Time Together

Posted on Saturday 21 May 2022 @ 17:31 by Commander Caroline Miller

Mission: First Contact
Location: USS Merlin cargo area
Timeline: Sometime before Disaster
2146 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Mathias made his way to where Caroline's office was. This was the first time he'd been here, andwas hoping that she wasn't too busy at this moment. He stepped inside and looked around, he wasn't certain if she had a receptionist there as it was near the end of her shift. He was carrying a small box which was twelve inches in length and two inches in width. The box was covered in black velvet. He wasn't dressed in his uniform, he was wearing a button up shirt, dark blue in color with the top button undone, and some nice charcoal grey slacks. He smoothed back his ginger colored hair which was deciding to be a bit unruly. He might have to cut his hair short to keep it tamed.

He decided to poke his head into where she would be at. "Hopefully I am not interrupting anything." giving a smile towards his love.

"Not at all. I was just finishing up some reports. Besides," she smiled, "What a nice interruption. What can I do for you?"

Mathias smiled, as he walked inside, and moving over to where she was seated, then placed a kiss upon her neck right below her ear lobe. "I was wondering if you were free to have dinner with me tonight?" he said softly into her ear before he gave a playful nibble on her ear. "Plus I have something I'd like to give to you." holding out the long black velvet box towards Caroline. His eyes were twinkling and filled with love for her.

When Caroline opens up the box she'd see an amethyst and gold necklace with a flower at the center point, with two pair of earrings, one that is gold, and a simple amethyst stone, and the other pair has small flowers the petals made of amethyst as well, with gold settings.

"Oh Mathias. These are gorgeous. Unbelievable. And my favourite colour," she beamed.

(Image of the necklace.)

https://cdn0.rubylane.com/shops/892945/RA-274.1L.jpg?47

"Sadly I didn't make this one but, it is handcrafted." Mathias explained softly.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she asked curiously.

Mathias tenderly brushed his lips across Caroline's "Love, just the fact that you..." his cheeks turning a dark pink. "That you can stand being around me, makes you deserving every good thing in my power to give to you. And you truly deserve a good life and have love. You have filled my life with joy and a great strength by just being you." he had another box that he wanted to give to Caroline, and he was tempted to give it to her now, but also he wanted to wait. Most people like making certain things be memorable especially this particular step he wished to make. He lightly bit his lower lip, as he wrestled with this conundrum.

"You big romantic," Caroline said softly. "Its you I need to thank for standing by me. I should be giving you gifts."

"You are a gift to me, you've touched my life in more ways than one, dearest. I do have one more gift but I am wrestling with a decision. Do I give the gift to you now, or at dinner?" Mathias reaching to take her hand, and bringing it up to his lips giving a long lingering kiss there. There was a sparkle in his eyes, at the surprise he had for her.

"At dinner. I can shower and put on something nicer than this," Caroline said with a smile. "Even wear these."

Mathias just beamed at what she said, and moving back he rose from the crouched position he was in and then crooked out his arm for Caroline to take. "Then my love, shall we?" walking alongside her as they left the office.

Now Mathias was brimming with elation, he had so many plans on where he wished to do the special dinner for Caroline, then he had hit upon one that could possibly combine three of the ideas. He could scarcely wait to surprise her with it. He was feeling giddy like a teen age boy having the most incredibly beautiful woman on his arm.

Caroline smiled. He was up to something that much was for sure. She was done. Sending her last file and locking up her PADD. "Come on Prince Charming. I'm starving. Well the baby might be. I hope I don't put on loads of weight," she muttered. Now she thought about it her uniform was already feeling snug around the waist. "What do you fancy for dinner?" she asked.

"Well I was about to ask you what you fancied for dinner as well. Me, I plan on having a steak with lobster and potatoes with gravy. With some tea to drink." Mathias still had his plan in mind but it will depend on what Caroline would like to eat. He had a special place ready, for them to eat at.

"I fancy pizza. Carbs. Baby must want carbs," Caroline said. "And I haven't the energy right now to swim or dance them off."

Mathias nodded while he keyed something into his PaDD. "Pizza it is then. And love, you shouldn't worry about the carbs, they normally do get burned off, with the development of the baby from what I have been told." taking a look at his love with a tender smile,

he gets her order for what sort of pizza, adds what she is wanting then placing the order in. "That is taken care of, all that is needed now is for us to change into something that is comfortable and semi dressy. That is if you wish to do so." he leant in for another kiss from his lady's sweet lips.

"I'll see if I can still fit in something," Caroline winked at him.

Later on, once they were changed into something comfortable, Mathias had an arm around Caroline, "Now I have something I wanted to surprise you with." pausing in front of a door to a room he'd prepared. It had been one that was just sitting idle.

