Deuce - Part 3

Posted on 05 Aug 2013 @ 8:31pm by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alexion Wylde & Lieutenant Commander Amynta Markos

2,646 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo: Corridor
Timeline: MD 12: 2230

Previously, in 'Deuce - Part 2':

Amynta met his eyes with surprise before smiling gently. "I will take it as a compliment. Would you like to go to mine? I have real drink there and...I am finding this place getting a bit too crowded."

"Sounds like a very good idea," Alexion said softly, nodding as he set the glass down and stretched. He smiled gently to her, touching her arm. He could see the change in her. She wasn't comfortable.

Amynta nodded, taking a breath as she relaxed at the touch. She smiled, her eyes softening as she took his arm. "Come along then."

And now, the conclusion...

Alecion walked easily with her, smiling as he watched her and how she walked. "Look at my work in action...."

Amynta smiled as she looked at him, her eyes surprisingly warm. "I should thank you properly..." she teased. "I got some aged Earth Scotch?"

"That will do well," he assured as he moved inside and looked around with curiosity. "You've done a lot to your room," he said with surprise.

Amynta smiled at that, nodding with satisfaction. She had. She had soft cushions and luxurious throws. Deep purple was her color of choice for this. And on the walls, black and white 2D photographs, vintage historical ones. On the table there was one with her drinking beside a young, tall blond man with blue eyes and a slight pout. And there was another photograph of her, when she was younger, pole dancing. "I was bored one evening."

He moved to the pictures, smiling warmly. "Well, well, it looks like you can move well on even higher shoes, I don't know why you fell over the other ones earlier...." he teased as he touched the picture.

She laughed softly, moving to get two glasses and a bottle. "Must have been the uniform skirt. Blasted thing just isn't comfortable."

Alexion laughed softly, taking the other picture of her and the young man together. "Well it seems that you don't mind young people when you have a handsome one on your arm."

She looked at it, a small, fond smile coming to her. "That's Carus. He's my son. He's 20 now."

He watched her with surprise before grimacing, shaking his head as he stepped back from the picture. "Sorry! I - didn't realise, I presumed he was a boyfriend."

She laughed at that, her eyes shining as she poured the drinks. "I am not a cradlerobber yet...unless it is a boring weekend," she teased, watching him. "I was 17 when I had him."

"He's very handsome," he smiled gently, watching the picture. He saw the likeness now. How stupid he was. "You must be proud."

"I am," she said and sat down with a sigh, motioning for him to join her. "But I can't take any credit. My parents raised him."

"You'd be surprised, I'm sure he owes you a lot. His good looks for one," he gave a grin as he moved to sit with her.

Amynta smiled at that, her eyes on him. "What about you? Do you have any family? Handsome man like you must have broken some hearts."

He gave a smile to that, his eyes shining as he shook his head. "There's three of us. My older brother, Jaq, and my son, Laeon," he said softly.

She smiled gently at that, her eyes warming. "How old is he?" she asked, with interest. No mention of a wife...so either dead or divorced then.

He watched her for a long moment, searching her eyes. "52," he said softly.

She nodded before stopping, watching him for a long moment. "Okay. Now that is a surprise."

"He's the physical and mental equivalent of a boy about - 15 in human age," he tried to explain for her, shaking his head. "He might be older than you, but he's the same as a human teenager, and still a 'minor' by my peoples standards."

She smiled gently at that, nodding as she let out a breath. "Your people must have a long lifespan..."

"Some do," he said quietly, shaking his head. "Others don't."

"What decides it?" she asked gently, with genuine interest as she smiled.

He considered for a long moment, shaking his head as his breath caught. It wasn't often he spoke about it. "Our genes. Our lifestyle. How we - develop."

Amynta searched his face, seeing that he was having to think too much about it. She reached out, touching his sleeve. "Well. Then it is just how it is?"

He nodded, smiling softly as he held her eyes for a long moment. "I'll always look out for him," he said quietly. "Heal him."

She watched him at that, letting out a breath before nodding, frowning. "He's your son. You'd rip your hearts out of your chest if it could help him or bring him happiness."

"I think you're talking from experience with your own boy," he said softly, holding her eyes.

She watched him before pulling her hand back. "Well. A mother has no choice when it comes to loving the child she bore."

