<USS Avalon> "Two Of A Kind: Needing Each Other"

"Two Of A Kind: Needing Each Other"
Skyler and Tavi
   
 
Having left Phillipa in charge, as she was the closest thing there  was to a 
second officer Skyler returned to her quarters. She had told Phillipa  to 
inform her when they reached the Avalon-B. For now she wanted to get home  
before 
Tavi as she had a lot of thinking to do. How was she going to explain  what 
had happened with Tery? She had promised Tavi there would be no lies  between 
them. Once in her quarter's she took a quick hot shower and then changed  into 
her old academy shorts and tee shirt. The least she could do was be 
comfortable. The up coming conversation didn't  expect to be that comfortable 
even though 
she had already told Tavi about  herself. Involving someone else was another 
story in itself. 


Tavi stood perfectly still for a long moment after materializing in  the main 
room of the suite she shared with Skyler.  It was, really, the  first time 
she'd ever been transported while conscious and not hiding inside  something!  
After a few seconds, she became aware of small sounds from  Skyler's room, 
indicating that the Captain was already  home.  Tavi  hesitated, then decided 
Skyler would come out when she was ready, and went to  the replicator.  What 
should she get for their supper?  


Hearing a transporter beam Skyler came out of her  quarter's running her hand 
through her wet hair. "Hey there. How was your day in  engineering? I hope it 
wasn't too boring?" Walking over to the kitchen area she  sat on a stool and 
watched as Tavi pondered the replicator.  

Boring?  How could machinery be  boring?  Tavi decided she was being teased.  
"It was fun," she  said, and scrolled through the visual replicator menu to 
make her choices.   She knew already that a healthy meal had to have a main 
dish and a vegetable,  unless it was something like a stew with vegetables in 
it. 
 Quickly she  tapped in her selections, trying to be mysterious to tease 
Skyler in return, a  little.  
 
"Fun, you mean Lt. K'etrall didn't put you to work or anything like  that? I 
am going to have to have a talk with that woman. Just what are you  punching 
in there anyway? You're not going to feed me some klingon gagh or  anything 
like that are you?" How do I tell her about Tery or do I just wait  unit I see 
how things go...


"Oh, I got to fix a power flaw in one of the consoles, and then she  let me 
adjust the main intermixes," Tavi said airily, making light of it even  though 
it was one of the most exciting things that had ever happened to  her.  She 
wasn't sure what the meat was that she took from the replicator,  but it 
smelled 
as good as the picture had looked.  It was something like  hamburgers, but 
shaped different and covered with rich brown gravy.  To go  with it, there was 
macaroni-and-cheese and cooked greens.  Tavi thought  they were spinach, but 
since she'd ordered from a picture, she wasn't  sure.   


"Hmm well at least your day wasn't wasted. And to  top it off you are 
cooking. To what do I owe this surprise? It smells good. I'll  set the table 
while 
you get the food ready. Deal?" Skyler started to reach for  the utensil's and 
napkins still trying to decide how to tell Tavi what was going  on. "That's not 
spinach is it? Spinach is not one of my favorites, would much  rather have ice 
cream or something like that." Skyler smiled at Tavi.  


"Ice cream is for dessert," Tavi quoted one of the nurses from the  starbase 
hospital.  "I think it's supposed to be spinach," she added.   "It might be 
some other kind of greens, though.  It doesn't smell exactly  like spinach."  
She watched Skyler curiously as she carefully carried the  dishes to the table. 
 
Something was different in her mannerisms, but Tavi  couldn't tell exactly 
what.  

"I suppose  I should set an example and at least give it a try. It definitely 
doesn't smell  like spinach. I tell you what, you go first and if you don't 
go UGH then I might  try it. Sound fair enough to you?" Skyler sat at the table 
and waited for Tavi  to put the food out.  


Giggle.  "Sure," Tavi agreed, still watching Skyler  while trying not to be 
obvious about it.  What was different?   Something, she couldn't tell exactly.  
Once they were both served, and Tavi  had remembered, belatedly, to get 
glasses of milk to go with their meal, she  tasted the greens.  Not spinach, 
she 
decided.  The texture was softer  and less gritty, and the flavor had a 
definite 
hint of smoked meat to it.   "It's not spinach," she reported.   


"You're sure it's not spinach?" Looking at Tavi,  Skyler snickered and took a 
bite of the greens. She immediately puckered her  face into a look of 
disgust. "Oh, this stuff is........I just don't know what it  is? Maybe you 
better 
try another bite and tell me what it is? It seems to like  you. I'll get the 
milk while you do the taste testing." Scooting her chair back,  Skyler stood 
and 
crossed over to the replicator and punched in the order for two  glasses of 
milk. She had to admit having Tavi around was fun....But would she think it was 
fun to have Tery around???  


