<USS Avalon> "Reunited"

Reunited
Senior Lieutenant Melanie Redgrave
and Junior Lieutenant Elijah Dareth



Words couldn't adequately describe the sense of relief that Elijah had at being 
released from quarantine. He almost didn't believe it, and, in fact, had 
questioned the doctor repeatedly to make sure that he wasn't a carrier of that 
damned virus. Finally, convinced, he'd left, showered, and went straight for 
Melanie's, carrying a dozen red roses. 

Melanie sat, curled into the corner of her couch, reading. Her mind, however, 
wasn?t anywhere close to being focused on Jane Austin. Skyler was worried about 
Elissabeth, and so frankly was she, but mostly her mind kept drifting to 
Elijah. The people in medical wouldn?t tell her much, only that he was being 
monitored in a quarantine room all alone. 


By the time her door chime rang, Melanie was pretty sure she?d just read the 
same page twice. Melanie blinked in surprise as she looked over at the clock 
near her desk. This late in the evening, it had to be Georgia, so Melanie 
didn?t even think about the fact she?d gotten ready for bed early and was only 
wearing an old pin stripped dress shirt she?d nicked from her best friend at 
the academy. 

"Come on in," she called out as she closed her book and tossed it onto the 
couch next to her. 
Stepping through the open door, Elijah was stunned by seeing her there. It 
wasn't what she was wearing, or not wearing, but how comfortable she looked. He 
had been in two homes with her, but had never seen her look this... casual. It 
was a new level of beauty, even for her. 

"Hope you don't mind a little company," he remarked quietly, eyes never leaving 
her face. 

Melanie?s whole face lit up at the sight of Elijah standing there. It took her 
no time at all to get up from the couch and move across the room. Without 
thinking she went to him and threw her arms around him. She?d never felt such 
relief as he hugged her in return, it nearly made her cry. 

He lifted her off her feet ever so slightly and buried his face in her hair, 
roses nearly forgotten. It was almost as if he feared to let her go. Eli missed 
this so much, even such a small thing as how she smelled. Once he let her go, 
just a little, he dipped his head and touched her lips gently at first, and 
then with more fervor. 

Until he?d kissed her, Melanie had been afraid that she?d fallen asleep on her 
couch and was dreaming him, but the tightening in her stomach told her this 
wasn?t a dream. When the kiss came to an end, Melanie pulled back a little. She 
reached up and traced his face as she looked into his eyes. "I take it this 
means you?ve gotten a clean bill of health?" 

Arching his brows, Eli couldn't help but tease her, "No, Mel, I thought I'd 
come here and infect you so that I could have company in quarantine..."

"If you wanted company that badly Eli, you could have just asked me." Melanie 
teased back. He did look better than the last time she?d see him, but he still 
looked tired. "Did you come straight from sick bay?"

"I promise I showered first," he told her, still holding her closely.

"I wasn?t worried about that, you silly yank. You look tired." Melanie pressed 
both of her hands to Elijah?s chest as she looked up at him. She could feel his 
chest expand with each breath, his heart beating, the warmth of his skin 
through his shirt. Shirt... 

Melanie?s eyes suddenly went wide as her brain recalled the fact she wasn?t 
wearing much. Her face flushed a bright crimson as she pushed away from Elijah. 
"I should maybe go.. Um, why don?t you sit on the couch. I don?t normally come 
to the door like... I?ll be right back."

Chuckling and grabbing her hand as she tried to dash away, Eli pulled her back 
to him and kissed her again.

Melanie melted under the force and passion of the kiss. Her attire, or lack 
there of, was long forgotten. She was breathless when the kiss ended this time. 
"Well." 

Eli tipped his head down and laid his forehead against hers. "If it makes you 
more comfortable, then change." His desire was starting to get the better of 
him and he was beginning to think he should've let her go put more clothes on 
to begin with... not that he wanted her to. But maybe it was a good idea. But 
he really didn't want her to... 

He tried not to let his conflict show as he looked her in the eyes. 

