429: Seeing the Light: One

By Jariel Camen and Zanh Liis
80726.18
Awhile after Meet the Parents
Soundtrack: (Say) All I Need by OneRepublic
from Dreaming Out Loud

-=The Inn at Lake Cataria, Betazed=-


The group that had beamed down together split apart into segments as each family group was given the key code to their room at the Inn and went off to make use of it.

Liis was half lost in a daydream as she watched Salvek and Kellyn retreat down a long corridor with rooms on either side, each holding of Arie’s hands.

The child skipped along happily in between them, Salvek reassuring her that their bags should have arrived from the Alchemy by now and that he would take her for a quick swim as soon as she could change her clothes.

Liis came back from her distraction as the man behind the check-in desk addressed her and her companion, and reality landed down upon her again with a resounding thud.

“Jariel Camen and Zanh Liis? Your room is ready.”

“One room?” Jariel and Zanh asked together. After days of avoiding each other the idea of suddenly being thrust into a room alone together terrified them both.

“Yes, just one…that is how the reservation was booked…”

“Is there any way that we could secure another in addition to that one?” Liis blurted, without thinking about what she was saying or how it would effect Jariel.

“Apologies, Captain Zanh…normally this request could be met with ease but there are a lot of group meetings and Bonding ceremonies this particular weekend. I’m afraid we are full up. If there are any last minute cancellations, I will be happy to let you know.”

Nodding her understanding, Liis began to twist the chain of her earring.

Jariel took the key card and thanked the man. As the innkeeper moved off to answer an incoming comm. signal, Jariel stood still at the desk, waiting for her to offer some indication as to how they should handle this.

“I’m sure that one of us could stay with Vol’s family,” Jariel volunteered, but Liis shook her head. She didn’t want to put any more on the young Counselor when it came to her personal life at the moment than she had already during their trip here.

“There has to be another Inn around here somewhere. I’ll find something, if not I’ll just beam back up to the ship if,” she stopped short of saying if we can’t tolerate the silence.

He looked at her sideways, wishing that he could see inside of her head, just for a moment. Suddenly, she looked directly at him for the first time in days.

“Camen, let’s go for a walk.”

Jariel nodded and they left the Inn, walking a few hundred meters and coming to a stop along the waterfront.

Trevara was a beautiful resort town situated along Lake Cataria, not far away from the home of Vol’s family.

Seeing a small bench along one of the paths leading to the various recreation areas of the resort, Liis plunked down onto it. Camen joined her, and she cast her eyes out upon the waters, shimmering in the late afternoon sun. The view was exquisite, but neither person gazing upon it was in the proper state of mind to appreciate it.

They sat in silence for several minutes, and finally Zanh Liis spoke.

“There’s something I have to tell you.”

Camen steeled himself for whatever that ‘something’ might be.

“I remember.”

She didn’t have to specify exactly what she remembered, but he did wonder how thoroughly she remembered.

“You remember…”

“Everything. I think.” Liis bit her lip as she awaited his reaction. He surprised her by releasing a slow sigh of relief and closing his eyes.

“Thank goodness.”

She was surprised, if not completely thrown. “You’re happy about this?”

“Liis, when I encountered the Orbs I saw you struggle to remember. You fought against TI for your memories, so many times. You have a right to all of them, even if that means you see a life where we loved and were loved by others.”

He omitted, she noticed, the names of those ‘others’.

“I can’t expect you to only remember the times where there was only you and I. I can’t be that selfish.”

“What about you,” Liis asked nervously, “Did you gain any new memories from the Sylph intervention?”

“If you’re speaking of the times when we were…” he paused, “married, and not to each other, yes. I was given those visions as well. What I didn’t gain from them,” he hesitated again to use names of those involved in those visions. “he told me.”

“What about her?” Liis had heard that Fleur had left the ship for points unknown, and wondered if she had been part of the ‘intervention’ as well.

“No,” Camen replied slowly, “I don’t believe so.” He allowed her a moment to assimilate his words before pressing on. They were way into this now, there was no turning back.

“Liis, there’s something that I need to ask you.” He turned toward her, gazing at her without any expression on his face.

“Has anything that has happened, or that you’ve seen, changed the way you feel about us?”

-------------------
Jariel Camen
Ship's Chaplain
USS SerendipityNCC 2012

and

-=/\=-Zanh Liis
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC 2012