Episode 1: By the Light of Two Moons

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant
|| 1322

Carlos eyed the grizzled merc askance. The noncom was not much of a fighter to begin with, and he knew that the results of such a fight would be at best a trip to the brig and at worst a durasteel knife between the ribs; he needed neither right now. And although he cultivated a naive image, he was anything but. It was clear that the two mercs had a routine, and he wasn't about to give them a free hand to run it.

Instead, he decided to try and turn the tables on them. Practically brushing Nayla aside to focus on Taylor, he waved to the bartender to bring them two shots. In sarcastic acceptance of Nayla's statement that he could not buy her a drink until he met her demands, Carlos took one of the tequilas himself and slid the other to Taylor, eyeing the fearsome looking man seriously as he finally spoke.

"Estas chingando la capitana del U.S.S. Fenris?…You are…screwing…the captain of the U.S.S. Fenris? Ay, mi amigo, is this true what you tell me? I am the new yeoman of that ship, and it may be that my memory is bad, but I thought I was seeing on the personnel files that she is a Zakdorn, no?" Salazar shook his head severely at that image, playing up his naive innocence and surprise at the man's statement.

"Perhaps it is you who care to be with such a woman, but me I do not care for the many fleshy pouches on the face of that species. Pero, si usted quiera esto…But if you want this…then who am I to judge, yes? Perhaps you enjoy the sound of her harsh voice as her loose skin rubs against your face as you kiss, yes?" He did his best to nod gravely, but struggled to contain a smile at his joke, and instead busied himself with the limes served with the tequila. Salazar was sure that the merc was only engaging him in a game of bluffing, and would take no offense at his unflattering appraisal of the captain's supposed low level of attractiveness. In truth it was very much the opposite, according to the personnel files, but the oafish merc likely had no idea either way.

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant
|| 1325


For a little while, Lillian was trying to figure out how to ditch the Ferengi and she thought that the best way to do that would be to find Taylor. After all, he was her Imzadi and more importantly he was her love, and he would make them stop harrassing her, she was sure of it--that and she had to tell him he was re-instated anyway. But where would Taylor be? With Nayla of course as she had been there for him this bit that they had been apart, but...getting drunk. That's where he'd be.

"It's good he's having his fun and hopefully he's mingling," she thought to herself out loud.

So, she looked around for a bar he might go into and found one, using her instincts as well as her natural abilities. When she found him, he seemed to be surrounded by company, but the Ferengi were getting a bit confused and she wanted to be near Taylor. She strolled right on over and waved at Nayla and the officer she had yet to meet, resting her hand on Taylor's before she looked at him.

She'd talk to the other's in a minute, but right then she wanted to focus on her MCO...well, her man. Leaning in she kissed him, handing him the pin as she did so. She let the kiss be deep and meaningful, slipping her tongue into his willing mouth for a moment before pulling back and nuzzling his nose. As far as she was concerned she was off duty and Captain, and she could kiss whomever she wanted.

"Good day, Lieutenant Colonel Taylor Lucas of the USS Fenris," she said with love and pride, her face still close to his, her eyes twinkling as she pecked his lips again and then turned to Nayla and the other officer. "I would drink with you, but I have a feeling there's no synthehol here and I can't have the real stuff."


<Tags: Taylor, Carlos, Nayla>

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant
|| 1325

There was a simmering rage that threatened to boil over in Taylor's gut. Consequences would ensue for beating the man into a pulp and Nayla knowing when her friend got angry that it was best to distance herself. She took a step back while Taylor's face became devoid of any emotion as he planned Carlos' battering. First he'd use the tequila shot the bastard had ordered for him to blind him, then a knee to the balls, then a chop to the throat...

However Taylor's plan of action and violent was soon taken out of action when Lillian strolled into the bar. It was probably the best flanking move he would ever be subjected to but the captain pulled him and kiss him right in front of the man who dared to claim that he was lying. While enjoying the kiss, the satisfaction of the evidence landing right on his lap in holo-movie timing as just as delicious as Lillian's lips.

The rank pin was a surprise though and he didn't know how to take that. Some part of him wanted to throw away the rank in disgust but a part of him had grown to being a lieutenant colonel before, why not now? It had been Lillian to grant him the rank in the first place of Starbase Seven so it seemed fitting for her to do it on her own ship. Pocketing the rank pin for some more mulling. Right now he didn't know what to make of it. "What exactly am I doing?" he whispered to her, stroking her stomach protectively before looking at Carlos. That soon put a smile on the newly reordained marine's face. "I like the haircut too, very modern. Me? I'm not getting a lot of haircuts lately..."

Nayla patted Carlos' shoulder with a fake look and tone of pity on her face. "Don't worry kid, many men have probably looked at them and wondered how it's possible too."

tag: Carlos, Lilly

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant
|| 1326

Sipping the tequila, Carlos watched Taylor's face go blank, and he was puzzled by the apparent lack of response. Maybe he had successfully called the man's bluff…but then the Orion girl took a step back, and Salazar had the feeling something was about to happen.

And something did happen. He was caught off guard by the beautiful woman who swept in and kissed the grizzled merc. For a moment he stood with his drink hanging in front of his mouth, trying to place the woman's face, which seemed familiar somehow.

And then it hit him, the first personnel file he'd looked over today. "C-Captain Crae?! Uhm…Yeoman Second Class Carlos Salazar, reporting for duty ma'am!" he barked as he snapped to attention, spilling some tequila before he remembered to set it down on the counter and stand up straight with his arms locked at his sides. This was all happening so fast, and it was unbelievable, impossible. It couldn't be her, not really. Someone was playing a joke on him.

But no, the rank pips seemed real enough and her picture matched the file. And now she was calling the merc a lieutenant colonel. He had just talked down to an officer about another officer. Sweat ran down his back as he envisioned the inevitable court martial; Carlos was even oblivious to Nayla's words and hand on his shoulder. Retreat was the only thing he could think of now.

"Uh, I didn't realize this was an officer's club, ma'am…sir. I apologize. I'll just find a bar for enlisted personnel now," he stammered, taking a step back and praying with every ounce of his being for this to end with nothing more than a curt dismissal from the captain.

Tag: Taylor, Lillian

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant
|| 1329


Lillian shook her head as she rested her hand on Taylor's on her stomach, loving that he was happy about this and sitting on his lap--well, the leg closest to her--much to the unhappiness of the Ferengi that had followed her. She didn't want anyone to be uncomfortable and she certainly didn't want her officers to stop enjoying themselves just because she was around. Lillian wanted to mingle with them and talk and have a good time--and she wanted to tell Taylor she liked his shave.

