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Post by Amy81 on Jul 6, 2005 16:48:33 GMT -6
This first post is transferred from a different thread. This is going to chronicle Abby's first return to the Agro ship since the death of Elmer and the demise of the brat, if I can get the time to post stuff!
Anyway, the new stuff starts with the first reply...
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Abby sat relaxing as best she could as the shuttle approached the agroship. She'd kept her vidscreen off, preferring to enjoy the silence, or as much as there could be with the constant rumble and whine of the ship's engines.
She looked out the window from time to time, and her heart began to race when she spotted the great domes of the agroship looming in the distance. It was home. Her home. But so much had changed. It seemed like a hundred yahrens ago that she'd left the ship with Elmer on a part run that turned into so much more.
She was alone now, and it was frightening to think about. And here she'd thought that it was what she wanted. But not like this. She'd never wanted it like this. Not only was she alone, but the agro ship was in shambles and needed a steadying hand, her hand. She still wasn't sure if she was up to it. Any of it.
The shuttle pulled into the landing bay, and Abby felt the bumps as the ship made contact with the deck and came to a stop. With a sigh Abby stood up and made her way to the door. It was a moment she'd feel better about when it was over with. Returning to the quarters she's shared with Elmer, and where together they'd raised Amy...
She walked down the ramp and turned toward the corridor leading to the resident's quarters. Suddenly a voice broke her contemplation.
"There you are!"
She looked up to see where the voice was coming from. She recognized the woman, and nearly started to smile with recognition. But then she noticed the woman's expression.
"There you are!" the woman repeated. She was up to Abby now, and slapped her so hard, so unexpectedly, that Abby staggered from the blow. She dropped her things and held a hand up to where she'd been hit.
The woman closed the gap between them again, and got in Abby's face. "You liar. You worthless rotten lying daggit. It was all a lie. All of it! And I was her godmother for lord's sake! How could you, Abby? How could you?"
Abby was speechless. Was the fleet going mad? "I--I-- Em? Wh-what...?"
"It was all over IFB. It's true isn't it? They wouldn't say it if it wasn't true. Oh, lords Abby. Tell me it isn't true!" Em was starting to tear up now, her anger dissolving into grief.
"All over..." Abby stammered, her face still stinging. "What was all over IFB?"
"That you didn't have Amy! She's not really your daughter, is she?"
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Post by Amy81 on Jul 6, 2005 17:09:36 GMT -6
Monitors set into the wall at various intervals suddenly came to life, and Em's head whipped around to look at the closest one.
“This is Zerra, reporting live for the IFB. Please forgive the interruption, we will return to our regularly scheduled programming in a centon or two. But as promised, we’re staying on top of our late-breaking story...."
Em grabbed Abby by the wrist, dragging her toward the nearest one. "THIS is what's been all over IFB!" she shouted.
The broadcast continued, with Zerra on the screen, speaking solemnly.
“... I have in my hands an official statement from none other than Major Brie herself, which I shall now read in its entirety.
'To the people of the fleet;
‘There have been some questions brought up as to the paternity of Captain Amy. Let me assure you that Amy is indeed Abby and Elmer’s daughter..."
Em's mouth hung open as the words sank in. The rest of what Zerra was saying lapsed into the background, fading into the gentle hum of the ship's machinery. "Ab-Ab- Abby" she stuttered. "I don't know what to say! Can you forgive me?"
Abby, bewildered, took gentle hold of her best friend and hugged her. "Of course I forgive you. Damn that IFB and it's lies. How could they have ever gotten anything that would make them think such a thing?" Abby's mind raced, and the doctor who had brought it up to her was the only source she could think of. Unless Brie was... but no, she'd just stated for the record that it was a lie. It couldn't be her.
Suddenly, Em pulled away. "Look at me, asking for your sympathy. Oh you poor dear! I can't believe Elmer is gone!" And this time she pulled Abby in, and embraced her. "It will be okay, Abby. I'll help you in any way I can."
"Thank you Em" Abby said softly. Lords, she thought, I'm past this stage... Aren't I?
The tears began to come hard as they picked up the things Abby had dropped and they headed toward Abby's family quarters...
By the lords of Kobol, Abby thought, I've told her the same lie again! And as they walked she wondered why it was so important to keep the truth hidden any longer.