Tavi just laughed.  "It's good, whatever it is," she  insisted.  It was good 
with a bite of macaroni and cheese too.  "What  is this meat called?" she 
asked.  

Bringing  the milk back to the table, Skyler sat down and stared at the 
greens. "Tastes  good with the macaroni and cheese does it? Let's just see 
about 
that." Taking a  bite of the greens and the macaroni, Skyler chewed trying not 
to make to big of  a face. Acting as if it were difficult to swallow she 
grimaced. "Ok, I suppose  you are right. It's not that bad. The meat is called 
Salisbury steak and  is actually very good for replicated food. Now if you want 
good food you need to  taste some of Georgia's  cooking.  Now that is food that 
is good. So, what else did you do today?"  Nothing like stalling Skyler, good 
move..... 

"Just school stuff, and visited the library, before you took me to  
Engineering..."  Tavi favored Skyler with a puzzled look.  Definitely  there 
was 
something odd going on here.  "Are you okay?" she asked.  


Still chewing her food Skyler did her best to act  like nothing was wrong. 
Swallowing she took a drink of her milk. "I fine. What  makes you think 
something is wrong?"  


"You're acting funny," Tavi said frankly.  "Like something is  different."   


"Funny? How am I acting funny? I thought I was  eating my dinner prepared in 
secret by you?"  


Tavi put down her fork and twined her hands together in her  lap.  It wasn't 
easy to be completely honest with another person, not when  her life's habit 
was to keep to herself.  But she persevered.  "It  sounds like you know 
something that's a secret from me and you don't want me to  know you have a 
secret," 
she said quietly.   


Smart kid this one is.... Putting her  glass down, Skyler looked at Tavi. "I 
am not trying to act like I have a secret,  especially from you. I told you 
there would be no secrets between us. It's  just......something happened today 
and I am not sure how to tell you. I don't  want you to hate me or anything 
like that."  


"Why would I hate you?" Tavi blurted before she could start thinking  about 
all the awful things she might hate Skyler for.   


Hesitating Skyler took a deep breath. "I don't  really think you will hate 
me, but I don't want you to think that you are now  second banana in my life 
because you are not. You are first and foremost the  most important person in 
my 
life. Do you understand that Tavi? You have made my  life better in the short 
time we have been together. I don't want that to  change."  


The obvious conclusion was that another person had come into  Skyler's life.  
And it would have to be very sudden, or Tavi would have  known earlier.  She 
nodded, and picked at her food a little.   


"Talk to me Tavi. Don't just nod your head and  pick at your food. Here is 
the thing. I did meet someone today and I think in  time it could be something 
special. I think the three of us could make a great  family. That's what I want 
more than anything. I want us to be a family Tavi.  You and me. Maybe someone 
else down the line." Skyler looked at Tavi, taking her  hand and raising 
Tavi's chin a little. "You come first Tavi. No one else. Just  you." How can I 
make her understand that nothing has changed yet  it has...But not the way I 
feel 
about her..... 


The little girl groped for words.  It was hard to say what she  meant, when 
Skyler was taking it completely differently.  "But it's okay,"  she stammered.  
"I mean... I don't understand.  I don't understand why  it's such a big deal. 
 I don't understand why you thought I wouldn't like  it, just like I don't 
understand why you thought I would be weirded out about  you not liking men.  I 
don't get why it's such a big thing.  Isn't it  supposed to be all right as 
long as it doesn't hurt other people?  I want  you to be happy, just like you 
want me to be happy," she concluded  plaintively.

"I am glad you want me to be  happy just like I want you to be happy. A lot 
of people, grown-up people think  that not liking men is bad. That anyone who 
is like that is not a good person.  It shouldn't be a big thing but to some 
people it is. I don't want it to come  between you and me. And you are right it 
shouldn't matter as long as it isn't  hurting other people. How come you are so 
smart and the rest of the world is  so....dumb. You may not understand this 
feeling yet but I do, I love you Tavi. I  can't  imagine my life without you in 
it. That is the honest truth."  


"If people think that something that makes you happy and doesn't  hurt anyone 
is bad, then they're stupid," the child declared.  "And you  shouldn't listen 
to stupid people."  She got out of her chair and came to  put her arms around 
Skyler in a tight hug.  "I want us to be a family,  too," she whispered.

