Stardust - Part 2

Posted on 12 Feb 2013 @ 12:47am by Lieutenant Aria Rice & Commander Scarlet Blake

2,531 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 3 - Blake's Quarters
Timeline: MD 02 - 21:00

ON:

Aria smiled contently as she let the wine breathe. Lily was in bed...and she was asleep, she had checked. And right now, there was food ready. She had made soup...hearty soup, like her mother always made. Humming, she read the PADD with a romance novel, kicking her feet.

"Anybody home? Thanks so much for looking after Lily, work wouldn't have waited until tomorrow," Scarlet said with a small smile as she let herself in, already pulling her jacket off as she looked around, amazed at how tidy it was.

Aria smiled as she moved to her, her eyes warm as she took the jacket. "Lily's asleep, went to bed on time too, but I read a story so maybe she didn't fall asleep at once."

"This is just, remarkable, how tidy it is in here," Scarlet laughed as she watched her with a small smile. "Aria, you didn't have to do this, thank you so much."

She shrugged, her eyes warm as she put the jacket away. "I had a great time actually. We did some drawings, we went to the lounge and she played a bit there...jam sandwiches and ice cream. She had the soup as well, there's plenty left for us."

"You even got dinner ready, real food?" Scarlet chuckled, letting out a long breath. "Can I sign you up to a contract?" she teased.

Aria smiled as she moved to the food, shrugging. "My mother cooks. So she taught me. And you had stuff and Lily wanted something warming..." she got two bowls, humming.

Scarlet watched her with awe before laughing softly. "Wow, quite the little house girl."

"And completely free! Nifty, huh?" Aria winked and smiled as she looked at her. "Got some wine too."

"That's it, I'm keeping you here," she smiled gently, taking a breath to smell the delicious soup.

Aria smiled as she moved to pour the wine, watching her. "I won't complain...Lily is amazing."

"She's certainly loud," she laughed softly with a small smile, watching with warm eyes. "She wasn't too demanding was she?"

"No, she was lovely!" Aria smiled as she sipped the wine. "We did puzzles, watched a pirate film...it was really nice and she was quite happy going to bed as normal."

Scarlet smiled at that, shaking her head as she took a breath. "She is very into pirates at the moment. I think it is the whole association with ships."

Aria nodded as she watched her, taking some soup. "I like it. I said I'd get her a pirate costume for Halloween."

"She'd love that," she agreed with a soft smile. "She will want a boat next," she sighed playfully.

Aria chuckled and shook her head. "Or a parrot and an eyepatch..." she said playfully, holding her eyes. "You should eat."

Scarlet helped herself to some of the soup, moaning softly as she nodded. "This is so good."

She smiled, clearly pleased with that. "Good...good," she said and smiled warmly. "Lily cleaned her bowl...she even ate the veggies."

"Then you really are a star," she smiled gently to her. "I try and use real food when I can.

Aria smiled, pleased with herself as she watched her. "It's better for you if you ask me."

"I want her to understand worth," Scarlet admitted with a soft smile.

Aria nodded as she held her eyes, smiling gently. "Worth in things...and herself."

"Absolutely," Scarlet said quietly, meeting her eyes. "And the Federation. And what it has given us. And what it might be like for others who aren't so lucky."

Aria watched her closely. There was a story there, trying to get through. "What happened to you?" she asked softly, but not pushing either. It was a gentle question. If she refused, Aria would let it drop.

Scarlet watched her with mild surprise for a moment, clearing her throat. "It's a long story," she said softly. "I would bore you to death," she chuckled.

"No, would never bore me," Aria said and smiled as she sipped the wine, watching her. "And I have nowhere I need to go right now."

"Then let's pour out a couple of glasses of wine," she chuckled softly, leaning forward to catch hold of the bottle.

She nodded as she watched her, her eyes warm. "Let's go and sit on the sofa as well...get comfy."

Scarlet nodded with her, picking the things up to take over to the low table by the sofa. "What was it like growing up on Luna?"

"Pretty okay," Aria sat down as she watched her, shrugging. "What has been terraformed is quite nice, but we were in the cheaper district of Selene City. So moondust instead. Oh, you can still breathe the air and all that, but it is all so very...fake."

"Life in a snow globe?" Scarlet said softly, watching her with a gentle smile.

