Fully Engaged
Because it's about time
"Sam?"
"I'm awake - just resting my eyes." He opened them and sat up as Denise settled across from him on the bed. Even before they'd become romantically involved, she had been aware of some of his less desirable traits - like the fact that it was a good idea to stand a step or two back when checking to see if he was asleep.
Denise draped her arms around his neck and smiled. "Now, where were we?"
"Hmmm" Sam brought his hands to her waist and failed completely at assuming a solemn expression. "I think you were either about to say if you'd marry me or plaster me with lipstick."
"Yes." She pressed his lips with a kiss certain to transfer color and Sam responded gladly. He'd never had less objection to wearing red.
.
Kirk rubbed his eyes and prayed that when he opened them the long list of mind-numbingly boring status reports on his padd would've magically disappeared. Nope. No such luck. If anyone had told him back in the Academy just how much of being a captain involved sitting behind a desk, he would've switched to majors. Jim sighed and reapplied himself to the list.
He barely looked up when the door chimed. It was probably Rand with more things for him to sign. "Come."
"Do you have a moment, sir?" Giotto entered, coming to a slightly relaxed version of attention.
Jim looked at his Security Chief. His manner was, as usual, formal and polite and it wasn't unusual for him to come by with items that needed the Captain's attention. However, Giotto was supposed to be resting. If Bones caught him back working even partial duty there was going be hell to pay. Not that something like that had ever stopped Kirk, but given that Giotto usually sided with Bones in getting him to stand down, calling him on it was hard to resist.
"I don't know, Chief, is it about something you should be leaving to Jenkins?"
"No, sir," Giotto clasped his hands behind his back. "I've come to request leave."
Well, about damn time. Bones had been on the edge of ordering it, in contrast to Spock's insistence that Giotto should be trusted to know what was best for his own recovery. Jim was sick of refereeing. Now that the Chief had made the decision for them, the only issue would be keeping Bones from sticking his tongue out at Spock and gloating.
"Of course, you're more than entitled," Kirk began marking the order in his padd. "Anything else?"
"Yes, sir," Giotto glanced downward and then cracked a small smile. "I'd appreciate it if you'd authorize leave for Lt. Marshall as well."
Kirk felt his jaw drop. Son of a...
Well, no one had needed to lock them in a room together after all. Jim reset his jaw and grinned slyly. "Okay, but I'm a little surprised. Doesn't this violate some rule about not sharing your private affairs?"
"No," Giotto's smile widened a little. "Once you're engaged the affair isn't all that private."
"Engaged... ?" No, his jaw was not going to drop again. Kirk quickly pushed himself out of his chair and came around the desk, extending a hand. "Congratulations, Chief. That's wonderful."
Sam took his hand, smiling in earnest now. "Thank you, sir."
Jim returned a grin. "When did this happen?"
"A few hours ago."
No way someone like Giotto moved that fast. "I mean, how long have you two been together?"
Giotto chuckled. "Longer than a few hours Captain."
Captain. Oh God, with his first wife, Giotto hadn't let on they were together until he'd asked Pike to marry them. "So do I need to plan on doing a wedding before you leave?"
"That won't be necessary, sir. I haven't bought a ring yet, so it's not quite official. For now we're just telling a few friends."
It was weird. Giotto had yet to concede to calling him 'Jim' and had just named him a friend while sticking to 'sir'. Not for the first time, Kirk wondered if he was going to understand his half-Vulcan XO before he figured out his completely human Security Chief. However at the moment it didn't matter. Jim was too happy at being included among those 'few friends'.
"Okay, I'll keep it just between us until you're ready to make it general knowledge." Kirk paused. "Have you told Bones?"
"Not yet - I figured I'd get leave approved before stopping by sickbay."
"Yeah, I should have guessed. Bones would have followed you in here just to see my face," Kirk laughed. "So how did I compare to Pike?"
"I'll let you know after I tell him," Giotto grinned. "And I'd appreciate it if you let me surprise him. We haven't told anyone off the ship yet and it'll be better if you keep it close to the vest that I won't be here for the war games."
War games. Damn. Their first ones and he'd just gotten word that Adm. Thompson was taking command of the Potemkin just for the chance to put Kirk in his place. Of course, Kirk had no intention of letting him do it, but it took more than a great Captain to win. Security was an important part of the equation.
"You won't be back in time?"
"Actually I think it'll be better if I'm not, sir. I'll get Dan up to speed before I go, but I think a win will be more convincing without 'adult supervision'." Giotto gave him a devious smile. "And it might be easier. You see, I have a theory..."
.
Giotto headed toward sickbay, rested, happy and certain that the doctor would forgive him for checking in late even if the excuse wasn't that he'd been sleeping. Given the shit-eating grin on that Captain's face as he tagged along there wasn't much hope of actually surprising McCoy, but then Denise had probably gotten to sickbay ahead them anyway.
