[Galaxy] [Challenger] 2161.09.04 - Joint Personal Log - Lt Cmdr McDonald, PO3 Zhang - "Romantic Interlude"

[Anna H.]

Challenger, Main Engineering

Lt
 Cmdr McDonald had taken up a position leaning against the main reactor 
panel on the catwalk, surveying his charges preparing the compartment 
for battle.  The special weapons had been secured in the magazine in a 
semi-disassembled state, certainly making the armory crew more 
comfortable with their presence aboard.  He would be required to go back
 below and put them back together when the battle would soon begin.  For
 now, he needed to tend to his own.
"How
 are we coming along on that secondary bracing," McDonald called out to 
Chief Martin on the other side of the reactor shielding.  "I'm worried 
about any sudden maneuver that might force the nacelle to fail."
A
 loud mumble told him that it was not complete, and McDonald moved down 
his list of essential and non-essential repairs that were required 
before the battle.  The main engineering door opened, which drew his 
attention.
Cinda
 had been extremely busy with what all had been going on lately and she 
wondered when she found time to breathe as she moved down the corridor, 
heading for Engineering.  She, like the rest of the crew, had been going
 pretty much nonstop since this whole thing with the Klingons started, 
and Ensign T'Lara had assigned her a multitude of duties to keep her 
time pretty consistent since it began, with only enough time to grab 
some rest and refresh then return to duty.
The
 door to Engineering opened, and she entered, looking around.  She knew 
McDonald would be close by, working relentlessly in Engineering.  Her 
dark eyes flowed over the faces in the compartment, until she finally 
came to rest on McDonald.  Heading his way, she lifted the pad in her 
hand and glanced at the Chief near him, before looking up at him.  The 
excuse was believable, but thinly veiled.  "Ensign T'Lara needs you to 
take a look at these reports quickly, if you have a moment, Lieutenant 
Commander."
He
 had seen her enter main engineering, and his mood immediately lifted.  
It had seemed like forever since they had even seen each other, as Cinda
 had stayed on the ship during their foray into Klingon space.  McDonald
 hardly blamed her for not visiting him in sickbay, with her duties 
obviously keeping her detained.  He knew she would see him as soon as 
she could, and here she was.
"Thank
 you, Ms Zhang."  Chief Martin raised his eyebrows at his boss as 
McDonald's gaze ran past him.  "I'll need to consult my notes for a 
moment.  Could you come this way, please?"  He gestured in the direction
 of his office, as Martin yelled at anyone who paid too much attention 
the the chief engineer and his visitor.  "Let's go, people!  Move like 
you have a purpose and a job!"  He pointed at a tall, lanky crewman who 
had passed to close to the pair on their way out.  "What's the status on
 that coupling job I gave you?  Are you finished, yet?"  The astonished 
young man could only shrug his shoulders and beg the chief for 
forgiveness.
Limping
 into the office ahead of her, McDonald turned and leaned back on his 
desk, wincing at the pain in his arm.  "You didn't bring any painkillers
 with you, did you?"
The
 Asian woman listened to the others as McDonald made a pretense of 
checking notes, and she followed along behind him.  It'd felt like it'd 
been forever since they'd had even a moment's time together.  She'd 
wanted to visit him in Sickbay, but her duties had kept her so busy she 
had barely had time to think, let alone visit him there.
The
 trip to the Engineer's office wasn't very long, and the echoes of the 
Chief's voice reached her ears even as they walked along, finally 
entering the office with the door closing behind them.  Her brows, 
finely sculpted, furrowed softly at his question, and she shook her head
 sadly.  "No, I'm afraid not," she answered with a soft tone, her dark 
eyes rising to meet his.  They were full of empathy.  "If I'd thought I 
could've gotten away with it, I'd have sneaked some down, but with 
everything going like it is, I didn't have the time to do much more than
 grab a pad and come up with a reason to come down here."
She
 obviously had missed him, which was demonstrated by the way she 
squeezed his hand when she took it, her strong, but soft, fingers 
curling around his hand as she moved closer.  She glanced over her 
shoulder, through the window out onto the Engineering deck proper.  Her 
gaze returned to him, and she smiled softly, hoping at least her 
presence could make it feel better.
Holding
 her hand was electrifying to him, as he struggled to move his injured 
left hand back to a panel, stiffly pressing a recessed button.  The 
viewport into the main engineering bay suddenly became darker.  "There. 
 That should take care of the curious."  Squeezing her with his good 
hand, he smiled down at her.  "It's okay.  I would have been horrible 
company down there.  Burned flesh doesn't smell that good, anyway."
Her
 exotic eyes were so expressive, McDonald thought to himself.  It had 
been so long since he had simply looked upon her, this woman that had 
pursued him in a way unlike...the other.  Banishing the image of his 
former Andorian lover was difficult, but he managed without too much of 
