Love And War Bk. 01

Delaara and Jason had known for quite some time about Ryan and Rachael, but this open admission, even in private caught them a bit offguard. Delaara had been ribbing her good-naturedly, but the look on their Captain's face was enough to give them pause.

It was clear, to Delaara at least, that Captain Rachael Thatcher, the cool under fire commanding officer of the Federation's first Starfighter Carrier, was desperately in love with one of her most junior pilots.

Rachael said "Well, you two have some duty assignments, I'm sure. I have some reports to finish processing and then I'll be heading to the Enterprise for a bit to help finalize you two's wedding for tomorrow."

She was all business again, so Jason and Delaara didn't push it. Standing, they said "Thank you, Captain", and left the Ready Room.

As the door opened and Friday left with Demoness, Rachael heard even more applause for the happy couple from her bridge crew and smiled. She knew what she was feeling, even if she hadn't felt it in years. She knew it was wrong and could end her career, but she no longer cared. She was afraid of what Ryan would say, though. She loved him, and wanted a life and family with him. It was the first time in her life when she had ever considered having children. "God, Ryan. What have ye done to me, love?" she asked, under her breath.

*****

Rash was off duty and had about 2 hours to kill before Rachael finished her day. He sat in his quarters, which he didn't see very often anymore since basically moving into the Captain's quarters with Rachael. He was lost in thought at what he had done earlier. He knew that he had nearly raped Rachael. He felt disgust with himself over how he'd just taken her, with no regard for her pleasure. He'd bent her over her desk and taken what he wanted from her. She had actually loved it, and he was thankful for that, at least. He cared about her more than he had been willing to admit to himself, until that moment. "My God," he said softly. He knew what he had to do, even if it meant losing her. He had to tell her how he felt. "I am so dead," he muttered.

*****

Delaara and Jason sat in their quarters, that they would share as husband and wife after the ceremony tomorrow.

Delaara was ecstatic over the news that her parents had made it from Romulus to attend. She had commed them after her defection while on Earth for debriefing. Jason had given her the privacy she'd needed for the call. Her father had been angry, yet understood. They'd both taken the news of Stovral's death hard, but also knew that in war, it was always a risk.

The part that her father had trouble with was that while he held no ill will toward a pilot who had killed his son in an honorable dogfight to save the life of his friend and brother, he did take issue with his daughter falling in love with her brother's killer. "What are you thinking, Delaara?" he'd asked her. "He killed your brother. I don't expect you to take vengeance on him, but you went and fell in love with him?"

She'd answered him with logic. "Father, please. I know how this must seem to you. He saved my life after I crashed. He helped me survive after we found ourselves marooned with seemingly no hope of escape. He shared his feelings with me, and I discovered a good man that I want to spend the rest of my life with." A tear had run down her cheek, and her father had finally relented.

He'd sighed. "Delaara, I won't pretend to know how the heart works. When your mother and I first met, I thought her cold and aloof. Yet as we worked together, I fell in love with her. In spite of everything, I persisted in showing her compassion and caring. When she kissed me the first time, I knew she was the one for me."

"Father, when he pulled me from the wreckage of my fighter and then pushed air into my lungs from his own, I knew Jason was the one for me as well." She'd smiled, and her father had smiled back.

"I will meet this man who has stolen my daughter's heart." He'd said, smiling paternally.

"Wait right here, father. I'll bring him in." She'd said with a heart lifting smile.

She'd gone to the bedroom where Jason had been sitting patiently and asked him to come into the com room. He'd gotten up, knowing what she was doing, and walked stoically to talk with her father, as a condemned man walks to the gallows. No fear, but a determination to face his fate like a man should.

As he had stood in front of the com station, looking into the face of Ambassador Stovrin, he'd smiled politely and said "I'm Lieutenant Jason MacKenzie, sir." Delaara had stood beside him, smiling at her father hopefully.

"So you are the man who killed my son and stole my daughter from me." He'd said to the young Lieutenant.

"I love your daughter, sir. And I regret the loss of your son by my hand. I know it doesn't bring him back, but I am sorry that I had to kill him." He'd choked up for a moment, and his emotion wasn't lost on the Ambassador. He'd seemed concerned. When Jason had regained his composure, he'd continued. "Sir, if there had been any other way to save my best friend's life, I would have taken it."

