<USS Avalon> "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Somewhere Over the Rainbow
By Ensign Elijah Dareth
 
"I thought you were going with Melanie to Georgia," Eliza remarked while they 
were out riding Winnie and Bo.  It was a past-time the siblings often enjoyed 
together.
 
"Mississippi to see a friend named Georgia," Elijah corrected.  Then sighing, 
"So did I.  But she said this was something that she needed to do on her own.  
I can understand that."
 
"I guess," she shrugged.  "I like her.  And she talks so pretty!  It was sweet 
of her to help me with the accent."
 
"I think she had fun with it."
 
"You're worried about her, aren't you?"
 
"That obvious?"
 
"To me.  To Trin.  To mom.  And dad if he bothered noticing.  Yeah, you've been 
quiet."
 
"She called and said she was okay...but that she needed another couple of days. 
 I don't know why I hate the thought of her being there alone, but I do.  Even 
if I just sat in a hotel room for a couple of days, at least I'd be with her..."
 
"What?  And miss all the fun of being around me?"  Liza teased, in hopes to 
dispel her brother's sadness.  "We've missed you, Eli.  You don't come home as 
much as you should.  I mean, I know that you spent a month in San Francisco 
after all that stuff that happened on your last ship...  You coulda come home."
 
"I'm sorry, Liza.  I know.  I just - I forget how much I miss you guys until 
I'm home.  Seems like all I ever leave here with is a bitter taste in my mouth 
from arguing with dad or something stupid."
 
Once they reached the clearing, the horses were loosed once again to graze.  
Elijah walked about restlessly while Liza made a bee-line for her 'stage rock'. 
 When they were younger, she had used the flat topped dias to entertain her 
brother and sister with all sorts of different shows.  
 
Propping himself against the tree where he had first kissed Melanie, Elijah 
closed his eyes and turned his face up to the sunshine.  He needed to stop 
worrying about her.  Afterall, she had taken care of herself for years just 
fine without him.
 
"Sing the Rainbow Song, Liza," Eli told his sister.  He was referring to the 
simple tune of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".  When the girls were little and 
first learned to sing it, they called it the Rainbow Song.
 
"Why that one?"
 
"I dunno.  I just like hearing you sing it."
 
Eliza stood on her rock and took a deep breath.  With her best Judy Garland 
impression, she began,
 
"Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby
 
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
 
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds 
Are far behind me
 
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
 
Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then oh, why can't I?
 
If happy little blue birds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why oh why can't I?"
 
He loved hearing her sing that song.  It reminded him of hope and better days 
long past.  Days before being aboard the Acheron.  Days before Katrina.
 
Eliza hopped off her rock and sat down beside her brother.  "So tell me what's 
bothering you besides Melanie being gone."
 
"That's pretty much it."
 
"Elijah Silvanus Dareth," she exclaimed, smacking his arm.  "I know you better 
than that.  Something is bothering you.  It ties into Melanie a little bit, but 
there's more to it than that.  So spill it."
 
"You hit me like that again and you're gonna take a bath in that spring," he 
threatened with a smile.  "And you're right.  When I met Melanie, the last 
thing I expected was to fall for her like this."
 
"What! You always fall for girls like this," she smiled.
 
"I do not.  Maybe a bit of a crush for a week or so, but not to the point where 
I can think of little else.  I haven't felt like this since..."
 
"Since Katrina?" she finished for him.
 
"Yeah.  I tried to save her and she didn't want to be saved.  I'm seeing some 
of the same things with Melanie.  Except that Melanie isn't doing anything 
illegal that I could lose a pip over knowing about."
 
"I still don't understand why they took your rank away.  You didn't do 
anything."  The spark in Eliza's eyes spoke volumes of love for her brother.
 
"Because I knew about it and I didn't report it.  I saw Katrina in over her 
head and I hoped to pull her out of it before everyone got busted.  But it 
didn't work that way and I got taken down with the gambling ring.  I admit that 
I got what I deserved.  I shouldn't have let my feelings get in the way of my 
judgement.  And I won't make the mistake again."  His voice was still and quiet.
 
"Okay, okay, new subject," she said.  "You like your new assignment?"
 
"I do.  My supervisor, Marksbury, is great.  She's really given me a chance to 
prove myself and not just looked at my records.  And she lets me tease her 
without getting mad."
 
"Lemme guess...she's really cute and has a nice laugh and and and," Eliza 
laughed.
 
"Hey now.  You're making fun of me."
 
"Who's slow on the uptake today, Eli?"  She hopped off the ground and took off 
running before Elijah could grab hold of her.
 
Elijah laughed and mock chased his sister, the whole time thinking that this 
had to be his somewhere over the rainbow.





__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com

Other related posts: