JP - Lieutenants Elizabeth Snow & Lephi: Growing Pains Part I & II

[Alleran Tan]

Oh god. This sim was so well written. How dare you two make me feel things with my own brain!

It seems like every shore leave there's a JP from these two and so far they've been full of joy and happiness and this sim took a turn for the shockingly emotional.

I loved it, and you two are so talented.

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(( Elizabeth’s Quarters, Deck 14, USS Chin’toka ))
 

{{Time Index: Five Days After Leaving PTE-2891, Enroute to Shemsh}}
 

((OOC: I know these don't count towards my numbers, but this JP will be heavily referenced in my next sim with Cheesecake, so I'm sending for context))
 

Elizabeth sat curled up on the couch with a cup of Jesteral Tea clasped in her hands. She had been trying to read her book but her mind had been elsewhere, making the task difficult. While there were still parts of her life missing, none if it seemed as pressing as the issue she was having at the moment. 
 

Since Solat has stimulated her memory recall, pulling up the image of the woman she was to marry, Elizabeth had been feeling both guilty and conflicted about things. She could feel that she loved Lephi very much; she still had these sudden feelings for Kas that came along while her memory was gone. They were nothing compared to what she felt for Lephi, but they were still there. 
 

Then there is the whole telling Lephi what happened and that made her gut churn even more. She sighed and took a sip of her tea as she wished the kiss had never happened. 
 

(( Lephi's Quarters, USS Gorkon ))
 

The nights were always the hardest, and then the days came and they were harder still. Lephi sighed and rolled over in bed. She'd been working so much she hadn't even had time to stop and think. Though she was settling into life on the Gorkon, it still tore at her heart to have her other half so far away from her. 
 

With one more flop, the engineer crawled back out of bed. Her plans for an early night were thwarted by a restless brain. She made her way over to the replicator and retrieved some Jestral tea. It was far from her favourite, but drinking it helped her to feel closer to Elizabeth in these trying times. Lephi plopped herself down at her desk and picked up a nearby PADD, hoping to dull her mind with the intricacies of starship repair. 
 

(( Elizabeth’s Quarters, Deck 14, USS Chin’toka ))
 

Elizabeth sighed and pushed up from the couch wondering if a shower would help her relax enough to fall asleep. If it came down to it, maybe a sedative would do the trick. 
 

As she made her way through the bedroom, her eyes caught sight of Lephi's picture on her nightstand and sighed. What was she doing? She already talked with Kas and now it was Lephi's turn. It was time to make the call. 
 

She turned around and walked back into the living area. Her gut churning with every step. It wasn't going to be an easy call, but she wanted it to come from her and not someone else. The thought of the woman walking away stung like hell. 
 

She sat down at her desk and collected herself for a moment before standing back up, walking over to the replicator.
 

Snow: A cup of Jesteral Tea, please.
 

As the mug appeared before her, she took a sip as she made her way back over to the desk.
 

Snow: Computer, open a transmission with Lieutenant Lephi, USS Gorkon. 
 

She took a seat as the computer processed the request. As it did Elizabeth sat the mug of tea down regretting the choice to have something in her stomach at this moment. 
 

(( Lephi's Quarters, USS Gorkon ))
 

Computer: Incoming transmission from Lieutenant Elizabeth Snow, USS Chin’toka. 
 

Lephi’s heart soared. She couldn't remember the last time that she had spoken to Elizabeth, much less seen her face. Her sour attitude immediately began to change, and a toothy smile formed on her face as she spoke.
 

Lephi: Put it through, put it through! 
 

Elizabeth smiled as Lephi appeared on the screen. Her heart soared seeing the woman and for a moment she had forgotten why she called. 
 

Snow: Hello, beautiful ::smiling::
 

It was a great feeling, looking back at the beautiful doctor on the screen. There were no words that did her smile justice. For a brief second, Lephi forgot to speak. Moments later, she gathered her thoughts and tried again. 
 

Lephi: Hello, Imzadi! You've somehow gotten more beautiful since I last saw you!
 

Elizabeth smiled and then her heart twinged. The reason she called flashed across her mind as she stared at the beauty on the screen unaware of the news that was still to come. She didn’t want to tell Lephi, to break her heart, but she couldn’t leave this between them. It wasn’t right and Lephi deserved to know. Elizabeth took a deep breath and then looked at the woman on the screen again with tear filled eyes. 
 

Snow: Imzadi, I want you to know that I love you very much and what I’m about to say pains me very deeply to have to tell you. I’m so sorry to have to even say this, that it even happened, but.. ::brief pause:: On the recent mission, the other members of the away team and myself lost our memories. During this scary and confusing time the person I was shared a kiss and developed feelings for someone. ::pause:: I’m so sorry, Lephi. 
 

She stopped talking to give the woman time to process what had been said, the guilt even stronger than before. 
 

