Posted by Lieutenant Alexis Bonner (Scientist, Medical Researcher) in Enduring Correspondence

(snip)
The comm beeped and flashed and soon a blonde hair brown eyed woman, a few years older than Alexis appeared. She had a ready smile and the best way to describe her was ‘girl next door.’ Her hands began moving in rapid fashion, signing, but she didn’t talk. She was wearing a medical blue star fleet uniform.

“ALEXIS! Are you okay? Why haven’t you been answering my calls? I’ve been worried about you. I talked to your dad and he hasn’t heard from you either. What in the world, Nugget?”

Alexis smiled at the nickname. Hannah used to tell her she was pure gold, but she was young and still learning so she was a ‘nugget’ and the name stuck. She began signing back to Hannah. “I’m so sorry Hannah. The new ship is amazing and the tech is just…you can’t imagine the things I can do now. I wish you could come here and see it. I got so caught up in my work.” Her hand faltered slightly. Alexis could lie about as well as she could play cards - so not at all.

And Hannah picked up on it. “Spill it Alexis. I’m sure you were caught up in your work, but what’s going on? You were on Ogawa and took a special project and now you are back.”

“Hannah…you…you remember…him?” Hannah’s loving but concerned look altered very quickly and she nodded. “He was in charge of the project I was working on.” The details came out in quick order about her time at intel. She couldn’t say she was working for intel or the specifics but the rest didn’t fall under official.

“Is he still bothering you? Listen I don’t know what can be done from here, but I can ask Daniel to look into him, make him leave you alone. He’s dangerous, Alexis. Why did you take a job with him?”

“I didn’t know he was in charge of it. No you don’t have to do that. I’m okay, really Hannah, I’m not alo…. wait Daniel? THE Daniel? As in Daniel Colter, the man you fell in love with and have been waiting around for, for the last 5 years? That Daniel?”

Hannah’s face flushed in a happy shade of pink and she smiled her whole being lighting up, “Yes that one. He’s here, on Saracen. I had no idea, Alexis, when I took the transfer. It was worth it, Alexis, all those years. I won’t say it has been easy, we’ve both grown, but it was worth it, to be with him now.” Hannah stops and looked hard at Alexis, “Okay enough about me. What’s up with you? Last time you talked about him you had anxiety attacks. How are you this calm?” Alexis turned red, “ALEXIS! Are you SEEING someone?”

“Yes”

There were happy girly squeals from the other side of the comm and Alexis turned four more shades of red. “Tell me! All of it. If he can keep you calm, with Mr. It’s-not-just-my-Ego-that’s-small around, he’s got to be amazing. Where did you meet him? How long? How serious are you? What’s his name? Tell me everything, Nugget!”

“I met him in the lab. We got locked in the lab together for half an hour for the decontamination cycle because of a chemical contaminant….He did this trick with the deck of cards I have at my desk. He kept pulling the same card as me when we cut the deck.”

“And you have no idea how he did it, do you? You were hooked. I can see it on your face.” Hannah laughed.

“He drew me a picture, with a note on it asking me to dinner.” Alexis grabs it from her things and shows it to her. The man was not just talented, saying talented was insulting. The picture was two sets of hands holding two separate hands of cards.

Hannah studied it and grinned. “King of hearts, huh?”

Alexis made a shooing motion with her hands at Hannah and continued answering her questions. “About two months. His name is Solomon Kane. I Love him, Hannah. I really do, and it scares me to death. He talks to me…Hannah he answers all my questions, no matter what it is. He never gets annoyed with me, and he makes my mind go still. He distracts me, and I have no idea how he does it. He understands when I talk. I never have to explain to him what I’m talking about. He understands. He bribed Frigga with steak.” Alexis grins a little and laughs softly. Hannah waits for her to continue. “No one has ever made me feel the way he does. I have never felt like this, like…like I’m alive and home and cherished. Hannah I’m scared to death, but when he holds me I don’t care.

Hannah watched as Alexis tried to explain how she felt. “So he’s kissed you then?”

“Kissed me? He brought me to life, Hannah, breathed life and stillness and everything into me. Kiss? It is so much more, everytime. I don’t understand it, and I don’t want to. I have no words, no matter how hard I try to explain it. No man has touched me the way Solomon does. I feel safe and wanted and loved. In here, in my heart, not just my body.” She blushes really red, “We did lose a whole day in bed though.”

The man got Alexis to avoid work for a WHOLE day? Hannah’s signs reflected her surprise and some good natured teasing at Alexis. “I have to go, Alexis. I’ve got my shift and since Daniel just got promoted to XO I really don’t want to cause problems for him. But I promise, next time we talk I will tell you all about what happened here.”

Lt Bonner, med research