Sickbay was full, over capacity, in fact. The lights were low, half of them blown. There was destruction all round. Twisted metal, blown relays, and the heat permeated through the hull of the ship.
Looking around, Christine saw bodies everywhere. Half of them she couldn't do anything to help save. They lay there in their final positions before life left them, their eyes wide and scared. The biobeds were full of injured people, some holding on for dear life, others needing treatment that should be easy to give but with the power gone and the ship buckling under the pressure, there was nothing Christine could do.
She felt helpless, she felt scared. Taking a moment to steady herself, she went to the back corner and felt the tears prickling in the corner of her eyes. Closing them as tightly as she could she willed them not to fall.
Hearing the doors open, she wished it was not another injury, not another body to add to the count. Trying to make herself small, she hoped for only a second that one of the other nurses would be able to assist.
Feeling a gentle hand on her arm, Christine opened her eyes and looked at La'an as a tear slipped down her face.
"It's going to be okay," La'an said softly, gently rubbing her arm, knowing Christine well enough to know what was on her mind. "I know it's hard, I really do."
"I feel so overwhelmed. I can't do this." Admitting how she felt, more tears fell. She tried her best to stop them but nothing was working.
"Come here, Christine," La'an said softly, stepping forward and wrapping Christine up in her arms, hoping it would help to calm them both down.
Hearing her alarm go off, La'an cracked an eye open and turned off the shrill sound. She had an hour to get ready and start her shift for the day. Today she was on security rounds and making sure all the phaser rifles were working correctly.
Getting out of bed, La'an made her way to the bathroom and got into the sonic shower, letting it wake her up. Resting her head against her forearm, she exhaled and hoped the day would go by quickly. Knowing she needed to have breakfast and get dressed, unwillingly she got out of the shower.
Watching as the stars went by, La'an stopped for a moment. They were limping back to the starbase to get much needed repairs. Pulling out a clean uniform, she quickly got dressed and ready for the day.
Making her way down to the mess hall, La'an grabbed herself some scrambled eggs on toast and a cup of tea – it was some of the only food available and she wasn't going to complain. Looking around, she could see other crew members happily chatting away, acting as if they were having the time of their lives. The mess hall had been cleaned and it made her feel slightly better.
Giving up on her breakfast after only a few bites, La'an downed the last of her tea and got up. Her shift started in ten minutes and she already felt like today was not going to be a good day. Deciding to get an early start, she headed to the armoury and sighed as the doors closed behind her. The armoury was thankfully undamaged.
She was the only one there. No sounds, no chatting, no other people. Just the stillness of the armoury.
Beginning to go over the phaser rifles, she checked the settings and made sure they were in working order. The repetition calmed her; it almost made the day seem easier than normal.
'Doctor M'Benga to Security.'
Sighing, La'an tapped her communicator. "Go ahead, Doctor M'Benga."
'Nurse Chapel hasn't shown up for her shift and she's not responding to communications. It's been over an hour. I'm getting a little worried about her.'
"I'll go find her. Security out."
Knowing it was very unusual for Christine to not be in sickbay messing with anything she could get her hands on, La'an headed straight for her quarters. She knew Christine pretty well. They had been getting close the last few weeks, spending more and more time together. Christine Chapel was someone La'an never expected to enter her life. She broke down her barriers, got to know her true self, and had slowly made her way into her heart.
Pressing the chime, La'an waited a few moments before pressing it again. Seeing if she could hear anything, she pressed the button a third time, announced her presence, and gave it two minutes.
What if Christine is hurt or sick? What if something happened overnight? Feeling her mind begin to race with what ifs, La'an overrode the lock and entered Christine's quarters.
The room was dark. Looking around La'an immediately spotted Christine in bed, laying on her side.
"Christine, it's La'an, are you okay?"
Seeing Christine shift slightly, La'an waited a moment and with no reply, she made her way over and sat on the side of the bed. Christine was awake, looking out at the stars and what looked like drying tear tracks down her face.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" La'an gently asked, placing a comforting hand on Christine's arm.
"Death. There was so much of it and nothing I could do," Christine replied, barely above a whisper.
"Sickbay was overrun and you all did what you could with what resources were available. It's not your fault people died." Brushing Christine's hair out of her face, La'an let her hand linger for a moment.
