(SNIP)

Harris was visibly shaken at the thought of the couple not having closure and sighed. “I know Amelia, believe me, I do. It’s what’s been keeping me up at night for the past two weeks. I have struggled with it to the point that now I don’t even know if she /would/ talk to me… thinking I completely abandoned her. When it comes down to it, frack the solider… I want my girl back!” Calvin’s eyes burned with resolve, the focus in his gaze as razor sharp as Amelia had ever seen. With that, Harris drained his drink and rose quickly from his seat, tugging his tunic straight. Looking to Manning with a purposeful nod, the Marine said flatly. “And that’s exactly what I’m going to do! If you’ll excuse me Commander, I have some important business to take care of.” Harris then turned and left his quarters.

Harris, CO

A slight smirk showed on Amelia’s lips. “Go get her, Colonel. If you don’t mind, I’ll nurse my drink for a little longer.”

Leaning forward to get her glass from the coffee table where she had just sat it, Manning didn’t watch Harris leave, content in knowing he was gone with the sound of the doors closing behind him. She wasn’t planning on overstaying her welcome, rather, she really just wanted to finish her drink.

Amelia sighed, happy with the conversation she and Harris had just had. It had made her see the man in a whole different light than what she was used to. Wright was lucky. But Manning was luckier. She smiled, thinking of Peter back home. It had been a while since she had managed to talk to him, and she missed him. Sometimes she wondered if taking the XO job on the Dresden had been a good idea.

After downing the remainder of the whisky in her glass, Amelia finally stood up and took both glasses back to the replicator. She put a stopper on the bottle of Laphroaig she had brought with her and left it on the coffee table, together with two new replicated glasses. Next to it, she left a note.

For you and Captain Wright to finish. If you need anything, you know where to find me. Amelia

With a last glance at the room, she said out loud. “Computer, lights.” and she left.

Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO

---

It had been two weeks. Two weeks since the Dresden had been assigned the mission to Beta Prime. Two weeks since she and Cal had been taken by Jem’Hadar and tortured by a rogue Intelligence Officer. Two weeks since she and Cal had returned to the Dresden only to find twisted accusations thrown at them. Two weeks since she had been accused of conspiracy and capital treason. Two weeks since her uncle and Commander Harper had started to work on fighting them. Two weeks since she had lost Cal.

Even though Molly had not been restricted to her quarters, she might as well have been. While the investigation had been pending, Wright had been stripped of her command codes per statute with Starfleet, effectively rendering her unable to perform her duties. The only reason she had stayed on the Dresden it was because leaving would have risen more suspicions.

It had been the two longest weeks of her life. There were days when she had stuck to her routine and used her holodeck time in the morning. There were days where she had cried herself to sleep afraid of a life time in prison for something she had not done. One morning her uncle had even barged in through her room to force her out of bed.

But that morning… that morning had been different. That morning her uncle had come in earlier than usual, bearing a letter addressed to her. A letter from the President of the United Federation of Planets herself, absolving Molly of all the charges made against her. The letter also stated that Agent Ashley Newton had orchestrated a complex plan together with her partner, Tomas Dubois, to steal the Dresden, in their attempt to assist the Jem’Hadar to regain control of the sector. When Wright, an old colleague of Tomas, had fallen right on their plate, they had seen that as an opportunity. The letter also stated that the former FCIS Agent would be serving her own sentence.

A weight had been lifted from Molly’s shoulders as she hugged her uncle half crying, half laughing, thanking him and everyone involved in clearing her name. She had spoken to Commander Harper at length that afternoon. The only person left for her to speak to was Calvin.

As the chronometer on her wall marked 2100 hours, Molly placed her plan in motion.

Walking to Cal’s quarters, there was an urgency in her step that wasn’t usual, combined with a knot in her throat and a nervousness in her stomach she was not accustomed to. As she finally stopped in front of his door, Molly straightened her uniform and her hair before reaching for the chime. But before her finger could even touch it, the doors opened, and finally, after two weeks she was staring into the blue eyes of the man she had missed so much.

Molly

Cal froze in his steps, the breath sucked from his lungs as he looked into a set of eyes he had only hours before wondered if he’d ever see again. The Marine was… terrified. It took everything in him to step to Molly’s right side, clearing the door and allowing a tiny bit of privacy to be theirs as the door to his quarters hissed shut, leaving them alone in the most vacant corridor on the Dresden.

Looking down into her eyes, her beautiful eyes, the Marine took a slow breath and said softly. “Hey Mol’s… I was just coming to see you.”

Cal