Beg, Steal or Borrow – The Morning After (Part 2)
by Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
OLD:
"A picnic? OOOOH! That sounds like heaven to my stomach!" she replied, grinning.
=^= Computer end program =^= she instructed knowing it was the only way she was getting out of this web of silk.
=^= Computer load program Chelsea/Richard =^= Richard added and a new scene loaded.
New:
Looking around quizzically, Chelsea was wondering where Richard had chosen. There were pale stone pillars and arches over which grew vines and climbing plants and between which trellises of woven willow twigs created cool arbours with wooden or stone seats inside.
Walking to the edge of the tier they were standing on, Chelsea looked over the stone parapet and down a tumbling waterfall that coursed away below them softening it's own fall in a deep, beautiful pool from which a river wound away across the woodlands that surrounded the whole *house* and off into the distance.
A stone bridge could be seen crossing the river just below the first bend but its occupants were shaded by the mature trees around the river bank on one side. She raised her eyes back to the waterfall and it's rainbow glinting spray that blew gently on the warm breeze and softly covered her face with misty droplets. Breathless with wonder, she turned back towards Dunham and breathed. "Oh Richard!"
Suddenly her attention was caught by two people walking across the courtyard behind them and her breath was taken away again. They were elven in appearance with long straight hair to their waists, one golden and the other dark. On their brows they wore wrought circlets of silver, crafted into exquisite swirls and patterns across their foreheads. Their ears were pointed and their eyebrows rose slightly at the edges, not dis-similar to Vulcan or Romulan appearance, except that their skin was very fair and their elegant fingers were longer.
Just then the golden-haired man spoke to the other and addressed him as 'My Lord Elrond' and Chelsea squeaked with surprise and delight. She didn't intend to catch their attention but it was inevitable after such an outburst of excited recognition. Elrond and his companion turned and looked at her. "My lady? Are you in distress?" he asked with polite concern.
"Oh... " Chelsea spluttered. "Erm, no, my lord. Thank you for your felicitation." she dropped a small, respectful curtsey and he smiled at her, taking his leave politely before leaving her staring and almost speechless.
"Did you *see* that?" Chelsea gasped, grabbing Richard's arm and tugging at it, staring after the elves awestruck. "By the Prophets, Lieutenant Dunham!" She used his formal rank to emphasise the extent of how impressed she was. "You *really* know how to make a girl's dreams come true, don't you! Will you *ever* cease to amaze me? Did I tell you this was my most favourite book of all time? I suppose I *must* have. You've gone to so much trouble - I can't thank you enough!" She reached up, threw her arms around his neck and hugged him mercilessly until he objected to the rough treatment.
"I want to hug you to bits!" she declared. "You're just brilliant!" Letting go of him she began to dance around the courtyard until more characters began to appear, when she scurried back to Richard's side, strangely shy in the exalted company of those mighty fictional persons whom she had idolised as a young teenager.
"I'm glad you like it." Said Dunham with a smile on his face. "I had a hamper around somewhere, were did I put it? Come on lets go and have a look." He took her by the hand and lead her through the corridors. They soon went up a flight of stairs and onto a balcony. The view looked down to a river and waterfall high above the other spires. The sun was rising. On the balcony was a picnic basket and some ornate chairs.
"Oooh!" Chelsea seemed robbed of all speech and all she could utter was the odd "aaah!" and "Oh!" and "Woh!"
Eventually, as they sat down and Richard opened the basket, Chelsea finally managed to stop fidgeting with excitement and looking all around at every detail, just long enough to look back a Richard again.
"This is ..... I can't tell you what it is.... I don't have the words. Other than THANK YOU" she kissed his cheek and grasped his hand, squeezing it in appreciation.
Dunham's cheeks flushed from the kiss. He smiled at her. His eyes sparkling and once again he found himself lost to her. Their hands were still holding making a bridge between their two chairs. Dunham Lent back in his chair he didn't say anything he was just enjoying the moment. He turned in his chair watching the sunrise.
