Private Comm Session - Familiar Faces

Posted on 15 Aug 2026 @ 9:21pm by Lieutenant Commander Leland Hawksley & 2nd Lieutenant Elora Rykov
Edited on on 15 Aug 2026 @ 10:36pm

11,413 words; about a 57 minute read

Mission: S04 Episode 02 The Hackers Backdoor (Incidentals)
Location: Holodeck 02 (Tomcat) Holodeck 01 (Churchill)
Timeline: Current

[ON:]

Holodeck 3, USS Tomcat – Private Comm Session

Leland Hawksley stepped through the holodeck doors with that tired stride that came from to many long shifts and not enough real sleep. The soft blue glow of the grid gave way to the warm low lit ambiance of a simulated observation lounge he had programmed earlier... comfortable chairs a low table and a wide viewport looking out on a peaceful starfield. No mission briefings. No engine reports. Just this.

He was off duty dressed in his usual crisp white tee shirt and classic cargo shorts sleeves pushed up to his elbows. His dark hair was a little tuftted from where hed run his hands through it to many times today and a two day shadow of stuble roughened his jaw. The fatigue sat in his shoulders and behind his eyes the kind that came from paperwork lawyers and the final quiet end of a marriage that had been over long before the signatures where dry. He wasnt shattered. Just... done.

Mentally wrung out. But the thought of seeing Cass and little Martha had pulled him here anyway.

Leland dropped into one of the chairs rubbed a hand over his stubbled chin and tapped the console built into the table.
"Computer, open priority subspace comms to the USS Churchill. Connect to Captain Cassandra Matthews and Martha Matthews. Maximum visual fidelity. Private channel."

The Starfleet delta spun for a few seconds as the long range link negotiated through relays. Then the air in front of him shimmered and resolved into the holograhic projection of two very welcome faces.

A slow genuine smile the first real one in days spread across Lelands face as he leaned forward elbows on his knees.

"Hey there you two," he said voice warm and a little rough around the edges with exhaustion but bright with honest happiness. "God its good to see you both. Feels like its been forever since I had the chance to talk to my favorite duo across the stars."

Cassandra's smile was warm as usual. "Hey there." she greeted gently.

"Leland!" Came Martha's excited voice. "Mother said you might call tonight!" It was easy to see the child was delighted. Her dark blue eyes seemed to sparkle even through the stream. She wore her footed pajamas of engineering yellow and her little plastic badge over her heart. Tiny black curls had been pulled into two messy buns on the top sides of her head. Still some had escaped and tumbled around her chubby toddler face like bouncy streamers.

His gaze softened as it landed on the little girl beside her mother. "Martha... hows my important belt treating you? You keeping it safe like we talked about? Pollishing the buckels checking the pouches? That thing got alot of history on it kiddo. Im trusting you to take real good care of it until we can meet up again in person and I can show you how to use some of the tools properly."

"Oh I have been taking very good care of it. Mister Ashford liked it very much and I even have permission to go do sit ins and walk throughs with the engineering team if I do good and stop running away from the kinder class." Martha replied puffing up obviously thinking this was the height of all honors to be given to a child of five years. "I even got a junior badge and one day it's going to be a real one." Martha sat back her fingers now playing over her lovely badge as though it was treasure. To her it was.

Cassandra smiled at Martha and let her finish patiently. Leland was by far one of her most favorite people, and this was a treat for both of them. Cassandra missed him too. She shifted on the sofa her uniform was on. She had just changed into a fresh one. The war games were still happening, and she had only stepped away for this call and to put her daughter to bed.

He glanced back to Cass his expression gentling further the tiredness still there but eased by the simple fact of seeing her.

"Cass... you look good. Both of you do. Hows the Churchill treating you? Hows my favorite Marine CO and her very important assistant settling in over their in the Beta Quadrant?"

"They keep me jumping around here. That's for certain." Cassandra said, Her eyes though were assessing him, his posture, his face, the tiredness in his eyes.

Leland shifted slightly in his seat the casual clothes and unkempt stubble making him look more like the off duty engineer they knew than the Chief of Engineering who usually carried the weight of a whole ship on his shoulders.

"Ive got some news on my end," he added after a beat voice dropping just a little, "but it can wait. Right now I just want to hear how you two are doing. Tell me everything... Ive missed this."

Cassandra had missed it too. The hours of just hanging out and talking. Martha had curled into her lap looking at the screen with obvious curiosity.

"Well." Cassandra started, "everything is new. I mean new. The ship, the crew, the Marines. Everything is raw and needs to be organized and put together. I swear I feel so old looking at all these young faces." She chuckled then her light blue eyes though tired held a note of amusement. "Goodness it really snuck up on me."

Martha chimed in then, "You're not old mommy, you are mom sized now that's all." She followed it up with a kiss to Cassandra cheek.

"Oh, is that it?" Cassandra said her all tiredness melting away as she tickled the toddler's tummy a moment before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I guess that is a good age to be then." Cassandra said more seriously.

"I think so." Martha returned before sliding gown off the sofa. "Potty break." She announced as she hurried off the frame. "I'll be back!"

Cassandra turned her eyes back to Leland and he could see the question in them even before she asked him. "So good news or bad news? You didn't let Winchester or Benson blow up the ship, did you?" The joke was obvious. The question though was genuine.

He smiled again small and real the kind of smile that said he was exactly where he wanted to be for the next little while even if it was only through a holodeck projection and subspace static.

The channel was open. The lounge was quiet. And for the first time in what felt like weeks Leland Hawksley looked forward to whatever came next...

Cassandra leaned closer to the projector. "You can tell me anything. I am right here. Anything you need too." She wanted more than anything to reach through and take his hand like the old times. He looked so tired and there was something else, something deeper. Her heart hurt to see him like this and not be able to help him.

Leland smiled. Hiding a tear from the pain of having everything finally signed and put to rest. It was now a tear of relief. A single one. His manhood belying his tense feelings, now unearthing like a prairie crocus on the spring horizon. “Good news, Cass...” He swallowed hard. “Its over. We don’t have to hide it anymore…” Those words were enough to let Cass know that the divorce papers were signed. The year of tough… weary keeping calm and carrying on were complete.

“The Federation lawyers finally have signed off despite persona non grata.” Hawksley beamed eyeing his girlfriend. Cass was there for him. He was there for Cass. What was a friend in hard times had flourished into a bond that forged itself across distances of empty space…

“I am here. I am the Man you need me to be... For you… For Martha. God bless you both!” From the background, there was a gruff sound and then an AI golden retriever speaking, muttering thoughts that chirped.

