PART TWELVE [CLOSED]
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Later, when Christopher finds his thoughts straying to the brilliant little Russian and the way he blushes, and his bright earnest eyes, always half-fearful and half-hopeful, he has to remind himself firmly, that He is old enough to be the kids father. He actually checks Chekov's records, and yeah, the kid is only 15.
This information doesn't really stop Christopher's thoughts, but it should, it really should. Christopher shakes his head at himself and steels his resolve; the kid is 15, and Christopher really needs to stop praising the kid just to watch the way he flushes and stammers, he needs to stop thinking about him outside of the lectures, and he needs to stop whatever it is his mind is thinking about starting, right now.
The next time Chekov hands him another truly excellent, Christopher merely writes a note on it, and sends it back to his PADD, just as he does with all the other students. He's sure he catches the kid watching him as he walks out of the class, but Christopher keeps his head down to his word and ignores him, just like any other student.
Christopher manages to keep his mind away from the Russian wiz kid for almost two years, which becomes easier as he completes each of Christopher's classes one by one, and Christopher goes about his work just as he always would, and teaches his lectures just as he has always done, without thinking at all about how he could have make the kid flush with pride, or pleasure.
It's all perfectly fine until they are called upon to defend Vulcan. He steps onto the ship he's been waiting years to get his hands on, ever since he saw the first schematics of her and was told they were going to be building it for Him, for His Crew and His Mission. He's too busy thinking of the Enterprise's first flight out, their first mission together, to really take note of the whole crew.
He should have anticipated it of course; the Enterprise is manned by the best and brightest Starfleet has to offer, but he is still shocked when he looks up to see the familiar form of the Russian wiz kid seated in the navigators chair. His mind goes completely blank for a long moment, and he flounders for a name, can't remember it for the life of him. He wonders if Chekov notices, if he's upset by it, but he just smiles and gives his full name with easy confidence as if he has not a care in the world.
Well, Pavel Andrevich Chekov seems to have grown up a lot in a year. Though his grasp of Standard and his accent are still atrocious and comfortably familiar.
As Christopher lies prone, trapped, in pain, in the bowls of the Romulan ship they call the Narada, one of the myriad of thoughts that runs through his frenzied mind is about Chekov, the beautiful flush of his neck, which probably extends all across his slim chest, as Christopher tells him what a good job he's done, smiling at him like a proud parent, while thinking thoughts far from that a proud parent would.
Afterwards, after everything, that image sticks with him (Christopher clings to the thoughts like that, rather than those of Nero and the dark, terrible ship) and it comes to mind whenever he sees his young navigator.
Though, strictly, he isn't really his navigator anymore, he's going to be Kirk's navigator soon enough, and the Enterprise is going to be his. Christopher doesn't begrudge him this, there's no doubt in his mind that Kirk deserves the Enterprise, and Christopher is rather feeling he's had his share of adventure lately, but that doesn't mean he isn't going to enjoy her while he's got her.
They give him the Enterprise for an indeterminate number of months; just long enough that they can get Kirk up to speed, have him debriefed, interviewed for every news broadcast possible, re-briefed for a five year mission, and so they can ensure he is properly trained in command protocol (by which Christopher is sure they mean, make sure he knows who's in charge here).
Christopher and what is his crew for now set out for a few basic supply runs; making sure the Enterprise is in ship shape (no better time or place to make sure everything is working right than when she's actually in action rather than sitting idle in some ship yard).
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