<USS Avalon> "Kaylee"

Kaylee
Elissabeth Marksbury


Elissabeth found herself standing in the lavish entryway of the Betazed 
Counseling Center. It was a silent place where one heard echos seeming to never 
end. The cold marble pillars made her shiver just by looking at them. Not that 
it was an unfriendly place, there were flowers arranged neatly as well as plush 
seating areas, but she didn?t have to wait. 

She recalled herself to the peace and calm she had experienced minutes before 
as she?d taken the time to quell her questions and worries before meeting 
Kaylee. The girl read her too easily and the last thing she needed was her to 
know about the conversations with Anthony and Sierra. Elissabeth squeezed her 
hands into fists, admonishing herself for her nervousness. She wished Bryce had 
come along like he said, but she had arrived back at her quarters just in time 
to have him give her a quick kiss and explain that something important had come 
up right before rushing out the door. 

Taking a deep breath, she strode down the corridor pointed out to her and 
entered a small room. It was only a moment before the door on the opposite wall 
opened and the eleven year old with bright copper curls stepped cautiously 
inside. As soon as their eyes met, however, any apprehension the two might have 
been feeling disappeared and Kaylee launched herself into Elissabeth?s arms.

Lissi held the girl tightly as Kaylee?s arms wrapped around her waist. She 
couldn?t help the tears that came to her eyes as she bent down to kiss the 
child on the forehead.

"I wish you were my mother too," Kaylee said, though not as brightly as 
Elissabeth remembered her speaking. 

Elissabeth blinked in surprise, not having realised that the thought had 
occurred to her.

"Well, it wasn?t a direct thought," Kaylee went on to explain. "You hugged me 
and then you thought of a friend of yours that?s going to have a baby and you 
were sad because you never will and then I took that spot for a brief second."

Lissi smiled and held the girl at arm?s length as she guided her to the sofa in 
the room, realising the truth in her words.

"I?ve missed you, Lissi. I keep getting moved from one place to another, 
constant classes, so many people to learn..." Kaylee scooted over to sit closer 
and rested her head against Elissabeth?s arm. "And still no one loves me," she 
finished sadly. "But at least these people aren?t afraid of me like my real mom 
and dad."

"I love you, Kaylee."

"I know, but you?re not here. I haven?t seen you for a very, very long time. 
Thank you for your letters though. Mr. Maturin sends me letters, too. He misses 
you."

"He told you that?"

"No, but it?s obvious. People don?t hide things from me, you know." The girl 
then sat up and looked into Elissabeth?s eyes. "You love him but he?s going to 
hurt you."

Eyes narrowed, Lissi?s brow furrowed and she asked, "Maturin?"

"No," she paused a moment, concentrating, "Bryce."

Elissabeth let a smile escape her lips. "So now you tell the future too?"

"No... it?s just... I can see him through you and he?s hidden in darkness. 
Darkness can only hurt. That?s what they teach me."

"Bryce isn?t going to hurt me, Kaylee. He loves me. He takes care of me, would 
do anything for me."

"Shh... you don?t have to defend him. I?m just trying to tell you to be 
careful. That?s all."

"Okay, thank you." She paused, letting Kaylee?s words settle on her. "Now, tell 
me how things are going here. Your letters haven?t been saying much lately."

"I?m sorry, I?m just tired. We work really hard on me focusing and 
concentrating. This is one of the neatest places, though." The girl?s eyes 
brightened considerably. "People hardly ever talk and everyone is so open. No 
secrets. It?s amazing compared to Earth. Do you think I can come onboard your 
ship when my training is done?"

The girl still switched subjects in an instant, Lissi recalled with a smile. 
"Well, technically, it?s not my ship. But I?m sure some people can put in a 
good word for you if you still plan on going through the Academy and Intel?s 
training. Have you decided what you want to do?"

"Well, I wanted to be a counselor, to help people, make them feel better 
because they can?t hide things from me. I thought I would be good with that. 
But they told me something about tact and how people don?t like being... uh... 
invaded. Yeah, that?s what they said. Said I would have to work really, really 
hard. But some people came and talked with me about using my talents to better 
the Federation. I didn?t like those men. I couldn?t read them. Not at all. It 
was dark and blank. And they knew it."

The description sent those familiar chills coursing through Elissabeth?s body. 
"What did you say?"

"I told them to go away, that they creeped me out."

"And they said?"

"?We?ll be in touch Kaylee Adams? and that was it. I didn?t like it. I want to 
come and work with you on the Avalon."

Elissabeth suddenly felt very protective over the girl, worried about these 
people approaching her.  It would be something to look into.  "Well, you have a 
few more years to go, sweetheart. But, of course, you would have my help 
getting to wherever you wanted to go in life." She paused a moment and put her 
arm around the girl. "Have they been giving you grammar lessons? Your speech 
seems to have become more dignified."

Kaylee giggled. "Oh, I can talk any way I want if I just think about it, but 
yeah, I figured that if I was going to have a good career that it would be 
smarter to act more mature. I want to go to the Academy next year."

"Next year?" Elissabeth couldn?t keep the surprise from her voice. "You?ll only 
be twelve."

"I wouldn?t be the first to go through at that age and with enough sponsor?s 
recommendations..." she blinked her eyes repeatedly, long lashes covering her 
expressive brown pupils. 

Now it was Elissabeth?s turn to laugh. "Of course, you?ll always have my 
recommendation. I told you, I would do anything to help you."

"I love you, Lissi." Kaylee hugged her again, this time leaving tear stains 
behind on Elissabeth?s shirt. "I wish you could stay here."

"I?m here for the day, how about we make the most of it? You said something 
about a courtyard with a pond that you loved? Why don?t you show it to me?"

Kaylee smiled and took the older woman?s hand. They walked along the edge of 
the pond, talking of happy times and making plans for the future. Kaylee seemed 
to cling to Elissabeth with a bit of desperation, but Lissi didn?t question it, 
understanding how lonely the girl was.

Once they had concluded their walk, Elissabeth turned to say good bye. She 
smiled, staring into Kaylee's eyes. "Now, be sure to let me know when you have 
leave time and maybe, not that I?m promising, but maybe the Avalon would be 
close enough that we could see each other again."

The trademark bright smile lit Kaylee?s face, and they hugged once again before 
Elissabeth made her way back to the Avalon and the storm of problems she?d 
seemed to have found.




                
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