Chapter 2: Reunion
"Tatiana?" Madeline asked, an hour after dinner as they were getting ready to sleep. It was more like Madeline was getting ready to sleep and Tatiana was still reading.
"What is it?" Tatiana answered, trying to be a little more respective than she was earlier.
"I'm sorry. I know I've done some pretty stupid things in and with my life.0 I'm sorry that I'm not a sister that you're proud to have."
Tatiana's eyes drifted from the page and over to her sister. "but..." She began softly. "I am proud of you. What could ever make you think that I'm not proud of you?"
"The way you act." Madeline reminded her as she sat in the bed, covers going over half her body.
"Well, I'm sorry about that. It's just the way I am." Tatiana stood up out of her bed.
"Did..." Madeline began. "Did mom and dad ever teach you to act that way towards me? Like, maybe when I had Sophie?"
Tatiana to her sister's bed and crawled in beside her. "They tried." She revealed. "They didn't want their oldest daughter to be 'tainted' by a man's affiliation. They wanted me to be perfect.- They always told me, 'Tatiana Grace, don't ever let the likes of today's men taint you femininality nor your soul. Don't do what you sister did. Grow up correctly and hate your sister forever'." Tatiana took her sister's hand in her own. "I couldn't do that?"
"But... why would they say that?"
"Because..." Tatiana made eye contact. "They hate Sophie's father."
Madeline was mute for a moment., then she put both arms around Tatiana. "What's to hate about him?- He's great. I fell in love with him and I have him my total love and virginity.- If our mother and father can't respect the things I do as an adult, then I just wont listen nor care anymore." She whispered.
Tatiana close her eyes. "I love you Madeline."
"I love you too Tatiana." Madeline placed a kiss on Tatiana's cheek before Tatiana journeyed back to her bed.
Tatiana crawled back into her bed. "good night."
"night." Madeline said.
The sun shown through the windows of the room that morning. Madeline had been awake fro some time now when Tatiana decided to be fully awake.
"Morning." Madeline greeted.
"Wow.- Last night was the first night I've sleep like that in a while." Tatiana revealed as she stretched out her arms, upon sitting up.
"well. Congrats." Madeline joked.
Tatiana smiled slightly. "What are we doing today?"
"I don't know.- I'll go find Alex and ask." Madeline left the room, wearing a tank-top of dark-gray and sweat-pants of black. Her hair was in a slightly messy bun, but she didn't care. She walked up some stairs and then walked into the Bridge.
"Good morning Captain Wisla!" Sophia greeted.
Madeline nodded 'morning' and then turned to see Alex sitting in his captain's chair. "Well.. good morning Captain Row." She smiled as she tried to make him happy because his mood struck her as anything but happy.
"Morning." He muttered as he looked up and saw Madeline. When his eyes scanned up and down her body once, he noticed that she looked a lot more like the girl he used to know before she was a captain. She looked happier and freer than she did in her uniform and in her captain's attitude.
"And how was your sleep, Captain?" Madeline asked.
"Rough."
"Aww. I'm sorry.- My sleep was alright. - You know, we've got a lot on our minds, huh?"
"Hm. I guess we do." He muttered, sleepily.
"So..." Madeline continued to stand beside of him. "What's on the agenda today?"
Sophia smiled at the two. it's almost like old times.. She thought.
"We're going to get her, remember?" Alex said, not muttering anymore.
"Huh?- What? You were serious?"
"Yes." He answered.
Madeline's smile grew. "This is great." She told him as she walked to sit in his lap and hug his neck.
Alex wasn't sure how he should react at first, but his 'old skills' started to kick in. He put his arm around her back and his other around the front of her waist, hugging her back.
Madeline was happy to be in Alex's arms again, but someone knocked on the half opened door. Madeline jumped out of his lap.
Tatiana walked in.
Sophia and Madeline looked at her. "Good morning, Tatiana." Sophie greeted.
"morning.- Captain?"
"yes?"
"May I ask, where are we heading?"
"You'll know when we get there Tatiana." Alex told her.
Tatiana rolled her eyes and then left.
"That was close.." Madeline sighed.
"Why don't you just tell her already?- I mean, you guys have been hiding it from everyone for almost 6 years now." Sophia commented.
Madeline looked to Alex who, in turn, looked at her.
"We must tell our daughter before anyone else knows." Alex mentioned.
"Do you haven any intention of it today?" Madeline slowly sat back down in his lap.
"I might." He voiced, putting an arm around the backside of her waist.
Madeline smiled. "good."
