Finally someone gets me

Posted on Sat Feb 1st, 2020 @ 7:34pm by High Commissioner Jasmine Haynes & Captain Ryan Walsh
Edited on on Sat Feb 1st, 2020 @ 8:42pm

2,828 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Genesis
Location: Lounge
Timeline: 2430-01-03, 21:00

Jasmine was in the lounge. What a roller coaster month for her. For over a month, she had been fighting to get Paddy away from her, and she had succeeded. But now as a slap to the face, the man she was pushing away, was now promoted over her.
her own damn subordinate was promoted over her. Why did the Admiral do this? She heard the first officers response. She was not happy with it, but he was just a messenger. She grabbed her screwdriver drink, and prepared to slam it down.

Ryan walked into the lounge and looked around. His eyes landed on Jasmine, he smiled as he headed over.

“Lieutenant Commander Haines,” he said with a smile. “I’ve been looking for you.”

"You were sir?" Jasmine asked, noticing his rank on his collar. He bore the rank of Captain. Jasmine put down her drink, and looked at him. "You found me sir, what can I do for you?" Jasmine asked.

“My name is Captain Walsh,” Ryan said. “I am the new security advisor, do you mind if I sit down?”

"Why not." Jasmine said, not really feeling like company. But she was not going to tell a Captain in starfleet he could not sit down with her. That would be career suicide. She was already on edge, for being passed over. She did not need to end it.

“Thank you,” Walsh said as he sat down and ordered a drink. “I thought it would be good for us to get to know each other with you being the security chief. I want to a help to your department as well as an ear for my boss.”

"My department sir? My primary position is protect the President, and serve as Chief of Security on Starfleet One." Jasmine said, wondering what the Security Adviser to the President, could do for her.

“I am an advisor to the president,” Ryan explained. “We are both serving here, I felt it would be useful for us to have a connection.” He looked at her. “You okay?”

"Nothing a screwdriver won't fix, sir." Said Jasmine, as she raised her glass and started to drink it down.

Ryan watched her and frowned. “I can lend you an ear if you need someone to listen.”

"I'm good sir." Jasmine said, feeling the warm sensation of the Vodka with orange juice run through her body. She smiled briefly. Then looked at him. "Don't you drink? You barely touched your glass?" Jasmine asked the captain.

“I do,” Ryan grinned as he picked up his glass and took a drink. “I like to savor my liquor.”

"I see, I'm Irish, we drink like fish drink water." Jasmine pointed out to him. She barely drank though. Tonight she was annoyed, and already spent an hour in the gym, hitting a bag. Her hands were sore.

“So all of the Irish drink this way? Ryan asked her with a grin. “Is it kind of mandatory because I know some Irish and they like their drink but they don’t over indulge very often.”

“Define purebreed,” Ryan grinned. “My parents are both Irish but I grew up in California. I can hold my own but I don’t have a drink everyday.”

Jasmine just rolled her eyes. She did not say a word. She realized she was being to friendly with her superior.

Ryan frowned. “Is there something you don’t like about me? Like you said, we really aren’t in the same department but I have had the feeling you wished I would just go away.”

"I don't know you sir." Jasmine started off, then she went on. "I have no ill feelings for you sir. Just came here to work out a few issues." Jasmine said, feeling a bit rude. She felt that maybe she needed to justify her position. But then decided against it. "I appreciate the fact, you came here to get to know me, since we will be working together in regards to the president." Jasmine said, hoping that soothed things over a bit.

“Maybe it was not the best idea for me to show up like this,” Ryan returned quietly. “I know what it is like to want to “work things out’. Everyone wants to help but you just have to take care of it yourself.”

"Don't feel like that sir, this a public place. I suppose if I wanted to be alone, I would be drinking in my quarters." Jasmine pointed out to him. She assumed sub consciously, that she wanted to be around others. But she figured, she wanted to be around them, but not interact with them. Which is foolish. She decided to go on. "Here I am, and here you are. We can try this again." Jasmine suggested to him.
"Hi I am Lieutenant Commander Jasmine Haynes, Chief of Security." Jasmine said, as she reached out to shake his hand. She needed to bury her personal issues, and start acting like a department head, and the chief of security.

Ryan smiled and shook her hand. “Captain Ryan Walsh, security advisor. Please, call me Ryan when things aren’t all official.”

