Broken Hearts - Gary/Liselle

Posted on Fri Nov 9th, 2018 @ 8:15am by Commander Liselle Qwyyn & Captain Gary Taylor

Mission: Season 2: Mission 2.A: R&R
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: Current
2609 words - 5.2 OF Standard Post Measure

OOC: Takes place before Lia's return to the Elysium

ON

Gary stood outside the holodeck. He had set the parameters, double checked to make sure the safe guards were on and in place. He was waiting for his cohort in their joint western adventures. Not to mention it would hopefully take his mind off Lia being gone. He didn't think he was moping around but he certainly felt like it. He shook his head and admonished himself. He couldn't be in a bad mood when Liselle arrived, that just wouldn't do and he couldn't fake it. Liselle would spot it right away. So he worked on being happy while he waited for her. He couldn't pinpoint it but Liselle had seemed distracted, out of sorts the last few days. However he was sure that this little adventure would put her back in a good mood at least he hoped so. He looked himself over, boots with spurs check, gun with cobra etched into handle and holster check, poncho check, dusty beat up hat check and finally his little unlit cigar clamped between his teeth along with a nice five o'clock shadow of beard on his face. Yep, he was ready. Now all he had to do is wait for Liselle.

It was nearly a full ten minutes before Liselle arrived from the around the corner. Though in their previous excursions to the Old West she had been immaculately dressed -- having spent much too long preparing for their adventure -- this time she struggled to get comfortable in her costume. She tugged at her leather belt, and her fingers picked at various buttons as she came upon Taylor. "Sorry I'm late. Second officer stuff. You wouldn't understand," she teased.

Gary tilted his head at her as he watched her fiddle at various buttons of her costume, "Oh? Is that so?" He bantered back. "You may be right Liselle. Since it's been soooooo long since I was a second officer. By way the way how are you coping with your new position and responsibilities? You adapting to them alright?"

She nodded, her best attempt at confidence painted in her features. She imagined she looked more humorous than anything. "Completely under control."

He took his pistol out and spun the cylinder, making sure it was loaded. "You ready for this?"

"Are you kidding me?" She patted the butt of rifle. "I was joined ready."

"Uh huh." Gary replied as Liselle patted her rifle. "Well, if your ready here's the premise. We're after a dangerous outlaw named Indio and his gang. I want him for the bounty you want him to stand trial for various robberies and murders."

"Sounds simple enough," she said. A smile brushed her lips. "A little too simple. What's the catch?"

"Catch? What makes you think there is a catch Liselle" " His eyes twinkling with delight. He sighed dramatically, "The catch as you say is, he is very dangerous and smart and he'll have most of his gang with him. But he's never dealt with us before, so that's our advantage."

Satisfied that her buttons were finally firmly attached, she gestured with an open hand to the holodeck doors. "Lead the way, stranger."

Gary decided to have some fun with Liselle. The doors to the holodeck hissed open, "Oh, I forgot to add, I'm selling you to him. So you'll be our man on the inside. So to speak." It was all he could do not laugh. He just hoped she would realize it was a joke.

But clearly she did not, and she turned on Gary to grab his arm. "Hold on. What?"

Gary didn't see her startled look so he continued with the joke. "You know sell you to Indio. It's the perfect plan."

"Oh, no, no, no. He'll know in a second that I'm far too classy for him. He'll see right through our plan," she argued. "You would make a *much* more believable choice."

"Nope. It's you. The woman who can swear in different languages. He'll think your just sweet talking him. You know um pillow talk." He rolled on, "When you devise an adventure then you can say who does what. Until then you, the classy one gets sold."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're messing with me. Aren't you?"

He nodded as he struggled to keep from laughing. "Yes Liselle, I'm messing with you. You aren't mad at me are you?"

With a dramatic roll of her eyes, Qwyyn shook her head at him. "Of course I am. Furious," she teased. "Now then. Let's go shoot some people, shall we? I've got some stress to work through."

He put a hand out and gently touched her arm. "Liselle, are you alright? If I'm being nosy just tell me but you just look and act um distracted. I ask because I care."

She tossed a glance at the holodeck doors. "I'm not sure this is the time to get into this," she said uneasily. "Because if we do, I don't think Indio is going to be facing any justice today."