Herc barked. “Hawk… Hawker… Happiest… Seen this Man…” The retriever sat his head on Leland's knee, the AI voice box wanting to be recognized by Cass and Martha. Leland’s lil buddy speaking the truth.

Rubbing Herc by his chin absently, Leland lit up, happy. “I'm sorry. I don’t think I’ve had a chance to check myself in the mirror in days… It's still fresh. God. I want to hold you so bad. Both you and Martha. She looks amazing, Cass. I am so happy she has got on with Engineering.” Leland had spoken to Lt. JG Ben Ashford for a while now, explicitly explaining the 5-year-old who would soon be stalking Engineering. And that, if in any way, that little girl felt she wasn’t the world in Engineering, he would be hearing back from Leland in an instant… Ben, of course, gladly complied, it sounds like. That was definitely a relief for Leland… Martha, like Cass, was beginning to be his world. His universe. The two of them.

“You know. I’ve been dreaming of you. Us. I can’t get you out of my head. I don’t feel guilty anymore. I… Not guilt. But. I don’t have to hide this feeling. Cass. Us… You know how I feel about you. I have wicked dreams lately… Us on a beach, in the middle of nowhere. I want to be able to burn every image of you into my mind.” He had his finger to his noggin. “I do.”

Cassandra knew exactly how he felt. They had had so little time together before fate had pulled them apart again. She still couldn't believe they were finally a couple after so long of waiting. Her heart had never given him up. Even if her mind had logically done the math and had tried to move on. She never had. Not really. Not ever.

"I still think of that night. When I confessed my feelings to you." She had never been so scared in all her life. She couldn't not tell him though. Couldn't risk losing him again. "I think of it often."

She did at night especially in those long hours when sleep seemed to elude her. She could close her eyes and remember the taste of his lips, the uncertainty at first before he had kissed her back.

'I am sorry' She had whispered to him in the moment their lips parted and how he had looked at her so confused 'I love you. I always have.' she had confessed, 'You should have been mine; I should have protected you. forgive me.'

There had been so much fear, then in a moment like everything in her broken world he had managed to fix it with just a kiss, and then a touch. Until the universe felt like it had re written itself. The guilt had come later. It however never diminished the beauty of that most perfect moment for Cassandra. That moment he really saw her.

"It's a shame these calls of ours are not more private. Then I could give you something to dream about later." Cassandra stated with a rather suggestive smile.

“When you confessed.” Leland. Beamed. “I didn’t realize what could be and what I was missing without you.” He reached forward, placing his hand to Cassandra’s, their physical protons through the com channel feeling each other's hands, the sensation of another being… Up close. Granted, it was not the real thing, but just knowing he was touching Cass, and she was feeling his hand as well on the other end, was more than enough for him.

“Baby… My Cass.” He grunted. The love drunk swirling in his head, driving him. “You didn’t know my feelings. I don’t always show them as what I should, nor could at the moment." He felt his fingers intertwined in to Cass's fingers... “Cass. You liberated me. You are my Laura Secord.” A historical female figure which helped the United Empire Loyalists in the War of 1812 secure victory over the imposing Americans who were secretly invading Upper Canada. “You were my herald.”

Cassandra closed her eyes a moment letting his voice and his words just roll over her. 'His Cass, his baby, his'. She loved the sound of it coming from his mouth.

“I have to confess.” His stoic face, 5 O’clock stubble, blushing his fair skin. “You left beind a few articles in my quarters. Not to sound creepy… But Damn. They have helped me feel like your right beside me in my bed.” He chuckled. “Don’t dare ask me what you left, you probably remember.” Like a Jock he inched both eyebrows up and down knowingly, dorkily.

Cassandra didn't need to ask, she had left them deliberately. She was raised by Caitains, and it was customary to leave things for your mate, especially things that contained her scent for him.. She nearly purred delighted he had found them and had made use of them. That smile of his though... Her heart felt like it would melt at that smile.

“I’ve never let the quarters cleaning system take the sheets off, since you’ve left. Your scent, your perfume still lingers.” Leland let a sly grin, with a devious wink at Cass. “Damn. I don’t think anyone could ever love me like you do.” He was already getting horned just sitting there over the coms. It wasn’t all about sex, but there was carnal desire there.

"I have a few of your things as well." Cassandra confessed. "That shirt of yours from the holo deck. Our night on the beach. And.... I .. I took your work jacket." She had the folded and tucked into the top of her sea bag. Most nights she would pull it out and just lay there with it over her pillow and breathe him in. The shirt stayed in her deployment pack.

"I'm back!!" Came Martha's happy cry as she bounded back into the room. Cassandra pulled the girl into her lap so she could be in frame. She kept her hand intwined with Lelands. Martha had seen it before and ignored it completely.

"We have Hockey practice day after tomorrow" The toddler reminded Leland sweetly as she curled back into her mother's embrace. "Don't forget okay." She liked how nice things felt. Though she missed her uncle C'Tirr something awful. She also missed her home on the Tomcat. Especially now. "Mommy? When are we going to go home?" She asked for the third time today.

"At least a year darling. This is home for now." Cassadra said softly running a hand over Martha's curls and kissing her forehead.

"Why so long? That is practically forever." The toddler whined irritably.

"No, Its not that long. I have to train these men for the Churchill. I have to train Hawthorne for command. That takes time. It can't be rushed or men could die. So, it's worth taking the time to do it right," Cassadra explained gently.

Her words seemed to sooth the child as intended. Then Martha asked. "Why can't I go stay with Leland and work in engineering? I would be a big helper. I wouldn't get into any trouble." She said with a soft yawn.

"Because I would miss you far to much Kitten. Wouldn't you miss me?" Cassandra asked giving her a bit of a tickle on her tummy.

"Yeah" Martha giggled but she looked at Leland with those large dark blue eyes and added with a pout. "But I miss Leland too."

They felt real. Hawksley could touch them. He could hold them.

His eyes went straight to Cass’s face and stayed there, drinking in every detail: the soft line of her jaw, the way her eyes warmed when she looked at her daughter, the quiet strength that always pulled at his heart. He soaked in the sight of her while the distance between the Tomcat and the Churchill felt a little smaller…

When Martha’s small voice finished, he didn’t hesitate. Leland crossed the deck, knelt, and gently scooped the five-year-old into his arms. He felt the solid, warm weight of Martha settle against him as he carried her to the couch, sat down, and settled her securely on his lap. One arm wrapped around her middle to keep her steady. Leland dreamed of being a Father.

Martha was this dream come true, both she and Cass a package of love, only Leland was invited in too… For this, Hawksley was eternally grateful.

He kept his gaze on Cassandra the whole time, admiring her face even as he spoke to the little girl in his arms.

“Martha, sweetheart,” Leland said softly, his voice low and steady right beside her ear, “your mommy’s right. A year isn’t forever. It’s just time we’re going to fill with good things… Things that will make the days go faster than you think! I promise you that.”

She nodded but did not look all that convinced. She missed him. Missed the time they had had together. Missed the carnival and the way he had let her stay at his side in engineering just watching and learning.

She missed picnics in the jeffery tubes with tools and parts spread about like a puzzle game as they ate sand witches and tried to put things back together again. Him naming the parts and the tools and how they worked together. All of it.

She missed that feeling she got in her chest when he looked at her with pride whenever she caught onto the lesson and figured out the rest on her own.

She missed those times she would fall asleep after he had tucked her in for the night in her bed when her mother was working late.

She missed hearing his and her mothers voice talking softly in the other room when they thought she was asleep. "I just miss you so much." She said her face curling next to the place his heart should have been if he had been physically there.

He gave Martha a gentle squeeze, then lifted his eyes again to Cassandra, still watching her every expression as he continued.

“Martha, I’ve already mapped out a full hockey-training schedule for you! We’re going to work hard and have fun. And for our next subspace holodeck hockey training program, we’re going to begin skating on real ice together. I’ve got your very own pair of pink hockey skates ready and waiting… We’ll lace them up, and I’ll be right there with you until you’re gliding like a little pro. Would you like that, Martha?” Leland wanted to be sure that only Martha's wants would be heard.

Martha's eyes widened until they looked almost impossibly large. "Real ice?" she breathed, the hint of a sleepy yawn forgotten for the moment. "Not the pretend kind?"
She bounced just a little where she sat in Leland's lap, excitement pushing aside her earlier pout.

"And... pink skates?" Her grin spread from ear to ear. "Really mine?"

She leaned back just enough to look up at him, searching his face to make sure he wasn't teasing.

"I wanna learn! Even if I fall down." She nodded with all the determination a five-year-old could muster.

Leland stood slowly, still holding Martha securely in his arms. He stepped over to Cassandra’s solid holographic form and gently returned the little girl to her mother, placing her into Cassandra’s waiting arms with careful tenderness so the handover felt completely real.

Cassandra accepted Martha into her arms as naturally as breathing, one arm wrapping securely around her daughter while the other remained intertwined with Leland's hand. The seamless transfer made her chest tighten for just a moment. It felt so real.

She rested her cheek briefly against Martha's curls before lifting grateful eyes to Leland.

"You make her feel included," she said quietly. "You never talk around her—you talk to her. That means more than you know." A warm smile curved her lips.

"And she'll take those engineering duties with absolute seriousness. I hope the Churchill is prepared for an inspector who's barely tall enough to see over the consoles."

Martha gave an indignant little, "I am too!" which only earned a soft laugh from her mother. "Leland loves me. He always includes me." Martha let out a yawn. Her eyes fought to stay open.

Now sitting back down beside both of them, Leland reached out and took Cassandra’s free hand, threading their fingers together while his eyes remained soft on her face.

“We’re also going to start engineering training with Ben Ashford on the Churchill systems. You’re going to help me polish the warp core crystals, Martha. That’s a very important job, you know. One of the most important things we do is keep the engines running safely and strongly. I need your help with that… You’re my very important little helper for the engines.”

He smiled at the little girl now back in her mother’s arms, then looked back at Cassandra, his gaze full of love.

“And since you love engineering so much, and you liked borrowing my tool belt… we’re going to modify yours. We’ll add an extra slot on the left side for a dilithium spanner laser tool. It’ll be all yours, ready for our projects together.”

Marthas sleepy smile returned as she imagined it all.
"I get to help the engines too?" Martha asked proudly. "I'll be very careful. Uncle C'Tirr says engineers have to take good care of the ship because everybody's counting on them."

She looked between Leland and her mother snuggling up more against him. His holographic form was solid. She felt completely secure having helped Mr. Ashford set it up herself.

"And I wanna wear my tool belt. Even if it's too big." She said giggle. "When you make it better, I'll carry my very own spanner... and help Mr. Ashford better too."

A thoughtful little pause followed. "But..." Martha shifted and reached out to pat Leland's cheek with tiny fingers. "You still have to come to hockey practice, okay? You promised. We have to stay close."

“You have my word, Martha. I keep my word. All Engineers do.” Hawksley beamed.

Leland kept hold of Cass’s hand again, the solid connection between them a quiet anchor.

“These holodeck times… these plans… this right here. This is how we stay close while the Tomcat and Churchill are apart. I love you both more than I can say. Having you here like this, even through the link… it reminds me exactly of what I’m fighting to get back to when the year is done.”

Cassandra squeezed Leland's hand gently, her thumb brushing across his knuckles. "You don't have to wonder what you're fighting for," she said, her voice calm but rich with feeling. "It's right here." Her eyes held his steadily.

"A year is a long deployment." She agreed. "There will be hard days for all of us. Martha will have these moments when she misses you. I'll have moments when I miss you more than I can put into words." She said her voice held an edge of yearning.
She glanced at her daughter with a fond smile before returning her gaze to him. "But if we keep making moments like this, our holodeck dinners, the hockey practice, those engineering lessons, your bedtime stories, we'll build memories across the distance instead of letting the distance define us." Her fingers tightened around his. "When this year is over, we won't be coming home to strangers. we'll be coming home to us. A family. exactly where we belong." She ached to kiss him.

Leland stayed exactly where he was… Fingers laced with Cass’s, eyes still tracing the beloved lines of her face. The force fields hummed softly around them, holding the moment solid and real for as long as the link would allow.

For a long moment Cassandra simply looked at him also, memorizing the quiet contentment on his face as well.

"I love you Leland," she said softly. "More than the stars between our ships. More than the empty months ahead."
She smiled, equal parts warmth and resolve. "We'll do this one day at a time." She kissed the back of his hand where their fingers remained laced together. "And when the year is finally behind us..." Her smile deepened. "...we'll stop saying 'one more year' and start saying 'we made it.'"

Hawksley didn’t say another word. Even with Martha there. He didn’t want to hide it from the lil munchkin. Their munchkin, Leland was taking this on and he didn’t even need to say it. He smiled at Martha.

“Do you think your Mom needs a kiss from me? A kiss makes things sometimes better between two adults.” Lelands way of asking Martha if she would approve. They had kissed before, not so much in front of the little girl.

