Mariner stood alone on the bridge of the Cerritos. Even the view from the window didn't provide any friends, devoid as it was of any stars, planets, or other ships. It contrasted sharply with the bright light on the bridge, panels flashing away even with no one attending to them. The cool air made the hair on her forearms prickle.

"Hello?" She called out to no one in particular. No answer came.

She left the bridge to uneasily stalk through the corridors of the ship. They were in the same condition as the bridge - everything looked just right, if a little harsh in the stark lighting, but there were no people. No chatter, no footsteps, no orders being shouted. It was eerie. Mariner didn't like it one bit. She gripped her arms across her chest as she walked.

Her nerves were faltering as she continued through the silence. Were the rest of the crew hurt? Kidnapped? Why wasn't she with them? Why had they just vanished without saying anything? She could feel her breathing become tighter as she fought down those thoughts. Each step echoed so loudly with nothing else to listen to but the beat of her heart.

The next pair of doors to gently whoosh open led into the bar, which - thank Starfleet - was not empty.

"Mum! Mum!" Mariner shouted, running towards Captain Freeman who was sat down at the bar, drink in hand. "Mum, what the fuck is going on? Where is everyone?"

"Beckett dear, you don't remember?" Her mum looked up at her with confusion.

"Don't remember what?"

"They're gone sweetie. I'll leave just as soon as I've finished my drink. You get to stay here, remember?"

"What?" She whispered. Mariner's blood felt like ice running through her veins. The crew had left her behind. They didn't even say goodbye.

"Well, it really was time you stopped living in my basement. It will be nice to have a ship all to yourself! You can do what you want!" Freeman downed her drink. "Goodbye, Beckett."

Mariner grabbed her mum's arm tightly. "Mum, no! You can't go! Don't leave me here!"

Damn that old woman was strong. She easily pulled herself out of Mariner's grip and disappeared into the corridor. As quickly as Mariner dashed to follow she still couldn't see where she'd gone when she finally made it to the door. She was trembling now, breathing laboured with the first signs of panic. Screaming as loud as she could, she pressed her face into the cool wall in a desperate attempt to calm herself down. Still no one came.

Her friends. Her friends wouldn't have left her behind without a word! Mariner pushed off from the wall and sprinted through the maze of corridors, barely managing to avoid tripping over her own feet as she took the quickest route possible through to where the four friends shared bunks. It felt like it took forever, but she finally made it to the final corner, panting and sweaty.

She felt her heart jump as she turned into the corridor. No sign of Tendi or Rutherford, but Boimler was there. She hurried over to him as fast as her legs would carry her, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him round to face her. "Boimler! What the shit is happening? Where the hell are Tendi and Rutherford?"

His face didn't change from a neutral expression at being grabbed by his trembling, exhausted friend. "They left already, Mariner. I should be going too."

Mariner felt tears prick in the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away angrily. She shook his shoulders. "What the fuck do you mean you're going?"

"Back to the Titan. Riker sorted things out of me."

No.

"But…But…you came back! You said you would stay! You can't leave again!" Mariner could only feel her finger digging into Boimler's shoulders as the tremble in her body got worse. This couldn't be happening.

"I'm going, Mariner. There's nothing you can do about it. Besides, why would I stay? You're just an ensign. I need people around me who are ready for who I want to be, a captain. I can find other people like you anywhere." He put two hands into her chest and shoved her backwards, forcing her to let go, then spun on his heel and walked away. Mariner fell to her knees, clutching herself tightly in her own arms, when the first sob escaped. Then she screamed through the tears, again and again, as loud as she could, trying to drown out the sound of her heart breaking.

Come back! Don't leave me! COME BACK!

"Mariner? Mariner, are you okay? Shall I call someone?"

Mariner jerked awake, real tears still in place from imagined horrors. Her heart was beating so fast she could have sworn she had been sprinting for real, and her blanket was soaked with sweat. She felt so disorientated, although this time surrounded with darkness instead of light, her throat raw and gasping for breath.

She felt a hand tentatively being placed onto her arm and swung her head towards the source. Boimler stood in the still dark corridor, a concerned look on his face and dishevelled by sleep. The expression changed to pain as she grabbed him and pulled him in close to her to check he wasn't a hologram. Plus he couldn't see her cry if she pushed his head over her shoulder.

