CRUSADE
When the past comes back to haunt you pt 2
Arissa had almost finished with her unpacking when she found a picture from what seemed an eternity ago, it was of her just a few years earlier along with Mathew Gideon. It had been taken at what had been one of their favorite places; a small lake with a large waterfall.
Arissa stared at the waterfall and sighed in painful remembrance of exactly when the photo had been taken, just before Mathew had asked her to become his wife. Arissa stared out the portal window into the stars, she had always loved the magic that they seemed to hold but even that seemed to have changed after Mathew Gideon. Despite the pain that she knew would come with it, she allowed her mind to drift back to that day.
"You're not playing fair, Arissa. That's not a legal move." Mathew was trying hard to glare at her but couldn't hold the effort as his handsome face broke into a wide grin.
Arissa smiled in return as she clutched the football to her and replied pertly, "Well, it should be. You're twice my size I have to improvise."
Mathew laughed as he came over and placed his arms on her shoulders and leaned his forehead against hers before stating, "That's the most original example of circular reasoning I've ever heard." Then leaning down he placed a kiss on her lips before leading her back to the blanket.
Arissa was surprised when he knelt down on the blanket on one knee and pulled a small box from his pocket. When he opened it she gasped in surprise. Inside was a diamond engagement ring. Glancing up she had a tears in her eyes as he spoke, "I know that we haven't know each other long, but I know how I feel and I'd like to think that you feel the same. I guess what I'm trying to say, Arissa is that I love you and I want you to marry me."
Arissa sat for a moment then threw herself into his arms as she kissed him deeply and smiled, "YES!"
Arissa was brought back to the present by the flash of a shooting star passing by the portal. Glancing at the photo once more she sighed as she placed it in the bottom of a drawer and spoke aloud, "No sense in torturing yourself over what's not possible. He has one woman in his life and that's the Excalibur." With that she finished unpacking, showered and crawled into her bunk, but not without uttering the same prayer that she had uttered for the past six or more months, "Lord please help me to find her, she needs me." With that she doused the lights and fell asleep.
Mathew was walking the corridors of the ship. He knew that Arissa was one of the best when it came to research of diseases, but she had been the last person he had ever thought of for this mission. The last he had heard, she had been on one of the more remote colonies doing research. He had been surprised when he had learned that she had given up her Alliance commission, as well as the fact that no one seemed to know the reasoning behind the decision for her to do so. He didn't like to think of the possible reason for the decision but couldn't help remembering the incident that could have triggered it.
Thinking on the past he stopped at a portal window to glance out at the vast galaxy that seemed to be endless. He had always loved the idea of finding the unknown in these stars and galaxies, which was part of what had caused the separation between himself and the woman sleeping not two doors from where he was now standing.
"Arissa it's a great opportunity. Do you have any idea what it could mean to my career?" Mathew pleaded for the thousandth time.
Arissa glanced at him despondently, "Mathew, do you really want to get married? It seems to me that every time we get close to it there seems to be another `great opportunity' that you have to pursue. I don't mind the idea of waiting if you would simply say, `lets put it off for a while', but you don't instead you decide we're going to get married then change your mind."
Mathew sighed in agitation, "Arissa, I want to be a captain of my own starship and this step is a big one to getting closer to that goal, cant you understand that?"
Arissa stared at him, "Mathew, I appreciate that you want that and I want it for you, but I really don't see why we can't go ahead and get married."
Mathew shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I want to do this, then we can get married."
Arissa looked at him sadly, "Mathew, I don't want to wait, either we go ahead with it now, or we don't go thru it at all."
Mathew glared at her in frustration and anger, "You should know by now that I don't like ultimatums, and I won't be blackmailed. We're going to wait and that's final."
Arissa shook her head sadly, "I'm sorry but that's not final." Taking the ring from her finger she took his hand and placed it in his palm before bidding him, "Goodbye Mathew, maybe when I don't have to come in second to your loyalty to the Alliance we can talk." With that she walked out the door and out of his life.
Mathew was jerked rudely back to reality by the screams coming from the cabin two doors away, the one belonging to Arissa Dandridge. Bolting to the door he quickly entered his override code for the security lock. When the portal slid open he crossed to her bed where she was thrashing and screaming trying to get away from some unseen demon.
Sitting on the side of her bed and grabbing her arms he pulled her to him and held her tightly as he tried to soothe her fright, "It's all right Arissa. Nothing is going to hurt you, not while I'm here." Mathew had to strain to hear her ramblings.
"Oh God why did they have to take her, why did she have to say it, why?"
Mathew couldn't understand her words and didn't have time to question it, because at that moment Arissa became completely aware of who was holding her.
Pulling back swiftly she glared at him, "What in the hell do you think you're doing?"
Mathew stood and replied calmly, "You were having a nightmare, and you were screaming and rambling. By the way who is `she' and who took `her'?"
Arissa turned away and muttered, "It's nothing, its like you said it's a bad dream, thank you and goodnight."
Mathew sighed in acceptance of her attitude, "All right, and goodnight doctor." Heading to the door he stopped and turned to offer, "If you ever do decided to quit being so damned stubborn and want to talk, my door is open all the time." With that he was gone to leave her to contemplate his offer.
