002. Sway
The alien - large, willowy, and a virulent shade of purple - had taken an interest in Chapel early on in the evening.
The rest of the crew that was at that particular bar - a mix of senior crew and middle - had found it anywhere from amusing to tolerable, depending on their tempermants. Chapel had been flattered.
And then his (or was it hers? Xenobiology had never been Christine's strong point) feelers started waving around a little as she drank a little more of her beer. (It was orange. Who made orange beer, really!)
And then the feathery humanoid had laid it's hands on her shoulder.
A little touchy-feely, okay, sure. Some alien species were; some aliens within that species were moreso. Christine ignored the dark look that McCoy gave Spock as the two talked, seated farther down the bar. If he was jealous, well...well, he could shove it!
She was grown. She could flirt if she wanted to, or go home with somebeing if she felt like it. They all did often enough...
And that was all well and good, really, until the aliens' slightly scaley hands started tugging at her arm; it's feelers were waving more urgently now, it's large dinner-plate eyes glossy and dialated.
"Oh, I don't want to dance, thank you.", Chapel said, smiling and gently patting her admirers' claw-like hand, pulling her arm away. Or trying to, at least; it seemed her admirer really didn't want to let go.
Now the purple alien was - humming? Buzzing? And it hadn't let go of her arm, either; in fact, it was gripping tighter, pulling harder, its' scales digging not-comfortably into her skin.
"Oh, no, really - maybe later, dear.", the blonde nurse replied. Christine was starting to be thankful she'd brought along her stun-phaser, really...never leave home without it, her mother had always told her. it seemed she might just have a chance to use it, tonight, too. Good old Mom.
"Listen -", she said, anger and fear charging the woman's voice as she felt herself yanked out of the bar stool, stumbling on a pair of decidedly non-regulation high heels.
And then - Spock was swaying out of his seat, determined and protective (or was that just her, applying Human feelings onto him?) - and the interloper was five feet away, knocked onto the floor.
"You will refrain from man-handling my co-workers.", was all the nurse heard over the roaring in her ears, and it was all she needed to, really.
That night was the night Christine Chapel fell in love.
