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“Im going to kill you,” Una hissed to Pelia as she stared at the glass orb rolling slowly across the deck plating, and away from the small, all-black cat that, an instant before, had been her chief of security. It stood, its back arched and its hair standing on edge in a tangle of red cloth.
“I warned her not to touch it!” the diminutive engineer sputtered indignantly as she rushed forward and carefully scooped the orb into the pouch at her waist without touching it.
Unas eyes flashed. She ignored a myriad of rebuttals to focus on the most important one. “Well, undo it,” she ordered sharply. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to violently shake the blonde woman or rush over to La’an, currently meowing her distress.
At the prolonged silence, Una looked over to Pelia. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. She advanced several steps towards the guilty looking engineer. Her voice was lethal as she asked, “You can undo it, right?”
Pelia shifted uncomfortably. “Most definitely. Without a doubt. Absolutely. Probably…”
The doors to the bridge hissed open. Una turned but couldn’t see anyone. Instead, a moment later she jumped slightly as a small, black cat leapt into her lap and promptly started kneading her thighs. Una couldn’t help but smile and automatically pet La’ans head. If anyone had doubted who La’ans favorite person in the crew was, they didn’t anymore. Unas was the only lap La’an graced with her presence. In fact, Una was the only one allowed to pet her.
When Pelias stupid orb first caused this accident, La’an panicked and ran. They searched the ship for hours calling her name. But anytime anyone got close, she sprang away with a frightened meow. She ducked around corners and vaulted through doors, slinking low to the floor, her ears flat in fear. She somehow found her way into the jeffries tubes and then the air ducks.
At that point Una called a halt to the search, ordering everyone to ignore the black cat if they saw her. She then returned to her quarters. She kept her doors open and sat on her couch, humming softly and waited. Before the hour was up, a black blur streaked past her, to hide under the sofa.
It took two more hours to coax La’an back out. But when Doctor Mbenga and nurse chapel appeared, she shot under the bed and wedged herself as far under it as she could get. They all shared a look of trepidation and mutually decided to scan La’an from a distance. Their tricorders revealed that the Lt was now…a normal house cat. Repeat scans failed to show anything different, and Una swore again she was going to kill Pelia. Vehemently. With strategic planning and great efficiency.
At first, they tried keeping La’an in her quarters. But she always managed to find a way out and then would spend hours yowling, tearing around the ship, hissing and scaring the crap out of anyone she ran across. They tried Unas quarters with the same results. Anytime they tried to contain her, La’an always managed to escape and make her feelings about the matter quite clear. Now they just let her roam freely, and yowling sessions at three in the morning, thankfully, had abated.
La’an eagerly leaned into the warm touch, encouraging Unas hand to continue stroking her insanely soft, silky, black fur. Una was happy to oblige. After several seconds, La’an stopped her kneading and settled into unas lap. She wrapped her tail wrapped around unas knee, purring softly but fiercely.
Unas lips twitched and she kept one hand stroking La’an as the other manned her workstation. She knew if she stopped petting her, La’an would bat at her hand insistently until she resumed.
When she looked up, she saw Captain Pike watching her with his lips pursed. Una bit back an amused, slightly smug smile. No matter how hard he tried, La’an still hadn’t allowed Chris to pet her. Despite his plethora of replicated toys, handmade treats, specially prepared meals and valiant attempts to be friends, nothing had worked, and it was driving the man to distraction.
“Something wrong, Captain?” Una asked innocently, her eyes twinkling. She scratched behind La’ans ear and smiled as she purred with renewed fervor, flopping into Unas chest dramatically.
Captain Pike frowned impressively. “Where is Pelia at with the cure?”
A voice from the science station responded. “We have tried 13 different permutations of energy signatures. None of which have been successful,” Spock informed him shortly.
“Clearly,” Captain Pike muttered.
“What was that, Captain?” Una asked sweetly.
“Nothing,” Captain Pike was quick to say. He shifted away from La’an; who now lay sprawled on her back in Unas lap, playing with a long strand of Unas hair with her four little paws as her tail waved contentedly. “How are ships systems?”
Una shifted forward in order to read the monitor. She pressed several buttons, bringing up the pertinent information. La’an flipped back over with a small noise of displeasure and butted her head against Unas chest. Una smiled, but stopped the indulgent laugh trying to break free from her lips. “I have to work, La’an,” she told the displeased cat apologetically.
La’an just fixed her with an unimpressed stare, then hopped down with a swish of her tail. If cats could leave in a huff, then La’an managed it effortlessly.
