Space Relations Pt. 09

He heard laughter. It was such a happy noise to Washington's ears that he started laughing too.

Another form started crawling over him, a lighter one, thankfully. Soon, Willow's pretty face was even with his. She kissed him, much longer that he'd expected her to, almost as if she loved him.

"Hey, now!" Barbie's voice floated through the small space. The words didn't sound angry or resentful at all. They were all made up of happy and delicious little sounds. "That's my man you're messing around with!"

Willow's eyes twinkled down at him. She gave him one last peck, before she too was gone.

Washington sat up, but he didn't know if it was a few seconds or a few minutes later. It could have been hours, for all he knew. There was one kiss he'd been waiting for, but it was the single kiss he hadn't gotten yet. He clambered up to his feet, but the space before the hatch was empty.

Had Barbie really gotten jealous? He wondered. Had she stormed off with him not even noticing? The captain poked his head out of the hatch. Directly to his left, Barbie stood leaning against the bulkhead.

"Hi, stranger." She said, sweetly.

Washington stepped onto the catwalk. "You are the most beautiful woman in the universe, you know that?"

"It's not the first time a man has said that to me." Barbie winked at him. "Now, are you going to give me a kiss, or am I going to have bowl you over and force one out of you like the others did?"

"You can have all the kisses you want." He swept her into his arms, and kissed her as if he was participating in a lover's marathon.

When he finally broke away to give Barbie some air, she smiled and said, "That's more like it! You didn't have to hide yourself away like that, you know?"

Washington considered this. He was surprised that he didn't feel the shame that had been plaguing him for the last three days. "In retrospect, I guess I didn't. It just felt like the right thing to do at the time."

Barbie stepped past him, patting his crotch lightly as she went by. "Come on, let's get you something else to eat. Cummings already took off with your fries."

Washington climbed down the ladder after her. When he turned to face the dining table, he observed that the entire crew was present. Well, nearly everybody, as he didn't see Thor anywhere.

"Where's my combat tech?"

"He's doing the same thing you're doing." Barbie admitted. "He's hiding himself in his bunk. We were going to drag him out too, except Mary felt we shouldn't. She said that his problem is something he has to face for himself."

"That's right, captain." Mary nodded, from her usual seat atop Cruz's lap.

"We should help him." Washington decided.

"We will." Mary agreed. "But he has to take that first step, otherwise he'll just hate us for getting into his business. Your problem was temporary, but Thor's problem, well that's something he's been struggling with for his entire life."

"I concur with Mary's assessment." Cruz nodded. "Since I am a sex therapist, Mary has trusted me with the details of Thor's malady. I think her approach might truly be the best one."

Washington looked concerned. "Does anybody here think I should resign my post?"

"Why would you even ask that?" Mary asked.

"Because of what I did with that hairy Worf woman." Washington revealed. "Or more precisely, because of what I didn't do. I froze in a time of crisis and I let my crew down. You know that saying, a team is only as strong as its weakest link. As you all saw for yourselves, I was that weakest link."

Cruz spoke up. "Captain, we could go into all sorts of details about why you should stay in command, but I suspect that would only bore you. Let's do it the quicker way and hold a vote by the raising of hands. Whoever thinks the captain should stay, please raise your hands."

Everyone's hand quickly shot into the air, except for Cummings.

"You don't want the captain to stay?" Willow asked.

"Well, I've been having so much fun flying the ship in his absence." Cummings shrugged, before he too brought his hand up. "Oh, all right. I guess he can stay."

"So you see, captain." Cruz motioned at all the raised arms in the room. "We've all voted for you to keep your position."

Washington grinned. "I know a lot of this has to do with that Happy Kiss Mary gave me, but I appreciate it just the same. Who is flying the ship right now?"

"It's on autopilot." Cummings reported. "We're locked in on the guidance beacon from the Starship New Century. We should be docking with them in less than four hours. We hear that they're planning on having a big celebration for us once we're on board."

"Really?"

"In no uncertain terms," Cummings revealed. "The captain of the New Century has informed us that he had no great love for Commander Braxton. Lieutenant Commander Stiles has expressed his support for what we did, and he's even got the Misfits booked for a concert shortly after we land."

Barbie stepped over and placed her chin on Washington's shoulder. "So, are you ready to take your proper seat on the captain's chair?"

"Yes, yes I am." Washington nodded. "But first, I'd like to make a special apology to Barbie for the way I've been acting during the last three days. Meet me upstairs, young lady. On the double!"

Washington wheeled around, but before he marched directly towards the ladder, he snatched up a handful of fries from the plate he'd been offered earlier.

"Well, yes sir, I am ready to engage!" Barbie saluted.

Like a trooper, the curvy woman followed the captain to the ladder. As Washington started up the rungs, Barbie started tickling his butt.

"Is that any way to treat your superior officer?" Washington glanced down at her.

"Just wait until you find out what I have planned next." Barbie grinned.

Washington scrambled up the rungs as fast as lightning.