AN: Welcome to the newest installment of my "Through the Forest" series! I'm so glad I was able to get this first chapter out so quickly, that bodes well for the rest of the story, completion wise I think. I've gone in a totally different direction for this, and I'm a little bit unsure of myself here. I'm going to depend a lot on your feedback, so filling out that little box at the bottom will make me very, very happy; even if the things you have to say aren't necessarily nice or positive.
Enjoy guys!
EDIT: As of 9/11/13 I resubmitted this chapter to make a few changes in some of the wording that I had not caught until just now. Sorry for the confusion.
Delbert's life had changed so much in the past few months, that much was clear. In only the span of a few months, the normally timid tenure professor of a prestigious university had taken a wild trip across the known universe, battled pirates and had fallen in love.
It sounded like the plot from an old paperback novel, but it's entirely true.
But for all the wonderful, life changing experiences that he has gone through, he doesn't really have much to show for it.
Much except a few extra house guests, and one in particular that drives him completely crazy.
For the first few weeks after she had moved in, the young Captain was busy airing out rooms and clearing away ages of clutter that had built up in corners and on tables. It seemed that when she wasn't occupied with making his life intolerable by moving things, she was criticizing his bachelor-like way of life.
It had started out innocently enough, his toothbrush is relocated to his bathroom and the furniture in the parlor gets rearranged overnight. But when books and charts are getting re shelved, and his research papers go missing, Delbert realizes he might need to say something.
"I'm amazed you can get any work done in there, the state it's in." She tosses off his hot accusations of destroying years of research with a flick of her wrist and a sip of her tea. It's infuriating.
It was horrid, she was horrid.
Early mornings for her started typically before the sun rose, and he could often find her jogging up the stairs from the gym after an intense workout. It was almost like she was trying to mock his lack of athleticism with her well toned arms and defined abdomen.
But as evenings fell over the mansion and most everyone else had either gone to bed or busied themselves with other things, Delbert would find Amelia curling into his side on an otherwise empty couch. It never ceased to amaze him how vastly different she was from Abagail, and yet he found himself yearning for her presence all the more.
Utterly, and completely wonderful it was to occasionally wake up next to her sleeping, supine figure underneath dark linen sheets. On the rare chance that he managed to wake before her, his morning was spent in quiet contemplation of the woman next to him. Light spilling in from the open balcony seems to illuminate her alabaster skin and turn her silky red hair into a soft, fluttering fire in the errant morning breeze.
It was beautiful, she was beautiful.
It all feels so subjective, like it's not his own life he is experiencing. Watching through eyes that surely can't be his, his hands explore uncharted waters. Cool, calico skin flushes underneath his unusually steady hands, malleable in the innocent early morning. This can't be his life. Delbert hadn't done anything to deserve something this wonderful.
"So, does this mean you are going to skip out on your workout today?" His joking tone makes her chuckle lightly and she turns on her side to face him.
"Only if I get another work out today." The Cheshire grin on her face and the way her fingernail trails down his chest isn't helping anything.
But mornings like this seldom happen, as Amelia's annoying early habits push Delbert back into his own bed and far away from her ridiculous regimented routines.
What used to be a breakfast eaten mostly alone was now shared with Amelia. He always had to ask for the marmalade, and he found himself running out of coffee much too soon now. But he couldn't deny how natural it felt to share the morning newspaper with her in more or less quiet contemplation.
Delbert had been sitting in the breakfast nook for only a few minutes, hunched over his first cup of coffee, when Amelia made her first appearance of the morning. Hair still slightly damp from her morning shower and mostly dressed in her uniform, the Captain quickly fixes herself a cup of coffee before seating herself gingerly in her customary seat.
"Good morning, Doctor." Doctor, she still calls him by his title, rather than his name. It's one of the many consistences from the voyage that seems to carry over into civilian life.
"Ah, Good morning, Captain. I trust you slept well?" He takes her cue, reverting back to formalities when she is in uniform.
She responds with a curt "Quite." as she sets her coffee cup down. A slick of red lipstick marks the otherwise white porcelain cup and Delbert hides a small smile behind his own cup.
"You're in uniform." It's an observation that earns him a wry glance in his direction and he clears his throat. "Going up to the navy office today?"
