Aberrant: Stargate Universe - Sins Of The Tool [Fin]

[Forge]

"You're not doing it right."

"Eckhart, there are only so many fuckin' ways to do this."

"Yeah, and you're doing it the wrong way. We're going to be here all day if you keep this up," she said.

"Keeping it up usually isn't a problem," he muttered.

Dana placed her hand over Vinny's and took control. "See, you just need to get...it...in...there," she said slowly, focusing on what her hands were doing.

"Not that easy, is it?" he gloated.

"It's because this isn't the best angle. Now hush, and let me concentrate."

He fell silent and she closed her eyes, her attention on manipulating the item in her grasp. "Slide it in, twist it just right." Her face scrunched up as she worked it, grunting a couple of times with the effort. Sweat was gathering along her spine and she could feel Vinny's breath on the back of her neck.

"Twist it? That sounds painful."

"Not if you do it right," she insisted.

"If you say so," he said, shifting his position a bit.

"Don't do that," she complained when his movement broke her concentration.

"Don't do what?"

"Move."

"Doesn't that kinda defeat the purpose?"

"Lieutenant, with all due respect, shut up and let me do this."

"All by yourself?"

"Sometimes it's just better that way."

"Speaks the control freak," he muttered before mercifully falling silent.

Dana tuned him out, turning her focus back to the task at hand. She maneuvered the item in her hand, closing her eyes again to help with her concentration as she poked and prodded.

"What are you doing?" Vinny finally asked.

"You know what I'm doing," she bit out.

"Humor me."

Dana sighed. "If it twist this just right and hit the sweet spot then I'll-" With a click, the lock released and the door to their tiny cage fell open. Caught by surprise, Dana fell forward, instinctively rolling to free her hands, which had been twisted through the bars.

The lieutenant landed on top of her, just barely able to catch himself with his hands to keep his whole weight off her. "Hit the sweet spot and?" he prompted.

"All your dreams come true," she quipped, holding the tiny lock pick tool up triumphantly.

"If something that tiny-"

"You don't want to go there," she interrupted. "Sir," she added belatedly.

"Time and place, Eckhart," he said, getting to his feet. "Time and place." He held out his hand to pull her to her feet. She got up and tucked the little strip of metal into her pocket before brushing off the back of her pants.

"Isn't it time we got out of this place?" Mathew asked, peering through the bars of his own cage.

"What? You got a date?" Vinny quipped, reaching for the key handing off a hook on the stone wall.

"Yeah, with your Mom." Mathew said as Vinny unlocked the door and he clambered out, stretching to loosen tight muscles.

"Mat?" Vinny freed him as well and the big man climbed free with enviable grace.

"I believe that divulging the details of ones liaisons is frowned upon."

"That depends on who you're telling," Vinny said.

"And what," Major Hadley contributed.

"And whether or not you want the lady to kick your ass," Dana chimed in. She pulled the tiny lock pick out of her pocket. "Or ever let you pick her lock again."