[2005: FEB-MAR] “The greater the Sacrifice, the greater the gain

[Daydan Taboo]

Alpha quadrant – Shuttle - The Alice

The small shuttled hurtled towards it’s destination only a few hours

away, Mikey’s eye’s sparkled as he hit the computer to open a link

to the USS GIDEON.. He couldn’t wait to see his wife again, even

though they had been married for nearly 18 months now he still

could not believe that she was his. He always thought that she

liked Billy more than him, when she said yes to his proposal he

didn’t know weather to laugh, cry or jump with joy. Louise was

a beautiful woman, her green eyes and dark almost chestnut red

hair was only over shadowed by her amazing smile.. He giggled

to himself just thinking about her and the look on her face when

he surprised her.. Louise hated surprises, she didn’t like the extra

attention..

Mikey looked out at the star fields as they streamed past him..

He had spent most of the 36 hour journey back from earth reading

medical papers and theories of the current medical universities..

He didn’t really want to go, not with Amy their newborn daughter

only 6 weeks old.. He sighed, leaning back putting up his feet on

the consol. “Computer, open a sub-space link to the USS GIDEON.”

As he waited he crossed his feet and closed his eyes wondering what

mischief Billy had been up to while he’d been away, he would never

give them five minutes peace. At the Academy the three of them

were never apart, that was then, but now it was different, Mikey and

Louise were a family now, they had Amy to think of, they just

wanted some space, besides, Billy was either on the scrounge for

a free dinner or out chasing Lieutenants.. Mikey chuckled to himself,

Billy always did manage to bring out the worse in him, the guy could

turn his hand to almost anything and had the charisma to match..

Suddenly the computer chimed in, Mikey opened his eyes and

looked at the screen. A young fresh faced Ensign sat at ops and

beamed at Mikey when he recognised him.

“Hello doctor, it’s great to see you.” The Ensign looked at his

readout and tapped a few buttons. “I have you at just under two

hours at your current speed, if you like I can bring you in on auto

pilot?” The Ensigns hand hovered over the consol awaiting the

Medical commanders word.

Mikey took his feet off the consol and sat forwards closer to the

monitor.. “No no I’m fine, I quite like flying anyway.” Mikey

coughed clearing his throat. “Aldridge isn’t it, Ben Aldridge.”

Ben smiled and sat on his hands. “Aye sir, I mean Doctor, uhm

Commander.” He shook his head half in frustration and half in

amusement. Mikey grinned, his blue eyes sparkled on the main

viewer looking down at the young officer. “Either is fine Ensign,

OK, fly me in, just do me a favour will you, don’t let on that I’m

going to be back early, I want to surprise my wife.” Ben frowned

and looked over his shoulder at the sleeping duty CO in the

Captains chair..

Ben blinked a couple of times before continuing and turning

back to the ships CMO.. “But Sir, won’t I get into trouble with

the Captain?” Mikey grinned, he looked at Ben reassuringly..

“Don’t worry, I’ll sort it out with Billy, I mean Captain Kidd

when I see him, just type it up but don’t send the report in until

you start your shift again.. If anything happens just say you forgot.”

Smiling at Ben. “You can trust me you know!”

Ben sat back in his chair and looked up at the Chief Medical

Officer of the ship respectfully.. “I know sir, I didn’t meant to,

It’s just that I’m trying for promotion and, well, you know how

Competative everyone is on this ship Doctor Barnes..” Mikey

smiled to the young officer. Sure it was competitive, that’s how

Billy liked it.. Captain Kidd. The other Captains use to call him

Billy the Kidd after the old earth wild west hero, Mikey smiled,

his good friend was a crazy son-of-gun..

Ben piped up again this time he seemed eager to get the

Commander off the main view screen.. “Was there anything

else sir?” Ben looked around nervously realising that he was

now involved in something that was not following procedures..

Mikey interlaced his fingers and put his hands on the consol in

front of him. “Yes please, could you put me through to Lieutenant

Commander Louise Barnes’s quarters.” Ben looked up.. “Sir.”

He coughed nervously. “Aye sir!” Mikey frowned slightly, he

settled himself into his seat ready to receive the link to his wife’s

quarters in the view screen..

Seconds later the screen changed from Ops, to the Federations

blue logo and then blackness.. “Who is it?” The female voice

was as clear as crystal and with a hint of happiness to it.

“Mikey.” Suddenly he saw her, she was standing in front of

the screen holding their baby daughter in her arms. She sat

at desk and smiled at him as she adjusted her red silk bath robe

to cover her partially exposed breast.. He smiled proudly at his

wife and just stared at her lovingly.. “Mikey, is that you baby.”

Mikey nodded trying not to shed any tears, he put his fingers on

the screen in front of him and watched her do the same. She

looked at Mikey and hugged their baby daughter giving him

a better view of her in the screen.. “How are you honey?”

His face beamed.. “The baby is fine my dear, and so am I.”

