Grabbing A Few Things

Posted on Tue Mar 7th, 2023 @ 3:01am by Ensign Minerva Delacroix & Lieutenant JG Jenna Jade

Mission: The Interim
Location: Minerva's and Jenna's Quarters
Timeline: TBD

Minerva was spending a quiet evening in the quarters she shared with Jenna. She was comfortably laying on the couch reading a trashy romance novel on her PADD when Jenna entered.

Jenna’s mind was racing as she entered the quarters area and her eyes flickered back and forth as she was mentally rearranging Rene’s bedroom. Yes, it was his, but if she were going to be spending time with him there more often, which was a definite, then she’d have to have a corner or so just for her. It was the way of things. She was so focused that she didn’t even see her best friend lounging on the couch as she walked past.

Minerva raised an eyebrow at Jenna rushing to her bedroom from the door without saying so much as a hello. She rose from the couch as she tossed the PADD on the coffee table and followed Jenna to her bedroom. The door opened to reveal Jenna hastily throwing clothes and a few personal items into a small overnight bag that was not going to hold the uniforms, civilian attire and bedtime wear strewn across the bed. "Moving out are we?"

“Eeek!” Jenna jumped straight up and she swore that she hit the ceiling, although a glance upwards showed that she’d missed by a fair margin, but she spun nevertheless and then fell backwards onto the bed as she took a step back, “Oh my God, Minerva! Don’t sneak up on a girl like that!”

Minerva laughed lightly as Jenna righted herself on her bed amidst the clothes. "Someone was too distracted to notice I was in plain view on the couch when they entered. I have seen you this so narrow focused since before Rene left so suddenly. So allow me to ask again. Are you moving out?"

“The smaller woman nodded, “No, Ah’m not moving out, moving out, Ah’m just gettin’ a few things all sorted out so that Ah can umm..” Her cheeks went a very red as she tried to find her normal way of explaining things all ladylike, but couldn’t figure it out being all flustered, “Well, as Ah’m sure you know, Rene’s back from a family emergency and yes, Ah’ve told you that, Ah’m sure, and well, Ah’ll be spending a bit more time over there with him and umm..”

Minerva chuckled at Jenna who was normally one of the most observant, meticulous and organized person she knew. However, when it came to Rene, she could get a bit of tunnel vision. "First off Jenna, I have not seen or talked to you since leaving for the lab this morning. Though it is nice to know Rene is back. Second, his being back doesn't explain this." She gestured to the uniforms laying on the bed along with dresses, pants, blouses, undergarments and socks. She stepped forward and all but dragged Jenna back to the common room and sat her down on the couch. "Something major has happened and you're going to tell me what it is."

With a furtive glance back towards the bedroom and her things before exhaling deeply, "Yes, somethin' major has happened and it has to do with why Rene was gone for so long." She admitted, "Ah don't know why he never commed to tell me, but most of his family was killed a few weeks ago in a bad shuttle accident, all except one of his brothers and one of his sisters, both are teenagers and need someone to watch over them. So, Rene, as their last survivin' family member and the oldest, decided that he was gonna become their legal guardian and brought them along to Chimera."

Minerva listened to Jenna attentively. She was shocked to hear about Rene’s family. The man wasn't much older than Jenna and he was being cast in the role of de facto parent for his own brother and sister. She couldn’t imagine what that could be like. "I don't know Jenna. His quarters aren't any bigger than ours. Plus, a teenage girl. They need a lot of space. How are you and he ever going to have any privacy?"

"Well, in part, he needed larger quarters and apparently Cally said yes and he got the master bedroom of a family unit, which as you know is a heckuva lot larger than one of the ones we've got and..." Her face went crimson again, shortly after it had returned to normal, "He didn't quite ask me to move in with him, but he asked if Ah wanted to bring some things over to keep over there so that if he's got a night watch or somethin' else that Ah could help him out by bein' there to keep an eye on Louis and Amelie, that's all!"

Minerva shook her head. She liked Rene and had liked his influence on Jenna in regards to getting her to come out of her shell, but asking her to sometimes babysit two teenagers who just lost their parents. She knew Jenna would do it. The girl was madly in love with Rene. "Jenna, this is a lot of responsibility for Rene to take on. I know you want to be there for him, but Jenna, you're barely out of your teens. Are you sure you can handle this amount of responsibility. You need to consider that you are Chief Engineer in everything but title only."

