Return to the Diner (I) -- 0403.27

[Marris Krax 0]

Return to the Diner (I)

0403.27

A Kris and Marris Log

 

Marris stood before the door to Kris’ quarters, one hand behind her back as she reached up for the chime with the other hand. She rocked back and forth on her heels as she waited.

 

Inside, Kris was sitting on his couch, typing on a PADD, out of uniform when he heard the chime. He called out, “Come!” wondering who that could be.

 

Marris stepped in a bit, just enough so the doors didn’t whoosh behind her. “Hiya. Just thought I'd come by to see how you're doing.” She had a sort of concerned, pensive look on her face. “You seemed rather upset at the debrief.”

 

Kris smiled at her. “Sorry about that. Just a case of disappointment.” He shrugged. “But I figured out where things went wrong so I'd know for the next time.” He waved to the armchair in front of him. “Have a seat!”

 

She adopted a slightly goofy grin as she walked over to the chair and sat down. It almost looked like the thing had swallowed her up. “Well, if it's any consolation, you had me pretty well fooled at the end there until Lieutenant Smith wouldn't bleed.”

 

"Yeah, I didn't exactly expect a surgical scalpel,” he said as Marris cringed. She hoped Briana wasn’t in too much trouble for that one. “That and damage that didn't rock the ship,” he added as he set his PADD on the coffee table between them. “So how are you?”

 

She looked off to the side a bit and said, “I'm okay. Looking forward to helm again. Command just isn't my thing.” She smiled slightly as she picked at a loose thread on her uniform pants. “I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner?”

 

Kris nodded. “Sure thing. Got something in mind?”

 

Her grin grew a bit as she bobbed her head. “I've just found an old holodeck program of mine in my database and I’d much rather go there with some company.”

 

“Sounds like fun. You ready now?”

 

If Marris had been a bobble doll, her head might have run the risk of falling off from the nodding. “Yup! Got Holodeck Three on the base reserved and everything.”

 

“Good. Holodecks are fun!” He grinned. “Shall we?”

 

______________________

 

Five minutes later, Kris and Marris found themselves in one of the huge, yellow-gridded holodecks on the base. Marris was under the arch, typing at buttons to retrieve her program from the Excalibur’s computers. It wasn’t long before the gold bars fizzled out to be replaced by what appeared to be the main street of a small town. Kris looked out and around at the shops lining either side of the dusty, cobble street, hovercars parked in front of them diagonally. Some people were milling about on the sidewalks, one of whom waved to Marris. She waved back.

 

“Very nice!” he said. “Where are we?”

 

“Well, I figured you showed me your home, I'll show you mine.” She grinned. “Welcome to Hanolan.”

 

He looked around some more. “Very nice! Rustically modern.” He smirked.

 

Marris stuck out her tongue at him. “We're a farming colony, we ain't fancy.”

 

“Ever been to any of the Amish Colonies?” he asked as he directed his smirk toward her.

 

“Umm...no...don't care to either.” She laughed a bit. “Come on, diner's this way.”

 

Kris nodded. “Kay.”

 

Marris led the way, heading off down the right side of the street. A few of the windows they passed were empty, others full of clothes or farming equipment, one belonging to a bookstore displaying posters advertising six-year-old titles as new releases. As Kris followed, he looked around and asked. “Did you design this program?”

 

“Nope. A friend of mine I went to school with made it. Gave it to everyone who was leaving the colony when we graduated.”

 

As they approached the end of the block, Kris spotted a red and white building on the corner trimmed in chrome, something straight out of an old 1950s movie. He blinked. “Man it’s been awhile since I've seen one of those...”

 

Marris stopped before the glass door of the 50s building and opened it, motioning for Kris to head on in. “Wait until you try the shakes.”

 

He entered, grinning, Marris following close behind. A bell on the door made a tinkling noise as it shut. The inside was a tad bit dark, most of the light streaming in through slightly dusty windows. The floor was black and white tile, as well as the ceiling. Ruby red booths lined one wall, a soda fountain on the other. A currently silent jukebox stood on the wall near the restrooms. Kris started whistling the theme to Happy Days as he looked for somewhere to sit.

 

“Booth or bar, it's up to you,” Marris said.

 

Kris nodded toward the soda fountain. “Bar, I think.”

 

Marris hopped up on the nearest barstool, grinning. “I usually sit here, too.”

 

“Man, I always loved these places.”

 

She nodded as she looked around. “Yeah. I love the atmosphere.”

 

“I feel like I should have greased my hair and worn a leather jacket.” He snapped his fingers a couple of times and sidled onto the stool.

 

Marris smiled a tad bit sadly at that. “Yeah, and I should have brought my poodle skirt.”

 

Kris laughed aloud. “Those things are a riot! I bet the holodeck could get us some!”

 

“Eh...I'd just as soon not. I’ve got another program for that,” she said, recalling The Hop and Alex. She grinned. “After all, this is a real place right now in the middle of my home town.”

 

“Really?” He blinked. “Wow!”

 

She laughed. “Oh yeah. Went here after school just about every day with my brother.”

 

Kris shook his head. “The nostalgia capabilities of the human race never cease to amaze me.”

 

Marris winked at him as she rang a bell on the counter near the old fashioned cash register. “Hey Barney!”

