I. Chapter 1

The captain stopped just inside the door and regarded the young woman thoughtfully. He could wait, he actually enjoyed waiting for her to wake. It was quiet here, he could think. Let the doctor's words run circles in his head.

Only a change in her breathing warned that she was rousing finally. She opened her eyes slowly. Her face was turned toward him, so that he could watch the pupils widen and the grey eyes focus on him. For a moment he was spellbound.

Then she gave a minute shake of her head, brought one hand up to her face and murmured: "Great, now I am hallucinating." She moved as if to sit up, but stiffened at once with a breathless, surprised sound of pain.

He was beside her cot with two steps and touched her arm. "Breathe. Don't move, you've got two broken ribs." He remembered well the horrible, air-stealing pain of that injury. "Breathe!"

Slowly she pulled air into her lungs, and relaxed, opening her eyes again. The slender fingers circled his wrist gently and her eyes became round: "You're real!"

He could not help a small wry grin. "Flesh and blood, thanks to you..."

That visibly brought her back to reality, and she blushed lightly. "Captain, forgive me..."

"No, don't try to move. - People that save my life - twice - while endangering their own I usually ask to use my given name in private."

She stared at him. "But... Sir!"

He regarded her calmly. Their hands still encircled each other's wrists - he would not move, not yet.

She bit her lip. "But you don't trust me, sir. Why... I mean..."

He sat down on the edge of the bed slowly. "You do know my name?"

The young woman blushed deeply at that, the pulse at the base of her neck a sudden distraction to him. She nodded.

"There was a reason for my - behaviour - the last days and weeks. I can not apologize for it, but I will explain it to you at some stage. For now let me clarify that you do have my trust and my gratitude."

She stared at him, an expression of undiluted confusion. Shyly she said: "Thank you, Sir." Shook her head minutely at the traitorous tear that ran down her cheek. Gently he tightened his fingers, then pulled his hand out of her grip to wipe the drop of moisture off silken skin. A small jolt went through him.

Her eyes widened, and her voice shook as she continued: "Your words mean a lot to me."

With measured movements she sat up a little, but could not hide a grimace, the blood leaving her face.

He mirrored her movement, sitting back more comfortably. Hiding his own embarrassment.

They looked at each other for a moment, wonder in her eyes, and genuine warmth in his.

"How is the ship? The XO?"

"She`s undamaged. Some ropes frayed, lost two speakers. The XO had a mild concussion, but is already back on station."

"Already? What time...?"

"It's Wednesday evening. You've been out of it for a full day."

"Oh." Her eyes went round again. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

She frowned, looked down at her hand. "I remember the tremor - when the XO banged his head. I stepped outside, the eyrie calm, the wall on the horizon..." She paled. "I recognized the phenomenon -"

He continued gently: "You called out... set the warning in motion..."

"- and then you stepped outside, Sir. I grabbed the rope, I intended..." she grimaced, gripping shaking hands together.

He reached out and tugged her fingers apart. The slender hand was cold. Holding it warm and tight in his, he finished her sentence: "You did push me inside, the door closed on me, and the world came down on us - with you outside. When the ship had settled herself again, my first thought was of you."

"Sir..." the grey eyes were hanging on his lips.

"You gave us a horrible fright. The water would have crushed you and pulled you down. But -" he hesitated, gave a small smile. "You had grabbed that rope. You do have a guardian angel out there. The rope was wrapped around your arm and torso in a way that even when you lost consciousness, it held you tight. Your shoulder is probably sore, but not dislocated. Almost like a marine trained you."

She was working through his words, staring up at him with eyes that seemed very light."My Uncle, Sir, I did..."

He gave her his best sardonic stare, one eyebrow lifted, until she blushed.

"Sir?"

He did not say anything, until she realized what he was waiting for. Her mouth formed an 'O'.

"Thomas." she whispered, a sudden world of emotion in her face and voice.

