Enjoying the Night

Posted on 15 Oct 2017 @ 4:36pm by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Commodore Harvey Geisler

2,926 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Crossing Over
Location: Holodeck
Timeline: November 12, 2388

It wasn't an easy task planning something like this and keeping it secret, but she'd managed to pull it off despite nearly slipping up and telling Harvey on more than one occasion. Now, though, there was no more need to keep it to herself as they were now husband and wife, and she could reveal the surprise she planned just for him... something she was pretty positive he'd never encountered in his life before now.

Now, here they were, standing in the holodeck... Harvey wearing a blindfold with the program paused around him. Joey was a little nervous about this because she wasn't sure what he would think about it, but her motives were pretty genuine. And she'd been slacking on her duties when it came to getting him to live again, but this was definitely going to fix that.

"So... I knew we wouldn't have time to take a honeymoon in the traditional sense, but I think we can spare a few hours to have a little fun," she said. "So, I had a program created for us that I think you might like. Computer, start program."

Once the program was active, various sounds of excitement and wonderful scents filled the space around them. "Here goes," Joey said as she stepped behind her husband and removed the blindfold to reveal their surroundings to them. They were standing at the entrance of an amusement park.

In all directions, vibrant lights were strung about and leading the way to countless rides. Among them were a ferris wheel, carousel, bumper cars, a pendulum ride and everything in between. There were even a number of stuffed animal lined booths and food vendors with everything from funnel cakes to deep fried Twinkies. Nothing was spared.

It was pretty clear a lot of thought and planning went into her current surprise for him, and Joey found herself holding her breath as she waited for some kind of reaction. Her love for him was what continued to be a driving force to keep him moving forward with the continuous progress he was making.

Harvey did his best to refrain from frowning while blinded. Wear shorts, she said. Wear a t-shirt, she said. It'll be fun, she said. Honestly, Harvey had learned to trust Joey's judgment at each and every turn so far. The room, prior to the program's activation was chilly, and all one could hear was the sound of dormant projectors, just waiting for their next visual and forcefield challenge. All of that changed in an instant when his ears and nostrils were overwhelmed with sound and smell. Even his tongue swore it could taste fried batter and sweet lemonade.

He assumed that with the program's activation that he could remove the blindfold. So he did. No verbal reaction escaped his mouth. Instead, he slowly spun around, taking in the gargantuan sights around him. "What... is this place?"

"It's an amusement park, or fair, depending on who you ask," she replied, looking around a bit. "I wanted to do something special... something that I didn't think you'd done before. We can do anything you want to... any program you want to if you don't like this one." Now, Joey wasn't sure she'd made the right choice. Maybe something a bit more... relaxed would have been better.

Harvey did his best to keep from frowning, not because he didn't enjoy where he was or what she'd done, but because he thought he might be giving Joey the wrong impression. With the two new lifeforms growing inside of her, he knew as a doctor that he was going to be in for a roller coaster of a pregnancy right beside her. "It's just... I've never been to one of these before."

"I've only ever been once, and it was so long ago I can barely remember it," Joey said as she gave him one of her best smiles. "You'll have fun, I promise. Trust me."

He chuckled. "Of that, I have no doubt," he said, extending to her an elbow. "Shall we?" he asked.

Joey grinned and took his arm. "So... what do you want to do first? Bumper cars... the ferris wheel... a roller coaster?" she asked, her giddiness almost boiling over. Sometimes, it was nice to be a big kid, and she was about to enjoy every second of it.

"Let's start simple," Harvey said, thinking not of himself, but the precious cargo. Before ramping up the thrill factor, he had to know she'd be fine as the night progressed. "But first, what is a ferris wheel?"

"That is," she answered, pointing toward a fairly large wheel just ahead of them. It was in motion, moving at a fairly leisurely pace and showing no sign of being dangerous. Unless you counted people rocking their cars back and forth... or happened to be afraid of heights. "We can do that one first."

"Ah," Harvey remarked. "I guess I should have figured that out, seeing how it really is a wheel. Then again," he said, pointing to a nearby structure that spun clockwise with faux horses moving up and down in alternating patterns. "That could have also been the ferris wheel."

"You're right, it could have been," Joey agreed, debating which one of the two they should try first. She pointed toward the one with the horses. "Let's do the carousel first. I think that one is likely the simplest ride there is."

"Simpler than a ferris wheel?" he asked, looking back and forth between the two. Still, starting on the ground was not a bad idea, or so thought his feet as they led him and Joey towards the carousel.

