Temper

Posted on Wednesday, 20 January 2021 - 1:45pm by Lieutenant Alex Kingsley & Commander Soral

Mission: Operation: Trail of Tears
Location: USS Standing Bear | Gym
Timeline: 2394

ON:

During the past fifteen minutes the gymnasium, while never able to accommodate many people anyway, had slowly emptied. Ushered out by the stoic looking security guard and his colleague who was nursing a black eye. Both of them now stood back to back, feet firmly planted as they waited. Neither of them were going anywhere. And neither was she. Except maybe to the Brig.

Seated on the edge of the bench, water bottle in hand, Lieutenant Kingsley's wiped a small trickle of blood from the side of her mouth as she looked up from the floor and right at T'Paris and that smirk... In a heartbeat she launched herself forward, ready to wipe that smirk from her face once again before she was stopped in mid stride. Not by Mister Stoic, he was still bracing himself. "Let go, Soral!" she demanded, squirming to free herself.

All the while T'Paris now sat, observing, with an impassive expression.

"You must calm yourself." He said. He carried her over to the side away from T'Paris and everyone else.

"I am calm," she shot back. She didn't miss the raised eyebrow from T'Paris at that statement and as soon as her feet touched the ground she found her husband once again blocking the way. At the back of her mind she knew this was exactly what the woman sitting opposite wanted but she did not especially care.

Soral turned. "Leave us." He said. The room emptied at a run.

"Do you wish me to stay, Commander?" T'Paris enquired, her clipped tones and perfect inflection betraying nothing. "Or would you prefer that I make my report privately?"

He looked at the woman. "Stay. We will end this today. What happened?" He held up his hand. "T'Paris, you first."

Alex closed her mouth, about to say her piece but resorted instead to crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the wall. Of course, he would listen to T'Paris first. Why did that surprise her.

With a curt nod, T'Paris began. "I arrived at 1605 hours to begin my daily activities," she reported, "which I am certain you can verify. I observed Lieutenant Kingsley in the middle of her own workout, and offered to be a sparring partner. She declined. I observed that she seemed ... stressed and enquired as to her health and she then attacked me. I defended myself, only utilising as much force as was absolutely necessary. I sustained only minor abrasions."

He gave a nod and turned to Alex. "And your version?"

She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. She didn't want to hurt his feelings but mentioning a sensitive subject, given recent events. But equally she couldn't say nothing. Staring down at the floor she tried to choose her words carefully. "I was working out, happily I might add. And I was then accused of being emotional. Other things were then implied that I would rather not go into. I take full responsibility and I'll take whatever punishment."

He looked between the women. "You do tend towards the emotional however I do not appreciate things being held back. Is this because you think that T'Paris is ... after me? She had hinted at that when we spoke."

"Tend towards the emotional?" Alex repeated incredulously. "And no! It is because T'Paris insinuated that I was emotional perhaps because I was pregnant and that it was unfitting of a Vulcan's wife to behave so... emotionally. But yes, if you want to throw that into the mix, why not! Just an overemotional half," she aimed the last word squarely at T'Paris, "human. Should I walk myself to the Brig?"

He sighed. "Alexandra. Stop." He turned to T'Paris. "Is this true?"

"I merely observed that, from my admittedly limited experience, Human females tend to become overly emotional when they are with child. I simply shared this observation, I did not mean to hit a... what is that expression. Nerve. I proceeded to suggest that perhaps meditation would be a more worthwhile pursuit to assist her in adjusting to the Vulcan ways." Her brown eyes looked unflinchingly at Alex, "had you indicated that I had caused offense, I would have apologised immediately, Lieutenant. Given the chance."

He sighed. "Alright." He looked at both. "Allow me to clear the air between you both." He took his wife by the shoulders. "Alexandra, I am sure T'Paris meant no disrespect. This is a miscommunication with you two. You are my wife. You are the very beating of my heart. Jealousy should never enter your mind. My devotion is to you. T'Paris is a fine Vulcan female who will make a suitable wife for any Vulcan but not for me as I belong to you. Vulcan females know their limit and the will not go after anyone's mate." He turned to T'Paris. "Do I speak the truth in that respect?"

There was the briefest of nods from T'Paris. Alex said nothing, still staring at the floor, her anger still boiling away. Was she just jealous? Really? Was she really that... needy?

"Excellent. I have no doubt that you two will work this out. I will not have a battle on this ship. Work it out." He held up a finger and said it to both, "Work it out," as he spoke his hands shook ever so slightly. He turned and headed out.

