EXETERRPG: (18, 1900) CO Trip Williams, R&SE Director Ashlyn Williams, ACFO Ronnie Winters and FO Ailynn Bracken

[Will Banowsky]

Mission: The flames of purity
Day: 18
Stardate: 2445.09.18

(USS Exeter - Personal Quarters - CO Trip Williams, R&SE Director Ashlyn
Williams, ACFO Ronnie Winters  and FO Ailynn Bracken - 1900)

Ailynn sighed, nerves encompassing her. What she was about to to was eating
her alive, she had held a secret from the two most important people in her
life, and she was about to admit to it, though the truth was, at best,
unbelievable.

A chime at the door, and Ailynn Stood up, straightening the tray, fidgetted
with the cushions, and eventually called out. “Enter.”

“He hows it going Trip,” as he walked in carrying a covered dish. “I
brought dinner, hope you don’t mind. Nothing fancy, just some enchiladas
from the Starlight Lounge.”

“Trip, Ash, come in, please.” She stepped aside, awkwardly, then leant
forward and kissed ASh on the cheek, and gave Trip a familial hug. “Thank
you for coming, this looks amazing.”

“How are you feeling?” Trip asked as he placed the food on the table.
“You’ve been through hell, and all you got was a tattoo.”

“Honestly? I’m not great. Medically I’m fine. It’s a pretty sick tattoo
though right?” The last few days had been hard on all of them, especially
those closest to her. “Sit, please,” Fussing around, Ailynn passed drinks
over to both Trip and Ash, Trips favourite bourbon, and a fruit juice that
she knew Ashlyn loved.

“So, what’s up? Usually we’re the ones inviting you over for dinner. Is
this about Ryelle? Look, he made his choice, it’s not your fault.”

Ailynn half nodded. “I know, and I’m starting to believe that, although it
will take time. Thankfully I’m surrounded by people, friends, family, who I
can absolutely lean on and trust with my life. Sadly this is about
something else, and before we start, You need to understand my position,
the decisions I took, I did not do so lightly.” She sipped at the large
glass of merlot. “That isn’t a great start.”

“I Trust you Ailynn, I trust you’re judgement.”

“I know, and...I hope that you still say that when I’m done talking Trip.”

Ashlyn frowned slightly, “Ailynn, you’re worrying me, what’s up? I’m
certain that whatever it is...that we can come through whatever. I have to
ask are you, you know…I’d understand if...” Ash knew of Ailynn’s struggles
years ago, but was awkward about talking openly about it, not wanting to
upset her.

“You’re not allowed to quit on my Lynn, not now, not yet. Give me at least
a year damnit.” Trip tried his best not to get angry.

Ailynn shook her head. “It isn’t that.”

“Thank goodness. Then what is it?”

She nodded. “In my line of work…” She sipped at the wine again. “My
previous line of work, that is; certain information crossed my desk all the
time. More even than yours now it seemed sometimes.”

“Yeah, doctor, patient confidentiality. Who got what from who, etc. etc. So
what is this about?”

“Someone approached me. Asking me to do something that whilst not exactly
counter to any rules per se, wasn’t strictly legit. I’m ashamed to say that
I did it, and with that being said, I’m glad I did.”

Ashlyn sighed. “Bracken get to the point.” Ashlyn was edging toward hungry,
and the enchiladas smelled amazing.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m patient, but I also like it when people get to the damn
point.”

“I was asked to compare someone's DNA to a combination of both of yours.”
Ailynn’s voice cracked with emotion, and shame, but also a core of her
refused to see the shame in what she’d done. She just hoped that her family
in front of her understood that.

“What for? Like to see if we were genetically compatible. Like to see if we
could have kids or something? Are you saying someone forced us to be
together? That’s ridiculous. No one could force the love I have for Ash.”

“I wish it were that simple. I wish it was a simple ‘these two might be
regressive carriers of...Ketack Syndrome’. No. Someone came to me, and they
came to me with enough information for me...to perform a parentage DNA
Check.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Trip was getting a bit agitated.

Ashlyn’s emotion shot from worry to fury. She was thankfully more a Ronal,
than a Bracken, her sister had got that, “ARE YOU OUT YOUR BLOODY MIND
AILYNN BRACKEN? EXPLAIN OR WE NEVER SPEAK AGAIN!”

The tears started running, of all the people to shout at her she’d hoped it
was Trip. Ash was so gentle.

At this point Trip turned to his wife and placed his hand on her shoulder.
“Ash, its ok” He said as his mind started turning. “She couldn’t tell us,
because….time travel right? It’s $&%#@&% time travel isn’t.” Suddenly Trip
calmed down as puzzle pieces and things that had been bothering him in the
back of his mind suddenly started piecing themselves together.

“It is anything but okay.” Ashlyn growled between gritted teeth.

“Yes…” She grabbed Ashlyn’s hands desperately. “...and no. You’re right
enough that the exact explanation is...a work in progress I admit.

“You can tell Ronnie to come out of your room.” Trip said. His empathic
abilities were getting hit by someone’s anxiety, but it wasn’t Ash, she was
radiating anger. It wasn’t Ailynn, she was radiating un ease. So he keyed
on that anxiety, and took a wild guest at what had been under his nose the
whole time. I mean she did look like she could be Ailynn’s cousin.

“Dammit Williams that’s cheating. Do you know how hard it’s been to hide
all the anxiety? Ronnie!”

Ronnie came out from the bedroom. She looked nervous. Like she was about to
take the academy entrance exam all over again. “Hey.” She said meekly.

“Sweetie...it’s time to meet your parents. It’s okay.”

“Mom,” she said softly. “Dad. I ummm.” at that moment Ronnie began to cry
and fell to her knees. It was a moment she had been dreaming of since she
was a little girl. Since they died. To be with her parents, not as Ronnie
Winters, but as their daughter.

Ashlyn reacted even before Ronnie hit the floor, she was at Ronnie’s side
almost immediately, a universal superpower of moms everywhere.

Without even thinking, simply knowing that it was the truth, Ash pulled
Ronnie into a hug, not friendly, nor even familial; but maternal. Gently,
perhaps without even knowing that she was doing it, Ashlyn rocked gently,
burying her nose into Ronnies hair.

“Mom….” she said meekly. “I’ve wanted to tell you since they day we met,
but I had to...I had to keep it secret, just in case.”

Carefully, Ashlyn lifted Ronnie’s chin. “How could I not have seen it? You
two are so alike it’s painful. Cheekbones, eyes.”

Trip looked forward with an odd stare. “So, you kept it secret to keep the
timeline in check, came back to do lord knows what. Why tell us now?” While
Ash had gone more maternal, Trips mind kept grasping for the logic of it
all. “Lynn?”

“Fair question.” Ailynn nodded. “Honestly, we’re into uncharted territory,
We’re headed toward something...big, and I mean cataclysmically galaxy
sized big. Certain things that should have happened have been avoided, more
people are around than should have been back in Ronnie’s original timeline.
Ronnie’s Gran, Dale, sent her back in time, to our Dale, to make sure that
certain things either happened or didn’t.”

“Except it all changed. Ailynn was supposed to die on the Interceptor. You
weren’t supposed to be pregnant yet. I don’t have an older brother. I’m
your first born, your only child. So, when I came back, I didn’t just
travel back in time, I jumped timelines or universes.”

“So there is no way of knowing if your future will even happen.”

“No.”

“Do you know who this supposed Big Bad is?”

“No, Grand said she called herself the empress, but we never saw her face.
She was killed shortly after the great cataclysm, when 75% of life in the
Beta quadrant died,  50% in the Alpha. The Exeter stopped her. She was on
board, Dad, you self destructed the ship, but it was too late. She had set
off the device. You died in the explosion, mom died at your side, I was
home with Gran, and well. We moved on, but Grand had a plan. Go back,
change things. But… now, I don’t think that was ever her plan. I think she
sent be back so I could have a normal life. With you.”