"You'd be surprised," Alexion shook his head with a half smile. "There's nothing wrong in it. Loving your son."

"I am not the most maternal," she said and smiled to him, her eyes shining. "But it is fine. I don't expect to win any awards for it."

"You're not meant to," he whispered with a soft smile, holding her eyes.

She chuckled as she watched him, searching his face. "Why isn't he with you?"
"He is," he chuckled, shaking his head with an arched eyebrow. "He's in our quarters."

"Oh...oh!" she let out a breath, laughing softly. "Now I feel bad, stealing you away from him."

"Don't," he laughed. "He might be 52, but he's the same as a human teenager, he's only too pleased to get me out of his hair, I'm sure, you know what it's like at that age."

"Still..." she sipped her drink, her eyes shining. "Maybe I am curious? And besides, it is technically a work night. Would be a shame to be hungover and more miserable tomorrow..."

He laughed, shaking his head as he stood. "If you want me to leave, you can just say."

She watched him, her eyes on him. "No. I don't want you to leave. I want to meet your son."

He watched with surprise before smiling, taking a breath. "Okay," he said softly, motioning with his hands. "But I take no responsibility," he teased.

She smiled as she stood, smoothing her skirt down before reaching for the mirror on her table. She quickly checked herself in it...she still looked okay. She met his eyes and smiled. "I don't expect you to take any."

Alexion grinned, touching her back as he led her out and to his own quarters. They weren't as decorated as hers, in fact, there was more of his son's things in them. "Laeon?"

The youth came out of his room, looking with a small smile. He had dark blonde hair and blue eyes, like his father, the same high cheekbones and firm jaw line, but his features were softer than Alexion's and the blonde hair longer. He was tall for his age too, but still slender, and indeed, looked like a human 15 or 16 year old. "Ma'am."

"This is Amynta, she works here. Amynta, this is Laeon," Alecion smiled, motioning to him, and not missing the fact he was wearing the black jeans he'd told him not to.

She looked at him, taking the boy in before moving to him, offering her hand to him. "It's...certainly interesting meeting you, Laeon. And I am not a ma'am. I don't have the rank and not the age."

Laeon flashed a grin at that, taking the hand in the human way. "Amynta then. Are you a doctor too?"

She shook her head, her eyes taking him in. He was intelligent. She could already tell that. "Hardly. I don't have your father's patience."

Laeon arched an eyebrow at that. "Neither does my father..."

"Thank you," Alexion chuckled, shaking his head as he moved to get them all a drink. "Laeon still has some lessons. He spends the rest of his time writing."

Amynta looked at Alexion, arching an eyebrow. "Now that sounds incredibly boring..." she said before grimacing at saying it aloud.

Laeon frowned at that, glancing down as he shifted awkwardly. "I don't have much else to do."

"Why don't you show Amynta?" Alexion said softly, meeting his eyes.

Laeon swallowed, unsure as he looked between them. He finally tilted his head at his father's look, moving into the bedroom. He came out, holding a large sheet of paper, spreading it on the table. It had large pictures on it, black and white drawings of places and people, but fantastical ones, delicate script down the sides of them lacing a story into the picture.

Amynta watched with awe, moving close as she tilted her head. She took it all in, studying it closely...the different aspects of it. How complicated it was. How beautiful. "You did this?" she asked, carefully, looking at the boy.

Laeon nodded, letting out a soft breath, pointing down to the map in the corner. "Where they all live."

She smiled warmly, leaning to study it. "It's the detail...the writing in the art," she said softly. "Everything is here. Everything..." she let out a breath, frowning. "My apologies...this is not boring at all."

Laeon's smile came back to him at that, his eyes shining. "It's okay. It's his fault anyway, he won't let me go and find the lounge, or the bar on the last ship."

"Yes, I'm just wicked," Alexion tutted, shaking his head at himself before rolling his eyes.

She smiled at that, glancing over at Alexion. "He knows what is best for you. Keeping you away from all of those men and women who would take advantage of a young treasure like you..." she winked, her eyes shining.

"Which is also why he's not meant to be wearing those jeans," Alexion nodded to them and then motioned with his glass to show it hadn't escaped his notice.

Laeon just gave a charm filled grin as he rolled the paper back up. "I needed a new pair."

