Aberrant: Stargate Universe - One Man Throwdown [Fin]

[Forge]

The morning/day after teams return from second mission.

It was finally time. Vinny had gotten the General to agree to let him use the mess, but only with the promise of the best ribs he would ever taste. The fabrication shop had polished up the new smoker, the stainless steel glistened with a brightness that would put a new Delorean to shame. He had spent most of the night hooking up 'Piglet' into the ventilation system and getting the pounds of ribs covered in rub. A couple of the cooks had agreed to help with the meat...Akers and some other ass-tard, but he wasn't doing it, and that was what mattered. Piglet was too big for the back, so was occupying the space of a table, with pipes and various fans ensuring that the underground base didn't become a mass cult suicide.

By the time most of the breakfast crew was rolling in, the smell of slow-cooking meat was permeating throughout the level. Vinny was working the ribs constantly, donned in a hat that would have been part of his costume had the bet continued and he lost, and an apron that read, 'I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major Smoker'.

The meat was being served out of the normal food line, to maintain order, but it was starting to get crowded around the shiny new toy as people vied for fresh meat.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia blinked as she realized what was going on over by the smoker. "Well, crap," she muttered as she realized that Vinny had chosen the worst possible day out of the last month to follow through on his ribs threat. And that reminded her that she didn't have his songs ready either. But damn if those ribs didn't smell great, even given her stress-suppressed appetite. Squaring her shoulders, she headed over and got in line.

At the very least, she needed to let him know it'd be a bit longer on the songs. And she should try some of his ribs - it was only polite. When she saw the hat and apron she actually smiled, and that almost broke her down. Why the hell did Hatchins have to show up now?

[Forge]

He had been looking for her, so when Vinny saw her get in line, he caught her attention and waved her over.

When she waded through the small crowd, he smiled. "You like?" he said, holding his hands out. "Case you reconsider, there is just about every possible sauce ingredient imaginable back in the kitchen. Go look if ya want."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"Oh... Vinny," she murmured, squeezing her eyes shut before she started crying. She didn't look happy, causing some small amount of havoc to the emotional balance of her companion before she clarified. "This is... amazing."

This, more than their musical 'conversation', convinced her that he was serious in his efforts to reach out to her. She took one of his hands for a moment, before dropping it; they were in front of a ton of people, and gossip was a bitch. She'd already heard quiet speculation that she'd taken an interest in the new guy, a rumor that made her want to leave the base and never return.

"Let me ask Caine if I can work on this," she said, smiling a little. He could tell that something had her down, but she was trying. She widened her smile a little and winked as she added mock-seriously, "It'll be good for morale, right?"

She took a step away and then came back to his side. "If... this is going to sound awful, but if my ribs just suck, can we have a rematch? I have had the shittiest morning, and the day isn't, outside of this, looking up at all."

[Forge]

"Darlin', let's see how fuckin' bad yer ribs are before we start talkin' rematch. No mornin' is that bad."

Half the night was dealing with me after all.

It was obvious that he was thrilled that she was getting a kick out of this. He had finally appeared to have done something right and she was willing to hold a conversation with him of more than a few words.

Maybe whatever response he got from his last ditch songs would be positive and he could make amends for his royal fuck-up.

"If yer G-ma's sauce is all you trumped it up to be, even if you fuck it up, should be somethin' to praise. Now get your ass in the kitchen darlin', there's ribs awaitin'."

It was hard to take anything he said seriously with that god-awful hat bobbin' around as he talked. Any command Vinny was attempting to put forth was being swallowed by the feathery fringe running along the hat.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia bounced away and got permission from Caine before she returned and headed into the kitchen. For a while, she forgot about Hatchins; there were a lot of people around her, and her work was deeply distracting. The thought that her attacker would have to go through Vinny as well as the kitchen staff to get at her made her relax.

She checked out the ingredients first and then started to toss the right ones together, half-slipping into the memory of her Grandmother showing her how to make the sauce. Before long, the dark brown, almost black, Cajun sauce was ready, and Olivia set it to an almost-simmer in a pan. As she started to drop the ribs in for a short pre-cook marinade, a member of the staff approached her. "Ma'am, Captain Wright brought this in, I think it's for you." He offered her an apron, grinning as she read the front: "Take a Dip in my Sauce."

