Cooking Up a Storm (Part 3 of 3)

Posted on 26 Jan 2019 @ 11:53am by Commander Scarlet Blake & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Lily Blake
Edited on on 27 Jan 2019 @ 2:50pm

1,253 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Blake's Quarters
Timeline: MD -175, 2100

[ON]

Aria smiled gently as she looked at Lily, who was in her jammies on the sofa with her book. She had made sure she had washed and brushed her teeth, ready for bed, but promised she could stay up until Scarlet came back. She heard the doors open and walked over to Scarlet, meeting her eyes before she hugged her. "Okay," she whispered against her ear. "So she asked about my Dad and said she didn't have one, so I said you were like a dragon queen and didn't need a Daddy to have a kid so...." she pulled back and met Scarlet's eyes. "So I think she bought it, I'm so sorry..."

Scarlet blinked as she took in the covert information, holding Aria's shoulders as she watched her with slightly wide eyes. "A dragon queen...?!" she whispered with raised eyebrows.

"I panicked!" Aria whisper-shouted and looked at Scarlet, her eyes wide before she shook her head quickly. "I didn't do it on purpose. Buuut...we did cupcakes and we did pizza which is sorta healthy and she was really good...and she really missed you and I am sorry..." she bit her lip, shifting where she stood.

Scarlet sighed, swallowing back her alarm as she shook her head with a soft sigh. She reached out, squeezing Aria's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't be, I caused the problem," she said softly, smiling as Lily came running over to them.

"Aria said we could give the Lady in the Ship a cupcake before bed!" the girl smiled with hope, reaching out for her mother's hand, hugging her arm as Scarlet crouched down to kiss the girl's cheek.

Aria smiled at the words, nodding as she looked at them. "Yup, I did say that...I can give it to her if you want to, Lily..." she chuckled warmly before she looked at Scarlet. "I...should go, right? Give you two some time."

"You don't have to," Scarlet replied easily, looking to her and meeting her eyes so she'd know she meant it. "You're always welcome to stay, Aria. But I don't want to keep you if you're busy." She'd already given up a lot of her time to look after Lily, but she didn't add it out loud. Not in front of her daughter. She'd known she was going to be late today, but it wasn't as late as she'd feared. It would be nice to have some 'grown up' company for awhile.

Aria smiled at that before she chuckled warmly. "Well in which case...I am going to get the pizza for Scarlet warmed up and you, Lily, you show the cupcakes. And relax! You should relax, Scarlet...put your feet up."

"That sounds perfect," Scarlet smiled softly as she sat down on the sofa with a gentle breath, pulling Lily to sit in her lap, hugging her close into her arm. "I hope you played nicely with Aria?"

Aria smiled as she moved to heat the pizza up. "Oh, we played very nicely! See, nothing is broken," she winked and shook her head, moving to get a glass of wine for Scarlet to go with her food. "We baked, we played princesses and dragons...we built a fort to defend and then magicked it away..."

"Hm, I like tidy magic..." Scarlet teased with a warm smile, pressing a kiss to her giggling daughter's cheek. "Sounds like I missed a wonderful time though," she chuckled softly at that, glancing down. She loved that Aria and Lily got on so well, but it often seemed like she had to leave them to their fun.

"Well, maybe next time I can come over when you are not working?" Aria suggested and carried the food and wine over to Scarlet, meeting her eyes. "And we can all do some baking together?"

"I'd like that," Scarlet relaxed a little with the offer, smiling warmly to her with a firm nod. "That looks great, Aria. You know it's more than enough that you offer to look after Lily sometimes, you don't have to provide me with dinner too!"

"Oh, pish posh! You need to eat!" Aria smiled a she sat down, watching Lily before she bit her lip. "So...Lily tied her own shoelaces today..." she said softly and winked to the girl before she looked at Scarlet.

Scarlet watched her with surprise for a long moment before looking to Lily with a wide smile. "You did? My clever girl..." she laughed warmly, leaning to kiss Lily's hair.

Lily blushed, leaning into it happily as she scrunched up her shoulders, looking to Aria with warm eyes. "Aria showed me how...she had to help me lots..."

"No, no, no! I just showed you how and then you did it..." Aria said with a warm smile, nodding. "But practice makes perfect. So...practice, Lily..." she looked at Scarlet, happy to see her so...happy and proud of her girl.

"Wise words," Scarlet nodded slowly with a warm smile, reaching for a slice of the pizza. She moaned softly at the taste, her nodding increasing with how good it was. "Aren't you both clever, you actually made this, I can tell. Good choice..."

Aria laughed warmly before she winked to Lily. "I'm glad," she said softly. "We wanted something yummy scrummy..."

"I said there should be marshmallows on there..." Lily said in a clear over the top stage whisper, shaking her head at herself. "They are nicer on the cupcakes..."

Scarlet chuckled softly, shaking her head at the never ending sweet tooth of her daughter. It was really hard not to give her whatever she wanted. Her own childhood on ships had been basic but fulfilled, until she was taken to live on a Maquis vessel with her parents. Then it had gotten distinctly grey. Her instinct was to give the girl whatever she wanted to make her happy, to make her life bright, and light, and never grey. Especially with Lily only having her instead of a full family. But she also knew that would only serve to hurt Lily in the long run. So she had to keep a firm hand on both herself and Lily. To keep things balanced. She just hoped she got it right. She was never quite sure in any given scenario if she was allowing her too much, or going too far the other way and being unduly strict with Lily. "I think Aria was right on this one...marshmallows on pizza sounds pretty icky..." she made a face at her, sticking out her tongue in a 'yuck'.

"I did say that!" Aria said with a warm smile before she winked at Lily. "I was actually more worried about textures. It wouldn't work with cheese and cheese is a must have on pizza so..." she gave a small shrug before she sat back. "But we did a lot and it was a good day. I've really missed this, you know. You two. Like a slice of family I get to join in now and then."

Scarlet smiled softly at that, and with understanding. She knew the other woman's background had left her with little of that. And she was more than happy to share her tiny family with her. "Not 'like'," she replied simply but firmly, shaking her head with a sincere smile.

[OFF]

--

Lt. Jg Aria Rice
Security
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vansen]

CDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

Lily Blake
Civilian Child
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

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