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TWELVE



The small medical shuttle docked with the Parrin two hours later. The lone occupant was greeted eagerly by an anxious Brian.

“Aleta,” he said as soon as she stepped into the larger ship, “Thank goodness you're here. What's the status over at the Sealk?”

She shifted her carry-all and followed him down the corridor. “They say the landing bay will be mostly functional by the time we reach Home,” she said. “A repair ship is headed towards us to facilitate things.”

“And the injured?”

“Are recovering as well as can be expected. How is Vosh?”

They rounded the corner and came upon the Lounge. “She hasn't woken yet,” he said. “But her color's better and vitals are solid.” He sighed as they entered and waved in the direction of the couch. “Kevin's crashed.”

“Not surprising,” she said, moving towards the table where Vosh lay still. She checked the monitors, adjusted the IV flows, and did a brief physical assessment of the smaller woman. “You did good work, Brian,” she said approvingly. “Exactly right.”

“She hasn't moved a muscle-”

“I think she's sleeping normally,” Aleta said, soothing his apprehension. “You said she'd done some Healing on Kevin?”

“His knee. Kevin said the pain was actually gone for the first time since the original injury. When he heard Vosh was in medical crisis, he ran... ran... all the way to the Lounge.”

She pursed her lips. “That knee was badly damaged,” she said. “I wouldn't touch it back on the Sealk; I estimated at least four surgeries to attempt repair.” From her bag she took a portable scanner. Moving it slowly over Kevin's leg, she studied the readings.

Brian grew worried at her frown. “Bad?”

“No,” she said, doing another scan. “Not exactly.”

“Not exactly?” the blond exclaimed. “What does that mean?”

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “You're right, his knee has been healed. All the major damage is gone, which I would have thought impossible. He'll need therapy to strengthen the muscles and tendons, but... Brian, I think he's going to be fine.”

“Then why are you still frowning?” he asked.

“It's good news, to be sure,” she said, putting away the scanner. She took Kevin's vitals and checked his eyes. “He's showing signs of exhaustion, which is expected. The healed knee presents a bit of a problem for what's going to happen in the near future.”

“You're not making any sense,” he ground out, frustrated.

“I know, I'm sorry. Look, can we get everyone up on the Bridge for a briefing? Minus Vosh and Kevin, of course.” To the Captain's impending protest, she said, “They'll be fine alone for a while. I have some very important stuff to discuss with the four of you.”

~*~



“...and the records have already been, ah, amended,” Aleta finished. “It should work.”

Silence filled the room.

Brian ran a hand through his hair and let out a long sigh. “But what if Vosh... what if she really does, you know, take a turn for the worse?”

“She won't,” Aleta assured him. “From what I saw on the initial monitor recording, she shouldn't have responded as quickly as she has to treatment. I would have expected her to be in much, much worse condition. You gave her the boost she needed to move away from the edge, then her own healing must have kicked in. The fact that she's sleeping, normally, is phenomenal. I don't think she's in any danger now, at all.”

“So we pretend she's dead,” AJ murmured. “Incinerate some materials and dispose of them, so that tracks with the body thing. Clever.”

“Necessary,” she said. “When we land, she can hide somewhere while you five disembark. With all the loading, unloading, and general chaos that's going to be the landing zone, she'll never be noticed. Especially since she'll be wearing one of Ensign Avar's uniforms.”

“Then... she just walks off the ship, into the general crowd, looking like a hundred other soldiers?” Nick said, a crooked grin on his face.

“Exactly,” Aleta said. “She can be escorted out of view from there, either by one of us or someone we trust.”

Brian leaned back. “That's what you were dancing around when you talked about Kevin's knee, earlier.”

“His knee?” Nick said. “But it's fine now, right?”

“Remember, Vosh is dead... and no one even suspects she could Heal. I'm afraid Kevin's knee is still in terrible shape. Luckily, I have the scans to prove it, dated after you all moved here to the Parrin. It's going to take a great deal of acting, but if he makes a show of limping and displaying pain, everyone should buy it. Of course, as his personally chosen physician, I will be in charge of every aspect of his care, including the treatment and healing of his knee... however long that may take.”

“And you'll be sure his briefings and appearances are kept to a minimum,” Howie said. “Due to his weakened condition. We can get a place together where the two of them... and ourselves, for that matter... can find some real rest and quiet time. Maybe begin some long-term plans of our own.”

“It just might work,” Brian said after a moment.

“If Kevin agrees, and I think he will, then the only obstacle to the plan is Vosh herself. She has to understand what we're doing, and why.”

