Good morning

Posted on 14 Feb 2015 @ 1:58am by Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy & Command Master Chief Markum Quinn

2,604 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: Quinn's Quarters
Timeline: MD45 0600hours

[ON]

Quinn woke from his sound sleep. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't dreaming of the war. It was a dreamless sleep, but it was the most refreashed he had felt in what seemed like forever. A he rolled over and satup he saw Dru. She was beautiful, even at first waking. "Good morning, beautiful. Did I snore? I hope not. How ya feeling?" He asked while rubbing his eyes.

Dru looked with a smile before looking back down at the PADD in her hands, riveted to the information it contained. "No. You didn't make a sound. Hey...." Looking up finally, she held up the PADD that Markum had earlier disguarded, "Did you write this? A lot of this goes over my head and I guess if I ever saw a...a...quantum warp drive I wouldn't see the difference but the way you've written this thesis makes for easy following....Even to me who's likely to blow up a replicator if I tried to programme it."

Dru looked up again at the man with a genuine smile on her lips, "You should be proud of this Markum."

Quinn stood up and gave a long stretch, allowing some if this arthritic places a chance to snap, crackle, and pop. "Thanks." He replied sincerely as he walked over towards the counter of the small kitchenette. He stopped long enough to kiss the forehead of Dru, before continuing on to make fresh coffee. As he started pulling out the beans to be crushed he looked over his shoulder. "My father always said the best way to explain anything related to engineering or mechanics, was to do so in the simplest of terms, so that even the scholars can follow. There is no reason to use big words when talking about a subject you're competent in. Big words are made for small minded people that feel a need to impress."

He finished grinding the beans and turned back aroun to add water to the coffee maker and turn activated it, allowing him to turn back around and sit next to Dru. "I made enough for both of us. That synthesized crap will kill you." He reached for her hand and squeezed it while trying I look into her blue eyes. "Are you okay? Tell me what you need, Dru, anything, and I'll get it. I'm here for you in whatever capacity you'll have me, or need me in. You're still welcomed to stay here too, I have a whole extra bedroom that is just a playroom. I can move the toys out and you can move in there. Tyra probably would like to have another female around to help her rule the roost."

Dru's eyes had been watching Markum as he went about his routine and was a little startled at how easy it all felt. As she watched his hands making quick work of the coffee she could see how much he must have missed engineering. The thesis alone seemed to echo a wistfulness he didn't give voice to a lot.

What she hadn't been prepared for was a second voicing of his offer. It did cause her to smile though as she looked down at their entwined hands. She'd felt him take hers but she didn't remember commanding her fingers to intertwine with his...it had almost been instinctive. "And how do you think Tyra would react to being kicked out of her personal space?"

Quinn grinned and shook his head. "Nah, though she may charge you rent. Don't worry though, I'm sure it will be less than she charges me."

As Dru moved her hand away and stood to her feet, she moved across the the row of photographs as she picked up one of Markus and both his children; matching grins across their faces. Tracing her fingers lightly across the surface, the counsellor kept her back to Markus as a note of sadness and fear entered her voice, "And how would she react if there was another baby? What I didn't tell you last night was I'm pregnant...well I think I am...I ran out of sickbay seconds after the Doctor told me so it's possible she realised she'd made a mistake after....she's been trying to make contact with me since but so far I've managed to avoid her."

Quinn stood and walked behind Dru and wrapped his arms around her, then rested his chin upon her shoulder and held her close. "Parenthood is hard, stressful, and so rewarding and wonderful. You'll be great at it. If you're thinking I'm going to turn tail and run, well, you know damn well I won't. I told you that I would be here for you. I meant it, Dru. You don't have to be alone any longer. If not as your lover, then I will stand by you as your friend....but there's no rush to label anything. First, we make sure momma and baby are healthy, and we do that by going back to Allyndra. But after breakfast. "

Dru went to pull away but tiredness had her lean back into Quinn. She was tired of running...tired of the memories and ramifications ruling her life. Shaking her head lightly, she placed the picture back on it's ledge before moving her hands to cover his. "You just won't give up will you? I know it's not in your nature to push but I get the feeling you won't rest until I'm living with you. I don't know what I want....I don't know if I want you, this baby that I didn't choose to conceive...I don't know. All I know is you've made me feel safer than I have in weeks and I want to hold onto that....Does that make me selfish?"

