AN: I didn't mean to put this chapter off as long as I did, nor did I expect it to still be going after eight chapters. I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the kind words you have left for me, they really do encourage me to write more. They are the wind beneath my wings, so to speak. I don't reply to reviews, I probably should to let you all know personally how grateful I am for the time that you take out of your day to stroke my ego. But even so, thank you. I do write for myself, but there is a special place in my heart for you guys.
There now, with all that sappy stuff out of the way, I give you the next installment of "The Gardener".
Amelia rolls over early that morning, the final tendrils of a tumultuous night of sleep slipping from her mind. That night had been apparently very busy for the lads down at the docks, there was no end to the blaring noise and flashing lights. Paired with an unusually uncomfortable mattress, and a sense of the jitters that hadn't been around since her days as a cadet, Amelia felt almost miserable at the lack of sleep she found herself with. It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that Amelia had managed to slip away for a few hours, for all the good it did her.
Rubbing her neck, Amelia sits up slowly, the indigo colored sheets rustling around her. Pools of previously undisturbed satin rustle in her large bed as she swings her legs over the edge. These sheets would be one of the things Amelia would sorely miss when she left the spaceport. She had found them billowing in an open air shop near the trade district, and the buy had been one of complete impulse. Not an impulse buy that she felt bad about, the sheets were put to use immediately on her otherwise bland, lumpy bed.
Morning begins with a scalding shower that fogs the mirror before she sets foot into the tiny shower cubicle. Navigating through the thick steam, she steps into the spray. Thick pulsing jets slowly recede to mere trickles of water after only a few minutes and she growls, lathering herself quickly. The pipes here were terrible, and she knew it was from a lack of ground water supply that led to low pressure and water shortages, but this was the hub of business for the entire quadrant. It was a bad practice, and as Amelia stepped out of the shower, she is suddenly all too glad to be leaving this all behind.
Water soaked toiletries are dried quickly with her towel before being chucked into a large bin on the counter. She reflects on the oddity of her morning as she dresses at a leisurely pace in her bedroom. Her demure surroundings would be replaced today by lavish carpets, vaulted ceilings, and a longer walk to the coffee pot than she was comfortable with. But the larger space also meant more occupants, and so much more to deal with than the neighbor with domestic violence charges.
As if on cue, the lieutenant on the other side of the wall thumps in anger and Amelia decides that she has had enough of this. Fighting with a spouse was one thing that she would be quick to stay out of, but interrupting her morning with petty pounding would land him on the wrong end of her boot.
Course of action set, she shoves her feet into her customary boots and buttons her blouse swiftly as she hops the fence on his deck. Trying the handle, she is rewarded with a smooth turn and she steps into the tiny dwelling, her face turning ashen at the smell. Dishes are piled in a small sink and the counter seems to be creaking under the weight of the grime alone.
"Danner!" Amelia's tone is a sharp staccato against the filth ridden walls and she is rewarded with the stomping sound that she had become sadly accustomed to.
"Stay out of this, Smollet." It's a drunken snarl before ten in the morning and she crosses the room quickly towards the man. Stubble on his face indicates that he had indeed gone more than a day without shaving, most likely off duty for now. A proper officer wouldn't dare being seen in the state he's in, and she feels remotely ashamed for the man.
"Listen to me very carefully." Lowering her voice so only he can hear her, she grabs at his face with clean, sharp claws. "If I ever hear you raising that kind of racket this early in the morning again, I will be very quick to report you to the constabulary regarding your behavior against your spouse." It wouldn't do to let him know that she was moving today, lest he think that more of this behavior was acceptable.
"This isn't any of your damn business!"
Baring her teeth, she steers the man towards the wall, her eyes blazing in anger. "You will respect me as your superior, or I swear to it, there will be consequences." Shoving the man roughly into the wall again, she strides out of the dwelling quickly, slamming the door behind her.
Amelia is quick to wash her hands before touching anything other than her door knob and she continues about her morning, free from the savage pounding from the other townhouse.
Just as the bristles on her toothbrush work their way past her front teeth, she hears the door chime and she swears, making quick work of the rest of her mouth.
"Come in, Doctor," Amelia yells from around a mouthful of toothpaste and quickly rinses her mouth out.
The sound of the door opening is accompanied by a shuffle of footsteps in the main area. "Ah- Amelia!"
