Asking the Right Questions
Lieutenant Commander Elissabeth Marksbury
and Senior Lieutenant Melanie Redgrave
This is starting to become a habit, Elissabeth thought, stepping through the
lounge doors. Normally one for quiet and solitude, she surprised herself by
seeking out the company of the lounge. There were people around, but she just
curled into her hiding booth and read or studied. It seemed to be a fair enough
balance for her. Dinner with Anna had gone well and she had enjoyed the other
woman?s company, but thought it best not to extend the evening too long.
Not stopping at the bar, she wove her way through people, idly wondering if
Bryce would be sitting at her table, when someone stepped backwards. Lissi side
stepped to avoid them and nearly collided with someone else. Stopping short,
she was standing still as a third person turned from the bar and walked right
into her.
Her mind was a massive whirl of thoughts that Melanie just couldn?t reign in.
Her emotions were all over the place. One moment she?s madder then an Arsenal
supporter after another Man. Untied FA league championship win, and the next
moment she?s fighting back tears. The only thing she was managing to do was put
away several shots from the bottle of scotch that the bar keeper kept hidden
under the bar. After finishing off her fourth drink Melanie stood abruptly. She
suddenly wanted out of the crowd of the lounge more than anything, but as she
backed up to leave she ran into someone. "Oh, so sorry, pardon me."
Elissabeth reached out to steady the person who ran into her. "Melanie?"
Melanie looked up into the face of the person standing before her, and she
blushed brightly. Elissabeth was one of the last people she?d want to see her
at the moment. It took a moment for Melanie to realize Elissabeth wasn?t in
uniform so she figured it was safe to leave behind titles. "Sorry Elissabeth I
didn?t mean to run into you."
"It's okay," she replied softly. "Are you alright?"
Her mind was scream no. Her heart was screaming bloody sodding hell no. Her
voice, which was soft despite the fact that her accent was thick, wasn?t
listening. "Sure, Elissabeth, I?m ok."
Assessing her face, Lissi was skeptical. "Are you sure? Not to pry, you just
look upset."
Melanie looked Lissi in the face, her tears becoming harder to keep back. She?d
know this other woman. Would it be right to ask her what she was like? No, she
couldn?t do that. Elijah looked up to Lissi, and Lissi liked him and she
couldn?t put her in the middle. Besides, if she didn?t say it out loud then her
doubts and fears wouldn?t be real.. Right? "It?s nothing really. I'm fine."
Elissabeth caught the glint of tear in Melanie's eye. She didn't want to
meddle, especially after she'd jumped all over Skyler for it. "If you're sure,"
she smiled and began to move past the other woman.
Melanie waited a moment before finally giving in. She couldn?t stand the what
ifs and half truths. Maybe if she knew more about this woman, she?d be able to
think more clearly. "Who?s the redhead who?s been working with Elijah since he
was given your old spot on team A?"
Brow furrowed, Elissabeth looked at her and was jostled once again. After the
apologies, she said, "How about we get off the floor before I end up squished?"
Melanie bit her lower lip as she thought about whether to tell Lissi to forget
it, or to follow her. In the end, she figured it would be better to know as
much as she could before she went to talk to Elijah. That was if she could
muster enough strength to talk to him. "Alright," she said softly as she
followed the other woman to a table that was out of the way.
Settling down and waving the server away, Elissabeth laid her arms on the table
and clasped her hands together. "Now, that's better," she smiled. "Want to tell
me what's wrong?"
The weight of the camera she?d taken from Marjorie pressed into Melanie?s leg
when she slipped into the booth, reminding her of what was on it. She opened
her mouth to ask about the woman again, but instead she replied in almost a
whisper, "He kissed her."
Shocked, Lissi asked, "Elijah?"
Melanie nodded. "I?ve been trying to figure out what to do, but I can?t."
Blinking, "Are you sure?"
"The first thing they tell you when you start working my job is that people
lie, evidence doesn?t." Melanie replied as she wiped angrily at a tear that had
made it past her defenses. "And the evidence says that it was him with the
redhead in security office."
"What evidence?"
Melanie hesitated. She didn?t want to risk any friendship between Lissi and
Elijah but she didn?t know what to do and was hoping if anyone would know how
to take charge of a bad situation it would be Lissi. So slowly, Melanie pulled
the camera out of her pocket and slid it across the table.
Elissabeth cued up the photo and tried not to show her surprise. "What did
Elijah have to day about this?"
"Nothing," Melanie said as she looked down at her hands. She felt stupid for
not going to Security like she?d first planned. She shouldn?t have allowed her
emotions to confuse her, but she?d never hurt like that before. "I?m afraid of
what he?ll say so I haven?t asked."
Giving a sympathetic smile, Elissabeth said, "Melanie..." She knew that Melanie
knew she should talk to Eli before anyone else.
Melanie nodded her head in understanding, but knowing what to do and having the
ability to do it were two different things. "What do I, Lissi? Walk up and say
"How was your day sweetheart? Oh and by the way what?s the deal with you
kissing another woman?" Melanie looked out the window at the stars as she wiped
at another betraying tear.
