Dorian sat at the dinner table chatting with Mitchel about her adventures, while Hugo talked with her parents.
"So you and Pavel are going out now! Well it's about time!" Mitchel sighed, eating a bit of his salad.
"Why does everyone say that!" Dorian asked, stabbing forcefully at her pasta.
Mitchel looked up and smirked.
"Cause we all knew! Now cut the crap and get to the chat!" Mitchell persisted."No! You're going to ask about sex and no we have not, no we will not be and it's not your business if we even did!" Dorian input bluntly.
"So there's a possibility you did!?" Mitchel smirked.
"No! But there is a possibility of this knife going up your arse!" Dorian growled.
"Kinky!" Mitchel laughed, knowing how to wind up the girl.
But Dorian had a signature power move.
"Hugo! Mitchel's picking on me about having a boyfriend!" Dorian whined.
Hugo instantly turned around.
"Mitchel! Don't be rude to Geneva, she's entitled to her privacy about her relationships." Hugo reprimanded his son.
Mitchel looked away, stabbing at his food with his knife, like a told off child.
"Sorry..." He said.
Hugo turned back to continuing speaking to Dorian's parents.
Mitchel turned back around, to see Dorian sticking her tongue out at him, Mitchel doing the same back,
The table continued to eat, when Izabella turned around to face her daughter.
"But you didn't though did you!?" She asked, wide eyed and shaking, her voice raising.
"No! Why has this gone to me! I got back like four hours ago! You two have been back longer than I have, so what's been going on aboard the Victory!?" Dorian asked.
Truth be told she loved the Victory. It was where she was born and she was always told stories about it's adventures, the daring missions and the explorations they did! For a while she wanted to serve aboard the Victory, but upon seeing how she lay in her fathers shadow and upon seeing the designs and simulations of it, knew the Enterprise was her dream to serve upon. Her grown up dream and decision. The Victory was the stuff of fairy tales and legends to her. The Enterprise was like her Second home where real life adventures took her to new and distant places, where she met knew people and lived in her own sometimes unbelievable stories.
"Not much, having to swap out our current counsellor there was an incident where some chemicals were spilled and Dr Johanna isn't doing too well recovering from it, she didn't have any injuries, but the trauma of it got her." Conrad said, the table lowered in volume in a mixture of not knowing what to say, respect and slight horror.
"Oh..." Dorian said.
"Other than that not much, we had a few incidents along the way, including transporting Markzin back from the space station he was being held at before the trial, are you okay?" Conrad asked in concern.
To say the least he was not at all pleased to hear the situation his daughter was in, in apprehending a suspected criminal, let alone that Captain Kirk had put her up to the task. While he could not baby his daughter, or air his concerns to her seemingly brash Captain after the trial he did pay the Despicable Doctor a visit. Alone. With all the camera turned off... The guards thought he was trying to injure himself to get into a psychiatric ward rather than do time in prison... In reality being a well known Captain got you places, and a few favours...
"I am fine, really after I gave my testimony I was allowed to stay for the rest and saw him be sentenced, it was fine the cross examination had nothing on mine and Bone's evidence and the video footage and the murder of hundreds aboard the star base... That I won't ever forget, but it's over now. Case closed." Dorian explained, finishing off her food, before putting her knife and fork together on her plate signifying she had finished her meal.
"Did you enjoy that?" Her mother asked, in an almost worried tone.
"Yes, It was lovely, thank you very much." Dorian smiled.
After some more discussion and dessert she went back up to her room and began to look though some of her old reading hauls. A few literary classics, a few more modern texts and a few books on Social movements within the federation. She finished them within the space of a good couple of hours and then lay on her bed, perpetually bored with not much to do. She was uninspired, and restless with a huge desire for sleep, but a huge desire for creativity and knowing if she did sleep she would lose the precious time she had at the moment.
She turned over on her side to look out at the window, the sky now dark and enclosing over her home. Russia was three hours ahead of the United Kingdom in terms of time zones and Dorian figured Chekov would be spending as much time with his family as possible so didn't want to disturb him. She considered going to sleep, but found she wasn't ready for it. When she suddenly heard the beep of her communicator, Dorian flipped it open, to answer a message from Sulu, who had sent a picture of him and Ben over from the night before for him, considering Japan was ahead of the UK by 9 hours. Dorian smiled, saving the picture on her communicator and switching it back off.
She knew they were going to last even if there was distance.
