First Night Jitters

Posted on 28 Aug 2016 @ 1:03am by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Commodore Harvey Geisler

5,217 words; about a 26 minute read

Mission: Click Three Times
Location: Various
Timeline: MD 6

Today had to be one of the longest days of Joey's entire life, and she was exhausted. No... she was beyond exhausted. In the last seventy-two plus hours, she was lucky if she slept for eight, and none of them consecutive. But, the entire ship was facing the same situation. The entire crew worked well beyond their six hour shifts, and were undoubtedly beginning to feel the strain it was putting on the mentally, physically and emotionally. Hell, she'd already broken down twice since the incident in the armory, and now she found herself wanting to curl up anywhere, close her eyes and try to forget. That just seemed easier said than done.

After leaving Mila once the power was restored, she made her way up to deck five to her quarters so she could shower. Something so simple as being clean made her feel a little more human, but it just wasn't enough to wash away the deep rooted emotions that still plagued her. With her shower done, she moved into her bedroom where Rico was curled up on the floor with Pequeno sleeping against him. That sight made her smile, but wanted to make her cry at the same time. The little pup had a master right up until one of the boarders ended his life far too soon. She didn't know Xavier all that well, but they would have eventually gotten there. Despite that, though, she had a heart and cared about every soul the Black Hawk lost throughout the day.

Trying to push those thoughts from her mind, she made sure the towel she wore wasn't going to come loose before she grabbed a bag and tossed it onto her bed. Joey still didn't know what prompted her to ask Harvey if she could spend the night with him, or why he insisted on her staying when she tried to back out after their battle with Jackson. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She really didn't want to be by herself, and other than Mila, there wasn't anyone else on the ship she was quite as comfortable with as she was with him. It was funny, actually. She hadn't been on the ship long at all, and now, not only was the Captain of the Black Hawk fast approaching being her best friend, but they'd taken it a step further and became official. That still surprised her, but in a good way, and she'd learned long ago not to question good things when they happened.

Joey packed her bag, only putting in what she would need for the night, as well as a clean uniform for the following day. She'd need to hang that up so it wouldn't be a wrinkled mess, but there would be time enough for that. She tossed in a few things for Rico and Pequeno, then zipped it up and set it aside before placing her boots on top of it. She was one step closed to being able to head out. Perhaps, she should try to contact Harvey ahead of time and let him know that Pequeno would be with her, but that thought was quickly dashed. For all she knew, he may have still been down in Engineering. It was best not to disturb him, and how she'd come to have the little black furball in the first place was better left to be told in person.

She double checked to make sure she had everything, then got dressed. Comfort was needed. The Lieutenant pulled on her favorite pair of well worn ripped jeans, a black v-neck t-shirt, then settled down on her bed to pull on a pair of socks and shoes. Transporting would be so much easier, but it was the lazy way, and that's one of the many things she wasn't.

Joey made her way back into the bathroom to give herself a once over and run her hands through her hair, then went to grab Rico's leash. She hated to disturb the two canines, but they needed to get going. The longer she stayed where she was, the more she would think about everything that happened, and she had a feeling things would get a bit emotional once she'd reached her destination. She'd already mentally prepared herself for that, though.

Clipping the leash to Rico's collar after scooping Pequeno up and tucking him under one of her arms, she shouldered her bag and made her way out of the bedroom into the main area. She did a mental check to make sure she had everything she needed, then made her way out. It was a short trip to the turbolift. When they were inside, she requested deck two and closed here eyes, forcing her thoughts on surfing... hula dancing... anything that would take her mind off of the day. When the turbolift came to a stop on deck two, she stepped out and went to the door she'd come to know pretty well, then reached out to press the chime. If he wasn't there, she'd let herself in. After all, he did tell her it was okay.

No response came from the other side.

Looks like he's not even back yet, Joey thought to herself as she glanced down the corridor in both directions, which was empty. She could only assume that most of the crew ended us falling asleep with the exception of those who were chosen to handle repairs. "What do you think, Rico? Think we should head back down to our place?" she asked, looking down at the canine she'd just addressed only to see him looking back up at her as if waiting for her to open the door.

Her nerves were beginning to get the better of her the longer she stood in front of the door, and without even thinking about it, she took a step back and gave Rico's leash a tug. If they left now... Get a grip, Joey, she said to herself just before taking a deep breath. This will be the easiest thing you've done all day.

