Heavy Dinner and Light Conversation

[crispin_xavier001 0]

Juhdia readied dinner, anticipating Elaine's arrival. “Quarters cleaned, Angus in his cage. And the duck is cooking.” He clapped his hands. “Well, I'm ready. Oh flowers, where did I put the flowers.” Juhdia found the flowers with time to spare.

 

 

 

Elaine, feeling a little uncomfortable about going to Crispin's quarters, walked slowly to her destination. When she finally arrived she felt a bit silly for going so slow, and quickly tapped the button beside the door.

 

 

 

Juhdia held the flowers behind his back, adjusted his shirt. “Come in.”

 

 

 

Elaine walked in and nodded at Crispin. “Hello Mr. Xavier.”

 

 

 

“Please, this is informal: Crispin or Juhdia. It doesn't matter which.” He pulled the flowers out. “I hope you are not allergic to Irises.”

 

 

 

Taking the flowers and smiling at them, she said, “Thank you... Crispin. But I was under the impression that you wished to discuss Mr. Baund with me over dinner.”

 

 

 

“Please, that is work. I'm off duty, you are off duty, let's leave work for the time we are on duty. And might I add, this is one of the few times I am not working off duty.” He smiled, hoping to ease Elaine. “Even I need to relax. And you have been looking so tense lately, I thought why not relax together.”

 

 

 

Looking a bit flustered, Elaine sat down. “Alright.” She sat her flowers down on the table and looked up at him. “Have I really been looking so tense lately?”

 

 

 

“Yes, you have. Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, tea, water, or brandy?”

 

 

 

“Coffee please,” Elaine requested with a smile.

 

 

 

Juhdia walked over to the table and poured her a cup of coffee. “Fresh from my own farm on Ariel IV. I just crushed the beans. Nothing tonight has been replicated, all real. How do you take it?”

 

 

 

Elaine looked pleased about getting to drink fresh ground coffee for the first time in so long. “Mmm, black please.”

 

 

 

Juhdia nodded, then handed her the cup and poured himself one as well, “It will be another ten minutes before the duck is ready. Shall I give you a tour of my quarters?”

 

 

 

She shrugged. “I suppose so, if you'd like to.” Elaine blew on her cup of coffee and took a sip. Smiling, she commented quietly to herself, “Perfect temperature, lovely flavor...”

 

 

 

“I have had several hundreds of years to get making coffee right.” Juhdia smiled, “Well, first off this spear.” He drew back colorful velvet drapery, revealing a worn and battered spear. The shaft obviously was not the original and the steel tip showed its age.

 

 

 

Elaine looked it over the spear, eyes wide, amazed at seeing something so old on this ship. Stepping back towards him, she said, “That's a gorgeous spear. I must admit I have an aunt who would be extremely jealous. She collects things like this.”

 

 

 

“Well, she would love this. When I was a Roman Centurion in 30 AD, I used it to piece the side of a Jewish criminal.”

 

 

 

She felt a bit chilled at the mention of his past, his past being something she was still trying to come to terms with. “Right, well, shall we continue the tour?”

 

 

 

“Yes.” Juhdia lead Elaine to another draped case and pulled the drapery open. “This, this is my prized possession. It belonged to the once and future king himself: King Authro Riothamus. The legendary Excalibur. I find it funny, the sword being... on the ship named after it.”

 

 

 

Pursing her lips, she did not comment on this piece, only nodding and saying, “Hmm.” To herself she wondered, King Authro Riothamus? Surely he doesn’t mean…

 

 

 

Juhdia smiled, "I have quit a history. I have been a leader of men and a servant of kings.” He turned his head to the kitchen as the timer went off, “The duck is ready, you may have a seat.” Juhdia pulled out Elaine's chair.

 

 

 

She sat down and began to play with one of the irises. “I... I have a bit of a hard time trying to wrap my brain around the whole immortal thing. I must admit, it seems terribly strange.” Elaine cringed, realizing that did not come out as well as it could have.

 

 

 

The smile disappeared from Juhdia's face, “Yes, it can be.” But the smile reappeared soon after when he came out with the appetizers. He quickly changed the subject, “For starters we have baby carrots and fresh cut green beans.”

 

 

 

Tucking a bit of hair behind her ear, she looked over the tray. “Sounds good. I believe you mentioned duck earlier... what other delicious items do you have in store for dinner?”

 

 

 

Juhdia sat down and filled his bowl with the fresh greens, he placed his napkin on his slacks, “Well, for the main course, we have roast duck, with honey glazed yams and steamed spinach. Dessert is a surprise.”

 

 

 

“How absolutely wonderful sounding.” Elaine said, before she started munching on a carrot or two. As they sat there eating veggies she began thinking about the possible painful silence that could follow for the rest of the evening.

 

 

 

Once the two were finished with the appetizers, Juhdia brought in the main course, opening the bin, to let the scent of the meal fill the room. “I have learned how to cook from the best chefs of Earth's history, so this should be good.”

 

 

 

Elaine closed her eyes, breathing in the aroma. “Mmm... I've never been much of a cook.”

 

 

 

“Well, there is always the replicator, or you could have someone else do the cooking.” Juhdia carved Elaine some breast meat, and then scooped the yams onto her plate, bathing them in the sauce. “Now, be careful, the sauce is a little bit sweet. Ah heck, I used about two cups of brown sugar to make it,” he told her, smiling his best devilish grin.