When the past comes back to haunt you pt 2
Arissa had almost finished with her unpacking when she found a picture from what seemed an eternity ago, it was of her just a few years earlier along with Mathew Gideon. It had been taken at what had been one of their favorite places; a small lake with a large waterfall.
Arissa stared at the waterfall and sighed in painful remembrance of exactly when the photo had been taken, just before Mathew had asked her to become his wife. Arissa stared out the portal window into the stars, she had always loved the magic that they seemed to hold but even that seemed to have changed after Mathew Gideon. Despite the pain that she knew would come with it, she allowed her mind to drift back to that day.
"You're not playing fair, Arissa. That's not a legal move." Mathew was trying hard to glare at her but couldn't hold the effort as his handsome face broke into a wide grin.
Arissa smiled in return as she clutched the football to her and replied pertly, "Well, it should be. You're twice my size I have to improvise."
Mathew laughed as he came over and placed his arms on her shoulders and leaned his forehead against hers before stating, "That's the most original example of circular reasoning I've ever heard." Then leaning down he placed a kiss on her lips before leading her back to the blanket.
Arissa was surprised when he knelt down on the blanket on one knee and pulled a small box from his pocket. When he opened it she gasped in surprise. Inside was a diamond engagement ring. Glancing up she had a tears in her eyes as he spoke, "I know that we haven't know each other long, but I know how I feel and I'd like to think that you feel the same. I guess what I'm trying to say, Arissa is that I love you and I want you to marry me."
Arissa sat for a moment then threw herself into his arms as she kissed him deeply and smiled, "YES!"
Arissa was brought back to the present by the flash of a shooting star passing by the portal. Glancing at the photo once more she sighed as she placed it in the bottom of a drawer and spoke aloud, "No sense in torturing yourself over what's not possible. He has one woman in his life and that's the Excalibur." With that she finished unpacking, showered and crawled into her bunk, but not without uttering the same prayer that she had uttered for the past six or more months, "Lord please help me to find her, she needs me." With that she doused the lights and fell asleep.
Mathew was walking the corridors of the ship. He knew that Arissa was one of the best when it came to research of diseases, but she had been the last person he had ever thought of for this mission. The last he had heard, she had been on one of the more remote colonies doing research. He had been surprised when he had learned that she had given up her Alliance commission, as well as the fact that no one seemed to know the reasoning behind the decision for her to do so. He didn't like to think of the possible reason for the decision but couldn't help remembering the incident that could have triggered it.
Thinking on the past he stopped at a portal window to glance out at the vast galaxy that seemed to be endless. He had always loved the idea of finding the unknown in these stars and galaxies, which was part of what had caused the separation between himself and the woman sleeping not two doors from where he was now standing.
"Arissa it's a great opportunity. Do you have any idea what it could mean to my career?" Mathew pleaded for the thousandth time.
Arissa glanced at him despondently, "Mathew, do you really want to get married? It seems to me that every time we get close to it there seems to be another `great opportunity' that you have to pursue. I don't mind the idea of waiting if you would simply say, `lets put it off for a while', but you don't instead you decide we're going to get married then change your mind."
Mathew sighed in agitation, "Arissa, I want to be a captain of my own starship and this step is a big one to getting closer to that goal, cant you understand that?"
Arissa stared at him, "Mathew, I appreciate that you want that and I want it for you, but I really don't see why we can't go ahead and get married."
Mathew shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I want to do this, then we can get married."
Arissa looked at him sadly, "Mathew, I don't want to wait, either we go ahead with it now, or we don't go thru it at all."
Mathew glared at her in frustration and anger, "You should know by now that I don't like ultimatums, and I won't be blackmailed. We're going to wait and that's final."
Arissa shook her head sadly, "I'm sorry but that's not final." Taking the ring from her finger she took his hand and placed it in his palm before bidding him, "Goodbye Mathew, maybe when I don't have to come in second to your loyalty to the Alliance we can talk." With that she walked out the door and out of his life.
Mathew was jerked rudely back to reality by the screams coming from the cabin two doors away, the one belonging to Arissa Dandridge. Bolting to the door he quickly entered his override code for the security lock. When the portal slid open he crossed to her bed where she was thrashing and screaming trying to get away from some unseen demon.
Sitting on the side of her bed and grabbing her arms he pulled her to him and held her tightly as he tried to soothe her fright, "It's all right Arissa. Nothing is going to hurt you, not while I'm here." Mathew had to strain to hear her ramblings.
"Oh God why did they have to take her, why did she have to say it, why?"
Mathew couldn't understand her words and didn't have time to question it, because at that moment Arissa became completely aware of who was holding her.
Pulling back swiftly she glared at him, "What in the hell do you think you're doing?"
Mathew stood and replied calmly, "You were having a nightmare, and you were screaming and rambling. By the way who is `she' and who took `her'?"
Arissa turned away and muttered, "It's nothing, its like you said it's a bad dream, thank you and goodnight."
Mathew sighed in acceptance of her attitude, "All right, and goodnight doctor." Heading to the door he stopped and turned to offer, "If you ever do decided to quit being so damned stubborn and want to talk, my door is open all the time." With that he was gone to leave her to contemplate his offer.