Hello!

Thanks to Skatinggirl2011, Larxenethefirefly, jessxjess, raindropsx, Rock'N'RollGirls and futureCSI22 for their fantastic reviews. I love hearing from everyone, so keep it up.

A huge thanks to Veronica Hawthorne for being my beta. THANK YOU!!!!!! You always do a great job.

I also want to say a HUGE SORRY for the delay in getting this chapter out. Firstly, both me and my beta were busy, so it was a little delayed in that sense and then the website would not let my beta send me the chapter! This website can be so annoying sometimes. Lol. But its here now so I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek… and I cant think of a funny pun to put in my disclaimer ):

"Can I leave now, Bones?" Lizzie pleaded. She was currently standing at the side of her bed in Sickbay, awaiting her release, tapping her foot anxiously. She was wearing the red Starfleet regulation uniform Uhura had let her borrow due to the fact that her original clothes were shredded to pieces.

"Hang on a minute, I'm just signing you out," Bones told her whilst he played with his PADD.

Lizzie had been recuperating in Sickbay for a grand total of five weeks now, and today was the day she finally got to leave. All her cuts had fully healed, as had her burns. Her bruises were gone and most of her bones were well healed. Her ribs were a bit sore, but it was nothing she couldn't handle by herself.

She couldn't wait to get out of Sickbay. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the company of Bones, Nurse Chapel, Kumiko, and the rest of the doctors, it was just that she was sick and tired of seeing the same four walls everyday. After her little escape plan to visit Chekov, she hadn't left Sickbay at all, thanks to Bone's individualized attention. She was looking forward to her freedom.

She let out a deep breath and waited patiently for Bones to finish filling out her release form. She hated the wait. She just wanted to leave.

At that moment, the doors to Sickbay opened and in walked Kirk, Uhura and Chekov. A smile appeared on her face as she saw them.

"What you still doing here?" Kirk asked as soon as the group reached her. "I thought today was the day you left."

"It is," she told him. "It's just Bones is being super slow with my release form." She gave him an evil look, intended in good fun. The doctor gave her a glare before the whole group just laughed it off.

"How are you feeling today?" Chekov asked her after the laughter had died down.

"I'm fine," she smiled at him.

She had been smiling a lot lately all because of the Russian. After their little talk a few weeks ago, he had been to visit her everyday without fail. He would arrive the minute his shift had finished and would leave just before he had to go to bed, spending every free second he had with her. Lizzie had been so grateful for it and she eagerly awaited his visit everyday. She didn't realise how much she had missed him until then. They would laugh, joke and catch up with each other on everything they had missed. When she was in pain or had to take her medication, he would be there to calm her down and reassure her. When she was sad or depressed, he would always cheer her up. When she was happy, he would always encourage it, hoping to keep that beautiful smile on her face for just a little longer.

He did what he set out to do - he played the best friend, all the while showing her his love from afar. Yet, as much as he tried, it was not enough. He wanted more from her. He wanted to caress her skin, smooth her hair, feel her warm, soft lips upon his own. He had slipped up once or twice with her, almost blowing his cover. One time, when she was in pain due to her ribs, he began kissing across her cheek to calm her down. Lizzie was a little shocked by his action but simply brushed it off, putting it down to his caring nature. For him, it was torture. It was like having a small taste of the sweetest fruit before it was quickly taken away from you, never to be tasted again. It made him want her all the more... But he knew he couldn't have her. She was not only the sweetest fruit, she was the forbidden fruit.

Lizzie, too, had noticed how close they had been getting. She would cry sometimes at night after he had left, purely because she wanted him to stay with her and keep her company. He made her smile; he made her feel whole. At any chance she could get, she would try to touch his skin, hoping to feel the electricity that soared through her body when she did. She noticed the butterflies were back too, the same ones that had appeared all those years ago and she loved the feeling they gave her. She was worried about the fact that she was thinking less and less about Joe everyday and thinking more about Chekov. She repeated to herself that they were simply great friends and that she had an amazing fiancé back home. So when ever she did think such thoughts about Chekov, she would try her hardest to push Joe's face to the front of her mind.

Now, she couldn't wait to get out of Sickbay. With the Captain's permission, Chekov had promised her a tour of the ship she had so sorely missed. She couldn't wait to see the Enterprise and all of it's glory again. Yet, with the pace Bones was going, she had a feeling that she was never going to leave.

"Come on, Bones," she wined.

"Quiet, kid, I can't go any faster," he told her as his fingers continued to press upon the PADD.

"I... Spoke to Admiral Pike earlier," Kirk began in a solemn tone. Lizzie looked over to him as her stomach flipped. "I've told him you're here and he's organising a time portal for you to take you home."

Lizzie nodded as she suddenly felt slightly depressed. Seeing everybody again had made her so happy. It had made her feel like she had come home! And now, she would have to leave again. At least she would get to see Joe when she got home, she thought, her heart skipping a beat.

"When?" she asked quietly.

"Well, we are due to dock on Earth in a few days, so you'll go and see Pike then." Kirk offered her a sympathetic smile before he turned to Bones to see if he was finished.

