"Melissa and Jack - Three Month Mischief"

A jp between myself and SMAndy!
 
 

Who: Jack & Melissa

Where: Here & there

When: now.

Jack stepped out of the Airlock, back into the Blue Dwarf, he breathed deeply, not being a fan of the interior of their ships, the smell, the look... everything.
  He looked at his watch, and began to walk down to his office, the empty room that he'd borrowed, nothing in it but a desk and chair.  As he arrived, he slouched down into the chair, and peered at the screen in front of him, a line swirling around in a green circle, endlessely following itself around, bleeping every time it passed the Scorpion that was now slowly making its way towards the Hymenoptera fleet.
 

"Good luck" he said quietly.
 
The door opened and Jack looked up, to see Melissa walked in. He smiled unconvincingly, his colleague's on the scorpion taking priority in his mind.

"What's the matter, Jack?" Melissa asked quietly, as she walked behind his chair and began to massage his neck.

"They're gonna die" he replied quietly.

 
"Isn't it worth it given the millions of people they're saving?" she replied.

"Bollocks, I needed to borrow some cash off him too....." joked Melissa.

"yeah, I know... they stand a better chance with him on there, but i can't help but think that it doesn't matter..." Jack said, looking up at her, "They might not even save the world..." he added, being more pessimistic than someone on death row.
 

"But... there's nothing more we can do to help, is there?" he asked, before standing up, and wrapping his arms around Melissa, kissing her on the head.
  "All we can do now is hope..."

"Too true" said Melissa, "Incidentally, where the hell were you when some mad scientist tried to kill me in the medibay?" she asked

"What?!" Jack said, "I'm not security anymore, so i don't get those calls... you know that if i had, i'd have been there in a flash..." he said, holding her tight.
  "at least you weren't hurt" he added, "anyway, shall we get out of this dull and lifeless place, and head somewhere that actually has an atmosphere?" he asked, grabbing her hand, and almost pulling her towards the door.
  "I don't know about you, but i haven't eaten anything worthwhile in ages" he said, giving her one of those smiles that say 'you look good enough to eat'.

"Why don't we talk anymore Jack? It's almost as if you'd rather sit in your office watching porn all day rather than talk to me"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" said Jack, whistling slightly.

"Oh don't kid yourself, I do your washing" she finished.

Jack laughed, "well, you're working when i'm not, and i'm working when you're not... what am i supposed to do?  when this is all over, we should get a long break together... that'll give us more than enough time to talk" he said, looking her in the eyes, "we definetely need some time off together" he said as they left the office, heading in a random direction, on either a long walk home, or an even longer walk to nowhere in particular.

"Yes, a very long break" said Melissa. She clung to Jack's hand as they walked along the corridor, eventually finding Parrots (shock horror).

"Jack, can we get married when this is all over?" she asked

"i can think of nothing better to do." he said, "spending the rest of my life with you is the only thing i've ever really wanted to do..." he added, kissing her as they sat down, on a table in the corner of the room, with a padded seat covering the corner.
  "I just hope everyone's still going to be around for it... i can't help but think they're on a suicide mission..." he said, not able to remove the thought from his mind long enough.

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a note that Chris had asked him to give to Melissa as he couldn't give it to her himself. He gave it to Melissa.

"From your dad" he explained.She opened it and read it.

" Dear Melissa,

                        I'm just writing this note to let you know that if I don't get back at all, or in one piece at least, that I love you and always have done. You must appreciate that millions of people will benefit in the event of my death, provided the mission runs smoothly. If I don't get back, show your grandparents this note, I believe there is something that there is something you should know. They will be able to tell you.

With love,

Dad"

"What does that mean?" Jack asked, absent mindedly reading it over her shoulder.  "Of course, that means he's either going to come back, and be able to tell you himself, or he'll save the world." He added..

"It's not as if it's going to be something like 'I'm sorry but you're related to Seymour' is it?" she said laughing, "It cant be that bad, now go get me a drink!"

"What would you say now if that were true?" Jack laughed, and got up, heading to the bar.  He kissed her and disappeared up to the bar, returning moments later with their drinks.
  An orange juice, and a glass of Malibu and coke.  "Don't get drunk though, you've got a shift again in the morning if my memory serves me right..." Jack said, letting his arm slide behind her as she leant against him.
  "I'm going to feel awful if this plan doesn't work... it was my idea..." Jack said, half to himself, imagining how many different ways it could go wrong.

"I'm sure it wont" said Melissa unconvincingly, her thoughts obviously resting upon the note that she had carefully folded and put in her pocket.

"You don't know what happened to that mad scientist bitch do you?" asked Melissa, trying to take her mind off the subject.

"No, sorry... She was probably put in the brig, don't know how long she'll be in there for though... I hope they let Cerebrum look at her, that would teach her not to mess with you." he said chuckling to himself.

"Out after five minutes no doubt" said Melissa sarcastically, accidentally laughing into her drink which consequently set about hurling itself out of the glass and onto her lap.

"You know Jack, it's been three months, lets go shall we?" said Melissa. "How strong is that drink?" asked Jack

"Does it matter?"

"Right now? Not a lot, I'll race you to our quarters" he joked, before sprinting after Melissa who had a clear twenty foot headstart.

Jack let her get ahead, jogging at a reasonable pace, letting her stay those few feet ahead, he knew she wouldn't make it all the way there at that speed, and he'd be there to carry her the rest of the way, like a knight in dull leather armour.
  "not so fast!" he called ahead, jokingly.

TBC.....