Joey raised her hand to put in her override code before he could change her mind again, then walked inside once the door opened. It was a weird experience being in Harvey's quarters without him or someone else... like Mila and hundreds of balloons, but she was going to stick it out. "Rico... stay out of the socks," she said, setting her bag down on the couch before she sat down next to it, then removed Rico's leash from his collar.

Elsewhere, Harvey leaned against the back of a turbolift. To say that he was tired was a gross understatement. Captain Geisler believed he had to be coming off of a twenty-four hour duty shift, much like the rest of the crew. The ship was coming back together nicely, just not as fast as he would have hoped. Casualties had continued to rise as more and more crewmembers were found. It was sickening what Captain Suresh and her misfit band of Consortium agents had pulled off. Thanks to her, less than five hundred people now crewed the ship, including the comatose and wounded confined to sickbay.

For once he'd like to have a mission that everyone walked away from. Sometimes he felt like the four pips on his collar served as a reward. Hey! You haven't died after twenty years of service! You get to be a Captain now! had to have been someone's thought at Starfleet Command.

He grunted, wondering if Admirals ever served as ensigns or lieutenants aboard a starship in a crisis.

The turbolift doors opened, depositing the exhausted Harvey Geisler on Deck Two. His room was right next to the turbolift, an effort by Starfleet Command to keep him as close as possible to the bridge. Part of him wanted to go up and look at the charcoaled room. That would have to wait until tomorrow as he could barely stand. He approached the entrance to his quarters, which the local motion sensors registered his approach and opened the doors for him. He'd started to take off his jacket when he spotted Joey and Rico at the couch. Harvey blinked, quickly remembering that she was going to stay with him tonight. That conversation felt like a lifetime ago now.

Before he could will his lips to do so, they took an action all on their own, offering Joey a smile. "Hi," Harvey said, gently, even looking down to the K-9 officer at her feet. "Good to see you in one piece," he told Rico.

"Hey," Joey said as rose to her feet and moved over to him, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his lips. She wanted to return his smile, but he looked much worse than he did when she saw him last, almost as if he would pass out there he stood. Fear of that happening was the exact reason she stuck close to him in case he did decide to fall over. Her brow furrowed, and it was clear how concerned she was. "Why don't you take a shower and crawl into bed?"

Rico jumped to his feet when Harvey walked in and made his way over to him to give his hand a lick. With everyone else occupied presently, the little black ball of fur that had been placed on the floor only moments ago waddled his way toward the Captain and settled down on his foot. Rico leaned down to give his little buddy a sniff, then nuzzled the puppy until the little guy fell over.

Ignoring Joey's suggestion, Harvey was about to return the kiss when he felt something on his foot. It was too light to be Rico and too heavy to be a sock. Peering down, Harvey took notice of the room's fourth occupant. "Hello there," he said kneeling down. Under normal circumstances, he'd ask where the little one came from. Having reviewed the casualty list, the Captain was aware of Hernandez's demise. Pequeno was a symbol of what the Consortium had done to Starfleet, turn officer against officer, brother against sister. Hopefully that damage would soon be repaired.

"This is Pequeno," she said, crouching down to rub the little puppy under his chin. The puppy didn't know exactly what was going on, but he seemed to appreciate the attention he was getting. Joey kept her gaze locked on the tiny black ball of fur as tears welled up in her eyes again. Too many lives were lost, and it made her want to wipe the Consortium out once and for all. If the ones who were on the right side couldn't live long, fulfilling lives, then why were the ones on the wrong side getting the chance to? "I had to rescue him from Security and take him to see Doctor Abrams."

"Rescue?" Harvey asked before remembering the Anesthizine he had medical pump into the security section. He wondered how many crew would have been knocked out because of it. A glance up was enough to tell him how Joey was feeling. Rather than lean over and embrace her, he changed from a kneeling position to sitting cross-legged next to the dogs. Peqeuno was certainly loving the attention, and as Harvey scratched behind his ears, the stress from the day seemed to melt.

Once Harvey settled down, and before Pequeno had the chance to do it, Rico flopped onto his lap with an expectant look in his eyes. He liked the pup well enough, but he wasn't going to let him have all the attention. Pequeno seemed content where he was, and even took to gnawing on the soles of one of the booted feet closest to him. He even gave a tiny little growl and an even tinier bark before he pounced on the foot again to give a 'vicious' shake.

As sad as she was, Joey just couldn't help herself when she laughed. "One is supposed to be a vicious attack dog, and the other is a future one," she said, watching Pequeno move on to show Harvey's pant leg who was boss.

The delicate trouser leg showed no resistance to Pequeno, tearing immediately into a shred that Pequeno could have his way with. Harvey chuckled, petting Rico's belly and shoulders. All these years he'd never been an animal person, but these last few moments had him questioning that life choice. "You're not that viscous, are you?" Harvey scoffed, continuing to massage Rico's stomach. What Pequeno was doing to his trousers was likely an apt definition. "Have at it, little one," he said as more fabric was pulled away from his skin.

"Speaking of... how's your leg?" Joey asked as she looked up from Pequeno, who was still going after his already torn pants like they owed the little furball money, to Harvey. "I didn't say anything earlier because I hoped you'd get it taken care of... and I didn't want to sound like a nag, either."

Harvey would have showed her if Rico wasn't laying directly on top of it. "Nurse Blake chased me down and fixed me up," he told her. "I'd say it feels pretty good, except all of me feels like it's about to fall apart." Looking back up to Joey, he asked gently, "How are you holding up?"

Joey couldn't help but smile at that, picturing the tiny little nurse chasing him down. "I'm glad she did, and I swear I didn't put her up to it. Though... if I had the idea, I would have." she said, looking thoughtful for a moment or two after he'd asked his question. How was she holding up? Even she didn't know how to answer that. "I'm holding up well enough, but my concern is for you. You look exhausted, but at least you're sitting down now, so I don't have to worry about you falling over."

He nearly chuckled at her sentiment. Just as he was her concern, she was now his. He didn't have to tell her it'd been a hell of a day, after all, they both lived it. "I am exhausted," he admitted. "And as much as I'd like to go to bed, I am enjoying this." His gaze drifted down her civilian clothing to the little pup who still tore away at his trousers. As he reached under Rico to pull off a boot, he told Pequeno, "Though I hope you're not developing a bad habit here."

"Nope. I'm not going to let him. It's one thing to walk through the corridors with a dog that's got a sock hanging from his mouth, but it's something completely different to walk with one that's dragging a pair of pants behind him," she said as she moved behind him. He admitted to being exhausted, but didn't want to give up downtime with the furballs. Joey couldn't really blame him, though. In the past, when she wasn't exactly feeling herself, she'd turn to Rico to make her feel better, and often times than not... it worked. She wasn't sure why, but animals just had a way of healing the heart and soul.

Joey placed her hands on his shoulders once she was settled, but she didn't immediately begin working on them. She brought her thumbs to the back of his neck and began to move them along the muscles, making sure the perfect amount of pressure was applied so she didn't hurt him. "So... when I went to get Rico earlier... Mila mentioned she played a song for you. Something by... Aero... I honestly can't remember." In her defense, it had been an incredibly long day. With a smile, she continued to move the pads of her thumbs over his neck. "I'm going to have to take the time to listen to the song one of these days. Is that why you came to see me this morning? Not that I would mind even a little if it was."

"Aerosmith," Harvey replied with closed eyes. The sensation rippling through his nerves from his neck to his brain was both intoxicating and relaxing. He would have thought the dogs would have been enough, but he certainly was mistaken. And, if the circumstances that brought them together this evening been more romantic than the current situation, Harvey would have gladly requested that the computer play it.

Then again, the computer would have had to have been fully operational first. That was still three hours away at minimum.

"It gave me that final push," Harvey honestly replied. "I'd been thinking about you for a couple days now. It just didn't seem right that we'd be forced to wait and wait before we encountered the mythical Valdore. Which, as it turns out, was not a myth at all. Starfleet was right about the entire situation all along."

"I should have remembered that." she said as she moved her thumbs from his neck so she could start working on his shoulders, particularly paying attention to the trapezius muscles. Wanting him to relax was a top priority on her list, and if she managed to put him to sleep in the process, that'd be even better. He needed it. "I'm glad all of that's behind us now, or will be as a little more time passes by. It's still a bit too... fresh in the minds of everyone." How crazy did anyone need to be to think that using something as deadly as a Thalaron weapon was a good idea? Someone who was a special kind of crazy with insanely stupid mixed right on in.

She shook her head and moved her thumbs back up his neck again. "I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't grateful it gave you that push," Joey said. "But, I would have waited as long as you needed me to, you know. You're worth that and so much more."

With his eyes still closed, Harvey enjoyed the touch at the back of his neck. "They say the best things are worth waiting for," he mused. Smiling, he turned his head around and adjusted his torso the best could to face her. "But why wait for the things that are already in front of you?"