an outward sign.  He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, 
inhaling the scent of her hair.  "I missed you.  How are you holding 
up?"
The
 change in mood and demeanor wasn't lost on her as she listened to him, 
watched him as they talked and stayed close to one another.  Her eyes 
drifted momentarily towards the darkened window that looked out onto the
 deck, and then back to him.  She returned the smile softly, her 
thoughts playing behind her eyes like a viewscreen on extreme 
acceleration.  Her eyes closed when his lips touched the top of her 
head, and she heard him inhaling the scent of her hair like the 
fragrance of a flower.
"I
 missed you too," she replied, moving slightly to press a bit closer to 
him.  She had forgotten about any possible onlookers for the moment.  
Right now, they were the only two that were present or mattered.  She 
knew his thoughts had drifted a bit, and she was curious as to what they
 drifted to, and why, but she wouldn't pry.  She knew all too well the 
sanctity of one's thoughts.  "As for holding up, I'm doing well enough. 
 I'm certainly staying busy enough that there's little time to even 
bother thinking about anything.  I'd be doing better, though, if things 
were more normal and regulated, and I could find more time for moments 
like this," she said, her fingers gliding lightly along the line of his 
forearm.  She enjoyed his touch, being near him like this.  The only 
thing she wished for at the moment was a solution to whatever it was 
that plagued his thoughts.
Wrapping
 his arms around her and drawing her into him, he planted small kisses 
on her neck.  "One way or another, I think things will slow down soon.  
We...we could take leave together.  If you want, that is."  Even though 
they had been fairly romantic, their relationship was still in an 
embryonic state, and they had not had any 'significant' conversations on
 a future together.  "I think taking you to Risa would be absolutely 
phenomenal, don't you?  I mean, we would be free there.  No ship, no 
crew, no one looking over their shoulders at us."  He smiled as he 
thought of it.  "I've never been, but I've heard so much about it.  I 
can only imagine you in one of those microscopic swimsuits," McDonald 
said, as he ran his right arm up and down her lower back.  More than 
once, his hand went down much lower than just her back, as he let out a 
quiet groan of pleasure.  "What do you think?"
Cinda
 molded to him as he took her into his arms, and stretched her neck 
luxuriously to accept the kisses he offered it, time and again.  A soft,
 contented mewl escaped her lips and she met his eyes once more, 
nodding.  "I think it will, too.  One way or the other," she said, 
pausing as he suggested taking leave together.  Their relationship, 
while romantic, and even passionate, had not progressed much past the 
beginning stages as yet.  The offer was unexpected, though welcome at 
the same time.  She smiled softly and left a soft, lingering kiss on his
 lips, her sparkling eyes meeting his.  "I'd like that, and yes, I want 
to," she reassured him, leaving another of her silky, soft kisses on his
 lips.
Her
 musical laughter pealed softly for a moment as he continued, resisting 
the impulse to shake her head slowly.  "Risa sounds wonderful.  I've 
never been there either, but have heard much about it."  The added 
luxury of it being free from prying eyes held an extra appeal for the 
young Asian woman.  Playfully, she popped him on the shoulder.  "Aha, so
 it comes out.  Its an excuse to see me in a microbikini.  Wouldn't you 
be disappointed if I didn't own one?"  She laughed merrily, hoping he 
took the joke as a joke.  As his hand ran up and down her back, and 
lower than her back, a soft exhale of impassioned restraint escaped her 
lips and she purred and meowed sultrily and playfully back.  "I think 
it'd be incredible.  Sounds like a plan to me."
McDonald
 leaned forward to kiss her more passionately, forcing his tongue into 
her mouth, enjoying her taste.  Finally pulling away, he stroked her 
hair and took all of her in.  "I can't wait."  He then looked at her 
with a far more serious expression.  "Please.  Keep yourself out of 
danger.  I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt in all of 
this."  Leaning down to kiss her again, he reached up to her cheek.  "No
 unauthorized heroics, Ms Zhang.  Do you hear me...honey?"
Cinda
 returned the kiss, accepting his tongue and returning with a few 
selective swipes of her own against his, savoring the taste of his 
flesh, of his breath, as the kiss lingered a long moment.  When he began
 speaking, and stroking her hair, she smiled lightly and traced small 
designs on his chest with the tip of her finger.  "I can't wait either,"
 she intoned, her voice soft and slightly husky.  After the second kiss,
 she nuzzled her cheek into his hand.  "I hear you...sweetheart.  No 
unauthorized heroics, no flights of fancy, or feats of daring do."  As 
she nestled into his arms, her thoughts were on many things, the two of 
them not least among them.


Lt Cmdr McDonaldChief EngineerFCL-04 Challenger&Petty Officer Third Class Cinda ZhangGeologistFCL-04 Challenger (as played by Karyn) 		 	   		  
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