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Harris's Quarters - A Much Needed Break

Posted April 18, 2019, 1:16 a.m. by Colonel Calvin Harris (Commanding Officer) (Jerome Davis)

Posted by Captain Molly Wright (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Harris’s Quarters - A Much Needed Break

Posted by Captain Molly Wright (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Harris’s Quarters - A Much Needed Break

Posted by Colonel Calvin Harris (Commanding Officer) in Harris’s Quarters - A Much Needed Break
(SNIP)
Harris was visibly shaken at the thought of the couple not having closure and sighed. “I know Amelia, believe me, I do. It’s what’s been keeping me up at night for the past two weeks. I have struggled with it to the point that now I don’t even know if she /would/ talk to me… thinking I completely abandoned her. When it comes down to it, frack the solider… I want my girl back!” Calvin’s eyes burned with resolve, the focus in his gaze as razor sharp as Amelia had ever seen. With that, Harris drained his drink and rose quickly from his seat, tugging his tunic straight. Looking to Manning with a purposeful nod, the Marine said flatly. “And that’s exactly what I’m going to do! If you’ll excuse me Commander, I have some important business to take care of.” Harris then turned and left his quarters.

Harris, CO

A slight smirk showed on Amelia’s lips. “Go get her, Colonel. If you don’t mind, I’ll nurse my drink for a little longer.”

Leaning forward to get her glass from the coffee table where she had just sat it, Manning didn’t watch Harris leave, content in knowing he was gone with the sound of the doors closing behind him. She wasn’t planning on overstaying her welcome, rather, she really just wanted to finish her drink.

Amelia sighed, happy with the conversation she and Harris had just had. It had made her see the man in a whole different light than what she was used to. Wright was lucky. But Manning was luckier. She smiled, thinking of Peter back home. It had been a while since she had managed to talk to him, and she missed him. Sometimes she wondered if taking the XO job on the Dresden had been a good idea.

After downing the remainder of the whisky in her glass, Amelia finally stood up and took both glasses back to the replicator. She put a stopper on the bottle of Laphroaig she had brought with her and left it on the coffee table, together with two new replicated glasses. Next to it, she left a note.

For you and Captain Wright to finish. If you need anything, you know where to find me. Amelia

With a last glance at the room, she said out loud. “Computer, lights.” and she left.

Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO

It had been two weeks. Two weeks since the Dresden had been assigned the mission to Beta Prime. Two weeks since she and Cal had been taken by Jem’Hadar and tortured by a rogue Intelligence Officer. Two weeks since she and Cal had returned to the Dresden only to find twisted accusations thrown at them. Two weeks since she had been accused of conspiracy and capital treason. Two weeks since her uncle and Commander Harper had started to work on fighting them. Two weeks since she had lost Cal.

Even though Molly had not been restricted to her quarters, she might as well have been. While the investigation had been pending, Wright had been stripped of her command codes per statute with Starfleet, effectively rendering her unable to perform her duties. The only reason she had stayed on the Dresden it was because leaving would have risen more suspicions.

It had been the two longest weeks of her life. There were days when she had stuck to her routine and used her holodeck time in the morning. There were days where she had cried herself to sleep afraid of a life time in prison for something she had not done. One morning her uncle had even barged in through her room to force her out of bed.

But that morning… that morning had been different. That morning her uncle had come in earlier than usual, bearing a letter addressed to her. A letter from the President of the United Federation of Planets herself, absolving Molly of all the charges made against her. The letter also stated that Agent Ashley Newton had orchestrated a complex plan together with her partner, Tomas Dubois, to steal the Dresden, in their attempt to assist the Jem’Hadar to regain control of the sector. When Wright, an old colleague of Tomas, had fallen right on their plate, they had seen that as an opportunity. The letter also stated that the former FCIS Agent would be serving her own sentence.

A weight had been lifted from Molly’s shoulders as she hugged her uncle half crying, half laughing, thanking him and everyone involved in clearing her name. She had spoken to Commander Harper at length that afternoon. The only person left for her to speak to was Calvin.

As the chronometer on her wall marked 2100 hours, Molly placed her plan in motion.

Walking to Cal’s quarters, there was an urgency in her step that wasn’t usual, combined with a knot in her throat and a nervousness in her stomach she was not accustomed to. As she finally stopped in front of his door, Molly straightened her uniform and her hair before reaching for the chime. But before her finger could even touch it, the doors opened, and finally, after two weeks she was staring into the blue eyes of the man she had missed so much.

Molly

Cal froze in his steps, the breath sucked from his lungs as he looked into a set of eyes he had only hours before wondered if he’d ever see again. The Marine was… terrified. It took everything in him to step to Molly’s right side, clearing the door and allowing a tiny bit of privacy to be theirs as the door to his quarters hissed shut, leaving them alone in the most vacant corridor on the Dresden.

Looking down into her eyes, her beautiful eyes, the Marine took a slow breath and said softly. “Hey Mol’s… I was just coming to see you.”

Cal

Cal’s gaze was met with a cold stare. Molly’s expression was the hardest and most devoid of emotion he had ever seen. When they finally came, the words were dry out of her lips.

“Follow me.”

Harris felt scorching pain in Molly’s gaze and also knew better than to question the redheaded firebrand and followed as ordered, wondering where in the hell they were going.

And then, turning on her heels, she walked away down the corridor.

