Career Women - Styles/McRae

[do]

Stardate: 17.07.66
NX-01 Enterprise

Alex loved Tom, loved him with an intensity that sometimes frightened her. This rough, tough, cigar chomping, recovering alcoholic who could swear the paint off buildings and had MALE emblazoned over him in fifty foot high neon letters was on some days, her only reason for drawing breath. When they made love it was like nothing she had ever experienced, lusty, passionate, downright filthy but tender enough to make her heart break when they reached completion together. Alex never thought that she’d be happy to settle for being nothing more than his woman but with Tom she felt that.

However, she was not blind to the fact that he was absolutely terrified of being a father and so she tried not to harass him about anything to do with the baby, such as going shopping for baby things because that would just send a streak of panic through him wider than the Delphic Expanse. Thus when she opted to journey to Betazed on board the Enterprise which was on route to that world in order to conduct some training exercises involving the fledgling Betazed air command and their own Gryphon fighters, Alex had hitched a ride and left Tom at home. Even though exercises would begin tomorrow officially, Enterprise was allowing its passengers a day on Haven, the capital city to enjoy rest and recreation.

Therefore it was with trepidation that Alex sought out Sloane McRae in her quarters, wondering if the woman would like to join her on her visit to the planet since Alex didn't know anyone else on Enterprise and it didn't seem like an outing to take alone.

The beep of the door rang false with the note Sloane happened to pluck out of the string and she winced. Putting her guitar aside, she stood up and keyed the door open.

"Alex?" She exclaimed in surprise. "You lost?"

"Uh no," Alex answered somewhat nervously. She took a deep breath, "I'm going down to Haven and I thought you might like to come along. I'm going...." she was almost embarrassed to say it. "Shopping for baby clothes."

Like Sloane, she was a career military and had spent most of her life, being twice as good to be considered half as good as a man. To do that, certain things had to be buried. The more feminine type things that women tended to do was something Alex had neglected because it seemed to be a weakness. But this baby inside her didn't feel like a weakness and for once she wanted to rejoice in it, scream to the world she was happy to do it, except to do so to Tom would mean giving him a sedative. She hoped that perhaps Sloane might understand.

"You are?" Sloane took a step back, inviting her in with a wave of her hand. "I didn't even know you snuck onboard. Baby clothes, huh?" She was all smiles. "Of course, I wanna go. Tom giving you a hard time?"

Alex sighed, stepping inside. "As soon as he hears the word girl, he seems to need to run out of the house for milk. Which in Tom's language means, to the Beasts, where he can hide."

"You know, there's something to be said about the old ways of not finding about the sex of the baby before he's born," she mused. Sloane glanced down at Alex's little bump. The woman was barely showing but she was already four months along. Those other five would come quick. "I'm off today, when where you planning on heading down?"

"Oh, whenever you're ready," Alex replied, pleased enough that Sloane was joining her that she wasn't too particular about the time. "It's not his fault, I suppose, we never really discussed children and I sort of sprung this on him."

An eyebrow raised, Sloane looked at her. "Right, like he didn't have a hand in this."

Oh, she knew Tom. She knew of his past and why he was so damn petrified in the face of fatherhood. Sloane wondered - and not the first time - how Derick would take similar news. His childhood had been bad, his father worse, and despite this, it didn't seem to stop him from wanting children one day. Which was a good thing because Sloane came from a large family and she had always pictured herself at a table, surrounded by kids. She had the table already. Now, she was waiting for peace for the rest.

"Oh, but you know men," Alex retorted. "Or rather Tom. I think he was just happy I let him have a shelf in the apartment. I don't think he thought any further ahead than that." And it was true. Them living together had been such a big step that there didn't seem to be a need to rock the boat. Until this little bombshell chose to make her arrival.

Sloane smiled at that. No, Tom wouldn't have but... "He's crazy about you. Shelf, no shelf, a whole shed or a baby, he'll deal."

"I know he's crazy about me but there's so much crap in his head." Alex sighed. "And there's the MACO thing as well. You know Sharks need to be boys. How do you put up with that crap?" She asked, genuinely interested.

"Most men are chauvinistic pigs underneath whatever colours they might wear. At least with MACOs, you know what you're getting." And Tom wasn't half bad. Alex had him pretty much pussy-whipped. Even Sloane noticed that. The girl should be given a medal for her achievement.