She chuckled to herself. Mikey laughed and winked at

her. “I was talking about you!” He said tilting his head and

smiling to her. Louise relaxed her arm letting Amy rest gently

in her embrace against her body. “So how was the trip, how

did the Medical boff’s receive your paper, I have a thousand

questions for you when you get back.” She looked at him her

beautiful smile fading slightly. “When will you be back?” She

looked down Amy and started to rock her softly.. He looked at

is consol trying not to give away the surprise.. “About twelve hours,

I’ll be home for breakfast.” Smiling. “I can’t wait to hold you in

my arms again..”

His wife looked back at him and smiled.. “A pity, I have a large

bed with nice clean crisp sheets waiting for you to join me, you

sure you can’t get her sooner?” Mikey shook his head, if only

she knew what she was doing to him, he could feel himself

getting aroused and wanted to tell her he’d be home in just a

few hours. He put his hands on his lap willing himself not to

spoil the surprise.. He looked back at her. Louise smiled and

pouted her lips at him. “Guess I’ll have to find someone else

then.” As soon as the words left her lips she regretted it, Mikey

was eternally jelouse, especially of Billy.. Louise just couldn’t

understand it, Billy was a hilariously funny guy but that was it.

Even as the ships Captain Billy relied on the close relationship

between him and Mikey to keep him out of trouble.. Louise just

didn’t like him.. He made her skin crawl..

Mikey sat up suddenly. “Don’t even joke about such things

Lou, it would break my heart.” Louise touched the screen

and blew him a kiss. “Don’t be silly, I would never do anything

to hurt you, or Amy. You are my whole life, I adore you my sexy,

brilliant husband.” She smiled at him looking lovingly at his image

on the screen.. “Well.” He replied. “ I love you too, I always

have, ever since we met at the Academy I’ve loved you..”

Louise smiled at him and hugged their daughter closer to her..

“I know.” They both chuckled and stared at each other for while

in silence, Mikey rest his chin on his hand and just watched her..

“Look baby, I need to finish feeding Amy and tidy up around

here before you get home, besides, I don’t want anything to

spoil tomorrow night.” She looked at him seductively and

waited for him to respond. Mikey let out a sigh.. “Okay

I’m going. I love you!” Louises bright green eyes sparkled,

she smiled back at him happily.. Standing up she reached for

the comm. panel to cut the link.. “I know you do, just don’t

be late for breakfast okay baby.” She smiled and then turned

away hitting the panel. Mikey was smiling but as the image

closed he saw a tall figure behind her and then the image

vanished..

Mikey’s eye’s widened. “What the?” He froze to the spot.

In front of him the screen turned to the Federation logo and

then to the dedication plaque of the USS GIDEON. He stared

out at the stars shaking his head. “No way, she wouldn’t do

this to me, we love each other. I know she loves me.” He

swallowed. “You can’t fake love making like that.!”

Back in Louises quarters on the USS GIDEON she stood

and made her way to the living area walking past Billy who

was Stood behind her.. “Was that Mikey?” Billy said anxiously.

“Yes, he’ll be back early tomorrow morning, for breakfast he

said..” Billy touched the bandages around his eyes and turned

to her voice.. “Do you think he’ll be able to fix my eye’s.”

Billy’s head dropped shamefully.. Louise looked at her old

friend and frowned at him. “If Doctor Carter says my Mike

can fix your eyes then he can fix your eyes.. I’ve seen him

perform miracles, plasma resin shards. Will be easy.” Louise

sat on the white leather sofa and opened her night gown for

Amy to finish her feed.. Billy stumbled around the room

fretting about his eyes and his blindness..

“Still paranoid and jelouse about us is he?” A self satisfiying

smile played across Billys face as he found a chair to sit on..

“You make me sick, he worshiped you and you tease him

about us all the time, you’re a joke Billy, you know that?”

Billy stood up and started walking towards her but bumped

into a chair.. “Ha, you wanted me once, you girls were all

over me like a rash.” Billy kicked the chair and folded

his arms angrily. “That was before we knew.” She growled..

“Before you knew what?” Billy shuddered. Louise hugged

Amy and started to rock her.. “That girl, it was you wasn’t

it, you tried to rape her.” She sick and nauseous..

Billy snapped, he moved towards her and tried to grab her..

When he couldn’t catch her he started to laugh out laud to

himself. He sat on the floor leaning against the wall

of her quarters and hugged his knees.. “Tell me Louise, if you

hate me so much why did you pretend to be my friend all these

years?” Louise looked at her pathetic Captain, the womanizer,

Billy the Kidd. She cupped Amy’s head and kissed her sleeping

baby gently brushing her lips against her fine head of baby hair.

“Sure I liked you once, you were funny, but

that was all, when I saw Mikey I knew he was the one, he was

going to be the father of my children.” Billy laughed at her,

he leaned back against the wall carefully touching the bandages

over his eyes. “ He hates me you know, he still doesn’t trust me

anywhere near you.” Louise sighed softly to herself and looked

at Billy sat in the dark on the floor.

