seaQuest DSV
Fic Title: The Dance or {A} Home for the Holidays
Fic author: Paula (APB)
Fic rating: PG
Disclaimer: This is based on the second season of the Amblin Television and Universal Television series "seaQuest DSV", created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. As is understood, I do not own any part of these characters, and have made no profit in the writing and sharing of this fic.Further disclaimer: This is a Trey Barlow seaQuest fic.
The Dance - Part 2
As things progressed towards the end of December, Tim went to Lucas one day. "Can I ask a favor?"
"Sure, what's up Tim?
"I was wondering if I could use your InterNex set up and recorder and download some old songs on a disc I want to give Trey for Christmas. Stuff my mom listened to that I want to give to her."
"Why can't you just buy it on a disc? Why go to this trouble?"
He left unsaid 'for her' cause Trey and Tim's growing relationship annoyed Lucas. He found that he didn't trust or like the anthropologist and that Tim was bonding with her upset him more than what ever was going on between Miguel and Ari which was nothing to all intents and purposes.
"Well they're not all by the same artist and so not readily available. I'll pay the fees, if that's what you're worried about."
Making a disgusted face at that, Lucas gave Tim a surly, "Fine, but it's a lot of bother to go to for a new crew person."
Missing Lucas's displeasure Tim answered "Great. I'll get the list and be down shortly. Thanks, Lucas, she'll love it."
While Lonnie and Miguel conspired to keep Trey busy, Tim and Ari spent one evening in his crowded quarters wrapping all of the presents for Trey. It wasn't that he didn't trust Miguel or Lonnie, but he knew that he and Ari would do it right, if anyone could. Except for requests to pass the tape or scissors, they worked in silence. Tim worried about how this would all work out.
Schedules hadn't been posted, yet, but senior staff routinely only worked half days if at all on holidays, so Tim and Miguel were only working till 1300, with Lonnie and Ari on duty till later. For some reason Jim hadn't posted securities schedule, so they were working on the assumption that Trey was working second shift, so at least Tim and she would have a few hours in the afternoon. Then the rest would catch up with her between shifts. He reassured himself that it would all work out.
But when the schedule was posted, the conspirators found that Trey was working a shift and a half, relieving the weapons officer halfway into Miguel's shift and then manning the comm station for the next. Indignant, Tim went to try and find out what Brody was thinking with this unheard of 12 hour shift.
"Tim, don't start on me, she asked for the hours," was Jim's reply, which was met with an indignant "What?" from Tim.
"Tim, she said she'd take the extra time so the crew who celebrated the holiday could enjoy the day and call home and since she had no family and wasn't religious she felt it was the least she could do."
Tim felt his heart sink, his careful plans slipping away. Because he wanted to surprise her, he'd end up losing the whole day with her. "Thanks for telling me, Jim. "
"Tim, I can see if 3rd shift would come in a bit early, say around 2300, best I can do. When she offered, I wondered if you guys weren't doing something but figured she knew what she was doing. I did give her the 26th off, so you can plan things just for a day late"
"I'd appreciate that, but the odds aren't good. It's my fault, really. We all wanted to surprise her and just do things for her to give her a real Christmas. She never had one growing up. And then she turns noble on us and does this for everyone else. I'll try and see what the rest want to do." Tim walked away feeling disheartened on one hand but a bit proud that Trey had offered to help this way, that maybe in some way they were getting thru to her.
The four friends collected in their usual meeting place, Ari's quarters, a subdued, unhappy group. Miguel seemed determined to say something to Ari, but she wasn't giving him the opportunity.
"Did you talk to the commander, Tim?" she asked briskly, shaking Miguel's hand off her arm and taking control of the gathering. "What explanation does he give for this?" Tim shook his head.
"I thought I'd try Jim first," he admitted glumly. "And HE said that it was her own decision. She asked for extra duty on Christmas." Ari closed her eyes and sighed heavily.
"We should have seen this coming and headed it off," she muttered to herself. Rallying, she asked, "Ok, so, what can we do about it?"
"Jim suggested that the third shift might be persuaded to come in early..." Tim offered half-heartedly, "But..."
