From: Christine Fontaine 
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 19:39:40 -0500
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Birthday Memories

SD 90319.1938
Scene: USS CHESAPEAKE: CMO's Quarters
Date: March 19th
Lieutenant Commander Catherine Ledoux was feeling very much alone.  It was 
her birthday, a day that was supposed to be filled be celebration and joy, 
and here she was, spending it by herself.  Sighing, the vet brushed away a 
few stray curls that had fallen into her face.  *I am so pathetic,* she 
thought to herself, *spending my birthday alone.*  Feeling very depressed, 
the tears began to rain down, and Catherine remembered a much happier 
birthday, one year before...
<< begin flashback >>
Scene: Ottawa, Canada, Earth
Timeframe: On shore leave, last March
Rich and Catherine were in Ottawa, pleasantly enjoying the cool winter
air as they walked along Wellington Avenue towards the Parliament
Buildings.  Majestic stone-faced edifices lined the banks of the Ottawa
river, topped with aged copper roofs, the peace tower at the centre of
the main block of parliament dominating the skyline.
As they moved, hand in hand, down the avenue, Rich joked, "It's so *cute*
that you Canadians still think that the King is the head of your government."
Quizzically, Catherine looked at Rich.  "Whatever do you mean?"
"I dunno, I'm just teasing," He grinned, "But, you have to admit, the
Monarchy hasn't had a *real* job to do in about 500 years or so."
Catherine sighed, then smiled, shaking her head.  "Even back when Canada
was a constitutional monarchy, the English Royalty had no real power in
this country.  The King or Queen was basically just a figurehead."
Catherine's smile widened a little, "we are perfectly capable of
governing ourselves without any help from England."
It was now Rich's turn to shake his head, "Well, if they weren't so
important, you wouldn't put them all over your money."
Catherine couldn't help but laugh.  "Call it tradition.  We Canadians
love our traditions.  In fact, Winterlude is one of the longest running
annual festivals in this country."  Smile widening, the vet was very much
looking forward to taking part in the winter festivities.
The couple continued for a few blocks, pausing to admire a small
gathering of ice sculptors.  After about half an hour of meandering
through the city, they reached the canal.
Cutting through the city, the Rideau Canal was one of Ottawa's most
distinctive landmarks, becoming the world's longest skating rink in the
winter as the quiescent waters turned to ice.  Frigid temperatures,
common in the capital city, ensured that the solid surface of the canal
was safe for winter activities.
During Winterlude, many small kiosks lined the canal, running along its
length.  Skates could be rented, warm food and drink could be purchased
and souvenirs could be bought.  Other small venues dotted the ice
surface, showcasing Canadian history and talent.
Catherine's intended destination was Dow's Lake, a natural body of water
that had been incorporated into the Canal's construction.  Centrally
located, Dow's Lake was the site of many of Winterlude's most popular
attractions.  Excited at the prospect of enjoying the festival's
offerings, Catherine smiled at Rich.  "Ready to brave the ice?"
The pilot almost missed the vet's question.  He was too busy soaking in
the sights of the activity on the canal.  People skated in every
direction and others pulled small sleds with children perched atop.  A
bit further up the canal, a hovercar was parked on the ice as part of
somesort of contest or another.  Living where he had, Rich had some
experience with winters, but he had never seen ice so thick, snow so
deep, or air so cold.
Finally he turned to gaze into Catherine's eyes, "Lead on!"  And gestured
for her to move down the stairs that led down to the surface of the canal.
On the canal proper, the couple walked along, Catherine leading Rich
towards the display of snow sculptures, where various individuals and
groups had endeavoured to mould the white medium into artistic creations.
It was truly amazing what one could fashion with some snow, some paint
and some hard work and talent.
Coming to the end of the line of sculptures, Catherine led Rich towards
the Dow's Lake pavillion.  Inside, an array of skates lined the walls.
