I don't own the Orville.
Alara spent the next two weeks trying to talk to Gordon, but she could never get him alone. Even when they were in their quarters, he focused his attention on Jack, practically ignoring her.
She was terrified to talk to him, terrified that he only saw her as the mother of his son and not as a woman, terrified to learn that his words to her father were just to shut him up.
However, she knew that if she did nothing then she would never know, and not knowing terrified her more than anything.
Gordon, it seemed, didn't want to discuss anything with her. Their conversations were short unless focused on Jack. It was almost like he was avoiding her, like they were almost strangers.
It didn't help that the last week she had spent alone, with Gordon working on the bridge and Jack in the daycare center getting used to his new environment. She had all day to ponder her feelings for Gordon and what his for her could be.
It honestly just made her more confused.
She was happy when she learned that she would be able to go back on active duty tomorrow. At least that would give her something to do, something to keep her mind off all this.
A bell dinged indicating someone was at the door. Alara lowered the book she had tried reading to take her mind off Gordon. It hadn't worked, she had just been reading the same sentence over and over and still not understanding what was going on.
"Enter!"
The door opened and Alara stood, surprised, to see Ed entering her quarters.
"Captain?"
"Hey Alara," he said with a smile, that same smile that used to make her knees weak. Now, it did nothing. "Ready to get back to work?"
She laughed. "You have no idea," she replied before gesturing him to sit. Ed sat in the single chair and Alara retook her seat on the couch. "It's been so lonely since Jack went into daycare. I have nothing to do."
Ed nodded. "I can understand that." Ed then leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. He looked serious for a moment. "Have you been able to talk with Gordon about that day?"
Alara's smile faded and she shook her head. "No," she said softly. "He's been avoiding me, but I don't know why."
"Do you really believe that he would just say something like that to throw your father off?"
Alara turned from Ed, her eyes going to her hands clasped in her lap. "I don't know. On the one hand it sounds like something he might do, but..." She looked up at Ed, "I want to hope that he was serious."
Ed's eyes widened at those words. He leaned closer, his hand reached over and touched Alara's shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Alara, are you saying you want to marry Gordon?"
Alara looked back up at Ed, her eyes wide. "I..."
The door rushed open and both Ed and Alara turned to see Gordon standing in the doorway. He walked in but paused at seeing the two of them there. Gordon's eyes went from Alara and then to Ed and then to Ed's hand on Alara's shoulder.
"It seems as though I am interrupting something," he said softly.
Alara could see pain in Gordon's eyes. As if seeing her and Ed together caused him pain.
Ed stood abruptly, his own eyes wide on his friend. If Alara had noticed the pain Gordon was feeling, it was possible Ed had as well.
"Gordon," Ed said in a friendly tone, almost too friendly. He had noticed Gordon's barely masked pain. "I was just welcoming Alara back to active duty tomorrow."
Gordon shook his head, backing away from them. "No, no," he said, his voice going slightly higher. "No need to stop on my account. I'll see myself out."
Then, before either Ed or Alara could stop him, Gordon turned and left the room. Alara stood and took a few steps towards the door he had just walked through. What had just happened?
"I think he got the wrong idea," Ed said with a sigh.
Alara knew he had. She could see it in his eyes, that pain at seeing her and Ed together. Why would he feel that way? It wasn't like she and Ed had anything going on...
Alara could smack herself. Gordon knew about her old feelings for Ed. He had been the only person she had confessed it to. He must still think...
Without a word to Ed, Alara took off into the hallway after Gordon. If there was a chance that he felt something and was keeping away from her because of a misunderstanding, she had to clear it up right this minute.
She ran down the corridor hoping to run into him, but to no avail. He had disappeared.
She moved through the ship, knowing that he wasn't on the bridge. That would be too easy for her find him. He wasn't in the Mess Hall, Sick Bay, none of the simulators and he hadn't been by the daycare center to visit Jack.
She was walking down the corridor back to her quarters when she ran right into John.
"Alara," John said with a smile. "Aren't you getting ready to come back to active duty tomorrow?"
Alara looked up at John with a small piece of hope. "Do you know where Gordon is?"
John appeared confused. "What do you mean?"
Alara shook her head, as if clearing her thoughts. "I have to find him. He misunderstood something and I..." she took a deep breath. "I just need to speak with him right away."
John really looked at Alara then, as if studying her. Then he smiled, a knowing smile that made Alara nervous. That was John's "up to mischief" smile.
"He's hiding out in his old quarters," he said with an almost chuckle.
Alara almost wanted to question him about it, but decided that would have to wait. She had to talk to Gordon first. "Thanks!"
John watched Alara hurry off down the corridor with a smile on his face. Those two...they were going to be a hell of pair.
Alara didn't bother buzzing the door, instead using her security clearance to force her way in. The door opened and she stepped into the smaller room.
Gordon jumped up at her entrance from the small bed, the only piece of furniture in the room. "Alara..."
Alara let out a breath. "You are one hard man to find Gordon Malloy."
Gordon took a deep breath. "I was just giving you some time to tell him."
Alara raised an eyebrow. "Tell him?"
Gordon turned and looked out the windows of the room. "Tell Ed that you love him."
Alara couldn't believe that she was hearing this. "Ed? Gordon, why are you saying this? What are you thinking?"
Gordon let out a breath and turned back to Alara. "Look," he said seriously, "the only think we have between us is Jack. You don't love me and you don't want to marry me. You deserve to be happy and if you love him, well...you should tell him."
