Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek Voyager or anything associated with it, Paramount does!
Sunrise
The early morning mist enshrouds them. Only the faintest rays of light penetrate the fog, allowing them to see about a yard in any given direction. The gravelly soil underneath her is sparsely populated by low lying shrubbery. The sound of cascading water fills the air. It seems like a moment out of time.
He turns to her.
"I thought this might be good for us."
"How so?"
"Neutral ground."
She is silent for a moment, any words dying on the tip of her tongue. So that is what it has all come to: the need for neutral ground. It implies a sort of war-torn battlefield between them. In a way, it is accurate. Those two simple words might just be the perfect ones to describe their present crossroad. Their shared history of survival under impossible circumstances is now their only link across the chasm of their fractured relationship.
"Neutral ground."
A sigh breezes out into the hazy, white nothingness that still surrounds them. She does not know where they are, but somehow, it does not matter. There is a quietness that brings a sense of peace about the place. Nearby, a bird lets out a long, low, mournful trill. They can see further now as the rising sun continues to slowly burn away the mist.
"Yes. I…don't know what to say…except that I'm sorry."
"I know how you feel…because I feel the same way. I'm sorry for everything that's happened between us. I was so harsh and unyielding at times. I pushed you away. I didn't listen when I should have."
"And I didn't try to see from your perspective. I gave up. I started to let small things slip by and stay unsaid when we had the chance to…"
"…when we had the chance to say the right things?"
"Yes. After a while, it was too late to say anything meaningful, so when we did talk, we always said the wrong things. We hurt each other. And now, here we are."
"It's not too late."
A slight smile graces the atmosphere. More soft noises twitter, chirp, splash, and hum around them, but for one moment in what seems like an eternity, they simply focus on each other. They allow themselves to truly see and hear each other.
"Maybe it isn't, but I still wish we had seen it coming. I wish we had seen our friendship eroding…or maybe we did…but we dealt with things that were less important instead."
"I know. We drifted apart and didn't stop ourselves because we didn't want to understand each other anymore. We didn't want to care anymore because it hurt too much. So now what? I don't know how to move on."
"Close your eyes."
"What?"
"Do you still trust me?"
Everything seems to pause, as if frozen in time. The answer comes quietly.
"Yes."
"Then close your eyes."
There is the sound of her deep breath as he steps close and lays his hand on her shoulder. He turns her in the direction of the rising sun. She can feel the warmth on her face. He leads her a few steps forward, then he comes to stand next to her. Her hand finds his, and their fingers intertwine. He breathes in and out softly.
She feels it then: the gentle flutter of tiny wings against her skin. The slight touch takes her breath away in an instant. She smiles a pure, light smile.
They open their eyes at the same time to see the millions of brilliantly glowing butterflies flying out of the bushes surrounding the waterfall behind them and then gliding up toward the heavens to greet the morning.
"It's beautiful…"
Her gaze drifts out over the alien landscape. They are atop a mountain whose lush peaks are covered in dazzling blossoms, all unfurling simultaneously with the rays of morning.
"We can move on together. I want this to be a new beginning. I can't set everything in the past right, but I want us to start fresh."
"Like this mountain does every day."
"Yes, but I can't do it without you. I need you to want it, too. Please, let this be a new day for us."
She searches his eyes; they are so bright, clear, forgiving, and hopeful, and it is as if they had just met for the first time again, the right way. The hurt of all those past years is starting to dissipate like the mist, and she feels the burden on her heart lighten.
"I do want it. This is our new day."
This story is dedicated to my family, but it is for anyone who needs that mountainside where healing can begin. Sometimes, we need to step back a moment to give ourselves some perspective. Breathe. Look to the Heavenly Father who can love through you.