“Permission to speak freely, Captain?”

Fontana considered the young woman that stood before him in his ready room.  Patton had given him plenty of advice on how to handle her, and he was starting to wonder what the truth was in this situation.  Gwenelda had been one of his greatest advocates in his time in the academy, and after - much of his success had come because she had known someone or been able to write a strongly worded recommendation letter.  Her efforts had earned him a captain's chair on a New Orleans class starship, and he'd expected to burnish his credentials with his work in training the current commanding officer.  He had resigned an hour ago when Fontana had told him to break up with his girlfriend.  Who now stood in front of him.  He considered refusing her request.  He relented, “Permission granted, Lieutenant Reid.”

Jordan had been thinking about what to say as she had walked from the quarters of her former CO to her current CO's ready room.  She stared at the captain for a moment before speaking, “I wanted you to know that was a pretty awful move you pulled on Ambrose, sir.”  It was hard not to curse out the man with every four-letter word she knew, but she wanted to keep her position and rank for the moment and had decided to hold her temperament.

“He had a choice, Lieutenant.  He made his.”

Reid shook her head, “You didn't give him much of one, sir.  You didn't even sit down with me to discuss the issue.”

Fontana frowned, “Why would I sit down with you?  Mr. Harris is the one who was breaking the rules as a commanding officer with a first officer and then his chief medical officer.  The one who had to answer for the issue has answered.  I'm not sure why talking to you would have been necessary.”

She raised both her eyebrows, “Because I'm one half of the relationship, sir.  Instead of involving both of us to talk about the issue and how to solve it…you went in with a hammer and sledged your FO into an impossible choice.”

The captain shrugged, “Nothing is impossible, Lieutenant.  Sometimes you have to make a decision that is best for you and your crew…and not someone you think was cute.”  Geronimo instantly regretted his choice of words and moved to speak.  

Reid's face nearly turned purple as she stepped on his attempt, “How….dare…you.”  She flared her nostrils and felt the hot blood from her heart flooding her body as she desperately sought to regain some control of her mind and body.  “You don't know me.  You didn't even try to get to know Ambrose.  You think those rank pips and this room make you special?  That you can pass judgment from that chair?”  She stepped forward and rested her hands on the desk, staring into his eyes,  “I may be young, but I've learned a lot in my short time on the Erigone and the Eddie - we don't assume anything about each other on this crew.”  She pushed off the desk, “I won't quit.  I'll start my transfer paperwork to be filed once we've completed this mission.  I'll do my duty, and I'll do my job.”

Fontana pushed up and away from his chair calmly, “Look, I'm sorry for the phrasing…”

She stopped him again, “Apology not accepted, sir.  That's what you think of our relationship.  Don't try and polish it up with a ‘phrasing’ apology.  The truth is what matters on the Edinburgh, sir.  We don't know any other way of operating.”  Reid gave him one last look, “I'll be in sickbay if my services are required, Captain.”  She turned to leave.

“You are not dismissed, Lieutenant Reid.”

She spun slowly on her heels, “Do you imagine if we keep talking, it'll improve things, sir?”

Fontana went to speak but stopped.  He had expected a fight.  He had expected her to do…well, whatever Patton had said she would do.  He hadn't expected that question in the mild tone that had delivered it.  “I don't imagine it would, Lieutenant Reid.  You are dismissed.”  He watched her leave, and as the door closed, he began to wonder about much of why he was here.