A/N: I apologise for how short this chapter is, but I needed to let you dear folks know I was still thinking of you - It's been hell trying to find the time to write lately, so I'm giving you this just to let you know I'm still alive :) Thanks, as always, to Kretolus, and also to the awesome Dr Zevil who has also purchased my novels. Thanks for the support, guys!
Lydana knew she was missing details, but after being knocked out twice she felt she could be excused for that. She was certain she recognised the girl's uniform, but couldn't recall where, and there was something about her features that nagged at her mind. The girl fidgeted constantly, picking at her fingernails or toying with her hair. Clearly she was nervous.
"You still haven't answered me," Lydana pointed out, frowning as the girl emitted a nervous half-giggle.
"I-I-I, ummm...I'm- I mean, m-my name is...er, Léonie," she managed, and Lydana noticed a slight accent in the girl's voice.
"Well, that's a start," Lydana answered. "I'm Lydana."
"I know," the girl said, and immediately clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in alarm.
"'you know'?" Lydana repeated, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly she brightened, finally recognising the uniform. "Oh, of course you know," she started more cheerfully, "you're a Temporal Agent."
Léonie relaxed - eventually - and nodded, seemingly rendered mute by her own shock.
"Giving me the silent treatment?"
"Er...n-no," Léonie managed. "I just...I need to watch wh-what I say. Mama always says I t-talk too much- fuck!" She clapped a hand over her mouth again and scurried away, and Lydana wondered how the poor girl stayed on her feet, with such long legs and an apparent inability to control them.
"Did she ever say you swear too much, too?" Lydana said with a chuckle, but Léonie just gave another nervous giggle.
They began working together on the ship, Lydana's mind racing around the problems before her...and the mystery of her new companion. She was certain there was something about the girl she was missing, but she simply couldn't place it.
On several occasions, the girl said something, or nearly said something, then clapped a hand over her mouth and scurried away. She was like some sort of easily-startled rodent, and Lydana grew more perplexed.
Things began to fall into place when they began to work in the brighter light of the cockpit. Lydana turned around to speak to Léonie, and paused as she finally noticed something she had missed before. Her eyes narrowed, and the younger girl looked up nervously.
"W-what is it?" she stammered, her eyes darting from side to side.
"Your nose," Lydana stated. "You...have some subtle nose-ridges. Are you...half Bajoran?"
Léonie gave a nervous laugh, emitting a series of nonsensical sounds as her nerves got the best of her.
"Hah, ah, ha...um...y-yes?" she managed, and Lydana leaned as close as she could.
"Who are you? Really?"
"W-w-well, I, uh, I can't, um-"
"And don't give me that Temporal Prime Directive crap either, I need to know I can trust you," Lydana added in a firm tone, adding to Léonie's flustered state.
"I-I-I can't, I mean, I shouldn't, uh, because...uh, because...because...er...I'm...um…"
The taller girl swallowed visibly.
"I'm...your daughter," she added in a tiny voice.
Lydana turned around again, dumbfounded. Several times she started to turn, to say something or ask another question, and each time her brain tried to unravel yet again.
"B...but my wife died," she managed, after a full five minutes of aborted questions.
"Your first wife did," Léonie answered, before covering her mouth again. "Seriously, y-you can't talk to me! Me just being here has probably...oh, fuck, Mama will kill me!"
With that, Léonie hurried back into the crew compartment towards the aft of the vessel, and Lydana pushed herself out of her seat to follow her.