Judgement – I Believe I Can Fly!
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
On:
Earlier that day, Chelsea had looked at her engagement ring and her heart had melted yet again, the same as it did everytime she remembered Rick's proposal. He was so romantic and she loved him so much. She just wanted to find a scenario in which she could return the gesture but even though she racked her brains she couldn't think of a situation that would make him feel as special.
She knew he loved flying but he was the CAG and he flew a Valkyrie as his job, how could she make up a situation or even a simulation that wouldn't just be a busman's holiday to him. How could she impress the most impressive man in the universe?
Many thoughts and much computer searching later, Chelsea's thoughts were still with flight. She thought of eagles but could not imagine how to use the concept.
Or could she? She searched literature and came up with a high eerie on the side of a mountain. Recreated in the holodeck, it was too small for them to climb into so she instructed the computer to make it bigger.
~It looks more fit for a dragon than even a large eagle~ she thought to herself. ~oooh, waaaaaaaaaaaaait~
The lonely mountain rose sharply to the heavens from its nest of small green hills that nestled around its edge. A waterfall cascaded down from one of its higher peaks, its origins lost in watery mist. This water soon settled on its journey to meander gently through the green hills. Solid and grey it had stood the test of time from the worlds creation, looking foreboding to those that looked upon it, yet challenging them to climb its steep grey rocked covered face.
Chelsea had changed the specs very slightly so that the enormous eyrie vanished and was replaced by a cave mouth at the upper side of the peak, just below where the top vanished into the clouds. A small but sturdy ledge opened out just at the cave mouth and the drop from its lip was startling, sheer and stunning all at once.
The back of the deep, dry cave opened to the outer door of the holosuite so that later that evening, after an incredibly long and difficult day, when Chelsea brought Rick to the suite, she set the program running and invited him in.
They found themselves inside the cave. Chelsea had first thought about asking Rick him to allow himself to be blindfolded so that she could show him the incredible view as a surprise, or at least to close his eyes and let her lead him forward, but after the day they had just endured, she was concerned that he might find that overkill.
She had settled just to lead him through the cave to the edge, holding his hand and waiting until they stood on the ledge together before explaining why she had brought him here.
As Rick stood on the precipice of the cave ledge, one hand holding Chelsea, the other flat on the cave wall for support, he looked out into the blue sky. He saw white clouds, drifting freely in the wind, their destination unknown to them as their free spirit carried them lightly away. Birds soared on the thermals that carried them through the air, each had wings fully expanded, and glided with a occasional beating of feathers. Then Rick looked down, down the mountainside the the earth below, it unrelenting depth bringing to bear just how high they where atop this formidable peak.
"Do you trust me, Rick?" Chelsea asked, an odd tone in her voice. An unusual tone that was almost a challenge.
"Always" said Rick without hesitation.
"I'd like you to come with me." she said, kissing his cheek lightly and stepping towards the edge, one foot over the lip, still holding his hand.
"Are the holo safeties still on?" Rick mumbled to himself as he watched his wife-to-be step into the chasm below
Smiling serenly, Chelsea stepped off the sheer ledge and fell, tightly holding onto Rick's hand, spreading out her arms and legs as they fell. Suddenly a thermal wind spiraled up towards them and cushioned their increasing velocity so that the air stopped whipping at their faces and began to caress their skin instead.
The first rush of adrenaline as they fell was replaced by a warmer, more comfortable feeling of wafting on the breeze now.
Suddenly, as if from nowhere, there was the beating of great, powerful wings behind them. Two huge, magnificent dragons appeared and manoeuvred gracefully beneath them, gently catching them on their necks and allowing them to slide softly onto their backs.
They were beautiful creatures, strong, agile and regal. One was a luminscent jade and sea-green, depending on how the light caught his scales and the other was a deep gold with hints of red as she turned and glided, her passenger feeling as safe on the back of her neck as if she were in an armchair.
The green male dragon's scales glittered under iridescent light, each sparkling and twinkling in individual complexity as the rays of the sun hit them. Its gigantic wings beat ponderously in the air, and spread forth as they then glided through the heat thermals in the air. Rick hung on to its neck for dear life.
