause of her apathy. But she chose not to examine the issue too closely. Glancing down, she noticed several bright pink and red stains sprinkled across her trousers. Closer examination exposed additional splotches of various shapes and colors on her blouse as well. She closed her eyes momentarily blotting away the discolorations. When she opened them again, she made sure she was looking at the wall across from her desk. With a sigh, she pushed back her chair and forced herself to stand then slowly walk out of the office. Main sickbay had calmed considerably over the past few hours. Merina was gone already. Deb had literally forced the Caitian to leave, her distinctive tail dragging the ground behind her in sheer exhaustion. Merina was a great asset to the team, even if she didn't know when to shut down and sleep for a few hours. "Why don't you get some rest? Everything here is under control." Studly deep voice startled her. She hadn't heard him walk up behind her. Deb looked into his eyes and offered him a wan smile. "Maybe you're right," she replied, her voice a mere whisper. She cleared her throat and broadened her grin. "I'll be in my quarters. Call me if you need me." Rocco nodded then took her hand and placed it on his forearm. "Come on, I'll walk you to the door." He escorted her all the way to the lift. Neither of them said another word. She nodded her thanks as she stepped into the lift and the doors quietly whooshed closed. She was still lost in her thoughts when the lift came to an easy stop and the doors opened again. She stood there for a moment, her will flagging, her body drained...she felt completely done in. Deb finally took the steps needed to walk the short distance to her quarters. The door opened as she approached. Obviously Aidan was already home. She walked into what had been her refuge for the past several years...to the one person who always made her feel safe and secure. He was sitting on the couch doing paperwork with Nephyts purring loudly in his lap. She stopped in front of him on her way into the bedroom. She had no idea how she looked but he must have known something was wrong. In one smooth movement, Aidan sat forward and removed the cat to the floor. "I'm sorry, Aidan." Her throat burned as she swallowed a sob. "I'm so sorry but I can't do this anymore." She pulled off her comm badge and dropped it onto the coffee table. It bounced twice before skittering to the floor. But Deb didn't notice as she all but ran into the bedroom closing the door behind her. She fell into the bed, soiled uniform and all, and stared at the ceiling. The dark path into grief loomed ahead of her. She would not go there....not this time....never again. She much preferred to remain where she was.... and feel nothing. He frowns darkly and follows her into the bedroom. He pauses for a second just inside the bedroom then proceeds towards the bed. Crawling into bed he settles behind her and wraps his arms around her. Quietly he asks “You can’t do…what anymore?” She knew he'd follow her. A part of her wished he hadn't. Another part was pleased he did. She drew a couple of deep breaths while she considered how to answer his question for he certainly deserved an answer. It was unfortunate she wasn't quite sure what to say. Deep down, she knew this wasn't the time to make a life changing decision. She'd felt this way in the past following one disaster or another. But this time was different. This time, she felt cold to the bone as though someone flipped a switch and she was abruptly plunged into a barren, frozen landscape. Deb turned slightly so she could see her husband's face. His eyes radiated warmth and concern. Instead of comforting her, she felt guilt and sorrow overtake her and she quickly turned away. She knew he probably wasn't ready to hear it. She also knew he was persistent as hell and wouldn't leave her alone until he'd gotten his answer. "This job, I can't do this job anymore." She spoke slowly and distinctly but couldn't bring herself to even look at him. "I don't want to be here. I've seen enough death and misery to last five life times. You can stay if you want to. I wouldn't blame you either. But I'm done here. I'm finished with it all." He frowns and sighs quietly to himself. When she had said what she did Aidan, well most of him, had assumed that this is what she was talking about. Still part of him, the part of him that is exhausted by the events that had taken place, had thought she was referring to something else, something worse..that she didn't think she could continue with their marriage. The rational part of him had told him that was ludicrous..it's not like they were having problems in their marriage..but still..for some reason the fear was still there. He tightens his arms slightly and then says "What makes you think that I would stay here without you? That I would want to sleep in this bed alone. For six years now, darling, no matter what I could come back here with you and be at peace and be whole no matter what." He pauses slightly and then asks "And are you saying you'd be content with living in that house in Hawaii alone? Or..would you be somewhere else?" Deb couldn't bring herself to answer. She looked into his eyes and instantly felt like the village idiot....again. She cringed as she recalled her thoughtless statements. Pulling away from him, she moved to a sitting position, her back resting against the headboard. "Of course I don't want to live in that house alone." She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "And I don't think you want to stay here alone either." Deb leaned her head back further, opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. "Pay no attention to me, Aidan." She reached out and patted his shoulder. "I'm carrying on like a spoiled brat. I'm just tired...probably need a little leave time." He sits up and leans into her, slipping an arm around her back. Resting his head on her shoulder he murmurs "You are not acting like a spoiled brat. I'd be more worried if what's been going on wasn't affecting you or me at all." He kisses her cheek gently "When I was young the most important thing to me in the world, aside from my family, was this job..commanding a starship. That is all I wanted for myself. However, I met a certain lady who, despite my initial reluctance, I started to fall very much in love with. And eventually she deigned to become my wife which I consider fortunate because she had become the most important