"No. It makes you human." he whispered. "Dru, before anything, you are my friend. I want you to be happy, and feel safe. If you want to stay, you're more than welcomed. If you don't, then I can keep running around my quarters in the nude. Tyra is too young to care, or judge." he added with a smile. "Whatever you want to do with the baby, I will back you, one hundred percent. Why? Because you are my friend. Yes, I'm attracted to you an have been since we first met, but I want you to know, all my offerings are not to get into your pants. It's to remind you have someone that will stand by you, no matter how hard or scary or terrific it becomes. I won't judge you. I can't, I have no clue what you are feeling or have felt. I also can't judge you because I do care about you. You are special to me and if you have the baby, the child will be special to me too. I am here for you. I won't leave you. You aren't alone anymore. You're back home, no one will ever harm you again, and if they try, I will be damned sure to be there to stop them."

Turning around in Quinn's arms, Dru leaned up to very gently kiss him softly on the lips before resting her head in under his chin. "Talk to ops or command or whomever you need to to get clearance for me to move in. You can still walk around in just jeans or bottoms, I don't mind but let's try move this slowly. I know how precious life is and to grab every oppertunity you can with both hands but time can be our ally if we let it be....I learned that much after my head injury and having to learn from scratch to walk and talk again."

Quinn held her tight in his arms, and kissed the top of her head. "You got it. It'll be done by noon, and we can go as slow as we want. I'm in no hurry."

Closing her eyes, Dru finally took a big breath as she realised the big step that she'd made. In the three weeks since her return to the USS Galileo so much had happened and though this all felt so fast and so soon, Quinn was steady enough to make the ride as comfortable as she needed. "Sleeping arrangements...." She paused as she thought that one over, "I guess there's no point in getting off on the wrong foot with Trya by ejecting her from her playroom. If I feel sharing with you gets to be too much, the sofa is pretty comfortable the odd night. I'm on alpha shift so I guess a lot of the time we spend away will be at the same time." Wincing as she remembered the marks she'd made, the young woman moved a hand, pulling away slightly to brush her fingertips over the barely there marks, "I'm sorry about that....I'm not usually that over zelious when I'm with somebody."

Markum grinned and blushed a bit. "It's okay, really. I didn't mind. I'd like to try that again sometime, but maybe slower. The first time should be something that we take our time with, and enjoy every moment, not rush through it." Markum brought a hand up to her cheek and gave her a soft kiss. "No worries, okay? When you're ready, when we're ready."

"Damn it Quinn..." Dru laughed a little as she brushed away the tears that were set back off once again. Leaning her cheek in against his hand, she just enjoyed the warming sensation as she watch his own eyes and the warmth that they held. "Why do you have to be so damn nice? I hope you don't treat all women this way."

"No, I'm usually much meaner." He replied back, "you just happen to catch me on my one nice day, this month."

Moving her hand down to his, she squeezed it lightly before hesitating slightly. "I'll go find the Doctor...Tuula. I think I prefer to deal with her as she's just your normal average Doctor...even if she asks a lot of questions. I don't mind if you come too but..." Chewing her lip, the counsellor looked around the room for a moment. "How about we just lie down for abit? Just me and you....I don't want to loose this comfort just yet before having to face up to everything....I can borrow a t-shirt or something? Your tall enough that I'd easily get lost in one of yours." Dru laughed lightly at her last words as she brushed away more tears. She couldn't believe how forward she was being after previously pushing him back. Baby steps...all they needed was baby steps.

