Star Trek: The Next Generation – Souvenirs
Written By: Commander Cody CC-2224
Author's Notes:
I apologize for the delay of this chapter. Before I could proceed, I first had to find more information on the Galaxy Class starship, since this is the type of space vessel that the Enterprise-D is. Also the writer's block was plaguing me, as well as the homework I had to do.
Overview on room locations (in accordance with the research derived from):
The main sickbay, where the Chief Medical Officer's office is, is on Deck 12 of the saucer section.
The name Ten-Forward was mentioned initially in the previous chapter. Ten-Forward is located on Deck 10, at the forward most part of the saucer section. That's how the room got its name. This particular area of the Enterprise will be discussed in the next chapter, as Felicity and her friends and siblings will be dining there after they take their bath. I suppose the personnel at Ten-Forward don't intend to put up with people who give off bad odors, especially that people back in the colonial period took baths only once a month (if I recall), and especially that Felicity and her chums have been sweating after the initial events they were in prior to their stay on board the Enterprise.
(Research Enterprise schematics for more info, or go to and type in "Galaxy class decks" in the search box)
Accordingly Deck 10 doesn't seem to have any indication of guest quarters, but I decided for convenience to have Felicity and her friends utilize a fairly spacious living quarters (windowless, of course) for their stay on board the Enterprise.
CHAPTER 9
The U. S. S. Enterprise continued cruising under impulse power. The entire Galaxy-class vessel was a thing of beauty in the eye of the beholder.
On board, Counselor Troi and the children were taking a leisurely stroll across the corridors of the Enterprise's saucer section.
Nan could not help chatting with Troi about Felicity's feelings for Ben. So she started piping up all sorts of questions about the affair.
"Miss Counselor, however did you manage to sense Lissie's crush with Ben?" Nan asked innocently.
"I'm a Betazoid. I can sense emotions in people."
"What's a Betazoid?"
"It's a humanoid race of aliens from the planet Betazed. They are a telepathic people, which means they can communicate mentally, that is, in their minds."
"Wow. I wish I could do something like that."
Counselor Troi chuckled to herself in a genial manner.
"What did you feel when you sensed Lissie's crush?"
"I think it was an appealing moment. It's like a flower, anxious to burst into full bloom even though its time has not yet come."
The group continued strolling through the corridor.
"Yes, the same thing can be said of your older sister's crush. Young love can be so sweet, and perhaps a tad immature. To the young, as well as to those who are very emotional, it's irresistible to read about, hear about, and experience."
Felicity was getting embarrassed again about Nan talking about her affections with Ben. "Nan, can you please stop talking about my feelings with Ben? It's very unbecoming for me; it keeps making me blush."
"It does?" asked Nan, fairly curious. "But Lissie, I like to see you blush."
"Nan, please," Felicity pleaded.
As usual, Nan acted as innocent as she could and shrugged. Felicity hoped that this body gesture was a sign that she would agree to stop talking about the affair that was always reddening her face in front of her friends, if not her siblings.
Ben was curious about Counselor Troi's ethnic origin. "Are you completely Betazoid?" he asked, trying not to be rude.
"Actually, I'm half-Betazoid," replied Troi. "My mother Lwaxana was a complete Betazoid, and she married a human. So that's how I came to be. Unfortunately my father died, so she remained a widow ever since."
There was a brief moment of silence that lasted nearly six seconds.
"That is, before she met another man, a Kaelon scientist by the name of Dr. Timicin," continued Troi. "Unfortunately her fiancé came from a planet that involved voluntary suicide at a certain age. Dr. Timicin could not violate his obligation, nor did he ever have the courage to do so. So my mother went with him, to her death."
Upon hearing this, Felicity became indignant and was unable to help herself from expressing her opinion about the matter. "That's awfully appalling!" she put out. "How can her fiance's people ever engage in something so contemptible like this?"
Troi heaved a sigh. "That was the very same question my mother said to him. In fact she even tried to persuade him not to engage in this suicide ritual, and even asked the captain to put a stop to it. But, well, the Prime Directive forbade the captain to interfere with these cultural matters."
Felicity began to feel sympathy for the Counselor concerning the matter of her mother. "You must miss her so much," she remarked.
Troi gave a nod, as if she was hesitant to press the matter further. She continued leading them through the corridor until they came to a turbolift. She pressed the button and the sliding doors opened after a few seconds. She ushered the children into the turbolift and stepped inside.
Because of the relatively small space in the turbolift, the children, including Troi, was finding the space rather cramped. Troi gave a verbal command to the computer, specifying which deck she wanted the turbolift to go.
"Deck 10," she commanded. The children could slightly feel the turbolift going in an upward direction. A rush of air could be heard. The ride lasted for nearly half a minute, then the sliding doors retracted to the opposite sides. Troi and the children set foot on Deck 10.
