Lets bury the hatchet... and not in each other's back

Posted on Wed Jan 15th, 2020 @ 8:16am by Captain Nathan Bishop & Lieutenant Commander Lily Snow PhD, MD
Edited on on Wed Jan 15th, 2020 @ 11:54pm

5,079 words; about a 25 minute read

Mission: Genesis
Location: Snow's Quarters
Timeline: 2429-12-05

After returning to Starfleet One, Bishop ordered Snow to her quarters until he could figure out what course of action to take with her.

*Later*

In his office Bishop sighed, he needed to get some answers and the only way to do that was to confront Dr. Lily Snow. He headed for her quarters. Arriving, he stabbed at the chime and awaited entrance and if she refused he'd override the lockout. He was going to get an explanation. Muttering in frustration he stabbed the chime again.

Lily knew who was at her door, and he would want answers. "Enter!" A pure British accent sounded form the speaker as the door opened. The smells that hit the man, made everyone in the area stomachs growl with hunger.

Next to the door was a simple wooden bench with a tray with 2 sets of slippers on it and a pair of duty boots. Against one of the walls was a book stand, with a highly gilded book sitting on it, with several colorful ribbons sticking out of it, and mounted above the table was a simple wooden cross. A single love seat dominated the corner with a wooden coffee table, which held several neat stacks of PaDDs, before it as a overly stuffed chair also sat next to the table. There was a simple desk with several pictures hanging near it. A simple but elegant dinning room table for two sat near a small and simple kitchenette. In another quiet corner stood a full sized Harp, a stand with a guitar on it, and a simple music sheet stand with a flute on it.

Lily was standing in the kitchenette as Bishop entered. She was dressed in a simple ankle length black skirt, a simple white blouse with a wide black belt, but the golden cross that hung around her neck was noticeable, and her feet where bare. Her hair was also hanging free around her shoulders "Please take you shoes off there." She pointed at the bench. "You may use the house shoes or go in your stockings. Also, there are pegs on the wall there so you can hang your jacket."

Bishop started to say something but clamped his mouth shut as Lily pointed at the bench. Deciding that a conflict over wearing shoes would side track why he was here, he sat on the bench, removed his boots and placed them side by side next to the bench. He looked at the slippers and decided to go with his socks. There weren't any holes in them. He took of his jacket and hung it on a peg. That down he advanced to the kitchenette and stood looking at her. The image she presented here was a complete turn around for the persona she presented in uniform. "Dr. Snow." He began, then stopped as the aroma was even more appetizing as he stood in the kitchenette. " Before we get to why I am here. What are you cooking? It smells delicious."

"Lily please." She said while cutting some vegetables. "I'm cooking stuffed peppers with fresh cheddar cheese and homemade red sauce." She said. "Now if you want to set the table, I'll answer any questions and explain what you want. Within reason." She stated in her pure British accent.

Bishop stared at her but said nothing and went about setting the table as she asked and feeling as he had lost control of this meeting since the moment he walked into her quarters. "Fair enough." He finally answered as he stood waiting for his next task.

Lily knew that she disarmed the Commander. "Let me tell you a story about how I got involved with Section 31." She stated. "This goes back a few years now. I was a standard officer working on the USS McCoy." Thump, thump, thump went her knife as she cut the veggies. "Then I got a frantic call from one of my mother's friends. She told me that my mother was savagely beaten and raped. I took a leave of absence and headed home. It was when I arrived that I had discovered that she was with child." She stopped cutting as she got a dark look on her face. "I took a DNA sample from the fetus as I spent time with my mother. It didn't take long to find the father/rapist. It took me nearly a year to track this man down, because law enforcement was next to useless. I had captured him and a short time later, we where caught. The rapist had died and I was detained. It was during this time that I discovered that the rapist was a rogue Section 31 agent and Section 31 had me." She went back to cutting. "They told me that I will join them."

She stopped cutting again and placed the knife down. "They told me that if I didn't my career was over, my mother would be arrested and my sister placed into a horrid place. They would have doctored my medical records showing the I've had my genetics was resequenced and I joined Starfleet illegally, and murder. Because of that they would have my mother arrested for knowingly breaking the law." She turned and looked at the Commander. "So I was forced to use my skills and knowledge for Section 31. Then I caught a break and was able to get aid from Starfleet Intelligence. They took out the cell that I was working with. I was taken into custody, but I was given a presidential pardon." She stated. "I am very protective of my family." Then she sighed.

