Chapter Text
Ella turned the unknown machinery over in her hands; once, twice, a third time. Careful eyes scrutinizing the object with a mix of interest and frustration. Lyron, in his typical fashion, strode into her workshop and dumped the thing on the tabletop. The only instruction she received was a gruff fix this, which was decidedly unhelpful.
Fix what?
But Ella was much too stubborn to ask for more information. Thus, here she sat, staring at the strange toaster sized object with curiosity. And frustration.
Lyron was a dick.
“What on Earth are you doing?” Ella didn’t even look up to acknowledge the woman who appeared at her entrance.
She squinted. “No… Definitely not Earth based,” of that, she was sure. Too advanced.
Wren just rolled her eyes, hopping the lip of the doorway and sliding herself onto the workbench, joining El in her fixation on the box. “I thought Alex was working this shift?”
“She is,” she turned it onto its rounded side, trying to determine where to even begin with access its innards. “Running late. She’s in comms.”
Wren swung her legs, biting the inside of her cheek. “She recording another message?” Because she’d been there for her log yesterday, and nothing of note had happened since. So, it had to be a personal message.
“Better believe it,” El was loath to admit it but she may, potentially, need help. But she’d start with Alex– Stars forbid she inflated Dryl’s head another size.
Wren hummed, pushing down the bite of jealousy in her chest. Not just because it was Alex talking to her previous life, but also because she still maintained connection to her previous life. Wren hadn’t been able to maintain the hope required to keep at it – she’d stopped booking the comms room months ago. She had no doubt her boyfriend will have moved on by now. “There must be someone pretty special back home.”
“Oh, they are.”
Wren’s head snapped around with wide eyes – Like she’d been caught in some forbidden act – which, honestly, she kinda had. It had been almost two years since the Exodus took off, and Wren knew next to nothing about Alex Danvers life outside of these walls. The list was literally; Human, DEO, father is Cadmus.
That’s it. The entirety of the personal facts about her life before Wren had obtained in two years. Which, in fairness, was mostly her own fault. It was only in the last couple of months she’d began trusting the human. But gossip was rife on a ship this small, with as much time to kill as they had – she knew plenty about Ella, Mastih, Dunk and the rest of the ‘Team Alex’ people, just from the grapevine. Alex herself? Not so much.
So, being caught talking about her without her present? Her blood pressure skyrocketed.
Unfortunately, instead of a stuttered apology, her dumb mouth produced a very different set of words. “They?”
Ella dropped the unknown object to her lap and fixed her friend with a look. “I’m sorry, now you have to share.”
Alex just shrugged and stepped into the room, already reaching for her coat and safety gear. She was scheduled for maintenance in the engine room today. “None of your business.”
“Oh, come on,” Ella spun in her chair dramatically, doing a 180 until she was facing the human. “You can’t leave us on that kinda cliff hanger!”
Wren frowned, glancing between them. “Wait, you don’t know?” she tilted her head, squinting at the Alstairan who had been friends with Alex for probably the longest? Maybe Freyer beats her – or Drly. But Dryl was weird – she wasn’t even sure they were friends.
“Nope,” Ella popped the p, tilting her head at the human as she shrugged on her overalls, ignoring them as best she could. “Danvers here likes to keep her private life private.”
“But nothing’s private in this tin can.”
“Ms. Secret Special Agent here disagrees,” Ella tilted her head, smiling at Alex’s snort. “Come on, Doc – just give us something. Won’t tell anyone, Scouts honor.”
Alex arched an eyebrow. “I somehow doubt you were a Scout.”
“You don’t know my life,” she grinned. “I was born on Earth – I’m very well acclimated.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” she reached over, grabbing her toolbox and heaving it onto the table. “I just doubt that you wouldn’t have been booted from the program immediately.”
“Cause I’m an alien?”
“Because you’re a pain in the ass,” but she smiled, genuine. Something squirmed in Wren’s gut – she’d been so fucking wrong about this human. She couldn’t even reconcile the image she’d built in her head that first day with this slightly awkward, very handsome, incredibly charming, dork in front of her.
“True, true, and because I’m a pain in the ass, you know I won’t let this ‘they’ stuff go,” she scooted forward on her chair, dragging it a couple of inches closer. Grin wide and shit eating. “Come on Al, I was the one that made you start making them! Just tell me – who are you leaving messages for twice a month?”
Alex huffed a laugh, fingering the lock on her kit, thinking carefully about her audience. About her time left on this ship. About how lonely it could be and how not talking about her family didn’t make missing them any easier, so maybe the opposite would help.
“I don’t always leave messages for the same people,” she started, eyes still on her gear. “I have a sister, a brother, and a… pseudo father figure, who I’ve been trying to leave messages for.” She exhaled, finally turning to face curious eyes. “I’ve been trying to make one for two people who… but I can’t get the words to come out right.”
A little more emotion laden then El was anticipating, she tipped her head to the side, softening her eyes. “Hey, Al, I’m sorry you don’t have to-“
“Nah, you’re good,” she crossed her arms, leaning against her workbench, opposite Ella’s. “Its… for my girlfriends. Partners. Whatever – it’s for them.”
“Plural?”
Wren’s voice contained nothing but curiosity, giving Alex the space to smile, elaborate. “Yeah – I’m polyamorous? Lucy and Maggie… they’re back home. They’re who I keep trying to talk to. It’s just…” she shrugged, looked out the open hatch. “Too hard? To fit everything in my head into words. Cause, you’re right. They are,” she laughed softly, shaking her head. “Pretty fucking special.”
Ella struggled to keep open affection off her face. Alex had been many things over the last year – none of them were this openly smitten. Openly… in love. She didn’t know the gruff woman had it in her – it was delightful. And she fucking deserved it.
But Wren had a pinched forehead, mismatched eyes swirling in confusion. “You think that they’ll be… I don’t know. Waiting for you?”
Ella sharp look over her shoulder told her that was rude, but Alex just shrugged a little, lip pulling up at one side. “I don’t know – maybe not,” she took a breath, grabbing her kit and straightening. “But I’m not giving up. They’re…” she smiled again, even as she searched for words, something in her eyes clenching Wren’s heart. “I guess I just love em.”
And then she shrugged.
Like it was that simple.
Like two years of absence, of waiting, of being tortured on a ship millions of lightyears away, was no obstacle.
“You know,” something in Wren’s voice had Alex hesitating – ready to get to work. “On my planet, there was a word for relationships like that.”
Alex frowned, glancing at El quickly. “Queer relationships?”
That wrenched a snort out of her mouth, waving a hand in front of her as if to dispel the very thought. “No – God no. I mean relationships that make no sense – that… are unbreakable. Even with unbeatable odds.”
“Oh,” Alex shifted, uncomfortable suddenly with the direction of this conversation, and being at the center of it. This felt like emotions territory.
But Ella shit eating grin was back – enjoying her friends discomfort in this particular context. Alex was great, but she was also shockingly easy to tease. And this just recked of teasing potential. “What’re they called?”
“A Noamoy.”