at home

Posted on Mon Mar 27th, 2023 @ 3:48am by Commander Antonia 'Tony" Stoffels

Mission: Traitor amongst us?

Tony sighed as she looked around the kitchen area of her quarters. As a thank you to Ren for taking such good care of her while she was recuperating she had wanted to cook for him and not use replicated food. But looking around the ravages around her and the slightly burnt smell coming from the oven she was not succeeding very well. And she feared she did not have enough energy left to clear it all up before he came home from his shift.

Soran entered quietly and removed his boots, "Do you need any help?"

"You are early. I was going to clean it up somehow." She sighed. Even looking at the mess made her tired. "If grandma saw me now." And then it hit her, grandma was dead. She would never complain about Tony's lack of Southern Belle skills ever again. She stifled a moan.

Soran moved to her and wrapped his arms around her. "You'll always miss her, but it won't always catch you off guard."

"It hurts so badly though. And there hasn't been any news from earth for days now. It's a complete news blackout. I don't even know if my uncle is still alive. Or my grandfather. It drives me up the wall." She cried against his shoulder.

"At the moment you're focusing on things you can't control." The Angosian explained. "So we need to look at the things we can. Starting with dinner, I will replacate whatever you're heart desires."

"You are too good for me." Tony murmurred. "I guess by now you are getting the drift that I will never make a housewife."

"I've never really thought about it," He shrugged as he began cleaning up. "Traditional family life isn't something I know much about. Do you want to be a housewife? I guess if those rules are important I could be a house husband."

"Hell no. I loathe that kind of stuff. Cleaning and cooking. Grandma tried to make me into a southern belle during the summer holidays when we stayed with her in Savannah. She was so dissapointed that she did not succeed with me, mum was even worse and of course mum was her only daughter. I know she had high hopes for uncle Pete's daughters." Another tear slipped away. "If you don't like it either we will just hire some help. Should be possible on our salaries."

"I don't know," Soran smiled. "Preparing meals at tending to a household sounds peaceful."

She snorted. "It isn't for me. You would think I was related to aunt Denni."

"I was there at a time she set a pan of water on fire. I'm still not sure how that happened." He laughed

"Nope." It made Tony laugh. "Nobody gets it. We would almost think she does it on purpose as it is so stupid. But she swears she doesn't and it seems to embarrass her enough."

"She's confident in who she is," Soran said.

"Mostly." Tony smiled. She knew that was not completely true. "I really wanted to surprise you with a romantic dinner, you have been such a support to me the past days. You must grow tired of me crying all the time."

"This too shall past," Soran said. "What would like for dinner.

"Some meat." Tony said. "I need my strength back. I burnt a few and I am not sure if we have more so maybe replicated. Do you want me to try do something with the salad again?"

"I think I can salvage some of this meat and with the of the replicator I have food on the table in a few minutes." Soran said as cooked.

He retrieved ingredients from the replicator and began putting them into a soup pot. "I'm making a scavenger stew. It's not gourmet, but I never starved. It's meal that suits to ale or hard cider than wine."

"I can't drink alcohol yet, Ren. All the meds I am on, it's not safe. But you do. I will just take some orange juice." She helped him by setting the table.

" That was just general information you're getting ice tea," he chuckled.

"The way my grandma made it? Oldfashioned with lots of sugar?" Half of her heritage would be forever a Southern girl.

"Of course," Soran said. He didn't understand why anybody would ruin good tea that way, he'd almost gagged the first time he'd tired it. "Scavengers stew and harvest salad."

He put the dishes on the table and went back to the replicator. Soran sat sat down and gave Tony her sweet tea.

"Oh that looks lovely." She smiled at him. "Thank you for saving the situation."

"I guess scouting and survival skills do have domestic uses as well," Soran said.

"Yeah they do. Have I told you lately how much I love you and how proud I am of you." She just grinned at him.

Truth be told Soran was still not entirely comfortable with domestic life. I want a better sweet nostalgia washed over him. Thatha had made jokes about how he'd be a great house husband when their service was over.

"It's Implied, however it is nice to hear." He looked her in the eye. "I love you too."

"There were times when I could never have believed how well you have supported my mental well beign over the last couple of days. I am sorry I ever doubted you, love."

"Sometimes we don't know what we're capable of until we need to do it."

"Again such wise words." She gave him a loving look. "You are the rock I can lean on. I love you, Ren."

"I'm doing my best, as the doctor cleared you for exercise?" He asked.

"Within moderation. I don't have much energy." Tony had to admit.

"I'll get you started on a light calisthenics program you can do right here. We'll need a pull-up bar, but that will be easy enough to take care of."

"I tried to work out today." Tony admitted. "And it went wrong. I was exhausted after five minutes. It was pretty frustrating how much stamina I have lost."

"This isn't time to go to failure, we'll figure out a good routine for you," he nodded. "Physical exercise is one of the corner stones of the captivity training I went through. It will help with your stress and uncertainty."

"I know! I have always kept fit, you know that. It sucks that I have the stamina of a flee right now." She could not keep the frustration out of her voice completely.

"Think you'll be up for a walk around the starbase tomorrow?"

"If we take it really slow and stop for breaks. And if I am allowed off the ship with my family still being a target."

"I'll look into it as the chief of security the Resolution and it's crew are my responsibility after all." Soran said sipping his synthale.

"In that case I would very much like to get away from the ship for a little while. That would help clear my head I think."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you. A change of scenery would be good. The ship is big but well you know." She smiled at him.

He took a more serious tone, "I don't want to worry you, but the I've been having bad dreams again."

"The nightmares?" Tony immediatly felt guilty she had not picked up on it yet. "Do you have any idea why they came back?"

"Not really," he sighed. "Working with Marines all brings up memories."

"Are you talking to Sky regularly? Or is she not able to? She is working too hard. I guess you would not talk to Denise? She is too close to you."

"Yes, I'm talking to sky, we've had a link ever since she ended up in my head." He sighed. "Apparently we had the same nightmare the other night."

"That is bad for both of you. She needs to take it easy with the baby. She looks tired. I think it might be a good idea if you both worked with another therapist to get this under control." Tony suggested.

"I think we can work this out," Soran said. "It been hard enough talking to her about the past."

"If you both need my help you have it. I have helped you through it before." She said softly.

"I know," he smiled.

She took his hand again and squeezed it lightly. "Don't hesitate if you need it. And thank you for the lovely dinner."

"Your welcome," Soran said quietly. "If I have a nightmare make sure you get help before you try to wake me."

"Who do you suggest I get in the middle of the night?" This was hard for Tony. She had always been able to help and now she was too weak.

He paused, "CJ. He aware of my situation and can probably handle anything I throw at him."

"Oh yeah, that is a good idea." Tony could live with that. She smiled at him not wanting to trouble him with her own feelings.

"We'll work through our problems together." Soran said with confidence he didn't really feel.

"We will." Tony agreed. "I am so glad that you still trust me with your problems. It means a lot."

He leaned forward and kissed her.