“It's going to be hard to explain it all to her,” Nick said. “Even as much as she's learned, there's still a huge barrier.”

“We're going to have to try,” Aleta said. “We only have a day and a half, if that, to make it clear. Which means, to my mind, that we have to get Kevin up and aware and thinking. He knows her best, understands a lot more than any of us do.”

“Can we wake him anytime soon?” Brian asked, remembering how exhausted the man had looked.

Aleta considered it for a moment. “We'll let him sleep for four hours,” she said. “Then you can wake him, get some coffee or caffeine into his system... nothing as strong as a standard stim, but enough to get him alert. Explain the plan we've just discussed, and we'll go from there.”

“You won't be here?” Howie asked.

“I have to be back on duty soon, and there's nothing here that you all can't handle. Call me when Kevin is up and around. Vosh as well... I have no idea when that might happen.”

She stood, and Howie picked up her carry-all. “I'll walk you to the shuttle,” he said.

“Thanks, 'Leta,” AJ said. “For everything.”

~*~



Just before she boarded the shuttle, Howie placed a hand on her arm.

“Aleta, I just wanted to say that all this... everything you've done and have planned... is, well... I'm just amazed and thankful. You're risking a lot, professionally, if this falls through.”

“As far as I see it, the risk is well worth it. We all deserve a new start.” She looked into his warm brown eyes and smiled.

“You humble me,” Howie said. Then, in an unexpected move, gently gripped her shoulders and pulled her in for a long, lingering, passionate kiss.

Aleta found herself extending the kiss, her surprise giving way to pleasure. When they pulled apart, it took a few seconds for her to find her voice.

“Howie,” she said softly, “I'm... you surprised me.”

“I've been wanting to do that for a long time.” He stepped back just a bit, ignoring the blush he knew was visible.

“Well,” she said, feeling a glow, “don't wait so long before repeating that. I... we can talk later. Soon.”

He nodded, gave her a smile, and watched her close the shuttle door. A minute later, she was gone. He brushed his fingers across his bottom lip, grinned broadly, and headed back to the Bridge with a spring in his step. New beginnings, indeed.

~*~


He curled around his injured ribs, struggling to breathe. Although the pain was blinding, he didn't cry out, didn't give them the satisfaction. He'd known worse, had gotten through it before... and Vosh would help, she always did.
Another vicious kick had him seeing bright spots, but he stifled a moan and tried to move out of reach. Words, in harsh Enemy language, told him of his tormentor's anger and frustration. A fleeting smile touched his lips; he had won, again.
Suddenly everything shifted, and he found himself in his cell, only now the solid door was replaced by clear glass. He stood, confused, and wondered how the change had happened. Then, to his horror, he watched as his most recent tormentor appeared, his harsh grip on Vosh's arm as he dragged her into view.
He tried to call out, but his voice was no more than a whisper. Pounding on the glass got no reaction, and although he saw the Enemy's mouth move, he could hear nothing. Then the blows began.
Vosh was huddled into a ball, not resisting, as the Enemy dealt hit after hit. He yelled for Vosh to run, to escape, but even though his voice worked now, nothing penetrated the glass. The Enemy was hurting her, killing her, and he could do nothing about it.
Vosh was bloody and bruised, succumbing to the Enemy, when he suddenly saw movement behind the pair. Brian... it was Brian! He would help, he could do something...
Brian aimed a weapon at the Enemy and, once the tormentor had backed up, motioned to Vosh. She stood, shakily, and faced Brian.
He felt a wash of relief flood over him, knowing that Brian would save her now. She would be safe, Brian would release him from the cell, and they would gain their freedom. Together.
Then he watched with confused shock as Vosh shook her head, backed up, and refused Brian's hand. Instead, she moved towards the Enemy. The tormentor grabbed her, whipped out a weapon of its own, and shot Brian dead.
His screams went no farther than the glass wall. When the Enemy turned the weapon on Vosh, she did not resist, and with a careless gesture, he sent a single blast to her heart...

“No!” he shouted, wrenching upwards. Heart pounding, he frantically looked around in confusion.

“Easy, bro,” came a familiar voice and a firm grip on his arm. “Dream.”

“What-”

“Nightmare. Take a couple of deep breaths. You're safe, you're here on the Parrin.”

Kevin felt nausea surge and clenched his teeth against it. Eyes shut tightly, he willed his thoughts to calm.

“Better,” came the voice. “Give it a sec.”

“AJ,” he said as he finally focused. “Damn.” Another deep breath.

