Never Without You Again

Chapter 5

Hannah's POV

Dad soon leaves engineering to go back to Medbay. I lean into Pavel. I lay my head on his chest. He gently wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head.

I hate to admit it, but Harrison is getting to me. Something about him just makes my skin crawl. The way he looked at me so... so... just ugh... it felt more than uncomfortable. I don't even want to know what he was thinking. Not much scares me, but that man, he did.

"What is wrong?" Pavel asks softly.

"It's just..." I start. "The man we brought in."

"What about him?" he asks in a very concerned tone.

"I had met him before."

"Where?"

"Right before the attack. You had gone into a building while I stayed outside. He approached me on the bench. The way he spoke to me... the way he..."

I shudder at this. I feel my whole body shake. I feel Pavel hold me a little tighter.

"Zhe way he what?"

"The way he looked at me. It was... he was..."

I feel a rogue tear move down my face. I look up at my love with tears in my eyes. I see building anger in his.

"He looked at me as if he wanted to..."

I don't even have to finish my thought. Pavel knows exactly what I'm saying. He pulls me closer to himself. His hands placed behind my head and on my back.

"I won't let him touch you," he says in a tone I'm not sure I've ever heard from him. "He won't lay a hand on you. If he does, I'll cut it off myself."

I've never quite seen this side of Pavel, the protective boyfriend. I snuggle my head against his chest. He is warm and welcoming. It is a nice contrast to the cold cruelty I've seen over the past few hours. It removes the horror of Harrison's ice eyes or the fear of Klingon gunfire. Right here, with him, feels like home.

I feel tears roll down my face. I begin to shake. I feel so weak and helpless. I hate this feeling. I've always wanted to feel strong. I put on a facade of this invincible girl, but now... now I feel as though I'm standing exposed. That man... that horrid man terrifies me.

"Hey," Pavel starts softly. "What is it?"

"I hate this," I say. "I feel like a kid who's afraid of the monster in their closet. I hate feeling like this."

"Hannah, look at me," he tells me gently. I look up into his sweet, blue eyes. "You're zhe strongest person I know. Don't let anyone or anyzhing let you zhink different. If I've learned anyzhing about you in zhe time I've known you, it's zhat you're a fighter. You won't let anyzhing get you down. Don't let him get to you."

"Thank you."

Suddenly, his head pops up. His eyes go wide, but it's not out of fear. He looks excited. He takes my hand and drags me to a piece of equipment involved with the core. He starts pointing frantically and talking at the speed of sound.

"Pavel, dear," I say.

He turns to me and just stands there grinning for a moment. I move over to him and clasp my hands behind his neck.

"Pavel," I say again.

His head snaps up as if I just pulled him out of a daydream.

"What is it?" I ask.

He places his arms around the lower part of my waist.

"You called me 'dear,'" he states somewhat surprised.

"Yes, I did, but I meant, what are you hollerin' about?"

"I found what's wrong with zhe core!"

"Great... and what's wrong with it?"

He begins to tell me, slightly slower this time... only slightly. By the end of it, he's completely out of breath. He sounds like he's been running a marathon, but I do now understand what's wrong. However, he looks at me and discovers my mind is somewhere else.

"What is it?" he asks.

I don't respond. I just look off, well... into space I guess.

"I don't like zhis idea," he states.

"I haven't even said anything."

"You don't have to. I know you. You're going back to zhe brig."

"Maybe..."
"Why?"

"Because if he knows something, I'm most likely the one he will tell. I know that and you know that."

"Let me at least go with you."

"No. Not this time. Let me talk to him. Plus, they need you down here. What would they do without you?"
"You're saying zhat so I won't try to stop you."

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. But it is true."

"Sure... Ok, fine. Go, but you better tell me if somezhing goes wrong."

"I will. If dad asks, I'm still down here."

"Of course."

With that, I begin to make my way towards the brig... and Harrison.