Bishop listened as Dr. Snow er Lily spoke, giving him a glimpse of her life albeit a small look. "I'm sorry for what happened to your mother as well as what Section 31 threatened you, your mother and sister with." He looked at her squarely, "I have no issues with you being protective of your family Dr. Snow, er Lily. It is very commendable and if I had been in the same situation, I would have done the exact same thing. However with that being said you came aboard this ship with a secret agenda, one to bring a Preserver ship into the hands of Starfleet Intel. and that Lily is what I'm having trouble with."

"I did come on board with a secret agenda, but that is up to the Admiral to disclose to you." Lily said. "I didn't even know about the Preserver ship, until you did, when it decloaked." She leaned back against the counter. "I was contacted about that ship after it appeared. I, also, didn't have a chance to tell the Admiral or you." She crossed her arms across her breasts. "Besides, that intelligence helped us on the Preserver ship, didn't it?"

Bishop shook his head, "I'm not saying it didn't but that isn't the issue Lily. You knew you had an agenda one the Admiral nor myself knew about. Now, correct me if I'm wrong. I read your file, I know your a genius and you have a phenomenal memory yet you say you didn't have a chance to tell either the Admiral or myself. Well, not until you had to." He shook his head, "Having trouble with that."

"Commander, if I had told you right after this meeting happened, things would have been different on the Preserver ship." Lily stated. "You would have had me arrested right then and there. You would have excluded me from the mission and you...." Her normally pale skin got some red on the cheeks. "and the others would have or could have died. The Enterprise would have been a total wreck with a war starting." She cleared her throat. "I could have not said anything and did what was requested and you would have been none the wiser." She picked her oven mitts back up and turned to check on the food in the stove. "Sense I was a little girl, I was always treated different. Even going to my various postings in my Starfleet career." She sighed again as she added some cheese and red sauce to the top of the peppers and returned them to the stove. "This is the first time that I had anyone treat me like a person and not someone different." She said standing back up to look at the Commander.

Bishop watched as Lily checked the food and continued with her explanation. "I've heard your reasons for what you did and they are reasons not excuses and I agree with most of it. The one area I can't agree with is your assumption I would have you arrested. Not saying it's wrong but you didn't even give me a chance. You just lumped me the others who had mistreated you and threatened you. " He put a hand on a chair, "By all rights you should be in the brig and your not. I think that says something about my character, that I'm open minded and willing to listen to you and your explanations." He paused and changed the topic momentarily. "My name is Nathan and not Commander. I would be pleased if you called me that." He said with a smile.

"Nathan?" Lily said quietly. Then she smiled, which made her features more attractive. "Alright Nathan." She stated. "I would like to apologize for 'lumping' you in with the others." She said while brushing down the front of her skirt. "And thank you for not throwing me into the brig. I would have gone insane with boredom within an hour."

"Apology accepted. " Bishop answered easily as he looked at her and was surprised at just how lovely she was when she smiled. "You should smile more often, your whole face lights up. You have a beautiful smile." He smiled and tilted his head, "Well, we can't have you going insane with boredom now can we and you are welcome."

"I..." Lily started as she blushed. "Thank you." She said. "I'm not use to someone saying such things to me."

Bishop smiled again. "If you smile more people would and you are welcome though I only told the truth. You have a radiant smile, simply radiant."

Lily blushed harder at the compliments, but she still gave a shy smile. "I just never really had a reason to smile." Was all she was able to say,

"I understand and I'm sorry for the past." Bishop replied, "Now we're going move forward and have to work on giving you reasons to smile. What do you say to that?"

"How do you plan on doing that?" Lily asked as she turned to retrieve their dinner from the stove.

"Why Lily, isn't it obvious?" He answered with a grin. "First by being your friend, then by showing and giving you the respect and trust you deserve. Quickly followed by being considerate of your feelings, views and thoughts." We can have disagreements but that doesn't mean we have to disagreeable or disrespectful. Sounds simple but you'd be surprised how many people can't do it."

Lily was glad that her back was to the man as she set the peppers down on the stove. She didn't want him to see that she was still blushing, even harder. It didn't help that her biological clock was chiming louder then Big Ben in London. "Again something I'm not use to." She said as she started to transfer to food into a serving plate. "I'm open to the experience, but it is just I....." She stopped and was trying to figure out what she was just trying to say.

Bishop wasn't stupid nor unobservant. He caught and saw Lily's hesitation in replying . "It's just what Lily?" He gently inquired. "You can tell me, I'll listen to whatever it is you want to say." He said standing at the chair, his hand resting on the back of it as not to have her feel he was pressuring her or encroaching on her personal space.

Lily stopped what she was doing. She was breathing a bit heavy as she was trying to figure out what to say or do. "Nathan." She stated as she turned around. She was red with a blush. "It is just that...." She was still fighting with herself. "It is just that I...." She just started to play with the cuff of her blouse. "I like you."

Whatever Bishop planned to say went right out his head at Lily's admission. "Oh." He finally managed to say, "Well, I like you too Lily." He answered honestly. His whole opinion of the science chief changing in the few minutes of conversation they had. "That wasn't so hard now was it?" He teased gently.

She turned more red with embarrassment. "I think you fail to understand what I meant." Lily said, but decided to show the man. In two steps she was at Bishop. With a simple grab, she pulled him in close and kissed him. Then she stepped back, even redder then before. "That is how I like you."

Bishop blinked, stood speechless for a moment then he looked to her, he was touched by her blush. "I see. Then it's only fair I show you how I feel about you." With that his arms had encircled her and he kissed her deeply and passionately not like some randy school boy. Then the kiss ended and he spoke, "That's how I like you. Seems we're on the same page."

"I...." She looked at the man with her Turquoise eyes. "I.... I....." Lily was bewildered at this turn of events. "That was my very first kiss and what does this means for us?"

"Really? Bishop replied, "You did very well. As for what it means. I think it means we're married." He said absolutely straight faced.

"Well I don't have a ring on my hand." Lily said wiggling her left hand at the man. "And yes that was my first time kissing." She said turned back to get the food on the table. "Believe it or not, I'm still a virgin."

"Well no, I mean this was all rather um spontaneous but I can get one." Bishop replied without missing a beat. "Why wouldn't I believe you Lilly? I don't think you'd lie about anything like that."

"Former Section 31 officer." She said as she was moving plates of food to the table. "You know, with all my intelligence and knowledge, I'm completely outside of my field of experience." Lily stated.

Bishop shook his head, "No you wouldn't lie about that. As for being outside your field of experience. It's outside everyone's field of experience. You just follow your heart."

"Following my heart is what got me into trouble with Section 31." Lily said.

"This isn't Section 31. This is two people, a man and woman who are entering into a relationship, the undiscovered country if you will of romance and love. We'll see where it leads us....together."

"Together?" Lily said still blushing. "Nathan you don't know me beyond my bio." She stated. "Don't get me wrong, I want to explore this undiscovered country with you."

"The same is true for you Lilly. How do you suggest we get to know each other if not by doing this together? " Nathan asked.

"Well, dinner is always a good start." Lily said with her own brand of humor and looking over the table. "I don't drink anything alcoholic. So do you want to drink. I have ice tea, milk, or water." She said as she was getting her blushing under control.

"Agreed. Dinner is an excellent place to start." Bishop agreed, "Throw in good company and good conversation and your off to a great start." he thought over the beverage selection, "Water is fine for me Lily."

Lily got Nathan's water and a glass of ice tea for herself. "I like the sound of that." She said putting the glasses down. "So, what would you like to know?"

Bishop took the glass, "Thank you." He answered before he turned his attention back to Lily. " In truth, I'd like to know everything. However this is your story Lily. So tell me what you want me to know."

"Well I could talk for hours, but if you want to know something specific you need to direct the conversation." Lily said. "But perhaps we should sit and get our plates filled."

"An excellent idea." Bishop agreed. "If it tastes half as good as it smells. I know I'm in for a treat. As for wanting to know anything specific, just talk Lily." He said with a smile.

Lily spent a few moments dishing out her food. "Well you know that I do enjoy cooking and baking." She said. "I do know how to play those instruments behind you." The she folded her hands and bowed her head, before she spoke again. "You probably guessed by the accent, I grew up in Britain. I attended a boarding school near London." She said picking up her fork. "It was there that I became a Catholic."

Bishop nodded, "Yes cooking and baking, I would have guessed." He looked at the musical instruments, "Musically inclined as well, good to know. I can play the alto sax, not really well but I like to fool with it." He smiled 'Yes the accent is a give away. A boarding school and became a Catholic. How does one become a Catholic? I have heard being raised Catholic. Like I was but never became Catholic."

"I was baptized." Lily said cutting up her pepper. "That is how I became a Catholic." She looked at the man across from her. "What else would you like to know?"

"Well, so was I but I never thought of it that way." Nathan answered in reply. "Do you like sports? If so what ones?"

"Well I like doing fencing, gymnastics, acrobatics, and various martial arts." Lily said with a smile. "I also can sing."

"Multi talented and beautiful." Bishop observed. "Never one for fencing or acrobatics, but I like to box and I have studied martial arts."