Olivia felt herself blush a little. Still, she took it in the humor intended and slipped it on. This was the playful young man she'd remembered from Kuwait, one who was just as likely to slap her ass as kiss her, though he usually would follow up the spanking with a kiss. Vinny seemed to be clawing himself out the rude shell he'd been embroiled when when she'd first met him. And she wasn't the only to think that; she could hear the startled murmurs swirling around the cafeteria as people noted Vinny's unusual attitude. She heard someone mention the possibility of Vinny being on "some sweet off-world drug".

As the ribs marinated, she wondered back out into the cafeteria proper to watch Vinny cook. "Gotta give it a couple of hours," she told him, leaning against a counter. "How are yours coming?"

[Forge]

"Already bein' served darlin'," he said turning around from the smoker where he was loading in more ribs on one end.

It appeared that there was a conveyor system of some sort that while it also rotated the ribs, it slowly moved them to the other end of the smoker, if very, very slowly.

"Here, have a taste." he added, pulling apart some St. Louis style, the outside blackened from the rub, the meat showing a delightful pink from the smoke. "Some of the first came off just before you got here."

He handed her the ribs, not having the wherewithall to give her a napkin, let alone a plate for the very hot ribs. He crossed his arms, smiling as he waited for her judgement.

Even a fuckin' veg-head has got to appreciate the smoke on that baby.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"Oh, right," she sighed. How could she have missed that? The answer was simple: she was still in shock. The cooking had helped; hearing her grandmother's voice, whispering instructions and remembering those dark, wrinkled hand working the meat and sauce was grounding her. She felt better than she had - it'd be hard to feel worse.

She took the rib from him, flinching as the uncomfortable heat seared her fingers. "Ah," she hissed, snatching a nearby saucer and dropping the ribs on it. "Wow, hot," she muttered, mentally adding 'Heat Resistant' to the list of things Vinny had gotten from the Artifact.

She stuck her over-heated fingers in her mouth to cool them off. Her eyebrows rose a little as she got a hint of the taste. "Well, it tastes good on my fingers," she told him with a grin.

"Try it on the meat," he grunted, sounding a touch impatient.

"Sure, give me a second," she said, before selecting the coolest of the ribs and tearing into it. It was good - smokey and spicy and a little sweet, and Olivia nodded as she chewed and swallowed. "That's really good," she admitted, smiling, unaware that she had rub smeared across her lips and one cheek.

[Rorx]

Gwyn had smelt the food on his way into the cafeteia, it was hard to ignore it anywhere on the level and he suspected it would fill the base before the end of the day. On arriving he had spotted Caine and Dec at the usual table, but Olivia was over talking to Vinny, and looked to be tying his ribs.

Guess she has gotten ove whatever major downer she had on him for the last couple of weeks. Just so long as she doesn't start believing he didn't start that fight again. Well, lets see what the fuss is about.

He made his way over to the two Specialists, grabbing a tray and three empty plates en route.

"Morning Doc, Captain Wright. So, is the contest back on, or is the Captain just not letting his preparations go to waste? Either way I hope you have a good supply back there, after all you got a base and about a dozen Specialists appetites to feed."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia exchanged a glance with Vinny, then shrugged. "I don't know if the wager is still on, but at the very least, we're comparing recipes. Regardless, I hope you enjoy. Mine should be up in a couple of hours, maybe an hour and a half."

[Rorx]

Gwyn grins at the Doc, "That sounds perfect, finish sparring and come in for some ribs. Like I said I hope you two have got plenty to go around."

With that he gives the Captain a boy scout salute and heads off to the line, emerging with 3 large plates of ribs which he puts on the teams usual table to share with Major Caine and Sgt Perault.

[Aradia McConnell]

Aradia wandered into the mess hall. She was bored.. she was used to having things to do to occupy her time, and there just wasn't a lot of that around the base. She hoped that gym equipment she asked Vinny about came in soon, he'd told her he was putting in the order, if that's what she needed to keep up her skills.

