Resolution (Tomlinson'O'Halloran)

[Annabelle O'Halloran 0]

Will Tomlinson packed his bag methodically but in a hurried manner. The thought of his Anna in any type of swimwear brought a smile to his face and a light to his eyes. He packed enough for a day or two off of the ship. Once the bag was packed, he tested the weight and nodded to himself before going into the living room and catching Anna's attention. "Well, Ms. O'Halloran. Are you ready for our shore leave?"

Anna glanced up from the workscreen on the desk and flashed Will a grin. "I've been ready, Mr. Tomlinson." He'd been detained down on the flight deck for a bit and she'd managed to pack before he'd even gotten back to their quarters. She logged off the screen before standing and grabbing her own bag off the couch. "Twenty-four hours all to ourselves..."

 

* * * * *

 

Blinking sleepily, it took Anna a moment to realize that the sun had shifted and was no directly longer overhead as had been the case while they were eating lunch. And though it had started its long, slow descent over the ocean horizon, she didn't think too much time had passed; it was still high enough in the sky that the palm trees they were lying under were still offering some shade. The climate on this part of Tethys was tropical and even wearing only bathing suits, it was still uncomfortably hot and humid. Shifting lazily, she glanced over to where Will was lying next to her, expecting to see that he was still asleep. Instead, she found him staring at her with an intensity that gave her pause. He still had the ability to make her blush with just a look but this was different and she had no idea what he was thinking about. Turning over on her side so she was facing him, Anna reached to brush the hair back off his forehead, her fingers lingering with tender affection as she asked, "What's on your mind, flyboy?"

 

Will smiled as she touched his hair. He always loved how delicate her touches could be but his smile soon faded and his gaze was caught by the gleam of metal against her skint. "That bracelet is what's on my mind, my love. A lot has gone on since you came into possession of it..." His voice trailed off before he looked at her directly, adding firmly, "I want it gone, Annabelle. I want it gone now." He knew that the bracelet would probably not react well to his words, but he felt that it was past time to end this.

 

His statement causing her to falter, Anna drew back her hand from him, automatically using her other hand to cover the bracelet in an unconscious bid to protect it. "I know we talked about this, Will and I intend to get it removed. In fact, as soon as we get back to the ship, I'll do just that," she said stiffly, forcing back a sudden feeling of panic.

 

Will shook his head. "No, you won't. I can see it in your eyes. You may want to remove it but it has a hold on you. I have an idea on how to remove it but it's risky." He reached over to gently caress her face. "You're so beautiful, my Anna. I want you with me forever."

 

It did have a hold on her, she couldn't deny it. The feeling of panic intensified even as she thought about removing the damned thing. Meeting Will's gaze, Anna reached a decision -- she couldn't...wouldn't allow it to control her any longer. It had already come between them once or twice before and that made no sense since he was the most important thing in the world to her. "Risky?" she asked, unsure what he meant. Will was always so protective; it would be so out of character for him to ever do anything that might put her in harm's way.

 

Will sat up and rummaged through his bag before pulling out a device that looked like a small bracelet with an attached cable. "I had a friend in engineering rig this up. The cable will interface with your bracelet so that I will be connected to it as well. I say it's risky because I don't know what will happen when I hook it up. What do you think?"

 

Anna realized then that he’d meant it was risky to him. "I don't want you to chance getting hurt, Will," she responded immediately, barely glancing at the odd looking device. "I don't recall the couple of times it's happened but you witnessed for yourself that I'm not always in complete control."

 

Will nodded. "Very well, then. If you don't want to try my idea then remove the bracelet or have it removed. Can you look me in the eye and promise you'll do it as soon as we get back to the ship?" He watched her intently trying to gauge her reaction to his words. He was watching very carefully because he knew that he could only push this so far.

 

Anna stiffened, feeling immediately on the defensive at his attempt to wrest the promise from her. Hadn’t she just told him she would? Truthfully, she was more irritated and, she had to admit it -- frightened, by her own unwillingness to part with the dratted thing but having Will suddenly force the issue, while they were here, alone in this beautiful place, struck her as being supremely unfair of him. It wasn't as if there'd been any repeat of what had happened in the training room. It was possible the bracelet was now dormant, whatever energy that had been trapped within it, now spent and in fact, all that Will would accomplish today was to destroy something ancient and irreplaceable, she thought, with a sudden feeling of righteousness "You know I can't just remove it -- there's no obvious clasp. And yes...I'll get it taken care of as soon as I get a chance," she muttered with obvious reluctance, evading his eyes.

