Love Connection... Back in 2 and 2!

Posted on Tue Jun 7th, 2011 @ 7:33pm by Lieutenant Colonel Anastasia DeVries & Lieutenant Xylia Lischka

Mission: Shore Leave 2; Picking Up the Pieces
Location: Quarters - Arizona
Timeline: Currentish?

With the near lifeless and incapacitated body of her son left in the trusting hands of her beloved Petty Officer, Stace S. DeVries along with Chet C. McChet and Helga made their way through the various corridors to the Junior Officer Quarters where her assistant chief lived in relative peace... that was of course until now. Wasting no time for further theatrics the Lieutenant Colonel was sure the mere sight of her terrified anyone unfortunate enough to cross her path. In fact, if Chet were to make an adequate comparison he might note she looked a bit like Snow White's nemesis the amazingly horrifying Maleficent.

Stace buzzed the door repeatedly once they came to their destination - the proverbial apple hanging from the end of blood red fingertips. Yes. Yes. It was time to 'chat'.

Xylia made her way toward the door, wiping sleep from her eyes. She made a mental note not to drink so much in the future, but it seemed to be a good idea at the time. She wasn't exactly hung over, but considering she hadn't exactly gone to sleep yet, she was still feeling the effects of all the alcohol coursing through her system. Whoever it was on the other side at the moment was definitely determined, and successfully annoying the hell out of her. The assumption that it was something work related crossed her mind, that was... until she opened the door and saw who it was standing in the corridor. Squinting her eyes, she identified Stace, Chet and Helga. Aw, hell, this couldn't be good, but she was never one to run away from any sort of problem no matter how big, small or furious.

"Stace... I'm not scheduled to be on duty for another... twelve hours, so I know that's not why you look like someone took your last bottle of booze. What's wrong?" She asked, stepping back to allow them entry.

Barreling pass her like a train of deranged monkeys, the mismatched trio soon took up their various positions within the main living area. Helga, for the most part, kept to herself, humming a strange tune. Chet, stood a few inches behind the red head - as if he were just waiting for a command to pounce. However, Stace stood tall and fiery - her eyes locked hard on the other woman. "So... is there anything... you'd like to tell me?"

Crossing her arms, the brunette woman studied Stace, completely ignoring the others with her. Why she felt she needed backup was beyond Xylia's comprehension, but she was well within her rights to do as she pleased. "Ah.. we must be talking about Lukas... am I right?"

"Of course we're talking about Lukas! Fates rest him," Stace blurted as she took to pacing rapidly around Chet. "Of all the people... all the people it had to be my boy?!"

"For the record, he could do a lot worse." Xylia blurted back, trying to clear the haze from her head. Hopefully this would all be over soon, then she'd be able to crawl into her bed and sleep off the alcohol. She glanced down at her hand and looked at the ring on her finger. What was funny, was she didn't actually remember much about the night before. Had they really gone through with it? "It was unexpected, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. He's a good guy, and those are hard to find."

Stace nearly had to stop from biting her own lip off. "It's irrelevant whether he's a good or bad guy! Hell, for all that matters you could have flipped a coin for any of the other thousand people onboard the starbase... something tells me at least one of them would have been good! The point is... he's my son. That seems to tread too closely to my personal bubble... and I prefer my bubble intact."

Xylia sighed and leaned against the wall. She just couldn't take seeing her friend so bent out of shape. "Stace... calm down." She gripped the ring on her finger and pulled it off, settling it down on the coffee table. "Lukas and I aren't really married. At least I'm pretty sure we're not. It was all a joke."

There was an uncomfortable silence that suddenly filled the room as Chet and Helga glanced at each other rapidly and in mild fear. For her own position on the floor, Stace halted in mid-step and allowed the news to repeat itself over and over in her head. It was all a joke. Was it possible? Had her dim-witted son and her saucy deputy truly plotted this... this... injustice. "I see..."

"Valkyrie..." Chet erupted as he fought with himself whether or not to approach the woman.

Then, without so much of a notice, Stace abruptly straightened and twirled around to face the young Lieutenant. "Very well then. As soon as we leave here I will have Chet check the records to 'verify' this marriage... if for some reason it proves to be false... then I'll have no choice but to make you carry out the deed for real. How's that sound?"

Blinking, the brunette woman settled down on her couch, looking up at the redhead woman standing before her. "I suppose we'd go through all the pomp and circumstance just to have you say you're kidding. Alright, Stace, I call your bluff."

"Did you think I was wearing a poker face?" Stace questioned with a sharp glare at Chet. "Chet?"

Chet shook his head. "That is not the poker... poker face."

"I'm quite serious!" the red head commented as she began to pace once more. "Of course... Helga! Head back to base camp at once... and um... make sure Todd has... sorted our problem concerning the kid."

"Well, serious or not, I'm fairly certain Lukas won't go for it." Xylia said as she got to her feet again. "Aside from that, who would perform the ceremony if both parties are set against it?"

Stace raised her head at the question. "My boy... if he's alright now... will do as he's told! And trust me when I say, I have enough resources I can make just about anything happen! So... are we good here?"

"We're good, but why wouldn't Lukas be alright?" Xylia couldn't help but picture Stace beating him to a bloody pulp. Afterall, she did break the poor guy's nose within minutes of him boarding the ship.

The woman again turned to Chet - noticing for the first time since she mentioned Lukas that Helga was no longer in the room. "Well, you see... it's sort of like this... I just so happened to be on the station myself during the time frame you and my son decided to go play your games. I, witnessed certain events, if you will... and thus... I was quite... upset."

"She poisoned him! Sorta," Chet interjected before allowing his hand to fly over his mouth.

Xylia blinked. "Now how can someone sorta poison someone else? You either do it, or you don't." Now she was beginning to think her future monster-in-law, had she not been bluffing from the beginning, was just that. "Where is he? I'd like to go see him."

"Well, you see... he believes I poisoned him in an attack to kill him... when in actuality I sedated him and gave him the impression he was going to die... not exactly the same thing," Stace announced. "He's with Sweeney now."

Xylia rubbed her hands over her face and nodded. "I'm going to go track him down then, make sure he's okay and all."

"Fine, fine," Stace brushed off. "I suppose I should go get things in order then."

"If you feel you must." The brunette woman said, gesturing for her guests to depart.

There were no other words said as the trespassing trio made their way back into the corridor from which they came. All hell was now to break loose.