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Convalescence	By : RoyalLightShip Category: +S through Z > Treasure Planet Views: 1942 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's Treasure Planet, nor the characters from it. No money has been, or ever will be, made from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Convalescence
- 1
The fire was starting to settle in the grate.  The logs underneath had been rendered down to a mass of coals that were barely holding their original shape, but one by one they were being crushed flat by the wood on top of them, sending out puffs of sparks.  Delbert Doppler wasn't really looking at them, but the dimming light was enough to catch his attention.  He yawned and put his book aside.  With some effort, he raised himself from the armchair, rubbing his eyes and gathering his dressing gown around him.  Tucking his feet into his slippers he shuffled over to the woodstand and selected a suitable piece of scented wood, which he cast into the fireplace.  It landed with a crunch, sending a billow of sparks up the chimney.  He yawned again, but the yawn quickly turned to a yelp when he saw the hot coals that had spilled out onto the carpet.  His tiredness quickly banished, he grabbed up the fire tongs and hastily tossed them back into the flames, leaving only a few scorch marks on the floor.   Breathing a sigh of relief, he wiped his forehead and put the tongs back.  They fell into the waiting iron rack with a heavy clang that made him start and look guiltily towards the door.  Normally he wouldn't have noticed the noise, but of late he had revised several of his habits.  It wasn't often that he had a guest...and he had never had a guest like the one he fervently hoped was still asleep in her bed in the guestroom down the hall.  After pausing for a long moment, straining to hear any movements, he relaxed and sat back in his chair.  Picking up his book again, he settled down into the velvet and stretched out his legs.  But for some reason he found it hard to resume his interest in the words and diagrams on the page in front of him.

Well, not for some reason...he knew perfectly well why.  His mind kept straying through that door, which was ever so slightly ajar, and down that corridor.  And, if he was brave enough to admit it, into that room as well...

"This is your room," said Doppler, opening the door and waving into the darkened space beyond.  "I mean, it's the guestroom.  Where you'll be staying.  For now.  I mean, for the duration of your current time here."

Amelia smiled.  "Thank you...would it be possible to actually see it?"

"Of course.  It's right through...oh, right, sorry."  Doppler blushed and turned on the lights.  Amelia stepped past him and into the room.  There was a four-poster bed, neatly made with maroon sheets but without a canopy.  A small glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, diffusing the lamplight  and throwing small rainbows around the top of the room.

"Um, I'm afraid it's been a while since anyone used it last," Doppler said, peering around to see if there was anything embarrassing lying in plain sight and wishing he'd had time to tidy the place up a bit before making his impetuous offer.  "My housekeeper comes in here once a week, but still..."

"It's very nice, Delbert."  Amelia put her bag down on the dark oak trunk at the end of the bed.

"Only what with living alone and with my work I don't have much time to...excuse me?"

"I said, it's very nice."  Amelia smiled at him.  "Very cosy."

Doppler breathed a sigh of relief.  "Oh, good.  That's good to hear."

Amelia sat down on the bed and shifted her weight to check the springs.  For some reason, the sight of her testing the bed made Doppler blush again and he coughed and looked away.

"Anyway, the bathroom is right across the hall, but there's a sink in that corner.  I'm pretty sure it still works.  You're welcome to any of the books on the shelves.  And would you like dinner at about...shall we say, seven o'clock?"

"That would be fine, Doctor, thank you."  Amelia smiled.  "And...thank you for this, too.  It really is awfully kind of you."

He smiled nervously.  "Well, I thought...I mean, you need to stay somewhere while you recover.  And this is convenient for the spaceport aside from anything else."

"It's the 'anything else' that I'm most grateful for right now."  She stood up and took his hand.  Doppler's smile relaxed at the touch.
"Well...I suppose that makes two of us.  Would you like some time to unpack?"

"Just a few minutes, yes.  I don't have much."

"Well, then...I'll meet you in my observatory, then.  I'll be unpacking as well.  Shout if you need anything."

"I will.  But...whereabouts is your observatory?"

"Oh, right.  Yes, probably should have started with that.  It's at the end of the hall.  That end of the hall."  Doppler pointed.  "Just follow the stairs when you get there."

"Thank you...I'll see you there, then."

"Yes...but take your time.  I want you to be at home here."  Doppler paused, considered the sentence, and finished in a rush.  "By which I mean I hope you feel comfortable here.  As a guest."

Amelia smiled as she unzipped her bag.  "I already do, Delbert.  And I understood you the first time."

He smiled with relief and left, closing the door carefully.  Amelia heard his footsteps receding down the corridor and straightened her back, looking around the room.  She crossed to the window and opened the curtains.  The light of Crescentia fell on her, so white and brilliant against the night sky that it almost turned the black into a deep shade of blue, as if to match the dressing gown that she noticed hanging on the back of the door.  She smiled again as she reflected on what she had said...it wasn't easy for a traveller like her to form a natural attachment to anywhere, especially not so soon.  But it hadn't been politeness that had made her say that.  There was something about the room, something about Doppler's huge, old, rambling house that was strangely appealing to the straight-laced, meticulous captain.  She turned back to the bed and continued unpacking.