Chelsea looked back and wondered if she's made a mistake with this gift as Rick didn't look like he was enjoying it at all. Indicating with a tap on the gold dragon's neck that she wanted to cut the flight short and in obedient response the pair dropped softly to the sandy shore of an azure river below them. Gently and incredibly lightly for their size and power, the two dragons alighted without even bumping their passengers, each lowering a wing to allow them to slide gently to the sand.
Rick slid down the slide like a passenger escaping a plane on one of those inflatable escape slides of centuries before. He stumbled to his feet and turned around to behold in its entirety what he had been riding, he mouthed the words 'what the hell' to himself as he tentatively stroked its neck. As the creature made a satisfied noise at being stroked Rick smiled.
Chelsea spoke to the dragon she had ridden, thanking her quietly and she blew through her nose, silver grey smoke billowing softly from her nostrils. She tossed her huge head much as a spirited steed might, pawing at the sand with her enormous claws, digging deep furrows but without any hostile or dangerous intent.
Digging with a clear intention to reveal something, the dragon unearthed the top of a gold chest, submersed beneath the sand. Having revealed the golden casket lid with its jewel encrusted handle and corners, she blew out more smoke and rose into the air, her huge wings flapping effortlessly as Chelsea and Rick stood back.
The green dragon followed suit and rose instantly too. Chelsea and Rick were left alone, watching the awesome sight of the pair flying off back to their ledge.
When they were out of sight, Chelsea nodded her head towards the chest in the sand. "Aren't you going to open your gift?" she asked him with a smirk.
Rick thrust his hands in his pockets as he watched the two majestic beasts fly away. He smiled to himself and made a mental note of trying that again sometime. He turned on the spot to see the chest that had been unearthed from the ground. Rick knelt down in front of the chest and tentatively began to open it.
Chelsea watched him with a knowing smile. She waited until he had lifted the lid and watched him take out the tiny velvet and suede pouch that lay inside, cusioned in a froth of swans' feathers and down, scarlet and burgundy with a navy tie at the neck, sparkling with gold thread and an encrusting of what almost looked like moondust if you had as vivid an imagination as Chelsea did.
"What's in it?" asked Rick not taking his eyes of the box that had entranced him with its beauty.
"You have to open it" she encouraged him. No-one else can or it will break the spell and something awful will happen." she smiled, that sparkle in her eyes.
"Well we wouldn't want that" said Rick opening the small bag to see what was inside. His eyes sparkled and lit up when a ring fell gently into the centre of his palm
The ring lay in Rick's hand, sparkling up at him. It was an ancient ring, made of platinum and white gold, rolled into a twist but flattened by the jeweller's crafting so that it was flat on the inside against the finger but raised slightly on the outside. The white precious metals were intertwined with a thread of yellow gold that ran through the centre of the twists all round the ring. The flattened shaping turned the *rope* effect into one of a more banded, masculine shape and the whole was fit for a king to wear.
In fact it was created in the exact image of a ring that had been originally crafted for a Bajoran Ruler's wedding ring Centuries ago, which was when this copy had been made too. Many imitations had been made back then, in tribute, as a fashion at the time and then handed down through the generations since.
It had been Chelsea's father's wedding ring and Summer had sent it to her for this occasion.
"This is Bajoran craftmanship" said Rick respectfully and slightly awe struck as he beheld the ring as he held it up to the sunlight clasped between two fingers. "Its amazing...." he whispered. He was taking in all the detail as it glistened and sparkled in the sunbeams.
Chelsea watched his face as he took in the ring and its detail. She smiled, very glad that she had been given the gift for him and reminded herself to thank her mother now she was here.
"Yes it is, it was my dad's" she murmoured as he held it up and it sparkled at him in response. "It likes you" she added with a loving smile.
"How can you tell?" asked Rick wonderously as he continued to examine the detail and majesty of the object, taking in its exquisite detail, the skill of its work, the beauty of its art.
"Because it's sparkling at you, of course" she stated as if it was an obvious fact that he should have known.