thing to me. All I want now is to spend the rest of my life with her where ever she wants. All I want is to spend the rest of my life being her husband, mate, and lover. All I want is to spend my life taking her dancing, cuddling with her, cooking for her, kissing her, watching the Hawaiian sunset with her, sleeping against her and sharing our bed, indulging in all the ways we're intimate and one." He pauses for a second then adds "This job is not important enough to me for me to choose or accept being separated from you. I can't do those things if I'm here and you're on earth, darling." She couldn't resist his sweet words. A smile appeared, unbidden, as she looked down at him, his head still on her shoulder. He was wrong about one thing. She was behaving like a spoiled brat but she had no plans to argue the point. The fight had gone out of her, in more ways than one. Perhaps that was the root cause of her distress. She'd lost the will to plod ahead....she'd lost the will to fight on. But Aidan had not. Deb knew perfectly well he wasn't ready to call in quits and retire to the quiet life awaiting them in Hawaii. As wonderful as it would be to live there, timing was everything. And she was pretty sure it wasn't his time, not yet anyway. She dropped a soft kiss on the top of his head and asked, "How do you do it?. How do you find a way to keep going?" She shifted slightly forcing him to sit up. "We lost the Regayov. Another ship gone with her entire crew! How do you....accept that and move on?" He shakes his head slightly "I haven't accepted it. Since the fight ended I've been going over in my head how we could have saved them, how we should have stopped those terrorists sooner. I'm not past it yet, Deb. The only small comfort is we got the ones who killed them, I only hope that is enough to give their spirits peace." He turns to face her then brushes a hand against her cheek "How I'm moving on, though, is remembering that I have a wife to live for, that no matter how much darkness is out there beyond those windows there is light to be found here that banishes that darkness. And that we have a life to live together..whether here at this moment or in Hawaii in the future..whether that future is tomorrow, next week, next month or next year." He kisses her forehead and then murmurs "And if you want to discuss on when exactly we're going to grasp that future that is fine with me..whenever you want. I belong to you..." He smiles faintly and then adds "Like a dog on a leash that it's master holds." His smile fades as he looks around them and he says quietly "I can't say I'm not getting quite tired of all this." She did her best not to laugh but a chuckle sneaked out. "A dog on a leash?" Deb swatted him lightly on the arm and grinned. "I assure you, sir, if you were a dog on a leash, I would have a dislocated shoulder by now. You're much too stubborn to allow anyone to lead you about." Before he could reply, her thoughts drifted to his hushed admission that he was a little weary of life aboard a starship. She wasn't convinced he was all that prepared to move on just yet and she wouldn't push him into a decision right now. This wasn't the time for her to decide either. The ugliness of their last mission was still too palpable. Instead, she maneuvered away from him and slipped off the bed. "This uniform is filthy," she said as she pulled her blouse over her head. "I think I need a shower. That always makes me feel better." She glanced over her shoulder as she sauntered toward the bathroom. "If you were a dog," she quipped, "I'd be pulling on your leash to follow me." He smiles and slips out of bed as he says "Well..as you said I am not a dog...." He steps over to her closet and retrieves the nightgown she wore on their wedding night which is his favorite. He walks over to her and holds it out to her and smiles "I'll let you take your bath in peace so you can relax. And I'll see about helping you relax further by giving you a quite attentive massage afterwards. Or would you prefer that I did trail after you into the bathroom?" As he says the last his tone becomes mischievous. Deb giggled and it felt wonderful to laugh again after so much tragedy. He would get her through this and whatever else life threw at them. Alone, she probably would have cracked long ago. But with Aidan by her side, she was confident she could handle just about anything....except maybe Aidan. She winked at him playfully. "It's your call, Commander......your wish is my command. "My wish is your command? Hmm..that does sound quite...interesting." He smiles and kisses her forehead. "Why don't you go take your bath while I think about this some more. We can see to..wishes afterwards, yes? Besides, I did promise you a massage and I see no reason why I shouldn't see to that promise. Though if it wouldn't be too much to ask..I could use a massage as well." As he steps back towards the bed he's glad to see her smiling and laughing again. Life is quite a bit more enjoyable in such cases. As he reaches the bed he looks over his shoulder and says mischievously "However, do try not to take an overly long bath else I will see to getting you out of it." Deb rolled her eyes. "Is that a threat," she asked playfully. "Or a promise." Before he could answer, she strolled into the bathroom closing the door behind her. She smiled at the realization that as long as she had Aidan, life would be interesting.....very interesting indeed. The smile on Aidan's face fades a little as the door to the bathroom closes. Deb knew she was by far the most important person in his life and she should know that he'd move heaven and earth for her. And certainly walking away from Starfleet is far easier then moving heaven and earth. Besides, what was the point of building a house in Hawaii to retire to if one wasn't actually going to retire at some point. He's getting tired of their lives and futures being constantly at risk. All he wanted now was to spend a very long life with her, safe and sound and happy. And between being her husband and the myriad opportunities that both Hawaii and retirement offered it's certainly not like he is going to ever get bored or regret it. His smile returns a little as he decides that he's just going to have to remind her of some of those opportunities after her bath.

USS Reaent Feb 27th 2014 USS Reaent Feb 27th 2014.txt

USS Reaent Feb 20th 2014 USS Reaent Feb 20th 2014.txt

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