Springing the Trap

Posted on 01 Mar 2017 @ 8:27pm by Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Master Chief Petty Officer Mila Rasputin & Commodore Harvey Geisler & Lieutenant Commander Temerant Bast & Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Ensign Aidan Crehan

8,689 words; about a 43 minute read

Mission: Endgame
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: MD 15 || 1800 Hours

Mila finished programming holodeck two and activated the program that would greet visitors with the beautiful vista of Wailua Falls in Kauai, Hawaii, Earth and stepped in. She had worn a light purple dress on her way to the holodeck, but now she removed it and set it aside to reveal a one-piece while bikini that was just modest enough to cover everything and teasing enough to give hints. She also carried a bulky bag which clinked before she set it down by a table that was part of the scene. Chow entered beside of her wearing a small vest and a pair of sunglasses and promptly gave a hoot of pleasure before he scampered off to explore the wild, natural vista.

While the Capuchin busily explored everything, Mila called up the replicator patterns for Hawaiian dishes of Lau lau, kalua pig, pipikaula, lomi tomato, ahi poke, Okinawan sweet potato, poi, rice with furikake, li hing mui pineapple, and a haupia-sweet potato pie dessert for everyone who was due to attend and set them on a table at the edge of the lagoon with a view of the twin falls.

Once that was done, she tapped her combadge. =^=Rasputin to Geisler. Stage one is being done.=^= With that out of the way, she contacted Aidan, Gutierrez, Miller and Di Pasquale who had asked to invite Commander Bast. She waited for the Captain to appear while the others made their way in, then remembered another tradition.

She made her way back to the replicator and ordered a cake shaped like a luau pig wearing sunglasses and carried it back to the table as well. Once she had drinks of refreshing fruit juice for everyone, she took a breath and waited.

Camila entered wearing a black coverall but removed it to reveal a one piece red bikini which covered everything with Bast and carried a small wrapped box. She greeted Mila and then went to look at the beautiful rainbow over the falls.

Bast inhaled sharply when Camila removed the black coverall, and ran one finger down her spine, feeling the smoothness of her skin. He also removed the Trill robe he was wearing, revealing a pair of skin-tight emerald green swim trunks that displayed the trail of spots running down his chest, down over the hips, and farther down the sides of his thighs and ending at his bare feet. He kept his left arm close to his chest. The sling was gone, and physical therapy was definitely helping, but reflexively he still protected his arm.

He grabbed a couple of glasses of fruit juice off the table, and followed Camila to the balustrade, overlooking the bay, and the waterfall, and wrapped an arm around her waist. He smelled her hair, grateful to be standing with her again after the ordeal they'd all been through, enjoying this quiet moment together before the oncoming storm.

Ricardo entered wearing a pair of black swim trunks and a black muscle shirt and stood in awe of the amazing vista before he looked over his shoulder. "Come on, Miller Time," he said. We don't have all day." He carried a bottle of red liquid and set it by the table after Mila indicated that was where everything was to go.

"Right behind ya, Baby Face," he said. Allen walked in behind Ricardo wearing a pair of tan colored swim trunks and a towel around his shoulders. "We are so gonna enjoy this." He checked out the scene that Mila had created. It was awesome.

Aidan walked into the holodeck a few minutes afterwards. He placed the box containing the small figurine on the table with the other things. He completely took in the sights and sounds of Joey's native home. It looked like some place that he would truly like to visit in reality. Mila had outdone herself and he was certain that Joey would appreciate all of it.

Mila waited nervously for Harvey to show up and wondered how Joey would take the surprise but all she could do was wait.

Outside the holodeck and down the corridor, the turbolift doors opened, and Harvey exited the turbolift with Joey, Rico and Pequeno. He sported a pair of khaki shorts and a blue polo. Harvey hadn't told Joey much about what they were walking into, other than that he knew Rico and Pequeno had been couped up for too long in their quarters. A few hours with some fresh air would do them all some good, and it would allow the dogs to run free and enjoy something that wasn't surrounded by duranium bulkheads.

Joey walked next to Harvey with Rico's leash in one hand while little Pequeno was tucked under the opposite arm. She still didn't really know what was waiting for them, but being able to spend a little time way from duty was a good thing. Not to mention she'd get to play with the dogs... something she hadn't been able to do for a while. They deserved the chance to let a little of the stress melt away... even if it was going to build right back up once they allowed reality back in. For her, though, that wasn't happening until her little family was exhausted and had no choice but to embrace reality once more.

Following his lead on what she should wear, Joey opted for a floral print sundress in bright colors and a pair of sandals that just slipped on her feet. She didn't want to deal with clasps or buckles. Her time and attention needed to be focused on what mattered, and what mattered were the three men she was walking down the corridor with now. "So, you never did tell me what we were doing. Just that Rico and Pequeno have been couped up, which is quite true, and that we can all use some fresh air, which is also true. I don't suppose you want to give me more details now?"