 

Will sighed and shook his head, "No you won’t. The next chance you get will be when we get back to the ship, but then you'll be too busy or something else will come up. You'll have an excuse not to." He caught her gaze with his again and looked deeply into her eyes. "I wonder how many excuses are running through your mind right now. It's one of a kind and can't be replaced? Maybe it won't happen again? I'm overreacting despite all the evidence to the contrary?" He kept his gaze locked with hers for a moment longer before lying back down and looking up at the sky. "It is beautiful here. It's a shame that this one thing is coming between us and ruining our time together..."

 

"I don’t think it’s the bracelet that’s ruining our time together," Anna retorted sharply, abruptly sitting up and turning to glare down at him, the sudden pain flaring behind her eyes signifying the onset of what would no doubt be a monster headache. “Are you just trying to pick a fight, Will?"

 

Will shook his head and sighing, replied, "I already did that once and I ended up fighting Eydis and having a bat'leth at my throat." He didn't move but just stared calmly back at her. "I want you back, Anna. Just you. I don't want Anna and Eydis," he clarified, pointing to the bracelet as he spoke Eydis' name. "I just want you. Is that really so much to ask for?"

 

Stricken, Anna’s eyes widened, her pupils dilating with remembered shock, experiencing again the moment of waking to find she was crouched over him, the sharp blade at his throat, and every muscle in her body taut as a bowstring, ready to deliver the death strike. Somehow she’d come back to herself in time to keep the unimaginable from happening. And then she’d promised to get the bracelet removed, so frightened at what had almost happened and so irrationally angry with him for pushing her...Eydis to that point. But she hadn't followed through...

 

"I don’t want to talk about this anymore right now,” she finally said, raising shaking fingers to press against her forehead, hoping the pressure would relieve the throbbing in her skull. She was suddenly afraid that she might lose control and attack him again. He was right; this had to stop. “When we get back, I will get it cut off; I really mean it this—"

 

Seeing her having problems, Will sat up suddenly and grabbing her arms to keep her steady, cut her off in mid-sentence. "Easy, Anna!" He watched as her eyes suddenly seemed to change and he realized what was happening. "Anna? ANNA?!" Taking a deep breath and praying for her forgiveness, he slapped the bracelet on to his wrist and attached the wire to hers.

 

As Eydis became aware of her surroundings, it took her only a moment to realize she was wearing almost as little clothing as the stranger with the tightening grip on her arms. Reacting violently to finding herself restrained by a barely clothed male, she hissed her fury while trying to twist free of his grasp, looking wildly around in an attempt to find her sword. She must have dropped it during whatever had led to this confrontation but was confused upon realizing that there were no weapons...there wasn't anything.

 

They were on a small island surrounded in all directions by nothing but water and she could see no ship in the distance. Thinking it would be best to save her energy until she understood what was going on, she stopped struggling, eying him warily, thinking he looked oddly familiar but there were so many confusing images in her mind these days that she couldn’t trust her memory. “Why have you brought me here? Where are my people? And why are we bound together this way?" she demanded, again having little success as she tried to tug her arm free of the hold he had on her.

 

Will stayed relaxed, not wanting to provoke the volatile woman warrior. "Eydis, my name is William Tomlinson." He could see the confusion in her eyes and quickly tried to explain. "You and I fought as adversaries once before. Please believe me when I say that I come to you as an ally now." Will knew that Eydis had no reason to believe him, but he had to try. "I know you're confused and afraid right now. Attack me if you wish, I will not resist you. I can answer your questions but only if you trust me. I need you to trust me because the life of a woman I love with all my heart is entwined with yours." He hoped that while looking into his eyes, she would see his sincerity and a bit of the desperation he was feeling about this whole situation.

 

"I'm not afraid," Eydis replied, almost disdainfully, barely hearing his words so little sense did they make. She would die before admitting fear. Unfortunately, she was confused; he was right about that. Once again, she found herself unaware of how she'd come to be here...wherever here was. Perhaps she'd gone insane and none of this was even real, she thought with sudden despair. With Tjarn's death, she'd lost half of her soul and all of her heart; perhaps it had also shattered her mind. The bond between them had been unusually strong.

