<USS Avalon> "Meant to Be"

"Meant to Be."
Vevay Davis, Maggie Stuart, & Melanie Redgrave

She knew that she should go home, but Melanie really didn't want to. It really 
wasn't much of a home anymore, it had gone back to just being a small cabin 
crowded with to much stuff. Sighing as they turned the corner that would lead 
to her quarters, Melanie stopped. "Dinner first remember." She said sweetly as 
she looked over at Vevay. 

Pausing in their progress, Vevay peered up at Mel. "Dinner? I thought that was 
where we were headed."

"There's nothing in my quarters that can't be replicated somewhere else." 
Melanie smiled her best most disarming smile. "I don't think I could walk to 
the mess hall and not bust the seams in my boots, but there's a holodeck on 
this deck."

Vevay narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips and trying not to smile. "Hmm, where 
d'you want to go on the holodeck then?" 

Melanie beamed. "Anywhere that's not going to make my blood pressure go back 
up." She laughed and once again started to walk beside Vevay. She didn't feel 
the loneliness when she was with Vevay, she never had. Even when Elijah was 
around, Vevay seemed to be a soothing presence in her life. She was grateful 
for that and so much more when it came to her friend. 

"Maggie? She can make you stovies and whinge that it's not with real 
ingredients," Vevay let her smile grow, warming her dark green eyes. "She'll 
fuss over you, tell you how silly you're being while feeding you shortbread and 
strawberries."

"I'd enjoy that." Melanie agreed with a bright smile. She liked Vevay's 
holographic Aunt and was sure she'd like the real deal just as much. "And just 
what am I being silly about?" She asked as the neared the holodeck. 

"You need to take care of yourself better," Vevay told her with a firm nod. 
"You're going to end up hurting yourself, Mel." Worry pinched at her eyes as 
they wound their way to Scotland. 

Melanie frowned at the hitch she thought she heard. Taking Vevay's hand she 
squeezed it as she sighed. "It's not myself I worry about, Vevay, but I don't 
want to hurt myself any more then I wanna lose Gracie. She's going to need me, 
I can't leave her like Celeste did me."

Vevay's whole expression pinched and she tried not to flinch. "No, you're not 
going to. Even if I have to annoy someone in Engineering to rig up a mobile 
holo-emitter for Maggie."

"That's a brilliant idea!" Melanie cheered as they made their way to Maggie's 
cottage. 

Laughing brightly, Vevay felt herself relax a little as the program loaded and 
they found themselves stood out the front of Maggie's cottage. The old woman 
had decided it would be nighttime so small spots of light twinkled above them 
and a light breeze drew goosebumps to Vevay's neck. Drawing Mel up the path to 
the front door, she didn't bother to knock this time, just bouncing into the 
hallway and calling out, "Auntie Maggie?"


"Aye! Through the back and close the door!" came the warm, old Scottish voice.

Melanie smiled the moment she heard Maggie's voice. Don't know much about the 
rest of her family, but I think she gets a lot of her heart from her aunt. She 
thought as she watched Vevay lead them into the back of the cottage. "It's so 
warm and comfortable here."

"I'm glad you like it," the little old lady chimed from next to a stove in the 
kitchen. Just as Vevay had predicted, she was cooking stovies, the smell of 
stewed beef and potatoes filling the warm room. The moment she saw Melanie, 
though, Maggie set her spoon down and strode over to her. Grasping the sides of 
Mel's face, she peered up at her. "What have you been doing to yoursel'?" 

"Letting life get the best of me I'm afraid." Melanie admitted. "I've gone and 
given myself a blood pressure problem." 

Maggie hissed in sympathy as she wrapped her thin but strong arms around the 
pregnant woman in a tight hug. "Silly girl. We'll have to see what we can do 
about that, won't we?"

"Yes Ma'am." Melanie replied with a respectful smile as she hugged the woman 
back. "I've been to see the doctor, and Vevay has said she'd help. Has to 
protect her goddaughter you know."

"Goddaughter?" Maggie beamed as she peered around the heavily pregnant girl to 
smile at Vevay. "Now that's a wonderful thing. You've chosen well, even if the 
girl does tend to get herself in too many scrapes for my liking."


