I don't own Relic Hunter or Star Trek the Next Generation; or any of the characters from these shows.
Just to let you know; Worf rarely shortens his words, a bit like Data
CHAPTER FIVE
What Beverly was reading, that was so important to Nigel, was his complete medical history, which she'd obtained from the vast database on board the Enterprise. So far she'd discovered that he'd been a relatively healthy child, although he was considered to be very small and underweight by the various doctors he'd seen during his early life and as a teenager; although there was a very short period when he was a baby that he'd been quite chubby. He'd had some broken bones, a few cuts and scrapes and the usual childhood illnesses suffered by children in the 21st century; he'd also had yellow fever at the age of 21, was allergic to horse hair and had middle ear syndrome.
Beverly wanted to make sure she knew everything about Nigel's health, thus ensuring she could be confident it was safe to put him through the process to erase his recent memories. She really cared about him and, as time consuming as it was, she made sure she was very thorough. Luckily nothing that would cause any difficulty had shown up in the first set of notes that she'd read earlier; nor had anything, so far, in this later attempt at completing the task. However, as it was getting late, she decided she'd put her PADD away and finish the job in the morning, after a good night's sleep; ensuring that tiredness would not cause her to miss something vital!
That night, as she was sleeping, she was suddenly awoken by a call from Nigel, who was very distressed, having had exactly what she'd hoped he was free of; a nightmare. She immediately went to see him, wiped his face, and asked what he'd dreamt. It turned out it was about Worf coming into his room and attacking him! Beverly realised that the only way to ensure he didn't have any further bad dreams about the Klingon, or any of the other unusual looking aliens on board the ship, was to ask Worf to come to Nigel's quarters and talk to him.
Nigel hated the idea at first, but then agreed, as he trusted Beverly's judgement and certainly didn't want a repeat of the dream he's just had! He'd suffered with nightmares most his life because of the things that Preston had done to him when he was a little boy, and after their parents had died; and because of the treatment he'd received at boarding school and the things that had happened to him there. In the last year though, and more so in the last six months; his dreams had become almost normal, which although he'd had help from a doctor, he put down to the fact that he and his brother had been on good terms. Of course, it was quite possible that thinking about what Preston might be doing with Sydney partially caused this horrible dream!
Beverly tapped her combadge "Crusher to Worf" she said, a slight sense of urgency in her voice.
"What can I do for you doctor" Worf replied.
"If you're not doing anything too crucial would you come to Nigel Bailey's quarters and talk to him for a few minutes? You know how he reacted to you on the Bridge, well he's not met you properly yet and…. well could you just come and see him?" Beverly said, not wanting to embarrass Worf or Nigel.
"On my way doctor" Worf said, sounding annoyed.
Beverly looked at Nigel and asked "was it only Worf that you dreamt about?"
"Well sort of, I dreamt that he attacked me and then Sydney pulled him off; she's an incredible woman and an amazing fighter; she always protects me because I'm just no good at that. In my dream though, Worf over powered and strangled her and then came after me again. That's when I woke up and called you, sorry…. I feel so stupid" Nigel said, looking down at the bed and blushing.
At that moment Worf marched into Nigel's quarters; walking directly into the bedroom where he stood towering over Nigel, looking to the young man like a demon!
"What has come over you that you need to be formally introduced to me tonight, young man!" Worf asked, looking quite annoyed "could you not have waited until tomorrow morning!"
"I, I…" Nigel stammered; tears pooling in his eyes and finding it difficult to speak. Worf was just so large and looked so angry, the ridges on his forehead appearing even deeper as he frowned and looked down at Nigel.
Beverly quickly stepped in, noticing how panic-stricken Nigel was.
"Worf! Please! He's never seen a Klingon, or any other species before coming aboard the Enterprise. He's had a very frightening nightmare about you! I just thought if he met you he'd see you're no threat and won't hurt him; Worf….. don't prove me wrong!" she said, looking quite upset.
Worf looked at Nigel who was visibly shaking and had almost fallen off the other side of his bed trying to get as far away from him as possible.
"I am sorry Nigel; I will not hurt you" Worf said, as he smiled and stretched his large hand across to Nigel who, very apprehensively, took it and pulled himself forward a little. "I will have to take you onto the Holodeck tomorrow where I can teach you to fight with batleth and train you to become a warrior, you will be afraid of nothing then."
Nigel looked a little taken aback and wondered what exactly a batleth was, although he guessed it must be a weapon of some sort.
