Dinner Pt one

Posted on Tue Mar 8th, 2022 @ 9:48am by Captain Xavier Carey & Lieutenant Talsi Carey & Commander Antonia 'Tony" Stoffels & Lieutenant Sky Jansen-Carey

Mission: Free write
Location: Captains quarters
Timeline: Current

Xavier walked out of the shower wrapped in towel, with the Commander set to show up in mere minutes, he wasn't going to remain as his usual.

"Chicken is ready, veggies are as well." Tal replied as she walked out. "So this... Tony helped you out after your father's death."

Nodding. "Classic PTSD and all that fun stuff." Xavier replied "Sky still working?"

“No, Sky is right here” Sky smiled as she entered through the door. “Sorry I’m late, had a last minute appointment, it’s all sorted now.” She kissed Xavier on the cheek and did the same for Talsi. “Anything I can do to help?”

"Shower, and get ready the Commander will be here anytime." Xavier replied as reached around. "Wheres my saurian whiskey?"

“Ohh if you mean the brandy rather than the whiskey, Diane and I finished it off when she came to visit me.” Sky gave an apologetic smile. “I plan to replace it as soon as I can get my hands on a new bottle.”

"Alright. Luckily, I keep a second bottle for emergencies." He replied as he walked over to Tal, who unphasingly, lifted him up and walked over to the corner pulling another two out.

Sky smiled. “I’m glad to see you have more stashed away. I’ll go grab a quick shower and put on a dress, I won’t be long.”

Xavier walked back over, and once tal had helped him down, he placed the bottle on the table. Getting some glasses. "Tal, I highly doubt that the XO wants you naked during our dinner."

Tal looked at him, giving him a slight hissing sound before heading up to get dressed.

Tony had changed out of her uniform into a dress. She was not sure about it but it seemed like tonight was supposed to be informal. She was still nervous as hell when she hit the chime.

Hearing the chime Sky quickly jumped into the sonic shower not bothering with the water setting to save time. Having a quick shower she emerged hoping she wasn’t holding up any pleasantries.

Tal walked over to the door opening it up, looking down at the woman, "Commander Stoffels I presume. Please come in."

"Don't mind the forest, its a ecosystem, Tals species requires for a living space."

Tony blinked. "Ehm right. Nice to meet you, miss, ma'am..." She was not used to looking up to other women. She was not short herself.

"Talsi, Lt Carey, but I prefer Tal." She replied as she turned to go to the bedroom, "I will get dressed now." She turned to Xavier with a look.

Sighing, "Apologies Commander, she prefers sans clothes. Usually we accommodate her. It is hard for her still to accept. Even after being together for years."

“You’ll get used to it” Sky smiled warmly as she reappeared from the bedroom. “It’s nice to see you again Commander.”

"Ehrm. Right." Tony tried to get her composure back. "I ehm, this is all very new for me. I am sorry for staring and if I ask stupid questions."

“Don’t worry I’ve been there and asked all the silly questions!” Sky grinned. “Please don’t feel uncomfortable, you can ask anything you like.”

"Even if they are blunt? I can be blunt for a shrink." Tony smiled again regaining her composure.

"Blunt is how I prefer." Tal replied returning, with clothes on, though barely.

"Her people are very, or were very promiscuous, nothing was off limits."

“Something that I've gotten used to” Sky grinned. “Though as a Betazoid, being naked is second nature to me.”

"Oh dear." Tony felt herself blush. "I ehm..." She coughed. "I am not that comfortable with it. My mum's side of the family are pretty traditional. Very old fashioned values. It almost gave my grandda a heartattack when uncle Pete brough his boyfriend home the first time. Of course they have been happily married for years now and granddad came around in the end. Especially when he found out uncle Mike shared his hobby for history. But still. My dad is Dutch so he is way more casual." Yet she could not picture Richard Stoffels naked at a dinner. Oh god, she was babbling.

"See tal, not everyone is going to be comfortable."

Tal just turned, "she doesn't know the freedom of it."

"Tal!!!"

Sky motioned Tony to the sofa, “Please, take a seat and make yourself at home. Don’t worry no one will be asking you to remove any clothing.” She grinned a wry grin.

"I would certainly hope so." She muttered something under her breath in Dutch. A little gingerly she sat down and waited to see what more would be thrown at her during this little visit.

Sky stifled a yawn as she settled down for a rest. “Sorry, this is my first week back at work after err ...” She paused offering Talsi and Xavier an almost apologetic glance. “I had a miscarriage.” She took a deep breath. “But it’s onwards and upwards from here, it’s not like we can’t try again.”

Tony blinked. She was not sure if she was telling everyone or just her. Would she mention this so casual with a stranger present. Her therapist radar went off. Was this a sign Sky wanted to talk about it. "I am so sorry." She said simply as an opening.

Sky offered a smile. "Thank you. It wasn't entirely unexpected, both Talsi and Xavier warned me that it could be a complicated pregnancy. More complicated than we thought so it seems."

"Have you talked about it?" She looked at the three of them. "I know you are a counsellor but you would be surprised how often we are the worst in looking after ourselves."

Sky looked towards Xavier and Talsi before looking back at Tony. “Not really, no”

"I don't have to tell you that talking can help after a traumatic experience." Awkward with Xavier around. "Or anything else that will help you work through this."

Sky nodded. “I know, but right now let’s just enjoy dinner not turn it into a counselling session.”

Tony groaned. "I did it again, didn't I? The de Ruyter was pretty shortstaffed so I kept seeing a few patients while being second officer and then I had some patients I saw over video link. It is hard to shed."

