Picnic in the Arboretum

Posted on Thu Sep 6th, 2018 @ 4:37pm by Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne & Cadet Senior Grade Marcus Mattson

1,703 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 96 - A Visitor From the Past
Location: Arboretum
Timeline: MD1 1100 hrs

Arriving at the arboretum Ariana smiled as she gazed at the trees and plants, it was amazing to think how such beauty could be inside a space station. She walked along holding his arm until they reached a nice quiet spot beside the stream that ran through the arboretum hidden away from view of the doors as well which was just perfect for a romantic picnic. "How about here?" she looked at Marcus, "I like this spot."

"So do I, what better place to spend some time together with you?" he smiled as he started to set up the picnic.

"It amazes me how you can find all this beauty inside a space station" she marvelled at the scenery, "but it still doesn't beat having you here with me" she blushed a little as she looked at him.

"We should try and find the person or persons who keep it like this and tell them how we enjoyed our picnic in their arboretum." he had set out the blanket and offered her his hand to help her sit, she was pregnant after all. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

"Me either I'm quite happy here with you" she smiled as she took his hand and sat on the blanket. "So what did you get for us?"

After she had taken a seat, he sat down next to her and started to dig in to the bag. Soon a large selection of food was placed before her. "Go ahead. All good for you."

"Wow! you certainly made a good choice, I'll be well & truly full up by the time I've finished eating that's for sure" she grinned as she politely chose the food she wanted putting it out on her picnic plate before tucking in. "It's so nice to have time with you doing this, I love going on picnics."

"I didn't know that. Tell me about past picnics?"

"It's just....something I used to do with Jonathon" she smiled, "we used to make time between his work schedule and mine to go on a picnic somewhere together so we had romantic time together. We didn't want our relationship to suffer because of our work."

"A very smart way of keeping your relationship alive. I have been thinking that spending to much time together isn't healthy because you might grow bored of each other. So being a part for a while to build up the 'Missing you' part of the relationship and then meet after that could be good for the whole relationship. But that is just what I speculate."

"Actually I enjoy time together" she smiled, "my worry when we first started dating was always that Jonathon would forget about me when we were apart. Obviously he didn't but that's just me. As for us I know that you wouldn't forget me you've already proven that." she leant forward and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

He actually blushed. "Of course I wouldn't. But I would love to learn how I proved it."

"You were worried about me when I came back, that shows me you care & you hadn't forgotten."

"Oh. I am sure he would be exactly the same." he sighed, he didn't know why he mentioned her ex. But he felt that he should at the very least show that he wasn't jealous of the past she had with another man. To him, her experience with her lost husband shaped her to what she was now. And for that he was grateful.

"What's important to me now is you & my baby" She took his hand & gently placed it on her stomach, "if you're willing I'd love for you to be my baby's father."

He smiled. "I would be honored, but I would never want the child to think that I am the biological father. I hate lying and telling the child that I am the real father would be cruel of you ask me. And the child should know the truth of her real father as well."

"Oh I intend that he or she know about his or her father" she smiled, "Jonathon knew what was coming so he recorded a series of messages for when our child is old enough."

"Really. That must have been hard for you. Knowing that it was coming to an end." he actually felt bad that he was now swooping in and taking her.

"It was" she nodded "but we had time to do things we wanted to do & Jonathon told me he wanted me to carry on with my life. As much as I hated that to start with I'm glad he did. It helps me to feel less guilty for moving on."

He smiled at her. "You still feel guilty? I don't blame you if you do. In fact we can slow things down quite a bit so that you can relax and feel that it is more of a time to move on to the next level. I will wait until you are ready." he hoped she didn't see it as he didn't want her, he did but he was more concerned about her feeling as good as possible about it all.

"No please it's okay" she smiled as she looked at him, pausing to take a sip of her drink, "I'm happy with things going along between us as they are, I don't want to slow things down. I've made up my mind to move on & I want to do that.... with you."

"I understand and it makes me happy. Just remember that I am open to slow things down if you feel you must. No pressure."

"I don't want to slow anything down" she reached out her hand and gently touched his face, "I enjoyed making love to you aboard the Falcon & I have no regrets. I'm happy for us to continue that way, if you are."

"How could I not? Even if I am not that experienced in the art of making love."

"I think you were wonderful" she smiled, "just tell me if I ever expect too much of you and not just in that way. My hormones have me all over the place at the minute and with losing the baby...." her smile faded before she perked up again. "I just want to enjoy this time with you while we have the chance."

"I will be here for you." he embraced her.

Ariana smiled as she cuddled up to Marcus, "The only thing that scares me is when you get sent out in that fighter of yours, I'll be worrying myself silly until I see you again."

"Why would you be worried about that?" he was a little confused, to him the flying the fighter wasn't bad, sure he had crashed once but that meant little to him.

"Because you'd be out there among the stars fighting whoever it was and I'd be sitting here worrying about whether you'd be coming back" she held onto his hand, "I'm part of the marine life, I always have been my husband was a marine & you are a marine pilot so I understand the risks but it doesn't stop me from worrying."

"I see. But you are here, maybe the station is boarded and so on. I would hate for you to be injured." he squezed her hand.

"Don't worry about me, I doubt they'd let anything happen to me plus I'm a trained Starfleet Officer I know my way around a phaser" she grinned pausing to take a bite of cake."

"What do you say about doing some combat training together?"

“Combat training?” She motioned to her stomach, “How am I supposed to do combat training while I’m pregnant?” She looked at him curiously.

"There is always the theoretical part. Would make it easier to get into it later." he smiled. His combadge chirped. "Mattson here." he said.

A females voice came through. "You are to report to the CAG office in one hour cadet."

"I'll be there ma'am." he tapped his badge again.

"Sorry, duty calls. I can take you shopping after if you want." he paused for a moment. "Maybe you can help to make sure my uniform is perfectly straight and clean?"

"By all means" she knelt up and gently brushed off his uniform making sure it was clean & tidy. "Looks good to me & you look handsome as ever" she smiled, "just one more thing before you go..." she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a loving kiss.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. Once the kiss broke he pulled back. "Is my uniform straight? I am meeting my boss."

"It's fine" she grinned, "I have some appointments to organize anyway. Let me know what your boss has to say."

"Yes ma'am." he gave her a salute with a grin before walking off. Forgetting that he had left the picnic items to be picked up and carried by her. After a few more steps, he turned around and hurried back. "Sorry. I get a little nervous when meeting these high ranking brass. I even talked to the fleet admiral not long ago... Me, a simple cadet." he started to collect the items. He knew he had enough time to get the things away so that she didn't have to do it.

"It's fine I can manage" she smiled, "now get going or you'll be even more nervous than you are now, just be yourself & you'll be fine." She didn't let him see how worried she was that he was about to be sent off somewhere in his fighter.

"But I can't let you take all these things. You're pregnant."

Ariana smiled warmly, "Okay let's get this to your quarters quickly then & you can be on your way to your meeting I don't want you to be late."

He smiled as they went to work. Marcus insisting on doing the heavy lifting.

It wasn’t long before they got back, dropping off their things Ariana made sure Marcus’ uniform was straight before sending him on his way. She sighed as she watched him go hoping he wasn’t about to be sent out away from her.

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