Doppler closed the book with a sight and settled back in the chair, looking up to the domed roof, past the ancient telescope which sat in the cradle.  The dome was open a crack and he could see stars through it.  He'd lost count of how many nights he'd sat here, looking up at that view and wondering what it was like out there.  He had been to space when he left Montressor to attend the Imperial College, had taken few short voyages during his undergraduate years, and had ultimately taken the long voyage back to Montressor to take over the family estate, but all of this had merely whetted his appetite and shown him the smallest glimpse of what was there to be found  Now he knew far more than he had ever guessed he would.  Fond as his memories of those university study trips had been, they faded now by comparison.  As much as he'd learned on them, the knowledge he'd gained on the adventure he'd just returned from was far more enriching and rewarding.  He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of his house at night.  The fire crackled gently, the scent of the fresh log starting to fill the room with a lavender air.  The ancient timbers of the house creaked occasionally.  And Doppler found himself conjuring up new sounds to accompany them...a gentle breathing, a contented purr, a crisply-accented voice...

He smiled and allowed himself to explore that fantasy further, even as he wondered why it was so comforting.  He had never thought of the house as having been missing anything before...but for some reason, it felt more complete now than he had ever known it to be.  He'd always known it was too big for one person, but perhaps it was about the right size for two...

The thought filled him with a warmth that was nothing to do with the fire, and he yawned again, settling lower in his armchair, and enjoying the perfume of the wood.  The crackle of the flames lulled him slowly asleep.  He stopped moving, totally relaxed, his breaths causing the only movements.  After a while, his head fell forwards and his glasses fell to the thickly-carpeted floor, bouncing and ending up near his slippered feet.

"Could you pass the sauce, please?"

Doppler blinked and shook himself.  He had been sitting with his chin on his hands, watching Amelia across the dinner table and had lost himself in the vision.  Now she was looking at him with a faint expression of amusement.

"Oh, er, sauce.  Of course."  He looked around hurriedly and passed it over.  They were sitting opposite each other in the middle of the table.  It was a cosy and intimate setting, or would have been were it not for the twenty or thirty feet of empty table that stretched away on either side of them, polished and shining in the light.  Amelia took the sauce and poured it over the small pile of potatoes she had taken from the tureen.

"Do you normally eat in here?" she asked.

Doppler shook his head.  "No, I usually eat in my study, or the observatory.  I know this is the official dining room, but..." he looked up and down the long, empty table.  "...I've never really liked it in here alone."

"I can see why."  Amelia followed his gaze.  "I'd go crazy if I ate here by myself."

"The house is a little large," Doppler admitted.  "I don't use most of it.  Blame my great-great-grandfather.  He's the one who built it."

Amelia nodded.  She had expected Doppler to be a canine of means, or he wouldn't have been able to charter her ship.  The sheer scale of the Doppler residence had impressed her, but the closer she looked the more she realised that the secret to the physicist's family wealth wasn't in making money, but simply in not spending it.  The house was old. Most of the books were old.  The furniture was old.  His clothes were of good quality but threadbare and old-fashioned as if he bought them in the sales just as they were going out of style and then simply wore them until they fell apart.  While the mess the bachelor scientist made was entirely the opposite to the regimented nature of her cabin, Amelia felt that beneath the tarnished gilt and faded pictures, Doppler was as frugal-minded a soul as she was herself.

"How do you manage here?" she asked.

Doppler waved a hand.  "Oh, well, my housekeeper comes in twice a week.  She usually cooks up enough food to last until the next time.  And I cook myself when I need to."  He coughed.  "Although not very well."

"So basically, Doctor, you live on leftovers?"

"Well, not all the time," Doppler looked defensive.  "I make time to go out when I can.  Mrs Hawkins runs...ran...a rather good inn not too far from here.  Very reasonable prices, too.  And she always let me take home-"

"A doggy bag?" Amelia grinned.  Doppler ignored her.

"...a little something.”  He picked up his fork.  "Although, I must say, it's quite a pleasure to be able to share it with someone at last."

Amelia smiled and watched the play of candlelight on the lenses of his round glasses.  "It is for me, too, Delbert.  And as far as leftovers go, these are rather tasty."

"I'm glad you approve.”  Doppler smiled back.  "Is your room satisfactory, by the way?  I've never used it myself so I don't know if it all works."

"It's fine, Delbert," Amelia said.  "Thank you.  It's very comfortable.  Much more comfortable than the place I normally stay on Crescentia."

"I imagine you wouldn't want to spend too much on accommodation," said Doppler.

"Indeed not.  It's a nice little place, but the emphasis is certainly on the little."  Amelia chuckled.  "I think I could lie on the bed, stretch out my arms and legs and touch all four walls at once."

Doppler tried not to think about Amelia lying stretched out on a bed, and failed spectacularly.  He fumbled the fork in his hands for a moment and decided it was safer not to handle cutlery for a while.  He picked up his crystal glass, realised that this was no safer but that he was now committed, and took a sip of water, hoping she couldn't see how it was shaking.

"I'm glad you like it here.  I was thinking, tomorrow we could go and visit the Hawkins family?  I think you and Sarah would get on famously.  And Jim is sure to want to introduce you."

"I'd like that, actually," Amelia nodded.  "And I should probably have a quiet word with the famous Mrs Hawkins about the offer I made to Jim about the Academy."

Doppler smiled. "I'm sure she'd be thrilled, Amelia."

"Are you sure?  The Service isn't for everyone."

"I think Jim would be right at home," Doppler said.  "You know, when he was a boy, he had a Navy battle ensign on the wall in his room. Even made his own little model ships."

"Ah, a legacy of his father?  The Navy does run in families, take it from me." Amelia smiled knowingly.

