Extraordinarily Ordinary

Five Months Ago

A chime awakened her. One eye closed, the other squinting, Aalin's hand automatically reached for the bedside table feeling for a clock. Several items fell to the floor as her fingers clumsily probed.

"Oh for heaven's sake, you're on a Starship. Computer time."

"5:45am."

Concerned due to the early hour she grabbed a robe sliding her arms into it while crossing the room. When the doors swished open, one sleeve of her robe drug the ground, the other hid a lower arm and elbow wedged awkwardly sideways. "What's wrong," she demanded while grimacing and wiggling the arm trying to free it. Looking up at the visitor she added, "Captain."

Chris almost successfully masked a dimpled smile. "Nothing," he reassured. "May I?"

She nodded and motioned him into the room.

"Turn around," he said.

Drowsy with that dissociative feeling which accompanies waking too fast from deep sleep, Aalin immediately followed his direction without objection turning her back to him.

Summoning years of discipline, Chris didn't allow his fingers to linger on her shoulder as he gently disentangled her arm and held the robe open. She's a member of your crew now, there are different rules, he sternly reminded himself. Though he did savor this simple domestic task. "When it's just the two of us, please dispense with the titles and sirs and continue calling me Chris? I don't have that luxury with many on board." He added to himself, And my heart skips a beat when I hear you call my name.

"Of course." Fastening the robe over her pajamas and facing Chris once again, Aalin noticed his running pants and form fitting shirt. Her gaze lingered at his well-developed upper arms, abs, thighs, and …" She jerked her eyes back to his face. Her forehead creased. "You're going for a run?"

"Yes."

"Who in their right mind exercises at this hour? This is the wrong side of morning. It is, as my young nephew says, the butt crack of dawn."

He cocked his head to the side. "That's vividly descriptive."

"You've not been around children much, have you?"

"Not for years," he confirmed.

"If you are going for a run, why are you here?"

"We're starting your training for the half-marathon, remember?" Chris prompted. He held out the items in his hand. "An energy bar and water. Eat it and take a few drinks."

"Huh?"

Suppressing a chuckle he observed, "You're not a morning person, are you?"

Aalin gestured punctuating her sentiments as she spoke. "First, it's nowhere near morning, it's pre-morning. Morning does not arrive until 8:00 … okay 7:00am since we are on a quasi-military ship."

"Actually alpha shift starts at six," he corrected in a conversational tone, resting his shoulder against the wall, experience having taught him her observations usually came in multiples. A personality quirk he found amusing.

"I cannot help that Starfleet is unable tell time. Second, morning properly begins with caffeine, butter, and sugar, not meandering rapidly," she grimaced at the energy bar, "and not eating sawdust."

"It's chocolate flavored sawdust," Chris interjected helpfully.

"Third …" Her hands dropped to her sides. "I have no third. When you offered to help me get ready for the marathon, I assumed it would be an afternoon or evening date … I mean activity. Do you always run at this hour?"

Chris' heartbeat ticked up, in a good way, when she said the word date. Was that a coincidental guess? I thought it was my little secret. Or did she mean date as in appointment? If she did, why correct herself? He shook his head to clear it. Get a grip Christopher, you're not a nervous teen in the presence of your first crush. He replied, "I usually start earlier. But by the time you are dressed and ready to go, the duty shift change will be complete leaving the corridors less crowded. I thought … you would feel more comfortable with fewer people."

"Yes, I will. Thank you. Why so early rather than … you know … when mere mortals exercise?"

"Habit mostly. And there are fewer interruptions at the beginning of the day. The unexpected tends to pop up as the day progresses."

And she suddenly understood. "So this is … oh … you're …" These early hours are the rare ones solely his and he's offering this time to me. Warmth spread through her abdomen and chest; her cheeks pinked; all the fondness she felt for Chris shone in her smile. "Give me ten minutes. Make yourself comfortable."

Aalin returned dressed in loose yoga pants and shirt.

"Do you have more suitable clothing?" he asked while kneeling and examining her tennis shoes. She resisted temptation and did not run her fingers through his hair. You're a member of his crew now, she firmly and silently remined herself.

She plucked at the oversized shirt. "No, not really. I'm not someone for whom running is a recreational activity but rather a 'I need to get out of here fast' action. The latter does not require a specialized wardrobe."

Standing Chris said in the resolute, matter of fact tone he used with junior officers when delivering instructions expected to be followed without question, a tone Aalin noticed he frequently adopted, she assumed it to be a habit, as in 'once a captain, always a captain.' He said, "Vey well. The clothes will do for today, but the shoes are inadequate for running. You'll twist an ankle. This morning we'll walk the course and practice stretches. I'll arrange for proper gear before tomorrow."

Nodding, she followed him into the corridor.

That evening, when returning to her room after the day's shift, Aalin discovered a neat stack of Enterprise branded crew shirts and pants suited for running as well as new tennis shoes. Layered in with the clothes were two sports bras. She searched for an adjective describing someone as methodical and well-prepared as Christopher Pike. None were adequate. Those traits applied in more personal activities would be … No. Do. Not. Go. There. You are a member of his crew now.

