Unlikely Confidante

Posted on Sat Jun 12th, 2021 @ 2:30am by Lieutenant Baeryn Whavi-Tonelly & Captain Garrett Lovejoy [ Taylor]
Edited on on Sat Jun 12th, 2021 @ 2:31am

Mission: Season 5: Episode 2: Operation Save Humanity
Location: Ten Forward
Timeline: MD 4 2100
2125 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure

The hour was late, maybe nine-or ten. Baeryn wasn’t sure, she just knew she wasn’t looking forward to being left with her thoughts in her quarters after leaving sick bay. David had still yet to wake, which had her on edge as it was. The hybrid entered holding aPaDD with a random report she had grabbed from her desk with all intention of reviewing.

There were more beings present then she had expected, causing her to pause at the entrance and observe. Her obsidian eyes quickly scanned the open tables scattered throughout when her eyes caught sight of a most unexpected being.

It seemed Commander Lovejoy was in making the most of his late night as well. Without hesitation Baeryn started towards his solo occupied table. “Late night Loveless?”

Garrett had been sitting at the table watching the stars slide by, sipping a glass of tea. A PaDD along with a roast beef sandwich and some pretzels in front of him. He was roused from his musings of Carrington and the crew by a voice. Looking up, a smile touched the corners of his mouth at seeing Baeryn. "Waverider, this is an unexpected surprise." He gestured to an empty chair. "Please join me."

Baeryn slid into the seat across from Garrett, picking up a pretzel from his plate and popping it into her mouth before he could protest. “You know if I keep bumping into you alone I’m going to start believing I’m your only friend.” She teased lightly donning a half smile.

Garrett raised his eyes at Baeryn's brazenness but otherwise kept silent. Finally after a second maybe two he spoke. "Indeed and here I was about to suggest you were stalking me." His eyes met hers as he quipped, "I will see what I can do about having Samantha attached to my hip for future encounters. Now to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

Baeryn reclined in her seat. “Stalking seems like too much work.” She gave a low chuckle and set her PADD down on the table. “Just another restless night. That and I think the medical staff was getting weary of me always hanging around in sick bay.”

"And yet here you are seated across from me." Garrett observed and pressed on. "Why are you hanging around Sickbay? Have you suddenly turned into a vampire and are considering robbing it of it's blood supply?" His eyes on Baeryn as she reclined in her seat across from him.

A smile that didn't quite meet her eyes spread from dimple to dimple. Baeryn began playing with an piece of invisible crumb on the table, averting eye contact when she spoke. "David still hasn't woken up. He's my-" she paused, knowing full well her and David were a couple, but the title 'boyfriend' seemed too small for what he meant to her. "My person."

Before Garrett spoke she continued, "He had brain surgery recently, the procedure went well but we're still waiting for him to wake on his own. There are a lot of unknowns, and not being there makes me nervous he'll wake when I'm not, and that... he might not remember me." Baeryn fought the urge to place her hand on her stomach, instead she continued to flick around the non existent crumb.

Garrett studied her in silence for several seconds before he spoke to her. "Your person? Is that a new euphemism for boyfriend of fiancé?." He continued on, "I'm sorry to hear about his surgery however I am sure he will be fine. As for you being nervous that is natural occurrence when someone you love is ill or injured or missing. If he wakes up and you aren't there. Sickbay will call you so you can be there." He sat back and looked at her. "A piece of advice Waverider. Do not worry about things you can't control."

He pushed his plate to her. "You need this more than I do. So enjoy. Now, what else is bothering you?"

The hybrid looked from the plate he slid across the table up to his face, a joke about eating someone else's leftovers died before it had a chance to leave her lips. The gesture more sincere then she was ready for. Baeryn crossed her arms in a fight to keep her hand from her stomach. She wished her emotions weren't so easily expressed across her features, wished she was better at concealing everything. "I'm not accustomed to caring so much for someone. It baffles me how anyone does it. How can you stand not being near Samantha when she's sick? Or hurt? How do you focus on your job when your heart is someone else."

Garrett didn't rush an answer, he thought on what he wanted Baeryn to know. "It's hard." He admitted "But you have to force yourself to focus on other details in your life or you'll go nuts." He paused for a second, took a breath and plunged forward. "Samantha was lost to me for four ears. She was trapped in the mirror universe. I worried and fretted going out of mind thinking was she alright? Was she sick or injured or God forbid dead? I felt totally helpless. Then I realized me worrying wasn't helping get Sam back to me. So I focused on my job and our son. I still cared and missed her terribly but I was able to deal with it by finding other outlets. When you love someone as much as I do Sam and you do David, you have to take a step back. It doesn't mean you love them less but you have to take care of you as well." He finished quietly.

"Unfortunately, I learned that too late. I had changed. Became a bastard. I took out my hurt and pain on everyone I met especially this crew and it's former Captain. Only having Sam returned to me did i see the error of my ways. Don't make the same mistake I did."

