Dinner on Bajor....

Posted on Thu Nov 7th, 2024 @ 10:17pm by Commander Lorut Vila & Lieutenant Commander Frasier Greene

3,310 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Short Treks
Location: Vila's Quarters
Timeline: MD-2

Vila was NOT dealing well with the current stress of running command. She didn't have the full trust of the Crew yet, though she was making strides, and still butted heads with Lyo-different command styles, different personalities. Vila came from a place of pure, unadulterated rage and a need to ensure that no child ever faced what she had, while Lyo approached things by the book. If Vila never saw the Officer's manual again in her life, it'd be fine with her.

So she did the best thing she could think of. Asked Frasier to come eat a meal with her so she could ignore her problems for awhile. He was fast becoming a need in her life-she wasn't yet sure how to address it yet, or if she needed to or what. She was overdue to see Dr. Campbell, but was ALSO procrastinating at that. She didn't want to hear it today from that woman. Even though the woman was always correct. Damn it.

She was ALSO feeling homesick-likely due to the stress-and so she'd had an idea. She set up her holo-emitter to a scene of the Bajoran sky. It could be like a picnic back home! She changed quickly, stripping off her uniform, having a fast sonic shower, and stepping into a dress that showed off her curves in the right places. It might be a bad idea, given everything going on, but her other coping mechanisms-drinking, yelling at people, and generally being miserable weren't working anymore, so at least she'd recognized that! This was as good as she could do to keep from losing her mind in the moment. Finally, she settled in with a glass of iced Jumja tea to wait. She wanted the Spring wine but she really WAS intent on making a good effort to curtail her drinking problem. It was fast being replaced by coffee and sexual relations, but at least those were far less damaging. Right?!

She decided quickly on the replicator tonight-she was on call, technically, as acting Captain, but still, it needed to be decent. Pasta. That'd do. She liked it, anyway, and it was always a failsafe. Now, if only he'd HURRY so she wasn't alone with her thoughts anymore.

Unlike his rapidly becoming girlfriend that he'd not been actively looking for Frasier headed to Vila's quarters straight from sickbay having dealt with a last minute emergency. He'd been annoyed at the set back, made worse that he wasn't really required -Blake, head Nurse had the situation covered. He toyed with the idea of dropping by his quarters to shower and change but quickly declined having seen just how late he was now, besides with the speed in which their relationship was moving she'd probably enjoy taking a shower with him.

"Sorry I'm late," he announced once inside and quickly peeled off the lab coat that still swung around his frame. "Hmm you look divine and I love what you've done with the place," he continued striding towards her before swooping down to kiss her.

Vila smiled at the man who appeared in front of her. "Sit," she said, reaching up to kiss him. "For a minute, then you can go clean up," she said, patting the couch next to her. She'd had to argue for it in her quarters, but she'd just told Culver it was leftover from her marriage and had sentimental value-these things were true. BUT also the dumb benches that the Fleet provided were uncomfortable, and she was the XO! She didn't think a single piece of extra furniture was too fancy. The rest of her quarters were pretty sparse-she lived spartanly, but also...she just didn't care. She would, someday, when she had a house and a permanent residence, but as a single (?) woman, she really didn't need to decorate much. The bed was lusciously made-Tholian silk sheets, the only other luxury she allowed herself. PLUS she was still stuck in her youth-that she didn't deserve nice things because Bajorans weren't worth it. Another thing she intended to work on. Someday.

After he settled in next to her, she rested her head on his chest. "Today was...a lot," she said. "I have to call the Admiral later, but it's still middle of the night on Sol, and..well. Ideally, I'd like to put it off for forever but at least until his morning," she said. "What am I supposed to SAY? "Sorry, the Captain got a bug up his ass about going on an away mission HIMSELF even though he has and XO and second officer, and now he's dead, and so is the entire crew of another Fleet vessel?" She sighed. "And then to notify his next of kin...." she wanted to cry, but didn't have the energy.