Smirking, she said, "That'd definitely get it out in the open." Elissabeth
sighed, "I'm really bad at this relationship stuff, Melanie, but I do know that
the sooner you get it out in the open and let Eli tell his side, the sooner you
can put it behind you in one way or another."
"I know but I?m afraid he?ll take it back," she admitted as she turned her head
to look at Lissi again.
"Take what back?"
"That he loves me."
"Oh, Melanie," she breathed, her heart going out to the other woman. "I've been
questioning my judgement a lot lately, but when Elijah talks about you, his
face lights up. It's so obvious that you are his world. Of that, I'm sure."
Melanie thought about what Lissi was saying. Her thoughts slowly returning to a
pace in which she could understand them. She had to stop letting her unfounded
fear control her, she?d never allowed it before. Suddenly something else Lissi
said stuck her, "Why would you be questioning yourself?"
"Just a run of bad decisions. Look," she began, "I know that I'm a little
biased where Elijah is concerned and the evidence is really damning, but I also
saw plain as day how Elijah feels about you the last time we talked. Just give
him a chance to explain." Maybe you wouldn't be so miserable if you'd follow
your own advice, Liss.
"I will. Thanks, Lissi. I guess I just needed to see for myself that I could
talk about it and the universe wouldn?t explode all around me." Melanie slipped
the camera back in her pocket and then paused for a moment. When she looked up
again, she looked into Lissi?s eyes. "I know we?re not close or anything but
you did help me during a rocky time with my sister, and you took time to help
me tonight... I?m a good listener as well as a good whiner."
Elissabeth smiled, "I'm fine, but thanks for the offer. You may want to
remember, Melanie, that... I don't really know how to say this without coming
across judgmental, but you seemed more worried that Elijah would change his
mind about his feelings for you when all the evidence in front of you says that
he's cheating on you. You have every right to be angry with him if that's the
case. You're too strong to be the scared little girl you seem."
"Give me a few more minutes and I?ll be calling him every four letter word I
can think of," Melanie replied as she allowed the conversation to remain about
herself. "I feel like I?m that damned bloke from Jekel and Hyde and I really
don?t like feeling this way. I don?t like the variability that comes with
handing someone your heart."
Nodding, Elissabeth looked haunted, "I know. Believe me, I know."
Seeing the small opening, Melanie decided to take it. Maybe if she didn?t get
specific, Lissi would talk and somehow find her own answers. "So why do we do
it then?"
"Fall in love? Think we fall in love? I don't know. I'm asking myself the same
questions. And just when you think you've gotten comfortable, something new
slaps you in the face." She looked away and shook her head.
Melanie sighed in a knowing way. "We know there?s going to be pain involved in
one way or the other and yet we willingly hand over the very core of ourselves.
Something about that doesn?t make sense. No wonder Vulcans think we?ve lost our
collective minds."
"It's not easy and I'm not even sure it's worth it. But then I see the way
people like you and Elijah are with each other and it makes me wonder if I
should keep trying."
Melanie smiled weakly. "When he?s holding me it?s more then worth it. Even now,
as mad and hurt as I am... It?s still worth it. You should keep trying,
Elissabeth, but only with the person who you know without a doubt is worth the
good and the pain."
"I'll keep that in mind," she replied, knowing that she didn't really mean it.
"You should go talk to Eli. Give him a chance to explain." She hated to, but
her criminal think alike mind prompted her to say it. "I wouldn't show him the
picture right off the bat. Let him show you what sort of person he truly is."
"You?re right," Melanie said as she got ready to slip out of the booth. "I?ve
got to know up front whether or not he?s really going to be the one I spend my
years with." Slipping out of the booth, Melanie walked over and placed a hand
on Lissi?s shoulder. "Thank you, Elissabeth."
"I didn't really do much of anything, but I'm always willing to listen. Most
times, I've found people can solve their own problems if they have someone else
willing to listen and ask the right questions."
Melanie shook her head and laughed lightly. "Yeah, but you don?t seem to get
just how precious that very thing can be to a person. Ya know Elissabeth, whom
ever is the one lucky enough to be worth it to you is going to be a really
lucky person." Melanie squeezed Lissi?s shoulder and smiled. "Enjoy the rest of
your evening, Elissabeth."
Lissi offered her half a smile as she looked up. "Thank you for that. I wish
you the best... and if you need to talk afterwards, though I hope you don't,
I'm here."
"And so am I," Melanie added. "Just in case you can?t ask the right questions."
Melanie didn?t give Lissi a chance to protest. She flashed her a warm smile and
then headed for the lounge doors.
Sweet woman, Lissi thought as she settled into her booth for the evening. She
truly hoped things weren't as they seemed to be for Melanie because then she
would lose faith that real relationships ever lasted. If Eli and Melanie
couldn't make a go of anything, there was no hope left for her and James. None
at all.
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