Beverly saw the expression on Nigel's face and immediately spoke for him again "Worf I don't think he's quite ready to be a warrior, perhaps you could just take him for a walk in a nice location on the Holodeck and get to know him." She couldn't imagine for one second that Nigel would enjoy learning to use a weapon to maim someone; although she considered he'd probably like to see it. Having read Nigel's profile, which Data had compiled before the young man was brought on board, she knew he had a gentle nature and completely abhorred violence, although he occasionally had to defend himself when Sydney was already fighting off an adversary.
"Sir, what is a batleth?" Nigel asked, trying to appear more confident, although inside he felt quite woozy.
"It is a Klingon sword of honour, I will show you one tomorrow; meet me outside Holodeck 2 at 09.00 hours; there is still time for you to grow up to become a warrior. I have to leave now, I have duties to attend to" Worf said, looking at how tiny Nigel looked compared to him.
"Um, I don't think I'm going to grow anymore Sir, I'm 24; I haven't grown since I was about 18. I would, um, like to see the batleth though" Nigel said, hoping he'd feel brave enough in the morning to be alone with Worf; realising Beverley would probably be too busy to stay with him.
"I will see you tomorrow then Nigel, I hope you sleep more peacefully now" Worf said, as he left the room to go back to the Bridge.
Once Worf had gone, Beverly tucked Nigel into bed, like he was a little boy and said "see you in the morning sweetie, goodnight."
"Night doctor; thanks" Nigel replied, turning over on his side and thinking, she's so like Nanny Wright; that thought making him realise just how far away his beloved nanny and, of course, Sydney was.
The next morning Nigel got up at the normal time but, obviously, felt pretty tired, having taken quite a while to go back to sleep the previous night. Still feeling a little embarrassed about his behaviour, he forced himself to ask Beverly if he could join her for breakfast, hoping she wasn't cross with him; or feeling tired herself. Of course, Beverly was just fine and told him to come to sickbay as she was she eating there that morning, enabling her to complete an important task immediately she'd finished.
As soon as Nigel walked in Beverley noticed how tired he looked and told him to go back to bed for a couple of hours. Nigel didn't want to; he felt the need to prove to himself that he was brave enough to meet Worf alone on the Holodeck. He wanted to see the batleth, even if he didn't want to fight with it, believing it must be an amazing weapon if someone like Worf used it! Beverly didn't insist that he got more sleep right then, but told him to go to bed early that night. Realising that everything she said was purely out of concern for his wellbeing, he ignored the fact that she was treating him like a child and gave her a big hug, thanking her for the kindness she'd shown him since he'd arrived on the ship; especially the previous night. Beverley smiled widely and told Nigel he was most welcome.
Suddenly, as Nigel ate his breakfast, he heard "Worf to Nigel Bailey!" coming from his combadge; causing him to almost jump out of his skin.
"Answer Worf Nigel" Beverly said; "you know how to do it."
Nigel tapped his badge "Ni, Nigel here Sir"
"You are late! Meet me on Holodeck 2 immediately!" Worf said, the tone of his voice sounding quite harsh.
"What time is it doctor!" Nigel asked; realising it must be after nine; which he recalled was when he was supposed to meet his new 'friend'.
"It's just nine now sweetie, don't worry, it'll only take you a little while to get to the Holodeck" Beverly said, noticing Nigel looked worried.
"Please doctor, would you mind coming with me" he said with a pleading look on his face, not feeling one bit brave anymore!
"Alright, come on then" she said, smiling kindly, understanding his concern, as Worf had sounded rather annoyed.
They walked to the turbolift and soon reached Holodeck 2, where Worf had been waiting for a couple of minutes. He was holding a very sharp and unusual looking sword that Nigel looked at very warily.
"Good morning" Worf said, to them both, appearing to have calmed down a little.
"Good morning Sir" Nigel said, politely, trying not to panic "sorry I'm late, it won't happen again Sir"
"That is alright Nigel, you are forgiven….now once I have set up the holoprogram I will demonstrate how to use the batleth, that is what this is" Worf said, holding up the sword that was nothing like any weapon Nigel had seen before. It was large and half crescent shaped, with two handles in the middle, rather than at one end and was, obviously, very sharp! As they entered the Holodeck Worf began pressing buttons to set up the holoprogram and then led Nigel and Beverley; who'd decided to stay to give Nigel moral support, into a beautiful wooded area.