Now in pure boredom Dorian decided to play fast and loose with her pile of books. She closed her eyes and reached over to her bedside table, poking at the pile of books till she found one that stuck out from the pile, gently tapping her finger on it for a few seconds before moving to the one below it and pulling it out. She opened her eye's and looked at it. It was her leather bound copy of Romeo and Juliet, different to the one on her desk which was copy that was filled with annotations, from when she was still at school. This one had clean pages with unfolded edges and a small metal dagger attached to the side of it which acted as a bookmark when used. Dorian shrugged and began to read through the pages of the text, thumbing the corner of the page as she reached each end of them. Though she had read it over a thousand times she did not find it any less interesting, though rather disturbing in it's tones. Juliet was 13 while Romeo was around 17 or 18, which by there standards was fine, but by present just no. She was being arranged into a forced marriage, which again was fine then, still happened but still frowned upon now. Technically Juliet killed herself because her boyfriends parents didn't like her. Married Romeo, which not sure if she had known him all that long, regardless of love at first sight that was a stretch. But the thing that caught Dorian's attention most was the potion she took from the priest, which made everyone believe she was dead. She wondered how such a thing would work... To simulate death there would have to be an absence of a pulse, possibly dropping of body temperature, lack of breathing and for the eye's to be fixed, they couldn't be just closed.
Dorian wondered what could possibly do such a thing? In the book the process in which it was made was never explained, and it was probably put in for the plots purpose. Deadly nightshade could be used to send someone to sleep, but without the presence of activated Carbon the person would not get back up, Dorian knew this. It couldn't be cyanide, because that would just plain kill the person.
So it begged the question, could such a drug be made? And if so, what benefits could it have?
Dorian sat up from her bed and swung her legs over the side to get up, her feet hitting the cold wooden floorboards of the bed. Dorian grabbed her hoodie and put it on, currently wearing a tank top and some shorts as pyjamas, she felt surprisingly cold, but did not want to start wasting money on turning on the heating just yet. She walked over to her desk and pulled out the chair quickly to sit down, pressing the button for her screen to come up. She quickly logged back on and pulled up an interactive document, putting it in her shared drive so that she would be able to access it when she was aboard the enterprise. She wrote began to type out a few of the things she had thought of about this mysterious potion. Listing the Pro's and Con's of such a thing existing. Her most note able pro was it being perhaps used in hostage situations? Fake death and when the body is sent back, get back up? Though this had its draw backs, mostly timing, for Juliet it was a few days. There would either need to be a counter drug or it would have to have an accurate time span to work with.
Dorian continued writing out her theory. The thing was for it to work it would need to have the correct sequencing, have the same effects on mostly every species it came into contact with and be controllable enough to work, not detectable unless looked for, and safe enough to not actually kill the user.
Dorian pulled up her search bar and began searching for plants or organisms that perhaps already had these types of effects. After 20 pages of searching she found none, came close to one, but found it killed the user in the end. Dorian sat back in her chair and thought about it... At the very least it would be something to keep her mind occupied. Dorian spun in her chair for a few moments before hearing the beep of her communicator go off.
She flipped it open and looked down.
From Pavel Chekov 3 - Boyfriend.
Pavel Chekov: Hey
Geneva Dorian: Hey, what's up?
Pavel Chekov: Not much, where are you?
Geneva Dorian: Sat at my desk doing my head in over this theory I just came up with, but have no way of working on.
Pavel Chekov: Oh well, if you want we can call and chat?
Geneva Dorian: Sure, but isn't it Midnight where you are?
Pavel Chekov: Sleep is for the weak.
Geneva Dorian: Oh please, you say that now, but I will call you tomorrow morning and you won't pick up, because you will be so tired.
Pavel Chekov: No! That won't happen.
Geneva Dorian: Sure it won't, anyway how do you want to call?
Pavel Chekov: Video?
Geneva Dorian: Awesome!
Dorian got up from her desk and practically threw herself onto her bed with her communicator in hand.
Chekov lay on his bed and turned on the call, holding the screen above his head.
The call came on with a slight ping, followed by Dorian appearing on the screen. Both smiled at each other.
"So vhaz is zhis zheory you'we been vorking on?" Chekov asked.
"You've read Romeo and Juliet haven't you?" And Dorian went onto explain her curiosity into what caused Juliet to fake her death.
"Vhy is iz somezhing morbid vith you?" Chekov chuckled as his girlfriend pouted at his response.
"Because I am incredibly morbid at times, my reading and music taste always seem to prove to you..." Dorian wondered off.
Chekov quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Music choices for cerzain... Wizh songs like Ashes of dead roses, Skelezal Sands, Heaped in your arms and vhat was zhat one you showed me on zhe ship again...?" Chekov began, smiling slyly at her.
Knowing the memory would colour her cheeks crimson in shame.
"Don't you dare bring that up it was an accident. I didn't know it was on my play list!" Dorian began to defend herself.
Chekov put his thumb and forefinger to his chin.
"No I'm sure iz vas no accidenz, what was it called?" Chekov continued.
