Less than one year later:
"Hikaru spends too much time with her." Margot said, and sipped her wine.
"With whom?" Skylar turned her gaze from the movie they were watching, to see her friend.
"Yoshiko Fujii." She stated. "You know her, my long lost scientist friend, who's now drooling all over my husband."
"Oh, her." Skylar said, and turned off the movie.
It was obvious, that Margot didn't really want to watch it anymore. She wanted to talk, and this was a chat Skylar had known for a long time, was coming. Actually, she had feared this moment since they had a few weeks earlier found the 34 missing scientists, that had been abducted from the very same space station Margot had almost lost her life on. For a reason Skylar had hard time figuring out, there had been a young woman named Yoshiko Fujii amongst those 34 people. The same Doctor Fuji, Skylar had learnt to know - and love - as Hikaru Sulu's wife on the alternate reality she remembered best.
But on that reality, this certain Ms. Fuji had never worked on that space station, nor had she been kidnapped by evil aliens - only to be rescued by the Enterprise, and more accurately by Hikaru Sulu.
Damn that heroic bastard, for saving a woman in distress! Skylar cursed in her mind. Had she known that Yoshiko was on that moon, she would've made sure Sulu never stepped his foot on it.
"You know, he really enjoys her company." Margot said silently. "They are so much alike, and somehow when I see them… they seem so intimate with each other. You know what I'm talking about, right?"
"I haven't noticed." Skylar tried, and avoided Margot's gaze by pouring some more wine to her glass.
"You're lying. I hate it when you do that." She gulped some of the delicious red wine - the real thing, imported from France. "And I hate that damn Yoshiko. God, it's like she's this perfect goddess, with her flawless skin and elegant looks. When I look at her, I feel all clumsy, and stupid and ugly. Just look at me, Skylar. How can I ever compete with her?"
"First: there is no competition. You are Sulu's wife, he loves you. And secondly: you are a science officer-"
"A junior science officer." Margot corrected.
"Fine, a junior science officer, but still by definition, you can't be stupid. And what comes to your looks, I can pick any guy from this ship and ask how they feel about the matter, and they'll all say you're beautiful."
"No, they'd say I'm fuckable. There's a difference."
"You're a stubborn ass. You're damn pretty, and you know it. Just because you happen to have some scars, doesn't change that."
"Some scars?" Margot looked at her with dark eyes, made a face, and took another sip from her glass. "My cheeks and nose will never be the way they were."
"You'r lucky to be alive, Margot. Minor scarring on your face is irrelevant, to everyone but you."
"Yeah, well, it makes me feel like a fricking Frankenstein." Margot grunted. "At least compared to Yoshiko."
"Are you jealous?"
"Yes, I am."
"Well, there is a first time for everything." Skylar shrugged.
"I'd never had a reason to be before."
"What are you saying? That Hikaru has given you reason for that now?"
"Not as such." Margot bit her lip. "He's being a saint. But I know, that he wants her. Call it a feminine instinct, if you will, but I'm sure."
"I haven't noticed anything, Margot. I'm sure it's all in your head."
"Either you're lying, or you're blind. Just look at him the next time you see them together, will you? He has this look in his eyes…. The look I'm used to see, when he sees me."
Skylar looked down, to avoid her friend's accusing gaze. She knew Margot was right, but still she could not make herself to admit it.
"Even if that's true - and I'm not saying it is - it's not that bad. You're checking out guys all the time, aren't you?."
"That's different."
"How is that different? Because you've already slept with everyone?"
"That's not fair!" Margot exclaimed. "There are people I haven't slept with. At least I think there are. Besides, I've been faithful to Hikaru."
"Except the time you had sex with Jim."
"Hey!" She protested. "That was before we got married, and it has absolutely nothing to do with this! Whose side are you on, Skylar?"
"I'm sorry. I wasn't aware there were sides to be taken."
"Well, there might be. Besides, this really is very different than my fling with Jim."
"How come?"
"Because I've never been, nor will I be, married to anyone else but Hikaru."
Skylar winced under her stern gaze. Margot knew. But how? How was it possible?
"I don't know what you're talking about." she tried one, last time.
"Stop that goddamn lying!" Margot snapped. "And don't you dare to hide behind some stupid rule or directive. Just tell me the truth, now. Yoshiko Fujii is Hikaru's past/future alternate reality wife, isn't she? Tell me, or I'll never talk to you again."
"Alright, alright. It's true." Skylar had to resign.
God, she hated it when Margot forced the truth out of her like this. But then again, had she been Margot, wouldn't she want to know? She was jealous of Leo's ex wife as it was, even if their relationship had been over a long time before she'd even met him.
"But still," she continued. "I don't understand why you're so upset about it. Sulu only married her because you'd been dead for years, and he had been alone for a long time. Besides, you two never were together in the first place in that reality."
"Did he love her?" Margot's voice was as dark as her eyes now. "Did he love her, like he loves me, or more?"
"I'm not going to tell you the details, Margot! I'm simply not allowed to do that."
"Tell me. Now! Was he happy with her?"
Skylar gave a long sigh. "Yeah, okay? They had a long and happy marriage, and they had a daughter together. But he missed you for the rest of his life, and never forgave himself for not telling you how he really felt about you. You were his first love, and Yoshiko was the second."
Margot was silent for a long while, but kept sipping her wine on a way that made Skylar rather nervous. She cursed in her mind. Damn that Hikaru Sulu, for not being able to hide his interest! Why did he have to be dumb enough to let Margot notice that something was going on?
It was agonizing enough for Skylar, to watch Sulu and Yoshiko together as it was. To see the couple she remembered so well, and that now never would be. To remember their wedding, their daughter… the smart little girl named Demora. Skylar had been her godmother, and now that girl would never even be born! Demora Sulu would never be the helmsman of USS Enterprise in this reality - another thing that had been changed by Nero.
Skylar shook her head to get rid of the disturbing thoughts. Yeah, Yoshiko and Sulu had made a great couple, but that was another reality. Now everything was different: she didn't believe for one moment that Sulu would leave Margot for Yoshiko. He loved Margot, and they were married - had been for more than six months now. There was no way he'd want to mess that up.
"Margot, you worry too much." Skylar said, and gave her a reassuring glance.
"Or then I don't worry enough."
"He loves you."
"I know."
"Then what's wrong?" Skylar asked. "Is that not enough?"
Margot shrugged, and buried herself in the corner of the couch.
"Maybe it isn't. What if our marriage was a mistake? What if I messed up this reality by not dying? What if Hikaru really does belong together with Yoshiko? I know he want's to have kids. He's given up that dream to be able to be with me. But with her he could have what he wants the most - a family. I can't help but wonder, if I've been selfish and taken away his only chance for true happiness."
"You're being silly now." Skylar stated. "There is no plan. There is no 'meant to be'. Just because he married her in the alternate reality, doesn't mean they belong together, kids or no kids."
"But-"
"No buts!" Skylar exclaimed. "You're making a thing out of nothing. He's never going to leave you, I know that for sure. He loves you way too much to hurt you."
"Yeah… you're probably right." Margot said, but didn't seem convinced. There was something dark and sad in her eyes, something that Skylar didn't like at all.