"You two look just like you did when we were younger. Happy, free,- and so in love." Sophia mentioned just as she exited the room.
The room was quiet for a moment after she left. Madeline broke the silence. "Alex?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think it would be possible for me to lodge in your room, with your company tonight? So we may talk.. be with each other... like old times..."
It took Alex a silent second to answer. "I'd like that."
Madeline smiled to him softly. She got comfortable. Her bottom in his lap; her head on his shoulder, under his chin and one of her hands intertwined with his free one. "This reminds me of old times..." She whispered, as they sat there. Now they continued to sit in silence, only them in the room.
The thoughts running through Alex's mind were not of recent events. The thoughts and memories were of Alex when he was 21 years old.
The day he had met Madeline was the day that changed his life. She was 16; so beautiful, fresh and full of life. Something about her had made Alex stare at her as he sat in the courtyard, paperwork spread on the table-top. Her hair was long and a light brown shade. She was slender, tan and slightly tall for her age, but not a great deal taller than the other girls.
Finally, she emerged from her group of friends and walked over; a smile on her face. "Um... hi." She began slowly. "I couldn't help but notice that you were staring at me. I was just wondering how you could stare at me. I'm nothing to stare at."
"Yes you are.- You're beautiful. I can't help but stare." Alex told her.
She giggled. "No. I'm not." Her cheeks turned a bright pink.
Alex smiled at her. "I'm Alex Row."
"I'm Madeline Wisla." She introduces herself to him. "Nice to meet you Alex."
"It's good to meet you as well Madeline."
"So... why are you attending this school?- I mean, besides that fact that you apparently want to be a pilot."
"I don't want to be a pilot. I want to be the captain of my own ship one day."
Madeline sat down beside of him, crossing her tan, smooth legs and putting her hands in her lap. She was wearing a red plaid skirt; it was a part of the school uniform. "Really? That's what I want to do one day." She smiled.
Alex looked at her, surprised. "Is that so?"
She nodded. "Uh huh!"
He slightly laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing." He began. "I just didn't think that many girls wanted to be captains nor pilots in their life."
"I'm not a girl!" Madeline argued with a smile.
"oh yeah?"
"Yes! I'm a woman!"
"How old?'
"16."
"You're only 16?" He was surprised once again.
"Heh. Yeah."
"You look older.."
Madeline giggled. "Well... thanks. Most guys think I am older than I really am."
After that conversation ended, Madeline started another. "So.. whatcha working on?"
"Just some paper work.."
"Sounds 'fun'." Madeline said, very sarcastically. "Hey! I've got an idea!"
"yeah?"
"Why don't you take a break and come and hang out with my friends and I for a while! It'll be fun!"
"Sure. Why not." Alex told her.
"Great!"
--- And that was the first time Madeline and Alex would spend together, little did they know, out of trillions of times.---
When Alex had awaken from the sleep he didn't realize he had fallen into, Madeline was still in his lap; she slept as well. He quietly and softly nudged her. "Madeline?"
Madeline softly jerked awake, sitting up in his lap. "Did we fall asleep?" She asked him, right off.
"Apparently so." He answered as he watched her get off his lap.
"I guess I should get dressed."
"You look... fine like that..." The words came from Alex's lips.
"You're just saying that."
"--- I dreamt of the first time we met..." Alex said, in a softer tone now. "You were-"
"16. Young.. dumb.. and ugly.."
"You were 16; but you weren't dumb nor ugly." Alex corrected her. He continued to speak. "You had caught my eye. I couldn't keep myself from looking at you."
"You were 21." Madeline pointed out. "Why did you like me- A 16 year old- so much?"
He shrugged to her question.
She shrugged it off also. "I'll be in my quarters. I'm going to get dressed." Madeline exited to leave Alex by himself.
Alex, when he was alone, let his thoughts linger on the things he loved about Madeline.
About an hour later, Alison, Sophia, Alex and Madeline were all together in Alex's quarters (which was a huge, fine and well-kept room). The four friends kept on-going conversations of how they were 5 or 6 years ago. Something stopped all the voices; a man's voice came over the intercom.
"We have now reached our destination point."
All of them stood. Alex and Sophia headed to the bridge while Madeline and Alison went to Tatiana's room. They came upon Tatiana who was reading again.
"Hey. Come on. Get your uniform on." Madeline said, as she walked over to her red and white (captain's) uniform; she began puttin git on.
"Why?" tatiana asked as she began getting dressed in her blue uniform (one like Sophia's).
"Because." Was Madeline's answer as she fixed her hair up into a quick but neat bun.
