(A Chain of Love)
By Jariel Camen
81231.2300
Soundtrack:The Grand Finale from Edward Scissorhands,
by Danny Elfman
and
When You Wish Upon A Star (Mannheim Steamroller rendition)
…continued from part one
Fleur shyly slid her way towards the table of adults. Dane grinned from beneath his bangs at her.
“You’re a girl!” He said playfully.
“Shut up Cristiane,” She replied.
Camen blinked his way back to lucidity, and added a scoop of mashed potatoes to the next plate.
“Fleur!” He called out, so she would know he was there. “Let me finish preparing the plates, and I will bring you yours at the end, unless you are hungry right now?”
“I will wait for you,” She called back. *I would wait forever to have you look on me again as you did just now.* She thought to herself, fighting back a tear.
As Camen worked, she accepted her own gifts from the children. Milea was there as well near her, helping to keep and eye on Tress, and helping herself to keeping another eye on Dane.
When all the children were served, Camen slipped into the back, where he grabbed his black button down shirt and matching pants. It seemed the perfect outfit to compliment her attire, if anything could. He quickly changed, throwing away the food stained clothing he had been wearing to cook.
Returning to the kitchen, he grabbed his plate and Fleur’s, checked the chronometer, and stepped out into the dining room to join her. He set the plate down, in front of her.
“Thank you so much, I am starving.” The truth was both of them could have eaten twice their weight, but neither of them felt much like eating. Fleur and Camen both made small talk with the others, and pushed food around their plate.
Micah went on about the weather modification net once again, and how he had warned Bajor before the Plains disaster. Camen normally would have engaged the man but his mind was elsewhere at the moment.
“Speaking of the Plains,” Dane interrupted. “Do we yet have any idea how that virus got loose? Was it intentional?”
Lance Hartcort shifted in his seat, “Diplomatic answer is, I can’t confirm or deny that until I have more evidence. Realistic answer is, I think so, and with the Vedek’s help I can probably tell you who and why.”
“I’d be glad to help you any way I can again,” Jariel said. Milea tapped him on the shoulder and whispered.
“Is it time?”
“Yes, go ahead,” Jariel stood up and called everyone to attention, as Milea ran off to the kitchen. “Everyone, please gather around. I’m happy to announce that today,”
“Oh no,” Fleur mumbled.
“Is the birthday of our dear friend Fleur Le Marc. I’m not going to embarrass her by asking you all to sing. Unless you want me to.” He added, addressing Fleur. He recalled birthdays in the alternate timeline, and public singing was generally off the table as an option. Fleur could not help but notice the expectant faces on all the children in the room however, and with a wave of her hand indicated that Camen could continue.
“Do you all remember the words?” Camen asked, as Milea returned from the kitchen with a cake sporting a single candle. “They practiced half the day,” Camen added, then began, leading the song.
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Mademoiselle Fleur Le Marc
Happy Birthday to you
“No pinching,” Fleur added, as the children applauded. She blew out the candle, and accepted the first slice of cake. Azalea helped serve the children, and Camen checked the chronometer once again, as the music began anew.
“How did you know,” Fleur asked.
“I stumbled across it. Fleur, I have one more question for you,” Camen began, as he stood beside her chair and held out his hand to her.
“Mademoiselle Le Marc, may I have this dance?”
Fleur was struck silent, his words, and his hand held out towards her were completely out of he blue, and perhaps the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.
Camen had waited all his life to dance with someone, and after hearing the Fleur had wished for a dance more than anything, on this very day, New Years Eve, he knew right here and now was finally the time to ask.
“Of course Monsieur Vedek,” She said at last, wishing this moment would never end. She took his hand, and stood up, looking for a clear spot in the room to dance with him.
“Not here, not with all the people. Out there, just you and I.” Camen said.
“But it is so cold,” Fleur said.
“Not cold enough,” Camen picked up her coat from the hook, and held it up for her to step into. She slid on her gloves and hat, as Camen pulled on his own coat. “Azalea has agreed to watch Tress, and the Alchemy crew is staying at the sanctuary tonight, courtesy of Vedek Timal. We have the whole night, all to ourselves.”
They walked out into the night air, heading towards the Alchemy. As they approached the ship, impossibly large snowflakes began to drift down from the sky above. Milea, appearing as if from nowhere, scampered down the ramp of the ship with a device and set it on the ground.
She pressed a button, and the finale music from an old Earth movie, Edward Scissorhands began to play. She ran back up the ramp, pressed a button, and a large floodlight lit up, illuminating the ground around where Fleur and Camen stood.
Milea ran back down the ramp, and off towards the orphanage, waving as she passed the couple.
Without a word, Camen held out his left hand, grasping her right, and slid his right arm around her waist. Fleur closed the gap between them, until there was nothing left separating them, and they danced.
He repeated the lyrics he had heard her mumble when she was suffering from the fever, and gripped her hand tighter.
They spun slowly in place, as the snowflakes fell from above, dotting the tops of their heads and shoulders with large, puffy flakes. She simply looked into his eyes, as they swayed.
Camen released her hand, and slid both his arms behind her back, as she slung both of hers around his neck. They leaned closer and closer to each other, as the music wound down to an end.
“Fleur, I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replied, immediately and without hesitation.
“If Milea planned the music correctly, right now Fleur, it is midnight in Paris, back on Earth. I think there is a tradition you have, at least that is what I read. Happy New Year, Fleur.”
Fleur felt her heart skip beat after beat, as she closed her eyes, and parted her lips. As the music ended, the sound of bells rang, chiming out what was midnight in Paris, France. Camen stopped swaying and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her deeply. They held each other, embracing, through each chime of the clock.
At last, when the clock struck its twelfth chime, he released her. She trembled, and touched his face. Camen felt his chest rise and fall rapidly with each short breath and shorter heartbeat.
“Are you all right?” He asked, as her second hand caressed his face.
“I have never been better, it is just that…”
“What?” He pressed.
“This is usually where the visions from the Prophets would end, and I would find myself alone on the ship.”
“Vision from the Prophets?” Camen kept his appearance calm, though anger was building inside him at the mention of the Prophets.
“Yes they promised me, if I did their bidding, that someday you would love me.”
“Fleur, believe me when I say I love you all on my own, and the Prophets have nothing to do with how I feel about you.”
“I know that now, Camen. I believe you.” She kept her hands fast on his face, lest he disappear from her sight.
Camen would have a discussion with the Prophets in his own time, about just why they felt they had any right to meddle in the affairs of Fleur Le Marc, and take advantage of her affection for him. That was a talk for another day however. Right now, nothing mattered to him but her.
The music began again, and Fleur recognized the melody of When You Wish Upon a Star.
“My Camen?” She began, lovingly speaking words she had said to herself a thousand times over, talking to the walls of her empty quarters on the Sera.
“Yes, Fleur?”
“Kiss me again, please.”
He brushed stray flakes of snow away from her face, and leaned in to kiss her.
***************************
Jariel Camen
On Bajor
In love
NRPG: Happy New Year...~ZL
Jariel Camen
On Bajor
In love
NRPG: Happy New Year...~ZL