"Only to get cleared by the medical board." Amelia's tone sounds distracted as she spreads marmalade on her toast carefully
Delbert gulps, peering at Amelia. "You mean you are wanting another assignment already?" It wasn't hardly "already" but to the Doctor, it seemed that way.
Amelia scoffs, snatching the front page from Delbert. "Hardly. The Legacy won't be ready to sail for at least another month."
Delbert looks affronted for a moment before turning to his toast. "So, in the interim?"
"Couldn't say," Amelia murmurs, perusing the headline.
A quick staccato knock at the front door stirs the pair from their otherwise languorous morning, and Amelia watches through slitted eyes as Delbert rises to answer the door.
"Oh, ah. You must be here for Captain Smollet." Upon hearing her name, she rises from the table and shoves her arms into her jacket.
Amelia renders a sharp salute to the admiral at the door before coming to rest, her hands behind her back. "Yes, sir?"
"Captain Smollet, I've come from New Brandenburg with orders for you."
"Sir?" Amelia's eyebrow quirks, but receives nothing further from the admiral. "I was discharged two years ago."
The admiral sighs, rubbing his short hair. "We're pulling you back in active service. I'll be honest Smollet, the news isn't good."
"Very well. Thank you, sir." With a nod, Amelia closes the door, breathing deeply.
"Active service?" Delbert doesn't even try to hide the worry on his face, what on earth could have happened to necessitate pulling a retired navy captain back to active duty?
"It would appear so." Amelia's claw slices open the envelope in the quiet foyer, and her eyes zoom quickly over the parchment.
The contents are read once- twice- thrice to be sure she hasn't missed anything, and the letter floats to the floor from a shaking hand.
For his part, Delbert can't recall ever seeing Amelia looking so shocked. "What is it?"
"I'm to report to New Brandenburg for a naval commission." Her voice is quiet, small in the otherwise still house. Delbert doesn't know what to say.
"Commission for what?" Amelia turns to the Doctor, uncertainty shining in her emerald eyes.
Amelia's voice sounds like resolve, and bravery; but the terrified look in her eyes stuns him. "We've gone to war."
Amelia's new uniform fits like a glove. The tailoring unit had done a smashing job, and the black coat had come with a promotion to rear admiral, something that had wholly surprised the captain of only twenty four.
The only thing missing was a reliable first officer, and she sorely wished she could just go without.
"I could go with you, you thought I was helpful." Amelia knows, hopes that he is just joking, but when he starts to look for his luggage, she stops him.
"No, Doctor. This is a military operation, all personnel will need to be fully trained on a war frigate and capable of combat. You don't meet those requirements." She looks up briefly from the stack of files that had been sent over to her office at the mansion with a look of derision on her face.
"I can be trained, it's not a problem."
"Doctor please." It's a harsh reprimand that stops him in his tracks, and it's a sharp reminder of their first meeting. "My first officer needs to be capable of giving orders and running a ship in my absence. The men will not respect the authority of a civilian scientist."
Delbert takes a deep breath, trying to stifle the hurt that he felt. "Then you will just leave me behind then?"
Amelia looks up, setting aside the folder and standing on her feet. "Delbert, please understand." Amelia's hand caresses his face gently, bringing his eyes to hers. "War is dangerous, and I could not bear it if something were to happen to you. I'm trying to keep you safe."
"If it is so dangerous, why did you accept the commission?"
"Damnit, I was ordered. And the best chance I have of returning home to you, is if I find a first officer whom I can trust with my life."
Delbert nods, seeming to understand finally before backing out of the room slowly. "Well then, if that is the case, I will leave you to it."
After hours of perusing through service records, Amelia comes across Lieutenant Sterling Mayhew. The young serviceman had a shining record, and the recommendations to prove himself, and the only step left to take was to meet the lad and offer him the position.
They had agreed to meet at a small tavern on the west arm of the spaceport, and Amelia was lying if she said she wasn't a little nervous.
"You think he would be an appropriate first officer?" Delbert looks on as Amelia fastens the various pins and commendations to her black uniform coat. It had been the first time he had seen the golden gleaming pins adorning her breast, and he wondered for more than a moment what else was in her past that he didn't know about.
"That would be why I am meeting him, Doctor." Amelia reaches for a fabric brush before Delbert's deft hand snatches it from her grasp and begins to brush out the red hair that has already begun to take up residence on her back.
"Well," Delbert takes a step back and gives her an admiring whistle. "Just be safe, okay?"
Amelia nods, placing a small kiss on Delbert's cheek. "Of course dear, I'll be back soon."
It's nearly an hour later before Amelia steps into The Sleeping Hollow, and almost immediately, the entire room comes to attention.
"At ease, crewmen." Amelia spots a brown head coming quickly towards her and she straightens her back.
"Admiral Smollet, it's a pleasure." Mayhew grips her hand in a firm shake, and Amelia nods, returning the gesture. The young man was well disciplined, and looked to be in his late twenties with dark brown hair and a myriad of memories lurking just underneath his stark blue eyes.
"Ah Lieutenant, thank you for meeting me."
The pair grabs a table on the fringes of the room, and Amelia surveys the young man before her. Clean shaven and hair perfectly groomed led to the assumption that he had either primped before coming, or had the same standards that she had. Either way, it was a good sign.
"The letter that you sent said that you were looking for a replacement first officer. May I ask what happened to Commander Arrow?"
Amelia's face darkens as she runs a hand through her hair. "He was killed in the line of duty."
The lieutenant looks shocked for a moment before recovering smoothly. "My condolences."
Neither party quite knows what to say for a moment and Amelia clears her throat, unwilling to let the awkward air prevail.
"Lieutenant, your file discloses a shining service record, but all of the good reports in there will not tell me what kind of man you are." Amelia's voice is low in the crowded tavern and she watches the nervousness on Mayhew's face melt slowly.
"Well, I served as a midshipman on the HMS Seraphim during the Proycon wars. When our vessel was overtaken by the enemy-" Mayhew's face twists painfully, briefly before he returns to his story. "When our vessel was overtaken by the enemy, I was taken as a prisoner of war."
Amelia can tell that the subject is a painful one, and she stops him with a hand on his wrist. "Sterling," blue eyes flick up to her and she feels a tug for the young officer. "I don't need to hear any more."
Mayhew laughs, an empty alto sound emitting from his throat. "You would think that after all this time, it wouldn't get to me so much still."
"These things happen, Lieutenant. The key is to learn from them."
Mayhew smiles, "Of course ma'am. I understand."
"Lieutenant, I'm in a tough spot. I need a first officer I can rely on. Can I rely on you?" Amelia feels like she is a good enough judge of character, and going by the man's demeanor, she feels like she can take him at his word.
"It would be my honor, Admiral." Amelia flinches at the still unfamiliar title, and smiles at her new first officer.
"Very good. I've been assigned to the fleet flagship The Lyonesse, and we leave port next week. You have that long to reign your affairs in order."
"Have you selected a crew?"
Amelia nods, having preferred to take care of that herself this time. "I've a full compliment of seasoned crewman. The Lyonesse is in good hands."
Mayhew smiles, "Lets hope so."
They shake hands again, and exchange holophone numbers before Amelia exits the tavern, a hopeful smile on her face.
With under a week until her deployment, Amelia spends the downtime with Delbert, fitting in as much alone time as possible.
After a mid-afternoon romp between the sheets, Amelia finds herself wrapped in Delbert's arms, blissfully unaware of the passage of time.
"Delbert, I've been doing some thinking."
"Oh?" Delbert pulls away, allowing her to turn over to face him.
"Marry me, Doppler." Amelia watches the color drain from her lovers face with an amused look twinkling in her green eyes.
"What? Do- don't you think we're rushing into this?" Amelia doesn't need to hear his nervous stutter to know that she has completely shocked him with her latest request.
"Delbert I love you, and someday I hope to be able to start a life with you properly. But this isn't about our feelings. As a Rear Admiral, I have a large pension pay and benefit plan, and I've named no beneficiary in the event of my death."
"So, we would be marrying just to take advantage of the naval spouse benefits?" Delbert's brown eyes look doubtful in the afternoon light and Amelia can tell that she needs to explain further.
"Not just so." Amelia's hand catches his underneath the blanket. "I need something to come back to."
And suddenly, Delbert understands. Taking her into his arms, he lays a kiss on her forehead. "Of course, darling."
The line for courthouse weddings was particularly long that next afternoon. It seemed that they weren't the only couple to be affected by the declaration of war. Around them, several couples gossiped about the coming war, and the possibility of a draft.
"I still can't believe you two are just opting for a courthouse wedding." They had brought Sarah along as a witness, and she was quick to express her disbelief at the circumstances.
"At the end of the day, it will be just us. And that's all that matters." Delbert gives Amelia an approving look at this as their hands wind together.
"That's just darling, really." Sarah throws a hand over her heart, looking on at the loving couple she had come here to support.
After what seemed like ages to the anxious three, they finally reached the front of the line and were ushered into the judges chambers.
"Ah, another naval officer. What a shock" the judge said dryly as he looked over their paperwork. "You aren't taking your husband's name?"
Delbert watched as Amelia's eyes narrowed dangerously."I don't need to explain myself to you."
The judge nods, standing up from the leather chair behind his desk. "Well then, lets get started. Do you have rings?"
Sarah nodded, quickly producing two identical gold bands and hands them to the elderly judge.
"Now, Mister Doppler, repeat after me..."
Amelia meets the eyes of her soon to be husband, watching his facial reactions cycle as he promises his love to her.
"I, Delbert Doppler take you Amelia Smollet to be my beloved wife. To have and to hold, to honor, to treasure you. To be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life." Amelia's breath catches in her throat as his calming voice washes over her in affectionate waves.
Delbert can swear he can feel his heart stop and start again as the words he had said, and mercifully not muddled only moments before, flow in sweet alto tones in the small chamber.
At first when she had asked him to marry her quickly before she shipped off, he had his doubts, and they could sooner be counted than the stars in the sky. They had only come to terms with their feelings, and had just begun to settle into a pattern, but as everyone well knows; war changes things.
So here he is, about to slip a simple golden band on a hand that he has held for only a few months.
It's not a large affair in his mothers roman catholic church, attended by thousands of people he has never met before. The small wedding, attended by only one person, seemed the most perfect profession of their love, and when their lips meet after what seems like an eternity, he knows that this will be the last and final time he will ever give his heart to someone.
The morning of her deployment is spent mostly between the sheets, as per their pattern for the past week, and in the hazy aftermath of lovemaking, Amelia pokes out from charcoal colored sheets, a tear tracking down her face.
"God, I want another day. Just one more where I don't have to march off to war."
"You will come back alive, Amelia." Delbert's thumb erases the tear mark on her face and he captures her lips gently. "And when you do, we will build a life together."
Amelia nods, the early morning light glinting off her wedding ring. Delbert always knew what to say.
The HMS Lyonesse is a sleek warship, built for speed and stealth, and Amelia is instantly pleased by the multiple cannons on the main decks. This would do quite nicely.
"So, this is your ship." Delbert has the good graces to keep his emotions in check and Amelia peeks out of the carriage at the strong, two masted ship.
"It would appear so." Delbert watches his new wife slip seamlessly into command mode, and he already feels alone without her. When her hand reaches out and grasps his briefly, he wishes he could stop time to hold her forever in this moment.
"I will come back, I promise Delbert."
Delbert nods, a lump building in his throat. "I love you." Amelia could feel her heart breaking as she placed the hat on her head.
"I love you too."
Amelia steps out of the carriage and walks away before she can stop herself, and every step she takes toward her new command feels like a complete betrayal of her heart.
Amelia steps onto the ship from the large gangplank and hears instantly the call to attention. At once, a group of cream vested serviceman line up on the polished deck, awaiting her instruction.
"Mayhew," She regards her first officer with a small smile before turning to the men before her. Most are humans, one cyborg, and a cragian fill in the ranks of the men and women under her command.
"My name is Rear Admiral Amelia Smollet. You were all handpicked for this ship for your finesse in your craft, your attention to detail, and your previous service records. In the months to come, the people around you will become your family. This ship will be your home, and we will defend our home, and the flag under which we serve at all costs." Amelia marches down the ranks, her green eyes carefully picking apart each and every person.
"You've all been briefed on the enemy, but let me refresh your memory. We will not be dealing with the Proycons this time around. The Obsidian Empire has sent it's soldiers to die for their nation. Men, we will oblige them."
A great cheer was heard through the ranks and as the crewman rushed around the deck to set sail, Amelia felt confident.