Chelsea took a long look at Richard's profile, suddenly thoughtful. He was so nice and she was so happy in his company. It occurred to her rather guiltily that perhaps she might be developing the sort of feelings for him that she really shouldn't.
Watching him quietly, her heart tugged back and forth. In her head she heard Ryan's voice of last night when he was telling her to go away and then she heard her own conscience telling her she should go to his show and after that, see if things would be different.
As this thought made her resolve to do just that, so her mind returned to the present and Richard. She was disturbed to find a distinct feeling of regret as she watched him and a sadness seemed to overshadow her heart.
Trying to shake herself out of it, she stood up and went to the edge of the balcony. Looking over she began to point out to Richard the little bridge and ask him if he thought they could get down there? When he seemed to think they could try, her excitement returned and, forgetting her dilemma, she challenged him.
"Race you down! Last one there has to pay a forfeit!" she called back, laughing and already running back to the way they come onto the balcony.
Dunham chased after Chelsea. With a grin on his face. They ran through corridors and rooms of elegant art and architecture in the form of marble statues, magnificent rooms and artistic wall banners. As they continued their run they were soon back outside in the grounds. A distant low rumble of a waterfall could be heard. Chelsea was gaining ground on him and as she reached their destination on the bridge. He was a good twenty seconds behind her. After catching his breath back he asked. "so what's my forfeit then."
Chelsea looked as if she was thinking deeply as she leaned casually back against the little wood carved hand-rail that arched along one side of the quaint little bridge.
"um.... " she teased him. "I think it comes in two parts...." she grinned.
"The first part is that you have to play pooh-sticks with me and if you lose that too.... then you have to go all the way back up to get the picnic we left behind" Her eyes sparkled and her chuckle sounded as soft as the babble of the water as it rippled underneath them.
"Pooh sticks. Wow. I haven't played that since I was a kid." He smiled with a twinkle in his eye. He loved the playful nature of this woman. The fun and excitement of her soul. Dunham was well and truly falling head over heals for this woman and their was nothing he could do about it. Nothing he could do against the power of love. He shook himself mentally. He went and picked up a couple of sticks and gave one to Chelsea. "Lets do it."
Chelsea's grin spread across her whole face and lit up her eyes with a sparkle to match his. "Really? You don't *mind*?" She was thrilled to have found someone who didn't just dismiss her as a childish lightweight. She was having such a hard time with her heart at the moment that someone like Richard who indulged her and made her feel free and happy was a ray of sunshine at the end of a winter of lonely, unhappy feelings that she'd been through lately.
Instinctively, she drew in a deep breath and chose a stick. "I'd like the longest one please. It'll go faster" she declared, knowing perfectly well that he'd carefully selected two the same. She looked directly into his face to see his expression in response to this deliberate slight to his fairness and tried to keep her face serious.
Dunham gave a wry smile. Held both sticks in front of him. Then put both behind his back and started to switch the sticks between his hands. Keeping the sticks behind his back he chuckled and said. "In that case you have to guess what stick you get."
Chelsea acknowledged being called out and grinned at him. "ok" she nodded and turned her back on him. She took three exaggerated paces forwards and turned back to face him. "I want 'heads' please" she said.
"I kinda wanted heads" said Dunham.
"No, I've chosen heads, AND I chose the number of paces (three) for the duel. Now *you* have to choose whether 'heads' is left or right, it's your turn to make a decision!" she stood with her weight on one leg and drew an imaginary line in the dust on the bridge trying with all her might to keep a straight face and not collapse into the heap of laughter that she was almost bursting with.
"Ok" he said thoughtfully "I choose that heads is Left. whats next?"
She put out her hand towards his left and took the offered stick. Then she held it out like a tiny sword and adopted a fencing pose as if to fight a duel. "En guard!" she said, trying not to imagine how crazy she must look with her little stick in a attack position.
"I'm more of a Foil or Rapier kinda guy." he said with a chuckle while going into the on guard.
