Catching Up Friendship.. and more

Posted on Tuesday 15 January 2019 @ 12:43 by Commander Caroline Miller
Edited on on Tuesday 22 January 2019 @ 16:22

Mission: The New Collective
Location: USS Merlin - Docked at Research Station
Timeline: 23950827 - 2230 hours - First day of repairs, Evening, After Counselor/CFCO visit
2532 words - 5.1 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

As through the whole borg situation they had managed to not bump into each other, it seemed fate had decided this would have to be personal. Caroline was nervous, had this been in sickbay there would be others around. Now as she had to come to him directly she felt exposed, confused and well just dam nervous.

Before leaving they seemed to be ..... well their relationship felt like it was evolving and that had scared her. A lot.

He was her best friend of many years and she knew the complexities of friends becoming something more. It didn't always work out. Long distance relationships, her on a ship, him on a research station in deep space .... well they didn't always work out.

Whereas Caroline adored this man, she had been frightened of losing him and the friendship they had completely. And terrified, if she was honest with herself, that she wasn't enough for him. He had always been attracted to exotic and unusual species. Different woman, fast and brief liaison's. And plenty of distractions where he was. And she had been too scared of getting hurt, what if it had all been one sided?

Not taking that risk had backfired. He had never been far from her thoughts, and they hadn't talked. At all ..... since she had left the research station he had been on the last time .... they had been "together". At first that had hurt and then she was too frightened to contact him. He would have moved on. Maybe be angry at her for deciding to do something new.

She had told herself she was being kind. Setting him free. It made the decision to go back to Earth and the academy easier. It sometimes made her believe herself for a brief while. But in reality she had run away. Now fate had them on the same ship. In the same place, at the same time. And never had things in all their years together been so strange.

She rang the chime.

Galeraz was in his lounge wear while going through the records of what happened to Commander Tillatix over the duration of the last eight months since leaving the Starbase after her surgeries. Or rather, he was trying to, as Caroline kept slipping into his mind. He had to remain focused. Sav was here, Caroline was still missing. Okay, Sav had been in cyrostasis for over six months. That meant that her recovery was only just at three months at this time. He took a sip of his bourbon as he tried to cross all the T's.

He had stayed on the Starbase as the Merlin went off on her mission. He was going to check back in with the Merlin and Sav when they came back. However, exactly seven weeks after departure and six weeks to return, the Merlin disappeared, along with all crew on board. And, Caroline.. Caroline had been aboard. Galeraz growled out a Dammit as clenched a fist. How was he supposed to get caught up with Sav and the extra hits her body was taking when he couldn't get Caroline out of his mind. And now, there is a chime at his door.

Galeraz got up and straightened his lounge wear. "Well, at least its a needed distraction, to get my head clear." He went to the door and opened it. And, outside.... there was Caroline? His mind tried to wrap around that she was there, now, right after he had been thinking about her. He managed a "Caroline? Caroline, it's you? Uhh, I mean, wow. Umm, Please, PLEASE come in. It would be an honor."

Caroline wasn't sure she had bee expecting that. "Thank you," she said stepping in.

Galeraz showed her to the table and held her hand to set her down. He now went to the cabinet to get her a drink, stating, "You're usual?"

She couldn't even remember what her usual was anymore. Nearly two years back at the academy and on another commission had changed her drinking habits. "I think just coffee thank you," she smiled. Well it had changed her alcoholic drinking habits. Coffee would always remain a firm love.

Galeraz glanced back at Caroline with a raised eyebrow, then turned back to the counters and quickly french pressed a cup of coffee for her from his private morning stash. He figured she could use an actual good, fresh cup of java right now.

He came back to the table and handed her the drink, then sat down, all the while smiling foolishly like a young lad finally getting to meet up on a first date with a girl he really, really likes. Galeraz saluted her with the drink, then said, "Caroline, you look good, very good. I like your longer hair, and, you're definitely curvier and even more smexy than last time." He put a hand out on hers, and asked, "When did they find you? Are you okay from you're ordeal? Disappearing like that, all crew gone.. I cannot fathom it."

