Part II - The Truth

Posted on Sat Nov 9th, 2024 @ 10:08pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami & Lieutenant JG Zai

1,441 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Via Subspace Coms

ON:

She looked away for a moment, she could feel herself doubting herself, barely hearing his words of her spiraling thoughts. "Si, sounds great," she cleared her throat, and gave a soft nod, "I think I'd be happy to eat one instead of find one."

She paused, "Vance, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Memories aside-- I want to know, do I have a shot here?" She took a breath, trying desperately to not show as much emotion as she felt, "I am really struggling. With a lot of things, actually," she looked away from the camera, "I know that I cannot demand your memories come back and that we pick up where we left off, but I want to know that this is heading in the right direction. In the past week, a lot has happened. I'm watching new couples, finding myself missing the you I once knew. And then there's Jason-- and he-- gawd, Vance. I wish I'd never even agreed to our first date. It's such a mess now and I feel-- you are one of the last good things I have going for me at the moment. I know that you got my message and I know you would have heard it all. Vance-- I am not ok." She finally admitted it out loud. Hope or not. The woman was struggling.

"Adrianna. Look at me."

Ade fidgeted, but reluctantly looked back at him. He was the one man that she let her guard down with completely, and she couldn't hold back from him even if his memories weren't there. He was still him. It was written all over her face: she wanted to crack.

"You are Adriana Baciami. No matter what disguise you wear you are her and she is strong, and brave, she has gone through more then anyone else and fought alone to bring herself from the depths of hell. You are now in pain, and upset, surrounded by uncertainty and for someone who makes it their business to know you have thoughts and memories and overthinking fighting in your soul with the unknown. BUT you are stronger then all that. Do not doubt yourself and do not doubt your instincts. What is your gut tell you now? About this about us."

She was silent for a moment. She heard him, and felt a little comforted by his words, but not massively. "My gut instinct is to murder Jason. In terms of us, my gut instinct is being voided by hope. You and I, in our previous life made some promises that would cover our situation right now. I got my hopes up, but I'm starting to think it may be false hope, and then-- to top it off, I'm feeling guilty about it because whether you get your memories back or not, I still have you, and how many people can say that they got to fall in love with someone twice-- yet I'm here wishing the old you back because I cannot let go. I've never been able to."

"Now that's over thinking if I ever did see it! Oh Adrianna." He shook his head. "What did I tell about overthinking. As far as hope, well hope is never false. It is what gets us from point A to point B. I like your instinct about Jason though..."

Adrianna offered a small smile, "you told me that the only thing that I should over think is how much I should drink whilst at a poker game with Ferengi." She took a breath, "I'm sorry. It's a lot. I'm trying to figure everything out if you don't get all of your memories back."

She looked away from the screen, "as for Jason, you don't know the half of it. Hell, even Zai doesn't know, and he was the one that had to sort out the panel--" She cleared her throat, "third time is a charm though-- maybe I will vent him-- make engineers everywhere proud, since it's your preferred method of murder."

He laughed. "Adrianna, remember something."

"What, amore mio?" She asked shaking her head. She wouldn't tell him what happened. Adrianna could feel her smile coming back and felt herself relaxing. Absentmindedly, she started playing with the locket around her neck.

"You have my heart and I have yours, not matter what the obstacle."

She took a breath, "that was the one phrase of yours that I could never get out of my mind when I thought you were dead. It's what stopped me from dating. Well, it was that and your speech about how some cultures believe that souls are torn in two and are destined to be together. It made me believe that I would never find anything that even closely came up to the bar you'd set."

Adrianna paused, "I know that I lied to you about my name and my occupation, but everything else was real. My family, my friends, my childhood stories, my ridiculous fears, my dreams. Most importantly, I never lied about loving you or wanting to retire with you. I'd even written my resignation to Starfleet. I just wanted to tell you the truth and see how you'd react before I sent it. Found out not too long ago that you knew. So that-- that gave me hope."

"Now that we're honest and you know me as me, perhaps the universe will be a little less against us-- I may kill any crew mate that comes between a moment, or blow up something in engineering if it decides to start with alarms," she giggled, referencing all their near Miss kisses, "I don't care if you're back, or not, or even in a position to say it back, but: I love you, capitano-- I love you, Vance."

He smiled at her. "And I you. Keep counting your chicken stickers and who knows one they you may come across a giant chicken."

"Gawd, I hope not," she chuckled, shaking her head, "I think the fun fair planet put me off of people in costumes for life. I don't know where your memories are, but for one of your promises to me-- I'd settle for just getting my last sticker from you."

Adrianna smiled and took a breath, feeling herself feel a lot better about their situation, "I've really missed you. I'm glad that my sources were wrong about your demise. Part of me never believed it. Probably why I didn't move on-- oh, reminds me--"

She held up her finger and stepped away from the call a second. After a moment she came back, "I-- conveniently-- forgot one of your other bottles of whiskey." Adrianna chuckled, "you always had two, which I thought was stupid because they were exactly the same. But one was for celebration and the other was for commiserating. I must have missed it in your journals-- but I never saw you finish a bottle, so I don't know if it was a weird ritual. Perhaps keeping the balance. I don't know." She turned the bottle around to show him a little sad face on the lid, "I gave you the celebratory one-- thought the smile on the lid would make your day. Sorry, I stole from you. Still, not the first thing I've stolen from you, and most certainly not the most expensive."

He laughed. "I remember you still have my favourite shirt. I never did figure out how you got into my quarters that time the crew was on Risa but that one I will be needing back. The whiskey... well it's just an OCD balance thing...I bought a second bottle anyway."

"Unless you remember why I stole your favourite shirt, you will not get it back-- you lost it fair and square-- also, I enjoy wearing it as a night dress. And at least I gave back your lucky jacket. Also-- getting into your quarters was easy. The fact that it took you two days to realize that I'd left a lipstick print on your pillow... That was worrying, but that's what you get for being a cazzone to me."

She chuckled but then stopped and looked at him. She took a leap of faith, "one: find you. Two: steal your ship and do donuts around Saturn until I vomit. Three--" Adrianna stopped herself, her breath catching a little. She looked down to the pendant around her neck. "Vance. Why did you choose Betazed?" She could feel herself not wanting to know the answer-- no matter which way it went. It was written all over her face: she was desperate for him to return.


To Be Continued...

 

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