"I wish I could have done more. I hate the Gorn. I hate what they did to you, I hate what they did to the planet, I hate what they did to us." Shifting so she was closer to La'an, Christine reached out and held onto her wrist. She needed to be close, to be able to feel La'an next to her.
"They are the scum of the quadrant. They treat us as prey, steal us from our homes, traumatise us. I remember being so scared as a child. I watched everyone around me die, and when I was the last one left, they sent me to die. I can remember parts of what happened and I know it was bad." Taking a deep breath in, La'an felt Christine gently tug at her arm.
"I'm glad you survived. I just don't know what to do." Looking up at La'an, Christine released her arm and pursed her lips together. "I like you here with me."
"I like being here with you too. Do you feel like you can go to your shift? Maybe sickbay will help distract you. I can stay with you tonight, if you want, and we can watch a movie or something," La'an replied, feeling a little nervous.
"I can't go to sickbay, I can't. There are still dead bodies in there awaiting burial and it makes me too anxious. I think I can go tomorrow but not today." Feeling herself getting worked up again, Christine curled around La'an and closed her eyes, the sting of tears threatening to fall once more.
"It's okay, Christine, you don't need to go today. Is there anything I can do to help?" La'an asked. Wanting to reach out and comfort her, La'an brushed back more hair that had fallen into Christine's face and slowly began to stroke her head.
Taking a deep breath in, Christine felt herself instantly calm down as La'an comforted her. The gentle stroking of her hair made her feel like someone cared about her. It felt nice, and knowing that La'an was there with her, taking the time to make sure she was okay, gave her the feeling of being wanted.
"Just being here is helping. You must think I'm being stupid."
"I do not think that at all. We were attacked and very real things happened. We all cope in our own way. I need to check the aim on the phaser rifles today, do you want to do shift with me instead? We can set up targets and make sure every one of them is in perfect working order." Moving her hand as Christine shifted, La'an offered her a small smile.
"Can I really do shift with you? That sounds kinda fun. And tonight, I would like a girl's night with movies and popcorn. Just us, watching trashy movies from the twenty-first century." Sitting up, Christine sat cross-legged and faced La'an.
"I like the sound of that. Come on, go get dressed in something you can move freely in and I'll let Doctor M'Benga know of this shift change."
"Can I have a hug?" Christine asked softly.
"Of course, come here." Holding her arms out, La'an held Christine close and gave her a soft squeeze. Hugging Christine felt nice, and it reminded La'an of her feelings towards her favourite nurse. She also knew that Christine needed her right now, and that came above everything else.
"You smell good," Christine commented, not wanting to let La'an go.
"Thanks." Feeling the blush creeping up her face, La'an was grateful Christine couldn't see her.
Pulling back out of the hug, Christine stayed seated on the bed. "Do you think leggings and a shirt would be appropriate?"
"That should be fine. Go, get dressed." Watching as Christine got up and entered the bathroom, La'an waited until the door closed.
"Lieutenant Noonien-Singh to Doctor M'Benga."
'Go ahead, Lieutenant.'
"Nurse Chapel is fine, but she won't be in today. She'll be on shift with me instead."
'Thank you, Lieutenant. Send her my well wishes.'
"Will do." Hearing the line go dead. La'an stayed seated and looked around.
Christine's uniform was in a heap on the floor, covered in who-knows-what. There was another uniform next to it, this one cleaner. Three cups sat on the bedside table, all with various levels of water in them.
"Do I look okay?" Christine asked, emerging from the bathroom.
"You look good, very comfortable," La'an replied, offering her a small smile.
Getting up from the bed, La'an walked over to the door. "Ready to go shoot things?"
"I am." Joining La'an, they exited the room and headed to the turbolift.
Pausing outside the door, La'an turned her head and looked at Christine. "When was the last time you had something to eat?"
"Um…" Trying to remember, Christine pursed her lips together. "Before the Gorn attacked us, I think?"
"Christine, you need to eat something." Entering the turbolift, La'an sighed.
"I'm fine, really." Not thinking she could stomach anything to eat, Christine hoped La'an would drop it.
Holding onto the handle, La'an made an executive decision. "Mess hall."
