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Message #:2109
Time to look for the author...*** "Reunions" |
JPL: Dr. Celeste Ane and alternate versions of Captain Styles-Fyrstk and Dr. Terra Ane
Captain April Styles-Fyrstk walked, wearily, through the corridor on Pasteur Station. She had just completed a patrol duty, with the station's starship. Her ship, the USS *Wyld Foxx*, was now docked to the station with heavy damage from a previous battle. Both her chief engineer, and Pasteur's engineers stated that the ship would take weeks to repair, especially in the Federation's current state.
April sighed, and stepped into the senior officer's mess. All she wanted, right now, was a hot meal and a soft bed. She really wanted Lukas in that bed with her, but he was one of the ships on the currently M.I.A. list. She moved to the replicator, and ordered a simple meal.
Celeste walked into the mess hall, and headed straight to the replicator. She really needed something to drink, and a light meal wouldn’t hurt either. Who knew when she would get a chance to eat again. Her mother had thrown her out of the infirmary a few minutes ago and told her not to come back for at least an hour. Terra was just waiting for Dr Gru to come on shift to relieve her and would then join her in the mess.
Celeste got a large apple cranberry juice, and a chicken and rice dish. As she turned to find a seat, she saw April at a small table. She still had her shields up, and hadn’t sensed April here. She was very careful not to focus too much on April and what her presence meant at this time. Taking a deep breath, Celeste walked over. “Can I join you Aunt April?”
April had been staring out the view port, looking at the stars, and wondering how her children and her husband had been doing. She hadn't even touched her meal yet. She started at the unexpected voice, and turned toward its owner.
"I'm afraid I would not be good comp... " April's eyes opened wide, and she rose quickly. "Celeste! Omigod, it really is you." She leaned toward the younger woman, and awkwardly hugged her.
Celeste put her tray down on the table and returned the hug with as much strength as she had. “Hi. I’m guessing you are as surprised to see me as I am to see you?” Tears came to her eyes, but she tried not to let them fall.
April pulled away from her neice, or the alternate reality of her neice. She studied her a moment. A sad look came to her tired eyes. "I'm not alive in your universe, am I?"
The tears finally fell. Celeste put her head down, not meeting Aprils eyes, she shook her head. “It’s been about fourteen years” she whispered. Celeste finally dropped her shields and used all her mental energy to ‘hug’ her aunt like she used to do as a child. Finding her voice she asked April, “am I missing or dead in this universe? You are surprised to see me too.” (edited)
April hugged Celeste tightly. She held her for a long moment, letting all the emotions wash over her. Finally, she broke the hug, and moved back enough so she could see the other woman's face.
"Are you alright?" she asked softly.
Celeste nodded. “Yes.” She tried to smile, but it came out a little lopsided. “Sit down, you look worn out. Eat!” She ordered the older woman. She sat down and drank some of her own juice, trying to fortify herself for what she thought might be a tough conversation.
"Yes, Doctor," April said, with a slight mocking tone. She offered a small smile. She took a forkful, and then asked, "Can I ask how?"
Celeste quickly gave the older woman a synopsis of the Firegon agent coming aboard her space station, and planting an explosive. How Ronov was the one to find the agent, and then April, of her universe, found both of them, after sensing her son was in danger. How the Firegon agent shot April with a disruptor, and left with the seven year old, and Lukas, along with Malachi, went and rescued the boy.
"I... I mean my duplicate was in command of a space station?" April asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Celeste shook her head. “No. After you died, Mom and Uncle Lukas decided the ship was too dangerous for us kids. Uncle Lukas took command of Pasteur and offered mom the CMO spot. We all moved to the station, and they raised us all together. In my universe, they are still on the station. Uncle Lukas is an Admiral. . The kids are all grown up, and are doing well. uncle Lukas did a great job with them. You would be proud of them all.
Celeste looked directly into aprils eyes, “mom took your death very very hard. She didn’t want to let us out of her sight. Uncle Lukas had to make her see the Counselor. She still doesn’t talk about you with us other than when she tells us that you would be proud of the young adults we have become.”
The doors to the mess hall opened and Dr. Terra Ane made her way inside. She looked around and saw Celeste and April at a table, both with tear stained faces. She went to get her meal and walked over to the table as both April and Celeste tried to wipe their tears away. They both smiled at Terra as she sat down. “I take it we’ve all established the fact of who is alive or not in each universe?” Terra asked bluntly.
Celeste laughed at her mom. “Well kind of. I still don’t know if I’m dead or just missing, but I gather that it’s not good either way.”
"Well, yes we have," April said a bit wryly to her closest friend. "and I just found out how wrong you were when you tried to discourage me from marrying Lukas. You said he'd never settle down, but in her universe... " She gave a slight nod in Celeste's direction. "... he gave up flying around the galaxy to provide a stable home for our children." She gave Terra an "I told you so" smirk.
Celeste laughed a little. “Oh how I’ve missed you!” Tears once again formed in her eyes. “It’s so nice to see you two together. Just like I remembered from when I was little. And Luna looks so much like you. Jessica, not as much.”
Terra cocked her head a little to the side, and April gave a questioning look. “Who’s Jessica?” Terra asked Celeste.
Celeste looked puzzled. “What do you mean who’s jessica? Jessica! Aunt April’s youngest child!”
Terra looked across to April. “Ut oh. I think there is a bit more different than just who is where. seems you have at least one more child than you actually do here. And I never said Lukas wouldn’t settle down. I said it would take an act of god for him to leave his ship. Apparently there was one.”
"More like an act of a demon," April retorted.
