Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you've seen on TV. This story has appeared, in slightly different form, in the fanzine "Dark Between the Stars" circa 1991, under the name P. Weaver.
__________________________
Interlude
by Pam Jernigan jernigan@bellsouth.net
__________________________
The trip to Fiorinal was a long one, and the crew chafed at the prospect of four more days of inaction. However, the strain of their stay on Aristo was wearing off. Silira, feeling embarrassed and violated, was determined to stay out of sight whenever possible. But Vila was waiting for his opportunity, and grabbed the chance to stand the night watch with her.
"Let me see if I've understood you correctly," Avon drawled, not looking up from the teleport assembly. It was gaining some semblance of order, but there was obviously much to be done. "You are volunteering to take my watch? I seem to recall a distinct reluctance towards that duty in the past."
Vila fidgeted. He was too impatient for his normal banter, but didn't want to upset the unpredictable engineer. "Yes, well, the sooner you agree, the sooner I'll leave you alone."
Avon glanced at the thief then, hearing the impatience, and a strange note of seriousness. "Well, now, that's certainly an incentive. Very well." He turned his attention back to the teleport. "There's more than enough to be done here."
Vila smiled suddenly, a mischievous thought lightening his face. On his way out, he offered, "I'll send Paige down to help, shall I?" Avon had been avoiding the pretty engineer ever since they'd installed the new drive, and Vila was curious. But not curious enough to risk injury. Consequently, he was out of range when Avon absently swatted behind him.
All the same, Vila thought, she should be helping him. She was good enough, by all accounts, maybe better than Avon on some things. Maybe that's what bothered him. Not that Vila spent too much time worrying over it. He was too worried about his own barely-begun relationship with Silira. She had seemed so friendly after that operation, but she'd hardly spoken to him since. She had smiled, though, and Paige thought he stood a chance.
Paige and Rusk were standing the second watch, and Vila conspired a bit with them. Accordingly, when Silira arrived for her duty, they both melted away before she could realize that Vila was her watch partner. Vila didn't know if she was avoiding him, specifically, or just everyone, but he wasn't taking any chances.
Silira wandered into the pilot's seat before looking around for her partner. She didn't see Vila at first, because he was quite good at disappearing. But he saw her glance around, and stepped forward from a dark corner. "Hello, Silira. I'll be standing watch with you tonight."
She spun around to see him, and then visibly relaxed. "Oh, I'm glad it's you, Vila."
Encouraged by this, he stepped forward, and they moved quite naturally into a hug. Vila realized for the first time how uncomfortable Silira must be around the companions that she had, however unconsciously, betrayed. Her muscles were tense, and she was shaking slightly.
"Here, here, it's alright." Murmuring soothing words, Vila led her to the couch, and helped her to sit, sitting down next to her. "This has been pretty hard on you, eh?"
"I've felt awful." Silira was trying to keep all emotion out of her voice, and nearly succeeding. "No one says anything, but Loren keeps watching me, and I don't think Avon trusts me at all."
"That's alright, love; Avon doesn't trust anyone," Vila soothed her. She was sitting with her shoulders slumped, studying the floor, the picture of despondency. "But he knows you couldn't help it."
She turned to him, with defiant eyes. "You still like me, don't you?"
"Course I do. I always will," he affirmed gently.
She leaned towards him for another hug. "Vila, I love you."
He jerked upwards at that, pushing her gently from him. "You do? Really? Why?" He turned suspicious on the last question, looking hard at her.
She smiled, and pretended to think about it. "You're sweet, you're kind, you're sensible, I love your magic tricks, you're cute, and very good at what you do. You've lived through worse than Avon, for example, and you're still a nice person. And you like me as I am."
Vila had gained, if not confidence, then at least hope from her explanation. "Well, you're wrong on that last point - I love you the way you are," he corrected teasingly.
For the remainder of the night watch, they got acquainted, and the night ended with Vila inviting his love to share his cabin, permanently. She accepted without hesitation. When Silira visited her former cabin later, to move her few things, Paige took the news in stride.
"Good for you. I was wondering when you'd get around to this."
"You don't think it happened a little fast, maybe?" Silira asked pointedly.
"In our, um, line of work, the faster the better, my friend. Tomorrow is not guaranteed," Paige replied tartly. "Besides, what do I know of social customs? The closest thing I've had to a 'relationship' is when that idiot on Cygnus tried to rape me. I don't have your experience." Her voice softened. "But you and Vila seem perfect for each other."
"Well, what about you and Avon? When are you going to go after him?" Silira teased, while packing.
Paige groaned. "In the first place, I'm not sure I want him. In the second place, I don't think it would be wise to pressure Avon, even if I could, which I don't think I can. He's got to set the pace; he's too paranoid to follow anyone's lead. He kissed me, though. Did I tell you that?"
"Mm. Once or twice."
Paige's reluctant laughter was interrupted by an announcement. Blake's voice boomed out of the ceiling "Attention! We need everyone to report to the flight deck in order to go over our plan of action for Fiorinal. Will everyone please report to the flight deck."
Grumbling, the two friends went to join the others.