"Alright, and you call me Commander." Jasmine suggested with a big teasing grin on her face.

Walsh laughed softly. “You got me there...” his eyes lit up. “Commander.” He waited to see what she would say next.

Jasmine just laughed. "How about Jasmine, lets try that." She said, as she returned his hand shake. "So you are a californian irishman? Is that a thing?" Jasmine asked, with a big grin on her face.

“I don’t know about that,” Ryan grinned. “My dad was an engineer and he got offered a job in California. He and my mom moved with their four children to California and stayed there.” He paused. “Things worked out well for them, they had four more, saved me for last.”

"The baby of the family." Jasmine smirked, then she remembered. He is a Captain. Cool it Jasmine. She told herself. As she collected herself, then continued on. "I have a brother and a sister too, but I am not the baby." She said, with a big grin.

“There’s a lot of advantages to it,” Ryan laughed. “Everyone spoils you and I went a lot of places with my brothers and sisters. We are spread out all over but we keep in touch and are really close.”

"Is that what you expect of my security team, to spoil you?" Jasmine suggested, in a playful manner. She was not being serious at all. She trying to keep her spirits up.

“Wouldn’t that be interesting,” Ryan returned. “It seems to me with all the hard work they do, they are the ones who need it.” He smiled. “Or maybe you do.”

"Let's not get a head of ourselves." Jasmine said, liking the vibe she was feeling from him. "We can talk about my team, I tend to be a little reserved about getting spoiled." Jasmine told him. She had always tried to be independent.

“I leave that to my family,” Ryan agreed. “So tell me about your team, what kind of a leader are you?”

"Wow your getting deep tonight." Jasmine said, as she sat there for a minute. Then she responded, "I want to say I am fair, but by the book. I take my job seriously, and I expect every member of my team to do the same. We have the most important job in all of Starfleet. The safety and protection of the President." Jasmine pointed out to him.

Ryan listened to her words and felt the conviction in her voice. He felt like she wasn’t bragging up her department, stating facts about what she saw as the truth. “That was my philosophy when I was a ship chief except I was protecting the command staff.” He took a drink. “And everything is going well here?”

"Ship and mission wise, everything is going smoothly." She said, keeping her feelings to herself. She noticed the bartender coming over, she waved him off. For the moment, she did not need another drink.

“I will take another Guinness,” Ryan said to the bartender with a smile. “Thank you.” He turned back to Jasmine. “I know you probably won’t but if something arises you need some assistance with, I am here to advise the president but also to see that the needs of security are met.”

"The team needs are met, can not speak for the others. But I hope their personal needs are met." Jasmine said, getting a little annoyed thinking of Paddy, and how his personal need to be the first officer of the USS Spock was met, but she was passed over, along with every other department head on the ship. She smiled, as she reshifted her focus on him. "Are your needs being met?" Jasmine asked.

Ryan hadn’t expected that question but he should have. Jasmine seemed to like to deflect things. “Taking this job fulfilled a need of mine. I missed being out here.”

"Your a Captain, you could probably get command of your own ship, and be out here on a regular basis. So naturally it begs the question, why aren't you out here in your own command?" Jasmine asked. She wondered if he was pigeon toed in his career, due to politics.

“I didn’t serve more than a few years on a ship,” Ryan explained. “I took a position working security for the Admiralty.” He looked up as the bartender set his filled glass in front of him and took away the old one. “It meant I could settle down with my wife and start a family. Sometimes life changes your plans and I found myself a widow and needing to start over.”

"Some do over, security adviser to the President." Jasmine pointed out to him. She smiled as she went on. "I lost someone too, well mostly lost him." Jasmine said, trying to figure out in her head, did she loose him, or is he lost to her, cause of his condition.

“It is hard to let go,” Ryan replied sympathetic. “I was gone when my wife passed away on a business trip. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, letting go. But I knew that if I didn’t I might as well be buried right there beside her.”

"I can't imagine what that was like for you." Jasmine said, feeling sorry for him. She sort of knew, how he felt. She still missed John. And she knew, she needed to move on.

“We were together since our junior year of high school,” Ryan explained. “She accepted my desire to serve in the fleet though it wasn’t easy on her.” He took a deep breath. “I always told her if I didn’t come home I wanted her to be happy, to go on and enjoy life with someone else. I never imagined I would be the one.” His eyes met hers. “I said my goodbyes, a part of me will always care but in order to respect her I need to live. She wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

"How do you go one, knowing a part of you, will always be with her?" Jasmine asked, she felt that a part of her would always be with John. She was curious, how he coped with it.

