Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Festivities and Family

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Festivities and Family

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Festivities and Family
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
It had been a long year for Rand and Roman and Randy. Randy freely admitted that his year had not been nearly as theirs had been. Rand wasn’t feeling up to do much of anything, and he doubted that Roman rarely celebrated the holidays unless Jay had made him. Well this would be good for Rand and Roman too. Now that they both had been on their new meds for awhile, and Rand, though not back to full duty, was active and engaged with the crew, Randy decided this was something he wanted to do and so they were.

He went to Gorshin and helped make a feast, which was shared with the crew, but Randy brought their servings back to his quarters. Roast turkey served with turkey stuffing, made with haggis, brussels sprouts, carrots, pigs in a blanket and Yorkshire puddings, gravy, tatties and neeps, cranberry sauce, and soda bread. For dessert, Scottish Iced Christmas cake.

Randy decked his quarters out with all kinds of tartan colored decorations, and even borrowed some kind of large palm plant (native to Earth) from Tracy and decorated it like a Christmas tree. She was coming by later for their own celebration. He stopped Roman in the corridor earlier that day and told him, in no uncertain terms, to have Rand at his quarters by 1700 that day.

Randy

Randy was correct in thinking Roman did not generally celebrate the holidays unless Jay made him do it. In fact, he rather disliked the holiday season. The new med regimen was doing well for him, and obviously so. Since the meds took full effect, he was often in a better mood. Even the crew had noticed the difference, it was that stark of a change. He was well rested and, it turned out much to the crew’s surprise, he did have a smile. He’d just forgotten how to use it.

With Rand his playful side came out more frequently, he was more focused on her, and hadn’t overworked himself even once in nearly two weeks. He was still serious as ever, but more often that anyone had ever seen, he resembled the Roman on the disks rather than the Roman they were familiar with. Even in his sessions with Randy, he was more difficult to set off or anger and though he still hedged around topics and events it was easier to get him talking.

When Randy had stopped him to tell him to bring Rand at 1700, he had given Randy a confused look and asked if something was wrong. When Randy had said nothing was wrong, he had shrugged and agreed. Now he was standing outside the door with Rand and rang the chime at exactly 1700.

~ Roman

Rand was doing a lot more than she had. Elbbirt had worked it out for her to spend extra hours each day helping in sickbay. That way she could work and be ‘useful’ but they could monitor her to make sure she didn’t over do it. He also worked it out for her to help Gorshin and Helpful with the supply orders and inventory checks. It turned out that had been really good for her. Rand was not nearly as fast as she used to be, but she was getting there. Roman kept making her read lines, and it always made her cry after. She hated not remembering, but with the medication she no longer cried all day nor locked herself away in her room. Being around people still made her nervous, but a wonderful side affect of the medication was it helped with anxiety as well. Rand still got nervous and avoided people, but when she did have a panic attack it was much more manageable. Rand even managed to talk to people in the lab. Always about the animals and the work, but she talked to them and participated.

Roman loved watching her talk with and interact with the crew. It was always about the animals and the work, but then, that was the way Roman was too. He liked reading lines with her, too, and he always comforted her while she cried. He was still sure it would come back to her. He was worried though. Several months ago, when it had been around this much time since his incident in the lab, Randy had said he might never remember that day. He still didn’t. He hoped Rand’s memory loss was different, because it was memories from her past, not from the day of the trauma.

Roman’s playful side sent her into fits of nervousness and embarrassment and she simply didn’t know what to do when he was like that. Rand was thriving because of it though. Randy thought it was amazing. He could often be found standing around a corner, leaning against a bulkhead, arms crossed over his chest grinning like a school boy watching the two of them. Randy was doing better as well. Elbbirt had taken over Rand’s mental health as well. Leaving Randy time to focus on being her brother rather than just her care taker, and to see her as a capable officer and grown woman.

Roman would tease Rand all the time, just until she was flustered, he never went too far. He was having fun, and he looked happy. Not like he used to. In session once, he’d told Randy it was a bit like seeing in black and white and finally getting color vision back. And then, he’d immediately slapped his forehead and called himself the cheesiest man alive. He was glad some had been taken off Randy’s plate as well, though he still felt bad to be taking up so much of Randy’s time.

Randy and Roman still had their sessions, and with the assistance of the medication, Roman was making solid progress. There were things that would never be easy, but they didn’t set him back anymore. Randy continued to take lessons from Roman and Roman even made Rand practice, as much as she was allowed. Rand had no idea what Randy was up to. In fact she had forgotten the holiday all together. Simply putting one foot in front of the other had been all she could focus on lately. So it was with a shug that she went with Roman next door to Randy’s quarters.

