Dinner Party

Posted on 18 Mar 2021 @ 9:01pm by Captain Harvey Geisler & Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Senior Chief Petty Officer Mila Rasputin

3,588 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Extinction
Location: Geisler Quarters
Timeline: Mission Day 5 at 1800

Mila had sent Harvey and her seestra a comm asking if they could get together for a meal once the ship had left dock and promised not to bring anything strange and Russian. The Russian Yeoman had stocked up on supplies and favors while in dock and procured several items just for a special occasion. Now she waited for a response while she tidied up her and Aidan's quarters and fed Chow his yogurt and other treats.

A response came swiftly to Mila's terminal. Both Harvey and Joey gladly agreed that they were overdue for a meal together, and insisted that it would be that evening.

***

Joey looked at the table she'd set for the occasion. She couldn't remember the last time she'd sat down to have dinner with other adults aside from Harvey, but with two babies joining them, and often times wearing food in their hair and on their clothes, it was anything but peaceful. Not that she minded it. It happened to be her favorite time of day.

Still, now that they were with Eden for the next few hours, she planned to make the most of it. "This is all wrong," she muttered, rearranging some things for what seemed like the thousandth time.

A short time later, the Yeoman showed up with a covered bowl of something and pressed the chime with her free hand while she fretted over her choice of contribution for the meal.

Harvey hadn't yet arrived home for the evening, but the chime was quickly returned with a few barking noises from behind the door.

Joey looked to the dogs, then to the door. "Come in," she called out, rearranging a few things yet again.

Mila entered when the door released and smiled when she saw Joey and the dogs. "I am hoping that I am not being too early," she said as the smell of something good came from the bowl she carried.

"Not at all," the taller woman said, deciding the table wouldn't be perfect no matter how hard she tried. Joey looked toward Mila and smiled. "Harvey hasn't made it home yet, but I expect he should be shortly. Can I get you anything? Something to drink? Let me take that for you." She reached for the bowl.

The Russian gave it to her seestra. "Black tea and currant jam, please," she said. "This is being Japanese Fried Chicken bowl for which I am finding recipe. Was getting down to Borscht for recipes to be having others try."

"It smells really good," Joey said, setting the bowl down on the table before going to retrieve the tea and currant jam. Once it was in hand, she made her way back to Mila to give it to her. "I have to admit... I've been fretting over the table for so long that I haven't even gotten to the the food yet. I can plan the rest of that around your chicken."

"Is being triple fried," Mila said as she accepted the tea and added the jam to it. She stirred it and took a sip. "Where is being Harvey?"

Joey pondered what she was going to serve for dinner with Mila's chicken and hoped she'd figure it out soon. "He hasn't made it home yet, but I expect he'll be arriving soon," she answered, looking toward the table. "Since you brought Japanese fried chicken, I think we should stick to that theme, what do you think?"

"What is going with Japanese chicken?" The shorter brunette asked.

"I... don't know," Joey answered. "Let's see what the replicator has to say about that." She moved over to it and began to move her fingers over the controls until she found what she wanted. "Let's see... some of the options we have are sushi, curry rice, fried rice, tempura, gyoza and some other stuff. Any of those jump out at you?"

"Gyoza is sounding like it may be jumping out of replicator at me," Mila joked. "Let us be having curry rice with it, da?"

Joey laughed and put in the request for curry rice. "This describes gyoza as dumplings, so we'll try some of those and fried rice, too," she said. It didn't take long before the replicator produced the requested dishes, and she was bringing them over to the table. "Well, that takes care of that, then."

"Then that is sounding good," The Yeoman said. "It is smelling good, though. We are doing east meets west like old days on Earth, da?"

"So, it would seem," the taller woman agreed. "I haven't eaten some of this before now, but I'm willing to try anything once."

The main entrance doors opened, allowing Harvey to enter. As usual, he carried a couple padds with him containing his evening serving of reports and other messages from the Belvedere group. He looked up to see both Joey and Mila over at the replicator. "Good evening," he greeted them as he made his way to the desk.

"Be putting those down and be acting like man, not Captain," Mila snapped when he breezed by them.

"What's the difference?" Harvey asked. He set the padds down on the desk, just as he intended to.

Joey glanced at Mila briefly, then made her way over to Harvey to press a kiss to his cheek. "There isn't one. At least not until you change your clothes," she said. "Go do that, then we can have dinner."

"When you not doing work is when you are not being Captain," Mila said.

Harvey chuckled. "Not doing work, now there's a concept." He disappeared into the nearby bedroom, closing the door to change out of his uniform.

"Where's Aidan?" Joey asked Mila and she moved toward the replicator again to get a drink for herself and Harvey.

"He could not be making it due to shift change," Mila said. "I will be taking him back plate, though."

Joey couldn't help but frown. "I'm sorry to hear that, but yes, you should absolutely bring him a plate back," she said. "And, I'm going to have Eden bring Alison and Jameson back before you leave so you'll have a chance to see them. I feel naked without them here. They're never that far away when I'm off duty."

Harvey exited the bedroom a few moments later, wearing a light gray henley and a pair of khaki pants. "Harvey Geisler reporting for dinner," he jokingly said, crossing the room to kiss his wife. "How was your day? Both of you, that is?"

"I have no complaints," Joey answered after she returned the kiss. "How was yours?"

He shrugged. "It was an average day. Nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing terribly exciting." He left the women for a moment and crossed over to a high shelf where a couple decanters and lowball glasses sat. "I will say though, I don't think I could have anticipated the paperwork that comes with a task group leadership spot."

"Day is being like any other, except no one is trying to be killing us," Mila said. "And if you had looked at organization in PADD I am giving you first, you would be knowing what is involved and how to be doing it proper."

Joey had seen what being the commander of a starship entailed second hand, and now the duties of being a task group leader was added... it definitely gave her a newfound respect for her husband. He did it all, and still somehow managed to make time for his family. "This is why you should consider a second officer. They can handle all the paperwork that you and Terry don't want to do."

"I'm still breaking Terry in," Harvey confessed. "He's still getting used to the change in position, and if I bring in a second officer now, it's going to throw him off. When the time is right, he and I will appoint one." He then held up a finger. "Speaking of, I've been told to act like a man, not a Captain. So, no more talk tonight about Starfleet, the Black Hawk, intelligence, and even administrative duties."

Harvey then turned around and brought over three glasses of Saurian brandy. "Perhaps we need to start with a toast to the evening."

"What's the occasion?" Joey asked with her glass of water still in hand.

"Is good question," Mila seconded as she reached for one of the glasses of brandy.

Harvey shrugged. "To a quiet life, to the future, what does it matter?" He raised his own glass. "How about, to a good evening with excellent company?"

Joey raised her water glass. "I can drink to any of those. Cheers."

"To friends," Mila said as she raised her glass to theirs.

"Cheers," Harvey concurred, raising his glass before taking a sip of the brandy. "Excellent. So, what's for dinner?"

The Russian took a sip of hers and let the liquid heat slide down her throat before giving a mild grimace. "Is not wodka, but is good," she wheezed. "We are to be having triple fried Japanese chicken, fried rice and gyoza."

"And curry," Joey said after taking a sip of her water. "Mila bought the Japanese fried chicken, so the rest if dinner was based around that."

"Sounds delicious," Harvey remarked, taking another sip of the brandy. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Nyet," Mila said. "Sit. Eat. Enjoy."

"There's nothing left to do now but to sit down and eat it," his wife answered as she gestured for him and Mila to settle down at the table.

And settle down at the table Harvey did, placing his glass of brandy behind the plate. As he settled, he waited until the ladies had joined him before picking up any of the utensils and sampling the food.

Mila joined them and began to dish out the triple fried chicken. "I was not knowing if anyone is eating egg with chicken, so did not make it," she said.

"There's a joke in there somewhere, I just can't figure out what it is," Joey said as she began to make her plate once Mila added the chicken.

"Egg in the face?" Harvey asked, smiling. "Or is it on the face? Though I think that has something to do with embarrassment, not so much a joke."

"I think it's on the face, but I'm not sure that's it," his wife answered. To be honest, Joey really wasn't sure what the joke was. She reached for her fork and looked between her two dinner companions. "We need to do things like this more often."

"We need to stay out of trouble more often," Harvey remarked. "Though I'd rather deal with pirates than Dolmoqour or Consortium if we have a choice."