Remembering the boxes by the door, Amelia reacts quickly and pounces into the main room, snatching a brown cardboard drink carrier from his hand as the Doctor topples headlong over the packing crates. The mat by the door has somehow made it's way on top of the Doctor's head and Amelia flicks the fabric off his head with a sly smile.
"Really Doctor, you should be more careful." Amelia plucks a nondescript cup out of it's cardboard nest, casually sniffing it's contents. Purring in satisfaction, Amelia sets the cup down, smoothing out her cream colored blouse "Fantastic idea, by the way."
Delbert gets to his feet, brushing himself off and adjusting his glasses. "Who puts boxes next to the frond- fond- front door?" Delbert blames his recent slip of the tongue on still being tired and he purses his lips, determined not to make a fool of himself anymore.
"Perhaps, someone moving would put the boxes next to the front door to expedite the process." Her eyebrow arches in his direction before she sashays to her bedroom, leaving the coffee cup on her empty counter.
"Perhaps someone expecting guests should move the boxes!" Doppler, thinking he has gotten the last word, leans back against the counter, plucking a coffee cup out of the cardboard container he had very nearly dropped.
"You could learn a thing or two about moving things to accommodate guests, Delbert Doppler." Her tone is unusually harsh as it echos off the walls in the small flat and Amelia can practically hear his ears flatten themselves against his head. Amelia didn't have to be next to him to know that she had struck a nerve.
"I know the mansion is a mess, and I know it's my fault." He is the picture of humility, slumped against her counter with his eyes to the floor, and Amelia suddenly feels all the anger melt into horrific guilt. How could she even blame him? He obviously didn't know it was even there, and she feels sick for getting onto him about it.
"No, we aren't talking about the mansion." Amelia drops her garment bags on top of the boxes by the door and stands in front of Delbert, her hands on her hips. How best to tell the man that she had found something of his late wife's? "I mean- yes we are talking about the mansion. We are talking about your late wife's things hanging about in unused rooms." Her thoughts stray back to the white coat she had found a few nights ago, and the haunted feeling she couldn't shake that night.
"Wha-?" The accusation seems to catch Delbert off guard and he can't speak around the sudden knot in his throat. "You found something of hers?" He looks up from the floor, his brown eyes shining with an emotion that Amelia desperately hopes isn't there. The question comes out hollow, and Amelia almost doesn't want to answer him.
Amelia nods. "Her coat was hanging in the wardrobe. You aren't over her yet, are you?" Her voice is quieter now, tinged with doubt over having even brought the subject up.
"I- It's difficult to explain." Delbert's eyes go back to the floor, and it's clear he doesn't want to talk about this.
"Try, Doctor. You will find I can be very understanding." She leads him to the couch and sits him down gently. Harsh words and force, much her favorite as they are, would not do for this occasion.
"Abagail was my best friend. When we married, we married for companionship." Delbert admits quietly. The Doctor is clearly unsure of himself but he continues nonetheless, his hands a tangled mess in his lap. Amelia can't get over how vulnerable he looks at this moment. It's the second time in the months that she has known him that she has seen such behavior of the normally sure Doctor. The first had been under entirely different, and understandable circumstances, and she couldn't fault him at all for feeling the way he did. The situation had changed him into a capable, even if a bit cocky helmsman and first mate. Now, she only saw the still maybe grieving widower on her couch, and she didn't quite know what to do.
"The love I felt for her was genuine, but it wasn't what I feel when I'm around you." Delbert gets brave and his eyes travel up her face and into hers. "I will love her until I die, but it will never be the kind of love I have for you." Amelia sighs in relief inwardly before her analytical side steps in to take control of the situation.
Amelia's eyebrow arches at the sudden use of the word love, but it isn't something that hasn't crossed her mind too. She has known for some time that the way she feels about the Doctor can only lead to something permanent.
"Love?" It's only after that she is able to clear the knot from her throat that the quiet question comes out.
Delbert nods, his words earnest. "I wasn't even sure of it until I said it. It just feels right. I can't explain it any other way. Maybe you moving in is our way of coping with having to move on with our lives."
Amelia can't recall another point in her life where there has ever been a more honest one sided conversation. But it makes sense enough, and they are both adults. Even so, she can't think of a single thing to say in light of his admission, and that very truth alone shocks her.
"Doctor I think this may be the first time anyone has ever rendered me speechless." Amelia chuckles at the situation. Three months ago, she expected so much less of the Doctor upon their first meeting. Learning now that she had sorely underestimated him, she sees him in a different light. What was previously a bumbling, bookish doctor was now a clever, quick witted man.
