Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast

Posted on Sat Mar 11th, 2017 @ 3:47am by Commander Andrew Knight

Mission: The Space Between
Location: Residential Complex: Knight Family Suite
Timeline: MD 6 & 7

Note: Think the Definitely Something Post should go up before this one...and love your finish for this.


Drew sat on the couch with Cara going over the plans for tomorrows surprise birthday party for Ashley. It wasn't every day a young woman turned 17 and Drew want it to be very special, especially with all that had happened over the last several months. "I think the replicator will handle most of the food, but I kind of want to bake her a cake myself."

Cara laughed. "You? Bake a cake?" she said. "Oh this I have to see." She pictured a lopsided cake...flat on one side...with icing splattered instead of spread. She took a sip of her coffee and curled her legs up under her. It was nice to have a day off after so much turmoil. And it was even nicer to be spending it with Drew. "What do you think she would like for her birthday?" she asked. "I mean....what do you get a 17 year old that is stuck in the Delta Quadrant on a base with a bunch of Starfleet personnel and Marines?"

Drew scratched his head, a clear sign he had absolutely no idea. "I was actually hoping you might have a clue. She spends a lot of time volunteering down at the medical complex. I'd have thought she might have said something to you."

"She usually has her nose in some medical journal so I haven't a clue, either," Cara replied.

Ashley emerged from her room, an overnight bag slung over her shoulder. She tossed the bag into the easy chair at one end of the coffee table and then leaned over the back of the couch between Drew and Cara in an effort to look at Drew's PADD. "Soooo. Watcha guys working on?"

Drew hit the sleep button on his PADD and the screen darkened. He turned to Ashley with a frown. "You do know that we," he gestured at Cara and himself, "as senior officers here do have classified information we must go over from time to time. Things a civilian aren't supposed to know about."

Cara pointed to the bag. "Going on a trip?" she asked.

Ashley rolled her eyes at Drew before turning to Cara and nodding. "Yup. Slumber party with some of the girls from class. I'll be back in the morning though."

Cara remembered some of the stories she had heard about her teenage classmates' slumber parties and she quirked an eyebrow. "Just girls....right?" she asked.

It was Cara's turn for an Ashley-famous eye roll. "Yes Aunt Cara...just girls!" She did give a slight smirk though. "Though I do imagine we will be talking about boys all night long." She punctuated her statement with a short laugh.

Cara covered her smile with a fake cough and turned her head as she heard her Godmother's voice saying, "don't you roll your eyes at me young lady. And take your hands off of your hips." Cara gripped the sleeve of Drew's shirt to keep from laughing and hid her face in the side of his shoulder.

Thankfully the door chime rung at that precise moment. Ashley cocked her head in the door's direction. "Open." The door did as commanded and Ashley's friend, Jessica stepped in. "Good evening Mister Knight, Doctor Nichols."

Cara turned and leaned her back against Drew's shoulder. "Hello," she said to Jessica and reached over to the coffee table for her cup of coffee.

Ashley just shook her head, grabbed her overnight bag and bolted for the door. She was happy that Drew and Cara were an item now, but they could be down right mushy at the worst possible times.

Drew wrapped his arms around Cara as the doors closed and chuckled. "And here I thought she approved of us dating."

Cara turned and looked at Drew, quirking an eyebrow. "Dating? Is that what we're doing?" she asked...a hint of teasing in her voice. "Golly gee. Next thing you know you'll ask me to go steady." Her green eyes sparkled mischievously.

Drew grinned right back at Cara and gave her a wink. "I might even give you my letterman's jacket to wear too." He tapped her nose playfully with an index finger. "Then everyone will know we're really serious." He slid out from under her and pulled her to her feet. "Come on we have a cake to bake."

"What's this we shit? You got a mouse in your pocket?" Cara laughed as she got to her feet. "This is all you buddy. I'm just an observer."

"I will let you know that all Knight men are excellent chefs." His mock arrogance was accented by his arrival in the kitchen with a clatter of baking tins and mixing bowls as he started gathering everything he'd need to make a birthday cake.

