Change of Plans, Hold the Cream

Posted on Sun Mar 3rd, 2019 @ 6:35am by Staff Sergeant Creighton Arcadia & Civillian "Mama" Edith Jackson

Mission: Aftermath
Location: DFAF
Timeline: Aftermath current

The car was fueled, warmed and waiting for him in the parking lot. He had his pack ready with his jacket, gloves, some energy bars for on the slopes and a few other necessary things. Wallet, keys and phone were in his pocket. All he had left was to fill up the thermos with some of Mama’s fine coffee, have a bit of breakfast then he was out of there for the whole of the day, not coming back until tomorrow morning, thank you very much Major Asher and General Wolf for putting everyone on standby. With all this snow they were having, the slopes had to be slick and killer and it was about time he got to take some advantage of that.

“Creighton,” Mama’s voice came from somewhere to his side. He hadn’t seen her when he came in, but it was all okay. Today was going to be a great day. He only hoped she hadn’t planned to make one of his favorites for lunch or dinner. He’d be sad to miss anything he loved and she cooked.

“Mama!” he said, happy as all get out. Which is what he wanted to do very shortly. It was still about a two hour drive to the slopes and he was itching to get that over with.

“You ain’t in your cute little uniform today,” Mama said as she moved around the serving line, adjusting a spoon here, yelling they needed more of something there. But staying within conversational distance. “You plannin on havin some fun today? ‘Specially today?”

That put a slight damper on Arcadia’s mood. He didn’t want to dwell on what day it was, what anniversary was coming up. He just wanted to be out there, making a few runs, having fun. Not thinking about two years ago.

“Going skiing,” Creighton said, slightly less enthused than he had before. It wasn’t that Mama was cruel to ask him about it, just that, he didn’t want to be reminded. By anyone.

“Oh, don’ that sound like fun!” Mama said, with a little chuckle. “Oh yes! A day out in the fresh air, with all this snow. That sounds like it’d’ll be a fun day! Just the kind of day that’ll take your mind off things.”

“Yes, Mama,” Creighton said. He sensed...a disturbance in the force. It looked like a trap.

“I just wonderin’, how you plannin’ on going skiin’? Ain’t you gotta watch over all them smart people doin’ their science experiements?”

“Not today, we got stood down, given liberty actually. We’ve been encouraged to take time off. Not just the ones...uhm...doing the science experiments, but all of us involved.”

Mama grabbed a tray and started dishing up food. Creighton noticed it was the breakfast foods he liked. He knew he shouldn’t step forward, because he could only sense the trap. Not know where it was. “Isn’t that nice, all of’ya gettin’ a day off all together like that. Makes me wonder what others are plannin’ ta do with they’re time off?”

She gave him an innocent, but knowing, look as she passed the tray over to him. He took it, juggling the thermos into the crook of an arm.

“Don’t know, Mama, whatever they like to do, I guess.”

“Y’know, I wonder what that nice new boy like to do. Y’know, the one that sure do like to eat, named after a bird! ‘Magine that, a whole family named after a bird!” She started to pour some of her exquisite espresso into a large mug, then stopped. Absently she set the mug down. “Now, I bet you know. I think I recall you havin’ a long chat wit’ him ‘bout things to do round town that first day he was here.”

Creighton closed his eyes. And there it was. The cheese on the trap. “I’m not sure, we haven’[t talked about it. I’ve barely seen him since then. He’s been...working.”

“Now, don’ I know that! I hear he worked really hard, worked himself into the hospital. Seems that boy could use some fun.”

“Yes, Mama,” Creighton said, hoping this was something he could get out of soon. Except, he noticed the pot was also placed on the counter. Away from the mug.

“‘Cept, he don’ have a lotta friends here, do he?”

“I’m not sure,” Arcadia said, being honest. He didn’t think so, not after only a couple days. But, those specops guys were usually pretty tight with each other. Maybe they bonded already and Jeremy was the type that just stuck to his own kind. It’s not like he came looking for Arcadia for chat. But, then again, to be fair, he was also on another planet in another part of the galaxy for most of his time here.

“Maybe he could use someone bein’ a friend now, ya think?” Mama asked, picking up the carafe once more.

Creighton let out the breath with a shake of his head and a smile. “I bet he could. You know, Mama, I do recall that he said he liked skiing.”

“Do he?” Mama said with a smile as she picked up the mug.

“I wonder if he wants to go skiing?” Creighton said, giving in to what was going to be an inevitable conclusion. He guessed it couldn’t hurt to ask. He liked the kid - and funny to think of someone just a few years younger than him as a ‘kid’. “I’ll go ask if he wants to go along.”

“Now, what a fine idea that is!” Mama said, pouring espresso into the mug. “I bet fun with two people be double the fun!”

“Yes, Mama,” Creighton said, reaching for the mug with the one freehand. “I bet it is.”

“I bet that nice new science person, the Robby fellow, y’know the one? Dark skin, Catholic?” the last was said with a frown as if distasteful. “Bet he seems a nice fellow despite that. Ah, what am I thinkin’? Pretty sure there’s not a lot of skiin’ happenin’ in India.”

“No,” Creighton said, shoulders slumped, realizing his food was getting cold. “But I bet he’d be interested in learning about it. With all the mechanics and positions and other sciency words related to it.”

“You think he might be a tad bit interested in goin’?” Mama asked, handing over the espresso.

“I’ll let you know, tomorrow, when we all get back.” Creighton knew he was defeated. He just hoped he could get his coffee, eat his breakfast and get out of there before he had to rent out all of Greyhound to take the whole damned base on a skiing trip.

“Oh, I’d love to hear all ‘bout your trip with your friends,” Mama said, turning away but then stopped and looked at Creighton for a moment. “I think maybe tomorrow there might be a limited supply of chocolate chip banana pancakes.”

Oh, Mama! The outright manipulation!

“Wow, that’d be amazing, I hope I can get here in time to get some,” Creighton said. He knew how to play this game.

“Oh, I’m thinkin’ ya jus' might. Now, get on, you got yourself a fun day planned ain’t’cha?”

“Oh, yeah, a fun day,” Creighton said, turning to find a spot to take his breakfast. He knew one thing because he picked up the staff sergeant. He didn’t have anything to go skiing in - and Creighton sure as hell wasn’t going skiing with anyone in a uniform! It was supposed to be a fun day, not a work trip. Which meant that he’d have to stop by a store along the way so Jeremy and ‘Robby?’ could get properly attired and equipped. He began eating, shoveling the food away. Suddenly his two hours from the slope was looking like three. Or four. Which was two less hours of slope time!