“By going on and living,” Ryan explained. “I feel like I am giving her peace because she wouldn’t want her death to mean nothing or that I would be miserable. When you love someone you want them to go on, even if it means without you.”

"Seems unrealistic, if I may be blunt." Jasmine said, getting a little defensive. She had no idea, how to go on living without John. She deeply loved him.

“I didn’t say it was easy,” Ryan said quietly. “I still have moments, I am not going to say it’s all sunshine but with each day it gets better.” He looked at Jasmine. “This person you loved, would they want you happy or miserable?”

"Who said, were talking about me. We have been talking about you." Jasmine pointed out to him. She was still deflecting his attempts, to talk about her, and her feelings.

“You mentioned you sort of lost someone,” Ryan explained. “I thought perhaps you would like to know how I moved on. Apologies if I crossed a line for you.”

"Sorry if I am defensive, I sort of lost someone. He is in a comma you see. Looks pretty grim." Jasmine said, as she looked to see what Ryan was going to say.

“That is rough,” Ryan admitted. “No real closure for you. What is the prognosis for him, if it is okay for me to ask?”

"It's on him. According to his doctor. He needs to choose to wake up, they say the chances of him recovering are slim. His family hangs on for hope and prayers." Jasmine said, thinking about John. He was not really gone, just away. Which made it hard, to move on.
“If the situation was reversed,” Ryan replied. “Look deep inside and tell me, what would you want him to do?” It isn’t an easy question to be honest about, I kidded myself for a long time.”

"Of course I would want him to move on, he would want me to do the same. But most people do not understand. But maybe you do." Jasmine said, letting her guard down a little bit.

“I do,” Ryan nodded. “It takes work, I didn’t just make the decision, I had to take steps every single day until it got easier. I was almost home bound except for work. I went to dinner and a movie with a friend and then went home and cried because I had fun without her.” Ryan sat back. “The next morning I reminded myself I needed to go out again and it got easier each time. I realized our home was filled with memories so I sold it and transferred. Each day is better but it isn’t a split second fix.”

"I don't want to talk to a therapist about it. There has to be be other ways Ryan, I can work through this." Jasmine said, hoping it was true. She did not want to talk about her personal information, to person. Who had never experienced this level of tragedy.

“Talk to me,” Ryan offered. “What is said between us will stay there. I didn’t see a therapist though I was urged to.” He knew he was a stranger to her but he wasn’t blowing smoke here, he knew what loss felt like. “I am willing to do what I can.”

"We barely know each other, but I guess the old saying is true. It's easier to talk to a stranger, than tell someone you care for, how you are feeling?" Jasmine asked. At first she did not think, how insensitive that comment was.

Ryan smiled. Anyone else would take offense but he had a feeling she didn’t mean it as an insult...or maybe she did but Jasmine seemed to need help. “It’s easier to talk to someone who you have no connection to and can’t hurt you.”

"You get me, and I appreciate that." Jasmine said, with a big grin on her face. She felt a little strange for liking him. Deep down, she knew she needed to move on.

“I feel like maybe we are both in right place at the right time,” Ryan replied. “It helps me to talk about it as well.” He saw the bartender looking their way. “You want another or you done?”

"Depends, if I say no. What do you have in mind to entertain us?" Jasmine asked, being a little to forward, and overly aggressive. This was not like her. She forgot how out of touch she had become with flirting.

Ryan smiled at her. “Depends in your definition of entertainment.” She has just flirted with him! Ryan was attracted to her but he was afraid of scaring her off.

"I have no idea." Jasmine said, coming to the realization. Was she flirting with a Starfleet Captain? This could be bad. Especially if it did not go anywhere.

“Have you had dinner?” Ryan asked her. “We can go to my place and I can make us something?” He hopes she didn’t take his offer the wrong way he wasn’t up to anything.

Jasmine was a little skeptical of that idea. "I have eaten, I never drink on an empty stomach." She pointed out to him. That was not good on the body.

“‘How about a movie then,” Ryan suggested. “I can make popcorn.” He smiled as he waited.

"Okay, lets go." Jasmine said, as the scene starts to fade away.

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