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 for swearing.

AN: Not sure where this story is going, it's just a fluff peace.

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

~*~

"You idiot! You smeggin' bloody idiot!" Rimmer muttered to himself, he'd just spent the better part of the morning on shift and now he was heading for the mess hall for lunch.

Rimmer's head had certainly not been in his work, all he could think about was last night and the fact that he never asked her name and the fact he might never get a chance to.

She was upset, Rimmer convinced himself, but that didn't help at all to make him feel better. He walked into the mess hall and got into the line, he looked at his food with disgust, if a person dared to call it food. He scanned the room for an empty table, no use making any else's day as horrible as his.

He spotted one near the entrance and made his way over. He settled into the middle of the bench and poked at something he assumed was supposed to be tuna surprise. Funny, it didn't look or smell much like tuna.

After ten minutes of pushing his food around his plate he buttered his roll and shoved it in his mouth. He turned around to get up and someone walked right into him.

"Sorry," he muttered, "didn't see you there," he hurried to the garbage dispenser, laughter roaring in his ears.

Arnold Judas Rimmer, the crews favourite personal and private joke, Rimmer thought darkly, dumping his entire tray into the garbage bin. He didn't care that the kitchen lady was shouting at him he bolted from the mess hall.

Rimmer entered his quarters strode over to his bunk and flopped face first onto the mattress, he forgot of course that he left a book there. His nose bent painfully and he swore, sitting up.

If only he d' just asked her name...Rimmer dropped his face into his pillow and said every curse he knew existed--and some he wasn't quite so sure about. He knew he started his shift in nearly five minutes, but he couldn't have cared.

The door opened and Rimmer's roommate walked in, "what are you doing mate?" His roommate asked, Rimmer looked up and over at his roommate, Charles Finney. He was tall and muscular and worked on the same shift as Rimmer but on another floor.

Charles made a face, "you look like crap," he said bluntly and Rimmer simply sighed and lay back face down in his pillow.

His roommate made a face, "what happened eh Rimmer? Some bird break your heart?" Charles began to laugh, until he saw the look on Rimmer's face, "oh...uh, right sorry mate." As much as he hated to admit it, he felt sorry for Rimmer, even though Rimmer was a real git sometimes. "Well you're better off without her."

"No Charles," Rimmer sighed, "I don't even know her name."

Charles' eyes widened and Rimmer suddenly had his interest, "you mean to tell me, that you, had a--"

Rimmer shook his head, "no, no," he said and Charles face fell, Charlie always liked a good bit of gossip. "I met her last night," Rimmer said, finally glad to have someone to talk to, "she was crying--"

Charles made a face, what was with girls and crying? Suddenly he grinned, "so you gave her one eh?"

Rimmer's face turned a deep shade of crimson, "whaaaat?" He screeched, "no I didn't give her one! And even if I had it certainly wouldn't be any of your business!"

Charles held up his hands, "all right, all right," Rimmer was getting excited and Charles was afraid his head might explode.

It took Rimmer a moment to pull himself back together, he took a deep breath, then continued on--sure Charles was a bit of a smeg head, but he was basically harmless-- "So I walked her back to her quarters," Charles was about to say something and Rimmer shot him a look, Charles clamped his mouth shut and smiled a wide fake grin. "And I never even knew her name!" Rimmer let out a groan and flopped back onto his mattress.

Charles looked a little confused, Rimmer didn't notice he was still mumbling and muttering in his bunk. "So..." Charles said finally, "you didn't give her one?"

~*~

All righty, so the talk with Charles had been absolutely no help, and now he was back to work again, on the smegging Z shift, cleaning out the smegging chicken soup dispensers. Rimmer had hoped that Charles might have been able to offer some words of advice but no such luck. Rimmer was in exactly the same position as he was in before, except he was slightly more stressed, depressed and hungry.

The hours passed but felt like years and finally the buzzer rang signaling the end of his shift. Rimmer abandoned his cart by the last vending machine, and furrowed his brow, trying to think of some way to get back in touch with--

He was still lost in thought when he walked into something solid.

"Oomph!" The solid object cried out and Rimmer made a face, he heard a few people snigger and someone walking past muttered, "nice going Rimmer!"

Rimmer's face turned a deep shade of red and he momentarily entertained the thought of bolting--

"Arnold?"

Rimmer shook his head, he must have been hearing things.

"Arnold?" the voice wondered again and Rimmer made another face.

Nice second impression! Knock a girl right off her feet, that's a way to get her to notice you--for the git that you are.

"H-hello," Rimmer stuttered, he saw that Natasha was pushing herself to her feet. "Sorry about that." He cleared his throat and reached out his hand, she took it and stood up. She was looking at him strangely and it took Rimmer a moment to realize she was embarrassed.

"Look Arnold, I'm really sorry about last night, I was a bit off my head," she said quickly, "I normally don't curl up beside vending machines and sob for hours."

Rimmer blinked, "no problem," he said softly, she smiled and they stood there for a few moments in an awkward silence before she finally spoke up.

"Listen I've got to go or I'll be late for my shift."

"Wait!" Rimmer shouted and more than a few heads turned, Natasha jumped and turned around.

"What is it?"

"Uh," Rimmer said walking quickly over to her, "what--i--forgot--listen, I was wondering--" Rimmer stopped and took a deep breath, "whatsyourname?" He blurted out finally. Natasha made a face.

"Sorry?" She wondered.

Rimmer forced himself to take another deep breath, his palms were getting sweaty and black dots were dancing in front of his eyes. He was going to faint! He gasped in a loud breath of air and Natasha was beginning to look a little frightened.

You're asking her name, just OUT WITH IT! His mind shouted, "What's, your, name?" He finally managed to say.

"Natasha," she replied, she stuck out her hand, "Natasha Crator."

Rimmer slipped his hand into hers, she gripped his hand and shook it.

"Listen..." Natasha said, "I'd love to chat but I've really got to go," she pointed in the opposite direction. She let go of Rimmer's hand and smiled, she turned and called to her roommate down the hall, then she stopped turned and said, "see you around."

Part 2 is done! Hurrah! Anyways, fluff is good, good indeed and TBC...

please read and review! but no flames please.