"Pleasure to meet you, Carlos, I look forward to having you aboard." Lillian told him with a smile. "You can be at ease, you're fine. Everyone is off duty right now so feel free to do as you please. I do need Lieutenant Colonel Lucas to swing by Headquarters and pick out a team though before we ship out."

Looking back at Taylor she smiled, having not paid any direct attention to the Ferengi at all, but they were eying the table of officers. She ran her thumb along the hand she was holding to her stomach gently and smiled at him, glad to catch his attention and glad she liked his haircut. It was really nice to have him back after all of the hardship she'd had to endure with his absence...she just wanted things back to normal.

"By the way, baby, I like the shave," Lillian told Taylor, kissing his chin swiftly and then smiling at him a moment before looking back to Carlos and Nayla. "By all means keep drinking, you're on shore leave. I just can't indulge myself but I've gotten used to that the last couple of months."


<Tags: Taylor, Carlos>

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant
|| 1330


"By all means keep drinking, you're on shore leave. I just can't indulge myself but I've gotten used to that the last couple of months."

"Though I'm sure if given the option, she'd try to drink you all under the table--man this girl can drink...she once actually succeeded in beating a Klingon at a drinking game--though K'nok was a lightweight by Klingon standards, it's still impressive." Marlo interjected.

She'd gotten tired of being cooped up on the ship and had given Derek the Bridge, and beamed herself down to the planet's surface. Marlo had been monitoring everyone's lifesigns, and the few that mingled here were the one's she wanted to see--Also to make Lillian didn't do anything stupid. She had complete faith and trust in Lilly--but sometimes she didn't think things through as well as she should have. Like taking a Captain job, while being pregnant...all that stress couldn't be good.

Marlo sat down on the stool next to her best friend, and ordered a Shirley Temple--even all the stress of being an XO hadn't made her want to take up drinking. She needed a clear mind, and to keep her wits sharp. She smiled at the assembled group, having never had the time to meet Taylor's Orion friend that he'd mentioned, as well as the new face...someone who sported a red collar.

"Commander Bakel Marlo." She introduced herself to the two people she didn't know.

The whole purpose of this mission was to meet the crew, so that's what Marlo planned to do.

<tags to all!>

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant
|| 1329

There was a wicked part of Taylor that wanted to expose Carlos’ earlier words to Lillian but he held his tongue and instead grinned to himself. The marine held Lillian close to him as he enjoyed the tactile closeness both of them were experiencing. Inside Taylor sighed a little at the prospect of going to Headquarters to get orders to take a marine force from the garrison. It seemed a little bit tedious to him but orders were orders. “Guess I better get going then.” said Taylor who smiled at the comment about the shave. “Well I clean up good.”

He moved over and let Lillian sit down on his stool to keep her comfortable before kissing her. Taylor remembered he’d have to request a fresh green duty uniform for the rank pin to sit on, the idea seemed surreal. After all this time he was back in the game but was he ready to get back in the saddle? “I want you to take it easy...if you need me don’t hesitate to comm me.” he added to his lover, stroking her face. “Remember you’ve to get a little RnR otherwise you’ll burn yourself out and end up having a nervous breakdown. I mean with the current sickbay staff do you really want that to happen?”

Smiling at Lillian and then Marlo when she entered the bar he grabbed Nayla by the jacket and dragged her away from the bar. “Come on trouble, we have marines to fetch.”

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant
|| 1332


"Marlo's right--I could hold my own." Lillian said and then she smiled and nodded at Taylor. "I know you clean up nice."

Images ran through her mind of him in his dress whites when they had first met and she smiled when he kissed her. She knew that people would talk about it but at this point people would be talking anyway. It was best to say that the rumors were true one way or the other, and she wasn't very happy about the little pocket of rumors that Taylor and Marlo were the two together...she was squashing those for good. It was like marking her territory and she got to spend a couple of nice moments with the man that she loved more than anything in the world. She couldn't wait for her little family to be complete when Sareth came on board.

"I'm more worried about my health than about going to Sickbay," Lillian said with a smile as she kissed Taylor's fingertips. "I promise I'll get some RnR and keep myself relaxed and if I don't you can punish me as you see fit."

With that she waved a little as he and Nayla left, turning her attention to Marlo and Carlos. She still had yet to actually get to know Carlos and she planned on doing just that as well as spend some nice off time with Marlo. To her this was shore leave for her too and she wanted everyone to feel comfortable. So, she ordered herself some lemonade much to the bartender's dismay and then looked at Carlos and smiled at him.

"So what made you want to join the USS Fenris?" Lillian asked him with a kind smile on her face. "And how much do you know about your new posting?"


<Tags: Carlos and then Marlo if she wants them>

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant
|| 1334

"Yeoman Second Class Carlos Salazar, reporting for duty ma'am!" he called out again when Marlo introduced herself. All the ranks pins around him were making him weak in the knees, but he was too petrified by his nerves to come up with any viable plan of escape. Fraternization with officers had been either forbidden or awkwardly forced in his previous posting, and it was already looking like it was going to be more of the latter this time around. Of course, that was mostly his fault, because while he was fine approaching random merc chicks in bars, Carlos had no idea how to comfortably interact with his superiors in this setting.

The Captain and First Officer, along with what was apparently the Marine CO, all in one place, and with him stuck in the middle. At least the MCO and his Orion escort appeared to be leaving, and Carlos whispered a silent prayer of thanks that Taylor had not mentioned his comments about Lillian's supposed appearance. However, he had an uneasy feeling that he now owed the grizzled marine a favor, a situation that had gone badly for him in the past. That was not the most pressing issue now though, he realized in terror, as Captain Crae turned to question him.

"I-I was interested in another shipboard posting, ma'am, one with more…action. My research indicated that the Fenris is a top of the line ship with a top of the line crew. I have reviewed the personnel files and they are quite impressive In fact, I already feel like I've known you all for years," Salazar offered with increasing enthusiasm, but when he realized he was rambling a bit he pulled it back. "I am ready to do my part to keep your ship at peak efficiency as your administrative assistant, Captain Crae. Please don't hesitate to delegate things to me; it's my job," he said, managing a weak smile at the mention of that, for his performance reviews were the one thing he allowed himself to take pride in.

"I am at your service too, Commander Marlo," he added with a friendly if modest nod to her, unaware that he had screwed up the Bajoran naming custom in his nervousness.

"If there are any administrative matters on the ship that need to be attended to at this moment, ma'am, I would be happy to take care of them for you," Carlos finally returned his attention to Lillian, subtly angling for an opportunity to make himself useful and not be the center of attention any more. He hoped he wasn't sweating too much.

