A/N: And here is the sequel to Flaws and All. You don't have to have read it to read this story, but things would probably make more sense if you have. Again, I own nothing, just continuing on from the amazing Star Trek film which you must go and see if you haven't already. I pretty much loiter with intent around Memory Alpha, which is where I get most of my information from. If I do get it wrong, please don't throw anything!!
I've decided to up the rating of this story. Expect violence, strong language and adult content. I'm not certain there will be all of those things in this story, but I'll just play it safe and say this isn't one for children or those easily offended!
I disclaim. Please read and review.
Christine glanced to her left, and frowned. Next to her Leonard McCoy, the Chief Surgeon for the USS Enterprise, tugged at the collar of his uniform.
"Would you stop that," she scolded. "You pull on that collar anymore and it'll be down to your knees."
He shot her a pathetic glance. "It itches." To accentuate the point, he dug his fingers into the black undershirt at the neck, pulling it downward even harder.
She slapped his hand away, and did her best to repair the stretches. "I agreed to become Head of Life Sciences, Leonard. I did not sign on for dressing you so you can meet new crew members. Now leave it alone."
McCoy scowled, folding his arms across his chest. Christine of course was referring to the promotion she'd been given after returning to the Enterprise. Both McCoy and the ship's new Captain, James Tiberius Kirk had insisted that she returned to the vessel, and the bait had been the position of managing all branches of Science on board the Enterprise.
Deep down, Christine would have come back at Kirk's request alone, but she'd never admit to that. She didn't want to appear terribly pathetic in front of her new Captain so early on under his command.
"I don't see why we have to do this." McCoy groaned, tugging at the black cord that held his medical kit hanging at his waist. He didn't need it with him, but he always mumbled that a good doctor never left their Medical Bay without their tools. One never knew when they would encounter a medical emergency after all.
"Because they're transferring to the Enterprise," Christine repeated in a soothing if softly patronising voice. "You are their superior officer, I will be managing their day to day activities. It'll be good for them and us if we welcome them aboard." McCoy looked blankly at her, causing Christine to scowl. "Because it's a nice thing to do and I said you have to. That's reason enough."
"Yes Captain Chapel." The Doctor poked his tongue out, and the nurse broke into a grin. McCoy had a knack for petulance when the mood suited him. Considering he was supposedly the chief Medical Officer on board the Enterprise, sometimes his bedside manner could be downright acerbic.
"That's better. Now, do try and control your basic urge to be acute and welcome these officers on board with good grace." She ignored the snort McCoy gave, flicking his head to the side like an affronted royal. "They'll learn about your acidic sense of humour soon enough. Just for today, pretend like you're actually happy they're here. For me, please?"
McCoy rolled his head on his shoulders, focusing a slightly narrowed eye on her. Throwing his hands up into the air, he sighed rather over dramatically. "Fine. I'll play nice when they get here. Depending on how my day goes however, I maybe end up booting one out of the nearest airlock before the day shift comes on duty. Who are we getting anyway? Are they all transferring from the Hathor?"
Christine shook her head, producing a data pad from behind her. Punching a key, an orange display lit up revealing a list of names. "Ansu, Hera. She's a Bio-researcher from the Space Station Yankee Foxtrot. Howard, Lance, a molecular botanist from the Hathor and Carol Marcus. She was stationed at Regula I during the Romulan attack on Vulcan and is a rising name in the molecular biology field."
"Never heard of 'em." McCoy admitted, fiddling with one of the straps on his medical kit.
"Well if you'd read the crew report I left on your desk this morning, you would've had time to familiarise yourself with them. I spent all last night compiling their details for you, and you're telling me you didn't read them?"
She sighed, exasperated as McCoy casually patted her shoulder. "Ah, but I don't need to familiarise myself with them when I have such an excellent head of Life Sciences preparing herself for their arrival. You're more than prepared enough for the both of us."
"Are you implying that my preparation borders on being anal retentive?" Despite the attempt to brush it off as humour, Christine wondered if maybe she was getting a little too overworked at preparing for their arrival. "I just like to be prepared, that's all."
"Relax Christine," Leonard chuckled, leaning over to nudge her with his shoulder. "I'm lucky to have you. If this had been left to me, they'd still be waiting for a lift at the airport and I'd be none the wiser!" Christine relaxed enough to lean back on her heels as McCoy turned his gaze forward again. "And speaking off, here they come now."
