Never Piss Off a Woman

Posted on Sun May 28th, 2023 @ 1:31pm by Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Commander Dean House

Mission: Repairs and Retribution
Location: USS Sunfire
Timeline: Current-ish

Still a day out from Starbase 67 and now with a full nights rest plus two hours in, Bonnie was awake, showered, refreshed and sitting in the messy mess hall having some early morning breakfast. While she had appreciated Kit's morning meals, there was something about a fresh cup of hot chocolate and a plate of eggs from the replicator which made her smile.

While eating and minding her own business, a nearby group of chatty ensigns sat down nearby and began giggling. After the third round of hushed whispers and abrupt giggly outbursts interupted her thoughts for the third time, Bonnie looked over at them and seeing their gossiping nature directed at her asked, "What, do I have a chocolate milk mustache or something?" and then promptly wiped her mouth on her sleeve just in case.

The lead girl, a loud, mouth runner responded with her high pitched tones, "Well, we know you like him, and you know, with all that happened, well, we were wondering if you got angry with him when he told you?"

Quizzically Bonnie responded, "Like who? and what happened, told me what?" She asked in earnest as her mind began searching for a puzzle piece that fix the three sided piece she had been given.

"You mean he almost died and he never told you?" The girl said, then she turned back to the others and they laughed with little sorrow in their voices.

She should not have been mad, but her ire was rising causing her chest to heat up rising quickly into her cheeks. She was mad now and she didn't know why, but as she gathered her things and stood, she tapped her badge, "Computer, what is the location of Commander House?" The last thing the girls saw as she stormed off was her clutching her PADD to her chest and balling up her fists.

Dean did mostly what he'd always done. Gone back to doing what was needed work wise. Though be it a little slower than usual. It didn't take him to a lot of places other than the Bridge and Security, quarters and back.

It left him not trying to think of to much right now either since he was that busy. The computer replied back to Bonnie that Commander House was in Torpedo Bay.

A few minutes later the doors opened to the torpedo bay and Bonnie stepped inside. She looked around briefly, then laid sight on her target. By this point her boiling point had been reached and her anger was getting the better of her.

She promptly made a B-line straight across the bay and as she approached she began ranting, "How dare you endanger yourself... and then to not tell me? You've got some nerve..." Her words were hard and fast, but then just as they met, she did something unexpected and out of character. In her frustration, she had pulled back her right hand and was now poised to release the mother of all slaps upon his face.

He was leaned down at the time she started across. He could hear her heavy steps without having to have better ears. Also knowing who it was. It's not the first time that he's heard that walk. Leaning up and turning around.

Dean didn't even bother to say anything until she stopped or took a breath, because he wouldn't get a word in edge wise. Eyes shifted to the hand a moment and then to hers. "I can explain if I'm allowed to."

Her slap landed across his jaw bone with a heavy thud. There was a series of cracking sounds and immediately Bonnie recoiled in pain. She spun around and placed the hand between her thighs in a false effort to make the pain go away.

Still not as hard as it seems. Or maybe he was, Dean never got anyone to measure it. Keeping still a moment before turning his head back to look to her.

"I guess not. You know nothing was planned. I did what I had to. I was also going to tell you, but we didn't have enough power for a random call. Then I was going to do it in the morning anyway, but you showed up."

Just as he began to explain and try to comfort her, she turned quickly around, striking her knee on a torpedo casing. Ignoring that, she pressed her now broken fingers into his chest hard, only to hear another series of cracking, barely audible over her emotional bawling and nagging about the fact he could have tapped his badge and at least let her know he was okay. It was a lot of words and emotional crap all balled up and thrown at him all at once.

Dean's eyes looked down to the knee a moment and then back to the fingers. Giving up on the explaining things more at this point. Lightly gripping her upper arms, and ushering her the rest of the way against or close enough between the poking or slacker pounding of his chest. She could just give in or step back at any time.

She squirmed, not wanting to allow him to win, especially not this way. But his chest was warm and his heart had a soothing rhythm. Within two long breaths she had calmed down, mostly anyway. She hit him in the chest, lighter this time with her non-injured hand. Then looked up into his face, "I'm still mad at you though. But... next time you go and do something stupid like that, you'll let me know right? I mean a girl has the right to know when her friend is in peril." He smelled good, not cinnamon and vanilla with lavender good, but good.

Bonnie always had a choice with Dean. It wasn't his fault, sometimes he knew how to get her to calm down........sometimes. Maybe that's why it irritated her so much? Either way at the moment, she was let to do as she wanted, then looking down to meet her gaze. "I know you are." Booping her nose instead of kissing it, "You know I can't promise that, depending. I can try at least if I can communicate."

She backed off, looked up into his face and allowed herself to grin. "Good. That's all I wanted anyway." And like a switch had flipped, she was visibly happy again. Stepping back, there was now a bounce to her hair and in her step. "So, we're going to be stuck at the Starbase for a few weeks for repairs. I was thinking we could catch a shuttle to Earth to bury my Papa."

Knowing he had family there as well and to sweeten the deal she added, "And maybe we could stop by and see your family while we're there, I mean, if you still want to." She was rocking back and forth while playing with her fingers behind her back. The long range transporter idea long scrapped with the Sunfire's crash she had fallen back to plan B.

He watched her a little bit, then nodded. "We do have that to do, and I did promise to go," talked his way into it..whichever. "See some of mine?" Dean raised an eyebrow a little, "I'll think about it."

"Well don't think about it too hard, you might break something." She reached out and touched his chest. "I'll schedule a shuttle and let you know when departure is, okay?" She smiled big, "It will be a mini adventure." Then she turned quickly, knocking over something green that was sitting on the table next to where Dean was working. It began to grow in mass as it ate it's way through the table. Looking innocent and apologetic she added, "Um, sorry."

"Maybe, but you'll fix it." Reaching to grasp her hand on his chest for a moment, then let go. "That's fi..." stopping that sentence. "Um..Bonnie? You're just going to leave some thing that is now on the deck eating things sitting there?"

Her intentions were to clean up her mess, as they always were. Though she was a bit apprehensive about what he had been working on that could eat away at a duterium alloy table. She apprehensively reached for the nearby particle cleansing spray and moved to begin cleaning up her mess.