"That might work," Lonnie interrupted brightly. "Who's third shift Comm? We can go talk to him and ...."
"It's Grahame and I already did," Tim's voice rose up to speak over Lonnie's cheerful plans. "And her reaction was less than enthusiastic. I'm not counting on it. We messed this up big time." Tim slumped further down into the desk chair.
"Was she?" Ari mused thoughtfully. "Mmmm, well, I'll talk to her tomorrow," she promised. "And I think I can increase her enthusiasm. I've got some favors I can call in, I think. Speaking of favors, did Lucas help you out with that disk you wanted to make."
"Yes, but I can't give her that before the player and the player's from all of us and I doubt you guys want to stay up that late to give it to her. AND the disk was to be, well, private."
"Which means you don't want us to be around when you give it to her," Lonnie pouted. Ari gave her a disgusted look, rather fed up with the woman's curiosity and intrusive questions lately.
Miguel joined the conversation at this point, interrupting the inquisitive ensign before she could begin teasing the lovelorn lieutenant. Ari turned away, picking up a picture from one of her shelves and examining it while he spoke.
"Well, I know that technically it was supposed to be from all of us, with you two providing the player and Lonnie and me the discs, but ... what if Tim were to present her with the entire package and explain it's from all of us? We can have a private celebration the 26th?"
"No!" Lonnie exclaimed, whining, "I want to see her reaction."
Miguel shrugged, "So do I. I've never seen her looking completely happy. But since it was Tim's idea and ..........."
Tim interrupted. "Well, technically, it was Ari's idea back on Bonchance."
The sound of her name recalled Ari from whatever thoughts had clouded her eyes and she looked up again, replaying the conversation in her mind.
"It doesn't really matter whose idea it was, but you're wrong, Tim. You were the one who brought it up, with your talk about tapes. And you are the one who wanted to help her feel that she belongs here." She shook her head, shaking the cobwebs out with the fly away curls. "I agree with Ortiz. You should be the one to give it to her."
"Wait, wait," Tim held up his hand. "You mean it?"
Ari and Miguel nodded immediately, as one, with Lonnie reluctantly following suit when she realized that she was alone in her objections. He thought about it, his eyes shining, then he shook his head. "No. It's not fair."
Miguel walked over toward the communications officer and leaned against the wall, just incidentally brushing up against Ari's arm, and he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Tell you what, Tim," he offered with an air of cheerful compromise. "You give her the stereo and your little offering, whatever it is, and the rest of us will give her the other discs the next day. That way, you can have your fun, and we can still see how she reacts to at least part of it."
His eyes slid over toward the little ensign, who hadn't moved away from him, to see what her reaction was to the offer and he was heartened to see her nodding approval at him.
"That's a good idea, Miguel," was all she said, but it was a start and he warmed himself on her use of his given name. Maybe they could patch things up between them.
As much as Miguel wanted the moment to continue, just barely in contact with her and in her good graces, Ari's tone of voice declared that the discussion of this subject was at an end and she moved to pick up her notebook and sit on the bunk.
The other two took the hint and headed toward the door, and after a few moments hesitation, the sensor chief followed them. Tim waited outside to talk the whole thing over again, wanting to be persuaded over and over that this was the right thing, but Miguel understood. Tim still felt vaguely guilty about not preventing the mix-up somehow and now for somehow stealing credit from the others. But that was the Catholic in him, he decided.
Showing up 20 minutes early, Trey found a bored bridge crew under Lt. Brody's command, telling jokes and trying to entertain themselves. She took the tactical seat, empty for the day since Brody had the Command, and the world appeared to have agreed to put down its weapons for one day with the weapons station just manned for the practice more than anything. She felt a little uneasy, as if it were bad luck or bad taste to sit there, but the unoccupied station just happened to be beside communications, and that gave her a chance to talk to Tim without drawing to much attention from anyone else, except Ari. Not much got past her, but she never talked about confidential things, so it was ok.
"So, you guys doing anything?" she asked him lightly, trying not to feel left out that they hadn't asked her to join them.
