I'm Bored! (Daddy/Daughter Date)

Posted on Sun Jan 21st, 2024 @ 4:52am by Civilian Alexandra Winters & Lieutenant Commander Nash Winters

1,725 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mission 0: Where do we go from here?
Location: Jupiter Station
Timeline: MD: -5 Days to Launch

Alex heard the doors to their family quarters swoosh open and she pounced out of bed and ran to the door and grabbed onto her dad's arm. She leaned her cheek against her bicep and looked up at him. "I'm bored," she said. "What can we do?"

“Bored? Ok…..hmmmm….let’s see. I have that baseball program that you like. You remember the one where I showed you how to take ground balls? It’s been awhile, but I think you would still enjoy it. Or….we could go for a drive. There’s another holoprogram I’ve been saving for a rainy day. Your choice, kiddo. Being the Chief Engineer has its perks.

"We're gonna be on this ship a long time, and holoprograms will always be there. I wanna go see the station," Alex said coyly, taking dad's hand and swinging it back and forth. She bit her bottom lip in anticipation.

“You really want to explore, don’t you? Definitely your father’s daughter. Alright, Jupiter Station it is. We can walk the main concourse, similar to our Promenade, visit the cafe. And…..do you want to see the main core? I can talk to the Chief of Ops. Maybe he’ll let us take a peek. Let me go tell your mom what we’re doing and then we can head out. But first…”

Nash grabbed a seat and pulled Alexandra into an embrace. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much these last couple weeks. I do have an important job, but nothing is more important than you and your mom. I love you, Alex.”

"Love you too," she said quickly. "Let's go," she said urgently, breaking free. "Mom! Dad's taking me to the Station. We'll eat there! You should go get that massage you were talking about!" she called out.

"Okay, mom knows. Come on," she said pulling on her dad's arm.

Nash had to laugh out loud. “That’s my girl. Bye Sara! Don’t wait up!” He joked.

Father and daughter strolled to the transporter room and Nash nodded at the transporter operator. “Set coordinates for the station, Lieutenant. Main concourse.”

The young officer acknowledged his orders by tapping the proper controls and not saying a word.

“Energize.”

The pair materialized on the station’s transporter pad adjacent to the main entrance of the large open air concourse.

Nash looked around and lifted his head toward the top level.

“Pretty impressive, isn’t it, Alex? I was here once after graduation to get my first assignment. Not much has changed. Some tech advances that I can see, but it’s still the same. Even the carpet is the same color. Come on, let’s move. There’s a lot to see.”

"Eww, they haven't changed the carpet?" Alex said making a face. "Does anyone specialize in interior design these days?" she asked as she skipped ahead, and spun around to face her father walking backward as they talked. "So what all is here?" she asked excitedly.

“Alex! Of course, they’ve changed the carpet. I said the COLOR is the same. And I’m sure with transporter and replication technology, the carpet itself can be changed in the time it takes to change your clothes. There are shops on both levels, some places to eat-we will investigate that part. There are classrooms, offices, and so on. It’s a working Starbase for all intents and purposes. We can see where ships and freighters dock if you want. Then there’s the stuff your old man likes. Power systems and the LCARS. What floats your boat, sister?”

"Everything. What kind of shops do they have?" She asked, turning around, and changing her walk as if she were imagining boxes and she had to stay inside the lines.

“That leaves it wide open,” Nash said sarcastically. “Besides the restaurants, you can find all sorts of things. Clothes, shoes, perfume, cosmetics. I even think they have a hairdresser and gym facility. I see a clothing and soft goods shop over there. See if you find anything you like.”

Nash and Alex headed in the direction of the establishment, and Nash could sense Alex’s excitement.

"Ohh, like makeup?" Alex asked, turning around again, a big grin on her face. "I'm old enough," she pleaded. "All my friends are going to be wearing it at school," she added.

“Makeup. Yes, makeup. Now you know what I’m going to say. That you’re already so pretty you don’t need it. But I’m willing to ….. indulge you a little bit. Nothing crazy, understood? And you have to show me what you want. And find something for your mom.”

Alex jumped up and down with excitement. "That'll be easy, I know just what she likes. Let's go," she said with a smile, running to a directory so she could see where the right shops were.

