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Post by Brie on Apr 11, 2006 13:42:11 GMT -6
The nurse led Brie and Abby down the hall to a small, empty room. "I'll let you know when they're about to move her for surgery," she promised. She left the room.
Leaving the walker for a micron Brie walked over and closed the door. She pushed a chair in front of the door and sat down. "I know that the timing stinks, but you and I really need to talk."
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Post by Amy81 on Apr 11, 2006 22:50:46 GMT -6
"I agree" Abby replied, still thrown by that latest revelation about Amy. "How about we start with last thing first? Amy seemed to have time to tell you about her being engaged. That was nice, being the last to know..."
What else don't I know about? she wondered....
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Post by Brie on Apr 12, 2006 13:08:09 GMT -6
Brie couldn't believe it. Amy was about to lose her baby, Abby's grandchild, and possibly her life, and all Abby could do was play jealous? "I stopped by right after Charybdis left. Amy knows very well that Charybdis and I have known each other for ever, in fact he was in my own sealing ceremony. So she told me. She told me a lot of things, considering the fact that she didn't want to be alone and you were no where to be found."
"Like what?" Abby wanted to know. The bitterness was obvious in her voice.
"Like...look, Abby, there's something else that I really need to tell you," Brie continued. "I've arranged for a genetic test, you, me and Amy. Doc Bkj has received permission from Commander Apollo himself to fake the results. Then they'll be slipped to the IFB..."
"Do you really think that's necessary?" Abby didn't seem to like the idea.
"Yes!" Brie replied emphatically. "There are still followers of that madman out there who haven't been caught. He killed my husband, and out of hate for Turner they've tried to kill me so many times now that I've lost track. If they even think that Amy is my daughter..."
"Biological daughter," Abby corrected.
"She'll still be a target." Brie took a deep breath. "Doc is going to move some important information into Elmer's file. My allergies and parts of my family history. She'll even change Elmer's blood type once the file on his death has been closed."
"None of this would be necessary if you had just kept your mouth shut like you had promised," Abby spat out.
"I'll keep your feelings in mind next time I need to save your fracking ship!" Brie yelled. "Sure, I'll let the remnant of the human race starve to death just so no one will be able to find out the truth." Brie felt a slight pain in her chest and took another deep breath to calm herself down. "None of this would be necessary if you had told Amy she was adopted."
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Post by Amy81 on Apr 12, 2006 13:21:00 GMT -6
"That was never, ever part of the deal" Abby replied. "And as soon as you caught sight of her under your command, you should have transferred her." A thought struck Abby. "She knows! I swear to the lords that on some level, she must know! The way she looks at you, acts with you, she thinks of you like a mother for sagan's sake!"
She started to pace, then stopped. "With Elmer gone, I just don't see why she shouldn't know the truth anymore. She should be told, and it left up to her to decide what to do. She's a grown woman, and the truth is I lost her a long time ago."
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Post by Brie on Apr 12, 2006 13:46:10 GMT -6
"Oh that's brilliant," Brie replied. "You think that you lost her, so just go ahead and make her a target? Pierce's people are crazy, they will think nothing of letting her die a slow, painful death. Is that what you want?"
"That's not what I said," Abby replied.
"That's what would happen," Brie told her. "But you know what? Maybe we should tell Amy. Tell her I was a scared 17-yahren-old, trying to get over a brutal rape and I was doing the only thing I could for my child. And as you very well remember, part of the arrangement was never to tell Amy. That part came from you and Elmer. You're the ones who lied to her all these yarhens. I was just keeping my promise. And as far as Gold Squadron is concerned, she requested it. If I had sent her away she would have wanted to know why. And just so you know, I checked with Colonel Athena when Amy was placed in Gold. The decision to keep her there was Athena's, not mine.”
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artus
Viper Pilot
Posts: 140
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Post by artus on Apr 13, 2006 7:20:33 GMT -6
There was a bang on the door, followed by somebody shouting "Felgercarb!" out in the hall.
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Post by Amy81 on Apr 13, 2006 7:32:36 GMT -6
"I know that" Abby said flatly. "Athena contacted me as well. She told me that she was confident in your ability to treat Amy like any other warrior, and that it wouldn't in any way conflict with our arrangement."
