Chapter Two: Dreamers Often Dream

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It was well into the afternoon when Amelia finally consented to arising from bed. Delbert had done as she had asked and stayed with her. It was far from any inconvenience, seeing as he hadn't seen her in a little over three months, he was happy to oblige.

She had finally arisen to the bathroom and Delbert back downstairs to his study after getting dressed. Amelia joined him downstairs after showering and dressing in civilian clothes, made herself a cup of coffee Delbert she had set out on the table.

"That's the longest time I think I've ever slept." Amelia said as she sat down in a chair across from Delbert.

"That's the longest time I think I've ever seen you sleep. Rest up from your trip?" Delbert said with a caring smile.

"I am. Well enough rested to begin another set of work, but I' m taking a break first. That mission was just too much." Amelia said taking a sip of her coffee.

"What happened?" Delbert asked concerned for his love as he moved to sit next to her.

"I do love being out there, and I sound completely hopeless saying this, but I've missed you Delbert Doppler. I guess I've just gotten used to seeing you nearly every day, even when I have to be on some voyage, you're there."

"I like being there – here – I've missed you too."

Amelia smiled back at him. For one of the few times in her life, she had not been able to completely articulate her feelings. But when she had been gone for these past three months something had struck alight inside her. By the middle of the voyage she had begun to miss Delbert terribly more than she had when they had been apart in the past, and she could see on their communiqués to each other that he seemed almost helpless without her, although he had been that way for a while. And near the end of those three lonely months sailing the etherium she found herself lying awake in the deep hours of the night imagining lying next to him, being held in his loving embrace.

For a while it scared and somewhat distracted her, these new stronger feelings. She had never felt so strongly for anyone before and as these new revelations in her life arose, she wasn't completely sure how to react. Especially when the man she was in love with was so obviously smitten with her. And although she hadn't the words to express aloud how she was feeling, on some level Delbert knew something of what she had wanted to say.

"I'd like to come with you next time. On your next voyage, I mean." Delbert said.

"Jealous of my first officer now are we Doctor?" Amelia said, a sly smile spread across her face.

"Hardly." Delbert said thinking of the clearly attractive man that now resided as Amelia's new first officer. Outside of his looks and obvious charm, Delbert inwardly thanked that the man was gay and in a long lasting relationship, something he wouldn't let pass to Amelia

"Jealousy suits you in the most unflattering way Doctor." She said. "But I'll take you up on that offer to come with me."

"Well," Delbert said, "three months really is far too long to be away from you."

Amelia snuggled in Delbert's arms, sipping her coffee, as she thought back to not long after their first meeting aboard the Legacy, to a conversation she had had with Arrow. She had thought his remarks to her were completely without warrant or any sort of evidence to the subject.

"You're attracted to him." Arrow said from behind a rather old and battered book.

"What in god's name are you talking about?" Amelia said turning from the window of her stateroom to face him.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. I've known you far too long not to see it." Arrow said with a portentous air surrounding his voice. "The Doctor is smitten with you as well."

"He is amusing – Wait, what are you – " Amelia said irate at the idea he might have been leading towards.

"You can play coy all you like, but I've seen the way you look at the man, you can't take your eyes off of him. I think – "

"I think you need to stop reading all of those floozy romance novels." Amelia said walking over to him and snatching the book out of Arrows' hand, leaving a bemused look on his face. "Who is this? Juliana Tierm… Please old friend, this sort of thing never happens in real life. The real world is cold." Amelia said again flipping through the pages.

"You've never been in love. This woman is a genius." He said taking back his book and taking it to his chair and turning to his last place read. "Her ideas for her work come from real life. Whomever she married must have made her very happy."

"Probably some old bat reliving something that never happened." Amelia said resuming her stare out of the window.

"Not likely. She died about nine years ago, at the ripe ole age of twenty-five."

"Love is for dreamers." She said in an almost defeated tone, her stone gaze never faltering.

"And if I remember correctly, you used to dream very often Amelia." Arrow said patting her shoulder gently before leaving her stateroom for his rounds, only to leave Amelia to revel in her thoughts.

Amelia was brought out of her thoughts by a chime at the door.

"I'll get it." Delbert said as he got up and left the room. As he looked out through the window to see whom it was, his hopes of peace for Amelia to rest up were quashed as a man in militant uniform waited impatiently for his call to be answered.

"May I help you sir?" Delbert asked the uniformed man. As he got a clear look at him he was about a head taller than Delbert and of Felid race.