"Stop..." Dorian groaned.
"Oh zhats it-""Don't!"
"I remember now-""Don't say it!"
"Wasn't it Spank Me hard in the Graveyard." Chekov smirked.
Dorian sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"You promised me you would never speak of this again." Dorian whined.
"No I newer, besides sorza hard zoo keep zhat hidden, when as you vere trying to zurn it off, which vas hilarious Sulu and Doctor McCoy came zhrough zhe door." Chekov laughed, holding his side with one of his hands.
"They thought we were having sex Pasha!" Dorian reminded him.
"Iz still funny no matter vhat you say zoo me!" Chekov said, wiping his face of tears from laughter.
Dorian sighed and shook her head at her boyfriend.
"You're the worst..." Dorian breathed, smiling at him.
"Ha... Anvay vith your planz problem, vell vhen we get back on zhe ship you can ask Sulu if Bozany bay have anything new for you zoo test out, or maybe you could zry some other zhings?" Chekov suggested, shrugging slightly.
Dorians eye's widened on the screen.
"Pasha you're a Genius!"
"I try!?" Chekov replied.
For a while they sat and talked of this theory, going over the benefits of it, Chekov especially liked the benefit of possibly using it to halt progress of a condition without having to put the person in a stasis chamber, more of a coma that would completely halt the body's change.
While Dorian liked the idea she was sure a few things would have to be cut out as they would not work in certain situations. But for the time being he gave her food for thought. About three hours into their call they decided to finish of the series they had started watching about superheroes.
While watching the show together, though apart they both laughed and chatted about the storyline happily. Till one part where Dorian's favourite character came on, he was handsome, incredibly smart and possibly a ray of sunshine. Dorian's eye's widened in realization.
"Good lord I have a type!" Dorian exclaimed.
"Vhat do you mean zype?" Chekov asked in surprise, the sudden outburst pulling him out of his immersion.
"You and him have many of the same qualities." Dorian pointed out.
Chekov looked at the character on the screen for a moment.
"I'm not rich..." Chekov said.
"Do you think that matters to me? You could be homeless with not a penny or a plan and I would still love you, whatever, wherever, whenever." Dorian said before she could stop herself.
"Wow!" Chekov said in surprise.
"Listen if we were texting instead of calling I wouldn't have said that. I would have toned it down..." Dorian admitted in embarrassment.
"You do zhat zoo?!" Chekov asked in realization."YES! YOU DO?!" Dorian exclaimed.
"Zhere hawe been so many zimes vhere I have vritten you long paragraph and I look at it and shorzen iz zoo maybe four vords az most." Chekov admitted, rubbing the back of his head.
"Me too! I do this long paragraph and I look and it and I'm like: NOPE, GONNA TONE THAT SHIT DOWN!" Dorian replied.
"Lets stop doing zhat zhen, and just send each ozher ewerything ve meanz zoo." Chekov suggested, already feeling better, knowing he wasn't the only one who did so.
Dorian thought for a moment... She could say some pretty sappy things, was she prepared to do it...
Yes she was...
"Deal." Dorian nodded.
The two stayed up late just talking to one another after that, finding an openness they had not found, maybe brought on by not being in the same room as each other during the conversation. However by half one in the morning Dorian was beginning to waver, tiredness creeping into her eye's making her yawn. Consider for Chekov it was four in the morning he himself was fighting back the need to sleep, hoping when he did he wouldn't be woken up too early.
"You should probably go sleep nov..." Chekov yawned rubbing his eye's.
"Hah! Knew..Knew you would get tired..." Dorian hummed.
"No..I-I am jusz looking afzer you..." Chekov began to hum back.
"You hang up first..." Dorian jeered at him for a brief moment.
"No...Your zired you hang up firz..." Chekov replied.
"It..It seems we've reached an in pass then." Dorian replied doing her best to stay awake and win this sudden contest.
"No not if you admiz you are zired and go zo sleep." Chekov replied, knowing he would have to play his winning card with her.
"If you...If you keep this up the next time I see you after I...I give you a kiss I'll give your cheek a smack..." Dorian groaned.
"Zhat zhreat is wery empty... Don't make me puz you to sleep.." Chekov smirked.
"You can't just give...give up!" Dorian yawned.
Chekov sighed tiredly... It was time for him to win.
He turned to the camera and began to speak soothingly in Russian.
"You...You.. Chee-ky bastard... Damn it... F-Fine... Goodnight.. Love you.." Dorian sighed, beginning to fall asleep.
"Love you too..." Chekov replied, before Dorian switched off the call.
Chekov reached over and turned off the lights in his room, before lying back down on the bed.
Though he was tired he thought for a moment... How that always worked with Dorian, more importantly the way in which she slept.