 

Kris snickered as a jolly little fat man in a white apron poked his head out from the kitchen. “Hey Marris. Usual?” the man asked.

 

“Yeah Barney, and make it two,” she looked to Kris. “Hope you don't mind a burger with the works and a chocolate shake?”

 

“Mind? Do I mind? If I were anyone else I'd hug you for the mere suggestion! Bring on the cheeseburgers!”

 

Marris laughed. “Well, it'll be a few minutes.”

 

“Oh, by the way,” he said, snickering. “Umm…sorry about that drone of mine.” That snicker just wouldn’t go away. “Would you believe it was an accident?”

 

“I wouldn't believe that for a second,” she said as she stuck her tongue out at him again. Then she leaned back with her elbows on the bar and looked around. “God, I miss this place all over again.”

 

Kris nodded. “Home is always hard to visit in a holodeck.”

 

She nodded slowly. “Though my last trip home was hardly to catch up on old times and visit.” She sighed heavily as she turned around toward the bar again. “But we won't go there.”

 

Kris dropped the smile a bit. “You okay?”

 

Marris waved her hand. “Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just trying to...reassess a few things.”

 

He nodded. “Alright, if you're sure.”

 

She looked down at her hands a few moments. “I...I want to thank you Kris.”

 

He smiled. “For what?”

 

“For...having faith in me. I really needed that, considering…” She smiled slightly, still looking down at her hands on the bar. “Don't ever put me in command again, but...thank you for this time.”

 

Kris grinned at her. “You did fine. But the test wasn't designed to ready you for command. It was a test of your leadership.”

 

Marris looked sideways at him. “I follow. I don't lead.”

 

“Riiiight...”

 

She smirked. “Let me rephrase. I want to follow. I don't want to lead.”

 

“Now that I believe, Lieutenant Commander.” He shrugged. “I'd never have thought I'd have command rank before, either. Well... at least not like this, where it’s permanent.”

 

“Eh...don't get me started on ranks. I still don't think I should have gotten this damned half pip back.”

 

Kris just made a half grin. “I still question whether I deserved a fourth.”

 

Marris smiled as Barney brought them their burgers and retreated to the big shake machine to get them their drinks. Kris looked down at a burger that was a work of art, and medium rare, just like he liked it.

 

As Barney started the mixer up, Marris raised her voice to be heard over the noise. “Well, you certainly seem to be doing well at it.” She always hated the mixing part, sensitive ears and all.

 

He shrugged. “I hope so.” He looked over at the machine. “You know the funniest part about those things?”

 

Marris cringed as metal crunched on metal before the whining came to a stop. Quieter, she asked, “What?”

 

“There is one little piece that you can take out of it, doing no damage to the machine, and it suddenly becomes very quiet.” He snickered.

 

“Hey Barney, you hear that! Take the dohickey out!” She laughed as Barney came back with the shakes and gave Marris a mock-angry look, Kris grinning. She got a straw from the little dispenser in front of them, stuck it in her shake and took a sip.

 

Kris took a sip of his shake as well and sighed. “Now that is good.”

 

Marris froze for a moment, as that was damn near exactly what he had said at The Hop...she cleared her throat. “So, how are things with Briana?”

 

“Still strained.” He shrugged. “We're not avoiding each other, but we aren't doing anything to find each other either.”

 

She cringed. “Sorry. Is there anything you can do?”

 

He shook his head. “It’s been too long, really. We'd almost have to just walk in each other's shoes to really understand each other. 500 plus years will do that...not to mention death threats and sainthood.” He winced. He hadn’t meant to say that.

 

“Umm...I think maybe I should just ignore that last part, right?”

 

Kris sighed. “Probably. I'm not proud of that. I mean...it’s just…never mind.”

 

“Right,” she said, but she was furiously wondering about the sainthood part, as she sort of already knew the death part. She looked over at him eating his burger. “If you need to get it off your chest, though, I'm all ears, as they say.” She winked as she took a bite of her burger.

 

Kris laughed, and almost choked on the burger.

 

“Mmrph,” she said, her mouth full as she handed him his shake.

 

He took a drink. “Sorry,” he said, coughing.

 

Marris made sure her mouth was clear before she spoke again. “You okay?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Okay. We’ll leave the saint bit for another day, hmm?”

 

He nodded. “So how are things with Dev? Any better?”

 

“Erm...” Marris really wasn’t overly happy about this particular change in topic, but knew that it had to come around eventually. “Things are okay, I suppose. I haven't really...talked to him yet.”

 

Kris looked her in the eye. “You should. Soon.” Marris looked back at him like talking with Alex would be like ripping her hair out strand by strand. He shook his head. “It’s up to you, Marris. But if you just leave it, it will fester, and make it that much worse.”

 

She looked into the depths of her almost finished and rapidly melting shake. “I think...I think I'm going to stop this...”

 

“Do what you think you need to do. But do something.” He grinned. “And thank you for the burger and shake. It’s been some time since I've had this,” he said as he finished off the shake.

 

Marris nodded, not looking up. “You're welcome.”

 

He patted her shoulder. “Call if you need me.”

 

She nodded again, still not looking up.

 

Kris gave her one last questioning glance, then sighed. “Computer. Exit.” The arch and doors appeared, and he walked out through them, leaving Marris alone at the bar with Barney cleaning out glasses behind the corner.

Edited April 3, 2004 by Marris Krax