Cara perched on a vacant counter top and watched as the baking circus began.

Drew started pouring ingredients into a large mixing bowl. He started humming the Happy Birthday tune as he began whipping up a fluffy cake batter. He would occasionally pass Cara on her perch and give her quick kiss each time. "I'm thinking about doing a cookie dough cake. What do you think my sweet?"

"You're asking the wrong person," Cara laughed. "I don't know cookie dough from pie crust. You would know what Ash likes better than me." Her mouth opened and she stared at the object Drew just took out of the refrigerator. "Is that an egg? A real egg?" she asks, incredulously. "Where in the hell did you get that?"

Drew retrieved a second egg as well and held both up to allow Cara a better inspection. "Actually got these from a member of your staff. He brought his pet chicken aboard the Hopper just before you boarded I think." Drew cracked both eggs and poured the egg whites and yolks into the mixing bowl. "He offered to give me a few to bake this cake because of the time Ashley has volunteered at the medical complex lately."

"Interesting," Cara said, wondering who was the mysterious chicken farmer and if she could score a couple eggs for herself.

Drew mixed up the ingredients until he had a batter with the right consistency for baking. He then poured the batter into a baking pan and placed it all in the small oven. He programmed the oven for the proper temperature and time, then wiped his hands clean with a hand towel hung from the handle on the oven door. "That's all set. Oven will shut off when it's done baking."

Cara jumped down off of the counter and went over to the mixing bowl, sticking her finger into the left over batter along its sides. Sucking the sweet batter off of her finger she smiled. "Pretty good," she said. "I am impressed."

Drew stepped over to the prep counter and dipped his finger before taking a taste himself. "I did do a good job." He dipped a finger in again and held it up for Cara.

Cara grabbed Drew's hand and opened her mouth. Putting his finger in her mouth she bit down just hard enough to get his attention without leaving a mark, smiled when his eyes widened and just before he said ouch, then she sucked the batter off of his finger as she pulled it out of her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said with a mock apology. "Tasted like cake," she said with a wink then turned and headed out of the kitchen. "Give me the keys to the car," she called from the living room where she had sat down on the edge of the coffee table and was putting her shoes on. "I need to go shopping."

Drew stepped into the living room and shook his head ruefully. "You left your tram pass in your quarters again." He sighted and walked over to his uniform jacket hanging on the coat tree and waited for her by the door. He took her hand and then place the tram pass in it with his other. Once she had possession, he pulled her in close. "You know...I have a solution to this you borrowing my tram pass all the time."

Cara smiled and leaned her head back so she could see his face. "Yeah? What's that?" she asked.

Drew pulled her in close and gave her a lingering kiss before bringing her back to arms length and giving her a serious, yet adoring look.. "Move in."

Cara coughed and laughed at the same time. "Yeah right," she said between coughs.

Drew cupped her face in both his hands. "I am being serious." He looked at the door then back to Cara. "I know we both agreed to...no sleep overs due to Ashley. But I really think that she wouldn't have a problem with it."

"She might not," Cara said as she gently pushed herself out of Drew's arms and looked at him seriously. "But I'm not ready." The thought of giving up her space...her independence...was the furthest thing on her mind. In fact...it scared the feces out of her. She liked being able to come and go as she pleased...with no one to answer to but herself.

Drew gave an understanding nod. If he was disappointed, it didn't show. He even gave her a reassuring smile. "I understand, but can I convince you to waive the no sleep over policy tonight, since Ashley will be gone anyway?"

Relaxing, Cara smiled. "Those were your rules...not mine," she teased. "I still want to go check out that gypsy ship in space dock," she said, more seriously. "I hear they have some really beautiful handcrafted things and they take Federation credits. I might be able to find something for Ash."

Drew grabbed Cara's jacket and held it up for her to slip into.

Cara slipped her arms through the sleeves then shrugged the jacket onto her shoulders. She turned to face Drew as she straightened the jacket out.