He hadn't left her. He'd just been asleep nearby as normal. Everything was okay. He was still here: she could feel his breath on the back of her neck and the solidness of his body. Not a hologram either then. She pinched him for good measure, which resulted in a yelp. Good, not still a dream then. She held on still for good measure though…just in case.

"Uh, Mariner? Could you loosen up your grip a little? You're kinda dragging me off my feet here."

She tightened her grip and leaned back towards her bunk instead. To his credit, he managed to get some traction with his feet and scrabble up to her without the real use of his arms. This meant that Mariner could lay fully back again and pull him down on top of her. This felt better. It also meant she could easily wipe her eyes and nose on his shirt - hopefully he hadn't noticed.

"Are you…using me as a weighted blanket?"

Huh. She guessed she was. It was comforting to have someone pressed against her - she was actually a big one for touch, just most of it was normally of a more violent persuasion.

"Yes."

"Okay."

Boimler was silent for a few minutes, shuffling only slightly to get a bit more comfortable, although it still felt a little like he was tense against her. Mariner just lay on her back, listening to the sound of his breath in her ear.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

Silence.

"Have you…thought about what you'd do if you got offered another promotion?" Mariner said quietly.

Boilmer waited a few seconds before responding. "If it was on a different ship…I don't think I would want it anymore. The Titan was certainly an experience, but the Cerritos is my home. I want to get promoted, yes, but here. Besides-" he squeezed her, "-you, and Tendi, and Rutherford are here."

"But you left us before." The tears threatened to return.

"I did, and I regret it so, so much. Do you know why I left without saying goodbye? Because if I had to say those words to any of you, I wouldn't have been able to do it."

He really did sound sincere, a soft note in his voice.

"Guess I can't let you out of my sight then."

He laughed. "Don't worry, if I get promoted again, I'm taking you with me, Number One."

"Hey!" She loosened her grip a little so she could tip him over towards the back of the bunk, both of them now laying on their sides facing inwards towards each other. "I believe the deal we made at the bar was that you would be my Number One. Captain signed off on it and everything."

"Either way: Kirk and Spock, best team forever." He smiled back at her. She really did feel much better now. The nightmare had drifted away into the little part of her mind where she kept all the rest of the trauma. She breathed in and out. Kirk and Spock forever.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Content again, Mariner laid her head down properly, got cozy, and closed her eyes.

"Er, Mariner? Mariner, I can't quite get…Mariner, can you just let me squeeze…uhhh…" She let him continue chattering to her as she put one arm around his shoulder and pulled him down. She could let herself have this tonight. He was her best friend after all, and it was only Tendi and Rutherford that would see this in the morning, and they would get it. She could always stab them a little until they did anyway.

This time, Mariner fell easily into a comfortable, dreamless sleep.

Boimler did not. He had already been awoken by Mariner whimpering in her sleep (not that he would ever mention that to her), and when he'd got up to check on her, she had immediately kidnapped him four feet upwards. He figured whatever had happened in her dream had really shaken her, as most of her normal touch did involve putting him in headlocks or the like, yes, but not then pulling him down on top of her and holding him there. Damn, she was strong.

Mariner was now totally knocked out, limbs splaying out onto him as he pushed his back as far as he could into the wall. These bunks really didn't have enough space for two people, for obvious reasons. And those obvious reasons were why he was very glad it was only their friends across the corridor who would see this, as it looked anything but professional. Sure, he was just comforting his friend who needed him, his friend who he would gladly do anything for, his friend who had such soft hair and warm breath…he shook those last thoughts right out of his head. He was just here to…hold her all night apparently. Yeah, just best friend stuff. It's definitely normal to have your best friend sleeping with one leg over your hip, head curled into your chest, snoozing adorably like she wasn't just recharging her capacity for violence.

He was startled from his contemplation Mariner's face and where he should put his relative to it by a glint from across the hall. Tendi's eyes gleamed back at him, just about allowing the pair to maintain a line of sight over the top of Mariner's head. She widened her eyes as a silent message and waved her PADD at him. He picked up the hand that was currently laying around the top of Mariner's head and waved it back at her in the best impression of a shrug he could manage from this position.

Tendi clearly was desperate to chat as she hopped out of her bed, handed Boimler's PADD to him, then jumped back into her bunk and started happily tapping away.