"La'an…"
"…You need food, even if you just want to split a sandwich with me," La'an said, cutting Christine off.
"I guess that's acceptable." Christine didn't want to eat but for La'an she would try. She knew she needed food, but her stomach felt like it was twisted in knots.
Exiting the turbolift, Christine felt nauseous. The ship still had visible damage and it kept reminding her of what happened. Walking next to La'an, they entered the mess hall and went over to the food available.
"What would you like?" La'an asked, turning to Christine.
"A sandwich is fine. Turkey and cranberry." Watching as La'an got them food, Christine pursed her lips together when she heard La'an ask for two sandwiches.
"We are going to sit and eat." Leading the way to the far table, La'an placed the sandwiches in the middle of the table and sat down. "At least try, please."
"I'll try," Christine agreed, sitting down and picking up half a sandwich.
Taking a tentative bite, Christine chewed and realised how hungry she really was. Finding her appetite, she relaxed a little and took another bite.
"I usually don't get turkey but this is a nice change," La'an commented, knowing she had given up on her own breakfast. She knew she was on shift, but making sure Christine was okay was her top priority.
"I like it, two different flavours that mix well together." Picking up the other half of her sandwich, Christine studied La'an for a moment.
La'an was slowly chewing on her first half of sandwich, her eyes occasionally scanning the room and doing her best death stare at people who got too close to them.
"Why aren't you really eating?" Christine asked, finishing her sandwich.
"I had a little something for breakfast not too long ago," La'an replied, finishing her half a sandwich. "Eat more, I'm good, really." Pushing the plate closer to Christine, La'an motioned for her to eat more.
Picking up the last half, it didn't take Christine long to finish it. She felt a lot better now she had eaten something. Maybe she was hangry, but she pushed the thought aside as La'an got up and got them two bottles of water.
Following La'an, Christine gave her a half smile when one of the bottles was handed to her. "Now is it time to go shoot things?" Christine asked, linking her arm through La'an's when she realised the corridor was empty.
"Yes, it's time to go shoot things," La'an smiled, patting Christine's hand affectionately.
"I will warn you now, I don't have the best aim."
"That's why you have me, I'll help you practice your aim and maybe hit a bullseye."
"You have high hopes for me." Laughing softly, Christine followed La'an into the armoury and looked around.
It was bigger than she expected. Phaser rifles lines the walls and the middle of the room was wide and open. At the far end, there was a kind of pad that absorbed the phaser blasts. Above it sat a simulator that projected a target against the pad. On the ground was a crash mat, a few inches thick.
"I'm going to check the calibration on each rifle and then we are going to fire them to see if their aim is true. I want you to show me what you can do."
"You may regret that." Looking wide-eyed at La'an, Christine moved over to her and looked over her shoulder as she checked the calibration.
"This one is good to go." Moving to the middle of the range, La'an set up the target and handed Christine the rifle.
"Okay… I can do this." Taking the rifle, Christine held it how it felt comfortable and looked at La'an.
"Give it a fire, see how good your aim is."
Taking a deep breath in, Christine fixed her shoulders and fired. Watching as the blast hit the shoulder of the target, Christine pursed her lips together.
"You actually have a pretty good shot for not being trained." Pulling another rifle down and checking it, La'an swapped out rifles with Christine. "I'm going to help your stance with this one and see if it corrects your aim."
"Sure, sure."
Allowing La'an to help fix the way she held the rifle, she was a little surprised when La'an moved around her, fixing her position from behind. La'an held her hips, moving her slightly until she was in the correct position. Feeling La'an slowly move her hands away, Christine closed her eyes and let out an unsteady breath as La'an's fingers softly grazed hip bones.
La'an moved so she stood next to Christine and slightly repositioned her arms. Her hands lingered on Christine's forearm for a moment. "Try that."
Carefully watching as Christine fired the second rifle, La'an smiled. "You got a direct hit and on your second go!"
"I don't know how I did that! This feels good." Smiling widely at La'an, Christine felt her heart flutter a little at the look of pride on La'an's face.
"It's a good way to relieve some stress," La'an replied, handing over the next rifle for testing.
"I will have to agree with that statement." Aiming at the target, Christine fired and watched it land just left to the bullseye. "Ugh."