Stovrin considered it for a moment. Then he'd said something that neither Delaara or Jason had expected. "Well, since you can't bring my son back, I would ask you to become my son and marry my daughter as you plan to do, anyway."

Delaara had gasped, and Jason had stood there for a moment, not believing what he'd just heard.

"Ambassador, it would be my honor to join your family, and I thank you for the blessing to marry Delaara." He'd bowed his head in respect to her father.

She replayed that memory over and over in her head as she cuddled with her fiancee. They'd been given the rest of the day off, and had chosen their clothing for the wedding. Jason hadn't seen what Delaara was going to wear, as that would be bad luck, but she approved of his Dress Whites, complete with both of his new medals when they would be awarded. The Andromeda Cross and the Federation Medal of Valor. In 3 months' time, they had won two of the Federation's highest honors.

Rachael had commed him to tell him that their Andromeda Crosses had been approved by Starfleet Command, and would be pinned on their chests before the wedding tomorrow.

As they lay together on their bed, still cuddling in their flight suits, they heard the door chime. "Come in, we're decent," said Delaara with a naughty wink to Jason. He grinned at her as Rash entered with a look on his face that Jason had never seen before. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked as if he had been crying. Jason and Delaara jumped up and sat him down on the edge of the bed.

"What's wrong, Rash?" asked Jason. "You look like death warmed over."

"I just realized how I feel about Rachael, and it's eating me up, Friday," his best friend said.

Delaara smiled at him. "You love her, right?"

Rash nodded. "I'm scared, Delaara. I'm scared that if I tell her, she'll run for the hills."

Delaara smacked him lightly across the face. He was stunned. "Do I have your attention now? Good. One thing I know is when someone is in love. I see the way she looks at you, Ryan. It's the same way I look at Jason. You have absolutely nothing to be scared about, because she loves you so much it hurts."

Ryan grinned at that. "You know, I thought she might feel the same way, but then...."

"Then you psyched yourself out, Rash. You have a habit of doing that, you know," Jason said, grinning. He checked his chrono. "She should be off duty by now, brother. Go get her."

Rash stood up. "You're right. If I don't tell her and lose her forever, that would be worse than telling her and losing her forever."

And with that, he was sprinting out the door and towards the turbolift.

Jason had an idea for what he wanted for their first dance after the wedding, and moved into the fresher for a moment. "Honey, I need to wash up a bit. I'll be right back."

"Ok, baby. I'll be here." She smiled. He tapped his combadge when the door had slid shut. "Friday to Captain Picard", he smiled.

"Go ahead, Jason," said Picard over the comm.

"Sir, I have a special request for the song to be played when Delaara and I have our first dance after the ceremony", he said, smiling wider.

"What song would that be, Jason?"

"'Who Am I' by an old 21st century band named Firewind, sir. I have it on MP7 if you need it. I can send it to you."

Picard chuckled. "You kids and your music today. I believe we have it in our music library here, Jason. I'll make sure that when you two take the floor, that song will play for you."

"Thank you, sir. Firewind is one of our favorite bands."

"It's no trouble. I'm still somewhat at a loss as to what she sees in you, though." He chuckled again, and Jason chuckled as well.

"Yeah yeah. Everybody's a comedian... sir."

"Yes I am, son. Picard, out."

*****

Ryan ran down the hall to the turbolift. He punched in the code for the Captain's Quarters and rode it up. He stepped off and went to Rachael's door. He chimed, but got no answer. He entered her room and noted that she hadn't returned yet. He sat on the edge of their bed and waited. 'Our bed', he thought to himself. He had come to see it as their bed. The bed that they shared. He knew that this would be it for him. Either she loved him too, and they would find a way to make it work, or she would reject him and would be back to being just his Captain.

He heard the rush of the door opening and looked up with tears in his eyes as Rachael entered. She saw him and noticed the look on his face.

"What's wrong, love?" she asked, sitting beside him and wrapping her arms around him tightly, pulling him to her.

"I have something that I have to tell you, Rachael," he replied in a voice barely above a croak.

