Congratulations
Because one of life's joys is sharing good news with friends
Jim Kirk sat at the bar near the base's shuttle bay enjoying a cold beer. Life was good. They'd won their first war game, totally won over Adm. Thompson, and collected two cases of fine liquor. To top it all off, they'd all gotten a couple days of shore leave on Alivona.
Jim had avoided the Imari islands, figuring Giotto and Marshall would want a little privacy, but there had been more than enough other locations to choose from. Alivona was a beautiful, earthlike planet with friendly inhabitants. Very friendly. Jim smiled thinking about the little fertility god charm in his pocket. He couldn't wait to see Bones' face when he showed it to him, which should be soon. The handful of people who knew that Sam and Denise were engaged had planned to gather here to meet their shuttle and welcome them back with a little surprise reception.
"Hello, Captain. I hope this seat isn't taken."
Kirk almost did a double-take as Adm. Pike slid onto the seat next to him. "No sir, but I didn't expect to see you here."
"Just passing through - thought I'd take the opportunity to congratulate you in person." Pike smiled and held out a hand.
Jim clasped it, beaming back at him. "Thank you." Add making his mentor proud to the list of things making life good right now. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"That's okay," Pike winked signaling the bartender. "I think I'm in a high enough pay grade to buy my own."
"Tell that to Adm. Thompson. After I saw the tab the winner was supposed to cover, I had to wonder if he hadn't lost on purpose."
"I probably should have warned you about that," Chris laughed. "Off-duty, Roger drinks like a fish."
"Yeah," Jim snarked. "That would have been good to know before I mentioned going for drinks afterward."
"Speaking of information," Pike said casually, collecting his drink. "I'm still curious why Giotto requested leave. He doesn't seem to have been part of any trick to give you an edge."
Add knowing a secret the admiral didn't and the likelihood of getting to watch Giotto spring the surprise on his old friend to the 'life is good' list. Jim smiled. "No, but it did prove that us 'kids' could manage without the designated adult on board."
"I suppose it did," Chris laughed, lifting his glass in a small toast. His eyebrows rose slightly as he eyed Kirk with a suspicious smile. "In fact, I hear he wasn't the only officer to take leave during the games."
"There were a couple people with leave built up who weren't essential for war games." Kirk sipped his beer, playing it cool. No way was he giving anything away.
"Uh-huh." Pike narrowed his eyes a little, one corner of his mouth curving upward. "I don't suppose any of them joined Sam on that cruise?"
"Sir," Jim gave him a reproving look. "You know how the Chief is about privacy."
"Yes, Jim, I do." Pike fixed him a level stare. "And I hope you know that I don't intend to let him catch me again not knowing he's even seeing someone until the day before he gets married."
The shuttle would be arriving in 10 minutes. Jim gave Chris a completely sincere smile. "I don't think you've got anything to worry about there."
"Because he's not seeing anyone," Pike took a sip of his beer and chuckled. "Or because he and Denise Marshall are going to get off the next shuttle together?"
"You knew."
"Ha!" Pike slapped the bar. "I do now."
Frak. Giotto was never going to trust him with a secret again.
"Don't worry, Jim, I was just looking for confirmation. It seems Murdock sent someone to figure out what he was really up to." Chris leaned in, grinning. "The rumor has it that Sam caught the guy spying on a sunset stroll and left him hog-tied in a hotel room."
"That sounds about like just desserts," Bones commented, joining them along with Jessy, Spock, Uhura and Chapel.
Spock's eyebrow rose. "I fail to see was how the story relates to the sweet course served at the end of a meal."
"It means he got what he deserved, you pointy-eared dictionary." McCoy rolled his eyes.
"Not nearly what he deserved," Jessy put in. "I would have dumped some itching powder on him too."
Bones draped and arm around her waist looking at her adoringly. "I love the way you think, darlin'."
"Really?" Pike's eyebrows rose and everyone, except Spock, laughed at the surprise on the admiral's face.
"Yep," Kirk nodded. "They're the most frightening couple on the ship."
"I thought we were all here to toast the most the frightening couple on the ship," Groesner put in as he and Jenkins joined them with remainder of the coven not far behind.
"They're not the least bit frightening," Chapel scolded. "Or at least Denise isn't."
"You're not in Security," Dan scoffed. "The Chief was getting some his most evil disciplinary schemes from Marshall even before they were a couple." He flashed a grin. "Once I get settled on the Farragut, I'm going to look for someone just like her."
"Not likely," Phil snarked. "Someone like that would be way too smart to fall for you. Now me on the other hand…"
"Wait, back up a minute," Pike held his hands in a time out signal before Dan could retort. "All of you knew that they're together?"
"That is our purpose for being here," Spock explained. "To toast Mr. Giotto's good fortune."
"Spock…" Jim warned under his breath.
"Oh no," Pike held up a hand and smiled at Spock. "I want to hear this. What good fortune?"
The Vulcan's eyebrows drew down in a vee. "His engagement to Ms. Marshall. Is that not why you are also here Admiral?"
