Door chimes

Commander Coleman rolled his head off of his arm, and sat up straight in his chair. His dark brown hair was disheveled from the nap he had been enjoying just moments ago on his ready room desk.

Door chimes again

"Enter"

The door slides open in its typical fashion, and Lieutenant Duran, the security chief, enters. Skipping protocol, the charming brunette slid into a chair in front of the desk.

"Can I help you?" queries Coleman.

"Probably not, but that's not why I'm here," answers Duran. "I wanted to let you know that the security complex on level 40 is complete. We missed you at the opening."

Dropping his head into his hands, Coleman grunted. "Oh man…I totally forgot. Damn, I'm sorry, I should…"

"Spare me, Aiden. We all know that you've had your hands full lately. Besides, it was a low-key event."

"Alece, I screwed up, and there's no need to cover it with making it seem not that important. I know how excited you were about this project"

The security complex on level 40 was a state-of-the-art, 30 cell security hub of Starbase 842. It was the first of its kind in Starfleet. Tactical sensors could be routed there, and it even had its own computer and power systems, along with a small medbay. If needed, the entire Starbase could be run from that level.

"Hmm…your right, you screwed up. I guess you'll have to buy me dinner tonight, now won't you," added Alece with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah…ill meet you at the galleria at, say, 1930 hours?"

"You got it… and if you don't show, I might have to pull out that story about that academy prank…"

Coleman's eyes grew wide in horror. "Don't you dare!"

"Oh, I dare!" sputtered Duran, through her laughing.

"Yeah, you'll be spending some time in one of those brand new cells of yours" added the commander, smiling.

"Ah, ill see you at 1930," sighed Duran, exiting the office.

Aiden Coleman leaned back in his chair, reflecting on his academy days. That's where he first met Duran, and they had grown to become good friends. Now, he thought, he really lucked out that he was able to choose her to serve on SB 842.

With a Grunt, Coleman stood from his chair, stretched, and walked over to get a glass of water.

Back on the bridge, Duran walked across and resumed her station. Carson rolled his eyes looking over at Alece.

"Those shoes are so last year" he laughed as he walked into Coleman's office.

"Sir, we have a major large problem. Again," he spoke in a high pitched, nearly whiney voice, in his hands a pair of old looking shoes. "These shoes…are…were…brand new!"

Looking exasperated, he threw the shoes on the commander's desk. "We have to do something about those little monsters! They pulled ANOTHER prank on me," finishes Carson, crossing his arms and looking like an upset child.

Coleman then dumped out the water and filled the glass with vodka. "Well, Mr. Lucas. Have a seat."

Counselor Carson sat down at near attention, except for the fact that he had one leg crossed on top of the other.

"Oooh drinks…," Uttered the counselor, sitting up even straighter. "May I, please…"

"Sure, help yourself" said Coleman. The moment he gave to OK, however, he instantly regretted it, and vivid memories of Carson drunk at the commissioning ceremony filled his memory.

"OOOOH!" cried Carson, eagerly hurrying over to the mini-bar and pouring himself a glass. "Oh my, Commander! This is the good stuff…looks like ill have to tell where the real drinks are!"

Coleman took this time to rest him elbows on the desk, and place his forehead into his palms. Carson took his seat again, and began describing what happened.

"Well, the little brats put foam in my desk, and, and it got EVERYWHERE, but the worst thing is, it RUINED MY 200 CREDIT SHOES!" The counselor made a point to put emphasis on the shoes, because in reality, he could have cared less about the office to begin with. He was planning on re-doing it anyways; this just gave him an excuse. "I demand a FULL REFUND from their mother!"

Coleman attempted to stifle his laughter by pretending to cough, but he wasn't sure it was completely concealed. "So this foam ahem completely filled your office?

"Yes, my whole office was filled," whined Carson, after he took another large gulp. "It took forever to get it out of my hair!"

Seeing the quantity of alcohol already consumed by the man in front of him, Coleman decided to expedite the discussion. "Here, ill talk to Naiobi about it...and don't worry about your shoes, we'll take care of them. Hey, you know, I think they just got a new shipment in at Pier 76 imports down at the galleria! Some new stuff from Tarklius IV," he said, looking enthusiastic.