"Not much," Tim answered, "turns out one of us can't make it today." He kept his eyes turned down on the display screen.
"Huh? Who's the no-show? Ari? I knew that she was feeling bad about something, but I didn't think she'd take it out on you guys." Trey felt a surge of resentment for the bossy little junior officer, ruining Christmas for this sensitive and caring man. And the rest of their friends, as well. She knew how much they loved her and ....
"No," Tim's response interrupted her half formed plans to grab the kid and shake her until she knew what was good for her. "You, you idiot." His voice turned the insult into an endearment, and Trey felt herself start to colour up.
"Well, I didn't think it'd matter," she faltered, torn between pleasure at being missed and regret that she was going to be working. "I'm not into this Christmas stuff and since we're not doing gifts I thought that I could be helpful to the folks who have family."
"You do have a family now," he insisted. "Me, Ari, Miguel, Lonnie, Lucas." He stopped when she gave a snort of disagreement at the sound of the last name.
"I didn't say perfect family," he answered the comment a trifle sharply.
In spite of all the discussion and understanding of her motives, it still hurt that she'd ruined the surprise he'd been planning. "So I'll stay up and you come to see me after your last shift, OK? Don't bolt on me," he cautioned. "I know where you live. Now, promise me."
"I'd say scout's honor," Trey answered smartly. "But I wasn't one." Leaning a bit closer, she whispered suggestively into his ear. "You want to come down to my quarters? I'll be off around 0100, know its real late for you, but..."
The playing tone stumbled a bit as she suddenly descended into serious, only know realizing that her actions had been unfair to her best friends. "I'm sorry Tim, never occurred to me you guys would want to include me."
Now it was his turn to give a snort of disgust. "You better get used to it, because we're not going to let you off. Got it, lady?"
She waved a lax salute in his direction, earning Brody's notice. "Yes sir," she answered willingly. "Will do that, sir." Catching Jim's eye, she started to get out of the seat. "I'm going to go check in with ol' slave driver Ortiz."
As she went up the stairs, Tim turned around and gave Ari a sheepish grin, knowing that she had missed nothing of what had passed between them. His eye slid over to Miguel, as if by logical progression, and his smile faded. Once Christmas was out of the way, and Trey was taken care of, he'd have to see what was wrong with those two.
Trey was startled by the hand tapping her shoulder, having zoned out after listening to Jim's stories for the past couple of hours. Lucky senior officers, taking trading four hours on, eight off, she thought. It had been a long shift and a half and she was not only fatigued from the attention to display screens required but worn out by the constant thought of four folks who had become her family without her noticing it.
Looking up, Trey was surprised to find her relief 2 hours early. "Ana, hi hun', what's up?"
Ana Grahame smiled back at the woman. She still wasn't exactly sure why she had agreed to come in two hours early on this day of all days, but seeing the expression on Barlow's face, she was glad that she had. "Well I was bored and thought I can be bored up here and let you go rather than both of us being bored, so get going."
It was a grateful but confused Trey who headed to her quarters. She couldn't shake the conviction that Ari had something to do with this, but she couldn't figure out how the small junior officer had managed it. She finally shook her head. No, she couldn't see how Ari could be involved at all, but that young woman was going to make a hell of an officer because people did things for her and seemed pleased to do them and never questioned why they were doing them.
Changing in to a teeshirt and shorts, her preferred off duty outfit, Trey decided that she'd start trying to find out where everyone was by checking the next room over. She'd probably get lucky and find them all there. Tim wouldn't know to start looking for her for another couple of hours, so she could surprise him. She grinned at the thought.
Then another thought occurred to her. What if someone else were getting lucky tonight? Ari and Miguel had been acting strange the past few weeks, it was true, but today, today, she would bet that they would make up and who knew what might happen. She'd better be careful when she knocked. Wouldn't want to ruin anyone else's plans.
But she didn't get the opportunity to exercise her tact. Someone tapped on her door as she picked up her shirt, and after a quick check that the privacy shield was down, she pulled it down and went to open it.