 

Examining his features, she frowned and then gasped, realizing what was happening. "I do recognize you," she whispered in horror. "I killed you. We battled and I raised your own blade to strike...I could not have missed. You are haunting me." She looked past him with empty eyes, knowing now she would never see Tjarn again. All that had been left for her was the hope that they would be reunited once her own death released her from the loneliness of a mortal existence without him. But somehow this spirit with the strange name was now linked to her...tethered in fact by the cuff that she'd worn since taking her warrior's oath. "Am I dead, too?" she asked tonelessly. "Is this my punishment for taking your life?"

 

Will sighed, trying to think of the best way to explain the situation to her. The empty despair in her eyes tugged at his heart. "Eydis, your body...died, a long time ago, but your essence, your warrior spirit, has been interred in this bracelet. The woman I love found your bracelet in a shop and bought it."

 

He hoped to keep things as simple as possible so that Eydis could grasp the situation. "When she put it on, your spirit awoke from its rest." Will lifted his wrist slowly and as non-threateningly as possible. "This was crafted to connect to your bracelet so that I could speak to you and try to explain everything to you." He lowered his wrist, adding, "And as for killing me, you were poised to do so but Anna, the woman who wears your bracelet now, awoke from her sleep and then you slept once more. She managed to keep from killing me." Will paused and waited for all of this to sink into Eydis' mind.

 

Eydis eyed him suspiciously, although his words were an explanation of the strange face she'd seen when catching sight of her reflection. Not a logical explanation by any means -- none of it made any real sense. She frowned, not understanding how this could have come about. "It's taboo to wear another's cuff. The stone is set and forged at the same time as the sword. Only one may wear a particular stone or wield a particular sword. When we die, they are burned on our pyre with us, the heat returning what's left of the elements to the natural world from which they came. Your woman is a fool to think she could use what isn't hers, what wasn't made for her."

 

Will sighed. He was trying to explain the situation but it appeared that he was doing a poor job of it. "Eydis, she didn't steal it from your body or anything like that. She found the bracelet in a shop, thought it was beautiful and bought it. Please believe me that if she knew what it truly was, she would not have bought it...or at the very least, she would've disposed of it in accordance with your beliefs after finding out how to honor fallen warriors such as yourself." Will got an idea. "Please explain how we might remove and dispose of it so that you may rest in peace and my Anna will be whole once more." His eyes pleaded with her to tell him what he wanted so that he could help both of them.

 

"I don't remember what happened," Eydis replied dully, finally understanding how dishonored she'd been in death. "I must have died alone, away from my people," she continued sorrowfully. "This is why I have not been reunited with Tjarn. My cuff was removed and not destroyed with my mortal shell. My soul has been trapped and now, instead of being set free by this body, I am forced to share it with a stranger." Pressing the heel of her hand against her forehead in an effort to release the terrible pressure building inside her skull, she staggered forward. "I’m sure death is the only release for both of us. If you care for her, you'll put an end to this," she managed before collapsing, the fall dislodging the cable that tethered her wrist cuff to the stranger.

 

Frowning with the determination that there was no way in hell he would lose his Anna, Will caught her body and lowered her down, going to his knees beside her. He then proceeded to hook his bracelet back up to hers. Feeling both Eydis and Anna beginning to fade, he worked quickly, pulling a cutting tool he’d brought along with the linking device out of his bag. He immediately put it to work. "C'mon Anna, you're not dead and you're not dying. Please stay with me,” he begged her, almost frantic as the tool was seeming to take forever to get through the steel; he could no longer feel Eydis and Anna was still fading from him.

 

"ANNA! STAY WITH ME!" He yelled, feeling near panic because he was sure she was slipping away. He dropped the cutting tool and began pulling at the mostly cut bracelet. A few hard pulls and then one final yank with all of his strength and the metal finally separated enough so that he could pull it from her wrist and fling it away. Looking back to her, he grabbed her shoulders and shook her almost violently, "Anna? Anna?! Wake up! Please, wake up!"

