<USS Avalon> "Friends: Then, Now and Always" Cmdr Skyler and Lt. Cmdr Marksbury

 
"Friends: Then, Now and Always"
Cmdr Skyler and Lt. Cmdr Marksbury
 
Sitting in her office Skyler was going over reports and other  mundane things 
before shoreleave was granted. She knew that Dr. Cazook was back  which meant 
Lissi was back. I wonder how she is doing? 


Elissabeth was sitting silently, concentrating on  her breathing as she 
meditated, learning to settle her mind and reach out to  those around her.  She 
wasn't a telepath - far from - but she did have an  advantage with certain 
people.  And at that very moment, Skyler was drawing  her out.  A small smile 
lit up 
Lissi's face and she unfolded herself,  quickly making her way to Skyler's 
office.  She rang the chime and  waited.

Skyler wasn't expecting anybody so without  even raising her head from her 
task she replied, "Enter." 

"Hey you," Elissabeth smiled as she walked  through the door.  

"Hey yourself. How did things go on earth?" 
 
Elissabeth closed her eyes and opened her mind to Skyler,  letting the woman 
see for herself the more mental control and ease there.   


I'm impressed. I thought you weren't a telepath yet you  are willingly 
letting me in your head. What gives? 


"I'm not," she said simply.  "But I've  learned to deal with what is there. 
It doesn't hurt anymore," she smiled, coming  further in and sitting down.  

"I'm glad to hear that. You don't know  how bad I felt and still feel about 
what I did to you. I know it wasn't right  but it was the only thing I could 
do. Does that make  sense?" 

"Skyler, please.  There's no reason  to apologize.  I'm fine.  I'm just glad 
you are."  She looked  around a moment and then joked, "So, you don't offer 
any of that god-awful soda  stuff to drink anymore?"  

Laughing Skyler looked at Elisabeth, "If it's so god-awful  why do you want 
some?" She reached into her private stash and handed her friend  a Diet Cherry 
Coke. 

"I wanted to make you laugh.  So,  tell me what in the world you did to this 
ship while I was  away!"  
 
"What did I do? I spent most of the time on the battle bridge  while the 
captain hid out in NoWhere. While fighting the Maquis and the rest I  can't 
tell. 
You wouldn't believe me if I did." Not even thinking Skyler started  to think 
of Grace.  

"Try me."  She wondered if this NoWhere was the place  Josh had shown her.  
 
Skyler sighed. "It's all that temporal crap again. I can't go  into details 
but it was interesting to say the least. Kinda reminded me of when  we first 
met."

"Oh?" Lissi asked, brow perked a bit.  "How so?"  
 
"Actually it reminded me more of when I first met Lyryn. I  hate temporal 
mechanics. Always have and always will." At least I got to meet  my future 
niece, 
if only for a few minutes. 
 
"A lot of people say that, I've found."  Elissabeth  chuckled slightly.  
"You'd think of all people that I'd hate them the  worst, but," she shrugged.  
Something was pulling at Elissabeth's mind from  Skyler, though she couldn't 
define it.  "What's wrong?" she asked after a  long pause.  


Skyler shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing and everything. I  remember 
everything Liss. I remember the Tempest, being held captive, talking to  Lyryn 
or you, 
whoever is in control of you now." Skyler got up and went to look  out the 
window, looking for something that was no longer there. "I met her. I  met 
Grace." 

"Who's Grace?" 
 
Hesitating Skyler sighed, "I can't say, even though I want  to. I can't, and 
it's killing me inside." She just kept staring out the window,  watching.  


Elissabeth stood and moved over to the  window, placing her hand on Skyler's 
back.  "You can tell me.  I do  have the clearances to read those reports, you 
know."   

"Grace is...my niece. Melanie's daughter.  I met her. She was the captain of 
the ship that came through the wormhole. I  can't even tell my own sister. God 
forbid I tell Georgia, and I am not having  another brain wipe. So don't even 
think about it." Lyryn you are here I can  feel you. Why are you trying to 
hide from me? 

Skyler's whisperings to her mind took  precedence over what Skyler was 
actually saying.  Turning to study her  friend, Elissabeth looked at her 
seriously.  
"I'm not.  I'm right  here," she whispered.  

"Why did you leave? Because of me, what I did to you? What I  felt for you? 
Why?" Skyler turned to look at her friend and had a tear in her  eye. 

Elissabeth blinked in  surprise.  "No.  Not at all.  They got rid of Lyryn 
Cate and  created Elissabeth Marksbury.  That's just the way it was."   