For a split second, and damn did he feel guilty for it, Cal stole a momentary admiration of Wright’s backside as she walked. The woman really did have a great ass but as pissed as she rightly was with him at the moment… if she caught his gaze, she’d probably rip his manhood off and throw it out the nearest airlock. His eyes snapped back up quickly.

Molly walked the whole way in silence, keeping an eye to see whether Harris was still with her, or if he had gotten lost somewhere during the way. Part of her was mad at Newton for throwing her under the bus by weaving her past together in such a way that it would support her false accusations. The other part of her was hurt. Hurt that Cal had believed the story Newton had fabricated. That he had considered even for a second that her love for him was not real, that she had been playing him all along for the purposes of fulfilling her own personal agenda.

His eyes had returned to the back of her head a moment before she turned to check on him… Good call Raven the Marine thought to himself. The hurt in her eyes remained and he quietly kicked himself as they walked. He knew he was stupid for doubting her.

Finally, as the massive doors of Holodeck 1 came into view, it would become apparent to Harris where they were going. Molly hurried her step and, with the tap of a few buttons in the pad by the doors, selected the program the desired program. She had put a lot of thought into it, and had spent countless nights with Lucas making sure everything was just right.

Now he was seriously confused, wondering what exactly was going on. He had opened his mouth to ask just what the frack was going on when…

Even so, walking through the doors was as if the air was punched out of her lungs. Molly knew that the feeling of walking in that room was never going to go away, even if it was not the real thing.

Instantly, Harris was speechless but in his silence… he had a fairly good idea where they were.

It was a living room. There was a wooden coffee table in the middle, with a sofa and a recliner around it. A floor lamp laid across the space, its top resting on the recliner seat. Behind them was the front door and to the right, a small galley kitchen. Two steps behind the sofa allowed access from the sunken living room to a small reading area where two large bookshelves lined the far wall. To the right, a hallway let to three other rooms.

Harris stepped into the room, his tac boots giving the slightest squeak on the worn wooden floor as he entered. The reeking smell of stale beer nearly made him sick and instantly, Harris felt immensely ashamed of his own privileged upbringing. He looked around at the home that was barely larger than half the size of the first floor of his childhood home.

The fallen lamp was not the only misplaced item in the room. A few empty beer cans and bottles of liquor were scattered around, some on the floor, some filling the coffee table and the other surfaces that would normally be empty. But behind the alcohol, one could see that the room had been put up with thought.

The place was a wreck and things about why Molly was the way she was started slamming together with so much force he could nearly hear it. He could see the place had a woman’s touch, but that touch was years ago.

Pictures had been placed mostly everywhere, from the bookshelves, to a small side table standing against the wall next to the kitchen door. They showed what appeared to be a happy family. In one, a teenage couple held a small newborn baby, their smiles glowing on their faces. In another, a red headed toddler, whose features she already shared with Molly, was playing with a toy starship. There was a picture of the young father, his arms extended out and a proud smile on his face, helping Molly learning how to walk, and finally a happy family picture of five year old Molly and her parents, with her mother visibly pregnant. That was the last picture where the young mother appeared.

Quietly, slowly… Harris walked carefully around the home, living room first. Taking in every picture. God, their mother was stunning and frack did her father look like Lucas! What the hell happened?! He thought to himself.

The few other pictures that existed peeked into fewer happy moments into the Holloways’ lives. There was a picture of Molly holding her baby sister, and a picture of a young man holding Molly’s hand on her first day of school. This was the only picture he showed up in, and Cal would recognize the man as a two decades younger Lucas Holloway. Lastly, there was a picture of both sisters, Erin was now a toddler and Molly would be nine or ten. They were both laying in the grass laughing. There was a faded bruise on Molly’s arm. It could have been from anything, but Cal would know what had caused it.

As he looked at the final groupings of pictures, Harris recognized immediately his old friend Lucas Holloway. He smiled at the pictures of the girls growing up, the absence of their mother now troubling him as he noticed changes in clothing, cleanliness, and… and the bruises. Cal felt his fist tighten at his side. What worthless piece of trash hits his own damn kids?! He could feel his teeth grinding.

On one of the walls there was a framed hand turkey drawing with the letters M O L Y drawn to the side. Dried leaves had been glued to it, as well as a few random strands of pink wool.

The hand turkey brought a quick but brief smile to Calvin’s face.

“Uncle Luc helped me with the pictures.” Molly finally broke the silence. “They were the only thing I couldn’t remember.” She took one of the frames from the small side table and lifted it closer to her face. It was the only picture where Lucas appeared, the one on her first day of school. “Of everyone in my life, he was the one who was more of a father to me…” Putting the picture back in place, Molly looked at Cal with a sad smile. “You’re probably wondering what this is…” She paused, thinking about her next words. “You showed me your house, so I’ll show you mine. Well… not the one in San Francisco…” A sarcastic chuckle came through Molly’s lips. “This is where I grew up…” There was a mix of bitterness and sadness in her voice. “Welcome to New York City, the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps… whatever you want to call it.” Her tone grew a sarcastic note. “Welcome to the vibrant borough of Queens.”

Molly

“A little different side of the city than I’ve seen…” Harris said in a notably soft tone. He looked around from where he stood, his expression even sadder than Molly’s. “… what…” Calvin paused, looking for the right words. “.... what the hell happened here? Is this how you remember the place you grew up?! My God Molly… I… I’m sorry. I literally don’t know what else to say but that I’m sorry.”

There was a slight pause and Harris asked. “What happened to your folks Molly?”

Cal


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