Nigel began to feel a little happier as he followed Worf through the trees and into a clearing, where he noticed some huge boulders that, for some reason, looked familiar.
Worf began to wave the sword around, slowly at first, but then he built up the speed getting faster and faster as the demonstration progressed, which looked very impressive; Nigel actually enjoyed it and applauded him. Of course he was not using the batleth against an enemy here but, obviously, if he was, those moves would have been lethal!
After about ten minutes Beverly noticed that Nigel was looking far more relaxed and decided the best thing to do now was to let him and Worf bond, knowing that as big and as angry as Worf appeared to be, he would never actually harm Nigel.
"I'm going back to sickbay now sweetie, enjoy your day…. be careful with him Worf, remember, he's not Klingon!" she said, hoping Nigel wouldn't panic.
Before Nigel could say 'please stay a bit longer' she'd already gone and he began to feel quite anxious again; after all, he was with this huge alien who had a weapon that could kill an elephant with one swipe!
"Do you like it here Nigel?" Worf asked, believing that he would.
"Yes I do, it's nice… it's, it's the area at the back of Trinity College, isn't it Sir! Nigel said; suddenly remembering exactly where he'd seen the boulders before; then wishing he really was back home and not inside the Holodeck. He felt a little homesick as he looked around and wondered if this holoprogram would enable him to go to the college and visit Sydney.
"That is correct Nigel; there are photographs of this area in some books in the library, which is how Data managed to get the layout so precise. Now young man, I will show you a move that I use when I have to kill an enemy with my batleth" Worf said, lifting up the weapon but noticing Nigel was looking away.
"What are you looking at Nigel; pay attention!" Worf said, angrily.
Nigel jumped! "Um, sorry Sir, I was looking to see if Professor Fox was around" Nigel said, now paying close attention to the weapon for fear of upsetting Worf further.
Worf nodded and then demonstrated the move, which rather turned Nigel's stomach as he imagined Worf cutting off an opponent's head! Once he'd finished the demonstration Worf offered the batleth to Nigel.
"Oh, no, no thank you Sir, I'll cut off my hand or foot! I'm just too clumsy to hold something like that. Um, you're very skilled with it Sir" Nigel added, hoping he wasn't offending the huge Klingon by refusing the sword.
"I have been using a batleth since I was a child; I can see you are no warrior but you have shown bravery just by being here. I did, in fact, bring you here to test your courage and I am pleased that you did not run away and you did not take the batleth from me just because you were afraid to refuse! Nigel Bailey, I would be honoured to have you as a friend" Worf said, extending his hand in friendship.
Nigel smiled and shook Worf's hand, which was huge compared to his and said "thank you Sir."
"We are friends now Nigel, you may call me Worf; now… what would you like to do next?" he asked, already knowing, more or less, what Nigel would say.
"Um, can we go and see if Professor Fox is in her office please Sir, um I mean Worf?" Nigel asked, with a pleading look on his face.
"I thought that is what you would want to do, but I will have to readjust the holoprogram as before we came in here I modified it, ensuring your boss was not included as a character; otherwise she would have thought you were being attacked when I was demonstrating the batleth! I will change it back now, and leave you alone, as I do not think you will want me around when you meet her; I am aware you have romantic feelings for the professor. It will only take a minute to change the program and then you can go and find her… pause program!" Worf said; noticing Nigel was blushing. The main reason that Nigel felt so embarrassed by what Worf had just said was because it occurred to him that a lot of people on board the ship seemed to know about his personal life, yet he knew nothing much about theirs.
Worf pressed some of the buttons to reset the holoprogram and then said to Nigel "when you have finished; just say 'end program', I have several matters to attend to on the Bridge now Nigel, so I will see you later."
Nigel said goodbye to Worf and then ran all the way to the ancient studies department and directly into Sydney's office. She was sitting at her desk, looking so beautiful in a very low cut top, her hair flowing and no spectacles. She looked up at him as he entered and gave him a huge smile.
"Hey Nige; where've you been darling? I've been waiting for you. Do you want to have lunch by the river…if you know what I mean?" she said, winking and looking at him seductively.
"Hi um Syd um, ye yes that would be nice" he stammered, blushing as he noticed how sexily she moved from behind her desk and then towards him. His eyes almost popped out of his head when she stood in front of him, took off her top, provocatively pushed out her beasts and then put on a clean blouse, buttoning it up to just above her waist! He tried hard not to look and blushed bright red; putting his hands over his eyes and turning his head to the side.
