Star Trek: Constellations
Westfall/Star Trek TNG Crossover Fanfiction #1
Scene 11
Gemini’s head was in her hands, her fingers buried in waves of white and brown hair. She was sitting, cross-legged on a sofa cushion, with her elbows in her lap. Only a simple salt rock emitted a warm orange glow across the room while the rest of the room blended into the darkness, save for the faint glow of the stars shooting past in the window behind her. She didn’t initially move when the two-toned doorbell broke the silence of her room.
“Yes?” She spoke from her hands, slowly emerging from her ball as the door slid open.
Deanna stepped into the room cautiously, her lithe form silhouetted in the light from the hall. “Gemini?”
Gemini did not answer. Her tear-stained eyes remained dull behind her glasses.
Deanna frowned and approached her, blending into the darkness as the door closed automatically.
Gemini redirected her gaze to the door and set her feet onto the floor, though her back remained bent as her friend took a seat on the cushion beside her.
The counselor clasped her hands in her lap, watching the Aravasti carefully. “Gemini,” she began, “what’s wrong? I’ve never seen you so distracted—so flustered. Your actions on the bridge were very unlike you.”
“That’s why I left,” she muttered caustically, slumping further over her knees.
Deanna’s eyes began to wander. “I haven’t felt this many conflicting emotions since the day you came aboard this ship. There is so much fear and uncertainty; so much sorrow,” she continued, wincing somewhat, “and yet, I can also sense unbridled joy, and perhaps... something more.”
Gemini’s eyes slid toward her. She bit her lip and again turned away. There was a bundle of replicated sunflowers in a vase on the table beside her, just barely visible in the low light of the room.
Deanna’s posture straightened. Her black eyes blinked and redirected to the now-embarrassed Aravasti. “Is it love?” She threatened to smile as she spoke the words.
The woman remained unmoved as her eyes studied the flowers.
“And... the one you are in love with,” Deanna bowed her head towards Gemini, “is one of the Westfall refugees.”
Gemini nodded sorrowfully.
“And we are now less than three days from Starbase 203,” the counselor spoke gently. “I think I understand where your distraction comes from.”
“Every minute, every meter we’re closer... It’s consuming everything—every thought!” Gemini hunched forward. “I don’t want to leave Starfleet—I don’t want to leave the Enterprise,” she turned to look directly at Deanna, “but I don’t want to leave Hudson.”
Deanna’s expression mirrored Gemini’s. “You would leave Starfleet?”
She bit her lip. “I know it sounds silly, and cliché, and all that mess... I just... I don’t know what else to do. I love him... and I don’t want to lose him.” Her eyes slid to Deanna. “And I am clearly useless on duty right now.”
The half-Betazoid’s eyes drifted slowly along with her thoughts. After a moment of silence between the two of them, Deanna crossed her leg over the other and turned her body toward Gemini. “Do you remember when you first arrived here?”
“Of course.”
“You were terrified as you grappled with the loss of your world and loneliness that caused. You feared connecting with me, and with others, because you knew you would be leaving when we arrived at our next stop; and yet, you feared being alone. Do you remember what happened?”
Gemini peeked at her from the corner of her eyes.
“Despite it all, you began to make friends,” Deanna smiled lightly. “Data, Geordi, myself—and even Worf,” she added toothily before bowing her head. “In fact, you had Data quite smitten.”
“Everyone says that,” Gemini had managed a smirk as she glanced aside.
“He discussed you, your kindness, and your friendship to just about anyone who would listen. For an android, that’s smitten.”
The Aravasti smiled at her lap.
“And because of his kindness and friendship, you began to see your future here. Data petitioned to the Captain on your behalf, and you agreed to stay aboard—and join Starfleet.”
Hope, at last, was lighting Gemini’s eyes. “And, you think that I could do the same for Hudson?”
Deanna nodded, her smile broadening. “If anyone can allow him to stay here, it would be the captain.”
Gemini’s focus turned inward. “Hudson was a mechanic on Westfall—and he’s already shown interest in working in engineering with Geordi. I can tell the captain; even if he doesn’t join Starfleet, he can stay on board as a crewman.”
“There you go,” she nodded again, only to hold up her hand in warning. “But is this something Hudson would be willing to do?”
“I can’t see why not,” her motivation crumbled.
“He will be separated from all of his friends,” she continued. “Yes, he’ll be able to stay in contact, but he will live here on the Enterprise while they are moved to their final home on a new planet. Duty may keep him from visiting them for quite some time.”
“I guess it was a little easier for me to stay; I had no one else.” It was Gemini’s turn to bob her head as her eyes strayed. “I’ll talk to him to be sure.”
“If his love for you is anywhere near as strong as yours for him, I, too, can’t see why not,” she smiled. “And then, you can talk to the captain.”
Confidence spread to Gemini’s smile as she looked at her friend in grateful appreciation.
Deanna’s hand came upon Gemini’s. “Now you feel like the Gemini I know,” she paused to wink, “with an extra dose of very deep love.”
She shied away her gaze. “Thank you, Deanna.”
The counselor squeezed her hand, and the two rose in unison. One to return to the bridge, while the other started down the hall to find Hudson.
Scene Notes
- Had to get a little "girl time" in this one :)
- I'm not sure if Gemini would have really been this dramatic (it is certainly possible), but since this is a TV story, I felt I could get away with some "big emotions" :D