Doppler stopped and looked down.  "Um...no.  Not really.  His father...isn't around any more."

"Oh.”  Amelia paused, detecting the meaningful tone in his voice.  "Thank you for telling me that...probably a topic to avoid around his mother."

"It would be best, yes.”  Doppler picked up his fork again.  "But enough about that...you'll learn more when you meet them.  How are you feeling?  I hope your injury isn't troubling you."

Amelia shook her head.  "It's a little stiff, but nothing I can't live with.  It's not really hurting any more.  Thank you for asking, though...that's very kind of you."

Doppler smiled.  "Well...it matters to me.  If it does cause a problem and you need me to take a look at you...I mean, at the injury...or we could just call a doctor," he finished quickly. “Um, a proper doctor, I mean...the medical variety.”

"You're quite enough of a doctor for me," Amelia laughed.  "Oh, Delbert, really...I'm sure I'll be fine."

He swallowed nervously.  "And, um, after we visit Jim and his mother tomorrow...I thought perhaps we could take a ride along the canyons...maybe take some lunch with us?  There's a fine promontory that I know of with a rather nice view of...well, of an open cut mine, come to think of it.  But, at night, it's very pretty."

"But we're going for lunch?"

"Yes, well...perhaps that isn't such a good idea.”  Doppler looked away.  Amelia reached across the table and took his hand gently.

"I think it's a very good idea," she said.

The book slipped off Doppler's lap and landed on the floor with a thump.  He woke with a start and had a moment of panic when he realised he couldn't see anything.  His foot touched something thin and metallic and he finally located his glasses.  He put them on, blinking, looked around for the book on the floor and got another shock when he found himself looking at another pair of slipper-clad feet.  He followed them up what he increasingly realised were a pair of very shapely legs, which disappeared into the dark blue hem of a dressing gown.  Raising his head, he followed the gown up as it traced the outline of the wearer's body, until he met her eyes.  Amelia smiled at him.

"Are you all right, Doctor?"

He swallowed nervously.  "Oh, um, yes, fine, thank you, Captain.  I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Waking you.  That's why you're here, isn't it?"  Doppler picked up the book and put it back on the side table.

"Actually, I was already awake."  Amelia smiled.  "I was having a bit of trouble sleeping.  And then I heard a thump from in here and I just knew it had to be you, so I came to see if you were all right."

"Ah.  Well, then.  I'm fine...I was just, asleep, I guess."

"In front of the fire?"  Amelia cocked an eyebrow.  "You do have a bed here, don't you?"

"Oh, yes.  It's a rather nice bed, actually."  Doppler bit his lip.  Now why in space did you tell her that?

"I'm perfectly prepared to believe it."  Amelia pulled up a footstool and sat on it.  "Which only raises the question of...why are you here instead of in it?"

"I was reading.  Well, trying to read."  Doppler indicated the book.  "I spend a lot of my evenings reading. Sometimes I seem to forget to stop."

"Evidently."

"Not that I was doing much reading tonight."  Doppler gave a small smile.  "I had other things on my mind tonight."

"Oh,  yes?  Can I ask what?"  Amelia sat forward, a smile tugging at her lips.

Doppler stared into her eyes, mouth open for a moment.  "Er...well..."

"I only ask because I was having trouble sleeping...and I was wondering if we might have inadvertently been on the same wavelength, so to speak."

"You were having trouble sleeping?" Doppler looked genuinely concerned.  "Is your side giving you any trouble? Because there are some painkillers around here somewhere...I keep them at hand in case I get a headache..."

"No, my side is fine, Doctor."  Amelia smoothed down her gown and flinched slightly.  "Well...as fine as it has been."

"Is the room too warm?  Or the bed too soft?  Too hard?  Because I can always-"

"No, you can't...but could you stop being the attentive host for five minutes, please?"  Amelia smiled.

Doppler stopped and blinked.  "Um...well, you're my guest..."

"I hope I'm a bit more than that, Doctor."  Amelia leaned forward slightly, ears raised and her smile becoming more enigmatic.  Doppler coughed.

"Um, well, yes...you are.  Of course.  Much more.  But because of that, I...I want you to be comfortable here."

"I am."  Amelia reached out and took his hand.  "Very much so, in fact."

"So...um...what was it keeping you awake?" Doppler looked from her hand to her green eyes.  Amelia shifted on her stool, as if somehow nervous, and kicked off her slippers.

"Um...would it be all right if I moved over there, Doc...Delbert?"
The use of his name instead of his title surprised him so much that it took him a moment to realise that he was staring at her rather than replying.
"Over...oh.  Right.  Yes, yes of course."  Doppler shifted as much to the side as the armchair allowed and brushed down the cushion with his hand.  Amelia smiled and moved to join him.  There was a confused moment of shuffling around until the two of them found a reasonable compromise that allowed them both on the one chair.  Doppler sighed and looked up at her, his heart racing at the sudden, overwhelming proximity.  She had inserted herself half onto the cushion on and half onto the armrest, with the result that she was leaning over him, pressed against his side.  Doppler found his left arm wedged between them and he shifted awkwardly to free it, discovering that, somehow, the most comfortable position for it was now around her waist.  Amelia gave a contented sigh and settled into him, gazing down into his soft, dark eyes and watching the play of the fading firelight as it was reflected in them.  Doppler gazed back at the softly glowing emeralds before him, their noses just an inch apart.
“I can call you 'Delbert', can't I?” Amelia asked softly, scanning his face closely to see his reaction.
“Of course, Captain.” Doppler smiled, finding that he enjoyed the sound of his name on her lips. They came up into a small smile of their own.
“Well, now...if we've dispensed with the formalities...you don't have to keep calling me that,” she said.
Doppler swallowed nervously. “As...as you wish, Ca- I mean, Amelia.”
Amelia gave him a small nod of thanks and rested against him.