"Ah know, Minerva, but as you just said, this is a lot of responsibility for Rene as well. How could Ah just just let him deal with it all on his own and still claim to love him?" Jenna reached out and grabbed Minerva's hands, "They're almost Marta's age, so they can be pretty independent, they just need someone to keep them out of trouble if he's not there in the evenings." She squeezed her hands, "Am Ah ready for it? Probably not, no, but Ah can't abandon him and them just because it's gonna be hard, can Ah?"

Minerva hugged her best friend, allowing Jenna to rest a chin on chin on her shoulder. She could sense the emotional toll already taking effect on Jenna. It must be doubly hard for Rene. "You are the kindest, most selfless and thoughtful person I know. I hope Rene appreciates what you are doing for him and his brother and sister."

"Ah do think he does, or at least will." The smaller woman confirmed, "But Ah can always come to you if Ah need to vent about somethin', right?" Jenna squeezed tightly, "Ah know this isn't gonna be easy on me and Ah'm gonna need my bestest friend forever here and there."

Minerva brushed a stray lock of Jenna's hair back into place. "You know that I will always have your six sweetie. Like we always say. Sisters before misters. Now unpack that tiny satchel and repack it with your toiletries while I get you a proper suitcase or two for your second home." Minerva released her friend and left for her own small bedroom.

"Ah'm not movin' in with him like that yet!" Jenna complained loudly to Minerva's back to no avail, then sighed and began to unpack the smaller bag and rearranging the things on the bed to make space for one of the larger bags that Minerva brought in a few moments later, "Jesus, Minerva, Ah ain't takin' everythin'! You can bet that we're gonna have lots of girls' nights together and Ah'm not stayin' over there every night." She smiled softly, "Ah don't know what Ah'd do without you around, really. Of course..." She gave a sheepish look, "Ah do wanna look nice for him tonight... It has been a while since Ah've seen him."

Minerva left one of the two suitcases by the door as she returned to stand next to Jenna looking down at what was a substantial part of the smaller woman's wardrobe. She glanced at Jenna. "So are we packing for a weekend stay, a long weekend stay or a week's vacation?"

"Let's go with a weekend stay." Jenna decided immediately, "Not like Ah'm going out to the boonies to stay in a hut, Ah can always come back and pick up anythin' Ah'm missin'! Just can't decide what to take or even what to wear back there!"

Minerva grabbed a robe and tossed it to Jenna. "You go shower. I will have you packed by the time you get done."

Modest as always, Jenna waited until she was in the shared bathroom before she stripped down to take a long shower, thinking as she did so. This was absolutely a major change in her life, or at least a major potential change. She'd just about said that it was as if she were getting a couple new siblings, but it was more along the lines of basically turning into the replacement mother for a pair of kids that weren't that much younger than she was. It would definitely be a challenge, one she could handle... WOULD handle.

It was a fair ten minutes before she emerged and wrapped her hair up in a towel before wrapping the robe around herself and padded back towards the bedroom. She knew that whatever Minerva had picked out for her would be special, because Minerva always knew what the guys liked. Anyways, while her friend would play jokes on her and others, it was never malicious... Except for with Kennedy Walters that time, that one was most definitely meant with vitriol, but that bitch had deserved it.

Minerva had indeed picked out an outfit for Jenna. A simple white blouse, blue jeans and pink undergarments with flat sandals. It was the most unMinerva outfit that she could pick out. "Figured it would be a waste to go all out if you are just going to stay in."

"Oh, we're definitely staying in." Jenna confirmed, "Ain't goin' nowhere, for sure." That admission made her wonder why something as constrictive as the jeans, but her friend never was wrong with what the boys wanted. N.E.V.E.R. "Somethin' simple is definitely for the best.

Minerva gestured to the little case. "I replicated some toiletries for you. Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and body wash. I also included a few makeup choices that go good with your complexion." She then gestured to the moderate-size suit case. "Pair of athletic sweats, your blue print dress and matching undergarments with shoes, plus two sets of pajamas and a your fluffy unicorn slippers and another set of bra and panties. You think you might need anything else packed before we get you to Rene tonight?"

The shorter woman looked up from where she was getting dressed, "What's this 'we' thing you're talkin' about? Ah don't need a chaperone, Ah've been alone with Rene before!" Jenna went a bright red with that admission. "Ah know you ain't gonna try to take him, but still!"

Minerva grinned. "You really think I was going to miss out on meeting the brother and sister." She picked up the heavier of the two cases and gestured for Jenna to lead the way.

"Oh, right." Jenna glanced down as she grabbed the smaller bag and bustled out the door, "You could always meet them tomorrow or somethin', but Ah suppose that now's just as good a time as any, isn't it?"

Minerva laughed as she grabbed both cases to wait for her best friend on couch while Jenna got dressed.