Clearing the Air

Posted on Tue Jan 8th, 2019 @ 10:19pm by Lieutenant JG Siobahn Fallon & Major Hailey Weston

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/4
Location: Quarters

To say it had been a long night was an understatement. Even after she and Andrew had left the lounge, sleep had not been something that came easily to her, though she finally fell into a restless sleep only an hour or so before the alarm had been set to wake her.

Now, still bleary eyed and sleep deprived, Siobahn was pacing back and forth in Hailey's quarters, waiting for the marine to return. Given that Hailey had spent a large part of the previous evening holed up with the command staff, and was up and gone even earlier than usual this morning, having said something about prepping marines, Siobahn had assumed that they were preparing for another away mission, and she wanted to get this off her chest before they left.

With a heavy sigh, she dropped onto the couch, running her hands through her unruly hair and closing her eyes for a moment before standing back up again and resuming pacing. She couldn't sit, she couldn't relax, she was far too tense for that.

Haileys eyes closed as she made her way down the corridor by instinct and memory, her mind only on what she'd been doing the last day. She'd tried to get everyone ready for what they may face, without telling them. Without telling the Captain the fullest extent of the mission she'd been asked to do, instead bringing it up as a limited test run on a tertiary target. BUT, then again, she was certain that Sabrina hadn't told her Charlotte the truth if what was about to happen either, understating it. And in the morning it would begin for real.

She had her jacket off before she finally opened her eyes, precisely on schedule for the bend in the corridor in front of her quarters and waved at the door for it to open, tossing the jacket mindlessly onto the chair as she walked in, then slowed quickly as she saw the young woman obviously stressing out on her couch, "Siobahn, I didn't expect to see you here, I thought.."

Siobahn sighed softly, jumping out of her seat almost as soon as Hailey had entered. She picked up the jacket and folded it, more so because she needed something to do with her hands than anything else. "I should be on duty..." she said quietly, moving forward to take Hailey's face in her hands. "I know you're going away again, I kind of figured that was what was going on anyway..." She sighed softly, her hands dropping to her sides. "Before you go, we need to talk," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hailey's arms went gently around Siobahn's sides, resting on her hips, "It's important." She said softly, "But it shouldn't be too dangerous." She cursed herself for the lie, but Siobahn didn't need to hear the truth. It would panic her too much.

Reaching up slightly to brush her lips across Hailey's she tried her best to smile. "I know," she said, putting on a brave front. "This is who you are, and I'm trying very hard to just accept it," she said with a watery eyed smile. "But it isn't about that... I need to you to... about... well..." she sucked in a sharp breath. "I guess about us..."

The blood drained from Hailey's face suddenly, "This is about your husband, isn't it?" She kept her voice as calm and as neutral as possible.

Siobahn nodded slightly. There was no point trying to pretend anything differently now. "I think maybe we should sit down.. is that okay?" She asked, clearly teetering on edge with the entire conversation.

It was purely her own self-control that kept Hailey from showing fear outwardly, though her knees felt weak and as if they'd never hold her entire weight up and she nodded slowly, "Absolutely." She squeaked out and cleared her throat, "You know you can tell me anything." She slowly sank onto the edge of the couch.

Siobahn sighed softy, already able to tell that Hailey was fearing the worst. Sinking down on her knees in front of the couch, she reached out and took Hailey's hands in her own, holding them tightly. "I just need you to listen to me? Okay?" Siobahn asked softly. "Let me speak, let me say everything I have to say, and then you can ask what ever you want. I promise."

Without a word, Hailey just nodded. Fear reactions weren't normal for her, at least not this overt. Put her into a room filled with bullets or phaser rounds? Okay, whatever. Surgery where a single mistake would kill a patient? Wouldn't even break a sweat. This? Words couldn't describe it.

"I've had a lot of time to think in the past 24 hours, about lots of things... I've seen people struggling with complex relationship issues that are far beyond my scope and expertise..." She sighed softly, rocking back on her knees, releasing Hailey's hands and putting her own behind her back. "I just found out that, at least in that reality, and at least for now, my brother is alive. My parents are alive. I also have a husband and two daughters, and as much as I want to persuade the equation, I can't. All of that means something to me. The entire package, well, it's pretty much what I had wanted my entire life..." her voice broke off and she looked away, not entirely sure she would be able to meet Hailey's already intense gaze.

Pain. Not like getting shot, that was something she could do something about, this wasn't. Hailey blinked hard twice and forced a smile onto her face, "That's... Wonderful, I can see why you want to go there."

"But I don't," Siobahn replied softly. "That's what I'm trying to say. In talking to Andrew, I've realized that no matter what is offered there, I want to be here... I want to be with you."

And then the flood of relief let loose from the dam and Hailey's shoulders relaxed completely and her eyes closed as she exhaled, "I have no words, Siobahn, I was just so scared there."

"I realised that when you find something that makes you happy, that truly makes you happy, you take hold of it with both hands and you don't let go..." her voice became thick with emotion before she stopped speaking. She drew a long, deep breath, reaching out to take both of Hailey's hands in her own. "It's tempting... God knows, it's so tempting... to go there and be what they want me to be, to be the happy wife and the happy mother, and to have the happy family, but I realised in all that happiness the one person who wouldn't be happy is me." She stopped and drew a short, sharp breath. "Hailey, you are what makes me happy. You are what I want... who I want... I love you." She finished simply, her voice resounding with sincerity.

"And I love you too, Siobahn, more than you could possibly know." Hailey squeezed the other woman's hands tightly, "And I hate having to go out on missions , but I'll always come back. Always."

"I know," she said softly as she moved to sit on the couch, nestling into Hailey's side, pulling the other woman's arms around her. "And I promise I'll try not to be a clingy cry baby over it." She made a vague attempt at laughing. "I know it's important, and I know you need to go."

Hailey planted a long kiss on Siobahn's cheek, "You can be a crybaby about it, makes me look better by looking strong and consoling you." She laughed, "And I wouldn't go if it weren't. Important that is."

Siobahn laughed. "That's totally why I act like a cry baby," she offered up the lame explanation. "It's all a very carefully calculated plot to make you look good. That's why I'm here, of course."

The marine laughed softly, "I'm here to umm... Protect you, that's about all I can think of!" She buried her head in Siobahn's shoulder for a few seconds, "I'm sorry."

Siobahn held her close for a long moment before pulling away a little, reaching up to take Hailey's face in her hands. "You don't need to apologize to me for anything, ever." she said softly, her voice firm and resolute.

=/\=

Major Hailey Weston
Marine CO/Second Officer
USS Wellington

Ensign Siobahn Fallon
Medical Officer
USS Wellington