The next morning, Anna woke with a headache and a fair amount of confusion. She tried to sort through her memories of the night before, trying to figure out what had been real and what had been the product of a tired, overworked mind. Shuffling to the bathroom, she got her day started, pulling a two piece swimsuit on and looking around the room. Chris wasn't here, but there was a note on the side table that she scooped up.

'Had an early meeting. I'll catch up with you later. - Chris'

She smiled, setting the note aside and grabbing a towel and sunhat. Jeffries and Nirin would likely be waiting for her down at the beach and she replicated an iced coffee before heading out. Her friends were goofing off in the shallows with some other ensigns, giving her a wave as she arrived. Waving back, she found an unclaimed lounge chair, trudging through the sand to sit down. The sun was the perfect temperature, and she tilted her face towards the sky with a small smile for a few moments before getting settled and stretching out. Her hat kept the sun out of her eyes directly, and she pulled out her PADD, pulling up her most recent read. Today was her relaxation day; tonight, a bunch of the crew wanted to check out a local nightclub, and Nirin had practically begged her to come with. It could be fun, and after last night, Anna felt she had earned some fun. Jeffries, Nirin, and the others spent a few hours in and out of the water, playing beach games she had never heard of. She was just finishing her book and preparing to move onto a new one when a shadow fell across her. Looking up, she saw Spock in his own beachwear, looking out at the sea.

"You know, you standing there defeats the purpose of my lounging in the sun." He looked down at her and she gave a grin. With a murmured apology, Spock stepped to one side, letting the sunlight hit her skin once more. Jeffries and Nirin waved to Spock, who gave a perfunctory nod in response before laying out a towel and taking a seat next to her.

"Why are you not playing with them?" His voice held nothing but his standard curiosity and she held up her PADD.

"Reading. There are so many books and I only have so much time." He gave a small smile at that and nodded, leaning back to relax. Something occurred to her, and she leaned over to look down at him. "Hey, Spock, do Vulcans get sunburn?" He nodded.

"We are capable of having our skin damaged by the sun, but given the nature of our home planet, it is exceptionally rare." She nodded, taking that information in.

"So, if you did get a sunburn, my poor human skin would basically melt off too?" He gave a small smirk.

"Maybe not melt off, per se. It would be a fairly dangerous situation, however."

"Who's getting into dangerous situations now?" Turning to the other side, she smiled as Chris joined them, pulling another lounger over. "I would think we would be saving those for work."

"Of course, Captain. We're staying perfectly safe here." Anna gave him a warm smile. "Spock and I were discussing some interesting racial traits of Vulcans." Chris raised a brow, looking around her to Spock. The Vulcan excused himself quietly, moving to join the Ensigns as they had started to build sandcastles.

"How are you feeling?" Chris' voice was softer, and she turned to face him.

"Better. Thank you again." Her smile matched his own, and she got comfortable in the sun. "How was your meeting?" The smile left and a grimace formed, causing her to chuckle. "That bad?"

"I'm just not a fan of having to work on shore leave. I'm not sure why they needed me here to facilitate bringing these people into the Federation." He shook his head, letting his gaze move over her. "You look very nice, by the way."

"Thank you." Her smile grew as she took in his swim shorts and t-shirt. "So do you." Nodding towards everyone else, her smile turned to a smirk. "Not a big sandcastle guy?"

"Oh, no. Besides, I much prefer the company here." There was the quickest wink and she chuckled. They laid together under the sun, Pike content to simply relax as Anna read her next book. A few hours in, Anna sat up to stretch, looking around the beach before pulling up the activities list on her PADD. "Bored?" Pike's voice was a bit lower, the deep sound of relaxation coloring his tone.

"I wouldn't have joined Starfleet if I was fond of laying around all day." That drew a chuckle from him as she scrolled through. There were several hikes listed, as well as the beach activities and spa treatments. One hike in particular caught her attention; it was certainly harder than the hike to the waterfalls, but the payoff was a bird's eye view of the resort where they were staying. She timed the hike in her head, deciding it was likely too long to pull off and be back in time for clubbing, so set it aside for later.

"We could catch another movie." She glanced to him, noting his smirk. "Not that you saw much of the last one." With a laugh, she nudged his arm as she stood, stretching fully.

"We could. Mine or yours?" Chris stood too, adjusting his t-shirt.

"Yours. Too many people are likely to come looking for me at mine." It would be hard to do things the correct way if word spread around the ship that they were together. Nodding, Anna went to let her friends know she was off to catch a nap before their wild night, drawing a curious eyebrow from Spock. The Ensigns said their 'see ya laters' and she headed up to her room, not surprised that Chris had already left. It only took her a couple minutes to change into shorts and a tank top, unsurprised when the door chime went off a few moments later.

"Well, hello there." She answered the door, stepping to one side to let Chris in. It looked like he hadn't really changed, and she wondered what exactly he had gone to do as they moved towards the bed. As she climbed up, he set a new holo on the screen, moving next to her as it started. Like the night before, she slid under his arm and cuddled up to his side, relishing once again in the physical contact. Looking up at him, she took it all in, wondering just how long they could keep this up. What even was this? His gaze met her own.

"You know, you're missing the holo." His voice was a low rumble, sending a shiver down her back. They were close once more, and she knew it would take very little for her to press up and kiss him. He was right there, so why was she hesitating? Almost as though he could hear her internal battle, he shifted, sliding down more until they were nearly level, brushing a hand along her cheek before pressing his lips to hers. It was soft and sweet and just about everything she could have expected from Chris. She pressed as close as she could, one hand resting on his chest between them. It seemed to last forever, and yet was too short as they pulled away, both a little breathless. They looked at each other for a few more moments before his head dipped again, this kiss a little more firm as he pulled her as close as their bodies would allow. Anna's head swam in the best possible way as her hands slid up, one resting on his shoulder and the other moving to bury in his hair. The holo droned on in the background, ignored by both parties as they learned about each other. Finally, they broke apart, more than a little breathless now as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Wow." She murmured, keeping her eyes closed to try and keep those sensations in the forefront of her memory. Chris gave a chuckle, his head twisting slightly against hers. "Are you sure?" She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze as best she could this close, needing him to see the question in her eyes. Was he sure that he wanted to risk this? That he wanted to choose the woman out of time as his companion on this journey? What about when it all ended, when they returned to Earth once their mission was complete?

"Yes." His answer was definitive, no hesitation in his tone or his gaze. "Anna, I know what I'm doing. And I'm choosing this. Choosing you." Her heart slammed in her chest as they laid there, watching each other as they tumbled headlong into this bold, new world. It had only taken six years, but it seemed that maybe she had finally found someone to ground her in this insane new future. She wasn't going to be alone. The thought had her surging forward again, kissing him hard, wanting him to know what all of this meant to her. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, and she wondered if maybe she hadn't been the only lonely one. They had each other now.