Drew wrapped his arms around Cara's waist and hugged her lovingly. He whispered softly in her ear. "Well, when we get back. I may have to reevaluate that rule."

"Is that right," Cara whispered and kissed the lobe of Drew's ear. "It seems you're not as hard nosed as they say," she teased and playfully pinched his waistline. With that she backed off and strutted out the door, looking over her shoulder to make sure Drew was behind her.

Drew snatched his jacket of the rack and hurried out the door after Cara, catching up to her, he slipped an arm around her waist for the walk down to the port facilities.

===2 hours later===

The Starfleet security officer working the entrance gate of the shuttlebay, handed the bags of items purchased on the gypsy ship back to Cara after having gone through them. "Thank you, Chief," Cara said with a smile to the Chief Petty Officer. Then she moved through the gate and waited for Drew to be cleared.

The security officer performed a quick tricorder scan and visual inspection of Drew's purchases and waved him on. He stepped passed the check point and took Cara's free hand. "That was actually kind of fun. Shopping with you and all."

"I was really impressed," Cara said as they made their way out of the shuttle bay and into a turbolift. "They had some beautiful things." She called out the deck number as the turbolift door slid shut with a whispering hiss. "I had to get this tapestry," she said, lifting the bag and peering into it at her purchase. "It will look gorgeous in my office. And I really think Ash will like this dress."

Drew peeked into his own bag and looked at his own purchases. "I'm sure she will love it. I just hope she likes the necklace I bought."

The door slid open and people waiting stepped aside so Cara and Drew could exit. Once in the corridor and heading for Drew's quarters, Cara leaned her head against his shoulder and matched her steps with his. "Thank you for going with me," she said, softly.

Drew kissed her gently on the cheek and spoke just as softly. "I will go anywhere in the universe with you."

They were just a few feet from Drew's door and Cara stopped, pushing Drew against the wall. She pressed against him and kissed him passionately.

Drew was pleasantly caught of guard by Cara's actions, but only for the span of a heart beat. He returned the kiss with an even greater passion, spinning her around along the wall towards the door.

Cara kept one arm around Drew's neck as he spun her around. The other hand gripped the shopping bags.

Drew ended up pressed against the door to his residence. His free hand fumbled with the door control. It took three attempts to key in the door code before he got it right.

The doors swished open and they both stumbled back into the residence, still locked in a series of passionate kisses as their bags dropped to the floor. The doors closed with a whisper, followed by a small thump as Drew pushed Cara back against the door.

===NEXT MORNING===

Drew, clad in only a pair of pajama pants, set the coffee pot to brewing and then looked out to the living room area. Strewn across the living room was a mix of his and Cara's clothing. A dreamy smile came to his face as he stepped around the counter and began gathering up the clothing that had been passionately discarded the night before. He carried the bundle of Cara's and his clothes to his bedroom and deposited them on the foot of the bed.

Drew was just returning to the living area when Ashley came through the door into the residence. Ashley took one look at her uncle with a mock shocked expression. "I know you had the place to yourself Uncle Drew, but please put some clothes on or at least the tops to your pajamas. My friends will be here soon."

Drew couldn't move. He was uncertain how Ashley would take the news that Cara had spent the night. He was still trying to process how to broach the subject as Ashley trotted passed him to head down the leading back to the bathroom and bedrooms.

Ashley was only a meter from the bathroom door when it opened.

Cara walked out of the bathroom, wearing only Drew's pajama shirt and towel drying her hair. "Drew I used one of your towels," she called out from under the bath towel covering her face and head.

Ashley took one look at Cara and the single item of clothing she wore. A smile crept to Ashley's face. "Well, that explains why Uncle Drew isn't wearing his pajama top."

Cara froze and lowered the towel. She winced, seeing Ashley, but only for a second. What's done is done, she thought to herself. She leaned against the doorway of the bathroom and smiled. With a shrug she said, "Hey Ash. Guess who's coming to breakfast?"