<USS Avalon> "Between Sister's" Cmdr Skyler, Lt. Redgrave and Sr. Lt. Marksbury

"Between Sister's
Cmdr Skyler, Lt. First Class Melanie Redgrave, Sr. Lt. Elissabeth  Marksbury 
 
 
Skyler had just finished her conversation with Lyryn or Lissis as she was  
being called now. She felt strange being alone and awake, no longer in the 
abyss 
 that she had grown to feel safe and secure in. She had been told that Geo
rgia  had only been doing what her mother Celeste, had wanted her to do, 
protect 
her.  She had also learned that she had a sister, that Sunni hadn't died and 
was  actually alive and serving on this ship, her ship.
 
It was an awful lot to take in but she just  closed her eyes and tried  to 
let her body relax after the stressful time she had just been through. She  was 
back in the darkness but this time she was not hiding. She took several deep  
breaths to try and calm herself down. As she did her mind started to wander,  
something it hadn't  done for a very long time. Before she was even aware  of 
it she was calling out to someone. "Sunni, Melanie" Were they really  the same 
person, she had to find out.
 
The dream that Melanie was having about talking rabbits and drugged out  
blondes suddenly faded away and Melanie found herself alone and in the dark. 
She  
jerked herself awake when she heard her names being called out. Melanie sucked 
 in air as she looked around her living room. She'd been sleeping on the 
couch  since she'd given her bed to Georgia. Sitting up slowly, allowing her 
mind 
to  clear, Melanie realized who was calling out to her. After looking in on 
Georgia,  Melanie slipped on her little slippers and headed to sick bay, still 
in her PJs. 
 
Skyler had managed to talk one of the nurses to raise the head of her bed  up 
a little. 
She was tired of laying flat and thought the change might do  her some good. 
Her eyes were still closed and her vital signs were all remaining  stable. She 
had promised Lissi that she wouldn't go anywhere however she was  seriously 
considering going to her quarters. She tried to sit on the edge of the  bed and 
after several attempts she finally made it, although she was still  wobbly. 
Her mind was still wandering, racing, trying to figure out everything  that she 
had been told. Did she really have a sister and was she really on this  ship? 
How did that happen? Too many question's and not enough answers.  "Sunni is
Melanie, Melanie is Sunni, Sunni, Soliel is not dead. How?  Melanie"
 
"I survived the attack." Melanie said aloud from the doorway near Skyler's  
bed. "Celeste somehow managed to make sure I wasn't hurt." 
 
Skyler just about fell off the bed when she heard the voice. "I didn't hear  
you come in. Didn't anyone ever tell you, you shouldn't sneak up on people 
like  that?" Skyler slowly placed her feet on the floor and tried to stand up 
but 
 being as weak as she was, she just about fell over. "So, you are Melanie?"
 
"Wasn't expecting you to be awake so I didn't knock." Melanie replied as  she 
caught Skyler mid-stumble. "That would be me." 
 
"Didn't think you would come, actually I didn't know what to think. I do  
know that I am getting out of here so feel like helping me back to my  
quarters?"
 
Melanie looked at her oddly. "You called out to me, why wouldn't I come."  
She helped Skyler keep her balance but wasn't making a move to walk with her.  
"Should you be leaving?"  
 
"I don't know what I thought would happen. I am still trying to process all  
the information. As for leaving, if you want to talk then you will help me to 
my  quarters or I will go on my own. The choice is yours." Skyler really hoped 
that  even though she really didn't know this person like she should she 
hoped she  would at least obey rank if nothing else.
 
Melanie laughed. "Your on medical leave, at the moment you don't out rank  
me, Skyler. I'll help you to your room but you have to ask Cazook first." 
 
"I don't have to ask anyone I am leaving, You can help me or not. Either  way 
I am leaving." Skyler started to make her way toward the exit, she may be  
slow but she was stubborn and determined. "Besides Cazook is gone for the  
night."
 
"I can call Georgia, she's asleep back at my place." Melanie watched as  
Skyler moved towards the door slowly. Man this woman was hard headed. "You just 
 
woke up out of a stressful telepathic coma. I know you use to be a doctor, 
would  you let a woman who just woke from one of those leave?" 
 
Are you going to help me or not? I am going either way you can follow or  not 
the choice is yours." Skyler made it to the exit and waited for the doors to  
open and then she walked into the hall. "and yes I am one stubborn woman so 
get  used to it"
 
Melanie smiled as she shook her head. Then she went over and helped Skyler  
again. "We're really going to have to work on that you know." She helped Skyler 
 down the hall and into the turbo lift. The older woman looked tired and 
Melanie  frowned. "Are you sure you don't wanna have someone look you over?" 
 
"I am if you are." She replied as the lift came to a halt. "I'd like to  
leave a message for Georgia letting her know your ok." 
 