"Okay," she replied. She suddenly felt a hand rubbing up and down her back soothingly and saw that it belonged to Chekov. She gave him a smile, touched by his concern. She felt butterflies in her stomach and her neck tingled every time he moved his hand. It's not romantic. He's just being a friend, she thought. Yet a part of her wanted it to mean so much more.

"And... You can get out of my sickbay!" Bones suddenly told her with a large grin.

"Finally!" She said before going over to hug him. "Thanks for everything Bones," she said cheerfully.

"It's fine, kid," he told her as he broke the hug. She turned to face the group.

"I'll see you guys later on in the Mess Hall, okay?"

"Okay sweetie," Uhura said, giving her a hug. "I'll see you later."

Lizzie turned to Chekov, smiling. "Come on, Pavel. You promised me a tour."

"Zhat I did," he replied with a laugh, secretly pleased at the fact she remembered.

"Well, let's go! Bye guys!" She grinned as she grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door. A shot of electricity surged up her arm as she felt his skin. She smiled when she felt it, wondering if he felt it too. We're just friends, she thought. Electricity happens with friends. As soon as they left Sickbay, she let go of his hand and turned to face him.

"Right, where to first?"

"Hm... How about zhe Engine Room to see Mr. Scott?"

"Sounds great," she said as they walked together down the corridor.

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After a long day of walking, talking and sightseeing, Lizzie and Chekov finally finished their tour of the ship. She hadn't changed a bit; it was just how Lizzie remembered her. Large, white and beautiful. The Engine Room was the same, as was Scotty's temper at the new Ensign's (which, admittedly, had made her smile.) She went to the Bridge, which she loved. She spent almost twenty minutes just looking out of the window into the vast beyond of space. Thankfully, Chekov had avoided Sickbay. She had spent five weeks there; she didn't need to see it again. Finally, they visited the Mess Hall, which was as loud and rowdy as ever.

After eating and chatting with the rest of the group, they left the Mess Hall. They continued to walk down a corridor.

"Boy, am I tired," Lizzie said as the walked. "The Enterprise is as tiring as ever!"

Chekov laughed. "Me too," he told her. "Vould you like to come to my quarters for a rest?"

"Sure!" she said. Anything to spend more time with him, plus her feet were aching and she just wanted a sit down. She really had forgotten how big the ship was.

They finally reached Chekov's door as he stepped forward to input the code to open the door. It slid open and he gestured for her to go inside. He followed her in, the door closing behind him.

"This room certainly hasn't changed," she said, noticing it was exactly the same as it had always been.

"No it hasn't," Chekov smiled as he moved to sit down on a chair.

Lizzie continued to gaze around the room, taking it all in. She saw his kitchen area, his replicator, his desk and chair, the small sofa by the window and finally, her eyes became fixed upon his bed.

An avalanche of emotions and memories flooded through her when she saw it. Happiness, contentment, warmth, love. The last time she had seen that bed was the first time she and Chekov had ever made love. It had been the most wonderful and perfect moment of her life - everything she had ever imagined and more. She had never shared a more amazing moment with anyone since, not even Joe. Chekov had been so gentle with every touch and caress, making her feel like she was the centre of his world. What she felt when they had been together had been pure, raw love between them. It was as if nothing else mattered when they were together, all they needed was each other.

Her heart was beating at a fast pace as the butterflies returned and her whole body was tingling. Her lips curved up into a smile, obviously enjoying the memory, enjoying a time when he had been everything she wanted, everything she needed. She loved that time.

"Lizzie?" Chekov's voice said, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Huh?" she said as she turned to look at him.

"Still a daydreamer, I see," he laughed. Lizzie began laughing too as she made her way over to the sofa, giving the bed a quick glance as she did.

"I vould offer you a drink, but my replicator is broken," he told her sadly.

"I could fix it for you if you like," she offered. "I am an engineer, after all."

"You vould?" he asked.

"Sure!" She smiled. "Call it a thank you for keeping me company all these weeks." She stood up and moved to look at the replicator.

"Oh, zhank you Lizzie," he grinned.

Once she got into the mechanics of the replicator, she gave it a good look over, her eyes finally resting on a few loose wires. She smiled in realisation. "I've found the problem."

"Vhat is it?"

"It's just a few loose wires. It's easy to fix." At that, she delved her arms in and began to coil the wires back around the metal they had become loose from. It was a pretty easy job and she was done in no time.

"Ouch!" she suddenly screamed as she pulled her hand out of the Replicator.

"Vhat is it? Vhat is vrong?" Chekov asked her as he hurried to her side.

"I just cut myself on the metal, that's all," she told him. "Nothing big, Pavel."

He saw the blood emerging from the cut before heading over to one of the cupboards by the kitchen area. "Sit down," he told her.

Lizzie followed his order and sat on the sofa. She watched him enter the cupboard and pull out a first aid kit. She couldn't help but smile at his concern. "Pavel, it's fine, really."

"Nonsense," he said to her as he walked over and knelt in front of her, finding a disinfectant wipe in the first aid kit. "I vill clean it up for you and it vill all be better."

