Copyright ©1999, Delma RM.. All
rights reserved. No part of this story may be re-posted in
part or in full without written permission from me.
Disclaimer: Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final
Conflict is copyright 1998, Tribune Entertainment Co. It's characters are used without
permission, no infringement is intended.
Rating: PG
Title: 'Reflecting
Author: Delma RM
derema@hotmail.com
'Reflecting'
Liam
He paced the length of his apartment. With
Da'an on the Mothership the majority of the time, he had more time to himself... 'Ha! That
was a joke.' He had spent all his extra time in leading the Resistance (his newly acquired
position). Really, this was the first moment he'd had to himself in weeks, then again he
had made sure he was busy ever since... No! He was not going to think about her. He
couldn't believe he'd seen her with someone else after they had... especially with that
particular someone else. Could not believe it! 'No! I won't think about it!' he rubbed his
hands anxiously. She had been with his... no there was no way he could call that man his
father. He felt no love or connection to Sandoval. Sometimes it was hard for him to
believe that man had a part in his being. Of all people why did she pick his ... only
living relation?
Some of his anger subsided and he tried to
rationalize. How could she have known? Next to nobody knew who his parents are... were.
There was no way she could have known or guessed. She would have to be psychic or
something. 'Aaarrggghhhh!! No, No, No! There was no excuse. Oh God! Why!' Why did the
first woman that he had cared about have to the one who betrayed him... that explains it.
That was why he couldn't let this go. He cared for her. Still, he had ensured that they
had never been alone together since hen. She did try to talk to him, he would have to have
her that. But he didn't have much to say to her. She knew something was wrong. He had
barely spent anytime at home because he didn't want to see her. She did know where he
lived after all.
He remembered that night after he had left his
apartment. He had wandered trying to sort this out. He didn't go far when he turned back.
He wished he could say that it passed as a blur but he didn't have that luxury... his
heritage wouldn't allow it. He had decided to talk to her. As he approached the entrance
to the Flat Planet, Edana and Sandoval walked out. It was more than he could take. Their
arms were wrapped around each other. He had spun around and walked off trying to suppress
what he was feeling. He just walked all night and then decided he wouldn't think about it
anymore and wouldn't talk to her. He felt like a doormat, like someone had just stomped
all over him. Then he realized that Lili had tried to tell him when she had gotten there
that night. That hurt too, she had known and hadn't come out and told him before he had
seen it for himself. He decided to be angry at her too.
Now there he was with no clue. He'd have to
talk to Edana. He grabbed his jacket and went to look for her at the Embassy. It was gonna
be a long walk. He had to think of what he would say to her when he saw her.
Edana
She sat in her living quarters aboard the
Mothership, meditating... or at least trying to. She had found it hard to concentrate
lately. She was supposed to meet Ron in an hour at the Embassy. He had finally come around
and they were friends again, but at his convenience. She should have felt grateful that he
was willing to do this. He was such a bull at times and his job had not made things easier
on him. They had always complemented each other. He was stubborn and she was easy going.
His temper was always quick to flare up and she was the peace maker... most of the time.
This wasn't what bothered her though. Liam. His name slipped into her mind as she
concentrated harder on relaxing. Edana bit her lip to keep frustrated tears from falling.
She didn't believe in crying. The one time she allowed herself to cry in public had been
at Mark's funeral four years ago.
Liam wouldn't speak to her, just a word or two
when they worked and yet they had not been alone since... 'Oh God!' It had been weeks! She
couldn't understand what had happened. Liam had just started avoiding her and it hurt. She
felt very deeply for him. Had it been a mistake to sleep with him? The moment she had met
him, she had known that they were meant for each other. Mom had always said she would
marry a Sandoval. Ron was the only son and they had dated in high school. Then Ron had
gone off to Harvard and she had rarely seen him since. Could Mom have been wrong? She had
never been before but Edana didn't feel anything romantic for Ron. And even now she could
not explain how she had such deep feelings for a man she had met only a few months ago.
At the Flat Planet the night after her date
with Liam, she had taken Ron there so she could loosen him up, and so she could see Liam
again. When she couldn't find him, she started drinking. Her CVI had not fully set into
her system yet and had nearly been overwhelmed. Ron had to support her on the walk home,
there was no way she could have walked on her own. Ron had taken her to her living
quarters aboard the Mothership and had stayed on her floor to watch over her. When she had
come to, he griped her out for abusing her CVI, then he left. At least the CVI kept her
from having a hang-over. Edana had tried to contact Liam all day on Sunday, but he never
answered her calls. He drove her crazy. 'Oh God! I'm turning in to one of those weepy
women that I hate.'
