A Shoulder to Cry On

Posted on Tue Aug 9th, 2022 @ 1:10pm by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Ensign Mika Petrova
Edited on on Wed Oct 19th, 2022 @ 4:14am

Mission: S1 Episode 3: Phage
Location: Cassiel's Quarters
Timeline: Mission Day 3 at 1625
5994 words - 12 OF Standard Post Measure

The meeting regarding their haul from the planet and arranging the necessary tools and teams to return for the rest of the crystals had, frankly, not been one Madeline had needed to attend, but she had gone anyways to make an appearance. It was good to make appearances and one never knew what little hints of secrets one would see in the eyes of the people at such a gathering.

Usually Madeline would not have been in her quarters this early, but in truth she was absolutely exhausted. Christoph hadn't been in sickbay, so he had obviously gone back to his own quarters and while she probably should have visited him she frankly just could not find the motivation. It required too much focus and energy from her. Since she had been told to rest she intended to do just that. She was out of her uniform and had traded it in for a soft, dark red tank top and black shorts with a silky sheen to them. Laying on the couch, her arm was over her eyes and she was listening to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2 quietly playing in the room; the lights were low. She was vaguely aware that she had invited Mika to come and visit her, but she wasn't entirely sure if the young woman would take her up on it, so she wasn't worrying.

For the rest of her shift, Mika had put the meeting with Maddie out of her mind, working instead on her assignments with the same diligent effort she normally displayed. With her graduation being so close, she looked forward to the end of her training, but she knew she wouldn't be able to walk and receive her commission with her class. In fact, if she managed to be first, she might not find out that fact for years, and when she did, she doubted it would mean much.

At 1600, she turned her materials in and headed straight out of Sickbay for her quarters. Since it was on the same floor, it only took more around thirty seconds to get to her door. She entered eagerly and, as the door closed behind her on her lonely quarters, she knew she wanted to talk to someone. She sighed, stepping past her bedroom and into the bathroom. She stripped off her clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor and stepped into the shower. She opted for the sonic option rather than the water for the sake of expediency, and enjoyed the feeling of the waves moving over her body. When she was done, she applied some deodorant and perfume, brushed her teeth and then slipped into underclothes, an orchid haze spaghetti-strap bosun dress, and dark denim high-heel shoes. She quickly applied her makeup: a pale-pink blush, subtle lips and eyes, and quartz-pink lipstick. As she put on golden earrings, she watched herself in the mirror, wondering if it was tine for her to give up her courtly habit of dressing to the nines like Princess Gianna herself. She shrugged; old habits died hard and she rarely had the energy recently anyway.

The journey to Maddie's quarters was short as it was just on the other side of the same deck. The entire walk, she avoided eye contact with crewmen who, considering her fixed-up look, had gone from staring to stopping in the corridor and gawking. Silently, she thanked her father's status for the fact she never had to talk to them. She rang the chime and put on the best smile she had. It was radiant, but clearly uncomfortable. That was Mika.

"Computer, pause music and raise light by thirty percent." Madeline muttered from the couch and took a deep breath. She had actually started to doze off only moments before the chime sounded, so there was just the briefest flashes of annoyance as she pulled herself up to sit and then stood as she ran her fingers through her hair to make sure it wasn't a mess. "Come in." She called and at the words the door unlocked as it was programmed. She put on a welcoming smile.

"Rach 2?" Mika asked, forgetting to greet the smiling Lieutenant as she heard the music before the doors opened and it had been cut off. "One of the Russian greats. They always played in the background when I was growing up. A bit of local pride from the Lord of Russia."

Mika stepped into the room, the smell of her perfume wafting in with her. Her mind was back in Moscow though as the music still played in her mind. She wondered if her uncle had been given their lordship and estate since they were missing in action. He was a decent man, shred and unimaginative, and he would no doubt hold it faithfully without upsetting the Emperor. Turning to face the Lieutenant and giving an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry I'm dressed so much. I guess I thought we might go out and I wanted to make sure I was ready.." she said, blinking quickly and putting a hand over her made-up face briefly, trying to hide for a moment. "But I'm a doctor and I told you to rest, so I'm realizing now that was silly."