"Thank you for all of this," she said quietly.  "Letting me stay here.  It really is very kind of you."

"You needed somewhere to stay," said Doppler.  "And this way you don't have to spend any money...and I certainly have enough room here...and I didn't really like the idea of you being alone after that voyage."

Amelia smiled.  "I wouldn't have wanted to be.  But I mean...even as a gesture of...of friendship...your offer was extraordinarily kind."

"No...it really wasn't."  Doppler smiled up at her. “Especially not for someone who happens to be, well...more than a friend...”
Amelia smiled back and shook her head.
"You really are quite remarkable, dear Doctor."

"I have a remarkable guest." He grinned.  Amelia's smile took on that enigmatic quality again and she stroked a finger down his sideburn.

"As I said before...I hope I'm a bit more than that to you..."

Doppler gasped as she trailed her finger further, out along his floppy ear to the tip.  He closed his eyes and shivered at the unfamiliar touch.

"Oh, Amelia...you're so much more..."

He looked up again.  Her eyes seemed a lot nearer.  He shifted his arm around her, holding her closer.  She parted her lips in a sigh and craned her head down.  Doppler raised his to meet her, and their lips found each other. Hesitant at first, they shared a brief, gentle contact.  Each finding the other to still be there, though, they met again, lingering.  Amelia broke off and nuzzled his face affectionately, moving to his ear and whispering his name in a way that set the fur on the back of his neck tingling.

"Delbert..."

"Amelia..."

They kissed again, Amelia cupping his chin in her hand.  When they next traded gazes, each saw the other's eyes alight with a shine that was nothing to do with the fire.

"Um...so, what was it that was keeping you awake?"  Doppler smiled.

"Just thoughts..." Amelia murmured.

"Penny for them?"

She smiled.  "Oh, you know...organising the repairs to the Legacy, handing my report on the expedition to the Admiralty and knowing they won't believe a word of it...our day together, of course..."

"I hope you enjoyed it," said Doppler.  "The day, I mean."

"Now stay here," Doppler said.  "Are you listening to me, Delilah?  Stay here."

The bullyadous snorted once or twice and looked at him with curiosity.  Doppler raised an eyebrow and tried to sound stern, pointing a commanding finger at the ground.

"Stay.  Here.  All right?"

Delilah tried to lick his hand.  Doppler sighed.

"Just...try not to get stolen, then.  Can you manage that?"

"Having any problems, Doctor?" called Amelia.  She was already halfway up the path, a wicker basket under her arm.

"No, no.  Well, nothing I can't handle."  Doppler pulled the nosebag out from under the carriage's bench seat and tied it over Delilah's head.  He looked her in the eye again and pointed at the ground again.

"Stay."

Delilah blinked and snuffled about in her nosebag contentedly.  Doppler rolled his eyes, picked up a rolled blanket and followed Amelia up the path.  It led uphill a little way to a small, flat area just large enough to be covered by the blanket Doppler had been carrying.  He spread it out and straightened the corners fastidiously while Amelia unpacked the basket.

"Mrs Hawkins was very generous to give us all of this," she commented.  She held up a bread roll and sniffed it appreciatively.  "Freshly baked, too."

"She's a very generous person," said Doppler.  "Although one does have to wonder exactly what it was Jim told her. Did you see how he was whispering to her as soon as I said we were thinking of coming out here for a picnic?"

"Yes, I did notice that.”  Amelia laughed.  "I suspect that he was putting in what you might call a good word for us."

"Well, at any rate it's a good thing Sarah seemed to like your Academy idea.  You can use my typewriter to write a reference letter if you like."

"Give them a few days to think it over."  Amelia sat down and motioned to invite Doppler to sit next to her.  "It's a big decision..  It could shape young Mr Hawkins' entire future."

"Yes, but I think they'll make the right one.  Certainly with your help, anyway.”  Doppler smiled.  "You know, Captain, you're really very generous yourself. To a select few, anyway."

"Oh, tosh," Amelia looked away and waved a hand as if to brush off the compliment.  "The boy needed it.  And as an officer I've always been a great believer in rewarding those who deserve it."

"Fine, then, be that way.”  Doppler grinned.  "But I really do believe that somewhere inside you, Captain, is a genuinely nice person struggling to get out."

Amelia snorted and wagged a finger at him.  "You're lucky I'm off duty, Doctor."

"I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to clap me in irons at some point in the future."

"Was that an offer or a hope?" Amelia smirked.  Doppler coughed to hide his embarrassment and gestured out over the edge of their little picnic area.

"Ahem.  Well, here we are.  Eastridge canyon.  And, um...surface mining operation."

He looked down.  The mine complex squatted on the canyon floor, an agglomeration of awkwardly-shaped structures of rusted and pitted metal.  Working lights burned a sulphurous yellow all over the buildings, as well as high up on the open-cut workface that had been blasted out of the opposite canyon wall.  Amelia could see why Doppler had said that it was impressive at night- the constellation formed by the lights would have been quite a sight despite the distance.  Even from here, when the breeze blowing along the canyon was in the right direction, could be heard the rumble of machinery and the occasional explosion.