He knew from experience that at times, not every night, but maybe once in a week or two Dorian would begin to grow restless in her sleep. Breaking out into cold sweats and her hands moving, from their normal place laid on her abdomen, with her right hand suddenly clutching the right side of her lower ribs, while her left hand which as she slept on the left side of the bed often clutched the partially empty linen on her side tightly, turning her knuckles white, if Chekov listened closely for maybe a moment he would hear fast, but small intakes of breathe. They were infrequent, but he knew they meant she felt some kind of discomfort.
This had happened not only when the two shared a room at the Academy, but when they were aboard the enterprise. Often enough Chekov would reach over and take hold of the hand that clung to her ribs, move over to her side more than his own and speak softly in Russian, till the movement stopped, the small hicks of breath evened into slow melodic breathing and her hands moved back to her abdomen.
The mornings after it was never talked about. To Chekov it seemed Dorian didn't know she was doing it, and if she did she didn't want to talk about it and possibly for anyone to know...
The first time he thought it was a nightmare, making something out of nothing. The tenth time it happened he knew this was something...
He turned over to face the bedside table he had, reaching over and feeling for the long rectangular box he had placed there. The cold touch of the fake leather box shocked him slightly, before he retracted his arm back into the bundle of sheets he lay in, noticing an absence that felt almost wrong... They had been apart on the Enterprise, but they were always down the corridor, in the med-bay on the bridge, on the ship. On the ship it seemed the distance no longer mattered. They were on the same ship, it was the same place. Now it seemed they were too far apart to even equate to the distance of the ship.
Chekov closed his eyes tightly, wanting for sleep to take hold of him knowing that with each passing night though his time in Russia wold grow shorter, his time with Dorian would grow closer. When he was there perhaps he could ask her about her disturbed sleep...
Dorian woke up the next morning at around ten, her communicator buzzing with a message from Uhura.
From Nyota Uhura:
Nyota Uhura: Hey Geneva, how are you?
Dorian picked up her communicator and replied.
Geneva Dorian: I'm good, you?
Dorian then waited for a few minutes before realizing it would be a while before she received a reply. Her friend most likely caught up with something unexpected. Just as she was about to close her communicator it beeped again, this time from Bones.
From Leonard McCoy-Bones:
Bones: Hey Geneva, did you see the video Jim sent you last night at all?
Dorian sighed... this could be nothing good. Before she gave the Doctor an answer she decided to not say anything till after she had watched said video, just in case of her saying no it would be removed, without her having a chance to see it.
She went back and scrolled down through her contacts before tapping on the one marked as Captain-Jim Kirk, when tapping on it revealing the other title she had given to his name of Jackass.
She then opened a video clip which began to play. It was of Jim leaning into the camera with Bones and someone else who Dorian recognized from her academy days with them, they were having a wild night with Kirk dancing furiously around half out of his mind, the whole video was embarrassing, it was a whole chronicle of the night from start to finish, starting with them synchronizing watches to pick up girls, to the very last moments of their friend falling into a bush...
Dorian exited the video before replying to Bones.
Geneva Dorian: Yes... Yes I did.
Bones: What did you make of it?
Geneva Dorian: You lot are bloody morons! XD
Bones: Not me! Just them two!
Geneva Dorian: No you too... You drunk and dancing do not go well together.
Bones: But I wasn't drunk?
Geneva Dorian: Then you need to fix up! Cause you dance like a horse on Ketamine.
Bones is typing...
Dorian laughed to herself, knowing she was in for a long paragraph from him, if not a voice message.
She swung her legs out from her bed and walked towards her desk chair, grabbing her hoodie and putting it on. After this she messaged Chekov.
To Pavel Chekov 3-Boyfriend
Geneva Dorian: Morning.
Pavel Chekov: I won!
Geneva Dorian: Shut up...
Pavel Chekov: Very Good morning.
Geneva Dorian: I've got a funny video to show you!
Pavel Chekov: Is it something I am going to delete after from my history!? Cause I'm not doing that again, the last time was nerve wracking enough.
Geneva Dorian: Oh don't be such a drama queen, that fandom edit was tame and no it's not! Just watch.
Pavel Chekov: That fandom edit was not tame, that whole episode of the show was not tame.
Geneva Dorian: You're just salty cause your character died and mine lived.
Pavel Chekov: It was wrong and bad story telling!
Geneva Dorian: Just shut up and watch the vid Pasha!
Pavel Chekov: Can't do that if you haven't sent it...
Geneva Dorian:...
Pavel Chekov: Got you there...
Geneva Dorian: Shut up...
