Kassia looked over her schedule and noted that time had been set aside to meet the new counselor that had just arrived on the station - one Alexandra Faal. She smiled to herself and got up to get herself a cup of herbal sweetened tea from the replicator. Just as she returned to her seat, the door to her office opened and a young red-haired woman entered. She sensed immediately who this was.
"Hello, Alexandra," she replied. "I'm Kassia. Welcome to SB901."
"Nice to meet you ma'am, and thank you," the young Betazoid replied. She looked around Kassia's office with her deep black eyes.
"Why don't you have a seat," Kassia replied, indicating any of the chairs that scattered the office of several varying sizes and shapes. "I'd like to get to know you. After all, we'll be working together as of today."
"Of course, ma'am. " Alexandra said to her boss while sitting in a chair that was face to face with Kassia. The young woman put her hand over the scars on her neck while looking at her boss.
Kassia sensed discomfort, and though she felt the woman was trying not to draw attention to the scars, subconsciously she had. But she wasn't going to start by asking her about that. That would come in time. "So, what made you decide to become a counselor?" she asked with a gentle smile, her green eyes were warm and welcoming.
"I don't know. I really like helping people in pain. I'm also very good in Archeology, Geology, and History."
Kassia nodded. "That's good . . . It's always an advantage to have other interests outside of work. What do you like to do most of all . . . In your leisure time?" she asked.
Alexandra thought for an second, then replied with an gentle smile, "Horseback riding, writing to my godchildren, holodeck role playing, a lot of other things ma'am."
Kassia's smile brightened. "Horseback riding . . . I think I have yet to try that. But I've seen it on the vids. It looks like fun!"
"I won many awards on Betazed and during my Academy years. I won awards for my acting also, if you have looked in my records," the young red-haired woman replied, while putting her hand down from her scars, then placed her hands in her lap.
"I haven't had a chance to look at them yet," Kassia smiled. "But I figured you could fill me in on some of it yourself. Sometimes it's better to get it from the . . . horse's mouth." Her smile brightened again since they were talking about horses as her remark almost make her laugh softly. She hadn't intended it. But it came out.
Alexandra giggled a little for the first time in months, then replied, "I won awards for acting as Queen Elizabeth I in "The Virgin Queen", and as Scarlet O'Hara in "Gone With The Wind."
"That's wonderful!" Kassia replied. "Isn't acting a demanding career? And yet you also went to the Academy? Was this at the same time?" she asked curiously.
"It was at the same time. It was one of my classes. The plays are now easy to download if ever you want to watch it or anybody in the crew." Alexandra told her while looking around again. She was getting a little thirsty for anything really.
Kassia easily read her thoughts. "Would you care for something to drink?" Kassia asked. "I can sense you're thirsty."
"No..I don't think so, ma'am, thank you," Alexandra told her, while covering her scars again feeling a bit scared. Then the door sensor sounded. It made the young Betazoid jump out of her seat.
Kassia smiled. "It's all right, Alexandra. Why don't you go over to the replicator and get something to drink. That's Captain Mallory. Enter." As the door slid open, the Captain walked in. She looked at Kassia and then at Alexandra.
"Oh, I'm sorry . . . Did I interrupt you?" Kitty asked.
"That's all right. This isn't a session, Captain. I'm simply getting to know the new counselor on my staff."
"Ah! Ensign Faal," Kitty replied with a smile. "Welcome aboard," she said to the Betazoid.
The young Betazoid nodded while drinking down her water fast to keep herself under control. "Thank you, ma'am. It's very nice to meet you, ma'am."
Kitty smiled. "It's all right, Ensign. You can take a breath and relax . . . I promise, I don't bite. Anyway," she said turning to Kassia. "I came here because I wanted an update on Commander Nadira . . ."
Kassia looked at Alexandra. "Excuse me a moment," she said and lead Kitty over to her desk and began speaking quietly to her. After several minutes, Kitty nodded and began to leave. Before she did she looked toward Alexandra again. "It was nice to meet you. I'm sure I'll be hearing good things about you in the future." With that she walked out the door.