Alex stared after him before looking at T'Paris. "I apologise," she offered with absolutely no conviction. "I should not have hit you."

"Indeed."

"But to be clear," Alex added, "if you ever start to talk about me, or my husband, or so much as step a single foot out of line, I will tell him everything that you said. And I will not stop whatever he decides to do."

"Quite," T'Paris replied with a nod and that hint of a smirk before she turned on her heels and left.

Alex glared after her. No matter what Soral thought, what Soral wanted, she was not buying the little act T'Paris was playing. The woman was trouble. How much, she didn't know. But she needed to. If only she knew an intel officer...

Quickly collecting her things, she headed back to their quarters with her kit bag slung over her shoulder. By the time she had showered, changed into an old T-shirt of her dad's and crawled under the bed covers she had - for the most part - calmed down enough to know she had not only let T'Paris get under her skin but had even emphasised a point the woman would undoubtedly play upon. The emotional human. Alex groaned, pulling the sheets tighter around her like a cocoon.

And then tears came. She had no idea why. Anger maybe. Or maybe the knowledge that once again she had managed to fail when it came to being the wife of a Vulcan. Fighting! Really. Not to mention meditation. And then the biggest thorn, their bond. The thing Soral refused to let her take any responsibility for. As if it was so easy. She curled up, squeezing her eyes tight as she did something she normally reserved for those nervous moments in her childhood. She began reciting the periodic table in her head.

She had only made it to Tin when she felt someone sit on the edge of the bed. She stopped her recital, listening to the silence. "I'm still emotional, you may want to come back later," she mumbled.

Soral sighed. "I did not mean that to be a bad thing Alexandra. But your lack of trust in my loyalty to you is...disconcerting." It was down right painful.

"It's T'Paris I don't trust," Alex corrected, making no move to shift from her hiding spot. "And it sure sounded like a bad thing. Over-emotional, unworthy human."

Turning her head she screamed her frustration into the pillow.

Soral put his hand over her back. "You are wrong my wife. I am the one unworthy of you."

"I don't see you throwing punches," she pointed out.

"Alexandra...." he began. He sighed. He stood. "Never mind." He headed to the front to feed Bones.

Never mind. She closed her eyes, feeling that quell of temper flaring. Again. She kicked off the covers and walked out into the lounge, sure she looked a sight with her hair an unruly mass of curls and a T-shirt older than she was. She stood in silence watching as Soral set down a bowl of food for Bones who happily tucked in. “I keep finding ways to upset you,” she mused quietly. She knew he would hear her.

He turned. "Alexandra. You do not upset me. I just worry that I am...not doing enough as a husband to meet your needs."

“I want you to try,” she said after a moment.

"Indeed." He stood. "What must I do to meet those needs."

“A mind meld,” she clarified. She took a deep breath, trying to feign confidence and calm. “I want to try.”

"I will not risk your health Alexandra. Doctor Rose has not allowed this and I will not do anything that may be harmful to you."

“I want you to try,” she insisted, tears stinging her eyes. “I want you to feel how much I love you. And trust you. With everything I am. I want you to know. I don’t know why I am so angry or emotional right now but I know how much better I am with you. I want you to know, to really know, that someday we will have more children but that I’m not ready yet. I’m twenty three! I am not ready to bring a life into this universe. Not yet. But it doesn’t change how much I love you or our family. I want you to know how I feel, Soral. To really know.”

He stood and walked over to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders he said, "I know Alexandra. You have just told me that that to me means everything." His hand shook slightly as he cupped her face. "I won't risk your health. When you are ready we will merge our minds. I promise you."

She shook her head, “what if we don’t have that kind of time? A month? Maybe more? What if your Time comes, Soral? I’m willing to try. Please.”

"We will figure it out, my wife. I promise you this. "

His tone seemed so final that after a moment she gave a meek nod. “Alright,” she said quietly. “I should get ready, maybe some time in the lab will help.”

As she spoke she reached up to take his hand, frowning. “Your hand is still shaking... why?” She had noticed it earlier but assumed it was a sign of how angry he was. “Soral? What’s wrong?”

He sighed. "I have done very little meditating. It is a sign that I should listen more to my wife and rest." He kissed her forehead. "My promise to you. I will take better care of myself. While you are at the lab I will meditate."

“I can stay, if you need me to,” she offered.

"I will be alright." He kissed her cheek. "Besides Bones will be here to protect me." At the sound of his name the dog barked and began running around them.

Alex smiled before standing on her tip toes to kiss him back, “call me if you need me.”

OFF