Joey moved with him, trying to decide which horse she wanted as they moved toward the carousel. She couldn't wait to try everything. "It looks like it. It just moves in circles while the horses move up and down."

It was indeed simple enough. The carousel came to a stop conveniently as Harvey and Joey arrived. It was cleared a moment later, and the ride conductor permitted them to board. "Ladies first," Harvey said, planning to help hoist Joey onto the horse of her choosing.

Without any hesitation, she stepped onto the carousel and chose a horse on the inside while giving a silent prayer that she wouldn't get sick. Something like that would definitely ruin the evening, and Joey didn't want that to happen. She pushed that thought from her mind and opted for a white horse that had all the characteristics of one that had seen a bit of use over time. "Think I could steal this from the holodeck?"

Harvey chuckled. "Well, I doubt the holodeck will miss it if it's done," helping her onto the horse. "Though the real question would be where we would put it."

"In the nursery. When we have one," she replied once she was settled on her horse. "It's a bit much, though, but it's gorgeous." Joey found herself looking over at him to see which horse he was going to choose, though she had no doubt he wouldn't stray too far from her.

"A bit much?" Harvey asked, mounting the horse directly beside her. "I didn't think that was possible for Joey Co... Ge..." Harvey paused, realizing that they'd never had a particular discussion.

"Geisler. I'm going to take your last name if you're okay with that," she said.

He smiled and nodded, the most simplest and sincere way to acknowledge that. "Still," he said as the carousel began to move, "I'm sure we could figure something out if you are as attached to that horse as you look."

"I know realistically I can't take the horse out of here, but it's gorgeous, and would make a nice addition for the babies once they're here," Joey said, bracing herself for the ride to start. When it did, there was only a slight jolt before the horses began to move. "There's not much room for it, either. I'll just have to bring them here to see it, which will work just a well."

"When they're old enough," Harvey added. "Or maybe we'll just take them to a real one."

"Maybe so," Joey agreed, resting her head against the pole she was holding on to.

"How are you feeling?" Harvey asked, doing his best to enjoy the ride despite the concern he had for his wife and mother-to-be's health.

"A little tired and nauseous, but I'm motoring through it. Don't worry about me, though. We're here so you can have fun," she answered as she looked toward him with a smile. Joey still couldn't believe he was officially her husband, and that was simply because she'd painted a mental picture of herself as being someone who wasn't worth marrying. "It's been a while since we've done anything like this."

Harvey nodded. "Doesn't quite compare to a bungalow on a remote island," he said. Harvey looked over to Joey and smiled, "Of course, spending any time with you is better than a vacation anywhere in the galaxy."

Joey couldn't help but smile at his words. That was likely one of the sweetest things she'd ever heard in all her life. "I feel the same way about you, you know. I know things moved really fast for us, and I have to admit that I do ask myself if you might come to regret that one day, but I've never been this happy in my life," she said softly. "And I did create a program with our bungalow if you'd rather be there."

He shook his head. "At forty years old, I don't think I could handle going too slow. Getting pregnant so quickly, that I wasn't ready for. But at the same time, I think I've been ready to be a father longer than I consciously knew."

"Our babies are already incredibly lucky, and that's because they'll have you as their father. You're an amazing man, Mister Geisler, and you've made great strides. And like our babies, I'm also very lucky," she said. "I believe in you with my whole heart, Harvey, and I can't wait to see where life takes up." With that being said, she spoke to the computer and had the program changed. They were now standing inside the living room of their bungalow in Bora Bora, and everything was indentical to what it was back on Earth.

Harvey almost had to catch himself as the forward motion suddenly came to a stop. In an instant, the smell of funnel cakes and cotton candy had been replaced with the smell of salt water and fresh plants. He stepped forward and took both of her hands in his own. "And I you, Missus Geisler."

Joey gave his hands a gentle squeeze as she leaned in to kiss him softly. "What do you say we go for a swim?" she asked. Since changing their surroundings, she could already feel a change in herself. The nausea was still there, but she was completely relaxed because the area was so familiar.

Though he hadn’t been expecting the carnival, Harvey found himself slightly disappointed. Perhaps this was Joey's way of telling him that she wasn’t ready for the program she'd picked. “Sounds like fun,” he told her for a smile. “Computer, swimsuit.”

