Highland Games IV: Ye cannae go hame agin

Posted on Sat Jul 28th, 2018 @ 6:54pm by Captain Charybdis MacGregor & Commander Fiona McCray
Edited on on Sat Jul 28th, 2018 @ 7:30pm

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Future Tense
Location: McCray Ancestral Home, Eilean Donan, Scotland
Timeline: 2285
Tags: Scotland

Bonnie McCray strode into the hall with her two canine companions at her heels. She looked serene and calm... the only hint that she was anything less than composed was a redness about her nose and eyes that hadn't been there earlier. She came over and patted Char on the shoulder. "I see the old coot pulled his usual trick oov seating the pretty lasses close to himself," she said with a fond smile at her husband.

"Well, seeing as you all seem to know just a wee bit about me, I assumed he was just giving me the best vantage point to scout out just which of these fine gentlemen I might be dancing with later on," she replied smoothly. There was still something intimidating about the matriarch, but Char was relaxing a bit. She noticed Fiona being a bit swarmed across the room and wondered if she should intervene to give her a breather, but these were her family, her people... if she needed breathing room she would simply bellow for it, she reasoned.

"All of them, of course," Bonnie smiled at her, "I see you already have a suitor. That's Dougie... he's a real charmer, so watch out." She took a couple of steps and ended up behind her husband's chair. She reached in and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her chin on top of his head, and he reached up to take her hands in one of his own and smile up in her direction from beneath his bushy brows.

"She looks good, doesn't she?" her eyes were following Fiona's progress. "She hasn't changed a bit...I don't know why I was expecting her to be somehow different."

William patted her hands, "You okay, Leannan miannach?" he asked gently. "Aye...I'm very happy," Bonnie said with a sniff. He chuckled, "Oh? ye have a right queer way oov showin it auld girl." At that she gave him an affectionate swat, as the complicated alien captain watched them like a voyeur, peering intently from behind the bouncing young lad in her lap, who seemed content so long as she continued bouncing him, thus she did so.

The rest of breakfast passed in a jumble of arrivals and greetings. Char found herself hugged almost as often as Fiona was. Her general appearance was exclaimed over and remarked upon at considerable length, as was the fact that Vulcans did not smile. At one point in time one of the bolder youngsters actually fondled her ears...just to make sure they were real.

He explained that his sibling Fiona Margaret had a pair of fake ears that she liked to wear around. Char took it good-naturedly and explained that he was welcome to feel them so long as he was gentle, and this led to a number of the children wanting to do the same. Charybdis realized that while it was likely a mistake, at least they were getting the chance... no Vulcans they encountered would be willing, that was for certain.

Eventually Bonnie shooed the unruly offspring away and took 'the girls' as she called them to their room, "I hope you don't mind doubling up, we're packed to the scuppers right now," she said smiling. The room that they were taken to had two beds and a sitting area with a ridiculously overstuffed chaise in it. Like the rest of the place it was comfortably shabby- lived in, but clean and comfortable. "There's an en suite so you don't have to fight for the bathroom other than amongst yourselves."

"Oh, we don't fight. I'm bigger so I take twice as long in the bathroom..." Char joked. "Fiona bathes in a thimble and can pee in two seconds flat..."

That brought a snort of laughter from Fiona and her mother, "Well, I will leave you too to settle in and grab a moments peace and quiet," Bonnie said as she headed out the door.

"Thank you, ma'am," Charybdis called after the matriarch as she departed.

Fi flopped down on to the chaise and fell over prone, "Jay-sus," she put a wealth of feeling into the single word.

The cheerful captain flopped down next to her. "You okay, Fi? I... uhm... I have no idea. Big family," she summed up her lack of context in those two words, and invited Fiona to open up and vent.

"Oi it was big when... ah... the last time I saw them," Fiona sighed. "Now tis friggin huge!" she seemed content to just lay there being quiet for a moment. After savoring the silence a bit she rolled over to face her friend, "You okay?" she asked quietly. "I ken I'm ragged boot tha edges, so I imagine yer a mite oot oov yer depth."

"Maybe a little bit... but... it's nice. Your family... there are just so many of them, but... I don't know. On the one hand it is a little like what I always imagined it might be like, just a lot more of it... having a family, I mean. On the other hand, I feel guilty... I can see it in their eyes how much losing you hurt them all, and how now, having you back, they don't... I just feel like I should fix it, I guess."

Holding up her hand Char cut off the course correction before it began. "I know, I know, don't lecture me, I know- not everything is my job to fix. I know that, I do. It's just how I feel is all." She smiled and patted her friend's leg. "I'm more worried about you, really. Are you all right?"

Fiona lay there silently for a long moment. She finally spoke in a voice rusty with tears "No... I'm not," she blinked at the ceiling trying to form the words to express her feelings.

"I know it's crazy boot... I feel... different. Out of synch. I... I dinna even know muir then half oov tha kids and everyone has changed so mooch. I missed all oov it. I... everyone is being so kind and generous. They're so happy tae see me boot they're... different. Mum and Da are SO old and broken duin lookin.' And laird I barely recognize the nieces and nephews who ware joost sprouts when I left. So many new faces... so many old faces that have changed horribly. I'm not sure how to act. They're all staring at me and whenever I look back at them they find somethin' else tae do," she sighed.

"You can't go home again..." the words were bitter. She sat up "Dinna fret, I'm joost bein an ass." she said tiredly as a half hearted smile wandered on to her face. "They like you," she said quietly, "and laird... poor Selune is goin tae be the belle oov tha ball," she snorted, "all oov those little girls will be chasing her with brushes and bows. Poor kitteh..." Unable to hold it back any longer, Fi broke down into silent tears.

The emotionally inexperienced alien didn't know what else to do, so she repositioned herself to hold her friend properly, and let her cry it out while she stroked her hair. For a while she just let it go on, knowing that no words were needed, just the knowledge that someone was there. Then she leaned in and whispered, "I'll find us a way back, Fi, I promise you. I won't let you suffer this if I can help it. It'll be all right... shhhh..."

All that Charybdis could think of in that moment was a song that she half-recalled from childhood, but it seemed appropriate here, so very quietly she sang it to her best friend, there in the castle of her childhood, amongst the many relatives, so many of whom she knew and so many that she did not. She sang the wee scot a Romulan lullabye as she stroked her hair and held her, because it was the most comforting thing that she could imagine, and it was all that she had to offer.

 

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