Marthas smile was large and full of warmth. "Yes. I think she does." She loved watching them together. Enjoyed how happy Lelland made her mother. She had seen them kiss before. On the Tomcat when they had thought she was in bed sleeping. It made her feel secure in trusting him.

Hawksley bit his lower lip, burning in anticipation. Even if it were just particles on a holodeck. Damnit, he needed this…
His eyes locked on Cass’s eyes like a tractor beam. Hawksley moving a few inches as Cass lay at his warmth, his side. He felt the pressure of the side cuddle. He wanted more. Leland expertly with smoothness lent his large left hand to the back gently of Cass’s neck, feeling her shorter body in his hold, as he guided Cass’s lips to his, locking in a slow but passionate kiss.

Leland’s lips touching the feel of Cass’s lips, the hologram doing its work as his eyes were closed now… Breathing inward, his chest catching that feeling, Cass… Her lips, wanting the taste that he remembered so sweetly. Holding a few moments as he wanted the kiss never to break… A silence feel over the room as Leland’s breathe gently exhailed in pure relaxation, pure love. Gently pulling away from Cass, Leland let his hand linger at the back of her neck, feeling her hair and tracing to her ear…

“Cass my Baby… I. Love. You.” Leland smiled. “So damn much.” He forgot there was Martha, but it wasn’t a swear, it was in pure admiration.

“As soon as your back… I am going to make you my Wife.” Hawksley then absently pulled at his pocket a small sized ring, perfect for Cass’s finger. The last thing he did, secretly having her finger sized scanned by the Tomcat’s room sensors. “Will you dedicate yourself to me, me dedicate myself to you… For marriage. For life. As soon as you get back. We will be married, a Family in name. I want this… I want you Cass.” Leland held the promise ring, gold with little bits of dilithium crystal particles shimmered throughout the gold metal ring alloy.

Her eyes widened. Her breathe caught. "I...." She could barely thing past the rush of emotions. Was this real? It felt like some dream. Some beautiful perfect dream. come to life. "Yes... I.. I want to be your wife. I want that more than anything."

Martha, "I get to be flower girl!!" She declared not missing out on the opportunity to be included. "Does this mean I can call him Daddy now?" She looked first at her mother then at Leland.

Leland beamed. This was not a marriage proposal, only a promise ring. But he didn’t want to ruin the moment occurring… Why not?! It was perfect that Martha was here between them, to witness her Mother being basically wed to her boyfriend.

“Martha. Would you be our beautiful flower girl?” Hawksley smiled back at her excitement. He was blessed that Martha was so loving, so kind to him. Just like her Mother. He turned to Cass and then back to Martha.

"Yes!!" Martha was now no longer sleepy at all. She was a ball of excited energy bouncing around. "I get to be the flower girl!! I get to be the flower girl!"

Cassandra had seen the look on his face at her response and felt like maybe she had misunderstood things a little. She made a note to talk with Leland about it later. Until then it was damage control. "Martha darling calm down." She said softly an attempt to get the giggling toddler back under control. To no suprise it was Leland that managed it with ease.

“Now Martha… Let’s prepare. Here, munchkin.” Leland gently placed the ring into her small, petite child's hands from the larger, gruff Engineer's hands. He leaned forward and whispered into her ear, with Cass seated beside him.

Martha then nodded, as if she were receiving her engineering instructions from Leland. With a bounce and cupping the ring in her small hand, she walked back to the middle of the room.

She then looked to Leland, her face with excited anticipation as she ran a hand through her hair, mimicking her Mommy to look nice.

“You ready, Munchkin?”

“Mnnn Hmmn!” An affirmed quick nod.

“Ok. Sweetie. Show us what a flower girl does. Now we have to pretend you have flower petals. So do your best.” Leland beamed. Turning to watch Cass.

“Dun Dun Du Dah!! Dun Da Da Dum !!! Da Da Du Dahhh Dahhh De Dum Da De Daaa!”

As Leland did his best to impromptu wedding music. Martha stepped in time, pretending as a child can only do with pure enthusiasm. Her little hands were gently tossing imaginary rose petals from side to side as she walked back to Cassandra and Leland…

Leland stood in his spot and then knelt to Martha's height. With his hand gently held out.

“I have for you the ring!” Martha proclaimed. “I give it to you now?” She asked.

“Only if you think you want me to marry your Mother, Martha,” Leland asked. His face shows true kindness and gratefulness. He had no Father to ask for his daughter's hand. This would be the closest he would ever be.

Martha looked at Cass, her Momma’s eyes. She thought and then nodded.

“Is that a Yes, Munchkin?” Leland asked.

“Yes.” She looked at Leland and held her cupped hands forward with the ring Leland had crafted himself in Engineering.

“Ok. I will take the ring.” He then placed his two larger hands, one on top of the other. Martha handed the ring forward with her tiny fingers and placed it into Leland's hand.

“Come, Martha, stand with us here.” Leland reached gently and brought Martha to stand near Leland, as he now remained on one knee. He then held the ring in his larger fingers, looking up to Cassandra…

“Cassandra. Will you take this promise ring from me, Leland Hawksley? To promise to Marry Me when we get back in one years time. To be my wife in Sickness and in Health. In happiness and sadness. A life built on Joy and Trust… Till death do us part.”

Leland waited a moment, watching Cass’s face. Leland beamed, his eyes locked on Cassandra’s eyes; a serene calmness had come over his face. Leland then winked.

Her smile was radiant. A promise from Leland was as good as gold. She had no other answer, no other thought in her mind except that she had dreamed of this moment for so long. In her darkest days she had carried him with her. Now here he was offering her everything she had ever wanted.

"Yes." She spoke. "In one year, I will marry you Leland Hawksley if you still want me then." She left him that out. She knew a year was a long time. She had waited eight already. Each feeling like a lifetime without him. She knew her heart. It already belonged to him. A lot could happen in a year, however. She wanted him to know he was not trapped in that promise. As always, she wanted what was best for him, wanted for his happiness and prayed he might find it with her.

Leland stayed right there on one knee... his broad shoulders squared and his stubbled jaw set like a man who had just won the only fight that ever mattered. Pride poured off him in waves... a deep... masculine pride that lit up his whole rugged face. This happiness... it was brand new. Something hed never felt before in all his years. Pure. Full. The kind of joy that came from knowing his woman had just said yes. Cass was his. His claim was made.

The primal urge to pull her tight against his chest and take her as his own right then and there burned hot through his veins... but he reined it in. He would wait. That whole year she had left open for him. He wasnt about to screw this up. Not her. Not them. Not this chance.