"You're not going to hit it every time, it takes years of training." Taking the rifle, La'an placed it back on its holder and pulled down another one.
"I'd like to see you get three direct shots in a row," Christine said, raising an eyebrow while looking at La'an.
"Just three? I bet I can do five." Picking up the next phaser rifle, La'an stood in the centre of the room and aimed at the target. Giving Christine a quick smile, she hit the target and smirked. "One of five."
Sending another two blasts in the direction of the target, La'an hit both dead centre. "Two and three of five." Another smirk.
Biting her bottom lip as she watched La'an hit the target, Christine felt the familiar stirring inside as La'an smiled at her. She wanted to go over to her and kiss that stupid smirk off her pretty face.
Pulling the neckline of her shirt down a little, Christine made eye contact with La'an and winked at her. Not letting her eyes leave La'an's, Christine watched as La'an took stance and fired her fourth shot, hitting off-centre.
"Damn it!" La'an said, frustratingly.
"You should have stuck to the three," Christine smirked, walking over to La'an and stopping in front of her.
"If you weren't so distracting, I would have hit the centre," La'an replied, feeling her face flush as she looked at Christine.
"And what distracted you?" Christine asked innocently, taking the rifle and putting it down.
"You know what you did," La'an replied, averting her gaze and going back over to the phaser rifles.
"If you can get me on the ground, on the crash mat, within thirty seconds, you can have a second go at those last two shots," Christine said, her eyes locking on La'an, not wanting this to end.
"Bring it." Walking over to the crash mat, La'an stood tall and waited for Christine to join her.
Shaking out her arms, Christine sweetly smiled at La'an and waited. "Go on."
Eyeing up Christine, La'an quickly moved forward and tried to grab her but missed as Christine twirled out of her grasp. Going in again, La'an tried to sweep her feet out from under her and yet again, Christine stayed standing, jumping over her leg as if it was a skipping rope. Noticing the smug look on Christine's face and knowing she didn't have much time left, the was only one way she knew would work.
Moving forward as quickly as she could, La'an got hold of Christine and twisted them around, Christine's back hitting the mat a second after the allotted time, La'an falling right on top of her.
La'an was pressed against her body, firm and warm. Christine took a deep breath in and tried to steady her heartbeat. Her body was reacting to La'an on top of her. La'an felt nice pressed into her. Looking up, Christine focused on La'an's face. La'an's eyes were looking directly into hers, a beautiful brown that looked as if they were staring into her soul. Her lips looked soft, they looked kissable, and Christine wanted nothing more than to kiss her, right here, right now.
Feeling La'an slightly shift, Christine grabbed the front of her uniform and pulled her close, kissing her. La'an froze only for a moment before she kissed her back, smooth, soft lips melding together.
Pulling back for much needed air, La'an rested her forehead against Christine's. Breathing heavily, La'an shifted her weight so not all of it was on top of Christine.
"I'm sorry, I should have asked," Christine said quickly, realising what she had done.
Placing her finger over Christine's lips, La'an looked at the woman underneath her. Changing position so she was straddling Christine, La'an bit her bottom lip. "Don't apologise, do that again, please."
Sitting up, Christine held La'an by the hips and moved her closer. Closing the distance between them, she kissed her again, this time slow. She wanted to convey how she felt, she wanted La'an to know how much she meant to her. Feeling La'an's hands gently begin to play with her hair, Christine smiled into the kiss and ran her hands up La'an's sides, bringing her even closer.
Kissing La'an felt right. It felt like her every nerve ending was firing simultaneously, sending tingles all over her body. She felt like she was floating on a soft, fluffy cloud. She felt like she was dancing in a sun shower on a warm summer's day.
Slowly breaking the kiss, Christine looked at La'an. A small smile danced across her face, her eyes were shining, and she looked happy.
"You do not want to know how long I've wanted to do that," Christine softly chuckled.
"You do not want to know how long I've wanted you to do that either," La'an replied, not wanting the moment to end.
"Well, you can kiss me whenever you like," Christine said, winking at La'an.
"I plan to, but we really do need to finish calibrating and checking the phaser rifles."
"Oh, right."
"I was thinking, would you like to try and calibrate a rifle?" La'an asked, getting up from on top of Christine and offering a hand.
