Post 383: Here Comes Trouble

Stardate:70813.1850
Title: Here Comes Trouble
Author: Fox Margolis
Scene: Arboretum and Personal Quarters
Time: Following Heart of Darkness, Part Two

There was nothing that Fox liked more than a little indulgence or two. And after the showdown with the Trills, she decided that nothing would be better than a little R n'R.

In the past, she would have headed straight for the Holodeck to enjoy a massage and mud bath at a replica of her favorite Paris boutique. But today, she was heading for a different type of mud. The dirty, soil kind of the arboretum.

It had been a few weeks since Jariel Camen had patiently worked with her in the arboretum to plant a row of flowers. At the time, he had told her that while he would of course aid in their growth, it would be her responsibility to check on the flowers every other day and make sure they were getting enough water and nutrients. Fox knew that he was not trying to order her around; he was simply proving his point that with a little bit of loving care, anyone could be a good gardener.

To Fox's surprise, Jariel had been right. She had been skeptical at first, but she quickly saw how right he was, and was pleased with the results. She enjoyed her colorful, fragrant patch of the arboretum. And today it seemed that all they needed was a little watering, which Fox did.

Finished with her pleasant chore, she left the arboretum and went home to her quarters. A quick shower left her refreshed. Planning on spending the rest of her evening relaxing, she threw on a short, pink cotton tank dress and pushed a matching hairband into her short blond hair.

The hairband triggered a reminder. "I had best remember where I put my crowns," she mumbled to herself, thinking of her promise to allow Lair Arie to come play beauty queen.

She walked over to her closet and began rummaging through the chaos that was her clothing collection. She lost track of time and reality, just focusing of finding the crowns.

"You know, pink always was your color."

Fox froze, her body bent over in the closet still. She knew that voice. The strong timbre, the overwhelming confidence of a man abundantly secure in everything...and that Bostonian accent--there was only one person with all of those traits rolled into one. Dr. Xander T. Corbinsky.

Fox took a deep breath before standing up and turning around to face her intruder. "Do I even want to know how you got on this ship undetected?" With one of his many doctorates in temporal mechanics, she knew that he must be experimenting with a new toy.

"The same way I'll get off of it undetected," he nonchalantly replied, a soft and generous smile forming on his lips. "But really, is that any way to greet an old friend?"

Fox shrugged her shoulders, trying to maintain her cool. "Okay. How about: hello, it's nice to see you, have a nice life.

"The smile never left Xander's face, and it was matched by an intense glimmer in his eyes. "Faustine, cruelty was never a strength of yours."

"What can I say?" Again, she shrugged her shoulders and dryly stated, "You bring out the best in me."

Xander took her remark in stride. "I certainly must. After all, I see that you are still wearing my Andorian stone."

Fox cringed; he had her there. Her had went up to her throat and lightly touched the blue gem with her fingers.

He walked a few steps closer to her, slightly towering over her from less than a meter away. He nodded his head toward her dresser. "And the Alaynan Singerstone. Does it emit a song as gentile as its owner?"

Fox let out an exasperated sigh. "All right, I admit, you're a cutie pie," she said, "and you're hard to forget. But you were a rebound relationship. Nothing more. I was in mourning over Michael."

"He's been dead now for six years," Xander pointed out.

"Missing!" Fox yelled back. "He is missing, not dead!" She stomped her bare foot on the ground to emphasize her point.

Now it was Xander who shrugged his shoulders, as if to say 'moot point.'

Riled up, Fox continued on her rant. "And might I remind you. You were getting over two, yes two, relationships at the same time. We met, we had a fling, and that is it!"

He came up to her and placed her chin in his hand. "You're quite charming when you're angry."

Fox placed both of her hands on his chest and pushed. With his genetically enhanced strength, it did nothing. "Security!" she bellowed.

There was no response. Fox glanced up at Xander, and the oh-so-innocent look on his face told her enough.

"Well, if I had known that I was going to get this warm a reception," he stated, "I'd have shown up earlier."

Though still enraged, Fox worked to calm down her breathing. She narrowed her eyes and stared at him. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Seeing you is not reason enough?" The gorgeous smile that accompanied his words was almost disarming.

Fox opened her mouth, paused, and then slowly said, "No. You're up to something."

Before she could even think to stop him, Xander leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers. Stepping back, he replied, "All in good time," and then he just disappeared.

Fox stood there, mouth now agape. She had no clue what the illustrious Xander T. Corbinsky was up to, but whatever it was, it certainly meant trouble.

Lt. Fox Margolis
Operations Officer
USS Independence NCC-90791