Post 279: Into the Fire

Stardate:70703.2050
Title: Into the Fire
Author: Lair Kellyn
Scene: Holodeck Four/Beach
Time: Following "From the Frying Pan"
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"Did it help at all?"

Salvek tilted his head, his expression questioning.

"Talking to Ashlyn." Kellyn elaborated. "Did it help you at all?"

He thought a moment before replying. "As much as those conversations ever tend to help me, yes. I suppose that it did."

"Do you feel better?"

"I am Vulcan. I do not 'feel' better or worse."

"Liar." Kellyn's expression turned from one of concern to one of anger. "You feel plenty and I know it. You used to choose to share those feelings with me, even if not with anyone else in existence. But not now."

"Kellyn," Salvek's voice almost sounded frustrated. He did not want to discuss this now, or ever.

"Don't 'Kellyn' me. You should know by now, after all that we've been through that you've nothing to hide from me."

*All right,* Salvek thought. *Since she is intent on having this out, we really shall have it out.*

"Do you?"

"What?"

"Do you," he stressed the word, "have something to hide from me?"

Kellyn was awestruck by the question. He almost sounded jealous. "What do you mean?"

"What is the point in my melding with you, my wife, if you are not going to be completely open to me?"

Kellyn's stomach turned. She remembered the last time they had mind-melded. Just after she had returned from the Io and recovered from her injuries. He had suffered a broken arm after the ship had to break free from Arcadia. Neither one of them was at their best at the time.

She had in fact been trying to distract him during that meld, from his questions about that trip on the Io. She had hoped that Morris would be back by now, with Tues safely in tow and then nothing that happened in the interim would matter in the grand scheme. But they were still waiting for word. Still waiting to find out if their friends- their family- were alive or dead. The strain was wearing on them both.

They sat in silence a few minutes, watching as Arie played and sang a little song Kellyn had taught her as the tide came in and covered her toes. Blissfully innocent.

Kellyn felt the tips of Salvek's fingers brush beneath her bangs, across the scar on her forehead. It had remained as it was since Morris had healed her wound in a hurried and halfway manner aboard the runabout. Kellyn had flatly refused to let anyone touch it, saying that if and when her friends came home safely, then she would consider letting the medical staff take a regenerator to it.

"Why do you keep this?" he asked softly.

"Why do you try to hide your scars from me?" she countered, placing her hand on his chest, in the vicinity of his heart. "The only difference between my scars and yours, Salvek, is that most of mine are visible to the naked eye. They're obvious."

He gazed out toward the ocean now, evading her still.

"The fact you can't see your scars," she whispered, "does not mean that they aren't there. They matter to me. Talk to me."

He opened his mouth but before he could speak, they discovered that someone else was there.

"I'm sorry to intrude, commanders," February Grace interrupted, nervously wringing her hands as she stood above them.


"You are not intruding. Sit down, Lieutenant." Salvek invited, feeling as if he had just been saved by the bell, at least for now. "Please."

His feeling of having been rescued was short-lived though, because no sooner had Grace sat down, then the conversation took a sharp turn which blindsided him, and left his cheeks a glowing shade of green.

"Please, don't think me rude, or out of line. But there's something that I just have to ask you two," February began, glad she was hiding under that enormous hat and dark glasses. "Without completely invading your privacy, I was wondering,"

"Go on, February." Kellyn encouraged the shy young officer.

"What can you tell me about Pon Farr?"

Salvek, who had just taken the last sip of his grape juice, choked on it.
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Lt. Commander Lair Kellyn
Engineering Officer
USS Independence NCC-90791