Skewerity

Posted on Sun Sep 13th, 2020 @ 11:11pm by Lieutenant Commander Felicie Rivero

Mission: After the Storm
Location: Main Promenade - Deck 627

Felicie was standing in the middle of the promenade, talking to one of the senior security officers regarding the most recent breakin for the weapons lockers, their current discussion revolving around the increased surveillance for all non secure areas.

The first poke to her behind had been ignored as someone bumping her from behind. The second poke had resulted in a blank swat behind, but at the third she spun around. "Do you mind?" she demanded as she found herself staring at no one, her gaze travelling downward until she was looking into the rather expectant face of a small female humanoid child.

"Scuse me, are you Skewerity?" she asked, her hands held behind her back as she rocked on her heels.

"You mean Security?" Felicie asked, raising her eyebrow slightly.

"Uh huh, that's what I said, skewerity." The girl smiled again sweetly. "Momma and Daddy told me that if I got lost, I should find Skewerity."

Felicie sighed inwardly. The last thing she felt like doing was spending her time running around after an annoying child. "Tell you what, how about Lieutenant Hamayoon here helps you find your Mommy and Daddy?"

"Nuh uh," the girl replied earnestly. "Momma and Daddy told me I should find a Skewerity laaaaaady." She slipped her hand inside Felicie's and smiled again. "I need YOU to help me."

Turning back to Hamayoon she rolled her eyes slightly. "Make the changes and I'll check with you when I'm done, okay?"

Hamayoon nodded and turned on his heel, walking away, but there was no mistaking the sheer amusement on his face.

Turning back to the child, Felicie crouched down so she was closer to eye level and offered what she hoped was a patient smile. "Alright, how about you start by telling me your name?"

"*I* am Aaliyah Maddison Wynter. I am *five* years old." She held one her free hand full of fingers as a visual demonstration. "My Momma is 'Sin Zara Wynter. She's a doctor for sick people. My Daddy is Tennat Chase Wynter. He's a doctor for sick computers." She grinned, still holding Felicies hand and swinging her arm slightly.

A feeling of relief washed over Felicie and she smiled. "Right, Well, Miss Aayliah, given you're such a smart girl, I should be able to find your parents easy enough and we'll have you reunited in no time at all."

The expression on the child's face went from polite, happy and genial to frustrated in the blink of an eye. "I'm not lost!" she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I know exactly where I am. I'm on deck six hundred and tenty seven. Main Promenade." There was a look of stoic determination on her face as she held her head up. "I'm NOT lost, Fenton is lost! We were playing hide and seek and he was hiding under the tables and then he was gone!" She released Felicies hand, shrugging exaggeratedly. "He was just gone! Like that! Gone!" She tried to snap her fingers for emphasis, pursing her lips and concentrating as she tried several times before giving up. "And now he's lost."

Felicie's shoulders fell slightly as she nodded. "Is Fenton your brother?" she asked, resigning herself to the fact that she was going to be dealing with a missing child.

Aayliah shook her head quickly. "He's my bestest frien' in the whole wide universe. He's 4 years old and he has brown hair like me," she finished, tugging on her own pigtail.

There was a nod. "Alright, do you know who Fenton's parents are?"

Another shake of the head, brown pigtails bouncing. "He's 'dopted."

"Okay, do you know who adopted Fenton?" Felicie asked, trying to maintain her patience.

There was a proud grin on Aayliah's face. "Me!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "I 'dopted him. Momma and Daddy told me I could!"

"I'm going to call your parents, we'll get them down here and get a description of Fenton and then we'll find him okay?" Felicie said, reaching for her commbadge.

The look on Aayliah's face became almost panicked and she covered Felicie's hand with her own. "Daddy told me if I run away from Miss Thea once more then he's gonna send me to boo' camp. I don't like Halloween!" the little girl said, a hint of fear in her voice.

Felicie closed her eyes, a heavy sigh escaping her mouth before she opened her eyes again and offered something of a smile to Aayliah. "Alright, how about we go find Fenton and Miss Thea instead?"

The look of fear disappeared and Aayliah's hand slid down, sliding into Felicie's again, gripping tightly. "We were playing down there," she said tugging on Felicie's arm as she started moving forward, dragging the security officer behind her.

They had barely made it half a dozen steps when a shrill voice rang out from behind them. "Aaliyah Maddison Wynter! I have been all over the promenade looking for you!"

The child grimaced, gripped Felicie's hand tighter as she turned until she released it suddenly and propelled herself toward the voice. "Fenton!" she exclaimed, running to snatch a scruffy looking brown teddy bear from the young woman's arms.

"I found Fenton thrown away under a table and you were no where to be found! I thought you were lost!" The shrill voice continued.

Felicie smirked slightly. "She wasn't lost, she knew exactly where she was," she responded, unable to help herself before introducing herself. "Lieutenant Commander Felicie Rivero. Head of Security. I assume you're Miss Thea?" She raised an eyebrow slightly.

Aayliah looked up at Felicie and grinned broadly. "She's my new friend! And this is Fenton!"

"Well, I'm very glad to know that Fenton the teddy bear is perfectly safe and I don't need to shut the station down to look for a missing child," Felicie said dryly. "Tell you what kid, next time he gets lost playing hide and seek, and someone asks you what he looks like? How about you start by telling us that he's a teddy bear." Felicie looked at Miss Thea who was frowning apologetically. "Don't be too hard on her, she did the right things... but I trust I can leave this with you now?"

Miss Thea nodded, her expression still ashen. "Of course Commander, I'm sorry she was a bother."

As Thea's hand clasped on the child's shoulder, turning her and walking away, Felicie could hear her chastising the child quietly, the scene making her smile just a little.

There were some things that never changed.