Picking up the Pieces

[Capt Ayers 0]

By: Captain Ayers and DJ McKinny

 

 

 

Nick approaches the door to Terra's quarters and rings the bell once before keying the code to open the door. He knew that Terra wasn't inside her quarters, she was still on the Promenade shopping or whatever she was doing. He moves to sit down on the couch and stretches his legs along the length of the cushions. Leaning his head back he sighs quietly, wondering exactly what he did to get himself into the situation he's in. He didn't want to go through the next hundred years or so having his wife and his sister at loggerheads just because his sister was being over-protective. Nor did he want to have to choose his wife at the expense of his family. Ethan was right..Terra is being stubborn. And it’s not like the first time Terra had decided to be bullheaded..but this was probably the most costly example of his sister's bouts of bullheadedness. And he knows that it was a trait that he had himself..and one that Ethan had as well. Not that he can blame her, she had every right to be mad at Terra. He frowns slightly, wishing that his sister would bother to realize that she had a lot more in common with his wife then they had in opposition....namely him. Sighing quietly he closes his eyes and waits for his sister's return.

 

Terra was so engrossed in her conversation with Andrew, she didn't even sense her brother's presence until she was about to unlock the door to her suite. She backed away, wrinkling her nose as though she smelled something foul seeping from underneath the door.

 

"Is something wrong?" asked Andrew, an expectant grin on his face.

 

Terra glanced at the young lieutenant and quickly smiled, trying to hide her growing unease. "No," she stammered. "No, there's nothing wrong. It's just...."

 

Andrew adjusted the small mountain of packages he was carrying and moved toward the door. Terra instinctively stepped in front of him. She suddenly realized she'd spent the last three hours with this handsome, young officer and she didn't even know his last name. Then again, he didn't know hers either. She'd made a point of not bringing it up.

 

Terra had considered telling Andrew who she was while they were strolling along the Promenade. She quickly decided it was best if her true identity remained a secret. She was thoroughly enjoying his company and she doubted Andrew would want to hang around if he knew her older brother was in command of Aegis. So why risk spoiling such a perfect distraction. He hadn't asked for her full name and if he did, she was prepared to lie.

 

But that was about to change, unless Terra could figure out a way to dismiss Andrew without having to tell him that Nicholas Ayers was waiting inside to have a little chat with his baby sister. Unfortunately, such a ruse would require a little planning and she didn't have time for that. Nicholas surely knew she was just outside. If she didn't go in soon, he would come out looking for her. And Terra really didn't want to cause problems for Lieutenant Andrew.....whatever his name was.

 

She took a couple of packages from her now thoroughly confused escort and set them by the door. "I wish I could invite you in," she said lightly as she returned for more of her purchases. "But a relative is waiting for me inside. I'm leaving tomorrow and I promised him I would spend some quality time with him before I left."

 

Terra didn't have to use telepathy to know what Andrew was thinking. It was obvious from his expression that he didn't believe a word she said....especially the part about the relative. When she tried to take the rest of the packages from him, he turned away and refused to let her have them.

 

"Please, Andrew," sighed Terra. "Let me have the packages. It was really nice of you to accompany me on my shopping spree but I have to go now and....."

 

"You weren't in such a hurry five minutes ago," replied the Lieutenant, his tone reflecting his annoyance. "As a matter of fact," he continued, "you were all for me coming inside for a while."

 

Terra didn't have time to respond. She knew Nicholas was opening the door even before she heard the latch release. Terra didn't turn around as her brother stepped into the hallway. Andrew suddenly went rigid. His eyes looked like those of a deer caught in a hunter's flood light.

 

Taking a deep breath, Terra walked over to Andrew to retrieve the remainder of her packages. He more than willingly handed them over. "Thank you for carrying these up here for me, Lieutenant," she said politely and then turned toward her now open door. She walked past the Captain without saying a word, hoping he would follow her inside and let poor Andrew leave in peace. There was no reason for him to get dragged into the upcoming battle between Terra and her brother.

 

For half a second Nick is tempted to go have a word with the young Lieutenant. Finally he turns and follows Terra inside. Dryly he says "And you're worried about my judgment? Judging by the Lieutenant's reaction..he didn't know who you actually were. I have no problem with you exploring a relationship with someone, sister, but I do have a problem with you doing so while being dishonest and disrupting discipline onboard my station. Thanks to you, that Lieutenant is going to be thinking that I'm going to take action against him for being interested in an admittedly beautiful young woman who just happens to be somehow related to his CO." He steps past her and turns to look down into her face. "You are so worried that Ethan is not being honest with me but you lie to him by omission. Does that make you any better than what you think of Ethan?"