<Tag>

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant
|| 1337


"As soon as we get her back into tip-top shape, yes...she'll be perfect." Lillian said with a small timid shrug. "Commander Bakel and I got her when she was all battered and disheveled, but Lieutenant Commander Gabriel Sharpe has that under control. By the time we leave orbit here she'll be about ready to be practically good as new."

She smiled with pride about that, glad that since Marlo couldn't be her Chief Engineer, at least Gabe was there to make sure that things were running smoothly. At Carlos' comment about feeling like he knew them all, Lillian smiled a little bit and decided to dive right in like she had with Marissa. If Carlos was going to be part of her crew than he needed to be aware of a lot of things about her personally--especially if he was going to be her Yeoman. Besides, it was important that everyone knew and she would give a speech to all of the personnel joining her anyway.

"I'm glad that you're well researched, but that brings me to an order of business that I really need to make sure that you are comfortable with before we continue this any further." Lillian explained to Carlos, smiling a little bit. "As you have probably run across, I am pregnant. Before you start to freak out or challenge what business I have running a starship in such condition, I want you to know that while this is my first Captaincy, I have been in command positions before--but that you already know. I did life or death surgeries day in and day out even when I was pregnant with my first child, and honestly? I'm glad to have you around to delegate some jobs to, but if my current medical condition bothers you in any way, please speak up now."

Lillian realized after a moment that she need to elaborate on something else and took a deep breath. "Lieutenant Colonel Lucas and I met 17 years ago and while my first child is not his because we weren't together then, this child is. I was still CMO and XO over on Starbase 7 when it happened so I'm not just using my new found authority or anything to get my way. I want the air cleared on that. I have the ability to separate my personal life from my professional life, and there is no reason why I can't be a good Captain, but I'm only as good as my crew. You're my crew now, Carlos--I'll do everything in my power to defend and lead you."

She smiled at him again and sipped her lemonade as she thought about what kinds of things she should delegate for him to do as she had strict orders to relax a bit more. Lillian knew she couldn't do absolutely everything, but it was really hard for her not to put everything on her shoulders since this was her first ship and it was still being brought to peak condition. That, and Lillian was going to be solely responsible for more people than she'd ever been responsible for at once. At least she had Marlo and Taylor by her side to help her through this, and she had a really good feeling about the rest of the crew, so things were looking up rather nicely.


<Tags: Carlos and then Marlo>

|| Tercius Prime
|| Marine Garrison Four
|| 1354

Despite Taylor being out of the game for several months and having to replicate a fresh uniform he found the process of putting on the duty uniform something akin to second nature. With the combat boots, trousers, forest green shirt and duty jacket combined with a tight haircut and clean shave Taylor actually looked like an officer. He had spent some time polishing his lieutenant colonel rank pin before pinning it onto his lapel. Of course when in a combat situation Taylor wore armour like any other marine and this prevented officers being singled out for enemy marksman. No point in offering your chain of command for the slaughter.

It had been a simple case of beaming down a uniform for him and changing his clothes in some booth in the hotel. Well truth be told he had made sure that one of the rooms had been empty before hacking the door then changing. Taylor was sure the occupier wouldn’t mind. On his head he had made a point to get a black beret due to his first posting being with the Spaceborne Rangers. The marine found this ironic because he hated anything to do with EVA yet he was qualified to jump from a shuttle in orbit, penetrate a planet’s atmosphere and hit the ground with equipment and parachute.

Today’s task was somewhat more simpler. He would have to visit one of the marine garrison buildings and select a company from one of the Fleet Protection battalions stationed on the planet. FP marines were part of a bank that MCOs could pick and choose from compared to dedicated ground fighting units which kept their shape and form. Taylor had decided to let Nayla go play around in the bars for some hot blooded prey no doubt which was perfect because it meant he could avoid the long security process to get her through the gates.

Reminded about the somewhat cheeky guy at the bar, the Yeoman Second Class. What better way than to turn a mundane procedure into something fun than pick on the new guy? Though as far as most of the crew were concerned bar a handful, Taylor was also the new guy. That didn’t stop him tapping his commbadge though.

“Oh Captain Crae, could you be a gem and send that yeoman to marine garrison four? I need some help and it would do the boy some good experience. Besides someone green here is promising him an experience he’ll never forget should he come along...”

tag: Lilly, Carlos

|| Tercius Prime
|| Bar/Restaurant > Marine Garrison Four
|| 1355

"Yes ma'am!" he blurted out, then slowed to offer a more measured response. "I have reviewed your record, and your service as XO aboard Starbase 7 more than proves your command abilities to me, ma'am. Your pregnancy shouldn't be an issue, ma'am, especially given the talented people you have assembled to back you up. Why, compared to all the difficulties you faced aboard the station, this command should be a piece of cake, captain!" Carlos blurted, immediately cursing himself for being so obsequiously direct around an officer again.

In truth he was more than a little uncomfortable that she was sharing her history with Taylor to him, a lowly NCO, but maybe that was just her way. Personally he didn't think it was a good idea to discuss personal details like that, but an officer could afford to do that around a subordinate, and he understood that it would be his job to listen and offer advice, however meager it might be. You wanted a challenging posting, Chuck, and you sure got one, he chided himself.

Just then the comm chimed and Carlos overheard Taylor's request, trying not to gulp in apprehension at the sound of it. It sounded like the favor was being called in already. Well, best to get it out of the way early, before he had access to greater information and it really cost him…as it had, dearly, once before. Shaking such thoughts off, he smiled and nodded to the Captain and XO.

"Well, ma'am, with your permission I'd better deal with that." And without waiting for much of a dismissal, he tapped his comm badge and called out nervously "Salazar to Marine Garrison 4." Moments later he disappeared into the shimmering light of the transporter, and found himself standing a short distance from Taylor…and, he was disappointed to notice, the Orion girl was nowhere to be found. But parade ground practice took over when he saw rank pips.

"Yeoman Second Class Carlos Salazar, reporting as ordered, sir!" he barked in his best inspection-grade voice, for the umpteenth time today. "What are your orders, C-Colonel?" he asked, his voice only faltering slightly with that last bit. It didn't seem possible, but the grubby merc from earlier was now decked out in a crisp green uniform, and definitely didn't look as warm and friendly as the Captain. Idly Carlos wondered if the two of them had some kind of good cop - bad cop thing going to keep the crew in line, but he quickly banished such thoughts from his mind and focused on standing at ramrod stiff attention.

<Tag: Taylor>

|| Tercius Prime
||Marine Garrison Four
|| 1355

When Carlos beamed in Taylor flexed himself off as if preparing for a fight. Of course the idea of punching the yeoman wasn’t exactly what Taylor had in mind it was a good idea in it’s own right. So there he came up all spit and polish with his parade ground voice. Taylor actually smiled a little at the slight stutter. It seemed he still had his touch.

