JP – Lt. Cmdr Hopper & Lt. Richards: Cosmic Duet (Part 1)
Nathan Richards
((Richards Homestead, Glacier National Park, Montana))
Nathan idly stared out the window at Lake McDonald as he buttoned up his shirt. He had missed the view. While the views on the lake in Peace Park were beautiful, nothing could compare to the real thing. A smile grew across his face as he picked up his tuxedo jacket, eyes never leaving the lake outside.
Blake: You and the lake planning on getting married too?
Nathan turned his head towards his brother, his smile remaining on his face.
Richards: I just never get tired of the view.
Blake Richards grinned back, then did a slow spin around, raising his hands slightly to show off the fit of his own heathered gray suit coat. As he finished his turn, he brushed a strand of sandy brown hair out of his face, sticking it back behind his ear where it belonged.
Blake: I mean, we’re all dressed up and everything. You’d make the glacier very happy. Win-win.
Nathan chose to ignore the prodding of his brother and instead turned to face him fully.
Richards: Why did you and Mike decide to get married here? Why not some “destination wedding”?
Blake stuck his hands in his pockets and walked across the room, elbowing his older brother slightly as he passed, and stood by the window looking out. The truth was, he – much like Nathan – couldn’t imagine a more perfect place in the world. In the galaxy, even. Even before they’d decided to take the plunge into married life, they’d already moved back to Montana to be closer to home… There was just something special about the place. Something primal, romantic. There just wasn’t anywhere else.
Blake: What, like the Delta Quadrant?
Nathan rolled his eyes and chuckled as he shook his head.
Richards: Oh, shut up.
Blake: ::Turning around, pointing a finger at Nathan:: Hey – you can’t talk to me like that. It’s my wedding day.
He took a few steps towards his brother and reached out, adjusting Nathan’s tie for him. Cowboy never had known how to tie a proper knot – not even a basic windsor.
Blake: I need my best man on his best behaviour.
Nathan raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly.
Richards: That's kind of a big ask out of me, don't you think?
Blake: Then again… ::making the knot slightly crooked again:: …maybe you can make me look a little better by comparison.
Nathan looked down at his tuxedo for a moment before looking back up at Blake, his eyebrows raised.
Richards: I agreed to be your best man, not a miracle worker.
Blake patted Nathan on the shoulder and pulled him in for a big hug. For all the teasing, there was no shortage of love between the brothers. The two of them had been through thick and thin together when they were younger and, even though their paths had eventually sent them off in different directions, having Nathan back was almost the highlight of Blake’s week. Almost.
Blake: Speaking of miracles, it’s still a lot easier getting you to travel than everyone else. Can you imagine trying to get Sam to reschedule her graduation? Or Mom & Dad to let anyone else watch the park? ::Joking:: The search party’s still out there looking for Hunter.
Nathan turned to look at himself in the mirror and straightened his tie. The youngest Richards boy, Hunter, had left for Starfleet Academy a few months ago, leaving everyone to wonder if he was even going to make it to the wedding.
Richards: Might need to call off the search parties. He's been gone for months, ::Chuckling:: he might be a goner.
Blake: They let you go, didn’t they? ::Sly grin:: And I’ll bet you hardly noticed that six weeks slipping by. Did you two even leave your room?
Nathan turned to look at his brother again, both eyebrows raised this time.
Richards: Well…
((Flashback – QSD Starliner “Charles Lindbergh”, 0700, Second Day of Travel))
The lights of the cabin slowly illuminated as the preset wake-up call began. Nathan stirred slightly, taking in a deep breath as he woke. He turned his head to find his arm trapped beneath Robin's head, her breathing still slow and steady, undisturbed by the increased light. He smiled, planting a kiss on her forehead as she finally stirred.
Robin opened her eyes, squinting at first against the soft warm light of the starliner’s cabin, before turning herself over onto her side and happily accepting the role of ‘little spoon’.
Richards: You know, I really wouldn't mind six weeks of this.
He pulled her closer, letting out a relaxed sigh and she chuckled sleepily.
Hopper: What? Just lying here in our room? You’d go stir crazy…
She turned to look over her shoulder at his cool gray eyes, soaking in the warmth of his gaze.
Richards: ::Scrunching his face in thought:: Hmmm….Nah.
Hopper: Well then I’d go stir crazy…
She rolled over again, pushing him onto his back and laying flat on top of him, bringing the soft sheets with her. Nathan let out a grunt at the sudden extra weight on his torso before he chuckled. Robin rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him with an amused, almost taunting, expression.
Hopper: Let’s not forget, this little excursion was your idea.
Richards: Not my idea, I just accepted the invitation.
Robin’s eyes flicked to her nightstand, and she reached out – one arm leaving the warm confines of the covers – to grab her PADD. She brought it back over to her, resting the cold metal device down on Nate’s bare chest.
Richards: ::Jumping slightly at the cold:: Oh gees. Brr!
Hopper: ::Teasing:: I thought you liked the cold. Aren’t you taking me to see your family’s glacier?
Richards: Glacier National Park. ::Chuckling:: There haven’t been actual glaciers there for a long, ::Yawn:: long time.
She tapped at her PADD, bringing up an itemized list of activities, all scheduled and cross-referenced with documentation from the Starliner’s brochures.
Hopper: Well, we are not going to just lie in bed for six weeks – no matter how tempting an idea that is. I haven’t been back to Earth in almost four years. There’s so much to see… so much to do… and that includes the journey. ::Matter-of-factly:: I’ve prepared a detailed itinerary.
Richards: I expected nothing less. ::Wrapping arms around her:: Let's see hear it.
Hopper: 0800 is breakfast.
Richards: So soon?
She gave him a mildly-amused and slightly-scornful glance, but turned her attention back to her list without dignifying him with a response.
Hopper: Now there’s an all you can eat buffet for the next couple hours in the forward lounge, but personally, I’m thinking that’s more of a day three, day four kind of thing. I’m more interested in… ::tapping on the PADD:: Amelia’s. It’s like a diner with holograms of old-timey celebrities as the servers. Kitschy, I know, but doesn’t that sound fun?
Nathan opened his mouth to say something to the effect of “Kitschy, yes. But fun?” instead, his words didn’t even get a chance to come out.
Hopper: ::Not letting him get a word in edgewise:: So I went ahead and got us a reservation. Then, at 0930, depending on how heavy breakfast is, we can go to the spa or to the gym – I’ve been meaning to get you to show me your weights routine…
She squeezed his bicep with an appreciative grunt causing Nathan to roll his eyes playfully.
Hopper: …After that, there’s this Klingon Dahar Master – I mean, at least, he claims to be a Dahar Master; I’m not sure a real Dahar Master would be working a starliner circuit – but he’s giving demonstrations of ancient Klingon combat techniques and I thought maybe we could take that in…
Robin trailed off, wondering if Nate was following along or if she was losing him. Nathan caught her eyes for a second before he quickly closed his and began to snore.
She pinched him.
Richards: Ow! I’m kidding, I’m kidding.
Hopper: Well, I can just let the rest be a surprise if you want. ::Waggling the PADD at him:: Or you can study up and be prepared. I’ve got everything in there from breakfast, to dinner, to drinks and dancing afterwards.
Richards: Are we talking down to the minute? ::raising eyebrows:: Second?
She rolled her eyes at him, but pulled herself up a little further until she could whisper in his ear.
Hopper: ::Whispering:: There’s a block from 2300-2400 you might be particularly keen on…
Nathan smiled and chuckled. Maybe the plans weren't so bad…
Richards: Oh?
Robin just grinned and raised her eyebrows suggestively.
Richards: Why wait?
Nathan grabbed her by the waist and rolled her, squealing with surprise, over him to the other side of the bed, inverting their positions and giving her quick kisses along her jaw. Despite her rigid schedule, Robin felt herself moved by the unexpected change of plans, closing her eyes and setting the PADD down on the edge of the bed.
Hopper: ::With waning concern:: Mmmm… but our reservation…
Nathan pushed himself up to look at her, furrowing his brow.
Richards: Okay, fine. Amelia’s it is. ::Sliding from the bed to stand and stretch:: But I get to pick the waiter.
Robin’s eyes opened, and she let out a disappointed scoff.
Hopper: Ugh – hey. ::Grabbing his arm:: Just like that?
Nathan shrugged, giving her a smirk.
Richards: We have a schedule to stick to, after all.
She furrowed her brow slightly, wiggling her mouth from side to side as she considered the predicament. It had always been in Robin’s nature to overthink and overplan – and in Nathan’s to jump in with no plan at all. Over the past few months, more and more often, they were finding themselves at a happy medium.
Hopper: ::Confidently:: We can push things back; Skip the Dahar Master. ::Pulling Nathan back into bed:: I’d rather you demonstrate some of your techniques.
Richards: ::Sarcastically:: But the old timey waiters! ::Chuckling, gladly giving in:: Now then, let the demonstration begin, Qapla!
((End Flashback))
Richards: We didn't spend all of our time in our room.
Blake eyed his brother with a knowing look on his face, then crossed the wood-plank floor to the antique liquor cabinet in the corner, beside the fireplace. Opening it up, he pulled out a bottle of Highwood Rye Malt and two glasses, setting them down on the side table. Uncapping the bottle, he poured a finger of whiskey into each glass, then set the bottle down and offered his brother one of the drinks.
TBC…
(Blake Richards as simmed by)
Lt. Cmdr Robin Hopper
Chief Science Officer & Second Officer
Amity Outpost
V239806K11
&
Lt. Nathan Richards
Chief of Operations
Amity Outpost
A239905NR1