 

"Oh spare me the lecture," huffed Terra as she stepped outside to bring in the packages she'd stacked by the door. She glanced up and down the hallway. There was no trace of the Lieutenant. "If you were so concerned about Andrew's feelings, all you had to do was thank him for escorting your sister around the station and making sure she was safe. That would have alleviated any fears he might have had about possible disciplinary action."

 

"And I didn't mislead that Lieutenant," continued Terra, dropping the packages on the floor with a thud. "We went shopping and that's all there was to it. Besides, if I'd told him my last name, how long do you think he would have hung around? Had he known you were my brother, I would probably still be wandering around Aegis ....alone."

 

Nick turns and walks towards the window. He stares out it for a few seconds then turns to face her. "You were right before. For the last twenty years I have been serious...only focused on work. And not giving much thought to romantic relationships. However, when I have had girlfriends or lovers I do not treat them as disposable. Do you think he would not have eventually figured out who you were? Do you think he wouldn't have eventually have heard through the grapevine that the Captain's younger sister had been onboard and put two and two together? This is a Starfleet station, Terra, not a resort on Risa. You can't just step onboard this station and think that it's nothing more then a shopping mall stocked with young men for you to pick and choose from and that you can eventually return to them the shelf they were sitting on. This is why Phelan and I have been protective of you. Of the three of us you're the one most prone to impulses..to acting without thinking of any possible consequence. You did it with that young man and you did it when you thought you had to come all the way out here to play bodyguard for me against someone you don't really know."

 

Terra took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger rapidly building up inside of her. He was questioning her character and that infuriated her. "I went shopping for clothes, Nick. Not for men." She picked up one of the boxes off the floor and opened it. "Would you care to check inside these boxes? I guarantee you will not find a man in any of them."

 

She tossed the box onto the nearby sofa. "And let's get one thing straight. Andrew is not my boyfriend. Much less a lover. And I never led him to believe he would ever become either a boyfriend or a lover. So don't hand me that 'disposable' garbage. All that remark shows is that you really don't know me at all."

 

Terra's temper was now in full gear. "As far as my unexpected visit is concerned, I came here to protect you from someone I'm not sure you really know. But that's a moot point, isn't it. Because you married her, without so much as speaking to your family about it."

 

He narrows his eyes "And you're eventually going to have to come to terms with the fact that you are wrong about Ethan..that you made a mistake and that you owe her an apology. She was looking forward to having a sister and thanks to you she called mom thinking that the rest of our family thought as you did and informed mom that she and I had gotten married by telling her and I quote "Since you probably exercise a great deal of control over your children, I will look into having the marriage annulled, and request a transfer. Then you can impose your will on Nick as you see fit." Thankfully mom's only problem with my marrying Ethan was that she didn't get to attend the wedding."

 

"And you call me impulsive?" asked Terra, incredulously. "Your new wife calls your mother, makes wild accusations and doesn't even bother to tell you until after the fact? Don't you think it would have been a bit more respectful had she at least consulted you before contacting your family?"

 

Terra didn't wait for a reply. "No, of course you wouldn't. Because you've chosen Ethan and she can do no wrong." She stooped to pick up the remaining packages and then started toward the bedroom. "And I don't know if Ethan was looking forward to having a sister. Maybe she was." She turned to glare at her brother. "But one thing is for certain. She doesn't want me for a sister."

 

"It took the better part of three years for Ethan and me to get to this point and you nearly destroyed it in a day. If you actually knew anything about her you'd know how much those undercover assignments that you want to hold against her really hurt her. Those assignments nearly destroyed her and nearly destroyed "us" before we even knew what that could all entail. You judged her without knowing the first thing about her. Put yourself in her shoes and tell me how you would feel."

 

Terra continued into the bedroom and carefully set the boxes on one of the chairs. Nick's words stung her more than she was willing to admit. She had behaved impulsively. Although her intentions had been noble, she had to admit she had caused more than a little grief for her brother and that she regretted.

 

She'd adored Nick and always would. But now he was married. Another woman had become the most important person in his life. That sudden realization was somewhat concerning. Terra found herself wondering if that was why she came all the way to Aegis to warn Nick about Ethan. Was she jealous?

 

"Perhaps," thought Terra. "But maybe not. I knew they were dating but I had no idea Nick was that serious about Hawke." She started to return to the living area but stopped just inside the bedroom. "No," she mused. "It wasn't jealousy that brought me here. I was trying to protect Nick from a woman who might not be what she claimed. That's all there was to it. But have I made a mistake? Is Ethan Hawke the woman Nick believes her to be? Or is she the woman Uncle had been so concerned about?"

 

Stepping into the living area, Terra smoothed her tunic and drew another deep breath. "I understand how your wife must have felt," she began slowly. "Looking back on it, I wish you hadn't brought her into our conversation quite so quickly. Perhaps, if we'd had time to hash things out privately, I would have been more open to giving her the benefit of the doubt."

