<USS Avalon> "The Stranger Next to Me"

The Stranger Next to Me
Elissabeth Marksbury

With Special Guest Writer 
Gryphon as Yul


It was a long moment before she even realised James had left her office and 
when she did, she moved over and sank softly onto the small sofa. Elissabeth 
felt more like a lost little girl than she ever did as a child, and for an 
innumerable time missed her father. Her real father. The harsh man who ran the 
orphanage and expected nothing but perfection from her. He would understand the 
choices she made. He wouldn't have approved of all of them, but he would 
understand.

She was unsure of how much time had passed, but that sick little knot never 
left her stomach as she considered the things James had told her. How many more 
people are you going to push aside, Liss? he'd asked. "Damned good question," 
she muttered, attempting to shake off the feelings of self-pity. Standing, she 
decided that she wasn't going to sit here like this any longer. Maybe she could 
even find Bryce and talk through things rationally. Or not. She wasn't sure, 
but knew she had to be anywhere but there. 

Instinct led her to the lounge and to 'their' table, which, thankfully, was 
empty. Everyone wasn't back from shore leave yet, apparently. She settled in 
with a cup of tea she didn't really want and stared at the planet through the 
viewport. 

Yul watched the woman sit at a table near him. He looked at the full glass of 
water in front of him and then over at the woman. He could tell from her body 
language that she was feeling somewhat sad. He decided to try to start a 
conversation. "Slow night, huh?" 

Looking up towards the voice, Elissabeth tried to answer politely. "Looks that 
way." She then turned her attention back to the view, hoping he'd get the hint. 

Not a big talker, eh? "What brings you to the lounge at this time of night?" 

She turned her head slowly. "Seems time of day would be relative on a starship, 
Mr. - ?" 

"Oh, pardon me, how rude. Yul, name's Yul." 

"Is that first, last, or one in the same?" 

"One in the same, just Yul, no more, no less." 

A slight smirk escaped her lips against her will because it reminded her of 
Skyler. She then nodded and resumed her planet watching. 

"And I suppose whether it's day or night, depends on how you measure and look 
at time. I would consider this night, where as you consider it day, both are 
correct, depending on how you look at it." 

"Hence the statement on relativity," she sighed, suprising herself with her 
rudeness. 

Yul nodded and replied, "Either way, you still did not answer my question." 

"I'm rather evasive like that." And suddenly she felt silly for carrying on a 
conversation from two tables away, though she'd rather not it be a conversation 
to begin with. 

"I can see that. However, I'm just curious, the lounge doesn't seem like a 
popular place when one can go on shoreleave." Yul looked around the lounge to 
prove his point. 

"I came here to be alone in a crowd. But I don't think the crowd was on the 
same wavelength." What in the world possessed me to admit that? Biting her lip, 
she turned to firmly stare out the viewport, hoping he'd get the hint and go 
away. 

Ah, regretting saying that I see. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it 
seems that I'll be the only crowd for you tonight." 

Elissabeth used that moment to sip her tea, deciding whether or not to leave, 
because she obviously wasn't going to be left alone. The ship seemed so empty. 
There were only one or two tables with occupants scattered about the room. And 
two tables away sat the overly friendly fellow determined to make her 
acquaintance. Just like Bryce had... The thought brought the tears to her eyes 
again and she tried to remove them nonchalantly. 

Why so glum chum? "Trying to hide from something, or someone?" 

"You have a lot of audacity." 

Yul shrugged. "It comes with the territory." 

"You're not the new counselor, are you?" 

"No, but I could be one." 

"Nosey and invasive. I've had enough of that for one day if you don't mind." 

I can see that you want to talk, but you won't let yourself. "Why do you choose 
to push people away, when all they want to do is help?" 

Elissabeth blinked repeatedly. What did he just say? Narrowing her eyes, she 
pointed at the seat across from her. "Sit." 

Yul grabbed the still full glass of water and took the seat across from the 
woman. He interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on the table. 

"What would make you say that?" 

"Because that seems to be the situation at hand." 

"I don't push people away," she said with almost a vehement hiss. 

Lie. "Then what was that?" 

She closed her eyes. Stay rational, Liss. "It was me being annoyed that a total 
stranger was asking me personal questions. You don't even know my name and yet 
you've determined that I need 'help'. Not only is it arrogant, but it's 
frustrating, especially when I wanted to be left alone." 

Obviously. "Well, I do know your name Commander Marksbury. And though you may 
have wanted to be left alone, you also want to talk to someone." 

"Says who?!" And that's when calm and rational left the scene, she thought. Who 
was this and why did he think he knew her so well? 

That got you pondering something, or is it an inner struggle? "Says you. Maybe 
not verbally, but you have been saying it." 

Blowing out a breath of frustration, she asked, "Is this a joke? Did someone 
send you here to mess with me?" 

"No, not at all." 

"Well, you're mistaken. I don't need help, and if I did, I'd go to one of my 
friends, not confiding in someone I just met in the lounge, who can't keep his 
thoughts to himself." She was surprised over the fact she'd lost her temper. 
Was it because he?s right? 

Half-truth. "If you truly feel that you don't want help, then I shall leave 
you. However, I am correct that you want to talk to someone, and you have 
someone to talk to right here." 

Elissabeth bit her tongue. Hard. And still the words she didn't want to say 
escaped her lips. "I had a particularly bad fight with the man I love more than 
I ever thought possible and I can't stand the thought of actually living 
without him." Eyes wide, she couldn't figure out why in the universe she just 
said that. 

Now we're getting somewhere. "And what was the fight about?" 

Stop it! But there was no stopping. "He was prying, trying to find out things 
because he thinks he can protect me. Doesn't understand that my not telling him 
is my way of protecting him." It was as if some spell had been cast and she 
couldn't shut her mouth. 

Definitely an inner struggle. "So why don't you explain that to him?" 

"I tried. He's stubborn." 

Something you two have in common. "Well, if you truly love him, and he truly 
loves you, you will forgive each other." 

"It's not something to just get over or work out. It's a real issue and I'm not 
going..." she swallowed against the lump in her throat as tears coursed down 
her cheeks. "I'm not going to waste the time figuring out ways to break each 
other's hearts." 

"Love is compromises. Working things out. It may be difficult, and take a 
while, but it should eventually work itself out. How are you gonna know if it's 
fixable if you never try?" 

"Some things can't be fixed. Sometimes there is a certain order to the universe 
that has to be followed." 

"But love, true love, is the chaos to that order." 

"But can I deal with that?" She was finally defeated.

"Do you truly love him?" 

"Painfully." 

"Then you can deal with this, and any other thing that will come between you 
two." 

"Anything?" she asked hopefully, wiping tears from her cheeks. It was what she 
needed to hear. 

"Anything and everything." 

Closing her eyes and taking in a shaky breath, Elissabeth opened her eyes to 
say thank you. 

And found no one there. 

Nothing but a full glass of water.


                
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