Risks

Posted on Wednesday, 27 January 2021 - 11:34am by Commander Soral & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley

Mission: Operation: Trail of Tears
Location: USS Standing Bear | Quarters
Timeline: 2394 MD 05

ON:

Soral was late.

Leaning across the table, Alex blew out the candle which had been steadily burning for the past thirty minutes, the tiny flame's soft light no longer reflecting against the plates and cutlery lying in wait. With a sigh she stood and worked her way around the room, extinguishing the other candles she had placed around the room until finally she stood in almost complete darkness. Sinking into the nearest chair, she curled up and stared out into the night as she resolved to wait. Mediation was important, and Soral's dedication to his class would undoubtedly help him. And yet she couldn't escape the fact that it was a place where a certain other Vulcan would certainly be.

Still, she needed to speak to him.

Making him dinner, wearing the same dress she had worn for their first date... She wanted to make sure she had his complete attention and then, hopefully, he would listen. At some point soon afterwards she must have drifted off to sleep, for she didn't hear the door opening.

Soral entered the darkened room. "Computer lights." He called as he walked deeper in. He noticed the set table and Alex. "I am late." He realized with a sinking feeling. "Alexandra I am sorry I... was in the holodeck meditating."

Awakening when the lights came up, Alex shook her head as she unfolded herself from the seat and stood. "It's okay, it wasn't like we had agreed to have dinner together and mediation is good," she assured him. "Did it help? The meditation?"

"It did." He walked over to her and lifted her into his arms. "I have missed you."

She grinned as she kissed him, “missed you too. It’s been a busy day.”

He placed her on the chair by the table. "I will reheat things. I did not mean to ruin the surprise."

“You have nothing to apologise for. How was your day?” She asked as she watched him bustle around the kitchen, watching for any signs to confirm her growing certainty.

"It was ... eventful and full. There was much to do." He moved around the kitchen distracted. "There were a few disciplinary issues and I started working on the bridge course.

“Disciplinary issues?” She didn’t hit quite the right level of surprise. She flashed him a sheepish smile, “I heard there was an incident in engineering.”

"Yes...it was most disconcerting ...more so for the ensign."

Alex couldn’t hide her amusement. “Perhaps, although you can guarantee he will now think twice before he makes a comment about your private life.”

"Indeed." He laid out the reheated food. "I have been thinking about something."

“Oh? What?”

"I have spoken with Hades." He said.

“Hades?” She repeated, surprised. They had been fortunate to have him nearby when they had needed him. Yet the fact he mentioned him made Alex worry. Maybe things were worse than she thought. “Are you alright?”

"I am. But...his daughter in law is not. she is Human. She is pregnant....with a Romulan Vulcan child."

Alex’s eyes widened, “aren’t such pregnancies complex? Is she alright?”

"They are. She has iron based blood and the child copper based. I had not thought of that when I suggested us having children. I believe that we should not risk it."

Her disbelief was almost palpable. “But you said you wanted more children, you were devastated when the healers said it might not be possible... Soral, I don’t understand? I get it’s more complicated but hell, I’d go live on Vulcan for the whole pregnancy if that’s what it took. It doesn’t mean we can’t ever try. Do not lie to me and say you’ve completely changed your mind...”

"I have not but I do not wish to do anything that can cause you harm."

"Soral," she said gently, reaching across the table and taking hold of his hand, "life is unpredictable and we don't know what the future holds. If what happened to you means we cannot have children when we are both ready... well, then we will adjust. But to not even try because you don't want to risk hurting me? That's like saying you are going to keep me in a bubble for the rest of my life. I promise, I'm tougher than I look. Don't let the curls fool you."

He sighed. "I like bubbles," he said with a pout.

She squeezed his hand, "I know. But I don't. Actually, I need to discuss something with you. But I need to know on a scale of one to ten how calm you are feeling? Ten being so serene you could levitate, one being you could punch through the wall."

"Well I was a nine but now that you've brought it up...I think it is a six and falling."

"Haha," she muttered drily, climbing to her feet and rounding the table. Almost predictably he shifted his chair back away from the table and she sat on his lap. "How about now?"

"New level of lack of calmness." He kissed her. "This must be a big conversation."

She took his hand in hers, having to twist to face him since the dress did not allow for much else, "it seems there may be a way for us to get out bond back," she told him. "It can't happen for a few weeks yet but there is a Vulcan healing technique that may help heal me enough for us to try again. You probably understand it more than I ever would and there is obviously some risk... but if there is even a slightest chance it could work... what do you think?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I did not think of that. Yes perhaps when we are within travel distance we can seek the right Vulcan healers to help."

"Actually, someone suggested Haru might be able to do it, with some help. Please don't be mad but I ran the idea past Mac and he let me speak to Haru about it..." her voice trailed off as she tried to decipher his expression.

He sighed. "Alright. But even if that were possible he is healing and there would need to be another person"

"He said there was another Vulcan who could help. T'Lara?" Alex told him. "And I made it clear, several times, that he did not have to do this. I don't want to set back his progress. As if Mac would even let that happen."

He studied her. The silence stretched. "Alright. We can look into it and doctor Rose will need to allow this."

Her smile was as bright as the sun as she kissed him, "it will work, I know it will."

"Indeed." He sighed. "Now shall we eat?"

She frowned. Any mood she had hoped to create was dead and buried it seemed. "Okay," she nodded as she climbed back to her feet to return to her own seat.

"You seemed disheartened?"

"I just..." she turned back to face him. "I seem to remember words like goddess when I first wore this dress on our first dinner together..."

"Indeed. That is no less true today. Anticipation is half of the fun, I believe."

Alex stared at him in disbelief as she folded her arms across her chest, "is that so?" Pondering that, she returned to her seat and picked up her fork, taking a great deal of time in deciding what to spear first.

He raised his right eyebrow. "I have also learned something with all this."

“And what’s that?” She asked as she took another bite.

"That I must be resistant more to your ideas. It would make you wear that dress."

She gave a rueful smile, “well, I don’t often have a reason to wear this one dress in my wardrobe.” Since her wedding dress did not count and was now hanging in a wardrobe on Vulcan.

"Indeed. I have a thought."

“I’m listening,” she encouraged.

"I think we have eaten enough." He stood pulling Alex up and lifting her in his arms. "It's time we took a break."

“I like breaks,” she grinned, wrapping her arms around him.

OFF: