The Proposal

Posted on Tue Feb 4th, 2020 @ 7:36am by Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun & Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters - Calhoun
Edited on on Tue Feb 4th, 2020 @ 8:16am

1,440 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 9 - Empok's End
Location: Masters/Calhoun Quarters - Deck 2 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD004 1030 hrs

Jenn came to her quarters after her briefing with the captain. She walked in to the room and found Billy on the couch with a drink in his hand. She wasn't expecting anything less from him though. She smiled to him and sat down. "So I talked with the captain. And now I am no Betazoid, but his whole body spoke volumes. I think we're going to take back Empok Nor."

"That was a tough call. One that I am glad that I did not have to make. Have you thought about what you are going to tell the gang at Langley once they catch wind of what you did. I mean sharing classified info without proper clearance. That usually doesn't go over well with them." Billy smiled warmly but sympathetically he knew that his lady love ha a trying day. He also knew that it was only going to get worse in the coming days. So while he could, while there was time he rose from the couch and kissed her softly on the forehead.

Jenn sighed. "I will tell the gang at Langley the same thing I told you guys, I am a sore loser, and I am tired of losing. People literally died today, and I am not going to wait for Deep space 9 or Bajor, or any other places around to fall in the hands of the Obsidian Orders and their new buddy Leyton." She smiled, but it was a wry one. "This started with Empok Nor, it's going to end with Empok Nor."

"You are definitely not the only one who thinks that way. Admiral Martinez from Port Royale thinks that his instillation could and may be next. He has pledged the vessels under his command to retake Empok Nor." Billy smiled as his thought took a slightly happier turn. "You know you just like stirring the pot don't you. You have since I met you and in fact it is something that I love about you."

Jenn blushed at that. "Well, that's what I do. I don't cook, I just stir the pot." She giggled as she poured herself a drink from the bottle on the table. She took a sip. "You know so much has happened the past weeks and just today alone was bad enough. I just..." She put her glass down and then said, "I know you probably are not going to like this, but I know you lived a lot of lives, had a lot of wives, and this is just one life for me. And I want to make the best of it...with you." She slid of the couch and went to one knee, as she took his hands into hers. "Leslie Calhoun, would you make me the happiest girl in the Galaxy and marry me?"

The question caught him off guard. It was something that he had been thinking about as of late, however, he wanted to make sure that his own thoughts were not because of the impending battle and the possibility of loosing Jennifer. He hoped that this was not her succumbing to the fear of battle. "Of course I will... But you should know that marrying an El Aurian is no easy feat." He smirked as he spoke. "I mean I will watch you grow old and love you for it. You however, will be married to this handsome unchanging face."

Jenn laughed softly and then whispered, "Then I must be the lucky one, waking up the rest of my life to the face I see here for me today. So even when I get old and senile I will still remember you."

He made a joke, but she turned it into a cute and loving memory. "Well I think it is time that you get to know your step children." He smiled broadly and kissed her passionately. As he kissed her he found himself wondering what their children would look like. When the kiss broke he leaned his forehead on hers and sighed. "It seems that we have a lot of planning to do, but that will have to wait until after the battle I presume."

She chuckled a little and then said, "At least our engagement is an insurance we're coming out of this. I want to get started on that planning when we get back. Because we will come back!"

He liked her zeal, her determination to win the day and come back. Hell, he loved her for it. However, he could not share that sentiment. Leslie Calhoun had seen this exact situation way too many times to count. A government loses territory that is not too strategically important, they usually do not risk getting it back. All of that aside he decided that his soon to be wife, his love, deserved better than his usual pessimism. So he put the biggest smile on his face before he spoke. "Of course we will my love. And when we are back the Captain will marry us. I am sure he will love that."

Jenn nodded smiling. "I can't wait." She got back on the couch and sat down next to him as she wanted to cuddle. And then she surged up. She never forgot anything that was said in a conversation. "The step children." She was so in to the wedding she totally forgot Billy had a life before her, several even. And most of it was still around. She never been nervous, but now she was.

"Yeah Robert, Mackenzie and Talia will be easy and will probably take a liking to you right away. Especially Talia. But, Melek and T'Ving that will be another story. Melek will most likely be caught up in everything that is happening here. He is half Cardassian and his mother works for the government. T'Ving is on Vulcan and has adopted their way of life so she will be a tough nut to crack as well. Regardless of what they think, we have each other and that is all that matters." Billy replied as he drew her in for a tighter cuddle.

Jenn shrugged. "Well if you say so." She laid her head back on his shoulder. She trusted his judgement. Though she was still a little worried.

"Most El Aurians have so many children spread across so many species that they do not stay in touch with their kids. I on the other hand made it a point of pride to keep in touch with them regardless. Now I wonder what your sister is going to say." Billy said with a smile as he stroked her hair.

"Why don't we give her a call?" Jenn said, "I think she said she was still on DS9 waiting for a transport home." She walked to the com console. "Computer, call Lieutenant Linda Masters at Deep space nine." The computer chirped and after a few minutes someone answered, but it wasn't Linda. It was a man, dark skinned and looked human. She looked a little surprised at the screen. "Hello, I am sorry, I was looking for my sister, Lieutenant Linda Masters?"

The man looked straight back and said, "Linda is currently out with Emily. You must be Jennifer, Linda told me so much about you. I am Lieutenant Commander Zoral Loren, her husband. "

Jenn's eyes widened. She turned around to Billy. "It's Commander Loren, he was one of my academy instructors before I got expelled." She whispered to him. She looked to the screen again.

"Shall I leave a message for her, Staff warrant?" Zoral asked.

Jenn nodded, "Yea...yes, thank you, sir. Please tell her I called and that she calls me as soon as she can." She discontinued the communications and then looked to Billy. "I looked him up when I was in the academy. Zoral Loren is an El Aurian, before he was my academy instructor, he served in the Klingon war." She shook her head. "That hypocrite..." She started to laugh. "Oh she gone and married an El Aurian and she dared to come tell me how to live my life. I really should've put better taps on her."

Billy smirked as it seemed that the Masters women has similar tastes in men. He only hoped that Linda did not come here to warn Jen about the tribulations of being married to an El Aurian.

A Joint Post By

Staff Warrant Officer Jennifer Masters
Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer

Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun
Data Systems Analyst, USS Pioneer

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