Posted by Captain Marceau Renault (Commanding Officer) in Memory: Tales of Christmas Past

Posted by Lieutenant Helena Laursen (Helm/Nagivation Officer) in Memory: Tales of Christmas Past

Posted by Captain Marceau Renault (Commanding Officer) in Memory: Tales of Christmas Past
Posted by… suppressed (19) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Helena’s trip home over the short winter break had been decided last minute. Her flight exam was taking her back to the East Coast and she was able to arrange to take another Cessna the rest of the way home. It has been a short trip, but now she was back and excited for the new semester and classes to start. Her room mate chattered at her for over two hours when she got back, about some little box she was messing with that was now spread in parts across their entire room.

Helena escaped to find food and other friends. Their squads would be determined this semester and they would work, study, and live together the rest of their four years. Helena was excited for it. In the Galley she grabbed a tray, food and then looked around. She spotted a mop of curly red-brown hair and grinned. “Hey Marceau! How was your break?” She set her tray down and sat down across from him

Helena

Marceau’s own roommate had gone home for the holidays, most of the school had. Marceau had stayed here and spent most of his time with his girlfriend Lucy. When Helena sat across from him, Marceau smiled. “Helena! Two weeks is too long.” He said, meaning not seeing each other for the length of the break. “It was okay.” He shrugged. “How was yours? You went home, yes?”

~ Marceau

Helena nodded around taking a sip of her drink. “It is far too long. I did go home. My flight exam took me to NY and with my tutoring money and our stipends I was able to charter a Cessna for the trip.” She didn’t sound as excited as normal for the trip.

“My brother is giving my parents a hard time, but it was good to see them.” Then her eyes gleamed. The first thing she’d done when she got back was check the scores for the final assessment. “I took top score!” Helena was taking 3rd year flight classes already, and was ranked top of her class. Unbeknownst to her, her instructors were planning to put her in one-on-one classes with them to improve her skills. Her skill and scores also drive the older cadets crazy.

“That’s good!” Marceau smiled, happy for her. He was at the top (but not quite the top, not yet) of his own first year medical class.

She grinned, she wasn’t the type to brag but she was really proud of her performance.

“What did you do? You said you were planning on staying. How was that?”

Helena

“I stayed here. I spent Christmas with Lucy and her family, and new years also. Her whole family came over so we watched some of her younger cousins open presents and play.” He told her. “And I used some of the extra time to get extra studying in.”

~ Marceau

“Honestly with only 4 years I’m surprised they don’t have classes over the break. You are doing amazing though. I saw it posted that Cmdr Ballaris picked you and Gorbins as his interns. That’s amazing!” Marceau had talked about how competitive that spot was. Ballaris was picky and expected perfection. She knew Marceau had earned and was not surprised he had spent the break studying.

Marceau nodded. “Some of the cadets don’t like Ballaris, but I think they just don’t like how hard he pushes them. I’m excited for it.” Ballaris was known for expecting perfection and usually picked out of the top of the class for his interns.

“So how was that? Spending the holiday with Lucy’s family? You two getting serious?” She grinned and waggled her eyebrows at him. Marceau had a shy streak but was a good person and had some steel in him if you paid attention. Lucy wasn’t military, but was very smart and worked hard. The two seemed to get on well together, but Helena couldn’t pass up the chance to tease her friend a bit.

Helena

Marceau’s face turned red and he shrugged awkwardly. “Serious? Ehm I don’t know. But we’ve been dating… Four months now? It’s been nice. Her family was polite and nice.” His relationship with Lucy was still in the newer relationship, lovey-dovey phase. They hadn’t talked too much about the future. That was on Marceau’s to-do list. Lucy liked to talk about all the things she wanted to do… Things he’d have to be on Earth for.

~ Marceau

Helena grinned when he flushed. “I am glad they were nice and you had a good time. Did you hear from your family at all?” Helena knew Marceau didn’t have a lot of money. Like all cadets they were paid a small stipend since they worked for the military, and Marceau was very careful with his money. She also knew where he grew up was still riddled with crime and gang activity, but she had never pried. Marceau seemed to want to avoid the topic.

Helena

Marceau dreaded that question. It took a lot of explaining and he was quickly getting tired of being asked. But for Helena he only sighed and shook his head. “It’s better that way…” Marceau had routinely avoided questions about his family but people got curious from time to time especially around breaks when he didn’t return home.

~ Marceau

Helena nodded and changed the subject. It would be awhile before the topic came up again. Marceau wanted his privacy and Helena wouldn’t press. “What classes are you taking this semester? I have languages…I am so going to need a tutor. But I am really excited about finding out what our squads are going to be.”

Helena

“I can tutor you!” Marceau said excitedly. “I’m good at languages.” Then he mentally read through his class list. “A lot of biological science, then there’s some basic ship and security classes.” He was glad to know he only needed to take a pilot’s course if he was going the command route, which he hadn’t decided on yet. You didn’t have to choose that your first year. “What language will you study? Or is it a linguistics course?”

