Posted by Lieutenant Alexandra Garfield (Xenobiologist) in First Date..Or Not —8 Years Ago —

Posted by Lieutenant Ian Bordeaux (Chief Diplomatic Officer) in First Date..Or Not —8 Years Ago —

Posted by Lieutenant Alexandra Garfield (Xenobiologist) in First Date..Or Not —8 Years Ago —
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

<snip>

*** Two Hours Later - Robins Apartment ***

A room had never been packed so fast as he heard the door behind him, Ian came in eyes wide at the sight before him. “Did you get an early deployment? I thought we had three months till we both went to the Starbase.” Ian said looking at his roommate with a sense of confusion as he looked around at all the bags of Christopher.

“Change of plan, I asked to go to Memory Alpha, research and… it’s… ” Chris choked back a bit as he held back the smallest of stinging moisture from his eyes. “She didn’t pick me … ” he blurted out as as he choked back as his eyes darted, feeling a sense of vulnerability in this moment. They may have been bros but next to Lexi, Ian was the one person he shared everything with.

“What… what do you mean she didn’t pick you… how could she not pick you? She’s been just as in love with you for years as you have been with her.” Ian replied, feeling like something was missing as he stood looking at Chris with a sense of bewilderment in what his friend was telling him.

“I had the Cafe’ ready… Northstar Cafe’… I …” he paused before telling the story, every moment he felt his heart drop as he retold it it. Somehow telling it didn’t make it any easier.

“Dude… no no no… she… she must not… that’s not our Lexi she would never do that to you.”

“Well… she did… and I am not going to stay here to see her again… I can’t… I won’t.” he said as he looked around the room, explaining the bags in the room. “I got the transfer request approved as quickly as I could, that Captain Calin you so bad mouthed seemed to like me, got me an approval to take me tomorrow from the USS Odin as the drop by supplies. ” Chris paused as he bit his lower lip, he loved Ian like he was one of his brothers. Hell his brothers and Ian has meet several times, they had seen each other in both Louisiana and Australia, the same was true of Lexi and her family. All three became one big happy family over the last four years.

“I’m sorry we are not going to meet up at Starbase 13, I know that was what we wanted… but that… I can’t be here for three months with her as she gets back together with Noah, I can’t get crushed over and over now that I opened those flood gates.” he said, hoping Ian would understand as he waited.

“I… I’m gonna miss you man.” Ian said, that was all he could say. He told Chris to go for it, he got his best friends heart broken tonight. Putting his arms around Chris he gave him a hug and pat on the back before looking around, the apartment was looking much smaller now that all his items had been packed.

“You need help? How are you taking all of this in one go?” Ian asked looking at the four boxes and three bags he had.

“Crewmen from the Odin will load the shuttle up for me, the’ll be by in an hour, I am heading now though… if Lexi comes by… I… just… tell her I’m sorry for misunderstanding.” Chris said as he the solitary tear fall as he tried his best to choke back the emotions as he grabbed the bag and put it around his body. Moving past Ian he patted him one last time on his shoulder, knowing very well this maybe the last time her ever sees any of the two.

Cadet Christopher Robins

*** Ffteen Minutes Later - Robins Apartment ***

“Chris,” Lexi yelled out his name as she entered his quarters. Her volume was loud but her tone cracked as she called out for Robins producing an almost staccato version of his name. It was hard to think right now let alone try to voice what was churning about in her mind. The strained use of his name was the physical manifestation of the turmoil she felt. The past thirty minutes had been an odd mix of regret, happiness, and anger. Three hours ago she, Ian, and Chris had been sitting at a cocktail party thrown by a graduating colleague. Chris had said he would make things right. He said he would get Noah there. He had kissed the side of her head and then left. Lexi then walked into what could easily have been a dinner someone put in enough effort for to propose marriage. Chris however wasn’t there. Noah left her sitting alone and no one was answering a comm call. The only thing she could do was physically search for Chris. Arriving at his quarters, Lexi was dealt a blow she did not need a road map to arrive at. Standing in the middle of his quarters, wearing the dark red dress Chris had picked out last year, her high heels slung over two fingers, Lexi was surrounded by boxes. The site stopped her dead in her tracks as she looked around.