Joey frowned. Things with the Consortium were definitely troublesome. Many died, or were seriously injured. Or in her case, both. She'd been one of the lucky ones. then, there was the Dolmoqour. Out of the three of them, she had been the only one to be infected by the Dolmoqour, and even attempted to kill her own husband. And Mila... she'd been attacked by Torg and had to kill him to save her own life.

With her appetite gone, she faked a smile the best she could. "I can agree with that."

"Harvey Elmer Geisler!" MIla chastised in a tone that clearly said the conversational topic had been a very bad one. "Egg is coming first on face. Not on chicken."

"I thought the chicken sat on the egg first?" Harvey joked. "But enough about that. He looked at the food on his plate and prepared to sample it. He got a good mix of everything on his fork and took a bite. The flavors were not like what he was used to, but they were indeed enjoyable. "My compliments to the chef," he said with a smile.

Joey gave Mila a smile, but it still didn't quite reach her eyes. She was trying to.out herself back in a better mood. "The chicken is really good. You've outdone yourself."

"I am thanking you," she said. "Is fried, then battered and fried again, then repeat one more time. Is still juicy on inside like miracle."

"Miracle or just good cooking?" Harvey quipped. "I can do many things, and cooking is certainly not one of them. Especially if it's just point and tap on the replicator controls."

"Definitely just good cooking. Mila, I've been on the receiving end of your skills, and I can honestly say you have some serious skills," Joey said before taking a sip of her water. " I actually appreciate cooking, but don't have the chance to do it very often."

"We have been on ship together for over standard year, but you are not asking me to be helping you," Mila chided her seestra with a grin. "Harvey, you are to stop taking up so much of your wife's time."

"He doesn't take up nearly as much of my time as far as I'm concerned," Joey said, giving her husband a loving smile. "Don't get me wrong, though, he takes up plenty, but there are other things that take up more." Between their professional duties, (and the uncertainty that came with schedules) and being parents to two very small children, she definitely cherished every second they did have together.

"We could start a reservation calendar," joked Harvey. "Take time slots on a first-come, first-served basis. Though, the whole idea seems weird. Maybe I shouldn't have suggested it."

Joey smiled. "It's not a horrible idea, but I don't think we're at that point."

"No no schedules," Mila said with a laugh. "Just take time once in a while to be simply enjoying the moment, da?" She took a bite of her extremely crunchy chicken.

Harvey's answer was a crunch of his own, making his way through the delicious chicken. "If we ever get to the point where we have to schedule personal time, then we're definitely doing something wrong. Might I recommend a kidnapping? Not the little ones, Eden can certainly help cover there. But abduct Joey before she has a chance to come home. I can always hold down the fort for a night. Just slip me a padd with a codeword and I'll know what to do that evening."

Joey blinked. Kidnapping? "Now... let's wait a minute. There's no need to resort to anything like that," she said, looking between the two of them. "I know I've been a complete stick in the mud sense Alison and Jameson have been born, but they're only going to be little for so long, and it's because of that that I don't want to miss anything. However.... that being said... I could use your your help with something, Mila. Someone, and I won't name any names," Her gaze went to her husband, then back to her friend. "has a birthday coming up after the twins. Would you be so kind as to help me plan?"

"I thought I was done having birthdays?" Harvey remarked. "The only people who should get them from here out at those under the age of 21. I could definitely afford to be forever 21. What do you think?"

"Well," Joey began with a loving smile. "I don't mind if you stay 21 forever, but I still want to celebrate your birthday. Even if you'd rather not do anything big. We can do something small." But that actually happened remained to be seen.

"Wait, wait, wait," Mila said and shook a chicken leg at them. "There is to be no kidnapping, but you are being former Medical, Harvey. Why are you not getting dermal regenerator treatment to be looking twenty-one again?" She was joking, but her tone sounded serious.

Joey looked to Mila, then to her husband. If looking younger was something he wanted, then she would support that, but he didn't even appear old. "For the record, I think you're gorgeous just the way you are."

Harvey smirked, catching Mila's joke. "Someone once told me that gray hair and facial wrinkles were a sign of wisdom and honor. I suppose I'd have to join those ranks sooner or later. You can certainly celebrate my birthday all you want. I'll be there, but I don't need any presents. Just time with my family and friends is more than enough."

