Solitude

Posted on Saturday, 11 July 2020 - 8:16am by Commander Soral & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley

Mission: Operation: Jabberwocky
Location: Earth, Australia
Timeline: 2393 - MD 03

{ON:}

Following the hand drawn map her mother had made, Alex paused to stop and admire the view. From here it was as if you could see forever. Far below, the golden sand gave way to crystal clear waters which stretched all the way to the horizon. Unlike the main beach, the small cove was all but deserted. It was too secluded to be of any use to surfers and the only way into the cove involved a long walk which ended in a steep decent down some weather beaten steps which had some time long ago actually been carved out of the rockface.

The walk had been a perfect distraction. Since her mother's idea of directions and her map drawing skills were far from perfect, she had almost taken a few wrong turnings before reaching the right place. That, however, was time she didn't spend worrying about Soral.

Since he left she had felt very little from him. To the point she was certain he had almost put a wall up between them to shield her from whatever he would discover. But she had been honest when she said she believed in him and she trusted that he would come and find her, as promised, as soon as he returned.

She hoped he was really good with a map.

Making the decent down to the beach she unfurled the giant picnic blanket, keeping the box itself firmly closed to keep everything inside chilled. Shedding the summer dress so she was in her bikini, she settled in to listen to some music and soak up the sun, grateful that today the temperature was a few degrees cooler so far more bearable.

And so she waited.

Soral had staggered out of the room with the revelation handing over him. Mac had gone after him as had Hades. They'd spent a hour talking with him about what all that meant and frankly he couldn't say he remembered much of the conversation. He'd gotten back to Laura's house. She had not been there but there was a note and an unusual map.

The note had been from Alex. He'd spent five minutes looking at it. All he'd wanted was to just go to bed but he would not. He changed into, what Alex had suggested, beach get up and had thrown on a t-shirt and headed off, map in hand.

It didn't take long for him to get lost. He backtracked but eventually he found himself in a cove that seemed to come from some fairy tale. He could see, below, his wife sitting on a blanket. He was struck again by her beauty and that tiny bathing suit was quite appealing. He slowly descended the steps careful to not brake his neck.

At some point (she blamed last night’s celebrations) Alex had started to dose off. Not enough that she missed the sound of footsteps descending the stone steps just moments before a shadow fell over her. She knew instantly it was him and had to fight the urge to tease him. She could tell he was not in the mood without even looking. Still she had to try to lighten the mood, “if you must stare, I have to warn you my husband is a fearless warrior who will defend my honour, never be late to lunch, get lost reading a terrible map and will always apply sunscreen so his wife doesn’t burn like our breakfast.”

Without opening her eyes she reached under the blanket to hold up a bottle of lotion. “Factor 80, especially for the fair skinned red heads fresh from outer space... or we could skip to you telling me what Dr Hades said? If it would help, I have food and drink annnnnd a promise from my mother that not only will she never cook for us again but a promise to stay overnight with her friend so we can have the house to ourselves.

She’s serious about knitting for our children.”

Opening her eyes she dropped the lotion and shifted so that she was sitting. Reaching out she took his hand, frowning. Against the glare of the sun she could not see his face properly but she could see it in the way he held himself. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling like an idiot. Come sit with me. Please,” she urged, not letting go of his hand. Wanting him to feel the strength from their bond that he had shielded himself from. To protect her.

He sighed and smiled. He seated himself pulling her into his arm. Alexandra had a gift. No matter how bad things got she always had a way of making things better. "You are not rambling." He kissed he forehead. "I will put lotion on your back." He reached for the bottle. He also dropped his guard. He had had it up to protect her but he realized that he only punished himself because it was their bond that kept him grounded.

Alex reached for the bottle, passing it back as she scooped up her hair so it stayed out of the way. “Tell me everything,” she said softly, although she knew he would hear her just fine. She could feel how much he hurt which meant it had not been the news he had hoped for. Wished for. As he applied lotion to her shoulder she let go of her hair to reach back and put her hand over his, “I love you. Nothing changes that.”