"So we are.”  Amelia passed him a sandwich.  "And to tell you the truth, there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Doppler looked back to her and smiled.  Amelia didn't seem to own any casual clothing as such and she was still wearing the long white dress shirt and pristine white waistcoat she wore under her uniform blue coat.  The top buttons of both were open and the more relaxed attitude it gave her, along with the movement of her hair in the breeze, was captivating.

"Not for me either," he said.

"So tell me," Amelia bit into her sandwich.  "What's an astrophysicist of your calibre doing on a backwater rock like Montressor?  The older universities would surely offer you better prospects. Imperial College, even."

"Yes, well, I studied there,” said Doppler. “But my family has been on Montressor for generations. And besides, one should never underestimate the contribution that solitude can make to science."

"Ah, of course.”  Amelia nodded.  "I imagine you need a lot of concentration on your work.  No wonder you prefer to be alone out here."

Doppler looked down and gathered up his courage.  "Well...I wouldn't say that I 'prefer' it..."

Amelia listened as he went on.

"Perhaps at first, yes, but I increasingly find myself to be of the opinion that solitude...in the long term, at least...is very much overrated..."

Amelia nodded happily.  "Yes...much to my surprise, even an open cut mine makes a suitable backdrop for a picnic lunch.  But then, maybe it was the company that made all the difference."

Doppler blushed.  "Well...I'm glad to hear that.  I'm sure there are better views on Montressor somewhere."

"The view was just fine from where I was sitting."  Amelia grinned.

Doppler laughed.  "I suppose I shouldn't be complaining either."

"Hmm."  Amelia kissed his nose.  "I should hope not."

"Although I must prefer the view right now," Doppler gave her a small smile.  Amelia chuckled and rested more fully against him.

"And is there anything else you'd prefer right now, Delbert?"

"I think...I'd prefer this moment to last forever," Doppler said softly.  He reached up and stroked Amelia's cheek gently.

"Oh, Delbert...but that means we wouldn't get to the future."  She took hold of his wrist and kissed his hand.  "And I think it'll be a good future.  For us."

Doppler's heart skipped a beat. "Us?  You mean...a future for us?"

"I said I'd wait for you, didn't I?"  Amelia smiled.  "And so did you, as I recall."
“Yes...yes, I did.” Doppler remembered their conversation in the Legacy's stateroom on their return. Could it really have been so recently? Amelia saw his eyes focus into the middle distance and bit her lip.
“But...if you're having second thoughts...” she said hesitantly. “I know that it's a lot to ask of you...to wait here while I'm in space. If it's too much, I understand...”
Doppler hurriedly took her hand. "Oh, no, no, no! No, I...I meant it when I said it. That I'd wait for you, that is.  But I didn't know...oh, Amelia, I didn't know you were so sure."

"Funnily enough, I don't think I've been more sure of many things in my life."  She leaned down to kiss him.  "And that was what was keeping me awake tonight...thinking of that future.  What it might hold for us.  What I want it to hold...especially the immediate future."

"Oh, Amelia."  Doppler kissed her back.  "I had no idea...I mean, romantic plans never seemed to be much a part of your strategy..."

"They weren't," Amelia murmured.  "But now...because of you...you're quite the revelation, Delbert Doppler.  And one thing that a lifetime spent in space teaches you is that it's better to pursue things while you can because there aren't always second chances."

"Amelia...oh, don't talk like that."  Doppler flinched.  "Even the thought of losing you..."

"You won't."  Amelia stroked his cheek comfortingly.  "You won't.  I promise."

"You can't be sure, though."

"Are you accusing me of lying?"  Amelia smiled.  "I don't make promises I don't intend to keep.  You will not lose me. I'll wait.  I'll come back.  And that makes those chances we do have all the more valuable."

Doppler gave a deep breath.  "You certainly teach me to count my blessings."

Amelia kissed him again, tenderly.  "And you are the greatest blessing that space has ever bestowed upon me. I've spent my life in the etherium. All this time, it's never occurred to me to do anything else, to be anywhere else...but now...well, I can't help feeling that there's somewhere else for me."

"Amelia..."  Doppler closed his eyes and kissed her in return. “There'll always be a place for you. For as long as you want it.”
“A place for me here.” Amelia smiled. “It'd be the first time I've called a planet 'home' in thirteen years.”
“Well, I'd say that it's about time, wouldn't you?” Doppler smiled back.
Amelia chuckled. “Maybe it is.”
“And...” Doppler paused nervously, unsure how to put what he felt into words and not trusting himself not to mangle it somehow. “Um...along with a place for you here...perhaps you'd also like...a place in my heart?”
Amelia felt herself blush. The awkward physicist seemed to have a way with words when he spoke so honestly.
“Delbert...I don't even know what to say...”
“You don't need to say anything,” Doppler held her hand, feeling his heart race. “Except...maybe to say yes?”
“Then I say yes,” said Amelia, leaning towards him again. “With all my heart.”
Their lips met to seal the pact.
“And I couldn't be happier,” Amelia whispered.
Doppler sighed and gazed into her eyes. “Nor could I.”
Amelia settled against him again and purred softly. “You know I won't be able to be here all the time. Or even most of the time. There'll be new commissions, new contracts...”
“I know.” Doppler rested his head on hers. “But that'll just mean we have to make the most of the time we do have together.”
“Quite so.” Amelia turned her head and kissed him. “And that would include tonight.”
Doppler looked up at her. “Amelia?”
Amelia smiled coyly. “The bed in your guestroom is quite large enough for two, doctor...if you want to, that is.”
Doppled swallowed hard. “A...Amelia? Are you sure?”
“Quite sure.” She held his hand. “After more than two months, don't you think it's time we...”
“Consummated this...arrangement?” Doppler could hardly speak the words.
Amelia nodded. “Quite so. I mean...if you're in agreement...”
Doppler watched her face closely to see if she meant it. The captain's usual authoritative attitude, the look on her face that told you that she knew what you were going to think before you even thought it, was gone. The casual air of superiority and command was absent. Her green eyes were almost deliberately avoiding meeting his gaze. Amelia uncertain was a sight so unusual that it took Doppler a few seconds to realise how he should respond.
“I most certainly am.”