Taking La'an's hand, Christine let her pull her to her feet. "If it's not hard, I can maybe do it."
"Okay, it's simple really, come watch." Getting the next phaser rifle from its holding, La'an sat down with it as Christine watched over her shoulder. "First, we turn on the safety and then we access the calibration pad. You can see that there are four settings, we need all of them to be in the green like this one is. If one isn't in the green, we put it aside for tomorrow's shift. If only the aim needs calibration, slide your finger up in and it will set it back to its default setting which should then aim straight. Then you get to fire them." Turning so she could see Christine's face, La'an thought she looked adorable when she concentrated.
"I actually think I can do that," Christine replied. "Do you think it would be easier to bring them all over here? We check them and then fire them. It might make it quicker."
"I have never considered that before. How about we do it in lots of five and see how we go?" La'an replied, not wanting to get too overwhelmed.
"Sounds like a plan!"
"Sit where I was and I'll bring them over. I want you to calibrate the first one."
Handing Christine the next phaser rifle, La'an looked over her shoulder and watched as she did exactly what she was shown. She got every step done correctly and she even managed to realign the aim without any help. "That is very impressive. I still get ensigns who have trouble doing that."
"I did it correctly?" Christine asked, looking up at La'an, her blue eyes shining at her.
"You did it perfectly, Christine. Do you want to test it or calibrate some more?"
"I'm kind of in a groove with calibrating, you can test them. I like watching you shoot."
Getting into a rhythm between calibrating and firing the phaser rifles, it didn't take long before every weapon in the armoury had been checked over and placed back into its holder.
Stretching her back as she stood up, Christine walked over to La'an and hugged her from behind, holding her close as she rested her chin on La'an's shoulder.
"What have I done to deserve this?" La'an asked, not used to people hugging her.
"Nothing, I just wanted to hug you. What's next on our list of things to do?"
"Next is security rounds. They are usually pretty boring but since we get to do them together, they may be fun. Today we are doing decks ten to fifteen. What floor do you think we should start on?"
"Hmm, let's go for fifteen first." Linking her arm through La'an's, Christine offered her a small smile.
"Fifteen it is."
Exiting the armoury, Christine unlinked their arms and walked beside La'an, heading down to deck fifteen. Arriving, they started their rounds down the main corridor, looking and hearing out for things that weren't meant to be. There was still some visible damage but it looked as if a team had been through and cleared up as much as they could.
"So, you do this at least once a week?" Christine asked, looking at La'an.
"The rounds are done once a week but not always by me. I do a general round once a month, and I also do the invasive searches roughly once every three or so months. It's how I discovered Enterprise Bingo."
"Oh, um, about that. You didn't hear this from me but there's already a new list going around. I'm pretty sure one of the last ones is basically a knock and run on your door after midnight. Yours or Commander Chin-Riley's."
"Those little…"
"…Ensigns, La'an, ensigns and cadets."
"If one of them tries, they will regret it." Not liking this new development, La'an felt her mood begin to shift.
"Looks like I may have to stay with you to chase them away, or you could stay with me, they'll never know you're there."
"Well, I am staying with you tonight. I believe we are watching a movie together." Hoping the plans were still on, La'an stopped and faced Christine. "If that's still what you want to do?"
"I really do want to do that still." Leaning in so only La'an could hear her she continued. "It now comes with a new level you've unlocked. Kisses. Lots of kisses."
"I do really look forward to that part." Feeling her ears begin to burn, La'an straightened her uniform and continued on with the rounds.
"I was thinking, instead of a movie, how do you feel about marathoning Trixie Motel?" Christine asked.
"I have absolutely no idea what that is but of course we can," La'an replied, turning a corner and continuing on their rounds.
"You'll love it. It's a renovation show but done by a drag queen."
"That does sound interesting."
Stopping in her tracks, Christine reached out and pulled La'an close and pointed to the junction up ahead. Two crew members, dressed in unicorn onesies, with a foam shark fin strapped to their backs, were trying to get into one of the Jefferies Tubes.
"That is above my pay level," La'an said, rubbing her forehead and not wanting to deal with whatever it was happening in front of her.
"La'an, honey, you don't get paid for being head of Security," Christine gently reminded her, smiling to herself.