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Post by Amy81 on Jul 16, 2005 6:07:15 GMT -6
Abby and Em reached the living compartments, and soon were outside the quarters where Abby had lived with Elmer for the past 20 something yahrens.
"Thanks for being here" Abby said to her friend. "I'd been dreading this moment, and I don't know how I'd get through it without some help." Em just wrapped an arm around Abby and said nothing. The door was now unlocked, and Abby swung it open.
"We'd just stepped out" Abby explained as she walked in. "It was just a stupid parts run. We were supposed to be back within the day... I feel like he's here, sleeping in the back or something."
"Want some water or something?" Em asked. "We know how long and boring those shuttle trips are. Zero service either." Abby nodded and sat on the edge of the couch as Em got the water from the kitchen. "So, when's Amy coming home?"
Abby just looked at Em. "She's not, Em."
"Oh I'm sorry" Em said. "She's not...? I didn't know. IFB didn't have much news other than that she'd been found. It was the one bright spot after word came out about Elmer..." She sat down opposite Abby and handed her the water. "She's not...?"
Abby shook her head, then sipped at the water. "Some sort of coma. The Cylons messed with her head. Aside from that she's fine, but there's nothing left of her mind, as best as I can understand it. She's being prepped for organ donorship..."
"Abby, I am so so sorry. Amy was a wonderful girl. We were all so fond of her here. She did us all proud the way she made something of her life."
"And we don't here?"
"I didn't mean it like that. You know that. She was very brave to choose a path different from ours, and to see it through."
Abby nodded. "I know. I just wish I could have let her know that. Elmer... Well, Elmer and I had been drifting apart for a long time. In fact, I'd just decided to leave him, rebuild my life while I still had time, and now... now everything's gone." She let out a short laugh. "Guess I got what I wanted."
They sat in silence a short time. Abby finished the water. Finally she stood up. "I guess I should get busy. There's a lot to clean up here, then I have to meet with the farming administration. There's a lot to cover before I go."
"There's plenty of time, Abby" Em said gently. "Take it slow."
"No, there isn't much time" Abby replied. "I can't stay here anymore. I'm giving up the farming as soon as a replacement can be found."
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Post by Amy81 on Jul 16, 2005 6:08:33 GMT -6
Em helped Abby get through the tasks. Abby wanted to go through everything. Boxes were now piled in the living area, full of Elmer's clothes and other belongings. Abby kept a few things, the few that triggered some sort of emotional response when she happened across them. She was surprised at how few those things actually were.
Going through Amy's things was harder. There wasn't nearly as much stuff, since Amy had done a weeding out before she transferred to the Callisto, but what was there was difficult. Deciding what to keep out of things Amy had already gone through left Abby teary eyed the entire time. Em sat with her, listening to the stories behind the things she discovered. As she neared the end of the task, the things of Amys she wanted to keep far outnumbered those of Elmers.
It was in the bottom drawer of Amy's makeshift closet that Abby made the discovery. "Oh my dear Lords" she said as she lifted the book out gently.
"What is it, Abby?" Em said from the edge of Amy's bed.
"I had no idea Amy had kept a diary. No idea at all." A tear dropped from her eye, landing on the cover as Abby looked down at it. She quickly dabbed it dry with the cuff of her sleeve. "I don't think I'm up to this at all."
"Put it away, Abby. There's plenty of time later. You need to heal some first." Em knelt down next to Abby, an arm around her shoulder. "Take a break, huh?"
Abby wiped away some tears. "If all this has taught me anything, it's that the one thing none of us has is plenty of time. At least not as much as we think we did."
Em looked Abby in the eye, and through the tears saw that look that she recognized all too well. There was no sense arguing with Abby. "I'll go put some coffee on" was all she said. She got up, ran a hand gently over the side of Abby's head, then left the room.
Abby stared at the book for a long moment, then clutched it tightly, wrapping her arms around it, hugging it as if the book were Amy herself.
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Post by Amy81 on Jul 20, 2005 17:44:48 GMT -6
Em brought in the coffee, finding Abby studying the opening pages of the diary.
"It goes back a long time" Abby said. "The first entries are from when she was eight yahrens old."
