<USS Avalon> "Skyler's Family: Two of a Kind"

 
"Skyler's Family: Two of a Kind"
Georgia Lewis & Tavi
 
    
 
It had been awhile since she had  been in a room full of academy students, 
let alone being the oldest one but  Georgia was determined. As she sat in the 
exobiology class she wondered what  Skyler was up to. She hadn't heard anything 
and was beginning to worry. With a  sigh of relief the instructor dismissed 
the class and Georgia was free to go for  the weekend.
 
Taking her bag of books and  PADD's she left the class room and made her way 
back to her small quarters. They  were nothing compared to the quarters she 
had had on the Avalon. She was  adjusting. She had been adjusting to things all 
her life. This was nothing new  for her. Just another obstacle to over come.
 
Placing her bag on the small  table, she walked over to the replicator and 
made herself a glass of Ice Tea.  Next on her list was to find out how Skyler 
was doing. Taking her tea, she  walked over to the desk that held a regulation 
computer and logged in. While she  waited to get a connection she thought about 
what she was going to  say.
 
"Computer connect me to the USS  Avalon-C, Commander Skyler, Executive 
Officer."
 
It only took a few minutes for  the computer to make the connection. 
"Connection  made."
 
Expecting to see Skyler's face  Georgia was surprised to see the face of a 
small girl. 
 
"Excuse me, but I am looking for  Commander Skyler. These are her quarters 
are they  not?"
 
Tavi held herself a little  stiffly.  "Yes, but she's not here."  Something 
she'd seen somewhere  -- perhaps in one of the library's holochipped 
entertainments, that she'd snuck  a look at -- blossomed in her mind.  "May I 
take a 
message for  her?"
 
Not sure what to make of the  child Georgia spoke softly, "May I ask who you 
are and what you are doing in  Cmdr. Skyler's quarter's? I am an old friend of 
hers. My name is Georgia and in  fact I helped to raise her. I was wondering 
how she was and how things were with  her sister. But I will talk to you if 
you don't mind talking to an old woman  like me."
 
The woman did, indeed, appear to  be old.  Not so old as to be feeble, 
though.  Tavi observed her  closely, but couldn't really interpret much via the 
screen.  She was much  darker-skinned than Skyler -- but, then, so was Tavi 
herself.  "My name is  Tavi," she offered after a brief pause.  "Ms. Skyler 
promised 
to look after  me and help me get educated."  She knew she looked different 
already,  dressed neatly in clean clothing that actually fit her, and with her 
straight  dark hair trimmed evenly around her face.
 
"Tavi, it's a pleasure to meet  you. You say Skyler promised to look after 
you and help you get educated? I  think that you are a very lucky little girl. 
When Ms. Skyler makes a promise she  makes sure she keeps them. How long have 
you known Skyler? I was on the Avalon  until I left it at Izar and I must say I 
don't remember seeing you. I surely  would've recognized someone as nice as 
you."
 
Actually Georgia was in a little  bit of shock that Skyler was taking on the 
responsibility of caring for this  child. After all the turmoil she went 
through trying to get used to the fact  that she would have a niece to help 
raise, 
this was bigger than that. Maybe this  will help Skyler to find herself. To 
settle down and not be so self-destructive,  or so critical of herself.
 
"So Tavi. Tell me about yourself.  How is that you came to know Ms. Skyler 
and come under her care? You must be  really special for Ms. Skyler to take an 
interest in you." She could see in  Tavi's eyes when she spoke of Skyler, that 
she was beginning to trust and like  her. At least she hoped that was what she 
was seeing.
 
Tavi wasn't sure what to make of  Ms. Georgia at first.  It was hard to tell 
through the comm whether someone  you didn't know was sincere or trying to 
lead you on.  But as the woman  continued speaking, Tavi relaxed a little.  "I 
was on the ship," she  offered.  "But hardly anybody saw me.  'Cept when the 
ship got sick  and everybody left, I had to get rescued.  And then Ms. Skyler 
came and  said she would look after me because nobody else was and I needed 
looking  after."  She still wasn't so sure she really needed to be looked  
after, 
but she was getting to like her new life.  It was  nice to be comfortable and 
clean and have somebody around who cared how  she felt and what she did.  Tavi 
shrugged, and admitted it aloud, "I like  having Ms. Skyler to look after me."
 




Thinking to herself Georgia smiled. This must be  the stowaway everyone was 
looking for and concerned about. "I was on the  ship when it got sick. It was 
terrible havin' to abandon it. Skyler has had to  abandon the Avalon three 
times now. I think it gets harder for her each time. I  am glad she has someone 
like you to look after her. I'm sure she likes looking  after you Tavi. She has 
a lot she can teach you and show you. Maybe someday she  will take you back to 
her home on Betazed. There is lots of room to run around  and play. I hope 
that someday we will get to meet and become friends just like  you and Ms. 
Skyler. Do you think that is possible?"
 
Georgia was a little more than impressed that Skyler  had taken on this 
responsibility. She still wasn't exactly sure why, but at  least it was a 
positive 
move on her part.
 
Tavi didn't know.  She shrugged again.  "I  guess so."  She wasn't accustomed 
to long conversations, especially not by  comm.  It just wasn't anything 
she'd ever done, really.  "So should I  tell Ms. Skyler you called, Ms. 
Georgia?  
Should she call you  back?"
 
Smiling Georgia looked at Tavi, "Yes Tavi. Could you  just tell her I called 
to say Hi and see how she was doing? She doesn't need to  call me back. I will 
try again another day. It was very nice talking to you  Tavi. I hope we can 
do it again sometime. Have a good day."
 
Georgia signed off the computer and went back to the  task at hand, which was 
unfortunately studying for another test. She stopped and  smiled to herself 
thinking that perhaps things were looking up for Skyler. She  couldn't wait to 
be done with all this schooling and return to the Avalon.  Hopefully that day 
would come sooner than not.

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