With a Little Help From My Friends

[cherry1]

Raven was only in the first month of being a Zero-G mechanic but she was loving it. Sure she got all the manual labour jobs, being the youngest one there but she didn’t mind. She enjoyed every second of it, the weightlessness; the freedom. She felt a familiar twinge of guilt every time she felt happy about her job. Finn always told her that he was fine and that she should enjoy herself whenever she visited. But sometimes that was difficult, especially when he was locked up because of her. Raven sighed, she couldn’t go down this train of thought every time she went out for a job.

The other mechanics always talked about a set of thrusters just outside Mecha station that had been faulty for years. Bets have been made and lost over the years and still no one’s been able to fix them. But Raven was going to. Being the only girl, she felt determined to gain their respect and be treated as an equal and this was the way to do it. The others mocked her but she didn’t care. They’d be eating their words soon enough. Hell, she'd force them down their throats if she had to. After going on her last inspection of the thrusters she made mental notes of all the issues before getting back inside the ark. It was definitely out of her league. The thrusters were completely toast. They’d only be useful as spare parts, meaning new ones needed to be designed and built. And that meant engineering, which meant…Wick.

She wasn’t one to ask for help and under any other circumstances she’d just accept defeat and move on. But Raven was desperate, so with a sigh she made her way towards engineering. As much as she’d hate to admit it, he was the best engineer there. Even if he did irritate her. Raven spotted him with his back turned standing over a table. “Wick,” she called as she approached him. “You busy?” She reluctantly asked, ready to roll her eyes at his response. This was going to be a long job.

Tag: Kyle Wick

[Kyle Wick]

The work orders for this junk floating in the sky were out of this world. (Get it! Out of this world!) He laughed at his joke, while he was looking down his tablet at the 12 things he had to finish today before he could call it quits and try to enjoy his social life--something he was damn well doing since he had three cycles before he was back on duty. The sooner he got this done the faster he could get out of here and the more time he would have off! He was going to a party and then finding a lady--“Wick,”--Damn she was good. He had just been thinking about the ladies. "Rayes!" He called back, without turning to look at her for the moment.

Raven Rayes and him had a complex relationship. Mostly it was of her being impressive and him being secretly impressed. “You busy?” Shit. There went his social life. He turned the tablet's screen off so she wouldn't see it and turned to look at her, his face arrogant because--Raven Rayes was clearly here to ask for something and he loved it. "Nope! I was just thinking about finding a pretty girl who needed what only I could give them!" He teased, knowing that what he had been thinking about and what she might need from him were VERY different. He knew she needed something--Rayes didn't seek him out to say hello. "Why did you ruin one of my designs?" He shot toward her knowing it was going to annoy her, and make her mouth back. It was their game in a way.

Kyle had known Raven for a few years, having been introduced to her before getting hired as someone who was 'up and coming'. Everyone knew she was impressive, and he saw it too. She was smart, funny, sassy, above capable, and HOT! Everything a guy could have asked for--the only flaw was she was in love with someone else.

[cherry1]

"Nope! I was just thinking about finding a pretty girl who needed what only I could give them!" Raven rolled her eyes at his response. “I guess I saved the poor girl then,” she retorted. "Why did you ruin one of my designs?" She stared up at him, not amused in the slightest and only offering him a cynical half-smile. Raven was beginning to get slightly irritated and they hadn’t even started yet. Maybe gaining the respect of her peers and becoming the biggest bad ass the ark has ever seen, wasn’t worth it. Not if she had to suffer Wick and his “jokes” for an entire job. Who knew how long it would take?

She sighed. Raven had known Wick for a while, long enough to know he was one of the best engineers here, and long enough to know he could be a real pain in the ass. She’d managed to pretty much avoid him for most of that time, but now her time was up. She needed him, and there was no one else she could trust with a job like this. “Look, are you going to help me out or not?” She asked, well more like demanded. “Because if not I can go elsewhere.” She was bluffing of course, but she couldn’t have Wick knowing how much she needed his skills….work skills of course, she wouldn’t be in need of any other skills he may or may not have. Regaining her train of thought and getting it away from any sort of gutter, Raven shuffled in her place nervously. She hated asking for help, it made her feel like she was in his debt or something, like she owed him. And Raven dreaded to think of what he could ask of her in return.

[Kyle Wick]

“I guess I saved the poor girl then,” "Oh, someone's in a good mood." She muttered back to her, teasing her rather then getting offended. Wick didn't get offended or knocked off guard much. He rolled with the punches too well, and never panicked. It was what made him either someone's favorite person or someone's least favorite person. Which in Raven's case, he knew which he was. “Look, are you going to help me out or not?” He grinned, knowing that he had got the reaction he wanted. Annoy her a bit, and she wouldn't see past it. She wouldn't know how he felt.