At first Lephi was concerned that her compliment had been the reason for Elizabeth’s tears, but as the doctor began opening up, Lephi was filled with confusion and dread. Shared a kiss? Lost her memories? A great sadness came over her as she considered the implications. Was she breaking up with her? 
 

Tears welled in the engineer's eyes, and she was silent for several long minutes. When she finally spoke again, it was through choked sobs. 
 

Lephi: That sounds like a terrible thing to go through, are you doing okay? 
 

The question she really wanted to ask was if Elizabeth had called to break off their engagement, but though she was eager to ask; she didn't want an answer. Not yet. Elizabeth’s wellbeing was just as important, and a welcome distraction. 
 

Was she okay? No. No she wasn’t. She felt like she failed Lephi. She had accepted her heart with a promise not to break it and she went and did just that. 
 

Snow: No. You trusted me with your heart and I failed to protect it. 
 

The tears that had pooled in Lephi’s eyes broke free and trickled down her face. Elizabeth was always more concerned with everyone else around her than she was about herself. It was a blessing and a curse, and in this case, more of a curse. 
 

Lephi: Did you, as Elizabeth, mean to kiss him? You didn't fail anything my love, you went through something traumatic. It hurts, and we'll have to deal with that eventually, but my concern right now is you.
 

Snow: No. If I'd known who I was and that I was engaged, I wouldn’t have.
 

The reassurance brought some small comfort to the Ferengi. The fact that they were still talking, and she wasn't hanging off of this new person in front of her also helped ease her hurting heart. 
 

Lephi: Exactly! That's not who you are, Imzadi. Have your memories returned?
 

Snow: The alien entity stimulated our memory paths to recover things quicker, but some things are still missing. It’s only been a few days.
 

Concern etched on Lephi's face as she regarded the doctor carefully, as though suddenly a way to fix all of this would jump out at them. It pained her to think about Elizabeth alone and scared with no memories on an unknown planet. She cursed Starfleet for making her transfer, and she cursed herself for not making a more compelling case for the two of them to retire early on Betazed.  
 

Lephi: I'm sure it will all come in time. Are you taking some time off to deal with this all? Was the person you kissed a member of the crew? How has that been? 
 

She knew it was a lot of questions to ask Elizabeth at once, but despite her best efforts, concern overtook her and she couldn't stop her mouth from voicing them all.
 

Elizabeth took a moment to process all the questions Lephi threw her way. She took a sip of her tea before responding. 
 

Snow: I’ve been on light duty for now trying to get back into the swing of things and yes. We talked about things. They know I’m engaged and want to work on things with you.
 

Lephi breathed a sigh of relief, and it quieted her brain for at least a few moments. Whoever this mystery person was, they knew that Lephi existed. Although it troubled her that Elizabeth had dodged the question identifying the other person, she knew better than to push her fiancée too hard on that at the moment.
 

Lephi: And how did they take that?
 

She thought about the conversation with Kas yesterday. It seemed to go well, but even though he tried to hide it, she still got a feeling that it hadn’t gone as well as what the Commander showed. 
 

Snow: Seemingly pretty well. 
 

Lephi's mouth curved downwards into a frown, and her nose began to twitch. Her brain was working at warp speed. She wanted nothing more than to talk things out, soothe the pain they were both feeling but it felt very one sided to her. She was trying to stimulate the conversation, and it felt as though Elizabeth was applying a sedative from a hypospray to it, and shutting down conversation. 
 

Lephi: Who is it? What do you mean, seemingly pretty well? ::sadly:: You talked to them before you talked to me? 
 

The last question sounded more defensive than she had meant it to. She was hurt, and Elizabeth’s mannerisms were doing little to provide comfort to the engineer. Before she transferred, they were two of the closest people, and now apparently they went to relative strangers with issues before each other. Another sob caught in Lephi's throat, her now bloodshot eyes pleaded with Elizabeth.
 

Elizabeth’s heart twinged. Had she gone about this the wrong way. She had never been in this position before. She was just trying to answer the questions she was asked and reassure the woman. She could navigate being a doctor with no memory of being one. She could probably have gone back full duty with no problem and navigated circles around Sickbay with limited memory, but she couldn’t navigate her own relationship correctly. 
 

Snow: I’ve only been back a few days. I wasn’t planning on talking to anyone about anything until I figured things out, but they showed up at my door. So we talked. 
 

The vague nature of Elizabeth's reply did nothing to nurture Lephi's tormented heart. If anything, it pained her more to see such conflict so plainly on the face of the woman she loved. She wondered what kind of a person would be so heartless as to know someone is in a happy relationship, and still pry at the cracks which had suddenly formed. Certainly it couldn't have been Commander Raga, or Serala. Those two had respect for them, and their relationship. This person clearly did not. She thought hard about it all.
 

