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Philippa pulled the hair tie out of her black hair, letting it fall loose and sunk back into the lounge in her ready room. She so rarely relaxed, but this evening was different. She was exhausted.
Michael handed her a crystal glass filled half way with whiskey, lemon and ice. Michael knew exactly how Philippa liked her scotch. She sat down next to Philippa.
To soothe their tired minds, they had talked about inane topics on their journey from Engineering back to Philippa’s ready room. The food in the mess hall, Saru’s attempts at cultivating flowering plants from his home world in his quarters, and stories they loved as children.
Michael described several Vulcan tales of battles, fierce beasts and logic, and then surprised Philippa by mentioning Alice in Wonderland. Her human foster mother had read it to her and her foster brother, Spock. And Michael loved it. It was fantastical, absurd, human. A connection to that part of her that was being pushed deeper into her past as she became more Vulcan-like.
Philippa took a sip, the whiskey tasting even more pleasurable than usual.
“You haven’t told me about the stories you loved as a child.” Michael said.
“You never let me forget things do you Michael?” Replied Philippa.
“No, I don’t.” Michael said with a slight smile on her dark lips.
Philippa liked it when Michael smiled. Michael’s dark eyes grew brighter, her face seemed more beautiful, and Philippa found it harder to resist her.
“Ok.” Philippa said with a slight sigh. “When I was a girl I loved an ancient Chinese fairytale where a swordswoman rescues a prince from an evil demon. And of course they fall in love.”
Philippa remembered vividly the images that featured in the ebook of the fairytale. The majestic landscapes of limestone pillars, mountains and forests; the beautifully wrought swords, and the colourful costumes.
“I wanted to be that swordswoman. She was brave, strong and beautiful.”
Michael wasn’t surprised at Philippa’s admission. She felt Philippa had achieved her wish. Philippa was an adept military strategist, her bravery and strength captivating Michael to the same measure as her beauty.
Philippa took another sip of her drink and continued. “As I grew older, I realised I wanted the prince in the story to be a princess, and for them to fall in love with me.”
Philippa’s black eyes met Michael’s.
“Instead you ended up with a strange, half human, half Vulcan xenoanthropologist.” Michael said dryly.
“But all those things are what I love about you.” Philippa replied with a smile and moved closer to Michael. “Computer, Privacy.”