Geneva Dorian: (Has sent a: Video Message)
Dorian closed her communicator knowing how long it would take for Chekov to watch the video considering it went past twenty minutes. She exited her bedroom and was greeted by the smell of breakfast from downstairs, Dorian practically ran to the source of the smell, realizing she was considerably hungry. When she traversed the long flight of stairs and made it to the kitchen she found her father cooking bacon, with maple syrup!
"Oh! Geneva I thought you were still asleep!? I was going to come in and surprise you..." Conrad said turning around with his spatula in hand. He was wearing a comical apron with a cute picture of a duck on it, which seemed to be too small on the tall man.
"MAPLE BACON PANCAKES!" Dorian yelled excitedly before composing herself, realizing she sounded immature.
"I-I mean, smells-Smells good!" Dorian corrected, laughing nervously.
Her father began to pass them onto a plate before setting up the other plates round the table. Before long her mother darted in, followed by Hugo and lastly Mitchell who looked like he was coming down with a case of cold.
"Mate what happened?" Conrad asked the somewhat ill man.
"I think I caught it- From-ughhh- The market seller in town..." Mitchell whined, spooning a pancake from his plate into his mouth.
"Well then take the day off, the house doesn't need to be cleaned everyday you know?" Conrad said, patting the boy on the shoulder.
Mitchell smacked his head against the table, turning his cheek to press into the cold metal of the counter.
"But the dirt bugs me..." Mitchell groaned.
Isabella and Hugo chuckled slightly to one another.
"Well a cold will bug you more than the dirt, especially since if it keeps up you will be the one causing a mess. I'll clear up." Dorian said, before picking up the empty plates and beginning to wash them up , once finished she turned around to have a shower.
"Geneva, when you're back from visiting the town, would you like to help me plant the flowers for the new season?" Hugo asked.
Dorian agreed happily and went off to take her long, sought after shower.
After Chekov had finished watching the video and forwarded it to Sulu he grabbed his jacket and headed downstairs to where his parents were waiting to take him out. He sent Dorian a quick message saying he wouldn't be able to answer her messages for a while, in which she replied she would not either as she would be heading into the village near her home.
Chekov stopped, picking back up the communicator and put it in his pocket. Remembering he may actually need the device. He quickly went downstairs where his parents were waiting for him, he had to admit even though the time was short he enjoyed being home, even though he did miss Dorian he knew they both needed to spend time with their families... While they still could...
Dorian walked with her mother briskly as they began to pass the small shops and cottages in the village. Though it was slightly cloudy this was not unusual in England in the slightest. Dorian, who for the benefit of comfort wore a lilac dress with blue leggings and a cardigan felt relaxed as she walked with her mother, a straw basket in hand to pick up some things from a small store or two. Mostly fabric as her father was sewing a quilt he had been working on in his spare time. It had a little piece of everyone on it and thought it was a nice thing to do.
Contrary to popular belief, Captain Dorian was not your typical mans man. Sure he could fight well, was a hulk of a man and commanded respect when in the presence of officers this was not all that he was about. He would give respect as it was received, he was a homely man enjoying an array of activities such as sewing and Crochet, cooking and like his daughter music, though he only played the saxophone.
Her mother on the other hand was a tomboy growing up. A love of sports and geography ended up making her a good navigator at the start of her Starfleet career much like her Grandfather. For her mother Starfleet was a family affair since her childhood she lived and breathed it, and sometimes felt guilt that perhaps she had done the same to her own child...
As Dorian passed by the post office window an excited face of small child suddenly darted away pulling at the skirt of her mother.
For a moment the two walking women stopped, raising an eyebrow at the noise seeming to grow louder and louder.
"GENGENGENGENGENGEN! The voice of a small girl cried.
Dorian turned around to see a small girl barrel towards her.
"Oh here we go agai-" She was suddenly smacked to the ground.
The little girl squeezed tightly.
"GEN! YOU'RE BACK!" The girl screamed happily.
"Hello Lillia." Dorian smiled, back the little girls back.
She looked to be around seven years old. Chubby cheeked, though beginning to grow taller and longer, she had mousey brown hair, cut short and swept over her head, with a tiny flower hair clip to keep it in place and wore a purple, yellow and blue zigzag cardigan and blue jeans with slightly dirtied white trainers. Her eye's were a pale sort of Hazel and her cheeks were dotted with tiny freckles.
"Geneva! I'm sorry about Lillia! She ran off before I could stop her!" Lillias mother called out catching up with the three.
"It's fine! Glad to know she missed me while I was away!" Dorian laughed, ruffling the girls hair.
Dorian picked the girl up as she began to pick herself up, again beginning to answer the questions of the little girl, about being in Starfleet and meeting new people. She didn't tell her about her boyfriend, she thought she should wait a little first.
While Dorian went off and chatted with Lillia, having her help in picking out cool patterns of fabric and lifting her to reach the taller shelves. Dorian's mother gave the woman a card.