"If that's just the way it was, why when  I wanted to die did I reach for 
you, not Elissabeth? You were always there,  otherwise you wouldn't have come 
when I reached out to  you." 

"I'm here now.  Let it count for something."  
 
Turning Skyler looked at Lyryn, "It does count for something.  I just 
wish.....hell I don't know what I wish." Yes you do you idiot you just  won't 
admit 
it and don't want to tell her. 


"Wish what?" she asked softly.  
 
"Nothing." 
 
"Skyler..."  
 
Turning to look back out the window Skyler whispered, "I  can't. I have 
screwed enough things up as it is."  
 
"I won't push you, you know that.  But," she shrugged,  "I always listen."  

Damnit push.  Otherwise I don't know if I can tell you. I don't know if I 
have the nerve, and  it scares me. "I know you won't push. I just don't know 
what 
to  say."  

Elissabeth blinked,  the mental messages slamming into her.  "How... I 
mean..."  She  sighed.  "Skyler, please, tell me what's wrong.  I'm getting  
conflicting things from you and it's confusing."  
 
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to confuse you. I'm just not sure  how to tell you 
what's going on. I need to know first who I am talking to. Lyryn  or 
Elissabeth?" 
 
"Both, I guess.  The same, different... I don't  know.  What do you feel?"  
 
"What do you mean, what do I feel? Am I feeling confused  between Lyryn and 
Elissabeth? Sorta." 
 
 "Well, join the club," she smirked.  "Just sit.   Talk."  
 
Skyler walked over and sat down on the couch. "Everything  
seems....different. You're different. Yet some things aren't different which is 
 my problem. I 
know it makes no sense." 
 
Elissabeth shook her head.  "No, it doesn't," she said,  coming over to sit 
beside Skyler.  What is on your mind concerning  me?  It's something.  I can 
feel it.  Just say it and it will  never go past these walls."  
 
Skyler rested her head on the back of the couch. "You already  know. I 
thought I could get over it, and while you were gone I thought I had.  Truth be 
told 
I don't know that I ever will."
 
 "Oh."  Surpise mingled with concern.  "Skyler, you  know..." Elissabeth let 
the sentence trail away, unsure what to say.  
 
"I know, I know. You want the honest truth?" 
 
Lissi nodded.  
 
Taking a deep breath Skyler started to speak softly.  "Remember when we were 
on the Tempest? All the time we spent talking? I knew  then how I felt. I 
didn't do or say anything because I wasn't sure then what you  were thinking."  
 
"I see...  I... Skyler, I don't know what to say, to be  honest."  
 
"There is nothing for you to say. It's just, I never got to  know anyone as 
well or as fast as I did you during that time. It scared me yet  at the same 
time it stirred feelings that I had never felt before, even when  married. You 
can tell me to shut up if you don't want to hear this. You told me  to 
talk...." 
 
 "Keep talking." 
 
 Skyler took a sip of her drink before continuing.  "I didn't want you to 
leave the ship or have the Avalon leave without you. Every  time I looked at 
you 
I felt like a part of me was being reborn. You may have  been there to take us 
hostage but that's not what it felt like to me." 
 
"We are close," Lissi conceded. 
 
"I know we are. When we returned to our own time, with you on  board I didn't 
know what to think or do, so I didn't do anything. Then they  snatched you 
away and like a fool I chased after you. All the way to Starbase 12  to find 
out 
what they were going to do to you. Then I ended up getting the two  failed 
brain wipes and you became someone else. I felt like I had lost something  
special, something important." Skyler paused for a moment trying to figure out  
what to say. "Then when you came back as Elissabeth  you didn't recognize me. I 
knew then that  things had changed. I just hope that through all this mess we 
are and can still  remain friends? Not having you as a friend would 
be...........I don't know, like  missing my right arm or something."
 
Elissabeth nearly chuckled, but caught herself and  looked at Skyler.  "I'm 
here... and... and I love you, Skyler.  Not  like you hope, but like the 
closest thing I have to a sister.  Not that you  need another one of those," 
she 
smiled.  "But I do love you."  
 
Looking at Elissabeth, Skyler laughed. "I know you love  me and having you as 
another sister wouldn't be so bad. Going from none to one,  what's one more?" 
Leaning over Skyler gave Lissi a quick hug. "How about we go  aboard the 
station and get something to drink? Enough of this...whatever you  want to call 
it. Just remember that if you ever need anything all you have to do  is call. I 
will always be here for you."
 
"God-awful soda stuff," Lissi winked.  "Sounds  great."

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