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Posted on Wed Nov 12th, 2025 @ 3:47am by Lieutenant Stormy Knight & Lieutenant Tyler Malbrooke

1,442 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Wolf in the Fold: Hide and Seek

Now that there was a cure to the plague everyone was healthy again, Stormy wanted to spend time with Tyler. So, she invited him to have dinner with her in her quarters. This time she was going for comfort food. And right now, that was spaghetti and chocolate cake.

After the ordeal with plague had ended all Tyler wanted was the longest sonic shower in history and to lock himself in his quarters. Being on the Bridge for that long without leaving worked but it took its toll. The invite from Stormy was a welcome respite and he accepted without hesitation. He decided to replicate a bouquet of flowers. He knew that it was not the same as fresh but it was what they had. Tyler made his way to her quarters and rang the chime.

Dinner was ready and waiting in warming pans, which gave her a few minutes to slip into a cobalt blue sleeveless dress and run a brush through her hair before the door chimed. She did a happy pirouette and opened the door, stepping back so he could enter. "Hi. Is it okay to tell you I missed you?"

"That is more than okay." Tyler said as he swept her into his arms. "It was something that I hoped for. I missed you too. The Bridge can get quite funky when no one is allowed a sonic shower." He said with a laugh. After he gave her a kiss Tyler smiled. "MMM smells good. What's for vittles?" When he was exceptionally comfortable the old Oklahoma boy came out in his speech and mannerisms.

"Spaghetti, salad, and chocolate cake," she said, putting the salad on the table.

"MMMM sounds great." Tyler said as he took a seat at the table. "I am glad that you made it through that outbreak without any harm. It has been some strange time these past few weeks."

"To be honest, I was more worried about you. At least you were able to seal off the bridge. I was fortunate to be able to get into the Guarani morgue and the medical computer. Striel made all the difference." She brought two bottles of wine, one white, one red, to the table, followed by the spaghetti and sauce. "Dinner's ready."

"I am glad that Striel helped. Although there is something about the being that rubs me the wrong way. I think it could be the idea that one short circuit and we are all goners. At least that is the way with all AI." Tyler looked over the food and smiled. "Looks and smells great. Which one do you want?" He asked of the wine as he intended to pour for both of them.

"I prefer white. Thanks." She didn't pay as much attention to what wine went with what meal, preferring what she liked best. "I found Striel fascinating, but I am glad to be back on the ship." She looked at Tyler and smiled. "And with you."

Tyler poured the wine, white for her and red for him. He tucked into the food as he felt he had not eaten anything in weeks. After he sipped the wine he smiled. "Delicious. When we were stuck on the Bridge there was no real food. The only thing we were allowed was rations. So, I am beyond happy to be eating some real food. The company here is infinitely better."

"Oh, definitely better than rations." She smiled and took a sip of her wine. "I didn't really pay attention to what I ate. I was generally too busy doing research or analyzing samples. Our entire focus was on finding a cure." She paused and looked at him. "But I thought of you."

"And I you." Tyler said as he took a bite of food and then reached out to squeeze her knee of sorts. It was an effort for physical contact, something he felt was needed. "I guess that is the nature of any relationship among people in the fleet."

"I think it's the nature of couples in general." She paused to eat, pleased that the spaghetti turned out well. The relationship was new enough that she wanted every meal she made to be something he liked. "Still, thinking of you on the Thunderbird gave me a greater desire to find as much information as I could. I'm just glad it all worked out."

"Same here. Perhaps in due time we will get back to the true mission of Starfleet. You know exploration. It seems that every time we try to explore something else seems to drop from the sky." Tyler laughed at his own joke. For him it was only a half joke, he truly did feel that a lot of business got in the way of the exploration of it all.

"Oh, I get that." Stormy grinned. "I'd love to do more exploring. But I know it's not always an option. Still, I hope we'll find a planet that needs us to go down and look around."

Tyler took a few bites of the food. "This is delicious. Nothing like a home cooked meal. If we ever get back to Earth, I will have to show you the farm. You have not had a meal, until you have eaten outside in the fields of Oklahoma." He smiled, Tyler was an example of taking the boy out of the country but not the country from the boy.

"Thank you. I hope you don't stop being a country boy. It's part of your charm." She also hoped she might be able to see his farm at some point. But it would all depend on when and where they had shore leave. "So, now that we're no longer under quarantine, what is something you want to do?"

"Perhaps a horseback ride on the holodeck. It was something that I had been meaning to do since I boarded the Thunderbird." Tyler did miss the saddle and the freedom of a horse ride. "Could show you Oklahoma without going to Earth."

"Yes, but I'll need a few pointers," she said. "And don't laugh. I may be a newbie, but I'm willing to learn."

"Showing someone how to ride is nothing new to me. That is something I used to do back on the ranch all those years ago. When I decided to join Starfleet, my dad had me train all the new ranch hands. It was my penance of sorts." Tyler smiled at the thought of that memory. "Besides no one knows the trails in ole Okie like I do."

"As penance for joining Starfleet? He didn't want his son to become a space cowboy?" she teased. "Seriously, though, how often do you get to go home?"

"Sadly, I do not get home anywhere near as often as I would like. But, yeah it was my penance for not staying on the ranch. I think my father wanted me to take over the business of sorts. You know follow in his footsteps." Tyler laughed heartily at her space cowboy comment. It was some time since he had a laugh like that and it was just something else about Stormy that appealed to him. "I never looked at it that way. Perhaps I did follow in his footsteps and became a space cowboy."

"Well, I think you make a very handsome space cowboy," she said, grinning. "And it suits you, too."

"Why thank you little lady. You're not so bad yourself." Tyler said with a boyish smirk to his face. "So, is there anything that you miss about home. Something that you perhaps would leave all of this for."

"At home?" She shook her head. "There are a lot of things I love about where I grew up, but I'm not ready to leave Starfleet to live on earth." She paused. "But if I had a chance to spend a year or two studying an ancient civilization, I might consider it. Not like the one we left. Even before the plague, I only had an academic interest. But if it was the right type of ancient civilization, I might." She shrugged. "What about you?"

"Just give me a horse and a field to ride in and I am good. That is pretty much what I miss about Earth. Although I do agree I would not give up this job for anything." Tyler scooped Stormy up and carried her over to the couch. "Besides, with the holodeck and you, I may not need Earth." Tyler punctuated his remarks with an embrace and kiss.

Lieutenant Tyler Malbrooke
Chief Operations Officer
USS Thunderbird

Lieutenant Stormy Knight
Chief Science Officer
USS Thunderbird

 

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