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Post by Brie on Sept 7, 2005 8:53:22 GMT -6
“In what personal ways was Ange’s grief coming out?” Brie asked cautiously.
“I don’t know,” Amy replied. “Touching my hair, my face. Stuff like that.”
Brie was livid. “Is that how an ‘uncle’ would act? Come on, Amy, surely you must see that there’s something wrong!”
“Why wouldn't an uncle act like that?” Amy shot back. “It’s not like he seriously did anything wrong. And yeah, if I were awake it would make me a little bit uncomfortable, but I’m not. As I said, it’s just grief. Besides, I’m not making a big deal out of your visitors, and I know for a fact that Skyler was in with you before, holding your hand.”
“That’s totally different,” Brie replied, calming herself down. “Skyler is in love with me.”
“What?” Amy’s mood totally changed. “You and Skyler are an item? When did this happen? I always miss the good stuff.”
Brie shook her head. “Skyler and I are NOT an item. It’s not possible, with him as my SIC. But I know how he feels about me, and it’s something we both have to work around.”
“Are you in love with him too?” Amy asked.
Brie let out a long sigh. “I could never feel about someone the way that I felt about Turner. That was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I care about Skyler a lot. And I love him as a friend. But ‘in’ love? I don’t know. I keep thinking that if I was ‘in’ love with Skyler than I wouldn’t spend so much time thinking about what happened with Justin.”
“What happened with Justin?” was Amy’s obvious question.
Brie turned away, embarrassed. “I guess you really don’t have ‘all knowledge’ here. Justin and I, well, we sort of connected on the Galactica. Much to my surprise, he’s really sweet. Much nicer than anyone from Black Squadron has the right to be.”
Amy smiled. “Isn’t Justin, oh I don’t know, a little bit young for you?”
“Skyler is too,” Brie replied. “I told you, I don’t trust older men. I haven’t since I was 17.”
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Post by Amy81 on Sept 7, 2005 11:14:39 GMT -6
"Well" Amy said, "Number one, I guess I'm not the only one with more than one boyfriend."
"Neither of them is my boyfriend" Brie insisted.
"Seems like it to me" Amy replied smiling. "Just something else we have in common. But did you get that behavior from me, or is it something else that I got from you?"
"And two?"
"Two what?"
"You said 'number one' before" Brie reminded Amy. "That means there's usually a 'two', or a 'three'."
"Okay, yeah." Amy sighed. "Two. You seem to be awfully sure that something is wrong with Ange. Or with Ange and me. Or Ange and the universe maybe. Am I missing something here?"
"Three?"
"No three" Amy replied. "For now anyway, there's just a two."
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Post by Brie on Sept 7, 2005 14:46:04 GMT -6
“I thought we had decided to drop the subject of Ange,” Brie said, avoiding Amy’s question.
“Just tell me what I’m missing,” Amy replied.
“He’s older than I am,” Brie stated. “I don’t trust guys who are older than I am. End of story.”
“Felgercarb,” Amy said. “You trust Commander Apollo.”
“I kind of have to,” Brie replied sarcastically. “He IS in charge of what’s left of the human race.”
“Okay, how about Lucian?” Amy asked. “You trust him.”
“Yeah, he’s, what, four sectars older than I am? Big deal.”
“Okay, how about...”
“Can we stop playing this game of ‘Who Do You Trust?’” Brie said, annoyed. “Ange made a bad first impression, I don’t like him, and that’s that. Some things are impossible to take back.”
“Like what?” Amy asked.
“Nothing!” Brie was almost screaming.
“But you never objected when I used to mention him before,” Amy pointed out. “When we used to stay up, talking.”
“I didn’t know him by name back then,” Brie said. “If I had only realized that he was the one who...” Brie stopped.
“Who what?” Amy asked. She wasn’t being curious, she was concerned about a friend.
“Nothing,” Brie said. “Just leave it alone, Amy.”
“Did Ange do something to you?”
“Drop it!” Brie yelled. “I don’t have to tell you everything about my life, you know. I’m allowed to have a private life. Just because the military can decide what I do or what I feel or what I think or who I love DOESN’T give you that right.”
Amy looked strangely at Brie. “Were you in love with Ange? Is that why you’re so angry with him? Back when he was injured you would have still been a minor. Did you and he...”
“Enough!” Brie had changed back to Squadron Leader mode, her voice was full of authority. “I will not discuss my past or Ange with you anymore.”
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Post by Amy81 on Sept 8, 2005 5:39:42 GMT -6
"Yes Major" Amy replied. Tears had begun to well in her eyes, but that was as far as she allowed it to go. They'd discussed all kinds of topics in their time, but this was the first time Amy could remember Brie nearly pulling rank to stop a conversation.
"Amy, I..." Brie began.
Amy put up a hand. "It's okay. I shouldn't have pushed the subject. I forget sometimes that we are warriors, and I'm just a junior officer."
"We're more than that" Brie said.
"Not really. It's the only reason we are together. The only reason we even know each other. If it wasn't for the service you wouldn't even know I existed. It's okay, really. I'm a big girl."
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Post by Brie on Sept 8, 2005 7:47:02 GMT -6
“That’s not true,” Brie said.
“I’m not a big girl?” Amy looked annoyed.
“No, the other part.”
“What, we would have known each other if I hadn’t enlisted? How?” Amy wanted to know.
