How To Enjoy A Holiday 101

Posted on Wed Jun 28, 2017 @ 11:40am by Lieutenant Martha Cusack & Lieutenant JG Lucia Cusack & Elsie Cusack

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Italy, Earth
Timeline: Mission Day 15; 11:30

A period of shore leave couldn't have come soon enough for the Cusack family. The last couple of weeks had seen a period of change for the family after their time on the Vindex had come to an end - and although they were settling into life aboard the Triumphant with relative ease they hadn't had a holiday for a couple of years.

Martha was initially sceptical about the idea of a holiday but after Lucia suggested they spend some time in her native Italy the trio quickly packed their bags and headed down to Sicily where they would be spending the next ten days.

After selecting their place on the beach Martha lay down on her towel and took a paperback book out of her bag. As per usual Martha had decided to cover up much more than her wife and was wearing a light jacket and a pair of shorts over her bikini.

"Martha...are you not going to try and get a tan? You haven't taken your jacket and shorts off for a single day we've been here" Lucia asked.

Martha shrugged. "You know what I'm like"

"I do - but we're on holiday and you should make the most of it because we won't get an opportunity like this for a while. Anyway - where's Elsie? She said she'd be joining us" Lucia replied.

Martha nodded. "She will be - she said she was looking for something in our apartment before coming down. I'm sure she won't be long"

"Oh alright. Do you want a drink?" Lucia asked.

Martha wasn't really sure how to enjoy a holiday - she'd not really been on one very often and this was the first time they'd been on a family holiday for two years. She initially wanted to stay on the ship and work on a new security protocol but that wasn't an option - so here she was on the beach in Sicily.

"I can get them if you want. What are you having?" Martha replied.

Lucia shrugged. "I don't mind. I'm standing up anyway"

"Oh alright then. I'll have whatever you're having please...donna bella" Martha said.

Lucia went off to get a drink for them both just as Elsie arrived and sat cross-legged on the sand next to Martha. Elsie was looking for her sunglasses and after a short search around their apartment she'd managed to find them.

"Where's Lucia?" Elsie asked.

Martha smiled. "Oh hey Elsie. She's gone to get some drinks - have you got one?"

"Oh...no - I'll go and get myself one too. I'll be back in a minute" Elsie responded.

Martha watched as Elsie disappeared over to the bar. In fairness Martha did enjoy their surroundings which were extremely beautiful - and she'd really enjoyed the food they had been eating for the past couple of nights. Martha just didn't know what to do on a holiday because she was used to spending more time working - maybe too much. There and then Martha decided she was going to make more of an effort and try to enjoy their quality time together.

Once Elsie and Lucia had returned Martha sat up and put her book down on the soft sand next to her. Accepting the offered drink and taking a long sip of it Martha placed it between her legs securely before asking Lucia for some advice.

"Che...how do you actually enjoy a holiday? This might seem a bit stupid but...I guess I don't really know how to because I'm always working. I want to try and make an effort to enjoy it - for all of us" Martha asked.

Lucia reached for Martha's left hand and held it in her right. She knew Martha still struggled with social situations and although she'd made good strides in improving her social skills Lucia knew there would be some difficult moments for her wife.

"Just...relax. Be yourself and forget about work - leave all thoughts of work, protocols and reports back on the ship and leave them there until you go back on duty in 12 days' time. When we get back to the apartment later we'll ask the computer to see what local sights there are and we can choose some for us to go and look at. What do you think? Elsie?" Lucia replied.

Elsie nodded in response.

"I'd like that. I'd like to go and have a look at some of the old buildings and Roman ruins - maybe I can take some nice pictures on my new holocamera" Martha responded.

Lucia giggled. "You've had that thing since our last holiday and you've never used it"

"I have used it Lucia. I showed it to Captain Ainscow" Martha said.

Lucia continued to giggle - she had shown Captain Ainscow but she hadn't taken any holoimages on it yet. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to create some new memories and make a nice album to remember their holiday by.

"Alright...but it'll be nice to remember our holiday by making a photo album. Let's start now and take a selfie" Lucia suggested.

Martha tittered. "Alright...let me get it out of my bag"

Martha got the holocamera out of her bag and passed it to Lucia. After Lucia turned it on the trio posed for a family photograph and then returned the camera to Martha to put in her bag.

"See? That was nice" Lucia commented.

Martha nodded. "It was. We'll have to get some more of this beach so we can show everyone where we've been visiting"

"Now you've got her to use it Mum will want to take holoimages of everything that moves" Elsie giggled.

Martha tittered and shook her head slowly - she usually misunderstood jokes but Martha had managed to make progress in trying to differentiate between a joke and a serious comment.

"Let's make this the best holiday ever. Come here you two" Martha replied.

Martha opened her arms and embraced her daughter with her right arm and her wife with her left. They were the two most important people in her life and Martha never wanted to let them go - and she was going to do her best to make sure this was going to be their best holiday yet.

"Let's do that" Lucia replied.

Elsie nodded in agreement.

Martha smiled. "Come on - let's go for a swim while it's quiet. I'm glad we booked into a resort with a private beach too. I guess all those saved up Federation Credits can come in handy sometimes"

"I can't wait to tell everyone back in The Black Hole about this place. It's amazing" Elsie commented.

The trio made their way down to the beautiful blue ocean in front of them and swam around ten or fifteen metres away from where the sand met the ocean. Martha looked at both Elsie and Lucia and could see just how much they were enjoying their time away from the ship in such a beautiful place - and it had inspired Martha to do her utmost best to enjoy their holiday just as much as they were too.