CHAPTER NINETEEN - MORNING AFTER

The first thing Rachel felt when she woke up in the morning was warmth. She smiled to herself as she realized that another body was pressed against nearly every inch of her own. Her head was tucked into the crook of his neck, and his broad chest met her bare back. His arm was draped over her waist, and their legs were tangled together.

"Morning," Tom's voice softly rumbled in her ear as he felt her stir.

Rachel's smile grew as she turned from her side onto her back, lazily stretching like a cat. "Good morning," she replied with a yawn.

"Tired?" he whispered.

She nodded. "Someone wouldn't let me sleep last night."

His eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh, really? I distinctly remember a little Brit waking me up at oh-dark-thirty for a third go. That wasn't you?"

Rachel playfully shook her head. "Nope."

"Well, then I need to go find her..." he teased, pretending to start to get up. However, she grabbed for him, pulling him back to her side. They both grinned widely as their lips met.

"Do you think anyone would miss us if we just stayed here all day?" Rachel wondered as she started gently tracing a finger down his jawline and chest. As her hand wandered further south, Tom caught her wrist.

"Don't start something you can't finish," he warned.

"Who says I can't?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I do, because we definitely can't get away with spending the whole day in bed. But we can pick up where we left off tonight."

Rachel cocked her head, looking up at him. "So... no regrets?"

Tom kissed her again. "No, Rach. No regrets. It was exactly the right time. All I feel this morning is happiness. And exhaustion," he added with a chuckle, "But in a good way."

~ % ~

They finally got up, unable to stall any longer. Tom stepped across the hall to make sure his kids were awake, but invited Rachel to take advantage of his private bathroom to shower while he was gone. She first went down the hall to her own cabin to get a change of clothes, but then accepted his offer. Communal living was something that she tolerated, not liked.

When Tom returned, he slipped into his bathroom. Steam from the hot water had clouded the glass door, but not enough to obscure his view of the figure inside. For a long moment, he just stopped and stared. Rachel grinned mischievously when she noticed him.

"See something you like?" she wondered as she used one hand to soap up her other arm.

He shook his head. "No. See someone I love."

Her smile widened. "What a coincidence; so do I."

Tom stripped off his pajamas before opening the shower door and joining her. Rachel made a little noise as the cold air hit her body, but he quickly closed the door again. It was a tight fit, and he'd gotten water on the floor in the process, but they ended up chest-to-chest under the spray, smiling at each other.

"Water conservation," he explained himself.

She laughed. "Good idea."

The shower stall was too cramped for any activities that would have necessitated a second shower, not that that stopped them from trying. Now that the fire between them had been lit, they couldn't get enough of each other. Neither of them did a very good job of keeping their hands to themselves as they towelled off and got dressed.

"Are you going to the wardroom before you head to the bridge?" Rachel wondered as she tied her shoes.

Tom nodded. There wasn't enough time for them to have a full breakfast, but they could at least make hot beverages. "I won't be much use to anybody if I don't get a cup of coffee."

They managed to pull themselves together as they headed to the wardroom. Once they were in the p-way, it was like an invisible barrier came between them. They didn't hold hands as they walked or kiss good-bye in the wardroom. Tom could see the longing in Rachel's eyes - he felt it himself - but word of their relationship still hadn't made its way through the crew. Those that knew kept it to themselves. They had to stay professional in the public eye - didn't they?

Once Rachel left for the lab, Tom noticed that Mike was sitting at the table, nursing a cup of coffee and watching his Captain curiously. "Good morning," he told his XO as he took a seat beside him.

"Certainly looks like it is," Mike dryly commented.

Before Tom could respond, Lt. Danny Green approached them. "May I join you, Sirs?" he inquired.

Tom gestured to an empty chair. "Please."

"How are you?" Mike asked the younger man.

"Good, Sir, thank you. I had something to ask of you." Tom nodded for him to continue. "I've been thinking about it a lot and I want to propose to Kara. And I wanted to have your permission. I know it's completely breaking regs, but I think it's the right thing to do." He didn't immediately receive a response from either of his superiors, so he plowed ahead. "We've been figuring out how to make things work, having a relationship and keeping up with our duties. We won't let our personal lives interfere with our work."

Mike looked over to Tom, curious to see what the Captain's reaction would be. There was little doubt in his mind that Tom would give the Lieutenant permission, considering he was in a similar situation. Mike wasn't totally sure what his decision would be if it were just up to him, but it wasn't. Like always, he'd back whatever call his CO made, whether he liked it or not.

Tom took a sip of his coffee, considering his next words. "Do you think you ought to marry her, or do you want to marry her?" he asked.

Lt. Green startled slightly, not having expected that question. "Both, Sir. I love her. And I want her and our baby to know I'll always be there for them. I'm not the kind of man who ignores his responsibilities."

