Surprises

Posted on 01 Mar 2023 @ 5:32pm by Ensign Mimi & Petty Officer 3rd Class John Hollenday
Edited on on 25 Jul 2023 @ 6:11pm

1,752 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: A quiet spot in the Jefferies tubes
Timeline: Md09 1600hr onwards

Down in the Operations Office on deck six Mimi poured over reports; Nothing important, mostly reports about what was still getting fixed after their rushed departure from Regula 1 when the console flashed up a message from Petty Officer Hollenday, it read 'Come to our little spot when you're off duty, I have something to show you.'

Smiling she thought back to when she'd hidden in the jefferies tubes for a nap in the quieter part of the bustling ship, John had come across her and showed her an even quieter even more out of the way section of the tubes, he had implied he'd do something to make the space even nicer for if she ever came back. Whatever it was, it must be ready. 'I will be there' she sent back to him.

Several long uneventful hours later Mimi hit her quarters for a quick shower and a change out of her uniform before heading into the ships network of between deck passages, all the time her mind wondering just what John had in store for her.
She was getting close to the passageway that led to the spot when she stopped, catching the scent of her boyfriend somewhere nearby. "John.." She called out her ears and nose twitching slightly as her senses hunted for him.

"Heya sweetie! Come on. Got your place all set up, come see." John replied.

Smiling to herself Mimi continued down the tube towards the spot, she rounded a corner and saw what he had clearly spent a long time setting up. "Wow." Was all she could say.

"So here I padded the floor, put cushions in along the wall ala something from Earth's middle eastern period." He shrugged. "Since that fit a sort of 1000 nights theme, then the hanging glass lanterns, the silk like curtains which you can even draw closed if you wish and then I put illuminated stars on the ceiling. Thought again sort of the oasis in the desert of the ship kind of thing."

"How did you manage to fit all this in here?" Mimi asked as she took in the sight, even the largest jefferies tube sections were barely big enough stand in and this was probably the largest section on the entire ship.

"I'm in Engineering. I can request a few changes here and there as long as it does not impact significantly the structure. Just a quarter of a meter here, a quarter meter there, and voila a bit more room." He waved his arms up and down and back and forth. "Volume of 3 meters by 3 by 3 is 27 cubic meters. Doing that gave me an extra two and half plus meters of volume. Anyway what do you think?"

"It looks extremely.....cosey." Mimi replied with a broad smile, she stepped onto the padded section of flooring before sitting down against some of the cushions. "You have done amazing."

"Thanks, your little home away from home. Of course I couldn't install a replicator. That would be too obvious, but hey I'll bring you things."

Mimi smiled. "The first thing you can bring me is yourself over here and let me kiss you." She told him.

"Oh I won't turn that one down. I'd do more!" John winked as he swept her into his arms. "But I'm still on duty and there are other places I need to be."

"Oh come on," Mimi said as she kissed John. "surely chief Naime can spare you for a little while?"

John sighed. "Look sweetheart, this spot has taken a little time to keep it off the radar. Something comes up, the chief decides to come looking or try to locate me, I want to keep the place off for a while longer. So..." He spread his hands. "Get some rest and maybe, just maybe I might suddenly get a headache and have to take an early rest. Think there is a small gas leak down a few decks that needs repair."

"Alright," Mimi said slightly disappointed, she shuffled around on the assembled cushions making herself a groove. "Do not leave it too long."

"Be back before you know it and with something to eat as well. Get some rest sweetie." John waved and then headed off.

Mimi watched as John scurried off down the jefferies tube, a nap was usually one of her first plans post shift and this little hidey hole was proving to be exceptionally comfortable.

*** Two hours later ***

John figured the smell from the replicated fish would catch his girlfriend's nose first but he was not about to stumble across a very sleepy cat-like humanoid either. "Hey, sweetheart! Time to wakey wakey!"

Mimi's nose had begun twitching long before John came within sight as she smell of cooked fish wafted through the jefferies tube, her ears quickly joined in from picking up his steps on the deck plating. "Hey you are back." She said with a smile when he eventually passed through the curtain she'd drawn.

"So my little sweet furball did you get some decent rest in the nest?"