"Details?" Harvey asked with a blank expression. "Can't a guy take his girlfriend and dogs out for a stroll?"

"Yes, but we've only been seen in the public eye when we had lunch with Aidan and Mila, and even then, I tried to keep it as casual as possible for your comfort," she said. Even now, Joey was walking at least a foot away from him. He didn't seem quite ready to go public, and that was okay with her.

And that was why they were on their way to the Holodeck, to enjoy some peace and quiet outside of the public eye, even though that was really not what was about to happen. "Unfortunately, having us beamed to the Holodeck is a bit outside of executive privilege. Not to mention a misuse of resources, especially now."

"You're right, it would be, and neither of us wants to misuse resources when they're going to be needed," Joey said. "I'm just glad we're going to relax a bit. I think we're both pretty deserving, and so are the furballs. It's sweet of you to do this, and it means a lot."

It's about to mean a whole lot more, thought Harvey as they arrived at the entrance to Holodeck 2. Stopping outside the door, he glanced over to Pequeno, whose tail looked like it was about to fly off the pup's hind quarters. "Someone's a bit excited for fresh air," he remarked, waiting a moment before opening the holodeck door. All he could do was hope that someone was watching and knew that they were there.

Sure enough, Mila had her eyes on where the arch would appear and took a deep breath as the door to the holodeck opened and she saw Joey and Harvey. "Surprise!" she called out.

Joey stumbled backward at the shout of surprise. When the holodeck door opened, that was the last thing she expected to hear. In fact, she didn't think she'd hear anything but maybe a few birds singing. This... this was definitely a surprise.

Taking in the sights, it didn't take long for her to figure out what was going on, and if it wasn't for Rico pulling against his leash to get inside or Pequeno trying to wiggle his way free of her grasp, she might have stayed in the corridor. Instead, though, she moved inside and looked around at the faces present. "Computer... what's the Earth date?" She asked, blinking when the voice of the computer replied. "That's today..."

"Happy birthday," Harvey said, gently reaching in to aid in Rico and Pequeno's escape. "Don't worry, they can't go far." It was the holodeck after all. At most, they could only go twenty or thirty feet.

With his help, Joey let the dogs go, then watched as they took off together to explore their surroundings. She turned back to Harvey as a slow smile started to spread. "Thank you," she stated, looking at the other faces present once more. It was clear to her now. She had some incredibly sneaky people in her life, but there was a plus side to that. Her birthday only came around once a year, and most of the time she didn't even remember it. Someone was bound to.

"You," she said, pointing at Mila as she moved toward her. "This has you written all over it." When she got to the Yeoman, she stopped and eyed her for a moment.

Mila smirked when Joey came up to her. "I am wishing you very happy birthday, sestra," she said with a smile. She went to the table and picked up a lei to hand to Harvey. "This is being lei. You are knowing what to do," she said with a wink.

Joey hugged Mila. "Thank you. It's definitely a pleasant surprise, and I suspected nothing. Although... I am surrounded by sneaky people..." Totally caught up in the moment, and without thinking, she turned and kissed Harvey as a thank you for the role he played in getting her there. The smile on her face proved she wasn't even a little unhappy.

"You are being most welcome," Mila said.

Though he could not see it, Harvey definitely felt the rush of blood to his cheeks. He shouldn't have been embarrassed, at least he thought he couldn't have been embarrassed. Perhaps, he reasoned, he was just caught off guard. Still, he smiled back at her as he accepted the lei, nodding a thankful gesture to Mila, and turned to place it around Joey's neck. "Happy Birthday," he wished her.

"Thank you, Harvey," she said, pulling her hair carefully from the flowers around her neck. By the end of the day, Joey knew her face was going to hurt from all the smiling she'd be doing as the day progressed.

"Happy Birthday!" Camila called out beside of Bast with a broad smile. "You survived another year in Security!"

"Happy Birthday, Lieutenant," echoed Bast, raising his glass.

Aidan had walked up beside Mila after Joey had finished hugging her. He watched as Harvey placed the wreath of flowers around Joey's neck. "Happy Birthday, Joey," he said. Then he put an arm around Mila's waist and leaned in. "You did a wonderful job, sweetheart," he whispered to her.

"Happy Birthday, Lieutenant," Ricardo said as he held up the bottle of red liquid. "I got a little something for ya."

"Thank you everyone," Joey said, smiling even brighter. "It seems I'm a bit overdressed for this, though." When she saw what Ricardo had, her face lit up. "Pour away, Gutierrez... pour away."

Ricardo smiled as he poured Hawaiian Sunset cocktails for everyone and handed the first glass to Joey. "Be careful," he said. "I may have used a bit too much rum in it."

"This is the holodeck," Harvey told Joey with a smile. "It can replicate other clothing and a place to change in." He felt a bit overdressed as well, but he'd remain like this for now. That didn't mean, of course, that she didn't have to remain in what she was wearing.

