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Posted on 23 Nov 2019 @ 2:59am by Lieutenant Emmony Safford & Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari

Mission: Mission 2 - The Agora crossroads
Location: Aidan and Emme's quarters
Timeline: a couple of minutes after return
1153 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Aidan was anxious to return home as soon as he arrived back on the ship. Debrief and medical could wait, there were people he needed to see first. As fast as his stricken body would move him, he walked back to his quarters. He felt watched as he walked, knowing his outfit was probably quite a sight.

"Em?" he called out as soon as he stepped inside their quarters. "Em are you home?"

Emme came out of the bedroom saw Aidan and wanted to run at him, but then saw his real appearance. She walked much more slowly toward him and wrapped her arms around him. "Are you alright? Have you been to sickbay? Sherlock's been going crazy, I knew you were in danger."

"Em.." He hissed as she touched him but rested his head against her shoulder regardless, wrapping his arms around her. "I wanted to go home so bad... back to you." Tears welled up in his eyes as he just held her. "I'll go to sickbay soon, I need to spend some time here first. With you and I have to call KT, that old demon needs to be put at ease too."

He sighed sofly. "I'm not alright, but I will be, I promise. Now that I'm home with you, I will be."

She had no idea what to say. She'd rarely seen him like this. Certainly Aidan had always been a bit on the emotional side but she had no idea really what he'd been through and therefore didn't really know how to help him other than hold on. It worried her a great deal. He'd been through so much already in his short life. "Aidan, I'm so sorry." She whispered as she pulled back, kissing his face gently. "Have you ever considered leaving Starfleet? You know, finding a little house somewhere and just staying there for a while?"

Aidan shook his head. "No it's never occurred to me, but we can certainly look for a little house somewhere and retreat there when we're on leave." He kissed her back, holding perfectly still. "We also have KT's condo in Rio we can use, he did tell us it's always open for us." He watched her for a moment. "I'm so sorry you had to worry about me, this isn't what we planned this mission to be like. I did learn a great deal and I did make a few friends. But it's not something I care to repeat." He looked up at her. "I think.... I'll pass on away missions for a while."

"I think that's a very good idea," Emme answered seriously. "And yes, before the baby comes we should have a little get away . . . or maybe after she comes." Emme stood there seemingly thinking about it. Then suddenly shook her head. "I'm walking you to sickbay, no arguments."

"No, I'll go to sickbay soon," Aidan promised, "for now I just want to stay here with you for a little while. I need to call KT too. I promise my love, I will go to sickbay. I just need to gather my wits and get grounded again. And the only place I can do that, is here. I'll need to be debriefed too, and make a counseling appointment, but first I wanted to see you. I'm really sorry for worrying you, that's the last thing I want to do."

Emme stepped back from him and put her hands on her hips. "You're still worrying me, and I know you don't mean to. Sit down, call KT and then we're going to sickbay, please?"

"I am going to sickbay," he corrected her, "Em...there's something that happened and if you saw this..." He looked both scared and apologetic. "It's something I'd like to spare you from, if you will allow me to? I don't want you to see this."

She looked confused. Emme didn't think Aidan had ever kept anything from her before. "Okay . . . I guess. As long as you're seen soon. Sit." She said pulling out a chair in front of their monitor. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"Famished," Aidan confessed, seeing her confusion. "Em, I'm just trying to protect you. I promise I'll go to sickbay, within the hour. You have my word." He bit his lower lip, only briefly considering showing her. But only briefly, as his desire to protect was stronger than the need to share. He watched as Sherlock came crashing in, landing right on his lap. "I've missed you too buddy," Aidan murmured as the blue burrowed into him. "Thank you for looking after Em, when I wasn't here." He looked up. "I'm so glad to be home..."

She brought him a plate of food. "Eat that slowly," but made no more mention of him visiting sickbay. "Yeah, he woke the Captain up while you were gone. Captain called me to his quarters in the middle of the night. That's how I knew something was wrong."

Aidan reached out to take her hand, drawing her down onto his lap. "I'm so sorry," he apologized again, knowing this would probably not the last time he would for this. "I..." He hesitated. "After I've been debriefed, there's someone I need you to meet. I made a friend down there, and now she needs a friend as she's coming with us. I know it's a lot to ask, but she's got no-one. Her name's Iola, she's Orion at least insofar I can tell, and she can't talk."

"Stop apologizing, it wasn't your fault. And of course I'll meet her." Emme didn't like sitting on his lap though, she didn't know how injured he was and that made her very nervous. She moved off him. "Please just eat and call KT and go to sickbay, it will make me feel so much better."

Nodding slowly, Aidan let her get up. "You're the best Em," he said honestly, "and I won't ever stop saying that. You are the best that ever happened to me." He finished his food in seconds, showing he really had been hungry. "Come visit me in sickbay later," he said softly, "I'll be much better then." Gingerly, he stood and moved over to his computer.

"Yes, of course. Just call me, I'll be right there." Emme could feel the tension in her body though. She wanted to relieve it before it made her feel all achy. "I'm going to go take a quick shower and I'll walk you to sickbay, but I won't stay. Okay?"

"Okay. It won't take long I just got to ease his mind." Aidan gave her a genuine smile, sensing her worry. If he hadn't been hurt in this manner, he certainly would've joined her but this was something he just didn't want her to see.

●● Lieutenant Aidan Datari
Chief Science Officer
USS Andromeda

Lieutenant Emmony Safford
Science Officer
USS Andromeda