Heaven

This story had a long gestation. The first paragraph was written and then I was stuck for ages until inspiration struck. A couple of incidents made their way in and will give the game away if the right person ever sees it. Another song title borrowed. ("The Grand Old Lady" was the nickname of HMS Warspite: See my Flickr name.)


Dean looked up from the desk in his small office when he heard the door open. It was the Captain. He started to rise but the Captain waved him back into his seat, sitting down opposite him. “What strange and wonderful odd job have you got for me this time m’am?” She smiled. A lot of her officers didn’t know why she put up with Dean, and Dean himself wasn’t really sure. But the Captain knew that with all his vast experience in space, now nearly eighteen years, covering almost every area of the ships operation, Dean would rarely fail to find a way to complete any job she asked of him. On the ships roster Dean was nominally what they called a lower deck purser, he was the link between the passengers and the officers, but he also did hundreds of other small jobs, liaising between all the different departments and just generally keeping the Captains job so much easier. And of course, these little extra duties that she asked of him occasionally. Dean had been put up for promotion to junior lieutenant more than once, had actually filled in for some officers from time to time, but had turned the opportunity down, he liked being where he was. The Captain knew all this and accepted it now, making use of his skills when she needed to. This time was slightly different though.
“Dean, an old friend of mine is joining the ship for the run back to earth. Her ship was declared unspaceworthy after some idiot ran their light zipper into the engine. Most of the crew have been re-assigned, but she just wants to go home. I think she’s had enough. I just want you to keep an eye on her. I don’t mean follow her around or wait on her hand and foot, just make sure she’s comfortable.”
“Treat her like the rest of the passengers, you mean?”
The captain laughed. “Yes, I suppose I do, but.” She paused. “Alice has been through a lot and she is my oldest friend, and she has just been involved in what could have been a very nasty accident and...”
“Captain, I know what you mean. I’ll keep an eye on her and she won’t think it’s anymore than my job, I promise.”
“Thanks Dean. Come up to the bridge at 18:00 hours and we’ll go and help her aboard.”
“As you wish m’am.” The Captain left and Dean sat back and wondered what he’d let himself in for this time.

After presenting himself at the specified hour, Dean and the Captain left to collect Alice from the planet below, the Captain piloting the small shuttle herself for the launch, but persuading Dean to take over for the short trip down to the space port. For a long time she had been trying to get him to apply for a small craft licence, but he kept putting her off, saying all he needed to know was the emergency procedure.
Within an hour they were down on the planet, and Dean was looking at a large stack of luggage and wondering how they were going to get it all aboard the shuttle. Alice had seemed a little down at first, but had cheered up when he’d cracked a joke about picking up strange women on distant planets. The three of them hadn’t taken that long to stow all the gear, so they took off again fairly quickly, Dean piloting the shuttle after take-off so the two old friends could reacquaint themselves. He had long ago learned how to listen whilst seeming not to listen, and now hoped to pick up a little inside information on Alice to aid him in his task. He learnt she was marginally older than he was, shared several interests with the Captain much the same as he did, was tired of space travel, but still liked a party. It sounded like she was a fun lady to be with. The Captain took over the shuttle for the docking, so Dean moved next to Alice and struck up a conversation with her, nothing daring, just shipboard chit chat. How was she, was she going to need anything specific, was there anything he needed to know that could make her more comfortable? The Captain chuckled to herself as she heard him. They were questions he had asked a million times, of thousands and thousands of passengers, much as she had, but Dean somehow seemed to make it sound as if Alice was the first he had asked. It sounded like he was really interested in her. The Captain had a sudden thought and turned around to look at the two behind her. She smiled at what she saw; they were both trying to pretend that nothing was happening. But she recognised the soft look in her old friends face, and knew Dean well enough to spot the caring look he was giving Alice. This might do both of them good, she thought as she brought the shuttle in to dock with her ship, “The Grand Old Lady”.

