AU - Main Base (All offices and Main Canyon)
((Yes. Gen said I could play ))
Cathy Doherty stormed across the road in her high, bright, quirky, decorative heels and dark business suit, her work bag over one shoulder and a six month old baby girl resting on the opposite hip. Her face was flushed and her short, glossy, brown bob was swaying slightly in time with her stride.
“You were supposed to pick her up twenty minutes ago,” she snapped, pushing her way into the cluttered house, wrinkling her nose at the mess. “You really think this is suitable for her? She could end up seriously injured,” she complained, trying to bend down and remove some of the mess with her spare hand, much to the child’s delight.
The dark-haired man appeared in the kitchen doorway and sighed. “It’s under control, Cathy,” he drawled in his soft, Australian accent. “Give her here.”
Cathy, tall even without her heels, passed the baby over with a frown. “She’s been fed and changed, she’ll need putting down in about an hour, by my reckoning. I’m getting to being late now, and I can’t be late this morning. Too many appointments, too much to do.”
Whereas the father no longer worked on base, due to an arm injury he had sustained a while back, Cathy had taken on more and more duties on Xanth, leading to considerable tension between the two parents of baby Aoife.
Of course, the name itself had been a bone of contention between the two. Cathy had fallen into favour with the Ibirians by choosing such a traditionally Gaelic name, but he had wanted something that reflected his own roots a little more. After all, he was the father of the child.
But that argument held little weight with the Iberians, nor Cathy, for that matter. It seemed that, as far as she was concerned, he had been little more than a sperm donor. It was her right to choose the name, her right to give the surname, her right to decide on childcare. He was just damn lucky that he made a suitable and available babysitter.
In many ways, he resented her freedom and her position of influence. She had taken all the things he had wanted, amongst them, his former position of SG7 Commanding Officer. And she had so little time for him, he swore he saw more of her team mate Clayton than he did of her.
Cathy watched him quietly for a moment. There were times she felt guilty for the way she treated him. She genuinely wished that she could do something, anything, about his arm, but she didn’t have the technology. If she just had a healing device she could change everything. But, saying that, everything happened for a reason, and at the moment things were good for her.
“Ok, Aoife,” she said, leaning down to rub the girl’s cheek and give her a kiss. “I’ll see you later, ok? Mummy’s gonna miss you. Yes she is, yes she-“
“I thought you said you were late,” he said coldly.
Cathy stood up and eyed him. “So I did.”
With a final wave to her daughter, Cathy straightened back to full height and left the house, walking briskly towards the base, where her next appointment was supposed to take place.
“Cat! Wait! I need to speak to you!”
Cathy spun round to see Jo stood there, her short blonde hair tucked behind her ears, wearing her green BDUs as usual. She sighed. Now was really not the time for this conversation. She was already running late.
“Nice shoes,” Lewis commented with a smile.
Cat sighed and folded her arms. “Okay, what is it? I have an appointment on base in less than half an hour and I need to reread the paperwork.”
“You’ll be fine,” the blonde grinned back. “I wanted to talk to you about moving out and stuff. It’s probably best that we get living arrangements sorted soon. What with another one on the way and all.”
Cat shrugged. “I don’t see a problem with that. Just… let me know. I have to get to base, Jo. I’m in a hurry.”
“Cat! Aren’t you supposed to react or throw a tantrum or something?!” Jo said, incredulously. “I’m moving out. You’re not meant to stand there and take it.”
“It’s been over a long time, Jo. Just… keep me posted.”
The brunette sighed and flicked her hair away from her eyes as she walked off. It wasn’t that she was heartless, whatever Colonel Lewis might think. They hadn’t really been together for a while now. Things seemed to work out alright as roommates, as far as Cat was concerned, but if she wanted to leave, so be it. She couldn’t deal with the tantrums, she’d had enough drama to last her a lifetime.
*Gooooooood Morning Lt Commander Doherty*
Cat jumped as her radio crackled into life with a chirpy greeting. ‘Good Lord, it’s Alpha Site Barbie,’ she thought with a grin, realising who was on the other end of the radio. She fumbled around in her back for the radio and clicked to reply. “This is Lt Commander Doherty speaking, what can I do for you Lt Clayton?”
*Just checking you’re on your way, Cat. Not like you to leave it til the last minute, that’s all. Oh, and I’m ordering breakfast. Want anything?*
“Roma, we don’t use base radios to order in breakfast. I think I’m going to be a little late. There’s a humvee here headed towards base, so I’ll hitch a lift. Just get my 9h00 to wait will you?” she joked, rolling her eyes at the impatience of her nine o’clock patient.
*Will do. See you in a bit.*
Cat couldn’t help but giggle at the Lieutenant as she trotted over to the humvee in her heels. The two Claytons, Hermione and Roma, were like chalk and cheese. Hermione was lovely, of course, but sensible and maternal. Rowena... the only way to describe her was…. Blonde. Chirpy, full of life, long, curly blonde hair and a huge grin, she put everyone who walked into the base commander’s office at ease. She was, quite frankly, a star.
“Hiya. Couldn’t give me a lift over to base, could you?” Cat asked the driver sweetly, turning on a beaming smile. “I’m just very late this morning. James forgot to come pick up Aoife.”
The driver agreed and helped Cat up into the humvee, the shoes being a hindrance to the step up. She buckled herself into her seat and sighed heavily, getting her diary out to check over appointments and writing a to do list of housework for when she got back.
