Invitation - Acacia & Jack

Posted on Wed Jul 1st, 2026 @ 11:59pm by Colonel Jason "Jack" Frost

1,759 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Marine Ball
Location: Home

Lieutenant Colonel Jack Frost had faced hostile boarding actions, Dominion holdouts, pirate ambushes, diplomatic incidents masquerading as military operations, and one particularly memorable encounter involving an intoxicated Tellarite ambassador and a shuttlecraft.

None of those experiences had prepared him for the realization that he was about to voluntarily attend a formal social event.

The invitation rested on the PADD in his hand as he made his way through the corridors of the U.S.S. Dreadnought.

The annual Marine Ball.

Dress whites, formal ceremony, speeches, traditions and dancing.

The last item remained deeply suspicious.

A passing Marine spotted him and offered a greeting. "Evening, Colonel." The young Marine continued down the corridor with the unmistakable look of someone actually excited about the upcoming event.

Frost watched him go. Then glanced down at the invitation again.

There was still time to fake a shuttle maintenance emergency. Possibly an orbital defense drill. Maybe a minor diplomatic crisis.

Unfortunately, Commodore Marshall would almost certainly see through all of them. The Colonel sighed and continued toward his quarters. As much as he enjoyed grumbling about it, he knew the Marine Ball mattered. It was one of the few occasions where the Corps could pause long enough to remember its traditions, honor its history, and celebrate the men and women who wore the uniform.

That didn't mean he had to enjoy finding a dress uniform that still fit. The doors to his quarters finally came into view.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Whatever happened next, at least he wouldn't be facing it alone.

Acacia had quiet music playing and she was swaying to the music with Dalia against her chest. The baby was awake and squealed happily as her papa came into their quarters. The babyish cry was enough to turn her head, and blossom the smile that was hovering at her lips into a true expression of pleasure.

"Hello love. You're home early. What's the occasion?"

Jack walked over to Acacia, smiles and warmth abound as he kissed Mother and babe on the cheek. "Apparently, this." He handed over the invitation. "1 times invitation to the marine ball." Jack slipped off his tunic and lay it over the back of the chair at the desk. "All the marines are going, with plus 1's invited."


She took the PADD and stared at it with a mixed expression. She wasn't exactly physically the same as the last time she'd gone to a Marine ball, and she felt somewhat less confident in her skin. Her post pregnancy body wasn't exactly a point of pride for her, though some of her curves had become more ample.

"I assume we're going?" she asked chewing her lip, and watching him appreciatively. "Maybe you should take Dalia, she'd steal the whole show."

"It's expected that I go, being the MCO, but given your condition I didn't want to assume or pressure you to." Jack replied sinking further into a chair. "I've no idea when it will end, I suspect beyond her bedtime." Acacia was right about stealing the show.

Acacia couldn't help but giggle at the idea of her marine dancing with his baby daughter in ball finery. She vividly remembered their first marine ball, and the enthusiasm in which they had left the spectacle. "I love the idea of you dancing with your new favorite girl, just shake up the image of the MCO."

"Hey, you're still my favorite purple haired girl, just like you were at the last ball, only difference now is you have some close competition." Jack spoke.

She approached slowly and neatly handed him the baby, who squealed with delight at being handed to her Papa, and stared at him with enormous blue eyes. "I think she wins the cuteness competition. Give her a few years and she'll be attracting marines of her own."

"Absolutely not." Jack answered taking the child from Acacia. "Have this little heart throb around marines, she'd start a conflict. Sam would appoint herself Aunt and we'd never see her again and I'd never get any work out of my XO."

"Bianca wouldn't let her steal the baby" she teased as she moved behind him, and stroked her fingers through his closely cropped hair. "She's going to grow up loving a marine, and I have no doubt that she's going to attract a man who is just as...noble as her father is."

"Noble.." Jack smirked. "Been called a few things in my time..." He paused. "Maybe you're right, maybe Bianca would steal her instead. Already stolen Sam."

"Remember that I see you very differently than you do." her voice was soft in his ear before she nibbled it, knowing he couldn't retaliate because he had their daughter in his arms. "So, I assume you're going in formal dress? " A noise escaped her that told him she was remembering the last time she saw him in that uniform. He'd made her knees weak, in all the most delicious ways.