"What you want, is what you get," his wife stated with a smile. "But, you're going to be getting gifts from me and the kids."

"I should expect nothing less," he said with a smile. "This dinner, by the way, is excellent. Mila, I think you outdid yourself this time."

"I am thanking you, but you are still to be getting present from me," Mila said before she added. "No more organized PADDs for one year."

He chuckled. "Is that a present for me, or is that torture for you?"

"A kidnapping and a makeover it is being," Mila said with a glitter in her eyes at his joking jab.

"For me or Joey?" Harvey shot back, placing a coy smile on his face.

Rather than interrupt their back and forth, Joey sat quietly and ate, listening to the two of them. She pondered when a good time to contact Eden to bring the twins home would be, but planned to give it a little bit longer. After all, they were probably having a great time with their cousin, and she didn't want to ruin that.

"Both," Mila laughed. "I will kidnap her and make her watch me make you younger."

"They say engineers are miracle workers," Harvey said with a chuckle. "If you can even take one year off my face with a spa treatment, I'd say that's the true miracle."

"Mila... how would you like to babysit tomorrow night?" Joey asked, looking toward her Russian friend. "I'm going to get in on this kidnapping thing and kidnap Harvey for date night."

"I would love to be doing that!" The Russian exclaimed happily. "Is being wonderful opportunity and I will be making sure that neither of you are being bothered."

Joey shook her head. "While that's appreciated, emergencies happen, and I'd rather those be brought to our attention. Especially when it comes to Alison and Jameson. That being said, I know they'll be in great hands."

Harvey sipped his brandy. "I agree with Joey. Anytime you want to come over and spend time with the kiddos is fine by me. Also, is it really kidnapping if you've warned us it's going to happen?"

"It could be," his wife stated with a smile. "I mean... while we may have been warned, we still have no idea when or where it might actually happen."

"Such is the beauty of kidnapping," Harvey remarked. "But how will Mila do it? Will she coordinate with security to have us tagged by drones? Redirect our turbolift?" He smirked and took another bite.

"I am being right here," Mila said. "But I am thanking you for ideas. I am thinking a holodeck and large woman singing opera and marshmallows."

Harvey chuckled. "That's not kidnapping. That's flat out torture, forbidden by the Khitomer Accords or the Treaty of Algeron or something."

"Much like doing PADD reports for you," the Yeoman quipped.

"Let's not bring the poor holodecks into this," Joey said.

Harvey chuckled once more and finished the last bite on his plate. "Well, Mila, you certainly outdid yourself on this dish."

Mila finished her as well. "I am thank you," she said. "Is being a shame that fresh food becomes commodity when we are being farther out on deep missions. I could be getting use to it again."

Joey finished up and took the final sip of her water. "My compliments," she said with a smile. "And, I think we should do this more often. Maybe next time, Aidan will be able to join us."

"I hope we left him enough," Harvey remarked. "If we're not careful, there might not be any left."

"I am leaving him enough chicken at home, and rest is replicated," Mila assured him. "And I am hoping the same."

Joey rose to her feet and began to grab the empty dishes from the table. "I'll clear the table, then let Eden know she can bring the twins back."

"Allow me," Harvey said, brushing his wife away. "I don't mind tossing what's left back into the replicator. Go be a mom and a friend."

"You are to being dad and husband, too, Harvey," Mila said.

Joey looked between the two of them. "Why don't we all walk down to get them?"

"I thought Eden was going to bring them?" Harvey asked as he cleared the table. "Though she's not too far away. We could easily go grab them."

"They'll be even more surprised, and I can bring Eden dinner," his wife stated with a smile.

"I am thinking it is being time for me to be going," Mila said with a smile. "You two are needing bonding time with each other and them."

Harvey smiled, taking note of Mila's gracious method of bowing out early. "Of course. You are welcome over anytime, Mila. You and Joey better make sure you plan some girl time soon."

"Until next time, Harvey," Mila said and looked at Joey. "And I will be contacting you for that girl time, seestra," she promised and gave her a hug.

Joey returned the hug with a smile. "I'm counting on it," she said.

= = = = = = = = =

OOC: https://imgur.com/a/et1YnSp If anyone wants the recipe

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