“Chris,” she called out his name again. The boxes and bags stacked neatly against the wall meant only one thing: Chris Robins was shipping out. Walking up to the boxes she ran her fingertips slowly over the top feeling dizzy and sick at the same moment. She knew this moment was coming but Chris told her they had three months. The boxes told a different story. This was going to go down in history as the story of how in one night Alexandra Garfield lost the only two men in the world that made her feel special and loved. Her chest ached as if she had been physically punched hearing no reply or seeing Chris pop out from the bedroom. The physical manifestations of her emotions was getting hard to suppress. Breathing caused her lungs to burn as Lexi fought back the emotions welling up in her. For all his good intentions, Chris had caused her more pain than Lexi ever thought she could feel. Lexi could get over things ending with Noah. What she couldn’t get over was being left like any one of the multitudes of women who entered his life then unceremoniously dropped as if they meant nothing. How could he just run out on her like this? Chris had given her no inclination of what he had thought the night would be and yet now seemed to be ghosting her. Anger was fighting with sadness as she thought about the evening. Why was he not here to talk to explain? When she needed him most, Chris was doing what he always did the second someone admitted they needed him. Chris was cutting and running without a hi, bye, or kiss my arse. The thought that he could run out on her after tonight changed her emotions from sad to furious.

“Christopher David Robins,” Lexi snapped channeling every emotion she felt into a single one as she walked to the only place he could be hiding. Pure anger fueled her as Lexi palmed the door open.

Cadet Lexi Garfield

From the bathroom a small shuffle could be heard as muffled voices seemed to emanate from there. Lexi may have noticed the door shut and the lights on as footsteps seemed to approach as the door swung open. The odds were good she was going to find Chris or Ian step out, but much to her surprise a bath robe laden Kylie exited the room.

“Chri,” Lexi stopped in mid word seeing her friend exit the bathroom. “Kylie,” Lexi looked at her confused.

“Lexi…” Kylie said, it wasn’t uncommon to have her in this apartment as it often was a stomping ground for the five of them, six if Chris had found a flavor of the week. “Chris isn’t here hon…” she said feeling a bit awkward in that moment. Kylie herself was a very close to looks compared to Lexi, dark hair with a smart wit. She was a bit more curvaceous, almost enough to be seen as one of the ‘busty’ bimbos that Lexi often called the women Chris dated yet Kylie was never one to prey on Ian or Chris. She was here to just have fun.

“And you are here why,” Lexi snapped seeing her friend sit down on the couch like she owned the place. To be fair Lexi had occupied the same spot Kylie was in wearing the same thing a hundred different times over the years. Tonight, however, was not a normal night. “You know what never mind. Where is Chris,” she immediately asked her friend.

Moving to the couch Kylie moved her bra and panties that seemed to be litering the living space and quietly put them away. It wasn’t that she was so embarrassed, her and Ian had been much like Lexi and Noah in their on again off again dating. With the couch cleaned, or at least able to be sat on, Kylie sat down with her legs tucked under her feet as to not give too much of a show to Lexi.

“I asked you a question,” Lexi stared at Kylie with a look in her eyes that said depending on the answer she would rip her friend apart or grab a box of kleenex and sob her heart out. Watching her so casually move about her intimates with a relaxed, calm, confidence sent Lexi over the edge. “Don’t just sit there. Answer me!” Lexi’s hurt and anger was clearly evident in her voice. Her breath was labored making her chest heave as she stood in the middle of the room. Chris might have jettisoned Lexi from his life but that didn’t mean Ian and Kylie had to toss her out without a word otherwise.

“Lex, I think,” Kylie started to speak before Lexi shut her down.

“Don’t think. Just answer me. I need to talk to him. He isn’t answering his comm. Where is he? Who is he out with? Ian? Sierra? I don’t care I just need to talk to him,” Lexi could feel her voice getting louder as she went from speaking to almost yelling at her long-time friend.

“Calm down doll.” came the next voice as the other voice from the bathroom emerged, Ian took held a matching bathrobe as he looked over at Lexi. His dark brown hair wet with his unkempt bearded look as he took a deep breath as he looked his friend up and down. He knew this dress, it was a special one, Chris picked it out. He had to wonder if she wore this how on Earth it seemed to end so badly.

Lexi’s head snapped around seeing Ian. Her heart sank realizing that her secret hope was that Ian and Chris were holed up in some dive bar. At least in that scenario someone was with Chris that she trusted.

“Would you like something to drink? Scotch? Rum? Vodka… we still have some right?” he said looking over at Kylie as she shook her head.

