Chapter 24-
Guest quarters for Lieutenant junior grade Christine Skyler – USS Haida
"Put your clothing in the recycler, then sit on the bed. I can treat you there." Christine kept a light hand on Jacob's back as they entered her guest quarters. "Let me get some supplies from the replicator."
Nodding, Jacob limped his way over to the bed and shed his clothes as he did so, leaving him only in his navy boxer briefs. Christine returned with supplies, assisting Jacob in removing his shirt over his head.
"Thanks. I wasn't sure if I could remove it with the wound on my shoulder." He winced as Christine's fingers trailed over the half-healed gash on his right shoulder blade.
"When did this happen?" She asked as she began inspecting it and pulling out supplies.
Jacob thought, "Two, three days ago." He bit his lip as she applied a sterilizing solution and began the dermal cleaning process. "TJ scrubbed it out with soap and put in a couple of old fashion stitches, but I think they broke when I landed on crates the last time."
"Last time?" Christine sat down the dermal cleaner and picked up the tissue knitter and forceps.
"TJ, Hiti, Brody, and I were evading Vogi Yukim's goons while Jazz kept Yukim busy bragging about his pre-civil war artifacts." Jacob looked over his shoulder at Christine, "It wasn't my fault that Brody hit the switch to move the stack of crates I was standing on. I was lucky I wasn't spotted when the crate I fell on broke open."
"Please tell me there wasn't an arc of the covenant in there."
"What?" Jacob looked at her, confused.
"Never mind." Christine concentrated on the wound. "It was a clean gash, but popping those stitches didn't do you any favors." Christine got up and fetched a unique tool from the replicator. "This is going to feel cold, and then it is going to get warm. Tell me if it feels like burning, and I can reduce the pulse."
"Um-hm…" Jacob pinched his lips together tightly as she began running the wand over where the wound had been.
"Did you know that Brielle is a natural at show jumping?" Christine tried getting his mind on something other than her treatments.
"I wonder where she got that…." He winced, "from?"
Christine turned the wand down a notch, "Brielle and Josh watched me ride after a particularly rough day at work. She wanted to try it, and she is surprisingly good. She is taking classes three days a week now."
"What about…" Jacob hissed and tightened his back when Christine took the wand over a nasty bruise he had on his lower back. "Josher?"
"He has been Josh." Christine shrugged. "He still loves to mess with stuff in his room, but Bennu has coaxed him out by teaching him to cook some of her cultural dishes for dinner."
"He was always one," Jacob closed his eyes and swallowed as Christine brought the wand down to his hip and pelvis bone. "… to want to help people."
Christine put the wand down and picked up her tricorder, "Jacob stands straight with your back to me." Jacob carefully turned, but it didn't go unnoticed by Christine that he put more weight on her as he did so.
"I'm afraid I'm not as good with the fancy dance spins as Brielle is." Jacob joked, trying to hide how much pain he was in.
"Jacob Kendric!" Christine screeched and glared at him.
"What?" He looked over at her, "As long as you have known me, I have had a limp on my left side. So it shouldn't surprise you that I needed a little support on that side after the mission."
"For the repairing muscles in your knee, calf, and ankle, which looks amazingly good, but not for the hairline fracture you have on your iliac crest," Christine growled as she got a bone knitter from the medical kit.
"I thought I just strained it a bit." Jacob tried to give her a cheeky grin, but it melted soon as he saw the intensity in her eyes.
"To treat it," Christine said in a huff, "I need you to lay down on the bed."
"Christine, it will be fine. You don't need to…."
"Get in the dam bed, Jacob!"
Deciding this was a battle he did not want to fight, he allowed Christine to pull back the bed's covers and lay down on the clean sheets so that Christine could examine him better.
"You know I would have preferred you say that for an entirely different reason." Jacob tried to get Christine to smile.
He noticed the corners of her mouth turn up a bit when she rolled her eyes, "This should knit the damage back together, and then the regenerative laser and ultrasound packs I've got should take care of the deep tissue damage to both your shoulder and hip."
"Then I should be good to go." He started to get up, but Christine's hand on his chest stopped him from getting up.
"Not so fast." It was now her turn to give him a mischievous smile. "Either you stay flat on your back, on that bed for at least the next hour and a half, or I call a medical team and have you taken back to sick bay where you will be sedated and strapped to an orthopedic bio bed until the debriefing. Of course, you get healed to my satisfaction both ways, but one will certainly be more pleasant."