Celeste looked between the two women. “You mean, there is no Jessica in this universe?” They both shook their heads. “What about Malachi, Ronov, Rohan and Luna?” She asked them.
"Well, Malachi is executive officer on the USS Ben Franklin," April stated. "It was originally a science vessel, but given the times are what they are now,... " April said with a shrug. "Luna is a doctor and on Outpost Phoenix. The twins are both aboard theEagle. Rohan is an acting ensign in the science department, and Ronnie is acting ensign in engineering. They should have gone to the academy, but the Typhon Pact had other ideas. You say I had another child?"
“Yes. After the boys, you had another little girl, Jessica. She favors Uncle Lukas. She’s just out of high school. She is beautiful, inside and out. She was just five when you, died” Celeste was still having a hard time with all this.
April placed her hand on Celeste's wrist. "Jessica... After Lukas' mother," She said softly. "we still do not know if they managed to escape Earth, but if I know Luktra, he found a way off the planet, and I'd be willing to bet he took... " She looked across the table to Terra. "... our Celeste with him."
The tears were still falling freely, the food all but neglected in front of each of them. “I’m so sorry. I wish…” Celeste wiped her eyes. “Do you feel that they are still alive?” She asked April.
Celeste put her shields back up. She knew April would sense that, but she had no choice. Celeste knew that she and Luna used to combine their mental powers to try and ‘spy’ on the boys when they were up to no good, usually off the station, with some success. She had been too young to learn that from April in her own universe before April perished, so she was unsure if she should offer to help April search for Lukas now. She even knew of a few medications that could possibly increase the strength of their mental powers. She would have to check if they were available in this universe. If not, she would have to get her captains permission to use them, even if she didn’t share their formulas. It could be a breach of the prime directive.
But if she could help April and Terra know one way or the other, didn’t she owe them that? Or should she just let them continue to hope? Celeste really needed to talk to Captain McCloud about all this. She didn’t want to even suggest it, if it wasn’t allowed. But how could she not help, if she was asked?
"I have full faith he is still alive," April said with a light air of confidence. "There have been times when we've lost contact, but I still feel them all." She sighed. "But, we are in a war. We need to maintain focus where it is needed most."
Celeste nodded. Maybe after talking to Rayne, if he agreed, she would offer to help April locate Lukas. She looked down at the untouched food. She picked it all up and took it to the replicator and recycled it all. She then ordered new meals for everyone, chicken pot pie, something they all loved years ago. After placing dishes in front of each of them, she said “ok. It’s time to eat. We can talk more, but this food needs to be consumed. Now”. She was stern but loving. And to prove what she orders, she took several bites of her dish.
April gave another small smile as the aroma of the pot pie came to her. She looked across to Terra and raised a brow. With a cock of her head toward Celeste, she commented, "Look who's acting like the mother now."
“I had some great teachers” Celeste said around a mouthful of vegetables and pastry, and chuckled. “And it makes sense medically” she threw in.
April dug into the pot pie. "And, how are my children doing in your universe?" she asked between bites.
A genuine smile came to Celeste's face. “They are doing wonderfully. Luna is a physician, but not in Starfleet. She is on Starbase Everest. She did her best to help keep the boys in line as they grew up. Malachi did go into Starfleet and is in charge of Everest. (He got married, and has 2 adopted children, a boy and girl.
"the boys both are in the Academy. Ronnie is in engineering. and Roe sciences, of course, and as I said, Jessica is taking university classes on Earth. she didn’t want to go into Fleet. It’s been hard in the last 2 years to try and keep up with everything they are all into. I just finished a fellowship in microvascular surgery, so things just eased up for me a little. Then I got posted to Eagle.
"Malachi is a captain of a starbase?" April asked. "That does not surprise me at all, and he has two adopted children? Oh, I'd love to meet them and spoil them rotten. Do you have any images of Jessica?"
Celeste finished her meal and washed it down with the last of her juice. Seeing as everyone was just about finished, she walked quickly to the replicator and got a piece of apple pie and ice cream for each of them. It was good comfort food and by the look of both older women, they needed a little comfort now.
"I don’t have any pics with me," Celeste answered, "but I can get my photo cube when I check in with Eagle in a little while. I can even check if I have holophotos of Malachis children. I think I do, I think it’s a family shot. Eat your pie though. You both look like you need a few calories,” She ordered.
April, again, raised a brow and looked from her neice to Terra. She didn't argue, though, just ate the pie, and ice cream, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
“Later on, when you guys have a few minutes, I want to check you both over. Please don’t argue. I just want to make sure that you are healthy. That all this stress is not adversely affecting you. I know how you both are about your own health.” Celeste said as she continued to eat her pie, not making a huge deal out of it, but wanting to be absolutely certain that both were taking care of themselves and each other.
April almost choked on the mouthful of dessert. She looked at her closest friend once again. "Like mother, like daughter," she finally managed to get out.
Terra started to protest, but the look that Celeste gave her reminded her of herself, so she gave in gracefully. She knew that she was on, except for the stress. She had lost a few pounds, She just looked at April. “Well, since I haven’t been able to get you scanned, you can’t argue with me about it.”
April did her best to hold back her laughter, but there was sheer joy in her eyes. Oh, how she had needed this.
"The look in your eyes," she said to Terra, "this is just too good." she looked to Celeste. "Yes, Doctor. I will submit to your scans after I have spoken with Captain Scott. Will that suffice?"
“I think you both need some sleep first. I don’t want to see either one of you for a full shift. You are to get some sleep and then I’ll see you in the infirmary, or on Eagle,” Celeste stated.
###
&&celeste&&