~ Marceau

“Would you? I’d really appreciate it. My mom is a whiz with languages, but it didn’t rub off on me. I’m not sure it’s almost like a survey course. Several types of Earth languages like Chinese, French or Italian, Navajo, Yoruba, then Vulcan and Denobulan. I am never going to learn all those.” She took a bite of her food, frustration already written on her face.

Marceau smiled. “I would love to. I have languages too, but I’m not sure if it’s this semester. I am only fluent in French and English, but know the basics of a few others.”

“Ohh! I have basic security this time too. Maybe we have the same section!” At that point a loud group of 2nd years came in and Helena groaned and pulled the hood of her jacket up over her hair and muttered “Don’t see me. Don’t see me.”

Helena

“I hope so!” Marceau said cheerfully. Then he looked up when she hid her face. “Who are they?” He asked, eyeing the second year students Helena was hiding from.

~ Marceau

Helena rolled her eyes. “Morgan’s friends.” Morgan being her boyfriend. They had met a couple weeks after the semester had started. When Helena had been placed in the second year flight classes. Then she had quickly placed out of those too. Morgan was sweet and loved flying as much as she did. But his friends…well they didn’t like being shown up by a first year. And they took every opportunity to remind Helena of it. “Morgan decided last minute that he was going home with me. ‘As a surprise.’ He is not a good flight buddy. He took the controls and almost crashed us when he flew into a Nor’easter. He wouldn’t give me the controls back. He’s been bragging ever sense about how he ‘saved’ us.” It was clear there was more going on there, but the small group was closer and very loud. Helena hoped they would pass by without a confrontation. “I don’t like belittling anyone, especially in public, but I’ll be forced to if they come over here.” Despite her relationship with Morgan, Helena had filed a report against Morgan for what he’d done. The instructors had promised to keep her name out of it.

Helena

Marceau raised a brow. “He sounds cocky. And you don’t sound happy he decided to go with you. Did everything go okay?” Besides him nearly crashing her plane. Marceau would have been upset and angry if anything had happened to her. “Have his friends been harassing you?” Marceau made a face. He knew most of Lucy’s friends and, at least he hoped, they would never do anything like that. Nor would they be catty and talk about him behind his back. “Helena… Are you sure about this guy?” Marceau had of course met Morgan, and Helena had met Lucy. Marceau wasn’t Morgan’s biggest fan, he seemed a little… obnoxious. But if Helena liked him, Marceau would give him a fair chance. One chance.

~ Marceau

Helena sighed and looked at her plate. “No, it didn’t. He was being cocky and trying to show off. And he knows nothing about antique planes.” Her shoulders hunched as the group walked past them, which was very unlike her. “He told everyone he ‘saved us’ and I didn’t know what to do. He even told my father that. Which didn’t hold water.” She sighed, “He didn’t even ask if I wanted him to go, he just decided and showed up. I…no after this I’m not sure. I thought he was more mature than that. I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. My dad wouldn’t let him stay.” Her voice dropped really low and she looked a little haunted. “I have never been so scared to be in a plane.”

Marceau looked horrified for her. Then he slipped over to her side of the table and gave her a friendly hug. It sounded to Marceau like this guy didn’t like Helena showing him up just as much as his buddies. “That is terrible. He doesn’t seem very nice at all.” Then he grinned, “Imagine how scared I would have been. We both know he didn’t ‘save’ you.” He hoped that helped. Marceau wasn’t the best at comforting people.

Helena leaned into him just a little. “Merci, Marceau.” Helena was trying to pick up words here and there but it was slow and she often said them wrong or even used the wrong word. “I had to report him. The plane was damaged and I had to pay for it and being a cadet they called our instructors....if not for the flight recorder I could have been grounded, lost my license. I don’t know what the instructors will do to him. I wish it had been you with me.”

Marceau appreciated her effort. If she used the wrong word he would always politely correct her, but if it was just her pronunciation he would only correct her if she wanted him to. “You had to protect your license. As doctors once we are licensed we do the same with our medical license.” He said. When she said she wished it had been him there he turned a little red and then chuckled nervously. The idea of flying still made him nervous.

Helena knew that he had been scared. That was obvious by the way he gripped the chair and his harness with a white knuckled grip the whole way. BUT he didn’t panic. He didn’t scream, yell, grab the controls, or act like an idiot. He listened when she explained what was going on and did what she told him. Morgan was a skilled pilot, but that kind of bravado had no place when you were behind the controls. He’d wanted to show off and lost control of the plane, and then fought her for the controls. She would take Marceau nervous and scared as a flying buddy over the Morgans of the world any day, any time.

“His friends always give me a hard time, even before we started dating. I think it’s mostly that they are the best flight team in their year and I not only placed with them, I placed out too. But just since I got back yesterday it’s been worse. We’re all supposed to be on the same side here…I don’t have that problem with any of the other pilots.”