He was right, of course. "I'm going to change, then do something I do every time I visit Wailua Falls," she said, then called up a place to change and something to change into. Joey remembered the last time she'd actually celebrated her birthday. Right before she left for the Academy eleven years ago. It was hard to believe that much time had gone by.

Joey moved into the changing room the holodeck conjured up for her and made quick work of changing. She didn't want to keep anyone from waiting too long. Stepping out in her new attire, she gestured to the falls. "Who's jumping with me?"

While Joey had disappeared into the changing room, Harvey approached the unmanned bar to see what was available. He'd known that by agreeing to attend that he would be far away from any comfort zone he was accustomed to. Even though he had made great strides with Joey over the last couple of weeks, having crewmen of various rank and position in this room on an off-duty basis only served to remind him how little he knew of Harvey Geisler. For today, that's who he was. Harvey Geisler. Not Captain or the Commander of the Black Hawk. Plain old Harvey.

After arming himself with a strong drink, he turned just in time to see Joey exit the changing room. The drink, just microns away from his lips, did not enter his mouth. Nor did his eyes blink. Stunned wasn't even the appropriate word. He knew full well how attractive Joey was, but to see her embrace it so openly... well... this would certainly take some getting used to. Harvey smiled at her and was about to say something when--

A small furry head popped up out of the bushes near her and Chow gave a hoot when he looked up and saw Joey. A big monkey grin crossed his face before he brought his paws up to his chest, then nodded emphatically.

"I will!" Camila said before she saw the Yeoman's monkey and laughed. "I think Chow is volunteering, too."

Allen grinned. He thought about taking a jump in too, but decided against it. He had a drink in his hand and didn't want to set it down and lose it. Besides, he'd rather discreetly enjoy the scenery. "I'll pass," he said, lifting his glass.

Joey knew the second Chow made his presence known, and she didn't even have to look his way to know he was there. She vast a glance in his direction and saw what he was doing. "I can have those little handcuffs replicated in here just as easy, you know," she said to the little Capuchin. With that said, she looked toward the falls with a grin and took off at a run toward them.

Harvey watched from the shore as Joey took off for the falls. He decided not to join her for now. Were they alone, he would have made a different decision.

Ricardo watched her go before he quickly jerked his head around to where the food was. "This all looks amazing," he told Mila. "Is it all Hawaiian?"

"Da," Mila said as she broke out two bottles of vodka from the bag she had brought with her and whistled for Chow. "Do not be bad monkey. Go play with Rico and Pequeno." She also pulled out a small wrapped box and set it on the table.

Camila laughed. "I saw that, but I'll let it pass," she told Ricardo before she motioned to Bast. "Come on, the water looks great and this may be the last time we get to actually have fun for some time." Without waiting, she took off after Joey.

Bast was quick to follow, at a slow jog to avoid jarring his shoulder.

Joey got to the rocky wall and looked up. She remembered climbing the actual falls, and had to admit Mila had done an amazing job recreating it inside the holodeck. With the real deal, though, she... and anyone else... ran the risk of falling to their death, but here that wasn't a possibility. Maybe some day, she'd get the chance to take everyone to the real deal.

Like someone who'd done this many times before, she reached up and grabbed a small ridge, then placed her foot on another. With a happy grin, Joey climbed her way to the top like a pro, then stood at the edge while she waited for Camila to join her. Being SAR trained probably made them a little crazier than most people, but she was about to make this look so fun that everyone would want to try it.

With a passion that few had seen, Camila got a hold in the rockface and began to climb up after Joey. She looked up briefly and coughed. "It's rare to see a full moon during the day," she said, too low for anyone but Joey to hear her. She turned her attention back to the next handhold and waited for a rock to hit her in the head from above.

"Really? You, too?" The taller woman asked, reaching down to help pull Camila to the top.

Aidan rubbed Mila's lower back a little. "I realize that it is the holodeck, but it's still better than the pool. Shall we take a dip?"

"Da," Mila said as she made sure that everything was going smooth.

Aidan watched his hostess with the mostess as she quickly checked things out. "I promise I will not keep you long," he said. "Well, in the water, that is." The El-Aurian smiled at his roommate, his girlfriend.

Allen Miller watched everything taking place and shook his head. "Rock climbing, diving, swimming...hell, this group needs to loosen up." He nudged Ricardo. "Hey, if I get myself killed, say something awesome about me at the funeral, huh." He walked over to the table that had Mila's vodka sitting on it and set his empty glass down. The blonde young man removed the towel and put it on a nearby chair. He then poured a glass of the vodka and a glass of Ricardo's heavy-on-the-rum drink. Picking them up, he turned and nodded toward Ricardo before heading to the water's edge. Yeah, I'm gonna die, one way or the other, he thought to himself. But what a way to go.

Ricardo took a glass of vodka and gave a grin. "Today is gonna be great!" he said.

Camila stood on top of the cliff after making sure that Temerant was okay and looked out over this vista. "This is absolutely beautiful," she said. "This is where you're from?"

