Dani Meets Walsh

Posted on 24 Jun 2016 @ 3:55am by Commander Terry Walsh & Lieutenant JG Daniella Blake

4,725 words; about a 24 minute read

Mission: Risky Business
Location: Deck 5 - Swimming Pool
Timeline: MD 01

Daniella Blake, or Dani as she preferred to be called by others, made her way toward the pool on deck five. Her day hadn't been a bad one, but she definitely could use a little down time, and there was nothing quite like swimming to unwind. She made her way over to a bench and set her towel down, then kicked off the flip flops she wore on her feet before she reached for the hem of the little black cover-up she was wearing to lift it above her head, revealing a black one piece. It was a daring choice, maybe, but she was comfortable enough in her own skin not to let anything like that bother her.

There weren't very many people around, which she was grateful for. It was possible there weren't many people that knew the pool existed, and if that was the case, she planned to keep it to herself. Smiling, the petite blonde made her way toward the water. It looked so inviting and beckoned to her. Who was she to deny it what it really wanted? She took each step one at a time, letting the water creep up her small body before she dove beneath the surface to swim to the other end.

Terry’s day had been rather rough, what with all the meetings and briefings and such. Plus…everything else. He sat in his quarters, staring at the wall for about ten minutes, trying to figure out what to do. He could always go to the Security training room and practice his SAR training. Or he could go to the gym. That was always an option, but it wasn’t all that relaxing. Then there was Talon’s. But he would be doing the same thing as he was doing here…sitting and staring. He needed something really relaxing…something that would put him at ease. Then he remembered that the ship had a pool. Terry quickly changed into his swim trunks, tossed towel around his neck, and put on his beach shoes.

The doors slid open as Terry entered the pool area. There were a few people in there, but not really that many. He didn’t know any of them, but recognized a couple of enlisted personnel from the Flight Deck as they left. Terry walked over to a bench and kicked his beach shoes off underneath. He removed the towel from his neck and put it on the bench. Rather than choosing the steps, Terry walked to the other end and sat on the edge of the pool, gently sliding into the water. It felt wonderful.

Dani swam to the other end of the pool and blinked when she saw a person slip into the pool right. She was heading straight for him, but there was no way she was going to be able to stop in time before running into him. Momentum kept her moving forward. A momentary sense of panic set in, but there was no stopping the inevitable. She hit the big guy and surfaced a few inches away from him, blushing bright red. "I... uh... I'm sorry. I... tried to stop, but I was too close."

Terry felt a rather solid bump in his abs and wavered backward a bit due to being in the water. He was caught off guard and had a surprised look on his face when the bump surfaced. The bright red complexion on the petite blonde caused him to smile a bit. He looked down at her, "Heh, no worries. You didn't do any damage." Terry backed up a step to give her a bit more space so maybe she wouldn't feel as embarrassed. "Terry Walsh," he said. "And you would be?"

"Daniella Blake... Dani, if what I prefer people to call me, though," She said, returning his smile as she pushed her hair from her face. The small woman was still a mite embarrassed. "I'm glad. That I didn't do any damage, I mean. You're a pretty large man, and someone my size..." She closed her mouth and blushed a bit more.

“Daniella…Dani, then,” replied Terry. "Dani it is. Uh, someone your size what?" he asked. Then he smiled. "Eh, it's okay. Like I said, no worries. At least you didn't run into me coming 'round the bend in the corridor out there. You might have fallen then. The water gives a bit."

"I'm quite small compared to a lot of people," Dani said, leaning back to float onto her back, but keeping her head lifted a bit so she could still hear him. "You're right... I probably would have flown backwards. It'd be like hitting a brick wall outside of the water."

“Oh, I get it,” he said. “Well, I’m quite a bit larger and broader than most. So yeah, brick wall and all.” Terry continued standing in the pool. But he did duck underneath to wet his head. “So Dani, what do you do on this ship?”

"I'm a nurse. How about you?" She asked, turning her head to look over at him.

A nurse, huh, he thought. He looked down at her, "I'm a pilot. Technically though, Squadron Commander. But always a pilot at heart."

Dani righted herself and tread the water to keep from going under. "A pilot... Squadron Commander, even... has to be a pretty interesting career path. Do you like it?"