Unable to deny the smile playing at her lips, Christine glanced through the viewing window into the shuttle bay. A small craft had flown into the hanger, and was being guided into landing by the ships internal tractor systems. A dull, metallic thud echoed in the small space as it finally settled on the floor and the azure glow of the craft's nacelles dimmed as the engines were shut down.
"Best meet and great face, Chapel." McCoy grinned as he nudged her out of the door. "First impressions, and all that."
Their shoes echoed on the metallic staircase that led down into the shuttle bay as the exit to the craft opened upwards. Three science officers appeared from inside, blinking at the increased illumination of the bay. The officers stepped out onto the bay floor, each dressed in the traditional blue of the science officer carrying an over the shoulder bag. Chapel and McCoy walked over to stand in front of them, welcoming smiles on their faces.
Realising McCoy wasn't going to say anything, Christine nudged his arm gently, widening her eyes slightly as if to tell him to get on with it. He looked at her, lost at her intentions until realisation sparked in his eyes.
"Oh, right. Uh, welcome to the Enterprise. My name is Doctor Leonard McCoy, ships surgeon and Chief Medical Officer." The three officers nodded slightly in recognition. "On my left here is Head Nurse Christine Chapel, my assistant. She will be your tour guide this afternoon and help you get settled on board. As head of Life Sciences on board the Enterprise, she'll be your first point of contact for any and all queries. She'll also be managing your activities on a day to day basis."
McCoy turned to Christine, a knowing gleam in his eyes. She realised all too late what he was about to do, and was left powerless to stop him. "Now then, if you'll excuse me I need to be on my rounds. I'll leave you in the capable hands of Nurse Chapel. Again, welcome on board."
With a slightly incline of his head, McCoy turned on his heel to make a hasty retreat for the exit to the shuttle bay. As he turned, he winked at Christine, grinning brightly as marched off away from the newly arrived officers. They all looked slightly perplexed, obviously expecting more from McCoy. Feeling like it was her duty to pick up the slack, Christine cleared her throat, colour marking her cheeks.
"Right then. As Doctor McCoy just introduced me, I'm Nurse Christine Chapel and I am the head of all Scientific departments here on the Enterprise. I'm also Head Nurse and Doctor McCoy's assistant, so I pretty much do a little bit of everything."
Christine smiled, and two of the officers returned that smile. The third however, looked anything but amused. Her hostile posture made her stand out to Christine, and she couldn't help give the woman a sweeping glance. She was slightly taller than Christine, with hair that resembled spun gold. It was pulled back from her face and left to fall down her back in luxurious waves. Her science uniform was tight fitting, accentuating her curves and dips in all the right placed and barely met standard requirements for length.
The red of her lips suggested confidence and daring, and her eyes were a startling shade of twilight blue. They appraised Christine coldly, and the nurse couldn't help but shift her uniform slightly as a response, feeling dowdy in her presence.
Feeling obligated to break the clearly uncomfortable silence, Christine awkwardly offered her hand to the blonde woman. "Pleasure to meet you..."
The woman left Christine's sentence hanging between them long enough to make her and the other two officers feel uncomfortable before she answered. She sighed gently, as though replying were an imposition, tilting her head to the side.
"Doctor Carol Marcus." She glanced at Christine's hand, making no attempt to take it, an eyebrow arching on her forehead. "Will there be an opportunity to meet with Doctor McCoy again?"
"I'm sure that can be arranged." Christine nodded, lowering her hand to her side, annoyed at herself that she wanted to apologise knowing she had no reason to. That had been just plain rude on Doctor Marcus' part. "Is there anything specific you wanted to discuss?"
The look Doctor Marcus gave Christine made her feel as if she were asking a stupid question. "Questions about my work, of course." She explained it slowly, as if Christine would have trouble understanding her. "If you wouldn't mind getting me a slot with him Nurse, I'm sure he's very busy and he'd have to be booked through his assistant."
Christine had never heard the word 'nurse' be used with such a derogatory tone before, and her skin bristled with the insult of it. She tried to keep the ice out of her voice, but even she could feel the bite in her tone. "There will be no need to see Doctor McCoy then. I'm responsible for all sciences on board the ship, and can tell you and Ms. Ansu that you will be in Science Lab Beta on deck six. It is set up for particular use in biological research, and close enough to the Medical Bay to make the best use of its resources."
A slow smile spread across Carol's face. "All the same, Nurse. I'd like to talk to Doctor McCoy myself."
"As you wish." She replied, irritation crawling beneath her skin. Turning her eyes on the next officer, Christine forced herself to resume a friendly smile. "And you must be Ensign Ansu. Welcome to the Enterprise."
"Thank you," the woman repeated, bobbing her head slightly to disturb the bob of her black hair. "It is an honour to be stationed on the ship that saved earth from the Romulan attack. I look forward to working with you, Nurse Chapel. I've heard you are quite a force in bio research, and would relish the opportunity to pick your brains at some point."
Christine smiled, waving off the compliment. Silently, she was relieved that at least one person was pleased to be here. Finally she moved to the third and final officer.
He was easily taller than all three women, and every bit as lithe to match his height. Tawny brown hair covered his eyes as he turned his gaze away from Christine. She blinked when she saw the slight blush in his cheeks, and she guessed that he must be nervous. Tall as he was, the officer looked barely older than Chekov.
"Ensign Howard, welcome to the Enterprise. Anything you need, just let me know." She smiled. "The aeroponics bay is on deck eleven, and that's where you'll be stationed."
The Ensign mumbled something in response, and Christine couldn't quite make out what it was. Her smile faltered slightly, but brightened as he jabbed his hand toward her, the limb stiff and unmoving. Christine quickly took it in her own, shaking it gently. She was struck by the heat of his skin, the palm of his hand almost uncomfortably warm.
Poor kid, she thought. He must be boiling with nerves. Deciding she would keep a close eye on him to make sure he settled, Christine was surprised a fourth figure stepped out of the shuttle. He stepped out onto the bay floor, and she couldn't help suck in a breath.
He was taller than her, although not quite at Howard's height and definitely older than them. His dark hair was naturally curly and reached to his ears. Christine guessed he had a Latin background, although his startling jade green eyes didn't seem to quite fit with that. His clearly muscular form was draped in the gold uniform of the command division, which she found odd, assuming that he was the pilot.
She stepped forward to meet him, as he offered an easy grin, exposing a smile that would make practically anyone's knees tremble. Colour threatened to mark her cheeks again, especially as the man's eyes fell on her like they were targeting scanners. As soon as Christine was in his sights, he moved right for her.
"Forgive me," he spoke in a voice so deep and rich Christine pictured a river of melted chocolate flooding into her ears. "I had trouble shutting down the warp coils. Would one of your engineers be willing to take a look at her?"
"Of course, sure thing." Christine replied, a little too brightly. At her left, Christine saw Doctor Marcus sneer. "I was just introducing myself. Are you from the Hathor?"
"I am," he replied, his smiled seemingly only for her now. "And it's a pleasure to meet you Nurse Chapel." He offered his hand to her, which she took with a slight smiled. His hand was soft, and seemed to dwarf hers as he shook it gently. It may have been her imagination, but Christine felt as though he held it for a just a little longer than was necessary, and reluctantly let it go.
"I'm Dutch Ramirez," he explained and she nodded. "Captain of the USS Hathor."
Christine eyes flared open. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realise sir. I thought...well I assumed that you were...well, just a pilot."
"I am, or at least I used to be." Ramirez grinned, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I'm due to meet Captain Kirk to discuss our mission here, and thought I'd fly the shuttle over myself. Not often a Captain gets the opportunity to fly these days." He chuckled softly, and Christine made a sound that resembled a snort rather than a laugh.
What was the matter with her? Was she really so pathetic she couldn't control herself around an attractive man?
"I was hoping that maybe I take a look around the Enterprise, if that's alright." Ramirez stepped away from the group, glancing up toward the high ceiling of the shuttle bay. He whistled appreciatively, something Christine had to stop herself from doing as she saw the round of his buttocks in his uniform pants.
"She is a beauty. I saw her back on Earth not long after they'd completed the saucer section." Ramirez turned a conspiratory glance on Christine. "I was hoping I'd get her when she was built, but alas that rascal Pike got in first and I got the Hathor, which is a fine vessel don't get me wrong. And now, the Enterprise in the care of Kirk. He must be the luckiest Cadet ever to join Starfleet."
There was a hidden weight to his words, not that Christine could discern them. She was too busy trying to stop herself drooling all over his boots. She couldn't help it, he just smelled edible. "Beautiful...yeah...definitely something."
Clamping her mouth closed, Christine hoped that would stop her from saying anything else as stupid.
"Not to mention he got his pick of officers in the fleet." Ramirez eyed her a little more boldly now, obviously trying to see the body beneath the uniform. "He certainly has a good eye."
She could only nod mutely, feeling incredibly foolish and not entirely sure why. Chalking it up for failing to recognise him as a Captain, Christine tried to refocus. "Um, I could just take you straight up to see the Captain if you'd like sir. I'm sure he'd be happy to show you around the ship and what not."
"If it's all right with you Nurse Chapel, I'm happy to stick with the tour guide I've got. Assuming you don't mind an extra body in the group." His eyes glinted in anticipation, his full lips eased into the grin that made her heart pound instinctively.
Lost in the green of his eyes, Christine couldn't form words in her own mind, let alone speak them. She felt transfixed for an eternity, at least until Marcus cleared her throat, folding her arms tightly across her chest.
"Are we going to begin this tour then Nurse?" She questioned impatiently.
Dragging her gaze from Ramirez's face proved to be more of a challenge that Christine would have realised. As soon as she did though, the world seemed to slot back into place and she remembered why they were all here and more importantly what she was supposed to be doing.
"Right, of course. If you'd all like to follow me, please."
An hour later, the group finally arrived at Deck six and were heading toward the Medical bay. They'd been all around the ship, with Christine pointing out important areas and explaining the ship's functions, as well as the general day to day runnings. Ansu looked interested, nodding periodically as though she was taking everything in. Howard couldn't meet her eyes, looking anywhere other than her face. Carol more than made up for that though, not bothering to hide her boredom.
Christine did her best to keep her attention away from the darkly handsome Ramirez, even to go so far as putting everyone else between them as they travelled in the turbo lifts. Now she felt him behind her again, she increased her pace and prayed for the Medical Bay to be busy.
"And here is the Medical Bay," she indicated with a pointed arm. "This is where the majority of the medical staff are situated and where Doctor McCoy and myself spend most of our time."
"Medical staff in the Medical Bay," Doctor Marcus remarked. "Fancy that."
Ignoring the barb as best she could, Christine relaxed her hand out of the tensed fist it had curled into and lead the way inside. Thankfully, her prayers had been answered, and several medical staff were present. She off loaded Carol Marcus to Doctor McCoy as soon as she spotted him across the room, obviously trying to hide behind a patient as he watched them arrive. Marcus looked thrilled, standing uncomfortably close to him and twirling a lock of her gold hair around her fingers.
"Nurse Hale, this is Hera Ansu. She's a bio-researcher, and this is Ensign Howard who will be working with the Botany division. Would you show them around the Medical Bay please, and explain how we do things?"
The Nurse nodded, indicating for the two new officers to follow him. Satisfied they were taken care of, Christine turned around and came face to face with the broad chest of Captain Ramirez. He smiled down at her, an deep glint in the depth of his eyes. He was clearly pleased to have her alone, and Christine felt herself backing away from him. The momentary awe and attraction had apparently passed, and Christine could see more clearly than in the Shuttle Bay.
"Captain Ramirez," she began, trying to smile as openly as possible. "Perhaps you'd liked to speak with Yeoman Gairmen. He's involved with administration of the Medical Bay and could probably give you an insight into the more -..."
Ramirez shook his head. "Actually, I had a few questions for you. I was wondering if you would be interested in -..."
It was Ramirez's turn to be interrupted as a medical aide hooked Christine by the elbow. "Sorry to interrupt you Nurse Chapel, but you're needed in storage bay five."
Christine smiled apologetically, leaving Ramirez with the aide as she headed straight for the exit. Intuition suggested to her what the Captain had been about to ask had little to do with work. Now that she was away from him, the predatory look she had seen in his eye wasn't as enticing as it had once been. In fact, now it was down right disconcerting.
Running a hand back through her hair, she wondered how she could have gotten so swept away in the first place. Captain Ramirez was handsome, and there was no question he would probably fulfil the tall, dark and handsome fantasy of many women. However that didn't excuse Christine's reaction of becoming lost for words.
Marching down the corridor, her body acted on autopilot, directing her to the storage area without her realising she was actually nearly there. In fact, it was only the pull of someone else's arms that finally snapped her back to attention.
Strong hands snatched at her from her left. They wrapped around her quickly, pulling with such speed and power that she couldn't resist them. Swept cleanly from her feet, Christine barely had time to squeak as she found herself pulled into a room that was little more than a weapons locker.