Smiling, he took Dru's hand and led her into his bedroom. He let go of her hand and moved to his dresser and opened the top drawer and removed a white T-Shirt. He then handed it to Dru. "Here, take it." looking into her eyes he kissed her on her cheek. "The bed is more comfortable. You won't mind if I take these jeans off to sleep do you? I do have my boxers on underneath. If you're uncomfortable with that, I can certainly keep them on."

Laughing Dru shook her head as she held the tshirt close. "I'm not prudish. Hell I've been sexually involved with people before...seen a lot...." A brief cloud moved across Dru's eyes as she held the tshirt tighter. Shaking her head, she attempted to shake it away. "I'll just...." Turning she ran for the bathroom where she could splash water on her face before she screwed this up altogether.

In the privacy, she looked at her image in the mirror before swearing lightly under her breath. "Christ Dru....What are you doing...." She couldn't get rid of the feelings brewing under the surface, the echoing thought in the back of her head, slow the hell down!!!.

Splashing more water on her face, the counsellor looked back up at the reflection staring back at her. The deep circles under her eyes; the drawn look across her features....She just felt this ever lasting tiredness. She recognised that it may be part pregnancy but also part of the weight she carried around.

She didn't know if it had been the right thing to ask of Quinn...taking a step despite restrictions but there her selfishness came through again. She wanted him to hold her again as he had when she woke. The feeling in his arms was that everything would be ok. She ached for that feeling time and time again.

Moving away to strip her body from the remaining layers of her uniform, Dru pulled the tshirt over her head, momentarily overwhelmed by Quinn's scent. Closing her eyes, she inhaled it in with a smile before pulling the pins from her hair to shake it loose, splashing her face just one more time...they always claimed that the third time was the lucky charm.

While Dru was in the bathroom, Markum removed his jeans and moved into the bed, covering himself up to his waist.

"I know I ask a lot..." Moving back into the bedroom, she moved up to sit beside Quinn in the bed as she looked at him. "...It means alot that your willing to give me time..." Leaning in, she kissed him ever so lightly on the lips before letting out the breath she'd been holding, allowing herself a small smile. "Your an amazing person Markum."

Quinn smiled and brushed a few loose strands of hair from Dru's face, "I want you to be comfortable and not feel rushed to do something you aren't ready to do." He placed his forehead against hers and looked into her blue eyes. "I'm in no hurry. C'mon, get in here so I can hold you." Markum moved back the covers next to him to reveal a empty space. "There is plenty of room."

Laying her head on the pillow beside him, Dru's eyes flickered as the soft matress and Markum's warm body both lulled the woman softly towards sleep. "Tell me more about Tyra...."

Quinn carefull placed his arm around Dru, yet was cautious not to pull her too close to him. While part of him ached for her, he knew better than to try something. He respected her too much. "She's a perfect angel, just like her father."

Smiling at this description, Dru struggled against the weight of exhaustion as her hand moved to trace the features of Markum's face with her fingertips. "I'm royally screwed then if that's the case....You'll both have me wrapped around your fingers in this place...."

Markum shrugged his shoulders slightly, then leaned in to deliver a softly placed kiss. "That's funny you say it like that, since that's how I feel too." Her skin against his felt so good, and the old T-shirt she wore was a site that Quinn couldn't get over. He had never wanted anyone more, but he also never respected anyone, like he did for Dru.

Smiling sleepingly against his lips, Dru snuggled in closer as she rested her head under his chin, the drowsy feeling overcoming her as she struggled to keep her eyes open. "Markum...." She managed just the one word before sleep washed over her and dragged her under. Her breathing slowing as she fell into a dreamless sleep, safe in his arms.

Markum kissed her forehead and yawned. "I'm here." Was all he said before he fell asleep, holding her in his arms.

[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy
Assistant Chief Counsellor
USS Galileo

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