Tatiana finished getting ready. "Where have we landed?"
"Let's put it this way: be ready to catch hell." Then, Madeline led Tatiana out of the ship and on to some of hte greenest grass ever. Alex stood there as well.
"I'm accompanying you."
"Good." Madeline smiled.
The three started their way down the long, straight pathway which was lined wtih beautiful, colorful flowers. Tatiana didn't exactly have a smile on her face. They came to the front door; Madeline rang the door bell. From the outside they could hear the pattering of a small child's feet; then they stopped when the door began to open.
"Mommy!" The little girl said, in surprise as she set her eyes on her mother.
"Hey sweetie!" Madeline knealed down onto her knees so the child could hug her.
"I'm sooooo glad you're back! You can take me with you now!" She said, still holding on to her mom tight.
"yeah. Now I can!" Madeline smiled. She let her daughter go and put her small hands in her own. "Sweeite.. I need to talk to grandma and grandpa. Can you take my friend here and show him the gardne?" She asked, talking about Alex.
She smiled and nodded at her mother. She let her hands fall to her side and then she looked up at Alex. "What's your name, Mister?"
"Alex." He answered, kneeling down to her eye level.
"Nice to meet you Alex!" She said, happy ot meet him. "My name's Siphe! But... my grandparents and my mom call me Princess Sophie most of the time!"
"Nice to meet you Princess." Alex put on a smile.
Madeline stood up, smiling to Tatiana. "We'll come and get you two when we're done." She told then, then the two sisters journied into the house.
"So..." Alex began. "Are you going to show me around the garden, Princess Sophie?"
"Uh huh!" She told him, then Sophie and Alex began walking through the garden.
Tatiana and Madeline walked into the huge family room where their parents were sitting.
"Princess? Is that you?" Madeline and Tatiana's mother called, as she stood and began to turn to face them. When he eyes reached Madeline and Tatiana, the expression on her face had changed. "Oh. Tatiana... Madeline..."
"Mother." Tatiana said, in a somewhat calm voice.
"Mother." Madeline said, matching her mother's unhappy tone.
"Well... what have you two come for? Sophie?" She looked to her husband, who was reading a newspaper, as she spoke to her daughters.
"Yes." Madeline answered."
"You can't take her. She's use to living here. With us." Mrs. Wisla spoke again.
"Mother, Sophie is Madeline's child. Not yours." Tatiana jumped in.
"And her last name isn't really Wisla.-- You already knew that, didn't you mom? You went snooping through my paper work and stuff upstairs..." Madeline confronted her.
"Why do you think we never call her by her real last name?"
"For when she does learn of what it is she'll hate me.. That's your only reason.. You're only aim."
"I don't have to even try.." Mrs. Wisla glared.
"Mother! Stop!" Tatiana raised her voice. "Sophie's coming with us. She can be with mother... and her father." Tatiana turned to go upstairs. "I'll get her things."
"Good-bye, mother." Madeline began.
"You wait just one minute! You are not going to take that girl from the people who've been her parental figures for the past 5 years of her life."
"Yes, I can. And I am going to."
"No.- You screwed up your life. I'm not allowing you to take this child and teach her your ways. I wont allow you to screw up her life too."
"I didn't screw up my life!" Madeline yelled. "I did exactly what I wanted to do! I fell in love with Alex; I had a child with him. That's what I wanted. I didn't screw up. I just didn't follw the path you wanted me to." Madeline quickly walked outside.
Minutes later Tatiana had Sophie's things; she put them in the ship. "I'll wait for you guys." She told her sister as Madeline began her hunt through the garden.
"Alex? Alex!" She called, advancing down the stone path. She could hear giggling from her daughter and laughs from Alex. Finally, she came to them. They were under the huge Sakura tree which was baring beautiful buds. Alex was holding Sophie in his arms and then he spun around with her. Seeing this made Madeline smile. "Alex! Sophie!" She called, happoliy as she began advancing towards them.
Alex held Sophie in his arms as he faced Madeline; he was still smiling. Sophie was smiling also.
"Mommy!"
"So..?" Alex questioned Madeline; still holding onto Sophie.
"So what?" Madeline returned.
"Is she coming with you?"
Madeline slowly smiled then nodded.
"YAY!" Sophie said, understanding her mother and Alex's conversation.
"Good." Alex told her, then began walking as he still held on to the girl in his arms.
Madeline walked beside of him, journying back to the ship.
woot! chapter two! hope this isn't too horrible for you guys.. having to read my first LE ff... it gets better, don't worry... XD
