[ He's nothing like the other captains in the fleet. Una had told her as much over the years, but it's one thing to know something about a person and another entirely to know them. Christopher Pike is a captain who genuinely cares about the people under his command, and who will do anything in his power to look after them. Sometimes that means bending the rules during a mission. Sometimes it's as simple as showing up with a plate of brownies.

Yeah, she's pretty sure that's what this is. Where she struggles to connect with others, Chris does it almost effortlessly, searching for the best way to reach each individual with the same dedication he shows to his cooking. She'd seen it herself on that first mission, when he'd sat beside her in the medbay, physically closing himself off to match her own barriers, trying to earn her trust so she might be spared the pain of the procedure. She hadn't appreciated it at the time, but now that she's seen him in action with others, she understands what a gift it is to have someone like him truly care like that.

They're all incredibly lucky to have him as their captain. ]

Thank you, sir. It's good to be home. [ The emphasis that comes out with that last word is more than she'd expected, emotion rising up inside her almost uncontrollably. Her expression falters for a moment as she struggles to get her emotions back under control, and then she gestures toward the couch in the sitting area across from her bed. ] Please, have a seat. Would you like some coffee? I seem to remember it going well with chocolate.