Una couldn’t help the way her eyes lingered on the small cat. La’an moved as gracefully as ever, her tail twitching slightly to and froe as she took delicate steps on the cold, deck plating. The security chief had always reminded Una of a cat, or rather, a Rigellian tiger. So, it was strange to see her now, as an actual cat. But a part of Una enjoyed it too. For the animal was undoubtedly La’an. But without her usual, impenetrable walls and rigid self-restraint. Here was a La’an with no filter, doing anything and everything she wanted, exactly when she wanted to do it.
Captain Pikes face lit up as he noticed the small cat heading straight towards him. He turned in his command chair, presenting as inviting a target as possible. He leaned forward slightly, eagerly holding out a treat he had pulled out from…somewhere. His eyes got bigger and bigger as the black cat got closer, her intense gaze on him…only to let out a whoosh of disappointment as, at the last second, La’an deviated in her path and jumped up onto the console next to Spock.
“Oh, come on,” Pike complained under his breath. “Spock doesn’t even like cats.”
“Indeed, I do not,” Spock agreed readily, holding his hands away from his workstation as if it might explode. “But, I believe that may be the point,” he said in displeasure as La’an stepped onto his console, intentionally hitting as many buttons as possible. She paused in her path at his words, staring judgmentally at him. She flopped down and rolled several times, before she stopped suddenly, then threw herself to the ground with a speed that was alarming.
Spock just sighed and stared at his console, now covered in cat hair. He raised an eyebrow in distaste. “Lt,” he started gravely as he repeatedly brushed off the plethora of cat hair. “I have requested, several times, that you avoid my work area.” He watched as La’an completely ignored him, stalking around the bridge until she hopped up onto Lt Mitchells workstation.
Lt Mitchell shifted uncomfortably. La’an sat perfectly, unnaturally still and stared unblinking at the young woman. Her dark eyes were eerily intense as they bored into Mitchell. The young navigator looked around desperately for help. “Um…Nice kitty?” she tried. She lifted a hand as if to pet the cat-turned-creepy-statue on her station, then immediately thought better of it.
Captain Pike looked imploringly to Una and held out a hand. Una smothered a smile, then sighed. “La’an, stop that.”
La’an finally looked past Mitchell to Una, who raised her eyebrow disapprovingly. La’an gave two rapid flicks of her tail, then jumped forward to waltz towards Ortegas station. The pilot gave a cocky grin as the small, black cat neared. “Oh no you don’t, Lt.” Her fingers effortlessly tapped the controls and the ship swayed. La’an tensed, seemed to frown at Ortegas, then with a twitch of her tail, hopped down, as if that’s what she had intended to do all along.
La’an walked around the very front of the bridge, her tail flicking in front of the viewscreen importantly. Near the far side she stopped, her eyes locked onto a spot on the wall. She froze as all her hair stood on end and her tail bristled. Several tense heartbeats passed, enough for the rest of the crew to shift, unsettled. Then she shot off, like a ship being slingshot around a black hole.
Captain Pike raised a concerned eyebrow at Una. “I thought we were going to have Doctor Mbenga give her a checkup.”
Una pursed her lips then shrugged, watching La’an. “We did. He said she was fine.”
They both frowned as the small cat made several loops around the bridge, before she stopped as suddenly as she started when Pelia emerged from the lift.
She pitched over to lounge on her side, but her eyes never left the engineer as her tail thumped almost warily against the deck. Captain Pike brightened, his voice hopeful. “Good news?” he asked.
“I will have good news faster if you all stop bothering me.” She looked indignantly between Captain Pike, who had been even more zealous than usual in monitoring progress, and Una, who reminded her almost hourly that she had better reverse this. Or else. Which really seemed like more of a La’an line, but who was Pelia to judge. “I need more fur,” Pelia stated authoritatively.
Everyone looked to Una, who pursed her lips. Then Spocks voice broke in, still sounding very annoyed in a most un-Vulcan way. “There is plenty of hair on my workstation.”
La’an watched Pelia, her tail twitching against the deck lazily even as her eyes remained sharp, suspicious. The engineer quickly gathered what she needed, flashed an almost apologetic look in the small, black cats direction before she swept from the bridge.
“Um, Captain,” Uhuras voice was hesitant, but she continued when Pike turned towards and tilted his head encouragingly. “I was reading an ancient Nauscican text last night.”
Ortegas rolled her eyes. “Of course you were,” she said dryly, but unable to hide the fondness in her voice.
“And what did it have to say,” Captain Pike asked, ignoring his pilot.
Uhura turned, clenching her fists in her lap. “Well, it told of how in ancient times, they would undergo metamorphosis during periods of intense stress…so maybe, I was just thinking, could something like that be affecting the Lt?”