The Captain had to swallow and look down at their joined hands. He had done this creature such wrong. "That was not so hard, was it?"

For a while the silence held them in thrall, then the girls breathing changed, until finally the words broke out of her: "I'm glad, Sir. Glad I reached you in time, glad the mechanism closed the door. Glad I am here."

That surprised a breathless laugh out of him, which returned the lights into her so serious eyes. "Well, so am I. For all those things - but why did you not try to enter behind me?"

She frowned a little. "I was afraid there was not enough time. And I knew the rope-thing works only if you meet the water head on. If the door did not close fully the whole room would be flooded and the people inside endangered - the senseless XO! The electricity… It was worth the risk. You are the Captain, S-."

"Ah!" he stopped her, brows raised. "Tom."

She blushed again, and continued with childlike doggedness. "You are the Captain, Tom. I - The ship can't lose you."

He considered the young woman for a long moment. There was a distinct sense that she might not have been so callous about her own life if the last weeks had been different - if he had listened to Mike or Jeter earlier. "You do realize there are people here that care about you, if you live or die. Don't put your life on the line for no reason…"

A bitter twinge hushed over her pale face. "I know, my blood is important."

"That is not what I meant. You`ve made friends here, and many who would like to be."

"Sir?"

Again he waited, gentle mockery overlaying his usual stoic demeanour, until she backpedalled.

"Tom."

"Where do you see yourself on the ship?"

"There are those who do try to make me feel welcome, useful, even though I do not belong anywhere. The ship's crew is a family. I am …" she grinned suddenly, a somewhat surprising elfin look in the pale face. "I am… a willing subject and tool?"

Tom Chandler laughed aloud at that. "That's Rachel Scott and chief engineer Garrett speaking."

The young woman nodded. "I've been trying to make myself useful, besides the immunity-issue."

"So I've been told. But do you feel at home?"

The girl looked down at her hand, which still rested in his. While he did not think of her as small, the narrow fingers seemed fragile in his large hands.

"Sir…"

"Tom", he corrected her firmly. "Right now, right here, say what's on your mind."

"Tom," it came out as a whisper, her eyes still downcast. But now she looked up at him with a sudden intensity that robbed him of his breath. "I am beginning to think that I can – feel at home I mean."

He let out a breath he had not been aware of holding in. "I am glad to hear that, -ah." He met her glance right on. "My children tell me your name is Elf."

She chuckled in surprise, the grey eyes glowing suddenly. "Not quite, it is Alviarin, but I told them to call me Alvi." She hesitated. "Please use it, too?"

"I am honoured, Alviarin. What about 'Erin'?"

For a breathless moment their eyes met and held.

"Erin is my middle name", the girl replied quietly.

Tom Chandler could not bring himself to address the elephant in the room, not yet. But this was a good beginning. He said as much, pressing the slender fingers gently.

"I am glad we had this moment, and I thank you for your honesty. Get some more rest, there's a karaoke-evening coming Saturday."

"Oh God, Sir, -"

"Look, I don't like to swear, but…"

The girl, already mortified at the realization he had been present at the occasion, flushed even darker. "Tom, Sir, I can't… I didn't know…" Thoughts were chasing each other clearly visible on the pale face.

The captain smiled warmly: "I did not mean to embarrass you, Alviarin Erin." He liked trying out the feeling of her name.

The grey eyes flew up to his face with sudden vulnerability. The tall man felt unsettled, much to his chagrin.

"You have a beautiful voice. And your song brought many smiles on too serious faces."

"Oh." She swallowed. "Thank you ... Tom."

"There… and on that note, I will leave you. I wish you a quick recovery."

She looked somewhat forlorn when he gently laid her hand on the blanket and stood up. "Thank you. And Sir, – Tom?"

He glanced back at her.

"Gods, this will take some getting used to." She murmured to herself, bringing a slight grin to the Captain's face. She lifted her face. "Thank you, for your words."

Tom Chandler nodded, and left the cabin.