[sb118-butler] Lieutenant. JG Alex Forsyth, Lieutenant J.G. Kimonzi Lahl - Running to the Ex

[Robert Forsyth]

((Main Promenade, Deep Space 14))

After such a gruelling mission where they had to fight an eldric god, and almost died. Everyone was looking forward to some R&R and Deep Space 14, including Alex. She was looking forward to spending some time with her friends, as well as her girlfriend. They had been shopping together (mainly Alex buying new model kits from Hobbies Intergalactic) and were starting to get hungry. 

Forsyth: Hey Babe, want to get something to eat? 

Alex asked, while sorting away her new kits of the Duderstadt and Excelsior II. She avoided bumping into a group of Konaii, and continued walking beside Lahl. 

Lahl: Yeah, I could eat.

She hoped the sound of her stomach wasn’t audible to Alex as she snaked an arm around Alex’s waist.

She wrapped her arm around the small Trill, trying to remember the name of a restaurant.  

Forsyth: There is this place, I think Percy told me about it. :: Beat :: It’s called…. Jerrado Bistro, they apparently make good Hasperat. 

Lahl: No Trill restaurants?

Forsyth: I don’t think there are any Trill theme restaurants, sorry.

That was disappointing. She could have really gone for something on the sweeter side. She would just have to make due.

Lahl: Jerrado Bistro sounds good.

Kimonzi walked towards where the signs said the bistro was located, directing the taller woman beside her towards the right path.

Forsyth: So, I’ve been thinking.

Lahl: Careful, don’t injure yourself.

Alex stuck her tongue out, but still chuckled.  

Forsyth: But for real, I've been thinking about this for a while. :: Beat:: Do you want to move in together, now that you have a bigger quarter? 

If Alex could read minds, she’d hear what appeared to be the sound of grinding gears as the idea of Alex and her moving in together came into being. She was going to need a minute to process.

But she didn’t have a minute. She didn’t want Alex to think she didn’t want to move in together. That would be…well, that would not be good.

Lahl: Yeah…I just need to think over the logistics.

Forsyth: We can talk about it over lunc-

Just then, Alex heard her name being called out, and she turned to see who was calling. 

Forsyth: Oh, no….

Lahl scowled as she turned towards the sound of someone calling her girlfriend’s name. If Alex was reacting that way, something had to be up.

Lahl: What's wrong babe?

Bennett: Alex! It's really you, been a while, huh? 

Looking up at the interloper, Kimonzi schooled her face into a more diplomatic posture.

Lahl: It appears that you have the advantage of me. I’m Kimonzi Lahl. You are?

Forsyth: Y-Yeah, it has been a while…

Alex felt she was living a worst-case scenario, as she had not expected to run into her ex-girlfriend out here.

Bennett: Lindsay Bennett, nice to meet you.

Oh, this was Alex’s ex from a while back. She was a long way from Earth.

Lahl: What brings you all the way out here?

Bennett: Oh, I'm working as a teacher in a new Bajor. I finally got my degree and saw a job available here, thinking it would be a good opportunity to help out.

Forsyth: Really, that's great to hear…

Oh, so she wasn’t just Alex’s ex, she was also altruistic and someone who wanted to help out others. That was just perfect competition.

Bennett: Yeah, how have you been? Your mother has been keeping somewhat updated about your adventure in Starfleet.

Forsyth: Oh, I've been good. You know, just been working…

Lahl: Yeah, we’re serving together on the Butler.

Bennett: I was a bit worried about you, after you… left…. Your mother told me that you went to join Starfleet, and the reason why..

Forsyth: I did want to call you, but a lot happened at Denali, and I got distracted…

Kimonzi looked up at Alex as she spoke. Clearly something had happened in her past that they were going to need to talk about?

Bennett: It's fine, I understand why you did what you did. 

That made Alex do a double-take, as she was expecting some resentment. 

Forsyth: Your…You're not mad at me? 

Lahl: Wait…what happened?