Frasier gently stroked Vila's hair as spoke and she rested against him. He could feel the tension across her shoulders and up her neck and wished he could help carry the weight of her responsibilities. Noting her voice quake the prospect of notifying the family of the lost, he twisted his frame to kiss her temple. "It's alright," he cooed softly. "These can wait till tomorrow. Aurora may find some answers on the surface yet. Let's not jump the gun."

A short silence fell upon them as they continued to hold another under the starry sky lost in their own individual thoughts. "It's not your fault," Frasier squeezed her slightly having wrapped his arms around her. "Max chose to travel on the Loveless and had reviewed the risks it presented. No one could have predicted they'd be met with devastating violence based on our intelligence. Don't let this eat you. The crew needs a leader now more than ever before - and despite what you think about yourself right now - you are the best person for the job."

She smiled, watching as Jerrado floated by on her ceiling. "I know he did, but..one thing the Militia taught was "never leave anyone behind if you can help it," she said. "And...I just feel like we need to be down there. I know we can't yet....and you're right. Waiting for CetOps is the best course of action, but...I feel useless when I am just sitting behind a console, telling other people what to do," she said. She really was a more kinetic, hands-on person, always needing to be in the action.

"I know," Frasier squeezed her again. "Waiting is the worst thing at times."

"Thank you for listening. This is Bajor. Felt a little homesick. Can you show me your home later?" She asked. "I have holo-shows of all the known planets in all but Gamma Quadrant," she said. "Still building those up," she said. The scientist in her needed to have it all.

"I did wonder why the ceiling looked somewhat different," Frasier replied glancing up the projection. "Of course I can show you the night sky from Earth, though I'm ashamed I don't recall many of their names." He turned his gaze back to her. "We should try to secure some time off together, I'd like you to show me Bajor one day."

Vila smiled. "I'd like that...sometime," she said. She had a feeling that they weren't going to have a lot of opportunity to get away for AWHILE.

"Go use my shower, I'll make the food, and we can go from there," she said, kissing him again.

The Doctor grinned wondering if he could entice her to share it with him: "Alright. Though, maybe you'll need to check in on me, you know, make sure I don't get lost in your enamours quarters." He often teased her about your larger personal space with more personal luxuries than he had.

It finally occurred to her that he may want her to join him, so she simply raised an eyebrow. "Maybe I should come with you now; can't have ANOTHER crew member go missing," she said, following him towards the bathroom.


----


A bit later, still glowing, Vila stumbled out to the kitchen area. "Dinner or...dessert first?" She asked, cheekily, but made her way to the replicator. "I am too tired to cook tonight, so I hope the replicator is OK," she said. Normally, she DID cook, and was fairly decent at it. She liked food and loved to eat well, so she didn't mind. Her brain was tense, though, and she could only focus on a few things at a time. Dr. Campbell had said that it was a result of her traumas-that attending to too many things made her feel too vulnerable to being hurt, and in time, she could learn to feel more comfortable with multitasking.

"Replicator is fine," Frasier voiced sounded from the adjacent room as he finished dressing himself in the spare jeans and t-shirt he'd kept in her closet. "There's no need to be fancy with food."

"I was thinking of some chicken pappardelle," she said. She replicated two small glasses of Springwine. She'd been doing OK with her drinking and could handle one, plus, having Frasier there to hold her accountable would help.

"Sounds ideal," Frasier appeared alongside still with a smirk and glint in his eye. "Filling and satisfying."

She smiled at him as he appeared. "Good!" She said, handing him the glass. "Springwine while we wait?" Not that it didn't take but a moment for the plates to be ready but still. She grabbed one, and handed it off, and then took hers. "Want to eat on the couch and watch the stars?" She asked. Vila was very "routine" but she did find whimsy sometimes!

"Please," Frasier nodded with his hands full. "A younger me would opt for the floor to complete the picnic scene but why ignore the comfortable furniture?"