The counselors eyes widened, and he stood up. "Well don't you know how to get a guy all excited! Just what I needed, a whole new office setting! OH, IT WILL BE ZEBRA!" he practically screamed. He grabbed Coleman by the desk and started pointing all around the room. "A new black and white couch over there," points to a corner, "and a beautiful ottoman here," he bounced on the desk slightly, "and maybe, a few paintings on the walls there, there AND there!" he pointed to certain areas on the wall before standing up, "Oooh, I just have to go look!"

Coleman slapped on his customer service smile, and showed the counselor out the door. "Have fun!" he stammered through the gritted teeth of his smile. (By now the counselor was nearly skipping to the turbolift.) As soon as Carson left, he took the shoes (that were hideous anyway) and threw them into the waste reclimator. Those twins from hell were really causing a lot of problems

Coleman takes a moment after sitting down to mentally prepare himself for his Chief Science Officer, Naiobi Orinocho. Aiden activates the comm.:

Naiobi looked up from the experiment she was working on, cursing under her breath. He always called for her when she was doing something she deemed more important then a chat with him. Tapping her own comm, she manages a, "right away sir."

The angry woman turned to her aid and spoke in an unnecessary tone, "alright, when I get back, I want these test results on my desk, understood?"

The ensign shook her head as, Orinocho walked out towards the lift

Coleman took a moment to look at the security logs to make sure, in fact, that the twins had done this to the counselor's office. Sure enough, the little imps were at it again

After only a few moments later, Naiobi chimed at the door standing with her hand on her hip and her head cocked to the side

Remorsefully, Coleman looked up from the monitor. "Enter"

The science officer walked in, her body not changing except for the fact that it was once outside of the door. She stood there looking at him, with an impatient scowl.

Coleman sighed. "Have a seat, if you'd like"

Naiobi sat down in the chair, and unlike Carson she did not cross her legs in any manor. Instead, she rested her elbow on the chair, rolled her eyes, and complained, "I was in the middle of something. This had better be very important"

Coleman was starting to get angry. "First of all, Lieutenant, do not roll your eyes at me. Second of all, this is important. It has to do with your two… (Several illicit terms crossed his mind)…children.

Naiobi sat back, closing her eyes as to not let him see her roll them once more. She took his first statement in with a mumbled 'yes sir' then sat up, opening her eyes again. "My angel children?"

Coleman coughed. "Computer, play security recording of this morning, Counselors office". The wall monitor flared to life, and it clearly showed two kids planting the foam in Carson's desk. Then, the file skipped forward, to where Carson opened the drawer, and foam started rapidly filling the room. At this point, he was running around, and Coleman thought he could hear a faint screaming.

The Lieutenant watched the tape laughing gently at what she saw. "My my my. That was a lovely peace of video sir."

"Your children destroyed some of Mr. Lucas's personal possessions"

"Are you sure of that? I mean, we both know Mr. Lucas will do anything to go shopping…how do you know he didn't ask my little cherubs to do that, so that he could get a whole new office? Or a new outfit?"

"He was quite adamant about his personal effects being ruined. Besides, this isn't the first time we've had an incident onboard with your kids"

Naiobi's head shot upwards, giving him an evil look. "Incidents? My children are just innocent bystanders on this ship."

"Woman, are you blind! Do I need to get Dr. Kealock up here to give you an exam? Remember the mess hall incident, where your children put a laxative into the icing? The waste management system was strained for a week! What about the incident in sickbay where they super-glued all the tri-corders shut? Care to explain those?"

She laughed softly at these stories. "They are just little angels on this ship full of adults who do not care to even laugh at the small, innocent pranks they pull."

Coleman sighed. "You owe Mr. Carson 200 credits in reparation for his destroyed items. Dismissed"

Naiobi blinked a bit, staying seated. "200 credits! For what items! No sir. I shall not pay that. Ask him what he did to the children; he had to do something to them. I shall not pay that much."

"He didn't ask them to do anything! I doubt that he even spoke to your children. (I know I wouldn't have) I'll just replicate something new. For right now, just get out of my office"

The science officer let out a slight growl as she left the office without another word