Cathy Doherty stormed across the road in her high, bright, quirky, decorative heels and dark business suit, her work bag over one shoulder and a six month old baby girl resting on the opposite hip. Her face was flushed and her short, glossy, brown bob was swaying slightly in time with her stride.
“You were supposed to pick her up twenty minutes ago,” she snapped, pushing her way into the cluttered house, wrinkling her nose at the mess. “You really think this is suitable for her? She could end up seriously injured,” she complained, trying to bend down and remove some of the mess with her spare hand, much to the child’s delight.
The dark-haired man appeared in the kitchen doorway and sighed. “It’s under control, Cathy,” he drawled in his soft, Australian accent. “Give her here.”
Cathy, tall even without her heels, passed the baby over with a frown. “She’s been fed and changed, she’ll need putting down in about an hour, by my reckoning. I’m getting to being late now, and I can’t be late this morning. Too many appointments, too much to do.”
Whereas the father no longer worked on base, due to an arm injury he had sustained a while back, Cathy had taken on more and more duties on Xanth, leading to considerable tension between the two parents of baby Aoife.
Of course, the name itself had been a bone of contention between the two. Cathy had fallen into favour with the Ibirians by choosing such a traditionally Gaelic name, but he had wanted something that reflected his own roots a little more. After all, he was the father of the child.
But that argument held little weight with the Iberians, nor Cathy, for that matter. It seemed that, as far as she was concerned, he had been little more than a sperm donor. It was her right to choose the name, her right to give the surname, her right to decide on childcare. He was just damn lucky that he made a suitable and available babysitter.
In many ways, he resented her freedom and her position of influence. She had taken all the things he had wanted, amongst them, his former position of SG7 Commanding Officer. And she had so little time for him, he swore he saw more of her team mate Clayton than he did of her.
Cathy watched him quietly for a moment. There were times she felt guilty for the way she treated him. She genuinely wished that she could do something, anything, about his arm, but she didn’t have the technology. If she just had a healing device she could change everything. But, saying that, everything happened for a reason, and at the moment things were good for her.
“Ok, Aoife,” she said, leaning down to rub the girl’s cheek and give her a kiss. “I’ll see you later, ok? Mummy’s gonna miss you. Yes she is, yes she-“
“I thought you said you were late,” he said coldly.
Cathy stood up and eyed him. “So I did.”
With a final wave to her daughter, Cathy straightened back to full height and left the house, walking briskly towards the base, where her next appointment was supposed to take place.
“Cat! Wait! I need to speak to you!”
Cathy spun round to see Jo stood there, her short blonde hair tucked behind her ears, wearing her green BDUs as usual. She sighed. Now was really not the time for this conversation. She was already running late.
“Nice shoes,” Lewis commented with a smile.
Cat sighed and folded her arms. “Okay, what is it? I have an appointment on base in less than half an hour and I need to reread the paperwork.”
“You’ll be fine,” the blonde grinned back. “I wanted to talk to you about moving out and stuff. It’s probably best that we get living arrangements sorted soon. What with another one on the way and all.”
Cat shrugged. “I don’t see a problem with that. Just… let me know. I have to get to base, Jo. I’m in a hurry.”
“Cat! Aren’t you supposed to react or throw a tantrum or something?!” Jo said, incredulously. “I’m moving out. You’re not meant to stand there and take it.”
“It’s been over a long time, Jo. Just… keep me posted.”
The brunette sighed and flicked her hair away from her eyes as she walked off. It wasn’t that she was heartless, whatever Colonel Lewis might think. They hadn’t really been together for a while now. Things seemed to work out alright as roommates, as far as Cat was concerned, but if she wanted to leave, so be it. She couldn’t deal with the tantrums, she’d had enough drama to last her a lifetime.
*Gooooooood Morning Lt Commander Doherty*
Cat jumped as her radio crackled into life with a chirpy greeting. ‘Good Lord, it’s Alpha Site Barbie,’ she thought with a grin, realising who was on the other end of the radio. She fumbled around in her back for the radio and clicked to reply. “This is Lt Commander Doherty speaking, what can I do for you Lt Clayton?”
*Just checking you’re on your way, Cat. Not like you to leave it til the last minute, that’s all. Oh, and I’m ordering breakfast. Want anything?*
“Roma, we don’t use base radios to order in breakfast. I think I’m going to be a little late. There’s a humvee here headed towards base, so I’ll hitch a lift. Just get my 9h00 to wait will you?” she joked, rolling her eyes at the impatience of her nine o’clock patient.
*Will do. See you in a bit.*
Cat couldn’t help but giggle at the Lieutenant as she trotted over to the humvee in her heels. The two Claytons, Hermione and Roma, were like chalk and cheese. Hermione was lovely, of course, but sensible and maternal. Rowena... the only way to describe her was…. Blonde. Chirpy, full of life, long, curly blonde hair and a huge grin, she put everyone who walked into the base commander’s office at ease. She was, quite frankly, a star.
“Hiya. Couldn’t give me a lift over to base, could you?” Cat asked the driver sweetly, turning on a beaming smile. “I’m just very late this morning. James forgot to come pick up Aoife.”
The driver agreed and helped Cat up into the humvee, the shoes being a hindrance to the step up. She buckled herself into her seat and sighed heavily, getting her diary out to check over appointments and writing a to do list of housework for when she got back.
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