Helena Lends An Ear

Posted on Sun Jan 10th, 2016 @ 2:34am by Helena Marinos & Céline Valois
Edited on on Sun Jan 10th, 2016 @ 1:09pm

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Celine's Quarters

* Celine’s Quarters *

After the call from Celine, Helena had spoken to the bartender at Lady Ella’s. He’d packed up a small case with everything she needed. She patted his cheek, grabbed the case and hit the road. Celine needed her and she was off to the rescue. It took a little time to get there but finally she reached the door and rang the chime. Celine had sounded seriously shaken and she was worried. This, on top of seeing Louie more than a little plastered, had her wondering what ill wind was blowing. Neither of them had been having a fun evening. She waited a moment, then rang the chime again.

The doors opened and Celine all but pulling her inside. She paused a moment and then hugged her tight. “Thanks for coming, Helena. I’m sorry if I pulled you away from something else you could have been doing,” she said, letting go of her friend. “But I really, really need to talk to someone.”

She hugged Celine back, then made her way over to the small bar. “Not at all. I was done for the night and Cy had some personal business to take care of in the name of his friend Louie. Thanks to the bartender at Ella’s we are stocked, sweets. From the way you sounded, I passed over the wine and he packed up everything for martinis, including olives.”

Celine finally smiled, something she hadn’t done since the initial call to her parents, which seemed like an eternity ago. “You are a godsend, woman.”

She sat on the couch and watched as Helena began mixing the drinks up. “Did you say, Louie? As in, Lieutenant Commander Louie Rousseau?”

“That would be him, yeah. Sweetheart of a guy but I think he’s lonely. It’s a strange situation for him and Cy after what they went through. Cy’s jumped back into life with both feet but I think Louie’s still trying to figure out where he fits.” She carried two glasses over to the coffee table, then returned with the full pitcher and filled the glasses. Finally, she sat down by Celine and kicked off her high heels. “Drink up.”

Celine didn’t have to be told twice. She downed the entire glass immediately and refilled it immediately. “I’m not going to beat around the bush, primarily because I’m not used to that sort of thing. So, here goes…” She took a sip from the refilled glass and began. “So, you know about Cy and Louie being from the past. Well, I took the kids on a field trip to the Academy and I met Louie there. When he saw me, he pretty much just ran out of his class and then had me summoned to his office.” She pulled the picture, which had been lying face down on the coffee table, out to show Helena. “I saw this picture of he and his wife on his desk.”

Helena left her glass on the table and took the picture. A moment later, she was glad she wasn’t holding her drink. “His wife? The hell you say...how’d your picture get on his desk with him in it?” She examined it closer. “Wait...she’s holding a bouquet. What is this Celine?” She looked back at her friend, hoping it was a joke or...or something but Celine’s face told her it wasn’t.

She didn’t explain, not yet. She just continued the story. “Both Louie and I were a bit freaked out. I even accused him of being some crazy stalker, but when he showed me the news story about him having come from the past, and telling me that this was a picture of him and his wife...well, I didn’t know what to think. Her name? Celine Valois.”

“No way!” Helena took a few seconds to let that process but it made no sense. She looked back at the picture. “Cy said Louie had been married but she died before they were ever lost in space. That was over a century ago. Boggles the mind doesn’t it? That they could be...never mind, not important. So I don’t get it. How’s his wife from back then have your name and your face? Great grandmother or something? Because if it’s that, maybe it’s a good thing we hadn’t gotten around to that blind date with you two.”

“Great grandmother…” Celine said with a chuckle. “If only.” She downed the last of her martini and poured a third glass. “I called Mom and Dad. That didn’t go well. I could tell they were hiding something, I got angry and closed the connection. So, I sent a message to the adoption agency where they told me they found me. They had no record of me, at all. So I got back to Mom and Dad and they finally came out with it.” She paused and wound up having to set the glass on the table because her hand was shaking from nervousness. “I’m a clone, Helena.” She pointed at the picture. “Her clone.”

“Seriously?” Helena blinked back at Celine, then a wide smile broke out on her face. “For real? That’s awesome! I mean -- wait, it is good right? You are a rare one, honey.”

Celine wanted to sob but she only burst out laughing at Helena. She always had a way of putting things in a different perspective. “Well, I guess ‘rare’ is relative since I’m a copy of someone else,” she said, finally calming some. “And I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about what you would say. And even worse, I’m afraid someone else might find out and lock me up or something. I really don’t know what to do now.”

Helena drained her glass, then refilled hers and Celine’s. “Well, first of all, it’s your thing and no one else’s business. Well, except mine but it stops here. Who you tell is up to you. To tell you the truth, no one really cares where or how anybody else was born, nor does it matter.” She stopped and took a sip, then the light dawned. “Oh. Huh….well that explains tonight.”

“What do you mean? What happened?”

“Right before the second set I saw Louie at a table by himself, which is unusual. Ella’s is sorta his and Cy’s place to hang out when they come to see me or any other time but I”ve never seen him there alone. I stopped to say hello and he looked awful. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he had been crying but he was well into his drinks and past the tipping point. I’ve never seen him like that either. He’s always in perfect command of himself. I called Cy and he came and picked him up. I haven’t heard from either of them but I’m assuming he’s home.” Helena sipped her drink, then continued. “Does he know the big news yet? Or still reeling?”