***
--continued in part 5: Loyalty--
(I know this is short; I'll post the next part in a few days)
__________________________
Interlude
by Pam Jernigan jernigan@bellsouth.net
__________________________
The trip to Fiorinal was a long one, and the crew chafed at the prospect of four more days of inaction. However, the strain of their stay on Aristo was wearing off. Silira, feeling embarrassed and violated, was determined to stay out of sight whenever possible. But Vila was waiting for his opportunity, and grabbed the chance to stand the night watch with her.
"Let me see if I've understood you correctly," Avon drawled, not looking up from the teleport assembly. It was gaining some semblance of order, but there was obviously much to be done. "You are volunteering to take my watch? I seem to recall a distinct reluctance towards that duty in the past."
Vila fidgeted. He was too impatient for his normal banter, but didn't want to upset the unpredictable engineer. "Yes, well, the sooner you agree, the sooner I'll leave you alone."
Avon glanced at the thief then, hearing the impatience, and a strange note of seriousness. "Well, now, that's certainly an incentive. Very well." He turned his attention back to the teleport. "There's more than enough to be done here."
Vila smiled suddenly, a mischievous thought lightening his face. On his way out, he offered, "I'll send Paige down to help, shall I?" Avon had been avoiding the pretty engineer ever since they'd installed the new drive, and Vila was curious. But not curious enough to risk injury. Consequently, he was out of range when Avon absently swatted behind him.
All the same, Vila thought, she should be helping him. She was good enough, by all accounts, maybe better than Avon on some things. Maybe that's what bothered him. Not that Vila spent too much time worrying over it. He was too worried about his own barely-begun relationship with Silira. She had seemed so friendly after that operation, but she'd hardly spoken to him since. She had smiled, though, and Paige thought he stood a chance.
Paige and Rusk were standing the second watch, and Vila conspired a bit with them. Accordingly, when Silira arrived for her duty, they both melted away before she could realize that Vila was her watch partner. Vila didn't know if she was avoiding him, specifically, or just everyone, but he wasn't taking any chances.
Silira wandered into the pilot's seat before looking around for her partner. She didn't see Vila at first, because he was quite good at disappearing. But he saw her glance around, and stepped forward from a dark corner. "Hello, Silira. I'll be standing watch with you tonight."
She spun around to see him, and then visibly relaxed. "Oh, I'm glad it's you, Vila."
Encouraged by this, he stepped forward, and they moved quite naturally into a hug. Vila realized for the first time how uncomfortable Silira must be around the companions that she had, however unconsciously, betrayed. Her muscles were tense, and she was shaking slightly.
"Here, here, it's alright." Murmuring soothing words, Vila led her to the couch, and helped her to sit, sitting down next to her. "This has been pretty hard on you, eh?"
"I've felt awful." Silira was trying to keep all emotion out of her voice, and nearly succeeding. "No one says anything, but Loren keeps watching me, and I don't think Avon trusts me at all."
"That's alright, love; Avon doesn't trust anyone," Vila soothed her. She was sitting with her shoulders slumped, studying the floor, the picture of despondency. "But he knows you couldn't help it."
She turned to him, with defiant eyes. "You still like me, don't you?"
"Course I do. I always will," he affirmed gently.
She leaned towards him for another hug. "Vila, I love you."
He jerked upwards at that, pushing her gently from him. "You do? Really? Why?" He turned suspicious on the last question, looking hard at her.
She smiled, and pretended to think about it. "You're sweet, you're kind, you're sensible, I love your magic tricks, you're cute, and very good at what you do. You've lived through worse than Avon, for example, and you're still a nice person. And you like me as I am."
Vila had gained, if not confidence, then at least hope from her explanation. "Well, you're wrong on that last point - I love you the way you are," he corrected teasingly.
For the remainder of the night watch, they got acquainted, and the night ended with Vila inviting his love to share his cabin, permanently. She accepted without hesitation. When Silira visited her former cabin later, to move her few things, Paige took the news in stride.
"Good for you. I was wondering when you'd get around to this."
"You don't think it happened a little fast, maybe?" Silira asked pointedly.
"In our, um, line of work, the faster the better, my friend. Tomorrow is not guaranteed," Paige replied tartly. "Besides, what do I know of social customs? The closest thing I've had to a 'relationship' is when that idiot on Cygnus tried to rape me. I don't have your experience." Her voice softened. "But you and Vila seem perfect for each other."
"Well, what about you and Avon? When are you going to go after him?" Silira teased, while packing.
Paige groaned. "In the first place, I'm not sure I want him. In the second place, I don't think it would be wise to pressure Avon, even if I could, which I don't think I can. He's got to set the pace; he's too paranoid to follow anyone's lead. He kissed me, though. Did I tell you that?"
"Mm. Once or twice."
Paige's reluctant laughter was interrupted by an announcement. Blake's voice boomed out of the ceiling "Attention! We need everyone to report to the flight deck in order to go over our plan of action for Fiorinal. Will everyone please report to the flight deck."
Grumbling, the two friends went to join the others.
***
--continued in part 5: Loyalty--
(I know this is short; I'll post the next part in a few days)