 

Terra hurried on, not willing to give Nick a chance to reply. "It's obvious you don't want to give me the opportunity to get to know your wife. Otherwise, why would you have made arrangements for me to leave this station so quickly. As it now stands, I doubt that either of us will ever feel comfortable with each other. It doesn't really matter though. You and your wife will be on one side of the galaxy and I'll be on the other."

 

Nick considers what Terra said about the Lieutenant for a minute before privately admitting that what she said was correct. He sighs quietly and shakes his head "You're right, I shouldn't have said what I said about the Lieutenant with regards to you. And I will thank him for playing escort for my sister." He shakes his head again "I guess we're both being protective. My apologies for that."

 

Her brother's tone was suddenly conciliatory and that caught Terra by surprise. Try as she might to remain furious at him, she found her resolve weakening. Walking across the room, she sat down on the sofa as he continued talking.

 

"As for what Ethan did, yes it was impulsive. She did it because she was mad and felt betrayed. And I didn't say you were the only one prone to being impulsive. We didn't go to Pacifica with the intent of getting married, that was a rather spontaneous decision on our part. Though I had been thinking of proposing since she got back from Vulcan. Her trip there and the reasons for it made it clear to me how much of a part of me she had become. And on face value based on her past in Starfleet Security, yes it is at least somewhat understandable the concern."

 

Terra smiled slightly. "Thank you for admitting that," she said softly. "Even though you're far away from your family, I know you remain concerned about us. Why wouldn't you expect that we...that I...would still be concerned about you. Just because you're," she paused, searching for the right words. "Just because you're a hotshot Starfleet Captain doesn't mean that your heart can't be broken. You said it yourself. All these years, you've devoted yourself to your job. You're probably more naive about love than I am."

 

"However, the simple fact remains, sister, you don't know her and I do. You only know what is written on a page. I'm the one that was there and held her when she broke down in tears over what a very evil man had done to her years ago. That what he did made her scared of letting me get too close because she was scared that she'd hurt me. I'm the one that's been inside her mind as far as or further than anyone else. I know her feelings as well as I know my own, Sis. We're Imzadi and that can't be faked. If I was a mark to her, sister, the fact remains she's had more then enough time to betray me and she's been inside my mind enough times before we got married that she would have hardly needed to go through a charade marriage. If I was a target to her, sister, she would have turned me in when I tried keeping that El Aurian cruiser out of Starfleet's hands. What more could Starfleet want then what represents the height of the technology and knowledge we once wielded? And the simple fact remains is that she was on this station long before I chose this assignment. If I was nothing more than a target to her wouldn't it have made more sense for Starfleet to send her to where I was? Because it's not like Starfleet sent me here. I chose to come here."

 

Terra looked down at her newly purchased shoes and carefully considered her brother's latest remarks. He'd just shared certain, very personal insights into his relationship with Ethan Hawke. Now, Terra was even more uncertain about her feelings toward her new sister-in-law.

 

Terra had no idea what her brother was talking about when he referred to an evil man who had done terrible things to Ethan. But Nick seemed to have very intimate knowledge of those events. It was obvious he and Ethan had shared not only their bodies, but their minds as well.

 

Nick mentioned an El Aurian ship. Apparently, he'd found one and kept it a secret from everyone but Ethan. Terra knew nothing about Starfleet protocol but even she could understand why Starfleet would want to get their hands on a ship like that. Yet, Hawke kept the secret rather than ratting on Nick. So maybe Ethan was more loyal to him than to Starfleet.

 

Terra rose from the sofa and moved to stand in front of her brother. She had to admit the ball was now in her court. She could show him the door, leave Aegis in the morning and be done with it. But that would mean the end of her relationship with her brother, not to mention a possible estrangement from the rest of her family. It was obvious to Terra that Nick's first love was his new wife. So, did she want this to be a permanent good-bye? Was she willing to walk out of her brother's life in order to maintain her pride?

 

Terra looked her brother in the eye. "I am a stubborn woman," she began slowly. "And I have been known to behave impulsively. Those traits seem to run in the family so I come by them honestly." To her horror, her bottom lip began to tremble but she was determined to press on. "However, I am willing to admit when I've made a mistake." She took a step back and shook her head. "I'm not sure yet that I've made a mistake, but I'm willing to admit that I might have." She looked at him pleadingly. "I'm leaving tomorrow so I don't know if there will be time to straighten this out."

