Beer and BBQ, part 1

Posted on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 @ 7:38pm by Commander Kyle Reece & Captain Mattias Richardson [Reece] & Captain George Charles [Reece] & Master Chief Petty Officer Chuck Finley [Reece] & Staff Sergeant Liam "Swede" Reece [Reece] & Captain Gary Taylor & Commander Sthilg & Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Captain Samuel Woolheater & Lieutenant Commander Malakai Starr [Taylor] & Lieutenant Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen [Taylor] & 1st Lieutenant Joshua Young [Taylor] & Chief Warrant Officer Man'darr [Naxea] & Senior Chief Petty Officer Fernando De La Rosa [Taylor]

Mission: Season 5: Time Warp
Location: USS Elysium, enroute to Holodeck 3
Timeline: 20 June 2397 / 1800 hours
1084 words - 2.2 OF Standard Post Measure

"Okay Tim," Mattias said questioningly. "What the heck is going on? You show up suddenly to just say hi, and now you're taking me somewhere, but not telling me where or why? It's a good thing that I trust you with my life, Brother." He chuckled softly as he finished speaking.

Captain Timothy "Ice" Carlton, smiled at his oldest and best friend. He had helped Matt track down and kill those responsible for the death of his wife and little boy. "Matt, relax. I told you, we're going to someplace you're going to enjoy, and you are. By the way I trust you with my life as well." Tim tossed back at him. "Besides." Tim added, "I have vacation time coming out my butt, enough that I could take off for the next couple of years. So, I decided to pop in and say hi to my best friend and he's giving me the third degree. What's the big deal?" Tim finished with a grin.

Mattias raised his hands in surrender. "All right, all right...fair enough, heh." He chuckled softly, then reached out and gently patted Timothy's back as they walked. "Thank you for coming though. It's great to see you. And I'm glad you'll be here to see me marry Phee. It means more than you know."

He suddenly turned a bit more somber. "You...you don't think they'd think I'm forgetting them, do you?" He didn't need to say whom he was referring to. Timothy was one of the few people who would know, just by the tone of his friend's voice.

It's great to see you as well Matt and I wouldn't miss this for the world. Phoenix is a heck of a woman, Heck, she's the sister I never had." He said with a laugh. Then he stopped and his mood grew serious and somber as he turned to face Matt. "Matt, of course not. Saundra would want you to be happy and little Charlie knows he will be Daddy's special boy. They want you to live, Matt and with Phee you have that opportunity. They know you0 love them and will always love them. That they live inside your heart."

Mattias gave his friend and brother a sad grin and nodded. "You're right. They would, especially Saundra. She would come back and kick my ass if I wallowed in grief for the rest of my life." He then smiled a little broader. "You'll like Phee. She's been my rock through this all, after we got back together. Heh, we always seem to be in the perfect place to help when one of us needs it. I saved her life, then she saved mine. She really is one of a kind and I am so very lucky that she loves me."

Tim grinned at his friend, "You are both made for each other Matt. You make each other happy. I'm looking forward to knowing her better. I know her from when you freed her from being tied to a pole." Tim paused for a moment, "Saundra, would like Phoenix and you are right, she'd kick your ass if she thought you were sitting around moping."

Mattias nodded and grinned even happier, thinking of Phoenix. "She has certainly come into her own since that fateful day on Erisia." He threw an arm around Tim's shoulders and chuckled. "Now, I get to salute her, in more ways than one." He winked at Tim, the way best guy friends do when discussing women they love.

Tim chuckled, "Yeah, I bet she'll have you saluting and standing at attention as much as possible." Tim paused and then continued. "Yeah buddy, you sure are going to have it rough. What a way to go." He finished with a loud, good humored laugh.

Mattias joined him in the laugh. It was good to have Tim here with him. The men had been apart for too long now. There was always a mission to do, somewhere to go, someone to kill. And Fate, it seemed, no longer wanted the two warriors fighting side by side. Perhaps someone in the Ether felt that the conflict would be too one-sided...against the enemy.

"Well, when are you going to ask that school teacher of yours to marry you?" Mattias asked as brought Tim in for a brief, brotherly side sleeper hold. He almost noogied the younger man...almost.

"Megan?" Tim asked as he wiggled out of the sleeper hold. "How do you know I haven't?" He asked innocently. Then after several seconds of Matt's shocked silence. He laughed loudly. "Just kidding Matt, I want to see how it works for you and Phoenix."

Mattias laughed out loud. He then looked back at Tim and shrugged slightly. "It'll work out great. I mean, she's awesome beyond description. And me? Well...I am a serious catch here, bud. So you? Ehhhhhh....you might have your work cut out for you to get Megan to say yes." He let the statement hang for a few beats, then laughed even harder.

"Well you're half right.... about Phoenix being awesome." Tim bantered back. "As for having my work cut out for me, you may be right Matt. But I'll wear her down until she says yes." Tim replied with a smile.

"Just remember, Tim, when she says jump, you answer with, 'How high, Ma'am?'" He chuckled again, but knew that his friend had finally found a good woman, one who could help him feel cared for in the world. It was all that Mattias wanted for his best friend.

"So anyway..." Mattias asked, changing the subject. "Where the hell are you taking me? Feels like we are just roaming the ship aimlessly."

"Oh, I'll be sure to remember and in six months, I'll ask you how is it working for you?" Tim bantered with Matt, "As for where I'm taking you, I thought you knew this ship?" Tim joked before adding. "Relax."

Mattias chuckled at his friend, then shook his head. I've seen a few technical readouts on her, sure, but that doesn't make me an expert on every deck and corridor." He laughed softly again. "Relax, he says. Suddenly, I feel like I'm not armed enough."

Tim nodded and smiled at Matti. "Well thankfully I know where we're going." He tapped his combadge. "The goose is on his way." Turning his head he smiled at Matt. "Okay, let's go." He said as he led Matt to the holodeck.


~TBC~