Lets Just Talk (2/3)
Posted on 22 Mar 2016 @ 11:12am by Lieutenant Wilhelm Von Haeften & Petty Officer 1st Class Rebecca Williams
2,825 words; about a 14 minute read
Mission:
Episode 10 - Symposium
Location: Jupiter Station - Q Continuum
Timeline: MD94 2035hours
Previously.....
“You are and will always be somebody to me darling. I’m not saying let’s go find a justice of the peace tonight. I’m just saying that I will always be there for you, as long as you want me there. We will find a way to make it work no matter what, through careers and deployments and assignments to far flung reaches of the stars.”
Wilhelm grasped onto Rebecca’s hand, entwining their fingers.
“Egal wie weit auseinander unsere Aufgaben uns nehmen könnten, ich will immer lust für unsere Händen wie diese zu berühren meine süße.*
And now....
Rebecca found herself looking at their entwined hands...his so rough against hers as she felt the years etched into his skin. He held her hand so sure...his words too were so certain...he was reaching for what he wanted and all the cards were firmly placed into her hands.
How long has it been since they first met? Mere hours, mere days...barely even weeks? How was it even possible to fall for someone as quick as he had fallen for her? But then again look at her...hadn’t she fallen in love soon after? “Have you ever had someone in your life before who made you feel this way?”
Wilhelm Von Haeften went silent and stared down at his plate as if to find the words etched into the fine china.
“Once...a long time ago.” Wil said, all but talking to his plate.
Rebecca hand tightened in Wil’s as she saw how quickly his expression changed. Before he'd looked away there'd been pain there...pain he couldn't hide, a pain she didn’t recognise. The woman found herself torn...did she push him to tell her the story or did she let him come around to it in his own time. “Wilhelm?”
He squeezed her hand in return, a small smile on his face.
“I’m alright hon...it’s just that I have not talked about it in a long time.”
Wilhelm drank a bit of his drink to steel himself.
“Her name was Mina. We went to highschool together. We were crazy for each other. We dated for four years, and talked about love and marriage and even children.”
Another swig of the peach drink.
It must have been bad...she saw the wince of the taste of his drink each time he took a sip but she also understood that he was using the drink to bide his time. Seeing the waiter approaching out of the corner of her eye, Rebecca gave him an ever so subtle indication that they needed more time; never taking her eyes off of Wilhelm. She only squeezed his hand to remind him she was there for him.
“When I told her that I was going to make a career out of Starfleet, it caused a major rift between us; I wanted to go out and explore the cosmos, she enjoyed her home on New Berlin. When I graduated from high school and got my appointment to the Academy, I proposed to her in my brand new cadet uniform...my God how proud of it I was, and how proud of me I thought she would be. I was eighteen. Young, eager, ambitious, going to change the universe.”
His small laugh was without mirth.
“I told my parents, who were happy for me and liked Mina immensely. My mother even gave me the ring my father gave her to propose until I could afford the latinum to give her her own.”
Yet another swig.
“She turned me down cold. She put the ring back in my hand, got me off my knee, and told me that she did not want to be an officer’s wife gallivanting around the cosmos. She knew that was what I wanted to do with my life, and did not want to stand in the way of my dreams. I told her that I would accept an assignment in the Reserves to stay close to her, but she waved me off, saying that her decision was made, and that it was final.”
Another swig of the peach drink.
“I went off to the Academy two days afterwards. Let’s just say the biting words of the instructors made my tears flow a little easier that day.” the German said, chewing on his lip.
Rebecca felt the tears sting her own eyes, she typically didn’t fall for, what she called sob stories; she was the first who would tell the person to cop themselves on, to move on and find someone better. But Wilhelm...he was different. In the short time they had been together, talked, laughed and shared so much, the woman had come to understand the romantic that he really was, the love that almost burst his heart from the need to share it with another.
Most would be cynical after such an experience but him...instead he just kept going, he had never given up on his dream of finding the one. Perhaps he hadn't been actively looking, but as Rebecca had told him once before...she believed that everything happened for a reason...after all even when she'd tried to hurt him, to drive him away;he had still resisted and fought for what he believed they could have if only she gave them a chance. “Promise me something?”
“Anything love.” he responded.