"Seriously though, I just play along and I dish out when they're pushing too far. Most guys are okay. You always have the odd jackass but..." Sloane thought on it. "It's like what they say about a person being smart and a mob of 'em being stupid. A pack of MACOs seem to share the same brain."

To this Alex had to agree, MACOs were a law unto themselves and Tom though chauvinistic, wasn't overbearingly so. "I guess I'm just a little disappointed that he isn't happier about this, Sloane. I mean, I wanted to share this with him." She sighed.

Really? Sloane watched her friend's unhappy expression. "Alex, I'm sorry. I had no idea it was this bad. I thought he'd be tickled pink... err, no pun intended." She hesitated, not really good with this. "Come, have a seat. He looked pretty excited when you got the scans, no? You sure it's not just the notion of shopping that puts him off?" Had Tom really declined taking his woman shopping for their baby girl? Sloane was going to go rattle his cage.

"It's a little of both," Alex answered. "I think he's just scared. I think if he comes shopping with me or become more involved than he is, it's going to start to become real for him." Alex knew what he was afraid of and no matter how much she tried to convince him that he would not end up like his own father, there was a part of Tom Merrick, that could not believe it.

"Yeah." Sloane nodded. "I'm sure he'll come around when she starts to kick." Even a hard ass MACO would melt at that. Or it could scare Merrick even more, Sloane realised and frowned.

"I suppose," Alex shrugged. "He hasn't talked about marriage either."

Sloane joined Alex on the bed. "You'd like to?" That much was evident.

"Well, I thought we'd at least broach the subject," Alex replied. "But so far, nothing. I guess it makes me feel that if he's cornered, he's going to run off on me."

"Maybe he's working up the courage?" Sloane actually knew for a fact Tom had been toying with the idea for a few months now, even before he and Alex had found out about the baby. She guessed the news had thrown him for a loop enough to put the whole marriage thing on the backburner.

"Alex, look at me."

Lifting her gaze to the other woman, she felt embarrassed by the admission. Like Sloane, the depiction of weakness was not something she liked to project or allow. Tough had served her but hormones and emotions running rampant were playing havoc with control. Meeting Sloane's eyes, she waited.

"Tom is not going to run off on you," Sloane said with her no-nonsense voice. "He might dick around the plot for ages about whether to ask you to marry him but he won't leave you." She suddenly thought on something. "You know, he could be waiting for you to ask... don't you always complain that he leaves all the decisions to you?" This, Sloane suggested half-joking.

Alex stared at her in surprise since the thought had never occurred to her. "Surely not about this..." Alex stared to say in disbelief.

Sloane shrugged. Come to think of it, she wouldn't put it past Merrick...

"Oh my god!" Alex threw her hands up in the air. "I'm having the child of a moron?"

Nearly ducking, Sloane opened her mouth to say something but couldn't quite think of the right thing. Tom was Tom and he had his issues. "A moron that loves you?" she finally suggested, still sort of cringing.

"That's exactly what's he's been doing," Alex realised because the thought had never occurred to her. "What's he going to do, wait till the kid is in college before he asks?" She shook her head. "I love that man, I really do, but I think he's taken too many artillery hits to the head."

Smiling, Sloane reached out and squeezed Alex's shoulder. "He still might surprise you..."

"He surprises me all the time." Alex paused in her rant and looked at Sloane. "He drives me crazy. From the day we met... just crazy. I had a very ordered existence. No mess, no fuss and then he shows up and I have to deal with stuff. And you know..." A small smile crossed her lips. "It's the best mess I've ever stumbled into."

Chuckling, Sloane could relate. Derick was bringing her more happiness than she could have ever hoped for. But love was messy, disorganised and kept you on your damn bloody toes. Looking at Alex's face, her bright brown eyes, Sloane smiled. "You're going to tell me I'm extremely corny but pregnancy suits you. You being with Tom suits you." It was true. Despite her aggravations, the woman radiated happiness. "Must be done with the morning sickness?" Sloane teased.

"Yeah, I'm into the charming mood phase of pregnancy," Alex smirked, calming down. "Couldn't you tell?"

"Yeah... I think I got that." Sloane nodded, giving her a smile before she sobered up. "You... you want me to talk to him... or get the big guy to?"