"For the most part, yes," Joey replied, looking down at the water below that was at least twenty-five feet beneath them. She couldn't wait to feel the rush of the free fall before hitting the water. Without warning, she took a few steps backward before running to the ledge and leaping off of it with a sound that echoed the elation she felt perfectly.

She hit the water below with a small splash, and while she was underwater, missed Rico leaping into the water with little Pequeno behind him. It wasn't long before she broke the surface a few yards away from where she initially hit, then laughed when she saw her dogs swimming toward her. Of course, the little black ball of fur was struggling a bit to keep up with Rico, so Joey swam over to him and helped him a bit.

From the shore, Harvey laughed as he beheld the sight of Joey's and the dogs' dives. Naturally, the dogs were nowhere near as graceful, but Joey's certainly was beautiful.

Camila gave Bast a grin. "Do you think your shoulder is up to a short dive?" she asked as she watched Joey leap off.

"Swimming, yes, that's part of my physical therapy regimen. But diving from this high, might be a bit too soon." He took the steps down to the beach, and immersed himself in the warm Pacific waters.

Ricardo watched Joey dive into the water as he took a drink of his vodka and nearly choked. It certainly wasn't synthohol and he made a note to find out where the Captain's Yeoman got her hands on the real stuff. It was an eye opener, not that he needed one with the way Corwin was looking in her swimsuit.

Chow hooted as Rico and Pequeno took off into the water and gave chase. It had become a game of theirs to chase each other around and they were now taking it to the water. While he hated taking baths, this looked like fun and he wasn't about to miss out on that. He scampered after them and leapt into the water and began paddling while keeping his head above water, then he saw his mistress' friend who hide coconuts under her shirt hit the water and swam faster.

Joey continued to tread water while aiding Pequeno with his doggy paddling. She looked over at Rico as he swam around and smiled, then saw Chow coming her way. Nothing good could come of this, but she was going to give the little guy the benefit of the doubt and see what he had planned. "Are you feeling left out?"

When the little Capuchin got close enough to the coconut hoarder, he gave a happy hoot and plunged his head between her breasts and looked left and right to see if he could spot the treats she was surely hiding.

Sadly, she'd expected Chow to do a lot of things, but that wasn't one of them. Completely caught off guard by the little simian's actions, Joey let out a startled squeal and flailed, trying to keep them both from going under. "Noooo!" She shouted with a look of pure horror on her face, then pulled the little Capuchin away from her.

Chow popped up and grinned, then shook his head to get the water out of his face.

"If a monkey can do it," Ricardo said to no one as he took another deep drink of the vodka. "Anyone should be able to." He stepped to the edge of the water to get a better look.

Harvey, having been standing next to the security crewman, took a sip of his drink. "I believe that's called harassment, Mister Guiterrez," he said calmly. "Besides, I'd hate to have to perform a second Mast this week."

Ricardo looked at the Captain and blinked. "You can do that to a monkey?" the vodka decided to ask.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Harvey replied, frowning as he looked out at the floundering Joey who looked like she needed an extra hand. "But speaking as the man she's dating, I'd rather take the Mast than her revenge." Harvey threw back the rest of the drink and handed Ricardo the empty glass before running into the water to help Joey with Chow and Pequeno.

Joey didn't even notice that Harvey was making his way into the water fully clothed. She was too busy keeping the creepy Capuchin at an arms length so he didn't try to go in for a second time. Tucked under her other arm, Pequeno continued to bark 'mightily' at the little simian. He didn't seem too pleased attention had been taken from him in favor of Chow.

Even though she didn't notice, Rico caught sight of Not the Mama making his way in and gave a woof before swimming in his direction. When he was within range, he took his hand into his mouth and gave a tug as if trying to direct him toward the monkey assault that was taking place.

Allen Miller had been standing a little ways down the shoreline when Joey started flailing in the water. He shot a few glances over that way when things sounded like they had picked up. But he couldn't take his eyes off the blonde woman in the red one piece long enough to care.

Harvey was already ready to handle the monkey assault. "Chow," he sternly said, arriving next to Joey and reaching out to receive either the monkey or Pequeno, depending on how furious Joey was of Mila's friend and how much she'd rather deal with Chow personally. "No."

Chow hooted and cocked his head to the side, then threw his hands up in the air and hooted again.

Joey passed Chow off to Harvey when he got to her. She really didn't want to see what he'd do if she held on to him. It'd be her luck the little simian would pull her top aside and gibe everyone present more than an eye full. "You're lucky JAG would look at me like I grew four extra heads if I were to press charges," she said, eyeing him.

She pulled Pequeno against her and rubbed his furry little head in an effort to calm him down, which seemed to do the trick.

Up on the cliff, Camila raised her arms as she watched the tableau below unfold, then she dove off the cliff and knifed into the water with barely a splash. She dove deep and swam under the water for shore, then came up for a deep breath before she burst out laughing.