Madeline's quarters were cool but not cold; there was a lingering but subtle scent of ginger and cinnamon in the air but it was by no means overwhelming or intrusive. There were a few paintings hanging in the room all of which were simply abstract color artwork favoring red as the main color. A couple of plants were tucked neatly in the corner and one on the table. On the end table next to the couch there were two pictures, one had Madeline in it with a younger man and a boy, the other had an older man and woman. On the back of the couch there was warm, fuzzy looking throw blanket decorated with a tessellating pattern of reds, white, and blacks. Overall it was cozy, inviting, and modest.

She chuckled in good nature and waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. You look nice and as long as you are comfortable, who cares." She gestured to the couch and chairs for Mika to take a seat. "And yes, it was Rachmaninov. He had a beautiful talent." As she spoke, she walked over to a small cabinet on the side of the room and opened it. Above the cabinet were three racks, each holding a very short rods all of which had varying metallic heads that looked very much like tips of spears. Below them there were several different bladed weapons on display. It wasn't exactly an unusual sight in an Imperial Officer's quarters though, especially not one in her line of work.

"Are you a red or white kind of girl?"

Mika lowered herself onto the couch with a slow elegance, turning her legs in the "duchess slant" which was so popular with women in the Imperial Court. She looked around the room with a curious and intellectually engaged expression. She was an interesting mixture of thoughtful and emotional, a woman who preferred to keep her thoughts to herself and to learn from observation.

"Let it be red." she said with a somewhat dramatic flair as she looked at Madeline. "I wonder what will happen on this ship when we run out of genuine alcohol. Maybe we need to start distilling vodka and grapes on the lower decks."

"Whoever has the best recipe for moonshine will definitely become popular." Madeline replied, pulling out one of the bottles of wine she had put away and opening it with the sure motions of someone who had done this a fair bit. She grabbed two glasses and then walked over to the couch with the whole bottle. Sitting down, she poured a glass for Mika and handed it off then one for herself, leaving the bottle on the coffee table. She crossed her legs and sat back, swirling her wine in the glass.

"So," she began, "he wants you to write about your feelings, hm?"

“Yes, and so far I’ve written a twenty page disorganized mess that I wouldn’t show to my best friend.” Mika said, offering a pained smile. She brought the glass to her lips and took a drink. Swallowing it, she sighed. “Wouldn’t it be ironic if I turn in my paper on my need for good grades and get marked down because it’s long incoherent garbage?”

"Painfully so." Madeline agreed and took a small sip of her wine. It wasn't the cheap stuff, but it wasn't top tier either. That didn't come out for just anyone. "You kind of half mentioned you like to over prepare, but was there something more specific that happened that had him wanting you to write this essay? Did he give you any other guidance than 'feelings'?"

“Well, we went to the holodeck for my final field exam. I did what I tend to always do; I stayed up studying every possible scenario trying to predict what he might throw at me. When I arrived, I was dead tired and he was very irritated by that. I responded…not so well, and he decided that my fear of failure what his important project to fix. He gave me the paper as a way of getting me to confront those fears.”

For a moment, Madeline was quiet as she considered the situation. Another sip of wine, then she spoke gently. "Well, I'm not going to patronize you by asking you if you are aware that a lack of sleep is always a poor choice for someone in your profession; you are." She shifted her position, crisscrossing her legs and leaning forward just a bit. It made her look less imposing, more interested, and importantly more relatable. She brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Do you lack confidence in your abilities?"

Mika shook her head rather confidently.