It wasn?t her comfort she was worried about at this point. "Why don?t you put 
those roses in a vase and get us something to drink." She kissed him softly on 
the lips and reluctantly retreated to her bedroom. 

It took him a moment to calm down, but he moved and got her favourite vase to 
place the roses in. He replicated a Merlot that Melanie was fond of and sat on 
the sofa waiting for her to return. Maybe coming straight here was a bad idea. 
Eli hadn't quite expected to have been flooded with those feelings of desire. 
Of course he'd always desired her, but it was always in a gentlemanly way, and 
was almost ashamed of the way he'd kissed Melanie. In fact, the longer he sat 
there waiting, the worse he felt, wondering if she was upset with him for being 
so forward. 

It had only taken her a few minutes to throw on a pair of jeans. The rest of 
the time Melanie was gone, she?d been trying to calm herself while trying not 
to ?overhear? what he was feeling. The problem was that the more time she spent 
with Elijah, the easier he became to read. When she came back out of her room, 
Melanie walked over and sat next to him. "I?m glad you came over. I?ve missed 
you." 

He slipped his arm around her and pulled her close, resting his chin on top of 
her head. "I've missed you too, sweetheart. More than I could tell you." They 
sat still for a moment, as he held her, just enjoying the contact. " So, tell 
me what you've been doing that I've missed out on."

"Working mostly," Melanie replied as she listened to the sound of his 
breathing. She knew he was trying to move to safer ground, but they were both 
feeling things that needed to be addressed. She knew how he felt, he was an old 
fashion southern boy, but she needed clearer boundaries. "Elijah, you don?t 
need to feel bad about the way you kissed me."

He took a long breath, surprised he was that obvious. "Why not?" 

Melanie shifted her position so she could look into deep blue eyes. "Because I 
enjoy it when you kiss me like that." 

He closed his eyes and swallowed, completely unprepared for the response his 
body had to her words. "Mel..." he nearly whispered, not knowing what else to 
say. 

This time Melanie took a deep breath. "I know that you don?t want to... I mean 
that you want to wait..." She laughed softly, nervously. "I actually find that 
to be incredibly sexy. It?s just... I don?t want you to chastise yourself for 
thinking you?ve been anything other then amazingly sweet with me." She watched 
his face as she was speaking, and smiled as she reached out and bushed her 
fingers through his hair. He could look so much an innocent little boy at 
times. 


"You're right, it's not that I don't want to, quite opposite, actually. I 
just... I was taught it was a matter of respect, y'know? Damn, Melanie, you 
have to be the most amazing woman I have ever met, ever wanted to be with, but 
not pushing - it's how I show you that I love you." It suddenly occurred to him 
that he hadn't exactly meant to make that confession just yet, having planned 
on it being romantic, somehow. Seemed like things never worked out according to 
plan where Melanie was concerned, but he couldn't say he exactly minded. 

Melanie hadn?t seen that coming and she tried really hard not to gasp or look 
shocked, but she feared the tears that were welling in her eyes pretty much 
betrayed her. She hadn?t realized that she?d truly been falling in love with 
him until she spent most of the night sitting beside him with a force field 
between them. Melanie couldn?t help but lean up and kiss Elijah passionately. 
When the kiss ended she rested her forehead to his, and whispered against his 
lips. "I love you too, Elijah." 

The grin on his face was no match for the grin in his heart. Her words just 
erased every bit of the pain, annoyance, and confusion of the previous days. 
His kissed her on the nose and then pulled her into a hug. 

She hated to admit it, but her mother had been right. Elijah did make her 
happy. Melanie cuddled into Elijah?s arms and closed her eyes. She felt safe 
when he held her. "I probably shouldn?t say this, but I don?t want you to leave 
tonight."

"Probably right, 'cause I don't wanna leave."

"Then don?t." She replied quickly. "We don?t have to do anything more than 
this, but stay with me tonight." 

He swallowed thickly. The woman didn't know what she was asking of him, but he 
nodded, then kissed the top of her hair. "I'm not going anywhere."


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