 

Will? He sounded so far away, Anna thought, wondering where he’d gone and why he sounded so frightened; Will was scared of nothing. I’m here, she tried to say, but couldn’t seem to get the words out.

 

She was so still, Will was afraid that she was already gone but then his field medic training kicked in and he checked her vitals. Her breathing was rapid, as was her pulse but not dangerously so. In the back of his mind, Will promised to give Deb the best bag of chocolate he could find for the training that he he’d been able to fall back on rather than panic at the possibility of his Anna dying on him.

 

Anna didn’t know where she was or why it was so dark and feeling increasingly panicked, tried to move, twisting wildly, not even sure if she was actually moving as she tried to figure out what was happening to her. There had been no sound except for Will’s voice and her last memory was of them lying on the beach and arguing about the damn bracelet. What had happened? Where was Will? Why was she blind?

 

Will sighed with relief but was taken by surprise as Anna began to flail around in a panicked manner. At first he was worried that she was in convulsions but then he realized that it was more like thrashing while in a nightmare. "Anna! Anna, calm down! Open your eyes," he begged her in a more soothing tone while trying to restrain her arms to keep her from hurting either herself or him.

 

He sounded closer, Anna realized. His voice didn’t have that far off quality and she struggled against whatever was holding her, trying to break free so she could find him. "I’m here", she tried to call, and though she felt like she was yelling, all she managed was the barest whisper.

 

Will watched as her eyes fluttered open and he heard her whispered words. “Come on, Anna. Come on back to me now.” He watched until her eyes opened fully and then he held her to him gently, saying, “Welcome back, Anna.” He kissed her forehead, mentally thanking all the Powers That Be that he had his Anna back.

 

“Will?” Bewildered, Anna lay back in his arms, unsure of what was going on. Raising her hand, she gently cupped her fingers against his jaw, thinking he didn’t look like himself. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

 

Will smiled and shook his head, “Nothing, my love. Everything is right with the world now.” He bent his head down and covered her mouth with his in a passionate kiss that conveyed his happiness, relief and love for her.

 

Caught up in his kiss, Anna didn’t disagree or question his change in mood; the last thing she clearly remembered was arguing about the bracelet -- and it was too nice just to lie in his arms and kiss him back. No need to bring up that old argument right now she thought, mind not really on anything but being in the here and now with Will. She would deal with it once and for all when they got back up to the ship. Probably. Lifting her arms to slide them around his neck, she realized that she wasn’t even wearing it.

 

“Where is it?” she blurted out, vaguely surprised to find that she felt nothing in particular at its absence except a sort of sadness...was there a sense of being less? Odd...she’d experienced such feelings of panic at even the idea of removing it before.

 

Will reluctantly backed off a little and motioned to the remains of the bracelet a few meters away. “What’s left of it is over there,” he stated with a trace of regret in his voice. It saddened him to know Eydis’ fate but it didn’t matter; he hoped that Eydis had finally found a measure of peace but he had his Anna back and that was all that mattered to him.

 

Leaning away from Will, Anna reached for the bracelet, noticing with dismay that it had been all but destroyed; the metal was twisted and almost unrecognizable as the beautiful thing it had been before. The strange blue gem also looked dull and lifeless compared with how it had sparkled before. “It’s ruined,” she said softly, leaning back against Will. Rubbing her thumb gently over the jagged edges, she glanced up, finding Will’s eyes on her. “Looks like it didn’t come off easily...”

 

Will sighed, looking back at Anna. “It sure didn’t, but I think it really came off when Eydis accepted her death. She wanted to be let go. Unfortunately, as she was dying, so were you so I had to cut through the bracelet as fast as possible.” Will looked genuinely regretful. “Sorry I ruined the bracelet but I was only thinking of your life first.”

 

“Oh, Will,” Anna managed a smile even as a few tears welled up while setting the bracelet aside in favor of hugging him close. “I felt like I was slipping away; it was so dark and I couldn’t feel anything. I could only hear your voice, calling me. You sounded so worried and I wanted to get to you to tell you it was ok. I’m so sorry I put you through that,” she apologized fervently, her face pressed to his shoulder, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes.

 

Will didn’t respond to her apology but merely hugged her close to him. Perfect moments like this he lived for. He rocked back and forth slightly as they merely held each other, expressing nothing but their mutual love in one of the many non-verbal ways available.