"Up to when she left for the academy?" Em asked, sitting on the edge of Amy's bed again, holding one of the mugs out to Abby.
Abby sifted through to the end of the book, then shook her head. She sniffed, rubbed an eye, then took the coffee. "The last entries are from when she visited us after completing her training. When she brought Charybdis over to meet us."
Em took a sip, nodding. "I remember. Now there was a hunk of man."
Abby shot her a glance, smiling.
Em smiled too. "Good to see you smile, Abby."
Abby's smile faded slowly. She took another sip of coffee. "A diary. All this time I never knew. Some mother I was."
"You were a great mother" Em insisted. "Maybe Amy was just a great secret keeper."
"And now I hold them" Abby relied. "All her secrets..."
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Post by Amy81 on Aug 11, 2005 18:08:27 GMT -6
"So" Em said, trying to keep Abby's spirits from descending once again, "What's Amy's first entry about?"
Abby seemed a million miles away for a moment, then looked at Em with a shocked look. "What ever made you think I was going to read this aloud?"
Em's mouth dropped open, and her face began to turn red. "Abby, I'm... I'm..."
Abby suddenly broke out in a grin. "Gotcha!"
Em took a gentle swing at Abby, then had to stop to keep her coffee from spilling. "You had me too" she said, sharing a laugh.
Abby took a sip of coffee, then turned the diary to the first entry. She read to herself, opened her mouth to speak, then stayed silent as she read some more. Em sipped her coffee, waiting for Abby to speak, curiously watching Abby's expression and how it changed as she read.
"I had no idea" Abby said at last. "Amy's first entry is about meeting Ange."
"The security guard?" Em asked.
Abby nodded. "I knew that they knew each other, but I had no idea it went back THAT far. Here Amy was only eight. I didn't know or hear about her visits with him until she was maybe 12 or 13."
"When she first started talking about space pilots with Elmer?"
Abby nodded and rolled her eyes. "Yes. What a time that was."
"So what was she doing with Ange back then that was such a secret?" Em asked.
"Let's see if we can find out" Abby replied seriously, turning the page to the second entry.
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Post by Amy81 on Aug 18, 2005 11:02:48 GMT -6
Abby continued reading. "Apparently Amy wandered too far off and got lost in the security wing of the ship. Ange came along, and that's how they first met."
"But Ange didn't bring her back, or call you guys?" Em asked, already knowing the answer.
Abby shook her head. "No. And according to Amy, he told her she was welcome to come back, but it had to be a secret because children weren't allowed in the security wing and that he could get in trouble."
"Is that true?"
Abby shrugged. "I'm not sure."
"So Amy went back?"
"She says here that we are always too busy, Elmer and I." Abby's voice trembled and she wiped at a watery eye. "We were too. Too busy to keep an eye on our child." She placed the diary in her lap and took a tissue offered by Em. She wiped her eyes, then picked up the book. "Amy's second entry is about the first time she went back. Ange showed her some of his wartime mementos, and shared his lunch with her."
"Doesn't sound TOO bad, aside from the secret part" Em said encouragingly.
Abby nodded, then turned to page three, her hands shaking as she tried to keep the book steady, thinking only of her daughter sneaking off to be with someone who at the time was a total stranger while her own mother had no clue.
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Post by Amy81 on Aug 19, 2005 20:21:29 GMT -6
Abby flipped through a few more pages, reading each one, afraid of what she might find. But there wasn't much. "Mostly she's sharing his lunch" Abby remarked. "Looking at his scrapbooks... playing solitaire with a pyramid deck."
"I didn't think you could do that with a pyramid deck" Em said, surprised.
Abby shrugged, turned another page, and... "Oh".
"What?"
"Ange asked her about us. If we knew where she was going during the day. Amy said we hardly noticed she was gone, and wouldn't tell anyway."
"Well, she didn't want him to get in trouble..." Em said.
Abby nodded, turned another page. "Oh lords" she said, her lip trembling. "Listen to this: 'I picked up some greasy stuff on my shirt at Ange's place. I didn't even notice it, but Ange did. Mom would have killed me if she saw it, but Ange had some good cleaner stuff. I had to take my shirt off, but Ange gave me a big towel to cover myself with while my shirt soaked'..." Abby's voice trailed off.