With astute reverence his low voice came steady and sure... every word carrying the weight of a man who meant every syllable.

"Cass... my beautiful Cass. You just gave me something I didnt even know I was missing. This feeling... its bigger than anything Ive ever known. Im beaming so hard right now I probably look like a damn fool... but I dont care. You said yes. My hearts never been this full."

He reached out with those strong engineer hands... gentle but sure... and took her smaller one in his. The holographic link held solid and warm between them. Slowly... with a reverence that made his chest tight... he slid the promise ring onto her marriage finger. The gold band shimmered with tiny dilithium particles... catching the low light as it settled perfectly where it belonged. His claim. His promise. Right there on her hand.

"This ring means Im yours from this moment on... and your mine. I dedicate myself to you Cass. To you and Martha. Ill wait that year... every single day of it... and Ill be right here building our life in my head until you come home. I want you so bad it hurts sometimes... but Ill wait. Ill be the man you need. Strong. Faithful. Ready to make you my wife the second your feet hit deck again. I stake my claim here and now..."

He rose to his feet then... pulling her into a solid embrace that felt real enough to anchor them both across the stars. His lips brushed her forehead first... then claimed hers in a slow... deep kiss full of possession and pure love. When he finally pulled back just enough to look into her eyes his grin was wide and bright... pride and joy radiating from every line of his masculine frame.

"I love you Cass."

He had stolen her breath and through a hologram no less. She could only imagine the dopey grin on her own face, the look of pure wonder. "I love you too."

He glanced over at Martha with a soft wink... voice still warm but lighter for the little girl. "And you munchkin... we got some planning to do when your mom gets back. Biggest welcome home the fleet ever saw. You in?"

Martha had watched it all in earnest. 'So, this was what love looked like?' her dark blue eyes studied him deeply and critically. He did not seem like the type that would hurt her mother. Not like Tommy had done. No. True to his Hawksley form he was going to fix everything. Improve it even. She nodded at first to herself. Then she gave him her most brilliant smile. "All in daddy." She tried it. liked the feel of it on her tongue. She had always wanted a daddy. A real one not a pretend one the way Tommy had tricked her into believing. "Can.... Can we have cake at our party?" She asked suddenly tired again from all the emotions. She yawned.

Cassandra was looking at Martha now as well. 'Daddy' her daughter had called him. She waited for the fear, for the worry. But there was none of it. She knew she could trust Leland. There was no doubt. Martha was safe with him. Safe to put her love and trust into him. Cassandra was sure of that. Something about that touched her deeply. They were a family. Maybe not officially yet or on paper even. The bond though was already strong and steady. For a moment she wondered just what it would be like to have another baby... With him. Too feel the fruit of their love together growing inside of her. A little sister or brother for Martha, she always was asking for one. The idea was so powerful, the want so deep. In a year. until then she would ask him about it when they were alone.. "You should say good night my darling to Leland...'

"...To daddy" Martha corrected her face determined. Her blue eyes blazing daring either of them to say differently. "If he is yours Mommy then he is mine too. We go together like you said." Her blue eyes held Cassandras a beat. "Your my mommy, So that means he.." Those eyes found Lelands' dark and serious as a storm. "...Is my Daddy." It was clear there was no room for argument.

"Of course darling. Yes." Cassandra soothed feeling Martha's little frame go ridged as though ready to fight. The child calmed almost immediately at her mother's acceptance to her words. "You still have to tell your daddy good night it is bedtime for you."

Martha hesitated. Another nod to herself as though accepting and approving the facts at hand. "I still want cake at our party. Good night daddy." She moved over to his holographic image to wrap her tiny arms around his leg and sqeeze it tight. He was so tall when he was standing up. "Kisses!" She said stepping back to offer her cheek to him.

Leland simply sat there, the holographic projection shimmering as the words washed over him. My little Martha. The title struck deeper than any wound he’d ever taken, leaving him briefly without breath, the seasoned commander reduced. Their... Martha. If Cassandra would have him, she would one day be Cassandra Hawksley, and this bright, fierce little girl would carry his name too, maybe. Hawksley didn't want to be presumptuous... Yet, the thought settled in his chest like something sacred and irreversible.

Hawksley swallowed hard, voice low and measured when it finally came, thick with everything he could not yet say aloud.

“Good night my lil' Martha,” Leland said softly. One large hand rested gently against the shimmer where her tiny arms had hugged his leg... “... Daddy... Loves you more than every star between here and the edge of the galaxy... You and your Mommy… you’re my whole world now.” Leland's eye flicked briefly to Cassandra, full of quiet steady promise, before returning to the little one.

“Yes... there will be cake. Plenty of it.” Leland leaned in and pressed a quick, tender peck to her offered cheek, the hologram rippling at the contact, the gesture small but deliberate... Sealing what had just passed between them so it could never be undone. “Kisses back to you, Martha. Dream sweet, my... Girl.”

Martha waved her face content and happy as she disappeared to her room of the grid.

Cassandra watched Leland, reading that look on his face. " I wouldn't mind a few more like her." She teased, testing the waters. Keeping it light. "A couple of lil Lelands running around trying to take the place apart and their big sister showing them exactly how to do it." She watched his face carefully.

Leland paused a moment... "Now.... Two. You want two?!" Leland raised his eye brow... He broke in to a laugh a bit... "I.. Actually. I would love three children. Two Lelands running around, Cass. Love. You would be... Very overwhelmed. You have no idea how I was as a child." He only joked. He was a very good kid, but he just loved talking about the idea of kids.

He then reached over and placed his hand in to Cass's smaller, petite warm hand. He could sense this through the holodeck fielding integrative systems. He worked on them himself... Possibly waiting for this situation no doubt with being able to speak to Cass over long distance, for the time being.

"I would be honoured. To... This means..." He gestured with his free hand... "Alot of... Concerted efforts to get this done you realize... I mean, I will have to top up my game in the bed department... I love a good challenge." He immediately turned it to Sex. Not that was all he thought. But the idea of impregnanting Cass, to give her two of his Leland's. Damn. It really charged Leland.

"Yeah." He lit up. "I definately could get a good team going. Martha on the net, teaching her lil brothers, or sisters... How the game is played. With Daddy being the referee!" He beamed. "We need to talk about this, Cass." He broke in to pure chuckling as he always did when talking about sex and baby making. "Would you be able to handle, what if I gave you quadruplets or something... Lord knows..." He gruffed. "I mean, I got the potent shit!" He winked cockily at Cass, buffing up his shoulders...

