A Night in the Arboretum, part 2

Posted on Sun Jun 27th, 2010 @ 9:48am by Commodore Samantha York & Lieutenant JG Elizabeth Jackson & Colonel Damon Raine

1,040 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Transitions
Location: Arboretum
Timeline: Current

ON

[OLD]

"You certainly have an affinity for water, don't you?" He said with his hands at his sides.

[NEW]

Sam looked over at him and laughed. "I have an affinity for nature. I love to camp. Camping is usually a dirty endeavor. So, I frequently use water to keep clean." She chuckled as she stepped back out of the water and walked around to where Damon stood. "Besides, it's a lot of fun. You should try it." She gave him a teasing look. "There are no fish, either."

She shook out her hair before walking up to Damon and giving him a kiss. "I'm glad you could make it. We have the arboretum to ourselves until 1000 tomorrow. That's when Lizzie returns and starts preparations for the 'grand opening' at 1200."

"How did you manage to convince her to give us the arboretum for the night?" And to lock it up too, he didn't add.

"I asked Lizzie -- she's the one in charge of the arboretum -- if I could spend the night as the arboretum doesn't open until tomorrow.' Sam shrugged. "She said yes. It was her idea to lock the door." And to invite Damon -- although Sam would have asked him anyway. "I won't have a chance to go camping on Tiberius V, so this is the next best thing," she told him.

"Well I for one am glad that we have some time to relax. And," He said as he started removing his clothing "a fresh pool of water with nothing in it that happens to like the taste of humans."

He dropped his clothes in a heap and walked casually into the refreshing water. Once he was waist deep he submerged beneath the surface and came up under the cascading water. He grinned like a child as the water ran over him with some force.

"I think you may have been up to something." He called out as he waved Sam back in.

Sam grinned and jumped into the water. It was nice to know the water was clean and fish-free. She made her way over to Damon, grinning. "It's great, isn't it?"

He took his hands and ran them over his hair "Is it ever! Been a while since I could relax while in the water. To date, pools of water are ranking pretty high with caves for likelihood of sustaining an injury." He took a surreptitious look around the water as a joke.

"The only thing you have to worry about in here is me," she jokingly replied. "You never know, I have been known to bite."

Damon smiled as he swam over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "A quality of yours I'm sure I can live with." He closed the gap and kissed her.

Sam wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into the kiss. The more time she spent with Damon, the more she enjoyed being with him. Sometimes she found herself sitting in her office, thinking about Damon and grinning. Now, however, she was remembering the last time they were in the water together. And how much more she was enjoying it this time.

Damon was likewise thinking of that away mission, more specifically how much things had changed since then. It had never occurred to him back then how much Samantha could mean to him. Right now, the future looked good.

He continued to hold on to her as he gently rested his forehead on hers. "This was a great idea."

"I needed this. Just to get away for a few hours. With you." She gave him a quick kiss. "And we have the whole place to ourselves." It would be much harder to close the arboretum once it officially opened, so she was going to take full advantage of the opportunity. And the company.

"So I take it that the stresses of a commanding your own ship are starting to become apparent?" He said, reading into her comment.

"Dealing with the Orion falling apart and now the holodeck virus and the replicator 'prank' are taking their toll, yes." She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll get the hang of things before too long. Especially if I have you to help me relax after a long day."

"I think I can accommodate you there." he said with a grin. "Hopefully the problems get sorted out soon, I wouldn't want to be in deep space with the replicators fritzing. I didn't know there was a problem with the holodecks, though."

Sam hugged him tightly for a minute. She really didn't know what she'd do if she didn't have Damon. It amazed her how intrinsic a part of her life he'd become in such a short time. She stepped back and replied, "There was a virus in the holodeck subroutine. It caused the safety protocols to fail and the programs to lock up. I think we've taken care of it." She shrugged, not wanting to dwell too much on the subject. "Every ship has its problems when you first start out. Fortunately the Calypso's have been minor."

"I don't know I would classify that as a minor problem. Imagine if we weren't on leave and the Marines were training in the tactical holodeck without safety protocols. It's only a non issue because no one was hurt, it could have been an easily fatal glitch." He shook his head. "I'm glad no one found out the problem first hand."

Sam rubbed her leg, remembering her own experience. "You're right. We have been fortunate." She smiled. "But the virus is gone and the replicators have been fixed, so I'm hoping the worst is over. And, best of all, we have tonight to celebrate. The opening of the arboretum; the launch of the Calypso and the much-deserved promotion of my favorite Marine."

Damon moved back a pace in the water with a confused look on his face. "Is this your way of saying there is another man?" He let her know he was joking by the slight lift at the corner of his mouth.

(To be continued...)

Major Damon Raine
Marine CO
USS Calypso

Commander Samantha York
Commanding Officer
USS Calypso

Ensign Elizabeth Jackson (NPC)
Botanist
USS Calypso

 

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