They all looked to La’an, now enthusiastically grooming her front paw, as much in the way as possible-right in front of the lift so anyone entering or exiting would probably step on her. Una frowned. “That is good thinking, Ensign. But unfortunately, I don’t think it has any relevance in this case.”
“Oh,” Uhura said, deflating. She turned back to her station.
La’an paused in her judicious ablutions as if sensing Uhuras disappointment. She stared at the young communications officer, then stood and sauntered over and shocked the entire room by rubbing against Uhuras leg, almost encouragingly. Then she hopped up next to Uhuras station and plopped down to bat at the small ball-on-the-end-of-a-stick, attached there.
Captain Pikes jaw dropped open. He looked accusingly from the multiple toys littering his command chair, to the huge, plush cat bed sitting next to him, to La’an batting at the shiny ball next to Uhura as if she was possessed.
Uhura stared at the black cat playing next to her in surprise. She stayed perfectly still, the rest of the bridge crew just as shocked as she was. Una felt a small twinge of something that surely could not be jealousy. Spock just glared, as if prohibiting La’an from walking the short distance from Uhuras console to his.
Then just as suddenly as she’d arrived, La’an jumped down and left the bridge.
Una smiled that night as she lay in bed. La’an cuddled on her chest, purring with the steady hum of a warp core. Una pet the soft, silky blackness slowly. “It wouldn’t kill you to let Chris dote on you, you know,” Una said softly. “He worked so hard on those treats.” La’an ignored her words and just whipped her tail in displeasure at Unas slowing hand. Una couldn’t help but smile, the warmth of La’ans little body soaking into her own.
Every day since the accident, La’an had wandered the ship, true. But she’d never really strayed that far from Una. And when Una retired to her rooms, La’an followed her unquestioningly.
The first night, the small cat had lingered at the foot of the bed, fleeing whenever Una moved. But slowly, steadily, she made her way closer and closer. Now she snuggled almost aggressively against Unas chest, all night long.
Una couldn’t help but wonder how much of this was La’an. Was she conscious, trapped in that animal body? Or was she buried, too deep inside the cat to have a say. Would she remember any of this when she eventually changed back? Una determinedly insisted to herself that it would be when, and not, if.
Was it just her feline instinct to seek warmth that drew her in close to Una? Or was it La’an? And why did the thought of La’an, the woman, sleeping snuggled against her chest, send a queer heat shooting through her and make her cheeks burn.
For a moment, Una imagined that the hand softly petting black fur, trailed through silky black hair instead. La’ans thick, dark locks. She bit her lip as that odd heat intensified. The small cat just purred and rubbed her face against Unas cheek.
They gathered in the captains ready room, in the comfortable corner full of couches and plush chairs. La’an sat begrudgingly in Unas lap, staring reproachfully as Pelia tweaked the strange instrument in her hand. “The process is complicated. But we should know whether we have been successful after a few moments.”
She pointed the contraption at the cat, and there was a soft beep. Everyone held their breath. La’an looked bored. After a moment, Doctor Mbenga activated the tricorder in his hand. His shoulders slumped. “No luck,” he said unnecessarily.
Pelia let out an exclamation no one but Uhura understood. Una frowned, her eyes going hard. “What is the problem, commander?”
But Pelia didn’t hear her as she paced the room, mumbling to herself and tugging at her hair. Una wanted to get up and shake the answers free. But La’an was still in her lap, so obviously, she couldn’t move.
“Well, Lt,” Doctor Mbenga said softly. “Looks like you will remain a cat for a while longer. But at least you didn’t poof into a bunny.” He let out a short chuckle as the cat fixed him with an unamused stare. She leapt off Unas lap to walk past him, giving his leg the barest affectionate flick of her tail.
She ambled towards Captain Pike, where he sat in a recliner. He smiled as La’ans dark eyes landed on him. But then his face fell. He refused to get his hopes up. Again.
La’an kept going then sat before him, unblinking. He stilled, hardly daring to breathe. After a moment, as if she came to a decision, La’an twirled around his legs. The grin that split Captain Pikes face could have powered the ship for a year. He beamed and, after a moment, held out a hand by his knee, gently dragging his fingers across soft fur as the small cat passed under his hand, continuing to rub and wind around his legs.
After several more passes, he dug out his latest batch of treats and carefully held them out. It was with a look of pure wonder, he watched La’an headbutt his hand affectionately, then eagerly eat the treats that had fallen to the deck. Captain Pike laughed joyously, then quickly emptied the rest of his treats onto the floor. He looked up to see Una smiling at him and he just grinned even wider.
Just then Sam Kirk strode into the room. He marched quickly to the gathered command staff. He drew up short, his eyes narrowing when he saw La’an sitting at the captains feet, her tail curled around an ankle.
“Yes, Lt?” Captain Pike asked.