Blushing, Vevay rolled her eyes and trudged over to the cooker to stir the 
stew. "I'm in Security, Auntie, of course I do. It's part and parcel of the 
whole Security deal."

"She's good at it too." Melanie said as she lowered herself into a chair, and 
then wondered if she'd be able to get up again. "The ship was boarded and she 
came down to make sure I was safe."

"Now that's my girl," Maggie grinned. "Taking care of family."

Something about what Maggie said felt good to Melanie but instead of delving 
into why, she said. "Something smells wonderful." 

Maggie laughed brightly. "Of course it does, I cooked it."


"Modest, as always," Vevay commented as she started setting the kitchen table.


"Aye and when you learn to cook, you'll be shouting about how wonderful your 
food is," winking at Mel, Maggie added, "assuming you don't give everyone food 
poisoning first."

Melanie laughed. "It's a good thing we have replicators then."

"Oh aye," Maggie giggled. "Just so long as you wear protective clothing if you 
let her operate the thing." 

That made Melanie looked over at Vevay and smirk before looking back and Maggie 
and asking. "Oh I have to hear this one."

Ushering everyone to the table so she could serve up, Maggie started the tale, 
"It's something that happened to the real me. She was sick wi' the flu and our 
V here decided chicken soup would help..."


Vevay groaned, her cheeks flushing scarlet. Burying her head in her hands, she 
slid delicately down her seat so only her nose was showing above the tabletop.


"Now, to me, chicken soup's meant to taste of chickens..." Maggie smirked at 
Vevay. "And it's also meant to be hot. But when it arrived, all lovingly 
presented on a tray with a crusty roll and butter, it was-nae. Stone cold, it 
was..."

Turning to look at Vevay, Melanie bit her cheek to keep from laughing. "Did you 
order it cold? And if it didn't taste of chickens then what, dare I ask, did it 
taste of?"

"Beetroot," Maggie said.

Melanie scrunched her face and shook her head. "Gross. beetroots are nasty. 
Though it is better then the time I tried to make brownies and I needed up 
setting fire to the oven and part of the kitchen."

Maggie chuckled. "At least you never blew up a replicator when asked to reheat 
beetroot soup." 

She was unable to hold back anymore and Melanie flushed pink as she laughed. 
"So I take it we'll be going to the mess hall unless I fix dinner?" She asked 
Vevay as she peered down at what she could see of her.

Humphing, Vevay felt a giggle bubble up from her stomach. "Okay, so cooking 
isn't what I'm best at, but I can do other things."

Was it possible to actually feel one's blood pressure easing? "It's ok, Vevay, 
we know you can do other things and we still love you anyway, don't we Maggie?"

"Oh aye, we love you well enough," Maggie agreed. "Especially for the chilled 
beetroot soup."


Vevay huffed again but pulled herself back up to sitting as her Aunt placed a 
large plate of stew in front of her. "I can't cook, but Auntie Maggie can!"


"Aye, even with bloody replicated toot," Maggie grumble jovially. "Tuck in 
then."

"I swear I've eaten more meat since I've been pregnant then I have since I was 
sixteen." Melanie laughed as she drew a spoon full of the stew from the bowl. 
"I'm starting to forget why I didn't eat meat in the first place."

"It's good for you," Maggie said firmly. "Put's hair on your chest."


Smiling at Mel out of the corner of her eyes, Vevay mused that Mel would look 
silly with a hairy chest. She closed her eyes, desperately trying to block out 
an image of her friend, the woman who was meant to be only that, with no 
clothes on. No, she thought, that's wrong. "Good food," she said eventually. 

"It is good but I hope it does no such thing." Melanie huffed playfully. "That 
would be an unpleasant waxing to say the least." Would it be imposable to spend 
the next three and half months in the program with Maggie and Vevay? Don't be 
daft. She scolded herself as she turned to look at Vevay. "Good company as 
well."

"That is it," Maggie grinned.


They ate, chatted and laughed. Maggie recounted many stories of Vevay's rather 
colourful youth, leaving out the vast majority of the nastiness, but expressing 
a huge amount of fondness for her and Newlyn. After they were done, Maggie 
wafted them through to the sitting room with its over-stuffed sofa and a warm 
fire crackling away in the hearth. "I'll make us some tea," she said as she 
bustled out.


Sinking down on the sofa, Vevay sighed happily, totally relaxed and at ease. 
She held her arms open, silently asking if Mel would like to be hugged. 

She didn't even have to think about it. With as must ease and grace as a woman 
of her present girth could manage, she sat next to Vevay and put her own arms 
around her as best she could. "Thank you for this."

"You needed it," Vevay said with a smile. Snuggling closer, she set her head on 
Mel's shoulder. That act, though, put her where Mel's scent filled her nose. 
She smells so good, Vevay thought. My friend, nothing more, she reminded 
herself. But as she raised her head again, she couldn't hold back the dangerous 
feelings any more. Moss green eyes travelled over Mel's face, a mixed look of 
love and respect in them. Leaning closer, Vevay touched her lips to Mel's.

The kiss came as a complete surprise and it was a bit shocking, but what was 
even more shocking was that Melanie didn't pull away. She returned the kiss as 
she reached up to caress Vevay's face before finally pulling away. 

"God," Vevay gasped, still holding her but sitting further back, "I'm sorry." 
Her cheeks deepened to a red that verged on purple and she stared down at the 
floor. "I didn't mean... I've ruined it. I tried not to... But you're just so 
lovely and... and I wanted to kiss you just once." 

Melanie looked down at the engagement ring on her left hand for a long moment 
before finally looking up into Vevay's face. "Please don't be sorry, Vevay, and 
please don't worry. You've ruined nothing." Reaching out, Melanie bushed her 
finger tips over the flushed, softness of Vevay's cheek. 

Eyes closed, Vevay sat back against the sofa. "I've done this to myself. I 
can't believe it. I wanted you, that makes me a bad friend. Now I've kissed 
you, I want you even more." Her cheeks finally turned purple. "I can't believe 
I did that."

"Would you believe that I've wanted you to kiss me but I've been to afraid of 
using you because of my loneliness, when it's really not," Melanie paused a 
moment. "because I've wanted you to kiss me since the day I saw you in the 
security office the first time."

"You have?" Vevay asked shyly. "And if I kissed you again?"

Melanie smiled as she leaned in and kissed Vevay, her hands cupping the other 
woman's face. 

Vevay deepened the kiss, her arms curling around Mel's bulk. The thought that 
she was pregnant suddenly stopped her. "Eli?" she asked uncertainly.

The ring on her finger caught her eye again and Melanie sat back as she brought 
her hand closer so she could look at it. "I still love him." She said, then 
went on quickly before Vevay could panic. "He's Gracie's father, and I do love 
him, but..." She paused a moment, her thoughts a little shattered. "Some things 
are just meant to be, just feel right. The Greeks use to think that two 
people's fates, if woven together, were meant to be in all things, in all 
places. You feel right to me." 

"And you feel right to me too. I'm in love with you," Vevay admitted shyly.


Outside the door, Maggie beamed and looked down at the tray she'd prepared. She 
shook her head, turned around and sat back down in the kitchen. She was 
thrilled Vevay had finally told that girl how she felt. 

"I'm in love with you too, Vevay." Melanie said softly as she took the other 
woman's hands. "But I don't come alone any more."

Vevay grinned. "Do you think Gracie would mind having an extra mom?"

Melanie hadn't felt so lighthearted in such a long time. "I think she'd love 
it." Then she laughed. "Until she's sixteen and hates having any mums."

"Let's just hope she doesn't do what I did," Vevay winked. "I ran away." She 
didn't add that she'd run away dozens of times before. That was something she 
didn't go into.

"I think every kid at one point tries. I did, but I was four and didn't get far 
cause I couldn't cross the street alone." Melanie kissed Vevay softly again and 
then laughed. Taking Vevay's hand she placed it on her stomach. "I think she's 
feeling left out."

"Aww," Vevay's eyes sparkled as she rubbed Mel's tummy. "Love you too, Gracie. 
I'm going to take care of your mommy and you, I promise."

Tears made Melanie's eyes sparkle. "We promise to take care of you too, 
Beloved."

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