Of all the Gin Joints in the Galaxy...

Posted on Sun Jun 17th, 2018 @ 4:37am by Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson (*) & Johnathen Anderson Jr

Mission: Ishimura
Location: USS Ishimura, Officer's Mess
Timeline: USS Ishimura - 2241
1724 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Johnathen sat in the Officer's Mess, enjoying a grilled chicken ceasar salad, with extra dressing, for lunch. He was currently reading over a few technical manuals, studying. In a little over a year, he would come onto his first promotion window would be opening, and he wanted to ace his exams. He had been on the Ishimura, as a junior Helmsman, since he graduated from the Academy over a year prior. He had quickly fallen in love with the Constitution Class starship, and hoped to, one day, sit in the center seat as captain of his own starship. Every spare moment that he had, he was doing everything he could to make that dream a reality. There was nothing else in his life but his duty and dreams.

Cassie glanced around the Officer's mess unsure. She was pretty sure she was making a huge error just upping and leave Tevir like she had after the miscarriage and his parents informing her it was all her fault for being genetically faulted despite Tevir's disgust at the words they had used. She had run and run until she had run back onto a ship into space in her pain and anger at everything. It was the only thing she knew how to do.

As Johnathen continued to study as he ate his lunch, he suddenly became aware of a familiar scent. His brow knitted slightly as he tried to place it, only to do so an instant later. His features paled as he slowly looked up from his work.

That was when he saw her.

The woman who had so completely captured his heart, and then destroyed it so thoroughly. The last time he had seen Cassie, was on Vulcan, a couple years ago, when he found out that, instead of getting the chance to ask her father for his blessings to ask Cassie to marry him, she was already marrying another man.

He suddenly felt a strong urge to get out of the mess hall. He couldn't believe that she was here. He quickly collected his notes and his lunch dishes, his appetite suddenly gone. He quickly moved over to the recycler and slid his tray into the small alcove. He then moved to the exit. As he started to leave, another officer was coming into the mess, and the pair bumped into each other, causing Johnathen to drop some of his work onto the deck.

Cassie turned hearing the familiar voice apologising to someone and nearly passed out there and then on the spot. He looked so much older than the last time she had seen him nearly two years ago. She shook her head, fate was an awful bitch to put them on the same ship when she was at her lowest. She noticed the paperwork on the floor. Without a second thought, she moved to the book and picked it up. She slowly moved over and held it out.

Seeing the movement to his left, Johnathen stood, straightening the papers he had just picked up. He then saw his book being handed to him out the corner of his eye. As he reached out and took hold of it, his eyes followed in the same direction, only to lock on the eyes that had haunted him for the past two years. His mouth suddenly dry, he had no words to give her. "Th-thanks," he mumbled, taking the book and turning away, quickly making his escape into the corridor, the doors sliding shut behind him.

The woman took a moment to center herself before she followed after him. She knew this was all on her, all on the way she had treated him because she hadn't know her own biology. "Nath..." She called as soon as they got to a corridor that was quiet.

Johnathen's pace studdered slightly when he heard the name that only she called him. It was a private connection between the two of them. Shaking his head out of the memories, he resumed his earlier speed of retreat. Only to stop a few paces forward.

While he stopped, he did not turn around. "What do you want, Ka'see?" He deliberately used the Vulcan pronunciation of her name. He refused to look at her, for fear that he would lose his self control, and what little dignity he had rebuilt since she had destroyed him.

"Nothing... I am... You look well." She finally stammered through thinking of the last words they had spoken for a moment. Their last bitter conversation still rung in her ears, his biting remarks, his devastating retorts. Why did two people who thought so highly of each other spend their last moments expressing such pain?

Johnathen inhaled a ragged breath and then slowly let it out. "It took me a long time to get to where I am now." If anypne passed by at that moment, they would see the young helmsman, standing there, knuckles white and jaw clenched, his eyes full of tears threarening to burst free.