She found Tim standing there with a canvas carrying tote slung over his shoulder. With an odd look at that, she stepped back, welcoming him in with the words, "Hi, I was just going to come looking for you. Ana relieved me early..." her voice trailed off for a moment as her first suspicions returned, harder and more certain. With a stronger voice and a flourish, she finished her thought, "But somehow I think you know that already."
He walked into the room and headed toward the bed, carefully lowering the sack to the bunk. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a crumpled piece of greenery that took Trey's mind a few seconds to identify as mistletoe. A grin spread over her face.
"You don't need that to get a kiss out of me you know," she informed him, moving closer. "But I won't let it go to waste." Grabbing him around the waist, she gave him a silly, playful kind of kiss, laughing afterward.
"Merry Christmas, Trey," he replied solemnly. "I wish we'd said something a week or so ago, so you could've spent more than a few minutes at breakfast with us all together today." She twisted her face up wryly and shook her head.
"Trust me, I've had worse. No one was drunk, no one got slapped around, no one threw up, no one ran to their room crying. That's a banner holiday for me." Tim's face changed and became rueful, but Trey was craning her head to try to look into the tied up top of the tote. "So what's in that? Jim send you here with more things for me to learn?"
"Nope. I want you to sit for a few minutes." Tim said, leading her over to her bunk and waiting till she was sitting down before he said anything.
"We, that is me, Ari, Miguel and Lonnie pulled a scam on you. We told you we weren't doing Christmas presents cause we didn't want you to do anything. We decided that you deserved a bit of well earned joy. Then the schedule thing happened. BUT in a way, as disappointed as we were the fact that you did this so everyone else could enjoy the day means you're feeling part of the crew, so that was good, but not for me."
Noticing that her head was down, Tim reached over to tip it back up. "It was a good thing and Jim gave you tomorrow off, we'll have dinner together tomorrow. SO, anyway, we did something for you and the others decided to let me give this to you tonight." Standing up, Tim opened the tote and brought out a brightly wrapped package, handing it to her.
"What is it?" Trey asked in a bashful yet confused voice.
"Open it silly, we promise it doesn't bite or bark orders in Jim Brody's voice. Unless you want it to," he added playfully.
Cautiously, Trey opened the gift, shocked beyond words when she saw what was in the box. Handing the stereo back to Tim, Trey protested, "I can't accept this, it costs to much Tim. I priced new stereos and just decided to put it off for a while till I absolutely needed to."
Pushing her hands and the box back in her lap, he came and sat beside her on the bunk. "That's why we went in as a group. You needed this and we know how much your music means to you but if you had waited till later you weren't going to be able to transfer your old discs. Please don't fight us on this OK?"
Sitting quietly for a few minutes, just holding her present, Trey seemed lost. which worried Tim. "You ok in there?"
A subdued Trey, without looking up, asked forlornly, "Yeah, but why?"
"Why what? Why did we do this?" Trey nodded her head in agreement. She didn't deserve anything like this.
"Because we're your friends and we wanted you to be happy. And what makes you happiest is loud music & hopefully me, us." Standing up and reaching for the box, Tim continued, "Lets set this up, come on."
Handing him the box and then getting up, Trey noticed the other 2 packages in the tote. Tim saw her looking in at them. "Those are from just me, but I wasn't sure if I should give them to you."
Trey said nothing, but from somewhere deep the curiosity of a small child at Christmas began to shine in her eyes. Giving her a smile, which reflected in his voice, Tim nudged her with, "Come help with this first, then we can deal with the rest."
Walking to her desk where Tim was taking the packing off the stereo, she just rested her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him, enjoying this small piece of Americana even if it was in a submarine. As Tim was showing her all the various things on it, she realized they had nothing to play in it. Oh well, she could hit Miguel up for some discs till she could order some.
Turning in the circle of her arms, Tim gave her a hug followed by "You want the other presents?"
In what was almost a little girls voice she answered, "Please? But I wish I had something for you."
"Are you happy, right now?"
