"What Happened," Part 3

Posted on Wed Nov 9, 2016 @ 6:57am by Lieutenant JG Noelle Bennett M.D. & Lieutenant Liam Reynolds

1,122 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Things Past
Location: Lt. Reynolds Quarters, Deep Space 5

"Given that you ended up in the brig, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say things didn't go well," Noelle replied wryly.

"No she wouldn’t even entertain it and instead summoned Chief Ryan and Lieutenant Tessaro, the later who by the way had no interaction in any of the situation to that point, to her office and proceeded to chew them out too. Like I said earlier, I was no angel. I could have worded my arguments better. More professionally but she was just so angry and unwilling to bend, hear people or meet in the middle. Her previous other interactions with me had convinced me she was the sort of woman who clearly didn’t give a damn about people or how she treated them. Like I said I had been viciously attacked twice. I was struggling to trust her. How someone that age got to that position of authority over people I can’t fathom it. But then the Chief begged her not to bring Jag in and effectively force all of us into a trial. She demanded I be a witness by the way. He was distraught. Panicking. Worried sick about his child. The room saw it, but I felt it. And like you say I am a fixer and it's difficult for me not to act on someone else's emotions unintentionally or otherwise. The woman was being a bully. Was this normal or was that creature still there? She threw me in the brig because she didn't like what I had to say or how I said it."

Now that Liam was done explaining how he had ended up in the brig, Noelle felt comfortable offering more of her point of view. "I can agree Soran's methods and her orders with regard to you were out of line and heavy-handed, but if I'm being completely honest, I don't exactly disagree with her goals. We also can't ignore that your overriding goal is to maintain diplomatic relationships, so while I don't doubt you were sincere in also trying to protect Zandra, I think to be fair, we need to acknowledge that wasn't your primary reason for arguing against going forward with the case. If having Zandra testify would somehow promote diplomatic relationships, I know your professional obligations would require you to argue that position just as strongly. I don't fault you for that. I understand it, as I've said."


Liam did not want to get into a further debate about the chief, his daughter and the whole Nazi situation, so he carried on talking again conveying another concern he had had in this situation - that the monster in Soran wasn't really gone,

"I was already in trouble so I pushed further to make dam sure that thing was gone and I was trying to protect a colleague too. Because …… he needed to protect her desperately. It was life and death feel stuff” he said slowly. “There is something not right ….. The daughter ……”

.... he wasn’t speaking to Noelle any more now. Liam’s brain was trying to rationalise, his eyes suddenly far away. He had met Alexandra once. She had made him uncomfortable grabbing his bum and being suggestive with him. He had put it down as teenagers and teenager logic and bravo at the time and walked away but the more he thought about it and recalled the sense memory in that moment, his anger that had been focused solely on Soran for days finally falling to one side. The chief’s daughter sensed different.

It hadn’t dawned on him at the time and now it hit him like a flash. She sensed like Cade. Two entities. Exactly like Cade. She was joined. .

Liam’s mouth fell wide open in shock.

Noelle was confused at first and then she felt torn. Bennett couldn't confirm anything and she had no way of knowing what he thought he knew.

"You know," Liam said slowly. He couldn't tell her what he had just worked out. Hell he didn't even know if he should let on to the chief that he knew. It was probably best to just forget and keep out of it. "Your right. I'm tired. And grumpy and lets face it at the end of the day, all good reasons aside its my own fault I got thrown in the brig. I can't change Soran's behaviour, that's her responsibility and I am the only one in charge of mine. Its happened, so now I move forward. Thank you for checking on me."

Noelle felt unease in the pit of her stomach, both because of what she believed Liam had figured out but also because there was tension in their relationship now, and she hated leaving it unresolved. A big part of her feared their relationship had been damaged forever, and even though she stood firmly by her point of view, she was also afraid she hadn't done what he had needed her to do to support him. "You're welcome," Noelle replied. She headed toward the door, but then stopped and turned back, "Liam? Are you and I okay?"

The question threw him for six, pulling him out of his revelry where his brain had suddenly been processing another vital piece of information. That the Chiefs daughter was far too young to be blended. Cade had told him how difficult a process it was to be chosen. Whatever had happened was being kept quiet as it was an illegal situation in the Trill's eyes.

Noelle had moved and she was concerned. He got to his feet and walked to the door. He should have been a gentleman and walked her out but had been engrossed in his thoughts. He focused on her again attempting to cut through the tiredness and mind storm now raging in his head about Alexandra.

"We are fine. Honestly. I'm just tired and wallowing. I'm sorry if I came across a little intense. I do appreciate you checking in on me." Instinct just took over and he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

The kiss on the cheek was unexpected, but most welcome. Noelle smiled and reached down to give Liam's hand a squeeze. "You're welcome. It's been a rough time for all of us, but no matter what, I'll always be here for you Liam. When you're feeling up to it, let's get together for a meal."

Liam wasn't expecting her to say that either. "Sure that sounds nice, If Cade ever lets me out of Ops," he decided to make a joke. "Good night Noelle."

***

Lieutenant JG Noelle Bennett, M.D.
Chief Counselor
Deep Space Five

Lieutenant Liam Reynolds
Chief Diplomatic Officer
Deep Space Five

 

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