Aria nodded as she held her eyes, biting her lip. "Pretty much, yeah..." she chuckled.

"Pretty, until the sparkles settle," Scarlet laughed softly, looking down into her glass with a smile.

Aria studied her before reaching to touch her cheek, making her look at her. "You okay?" she asked gently.

Scarlet nodded with a gentle smile, watching her. "You have so much energy and life, Aria. It is to be admired."

She shrugged as she stroked her cheek for a moment before pulling her hand back. "I still make mistakes," she said softly. "And I admit it too. Lots of mistakes. It is how I learn."

"Nothing wrong in mistakes," Scarlet said firmly, watching her with a genuine smile. "Some of them can even turn out good."

"Like Lily?" Aria asked gently, searching her face for a long moment.

Scarlet searched her eyes with soft surprise before smiling gently, nodding. "Yes," she replied honestly. "But I love her a lot. So much."

"I know...I can see it," she said and smiled warmly, sipping her wine. "So tell me...everything."

"Everything?" she said with surprise before laughing softly, resting her head in her hand. "That is - a lot."

Aria smiled as she held her eyes. "Well, not being funny...but you must never get the chance, you know. To talk about you."

"I am usually better at covering myself, so to speak," Scarlet smiled to her gently, watching with a small smile.

"Well, I am your friendly Aria, and you get to tell me anything," she said playfully and refilled their glasses.

Scarlet searched her eyes before smiling, sipping her wine gently. She wouldn't go all the way back to the beginning. Mentioning the Maquis wasn't exactly a good thing. "Well, unlike you, I managed to just about slip through the requirements to join the marines."

Aria watched her with awe and warmth, sipping her drink as she held her eyes. "Wow..."

"I had to retry, they didn't want me on my first go," Scarlet admitted with a small smile. "And even then, I was still weaker than the others. But I was fast, and learned quickly. And I became a psych officer."

Aria smiled gently as she watched her. "But you were smarter too," she said softly, holding her eyes.

"I have always understood people," Scarlet said gently, watching with a small smile. "It was natural to me. I actually wanted to be a sniper though, but they told me to be a psych officer."

Aria leant back, watching her with a small smile. "Why a sniper?" she asked with interest.

"I liked rifles," Scarlet laughed softly, shrugging lightly. "What can I say, I struggled with my pack, but I was great with a rifle. They still used my sniping skills though. I was out there with a weapon, like a real marine officer, not just stuck behind a desk."

"I know what you mean," Aria said and looked down, with a small smile. "Did you go into regular fleet service because of Lily?"

Scarlet nodded gently, taking a deep breath as she looked into her glass. "It had been a tough time anyway. I'd been held captive for a while and it was difficult to get back into work. Finding out I was pregnant with Lily? Well, it sealed the deal. I transferred out of the marines and into the regular fleet as a counsellor."

Aria watched her, with surprise. She reached out, touching her leg, rubbing it. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

Scarlet watched her with surprise, taking a soft breath. "It's okay," she said gently. "Lily is worth anything. I couldn't be a marine with her. Especially when I don't have any other family."

"Not sorry for her. Sorry for what you had to go through before you got her," Aria said and smiled gently. "She's worth the universe."

"I was going to resign outright but the colonel pointed out that transferring to the regular fleet could be an option. So here I am," Scarlet motioned around the room with a small smile.

"I am glad you're here," Aria smiled as she touched her hair, stroking it behind her ear. "Both of you."

"Me too," Scarlet said softly as she watched her with a small smile, leaning to her. "With the tiniest waisted girl alive."

"Can you believe I had two bowls of ice cream?" Aria smiled as she watched her, her eyes shining. "And the soup. And jam sandwiches..."

"That's just cruel," Scarlet laughed, shaking her head. "You're so tiny, with such a tiny waist, it's unfair."

"I wish I had more! Like...proper abs...and...well, boobs," she said and rolled her eyes. "Because I don't fill out a top. Ever."

"Not true! And you have the tiniest little waist in the world, so you're not allowed to complain," Scarlet said firmly, arching an eyebrow.

Aria smiled and nodded, giving her a salute. "Aye, ma'am," she winked as she watched her, leaning to rest her head close to her shoulder. "You don't look like you have had a child."

Scarlet looked to her with surprise before smiling gently, stroking her dark hair. "Is that a good thing?"