Of course when it came to junior crew members Taylor was more than happy to be the big brother. He didn’t like to use the father-child description for how he looked after his marines and the crew. More like a big brother because one moment he loved them the next minute he was banging their heads against the bulkheads.

“My orders are more or less listen and learn in case your last postings didn’t give you the needed experience with marines.” explained Taylor as he crossed his arms which was a sign he either heard or saw something that he didn’t like or just to express his general dissatisfaction. “The difference between a marine and a security officer is that a marine is more suitable for combat situations than SOs when it requires a more...aggressive touch. On the ground or when boarding enemy ships we excel due to our equipment and training.”

He signalled Carlos to follow him as he entered the garrison at reception. Two heavily armoured and armed marines flanked the desk as a phaser turret above tracked their movements. No one was worried about attacks more than a marine was. At the desk sat a blonde female marine with a phaser pistol strapped to her chest plate and all manner of femininity hidden by her body armour. No one saluted because they wanted to verifiy both of the mens’ identities first.

“Yes?” said the female marine bluntly.

“I’m Lieutenant Colonel Taylor Lucas and this is Yeoman Second Class Carlos Salazar. Heard gospel that you had a company of marines all ready for me to take for the Fenris.” replied Taylor with equal bluntness. He waited while she scanned them, bringing up their information on her screen. Then another, more invasive scan was done to make sure that they weren’t Changlings. That scan made Taylor’s stomach churn.

“Right well, you are who you say you are colonel. Talk to Captain Yataki, his company is on drill rota.”

Nodding at the information Taylor once again led the Yeoman but this time passed a security door which revealed a wide open space where PT, drills and field skills were practiced. There was even an outdoor range. The walls were more or less to keep the marines in as people out. Marines had a bad habit of...overindulging...when it came to leave.

Taylor stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it without much care to what Carlos had to say on the matter. He took a heavy draw before letting the smoke escape his mouth after it torched his lungs. Of course he could hide it with de-replicating his uniform, getting a new one and scrubbing himself so all evidence of the smoke was non-existent. Besides he never smoked near Lillian due to the fact she hated it and she was pregnant.

“You’re with me today Mr Salazar because it just so happens that you’re in a position near Captain Crae who probably has or has not explained our relationship and the current condition she finds herself in.” said Taylor who tapped the ash off his cigarette while he surveyed the scene and then turned to the yeoman. “Which means it’s up to you to ensure she doesn’t overwork herself. I figured getting to know you would be a way to make sure that you do your job well.”

tag: Carlos

|| Tercius Prime
||Marine Garrison Four
|| 1358

Relaxing a bit, Carlos just nodded as the marine began lecturing him. So far so good, it just looked like another department head giving him a long-winded description of why his or her department was the most important, the most critical, the best. He'd heard it countless times before, from engineers, security officers, scientists, doctors, and now a marine. Everyone thought they were Starfleet's favored children and could take over for the other, less useful departments; inwardly he just smirked at that. Everyone had their own part to play, and he knew for a fact that doctors made poor engineers and marines, while possibly being able to do some security tasks, made poor substitutes for scientists. The whole was greater than the sum of the parts and all that. It made him proud to wear command red; he was part of the glue that held everything together and rode herd on them all. Now was not the time to mention his thoughts on the matter, though, so instead he followed Taylor silently.

The marines sure were taking the security precautions seriously. He'd been through the low level phase sweep designed to detect Changelings only once, though he recalled his aunt describing their widespread use during the Dominion War. Carlos didn't envy his Tia Rosa during those times, for the scan was not a pleasant experience. Still, it was good to know that Taylor was who he said he was, for what that was worth.

Allowing himself only the slightest sniff when Taylor lit up the cigarette, Salazar stood at ease and like the MCO scanned the garrison. Interesting place to visit, but he wouldn't want to live there. When the other man turned to regard him, Carlos held up a PADD in preparation to record whatever orders or transfers the Colonel had for him, but froze at the message in the scarred marine's words. What did he mean by that? Was the morose NCO caught in the middle of their relationship? Would he be required to act as an intermediary, deliver love letters, council them when their love went through a rough patch? His insides were churning just thinking about it.

Haltingly, Salazar came up with a response. "Well sir…that's my job, to take care of the administrative details for Captain Crae, so she can focus on the business of command. Rest assured I'll do my best no matter what." He couldn't help but hear a slight hint of threat in the marine's tone when it came to making sure the noncom did his job well. "And I suppose it couldn't hurt to get to know each other already sir, seeing as though we're going to have a lot of future dealings…in a professional context…aboard the ship." Carlos was trying not to be too direct with that, but felt like he needed to say it.

<Tag: Taylor>

|| Tercius Prime
||Marine Garrison Four
|| 1358

"Right..." said the marine who was unsure how to respond. Instead of trying to come up with something to say Taylor just led Carlos further on through the garrison where marines went about their various tasks. His rank pipped earned several salutes and curious glances. They went about their business as the duo walked towards a group of marines lined up in armour with rifles slung across their backs. At the front of them was a man who Taylor took to be Captain Yataki. If the name was anything to do with the man's ethnic origin of course. Due to him wearing armour no rank pips were shown.

The marine saluted Taylor in which Taylor returned. "Captain Doro Yataki at your service sir." said the marine with no lack of pride. "Commander of Bravo Company, 21st Fleet Protection Regiment."

"Lieutenant Colonel Taylor Lucas." replied Taylor who didn't bother to introduce Carlos the second time around. He figured that the yeoman wouldn't care to meet Doro any more than Doro cared about the man's existence. Of course he was making assumptions but Carlos could like it or lump as far as he was concerned. Leaving that evil thought aside Taylor inspected the front rank of marines while making an internal count of the marines. There were seventy of the armoured war fighters lined up.

"Impressive batch of marines, wouldn't you say so Yeoman?"

tag: Carlos

||Tercius Prime
||Undisclosed Location
||1410

Even though Gabe was all that was on her mind as she went to meet her new recruits, Marissa was focused. At least that's what she told herself. It was important that she was focused here and laid down the law with her new Mercs as they had duties and ideals to uphold even if they were going by such a dark title.

They were still Starfleet.

They needed to be aware of that.

Smiling a bit at the thoughts of Gabe circling through her mind, Marissa made her way to the secret location. There were only five people there--four men and one woman--and two of them definitely looked like actual Mercs even though all five were dressed in Starfleet tactical officer uniforms as they'd been instructed. Three Ensigns and two Lieutenant JGs. Hopefully this wasn't going to bite her in the ass...