Alex considered it and then shook her head. "No, this is one of those times I'm going to have to do it myself." Still, Alex felt better for talking to Sloane. "Well, if you're willing to put up with me for a few hours, why don't we get going?"

Sloane studied the woman's face a second longer to make sure she was certain about her decision and then let it go. "Of course. Let me get changed." Sloane started pulling some stuff out. "You know, this is great... having you onboard. Shame on you for not even telling me in advance!"

"Yeah, I am sorry," Alex replied, feeling a bit guilty about that. "Truth be told, I wasn't sure whether baby clothes shopping was your thing."

"Well, shopping can be... so it's just a matter of adjusting our aim!" Sloane grinned and put her black leathers back in the drawer. Going for baby clothes and things, she probably needed something a little more feminine. She was actually very excited to be doing this with Alex, touched she would ask her.

"What about this?" she turned to Alex, showing her a brown tunic embroidered with teal and bronze coloured beads. "I picked that up on Risa yonks ago and I never get the chance to wear it."

"It's lovely." Alex studied the tunic for a minute, liking the iridescent shimmer of the teal. "You should wear it. It matches your eyes nicely," she pointed out. "To tell the truth, shopping isn't really my thing either. Too much time trying to keep up with the boys, stuff like that always fell to the way side. Of course, lately I've been getting back into the hang of it." She laughed. "Strange how having a relationship makes you care what you're wearing…"

Smiling, Sloane thought it was so damn refreshing to be having that kind of conversation for a change. Somebody actually noticing whether a piece of clothing matched her eyes or skin tone, here on the NX. It was so damn eerie. Sloane never really bothered for the same reason Alex had just mentioned. Amongst the boys, you tried to keep up and there was no time for girly things. There was also the fact that Sloane had never been much of a girl to begin with. But when Alex mentioned caring about the clothes she wore because of Tom, Sloane fought the blush creeping up her throat. She and Der, well, it was more of a matter of how quick they could get out of their clothes...

"Thanks... yeah, it's crazy what you find yourself doing for those guys, huh?" she said, getting changed.

Alex looked down at the slight bump under her clothes and responded in a way that would have done Tom Merrick proud, "No shit."

Sloane smirked. "You've come a long way, Commander." Sloane couldn't teasing her for having adopted a potty mouth around Tom. The tunic fell over dark leggings and she adjusted it in front of her mirror before slipping shoes on. "Haven, right, better let my hair down a bit," she let out, glancing at Alex. She loosened her bun and brushed her hair quickly. There, that was better. And... freeing.

"I'm good to go," she announced, turning around. Well, there was a few things to put in a bag but she got on with that as Alex found her feet. "Loo's that way." Another tease. Alex had taken to needing to go to the toilet like every twenty minutes. No, while Sloane could go gaga at the thought of a baby, all these lovely pregnancy side-effects didn't grab her.

"Oh thanks..." Alex winced. "I hadn't thought about going until you mentioned it. Apparently everything from babbling brooks to ice in drinks makes me suddenly need to go the bathroom. I can't tell you how much fun it is." Still, Alex was grateful for the offer and pleased that she and Sloane were developing a more comfortable relationship around each other.

"I don't envy you that for one bit," Sloane said.

"Excuse me," she said, slipping into the bathroom for a moment.

"Sure." Sloane took the opportunity to contact T'Pol to let her know she would be going on the surface after all. When Alex came back out, they were really ready to go.

"Okay," Alex said, feeling a little more comfortable. "That ought to last me until we transport down to the planet." She wasn't sure whether or not she was joking either.

Chuckling, Sloane shook her head. "Well, let's hope so. We've been cleared. Transport room is waiting for us."

It didn't take long for them to get to the Transporter Room 2. Judging by the traffic in and out of the room, it appeared to Alex that she and Sloane weren't the only ones transporting to the planet. Haven was a popular destination for shore leave not only for Starfleet but for many other races as well. Aside from a cosmopolitan commercial centre, there were many resorts and picturesque places of interest to visit.

The low whine of the transporter ended their trip from ship to planet with Alex and Sloane materialising in the centre of the Ruba District, a popular shopping area for off world visitors. It was a place of colour, far removed from New Earth Colony who had been built with functional more than aesthetics in mind. There were exotic food smells that Alex could whiff out distinctly owing to her pregnant state and the architecture of Betazed reminded Alex of some Spanish type buildings she had seen on Earth.