"That doesn't mean anything either" Em said. "It could be just as she said. An accident."
"If you knew this stuff back then about your daughter and some strange man, how would you react?" Abby asked, her voice rising slightly.
Em nodded. "I know. But nothing happened. Amy turned out fine. We know the ending. Digging up these details doesn't really help, cause we can't do anything about it now, and we know Amy turned out fine. Maybe you should just put the book down."
Abby just looked at Em, and Em knew that wasn't going to happen. As if to confirm that fact, Abby flipped to the next page.
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Post by Amy81 on Aug 22, 2005 16:39:06 GMT -6
Abby scanned through a few more pages, and was relieved to see nothing out of the ordinary happening since the incident with Amy's top.
"Here's something" she suddenly said, and began to read out loud. "My Aunt Em forgot my 9th novayahren. I hate her so much. I'm glad she's not my real aunt."
"Lords, Abby" Em stated flatly, "I still regret that to this day. I made it up to her. I made it better."
Abby kept on reading. "Aunt Em hasn't been around much. She used to be by all the time with Uncle Jeb. But now that they don't live together anymore she forgot about me..."
"You know all about that, Abby" Em said. "You know how Jeb was. It was a hard time for me. Amy understood that, I think."
Abby read some more. "I followed Aunt Em today. I didn't mean to. I was on my way to Ange's when I saw her ahead of me. I did a good job staying out of sight."
Em started to fidget. "Really Abby, all this memory lane stuff, it's nothing but grief. Those days are behind us all. Why don't we just put the book away."
"I was surprised" Abby read on, "to follow Aunt Em all the way to Ange's room." Abby looked up in surprise. "Ange's room? Ange's room!"
"Lords of Kobol Abby! I was hurting! Ange was supportive. It didn't last long. Just until I got back on my feet!"
"I don't care about who you rebounded with!" Abby said, her voice rising. "Did you know Amy was visiting him too?"
"Abby! Of course not!" Em said, defensively.
"She goes there nearly everyday, and you never once ran into her, or knew anything about it?"
"NO!"
Abby sat in silence.
Em went on, pleading her case. "I didn't go with him very long. I swear I never knew Amy went there. Abby come on!"
"You never knew...or thought it important enough to tell me now that you knew Ange back then? For all I know you were in the back room while Amy visited!"
"NO!" Em repeated.
"I think maybe you should leave now, Em" Abby said in a quiet voice. Em opened her mouth to speak, but Abby cut her off. "Please don't make it worse, Em. I'd like to be alone."
After a few moments Em got up. "Fine Abby. If you want to turn your back on a lifelong friend and cling to the writings of what a nine yahren-old thinks she knows, then fine. When you get back to your senses, I'll be around." She paused at the door. "Put the book away, Abby. What you are doing isn't healthy."
After the door clicked shut, Abby lowered her head, pulled the book to her tightly, and began to cry, all the while wondering exactly what Em had meant by that last statement.
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Post by Amy81 on Aug 24, 2005 6:42:13 GMT -6
When Abby felt ready to, she again opened Amy's diary. She re-read the entry about Amy following Em to Ange's place, then read on. The next few entries made Abby's heart start pounding.
"I dozed off today at Ange's" Abby read softly. "I just couldn't stay awake. I told Ange I was sorry. He said it was okay and brought out a pillow for me. He woke me up when it was time for me to go. I felt bad but he didn't mind at all. He said it was nice that I felt so comfortable with him..."
The next few pages brought more of the same. Abby went through a several dozen pages before it dawned on her that the entries were more spaced out, with a huge gap of nearly half a yahren at one point. Then the entries started again, but Amy wasn't visiting Ange at his place anymore. She'd begun seeing him at his work station, the visits more random, more casual than before.
Abby went back through those entries a second time. Something seemed to be missing. Why the gap? Something must have happened. So bad that Amy might have repressed it to the point of forgetting what it was?
Abby closed the book, trying to think. Then she suddenly found herself on her feet, heading for the door. Stopping, she went back to the book and tucked it away in a new hiding place, then she left.
Ange was away, on the Callisto. If Abby could just get into his room, maybe have a look around? It'd been a long long time, but still there might be something there, something that would let Abby know if she was right or wrong about Ange, the great guy and hero of the Agroship liberation...
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