"No, not at all. I just want to be first in my medical class..." she paused, looking away for a moment, her face contorting into one of sadness. The onset was quick enough that it seemed like she might start crying. She controlled herself though. "Not that it matters anymore. Home is too far away for that."

"It mattered to you, though. There is no shame in that." Her voice retained gentleness and sympathy, a note of reassurance overlaying it all. "People like to stand out, especially those who work so hard for it like you have. To have that taken away from you like this... I'd struggle with it too."

Mika blinked, her eyes still fixed on the corner of the room like she was hoping a bit of self control was waiting there for her. A bit of water in the eyes but nothing more. She cleared her throat and swallowed hard.

"I thought that being transferred aboard my dad's ship would be great for my career, but instead its over. And I can't even clear cadet without flunking this stupid assignment."

"Hey, we aren't there yet." Madeline's tone was coaxing and she shifted her body in an effort to draw Mika's attention back through the reaction of seeing something out of the peripheral vision. "So he wants you to write about your fear of failure? Just in this or... fears in general?" She asked, trying to focus Mika back to the topic.

Mika blinked back to Maddie, her eyes slightly moist and her face somewhat sullen.

“All of them. He thinks my fear of failure comes from some greater fear and he wants me to bear my soul in a paper about it.”

"Do you think he's correct in that thinking? Are you afraid of more?" She asked Mika with seemingly genuine curiosity.

“Isn’t everyone?” Mika asked, her perfectly placed legs quirking just a bit. Her thighs were both large and toned and drew the eye beneath her dress. “But it’s very private. I’m embarrassed to talk about it. And I don’t want to do it in a final paper to my boss, no matter how much he says he won’t tell anyone.”

Mika took a longer drag from her glass now and started to feel the wine rush in her head, a subtle fogginess that accompanied the drink for her.

“In the Empire, information like that is power. And I’m case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not the most socially aware woman in the ship. Frankly, my tendency to be very private is my only defense.”

Of course she had noticed. Mika didn’t know her at all and yet here she was having - by Terran standards - a deeply personal and vulnerable conversation. Madeline took another drink and looked through slightly lidded eyes at the younger woman. She quickly licked the wine from her bottom lip and gave a soft sigh. “Yes, but you recognize it and that is important.” A small smile appeared on her face. “It isn’t necessarily something to be embarrassed about at your age, and I don’t say that to demean you, so I hope you won’t take it as such. It is however something you should keep guarded and express only to those you trust implicitly. This man has given you no reason to trust him past your working relationship, I imagine, and anyone who would argue that he hasn’t given you a reason to not trust him… well, they don’t quite understand the way the world works. That isn’t good enough.”

She leaned in slightly, “I know it might not be the most comfortable thing for you in this situation, but you may want to speak to your parents about any fears you may have. I understand that your father may not really be a suitable option given the situation regarding his return, but you are his daughter and that does usually count for something. Especially if he has a guilty conscience.”

Mika listened, her brown eyes fixed on Maddie's. She rather liked the idea of her father coming to the rescue in any situation, but she was torn. The first problem was that she didn't even know if he would help.

"I'd just be seen running to 'Daddy' at the first sign of adversity in my life." Mika said, skirting her true feelings. "I'd lose respect immediately, wouldn't I?"

"No, no." Madeline raised a hand. "Don't misunderstand. I'm not telling you that you should go and tell your mother or father about the good doctor being a conniving ass - yet - but that you are afraid. Yes, if your father 'fixed' this for you, you would immediately lose any respect and truthfully may not ever gain it back. Do not do that. Your father may, however, be able to help you work through and deal with your more specific fears. You don't need to mention your little essay unless you feel inclined."

Madeline sat back and sighed against her glass. "It is more about giving you the mental tools to deal with what is going on than having him swoop in and save the day."

Mika said nothing for quite a while, her mind clearly working over the suggestion multiple times. She honestly didn’t even know what she would say to them, so unconsidered we’re her feelings. She shrugged, taking another pull from the glass.

