Status: Inspired by Terra Nova.
New World
Elena Morris
Elena sat in her father’s office just as he had instructed, so he could finish up his meeting and they could eat dinner together. They usually stayed home and cooked, but for some reason, her father wanted to eat at the pub that day and he had made her promise to wait for him there.
She’d been sent to wait in his office many times before, so it was nothing new to her, and she killed the time by sifting through his things for anything that caught her interest, which usually ended up being nothing at all.
Whoever knocked at the door had almost certainly expected to find Colonel Morris behind his desk and not Elena, but she let them in anyway, preparing herself to tell them to come back later.
When the door opened and Liam stepped from behind it, Elena lost her breath just at the sight of him. She hadn’t spoken to him since the night before, when he had kissed her, and it was so strange to see him standing there now. She had no idea what to do or say; they hadn’t even discussed whether or not they were going to pretend the kiss never happened.
“Elena,” Liam trailed off, his voice almost cracking as he spoke her name. He looked just as shocked to see her as she was to see him, and that made her feel a little bit better. It took a second for him to compose himself, and he rubbed the back of his head before speaking again. “Is your father around?”
Elena almost forgot that it was her turn to speak, but she gave a soft shake of her head while she cleared her throat. “He’s in a meeting, but he should be out shortly.”
“I see,” Liam said, nodding his head. “I’ll just wait for him then.”
“In here?”
“Where else?”
“Right,” Elena responded, clicking her tongue to her teeth. “Right.”
Before, she had been perfectly content just sitting and waiting for her father to come in, but now there was this awkward tension in the air, and she wondered if Liam was going to say something about it.
“Elena –” Liam had just begun speaking, and she was certain he was going to say something about that night, but her father came through the door just as Liam opened his mouth, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Elena just wished that their meeting would have run long.
“Officer Payne,” her father said immediately, looking from his daughter over to Liam. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes, sir,” Liam said quickly, his voice trembling as though he’d been caught doing something wrong. He cleared his throat before standing at attention, looking over at Colonel Morris. “There’s an expedition planned for tomorrow afternoon that still needs your approval.”
“Of course. Do you have the papers?”
Liam passed Colonel Morris the papers as quickly as he could, and when they were signed, stamped and ready to go, Liam gave him a salute, looking at Elena only once before he walked away.
He shut the door gently behind him and Mr. Morris turned to his daughter immediately, a small smile on his face. “Such a good kid. I wish all of them were like that.”
Elena chuckled, standing up from her father’s large armchair. “We could only be so lucky.”
She’d been sent to wait in his office many times before, so it was nothing new to her, and she killed the time by sifting through his things for anything that caught her interest, which usually ended up being nothing at all.
Whoever knocked at the door had almost certainly expected to find Colonel Morris behind his desk and not Elena, but she let them in anyway, preparing herself to tell them to come back later.
When the door opened and Liam stepped from behind it, Elena lost her breath just at the sight of him. She hadn’t spoken to him since the night before, when he had kissed her, and it was so strange to see him standing there now. She had no idea what to do or say; they hadn’t even discussed whether or not they were going to pretend the kiss never happened.
“Elena,” Liam trailed off, his voice almost cracking as he spoke her name. He looked just as shocked to see her as she was to see him, and that made her feel a little bit better. It took a second for him to compose himself, and he rubbed the back of his head before speaking again. “Is your father around?”
Elena almost forgot that it was her turn to speak, but she gave a soft shake of her head while she cleared her throat. “He’s in a meeting, but he should be out shortly.”
“I see,” Liam said, nodding his head. “I’ll just wait for him then.”
“In here?”
“Where else?”
“Right,” Elena responded, clicking her tongue to her teeth. “Right.”
Before, she had been perfectly content just sitting and waiting for her father to come in, but now there was this awkward tension in the air, and she wondered if Liam was going to say something about it.
“Elena –” Liam had just begun speaking, and she was certain he was going to say something about that night, but her father came through the door just as Liam opened his mouth, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Elena just wished that their meeting would have run long.
“Officer Payne,” her father said immediately, looking from his daughter over to Liam. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes, sir,” Liam said quickly, his voice trembling as though he’d been caught doing something wrong. He cleared his throat before standing at attention, looking over at Colonel Morris. “There’s an expedition planned for tomorrow afternoon that still needs your approval.”
“Of course. Do you have the papers?”
Liam passed Colonel Morris the papers as quickly as he could, and when they were signed, stamped and ready to go, Liam gave him a salute, looking at Elena only once before he walked away.
He shut the door gently behind him and Mr. Morris turned to his daughter immediately, a small smile on his face. “Such a good kid. I wish all of them were like that.”
Elena chuckled, standing up from her father’s large armchair. “We could only be so lucky.”