7.McQueen.
He strode off down the corridor, confident that she would be following him. The temptation to look over his shoulder was almost overwhelming.
He hated to think it, but he had to admit to just the tiniest bit of interest in her. so small and delicate looking, with those huge saucer eyes. She looked like an elf. All she needed was some pointed ears. And her accent was not one he was familiar with, though he recognised it as Scots, so soft and lilting. He sighed. *Pull yourself together man! Remember who you are! * he thought to himself.
Once they reached the Officers mess - and with no stops along the way, he gratefully noted - he pointed her towards a table and went to fetch her some food. Unsure of what she'd like, he chose the easiest. Everyone likes eggs, don't they?
Walking back to the table he noticed how she kept her head low, and the crimson flush on her neck,
"Sorry, it was all they had left." he said. "Eggs and some unidentifiable meat." He tried not to let her see his amusement at her flush.
She looked up at him, anger flaring in those blue, blue eyes. Oh hell, he thought. Now he was getting gushy!
"I'm glad I amuse you, and thank you for the breakfast." she stated with a certain cold dignity.
He tried not to chuckle. He had never, in all his years aboard carriers, ever heard of anyone who managed to lock themselves in their own cabin. He told her so, only to feel an instant regret when she flushed yet again.
"My name is Dylan, please use it. I'm nobody's ma'am. That's what people call the Queen. I'm just me - nobody special." she'd said to him.
He looked at her in amazement. Nobody special! What on earth had happened to her to make her feel like that, he wondered? She must have seen the look in his eyes because she looked away quickly. Was it possible that she was frightened of him?
Not knowing how to deal with her questions, he took refuge in military protocol. After all, he was a Lt. Colonel, even if Ross did treat him as his personal errand boy!
He sat and stared at her across the table. Damn her, he thought, what was it about her? He didn't know if he wanted to shoot her or hug her. So he settled for the next best thing - performing his duty.
He stood.
"If you're finished, I should deliver you to the Commodore."
He didn't really hear what she said - he was caught like a startled rabbit in the blaze of her smile, and the twinkle in her eye.
He turned and led the way out of the mess hall. It was a military advantage to know when to retreat. at least that's what he told himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He strode off down the corridor, confident that she would be following him. The temptation to look over his shoulder was almost overwhelming.
He hated to think it, but he had to admit to just the tiniest bit of interest in her. so small and delicate looking, with those huge saucer eyes. She looked like an elf. All she needed was some pointed ears. And her accent was not one he was familiar with, though he recognised it as Scots, so soft and lilting. He sighed. *Pull yourself together man! Remember who you are! * he thought to himself.
Once they reached the Officers mess - and with no stops along the way, he gratefully noted - he pointed her towards a table and went to fetch her some food. Unsure of what she'd like, he chose the easiest. Everyone likes eggs, don't they?
Walking back to the table he noticed how she kept her head low, and the crimson flush on her neck,
"Sorry, it was all they had left." he said. "Eggs and some unidentifiable meat." He tried not to let her see his amusement at her flush.
She looked up at him, anger flaring in those blue, blue eyes. Oh hell, he thought. Now he was getting gushy!
"I'm glad I amuse you, and thank you for the breakfast." she stated with a certain cold dignity.
He tried not to chuckle. He had never, in all his years aboard carriers, ever heard of anyone who managed to lock themselves in their own cabin. He told her so, only to feel an instant regret when she flushed yet again.
"My name is Dylan, please use it. I'm nobody's ma'am. That's what people call the Queen. I'm just me - nobody special." she'd said to him.
He looked at her in amazement. Nobody special! What on earth had happened to her to make her feel like that, he wondered? She must have seen the look in his eyes because she looked away quickly. Was it possible that she was frightened of him?
Not knowing how to deal with her questions, he took refuge in military protocol. After all, he was a Lt. Colonel, even if Ross did treat him as his personal errand boy!
He sat and stared at her across the table. Damn her, he thought, what was it about her? He didn't know if he wanted to shoot her or hug her. So he settled for the next best thing - performing his duty.
He stood.
"If you're finished, I should deliver you to the Commodore."
He didn't really hear what she said - he was caught like a startled rabbit in the blaze of her smile, and the twinkle in her eye.
He turned and led the way out of the mess hall. It was a military advantage to know when to retreat. at least that's what he told himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~