Vila laughed. "Same," she said. "Now, though, sitting on the floor for too long makes my back hurt," she said. The perks of aging came with some not-so-great side effects.

"And makes getting up again feel like a challenge," Frasier agreed with a smile before allowing the soft welcoming cushions of the sofa consume him.

"Mmm," the Doctor approved at the soft delicate notes on the Springwine before stowing the glass aside. "The wine is delicious," he commented. "I hadn't realised the replicator did such a good intimation of its notes."

Vila smiled. "I know," she said. "I had this one refined a bit, truthfully," she said. "When I was drinking more," she said, a bit quieter. She was doing better now, but still wasn't where she wanted to be. Rena had said that healing would take time if she was doing it right and was serious about it. She led him to the couch, and settled in, balancing the plate carefully on her lap. "I don't normally eat on the couch, but sometimes...it reminds of before the Occupation; on our holidays, my mother would let my brothers and me eat on the grass outside and we could play and watch the sky," she said. "Sometimes I need a bit of Bajor, even out here," she said, absently, as if it were just yesterday.

"When did you last visit?" Frasier asked.

"Before we onboarded," she said. "But I call home once a week," she said. "I hope after all of this...we can go back to DS9. We'll see," she said. "This helps, though," she said, smiling, and looking around at the projected skyline. "Wait...just there," she said, pointing to the shadowy view of a tall building. "That's my village," she said. "Our Temple is that tall building," she said. "It hasn't been rebuilt yet. Truthfully, I hope they don't," she said. She ate a bit of her meal. She was able to calm down a bit as she spoke about her planet.

A smile tugged at Frasier's lips as she point out the building silhouetted in the starry sky with long on longing. "What's the name of your village?" he asked. "How big is it?"

"I am from Holana," she said. "Near the river," she said. "The village itself only had about one hundred of us at one time, but the Province-Musilla- was quite big. One of our Universities was there...before it was destroyed. My father taught Bajoran law there, and my mother worked for the Provincial government," she explained. "My mother's family owned a Springwine vineyard and winery. It was destroyed early in the Occupation, as was the university. That's when we fled," she said. "First to the highlands, then the Hills. But it wasn't enough; the Cardassians moved in EVERYWHERE. Eventually, we went underground..they found us there, too." She sighed. "We no longer live in Holana. We were relocated to Jalanda City after our...liberation," she said. "That's where I joined the Milita." She smiled lightly. "What about you? What's your...home like on Earth? I know we've talked about it briefly, but...tell me more. I do like Sol. Some of it," she laughed. "It's beautiful, at least the parts I've seen."

The Doctor listened carefully to her explanation and tried to understand how the effects of the Dominion War and Occupation had shaped her life. It was a struggle for him to imagine how the Barjorn population managed to endure so much terror and bloodshed compared to his own somewhat sheltered experience.
"My home is very different," he said at length. "I grew up and spent most of my early years in New York with my parents and older sister. With the bustle both day and night there was little chance to see the stars like this. Mostly due to fact the city was so bright, yet on the outskirts we lived they shone through."

He took a sip of his glass before continuing. "I took some time out from studies with Catherine to travel, saw some wondrous sights, even now there's a few mysteries on Earth that remain unexplained. Back then, I thought I'd remain grounded and a civilian Doctor for life, I'd never considered enrolling with Starfleet as a young man let alone as a mature student."

Vila looked at him. She was quiet for a minute. "I am glad you did, though I can't imagine it was easy," she said. "You should be proud of yourself. Most people can't make that kind of life change," she said. "And your life sounds nice...but even with hindsight, I am not sure I would change my life's history. It's made me who I am. Good AND bad. I needed to experience it to understand others' struggles. In a lot of ways, it's made me a better officer. Especially on First Contact situations. I just wish they would give me the opportunity to really SHOW that," she said. Now she could, though. She stopped to eat a bit. "You'll need to show me the places you've been on Earth," she said. "I've only managed to make it to Canada and the place you call Asia," she said. "And only for short periods of time-usually when docked at HQ or something," she said. "My ex-husband is from the Midwest, though."

