CHAPTER NINE: ADDICTIVE
At the end of the day, Rachel knew she should take the opportunity to get some sleep. However, she couldn't get her mind to quiet down. She'd been thinking about her and Tom's conversation from that morning all day long. They hadn't seen each other again yet, so they hadn't had a chance to talk. All she could do was just keep going over it again and again, and speculate on the future.
After tossing and turning on her cot in the lab for thirty minutes, Rachel decided to follow her usual routine for when she couldn't sleep - exercise. Being sick had taken a lot out of her, so felt compelled to start getting her stamina back.
As soon as she opened the hatch to the gym, a smile crossed her face at the sight of the room's sole occupant. "Fancy meeting you here," she told Tom.
He chuckled and put down the dumbbell that he'd been holding. "I figured you'd be sleeping," he said as he got up.
"Tried," she replied. "I thought the same for you."
"Yeah, well… I couldn't get my brain out of 6th gear."
Rachel liked the idea that he'd been just as affected by that morning as she'd been. "And why not?" she asked as she started setting the treadmill. She glanced over her shoulder at him with what she hoped was an innocent-looking smile.
Tom grinned boyishly, slowly moving over to stand behind her. "Well, there's this gorgeous, brilliant scientist that I can't stop thinking about."
Rachel's cheeks flushed bright red, and Tom decided he adored that look on her. "Anyone I would know?" she teasingly wondered.
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Probably. She saved the world."
As she turned around to face him, Tom dipped his head and kissed her breathless. Her left hand curled around his bicep to keep her balance, her body melting against his solid frame.
"I've been wanting to do that again all day," he whispered as they broke apart.
"Me, too… So, how is this going to work?" The softly spoken question brought their feet back down to the ground.
"I don't know. I hadn't gotten that far." Before that morning, Tom hadn't allowed himself to hope that he'd need to worry about it. "It's been a long time since I've had to try to impress a woman."
"So far, I'll give you high marks," Rachel replied with a little grin.
Tom laughed. "Thank you. I think we just… play it by ear. Spend time together and see where things go." They weren't puppy-love teenagers or drunken college students hooking up at a party. But the many complications in their lives seemed to melt away when they were alone together.
Rachel slowly nodded; there was no way of predicting what the future held. But they could hope. "Agreed. We'll just take things as they come."
Tom turned away, going back to his weights and leaving Rachel perplexed. Apparently they were done talking; had he been looking for her to say something else?
"What's the matter?" she wondered.
"I wouldn't want to keep you from another workout," Tom replied with a grin.
Rachel laughed, thinking back to how their last conversion in the gym had ended. "How very thoughtful of you, Captain."
He loved the way the title teasingly fell from her lips. He'd known from the first moment he met this woman that she'd never voluntarily be subordinate to him. Now, they were the best kind of equals. "Carry on, Dr. Scott."
After finishing a long walk on the treadmill (she wasn't strong enough for running yet), Rachel decided to go back to the lab to work instead of trying again to sleep. By the time the sun came up, she was still at it, feeling exhausted but satisfied with what she'd gotten done.
She looked up at the sound of the hatch opening and smiled when she saw Tom enter. "Good morning."
"Morning," he replied. "You look like you could use one or both of these." He offered two cups; she could tell by scent that one held tea and the other had coffee. Tom chuckled when she went straight for the coffee. He'd intended to drink it himself, thinking they could enjoy their beverages together out on the flight deck. However, it seemed Rachel needed it more. "Tea wouldn't cut it today, huh?"
"No," she definitively replied before taking a sip. "Mmm."
He grinned as he watched her. "Have you been up all night?"
"Sort of. I caught a couple little naps while the computer was running analyses."
He shook his head. "You're crazy, you know that? You're still recovering."
She sheepishly smiled. "I know, I know… but would you expect anything else?"
Tom laughed. "No, I guess not."
"Are you supposed to be on the bridge?" Rachel wondered as she looked at her watch.
"Yeah, soon. I just couldn't seem to start my morning without seeing you, though."
"Would that make me a substitute for coffee?"
The devilish grin that she wore was made all the more irresistible by her dimples. "Maybe."
Rachel laughed. "Well, now that you've gotten your fix…"
"I guess I should get on with my day." But he didn't move. Now that things were out in the open, he wished they could shut out the world and spend the day together.
"You're not having much luck with this, Captain," Rachel teased. She certainly didn't want him to go, but understood his responsibilities to everyone onboard the ship.
Tom groaned. "I know. You're addictive like coffee, too. All right, all right, I'm going."
"Leave the tea for Bertrise," Rachel requested when he started to reach for the cup.
He chuckled. "You're corrupting her. Do you want to have dinner with me and the kids tonight?"
Rachel nodded. "Sure. Have a good day."
"You, too."
That evening, Ashley and Sam were happy to have Rachel join them for dinner. Tom was amused to see that her presence seemed to matter more to them than his.
"Sit next to me," Ashley requested. "I can show you what we learned in geography."
"No, sit next to me, Dr. Rachel," Sam countered.
Tom chuckled. "You're popular," he told Rachel.
"So I see." Normally, Tom sat at the end of the table, with his children on either side of him and Jed beside one of them. If both children wanted to sit next to her, they'd need some rearranging. "How about this?" Rachel suggested. "Ashley, you sit here," one down from her usual spot, "And I'll sit here," between Ashley and the head of the table, "And Sam, you can sit with your father until our food is ready, so both of you can show me what you want."
Tom gave her a playful bow. "Yes, ma'am."
Sam and Ashley also agreed; once Sam was settled on his father's lap, the children began sharing what they'd learned that day about Europe's geography. They could name most countries and capitals of Western Europe from memory.
"Paris is the capital of France," Sam informed them. "Madrid is the capital of Spain."
"Brussels is the capital of Belgium, Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, and Berlin is the capital of Germany," Ashley added.
"Hmm, we should give you a hard one," Tom told them. "What's the capital of Luxembourg?"
"Luxembourg City," Sam replied. "That's not a hard one, Dad."
"How about the capital of England?" Rachel wondered with a grin.
"London," Ashley answered. "That's where you're from. I want to go there someday."
"Yeah," Sam agreed. "You can show us all your favorite places."
Rachel's smile dimmed. Her hometown had been decimated by the Red Flu and massive fire storms; she doubted there was much left to tour. But that was true for many of the locations the children were naming and there wasn't any point in ruining their enthusiasm. "Someday," was all she told them.
On the other side of the table, Jed was enjoying the sight in front of him. The four of them together looked happy, and he was glad that he'd pushed his son into taking action. He didn't want his grandchildren and son to forget about the past, but he also didn't want them to wallow in it. He just wanted to see them enjoy life. And that wish was coming true.
Rachel looked up at one point and caught his eye. Jed gave her a wink and a smile, and could see mild confusion and uncertainty cross her face. Before she could say anything, though, a steward arrived with their dinners. Sam reluctantly returned to his own chair to eat, but the conversation about Europe continued. Jed just kept listening with a little grin. The weight that had been on his shoulders for the past few months was lifting.
His little family was going to be all right.
TBC...
