#startekimagine

You groaned loudly, dragging a hand down your face, "Alright, well my stuff is still in there.  I need my bags."

"I am sorry again, miss, it seems your belongings were requisitioned by the superiors as well."

"T-they WHAT?!  I need my bags, and I have nowhere else to stay." You pleaded. 

"I am sorry, miss, if you wish to rent another room I would be more than willing to organize that for you."

"I have no money." Defeat washed over you and tear pricked your eyes, and you felt the sudden urge to scream at someone, but you knew it wasn't the receptionist's fault.  

"I am sorry.  I wish I had more information for you." The receptionist's eyes dipped in acknowledgement of your frustration. 

"Thank you for your help." You squeaked, storming away before the tears of frustration started flowing down your cheeks. 

Outside the hotel now you pulled out your com.  Your village leader would know how to handle this situation.  You pressed the button and weren't even surprised when the com didn't go through.  It was like you were calling a dead line.  Just fuzz.  Your com was working, but something was wrong with the connection to your planet. 

Snapping the com closed, you pressed it against your forehead and sighed. What were you going to do?  A wave of desperation, frustration, and hopelessness washed over you and suddenly you felt exhausted.  You couldn't get in contact with your planet.  You couldn't go back to your shuttle, as you needed the access card that was in your bag to do that.  And you had nowhere to go.  

Or maybe you did.  

Using the map on your PADD you re-traced your steps back to the doctor's office.  It was near closing when you stepped in and got a few angry looks from some nurses, but you ignored them and pushed past to the doctor's office. You knocked a few times on the door hearing a soft "come in" before pushing the door open.  

Leonard looked up from his desk and his eyes widened when he saw you.  

"Y/N." He stood up abruptly and walked over to you, "are you alright, is your shoulder bothering you?"

"It's fine." You pursed your lips, "I need a favour, actually."

"Oh." Leonard's mouth formed a little 'o', "What do you need, darlin'?"

The term of endearment combined with the soft concern that lined his features made you break down into tears.  You pinched the bridge of your nose but couldn't control the sob that escaped you.  

"I'm sorry." You sobbed, trying to regain control so you could explain yourself. 

"It's alright, you've had a rough day." Leonard neared you, wrapping you up in a big hug and you leaned into his solid form. 

After a few moments you felt yourself relax and you pulled away. 

"Thank you." You blubbered and took the kleenex that Leonard handed you.

"No worries, darlin', now what can I help you with?" 

You gave him a weak smile and blew your nose, "Ummm... I just got kicked out of my hotel room with no money, no change of clothes, and no connection to my planet.  And I was thinking about Jim's offer from before, he seemed very nice, even though I screamed at him, and I was hoping you could give me his contact information."

Leonard looked at you as if you had asked him to give you a colonoscopy. Quickly his face changed, as if he was trying to act nonchalant, "Of course I can."

"Thank you." You breathed a sigh of relief and handed him your PADD.  

He quickly tapped the location in, "There ya go, darlin'."

"Thank you again, Leonard.  For everything." You leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek, taking the PADD from his hands. 

His cheeks turned red as you walked towards the door. 

"Tell Jay I say hi." Leonard's voice was soft and small, as if he was unsure of something. 

It was like his words were amplified by a speaker, reverberating suddenly in your head and your vision went white.  You leaned on the door for support but the unsteadiness cleared quickly.

You looked back at him curiously, suddenly sweating, and he gave you a calm, cool gaze as if he just didn't witness you nearly fall over. 

"Oh sorry, it's a nickname for Jim.  Some people used to call him that." The doctor explained, his tone neutral. 

You nodded at his words, confused, but you decided to ignore it, sliding out the door.

You triple checked the number that Leonard had written down before knocking on the door.  The door opened quickly and a dark haired woman stood in front of you. 

"Yes?" She asked, looking down at you. 

You had been expecting Jim to answer the door and had practiced your speech over and over on the walk here, but seeing her made your mouth dry up and you forgot how to speak. 

"I-I..." You stammered.

"Who is it, babe?" You heard a male voice from the kitchen, the only logical source being Jim.

"I don't know.  She won't say anything." Eve said coolly, her gaze stone cold. 

Jim's head peeked around a corner of the apartment and your heart fluttered nervously in your chest. 

"Y/N?" His smile dropped off and he looked positively stunned to see you. 

"Hi, Jim." Suddenly you had your words back, "So I am here because I got kicked out of my hotel room, I have no money, no bags, no way to contact my home planet and I was wondering... well hoping really... that the offer you gave before still stood.  That I could potentially stay with you until I sort everything out?"

You spoke so fast you weren't sure if either of them understood you.  Jim emerged from around the corner and you were almost speechless again at the sight of him wearing a dark green apron over his clothes.  He must be cooking. 

Suddenly the distinct scent of cinnamon rolls wafted through your senses as well as another flash of white clouding your vision, but only for a moment. 

"Mhmmm... Are you making cinnamon rolls?" You asked in a daze, the smell making your mouth water.  

Eve glared down at you as if you were crazy and Jim's jaw almost dropped to the ground. 