Sloane looked up and closed her eyes a second as she inhaled the sweet air. "Mmm, nice," she let out, her eyes blinking open. "Alex, you have no idea how you're making my day with inviting me to come along."

"You know," Alex gave her thoughtful look, "I'm glad I did too. To tell you the truth, Sloane, it's not often I get to do anything like this with another woman. I don't know about you but being career the way I am, surrounded by men most of the time, has made it difficult to maintain friendships with other women who can understand the crap we have to put up with. I take it it's the same for you?"

"Exactly," Sloane replied, nodding emphatically. "Except those near weekly trips we do together to the market back home, that's about it for me, yeah." And Sloane wasn't even exaggerating. "I mean there martial art training and meditation with T'Pol but we don't really go walkabout...."

"Walkabout," Alex stared at her. "Interesting term, I like it. I've found that since Tom's moved in, I think I need some female interaction because between him and Derick, I am testosterone overloaded. In the words of my dumb ass boyfriend, it's a bloody miracle, I'm having a girl." She smiled.

Chuckling, Sloane shook her head. "Between all the MACOs and Starfleet Security, I'm well saturated myself." And of course, there was Derick, Julian and Tom when she was planet-side. "So where to? I'm a bit familiar with the place but I never came here looking for baby things so..."

"Well, I did some research before I came down." Alex looked at the padd she had tucked on her belt. The little screen showed a.... <<Hello>> A voice echoed inside her head. <<Can I be of assistance?>>

"Did you hear that?" Alex looked at Sloane, her gaze sweeping around their immediate vicinity to see if someone was standing behind them without either of them being aware of it.

"Yes." Sloane tensed up, looking around as well. "In my head," she added to be clear - which wasn't all that farfetched considering the planet they were on.

An elderly woman appeared before them, dressed in colourful fabrics, with altogether too much jewellery on herself. She smiled at both Alex and Sloane. <<I am sorry to have surprised you but you seemed to require assistance.>> "Oh, that's alright," Alex chose a more verbal method of response. "We're just trying to find the Salusa Infant Emporium." <<If you would journey down that road,>> she glanced towards a cobbled stone path between two shopfronts, <<you will find it.>> "Thank you," Alex replied with a smile.

Eyebrow raised, Sloane studied the woman openly, unnerved by the fact the she carried on addressing them telepathically even though they stood face to face and Alex answered her using her vocal chords.

"That road, huh?" She turned to eye the narrow path as she spoke quietly to Alex even though she knew the old woman would *hear*.

Alex glanced at the padd and the directions she had imported into the device before she came and confirmed that this was so. "Yeah, that road... it's right next to the Voranx Temple." <<If you hurry, you will be able to witness a true Betazed wedding. Many visitors find it fascinating>>. Alex glanced at Sloane, "Why not?"

Sloane opened her mouth to respond and then thought better of it. Maybe it would be funnier to let the Commander find out for herself... Hiding a smirk, she turned to the old lady. <<Trying to trick us?>> It was rather uncharacteristic of the Betazoid. They had always been painted to Sloane as elementally honest and forward. Why invite off-worlders to a wedding ceremony when it was clear at least one of them didn't know what it entailed?

Alex glanced at Sloane, "Why not?" Oblivious to what was coming her way, Alex missed the signals between Sloane and their guide. Thanking the woman, the duo made their way up the cobble stoned path and Alex noted the two store frontages on either side. "They have lovely fabrics on this planet." She pointed out a dress in the window. In the distance, she could hear some kind of chimes growing louder. Must be the wedding.

"They have..." Sloane nodded. And they had the strange habit of baring it all when they exchanged wedding vows... "Oh, I do like that." She stopped and looked at the same dress Alex was.

It was nice, Alex thought, doing something as mundane as admiring dresses. When was the last time she actually did something like this? Years ago, on Alpha Centauri with her mom. A surge of sadness filled her then and her hand dropped to her belly, thinking how her mother would have loved being a grandmother. "You know something? Tom and I lived in the same colony for most of our youth and never actually ran into each other," she found herself saying.

"You did?" Sloane looked at her in disbelief. "Really?" How big had Alpha Centauri been, Sloane wondered. Not that big, she reckoned. "Wow, talk about fate." Then again, she and Rickman had hung out at the same tavern on Mars, befriending the same barkeep, but at different times.