"Very good rest," Mimi replied gradually uncoiling herself from some of the assorted pillows and cushions, she stretched out and gave both her ears a quick scritch. "You made this so comfortable."

"Anything for my sweetie. If you didn't know already. I love you. Shit, if I could I would marry you on the spot, but need captain's permission since your an officer and I'm not. Not so sure Captain Ahab Tarin is going to go by anything but regulation."

"You would marry me?" Mimi asked, her still waking up mind only processing part of what John had said.

"Well of course! I mean if you would say yes, but like I said Ahab Tarin would be citing us regulations for a month if not having us in the brig followed by cleaning out the waste tubes afterward."

Mimi practically leapt to her feet covering the distance between her and John in a flash and hugging him tightly purring intensely. "Of course, I'd say yes."

John picked her up and swung her around. "Well then sweetie, next shore leave on a station we just do it. Better to ask forgiveness than get permission" John made a bit of a face. "Unless of course, you want a ship wedding. If so, I will go hat in hand to ask."

"A Starbase could work," Mimi replied purring more as John held her up. "depending on how long we want to wait, if I could get Maria there too that would be so nice, I should call her, she would be so happy for us." She

"You do that. Still sooner or later should let the captain know. She might be upset, but somehow I have the feeling it would be better than springing it on her. Well you have some lunch, I need to go do something else, shouldn't take long."

"Aaawwww you are going to leave me here alone again? After proposing to me?" Mimi asked quite reluctantly putting her feet back down on the deck plating.

"Sorry darling. I ain't an officer, got to actually work for a living. Besides if'n I don't show my nose periodically to chief, she is liable to start looking for me and we want this area to be quite and private." Most of it was a lie, but John had something else in mind.

"Will you come and have dinner with me tonight then?" Mimi asked still slightly unhappy John couldn't stay with her right now.

"Of course. Look honey, I get a break in another fifteen minutes. I'll be back here with bells on my toes. Now you have something to eat and relax." He gave her a kiss and played with her ears for a moment. "Now got to run."

"Alright." Mimi said and gave John another quick kiss before taking the lunch package he'd bought her and sitting down on the cushions.

***

Twenty minutes later John made his way back. "Hey sweetheart!" He called to let her know it was him, though she probably picked up his scent.

Entering into the little nook he smiled as he spotted her. "Sorry guess nap time and relax time is currently over. I'll take care of the plate." He started to clean up but then set everything back down.

"Still have a minute so..." He took her hand. John got down on a knee and produced a small ring. "Had to make this one up and just a temp until I get to a base, but Mimi would you consent to be my bride, wife and mate in life?"

Mimi had heard and smelt him long before he arrived and was already stood up. She had read about how humans proposed marriage so was only somewhat surprised when John got down on one knee and offered her a ring. "Of course I would." She replied grinning widely.

John took her hand and slipped the makeshift ring on. "Well then, you made me the happiest man in the galaxy." He got the thing on. "You know Mrs. Mimi Hollenday has a nice sound to it."

"Nekomi do not take the names of their mates." Mimi said though she smiled at the remark, she looked at the ring as he slipped it onto her finger, it was a simple band but it did the job and fit perfectly. "But I would if you wanted."

John shrugged. "Tell you what. Let's follow both customs then. On Earth you're Mrs. Hollenday and everywhere else you're my wife Mimi."

"That works." Mimi said with a wide grin as she pulled John to his feet and hugged him tightly.

"Good. I wonder how long the next base will be. Got no idea and tell you truth, well... what would you think about a test run at being married right now?"

Mimi cocked her head to the side a little. "What do you mean a 'test run'?"

John didn't respond verbally. Instead he let his hands roam down her tight body enjoying the feel of the fur and her curves. Finally he leaned over and whispered, "I've got nowhere to be for awhile."

"Neither do I." Mimi said purring gently she reached up to kiss John as he explored her body.

John picked her up and then gently lay her down on the pillows sinking down a moment later.

---

Ensign Mimi
Asst chief operations officer
USS Galileo-A

PO3 John Hollenday
Engineering mate
USS Galileo-A
[NPC played by Allyndra]

RSS Feed