Her grin escaped her face's attempts to keep it in and she fended off his first move forward, breaking her own stick off halfway down. At first she stood looking mournfully at the half of the stick that lay on the boards of the bridge at their feet. Then she looked up, brightened and held out her hand for his stick. Offering him hers in exchange she said, with a nod of her head as if a problem had been resolved. "There, *now* I can have the long one, so we can go!"
Without waiting for an answer, she went to the upstream edge of the bridge and stood ready for him to join her and give the instruction to release the sticks. Looking back expectantly over her shoulder at Richard, his face was a picture.
"Wha?" she tried to say but unable to contain the laughter inside her a moment longer, Chelsea collapsed into peals and sank into a cross-legged heap sitting on the bridge still clutching her nefariously obtained stick, unable to catch enough breath to speak.
Dunham knelt down beside her on one knee and playfully went to get her stick. He tickled her in an attempt to get the guarded item. He had put his own stick down. Chelsea was now laughing even harder thanks to his efforts. But still wouldn't give up the prize. Dunham couldn't help but laugh as well. But he soon changed his tactics and in one swift motion the stick still in her hand Dunham picked up Chelsea in a fireman's lift. Being careful not to hurt her ankle. He then moved her over his left shoulder and carried her to the edge of the bridge giggling like a school boy. "Well if I can't throw your stick in the river maybe I will just have to through both of you in?"
Chelsea squeaked in protest and clung to him. "Ok, OKAY" she submitted breathlessly. "You win! It's yours!" She tossed the stick along the bridge planks to one side so that he'd have to come away from the edge to retrieve it. She knew he wasn't going to throw her into danger but she also knew the safeties would be on and she *could* end up very wet and undignified in a heap on the bottom of the rivulet below her.
It had been an interesting contest and he had been very patient with her mischief but at the end of it all, it was clear he had won. Chelsea gave in with a good grace once he put her back down and retrieved the stick.
"I know!" She held up her hands in surrender. "You win, so *I* have to go for the picnic, right?"
Dunham gave a wry half smile "you better believe it."
"You *sure* I can't play the sympathy card and pretend my ankle hurts or something like that?" she tried, a glint in her eye and a smirk playing about her lips both giving her away.
Dunham returned the sparkle in her eye and gave another smile. He raised his hands in defeat. "Well don't let it be said that Rick Dunham isn't a gentlemen. So it is sympathy I give. So you win my dear."
"Awwww!" she said, moved. "You're so lovely!" Suddenly serious she leaned forward and kissed him softly. "Why don't we go back together? And before we go.... " she broke the last pooh stick in half and handed him one half. "Let's just throw these in, just for luck? Ready? GO!"
They both let go at the same time but as the sticks were identical it wasn't possible to see which was which as they emerged almost together on the other side. But Chelsea and Rick still rushed to the other side and peered over together, craning their necks to see.
She put her hand on the railing to lean over and as he did the same, she found she had put hers on top of his. Closing her fingers around his, she squeezed his hand. "Thank you so very much. I haven't had such a brilliant time or laughed as much for..... well.... as long as I can remember!" she breathed, meaning every word of it.
"just what the Doctor ordered I think." said Dunham wistfully. "You know I'm always there for you Chelsea" he said in almost a whisper.
"Oh Richard" she sighed, moved. "If there's ever anything I can do for you too, you're such a good friend, I don't deserve you, I know that, but I'm grateful nonetheless."
~More grateful than you can ever be allowed to know~ she thought, feeling more torn than ever. Looking into his eyes Chelsea thought she could drown there. Avoiding them suddenly, to escape the feeling that she mightn't be able to turn back from this point, she looked back at the water in the river, churning and rushing about like her feelings.
