Goodbye Love

Posted on Dec 04, 2016 @ 10:30pm by Commander Jacob Crichton & Ambassador Xana Bonviva
Edited on on Dec 04, 2016 @ 10:30pm

Mission: Aftermath

= Goodbye Love =
(cont'd from "All For One")

=/\=

FROM: XANA BONVIVA, OFFICE OF HUSSEIN KARIMI
TO, JACOB CRICHTON, CMDR. -
SUBJECT: VISITATION

Jake -

Due to a change in my schedule I wanted to let you know if you wanted to visit the kids then you need to come tonight if your schedule allows. I’ll be home by 1700; if you come to Venice earlier and we’re not home, the kids should be with my family at the restaurant. I’ve told my family to expect you.

If you’re unable to make it, that’s fine. Please let me know either way.

Xana

****

FROM: JACOB CRICHTON, CMDR
TO: XANA BONVIVA, OFFICE OF HUSSEIN KARIMI
SUBJECT: RE: VISITATION

Xana -

Why does it have to be tonight?

Jake

****

FROM: XANA BONVIVA, OFFICE OF HUSSEIN KARIMI
TO, JACOB CRICHTON, CMDR. -
SUBJECT: RE: VISITATION


Jake -

Because the kids and I will be on the 0800 shuttle tomorrow morning for VULCAN. I do not know when we’ll be returning.

Xana

****

FROM: JACOB CRICHTON, CMDR
TO: XANA BONVIVA, OFFICE OF HUSSEIN KARIMI
SUBJECT: RE: VISITATION


I’ll come as soon as I’m able.

=/\=

LOCATION: EARTH
SCENE: Venice, Italy
STARDATE: [2.16] 1204.1918
TIME INDEX: That night

Xana kept out of way while Jake hung out with Dahlia and Ben. As she bustled around the house packing up things she listened while Dahlia whined about being put to work in the restaurant and Ben talked with delight about stealing bread when people weren’t looking.

And she heard the delight in Jake’s voice as he laughed with his kids.

She was working in the den when Jake knocked very carefully. Looking up she raised up her head from where she was curled up with some PADDs in a large maroon wingback chair. Ben had no problem barreling in as he was standing there in his octopus pajamas. “MOM! You did not tell me there would be MORE vegetables on VULCAN!” her young son demanded.

Jake stood there quietly, trying not to smile at Ben’s antics. “I said to say goodnight and see who you wanted to tuck you in,” he said quietly. When Xana gave him a look he said, “I may have mentioned that most Vulcans are vegetarians.”

Opening up her arms she gave Ben a hug and under much protest a kiss. “Your dad can tuck you in,” she smiled.

She watched as Ben and Jake left, running up the stairs towards the bedrooms. Smiling to herself she curled up some more and continued making notes until she got the sense she was not alone. Looking up she saw Dahlia standing in the doorway. “Are we really going to VULCAN?” her pre-teen daughter asked.

“Yes,” she answered.

Dahlia sighed as she folded her arms. “For how long?”

“I don’t know, at least until the election is over,” Xana explained.

“That’s not a measurement of time! Right the election, cause we all live and die by an election,” the Bajoran/Bolian/Human pre-teen melodramatically sighed again. “Did you pack my parka?”

Completely baffled Xana furrowed her brow. “For a desert planet?”

“MOTHER,” Dahlia exhaled loudly as she pivoted to go stomping upstairs.

“Why thank you Mom for packing my stuff. Lovely chatting with you too,” Xana muttered under her breath. As she went back to reading and making notes as she listened to Dahlia make a fuss and Jake talk to her. She wasn’t surprised when she heard them talking animatedly, although it tugged at her heart that she had alienated her daughter. She wondered if she was starting with her daughter the same path she had with her own mother and would this lead to 20-some odd years of animosity and divisiveness.

After some time in which she divided her thoughts between the campaign, the logistics and all the other work that had to go into moving her family to another planet.

And then there was the final PADD in her pile.

“Thank you,” Jake said as he stood in the doorway of the den, trying not to look like the visitor he was in his own home.

Looking up from what she was reading as she pushed back the uncomfortable emotions, Xana said, “I’m sorry what?”

“Thank you,” he said quietly. “For letting me come--”

“Jake, they’re your kids. I meant what I said…” Xana trailed off. With an uncomfortable realization, the Bolian/Human saw that while she still had on her wedding rings, Jake had taken his off. That morning she had struggled with what to do with her lovely rings that Jacob had gotten for her on GATEWAY, that she had worn everyday for years, even when they were physically separated before. So this morning like she had before, she left them on; figuring she had more time to figure it out. **There is no more time, it’s done,** she thought. Picking up the final PADD, she scrolled past the introduction:

“This Separation Agreement and Property Settlement between JACOB CRICHTON, hereinafter referred to as “Husband” and XANA BONVIVA, hereinafter referred to as “Wife”, shall become effective as of the date that it has been executed by each party hereto….

“Section 1. General. From and after the date of this Agreement, it shall be lawful for Husband and Wife to live separate and Apart, each from other, as fully, completely and in the same manner and to the same extent as though they had never been married….”

When she got to the end she affixed her signature and let the PADD automatically append the date and time. “There, here’s *your* separation,” she said tossing the PADD at him.

Jake caught the PADD awkwardly, then looked down and skimmed its contents. He looked back at her a moment later, his jaw set.