"I'm okay with gorging myself on carnival food until I pop, too, but you get the ultimate decision," she declared, looking around the bungalow briefly before back to him. "Here... or the carnival. There's a roller coaster with our names on it."

“Is everything okay?” Harvey asked, arching an eyebrow. He found himself confused as the swimsuit materialized, wondering what or why Joey was acting in this manner. Was this pregnancy brain hard at work already?

"Yes... no. I can't make up my mind," she sighed. Joey slumped down on the couch behind her and put her head in her hands. "I just wanted to do something special for you, and now I feel like I'm all over the place. One thing sounds good, then something else does, then I just get confused. I need you to make up my mind for me."

Harvey sat on the couch beside her and placed his right hand on her upper back. He moved it right to left in a slow motion, slightly pressing his fingertips more than he was his palm. His left thumb, however, brushed the bottom of the band she'd placed earlier on his left middle finger. It hadn't been a totally foreign sensation as the place had been occupied once before, but it was a reminder of the commitment he'd made. "They both sound good," he told her gently. "Does it matter where we are, as long as we are together?"

Snapping his fingers, Harvey realized the perfect location. "Hold that thought." In a smooth motion, Harvey slipped a leg under both of Joey's and swept outward, rendering her legs as straight as possible. "Computer, change program to Geisler Charlie Hotel Nocturne." In an instant, the bungalow disappeared, as did the couch they were sitting on. Underneath the both of them, it was replaced with sand, a fine, familiar sand. They were on a beach, the same Hawaiian beach they'd frequented many times during their furlough on Earth. The ocean waves crashed against the beach while above them, the familiar Sol star was setting, casting the richest oranges, pinks and reds against the horizon.

He was right. It didn't matter where they were as long as they were together, and now they were settled on a familiar beach as the sun was beginning to set brought a smile to her face. A smile that reached her eyes and beyond if that were even a possibility. "Now this... this is perfect," she said softly, finding herself relaxing.

Maybe the tension from everything that happened throughout the last few months was still getting to her, or maybe her hormones were all over the place, but the likeliest scenario was a bit of both things were wreaking havoc on her. Still, though, seeing the sight before her... the sky lit up in the various hues of orange, purple and pink... it seemed to make her feel so much better.

Joey looked toward Harvey with the smile still present and brought a hand to rest lightly against his cheek. "Thank you," she said softly, rubbing the pad of her thumb over his jaw.

He returned her smile. His hand stopped massaging her back and moved to latch onto her far shoulder. Harvey tightened his grip to pull her close for a kiss. "You're welcome," he told her, looking back out to watch the sunset. He'd be perfectly content to sit her with her to watch the star disappear beyond the horizon, giving them both the perfect ending to a wonderful day.

She rested her head against his shoulder and watched as the sun began to disappear on the horizon. "You know," Joey began softly. "This is one of few things I miss about Earth. The sunsets were always beautiful, but they're even more so when you can share them with someone you love."

"Such are the things we sacrifice when we choose Starfleet," Harvey confessed. "Sunsets are beautiful, and so are the many stellar phenomena we've seen in the unknown. And... as much danger that supposedly awaits us inside the zone... We'll be the first humans to see it. I joined Starfleet twenty years ago for the opportunities it provides, not knowing that I would wind up here today."

"I don't think any of us truly know where we'll wind up when we join Starfleet. And, I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being more than a little worried about what could happen once we get through the zone," she said softly. "There are so many things that can take place, and that's exactly what concerns me. Is it necessary that we do this? Absolutely. Would I be so worried if it was just myself I had to think about? No."

She was a Starfleet officer first and foremost, and with that came risks. Risks that they were all aware of in the unknown that was space. "No matter what, though, I'll have a job to do just like everyone else, and I'll do it without question. Long nights and all."

Long nights indeed. But all of that could wait until later. Tonight was about their union, the closure of their previous lives, only to be followed by the dawn of a new era. "We'll be fine," Harvey assured her. "We'll be back on a real beach before you know it."

"I know we'll be fine," she agreed, slipping an arm around the small of his back and giving him a gentle squeeze. Joey had faith when it came to the future, and a positive attitude to go with it. "As eager as I am to get back home and see a real beach, there are some pretty important things that need to be taken care of first." And while she was talking about the probe, she wasn't going to mention it by name. He needed the answers, and she was going to everything she could to get them.

"And all of that can wait," Harvey told her. The stardate on the recorded message was the following year. They had that long to figure it all out. "For now, let's enjoy tonight."

RSS Feed