"Thank you," she said softly grimacing a little at his choice of the word "smexy" but then that was Galeraz the flirt all over. "I think ...." she started. "Somethings not right. People seem to think I am back from the dead or I have been missing but I put in for a transfer back to Earth. I have been at the academy Galeraz. Training in a mental health elective, allowing me to become a counselor as well as a doctor."

Galeraz now looked confused. "So, when did this come about? Now, bear with me a minute so you can understand my confusion. First, I remember you shipping off on the Merlin after she left the Starbase last year on May 1st. I received an update report from you on May 27th about how Lieutenant Commander Jones had switched psyches with Lieutenant Tillatix during a new fighter flight test, and that you had found what happened and managed to reverse it, no detrimental effects to either found at the time. Next, on May 31st, you were examining recovered bodies from a duplicate Merlin and that Lt. Cmdr Tillatix was settling into now being CFCO even as you had been promoted yourself and had become Second Officer for the Merlin. That was the last I had heard from you as the Merlin was reported Missing In Action on June 21st. Third, there are these." Galeraz slid over a Padd with autopsy reports signed by Caroline on June 17th, 2394, just four days before the Merlin disappeared. He looked at her and said, "What happened? Was it something You, or maybe Sav, or maybe Melody, did to avert the disaster, but trigger a temporal anomaly else how?"

Caroline opened and closed her mouth a few times in confusion. That was a lot of information suddenly and ... well she didn't know the answer. "I don't know," she said after a moment. "I remember starfleet contacting me about the new program and leaving the Merlin. Melody, shes on a starbase. We have stayed in touch. She has a little girl now. If you look at the paper trial, starfleet have it, the Merlin doesn't. You think we averted a disaster and triggered a temporal anomaly? I just went back to the academy Galeraz," she insisted although now she was worried.

Galeraz was looking at Caroline with an intensity of study. That study now relaxed as he reached over and began stroking over Caroline's right hand with care. He smiled to her, then said, "Yes, you know you went back to the Academy, Starfleet knows it, The Merlin logs do not. The Merlin is still here, under crew, and the floating future/past Merlin is no more. So, yeah, I think the crew's actions averted a disaster." He moved the padd to the side, then took her hand into both of his. He smiled and said in a caring baritone of a voice, "I am glad you're here, and now, with who you are and you're memories. I love who you are and wouldn't change anything, and I am so happy to have you back with me."

Caroline pulled him into a hug.

She wasn't sure what that meant in terms of him telling her he loved who she was. Was that love as a friend or love as something more. Perhaps he was right and something had happened. Perhaps she was in for a ride later if she remembered what had happened if it had happened. Suppressed memories always seemed to work their way out. But for now she felt safe in his arms and relaxed. "I missed you," she said quietly.

Even though the hug surprised Galeraz, he quickly put his arms around her and held her close. He breathed in the scent of her hair, of the smells wafting to his nose from her body as her uniform was compressed into his lounge wear. He hrmmed out in satisfaction at her presence now within his. He had always kept things aloof, kept them best friends, especially as it seemed that was what Caroline wanted. Well, his chasing tail and telling of the interesting bits he found probably 'helped' in that regard. Still, when all was said and done, everything had been a fling, while Caroline had been a constant. It had taken her going missing for him to realize how much she had meant to him, and his life.

He kissed the top of her head, then replied in a deeper baritone voice, "I missed you too, Caroline, really missed you." He squeezed her again within his arms, needing to feel her still there as well as take in another deep breath of her scents. He now said, "It is amazing what a person things of, and realizes, when a person they truly care about goes missing. A perspective is realized as you realize you're less without that person. Caroline, I.. am very glad you're back into my life. I just... umm... may I ask you something that may come as a shock to our friendship?"