After the shuttle docked the Captain took Alice to her cabin, while Dean oversaw the unloading of her luggage and its transport to the cabin or the hold. He didn’t see Alice again for a couple of days as his time was taken up with readying the ship for its voyage. Getting the passengers aboard and happy was his major priority, but he also had to know where everyone’s baggage was put, he had to settle in new members of his team of stewards and handlers and make sure they knew their jobs. Although it was not his responsibility he also checked that the entertainment staff were all okay as well. This meant he had little time to check up on Alice personally, but he made sure that the staff responsible for her cabin knew she was to be looked out for. As it was, it was a message from the Captain that had him rushing down to her cabin a day after departure. The call found him in his office, updating the last of his lists, Alice was having a panic attack, and the Captain couldn’t leave the bridge as they were about to enter hyperspace. Dean got the nearest first-aider to get to Alice’s cabin and then set off himself. It took him nearly fifteen minutes to get up there, and Alice had been calmed by his staff. As he arrived breathlessly in her compartment she threw her arms around him, hugging him to her. He nodded to the two crewmen who left, smiling.
“Are you all right now?” He asked. She nodded. “First time back in space since…?” She nodded again. “If you get worried and the Boss isn’t available, come and see me here.” He handed her the card with the position of his office on it.
“Thank you.” She said, now much calmer.
“Come and see me anytime you like really.” Dean suddenly blurted out. Alice smiled.
“We’ll have to see.” She said, kissing him on the cheek. Dean turned away, his hand to his cheek, appalled at what he’d just said, it was so unprofessional. And with the Captains best friend! He turned back to Alice.
“Can we keep what I just said between ourselves, I don’t think the boss ought to find out I’ve let her down so early. I don’t know what came over me, I’m sorry.” Now it was Alice’s turn to comfort him.
“If you think Beth will think less of you for being human I won’t tell her.”
“Thank you Alice.”
“One condition.”
“Yes?”
“You dance with me at least once tonight at the departure ball.”
“I can’t dance.” Dean almost wailed. Alice just looked at him. He smiled. “Okay one dance it is.”
“Good.” She kissed him on the cheek again, and pushed him out of the door.
Dean was late for the ball. One of the passengers had wanted something from one of the pieces of baggage they had stored in the hold, and he had had to locate the correct piece of luggage in the correct hold, bring it to the passenger, wait while they got what they needed and then put it back. Subsequently he was not in the best of humour by the time he got to the dance. It just seemed to him that he always got the people who didn’t read the luggage regulations and just packed willy-nilly. He finally managed to slip into the dance about an hour and a half late. He spotted Alice and the Captain over on the far side of the ballroom, but decided to keep out of their way for a while; he may already be in trouble. Instead he dropped into his helpful purser role, moving among the passengers, laughing and joking. More than once one or other of his stewards came up and asked his advice about something or in one case asked for his assistance in removing a tipsy passenger who seemed intent on causing trouble. The man wasn’t threatened, but it was pointed out that it was a long trip and it probably wasn’t a good idea to antagonise the other passengers. He saw sense and ambled off to sober up. Dean finally got himself a soft drink and somewhere to sit down. He scanned the room but couldn’t see the captain or Alice anywhere. As he sipped his drink a slinky voice behind him said:
“I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me.” He turned around and smiled at Alice. He hadn’t seen her when he sat down. “Beth has had to go up to the bridge.”
“Beth?”
“The Captain, the boss.”
“Sorry, can’t get used to thinking of her as anything but the boss. Have you said anything?”
“And miss out on my one guaranteed dance? No, I haven’t said a word. Not that it would make any difference to Beth.”
“She trusts me, so I hate to disappoint her.”
“Disappoint her?”
“Or you for that matter.”
“My lad, you have a lot to learn. And your first lesson is how to dance.” She pulled him to his feet and onto the dance floor.
“Alice you’re very pretty and could dance with anyone in the room, why pick someone with two left feet?”
“Because.”
“Because?”
“Because you look like you need cheering up.” He gave up and let her manoeuvre him into position. The band struck up an old, old slow tune that he happened to know the words too. As they started to dance, Alice pulled his hand behind her back, so that they were looking at each other face to face, and began to murmur the words to the song. Softly, Dean began to sing them with her. She looked up into his eyes and smiled, and laid her head against his shoulder. It was a long song and he’d forgotten how romantic it was, but with Alice held close to him he didn’t care. Eventually the song ended and they pulled away to applaud with everyone else.
“Thank you Alice.” Dean said.
“No, thank you. It’s been quite a while since I was serenaded.”
“Sorry about that, I got carried away. You won’t tell will you?”
“Dean, you don’t need to apologise to a girl for singing to them, and I think it may be a bit late for me to keep quiet.” Alice nodded to one side. The Captain winked at him from the ballroom door. Dean could feel his face redden, and then he remembered that he was due to see the captain in the morning and he groaned.
Dean knocked on the door of the Captains office. He saluted, and then handed her the envelope he had been carrying.
“What’s this Dean?” She asked.
“My resignation Ma’am, after last night I thought it might be best.”
“Dean, you amaze me.” She said, handing it back to him. “Why did you think I would accept this?”
“Well…” Dean faltered. “I just thought that maybe it would be best. I must have broken half the rules for my post.”
“Who asked you to keep an eye on Alice?” She asked. “Who asked who for the dance?” Dean squirmed.
“What about the singing?” He mumbled.
“I’m not sacking someone for singing, however badly.” She smiled again, this time her mischievous grin.
“You heard me then?” He replied with relief.
“Just go away and do what you do best, Dean. Leave the worrying to me.” He saluted and made towards the door. “Just be careful around Alice. She’s my oldest friend, but she can be a bit careless with other people’s feelings. I don’t want to see either of you hurt.”
“No ma’am.”
“And Dean.” He paused in the doorway. “No more singing please.”
“No ma’am”

