The Hedgehog of approval

Posted on Saturday 25 July 2020 @ 17:40 by Civilian Sansa Draxx-Jones & Lieutenant Commander Hayley Godding

Mission: A Whale of a problem (We're going to need a bigger boat)
Location: The Jones's qurters
Timeline: MD2 1300
1766 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Sansa was still on a high after last nights..... holodeck adventure with Hayley. She didn't even mind that Melody had asked her to clean out Nibbles's habitat today. She was removing the various toys that the small African pygmy hedgehog liked to play with to clean with a handheld device. She had placed Nibbles next to her on the floor with a bowl of food to keep her happy. She also found that the small hedgehog liked it when Sansa sang to her.

Since she was thinking of Hayley dreamily while she worked, the song she was singing reflected that.

Mr. Sandman... Bring me a dream...
Make her the cutest that I've ever seen...
Give her two lips..... Like roses and clover...
And tell me that my lonesome night are over....

For her part, Hayley too was on top of the world following the previous evenings... entertainment. Had it really been that long? Well, the memories of the previous evening had really helped her get through Alpha shift on the bridge and had completed her usual tour of the main security posts as well as her routine surprise inspections of the less critical but none the less important security areas to make sure that all her team leaders were doing their jobs properly. She was now on her break from duty before she went back to her office to complete reports.

She figured that Sansa would be hanging out in the quarters she shared with her parents, and since patrolling the senior officers quarters level was part of her routine, she elected to drop in on the captain's quarters as she clocked out for her break. Tapping the chime, she wondered for a moment if Sansa was even there, or if her mother and father were in. Well, she knew the Captain was in her readyroom so that ruled that one out. Lt Draxx was probably busy himself. Oh well, she'd done it now, so she'd wait to see who answered.

Sansa was still busy with her cleaning and her singing. She didn't miss a beat, but called out in a sing-song voice, keeping the tune going "Come in but be quick, There's a hedgehog on the loose."

As the doors opened on the command, Hayley entered and quickly moved away from the door sensors so that it would close immediately behind her. A hedgehog? Must be their pet hedgehog but why would it be loose in the room?

Sensing movement, Nibbles quickly abanded her food and headed over as the door quickly opened and closed but quickly changed direction and started sniffing Hayley's shoes instead.

Sansa looked over her shoulder. "Oh hey there beautiful. You must have been listening. How are you today?"

Hayley smiled. "Hey yourself sexy. What was I listening to?" She asked casually, looking down at the hedgehog that was sniffing her shoe. She crouched down to get a closer look. "I can't remember this little guy's name, snuffles or something?"

Sansa smiled at her "That's Nibbles and by the looks of it, she's very happy to see you. I was singing an old earth song called Mr. Sandman about a beautiful girl being summoned and... like a dream... Here you are. Just let me finish up here and then we can get some lunch." Sansa was almost finished and started replacing the equipment in the habitat. She started humming Mr. Sandman again and then called back to Hayley. "Pick her up, It's ok. She's quite soft underneath. Mom got her as a pet when before she joined the Merlin. Speaking of food, you want to feed her first?"

Hayley reached down and picked up the little spikey bundle and placed it in her hand. "Aww... she's so cute!" She said as the little nose sniffed her. "What does she eat?"

"Mom programmed the replicator with over fifty different foods for her to try. I believe today, hedgehog supplement 23 should do the trick. Just ask the replicator, it will come in a small bowl. I should warn you. Give her food and she'll love you forever. She also liked it when I sing to her as well."

Hayley smiled and walked the hedgehog over to the replicator and ordered supplement 23 from the device. The small bowl appeared and Hayley held it out as the little gal munched happily on the kibble. She wracked her brain for a cute little song to sing:

There's a calm surrender
To the rush of day
When the heat of a rolling wave
Can be turned away
An enchanted moment
And it sees me through
It's enough for this restless warrior
Just to be with you

Hayley looked up at Sansa as she continued, walking slowly towards the vivacious red-headed girl;

And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we've got this far
And can you feel the love tonight?
How it's laid to rest?
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best

Sansa stood up and walked slowly toward Hayley, exaggerating the sway of her hips as she did. She carefully placed Nibbles and the bowl on the floor where the small hedgehog didn't seem to mind and carried on eating. Sansa then slipped her arms around Hayley and kissed her. "You have a beautiful voice, my love. and you always know just what to say... Or in this case sing." She kissed her again.

