Chapter 3: Reunion
Dr. Weir escorted Alexa to her new living quarters and helped her carry a few things. "My, you seem to have brought a lot. How'd you manage that?" Weir asked counting that the Captain had about 5 bags when usually everyone else had two or three.
"I like to keep busy. Besides it was part of the deal I made with Jack, er, General O'Neill. There were a few things we agreed upon, otherwise I wouldn't be here. I don't know why, but he really wants me here," Lexa explained as they entered her room.
"Well, I'll look for your reports to be very prompt then." Weir looked to Lexa, who just smirked. As Weir began to walk out the door she stopped and turned back to the Captain. "It's not really my place, but your file was a little, shall we say holey. Your wanting to talk to Major Lorne about your assignment isn't anything I should worry about, is it? I mean, you seemed a little reluctant to join his team."
Lexa sighed. "He was a good friend who helped me through my father's death, and then I pushed him away. Its just, complicated that's all. We haven't spoken in quite some time." Complicated? If that isn't the biggest understatement of the year?
Weir nodded. "Well if there's anything you need don't be afraid to ask," and she exited the room.
Lexa was just about finished unpacking and decorating her room when she received a knock on her door. She was putting up a few posters across from the doorway so she had her back to the door and had the tape in her mouth so the visitor received a muffled "Enter".
On the other side of the door, a hesitant Lorne still had no idea if he would be walking straight into his past, or meeting a fresh new face. After a moment he waved his hand over the crystals and entered the room to find a sort of caramel blonde girl standing on a chair. As she turned around he tensed.
Lexa had a feeling that it was Marcus who had entered, after all Colonel Sheppard said he'd send him over. But even after all that thought of what to say to him all she could muster was "Hey". As she stepped off the chair every memory and feeling that she thought she packed away came rushing to the surface. She wanted nothing more than to run over and hug him, but how could she.
After a few seconds of silence Marcus broke the ice with "So, you dyed your hair? It's nice." Your dyed hair looks nice? Oh yeah, that's a good one. Next time why don't you just stick your foot in your mouth and be done with it.
Lexa half smiled and looked up. "Oh, yeah. Just felt like a change I guess." Oh this conversation is gonna get really far, really fast… Well, say something… "So, uh, you're looking good."
"Yeah, your looking pretty good yourself. And you made Captain, congrats." Oh yea, that was smooth…
The two could both feel how this conversation was going to get awkward really fast, unless one of them just came out and said. But things between them ended so coldly that neither one could say a word. If only they knew what the other still felt, but all they could think of was how things ended. Alexa grabbed her last bag and dumped it out over the bed. Medical tape, ace bandages, sparring gloves, a book on Tae Kwon Do, and a few other fighting implements spread across the sheets.
"Ah, still dealing with things through strenuous activity I see." Lorne meant as a joke, but it didn't come across to Lexa that way.
She raised and eyebrow and stared back at him. "Well, you know me," she paused. "Look, this wasn't my idea. Jack is behind it all. Apparently he's become my second father, and thinks it's a good idea to push me to face my fears. Though I don't know how being here is gonna help with that," she broke off. Lexa has a tendency to start rambling when put in an uncomfortable situation, and this was definitely one of those times, but luckily she caught herself before things got out of control. Lorne looked down as Lexa's stare turned to a frown. "Ok, I guess there is no good way to put this, so…" Their eyes met for the first time in over a year, "I'm sorry."