Interlude – (Pt 7) A Night Owl
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
ON:
Chelsea stirred. She wasn't sleeping well aboard this Starship although she couldn't say why. Perhaps it was the change of momentum from an RGS (rotational-gravity-system) giant station to a starship actually in motion.
She slipped out of bed softly so as not to wake Rick, stopping only for a moment to watch lovingly as he slept. She then slipped into the bathroom and from there into the lounge. Getting a drink from the replicator she walked over to the windows and gazed out, taking stock of the changes that had happened in her life lately.
Her thoughts went to Ryan and Nora and hoped their trip to Bajor was going well. She really *should* go there herself somewhen in the near-ish future, she thought.
As she stood sipping her drink, Chelsea heard the sound of a comm badge and thinking it was hers she rushed silently to the bedroom with the intention of stopping it waking Rick by removing it to the other room to answer it. In her haste she snatched it up without checking whose it was and hurried back into the living space. A female voice was calling but she was whispering or at least that's what it sounded like. Chelsea was confused.
"Rick, Rick….You there Rick?” came a soft female voice from over the comm unit. In the bedroom there were noises of Dunham rolling over in his bed and beginning to snore. The female voice on the other side of the comm continued to talk; there was something familiar about her voice “Rick..wake up?”
Chelsea's first reaction to take the comm badge to allow him to sleep now presented her with a problem in that she either had to answer it or ignore it. What if it was urgent? She decided to return it to his bedside as quickly as she could so that he could answer it. Putting it down she nudged him gently.
"Rick... " she found herself whispering and almost laughed out loud when she realised what she was doing.
Tactfully, Chelsea decided that as soon as he had taken the call she would leave him alone with it. She tapped the badge so the call would not be disconnected as unanswered and put it into his hand, closing his fingers on it and shaking his shoulder. For some reason she felt it was better if whoever was on the other end shouldn't know Chelsea was there. Later she wondered why she'd felt like that but it was a spur of the moment thing and she left the room.
Rick stirred from his heavy slumber. He always slept better when onboard a star ship he found it relaxing to have something underneath him that was moving. After all a starship was where he had been born and raised. As he awoke he opened his heavy sleep filled eyes. He was still in that place between asleep and awake, and his thoughts were blurry. He had yet to feel the comm unit in his hand. “What?” he said dreamily. The answer didn’t come from Chelsea, it came from the female voice on his comm unit in his hand “Rick is that you?” Dunham was wide awake in a split second as he heard the voice and sat bolt upright in the bed. “Erica! Is that you?”
Chelsea had gone back to the living area and the door had automatically shut behind her. She ordered herself a redleaf tea from the replicator and sat in the raised observation area looking out of the panoramic windows at the stars as they rushed by. She was remembering her own days of service onboard starships. DS5 was her first Spacestation and there were many, varied memories that the moving stars conjured up.
Several minutes passed before Dunham emerged from their room. He held the comm unit in his hand and marched across the communal living area towards Kim’s room, he pressed the chime entry button, waited briefly before admittance, and then entered the room. Moments later he came back out into the luxury furnishing of the living area. He came over and sat on the chair arm were Chelsea sat, and gave her a hug.
"Hey babe." she settled into his arms, more than happy to snuggle there.
Dunham rested the side of his face on top of Chelsea’s head, and stroked her hair affectionately. “I love you.” He said with sincerity in his voice.
"I love you too" she responded. "It's late. Are you sleepy? I think I am again now"
At first Dunham didn’t respond, his mind troubled. He had a distant look on his face. It was almost as if he didn’t hear her. “It was Erica.” He softly “on the comm.” Trying to get something off his chest.
"Who's Erica?" she asked gently, aware there was something wrong but not wishing to push herself into it unless he wanted to share.
“Kim’s Mum” said Dunham sullenly and with a slight shake of his head. He gestured towards his nieces quarters. “She’s talking to her now.”
"Ah. You mentioned your sister but I didn't know her name. How is she?" Judging from Rick's tone and sad look, Chelsea figured this wasn't the happy family reunion it ought to be.
Dunham sighed slightly to himself. “Still undercover doing whatever it is Starfleet intelligence types do. Talking to us from god knows were. Apparently when she heard we were onboard mums ship, she tried to communicate to us straight away, before she had not been able to get in contact with me or Kim on the station, because her usual secretive techniques of covering her calls couldn’t get past Gabriel’s firewalls. Apparently she was impressed with them.”Dunham squeezed Chelsea more tightly. Whatever it is she is doing its got her worried, I could recognise it in her voice. It took all my powers of persuasion just to get her to talk with Kim.”