“I only just found out myself. I haven’t contacted him.” Celine’s head fell back on the arm of the couch and she groaned. “How would I even tell him something like this? Hey, Louie, it’s me, your dead wife’s reincarnation who has no interest in you whatsoever, so don’t, like, get all attached or anything because it’s not gonna’ happen.”? I mean, what the hell do I say?”

“Well it could go a few different ways. Sure he might get a little attached because of who you look like but he could also run the other direction. That’s a little heavy to hear, no offense.” She reached over to squeeze Celine’s hand. “Or he may take a wait and see approach, get to know you for who you are. You know what’s funny? That friend Cy and I kept saying you should meet, because you’re perfect for each other? Is Louie. Damn.”

“Helena, that would just be too weird. For him, maybe not so much, but for me? Absolutely. He might be expecting me to act one way because of her, and I could be totally different. She liked buttered toast, I prefer a bagel, or she preferred showers while I enjoy a long bath, or whatever. Then I’d be constantly wondering how I compared. I don’t know if I could be in a relationship like that. And I don’t think it would be fair to Louie.”

“You’re not giving either of you enough credit, Cel.” She refilled the glasses again. “Hell, it’s been so long, he may not even remember if she prefers toast or bagels.” She began to laugh, then clamped a hand over her mouth. “That sounded so wrong.”

Celine even chuckled at that. “Either way, I’m obligated to tell him. I can’t leave him twisting in the wind on this, but it will most likely make any encounters we have with each other very awkward.”

“Maybe so, at least for a little while. But I’ll tell you something and then I want you to promise me something.” Helena fished the olive from her glass and popped it into her mouth. “Oh man, I love those things. Anyway. Louie. It likely will be strange but I’ll tell you this - he’s a great guy. What I want you to promise me is that you’ll approach him as you would anyone else. He’s super smart and that means he knows you’re you, not the old Celine. Also, don’t be offended if this is tough for him too? Okay, that’s two promises. I’ll have to owe you one.”

“I’m sure, at least up until I found out I was the clone of his dead wife, that this whole thing was much harder for him--we’re probably pretty even now, though.” Celine had forgotten about the olives and had one for herself. “As for the other, I can’t promise anything, Helena. At least not right away. I’m freaked out about the whole thing and what might happen to me, if anything, and I’m not sure if trying to land a date with someone is really at the top of my list now.”

“Well, don’t worry. No one’s gonna lock you away. Well, unless you rob the Nexus or something, but not because of your DNA. Try and relax? You, me, him and what? Medical? They have seen far stranger things I’ll bet. Did you know there’s a talking spider here? That’s had babies who can talk too?”

“I think I recall something about the spider, but not anything about babies.” She shook her head. “Now that is weird. Maybe weirder than me.”

“Let’s see….Oh! Cy said his assistant’s friend is a former Borg. Now there’s a pariah, poor kid. Am I making you feel any better?”

“Some.” She had another olive and more of her drink. “I had a thought earlier, while waiting on you. I met the station XO when I arrived and I thought about talking to her about this, just to see if there might be any legal ramifications, or Starfleet regulations prohibiting my being here. What do you think? She seemed like a very nice lady.”

“Why not? I mean it can’t hurt. But first, talk to Louie. He needs to know about this...and that you don’t think he’s some crazy stalker too.” Helena smiled. “That’s the best place to start. He’ll know what to do I bet.”

“Why do I have the feeling that you just want me to talk to him?” Celine smiled. “I was going to talk to him about it first, anyway. But that’s for tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s in any shape to do it tonight. Give us another half hour and we won’t be either. Seriously though, how you holding up to all this?” Helena refilled Celine’s glass and passed it back to her. “Tell me you’re taking the day off tomorrow?”

“I am. And the only way I can really explain how I feel is feeling like I’m in an enormous desert standing in front of one of those signs pointing to different locations, but instead of distances, there are just question marks.” She frowned. “I guess what I’m saying is that I just feel lost.”

“I get that.” Helena nodded. “You can always talk to me and maybe you should see one of the counselors about this? It’s not like you just had a bad day. This is real life-changing stuff here. It might help.”

“I hadn’t considered that. Maybe I’ll schedule that soon as well.”

“Good. Now, I am going to make rounds five through...whatever.” Helena took the empty pitcher and rose. “Why don’t you call and have some food delivered? I think we may need it to combat the gin.” She grinned at Celine, then made her way back to the bar.

Celine made a quick call down to Cravings for some Philly cheesesteaks and steak fries. She could have whipped something up in the replicator, but the restaurants on the station were protective about their recipes and wouldn’t allow them to be added to the computer. Something about the food actually being cooked also made it taste much better.

And having Helena to talk to about all of this also made Celine feel much better.


---------------------------------
Helena Marinos
Lending Perspective With A Pitcher

Céline Valois
Happy She Met Helena