“You did shots off of my… uhmmm you did shots” Kylie said with a small blush as she adverted her gaze from them. but the rum and scotch is still here, and some beer… always have beer.” Kylie said as she pointed to the liquor cabinet and fridge area, which seemed an oddity in this day and age but the boys seemed to love throw back technology.

“Stop it. It’s not funny,” Lexi yelled ending the playful banter between Kylie and Ian. “This isn’t joke time. Where is Chris? I can’t find him and he won’t respond to me.” Through all the anger and sadness, anxiety was beginning to creep in also after seeing the boxes. No one had to tell her but Lexi was starting to feel the weight of time bearing down on her. Seeing Ian’s pants on the floor, Lexi picked them up searching the pockets. It only took her a second to find what she was looking for. “Call him,” Lexi walked over to Ian holding out his personal communicator. “Call him on your personal communicator because he is not answering me. Just get him on the line or tell me where he is because I need to talk to him.” Lexi’s tone was firm and on the verge of snapping into hysterics. She needed Ian to do this for her to hold it together. “If you don’t I will spend all night looking for him. You can make it a hell of a lot easier on me so call him,” Lexi shook the phone for emphasis. “Please.”

“Come on get a drink and just give us two minutes to get dressed okay? You know this is still your place always.” Ian said as he offered a hand for Kylie to help her off the couch as he walked her back to his room, grabbing clothes and undergarments along the way.

“I don’t know if I can,” Lexi admitted putting on her shoes. “I need to find him. If you aren’t going to help me fine but I am not going to just sit out here Ian.” Lexi fumbled with the straps until she spied Kylie’s boots on the floor. Dropping her heels, she bent over and began to pull them on. Walking in heels was not something one did for long distances. Kylie was only going home or staying here all night. Lexi would return the boots in the morning.

Moments passed as Kylie exited fully clothed as she stood at the door. Seeing Lexi she smiled that akward smile you did when you knew all things were falling apart for someone. “It’ll be okay, just… I don’t really have an answer.” she confessed as she heard steps behind her as Ian began to walk out. Pants on he still had no shirt, his always seem to have that perfect abs and pecs as he was in mid shirt pull over his head as he flattened the t shirt down.

“I’ll call you later.” he said as he came over to Kylie as he kissed her cheek before she left from the room, leaving just the two musketeers.

“So… Chris isn’t here, I am sure you pieced all that together by now.” Ian began as he walked over to the liquor grabbing the bottle of rum and two glasses. “One of your favorites if I am not mistaken?” he said as he looked back at her as he came around the table. He couldn’t help but wonder to himself just how he got in this situation, stuck between two of his best friends being some mediator of love. If he knew Aedan Teller he would pitch that as a show idea to OMAP, but right now perhaps it didn’t come off as such an appealing concept to him.

Ian Bordeaux

“Where is he,” Lexi’s voice carried the thick weight of desperation. “I have wasted enough time dorking around with you Bordeaux. I don’t want a drink. I don’t want to calm down. I want Chris,” she said feeling all the tension of the night break her. “I just want Chris.” Lexi’s voice broke as she felt the first tears start to fill her eyes. Tonight had been a disaster from the moment it started and she had nowhere to go to find shelter.

Cadet Lexi Garfield

“I said sit down Garfield.” Ian said, his tone had suddenly come a bit cold. It was the tone of a parent ready to discipline their kids. Right now two of his closest friends had placed him a place he never felt he would need to be in. He already saw Chris walk out, with what seemed might be for the rest of their lives. He didn’t need to see another friend running around chasing ghosts of what might have been.

Pouring the drinks he slide one over to her chair as he pointed for her to sit, it was clear Ian was not going to take no for an answer. He had to admit he wasn’t feeling a lot of brotherly love towards his friend Chris for forcing this upon him. He should have been here, he owed her that much. She may have picked Noah over him, but she didn’t deserve this right now.

“You look beautiful, he loved that dress…” was all Ian said at first as he took a slow swig of the rum before breathing in deeply. “You know he isn’t here… and you’re not gonna catch him anytime soon I feel. So… how about we start from the beginning… you tell me your story. There is always two halves to each tale, and somewhere in the middle the truth… I am here to help you find that truth doll.” he said reaching over as he placed his hand on top of hers as he gave her a small squeeze to try and calm and reassure her.

Ian Bordeaux