The movers are quick to destroy the private moment, and the start of a very lengthy day begins with a ringing bell
Boxes are loaded one by one into a waiting cart outside and Amelia watches on with mixed feelings. It's only after all her things are loaded in what seems like minutes later does she realize how little she had owned to begin with. Most of the boxes had been taken away the previous night to be shipped off to Arrow's family. For years, she had lived around the large man, and now that she was on her own, her own life felt very empty. But here she was, ready to move in with another man, and although the relationship was still in question, Amelia feels that this is what she is supposed to be doing.
Amelia doesn't believe in a higher power, or any other sort of nonsense, but how else is she to explain the sense of completeness she feels around the bumbling doctor? This wasn't a feeling she had when they had first met, and she certainly didn't trust herself while under the influence on the planet. It was only after she had gained distance from the very root of her affections was she able to sort out the jumbled mess he had made her into.
The very truth of the matter was that she could no longer function without him. Routines were followed down to every little minute detail, but without the Doctor's kind words and gentle touch, everything felt strangely wrong. It aggravated Amelia to no end that she now found herself in a dependent relationship, but there was no other place she would rather be.
The room that she would call her own resides in the eastern wing of the mansion, and it's totally different from the tiny room off the stairs. The room had been recently repainted in an airy cerulean with tan accents, and the rug beneath had been stripped away to reveal smooth wood flooring.
"The whole mansion is done in dramatic reds and gold, I thought that a few rooms in a different motif would make the place more inviting." It was Sarah who had organized the repainting and redecorating in the rooms, and Amelia found herself immediately grateful.
"How very thoughtful. This room will do quite nicely, thank you." Amelia strides around the room in full, sure steps, taking everything in. A swaying chandelier in the center of the room will provide enough light in the evening, but this room was built for the sunlight. Long linen curtains hang in front of large bay windows and a balcony door that is quickly unlatched.
The view that is offered her is nothing short of amazing. It's clear here the effort the planetary council has gone to to terraform the planet. Small lawns are already appearing adjacent to large, sprawling oak trees. It's nothing like a fully fledged garden world, but it's a start on the dusty rock she is now to call home.
Turning back to the door she finds it occupied by none other than the estates owner himself. "I thought you might enjoy the view." Free from carpet or runners, Delbert's stride is unhampered by anything that might bring out his inner klutz.
"It is quite marvelous." They are quiet for a long moment and Amelia turns to the Doctor as an errant breeze finds it's way into the room. "I don't suppose I ever got around to thanking you."
Delbert smiles, the pad of his thumb smoothing her hair down. "I'm happy to have you here."
Amelia smiles in return. It's nothing like the intimidating show of authority he had been treated to upon their first meeting, but rather a softer, kinder smile. The corners of her lips turn up and her usually fiery green eyes soften ever so slightly. "For everything, Doctor. Thank you."
Delbert, not knowing quite what to say and certainly not wanting to lose the moment, feels himself drawn closer to her. It's not the first time he's kissed her, and God if he can help it, certainly not the last. Delbert is drunk on her very presence here, with him, and he feels his imagination running wild within his mind. For all the things he has thought about doing with her, to her, he settles on waiting for her to initiate the contact.
It is the first time she has ever felt anything like this. Past courtships don't hold a candle to the inferno that is blazing in her chest, and Amelia doesn't have a clue how to handle any of it. It's as if all at the same time, her heart is soaring while her stomach drops. Discombobulating is exactly the word for it, and Amelia feels exactly that.
But as they near each other, their eyes slipping closed in anticipation of that final, gentle touch, an awkward cough at the door sends her across the room, her body automatically turning away from the door to hide the blush that is spreading on her face.
"Are we interrupting anything?" Two burly movers stand in the doorway laden with boxes and Amelia indicates with an open palm that they are free to enter. She is annoyed that not for the second time that day, a private moment had been ruined by the same two people, and there is plenty she can say for missed opportunities. It's precisely why she is standing here, and not on her ship facilitating repairs and signing a new charter.
They are out of the room as quickly as they came, but the moment is gone and Delbert is once again afraid to go near her.
"I'll ah, just leave you to get settled." And just like that, he's gone again, most likely down to his observatory, but Amelia can't be bothered to chase the man down now. There's plenty to be done up here before she can consider it liveable, and she is quick to busy herself with it.