"This is where Ten-Forward is, but the Doctor doesn't want you going there until you've taken a bath. After you dine there, however, Dr. Crusher wants you to report back to the Sickbay for further examination under the Science team."
"What does she mean by that?" asked Elizabeth.
"Basically she wants to study you children further. She wants to keep detailed medical records about all of you. Doctor's prerogative. The knowledge gained would enhance our minds a little further as to what children from the 18th century were like."
"Fascinating," remarked Ben in a rather casual manner.
"They're not going to cut us up, are they?" asked Felicity, who was slightly nervous.
"What?" spat Ben in an incredulous manner, scoffing at the idea of the personnel he and the rest of the children were encountering would be the barbaric types. "You're being stupid, Lissie."
This remark was enough to make Felicity cast a stern glare at him. "And what if it's true?" she retorted?
"No, Miss Merriman," replied Troi in a calm manner. "They'll just scan you, and perhaps examine your mouth area and other parts of your body, if deemed to be appropriate, for biological traces that we will collect for your medical records.."
Despite Counselor Troi's scientific verbiage, Felicity felt fairly reassured at least that the medical and science teams would be performing the horrible things that she feared they would do to her and to the rest of the children.
"Now, if you're really that hungry, there is a replicator in the guest quarters, though it's not very large. The computer can generate only snacks or other small meals, but if you want to help yourselves to several servings, you go to Ten-Forward. You can use the replicator to generate small meals to hold your hunger."
It was not long before the group came across a door bearing a professional-looking, clear-written sign in fine bold print that read, "ROOM 0313". Counselor Troi entered the room as the sliding doors opened automatically with alacrity in their opposite directions.
The children were the next to step inside. They were incredibly awed at the sight of the room. It comprised of a quadrilateral layout, 30 ft. long and 28 ft. wide, with a portion of the quadrilateral cut diagonally far from the middle From the entranceway there was a bathroom to the left side of the living area. In the right side of the living quarters was a small, walk-in closet, whose entranceway was located on the diagonal corner.
The guest quarters seemed to be far more spacious looking than even Felicity's bedchamber at home. On the left side facing the entrance to the room was a king-sized bed fixed with two comforter blankets and three feather pillows on a modest-looking bed frame with neat decorations, with its side main bed frame wall facing to the wall. Tucked under the main bed was an auxiliary trundle bed, with the same type of comforters and pillows that the main bed had. Fairly adjacent to the diagonal cut portion of the living area's floor plan was a fabric-lined sofa with three fabric-lined cushions. Near the front of the sofa was a coffee table lined with a smooth pine surface, 5 ft. long and 3 ft. wide, and 2 ft. high.
From the right side of the guest quarters' entranceway was a small, sturdy metal desk, with smooth, decorative rose-wood panels. On the middle of the desk was a personal computer. Near the desk was a swivel office chair. The chair had a thick, smooth-looking corduroy surface on its front, and a flat surface on the back. It looked as though they had stepped into a hotel suite.
"Just so you know, the guest quarters is equipped with a bathroom," informed Troi sweetly. "Perhaps you might like to try the sonic shower as well. The features of the bathroom are run by the computer, but the faucet and shower can be manually turned on. Just use the knobs."
Elizabeth was somewhat confused by what Troi said. "Um, Miss Counselor, I don't know if…"
"We'll manage, thank you, Counselor," interrupted Felicity in a courteously sweet tone of voice. She thought that if there were other features in the bathroom, they would not know how to utilize it properly. And how does anyone take a "shower", she wondered.
"All right," replied Troi gently. "Dr. Crusher will be awaiting your grand arrival in the main sickbay on Deck 12 when you're done washing and dining. She'll be assuming that you'll be in Ten-Forward within the hour and will send you a crewman to check on you after that period in time. Don't worry; we won't pressure you too much if we don't need to."
Counselor Troi was about to leave when a thought hit her head. She needed to give directions to the children on how to get to Ten-Forward.
"Oh, I nearly forgot. In case you're wondering where Ten-Forward is, it's down this corridor and into the left. You should be able to find it on your right side. It's the clear-glass door with the Starfleet Insignia. If you can't remember these directions, just ask the computer to direct you to there."
"How?" asked Felicity.
"Just say, Computer, please state directions for Ten-Forward. Or whatever room you want to go to. But don't wander around the ship too much."
"Don't worry, Miss Counselor," piped up Elizabeth. "You can trust us."
"Hmm. We'll be monitoring you, just so you know."
The children nodded. Counselor Troi left the room and the sliding doors closed fairly fast. They were now left alone in the guest quarters.
Surprisingly, it didn't take long for the children to decide who should take a bath first, mainly at this point because of Felicity.