Caroline stepped back and looked his in the eyes, "You can ask me anything Galeraz,"

Galeraz made sure to take Caroline's hands into his once more as he now said, "Thank you. Well, here goes. As you know, I have had dalliances with unusual ladies, alien erotics as others call them, in the past, datings, and more. While grand and all, that's all it has been, dalliances. I never met anyone I could feel with, to truly care about. Caroline, it's different with you. I realized and could see, or rather, feel that difference when you disappeared from my life for a while. I truly and deeply care for you. Caroline, I would like to explore that further with you, if that is something you would also like to pursue. So, I need to ask, do you feel anything for me? Is this a life path we can explore between us?"

Caroline kissed him, surprising herself how right and exciting that felt. "I guess your going to have to take me on a proper date," she grinned.

Galeraz's face beamed at the sudden, unexpected kiss, as well as seeing the pleased expression upon her face from that kiss, and her words. He moved a little closer to her as he replied, "Then, indeed, a proper date I will definitely setup for the two of us in the very near future." He leaned in to give a quick kiss of his own, enjoying greatly her body's, and his, response to that first entitlement of getting to know another past beyond friendship. He hrrmed and continued with, "I think I am greatly enjoying this tête-à-tête, Caroline, very much. And, well, before my romantic notions get too far, was there other things you wanted to talk about with me? After all, you came this way.. for which I am so glad for."

Caroline nodded not really wanting to break from their current closeness but it was probably best to get this out in the open now. "Yes, I went ….. looking around at that university Galeraz while I was back at the academy. Where they subjected Sav to those treatments. Its bigger than we think. They buried it. Well tried too but I have someone I want to find who might be persuaded to talk. I know you think its dangerous but help me?" she looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "I still want to bring these people to justice."

Galeraz remembered where they had left off. Most of the surgical team that had operated on Sav at the center was dead from 'accidents', while the telepathic rated counselors had seemed to disappear. Only thing they had found was a cleaned up video of the mesh implantation for medical school uses, a helper whose face was mostly obscurred who seemed to not belong, a couple of possible leads to get a hold of the original unedited video, and a lead for getting ahold of the videos of a couple of the counselor sessions with Tillatix as a couple of them were cleaned up for psych counselor training.

Galeraz beamed at Caroline, "You followed one of our obscure leads and found a still living witness? Caroline, that is outstanding news. Yes, yes, an yes, I definitely want to be there. Does your lead know we will want to record the session for records and just in case?"

"I haven't found her yet but I will," the blond told him. "I spoke to a lot of people and it seems one of the doctors who is now as you say dead, was having an affair with a student on campus. I was told that that affair came to a swift end roughly after they finished up all the procedures. I suspect, pillow talk and all, she may know something and she ended things out of disgust or she was threatened and ran. Her room mate said she seemed scared and hasn't heard from her since. But we will find her," Caroline stated determinedly.

Galeraz's brows knitted as he thought about her information and its implications. "Okay.. okay... as an affair, her testimony is hearsay in courts, and with her having dropped off the map, as it were, she would be considered a non-sequitur, and more than likely alive. However, we have to be careful in our inquiries so as to not put any notice back onto her, or cause any flags to pop up on this now 'old' surgery and cover up from six years back." He leaned forwards and give Caroline's forehead a kiss, then said, "Good find, lovely lady, good find." Leaning back and looking into her eyes, he asked, "So, as we are waiting on ship repairs, and its evening time, are you hungry? Want to take in a vid? Hmm, we could call it a spur of the moment first date, with a Dashing scoundrel trying to seduce a beautiful doctor for nefarious deeds."

Caroline grinned. "Surprise me,"

OFF:

Dr. Galeraz Zephyr
Xeno Doctor
Research Center Guest Room 11732
Visiting Consultant


Counselor Caroline Miller
Chief Counselor
USS Merlin