Bad Penny

Posted on Thu Oct 31st, 2024 @ 12:42am by Petty Officer 1st Class Ember Locksley

1,354 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: To Boldly Go
Location: Mars Station - Observation Lounge
Timeline: Day 3 - before the crew board the Fenrir

ON:

Trying to focus on the foxed pages of the old paper book, Dr. Ember Locksley let out a long, soft breath. She'd opted for one of the smaller bars on the station, the music low and the chatter gentle. It had been preferable to sitting alone in her quarters while she waited to board her new ship. She'd had quite enough of waiting around in her room during her recent medical recovery. At least she didn't feel quite so couped up in a place like this.

Her clothing was casual - capri pants with a deep green cashmere sweater - and her long, dark red hair was pinned up in a simple twist. She'd slipped her flat shoes off at some point, to rest her feet up on the seat next to her, her ankles crossed. In all, she didn't look like she had any plans to move anytime soon.

"Hello, Em…"

Ember's hand stilled, half stretched towards her glass, the familiar voice instinctively stopping her in her tracks. "James," she looked up to her ex-husband, summoning a calm, pleasant smile to her features. A well practiced professional mask.

"What a lovely surprise," the tall, dark haired man was already helping himself to a seat at the table. He looked to be in his late 30s, immaculately dressed and groomed in his hand tailored three piece suit, the crisp white shirt sleeves clasped together with gold cufflinks.

"Quite the coincidence," Ember’s tone was perhaps a shade too sweet as she tilted her head and kept the patient smile despite knowing better. She had an innate ability to keep cool under pressure…but, perhaps more importantly, she knew her smiling in the face of a brewing argument infuriated him. She’d never claimed not to be petty from time to time.

"Can I get you a drink?" He raised his hand to get the attention of a server, content to travel this well trodden path of overly strained civility.

"I already have one."

"Let me get you another," he cast a charm filled smile up to the server. "I’ll have an Old Fashioned, thank you, and another of whatever the lady is having…let me guess, some kind of gin with tonic?"

"No, I’m fine, thank you..." Ember assured the server rather than her ex-husband.

"I insist," despite his smile, there was just a touch of an edge to his voice that prompted the server to nod and move off to fulfil the order.

Ember sat back heavily in her seat and crossed her legs, allowing herself to lift her gaze upward at his display, but resisted the urge of a full eye roll. "What are you doing here, James?"

"Can’t I hop across on a shuttle to say goodbye before you head out to goodness knows where?" He mirrored her body language, crossing his legs as he leant comfortably back in his chair, waving a dismissive hand into the bargain.

"No, not really, James, you’re meant to stop that kind of thing once the divorce comes through," she replied bluntly, not willing to go too far down this rabbit hole.

"Your choice, not mine," he replied without missing a beat. He broadened his smile a touch as the waiter returned. "Thank you," he nodded as the server set their drinks down, an awkward silence ensuing until the stranger left the table.

"Okay, so it’s going to be like that today," Ember took a sharp breath as she leant forward to lay her clasped hands on the table. "James, when you force your wife to choose between her husband and her job, you can’t complain when she makes a choice."

"But you left me to play jungle Jane in your tropical doctor fantasy, not…this…" he waved a hand around the lounge, a look of disdain passing over his features at the drab, minimalistic decor. "Starfleet was just some strange platonic rebound…"

"Stick to surgery, James, psychology never was your forte…"

James sat back and just watched her in silence, his blue eyes glinting with…something, biding his time as a small smile played across his lips.

Ember arched an eyebrow as she spotted his hand reaching for his inside pocket. "I swear, Sparks, if you light up in here I’ll throw my drink over you..."

"Sparks?" He gave a sudden grin at her use of his nickname. "You do still care..."

Ember couldn’t hold back the eye roll that time and she even accompanied it with a soft sigh. "You know, you really can be exasperating at times…"

"It’s what you love about me…"

"Loved. It’s what I loved about you."

He narrowed his eyes as he watched her with a small, knowing smile, sipping his drink. He didn’t say it though. He didn’t need to. "Funny how Sparks caught on, isn’t it," he changed the subject in a characteristic switch up of gameplay.

"Not really...if you bring someone back to life by pumping raw electricity into their chest, that kind of image sticks..." Ember pointed out, but the slightest of chuckles escaped with the memory.

"Do you remember the looks on their faces?" James laughed softly, leaning back in his chair to cross his arms comfortably as he thought back to the scene, the pair of them still training as doctors at the time.

"They looked like they were about to come after you with pitchforks and torches," Ember laughed with him, shaking her head fondly, her fingertips drumming gently against the table.

"Almost as good as that time in the bar when you cut open that chap's throat and popped a straw in...I think one of the bartenders actually passed out..."

"We were...very young," she chuckled gently, her smile and features softened by the sense of fondness and nostalgia that blossomed from the memories.

"And happy," James added quickly, before the moment could past.

"Yes," Ember admitted absently, looking into her glass, her smile weakening. "And happy."

James just watched her in silence for a long moment, the self assured, confident smile fading for once, replaced with a bitter sweet expression. His hand slid across the table, touching hers with unusual tenderness, the white gold ring he wore cool against her skin. "It's not all bad."

"No," Ember agreed, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper. She watched their hands intently, the familiar way his thumb caressed the back of her knuckles. "But there's far too much water under the bridge now."

"No such thing," he gave an almost playful smile, his eyes glinting with mock temptation.

"Really?" Ember met his eyes at the words, her own hardening as she pulled her hand out of his. "And how is Cassandra these days?"

James couldn't quite hold back the frustration from his sigh as he sat back heavily. "I haven't so much as seen her in months."

"Ah, so that's why you're here," Ember gave a dry, cynical laugh, shaking her head before finishing her drink in a single mouthful, setting her glass down on the table with a hard thud. "Well, I'm sorry that you've had a wasted journey," she rattled off as she stood abruptly.

"No you're not," he replied with barely concealed amusement, watching her with a ghost of a smile.

Ember snapped her book shut in a brief moment of irritation. "No, I'm not," she could only agree. A few years ago, she might have been in a state of disbelief at his audacity, but now, it was no surprise at all. "You made your choice, James, and so did I," she turned so she didn't have to look into those impossibly blue eyes for a moment longer, walking for the door.

"See you soon, Em," James called after her with laughter in his voice, crossing his legs as he enjoyed watching her leave.

Ember halted for a moment at hearing the words. Her head turned ever so slightly to the side, but to her credit, she didn't look back at him. "Cheeky sod..." she breathed before leaving.

OFF:

 

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