Not The Welcome Home That Was Expected

Posted on Fri Aug 9th, 2024 @ 8:29pm by Kilena Keithron & Fraser Rehami

1,271 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: The Secret of Corvus
Timeline: January 6 th 2051, 2100 Hours

The Earth’s atmosphere greeted her with a nostalgic familiarity, yet the planet felt different. Kilena could sense it before they even docked, a strange energy, a shift in the very air that she inhaled. After the weeks on the megaship, the warmth of Earth’s gravity felt like a comforting embrace, though it came with an undercurrent of anxiety as Kilena could not remember some of her new timeline, it was like a void.

Kilena sighed as she scrubbed at her face in the cold water and surveyed the room that she had in the base. It was a set of quarters for 2 people and she had no idea what was going to walk through the doors if anyone. The walls around her were lined with screens displaying news channels, current events, and images of people she did not recognize, in places that seemed foreign despite being home. Everything had changed she knew that and that was fine but she just did not know what was going to happen next. She felt like a fish out of water.

Kilena froze as the door swished open. A man walked in, tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair flecked with silver at the temples and wearing a suit. His eyes were a deep shade of brown, filled with warmth and something more—something that made her heart ache with a feeling she could not quite name. She knew him from the other timeline. She had been planning to go on a date with him when she had gotten back. Fraser Rehami was standing in her quarters like he belonged there and Kilena was not at all sure she minded as she stood there in shock.

“You are back.” He said his expression going from concern to relief. “I was waiting in the hanger bay,” he said, stepping closer.

She took a step back, her mind racing. “Who… what are you doing here?”

A flicker of pain crossed his face, but he smiled, a smile that spoke of years of patience. “Well, I live here with my wife…” He asked confused as he looked around at all the screens on different news shows before he clicked remembering the meeting with the Director. “Are you okay Lena?” He wondered his smile dropping just a little.

“Yes… no… things happened on the mission.” She stared at him, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. Everything he was saying felt impossible, like a story from someone else’s life. Yet there was something in his eyes, something in the way he said her name, that stirred a deep longing within her.

“I know. The temporal distortion… it must have affected your memories.” He said kindly. “Medical should not have released you.” He sighed. He reached out, his hand hovering just above her cheek, as if afraid to touch her so he put his hands down gripping the edge of his suit. He had been looking forward to her coming back but now it looked like they might spend more time trying to work out why she was affected like she was.

“I did not tell them I could not remember. I knew I was married but I…” Kilena looked down at the ground and her combat boots so she could avoid his gaze. She had spent far too many days being coddled recently.

“You lied to get out.” He snorted. “But it is true, Kilena. We fell in love. We planned a life together I even accept that you are a ranger.” He assured moving from her to one of the screens and brought up shared data files. Kilena had not thought of doing that when she had gotten in at all. She had assumed it would all be corrupted like the Megaship.

She flickered through them until she got to her personal record that instead of having information corrupted stated quite clearly she was married to the man who stood looking at her concerned and likely about to call medical to get her support.

“I am okay. I just do not remember this fact.” She stated clearly. It did not change his concern for her but it did ease some of the tension. She walked over to a shelf, her fingers brushing over the spines of the books. Titles she recognized, some she did not. She picked up a small framed photograph not having noticed it before, holding it up to the light. It was a picture of her and Frasher, both smiling and carefree. They looked so happy if not muddy. She barely recognized the happiness that was in her eyes. She wanted to be that woman, she seemed happy and had an aura that had somehow gotten a husband.

“That was last month,” Fraser said, standing behind her. “We were at the GPF Great Mudder run. We got really muddy and…” That was stating the obvious a little too much but he was trying to make conversation with his wife who did not remember she was that. “…well, it was a great day.” The man had enjoyed the experiences that the woman from KO-35 was bringing into his life. He had always had order and she brought a spark that was truly something out of the world.

The pink ranger put the photo back, her hand trembling. “This is too much. I do not know how to be this person. Your wife… I know I am married I know that but the person in that picture... she is a stranger to me.” She admitted frowning hating that she was most likely breaking this man’s heart.

Fraser stepped closer, his voice gentle. “She is still you, Kilena. The same strength, the same courage that let you get over a broken heart with that man from Eltare and the farm boy. It is just that now, there is more to your story. And that includes me.”
She turned to face him, her heart aching with the weight of everything she could not remember. “How do I even begin?”

“By taking it slow,” he said, his hand resting on her arm finally touching her for the first time in weeks. “We do not have to rush anything. We will start with tonight. Just be here, with me. We will talk, have dinner, maybe even catch up on that soap opera you like… I recorded everything whilst you were away for L…”

“Lost in space…” She laughed closing her eyes for a moment, the simplicity of his offer easing some of the tension in her chest. “Okay. I can do that.” She said closing her eyes tighter as she tried to grab the memory that was pushing forward. Maybe it was her prerogative abilities fighting against it all but she suddenly winced as her head exploded with pain.

“Do you remember?” Fraser asked seeing the wince and moved his hands to her forearms as he watched her open her eyes.

She shook her head, the regret clear in her eyes as well as pain. “I want to, but it is like there is a wall in my mind. I know there is something on the other side, but I cannot reach it.” She admitted as another wave of pain hit her and she staggered. She knew if his hands had not been on her she would have fallen to the floor. She gasped, clutching her temple as the world tilted violently.

“Okay… sick bay for you.” Fraser was only prepared to watch her suffer for so long before he swept her off her feet already heading out the door. He was not waiting any longer for an agreement.

 

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