“Because if not I can go elsewhere.” Oh! Really now!? He laughed a deep chuckle, before leaning closer to her, and getting his face really close to her's. "Rayes, we both know that's not true . . . if you had someone else to bully, you'd be there and not here." It was said more playful the sarcastic, and then stood to his full height afterwards, moving away to walk back to his work bench. "Just tell me what you, Rayes." Because something else they both had to know was that he'd give it too her.

Kyle picked up his tablet so he could see what he had to give her when she asked. Even knowing his plans would be pushed back or ruined by helping her, he didn't care. Fighting with her was the most fun he had all day.

[cherry1]

She leaned back slightly when he got close to her, looking him up and down. Raven didn’t appreciate the invasion of personal space. But goddamn it. He saw right through her. Wick was right of course, if there was anyone else she could turn to she would be there right now. Raven sighed in defeat. And she was not a bully, she was just very determined, that’s all. Sure sometimes, very occasionally, she showed that determination in a slightly violent manner. Raven recalled the last time she punched someone a while ago. Okay fine a few days ago, but they deserved it. A guardsmen had been trying to hit on her and made the catastrophic mistake of calling her bootylicious. Raven glanced at the still healing cut left on her knuckles from the incident where one of his teeth had caught on her fist, and chuckled internally. She was still taking the antibiotics because of the risk of infection, but god damn it, it was worth it. She hadn’t seen him since, which must be somewhat difficult, seeing as they were from the same station.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts Raven focused on the task at hand and moved towards Wick at his work bench. It was best to get straight to work, no distractions. "You know those dead thrusters outside Mecha," she began, everyone knew about the thrusters, at least every mechanic. She wasn't completely sure about the engineers. "Well I’m gonna fix them.” She looked him dead straight in the eyes. “And you’re going to help me do that.” It was no longer a question. She needed him so he had to help her, end of story. Raven hoped they could be professional about all this, but professionalism and Wick didn’t really mix. Thankfully she didn’t have any plans of punching Wick in the face. For now that is, she thought wryly.

[Kyle Wick]

She walked toward him, and he grinned knowing he had her now. They both knew she needed him his help on whatever it was she was trying to fix to prove tot he Ark that she was the biggest baddest whatever she wanted to be. Which he didn't mind helping her, because he enjoyed bickering with her. "You know those dead thrusters outside Mecha," "No." He told her, not as in 'I don't know about them' but in a 'don't you dare ask me to tackle this' type of tone! "Well I’m gonna fix them.” He tossed his tablet on the table side him because he knew what was coming next. “And you’re going to help me do that.” THERE it was!

"Rayes, do you know how long they have not worked for?" She asked her, and paused for a moment to give her ah chance to answer--but he also spoke up and kept going BEFORE she could, "Longer then I've been studying the Ark!" And he was good at his job because he had been working toward this job for years! If he kept this up, he was aiming to replace Jake Griffin in 20 plus years and be the head Engineer. Which meant he had to know everything about the Ark--which meant he knew all too well about the thrusters!

"They don't just not work! It's not just one thruster! It's a set of a whole section that you'd have to break open and and look at and see what you need to build around, and then rebuild it, and then try to get in in place! EVEN if that was doable--which it's not!--No one has figured out where the trouble is coming from! I'd have to replan the whole section of outer wiring to try and cut out half the old wiring in order to cancel out the whatever went wrong in the first place!" Wick stared at her for a moment, before his 'you're asking too much of me' tone shifted to his 'I think that might work' tone. "Which is actually not a bad idea." Grabbing a marker from the table he walked over to his board and began erasing everything on it.

"Did you go look at it?" He asked, thinking more then hearing her now, "Can you get them off?"

[cherry1]

"No." It was apparent by his tone of voice that he did know about them. Raven wasn’t sure if that was a good thing yet. "Rayes, do you know how long they have not worked for?" He answered his own question before she could respond. But that’s why she was here; why she’d come straight to Kyle in the first place. He was the best engineer here, and the only one who could pull this off. Or rather help her pull this off. “Which is why we have to fix them.” This was about more than just the thrusters, this was about proving her worth not just to everyone else, but herself too.

Raven stood impatiently leaning against his bench with her arms crossed as he rambled on about how impossible fixing the thrusters was going to be. She didn’t need him telling her that too. She’d heard enough of that from the other mechanics who’d scoffed at the idea of anyone, let alone some rookie having a go at it. "Which is actually not a bad idea." That’s it. Just what she’d come here for. “There’s the Wick I know and…tolerate.” She said with a smirk. Raven followed Wick to his board, rubbing her hands together in excitement.