"Thank you, ma'am," Alexandra simple replied while drinking more water down. She felt bad that the Captain had to see her like that.
Kassia gently smiled. "It's okay, Alexandra. She's a Captain. She understands . . . Probably more than you realize . . ." She could sense there was a lot to Alexandra. Even without reading a lot into her mind. The scar to her neck said enough. She knew of certain Betazoid rituals. It had been her previous occupation to know these kinds of things . . . Of course, the cut could have been from outward violence. She knew there was enough of it in the universe, but she suspected she was right, taking into account Alexandra's need to cover it as if ashamed of it and her jumpiness. Just that simple thing she shared in common with the Captain. It made Kassia wonder . . . "Do you have a standing order for counseling?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes, ma'am. I tried to kill myself with an Betaziod knife after my last CO used me for his personal pleasure and game. That's why I got this scars," Alexandra told her, then show her the few scars that she caused not too long ago on the USS Rome. It was two long scars that were now becoming hard to see.
Kassia sighed and nodded. "I can sense that your pain goes deeper than that incident. That was merely the final spark that ignited the fuel that had been built up." Kassia reached out her hand and gently took Alexandra's hand in her own. "You are not alone. And from this day forward, you are part of a family. This station became my home when I didn't have one and the people in it became my family . . . and if you allow yourself to open to that possibility, it can be for you too. It will help you to heal."
"Sometimes I'm scared he will come and get me again. That's my biggest fear," Alexandra said while sitting down on the couch with Kassia, feeling a little bit better.
"He can't hurt you here . . . I'm sure there's orders that he has to stay away from you . . . and if he doesn't want to abide by them? Well, he'll have to deal with me, and I can guarantee you, he doesn't want to deal with me . . ." There was a mischievous glint in her green eyes. "I protect my friends and allies. You should know that."
Alexandra started crying a little while shaking, it was very hurtful to speak about what happen to her "All I want is to have an good life, a man to love me, some children and my career."
Kassia still holding Alexandra's hand, closed her eyes and allowed her mind to focus and fly into the future. She saw Alexandra at some future date, kissing a man. She could feel the love emanating from them and in her arms was an infant. By their legs was another child. As she pulled herself from the vision, she smiled. "Well, I can't tell you about your career, but I can tell you that in the future, provided nothing happens to change your life's present course, you're going to find Mr. Right . . . and have those children you want . . . Your life will be happy," she smiled.
Between tears she looked up at her boss, "How do you know, ma'am?" She then got up from the couch while Kassia was still holding her hand.
"You didn't read my profile, did you?" she smirked. "I'm the resident witch of the station." She laughed good naturedly. "I'm a psychic," she replied, "Among other things."
"Oh, I see. Well, I better get to work."
Kassia smiled. "Before you go, when should we schedule our first session together?" she asked gently. Alexandra was scared of that. She sighed, then looked at Kassia with her dark eyes, "When ever you can. I'll be around either in my office or unpacking."
Kassia looked at Alexandra and sighed. "Look . . . anything you and I talk about is only going to be directed at one thing, and that's getting you beyond what the past is doing to you . . . Not anything else. All right? There's nothing to be afraid of . . . Not with me."
"I just don't like talking about my past, even the one before my new CO came onto the Rome. Everything's in my record. I will see you around, ma'am." Alexandra replied with an smile, then lookd on her PADD. "Will an week from tomorrow do?"
"That's fine, Ensign. Mark it on your schedule," Kassia replied.
"Fine, ma'am. Good day!" she said, then walked out the door towards her office which was not that far from Kassia's.
Kassia sat back in her chair after making a notation of the session for next week. She thought about Alexandra for a long time and thought that perhaps the standard approach to therapy wasn't going to work. It didn't work with a lot of patients that knew the standard therapy ropes too well . . . And so she opted for the less conventional . . . Her new counselor fit into that category. It was time to make Alexandra a new friend. Not just colleague. She smiled as she thought about what she might have them do together.