Fire in the Hole

Posted on Thu Jan 13th, 2022 @ 12:00pm by Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Commander Dean House

Mission: *CD*
Location: Targeting Range
Timeline: Backlog

=/\= Previously on Sitting..=/\=

PADDs all stacked, she paused to give it some thought. Maybe he was right. It wouldn't hurt anything really to try new things, to better ones self. She nodded in agreement as she spoke, "You're right. It couldn't hurt to try, though don't say I didn't warn you. The last time two times I fired a phaser I shot someone. The odds are not in your favor." PADDs in hand, she uncoupled her legs and rolled into a standing position without using her hands, strangely flawlessly.

There was a raised eyebrow given, considering the previous statement when she just rolled up and stood free-handed. Though he had a good idea why she could do that. Not speaking of it though, "I'm sure I'll be fine."

She quickly filed the PADDs into the system file storage, grabbed a targeting phaser and moved over to join him. "Alright, but it's your funeral. Where do you want me?" She asked, leaving the open-ended question out there for him to take hold of.

---

Dean gave her a curious look, considering her wording. Shaking his head, he wasn't going to go there right now. Not even teasing. "Computer. Holo-training program 3. Sphere orbs. Start at level 2."

She blinked and tried to remember the training courses at the Academy. They talked a little about stance. Some took to the training, while a few did not, she was obviously one who did not. She took her feet and deliberately spread them out, probably a little too far. Then she raised her arm, phaser in hand, not even bothering to check the setting, took aim and fired. Eh, eh. Sounded the computer.

He wasn't going to say anything yet. Dean was watching what she was doing, along with her stance, her body moments. Not, that way, at least this time. Purely training at the moment.

Growing more frustrated she wondered why she couldn't just use her toys. She could feel Dean watching her and it further made her uncomfortable. In her mind, this was a test similar to singing on stage. She simply did not have the talent for it. Shaking off her thoughts, she took aim and fired again. Eh, eh, sounded the computer. She audibly stiffened her arms and grunted out loud, "Grrrr." Took aim and fired three more times randomly. Missing each shot. "Ahhhh!" She yelled in personal defeat. "What am I doing wrong?"

"Okay..stop...stop. It's okay...take a few breaths." Moving up behind her. Holding his hands up first. Just to make it clear he was about to touch her. "Firstly, your stance. Some say you can do it just standing wide apart like that is better. It's a lie. For one you lose stability. Two, it makes you a bigger target." Putting his hands on her hips, and if she'd go with him, twisting them. Her left side back towards him, causing that left to have to step back unless she wanted to lose balance. Narrowing her profile. Right side and leg were fine where they were. "That first. try it a couple times back and forth." Letting go.

If he had been anyone else, she would have pulled away at his touch. But she knew Dean, and she understood he was attempting to help her. That sense of trust led her to allow him to adjust her person into a better position. She felt akward, but if he said it would help, she believed him. As he released her she nodded her approval, took aim, fired and missed.

She then refocused, took a breath and let it out. Aimed, fired and... Bedabeep, Announced the computer. Her eyes lit up and she shook with delight. She had hit a target. Then, in her celebration, she swung her arms wide in a quick motion striking Dean in the groin. Upon impact she immediately turned. At the same time he was doubling over, her elbow caught him in the nose. She put a hand on his back while profusely apologizing. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry."

She heard it and him obviously, the sounds that just made and he made. At least he didn't completely hit the floor. "Owww...you coulda just shot me instead." He was chuckling though instead of sounding pissed off. Taking a few breaths, holding the back of his hand up to his nose.

"Be careful what you wish for. Are you bleeding or hurt at all? Should I call a nurse?" This wasn't the first time she had injured a man in this way. Sometimes it was intentional and others not. If she ever saw Cody again she vowed to drop him this way. There were a few who pretended but she could tell Dean's pain was genuine. "You're, you're enhanced right, shouldn't that make things not hurt or whatever?" Expert on genetically enhanced people she was not.

"It doesn't quite work that way.." It'd just take a minute before he actually could stand up normally again. Not really hurt but he still experienced pain. His nose didn't seem to be bleeding actively, though there was a little trickle from the initial hit. "I always feel everything, sometimes more than usual, or I can just shrug it off and hide actually that pain. I'm okay, and it was an accident. I saw you started to get the hang of it."