Lephi: Elizabeth… ::Averts gaze:: Who was it?
 

Snow: Someone who was in the same position I was and new to the ship, so they had no idea of anything. 
 

The doctor’s coyness almost won Lephi over briefly, before the despair she felt resurfaced. It brought her minute joy that it wasn't any of the people she considered to be her friend. She wasn't sure she'd be able to get over that if it had been the case.
 

Lephi: You're really not going to tell me? That's all I get, that it isn't one of our mutual friends?
 

Snow: Yes. It shouldn’t matter who it is. It’s not going to change anything. 

[Alleran Tan]

(( Lephi’s Quarters, USS Gorkon ))
 

{{Time Index: Five Days After Leaving PTE-2891, Enroute to Shemsh}}
 

((OOC: I know these don't count towards my numbers, but it will be heavily referenced in my next Cheesecake sim so I'm sending for context))
 

Lephi knew that she had a valid point, but she couldn't let go of the thought. At least if it had been a mutual friend, it would be easier to get past. She knew that everyone on the Chin’toka at the time of her departure loved the couple and would never hurt them. New people? She didn't trust them. She had no way of knowing what this person was like. If they were obsessive, or prone to violent outbursts.
 

Lephi: It doesn't change what happened. It makes all the difference in the world for peace of mind though.
 

(( Elizabeth’s Quarters, Deck 14, USS Chin’toka ))
 

Snow: Lephi, that isn’t going to bring you peace of mind. What should be is that you know that it’s never going to happen again.
 

She couldn't guarantee that. The words felt nice to hear, and she genuinely believed that the woman meant them. The problem laid in the unknown. Lephi herself had just come back from a harrowing mission that caused her to confront a lot of unknowns, and she longed for the comfort of the familiar. She also knew just how much chaos the unknown factors could cause. 
 

Maybe this mystery person actually would respect Elizabeth’s wishes. Maybe it would be alright now that she'd established some boundaries with them. Lephi doubted it though. Her own life lessons taught her that boundaries were easy to push, and in some cases flat out ignored.
 

Lephi: I trust you, and I believe you. It's this other person, who you won't even tell me about, that I don't trust. I know that if you have any say in it, it'll never happen again. My concern lies with you not having a say in it.
 

Elizabeth could understand where Lephi was coming from, but in this case, the Engineer really did have nothing to worry about. 
 

Snow: Lephi, you have nothing to be concerned about. I can assure you of that. 
 

Lephi: Are you bigger physically than them? They'd have to be pretty small. Do you have emergency contacts in place in case anything happens? You say I have nothing to worry about, but I'm worried about your safety. 
 

Snow: Imzadi, you don’t have to be. They're not a bad person and I trust them.
 

Lephi: I hope you're right.
 

Snow: I know you’re worried, but it’s going to be alright. Now I’m worried about you. I know this has hurt you so please talk to me. We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?
 

More than anything Lephi wanted to be able to tell her that they would be, but she didn't want to lie to her. As long as she was on the same ship as this mystery person, there would always be something to worry about. What kind of unstable person continues to persist through clear boundaries by showing up at their door uninvited?
 

Lephi: I really hope so, but I just don't know.
 

Elizabeth figured as much, but it still needed to be said. If she was being honest with herself, she hadn’t expected this conversation to go as far as it had. She expected it to be a short one. For Lephi to have already told her that she didn’t want to be with her anymore. Her heart twinged at the thought. 
 

Snow: ::nods:: I understand. 
 

Lephi: I'm not saying that we can't work it out. I want to more than anything, I just need a little time to process the information.
 

Her mind went to the wedding that was closing in on them. Surely her memories would return fully by then, but it was Lephi she was concerned for. Elizabeth didn’t want the woman to have to rush into a decision or ultimately call it off so close to the date. Another twinge of the heart came with a vengeance. It took her a bit before she could manage a response. 
 

Snow: Then, uh.. ::pause:: Then perhaps we should call off the wedding.
 

That hurt Lephi to hear. She slumped a little in her seat, as though she had been physically thrown off kilter by the words. She picked up her mug of tea and sipped it for a while, trying to hide her hurt and the tears. 
 

Lephi: You ::falters:: you want to call off the wedding?
 

It stung worse to hear Lephi repeat the words back to her. She was thankful to be sitting, if she had been standing her legs would have given out.
 

Snow: I just.. ::eyeing the floor:: I don’t want you to rush into a decision you’ll regret and if you do decide to call it off, I don’t want to have to tell everyone at the last minute. 
 

Lephi: My dear, I will respect whatever you want to do, but I can promise you this much. Whatever happens with you; good, bad, or ugly, I could never regret it. No matter what happens between us, I cherish every second. Even if it ends in heartbreak. 
 