“You okay now?”

“It was a dream, back on the-” He jolted, remembering. “Vosh!”

“Eight feet away, sleeping soundly,” AJ said evenly. “Aleta was here, checked her out. Said she was doing fine, and was sleeping naturally.”

“But-”

“It was some nightmare you had, Kev. Shake it off, because I have a lot of things to talk to you about.”

The older man stood, a bit unevenly, and, after giving a long look at Vosh, made his way to the sink. He splashed his face several times, took a few more calming breaths, and walked back to sit by AJ.

“You with me now?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Kevin apologized. “I just-”

AJ cut him off with a hand gesture. “Don't apologize, there's no need whatsoever. Coffee and something to eat, coming up. Doc's orders, it'll just be a minute.”

While AJ moved to the kitchen unit, Kevin leaned back and rubbed his face. Part of the nightmare had been real, but the worst part...

He shook his head, trying to dispel the images. He glanced over to Vosh, relieved to find no bruises or blood marring her skin.

“Here ya go,” AJ said, setting a tray between them. “You've been out for over three hours; guess that dream saved me from waking you up. We're gonna talk, then you can get some more rest. No, eat first, then questions.”

Kevin sighed, then reached for a fork. There was no use arguing with AJ when he had that look on his face. After the first bite, he found himself digging in with vigor. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd eaten, but his hunger was intense.

AJ nodded in approval. Flipping on his communicator, he contacted the Bridge. “Howie, notify the Captain that Kev's awake, then transmit the message to Aleta.”

“Will do,” came the reply.

~*~



Brian disconnected the monitor and removed the IV from Vosh, as Aleta had instructed. The only response he got was a tiny shift of her head and a soft, silent sigh. It was enough, however.

“So,” Kevin said slowly, “we're to rendezvous somewhere out of the public eye afterwards?”

“Exactly where, we haven't figured out,” AJ said. “They'll probably not let you alone until you've made some appearances and been debriefed to their satisfaction. Might take a while.”

“But Vosh... she won't be in the middle of all that.”

“Nope.”

“The place should be isolated, difficult to get to,” Brian said. “But not so far out that we can't get supplies on a regular basis. And we'll need room enough for all of us... six here, Aleta, and Rich Raines at the very least.”

“I know where,” Kevin said. “My family home. It's in the Eastern Woods near Kith. My folks ran a small rustic resort there before...” He cleared his throat. “Well, when they were alive, before I moved to the city.”

“Kith is a fairly large town,” AJ said, trying to recall details. “We should be able to make that work. What about security? You know there will be people dogging your heels.”

“We never needed security,” Kevin said, considering. “It shouldn't be that hard, just the distance alone will keep most of the curious away.”

“Let me work on that,” AJ said, making a mental note. “I'll consult with Raines, I think he's got connections back Home.”

“From there, we can let the dust settle, get our heads straight, and figure out what we all want to do. Make plans, discuss ideas. Vosh, included,” Brian added.

Kevin's eyes went to the woman in question, unable to keep a worried frown off his face. “Vosh, especially,” he said quietly. “Damn it.” His hand clenched into a white-knuckled fist.

“Kev?” Brian asked carefully.

The oldest turned, pain in his expression. “I failed her,” he grated. “She did everything for me, and I failed her completely. If only I had realized-”

“There's no way you could have known what she was thinking,” Brian cut in. “Don't pile on guilt, this wasn't your fault.”

“She had given up,” Kevin practically spat. “She was so depressed before she took on that damned knee healing, and I never saw it! How could I have not noticed that she was that miserable?” He stood and began to pace. “She healed me so many times on that cursed ship, fought for my very survival, and how do I repay her? By not hearing what she kept saying. We had all decided what was best... to have her hide her ability, not just now but to keep it secret after we got Home as well. To deny what she was, what she did. No wonder she gave up!”

“She didn't give up,” Brian said in a hard voice. “She survived, didn't she? Even Aleta says that wasn't because of what we did. Something inside her fought to come back.”

“She wouldn't have even been in this situation if she hadn't gone behind my back and Healed me. Why the hell did she heal my knee?” Kevin said angrily. “She knew it was too complicated, too intricate to try and do. She even told me as much, before.”

“Maybe,” AJ said, “if she thought we wouldn't let her continue to Heal once we arrived Home... she knew this would be her last chance to help you. To tend to the worst injury you still had.”

“But there are surgeons back home, technology-”

“Kevin. She healed you... because she loves you,” Brian said softly.