"It's a secret now Merianne, Genny can't a find out." Isabella said in a hushed voice.
Merianne nodded, slipping the card into her pocket.
By the end of the trip out, Dorian had bought the girl, an ice cream, a muffin with a cute cat face on it for after her meal and a pair of sparkly fairy wings that were on sale in the fabric store. Lillia then refused to take them off for the rest of the time out.
When it finally came to saying goodbye Merianne thanked her, telling her she was having a bit of a rough time at school making friends. When Dorian asked why, she was told it was because she was a bit smaller and a bit shyer with other people, the fact she didn't have a father or second parent and the truth that she was smart enough to always put her hand up when she didn't know something and was called stupid for it.
"It's the happiest she's been in a good few weeks. Now with the holiday here I think she might be happier." Merianne confided.
Soon after both girls went home and Dorian returned with an array of colourful fabrics for her father to use.
While Conrad sat quietly, stencilling patterns onto the fabric with the help of his wife, who though sometimes bored liked how it entertained her husband, after checking on Mitchell went to garden with Hugo.
For a while both digging and planting the flowers with a comfortable silence.
"Are you afraid?" Hugo asked, breaking the silence suddenly like fragile glass.
"Of Dying?" Dorian replied, looking at the small yellow flower in her hands.
Hugo nodded, grunting in a slight response.
"Yes... I am afraid of what will happen when I go..." Dorian explained.
She placed the small flower in the ground before beginning to cover it with earth.
"You say that as if it is for certain, and I am damned if you will outlive this old man." Hugo said.
"Hugo you aren't even that old." Dorian laughed quietly.
"Do not be afraid, when I was your age and my mother died, my father told me something that gave me comfort." Hugo said.
Dorian looked up at the older gentleman.
"Death is both natural and Unnatural. It is natural for the land for death to take place so that new things can grow from the shadow cast by the sadness of it, and it is unnatural that beautiful things such as life itself must die, as it perhaps was never meant to be that. Just remember that... Do not be afraid." Hugo said.
Dorian nodded at him, and while both were not looking the small flower, began to open it's petals slowly and one by one.
That night the two teenagers talked again. Both were sat at their desks, Dorian working on her theory while Chekov did a navigators simulation. The two mostly talked about their day and how they had done things with their parents. Dorian had gardened and then helped with the blanket. While Chekov spent the day with his parents, being taken out to eat and then popping into see some more relatives. Who had all sorts of questions for him.
"Iz was better zhan I expeczed, I would have zhought zhey vould perhaps be more vorried or leczuring." Chekov thought out loud.
Dorian could be seen putting down the stylus through the screen.
"Pasha, I know you think you just ran off to Starfleet without a second thought, but that's not how it was at all. You gave it serious thought and consideration for years. You knew it was best for you. I suppose a parent want what is best for their child, even if they do not see if that way at the time. Well most parents do, I cannot speak for those that often mistreat their children, I'm talking in the context of our parents I guess, though our experiences were most likely different." Dorian clarified.
"I knov... I just feel bad abouz iz." Chekov sighed.
His parents had been overjoyed when he came in. He thought how bad it must have looked in a sense, their only child just going like that.
"Stop it! Pasha I know what you're thinking right now, it doesn't matter. What's done is done. I can see it on your face." Dorian called to him. Suddenly realizing he was by mistake setting the simulated ships course too far to the right.
"How do you-"
"You have a tell. You do this thing where you frown and your head bobs for like a few seconds and then you blink and then you kinds stare down worryingly." Dorian explained.
"I don't do zhat..." Chekov chuckled nervously.
"Tell me I'm wrong."
"You're vrong."
"You are lying." Dorian concluded smirking at him.
For the rest of the evening the conversation went as such, though at home it was hard for the two to switch off from their jobs. Until something of interest came up, such as a new movie trailer or a new update to a game.
"With the new update you can increase your stamina bar by two sections." Dorian explained looking through the games new features thanks to a version 10.6 update.
"Da, buz zhere is no fix on zhe bug on zhe level eighz mowes." Chekov noted.
"You are level sixty three, why do you care?" Dorian asked.
"Because for some reason I cannoz gez pasz zhe campaign vithout using azleaz zhree of zhem!" Chekov groaned.
Dorian sighed and shook her head before saving her work and opening the game launcher.
For the next two hours the two played on team campaign, with Chekov the more experienced of the two on the game breezing through. Dorian it appeared, kept dying.
"Okay you must be using hacks!" Dorian growled."No! Jusz pure skill!" He grinned, finding Dorian's lack of said skill amusing.