Dunham looked slightly puzzled "I'm sure it would sparkle in the light normally..." said Rick almost shyly, embarrassed to be a bit contrite in this very special moment
"No, that's not true. Apparently it was Mum's first clue all those years ago because it went dull when Annie first came near it. She says it reacted to the Pah-Wraith." Chelsea explained. "Actually this is a test, to see if you're a Pah-Wraith.... " she smirked, teasing him gently.
"Ahhhhh" said Rick in comprehension. Then he gave her a slightly hurt look at being tested on being a Pah-Wraith. "Well, thats lucky then" he said reproachfully, but with a twinkle in his eye.
"Indeed! I don't want to find myself in the hands of one of those again!" Chelsea smirked back. "What should i do if I found myself trussed and helpless at *your* mercy this time?" she teased, holding out both of her hands, wrists upwards, a mischievous look on her face.
"Penelope Pittstop wouldn't have anything on you," said Rick returning the mischeievous look, and holding her wrists above her head as he leaned in for a long, long kiss.
Chelsea returned the kiss more than willingly, nestling her body against his, congratulating herself silently yet again on her amazing good fortune in finding Richard Dunham. She thought fleetingly about her first two engagements and how they had both ended and how she had felt herself jinxed and beyond love each time she had been devastated and dumped but this was worth all that agony and misery. This was happiness beyond that which most people could even dream, let alone find themselves lucky enough to enjoy.
The day after tomorrow, this unbelievably gorgeous man would be *her* husband. A wave of adoration and happiness swept over her as that thought made her shiver with anticipation. "Mrs Richard Dunham" she muttered after he had released her and she had brought her arms down, conveniently around his neck, slipping back into his arms and pressed tightly against his strong chest.
Rick nestled into her arms, resting his forehead against hers as he looked into her eyes. "Thats up to you my love" he said honestly, "you have the freedom to choose what you like." It was the 23rd century after all and people in the federation had the freedom to choose what they will when it came to their names at a wedding.
"I want to be Doctor Dunham!" she declared, grinning at him. "Do you think for the purposes of Practice, the Central Medical Register of Physicians will let me change? There's an age old tradition of keeping the name you qualified with, so perhap I should hyphen it for work and just be Mrs Dunham all the rest of the time? What do you think? You have to have *some* thoughts on the matter, babe?"
"Oh I've never been one for tradition" said Rick with a twinkle in his, as he applied more love to his embrace with Chelsea. "I think its the 23rd century and the human race has more than earned its right to free choice. " He smiled "In the end though, as long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter........" He cocked his head to one side thoughtfully ".....still there is something to be said for Mrs Doctor Dunham"
"There's even *more* to be said for Lt Cmdr Rick Dunham....He's really something!" Chelsea dug him softly in the ribs with a smirk.
“No” said Rick seriously for a moment, his facial features changing to match the tone of his voice. He pushed Chelsea slightly away from him gently one hand on each of her arms, so he could make full eye contact with her and read her full expression. “There is nothing and nobody more important to me in this universe than you Chelsea, everything I am is about you, I live and breathe for you, to be in your presence everyday is a blessing and a gift. If I were to be without you my soul, the very essence of my being would be incomplete. You make me whole, you make me complete, all I can see is a future with you and me in it together, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you so much and nothing in this universe can keep that love apart. You and me. We will be together for ever. I have found my true love and soulmate in you.”
Chelsea was speechless for once. "Rick..." she breathed softly, melting inside at the amazing declaration of love and devotion that he had just made. "I....."
She was so moved she could hardly form the words to reply and tears of joy welled in her eyes. "Thank you." she managed to say simply, leaning in to kiss him, the passion of that kiss telling him much more than any words she could come up with.
"I love you more than life itself." she whispered as their lips parted, her eyes fluid pools as she gazed at him in adoration.
"Everything I am, is yours" said Dunham sincerely.