"I'm sorry Rick, you must be out of your mind with worry" Chelsea sympathised, holding him close. "It's a different lifestyle to any that I could imagine. How does Kim cope?" she asked.
Dunham nodded in agreement. “Not very well I’m afraid. With her father M.I.A since the end of the war and her mother on assignments like this, I do worry for her. But I’m no dad for the kid, I wouldn’t know how, she’s a stable family around her.” He shrugged “I don’t know, maybe I should get mum took look after her onboard here?” he said thinking out loud.
"You *say* that Rick, but you're doing a great job. Kim loves being around you. Your Mum can offer her a woman's touch...ish...." she smiled and shot him an upwards glance. "..but you're so much more open-minded. You can offer Kim a wider platform to grow from. If you'd prefer her to stay here, you should ask your Mum. If you're happy to have her with you but you're concerned about what is best, then why don't you give her the choice?" Chelsea offered.
Dunham nodded slowly in agreement “You are right of course.” He gave her a hug. “What would I do without your counsel?” he said looking down with a loving smile. “I’m sure her Granma would love to have Kim around. But I will ask Kim what it is she wants and what it is she wants to do. I got the impression from her mum that it may be a little while before she gets off this assignment.”
"Without my counsel you did perfectly well with your own awesome mind to make up." she smiled. "I just reflect what you're already thinking."
"Your right. I am awesome." he said with a smile. Chelsea was about to fire off a retort but before she could, there was a sound from Kim's room which made her stop and they both looked round.
Kim emerged from her quarters, tears in her eyes, she still held the comm badge in her hands. Dunham got up from the chair arm he was sitting on and opened his arms wide, he hugged his niece as she began to cry. The comm unit was still on as a questioning “hello?” could be heard from it. Dunham took the from Kim and gave it to Chelsea. “Talk to her while put Kim back to bed” he said picking up his niece and carrying her to her room. Chelsea was left in the room alone with the switched on comm unit their was another “hello?”
"Hi, this is Chelsea. Rick's just taken Kim back to her room, she was a bit emotional. We haven't been introduced. I'm..... " Chelsea began but before she got too far Erica responded.
“Lieutenant Commander Chelsea Adams, the woman who managed to win the heart of the chivalrous Richard Dunham. It’s a pleasure to hear from you Ma’am I’m Lieutenant Erica Dunham. Kim’s mum, I hope my mother wasn’t to much of a handful?”
Chelsea laughed. "Well, I hear tell that your husband got worse than I did, so I should count myself lucky, however, if I hadn't had Rick and Kim on my side I doubt I'd have been able to handle her alone. Hi Erica, It's lovely to speak to the mother who's done such a brilliant job bringing up such a special little lady as Kim. You must be so proud, she's a real character, quite a trouper and too much like her wonderful Uncle for safety.... at least *my* safety!"
There was a slight sigh from the other side of the comm. “Kim gets her carry on trouper, and stiff upper lip attitude from her father, as well as his stubbornness.....” there was a small laugh from a memory long ago. “Yes mother made him meet a Klingon ambassador in just his underwear, luckily for him the Klingon was in on it, being a friend of hers.” There was a pause “But yes Kim certainly has taken on some of Ricks mannerisms too. You look after Rick for me too. He needs you more than he lets on.”
Chelsea shook her head unseen. "I think that's the other way around" she replied. "Judging from the amount of times he's had me terrified for his life, stitching bits back on that no-one should ever be separated from in the first place, I doubt if *I* can keep him any more safe than I could your mother. I'm out of my depth in a family *this* determined to self-destruct in heroic acts of public service" This time it was Chelsea's turn to sigh. "It's actually me who is the dependent one though, emotionally. Rick's so strong and the whole universe is alright when he's in it."
There was a tone of happiness in Erica’s response “But it took him along time to get to that point.....I think he likes to think of himself as one of those Arthurian chivalric knights. But don’t worry Chelsea, from what I have heard you two are made for each other, and he loves you very very much. Don’t worry about the ‘family’ you’ll fit in just fine. I know Ricks been thinking of you two together in the future, and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you.”