They stumbled down the corridor towards the guestroom in each other's arms, trading kisses to draw themselves onwards. Amelia had left the door open and they pushed inside, breaking apart for a moment as Doppler turned to close the door. Even though he knew perfectly well that they were alone in the manor, something told him that tonight required a greater intimacy. He turned back to Amelia, who had moved towards the bed but was now standing and watching him intently, her eyes wide. He put his hands on her hips and drew her close for a tender kiss.

“Are you really sure about this?”
Amelia smiled. “I am...if you are.”
Doppler, his cheeks hot, nodded mutely and kissed her. It started light, neither party wishing to take things further or faster than the other wanted them, but quickly grew deeper as they found each other more than willing. The rough patch on Amelia's feline tongue grazed over Doppler's lip, making him whimper. Amelia mewed in return, making the fur on the back of Doppler's neck stand on end. Her hands slipped under his dressing gown, drawing it gently from his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor around his slippered feet. She looked up and met his soft, dark brown eyes lovingly as she whispered is name.
“Delbert...”
“Amelia...” he kissed her again. “My dear...”
His hands followed the curves of her body as they kissed again. Amelia put a hand behind his neck to draw him close, her other hand untying the rope of her gown before rising the join the first one. The front of her gown fell open and, when his hands returned to her, Doppler's breath caught as they touched bare fur. Amelia shivered at his touch and held him to make sure he couldn't draw back until she broke the kiss. Smiling coyly, she stepped back from him, enjoying the stunned look on his face. His adoring gaze ran down her body, stopping abruptly when it caught sight of the wound she bore. It had healed remarkably fast in the few days since she had sustained it on Treasure Planet, but he had seen fleeting looks of pain on her face and cursed himself for having become so caught up in the moment as to have forgotten about it for even an instant.
“Oh, Amelia! Your side...”
Amelia shook her head and kissed him reassuringly. “It's all right, dear Delbert. I promise.”
“Yes, but...I don't want to hurt you...”
“You won't,” Amelia assured him.
“I...” Doppler hesitated. “I wouldn't want to risk it.”
“Well, then,” Amelia kissed him tenderly. “You'll just have to be gentle with me...”
She slipped the gown off her shoulders and kicked it carelessly aside. A thrill ran down her spine as she stood naked before her new lover, knowing that his eyes were taking in every detail of her body. As well as the wound in her side, he saw the scars she had told him about when they had first met. There were not many of them, but they marked her otherwise-smooth tan fur with ridges that glowed differently in the light. He raised a hesitant hand and stroked a fingertip along one. Amelia caught his wrist.
“You don't have to touch those,” she whispered, watching his face. “Not if you don't want to. I know they're...not my best feature.”
“There's no part of you that isn't beautiful.” Doppler looked up into her eyes. Amelia sighed at the honesty in his voice and kissed him.
“And all of me if yours, sweet Delbert.”
Doppler closed his eyes and melted into the kiss, holding her warm, naked body in his arms. He whimpered as he felt her gentle, nimble hands slipping under his shirt and hastened to help her undo the buttons. Amelia smiled adoringly as his upper half came into view, and ran her fingers through the tuft of fur at the centre of his slender chest. His fur was light brown and the light shining on him made it glow around his outline like a halo. She pressed close and kissed him again, her breasts against his chest. Doppler moaned into her mouth at their softness. Their hurried passion slowed in anticipation of what was to come as they allowed themselves to explore their intimacy. Their hands roamed over each other's bodies. Amelia turned her head side to kiss his neck, running down to where it met his shoulder. Doppler groaned her name as she drew closer, slipping a hand into the band of his trousers. Doppler jumped at the touch, which started at the small of his back, descended past the short tail he kept tucked away and around his hips. Amelia grinned as she drew closer to the shape of him, enjoying the look on his face.
“Delbert?”
“Amelia...oh, dear...I...”
His eyes went wide as her fingers finally found him. Amelia stepped back to give herself more room to work, kissing her way from his neck back up to his lips as she gently gripped and stroked him. She was secretly pleased at how hard he was already, and she found her mind straying out of moment to thinking of how those shapes might feel inside her. But first things first, she remembered. Withdrawing her hands, she deftly undid the drawstring of his trousers, opening them up. She raised her eyes to his face and watched his eyes closely.
“May I, my love?”
Doppler nodded mutely for a moment before he remembered his voice.
“Y...yes...”
