Fire in the Stars - Part 2

Posted on 04 Aug 2013 @ 10:58pm by Commander Scarlet Blake & Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeroen Adlar

1,524 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 3 - Counsellor's Office
Timeline: MD 11 - 1000

[ON]

Jeroen smiled gently as he sat in the chair, looking curiously around Scarlet's counselling office. Maybe it would have been strange to be in a session with someone he had taken under his wing so long ago. But he trusted her and that mattered more than anything. He knew she would never judge him.

"Would you like something to drink?" Scarlet asked with a small smile, sitting back easily in her seat. "No scotch though in here. Sorry."

"I'm okay thanks," he said and smiled warmly. "We can have some scotch some other time and enjoy it."

Scarlet nodded with understanding as she took a breath, crossing her legs. "So how are you doing?" she asked softly, to get the session going.

Jeroen smiled gently and held her eyes. "I am enjoying Galileo...she is my first science ship despite my speciality."

"What have you done before this?" she asked with a warm smile at that, and clearly curious to know.

He smiled as he looked down. "Worked in a science department on some slightly backwater ship for the last eight years. Where a Maquis couldn't do damage."

"You had to gain Starfleet's trust," Scarlet replied with a nod, understanding that easily enough.

"Yes," he agreed and smiled gently, holding her eyes. "And I did in the end, that was why I was transferred here."

"You must have worked hard then," she said softly, shaking her head with a small smile. "And well. They wouldn't have put you here otherwise."

Jeroen smiled thoughtfully as he held her eyes for a long moment. "Well, I wanted to have a future."

Scarlet nodded lightly, holding her friend's eyes for a long moment, her hands on her knees. "I doubt this is what you came to talk about though."

Jeroen watched her for a long moment before taking a breath. "What has been on my mind the last 15 years was you. The guilt of...not finding you when we were attacked in the Maquis. I believed you were dead."

Scarlet watched him with surprise at the words, letting out a long, shaking breath. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Jeroen watched her before shaking his head with a frown. "Hell, it wasn't your fault. But in that shuttle, after we'd escaped the slaughter from the Cardassians, when we saw the Starfleet ship...some talked about fighting. But I told them why not. I was already doubting even before I thought you were dead. When I thought you were gone...it drove the last nail in the coffin of my beliefs."

Scarlet looked to her hands with a frown, swallowing hard. "But I'm well," she said softly. "You shouldn't carry that guilt now."

He watched her for a long moment, studying her. "I know. But that guilt saved me too. Got me through my sentence."

"And how was prison?" she asked bluntly, holding his eyes firmly so he couldn't escape the question.

Jeroen watched her for a long moment before taking a breath. "I kept to myself and did my job. It wasn't a pleasant experience."

"What was it that was difficult?" she asked, leaning closer to him, watching with warm, dark blue eyes.

He watched her before taking a deeper breath as he searched her eyes. "Even for criminals, traitors and terrorists aren't very popular. There was some abuse happening."

She reached out, gently gripping his arm. "And you?"

He just held her eyes for a long moment before touching her hand. "Physical, yes. But I fought back and after awhile they got tired of it."

"What did they do?" she said quietly, holding back her pain at his words, searching his face as she turned her hand to his, squeezing it softly.

"Beating me up, for the most part," Jeroen said softly, holding her eyes and smiling weakly. "Some verbal abuse."

She nodded, sighing as she held his eyes firmly. She had feared as much, but it didn't mean she had to like it. "You should have been kept safe," she said quietly. "I'm sorry they failed."

"It was a difficult time for people. The guards didn't like us either," he said as he held her eyes. "I don't hold it against them. We were terrorists."

"It was still no reason to mistreat you," Scarlet said firmly, shaking her head with genuine feeling. "You stood your ground by the sounds of it."

"Well, you know me..." he said and smiled gently. "Never one to back down even when I am wrong."

"Good," she said with a decisive nod, feeling a sense of pride with it. "You're a strong man, with a lot to offer."

"Well, more to offer now," Jeroen said and smiled gently. "I never mention my past to...friends. Nothing divides people as much as those days."

"That's understandable," she agreed softly with him, knowing the instinct all too well. "I don't speak about the Maquis a lot either."

"Just easier," he said softly as he searched her face. "And I want them to see I am not a nutter."

"Which you're not," she laughed softly, nodding to him as she took a breath and squeezed his hand. "You were caught between two ideals."

Jeroen smiled gently as he watched her for a moment. "I thought I was doing the right thing at one point."

"I don't doubt that," she whispered softly, holding his eyes so he'd know it was true. "Why did you do it?"

"I worked on the colonies in the DMZ. I...got to know the people. I didn't want the Cardassians to take it over...I didn't want that for them," he said softly as he met her eyes. "So I decided to fight with the Maquis."

"You were protecting your creations," Scarlet said gently with understanding, holding his eyes.

He nodded and looked down, taking a breath. "I was about...building colonies and life. Not destroying it."

"And you were pushed too far, when Starfleet ceded those colonies to the Cardassians," she said gently, nodding as she let out a long, tired breath. "You were a good fighter though."

Jeroen smiled gently as he watched her for a long moment. "I've always been a natural at that, despite wishing I wasn't."

"It gives you the strength to protect what you have created. What you believe in, and love," she shook her head, holding his eyes firmly.

"I wanted to keep you safe, Kitten," he admitted softly, frowning as he reached for her hand. "And I couldn't."

"But you did," she said quickly, holding his eyes as she smiled wistfully. "In so many ways, more than anyone else."

Jeroen smiled gently as he watched her, searching his eyes as he took a deeper breath. "And you've turned out just perfect the way you are."

"I wouldn't say that," she laughed softly, shaking her head as she glanced down to their hands. "I made my mistakes. Like anyone else."

"Maybe...but I think you've done just perfectly," he admitted softly, chuckling. "Good career. A beautiful daughter..."

"There's no reason you can't have those things. You already have one of them," she pointed out with arched eyebrows, smiling almost playfully.

He chuckled softly and shook his head. "No," he said gently, watching her. "I think the fatherhood ship has sailed for me a long time ago."

"Nonsense. Not if it's what you want," Scarlet shook her head with a soft laugh at that, smiling to him with something close to disbelief.

"Very true," he laughed gently as he leant closer, his eyes warm. "But I suppose it is the question of love."

"Tell me about that," Scarlet said softly, leaning to him. "It's not something you've told me much about."

"What do you want to know, Kitten?" he asked as he tilted his head, his eyes warm.

"Do you have someone? Has there been anyone?" she asked gently with a warm smile. He'd always kept that quiet with her. Perhaps because she'd been young when he'd taken her under his wing in the Maquis. And yet - she had always been curious about it. He was handsome and intelligent, full of charisma and strength. There had to be lovers.

Jeroen sat back and watched her. "When I was 17, there was a man. He was beautiful...and special. And I loved him. Of course, I grew up and he grew up and we drifted apart. Before I joined the Maquis, there was a woman...she was special and intelligent. Of course, she didn't love me but we both knew that...after that...affairs, mostly. Friends. Nothing special."

"Those can be nourishing too," she said with a small, knowing smile, holding his eyes.

"They are certainly interesting," Jeroen said and smiled gently, his eyes soft as he took a breath. "His name was Brian. And her name was Rachel. And they...well, both changed me in their own way."

"The ones you love the most always do change you," Scarlet said quietly, but with a small, melancholy smile before looking down, squeezing his wrist.

[OFF]

Counsellor Scarlet Blake
Chief Counsellor
USS Galileo

PO2 Jeroen Adlar
Geoengineer
USS Galileo

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