Helena

“If their behaviour gets worse, you should report them. And tell me, too. I won’t let them treat you that way.” The idea of Marceau standing up to a group of intimidating sounding guys was a bit funny, even to Marceau, but he still wanted to offer.

~ Marceau

Helena sighed and then shook herself and sat up a little, “They can say whatever they want, I am still a better pilot.” She grinned, “You’re a good friend, Marceau, thank you.” She ate the rest of her lunch in record time though. Eager to get away from the second year pilots.

Helena

Marceau smiled and returned to his own side of the table, eating his lunch just as quickly so he could go with her.

~ Marceau

She took the long way around to return her tray and was headed to the door. “Hey Laursen! Good thing Morgan saved your pretty little butt out there. Not as good as you think you are huh? Make sure you thank him real proper like.” Helena held her breath and counted to 10, but kept walking. She was under orders not to discuss it, and that made it hard to not put them in their place. And the lurid comment had no place here. Also apparently Morgan couldn’t follow orders from the instructors either if his friends knew all about it. Or they thought they did.

Marceau, unaware Helena had orders not to discuss it, fired back a response before he’d fully thought it through: “They way it was explained to me, Morgan was the reason they needed saving!” The response was thrown over his shoulder as Marceau walked out with Helena, as if the people harassing her weren’t even worth his full attention.

She kept walking putting in effort to act like she hadn’t heard them or if she had it didn’t bother her. Outside she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Marceau do me a favor. Make sure I remember that just because someone is a pilot, doesn’t mean I should hang around with them.”

Helena

Marceau gave her another little hug. “I’m sorry that turned out so badly.” He smiled and shrugged, “Besides, it must have been nice to talk to other pilots while it lasted.”

~ Marceau

Another deep breath and a sigh. “I can talk to other pilots without hanging out with them. You know, it’s not that I’m better than them. I just have more experience because I’ve been flying longer. Given the time and experience there wouldn’t be much difference.” She appreciated him defending her though. Marceau was a really good friend. Which reminded her. “OH! Come back to my room with me.” They made their way across the green toward the dormitories. They were both greeted by several other cadets once they entered the building. Helena took the stairs at a quick pace to the second floor and then unlocked her door.

Her room was like any other. Two twin beds, two desks, two dressers, and a small table and four chairs. It was easy to tell what was Helena’s space and what was her room mate’s. There were pieces of some mechanical thing all over the place. Helena sighed. “I guess she couldn’t figure out how to put it back together yet.” Her bed was neat and her desk very organized. She pointed at the chair. “Have a seat. I know my chair doesn’t have grease all over it.” She grinned, resigned to the mess. She went into the closet and came back out with a blue foil wrapped box with burgundy ribbon wrapped around it. She handed it to him and then sat down on her bed. “Merry Christmas!”

Helena

Marceau followed her to her room and then sat when she pointed to her desk chair. The rooms all looked the same, though some buildings were newer or older, and had the same basic furniture. Marceau’s own roommate was a Science cadet. Helena handed him a very nicely wrapped gift and Marceau looked surprised and smiled. “You didn’t have to get me anything, Helena!” He said, feeling bad he hadn’t done the same. He’d have to make up for it next year. Or perhaps on her birthday? He carefully unwrapped the gift, leaving the paper (mostly) in tact and looked inside. It was a block of lavender scented soap with bits of lavender plant and flower in the soap. The brand was “Savon de Marseille”, a brand based in Marceau’s home city. Marceau was clearly happy with the gift as he looked up at Helena and smiled again. “Thank you, Helena, it’s lovely.” Lucy had gotten him a medical study book. They were both good gifts in Marceau’s mind, though in different ways.

~ Marceau

“I know, but,” she lifted a shoulder, “I wanted to.” Helena was relieved that he liked it. She was sure he would, he was very proud of his home country, but after his comment about his family she wasn’t sure if a reminder of his actual home would go over well. She was very happy he liked it. She’d done a bit of quick research about his home. In the end it had been a choice between the soup and a Christmas Santon (a hand made clay saint doll) that also made Marseille famous. When she saw the soap came in lavender the decision had been easy. Lavender always reminded her of Marceau for some reason. “I’m glad you like it.” Helena had considered something medical in theme, but figured that was kind of obvious. She knew Marceau would like anything, but he wasn’t just a medical student she knew, he was her friend and she had wanted to put more thought into it.

“Did you get to see the Golden Gate lit up? I heard the city really goes all out to decorate it for the holiday.” Marceau really liked the bridge. On the flight to San Francisco he had said he wanted to see it from the ground. The first free weekend a bunch of them had gone out and Helena had suggested they all go see the bridge up close. She had admitted it was cliché, but if they didn’t go see it at least once that was worse. So they had all gone.

Helena