julepsnmedicine | Back on Earth (RP with knowshowtosurf)

It had been a long few days.

Katie had been through so much, and Leonard knew that it wasn't going to be easy. In addition to recovering from her injuries and talking to her family, there was dealing with the memories and nightmares. Leonard wanted badly to be there for her every moment, but as chief medical officer, he had to check on the other Lexington survivors as well.

Unfortunately, they lost one of them the following day when a condition that had been exacerbated by the crew's treatment in captivity turned critical.

A couple of days after the rescue, Starfleet Command requested that the survivors all be returned to Earth so they could be debriefed on what had happened. When Jim told him, Leonard knew that they was no way he was going to let Katie - much less the others - go without him. He hadn't even needed to ask Jim, though. Before he could make the request, the captain told him that as their doctor, he would be accompanying them back.

So once all the survivors were well enough, the Enterprise rendezvoused with another ship. Leonard continued sharing quarters with Katie while all the other survivors stayed on the same level, so they were nearby. A psychiatrist had been sent to talk with them on the journey back.

The morning of the day they were supposed to reach Earth, Leonard woke up, holding Katie the way he had every morning. He kissed her temple before gently brushing her hair back from her face.

"We're arrivin' today," he told her softly. "Do you think you'll be okay? I'm gonna make sure I'm nearby the whole time in case you need me."

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"Katie," Leonard said softly. He let her move away, not wanting to force anything on her, knowing that he had to let her deal with some of this in her own way. "My career is helping people, and if I can't help someone I care about then what good am I as a doctor?"

He watched her for a moment and then went over to her, touching her shoulder but not doing anything more for the moment.

"I would never hate you. Not when it would be my decision. You've been through so much, and even though I wouldn't dare compare my experience to yours, I know how hard it is to go through somethin' alone," he told her. "If I can be there for you, I will be."

"You're a medical doctor, love, not a psychiatrist. It's not your job to make me feel better," Katie told him.

When he came over and touched her shoulder, Katie looked down at the floor and shook her head. "Things like this changes people. WHen I'm done healing, I might not be the same person. What if I become a person you couldn't possibly love or be around," she said.

Looking up, she shook her head. "God, Leo, I love you so much. Thought about you all the time when we were apart. It was the thought of you that got me through the horrific week," Katie said, tears coming to her eyes. "You've been through so much already. You've felt so much pain and lost so much, and I don't want to add to that. I can't add to it."

"I know that. I just want to help even if I know I can't make it better," he replied. "And I know this kind of thing changes people. I'm not the same person I was before I...before my father died and Jocelyn left me. I don't expect you to be either."

When she then told him how much she loved him and how he had gotten her through, he felt his throat tighten. Especially when she started to cry. He couldn't leave her. He just couldn't. Moving closer, he wrapped his arms around her and held her.

"And if I walk away, I lose you. I already through I did not one, but twice. I'm not going to again," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "So much of my pain...it was because she wasn't there when I needed someone just to listen to me or to hold. Katie, I love you more than I can say. Please...don't push me away."

Katie knew he understood. He had told her everything about his father's death, his divorce and his grief. She was just so scared of how all of this would end for them. Katie loved him more then anything and she wanted to be with him.

When he pulled her into a hug, Katie returned it. She held him as hard as she could and buried her face against his chest. Her Leonard. He would always be hers, not matter what happened. He had taught her how to love, how to pleasure him, and how to be a better person.

"Then don't walk away. Don't leave me, Leonard," she whispered against him. "I want you to stay. I want to be with you and only you. I love you so much."

Closing his eyes, Leonard continued to hold her close against him. He tilted his head, nuzzling her temple. Back in the Academy, he had been the first person she had ever slept with, but she had also been the first person he had been with since his divorce, and it was because of her that he knew he could love again.

Because of that, he knew he couldn't let her walk this path alone. No matter where it led. And no matter how long it took.

"Then I won't," he promised her. "I'm gonna be there with you every step of the way."

Nudging her head up so he could look at her, he gently wiped her tears from her eyes.

Katie knew it wasn't going to be easy but it made her feel better to know he was going to be there for her. When he wiped her tears away, she gave him a small smile. "Thank you," she said just as it was announced they'd be arriving at the SpaceDock soon. "I should probably get showered and dressed."

By the time they were ready, the ship was docking. Those most injured were allowed to leave the ship first. When it was her turn, Katie went to a transport with Leonard and soon they were off to Earth. It felt strange to be back there but it also made her feel relieved.

Landing in San Francisco, Katie and Leo were told where the families were. Katie took Leonard's hand and walked with him to the area. There were a lot of people there but she easily found her family and rushed over to them. She hugged her parents tightly as she cried.

When sh pulled back, her father looked at Leonard and held out his hand.

"Thank you for looking out for her, son," Jonathan said.

"Always, Katie," Leonard told her before slowly letting her go so they could get ready.

It wasn't long before they were back on Earth. The sun was bright as they walked off the transport, causing him to blink a little. There was always a period of adjustment to being back home after being in space.

When Katie took his hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze before they went in to find her family. Once they did, he stood back, letting her have her moment with them until her father turned to him to shake his hand.

"Anything for Katie," he said with a soft smile before looking over at her mother. "It's good to see you again, Professor Watley."

"Please, call me Amanda," she told him before giving him a hug. She then reached over and brushed Katie's hair back from her face. "I'm so glad to see again. When does Starfleet wants to talk to you?"

"This afternoon, I think," Leonard said, reaching up to rest his hand on the small of Katie's back. "So you all have some time together before then."

Katie was glad her parents liked Leonard so much. It made all of this so much easier. They would understand why she needed him to be there. Shifting a bit, she reached back and took Leonard's hand again and wrapped her fingers around it.

"If that's the case, how about all of us have some breakfast? We can go to that little diner you like so much, Katie. I'm sure you're getting rather sick of the ship food," Jonathan said.

"That actually sounds nice," Katie said with a smile. Truth be told, she was getting sick of the ship food and having real food would be nice.

Following her parents to their vehicle, Katie kept her hand wrapped around Leonard's. The Academy was busy, like it always was, and she was starting to feel a little trapped. Moving closer to him, she took several deep breaths. Part of her wanted to hide somewhere but she didn't want to worry her parents.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Amanda asked.

Katie nodded and swallowed. "Yeah. Just getting used to being back on Earth," she said.

The idea of going to eat at the diner sounded great. Ship food got pretty damn old after a while, especially when someone was recovering. Looking over at Katie, he gently tightened his hold on her hand and leaned over to kiss her temple. Maybe a bit of normalcy like this would do her a bit of good too.

As they crossed the grounds, he felt Katie move closer to him. He knew that she hadn't been around many people since her rescue, and he hoped that this wasn't going to be too much for her. He let go of her hand and instead slipped it around her waist to hold her close and let her know that he was right there. That he wasn't going to let them get separated.

"I can imagine it's a bit strange," Jonathan said. "Should we ask for a quiet corner at the diner?"

Leonard nodded. "That might be a good idea. Even for me, being back planetside can be a bit of an adjustment after so long."

As they continued to walk, he pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, "If you need space at any time, let me know, and I'll get you somewhere, okay?"