Breathing Underwater

[Angel Ryder]

"That's true... I mean this crew is the best I've ever worked with, even the rookies are good. There are times I barely have to an issue an order, they know what they need to do, they're just waiting for us to confirm the order they know is coming." Angel said with a smile. "I'm kind of understanding why dad pretty much left us to handle all this, he knew as I'm finding out, that we know what we have to do, just have to do it. Don't need 'big daddy' to come and tell us to do it, or do it for us. First time in my professional career that I'm pretty much working without his safety net and I'm realizing I never really needed it. Just needed to know it was there. Besides, my baby brother Gale deserves to not be a target and Alice has been nearly killed more times than I have fingers. I'd be lying if I didn't consider joining him wherever or whenever he is. Although with dad and Alice gone, Jack and Kinsey gone, my sister for all intents and purposes out of the intelligence business, I'm the only one still in the Fleet that's actively in combat."

[Becky Sandoval]

Becky shrugged, "My counterpart, which is still weird by the way, has always asserted that we're all family. The blood tie is irrelevant... That and we literally ARE family through marriage or blood."

[Angel Ryder]

"True... and honestly you're entirely 'sister' status to me." Angel said with a wink.

[Becky Sandoval]

"Thanks... well, shall we?" She said nervously.

[Angel Ryder]

"We shall." Angel said with a smile. "Don't look so nervous, we're doing this together. Which means that this won't end in a complete clusterfuck. Speaking of... you did speak to those Ensigns who were fucking around the shuttlebay right? I have nothing against blowing off steam but our workbees are not intended to be used as 'rock 'em sock 'em robots."

[Becky Sandoval]

"Yeah, that wasn't what was bothering me," she said with a weak smile. "But yes, let's."

[Angel Ryder]

"What IS bothering you?" Angel inquired. "You can tell me anything, you know that." she looked at her. "I never want you to feel like I'm ignoring your instincts. Especially since you listened to me rant on for twenty minutes about how I'm an emotional mess. This would have entirely been one of those times I would have called my dad. But I don't have him around, but he knew I had you. So... talk to me Becky."

[Becky Sandoval]

She shrugged uncomfortably, "For the longest time it's just been Amiee and I. Family was either dead, assimilated, or in the case of my father distant and uninterested in having a daughter. And friends... well that was a whole new roller coaster of emotion. You didn't get close to people because you had lost everyone you were close to. Others didn't let you in either for that very reason."

[Angel Ryder]

"When I was still coming up through the ranks, we were fighting a Borg War here too. So many died or were assimilated or simply lost. That's why after a Borg basically blasted my legs out from under me, that I joined the USO, to be a friend to those who have lost so much." Angel said softly. "All of us have given up a lot and have lost a lot since we put on these uniforms and swore that oath. My daughter told me in another time that I had become cold and hard because of the losses, I really don't see that as being me. Not without severe mental trauma and even then... I will always be that friend to those who have a hard time with being a friend or letting people in."

[Becky Sandoval]

"And I'll try to be more open. It's just hard when for so long, and with the PTSD." She threw up her hands in exasperation, "Hell, It's been a long time here. I got to get over myself."