<USS Avalon> Renewing Old Friendships Part 2

 
"Renewing Old Friendships" Part 2
Skyler, Moreya and Tavi
2006:09.12

Walking over to her chair Skyler sat down. "I'm not even going to ask how you 
knew it was a little girl. But, to answer your question her name is Tavi. She 
was stowing away on the previous Avalon. She attempted to rescue someone who 
was trapped and almost got herself killed as the life support failed. She was 
beamed to the captain's yacht and then brought here to Izar."

"That's an incredible story -- she's lucky to have survived!" Moreya said. "How 
is it that you decided to take her in?"

Running her hands through her short hair, Skyler tried to put all the pieces 
together so that they made some kind of sense. "Moreya.........I have no idea 
why I offered to have her live with me? She has no one and has been hopping 
from one place to another. I just know that for some reason I felt like she 
belonged here. She needed someone to care about her. Now that my sister has 
taken off with her new partner and my niece I have no family. Maybe I am trying 
to fill the void. I don't know. I was fine before I found out I had a sister so 
why should things be any different now that she is gone?"

Moreya shrugged, an elegant gesture. "Have you ever pulled a clump of grass out 
of the earth? Seen the way that it leaves a huge hole, because the roots catch 
the earth and hold it? The ones we love are like that -- what seem like tiny 
roots work their way through our hearts and leave a huge hole behind when they 
are pulled out."

She took another pull off the glass of tea. "I think you are right -- you 
needed Tavi as much as she needed you. I see no mystery in that."

Feeling antsy, Skyler stood up and began pacing around the room. "It doesn't 
seem strange to you that someone with my past history of self-abuse is going to 
be raising a child? What happens if she does something that triggers something 
in me?"

"Sentients beyond count, throughout this galaxy and through all time, who were 
far worse candidates for parenthood have taken on the job, some willingly, some 
not," the Deltan replied placidly.  "You care for the girl -- and it seems 
likely that she cares for you.  With that in place, everything else is 
negotiable."

Skyler paused in her pacing and looked at Moreya. "I don't know the first thing 
about raising a child. Let alone one who has spent most of her life taking care 
of herself. She has managed to teach herself to read diagrams and such but to 
actually read the words that is another story. What kind of parent am I going 
to make?"

"You'll do fine," Moreya said.  "This is a bit of an unusual case, I'll grant.  
I suspect that Tavi will have as much to teach you as you have to teach her.  
Perhaps that's why fate has put you in one another's hands."

"I have never been so scared in my life, yet at the same time as your tellerite 
friend said, she has gotten under my skin like some other people I know."  
Skyler took a deep breath.  "You know me better than anyone Moreya.......am I 
doing the right thing?"

The Deltan smiled, then drained her glass of tea.  "Of course you are. Never 
doubt it.  If ever you have any questions, concerns .... fears... there are the 
counselors, there are your friends, including me. And there is Tavi herself.  
It will all come right."

Tavi woke to the sound of voices.  No... not a sound.  A feeling.  She knew 
there were voices out there, in the main room on the other side of the door, 
but the door was very nearly soundproofed and the voices were not loud.  She 
slipped out of bed -- still amazed at the bed itself, warm and comfortable and 
all hers! -- and went to the door, which opened at a touch.

As she had somehow known, Skyler was not alone in the main room.  Tavi stood in 
the doorway, blinking against the light and wondering who the visitor was.

Hearing a noise, Skyler turned her head and saw Tavi standing in the doorway. 
Getting out of her chair she walked across the room to where Tavi was standing. 
"Tavi, is everything okay? Did we wake you? Why don't you come on over and join 
us. I will introduce you to a very special person. I know you are going to like 
her a lot just as I do."

Skyler held out her hand and waited for Tavi to take it. She didn't want to 
rush her or anything. She wanted Tavi to feel comfortable in this new 
environment and situation.

The sleepy child crossed the room slowly.  Her feelings were telling her things 
she had never experienced before, things she didn't understand.  Those senses 
had always warned her of danger -- mostly the danger of being found in one of 
her many hiding places -- but she had very rarely had feelings about people 
before.  Still, she was learning to trust Skyler, because of those feelings, 
and she didn't sense anything dangerous about Skyler's friend.  So she went and 
took the offered hand, gazing solemnly at the visitor.

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