"Um, yeah, I like it," he said. That's nice, he thought. "Yeah, I like it a lot. How do you like being a nurse? I mean, helping and healing people...that's got to be a great job."

"It has its highs and its lows," The blonde haired woman replied. "It's a pretty good job, though. I like it. Before I came here, though, I had nothing but problems with my former CMO. He seemed to get a kick out of rubbing me the wrong way. We had many blow out fights as a result."

Terry sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that, Dani. I hope you're getting along better with Doctor Kij, if you've met her that is. Anyway, he doesn't sound like a very good CMO in my opinion if he got his kicks from aggravating his staff."

"That's just it... it was only with me. He didn't act that way around anyone else," Dani stated. "There were times I thought we were going to come to physical blows because of how heated things got. Thankfully, though, it never got that far. I always ended up walking away. I might be little, but I'm feisty. As far as Doctor Kij. I've met her."

Terry shook his head and leaned back to float. He paddled away from the edge of the pool just a bit and said, "That's terrible. But you did the right thing, walking away." He paused and grinned. "You know, despite your size, you were actually the bigger person there. But feisty? You?" He just couldn't picture such petite woman as feisty.

"That's right," Dani said with a smile. "Never judge a book by its cover. I'm like a spider monkey."

Terry started laughing and had to quickly go from floating to treading water. "You? A feisty spider monkey? Then he shook his head. "I bet you give the other nurses and doctors a run for their money." He could just picture Sickbay in a frenzy.

The petite woman couldn't help but laugh when he started to. "You just pictured Sickbay in complete chaos with me at the reigns, didn't you?"

Terry started laughing even more. "Yeah, I did. How did you know? Are you an undercover Betazoid or something?" He chuckled some more as he joked.

Dani laughed and shook her head. "No, I promise I'm not. I'm just a little bitty human woman with a sense of humor."

"A sense of humor is great thing to have," said Terry. "You know, we're in a swimming pool and we're just floating and treading water. What do you say to a swim? I mean, that's what you were doing when you torpedoed me." He grinned.

"I'd say... I'll race you to the other side." The small woman said with a grin of her own before she took off. Despite him being so much longer than she was, she wasn't about to let him beat her.

"Hey that sounds like a..." Terry stopped in mid-sentence and shook his head as Dani sped off through the water. He wasn't sure if he would win or not. Sure he was taller, but she was slender. And he already knew how fast she was. Terry took off in the direction of the opposite end of the pool. He tried his best to stay in the marked lane, but got outside the lines once in a while. That always happened with his bulk.

Dani sped through the water, coming up for breath on every other stroke and urging herself forward. She didn't think she was going to win, but speed was on her side. If he beat her, though, she'd be okay with that. She wasn't a sore loser or a poor sport. Taking a second, she glanced behind her to see where Terry
was before she began moving as fast as she could.

Terry's arms came down on the water with a splash at every stroke. He had a feeling he was making more waves and noise than anything. He wasn't perfect at swimming, but it was fun. And it was more cardio than he usually got in the gym. So in his opinion, it wasn't bad. He took an opportunity to look up and saw that he was gaining on Dani, though not fast enough.

She was so close, and had no intentions of slowing down now. Raising her head to pull in another breath, she propelled herself through the water using her arms and legs until she came to a stop at the far wall. Here, she was able to stand up, the water level coming just above her stomach. "That was so much fun." She wasn't even a little winded, either, which meant she kept herself in shape.

Terry didn't come in that far behind Dani, but it was still proof that he needed to practice swimming more. He reached the wall and stood, mostly out of the water compared to Dani. "That was fun, wasn't it." He took a few brief seconds to catch his breath. "It also told me that I need to practice swimming more and that I should add some cardio to my workout. Heh, at least more than I do. You, on the other hand, really were a torpedo."

"From the looks of it, you're in great shape," She said, smiling up at him. "But... I'll let you in on a little secret. I was captain of my swim team in high school, and was swimming well before then. My Dad tossed me into a pool when I was two years old, and it's stuck with me ever since."

"Heh, thanks. But I really should get some more cardio, like swimming," he said. "But that little secret of yours explains a lot. Did you grow up near a beach? 'Cause with a swimming background like that, it'd be a sad thing not to have grown up near one."