"It is," she said and smiled warmly, leaning into it as she sighed softly. "You're one sexy woman..."

Scarlet laughed warmly, watching her with awe. "It's nice of you to say so."

"It's true...so power to the people, girl!" she smiled and nudged her, her eyes shining.

Scarlet laughed warmly at that, squeezing her shoulder. "I think you're the kind of woman most men dream for."

"Me?" she laughed and shook her head, taking a breath. "I am a good friend. Hardly a love interest."

"Beautiful little thing in a tiny little package they can hold and protect. I think you must be their idea of heaven," she smiled to her.

Aria shook her head and looked down. "Most find me more of a little sister figure..." she admitted softly.

"I can imagine that too," she admitted softly. "Wanting to protect and look after you. Although you seem perfectly happy."

Aria smiled and touched her cheek, stroking over it. "I am," she said softly. "Got you close, don't I?"

Scarlet chuckled warmly as she watched her, letting out a long, soft breath. "And that would make you happy?"

She nodded as she watched Scarlet, smiling as she touched her neck with a small smile. "Wouldn't you be happy if you had you close?"

"Some people say I am a little too controlled and careful," she said with a soft, half smile.

"You're a mother as well...sort of need to be those things when you have an excitable four year old around," Aria pointed out and smiled as she took her hand, holding it.

"I think I just prefer to be private," Scarlet admitted gently. It was safer that way, for a woman who had grown up in the Maquis. "Except with friends."

Aria nodded as she watched her before kissing her hand. "Well, friends are always the exception..." she winked.

"Besides, you're nice and friendly with angel eyes, what wouldn't I trust with you," Scarlet laughed softly.

Aria smiled at that and held her eyes. "Well...if you wanted to do *me* a favour...let me babysit Lily more. We had a blast!"

Scarlet watched her with surprise, laughing warmly. "You would volunteer for that? You should report to my office first thing in the morning for therapy."

She laughed warmly as she held her eyes, her own warm. "I like Lily. It's relaxing and I would be so bored without it..." she said shyly.

Scarlet smiled warmly at that, nodding her head gently. "She likes you too. She talked about you a lot."

"That's something," Aria said and watched her before leaning close. "You should go to bed...you must be exhausted."

"Same goes for you though. Did you want to crash here? You're welcome to," she smiled warmly, getting up to clear the plates away.

"I'd love to," Aria smiled and stood, stretching slightly. "Might have to borrow something to sleep in though. I can take the sofa?"

"No, take the bed with me, you're such a little thing I'll hardly notice," she teased with a wink before leading her through.

She smiled as she walked with her, studying Scarlet. "I could be a snorer...or a pillow hugger..." she said playfully.

"I'm sure I'll survive," Scarlet smiled brightly to her, laughing warmly as she searched out a tshirt and threw it over to her.

Aria smiled and nodded, undoing her jeans. There was no shyness as she stripped down to her underwear, pulling the tee shirt over her head.

Scarlet glanced to her, unable to resist as she pulled her own top off, letting out a soft breath. "You're a delicate flower," she said lightly, unable to believe how slender she was.

Aria looked over at her, studying her with shining eyes. "Still...would rather look like you."

"No, you really wouldn't," Scarlet laughed fondly, pulling on a vest. "This body has seen a lot."

Aria sat down on the bed, watching her for a long moment. "But that's why you're so beautiful."

Scarlet watched her with surprise at that, smiling gently as she sat with her. "You're a remarkable woman, do you know that?"

Aria held her eyes for a long moment before smiling. "Nah. Not really, Scarlet. Just me, really. A bit immature too..."

"Well you are young," Scarlet pointed out with a soft laugh, lying down and shifting to get comfortable.

Aria smiled gently as she moved to lie down with her, watching her for a long moment. "Maybe. Time to grow up now."

"Aria, don't be too eager," she said softly as she watched her. "There is plenty of time for that, and once it's done, it's done."

She smiled gently and reached to stroke her cheek. "Sorry," she said and pulled her close to hug.

"Don't be sorry," Scarlet said quickly, hugging her warmly. "You have so much life and energy, I'd hate to see it go."

Aria smiled at the hug, settling gently with a comfortable sigh. "Thank you..."

OFF:

Lieutenant JG Aria Rice
Security Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Scarlet Blake
Counsellor
USS Galileo

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