<USS Avalon> "Another Botched Moment"

"Another Botched Moment"
Elijah Dareth and Melanie Redgrave

For the third morning in a row, Melanie had awaken to an empty bed and an empty 
cabin. Sure there had been a note saying Elijah needed to get in early to run 
drills with his team, sure there was a breakfast of fresh tea, whole milk, and 
dry toast with blackberry jam waiting for her on the table, but she was still 
alone. 

This has to stop. She thought as she sat through her morning staff meeting. I 
need to find him and we need to talk. As soon as the last word was spoken in 
her meeting she dismissed her staff rather quickly and rather harshly, and then 
nearly laughed when she heard Pauly mutter something about hormones. Heading 
out of her department, Melanie made sure to grab her small pouch of saltines 
and headed to the Security offices. 

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Elijah said, placing the box he'd been eyeing, 
hastily back in his desk drawer, surprised to see Melanie standing in his 
office door. "Everything okay?" he was on his feet and beside her in just a 
moment.

"No everything is not ok." She huffed lightly as she fully stepped into the 
office, allowing the door to hiss closed behind her. "For the last three 
mornings I've found myself alone in our bed. You've been working extra shifts, 
spending more time in the gym, and having drinks with that shrink friend of 
yours." Melanie looked at him with a mixture of hurt, anger and understanding. 
"I know this baby thing isn't settling well with you and I think we need to 
talk."

Elijah's face burned a little at being so easily caught. But he wasn't going 
down just yet. "His name is Ryan."

"That's nice, but at the moment I really don't give a bloody hell what his name 
is." Melanie folded her arms across her belly while she still had the ability 
too. "What I care about it this baby and how her father is reacting to her, and 
to me."

Closing his eyes slowly, he breathed in deeply. "Melanie," he blew out the 
breath and stepped closer, reaching out to place a gentle finger on her jaw to 
turn her face up to his. Looking deeply into her eyes, he said, "I love you. 
And I will love our child." 

She wanted to cry but she refused to play into the typical pregnant woman mood 
swings. "Then what's the matter? I know your scared, love. I am too. But you 
won't come talk to me about it."

"I've just needed some time to sort things out. And honestly, I was afraid if I 
told you that, you would take it personally." 

"I probably would have, but you still should have said something to me." 
Melanie reached out and caressed Elijah's cheek. "More now then ever, love, we 
need to be able to turn to each other."

He turned his head and kissed her palm, then reached up to take her hand, 
leading her to the sofa. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his 
arms around her and burying his face in her neck. "I was trying to decide what 
to do and how you would react to every possible situation. The last thing I 
want to do is hurt you." 

Melanie blinked, then huffed. "Why does everyone keep assuming your going to 
hurt me? I know you'd never hurt me intentionally, and I know you'd try very 
hard not to hurt me in any other way." She leaned in to him, relaxing, and 
loving the way it made her feel when he held her this way. "As for trying to 
guess as to how I would react, I wasn't very predicable before the baby and I'm 
bound to be even less so with all the hormones swimming around in my blood 
stream."

"And you wonder why I was worried?" he asked, teasing. 

"I'm sorry. I'm trying to remain as normal as I can manage." Melanie offered as 
she closed her eyes. 

"I know, sweetheart, it wasn't an accusation. You're right. Instead of trying 
to guess how you would react, I should've just asked you. So let me try." He 
took a breath and blurted out, "How would you feel about getting married?"

Melanie stiffened a little. "It depends on wither your asking because of the 
baby. I don't want to trap you, Elijah, so no I won't marry you simply because 
I'm pregnant." 

"Melanie, how well do you know me?" 

A slow teasing smile danced briefly across her face. "Biblically."

He chuckled. "That you do. And somewhere in that beautiful mind of yours, you 
know that I would never have known you that intimately if I hadn't considered 
and/or planned spending the rest of my life with you. Right?"

Melanie nodded. "You told me that first night that you were sure about our 
commitment, but the baby chances things. I don't want her making you rush into 
anything."

"I want to show you something." Gently sliding her off his lap, he moved over 
to his desk and pulled out his credit chip. Sliding into a PADD, he brought it 
over to her. "Look at the charges from the starbase." 

Melanie's eyes went wide as she pulled her necklace out from under her uniform 
top. "You paid that much for my necklace!?"

"No. And I didn't want to show it to you, but it's the only thing that proves 
the date on which I bought this." He handed her the box from his desk that he'd 
palmed.

"What is it?" She asked though her shaking hands hinted that she already had an 
idea. 

"Open it."

Melanie's eyes filled with tears at the sight of princess cut diamond nestled 
into it's band, snuggled with tiny baguette cut green stones. She looked up and 
Elijah and then back at the ring. "It's beautiful." 

He dropped to one knee in the floor and took her hand in both of his. "And I 
want you to have it as a promise that you will become my wife. Will you? Marry 
me, I mean? Baby or no baby, Melanie Soliel Natalia Redgrave, I want to spend 
the rest of my life with you." 

Tears freely fell from Melanie's eyes. "You were going to ask before I even got 
pregnant weren't you?" A smile brightened her face when Elijah simply nodded. 
"In that case.. Yes, love I'll marry you."

Eli swallowed, not completely sure he'd heard her right. He had prepared 
himself for an onslaught of reasons why they shouldn't get married. Grinning he 
leaned in and kissed her gently before pressing his forehead against hers. "And 
you're not just saying yes because of the baby? You don't think I've trapped 
you, do you?" His eyes danced with merriment.

"Well now that mention it." She teased back before lightly slapping his arm. 
"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to tease a hormonal mother to be?" Handing 
Elijah back the box she asked, "Put it on?"

Sliding the ring from the box, Eli took Melanie's left hand into his and gently 
placed the ring onto the fourth finger. Lifting the hand to his lips, he kissed 
it gently. "I think I'm the luckiest man in the universe," he breathed over her 
hand.

"Not luck, love, fate. Why else would everything that's happened happen? I come 
here to find my sister and end up with you and a baby to boot? That's more then 
just luck." Melanie kept the part about it being her Mother's doing to herself. 

"Well," he said, standing and pulling Mel to her feet and wrapping his arms 
around her waist, "whatever it is, I'm happier than I ever thought I'd be." He 
lowered his head and kissed her deeply and passionately.

Melanie's hand slid up his chest and around his neck so she could wrap arms 
around his neck the way she always did when they kissed this way, but something 
catch her attention as she pulled away to look at his collar. "What's that?"

"Hmm... that? Oh," he grinned, "that'd be another pip."

Slapping him a little harder on the upper arm, Melanie's eyes went wide. "Why 
didn't you tell me?"

"Kinda took a back seat to all the other news in our lives, don't you think?" 

Melanie blushed as she smiled, hugging Elijah to her. "Yes, I guess so." She 
held him a moment longer, allowing everything to process in her mind and heart. 
"I love you." She whispered. "Both of you." 

"And I love you both." He kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, Melanie, but I guess 
I botched another romantic moment," he blushed a bit. "I swear I come up with 
the most grandiose plans and yet, I still manage to do everything on the spur 
of the moment." 

"You haven't botched anything, Eli love." Melanie told him as she kissed him 
softly on the lips. "I won't trade the way things have played out for anything. 
I don't need grandiose. I simply need you."

"Well, you've got me." He held her for another moment until the chime to his 
office rang. He pulled back and gave her a sheepish look. "Work calls."

Melanie nodded and reluctantly let go. "I have an appointment with Anna. I 
shouldn't keep her waiting. I'll see you after shift?"

"Most definitely." He kissed her quickly once more as the chime rang again, 
sending them back to reality. Though a much, much happier one.

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