"Ben?" she addressed sweetly.
"Hmm? What, Lissie?"
Felicity's face had a rather wistful look. "You won't mind if we older girls bathe ourselves first?"
Ben heaved a sigh and shrugged. "Fine. Just don't take too long, ladies."
"Thank you," replied Felicity. "You won't mind if we also help Nan and William with their bath, too, before you start?"
"Well, do make it quick…if you can," reminded Ben, as calmly as he could.
Felicity was appreciative of Ben's generosity to let them start first, but she suspected that because Father and Mother were not here, Ben would somewhat be inclined to play the role of a peeping tom.
"And Ben," piped up Felicity in a serious tone of voice. Ben instinctively turned to her.
"Just because Father and Mother aren't here doesn't mean that you get to sneak around, watching us young ladies bathing ourselves. 'Twould be most improper to do so."
"Lissie," blurted Ben. "Since when did you care this much about what's proper and what's not? You don't usually…"
"The situation is different because Elizabeth is here," Felicity interrupted him in a manner that almost conveyed a sense of superiority within herself. "'Twould upset her greatly if you were to engage in such a dishonorable thing like that."
"Don't worry, Lissie. My honor would not permit me to engage in such sneaky actions…" he stopped. A thought surged through his mind. Felicity usually did most of the sneaky stuff around his back, and he couldn't get his share? But there seemed to be no time to bring out such speculation out into the open; the children were getting hungry, and he, along with the rest of them, were very much anxious to get cleaned up so they could visit Ten-Forward and dine in pleasure. So for the time being he dismissed the thought.
"Oh, very well," replied Ben, right after he managed to regain his attention to the girls. "If there's a…replicator…or whatever it's called…in the guest quarter's, I'll make use of it if I want to help myself to a little snack."
"Thank you," declared Felicity finally. "Let's go, Elizabeth." The two merriest girls in Virginia moseyed to the bathroom in a fairly ladylike manner. The entrance doors slid open in the opposite directions as they entered and shut.
During his long wait in the main living area, Ben promptly walked up to the coffee table and got his hands on a magazine featuring images of hi-tech futuristic weapons and gear of the 24th century. Plonking himself on the sofa, he positioned himself in a half-reclining manner and browsed profusely through the magazine.
In the bathroom both Felicity and Elizabeth were at odds to know how to lock the sliding doors. However, they were too intent on getting over the task of cleaning themselves up to even bother with the issue. The bathroom was fairly comfy, even if it was nearly half the size of Felicity's bedchamber. Facing the entrance was the gleaming white bathtub. The fluorescent light shining from the flat ceiling lamps illuminated the entire bathroom completely. The bathroom sink was hooked to the left side of the room, and was adjacent to the bathtub. The girls had never seen a setting like that; if such a room similar to the one they encountered ever existed in their timeline, it would usually be seen only in the European homes of the aristocracy. This was just a teasing taste of the modern technological amenities that Felicity, her siblings, and her friends would encounter on board the Enterprise.
While Elizabeth was busy marveling the sight of the squeaky-clean bathroom, Felicity decided to check out the bathtub. As she gingerly pulled aside the waterproof curtains, she gasped in elated astonishment. The tub was scrubbed clean. The aluminum bathtub faucet was hooked on the left side of the bathroom, basically on the same wall area where the bathroom sink was, except it was situated on the side of the tub.
The euphoria lasted only for a few seconds when Felicity was at odds to know how the heck was she to operate the "shower". So she decided that both she and Elizabeth would take a bath in the old-fashioned way they knew back in their own colonial timeline. She turned to Elizabeth, who this time was waiting for Felicity for instructions.
"Elizabeth?" said Felicity.
"Hmm?"
"I think we should just simply take our baths our way. The way 'tis usually done at home."
"You mean we assist each other with bathing ourselves?"
"Aye."
"But…I'm afraid I don't know how 'tis usually done, Lissie," remarked Elizabeth, confused. Back home she was used to having the servants assist her with taking a bath.
"Don't worry, Elizabeth" declared Felicity in a reassuring tone. "I'll show you how 'tis done. Then you'll do the same for me."
"All right," replied Elizabeth timidly.
"So get into the tub and undress yourself."
Elizabeth stepped into the bathtub and Felicity drew the curtain. After that she sat on a footstool near the bathtub and rested her head on her arms as she listened to the fairly audible thumps Elizabeth was making as she took off her shoes and stockings, and cast off her mobcap, gown, petticoats, and stays, saving her shift, because she was particular about having Felicity witness her completely without any clothes on in case Felicity had to be the one to figure out how to turn the faucet on. Because the bathtub floor was dry, Elizabeth didn't have to worry about throwing her clothes on the floor. When she did partially undress herself, she cast her clothes out of the bathtub and onto the bathroom floor.
"I think you can start filling this tub with water, Lissie," Elizabeth called out.
This was all Felicity needed. She got up and drew the curtain slightly.
"Elizabeth, I can't fill up this tub unless you take off your shift. 'Tis going to get wet."
"But Lissie, 'twould be most improper for me to appear completely naked in front of you!" exclaimed Elizabeth indignantly. Felicity couldn't help laughing to herself at the idea.
She then proceeded to figure out how to turn on the faucet, if there was any. Obviously she didn't know what a faucet looked like, as these things didn't exist back the 18th century. However, she did observe a decorative lever above the faucet, pointing downward. Perhaps this will turn on the faucet, she thought herself.
She tried pulling the lever gently toward her, which would have turned it to a clockwise direction, but the lever stayed put. Then she pushed the lever to the opposite direction, in the counterclockwise direction. The lever moved, and as she turned it, cold water started rushing out of the faucet. Elizabeth could feel the water splashing about her bare feet.
"Ack! The water's cold, Lissie!" squeaked Elizabeth.
"Calm down, Elizabeth," replied Felicity, who was giggling slightly at her friend's circumstance of acting like a ninny. She slowly turned the lever until it pointed upward and placed her hand on the rushing water. She could feel the water starting to turn warm.
"The water's warm now, Elizabeth," assured Felicity.
Elizabeth immediately noticed a plastic cylindrical tube a foot long and an inch wide with a viscous bluish liquid. She grabbed the tube a strange-looking tube and showed it to Felicity, "Here's a container that says 'Bath Soap', informed Elizabeth. "Is it all right to use it?" For the most part Elizabeth was unsure as to what to do in circumstance like that, and being the smarter girl, it was up to Felicity to do most of the figuring out.
Felicity mulled over the labeling wrapped around the tube. She felt a bit uncertain about using the device. If her father or mother were here, she would be inclined to ask them. But for now she was inclined to take a chance, since soap was necessary to get themselves squeaky clean and remove the body odors that would attract unnecessary attention if they ever went to Ten-Forward.
"Aye. I think 'tis safe to use," replied Felicity confidently. 'Tis indeed soap, after all." She pried open the plastic snap-on lid and poured the flowing liquid into the bath water, near the area on the surface where the water was flowing from the faucet. Soap bubbles started to emanate and gradually encompass the bath water. To the girls' relief, the water was soapy.
"Now you can take off your shift and the rest of your undergarments, throw them on the floor with the rest of your clothes, and sit back until the water reaches a few inches below your dainty arms," declared Felicity.
Elizabeth nodded, and Felicity drew back the curtain. After a few seconds, she saw Elizabeth's shift being tossed out, and then the rest of her undergarments.
"Let me know if you're ready for a nice scrub," Felicity called out.
Felicity paced around the bathroom as the sound of the rushing water reached her ears. It was a strange sound to them; the sound of rushing water in torrents was something they had never heard, much less exposed to, since her family had never gone to the New England colonies, or the frontier areas of Virginia, where lush waterfalls were aplenty. Yet by far it was perhaps to them the most appealing sound they could ever hear.
After nearly eight minutes of meditative waiting, she heard Elizabeth call out, "I think you can turn off the water now, Lissie."
Felicity went to the bathtub promptly, drew the curtains halfway to her right side, and turned the lever clockwise until she could move it no more. The water stopped flowing from the tub faucet. Elizabeth was now half-submerged in the thick, soapy bathwater, as she sat upright in the tub, reclined near the side wall opposite to the other end where the faucet was. Because of the thick soap suds floating on the surface, the rest of Elizabeth's body could not be seen while submerged, which helped her maintain some means of privacy as her friend proceeded to assist her with the bathing process.
"I think that's a scrub brush I found, or rather, one that looks very much like a scrub brush," remarked Elizabeth, pointing to a small hand-held aluminum scrub brush with an elegantly carved aluminum handle formed into a semicircle curve. Upon spotting the brush, Felicity took it and examined the exterior workings. It was apparent that both girls had never seen a scrub brush with an aluminum handle. Most of the brushes they had seen and used were mostly made out of wood and used hairs that were derived from a fairly rough material. But the hairs on the aluminum scrub brush, although looking rough, were comprised of nylon, which was a little more finer than the brushes of the colonial period. Instinctively Felicity ran the brush gently on her left arm. The nylon hairs gave a tickling sensation on her soft milky white skin.
"You're right, Elizabeth. 'Tis indeed a scrub brush, and one with much finer hairs than the ones we constantly see in use back in our timeline. I think it will work very well on your dainty skin."