Of course, she'd done something like that on the first day they met and she quite often teased him to make him blush. However this somehow seemed different to him… and he suddenly thought; did she just call me darling! He wasn't sure how to handle the situation but decided to 'go with the flow' which was something Sydney was always telling him to do.
Just as he was thinking how sexy this Sydney was, she suddenly grabbed his hand and began to walk very quickly towards the side entrance of the college. Once outside she ran really fast; dragging Nigel behind her, who was wondering all the time what the rush was, as they were permitted an hour and a half for lunch, so there was plenty of time.
He soon found himself back at the place where Worf had been demonstrating the batleth and Sydney sat on the ground and patted it, indicating that Nigel should join her. He sat down and then led on his back with his arms crossed at the back of his head to support it. He looked up at the sky and thought, it's such a nice day; I wish I'd brought a book but at least I'm with Sydney again.
The next thing he knew Sydney leapt over to him, sat astride his thighs and pulled his trouser zipper right down! Nigel screamed "hey, what are you doing!" and giggled; as he tried to pull her hand away "stop it Syd! Stop it!" he screamed, continuing to laugh; thinking she was just having a bit of fun at his expense. Then she leaned forward and pressed her breasts onto his chest and began kissing him like they'd been lovers for years. She continued kissing him passionately, pulling at his hair and getting really carried away; telling him in between kisses, in no uncertain terms, just what she wanted! Nigel, being a man, had initially kissed her back, but then he realised…. his Sydney would never act this way towards him; this was just wrong! He began to panic and tried to get away, but this Sydney, just like the real one, was much stronger than him. Nigel struggled, managing to free his mouth and shouted "end program!" He felt so offended; this just wasn't his Sydney, she would never do this and besides, his Sydney was going to marry Preston, if she hadn't already!
Nigel realised, as he found himself led on the floor of the empty Holodeck, that Data and the captain had produced that particular holoprogram because they believed that was what he wanted! Of course, had he and Sydney actually been in a sexual relationship before he was abducted; that would probably have been the case! However they, obviously, knew that they weren't; which caused him to believe that they didn't actually understand him at all; otherwise, they'd have known that he took sex very seriously and that he most certainly wouldn't want to get his heart broken by a holographic projection when he was sent back to Earth!
He got up off the floor, dusted himself off and then; feeling quite upset and wanting to get out of there quickly, he rushed to the door; bumping directly into Data.
"Sorry Data" Nigel said, not really wanting to face him.
"Hello Nigel, are you alright" Data asked, noticing Nigel looked flushed and uncomfortable.
"Um, yes… I'm um…. fine, I'm just on my way back to my quarters" Nigel said, hoping Data wouldn't ask any questions about what he'd been doing.
"I see that you were running the holoprogram where Sydney is in love with you, I hope you liked it" Data said, noticing Nigel was beginning to perspire.
"Liked IT! Oh.. oh.. you mean the holoprogram! I, I guess I was a little shocked by it, the real Sydney would never have acted like that with me; I appreciate the work you put into the program though Data" Nigel said, still feeling a little shaky.
"Do not worry Nigel, as I told you before, there are several holoprograms; in most of them Professor Fox will behave like your boss, or like a big sister; that is the way she behaves towards you, is it not?" Data asked.
"Yes, I suppose she does really, I think right now though, that's all I can handle; I'm definitely not ready to be with the other Sydney!" he said smiling sheepishly; although starting to feel a bit better, realising Data wasn't judging him.
"Would you like me to set up another holoprogram for you" Data asked, realising Nigel still had some time left if he wanted to continue using the Holodeck.
"Um, yes, thanks Data, I may as well use up my quota of time now you're here to set things up. I guess I'd really like to see my mum and dad again, if that's OK, I won't stay too long, I promise" Nigel said, looking hopeful, thinking that this might be a way to take his mind off 'Sydney'.
"That will be no problem Nigel, I will set it to run for one hour, twenty seven minutes and nine seconds as you have already been on the Holodeck for one hour, two minutes and fifty one seconds; that should be sufficient for one day" Data said, making the necessary adjustments to enable a new holoprogram to be run. "I will see you later Nigel, goodbye."
In this second holoprogram, which had been previously paused at a certain point, Nigel found himself with his family in Green Park, London, where, in reality, he'd fed the ducks and geese many times when he was a child. Preston behaved a little like he had when he was 19, only he actually wanted to play football with Nigel, something the real Preston hadn't done willingly. It was so enjoyable kicking a ball around with his brother and talking with his parents, although he couldn't help but wish his mum and dad were really alive.