Alara couldn't believe she was hearing this. "Is that really what you think?"
Gordon looked down slightly. "If you are in love with Ed, if he will make you happy, then you should be with him. You should tell him how you feel."
"Is that really how you feel?"
Gordon wouldn't look at her. Alara couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes at this. What could she say to make him understand?
"If you love someone, you should tell them," Gordon said firmly.
"Is there someone you love?"
Alara didn't know why she asked that question. It would only hurt her if he said he did and it wasn't her. However, it did make Gordon turn and look at her.
The look on his face was almost painful. He had to love someone to give her that look. Alara almost wanted to take the words back, to say she didn't need to know. However, she had gone this far and she had to know at this point.
"I love Jack," he said finally. "My only goal is making sure his mother is happy. That's all I want."
Alara looked at Gordon as if seeing him for the first time. He was talking about making her happy, but didn't speak of himself. She thought back to the times they spent together. Gordon had slept in the same bed as her every night, not once making a move on her. Gordon had let her cry out her tears for her love for Ed despite his anger at being considered Ed's replacement. Gordon telling her to confess to Ed and be happy.
Gordon had always put Alara first.
"Do you..." Alara took a deep breath, but it was the only explanation she could come up with. "Do you honestly still think I'm in love with Ed?"
Gordon's eyes narrowed. "Aren't you?"
It all made sense now. His distancing himself from her, pushing her away, telling her to confess to another man. He had honestly thought she was still in love with Ed and wanted her to get what she wanted.
Only he didn't know that it wasn't what she wanted anymore.
She shook her head. "No," she said softly. "I'm not in love with the Captain. Looking back, I don't think I ever really was."
Gordon's eyes widened and his body was rigid, however Alara noticed a flicker of emotion in his eyes. A flicker that filled her with hope.
She took a step towards him, now within arms reach of him, and took a deep breath.
"Gordon, I'm in love with you."
Alara watched as Gordon's eyes widened, surprised at her words. He looked in shock, like he had when he learned about Jack. Shock and happiness.
"But...you were so sure about Ed before?"
Alara smiled. "That was before you."
Before she realized what was happening, Gordon reached out and pulled her against him, his arms tight around her body. His body was trembling against her own.
"Gordon?"
"You have no idea," he said, his voice soft in her ear, "how happy I am right now."
Alara's heart jumped and she couldn't help the tears filling her eyes at those words. Her own arms lifted and wrapped around him in a gentle embrace. For what seemed like forever they just stood and held each other.
Then Gordon pulled back and looked at her, his hands coming up to frame her face. His eyes were looking directly at her, filled with love and happiness. "I've been in love with you for a long time Alara Kitan," he said.
Alara smiled, but she still had to ask.
"So, my strength...?"
Gordon smiled and leaned close to her, his forehead rest upon hers. "It's part of you and I love every part."
Alara let out a soft sigh. "I was sure when you told me you didn't want to sleep next to me that it had to be about that."
Gordon chuckled before pulling back to look at her. "That had nothing to do with it," he said. "I thought you still had feelings for Ed. If that was the case there was no way I could handle lying next to you knowing that you were thinking of someone else. I'd have gone insane."
Alara placed her hands on Gordon's chest, his heartbeat strong beneath her fingers. "I confused my respect for him with love. He treated me like I was just another crew member and that my strength didn't matter. I didn't know what real love was until I got to know you."
"Oh, Alara," Gordon said before leaning down and covering her lips with his own. Alara wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. It had been too long since she had felt this with him. She wasn't going to waste a moment with him going forward.
This kiss was filled with passion, desire and all the pent up emotions they had had between them the last year.
When they pulled away they smiled at each other.
"I guess I didn't lie to your father," Gordon said. "You will marry me, won't you Alara?"
Alara smiled up at him, her heart filled with more love than she had thought possible. "Of course I will."
Unaware of what his parents were up to, Jack slept in his crib in the daycare center, his dark red hair fluffing out from the top of his head head, his small hands curled into little fists. As he slept he didn't know the wonderful news that was being spread across the ship.
That Gordon Malloy and Alara Kitan were going to be married and this small group would become a family.
5 years later...
Jack looked into the crib at his baby sister. She looked like Mommy more than Daddy. It was weird. He looked over at his parents. Mommy was sleeping on the couch, her head in Daddy's lap. Daddy was gently stroking her hair and looking at her with a kind expression.
"Daddy?" Jack said, drawing his father's attention to him. "Is Mommy okay?"
He smiled at his son. "She's fine, just tired. Andrina takes a little more attention than your mother was expecting. You were a calm baby compared to her."
Jack moved over and carefully climbed onto his father's lap, avoiding his mother's head. "Will she always be like this?"
His father shook his head. "No, as she gets older it will be easier."
"Can I help?"
His father lifted his hand and placed it on Jack's head, gently messing the mass of red hair he found there. "Of course you can, by staying out of trouble and being nice to your little sister. You have a responsibility now to help me protect them both."
Jack smiled at his father before cuddling closer to him and following his mother's example, falling right to sleep.
With his family around him sleeping, Gordon felt at peace. He had things he had never thought he would now. A sweet and caring son, a beautiful new daughter and Alara, the woman he loved more than he had thought it possible.
He leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes.
This right here, this was happiness.
This is the end of this story. It came to me randomly one day and I just had to write it. I hope that you enjoyed it as well.