YAY! CHAPTER 2 IS UP. THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND REVIEWS PEOPLE! :)
"ave maria." -the ave maria (duh!)
When Uhura entered the mess hall it was obvious that everyone had been talking about her. She got that creepy skin crawly feeling and her stomach felt like it was in knots. She silently made her way across the room to her usual table with Spock, Kirk, Sulu and and Scotty. All the eyes that followed her kind of made her feel like she was in a display of exotic outer space species. She sat carefully next to Scotty and met the eyes of all the men at the table.
"Not you guys too!" She rolled her eyes in frustration. "EVERYONE CAN GO BACK TO THEIR BUSINESS NOW!" Her shouting caused everyone to turn around quickly and resume their hushed conversations. Presumably, about her. She could guess what everyone was saying. They were all wondering if she was going to crack having lost her whole village and everyone on board the Enterprise was dying to get a glimpse of the twins together and their little sister as well, of course, but mostly the twins.
Nyota was pushing her food around on her plate and staring at the clock. It was inevitable that her sisters would come join everyone soon to eat and then things would really get awkward she was sure. Anisa didn't talk much, who could blame her, poor child. Keeping her secrets were going to be tough. Especially from Spock. She glanced in his direction and noticed him watching her. She gave him a half smile and he almost imperceptibly inclined his head towards her in acknowledgement. Then there was Kivuli, to say they were different was, well, an understatement. She could get under Nyota's skin like no one else. Actually, like only one other person. The Captain. She looked at Kirk who was pretending he wasn't watching her, but obviously was.
"So, Uhura....." Sulu began conversationally.
"So, Sulu....." She knew she was being rude, but she wasn't really in the mood for prying. Even from friends.
"You're a twin."
"Yes."
"And you have a little sister."
"Half-sister, actually, but yes."
"You know, Uhura," Kirk cut in. "I think it's hot that you have a twin. It's like, every man's fantasy." Uhura rolled her eyes at Kirk.
"I'm sure not every man's." Uhura was disgusted with Kirk's line of conversation. Men, they were all alike. Can't live with 'em and can't run a star ship without 'em.
The door whizzed open and Kivuli entered the room. Everyone looked and slowly, behind her, almost as if pushed along by a breeze appeared Anisa. She again paused to take everything in and said nothing. Uhura jumped to her feet and everyone stopped conversation immediately. Anisa was wearing white. A kind of eyelet cotton dress that went to the floor, which wasn't very far for her. It looked almost peasant like, but more like a little angel. Kivuli on the other hand was sin come to destroy. She was wearing what appeared to be leather pants with grey boots that came above the knee, a plain white t-shirt, and a leather jacket.
She strolled towards Nyota while checking out all the people watching her. She smirked. When she got to Nyota she tugged none too gently on her sister's ponytail.
"I see you still wear your hair in the ponytail. Very cute." Nyota knew everyone was watching so she stepped closer to Kivuli.
"I see you still wear yours down and you leave hers down. You know she's worse when you don't restrain her. Honestly Kivuli, leather pants?" Nyota sighed in exasperation and gestured to her twin's choice of attire.
"Don't lecture me on how I take care of Anisa. I am the one who deals with it constantly. I'm with her 24/7 when you jumped ship to get on a star ship for your languages. You know it always amazed me. All the languages you speak and you never could understand your own flesh and blood." Nyota was now embarrassed and fuming over this comment.
"I did what I had to do. I couldn't take her with me. There's no place for her here and Mom and Dad couldn't or wouldn't control her. You know that." Kivuli stepped up to Nyota.
"OH! I see, what you had to do. Because it's better that I take her with me to work. And she can't be controlled. She's a person. Not an animal."
"She has a problem!"
"She has a gift."
They were screaming now and Nyota was on the verge of tears. It suddenly occured to her that they were in the mess hall still and had the entire ship crew for an audience. Nyota took a step back and took a breath. She glanced to Anisa. She wasn't there. Doing a quick scan of the room she realized she wasn't in the room at all.
"She's gone." Kivuli rolled her eyes.
"Who is?" Turning Kivuli around and pointing to the now empty spot previously employed by Anisa and responded.
"Anisa." Kivuli's face flushed.
"We have to find her. She usually leaves when she's going to have an episode. She's due for a big one."
Kirk jumped up from the table. And moved around to the two sisters. He was clearly frustrated and did not like feeling out of the loop.
"Okay, enough, now someone is going to tell me what the hell is happening on MY ship. Understand?" He looked between the two sisters.
"Captain, there's no time for that now. We have to find Anisa. The sooner the better." The Uhura sisters began running out of the mess hall. Kirk watched in astonishment.
"Sulu, Scotty, you make sure everyone stays here. Spock come with me." As the men exited the mess hall and split to cover more ground Kirk couldn't help but feel like he, once again, had gotten himself in the middle of some universe changing drama with a very low statistical likelihood of making it out alive. He made a mental note to ask Spock for the exact percentage when he had all the details.
-----------------------------------------------------
Ensign Chekov was in the bridge monitoring their progress. Sometimes he hated having to eat dinner at a different time than most of the ship, but the quiet time was nice. And someone had to make sure they didn't plow into an asteroid. He began to hum to himself. And old Russian lullaby his mother used to sing to him when he was just a baby. It made him feel close to her just to be reminded of his childhood. He sighed deeply wondering when he was ever going to see her again.
"You have a pleasing voice." Chekov whipped his chair around. Startled by the voice.
"I...I...thought I was alone." He stuttered, though his surprise and his accent made him hard to understand. The girl in a white dress didn't acknowledge his statement. She moved about the room very gracefully and completely silently. Chekov could see why she came in without him noticing. He watched her move around taking the room in.
"You are quiet. Calm. Even your soul is not restless. Perhaps that is why the destiny is written." She looked at him and as she moved towards him he felt like he was frozen in her gaze. He couldn't move. He almost felt like she knew everything about him. Past, Present, and Future. He was deciding how he felt about that.
"I have always been this way." He didn't know why he said that or even why he cared what she thought. Actually, he didn't even know who she was or what she was talking about. Normally that would have frightened him, but he honestly didn't think she meant him or anyone else any harm.
"Yes. You have. It is soothing to not sort through ulterior motives and anger and pain. Pain makes me.....tired....and sad." She looked away and they fell silent since Chekov didn't have a response. The door opened and the Captain, Commander Spock, Lt. Uhura, and a second Lt. Uhura barreled into the bridge.
"Anisa!" The two Uhuras said together. The effect was eerie. Anisa glanced in their direction.
"I just wanted to see." Anisa was girls moved towards Chekov and Anisa.
"Ensign Chekov, this is my twin sister Kivuli, and I see you've already met my little sister Anisa." Chekov smiled at Uhura.
"Yes." He watched as the two sisters herded Anisa towards the door. Kirk blocked their path.
"Lt. Uhura, as soon as you get Anisa settled I need to see your sister and you in my quarters. Spock will be there as well. I need to know what exactly is going on here. Everything....do you understand?" Uhura nodded curtly and resumed directing Anisa with Kivuli. Anisa pulled free suddenly and turned back.
"Pavel Andreievich Chekov," Chekov looked up at the use of his full name. "I will call you Ave, like the Maria, and you will call me Isa, like the famous dancer, Isadora Duncan." With that she turned and exited with her sisters. Spock and Kirk turned towards Chekov who was still trying to figure out who she was and how she knew his full name.
REVIEWS: YOU KNOW THE DRILL! ;)
