Posted by Lieutenant Alexandra Garfield (Xenobiologist) in ASTRO 110 Stellar Cartography —Ten Years Ago —

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“Hon you have always had a better ability at that than me, you talk some sense into him. He listens to you, half the time it’s me trying to run from bouncers at clubs and bars. Did you know we are now banned from Elmo’s?”

“Noooooo I loved that place,” Lexi said shocked and allowed a whine to dominate her tone. Glancing at Chris she could not help but shake her head. The man definitely had a way with people and not all of the times was his interaction given an A-plus grade. Still, Chris was Chris and nothing would ever change him. His mold was made of granite. Trying to change him was like trying to predict a rogue ion storm. The man had his flaws but made up for them in spades if you just trusted him and gave him a chance. Christopher Robin was far from perfect but perfect for those he let into his world.

“I guess that means we hit up Paddy’s Pub for our Tuesday night study group,” Lexi suggested already thinking how to adapt to this situation. “Chris,” she yelled out watching him and Joel doing the male equivalent of the female ‘how nice’ conversation. She pointed a finger at her friend knowing what was behind the half-smirk. Curling her finger back at herself she motioned Chris over to her.

“What… he was already getting the right setting if I didn’t throw him off a little he would beat us.” he said as he looked back subtly as Joel could be seeing arguing with his partner as he pointed in the other direction.

“A huh,” she shook her head with a smile. Part of her wondered how far off Chris sent Joel. It would not surprise her to found out next week in the mess hall that Joel and his partner ended up in the deepest, darkest jungle on earth so deep they would have to hike for three days just to see the sky through the tree canopy. Where Joel’s team ended up didn’t really matter? Chris was right. She and Chris’ team had to win. They were the wonder twins and if Joel didn’t double-check the coordinates that was on him. This thought train brought her back to where she and Chris needed to be going.

“Speaking of directions is there such a thing as the Corona Borealis? Chris is saying yes but I am positive he is wrong and he won’t ask for directions. You know how he is,” she sighed.

“Hon, I may know my history and languages but Chris was always the whiz at physics and directions… of course that’s the right location. I mean don’t tell me you are being stubborn again and not taking his word? He tricked you one time to dress up as Princess Leia to a formal meeting of dignitaries and it’s like you don’t trust the man anymore.”

“Not at far as I can throw his two hundred pound butt,” she replied immediately. Her tone was sincere but not the sentiment. She was crazy about Chris. He was fun and exciting and only once had his gregarious side extended to her being the one on the other end of the joke. The one thing his prank did accomplish was Noah taking notice of her so all in all it was not a bad thing.

Looking back at Lexi he grabbed her com as he took over the call.

“Hey pal, thanks and all… I will get back to you later about your new woman hood status but for now we need to get going.” Chris said as he closed the com giving it back to Lexi.

Lexi burst out laughing unable to control the amusement she felt hearing Chris rag on his best friend and siding with her. Pocketing the comm badge, she shared her inner thought even if it wasn’t full enlightened. “Dude you have to save him from Kylie. Men should not be lounging in a tub with ther big toe plugging the faucet. That so impacts the man card unless you are sharing the bath,” she added the end part quickly letting her mind drift for a second. Realizing she had started to daydream, Lexi quickly snapped back to Tibet.

“Okay let’s beat Joel. I got this,” she winked. Glancing at the coordinates she quickly made a single adjustment to the location Chris had selected and pressed the submit button. The moment she hit submit, small flashes of light began to appear around them as the site to site transporter started to dematerialize the pair to send them to the indicated location.

“Wait… what are you doing…” Chris began to shout before the beams caught the pair.

Lexi looked up at Chris and for a split second her tummy dropped out. Nothing moved Chris like that unless something was wrong. The speed of the transporter did not, however, give her time to dwell or react as the lights blurred first his expression and then his body as they were whisked away to 65.0539° N, 146.0594° W.

*** One Week Later ***

“You two are lucky we finally got your signal, those caves metal play havoc with getting out anything, plus that storm I didn’t think was ever going to let up.” spoke the chipper Andorian Ensign as he looked over the two of Lexi and Chris who sat next to each other, wearing what looked like pajamas and giant blankets over their bodies.

“I’m sorry,” she mouthed the words she had been repeating for the past week. It was almost becoming her mantra or at least her motto. The course of events the pair had experienced over the past seven days could be best explained in a high budget OMAP holomovie. Any attempt at an apology seemed less than acceptable. That hadn’t stopped her from trying to find a way to make up for it. Secretly however she knew the past week would be one of those stories one shared with grandchildren to prove how wild their twenties really were. Safe in the shuttle Lexi would not have traded the week for the universe.

Chris looked over at Lexi, she had been saying that over and over again for the past week, I’m sorry. He knew he didn’t mean anything, they had nearly died from the detour as well. Be that as it may, he hadn’t hated the adventure. He could have tried to redirect their course as soon as they beamed into the wrong spot, but he found himself alone and enjoying Lexi. It was quiet moments like these that caused him to stir the most, confessions often never ended well.

