Old Friends

Posted on 11 Mar 2013 @ 2:44pm by

1,350 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: M9: Rest, Recovery, and Reflection

Ailish walked slowly with Britta at her side. She hadn't seen Ayren in two years and was excited to see her again. She wanted to introduce Ayren to her daughter.

They arrived at Ayren's quarters and rang the chime.

Ayren was not yet comfortable with what happened, and had some anger issues to work through. She wasn't sure who to direct her anger to, Starfleet Diplomatic Corps, Human resources.... she was just soo annoyed.

Her long finger nails tapped, tapped against the padd with the orders in her hand. Perhaps she should read it, in fact she had avoided it since it came, feeling rather to smash it against the wall and tell Starfleet to go to wherever was uncomfortable for them. Eventually she calmed down enough to sit down and open the message with her code.

It was from Ambassador Surak, the man who had mentored and trained her and also commissioned her to her first diplomatic posting at DS5, after she asked for a change in career. A change! She wanted to CHANGE! Now she was right back into Chief Counselor's position, which she of coursed, stubbournly refused and opted only to help out till another counselor came. She wiped the tears of anger and disappoinment from her eyes and pushed the padd away.

She was still brooding and pacing when her chime rang. Her first client as ship's counselor. The presence was familiar.... Ailish! And someone else.....

It took a few moments before Ayren regained her composure and put her best face on, before she opened the door. A smile spread on her face, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Alish.. hi!" she said as she opened her arms to embrace her long time friend.

"Ayren!" She hugged her friend. "It has been too long." Ailish whispered.

The last time that she had seen Ayren was when Ailish was at DS5 on her way home to see Alex. It had finally been safe for her to do so and she couldn't wait. After she had arrived him they had had four wonderful months together before he was sent on a mission and then another three when she was informed that he was dead and gone from her world.

Starfleet told her that they couldn't or weren't able to retrieve a body which made her hope...even in the smallest way but it has now been nearly two years since she had any word from Alex.

It was good to have a friend again. "Ayren...what's the matter?" She pulled back slightly and picked up Britta.

"Ah... and who are you?" Ayren avoided the question and touched the little hand of the two year the little girl. Her smile was warm and instinctively she embraced the little girl with feelings of love and peace. Often young human children were still susceptible to projected emotions.

"This is Britta." Ailish smiled, "Mine and...Alex's daughter." She gave a sad smile. "Ayren...don't avoid my question...I know something is bothering you...should I take Britta to the nursery and come back?"

"Hello, Britta...." she said kindly. "You have your mother's eyes.." she noted. Still holding the little hand she found teh eyes of her friend. The black pools were filled with turmoil and emotion. "I don't know... " she said quietly. Her feelings were mixed. "I don't know if I can talk about it yet.." she admitted, and dropped her eyes again.

"Ayren..." Ailish touched her friend's shoulder. "Let me take Britta to the nursery and I will come back." She quickly hugged her friend and took Britta to the nursery, half an hour later she returned to her friend's side.

"I'm here to listen..."

"I don't even know how to say it that I don't sound like a spoilt child.." Ayren said unhappily.

Ailish tried to stifle a giggle but failed. "Oh Ayren...nothing you could tell me would sound like a spoiled child.

"You don't know...." Ayren said as she said. Betazoids were known for their brutal honesty, and usually Ayren tempered this, but not this time. "I am very upset, Ailish," she said and her eyes grew brighter as tears filled them again. "I worked my ass off as Chief Diplomatic Officer and I have experience.. dammit I changed careers and Starfleegt lured me with these big promises..." she said, now close to crying as her cooped emotions boiled over. "I was the CDO at a big space station.....now they simply replaced me with you...." she said bitterly.

"Oh Ayren!" She hugged her friend, "I had no idea, I honestly didn't. I would step down to be the assistant CDO...I don't want you moved just because I was ordered here. Let's work this out ok?" She smiled.

"No... you can't do that.. that would be against Starfleet orders, it is not your decision to make..." Ayren said, smiling at her friend's willingness. "There is nothing to work out.. " she said quitely. "I will have to deal with it some how..."

"I'm sorry about this Ayren...I never would have accepted this position if I had known...I just couldn't stay on Earth anymore..."

"It is not your fault..." Ayren added, with lowered eyes. "If it was anyone but you, I probably would have challenged them to a bat'leth match... " she joked.

"I have gotten pretty good Ayren. A...Alex made me practice."

"Yes I am sure you could be good, but look who I am mated too..." she smiled a little. Then she realized Ailish might not know who she was refering to. "The Captain, Da'nal..." she added. She did pick up the hesitation concerning Alex. "Tell me about Alex..." she prompted, taking the attention away from herself right now.

Ailish twisted her engagement and wedding rings on her finger, looking down at her hands. "He...he was my husband. He saved me when I thought I was going to die at another man's hands. He is my baby's father." She whispered, she couldn't look at Ayren. Alex had saved her on more than one occasion and she wasn't able to save him, Ailish had failed.

"You are carrying a burden of guilt... what happened?" Ayren asked warmly and placing her arm around her friend.

"I don't honestly know...he was working for Intelligence...and was sent on a mission. I thought he was tracking that man that had kidnapped me and..." She shook her head. "I had Starfleet show up at my doorstep and told me his was gone but there was no body. I don't understand."

"There is often no body found," Ayren said softly. "Depending on how the person died...." she added, thinking that covert operations sometimes required the person to disappear, for purposes of undercover operations, for protecting his identity, and well, probably for other reasons too.

"I know...believe me I know." Ailish stood up. "If he was alive I would of thought he would of done something by now...even if he did it covertly. He has done it before if needed, like leaving a rare flower in my room...just a small 'I'm safe and thinking of you'." She hugged herself and looked at her friend. "I think it is time to admit that he is really gone this time."

"How long has it been?" Ayren asked.

"Right before Britta was born. There was a note left on my night table one morning with a lily in a vase. It said to please name the baby Britta." Ailish sat again and stared at her friend. "He's gone Ayren and I alone have to raise Britta. Alex made some powerful enemies and he and I both have the scars to prove it...or at least I do now."

"It is hard I know... and one can't quench hope like one would a flame," Ayren said gently. "Thing is you need to focus on the here and now, on Britta and on yourself.." she said. "And find something you really like to do...besides work, maybe learn a new craft or hobby, involve Britta if you can..." Aeryn suggested.

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