OFF:
A JP Between:
Lt. Cmdr. Richard Dunham
CAG - DS5
and
Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
CMO - DS5
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
| Title | I Believe I Can Fly! | |
| Mission | Judgement | |
| Author(s) | Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham | |
| Posted | Thu May 05, 2011 @ 7:44pm | |
| Location | Holosuites | |
| Timeline | 22:30 - SD36 |
Earlier that day, Chelsea had looked at her engagement ring and her heart had melted yet again, the same as it did everytime she remembered Rick's proposal. He was so romantic and she loved him so much. She just wanted to find a scenario in which she could return the gesture but even though she racked her brains she couldn't think of a situation that would make him feel as special.
She knew he loved flying but he was the CAG and he flew a Valkyrie as his job, how could she make up a situation or even a simulation that wouldn't just be a busman's holiday to him. How could she impress the most impressive man in the universe?
Many thoughts and much computer searching later, Chelsea's thoughts were still with flight. She thought of eagles but could not imagine how to use the concept.
Or could she? She searched literature and came up with a high eerie on the side of a mountain. Recreated in the holodeck, it was too small for them to climb into so she instructed the computer to make it bigger.
~It looks more fit for a dragon than even a large eagle~ she thought to herself. ~oooh, waaaaaaaaaaaaait~
The lonely mountain rose sharply to the heavens from its nest of small green hills that nestled around its edge. A waterfall cascaded down from one of its higher peaks, its origins lost in watery mist. This water soon settled on its journey to meander gently through the green hills. Solid and grey it had stood the test of time from the worlds creation, looking foreboding to those that looked upon it, yet challenging them to climb its steep grey rocked covered face.
Chelsea had changed the specs very slightly so that the enormous eyrie vanished and was replaced by a cave mouth at the upper side of the peak, just below where the top vanished into the clouds. A small but sturdy ledge opened out just at the cave mouth and the drop from its lip was startling, sheer and stunning all at once.
The back of the deep, dry cave opened to the outer door of the holosuite so that later that evening, after an incredibly long and difficult day, when Chelsea brought Rick to the suite, she set the program running and invited him in.
They found themselves inside the cave. Chelsea had first thought about asking Rick him to allow himself to be blindfolded so that she could show him the incredible view as a surprise, or at least to close his eyes and let her lead him forward, but after the day they had just endured, she was concerned that he might find that overkill.
She had settled just to lead him through the cave to the edge, holding his hand and waiting until they stood on the ledge together before explaining why she had brought him here.
As Rick stood on the precipice of the cave ledge, one hand holding Chelsea, the other flat on the cave wall for support, he looked out into the blue sky. He saw white clouds, drifting freely in the wind, their destination unknown to them as their free spirit carried them lightly away. Birds soared on the thermals that carried them through the air, each had wings fully expanded, and glided with a occasional beating of feathers. Then Rick looked down, down the mountainside the the earth below, it unrelenting depth bringing to bear just how high they where atop this formidable peak.
"Do you trust me, Rick?" Chelsea asked, an odd tone in her voice. An unusual tone that was almost a challenge.
"Always" said Rick without hesitation.
"I'd like you to come with me." she said, kissing his cheek lightly and stepping towards the edge, one foot over the lip, still holding his hand.
"Are the holo safeties still on?" Rick mumbled to himself as he watched his wife-to-be step into the chasm below
Smiling serenly, Chelsea stepped off the sheer ledge and fell, tightly holding onto Rick's hand, spreading out her arms and legs as they fell. Suddenly a thermal wind spiraled up towards them and cushioned their increasing velocity so that the air stopped whipping at their faces and began to caress their skin instead.
The first rush of adrenaline as they fell was replaced by a warmer, more comfortable feeling of wafting on the breeze now.
Suddenly, as if from nowhere, there was the beating of great, powerful wings behind them. Two huge, magnificent dragons appeared and manoeuvred gracefully beneath them, gently catching them on their necks and allowing them to slide softly onto their backs.
They were beautiful creatures, strong, agile and regal. One was a luminscent jade and sea-green, depending on how the light caught his scales and the other was a deep gold with hints of red as she turned and glided, her passenger feeling as safe on the back of her neck as if she were in an armchair.
