Orville c7

It didn't take her that long at all to get ready and before ten minutes was up she was climbing up onto a reic that seemed to prance under her.

"You have ridden before right?"

"Of course I have it has just been a while is all, that and being on a ship not my usual method of travel I do say I have relaxed quite a bit working on the Orville."

"You saying I need to give you harder work?" Ed asked making Alex down to see him and the other officers watching.

"Came to say goodbye?"

"Came to make certain you didn't want help? I can't change your mind."

"I know you feel a responsibility for me Captain but focus on your other crew members I am not worth it. I am better alone… always and forever."

"She is going with you." Ed pointed out filing away what she had said for later, no one should feel like that.

"She won't stay, to her when I won the fight and she surrendered her life became mine she is upholding her belief."

"You're letting her. You fight me on my authority for my aide but you won't her?"

"I have tried believe me, but on this she will guide me where I need to go then we are even." Alex replied

"It is a life debt." Dawn rebutted turning to Alex she was waiting for her but found it necessary to voice her objection.

"It is this or I lock you in our brig."

"My sister wouldn't let you."

"Your life is mine she won't object." Alex replied silencing her.

"Fine I agree to your terms."

"Good then lead the way. Captain, Commander other Officers I will see you in two days… hopefully. Lead on." Alex said before anyone could object. They rode out of camp at a fast gallop, knowing the reic could find their way in the dark they will ride for a couple of hours before stopping to rest.

Ed was called onto the bridge he still couldn't believe how amazing the new bridge was. Or how the repairs were nearly finished basically his ship was looking as though it was never damaged in the first place. He looked around to see Gordon, he was the one to call him up out of his room where he was sitting worrying about Kelly.

"What is it?" he asked

"Well she said we couldn't follow her physically but we can send a prob after her. What do you think?"

"This way we have eyes on her and will know if she needs help."

"Right so we can see she is safe that is why I suggested it." Gordon replied cryptically.

"You want to see her fight don't you?" Ed asked looking at him, John and Alara were there and as he asked they looked down as he said it.

"Did you see what she was wearing? The Asamarians said it was her armour so it means she is expecting a fight."

"Do we know where she is?"

"We can track her by her communicator."

Meanwhile in Kelly's room she has given up on sleep and has sent Claire away. Today has been very emotionally draining for her and was hoping to sleep it off, but every time she closed her eyes she was greeted by nightmares and a feeling she couldn't describe but absolutely did not like. Sitting on her chair hugging her knees she once again looked at the clock. Not wanting to leave her room as she hated the pity looks she had been currently receiving. Grabbing her communicator thinking of what Alex had said and debating if she should contact her or not.

"Shaw you there?" Kelly found the courage to call her. For a minute she thought she might be sleeping and wasn't going to try again but it crackled to life with her response.

"Hello Commander Grayson…"

"Sorry I'm not waking you am I?" Kelly asked hearing how tired her response was.

"No ma'am I am on watch. Everything alright?"

"Not really couldn't sleep."

"I am up for a chat. You can keep me awake." Alex replied but Kelly knew it was for her benefit.

"I don't know what to do? I don't know how to describe it…"

"I understand Kelly this is me you are talking too. I know the feeling."

"What do you do? I see you and you seem fine."

"I have had years to adjust, you should have seen me the first time I used it, I tried to get rid of it then and there…. I still have it so I guess I accept it. Talk to me about Ed."

"What? Why?"

"Tell me a good memory of you and the captain, you were married yes?"

"Now we are divorced."

"Because you cheated…yeah the whole ship knows…but I also know it wasn't all your fault, that his race expel a must to attract a suitable mate…I am getting off topic, tell me a good memory." Alex explained waiting for her to respond thinking she might have crossed the line.

"There is one that I like to think back on…we made these reservations one time to a small restaurant. It usually took months to get a table but somehow he got one. As we were making our way there we were stopped by a child he was lost so we spent half an hour helping him to find his family, by the time we got to the restaurant we lost our reservation. So instead we went to a different place a Mexican joint the food was terrible, but the music was good they had a band playing. I just remember the entire time Ed was always looking at me with a goofy smile and this look in his eyes…I remember it wasn't the flash and fancy restaurant but it was still one of the best nights of my life. Why did you ask?"

"The entire time you were recalling that memory did you feel anything?" Alex asked this made Kelly think that was when she realised she didn't have that gut wrenching feeling.

"I thought you said there was no cure?"

"It is not a cure, it helps bare the pain. Good memories of those you love calms the storm enough to get some sleep."

"Is that your secret?"

"It doesn't work for me."

"Surely it does, your over a thousand years old, are you saying you don't have any good memories."

"I have plenty of memories good and bad, they all end the same. Like I said it doesn't work for me."

"What do you do then?"

"I exhaust myself into a dreamless sleep."

"That can't be good for you."

"I am not human remember I can go a while without sleep."

"Can you answer me one thing honestly for me?" Kelly asked she had to wait for a response.

"Yes."

"Have you slept at all on the Orville?" she asked and for a while it seemed like she wasn't going to answer.

"I am healthy."

"That wasn't an answer."

"I don't think I disturbed anyone, but do you remember those storms we had… the ones that usually ended us needing repairs nothing major."

"Yes…"Kelly replied not liking where this was going.

"Those were caused by me, no one was hurt and it could have been worse."

"Those storms didn't last long." Kelly pointed out remembering they had everyone baffled because they would start out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly as they started.

"I usually wake up."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologising?"

"Because you went through this alone," Kelly replied believing what she said she felt bad for Alex. She knew she could count on Ed and the other officers to have her back, she has friends and family but who did Alex have? "Surely you have others like you who you can consult with?"

"There are others out there but it is best we aren't in the same system let alone on the same planet."

"Why?"

"We don't get along."

"But surely…"

"It is not that we haven't tried but we can't. I think it is literally written in our DNA, we aren't compatible."

"But why?" Kelly asked not understanding filing away that information for later.

"I guess because we are powerful whoever created us didn't want us banding together to cause trouble." Alex replied and Kelly could tell that there was a story behind that but didn't push.

"Have you met anyone like you before?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"We fought…tell me some more memories." Alex asked making it clear she didn't want to talk about it anymore. So Kelly told her several stories about her past mostly to do with Ed but she didn't actually notice that until Alex brought it up. It was then Alex who told her about one of her adventures that was how Kelly fell asleep.
Neither Kelly nor Alex knew that Ed, Gordon, Alara and John were listening in silence on the bridge. Alara felt bad for listening and she was currently passing feeling like she was betraying Kelly by listening in. Ed did also realise that her good memories were of him even when she was asked for good memories in general, he also found himself smiling as he too remembered them.