She stopped in the doorway, and took an appreciative sniff. Normally there wasn't anything in here savory enough to actually elicit a reaction, just the bland generic smell of food. She followed her nose to the line, and grabbed a plate. Then she spotted Vinny in his getup and Olivia in her new apron. She let out a noise that was somewhere between a snort and a laugh, then walked over to them, grinning broadly.

"Hey boss.. nice hat."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

As always, Aradia had a positive influence on Olivia. The weariness and wariness fell away from the older woman, and she gave her compatriot in crime a cheeky grin even before she spoke. When Aradia made her comment, Olivia laughed and added, "Didn't he find the sexist hat, ever? I'm surprised us ladies can withstand him right now. He could have been a headliner for the Stupendous Traveling Companions of the Broken Bug, couldn't he?"

As Vinny grumbled, Olivia snagged some ribs and passed them to Aradia. "Here, try these. Keep in mind, though, these are the appetizers; the best ribs will be done in a couple of hours," she said, giving Vinny a sly side-long glance.

That was when she realized she was having fun. It wouldn't last; couldn't, not with Hatchins around. But for the moment, she was relaxed and happy. And for the moment, it was enough.

[Forge]

Does that fucker ever shut up long enough for someone to talk back? Vinny thought as Gwyn walked off with a greedy portion of ribs.

"Darlin'..." He said quietly, rubbing with one finger at his cheek, signaling her messy eating habits.

Originally Posted By: Aradia McConnell

"Hey boss.. nice hat."

Originally Posted By: Olivia Jenings-Izumi

As always, Aradia had a positive influence on Olivia. The weariness and wariness fell away from the older woman, and she gave her compatriot in crime a cheeky grin even before she spoke. When Aradia made her comment, Olivia laughed and added, "Didn't he find the sexist hat, ever? I'm surprised us ladies can withstand him right now. He could have been a headliner for the Stupendous Traveling Companions of the Broken Bug, couldn't he?"

As Vinny grumbled, Olivia snagged some ribs and passed them to Aradia. "Here, try these. Keep in mind, though, these are the appetizers; the best ribs will be done in a couple of hours," she said, giving Vinny a sly side-long glance.

Vinny turned to Olivia, cocking an eyebrow in surprise, "Fuck the rematch darlin', them's fightin' words. The game is on!"

"Thanks," Vin responded to Ari, nodding to make the hat bob. "Thinkin' 'bout wearing it on the next mission, think O'Neil will let this ass-tastic thing fly?

[Aradia McConnell]

"Fuck it, I think you should bring it on all the missions. Keep it with your gear, never know when it'll make a good impression on the locals."

She grinned, then glanced at Livy. She hadn't been around long enough to hear about the throwdown originally, so she arched a brow as she took the plate of ribs, and then turned to Vinny.

"You mean she's cookin' up some of her Gramma's ribs back there? And this is a contest?"

She glanced between the two, and ripped off a piece of the ribs, taking a bite. Her eyes closed, and she savored the smoky tenderness of the meat. After a minute, she stopped chewing and opened her eyes. She looked Vinny straight in the face, and when she spoke her voice was dead serious.

"Boss.. these taste fuckin' amazing. They're fantastic. And I want another one. But if Livy makes em as good as her Mom does.. you're fucked."

She grinned again, and winked at Livy. She'd had her Grandma's ribs before, and it was no joke.. they were to die for.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Grabbing a napkin, Olivia cleaned off her face. She refused to feel shame; as her Uncle Ralph said, "If you didn't end up with half the rib-sauce on your face, it wasn't a good rib." And Olivia was prepared to admit that his ribs were good - they just weren't good enough.

"Fine, the game is on," she said easily, embracing this further distraction. Then she heard a familiar voice across the room. The smell of the ribs were drawing people who'd eaten already back to the mess, pulled in by the divine treat. And that included people whom Olivia didn't want to see.

Like someone had opened a valve, her good humor washed away. "And since this is really serious," she said, keeping her eyes firmly on her companions, "I need to get back and check on my food. Aradia, you're welcome to hang with me, if you want. You, too, Vinny, though you seem to be needed here."

Turning, she headed for the kitchen and the safety of the back area. Her eyes darted to the side to make sure she wasn't hearing things - and she wasn't - before snapping back to the path she was taking over the floor.