"Really?" asked Elizabeth, as if she was quite hesitant to have it tested on her. Proper young ladies were expected to keep their skin clean and attractive.
"I should think so," replied Felicity wistfully. "It worked on mine. But first I'm going to wash your hair before I start using it on the rest of your delicate body." Felicity sauntered to the other side of the bathtub and drew the bathtub curtain completely to her left side. She pulled the footstool over, seated herself on it, and daintily rubbed her hands as she prepared to plunge them into the attractively warm, soapy bathwater.
So Felicity proceeded to assist Elizabeth with her bath, since Elizabeth was pretty much used to the servants doing it for her and probably didn't know how to do it herself. As she got started with scrubbing and playfully mussing with Elizabeth's pretty blond hair, which was starting to get slathered in soap suds, she remarked casually that she learned most of the bathing techniques from observing Rose (the black servant that assisted the Merriman family). As usual, the girls engaged in lively and fairly serious conversation on the matters of possible marriage prospects, as well as the time when Annabelle was about to be engaged to Lord Lacey, and managed to break the engagement by mutual consent. This time, the conversation mainly focused for the time being on Felicity's childish crush with Ben.
"So…Lissie," began Elizabeth, "Not…that you'll be pretty…embarrassed to hear me say this, but…are you ever considering…the possibility...of marrying Ben when you grow up?" The mid-sentence cutoffs were in part due to the soapy water trickling down the middle of her face, as well as the constant scrubbing rhythms made by Felicity.
Felicity could feel the light reddish color rising to her cheeks. "Perhaps," she replied dreamily.
"Oh, Lissie, I think you should," replied Elizabeth wistfully. "You won't find many a man in all of Williamsburg, much less in the colonies, that is like Ben, or even half the man as he."
Felicity smiled instinctively as she continued mussing with Elizabeth's hair. To Elizabeth, the rhythmic effect was very appealing.
"Elizabeth, I'm afraid I'm quite too young to be wed," Felicity put in. "I'm not even old enough to begin courting. How much more for marriage, anyway?" Girls usually courted around age fifteen.
"You're probably right about that. But…Mother told me that there are some girls who are betrothed at your age."
"Aye. But in Virginia we have our different customs." Felicity took the aluminum scrub brush sitting on the bathtub rim and rubbed it vigorously on Elizabeth's back.
"Perhaps a little more gently, Lissie," requested Elizabeth. Even with the fine nylon fibers, her skin was quite delicate. Felicity, understanding the circumstance, made her scrubs a little less vigorous.
"Besides," Felicity added, "Father will not approve of betrothal at my age." She spotted a face towel in the niche of the bathtub wall, grabbed it, and handed it to Elizabeth.
"Here. Make yourself useful by at least scrubbing the front part of your body." Elizabeth took the face towel and began scrubbing her front, including her arms and her armpit areas. Then she instinctively plunged her already soaked arms into the tepid soapy bathwater and scrubbed her legs.
"Did you ever flirt with Ben?"
"Elizabeth Cole! For the sake of honor, please don't believe me to be capable of such a thing, especially at my age. Why, I'd be the talk in all of Williamsburg if I ever did such a thing. Besides, Ben is far too honorable to allow me to act that way in a childish fashion."
"I'm just teasing, Lissie," Elizabeth grinned mischievously. "Can't a mischievous girl like me have a little fun?" Felicity heaved am exasperated sigh.
"Speaking of fun, I seem to miss the time when we teased Bananabelle about her fancy with Ben," said Elizabeth dreamily.
"Well, fortunately, we won't have to worry about that," replied Felicity in a confident tone of voice. "Annabelle is, after all, not here, so we won't have to concern ourselves with her making a fool of herself in front of him for the time being."
"You won't have to worry about that, Lissie," remarked Elizabeth in a relaxed manner. "This time Ben can give you his full and undivided attention."
"Aye, that is so. Ben won't have to do any work here, I suppose. But he can get rather restless from time to time, so I suspect that will not always be the case."
"Lissie, even in here, I just don't think you can keep him beside you like a caged animal. He'll want to roam around this ship. Mayhap you will, too."
Elizabeth was already finished scrubbing the front areas of her body, and Felicity was through with scrubbing her hair and rubbing her back.
"I dare say, these back rubbings were quite…stimulating," remarked Elizabeth dreamily.
"Thank you," replied Felicity.
"I suppose I should get out of the tub now."
"All right. Let me find a way to drain the water out of this tub. Just stay put for now and see if you can find some sort of plug."
"How?" asked Elizabeth, wearing a puzzled look on her face.
"Just feel your way around," responded Felicity, shrugging her arms.