That was all the answer Gary needed, "Computer run Taylor program 1AB and dress us to fit the occasion." The computer replied an instant later, "You may enter when ready." He took Liselle's hand, "Come on! This will be different." As they entered the holodeck and into a small nightclub with a stage for performers and a bar. He maneuvered them to a table and held the chair out for her to sit. Liselle was wearing an elegant black dress and he had on a black tuxedo. "Now spill it. What's wrong?" As the waitress came over to get their drink order.

Liselle blinked swept away by the whirlwind that she had just been swept up in. "Wow, Taylor, do you treat all of your second officers this way?" Immediately her eyes went wide with horror and she clasped her hands over her mouth. As the former second officer, and lover of Gary Taylor, Lia Holmes had only just been taken from the Elysium. "Gary, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean --"

Seeing the waitress there, Gary ordered them two rum and cokes and then turned his attention back to Liselle and her horrified expression. "Liselle, it's okay. Really it's fine. Don't stress over it." He said in an attempt to calm her. He was about to say more when the waitress returned with their drinks. When she had wandered off he looked at Liselle, "Well?" His voice holding a note of concern

Her entire frame rose with the weight of her breath. When she spoke her next words she nearly deflated onto the floor. "Matias and I ended things."

His hand went to hers and softly covered it. "What?" Not thinking he had heard correctly. Then seeing Liselle's face he realized she was telling the truth. "Liselle, I am so sorry to hear that. I truly am. How are you holding up?"

She shook her head, her eyes on the table. "I honestly don't know. Numb? I guess?" She looked up at him. "But not nearly as bad as you must be, though. I mean, you and Lia..."

He nodded, "I can understand you being numb." He shook his head, "I don't know what I am Liselle. Lonely, empty. shocked, numb. Pick a word. I'm it." He said as he picked up his drink and sipped it. "I don't think Lia is coming back Liselle." He said quietly after a few seconds.

"But you guys were so close!" she protested. Liselle realized that she wasn't exactly handing Gary new information, but she also knew that projecting her own confusion and sorrow onto him was selfishly helping her deal with her own problems.

Gary smiled wanly at her. "I'm afraid the emphasis is on were Liselle." His head dropped and he stared at his drink. "It's over I'm afraid." he sighed and looked away before looking back at her. He started to giggle as he downed the rest of his drink and waved the waitress over for a refill. "What a pair we are." He observed, "A pair of what I don't know but we're a pair."

Qwyyn tapped her fingernails against her glass, the sound ringing out like the quiet introduction to a building symphonic movement. "Are you guys going to try to keep things going? Do the whole 'long distance' thing?"

Gary shook his head slowly, "No. It would only prolong the agony Liselle. I don't want that for Lia, for us." He saw a man walk out and begin to sing. He flagged their waitress down and whispered in her ear as she scurried off to the singer.

"That's a very grown up attitude," she said, saluting him with her drink. "It's settled. Gary Taylor, from now on, you're in charge of all relationships on the Elysium."

He nodded and raised his glass in response to hers. "As you wish Liselle." As his eyes flicked to the singer talking to the waitress.

She clinked her glass to his, and sipped from her drink.

Gary smiled, their glasses clinking together, sharing a moment.

The singer straighten up, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have a request and as luck would have it, it's one of my favorite songs. A patron would like to sing." He shields is eyes against the lights. "Where are you Gary Taylor?" Gary winked at Liselle and stood up and walked up on stage as the waitress brought him a microphone."This is for you....." He looked down at Liselle then back at the crowd, " To the best and classiest pilot in the fleet." Then with his hands cradling the microphone with the same tenderness he would hold a lover and with the music starting, he began to sing. Emotion coming through on each and every word.


You must remember this:
A kiss is still a kiss,
A sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by.

And when two lovers woo
They still say, "I love you."
On that you can rely,
No matter what the future brings.
As time goes by.

Moonlight and love songs: never out of date.
Hearts full of passion, jealousy and hate.
Woman needs man, and man must have his mate.
That no one can deny.

It's still the same old story.
A fight for love and glory.
A case of do-or-die.
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.


