| Released April 30th 2008 |
Stuck in a Storage Locker by Missbevcrusher Rated [R] Disclaimer: Paramount owns everything� I�m just having fun. So sue me� No wait, please don�t. This story is another installment in my P/C song series. The song I chose for this one is �Cruise Control� from Mariah Carey's latest album. Of course not all the lyrics match perfectly with this scenario, but it�s a good enough fit. Also, it really carries the mood I was looking to establish. So if you have the CD, feel free to crank it up. If not, the song is readily available on YouTube and you can easily listen to it by opening another internet window. That�s what I usually do when I read P/C ;) So anyway, here it is� �What do you mean it won�t open?� asked Dr. Beverly Crusher �How else do you want me to say it?� answered Captain Jean-Luc Picard. �The door won�t open, it�s pretty simple, really.� �Don�t get all annoyed, it�s not my fault.� After a slight pause, Picard replied, �I�m sorry.� �Is the latch stuck or what?� �Well, that�s the problem. There�s no latch on the inside.� �Great.� The two had been on an undercover mission on the planet Mitrios for the past week. After a lot of snooping around, they had finally managed to get in touch with their informant. He�d promised to meet them in a deserted warehouse on the outskirts of the city to give them invaluable information, which is where the two officers were now�stuck in a two by three storage locker inside a deserted warehouse on the outskirts of the city. And how exactly had they ended up in that locker? Well, fearing their cover had been blown, the captain had decided to act as a lookout. When he�d spotted two men making their way up the narrow alley by the warehouse, he�d turned to the doctor and said in a hushed tone, �Quick, hide.� Looking around them for possible hiding places, only one stood out. The infamous locker they were now trapped in. Of course, the two men had been nothing more than simple passers-by. Which was a good thing, but that still didn�t solve the two officers� problem. Beverly sighed. �Can�t we force it open?� �Not without attracting attention to ourselves, no.� �True. So now what?� �Well, we wait.� �What time is it?� He took out the small handheld they�d purchased during their mission. �Almost eleven hundred. The informant said he�d meet us at eleven thirty.� �Waiting for a half hour�s not that bad.� �It could be worse.� Shifting slightly, Beverly tried to create some space between the captain and herself. Thanks to the cramped dimensions of the locker however, that wasn�t quite possible. So there they stood, face to face and pressed up firmly against one another. Thankfully, the door had three narrow six inch vertical slits going across it. That was enough to keep them from running out of air and in addition provided slight illumination in the likes of small lines of light that shone across one side of their faces. Not wanting to stare blatantly at him, Beverly averted her gaze toward the only other thing she could see, which was the room beyond the small openings on the door. The view wasn�t much to look at, basically a grey wall in much need of a paint job. Suddenly, Jean-Luc�s handheld chirped. �I hope that�s our informant.� He looked at the text message on the small screen. �Damn.� �What?� �Here, take a look for yourself.� They�d created codes with their informant, which would serve to disguise their cover if the need of sending messages came up. The small grey on white letters that appeared on the screen displayed the following. JoeMechanic says: I can�t make it to lunch on time. Something came up. Let�s have dinner. I�m free at three o�clock. Beverly shook her head. �You�ve got to be kidding me.� �I guess we�ll be stuck here for a while.� �Yeah, woohoo�� For the next hour, their initial annoyance slowly turned to resignation and finally boredom. The doctor was the one who broke the silence. �I�m hungry.� �Yes, well, if we�re lucky, we�ll get to eat by dinnertime.� �Ugh, knowing that somehow makes the wait worse.� �What do you want me to tell you?� �You�re right. I�m sorry.� Shifting slightly, she added, �There�s not a lot of room in here, is there?� Looking out of the slits so as not to make eye contact with her, Picard answered, �No, not really.� Ever since they�d first gotten trapped, the captain had mentally tried to reign in his emotions. For the prospect of her being pressed up against him made his mind race. After all, the woman standing before him had been the object of his affection and his fantasies for the longest time now. Not only were they co-workers and friends, but they were the best of friends. At times, he was certain she felt the same way he did, but for some reason they�d never crossed that line before. �Is everything alright?� �Yes, why do you ask?� �I don�t know� you just seem out of sorts that�s all.� �I�m fine.� �Okay.