All too soon the program came to an end, just as Data said it would and Nigel left the Holodeck, bravely making his own way back to his quarters. He was successful in that, which rather pleased him, as it was the first time he'd done it alone. Once back in his room he took a sonic shower and read for the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon.
Back at Trinity College Preston was trying hard to settle into his new job; although he wasn't finding it easy as his students; who were formerly in his brother's class, kept asking him about Nigel and when he'd be returning. The problem was that Sydney, who was not prepared to entertain the idea that Nigel may never come back, had told them that he'd temporarily moved back to England and recommended Preston as his short term replacement! The constant reminders that Nigel was still missing deeply upset Preston and having to lie about it, made it worse.
Sydney, realising it was her white lie that was causing Preston so much heartache, felt rather guilty; although she simply couldn't face revealing the truth. She was, however, very supportive when the student's questioning got too much for Preston, sending him home with 'a migraine' rather than risk him breaking down in front of the class!
During those early months Sydney would often suggest to Preston that they go out after work to drown their sorrows and, once in a while, have dinner together. It was at those times that Sydney began to notice more things that Preston did that reminded her of Nigel, particularly when he was tipsy which, rather than upset her, she found quite comical.
Gradually, as time passed, Preston's initial group of students moved on and his mood brightened without their constant questioning, showing Sydney a different side of this character which, until then, had been hidden. He started to feel more positive about life and although, deep down, that terrible feeling of loss was still there, he began taking on all of the duties that Nigel had previously undertaken, including relic hunting; something which he'd previously felt unable to do.
Even though Preston was over six foot tall, he still needed protection from rival relic hunters, much the same as Nigel had most of the time. Sydney, of course, expected that and watched his back, believing he would soon learn to throw the odd punch or two! Regardless of Preston's inability to defend himself, she was delighted by the way he helped her in the field, as even though his knowledge of ancient history was not as extensive as hers or Nigel's, he still came up with some brilliant ideas and excellent translations and soon got used to being dirty! This was all the more impressive as, like Nigel; he would have preferred to spend his time in a quiet library.
Sydney found she enjoyed having Preston along; he was good company and although she'd noticed several similarities between him and Nigel; he wasn't painfully shy like his brother. Of course, she realised Nigel had had a very difficult childhood, having been sent away, by Preston, to a boys' only boarding school where his classmates were cruel, and a lot older than him. At school he had no friends, was sexually assaulted and was brutally caned; causing him physical scarring for life! From the age of 15 he'd spent five years at Oxford University, where his guardians, at the time, Professor and Mrs Bally, were religious, very strict and over protective. All of those things, but predominantly being left so badly scarred, caused Nigel to have intimacy issues, particularly with women, which Sydney, had discussed with him. She, therefore, understood Nigel's shyness and was even aware that Preston was partially responsible for it! Of course, she also knew that Nigel had, eventually, found it in his heart to forgive Preston when he was made aware of a disturbing period of time that his brother had gone through, following the death of their parents, which he ultimately received counselling for in recent years.
Preston showed no signs of being affected by his past, apart from desperately wanting to make things up to Nigel; which looked quite unlikely now, especially since it had been almost eight months since Nigel's disappearance and Cate Hemphill, who had periodically called to up-date them had, obviously, found nothing.
A further few months passed and Sydney, who'd not been on a date since Nigel went missing, was surprised and, quite frankly, thrilled when Preston came into work one morning and asked her out! She'd actually started noticing how charming and considerate he could be when they were on a hunt, and at other times, and had actually started fantasising about being in bed with him; especially since it had been so long since she'd had sex! Feeling the ways she did, she immediately agreed and even bought a new outfit for the occasion, Preston telling her to dress fancy as he had something special in mind.
To her delight she discovered he'd booked a table at an exclusive restaurant, which looked so beautiful with fresh cut flowers and pure white linen cloths on each table. They ordered dinner which was served on the most exquisite white bone china, with tiny blue flowers, the like of which Sydney had never seen before, causing her to wish she had a set like it; an unusual thought for someone like Sydney!
"Preston, this is really lovely, it's been such a long time since anyone has wined and dined me like this, thank you so much" Sydney said, smiling widely, the champagne that he'd ordered relaxing her as she looked into his eyes.