She tried on one set of the clothes. The fit was perfectly replicated to her measurements.

That realization and all it might infer sent a tingle up her spine.

ooooo

Present

Insulated in her quarters from stares and others' conversations about her and Chris' assumed liaison, Aalin closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Tomorrow will be better. The crew will move on to a more interesting topic. And things will feel less awkward between you and Chris.

All her life she had sought a place to belong and make a difference. Refusing the life and career planned by her parents, Aalin repurposed her musician's skills into languages; song, as language, instrumental or otherwise, possesses conventions, structures, elements, phrases, gestures, and sounds which convey meaning. When Pike's first mission to Vaira failed, she was recruited for the second as a civilian interpreter. That round of negotiations for a Starfleet base on Varia's moon succeeded; her linguistic skills and other talents proved vital in securing the treaty. At the end of the mission, Enterprise's Captain offered her an assignment on his ship with the rank of lieutenant, a level equivalent to her previous position at the state department.

Aalin accepted. The crew's sense of community beckoned her, and she believed their work important. Though at times she did not feel capable enough, smart enough, or talented enough to be a peer.

Space exploration and defense were still considered a hazardous occupation and required extensive training and education. Officers, non-commissioned officers, and specialists attended the Academy in San Francisco or one of its satellite campuses. Civilians might augment a crew for a specific mission; in rare circumstances they were granted a permanent place in Starfleet if they completed a series of academic, ship's systems, weapons, medical, and physical training.

A group of crew members instructed her in the different subjects, overseen by the ship's first officer. To her and others surprise, Chris, despite having more work than time, decided he would help Aalin prepare for the marathon. She, who initially despised running, and still didn't much care for it, looked forward to every session. And she learned Chris was a track and field athlete in his high school and academy days and continued to hold several records at both institutions.

Her thoughts drifted back to their first training run. No walk, she remembered with a smile. I was sorting my way through transitioning from working closely with Chris every day during the Varia talks to being one of many in his crew and looking for reassurance our friendship remained important to him.

I didn't realize until weeks later on Noohra I fell in love with him that morning. Everything about it was extraordinarily ordinary. And familiar, like the return of someone split away years ago. And real. And right, so very, very right …

The door chime interrupted her thoughts. For a second hope sparked. No, Chris said he had a briefing. "Come."

Nhan, one of her instructors and a new friend, entered and placed a tray on the table. "Dinner. So you don't have to face others again tonight. Are you ok? I've never seen a mess hall go quiet before."

"Yeah," Aalin replied. She offered a faint smile. "I get it. We're in deep space, in transit, there is no planet or phenomena to study, there are no movies, sports, or other events tonight. I wasn't exactly prepared … I didn't expect … but I get it. Tomorrow, well, all this will blow over by tomorrow."

"Or not. And so you know, no one is unhappy you and the Captain … shall we say, moved your relationship to the next level."

"But nothing …" Aalin paused. No, that's not fair to Chris or my crewmates. Discussing our personal relationship with one serving under him, in any way, even to deny a rumor, is inappropriate. In that moment she resolved never to do so. "Thank you."

"You're still settling into life on a starship. The intensity of the experiences we on board share and the extraordinarily close quarters dissolve a lot of personal boundaries. We're like a very small town where all live in the same house. It takes getting used to. While there are few secrets among the crew, we carefully guard our own's privacy from those off ship, especially the Captain's." She smiled. "I have a late shift. Call me if you need anything?"

Aalin nodded.

ooooo

Finished with Isak's briefing, still mildly puzzled why his security chief felt the topics were urgent, Chris changed into workout clothes and entered the gym on the command deck. He activated his personal lock preventing another from joining him. For the next two hours Chris pushed his body guaranteeing when he slept that night, it would be a deep, dreamless slumber.

ooooo

Having overlooked one item at the evening's Team Christopher meeting, a matter troubling him, Phil stopped by the security chief's quarters. "Isak? Is your husband here?"

"No, Matt was called to Sickbay. Rene's here," Isak responded. He gestured to the living area. As they settled into chairs Isak said, "Chris is too shrewd to fall for the ad hoc evening security briefing diversion again."

"We'll rotate, surely together the six of us can outmaneuver our commander," Phil speculated.

Isak chuckled. Rene snorted.

Phil amended, "Or at least Number One and Spock can." A pause. "It occurred to me none of us know Aalin well. Or even a little, apart from Matt and Spock. She spent all of her time during the Varian mission with Chris. How interested is she in Chris? Has she been involved romantically with anyone else on the ship?"

Rene shook his head. "No. And she won't be. Chris is attracted to her, that's been obvious since she came on board. Which is like having a father sitting outside her bedroom door with a phase three phaser rifle in one hand. No Enterprise crew member will approach her in that way until certain the Captain isn't pursuing the attraction." He paused then added, "Not even me."