The green male dragon's scales glittered under iridescent light, each sparkling and twinkling in individual complexity as the rays of the sun hit them. Its gigantic wings beat ponderously in the air, and spread forth as they then glided through the heat thermals in the air. Rick hung on to its neck for dear life.
Chelsea looked back and wondered if she's made a mistake with this gift as Rick didn't look like he was enjoying it at all. Indicating with a tap on the gold dragon's neck that she wanted to cut the flight short and in obedient response the pair dropped softly to the sandy shore of an azure river below them. Gently and incredibly lightly for their size and power, the two dragons alighted without even bumping their passengers, each lowering a wing to allow them to slide gently to the sand.
Rick slid down the slide like a passenger escaping a plane on one of those inflatable escape slides of centuries before. He stumbled to his feet and turned around to behold in its entirety what he had been riding, he mouthed the words 'what the hell' to himself as he tentatively stroked its neck. As the creature made a satisfied noise at being stroked Rick smiled.
Chelsea spoke to the dragon she had ridden, thanking her quietly and she blew through her nose, silver grey smoke billowing softly from her nostrils. She tossed her huge head much as a spirited steed might, pawing at the sand with her enormous claws, digging deep furrows but without any hostile or dangerous intent.
Digging with a clear intention to reveal something, the dragon unearthed the top of a gold chest, submersed beneath the sand. Having revealed the golden casket lid with its jewel encrusted handle and corners, she blew out more smoke and rose into the air, her huge wings flapping effortlessly as Chelsea and Rick stood back.
The green dragon followed suit and rose instantly too. Chelsea and Rick were left alone, watching the awesome sight of the pair flying off back to their ledge.
When they were out of sight, Chelsea nodded her head towards the chest in the sand. "Aren't you going to open your gift?" she asked him with a smirk.
Rick thrust his hands in his pockets as he watched the two majestic beasts fly away. He smiled to himself and made a mental note of trying that again sometime. He turned on the spot to see the chest that had been unearthed from the ground. Rick knelt down in front of the chest and tentatively began to open it.
Chelsea watched him with a knowing smile. She waited until he had lifted the lid and watched him take out the tiny velvet and suede pouch that lay inside, cusioned in a froth of swans' feathers and down, scarlet and burgundy with a navy tie at the neck, sparkling with gold thread and an encrusting of what almost looked like moondust if you had as vivid an imagination as Chelsea did.
"What's in it?" asked Rick not taking his eyes of the box that had entranced him with its beauty.
"You have to open it" she encouraged him. No-one else can or it will break the spell and something awful will happen." she smiled, that sparkle in her eyes.
"Well we wouldn't want that" said Rick opening the small bag to see what was inside. His eyes sparkled and lit up when a ring fell gently into the centre of his palm
The ring lay in Rick's hand, sparkling up at him. It was an ancient ring, made of platinum and white gold, rolled into a twist but flattened by the jeweller's crafting so that it was flat on the inside against the finger but raised slightly on the outside. The white precious metals were intertwined with a thread of yellow gold that ran through the centre of the twists all round the ring. The flattened shaping turned the *rope* effect into one of a more banded, masculine shape and the whole was fit for a king to wear.
In fact it was created in the exact image of a ring that had been originally crafted for a Bajoran Ruler's wedding ring Centuries ago, which was when this copy had been made too. Many imitations had been made back then, in tribute, as a fashion at the time and then handed down through the generations since.
It had been Chelsea's father's wedding ring and Summer had sent it to her for this occasion.
"This is Bajoran craftmanship" said Rick respectfully and slightly awe struck as he beheld the ring as he held it up to the sunlight clasped between two fingers. "Its amazing...." he whispered. He was taking in all the detail as it glistened and sparkled in the sunbeams.
Chelsea watched his face as he took in the ring and its detail. She smiled, very glad that she had been given the gift for him and reminded herself to thank her mother now she was here.
"Yes it is, it was my dad's" she murmoured as he held it up and it sparkled at him in response. "It likes you" she added with a loving smile.
"How can you tell?" asked Rick wonderously as he continued to examine the detail and majesty of the object, taking in its exquisite detail, the skill of its work, the beauty of its art.
