CHAPTER SEVEN

While he sipped his coffee, Tony was quietly studying the reports on the damages Alpha had sustained thanks to Mentor's insanity. He had no idea how long Maya might sleep but he did know that the more peaceful sleep she got, the more it would help her healing process.

He lifted his eyes from the reports and glanced over towards his bed where she still slept.

Shamefully, he took the time to really study her.

There was a remarkable difference between first meeting her and now. Gone were the beautiful dress, intricate hairstyle and makeup that had given him a first impression of a spoiled princess. Had they still been on Earth, he would have figured her for the type of girl that would drain a man's bank account.

Oh, he had certainly dated a few of those types in his younger days. Hardly any of those relationships had lasted more than a few weeks. While they all had been pretty enough to look at, they had proven to be incredibly shallow and only really good for one thing. None of them possessed the qualities necessary to sustain a long-term relationship.

He shook his head, regretting some of those foolish choices.

Maya, despite her exotic Psychon features, hardly resembled the spoiled princess image at the moment. She seemed more like the girl next door, albeit an exceptionally pretty one. She had long, silky auburn hair that a man could lose himself in and she was tall, just a few inches shorter than himself and for a moment, he had the fleeting thought of wanting to see those long legs in something very short.

Tony's dark eyes widened in astonishment, and he quickly shook his head as he forced himself to exhale sharply.

Just where in the hell were these thoughts coming from?

In the short time since he'd met Maya, his mind had inexplicably begun drifting towards the type of thoughts he'd sworn to never entertain again, especially thoughts concerning members of the female persuasion.

Returning to Moonbase Alpha not even a month before they'd been hurled away from Earth had, fortunately, left him no time to dwell on past, present or future relationships. He had wanted it that way, he liked it that way. He had discovered solace in the absence of romantic entanglements. But now, despite his firm resolve, he found himself involuntarily preoccupied with thoughts he had vowed to keep suppressed forever.

Until now.

These thoughts; his feelings had caught him off guard, rattling his core and challenging the emotional barriers he had carefully constructed. He had always prided himself on his discipline and control, but this young woman was already causing cracks in his well-built defenses.

That realization left Tony feeling bewildered and maybe even a little vulnerable.

It was still too early to know exactly what Maya's true personality was, given the circumstances. After spending time with her last night, he had determined she probably wasn't going to be the type of girl that acted like a spoiled princess. She had indicated that she would like to help Alpha, although Tony had caught what seemed like doubt in her mind that she was ready for that yet. Of course she wasn't ready yet. She needed at least a little time to begin dealing with everything that had happened.

He also suspected that she might possess a good sense of humor. She had teased him last night and she had a lovely smile. Overall, he found her rather enchanting.

"Damn," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm supposed to be determining if there is a threat level and all I can seem think about is the packaging."

Tony took another sip of his coffee, trying to discern if he was simply exhausted or genuinely in need of a mental health check in Medical Center. His thoughts swirled with confusion and self-doubt, making him question his own sanity. Given the past few months, it wouldn't be surprising if he were, indeed, losing his grip.

The abrupt transfer to Command Center had been a jarring shift, especially following the loss of several of Alpha's finest and most beloved personnel in the aftermath of a terrifying and damaging space warp. The trauma of that event still lingered, casting a shadow over their daily routines and leaving an indelible mark on everyone.

In addition to the sudden personnel changes, the difficult but necessary decision to relocate much of Alpha's critical components had been made. That was soon followed by yet another space warp, their confrontation with the demented Mentor who had been quite determined to turn them all into the living dead and the unprecedented issuance of a Directive Four – which Tony actually had had to carry out.

All of this was compounded with Tony still trying to find his footing as Chief of Security. If all of that wasn't enough to drive a man straight to the brink of madness, he couldn't imagine what would be.

As much as Tony could have allowed himself to question his own mental status, Maya's stirring on the bed caught his attention and pulled him back to reality, quickly drawing his focus away from his own inner reflections.