"So, either I lay here, with a pretty doctor curled up next to me for the next hour, and get my treatment, OR," he smirked, "I get my ass hauled back to sickbay where I am sedated to unconsciousness so I can have the humiliation of being strapped to a biobed while getting healed, and have uncaring doctors and nurses poke me while I'm unconscious. Are those my two options?"
"Yes"
"Then I will take the first option." He smiled. "As long as you join me."
"Let me shed these doctor's trappings, and I'll be right there." She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss. Then, with a slight chuckle, Jacob closed his eyes and let the feelings of the treatments lull his soreness.
He opened his eyes to what he thought was just a moment later and found that Christine had cleaned up all the medical treatment stuff, but she wasn't in sight. "Christine?"
"In the toilet," She called. Jacob turned towards it to find Christine clad only in his lucky special forces t-shirt.
"You do realize you are killing me here." He playfully glared at her.
She smirked, walked over to his uninjured side, and slid into bed with him. "Consider it punishment for coming home injured."
"Injured or not, I still managed to complete one mission." With his right hand, he brought Christine's left hand up between them so they could look at the ring.
"Which brings us back to this." Christine let Jacob take her left hand into his.
"I had this whole production laid out. I had a holo deck reserved for a carriage ride and a nice outdoor dinner, and then I played the piano for you. I even planned to sing for you."
"You? Sing?"
"I can sing, not as good as you obviously, but I would string a couple of notes together for you." He rubbed her finger where the ring sat. "When I was done, I would step off the piano and kneel and ask you to marry me."
"Well, that didn't happen." Christine chuckled.
"Nope," He smiled and looked up into her eyes, "Instead, I had several weeks to think about how my life had changed with you in it. And ask me why I didn't ask you before we left Ravenswood."
"You had just had your surgery and lost Josh again. It wouldn't have been the right time." Christine snuggled into his chest, her right hand over his heart.
"But you did say you would marry me someday." He traced circles on her bare back.
"I said yes to the betrothal so there would be no questions about us sharing quarters." Christine teased back.
"That may have been our intent when I originally asked but later…." He tightened his arm around her. "I realized I wanted to have you there, always."
Christine leaned up and kissed him sweetly, "I'm surprised you did not ask my father for my hand in marriage. Especially since you are 'mister cultural traditions' and all."
"Who says I didn't?" He smirked. Christine's jaw dropped. "Before we left, I hobbled myself on crutches to your father's office and prayed he wouldn't put me back in the hospital when I asked."
"Picked up the shield of injured warriors, did you?" Christine teased.
"I was going to take any advantage I could get; thank you very much." Jacob laughed as he readjusted so he could see the ring on her hand. "This poor pirate asked the king of Ravenswood for one of his greatest treasures. I will take whatever advantage I could."
"What did you say?"
"I thanked him for accepting Josh as another grandson."
"You think my mom and dad would turn that adorable kid away just because of a trick of fate?"
"No, but your parents are exceptional people with an exceptional daughter."
Christine laughed.
"And I asked Richard's permission for your hand in marriage so that Josh and I could be a permanent part of your family."
"Did he make you sweat before he said yes?"
"He said it wasn't up to him." Jacob turned to look her in the eyes and cupped her cheek in his hand. "He said it was up to you."
"He is a smart man, my dad," Christine smirked.
"He said if your mother could love and marry a broken man like him, then he knew that her daughter could certainly love a broken soldier like me, despite all my baggage."
"And I do." He leaned over to kiss him. Things began to deepen, but when Jacob tried to reach up with his left arm to pull her towards him, he froze in pain. A sharp reminder of why he was there. Blushing, he let enough so that he still had her right hand in his left, on his chest.
"Did you get the whole 'be good to my daughter, or I'll kill you' speech?" Christine asked as she sat back.
"He didn't need to. He reminded me that I needed to worry about it wasn't your father, uncles, and adopted brothers. It was what the honey badger would leave behind for the other sweet, demure ladies of the Skyler-Scott clan would do to me."
Christine started full-on laughing, "He isn't wrong."
"The most beautiful roses are the ones that hold strong against the wind, drought, and storm," Jacob said coyly.
"Now you are just trying to butter me up." Christine glared at him.