 

He steps towards her and hugs her briefly. "As for your departure in the morning, I did not arrange that actually. You said you would be leaving as soon as possible the last time we talked. You're the one that said you were leaving. That Ethan came down here and told you was merely informing you of what you wanted. And you are wrong. I do want you to get to know Ethan and I want her to get to know you. You two have far more in common then you have in differences." He smiles briefly "You're both stubborn and you both can be impulsive. But more than that is the fact that you both love me and you're both part of me. That should be enough for you two to lay down your differences, yes? If you want to stay you can. If you want to get to know her you can but understand this...you can not get to know someone when you have already made up your mind about them. You weren't interested in getting to know her when you arrived. You had already made up your mind. If you want to get to know her now then you are going to have to discard your preconceived notions about her. And I think it's safe to say that she does want you as a sister still, she laments what has happened. However, the first move has to be yours, Terra."

 

"So we should be willing to bury the hatchet because we both love you?" asked Terra sarcastically, folding her arms in front of her. She smiled mischievously. "You certainly think quite highly of yourself, don't you.” Nick rolled his eyes and started to speak but Terra cut him off. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. But you're right. No matter what, Ethan will be a part of your life. I'm the one who could be left on the outside looking in. So, it's up to me to choose."

 

Nick was right about something else too. She'd made it clear she wanted to leave Aegis as soon as possible. Now, she wanted nothing more than to stay for a few more days. She just didn't know if that would be possible. She suddenly felt totally miserable...miserable and frightened....even more frightened than when the pirates commandeered the cruise liner.

 

He steps back from her and moves to sit down on the couch. "As for right now. if you want to hash things out, to borrow your phrase, between you and me feel free to ask what you want."

 

Terra picked up a shopping bag she'd left on the sofa and pulled out a box. It was tastefully wrapped with a bow on top. She'd attached a card to it addressed to Ethan and Nick. Sitting down on the sofa next to her brother, Terra shook her head. "I have nothing to ask you," she said, fighting back the tears. "I came here to save you...to spare you pain and heartbreak. But I'm the one who has caused the pain and heartbreak. I'm so sorry, Nick. And beyond that, I'm not sure what to do."

 

She thrust the box toward Nick. "I bought you and Ethan a present...a wedding gift of sorts. I was going to arrange to have it delivered after I left but I guess I might as well give it to you now."

 

He looks down at the box and smiles "If you don't mind, I'll open it later with Ethan. And thank you." He sets the box down and turns to hug her tightly. After a minute he leans back and gently brushes away her tears. Leaning forward he kisses her forehead and murmurs "Apology accepted, little one." He smiles, knowing that she had never really liked that nickname. "Well, you have a choice. You can leave here in the morning and we'll see about patching things between Ethan and you next time we come home. Or you can stay and we'll see about that now. I would like it if you joined us for dinner but if you do so or not is your choice. I can say the chef is quite talented, even if he is saying so himself."

 

"Dinner?" Terra said the word as though she'd never heard it before. She again looked at her brother. "Maybe you should ask Ethan first. She might not want me at her dinner table."

 

His expression sobers and he says quietly "I won't say that Ethan isn't mad, she is. And it may be that she's not ready to forgive yet. But you are going to have to apologize to her. I will be there though, for both of you."

 

Breathing deeply to regain her composure, Terra nodded. "I'll apologize. And if it's okay with you, I'll stay on Aegis for a few days. This may be my last opportunity to patch things up with your wife. I doubt I'll be coming back here because Mom is going to kill me as soon as I get home."

 

He sighs and shrugs "I will smooth things over with her for you. I think it is time we start putting this little incident behind us. Mom chiding you isn't going to change anything at this point. And I think you're going to have to apologize to Phelan as well. Chances are he's already been chided for his part in this little bout of impulsiveness.

 

"Apologize to Phelan?" huffed Terra. "Do you have any idea how many times I've covered for him?" She shook her head and stood, hands on hips. "Not to mention how many times I've gotten in trouble because of him!"

 

She rubbed the back of her neck. "But don't worry, I'll straighten things out with Phelan. And I'll be happy to come to dinner if Ethan says it's okay. Just as long as you aren't fixing that raw fish concoction you tried to force us to eat a few years ago."

 

He smirks “And how many times has he gotten in trouble because of you? And how many times has he covered for you? And you can stay as long as you want as far as I am concerned. And as for that “fish concoction” it wasn’t raw and you know it. You have no sense of culinary adventure.” His smirk fades into a smile “But don’t worry, was planning something a bit more along the lines of chicken and perhaps pasta or a salad. Ethan likes to think I’m spoiling her when I cook and I see no reason not to indulge that belief when I can.”

 

He stands and offers his hand to her as he smiles “Come on, lets go. I’ll ask her on the way.”

 

Terra accepted her brother's hand and allowed him to lead her out of the room. "You must think she'll say yes," noted Terra as she closed the door behind them. Nick merely smiled. His younger sister wished she shared his confidence. She was terrified of coming face to face with her sister-in-law. Her heart was already pounding. She knew she had to apologize. But would that be enough? As they walked toward Nick's quarters, Terra could only wonder how this evening would end. She hoped for the best but feared the worst.