She gave up. She could not rest properly until
she knew what the problem was. She started getting ready to meet Ronald at the Embassy. A
nice warm shower would do her a lot of good.
Sandoval
Sandoval sat in his office at the Embassy.
He was supposed to meet Edana in a little less than an hour. He had to admit that it felt
good to have her back in his life. He had missed her. He just hoped that she didn't expect
too much from him. He couldn't keep up this guise of being a loyal Implant if she wanted
to pick up where they left off in high school. 'Ahh. The beauty of a CVI.' Even though his
was somewhat non-functional, it still allowed him some of the finer points. He could go
over his reports and think about other things without missing a beat.
He allowed his mind to wander back to the night
Edana had dragged him to the Flat Planet. She had hinted that she was looking for someone.
Then again, he had also looked for someone. He had to been crazy, Isabel was dead, he had
seen her dead body with his own eyes. Did he really expect her to be there?! <SIGH>
He didn't want to open that can again. He shook his head. Edana wasn't visibly upset when
whomever she was looking for didn't show up. She did proceed to drink everything set in
front of her. He had warned her that her CVI wasn't fully functional and he didn't think
she should overdo it. Of course, she ignored him. She had needed his help to get to her
living quarters. He had stayed to make sure she was okay. When she woke, he reprimanded
her abuse of her CVI and then he had left. He had looked up the files later, Edana had
been given an altered CVI by Da'an's request. So when she overrode her Implant, she also
lost some of the enhancements, which explains why she passed out. She could so damn
stubborn.
Lately, she had been distant at work. She
wouldn't say why. Work. Lately, work had been joy for him. Major Kincaid had been nowhere
in sight and he had been demoted. 'Thank God!' Usually when he worked with
Marquette, Kincaid was also there. Now that he thought about it... something was strange.
Sandoval and Edana had been working side by side in assisting Da'an, Marquette was always
there when Sandoval needed her but Kincaid hadn't been there recently. He was Edana's
personal assistant after all... 'Oh well, whatever gets him out of my hair.' That one was
not cut out to be a Companion Agent. He was arrogant and naive, one would swear he was
born yesterday. He annoyed Sandoval to no end. At least he wasn't around. <SIGH>
Back to work. He needed to finish in half an hour or he'd be late to meet Edana at her
office.
Half an hour later.
Edana was checking her mail in her office at the Embassy.
"Where is Ron? He should've been here ten
minutes ago." she said aloud to herself. Just then she saw him walking toward her
office. She rose and grabbed her coat. He reached her door just as she was walking out of
the office.
"You ready?" he asked.
"Yes. Let's go." she started walking
down the corridor with him.
"Edana!" Liam yelled from behind
them. He jogged to catch up with them. Edana turned and stopped. She put her hand on
Sandoval's arm to stop him well. Sandoval turned and saw Liam coming. 'Great!' Sandoval
thought.
"Edana... we have to talk..." Liam
said as he grabbed her arm. Her other hand still rested on Sandoval.
"Major Kincaid. That is no way to speak to
your superior." Sandoval reprimanded.
"Listen, I really need to talk to her so
you can jus-" Liam said pointing his finger at Sandoval, who hit the hand out of his
face. As Sandoval's hand touched Liam's it set off a chain reaction.
Edana had contact with both
Liam and Sandoval. In her mind's eye she saw. She saw through Liam's eyes, she saw
herself walking away from the Flat Planet with Sandoval. She felt the anger Liam had felt
in that moment. That had looked bad on her part.
In that same moment, Liam saw
a young Sandoval and Edana playing in a yard, an older woman watched them. She
looked up and seemed as if she was looking right at him, she smiled. Then he saw them on their first date and then again on the day Sandoval
left for college. The last images were of the night at the Flat Planet.
Edana looked from man to man and broke contact,
ending the flood of images. She was speechless for a moment.
"Oh my God." she murmured.
"Is everything alright?" Sandoval
said sounding once more like an Implant.
"I'm fine... I'll have to take a
rain-check on dinner though." She gave him a weak smile. "I need to speak with
my assistant."
Sandoval nodded and retreated down the
corridor, glaring at Liam.
"Alright." she said, "Let's fo
somewhere and talk."
They went into Edana's office, seeing how Edana
now lived on the Mothership. Then they both started to talk at the same time.