He watched as her eyelids fluttered, a hand moved across her face and her chest rose and fell while she breathed. While all were signs of her awakening, he realized that he was, once again, watching her with no shame. He forced himself to set his coffee mug back down and push the clipboard away, to the side of the couch.

Her eyes slowly opened, blinking against the soft light of the room. Her gaze seemed unfocused, at first. Then, gradually, recognition dawned upon her. Recognition quickly brought realization and she sat up quickly, her eyes indicating that her mind was trying to confirm what was real and what wasn't.

Then, her eyes settled on Tony, a mixture of worry and relief etched on his handsome face.

"Oh," she whispered quickly as she brought her hands to her lips in surprise. Handsome? What would have allowed her to have such a thought about a man she'd met only what seemed like hours ago.

"Good morning," Tony said softly, trying to keep his voice calm and steady. "How are you feeling?"

Maya took a moment before responding, as if gathering her thoughts while she secretly hoped that the people of Earth couldn't read minds.

"I'm... okay," she whispered slowly, her voice barely audible. "Just... very tired."

Tony nodded as he rose from the couch. That wouldn't be surprising, given the effects of the sedative mixed with the exhaustion that surely came from the physical and emotional strain she had just endured.

"That's understandable," he told her, hoping he sounded reassuring to her. "Do you feel like eating anything or perhaps some coffee?"

Maya shook her head. "Oh, no thank you. I just feel so tired."

Tony walked over to the bed and sat down beside her, making sure to keep a respectable distance from her. "If you need to sleep more that's perfectly fine."

She gave him a very faint smile as she considered it. "Perhaps for a little while longer."

Tony recognized that her voice and her actions seemed rather dull and slow compared to earlier last night when they'd been having pleasant conversation. He wasn't sure if he should be worried or not.

Maya settled back down onto the pillow, her eyes already closing.

"I need to go check a few things in Command Center," he told her. "I won't be gone for very long. Will you be okay," he asked her.

She gave him another weak smile and a nod.

Tony gently adjusted the blanket around her as he spoke. "Try to rest a bit more. I'll be back before you know it."

He watched her for a few moments longer, to make sure she was comfortable and really okay before he left.

After a few moments, he was satisfied that, for the time being, she would be just fine.

He picked up his commlock before heading out the door. Making sure it was locked, access granted to only a select few in case of an emergency, he placed the device securely back on his belt.

Then he headed down the corridor but, instead of heading towards Command Center, he found himself headed towards Medical Center.

Upon entering Medical Center, Tony found Helena seated at her desk, two plastic storage containers on the floor beside her. Her eyes were focused on papers on her clipboard, but she looked up and greeted him with a smile when he walked over to her.

"Well, hello there," she said, clearly surprised to see him this early in the day and away from Maya.

"Hey," he replied. "Do you have a few moments?"

"Of course," she said, setting her clipboard aside to give him her full attention.

"I'm worried about Maya," he stated, pulling up a chair.

"How is she?"

"Dunno," Tony said with a shrug. "She woke up for a few minutes but said she was extremely tired. She didn't want anything to eat and then she fell right back to sleep. She didn't even seem remotely energetic."

Obviously worried, he asked "Could it be the sedative you gave her?"

"Oh, Tony," Helena nodded as she spoke to him gently. "I suspect it's a combination of things. And yes, the sedative may be part of it. Remember, I don't know anything about her physiology yet. For all I know, a simple pain reliever could make her sleep for twelve hours, or more."

"Mmm," he murmured.

"What else is on your mind?" Helena asked. "I can almost see those wheels turning."

"A lot of things," he replied. "Speaking of which, how did the meeting go earlier?"

"Better than we expected. I didn't notice anyone showing outward signs of hostility towards the news of Maya's arrival, although Alan or John may have. In fact, quite a few of the ladies came to me afterwards and asked if she needed anything."

She pointed to the containers on the floor, which Tony now realized held women's clothing, a hairbrush still in the package and various other items.

"That's generosity," Tony smiled. "I'm glad. Poor thing, all I had were guy clothes for her last night," he said apologetically.

"She seemed appreciative and kind of amused," Helena reminded him, chuckling slightly over the Rolling Stones shirt.

