Somebody to lean on- Yar X Ro

(this is a oneshot)

"Take us out of range, Ensign. Heading 326-mark-713." Captain Picard's command cut across the bridge, directed towards one of the helmsmen. Lieutenant Tasha Yar paid the order little mind, seeing as how it was meant for some other Officer. She had learned to block out any words not directed towards her during missions. They distracted from her work

"Ensign! I said, take us out of range!" This time Tasha did look up. The Captain's outburst was aimed at the newest Ensign, who seemed a little overwhelmed in the midst of it all. She felt her heart soften just a little bit. This rookie reminded her of herself back when she was new, although they couldn't have been far apart in age. "Right. Entering coordinates now, Captain." Responded the Ensign brusquely, and Tasha thought she saw a humiliated blush creep across the woman's cheeks before she turned back to the helm.

After getting her first real look at the Officers face, Yar made an obvious realization. The Ensign was Bajoran. As soon as she was aware of this, Tasha felt an immediate kinship with this woman. She deeply appreciated the hardships of Bajoran life, driven from their homes and having to live every day their lives in fear of a greater enemy. She felt overwhelming sympathy towards the Ensign, and decided at that very moment that she would be the one to ease her into life aboard the Enterprise.

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As the crew began to return to their quarters towards the end of the shift, Lieutenant Yar stayed behind, watching the Bajoran closely. The Ensign tidied up the helm she was working at and stood to leave. Yar did the same, and they entered the Turbolift at the same time. The doors closed and they were alone together, being the last few to leave the bridge. Tasha pretended to fiddle with her combadge as the Ensign quietly entered her deck number.

A few awkward moments of silence passed before Yar dared to begin, and when she did she cringed to hear how condescending her voice sounded. "So." The Ensign looked up, looking half frightened and half indignant. Yar forced her voice into a friendlier tone. "You're a rookie, huh?"

"I am most certainly not a rookie. I served and trained at starfleet academy just as long as you did, maybe even longer." The Bajorans response was cold, and Yar didn't have to be Betazoid to sense she was on the defensive. "I think we got off on the wrong foot. What's your name?" Yar extended a stiff jointed arm almost robotically. Stars, she looked just like Data.

The Ensign eyed her, uncertain. Yar though the woman was about to accept the handshake, but instead got a suspicious "Who wants to know?" She understood the hostility, but it still got her hackles up. She was about to call out this girl, tell her that she had best respect her superiors, but then she saw those big, wary eyes. She's only nervous, Yar reminded herself. Just like you were.

"Lieutenant Tasha Yar," she answered, "head of security. You can just call me Tasha, though." After a second of pondering, her handshake was tentatively accepted. Yar noticed that the woman only touched her fingers, as if she was anxious to get this interaction over. Progress, nonetheless.

"Ensign Ro Laren." Yar smiled. Ro Laren. That was a pretty name. The Ensign cleared her throat, and Yar realized that she was still loosely holding onto the womans hand. She swiftly let go, apologizing profusely, and straightened her uniform.

The sound of the turbolift's air pressure door sliding open interrupted Tashas next sentence. It was her fellow officers deck. The Ensign began to step off, but then appeared to change her mind, pausing at the entrance and turning back.

"You can call me Ro." Tasha felt a strange sense of victory, like she had just jumped an impossible hurdle. Ro was about to leave, visibly deterred by the lack of response, when Yar reached out hurriedly and grabbed her arm, yelling "Wait!" She felt her face flush and she almost pulled back, ready to apologize and send the Ensign on her way, when she heard a confused "Tasha?"

"Do you... do you want to go out for drinks sometime? In Ten forward? It's nice there." A smile spread across Ro's face as she answered.

"Yes, I think I'd like that."