"I may dose off every now and then but I will be fine. You can leave  Georgia 
a message when we get to my quarters." Skyler leaned against the wall of  the 
lift for a few minutes then left it and headed down the hall to her  quarters.
 
Melanie helped Skyler to her room and then down onto her couch. "I hope you  
remember her, it really hurt her when she didn't think you knew who she was." 
 
Skyler sat down on her own couch and relaxed. "I'm sorry I never meant to  
hurt anyone but you have to admit that this is all rather shocking to me as  
well. I still don't understand all the details and such. I know Georgia was 
just  
protecting me but I don't understand the rest. I'm not even sure if you are 
real  or if I am just imagining it. Anyone could make up facts and such. I need 
 answers  to questions. I need the truth for once."
 
"What kinda answers? DNA tests? The logs that belonged to our mother that  
Georgia sent me? Ask me and I'll do my best, Skyler." Melanie sat in a chair  
across from Skyler, looking into eyes that were so much like her own. "Ya know  
this isn't how I wanted this to play out. You jumped the gun when you read my  
thoughts."
 
"I jumped the gun?! Just what in the blue blazes did you think it was going  
to work? If you are my sister then you should've known I would be able to read 
 your thoughts. How do you think it made me feel? I thought I was crazy and  
losing my mind. I was ready to just give up and die. What did you want me to 
do,  welcome you back with open arms when I didn't even know who the hell you 
were?"  Skyler was getting a tad angry and needed to calm down so she leaned 
her head  back on the couch, closed her eyes and took some deep breaths.
 
Melanie waited until Skyler's breathing was even again. "I thought we'd get  
to know each other first. I wanted to get the DNA proof first." Melanie took a 
 deep breath before going on. "I didn't know what I expected of you. I just  
wanted to find what I'd been missing is all." 
 
Skyler didn't say anything for awhile. She wanted to wait until her temper  
had calmed down. This isn't how she wanted this conversation to go. Perhaps she 
 should have waited for Lissi to bring Melanie so she had a buffer of some 
kind"I  don't mean to yell but you have to admit after all these years it is a 
shock to  find out you have a sister and that she is serving on the same ship 
you  are."
 
"About as much of a shock as finding out your adopted and that your mother  
was killed because she had bring you back from a medial outpost." Melanie  
replied. "This situation isn't easy for any of us involved."
 
"At least you have had time to adjust to the situation, get your facts  
straight and you knew what had happened. I was not afforded that luxury. You  
just 
suddenly appear on the Avalon, and the next thing I know I find out you are  
supposed to be my sister and Georgia has been keeping this secret from me all  
these years. I think you got the better end of the deal." Skyler stood up and  
made her way to the replicator and got herself a glass of ice cold water to  
sooth her throat. She needed something to occupy her hands and her mind. She  
wished that Lissi was here. This was definitely harder than she had ever  
imagined it would be.
 
--//\\--
 
Lissi had returned to her quarters and laid down, but her mind would not  
settle enough to sleep.  She shouldn't have left Skyler.  Something  was just 
nagging at her about it.  She moved her exhausted body back out of  bed after 
an 
hour, knowing she'd rest better sitting up next to Skyler's  bed.
 
Making her way to sick bay, she was more than surprised to find the woman  
gone.  After immediately asking the computer where she was, Lissi headed  
straight for Skyler's quarters wondering what that stubborn woman thought  she 
was 
doing.
 
--//\\--
 
Melanie sat there and watched Skyler for a few moments. Why couldn't this  
types of things be easy? "The only think I knew when I got here was that I'd  
found a DNA match that linked with Maddox and Celeste and that they had a  
daughter. I didn't know anything about how I'd ended up adopted. I'd thought 
I'd  
been thrown away, just turns out I'd caused my mother to be in the wrong place  
at the wrong time. Your not the only one with issues in all of this Skyler." 
 
"Fighting back and forth like this is going to get us no where. At least  you 
had parents to grow up with. I'm not faulting Georgia, she did the best she  
could and she has always been faithful to me. Still, I was the one left alone, 
 with  no real family, no connections at all." ~~Damn I wish Lissi was  here~~
 
"No real family.. Man I'm glad Georgia's not here. You'd have broken her  
heart. She gave you everything she could." Melanie got to her feet. "Maybe this 
 
isn't the best time to do this." 
 
"Afraid to  face the truth or me? Any sister of mine would stay and  make me 
believe."
 
Melanie couldn't help but smirk. "Give me a teddy bear. I'll stick around  
and make you believe." 
 
 Lissi pressed the chime on Skyler's door, wondering how the  hell Skyler got 
back to her quarters.
 
Skyler heard the chime and yelled "Enter."
 
Lissi blinked with the tone of Skyler's voice as the door opened.  She  
looked back and forth between Skyler and Melanie, silently assessing the  
situation, waiting for one of them to speak.  At least now she knew how  Skyler 
got 
back and she wasn't pleased.
 
"Lyr.....uh Lissi what are you doing here? Come in and join the party if  you 
can call it that."
 