"I know."
Taking a few steps closer to the scene in front of her, La'an stood tall and cleared her throat. The two crew members jumped in fright and looked at her, eyes wide.
"I highly suggest you both go and do something productive. Consider this a warning." Raising an eyebrow, La'an watched as they both nodded their heads and ran off.
"So scary Lieutenant Noonien-Singh," Christine smirked, coming up behind her and pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"They were lucky I was feeling generous," La'an replied, going over to the Jefferies tube and closing the hatch tightly.
Continuing on with the security rounds, they walked each deck and checked to make sure everything was in as much working order as it could be. Noting a few blown lights and some relays that needed to be replaced that hadn't been added to the repair list, it didn't take them long before they finished the rounds.
"So, what now?" Christine asked, wondering what else they needed to do.
Checking the time, La'an looked at Christine. "We have two hours left. Usually, it takes me the whole shift to do calibrations, testing, and security rounds."
"I have an idea." Grabbing La'an by the hand, Christine pulled her down the corridor and into a Jefferies tube junction.
"What are we doing in…" Feeling her back hit the wall, soft lips pressed against her own, kissing her. Smiling into the kiss, La'an pulled Christine closer, her hands resting on Christine's hips. Allowing herself to get lost in the moment, La'an felt her brain short circuit as Christine parted her lips and deepened the kiss.
Getting lost in all that was Christine, La'an felt light-headed. Breaking the kiss, La'an took a deep breath in and tried to steady her heartbeat.
"That's certainly a way to pass the time," La'an admitted, looking at Christine.
"I could do that all day," Christine replied, smiling.
"Come on, we should find something security related to do. I don't need Number One biting my head off," La'an said, well aware of what would happen if Una found out what she was doing.
"I do like your head where it is."
Following La'an out of the junction and down the corridor, Christine looked around and could still see debris on the floor. The lights ahead flickered and it reminded her of sickbay. Taking a sharp breath in, Christine tried to push the feelings away. She was a nurse, she had witnessed worse, but this attack had gotten to her, and reminded her that everyone was mortal and would die one day.
"Christine, are you okay?" La'an asked gently, noticing that Christine had stopped abruptly.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Christine replied, forcing a smile on her face.
"What's wrong?" La'an asked, knowing something wasn't right.
Exhaling, Christine looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes. "The flickering of the lights just reminded me of sickbay and of everything that has happened."
"It's going to be okay. I know it sucks but we made it through. We have each other and I'm here for you." Knowing she wasn't very good at comforting people, La'an did what felt right and stepped closer to Christine. Brushing Christine's hair out of her face, La'an softly stroked the side of her face before holding her hands and giving them a reassuring squeeze.
"Some people didn't," Christine replied, barely above a whisper. "These feelings have never happened before. I've seen death so many times but this time, it feels more personal."
"Different situations affect us in different ways. You told me that, and I think it applies. We can't change what happened but we can carry the memory of those lost."
"I know you're right; it just sucks. Can we talk about something else?"
"What would you like to talk about?" La'an asked, following Christine as she started to walk down the corridor.
"Us? Maybe? I know it's very new but I don't like things unknown," Christine replied, needing something to be solid.
"I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought of you as my girlfriend once or twice," La'an admitted, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.
"Girlfriends? Partners? I like both. I just want to be with you and only you," Christine responded, hoping she wasn't coming on too strongly. She wasn't used to this, she would have run off by now, but La'an was different, La'an was special.
"I want that too but I didn't know how to say it. When I'm with you, everything feels right for once. It's something foreign to me, and it's a little scary," La'an replied, wanting to be honest with Christine.
"We can navigate this together, as a couple," Christine said, intertwining her fingers with La'an's as they stopped at the turbolift.
"I like the sound of that."
Trying to find something to do to occupy them for the rest of the shift, they ended up cataloguing more damage to the ship where the bulkheads had been sealed off. La'an knew the security team and the engineering team had reported most of the damage, but she wanted to double check for herself. It was something to do, and it didn't involve being around anyone other than Christine.
Finishing up just as the shift ended, La'an turned to Christine and offered her a small smile.
"Do you want to do anything now we're off duty?" La'an asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.