“Of course I looked at it,” Raven said approaching him. "Can you get them off?" Turning towards him, she scoffed. “Umm have you met me?” She asked rhetorically. “Consider it done.” Grabbing the marker out of his hand, Raven turned to the board. “Move over, Wick,” she said pushing him out of the way. “Let me show you how the pros do it.” Teasing apparent in her tone and on her face, as she glanced up at him. Raven then proceeded to start drawing the old plans for the old thrusters on the board so they had somewhere to start from. She’d basically memorised them after attempting to do this by herself so many times, before eventually accepting the need for help.

[Kyle Wick]

“There’s the Wick I know and…tolerate.” He shot her a sarcastic look over his shoulder before turning back tot he board and writing out the equations for the power converter that he knew was on their, vs the new one that was more recently installed, while then beginning to work on how he would be able to over lay the power with out it shorting out the Ark.

She was sassing off about being able to do it, but before he could reply she moved closer and stole his marker right from his hand!! “Move over, Wick,” She demanded, “Let me show you how the pros do it.” Nope! He drew the line at this! Or would if he had his marker! Stepping behind her he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back before grabbing his marker and writing 'ENGINEERS ONLY' in the top. Wick then stepped tot he side and pointed it at. "Is this your board, Rayes?" He taunted, "No, this is Kyle Wick's board. This is Wick's work space!" She might know the layout--which he knew he'd need--but this was where he was the master! This was his playground!

Wick was also very aware that she could have kicked him, or done some damage! He had been aware that he took his life in his hands when reach reached for her, but that was a testament of his protectiveness of his space. "If you want to write on this, become an engineer . . . . . or at least find your own marker." He teased her in a serious tone, as he went back to writing.

[cherry1]

“Wick!” Raven exclaimed as he grabbed her from behind. She had to fight her instinct to roundhouse kick him in the face. She was going to need that head of his if this was going to work. “What are you…?” She watched him write ‘ENGINEERS ONLY’ on the board and rolled her eyes. Really? This was how they were going to play this. Holding her hands on her hips, Raven reluctantly listened as he explained how it was his space. “God, boys and their toys.” She held her hands up in surrender. Wick was going to need the old plans eventually, so she would concede defeat now. It was worth it for the satisfaction she would get when he’d inevitably ask her for them.

"If you want to write on this, become an engineer . . . . . or at least find your own marker." Raven took a step towards him. “HA! I’d rather float myself,” she teased. Besides, mechanics had all the real fun, and did all the real down and dirty work. Taking a step back, she folded her arms and nodded her head towards the board. “But fine if you’re going to be childish, show me what you got.” It was obviously a challenge and one she was sure Wick would take up. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but Raven was kind of starting to enjoy herself. Just a little bit. But the smirk on her face gave that away. “Let me know when you need me to step in,” she added walking up behind him and mockingly patting his shoulder.

[Kyle Wick]

“HA! I’d rather float myself,” Kyle didn't comment o joke about it--mostly because he had one fear: Space. Yes, he knew it was ironic, he liked on a space ship, but he lived INSIDE it, and the idea of going OUTSIDE it didn't sit well with him. It was one reason he couldn't do her job. He could never go out there! It was a fear he'd never told anyone before! He knew that it could lead to endless mocking. Especially from Raven!

“But fine if you’re going to be childish, show me what you got.” "If you ever stopped trying to boss me around, I could work!" He teased, in a sarcastic almost sassy tone; before going back to writing. He paused and looked at what she had started drawing. It wasn't much but he realized he should have let her finish, so he could see the layout better. Pride kept his mouth shut. “Let me know when you need me to step in,” Reaching behind him, he grabbed another one of his markers, and tossed it too her. "If it will keep your hands busy, so you bully me less, you can finish your cartoon."

He went back to writing, but then his mind was multitasking. He hated himself for asking but, "How's the boy?" The boy being what Kyle called Finn, her recently arrested boyfriend. Kyle had always called him that because he was younger then Raven. His words weren't joking now, as he was almost afraid it was going to piss her off if he joked now.

[cherry1]

Raven caught the pen Wick threw at her and smirked. "If it will keep your hands busy, so you bully me less, you can finish your cartoon." Cartoon? Really? That’s where he going to go? “I expected more begging and grovelling but that’ll have to do for now I guess,” she teased. She knew he’d need the plans and it made her grin when he “asked” her for them. Usually she’d be worse and make him regret calling her extremely amazing highly skilled drawing a cartoon. But she had been the one to come to him for help after all. She actually needed his skills for now. She’ll make him pay later.

Raven moved beside him and began completing her drawing of the old plans. "How's the boy?" She visibly paused and stopped writing for a moment. Her mind had been so occupied with her plans on fixing the thrusters and using Wick’s help she hadn’t thought about him, and she felt a familiar twinge of guilt. “Finn, is doing fine.” She said stressing on his name. The boy, was a “funny” name Wick called him because he was slightly younger than her. Surprisingly, she didn’t find it so amusing. “I’m actually going to visit him tomorrow, maybe today when we’re done here.” That was unlikely though, because they still had a lot of planning to do. But she was overcompensating because she felt guilty about being happy while he was in lock up. “I’ll tell him you say hi and how much you miss him, of course,” she teased, continuing with her drawing.

