Probation ends

Posted on 16 Jul 2026 @ 9:27pm by Lieutenant Margeurite "Maggie" LeFebvre & Master Chief Petty Officer Harrison Madrie

1,966 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: The Dive-
Timeline: Tbd

ON:



Harrison sip his drink, tucked away in a corner booth he watched the duo on stage stumble through a questionable redition of Crimson and Clover that made him wish he could turn off his ears. The whiskey helped. Real whiskey, good whiskey. He had turned over a lot of credits to get his hands on it from the old Marine MCO before she'd shipped out. He was celebrating. The papers had finally come through and his probation was ending. Perhaps the good news and strong drink were the reason he could find the painful yowling from the stage tolerable.

His dark eyes scanned the Dive. He wondered how long the little hidden hang out would last with the Marines now under new ownership. Harrison had seen the new guy.. well not guy persay it was a giant Siberian tiger man who didn't strike the pilot as the playful sort. All this, he determined it's time was limited. Best to enjoy it while it lasted. Hidden deep in the engineering deck 12 it was a large circular room not shown on the schismatics of the new refit design. Either by design or accidental it had been discovered during the "Running man" games, hide and seek. Then had become a little getaway for those in on the secret. It contained a little stage now and various tables made from items that had been rescued from the recycling units and fixed up. Including a karaoke set up. You brought your own food. There was a shelf with boxes containing various old board games for people to enjoy. Harrison spotted one table with four men playing something with dice and fake money. He smirked and took another drink glac he wasn't that bored.

Maggie was at the Dabo table. Todd was hanging out with the Engineers, and she felt like it was important that they both maintain their own interests and hobbies even as they became parents. So, Maggie was in the dive bar, hanging out. Sometimes she missed the days she was the flirty pilot in dresses that barely qualified as clothes, drinking too much and making bad choices. But she really WAS content with her life.

The Dabo table was getting too wild and so, she picked up her Shirley Temple and made her way to the back of the bar to read a bit before she returned home and went to bed. What once thrilled her was actually kind of...sad now. It didn't hold her interest like it once did.

She passed a table on her way back from the ladies' room-being pregnant made her have to pee like a racehorse from ancient Earth movies. She recognized the juniors pilot.

"Mind if I sit here? It's quieter than up front," she said. "And the replicator in our quarters is broken, but my husband is working on repairing it, and they make the best faux cocktails here."

She didn't wait for an answer, she just pulled a chair over. "Petty Officer...Madrie, right?" She had had to learn the entire roster of pilots when she became the Deputy CAG.

"Congrats on your probationary period ending. We will have to take some test flights sometime," Maggie said. "Why aren't you out there with the others, taking home girls who don't know better than to date a pilot?" She asked. Or guys, for that matter, as she knew. Running through them like water, a long time ago.

Harrison looked at Maggie as she sat down. At her congratulations he'd raised his shot glass to her and emptied it promptly in a swallow. It was a shame she was knocked up and locked down. She was a cutie. At her inquiry he offered her a smirk and replied as he refilled that shot glass again. "Only tail I wanna chase is a boggy." He let his eyes rove over her though in the low lights of the dive. "Besides all the cute girls are taken."

She laughed. "I am sure not ALL of them, but I understand. How are you finding training?? If you want to go up and dogfight, I'll join you."

"No can do darlin." Harrison said tipping back his shot glass again, "My probation being lifted was conditional. I cannot access my sweet Birdee without direct permission from Lieutenant Winchester. Just in case ya know I get the urge to fiddle with her standardized settings again. " He sighed dramatically as he poured yet another shot. "I been tryin to catch em in his office ya know. He's been avoiding it like the plague likely due to do with that head shrinker hanging around waiting to catch em too." He smirked then, "Now that's a skirt I wouldn't mind getting to know." He gave Maggie a wink. "All long legs of her."


"Well. I am the Deputy. I am sure I can fudge the logs," she offered. She snorted. "The Counselor?? I can get you meeting. I know her," she said. "A double date with me and Todd," she said. "If you want." She sipped the last of her lemonade. "And there's a cute Vulcan in Science," she said.

He chuckled at that, "Somehow I doubt a Vulcan scientist is gonna take a look at my ugly mug and think it's a logical choice? At least with the counselor I can get sympathy votes." Harrison continued to chortle. "So, You and Todd still." he shook his head the smirk never left. "How did he manage it?"