� As much as he tried to think of something else, anything else, Jean-Luc couldn�t help but be aware of each and every curve pressed up against him. The slow rise of her chest as she breathed, the warmth of her body, her breath as she spoke. As she was almost as tall as he was, her face was mere inches from his. He feared if he looked at her, she would see how she was affecting him. Oh, and that perfume� Why did she have to bring it on this assignment? It�s not that he didn�t like it, far from it actually. It was simply driving him to utter distraction. �It�s getting pretty hot in here,� Beverly said as she undid the first two buttons of the blouse she was wearing. Looking up, she saw that the captain seemed uneasy. �There it is again.� �What?� �That look.� �What look?� �The one that screams �I�m squirming.�� �I�m not squirming.� �Yes, you were. Look, I know it�s not fun being stuck in a locker like this, but you don�t have to act as though I repulse you.� �You don�t repulse me, Beverly.� �Then why won�t you look at me?� she said, and sounded more than annoyed. He turned. �See, I�m looking at you.� He tried to swallow as his throat went dry. The blue of her eyes seemed to shimmer in the darkness, the chiseled arch of her eyebrows raised in an unconvinced manner. She wasn�t backing down. �Out with it.� He closed his eyes and shook his head. �There�s nothing for me to out. I don�t see why you�re not letting this go.� �I�m not letting it go because I know you.� �Has anyone told you that you�re incredibly stubborn?� �You say that as though it�s a bad thing. And I call it determined, not stubborn.� �Oh trust me, you go beyond determination. You�re stubborn.� �And you�re not?� �I�m not the one who�s being pushy right now.� Scoffing, Beverly retorted, �You might not be pushy, but you�re being stubbornly closed up.� As much as he loved her, the woman had a way of driving him crazy from time to time. Usually, he could easily escape from their arguments, but considering their predicament, that wasn�t really possible at the moment. Picard shook his head. �You can be quite impossible sometimes, you know.� �The same can be said about you.� �Look, I don�t want to argue.� �Then tell me what�s wrong. If I�ve done anything to annoy you, I want to know.� She was pushing him past his breaking point. Mustering all of his resolve, Picard exhaled slowly. Softening his tone, he looked as convincingly as he could into her eyes and said, �You didn�t do anything to annoy me� except perhaps what you�re doing right now.� Beverly drew in a sharp breath. �If you say so...� Seeing how she was now looking away from him with an expression that said she wasn�t buying it, Picard sighed. �I�m not going to win this one, am I?� Not replying, the doctor simply looked at him, her expression unchanged. �You really want to know what�s on my mind?� He paused. �Really?� �Yes, I do.� With an exasperated laugh, the captain continued, �You�re asking for trouble. I hope you know that.� �I don�t care. I want to know.� Letting his guard down, Picard gazed at her with intensity, his eyes moving back and forth between her eyes and her mouth. �Can�t you see it?� his tone was more subdued. Caught off guard by his gaze, Beverly couldn�t find her voice. Without realizing it, she held her breath, her heart racing in her chest. Softly, he continued in his baritone voice, �My feelings for you? For the longest time I�ve tried to hide them. But no matter what I do, they never subside.� Lowering his gaze, he found the strength to explain further. �So being here like this, with you� It�s sending my head into a spin, alright? I�m not only insanely attracted to you, but I�m also deeply and madly in love with you. So much so that at times I feel as though I�m going to lose my mind� There, I said it� I told you, you were asking for trouble.� And with that, he replaced the mask that he�d dropped momentarily. �Oh�� Picard took a calming breath and returned his blank gaze to the room beyond. Meanwhile, the doctor was mentally kicking herself for not seeing things as they were. Why didn�t I see it? God, Beverly, you sure can be stupid sometimes� Several minutes of awkward silence seemed to pass at an incredibly slow pace. Finally, Beverly spoke, �Jean-Luc.� He didn�t react. She pressed on. �Look at me.� When he turned to look back at her, he was surprised to see that she was smiling sympathetically at him. Her voice was barely audible. �That was kind of sweet, actually.� Chuckling quietly, he looked down and shook his head. �I mean it.� When his gaze met hers once more, he saw no hint of humor in her eyes, just sincerity. �What would you say if I told you that I understand how you feel?� �Huh?� Looking at his mouth, Beverly bit her lower lip before saying, �I mean, it�s no secret that there�s always been an attraction between us� But what you fail to notice is that my feelings for you run just as deeply as yours for me.� Oh my god, what have I done? Too late, she couldn�t take it back now. Taking a breath, she tried to calm her nerves. �What?� She closed her eyes. �Please don�t make me say it again. Once was hard enough.� A stunned expression rested on the captain�s face. �I had no idea�� �You didn�t?� After a pause, he admitted, �Well� I wasn�t sure.� �Funny, I thought I sent you plenty of hints that first year we were serving together.� �I didn�t see it, I�m sorry.