Chelsea was moved to hear this from Erica. "I.... er.... thank you." she hardly knew how to reply at first. "I have to agree with him, I see him as a knight in shining armour too, albeit the metal of a fighter rather than chainmail but he's certainly been Sir Lancelot to me." she grinned at the image this conjured up. "Rick hasn't said anything about the future but there's time when we've got over the latest excitement.... which never actually seems to happen as they come thick and fast around your brother!" she laughed.
Erica’s tone became a little more serious. “There’s just one thing I want you to remember Chelsea” said the Lieutenant dropping the rank protocol. “To Rick, Star Fleet is a higher calling, he loves you very much, but if you make him choose, he will choose Starfleet above love. I’m sorry.”
Chelsea went cold. One minute Erica was saying it was love and for a lifetime's commitment, now she was delivering her mother's message. Back off. Starfleet has prior claim. Confused, the CMO retreated behind shields.
"Don't be sorry. Life's a box of chocolates, as someone once said. All part of a rich tapestry which includes dark as well as light. Well, you take care of yourself. Your daughter would find it hard to cope without you at least out there somewhere." she said pleasantly. It wasn't up to her to tell this woman that her child was in her room breaking her heart because her mother made that same choice. It was one thing to choose to sacrifice oneself to someone who might leave you as part of his or her duty but another to expect a child to understand being second place in a situation that wasn't of their choosing.
Chelsea vowed to herself in that moment that if she and Rick made it into the future together, there would be no innocent children to suffer for their parents' choices and priorities. A sadness washed over her as the decision was made and she felt as if Rick had just asked her to make the ultimate choice between him and babies. A lump rose in her throat and after what had seemed like a lifetime to her but which was only seconds to Erica, she added a slightly wobbly.
"Goodnight Lieutenant. May the Prophets keep you safe and happy." at which point she cut the comm badge connection put it down and, wrapping herself in a long robe, fled silently out into the ship to try to sort out the mayhem in her head.
OFF:
A JP between:
Lt (jg) Richard Dunham
Squadron Leader
&
Lt. Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
CMO - DS5
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
| Title | (Pt 7) A Night Owl | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham | |
| Posted | Thu May 20, 2010 @ 9:00am | |
| Location | Luxury Suite - USS Hagnon | |
| Timeline | 02:00 hrs |
Chelsea stirred. She wasn't sleeping well aboard this Starship although she couldn't say why. Perhaps it was the change of momentum from an RGS (rotational-gravity-system) giant station to a starship actually in motion.
She slipped out of bed softly so as not to wake Rick, stopping only for a moment to watch lovingly as he slept. She then slipped into the bathroom and from there into the lounge. Getting a drink from the replicator she walked over to the windows and gazed out, taking stock of the changes that had happened in her life lately.
Her thoughts went to Ryan and Nora and hoped their trip to Bajor was going well. She really *should* go there herself somewhen in the near-ish future, she thought.
As she stood sipping her drink, Chelsea heard the sound of a comm badge and thinking it was hers she rushed silently to the bedroom with the intention of stopping it waking Rick by removing it to the other room to answer it. In her haste she snatched it up without checking whose it was and hurried back into the living space. A female voice was calling but she was whispering or at least that's what it sounded like. Chelsea was confused.
"Rick, Rick….You there Rick?” came a soft female voice from over the comm unit. In the bedroom there were noises of Dunham rolling over in his bed and beginning to snore. The female voice on the other side of the comm continued to talk; there was something familiar about her voice “Rick..wake up?”
Chelsea's first reaction to take the comm badge to allow him to sleep now presented her with a problem in that she either had to answer it or ignore it. What if it was urgent? She decided to return it to his bedside as quickly as she could so that he could answer it. Putting it down she nudged him gently.
"Rick... " she found herself whispering and almost laughed out loud when she realised what she was doing.
Tactfully, Chelsea decided that as soon as he had taken the call she would leave him alone with it. She tapped the badge so the call would not be disconnected as unanswered and put it into his hand, closing his fingers on it and shaking his shoulder. For some reason she felt it was better if whoever was on the other end shouldn't know Chelsea was there. Later she wondered why she'd felt like that but it was a spur of the moment thing and she left the room.