"You're most welcome Sydney, there's no one I'd rather be with than you; I'm just so sorry I took so long to ask you out, you know you really are quite beautiful" Preston said, taking her hand and kissing it.
"Why Preston, thank you" she said, fluttering her eyes, feeling uncharacteristically girly and wondering how the rest of the evening would turn out. She was not disappointed, as there was a live band playing gentle rhythmic music, which enabled them to dance and chat at the same time. Sydney felt so happy to be in the arms of a man again.
Preston took her home, kissed her passionately at the door and attempted to leave; however, she was not ready to be alone again just yet and asked him in for a nightcap. Of course, Preston couldn't refuse her and stayed the night where they made passionate love; Sydney not thinking at all of the consequences of spending the night with her employee.
They went out several times in quick succession after that, soon noticing what a good match they were, both now wishing they'd realised it sooner. Preston, who was only a year younger than Sydney, not only shared her love of ancient history but also her taste in music and movies.
Sydney loved going out with Preston and occasionally went to nightclubs with him, soon realising how easy it was to get in; not only because Preston bribed the doorman, but because he was, obviously, over 21. Sydney, in the past, had often taken groups of friends, including Nigel, out for the evening and sometimes ended up at a nightclub. On those occasions they'd have problems getting Nigel in if he had no ID with him; causing all round embarrassment as he tried to persuade the doorman he was old enough! Nigel had had the same problem on a few relic hunts and, therefore, started carrying a photocopy of his passport with him, enabling him to get into bars, clubs and other establishments where information, regarding the relic they were after, might be obtained.
It wasn't too long before Preston moved in with Sydney, although he still paid the rent on Nigel's apartment, which was close to Trinity, enabling him and Sydney use it when they stayed late at work, saving a long trek home.
Sydney and Preston were finally happy again; something that neither of them expected having both been so downhearted for such a long time. However, as so often happens when things are going too smoothly; something, or someone, threatens to spoil it! In their case it was the Dean, who decided to call Sydney into his office to ask if what he'd heard was true, that she and Preston were in a romantic relationship. Sydney was annoyed by the question, as she felt it was none of his business, but she still confirmed it was true. He then sarcastically reminded her of the college's policy that employees should not fraternise outside of the workplace! This was, of course, overlooked when a group of colleagues went out together, but it was not acceptable for a boss and employee! Realising the Dean was no idiot, she went on to advise him that she and Preston now come as a couple and if necessary they would leave the college! He immediately shot back, as Sydney hoped he would, that she shouldn't be so hasty; obviously being fully aware that Sydney, and her various assistants, over the years, had brought in millions of dollars for the college by finding relics and then selling or renting them to various museums. Looking pretty annoyed, but feeling Sydney wasn't bluffing, he grudgingly told her that he would think of a way to prevent their relationship from being a problem; Sydney, of course, felt pretty confident that that was the last she'd hear on that subject!
As she was walking from the Dean's office, towards her own, she suddenly brought to mind a relic hunt she'd been on, in Britain, less than a week before Nigel disappeared. She recalled that whilst on that hunt she couldn't stop thinking about what sex would be like with Nigel! She'd not said anything to him, although in her heart she really wanted to discuss it; those thoughts being so strong. However, she realised a sudden change in attitude towards him, particularly where sex was concerned, might ruin their relationship; she, therefore, decided to take it slowly. Up until that point she'd always thought of him as a kid; the eight year age gap and the fact that she was his boss being enough to keep those thoughts from her mind.
As she was mulling over the past, she blinked away the tears, as it suddenly occurred to her that the main reason she was so annoyed with Nigel, when he was reluctant to go with her to the Grand Canyon, was because she simply wanted him with her! She'd since, of course, tried to put those feelings behind her, believing that the chances of seeing Nigel again were slim and even slimmer that a romantic relationship would ever develop between them. She knew that what she had to do now was focus on her feelings for Preston, as it was too painful to think about Nigel.
It was only a few weeks after Sydney's visit to the Dean's office that she and Preston fully admitted to their colleagues, friends and family; that they were in love. A month after that they got engaged and set a date for the wedding, Preston having bought her the most stunningly beautiful diamond engagement ring!
Initially she'd been surprised that she'd fallen so deeply for the charming Englishman; who was nothing like her usual boyfriends. Of course, when she really thought about it, she would never have married any of them; they were just fun to be with until she found someone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Preston, she was now convinced, was that man, although apart from relic hunting and teaching, she had little else in her life, having spent no time with any other men in over a year.
