=Rick and Mai's Quarters/Apartment=
=Starbase UNITY=
After seeing off the Magellan and her task group, Trent wondered around the corridors of the starbase aimlessly for a good hour or so before he ended up here. He tapped the chime of the door and waited for a response.
"Come in," he heard a child's voice say out from the other side of the door.
Trent walked in and saw his neice Rachel playing on the floor, surrounded by stuffed animals and other toys.
"Hey Uncle T," Rachel smiled.
"Hey Rachel."
"We're having a picnic." she said cheerfully, motioning to the stuffed animals. "You want to join us?"
"That's OK, sweetheart," Trent said. "Is your daddy home?"
Before Trent could prepare himself, Rachel yelled out, "DADDY!"
"What is it Ray?" Trent heard from the other room before Rick appeared in the doorway to the bedroom.
"Wow, this is a surprise," Rick said. "Captain Rodgers decides to finally grace my humble abode with his magnificant presence. I'm honored."
"As you should be," Trent said. "Where's MaiKai?"
"She's taking a long, relaxing jacuzzi bath. What can I do for you?"
Rick offered Trent a seat on the couch. Rachel went about playing with her stuffed animals, ignoring her father and uncle.
"I was hoping we could talk," Trent answered after he took a seat.
"Talk? If I recall, the last time I tried to talk with you, it was a one-way conversation."
"I wasn't ... in the mood at the time to talk," Trent said.
"What makes you think I'm in the mood to talk now?" Rick shot back.
"Fine," Trent said as he stood. "I'm sorry to have bothered you."
As Trent headed to the exit, Rick quickly stood, "Wait!"
Trent turned to face his brother.
"Please sit," Rick said.
Trent stared for a moment.
"Or we can go to my den," Rick added.
"Den?" Trent was a bit puzzled.
"Oh, yeah. Come. I'll show you," Rick said before leading Trent into another room attached to the main living area. "Actually, it both Mai's and my den."
Trent looked around the room. Model starships were on shelfs along the walls along with a number of personal effects.
"OK, truth is, I built it for Mai so she could do most of her paperwork here and not have to go back and fourth to her office. It's easier on her in her condition. But it seems that I get more use out of it then she does."
"What was in this space before you took over?" Trent asked.
"An empty supply closet," Rick said. "Commander Utley approved it beforehand."
"She did?"
"Well, she didn't disapprove of it. I made the request and she said, 'whatever', which is what she usually said just to get me out of her hair."
Trent took a seat as Rick walked over to one of the shelves.
"If I remember correctly, 'whatever' was what you use to say to me alot when we were young. For the same reasons, if I'm not mistaken," Rick said as he reached for something behind a model of a Constellation-class starship. "Ah, there it is."
Rick pulled out a bottle and walked over to where Trent was sitting.
"You still like vodka?" Rick asked.
Trent looked up and gave his brother a quizzed stare.
"Question is, what are you doing with a bottle of vodka?" Trent asked. "I didn't know you started drinking."
"It's Mai's," Rick whispered. "Don't tell her I told you."
Trent continued to stare at Rick.
"OK, I kept it here in case you ever did decide to stop by some day," Rick admitted, handing Trent the bottle.
Trent studied the bottle for a moment as Rick went back to the main living area and brought back a couple of small glasses.
"It's a quarter empty," Trent said when Rick returned.
"Well, imagine that," Rick said, handing Trent one of the glasses before taking a seat next to the task force XO.
Trent poured some in Rick's offered glass, but left his glass empty choosing to drink straight from the bottle.
"Speaking of our youth, I've been thinking a lot about that subject lately and started to realise that you were very mean to me when we were children," Rick said before taking his first drink.
"I was not mean to you," Trent replied.
"Oh. Remember that one time you threatened to eject me out of an airlock."
"I probably threatened to do a lot of things to you back then," Trent said.
Rick turned to face Trent.
"You actually had me locked in an airlock when I was only a year or two older than Rachel. If you knew how to operate the eject switch, then you would have probably followed through with your threat."
"I wasn't an idiot. I knew how to operate the eject switch," Trent said, taking another swig from the bottle. "You were getting on my nerves and I wanted to teach you a lesson. Besides, I got chewed out by both dad and Captain Wesson afterwards. They both threatened to shoot ME out of an airlock."
"They should have," Rick said. "Anyhow, I think that incident is the reason why I'm a little apperhensive when it comes to performing EVAs. You were a terrible brother."
Trent shook his head, "If I was so terrible, then I would have let Kr'lorog beat the living hell out of you."
"Kr'lorog?" Rick said.
"You remember Kr'lorog. The Klingon assistant security officer's son. He was about five-years older than you, almost two-foot taller and the size of a shuttle. You got on his nerves, too, and he wanted to teach you a lesson. He was about to rip your head off when I saved the day."
"Yeah, I remember. You were getting your ass kicked when security stepped in," Rick chuckled.
"That's not how I remember it. I handled myself well and even got in a few good blows."
"Whatever," Rick said, shaking his head finishing off his glass.
Trent refilled it as they were silent for about a minute. Trent looked down at the bottle and sighed.
"I think Sarah's going to leave me," Trent finally said in a low tone.
Rick looked from his glass to Trent.
"What? What makes you say that?" the younger brother asked.
Trent sighed again, still staring at the bottle.
"Things between us haven't been so good lately. When the war started and I was given command of the Lancelot, we were apart for the first time since ... well, since I met her. I think she was pissed off at me for taking the command. She even thought that I was having an affair with my XO."
"Why would she think that?"
"I don't know."
"Did you?"
"Did I what?" Trent asked.
"Did you have an affair?"
"No! I've never cheated on Sarah. I never even considered it. "
Trent rubbed his eyes and took another drag from the bottle.
"It's not just that. It was like we were drifting apart even before the war. I was hoping I'd have time to work things out with her after the Lancelot was destroyed, but she gave birth, then I was assigned here. Things just went from bad to worse. When I do call her, it's just asking how the kids are. She doesn't even want to talk to me for more than a couple of minutes."
Rick finished off his second glass before putting it down on the deck in front of him.
"If you can't get back to Earth anytime soon, then you need to get her here somehow," Rick finally said. "You need her, T. If you don't work things out with her, then I don't want to see the person you become. Besides, she's like a sister to Mai and Mai wouldn't be happy. And if Mai isn't happy, then I'm not happy, and that would be real bad."
Trent allowed himself a slight smile, "Maybe I'll work out something with Sarah after Magna is concluded."
"You'd better," Rick responded.
Trent stood and handed the bottle to Rick, "I'm going to turn in."
"This early?" Rick said. "Don't you even want to say 'hi' to Mai?"
"Maybe some other time. I've got to be awake by 0100. Early reports from Magna should be coming in early and I want to be in CIC when they do."
"OK," Rick said as he stood.
"Thanks for the talk," Trent said as they made their way out of the den into the main living area.
"Don't mention it," Rick said. "You know, you could stop by more often. Maybe for dinner or something. After all, we are family."
"Maybe. I'll have to think about it," Trent said then smiled as he looked over at Rachel. "Goodbye, Rachel."
"Bye, bye," the child smiled as Trent shook Rick's hand before leaving.
Commander Rick Rodgers
Chief Engineering Officer
Starbase UNITY/Tarangor-Aeran Shipyard
and
Captain Trent Rodgers (npc by Rick)
XO, 1st TF, SSF Command
XO, SB 234: UNITY
and
Rachel Rodgers (npc by Rick)
Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.