"He threatened to kill me," she joked. "No, but seriously. He was hanging around Hawksley all the time. Needed a fix to my bird and the replicator in the Hangars. They sent Todd. He flirted, and I fell for it," she said. "Us ladies talk. I'll see what I can do," she said.

"He's a catch. Sorta. I mean he's not me." Harrison moved the glass and bottle to the side and gave her a more serious look. "You r happy right? He treats you good?" The tone was that of almost brotherly concern. She was his wingman, part of the team. He hoped she wasn't settling for some grease monkey just cause he'd managed to knock her up and all. "If he treats you bad you come and tell me. Ill take care of it for you." He promised.

Maggie laughed. "I will do that, but honestly, he treats me well. He's nice, and when we fight, we work it out. No shouting, no games. Just a back and forth until we come to a compromise," she said. "I'm still getting used to it, really."

He was happy for her. Her words put him at ease, not that he was going to tell her that.

"Ah shit, he is fricken prince charming. That explains it. He is one of those goats out there raising the bar for lazy shmucks like me. Glad he is off the market." Harrison leaned back on his stool. His face looked like he had just bitten into a lemon. "No room for competion like that around here." He waved his hand almost dismissingly.

Maggie laughed. "I guess so," she said. "At any rate, we're happy and I hope....well. I hope you will be, too, someday. In the meantime...I am grounded until after I give birth, which is stupid because I can still fit behind the cockpit," she said, making a face. "But whatever. Anyway. I am going to recommend you for my spot to Winchester," she said. "We need a fighter that can rival me, and that's you. The others are good, but not great."

Maggie laughed. "Well. I am sure that someone will catch your eye," she said. "So what's your plan now that you're a "real" pilot?" She asked.

He gave her an almost hurt look, "I have been a real pilot for a long time now sweetheart. I just haven't been a real well behaved one." He corrected with a wink. God how he wished Ross was here; He wanted a bum one of those damn smokes off him. Maybe that's where he would go next? Go hang out in the morgue with the doctor and shoot the shit. "And the plan is to do as I am told... For now." something in the smile he gave her suggested that he had a way of interpreting what he was told in his own way that might just land him back on probation again sooner then later. "What's your plan sweet potato now that you are up the duff as they say?"

Maggie laughed. "well. I am not exactly a poster child for perfect Starfleet officer myself," she said. "My plan? I don't know. We have time but for now, we'll relocate to the station and raise our baby there for now. I can fly there. It's not as fun as dog fights off the ship but it's more steady and safer for a baby," she said.

He nodded his eyes growing softer a touch. "The station?" That meant she was leaving the team. That hurt his heart more then he wanted to admit. "I am sure it is going to be a wonderful life for you. You..." He swallowed hard his eyes focused on her more keenly. "You are going to be a wonderful mother I am sure of it."

She smiled lightly. "Thank you," she said. "You guys will be fine without me," she said. "But yes. It's either that, or let one of our parents' raise our baby and I can't...fathom that. We should be doing that," she said. It wasn't ideal but it was how it was.

Harrison smirked. "Well I Dunno, we could always, like pass the baby around and help out. I could teach it poker and how to pick up chicks. change a few diapers and make a few bottles. Sorta like a little mascot." He teased. Though it was only halfheartedly. He wouldn't mind changing a few diapers or making a few bottles if it meant keeping Maggie around. He was sure with some work something could be arranged, couldn't it? But she seemed determined and besides the Tomcat was not exactly a safe place for children. He still hated to see her go.

She laughed. "If you can convince the Captain, I am fine with that. Maybe not the poker part yet, but...It's not safe to have an infant on a battleship or some nonsense like that," she said, making a face. "Same reason I can't fly right now. If we're in a battle and I get hurt....I could hurt the fetus or even kill it. And that's a risk I can't take, even if it's hard to stay grounded," she explained. She understood the reason. She just hated it.

He nearly reached for the bottle again, but he didn't it felt a little disrespectful now. "I wish you nothing but the best Mags. Make sure you come see us whenever you can girl. Things will never be the same with out you."


Maggie smiled sadly. “That’s true,” she said. “And of course I’ll be around when I can. You think Im gonna let Winchester just replace me without my approval?! Not happening. My replacement will need to be as big of a pain in his ass as I am,” she said, laughing. “Anyway. I should go. Thank you for the chat. I was losing my mind upstairs alone,” she said.

His voice was thick either by whiskey or regret he didn't know. "Any time."

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