"Uh.. no, actually it's pork roast." Jim explained, "But I do love a good cinnamon roll."

You smiled at him and then up at Eve, who raised her eyebrow. 

"I'm sorry for intruding on your evening but I really have no other place to go." You said sadly, tears suddenly pricking your eyes again. 

"No, of course.  Come in." Jim responded, gesturing for you to come in and you stepped past Eve's stern glare and into the wonderfully warm apartment.  

"Thank you." You said, turning to Jim and Eve. 

"Jim, I think you and I need to talk.  Y/N, please, make yourself at home." Eve stated, but you doubted she meant it, and she quickly grabbed at Jim's arm and dragged him into another room. 

When Jim emerged, several minutes later, he looked shaken.  You had taken to watching the city out the window, letting a few small tears drip down your face in response to the exhausting day you had.  

"Do you need any help with dinner?" You asked, your voice not as confident as you would have liked. 

"You're our guest, Y/N, you don't have to help." Jim responded as he tended to the roast in the oven.  You wanted to help.  Needed to do something so you wouldn't feel as helpless.  

"I just feel so useless, and I have to pay you back somehow." You rasped, and you felt tears prick your eyes again. 

Jim seemed to sense your frustration and turned on a soft smile, "Hey, it's our pleasure.  Well at least my pleasure.  I don't think Eve is going to be too fond of sharing her clothes with you."

Though you knew that Jim was just trying to make you feel better, the fact that Eve might not like you made you feel like an even bigger burden and you drew your eyes to the floor.  

"How about after dinner we make cinnamon rolls.  I think we have all the ingredients.  And I'll even let you lick the bowl after." Jim joked and the sheer idea of making cinnamon rolls with a man you had just met, already having cried in his apartment and were hated by his girlfriend, made you giggle.   

"Alright." You responded, bringing your eyes to Jim's with a smile. 

Every second that you looked at Jim made you relax more.  The zing of electricity shot down your spine again, and again you couldn't place the sensation.  But for some reason, as you moved to sit at on the bar stool on the counter opposite Jim, you felt at home.  

And you really needed home right now. 

Jim:

"Babe, I can explain."

"You better, Jim." Eve sassed and turned on me, nearly slamming the door behind her. 

"I met her today, alright.  She was in a bit of a... sticky situation, and I helped her out of it." I tried to explain, to reason with Eve. 

"So you offered her our home?  What if she's crazy?  Like an ax murderer or something?" Eve asked, her voice low and harsh. 

"She's not an axe murderer." I started to feel my blood boiling, "She just need a place to stay tonight, Eve, maybe a change of clothes, a shower and a good bite to eat.  I can take her to the police station tomorrow."

Eve regarded you for a moment and I felt the hope die in my chest.  I needed you to stay here, just for one night, just to see if you were, well... you.

"Fine.  Just one night." Eve stepped closer to me, resting her hands on my shoulders, "You are just too kind sometimes, Jim.  It's one of the things I love about you."

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to my mouth, but for some reason it didn't feel right with you on the other side of that door.  She pulled away and turned on her heels, striding into the bathroom, and I knew that I was going to have to make this whole situation up to her somehow. 

A memory flashed through my mind now, of you and I making cinnamon rolls. It was our Friday night tradition.  It had started before we even started dating, when one night the fire alarm went off in your room and I went in to find you pouring water over two black lumps that had come out of what looked like a make-shift microwave.  Knowing Scotty, he must have helped you build it.  You had begged me not to report you, as you were only trying to carry on a tradition that you had done at home with your family, and you missed them terribly.  You even started crying.  I said of course I wouldn't report you, and helped you clean it up, promising next week to help you make proper cinnamon rolls. And the rest was history.  

The sound of the timer on the oven brought me out of my trance and I strode back into the main room, heading for the kitchen.  You stood by the window, looking out at the city, and you seemed so sad, so despondent, that it made me want to wrap you up in a hug and tell you everything is going to be okay.  

You turned to me as I crossed over to the kitchen and I met your eyes, which were red and puffy and tired-looking.  I knew I had to help you, but I didn't know how.  When you had shown up at the door I felt my entire world center around you, like it was shifting focus all of a sudden, like I couldn't see anything else but you.  

"Do you need any help with dinner?" Your voice was so raw it grated against my soul. 

"You're our guest, Y/N, you don't have to help." I chided, giving you a smile as I pulled the pork roast out of the oven.  

"I just feel so useless, and I have to pay you back somehow." You pleaded, and I thought for a second you were going to cry again. 

"Hey, it's our pleasure.  Well at least my pleasure.  I don't think Eve is going to be too fond of sharing her clothes with you." I joked, trying to get a smile from you, but you only frowned deeper. 

As I plated the roast I had an idea, "How about after dinner we make cinnamon rolls.  I think we have all the ingredients.  And I'll even let you lick the bowl after." 

You giggled now and the sound was music to my ears.  

"Alright." You whispered, smiling over at me.  

I felt this warmth come over me.  Like a blanket, or a batch of warm cookies, or a big hug after a long time separated.  It felt like home.  You felt like home. 

And I really needed home right now. 

-Thanks for reading!  I hope you liked it!-

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