Mine or Yours?

Posted on Tue Jun 7th, 2011 @ 7:29pm by Lieutenant Colonel Anastasia DeVries & Darek Halsey

Mission: Shore Leave 2; Picking Up the Pieces
Location: Louis XIII Pub: SB900
Timeline: After "How's the Office?"

With the recent transferring of Ensign Schenk to the position once held by the former Lieutenant Commander Halsey, Stace couldn't help but wonder just how the man was taking his lack of... authority. In a way she could relate to the man's situation... having been in his shoes on a number of occasions for various reasons. She supposed it was this that made her seek the man out for the second time in so many hours. Unless she was developing some sort of attachment.

"DeVries to Halsey... oh praytell where would you be?" she convened over the commbadge.

Lowering the glass of cognac from his lips and placing it back on the hardwood pit marked bar. Reaching under his jacket Darek tapped his own commbadge. "Enjoying my thirty six hours of leave," Darek replied as he let out a put of cigar smoke. "Sitting at the bar in Louis XIII, and what will you be drinking tonight?" He inquired.

"Whiskey of course!" Stace retorted with a grin. "Though in regards to Louis XIII... I never was fond of the French... but I suppose I can forgive that if you can."

Rolling his eyes, "It's the only place I can get good cognac on this hunk of floating metal... I'll have your drink on the bar before you get here..." He replied signalling for the bartender to get him a drink, as he slid his SF:I challenge coin under a napkin, wondering if the Colonel knew the game to be played.

It took some time for the red head to make her way to the former officer's location but it took her an even shorter amount to make her way towards the bar area and to the drink designated to her. Ohhh... how she loved a good drink! "Now this is what we're talking about! How many ahead are you?"

Darek took the final sip of his cognac and placed the glass some what less gently on the bar than intended. "That was two," He said waving off the bar keep who moved to fill his glass once again, "Nah, no thanks Jimmer I'll drink what the dear Colonel here is having." His glass was replaced and then both of their glass were refilled, "So too what do I owe the pleasure Colonel?" Darek inquired as he traced the rim of his glass, and tapping the ash off the end of his cigar.

"Well, truthfully, I was curious as to what you thought of your replacement in intel," Stace admitted as she quickly hammered back the drink. "I know what it's like when you find yourself sorta... without a job."

"Don't get me started on him..." Darek replied knocking back his own glass of the dark colored alcohol. "He may have the qualifications, but..." Darek said blowing another smoke rink from his cigar. He wasn't going to talk down about the Ensign even if the man was an asshole. "We'll just have to wait and see if he can hold his own, besides I'm not completely out of a job." Darek added staring of into space for a second. "I'm the Ensign's adviser and still a viable field operative."

Stace contemplated the word 'adviser' for a bit before nodding slowly. Whilst she didn't know the Ensign well enough to make a judgement of her own, her son had expressed a weird encounter with the man not too long ago himself. Either way, she was sure things would sort themselves in some manner. "Well... if it makes you feel any better... I'm sure I'll have use for you."

Cocking both one eye brow up and his head to the side Darek looked at the red head sitting next to him at the bar. "How so Colonel," He began, "I'm not truly Starfleet anymore."

"I'm not sure if you've noticed or not... but most of the people I 'deal' with aren't exactly 'legit'... if you know what I mean," Stace reminded. "Hell, I'm harboring a fugitive as we speak. Still, you have experience, knowledge and... skills. I'm sure I could find some use of them. Unless, you rather just... advise."

Darek shook his head, "No thank you, I didn't spend almost a third of my life as a field agent, just to come back and advise some Ensign, who thinks he knows the in's and out's because he studied two semesters of intelligence at the academy!" Darek growled his voice rising slight, "I spent almost two years in the field before I spent two at the academy, and then nine after that in the field! HA! Advise my ass, he doesn't seem to want to do anything but stone wall me!" He spat, "You have work I'll take it." Talking about his feelings and drinking, might not be the best at that point but it was five glasses too late to stop.

Signaling for another round of drinks, Stace took a moment to give the man an honest top to bottom glance over. Perhaps it was the liquor... or maybe the anger... or maybe the passion he had for his work... but for the first time since she had met him she felt a true, deep connection. Besides, she appreciated someone who could hold their own. "Well have no fear... I'll be sure to save you from whatever hells you find yourself tossed into."

"Hooyah!" Darek replied with lop sided grin. "Plus, I wouldn't want to be the sorry S.O.B. who ends up in hell with me!" He added with a wink as he down the glass of whiskey, and turned the glass up side down on the bar. "I feel like I need a walk, how about you... Stace, if I may? Of course..."

"Why the hell not?" Stace retorted before even giving it a true thought. It puzzled her how she had 'missed' this man the first time around. She would just have to blame it on either S'anra or Jack. She didn't think they'd mind too much. "Shall we?" she continued as she pulled herself to her feet and extended her hand.

"Let's," Darek said offering his arm, remembering the custom from his long off academy days. With his other hand he placed two strips of latinum on the bar and looked at Stace. "How about we start with the promenade, and go from there, or do you have someplace you'd like to go." He inquired as they strolled out of the bar, as they began their stroll Darek's mind was wandering. Maybe there were such things as second chances.

Stace tried to recall if she had even heard of the starbase they were presently on, but nothing was coming to mind. However, thankfully most were pretty similar in terms of what they had to offer their 'guests'. "Honestly... I'm all down for 'wandering' and seeing what happens. This is the first date I've been on in years," she grinned as she laughed a little. "Though I must warn you I can be a handful. Especially when liquor is involved."

Smiling Darek nodded, "Ya sounds good to me too, but knowing us... We could probably stumble upon some pretty interesting happenings..." Starbases were just like any other city in the Federation: you have your up town and down town, the good and the ugly, and those people who were good at ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time, or right time how ever you wanted to look at it. "Funny fact, this is the first date I've been on since my senior year at the Academy, and respectfully I don't think you could be much worse than a drunk squad of SF:I SAD boys and girls." He added with a link as he changed course and exited the flow of people along the walk way and angled towards a floor to ceiling window with a great view of space, the planet, and ships coming in and leaving SB900.

Leaning up against the hand rail placed by the window, "You know," Darek said a small sigh escaping his lips. "I've traveled these stars for almost twelve years, and up until a few years ago I never took the time to stop and admire the beauty that I've worked from for so long."

"I was born on Bajor during the occupation," Stace admitted as she moved in beside him. "For over sixteen years I saw nothing but war and death... couldn't even fathom a life out there," she continued with a wave towards the view. "But once I saw Earth for the very first time I knew. I knew that I wouldn't live anywhere else. You learn to appreciate things only after you realize how much they've given you."

Darek just nodded, he wasn't one to open up to people. Hell, even SF shrinks had to bait him to get him to talk to them about anything. "I didn't really realize that till I told Starfleet what they could do with my transfer orders. Then it hit me, but hell no need for depressing conversation. First date either of us have had in a while!" He said with a lop sided smile.

"Well, with that in mind, does that mean sex is not an option and we should just trash some stuff instead?" Stace pondered out loud.

Darek choked back a huge barking laugh, the woman's candor was fantastic. He appreciated blunt and to the point in a woman, "Well not at all, the real question is do we want to break stuff first or just get to it?" He added looking at the red head with a raised eye brow and devious grin.

"When you put it like that... I believe we should forgo the breaking stuff... for now of course... and just do our thing. What do you say?" Stace questioned as she glanced around.

Extending his hand once more, "My place or yours?" He inquired pulling Stace playfully back towards the Arizona's birthing.

"How about your's and then mine?" she chuckled as she accepted his hand and together began the journey 'home'.