"You wouldn't be saying this if we were playing Assassin's Creed." Dorian reminded the somewhat over confident Russian."Vhich one?""Assasins Creed: Loss of Liberty, You know the one that takes place in 2016 in both Britain and America." Dorian reminded.
"Jeez, zhat game jusz shows how bad of a year zhat really vas. " Chekov said.
"Don't remind me, when I was learning about it in history while at school it was one of the most dense subjects with some ridiculous things happening, especially in government." Dorian replied, remembering it as one of the only things that took her a while to understand.
"When I learnz abouz iz apparenzly historians refused to go near zhe subjecz for zhrirty years afzer it." Chekov replied.
"What a shit show..."
"Wery."
After that the two both went to bed and the week began to fly by.
On the Sunday Dorian and her father both dressed in their Starfleet uniforms. They were taking a trip into London to Visit Starfleet HQ in the City. While sat in the car Dorian looked out at London, the grey skies making the chrome buildings look almost like granite, with hardly any light except the passing cars to reflect from. The car drove slowly in the traffic and while Dorian insisted she would drive, her father took it upon himself to do so. Parking outside the building before going inside, being scanned for security clearance. Dorian walked the halls by her fathers side. Hat in hand she gazed at the interior, remembering as a child she could go no further than the offices. For Dorian it was always a treat to go in. She would be allowed to look at the model ships or even see one being built. Once for a class project when she was very young she did it on Starfleet. She was a starry eyed child who now at the age of 18 was amazed to go past the glass doors she was forbidden to go through and with a hesitant step for a reason she could not identify. Step beyond it, while her fathers sleeves were decorated with stripes her were not. She wondered if one day that would change.
The building would continue to perplex her, she knew this, but now going into a private room she was sat down and shown the medical bay of the Victory via a hologram.
She started intensely as she passed at the door that was heavily metaled and deemed off limits to all unauthorized personal, such a door she had never seen before on the premises. It was wrong, heavy and almost military in style.
"I need your opinion, a fresh set of eye's, since you work on the Enterprise's one, what do you think of this medical bay?" Conrad asked her father.
She knew this was in a way sensitive information. But not overly so, though it still warranted the journey.
"Your stock cupboard seems a little small, unless you have fold away shelves it's not going to do you any good. You have an uneven number of bio beds on each side and your mental health section of the bay does not have its own lab equipment. Most of which you can fix, its just for convenience. How come?" Dorian asked, finishing her evaluation of it.
"Dr Westlow is refusing to update certain parts of the bay saying they don't need fixing so I don't know what needs to be fixed and so I can't tell the engineers, now I can... That's not all we are here for though." Conrad said, his voice becoming low.
"Is something the matter?" Dorian replied matching his.
"Yes... Though I know you do not think it there are parts of this place even I am not cleared to go." Conrad began."This is a HQ... You're a captain, that shouldn't be happening." Dorian replied, perplexed by the idea of it.
"I know. Your cousin and I think something may be going on, I know it may seem odd to think so, but Starfleet is a peace keeping organization, we are explorers, we wouldn't need to keep this level of secrecy at a HQ surely?" Conrad suggested.
"The only thing that would give me an answer to that is the Klingons at the edge of the neutral zone and possibly the Romulans, though peace was agreed to in a treaty I would see it being a potential threat. Do you think- no."
"No say it..." Conrad urged his daughter.
"Well this HQ is a ship building yard as well perhaps defence ships are being built." Dorian pondered.
"No, Admiral Marcus would never do that surely?"
Dorian thought, she had met the Admiral and she knew his daughter well enough... Both had met at the London HQ and both were primarily raised in London.
"Then I don't know, have you aired this to Mum?" Dorian asked in concern, not telling her mother things was a bad sign of trouble in her parents relationship.
"Of course." "Well then what did she say?"
"She told me to stay out of it and not ask questions." Conrad sighed.
The two began to leave the building, not speaking openly until they had safely driven out of London.
"She only does so to keep you safe, she is worried." Dorian sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"Yes, but you know I cannot sit aside and not question it." He said.
"Yes... Yes you can! We are Dorian's, our family's history is full of such action, from the Russian Mafia to the Dockland gangs in the East End, this family has been able to roll over at a whim to protect itself!" Dorian began.
However Conrad would have none if it.
"Yes! Yes we have and aren't you tired of it!? Aren't you tired, of sitting back with no pride in this family! To not be able to stick up for what you believe in, because it is not the Dorian way!?" Conrad exclaimed, aggravated immediately.
"Why do you think I joined Starfleet and opted for PhD's it wasn't out of malice or spite, it's because I wanted to make a change, not throw money at the problems bad politics causes." Dorian replied.