Skyler wrapped her arms  around Tavi and held her tight. "I'm glad you want 
us to be a family. How would  you feel if I were to make it official and adopt 
you? Then no one could take you  away from me or me away from you. I also want 
you to meet Tery. She loves  children and wants to have a family as well. 
What do you think about that?" A  lone tear fell from Skyler's eyes as she held 
Tavi.  


"I think... you should eat those greens."  Mischief sparkled in  Tavi's eyes. 
 If she didn't do something completely contrary to her  feelings, she'd end 
up sobbing.  So she turned it around and teased.   "I think... yes," she added, 
sliding back into her own chair.   


"Eat my greens?! But they taste yucky!! Your 'e  not really gonna make me eat 
them are you? And was that a yes to us adopting  each other and becoming a 
real family?" Skyler's heart was beating faster than  she thought was possible. 
 


"Yes, but you have to eat your vegetables," Tavi giggled.  "And  I have to 
learn school things besides engineering.  Families have to have  rules, you 
said 
so."   


Laughing Skyler smiled at Tavi. "Okay, I will eat  my vegetables and you have 
to go to school. Again you are right, we do have  rules and who am I to be 
the one to break one of them." Taking a bite of her  greens Skyler giggled 
along 
with Tavi. "So when do we talk to the Admiral about  this adoption and are 
you going to quit calling me Captain? We have to find  something better than 
that."  


"I didn't call you Captain to your face," protested Tavi.   "Only to other 
people.  But I guess 'Ms Skyler' isn't any better," she  mused softly.  She 
wasn't -- quite -- ready to use a word that meant  mother.  But maybe some time 
she would be ready.   

"Okay, calm down. How about for now you just call me Skyler or hey  you. When 
you feel you are ready to call me something else you let me know. You  still 
didn't answer the question about when you were going to talk to the  Admiral 
about the adoption." Would she ever be ready to call me mother or  something 
like that....am I going to be ready to be called mother..... 


Chuckling at hey you, Tavi nodded.  "Can't ask the  Admiral," she said, after 
chewing and swallowing a bite of food.  "He  left.  At least, his shuttle 
left," she added.   


"When did you find out he left? He didn't even  tell me he was leaving? Have 
you got something going with the Admiral I don't  know about? I know.....you 
are dating him behind my back aren't you? That's how  you knew he was gone or 
that his shuttle was gone." Skyler chuckled knowing she  was teasing.  


Now the little girl collapsed in a fit of giggles.  When she  could talk 
again, she said, "The monitor boards in Engineering.  They show  the shuttle 
bays, 
and the Captain's was empty."   


Skyler looked at her with a slight wink. "So  you're not dating the Admiral? 
That's a relief. I would hate to have to plan a  wedding before I even get you 
adopted. So how long have you known he's been  gone? Did the monitor's say 
when he left?" Skyler was much more relaxed now and  enjoying her dinner with 
Tavi. Just got to bring Tery into the mix and all  will be good....  

"Nope, just the space marked Captain's Yacht was empty on the  board," said 
Tavi.  "I know that's where the Admiral keeps his shuttle, so  I figured he was 
gone."  She was proud of being able to read the monitor,  too.  She had to 
ask the computer to pronounce and define 'yacht' for her a  few days ago when 
she was going over the ship's schematics, but once she learned  something, she 
wouldn't forget it.  "And anyway, the Admiral is too old for  me.  And how do 
you know I don't like girls, like you do?  I  don't even know, I'm still too 
young to care either way," she added with a  negligent wave of her hand.  


Smirking Skyler smiled. "Well, well....guess you  put me in my place didn't 
you little miss. He is kinda old isn't he. You do know  that if you do decide 
you like girls or if you like boys it's okay with me. You  don't have to  hide 
it or be afraid to tell me. And you are still too young  to be dating. We 
don't want to make me any grayer than I already am. So when the  Admiral gets 
back 
you're gonna have that talk with him right?"  


"Sure," she agreed, and drank some of her milk, leaving a milk  moustache on 
her upper lip.  "You need somebody to look after you, same as  I need somebody 
to look after me."   


Skyler started laughing and it felt good. "You  look....silly. You definitely 
need someone to look after you." Taking a big gulp  of her milk, Skyler ended 
up with a milk mustache as well. "What kind of pair  are we?"  


"The kind that needs each other," said Tavi, softly, suddenly  looking far 
too old for her age.   


Grabbing Tavi and picking her up, Skyler twirled  her around. "It's you and 
me kid. For better or worse. No one is gonna tear us  apart."  


Tavi smiled, but her thoughts were serious.  Skyler really  did need her as 
much as she needed Skyler.  It was a little scary,  but at the same time it 
felt good.  It felt right.  And they were  going to be a good family together.

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