She kissed her thanks and allowed the last of his garments to drop to the floor. Doppler shivered at the exposure and then blushed hotly as he realised that, freed from the constraints of his trousers, his manhood was now on full display, standing proudly from his body. He instinctively moved to cover himself, but Amelia stepped closer and kissed him deeply. His arousal was pressed against her hard stomach and the rubbing against her soft fur made him whine as their lips met again. Amelia stood on her toes to increase the intensity of the kiss, at the cost of her balance which allowed Doppler, taller and heavier, to push the felinid back towards the bed. Amelia purred happily as she took it to be a sign of her lover's determination. The mattress was suddenly behind her, the edge at her knees, causing them to give way. She fell back with a delighted cry. Doppler cried her name in alarm at the sudden movement.
“Amelia! Are you all right? I'm so sorry...”
Amelia looked up at him above her, enjoying the sight as he bent down, his face full of concern.
“I'm fine, doctor, really.” She drew his head down and kissed him lightly.
“Let me help you up...here...”
He slipped his arms around her and brought her up to a sitting position on the edge of her bed as he knelt before her. She smiled at his gallantry and kissed his nose lightly.
“You needn't worry so much, Delbert,” Amelia assured him. “I'm as right as rain.”
“The last time you said that, you weren't,” Doppler reminded her.
“Even so,” Amelia kissed him. “This time is quite different.”
Doppler smiled. “So it is.”
He stood, intending to help her to her feet. Amelia took his hand, but her green eyes widened at the sight of his anatomy that presented itself at her head height as she sat on the edge of the bed. Doppler blushed again and tried to move away, but she held his arm to stop them.
“A...Amelia?”
She glanced up at him and grinned. “I'm thinking of that anatomical help you once offered me.”
Doppler's blush grew hotter. “Er, yes, I never really apologised for that...”
“Oh, there's no need.” Amelia returned her gaze to his manhood. “I see your point now...”
She leaned closer, taking in every detail of his hardness, from his tip, down his shaft and to the bulge of his knot. Reaching up with her spare hand, she drew back his sheath to bring it fully into the open. Doppler shivered at the touch and closed his eyes a fraction of a second too early to see her lick her lips and lean forward again. His eyes shot open again at the warmth and wetness of her mouth on him. Amelia drew her tongue up the length of him to the tip, savouring his taste.
“Dear Delbert,” she whispered.
“Amelia...my goodness...” Doppler moaned as she closed her mouth around him again. Her tongue explored his shape, from his smooth knot and around his hard, slightly-tapering shaft. The rough felinid quality of her tongue made his breath come ragged. She took as much of him into her mouth as she dared, holding for a moment before freeing him with a gasp of breath. He sagged briefly before he regained his balance. Smiling, Amelia lifted his erection with her hand, bringing his testicles forward. She took them in her mouth one by one, enjoying their rounded heaviness and the way it made him twitch. Her fingers began idly stroking his shaft, which she revisited from time to time. She noted the way his testicles tightened against the base of his knot as her ministrations progressed and mentally filed it away for future notice.
“Amelia...” Doppler whimpered and pulled away from her. She watched in concern as he knelt before her, hoping she hadn't hurt him, but understanding dawned as he put his hands on her knees and hesitantly opened them. She parted her legs for him, revealing herself in all her detail. Doppler's heart raced at the sight of her glistening wet slit, nestled in a bed of soft fur and he leaned towards it. Amelia mewed in anticipation as she felt his hot breath on her a split second before his soft canid tongue reached her.
“Oh, doctor...”
Growing bolder at her approving reactions, Doppler lapped at her more firmly and began teasing around with the tip of his tongue to learn her shape. Amelia arched her back in response, letting him find whatever he wanted. He closed his eyes as he learned his way around, sometimes probing with the tip of his tongue, then lapping at her and leaving her feel like she was melting. Her taste was in his mouth, unfamiliar but not unpleasant. The scent of her was in his nose and seemed to reach directly into his instincts, drawing him on and encouraging him to go further. Amelia mewed in delight and ran her fingers through his messy brown hair.
“Oh, goodness...you're a canid of many talents, my dear,” she whispered.
Doppler blushed. “Well...”
“Shh.” Amelia cupped his ear and drew him up alongside her on the bed, kissing him until his head fell back against the mattress and positioning herself above him. She kissed him again, moving further forward over his body and pressing herself against him.  His arousal was pinned between his stomach and her sex, and he moaned as she used its new slickness to begin rubbing against him.  Doppler could feel Amelia's heat and wetness even above his own.  He gasped as he felt the ridge of his erection slipping between the sides of her entrance and he moved his hands to cup her buttocks.  Amelia sighed happily, her teeth showing as her breathing became more rapid.  She ran her fingers though his hair and nuzzled him hard.

"Oh, Doctor..."

"Captain..."

They kissed again, deep, intense and exploring.  Both their breaths were coming fast now and their hands didn't stop moving over each other, learning and discovering.  Each felt a fire inside them more intense than the one in the grate had ever been, hotter, more urgent.  Doppler met her eyes and took a last pause.

"You are sure about this, Amelia?"

"Completely sure," Amelia whispered back.  "Utterly, totally, astonishingly sure."