When he turned to look at her, Joey lowered her hands to her lap so she could look at him with a smile of her own. "That's a good question, and I can't really think of an answer to it. Which means... there's no sense in waiting, is there?" She shifted around a bit so he wouldn't be sitting at such an awkward angle any longer.

His response was simple, and more than likely predictable. After working for at least three shifts and not sleeping for several days, Harvey did not care if that was the case. He, on total impulse, leaned in and kissed her.

Joey returned the kiss, suddenly not as tired as she was moments ago. In fact, her heart rate increased sending a surge of adrenaline rushing through her, and she found herself grateful there was not a biomonitor around to pick up on it. After a few moments, with flushed cheeks and kiss swollen lips, she locked eyes with him. "Are you ready to go to bed now?" she asked softly, reaching out with a slightly shaky hand to slip into his.

Harvey's eyes looked deeply into her brown eyes, sensing a bit of nervousness and quite an amount of affection. This was a feeling Harvey hadn't often experienced, and while he couldn't quite define it, he did not feel fear. The left side of his lip curled slightly upward, eager not to tango, but to sleep comfortably in the arms of someone he loved.

Love? his critical mind asked himself. Is that what this is now?

He did not answer the stray thought. For now, it was immaterial. The time would soon come when they'd have to define it, but not tonight. Finally responding to Joey, he nodded, starting to get up. Well, more like attempting to get up as Rico had put his legs to sleep just by laying on top of them.

Joey rose to her feet, sending the two dogs off to curl up wherever they felt comfortable, then she extended her hands out in his direction so she could help him up. She still felt quite nervous, and maybe even a bit anxious. The last time she'd shared a bed with a man, to sleep or otherwise, was over three years ago. But, the way her day turned out, it would be nice to curl up to someone she cared a great deal about and just let the stress... the tension... melt away.

"I'll help you up," she said. It still shocked her just how comfortable she was around him, but in a good way. Her nervousness had nothing to do with him and everything to do with herself. In fact, she was looking forward to curling up next to him and probably sleeping the best she'd ever slept in a long while. They both needed it. Just like they both needed each other.

He accepted her outstretched hands and rose to his feet. Aside from the pins and needles shooting up and down, he suddenly felt more tired than he had been since he entered his quarters. "I hope you'll excuse the mess," he told her, noticing how much astray his personal items were. "I didn't exactly get time to clean today."

Joey shook her head. "Nonsense. You've had way too much going on today alone, and cleaning should be the least of your concerns," she said, giving him a little time for the pins and needles to start to subside. Though, now she planned to tidy up for him when she had the chance so it was one less thing he'd have to worry about. "Come on... let's get you settled into bed before you end up asleep on your feet."

She slipped an arm around his waist and escorted him to his bedroom, letting him go once they were inside. "I'm sure you want to change before you get into bed, so I'll let you do that." Even she couldn't wait to get out of her uniform when she'd finally been able to get into her quarters again. There was just something about it that made her want to put a little distance between it and her for the time being... at least until she woke up and needed to put it on again. She moved over to the bed and turned the covers back on the bed. "I'll be out in the living room if you need me," she said, moving over to him to press a kiss to his cheek before she began to head out.

Harvey looked down, wondering what he needed privacy for. Between the nurse and Pequeno, there wasn't much less of his trousers, not even for the recycler. Plenty of his boxers were showing, at least on the left leg. In fact, even with a firm tug, he was able to tear the waistband, enabling him to just pull off the remaining pant leg. "You don't have to go," Harvey told her, moving over to the dresser to withdraw a pair of sleep pants. After he tossed those on the bed, he began to remove his soiled jacket and uniform shirt.

"Give me just a second, then," she said, excusing herself from the room. It wasn't long before she was back with her bag, which she set down on the bed. Joey had no issues when it came to skin, and he'd already seen her wearing far less in the holodeck, then again with their Consortium encounter. "It's been a hell of a day, hasn't it?" she asked as she pulled her shoes and socks off. With those out of the way, she stood back up to work on getting her jeans off, but she turned her back to him so he'd be a bit more comfortable.

Joey reached into her bag to pull out an over-sized t-shirt and set it on the bed, then began to remove her own clothes. "Tomorrow will be a much better day." She had to attempt to be positive even if she didn't really feel it. Once she was ready for it, she pulled the t-shirt on, then removed her hair from the collar.