Tendi: is mariner okay? why are you in bed with her?
Tendi: omg have you two got together?
Tendi: 3 3 3

Boimler: She seemed to have a really bad nightmare, and when I got up to check on her, she pulled me up here. Now I am stuck.

Tendi: awww
Tendi: this is so cute I wish I could get a picture

Boimler: If she didn't kill you for that I would. This is NOT a professional look.
Boimler: I can no longer feel my right arm. She's laying on it and I don't have the heart to move her. Also I'm scared of what would happen if I woke her up.

Tendi: hahahah
Tendi: it is worrying the nightmare was bad enough to wake her up, then you, and then me.
Tendi: should we get t'ana or migleemo to check her out?

Boimler: I don't think that's a good idea. She barely wanted to talk to me about it and she was trying to use me as a blanket earlier.

Tendi: hummm
Tendi: goodnight you cuties =^.^=

Boimler lobbed the PADD at Tendi, hitting the bed just beside her. Not bad with one poorly positioned hand. He then settled in to sleep opposite - against - Mariner. A traitorous thought appeared unbidden as he shifted her weight to be comfortable against him. What would it be like if she did want him here just because? Then he could brush her hair off her face and gently kiss her, before wrapping her in his arms and settling down to sleep.

He decided it probably wasn't best to think more on that while curled up in her bunk six feet from two of their other friends. Sleep eventually came to the sounds of gentle breathing into his chest.

Captain Freeman was having a relatively good morning. Shift change had gone smoothly, no red alerts, and they were due to just sit in warp for the next couple of hours. It was for these reasons that having been informed by Dr T'Ana that Beckett had had some serious issues sleeping (via Ensign Tendi) that she had instructed T'Ana to inform Tendi that she and her hallmates were to sneak away as best they could and leave Beckett to sleep. The Captain would check on her herself.

As she strode into the now near deserted halls where her daughter slept, she considered the unexpected scene before her. She knew Ensign Boimler had also been allowed off duty this morning. T'Ana hadn't given a reason for it, but she certainly hadn't expected it to be because he was curled up in bed with her daughter.

She supposed it did make sense really. One of the Ensigns was rarely without the other for long, and Beckett was always hanging off him in some way, especially when she had been drinking. Ensign Boimler was a nice young man anyhow, when he could manage to hold himself together in front of her. It was clear he cared for Beckett, as evidenced here.

The two of them were still asleep. They were facing each other, Beckett curled up into Boimler's chest while he tucked her head under his chin. The blankets had been kicked to the bottom of the bed but they seemed comfortable anyway. It seemed a shame to wake them.

Nevertheless, she reached out to shake Beckett's shoulder. "Beckett, Beckett, wake up. Dr T'Ana told me you were in some distress last night so I came to ch-"

While she had been speaking Beckett had rolled over, opened her eyes, completed her double take, and sat up in indignation. "MUM. Why are you in my…err…hallway? I thought we were over this when I was a teenager!"

This was overlaid by the sound of the other Ensign catapulting upwards like he'd been electrocuted, smacking his head on the ceiling, and managing to gasp out a weak "Captain!" before anxiously sitting up behind Beckett.

"All these hallways are my hallways. This is my ship."

Beckett scoffed at her.

Undeterred, Freeman continued. "I heard you had a bad time last night and didn't sleep well, so I wanted to check on it myself. I know how bad your nightmares were when you were younger-"

"Mum!"

"-and it seemed like you needed a little extra rest. Do you want to talk about it? I could arrange for a nice program we could run on the holodeck."

"God, why do people keep asking me if I want to talk about it?" Beckett put her face into the pillow. "Go away Mum, I'll be down for duty soon. I'm fine!"

She raised her head again. "Wait, how did you even know about that? Boimler, did you-?"

Boimler squeaked and raised his hands in surrender. His face was matching the colour he normally wore for his uniform. Beckett's eyes narrowed. "Dr T'Ana…I'm going to kill Tendi."

"Then I will resurrect and promote her. Besides," Freeman continued, "you should go to sickbay anyway and make sure you're up to date on your birth control."

She gave the pair of them a pointed stare.

"What the fuck! It's not- we didn't- don't you walk away on that!" Beckett spluttered to get her words out. Freeman thought Boimler might dissolve into a puddle in the bunk behind her. She allowed herself a smug smile as she walked away. Teasing her daughter could always brighten any day.