Baeryn was shocked, surprised Garrett had opened up to her. The more time she spend with Lovejoy, the harder she found it not to like the man. Her mouth fell open a couple times while listening. "I'm sorry, I had no idea, about..." she paused, she knew the last thing he wanted was pity, "I'm glad she was returned to you Garrett. I guess you might understand how I'm feeling more so then I thought." Sighing Baeryn looked down to her hands, now laced together in her lap. "It's difficult to not regret all the things I should have said, things I sometimes wonder if I'll ever have the chance to say to him. It eats at me. I thought if I told him how I truly felt he would wake up for me, its silly isn't it? To hope simple words would be enough to bring him back."

"Your wrong it isn't silly at all." Garrett replied. "Words carry an enormous weight with them. They can build someone up or tear someone down. Words can heal or destroy. If you don't mind me saying, write a letter to David. Say all the things you want to tell him. How much he means to you, how much your time together is special and apart is misery. Then when he wakes up and he will, read the letter to him. If he isn't touched by your sincerity and your feelings he's an idiot. But I know he isn't for he's captured your heart so he did something right."

Baeryn was stunned, not only by the words she was hearing but the level of sincerity Garretts voice held when he spoke them. Unconsciously she palmed her lower abdomen, slowly caressing it with her thumb. She thought briefly of the letter she would write David, what it would contain, how she would put all that she felt into words on paper. It gave her something to focus on, something positive to drive her excess energy into creating.

It was a struggle to cast her obsidian eyes Garretts way without allowing them to fill with tears. Her voice was quieter then it had been as she asked, "If I share something...a secret with you, could you keep it between us until i'm ready for others to know?" She didn't know why she suddenly wanted to reveal her biggest secret, part of her worried for what telling Garrett would mean for her position but he had been the first person she wanted to share it with, the only one awake anyway and if she didn't get used to the reality of the situation then how could she brave the rest of the crew when it came to light.

Garrett heard her plea for secrecy and her desire to share her secret. A Secret he would not betray. "You have my word Lieu...." He stopped and corrected himself. "You have my word Baeryn. Your secret will remain between us until you are ready for others to know."

The hybrid took a deep breath, inhaling slowly as if she could gather confidence from the artificial air around her. Looking him directly in the eyes she started, "I'm carrying David's...child." Baeryn looked down as soon as the word child left her lips. Keeping her face down she continued, "Sergeant De La Rosa confirmed it for me. I'm still wrapping my head around it, the timing isn't exactly...ideal."

"I see." Garrett answered slowly, "Congratulations. I am sure you will be a wonderful, caring mother and David and equally caring father. The hard job starts when the baby is born. It's a 24/7 job and it never stops. The priorities change is all. But is the best job in the world. Watching your child grow and knowing you had a hand in their development. Teaching them right from wrong and respect. Along with a thousand other things. The timing is never ideal. If we waited for the ideal time. None of us would have children."

"Earlier you said you had a son, can I ask about him?"

Garrett nodded, "What would you like to know?"

"Hold old is he? What's his name?" Her questions came out a bit rushed, her eagerness taking hold of her.

"He is 15 almost 16 and his name is Gavin." Garrett answered proudly.

The pride on Garrett's face caused Baeryn's face to break into a happy smile. "He sounds lovely. A teenager though... I cringe just thinking about it." She laughed.

"He's a good boy. I'm glad Sam is back. It was hard on him the years she was gone." Garrett replied somberly than brightened. "Yes a teenager and it takes some getting use to but you do and you will as well Baeryn when your child gets there."

There was a liberating feeling having shared her pregnancy with someone, Baeryn relished in it, relished in the moment as a whole. Now if only she could tell the most important person. "Does having him aboard a starship make you nervous ever?"

"It did especially if you think of the ship being involved in a battle but then you just accept it, that it comes with the territory." Garrett finished, he hoped he was helping Baeryn to see her pregnancy as as good thing, a treasure to enjoy for all time.

Baeryn did her best not to overthink having a small child on the Elysium and the dangers that may await them, Tay seemed to enjoy it, there's no reason her own offspring wouldn't. Picking up a pretzel from Garrett's shared plate she took a bite. "What's life without a little danger huh?" She smiled before adding in a more serious tone. "Thank you Garrett." Baeryn knew she didn't need to elaborate, that the commander would know she was thanking him for not only listening, but for his advice and they way it seemed to calm her.

"You are certainly welcome." Garrett replied a smile gracing his features. "May I make a suggestion and it's entirely of your own volition. "Go and see Sam. She'd love the company and she can answer any other questions you may have. In the mean time, you take care of yourself and your David. Never lose sight of how important you are to each other."

Baeryn pondered Garretts suggestion for a moment. How would Sam receive her? They hadn't gotten much one on one time to conversate at the dinner the other night but it would be nice to have another female to talk with. Smiling Baeryn stood, snagging one more pretzel as she readied to leave. "I will most definitely consider it. Enjoy the rest of your night Garrett." She popped the pretzel in her mouth and turned to leave.