Allen watched the dive and took a deep breath, letting it out. He wanted to down one of the drinks that he still held, but he wanted to offer Camila her choice. He searched the water for her and was caught off guard when she surfaced. Wow, I can't even hold my breath that long. Woman must be part mermaid or something, he thought. When she started laughing, he walked up to her. "Yeah, that's one brave monkey," he said.

"Yes, and I suspect soon to be one confined to quarters," Camila said as she came out of the water and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

Allen chuckled. "Confining a monkey to quarters, huh. I'd bet that little guy has more than one way out of his quarters." He paused a second and shook his head. "That was some dive and swim you had there. I don't believe I've ever seen anyone hold their breath that long."

Bast walked up from behind Miller, carrying drinks for himself and Camila. "Never underestimate Camila," he warned, handing her a glass.

"When you go through SAR training, you have to do it while wearing a full uniform and backpack," Camila told Miller. "Doing it in a swimsuit is nothing." She looked at Temerant and smiled. "Two guys, four drinks and one me. Someone is trying to get me drunk?"

Allen put both drinks out to Camila. "A Hawaii Sunset or a straight up vodka. The choice is yours. Or...you could have both. My guess is one them is like the tortuous depths of Tartaurus and the other is the glorious heights of Mount Olympus. I've been to both. So if you need an escort..." Allen grinned at Camila and winked.

Camila accepted the Hawaiian Sunset, then reached for a drink from Bast. "I already have an escort," she said and smiled at Temerant. "Right?"

Bast nodded, and took a sip of his own drink before wrapping his arm around Camila's waist. "Absolutely," he said. He looked at Miller. "If you think her dive was impressive with the swimsuit, it's even more impressive without one."

He turned back to Camila. "Sweetheart, I think I need you to come with me... I may have lost some spots back there in the water... I think you should come and see if they're all accounted for..."

He walked backwards away from the group with a playful smile, pulling on Camila's hand.

Camila shook her head but took a few steps toward him and lowered her voice. "We're at a birthday party, Temerant. No."

"Raincheck, then," replied Temerant with mock disappointment. "But my real objective was getting you away from this... creep. Come on, let's go check out the food over there. I can smell the kalua pig halfway down the beach."

"Good point," she said before she took Temerant's hand and headed towards the table where the food had been laid out. "Have you ever eaten Hawaiian food before?"

"Never," he said. "But I know the basics, and I think it's related to some of the dishes my sister tried on us when she was in school," he added, referring to his sister Auri. The youngest of the Lochees siblings, she was a top chef on Trill, and had experimented a variety of culinary styles before settling into her own. It was also through her that he had developed his own interests in cooking, and had gotten her to teach him several techniques. "The Capellans also have this tradition of slow-roasting meat over hot embers, and they also like to use very fruity, very spicy sauces to go with it."

"I'm not certain how Chief Rasputin made it, but it all looked and smells really good," Camila said. "I have a few favorite Italian dishes that I like, but I've never had Hawaiian before. Maybe we can get your sister to come cook for us when we get back to the Alpha Quadrant."

"Or better still," he said, turning to face her. "When all this business with the Consortium is over, I think I'm a bit overdue for shore leave. And if I don't ask for it, I have a feeling Jayla will order it. Would you consider shore leave on Trill with me?"

"I've never been there, so it'll be a new experience for me," Camila said. "As long as we get to spend a little time on Earth before we have to come back. I really want to see my parents again. It's been too long."

"Then it's a deal," he said. "You can show me around all those little passageways in Venice where you used to get in trouble."

Camila laughed. "I'm so glad those passageways can't talk," she said as she walked with him towards the table. She took a sip of the Hawaiian Sunset and looked back at him. "If they could, odds are good that I wouldn't be here today. Does Trill have any stories of you?"

"That depends," he said. "Which 'me' are you talking about?"

"Temerant," she elaborated. "That's the only one of you that I've ever met."

"Of course not," he said, a bit too quickly. "I have no idea what you could possibly be referring to..."

- - - - - - - -

Allen may have been enlisted, but he'd had enough training to know when to back away. He downed the glass of vodka and shook his head. That stuff was real. Then he smiled; it was time to get more of it. He cast a glance over towards his hot boss and the Trill that had walked up. He shook his head again, muttering to himself, "Spots. Huh. A banana has spots, too. But that just means it's rotting." He looked at his empty glass and then at the table. Yeah, it was time for another one.

Joey looked to Rico and gave him a command in German. The only word that could be made out was 'Mila'. She watched the dog very gingerly take the Capuchin into his mouth and swim with him toward Chow's mistress. He took great care in his actions as to not harm his little friend, or cause him any undue stress. In fact, he brought him to land and sat him down on the ground, then shook the excess water from his fur before nuzzling the little simian's head. With that, he took off running along the shore.