Why did Hatchins have to show up now!?

[Aradia McConnell]

Aradia nodded, picking up somewhat on Olivia's frustration but not really understand it. She followed the other woman to the back room, and glanced around to make sure the area wasn't occupied by anyone else. Then she turned to Liv, looking confused.

"What's up, hon?"

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"I've had a really bad day," Olivia said, her head down as she stirred her sauce. She avoided Aradia's eyes as she said, "I woke up from a nightmare related to the Unas attack." She shivered and pressed her eyes shut. "And then came to the cafeteria and met someone new to the base."

She looked up and met Aradia's eyes. "He's slime. He didn't do anything, but he gives off that vibe." The lie, such as it went, was good, and it even allowed her to say, "Aradia, stay away from him. All my instincts say he's no good. He's a Sergeant named Hatchins."

[Aradia McConnell]

Aradia nodded seriously, and glanced back towards the door between kitchen and cafeteria. Then she turned back to Livy and nodded, handing her a spice bottle that she was reaching for.

"Hatchins. Got it. You got good instincts girl, so if you say not to trust him.. I don't. He out there now?"

[Forge]

Vinny shrugged as the women walked off back into the kitchen, content to stand guard over the smoker as the emerging smells seemed to be drawing more people into the mess.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"Yeah, big guy, imposing, dark hair and eyes." Olivia crept to the door and peered out, then ducked back. "He's in line right now," she told Aradia. "The Sergeant who's talking to Siler." Everyone at SGC knew the Master Sergeant and technical expert; like Walter, he was practically a feature. She let her friend peer at him before she said, "Thanks for agreeing to stay away from him. He gives me the creeps." And has from the moment I met him.

"Anyway, I have ribs to make," Olivia said, shrugging off the mood with effort. She was safe here, surrounded by friends and protectors. A hard smile graced her face for a moment as she considered how vulnerable he was now, and how safe she was. She went back to messing with the sauce and waiting for the marinating to be done. She tested the sauce and nodded - perfect, just like Grandma's. It was a little sweet, a little tart with a hint of spice - for the first few seconds. Then fire burst across the tongue, bringing a spicy heat.*

Finally, she decided it was time. "If you wanna help, Ari, you can help me lay out the ribs."

The electronic grill was less than ideal, but this whole thing had happened on such short notice. Humming to herself, Olivia used tongs to place the racks out. She'd cut them down to half-racks to help with the flipping and cooking. Aradia started on the other end of the massive grill and soon the smell of the ribs and sauce was making mouths water. Grinning, Olivia pulled the first of the completed meat off the grill and cut it up. Pouring some sauce into another tray, she added a ladle and had Ari follow her out. By now, there were a lot of people there, including the General and Teal'c.

"General, Teal'c," Olivia nodded as she added her offering to the lineup. "Hope you brought an appetite."

"That's a very dark sauce," O'Neill commented, arching his eyebrows.

"That's because it's full of taste, or so my grandmother says." Olivia grinned and handed him a plate with samples from both sets of ribs. "Want extra sauce?"

"I'll let you know," O'Neill said and wandered off. Teal'c took his plate with a smile and a nod, following O'Neill as they claimed a table.

Turning, Olivia spotted Vinny, still hovering near his cooker. Grabbing a plate for him, she walked over and offered him her contribution. Silently, she waited for his verdict.

Click to reveal..

*This is a real Cajun sauce; I don't know the name of it, but I've had it before, and it is fairly mild to start, only to kick you in your tongue.

[Forge]

Vinny dug in, having kept his palate clean of his ribs in expectation of this 'awesome sauce' that Olivia was cooking up. He ate slowly, not wanting any creeping habaneros to give him blisters as he savored the taste and gave it fair judgement.

"Very nice darlin'" he said, sauce covering most of the area around his mouth. "Nice kick at the end, but the meat is still bland without any rub, all the taste is on the outside."

"But..!" He said, holding up a rib bone and interrupting her just as she opened her mouth. "It still kicks ass, and I think if we work together on this...your rub and my sauce in conjuction would compliment each other very well."