"She does wear that shirt better than I ever could," Tony grinned.

Helena smiled. "Ah, there's the Verdeschi smile."

She leaned over and placed her palms down on her desk, looking at Tony now with more of a professional interest.

"You've spent the most time with her so far Tony. What's your impression?"

Tony exhaled, knowing he damn well couldn't tell Doctor Russell that he was impressed by the young Psychon's looks or that he was having all kinds of odd, borderline sexual thoughts about the poor girl.

He tilted his head back and forth as he chose how to describe what he'd seen, so far.

"Well, I think she's got a sense of humor hiding in there. She may be a little shy; it's hard to tell since she's in a strange environment. She's got manners and she is extremely polite."

Helena nodded as she took a sip of her coffee. "And are you satisfied that she isn't a threat to Alpha?" she asked.

"Ah, the million-dollar question," Tony acknowledged, tilting his head slightly with a knowing smile, as if he had been anticipating it.

"I don't have a million dollars to give you, Tony," Russell reminded him with a regretful smile.

"Then I'll settle for a nice beach vacation," Tony replied, his tone indicating he would indeed be quite satisfied with a nice beach vacation.

What he wouldn't give for a nice tropical resort: the feel of warm sand under his feet, the sound of gentle waves lapping at the shore, and sure, maybe the sight of a few hula girls, in the distance, swaying gracefully to Hawaiian music. The thought of lounging under a palm tree with an ice-cold, refreshing and fruity Mai Tai in his hand brought a wistful smile to his face.

"Wouldn't we all?" Helena said with a hint of longing.

For just a moment, she was transported back to her last beach vacation, with Lee. The memories of waves crashing against the shore, ukelele music, seabirds calling, and honeymoon nights came to her mind. Tender nights filled with whispered promises, now just a bittersweet reminder of a happiness that had existed once upon a time.

Tony leaned back in his chair, pretending to study the ceiling after seeing the pained expression that crossed Helena's eyes and he waited respectfully for a few moments before he finally spoke again.

"You know, I think she may be a really sweet girl who, once she found out the awful truth, just couldn't stand by, do nothing, and allow the insanity to continue."

He lowered his head back to eye level with Helena. "She does seem to have a strong sense of respect towards others, of right and wrong."

He leaned in towards her Helena, resting one elbow on her desk.

"No," Tony finally admitted.

"I don't think she's a threat to Alpha. Just between you and me, I'd question if Mentor really was her biological father," he finished rather wryly before continuing. "She doesn't seem to have a trace of his malevolence. Last night, it seemed like she was having trouble reconciling the fact that her father was capable of such things, as if he now had dual personalities from her new perspective."

"Maybe he did," Helena offered. "John said that Mentor pleaded with what seemed like every fiber of his being to take Maya with him, to save her. I'll give the man credit for loving his daughter."

"I'll give him credit for being a sick son of a bitch," Tony murmured quietly.

"Tony," Helena only half-heartedly scolded him. The younger man was only voicing aloud what most were thinking.

"I have an idea," Helena brightly suggested. "Kate's bringing a few more things for Maya in a little bit. When she does, I'll let you know and if Maya's awake and up for some conversation, I'll swing by."

Tony nodded. "I think it will do her good to talk to someone else besides me. She's probably sick of my face."

"Oh, I don't think so Tony," Helena laughed as she spoke. "I think she now sees you as someone she can trust, and that's going to mean an awful lot as she moves through the grieving process and gets to know all of us better."

Tony rose from the chair. "Well, I've taken up enough of your time. I shouldn't leave her alone for too long. Thanks, Helena."

"You're welcome."

Helena watched as Tony exited Medical.

Since his promotion to Chief of Security was still relatively recent, she hadn't interacted with him as much as she had with Alan, Sandra or some of the others in Command Center. And, it had been quite some time since he'd been a patient in Medical Center. He had changed considerably since the injuries resulting from the moon being hurled out of Earth's orbit had kept him both here and in physical therapy for a long time. Although she hadn't yet developed the same level of closeness with him as with the rest of the senior staff, she could still see the signs of someone troubled and holding back.

