»Dylan, I am perfectly in a condition to walk alone," said Rommie to Dylan
as he was carrying her to her quarters.
"As I saw you before, I wouldn't be so sure about it," answered Dylan. "Just relax and let me bring you to your quarters. We will discuss your condition later."
She felt comfortable in his arms, feeling his heartbeat. She pressed herself closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Oh God, how she longed to be so close to him. Ever since she first met him in personae she had been daydreaming about such a moment. But, so much time had to pass to finally make him admit his true feelings. She assumed before, that he isn't so distant as he pretended to be. There have been some hints before .... like when he first refused to leave her on Andromeda together with Gabriel. His look in that moment revealed her, that he needs her, that he is not ready to give her up just like that. And it was surely more than just a friendship. Or how he comforted her after Gabriel's death. She felt then, that she really could rely on him. And in that hour of her worst sorrow, she somehow felt immense love for him. All the others just left her with her pain. He was the only one, who has been concerned about her. She loved him in that moment more than ever before.
These memories were so bittersweet, that she subconsciously shed a little tear. It dropped to Dylan's neck. He felt something wet and warm on his neck. Abruptly he stopped and looked at her. "God, Rommie, are you crying?"
"It's nothing Dylan, I just remembered how you cared for me when I lost Gabriel," smiled Rommie at him.
He looked at her with eyes, full of love and compassion and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "I will take care, that you'll never have to cry again. It hurts me to see you sad. It always had, but I was hiding it."
They finally arrived to her quarters and Dylan carefully laid her on the bed and sat besides her at the edge. "Now you will rest a bit, understood! I'll stay with you. Just to make sure, you don't disobey my orders."
Rommie smiled happily and took his hand, laid it on her cheek and answered: "Dylan, you know very well that I really don't have to rest. Remember, you once said that I was just a machine."
He knew she was merely making a statement, not accusing him. But he felt remembered to one of his worst statements. "Rommie, I know I've said it and I can't tell you, how sorry I am. I should have never said something like that. It's just perhaps, that I was already then afraid of what I really felt for you. Perhaps I was trying to hide from myself. I apologize for that. Will you ever be able to forgive me?"
"Dylan, I have nothing to forgive you. Yes, I admit, I was deeply hurt then, but I know you were under stress, so I don't take it so tragic."
"Thank you, my dear," whispered Dylan and leaned to her. They stared in each other's eyes for a moment and then slowly moved to close the gap between them. Finally their lips met. It was like a first kiss ever; they both explored their feelings and tenderly moved their lips. Eventually the kiss became more passionate and they embraced each other to be closer to the loved one. As they finally parted, Dylan was gasping for air. Had Rommie been a human, were she also breathless. Dylan kept looking at her. God, how beautiful she was! Eyes wide open, lips parted a bit, and face little blushed. He felt like he could loose himself in her eyes. Why on earth, has he been waiting so long to finally admit what he feels for her!
They kept staring at each other until Rommie broke the silence: "I just want to know, why did you have to hide your feelings. I was really hoping, you'd admit it before. Dylan, I love you."
"I love you too, Rommie. If it hadn't been for the Protocol, I'd admit it to you long ago. But I was too afraid, too concerned with upholding of regulations to open myself to you. I suspected that you love me even before the Magog world ship. I thought I have to hide myself behind the professionalism. But as you see, it didn't work out."
He kissed her again and she answered with all her heart and passion.
When they stopped kissing, Dylan looked at her and asked: "What actually happened today Rommie? Do you have any idea why you just collapsed before? It really remains an open question, a mystery for me. Everything was apparently OK, but you couldn't be waken up."
Rommie blushed a bit and looked down.
"Rommie, is there anything you'd like to tell me?" asked Dylan. In his voice, concern and curiosity mixed.
"Well, ...... you know....... actually I do," said Rommie in a quiet voice. She raised her head and looked him in the eyes. "In fact, I do know. It was my programming. I programmed myself to pass out for some time."
"But ....... why? Why would you do something like that?" was Dylan astonished.
"Dylan, I love you so much. I hoped and prayed for years, fought to get your attention, but you seemed not to notice me as a woman. Perhaps it is strange to you, but in fact, deep down inside I am a woman in love. So I tried this one, perhaps last possibility. I programmed myself to switch off. I also programmed the sequence to wake me up. It should be said by you. You had to say 'I love you' in order to restart my programming."
"Jesus, what if I hadn't said it?" Dylan was shocked beyond belief.
"Then I would never wake up again," simply stated Rommie, looking with tearful eyes at him.
Dylan rubbed his forehead with his hand not believing what he just heard: "Does that mean, you were prepared to die if your plan wouldn't work?"
Rommie nodded, with her eyes pleading for understanding and love: "I saw no sense in living without your love. So I made this decision, that it's better to die then to continue as it was."
"Does that mean you love me so much, that you were really willing to die if I wouldn't tell you what I feel? I can't believe you love me so much."
"But I do, Dylan, I do. Do you hate me for that? I really just want to be with you," said Rommie, her voice barely a whisper.
Dylan looked at her, still shocked from the truth. "Rommie, I could never hate you. I love you too much. I just can't believe you were willing to go so far to get me admit my love."
He hugged her, looking in her big brown eyes, drowning in tears: "Rommie, you have to promise me one thing: You will never, never again do something so radical as this. Promise me! I couldn't stand loosing you."
"I promise Dylan. I am sorry if I made you sad or scared. I will do anything to make you happy, I swear."
Dylan kept looking at her and finally said: "God, Rommie, I just hope I can ever make everything up to you."
"You already did Dylan! Just let me love you and love me back. Don't let something come between us!"