By this time, Harvey was barechested and beginning to put on a white t-shirt of his own. Any other time, he'd probably pause to enjoy the sight beside him. He did smile though as he began to put on his pants. "Tomorrow is a new day indeed," he replied. "We'll finish patching up the ship and head back to Unity. There might not be much to do there, but I'm sure we can find something in their entertainment district." Based on what he knew of the state of the ship, he figured repairs would have to last at least a week, just for the structural problems alone.

Unable to help herself, Joey cast a glance over in Harvey's direction as he started to put the t-shirt on. She ran a hand through her hair and allowed herself to smile. "You don't have to put that on on my account, unless you sleep with one on," she said. In fact, the one she'd put on was a far cry from what she normally slept in, but she was attempting to keep them both sane while still maintaining her own comfort. "As for Unity, I'm sure we'll find something to do to keep us occupied while we wait for repairs to get done."

He gave her a quizzical look for a moment before realizing she was talking about his shirt. "I, uh, I usually sleep with one on." Harvey then smiled, thinking of what it would be like when they got back to Unity. Well, they'd certainly have to see when they got there. One day at a time, he reminded himself. He hadn't wanted to rush into things, and while he was grateful for where he now was, he didn't want to move things along any quicker. He began to pick up the pieces of his uniform off the bed and toss them into the nearby hamper. "Does Rico usually sleep on his own, or does he join you in bed?" he asked, never having slept with an animal in his quarters, even if it was in a different room.

"He normally sleeps wherever he wants to, but I think he'll stick close to Pequeno. He's a good boy and won't get into anything unless it has something to do with socks," Joey said as she climbed onto the bed. If she was on the wrong side, it'd be as simple as rolling to the other once she was told to. She stretched out with a groan and rolled onto her side. This was the first time she'd actually been able to lay down in... she couldn't even remember anymore. Everything seemed to blend together at a certain point. But, now, the exhaustion she felt was creeping its way back into her. With a smile, she patted the bed next to her. "It's time to get comfortable. There's nothing else we can do tonight, nor will anything else happen. More than anyone else, you deserve to finally sleep."

Harvey had just peeled the combadge off his soiled jacket when he'd realized Joey had climbed into his side of the bed.
It mattered to him only because he had a single nightstand, and it was on that side. Thinking about his options, he chose to attach the badge to the bulkhead just below the window above the bed rather than ask Joey to move. "We all deserve it," he told Joey as he joined her in the bed. "It may not look like it, but we pulled off a major victory today."

"It was a major victory with a high price paid," she said softly. "But just as we paid it, so did they. They lost two ships, a weapon of mass destruction, and some pretty high ranking Consortium assholes. It's only a matter of time before they've all been taken down." If she kept going with her present line of thinking, she'd end up having yet another sleepless night.

Joey sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry... today is still all too real in my mind, and I think it's going to take some time to get over it. This..." She moved closer to him and slipped an arm over him as she laid her head against his chest. "...is definitely a good start."

With his free hand (the opposite upper arm was underneath Joey), Harvey folded his pillow underneath his head to prop himself up just a bit more. Once that was done, he navigated his other hand out from under her and brought it up to gently stroke Joey's head. If she was anything like him, then he figured she would need a calm mind before being able to sleep.

Harvey still had the Black Hawk on his mind, even if he tried to push it back further. He wouldn't be able to sleep terribly long, just enough to give him a sensible charge before getting back into the fray. Until this ship was out the nebula, he wouldn't be able to totally relax. He did agree with Joey's sentiment, and he verbalized it with a meager, "Mmhmm..." before closing his eyes and willing sleep to quickly take him and not linger on the horizon.

Closing her eyes, Joey relaxed for the first time since she'd been woken up by being thrown out of bed. She couldn't reach his head to rub it like she wanted to with their current positions, so she brought her hand up to the side of his head and began to rub his own with her fingernails in an effort to relax him. He needed to rest just as much as she did, and he was going to see to it that he slept. With a smile, she tilted her head back and pressed a soft kiss to his jaw before settling down once again.

Her idea of waiting until he was asleep so she could go tidy up was going to have to wait given just how worn out she was, but since she was a fairly early riser, she'd have it taken care of in enough time before she needed to get ready for her shift. After Camila told her to take some downtime, she'd gotten her own quarters taken care of, which meant she could help out with his.

She pushed her present line of thinking from her mind. If she kept on the same track, sleep would never come, and Joey would live another day with dark circles under her eyes barely making it through. There would come a point where she'd be useless to everyone around her, and she didn't want that. Clearing her mind of everything but the rhythmic beating of Harvey's heart beneath her ear, Joey finally allowed herself to drift off. Sadly, her sleep would be anything but dreamless.

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