When he opened the door and snapped his fingers what became evident was a holographic image of the castle they had gone to on their rather important date. In the centre of this display, was a table with dinner waiting for them. There was also non alcoholic sparkling 'wine' also chilling in a bucket filled with ice. In the background was gentle music playing.

Caroline walked in in wonder. What was he up too? "You even got the river perfect."

Mathias beamed, she seemed to like it very much. "Thank you, I well.. This setting was when both of our lives changed, well my life and hopefully yours did to." his cheeks colouring just a bit. He walked over and pulled out a chair for her to have a seat. Then once she was seated comfortably he took his own seat. He could feel his heart pounding and thought maybe she'd probably hear it as well. "I have a couple of surprises in addition to this one." he remarked.

"Really what have I done to deserve all this?" Caroline asked. The smell of the pizza was causing hers and the babies stomach to growl.

Mathias chuckled gently, rising up to walk over and placing a gentle kiss upon her brow. "Oh Caroline, queen of my heart, you most certainly deserve this. I will try not to wax too poetic on this, but you do deserve this. You have blessed my life and for that I am truly grateful. And, hopefully it isn't too much but you are very worth all of this. Your gentle nature, your beauty. Just a simple smile, seeing just the simple turn of your head, sends my heart bounding with joy." he paused, taking a slight breath, then continued. "to put it pure plain and simple, I love you. And just the fact that you are willing to be with me it just, fills me with great joy and I just wanted to celebrate you, and me." Mathias walking back to his chair, then paused once more, to pour into the two glasses, the sparkling non alcoholic wine. "here you go Caroline, please enjoy." Serving up for her a piece of pizza, then one for himself.

"Thank you," Caroline smiled. "This is lovely. You are wonderful. And," she toasted the non alcoholic wine to him, "You really do think of everything."

A few moments of silence while they ate their slice of pizza, Mathias just gazing at Caroline, taking in every feature of her once again, finally though, he decided it was time. He could scarcely contain himself anymore. He rose from his seat, and walked to her, and knelt at her feet looking up into her eyes. "I had hoped that this day would come, I have dreamed about this, desired you, to hold and embrace you." he could feel that the words that he had prepared scattering to the winds, and he swallowed hard, then tried again. "I have an important question to ask you." his hand fumbling at the pocket where the ring was residing in. His face turned slightly red as he struggled for a moment then the black velvet box was in his hand. He opened the box and held it up for Caroline to see the ring which matched the rest of the jewellery he had "My lovely beautiful love. Would you do me the greatest of honors and become my wife?"

"Are you sure? I mean yes. A thousand times yes but your not just rushing things as this one is on the way right? You don't have to make a honest woman of me before he's here," she told him truthfully.

"Yes, I am certain and no, it isn't because you are with child." Mathias pulling the ring from the box to place it on Caroline's finger. "Caroline, I fell in love with you when we first met. You were my dream woman and still are my dream woman. That first magical moment in the arboretum when we met." reaching out and tenderly caressed her cheek. " I could feel a connection there." he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Then lets get married. My grandmother oh I would so love her to be there," she said her eyes sparkling. "She's never been out of Earth. I wonder if she would come."

"Huzzah! She said yes!" he shouted out in glee, then blushed. "I would love to see her again. Oh I do have one more surprise for you." a boyish twinkle in his eyes. "I hope you don't mind this last surprise." he clicked a device and the holo version of the castle disappeared. And what it covered was now revealed. "I wanted you to have your own little secret garden. Something that you can design and call it your own." There were grow boxes and other items, needed to set up a garden along with grow lights as well.

"I love it. I started to work on something similar when I was CMO. I had this crazy idea of using home remedies for medicine as well as the usual federation remedies. I'm not sure Anya would agree with me, but the most important seed right now," she put her hand on her stomach. "Your daughter." She smiled at him.

Mathias beamed, "Our daughter." he wiped away a tear which trickled down his cheek. He wrapped his arms around Caroline, " I think that is a marvelous idea, home remedies combined with the federation remedies. It makes for a good balance." then he kissed Caroline gently, and leaned his forehead against hers. "Love, you have made me feel like I have literally found paradise. "

Caroline chuckled. "Until the sleepless nights, and nappies. Enjoy it while it lasts darling."

"Sweetheart, that will be to me, just another day in paradise. A baby's laugh, or a baby's cry would be magic to my ears. And just having a wee one, that will one day call you Mum, and me Da." He gives out a soft sigh, "That will be music to my ears. I know it will be challenging but... I look forward to it. You and I and our baby, a family." He glanced over towards where the leftover pizza was, "Care to take this back to our place, our home and we cuddle together? Or I can massage your feet. I hope you know I plan on spoiling you as long as you can stand it." giving her one more kiss.

“Let’s take it back,” she smiled. “Our home.”

OFF:

●●● Commander Caroline Miller
Chief Counselor
USS Merlin


○●● Lieutenant Commander Mathias McPhee
Executive Officer
USS Merlin