The BLTS Archive - Worthless
#4: Sacred Bonds
by miera (mierac72@yahoo.com)

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Archive: Ask first

Date: January 17, 2003

Feedback: Please. The bunnies are chewing on everything, they need
food!

Rating: R for suggestions of. . . just about everything.

Author's Notes: This is a wholly unserious bunny that would not be
denied during a stressful week. Those of you who've read my other
stories have met Jessy before. Emily is her best friend and part of
the adventures on the night shift. This is a bit odd for a slash list
but it amused me writing it, so I thought I'd share.

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Someone walking past Hoshi Sato's quarters might have mistakenly
thought some sort of orgy was taking place inside. That, or somehow, a
heard of cows had gotten on board Enterprise.

"This is soooo goooooood," Liz Cutler moaned. An chorus of agreeing
groans went up from the other women assembled in the room. They were
sitting, perched on the bed or spread out on the floor, surrounding a
small table in the middle of the room. On the table were the remains
of a double chocolate layer cake that Hoshi had procured in honor of
Kai Batare's birthday. All of them were slightly giddy from the
combination of sugar and cocoa.

Kai was technically part of the Engineering staff. She had a
background in metallurgy, however in practice she was mostly a lab
rat, one of the scientists on board who devoted most of their time to
running experiments in the laboratories.

Her roommate was Emily Harris, the night shift communications officer.
The two of them occupied places of honor on the bed. Sitting next to
them on the floor was Jessy Giordano, the night shift armory officer.
Resting in the desk chair was Hoshi, with Liz opposite Jessy on the
floor.

"It's the real thing," Hoshi added to Liz's raptures. "It's not
resequenced chocolate, it's for real."

"That explains it," Kai said, sighing happily. "I should be floating
off to sleep tonight thanks to the endorphins."

"And having good dreams too boot," Emily teased her. "The chemicals in
chocolate mimic the endorphins released when you kiss."

"And God knows this is probably as close to kissing as any of us are
going to get for a while," Kai observed. They all sighed. "Unless
someone's been holding out on us."

Everyone looked at Liz. "I'm not saying anything-"

"Aha!" Emily pointed an accusing finger.

". . . Because I have nothing to say," Liz said, with meaning.

"Oh."

"I never will get that," Hoshi said to Liz, starting on her third
piece of cake. "The Doctor? Not that he's not nice, but there are how
many men on the ship?"

"Two to every one of us," Jessy supplied.

"And have you seen the guys on this crew?" Hoshi continued.

"Hell yes," Emily put in.

"We've all seen, I'm pretty sure," Kai nodded, getting more cake.
"Sadly, only seen from a distance."

"Speak for yourself," Jessy commented drily. They all turned and gaped
at her and she added quickly, "Self-defense training, remember? I've
had every man on the ship try to get me on my back."

"Did any of them succeed?" Emily asked, suggestively.

Jessy gave her friend a withering stare and refused the bait. "The
only guys who ever managed to knock me down in a practice were
Lieutenant Reed and Crewman Stabler. Reed was lucky and Stabler is
built like a truck."

"Reed got lucky with you? No wonder he was looking so chipper the
other day."

Jessy looked around for something to throw at Emily and resorted to
using her napkin.

"I wonder what he would be. . . like," Liz said through a mouthful of
frosting.

There was a small pause and everyone turned and looked at Jessy again.
Her eyes got wide. "What?"

They burst out laughing. "Hey, he's your boss. And you do know him
better than the rest of us," Kai pointed out.

"Yes, but not in the Biblical sense," Jessy answered. That sent them
into another round of giggles.

"Come on, Jess, you have to know something," Kai said when she stopped
snickering.

Jessy considered for a moment, sucking on her spoon. "Well, I know
that when he's working out, he gets very focused on what he's doing.
Like the whole rest of the universe fades away. And he's very. . . agile,"
she finished with a devilish grin.

There was an appreciative sigh from the room.

"I bet if you got past that reserved exterior, there's probably
something wild underneath," Emily suggested. "Not that I'm speaking
from experience or anything."