[Kyle Wick]

“I expected more begging and grovelling but that’ll have to do for now I guess,” She mouthed off beofre moving to stand beside him and working. He liked it, and he hated that he did. Especially being what the rest of their conversation was about. “Finn, is doing fine.” For now, but Kyle felt bad for the guy. He thought it dumb as hell the kid took a space walk, but he also knew that chances were the Ark was going to float him. If they didn't then others might try, and Kyle knew that there was some grumblings about the supply of good air as it was. The chances were not in the kids' favor which was why he didn't overly tease her. At least not since he had been arrested.

“I’m actually going to visit him tomorrow, maybe today when we’re done here.” He could hear something in her tone, and he ignored it. Not because he wanted too but because Raven could beat him up and he was smart enough not too. “I’ll tell him you say hi and how much you miss him, of course,” Yeah! That he did (not). Wick didn't hate him, but they weren't anything more then casual friends. It was hard to be friends with the guy who was sleeping with the girl you loved. "I am sure he would love that." Wick commented back.

Changing the topic he stepped back from the broad. "What's that." He pointed to a part of her diagram. "What is any of this. What are you drawing!" He knew she wasn't bad but if this was right whomever had put this in the first time was an idiot. Using his marker he reached over her shoulder and drew a X over a few things. "We need to get ride of all this!"

[cherry1]

"What's that." Raven turned around to look at Wick, confused. Which turned to irritation as he continued. He then proceeded to vandalise her good work. “What do you think you’re doing?” She asked with disbelief in her tone. He did not just do that. She was in work mode and he completely threw off her groove. That had to now be one of his special skills. “Oh you couldn’t just say that? You had to ruin my masterpiece?” She rolled her eyes and stepped back. This was how Wick worked and she knew that from the minute she had the idea to ask him for help. This, was part of the deal. But that didn’t make it any less annoying.

After somewhat getting over her frustration, Raven finally took a closer look at exactly what he crossed out. He was…right. Even she could recognise the mechanical set up of the engines on the thrusters was all wrong. They were so ridiculously outdated, it was almost difficult to look at. “You’re right.” Raven muttered quietly as she continued to study the plans and compare them to the ones Kyle had begun to draw. She regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth and tried to immediately change the subject. Hopefully he didn’t hear her. “The engines on these things are ancient, no wonder they shorted out.” She turned to look at him. “We can use the parts but you’ll have to design a whole new electrostatic engine.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she shot him a small smile. “Think you can handle that?”

[Kyle Wick]

She asked him what he was doing, and he grinned since she could not see his face. “Oh you couldn’t just say that? You had to ruin my masterpiece?” "Is that what I was looking at?" He teased, while working, only coming to stop when she said the magic two words. “You’re right.” Turning he looked at her with a very arrogant grin. "I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you. Can you speak up? Repeate it once more? Maybe add in my name and say it slower!?"

“The engines on these things are ancient, no wonder they shorted out.” Well she wasn't wrong. You didn't spend this long in space before something aged past its prime. “We can use the parts but you’ll have to design a whole new electrostatic engine.” "I love it when you talk dirty to me." He muttered under his breath, since she was telling him things he already knew. “Think you can handle that?” His grin turned sarcastic, as he laughed at her in a mocking sort of way! Could he handle it? Really? "I think I can manage." Kyle kept watching her as he contuined with his own smart comments. "I am more worried about you being able to follow the plan with out deviating and screwing something up." He was teasing her, but he knew she'd know that.

[cherry1]

“Maybe add in my name and say it slower!?" Raven folded her arms and ignored him, pretending she couldn’t hear him. There was no way she’d make the same mistake twice. "I love it when you talk dirty to me." Changing the subject to their work she rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but smirk slightly at his words. She shared an appreciation for mechanical science with Wick that she didn’t share with anyone else, not even Finn. It was refreshing that she could say whatever she wanted and he would just get it and get just as excited about it as her. He loved his job just as much as she loved hers. That was rare and she appreciated it.

"I am more worried about you being able to follow the plan with out deviating and screwing something up." He was teasing her. She knew that, but the words still frustrated her. Wick was too good at that. Damn engineers and their massive egos. “I’ll have you know, I’m an excellent mechanic and any deviation will be an improvement…you know in case parts of your design suck.” She said with a triumphant smile. And then proceeded to use her marker to finish and slightly edit…improve, an equation he’d started before he’d so rudely interrupted her. “You’re welcome.” She said, stepping back and holding the pen out to him, offering Wick the most innocent smile she could muster before it quickly turned into an all-out grin. Oh god…was she…having fun? With Wick? Impossible.