Amynta looked at him, laughing warmly at the exchange. "Oh, let him...not like anyone can see them if he only wears them inside. Unless you are worried about me stealing your son away?" she looked at Alexion, with a small smile.

Laeon laughed warmly at that, shaking his head. "You'd soon bring me back," he winked.

"Hm...cutie like you would work well in Intel..." she said and winked back to Laeon. "But your talents are promised to somewhere else. Writing and art."

"I'm meant to be a doctor," Laeon said quietly, shaking his head.

"But you're not going to be," Alexion replied, just as firmly. "Not if you don't want to. If you want to draw and write, then you draw and write. You let me worry about the rest."

Laeon gave a soft smile at that, glancing down. "Do you two want me to..." he pointed back to his bedroom with his thumb.

Amynta smiled gently as she watched him, shaking her head. "Not unless you'd rather."

Laeon glanced to his father to make sure first before shaking his head, moving to sit with them with a small smile, taking a drink up. "What do you do?" the boy asked with curiosity.

She smiled as she moved to sit down, her eyes shining. "I work in intelligence..."

Laeon watched her with surprise, his delicate eyebrows lifting. "As in spies?"

She nodded, studying his face for a long moment. "Just not quite as glamorous..." she tapped her temple with a finger. "All about this."

Laeon smiled at that, shaking his head with awe. "You must be a genius or something."

"Just a good memory and a way with my brain," she said and shook her head. "I am not as skilled as you."

"Skilled? I'm not skilled," Laeon shook his head with a soft laugh, watching her with clear interest. He tilted his head, looking her over with curious eyes.

Alexion cleared his throat, to stop Laeon's studying of Amynta. He sipped his drink, letting out a soft breath. "Amynta keeps us safe by using her intel. That's all that matters."

Amynta looked at Laeon, studying him closely before taking a breath. She was only human. Meant some things would escape her. "Of course, I am not high on the food chain."

Laeon grinned, shaking his head. "Father says that you should not climb too high because the pressure explodes your head."

Alexion laughed, shaking his head as he looked away. The faintest of blushes came to him at hearing the words repeated in front of someone like Amynta.

She laughed at that, her eyes shining as she looked over at Alexion. "Did he now? Well, he's smart then. The pressure explodes your head. But knowledge is...knowledge. Now, not the ones with the best brain wins everything...power is power afterall. Higher you go, the more steep will the fall be."

Laeon listened intently, letting out a long breath. "Then why do people want to go high?"

Amynta looked down for a moment before meeting his eyes, her own deadly serious. "Because people are stupid. They think by sitting in a certain chair, or having a certain rank or place in society gives them power. Power is moving in the shadows, manipulating the world from within without history recognising you."

Alexion was quiet for a long moment, just taking the words in as he watched Amynta and his son. "Words can change the world."

She smiled gently, nodding at that. "Far more than any phaser shot in the dark can do. All it takes is one idea...one idea and it can change the very foundations of our lives."

Laeon looked between Amynta and his father, holding his breath for a long moment. "I think I just want to stay out of it," he said with a small smile, shaking his head. "Being in the light is no better. My uncle Jaq doesn't get that..."

Alexion widened his eyes at the lad to try and get him to stop what he was saying, shaking his head. He sighed when the cat was out of the bag though, sighing as he rubbed the back of his head. Another one who might have heard of his brother and then start talking about him all the time.

Amynta looked over at Alexion with surprise and confusion. She was missing something. Something big. She looked at Laeon, searching his face...and perhaps for once in her life, she let it go, because it seemed to make Alexion uncomfortable. "Any chance for a drink, Alexion?" she said, looking at him.

Alexion let out a soft breath of relief, nodding as he smiled to her. He moved to pour her another drink. "Laeon, you should be heading to bed."

Laeon grimaced, but he'd known he'd had it coming. He stood slowly, shrugging to Amynta with a small smile. "Sorry. It was nice meeting you though."

She smiled gently as she watched him, giving a small nod. "It was...a pleasure," she admitted and nodded gently. "Sleep well."

Laeon took the hand, so the fingers were encased in his, but so the top of the hand was still facing up. He leant down, pressing a chaste kiss to it before covering it with his other hand, offering a one word prayer. "I will see you soon," he smiled warmly to her, nodding before heading off to his room.

[OFF:]

Lt. Amynta Markos
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

WO Alexion Wylde
Doctor
USS Galileo

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