Anyone interested in passing a pleasant hour or two skating along the
length of the canal could rent a pair.  Fondly recalling how much fun ice
skating could be, Catherine asked Rich, "have you ever gone skating?"
"Uh...  No."
"Would you like to try?"
The pilot eyed the array of skates hanging on the wall.  To him, they
looked something more akin to Klingon weapons than something which was
supposed to be strapped to your feet.  There was just the hard to
suppress feeling that it was unnatural to go shuffling down a sheet of
frozen water with steel blades on your feet.  But Catherine looked so
thrilled by the concept and, well, who knows?  Maybe it would be fun.
"Of course." Rich smiled and made his way to the counter where he
arranged for the rentals for himself and the doctor.
After lacing up, the pair made their way back to the canal and the
waiting ice.  Rich's first steps were extremely cautious, and Catherine
stood by, amused at his inexperience with the balance required to
navigate on ice skates.  But soon the couple were able to, slowly, move
down the canal towards more of the attractions.
Gliding forward, Catherine resisted the temptation go racing towards the
next venue, aware of Rich's inexperience and hence his tentative attempts
at movement.  As they continued to progress along the canal, Catherine
looked about her, enjoying the sights, smells and sounds of the winter
festival.  Smiling, the vet squeezed Rich's hand.  "Having fun?"
"Yes, I'm having a lot of fun."  Rich replied.  And he was, provided he
could ignore the sharp pains that stabbed at the soles of his feet and
his ankles.  Though, he had to admit, he was really beginning to get
pretty good at this skating thing.
Neither skater heard the small child approaching from behind.  He was
flashing down the ice as quickly as his legs would take him.  He had
promised his mother that he would meet her back at the snow sculptures at
three o'clock.  And he was now very late.  He ducked in and out of the
crowd, dodging and weaving as he went.
Rich was looking warmly at Catherine when the child passed.  He nudged
the vet out of the way with his elbow and she began to slip.  Losing her
balance, Catherine reached out and grabbed a hold of the shoulders of
Rich's leather jacket.
The pilot in Rich computed the physics of the resulting situation as it
happened.  His forward velocity combined with his mass kept him moving
forward.  Catherine provided a force in another direction - applied above
his center of gravity.  This reaction caused his feet to continue
traveling forward while his upper torso was pulled backward.  In the
simpliest of terms, the poor couple ended up sprawled on the ice giggling
like a pair of grade school children.
"Get a job!"  Rich shouted out at the child who had disappeared beyond a
bend in the canal.
Catherine finally managed to stop laughing enough to get back on her
feet, dusting off the light film of snow that was now covering her jeans
as a result of their tumble to the ice.  Trying hard not to grin at
Rich's attempts to regain his footing, she dug her picks into the ice and
extended a hand down to him.  "Here."
"Gee, thanks."  It took a bit of effort, but finally he made it back onto
his feet.  "Well, it's turning out to be an exciting afternoon so far.
Shall we continue?"
"Of course."
Pushing off, the two resumed their skate, albeit slowly, along the
canal.  A short distance along the way, different kiosks began doting the
ice-scape.  One of the establishments proudly sported a sign proclaiming
"Beavertails" and Catherine smiled, remembering that she had wanted to
introduce Rich to this particular Winterlude tradition.
As they moved along, Rich noticed Catherine's eyes widen and her smile
grow larger.  He tracked her gaze and took note of the Beavertail
vendor.  He remembered her speaking of beavertails and at once began to
feel sorry for the poor little creatures - it was apparent that the
Canadians liked to feast on it's flat posterior appendage.  He turned a
concerned glance towards the vet.
Taking a hold of Rich's arm, Catherine said, "come on, you *have* to try
a Beavertail.  They are *not* be missed," and she began moving towards
the Beavertail stand.
"How can you eat those things?"  Rich asked in a quiet voice.
"They're very good," the vet smiled.  "Come on."  She propelled Rich
towards the vendor.