“He doesn’t hate you. He hate’s the way you treat women

that’s all, and as far as you and I are concerned he has nothing

to fear there I can assure you, I only tolerate you because you

are his friend.” Billy chuckled.. “I don’t need either of you!”

He said sharply. Louise smiled nervously, she looked at the

monitor in the corner of the room.. “Well, I’m glad that’s how

you feel because I put in a transfer for us both eight weeks ago

to the USS Independence, from what I understand they could

use a good Commander or two..”

Billy hit the floor with his fist. “ I won’t approve it, I won’t

let you go, I will stop Mikey going, you can’t take my CMO.”

Louise sat up in her chair and tried to keep calm before standing

Up to face him. “It’s already been approved, what do you

think those PADD’s were that I had you thumb print this

morning?” Billy jumped to his feet, he was fuming. “I’ll tell

him everything, I’ll tell him we had an affair and we’ve been

seeing each other when he’s away on his lectures and stuff, he’ll

put two and two together and make six you know he will..”

Louise stood up straight and returned to the consol sitting in the

chair that was only a few meters away from where Billy was.

“That is a sacrifice that I will have to make, if he does not

believe me then I will loose my deepest love and it will kill me,

but I can’t watch you twist him into a bitter copy of your self.

I love him to much for that.” Louise kissed Amy again and

carried her to the sleeping area placing her gently into her crib.

She placed Amy her on her front and put a light blanket over

her back and then returned to the living area and looked around

for Billy.. It was dark, all the lights were off. Suddenly from

no where Billy grabbed her arm, she tried to struggle free but

he was too strong for her, she pushed against him hard and

stumbled backwards and fell to the floor quickly releasing

his grip. Louise panicked she covered her mouth so he could

not hear her fear and wiped away her forming tears, she slowly

stood up listening to Billy’s wild screams.

“You will loose everything you stupid woman, your sacrifice

was for nothing, do you hear me, nothing. Now I’m going to

have you myself, and every time your Mikey comes near you

you’ll remember me.” Even under his bandages and the dim

lighting Louise could see his face twisted and contorted..

“NO, don’t you touch me.” Louise yelled out, Amy woke

up and began to cry, tears started to fall freely down Louise’s

cheeks as she felt her whole was falling in around her, if only

Mikey was here she taught . Billy grabbed her as she tried to

get to Amy to comfort her, grabbing her ankle he pawed at her

naked legs pulling his way up her bath robe. “Oh God please no!

Mikey, please, help me!” She sobbed loudly beating him with her

fists as hard as she could. Her throat ached with the pain of

shedding so many tears, suddenly the room was bathed in light.

Louise screamed out and covered her eyes from the lights of

the corridor beyond. A large silhouette of two security officers

stood in the door way..

“Captain, you are under house arrest pending a court martial!”

Louise didn’t know weather to laugh or cry. She kicked his

hands off her ankles and shuffled back towards the sofa behind

her. A deep voice sounded beside her and very gently took her

arm.. “It’s alright ma’am, it’s over, you’re safe now. Commander

Barnes alerted us a couple of minutes ago, we heard everything,

the whole of the bridge staff did.” He walked over to the monitor

and turned on the screen, the Klingon hybrid smiled at her just as

a very worried Mikey looked back at her. “You forgot to turn

off the audio ma’am.” Louise looked at Mikey and smiled at him

touching his image.. “No I didn’t, it was the only way I could show

you all what he was really like. I just hoped that Mikey would want

to know the truth and not close the link completely.”

Mikey looked at her shaking his head, he looked at the security

Officer behind her and spoke directly to him.. “Lieutenant K’mora,

Have a guard placed on his cell, he is to speak to no one until we

get back to Starbase 118, is that understood?” The Large officer

looked at him and nodded indicating for his buddy to take away

the blind Captain, “Yes sir!” Mikey coughed getting everyone’s

attention back to the screen, he smiled at his wife and looked

back to Lt K’mora. “Lt, who is your new CO now that

Captain Kidd is under arrest?” The Klingon looked around for

a moment, the cogs in his brain turning desperately slowly, he

then snapped to attention and faced Louise.. “I guess that makes

you our new Commanding Officer until Commander Barnes gets

on board ma’am.”

Louise blinked hard and stared at her husband biting her lip,

he smiled at her. “Hmm, so I have what ten hours as Captain.”

She smiled playfully and pulled her bathrobe tightly around

herself blushing slightly. “Shush Amy, we have company.”

Mikey spoke and smiled at her. “Well actually sweetheart, you

have a little over twenty minutes.” He chuckled to himself..

She stared at him, her eyes thinning for a moment, then she smiled

happily at him throwing herself at the view screen, she kissed it

lovingly leaving a big smudge on it. “I love it when you surprise

me.” They both laughed happily. “Now then Lieutenant, get out!

I need to get dressed so I can go and meet my lovely husband.”

K’mora nodded and quickly did as he was told. “Yes ma’am,

I mean Captain!”

It was not long before Louise was heading out of their quarters

to meet her husband. “The greater the Sacrifice, the greater the

gain.” She smiled to herself and quickened her pace holding Amy

close..