 

Content to hold him and be held in return, Anna wondered if she would still dream of the woman named Eyedis who had lived and died so long ago, only to die a second time, today, if Will was correct. It touched her that he felt so much compassion for a woman who had tried to kill him. “I only knew her through her dreams...nightmares really... But Will, I do know that she really died the day Tjarn did. They were joined in some way; they shared a bond of unusual closeness uncommon even among their own people. She never felt whole after he was gone.”

 

What would it be like to feel another’s emotions that way? Anna wondered, shifting uneasily against Will. She knew that Betazeds, used to experiencing the feelings of those around them felt a deeper physical and spiritual attachment to those they loved. It had always made her uncomfortable to be around species with abilities like that; it felt like an invasion of privacy and it was a prejudice she’d wrestled with after joining the Academy. One she still wrestled with.

 

But now if wasn’t just the old prejudice that made her grateful she didn’t have any such ability; she loved Will so deeply that even without some sort of psychic connection, she was sure that if something happened to him she would not survive emotionally intact. She wasn’t sure she would want to survive at all. Every time he went out on a mission, she said a prayer that he would return safely. His job was so much a part of who he was that she was careful not to voice her fears to him, but of course he knew. He was oddly empathic for a human, something he’d told her soon after they’d started getting to know each other and because of how uncomfortable the idea had made her, she hadn’t asked him too much about it. Cowardly of her.

 

“You felt her leaving?” Anna asked curiously, really asking, You felt me?

 

Will nodded, and picked up the remains of the connection cable that he’d had the engineers make and which he’d showed her earlier. “I managed to connect to the bracelet with this, albeit in a more limited way than you were. I felt Eydis just letting go but I also felt you being dragged away from me by her own failing life force. That’s why I had to cut the bracelet off so quickly and so sloppily.” He looked at her sheepishly. “Sorry again about that. I know how much you wanted to preserve it and perhaps copy the workmanship. Are you feeling better now, Anna?”

 

“That doesn’t matter, Will,” she assured him, astonished that he was even apologizing for his quick action. He’d saved her life! “There’s enough of it left if I want to try and duplicate the technique,” she added absently, her mind no longer on the bracelet at all. He’d only been able to ‘feel’ her because of the device and Anna realized that in spite of how she normally felt about those who could sense the thoughts and emotions of others, she felt no relief that Will had only been able to do it because of the cable. Instead she felt a little...wistful. Tjarn and Eyedis would never have had to ask how the other felt. They would have just known and never needed any verbal reassurance. He was asking her if she felt better and Anna supposed he was asking a few other things too...

 

“I feel fine,” she finally said, her smile and the warmth in her eyes saying a whole lot more. “I feel lucky too, did you know that, Will?” she asked, her tone serious, as she leaned back, looking him straight in the eyes. “It’s because I have you. Do I tell you often enough how much I love you? I probably don’t and lately, I suppose you’ve had reason to doubt it but you shouldn’t. Not ever.”

 

Will’s eyes softened and he smiled, replying, “Oh my sweet, Anna. I never doubt that you do.” He kissed her hand and looked at her again. Will ran his fingers through her hair and just locked her gaze with his. This is my woman, Will thought to himself as the intensity in his gaze increased. She was his and no one else’s. He thought of a few formalities that would need to be observed to make it official but right now, in this moment, there was no doubt whom she belonged to in his mind. She belonged to him because his heart and soul belonged to her. No one and nothing would break them apart. It seemed that Will had just reached a decision and now he had to act upon it. With a final hug, he got up and offered his hand to Anna. “We need to get back to the ship, my love. There’s a few things that need to be done.”

 

Anna took his hand and as he helped her to her feet, the broken bracelet caught her eye. For a moment she hesitated, thinking to pick it up and bring it back with them but then decided against it. It had caused her nothing but trouble and had almost cost Will his life. The crystal on it was dark, dead...and she hoped that whatever had been trapped in it, be it Eyedis’ soul or just some residual vestige of her memories was now free and had found some sort of peace. It had no place in their lives. “Don’t worry, Will. We’ve got all the time in the world,” she assured him, tightening her fingers around his as he commed the ship for transport home.