“Promise me that you will never give up believing... that no matter what happens, no matter how many times I try to push you again that you won't give up on us.” Rebecca spoke the words so softly that they came out as an almost whisper.
“My word as an officer and gentleman.” Wilhelm answered. It wasn’t some trite saying to him, some quoda that got officer's pretty girls and admiration. As far as Wil was concerned, it was the highest oath he could give, unbreakable except by the bonds of death, and even that was potentially negotiable.
If there hadn't been a table between them, Rebecca would have kissed him there and then...shown him that he was right to believe in her...right to believe in them. Unable to do anything more, instead the woman took his hand and pressed a gentle kiss into the palm before curling his fingers around it. “I'm not that great with words when it come to expressing myself but there's a quote I remember that comes to mind the best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.. All I know is that I've never felt the way that you make me feel….I feel like my eyes have been opened to ways and feelings and emotions that I've never even known existed within me. You Wilhelm….” Rebecca reached over to wrap her hand around his fist as her eyes never left him, “...you make me want to be a better person for you but most of all, for us.”
“Ich liebe dich**.” Wil said after some thought. He had wanted to say something profound, something poetic, but nothing came to his mind save those three words.
The waiter who had been hovering swooped in as he saw his chance, “Mademoiselle et Monsieur, are you ready to order?”
Broken from the moment by the interruption, Rebecca’s hand again gently squeezed Wil’s fist before drawing back and placing her hand on the unopened menus. “Why don't you order for us both? I'm a creature of habit and like my surprises.”
“Que recommanderais-tu?***” Wil said in relatively good French.
“Notre saumon est assez bonne, et est servi avec des amandes concassées dans une vinaigrette au vin rouge****.” the waiter replied.
“Tres Bien. Deux de ces s’il vous plait.*****” the German said.
“Oui, monsieur.” the waiter replied jovially.
“Aussi, une bouteille de la maison blanc, s’il vous plait?******” Rebecca smiled as she handed the menus back to the waiter, hesitating just a moment as she looked over to Wil, “...if that suits you? And this time be honest…”
“White will do nicely love.” WIl said sincerely.
As the waiter moved away, Rebecca tilted her head a little to one side, sending part of her hair over one shoulder, as she studied Wil carefully. “There's one question I've been wanting to ask for a few days now but not had the chance. Malcolm Garrison...do you know how I met him?”
Wil breathed out his nose noisily. He wanted little to do with that name. “No I’m afraid I do not darling.”
“Well see….” Rebecca sat back in her chair as she folded her hands on her lap. She couldn't help it but she couldn't keep the smile from her lips. “He escorted his younger sister onto the ship, she is another of our new crew joining the ranks. Miraj Derani?”
“Yes.” Wil acknowledged Rebecca’s words.
“The name doesn’t ring any bells? Our new chief of flight operations?” Rebecca prompted a little bit more.
“Yes, I know of her.” Wil said.
“It doesn't bother you that you got into a scrap with one of your fellow departmental head’s brothers? You are a lot braver than I have given you credit for my dear.” Rebecca’s smile clearly indicated the tease as she held her hand out for his. “I never said thank you by the way...thank you for being willing to stand up for me, even if it was a silly thing for you to have done.”
Wilhelm blushed, not used to praise. “Well...what kind of man would I be if I didn’t at least try. I don’t suppose you're less impressed that I thoroughly got the snot beat out of me are you? As for being her brother, I’ll seek her out and apologize later for the misunderstanding; I had no idea.”
Rebecca winced a little at her lover’s plan, a chuckle leaving her lips as she squeezed the hand he had placed back in hers. “Perhaps just leave things be...I get the feeling that Malcolm may have taught his sister a mean right hook. I’m just getting used to having your pretty looks back and am not sure I want to see you bruised again...especially when it’s a girl and you’re a hell of alot more likely not to swing back.”
“Alright love, alright. Wouldn’t want to damage the sole reason you are with me after all.” the German joked, stroking his clean-shaven cheek.
Laughing as her fingers stroked against the inside of Wil’s wrist, Rebecca tilted her head a little to the side as she faked intensely studying her dinner companion for the briefest of moments. “Let’s see...if they could knock your nose a little to the right...maybe butch up your cheekbones a little...perhaps we might achieve perfection?”