"Come on..." she said excitedly. "This way!"

Alex dragged her dad down a set of escalators which took them to rows of shops with shiny store fronts. Alex looked at the names of the stores and did some counting in her head. "This way," she said. "After we get me and mom something can we have ice cream for dinner?" she asked.

“Ice cream for dinner now? Oh, boy.” Nash stopped and thought for a beat. “I guess this is turning into a father-daughter day. No one else I’d rather spend it with. How about Belgian waffles and ice cream? It was your idea….”

"Yes!" Alex said and did a little fist pump. "Okay, here we are!" She said leading him into the cosmetics store she wanted to see. They were greeted by a beautiful Betazed woman who had on the most stunning purple eye shadow and a head piece placed in her long dark hair to match.

"Hello there, welcome to Pristine Beauty. Are you shopping for yourselves or someone else today?"

Alex giggled. "Me, and my mom," she said confidently. "I would like to look at your pressed mineral eye shadows and lip colors please."

The woman smiled, looking at Nash for approval. "Sure, they are back this way. Follow me."

Nash grinned and nodded silently giving his daughter the go ahead to follow the woman.

He stood there, with his hands behind his back, and browsed the perimeter of the store, looking around at the displays and shelves and waited for Alex to return.

Nash could hear his daughter's voice talking to the shopkeeper. "I feel like my eyelashes just blend into my face. I love your eye shadow. And I saw a video streams where they show you how to do your foundation and use highlighter to contour and highlight your cheek bones with highlighter and lowlighter. Can you show me how to do that? Alex asked?

"Let's start with the eyes, it is fun to do a little color there," the shopkeeper admitted. "But, I don't think you need to put anything on the rest of your face just yet, and I'll show you why." The shopkeeper light up the mirror in front of her. "Until you are in your 40's, maybe your 50's if you take really good care of your skin, your cheeks are going to have this natural glow. See this?" she asked pointing to the natural pink flush to Alex's skin.

"All those girls in the videos are doing is covering all that up, only to remake it with a ton of make up that doesn't look as pretty or natural. If Dad is up for it, I think we get you a really good moisturizer that will help your skin glow instead of doing all of that unnecessary work," the woman said.

Alex contemplated her face in the mirror. "Okay," she nodded.

When they were done, Alex popped out with wearing light purple eye shadow on her eyelids as well as some mascara. She was carrying the boxes of each, plus two boxes of moisturizer and a box of perfume for her mom. "Dad can we get these?" she asked.

“Dad? Do I know you from somewhere?” Nash winked playfully at Alexandra. “Of course you can. You look very pretty, by the way,” he said as he smiled at her. “Go ahead and pay for it. She can link to Imperator-we have credits we can use.”

Alex laughed, "Thank you, Dad," she said putting the items on the counter. "I would like to purchase these, please. Nash Winters, USS Imperator." Alex tried to sound grown up as she talked to the shopkeeper as she checked out.

When the transaction was complete Alex was given a shiny pink shopping bag just large enough for the cosmetic items. "I think mom will really like this. I got her and me the same facial moisturizer. Miss Layla put some on my face and it was so refreshing," she told her dad.

Nash put his arm around his daughter’s shoulders as they exited the shop. “Your mom will be surprised by your gift. I’m sure she’ll love it. And thank you for not going overboard with this stuff. There are plenty of girls your age who would love to paint their faces to look like clowns. The mascara and eye liner just bring out your natural beauty. Now how about that ice cream?”

Alex giggled. "Mom will be so mad when she finds out you let me eat ice cream for dinner."

“I have two things to say about that. First, what makes you think so? Aren’t we allowed to have some fun together? And second, you let me worry about it. Shall we? What kind of ice cream with your waffles?”

"Mmmm she likes me to eat my protein and veggies first. But you're right, it's fun day!" Alex proclaimed. "With waffles it has to be vanilla, but for dessert I want chocolate."

“So let me get this straight, dessert for dinner, and then dessert for dessert? I hope we don’t regret this tomorrow. Do I need to have the transporter room on standby for emergency medical transport? You only live once, right? Just for tonight. Go ahead, kiddo. You can have whatever your heart desires.”

Alex smiled and her shoulders lifted with excitement as they walked to the Waffle House.

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