"Yeah," she nodded slowly. "He came from the part of town well... where middle class families didn't go," she said, turning away from the dress. "Funny, I hadn't thought about him or my mother in ages. How much family did you lose, Sloane?"

Him? Sloane looked at Alex quizzically before she caught herself. "Mum and dad, three brothers." Still looking at the dress, she glanced at her companion. "Him? Who do you mean by that?" Sloane heard the music swell in the background and wondered if she should warn Alex.

"My father," Alex replied. "My mother died when I was ten and it was just me and my father. He was a doctor. Wanted to practise frontier medicine." She swallowed thickly. "He never made it off Centauri."

"I'm sorry," Sloane said simply. Everybody had lost someone and so these exchanges were rather common when got to know people. It didn't mean it got any easier. "I bet they would both be thrilled," she said, glancing at Alex's bump.

"I think they would have," Alex replied and then opted to lighten the mood, "though what dad would have said about meeting Tom is a conversation I am so grateful not to have, if you know what I mean."

Sloane nodded, cracking a smile at the thought. "Wrong side of the track and all. Come on, let's go to that shop," she tried to steer her off the wedding idea.

"That's one way to put it," Alex laughed and started walking along the street, listening for the rising tenor of music in the distance. "I wonder what Betazoid weddings are like. Must be like a really quiet affair what with no speaking and all." Then with a sigh, she retorted, "Hey, it might give me ideas if I decide to approach the subject with Tom." She sniggered, trying to picture Tom playing groom and couldn't do it without picturing Tom's head exploding.

Sloane smiled softly, trying to read her friend. Did she really want to get married that much? Yes, there was a baby on the way but long gone were the societal constraints of having to get hitched to be parents. 'Yep, she really does,' Sloane decided.

"Okay, let's go check out that wedding then." Even if Sloane knew there was no way in hell Tom would ever agree to such a style of ceremony. Already grinning and trying to hide it, Sloane hoped the Commander would see the funny side of it.

It wasn't that Alex wanted to get married so badly but the fact that Tom hadn't asked or even broached the subject which had made her so obsessive and there was a bit of traditional sensibility about her that felt she would like to be married before her child was born. It just seemed the proper thing to do and unfortunately, proper was the one thing that Alexandra Styles was terribly accustomed to doing.

The top of the temple came into view and, like all Betazoid architecture, was very beautiful. This one had white marble, lots of spires and domed roofs. She could smell the faint aroma of Frangi Blooms, a Betazoid flower that she had come across before. The ceremony was held outdoors if the speaking she could hear from behind the well manicured hedge was any indication.

Stepping onto the path leading into it, Alex had only gone a few steps before stopping short and gaping. "Holy Fuck, why are these people naked?"

Her face splitting in two by a huge smile at Alex's shock, Sloane fought to get the words out. "This... this is how they typically exchange their vows... the bride and groom... and their guests." The initial amusement at Alex's reaction fading, Sloane suddenly felt rather uncomfortable. She had never understood why they let total strangers witness such events but now she was sensing they were no longer welcomed.

"Get out." Alex stared at the naked bodies. Some of the guests shouldn't be naked at all. "It's indecent!" She exclaimed and a multitude of horrified thoughts ran through her head before she realised that most of these people were telepathic. <<How dare you! You intrude and then insult us>> "Oh shit," Alex groaned, seeing a diplomatic incident in the making. "He's going to kill me." And she didn't mean Tom.

Glancing at Alex, Sloane wondered who 'he' was but didn't dwell on that for long. The 'oh shit' sentiment echoed within her a lot stronger as she grabbed the woman's arm and started to back away. "We're terribly sorry," she said out loud, all her thoughts centred on feeling genuinely apologetic.

"Oh god, yes," Alex stammered a response. "Terribly sorry."

<<Why the hell did these people not wear clothes? What stupid hedonistic life style did they leave where they just parade around bare-assed for anyone to see?>>

When she saw the expression of utter outrage on their faces, Alex blinked slowly. "Oh fuck, I didn't mean to...oh shit..." She released a stream of expletives that would have done the father of her baby proud had he been in the hearing of it.

"Get me out of here," she squeaked.

The faces of the wedding party told Sloane that though Alex kept apologising, she was carrying thinking something else entirely. "Commander, clear your fucking mind," Sloane nearly growled as she carried on pulling her away, walking backwards, the MACO in her refusing to give them her back in case.