Rick stirred from his heavy slumber. He always slept better when onboard a star ship he found it relaxing to have something underneath him that was moving. After all a starship was where he had been born and raised. As he awoke he opened his heavy sleep filled eyes. He was still in that place between asleep and awake, and his thoughts were blurry. He had yet to feel the comm unit in his hand. “What?” he said dreamily. The answer didn’t come from Chelsea, it came from the female voice on his comm unit in his hand “Rick is that you?” Dunham was wide awake in a split second as he heard the voice and sat bolt upright in the bed. “Erica! Is that you?”
Chelsea had gone back to the living area and the door had automatically shut behind her. She ordered herself a redleaf tea from the replicator and sat in the raised observation area looking out of the panoramic windows at the stars as they rushed by. She was remembering her own days of service onboard starships. DS5 was her first Spacestation and there were many, varied memories that the moving stars conjured up.
Several minutes passed before Dunham emerged from their room. He held the comm unit in his hand and marched across the communal living area towards Kim’s room, he pressed the chime entry button, waited briefly before admittance, and then entered the room. Moments later he came back out into the luxury furnishing of the living area. He came over and sat on the chair arm were Chelsea sat, and gave her a hug.
"Hey babe." she settled into his arms, more than happy to snuggle there.
Dunham rested the side of his face on top of Chelsea’s head, and stroked her hair affectionately. “I love you.” He said with sincerity in his voice.
"I love you too" she responded. "It's late. Are you sleepy? I think I am again now"
At first Dunham didn’t respond, his mind troubled. He had a distant look on his face. It was almost as if he didn’t hear her. “It was Erica.” He softly “on the comm.” Trying to get something off his chest.
"Who's Erica?" she asked gently, aware there was something wrong but not wishing to push herself into it unless he wanted to share.
“Kim’s Mum” said Dunham sullenly and with a slight shake of his head. He gestured towards his nieces quarters. “She’s talking to her now.”
"Ah. You mentioned your sister but I didn't know her name. How is she?" Judging from Rick's tone and sad look, Chelsea figured this wasn't the happy family reunion it ought to be.
Dunham sighed slightly to himself. “Still undercover doing whatever it is Starfleet intelligence types do. Talking to us from god knows were. Apparently when she heard we were onboard mums ship, she tried to communicate to us straight away, before she had not been able to get in contact with me or Kim on the station, because her usual secretive techniques of covering her calls couldn’t get past Gabriel’s firewalls. Apparently she was impressed with them.”Dunham squeezed Chelsea more tightly. Whatever it is she is doing its got her worried, I could recognise it in her voice. It took all my powers of persuasion just to get her to talk with Kim.”
"I'm sorry Rick, you must be out of your mind with worry" Chelsea sympathised, holding him close. "It's a different lifestyle to any that I could imagine. How does Kim cope?" she asked.
Dunham nodded in agreement. “Not very well I’m afraid. With her father M.I.A since the end of the war and her mother on assignments like this, I do worry for her. But I’m no dad for the kid, I wouldn’t know how, she’s a stable family around her.” He shrugged “I don’t know, maybe I should get mum took look after her onboard here?” he said thinking out loud.
"You *say* that Rick, but you're doing a great job. Kim loves being around you. Your Mum can offer her a woman's touch...ish...." she smiled and shot him an upwards glance. "..but you're so much more open-minded. You can offer Kim a wider platform to grow from. If you'd prefer her to stay here, you should ask your Mum. If you're happy to have her with you but you're concerned about what is best, then why don't you give her the choice?" Chelsea offered.
Dunham nodded slowly in agreement “You are right of course.” He gave her a hug. “What would I do without your counsel?” he said looking down with a loving smile. “I’m sure her Granma would love to have Kim around. But I will ask Kim what it is she wants and what it is she wants to do. I got the impression from her mum that it may be a little while before she gets off this assignment.”
"Without my counsel you did perfectly well with your own awesome mind to make up." she smiled. "I just reflect what you're already thinking."
"Your right. I am awesome." he said with a smile. Chelsea was about to fire off a retort but before she could, there was a sound from Kim's room which made her stop and they both looked round.
Kim emerged from her quarters, tears in her eyes, she still held the comm badge in her hands. Dunham got up from the chair arm he was sitting on and opened his arms wide, he hugged his niece as she began to cry. The comm unit was still on as a questioning “hello?” could be heard from it. Dunham took the from Kim and gave it to Chelsea. “Talk to her while put Kim back to bed” he said picking up his niece and carrying her to her room. Chelsea was left in the room alone with the switched on comm unit their was another “hello?”