In the meantime Felicity moved to the other side of the bathtub, plunged her hands into the bathwater and felt her way around until her hands caught on something strangely solid. This might be a drain plug, she thought. She tried tugging at it, but to no avail. Then she tried pushing at the lump and it pressed downward. Lifting her hand up, the lump released itself. Then both girls heard a slightly audible gurgling sound coming from the drain and noticed the water level receding from the tub. Noticing that the receding bathwater was on the verge of exposing Elizabeth's soaked body, she immediately drew the bathtub curtain to give her privacy.
The gurgling sound of the bath water draining stopped. Immediately Elizabeth appeared on the right side of the tub, leaning to her left with the curtain withdrawn a little. "The water is already gone, Lissie," she Elizabeth. "Can you please hand me my clothes now?"
Felicity sifted through Elizabeth's untidily tossed clothes and seized Elizabeth's undergarments and white shift. Then she grabbed a white-colored towel from the towel rack attached near the left side of the bathroom sink. She handed both these things to Elizabeth with alacrity.
"You'll need only your undergarments and your shift," remarked Felicity. "Because it's your turn to assist me with my beauty shower." Elizabeth took the towel and the rest of her undergarments and withdrew the curtain. "And don't dawdle so! My stomach is growling and I want to get my bath over with," she called to Elizabeth.
"I'm working on it, Lissie," responded Elizabeth. After nearly a minute and a half Elizabeth slid the curtains completely open. She was now dressed in her undergarments and her loose flowing shift. She was barefoot. Her slightly unkempt half-soaking blond hair looked as though Crisco was applied to it, and flowed freely down her neck. Felicity peered into the bathtub and noticed that the bathtub floor was very wet.
"I can't take off my clothes in this wet bathtub floor," remarked Felicity emphatically, "So I'm going to do so in the room itself, and I don't particularly like the idea of people looking at me while I undress myself. So can you leave the room for the time being? I'll let you know when you're supposed to come back inside when I'm completely in the tub."
"All right, Lissie." Opening the bathroom door, Elizabeth sauntered outside and shut it completely.
Elizabeth noticed Ben half-reclined, browsing and staring profusely at the glossy magazine which glittered of hi-tech gadgets, slowly tuning the pages at different long periods of time. She could smell the wafting scent of hot chocolate, due to three steaming white ceramic mugs that were resting on the polished coffee table that were churned from the replicator. The entire room was quiet, except for Nan and William, who were playing finger grab with each other, since there seemed to be no other alternative means to entertain each other at this point. After all, it was their first time on board the Enterprise.
Elizabeth cautiously approached the sofa where Ben was on. Peering closely near the glossy pages of the magazine, she noticed several photographs of strange-looking devices of the 24th century. In the midst of the clutter was a feature of particular interest, which comprised of a toothpaste tube, which, according to the ad specifications, contained a type of special cream that could penetrate 10 inches of carbonized steel. Eyeing on that device, Ben mulled over the specifications with interest. Soon he noticed a light shadow cast over the magazine's glossy pages, which made him instinctively turn around to see who it was.
"Good day, Mr. Davidson," greeted Elizabeth, who kept a slight smile to her face. "Care to tell me what this is all about?"
"My, aren't you quite a nosy girl today, Elizabeth Cole," remarked Ben in a fairly wry manner. He turned his head back to the magazine pages.
Elizabeth continued scanning the pages closely while leaning on the back of the sofa area where Ben was. She noticed the penetration cream tube and made a rather wry remark about it.
"'A cream that can penetrate 10 inches of carbonized steel'?" Elizabeth red out loud. "I've never heard of anything so ridiculous in my entire life."
Ben just simply shrugged and ignored her slightly snooty remark. Not being a technologically-minded person, as was mostly the case with girls in the 18th century Elizabeth flounced away from the sofa, but stopped immediately where she was and turned around.
"How on earth did you get that hot chocolate sitting on the coffee table," inquired Elizabeth.
"The replicator. Just say, 'hot chocolate' and it will immediately appear from nothing."
"Ben, you know full well that something can't just simply come from nothing."
"'Twas the case with me," replied Ben in a casual manner. "The replicator is at the other end of this room. Find a shiny white niche."
Elizabeth was rather skeptical of the replicator's functions, but decided to give it a try. Spotting the replicator at the end of the room, she moseyed to that particular spot near the niche and enunciated the command, "Hot chocolate, please." A steaming white mug of hot chocolate materialized in the niche. She flinched and gasped in astonishment; to her it was just like magic, she had never seen a device that could do something this unusual. Regaining her composure, she daintily took the mug and took a sip. The hot, dark brown liquid nearly burned the tip of her tongue, including her upper lip.
"Ach," she exhaled abruptly. She moseyed back to the coffee table and put down her mug of hot chocolate to let it cool off. It was not long after a few seconds that the bathroom doors slid opened, revealing Felicity with the middle part of her body wrapped with a white towel, with her left hand holding the edges.