Off:
A JP between:
LT Richard Dunham
Squadron Leader
and
Lt. Cmdr Chelsea Adams
ACMO - DS5
by Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
| Title | The Morning After (Part 2) | |
| Mission | Beg, Steal or Borrow | |
| Author(s) | Commander Richard Dunham & Commander Chelsea Dunham | |
| Posted | Wed Aug 12, 2009 @ 12:41am | |
| Location | Holo Deck | |
| Timeline | MD10 am |
"A picnic? OOOOH! That sounds like heaven to my stomach!" she replied, grinning.
=^= Computer end program =^= she instructed knowing it was the only way she was getting out of this web of silk.
=^= Computer load program Chelsea/Richard =^= Richard added and a new scene loaded.
New:
Looking around quizzically, Chelsea was wondering where Richard had chosen. There were pale stone pillars and arches over which grew vines and climbing plants and between which trellises of woven willow twigs created cool arbours with wooden or stone seats inside.
Walking to the edge of the tier they were standing on, Chelsea looked over the stone parapet and down a tumbling waterfall that coursed away below them softening it's own fall in a deep, beautiful pool from which a river wound away across the woodlands that surrounded the whole *house* and off into the distance.
A stone bridge could be seen crossing the river just below the first bend but its occupants were shaded by the mature trees around the river bank on one side. She raised her eyes back to the waterfall and it's rainbow glinting spray that blew gently on the warm breeze and softly covered her face with misty droplets. Breathless with wonder, she turned back towards Dunham and breathed. "Oh Richard!"
Suddenly her attention was caught by two people walking across the courtyard behind them and her breath was taken away again. They were elven in appearance with long straight hair to their waists, one golden and the other dark. On their brows they wore wrought circlets of silver, crafted into exquisite swirls and patterns across their foreheads. Their ears were pointed and their eyebrows rose slightly at the edges, not dis-similar to Vulcan or Romulan appearance, except that their skin was very fair and their elegant fingers were longer.
Just then the golden-haired man spoke to the other and addressed him as 'My Lord Elrond' and Chelsea squeaked with surprise and delight. She didn't intend to catch their attention but it was inevitable after such an outburst of excited recognition. Elrond and his companion turned and looked at her. "My lady? Are you in distress?" he asked with polite concern.
"Oh... " Chelsea spluttered. "Erm, no, my lord. Thank you for your felicitation." she dropped a small, respectful curtsey and he smiled at her, taking his leave politely before leaving her staring and almost speechless.
"Did you *see* that?" Chelsea gasped, grabbing Richard's arm and tugging at it, staring after the elves awestruck. "By the Prophets, Lieutenant Dunham!" She used his formal rank to emphasise the extent of how impressed she was. "You *really* know how to make a girl's dreams come true, don't you! Will you *ever* cease to amaze me? Did I tell you this was my most favourite book of all time? I suppose I *must* have. You've gone to so much trouble - I can't thank you enough!" She reached up, threw her arms around his neck and hugged him mercilessly until he objected to the rough treatment.
"I want to hug you to bits!" she declared. "You're just brilliant!" Letting go of him she began to dance around the courtyard until more characters began to appear, when she scurried back to Richard's side, strangely shy in the exalted company of those mighty fictional persons whom she had idolised as a young teenager.
"I'm glad you like it." Said Dunham with a smile on his face. "I had a hamper around somewhere, were did I put it? Come on lets go and have a look." He took her by the hand and lead her through the corridors. They soon went up a flight of stairs and onto a balcony. The view looked down to a river and waterfall high above the other spires. The sun was rising. On the balcony was a picnic basket and some ornate chairs.
"Oooh!" Chelsea seemed robbed of all speech and all she could utter was the odd "aaah!" and "Oh!" and "Woh!"
Eventually, as they sat down and Richard opened the basket, Chelsea finally managed to stop fidgeting with excitement and looking all around at every detail, just long enough to look back a Richard again.
"This is ..... I can't tell you what it is.... I don't have the words. Other than THANK YOU" she kissed his cheek and grasped his hand, squeezing it in appreciation.
Dunham's cheeks flushed from the kiss. He smiled at her. His eyes sparkling and once again he found himself lost to her. Their hands were still holding making a bridge between their two chairs. Dunham Lent back in his chair he didn't say anything he was just enjoying the moment. He turned in his chair watching the sunrise.