“That’s not exactly what I meant, although I do believe that some things are meant to be,” Brie explained. “Maybe the military did bring us together, but you’re more than ‘just a junior officer.’ Outside of Turner, you’re the best friend that I’ve ever had. I’m sorry for my tone of voice before, it sort of slips out too naturally sometimes.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t trust people easily, I don’t care about people easily. It comes I guess from losing my parents at an early age and then being brought up constantly being told that my purpose in life is to die fighting the Cylons. And then...” Her voice trailed off.
“What, Brie?” Amy asked.
“We’re treading into territory here that I’ve never fully shared with anyone but Turner,” Brie replied. She couldn’t tell whether or not Amy was testing her. “Something that I’ve come to terms with. A few others know bits and pieces, but only Turner knows the entire story. If you need me to tell you, to prove how important your friendship is to me, I will.”
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Post by Amy81 on Sept 10, 2005 5:35:27 GMT -6
"No m'am" Amy replied. "I wouldn't want it to be like that. If there's something on your mind, and you really needed to share it, I'd be honored to listen. But to have you tell me something just to prove a point, that's not how I'd want it to be. Or how it should be."
"That make me feel very proud, hearing you talk like that" Brie admitted.
"Now you see?" Amy said, "That makes no sense to me. I'm a warrior, just one in the bunch. I know we've gotten to know each other a little more than the usual relationship between soldier and leader, but how can anything I say aside from 'Let's go blast some Cylons' make you proud?"
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Post by Brie on Sept 10, 2005 12:50:35 GMT -6
“Justin is visiting me right now,” Brie said, seeming to change the subject. “You think I should open my eyes and scream, 'BOO!'?” Amy started to laugh. “You see, my friend, THAT right there is the difference. When have you ever seen me joke with anyone else? I’ve built up walls, I’ll admit it, and there are very few people that I will allow in. With you, I can be myself. I can actually relax. I can’t with most members of the squadron, or most members of the military for that matter.”
“That still doesn’t explain how I’ve made you proud,” Amy commented.
“Remember your first assignment, all those yahrens ago?” Brie asked.
“Doing your laundry?”
Brie chuckled. “No, your first REAL assignment.”
Amy nodded. “When we were expanding the bulkhead.”
“That’s the one. You were confused and frustrated and had no idea why I would have given you that much responsibility so soon. But I saw potential in you. I knew you could do it. And you’ve come so far since then. You’ve been through a lot, especially with your extremely poor taste in men, but you’ve grown so much, not only as a warrior, but also as a person. And I’ve had the great privilege of being there to watch, and maybe even help from time to time. You said it yourself, you’ve learned as much from me as you ever did from your parents.”
“I said more,” Amy corrected.
Brie smiled. “Okay, more. So how could I NOT be proud?”
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Post by Amy81 on Sept 11, 2005 13:08:19 GMT -6
"I don't know" Amy admitted. "I think maybe you mixed up my file with someone elses... I've had a secret relationship with a senior officer, had three relationships going at once, I've gotten into trouble on every mission I've ever flown, nearly gotten myself blown up by a wannabe boyfriend, nearly spaced myself out an airlock thinking it was a bathroom, then managed to get myself brainwiped and killed on my final mission. If I've grown at all, it's a mystery to me looking at the record!"
"No, I think that's the right file" Brie said with a small smile. "But I think you are overstressing the negative side a little."
Amy laughed. "You didn't see how I mishandled the severed Cylon head back on that base. Baltar was less than thrilled to say the least. And I know he's forgiven me, but I more or less got Deke killed cause we had to go back for it. Not exactly the stuff pride springs from. Maybe I should have stuck with laundry... Less chance of getting into trouble. And I think I can handle lights and darks, more or less."
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Post by Brie on Sept 11, 2005 13:55:14 GMT -6
“You would have made a really good witness for the opposition at my Tribunal,” Brie commented. “As far as your secret relationship with a senior officer, I totally blame Charybdis. HE’S the senior officer, he should have known better. If you remember, you almost told me about it more than once. I swear he wanted to keep it secret to spite me. But don’t worry, I’m not going to start complaining about my former friend Charybdis again.”
“That’s good,” Amy said, not totally believing her.
“And you know, there’s a lot we can find out about someone when it comes to doing laundry,” Brie said. Amy looked at her like she was insane. “No, really. I didn’t tell you at the time, but the laundry was actually a test. I don’t do it with everyone, but most people fail miserably. They complain, either behind my back or to my face, and then do a half-hearted job. A warrior’s jacket washed in hot water? What a mess! But I know if someone will put their all into a simple thing like laundry, they’ll try their hardest at anything that they do. And that was why I assigned you to the bulkhead project, it’s why I’ve given you more and more responsibilities over the yahrens, it’s why I made you Gold Squadron third officer, and why if you somehow make your way back and recover your memories I’ll continue to stand behind you. Nothing can prepare you for a mission like we went through, nothing. The simple fact that any of us survived is an absolute miracle. So yeah, I’m very proud.”
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Post by Amy81 on Sept 11, 2005 17:52:31 GMT -6
"Wow" Amy replied, "Even with all my screw ups you'd still stand behind me?"
Brie nodded. "Without question."
"That means a lot, Major" Amy said, a slight quiver creeping into her voice. "The only one who ever stood behind me like that was Ange. He was so much like family to me, I never counted it as anything other than that. Family-like support. Not that I ever got to know anything like that from my own family..."
"Amy..."
"But you aren't related to me, so that makes it pretty special. You never saw me as a kid, growing up or anything. You never got to develop any ties that would make you have to support me. In fact, I never saw you until I graduated from the academy. So for you to stand behind me like that, based on nothing other than my supposed potential, that's really amazing to me."
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