"Then Why would I sit back from this!? For years this family's ability to help society has instead began to poison it! With bad tradition's and useless political agenda, especially from your aunt, who seems to be pulling this families strings. I as a person refuse to do that anymore and refuse to be chained anymore either cause that's all this is." Conrad finished, reaching into his uniform and yanking off the Dorian locket that he had, the jade stone reflecting in the light, before he threw it into the glove box.
Dorian sat there wide eyed, maybe because he had done what she had long sought to do.
"I won't have it, I'm going to start doing what I should have done years ago, the thing that may have saved my brothers life, If I see bad practice I will call it out... I won't hide anymore. Geneva, I want you to know you don't have to live this life. I want you to be happy so when you can, just be what you want, where you want."
"Okay..." Was the only thing Dorian could say, while she saw a new lightness in her father she still felt the weight around her neck... Of that chain. A chain that bore the name, which to her was branded at this point.
" Go into the box on your side behind your seat and scan that code into your communicator." Conrad said.
Dorian instinctively did as she was told. Opening the box to find a small silver chip, which she then scanned onto her communicator with it's camera.
The communicator then uploaded it to a separate calling frequency.
"What-What is this?" Dorian asked, bewildered.
"It is a separate frequency for you to communicate on with me or your cousin."
"But-""You know why Geneva, it is for me to know you are safe. Yes it is a little bit well privilege, but still may as well since I can." Conrad said.
The rest of the car ride was sat in silence.
Dorian sat in her room again that night, unable to work on her theory with full concentration. She pondered everything her father had said to her, remembered him ripping off the necklace. She felt hers on her neck, and for the life of her could not remove it. She thought about everything said... the thing that may have saved my brothers life...
Her uncle had died as a partial result of assassination, the other half was due to illness. He was not strong enough to survive the trip to the hospital. Dorian remembered that day, like the day of many deaths. Clearly...
She wanted to message Chekov, but found this night, unlike the other nights he would not be able to call or message her.
Dorian sighed, deciding to go to sleep early, knowing sleep would perhaps take away her worries.
She turned off her lights, but left the hologram of the stars on. And gently fell to sleep...
What followed next to Dorian felt strange, for a moment she felt like she was being watched, like eye's bore in from the window near her bed, it looked black with pale eye's and unrecognisable features, before Dorian fell back into sleep.
Some hours, though it felt like minutes later Dorian was awoken by her mother.
"Geneva, there is a visitor here a for you..." Isabella hummed.
"Well- Who ever it is, is insane, it's three in the morning! Can't it wait..." Dorian groaned rubbing her eye's and rolling over. There were then footsteps in her room and she growled, before feeling someone sit on the edge of her bed and lean over her ear.
"So I guess zhat means I vin again?" A familiar voice said.
Dorian's eyed widened and she shot up, the lights from the hologram lighting her room just enough to show her she was not dreaming, but Chekov was sat in front of her!"Pasha!" Dorian yelled happily, practically tackling him, as Lillia had done with her.
"Zold you! Go by so fasz you von't even nozice it." Chekov chuckled, hugging her back.
"Pavel's come to stay for a the week!" Isabella said.
"And-""Conrad..." Isabella interrupted her husband.
"But-""Remember when we were young and I wasn't allowed to share a room with you, I think you were very upset. She's 18.. She's responsible." Isabella hissed at her husband, pinching his arm.
Conrad made noises of Protest, but sighed.
"Fine, but If I end up being a granddad at forty nine years of age I'll snap you bloody neck lad." Conrad warned.
Chekov took his hands off of Dorian and raised them defensively, the two adults beginning to exit before Conrad shot his head back in and made the watching you sign at Chekov, before fully closing the door.
"Awww he likes you!" Dorian laughed.
"Zhaz noz how I vould describe it." Chekov grimaced.
Dorian chuckled and grabbed both of his cheeks.
"I haven't forgotten..." She smiled, speaking in a low and happy tone.
"Forgotten what?" He asked, Dorian kissed his cheek softly and he felt his face heat up.
Then he felt a smack on said cheek..
"Oh, forgotten that..." She said.
Dorian smirked evilly.
"So do you want to go back to sleep?" Chekov asked, shifting onto the edge of the bed. Dorian could see he was wearing a light green jacket with a fabric hood and an Assassins Creed shirt.
"Yeah, but I'll wait for you to go change." Dorian nodded.
That night while he slept Chekov woke to an eerie feeling, he thought at first it was Dorian having a bad night, it was not... In his daze he thought there was a face at the window, black and faceless with pale and almost glowing eyes. Chekov began to squint at it, wondering what he was seeing. However for two minutes, it did not move and it did not blink. Chekov lay back down next to Dorian, resting his head next to hers, assuring himself that it was some sort of painting on the window she or Mitchell had done or a misshapen object.
He was disturbed the next morning to find that the window as he found out it was, was bare of any objects...