"That works, too. I told him to bring Chow to Mila, but he seems to want to play instead," she said, turning her attention back to Harvey. A smile played on her lips when she realized he was fully dressed. "Since you're already wet, why don't you lose the shirt and jump with me?"

If the alcohol had any chance to take effect, Harvey was sure the surge of adrenaline from swimming out to meet Joey canceled it out. He looked up to the top of the falls. Harvey had watched Joey jump, and it didn't look something to be afraid of. If anything, he was just overdressed. "All right," he said, pulling off the polo and launching it towards the shore.

Joey smiled. She was going to help him relax one way or another. Perhaps, jumping from a cliff wasn't the best way to do that, but there was still time before that had to happen. Swimming to shore, she settled Pequeno down and turned back toward Harvey after the tiny ball of fur took off to find Rico and Chow. It was time to have fun.

She kept her eyes on him and swam halfway back out toward him while humming the Jaws theme, then stopped and sank beneath the surface of the water. With the water being clear, she made out his form and grinned. Joey didn't want to give him the chance to escape, so she sank deeper and began to head straight for him.

Harvey had been slowly making his way towards the falls to climb them, not because he was a terrible swimmer, but because he wanted to take his time and enjoy the water. His mind was no where else besides getting to the falls, so he remained oblivious to what was about to happen from below.

She watched as he swam toward the falls, her grin still present. Harvey was taking his time getting to the falls, so he obviously didn't know she was after him. Changing her course a bit, she positioned herself differently and sped up as she began to make her ascent toward him. Joey had done this to people before, so she had no doubt about her ability to pull it off.

By the time Joey reached him, she had herself positioned so he was settled on her shoulders. As she continued to move toward the surface, her hands wrapped around his ankles as she braced herself. After a few more powerful kicks through the water, she finally broke the surface at a rate of speed to achieve what she wanted, then raised her arms quickly to flip Harvey into the water behind her.

Harvey didn't know what hit him. All he knew that one second he'd been swimming along peacefully and the next he was airborne. Water, in terms of weight, allowed one to feel almost like they were moving in zero-gravity, so it was easier to move objects or people in ways they couldn't normally be moved.

But what Joey had just done to Harvey was completely unexpected. He hit the water hard and was sucked under the surface. Despite it all, he collected himself quickly. He remained under water, but looked around for Joey's unmistakable and unmatched figure. In a heartbeat, he plunged himself towards her like a torpedo.

Joey turned to watch him hit the water and couldn't help but wince at how hard he hit. She hadn't expected that, and now she was waiting for him to come up again. When he didn't, that was when she knew she was in trouble. He was coming for her. She looked down into the water, but couldn't see him.

With a laugh, Joey turned around until she was facing the falls and decided swimming for it was her only option. There was little doubt he'd get to her before she got to the falls, but the didn't mean she wasn't going to try. Still, she braced herself for whatever was coming.

Harvey positioned himself to intercept Joey at her midsection. He swiftly swam upward, caught her at her waist as he breached the surface of the water, and pulled them both back under water.

When he grabbed her midsection, Joey made a startled sound and flailed for only a second before she gave in, took a breath and went under with him. Thanks to her SAR training, she was able to hold her breath longer than the average person, but she knew Harvey wasn't out to hurt her. Sadly, she didn't know what he had in mind for her, though.

She did turn her gaze toward him and grinned, hoping he was having as much fun as she was. Maybe they'd eventually make it to the falls, but they didn't have any of her attention currently. He had it all.

Harvey didn't stay underwater long. His lung capacity wasn't what it once was, and he didn't take a big enough breath when he caught her. Still, nothing could have wiped the smile off of his face. He was enjoying this more than he thought he would. If only he wasn't wearing khaki shorts, but there was no point in changing now.

After taking a breath, Joey grinned. "So... now that you caught me... what are you going to do with me?" Once the question left her lips, she braced herself to be launched like she'd done to him. The fact that he was smiling made her incredibly happy, too. It meant he was enjoying himself and... dare she think it?... relaxing.

From her movements, Harvey could tell very well what she wanted. After he quickly managed to repress the memory of the last time he'd done this, he clutched her sides and drew her in for a kiss. For a moment, all thoughts of his surroundings and the onlookers disappeared. For a moment, all that he thought about was Joey and how happy she'd made him. When he finally withdrew his lips, he whispered, "This."

In one swift motion, he launched Joey into the air, smiling as she flew.

She returned the kiss with a smile, then braced herself when that single word left his lips. Joey knew what was coming, and the fact he was having fun made it even sweeter. He made her happier than she thought any one individual had the ability to.

As she flew through the air, Joey couldn't help but let out a 'weeeee', then took a breath seconds before she hit the water. She couldn't remember the last time she'd done this with anyone. It had to have been when she was a little girl, and now she found herself wondering why. That was a question she could answer. There was never anyone special enough to share moments like this with.