He blinked, the words stopping him cold.

“But... we... I never-”

“You can't deny it. After all, you love her as well.”

He wanted to protest but found he couldn't.

“I'm not talking about romantic love,” Brian qualified. “This is deeper.”

When he heard the words, he knew the truth in them. Of course. Of course he loved her.

“I... guess it's true,” he said slowly.

“And it's going to take all that and more to make a new life for her. For you.”

“How come I never saw things that way?” Kevin said in a whisper.

“I think you've been a little busy just trying to survive,” AJ said, crossing his arms. “I mean, it wasn't exactly a cruise ship you were on.”

“You're out of danger now, you're safe, and Vosh is with you. I think you would have figured it out eventually,” Brian added.

“So... now what?”

“Now we work hard to explain all this to Vosh, and get her to realize that we were wrong. And that we'll do everything we can to help her.”

~*~



Nick applied a bit more color to the sketch in hand, trying to get the essence of Aleta's eyes just right. When he was finished, he'd be able to get almost anything he wanted from Howie in exchange. He'd seen the goo-goo eyes the Comm officer had made every time he'd seen the Doc. If there was ever a man that had it bad, it was Howie.

“Probably get a bundle for this portrait,” he said to himself. “Hmm... no, money's too easy. He could just owe me a ton of favors. Yeah, that could be useful.”

He selected another color and added a few strokes. “Who knows, maybe I could get good enough to make a living at this. Nick Carter, ex-military hero turned renowned artist. Female nude portraits my specialty,” he said, snickering. “Yeah, like that's gonna happen. Dream on, Carter. You probably couldn't get someone to pose for you if you paid them.” He paused. “Well, actually, I guess artists do pay for models... Come to think of it, Howie's bundle of cash just might come in handy.”

He looked up and did a double-take when he saw a pair of silver-gray eyes studying him. He'd been on Vosh-watch, as he called it, for nearly two hours.

“Hey!” he said, setting down his materials. “Welcome back.”

Vosh blinked, then rubbed her face.

“How you feeling?”

She considered it, then gave him the okay sign. She sat up, brushed the hair from her face, and scanned the room.


Kevin? she signed.

“He's resting in his quarters,” Nick said. “You scared the hell out of him, V... not to mention the rest of us.”

A slight tilt of the head.

“Before you ask,” Nick continued, “his knee is healed just fine. He even ran on it. And yeah, he was majorly ticked when he found out you did it.”

A quick sign.

“Ticked... means angry.”

That she seemed to understand, and dismissed it with a shrug. A few more signs.

Nick nodded. “Yeah, you did it anyway because it was your choice, not his.” He got up and walked over to the kitchen unit. “I'll get you some juice. Want a couple of cookies too?”

At her ambivalent nod, he fixed the snack and came over to the couch, taking a seat next to her. “Aleta said you might want some sweet things. Help boost your energy.”

While she ate, he notified the others that she was awake and coherent. By the time she was done, a lost and troubled look had settled on her face.

“Did you want something else?” he asked.

A small shake of her head informed him no. She cast her eyes down to the floor.

Nick took in a deep breath. “While you've been asleep, we've done a lot of talking,” he said. “Trying to figure stuff out. About you, and Home, and everything. We all want you to be happy-”

She didn't bother to glance up. Instead, she drew her legs up and clasped her arms around them, burying her face in her knees.

“Hold on, V,” Nick said. “Don't... please don't do that. I know I'm about the least qualified guy around to figure you out, but I do know that hiding isn't going to help.”

When she didn't move, he bit his lip, trying to decide what to do. Memories of comforting his sisters came to mind and he did the only thing he could think of. Carefully, he moved closer, and put a cautious arm around her shoulders. When she didn't pull away, he tightened the embrace and leaned in close.

“It's gonna be all right, I promise,” he said softly. “We'll figure it all out, you'll see.”

He felt a tremble, but wasn't sure if she was crying. It didn't matter, really. He drew her to him, and when she rested her head on his chest, he continued murmuring reassurances. He had no idea if she understood his words, but that didn't matter either. It was all he had to offer.

~*~


Kevin stood in the doorway, pausing at the sight. Or rather, the sound. Nick, it seemed, was singing a song in a low, soothing voice. Vosh was huddled next to him with eyes shut.

He knew the youngest crew member had a good voice, but usually he was singing some bawdy song with AJ or a nonsensical tune just to irritate Howie. This was a different Nick.

He smiled, pleased that Nick so obviously cared for Vosh. The song continued until Nick looked up.