"Again, we are terribly sorry. This lady here had no idea about your custom. Please, accept our deepest apology for our intrusion and insults." She looked at Alex, intimating that the woman better be thinking those same bloody words and nothing else.

Boy, had that backfired. Thing was, it was hard to keep focusing on projecting a mortified apology when, deep down, she was still slightly amused.

Alex started thinking in multiplication tables, one times two, two times four, reciting it over and over in her head until she was dragged away from the wedding ceremony with a deluge of outrage thoughts flooding her mind as Sloane dragged her away.

Five times six, six times seven...

"Oh my god...." Alex exclaimed, when they were far enough away. "What the hell did I just do??"

Shaking her head, Sloane tried to keep a straight face for a moment longer. Alex's expression was just too damn much. "Set our efforts at an alliance of our two races back twenty years, I think."

"Oh Christ." Alex glanced in the direction of the wedding and did the only thing she could do. Laugh. "Oh Hayes is going to spit when he gets the complaint." There was nothing for it and Alex continued to laugh, tears running down her own eyes at how potentially embarrassing this was and at the same time, the whole thing was absurd.

That made Sloane crack. The laughter she'd been keeping in bubbled over, bringing tears to her eyes. After a moment, she caught her breath, looking over Alex, where she had glanced at. "I'm not sure Archer will be thrilled either. Grinning ear to ear, she pulled Alex a bit further away. "Come on, I don't want to get arrested as well!" she said on a chuckle.

"Are we going back to the ship?" She asked, it seemed like the more sensible thing to do.

Alex headed back to their landing site, wondering if the woman who had sent them to the wedding in the first place was there. The former chief of security would surely have loved to kick her trouble making ass.

"I'm sorry about the shopping trip," Sloane said, deciding to fess up as they got back to the centre of Ruba. "I knew about their weddings and that old wench... I should have said something. But you were just so enthusiastic..."

Alex's response was a slight swat on her shoulder but she was still laughing. "Bitch." It was said in good humour though. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have to deal with the asshole I work for?" Alex rolled her eyes, heavenward.

A light chuckle escaped Sloane. "More than you know, Alex. More than you know."

Alex gave her a look. "Of course." She rolled her eyes. "He was stationed on Enterprise, wasn't he? Before they made him governor and my boss. Figures." Alex sighed. "You almost get yourself killed fighting Klingons and the powers that be promote MACO colonel to be your boss, who thinks anyone Fleet is soft."

"Yeah." Sloane nodded. "That was nasty," she agreed with a grin. "But joke aside, it wasn't Hayes' idea." After all this time, Sloane still defended him, looked out for him. It was amazing.

"Probably not," Alex sighed and then added, "You should have seen his face the first time he met his secretary, this little blond thing with a troll man doll on her desk. I swore I thought he popped a vein there and then." She replied, thinking that Sloane would see the humour in it.

"Really? Yes, I can imagine." She smiled as she pictured the scene. Yep, vein-popping moment for sure, especially with a civvie. Poor Hayes. Sloane felt sorry for him. She had hated his guts for weeks after he'd left the NX-01 but now that they had started to mend their friendship, she knew he had wanted none of it and had been real miserable about being relegated to politics of all things. "He seems to have settled in now though, yeah? Still being a bastard and giving you a hard time anyway?"

"Getting laid on a regular basis has helped his disposition considerably," Alex replied as they walked to the Ruba district where they had started out in the first place. "He was insufferable in the early days."

"Finding love does that," she nodded, thinking on the red head who managed to rein Hayes in just as well as make him happy. By Alex's words, it was clear to Sloane that Tom had never broken her confidence about what had really brought MacHayes down. Alex had no idea why Gabe had been such an ass. She wondered what she would say, in retrospect, if she knew.

"It does do that," Alex had to agree. "And how are things between you and the big guy?" Meaning Rickman of course. "It must be tough for you to be up here and him on Gaia."

"We're working on that," Sloane said, hopeful. "I might transfer down to shape up the Grifters while Tobin would see to things on the NX." It would be good for the man and Sloane could really do with some time on terra firma, close to her man. She glanced at Alex. "Did you see any paperwork about that?" Gabe had promised he'd get things moving as soon as possible. Maybe it wasn't 'possible' yet.

