Bun in the oven

Posted on 14 Feb 2014 @ 11:13pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Taryn Galepsie & Warrant Officer Vernon Banks

1,420 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 05 - Solstice
Location: San Francisco - Deli Cafe
Timeline: MD 10 - 1145 hrs

[ON]

It has been a few days since Taryn had seen Banks. She didn't want to see him. The weird way he had looked at her after she had told him she was pregnant was almost like a betrayal. So she had misread him and assumed he wouldn't want to have anything to do with her and the baby. She pretty much thought all men would prefer that idea, except Gerald.

Maybe that was where her problem truly lied. She was going to have to stop comparing all the men in her life to her husband. Luke and Vernon would never live up to memories she surrounded herself with. She knew that Gerald hadn't been perfect but over the last year she had sure convinced herself he was. She let out a sigh as she approached the table where Banks was sitting. She had asked him to meet her for lunch so that they could talk. The fact that she was pretty much always starving had led to the location.

"Warrent Officer." Taryn said with all the respect the rank held as she took a seat across from him. "Sorry I am a little late."

"Don't worry about it," Vernon replied with a light shake of his head as he watched her sit down at the table. He wasn't particularly looking forward to their lunch conversation, but he couldn't run and hide from his responsibilities. In light of recent events, it probably made the best sense to deal with the issue as soon as possible. "You know you don't have to call me by my rank. Unless we're on duty," he added, not sure why Taryn was being so formal all of a sudden.

"Oh....I know." She responded with no intention of explaining why she had used the his rank. It was simply more comfortable to revert to known procedure then float in this uncharted territory. "Thanks for meeting me here...I am starving" She flashed him her usual smile, more out of habit then out of feeling. "I...uh....don't really no how to do this." She confessed.

"Do what?" he asked, somewhat perplexed. "Eat?"

Taryn looked at him with a non-amused incredulous look. "No, eating I can do just fine." She rolled her eyes slightly. "This..." She started, motioning between them. "This just feels so....awkward, now." She looked at him, for a moment wishing he could go back to the attractive security officer she used to think about with a smile. "I wish it was't...as much anyways."

He silently agreed with her. It was very awkward, and it sort of took a lot of the joy from their previous relationship out of the equation. Now he had to focus on much more serious matters with this woman who he really didn't know very well, and he would be lying if he told himself he actually wanted to have a kid. "It's probably going to be awkward for a while," he admitted. "I still can't really believe it's happening but...I guess we have to make due. So are you going to stay in Starfleet during the pregnancy?"

Taryn wanted to make a snarky comment, but kept it to herself. She nodded before she responded. "I don't know anything else...Both of my parents are in Starfleet, and I would hate to have to explain to my father why I gave up my career." She looked over Banks for a while before letting out a sigh. "So, last time I didn't handle this well, but I have to say this." She paused slightly. "You don't have to do this. I won't stop you from being in your child's life, but I can do this on my own. I am giving you an out to go back to flirting with nieve security officer." She gave him a grin as she finished her statement. She was just trying to lighten the mood with a little jibe.

"Sounds tempting, but what makes you think I haven't been doing that already?" he smirked, half serious and half in jest. Truthfully he hadn't really thought that far ahead, but as he contemplated the situation, he realized Taryn's pregnancy would probably change his dating...just a bit. "No, I'm just messing around. Like I said, I don't mind looking after a kid especially if it's mine. And we don't have to get married or anything," he added.

"Wouldn't surprise me if you were." Taryn grin, quite please with the amount of tension they had been able to cut though. "And I know...we agreed on the whole marriage thing when I told you." Her stomach grumbled right as a Bolian women arrived to take their order.

"I'll just have a roast beef sandwich with extra pickles and onions , cole slaw and french frys." Taryn grinned up at the women. "Oh, and a root beer float." She looked over at Banks and couldn't help the light blush that came to her cheeks, she could only assume what he thought of her.

Vernon already knew what he wanted and quickly fired off his order to the waitress. "Grilled Chicken sandwich with cheese and bacon, and a side of fries, please. And a side of honey mustard sauce also," he added for good measure. The Bolian woman jotted down his order on a small data pad, then smiled politely before heading off to tend to another table.

"Hungry much?" he teased after hearing her order. "Well, I guess you have to eat for two now."

Taryn laughed. For the first time in over a week she laughed. "Starving actually." she replied smiling at him. "All I can think about lately is food." She took a sip from the water glass that was sitting in front of her. "So...What are we going to do? Other then not get married." She finished playfully.

He shrugged and admitted he hadn't given it much thought. "That's up to Starfleet, right? I mean, they determine our postings. I guess we could put in transfer requests to the same ship and tell them why...but there's no guarantee they'd accept." Vernon had bounced around enough over the past five years to know that personal needs came second to the fleet's needs in the admiralty's eyes.

Taryn nodded. "I guess that makes sense." She didn't know where she wanted to go and she didn't really care. She wouldn't have minded staying on the Galileo but she wouldn't be brokenhearted if she went somewhere else. She shook her head.

Taryn was excited for the distraction when the food arrived. She couldn't help but look over at Banks. A little grin crossed her lips. He was a good looking man and for a moment she let herself think over how cute their child might be. Taking a bite of her sandwich she easily hid the thought in her enjoyment of the food.

Vernon remained silent and focused in on his own food which had been neatly placed in front of him. Arranging a row of french fries on top of the bacon slices inside the bun, he proceeded to dribble some honey mustard sauce over the chicken then reassemble the sandwich before taking a large bite and savoring the flavors. "..Not bad.." he thoughtfully mumbled in between bites.

Taryn thought over how she was going to broach the next topic. "So uh I am going to have to tell my father. He is going to want to meet you." She paused. "I will do my best to keep him off your trail but as an Admiral he never really learned to not get his way." She looked down at her plate as she took a bite of her food.

"Sounds a lot like my pops. You're gona have to meet him too," he replied. "And my ma," he added, knowing full well that both of his parents would not be too happy to meet this random woman he knocked up. Not necessarily happy with her, but rather both of them.

"Well,..." Taryn started as she took a sip of her water. "Then I guess we know what we have to do next." She tried to smile but she didn't really feel it. She wasn't looking forward to the conversation she was going to have....they were going to have.

[OFF]

--

WO Vernon Banks
Security/Tactical Officer
USS Venture
[PNPC - Saalm]

CPO Taryn Galespit
Security/Tactical Officer
USS Venture
[PNPC-Barel]

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