“I’ll think about it, I suppose.” She said, being more dismissive than she’d wanted to be. “In the meantime, I might consider just making something convincing up on this paper.”

Madeline took the dismissal in stride and finished off her wine. She held the glass but didn’t move to refill it. “I am asking this genuinely: are you a good enough liar to do that?”

Mika smiled then, lifting an eyebrow mysteriously. She didn't respond right away, but after a few seconds, she shrugged.

"I've honestly never really tried." she said, taking a deep sip from the glass. "I've never really felt the need to lie."

She was such a goodie goodie, she'd almost never been in a situation where she felt she needed to. Maddie was probably right.

"I could always pay you to write it for me." Mika said, joking. "5,000 crowns for eight pages. Sounds like a good plan, right?"

Madeline laughed and shook her head. “Tempting but I have this feeling your boss is probably a little too smart for that.” This poor girl. Maybe it actually was better that she was here on a smaller ship under the watchful eye of her family. The Terran world would devour her without a second thought. “How do you view failure, Mika? As an absolute?”

"I'm not sure what you mean by absolute. One can either be a person who succeeds and proves themselves, or one who doesn't. I just happen to want the whole thing." she said with a shrug. "Besides, who wants a mediocre doctor operating on them?"

“I mean absolute. You failed. There’s nothing after that. It’s done.” Madeline clarified, not touching the rest of what Mika had said.

"Well of course not." Mika said, shaking her head. She never held others to a standard like that and she tended to be extremely forgiving. She just seldom showed herself the same grace. "That's ridiculous. There are many failures you can come back from. But not as strong as you would have been if you'd succeeded."

Mika sniffed, leaning back slightly. She wasn't a naturally ambitious person, but there was something about getting to the front of her class that drew her like a lightning rod. She looked at Maddie with eyes that begged her to understand without words to match them.

"Take my father for example. A simple miscalculation of loyalties on his part cost him everything; his career, his family, and his future. He spent years as a slave in the Alliance and, only through extreme hard work and the deaths of millions of people, did he come back to his previous life. Only, it was different, yes? The Four Star Admiral is now a Captain, the black hair is now grey, and the children are estranged. Paradise lost is always greater than paradise regained. I made it clear to the Doctor I would do whatever it took to win in this...and I'm afraid I meant it."

Madeline listened attentively and patiently, letting the young woman pour out her heart. After a long moment, she asked a simple question. “Are you afraid to fail as your father did? To end up like him in some way?”

Mika shook her head simply, like a child would. There wasn't much analysis in the gesture.

"That's not going to happen to me. My father plays the power game. And in that game, you ascend or you fall flat." she said. "I don't play games. I measure success by meeting my goals, not by meeting others."

“That’s fine, but what are you going to do when you do fail? I’m not saying this to be cruel or to put you down, Mika, but you will eventually fail. Everyone does. It is simply a fact of life.” Madeline looked away then and began to rub the fabric of the throw on the back of the couch between her thumb and forefinger.

"I'll fix it." Mika said simply. There was something there that was different than what had been seen before. Her answer was vague, but there was a certain subtle implication that didn't seem to match her personality in the slightest. "When I received a bad grade on my last paper from Doctor Reed, I got a chance to redo it. I turned failure into success, simple as that."

Mika poured the remaining wine into her mouth and swallowed it slowly. She was uncomfortable with the conversation's direction and was a bit worried what might come next. She sighed, instead of waiting, and felt the rush of wine.

"You're Assistant Chief of Security and acting Chief while Lieutenant Ivers is out sick. You have to know alot about career success, right?"

Madeline turned her head and looked at Mika for a long moment. She didn’t ask the question, didn’t make the statement, but her dark eyes caught the young woman’s and held her in a way that was impossible to break from for someone who didn’t have the force of will.

You can’t fix death.