He cleared his throat. He wiped his tears away and told her. "Rachael, you're my Captain. You are also the woman I've loved since I first saw you. I didn't even realize it at the time how much I was in love with you. When I first came aboard with Friday as a pea green ensign, I fell in love with you the moment I saw you sitting in your captain's chair on the Bridge and stood to welcome us aboard. Your smile lit up my life from then on. When you promoted me to J.G., and I had way too much to drink already, you changed my life when you said to go to your quarters to wait for you. When you showed up and we made love the first time, I knew that no other lady in the universe would hold a candle to you. I love you, Rachael Thatcher, and no matter what you say now, even if you transfer me off this ship and I never see you again, it's how I will feel for the rest of my life." He sighed, finally. He had unburdened himself, and even if she rejected him now, he would know in his heart that he had not let her get away due to an inability to face his feelings for her.

"I love you too, Ryan." He looked up into her smiling eyes. "It took me more than a while to fully admit it to myself, but I love you, Ryan Rasher." He leaned close and kissed her with a tenderness she had never felt from him before. He gently undid her uniform jacket and slid it off her shoulders. They stood as she undid his flight suit, unzipping it down to his waist. He kicked off his boots and fell onto the bed, removing his flight suit the rest of the way. She stood there before him, reaching up and undoing her bra. He unbuttoned her pants and unzipped her, letting her pants fall around her ankles. He stood and sat her on the edge of the bed, kneeling and removing her boots and pants the rest of the way. She lay there in just her panties and he reached up and slowly hooked his hands in the waistband, pulling them down as she lifted up on the bed.

No words passed between them as they let their bodies communicate their feelings for each other. He spread her thighs gently, moving in and kissing the inside of her thigh just above her knee. He slowly licked and kissed higher, smelling her arousal. He knew she loved him, and she knew he loved her. When he finally reached her neatly trimmed pussy, he kissed her there, slipping his tongue into her. She gasped in pleasure, and he continued to drink from her nectar as he brought her more and more pleasure. Her gasps turned to moans as he licked and sucked her nub. And then she came, filling his mouth with her sweetness, giving him what he craved more than anything else in the galaxy. He moved up her body after she came, kissing her and sharing the taste he loved so much with her. She reached down and grabbed his hard cock, guiding it slowly into her.

Ryan looked into her eyes and gasped as he entered her, as if for the first time. Their eyes never left each other as he moved slowly into her, filling her up completely with himself. They moved, feeling deep down that this is where their lives merged. She reached up and pulled his face to hers, kissing him lovingly, deeply, and passionately. He thrust deeper into her, quickening his pace as she began to moan again. She moaned deeper and louder, feeling his hardness swell and throb inside her. Her eyes closed as she came hard around him, clamping down with her muscles around his hard throbbing cock. He felt her coming and her moan into his mouth sent him off the cliff as he came inside her womb. "That's it, my love," she whispered to him. "Give me your baby."

Ryan had come harder than he ever had in his life from that slow passionate lovemaking with the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He looked deep into her eyes as what she had said as he came finally registered on him. His eyes lit up and he asked "Do you really want to be the mother of my children, Rachael?" He had a smile on his face of pure love.

"When this tour is up, my love, I'm retiring from Starfleet. At that time, I would love to settle down with you.... if you will have me as your wife." He grinned when he heard her say that, and she smiled as he moved beside her, pulling her into the crook of his arm. She rested her head on his chest.

"Rachael, stand up a minute, please." he asked her.

Looking at him quizzically, she moved to the side of the bed and stood. Ryan moved down to where his flight suit was crumpled on the floor, and dug into a cargo pocket. He pulled a small box from it and Rachael caught her breath. He stood and walked towards her, and there naked to the world and each other, he sank to one knee.

"Rachael Thatcher, will you marry me?" he asked, opening the box containing the diamond engagement ring.

Rachael was speechless. She had never before felt such love for anyone. The one other time she had been 'in love' had been nothing compared to this. She gasped for air for a moment, overwhelmed at her own feelings. As a tear rolled down her cheek, she said "Yes, Ryan. I will marry you, you beautiful man!" He slid the ring onto her finger and rose, kissing her lovingly. They moved back to the bed and slid under the sheet together, exploring each other as if for the first time.