"Considering I…."
"Run off for a month with barely a goodbye kiss?" Christine's glare hardened, and she turned away.
"Captain Torbin needed my help." Jacob tried to get Christine to look at him.
"I needed your help, Jacob." Christine finally looked at him, her anger fading to tears.
"I know, Love, but I had faith in you." Jacob set her instruments aside and pulled her against his seated, bruised body.
"I.." Christine tightened her arms around his neck, pulling herself down into his chest as her build-up tears started flowing.
Jacob's heart broke. "I'm here now, Love." He held her as she cried. The dam of all the fear, longing, and anger burst; all the time she held in her tears so she could be there for Brielle and Josh were finally released. "Christine…" Jacob tried to get her to sit up enough so he could see her and touch her cheek.
"You are an idiot; you know that." Christine wiped her face with her hand, "A too dam good at his job, idiot."
"You would have done the same thing, Love." He looked up at her, worried.
"Hardly." Christine glared. Her tears finally slowed down.
"Help rescue someone's child when they are in danger?" He wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb. "You earned a medal for that, if I remember correctly."
"Doesn't count." She said, trying to straighten up, "It was just me then. I didn't have Brielle, Josh, and …."
"Someone who loves you." He interrupted with a slight smile as he tucked a loose hair behind her ear.
"…back home needing me." She finished. "It was just me then. I went in to save whoever was on the other side of that tunnel. I didn't have anyone waiting for me back home."
"Yes, you did." Jacob settled back down in the now damp covers.
"Who?" Christine challenged him, annoyed.
"Me."
Christine could only sit there blinking for a moment.
"When I heard what happened, I knew where you would be. In the thick of it." Jacob looked up to the ceiling remembering. "I couldn't get near the sick bay. Between my memories keeping me back, that place was a hornet's nest of activity." He shook his head as if to clear it. "I managed to get some reports on your status. You had brought someone back to the station for treatment. I didn't know your condition, but at least you were alive."
"I was fine, Jacob," She squeezed his hand.
"Rubble and Dozer say otherwise, love," Jacob said frankly. "I call you angel because of how you sing. Those two call you angel because there was no way you should have gotten out of there unless you had a guardian angel with you."
With a sigh, Christine settled back down with her head and hand on his chest. "Still not the same thing."
"My point was that we were both doing our jobs." Christine started to interrupt, but Jacob put a finger to her lips, "I will admit mine…."
"… Is not supposed to be your job anymore?" Christine huffed.
"I am at the bottom of a very long list of people whose job it is." Jacob honestly admitted.
"If you were at the bottom of this long list, why were you called upon?"
"They needed someone who could play a foil to General Neoma."
Christine raised her eyebrow in interest.
"General Neoma is well known for her combat on the field and in the social arena. Some say her tongue is as dangerous as her blades."
"I hope you have not had to experience either," Christine commented.
"Being at her side when she was verbally cutting bureaucratic asshats was somewhat thrilling," Jacob smirked but continued. "No one was supposed to know that the recon team was on the planet. So they needed someone who could be seen snooping around, and someone they wouldn't know was there."
"They were to see the General and not see you."
"Correct. Jazz tried to look around and find what happened to the recon leader and where the prisoner was being held."
"I take it she found them?"
"She did." Jacob nodded, "She managed to convince Vogi Yukim to release the body of Arsi Chalge to her as part of a 'return heroes to their native planet' thing. There are four urns of remains aboard the General's ship. Tobin and Jazz take them back to Bajor for a proper burial on their home planet. The way Yukim put it, he wouldn't want those kinds buried on his planet."
"Do I want to know why?" Christine asked, but Jacob's look answered, "I read the jerk's profile. His loathing of those not of 'pure' Bajoran blood is well known. I wouldn't want my family buried in that monster's reach."
"Anyway," Jacob continued, "Cerberus will continue with the medical relief team. They will provide security for them and ensure that the government doesn't block the federation from helping their people. Not to mention keep a watchful eye on Vong Yukim."
"Cerberus will include their new medical officer, whom I believe you switched places with." Christine looked at him sideways.
"Someone did their homework." Jacob teased.
"Lieutenant Commander Holtz will take the place of Lieutenant Colin De La Vega as De La Vega is a pacifist known for his flirtatious ways, knowledge in history and the arts." Christine recited from the report she read, "And should I meet him in a dark pub I might accidentally mistake for my combat trained, piano playing boy fr…." Jacob tapped her finger. "Fiancée."