"Yes, why?" she asked in a questioning tone
"Then there's my present. Only thing I ever want from you, you being happy." Hugging her again, he took hold of her hand and led her back across the room to her bunk and sat her back down on the side and handed her the smaller of the 2 remaining wrapped boxes. "I hope you can still wear these, but if not, well........"
She opened the package to find a set of small silver hoops and a set of post earrings, also silver that were jumping dolphins which were met with an intake of breath. "My holes closed up and I had nothing to put in them to reopen them, and no reason to either. I'll see if the Doc can do that in med bay for me. She should be able to you think?"
"She should, Wendy wears pierced earrings so she should be able to do that." Tim reached in to get the last box and then stopped and sat back on his heels.
"What's wrong? Bring the wrong package?"
"No, no mistaking this box. I've been debating whether to give you this since before I bought it. I'm afraid that you'll think I'm pushing you and I'm not. I mean we've only known each other 6 weeks, but if I didn't do this now, next year would be to late...... OK, how bout you look at this as a promissory note."
"I can do that, I guess." Tim handed her the box feeling like his whole life was riding on her reaction to this one silly thing. "Be careful OK? It's glass, well part of it is."
Following Tim's instructions, she found the ornament and stand that he had so fretted over in Ari's room. "You can take the bell jar off if you want to," he informed her.
Shaking her head, she just peered in at this treasure and read what the base said and looked at the cats. In a shaky voice she asked, "I'm the white cat, if she has the pink collar, right?"
Looking in at the cats himself , Tim agreed, "Yeah, I guess. I never noticed they had different collars on."
"The gray one has a blue collar and the white one a pink collar." She stood up and sat it on the shelf above the desk, a place she could see it from her bunk. He had followed her over to the desk and reached around her to put the disk he'd made at Lucas's in her new machine, but not starting it, yet. "I lied earlier, there is something I want from you as a present."
"OK, umm what." She asked Tim, a bit worried.
"A slow dance, silly. I made you a disc of the things I like, but, well, it's all slower and quieter than your music. Would you mind ... Ah, would you honor me with this dance?" Heart in throat, Tim waited an eternity until she smiled shyly and nodded.
He started her new stereo playing one of the songs he could remember his parents having and dancing to in the living room as a boy, "I Can Love you like That" and pulled her into an embrace, no fancy moves here, even though she had one of the larger cabins on the boat, even if he had wanted, hell knew how, fancier dancing than just holding on to her, there wasn't really room.
Just as Tim was thinking this was as close to perfection as he'd ever been in his life, he realized that his neck where Trey's head resting was wet.
"Are you crying?" he asked, stopping and stepping away, worried that he'd done something wrong. "Trey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. What did I do?"
She nodded, and sniffled, "Nothing. This is good crying. Oh, Tim. I'm so happy. Did you pick this song out on purpose?"
He chucked a finger under her chin to induce her face to rise as he replied softly, "Yes, you like it?" They began to move again with the music.
The hope shining in her eyes almost broke Tim's heart with the burden of love as she asked, her voice breaking a little in the middle, "You mean it?"
"The lyrics? Yes I do, I used to think my career was enough, but last few weeks, it's had a lot of competition."
As the song finished Trey leaned back so she could look in his eyes, quietly suggesting "Stay tonight, you know?"
"I know, but no, not yet." Which he punctuated with a kiss. "But maybe we can curl up together and talk."
Which they did, arms around each other and Treys head on his shoulder for how long they lost track of time, ending with Trey grabbing a pillow and putting it and her head in Tim's lap and falling asleep.
Tim had had more exciting Christmas's in his life, with his dad's family growing up, loud, bright with lights and trees and all the traditional things growing up in the Midwest and Christmas meant. All the things the woman who he held didn't have.
But since that far away time, since he'd left for Annapolis, Christmas had lost some of its meaning beyond what his faith told him it meant. That had changed today, this year. Starting with the addition of Lonnie at the start of this tour, then Ari, and now this precious woman here, what had just been a boys club had become a family, upside down one at that with the youngest the leader and the oldest woman the one they all protected. But if he'd had a happier few hours than those that had just passed, he'd be hard pressed to remember them.
THE END
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