<USS Avalon> "On Earth Too Far"

“On Earth Too Far”
by Lieutenant Commander Elissabeth Marksbury
& Lieutenant Second Class Bryce Quinn



She had left. Just like that. He came home and she was gone. A note on the dining room table was all that he had heard. On it, was her ‘kiss goodbye’ or so it said. Bryce was confused. He accessed the communications relay and directed it towards Earth. He knew where she was going – per the note – and finally dropped her a line.

Exhaustion was the only word to describe how Elissabeth felt. Day in and day out of testing. Meetings with Brookman and his staff, not to mention in what little free time she had, she was poking around and asking questions about these people who had approached Kaylee. Despite Bryce’s warnings.

Sighing, Lissi sat down at her console to go over her findings once more, determined to put her medical conditions out of her mind. Her mind, literally, was in more capable hands at the moment anyway.

“Hey,” James Maturin said, coming up behind her and reaching over her shoulder to place a glass of cold water in front of her. “You really should rest, you know.”

“I have things to do. I can’t just – ” Her sentence was interrupted by the console informing her of an incoming message from the USS Avalon. “Hmm,” she said, a bit puzzled, looking over her shoulder to James. He nodded and moved into the other room.

The communiqué was highly classified and she thought perhaps it was Captain Ketchum. More surprising, however, when she opened it was to find Bryce’s solemn eyes staring into hers.

“Hey beautiful,” he said through a smile, “I was hoping that you would’ve at least left me a verbal goodbye. I don’t like notes. They’re so…what’s the word…impersonal. How are you doing?”

It was boring on the Avalon to say the least. His department wasn’t really needed because no one was breaking the law. Well, yet anyway. So, day and day out, he sat around doing nothing but reviewing judicial procedure and studying cases from the turn of the century. Would someone just assault someone so he could have something to do?

“How’s Earth?” He asked.

“I’m sorry,” her reply whispered across subspace. “I didn’t have time. I tried to catch you, but you were in a meeting with someone and…” She stopped, unsure how to continue. It had been a very, very long week and she knew she looked as tired as she felt. The dark circles under her eyes attested to the fact. “I miss you,” she finally said after a long pause. And then fearing his reaction or lack of, went on to say, “How did you get access to such a channel?” Bryce smiled that knowing smile, “I slept with the communications officer.” He laughed a little bit as he took a drink of his coffee. It had grown cold due to just sitting on the table mocking him, but it was nicely brewed nonetheless. “You didn’t answer my question. How are you?”

She chuckled slightly at his joke. “Your coffee’s cold, isn’t it? I can tell by the look on your face.” It was her turn to smirk knowingly. “And to answer your question – tired. But things are going okay. Brookman seems hopeful, and I’ve made some decent connections in my attempts to find out who had contacted Kaylee.”

“Lissi…”

“Bryce… don’t give me this. You know how important this is. I’ve pretty much given up the investigation on the Avalon for your sake, since it doesn’t seem like anyone is really in danger… but this… this is so important. You have to see that.”

He shrugged, there was no way to win with her. Dating meant losing – all the time. “Okay, fine. I understand how much Kaylee means to you, but I’m worried about you. You’re all alone there and, and I can’t be there to keep you safe. You’re on your own.”

“James is here. He’s looked after me a lot longer than you have…” She tried to hide her annoyance that these men thought she actually needed looking after. But it wasn’t worth arguing about.

“Good,” Bryce said while nodding, “someone I can blame.”

“And the purpose of this call is?”

“I wanted to see that you were all right.”

“Honestly, I’ve been better, but I’m not dying any time soon, so you’re stuck with me.” She offered a tiny smile while staring into his ever so deep eyes. She could get lost in them for hours, but knew this call would have to end soon.

There was a pause and he wished that he could hold her in that moment. The distance between them was killing him slowly, but he could hold it together until she got back. Well, he hoped. “I’ve got to run to another meeting, Lissi. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

“Of course,” she nodded, knowing it was as likely an excuse as any. They still had work to do on their relationship… but they loved each other dearly and that was a damn good start. “Good bye, Bryce.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”



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