He let out an aggrieved sigh. “I am here to file a formal complaint.” Captain Pikes eyes widened in alarm, but before he could say anything, Sam Kirks mustached lip continued. “She keeps leaving hairballs in my room. This time on my pillow!” He pointed accusingly at La’an, sitting so innocently at Captain Pikes feet.
Captain Pike just blinked. Unas incredulous voice reflected his own feelings. “You want to file a complaint against a cat?”
Sam pursed his lips, his mustache smooshing slightly. “She’s doing it on purpose, I know it.”
La’an just pounced on one of the many toys the captain had brought, flipping it into the air only to jump on it again. She presented such a cute, adorable picture that poor Sams indignation fell on deaf ears. Only Spock winced, (almost) feeling bad for his underling.
“Let’s talk about this again, post transformation if you wish,” Captain Pike offered as La’an jumped up into Unas lap and promptly fell asleep.
“You’re sure this is going to work?” Una asked Pelia skeptically. It was the 23rd time they were trying to change La’an back. Una didn’t want to get her hopes up. Again. As much as she was enjoying having a cat on board, she really just wanted La’an back. Her La’an. Una blinked, not sure where that last thought came from.
The little engineer sniffed indignantly as she adjusted the dial to the unique contraption she held. “Of course, commander! After rigorous trial and error, we have developed a foolproof method.”
Unas eyes narrowed sharply. “There better not be any error this time,” she snapped.
Pelias face clouded and she looked like she wanted to argue. But then, her expression softened as she watched Una absently stroke the small cat sleeping curled up in her hap. After a moment, she said gently, “Everything will be alright.”
Una pursed her lips, then nodded stiffly. She looked to Doctor Mbenga waiting patiently with his tricorder ready, then back to Pelia. She nodded again. “Let’s get this over with.”
“That’s the spirit,” Pelia said cheerfully. Then she pointed the weird device at the small cat, and just like all the other times there was a quiet beep. But this time, instead of disappointed silence, there was a sharp pop and a blinding flash of light.
Una felt La’an before the dots cleared from her vision. Her warmth, her weight. Her nose buried delightfully into the side of Unas neck. Una started in surprise. La’an now sat sideways in Unas lap, her legs dangling off one side, snuggled against Unas chest. Completely naked.
Unas cheeks flamed and she hastily grabbed the blanked on the back of her couch and draped it around La’ans bare shoulders, then wrapped her arms protectively around the small woman. She tried to ignore how good it felt, to have La’an nestle even further into her with a deep rumble of satisfaction in response.
Pelia gave a pleased grunt. “See, commander? Everything back to normal. Or maybe, even a little bit better than normal? Hmm?” Pelia remarked, a smidge too innocently.
Una just ignored the engineer and glanced anxiously to Doctor Mbenga. He quickly scanned the woman in Unas arms, then smiled. “Everything is as it should be,” he said quietly. Una let out a sigh of relief and the terrible knot in her stomach she hadn’t wanted to admit existed, loosened.
Suddenly, the rumbling cut off and La’an stiffened. Her eyes shot open, and she jerked back from Una as if she’d been burned.
“It’s okay, Una was quick to reassure her as La’ans head whipped around the room. The blanket slipped from a shoulder and Una hurriedly restored it. La’an looked down and her eyes bulged, then they snapped up and locked onto Unas, horrified.
“It’s okay,” Una said again quickly, trying to keep her voice soothing. “There was an accident.”
La’ans face was as scarlet as her absent uniform. “Why am I naked?” Her voice was soft and rushed, coming out in an adorable squeak. Una could see the pulse jumping wildly in the other womans throat. A throat Una had never realized was so beautiful and-
A small cough broke into Unas thoughts. “Since everything is in order, we will leave you to explain,” Doctor Mbenga said as Pelia watched them with a knowing grin.
“Yes, of course,” Una said briskly, somehow managing to sound professional even as her cheeks flushed darker, and she had to work not to look down. To stare. To take in every surprising detail of the woman so warm, so solid, so real, sitting in her lap.
As the doors to her quarters hissed shut, an awkward silence descended. For some reason, Una had difficulty concentrating. The pleasant sensation of weight and distracting heat seeped into her bones. The memory of La’an snuggled against her chest, face buried in her neck, seemed to be wreaking havoc on Unas ability to form coherent thoughts. She struggled to force words out as the surprisingly sweet, heady scent that was La’an, filled her entire consciousness.
Finally, Una cleared her throat. She looked down, her cheeks as bright red as La’ans own. She looked into those familiar dark depths, still so full of trust despite their obvious fear. There was an odd flutter in Unas stomach. “Umm. How much of the last week do you remember?”