"When one has Hyperthymia, you have more time to do things before you fall asleep." Lily stated. "That is why I have so many different scientific degrees."

"Oh, positive to a nauseating degree." Bishop teased. "But in all seriousness, I think that is wonderful and a credit to you and your drive as well as your determination. Grass doesn't grow under your feet." He observed.

"Tit for tat." Lily said. "Many have said that I kill the heat around me when I'm the ice queen bitch."

Bishop took a bite of his food, Um, good." Swallowing, he asked, "Why be the ice queen then? Is it because you don't want people to get close or are you afraid of getting close to people?"

"Sense I was a little girl, I was picked on." Lily said. "Being the brainy little kid, that was very different from the others at the boarding school and at college." She stated. "So I grew cold, so this became a habit."

"I can understand kids can be cruel and some adults aren't much better but you aren't a kid anymore Lily. No need to keep walls up and people at arm's length." Bishop countered.

"It is a habit." Lily stated. "I have also had difficulties relating to people on a personal level." She said looking down at her plate. "But that is one of the curses that has plagued the Snow women."

Bishop shook his head. "Habits can be broken Lily and you aren't having any trouble relating to me. I'm not asking or even suggesting you change over night because frankly that would be impossible but you can change. You start with one person, me and then you add another and another. I think you would find your life much fuller if you did."

"I'm British and you are in my home." Lily said looking up at Bishop. "I would be a poor hostess if I was how I normally am in public." She explained. "Besides, you have put me into undiscovered territory. It is unnerving and exciting at the same time."

Bishop leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. "I see. Well, you aren't being a poor hostess which leads to the next question. How are you going to act towards me in public? Give me a nod and a cool hello?"

"I don't.... I wouldn't know until we are out in public." Lily admitted as she put her fork down. "I doubt I'll be walking up to you on the bridge and kiss you." She said a bit of a joking British tone.

"Alright, that's fair enough." Bishop admitted "And I wouldn't expect you to walk up to me on the bridge and kiss me. Have to keep proper decorum after all." He joked.

"Yes, that would be best." Lily stated as her Turquoise brighten with a mischievous gleam.

Bishop nodded, his own eyes twinkling with delight. "See? We just made our first decision together. Yay us."

Lily sighed as she shook her head. "Nathan, if you weren't so damn handsome, I would smack you for that jest." She said with a smile. "Any further questions"Bishop chuckled, "Got you to smile though didn't it? No, no further questions at least not at this time." he answered, cutting up his pepper.

"Aye, it did." Lily said with a chuckle. "Care to tell me about yourself?"

Bishop smiled, "I'm a product of England, New England, born and raised in York Maine. I have a younger sister and brother. My sister works for the Federation News Service and my brother teaches political science at the local university. Both my parents are alive and also teach at the university." He smile and continued, "I grew up loving the outdoors and had a yen for adventure. That yen led me to enroll in Starfleet Academy.
I graduated number eight in my class."

"Ah." Lily said with a smile. She couldn't tell the man that she was getting more sexually aroused as he spoke. Her bloody biological clock was chiming worst them Big Ben going out of tune. The only things that is keeping her in her chair is pure willpower and her oath to remain a virgin until her wedding night. "Sense the Eugenics Wars, the women of my family never entered the lime light." She said.

"Nathan." She said looking back down at her plate. "I would like to tell you a few things about my family line." Lily sighed. "My family only produces females. We never marry. That is something I intend to change." She took a bit of her food. "Also, the Snow woman are hyper- fertile." She looked at Nathan from across the table. "Every Snow woman, except myself, has had a girl by the age of 16." She said. "And right after that, our sex drive just dies. Which results in us having one child," Then her Turquoise eyes grew darker, colder, and almost homicidal. "Then my mother gets attacked, and now their is another Snow woman." Then her Turquoise eye return to normal within a blink of an eye. "This is but a few reasons why I'm not jumping you right now." Now sooner then the words are out her mouth, she turns scarlet and she quickly looks back down to her plate.

Bishop listened in silence as Lily gave him an overview of the Snow family. it was a lot to take in and when she finished, he nodded, "I see. I appreciate you telling me this Lily and I'm glad to hear you intend to change the trend of not marrying. Perhaps marrying will change both your sex drive and the trend of one child and it being a girl." He looked at her, "Don't be embarrassed, I am honored you told me all this and I assure you it will go further than here. As for jumping me, Let me finish dinner first." He teased then continued on a serious tone. "We'll cross that bridge at the appropriate time. Just know I'll be here for you when you are ready."