"I can help you out with cardio if you want," Then she realized how bad that sounded and blushed bright red. "As a swim buddy... if you want one. I'm from Las Vegas, so I didn't grow up near any beaches. We did have a pool, though," She moved onto her back and began to float again, then used her arms to move herself back to the deep end. "What about you, Terry? Where are you from?"

Terry looked down at Dani and smiled at her blushing. "I understand what you meant, Dani. Thank you, a swim buddy sounds like a fine idea. We'd have to schedule it around my SAR training with the Security Chief, though. That's also off duty. But, Vegas, huh. That's nice. As for me, well, I was born in New York City on Earth and then moved to San Diego." Terry followed her example and floated his way back to the deep end.

"New York, huh? That had to have been quite interesting," Dani said with a smile. "I've always wanted to visit there, but I never got the chance to. Maybe some day I'll get there. As far as working around schedules, we can do that. Just let me know, and I'll be here."

"Yeah, it was pretty interesting," said Terry. "I'll take a look at the schedule and see what I have open. Then I'll let you know and we can go from there. So, what was it like growing up in Las Vegas." Terry continued floating once he reached the deep end.

"No different from most places, I imagine. It was interesting, and I saw quite the characters come through," She replied. "We were pretty sheltered."

Terry splashed some of the water on his torso and face. "Quite the characters, you say. What made them like that? I mean, was it the way looked or acted? Wait, I bet it was their personalities."

"That was a great bit of it," The small woman said as her eyes drifted closed. "Who knows? Maybe one day you can visit Las Vegas and see what I mean in person."

Terry sighed. "Visiting Las Vegas would be great," he said. "Because that means we would be back at Earth. And I could visit...family." He breathed deeply. "Yeah, if the Black Hawk ever makes it back to Earth, I'm definitely taking advantage of any shore leave."

"That's what I plan to do, too. I haven't seen my family for a little over three years," Dani said, sounding a bit wistful.

"Heh, it's been about that long for me, too," said Terry. "Let's see, it was...twenty-three eighty-five when I was last back there." He looked up at the ceiling. "You know, there's nothing like the blues and greens of Earth from space to welcome you back."

Dani smiled and looked over to the big guy. There was a lot more to him than the intimidating appearance on the outside. A softer side. Did many people ever get the chance to see it? She somehow doubted that. "You're right. It's one of the most gorgeous welcomes that ever existed. Maybe we'll get the chance to see it again in the future."

"I hope we do," said Terry. He just had to find a way to change the subject. If he didn't, he would start thinking about the last time he was there and the reason behind it. And he didn't need that right now. "So, other than swimming, what else does Nurse Dani like to do when she's not in Sickbay?"

"Well," She began with a smile. "Nurse Dani likes to swim, but I'm pretty sure you've figured that out by now. I also love to cook. Of course, being where we are and all doesn't give me much of a chance to do that. I can play the guitar, and sometimes I'll sing while I'm doing it. And, if the mood strikes, I'll dance. There are so many things I love to do, but we'd be here forever if I tried to name them all. How about you?"

Terry laughed a bit. "Sounds like you keep pretty busy. And are talented, for that matter...singing, playing, dancing. But me, well, I like to big game hunt, preferably on a planet to a holodeck any day. Oh, and grill. I love to grill. I also like a good wine. No, check that. I like fine, exquisite wines."

"Maybe one of these days the two of us can enjoy a glass and talk," She offered with a smile. "If Pilot Terry has time, that is. As for big game hunting... I'm not sure I could fire a weapon without being blasted back a few hundred yards, but I'd go for the experience. I've seen some things during my short career that make me a not so squeamish kind of girl."

"Perhaps someday," Terry said with a smile. Then he chuckled at the Pilot Terry. That was good and he should've been expecting something like that after his remark about Nurse Dani. But the swimming pool had relaxed him a bit. "I could always set it to non-big game, though. That would allow for a smaller weapon that should fit your size nicely. It's an experience, that's for sure. But, not so squeamish, huh. Where else in the galaxy did you serve?"

"I served in the Alpha Quadrant before I came here. If was either transfer, or I was going to end up going to the Brig, and I couldn't have that. I'd be passed around like a twenty-first century cigarette." She kept her face straight as she said it, too.

