Well Oiled Romance--er...Ship

Of Pregnancies and Ice Rinks

THE SECOND CHAPTER STARTS HERE, FOLKS! HOPE YOU LIKE, AND PLEASE POINT OUT ANY FLAWS YOU SEE POLITELY, OKAY? I LOVE THE POSITIVISM OF MY REVIEWERS TO DATE. I'D LOVE IT STAYING THAT WAY EVEN MORE, ALRIGHT? PREEMPTIVE STRIKE. SORRY.

OH, AND THE LOVELY FANART I'M USING AS MY COVER IS FROM GREGCHAPIN (I BELIEVE) ON DEVIANTART. IT'S AN AMAZING PIECE, NO? ;) HOPE YOU LIKE IT AS MUCH AS I DO. NOW...ONTO THE STORY!

GOD BLESS AND GOOD DAY!

~ONE SEPTIC MARKIPLITE

I should have known it'd come to this. I mean, I knew that taking Admiral Archer's fricking prize beagle was not our brightest idea ever. But...well...given that the grapefruit was beamed planet to planet perfectly...without a hitch...that kinda blinded us to the risks of using a life form, much less one that meant a lot to our superior officer. But Scotty had been so certain that it would work...so certain that he was right, that we could beam across planets and through star systems. So we tried it on an innocent beagle. We broke a dozen or more regulations doing so, as well. But that hadn't mattered. We'd been so certain that we could do it, that Archer was wrong about our theory. Until the beagle was lost. I was supposed to receive it. It never came.

Understandably, Admiral Archer freaked out quite a bit, conspiring with Admiral Marcus to get us sent away to Delta Vega as punishment for our brash actions. I'm shocked that Adm. Archer would take his vengeance this far, especially considering my father's friendship with Adm. Marcus. This is crazy...and yet...I'm about to head into a shuttle that will get us only as far as Delta Vega. No more. The course was even pre-programmed in. I sighed heavily as Dad came trumping over, a heavy, depressed look on his face. It was shocking how much older he looked with worry now. I gave him a tiny smirk. He doesn't return it. His eyes hold a slight disappointment. I hate that. I hate myself for earning that look. I look away, cheeks burning in shame. I hoped I'd be able to earn a better look from him again, someday...I didn't want to lose my relationship with my father. Aunt Siobhan had no idea. She was working at the hospital now. Dad would have to tell her when she gets off work.

Frick.

"Dad...I'm so sorry. We...we thought that we had all the kinks worked out...we thought...after the success with the grapefruit...we thought that-" It was all in could think to say. It was pathetic, but under dad's current look...I melted and shriveled. I hoped he would eventually forgive me.

"An innocent dog wouldn't be too different." Dad interrupted. I groaned. "You weren't thinking...And so, you two ended up killing a beagle." I swallowed. Dad was worried. Beyond worried. He was disappointed, saddened, and probably confused as to our motivations. He got like this when he was worried.

And it was all my fault. I'd done this to him. I'd never forgive myself. Even if Dad forgives me. I knew I didn't really deserve forgiveness, but a part of me craved it, as any human does in this kind of situation.

"Yeah...I know. We weren't thinking. I'm sorry, Dad." Dad sighed, drawing me in for a hug.

"I know, Eavan. But the fact remains...you're going to Delta Vega. Admiral Marcus and Admiral Archer won't even let me see them. This is out of my hands." I nodded, clutching at my father's shirt, breathing in his scent to have something to remember on Delta Vega. Truth be told...I was as worried as Dad. I knew what could happen on that fricking ice rink. There were stories about the creatures there...monstrous things that feed on the unsuspecting sods who'd gotten sent there as punishment.

"We deserve it." Dad shook his head, putting a signature 'my turn to speak' hand up.

"Don't. You maybe deserve a month banned from anything Starfleet related, but not this. Not Delta Vega. Not with your pregnancy." I groaned. My pregnancy was not an issue. If all went well, we'd be off that ice rink in two months. The fetus would not be affected at all, even if we were stranded there for a while longer that we wanted. Cold doesn't affect pregnancy. I've told them so, a thousand times, but they still used that against me.