After a while, Sansa broke for breath. "So... Lunch?"

Hayley grinned in the halo of their post kiss experience. "As much as I'd love to say skip lunch and move on to dessert, I'm on duty and I doubt your mother would approve of such shenanigans whilst I'm on watch." She said, giving Sansa a peck on the nose. "So yeah, I'd love some lunch. What did you have in mind?"

Sansa’s eyes twinkled. “I never say no to dessert but, that can wait. How about a nice Altair sandwich and a class of that lemonade that you like?”

"That sounds perfect." Hayley smiled. "All the more so for the company in which I get to enjoy them with."

Sansa moves over to the kitchen area. Although they did have a replicator, Sansa also likeed preparing food as much as Melody did though thyme did use the replicator for some ingredients. “So you just thought you’d call round for some ‘afternoon delight’ while you were on your rounds?” She asked innocently as she prepared their lunch.

Hayley chuckled as she leaned against the wall that separated the kitchen area from the main living space so she would watch Sansa at work. "If only that were the case." She said. "I suppose I had intended to pop in and see you so I timed my patrol to end in the senior officer's quarters area, but I was actually making sure this deck was secure. I could've gone to the lounge or one of the rec-decks or even my office or quarters for lunch, but thought I'd take a chance to spend a bit of time with you before I don't have that luxury. I appreciate the difficulties of dating a serving officer, so I try to make as much time as I can for you. Even if it is a one hour lunch break."

"Well, I'm glad you came. Although, I can always see your face when I close my eyes." She added. Having prepared two plates, she placed them on a tray and added a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses and headed over to the sofa where there was a small table in front, taking care not to tread on Nibbles who had caught a whiff of the sandwiches. "Come on, lunch is served."

She placed a plate in front of Hayley and filled her glass. "So what's mom got you working on at the moment?"

Accepting the glass and taking a sip before answering, Hayley looked over to Sansa. "We're responding to a mysterious signal that appears to be Starfleet in origin that was piggybacking off the probe we encountered before. At the moment, I'm making sure the ship is at full readiness for all eventualities so that we're not caught 'on the hop' as it were. Of course, the old axiom of 'all military plans survive until contact with the enemy is made' applies as well as 'this is a military operation. Nothing ever goes according to plan'." Hayley said, taking a bite of the sandwich. "MM! This is good!"

"Oh yeah. Mom told me about that. So I had a look at what happened the first time with the probe. Imagine, how cool it would have been to travel back in time to save the planet? Kirk, now there's a captain with some serious stones. Kicked a Klingon into a dying planet after blowing up his own ship," she said with an almost dreamy look on her face before she blushed slightly and covered with "And saved the Earth and made peace with the Klingons afterwards." She took a bit of her own sandwich.

A small furry nose appeared over Sansa's shoe, demanding attention. She picked up the small Hedgehog and placed it on her lap "Aaaaa, were you feeling left out?" she broke off a piece of bread and placed in front of Nibbles who promptly sniffed it and then devoured it.

"You really think we could be heading into trouble?" She asked, looking back at Hayley.

"With this ship and this captain?" Hayley replied, playfully. "It'd be foolish to assume nothing less." She grinned and broke off a piece of her bread which she gave to Nibbles as well. "I see I have the Hedgehog of approval." She said as Nibbles devoured the second piece of bread.

"You gave her food. She'll adore you forever now." Sansa said as she slid closer to Hayley. "I do too, but for different reasons. So... How much time do you have before you're supposed to be back on your rounds?" she asked with a devilish smile.

Looking at her chronometer, Hayley did a quick calculation in her head. "About forty minutes, give or take..." She said.

Sansa picked up the hedgehog and put her back in her habitat. She then slinked back over to Hayley. "More than enough time..." as she practically pounced on her.

Why fight the inevitable, she thought as Hayley brought Sansa into her embrace and the two locked lips with one another. Looks like she was having dessert after all.

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