<USS Avalon> "The Sound of Settling"

The Sound of Settling
Elissabeth Marksbury
and
Bryce Quinn



The wave of emotion washed over her as she left Sierra?s office and Elissabeth 
stepped into her own office until it subsided.  Sitting on the sofa, she 
replayed the events that allowed her former self to resurface, terminating the 
life that she had built aboard the Avalon.  Tricky and almost more than she 
could understand, Dr. Brookman had slowly coaxed Lyryn from that hiding place 
she had built, helping to destroy that wall of steel.

 

The saddest part of all was that the two personalities could not co-exist.  It 
was either Elissabeth or Lyryn and could never be both.  Elissabeth had enjoyed 
her time to shine and now... now she would have to go away.

 

But it was just as well.  Elissabeth was willingly giving up everything she?d 
come to know and love and had worked so hard for.  And the assignment was 
death, regardless.  She would die on the Avalon.  Though she may awaken to 
another life, this life was over.  And eventually they would kill her.  
Loyalties could not lie with Intel and the Section.  Some day the Section would 
find out she was a plant and they would kill her.  It was inevitable, but her 
life would count for something in the meantime.

 

?You got what you wanted, didn?t you?? she mumbled to herself, addressing 
Lyryn, though she knew the other side of her wouldn?t answer.  Elissabeth 
considered herself lucky to get to see Bryce again.  They could?ve orchestrated 
all this from Earth, but he was too important to her to just walk away from.

 

And so, she gathered herself together to move on and live out the rest of her 
borrowed time.  

 

Elissabeth entered their quarters, hoping to see him sitting with his feet 
propped up on the table, reading something or another.  Instead, the room was 
silent and empty.  ?Bryce??

 

His name echoed in his head.  He looked from his terminal and immediately moved 
to the doorway.  And he saw her.  As if he hadn't seen her in years, Bryce's 
mouth closed and the words that he had long to tell her slowly faded away.  
"Lissi," he said simply, watching her from the doorway, her back to him.  She 
was so beautiful.  God, how he had missed her.  

 

Elissabeth turned, feeling that flip in her stomach and familiar tingle, but 
she didn't know what to do.  What if he didn't miss her?  What if he changed 
his mind?  Wrapping her arms around herself in that protective insecure pose, 
she nodded slowly.  "I - I just got back."  Her voice was whispery soft, as if 
speaking louder would disrupt the air around them with cataclysmic results.  

 

Watching her, he took a step forward with words still failing him.  He opened 
his mouth once, twice, three times with no audible expression.  "Lissi," he 
finally managed with a trembling lip, "I'm glad you're home."  What more was 
there for him to say?  You're horrible, Bryce Quinn, hold her.  His mind yelled 
out to him, but his body didn't move.  

 

Burning fire raced through her veins, colouring her skin.  How could she have 
thought things would be the same?  The tension, that horrible awful tension 
built between them like a magnetic field shimmering in between.  "I'm glad to 
be home," she replied, a tiny tear escaping the corner of her eye and silently 
trailing down her cheek.  Lissi made no move, hoping it would be ignored and 
not give birth to others.  

 

Do something, he heard himself think.  Again, he remained rooted.  

 

So this was how it was to be.  That logical part of her mind screamed that she 
should've just died on Earth and not come back for this brand of torture and 
heartache.  "I... I have things to do," she nearly stammered, racing mind 
seldom making cognate connections.  But she still had control of her body and 
she turned it quickly to face the door, pack still slung over her back.  Three 
steps and she would be free of this awkward prison.

 

"No, wait."  Bryce said, his hand extended and his feet still stuck.  He took a 
breath as she stopped and took another step, this time towards the couch.  
"Tell me about your, uh, trip.  I only got to talk to you briefly."  He knew 
his words sounded hollow, they sounded empty even to him, but it was a start.  

 

Skepticism flashed across her face, that same expression when he had approached 
her for the very first time in the lounge.  Was it worth it?  The insecurities, 
the tension, the uncertainty?  Lissi looked at Bryce for a long moment as if 
deciding that moment their fate together.  The best thing for both of them 
would be for her to walk away.  But she was curious.  Too curious on what 
could've, would've, should've been.  She dropped her pack onto the floor.

 

You're being stupid.  Bryce knew that he couldn't stop it - his feelings.  His 
feelings for her, everything that she was and could be, everything that he was 
and would be; they all mattered more than anything at this point.  The truth 
was evident: he needed her.  Bryce turned and walked straight at her, wrapping 
her in his arms and kissed her

 

It took her breath away, the depth of emotion in that kiss and as it lingered, 
she knew she was truly home.  And it broke her heart.  Shattered into pieces 
for all she would be leaving behind.  As Lissi pulled away, she was crying.  
That seemingly impenetrable facade was gone as she stood before this man she 
loved more than her own life - but not more than her work.  Silent sobs wracked 
her body, but she didn't know how to make them stop.  

 

"Oh, Elissabeth," Bryce said, grasping her face in the palm of his hands and 
brushing the tears on her cheeks away with his thumbs.  It hurt him to watch 
her cry, it hurt more to know that there was more pain and suffering going on 
than he could ever fathom possible.  He pressed their lips together again, 
savoring that moment of pure delight before pulling away.  "I missed you so 
much."

 

She laid a delicate hand on his cheek, a lingering gaze into his eyes.  "I'm 
here now."  No matter how many times they'd made love or spoken of their pasts, 
something more intense passed between them in that moment and they stood before 
each other truly open and wanton.  

 

"I was worried."  

 

She wanted to make promises that she would be okay, that she would never leave 
him again, but she couldn't lie to him.  Instead, she simply said, "I love 
you."  

 

"Don't ever leave me again, all right?"  He said with a chuckle.  

 

And her heart broke completely.  Elissabeth knew then and there that she would 
rather truly die than wake up without this man by her side.  But it wasn't 
Elissabeth's decision.

 

It was Lyryn's life now.  


                
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