Soral was fascinated how a simple application of lotion could make him happy. The truth of it was that his wife made him deliriously happy. Her hand over his was his undoing though. He dropped all his guards and his confusion was evident. "Liviana is my sister. I am part Romulan. Doctor Hades said that I'd inherited mostly Vulcan genes but the Romulan ones are there. She took mostly Romulan with a little Vulcan it was rare but not unheard of." He finished applying the lotion and kissed the back of her neck. "You are my gift Alexandra."

She twisted around to face him, reaching up to brush her fingertips against the side of his face, "and you are mine... It hasn't exactly been a relaxing trip so far, has it? What do you plan to do? Do you want to get to know her?"

He shrugged. "It has been a good trip. Your mother is an incredible woman and I do love that scarf she gave me and shall use it. Our wedding was perfect and I have fallen more in love with you. As for Liviana I will get to know her but it has to be slow. I have a feeling I am not getting the full story. Tomorrow when you and your mother leave for the Spa I will go with Haru to his grandmother's funeral and then I will come back and perhaps when you are back we can see Liviana together?"

"My mother is a menace," Alex said affectionately. "But I am the one who walked into a door... As for Liviana, I will happily be at your side. I just wish we weren't gonna be apart. I'm going to miss you so much."

He caressed her cheek. "And I you. It is only for a couple of days. We have today and tonight."

“We do,” she nodded, “and I brought a picnic. This place is as beautiful as my mother promised. Shame her directions are so bad. Please tell me you got lost a few times too?”

"I did. I discovered something I thought you may find fascinating. Perhaps after the picnic we can go."

“Ooh, is it a river of chocolate?” She asked with a teasing smile.

He raised an amused eyebrow. "No but I shall keep that in mind for the future." He watched as his wife laid out the food. Grabbing the bottle he poured himself and her a drink. "You shall see later." He studied her. "I am sorry if I have caused you some upset."

“I’m not upset...” she said as she took her drink before frowning and adding in a low voice, “why? Is something moving around that shouldn’t be?”

"No of course not. I mean in going alone to this meeting. I was uncertain as to if the intentions of the meeting were genuine and I could not risk you Alexandra. You are my very beating heart."

"You asked me to believe in you, and I do," she told him after a moment. "I just want you to feel the the same. To talk to me about what worries you."

He sighed, "You are right. Out of my need to protect you I have shut you out." He placed his glass down and laid back on the blanket. "I do trust you Alexandra. I am sorry that I shut you out. I shall work hard not to do it again." He looked up at the sky the sun not bothering him thanks to his inner eyelid.

Alex, for her part and lacking the Vulcan physiology to enable her not to be blinded by the sun, knelt at his side. “Then that is settled,” she smiled, kissing him. “Now, help me eat some of this food and then we can relax for a bit then you can show me what you found. Sound good?”

"Indeed." He said. He sat up as they got the food distributed. Soral had been more hungry then he thought. They ate and as they did he stole glances at her. He'd never understood the kind of love that humans had that any species claimed to have until it had happened to him. He now understood the Romulan side of things a little more. Passion and love could be powerful but also healing and he'd seen both sides of things.

“You have a little sauce or something on your face,” Alex told him in a low whisper, although they were quite alone. At his confused expression she leaned in as if to wipe something from his chin before kissing him. She leaned back with a mischievous smile before shrugging, “guess it was a trick of the light.”

He raised an eyebrow. "I find myself liking the tricks of light." He paused. "I have been speaking with the Yeoman and he suggested something that I rather found interesting. I wanted to discuss it with you as it involves your schedule."

“Oh?” She said as she bit into a strawberry, surprised. “What was the idea?”

"He said we should slot a time to have lunch or dinner always together. I think a shared meal daily while on duty would be a good idea and wanted to speak with you about it."

Selecting another strawberry she offered him a sheepish smile. “He may have mentioned it when he came looking for me,” she admitted. “I think I pointed out that It may not be practical. Given our jobs and shifts. To be honest I probably took the notion of him scheduling our days pretty badly.”

"I do not think he meant any harm. Tilian is quite efficient. I think that he was trying to ensure what if things got busy you and I would have guaranteed time together." He shrugged. "If you do not wish it, it is not mandatory. Only a suggestion."

“I didn’t say I didn’t want it,” she corrected. “I just want to be us without the hint we were somehow doing the whole relationship thing wrong by not already having planned it. We already eat together most nights unless duties say otherwise. If you want him to make it an official thing then that’s okay with me.”

He paused and looked at her. "So you like the spontaneity of our meals? It is true we share our morning and evening meal already most nights. But perhaps a spontaneous lunch?"

“I’m sure I could be convinced,” she mused. “Though you may get bored of me if you see me so often.”

"There is no danger of that." That he was sure of. He looked around. "Shall we pack all this up?"

She smiled, “of course we can. Pass me my dress will you?” She asked as she repacked the food. Besides, she was curious.

"We can pack it to. I am enjoying seeing you like this too much." He raised an eyebrow "It is soothing."

"Soral!" Alex cried in surprise at him. She was definitely becoming a bad influence, her mischief making was somehow swaying her husband's moods. Two could play that game. She slipped on her pair of sandals, picked up the picnic basket and started towards the stairs. "Well if you don't mind, I don't mind."

He did not mind at all. He followed her up the stairs and when they got half way he stopped her. "Look there." It was an overgrown path but showed recent signs of someone walking what way. In fact it had been him. He took the lead taking her hand and leading her towards what looked like an over grown forested area. "Behind those trees there is a cave that you as a scientist will find quite fascinating." He looked back squeezing her hand. "Feel like an adventure?"

Alex grinned like a kid who had just found herself alone in a candy store. "Always," she beamed.

He lead her through the wooded area and they cleared the trees finding themselves outside a cave. "Okay you can leave the basket and stuff here. Close your eyes and I shall carry you in. I wish it to be a surprise."

Alex studied the mouth of the cave, wishing she had a tricorder. Setting down their things she stepped closer to him, her curiosity burning as she closed her eyes and felt him lift her into his arms. After about three seconds she whispered, "are we there yet?"

"Not yet." He kissed her forehead. He carried her into the cave a good ten minutes before he set her down. He turned her so that he could slip his arms around her waist. "Ready?"

Did he realise all she could focus on was him? "Ready," she confirmed after a moment.

"Open your eyes." Before her was Eden forgotten. The gray rocky walls were filled with sparkles of all kinds. Various precious stones glittered breaking up the gray. The cave had a warmth to it from a central pool of hot water that had an emerald glow to it. When you came to the edge of the pool it was clear and a gentle smell of natural hot springs engulfed you. Several kinds of green moss and plants stood around. "A lost cave."

"It's so beautiful," she breathed, her eyes wide as she drank in every detail. It would be a geologist's dream but she would settle for simply appreciating it's beauty.

He pointed to a rock. "Tricorder for all the readings you like I hid it there after I found this place. " He paused. "I do not think that this cave has been visited for a lot time. It seems untouched by time. I shall name it Alexandra's Eden."

"You are too good to me," Alex grinned as she twisted so that she could kiss him. "I can't believe you found it. How did you find it?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I took a wrong turn following the map."

“I guess my mother’s terrible drawing had some advantages,” Alex grinned. “This is just incredible. All the colours. I love it!”

"I do have one suggestion."

“Oh?” She asked curiously. “What would that be?”

Soral motioned to the hot water pools. "Perhaps it would be logical to take advantage of these."

Alex grinned, “well I think it would be rude not to...”

{OFF:}