Author's notes: Ok, so just so that you know that I have not abandoned this fandom and that I AM still writing for it and writing more chapters for the stories. I am giving you here a series of drabbles or one-shots that I should not try to develop into full blown stories because then they explode, like what happened with A Spacefold Away. For right now, I am planning on finishing two more drabbles/oneshots that I have planned as I also work on a full story that has not been published yet. As far as my published stories, Benefits of Friendship will come next, since it is the one that I have planned the most and then I will go back on the planning stages for the other two stories that I have open. I realized that there are some serious issues that I need to go back and plan better because the stories turned out to be bigger than what I anticipated.

Summary:

This first drabble actually takes place in the Battle for Earth universe and I was toying with the idea of including it in the story but I might not so… here goes. Just so that you have a little taste of what's to come, one of the chapters will find the characters celebrating Rick's 24th birthday. The boys want to give Rick a cultural, educational birthday present and Lisa thinks Rick needs some encouragement.

Chapter 01- Birthday Drabble

"Uh, it smells! What is this?" Rick complained while wrinkling his nose as he gazed in fascinated horror at the plate in front of him. He looked for an answer in the faces of his friends and he did not like the answer that he was seeing.

Roy, Kogo and Daigo looked at him with huge smiles on their faces. Rick did not trust any of them, they looked way too amused and based on Max's dubious look, he was not sold on the whole thing either.

When his friend's had dragged him from the table where they all had been sitting together so they could give him his birthday present, he had thought nothing of it. He was a bit puzzled as to why all of them needed to leave

"It's Cambembert cheese, and in honor of your birthday, we thought you should have some culturing, enlightened gift as a right of passage to adulthood."

"I'm turning 24, not 21. I've done my rite of passage already, thank you very much…" Rick commented dryly. Actually that was another occasion he would like to forget. Roy's guffaw and Max's pitying look let him know that they were also remembering that occasion.

"I smell a story here." Kogo said as he noticed all three of their looks.

"How can you even 'smell' anything with this stench!" Rick said to avoid a retelling of that story, although knowing both parties involved, those that knew the story and those curious enough to ask, he had a feeling it would not be long before that story would come to light. In order to distract them, he said, "I've been in gyms that smell better than this." Rick grumbled, covering his nose.

"Oh don't be such a wuss. Just try it!" Kogo said, offering him a plate of the most rancid, stinky food that had been created by humankind.

"How's birthday is it anyway?" Rick replied crankily.

"Oh what an ingrate! After all we all pitched in to get you this wonderful gift. We are trying to educate you little brother. This is what older, responsible and cultured people eat." Roy reprimanded him.

"Well why is it that none of you are trying it? You all are older than me."

"But we are not cultured and I don't care to be either. I'm just a lowly cyborg with a mission" Kogo said, his eyes affecting an innocent look.

"Don't look at me, I'm in your same boat." Daigo said, as they were roughly the same age.

Rick glared at the man that was younger than him by just a couple of months but he blinked in surprise at the new voice that spoke. "Ummmm is that Camembert cheese?" Lisa asked as she passed by from the bar with a drink. Lisa had been sitting with the girls in a bar top table. She had been curious as to what the men had been sneaking around for and she had pretended to go to the bar to see if she could find out. After eavesdropping a bit, well they were not being secretive anymore, she had caught the gist of what was happening.

Rick was still awestruck at the change in Lisa's demeanor. In fact, he was going to blame his docility at following along with his friends' crazy idea on his confusion towards her. Even though he had seen a more playful side of Lisa lately, he was still in awe of her and he had been so conflicted lately in what he felt for his best friend and commanding officer. He wished he could be as casual as the other guys were while talking to her, flirty like Kogo, teasing like Daigo, or like family like Roy and Max. Lately he just felt so awkward around her… So instead of verbalizing his answer, he just nodded.

At Rick's wide eyed nod, Lisa smiled indulgently. She didn't know what was wrong with Rick lately but she tried to be as friendly as possible, after all, it was his birthday celebration. "That's great. Do you mind if I have some?" Lisa asked, thinking that this way they could 'bond' a bit more. He shook his head no, slightly horrified. All the other men looked at her with puzzled looks on their faces. She leaned forward a bit and to grab the cheese, she bent so close, that he could smell the clean, intoxicating scent of her. A perfect mixture of a flowery perfume and a scent that was uniquely hers. She always reminded him of sunshine in a clear summer sky. The fact that he could smell her intoxicating scent above the stink of that rancid piece of cheese was an added bonus.

He nervously held his breath as he looked at her, fascinated. It was a good thing that all of the other men were looking at her with the same amount of incredulity at her willingness to touch that cheese so none of them noticed the look in Rick's face to tease him about it later. She finally grabbed a morsel with two elegant fingers and daintily put it in his mouth as she looked behind her at Daigo who was laughing very hard.

Rick looked at her, gobsmacked. She turned around at gave him a beatific smile. She raised that eyebrow of hers, the one that always indicated a challenge and just like always, he couldn't resist. Well if Lisa likes it… Rick thought as he took one and put it on his mouth. The taste of rancid socks burst in his mouth. It took all of his concentration to chew and swallow. He followed it with a swill of his beer to wash the flavor out.

"So, did you like it?" Daigo said as soon as he could catch his breath after his laughing fit.

"I guess it's an acquired taste…" Rick said hesitantly. He really didn't want to trash it if it was one of Lisa's favorite foods and with the way she enthused about it and gulped it down, it must have been. "So is it one of your favorite foods Lisa?"

"What? Heck no! In fact I think I am leaving right away, I cannot stand the smell of it any longer."

"But you just ate it, you called it great, you…." Rick trailed off when he saw her put the small wedge of the cheese she had "eaten" intact on the plate.

Rick looked at the intact piece of cheese she had just dropped in the plate and then at her face.

"But you… I thought…"

"You shouldn't believe everything you see Captain Hunter." She said with a sly smile. "I just thought you needed some encouragement with this culturing thing. Happy Birthday!" She said and with a tiny little wave and a tinkling laugh, she walked back to her table.

The guys roared with laughter at Rick's incredulous face. They also were pleasantly surprised at the wicked sense of humor their Captain had.

Rick stood up abruptly and moved away. Max thought that maybe the guys (and Lisa) had gone too far with their joke. So he called to his CO "You ok Skipper?"

Rick just looked back and said, "Sure Max, I'm just going to wash my mouth with soap, see if I can revive my tastebuds after that."

He left, amongst the good natured jokes and laughter of his friends.