His enthusiasm made her smile widen. "I was raised Caitian my love. We indulge in large families. I want as many children as you would be willing to give to me. It would be a great honor. After training thousands of troops over the years I think I am equipped to handle a house full of Kits." Cassandra stated her other hand reaching over to cover his. "I am ready for a family. Especially with you."

She too could see it. A house full of kits wrestling around and engaged in various activies. A baby on her hip as she sorted out a disagreement between a few of the older little ones. Martha and her elder siblings taking things apart and explaining them to the younger ones as if it was a puzzle game. It made her heartache. She wanted that. All of it. Leland coming home, those sweet welcome home kisses. A mess of kids excited to see him as much as she was. She could be happy with just two or four or more if he wanted. As lang as they were together.

"I want that... What you just described." Hawksley grinned stupidly. He tightened his hand in Cass's. "I want to ensure that you are happy, as much as I will be happy. I want to have our kids make messes, I want to be tired after a long day and hear everything... The hand painting they do in the classroom. The funny things that they will say... Who said what to who, and whom needed to be talked to in a Fatherly manner. I want to sit down at the table together with you at the other end, with us every moment indulging our little kits like that." Hawksley beamed.

"Me and you Baby. We can make it happen. We will end up ensuring our kits can become anything they want. The encouragement that I have to make them understand that Mommy and Daddy will be there for them through it all. To see them graduate to their own lives, be there to see them get married, their first postings. Be in on a ship, be it on a homeworld we will visit wherever they are.. Far and near. I don't want a room of silence... Not then..." He had a moment of the past bleakness... Not now. Not ever... With you and me." He squeezed Cass's petite hand.

"Cass. be prepared. Because I won't let you get away the moment you come aboard. We will have Herc with us the whole way... Do you know how excited he was to find out that Martha will be his Sister. He is already a part of us too. And he won't be going anywheres." Leland beamed. Herc had always been by Lelands side, and Herc was his golden retriever.

"I want Herc to be sent to your quarters. I will make it happen tommorow. So that he can start bonding with Martha and you Cass. Already knows the both of you. But Herc... He needs more right now. I don't think he is happy being alone in the quarters. He already wanders the hallways of the Tomcat. Would you do that for me, would you take Herc for the time that I am not in your hugs, Love?" Leland grunted, happily in Cass's side.

Leland then took Cass in to his arms and sat Cass on his lap. If anything, she could already feel how 'ready' Leland was to make this all happen. Their talk of Children had only invigorated him...

Cassandra couldn't help but laugh as Leland's excitement bubbled over. It was infectious, warming her heart in a way that made the distance between them seem just a little smaller.

"You really have thought about all of this, haven't you?" she asked softly, her fingers absentmindedly tracing circles across the back of his hand.

When he pulled her gently onto his lap, she settled there naturally, one arm looping around his shoulders while the other rested against his chest. Even through the holodeck's tactile systems, she could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath her palm.

She smiled, shaking her head with quiet affection. "I think the universe would have to brace itself for a house full of little Lelands." A giggle escaped her.

"Can you imagine breakfast? You'd have three or four tiny voices all trying to tell you about their latest engineering project while Martha calmly explained why they'd nearly overloaded the kitchen replicator trying to improve pancake production." She grinned. "And somehow... you'd be proud."

Her blue eyes met his. "So would I."

She leaned forward, resting her forehead gently against his. "I don't dream about grand houses or lavish vacations. I dream about the ordinary things, like coming home after a long day and finding you already there, the smell of dinner, whether one of us actually managed to cook it or we surrendered to the replicator." She laughed quietly. "Helping with homework, reading bedtime stories, Movie nights with everyone piled onto one sofa because no one wants to sit anywhere else, Even the inevitable arguments over whose turn it is to play with Herc."

At the mention of the golden retriever, her smile softened even further. Her hand rose to cup his cheek.

"Oh, sweetheart...Of course I'll take Herc. There wasn't ever another answer." She smiled warmly. "He's family. I'd love having him with Martha and I. I can already picture him following her around the quarters like she's the most important person in the galaxy. And knowing Martha, she'll probably have him wrapped around her little finger before the first week is over."

Her thumb brushed gently across his cheek. "I promise I'll look after him." She held his gaze for a long, quiet moment. "That's what we're building now, isn't it? A family. Not someday. Now." Ther were happy tears in her eyes now.
"Herc, Martha,You. Me C’Tirr." She smiled tenderly. "And however many little ones fate decides to bless us with." She laughed again, unable to resist teasing him.

"Though...if you truly intend on giving me quadruplets..." She arched an eyebrow with mock seriousness. I'm making you change every single diaper for the first month."

Her playful composure lasted all of three seconds before she broke into laughter. "Actually...No." She kissed his forehead. "Knowing you, You'd probably volunteer before I even asked."

Her expression softened once more as she looked into his eyes. "Leland..." She rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes for a peaceful moment.

"I want to marry you more than anything. I want to raise our children. I want to grow old enough that our grandchildren roll their eyes every time we tell them the story of how their grandfather somehow managed to win me over with just his smile.." A contented sigh escaped her.

"And one day...When the house is finally quiet...I hope we look at each other across the dinner table, hear the echoes of all the laughter that came before, and know...that we built exactly the life we'd dreamed about together."

Leland thought of it. He truly inwardly lit up. He never thought of that before. A whole couch of little Hawksleys, a few little Lelands. Watching any kind of movie that the kids wanted, just resting after a long shift in Engineering. Aching from the Jeffries tubes, yet seeing the laughter, the popcorn being thrown at each other, Martha and even Herc there with his body wrapped around his Sister.

“We will have to have a nice, big couch.” Hawksley reflected on it. Just that feeling of holding Cass’s hand along the back of the sofa, that touch with her, as their litter of good luck all enjoying new movies together.

“…And a big table come to think of it, Cass. Just think of the food we will have to replicate! We will cook good stuff. Nutritious stuff. Just stuff that the kids will want to eat, fuel their little minds, their bodies to become so healthy, happy. And they will hang out with all of us as a unit. Sisters and Brothers, Herc leading them to the Holodecks.” He chuckled. “I never thought of wanting a lot of children, but you make the case!” He placed his large hand gently caressing through Cass’s hair as his forehead still felt contact. That much needed contact. He could feel the temperature of Cass’s body, her soft skin against his.

Laughing, Leland remarked at Cass’s comment regarding Herc. “You know. Herc will love the children. The fact that each one wants his attention, and on demand as a child does! He will have no idea! I don’t think he has an idea.” He smiled. Herc was a part of their family, even if he was an AI dog, his mind, his energy was as real to Leland as any other dog. But Herc wasn’t any other Dog.