"'My' separation?" he asked. "You're pinning this on me?"

"I signed it, didn't I?"

"We agreed on this together," Jake continued. "And *you're* the one leaving tomorrow, not me. I wanted to take the next few weeks with the kids--"

"You wanted us to put our lives on hold until Starfleet gets around to assigning you to another ship," Xana said. "Sorry, Jake, but I've got work to do, and unless you've had a sudden change of heart, you're not coming with me. So: it's in your hands now."

"Are you doing this to get back at me?" Jake asked. "Is that why you're running off with the kids to Vulcan?"

"I'm not *running off*," Xana frowned. She resumed her seat behind the desk, made a feint of going back to work. "Humanity needs someone like Karimi on the Council, and I can help get him there."

"So what, he needs you there tomorrow? The campaign is going to last weeks, and by the time you get back, I'll probably be off-world again!"

"Don't put that on me," Xana snapped, glaring up at him. "Don't you dare."

Jake let out an exasperated sigh. "Xana--"

"You have your Starfleet, I have the Assembly," Xana said. "It's what we talked about, Jake. We're not waiting around for each other anymore."

"And what about the kids?"

"Like you said... you'll be off-world by the time I get back. They need to come with me."

They'd agreed that the children would stay with Xana when Jake shipped out again, but that had been when Jake thought he still had a few weeks to spend with them. They'd been together on the PHOENIX for months, but there had been precious little quality time to go around in those days, when the ship was massively understaffed and seemed to reel from one crisis to the next. Now that things had settled down, Jake had hoped to make up for some of that lost time.

"This isn't fair," Jake frowned. "We've only been back on Earth a few days and now you want to leave again!"

"I go where the work is. You should understand that as well as anyone. You haven't even considered that *you* could come with *us*, have you?"

Jake's eye dropped. "You know I can't--"

"You can't," Xana nodded. "Well, Jake, neither can I."

Jake glanced down at the PADD he was holding. He stared for a long time at Xana's signature, as well as the blank space reserved for his own. He was aware that Xana was looking at him; not unkindly, exactly, but with a kind of resigned weariness. Jake lowered the PADD and looked back at her.

"I'm not signing it now," he said.

"Jake," Xana started. "Don't drag this out because you think it's what I want. It isn't."

"I'm not signing it. I wanted us to take some time and do this together, and instead you're springing it on me while you're already halfway out the door. Just because you're in a hurry doesn't mean I'm going to rush this."

"You wanted this," Xana said, her lower lip trembling a little. "Now you don't? Now that the choice is staring you in the face, you're getting cold feet?"

"I'm not getting anything," Jake said. "I need a few days with this, and I have a right to take them. That's it."

They stared at each other a moment longer. The charge in the air between them seemed almost to have shifted; where before, they always felt drawn together, now, in this moment, it was pushing them apart.

"Fine," Xana said, looking back down at the work spread out across her desk. "Whenever you make up your mind, you can transmit the forms to me on Vulcan. Assuming you're somewhere in range of a comm buoy, that is."

"Can I at least see you off in the morning?"

Xana considered telling him no, then realized that would have been petty. "Okay. The kids would like that."

"Thank you."

=/\=

SCENE: San Francisco, Shuttleport
TIME INDEX: The next morning


“ALL CALL FOR VULCAN - DEPARTING IN 10 MINUTES.”

Xana watched her kids hug their father with promises to talk soon.

“Do they have ice cream on VULCAN?”

“We’re not going to see Jake for who knows how long and that’s what you say?”

“Oh...I’ll miss you too.”

Xana saw one of the aides giving her the look and said to her kids, “Ok, guys we’ll send lots of pictures and messages I promise. But let's give our hugs and kisses now.”

That set off Ben who was NOT going to give a kiss, thank you very much, but he did squeeze his father as tight as his little arms would allow. But Dahlia hung on as long as she could. Finally the kids grabbed their bags and walked onto the shuttle. Jake and Xana looked at each other for a long moment. At any other time in the past this is where *they* would have said their goodbyes, where they would have have held on tight, making promises, giving one last kiss--

“I’ll send word, once I know where I’m stationed,” Jake said.

Xana nodded. “I’ll make sure the kids send something once we land, so you know they’re ok.”

They avoided each other’s eyes until Jake sighed and turned around to leave, realizing that was it; he had no reason to stay.

“Jake.”

The engineer turned around.

He watched his estranged wife standing on the docking platform, dressed in gauzy travel pantsuit, looking like she was about to give a press conference if it wasn’t for the fact that her hair kept flying, thanks to the wind. “Do me a favor?”

He had no idea what kind of favor she’d be asking for *now*, with a minute to boarding, but he nodded.

“Stay safe,” she whispered.

“You too,” he said.

Pulling a white box out of her carry on bag she handed it to him. “This is yours,” she said, giving no indication what he may have left behind at the villa.

Jake took the box, nodded, not saying a word. Nodding, she turned to board the shuttle to VULCAN, and this time Jake stayed to watch them go.

After the shuttle left, Jake opened the box to find an apple pie with a handwritten note in a familiar scrawl: “It's always going to be you.”

=[/\]=

A Joint-Post by...

Sarah Albertini-Bond
Writing for
Xana Bonviva

and

Shawn Putnam
a.k.a.
Jake Crichton
Chief Engineering Officer
USS PHOENIX