It stayed that way for the next two or three weeks. Alice settled into the rhythm of the ship and made friends with a lot of the other passengers and crew. They sometimes met when he was on ship business, but she never called on him. He was relieved and disappointed at the same time. Alice had breathed something into him he didn’t think he still had, desire for something other than his job. Then came the big party.
It was The Grand Old Lady’s 5000th planetfall, something not many interplanetary liners achieved, and a huge celebration was held on the planet. Every crewman who could be spared was there. Dean had offered to stay aboard but the Captain insisted he attend. Apparently he had been aboard for more planetfalls than any other member of the crew and so was obligated to attend. The party was one of those momentous ones where no one is sure what happened, even Dean, who was notorious for not getting drunk. He remembered dancing with Alice again, but he also danced with the captain and three or four of the other female crew. What he did remember was sitting and watching Alice for most of the night, increasingly frustrated that he didn’t have the nerve to ask her for another dance. What he really wanted to do was ask her out for a meal, but he never got the chance.

The evening after he was in his office listlessly shuffling paper around, bemoaning the fact he’d broken his own number one rule and got himself involved with a passenger, when the captain came in and sat down opposite him.
“Okay Dean, tell me.”
“Tell you what ma’am.”
“Don’t give me that ma’am stuff. I’m asking as a friend, what is the matter?” Dean sighed.
“I’m sorry Boss, I’ve tried nearly everything I can think off, but the fact is I can’t get Alice out of my mind. I’ve let you and the company down.” He bowed his head.
“I did warn you.”
“I know. The only thing left to try is to add her to my story file.”
“What?”
“I have a small file of short stories about women I’ve fallen for, usually without them knowing. It provides a sort of alternative universe, where “happy ever after” lives.”
“What sort of stories?” The captain asked darkly.
“Oh! Nothing like that, just romances, or in some cases a sort of open letter, just so that I can get my feelings out in the open.”
“Does it work?”
“Sort of. It usually helps.”
“I’ll leave you to it then.” She got up to leave. “Don’t forget the reports though.”
Dean sighed and began his reports for the day. Two for the Captain, one for the engineer and one for the company representative on the planet. He opened a bottle of spirits and he began to write to Alice, confidant that whatever he wrote she would never read it.

He was woken in the morning by a hammering on the door of his berth, next to his office. It was one of his stewards, a pretty girl called Zoë. “Dean, come quick. The Captain has just had a blazing row with her friend in the breakfast lounge.” He was instantly awake and rushed into his office pulling on his uniform. A horrible thought struck him and he quickly looked all over his desk for the letter he’d written for Alice, it was gone.
“Zoë, has anyone taken anything from my desk?”
“Yes, I took all the outgoing post to the delivery office earlier.”
“How many items?”
“Five, four reports and a letter.”
“Oh bloody hell.” He ran out of the office, picking up his resignation again, and hurried up to the Captains office.