Chelsea took a long look at Richard's profile, suddenly thoughtful. He was so nice and she was so happy in his company. It occurred to her rather guiltily that perhaps she might be developing the sort of feelings for him that she really shouldn't.
Watching him quietly, her heart tugged back and forth. In her head she heard Ryan's voice of last night when he was telling her to go away and then she heard her own conscience telling her she should go to his show and after that, see if things would be different.
As this thought made her resolve to do just that, so her mind returned to the present and Richard. She was disturbed to find a distinct feeling of regret as she watched him and a sadness seemed to overshadow her heart.
Trying to shake herself out of it, she stood up and went to the edge of the balcony. Looking over she began to point out to Richard the little bridge and ask him if he thought they could get down there? When he seemed to think they could try, her excitement returned and, forgetting her dilemma, she challenged him.
"Race you down! Last one there has to pay a forfeit!" she called back, laughing and already running back to the way they come onto the balcony.
Dunham chased after Chelsea. With a grin on his face. They ran through corridors and rooms of elegant art and architecture in the form of marble statues, magnificent rooms and artistic wall banners. As they continued their run they were soon back outside in the grounds. A distant low rumble of a waterfall could be heard. Chelsea was gaining ground on him and as she reached their destination on the bridge. He was a good twenty seconds behind her. After catching his breath back he asked. "so what's my forfeit then."
Chelsea looked as if she was thinking deeply as she leaned casually back against the little wood carved hand-rail that arched along one side of the quaint little bridge.
"um.... " she teased him. "I think it comes in two parts...." she grinned.
"The first part is that you have to play pooh-sticks with me and if you lose that too.... then you have to go all the way back up to get the picnic we left behind" Her eyes sparkled and her chuckle sounded as soft as the babble of the water as it rippled underneath them.
"Pooh sticks. Wow. I haven't played that since I was a kid." He smiled with a twinkle in his eye. He loved the playful nature of this woman. The fun and excitement of her soul. Dunham was well and truly falling head over heals for this woman and their was nothing he could do about it. Nothing he could do against the power of love. He shook himself mentally. He went and picked up a couple of sticks and gave one to Chelsea. "Lets do it."
Chelsea's grin spread across her whole face and lit up her eyes with a sparkle to match his. "Really? You don't *mind*?" She was thrilled to have found someone who didn't just dismiss her as a childish lightweight. She was having such a hard time with her heart at the moment that someone like Richard who indulged her and made her feel free and happy was a ray of sunshine at the end of a winter of lonely, unhappy feelings that she'd been through lately.
Instinctively, she drew in a deep breath and chose a stick. "I'd like the longest one please. It'll go faster" she declared, knowing perfectly well that he'd carefully selected two the same. She looked directly into his face to see his expression in response to this deliberate slight to his fairness and tried to keep her face serious.
Dunham gave a wry smile. Held both sticks in front of him. Then put both behind his back and started to switch the sticks between his hands. Keeping the sticks behind his back he chuckled and said. "In that case you have to guess what stick you get."
Chelsea acknowledged being called out and grinned at him. "ok" she nodded and turned her back on him. She took three exaggerated paces forwards and turned back to face him. "I want 'heads' please" she said.
"I kinda wanted heads" said Dunham.
"No, I've chosen heads, AND I chose the number of paces (three) for the duel. Now *you* have to choose whether 'heads' is left or right, it's your turn to make a decision!" she stood with her weight on one leg and drew an imaginary line in the dust on the bridge trying with all her might to keep a straight face and not collapse into the heap of laughter that she was almost bursting with.
"Ok" he said thoughtfully "I choose that heads is Left. whats next?"
She put out her hand towards his left and took the offered stick. Then she held it out like a tiny sword and adopted a fencing pose as if to fight a duel. "En guard!" she said, trying not to imagine how crazy she must look with her little stick in a attack position.