That hurt to even think of. Things coming to an end. No more Lephi. She may not have recovered all her memories yet, but the few she did have were enough to know that she loved the woman on the screen very much. Tears threatened to break through with a force.
 

Snow: Take as much time as you need, Imzadi. I’ll still be here.
 

Tears flowed freely down Lephi's face now, and she set the mug back down. She leaned in close to the screen and sat looking at the woman in front of her for a long while before she spoke again.
 

Lephi: I love you so much, Elizabeth. I don't want to lose you.
 

Tears flowed freely now as she watched Lephi on screen, wishing so hard that she could go back in time and change things. It was hard seeing her this way and all the pain she was feeling, she didn’t want to feel it anymore. It hurt too bad. 
 

Snow: I love you too, Lephi and I always will. I don’t want to lose you either.
 

Unsure of where to go from here, and not wanting to have Elizabeth see her struggle, she decided to wrap things up.
 

Lephi: Well ::pause:: I suppose I should uh.. get back. Those hull breaches aren't going to repair themselves.
 

She let out a half hearted chuckle. It felt weird, and painful in ways she'd never experienced. Lephi contemplated taking a shuttle and heading to the Chin’toka herself, just to hold her Imzadi and comfort her.
 

Hull Breaches? Elizabeth wasn’t sure if Lephi was joking or being serious. Of course they hadn’t talked about Lephi’s mission, they just sort of went straight into the heavy. 
 

Snow: ::sniffles:: Hull breaches? ::concerned::
 

Now Lephi felt worse. She'd already made Elizabeth cry, and here she was piling on about her workload as well. She straightened back up in her seat and did her best to put a smile on her face.
 

Lephi: ::speaking through tears, trying to laugh:: Yeah, on our last mission the sector we were in thought we could use a redesign. One that didn't feature much of decks eight or nine. 
 

Though it concerned her, she couldn’t help but smile a little and shake her head at the way Lephi worded it.
 

Snow: Sounds intense. 
 

Lephi: Everybody survived, we worked some serious magic. I think you'd have been proud.
 

Snow: I’m glad everyone survived though. Most importantly yourself. Now you can add “Ship Remodeler” to your resume. 
 

A bit more of the frown wore off of Lephi's face, and the smile crept further along. There was the Elizabeth she was familiar with and loved. Always looking out for new opportunities for the engineer.
 

Lephi: ::laughing:: I wonder if I can get a raise for that new qualification?
 

Snow: ::laughs:: I’m sure you could put in a request. 
 

Things felt a little more happy, a little more normal between them at the moment and Lephi needed that. Nothing else mattered to her at this moment. This was the first time she'd seen Elizabeth in far too long, and the conversation had been so heavy. It filled her with confidence to see the slight tone shift between them.
 

Lephi: You can't know if you don't ask, right? 
 

Her laugh was genuine now. Hope returning to her slowly.
 

Snow: ::smiles:: Right. 
 

As much as she didn’t want to get off the call, Lephi had some thinking to do and Elizabeth was ready to turn in for the night. 
 

Snow: Alright, Imadi. It’s getting late and we both need sleep. I’ll take care of things in the morning.
 

As much as she didn't want to say goodbye, she knew it was the right thing to do. It was late, and it had been a very emotional discussion. She could already feel her eyelids drooping.
 

Lephi: I hope we can do this again soon. I miss you, dear.
 

Snow: Goodnight, my love. I love you. ::brief pause:: Don’t take too long. 
 

Lephi: Goodnight, Imzadi. I love you beyond words. I can't promise anything, but I will be as quick as I can. 
 

Elizabeth smiled and closed the channel. She looked at her mug with a sigh and pushed up from her chair walking to the bedroom. She felt like the life had been sucked out of her at that moment and she just collapsed onto the bed, not even having the energy to change. She pulled her pillow to her and let the tears flow. 
 

—--------------------------------
 

Lieutenant Elizabeth Snow

Chief Medical Officer

USS Chin'toka NCC-97187
 

Veterans Affairs Team

Wiki Team
 

D238803EH0
 

&
 

Lieutenant Lephi

Chief Engineering Officer

USS Gorkon NCC-82293

 

Community History Team Member 

Chat Team Member

Wiki Team Member

 

A239706L10 

[Serala]

16 minutes ago, Alleran Tan said:

Oh god. This sim was so well written. How dare you two make me feel things with my own brain!

It seems like every shore leave there's a JP from these two and so far they've been full of joy and happiness and this sim took a turn for the shockingly emotional.

I loved it, and you two are so talented.

I could agree with this sentiment any more than you've expressed here @Alleran Tan. I have always enjoyed reading their JPs, and when I saw this on the Chin'toka side, I was touched. @Elizabeth Snow @Lephi Great job you two!

[Tahna Meru]

Yeah, no, I'm not crying, just got some sadness water in my eye!