"I don't know," Hoshi said. "He seems to be a bit awkward at talking
to anyone about anything other than torpedoes and cannons."

Liz rolled her eyes. "He's tall, dark and handsome. Who needs to
talk?"

"Ooh but that accent?" Emily said, stretching out on the pillows like
a cat. "I could listen to that all day."

"I *do* listen to it all day. Trust me, he whines too much," Hoshi
told her.

"Well, you'd need the right mood," Emily corrected. She gave a small
shiver. "He could call me "love" once and I'd probably faint. I always
did have a thing for guys with accents.

"Then what about Commander Tucker?" Hoshi teased.

Emily grinned. "He'd work too."

Jessy rolled her eyes. "He'd talk you to death."

"Before, during or after?" Liz laughed.

"All of the above. I bet he even talks in his sleep."

"Well that's just an invitation to shut him up," Emily said
mischievously.

"At least you know what you're getting with him. Especially given his
tendency to end up in his underwear," Hoshi pointed out.

"Mmm," Liz said. "Yeah, what a bad habit. Someone should really break
him of it."

"Or he could stop wearing uniforms entirely and save time," Jessy
suggested. "I still think he talks too much."

"He's an engineer," Kai said with mock-defensiveness. "Our skills lie
in our hands."

A short silence followed. "Now that was a mental picture worth
forming," Liz commented.

"He's certainly the best-looking man on the ship," Emily put in.

Liz looked at her like she was crazy. "Nuh-uh. Reed's got him beat by
a light-year."

"What!?! Sorry, Liz, I have to vote for Trip on this one," Hoshi shook
her head at her friend.

Kai raised her hand, "I have to side with Liz here. Reed, hands down.
What about you Jess?"

Jessy looked at them all incredulously. "OK, have you guys seen Ensign
Mayweather?"

They laughed. "Come on, Travis? He's like a puppy. He reminds me of
Porthos sometimes," Liz chuckled.

"That goofy grin?" Kai put in.

Jessy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, OK, whatever."

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Jessy, come on. Spill."

"Forget I mentioned it."

"Oh no," Emily stood up and pointed to Jessy dramatically. "You are
required, under the sacred bond that is created when women share
chocolate, to tell us everything you know!"

Everyone laughed but they all stared at Jessy until she held up her
hands. "Alright, alright. Look, all I'm gonna say is you guys *need*
to accidentally be in the gym some time when he's working out. You owe
it to yourselves."

Liz's eyes widened. "Really?"

She leaned forward. "I've seen Greek statues that are less well-
built."

"Huh," Hoshi was thinking. "I never really noticed under the uniform.
He does. . . " she trailed off.

"What?"

"Well, the view when he leaves the bridge is usually pretty good."

"Hoshi Sato I'm ashamed of you!" Liz teased. "Mind in the gutter while
you're on the bridge!"

"And not pointing out the sights to the rest of us," Emily added,
giggling.

"Hey, it's not my fault if you aren't observant. I thought once I
caught Malcolm doing the same thing," Hoshi said defensively. They all
stopped. "Really?" Kai asked.

"You think he plays both sides?" Liz asked.

"I have no idea. He was watching Travis leave but it might've been
about something else entirely."

"Still," Emily licked her lips.

Kai was thinking. "Hmm. I always thought there was more than just a
personality conflict between Reed and Tucker."

"Oh hell yeah," Jessy nodded. "They fight all the time."

Kai grinned. "Sure sign of underlying sexual tension."

Liz agreed. "Yep, they are always disagreeing over every tiny thing.
And they're always getting hurt! They're like the. . . the Disaster Twins
or something."

They all chuckled over Malcolm and Trip's new nickname. Another pause
ensued.


"Man," Emily was deep in thought. "They'd kill each other. Well, in
between—"

"Enough!" Hoshi intervened, her face bright red. "We have to stop
speculating about this. I have to work with these guys every day."

"OK, OK," they all said, resuming the eating. Jessy however remained
quiet.

"Jess?"

"Huh? Sorry, my mind lingers. . . "

Everyone fell apart.

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The End