"Ah yes, this is the residence of Captain A. Smollet, is it not?" he said looking Delbert over.

"I um – it is. Is this urgent Admiral Carson?" Delbert said.

"I don't exactly recall telling my name and rank sir." The Admiral said perplexed that a civilian would know who he was.

"Your reputation precedes you Admiral, and besides that, I see the rank on your lapels."

"Ah." Said Admiral Carson. "Nevertheless, is Captain Smollet at home?

"Yes, she is. Um… if you'll wait here Admiral." Delbert said as the Admiral walked in through the threshold, as the door closed behind him and as Delbert was just about to leave for Amelia she walked into the foyer.

"Who is it darling?" Amelia asked coming into the room, a somewhat surprised look on her face at seeing Admiral Carson come unexpectedly here; her demeanor was quickly replaced by the Captain than that of Amelia. "Is there something I can do for you Admiral?"

The Admiral was a bit taken aback at the fact that Amelia hadn't saluted him upon immediate realization of his rank, as was customary for any militant, but wasn't even in uniform.

"We weren't exactly expecting you to leave have left port already Captain." The admiral said taking off his hat and holding a stern gaze towards Amelia.

"I do not see the problem Admiral. After all, all paperwork for the end of the said Anteries charge has been taken care of, unless there was a problem with my ship and crew returning a bit early."

Delbert backed off a little from the two and stood silent as the two conversed. He had almost left when Amelia had noticed whom the Admiral was but stayed when she gave a short, almost unnoticed, motion to stay. Delbert had known of the strain between Amelia and Admiral Carson from what Amelia had said of it. He had never got on with Amelia since, not long after her academy days, her actions had caused a very long delay in promotion for the higher ranked Carson, and a very swift promotion for Amelia.

"Oh no, not at all. But we do have another operation of importance, and we do need the royal navy's best commanding the fleet." Carson said. "Now if – "

"Admiral, I am flattered, but I have been home, stationary for a grand total of almost two weeks in the past nine months. No need to sound ungrateful, but I had hoped to spend some time in one place for a short time, as promised." Amelia said her eyes narrowing to the older man standing before her.

"Be that as it may Captain, this is of some urgency and these are your orders." Carson said handing a sealed envelope to Amelia, whose stare was cold as ever. Someone wouldn't have needed to know their past experiences together to know that they apparently didn't see eye to eye. Carson eyed Delbert guardedly before continuing. "Now, if we could have a moment alone, I could give you a rundown of your briefings."

"Whatever you have to address to me, you may address to my Chief Astrophysicist as well." Amelia said taking the envelope from Carson who eyed her somewhat goaded.

"Very well. I'll see you at briefings Captain." Admiral Carson said and readied to leave. But stopped just as he opened the door. "I almost forgot I never told you; Welcome out of your semi-retirement." He said with a small wicked chuckle and then left.

"Not one for etiquette is he?" Delbert said breaking the silence.

"Or a pleasant mood." Amelia said as he read the letter she was given. "Damn it."

"What is it?" Delbert said looking at the paper Amelia held in her hand.

"What Admiral Carson said is unfortunately true. I'm being ordered to join a fleet headed out to the Cyran Border." Amelia said dejectedly.

"Why so far out?"

"Years ago there were a number of persons named traitor hiding out there. They caused quite a lot of damage; terrorist attacks, destruction of naval ships and infantry, as well as millions of dollars of damage caused to the empire."

"I remember hearing something about that. Not much, but there were still defectors left hidden weren't there?" Delbert said somberly.

"You only heard something about it? Darling how are you asking me what happened?" Amelia said looking at Delbert as if he missed out on a piece of history, which was somewhat true. "Everyone I've ever heard speak of the traitors to the empire, well they know more than 'something happened'."

"I don't know. That was what, eight – nine years ago? I had had some family problems back then and I wasn't much for listening to big news then. I had issues of my own."

"Well, wither way, the last of the them seems to have finally been found."

"And an entire fleet needs to be sent out to retrieve them?" Delbert said skeptically.

"No. They've seemed to enlist the help of outsiders. Gantarin ships have been spotted past the border. A bunch of ruffians they are. I may not have a choice in the matter, and seeing as I most likely won't; coming with me darling?"

"Always." Delbert said passing her a reassuring smile. He would follow Amelia to the ends of the etherium if need be. But first he would need to research on this news of traitors, form eight years past. But for the rest of the day he would enjoy with Amelia, until she left for briefings the next day.