Thanks for the follows to the story. This is my attempt at the NaNoWriMo, so there will probably be updates almost daily. I don't own Wesley Crusher but Katharyn Riker and even the planet Ganztpeer belong to my mother and I. She started her novel and I am just writing my own version to hers. Maybe sometime I can upload hers too it just has to be typed in unless she can find her files for me to copy and paste. She has already given me permission. Hers isn't finished yet but one day it will be.
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The first thing I am aware of is the smell of the soup over the fire, it would be done soon. I open my eyes and notice that it is dark now. The only light in the hut is from the fire. I see a silhouette in front of the fire. I start to panic before I remember that I had a visitor. I slowly get up and cross over to Wesley. He doesn't move when I approach. Either he doesn't hear me or trusts me enough to not worry about my movements.
"How long was I out?" I ask him. I felt slightly embarrassed. I had cut my finger while chopping the herbs for our dinner. The sight of my own blood caused me to pass out.
"About 45 minutes." Wesley replies to me. He looks up to me, "I see your color is back. That's good. You were very pale. Has that ever happened before?"
"No it has not. I don't usually get hurt like that." I say to him. He reaches towards me and grabs the hand that had the cut finger. He looks at it.
"That looks better." He then kisses my finger over the cut. "There. All better." He smiles at me and then gestures for me to sit in front of him by the fire. There is something about his smile that makes me feel safe and even loved. I need to learn more about him. I sit down in front of him with my legs crossed so I can lean over and rest my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. He is sitting on my only stool so I am on the floor and he is just above my height. Wesley puts his hands on my shoulders and pulls me slightly closer to him. He starts rubbing my shoulders and I feel myself relax. I have never felt this before. I feel calmer and feel ready to take on anything.
"Mmm…that feels amazing." He chuckles.
"Not the first time I heard you say that." That got me thinking about how he knows me. Where do I fit in where he is concerned?
"Wesley? How do you know me? How did you know I needed to be rescued? I've never met you but you seem to have met me."
"I can't tell you much but I do know what I can say." He stops rubbing my shoulders and leans past me to stir the soup. When he is done he sits back and pulls me back to him. I am sitting between his knees with my back up against the stool. He wraps his arms around my shoulders and rests his chin on the top of my head. "I know a future version of you. We are very close. You told me it was time to go into the past to rescue you. You also told me what I could tell you. See, you have to know what you need to tell me, but I have to tell you first. Make sense?"
"I think so." I am not sure if I completely understand but I am sure when the time comes I will. "So when we leave here, where will we be going?"
"I will take you to Earth to enroll at Starfleet Academy. That is where I am, well past me anyway. It's what happened in my timeline so I have to make sure we keep to it. The Academy is fun. It prepares you to work on a starship, to do whatever you want. You father is first officer on a Galaxy class starship and your mother is a Counselor."
"Wait, my parents died when I was little." I said to him.
"Yes. A version of them did but you were never supposed to be in the timeline you are in now. You were supposed to be born in the other time line. Someone else was supposed to be here but he was born in that one instead."
"So I still have parents?"
"Yes. And you will get to meet them but you have to make sure they understand that they cannot try to find you before I did. You have to keep to the timeline at all costs."
"I understand. So how close are we?"
"I can't tell you exactly. But you trust me with your life." I sit with him in front of the fire thinking about what he said. Would it be beneficial to meet my parents when they can't be the ones to save me? Would I want to meet them? The answer to these questions is yes, I would love to meet them. I take a deep breath and turn in Wesley's arms so I can look at him. I look into his eyes so I can maybe see what he isn't telling me. I search his thoughts and find nothing other than what he has told me. He's good. Did you find what you were looking for, Kat?
No. I cross my arms. Why do you call me Kat?
Well it's short for Katharyn. I have called you Kat for many years. I also have a few other nicknames for you but you will have to wait to learn those. Anyway, I think our dinner is ready. He gets up and pulls the pot away from the fire. I stand up and grab a bowl.
"Um…sorry I only have one bowl."
"It's ok. You eat first and I will eat after you." I fill my bowl up and sit back down in front of the fire to eat. We sit in silence as I eat, the only sound coming from my spoon scraping on the bowl. When I am finished, I get up and put some more in the bowl. I then hand the bowl and spoon to Wesley so he can eat. Instead of sitting back down I grab two cups and go outside to fill them with water. As I walk outside the cold hits me. I never realize how cold it is until I have been inside. I look up and see the stars. I love looking at them. During the warmer months I would sit outside and just stare at the stars sometimes falling asleep. I wonder which ones I will go to once I am no longer on this planet? Kat? Are you ok? Where did you go? I hear Wesley ask.
I am fine. I stepped outside to get us both cups of water but I got distracted by the stars. I feel him come up behind me. He puts his arms around me and pulls me close. I relax into him and enjoy his warmth. It amazes me how well we fit together.
I get distracted by the stars as well. There are evenings that we just sit outside and look up, sometimes cuddled under a blanket, always together. I can feel his breath by my ear. It sends shivers through my body. I have never felt anything like this before. I can also feel the connection we have/will have. I lean slightly to the side so I can peer up at him but not turn completely. I look into his brown eyes. The world around us seems to dissolve and I see him lick his lips. I wonder if he is going to kiss me. Do I want him to kiss me? Before I can think on it too much he leans down and kisses me. I feel a little spark between us, almost like electricity. I see stars, literally. Star systems, nebulas, even planets. It's as if his kiss is taking me on a journey through space, even though I can still feel the ground beneath my feet. The kiss seems to awaken something in me and I want to deepen the kiss, feel more. And then I come back planet side. Wait, is this like cheating on my future self? I pull back and leave the warmth of his arms.
What is it? He asks me.
We can't do this.
Why?
Isn't it cheating? You're married in your future. I stop. Should I let him know that I now know exactly who I am to him? You're married to me. I'm not going to get jealous of myself or anything, am I? He chuckles.
Kat, this isn't exactly cheating. And how did you figure out it is you I am married too?
Um…. I'm not exactly sure how I know. I just do. Is it important how?
No it's not. That just means you have always know where we were going, so make sure you don't mention this to me when we get you to the Academy.
I won't. Let's go inside. I am getting tired. We can leave tomorrow. We head back inside hand in hand. The things he wanted to show me tonight forgotten.
"I only have one bed." I tell him. I enjoy his company and his kiss but I am not sure I am ready to share a bed with him.
"It's ok. I can sleep on the floor. It won't be the first time." He takes off his jacket and rolls it up to put under his head.
Goodnight Kat.
Goodnight Wesley, sweet dreams.
Always.
Thanks. Read and Review please.