*****

Jason woke the next morning alone, knowing that Delaara had awoken early and was preparing for their wedding onboard the USS Enterprise. He moved to the window and caught sight of the Sovereign class battleship just off the Nimitz's port side. It was a glorious looking military machine. Much more of a brute force testament to Starfleet's military might than the previous Galaxy class incarnation had been.

Smiling, he turned back to the closet that contained his Dress Whites. He removed the uniform and set it on their bed, moving to the fresher to take a quick sonic shower.

After the shower, he dressed quickly, making sure his medals and rank insignia were perfect. He then sat and waited.

As if on cue, he heard the rush of the door sliding open, and Rash, grinning ear to ear, said "Come on, Friday. Let's get you hitched!"

"Good. I was tired of waiting," he said and rose, walking towards his best friend. They exited and headed down the hall towards the turbolift. "So, how'd it go with Rachael last night?"

"Better than I could have dreamed, brother. In a few years, we're getting married. By the way, would you be my Best Man?" he asked, grinning like the cat that ate the captain.

Jason grinned along with him. "Do we just have a thing for older women, Ryan?" he asked with a mock scowl on his face.

Ryan thought for a moment. "I would say so. My lady is 44, and yours is 60." He shrugged.

"Yeah, but my lady looks 25. Yours looks 34. So yeah, I'd say we have it bad for the cougars." They laughed at that and entered the turbolift, on the way to transporter room 2.

"Where are you taking Delaara for your honeymoon?" asked Ryan.

"Well, I considered Risa, but that's been done to death. I was thinking Santa Barbara, since I still own the old house. We fell in love watching the sunsets on NZ8, and the sunsets off the California coast are just as wonderful." Jason was smiling.

Ryan had been there, and knew what the sunsets were like. "Good choice, bro. Now, here we go," he said as they stepped out and into the transporter room.

Lieutenant McCaffrey was behind the console, and said "Good luck, Friday. You broke a lot of ladies' hearts today."

"You're just jealous, Angie", said Rash with a wink.

She laughed as she said "Energizing. I'll be watching from 11Forward."

They dematerialized and rematerialized onboard the Enterprise. Waiting for them was Rachael, flanked by Ambassador Spock and Captain Jean-Luc Picard. They stepped off the pad and approached. Rachael winked at Ryan and stepped forward to Jason. "Lieutenant Commander Jason MacKenzie, it's my great honor today to present you with the Federation Medal of Valor." She took the box from Captain Picard, and pinned the medal on his chest next to his Vulcan Crescent and Terran Starburst. Stepping back, she said. "For valor above and beyond the call of duty, you have been awarded this medal with the highest appreciation of Starfleet Command and the United Federation of Planets."

She then took the second box from Captain Picard and turned back to him. "Lieutenant Commander Jason MacKenzie, it's my great honor today to present you with the Andromeda Cross." She pinned the medal next to the Medal of Valor and stepped back. "For coolness under fire and extremely competent leadership skill, you have been awarded this medal with the highest appreciation of Starfleet Command and the United Federation of Planets."

Jason saluted and said "Thank you, sir."

Rachael returned his salute just as crisply. "Thank you, Friday," she said with a smile. "Now, let's get you married and let Delaara make an honest man out of you!"

*****

Jason entered the chapel and saw Captain Picard behind the podium. He noticed Ambassador Stovrin and his wife, Ambassador T'Rya. His new in-laws. Ambassador Spock sat next to them, smiling broadly. The entire command staff of both Nimitz and Enterprise were there, as well as the entirety of Skull Squadron. He stepped forward, Rash slightly behind and to his right.

As they stepped up and took their places, the Romulan Wedding March began playing and he saw Ambassador Stovrin rise to his feet, turning and stepping towards the back of the chapel. As he held out his arm, a vision of loveliness entered. Her face was veiled, and her body covered with a gown of the deepest cobat blue. It shimmered in the light, and the V neck showed off the tops of her breasts stunningly. The gown fit every contour of her shape, and the short sleeves showed off the ahtletic musculature of her arms. Delaara took her father's arm and they marched slowly down the aisle together.

As they neared the podium, Ambassador Stovrin smiled, guiding her hand to Jason's. He felt her palm against his as she stepped up beside him, and couldn't take his eyes off her for a moment.

She looked at him, and they both turned to face Captain Picard, their hands still touching palm to palm.