Even our favorite captain can get a little overwhelmed during the holidays, eh? A bit of fluff for Christmas …
ooo
Kathryn snapped upright with a cry, ready to fight off her attacker. But the drone shimmered away, revealing the familiar walls and furniture of her quarters. She sagged back against the window, ignoring the chill.
"Kate? What's the matter?" Tom's sleepy voice murmured next to her. She felt him shift, and then he called for the lights.
"Bad dream?" he asked as he pulled himself up and gently laid a hand on her shoulder.
She managed to nod, but her heart was still pounding, and it was hard to breathe. Tom was becoming concerned. Kate was no stranger to nightmares — neither was he. But this was more intense than usual.
She finally opened her eyes. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake you. I had a nightmare that we didn't make it through the conduit … that the ship exploded. Then damned if I didn't dream it again. This time, it was the Borg."
"We made it, you know," he soothed. "We're safe."
She looked over her shoulder to catch sight of the familiar blue orb. "It seemed so real. Please tell me this is real," she said, pointing toward the window.
He just smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Well, you feel pretty real to me, and that sure looks a lot like Earth." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You did it, Kate. You got us home — just in time for Christmas."
"Oh, God, Christmas," she groaned as she sat up and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's been so frantic that I forgot about it." She patted his arm. "Sorry, honey, Your present will be a bit late."
She leaned back and groaned again. "And not just you. Now, there's Mom and Phebes, and her husband, whom I really don't know. And what do I get for a 3-year-old I've only said hello to?"
He watched her closely. The shadows were still there, a permanent fixture behind her gray eyes. Some of it was familiar: the fears and guilt she'd carried for the past seven years. But now, he saw a new layer of worry: There were more battles to come, even if they were back in friendly space. This rant, he suspected, was just a diversion.
"Come here," he said, pulling her down, then rolling on top of her so that she had to look him in the eye.
"I officially absolve you from having to buy gifts," he said as he planted a kiss on her forehead.
She narrowed her eyes at him, and he laughed. "Isn't there a box of gifts in the closet for your mom and sister? Things you've picked up on one planet or another?"
She finally relaxed and managed a chuckle. "All right. Point taken. Might even have something for you in there."
"Thank you," he said, this time kissing the tip of her nose. "But honestly, there's nothing you can put ribbons on that will top this," he said, nodding up at the Earth shining above them. "You've already delivered the best present of all."