She raised herself and positioned her body over him.  Her hand helped Doppler guide himself to her entrance.  The head of his erection pressed against her, and just as quickly was inside.  Amelia shook herself at the feeling, and, one hand on his shoulder, the other holding herself apart, a smile of contentment on her face, sank back down, taking him inch by inch inside her.  Doppler watched her face, his breath leaving him in a hoarse note.  Amelia felt his knot bunch against her and was very glad that she had made use of his slickness- as well as her own.  She saw a final question in Doppler's eyes and nodded her assent.
“I'm ready.”
He placed his hands on her hips and, moving together, they joined themselves completely.  Amelia gave a cry as she felt his knot slip inside her, arching her back at the feeling of fullness.

"Amelia..."

Doppler took her hand and squeezed it.  She opened her eyes and looked down at him, a smile on her parted lips. Taking the knot was the final act of physical commitment for their species – quite aside from the symbolism of it, disengagement was physically impossible without considerable discomfort. The feeling was more than she had hoped for and she breathed his name.

"Delbert."

She leaned forward and kissed him again, more softly.  Nose to nose, and pausing for an eskimo kiss that left them both grinning, they began to move together, feeling their connection.  Amelia's hands braced themselves against Doppler's chest, pressing him into the mattress.  She drew her fingers together and Doppler felt her claws tracing through his fur, over his nipples.  Amelia's own were erect above him, but her accelerating movements made them a difficult target and he resigned himself, not unhappily, to simply watching their motion.  Seeing his predicament, Amelia gripped his wrists and pressed his hands to her breasts.  He massaged them against her in time with their movements.  His mouth fell open in a groan of pleasure and his head fell sideways, knocking his glasses askew. Amelia laughed joyfully and began moving faster.  She felt a slow pulse travel up his length and then new warmth spreading inside her, further lubricating their connection.   Doppler moaned beneath her and she stroked his hair affectionately.

"You feel so good, Delbert," she whispered.

"Oh, Amelia..."  Doppler opened his eyes and looked up through his lopsided glasses.  "So do you...oh, so good.  So wonderful.  Like nothing I've ever experienced..."

"There's going to be plenty of opportunity to learn, my darling," Amelia promised.  "For us both."

"Oh, dear...it feels like you're doing most of the teaching right now..."

"Strictly improvisation, Doctor." Amelia smiled.  "It's all theory."

"You mean...this is your...I'm..."

"My first mate, Delbert, yes."  She kissed his forehead.   "And thank goodness I found you."

"I don't even know what to say, Amelia..."  He gazed at her in wonderment.

"You don't have to say anything..." she smiled.  "You just have to believe me."

"I could never doubt you."  Doppler smiled.  "Never."

"You'll never have to," Amelia said quietly.  "I'll make sure of that.  You're the one that I want, Delbert Doppler.  You. Only you."

"Amelia...oh, and I'm the luckiest astrophysicist in the galaxy for that.  You're the only one I want, too.  The only I've ever wanted like this."  Doppler gazed into her eyes.  She gave a small sigh of happiness and held his hand.

"I suppose that makes me the luckiest captain," she said.

"Just the most beautiful."  Doppler stroked her cheek.  "The most awe-inspiring."
He braced her in his arms and tipped her sideways, making sure not to strain her injured flank. Amelia laughed delightedly as Doppler took over the position on top. He began guiding his thrusts deeper into her and she allowed herself to enjoy them.  She mewed with pleasure at his efforts and tensed her muscles, producing an unexpectedly erotic growl from him.  She touched a hand to her breast, cupping one as they bounced with their shared movement.  A wave of sensation washed through her, making her cry his name.

"Amelia...Amelia...I think...I think I'm close," Doppler whispered.

"Oh, Delbert...so am I."  Amelia gasped.  "Don't stop..."

He didn't.  He couldn't have even if he wanted to.  Doppler could feel a tension building inside him, a tension that needed a release only she could provide.  He thrust deep inside her as it began.

"Amelia, my sweet...oh, Amelia...oh, my darling..."

"Delbert, yes."  Amelia urged him on, feeling him grow inside her.  "Delbert, my one..."

"Amelia, Amelia..." he moaned her name like a mantra and then froze, throwing back his head and crying aloud. Amelia gasped as she felt his climax pulse through his shaft and come forth inside her.  So warm, so soft...so much, she couldn't deny.  The renewed slickness encouraged her and, as Doppler came back from over the edge, she felt her own climax arrive.  Doppler made a small noise as he felt her claws again, gentle but insistent, and he pressed on with his thrusts until she yowled his name.  Her lips curled back in an exultation, her white teeth flashing.  Doppler held her hips and felt the tightening of her muscles, over and over until the ecstasy passed.  She heaved a sigh and looked down at him, her auburn hair falling all around her face.

"I...I love you, Amelia," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Delbert."  She stroked his face with a shaking hand and leaned down to kiss him with trembling lips. He responded as best he could, and sagged back into the bed.

"Oh, dear...Amelia..."

She laughed and stroked her hair back into place.  "Always."

Doppler managed a laugh in between panting.  "Thank goodness."

"No need to thank me."  Amelia kissed him again.  "I rather enjoyed it as well."

"So it seemed."  Doppler smiled.

Amelia eased herself off him, holding back a gasp at the passage of his knot even as he was subsiding.  She collapsed into the chair next to him and he wrapped his arms around her automatically.  They nuzzled each other warmly.

"Well..." Doppler stroked her.

"Very well."  Amelia snuggled into him, playing with his chest fur and entwining their legs.  He chuckled and hugged her closer.

"Never better, in fact."

"Hm.  I'm glad we agree, Doctor."
- 1
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Convalescence