Tom slowly nodded, putting down his coffee. "No, you're not... You know as leaders within this crew, there are going to be a lot of eyes on you?"

"Yes, Sir. We're getting used to that already."

"And the standards you're held to won't change?"

"Yes, Sir. We can handle it."

After a moment of thought, Tom gave another nod. "Alright. You have permission, Lieutenant."

Danny smiled broadly. "Thank you, Sir!"

"Are you giving her a ring?"

"Working on that part," he replied with a chuckle. "It won't be anything much, but I want to surprise her on Valentine's Day."

That was just two days away, the latest in a line of holidays that had occurred since the crew's mission had began. Independence Day had been a chilly affair in the Arctic with a couple flares serving as impromptu fireworks. Halloween and Thanksgiving had been lost to Baltimore and its aftermath. Christmas and New Year's had been subdued, and Valentine's Day would follow suit for most. But it was nice to know that a few people would see the day as a chance to be thankful for what they had instead of a reminder of what they'd lost.

"Good luck," he told the Lieutenant.

"Thank you, Sir. Permission to be excused?"

"Go ahead." Once the leadership duo was left alone again, Tom settled back in his seat. "Never a dull moment around here, huh?"

Mike shook his head. "No. And I've got to give you one thing," The Captain raised an eyebrow in question. "At least you're not a hypocrite." Tom sipped his beverage, but chose not to dignify that with a response. "Is it serious?" Mike wondered. It was the first time he'd asked a genuine question about his friend's new relationship.

"Yeah."

"You love her?"

"Not that it's really your business, but yeah. And I'm a big boy; I don't need anyone else to understand or approve." Tom glanced over at Mike. "I can respect that you're trying to come from a good place, even if I don't agree with you. But we've all been through enough that we can't turn away happiness when we find it."

"Yeah," Mike softly agreed before picking up his own mug and finishing off its contents. "You gonna give yourself that lecture you just gave Green?"

Tom frowned. "What?"

"Just wondering how long you're going to keep sneaking around like teenagers," his XO replied as he got up to leave. "You're even worse at it than they were."

The following afternoon, the children were happy to put off their schoolwork in favor of making Valentine's Day cards for their families. Jed figured that they deserved the little break, and their parents would be very grateful for the little surprise.

After finishing one card for her father, Ashley moved on to making a second. "Is that for your grandpa?" Katie wondered. She was seated beside her friend, with Sam and Ava across the table from them.

Ashley shook her head. "No. It's for Dr. Rachel."

Katie frowned slightly. "Why? She's not your family."

"She kinda is," Ashley replied.

"She's not your mom," the other girl pointed out. "Don't you miss your mom?" Katie wasn't trying to be mean, but the loss of her own mother was still fresh and stinging. She couldn't imagine anyone else filling that gaping wound in her heart.

Ashley looked down and was silent for a long moment. "I miss her all the time," she finally said. "But I can love Dr. Rachel, too. She cares about us, and I want her to know I care about her. That's what Valentine's Day is about." With that, she picked up her pen again and continued writing. What else needed to be said?

Sam had quietly watched the exchange, but said nothing before he returned to work on his own card for their father.

~ % ~

By the time they had all finished, there was still a bit of time left before dinner. Ava went to give her mother her valentine, but the other three children knew their fathers were busy on the bridge. Therefore, Ashley decided to get permission from her grandfather to go deliver her other card instead. Sam didn't have anything better to do, so he wordlessly tagged along.

Rachel and Bertrise were both in front of the computer, looking at test results, when the siblings entered the lab. "Hey, luvs," Rachel told them. "Are you okay?"

Ashley nodded and stepped forward with her card. "This is for you," she explained.

Rachel took the piece of paper, feeling slightly confused. However, her smile grew as she read it. "Thank you, darling. This is wonderful."

Ashley beamed. "You're welcome. We made cards today in school."

"I see. What did your father think of his?"

"We haven't given them to him yet. He's still working… Are you going to give him something for Valentine's Day, too?"

Rachel hadn't expected that question. "What?"

"He's your valentine, right?" Ashley questioned.

Rachel hoped her cheeks didn't redden noticeably. The gift she'd been planning on for Tom involved time alone together and the words 'carte blanche', but that wasn't something she'd share with his children. "Yes, I guess he is," was all she replied.

"No yucky stuff," Sam reminded her, a small grimace crossing his face.

Rachel offered him a tiny smile. "Sorry, luv." It seemed like the little boy had no problem being her friend, but didn't want to think about anything beyond that. She couldn't blame him, really, but it allowed old fears to push their way back to the foreground. How were they going to make this work?

"We should go to dinner," Ashley realized after seeing what time it was. "Are you coming?"

Rachel shook her head. "I've got more work to do here. Have a good night."

TBC...

A/N: With this chapter, this just became the longest story (by words) that I've ever posted. So to everyone who's been following along and especially those who have left feedback, thank you very much for all of your support!