***Authors Note: To make reading this a better experience, read Scotty's voice with a heavy Irish accent. This story is in 3 stages and the time difference (***) can be a long time, I just didn't have enough words and time- I will fill in the gaps (***) someday.***

Scotty and Plo sat next to each other in the mess hall, eating their delayed lunch. Plo poked at the sloop on his plate, before pushing it aside, "they've really invested themselves in the whole sloop day- this year, haven't they." 

"Ai," Scotty agreed. He tried to put a spoonful of the sloop in his mouth, he gagged and pushed the plate away. "Heap a shit." Plo laughed. Alison walked over to where they were sitting. 

"Did you guys miss lunch too?" 

"Ai. Because of this dumcof." He laughed as he elbowed Plo. 

"No, no, no, that was your fault." He answered sharing the laugh. 

She laughed and she sat down putting the tray in front of her, she looked at the sloop and picked up a spoonful of it. She contemplated eating it.

"I wouldn't," Plo advised. Scotty agreed, taking a sip of his drink.

"Yeah, but I missed dinner last night and breakfast this morning. Had to fix that bloody generator." 

"Ah that was you, that sucks."

"Hmm." She sniffed at the spoonful, and it looked like she made a silent prayer as she put it in her mouth and swallowed it. The face she made was priceless.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Plo laughed. 

"I'm not quite sure what I just ate was edible." She said as she went to eat another mouthful, Ryan came over with his tray of food.

"Hey," Ryan said as he plonked his tray down before sitting at the table. 

Alison pulled her device from her pocket and looked at it with dismay. She groaned, ate two more mouthfuls of the sloop and went to get up. "I have to go and fix the Wayfinder- X2, apparently they had a misjump and someone also jumped a cliff with them. It says here that even the jumping window is broken. See you guys later."

"Yeah, I just came from there- not a pretty picture," Ryan said with a laugh.

"Do you want me to cover for you?" Scotty asked Alison. 

Alison smiled thankfully but politely declined. She got up and left the table with her tray in one hand and her device in the other. She clipped the device to her belt and emptied the contents of her plate into the bin and put the tray, plate and spoon in the washing up pile. She then unclipped her device and walked out of the mess hall. 

"Ryan, I'll tell you the same thing I told Alison. Don't eat it." Plo laughed as Ryan sniffed it and agreed.  

"I think I'll take your advice on that one. That was nice of you to offer to cover for her Scotty."

"He has such a big crush on her." Plo laughed as Scotty tried to kick him under the table. 

"Your one to talk."

Ryan laughed at the iconic duo and he pushed the tray away.

 ***  

Alison walked down the stairs of ancient ruins, quickly followed by Scotty. The Irish fellow glanced nervously at her before saying. "Alison, there's something I need to tell you."

She looked back up at him with a quizzical look her brown hair in a neat bun. "Yeah?" 

Scotty took a deep breath before expressing, "I really like you, like a lot. I mean like a lot, a lot." He ran his hand through his hair. His cheeks burnt a bright shade of red as Alison looked at him in shock. She was lost for words, so she said "really?" 

"Ai," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. 

Alison took a step backwards her foot crushing into the dusty ground. Scotty looked slightly hurt and embarrassed but said "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that I'll... I'll go back to camp and leave you be." He turned around and made to head back up the stairs.

"No, wait," Alison said in a quiet voice as she reached forward and grabbed his arm. He turned back around and she pulled him forward and they looked at each other in the eyes until Alison leaned forward and lightly kissed him- the world seemed to slow down for them and she stopped and whispered in his ear "I just want you." He couldn't hide his surprise, but he placed one hand on her waist and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before he cupped his other hand on her cheek and kissed her back. One of her hands moved up into his hair while the other was placed on his shoulder. It was a gentle slow kiss. They heard voices and quickly broke apart, just as the captain, Ryan and Plo came down the stairs of the ruins. Scotty's face was an even brighter shade of pink than it was before. 

"There you guys are." The captain said, he took one look at Scotty. "You alright there Scotty?" 

Scotty looked away and coated with his heavy Irish accent said, "Ai, just fine sir." Plo looked questioningly at him but said nothing. 

"Did you two finish scouting out the area?" 

"Yes sir" 

***

Scotty looked at the small device he was carrying and scanned the missiles, "What is in these things?" 

"That's classified." One of the docks loaders stated blandly.

"By that, you mean some unknown substance that will blow us all to bits- with the slightest bump?! Your not loading those on this ship, not while I'm here." 

"What's going on Scotty?" The captain asked as he walked across one of the many metal bridges towards them. 

"These people are loading these weapons with unknown fuel on the ship."

"We need them, Scotty."

"If we don't know what's in them, they could go off at any second, bringing danger to all of the crew of this ship. These missiles will not be loaded on this ship while I'm here."

"Well, they're staying." The captain looked dangerously at him.

Scotty stared at him with disbelief. "I am hereby resigning my position as the head of engineering." 

"Have it be, then." 

Scotty stalked off towards his workbench and gathered his stuff. Plo who had followed the Captain in, looked at him with pure shock then turned around and went over to Scotty.   

"Scotty, I'm resigning too," Plo looked regretfully at his friend.

"No, I can't have you losing your life over a lost cause. You need to stay, someone here needs to take care of this bloody ship and its crew."

Plo sighed and nodded, "farewell my friend, I'll see you on the other side when this is all over."

Scotty nodded his agreement and watched one of his oldest friends walk away. Plo followed the Captain back to the bridge. On the bridge, Alison was giving a report to Anders and Ryan, "Sir..." Ryan started. 

"Alison, congratulations you are now head of engineering."

Alison looked the Captain in the eyes, "what happened to Scotty?"

"He quit, didn't want the missiles loaded."

Alison's eyes bulged, she opened her mouth to say something but Plo put a hand on her shoulder and muttered in her ear. "Don't, he wouldn't want you to." Alison nodded briefly at the Captain and left the bridge. 

She went below, where she knew he would be, she walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Alison, I can explain."

"Don't, I understand. Please let me resign with you."

"Alison, I'm not worth it."

"Yes, you..." She wanted to tell him how he meant the world to her. 

"Look please stay, someone competent needs to be in charge down here." Scotty wrapped her up in his arms, her head buried in his neck. "It will work out... I promise."