"I think they're waiting until we get some new ships in," Alex answered honestly. "I think the quota for pilots is going to start going up and they'll coincide your transfer with when the capacity requires an experience hand to take charge."

Ah, so she'd heard about it. That was a good sign. Grinning, she looked at Alex. "You sound like you've been rehearsing that line. Did Hayes make you do that in case I went and asked you?" she teased.

"Oh, hell yeah." Alex threw her a smirk. "Something about never wanting Sloane to be down here on Gaia so she can stay away from Cub Boy, whatever the hell that means."

"He... he said that?" Stunned, Sloane tried to hide it with looking confused. Hayes was walking around referring to Derick as Cub Boy?!

"Yeah I gathered it was some kind of joke between you two?" Alex looked at Sloane.

Sloane tried to mask how pissed off she was suddenly. "Yeah," she said rather tightly. "A big fucking joke." She forced a smile. "You sure you don't want to go do that shopping?" She suddenly didn't want to find herself back in the bastard's old office. God. She really thought they had moved past all that and the man was still carrying on, in front of others? Sloane let out a slow breath, trying to calm down.

"Sorry did I spill the beans?" Alex noted the tension in her face. "It didn't sound like an insult to me."

"No, it's probably nothing," Sloane lied, knowing Alex would see through it but damn it, what was she to do? Spill Hayes' beans? Now, that would have him pop a real vein.

Realising that she had somehow stepped in it, Alex remarked, "If it makes any difference, I think he did mean with some affection. And he did talk about trying to get the paperwork through sooner rather than later."

Oh."Well, that's good news." Sloane swallowed, wondering if she should at least try to explain her reaction. Alex probably thought she'd snapped and turned crazy. "Alex..."

Alex saw that Sloane wanted to speak, had something on the cusp of her tongue waiting to fall and she spoke, "You can trust me."

Yeah, she knew that but Alex worked for the man. That alone would crush Hayes if he ever found out Alex knew anything about what had gone down. But then again, it was his own fault for using that name aloud around his office, Sloane decided. "Cub Boy is Derick..."

Alex's eyes widened. "Oh." She mused and suddenly a couple of things fell into place that never made sense before. "Was there something..." She wanted to ask but hesitated because this had all the signs of that.

"Let's call it the road not taken." Sloane smiled wistfully, her gaze moving away from Alex to settle on the row of buildings to their left. Spain. It reminded her of Spain. She was now a lot happier with how things had turned out. Gabe was married and a proud father while she was in love with a great guy. She had never thought to reach this nice middle ground less than a year ago but here she was.

Alex studied Sloane and considered her as a partner for Gabe. It didn't seem to mesh. Perhaps, they were too much alike. It just didn't seem right. Rickman's manner suited Sloane more than Gabriel's stoic personality. "I think you made the right call."

"I think so too," Sloane said softly, like she was letting her in on a secret.

"I mean if you don't mind an outsider's observation that is," Alex replied. "If you're anything like me, you're not one to be drawn out easily and there's always got to be one in the relationship that's willing to do that. Hayes looks like a tough nut to crack. I don't know if you've met Ren but if you have, she runs right over him, doesn't wait for him to finish a sentence and most times by the looks of her, has a pretty good idea about what he doesn't say and gives no thought to demanding he say it if that is the case. It pisses him off, I've seen it when they're together but she doesn't really seem to care. With Derick, there's no games, no hidden meanings. He'll always tell you what's on his mind and so it's the same for Ren and," Alex smiled. "Even Tom. It's us stoic, thoughtful ones who are difficult."

Sloane smiled, thinking Alex's words in. Sloane had come to a similar conclusion. "Yeah, I've met her. You know her well?" There was a sense of familiarity when Alex spoke about Ren. Either that or Ren spent a lot of time at Hayes' office. "And you're right; we don't make it easy, us stoic types."

Another turn of street and Ruba became a boulevard Alex noted as they spoke and glanced at the side walk cafe. "Why don't we grab a coffee?" she suggested, deciding that while shopping may be a bust because it was possible she had just insulted the entire population of Betazed, coffee seemed safe.

"Sure," Sloane replied, fancying the drink. She really enjoyed Alex's company and wasn't looking to get back on the NX that early.

As they walked there, she added ."I know her pretty well. You can't know Derick and Tom without Ren. She's the third one of their set."