“Martha will love the fact that Herc knows some engineering terms, ideas. On my shuttle missions back in the day, I’d have him along with me. He was trained to be a second eye on my work. He’d notice if I left a screw, a panel, or a tool kit without something placed in it. Martha will love that!” He was happy knowing that his good ol’ boy could continue teaching Martha while he was gone for the year. That was relief. He relaxed, with his large forearm, bicep comfortably holding Cass around her waist as she was close to him. He gazed at Cass’s blue eyes, her silky, shiny black long hair flowing down her sides and back.

“I want to kiss you again, Cass. Are you ready for my kiss, love?” Leland whispered just between them, their faces close.

Leland closed his eyes, letting his senses feel the warmth, the sensors at the atomic level in the holodeck grid, lighting up, as Hawksley’s tougher lip met Cass’s soft, sweet lips. Leland slowly let his lips gently brush along Cass’s, as he was letting the moment sink in. Every second spent with her, was a second he logged. Was another moment he would draw on latter when she was not with him.

Breathing in, Leland pressed more, parting Cass’s lips as he let the sensation, the pressure precisely and sensually, intimately let her know his feelings for her. Every kiss with Cass was a first kiss. Leland’s heart having skipped a beat, as he took the sensation of Cass, the taste of Cass as best the hologrid could offer sense, taste, smell. After their moment, they broke. Once again, letting his forehead press against hers, as Leland let his large hand gently caress up and down Cass’s back.

Leland’s cheeks tingled, his whole body shivered.

“That is nice.” He spoke low. The quietness of the moment.
Accepting now as Cass, his Girl. His Lady now who had an engagement with him lay her head along his shoulder. Hawksley loved that, when Cass lay on him. He loved being a support for her, he loved that Cass loved doing that with him. It was perfect!

The quietness broke the silence, when Cass heard Leland chuckle. “You know… Those diapers. I have to say. I’ve been knee deep in the reclimation systems, and you know full well as me, its one the engineering crews first breaking in… I think I can handle the diapers. That ain’t a problem for me. I handle the diapers, perhaps you can handle the bottles? But I want to hold and feed em too.”

“Tell me about Martha. I want to know everything you cherished with Martha being a newborn? How long did you bottle feed her? Did you feed her from your chest?” He didn’t know how else to state that one, but he was a man and he was very curious!

Cassandra’s smile faded slightly, not from sadness toward Leland’s question, but from the weight of the memories it brought with it. She reached up and gently touched his face, her thumb brushing along his cheek as she gathered the words. “Oh, Leland…” she whispered. “I wish I had the answers you’re hoping for. I wish I could tell you about sleepless nights rocking her as a newborn, her first smile, her first steps, all those little moments parents treasure.”

Her eyes lowered for a moment before returning to his.

“But I didn’t get those moments with Martha the way a mother normally does.” Her voice softened. “She was conceived during the worst time of my life. Teveran Antakio… he was a monster. He held C’Tirr and me captive for months. He called what he did ‘games,’ but there was nothing playful about it. It was survival. Every day was about enduring and finding a way out.”

She took a slow breath, steadying herself.

“When I escaped, I didn’t even know I was pregnant. When I found out… I was terrified. Not because of her. Never because of her. Martha was innocent. She was the one beautiful thing to come from something so horrible.”

Cassandra’s fingers tightened around his. “For her safety, she was hidden away on Earth with Admiral Doe’s family and Lieutenant Wolfgur. They protected her. They gave her a safe home and made sure she was loved while Starfleet attempted to hunt Teveran down. Her birth records were even arranged so she could be protected as Jane’s son’s twin.”

A small, emotional smile touched her lips. “I didn’t get to hold her as a newborn. I didn’t get to feed her or wake up with her crying in the middle of the night. I missed those first two years.” Her voice cracked slightly. “And that is something I will always carry with me. I wanted to, but I had to protect her first. I… I couldn’t be selfish.” She looked toward where Martha had disappeared earlier, her expression filled with love. “I loved her too much, I had to let her go. For her sake. For her safety. It was me he was stalking, not her. I couldn’t let him know.” She looked down. Her eyes burned. She wouldn;t cry. No. She promised herself long ago she would never let that bastard make her cry again. Especially not now.

“But when Teveran was finally gone,” Cassandra continued after she collected herself. “Jane brought her to me on Starbase fifty-one.. Martha was two years old, and I was terrified she wouldn’t know me. That she would see me as a stranger.” A soft laugh escaped her, mixed with emotion. “But she didn’t. She looked at me, and somehow… she just knew. She reached for me. She chose me. From that moment forward, she was my daughter, and I was her mother.” Cassandra leaned closer to Leland. “She may have missed those first years with me, but I have cherished every single moment since. Her first words that I heard. ‘Your my momma, I am your Martha!’” Cassandra swallowed hard. “ Our first meal together, Dino nuggets and fries.” Cassandra remembered it like it was yesterday. Over a short time I learned about her curiosity. The way she takes everything apart because she wants, no, needs to understand how it works.” She chuckled, “The way she looks at the world like it’s a puzzle waiting to be solved. How she can escape the daycare like it doesn't have multiple layers of security so she can go stroll in engineering to find something ‘Productive’ to do. How she can pick up languages in only a few short meetings..”

Her eyes softened. “She’s brilliant, Leland. Far beyond what most children her age are capable of. Some of that may come from Teveran’s genetic alterations, but what matters most is who she chooses to be. And she chooses kindness. She chooses love.”

She smiled faintly. “So no…I didn’t have those newborn moments. I didn’t get to experience the beginning.” Her hand found his again. “But I got something just as precious. I got to know her. I got to watch her become my little girl.” Her voice became quieter. “And now… I get to watch you love her too. That means more to me than you know.”

(Tag) Not sure if you want to add a reaction here or not


“I want a wedding however you want it, hun. I want you to dress how you want. I want you to have as many or as little friends, family as you want.” Leland thought about it. “I want my parents to know you. I want my parents to see how happy you make me Cass. They are very chill, they respect my decisions, my choices. But. I want you to meet them. You will really like my Sister, Nicole. She is a preschool teacher on Earth back home. She’s always been a communication away for me. I want her to know you. Before.” He shook his head. “There was no communication…” He barely wanted to speak of the past. She knew what he had meant when Leland mentioned no communication with his past ex wife, and his parents.

"I want your family to know me." She whispered. Aside from her foster brother and her daughter Cassandra had no other family for Leland to get to know. She had plenty of friends. He already knew most of them though. "Feel free to make the arrangements. If they are open to it and have time I would like to have them come to the Churchill. I think Martha would enjoy playing hostess."

