Persuading Connor

Posted on Tue Sep 26th, 2017 @ 11:35pm by Senior Captain Connor McKinney M.D. PhD & Captain Madeline Sanchez
Edited on on Wed Sep 12th, 2018 @ 7:22pm

Mission: My Place In This Universe
Location: Connor's apartment
Timeline: 2388/08/18 0715 (August 18 2388 0715)

Fresh from the shower after her run and with hair that was still wet. Maddie approached the door to Connor's apartment, carrying a basket full of warm croissants, jam, marmalade and butter.

The idea was to ply him with food because food was the way to a man's heart wasn't it? And once she had sweetened him up with that she'd ask him about the possible new cadet. Bannerman had sent a message with a few extra details to her which she had found just after her run and the PADD with that information sat nestled amongst the food.

Tapping the doorchime, she waited for him to respond, hoping that he was awake as she smiled and thought that turning up at each other's doors was beginning to become a bit of a habit.

A few moments later the door opened, and Connor was there, dressed only in his robe, with his hair wet and tousled. He stared at her wide-eyed, and his mouth opened a little as he hesitated. "Maddie...hi." It had been four days since their dinner out on his patio, and since then, they had only seen each other at work, and he had missed her.

"Hi..." Maddie breathed as she drank him in, her mouth going dry. Damn the man, did he have to look so...so sexy in everything he wore. Closing her eyes for a second to compose herself, she lifted the basket and added "I brought breakfast but if you're busy..." she trailed off as she watched him.

"Oh...no." Connor replied, and he seemed a little distracted. "Please, come in." He smiled and stood out of the way.

"Okay." Maddie smiled back before stepping inside and heading for his kitchen, "I brought a selection of things because I didn't know what you'd like to have." she commented as she set the basket down and began to unpack it thinking that it felt so natural to be here now.

Placing his hand on her arm, he kissed her cheek. "I'll get dressed." he said turning away. "You've saved me some time." he shouted back to her as he headed towards his bedroom, "I have an early schedule this morning."

"Glad I could help." Maddie called after him, her hand going to the spot where his lips had just been and lingering there for just a while before she shook herself out of it and got to work with the basket of food, setting it all onto plates and serving it up on the nearby table.

Connor returned a few minutes later, dressed in uniform and his hair groomed. He took one look at the table and continued into the kitchen, quickly returning with a pitcher and two glasses. After placing them down, he took his seat, cornered from hers, glancing over at her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Maddie smiled before adding "Though I do have an ulterior motive." she grinned at him sheepishly as she reached for a croissant.

"Oh Yeah? "Looking interested, he snatched the bowl away before she could get one, " 'n' what is that?"

"Hey!" Maddie cried as she swiped for the bowl, enjoying the lighthearted banter, "I'll only tell you if you'll be nice." she teased.

Connor raised a questioning eyebrow, and not saying anything, brought the bowl slowly back to her.

"Thank you." Maddie grinned as she plucked a croissant out of the basket quickly so that he couldn't take it away again.

"You're welcome" he grinned back, and looked quite pleased with himself.

"Actually I wanted to ask you something as the Dean of the Academy." she said as she broke a piece off the pastry and picked up a knife to collect some butter.

"Okay." he said busying himself with his own plate. He glanced over at her, "Go ahead."

"I spoke to Jake Bannerman last night." Maddie began as she spread the butter on the croissant, "He's at Zulu with Brady picking up the cadets and he contacted me to ask me something." she looked up from her task, focusing on him then asked "Have you ever heard of a race called the Nygeans?"

"Yeah." Two lines slightly formed between Connor's eyebrows. "I was informed of all the Delta Quadrant races known to the Federation when I was given this possie." He wiped his fingers on his napkin, looking over at her. "What did Bannerman want?"

"Apparently a Nygean teen has approached him to ask if he can join the Academy. There's some kind of class system on their planet which prevents him training to be a doctor so he left home to seek us out." Maddie smiled, "I think it's really commendable and just think about what allowing it would do for local relations." She eyed Connor to try and gauge his reaction.

Connor paused and then started preparing a croissant as he thought about it. "It's possible." he replied, his eyes going back over to her. "But there are some things that need to be considered."

"Well of course but I think it may well be worth it plus Bannerman implied that the kid is really eager to learn." Maddie replied, then paused for a moment before adding "He suggested bringing the boy along to meet us when he brings the cadets back."

Having taken a bite of his croissant, Connor shook his head 'no', reaching for the pitcher of melon water as he swallowed. "I can't allow that."

"Why?" Maddie frowned, not understanding his reticence at all.

"Those 'things' that need to be considered, Maddie..." he finished pouring their drinks and looked back to her as he set the pitcher back down on the table. "Such as we know nothing about him, 'n' very little of where he came from."

"Which is all the more reason to get him here and have a chat." Maddie countered, "If worse comes to worse and we don't think it'll work, we'll just get Bannerman to fly him back to Zulu." she added before popping a freshly buttered chunk of croissant into her mouth.

"Why the hurry?" Connor's brow furrowed as he questioned. "As both you 'n' Bannerman know, we finished testing for the current academy year nearly a week ago."

"So?" Maddie countered, "There's nothing wrong with meeting him and if necessary and he seems a good fit, I could provide extra tutoring sessions for him as well as persuade some of the faculty to put in some extra time." she paused for a moment then added "And the hurry is that if we don't do this now, he'll be left behind permanently and not be able to graduate with this first year of cadets." she reached a hand across the table and covered his as she added "Please? I really do see this as a golden opportunity." Not usually one for using her feminine wiles, she opted to put that aside for once and did her best to use puppy dog eyes and a pouty expression as she met his gaze.

And Connor was captured. Having taken another bite, he chewed slowly as he found himself thinking about all the points she made, and realized he needed to separate this situation from the other exceptions he had made. He nodded, and swallowed again, before saying quietly, "Okay." and looked at the time. "I need you to come with me."

At the moment Connor had said okay, Maddie was already out of her seat and launching herself at him, flinging her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "Thank you." she grinned before pulling back and adding "Where are we going?"

"To the starbase." he said smiling at her, and his eyes lit up, "My nephew 'n' his mum are due to arrive there within the hour."

"You have a nephew?" Maddie asked as she let him go albeit reluctantly and stood back.

Connor reached out, to softly run his hand down her arm to her hand, where he held onto her, and then suddenly let go. "Aye...he's my brother's." He cleared his throat and stood, trying to regain control. Turning away from her, he took a large swallow of his drink and then headed into the kitchen. "While we're there we can speak to diplomatic affairs about the Nygean."

"That works." Maddie nodded as she stood up too, feeling distracted by the physical contact. She nodded towards the counter and added "That's the information Bannerman sent to me if you want to read it before we go." She pointed to the PADD that she had brought with her.

After rinsing his glass, Connor had set it in the sink, and now picked up the PADD she had steered him to. He started reading it over, and with one of his main concerns getting answered, waved her over towards him with urgency as he looked at the time. "We should get going.." he said, moving away for her to lead the way to the door.

"Of course...I'll drop by and clear the rest of this stuff up later." Maddie smiled as she headed for the door, wondering if she was reading too much into the fact that he was taking her to meet his nephew.

Connor hesitated, as he thought about everything left on the table, before taking in a deep breath and following her out the door.


End


Captain Madeline Sanchez
XO/Assistant Dean
Magellan Campus

Doctor Connor McKinney
Dean
Magellan Campus