"I need to clean my quarters before tonight, as you saw this morning, it's not the cleanest. I want to get it nice for us," Christine replied, looking forward to getting to spend time with La'an.
"I should probably shower and find something to wear," La'an replied, looking around.
"Remember to wear something comfortable you can sleep in. If you don't want to walk the corridors in your pyjamas, bring them with you, you can get changed in my room."
"I might do that, actually. I really need a shower."
"Come on, I'll walk you to your quarters. Do you want to grab dinner around eighteen hundred hours?" Christine asked, directing them to the nearest turbolift.
"That sounds like a plan."
Heading to La'an's quarters, it didn't take them long to get there. Placing a chaste kiss on La'an's cheek, Christine watched as La'an entered the room and the doors shut behind her. Letting out the breath she didn't realise she was holding, Christine made her way to her own quarters and collapsed on the couch for a moment.
Looking around, Christine's eyes landed on the pile of PADDs and the specialised equipment she kept in the corner of her room. Going over to it, Christine neatly arranged it against the wall and made sure the PADDs were in order and she could easily pick up where she had left off.
Moving onto the clothing across the floor, Christine took a deep breath in and picked up her work uniforms. Exhaling slowly, she walked to the bathroom and put them into the hamper. They would be dealt with when she had the time and effort. Christine felt the knot in her stomach still but she felt like she was better able to deal with what happened. Getting to spend the day with La'an, and learning how parts of security worked, it helped to shift her mind into a different perspective.
Picking up the last of the clothing, Christine added them to the hamper and looked around once more. Giving the room a quick tidy, Christine moved onto the last thing to do. Her bed. Sitting on the end of the bed, Christine allowed herself a moment to lay back, taking a moment to relax.
Thinking about La'an, Christine couldn't help but grin. The last thing she ever expected to do was to kiss La'an and have her kiss her back. Sure, she had been flirting with her since they first met, but she didn't know if La'an felt the same way. La'an was reserved, cautious. Christine was neither of those things. Worming her way into La'an's life, they had grown close, and she wasn't shut out. There were lingering hugs and touches but Christine never thought about any of it until now. Looking back, Christine could now see that La'an tried to show her she liked her as well but had trouble acting on her feelings.
Rolling onto her stomach, Christine sighed and got up. Making the bed, she made sure it was nicely tucked in without visible creases and that all the pillows were fluffed up and sat nicely on top of one another. She wanted tonight to be cosy and perfect. Getting the PADD she had that was full of twenty-first century television shows and movies, she set it down on the bedside table.
Checking the time and realising she had to meet La'an for dinner in fifteen minutes, Christine had the quickest shower of her life and got dressed in the first thing she could find. Exiting her quarters, she made her way to the mess hall and spotted La'an already sitting down with dinner waiting for them. La'an looked nervous and Christine found it kind of endearing.
"Hey," Christine said, sitting down across from La'an.
"Hi," La'an replied, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you." Feeling the blush creep up her face, Christine looked at the food in front of her.
"I hope you don't mind but I got us dinner. I know you like pasta and I thought it would be nice to share a meal together."
"You're adorable. And you picked the perfect meal." Reaching across the table, Christine softly squeezed La'an's hand.
"I wanted tonight to be perfect." Looking down at her lap, La'an hoped she wasn't coming on too strong.
"Tonight will be perfect, La'an. You've already started off strong. You know the way to my heart – a bowl of pasta." Giving La'an's hand one last squeeze, Christine picked up her fork and motioned for La'an to do the same.
Eating dinner together, La'an couldn't help but smile at Christine. It was like everyone else in the room was invisible and it solely revolved around the woman sitting across from her. Everything about Christine captivated her, and La'an was thankful Christine had the balls to make the first move. La'an knew she was headstrong and forward, but admitting her feelings to the woman she liked was where she drew the line.
Finishing their meal, La'an took their empty bowls back to the replicator and recycled them. Noticing Christine coming over to her, she smiled at her and lead them out of the mess hall.
"I need to go past my quarters quickly, if that's okay. I may have forgotten to pack something comfortable," La'an said, directing them to the turbolift.
"That's fine. I think anything would be more comfortable than your uniform," Christine replied, realising that La'an's default clothing choice was her uniform.