"Well," she began quietly, going to Skyler's side to check on her, "I was  
going back to sickbay like I promised, only you didn't stay there like you  
promised.  Luckily I didn't need a covert ops team to find you."  She  looked 
at 
Melanie sternly because Skyler seemed so flustered and that she  had allowed 
Skyler out of sickbay, but asked softly, "Am I intruding?" 
 
'I know I promised but Sickbay was getting to be uncomfortable and for some  
reason my mind started to wander and called out to Melanie and we ended up 
here.  I should have waited I know but, well.....what  can I say. No you are  
not."
 
Melanie looked at Lissi and then at Skyler. "I told you you should have  
stayed." Then she looked at Lissi. "Apparently I jumped the gun this time. She  
called out to me again and I went. I don't think this is helping." 
 
Your not intruding at all. Please stay and help me figure this out.  Please?" 
Skyler was almost begging Lissi to stay.
 
Skyler looked at Lissi and then at Melanie and leaned her head back on the  
couch, taking a few deep breaths.
 
Melanie looked right at her sister but spoke to Lissi. "I tried that,  
according to Skyler no sister of hers would run off and I'm to make her  
believe." 
 
"If you stay I will do my best to remain calm, I don't plan on returning to  
sickbay."
 
"Okay, now, I'm not the most diplomatic of people, just ask Georgia, I  think 
she's still made at me for giving her an order the other day... Anyway, I  
just want the two of you to stop and look at each other.  Look in each  other's 
eyes."  She waited until the two women complied. "The two of you  are the 
greatest gift each other could have.  What happened in the past...  it was 
tragic 
and unfortunate... but don't you see what you are to each  other?  Something 
neither one of you ever thought you'd have."  She  paused to let her words sink 
in.  "I didn't know your mother... but I can  imagine how pleased she'd be to 
know her daughters were a family again."   Wondering if that made any sense 
at all, Lissi sat in the chair by the sofa and  waited. 
 
Skyler sat up and looked at Melanie. For a moment she thought she saw  
something but didn't know what it was. Trying to remain calm she looked at  
Melanie. 
"Explain how you could be Sunni?"
 
Melanie sank back into the chair across from Skyler and Lissi, taking a  
moment, and a deep breath before replying. "Celeste somehow kept me from 
getting  
hurt when the outpost was attacked. When I was rescued, instead of taking the  
time to see if I belonged anywhere, I was adopted." Melanie paused a moment, 
her  mind reeling. "DNA makes me your sister, Skyler, a simple test can prove 
that.  Wither or not I'm your Sunni is up to you." 
 
Skyler looked at Lissi for help.
 
"It's all so confusing I don't understand."
 
"Well, Skyler, technically, Melanie is right and I believe she is who she  
says.  She has the proof..."
 
"If you are who you say you are then prove it. I need something tangible to  
touch and see." Skyler was almost in tears, she didn't know what to do.
 
Lissi moved over and sat by Skyler, clutching her hand.  "You need to  calm 
down or I'm taking you back to sickbay.  This is getting to be too  much."
 
Lyr......Lissi you have helped me through all this tell me what to do. I  
don't want to self destruct. I want to believe but its so hard.....
 
"We can send for Georgia. She can do DNA scans if that's what you want."  
Melanie offered.
 
Squeezing her hand tightly, Lissi said, "This is something you have to work  
through yourself.  I can't tell you what to believe or not.... But maybe  
Melanie can bring her boxes to you to look through as you want."  She  looked 
at 
Melanie hoping that she'd understand that Skyler needed time.
 
Skyler held onto Lissi's hand for dear life and looked at Melanie. You have  
boxes?"
 
One's got the research that lead me to you, the other Georgia gave me. Home  
movies, Celeste's logs, pictures, my teddy bear."  
 
Skyler hesitated for a moment, "Do you think I could look at them?"
 
"Maybe if Skyler had the time to look through things then adjust to  the 
situation, you two would have an easier time talking..."  She looked at  the 
two, 
hopefully. 
 
Melanie thought about it and then nodded. "They were Celeste's things,  
Skyler has much right to them as I do. She can everything but the bear." 
 
"I just need to see things bear included. I will give it back. I just dont'  
want to hurt anymore or hurt anyone else." She looked at Lissi as she said  
that.
 
"He's kinda ragged so be careful with him. He's days as a weapon are over."  
Melanie answered with a small smile. 
 
"If Melanie is okay with that... I'll go with her and get the things and  
bring them back to you." Lissi stood and kissed Skyler on the forehead.   She 
looked pointedly at Melanie to see if she agreed to the plan.  
 
Melanie nodded and then got to her feet in order to follow Lissi out. 
 
Skyler looked at Lissi and smiled a Thank You to her. After the two of them  
left Skyler closed her eyes and tried to rest. She was so worn out. But in the 
 end it would hopefully be worth it.

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