Posted by Lieutenant Corinne Dalton (Scientist) in Resort- Finding Our Own Paradise

Posted by Lieutenant Corinne Dalton (Scientist) in Resort- Finding Our Own Paradise

Posted by Commander Dr. Royal Sinclair (Executive Officer) in Resort- Finding Our Own Paradise
Posted by… suppressed (16) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

She didn’t see it as wasting time, not per say. In her mind, she needed to understand the evolution of those last years and how much had happened so that she could set it aside. In many ways, she had, but there were old things that they hadn’t touched, that Royal hadn’t been around for. It was easy to focus on the newness that was now and just pretend to forget about that old stuff. What Cori didn’t want was for that old stuff to bubble up and trigger her in ways she felt she could prevent. But this was hardly her area of expertise, so Cori shrugged and looked over her shoulder at him, giving him a smile. “You may be right,” she said, before turning her gaze back on the expanse of water their boat was cutting though.

~Corinne Dalton

Royal silent for a few minutes as they just sailed on the waves. After those minutes passed, he set her on the tiller and started taking down the sails. It took some time, but eventually they were sitting still on the water. He moved to the bow and opened a hatch in the deck. From underneath he pulled out a blanket and a basket. He looked back at her and said “C’mon. Help me set this up.” and he set the basket aside and started spreading out the blanket.

Cmdr. Royal Sinclair, XO

She grinned and carefully moved over. “A picnic and a fancy dinner later. I really am going to have to work to make my date plans really special, aren’t I?” she teased as she grabbed on edge and pulled the blanket out flat.

~Corinne Dalton

He stopped with the set up and just looked at her. There was no amusement or sarcasm when he spoke; just a surity of fact and sincerity that seemed as deep as the water they floated on. “Every date with you is special, Cori. Every moment. And don’t ever forget that… I know I never will.” and then he smiled and went back to setting up their meal break.

Cmdr. Royal Sinclair, XO

She had heard lovely words that she wanted to hear before, and more than once she had been taken in by them. Even if they were sincere, there had been too much baggage behind them. Now though, here with Royal? His words weren’t just different, they set her at ease. Kneeling on the blanket, she gave him a soft smile. “So, what are we having?”

~Corinne Dalton

“Sandwiches and wine.” Royal said. “The concierge at the resort was kind enough to recommend a bakery, and they recommended a quaint little neighborhood market. So we have fresh baked bread, local vegetables, and few different choices for protein. Cured meats, smoked fish, some kind of fruit that I have no idea how to say the name of, and a crushed nut and berry puree that they said would make for a nice dessert spread.”

Cmdr. Royal Sinclair, XO

Cori grinned. “I mean, who can say no to such wonderful sounding food!”

For a moment she just tipped her face up to the sun and let the warm seep into her skin. It was such a novel sensation and one she never wanted to take for granted again. When she looked back at Royal, she watched intently as he pulled everything out of the basket and laid out it for them. Now and then, she found herself focused on his face just long enough that it might be considered staring. She was, in a way, but more than anything, she was studying him our of love and curiosity. Cori wanted to understand him more on a deeper level than she already did.

“Shall I pour us some wine?” she said.

~Corinne Dalton

“Wouldn’t be a picnic without it, love ” Royal said with a chuckle. He finished setting up their meal and then stretched out his bulk on the deck. “So. Care to to tell me why ya were staring at me right there? I mean, I am a looker, no doubt. But ya seen me before, hun.” he asked with a grin.

Cmdr. Royal Sinclair, XO

Cori had uncorked the wine and poured the first glass of wine, handing it to Royal as she pondered how best to answer his question. Pouring her own glass gave her time to gather her thoughts. Glass in hand, she drew in a deep breath and gazed at him. “When you first came to the Saracen I was going through a lot. And you helped me slowly work through it all, even if there was a lot of it I couldn’t do much about. And I appreciate that help. And I guess as we are getting to know each other better now, I just want you to know that I’m here for you too. That the support is not one-sided.” She took a sip of the wine.

~Corinne Dalton

Royal smiled and took a sip of wine. “Well, I certainly do appreciate that. And I know you are being sincere. And honestly, I know that I can talk to you about anything. And I’m comfortable doing that. I think that’s one of the reasons I feel about your the way I do. Because I am so comfortable with you.”

Cmdr. Royal Sinclair, XO

Heat touched her cheeks and she dipped her head away in a movement that mystified even herself. She was rarely so shy around him. Was it because of his background? He was trained to see beyond a person’s surface and he had certainly done so when they first met. She had very quickly trusted him with her rather complex past and emotion. It just never occurred to her that he might be feel so similarly? Deep down she knew where that feeling stemmed from if she let herself contemplate it for more than a brief moment.

“I’m glad,” she said, lifting her head and beaming at him.

~Corinne Dalton

“I’m glad that you’re glad.” Royal said with a grin. “And * am also starving. So let’s put a pin in the emotional diving and eat so we can do some physical diving.” and he laughed. He began assembling sandwiches and small plates of vegetables. He served her first, and then himself. Once the food was settled, he leaned back against a roll of sail and set his plate on his lap. “Story time, you’re up. Something you remember fondly.” He lifted the sandwich and said “Annnnnd go.” and then took a big bite.

Cmdr. Royal Sinclair, XO

There were honestly a lot of memories that provoked fondness and happiness. After the accident on the holodeck, Cori rarely talked about them. They were from before Starfleet, before the war. The exception had been dance. Before the accident she had shared some of them with Levi and now she understood that he had manipulated her with them so she would fall in love with him. They had felt tainted.

Now though, she knew these memories were safe with Royal. His only ulterior motive in asking was to know her better and deepen their connection.

Assembling a sandwich, Cori smiled. “I mentioned horses. It’s because I was raised on a farm. We grew crops for the colony, for our neighbours, local eateries. An honest farm-to-table situation. I grew up with my adoptive parents learning to tend these crops, but our land was pretty vast and we checked the perimeter everyday. We always had horses, but when I was seven we got Lacey, this sweet mare with a spicy side to her. She was very gentle with me, and when I was big enough to ride her, my father, Kip, told me she was mine, so long as I took responsibility for her care.” She paused only briefly to sip more wine.

“Every morning, Lacey and I did perimeter checks. Just us. My parents trusted me to be smart and not take unnecessary risks and to do my task and return right away.” She broke into a grin. “But Royal, oh how we had fun! We rode fast across to the first checkpoint and every time I felt a sense of freedom that I’m only just starting to let myself feel. I know it’s trauma that keeps me from fully believing this new life isn’t some trap or mistake, and when I do feel that freedom it makes me think of Lacey and how much I loved that time of my life before things went to hell. I don’t want to go back there, but right now I’m trying to let that feeling be present more often. This trip with you is the most I’ve felt it in so very long.” It was hard to fully grasp that was off off the ship and not on some holodeck. Wasn’t that extraordinary?

~Corinne Dalton

“I’m glad that I could be a part of it.” he said with genuine sincerity. “And know this: you aren’t going back there. You are here. With me. In the flesh. And what you lacked on the Saracen, you have now in the ahip-full. People who care about you… not what you can do, but who you are. As a real person… not some disembodied voice or holographic projection. You have me. Doctor Kane cares for you too, and she is a good person to have on your side. Her husband, though…” and he laughed. “Well, he did go through a hell of a lot of trouble to get you where you are now, so I guess he cares in whatever way he can.” and he laughed again. “Although I would be wary of asking him for help unless you absolutely need to. He’s… well… he’s odd, that one.” and he grinned at her as he took a bite. Swallowing, he added “And the Captain. You have friends now, Cori. True friends who will do whatever they can for you… just because you are who you are. No other reason.”

Cmdr. Royal Sinclair, XO

She felt the weight of his words, of their truth. Yes, a lot had changed and her life was so very different now. Cori had been realizing that she needed to start making a physical record of these changes, of noting each and everyone. They were all evidence of where she was now. It was important, especially on the harder days, to be able to read through them, to remind herself of the things she already knew were true.

A beaming smile washed over her face. “I’m grateful. For them, for you. Truly. I’m sort of still finding my way but it doesn’t feel so scary.” She took a bite of her sandwich.

“Okay, your turn for a story.”

~Corinne Dalton

Royal chewed slowly for a moment and then took a drink. He looked out over the water for a moment and then spoke. “When I graduated from the Academy, I had some time before I was to report to my first duty station. I hadn’t gone back to Scotland since I had left to go to the Academy. No real reason to. My grandad had passed three days before I had left to go.” He smiled a bittersweet smile, but continued. “So I went back to Glasgow and saw some old friends, checked in my former rugby team and had a few pints with the coaches. And I closed up the house and made sure everything was settled there.” He glanced at her and said ” Did I tell you I still have the house there? Haven’t been back in ages. Maybe we could go and see how it’s doing sometime.” He smiled at the thought and then kept on with his story. “Anyway… I was leaving the house and getting ready to go to the shuttle port when this olderan I had never seen walked up to me. He asked me if I was Gunnery Sergeant Seamus Sinclair’s grandson, and told him I was. He handed me this little wooden box and told me that he had been awarded it over fifty years prior, but that it was my grandad that earned it, told me to make him and grandad proud, and then he just walked off.” He looked at Cori with a proud grin on his face. “Medal of Honor. The one I have up on the top shelf of my display case.” He looked back out at the water. “It took me a few years to piece it together. The old man was Star Fleet Marine Corps Brigadier General Joshua Blackledge. He earned the medal on Patreus V when he and my grandad were part of the 2nd Marine Division. They were evacuating colonists when the Klingons attacked. Blackledge and ten other Marines, my grandad included, were cut off from the evacuation site. They held off eleven-hundred Klingons for two days, protecting twenty-five civilians. Of the eleven Marines, only 4 were lost. The Klingons lost over nine-hundred. And all the civilians made it.” He looked at Cori and said “That’s why I stay in Star Fleet, you know. Because I want to make a difference. I want to know that my life means something. If I can go to my grave knowing that just one other being is alive because of something I did… well… then I can die a happy man.”

Cmdr. Royal Sinclair, XO