“Trip...I’m out of ideas, Dale is out her depth. I’m off the scale
intelligent, but I can’t resolve 42 quintic equations for each possible
idea we all have...We’re off the charts without a map. It may be that
that’s a good thing, it may be that we...that I...have doomed not only the
entire Beta Quadrant, but the entire Galaxy.”

Ash had fallen silent, but had helped Ronnie to a seat, and given her a
glass of bourbon.

“Do you have any #@$%^%$ Idea how reckless messing with time is?” Trip said
as he stood up. The ramifications of all of this. Yes, we’re not in your
timeline anymore. Your past is an alternate future, you can’t change,
because it’s your past, but you can still $%&# this one. How long have you
been back for. I mean you were there with us, in the academy. Did the
incident happen in your time? Could you not have $%#&@*^ warned anyone. So
much life lost, all because of what? I mean I get that you came back to
save trillions, but why…..why not change it all. Did all they have to die,
did Rae have to die, what, so I could meet your mom again. Did all those
people die...for... ” Trip stopped, he knew he had said things he didn’t
mean to. Word he regretted the moment they left his mouth.

“I….I…” Ronnie couldn’t find words.

“Sorry….” Trip replied meekly and sat back down, his hulking 6’4” frame
fell backwards onto the couch, ashamed.

Ailynn snapped, her temper exploding, she shot up, and stood inches away
from her oldest friend. “You stop that right now! Calm the frak down and
use your bloody mind.” She sat next to him. She came to ‘us’ utterly alone.
Just about 18, she’d watched life in the Beta Quadrant be utterly torn
apart. BILLIONS dead. TRILLIONS maybe. Some things have already changed. I
am already out of my own destiny. Maybe that’s a prophet thing, maybe
manifest destiny, who knows. Enough has changed that events themselves are
not the same, even the ones that were already in motion...perhaps. Look.
Here’s the thing, and Trip I adore you, but you can’t see the wood for the
trees. There is a girl here, who is family. I don’t expect you to bounce
her on your bloody knee you dunce, but this is not her doing. She isn’t
the...reason for all this, but I rather suspect she’s a pivot.”

“Ailynn…..” he said meekly. “Ronnie… I’m sorry. Please forgive me, this is
just so….new. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you.”

“It’s...Okay dad.” she said.

“It isn’t really.” Ash said. “But we’ve all had a shock. Ailynn, I can’t
imagine your burden. You have my apology.” Ailynn shrugged, the apology
wasn’t necessary.

“How much time do we have?” Trip asked.

“Two years. Two years, unless things have changed.” Ronnie replied.

Ashlyn sighed gently, normally beautifully spoken she was feeling it a bit.
“So...we have a thing, but we don’t know what the thing is...or even when
the thing is? It could be a non-thing or a bigger thing, that happened
yesterday or a decade from now?”

“And we can’t tell anyone, in case it’s a non thing. Or if or telling
someone makes it a thing.” Trip said.

“Thank you dear...I missed that one.” Ashlyn pinched the brow of her nose.

“Ronnie, who else knows about you?”

“Just us, and Gran, and Gabe. Gran sent me back with pretty heavy
psyblockers, the part of my brain that knows future events, can’t be
scanned by telepaths.”

“First DNA scan...Gabe notices. Safe to assume he knows, safe to assume
that Dale knew that a CMO would know, and she’d know who and why.” Ailynn
filled in.

“I’m swearing us to secrecy for the next two years ok.” Trip said. “I say
that not as Captain but as apparently the family patriarch.”

“Concur.” Ailynn said simply.

Ash looked up. “Okay...here’s the thing. Hungry pregnant woman...food on
table. Lets eat, and maybe our blood sugar will calm us down some no?”

“Ronnie, wait a moment,” Trip said as the two Bracken women went to the
table.

“Yes, umm dad.” she said meekly.

Trip looked her up and down, then deep into her eyes. Then pulled her into
a deep hug. “I see it in your eyes. I feel it. I think I’ve always felt it.
You’re my kid.” Trip began to get a little misty eyed.

Releasing the hug the two joined the others at the table.

“So, Ronnie, is that your real name?”

