"The Valley's Skye Part 2: Messages"

Cecilia sits on down on a rock on the side of the mountain, while she looks across the view in front of her of rolling Scottish hills and glens before her gaze turns to look down at the Skye estate in the floor of the glen. She pulls her canteen of water out of her bag at her side before she starts to sip the water from it while she waits for Keri to come over from where she was standing to catch her breath. Keri slowly walks over while she swings her bag down next to Cecilia, pulling her canteen out as well before she sits down on the other side of her. The two of them just sit in silence for a moment while they enjoy the view as the golden rays of the late sun reflect off the river that flows through the glen.

"How you holding up? Not pushing yourself too much, it has been a while since we have done this hike so if you want to slow down, it's fine."

Cecilia just shakes her head slightly.

"I'm doing fine, the docs cleared my physical mind you don't have to worry as much. And it has been a while indeed."

Keri smiles slightly as she ruffles Cecilia's hair.

"I know they did, doesn't mean I'm not going to worry or let you going full out right away, especially when I have my eye on you."

Ceci grins as she looks at Keri while she leans into her slightly while Keri wraps an arm around Ceci.

"I know mum, and thank you for that."

"It's not a problem, you know that. Though I am surprised you are thanking me for keeping such a close eye on you, I mind when you would have done anything to get out from under my watch."

"Yeah, I know. But so much has changed since then. We are not even the same people as were back then are we?"

"Yeah a lot has changed, some for better, some for worse. But we carry on no matter what is thrown before us, we grow, we develop, and we become stronger and better people for it. The two us will face anything that comes this way together, the Skye way."

"That we will mum, and thank you for always being here for me. I know I haven't always shown or expressed it, but I do love you."

Keri smiles as she pulls her close and lightly kisses her forehead.

"And I will continue to be here for you for as long as you need me to be, and I know. I love you as well, with all my heart."

Cecilia smiles as she enjoys the closeness for a while before the two of them stand to carry on with their height as the sun starts to descend towards the ridgeline of the hills. The two of them start down the mountain towards the Skye estate, the pair enjoy the gentle walk through the Scottish highlands. They reach the Skye estate after the sun has started to pass behind the hills. After taking a moment to rest, Keri summons the holodeck door for them before they exit and start to head back towards their room with the end of the day on the Valley Forge.

Cecilia is yawning by the time they reach their quarters. Keri steps through the door, switching on the lights as she does so, the light would reveal a rather standard looking family quarter. Against one wall is a set of selves, on it were two trays of medals one with very few compared to the other, along with that and a couple other small decorative items were a few holo picture frames that rotate through a set of pictures. There is also another three picture frames which are static, one with Keri, Fiona and Kira on their graduation day, one with a baby Cecilia wrapped in blankets in Fiona's arms while Keri leans over her shoulder. The final one was a picture of Fiona, Keri and Cecilia with the USS Helios behind them. While Keri takes a moment to look at the pictures and enjoy the memories they bring with a small smile, Cecilia has seized her chance and snuck into the bathroom for a shower before Keri. Realising she has been had, Keri moves over to her desk to check her console while the Valley Forge is still in the range of the most recent beacon.

Looking through her emails, she sees a couple of the most recent edition of the academic journals she follows along with a few emails from other astrophysicists and former colleagues. She is about to close her emails when one catches her eye, as it says it is from Fiona but not that is a computer released one, assuming that this is just from a small glitch, she braces her self for a delayed pre-made message. She starts the message, and a hologram of Fiona appears.

Fiona would be sitting down, her hair brushed back how she usually has it if longer than usual reaching down her back instead of just past her shoulders.

"Hey Keri, been a while...I'm so sorry for what I put you and Cecilia through, I can't begin to imagine how it was for you two. But it turns out that I'm still alive, I was held captive by another civilisation but was held in stasis so had no idea, until the MacAlpine rescued me."

Fiona falls silent for a moment while Keri just looks on in shock, tears rolling down her cheeks as she is overwhelmed by emotions.

"Fi..."

"I've seen your messages, and you don't know how much it has been a help to hear how you two are doing, I hope Cecilia is recovering well...let her know I am sorry and that I love her. I wish I could be there with you, but we always knew that our careers would take us different paths one day. There is so much I want to tell you, but I don't know where to start apart from with, Keri Verlin-Skye, I love you."

Keri smiles slightly while she brushes her tears away.

"I love you too."

"Another big shock, I gave birth to our child while in captivity. They spliced her DNA with parts of their own and increased her growth. She is almost the same physical age as Cecilia, without any of the experience to go along with her knowledge or that comes with growing up. She picked her own name, Nexus. Nexus Skye...I should probably get going now, or the Doc is going to have me, only just got out of med-bay, not in a hurry to go back. I will speak to you again later, I love you."

With that, the message ends, and the hologram vanishes. Kei rests her head in her hands as she experiences a flood of emotions. While she is sat like that, Cecilia exits the bathroom in her pyjamas, moving over to Keri and lightly placing her hand on Keri's shoulder.

"You ok mum?"

Keri looks up at Cecilia before she pulls her into a tight hug.

"Yes...yes, I am now...Fi is alive..."

Cecilia looks shocked at the news.

"What...how?"

Keri moves slightly to allow Ceilia to sit down on her lap while she keeps her held close before she starts to play Fi's message again.