"You're not wrong." Entering her quarters, La'an quickly shoved her favourite pyjamas into a duffle bag and joined Christine by the door.
Christine's quarters weren't too far from La'an's and it didn't take long to reach them and enter. Looking around, La'an noticed that Christine cleaned everything she could get her hands on.
"Do you want to get changed?" Christine asked, noticing La'an pulling at the hem of her tunic. "You don't look very comfortable." Taking her shoes off, she placed them by the door and motioned for La'an to do the same. She could tell La'an was a little nervous.
"Kind of," La'an replied, looking at Christine. "Are you going to change?"
"I will, my pyjamas are calling my name," Christine replied, going over to the set of drawers and pulling a drawer open, removing a set from inside.
"I'll just be a minute," La'an said, heading into the bathroom and quickly getting changed. She was both excited and nervous about spending the night with Christine. Making sure she looked okay in her tank top and dark blue pyjama pants covered in a star pattern, she took a deep breath in and exited the bathroom.
Christine was sitting on the end of her bed, dressed in a similar tank top and pink bunny pants and La'an thought it was the cutest thing she had ever seen. Going over to her, La'an sat next to her and rested her head on Christine's shoulder.
"Tired?" Christine asked, wrapping an arm around La'an.
"A little but I want to spend time with you and watch the show you mentioned," La'an replied, smiling when Christine pressed a kiss to her head.
"How about we climb into bed, get comfy, and I'll set it up so we can watch something?"
"That sounds good." Helping Christine pull down the covers, La'an took a moment to gently kiss Christine on the lips before she settled in and sat up against the pillows as Christine grabbed the PADD and opened a file.
Shuffling so she was close to La'an, Christine grabbed a spare pillow and put it in front of them to hold the PADD up. Hitting play, she wrapped an arm around La'an's shoulders and settled in.
Moving slightly down, La'an cuddled into Christine's side and rested her head on Christine's shoulder. Christine was warm and calming, and the show that was playing was easy enough to follow and held her attention. She didn't think she'd ever find a drag queen renovating a motel interesting but here she was.
"Have you seen this before?" La'an asked, wrapping an arm around Christine's waist.
"I haven't, I wanted to watch it with you. Are you up for another episode?"
"I am. I'm really enjoying tonight," La'an admitted, not knowing the last time she was able to relax like this.
"I am too. It's not often we get to just forget about everything and turn our brains off."
"It's not. You're also really warm and it's nice."
Smiling, Christine hit play on the second episode and pressed a kiss to La'an's brow and let her lips linger for a moment.
Soft tracing patterns into La'an's side with her fingers, Christine felt La'an snuggle closer into her, the arm around her waist holding her that little bit tighter. Drawing her eyes back to the screen, Christine felt content as she continued to watch the show, enjoying what was happening.
Getting near the end of the episode, Christine felt La'an slightly jump when a scream came through the PADD. Realising she was falling asleep; Christine pressed another kiss to La'an's head.
"I have an idea. How about we lay down and continue to watch. It'll be more comfortable." Grabbing the PADD, Christine put the pillow it was resting on, on the floor.
"If you think it'll work."
"It will. Trust me."
Fixing the pillows so they were more comfortable, Christine laid on her side, and pulled La'an close so La'an's back was against her front. Shifting so she had one arm under La'an's neck to hold the PADD with, Christine wrapped her other arm around La'an's waist, her hand resting on La'an's stomach.
Watching as Christine hit play on the third episode, La'an rested her hand on top of Christine's and tried to keep her eyes open. She didn't realise how tired she was until she was able to relax. She wanted to spend more time with Christine but being wrapped up in her arms and feeling the warmth of her against her back was making her sleepy.
Feeling La'an's breathing beginning to slow and even out, Christine knew she was falling asleep. Waiting until the end of the episode, Christine turned the PADD off and manoeuvred as much as she could without waking La'an up. Putting the PADD away, Christine untangled herself from La'an and got up.
Turning the main lights off, Christine left the bathroom light on and got back into bed, snuggling up to La'an. Feeling La'an press closer into her, Christine held her tight and placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder. Closing her eyes, Christine let a small smile linger on her face as she cleared her mind and drifted off to sleep with La'an peacefully asleep in her arms.