And to her trained eyes, it was clear that Verdeschi had more on his mind than he was going to let on to anybody anytime soon.

Almost as soon as Tony had left his quarters, Maya was jolted completely awake. Her heart pounded as she stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, feeling the weight of her new reality pressing down on her as she lay on a strange bed that was not hers. Sighing, she realized that she couldn't escape reality by staying in bed. Wearily, she climbed out of the unfamiliar bed. Tentatively, she put weight on her ankle and was relieved to feel very little pain.

Slowly she made her way to his bathroom, each step feeling heavier than the last as all of her emotions weighed heavily on her slender shoulders.

In the bathroom light, the reflection that met her gaze was unsettling as she washed her face and brushed her teeth. Her usually lustrous hair looked messy, slightly tangled, mirroring the turmoil she felt within. Her eyes were red and bloodshot with dark circles beneath them. Her face, now devoid of any remaining makeup, looked pale and ghostly. She splashed more cold water on her face, hoping to wash away the exhaustion and despair, but it only made her feel more drained.

Sighing again, she placed the damp cloth in the bin Tony had pointed out last night and moved to press the button to open the door. As she began to step back into the main living area, the view of Tony's quarters caught her eye. The stark realization that she no longer had her own bedroom, her own space, or any of her material possessions hit her squarely in the chest. Memories of her home, her belongings, her clothes – all of her life on Psychon rapidly flooded her mind, each a painful reminder of what she had lost.

She was in a strange man's quarters. Most likely she was the last living Psychon in the entire universe – an alien suddenly thrust into the world of wandering people from Earth, a very distant planet that she'd never even heard of. Even though Doctor Russell had reassured her that there were nearly three hundred people living on Moonbase Alpha and that she'd soon have new friends and a new life, Maya had never felt so completely lost and utterly alone in all of her life.

The pain was so real, so intense that she gasped. With a heart-wrenching sob, she sank to her knees as the floodgates once again opened and her uncontrollable sorrow released with a new torrent of tears cascading down her face as she sobbed.

When he first entered his quarters, the first thing that Tony noticed was that Maya was not in his bed.

"Maya," he called her name, his voice tinged with concern as he instinctively felt that she was in trouble.

At first, there was no answer, but then Tony heard her heart-wrenching sobs. His heart sank as he followed the sound, seeing her on the floor, just outside his bathroom. She was crying hard and uncontrollably, again.

"Oh, Maya," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. He quickly knelt down beside her, pulling her up into his arms. Her body trembled against his and he felt the depth of her sorrow as if it were his own. He held her tightly, wishing he could somehow ease her pain as he rocked her gently. He knew that mere words would never be enough.

Maya clung to him desperately as though he were her last lifeline, her only anchor that still tethered her to the known universe. He stroked her hair gently, softly saying soothing words as he continued to rock her back and forth in an attempt to comfort her. He had taken more than enough psychology courses at university to know that this was just the beginning of a long and painful journey for her.

He didn't know how long they sat on the floor like that. It seemed an eternity until she was finally able to begin pulling herself together. Eventually she pulled away from him and looked up at his face. His heart shattered at the image of this beautiful young woman so horribly devastated.

"I'm so sorry, Maya," he whispered as he gently caressed her cheek. "I can't even begin to imagine the pain you're going through."

Maya sniffled, bringing up a hand up to wipe away her tears.

"I just..," she closed her beautiful eyes, hoping that if she tried hard enough the tears and the pain would stop. "I can't seem to stop crying."

Tony pulled back slightly, his gaze locking onto hers. The raw vulnerability in Maya's eyes hit him like a tidal wave, making his chest tighten. For a moment, he couldn't find his voice, overwhelmed by the depth of her pain and the trust she was placing in him, a total stranger. A sudden realization washed over him—as far as Maya was concerned, he wasn't going anywhere. Ever.

"I'll be here for you," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion and conviction.

Maya's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she looked back at him.

"I hate to be a bother," she finally was able to say. "You've been so very kind."

