New beginnings

Posted on Thursday, 30 December 2021 - 2:54pm by Lieutenant Alex Kingsley & Commander Soral

Mission: Operation: Mirror of Madness
Location: Various This Verse and Mirror Verse
Timeline: 2394

ON:

Time had lost all meaning while she slept. Oblivious as the shuttle completed the journey to the mirror universe, docking with another vessel, the sleek design giving no indication of its origins on Nivar. Barely stirring as her husband carried her to their quarters, leaving her to rest while he tended to other matters. For almost a full day, she slept on before she awoke in the unfamiliar surroundings.

Blue eyes stared up, meeting a view of the stars. The view was not a familiar one, just like the bed where she currently lay and the room itself.

Pushing back the bed covers she realised that besides her boots, she still wore the Starfleet uniform she was wearing when they left the Standing Bear. Even the comm badge was still in place, her fingertips tracing the familiar engraving. Able to remember when she had first wore her uniform… no… She hadn’t.

With an undeniable look of annoyance, Lexi stood and began to remove it, feeling more and more herself as each piece of clothing was discarded. She wouldn’t need it anymore.

Through the door on the right she found a bathroom with an actual bathtub big enough for about four people. After a brief deliberation she decided it was just what she needed and clearly someone thought so too, since a change of clothes were in a neatly folded pile beside some towels. Sitting on the edge of the tub she watched it fill with water and fragrant bubbles, the smell of lavender and jasmine drifting through the air.

As she sank into the water all the way up to her chin she closed her eyes, feeling calmer and more content than she had in weeks. More herself.

She smiled as she heard the door open, knowing who it would be as she reached out a hand.

Soral took her offered hand immediately. He sat on the edge of the tub. "I see that I was right about the bath. I am glad to see you are awake." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. He'd missed her fiercely.

Lexi peered up at him, smiling as she watched his every move, “me too. I've missed more than enough. The children...?”

In truth she was anxious. The children were hers and yet she had not given birth to them. Not, at least, with this body. This body bore no signs of having had four children, or had any of the scars which signalled the many fierce battles fought alongside and for her husband. Not that many had ever gotten close enough to lay a finger upon her if she had a say in it.

Which reminded her of a debt to repay after she was suitably dressed.

"They are awaiting us on a planet within the First Federation. They are safe and eager to have you back. I am told that Severine has been caring for them as if they were her own."

“I do not doubt it. The Vulcan who broke the bond - is he aboard?” she asked curiously.

"Yes," He studied her. "Why? Do you wish to thank him or …" He left the words for her to puzzle out.

“Both,” she shrugged, “which is why I won’t kill him. At least not today. I understand why he did what he did, why you asked him to… but it was painful and I feel a need to even the score a little. Of course, I could be distracted… since you missed me so much.”

He grinned. "Then distract you I shall." He leaned down bringing his lips to hers. He had missed her, so very much.


=/\= A Few Hours Later =/\=

Soral snuggled Alex closer to him. "I am glad to have you back my wife."

“I missed you,” she whispered, although he would hear her just fine. With a playful smile she shifted, moving so that she was on top, looking down at him as her hair fell like a veil around them. “And your distractions,” she added as she kissed him.

Drawing back a little, she frowned. “Do you forgive me?”

"Nothing to forgive." He smiled. "You are back now. Are you feeling the after effects of the bond breaking?"

“No,” she lied. Yes, there was a headache but there was more. A sadness and a pain that was at odds with her relief - and pleasure - at being in her husband’s arms. An echo of things lost.

He studied her. "It will all sort itself out. Give it time Lexi."

“Patience has never been my best trait,” she admitted, “I believe you told me so. Several times.”

He laughed. She'd always been the person he shared his Romulan side with him. "Yes but you are getting better."

“Hmm, maybe,” she conceded as she kissed him. “I missed your laugh… and I never want to cause you pain ever again.”

"You are my source of happiness." He sighed. "The feeling of the broken bond will fade as the Soral of the other verse fades. Hamura will have taken care of that."

Lexi paled, pulling back slightly as if he had physically hit her. Fades. Dies, likely at the hands of her husband’s trusted ally. Would he even know..? Would he suffer? But then, hadn’t she made him suffer enough?

Without thinking she abandoned the bed and headed into the lounge, pouring a large glass of the first bottle she could grab. Her hands were shaking it was a miracle the liquid made it into the glass. Romulan ale. A favourite of her husband’s, she recalled as she downed it in one go. It burned her throat - in a good way - and she began pouring another as her tears stung at her eyes. She furiously tried to blink them away as she heard Soral approaching.

Soral stood off to the side and studied her. While she was his Lexi she still had a lot of Alex there. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "I can understand your feelings. Do not cry, we are together now. Your old life will fade as you settle into the one that was stolen from you."

She turned, seeking comfort in his arms as so many conflicting emotions waged within her. The old and the new. To her it seemed to take an eternity to regain some kind of control. "I'm sorry," she breathed, kissing his cheek. "You are right. Of course, it will take time. I'm not used to being so... emotional. Not since ..."

Not since she fell pregnant, twice. Although neither had made her an emotional roller-coaster. If anything it brought her focus, perhaps unfortunately for some it focused her more cruel and sadistic tendencies. Murdering a captain on his Bridge with just a thought one such example. That, she recalled with a smile, had been a good day. She had indulged some over dramatic tendencies, no doubt, but it had been fun.

"It will get easier, I promise." He lead her over to the sofa. "And as for why I sent Hamura you know that someone whose bond is severed cannot survive long without either a secondary bond or the aid of a healer. Hamura being sent was....a mercy for you know I understand how he feels having that bond severed. I would not wish myself to suffer thusly, mirror double or not."

He had a point, she had to admit. “I just need time,” she reasoned. “And you are right. I can’t bare to think of him in pain and suffering. I’ve known him a heartbeat compared to you but…”

Her voice trailed off. He would understand what she meant.

"Indeed." He kissed her forehead. "Rest now. I have to tend to some duties but I shall return and we shall cook together and catch up."

“You know, if people see this side of you, they’d never fear you like they do,” she commented as she climbed to her feet.

"You, my wife, are the only one who sees this side of me."

She touched the side of his face, smiling as she leaned in and kissed him. “Until later.”

With a nod and a lingering glance Soral left to tend to duties knowing that Lexi would find a way to rest and perhaps repay some debts. He had missed her and now he had her back. He felt a lingering sadness for his mirror self, there was so much untapped potential there but he needed Lexi back and he would go to hell and back to get her.

Alone, Lexi wandered back into the bedroom. Sleep proved elusive so she showered, changed and had to admit the black leather looked far better than the uniform she had worn. So much so that she ensured to break the comm badge underfoot as she headed out in search of her own kind of distraction and a Vulcan who would learn to think twice before laying a finger on her again…

OFF