I Love You, You Idiot!

Posted on 24 May 2023 @ 9:23pm by Lieutenant JG Harper Matthews & Captain Jonathan Reynolds

Mission: Through the looking glass
Location: Captain's Ready Room, USS Andromeda
Timeline: Shortly After Staff Meeting
1970 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Harper had left the care of the doctors in Sickbay, much to their annoyance and against medical advice, but she had to speak to Jon about his decision. They said she was fit for light duty but to be careful. Her back was still in a transitional state and for it to repair itself, alongside medical intervention, would take time.

She'd made her feelings clear in the meeting but she knew her place. As security she was bound to disagree, hell it was her job to safeguard the Captain, and crew of course, and here he was doing something that would put him directly in harms way. Also, as Jon's girlfriend she was terrified for him, angry at him and confused as to why he had to play saviour. Deep down she probably knew but all the same she marched into his ready room without so much as an "Enter."

Well, maybe marched was a poor term. A kind of hobble if you like.

She had a light sweat that stuck to her skin and she stared at a startled but almost expectant Jon. It was like he was expecting her to do this. She looked like crap. Literally not long off an operating table, she hadn't had a proper shower after it all and she looked gaunt, pale and faded.

There was a moment of silence that hung in the room as they locked eyes. Harper's conveying the disbelief at his idea and her feelings on it.

Jon was expecting this from Harper. He hadn't expected it so soon and in his ready room but here she was. Most likely the Counselor and the CMO and his XO would also try. Maybe even Datai again, although he had tried when him and Ron had met with him before he had called the meeting. Bumble was smart enough to keep his mouth shut and head down.

The truth was he was expecting everyone to be honest to try talk him out of things. It was their job after all to safeguarding him. Well in their heads.

He hadn't expected his girlfriend to be first and not walking properly either.

"I'm not sure I agree with the doctor that your up to light duty yet. I will talk to him when he inevitably visits. You look terrible Harper," he said. "Sorry to say that. But perhaps we should get you back to quarters and I can run you a soothing bath."

Harper scrunched up her eyes and shook her head. Was he really deflecting? Surely he knew why she was there...

"I feel terrible... terrible about what you're going to do? Do you seriously think taking red is the best thing for you to do?!" she felt her voice rising in tone. At this point she wasn't sure if she was speaking as his girlfriend or as his Chief of Security. "Tell me why, and don't give me the 'I'm the Captain' spiel... you know what it can do to you!"

"Harper," Jon said gently. "No. I won't. I am the Captain and there are ALWAYS going to be situations where I need to do things you're not going to like either personally or professionally. The same goes for you. I didn't like letting you go with Fox back to that station but it was your job. I let you go.

And no we don't know what it will do. Going by my dalliances at the academy, I will just laugh a little and probably hit on you. Going by the version you encountered of me, he stepped up and did the right thing in the moment you needed him. "

"The difference with me going with Commander Fox was that I'm not in command of over 1,000 lives and in the grand scheme of things here am not as important as you. Every Chief of Security is in danger of getting hurt." she gestured to the bridge outside the ready room. "Jesus I almost died out there and k--" she couldn't even say it as the memory of the event cast up. She'd never forget it, but right now she wished she could.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you..." she mumbled a touch as unbeknownst to her, tears had began to stream down her face. She was still angry at Jon but it was a sad anger (if that makes sense). "You can't be that much of an idiot to think that a Captain taking a narcotic is a good idea! There are other ways to get us home that don't involve you taking that shit and becoming a raging hormone... the other Jon isn't you. Who knows how you will react to this universe's red!"

Her emotions were all over the place, conflicting with each other. Sadness, anger, confusion. She was waiting for Jon to ask why she was behaving like this. Why was she trying to hard to pick a fight with him.

"The difference is if anything had gone wrong with you going with Commander Fox I would be minus 2 competent senior officers to help be in command of over 1000 lives and I could have lost you," Jon said seriously. "That works both ways. And comes with the territory when you are a senior officer in a relationship with another senior officer.

Look Harper, Its not a great idea but its the ONLY idea and it might ever be the ONLY idea. What's the alternative - there is no Starfleet out here. Would you rather we fly off somewhere and create a colony and just accept this fate? We carry on exploring with no back up in any way in a universe like this? With the slim hope we might find something else. What if that something else is worse than me smoking a joint?

Harper went to speak but no words left her lips. She looked at Jon as he continued.

It is my job to get all those 1000 plus souls home. So I am going to do it. But I will not endanger someone else if I can avoid it. I already felt pushed into asking Illeyna. I did that to appease you all a little from that staff meeting. I will not put it all on her. I've met you all partway.

"I just..." she began but once again she felt Jon was on his way through a monologue that most would feel was rehearsed but this was something that came from his heart.

And off course the other Jon's not me. I'm the only me. And if the red does anything insidious the doc will be right next to me. If it turns me into a crazy person you have my permission to stun me and Fox take over till its out my system. Does that help in any way?

"Stun you?" Harper asked looking up at him, she noticed he'd risen from his chair.

He got up and walked round to her, sensing her anger and fear. And he pulled her into a hug. "Look I know what happened with Xu on the bridge was awful. And how much pain you're in. Perhaps I was selfish to want you and Fox back on light duty so soon. I know you're still coping with the aftermath mentally and physically but if I am going to in your words "that much of an idiot" and I am, no further debate there I'm sorry baby. The fact is I need you there beside me. I need you to believe in me. That I can get us home. Its more important than anyone else on the ship. Well bar Eddie. You two are the MOST important people in my life."

Harper burst into tears. She'd been holding it in ever since she set foot on the bridge and had to walk to the ready room. She didn't know why she hadn't taken the lower turbolift, the walk down the ramp was not the best idea. "I don't want anything to happen to you... what you tap into to open that gate... to get us home. I can't lose you, I can't lose another person I'm supposed to protect. It would break my heart... and Eddie..." she held her breath for what felt like an eternity. "I love you, even if you are being an idiot... sir." she sniffled.

"Well good. Because I love you too and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last time I do something idiotic," Jon said with a smile. "Its going to be fine Harper. The goddesses guide me. We already went through one of these things to the cartels. All it is, is figuring out the one switch. Methalina was kind enough to do it last time round or I believe she did."

"No..." she sniffled again. "Not given your track record." she chuckled to herself. When he mentioned Methalina Harper couldn't help but once again remember the visions she'd seen and the knot in the back of her head that made her feel something had changed. She was sure it wasn't a head injury from being tossed around like a ragdoll, the doctor would have fixed that.

It was that she may not be Human, and if so why had she not known this? Why had no test ever shown otherwise?

"I never did ask, but what did she say to you? When she zipped you and her someplace else. Right after she emerged? Its I'm guessing weighing on you," Jon said. He was beginning to wonder if he was picking up some of Liam's traits. A year ago he would probably never of picked up on that.

"It's hard to explain, or I think it is." Harper began. "Maybe it's simple... " she shrugged. "Methalina showed me things I could never have imagined. A fight amongst the stars, two ancient peoples from long ago. She told me that I belong to another race, that I am not Human... but I don't feel like anyone else. I've only ever heard stories of El Aurians. I've never even met one!" her cheeks reddened as she got herself flustered.

"A very private race," Jon nodded. "Are you worried that you could be one? Do you want to get C'tora to do some tests?" he asked.

"I have felt a little different since I saw what Methalina showed me, like a part of me has woken up or started to come to life... but wouldn't I have shown as anything other than Human in scans?" she asked more out to the universe than expecting an answer from Jon. "If C'tora scans me, will he not just see the same old boring me that every other doctor has seen?" Harper once again asked as she began to disappear down a rabbit hole. "Jon, is my life a lie?" she gripped him tightly.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "But whatever's happening you know you have me. And Eddie. Both of us here to support you and we love you regardless."

Harper slid her arms around Jon's body. "I love you both as well. I suppose I better pull at the thread that is there... see what unravels. That means I will have to go and see C'tora, maybe get a more invasive scan done." she shuddered at the thought.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Jon asked.

"If you have the time... I know you're a busy Captain." she nudged him with her hip.

"I'll make time," Jon said simply.

"Okay." Harper gave somewhat of a reassured sigh as she pushed herself lightly from Jon's embrace. "I'll set something up and let you know." she smiled half heartedly. She felt exhausted.

OFF:

Captain Jonathan Reynolds
CO, USS Andromeda

Lieutenant JG Harper Matthews
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Andromeda