Before it All…

Disclaimer: Absolutely no one besides Natasha and her roommate belong to me, everything and anything else belongs to Doug Naylor and all other respective owners, this story is for entertainment purposes only.

Rating: PG-13 definitely for swearing.

AN: Not really sure where this story would fall in the series/time line, likely when Rimmer was still basically new in the Corps. And yeah, he's a bit out of character, but this is just fluff. Just because Rimmer needs a break, so here's his break. Oh and sorry if the slang's a little off.

Summary: Maybe everyone doesn't think Rimmer's a smeg head, like he thinks they do…

~*~

It had been one of those days. One of those horrible, horrible days but like always Natasha Crator had soldiered through it, took one for the team. But now...this...this was the last straw. The straw that made Natasha sit down and cry like a fifteen year old school girl.

She was curled up beside a vending machine trying to use the letter she'd just received as a tissue.

She pulled the damp letter away from her and pulled it open, she glared at it and wished that it would spontaneously combust.

He told her not to take it personally! Not to take it personally! How was she supposed to take the fact that her boyfriend left her for another woman, not personally!

"The bugger," she muttered angrily, "the bloody two timing...twot!" Natasha shredded the letter," she grunted, shredding a corner, "smeggin arse!" she shouted ripping the rest of the letter to shreds.

"Uh, I beg your pardon?" A startled voiced asked.

Natasha started, she didn't realize anyone was around, she thought this hall was empty. She sniffled, "sorry, wasn't talking to you," she wiped her nose on her sleeve and managed to keep herself together for about two seconds before she burst into a fresh set of tears.

Arnold J. Rimmer couldn't help but to stare. Here he was standing in front of a woman who was nearly hysterical and he didn't have a clue what to do. If he asked her what was wrong, she might think he was a prat, and if he just walked away and left her sitting there she'd think he was a prat so he did the only logical thing that came to mind. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief and handed it out to her.

She of course didn't notice and kept crying, so Rimmer cleared his throat and Natasha paused and looked up at him. Her cheeks were streaked with black mascara and her eyes were red and bloodshot but her hair was pretty and she sniffled and bit her lip. "Thanks," she said taking the handkerchief which was folded neatly. Natasha unfolded the handkerchief and pressed it against her face.

Rimmer cleared his throat again, "uh, right" he said a little awkwardly, Natasha wiped the handkerchief under her eyes and folded it neatly back into a square.

"Thanks," she said holding it out, just as Rimmer was just about to take it when Natasha started crying all over again.

"You should keep that," he said smiling thinly.

Natasha tried to smile but failed miserably, and Rimmer felt a sudden need to give her a hug, to comfort her somehow. He'd never seen a woman so hysterical before and it unnerved him, he figured he'd best do something so he reached down and dropped his hand onto her shoulder.

Natasha opened her eyes, he was touching her, patting her shoulder. She looked up into Rimmer's face, his blue eyes and his mop of curly hair.

Natasha had seen Rimmer around, she'd heard all the stories, about how he failed his officers exam three times in a row, about how much of a prat he was. But all of a sudden Natasha needed human contact, and since Rimmer was the only one around he'd have to do. Natasha leaned forward, dropping her head into the crook of Rimmer's elbow.

Rimmer looked around in a panic, what now, what now!?

Hug her you smeg head! A voice in his head snapped, so Rimmer awkwardly shifted so Natasha was crying into the spot where his arm met his shoulder and he wrapped his left arm around her shoulders. He patted Natasha's back and she cried for a while longer before she stopped sniffling and hiccuped.

Natasha was surprised to find that it was rather comforting, Rimmer awkwardly patting her back and her face pressed into his chest. He was warm and smelt like laundry detergent. Rimmer sat rather rigidly, Natasha shifted and moved her hand to his shoulder. Rimmer blinked, this was rather nice in an odd completely whacked out sort of way. If it had been under any other circumstance...

Natasha sniffled and pulled back, wiping her eyes, "sorry about that," she said softly.

Rimmer looked at her concerned, who was the 'smeggin arse' who did this to her? He must have been one real git. But Natasha looked a little better, maybe it was true what they said about women, they always felt better after a good cry. Rimmer figured Natasha had better than a good cry so she must have been feeling bloody fantastic.

"I-I'm Arnold," Rimmer blurted stupidly.

"I know," Natasha replied.

Rimmer was dumbfounded, she knew and yet she hadn't run in the other direction screaming? Or in the very least told him to get lost. She just needed someone to comfort her, it could have been anyone, the malicious voice in the back of Rimmer's head said.

Natasha touched her fingers to her burning cheeks and fixed her hair which had fallen out of its bun, she pulled it out of the elastic and it feel down her shoulders. Natasha was staring at the floor, worried she'd start crying again. She figured he was probably wondering what was wrong, so she figured she'd tell him. Natasha only hoped she wouldn't start crying again.

"He left..." she said, then realized Rimmer would have no idea who 'he' was, "Tom," she said, "my boyfriend," Natasha explained, "ran off with some tart named Gloria, he sent me a letter, can you believe it? Two years and the twot sends me a letter. Always taking the easy way out," Natasha snarled, "what's with you?" Natasha demanded and Rimmer looked terrified, "you men," he let out a sigh of relief, "always take the easy way out. Really...I like to give him what for if I ever see him again." Natasha paused, she was done. All she wanted to do was get back to her room have a shower and sleep.

She looked at Rimmer, wondering what he must have thought of her, here she was sobbing to a man she didn't even know! He probably thought she was some barmy, whingy, woman who had nothing better to do with herself than to cry uncontrollably by a broken vending machine.

All of a suddenly Natasha felt the tears welling again and she bit the inside of her cheek.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your room?"

Natasha sniffled, she knew what her girlfriends would think if they saw her with him, she'd heard them talking about Rimmer, but at that moment Natasha didn't care. She nodded.

"Yeah thanks," she said softly. Rimmer looked a bit surprised, he'd only said it because it was the first thing that came to mind, and because he'd read somewhere that girls liked that sort of thing. He never actually expected her to accept—laugh uncontrollably and point maybe, but not accept. He stood there rather stupidly for a moment and Natasha furrowed her brow.

"Are you all right Arnold?" She wondered, "you look a bit ill." She touched his arm and he startled out his reverie.

"Fine," Rimmer said standing ramrod straight, "to your quarters then?"

~*~

"Here," Natasha said stopping suddenly, Rimmer kept walking and felt Natasha yank on the sleeve of his uniform, he nearly stumbled and mumbled something incoherently to himself. Natasha smiled softly and touched her hand to his hip, trying to steady him. Rimmer's face flushed pink and he turned halfway to face her. "Listen Arnold..." Natasha began, she didn't really know what to say, or how to say it.

Rimmer turned to say something to Natasha when the door whizzed open, he froze his mouth agape and looked at Natasha's roommate who was wearing a bathrobe and a look of utter shock on her face. She flicked her eyes to Natasha then back to Rimmer then back to Natasha again before she realized that her roommate had indeed been crying.

"Honey!" Her roommate exclaimed, "what did that arse do to you now?"

Rimmer looked back to Natasha, who was fighting back tears again.

"Awwww honey," her roommate cooed, she turned her eyes to Rimmer, they weren't exactly cold, but not exactly warm and fuzzy either. "Thank you," she said curtly, pulling Natasha into the room. The door whizzed shut and Rimmer finally managed to finish his question.

"--What's your name?"

TBC…

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