"You Garren?" asked the biggest man, a scar running down his right eye.

She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes--Lieutenant or Chief to all of you. I have some ground rules before any of you board."

"Of course you do..." the female responded under her breath.

"Rule number one: No sass. Ever. That's my job. Rule number two: Follow my orders. Always. You are my officers and my word is law. We aren't your average Mercs and we won't act like it. We are Starfleet and that means we adhere to the prime directive and we fight for the Federation. When we come across people in need the prime directive says we can't help, we do it anyway: and we don't involve the rest of the crew so they still adhere to the ideals...got it?"

She beamed as they all nodded. Then she went around and learned all their names and specialties, feeling better about everything that day. She now had a complete team and all she had to do was find a way to tell Lillian and Marlo about it. It would have been easier with Taylor on board but now it was up to her. She had to find a way to make skirting around the prime directive sometimes sound legit...

That was what worried her.

|| Tercius Prime
|| Marine Garrison Four
|| 1400

Following the MCO closely, Carlos reasoned that Taylor was most likely trying to demonstrate his authority after their admittedly rocky start. And the salutes and looks the Colonel got as they moved through the barracks certainly accomplished the task. Carlos suspected Taylor was someone who was secretly proud of his rank, and thus liked having others acknowledge it; the noncom made a mental note to be very observant of it in the future.

It seemed to be quite a contrast from the engaging and friendly nature of Captain Crae, and Carlos wondered briefly about the intricacies of their relationship. Quickly deciding it was none of his business unless he was ordered to make it that, he dismissed it as the old 'opposites attract' bit. As Taylor's unassuming shadow, he made his way past in review of the armored marines standing at parade ground attention.

In truth his attention was not focused on their gleaming weaponry or sophisticated armor, but rather on mental calculations of supply requisitions and transfer authorizations that would be required to bring them aboard and keep them there in the style they had become accustomed to. So, when asked, the noncom told the officer what he thought the colonel wanted to hear.

"Yes sir, very impressive. But can they fight?"

|| Tercius Prime
|| Marine Garrison Four
|| 1402

When Carlos questioned the marines' ability to fight they all froze as one. To a marine their fighting prowess was everything and now this mere yeoman, this mere pup had wandered into their little world and started casting doubts when the marines thought he should have kept his mouth shut. It was only their stone cold discipline that kept them from beating the crap out of him. Taylor picked up on this because he groaned and pinched his nose in a show of frustration. Obviously Carlos wasn't used to dealing with marines or was just plain bad at it. He felt like he should try to teach him the easy lesson but a more vengeful part of Taylor wanted to see him suffer some form of discomfort.

"Of course they can fight. They're marines." replied Taylor with no lack of pride. "Be they in a lab, a sickbay, an engineering bay or the command chair of a ship a marine is capable of taking anything thrown at him or her. These marines right here are in a position to do what they do best; fight."

It was an interesting concept after all these months; commanding marines again. Taylor would find it strange to think of these marines as his own but he would in time. Right now he'd need to get to know them. See where they broke or just simply cracked. He needed to find their limits and push them. "That'll be all captain, fall out and report to the quartermaster of the ship. He'll get you on the books."

Doro saluted and nodded to Taylor before barking his orders. "Company! Company, dismissed!"

The marines filled away to collect their belongings from the barracks to get them onto the Fenris which left Taylor and Carlos on their own. He turned to Carlos with a shake of his head and a sigh. "You best hope they can fight Salazar. They'll be the only thing protecting you when things get really, really bad. Marines get enough stick due to the type of job we do but we're grudgingly accepted cause we make ourselves useful. When you question a marine's fighting ability you question their reason for being. It would be like going up to Captain Crae and asking if she can command a ship. Or would you like me to convey that message to her for you?"

tag: Carlos

|| Tercius Prime
|| Marine Garrison Four
|| 1405

Carlos caught the air of resentment towards him after he asked the question, and he frowned slightly. He'd thought it was a decent reply, and certainly hadn't intended to impugn the marines' fighting prowess, but instead maybe hear some war stories or see a demonstration. But no, he might as well have compared their mother's faces to a Klingon armpit by the kind of stares he was getting.

Nothing came of it though, and mentally he shrugged. Marines were supposed to be touchy about that kind of thing -touchy about a lot of things- and maybe the whole macho attitude was making itself known. Carlos figured that was just because of the kind of people who chose to be Marines were the ones who had something to prove, something to compensate for. He knew they probably didn't respect those of other Starfleet departments like him, but didn't much care. He didn't need their respect, just their cooperation. It was the Captain they should respect, and he was just an extension of her in a sense.

"Yes sir," he said flatly. "I'll take your word for it. But personally I hope things go smoothly and I don't have to see them in action." The comparison to questioning Lillian's command abilities gave him pause for a moment. Figuring that Taylor was pushing him on purpose and that the grizzled MCO would respond better to a show of confidence, Carlos shook his head. "No sir. If need be, I'll ask her myself. That's my job, in part, to keep track of the captain's well-being and command ability."

Something occurred to him then, a way to turn the situation around. "Still, I have to ask again: can they fight? As in, are they fully supplied and equipped? Otherwise I can draw up a supply allocation request for Captain Crae's approval based on your specifications. And if you like, I can double-check the personnel transfer paperwork." There. He was getting back into the groove, doing what he did best and making himself useful.

<Tag: Taylor>

|| Tercius Prime
|| Marine Garrison Four
|| 1405

"Oh right." Responded Taylor who felt a bit like a fool for jumping to the conclusion that Carlos wasn't paying the marine fighting skill the respect it was due. Though he didn't blush the Scotsman seemed to shuffle his feet in some self disappointment that maybe he should be a bit more tactful when it came to people. He didn't like people giving marines, especially his marines, grief for no reason other than their own ideals and morals.

At first Taylor seemed to consider the question with care so he could hope to answer it and give Carlos what he was looking for. Taylor chuckled a little at the mention of having to get Lillian to approve anything. Hell he could ask for a squadron of Antracks to supplement his infantry and she'd probably give him it after some umming, ahhing and a wee gasp here or there in their quarters. Of course the smile was wiped from his face when he scolded himself for ever thinking of taking advantage of their relationship that way. It would start off at the small things but where would it end? Court martials? Turning a blind eye? How far was too far? Instead Taylor would stick to the rules whenever Lillian would become liable for anything.

"Each marine carries their equipment with them." Answered the marine after his internal debate. "Phaser rifles, photon rifles, support phasers and hand phasers along with packts, armour et cetera are given to the marine and he or she is expected to take care of it. Replicators will only be used when more specialised equipment is required or when a supply shortage comes up. All paperwork should be in order but if you want I'll give you access to the admin stuff to make sure the marine admin workers didn't miss anything. Gives you something to do."