Lily was still fighting with her blushing fit again. "Well I though you should know a little about my family, as you are interested getting into a relationship with me." She said. "Besides you're not the one with the biological clock chiming worst then bloody Big Ben. She stated a little cross at herself. Then she sighed. "I just want the man I marry to have something very special from me on our wedding night. Granted, I will get pregnant that night, but that would be expected."

"Oh? And you aren't interested in getting into a relationship with me? You just want me for my body?" Bishop teased. "Lily." He began, "Any man who marries you will be getting something special and that's you. Don't ever forget that. Anything else is a bonus. You need to relax, forget about your biological clock or at least not get so worked up over it and everything will work out,"

"I'm interested." Lily said a little to quickly and blushing even more. "Now forgetting my biological clock is easy for a man to say. Not so easy for a woman to say." She stated. "Unless that they don't want children." She started play with her food a little. "Don't get me wrong, Nathan, I want children. It is hard to fight against family tradition and genetics."

Nathan nodded, "Yes, I imagine it is and I apologize if I sounded insensitive. I assure I am not. I want children and I want you to have children and enjoy children. However it doesn't mean you have to have them tonight."

Lily started to blush even harder. "I know you where not being insensitive. It is just...." She just stopped playing with her food and stared at her plate. "It's just I'm not use to relationships."

"Time for that to change Lily. You need to get use to someone hanging around, complimenting you heck even arguing with you sometime. Being in a relationship means constant give and take. Sometimes you take 110 percent sometimes your partner does. The key is making it work."

Lily put her fork down and started to play with the cuff of her blouse. "I'm not that daft, to not know that at least." She said still looking at her plate. She looked up ever so slightly, so Nathan can see her Turquoise eyes, they danced with merriment. "I would like you to visit more often." She said. "But I think you will have to visit the gym more, because my cooking will make you fat."

Nathan laughed at her comment about him becoming fat. "Oh? Is that a fact?" He bantered. "I can assure you Lily Snow I will not become fat." He paused for a beat and then continued. "I'd like to visit more often as well."

"I'm a wonderful cook." She said with a smirk. "I do a lot of baking as well. So you will get a few extra pounds from better food then the replicated stuff." Lily stated matter-in-factly.

"I've sampled your cooking Lily and I do agree. You are a wonderful cook. So you'll get no argument from me on that score. I'll just have to watch what I eat as well as how much." He countered.

Lily smiled sweetly at the man that she really liked. "Nathan, you will have a hard time not eating my food and treats. especially if you keep visiting me after shifts." She said. "Besides I always have leftovers for lunches the next day. If you would like some, just let me know and maybe we can have lunch together too." She said hopefully.

He smiled broadly at her suggestion. " Oh, I don't know, I have pretty strong will power." He then quickly added "I like that Lily and I would like to see you for lunch or whenever is convenient for you as long as you don't get tired of me."

"I don't know about getting tired of you. So far you are the only one who has gotten a kiss from me, that isn't a family member." Lily said with a slightly mischievous smile. "As for a strong willpower. I was able to disarm you with food."

Bishop laughed at both her smile and statement. "I was only being polite Lily and I didn't want the evening to get off to a bad start. Knowing what we were going to be discussing." He countered with a grin. "I assure you my willpower is stronger than that."

"Really now?" Lily questioned. "You where all ready to give me a major dressing down, now you just want to.... No what I just want is for you to undress me..." She turned scarlet again. Then she cleared her throat. "The point is that you where going to fuss at me about being formally of Section 31 and keeping secrets from you and the other command crew. You where not planning on sitting her and having dinner with me and wanting to get into a romantic relationship with me."

"All very true." He admitted. "However, you explained to my satisfaction the reasons surrounding you being involved with Section 31. So there was no reason to fuss or as you politely put it dress you down. Now was there?"

"True, but you did intend to dress me down about it until you smelled my cooking." Lily said with a smile. "But I'm glad that things happened like this. I got the chance to express my interest in you. And I was expecting to be rejected too."

"I'm glad as well." He shook his head at her, "Rejected? Why Lily? Your attractive and smart not to mention a great cook." The last said in teasing jest.

Lily started to play with the cuff of her blouse. "I just felt that you didn't like me, because of, well I just didn't know what or why." She said.

"Now you know differently. So no more second guessing yourself."

"Yes, now I know differently." She said with a chuckle. She stood went to Bishop's side of the table and kissed him. "Finished with your plate?"

"Good and yes I am." He answered as he reached to hand it to her.

Lily flashed a brilliant smile at the man as she took his plate. "Now I will need some help clearing the table." She said.

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