"It certainly wasn't easy," Frasier replied drily. "I needed to do it for myself having lost my way and Earth had lost its charm after my marriage." He paused hoping he could steer the conversation on again. Though it had been years he still wasn't comfortable talking about his past nor family members who'd shunned him. "Aside from a flying visit or two I haven't been back since I graduated, I may not be the best guide."

She chuckled. "That's ok," she said. "In time, maybe," she said. They had time, after all. She liked the speed at which they were moving-though she hadn't picked this, she couldn't deny that she really liked Fraiser - both romantically and simply as him. He had taken the time to try to understand her, and that mattered to her. "How's your dinner?" She asked. She sensed his uncomfortableness at discussing his marriage-and didn't blame him. She was more open about hers but most of that was because she simply didn't care anymore-bygones were bygones.

Frasier had picked at his meal with less gusto than previously feeling a bit melancholy as memories had stirred, and forced a smile at her question, but it lacked its normal warmth. "It's good," he replied with a nod.

"I am sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," she said. The mood had shifted. She put her plate on the coffee table in front of them. "You can always tell me to mind my business if you're uncomfortable with something. We have time," she said, "To have discussions about important things." She sighed. "What if we skip the rest of dinner and move on to dessert?" She said, raising an eyebrow. Maybe a little intimacy would help BOTH of them. Or maybe it would make it worse. She had no idea. She was sailing uncharted waters here.

Frasier hesitated in response, lowered his bowl having lost his appetite and appeared to physically wilt under her questioning gaze. "It's OK," he replied heavily then placed his half eaten pasta alongside her's on the coffee table. "It's not your fault, it's just something I need to work on, does that make sense?" he looked at her.

She nodded. "Of course. It's just...I don't want to fight. Not now. The stress is...a lot. I am sorry. We will drop it and you can work on it in your time, OK?" She said, with a light smile.

With a great heave of his shoulders Frasier straightened his frame and seemingly collected himself in the process to banish his sour mood.
"Wasn't I supposed to come here and cheer you up?" he asked with a return of the glimmer in his eye. "I think we're both too exhausted for any further action, but I'll settle for a snuggle and snooze on the couch and we're worry about tomorrow in the morning." He stretched his arms out inviting her to draw closer.

She chuckled. "You were, and you are," she said. She moved closer to him. "A snuggle and snooze sounds perfect," she said, letting her head rest on his chest. She could hear the steady, strong beat of his heart, and it was quiet. "OR we could do it in bed, which is far more comfortable, and I promise we will just sleep. I NEED it," she said. She was sleeping better-the man next to her helped, but so had the medications and counselling.

Gently tracing her earring glistening through her hair as it trailed across his chest Frasier nodded wearily. "Sounds like a plan, I'm beat too."

She smiled, and pulled him to his feet. "Alright, let me turn off the simulation," she said. She led him to the bed first, and then turned to kill the holo-emitter. It was nice to see home, even for just a couple of hours, and even if only a hologram. She leaned in to kiss Frasier again. "Thank you for a nice evening," she said.

Watching the starscape fade into oblivion and feel the warmth of her kiss linger on his lips Frasier smiled. "Anytime."

She began to undress to put on her pyjamas-sometimes she slept nude with him, but not tonight. Tonight, she fully intended to get at least seven hours, fuckery from the rest of the Universe notwithstanding.

Frasier hid his smirk as she donned her pyjamas making a very clear statement of her none nonsense approach to the evening. Shedding his clothes save for his underwear to respect her decision he settled into the luxurious bed linen and lifted his arm in a silent invitation for her to lay across his bear chest where they'd most likely fall asleep in an instant.

 

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