Lizzie refused to argue with him, so she just sat there and let him tend to her wound. It was only a small cut on her finger and the blood flow would stop in a few seconds, but she was enjoying the contact too much to stop him. She watched his face, noticing the concentration upon it as he cleaned the wound. He really was the kindest person that she had ever met, always putting himself before others. He had such a loving nature and was such a warm human being. She tilted her head to the side and gave him a warm smile as he slowly applied the band aid to the cut. He gently smoothed it over her finger, making sure not to hurt her. When he was done, he placed a gentle kiss upon the plaster. Lizzie's heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened. Chekov noticed and immediately smiled.

"Ah, sorry," he began. "Its just vhen I vas little, vhenewer I hurt myself, my mother vould alvays kiss my vounds better. Zhat way, zhey vould heal faster." He began to daydream as he remembered the times when his mother did that.

However, it wasn't him kissing her finger that had shocked Lizzie, it was the fact that she yearned for more. She had this overwhelming urge to pull him to her and kiss him until he fought for breath. As soon as his lips had made contact with her skin, she wanted more and her mind and body cried out for the contact again once his lips left her skin. The feelings he was stirring within her were frightening her. She had Joe back home, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not picture his face. All she could see was Chekov and this frightened her to no end.

"Uh, thank you," she said quietly.

"No, zhank you for fixing zhe replicator," he said as he stood up and walked over to it, finally making two cups of coffee. Once they were made, he gave one to Lizzie. She drank it quickly, feeling a little nervous.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Chekov's brows furrowed as he made his way over to answer it. It slid open to reveal Uhura. She had a smile on her face and poked her head through the door to look inside.

"There you are!" She said as soon as she saw Lizzie. "I had a feeling you would be here."

"Hi, Nyota," Lizzie smiled. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just here to take you to your temporary quarters."

"Oh, okay," she replied as she set her empty cup on the table. She made her way over to Chekov.

"Thank you for the tour, Pavel," she told him, smiling.

"No problem. I vill see you tomorrow," he replied. He was a little caught off guard as she suddenly wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a hug. She held him as tightly as she could. He wrapped his arms around her body, holding her to him. She rested her head upon his chest. He smelt the same as he always had. It was her favourite smell in the whole world... And being with him like this just felt right. It was like her body fitted perfectly with his. Chekov rested his head on top of hers and closed his eyes, just holding her and remembering the moment. To him, this is how it should be. Just him and her, together.

A very not-subtle cough from Uhura immediately made them pull away from each other, both smiling as they did.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Pavel. Good night."

"Good night Lizzie," he replied as she and Uhura left the room.

"So, where am I staying?" Lizzie asked as they walked down the corridor.

"Same place as last time," her friend replied.

Lizzie smiled, glad to be seeing her old room again. That, too, was full of many happy memories, most of them involving Chekov.

"By the way, Lizzie," Uhura started. "What was all that about back then?"

"What do you mean?" Lizzie asked, a little confused.

"You and Chekov, that's what I mean."

Lizzie's heart began to pound at the mention of him. "What about us?"

"That hug!" She smiled.

"It was just a hug," Lizzie defended herself, not quite sure what Uhura was getting at. "A friendly, good-bye hug."

"That wasn't just a hug, Lizzie. That meant something." They finally reached Lizzie's quarters. Uhura input the code and the two women entered, turning the lights on. Lizzie moved to sit on her bed.

"Seriously Lizzie, what's going on? There is no way that it was just a hug between friends."

Lizzie let out a defeated breath. She could talk to Uhura. She trusted her in every way and knew she would keep her secret. "It's just, I look at him and I remember everything we went through all those years ago. The time we shared together and all the things we felt. I think those feelings are coming back… And I don't know what to do, because Chekov and I are over, and I have Joe... But I can't stop the feelings."

Uhura moved and sat next to her on the bed, taking Lizzie's hands in her own.

"Those feelings for him never left when you did, did they?"

Lizzie looked at her, taking her words in, realising she made sense. She gently shook her head.

"They have always been there, haven't they?"

"Yes," she said quietly. Uhura nodded and gave her a sympathetic smile. "And I think they always will be. What do I do, Nyota?"

"Listen, sweetie... This may sound cheesy, but you have to follow what's in here." She pointed to Lizzie's chest, her finger hovering over Lizzie's heart. "Follow it, Lizzie. Do what you want to do."

All Lizzie could do was nod. "If you love Chekov, go to Chekov. If you love Joe, go to Joe. Do what you think is right."

Lizzie smiled at her friend. "Thanks Nyota." She moved to hug her.

"Its okay sweetie," she replied hugging her back. She stood up as she pulled away. "Listen, I have to go. Just think about it okay?"

"I will."

"Okay. Good night, I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed Lizzie's forehead as she exited the room.

Lizzie had a lot to think about that night and as she lay in bed, unable to sleep. What did she do? Go to Chekov or go to Joe? She knew that she had to choose one or the other; she couldn't have both. But as she finally drifted off into sleep that night, her dreams were filled with only one face, and she could help but smile at those beautiful blue eyes and that curly brown hair.