"Hi, this is Chelsea. Rick's just taken Kim back to her room, she was a bit emotional. We haven't been introduced. I'm..... " Chelsea began but before she got too far Erica responded.
“Lieutenant Commander Chelsea Adams, the woman who managed to win the heart of the chivalrous Richard Dunham. It’s a pleasure to hear from you Ma’am I’m Lieutenant Erica Dunham. Kim’s mum, I hope my mother wasn’t to much of a handful?”
Chelsea laughed. "Well, I hear tell that your husband got worse than I did, so I should count myself lucky, however, if I hadn't had Rick and Kim on my side I doubt I'd have been able to handle her alone. Hi Erica, It's lovely to speak to the mother who's done such a brilliant job bringing up such a special little lady as Kim. You must be so proud, she's a real character, quite a trouper and too much like her wonderful Uncle for safety.... at least *my* safety!"
There was a slight sigh from the other side of the comm. “Kim gets her carry on trouper, and stiff upper lip attitude from her father, as well as his stubbornness.....” there was a small laugh from a memory long ago. “Yes mother made him meet a Klingon ambassador in just his underwear, luckily for him the Klingon was in on it, being a friend of hers.” There was a pause “But yes Kim certainly has taken on some of Ricks mannerisms too. You look after Rick for me too. He needs you more than he lets on.”
Chelsea shook her head unseen. "I think that's the other way around" she replied. "Judging from the amount of times he's had me terrified for his life, stitching bits back on that no-one should ever be separated from in the first place, I doubt if *I* can keep him any more safe than I could your mother. I'm out of my depth in a family *this* determined to self-destruct in heroic acts of public service" This time it was Chelsea's turn to sigh. "It's actually me who is the dependent one though, emotionally. Rick's so strong and the whole universe is alright when he's in it."
There was a tone of happiness in Erica’s response “But it took him along time to get to that point.....I think he likes to think of himself as one of those Arthurian chivalric knights. But don’t worry Chelsea, from what I have heard you two are made for each other, and he loves you very very much. Don’t worry about the ‘family’ you’ll fit in just fine. I know Ricks been thinking of you two together in the future, and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you.”
Chelsea was moved to hear this from Erica. "I.... er.... thank you." she hardly knew how to reply at first. "I have to agree with him, I see him as a knight in shining armour too, albeit the metal of a fighter rather than chainmail but he's certainly been Sir Lancelot to me." she grinned at the image this conjured up. "Rick hasn't said anything about the future but there's time when we've got over the latest excitement.... which never actually seems to happen as they come thick and fast around your brother!" she laughed.
Erica’s tone became a little more serious. “There’s just one thing I want you to remember Chelsea” said the Lieutenant dropping the rank protocol. “To Rick, Star Fleet is a higher calling, he loves you very much, but if you make him choose, he will choose Starfleet above love. I’m sorry.”
Chelsea went cold. One minute Erica was saying it was love and for a lifetime's commitment, now she was delivering her mother's message. Back off. Starfleet has prior claim. Confused, the CMO retreated behind shields.
"Don't be sorry. Life's a box of chocolates, as someone once said. All part of a rich tapestry which includes dark as well as light. Well, you take care of yourself. Your daughter would find it hard to cope without you at least out there somewhere." she said pleasantly. It wasn't up to her to tell this woman that her child was in her room breaking her heart because her mother made that same choice. It was one thing to choose to sacrifice oneself to someone who might leave you as part of his or her duty but another to expect a child to understand being second place in a situation that wasn't of their choosing.
Chelsea vowed to herself in that moment that if she and Rick made it into the future together, there would be no innocent children to suffer for their parents' choices and priorities. A sadness washed over her as the decision was made and she felt as if Rick had just asked her to make the ultimate choice between him and babies. A lump rose in her throat and after what had seemed like a lifetime to her but which was only seconds to Erica, she added a slightly wobbly.
"Goodnight Lieutenant. May the Prophets keep you safe and happy." at which point she cut the comm badge connection put it down and, wrapping herself in a long robe, fled silently out into the ship to try to sort out the mayhem in her head.
OFF:
A JP between:
Lt (jg) Richard Dunham
Squadron Leader
&
Lt. Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
CMO - DS5