He seemed to be implying something beyond ribs, but Vinny was so bad at being subtle he could very well be pitching her about going into the rib business.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

My rub and his sauce? She started to correct him, then remembered the jokes her male cousins used to make about their 'sauce'. A flush darkened her cheeks and her eyes dropped shyly for a moment. Laughing skittishly, she looked back up at him and realized that he was completely unaware of his slip-up. Unbidden, she thought, Oh, you poor thing, you have it bad for me, don't you? She quickly shook that thought off. Vinny might care, he might even think he loved her still, but he wasn't the kind of guy who got that caught up in a woman. Of course, he might get that caught up in the idea of sex, so that could be the source of that mistake.

Another challenge from him, and despite herself, Olivia felt herself rising to it. "Fine," she said, handing him a napkin and brushing her finger over her lips as a sign of what to do with it. As he got the hint, she walked over to the end of the assembly line. She took the ribs coming off and stacked them on a tray, then got some sauce and doused them. As she gave the sauce a moment to soak in, she glanced over her shoulder to see his reaction.

He had followed her, watching. "Better fuckin' share, darlin'," he informed her.

"I plan to," she replied, watching them and giving them the time they needed to be right. "Now, we wait." She was quiet for a moment, feeling a bit awkward. Finally, to fill the silence, she asked, "Have you liked the songs?"

[Mr Fox]

General Jack O'Neill, commander of the most important secret facility in the world had sauce on his hands and face. He held a partially devoured rib in each hand. He stood up shaking his head in disappointment. He placed the ribs on his plate and used a wet wipe to clean off his face before he cleared his throat.

"I have discussed the rib situation with the senior officers and we've come to a decision. Two decision's actually. First, we've decided on a winner in this here throw down." He looked around the room as things got very quiet in anticipation of his next words.

"We the judges have decided that the entire SGC is the winner here." He chuckled at the applause, cheering and groans that the pronouncement elicited. He held up a hand after a few seconds and smiled. "I know that these two could not let things stand there since there was talk of consequences for the looser. So we have made a real decision. Both participated valiantly, and both produced some very fine ribs. It was a difficult decision, but we declare Captain Wright to be the winner by a very small margin."

This time there were other reactions. Vinny received slaps on the back and congratulations, whereas Oliva received consolation from her team and friends.

After a minute O'Neill banged a spoon against a glass to get everyone's attention. "As I said, I have two announcements, which means there is one to go." He looked deadpan serious, but everyone that knew him understood that it was just his personality, he was kidding around. "I overheard Captain Wright make a suggestion a moment ago and it was a good one. If the two cooks are willing, I want them to work together on more ribs combining their secret recipes. I will pay for the ribs next time if they will provide the talent." This pronouncement resulted in much cheering.

[Forge]

Grandma can kiss my hairy ass!

Vinny had a perma-grin as he was congratulated, Olivia's question lost in the celebatory fervor for the moment.

As the cheering and people once again drifted off, ribs in hand, Vinny turned back to Olivia who was being consoled by Ari, but seemed to be taking it well enough.

"Well darlin'..." Vinny started, an exaggerated swagger in his step and a machismo look on his face, "Do believe that means you owe me a date."

He leaned over against the handle of the smoker and tipped the goofy hat up, waiting to see if she was going to back out or declare foul. But at the General's pronouncement, there could be no denying his victory.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

For a second, there was only shock, but that passed quickly. Grandma's sauce was fine; it would beat out some old rub any day. So the fault lay with Olivia; she'd messed it up somehow. She'd been worried that she wouldn't do it justice, and then there was her distraction today. It was one more thing to despise Hatchins for; though it had been so minor, it still bothered Olivia. And it was one more blow in what had already been a horrible day, which only proved to Olivia that misery bred itself and created more of the same.

Come on, good sportsmanship. Olivia choked back whatever disappointment and guilt over defaming her grandmother's good name that she was feeling and had a smile on her face when she nodded to O'Neill. She was still smiling when Vinny came over. She waited until he was done crowing, then simply said, "Ok." She didn't have it in her to argue or protest, given their background, that this was likely a terrible idea. She didn't even have it in her to ask him to find something else to serve as his token of victory.

She was too tired to protest. The last two days of her life had just sucked her energy away, and so he got no complaints, no arguments. "Just let me know."

