Subject: Grail: "Last look back" - 'Surrogates' (Firespray/ Brinn)

<<OOC: Takes place just before "Grail's Women's Quior".>>

Athalya Anne hobbled into the TL, still mourning her loss. *Get over it.*

a little voice in the back of her head told her. *You'll survive.* But for

once, she didn't listen to that little voice.

Terror. Pain. Agony. All these emotions assaulted her heart with a

frequency and intencity she hadn't experienced in years. "Ohh...." An

unwarranted moan of dispair escaped her lips. Athalya Anne leaned against

the wall of the turbolift, unable to support herself. *Control.* Her

Vulcan training reassarted itself. *Control.* She rubbed the word like a

healing stone over her mind. Within a few moments she had reassarted her

composure.

*Where on earth did that come from?* Athalya Anne impassivly wondered. She

didn't have to wait long; the TL stopped. In the frame of the 'lift stood

a small, young looking man. All of the emotions she had just experienced

were eminating off of the young man. For once, her ulitarinaistic values

shined through, not because she thought they were right, but this once,

because they were the only things she could cling to, in the midst of the

young blonde's terror. Once again, Athalya Anne acted with out really

thinking, she took the young man into a gentel hug and let the newly

reastablished calmness of her mind wash over his.

Kyp was suprised by this sudden hug, although he didn't pull away. He

embraced her as if she was his lost mother. He held her and began to weep a

little. All he could think about was that his family was now part of the

Borg collective. He could still hear them, but he was starting to block it

out. Images of his mother flashed before his eyes. He missed her so much.

Suddenly, without any concious thought he said in a low weak voice, "mama".

Athalya Anne didn't let his words phaze her. "Shhh......" She pressed his

head closer to her shoulder and rested hers on top of it, rocking him back

and forth. "Shhh....." Athalya Anne renewed the calmness that she

projecting at the little blonde. "There there...."

Her gentle rocking comforted him. He hadn't embraced anyone like this since

he left Gamma Alteries. He dried his eyes and took a deep breath and leaned

back a little from her. He looked her right in the eyes and said, "You

remind me of my mother, very much so. A strong women, that is yet very

sensitive at the same time. I miss her so." Kyp looked down at the ground

as he spoke the last words. His eyes began to fill with tears again, but

this time he fought it. He wouldn't cry he would find a way to make the

Borg pay for what they had done. He would rise to the expected leader he

was suppose to. He would reunite the Alterians. His expression changed

from sorrow to confidence as he looked back at Athalya Anne. He could see

his mother's face in hers. He almost felt like she was right there in the

room with him.

Athalya Anne looked down, hoping to break up the intamant moment that had

arisen.

"I'm sorry. Really. About your mother, that is."

The TL stopped at deck ten. Athalya Anne left without looking back. *Don't

let that little chit get to you.* she admonished herself, but couldn't help

feeling the need to take care of him. *You'll only get hurt. Don't do

it.* She sighed. Today was a good day to get drunk.