Shadows of the Past -- Part 4

Posted on Thu Jun 13th, 2019 @ 6:49pm by Splendora Sage & Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne

1,389 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 98 - A Raid on Peace
Location: Breakfast Nook (Memory Log)
Timeline: MD 03 0940 hours

ON:

Splendora was feeling better this morning. She didn't have another session with Nivar until later today. She was glad she took a few days off. She knew that he needed to do his assessment and she now understood what he was doing and why. She had disliked Nivar at first but was upset with herself for judging him.

She wanted to go see Ariana. She hadn't seen her since the breakfast they'd had yesterday. She hoped Ariana was okay. A lot had happened.

She changed direction and headed towards Ariana's quarters. As she walked she thought back to their breakfast...


MD02-- Memory -- 0800 hours Breakfast with Ariana

This morning Ariana had called in to check on her and they had agreed to meet for breakfast. She was looking forward to it. Ariana had had time to sleep off the happenings of last evening and she, herself, had had time to process. What they saw in the holodeck was...amazing. Splendora was still in awe. It was as if the power of love conjured Jonathan up and she hoped that Ariana could feel lighter and had more closure with all that happened.

Ariana arrived for breakfast with Splendora, for a change she was wearing something bright and cheery. Up until now her clothing selection had been subdued like her mood, but since the ‘miracle’ she’d witnessed in the holodeck her whole outlook had changed. Walking over to Splendora she smiled cheerily. “Good Morning Splendora!”

Splendora could sense a change in her friend. "Good morning. You look like you are feeling a lot better. Like the weight of the world was removed from your shoulders."

“I think it was!” Ariana smiled warmly. “What we saw was....a miracle! If you’d have asked me last night I’d have given anything to go back and be with them but having slept on it, I know these things happen for a reason. Cameron has promised that he’ll there for me and that’s all I need.”

Splendora smiled, "Good. I hope your hungry cause we are having a lot of food." She grinned. "I ordered everything under the sun."

“Hungry! Trust me we...” She motioned to her stomach. “Can eat and eat and eat!!” She grinned. “I’ll seriously need to get fit again once I’ve had this baby!”

She laughed, "Well we got time." She was glad she herself was feeling better after last night. Nivar had left well past midnight and she could tell he was worried. She didn't bounce back as quick from her illness as she once did.

“How are you this morning?” Ariana looked at her friend concernedly. “There’s obviously something going on with you, are you permitted to talk about it?”

"Well there are aspects," she said honestly. She smiled a little but it did not reach her eyes. "There are three things really. Two are love related and one is....I don't even know. Where do I start?"

“Wherever you feel you’re most able to” Ariana smiled as she took a seat and made herself comfortable.

She sighed, "Problem number one. Braxton."

“Brax?” Ariana looked at Splendora concernedly. “Sorry I should stop calling him that, playing my part as Nicole seems to have rubbed off a little. What about him?”

"He came to see me just before we left for Cardassia. He's convinced himself that he's in love with me." She shook her head. "I love Tom. I told him that. He was hurt but he understood and now he just runs when he sees me. As if .... well I can sense how painful it is for him to be around me."

“I see” Ariana nodded. “We’ve only just come to a point of friendship ourselves, I remind him too much of Nicole. I can try talking to him for you if that helps?”

"No he has to wrestle with this on his own but maybe check on him. That brings me to issue two...Tom."

Ariana nodded. “Tell me about Tom, I don’t believe I’ve had the chance to meet him as yet, but if he holds your heart he must be special.”

She smiled, "He is the owner of Good Fellas he is...amazing. He's strong, handsome, funny, and I fell for him quickly." She sighed, "That altercation that happened on the promenade two days ago...that was Tom. He saw the man whom he blames for the death of his fiancée and they got into a fight. He's in the brig for the rest of the week for it and I can't see him. It's agony." She looked at Ariana. "This relationship has me.... disoriented. I love him but I keep thinking he'll wake up and just realize he's too good for me. I've always been confident but not now. Not in tis relationship. I feel vulnerable."

“I can understand that” Ariana nodded. “Let me ask you something? Does he love you as much as you love him? The way I see it, if he loves you as much then a week apart is only going to make your reunion all the sweeter. Just because you can’t see him, it doesn’t mean you can’t contact him by other means does it?”

She looked down. "He cares about me a lot," she said carefully. I just wish...."

“What?” Ariana looked at Splendora curiously, she nodded her thanks as the order Splendora had placed started to be brought over to their table. “What is it you wish?”

"That he was more...passionate. Sometimes I get so frustrated. It's like we connect on a level beyond anything and then it's like he pulls back." She sighed, "I mean I understand it he lost his fiancée and it's a protection mechanism and he's still so caught up in it that he can't even talk about his former fiancée it's painful for him. I just worry that maybe I am the safe choice."

“Maybe he’s just scared.” Ariana offered an understanding smile. “If the two of you are serious about each other then sit down and talk about it, it’s the only way to truly know how he feels and for him to know how you feel.”

She grinned, "Hades said something similar. I'm a psychiatrist I counsel people for a living. You'd think I'd be better at communicating."

“Hey I’m a counsellor and look at what you had to do for me!” Ariana grinned. “I wasn’t facing up to my feelings, you helped me with that and I appreciate it. Now I want to help you, that’s what friends are for after all.”

She smiled, "I think our miracle helped you. It's proof that true love conquers all, even death." She sighed, "Problem is I talk to my patients all the time and I don't know how to talk to him. I'm so afraid of loosing him that I seem to forget who I am."

“Then forget everything else and just tell him how you feel” Ariana smiled. “Go with your heart Splendora, do what your heart tells you not what your head says. As soon as you see him again sit down together, close your eyes and let out everything you just told me!

She smiled, "That easy huh?"

"It's easy to say but whether it's easy to do is another matter entirely" Ariana grinned. "I just give the advice, as best as I can."

She thought of something. "Maybe you can talk to him...see if he opens up to you."

“I can try” Ariana smiled. “Do you think he’d be willing to talk?”

She sighed, "No but if he won't talk to me maybe he will to you. Just find out if he's okay."

“I’ll do my best but it’ll have to wait until he leaves the brig.” Ariana smiled. “In the meantime, am I allowed to ask what’s going on with you? It’s obviously not something that’s being treated in a normal way.”


Present Day

Splendora ended her recollection as she walked up to Ariana's quarters. She took a deep breath and rang the chime. She hoped her friend would not mind her dropping in unannounced.

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