They kissed again, but this time it was different. They both knew, that there was nothing more separating them. They shall always be there for each other.
"As I saw you before, I wouldn't be so sure about it," answered Dylan. "Just relax and let me bring you to your quarters. We will discuss your condition later."
She felt comfortable in his arms, feeling his heartbeat. She pressed herself closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Oh God, how she longed to be so close to him. Ever since she first met him in personae she had been daydreaming about such a moment. But, so much time had to pass to finally make him admit his true feelings. She assumed before, that he isn't so distant as he pretended to be. There have been some hints before .... like when he first refused to leave her on Andromeda together with Gabriel. His look in that moment revealed her, that he needs her, that he is not ready to give her up just like that. And it was surely more than just a friendship. Or how he comforted her after Gabriel's death. She felt then, that she really could rely on him. And in that hour of her worst sorrow, she somehow felt immense love for him. All the others just left her with her pain. He was the only one, who has been concerned about her. She loved him in that moment more than ever before.
These memories were so bittersweet, that she subconsciously shed a little tear. It dropped to Dylan's neck. He felt something wet and warm on his neck. Abruptly he stopped and looked at her. "God, Rommie, are you crying?"
"It's nothing Dylan, I just remembered how you cared for me when I lost Gabriel," smiled Rommie at him.
He looked at her with eyes, full of love and compassion and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "I will take care, that you'll never have to cry again. It hurts me to see you sad. It always had, but I was hiding it."
They finally arrived to her quarters and Dylan carefully laid her on the bed and sat besides her at the edge. "Now you will rest a bit, understood! I'll stay with you. Just to make sure, you don't disobey my orders."
Rommie smiled happily and took his hand, laid it on her cheek and answered: "Dylan, you know very well that I really don't have to rest. Remember, you once said that I was just a machine."
He knew she was merely making a statement, not accusing him. But he felt remembered to one of his worst statements. "Rommie, I know I've said it and I can't tell you, how sorry I am. I should have never said something like that. It's just perhaps, that I was already then afraid of what I really felt for you. Perhaps I was trying to hide from myself. I apologize for that. Will you ever be able to forgive me?"
"Dylan, I have nothing to forgive you. Yes, I admit, I was deeply hurt then, but I know you were under stress, so I don't take it so tragic."
"Thank you, my dear," whispered Dylan and leaned to her. They stared in each other's eyes for a moment and then slowly moved to close the gap between them. Finally their lips met. It was like a first kiss ever; they both explored their feelings and tenderly moved their lips. Eventually the kiss became more passionate and they embraced each other to be closer to the loved one. As they finally parted, Dylan was gasping for air. Had Rommie been a human, were she also breathless. Dylan kept looking at her. God, how beautiful she was! Eyes wide open, lips parted a bit, and face little blushed. He felt like he could loose himself in her eyes. Why on earth, has he been waiting so long to finally admit what he feels for her!
They kept staring at each other until Rommie broke the silence: "I just want to know, why did you have to hide your feelings. I was really hoping, you'd admit it before. Dylan, I love you."
"I love you too, Rommie. If it hadn't been for the Protocol, I'd admit it to you long ago. But I was too afraid, too concerned with upholding of regulations to open myself to you. I suspected that you love me even before the Magog world ship. I thought I have to hide myself behind the professionalism. But as you see, it didn't work out."
He kissed her again and she answered with all her heart and passion.
When they stopped kissing, Dylan looked at her and asked: "What actually happened today Rommie? Do you have any idea why you just collapsed before? It really remains an open question, a mystery for me. Everything was apparently OK, but you couldn't be waken up."
Rommie blushed a bit and looked down.
"Rommie, is there anything you'd like to tell me?" asked Dylan. In his voice, concern and curiosity mixed.
"Well, ...... you know....... actually I do," said Rommie in a quiet voice. She raised her head and looked him in the eyes. "In fact, I do know. It was my programming. I programmed myself to pass out for some time."
"But ....... why? Why would you do something like that?" was Dylan astonished.
"Dylan, I love you so much. I hoped and prayed for years, fought to get your attention, but you seemed not to notice me as a woman. Perhaps it is strange to you, but in fact, deep down inside I am a woman in love. So I tried this one, perhaps last possibility. I programmed myself to switch off. I also programmed the sequence to wake me up. It should be said by you. You had to say 'I love you' in order to restart my programming."
"Jesus, what if I hadn't said it?" Dylan was shocked beyond belief.
"Then I would never wake up again," simply stated Rommie, looking with tearful eyes at him.
Dylan rubbed his forehead with his hand not believing what he just heard: "Does that mean, you were prepared to die if your plan wouldn't work?"
Rommie nodded, with her eyes pleading for understanding and love: "I saw no sense in living without your love. So I made this decision, that it's better to die then to continue as it was."
"Does that mean you love me so much, that you were really willing to die if I wouldn't tell you what I feel? I can't believe you love me so much."
"But I do, Dylan, I do. Do you hate me for that? I really just want to be with you," said Rommie, her voice barely a whisper.
Dylan looked at her, still shocked from the truth. "Rommie, I could never hate you. I love you too much. I just can't believe you were willing to go so far to get me admit my love."
He hugged her, looking in her big brown eyes, drowning in tears: "Rommie, you have to promise me one thing: You will never, never again do something so radical as this. Promise me! I couldn't stand loosing you."
"I promise Dylan. I am sorry if I made you sad or scared. I will do anything to make you happy, I swear."
Dylan kept looking at her and finally said: "God, Rommie, I just hope I can ever make everything up to you."
"You already did Dylan! Just let me love you and love me back. Don't let something come between us!"
They kissed again, but this time it was different. They both knew, that there was nothing more separating them. They shall always be there for each other.