� He sort of felt stupid for not noticing. Perhaps they wouldn�t be in this little dance of �should we, or shouldn�t we� if he had. Beverly shrugged. �When I came back from Medical, I figured it was simply a waste of time. So I sort of stopped trying.� �What now?� Huskily, she responded, �I�ll leave that up to you.� Swallowing hard, he tried to loosen his collar, which now felt way too tight. With a slow breath to help ease his nervousness, Jean-Luc brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. �Si belle�� Trembling slightly, Beverly�s gaze was now firmly fixed on his mouth. As he got closer and closer, she closed her eyes in anticipation. When his lips met hers, the doctor couldn�t hold back a soft sigh. His kiss was so gentle that at first it felt like a soft flutter against her lower lip. Gradually, their kiss deepened and Beverly wrapped her arms around his neck, which in itself wasn�t something that came easy considering their tight quarters. With his hands placed firmly on her hips, Jean-Luc continued his passionate, tender onslaught. Is that strawberry lip gloss she�s wearing? If it was even possible, the captain could have sworn he felt her melt against him even more. Now that all the awkwardness was gone, Jean-Luc found that he didn�t really mind being stuck here with her all that much. He just wished they�d had less restriction in their movements. It was as if Beverly�s rational side, the one that so often over-analyzed everything, had decided to take a much needed rest. In its place were raw emotions, almost primal in intensity. Things were getting pretty hot in the small locker and it wasn�t just the temperature. His mind reeling, Picard had a hard time believing this was real. It read more like one of his countless fantasies about the good doctor than something out of reality. Breaking their kiss, Beverly trailed her lips toward his ear. In turn, she felt him kiss the side of her neck. �Jean-Luc�� The way she�d sensuously breathed his name in his ear sent shivers of pure desire throughout his entire body. Nuzzling her softly as he made his way to recapture her mouth with his, he said, �This is maddening�� �Totally insane�� was her response just before their passionate kiss resumed, no less abated. After another while of mounting desire, Picard spoke again, �If we weren�t stuck in here, I swear I�d�� He stopped, unable to finish his sentence. Practically out of breath, Beverly urged him to go on with a soft whisper, �You�d what?� With a soft moan, he continued, his voice hoarse. �I�d make love to you�� What she said next almost blew him away. �Well, we won�t be trapped in here forever.� Her tone was as seductive as ever. Oh god� were the only words that came to mind. Never had he experienced something that he could only describe as the mother of all futile foreplay to this maddening extent before. In a way, it was no wonder. After all he�d never wanted anyone as much as he wanted this woman. For so long now, she�d been the picture of everything he wanted but could never attain. �You�re incredible� absolutely amazing.� �Likewise, Captain.� The use of his rank served only to bring even more playfulness to their unexpected passionate encounter. Time was ticking by at a furious pace now. Although he didn�t want the moment to end, Picard suddenly realized something. �Beverly?� She giggled. �What is it?�. �Our informant will be here soon.� He tried to regain his composure as Beverly nibbled on his earlobe. She smiled mischievously. �Already?� �And, uh� if we don�t stop�� He took a steadying breath. �I don�t think we�ll be able to hide what�s going on here.� After pulling back slightly, Beverly exhaled slowly. �You�re right.� Leaning her head against the metal surface behind her, she closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself. Unable to tear his eyes away from her, Jean-Luc saw just how flushed her cheeks appeared to be. Furthermore, he noticed her skin seemed somewhat damp. Wiping his own brow dry, the captain turned his attention back to the outside. If he focused on all the little imperfections on the opposing wall, perhaps he might be able to erase any traces of what had just happened before the informant arrived. The wait was interminably slow. At first, neither of them spoke. �Want some gum?� �Gum?� The captain was amused and puzzled at the same time. �Yeah, it�s something I tried for the first time several years ago on your Dixon Hill program.� Taking a small pack out of her breast pocket, she handed one to him. �At first, I didn�t really quite know what to do with it, so I swallowed it.� Picard couldn�t keep from laughing. �I didn�t know you chewed gum.� She shrugged. �I guess I was intrigued at first so I replicated some. It�s been my secret little indulgence ever since.� Shaking his head, he smiled and wondered what else he didn�t know about her. �Thank you.� He popped one in his mouth and started chewing. It was quite sweet and tasted sort of like a mix of berries he couldn�t identify. With her head once again resting on the dark grey metal of the locker, Beverly looked out and chewed her gum. After several seconds, she blew a bubble that made a sharp popping sound as it burst. Realizing how silly she must have looked, the doctor glanced sideways at the captain. After a second or two of unsure silence, she burst out laughing. He did the same. Finally, the humor subsided and the two continued just waiting. Picard looked at his handheld and sighed. �Well, if our informant is true to his words, he should be here any minute.