Ashlyn turned to Ailynn. “He hasn’t figured it out yet...boys!” She rolled
her eyes, making Ailynn giggle.

Trip nodded. Then turned to his wife, “You know I heard you? What haven’t I
figured out?”

“Her name. We even spoke about it you dingbat, back in
the...bath...tub...I’m going to stop talking.” Ashlyn said blushing. Ailynn
shaking her head in mock disapproval next to her.

“Mom’s right, My name is Veronica Kadaya Williams. Veronica came from
Ronal, Kadaya from Mom’s adopted mom. But you called me Ronnie from day
one.”

“Oh shit, yeah that’s the name I wanted to name our second kid if it was a
girl. And I was gonna call her Ronnie, because well, I do love nicknames.”

Ailynn put her plate down. And carefully stepped up to Trip. He may have
been may still be her oldest friend, but he was her Boss. “Sir..” She spoke
quietly, her voice travelling no further than the two of them. “For what
it’s worth I had no choice, you have my deepest apologies, it was never
about me not trusting you or not wanting to tell you. It’s eaten me alive
lying to you all this time, and I truly am sorry.”

“Lynn...you’ve always been about family. You were the only child of an only
child of an only child. You never had a brother or sister, you never had
cousins. You were always jealous of mine. I know that. How can I fault you,
for finally having a cousin, your age, because baby Drew will be your
cousin, and doing everything in your power to protect her. As your friend,
I know you did what you thought was right. And as a guy who just found out
I have a daughter my age….well, sort, alternate timeline shenanigan
stuff...I’m glad you protected her.”

“Maybe that’s my curse. Do you know how weird my last few months have been?
I have a half Brother who I’m still trying to not butt heads with medically
it seems, an Aunt who…” She turned toward Ash, who was deep in conversation
with Ronnie, a looked deep in her eyes that suggested ‘plot of next book’
“...I would give up my eternal soul for, and recently a cousin,
who...rather worryingly just gets me. Do you know how weird that is? On top
of that I end up with this badass tattoo.” She pulled her sleeve back, the
beautifully intricate azure markings sat on the underside of her forearm.

“Let’s see. My best friend is now my first officer and my twin sister’s ex,
oh and now my niece. My wife turns out to be my best friends aunt, my
mentors secret daughter, and a girl I drunkenly made out with in high
school. And the officer who was my copilot and secretary for a year was
secretly my daughter the whole time, but from an alternate future that may
only come to pass in part, because my wife is currently pregnant with a
boy, and not my future daughter from an alternate future. I mean shit
Ailynn, my life was more simple before I married into your family.”

“My…? Why is this crap always my fault? This is so much like your stag do.
I am not drunk enough for this.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “I love
you...Ass.”

“I love you more.” He said with a smile.

“Lets eat, before your wife steals all the enchiladas...then
drink...heavily.”

Trip walked over to the chair next to Ash and smiled. “Actually before we
eat, Ash, Ronnie can you stand up for a moment.”

“Really...eating hun!” She sighed, but smiled a smile of utter happiness
that it made Ailynn’s heart ache to see it.

Trip then took Ronnie’s hand and placed it on Ashlyn’s stomach. “Ronnie,
meet your baby brother, James Andrew Williams the Fourth, or as you already
know I like nicknames. Drew.”

Ronnie smiled, “Hey there little bro,”

Ailynn welled up, and burst into tears, waving her hand in front of her
face. “You dopey sod...that is so sweet.”

Ashlyn herself rested her warm hand on top of Ronnie’s, nodding and smiling
gently. “It’s okay Ronnie. Look, we’re going to argue, we’re going to butt
heads, horribly sometimes.” She squeezed Ailynn’s hand in apology. “However
counter to that we all have each other, and all it means is my little
family got that bit bigger.”

“Are there any other secrets I need to know?” Trip said with a laugh,
expecting there to be no more bombshells.

“Umm, well dad, I umm, I kissed Gabe and he kissed me back.” Ronnie said
shyly, not sure how her parents would react.

Trip instinctively said the first words that popped in his, “Oh for $#%^’s
sake!”

(reply none)
(posted by Will and Mark)
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