Taylor paused for a moment to give him an example of marine ingenuity and unwittingly supply Carlos with the story he desired so he once more racked his brains from something of his own experience. "Of course there are times when we are forced to…improvise. There's a widely practiced explosive one may make should they have the materialised to hand. Take a smattering of deuterium, a canister, whatever bits of metal you can find and an emergency flare with the regulator removed. Flare is set off and without the regulator it reaches a searing temperature. That ignites the deuterium, canister causes pressure and the whole thing goes pop. Instant frag mine."

Beaming Taylor stepped past Carlos now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up and he had a marine detachment once again. "Come on Salazar, let's walk on."



Tag: Last one Carlos? Need to finish up for the next mission

|| Tercius Prime
|| Marine Garrison Four
|| 1408

Carlos nodded appreciatively, mostly because Taylor had reverted to a businesslike attitude now. It was interesting to hear about marine supply procedures, especially since he'd likely be able to apply lessons learned here in the future. Additionally, it seemed that Taylor was mostly just trying to get a read on the noncom's character and show him the ropes. Maybe he'd even forget about Carlos' joking comment about the Captain in time.

For now though, it was enough to make a good impression. "Well sir, that's your job, to keep me busy. Although I'll stick to verifying that your admin staff is doing stuff in a way that Starfleet Supply can efficiently process. I wouldn't want to be too critical of your people, especially not after seeing them with all those guns."

He blinked at the description of the improvised mine Taylor described. "That's definitely not in Starfleet's basic combat training, Colonel. Although…my aunt told me about using something like that during the Dominion War, on Thrassis III. Said they hid them in beer kegs, and it took the Jems a while to catch on." Carlos mused about that for a moment, following Taylor as they continued their traverse through the barracks. "I don't suppose I'll ever need to deploy that kind of unorthodox tactics though, not with your people around to do it. Now then sir, let me ask you about your STPRA-337 forms, the personnel transfer paperwork that is required for every change of station…"


<Yeah that should do it>

||USS Fenris
||Holodeck 2
||2112


Lillian was feeling a little bit nervous as she stood there in her red dress, looking at the scenery of the brook where they had gone when they had first met and touching her hair for what felt like the eightieth time. She told herself to cut it out so that she wouldn't ruin anything, trying to recreate everything--she even left Taylor a holovid of her before she changed telling him to put his dress whites on before even thinking about coming to meet her in Holodeck 2. She had left him with the impression from the message that they were going to have a nice, fancy date.

That was kind of true.

Unlike the first time they'd met, Lillian had Taylor's dog tags on the chain around her neck, the engagement ring he'd bought her on the chain too just hanging there. She was starting to panic a little, wondering if this was too fast, but she just wanted this. She wanted to go back to when she was planning a wedding and they were trying for a baby--sans the trying part as they were now planning for a baby too. Lillian wanted to wear the ring on her finger and let others know that Taylor Lucas had her. That was another thing: Lillian Rose Crae wanted to become Lillian Rose Lucas.

More than anything she wanted to be Lillian Rose Lucas. She'd fantasized about marrying him since he left her the first time and she felt like it was long overdue. They had finally found each other again and they were happy and in love and having a baby and Lillian wanted to be engaged to the love of her life. She wanted to marry him. Lillian wanted to have a future with him and wanted to raise a family and build a foundation with him. She was so ready to tie her life to his...in fact she already felt like they were practically married, she just wanted to say vows and prove her love in front of everyone.

"Take a deep breath, Lilly...everything is going to work out perfectly..." she told herself, waiting for Taylor to waltz through the Holodeck doors.

It didn't matter how dashing they made marines look, or how they made Taylor look. He hated dress whites. Hated them with the utmost passion. The sabre, the hat...the constrictive clothing. He longed for his duty uniform right now but Lillian had planned something for him. A date? Maybe someone's promotion? The holovid was watched as he buzzed around his office so he only caught part of the information that he needed. Location and dress code.

Then Taylor walked into the holodeck and his inner complaints about dressing up where instantly dashed. Lillian in that dress, the brook, Betazed. He almost cried at the thought of it all. That after all this time the memory was still between them. Shakily he walked up to Lilly in the attempts that she wouldn't feel the conflict of joy and pain. Joy that she had brought this memory back to life but pain also because this was the day he left her the first time. "Read my mind..." he said to her as he walked up to her. Taylor wanted Lillian to know what he was really feeling in case she got the wrong idea on his facial expression alone.

Taylor racked his brains as he tried to find some point in his life that explained how he had deserved such a woman. Sometimes it was easy to forget that he had people around him who cared. Who he could turn to when things got tough. There she was. Doctor, captain, lover. He finally stopped in front of her, pulling her into his chest and cupping her face for a kiss. His fingers trailed along the dog tags and ring with a small blush. "I remember that night I gave you those. Looked a little bit better in dress whites than I do now." he said fondly with a smile. "Why me?"

Lillian read Taylor's mind when he asked her too, smiling at him and keeping him close to her. She felt a little bloated but that was the pregnancy, and yet he still thought she was beautiful and honestly, she still thought he was dashing. In fact the man still took her breath away every time she looked at him, and made her knees buckle when he was near. If she could spend the rest of her life in his arms than that would be enough for her. Oh great, she was going to cry--she knew she was going to cry when she was trying to get out her words.

"Technically you left the morning after, but that doesn't change that you asked me if we were capable of love here," Lillian told him, feeling tears. Yeah...she was going to end up crying. "We are, Tay. We are capable of love and I think our 12 years apart proved that even though it was painful. We found each other again and we're together and we're going to have a baby and I want this. I want to be with you. I know you know that, but...why you? Because you're Taylor Shashenka Lucas. It isn't just about you saving my life or being the first man I ever laid with...it's about you. The man that stole my heart when we met. The man that takes my breath away. The man I get through every obstacle with. My man.Things have been tough for us, I know, and they're bound to be tough sometimes, but I want to do that with you."

She had a couple of tears slide down her cheeks and she just smiled, too happy to let this get in the way. At the same time she felt like Taylor knew where this was going and she had a whole speech planned...and then some food. She just wanted to get through this speech she had outlined in her head and be with the man that she loved. Lillian was going to be by his side forever and she wanted to prove that to him right here and now. Wanted to prove that to him everyday.

"I want to get everything out, so can I say everything before you jump in, please?" Lillian asked him with a gentle laugh. "Please...for me?"

