That Time of Life

Posted on Fri Mar 23rd, 2018 @ 3:25am by Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson (*) & Johnathen Anderson Jr

Mission: Mission 6 - Azzia
Location: Azzia
Timeline: MD 04 / 2100 (immediately following "Bar Hopping")
1292 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

It took Johnathen a few minutes to extricate himself from the bar, having to turn down several advances from the numerous beautiful women that had filled the place. Had he been single, he probably would have enjoyed the attention. However, his heart belonged to only one woman, and that woman was hurting at the moment. He would move heaven and hell if it could bring her some relief.

After about ten minutes of walking through the village, he finally found Cassie. She was standing at a waist-high stone wall, staring out into the water that was lapping upon the beach a few meters away. Moving to stand next to her right side, he could see the struggle of emotional control, filling her features. "Cas..." He said softly, as he reached out with his left hand and gently took hold of her right elbow.

Cassie jumped at the man's touch on her elbow. She had been so focused on the water that wasn't far away, wondering if jumping in would help her symptoms that she hadn't noticed him, thinking she had lost everyone before this. It was foolish to come here. "Nath... please go away," She whispered softly as she tried to pull back but his grip wasn't as weak as she had expected. They hadn't spoken about their relationship or the fact her husband could possibly be alive somewhere.

Johnathen kept a tender, but firm, hold of Cassie's elbow. He then gently turned her to face him. Stepping closer to fill the void between them, he released her elbow and gently took hold of both of her upper arms. Looking deep into her eyes, he responded to her request. "You know I'm not going to do that, Cas. I lost you once before. We promised each other that we'd never lose each other again. Do you remember?"

Cassie shook her head at Johnathen, and looked away. "I don't remember." She lied, breathing hard as the wave of burning took her over again. "You are human and can't help me right now." She whispered, for the first time in her life feeling trapped between her two worlds.

"Hey," the young pilot responded softly, he reached up with his right hand and gently turned Cassie's face back to his. "Don't do that," he chided her softly, the care and love he felt for her clearly apparent. "We talked about this, and knew it was coming. You've taught me what I need to know to help you. Now please, let me help you."

The sudden touch on her face made her flush a pale bronze green. "We talk about it 150 years ago when..." She sighed putting a hand on her heart as she thought about how terrible of a person she was. "...when I was cheating on my husband and it was suspected I wouldn't get back to Vulcan... Maybe... Maybe I should just let it consume me...."

His heart breaking for the woman he loved, Johnathen wrapped his arms around Cassie and pulled her to him. While his right hand rested on the small of her back, he left hand was on the back of her head, as he gently caressed her scalp. "Never say that, my love!" He whispered emotionally into her left ear. "You were forced to marry, because of tradition! You told me that you never cared for him, and he was ambivalent about you. That's why we were going to go to Vulcan the next shore leave and get the marriage annulled."

Suddenly, his heart threatening to shatter, he asked the question that one should never ask, for fear of hearing the wrong answer. "Do you not wish to be with me anymore, now, that we have our lives back?" He continued to embrace her, wanting nothing more that to ease her pain.

The woman felt him pressing her close to him, refusing to let her go. She had been thinking of Tevir more and more recently. Some couples, once having been bonded at the age of seven or later, never made an effort to contact each other before Koon-ut-kal-if-fee much like they never had, Cassie had never believed it would happen. Who would want to marry a Vulcan - Human Hybrid? They had faced each other as strangers to either find themselves well-matched or continued strangers who might find a way to build a life together. Tevir had tried, Ambivalent hadn't been on his part. "I was ambivalent about him because I wanted you."

Johnathen felt his heart warm upon hearing Cassie's words. While he continued to hold her, he responded. "And I want you. You are my everything. I am a better man because you are in my life. I can only hope that you feel like a better woman with me in yours." Adjusting the embrace so that he could look into her mesmerizing eyes again, the Human continued. "Come. Let's go back to the hotel. I'll show you just how much I have learned. I'll prove to you that you are not alone."

“Nath I cannot.” She whispered softly thinking of the scars that Tevir wore even two years after there wedding. “I don’t know if I can do that to you.”

Shaking his head, pure love shone in his eyes. "It's okay. I know you won't hurt me. You and I have bonded in a way that you and Tevir never could. That is why he was injured. We, you and I, were meant to be. I trust you with my life and my heart. Trust me, my love." That said, he kissed her, more deeply and passionately than ever before. The heat of his love could put a supernova to shame.

Cassie melted against the kiss, her hands going to his hair, keeping him close. She needed something, needed something that he couldn't possibly give her. “Honestly…” She had searched herself and the motivations stirring somewhere in her abdomen calling out to her leading her to somewhere else. “Yes, I would... I hurt a grown Vulcan last time.”

There was a small measure of pain in Johnathen's eyes as he listened to Cassie speak. He suddenly realized that she wouldn't share this part of her life with him. This fact broke his heart. Trying to keep his emotions in check, he kept a lop-sided grin on his face as he spoke, though it faltered a few times. "O-okay. I told you long ago that I would respect your wishes when it came to this part of your life. You don't want me to be a part of it, then... then I won't. I'm... I'm sorry that I pushed you." He slowly, hesitantly released his hold on her and stepped back a couple paces. "When... when you want me to be a part of your life again... You know where to find me." Fearing that he would lose all self-control and grab her back up into his arms, Johnathen turned from Cassie and walked away, his head hanging and shoulders slumped in total defeat. After he turned the nearest corner and was no longer in view of the woman that he loved more than his own life, he began to weep.

Cassie turned away from the man as he left and lent back against the wall. She tried to remember today’s date, but her time sense, so long disrupted, failed to provide what day it was. She blinked trying to focus but it was impossible as something was dragging her but not to her homeworld. It was strange and left her vulnerable there alone trying to work out what to do.

OFF::

Cassie McAvoy
Biologist
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregnol)

Johnathen Anderson Jr
Helm
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Robertson)