<USS Avalon> Solution by Distraction - Part 3"

Solution by Distraction - Part 3"
By Lieutenant First  Class Melanie Redgrave and Ensign Elijah Dareth
 
 
"How about the carousel?" he asked, gesturing to it.
 
The smile that had faded a bit a moment ago was back. "Sure," Melanie  
replied. "But only if we can follow it up with the Ferris-wheel." Melanie was  
glad 
to see Elijah nod and quickly fall into step as they headed for the  carousel. 
As soon as they got into the short line, Melanie was stretching her  neck to 
watch as the brightly painted horses spun around. It was a habit of hers  to 
pick out the horse she wanted long before she stepped up onto the ride. When  
the ride came to an end and the small group of people that she and Elijah were  
mixed in with were allowed in, Melanie quickly headed to the other side of 
the  ride to snag a jet black horse with emerald green eyes and a gold saddle.  
"Ah, a fine choice, there, li'l lady," Elijah said in his best cowboy  
impression. It was silly and ridiculously overdone, but he also knew it  would 
make 
her laugh.  "See this one's name is Belinda, and she's a  fine filly." He 
stressed the 'fine' out to unbelievable lengths. "She was  bred out in 
Oklyhomey 
and has the temperament of a kitten. Not one threatened by  a dog, mind you, 
but a sleepin' one..." He tipped his make-believe hat at  her. He stepped up to 
the horse next to her, "And this here's  my stallion," he said, continuing 
with the game, "but he got shorted in the  name department and is a little 
sensitive about it." He whispered to her  conspiratorially, "His name's Fido. 
But he 
tells everyone to call him Rocky."  Then raising his voice back to the normal 
level, he declared once again,  "Yessiree, that Rocky's one fine stallion."  
"That he is," Melanie agreed as the ride started up, "and he has the  
prettiest blue eyes." It had been a long time since Melanie had met someone  
who’d 
made her laugh so much. As the carousel began to pick up speed, the  calliope 
music started to play a little quicker and a little louder. Carousels,  unlike 
roller-coasters, were a much bigger part of Melanie’s life. They, along  with 
Ferris-wheels had been weekend treats for her and her father. "I love the  way 
the music sounds so happy." 
Elijah watched her as she closed her eyes and smiled while the ride's  
movement blew a light breeze through her hair. She looked so beautiful to  him 
at 
that moment. Sometimes he wished that he could paint pictures so that  others 
could view themselves how he saw them. He stared at her until she opened  her 
eyes again and caught him. He smiled and looked back towards the front of  his 
horse, hoping he hadn't given her a bad impression.  
Melanie smiled when she caught Elijah watching her and she wondered for a  
moment if that was a blush she saw across his nose. "I know," She said with a  
light laugh, "I looked silly, but I can’t help but turn into a five year who  
likes the tickle of the breeze on her face." Melanie hated feeling the carousel 
 start to slow down. She very nearly asked Elijah if they could go again but 
then  remembered the Ferris-wheel.  
"Quite the contrary," he told her, helping her to dismount. "I was just  
thinking..." He smiled shyly as he told her, "I don't want you to get the wrong 
 
idea or anything...but I was just thinking that you looked beautiful." He  
refused to look at her as he said it. "You looked so content and carefree and  
happy. I liked that." He began walking out the gate from the ride. "You ready  
for the Ferris-wheel? Or do you want to eat something else first?"  
This time she was sure it was a blush, but it wasn’t across Elijah’s nose - 
 
it was coloring her cheeks. "Thank you." She said softly as she followed him 
out  the gate. "For a moment I was content and carefree and happy. I should  
thank you for that too since it was your brilliant idea to come here. And I  
think we should go to the Ferris-wheel now."  
"After you," he told her, wanting her to lead the way. He was starting to  
develop a bit of a crush on her. But that was nothing new for him. He developed 
 
crushes on lots of girls that he spent time "cheering up". It amazed his 
mother  that he could be rejected so many times and still not become jaded. 
What 
fun was  life if you were going to go through it bitterly? he had once told 
her. You just  do the best you can to make others happy and it leads to a 
happiness of its  own.   
The line for the Ferris-wheel wasn't long at all and they were allowed on  
almost immediately. They got seated and the bar placed over them. "Oh, wait.  
Computer, alter program. Starry night sky." The computer bleeped in 
confirmation 
 and made the adjustment. "It's just not a Ferris-wheel ride in bright 
sunlight,"  he explained. "I like watching the stars. I hope you don't mind."  
"Mind? How could I mind? This is perfect." Melanie said as they began to rise 
 into the darkness. The whole amusement park seemed to become a totally 
different  place in the dark. The bright lights of the rides, the neon of the 
games 
and  food stands, it seemed magical somehow. But not even the brightest strip 
of neon  below them could compare to the light show above them. "The view 
from down here,  well from down there, never ceases to amaze me even after 
living 
among  them." 
"I agree. There is nothing like lying out in the backyard at night staring up 
 at the stars. I never get tired of it, even though I haven't done it for 
years."  It got quiet for a moment as they watched the stars lazily drift past 
them. "You  know what I like about you Melanie? I like that it's so easy for 
you 
to find the  joy and simple beauty in small things. Most girls wouldn't be so 
easily  impressed," he said, still staring at the sky. Then turning a bit to 
look into  her eyes, "I think you just lost sight of some of the important 
things - like  carousels and laughter. It's easy to do."  
He was right, she had lost touch with the simple things since her  life 
became anything but simple. Melanie looked over at Elijah and actually felt  as 
if 
she could really end up liking him. Which honestly surprised her since the  
only other person she’d ‘really liked’ was a Vulcan and thereby his total 
 
opposite. "Something tells me that it’ll be an easy mistake I’ll make again 
and  
again before the dust settles. Who knows, I might need another reminder some  
time down the road." 
"Anytime, Melanie. Anytime," he told her.

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