Joey only stayed beneath the surface for a few moments before she came back up with a laugh. There would be no retaliation this time. She closed the distance between them and slipped her arms around his neck. "If we can get back home in the future, I'm going to take you to the real Wailua Falls."

Mila watched Chow shake himself after Rico brought him back, but she was in the water with Aidan and still laughing at what the little Capuchin had done. Of course, she was going to hear from Joey later, but it was still amusing. She saw Chow take off after Rico before she looked back at Aidan. "Is almost possible to believe that we are not on ship. I am loving this scenery."

Aidan nodded. "It is indeed hard to believe. The sights, the sounds... it's simply wonderful." He leaned back, placing his arms out to the sides and slowly lifting his feet up. Aidan was floating on his back. "You must know your sestra well to have known about this place and recreate it. Or was it a venue that you found with your respectable research abilities?" He sort of paddled and spun himself around so that he could turn his head and see Mila.

"Enough to know that today was being her birthday and where she is from," Mila said as she moved next to him and luxuriated in the warm water and sun. She glanced over to where Joey and Harvey were near the waterfalls and smiled. "I am very glad that she and Harvey are enjoying themselves. It is making me feel as if this is what was needed."

Aidan came back up from his floating position and looked towards the birthday girl and her Captain. "They do seem to be, don't they?" Then he looked around. "And so does everyone else, in their own ways." He turned back to face her. "I agree with you. I believe it was needed. I also believe that something like this is needed for the entire ship's crew at some point. Perhaps not a huge party, but everyone needs some time to let go and enjoy themselves after everything we have been through in the last few weeks. You did good, Mila. I'm proud of you." He smiled at his Russian girlfriend and dipped his head.

"Thank you," Mila said demurely. "I am being in agreement with you on that as well. Perhaps we are able to organize something once we are having Deep Space Eleven and wormhole back. In meantime, I am thinking that it is time for presents and food."

"I couldn't agree with you more," said Aidan. "I am quite hungry. Lead the way."

When they got to the table, Mila looked around and saw people scattered in the water, by the table and other places. "Computer, begin music," she ordered and raised her voice. "Everyone please be gathering! Is time for food!"

Aidan backed up a bit so as to give his Mila the room she needed to be the hostess that was required. He watched and waited for everyone to show up. Personally, he couldn't wait to get into the ahi poke and the pineapple dish. In all his time, he'd never had Hawaiian. Of course he hadn't had Russian either, until he met Mila.

Allen, with his third glass of vodka in his hand, came up near the table. It all looked good and he wasn't sure where to start. Of course, the music was great and he could really get into it. That is, if any of the women here had been single. Oh well, there would be other times. For now, he would enjoy the food and maybe catch the birthday girl later and wish her a happy birthday.

Joey looked toward the area where Mila and others were starting to gather, then looked back to Harvey. "Looks like it's time to head back and start the festivities," she said, leaning in to kiss him.

"No one says we have to go back," Harvey replied, a smirk on his face before kissing her. When he pulled back, he added, "Although, if we don't, I guess Mila would not appreciate it."

"And I think she's just evil enough to tell Chow I really am hoarding treats, then send him my way," she said, giving a shiver at the thought. Even goosebumps appeared on her skin. Oh, the nightmares that was going to bring. "I can't see him, but I swear he's watching me."

A small furry head with a white face popped out from behind a frond not three feet from shore before it ducked out of view again. The tiny simian popped out again and stared at Joey, bringing his hands to his chest and gave a loud hoot.

"Speak of the devil," Harvey muttered as he spotted the rascal. "I know you would throw him in the brig, but maybe we should just lock him in the holodeck in a jungle simulation with lots of female monkeys and get it all out of his system."

Her gaze turned toward the little simian as she found herself half hiding behind Harvey. Chow had already got overly friendly with her once, and she was just slightly worried it could happen again. "Mila has tried that. He doesn't seem to appreciate the opposite sex if it's simulated. Maybe we should try to find a female Capuchin somewhere," Joey said, looking thoughtful before she shivered and moved closer to him. "Even then... that might not work unless we figure out a humane way to attach a couple grapefruits to her chest."

Harvey began to guide her towards the shoreline. "We'll figure something out later," he pressed. "For now, let's focus on enjoying this shindig and your birthday."

"That sounds like a good plan to me," she said as she made her way out of the water with him. Joey planned to enjoy herself as much as she could while keeping an eye on Chow. It would be pretty embarrassing for the little pervert to come at her out of nowhere and pull her top aside looking for whatever it was he wanted.

Ricardo headed towards the table and looked around for the Chief and her boyfriend. Man, the hot ones get taken quick, he thought sadly, but cheered himself at the thought of real free booze and the food they were about to grub on.

Camila came walking up a minute later. "That was fun," she said, referring to the jump. "We'll have to do it again sometime. Or maybe some orbital skydiving."

"That sounds like a plan," replied Temerant, smiling behind her.

