Roughing It

Posted on Sat Feb 20th, 2021 @ 8:49am by Lieutenant Victor Barclay de Tolly & Lara Barclay de Tolly & Lieutenant JG Tarr Zell ( Barclay de Tolly )

Mission: Season 5: Episode 1: No Exit
Location: Barclay de Tolly Quarters
Timeline: Before Away Mission
893 words - 1.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Two Days Before Tonya Went On Away Mission

Victor came to his quarters at lunch time. His son Vick was at Day Care. The previous night, Lara had a sleepover over with Tonya. When he walks in, he sees Lara doing her classroom assignments. Not to disturb her, he replicated himself steak and potatoes with asparagus. He sits down to eat his lunch quietly.

Ten minutes later, Lara comes to the kitchen table smiling. She hugs Victor saying, "I love you Daddy."

Victor breathes in taking it in. "I love you too Lara. Been awhile since you call me Daddy."

"I know," Lara responded as nose crinkled. "Just felt like it. I had a nice time with Tonya last night."

"Glad you did," Victor says, "Anything you want to share?"

"If you mean you want to know if she loves you," Lara says with an eyebrow going up, "Yes but still too early to make it so. She has the upmost respect for you. She says she will know and you will know when it it is time to play house. I wish you adults would just come out say what you mean instead treating me like a child. I am nine years old now."

"True," Victor smiled to himself. "You still are a child and you will be for another nine years. You probably even enter the Academy in a few years. I talked to you about the rules of propriety. There are appropriate and there are inappropriate things to say. Same goes for behavior. So if any adult talk in metaphors, let them."

Lara processed what her father said. Finally she answers, "Understood. I guess playing doctor with Alexander my friend is out of the question."

Victor's eyebrow went up. "Lara, how did you hear about that game and do I need to Alexander's mother?"

Lara giggled. "No Dad. I do read a lot. I know more than you think I know. Dad, I wanted to see what you would do. You are so cute when you are mad."

"Your mother use to tell me that," Victor grinned.

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Present
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Victor, Lara and Vick just finished supper. Victor says to the two of them. "Okay you two. We are going camping."

Lara who had been on many camping trips in the other Reality perked up. "Really? Just like old times?"

"Yes Lara," Victor says grabbing what he hid behind the couch which are three back packs. Vick's backpack was smallest of course where his mainly had food and water plus a rolled up blanket. Lara was somewhat bigger and hers had a sleeping bag attached to it. Victor of course has a bigger one with a tent, sleeping bags, food, small stove and water.

"Dad," Lara says looking at her father. "Never ceases to amaze me how much you can carry. You with all that muscle."

Victor grinned as he takes fist and points his elbow making his muscle going up. "Feel that muscle. Rock hard."

Vick feels his father's muscle muscle. "That is hard."

"Now I have cleared my schedule so we will have a nice camping trip," Victor says to them as he hugged them both.

Later, the three of them walked in to the holosuite. Victor invited the Ingavi Engineer o come with them. "Lara and Vick, I know you know Ensign Tarr Zell. He is coming with us. His wife encouraged him to come so she could work at her restaurant."

Vick looked at the three hundred seventy five pound Ingavi. "Hi Sir."

Lara understood her father always invite someone to come. She recalled on the USS Excalibur Conmander Zak Kebron one timed at to stay with her when Victor had to take care of an Engineering Emergency. "Nice to see you Sir. I have not met you nor your wife yet. Father, which camping program are we loading?"

"Big Bend Emery Peak," Victor replied.

"Oh but the hike up....," Lara was about to complain but changed her mind. "Is one of the best ever."

The Holodeck changed to the hiking area at the foot of the mountain where hikers started their hiking trip. Victor watched his son Vick making an effort. "Vick, if you get tired, you let me know."

"I will," Vick says looking around. "Mom and my grandparents brought me on a camping trip before in the Redwood Forest."

Victor smiled. "I have camped there many times."

Tarr Zell walked a little faster than the others. "Thanks for inviting me on the trip. I feel at home. Maybe one day we could go up Kilimanjaro."

"That trip would be a longer trip," Victor replied. "That would be like an expedition."

"Maybe in a few years," Lara says as carried her back pack.

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Four Hours Later
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The four of them were at the top admiring the view. Yes, it was a holoprogram but the feeling one has after a long hike, one feels a feeling of accomplishment. This is one of the virtues Victor teaches his children. He sees how it helped Lara and he hopes little Vick will follow suit. Plus this gave him great quality time with his children and he also made a new friend in Tarr Zell.

Tarr may be a young Ingavi almost fresh out of the Academy, he was also one in dire need of friends.