Cassandra smiled softly, her fingers still intertwined with his as she rested against him. The thought of a wedding, of a future they were finally allowed to dream about, warmed her more than she could express.

“Leland… I should warn you, I was raised Caitian. We don’t place the same importance on weddings that many humans do. For us, the bond, the commitment, the family… that is what matters most.” Her smile turned a little more tender. “When you marked me, when you gave me that piece of yourself and claimed our bond in the way that is meaningful to my people… that was the moment that mattered most to me. That was when I truly felt chosen by you.”

She squeezed his hand gently.

“But I know this matters to you. So, if a wedding is something you want, then I want it too. I’ll plan one. I’ll learn everything I need to and make it something beautiful for us. Though I may need your help. I’ve commanded Marines through battles, but planning a wedding might be the most intimidating mission I’ve ever faced.”

Her blue eyes softened as she looked at him.

“Just know that I don’t need a ceremony to know I’m yours, Leland. But I would love to stand beside you and tell the universe what we already know… that we chose each other.”

Leland’s hand stayed firm at the small of Cass’s back, the holodeck field giving him the solid press of her against his chest... He could feel the steady rise and fall of her breathing through the tactile grid, warm and real enough that his thumb kept tracing slow circles over the fabric of her uniform... Leland lived for these moments with /his/ Wife to be. Cass renewed his faith in humanity alone!

He let out a quiet huff of a laugh, the kind that came from deep in his chest... Leland tilted his head just enough to catch Cass's eyes... “Caitian bonding! I swear... I thought I had hurt you bad, my baby." He grunted, pressing his forehead to Cass's, speaking low. "It was passionate though; I felt I truly claimed you then."

A crooked grin tugged at one corner of his mouth.

“But if you’re volunteering to plan a wedding, Cass… I want front-row seats when a Marine Commanding Officer tries to coordinate a flower arrangement. That’s going to be better entertainment than half the holodeck programs on this ship!” Leland grinned. "My parents... It's about having them there to be able to see you, how beautiful my Wife is. To hear my vows to you as my Wife." He nuzzled his nose gently against Cass's...

Leland shifted her a little closer on his lap, one large hand sliding up to rest at the nape of her neck... The sensors picked up the soft brush of her hair against his knuckles, and he didn’t move away from it.

“I’ll handle my side. Parents. Nicole. They’re going to love you. Nicole especially. She’s going to interrogate you about every story I’ve ever told her and then decide you’re too good for me. Fair warning. I would like Nicole to meet you, and my parents, even if I can't be there. They won't be judgy or a pain, I promise... And it won't be awkward. They will give you and our Martha space."

Leland’s thumb brushed once along the edge of her jaw, light and deliberate.

“And yeah… we’ll stand there and tell the whole damn universe we chose each other. But between you and me?” Hawk's voice dropped a little lower, still rough with the long day. “I already know. I’ve known since the night you finally said it out loud.”

He held her gaze, the smile still there but quieter now.

“So plan whatever you want. Small. Just us and Martha and my Fam... I’ll show up. I am so damn lucky to have you in my life.”

Cassandra's laughter was soft and genuine, her forehead still resting against his as she looked into his eyes. "It was supposed to hurt," she reassured him quietly. "Caitian bonding rituals weren't exactly covered at the Academy. Still, you learned quickly. You performed perfectly." She still had a perfect imprint of his teeth in her shoulder, not to close to her neck but close enough. She had tended to it herself. Making sure it would scar in accordance with her people's traditions.

Her smile turned teasing. "And for the record, I think we both got a little carried away."

She reached up, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead before letting her hand rest against his cheek. "As for the wedding..." she chuckled. "I command Marines, not florists. If I start issuing tactical orders over centerpieces, You have my permission to relieve me of duty."

The humor faded into something warmer as he spoke of his family.

"I'd love to meet them, Leland. Your parents... Nicole." She smiled. "Anyone who's important to you is important to me. And if Nicole decides I'm too good for you..." She leaned in just enough to steal a quick kiss. "...I'll remind her that you're exactly the man I chose."

Her hand slipped into his, fingers intertwining naturally. Her eyes softened at the mention of Martha. "She deserves to see what love and commitment look like. She deserves to know she's part of something built to last."

Cassandra smiled, her thumb gently brushing across the back of his hand. "And when we stand there and make those vows, they won't change what we already have." She held his gaze, her voice quiet but filled with certainty. "They'll simply let everyone else witness what my heart has known for a long time."

Her smile broadened into the warm, confident grin he knew so well. "So yes... I'll plan the wedding." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "But you're still helping pick the cake. Even a Marine Commanding Officer knows some decisions are too important to make alone."

"Hey... I ain't sayin no to cake tryin." Hawksley patted his chest with his left free hand. He grinned, giving Cass a peck on her cheek.

Leland held Cass on his lap in the quiet holo deck lounge, her arms wrapped around him while the soft view port light washed over them both. The air still carryed that faint clean grid scent as he reached up and brushed his thumb slow along the raised edge of the scar on her shoulder... feeling the mark through the holodeck field...

His mind went too the night he left it there. The Caitian bonding she needed becuase that was how she was raised. He had set his teeth to her skin and felt the blood rose under his mouth. A low rush of pride still sat in his chest... Hawksley had done it right. Drawn the blood. Left the scar that claimed her as his. A little cocky about the way she took the pain and still pulled him closer...

Leland pressed his forehead to Cass's.

“You’re already mine Cass... That scar is the real claim. I felt the blood draw, and bit harder... It makes a man stand taller knowing he marked his girl the way she needed.” Hawksley grunted.

His hand rested solid at the back of her neck. The field let him feel her warmth and the soft wieght of her against him.

“You and Martha... that’s the whole of it for me.”

Leland stood then and took her hand... leading his girl across the lounge to the wide view port. He stopped with her at his side and pointed to one steady bright star out in the black.

“See that one Cass... light from it has been traveling longer then either of us have been alive... and it still reaches us. That’s us. One year of distance... same light. Still coming home.”

Cassandra's fingers slipped between his as she leaned lightly against his shoulder, her eyes fixed on the distant star.

A soft smile found her lips. "Then no matter where duty sends us... I'll keep following that light." She looked up at him, love and certainty shining in her blue eyes. "And when it's finally time to come home... I will find you waiting."

She rose onto her toes to steal one last gentle kiss before resting her head against his shoulder, the two of them standing together in silence as the stars stretched endlessly before them.

OFF:



&

Captain Cassandra Mathews
Marine Commanding Officer
USS Churchill

 

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