"I'm more of a Foil or Rapier kinda guy." he said with a chuckle while going into the on guard.
Her grin escaped her face's attempts to keep it in and she fended off his first move forward, breaking her own stick off halfway down. At first she stood looking mournfully at the half of the stick that lay on the boards of the bridge at their feet. Then she looked up, brightened and held out her hand for his stick. Offering him hers in exchange she said, with a nod of her head as if a problem had been resolved. "There, *now* I can have the long one, so we can go!"
Without waiting for an answer, she went to the upstream edge of the bridge and stood ready for him to join her and give the instruction to release the sticks. Looking back expectantly over her shoulder at Richard, his face was a picture.
"Wha?" she tried to say but unable to contain the laughter inside her a moment longer, Chelsea collapsed into peals and sank into a cross-legged heap sitting on the bridge still clutching her nefariously obtained stick, unable to catch enough breath to speak.
Dunham knelt down beside her on one knee and playfully went to get her stick. He tickled her in an attempt to get the guarded item. He had put his own stick down. Chelsea was now laughing even harder thanks to his efforts. But still wouldn't give up the prize. Dunham couldn't help but laugh as well. But he soon changed his tactics and in one swift motion the stick still in her hand Dunham picked up Chelsea in a fireman's lift. Being careful not to hurt her ankle. He then moved her over his left shoulder and carried her to the edge of the bridge giggling like a school boy. "Well if I can't throw your stick in the river maybe I will just have to through both of you in?"
Chelsea squeaked in protest and clung to him. "Ok, OKAY" she submitted breathlessly. "You win! It's yours!" She tossed the stick along the bridge planks to one side so that he'd have to come away from the edge to retrieve it. She knew he wasn't going to throw her into danger but she also knew the safeties would be on and she *could* end up very wet and undignified in a heap on the bottom of the rivulet below her.
It had been an interesting contest and he had been very patient with her mischief but at the end of it all, it was clear he had won. Chelsea gave in with a good grace once he put her back down and retrieved the stick.
"I know!" She held up her hands in surrender. "You win, so *I* have to go for the picnic, right?"
Dunham gave a wry half smile "you better believe it."
"You *sure* I can't play the sympathy card and pretend my ankle hurts or something like that?" she tried, a glint in her eye and a smirk playing about her lips both giving her away.
Dunham returned the sparkle in her eye and gave another smile. He raised his hands in defeat. "Well don't let it be said that Rick Dunham isn't a gentlemen. So it is sympathy I give. So you win my dear."
"Awwww!" she said, moved. "You're so lovely!" Suddenly serious she leaned forward and kissed him softly. "Why don't we go back together? And before we go.... " she broke the last pooh stick in half and handed him one half. "Let's just throw these in, just for luck? Ready? GO!"
They both let go at the same time but as the sticks were identical it wasn't possible to see which was which as they emerged almost together on the other side. But Chelsea and Rick still rushed to the other side and peered over together, craning their necks to see.
She put her hand on the railing to lean over and as he did the same, she found she had put hers on top of his. Closing her fingers around his, she squeezed his hand. "Thank you so very much. I haven't had such a brilliant time or laughed as much for..... well.... as long as I can remember!" she breathed, meaning every word of it.
"just what the Doctor ordered I think." said Dunham wistfully. "You know I'm always there for you Chelsea" he said in almost a whisper.
"Oh Richard" she sighed, moved. "If there's ever anything I can do for you too, you're such a good friend, I don't deserve you, I know that, but I'm grateful nonetheless."
~More grateful than you can ever be allowed to know~ she thought, feeling more torn than ever. Looking into his eyes Chelsea thought she could drown there. Avoiding them suddenly, to escape the feeling that she mightn't be able to turn back from this point, she looked back at the water in the river, churning and rushing about like her feelings.
Off:
A JP between:
LT Richard Dunham
Squadron Leader
and
Lt. Cmdr Chelsea Adams
ACMO - DS5