...or Something More?

Posted on Fri Mar 3rd, 2017 @ 4:09am by Commander Andrew Knight

Mission: The Space Between
Location: Residential Complex: Cara Suite
Timeline: MD 2 - 2010

Drew depressed the door chime for a second time and paced back and forth in front of Cara's door. He felt like his body was all a tremble as it became apparent she wasn't going to answer the door. He stopped pacing and keyed the intercom system. "Cara, it's Drew. Please open up!"

Cara had switched the sonic shower over to real water and was basking in the hot water as steam rose and fogged the mirror and shower door.. She was so relaxed that she began singing a happy little Irish tune at the top of her lungs.

Drew resumed pacing an felt very much at a loss, especially when a young officer he didn't recognize came walking down the corridor giving him a strange look before entering a suite several units down. Drew keyed the intercom again. "Come on Cara! We need to talk!"

The water trickled down to a drip and Cara opened her eyes and looked at the gauge above the shower head. Her weekly allotment of shower water was used up. She sighed and opened the shower door, grabbed her towel off of the rack and wrapped her hair up in a turban then stepped out of the shower and grabbed the second towel and began to dry off.

Drew felt like he couldn't breathe, even though his lungs were working just fine. He felt like his chest was going to explode, even though his heart rate was only slightly elevated. He took a deep breath, but when that did not seem to help he began knocking on the door, and continued to do so with more and more force. "Come on Cara! Just open the door please!"

Cara became aware of the pounding and frowned. Wrapping the towel around her, she walked out of the bathroom and, when she got to the living room she could hear the muffled voice calling her name. As she approached the door she recognized it as Drew and smirked. Pressing the door control she said, "hang on Knight. Geez, dude. Keep your voice down. You'll disturb the neighbors."

Drew gave a sigh of relief when Cara finally answered him over the intercom. He closed his eyes and worked on gaining control of his composure. He had thought of nothing else most of the day, but how he felt about Cara. How he truly felt about her. It had come as a complete shock to him when he realized, that the woman who had been masquerading as his best friend for the last year, was in fact the woman he loved deeply, and not just as his friend. He was trying to think of a way to tell her when he heard the door open.

Cara stood off to the side of the doorway and held the top of her towel once the door was open. "Well? Now that entire Delta Quadrant knows you're here....." she began.

Drew realized that he would not be able to truly express how he felt in words, but he did know that actions spoke more powerfully than words. He stepped through the door just as he opened his eyes and embraced her. This time kissing her with as much fervor as she had him in the turbolift earlier that day.

The door closed behind Drew automatically. Cara was caught off balance and had to grab hold of Drew's shoulders with bother hands to keep from falling backwards to the floor, consequently, relinquishing her hold on the towel. The folds of the towel came undone and fell to the sides. The only thing still keeping the towel aloft was the close embrace.

Time ceased to exist for Drew as the kiss went on. It could have been just a few seconds, minutes or even an hour that he held her and kissed her. He just knew he didn't want to stop kissing her, now or ever.

Cara, caught up in the moment, wrapped her arms around Drew's neck and returned his kiss with the same passion. When she had kissed him in the turbolift it had been out of spite more than anything else. Basically to say...see what you're missing fool? But this time was different. She could feel her blood pressure rise...her heart rate accelerate...and then she realized....

Cara suddenly pushed him back and grabbing her towel before it fell away with one hand. She looked into his eyes and saw something she had never seen in them before. "I.....you.....," she stammered, not sure what to say.

Drew opened his mouth to say something, just as he realized Cara's state of dress, or more to the point, lack thereof. He closed his eyes again and averted his head. "I...um..." He closed his eyes even tighter as the image of her there in the towel was seared into his mind. "Maybe you should...put something on."

Cara looked down at her bare legs and smirked. Snapping her fingers she said, "right," and hurried into her bedroom where she quickly put on a pair of sweat pants and tank top. The time getting dressed gave her a chance to regain her normal composure so she entered the living room and walked over to the sofa. Sitting on the arm with her feet on the cushions, she folded her arms and looked at Drew with a quirked eyebrow. "Sooo....I'm not going to lie. That was nice, but I have to wonder why," she said. "Was that a tit for tat kiss?" She held up a hand in a stop gesture. "And..no...that was not a pun," she added then refolded her arms.