 

 

 

Elaine smirked at his confession. “Alright,” she said again, feeling a bit embarrassed at her lack of vocabulary this evening. She waited politely for him to sit down and serve himself before she started on her own plate. “The replicator is my usual choice, but on occasion I can mess even it up,” she told him.

 

 

 

Juhdia laughed, “Well, eat up before it gets cold, but save room for dessert.” He ate his meal in silence and when he was finished, he patted his lips with the napkin, thinking to himself, I hope she likes it. “Ready for dessert?”

 

 

 

“Yes,” she smiled, a bit curious what dessert could be.

 

 

 

“Well, I do not know if you have ever had Delribian chocolate before, if not, then you are in for a treat. Excuse me.” Juhdia rose and went back into the kitchen and came out with a Delribian Chocolate Cream Pie.

 

 

 

“I've never had any, no, but anything chocolate is worth a shot,” she admitted, grinning now at the thought of chocolate.

 

 

 

Juhdia cut Elaine a slice as well as a slice for himself. “Now, the reason the slices are so thin is if you have to much you could go into sugar shock.” He smiled coyly.

 

 

 

Laughing, she picked up her fork and took a bite. “Mmm... I'm at a loss for words.” Looking up and across the table at Crispin, she thought to herself, Indeed, I am at a loss for words.

 

 

 

“Don't worry, I let you take the left over pie home. I can only take so much chocolate.” Juhdia looked up and noticed that Elaine was looking at him; he could see that she was no longer the tense Doctor Delgado, but a more relaxed Elaine. “There, I knew you could lighten up. All you needed was just the right situation.”

 

 

 

Her face flushed again, caught off guard for the moment by his comment. “Mr. Xavier... Crispin... there's something I have been meaning to talk to you about.” Elaine thought over all that had been on her mind lately: her mother’s suggestion to be more assertive; Brian coming into her office to talk to her at Crispin’s request; the careful speech she had planned out to give to Crispin about… “Well... a while ago you offered yourself as someone if I ever needed to talk. Is... is that offer still open?” She inwardly cringed. That was not part of the speech, she reminded herself.

 

 

 

“Go ahead, what is on your mind?”

 

 

 

“Nothing in particular, only... it would be nice to know that there was someone I could talk to, if I needed to.” She smiled softly. “I'm not very good at making friends you see. Most people find me too quiet.” Elaine wondered at herself. That’s similar to the ‘lets just be friends speech’, but not the same. What on earth are you doing?

 

 

 

“No problem, People find me to be to forceful. But to get to be as old as I am, you have to be forceful.”

 

 

 

Elaine sat finishing her piece of pie up, wondering if she should thank him for the wonderful meal and leave, or sit there for a while and actually talk.

 

 

 

“Let me take that for you, I'll just be a second.” Juhdia gathered the plates placing them in the replicator and cleaned them, then walked back in with a bottle of brandy. “Would you like another coffee?”

 

 

 

She shook her head no. “No thank you, I've had plenty of caffeine for today, I'm sure.”

 

 

 

“Brandy then? Two hundred and sixty years old. I was there when it was bottled.”

 

 

 

Raising an eyebrow for a moment, but then smiling and deciding for the moment to be more… relaxed, Elaine answered, “I don't usually drink, but... alright, a small glass please.”

 

 

 

Juhdia poured her a snort and a rocks glass for himself, he swished the brandy in the glass and smelled it, “Nice bouquet,” he then handed Elaine her glass.

 

 

 

Holding the cup gently in her hands and taking a small sip, Elaine decided to ask a question that had been bothering her for some time. “If you do not wish just anyone to know that you are an... immortal... then why do you throw such information as ‘I was there when it was bottled’ around? What if someone overhears you saying such things?”

 

 

 

“I only say such things when I am in the company of those who know. But some times I slip up. I wanted to tell you and Brian only because, I thought you were all about to die and I felt I owed you that much.”

 

 

 

She took another sip. “Really Crispin, I…” she paused to sigh, “I'm sorry, I suppose I'm just a little skeptical of it all.” Elaine cringed at her choice of words, for how could she be skeptical of “it all” when she had seen him stab himself in the chest and live?

 

 

 

“Try living with it. I have been alive for over four thousand three hundred and sixty years. I have done wondrous things, as well as monstrous things. Some atrocities I can never live down. But now all I can do is just live each day as it comes.”

 

 

 

Elaine stood, looking a bit bewildered at his outburst. She sat her cup down. “I'm sorry I've upset you. Perhaps it's time I was leaving.” She picked up her flowers and made a point of looking at them to avoid looking at Crispin.

 

 

 

“No need, I am...” Juhdia stood and placed his hand on her shoulder, “No need to go, unless you want to. But remember, you have a friend here.”

 

 

 

“I think I should,” she told him. Elaine leaned forward and gave him a small peck on the cheek. “Thank you for a wonderful dinner.”

 

 

 

“Thank you for the company and for letting yourself go, relaxing. Good night. Oh wait, the pie.” Juhdia wrapped up the pie and handed it to her.

 

 

 

“Oh the pie!” Taking it, Elaine smiled at Crispin and gazed at him for a moment, then headed for the door, taking more to think about with her than just the pie and flowers.

 

 

 

Juhdia, hoping he made a good impression, thought it best to leave it as is and let her go.