The pilot became even more shocked as he spied the menu board.  You could
have your beavertail with your choice of a variety of jams or perhaps a
dusting of sugar.  He imagined all the poor little beavers who had given
their lives in order to feed the starving masses of Ottawa.
"Which is good?"  Rich asked.  He could feel the colour draining from his
face.
"Cinnamon, sugar and lemon," Catherine replied.  "That's my favourite."
Taking a deep breath, Rich ordered a pair of beavertails and hot
chocolates.  He was numb with shock at the thought of a vet, a lover of
animals, eating such a thing.  As the young beavertail seller returned,
Rich took another deep breath and peered into the little basket.
And he had never felt so foolish.  It turned out that a "beavertail" was
a baked pastry that was formed in the shape of its namesake.  Grinning his
famous grin, he returned to the doctor, "Your tail, my dear."
Catherine took the proffered pastry and hot chocolate and led Rich over
to the picnic area.  Evergreen trees surrounded an assortment of tables
where one could pause to rest and eat.  A small fire burned in the centre
of the area, its orange and red flames hungrily licking at the wooden
logs.  Skaters could pause and warm cold toes and hands at the fireside.
After giving Rich some time to sample the Beavertail, Catherine asked,
"so, how do you like it?"
"It's good." Rich wiped some of the sugar from the corner of his mouth,
"I've never had anything quite like this before."
The vet licked her now-sticky fingers before replying, "well, Ottawa in
renowned for its Beavertails.  You can only get them here."  Catherine
smiled.
Off to the side, an unusual activity caught Rich's attention.  There were
a group of people standing around sweeping the ice.  His curiosity
aroused, he asked Catherine about it.
Looking over towards the individuals that Rich indicated, Catherine said,
"oh, they're just curling.  It's a strange sport."  The vet shook her
head.  "I don't quite understand it."
Shrugging, Catherine turned back to face Rich, but then looked past him,
her smile widening.  A matched pair of Clydesdales were pulling a sleigh
along the canal.  Blue eyes sparkling, the vet's face lit as she watched
the draft horses trotting in perfect unison.  Golden sleigh bells
attached to the leather harness caught the winter sunlight and shone
brightly as they jingled in time with the Clydesdales' motion.  As the
horses trotted along, their white feathered legs moving in diagonal
pairs, their breath misted in the clear winter air, forming puffs of
white clouds.
Drawing her gaze away from the Clydesdales, Catherine turned back to
Rich, her cheeks glowing a healthy pink in the cold air.  "Could we go
for a ride?"
Taking Catherine by the hands, Rich led her towards the sleigh.  His eyes
were fixed on hers as he helped her climb into the large padded passenger
seat.  Soon, the two were cuddled together under a thick warm quilt.
The ride progressed for several minutes in silence.  Only the sound of
the skis scraping across the ice and the jingle of the bells filled the
air.  Rich and Catherine just sat and enjoyed the other's presence.
Carefully, Rich reached across and brushed a curl from Catherine's
forehead.  He then looked into her deep blue eyes and quietly whispered
to her, "I love you."
Lost in Rich's warm brown gaze, Catherine whispered back, "I love you
too," her face aglow with affection.
Very carefully, Rich leaned across and brought his lips to meet hers.
Gently cradling each other, the two remained lost in a warm embrace.
	***		***		***		***		***
Scene: Ottawa, Canada, Earth: Lord Elgin Hotel, Hallway
Timeframe: March 19th, Last Year
Rich stood outside the hotel room door and took a deep breath.  He wasn't
sure exactly why he was so nervous.  It was only Catherine, after all.  The
two of them had been through so much together that it shouldn't bother him
to take her to dinner.  But this was no ordinary dinner.  Tonight was a
Special Occasion.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable in the civilian dress clothes he wore, Rich
reached up and pressed the door chime.
The door parted instantly.  The pilot was twice shocked.  First by the fact
that Catherine was actually ready on time.  And even more to the point, how
incredibly stunning she looked in her dress.  Its deep blue fabric brought
out the colour of her eyes.
"Hello Catherine."  Rich smiled, "Happy Birthday!"  He leaned forward and
kissed her on the cheek.  Then, from behind his back, he presented her with
a dozen roses.
"Oh Rich!  They're beautiful!"
"Not quite as beautiful as yourself." He responded honestly.  After waiting
a few moments for Catherine to find some water to put the flowers in, they
were on their way to dinner.
Rich had arranged for a car and driver to whisk them around the city.  Their
destination was a small resturant situated on one of the banks of the canal.
It was a very intimate setting with candles on the table and soft music
being played by a string quartet.  It was almost like something out of a
fairy tale.
Catherine's face was aglow with happiness as she dined with Rich.
Outside, along the canal, people flew by on skates, or proceeded at a more
leisurely pace on foot, enjoying the Winterlude festival's offerings.
Catherine's gaze, however, never strayed to the window with its display
of outdoor activities.
As Catherine's eyes met Rich's she blushed and lowered her gaze.  Smiling
as her cheeks coloured pink, Catherine couldn't recall ever feeling more
content.  Yet the events of the past few days held a hazy, dream-like
quality for the vet.  Somehow, the sleigh ride that she and Rich had taken
along the canal didn't seem quite real.  It was simply too wonderful, too
perfect, like something out of an old-fashioned fairy tale.
Sipping her Perrier water, Catherine remained lost in her thougts.  Those
incredible words, "I love you", that Rich had spoken, continued to
resonate through her mind, bringing a warm smile to her lips.  Those
three words were so simple, and yet so full of meaning.
Tucking a loose curl behind one ear, Catherine's reverie was interrupted by
the sound of Rich's voice.
"Catherine, these past few days have been wonderful.  I'm really happy
that you wanted to share them with me."
Cheeks coloured a rosy pink, Catherine replied, "as I'm happy that you
wanted to spend them with me.  Thank you for everything.  This is the
best birthday I've ever had."  A bright smile lit up Catherine's face.
Blushing, the vet took another sip of her Perrier.  As she placed her
glass gently back down on the table, Rich took her hand.  Gazing deep
into each other's eyes, the two spoke in unison, Catherine's voice a bare
whisper.  "I love you."
A thrill ran through Catherine at the sound of Rich's voice, warming her
to the core.  In the background, the string quartet began playing
Pachelbel's Canon.  Suddenly Rich spoke.
"Care to dance?"
Catherine's eyes widened slightly.  "Here?  Now?"
Rich grinned, "I believe they're playing our song."  He stood, extending
a hand to the vet.
Catherine smiled at the memory of that first dance on the holodeck.
Rising from her chair, she took Rich's hand, the soft folds of her dress
cascading to the ground.
As Rich's arms encircled Catherine's tiny waist, she reached up to gently
place her hands upon his shoulders.  Moving in time to the beautiful
music, the couple enjoyed their private dance.
Slowing to a stop as the melody faded to a close, Catherine looked up,
her intense blue eyes meeting Rich's warm brown gaze.  Lost in each
other, their lips meet in a loving kiss.
When they finally drew apart, Rich reached out and softly brushed a
golden curl off Catherine's forehead.
"Happy Birthday."
Further words were silenced by a passionate kiss.
<< end flashback >>

Respectfully submitted,
Chris Fontaine
LCDR Catherine Ledoux, DVM
Chief Medical Officer
USS CHESAPEAKE
<< NRPG >>
Sorry that this is mostly a flashback.  I'm still a bit fuzzy after 
suffering a severe migraine yesterday, but I did want to get something out 
on Catherine's birthday...
As before, flashback courtesy of myself and Chris Morley.
Chris

Go to messages for March 1997 or Main Archive Page