“Hey, V, Kevin's here.”

The petite woman shifted on the couch, pulling away from Nick's hold. Her expression was neutral as she stood.

Kevin crossed the room. To Nick he said, “That was nice, Chaos.”

“Got her to drink and eat, like Aleta said,” he replied. “We were just, I don't know, hanging together. Until someone got here.” He looked slightly embarrassed. “That singing thing, it was just-”

“Wonderful. Thanks, I'm sure Vosh appreciated it.”

Vosh made a sign directed at Kevin. He frowned, trying to follow.

“I got the light part,” he said, “but the rest...”

She paused for a moment, then made a sign he'd never seen before. She pointed at Nick, then waited.

“Oh,” Kevin said, getting the connection. “Sing. That's what you meant? What Nick was just doing, singing?”

Kevin, Vosh, Aleta, Howie, Alex, Brian... Nick, she signed.

“I see. Nick, that's your sign. For your name. It means light, and sing. Singer.”

“Light singer? Because what, I was singing soft?”

Kevin shook his head. “No, I think she means light, because of your hair... that part is like the sign for Brian, you see. And singer... well, as far as I know, you're the only one that's sung to her. That's tried to comfort her through singing.”

“So that's a good thing...”

“Vosh?” Kevin asked.

The alien considered the words, then nodded.

“Yeah,” Kevin continued. “I think that's a very good thing. Good job, little man.”

Nick grinned. “Not so little anymore. You've only got a couple of inches on me, tops. And I'm still a growing boy.”

“Have you tried to talk to her yet, try to explain the plan?”

“No,” Nick said. “As soon as I started trying to talk, she just kind of closed up. Shut me out, you know? All I could think to do was just sit by her for a while.”

“I know you've been here for some time, but could you stay longer? She's used to you teaching her our language, and that's going to come in handy.”

Nick's eyebrows shot up. “You really think I could help?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then sure, I'll stay.”

“Thanks,” came the sincere reply. Kevin sat down and offered a hand to Vosh. She sat down next to him, looking back and forth from him to Nick. “Vosh, there's been a terrible misunderstanding,” he began, then stopped at her look of confusion.

“Mistake,” Nick clarified.

Vosh glanced his way and nodded.

“We made a mistake,” Kevin said. “About you. About your Healing. We asked you to stop healing, and not to tell.”

A frown.

“But we hadn't considered what that would mean to you. That if you weren't able to heal, you wouldn't really have a purpose. It's too ingrained-”

Vosh shook her head, clearly not understanding.

“Right,” Kevin said as he scrubbed at his face. “Ah... well, I know healing is important to you, it makes you who you are. We can't deny it, and we shouldn't hide it either. Or forbid you to do it. It should be your choice-”

She signed for a moment. Now it was his turn to frown.

“You healed me because it was your choice,” he translated. “Yeah, that's true. But what I'm saying is-” He stopped, watched her gestures, then said, “No, I'm not angry at you, Vosh. I don't like you putting yourself in danger... you nearly died this time, and that's not-”

Yes, angry.

“Risking your life to heal me... we've been through this before. You know how I feel about-”

My choice. Not dead. Last heal.

“But that's what I'm saying,” he said, tension creeping into his voice. “It's not the last heal. Once we get back, it'll be up to you-”

Kevin, angry. Understand. Knee, healed. No more.

“Wait, are you referring to healing my knee as the last heal I'll need? Well, that's true, but-”

“You're losing her, Kev,” Nick said. “Trust me, I know the signs. No pun intended.”

Angry, came the repeated sign. Her expression was stubborn.

Kevin sat back and shut his eyes for a second. “All right, yes, I'm angry. I care too much about you to let you risk your life-” He saw her reply. “And yes, I know you'll do damned well what you please.”

Nick could tell where the conversation was going, and he finally intervened. “She's right, you are angry. That's something she's used to. But you're healed, and your knee is fine... why don't you just thank her and be done with it? I'm telling you, you won't go forward until you put this aside.”

Emerald eyes blinked. “But it's not-” He stopped. “Maybe it is that simple,” he said finally. He gazed down at her face, the face that had come to mean so very much. Taking her hands in his, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Thank you, Vosh,” he said. “What you did was... was amazing. There's no pain now. Thank you for what you did, what you went through on my behalf.”

She touched her forehead, then studied his face. A tiny nod was her only reply.

He gave her a careful hug, and was relieved when she allowed it.

“We okay?”

Vosh bit her lip, then nodded.

“Good. Let's try this again.”

~*~