That caught him off guard. So much so, that he started treading water instead of floating. He'd just met her, though, and it wouldn't have been right for him to ask. He understood what she meant by her reference, too, but didn't say anything. "Well, I'm glad you took the transfer instead. The Gamma Quadrant is a great place to start over again."

"Sorry," She said, looking a bit sheepish by her comment. Dani hadn't meant to make him feel uncomfortable or anything, and now felt like a total heel. "I shouldn't have said what I did. Sometimes, my mouth runs away with me. I'll be careful next time."

Terry looked at her and smiled, shaking his head. "Don't apologize, Dani," he said. "You never bothered me by what you said, just...caught me off guard about the Brig. That's all. And there's no need to be careful. I'm a big boy, I can handle it." He smiled again, hopefully reassuring her that it was okay. "So tell me what you're favorite dishes are to cook. Are you a veggie person or a meat and potatoes person?"

"Nurse Dani is definitely a meat and potatoes kind of girl," She answered with a smile. "I'd prefer a huge slab of meat over vegetables any day of the week. I'm probably one of the biggest eaters you'll ever meet. No joke. People often times wonder where I put it. As for what I like to cook... I'm pretty versatile. If I have a recipe, I can make anything once it's translated. Italian if probably my favorite, though."

"That's the only way to go," he said. "I've grilled vegetables before, but there's nothing like the smell of a well marinated or rubbed slab of red meat cooking. And I'd have to agree with the others as to where you put it. You're such a little woman, Nurse Dani." He paused a moment and considered something. "Hey, what's a good Italian seasoning mix or marinade that you'd recommend for a steak? I've tried a lot of different rubs and marinades, but never thought about Italian. It's something I'd like to try the next time I have an opportunity to grill."

Dani looked thoughtful. "Good question. Garlic, rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper and olive oil might be a good one if you're looking for a wet rub. If you want a dry one, just use the dried versions of those and leave out the olive oil."

Terry nodded as Dani went through the list of ingredients. "Yeah, I bet that would be a good one. Sounds delicious." Terry's mind then raced through a selection of wines. "Hmm...a classic, elegant Merlot or a Merlot-dominated blend. Like from Bordeaux. Yeah, a good Merlot would go with an Italian steak."

"That sounds positively sinful," She commented with a smile, turning herself upright in the water once again. "You'll have the best dinner ever once you're able to make it."

"Oh, it'll be the best dinner," he said. But as far as wine goes, I have some of the best, in my opinion. But only a few bottles...it's pricey. But Burgundy’s Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is the best. It's been called the pinnacle of Pinot Noir." Then he turned to face her, realizing something. "But, uh, not too many people know about my affinity for fine wines. Especially being a former Starfleet Marine."

"Well, I do," She said, smiling over at him.

He smiled back. "Yes, you do. You and maybe a handful of others. Oh sure, lots have seen me have a glass of wine in Talon's, but you and that 'maybe handful' are the only ones who know my depth of knowledge regarding it. Soooo, let's keep it that way. Shall we?"

Dani looked up at him with a smile. "Your secret is safe with me, Pilot Terry. I won't tell a soul."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Pilot Terry... Thanks, Nurse Dani. So what type of music do you play on the guitar?"

"Anything, really, but the old classics are a favorite," She replied. "Maybe I can play for you one of these days."

"Heh, 'one of these' days is going to be filled with things to do," said Terry. "A glass of wine and talk, an old classic played in the guitar...and here I haven't even thought to offer a 'one of these days' to you." It was true, he hadn't thought about. Honestly, it had been the last thing on his mind. He was simply enjoying the relaxing pool and the relaxing conversation. "Maybe, one of these days, I can grill you a juicy steak. And with the Italian wet rub you mentioned, too. How's that sound?"

"That sounds like a plan. I can always use a great friend to unwind with once in a while," Dani said.

"Well," said Terry, "sounds good to me, then. Great friends are hard to come by these days." He knew that all too well. "Especially out here in the Gamma Quadrant." And especially with the recent events of shore leave, he thought.

With a smile, the small woman swam over to him, then splashed some water at him. "Then... consider me a friend, Pilot Terry." And with a grin, she took off for the other side of the pool.