“Stop, it’s okay… that village was lovely and the ice hotel was amazing, the caves where a little traumatizing but… we made it out okay.” he said as he looked over at her, seeing between her legs lay his bag on the floor. “Give it to me.” he asked of her as he waited for her to bend down to grab it.

“Barely. I just know that Artic Pooh’s are not as stuffed with fluff and cuddly as the Californian ones,” she laughed with her teeth still chattering a bit as he handed him the bag. It was then she got a semi hurt expression. “Did you hold out?” Lexi didn’t think Chris would have a secret stash of Baby Ruth left yet part of her wondered what he could have wanted from a bag that was supposedly picked clean.

Opening the bag he had to smirk a little, “No, no candy… we ate it all to survive. I did have something, it’s silly but…” he paused through slightly chattering teeth as he began to pull out a beautiful blue diamond princess cut pendant with a silver chain.

“Oh my god that is beautiful, Lex let the pendant rest on her fingertips as Chris held it still for her to examine.

“The market, they said it was called the North Star necklace… you may have screwed up but I never for one second regret any time I get with you Lex, don’t ever thing other wise… just remember if you get lost next time, you can always look for that north star you romanticize so much.” he said as he leaned over as he helped her put on the pendant as he smiled at her before leaning back.

Pulling her hair to one side she let Chris affix it around her neck. “What is there to romanticize about a star that can always lead you home or a stone associated with loyalty, honesty, and devotion,” she leaned back smiling. When she got back to her quarters she would examine it in more detail. Right now all she could think about was the two very powerful symbols associated with the gift: spirituality and devotion. She had both of these for the man sitting next to her.

Thank you,” she sat up and kissed him on the cheek before sitting back and resting her head on his shoulder. “So how are we gonna fix this with the professor she asked sliding the pendant back and forth on the chain as she started to think about returning to the dullness and chaos of the academy.

“It’s nothing, and don’t worry I will smooth this over… maybe we can get survival merit badges in some other course… do they do merit badges in Starfleet?”

Cadet Christopher Robins

Cadet Lexi Garfield

*** The Next Day ***

“Wait why do I have to sign up for the class with you?” Ian asked Chris as he laid back in the sofa with the tv on as it blared the newest hockey scores from Earth.

“It… just…” Chris stood over Ian pacing as he thought of an answer, the truth was far more complicated than he wanted to admit but he trusted Ian ever since they meet. He remembers the first night they broke into Cadet T’chin and stole his mediation oil, smug Vulcan bastard had been gloating which was odd enough for a Vulcan, or at least it felt like gloating you could never tell with them.

“Come on out with it, you are never one for mincing words.” Ian said as he sat up looking over at his friend, he could tell the man was practically wringing his hands with something. Ever since he returned with Lexi from their misadventure he had been acting a bit odd.

“Okay… I love Lexi.” Chris said as he looked Ian dead on waiting to let the bomb of that statement to settle.

“And? Dude we all have known that since year one, I mean you are like the boyfriend she never sleeps with for Christ sake, you have been sewn to her hip about as much as you have been to mine.” Ian replied scoffing at the revelation.

“No… I… the trip… I don’t know what to do man.” Chris began as he crashed into the arm chair as he ran his fingers through his hair as he took a deep breath. “She is with Noah, I may joke about him a lot but he is a good man, and I can’t date Lexi… I just can’t. I have made a friendship I value… sex will ruin that… dating will ruin that. I am a jerk I am hard to live with, you threaten every other week to find a new room mate. When I stood shivering with her in that cave, arms wrapped around each other it was the most peaceful I felt and I might have died.”

“Yeah, cause you would have died with the woman you love… that is just basic human companionship needs. Look, I don’t get you two half the time and Noah even less so. I know he has to see it to but he gets to have all the sex and let you do the dating so he has it made, so why complain when someone is just bringing you the desert right to your door ya know?”

“Dude… you rarely hear me say this but it honest is not about sex, I’m in love… I told you about Tracy… what that did when she left, I have not really wanted to find love. Meaningless hopeless silly hook ups yes, but… I don’t do feelings.” taking a deep breath he looked over at Ian wondering if this was clicking for him yet.

“Yet when it dawned on me how much I would do anything for her, how I just wanted to kiss her in that moment… I just wanted her to know how special she was to me. That leads to baggage trauma and heartache I can’t do that to us. I am not a long term girlfriend guy, besides I am not you I don’t have a type.”

“Hey just cause I want a blonde woman in power who is adventurous fun caring and loves a good hamburger isn’t a weird request. I tell you that one time and you won’t stop with it. Yeah Kylie isn’t any of those things but I am okay with that for now… it’s a silly fantasy any way no one gets who they want.”

“Exactly, I don’t get who I want cause who I want is my best friend and you can’t date your best friend.” said Chris as he felt a bit deflated even saying that.

“Why not? I mean… seems the best place to start dating someone.” Ian countered, looking Chris dead in the eye wanting him to challenge him, he was frankly tried of seeing his best friend sabotage every chance he had with Lexi with endless bimbos. They deserved each other but neither would admit it to one an other.

“Life doesn’t always work out how you want… “

Cadet Christopher Robins