Posted by Lieutenant Commander Amelia Manning (Executive Officer) in Harris’s Quarters - A Much Needed Break
It was 1700. Manning had just finished her shift. Taking a deep breath, she sat on the edge of her bed and rested her head on her hands for a moment.

It had been almost a week since the whole crew had returned from Beta Prime, and Amelia was glad everything seemed to be finally going back to normal.

At first, having Harris back on the Bridge had been a relief. She wasn’t sure if she had thoroughly enjoyed her first real command experience. But now that everything was behind them, Manning couldn’t help but feel like something was wrong.

Harris seemed distant, and Wright was nowhere to be seen. Manning was aware that the woman could be pretty much invisible when she wanted to, but Amelia was also aware that no human being could hide themselves into nonexistence. In the lower decks, rumors circulated that the Intel Chief was wanted for some sort of crime. Every day was different — from theft, to treason, to murder, the story was ever changing.

Regardless of what had transpired, Amelia understood the pain of not having one’s partner close by, and she felt like both her and Harris needed a break.

Quickly standing up, Manning headed for the shower. Fifteen minutes later she was putting on something more comfortable and casual than her uniform – a pair of dark skinny jeans, her favorite black flats, and a black boat neck shirt. Her hair was pulled up in a casual knot.

Before leaving, she rummaged for a moment through the contents of one of the cabinets in the dining area, taking out an older looking bottle containing a dark amber liquid. Walking to the replicator, she produced a tall black paper bag and two whisky glasses. She placed the bottle and the glasses inside the bag.

Walking confidently, it didn’t take long for Amelia to cross the distance between her quarters and Harris’s door. Without hesitation she pressed the chime and waited for a few seconds.

The Dresden’s Commanding Officer was kicking around his quarters at the end of another long day. He had dressed down for the night, ash grey Fighter Command tanktop and dark blue SFMC sweat pants. Things just hadn’t been the same without Molly around and he found himself, most nights, in a rather melancholic funk that he just couldn’t kick. When the chime rang, he didn’t quite hear it at first. It wasn’t until the the three-second reminder chime sounded that Calvin realized that there was actually someone waiting at his door. He was just about to open his mouth to tell the party outside to enter when the door suddenly hissed open.

As the door opened, Amelia didn’t wait to be invited in. Instead, she walked inside the room with a wide stride.

Harris paused, confused at his Executive Officer’s arrival and her relaxed, casual appearance. He had never really paid much attention before, but the young woman was rather attractive. Not Nessie, Belle or Devri, and certainly not Erin or Molly… but attractive none the less. He was curious as to her arrival and was about to ask what she needed when the Dresden’s Chief Administrator and Task Master cut him off.

“I don’t know what’s happening Colonel, and I’m not sure I want to know. But I’ve been observing you for the past few days and I know your head is not in the game. I have also heard the rumors going around regarding Captain Wright. I’m not here to ask whether or not they are true, but… I’ve noticed her absence and I know you are close.” She gave Cal a piercing gaze. “I sympathize with the feeling, Colonel…”

The Marine sighed. He didn’t really care to be lectured by a kid but in the same extent… the girl was right… his head hadn’t been in the game since Beta Prime. Not since the gut punch of allegations against Molly, in turn not even knowing where they stood. It had hurt nearly as much as losing Nessie & Belle, the sudden hard coldness of it. The side of him that basically wished he could have died on the planet at Tomas’ hand than to not only lose the woman he loved but lose her to treason charges. With a deep breath but not a single word, Harris motioned to the couch.

Sitting down in the living room couch, Amelia placed the bag on the coffee table, taking out the two glasses and the bottle as she spoke.

As she took out the kit, Cal felt his mouth start to water. He hadn’t had a drink since he returned and honestly hadn’t wanted one.. until now. Silently, he watched, wondering what the woman had to say.

“I’m your Executive Officer, and it’s part of my duty to make sure you’re fit to do your job. If you want my honest assessment, I think you need a drink and someone to talk to. And I think you do too much of the first and you’re too stubborn to do the latter.” She gave him a smug smile. “I might be wrong, but I am pretty sure I am right.” Opening the bottle, she poured some of its contents into the two glasses. “Whatever you want to take off your chest, Colonel, you can. Whatever you don’t, I’m not here to force it out of you.” She looked at Cal. “We haven’t really enjoyed each other’s company in a non professional setting so I thought there was no better time to change that.” Manning slid one of the glasses across the table with the expertise of a bartender. It was clear that Amelia was not as ‘royal’ as Harris might have thought. “Laphroaig Single Malt aged 15 years. Real Scotch. Not whatever American knockoff you drink.” Amelia’s lips curled into a smirk. “If you want to take a shot at me for being ‘nobility’…” she said adding air quotes “… go ahead. I’ll be enjoying my whisky.” She took the glass to her lips before taking it back once more. “Oh, and before you ask… I’m skipping my nightly poker game to be here, so no. I am not leaving until I am satisfied with our conversation. Unless of course, you want to cover the winnings I’m not making… which would be quite large… because I’m quite a good poker player.”

Cal looked slightly offended at the American knockoff comment. Thanks to Lucas, he had learned to appreciate the finer things in life… especially Scotch… but he didn’t have time to correct her. He was too impressed at the damn near professional speed and style in which she made the drinks, distractedly making her slightly more attractive… at least in his eyes. Making a slight smirk at the thought of his XO being a poker shark and the thought of she and Hudson battling it out amused his troubled spirit. Raising his glass to her, he nodded playfully. “To the Queen.”

And with that, she made herself comfortable on the couch and took a sip of her drink.

Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO

Finishing his sip, Harris took a deep breath and stepped off into the conversation. “Molly & I have been together just over a year and a half, we had always been close but after she came back from The Farm… the place those on the inside call the training facility for Starfleet Intelligence… and I had finally started to move on from the loss of Belle Harper the year before.... we just paired off.”

He took another sip and a deep breath. “Molly is, short of my now deceased ex-wife, the closest woman I have ever had in my life. So to say that I wasn’t taken a bit off when I woke up from the hell we went through on Beta Prime to find that FCIS had brought charges against her for Conspiracy and Treason for the whole mess would be a lie. I don’t know where we stand, I want to think I wasn’t being used to accomplish some goddman revenge plot she and a Farm classmate had dreamed up… but that bitch FCIS sure made one hell of a case. So yeah, you’re right… I’m a bit off and you’re also right we should have been talking a lot more.”

He then smiled a genuine, yet clearly drained smile. “Thanks for comin’ to check on your Skipper, Amelia. It really means a lot.” With that, he took another drink.

Harris, CO