After a little scrubbing to remove all evidence of lipstick, he and Denise had each offered to let the other comm their family first. There had been a short stand off which lead to a discussion of the merits of holding off on the announcement wait until after they were married. Neither wanted the matrimonial mob scene that would result if they were obligated to invite most of his family plus her parent's social network, not to mention everyone that they both knew in Starfleet (in fact it was essentially the same reasoning that had convinced Sam to get married on a ship the first time around). However, since this ship should be focused on getting ready for the war games, they'd agreed to only tell the people on the ship who deserved to know and beg off discussing wedding plans. The later was already proving a little difficult. What should have been a quick comm to notify Spock of an impending request for married quarters had resulted in Denise still politely stonewalling Uhura while Sam left to speak with the Captain.
"Missing someone?" Kirk asked with a knowing grin as Sam looked around for Denise. "Chapel's off duty now you know."
Ah. He'd lost track of the time. If Denise had decided that Christine should know ahead of McCoy, he'd probably be lucky to see her again before dinner. "I suppose we should get the Doctor caught up on the news. Any chance you can keep a straight face, sir?"
"Are you kidding?" Kirk quickly applied an internal dimmer to his grin and stepped in front of the sensor on the doctor's door. "Hey, Bones, what does someone have to do get some service around here?"
"Dammit Jim, what'd you do now? I'm trying to -" McCoy stopped mid-lecture when he noticed Giotto behind the Captain.
Sam lifted his eyebrows. He'd expected to find Jessy in McCoy's office. What he hadn't expected was his entire command team: Dan, Phil and the three women that together with Jessy formed what McCoy had affectionately dubbed 'the coven'. They tried to cover the sudden silence by coming to attention, but the topic of conversation was pretty clear. The doctor had obviously been enlisting back-up to try to convince him to accept leave.
Under normal circumstances, that would have been almost certain to backfire. Starfleet was not a democracy and in Giotto's view Security in particular should be a (mostly) benevolent dictatorship. He arched a disapproving eyebrow at the crowd of red uniforms in front of him. "I hope we're not interrupting anything."
"Now look Sam they're just here -"
"Talking about me," Giotto finished flatly.
"You should all be ashamed of yourselves," Kirk shook his head disapprovingly, making a tsk-ing sound. "Bones, I'm shocked. Whatever happened to confidentiality?"
Sam cleared his throat before Kirk could lay it on any thicker and aimed his best stern expression at his anxious subordinates. "Very well; as long as you're all here, it has come to my attention that there's been resumed speculation about my relationship with Ms. Marshall. I intend to see that it ends."
He paused a beat and then broke into a broad smile. "Because she's agreed to marry me."
There was an instant of stunned silence before a whooping laugh from Kirk broke everyone out of their surprise. "Oh God, Bones, the look on your face!"
A second later Sam was enveloped in a flurry of congratulations. He resolved to access the security feeds later so Denise could see their expressions (and so he could get a better look at the little marker Dan and Phil had passed between them. If those two had had a bet riding on this, so help him, someone was going to regret it).
"Dammit sir it's about time." Jessy was the only one to dare to hug him.
McCoy clasped his hand. "What she said."
"Ditto," Carrie and Julia echoed, laughing.
"So when's the date?" Rachel brought out a padd, ready to start planning. She'd handled most of the arrangements for Carrie and Julia's wedding a few months back and was already set for when her fiancé would finally join the crew. Sam hoped her husband-to-be liked having his life organized to the last detail, because it was going to be.
"We've only been engaged a few hours Boyd. Focus on the war games. Dan's going to need your help planning all the contingencies without me."
"What?" Dans eyebrows shot to his hairline. Phil's weren't far behind.
"You were here to talk me into going on leave weren't you?" Giotto gave him a smug smile. "Well, Denise beat you to it. And she made a very good point about letting you ride without training wheels."
"Dammit Sam," McCoy groused good-naturedly. "If I'd known who to talk to, it would have saved me a lot of trouble."
Kirk rolled his eyes. "And people wonder why I'm not interested serious relationships."
"Don't think you can go that route, Doc," Giotto warned. "My first wife was a medic. I'm immune to spousal arm-twisting on medical issues."
"Oh really?" McCoy bounced a little on his toes. "I coulda sworn you just said Denise convinced you."
"She did," Sam grinned. "I never said that I was immune to the opportunity to spend a week alone with her."
AN: I added this chapter for DarkEidelon who wanted to see Giotto tell Kirk. The origin of the 'coven' is explained in Sneakin' Around. Carrie and Julia got married at the end of that story and it was Kirk's first time officiating. He asked afterward if he did well enough by comparison to Pike to be considered if Giotto ever remarried.
Please r&r
