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Number One clutched a data pad, her gold-painted nails swiping at the information as it appeared on the screen, whilst her heels clicked across the polished floor as she strode along the breadth of the ship. She had just left Ortegas in charge of the bridge, Spock was down at the crashed shuttle with La'an and the Captain, well he hadn't left his ready room since the briefing with Minister Alora.
Now that had been an interesting reaction.
The clicking stopped. Una activated the door panel and swished into the ready room, finding the Captain exactly where she'd left him. He was sat at the end of the inky black table, watching a live feed from La'an and the others planet-side on the expansive display screen. He didn't take his eyes off the screen at her entrance. So, he was still distracted.
The reason for his distraction revealed itself when the minister herself appeared on-screen, climbing over the alien ship's wreckage with ease. Her bright red curls framed a pleasing face, gaze bright and wonderous even over a video stream. Alora was beautiful, and the Captain was smitten.
Number One cleared her throat, which finally caught the Captain's attention. He looked a little dazed but covered up his inattention with a smile. "Everything okay?"
She handed him the latest reports on a data pad and took a seat as his eyes automatically started to go over the data. "Yes Captain, our other visitors are settling in nicely."
Pike winced, the child and his father hadn't crossed his mind in a while. He really was distracted.
Una watched as his eyes flicked over the reports, she turned back to the view-screen when Spock asked the minister about some discovery or other. Chris reacted to the voice too, swallowing heavily and leaning forward to get closer to the screen, something so young about him at that moment. Alora's presence magnetised him still, 10 years later.
Here was a woman who could turn the most charming Captain into a bumbling Lieutenant in seconds, a man who had faced down countless enemies and diplomats reduced to stammering over his own words like a love-sick teen. Una hadn't seen him this nervous in years, she must be someone special.
"So, Alora."
It was like breaking a spell, one minute he was transfixed on the image but now he was shrinking back into his seat with a guilty look - like that time she caught him sneaking Andorian ale into the Christmas punch. A flush crept up his neck and Chris pulled at his collar. "What about her?"
The fact that he was trying to hide his feelings was just stupid, anyone could see that there was something between him and this minister and Una wasn't just anyone.
"You like her." No need to skirt around the issue, that wasn't her style.
Pike finally met her gaze, he tried to hide his uncharacteristic nerves with a smile. "That obvious?"
Una scoffed and shook her head, putting on a decent imitation of his stuttering introduction earlier. "This is my Number One... erm Una... Commander Chin-Riley." He couldn't have been more obvious if he'd tried.
The red flush crept up the Captain's neck to taint his cheeks. He stared down into his lap and clasped his hands together to stop fidgeting. "I didn't expect to see her again."
Una's chest clenched, and some small part of her wished that she could still elicit a reaction like this in him, but this wasn't about her or them. He deserved to be happy, to be able to reach for happiness with someone outside of rules and regulations.
"I'm happy for you." She meant it too. Why shouldn't the universe give him a break after all the shit he'd been through? After Talos and Boreth... Let's just say romance wasn't something he'd contemplated since.
Pike beamed at her, one of those smiles that could light up the night sky. It dimmed only slightly when he glanced back at the woman on screen. "It could be nothing."
Una snorted. She wasn't blind. "That look she gave you was not nothing, Chris." Not to mention the pair of them literally flirted at this very table, in front of everyone.
"Maybe."
Number One rolled her eyes. Why were men so dense sometimes? Still, better let him find out for himself. Alora wouldn't let him get away without making her feelings known, Una had already seen the boldness in the other woman.
The pair were interrupted when La'an communicated that the landing party was finished investigating. The contact spurred Pike into action and he coughed awkwardly and straightened out his uniform. "Please tell the first minister to meet me in my quarters."
"Confirmed." La'an was brisk and to the point as always.
Meanwhile, Una's brows raced towards her hairline - maybe Pike was going to take the bull by the horns so to speak. Which also meant she had to remind him of something she'd rather not, but it was her duty after all.
"Captain." He reacted to the more formal approach, throwing her a questioning look. "It is my duty to remind you to take care, considering we have no orders regarding this situation with the first minister we will be making things up on the fly. I don't expect this to be a problem, but if you do find that this personal attachment renders decision-making difficult..."
Una trailed off, not sure how to finish such a statement. Thankfully Pike understood, he interrupted not-unkindly. "I'll be sure to come to you, Number One."
He reached out to grasp her arm, gratitude shining in his gaze. "Thank you."
Una tried not to react to the contact, the way it warmed her skin and made her heart skip that little bit faster. "Anytime." She muttered quietly.
Pike didn't notice her distraction, his mind was elsewhere. He turned off the display screen and sauntered out of the ready room, eager to rendezvous with Alora. Una stood there for a few moments, just to compose herself. It seemed the Captain could still affect her with a simple touch, she would have to work on her control.
Una finally left the ready room and purposefully took a different route to the bridge, bypassing the Captain's quarters. There was no need to torture herself after all.