"Double Standards"

[Mark Garrison 0]

“Double Standards”

 

(Takes place a couple hours before last nights sim)

 

Mark was sifting through the padds on Segami's desk in a vein, futile effort to accomplish some work. The chief wasn't in, which meant for the third time this week, Garrison was called upon to find information regarding Crewman Ashley Bates' transfer to beta shift. He also learned, much to his chagrin that she had a rather loose mouth when it came to her personal life. She owned two cats, she liked spring best because the grass was so green, and she thought her boyfriend was cheating on her. Right now, finding the padd with Segami's authorization to have her transferred eight hours away from him was the most important thing in Mark Garrison's universe.

 

"Here you are, Chief," Victria said teasingly. She flopped two data padds down on Segami's desk next to Mark's elbow. "Reports to catch up on the less than interesting activities I missed during leave. Not that you will be reading them. Perhaps you should set up a cot in here and move in. I did not know you had aspirations for Segami's job." She smirked and turned to leave.

 

"Victria, wait." Garrison stepped out from behind Segami's desk, while lining up with her. "Computer, lock the door."

 

Stopped just short of the door, she turned and peered at him curiously. "Yes?"

 

His eyes shifted as he thought of what to say. Fate was lucky enough to have the internal sensors in Segami's office undergoing repair, at least allowing him proper privacy to do this. "This isn't easy for me. You have to believe me." He paused, and furrowed his brow, trying to rethink his words.

 

"What isn't easy for you?" Now extremely curious, she sniffed the air in order to get some hint of his emotional state. Confusion seemed a prevalent emotion.

 

"Err... It's just, I try very hard to keep my personal and professional lives separate. I hope that whatever relationship we have off duty doesn't affect our work." He paused again, and scowled slightly, cursing his choice of words. "But this has been nagging at me for too long, and it's important that we clear that air. For professionalism." He coughed awkwardly.

 

 

"What, exactly, are you saying, Mark? Stop dancing around the issue and just say whatever it is that you need to say." Her brows drew downward as a frown appeared. Through their emotional bond she could only sense irritation. Was he irritated with himself or with her? Was he hiding feelings for her? Surely she would have sensed something before now.

 

"Right..." He trailed off once more, scratching the back of his head, while he pondered how sound proof this office was. "Uh... ok. Now, I've never used our bond in any way to spy on you or anything... but I need to ask. Did anything happen to you on shoreleave?"

 

"Happen to me? I am not exactly certain what you mean by that. Did I enjoy my shoreleave? Yes. Did I do a great many interesting things on my shoreleave? Also, yes. Did I spend my shoreleave alone? No." Her eyes darkened slightly as she began to get a better sense of what he was asking.

 

"Ah, ok." He nodded his head awkwardly. "I don't mean to intrude on your personal life. It's just... I... got some funky vibes on the bond. And... you know... if you could uh... yeah."

 

"If I could what?" she pressed unmercifully.

 

"Well, I would just like to not have those sensations again... ever." He sighed, obviously extremely embarrassed by the entire ordeal. "This is one of those little side effects that I didn't anticipate again."

 

"So you wish for me to... practice celibacy," she said darkly. Her frown deepened further. "Perhaps you forget that this connection works both ways. I am constantly overwhelmed by your petty human emotions, yet I do not complain. You must learn to block or mute them of your own accord as I have."

 

He stared at her, stoned faced for almost a half minute, letting every word sink in. "Well, I apologize that my human emotions can't hold up to rage and frustration. I came here to apologize for even being privy to your shoreleave activities and to see if there was anything you can do to help prevent another incident. But if this is the road you're taking, leave. I've got actual work to do here."

 

"You were not trying to apologize," she said sharply. "You were more interested in your own comfort. If you had even attempted the exercises in control that I had instructed, you would be far better at controlling the bond's intensity."

 

"What would you have me do, Mark? I already exert more control than I thought possible to keep myself from ripping foolish young officers to shreds. Shall I dampen myself further? Perhaps lock myself in my quarters for the duration and put myself into a mental trance?" Her irritation with the end of shoreleave was now transforming into something far more heated.

 

"It's not my fault that my entire shore leave consisted of tours and dinners with the Satarimi and paper work for Doug's head injury. So you'll excuse me if I didn't have time to 'exercise my control.'" He raised his own voice, quickly defending himself. The incessant tap of Bates outside wasn't helping any either. Finally he let out an exasperated groan and collapsed into Segami's chair.

 

"Listen," she gritted her teeth and struggled to calm herself, ignoring the frustration he currently radiated. "I did not realize that you had no time to enjoy our leave. I certainly did not mean to make it even more uncomfortable for you. In truth, I did not think you would feel anything at all from that distance. Perhaps it was because a telepath was involved and his abilities enhanced my own."

 

He nodded, trying to calm himself. It wasn't easy when both of them were angry, and projecting on each other. "Look... let's just put it behind us. I will practice the meditation... thing and we'll have no more fun moments like this." A smirk suddenly popped on Mark's face as he grabbed the padd he needed out of the pile and stood up, walking over to her.

 

"It was just... really weird. I'd never experienced anything like it through the bond. At first, I thought you were feeding!" He laughed as he passed, patting her on the shoulder as he neared the door.

 

 

She stiffened slightly and turned to track him. Her jaw clenched as she attained yet another level of self control. "And if I happened to be...?"

 

“God...” He whispered as his hand froze over the door controls, while he glanced over his shoulder. "How many times Victria?"

 

"That is my business and mine alone," she replied slowly, her tone hinting at the dangerous line he walked. "When and if I do, it is my business and no one else's."

 

He spun around almost instantly moved within a few feet of her. "Gods. Victria, could you pick a worse way to ruin a first contact!? Can you imagine the reaction!?"

 

"I did not initiate the contact," she said hotly, gritting her teeth until her jaw ached. "And I was perfectly within my rights to accept the offer. You, nor any other, can deny me that!"

 

"You are a Starfleet Officer, and you will conduct yourself as such. Is that clear, Lieutenant?" He glared at her with a steely gaze, his entire body tensed.

 

 

With a growl she shoved him forcefully against the wall. Her hand wrapped about his throat and she applied just enough pressure to make her point. "I might be on this ship and working for the Federation," she snarled, "But I am an Al-Ucardian first with needs that do not fit into your little ideas of officer perfection. Do not dictate to me what I do when I am off duty." Snapping her teeth in frustration, she released him and moved to the door, smacking the controls.

 

It took every fiber in his body not to move after her and drag her into an all out war, but in an instant he remembered they were still inside Segami's office, with the entire alpha shift security crew just outside the door. "Go to your quarters, you're relieved of duty for the next hour. That's an order." He paused, his voice shaky with anger as he turned to face her back. "Decide whether you can manage being a Starfleet officer and an Al-Ucardian or not. Because I swear to you, if you ever pull something like this again, I will tell the captain."

 

 

"I have existed this long as both and will continue to do so," she hissed at him without looking back, "but you cannot and will not deny me the innate right to sustenance. You will tell no one." She stalked out as the door opened and brushed past the startled Bates, exiting Security in such an obvious rage that several officers stopped their duties to stare.

 

The office door slid shut, preventing anyone from rushing Mark. His fingers brushed along his neck, before he violently flung the padd in his hand against the wall, causing a shower of sparks. He quickly exited Segami’s office, and security itself, leaving a second set of confused officers, as the first set began their speculations.

Edited June 9, 2008 by Mark Garrison

[Cptn Corizon 0]

Awww, Marky doesn't like Vicky's new knecking buddy.