Qwyyn absolutely beamed throughout Gary's song. She found herself completely overwhelmed from the moment his performance started, her emotions building to a crescendo before he had finished. Her utter shock and surprise nearly knocked her full out of her chair. She was altogether thrilled, nervous, elated, anxious. Her hands covered her mouth in shock, her head shook in disbelief even as she smiled from behind her fingers.

When his last words rang out, she jumped from her chair and clapped louder than any other patron. Had she the ability to loudly whistle her approval, she would have. So she continued to clap.

He blushed scarlet but through the crowd's clapping he saw Liselle leading the way with her enthusiastic response. He bowed to the audience and moved back to Liselle and their table. "Did you like it?"

She held her hands against her heart, clasped together and pressed there like a young schoolgirl swooning. "Are you kidding me?" she said, incredulous. "Gary, I had no idea you could do something like that. That. That was incredible!"

He beamed at her. her happiness made him happy. "Well, it's not something I advertise Liselle. I don't want to be known as the "Singing XO." He paused, thinking of long ago half buried memories, then returned to the present. "I'm glad you liked it. Very glad.''

With a finger stirring the air above her, she said, "You realize that you have a room full of witnesses here. I don't think your secret is going to be kept much longer."

He nodded, a bright smile on his face, "That's true but I can delete them with a command. You on the other hand, I'm relying on not spilling the beans."

Qwyyn's face grew stern as she raised her right hand. "I won't tell a soul," she swore. And then her hand fell and she leaned in to whisper. "You have to let me tell Phoenix. Come on. Just her."

"Liselle...." He started to protest then stopped. he didn't want to ruin the moment. "Just her." He reminded her, "And swear her to secrecy as well. I don't want this getting all over the ship." He grinned as an idea came to him, "Tell me a secret about Phoenix. So we'll both know something about the other."

"I suppose that's fair," she agreed reluctantly. The Trill woman put a finger to her lips. "Hmmmm...a secret," she mused. A guilty smile came to her lips as she made an attempt. "Well, I know that she's had extensive plastic surgery to make herself look as young as she does. She's actually quite old. And flabby."

Gary raised an eyebrow in a frankly disbelieving stare at what Liselle had just said. "Liselle." He began, paused then continued again. "Phoenix is 26 years young, How much plastic surgery has she had? Come on." He looked at her, "Look, you don't have to tell me a secret. It's fine. You just tell Phoenix though. No one else."

"What?!" she said, her apparent shock no more convincing than her lie had been. "I thought for sure I had my 'poker face' on!" She thought on all the times that he had successfully teased her with one of his jokes. Not even an hour ago he had sold her on the idea that she was going to be, well, sold as part of a holodeck adventure. "Gary Taylor, one of these days you're going to have to teach me how to be a little sneakier."

He chuckled and shook his head at her, "Liselle Qwyyn, nothing would please me more." He said honestly. He picked up his glass and took a long sip. Then smiled across the table at her. "Thank you for listening to me about Lia. It means a lot to me."

Qwyyn gave him a half-hearted smile; one that was pained by complicated emotions. She remembered a time when she dared to wonder what might happen if Lia ever left the Elysium and Taylor behind.

And now that had happened. She was gone. It was just Liselle and Gary. But... "You really did love her. I mean, truly love her, didn't you?" she asked.

Gary nodded slowly, he looked down at his drink and swirled the glass slowly. His gaze raised to look at Liselle. "I don't go for half way measures Liselle. If I give my heart, its all the way and yes, I did love her."

Liselle nodded quietly. There were a dozen things she wanted to ask. A dozen more she wanted to say. But she couldn't pluck any of those swirling thoughts from the air and tuck them into words that seemed right. So she only nodded quietly.

Picking up her drink once more she held it up between them. "To broken hearts."

Gary's eyes met Liselle's, saw the questions he wanted to ask in her eyes. Knew what he wanted to ask was on her lips. However nothing came out and he hated that. It made him feel empty inside. He nodded, lifted his glass to meet hers. "To broken hearts."

OFF

Commander Gary Taylor
Executive Officer
USS Elysium

Commander Liselle Qwyyn
Second Officer/Chief Flight Control
USS Elysium