All of Lillian's words were making Taylor blush and smile with a smitten expression on his face. Usually he had the reputation of being rather stoic unless angry but whenever Taylor was around Lillian he became another man. Not in the sense that he had anything to hide or living a dual life but because she seemed to take all the burden off his shoulders and remind him of how much of a good man he is. Right now Taylor needed that reassurance. That solid rock of knowing what kind of person he was.

"You know me; I'll jump even if you say I shouldn't." said Taylor with a smile, nipping at Lillian's lips. With his thumb he gently wiped the tears of the Betazoid's face with a small cooing noise as if trying to tell her it was all okay. It would be. It was. They had each other and all of the past was past as far as Taylor was concerned. Sure he could try and bring up fifty different reasons why he didn't feel like he was worthy of her love and affection. He was damn sure that some of the crew members could aid him in that respect but for what end? Sometimes Taylor could be a little bit too cautious when it came to the gifts life had given him. Taylor rested his hand against her baby bump through the fabric of the red dress and gave her a look, hoping she was still reading him. Sometimes Taylor couldn't say what he felt with words and often wished that Lillian would read his mind. To him it wouldn't be an invasion of privacy since he had nothing to hide. However Taylor decided to do the brave thing and speak anyway.

"But I'll let you speak after I say something. I'm afraid Lilly. I'm afraid of what kind of father I'll be...what kind of husband. This settling down is all so new to me even though we had been like that on Seven. It's stupid...I can go head first into the fray without a second thought but the idea of you being on that biobed giving birth and my only way to help you is by being there? Through the Dominion, weird Cardassian experiments, a telepath killing compound, religious zealots and one disturbed and perverted Betazoid...we've remained. Not even the galaxy could keep us apart. So you, Lillian Crae, have me forever. As an officer on your ship, the man in your heart and the father of your children...both Sareth and the one we're about to be blessed with. I'm yours, completely."

The moment that Taylor wiped away her tears and then rested his hand on her stomach, Lillian held his hand there lovingly and smiled, feeling more tears. They were all happy tears. She was just emotional and giddy and Taylor was so affectionate and honest toward her even when there was a chance it would hurt her feelings. She loved that about him and she wanted them to be able to be like that forever--loving and honest.

His words touched her and she smiled brightly, laughing gently and nodding because she knew that. She knew that he was hers and he wanted to do this forever. Sometimes things got in their way, but in the end they made it through and they would always make it through. Their love was perfect and she just wanted to make him understand that even though they were both afraid, they would make it no matter what and she wanted to be by his side through all of it.

"Parenthood is scary," Lillian admitted, keeping eye contact with him. "But you trust me right? Trust me when I tell you that I could not have picked a better man to be my husband...to be the father of my children. We both wanted this baby and now we've got it and hopefully down the road we'll have more. You have me. Completely. Forever and always. I'm not going anywhere and I will always fight for you--always. You are my everything Taylor. My imzadi, my soul mate...my other half. All I want is to be your other half. To...I want to marry you, Taylor. I want to be Mrs. Taylor Lucas. Lillian Rose Lucas. I want to stand by your side forever and declare my love in front of everyone. I want to work with you and have a family with you and eventually settle down and just raise our kids together. I know you never officially gave me this, but I wore it the first few weeks you were gone and I never wanted it off of my finger."

She looked at the ring on the chain and then the dog tags before looking back into Taylor's eyes, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks. Lillian was emotional but the question was what she had wanted to ask and that was that. There was nothing stopping her from asking it and hopefully this time they'd actually make it down the aisle and enjoy all of this together.

"I love you, Tay...very, very much. It's you and me forever and I know that, but I want it to be official and I want to have this ring and wedding band on my finger to say, 'back off, I'm taken'." Lillian joked, laughing a little and then holding his hands in hers, kissing her fingertips. "There's nothing I want more than to grow old with you, Tay. So...what do you say? Will you? Will you marry me, Taylor Lucas?"

Hands shaking slightly Taylor took the ring from Lillian as if inspecting it. He chuckled slightly even though he knew Lillian had found it amongst his personal items it was still a surprise to see it again. After not returning from the mission on Sigma III Taylor hadn't had a chance to ask Lillian what she had just asked him. His heart jumped to his throat as Taylor tried to find the proper words. It was funny because his heart as both in his throat and still in his chest beating like a phaser repeater. Something had to happen to ruin this moment. It was too perfect.

"I remember buying this," he said, running his fingers long the ring. "I remember trading in that big, clumsy revolver of mine. Do you remember it? Got it when I was a corporal. Spent weeks at the dabo table to get enough latinum to buy the damn thing. Saved my life a few times and then I just traded it in for this ring. That's a symbol right? A soldier putting down his weapons for his wife? Or wife to be. I'll always regret not asking you..."

Taylor looked at Lillian with a smile. He trusted her, loved her. It went beyond the trust someone would give their captain. Yes he knew that she could make the tough calls especially when it came to Taylor. He hoped deep down she'd see the crew being more valuable than him. One versus the many. Despite that and her declarations Taylor shook his head. "No. My answer is no," he said flatly. It was such a cold, emotionless answer but instead of walking away Taylor got down on one knee, offering the engagement ring like he had intended to those months ago.

"You have nothing to ask of me, nothing Lilly. You might have forgiven me for leaving you so many times now for duty or fear but I haven't forgiven myself. I can't. The idea that I caused you so much pain is too great for me to ignore. So I come before you as a mere man who's life is a mere insignificance and ask you, Lillian Crae, will you marry just a man? No one special, nothing to set him apart from the rest? Will you marry me and call me your husband until the end of time itself? Will you marry me, Captain?"

For a moment Lillian thought she was going to panic when Taylor shook his head, but then he got down on one knee with the ring and Lillian realized that he just wanted to be the one to ask and she didn't mind that. He was more than just a man to her--always would be--but the way he knelt there in front of her and offered the ring made the tears come to her eyes all over again and she nodding as she gazed at him. Her whole surprise for him wasn't even finished, but he deserved an answer and she knew the exact one that she was going to give him.

"There's nothing I want more," Lillian managed to say happily. "Yes...yes, I will marry you."

When the words had come out she just kept nodding and then gave a joyous laugh as she slipped her ring finger through the ring he was offering, keeping eye contact with him because she couldn't look away. He was right here in front of her, her fiance, almost her husband, and she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with him. She wasn't about to lose him. Not again. Not ever again.

"It's a perfect fit..." she said with a grin as she wiggled her fingers slowly to show off the ring on her finger. "Now come here and kiss me, Lucas."

"Should bloody hope so, spend ages wanting to get that thing on your finger." said Taylor with a laugh as he got to his feet. So that was that. They were engaged to be man and wife whenever the date would arise for a wedding. Taylor remembered Betazoid wedding tradition and hoped that they wouldn't do anything outside during the winter. That would just be asking for trouble. The marine smiled teasingly as Lillian ordered a kiss. "As my captain commands..." joked Taylor with a wide smile. Words couldn't describe how he felt. Happy, excited and relieved that the hardest part of getting married was over. Apart from the actual wedding of course.