She walked past him and checked the ribs she'd left soaking in sauce. They seemed ready, and she waved him over, handing him one of their merged ribs. "Here goes nothing," she said, and took a bite of her own rib. It wasn't bad - a lot of flavors, a lot of stuff going on - very complex. A lovely metaphor, really. "Is it everything you thought it would be?" she asked casually, studying him.

[Forge]

He looked at her, coming down off his high to give her a serious look. She obviously wasn't too keen on the date idea, and her early song choices had him thinking that maybe this whole thing was a bad idea afterall.

"That and more darlin'." he said, swallowing the last of the first rib. "Though the song selection really fuckin' throws ya for a loop."

Her excitement from earlier was probably based on the fact that she would be able to revel in his embarassment. Probably what the scheming women were doing in the kitchen. At least he got some decent meat out of it.

He tossed the hat over onto his prep table and rubbed his hair a couple times to rid himself of any embarassing hat-head. "Look, you don't wanna go on the date, that's fine. Not gonna force you."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

He'd let me off the hook? Startled, Olivia glanced at him, her dark eyes widening. It was an unexpected offer, and her first impulse was to jump on it.

But she made herself hesitate. That song immediately jumped into her mind, and she knew that this was fear speaking. In the past, she'd run when afraid, or she had in the last few years. Once, fear hadn't hurt her; anger had blocked it, and let her do crazy, bold things like confront a bomb-tossing asshole. "If I could change I would..." so do it. Change or die. Basic law of the universe. girl. If she didn't change, didn't try to change, was she functionally dead?

This all traced back to Hatchins, in so many ways, since he was here now. A slight, involuntary shudder passed through her, and for a moment, all she wanted to do was run to the Gate Room, dial up a quiet world and disappear into the Universe. SGC was supposed to be far enough away from Hatchins to be safe. Maybe the wider galaxy would be far enough.

But she couldn't run from that, and her urge to flee from Vinny was in part because she was feeling trapped. She was projecting Hatchins onto him again. Of course, she did that to most men.

Olivia sighed deeply. "Vinny, if I seem down, it's because I'm having a bad day," she said. "The last time I had a day this awful, I lost family members." She looked at him and confessed, "I was looking forward to a date, I swear. We can do it, it's fine, it's just a really bad day to talk about it, because I'm exhausted, depressed and afraid."

And I just said too much, she realized. Oh well, she could spin it. She always did.

[Forge]

Always a fuckin' excuse with women. One minute they're tearing your clothes off, the next they have a fuckin' migraine. Her fuckin', 'bad day', was mostly with my sorry ass, between the song shit and the throwdown...fuck that shit. Cry me a fuckin' river.

"Alright." Vinny said, looking at her a moment before he went back to eating on the 'Naquadah Ribs', "Lemme know."

Which will be never.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

His dismissive tone finally busted through everything else she was feeling, and Olivia looked sharply at him. "Fine," she said. "Day after tomorrow. All I need are a couple of days." To figure out a game plan and get some protection in place. "Work for you?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, looking up from his ribs.

"Then it's a date," she said, gathering up a few dirty pans. "I'll have the reply to you later today." Without looking back, she went to the kitchen and started to help the kitchen staff with the clean-up. Then she had to get to the firing range, and then her afternoon briefing... and then she had to tell her team what was going on.

It was going to be a long day.

[Aradia McConnell]

Aradia watched the two of them quietly from a bit of a distance. She had tried Vinny's ribs but stuck mostly with Livy's, and only partially because of loyalty. She had spent enough time around Livy to have developed a love of spicier foods. Vinny's had probably won because it had more mass appeal. But she had also spent enough time around Olivia to know when something was up with her, and she had a feeling this had more to do with that creep, Hatchins, than the other woman was letting on.

She ignored the last bit of their exchange, though she overheard it. They would need to work out their relationship stuff on their own. Aradia wasn't gonna put a toe anywhere near that, other than to be Livy's shoulder. Half of her was torn between wanting her best friend to be happy, and half of her knew that most "relationships" were just chances to use each other anyway. So she'd keep her mouth shut. For now, she focused on Hatchins, studying the man intently from the safety of half a room's distance.