Her lower lip trembled, and Tony suddenly felt the urge to fight back a few of his own tears as she lowered her gaze from his.

"Oh Maya," he said as he placed a hand under her chin and lifted gently so that he could look in her eyes again. "You are not a bother," he said.

He moved his hand to her cheek, his thumb gently wiping away the last of her tears. Maya closed her eyes again, her dark lashes resting against her pale skin as she unconsciously leaned into his hand. The softness of his gesture contrasted starkly with the turmoil she felt inside.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself meeting Tony's gaze. There was a moment of silence, the air between them thick with unspoken emotions. Tony's hand lingered on her cheek, his thumb brushing softly against her skin in a soothing rhythm.

He could feel the warmth of her breath on his face, each exhale a delicate whisper of her vulnerability.

A profound empathy was welling up inside of him as Tony's heart ached at the sight of her pain. Unknown and as yet unacknowledged, his own now slightly cracked emotional barriers, ones that he had meticulously constructed, began to crumble in the face of Maya's grief.

The intensity of the moment pulled them closer, as if somehow an invisible thread was now binding their emotions.

"Maya," he whispered her name slowly, his voice barely audible.

She blinked, and a single tear escaped, sliding down to meet his thumb.

The depth of their connection was undeniable.

Tony pulled back slightly, looking into her blue eyes. The raw emotions he saw there caught him off guard, hitting him with waves of compassion and something else that he couldn't yet name.

His eyes lingered on her lips, still trembling from her sobs. In a moment of vulnerability, perhaps even temporary insanity, Tony leaned in and brushed his lips gently against hers. As he kissed her very gently, he tasted the slight saltiness of her tears, a poignant reminder of her pain.

One hand cupped her cheek while his other hand moved to lightly thread through her long hair. For just a brief moment, the universe and all of its troubles faded away, leaving only the warmth of their connection.

And then, reason and sanity rapidly kicked him squarely in the gut. Tony slowly forced himself to pull away from her. This wasn't right and he damn well knew it.

"Damn," he cursed as he exhaled sharply.

"Tony," she whispered, her sweet delicate voice was laced with questioning confusion.

"Shit, Maya, I am so sorry," he stammered, his face flushed with regret.

"Please forgive me, I don't know what the hell I was…," he stumbled over his words, all of his emotions in a violent turmoil. "That was very disrespectful, I should not have done that."

Tony quickly swiveled away from her, sitting there and forcing his gaze down onto the floor instead of on her. What kind of heathen was he to kiss this poor girl when life had dealt her such a horrible hand? Guilt gnawed at him while he fought to deny the undeniable truth. The realization was like a punch right in the face, adding yet another layer to his internal conflict.

God help him, he had desperately, very much, wanted to kiss her. He closed his eyes as he struggled to shove that acceptance back into the deepest corners of his mind as quickly as he could.

He turned back, to face her, acutely aware that he didn't have an idea in hell as to what to say to her.

Before he could piece together anything coherent, the piercing sound of the Red Alert suddenly filled the air around them, effectively and abruptly closing the connection between them and jolting him back to harsh Alphan reality.

"Shit," Tony murmured under his breath, his mind snapping into action mode.

Maya's eyes widened in panic, the sudden alarm amplifying her confusion and fear. She had no idea what was going on. What was this sound? What did it mean? Was it danger? Her heart raced as her thoughts began quickly spiraling into worst-case scenarios and she watched Tony quickly stand up, the gentle man of just moments ago suddenly replaced by someone who now looked intensely disciplined, focused and deadly serious.

Seeing the terror in her eyes, Tony's protective instincts kicked in. He leaned over, reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Maya, it's an alert."

His commlock chimed and Tony instinctively knew it was John before he even responded.

Koenig only got a chance to say Tony's name as Verdeschi quickly responded "I'll be right there."

Tony looked down at Maya as reassuringly as he could.

"Stay right here, I've got to go to Command Center. You'll be safe."

As Tony hurried towards his door, he turned and looked over his shoulder.

"It will be okay, I promise."

And with that, he hurried out the door, leaving Maya still sitting on the floor. Alone.