“Oh so? Be nice or I won’t be later.” Wil said with mock threat in his accent.
Laughing as her fingers tapped the inside of Wil’s wrist very lightly, Rebecca casually tapped the top of her shoe against his shin under the table, “Have you not learned anything yet about issuing me with a challenge? You could learn to regret it meine schatze*******.”
“You know, I WAS going to ask you to come my place after this and maybe give you a massage and snuggle...but now I’m thinking maybe we should instead go to the holodeck and engage in...a form of combat.” Wil jossed. His fake threats had little teeth to them; he had promised himself that he would be on his best behavior, treat Rebecca like a lady and the woman he was courting. Not that there was anything wrong with their love life; he just wanted to assure his love that he was interested in her for far more things than her body.
Laughing more, Rebecca looked up as she realised that this man made her laugh more than she had in a long time. He made her feel a lightness within herself, one which she wasn’t used to. He made her look forward to finishing a shift, knowing that she would see him soon. He made her approach her work with a new vision, to not just be a workaholic but to enjoy what she was doing as it was something she loved, not just a means to an end. His appreciation of life was infectious. “You know something...I’d be extremely tempted to take you up on that offer. I didn’t score too badly when it came to shooting at moving targets. Hand to hand...I’ve a tendency to be a little weaker at.”
“If I remember correctly, sometimes when we uh...tangle with each other, I come away far more hurt than you do.” he teased her.
“Ah now Wilhelm…” Rebecca laughed as she entwined her fingers with his and gently squeezed his hand. “I think that we both know I have more going for me in those situations then I do in a normal battle.”
The food came then. Wil was quite hungry, but resisted attacking his food like a hungry tiger; he was after all in fairer company. He decided to distract his stomach by talking about nonsense.
“Anything exciting happen on your shift babe?”
Smiling at the waiter as he placed her dish in front of her first, she waited for a second waiter to move in with the wine before answering Wil. “Reports, reports and more reports. Now we are ready to get underway, the cobwebs need to be blown out of the decks and the crew need to shake out their uniforms. This is the longest period we’ve had in berth since the Gally was first launched and it seems that a few too many have let it go to their heads. Holiday is on a rampage over it...he likes to have all of his ducks in a row and ready to go.”
“Tell me about it. SCIDEP has been running rampant going over each and every sensor and probe we’ve got. We’ve completed no fewer than thirteen level two diagnostics, with more tomorrow. Normally I’d just let the spannerheads go over them, but I promised myself when I took over the department that we’d conduct our own repairs and diagnostics when able.” Wil said.
“What happened to the man I had to track down onboard the ship because he liked to hide in his office and liked to delegate his work out to his underlings?” The tease in her voice transferred to the laugh as she watched Wil give his consent for their wine to be poured. “I was given the outside opinion that you didn’t like to get your hands dirty.”
“From our escapades, you know full well that’s not true love.” he teased back at her. “I took over the department from someone who, by all accounts, was a good man. It would not do for me to take over the shop and start throwing my pips and weight around like it was my own fiefdom. I wanted to show the men of the department that I could lead as well as learn when to stay back and listen to those who had more experience. It’s just a leadership technique they taught me while in the Reserves.”
“You haven’t been given the easiest of boots to fill. Your position seems to come with a…” Rebecca hesitated for a moment as she wondered if her words would drop the tone of their evening too much. “...curse. The old girl has been through a new chief science officers in recent times but your predecessor was a good luck story. Started out as a nurse in sickbay, raised to chief medical officer, cross transferred to chief of research, and from there the rest you know.”
“I do the best I can, that’s all.” Wil said.
“Can I ask you something serious?” the German asked.
[TBC]
* No matter how far apart our assignments might take us, I will always long for our hands to touch like this my sweet.
** I love you
*** What would you recommend?
**** Our salmon is quite good, and and is served with crushed almonds in a red wine vinaigrette
***** Very good. Two of those if you please.
****** Also, a bottle of your house white, if you please?
******* my treasure
A JP by:
Lieutenant JG Wilhelm Von Haeften
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo
&
Petty Officer 2nd Class Rebecca Williams
Yeoman to Captain Jonathan Holiday
USS Galileo
[pNPC Drusilla McCarthy]
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