She didn’t pin Mika for long and looked away again, down to her blanket and then back up with a small smile. “Well, Christoph will be picking his shift back up tomorrow I’m sure. I suppose my career is going in a positive direction, sure, but don’t forget my department seems to be mildly cursed.” She smirked with amusement and shook her head.

"Or blessed. It seems a good place to get a promotion." Mika said with a smile. "Is that where you first met my brother?"

“Mm? Andrei? Yeah, I guess so.” Madeline shrugged. “We worked together a bit, but not usually. Like I said I’m not the most social person either so I tended to skip out on his little group dates in the lounge.”

"Well then when did you start to get to know each other?" she asked next. "For all the care he showed you in Sickbay, I would have thought he was in love."

This time, Madeline just blinked at Mika. “What?” Was all she could really say to that entirely ridiculous notion.

“Well, I’m familiar with my brother’s antics and, though I don’t really understand him, he hasn’t ever brought a girl into Sickbay the way he did for you. I just figured you were closer.” Mika said, then demurred. “I should shut up. He would hate me talking about him like this.”

Madeline waved a hand. “No, no. It’s fine Mika. I was just caught off guard. I imagine he felt he owed it to me to do in some way because I helped him on the planet. I am not….” She paused and smirked just slightly. “One of your brother’s girlfriends.”

"Right, of course not." Mika said, smiling politely. Her mind flashed back to several of her friends through he years who had said something similar only to later be caught in bed with him. "I just...haven't found him interested in repaying favors unless he's getting something out of it...I should get going. The wine is working and I have a paper to write."

She made an attempt to disengage from the conversation but she hadn't yet stood.

“He also doesn’t strike me as a man who enjoys feeling like he owes anyone.” Madeline noted. She could tell Mika didn’t believe her and that there would be no swaying her otherwise, but that hardly mattered. Instead she smiled and set her glass and Mika’s glass down on the coffee table. “Give me just a second to put on some pants and let me walk you back to your quarters. I can see you are a little tipsy and I really would rather not get spaced by your parents or brother were something untoward happen after you left here.” It was spoken in a friendly way as she stood and retreated to her room. Friendly, but not optional.

Mika smiled as Maddie left. She was sure she would be fine, but she tended to like any protection handed out by someone like her. She had a little sister instinct which had been taught to her by her brother and she preferred the role to any other. She stood and waited for Maddie to return, adjusting her dress and running fingers against her hair to make sure there were no strays.

“You’re kind.” She said in a gentle voice. “It was so sweet of you to let me come over and to listen to my stupid problems.”

“Everyone needs an ear now and then.” Madeline replied as she walked back out now dressed in long pants and pulling her hair out of the back of a jacket. “You’re doing great things Mika. Just continue to be confident and you will make yourself proud.”

“Thank you. That means a lot.” Mika said with a face that seemed like she really did mean it. As the two women stepped outside the quarters, Mika had a question on her lips. “Where are you from, Madeline? And what brings you to the Fleet?”

"Luna." Madeline replied as they walked at a leisurely pace toward Mika's quarters. "As for what brings me to the fleet, I like the thrill of a good adventure and wasn't really interested in going into the family business." She paused and mused a moment. "Though this was really a bit more adventure than I was planning on."

"Yes, getting caught in the Delta Quadrant wasn't in my plans either." Mika said honestly. "You think we'll actually get back in our lifetime?"

"I think for now it is better to believe that we will." Madeline gave a smile and seemed resolved to believe her own words. "In time we may need to adjust that thinking, but best not to fall into despair too early."

"We might be old ladies, but we'll get back." Mika said, as if it was already written in the stars. "By that time, the Crown Prince's son will be Emperor and we'll both be Admirals."

Mika mused on the idea as a man in a golden uniform approached down the corridor. She started to move aside in order to give him space to walk around them.

Madeline chuckled at the thought of exactly how old they'd be, but it was certainly feasible. She continued walking though did clock the approaching form of Luca Romano. A useless waste of space in the department if there was one; and he was drunk.

