Hey guys. I'm so sorry this is late but I've been in the hospital all day. Everything's good now though so here's today's two chapters.
She had been right about going into warp. As soon as they had rescued Spock, the ship had jumped to warp to get back home. This time, the dizzy spell hurt. Her head ached immensely for a moment and she felt nauseous along with it. She reached up to put a hand over her mouth and was worried when it came away bloody. She reached up again and discovered that her nose was bleeding.
She swiftly pinched it shut and took off toward the medical bay. The nurse who saw her looked alarmed.
"What happened?" She gasped.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she replied. The nurse simply nodded and helped Annie patch up her nose.
She didn't see much of Jim or Bones in the time it took them to get back to Earth. When the shuttles landed, she left her shuttle and met up with them.
"How about dinner at my place?" She offered. She was grateful to see them both alive after everything that had taken place and figured that dinner was her best way to show it.
Bones hesitated a moment, unsure if Annie's intention was to be alone with Jim or not. He was about to decline when Jim spoke up.
"I think I might pass. I've got a hot date with twins I've been putting off," he said. Leonard thought it was a joke but he saw that Jim was completely serious. He was shocked, thinking that if Annie and Jim had decided to start seeing each other, he shouldn't still be picking up other dates. He looked over at Annie who looked amused but not at all upset.
"Suit yourself. Just remember they're usually more flexible than you," she joked. Leonard only felt more confused. "How about you, Len?" He took a moment to recover.
"Sure, I'd like that," he replied and she broke out into a wide smile.
"See you at seven," she cheered as she left. Bones watched her go until he heard Jim chuckle.
"You'll save a lot of time if you just tell her," Jim said to the doctor. Leonard turned around.
"Tell her what?" He inquired.
"Ah, come on Bones. That you're in love with her!" Jim explained. Bones couldn't believe his ears.
"Dammit Jim, what the hell are you talking about?" Leonard snapped a bit too hastily. Jim only laughed.
"Better snatch her up, before someone else does," he warned as he walked away. Bones just stood and stared into space. He'd thought that someone already had.
He knocked on her door precisely at seven that night. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous but he had to fight the urge to turn back and return to his own apartment.
She opened the door to usher him in. He was glad he hadn't dressed up too much as she wore only jogging capris and a t-shirt. He shut the door and watched her reenter the kitchen.
He was too busy staring at the kitchen door that he didn't notice that she had slipped out of the kitchen carrying two plates of food. She set them down and looked at him, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Something on your mind?" She asked and he snapped his attention back to her. She looked amused.
"It's nothing," he insisted. She rolled her eyes.
"Fine," she conceded. "If you're not going to tell me, I won't pry." He almost laughed as he took a seat.
She let him clean up the dishes after dinner. She was exhausted and didn't feel like arguing with him if she knew he would win in the end.
She sat on her couch, trying to massage a sore spot in her neck. It had been bothering her since she woke up that morning.
"May I?" Bones startled her as he asked. She looked up at him and nodded. He took a seat next to her and she turned so that he could reach her neck.
Annie couldn't help the butterflies in her chest as his hands worked over her shoulders and neck. She closed her eyes and smiled contently. In minutes, the tension she had felt was gone, replaced by the feeling of his strong hands on her muscles.
She felt his hands slow and he surprised her when he bent down to kiss the spot that had been sore.
Suddenly she had a flash of a memory of a different man's lips on her bare skin. In an instant, she had turned away and scrambled to the other end of the couch. Terrified that he had hurt her, Bones rushed to her side. He noticed her breathing had quickened exponentially and he was desperate to find the cause.
"Annie, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" He asked. Annie took a few deep breaths when she realized it was only Leonard in front of her. Shaking slightly, she shook her head.
"No, Len, not at all. I promise that it didn't hurt me," she replied. He relaxed a little.
"Then what...?" He started to ask. Annie couldn't look at him to answer the question.
"He used to do that, ya know, when I least expected it. And just now I saw him and it frightened me," she explained. Leonard was horrified and shocked and angry all at once. He sat back down on the couch and wrapped his arms around Annie.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know," he apologized. She hugged him back, leaning into him slightly.
"It's not your fault. It's just, with my memories back, I have a feeling any level of intimacy is going to be difficult for me," she said softly. He shifted so that she could snuggle into his side on the couch. "I'll just have to replace the bad memories with good ones. Like this," she looked up at him and smiled. "This is nice." He smiled at her as he wrapped an arm around her.