It's been awhile

Posted on Tue Mar 1st, 2022 @ 8:23pm by Lieutenant Commander Vic Hebron & Captain Nimeeh Vixil

Mission: USS Tyche
Location: USS Tyche- XO office

Vic couldn't put it off any longer. After the initial joy of being reunited wore off now a kind of dread has taken over him. Would she understand he had to take the transfer. It was so sudden. All he can do is hope that the feelings they had will trump the anger for leaving. He was outside her office for what seemed like ages. He finally strapped on a set and pressed the door chime.

Nim had been going through the transfer requests that needed to be authorised. With crew both transferring on and off, there was plenty to do, and she still had to find time to meet with the new Security Chief, and make the run to Engineering that she promised Sara she'd do. With a sigh, her shoulders slumping slightly, she set down her mug of hot chochala and the PaDD she had been reading through. "Enter," she called, pushing her chair back so she could stand up.

As the door slide open Vic took a second to step through. He saw the bright lights of the corridor had cast his large shadow on the floor of room. Vic stepped through not know what emotions would come out but as soon as he saw her the only emotion he felt was peace.

She could feel the colour rushing from her face as recognition set in. "Vic..." was the only word she managed as she dropped back into the seat, eyes widening, hands gripping the arm rests of the chair. It had been... well, she couldn't even remember how long it had been, but it felt like an eternity since he had disappeared from her life. He hadn't even said goodbye, just, up and disappeared. Anyone who knew her during that time knew it took her months to get over the way he had ended things. She threw herself into her work, opting for long hours and almost punishing herself with a gruelling routine that left her little to no time to think, just to make sure she couldn't think about him.

Absently her right hand covered her left wrist and she rubbed at the scars that remained. "What are you doing here?" she finally asked, unable to hide the waver of emotion in her voice.

Vic paused as he took in here gorgeous face. "I was the Executive Officer on the Vigilant before it was recalled for major refit and repairs. I have been transferred here as your new Chief of Security.". He let that last statement linger.

Sara had told her during their earlier meeting that they would be getting another Chief of Security, but it hadn't occurred to her to ask who it was. It hadn't even occurred to her that there would be even the remotest of possibilities that it would be Vic that walked through those doors and back into her life. "I..." she started to speak, only making it as far as the single word. "I hadn't gotten to your transfer request yet," she finally managed.

She coughed slightly to clear her throat and straightened her back, shuffling through the PaDD's on her desk before she picked one up and thumbed into it. Business, that was how she was going to get through this. All business. She was a professional and she would act like it. She flicked her long braid back over her shoulder and rubbed her scar again absently. "Captain Donovan had mentioned that you would be coming aboard. Well, not you by name, but that we had a new Chief of Security." She drew in a breath. "Are you waiting on any personal effects to be transported aboard or do you have everything already?"

"You know me.". He paused. "I don't have much. But it is being moved in as we speak.". He shifted his weight as he tried to make eye contact. "There is so much to say it's hard to figure where to start. How are you?". He figured the most pressing question was the best place to start.

She nodded slightly in response, trying to formulate the words she needed to tell him she was just perfectly peachy after he ditched her in the middle of the night without so much as a goodbye and shattered her heart and ground it into tiny pieces like the great big dumb piece of rock he was. Instead, she settled with "I'm doing fine, thank you for asking. Yourself?"

"To be honest so many ways to answer that." He started trying to find the right way to convey his feelings. "I guess lost, works best. The last stretch has been a whirlwind of loss. From losing you, to a failed Intelligence mission, to losing my Executive Officer position.". He looked away as his eyes started to glisten. "I am a mess."

She could hear the emotion, the vulnerability in his voice and for a moment she felt her resolve soften. She took a breath and snuck a glance at him. Looking away quickly, she fixed her attention on the PaDD in front of her again. He was the master of his own destiny, he had made his decisions and now he was living with the aftermath, but he wanted her to feel sorry for him? After he abandoned her the way he did? "I'm sorry to hear that," she said quietly.

"Maybe some normalcy can be found in a new quadrant.". He thought out loud. "Gorgeous ship, you have here. I look forward to getting settling in and unpacking.... Both my baggage and my apologies for how things ended."

"Do you have quarters assigned on the Starbase?" Nim asked as she continued to scan through the PaDD, avoiding every desire to look up at him. "I'll have Operations reinforce the furniture in your quarters but at this late in the day it may not be done until tomorrow."

"I will make sure on the floor for tonight.". He could tell this was as hard if not more so on her as it was for him. Maybe taking this assignment was a mistake. "Nim, if it would be easier I can wait and be assigned else where."

Nim finally looked up at him. "I don't know what you want me to say," she responded quietly. "You disappeared from my life, not even a note or a message to tell me you were leaving. You left me wondering if you were alive or dead. Now you just waltz back in and expect it to be all sunshine and lollipops?" She shook her head, her hand moving back to her wrist and rubbing it gently.

"You know I wouldn't have left if I wasn't force to. If your the XO you should have clearance to see that Intel came and grabbed me up.". He decided this was the wrong way to do this. "Look I wish I had never left, I wish I had tracked you down and I fully get you hate me. But fact is we have a job to do. I would love for your forgiveness... Someday, but I know that will not be today."

"I don't hate you," Nim replied simply. "And you could have just as easily contacted me at any point. You know, 'Hey Nim, how's it going, just thought I'd let you know that I'm alive and all, Have a nice life'." She paused and drew in a deep breath. "But you're right, yes, we have a job to do. I'm glad you're alive Vic, it's good to see you again." She thumbed a PaDD, added a note and handed it out to him. "This is all the information you need, clearances and everything. I'll have Operations get to your quarters as soon as they're available. I'll mark it as a priority."

"I appreciate it." He was resigned to reply. "I will get settled and start looking at duty rotations." He finished flatly as he turned to leave.

Nim watched as he turned and started for the door. Drawing in a deep breath she mentally kicked herself for the words she knew were about to come out of her mouth. "My duty shift finishes at eighteen hundred. Meet me in the officers mess, we will talk then."

Without another word, Nim looked back down at the stack of PaDD's in front of her, picking up the one on top and thumbing into it, using the order requests from Operations as a way to avoid any further discussion.

He paused at the invitation, but decided it was best not to reply right now. A grin did start to come on his face as he stepped through the threshold and back into the corridor.