"Cassssiel~" He slurred in a sing-song voice and stumbled closer to the two women. "Let's go and-" He paused as his dark eyes shifted over to Mika and instantly widened. A hungry, lecherous smirk appeared on his lips. "Ohh... Mika... Miss Mika. Magnificent Miss Mika..."

"Romano, what in the actual fuck do you think you are doing." Madeline asked, stepping squarely between Mika and Luca and glowering down at the shorter man.

"Ey, fuck off I'm looking at Magnificent Mammaries Mika." Luca protested and tried to move around Madieline, getting more visibly flustered when she blocked him.

Mika immediately cowered, not having been subjected to such a treatment since her first year at the academy. She used her arms to try and cover her ample chest, the objects of his fascination, but she only really managed to draw more attention to them in her dress. She turned slightly red, and watched him with a lowered gaze. Part of her liked the attention, of course, but not from men like him and not so overtly.

"It's okay, Maddie, let's just go. He's drunk. He doesn't know what he's saying." she said, attempting to move around the other side of her and avoiding him.

Madeline made a slight sound of annoyance, but seemed to be ready to do as Mika had asked. At least in the moment; this wasn't going to be allowed to slide. It was unacceptable for anyone, unfortunately for Luca, the fact Madeline already thought he was trash would only make it worse for him. She blocked him as Mika moved on the other side and started to walk away, but she saw Luca swing around with his hands reaching for Mika's rear. Mika wouldn't have even felt anything, but she would see Madeline shift quickly.

There was a sudden and sickening snap and a howl of pain from Romano. When Mika turned to look, she would see that one of his arms had been snapped back at the elbow at an unnatural angle. Luca tried to swing on Maddeline with his good arm, but she caught his fist and bent it backward with one hand. "You just won't fucking learn, will you? Well you're going to learn today, Luca."

"Fuck y-" He didn't even finish the sentence as Madeline smashed his head into the wall violently and he fell to the floor.

"Pathetic." She hissed out, grabbing him by the jacket and pulling him up so his back was to the wall. He was reeling, she could have left him there and left him with the snapped elbow and hurt wrist, but it just didn't quite feel like nearly enough. She kicked his legs apart, delivering a swift and brutal kick to his groin which gave a very unpleasant crunching sound. He screamed out an octave too high for his voice and tried to cover himself with his hands.

"No. No." Madeline knelt down in front of him, grabbing one of his hands and yanking it up. "You need to learn to keep your hands to yourself. Let's help you with that, shall we?" She forced him to open his hand and took hold of one of his fingers, giving it a sharp jerk to dislocate it. He cried out again and did with each finger. By the fourth one, he was outright crying.

"S-stop, please." He begged.

"No, Luca. This isn't the first time I've tried to teach you manners." She picked up his other hand and began to repeat the process. "It is going to be the last time though, do you understand?"

"P-please..."

"Do you understand?" She demanded, her dark eyes glittering ruthlessly.

"Y-yes, sir...." He choked out pathetically, swallowing a sob as she popped the last finger out of the joint.

Mika watched the scene in horror, her hand over her mouth. She yelped at each sickening crunch, but with each howl from the man, she became quieter. Immediately similar images filled her mind from long ago. Animals...servants. Someone was hurting them then too. She turned away and faced the opposite direction as Maddie finished her lesson, the tears flowing from her eyes like rivers. Her sobs were silent. All she knew was to wait until it was over or to find a place to hide and to cover her ears.

It was quiet after a moment and Madeline moved back to Mika. "Mika?" Madeline called her voice gentle and not matching the rabid ferocity she had just displayed a moment before. "I'm sorry you had to watch and hear that." She gave Mika room, seeing her shoulders shaking. "Let me get you home."