The woman nodded and took a step back still finding the new uniform uncomfortable when it used to have been the thing she had worn the most. She looked so much slimmer than she had before. "Ok... I get it... I'll put in a transfer... I was assigned this ship as it was one of the few that was coming near Vulcan." She whispered holding up her hands turning away to walk back to get some food.

Suddenly turning around, Johnathen sermed very angry. "That's all you have to say to me? You'll put in for a transfer?! So you're going to run away?!" There were so many things that he wanted to say to her. How much she hurt him, how much it had wrecked his ability to trust his heart to anyone... how much he missed her, how good it felt (even through the pain) to see her again, how much he wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go.


How much he still loved her.

"Do you have any idea what that day did to me? I have never felt that level of betrayal before in my life. It destroyed me. It took the help of my team to get me back on track and save my grades enough to graduate." He shook his head and nearly pleaded. "Why?! Why didn't you tell me that you were already betrothed?! Why start a relationship with me, and lead me on, for years, if you knew that it was impossible." He paused again before asking the heavy question.

"Why didn't you allow me to be your champion?"

The woman didn't turn around for a moment and looked like she would carry on taking that step away from him. Slowly she turned and shook her head. She didn't know why she didn't tell him especially when they were so serious. Part of her thought that it was down to purely not believing it would happen. "I guess I didn't beleive it would happen. Who would want a half breed." She said bitterly. "I see you've been doing some research." It wasn't really known off world so he must have been doing some pretty intensive research. "I couldn't have you dead." She looked like a mole, scared of the light and desperate to claw its way into the soil, bury itself out of view, hide away from all it was feeling.

A few beats passed between them, when suddenly, Johnathen started to move towards Cassie. He stopped centimeters away from her. In a shaky voice that was full of emotion, he looked directly into her eyes and said, "I would." His breathing was becoming more ragged, as if he was about to fall to pieces. "I always did." He paused, and then, "I still do. Cas, I love you. I never stopped loving you. Even when my heart, my life, was falling apart, I never stopped loving you."

"Nath... I couldn't let you throw your life away for me... You should have found yourself some nice girlfriend so you could be equal and not have to...to..." She failed at her words as she struggled to stay strong. "I can't do this right now... My head isn't in the right place." She looked at him distressed as everything that had happened in the last few months flew through her head again.

As much as Johnathen was hurting, seeing Cassie is such pain melted his defenses. Shaking his head, he responded. "You still haven't figured me out yet, have you? I don't want any other woman in my life. The only woman that I want to go to sleep next to, and wake up next to, is you." He stepped even closer to her, and then leaned in, softly kissing her on her right cheek.

"I threw you, I know I did... I couldn't let you throw it away... I didn't want to let you die. " She breathed, looking at their joined hands as he came closer. She had dreamt of moments like this, she had wanted nothing more than to see his familiar face and hear his voice.

"I won't deny it," he whispered. "You hurt me very deeply. However, if you will promise me, here and now, that there will be no more secrets between us," Johnathen paused before continuing. "Then, given time, I think we can be friends again." He didn't say that he wished they could be more. He would have, however, she was married now.

The woman nodded at him. It sounded like a positive step for them to take after everything they had been through. "Friends." She agreed softly.

Johnathen nodded. "Alright then." An awkward silence hung between them briefly. "Well," he began, unsure of how to continue. "I should get going for now. My shift begins in a little bit." He seemed to hesitate, then leaned in and gave Cassie a light kiss on her cheek again, before pulling back and starting to turn to walk away. "Welcome aboard. I'll see you later." He then finished turning and quickly made his way down the corridor and out of sight, leaving Cassie standing there by herself

OFF::

Ensign Cassie McAvoy
Science Officer - Biology
USS Ishimura
(PNPC Gregnol)

Ensign Johnathen Anderson Jr
Helmsman
USS Ishimura
(PNPC Roberston)