Twisting around to face her attacker, she gasped as a familiar pair of glacial blue eyes peered back at her, a smile on their owner's lips.
"James Tiberius Kirk!" She scolded, smacking her knuckles on his shoulder. "You frightened the living daylights out of me! You can't just go around grabbing people! What if someone saw you?"
"So what if they did?" He shrugged, wrapping his arms around her so that he pulled her body flush against his. "I am the Captain. I can abduct pretty much any member of the crew that I want." Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against the side of her neck, his voice a sultry whisper in her ear. "And I just to happen to want you, Red."
If Ramirez made Christine weak at the knees, James Kirk made her melt into a puddle of over-stimulated lust. Especially when he used his new found nickname for her. She found her hands clawing at his back, her lips attacking his neck and her tongue tracing along the line of his jaw. He growled, and tilted her head towards his so that he could claim her mouth with his own.
He kissed her deeply; his tongue and lips working in unison to awaken molten desire in her that threatened to explode at any second. He pressed her back against the wall, hands and fingers digging into her waist and reaching up onto her back. The world fell away around her, and all Christine could do was focus on the feeling of James pressed against her. He was like her drug, and as long as he kept kissing her she knew she could survive.
As was often the case however, James eventually pulled back. He panted heavily, a red flush colouring his cheeks. Christine touched the back of her hand to her own cheek, feeling her burning skin. Kirk smiled devilishly, his hands creeping down to cup the round of her bottom.
"Would you come to my quarters tonight for dinner, say around seven?" He asked. "I make a great chilli."
Christine was surprised by the question, and the admission about his chilli almost felt like a bargaining tool. She nodded almost instantly. "Sure, I'd like that. My duty shift ends at five."
"I know," he blurted, the colour in his cheeks no longer created by their embrace a moment before. At Christine's questioning look, Kirk looked down toward his feet before meeting her eyes again. "Okay, so I may have checked what shift you were on before I asked. You don't mind, do you?"
Christine chuckled, leaning forward and gently pressing her lips against his. She loved the rare moments when his confidence slipped and he seemed genuinely concerned. It only ever happened around her. "Of course not. It's always good to plan ahead. If only I could sway Leonard to my way of thinking."
"Oh yes?" he grinned, relieved that he hadn't been chastised for planning his request carefully. "What has he done now?"
"Nothing really. Just leaving the greeting of the new crew members to me." Christine shrugged as though it were not big deal.
Kirk nodded. "Right, of course. I forgot they were coming today. What are they like?"
"Alright, I guess. There's a really shy guy in the group, and an obnoxious blonde who clearly thinks I'm beneath her." Kirk arched an eyebrow. "Nothing I can't handle though."
"If you need anything, you know I'm here right? I'll dismiss her if she's trouble." He grinned playfully, and Christine was almost completely certain he was joking.
She smiled, leaning her head onto his chest. "I'll keep that in mind. I should probably get going. I was supposed to be at the storage bay ten minutes ago. They'll wonder where I've got to. Imagine their faces if they found out I was abducted by my own Captain!"
He licked his lips. "Actually, I totally made that up. You're not needed there at all, I just passed the message along that you were." Christine looked shocked. "What? I had to figure out a way to get you alone."
"You're a bad, bad man James Kirk." She giggled softly, just as he kissed her again. She kissed him back harder, painting her lips against his.
It was an effort for him to pull back. "That I am. So I'll see you at seven?" Releasing her from his embrace, Kirk moved to the door, powering it open and glancing out into the corridor. Certain there was no-one around, he took Christine's hand and lead her back out of the weapons locker.
"Absolutely. I'll see you tonight."
Risking one more brief kiss, Kirk began wandering off in the opposite direction, holding onto her hand for as long as he possibly could before letting go. Christine watched him walk around the corner, before finally turning and heading back toward the Medical bay. She felt like she was floating more than walking, and suddenly the prospect of dealing with Captain Ramirez didn't seem so bad knowing she had an evening with James to look forward to.
Refusing to get over excited, Christine still couldn't deny the thrill it gave her knowing this was the first time they were having something resembling a date. Since the Enterprise had left earth, all their meetings had been restricted to trysts like the one they'd had in the weapons locker. Maybe dinner in his quarters represented a step forward in their relationship?
Not wanting to consider the potential problems that would cause, Christine carried on back to work, a dreamy smile firmly on her lips for the rest of the day.