"I'm ready now, Elizabeth," she called out to her friend. Felicity disappeared back into the bathroom. Elizabeth hastened back to the bathroom and the sliding doors closed behind her.
Back in the bathroom, Elizabeth found her friend sitting upright in the tub, submerged in the soapy water to the very top of her shoulder area. The thick soap suds floating on the surface covered her body. All of Felicity's clothes were cast off on the bathroom floor near the entrance corner of the bathroom.
"My, Lissie, you do seem to be able to sprint into the bathtub quite so fast," Elizabeth remarked sardonically.
"Well, Elizabeth, I didn't want you to see me completely naked," retorted Felicity.
"So what do I do now?"
"The same thing I did for you. Scrub my hair and rub my back with the scrub brush," commanded Felicity. She pointed to the aluminum brush sitting on the middle of the bathtub rim.
Elizabeth seized the brush and placed it alongside her at the right-hand end of the rim. Then she plunged her dainty hands into the soapy bathwater and wet Felicity's stubborn red hair. She was beginning to find it quite fun in mussing with it. As usual, the girls engaged in fairly lively conversation again.
"Now that you've kept me engaged in the subject of possible marriage prospects with Ben, it's time for me to ask the same for you."
"All right," replied Elizabeth.
"Have you decided whom you will marry?" Felicity asked, flashing a teasing grin at her best friend.
"Lissie, you can be quite so blunt at times!" exclaimed Elizabeth in shock. Clearly it was too early for her to even think about such things. She returned to a calmer tone of voice. "Father says I have to wait until sixteen to be courted."
"Wow. My father says the same thing, too."
"Then in that case it seems that your father and I have something in common regarding that custom," remarked Elizabeth wistfully. "Well, most of the time, that is the case in England, not just in the colonies."
Elizabeth was still scrubbing and mussing Felicity's hair in a rather playful manner, just as Felicity did with hers.
"Fortunately, I won't have to worry about such things at my age," remarked Elizabeth.
"I just hope you won't have to marry some silly old lord," retorted Felicity. She remembered the conversation during the winter season of 1775, perhaps nearly a month before the Templeton Christmas Ball, when Annabelle kept touting about her grand marriage prospects with Lord Harry Lacey during one of their lessons with Miss Manderly, and how they both teased her about it.
"I suppose it would be nice if I did, but 'twould be terrible if it were forced upon me. I know 'tis good to be proper, but too much properness can be quite a bit stifling."
"Wow, you seem to start sounding a bit like me," replied Felicity. Then she figured she had enough hair scrubbing.
"You can start scrubbing my back now," informed Felicity. Elizabeth took the scrub brush and rubbed Felicity's back. It had a very stimulating effect on her, just as it had with when she rubbed the brush on her arm.
"You know what, Lissie? I think you decided to mention marriage prospects to me just to tease me," Elizabeth remarked in a calm but sarcastic manner.
"Oh, Elizabeth," sighed Felicity. "Can't a mischievous girl like me have a little fun?" She again flashed her teasing smile on Elizabeth, immediately remembered that same statement she said to her best friend. That being the case, both girls burst into a fit of giggles.
Felicity took the white face-towel she placed in the bathtub niche and scrubbed the front areas of her body. She started with her middle, then the arms and armpits. Finally she scrubbed her legs and feet, and the areas in between. It was at this point that conversation was held to a minimum, since Felicity was busy as a bee trying to scrub herself squeaky clean.
"Now can you please hand me my undergarments and shift?" requested Felicity. "And a nice, dry towel?" Elizabeth immediately handed these things to her friend.
"Now turn around and don't look."
Elizabeth moved to the other end of the bathroom and faced the wall on that end. Felicity sloshed out of the bathtub and slathered the towel around her wet, dripping body until it was fairly dry. Then she put on her undergarment leggings and donned her shift.
"I'm already fairly covered now," Felicity told her friend. Elizabeth faced her.
"Now, for the time being I'll postpone primming myself until I help with Nan and William's bath. 'Twould be nice if you could help, but if you want, you can just simply enjoy exploring around the guest quarters. But if you are, then leave just your shift on for the time being."
"My tummy's growling. 'Twould be faster if we both helped," replied Elizabeth. "That way we'll get the task done faster."
Felicity nodded as she emerged from the bathroom. "Nan, William," she called out in a motherly tone of voice. "Time for your ba-ath," she continued in a sing-song manner.
"Oh, no," groaned William rather resentfully. "I hate bath time," he murmured in protestation.
"The bath water is quite comfy, as Elizabeth and I have just found out for ourselves," replied Felicity in a confident and superior manner. "You won't have to worry about your naked body shivering in the tub, William."
"To you, it is," William retorted in his rebellious attitude.
Now Felicity was exasperated. "Look," she declared in a cross manner. "You either get into the tub, or you don't get to go with us to Ten-Forward. The Doctor doesn't want any of us going there unless we're all squeaky clean."
"What difference does it make, anyway?" continued William in a rather challenging manner. "The repli-whatsit can generate whatever stuff I want."
"Well, the meals there might be better at this Ten-Forward dining place," put in Elizabeth.
"Whatever," replied Felicity in a tone of voice that hinted her continued vexation. She faced William squarely and tried pleading with him. "Please, William, don't make this any difficult than it has to be," she sighed. "The others are getting hungry, and Ben is waiting for us to be done with our bath so he can take his."
"What about our hot chocolate?"
Felicity motioned to the coffee table and quickly noticed that the steaming mugs were still full. Then she turned around to face William again.
"Both of your hot chocolates is still steaming; you might as well get your bath over with while waiting for them to cool off," declared Felicity.
"C'mon, Will," crooned Nan, dragging little William by his left arm. After Felicity ushered the two little mites into the bathroom, she disappeared back into the room and the sliding doors shut themselves. Ben turned his glances back on his magazine pages.
"Thank you, Nan. That's my good girl," Felicity said to her younger sister, after they were back in the now fairly crowded bathroom.
"You sound just like Mother," Nan remarked sweetly. "Thank you, Lissie."
Felicity asked Elizabeth to take off Nan and William's clothes as she proceeded to heat up the bath water and douse it with the liquid soap. It didn't take long for the water to fill up the tub halfway. When the two toddlers were completely undressed both the older girls scurried them into the bathtub.
For the time being Felicity and Elizabeth decided to keep their conversations to a minimum because they had to put all their concentrations on cleaning up the two little mites. Felicity bathed Nan on the left side of the tub, while Elizabeth bathed William on the other side. Both toddlers were face-to-face with each other. They kept blubbering to each other as their heads were being scrubbed and stroked clean. As with the scrub brush, the girls had to take turns using it. Elizabeth was first to use it on William's back.
"I do believe you're right, Lissie," remarked Nan sweetly. "The bath water is quite comfy. I've never experienced something this grand in my entire life."
After nearly two minutes and a quarter, Elizabeth handed the brush to her friend, who in turn used it on Nan's back as well, while Nan scrubbed her pretty little body with a different face towel that Felicity grabbed from the cabinet under the sink. She handed the soaking towel to William, who did the same thing his older sister did.
When the girls finished scrubbing Nan and William, they ushered them out of the bathtub and dried them with clean white towels.
"Now both of you little mites put on just your undergarments and shifts," Felicity told the two toddlers. "We'll prim ourselves in the living area because Ben has to take his bath." She turned to her friend. "Elizabeth, why don't you help Nan dress up, while I deal with William. He's getting rather feisty today."
"Like you," put in William. Felicity, being often told that she was the feisty one, had a little trouble dismissing the remark off her mind; at the same time, it was not worth the effort to do so at this point. She wanted to get the entire bathing task done soon. Both Felicity and Elizabeth picked up their clothes, as well as Nan's and William's, and emerged from the bathroom.
A/N (1): The parts pertaining to Counselor Troi's conversation about the affair of her Betazoid mother Lwaxana and her mother's fiancé Dr. Timicin was derived from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Half A Life". Lwaxana Troi was very much upset about the idea of Dr. Timicin going back to his dying homeworld to voluntarily die with his kin simply because his purpose in life had reached its end. (Lwaxana's initial human husband died long ago…ELABORATE)
A/N (2): The parts pertaining to Felicity's and Elizabeth's conversation about teasing Annabelle about her engagement to Lord Harry Lacey were derived from the book Very Funny, Elizabeth. For the sake of [historical] convenience in an effort to have this Felicity fanfic coincide with both the Felicity series books and the Felicity: An American Girl movie as best as logic would allow, I decided to place the November events of Very Funny, Elizabeth a month prior to the Templeton Christmas ball [in December].
Whew! Can you imagine, I had to use approximately 6,961 words in this chapter just to describe a concept movie scene that would last about a few minutes! And it took quite a long time to describe the scene settings. I guess I just have the habit of envisioning my stories made into movies.
I apologize if I wasn't very picturesque enough with my descriptions in a charming way. For the most part I'm probably using the same boring word over and over again, though I do try to find interesting and appropriate phrases. 'Tis my hope that the descriptions will give you a picture of what the scene looks like in my creative mind.
Next Chapter: Felicity and her friends dine at Ten-Forward! Can't wait to get started writing about that! (The only problem I'm going to face is conversation topics as a fill-in to make the scenes more interesting to read and visualize in the mind.)