� After a few more moments of relative inactivity, the two heard approaching footsteps. With his index finger up over his mouth, the captain indicated that they should remain very silent for the time being. It might not be their informant after all. Gazing through the slits, the two waited until they saw him. Relief filled both of them. �Psssst� in here.� Spinning around and looking rather confused, the informant said, �Hello?� Slightly annoyed, the captain added, �In the storage locker.� Turning toward them, the guy frowned. �What the hell� what are you doing in there?� �We�re playing hide and go seek. What does it look like we�re doing? We hid when we thought someone had followed us. But there�s no latch on the inside. We can�t get out,� replied an exasperated Beverly. Amused, the informant made his way toward them, not rushing in the least, mind you. �Today, please?� After fumbling with the latch, he finally opened the door. �Thank you,� said the captain as he stepped out. The informant couldn�t help but chuckle slightly as he saw how squished together they�d been. Must have been an interesting couple of hours� As the fresh air outside the locker hit her face, Beverly breathed a sigh of relief. Moving about, shaking her arms and legs, she tried to ease the stiffness that had invaded her muscles. �Do you have the information we requested?� Picard asked. �Yes, sir.� The guy handed over a small chip to the captain. �Thanks for all your trouble.� �No problem.� * * * * With their mission complete, the two officers wanted nothing more than get the hell out of there. Boarding the stealth shuttle they had carefully hidden in a wooded area outside the city limits a week ago, they wasted no time in engaging the engines and lifting up out of the atmosphere. Once they were out of the planet�s sensor range, Picard laid in a course to rendezvous with the Enterprise. Activating the auto-pilot, he checked their ETA and nodded satisfactorily. They�d be back on their ship in less than 24 hours. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled in amusement. Beverly was already at the replicator ordering her lunch/dinner. After grabbing the overstuffed sandwich that had materialized, the doctor didn�t waste a second before taking a first bite. She closed her eyes tilted her head to the side. As soon as she swallowed, she said, �That�s so good�� Forcing the thoughts her statement had produced to the back of his already racing mind, the captain got up. �I�ll go wash up while you eat.� Beverly nodded absently in full enjoyment of her already falling-apart sandwich. By the time Jean-Luc stepped out of the stall that contained the sonic shower, Beverly was already rummaging through her things to get a fresh uniform. Swapping places with him, the doctor entered the stall. Now ordering his own meal, Picard tried not to think about her in the shower. Having finished eating before she was done he thought, �She�s really taking her time, isn�t she...� Sitting back in the pilot�s seat, the captain tried to think of other things. When she exited the stall, Beverly glanced toward the front of the shuttle. With an amused smile, she realized he hadn�t noticed she was finished. Quietly, slowly, with confident determination in her steps, she made her way toward him. Going over some of the readings displayed on his console, the captain jumped up slightly as he felt her hands on his shoulders. He felt her breath close to his ear. �What are you up to?� she asked in a low voice. Picard cleared his throat and entered the codes necessary to exit the function he�d been analyzing. �Just, uh, looking at shuttle efficiency.� He seemed nervous. �I see.� Suddenly, he felt her hands glide down firmly against his upper chest, her face still next to his. �Are you almost finished?� �Yes, I�m� I�m finished.� �Good.� Bringing her voice even lower, she added, �You might want to verify the environmental controls, too.� �Oh?� �Uh-huh�� Pulling away teasingly, she started to make her way toward the back of the shuttle. As she did so, Picard�s gaze never left her. Pausing just before she reached the bunk area, the doctor turned around. �It�s just that � things might get a little hot in here.� A small, seductive smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. With a giggle, she turned back around, leaving a stunned captain still sitting at the helm. Realizing what she was suggesting, Jean-Luc almost stumbled out of his seat. Beverly Crusher sure had a playful side. He was eager to see just how much. And at that moment, he knew he was in for quite an adventure with the beautiful physician. Considering her fiery personality though, one thought suddenly came to mind� �What have you gotten yourself into, Jean-Luc?� Brushing any of his concerns aside, the captain made his way over to where she stood waiting and scooped her up in his arms. An adventure indeed� The End Library |