Drew sat a bit down the couch from Cara's perch, maintaining eye contact with her the whole time. Things were changing between them, but in retrospect he had a feeling they had been for the last couple of months at least for him. He'd spent nearly the entire afternoon and evening reflecting over their year long friendship, from start until now. "You remember the first time we met? Austin and his family's quarters?""

Cara placed her elbow on her knee and rested her chin in her hand as she stared at Drew with a smarmy smirk. She was curious how long he was going to draw this out...knowing that men never got directly to the point when they could take the long way around. "Yes. Of course I do. Pot roast, fresh carrots, potatoes, gravy, a tossed salad and blackberry pie for dessert," she said, thinking...you want to take the scenic route....we will take the scenic route.

"I was referring to how Austin and Meredith were trying to set us up." He studied her expression and confirmed she knew exactly what he was talking about.

Cara couldn't help but break her pose as she chuckled. "Yeah. It was pretty comical. Meredith always thought herself a matchmaker," she said, then got silent as a sadness came over her.

The silence continued for several long moments as Drew himself thought of his brother and sister-in-law. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am sure she only wanted to see the best for both of us."

"Yeah," Cara said, sadly and got up from her perch. "Want a drink?" she asked as she walked over to her small bar.

Drew also stood and moved to intercept her before she got to the bar. "I don't want a drink. I don't want to be afraid of what I've been feeling...I don't want to...run into the arms of someone else...especially when..."

"When what?" Cara asked, visually searching Drew's face.

Drew reached up and cradled Cara's face in his hands. He held her gaze with his own. He was clearly scared, but his expression only confirmed what he said next. "I know I am in love with someone else. I love you Cara Jean Nichols. I have for some time now and...I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now."

"You're...," Cara's eyes widened. She would have settled for attracted to....anything that was more than their buddy buddy relationship they had been dancing around in for the past year....but she wasn't expecting this. She looked in his eyes and saw the depth of sincerity in them that she had never seen before. And something else. Something she had seen but not in his eyes. In Meredith and Austin's eyes when they looked at each other. For reasons she couldn't explain, tears filled her own eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She placed her hands over his and leaned in, gently kissing him....once....twice then the third one was mixed with passion and love.

Drew was drawn in further and further with each kiss. The feel of her lips on his, the gentle brushing of their hands on one another. He felt a mounting desire for her that was all consuming for him. He wanted her more than he had wanted anything in his whole life, but he had something he needed to do first. It was with a tremendous effort that he brought their kissing to a halt. He was breathless as he spoke. "We have to...take a pause.... I need to...make sure that Ashley...will be OK with this."

At some point they had wrapped their arms around each other. Cara leaned back and looked at Drew. "Seriously? And if she doesn't you're going to let a 16 year old determine our relationship?" she said. Letting go of Drew she backed out of his embrace and said, "fine," and gestured toward the door. "Go. I've got things to do anyway." She turned back to the bar and took out a bottle of Jamesons. Opening it she poured it into a glass and downed the contents in one gulp.

Drew opened his mouth to speak, but shut it just as quickly. It wasn't that he was going to allow Ashley to dictate his relationship with Cara, but the nightmares she'd had right after her parents died had returned in the last month with an alarming frequency. He looked down at the floor for a few seconds. He finally just nodded and turned to the door. He paused at the door, reluctant to leave, but nervous about staying after she told him to go. He turned and faced her.

Cara looked over at Drew just as he reached the door. When he turned to look back, she set her glass on the bar with a loud thud and rushed over to him. Placing her hands on his cheeks she said in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper, "I love your, too," then kissed him again, briefly. She pulled back and said, "good luck with Ashley," and smiled, lovingly at him.

Drew nodded. He hoped Ashley would not have a problem with this. He didn't think she would, but if this day had taught him anything at all...it was he still knew nothing about woman. A moment later he was gone.