"Engagement." Pike's eyes lit with glee.
"Please, sir," Jim begged. "Try to act surprised. He wanted to tell you himself."
"I'll bet he did," Pike chuckled. "Probably planned to drop by office and watch my jaw drop when he asked if I had a moment to conduct a quick ceremony in Academy chapel. Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to turn the tables on him?" He leaned back against the bar grinning. "Thank you. You've made me a very happy man, Spock."
Spock wore a somewhat lost expression. "I am uncertain whether to be gratified at providing you with such pleasure or disappointed to have ruined Mr. Giotto's surprise."
"It'll be alright Spock," Uhura assured him. "I'm certain Denise is going to be wearing a nice ring when they get back, so I'm sure Adm. Pike would have noticed anyway."
Chris ducked his head a little. The truth was that Maria Nicolini had walked into his office with Sam and he hadn't even noticed the ring (that she had apparently been wearing for a week) until after the shock of being asked to perform a wedding for two people he had never imagined to be more than med tech and patient/research subject. Sam had ribbed him for a year about how someone with his eye for tactical detail could have missed one of his oldest friends falling in love right under his nose.
Well, not this time. Pike retrieved his cane and eased off the bar stool when the board showed the shuttle arriving. He shook his head at the officers starting to stand to join him. "No, you stay here. I want to congratulate my old friend all on my own."
Jim started to open his mouth to protest and Pike fixed him with a stare. "You can consider that an order."
.
Chris smiled to himself as he walked (okay, hobbled, but in a dignified manner) toward the gate. He would never admit it of course, but in all honesty, someone could have knocked him over with a feather when he'd heard who had helped to tie Murdock's man up in that hotel room.
Marshall had been assigned to his command a few months after Maria had died and because no one (most especially Sam) was saying a word about it, Denise had become quietly infuriated by the 'robotic bastard of a Security Chief' who was at the time driving everyone crazy by obsessively throwing himself into his work. Granted, once she'd finally learned why the Chief was unrelentingly drilling everyone (with special focus on the newest members of the crew) on responses to every imaginable threat scenario, she'd felt badly enough about her initial assessment to go the extra mile to befriend him.
Still, it had been only friendship. At the time Marshall had pretty clearly been involved with a researcher at Memory Alpha and Pike knew for a fact that Giotto had conspired with Prof. Conway two years ago to manufacture the appearance of a relationship just to put an end to the various well-intentioned attempts to get either of them back into circulation (sending roses on Valentine's Day had fooled Cheryl's entire department, but after all the years he'd known Sam, as far as Chris was concerned, he might as well have sent an actual red herring). So, Sam might be the most circumspect person in the universe when it came to romantic affairs, but this couldn't possibly have been going on for that long.
Pike watched in happy anticipation as Giotto and Marshall came through the shuttle door together. The glint of a ring was just visible where Denise held the shoulder strap of her bag. He waited for them to get just close enough before raising a hand to wave.
Score! Sam nearly did a double-take.
"Well, if it isn't Lt. Marshall and Cmdr. Giotto," Chris rocked against his cane since he couldn't exactly bounce on his toes. "Imagine running into the two of you here. Together."
Giotto shook his head with a disbelieving smile. "I must be losing my touch. I obviously didn't scare Roberts enough to keep his mouth shut."
"It's not Roberts' fault. Murdock felt duty-bound to inform me. I mean, no-nonsense Chief Giotto ditching war games to go mooning after a pretty young woman?" Chris raised his eyebrows and grinned at Denise. "I don't know what you've done to him Marshall, but I'm here to investigate."
"I promise sir, there were no drugs involved," Denise pressed her lips against a smile and looked slyly up at Sam, "although I did bring him coffee."
Sam laughed. "Really, Chris, how was I supposed to resist that?"
"She's going to ruin your reputation," Chris smiled smugly. "You better hurry up and get married."
They exchanged a glance and Denise took Sam's hand. "We already are."
"So I hear – congratulations! When's the…" He stopped, finally noticing that the part of his brain that connected ears to intellect was jumping up and down frantically trying to get his attention. "…excuse me, come again?"
Sam grinned. "We're already married."
Pike carefully closed his mouth and looked quickly over at the bar. No one was laughing. His eyes slid back to the couple and in particular the look on Sam's face. "You eloped? Isn't that a little, oh I don't know …hasty and impulsive?"
"We're not teenagers," Sam objected. "We had well thought out reasons."
"Two in particular," Denise ticked them off on her fingers. "Jim Kirk. Bachelor party."
Chris laughed out loud. Not only did that combination add up to complete fiasco, but he seriously doubted that a minor detail like Sam already being married was going to deter Jim in the slightest (and now that he knew, Pike had every intention of demanding an invitation).
"Come on," he coughed, recovering his composure. "I can't wait to see you break the news."
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AN: Drawing the end out a bit, but I haven't quite got the wrap up smoothed out yet and it was getting a little long for one chapter anyway. Plus, Pike really deserves a chapter all to himself don't you think?
Please r&r
