Dinner

*Where is he ?* Sierra asked herself. *He better not stand me up tonight !* Today was their anniversary. *He promised he would be home tonight !*

"Computer. Please located Captain Devore."

[Captain Devore is no longer on the Leviathan.]

"Computer. Expand search to include DS9."

[Captain Devore is on the Promenade.]

"What is he doing there ?" Sierra said slightly frustrated.

Sierra sat down and continued to wait. *He wouldn't dare not show up tonight.* Sierra laid down on the couch. She finally decided that he wasn't coming, got up and started to clear the table, but thought *Why should this dinner go to waste.

"Computer. Locate Cadet McCaffee."

[Cadet McCaffee is in his quarters.]

Sierra tapped her combadge. "Counsellor Devore to Cadet Brayden."

"Go ahead Counsellor What can I do for you ?" Brayden responded.

"Have you had dinner yet, Brayden ?" She asked.

"Actually, no, I was going to go to the mess hall in a few minutes. Why ?"

"Well, I have made dinner for Marc and I, but he is too busy to eat with me. Would you like to join me ?"

"Sure. I'll be there in a few minutes." He said with a zeal Sierra had never heard before.

Within a few minutes, Brayden was at the door. "Come in." Sierra said.

"Hello Sierra." He said clapping his hands together showing he was ready to dig in, "What's for dinner ?"

"How does Spaghetti with hot Italian sausage and garlic bread sound to you ?"

"Sounds great !"

Sierra and Brayden sit down at the table and begin to eat. Brayden looks up from his plate with his first bite still in his mouth.

"Something wrong ?" Sierra asked.

He swallows the food. "On the contrary, this is great !"

"I am glad you like it. It's a recipe passed on from generation to generation in my family."

"Well then Marc sure is missing a great meal."

"Can I ask you something ?" Sierra asked Brayden.

"Sure. Of course. Anything." He responded.

"Did the Admiral miss dinner frequently ?"

"Well, yeah, my mom was awfully busy. My dad finally learned to deal with it. But it's something that I have always known." He said. He looked at Sierra and noticed for the first time the way she was dressed and the look in the quarters. "Sierra, was this going to be a special dinner for you and Marc ?"

Sierra looked down in her lap. "Yes, this is our anniversary. He promised to be home tonight, but as you can see, he still isn't home." Sierra said. Looking up at Brayden she continued. "But I couldn't see this dinner going to waste, so I thought, why not invite my favourite son to eat dinner with his new mom." She said smiling.

"Thank you for the invitation." He said.

"Hey, I am sorry. Let's forget about the Captain, eat the rest of our dinner and I will challenge you to a game of darts. What do you say ?"

"Sounds great !"

Brayden and Sierra finish their dinner and head out for Quarks. She and Brayden are walking along the Promenade when Brayden glances over his right shoulder after just passing a man standing looking out a porthole. "He looks familiar." Brayden said softly, but just as he did he wished he hadn't. At that moment, he noticed it was the Captain.

Sierra turned as he spoke, "I am sorry, what did you say ?" She noticed Brayden looking back and looked back to see what he was looking at. He was looking at Marc !

*There he was just standing there ! Not in any hurry to get home !*

Brayden noticed Sierra looking at the Captain. "Sierra, let keep going. Or are you going to back out of our bet !" Brayden said with a smile.

Sierra looked at Brayden. *Marc can sleep on the couch tonight.*

"Hey, no way am I backing out on our bet, especially since I know I can win !"

"So you think, Sierra. You'll see who will be eating their words !" He said as both of them turned towards Quarks.

Sierra said goodnight to Brayden from DS9. Brayden wanted to say goodnight to his mother, Admiral McCaffee.

Sierra walked into her quarters. *Marc still isn't home.* She walked over to the linen closet and took out the pillow and blanket that had been frequenting the couch often the past couple of weeks. Then she went and changed into her bed clothes.

*Good night Marc, wherever you are.*

The next morning, Sierra awoke expecting to see Marc on the couch or the covers put away, but they lay on the couch untouched. Unable to go back to sleep she decided to go ahead and go to work early. Maybe get some breakfast from the mess hall. She entered the mess hall and sat down at a table near a window and began to daydream about what needed to be done today.