Making progress with the sessions and the meds meant he was enjoying his usual martial arts practice much more than he used to. He really liked practicing with both of them, and he’d starting having them do short matches against each other as well.

Randy hated those sessions. Rand wasn’t up for any real sparing, like what he did with Roman. It was mostly simple grabs and holds and Rand learning to break them. And Randy getting the worse end of the deal. Randy complained loudly every time that he had endured enough beatings from his baby sister growing up. Roman should not teach her how to be more efficient at it. It made Rand laugh, and for that alone Randy would even let her break his wrist if it came to that.

Randy opened the door and it was immediately apparent it was Christmas. Randy had decorated to the nines and it was all very festive and hte smell of the meal wafted to them from the door. Randy grinned broadly and waved them in. Rand felt horrible, she had no gift for Randy. She hadn’t even thought about it. As if he could read her mind he gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Na gabh dragh Rand. Tha thu agam fhathast. Sin a h-uile rud a tha mi ag iarraidh. (No worries Rand. I still have you. That’s all I want.)” He grinned at Roman, “Happy Christmas!” The door shut behind them as they entered. “Nothing fancy, just a meal, with family.”

Randy

Roman paused when he saw all the Christmas decorations. He didn’t like Christmas, he didn’t usually celebrate it. He usually avoided it, only acknowledging it if he had to, to be polite. Then he’d spend the day in his quarters where he could pretend the holiday didn’t exist. He should’ve expected something like this from Randy, but he’d forgotten what day it was.

But before he could turn and leave, he was being dragged in by Rand and the door shut behind him. He smiled politely, if a bit forced, at Randy. “Happy Christmas.” Then he gawked. “Nothing fancy? Nothing fancy? Your quarters look like the bleeding Scottish North Pole!” It was said with a smile, he was teasing Randy more than anything. He was, as Randy knew, still having trouble with belonging with people that weren’t Jay, a result of his childhood rather than his trauma regarding the ship. So the family comment made him feel really awkward as he remained near the door.

~ Roman

Rand laughed., “Well of course. Santa has to be Scottish. An English Santa wouldn’t even give away coal to naughty children.” Roman’s British accent had leaked out as he spoke, teasing Randy, which meant that Rand’s lilt snuck out as she giggled. Randy smiled as he heard her laugh. It had been far too rare recently and that was the best gift he could have gotten.

Roman grinned and looked down at her, slipping his arm around her. “Why wouldn’t an English Santa give out coal? We were given coal as kids, once.”

“Come on, sit. Gorshin really out did himself.” He could tell Rand wasn’t sure, and Roman hated the idea. Rand wouldn’t stay without him though. “Come on. It’s just dinner and family.” He grabbed Rand’s arm and walked her over to the table and helped her sit. Of course he was a gentleman and the host so he wouldn’t sit until Roman did.

Roman looked doubly uncomfortable when Rand was pulled away from him. He sat next to Rand and took her hand. He knew Randy was trying to help with the way he kept saying it was just ‘dinner and family’.

Rand squeezed his hand and gave him one of those ‘I can’t believe how lucky I am’ looks.

He lifted the cover off the food with a flourish. Rand inhaled, “Did you ask him for this?” Randy shook his head. “Nope he did this all himself.”

“What about Tracy?” Rand asked. “Is she coming?” Randy shook his head no, “She is eating with her patrol group in the mess and then she and I will do something later. Make family where you can, type of thing. Made me realize how lucky we are.”

Rand

“She would be welcome.” Roman commented. “You two have been together for… Nine months?” He wasn’t sure if her presence would make this more or less awkward for him. He took Rand’s hand under the table and smiled again. “Gorshin just loves cooking feasts.”

~ Roman

“Randy, go get her. Roman’s right. We can wait. We’d like her to be here.” Plus Rand could tease the micky out of her brother.

Randy shrugged, “She knows and I tried. It’s something she has always done. And yes, Rand, I offered to go with her. She said no. She told me to spend it with you. She also informed me that just because I get my arse handed to me by the Cmdr twice a week does not make me a security officer.” Randy laughed, at himself and started passing food around. “I am a smart man, and agreed with her completely.”

Rand giggled at him, “And by your baby sister too.” Randy gave a long suffering sigh and pointed a serving spoon at Roman. “You just had to teach her didn’t you?”

Rand