She looked at the door for a moment, thinking she heard a noise.
"But that's not what I see" she went on. "Not in how she is so attached to you. And certainly not in all these rapid promotions she has gotten. I know Amy. I educated her on the Agro ship. I know her capabilities. And thought she feels, and rightly so, that she can do anything she sets out to do, there's a big difference in having the belief and being able to achieve it. I don't know if the rumors are true about how she got those promotions, but Amy was not raised with loose morals. So that leaves you. And when I look at Amy, I see a young woman in over her head, promoted too fast. I might be distanced from her, but you are too close to her to see it. Her being in Gold under you has done her more harm than good."
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Post by Brie on Apr 13, 2006 10:43:16 GMT -6
"Fine, Abby, blame it all on me," Brie said, ignoring the noise outside in the hall. "Blame me for actually believing in Amy instead of putting her down all the time. It just shows how little you know your daughter. Amy is a fine warrior who is willing to do anything that is asked of her. I have a little test that I give all new recruits and in the history of the squadron Amy is the only one who has passed it! She has never argued with me about an assignment and she always tries her hardest. I promote on attitude as well as ability, and Amy has both. You say you know her capabilities. Then you should know very well that she deserved every promotion that she's been given. She was never promoted because of her genetics or her relationship with Charybdis."
"I'm not so sure of that," Abby commented. "Now she's engaged to the ship's second officer who is also your good friend...”
“Oh you’re as bad as the IFB!” Brie was having a hard time controlling her temper. “Believe the worst of her! If anything her relationship with Charybdis has held her back, since he has this annoying habit of second guessing every squadron decision when it comes to her. But I’m not the only one who sees Amy’s potential. She’s been nominated twice now for squadron leader.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“It means that a large group of people are willing to put their lives in her hands,” Brie remarked. “They trust her.”
“And she trusts you,” Abby added.
“Yes, she does,” Brie said. “I never meant to become close to her but she sought me out. She was looking for something, something that she’s told me has been missing her whole life. Do you know what she told me? She said she always felt like an orphan. I even tried to get her to relent, told her you never say something like that to someone who actually is one but she didn’t budge. If that's the way she's always felt it really makes me wonder about the people I trusted with my only child.”
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Post by Amy81 on Apr 14, 2006 4:43:44 GMT -6
"That's ridiculous" Abby replied. "I loved that girl." She couldn't say that Elmer did though. "She was cared for. Provided for the best way I could. She had the best atmosphere to grow up in. The agro ship is a beautiful place. It was hard to find time for her, I admit that. Being a farmer for this fleet is a yahren-round, every centon job. But that she felt like an orphan? I can't believe she felt that way."
Abby thought back, remembering the diary. How as a child Amy'd filled long empty days wandering the ship... hanging around Ange... thank the lords Brie doesn't know about that, what Ange did to her.
Oh Amy! Did you hate it all that badly? Hated farming, hated Elmer, hated me too? Of course she did. Still does. I didn't even keep her safe from men like Ange... But she doesn't remember what Ange did. Just hates me anyway though not knowing exactly why...?
"I didn't know she was that unhappy" she said, her voice showing a little strain. "She never let on." Of course she did. She left as soon as she was old enough too! "We were so busy. Elmer drove me so hard. It was impossible sometimes. But I thought I'd done my best for her.... I tried my best..."
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Post by Brie on Apr 14, 2006 9:54:29 GMT -6
Brie was suddenly overcome with guilt. “Abby, I’m sorry. I know that you did the best you could. Most of Amy’s anger is directed at Elmer, and I think that might be in part because no one trusted her enough to tell her how he died. She has a lot of unresolved emotions to work through with that. I didn’t know that it had been kept from her, but I’m glad I told her. She had the right to know. Charybdis should have been the one to tell her, especially before he ever thought of proposing.” Someone was yelling out in hall, Brie ignored it. “I didn’t mean to get so upset with you. It’s just that ever since Amy mentioned all the time she used to spend with Ange,” Brie visibly shuddered, “well, I guess it caused me to second guess everything. But if it helps, I’ve never thought of Amy as being my daughter. Not once. All I see is a remarkable woman, and I’m blessed that I can call her my friend.”
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