Once Mika understand it was over, her demeanor changed somewhat. The shaking stop by some willful act and she straightened up, wiping the tears quickly from her eyes. This sort of thing had become normal for her, but never in public. She offered a smile which would have been convincing if she weren’t red-eyed and wet from crying. She showed herself to be an actress after all.

“It’s okay. He had it coming.” Mika said in a passionless tone. “You we’re just trying to protect me.”

She wiped another tear away and then angled herself as if she was ready to walk with Maddie. She didn’t look back at the whimpering man for one second.

Madeline extended her arm behind Mika to both guide her forward and also kept it just at where her eye level would be in case she did have a temptation to turn around and look at Luca, all she would end up seeing would be Madeline's arm in front of her unless she actively tried to look. "Still, I can see it bothered you, so I am sorry." She seemed to genuinely mean it too. "Unfortunately, people like Romano don't learn lessons any other way."

“You’re right, of course.” Mika said. “You did what you had to do.”

Something about her had switched, making her even more of a puppy dog than usual. She only looked forward and said nothing besides her affirmations of Maddie’s response.

"Mika." Madeline moved in front of her to stop her from walking, but didn't invade her space. "Are you alright?" Obviously not. This incident had obviously triggered something in the poor girl, but Madeline was curious as to the why.

When Maddie had blocked her way and insisted on an answer, Mika felt a surge of anger, one that could be clearly seen on her face. She didn’t lash out and she got it under control very quickly, but there could be no doubt how she felt.

“You don’t need to worry about me. I understand how this works.” Mika said, not particularly sweetly, but decisive and polite. “You discipline the men in your department; especially the ones who are drunkenly harassing people. You have a right, and I know how to deal with that. Don’t worry about me, really. I…I just want to go home.”

Madeline didn't meet the anger with anger in turn. "Alright, Mika, I was just trying to make sure you were alright." She said with passive resignation and maybe even a subtle note of disappointment in the young woman's reaction to her concern. She didn't continue to press, merely fell back to Mika's side and began walking again though this time did so silently.

Mika felt many things: sadness, shame, fear, regret, and more. There was such a rush, she had no idea how to make heads or tales of them and she would need time. She felt quite bad for having reacted so strongly to Maddie, but she was also afraid of making it worse by saying anything. She internal monologued all the way to her quarters and, once there, she turned around and frowned and Maddie.

"Thank you for protecting me from that..man." Mika said, blinking sorrowfully. "Just...please don't kill him. And please don't tell Andrei or my father...or my mother for that matter. They won't be forgiving."

"I won't do any one of those things, Mika, I promise." Madeline replied and meant it, she didn't kill Terrans for fun, especially not in their situation. If it became necessary though... "Hey," She smiled and lowered her head a bit to try and draw Mika's attention. "I did enjoy our chat though. I hope you'll remember enjoying that more than... well, the other thing."

Mika smiled at her kindness again, happiness being added to the inferno of feelings she was experiencing. Before she knew it, her arms were around Maddie and she was embracing her warmly. She still forced the tears back and would deal with those when she was by herself.

"Thank you, Maddie. I'll remember."

Madeline blinked in surprise as Mika suddenly hugged her, but she had the good sense to wrap her strong arms around her in return and give a brief squeeze that could have passed as affectionate to a point. Truthfully, Mika reminded her of her youngest brother. The innocent. The smallest of smiles touched the corners of her mouth but drifted away just as quickly. She pulled back from Mika and held her shoulders. "Get some rest. If you need anything I'm not far off."

"Okay." Mika said with a nod, and then applied her thumb to the lockout, opening the door to her quarters. "Thanks again. Have a good night and...you, know, get some rest. I don't want to go to your funeral any time soon."

"Good to know." Madeline smirked and gave a nod of farewell. "Have a good evening, Mika." With that, she turned and left back to her quarters.

Mika watched her go, her own mind racing a mile a minute. Once Maddie rounded a corner, she turned and entered her quarters. Time to unwind and write a paper.

END