A nice family dinner - Part 2

Posted on 06 Jun 2020 @ 6:17am by Lieutenant Commander True Keading & Captain Jonathan Reynolds & Civilian Eddie Reynolds

Mission: Mission 4 - Race against the machine
Location: Reynolds quarters
Timeline: MD3 20:00
1090 words - 2.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Previously on A nice family dinner - part 1

Jon sensed once more the man seemed to get upset then attempt to shut down his emotions. Something had happened, perhaps to someone. Eddie he knew had noticed it too. He telepathically told his son to leave it. This was not the time nor place and they didn’t know Vern well enough to pry. They could mention it and ask True later.

And now the continuation ......



Jon sat down after ferrying the last plate, “good then feel free to dig in. You have to be quick with food when my sons around,” he joked.

“Hey ....” Eddie muttered. “I was going to be polite and offer True first dibs. Ladies first you always tell me.”

“In this case, guests then ladies,” Jon nodded. He turned to Vern, “he’s learning well. Do you have many families on your ship?”

"A few, they are mostly scientists. We have a toddler that keeps escaping her quarters when her mother's not looking," Vern said amused. "Found her in all kinds of places, quite the little explorer in training." He took a bite of his food and let the seasonings of it mull around for a bit. The ironic thing was he kept finding her, but he didn't mention that part.

"Oh please," True objected. "Don't stand on ceremony when it's just us. Eat Eddie, before you starve to death," she teased him.

"You don't need to tell me twice," the blonde grinned digging in.

"What about pets?" Jon asked making conversation and grabbing two fajita's off the plate before Eddie piled his too high, "Do you have a lot of those? We have some pretty unique ones here." Jon carefully placed one of them on Trues plate to ensure she did get one then bit into his.

"Only a couple. One cat and a ferret I believe." Vern answered in-between bites.

"Oh that reminds me. You'll need to meet Atlas while you are here." True said, finally beginning to eat.

"Atlas?" Vern said looking curious.

"My kitten, birthday present from . . . ." she pointed at Jon. "Funny thing is he's a holey terror. Stole Jon's clothes once while he was swimming," she didn't offer up the rest of the story. "But he'll love you."

"Oh you're sure of that hmm?"

"He's not my biggest fan," Jon said. "But then again he knows I like things tidy. I also think he doesn't like sharing your sister. A ferret," Jon mused. "One of my doctors now has a rat."

"Tia's parents are going to let her have a bearded dragon," Eddie chimed in.

"Now that would be an interesting pet, I've heard they're quite docile actually and fairly easy to take care of." Vern answered back. "And well I have a chinchilla who is in love with me. Gives me something to talk to the counselors about," Vern joked.

Jon turned to True, "What sort of counselling would be required in that situation? Its like the opposite of Atlas with me ehh."

True chuckled. "I don't think I've ever done a session like that. I suppose it would start with cracking open the head of the subject and seeing why they were having delusions that an animal was in love with them," True said winking at her brother. "And there is no hope for either of you men, I've come to accept that."

Vern let the corners of his mouth turn into a smile. He picked up a hand and waved it between them. "How did this start?"

"Well obviously I noticed how beautiful she was when she reported in to me," Jon said with a smile, "But It was the time everyone was having scary experiences from that monolith we were sent to investigate on our first mission. I was very freaked out. My experience had been so real. End of times stuff. The Dark ones coming, my goddesses abandoning me. I literally ran to your sister in the middle of the night needing a good talking too.

And you know what she was brilliant. Sorted me right out and the next morning came to see me to apologise. I still don't fully get why to this day, she was the one who sorted me out in the middle of the night but something had changed suddenly. We both knew it. Could feel it. I kissed her and asked her to dinner. Happy to report things have been going well since. She is the best thing that's happened to me,"

"Hey …" Eddie fake scowled at him.

"Alongside the birth of this guy of course," Jon smoothly recovered.

True knew exactly why she had needed to apologize, she'd stepped over a line and counselors didn't normally cross, but she wasn't going into an explanation like that in front of her brother, besides, the subject had moved on.

"Do you have a girlfriend Vern?" Eddie asked.

Vern stiffened slightly. "No, My XO is the only woman in my life. She loves to boss me around. No one else."

"You're just as big of a softie as Jon when it comes to girls, I'm really surprised you're not married with the pitter patter of little feet running around," True said with a small smile. "I figured you would be the first one to have kids."

"Yes, well life doesn't always turn out the way we want it to," Vern replied sharply. "Do you have a girlfriend Eddie?" Vern asked, taking the subject off himself.

"Ermmm no … I mean I don't think so … " He blushed. " I mean I 'd like that idea with someone but shes not really shown any interest. Wants me to go watch movies with her as a friend though .." he muttered before stuffing a fahita in his mouth.

"Ahhh, one of those." Vern said smiling and loosening up again now that the attention wasn't on him. "What's her name?"

"Tia," True said smiling at Eddie. "She's quite the looker too, at least I think so. But what do I know."

“What’s one of those?” Eddie asked Vern.

"Girl 'friends'," Vern said making little quotation marks with his fingers. "Relationships are complicated, heck even friendships with women are complicated. It's rarely what you think it should be."

TBC

●●●● Captain Jonathan Reynolds
Captain
USS Andromeda


Eddie "the half human dustbin" Reynolds
NPC Jonathan Reynolds

●● Lieutenant True Keading
Chief Counselor
USS Andromeda


Captain Vern Keading
Commanding Officer USS Europa
PNPC by Keading