Terry shook his head and wiped his face as some of the water hit it. "Well then, Nurse Dani...you can consider me a friend as...hey! What the?" He laughed and took off after her, intent on trying to beat her this time.

Dani was just laughing too hard to really focus on what she was doing, so he'd be able to pass her up easily enough. She took a breath and kept moving forward, though, as rocky as it was. It wouldn't bother her if he splashed her back, either. The entire purpose was to have fun.

Terry swam just like he did the last time. But when he looked up for a brief moment, he saw that was beside Dani. And he might just be passing her. Rather than focus on Dani and her swimming, Terry concentrated on reaching the wall at the other end of the pool. When he felt the wall a few seconds later, he stood and found that he was the only one there...so far. Then he grinned.

With a laugh, she made her way over to where he was standing. "Oh, that was too great. I needed that laugh."

Terry laughed along with her, but not completely for the same reason. "Yeah, me too," he said. Then he splashed some water back on her. "What do you know, it is funny." Then he laughed even harder.

She sputtered and wiped the water from her face, but was still laughing. "It is!"

When Terry had somewhat settled down from the laughter, he said, "Well I'm glad you laughed. I wasn't sure what kind of reaction I was going to get."

"All that talk about food has made me hungry. I should probably go stuff my face and get settled in some. I've been putting it off too long."

Terry nodded. "I could probably use something to eat, too. But maybe later." Truth be told, he wasn't all that hungry right now. But, he hadn't been very hungry since shortly after getting cured. Being in the shallow end of the pool, Terry was able to hop up on the edge easily and sit for a minute, drip-drying. "Nice to have met you, by the way. Thanks for the swim." He paused. "You know something Dani, this is absolutely the most fun I've had with anyone since I was assigned to this ship. Thanks for that. It's been...helpful, just having fun."

"Well... if you're ever up for doing it again, just let me know," Dani said as she climbed out of the pool so reveal just how small she really was compared to most people. "I had fun, too, though. It's nice. And thank you for being such a great sport about it all."

"You're welcome," said Terry. "And I will, thanks. As far as being a great sport about it, my dad used to say that if you can't laugh and have fun, you might as well just hang it all up." Dad. And without any issues. "Hey, you are petite. Oh, uh, sorry if that was...you know, too personal."

With a smile, she shook her head and moved to her towel to start drying herself off. "It wasn't. I told you I was quite tiny."

"You did, but I guess it was still a bit of a surprise," said Terry. He still sat there, air drying. "So which parent did you get your stature from?"

"My Mom. She was a little over five feet, six inches tall. My Dad, though... he's a giant. He's six feet, two inches. I'm the smallest one in my family, too." And she definitely seemed to be proud of that. "It's never really been an issue for me, though. If I can't reach something... I climb."

Terry chuckled. "Why am I not surprised? Spider monkey." He looked over at her and grinned, shaking his head.

Dani laughed. "See? I told you. That just proves it."

Terry laughed and got up from his seat. "Yeah, that proves it alright," he said. "A tiny, feisty, spider monkey." He sauntered to the bench where he had put his towel. He started drying himself off where he hadn't air dried yet. Then he put the towel around his neck and walked back over to the edge of the pool. "Far be it from me to doubt you again, Nurse Dani."

She smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Pilot Terry." She reached for her cover-up and pulled it on, then slipped her shoes on. "It was very nice meeting you, and we're definitely going to have to do this again some time. See you around?"

Terry smiled and nodded. "Yep," he replied. "And it was very nice meeting you, too. See you around."

Offering him another smile, she made sure she had all of her stuff before heading out again. Terry definitely seemed like a pretty nice guy, and despite his size, she wasn't even remotely intimidated by him. Maybe she'd get the chance to know him better. One thing she needed was a new friend now that she didn't have William anymore. A sad smile formed on her lips as she lowered her head to make her way back to her quarters.

Terry smiled back and watched her briefly as she walked away. He turned to go put his beach shoes back on. He was serious when he said that this had been the most fun he'd had since he'd been assigned here. He looked forward to hanging out with her again and having fun. Dani was alright kinda girl. As he sat down and put his beach shoes on, he looked up and noticed that she was gone. "Time to go wander the ship for a while. Again."

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