Taylor cupped Lillian's face before wiping the tears away again. She always was emotional in everything she done so it was no small surprise that every chance she could take tears would come streaming down. If he didn't know Lillian so well he'd say that something was wrong with her to have her crying so much. All Taylor did was smile as he gazed into those enchanting black irises. "Be mine...." he breathed before kissing her.

Between them the kiss was powerful, passionate. As if Taylor had poured years of love and adoration into his lips he deeply kissed Lillian with one hand on her bump and the other firmly cupping and stroking her face. His tongue slipped ever so teasingly into her mouth before catching Lillian's bottom lip with his teeth, tugging. All the regulations about keeping distance from superiors went out the window as soon as the shift ended. The bed sharing must have been a dead give away. So there was Taylor pouring all his feeling into a kiss with a woman he loved and who loved him. How the admiralty would talk...a captain and a marine...

"I am yours. I always will be," Lillian cooed, pouring everything that she had into the kiss she and Taylor shared next.

All of the passion and love and care was all present, as well as her desire and her need of him and she held him close to her, not wanting to let him go for a second. Her head was practically spinning she was so blissful and she moaned a little into his mouth before pulling back ever so slightly. It was time to tease and flirt a little as she always did, but in a loving and playful manner. She wasn't going to let anything at all ruin this night for them. Not a single thing.

"There is something else I would like for you to do for me..." Lillian trailed off playfully. "Computer, open file: Lillian Song Collection. Play number 2."

She smiled at Taylor as the song they had first danced to on Betazed began to play and took his hands in hers. "Dance with me."

Nodding Taylor gently danced with Lillian at the edge of the little brook in their clearing. It was easy due to the land being flat and the dance wasn't exactly upbeat. Taylor just held Lillian to him as they moved, feeling her curves with his hands and purring softly. The music and dance was a trigger for memories long ago but they made him smile and blush. He wasn't exactly much of a dancer but Taylor tried for the sake of Lillian.

"I seem to dance as well as I did twelve years ago." said Taylor who kissed Lillian before continuing the dance. "Computer...lock door. I just need you tonight Lilly, nothing about the duty. Just you."

"You're all I need tonight too, Tay," Lillian said with a wide smile, kissing him gently and letting her hands run along his torso through his dress whites. "You dance wonderfully, don't beat yourself up. Besides, I've got swollen ankles, I can't exactly be light on my feet, now can I?"

She winked at him because she was ecstatic to be pregnant, she just also liked to make jokes like that about it to tease herself. Teasing and flirting was just something that came naturally to her and it made her feel comfortable. Taylor understood this and she kissed him again, cupping his face before letting her hands rom again and the content sigh and the moan just souldn't be contained.

She pulled back a little and smiled at him, her eyes twinkling. "You know...I remember how much fun these dress whites are to take off..."

He gave a small playful scoff at Lillian's statement as they danced. When she kissed him his nerves along his body tingled and he pressed himself closer to her so she could feel the growth developing within his dress trousers. As a Betazoid Lillian had a naturally high sex drive and that was without the hormone storm raging within her. Taylor's battle proven stamina was sometimes left ragged and the man dazed and confused. Not to mention sleepy. How she managed it in her condition was beyond him.

"They sure aren't fun to put on," quipped the marine with a smile, grabbing the hem of her dress and pulling it up. Taylor's hand gently stroked her lower back as he lovingly nipped and kissed at her lips. "Take medical advice from the marine. You'd be better lying down..." said Taylor who matched Lillian's comment with his own little cheeky one. "This is our time..."

Lillian laughed a little and rolled her eyes playfully at the comment about taking medical advice from a marine. It was kind of adorable and she really liked it, glad to have his body close to her and know what he wanted. Because she was pregnant she knew that she was twice as 'in need' as normal, and Taylor didn't seem to mind, but she didn't want to run the poor man ragged with her urges. She wanted him to live for as long as he possibly could and that was that.

"Then lay with me," Lillian said gently as she moved to lay on the grass, looking up at Taylor. "Hold me close like you did that night and I can prove to you that we can love."

With a nod Taylor sat beside Lillian on the grass and moved up beside her. He wrapped an arm around her to keep some form of closeness between them before kissing her. "I know we can love Lilly...I need us to..." he purred, nipping at her lips again as he cupped her face. "So tell me how you're going to prove it to me...so far I have all the proof in front of me. My fiancée who is carrying my child. I'd say that's more than enough proof."

Lillian smiled and snuggled into him, kissing him gently and stroking his arms and chest through the dress whites. She kissed him deeply and held him close, smiling suddenly as she was filled with another burst of happiness just thinking about spending the rest of her life with Taylor and raising their kids together. This was all going to work out in their favor, she was sure of it, and she was happy that they were here right now together.

"I want to be intimate with you right now, Taylor." Lillian admitted, her hands on his chest. "I just want to show you how much you mean to me...how much I love you."

A light laugh left Taylor's lips as he heard Lillian's request. Her hands roamed his broad chest as he lay there carefree for now. The world was cast out of his mind like a minor annoyance as he lay beside Lillian for just this one moment alone. Their duties would restrict their time together especially if Taylor had to pull extra shifts. Sometimes the only moments like this would be in bed but often too tired to speak, cuddle or make love. If anything this felt like a gift to Taylor.

In answer to her request Taylor kissed Lillian, slipping his hand up her dress and massaging her right thigh. Taylor's fingers worked into the tender muscle before moving between her legs. Gently rubbing he looked at her with a grin. "Intimate enough?"

Lillian gasped ever so softly as Taylor's hand massaged her thigh, smiling at him and kissing him rather passionately. She remember the first time that they had laid here. It was on Betazed by the brook, both of them contemplating out loud and holding each other, the holding becoming kissing that became two aroused people who then headed to her home. This time around, they were going to stay right here and make love on the grass and then cuddle until it was time to leave the Holodeck. This was about the two of them and they knew it.

"I love you, Taylor Lucas," she said gently, kissing him passionately. "It's always going to be you and me. You know that, right?"

She pulled him close, giving him more access to her as she kissed him deeply, pouring everything she had into him.

"I do Lillian." said Taylor who caressed Lillian's face and in between her legs. So here he was now molesting the captain of a starship who was now his fiancée. When he ran with that story it did have a certain ring to it. Then again this was one of the few things in his life that actually had some positive effect.

"I love you...and now, I'll show you how much I love you."


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