"Me first, Liam." she said. "I
think you should know that I am upset that you have refused to talk to me for weeks. I
just want to know why."
Liam told her what had he had thought happened
that following day.
"You thought that, huh. Well Ron and I are
old friends, we don't feel that way about each other anymore. At least, all this is
cleared up."
"Yeah. So what happens now?" Liam
asked. Edana just looked at him.
"Well... we could put this whole business
bhind us and start over..."
"I'd like that." Liam said. She
smiled.
"Alright. Would you mind taking me back to
the Mothersip?"
"Not at all." They exited the Embassy
and Liam returned her to the Mothership. They parted with a kiss.
One day later
Sandoval's office
Sandoval sat in his office thinking. All his
work was done for the moment. He was somewhat puzzled by last night's happenings. This had
been the third time he'd caught the end of a conversation between Kincaid and a woman
Sandoval knew and cared about.
The first time, Sandoval had been partially
unconscious and Kincaid and Beckett were leaving his hospital room. He had figured they
had come and left together. Later, he found out he had actually voiced his suspicions when
they were leaving the room. When Beckett had asked what he meant by it, he claimed to have
been coming in and out of consciousness and didn't know what he had said. The second
time... Beckett had died in Kincaid's arms. Sandoval hadn't actually heard what they were
saying, but any fool could've seen the love in that embrace. Then last night when he had
returned to the Embassy, Edana and Kincaid, they were in her office. He heard something
about Edana wanting to put some business behind them and Kincaid had agree. It was
puzzling that they would have already had old business.
Weeks later
The Bridge
Edana and Sandoval stood before Da'an, their assistants behind them.
"I have called you four in because we are
in need of a change."
"What type of change?" Sandoval asked
warily.
"Agent Sandoval, Major Kincaid shall
assist you from this point forward, and likewise Agent Martinez, Captain Marquette will
assist you." Da'an spoke as he stepped down from his chair.
"May I speak Da'an?" Liam asked.
"We will speak at a later time. You are
all dismissed." the Taelon watched as the group left the bridge.
Sandoval's office
Sandoval walked into his office.
"Dammit!" he said hitting the table.
The reason for his upset walked into the office.
"Anything wrong Agent Sandoval?"
"No. Everything's great." he
muttered. "What do you want?"
"Reporting for duty. Do you need
anything?"
"No Major."
"Then I will be in my office if you need
anything."
"Fine." Sandoval was in no mood to
handle Liam at this point. Da'an had confronted him last week. Da'an knew that he had his
own agenda and was no longer under the influence of his CVI. No one knew that he knew that
except for... No. She wouldn't have... would she? In any case, no matter how Da'an found
out, he had a babysitter. He knew this was why Liam had been reassigned.
Edana's office
Lili was typing something on the computer. She stops, curiosity had gotten the best of
her.
"Agent Martinez?"
"Yes Capt."
"Mind if I ask you why Liam and I were
reassigned?"
"Sure. Da'an is very perceptive and
realized that Liam and I are involved. No doubt he was mimicking Human professionalism in
his decision to reassign the two of you."
Lili was shocked at Edana's bluntness on the subject.
Liam's office
Liam had just sat at his desk when his videolink went off. It was Da'an.
"Yes Da'an."
"Liam, I wished to speak to you sooner but
the bridge was no place for such a discussion."
"Go on."
"I am concerned for you and Agent
Martinez. I realize the two of you have become involved. To preserve the professional
relations, I have removed you to Agent Sandoval's supervision."
"Well, I understand your reasoning but he
doesn't seem too happy about this arrangement."
"I shall require reports on his behavior.
Nothing is as it seems where Agent Sandoval is concerned."
"Alright, I'll try but he doesn't trust me
too much."
"I am more concerned for the path you and
Agent Martinez seem to be on."
"I don't understand."
"Should this relationship develop further,
there will certainly be complications. There are precautions to be taken."
"I think it's a little late for the birds
and the bees at this point." Liam smirked. Da'an seemed very annoyed by this.
"We don't know that she would survive if
you and she were to procreate."
"It's a little soon to be discussing
children, Da'an. We are enjoying one another's company for the moment."
" I meant only to invoke caution. I would
not wish to lose such a valuable asset as Agent Martinez."
"What exactly does the Synod get out of
her being here?" Da'an gives Liam a look.
Da'an gave him a look out of the corners of his eyes.
Revised 4.4.99