"I went in as a bumbling, overdressed, over-educated, over-cultured flirtatious lay about." Jacob tried to shrug, but his shoulder was still a bit stiff. "It was no surprise to see me sneaking off to find the best wine, hiding in broom cupboards with serving staff, and disappearing for a day or two, returning with a few extra bruises, smelling of perfume and vomit."
Christine couldn't help a snicker.
"I made a right sight of myself, to say the least." Jacob blushed.
"What were you doing?"
"Scouting out Yukim's estate for entry and exit points, exchanging information with the household staff."
"Because they are the ones who know what is going on behind closed doors," Christine smirked.
Jacob raised an eyebrow at her comment, "And how do you know that, m'lady?"
"Borrowing too many of my mother's holo novels but go on." Christine brushed him off, but Jacob made a note to ask her about it later.
"And meeting with the rest of the recon team and setting up contacts to get them smuggled off the planet along with getting Lieutenant Allyson Cedeno out of Yukim's jail cell."
"You managed to complete the mission without any more casualties, but none of you came home undamaged." Christine shook her head. "And this all started because one man wouldn't stick to the plan."
"You must be able to trust your partner to follow their orders and do what they must do to complete the mission," Jacob said firmly.
"Then, why didn't you trust me with this mission, Jacob?" Christine wrapped the sheet around her as she sat up to face him. "Or am I not your partner?"
Jacob winced, but not from pain. It took a moment for Jacob to find his words, "It wasn't my call to make."
Christine huffed, "That is a load of horse shit, and you know it, Jacob!"
"This plan had so many moving parts; we had to make people think I was off on Bole IV."
"But why not tell me?"
"I was going undercover, pulling a group of scared cadets out of a situation that their incompetent commanding officer led them into. I'm not supposed to be in this business anymore." Jacob tried to explain.
"That doesn't explain why you had to 'Red Robin' me into letting you leave on a mission that I knew nothing about and wasn't sure if you were coming home from."
"If I had told you, would you have let me go? Would you have sat there and waited for me to come home? Could you look in our children's eyes and tell them honestly that their dad would come home?"
Christine could only sit there with a knot in her stomach.
"Christine, I needed to know you and the children were safe. That no one could track me back to the three of you." Jacob held firmly to Christine's shoulders. "I would rather die and be buried under a false name than have some monster like Yukim find the three most important people in my life!"
Jacob's words cut her to the bone. Christine took a while to find her voice, "What if we had lost you? What would have become of Josh? Julie is still in jail, and Sava has flat said that her family can't be trusted with him. So he would end up in the foster care system!"
"I wouldn't let that happen." Jacob sat up quickly, ignoring the pain that hit him.
"How!" Christine shouted, "You can't be there for your son if you are dead!"
"But my wife could!" Jacob quickly got out of bed and buried his face in his hands.
"Your what?" Christine looked at him dumb-struck.
He slowly brought his hands down from his face and put them on his hips, "I had them put a ghost groom clause in our marriage contract."
"A what…" Christine tried to process what Jacob was saying.
He refused to look at her, "If something happened to me before you either kicked me to the curb or we got officially married," He took in a long breath, "This clause would instantly make you my wife for all legal purposes. You would have the same rights to Josh as I do and my estate. If I died," He looked up at Christine, "Even if it were for a moment, we would have been married, and you would be protected under the law. If Julie or her family tried to take Josh away from you, they would have no ground to stand on. As far as the law is concerned, you are his mother!"
Silently Christine got up, walked over to Jacob, and carefully slid her arms around his waist. The lack of her usual heeled boots made their height difference even more noticeable. Jacob tipped his head down so it rested on Christine's as she held him tight. "When I signed Brielle's guardianship papers, I had to register whom I wanted her to be raised by should anything happen to me." Christine tipped her head up to look up at him, "I originally listed my parents, but after we got Josh, I talked to them, and they agreed that if something happened, you would be a part of her life too." Jacob smiled a teary smile. "Do you know what Brielle and Josh told me before I left?"
"What?" Jacob reached up to cup her cheek.
"They asked that I bring their dad home."
Jacob's face split wide in a smile as he leaned down to kiss her.