"Unfortunately." Jack hated his dress uniform, made him feel like a peacock. "It's not all bad I guess, after last time." The last ball may have drained their social batteries, but there was still plenty of gas in the tank once they got home.

"I adore how they make you look" she commented quietly into his ear before settling her arms around his neck. "So what should I wear? Am I dressing to impress, or causing a sensation since our little flower has utterly ruined me?" there was a teasing tone to her voice, but something about it rang true. She felt...different now that she had rearranged her curves for their child.

Her comment bothered him, perhaps more than it should have. Maybe it caught him off guard or something. "What do you mean, ruined?" That was not how he saw her, far from it.

"I'm not going to fit in the kind of dress I wore last year" Acacia answered, looking away from him with a gentle sigh "I don't regret carrying her, and I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime...but I don't...I'm not..." she trailed off with another sigh and whispered "Am i still good enough to be on your arm?"

"Hold on, back up." Jack tried to keep his tone pleasant for the baby's sake. "What do you mean, wouldn't mind again, I don't, I'm not?"

"Being pregnant." she clarified gazing at their daughter with adoration in her eyes. "I wouldn't mind doing it again, but I am not unchanged from the first one. I feel...I don't know...different? Like I'm not as pretty as I was for our first ball?"

"Didn't you just say to me that you saw me differently to how I do?" Jack spoke. "Should practice what you preach Sister." Jack added. "You are still beautiful, still the amazing girl I shielded in the corner of the shuttle. So go do that womanly thing women do when they make themselves gorgeous, give men whiplash and annoys other women because you're going, on my arm, and proudly."

Acacia's cheeks flushed with warmth as she took in his words, yet again protecting her but this time from herself. "I love you, you know that?" She'd always been proud that he'd chosen her, and made her his but there was nothing like hearing him say it, and meaning it. Not only that he was using her own words against her. "Do you have a color preference or shall I just go wild?"

"Id say go wild, but we did that and this little one happened." And not for an instant did he regret it. "But, you are the Chief Medical Officer and I the MCO, so go wild anyway, if anything, at least a medical professional will be present."

"Mmm I have fond memories of that night" of course she was teasing, but she stroked her fingertips down from his hairline to the line of his undershirt. "I will...attempt to find something that will remind you why you chose me, marine."

"Ohhhhh." Jack grinned. "Did you hear that?" He spoke to the baby. "Mommy is talking some big talk, what do you think, she bluffing?" He leaned forward as if to listen to a baby whisper. "Dalia says, make it happen or hand over your 'most beautiful' card."

"It's a deal my girl" Grinning back she stroked the tiny true red of her curls and spoke "I'll find you a dress too, and make Papa have two beauties to pick from."

"No need, I'm taking you, but you still got to hand the card over if you don't." Acacia was right though, Delia was going to be a bombshell when she was older, maybe he still had time to work on his reputation, scare off the potential suitors.

"She might be too young to be shown off, but I still want to see you dance with her in your dress greens. I might need a picture, for her baby book...and my own memory." she grinned at him and rested her cheek on his shoulder "I think I will buy her a dress...So you can start and end the party with your favorite girls."

"I think that would be sweet. A nice picture opportunity too." Jack answered. "We really should take more pictures, if anything, for Dalia."

"I'll arrange it." she murmerred, her eyes casting to a photo of them that had been taken at the last Marine ball. They were dancing, and the faint smile on Jack's face spoke volumes to her about them. "They caught a good one last year." Acacia nodded to it with a smile.

"Yes, yes they did." He answered. "Let's hope they do it again this year." He was sure they would. Much had changed in that year, and he wouldn't change anything of it.

"I am sure they will. They should, after all they can capture candids of all the couples. I'm sure the Commodore's wife would like something, same as I would."

"Do you think he will go? I've not actually met or seen his Wife." Jack wasn't even sure he Commodore was married until Acacia told him.

"I think if he was invited, he will go." came her answer after a moment of thought. "From all estimates he's a good commander, and he wouldn't snub the marines in such a fashion."

"True." Jack sighed. "I suppose we should go shopping, if you don't want to lose your card to this one, we need to get you something eye catching."

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