Outside the ready room door Dean stopped and composed himself. He knocked and then entered when told to do so. The Captain had her back to him, lost in thought.
“I think you’ll have to accept it this time Boss.” He said, laying the envelope on the desk again.
“Accept what, Dean?”
“My resignation, I’ll stay here until I can find another ship.”
“Exactly what are you talking about, you idiot.”
“Well…” Dean was nonplussed. “Your argument with Alice. The letter I wrote to her has been delivered by mistake, and that must have caused the …” He trailed off. He looked at the Captains desk; the post hadn’t been delivered yet.
“Contrary to popular belief, not everything on this ship revolves around you Dean. Alice and I had an argument about her sudden desire to join this ship. And now I can see why.”
“But…” Dean stopped. “Permission to go and try to find this letter before she reads it ma’am.”
“Well you can try I suppose, but I think it might be too late.”
“Post hasn’t been delivered yet ma’am.” He said, indicating her empty in tray.
“Go on then.” He saluted, picked up his resignation for a second time and ran for the door.
The Captain smiled to herself, her devious little plan seemed to be working. What Dean hadn’t seen at the planetfall ball had been Alice watching him like he had been watching her. She had decided on some positive action to resolve the impasse the pair had got themselves in. After her meeting with Dean the previous evening the Captain had found Zoë and made sure she would collect all the papers on Dean’s desk and personally deliver anything that wasn’t a report. She’d also got her to make it sound like it was an accident. Zoë was a good girl, officer material, and understood what was expected of her. That had worked well; the morning’s argument had been a happy accident and had been a suitable catalyst. She sat back and wondered how they were going to mess it up this time.

Alice’s cabin was locked, but Dean knew more than one way of gaining access to a locked cabin. He slipped in, making sure Alice was absent, and then began to look for the offending letter. It wasn’t here; it must still be at the delivery office! He turned and was about to leave when Alice came in.
“So, she sent you to talk to me did she?” Dean was horrified, now he was really in trouble.
“Alice, please listen. I’m here to try and prevent a tragedy.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. Beth and I argue all the time, we’ll get over it.”
“It’s not that, it’s… It’s something I’ve done. A mistake. A letter that…”He stopped. He could see the open letter in her hand. “Have you read it Alice?” He asked in a small voice, not sure which answer was going to be better.
“It is addressed to me.”
“I know, but it was never meant to be sent. It was just a way to try and put you out of my mind.”
“I’m not sure that I want to be put out of your mind.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dean, no one has ever written such a heartfelt, beautiful letter to me. I never realised how you felt for me.” Dean looked down. It was going to be difficult but he was going to have to say the words.
“Alice, I’m really sorry. I find it hard to talk to women, but it’s easy to write what I feel, especially if I have a drink. And last night everything just flowed. I’ve never written so much at once before.” He stopped, not knowing what to say next.
“Why didn’t you say anything, all the time we could have been together and you wasted it.” Dean was a little shocked to hear the bitterness in her voice and then he knew why.
“Why didn’t you say anything to me, Alice?” He asked quietly.
“Oh, well, it seemed wrong. At first I thought you and Beth had something going, and then I was embarrassed about thinking that, and then you were hardly speaking to me and…” She tailed off when she saw the look on his face.
“Me and the Captain? But… but she’s the captain.”
“I figured that out and then asked her about you.”
“Why?”
“Well I thought maybe you were not interested in women.”
“I don’t give that impression do I?” Dean asked worriedly.
“No, you don’t, but my usual charms didn’t seem to be working so I thought I’d ask Beth.”
“You asked the Captain that?”
“Yes, she thought it was funny.”
“I think I’d better go and hand this over for a third time.” He sighed, taking his resignation out yet again. It was starting to look a little worn. Alice snatched it out of his hands and tore it up. Then she took his head in her hands and pulled him to her, kissing him like her life depended on it. Dean started to pull away, but gave in to his feelings. He spoke as they parted.
“The boss warned me about you, and I warn all my team about falling in love with passengers, and here I am, disregarding every piece of advice, every sensible rule, and do you know, I don’t care anymore.”
“You are a straight-laced over-romantic nut, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I’m afraid I am.”
“What are we going to do now?” Alice asked him, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. He stopped to think, and put his arm around her, kissing her on the cheek.
“Well.” Dean said slowly. “We could always ask the Captain to marry us…”