Alex glanced at lahl, worried that she would get the wrong idea.

Bennett: Alex and I were…dating for a few years, it was going fine until I said something. 

Forsyth: No… I…. 

Lahl: Oh.

Forsyth: Lins, you have to understand….

Lahl: Ok…I think we may need to take a moment.

This meeting had gone absolutely sideways. This was probably not how Alex wanted this possible meeting to go down, and Kimonzi started looking for a possible ripcord.

Bennett: Understand, you left me...

Forsyth: Y-You know what I’m like, the press- 

Lahl: You have gotten better.

Bennett: I asked you if you wanted to get married, and you ran! 

Lahl: Wait, what?

She looked up at Alex, Vedrin’s memories barely coming to the forefront to keep her from looking shocked. They probably should have talked about this. She and Alex had talked about Steven before.

Not Jennifer though. That was probably a mistake, but last Kimonzi knew Jennifer was still at Utopia Planitia.

Forsyth: Kim, it's not what it looks like.

Bennett: Now, I see you with your arm around her. 

Forsyth: This has nothing to do with Kim; this is between us. 

Lahl: I’m sorry, it appears that this conversation hasn’t gone the way it should 

Bennett: Gonna ghost her too?  

Forsyth: No, I would never…

Lahl: I think…

Kimonzi started pulling futilely on Alex’s waist, trying to steer her away from her ex…possible fiancée? She didn’t know how she wanted to refer to this woman, besides “no longer in front of them.”

Forsyth: Linds, Listen. I would have loved to marry you, but I wasn’t ready….

Bennett: So you decided to run, and join starfleet to get away instead of talking about it. 

Forsyth: I didn’t want to hurt your feelings by saying no, and people were watching…  

Lahl: oO By the Caves…don’t say that. Oo

Lindsay looked at Lahl, fury in her eyes. 

Bennett: You better be ready if she does the same to you. I thought I knew you, Alex.

She turned and started walking away, but stopped just a few feet away.  

Bennett: I had hoped to reconnect, but I see that ship has sailed…. 

She walked off, leaving the couple to process the news. 

Lahl: Um…that was certainly something.

She pushed Alex back towards the Bajoran Restaurant that they had wanted to try. They both needed a moment to calm down.

Forsyth: I’m sorry you had to see that, you must think I’m terrible or something.  

Lahl: Well, it wasn’t great to hear, but not the messiest break up I’ve ever heard of. Audriy had some absolute bangers. 

She walked into the restaurant with Alex.

Lahl: We will have to talk about this though.

Forsyth: I know….I’m sorry….

Kimonzi sighed, Alex had been doing so well with her confidence, and this seemed to be a bit of a set back.

Lahl: We’ll work through this. That’s what people do.

Forsyth: You're not mad at me, for what she said?

Lahl: No, but mainly because you haven’t done anything to me. 

She sighed again, because this was going to be a hard conversation.

Lahl: I am, however, a bit disappointed in your past self. But I do hope, that you have matured a bit about it.

Though, there was some niggling in the back of her head as they walked into the restaurant.

Alex nodded, feeling a bit better. 

Forsyth: I hope so too, I would never ghost you if you propose to me……That if you want to, of course….

Lahl: We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

They sat down at one of the closest tablets, and Alex handed out the menus. 

Alex made note of the Hasperat options, and then try to look for something that Lahl would like.

Forsyth: Does it make me wonder what Alt me was like in college, if she married her Lindsay? 

Lahl: Who knows? We’d probably get too worked up if we thought about it too hard.

Forsyth: Probably, let just focus on getting something to eat and discuss this later.

Lahl: Yeah…

[End scene for Alex and Lahl.]

_____________________________________

Lieutenant. J.G. Alex Forsyth

Tactical

USS Octavia E. Butler

D239910AF1

&

Lieutenant Kimonzi Lahl

Chief Engineer

U.S.S. Octavia E. Butler

O240107KL4