"Well..." Sloane smirked. "I've somehow managed that. Actually, I first met her years ago... she wouldn't have been more than fifteen." She remembered T'Pol asking her to talk to the girl, a potential MACO recruit. "But I guess I don't spend enough time on Gaia." Even back then, before Tom had met Alex. There had been many nights at the Slain Beasts where Sloane would have been among Tom and other MACOs and never once got close to Derick. Even though they were best mates even back then. So she guessed the same went for Richards. Oh, she'd seen Derick around then, and the red head, it just never happened until that pool game. And with Ren, well, there was Gabe. Though they had talked since and cleared the air, they probably would never be close friends. That would be a little weird, even in Sloane's book.

Interesting, Alex thought as they sat at the small cafe, grateful to see a Telerite waitress and gathered the place catered mostly for an off world clientele.

"Well, Ren and Tom are close. He tells me years ago, he almost had a relapse and she stuck to him like glue, making sure he didn't take that drink. Ever since then, he's been a little protective. I mean you should have seen him the day he found out about the governor and Ren. Tom actually had it out with Gabe, over what I don't know but it was pretty heated for awhile."

"Did he?" Sloane nearly smiled. She could certainly imagine Tom doing that since he knew what had gone down. He probably wanted to make sure Ren wouldn't just be Gabe's rebound thing... or used to stick it to Sloane. "I didn't realise they were that close. That's good. In the early days..." Sloane canted her head as she recalled bleaker days. "Once Tom got transferred off Enterprise, it was pretty shaky. I did what I could but him sticking with the program when I had to go back to space was left to some of his men keeping an eye out. I knew about Derick... I guess I didn't realise Ren was one too." She smiled, proud of what Tom had accomplished. "He's cleaned up amazingly well."

Alex smiled at her, proud. "Yeah, he has. It took him a long time to tell me what was at the heart of it. I mean he's home life wasn't that great and after how he won his officer's stripes on the Bonaventure, it was more or less a given he was going to end up how he did."

Sloane shook her head quickly, wanting to let Alex know Tom had never told her before Alex said too much. "I always figured something went down on the Bonaventure but Tom never told me," Sloane said. "Though I can imagine..."

Alex debated telling Sloane more but knew that she was probably the one person that Tom trusted more than Derick to know this. "He didn't tell me all the specifics but during the Exodus, the Bonaventure was hit by the Xindi. There were plasma fires throughout the ship and emergency fire precautions were sealing off all the decks. Tom was present when one of the cargo bays was sealed. There were people inside, trapped with a plasma fire." Alex paused, trying to imagine it and thanking god she couldn't. "They were literally burning up alive in there and there was no way anyone could get to them so he blew the outer door, figuring at least he could make it quick. The captain of the Bonaventure called it heroic and gave him an officer's stripe. Can you believe it?"

Shit. That certainly explained a few things. Sloane hadn't... couldn't have imagined that was what had taken place, but she had worked out something similar in her head. Something that made him hate himself, hate getting his rank.

"I didn't know his captain but... well, I guess he knew that's what being an officer is all about... making the hard decisions." Tom had done that.

"Yeah but these days, a man makes a decision like that, we're in a position to offer some kind of support mechanism, take the burden of guilt away somewhat. But you know what it was like after Earth, everything was just crazy and he was left to his own devices, to stew. He hadn't met Derick yet or you...There was just him and the bottle."

"I know." Sloane shook her head. "I didn't mean it was wrong for him to react the way he did, hell..." Sloane passed a hand over her face. "I remember how it was back then... still is at times. I always figured he had good reasons for his drinking because... well, he was always a good man, a good soldier, even on a bender." But he did drink back then and a lot. It was probably a miracle in itself that he had survived at all.

Their coffees arrived and Sloane sat back, letting the woman serve them with a polite smile.

"He has his points," Alex said with a winsome smile. "You'd know him longer than I would, you probably have more dirt on him than anyone." She joked.

Chuckling, Sloane nodded. "That, I have. But then I'm sure he's got a few juicy ones on me." Sloane took a sip of her drink. "You... you ever regret your days aboard a starship?"

"Not at all," Alex replied. "Truth be told, I quite enjoyed it. However, with this one on the way," she glanced at her belly, "I think I'll stay close to home for awhile. Still," she said thoughtfully. "Never say never...."