"Well, maybe, I did hit a target. But even I know one target in a million dost not a sharpshooter make." She said sounding poetic. "However, one wrong hit, doth a martyr create." She finished as he stood, inhaling a deep breath. "So, you will be okay?" She asked in an effort to reassure herself more than him.

"Yeah..Be sore for a little bit, but, I'm okay. I'm not upset at you. I'm glad you hit the target. Also, if they move, you need to lead the target before you fire. Faster it moves, the more you lead, the farther away and if it's moving, the more you lead."

She could only look at him with a blank expression. "Um... I'm not quite sure what you mean but I'll try. She started to retake her stance but felt suddenly awkward. "Can you show me what you mean? I just don't want to get it wrong and I definitely don't want to hurt you again." She pleaded innocently.

"Sure." Dean moved back behind her, since she was already into that stance again. Putting his hands on each of her arms, just above the elbow. "Things move right?" Getting the program to start again but this time drifting ones. Guiding her arms ahead of the target. "Now."

When he first touched her, it felt strange, and instantly she could feel the warmth from his hands and just from his presence. It was comforting, but in the same breath, she was nervous with no logical understanding as to why. When he said now, she closed her eyes and fired. Bedabeep, Announced the computer as she struck her target. Reigning in her excitement she asked firmly, "Again?"

"Not so hard once you know what to do." Dean wasn't exactly focusing on what she might be feeling, physically. Even if some things in mannerisms would give something away a bit. "Sure. We can do a few more with me guiding then you can try on your own."

She nodded and allowed him to assist her as she targeted another target and destroyed it, then another and another until almost a dozen in a row had fallen away. So focused she had become that she didn't notice he was no longer assisting her arms and had pulled away slightly. With each Bedabeep, her excitement rose until the round ended and the dam of energy burst. She turned, her legs twisting, catching his feet and throwing them both off guard and to the floor. She landed on top of him with an 'oof', her head smacking his.

As she blinked and pushed herself up, she could feel him looking at her with curious eyes. She shyly smiled and pushed her hair back behind her ear. "Sorry." She said simply before rolling off of him, standing up and offering him a hand up.

Technically that shouldn't have gotten him, however, he wasn't exactly stanced for a fight or the like either. He was smiling that she hadn't even noticed after a few more guided shots that Dean had let go and moved back. Yup, a thud. And then the hit of their heads. "At least I'm hard headed, and we keep ending up like this don't we."

That was kind of comfy if he were to be honest. Giving her a bit of a smirk, and a smiled at her doing the hair push first before getting up. Reaching to take her hand and stand up.

She grinned sheepishly, "Welcome to my world. If you intend to hang around with me you have to learn to expect a head butt now and then. I told you, I'm dangerous." Her smile lit up again, "I was hitting targets though. I'm better than I was. Wish someone at the Academy was nice, like you, enough to assist, but they all had their heads focused on themselves, so..." She trailed off, her eyes looking down at his feet.

"I believe that I've already be warned about that, multiple times, I'm still here." Dean gave a look a moment, "Yes, you did. But you already know I do this to help." Taking a moment to listen to her she said and then her shift in demeanor, not to mention her looking down instead of at him. "What happened."

Looking up again, eyes wide, "Oh, uh nothing, my mind was somewhere else all of the sudden. I almost had the answer to the problem with the jump drive, but It's gone now. Anyway, where were we?"

-^- "Lt. Durnell, Priority message for you coming in from Earth. Shall I patch it through?" -^-

She nodded, then realized they couldn't hear her head rattle and responded, "On the arch, target range two." She moved over to the arch and activated the viewscreen. Within a minute, her normally vibrant color had drained from her skin as her hand found its way to cover her mouth. Tears welled up, then burst past her dam-like lids. Without another word to Dean who was watching, she turned and exited the range in a sprint towards her cabin, falling onto her bed and burying her face into her pillow. Suddenly her moon had broken its orbit, her gravity shifting, her star going nova.

Her father, her everything, had taken his last breath.

It was a good thing he had access to barge in. Normally of course he wouldn't do that. Not unless it was a security issue. This was a personal issue. Dean had indeed seen the transmission. He'd also seen her reaction to it. There wasn't a chance in hell he was going to let her be there alone by herself.

Stepping in and looking around a moment. It was pretty evident where she was. Dean moved to the bedroom, not saying a word. Sitting down close enough and the right angle. Pulling her into his arms. Just rocking her slightly. Stroking her back and holding her.

If it had been anyone else she would have pushed him away. Instead she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and wept openly into his uniform.