Prior to making any arrangements for the wedding, Sydney felt the need to be honest with Preston and made it very clear that, if she got pregnant, which she hoped she would, she'd continue teaching and relic hunting a few months after the birth, believing a good mother is a happy mother, who would give up her life for her child, but at the same time, was still a person in her own right! Preston reluctantly agreed, although he was secretly convinced that once she had a baby, she'd be quite happy to stay at home! He based this thought on the fact that most women, in his rather small circle of friends at home, had felt that way. Of course, he and Nigel were from an upper middleclass family and it was rare for women he knew to work once they'd started a family; although his own mother had worked as a lawyer when he and Nigel were children.
They also agreed that, after they married, Preston would continue to work at Trinity, as Sydney's teaching assistant; as he loved the work almost as much as she did and neither actually wanted to leave the college.
Realising they'd not given themselves an awful lot of time to look for a new home, prior to the wedding, they decided that, initially, they would still live in Sydney's house and then buy a new home together later on.
Having agreed their future plans Sydney then broke the news to her father, Randall Fox who, having met Preston a few times, had his reservations about their suitability. However, realising that Sydney was well over 21 and appeared to be blissfully happy; he kept his doubts to himself, hoping he was wrong.
Sydney hired a wedding planner to sort out all of the arrangements, as the ceremony was to take place at a beautiful church near Preston's home, in London.
The happy day soon came around and Sydney wore a beautiful pure white Calvin Klein wedding dress that made her look and feel like a million dollars. It was slim fitting with a low cut neckline and just a slight flair at the bottom of the skirt, allowing her to walk freely. There was one white lily on her right shoulder but otherwise the dress was plain. She had a simple white lily in her hair which she wore down, knowing that was how Preston preferred it. Her bouquet was mostly white lilies with a few tiny pale blue flowers, and leaves, which trailed down to a point, making the whole outfit look positively stunning.
She had five bridesmaids; Claudia and Karen, who were, of course, her past and present secretaries; Molly, who was a friend of hers from a finishing school she'd attended in Switzerland; Darcy, who was her best friend at boarding school and Jenny, who was her 26 year old stepmother!
Jenny's youth had, obviously, come as quite a shock to Sydney when her father introduced Jenny to her as his fiancée. However, that was actually a couple of years ago, when Randall had asked her and Nigel to help him find the statue of the Jade Empress, in China; which, of course, they found. It didn't take Sydney long after that to realise that Jenny was, in fact, really sweet, quite bright and just what her father needed; even if she did look like a Barbie doll!
The girls all wore pale blue dresses, the same colour as the tiny flowers in Sydney's bouquet, making them all look quite lovely.
Anthony Farquhar, a friend of Preston's from the British Museum, agreed to be his best man as; of course, the person he really wanted was still missing!
Randall gave Sydney away, although the entire time he walked her down the aisle he was wishing his little girl was marrying Nigel, whom he'd liked from the moment they'd met. He did actually like Preston but, in his eyes; nobody, apart from Nigel, would be right for his daughter.
The ceremony was wonderful and when Preston put the ring on Sydney's finger she smiled widely, thinking she'd never been so happy.
The reception was held at the Ritz Hotel, the ballroom looking quite amazing, having been newly decorated especially for the occasion. The circular tables were laid ready for the four course meal and friends of Preston's; who were members of the London Symphony Orchestra, whom Preston used to play with, performed throughout the afternoon and evening; Preston joining them at the piano for a few numbers.
The guest of honour was Louisa Wright, who was thrilled that, at long last, one of her boys had found true love, although she was rather taken aback, initially, to discover it was Sydney! Not that she disliked her, just the opposite, in fact; it was just that, a few years back, Nigel had talked to her so enthusiastically about Sydney, she felt he might be falling in love with his beautiful boss! Now, as she sat there listening to Preston's speech, she couldn't help but think how devastated Nigel would be if he turned up one day only to find his older brother had married Sydney. Immediately feeling upset by that thought, she forced herself to think about something else, or risk breaking down in tears.
