Post 427: Somebody To Love

Stardate:70901.1930
Title: Somebody to Love
Author: Lair Kellyn
Scene: Seven
Time: Following "Can Anybody Find Me. . ."

----------*Flashback: Four Years previously on DS23*--------------

"Yes, your life is changed now. Yes, it will be harder. But you have a family. Arie needs you. Salvek needs you, whether or not you believe it. I see the panic in his eyes, beneath all that studied logic, when he sees you stumble or struggle. You can either let this take you over and the disease will be much more aggressive and destructive. Or, you can fight it, the way you've fought every other unfair hand life has ever given you. Make something of it. Assemble a plan, and work it to be successful. I've never known you to fail at anything you put your mind to."

"You give me far too much credit, Dabin. Both you and that slug of yours."

"I don't think so. Isn't this the woman who once defused a bomb using this thing?" He tapped the chain on her earring and she scoffed.

"I'm not that woman anymore."

"Well, hell, I'm not Aramos Reece, or Leacynth, or Rilan or Tulila or any of the other hosts. I'm Dabin, and I became Reece when I was joined and Reece's entire existence is based on changing and redefining who he is. Everyone changes, most people don't have to face these issues until they get old. You're just an overachiever and have to fact them in your thirties. So young, only a baby."

"You've only got a year or two on me there, Grandpa, so don't go all senior on me,"

"Yes, darling, but Reece has hundreds of years on both of us. I'm trying to learn from him. Maybe he can teach you something, too."

"I want to try, I really do," she whispered, fear overcoming her features as she struggled to keep from giving into it. "But I'm scared, Reece. I'm terrified."

"It's okay to be terrified. We all are sometimes. That's what makes us humanoid. Fear, uncertainty, apprehension. We can't escape it, and sometimes we have to learn to just live with it. But the Lair Kellyn I know is stronger than she knows, and if she just keeps her eyes forward and lets the people who care about her love her, she is going to get used to this. To get through this, and live a long life."

"No one knows that for sure,"

"No one knows otherwise. But if you believe you're going to falter, you will. If for no other reason than when people make up their minds they're going to die, they usually find a way to make it happen. So just promise me that you'll try, Kellyn. Not just for Salvek and Arie, or your friends. But for yourself most of all, and then take each hour, each moment as it comes. You won't be alone, I promise you."

======*End Flashback*=======

He had kept that promise. He had a heart of gold, this one. That's why she was so worried about him now.

Kellyn had stood by and watched him put his whole heart and soul into his relationship with Jaine Hood for years and get nothing but slapped around emotionally for his trouble.

Jaine was a smart woman and fine officer, but she was about as warm and welcoming as a snow bank on Breen. Kellyn figured that there must be some secret softness to her buried within, deep within, that only Reece got to see and that was why he stayed. Now she believed that perhaps with Hood what you saw was what you got, after all.

Iceberg.

It wasn't that Kellyn didn't like February Grace, either. She did like her, and had new perspective into her personality from what she'd been told by Salvek of their meld and also by participating in the zhian'tara ritual. But Reassociation was the greatest crime a Trill could commit against the status quo of their people; and she was just terrified to think what it would mean for Dabin and his symbiont if he decided to pursue this woman. *Though,* she thought to herself, *it appears that ship has sailed.*

Finally realizing she soon might need a shoe-horn to pry Reece and Grace apart if she didn't act now, she moved across the dance floor with sweeping steps and tapped Grace on the shoulder.

"May I cut in?" Kellyn asked, pasting a smile on.

February bowed graciously. "Of course. Dabin, I'll go catch up with Lily a little while. See you later?"

He smiled and nodded in reply, and he had a suspicious glimmer in his eye as he took Kellyn's outstretched hands, pulled her in quickly toward him and the pair suddenly executed several tight spins around the floor, with her in his arms.

"Damn, Reece is there anything you can't do?" She laughed. "I never knew that among other personalities you channel Fred Astaire in that thing."

"Man of many and varied talents, you know that." He said with his expected bravado. But his expression was not usual. He looked, frankly, worried now. He'd been dreading this conversation. "So what's on your mind, Mrs. Pointy?"

"What? I can't expect to at least get a chance to talk for five minutes with one of my oldest friends when he happens to be on our ship?"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Dabin realized that he'd completely missed talking with her at any point other than a few hurried shouted orders in a Jeffries' tube during the virus crisis.

"My schedule has been jammed. There was the whole side-trip to Trill. I wanted to talk to you, at several points. Don't be mad," he stuck his lower lip out, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. She couldn't get mad at that face.

"I'm not mad," she said, "Well maybe a little. I just can't believe you didn't tell me that you and Jaine were over. That you were thinking of staying here." She watched to see if he would wince at the mention of the doctor's name, but he didn't react at all.

"It wasn't exactly a premeditated decision to stay here. It all just happened, really fast."

"Hmm." Kellyn frowned. "You and Jaine were together a long time, Dabin. It might take you some time to. . .sort things out."

"Sweetie, you've been gone from the station awhile now. Jaine and I were over before you even left. There was just nothing there, anymore. She's happy now, she's going off to save the universe and I'm happy to be starting a new life here." he paused, knowing what she was thinking. "I'm not on the rebound, Kellyn."

He shocked her by actually calling her by her name.

"I've already been through this you know, with Jariel. . .and Zanh Liis. . .oh and I think maybe the busboy here at Seven had an opinion to offer too." He teased her gently. "I know y'all care about me. I appreciate that. I love you for that." He was not jesting now. "We've been to Hell and back together, right? You and me and Pointy and Charlie Chaplin and Crinkles?"

Kellyn was amused, but at the same time cringed. Calling Jariel "Charlie Chaplin", the silent man, was especially clever since Reece had been the one to help them all learn sign as a means to communicate with Jariel after he lost his power of speech. But his persistence in the use of 'Crinkles.' . . .

"Dabin you know Zanh Liis hates it when you call her that."

"Yeah," He grinned wickedly, "I know." he paused, as the song ended and the two friends sought out a small table to talk at.

"Kellyn, look at her, would you? Really look at her," he indicated February across the room. She was smiling, floating more than walking across the room as she talked with Lily and Angus. "She's. I-" he stopped. Kellyn smiled, tears in her eyes as she watched him struggle to find the words.

"Just tell me the truth. Are you really happy?"

"Yeah, I really am," his eyes continued to follow Grace a long moment more before he turned them back to Lair. "For the first time in my life."

"Then you know I'll stand behind you, always." She patted him on the arm, and he stood up. His expression said more than any words he could've chosen.

"If you'll excuse me," he added at last, "someone is waiting for me."

--------------------------------------------
Lt. Commander Lair Kellyn
Acting Chief Engineer
USS Independence NCC-90791