Affairs of the heart?

Posted on Sat Mar 13th, 2021 @ 12:26am by Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro

2,278 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 2 - Echoes Of An Empire
Location: Sickbay

ON:

Tamaska had to talk to someone, and the only person whom she felt comfortable with in speaking to would be Melanie. It was something along the matter of the heart.

Tapping on her comm.badge she sent a call to Melanie, =^="Do you have time for a coffee or tea?"=^=

Mel nodded then remembered it was her comm. badge speaking. She pressed it laughing at herself for thinking suddenly Tam was in the room. "Yes I'm in my office in sickbay. I'm due a break, come join me."

It didn't take long for Tam to arrive in sickbay, and she had a beaming smile she was trying to hide. "Hello!" Tam sang out, a definite difference from the last time she had talked to Melanie. "What would you like to drink?" ordering herself a hot green tea with lemon and honey.

"I'm okay thanks," Mel said tapping her coffee. "What do you think?" she asked. "I tried move things around, give it a different colour. Anything to try not see those bodies.

"I love it, and it will take time for those images to fade to mere shadows but, if you've got someone or something to occupy you mind." wagging her eyebrows up and down comically. "It will help. How are you doing with making the images go more faint."

"I'm working with Peter and trying to negotiate with my hosts to isolate and dim the memory," Mel admitted. "We even tried a mindmeld for him to lock it away but they didn't want to cooperate with him. Anyway ... what can I do for you? You look different Tam. Lighter, happier. Something happened? Who is he?"

Tam brought over her tea and took a seat near Mel, and smiled softly. " I don't know where it will go or if it will work out but," her cheeks turning pink, "I met our Chief of Science Officer, Junjie Han, we played music together, and then, we cooked dinner together and ate in his quarters. It was delicious. He walked me to my quarters and kissed my hand." her smile broadening to a grin. "Then he left to go to his quarters. However my mind wondered what it would be like if he were to kiss me on my lips." she had placed her tea on the table nearby and covered her face almost squealing.

She peeked out towards Melanie, then lowered her hands. "I was wondering, is it too soon to...get into a possible romance with someone? After all I broke up with my first love. I need some advice, should I... take it slow or just go with the flow?"

"Definitely go with the flow," Mel said happy for her. Although Charlie might not take it that well. She was certainly in Mel's eyes nursing a crush on Chief Han. "If its making you smile and blush like this its clearly not to soon. I wish I had been brave enough to go for things sooner," she admitted.

"Will you tell me who is it that is making you happy now? Or is that supposed to still be a secret." Tam asked, she still had her suspicions but wasn't going to blurt it out.

“He wants discretion, ” Mel said awkwardly. But this was Tam. She didn't enjoy keeping things from her and she suspected she knew who it was anyway. “But if you were to guess then I haven't told you have I? I've still been discreet. I mean I can’t control my face or emotions IF you were to guess correctly can I?”

"That is true, IF I were to guess correctly and I can read your, body language or your tells, then I would be able to deduce who is making you very happy. I get three chances to guess correctly." Tam giving a bit of a teasing smile. "My first guess would be Chief Stoun, after all, who can resist his sexy bald head." wagging her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

Mel found herself giggling. She knew her friend was teasing. “He’s a lovely man for sure but I managed to resist his sexy bald head. Oh let me show you, ” she smiled.

”Here boy, ” she said. The holoprojectors in her office activated and the fluffy golden retriever puppy he had created for her manifested into life and spotting Tam closest to him started jumping up trying to lick her. “Fluffy enough?”

Tamaska laughed, then rubbed her hands over the puppy, giving it a kiss. "Definitely fluffy enough. I love it. What the puppy's name?" Then pulling the puppy up on her lap, to stroke the fur.

"Oh I think Chief Stoun suggested Fluffy Nick but I'm just calling him Fluffy," She said. "And he did it all over a meal in the mess can you believe it. Like 5 minutes and taa daa holographic puppy."

"That is fantastic." Tam burying her nose in Fluffy's fur before setting him down. "Can be addicting to just hold Fluffy." giving a bit of a laugh. "So, Chief is out, I have another guess. Hmmnnn.... Adams, our handsome Operations officer? Maybe its him that is bringing out the sunshine in you. He does have a killer smile when he allows it to show." Tam picking up her cup and drinking some of her tea, all the while looking at Mel.

"I haven't actually met the man yet," Mel said. "But I read his file planning in physicals. Half Klingon. I swore off Klingons as the whole Dverok/Leiko affair 200 years ago. And he's 25. Come on Tam I can't keep up with a 25 year old," she giggled again. "And a half klingon one at that. You know their natural stamina? Well think Klingon and half it," she said seriously.

Tam's eyes widened, as she thought about that for a moment or two. "All right then my last and final guess is, Keiben. Another handsome, debonair man, who also has a heart of gold and gentle manners too. I think he is certainly the perfect one to have been making you smile, and making you radiant."

Mel blushed a little but nodded. "You already knew I suspect. Yes but he's the Captain so it has to be discreet even if I wish I could go shout it from the hilltops. Charlie does know now. I think it would have still happened eventually but losing everyone made me realise how upset I would have been if I had of lost Keiben. It gave me the courage to ... well I kissed him and it went from there."

"Oooh, that sounds so romantic. I have noticed that he's been happier as well. I won't shout it from the hill tops either. Well you could in the holodeck" Tam grinned. "I am so happy for you, Mel. It makes me feel very happy. Very happy indeed." she raised her tea cup up, in a toast salute, saying softly, "Here's to our budding romances, may they continue on forward." she took a sip then stated. "I hope I get to do some more cooking with Junjie, he is an amazing cook. Might have to do a double date.. maybe not, as we are still needing to be discreet about the romance. But a dinner with friends or crewmates? Or I can even do a romantic dinner for the two of you."

"Well we all know I can't," Mel collapsed into giggles. "What does Keiben say, my toffee could patch a warp breach. Charlie fears most of what I can cook up and the irony is I used to be a chef. A professional one. Skills are not necessarily transferable when you are joined.

She turned serious again for a moment. "Tam, I don't know if your aware or if its even on Junjie's radar but Charlie is fast developing a full blown crush on that man. And seemingly making older friends who I'm not sure how worried I ought to be there. I mean there's hardly anyone her own age on this ship anymore. She can't warm to Lance and believe me I'm trying there to push them to try be friends. I had hoped Peters sons might be a possible friendship but it seems her and Connor are not .. how did she put it? Gelling either."

Tam's eyes widened at the information of Charlie having a crush on Junjie. "Oh dear, that is going to be an interesting situation there, I wonder if he's noticed the feeling she has." She thought more about it "The possible reason she may not be gelling is the new students haven't been through what she has faced. Wasn't Lance involved during the attack on the ship?"

"Lance lost his father. He and his mother survived. His mum was off the ship at the time so now she's back. Its nice actually. I have another person with a kid going through the same ... situation to talk too.

It could be part that," she considered the other woman's words, "and part ... well Vulcans. Hybrid Vulcans there's still the logic and the literalness. I imagine that's why she's not warming to Connor. I never had a problem with Peter though and believe me he's not your typical Vulcan hybrid or otherwise," she grinned. "I just hope she doesn't scare off Junjie. She really does need that help with Math."

"Horn definitely doesn't strike me as the run of the mill counselor, I like him. As for Charlie, I don't think she will scare him off. I'm sure Junjie will know how to handle things with Charlie. He definitely is someone who seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I am wondering how Charlie will feel if things progress between myself and Junjie. I may have to have a conversation with her at some point. But it might be better if she brings it up. I don't want her to realize that you and I have talked about that subject."

"She won't bring it up. She has her new best friend Minka now. She rarely shares anything with me," Mel stated. "And she's going to suspect we spoke regardless. She's a teenager remember," Mel said softly. "Do you remember it? That feeling? That's everything was against you. Nothing was fun. Everything you thinks the right way ....Starts at 12/13 earlier if your unluckily like a Klingon or full blood trill and goes on for 6-8 years or so just getting worst. Hormones, puberty. I should at least be happy her human side is more predominant with the hormones," she chuckled slightly.

"I just hope she doesn't try kiss him or anything," Mels face changed to concern. "If I had known before I would never of suggested Junjie tutor her."

"Known of her crush on him, or my interest in Junjie. I really think that Junjie will be able to take care of the matter in a very gentle manner. As for Minka, I still have to meet with her, so many people to get to know, good thing this is a small ship."

"Her crush," Mel said. "I think you having an interest in Junjie is fantastic. I just don't want Charlie making the science chief uncomfortable. And her getting hurt convincing herself she might have a chance there. The whole men thing its difficult to navigate with teenagers. Yes you need to go check out this Minka. Do I need to worry there," Mel said honestly. "And more importantly why can't she like Vulcans? I mean come on Connor is the same age nearly and sensible. Hes Peters son after all. Tay my brother is completely obsessed with his first daughter - Seleya. Oh she's wonderful. I really hope they start something. They are both at the academy together right now. He's loved her since he was 6. Since he laid eyes on her. Even tried to talk Peter into letting him be the bonded husband to be. Oh that's such a long time ago," she said softly.

Tamaska raised her eyebrows, "And Peter didn't want that to happen yet? Ah, maybe he is wanting them to be a certain age. It sounds so romantic though." giving a bit of a smile. "As for Charlie, she may not want to fall for Horne's son. However maybe I need to talk to Charlie, woman to woman, about Junjie."

"Well something tells me she's not going to listen to me," Mel nodded in agreement. "Romantic yes but they were too young at that point and Peter decided not to do that ritual and hold Seleya to it. Let her choose her own path. Tay was just panicking because he was considering it. I remember it well. He was worried that the selected husband might not treat her right. I mean 6. He was in love with Peters daughter at age 6. How crazy is love?"

"I agree, 6 years old is too young. Though some kids just know, right from the beginning at a certain age."Tamaska stated. " I will talk to Charlie and hopefully we can come to some sort of diplomatic consensus. It will be a bit of a sticky situation but, it can be done." giving a smile of confidence.

"Oh Tam, you have a cheerful outlook on teenagers," Mel said. "Good luck."

Tam looked at Mel, and chuckled, " I was a teenager once upon a time ago, hopefully I can find a solution. I'm just trying to have an upbeat hope it can be done without a lot of hurt. I'll see you later Mel, thank you for listening to my ramblings."

Mel nodded, "Take care Tam."

OFF:

Dr Melanie D'BrooNi
CMO
USS Copernicus

Commander Tamaska Holt
XO
USS Copernicus

 

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