ten_fwd | (no subject)

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Elizabeth didn't like bars. She didn't drink and she didn't approve of others drinking. It was a vile, dangerous habit that led to nothing but heartache. She especially didn't like taking Anne into a bar, even one as clean and well lit as Ten Forward. The baby was too young to internalize bad examples, but Elizabeth worried nonetheless. Her experiences had her convinced that all men had a secret monster inside their heart that only needed an excuse to come out. It was certainly true for her.

Whether she liked the idea of spending time a bar or not, her other options for gathering information and socializing were limited. There would apparently be some kind of medical examination in the future, but she wasn't ready for all that yet. The choice between a cold examination room and a room full of people was a hard one for her, but in the end she decided she was better able to relax around people.

The baby fussed in her sling while Elizabeth contemplated the replicator. She hummed softly to Anne, her left arm wrapped protectively around the baby's head and body. The noise was probably distressing her, along with the lack of motion. The ship had creaked and groaned, swaying with the waves. The Enterprise was too still and the hallways were so quiet.

When she finally decided to ask for eggs and pancakes she was astonished at how quickly her request was granted. The food smelled okay and didn't seem to be fake, but it had appeared very quickly. She paused a moment to examine it further, curious about how the machine worked. With a baby in one arm and a plate in her other hand there wasn't much she could do other than move her head around to try to look at every angle of the machine. Elizabeth never worried about looking like a fool, and she wasn't going to start worrying about appearances just because she was in a new place.

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"Forgive me," he said, "I did not mean to startle." He shook his head in answer to her question. "I'm afraid this is a bit beyond my knowledge," he confessed, "Though I'd be curious to learn more. I'm new to this time period, myself."

There was a great deal to remember, when it came to the technology of the day.

Elizabeth nodded, taking in his unusual clothing and longer hair. "It seems like that is the case for almost everyone. Have you been here long?" He seemed like a nice, polite man, but for some reason his lips didn't sync up with his words. It was a strange sight. She wasn't sure what to make of it yet. "I'm Elizabeth and this is Anne." She motioned toward the fussy baby, who was not put at ease by Samanosuke's manners.

"Just a few months," he said. He was used to hearing things in his own language even if what he thought he heard obviously didn't match what was actually being said. He half expected Ako, the Crow faerie, to pop out of thin air and start teasing everyone.

He blinked at the one word that did match up. Elizabeth? Ah, but it was a common name, wasn't it? Not like Samanosuke, which wasn't even a common name in 16th century Japan. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Elizabeth," he said, bowing deeply from the waist. "And you, Little Miss Anne."

Anna-chan, it seemed, was having none of it.

Elizabeth chuckled and glanced down at Anne. "She's fussy sometimes. We used to live on a ship and I think she got used to the rocking and the noise. It's so quiet here." Truthfully the quiet unnerved Elizabeth a little, too.

She looked over at her food and laughed a little. "Would you mind if we talked over breakfast? It's been a while since I last ate."

"Of course," he said, pulling out a chair for her at the table where she had set her plate. "Please." Once she was seated, he sat down as well, and added, "You may call me Samanosuke."

"Samanosuke." She repeated, smiling brightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

She sat daintily and positioned Anne in her lap. "When are you from?"

"Fifteen eighty-two," he replied, studying her as she performed her maternal balancing act. "The tenth year of the Tensho period. Just after the fall of Oda Nobunaga. If you are familiar wih or interested in the history."

"I don't know much about Asi'n history," Elizabeth admitted sheepishly. "I'm from 1909. Kinda. It's complicated." She laughed softly and tried to eat a bite or two. Breakfast went a lot slower these days.

"Ah, so." Samanosuke nodded. "Time travel always is. Like the time that Nobunaga was resurrected as a demon, and tried to invade 21st Century Paris, and I accidentally traded places with a French military officer."

He shook his head, and lauhed a little. "They don't talk about that part in the history books."

After a moment, he gestured toward little Anne, and asked, "Would you like me to hold her for you while you eat? It looks like hard work."

Elizabeth blinked and laughed at Samanosuke. "It sounds like you have quite the story to tell."

She contemplated his offer, then nodded. "Yes, thank you." Elizabeth rose and gently handed Anne over.

"Don't we all?"

He smiled, gently gathering the little one in his arms. "Hello, Anne-chan," he said, "How are you?"

The strange man calling her baby 'Anne-Chan' hit every one of Elizabeth's buttons. She smiled widely, laughing a clear, happy laugh. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad without Anne's father after all. "Anne-chan. That's so cute. I'll have to call her that."

He smiled back at her, turning so that Anne could see her mother, too. "There we go. Say, 'hello, Mama-san!'" He chuckled. At least Anne wasn't big enough to kick him in the shins and run away. He'd never hear the end of that!

This man was simply too much for Elizabeth. She smiled widely, giving Samanosuke her full attention. "You're very good with children. Do you have any of your own?"

"Not yet," he said, "though according to some versions of history, I will have had." He smiled back at her. "Time travel and parallel universes make things complicated."

"I get that. It's too bad." She smiled cheerfully at him, eating a few bites of her food. "You're quite handsome, Samanosuke."

"Maybe someday," he mused, shrugging his shoulders. You never knew where life would take you.

His brows rose at the unexpected compliment, but he inclined his head in thanks. "If Anna-chan takes after you," he replied circuitously, "Then one of these days her father will be driving the suitors away with a stick, won't he?"

Elizabeth's smile faded a little. She took another couple bites before replying. She understood the compliment, but being reminded of Anne's father still hurt. After she'd masked her initial reaction she said, "Her grandfather will certainly be watching out for her many suitors."

The mental image of some poor young person trying to convince Booker they were harmless amused Elizabeth immensely.

"Ah. Forgive me," Samanosuke murmured apologetically, recognizing his mistake. "Your father is with you? That must be a relief." Children were wonderful, but they could be hard work at any age.

He smiled, and added playfully, "Perhaps I ought to watch my step, eh?"

She smiled softly, her good cheer returning when the subject moved away from Killian. "I'm very grateful he's here. I hope that he isn't too much trouble for you. You're quite interesting to talk to and I'd hate to have to bring you flowers in the medical facility."

That he was interested in pursuing her made Elizabeth feel warm and pleased. He was quite attractive and wonderfully polite without being boring. "Could you show me around a little after I've eaten?"

"I would be honored," Samanosuke replied, inclining his head in as much of a bow as he could manage without disturbing little Anne. "And I would hope I could hold my own, but such a cause would be well worth a few bumps and bruises, I think."

Elizabeth blushed and giggled. "Oh really? Then maybe we could have dinner together as well." It was almost certainly going to be an enjoyable meal. Samanosuke was a perfect gentleman and he was so tender with Anne. "I'll see if I can get Anne-chan to sleep through the thing so we can enjoy ourselves."

"Truly," Samanosuke replied, nodding once more. "And if you haven't tired of me by then, I suppose that I could be persuaded." His words might have been understated, but his eyes were smiling. It had not escaped his notice when Elizabeth picked up the Japanese honorifics. "I'm sure she will be just fine. Won't you, Anne-chan?"

Anne was conked out again, but Elizabeth answered for the little girl. "She's a devil, but her grandfather can look after her. Do you want to meet in five hours? I suppose we'll take supper here."

Samanosuke smiled down at the sleeping child, then nodded at her mother. "I shall look foward to it," he said. "If you have finished eating, may I escort you to your quarters so that you can tuck her into bed?"