"It is not a bad thing Tony. If it wasn't for you, what we have now... would not have been possible. It wasn't the camp that gave me the ptsd. All things considered, I was considered a vip until they arranged drop off and pick up."

"I know Xavier." She did not go into detail as she had no idea how much he had shared about his father with the women in his life. And she would never divulge information on a patient, even former patient to others. "I am so glad that you have found such happiness in your life. And that I was able to help you move on."

Sky offered a curious look but she knew not to ask personal details that had been discussed with another counsellor.

"I was assigned to a team my father headed up, one that I later realized was accountable for at least two dozen atrocities against anyone that might have a grudge against the federation. This was during the cardassian war, we were behind enemy lines, and we came up to an encampment of civilians, those unable to fight, the elderly, the children, hidden away so they would be protected. My father and his team took it upon themselves to round them up like cattle for slaughter. Including 3 year olds, the oldest was almost a century. I made the choice to save those my father called enemy. Those that would grow up to destroy everything the federation stood for. Kids are not an enemy, kids are innocent. its what they learn later in life that makes, that molds them into the enemy. The look on my fathers eyes, when he realized who shot him, it wasn't of hurt. It was of fury, anger that I would go against him. The look I see every time i go to bed even to this day." Pausing he leaned back. "Within minutes, I was surrounded, I highly doubt my father expected to survive the mission, I assume he knew exactly who those civilians were, and he didn't care about being killed in the process." He downed the glass that he had poured as he spoke, then poured another. "Those civilians were the parents and the children of the dotapa council. Those deaths could have ended the war sooner, or it could have extended it considerably. In return, the civilians saved my life, and upon learning what I had done, I got pretty much everything I needed, some I asked for. Made friends with. I was present at the council chambers when the treaty was signed, the first one addressed to when we arrived. Imagine being an ensign, being addressed to by the leader of the former enemy. For saving his three year old. It was the proudest moment of my life. But questions arose, about my father, and if i had knowledge."

Tony just nodded and encouraged him to speak. But she was surprised that Sky did not seem to know anything about it. When she and Xavier parted ways he had worked through a big chunk of his ptsd, but treatment like that could take years and was ongoing. She was not pleased to hear that he had obviously shut it out again.

"Whats with the frown Tony?"

"Hey I am off duty, remember Xavier. Plus I am not your therapist any longer. My frowns are not important any more."

Xavier, chuckled, "Alright, I will discuss it on duty in the morning."

"With me?" She could not hide her surprise.

"You were very easy to surprise tony."

"Um, I have not been your therapist for a while, if you remember." Tony huffed. "I did not think you would feel comfortable that way now."

"Are you guys in an argument... you know when my people got into arguments they would..."

Xavier shot a look. "Tal. Information is nice. But you know the answer."

"What do you mean?" Tony asked them both while in her mind she was still mulling over the situation. In the time at the hospital he had not called her by her first name once. It had always been doctor or Lt Stoffels. Never had she felt any warmth for her any indication that she was helping him. It had been early in her career and it had been a huge challenge for her. So it was hard for her to reconcile the man she saw now who was in a loving relationship, a captain and easily called her by her first name.

"Captain and Commander is different than Patient and Dr." Xavier replied as he eased into his chair. "She was going to say that two people of her race, if they were in an argument, in order for it to stop, most would engage in... sex. Sex was their preferred method of anything, getting to know one another."

"We aren't closed off as everyone here are."

Tony flushed bright red at the thought of it. "Ehrm." She turned to Sky. "Ok, you win our bet." Only Sky would know what she was on about.

Sky couldn't help but grin.

"So you want to continue therapy or some more informal way of talking to me?" Tony asked him.

"Do you think I require it?"

Tony felt a little trapped. "Maybe we should discuss this in private and after I have had a chat with your last therapist." God this was awkward.

"These are my family Commander, shes my last therapist. What you say should be in front of them. And trust me, I cannot take offense."

"Well it is very unusual." She looked at Sky for conformation.

Sky nodded in confirmation. “What Xavier said” she grinned as she looked towards Xavier.

"Alright. Well, I did not have that much experience when you were my patient, and you were the hardest case assigned to me. So for years afterwards I did wonder if that had been the right choice. If I helped you as much as a more seasoned therapist would have." She said honestly. "Right now I am a little worried you never seem to have mentioned the whole incident with your therapist." She looked at Sky and swallowed but there was no turning back now."In therapy you had a tendency to ignore your feelings and hope they would go away. You not mentioning this very important episode in your life at all makes me a little worried."

“As ships Chief Counsellor, I didn’t ask about Xavier’s past. We all have our way of dealing with patients, I don’t ask if I don’t consider it a concern at the time. I do obviously follow up if I have concerns” Sky offered a smile. “I prefer to earn people’s trust.”

"Nothing wrong with that. And I was in no way judging your way of working." Tony hastened to say. Her beef was with Xavier not Sky.

“Thank you” Sky smiled, though she understood Tony’s point of view.

Xavier thought momentarily. "I have mentioned it to Tal, though it had been a while before I had told her. With Sky, being chief counsellor, I just never told her because it would have been in all the notes that is required to be in my file, since you were taking care of me.

'You must know that it is already in your permanent record. Which can only been seen by the therapist treating you. I guess I would feel better if we had one or two informal chats." Tony admitted.

Sky gave Xander an understanding look, the choice was his. She would talk to Tony again at a later time about her concerns.

"Perhaps the assumption was a bad choice on my part. Just never thought of it as a big deal."

"Humor me and I will be out of your hair soon. And like I said it will be informal." Tony offered again.

"My office in the morning then."

"Thank you." She hoped she had not killed the mood for the evening even before dinner had begun. "I am starving Tony said a little nervous."