After all of the speeches were finished Louisa stayed in her seat and watched Sydney and Preston dance. She thought how elegant and joyful they looked on this wonderful occasion and hoped they'd always be that happy. She was just about to get up to stretch her legs when a rather tall man, with dark hair, a beard and moustache came and sat down beside her; introducing himself as William Ryker. They chatted for a while about the happy couple; William saying he was a friend of Preston's who was, unfortunately, attending the wedding alone. He seemed to know a lot about the bride and groom and then, without really thinking, he mentioned that he knew Preston had a younger brother who'd gone missing. Immediately he said that, he wished he hadn't, as he saw Louisa suddenly look so sad. She'd really been trying hard not to think too much about Nigel, but she was missing him terribly; he'd been the light of her life since he was born and there was absolutely nothing she wouldn't do for him, including give up her own life if she thought that would bring him home safely. Not wishing to cause Louisa any further anguish, William took her hand, squeezed it, and said very gently "Louisa, I believe that miracles happen, never give up hope, he'll come home" and with that he kissed her hand, smiled and left the table; leaving Louisa feeling strangely comforted by his words.
Back on the Enterprises Nigel began to settle into a sort of routine. He started eating in Ten Forward with various members of the crew, particularly Geordi, Worf and Irishman, Miles O'Brien.
One day, while Nigel was having lunch with Miles, who was the ships transporter chief, they discussed their families; Nigel advising that he and his brother were all that was left of his. Realising that Nigel was feeling homesick and needed cheering up; Miles jokingly claimed he was a descendent of King Brian Boru of Ireland! Upon hearing that Nigel laughed, explaining that he and Sydney Fox had actually found Brian Boru's crown on one of their relic hunts, in 2001! This very much impressed Miles who then went on to say that he'd seen the crown in a museum in Dublin, about three years ago! Nigel was overjoyed and completely amazed, realising that a relic that he and Sydney had found, hundreds of years ago, was still, more or less, where they'd left it!
Miles thought Nigel was a really interesting and highly intelligent young man and Nigel liked Miles too; especially when he learned that the Irishman could play the cello. Upon discovering that, Nigel asked Miles to join him and Preston on the Holodeck; enabling the three of them to put on a show for Mr and Mrs Bailey; he and Preston, obviously, playing the piano. Nigel, who was looked upon as a child in that particular holoprogram, introduced Miles as a teacher from his school as, even though his parents were just holographic projections, they'd been programmed not to trust strangers with their children!
To keep his mind alert, Nigel played a lot of tri-dimensional chess with Deanna and several other members of the crew and won game after game! He really enjoyed it and found chess and visits to his family on the Holodeck, helped to keep his mind off Sydney and what might be happening on Earth.
He also loved to sit in his quarters to watch the stars and the Moon, thinking how amazing it would be to travel to some of those places. He couldn't actually see the Earth when he looked out the windows, as the ship stayed behind the Moon all of the time, as far as he knew; but he found it all so totally fascinating.
Nigel was usually permitted to spend up to three hours a day on the Holodeck, although Data tended to limit him to two and a half hours, believing he should spend more time with 'real' people. The fact was, Nigel really enjoyed the company of his holofamily and would have stayed there all day, if he'd been left to his own devices!
He did try and visit Sydney once more, but only the version that was supposed to be like the real Sydney. Unfortunately, that made him depressed as he immediately remembered what Captain Picard said must happen between his beautiful boss and his brother; which he was powerless to prevent.
The Preston he met on the Holodeck, being so young, did not upset him at all in relation to what might be happening on Earth; probably because he was nothing like the Preston he knew as a man, causing him to think of them as two separate people.
He never once considered visiting the sexy 'Sydney' again, thinking that, perhaps, Data knew something about her that he didn't really want to know; like the way she behaved with her many boyfriends!
One evening, as it was approaching dinner time, Nigel put down the book he'd been reading and got ready to go to Ten Forward. However, before he made it to the door Captain Picard arrived, looking very official.
"Um, hello Sir, is there something I can do for you?" Nigel asked; not being able to hide his nervousness at seeing the expression of the Captain's face.
"Yes Nigel, there is" Jean Luc said, suddenly looking quite sad. "As you're probably aware, you've been on board the ship now for about six weeks and well, I'm glad to report that everything on Earth is now as it should be…. what I need you to do now is come with me to the observation lounge where I have something very important to discuss with you."
"What is it Sir, have I done something wrong?" Nigel asked; feeling rather apprehensive and wondering what punishment he'd receive if he had.
"No Nigel, you've done nothing wrong, but I need to talk to you; don't look so worried, just follow me" he said, leading the way.
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In the next chapter you will find out what happened when Nigel returned to Earth and met up with Sydney again!