"Because it's sparkling at you, of course" she stated as if it was an obvious fact that he should have known.
Dunham looked slightly puzzled "I'm sure it would sparkle in the light normally..." said Rick almost shyly, embarrassed to be a bit contrite in this very special moment
"No, that's not true. Apparently it was Mum's first clue all those years ago because it went dull when Annie first came near it. She says it reacted to the Pah-Wraith." Chelsea explained. "Actually this is a test, to see if you're a Pah-Wraith.... " she smirked, teasing him gently.
"Ahhhhh" said Rick in comprehension. Then he gave her a slightly hurt look at being tested on being a Pah-Wraith. "Well, thats lucky then" he said reproachfully, but with a twinkle in his eye.
"Indeed! I don't want to find myself in the hands of one of those again!" Chelsea smirked back. "What should i do if I found myself trussed and helpless at *your* mercy this time?" she teased, holding out both of her hands, wrists upwards, a mischievous look on her face.
"Penelope Pittstop wouldn't have anything on you," said Rick returning the mischeievous look, and holding her wrists above her head as he leaned in for a long, long kiss.
Chelsea returned the kiss more than willingly, nestling her body against his, congratulating herself silently yet again on her amazing good fortune in finding Richard Dunham. She thought fleetingly about her first two engagements and how they had both ended and how she had felt herself jinxed and beyond love each time she had been devastated and dumped but this was worth all that agony and misery. This was happiness beyond that which most people could even dream, let alone find themselves lucky enough to enjoy.
The day after tomorrow, this unbelievably gorgeous man would be *her* husband. A wave of adoration and happiness swept over her as that thought made her shiver with anticipation. "Mrs Richard Dunham" she muttered after he had released her and she had brought her arms down, conveniently around his neck, slipping back into his arms and pressed tightly against his strong chest.
Rick nestled into her arms, resting his forehead against hers as he looked into her eyes. "Thats up to you my love" he said honestly, "you have the freedom to choose what you like." It was the 23rd century after all and people in the federation had the freedom to choose what they will when it came to their names at a wedding.
"I want to be Doctor Dunham!" she declared, grinning at him. "Do you think for the purposes of Practice, the Central Medical Register of Physicians will let me change? There's an age old tradition of keeping the name you qualified with, so perhap I should hyphen it for work and just be Mrs Dunham all the rest of the time? What do you think? You have to have *some* thoughts on the matter, babe?"
"Oh I've never been one for tradition" said Rick with a twinkle in his, as he applied more love to his embrace with Chelsea. "I think its the 23rd century and the human race has more than earned its right to free choice. " He smiled "In the end though, as long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter........" He cocked his head to one side thoughtfully ".....still there is something to be said for Mrs Doctor Dunham"
"There's even *more* to be said for Lt Cmdr Rick Dunham....He's really something!" Chelsea dug him softly in the ribs with a smirk.
“No” said Rick seriously for a moment, his facial features changing to match the tone of his voice. He pushed Chelsea slightly away from him gently one hand on each of her arms, so he could make full eye contact with her and read her full expression. “There is nothing and nobody more important to me in this universe than you Chelsea, everything I am is about you, I live and breathe for you, to be in your presence everyday is a blessing and a gift. If I were to be without you my soul, the very essence of my being would be incomplete. You make me whole, you make me complete, all I can see is a future with you and me in it together, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you so much and nothing in this universe can keep that love apart. You and me. We will be together for ever. I have found my true love and soulmate in you.”
Chelsea was speechless for once. "Rick..." she breathed softly, melting inside at the amazing declaration of love and devotion that he had just made. "I....."
She was so moved she could hardly form the words to reply and tears of joy welled in her eyes. "Thank you." she managed to say simply, leaning in to kiss him, the passion of that kiss telling him much more than any words she could come up with.
"I love you more than life itself." she whispered as their lips parted, her eyes fluid pools as she gazed at him in adoration.
"Everything I am, is yours" said Dunham sincerely.
OFF:
A JP Between:
Lt. Cmdr. Richard Dunham
CAG - DS5
and
Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
CMO - DS5