Joey made her way back to the table and grabbed the drink she'd settled down earlier, then took a sip as she looked over everything Mila had presented. She had to admit she was quite impressed. The Yeoman definitely did her homework, and the cake... she almost didn't want to eat it. Almost.

Allen watched all the people start to gather when he caught sight of Ricardo. The blonde man took his drink and headed over to his comrade in arms. "Hey, how'd it go? Did you see the turtle again?"

"How could I miss it?" Ricardo leaned over and whispered as he nursed another vodka. "Did you know she's with the Captain?"

Allen chuckled. "Oh how true that is! Uh, the Captain? You mean with him at her party or with him?"

"With him," Ricardo whispered hoarsely. "When he caught me looking at her before, he mentioned he'd hate to have to perform a second Mast this week and that he was the man she was dating."

Allen went wide-eyed. "The Captain and Joey...dating? Whoa... talk about off limits." He took another drink and looked around. He saw that the Chief and her Trill weren't too far away, and whispered, "I lost out, too."

"Bummer, man," Ricardo said. "Starfleet may not do ugly, but you have to get up early to get the hotties."

"Don't I know it. I mean, take Chief Rasputin over there...um, no, don't actually take her. But I mean, you know, for example. If you were to take her, you might end up in Sickbay, by the looks of her boyfriend."

"It looks like we're the only two here without dates," Ricardo said and took another gulp of his vodka. "And as good looking as I am, I'm not your type, Miller Time."

Allen nearly choked and then spewed the drink he had in his mouth. He looked to Ricardo with a smirk and replied, "Yeah, we don't call ya Baby Face for nothin', kid." Allen reached up, glass in hand, and made a mock motion as if rubbing Ricardo's cheek. "Yep...Baby Face...smooth as a baby's bottom."

"Ass," Ricardo muttered and nudged Allen towards the table. "Let's get over there."

As everyone began to gather around again, Joey took a moment to stretch. As thoughtful as all of this was, it was making her incredibly homesick. Of course, she didn't let on thanks to the ever present smile on her face. She didn't want anyone to know she was feeling anything other than happy.

Mila stepped up to the table. "Today," she said. "Is being day of birth for my sestra, Lieutenant Joey Corwin. I am saying s dnem ​​rozhdeniya, Joey!" she said, the translator interpreting it as 'Happy Birthday'. "May your years grow longer and your smile wider."

Harvey, who had taken a detour to the bar, slipped the last of the Hawaiian Sunset cocktail into Joey's hand. He then raised his glass in front of the crowd and smiled. "Happy birthday, my love. To Joey."

Joey accepted the drink. She'd only had a sip of the first one, so there was no way she could blame the alcohol on what she... and everyone else... just heard. "Thank you, sweetheart," she said, leaning in to kiss him before turning to look at the others present. "Thank you to all of you. This really does mean a lot to me."

Camila stepped forward with a small box and handed it to Joey. "Happy birthday," she said. "It may not be the most practical gift, but you could find it practical in other situations."

Joey accepted the small box after setting her drink down, then opened it. "Oh, this is pretty amazing. I'm sure I'll be able to find multiple uses for it. Thank you, Camila," she said, leaning in to hug her tight.

"Just remember," Camila whispered as she returned the hug. "Spooning leads to sporking and sporking leads to forking."

The brunette woman threw her head back and laughed. "I'll keep that in mind for the future."

Aidan gently squeezed Mila's hand. "Shall we?" Aidan kept hold of her hand as they moved towards the table. He picked up the box that he had brought in earlier. Making his way over to her, he handed Joey the box. "Happy birthday, and may you have many more wonderful ones." He handed the box to her. "I hope you like it."

Smiling at Aidan, she accepted the gift from him. "Thank you, Aidan. Thank you, Mila," she said, as tears began to well in her eyes. Joey was trying to keep it together, and just so no one would notice, she began to open the box that had been given to her. When she saw what was inside, she swallowed back a lump in her throat. "It... it's beautiful," she said softly, unable to keep her voice from cracking.

Mila stepped forward and offered her a wrapped box that was about a foot long, but only a few inches thick and six inches wide. "I am wishing you a very happy birthday, Sestra," she said with a warm smile. "May you always have time to be surfing."

Joey accepted the box and opened it. With touching gifts such as these, she knew she was going to cry before the day was over. "Thank you, Mila. It's gorgeous. I know exactly where to put it," she said, leaning in to hug her.

Allen had finished his drink and put the glass on the table. He walked up to Joey, intent on giving her that birthday hug. "Heya birthday girl, c'mere," spoke the vodka. He opened his arms and wrapped them around her back and shoulders, hugging her tightly. "Happy birthday, brown-eyed girl." And he kept on hugging. "Happy birthday, Lieutenant." And he hugged again, one last time, before taking a step back. He smiled, shook his head, and saluted. Then, really feeling the effects of the vodka, he turned to the Captain. "You're one lucky dude, sir." Allen found the nearest chair and took a seat, quickly.

TBC

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