Posted by Lieutenant Alexandra Garfield (Xenobiologist) in Going to the chapel....Chris and Lexi are gonna get married
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/atlantis/notes/52858/ AP Bio 210 — Twelve Years Ago —
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/atlantis/notes/53577/ ASTRO 110 Stellar Cartography —Ten Years Ago — on USS Atlantis
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/atlantis/notes/54877/ DIPLO 420 Diplomacy: Handling Hostile Species —Eight Years Ago on USS Atlantis
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/atlantis/notes/55240/ First Date..Or Not —8 Years Ago — on USS Atlantis
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/atlantis/notes/55548/ Brisbane Science Conference 2393 — Two Years Ago —
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/atlantis/notes/56745/ Starbase 13 Food Court — 15 Months Ago —
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/atlantis/notes/56748/ Starbase 13 Sickbay And baby makes three.
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/atlantis/notes/56580/ USS Aquarius And Baby makes three
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/atlantis/notes/57956/ Happily Ever After… - Schmidt/Garfield Wedding

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9:00 Starfleet Academy
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Lexi stepped out of the car and walked up to the entrance of Starfleet Academy. She had told Chris yesterday he had come full circle. Maybe coming full circle was what she needed to get her head straight. The guard at the entrance initially barred her entrance to the only sanctuary Lexi could think of. She could have flashed her identity chip as a lieutenant and strolled in but that was another thing Toby mucked up. Toby had insisted she leave Starfleet due to the possibility of being deployed after they were married. The ink wasn’t even dried probably on her discharge papers and not signed on her marriage license leaving Lexi in another predicament she didn’t want to think about. Right now she had to find a place no one would ever look for her. To do that she had to get on the Academy grounds.

After pleading for five minutes until the guard thought Lexi was crazy, the first stroke of good luck happened. “Wait wait wait are you part of the Academy Players rendition of Cinderella,” he flipped the PaDD around listing the approved civilians allowed to enter the Academy. Not caring how she had to do it, Lexi readily agreed.

Walking around the campus, she ignored the looks from the passing cadets. Lexi was in her own world remembering how happy her life had been here. Life was so simple. The paths hadn’t changed in the little more than a decade since she strolled on them as a plebe. So much so before Lexi realized, she found herself at the very spot where she met Chris. Closing her eyes, she thought back on that day twelve years ago. For the life of her, Lexi could not remember why she climbed the tree but she remembered Chris’ first words to her. ‘You okay?’ echoed in his voice in her head.

“No,” Lexi said out loud looking up at the tree. “I am not okay and you are half the cause,” she wrapped her arms around her waist tightly. As much as Lexi wanted to hate Chris right now she couldn’t. She loved him and always would. The entire twelve years she had known the man there was only one place beside the ice cave in Kathmandu Lexi knew the moments between them were real and unfettered. It was in the tree, their tree. Chris was not there but the memory of him was. The last time she saw Chris they were screaming terrible things to each other in the hotel. He had left her crying the same as the other times but this time, Chris knew it. In the past, he could have made up any excuse because he never said a word nor saw her face as he walked out. Forty-eight hours ago, Chris saw her fall apart. He heard her words. She had slapped him asking what kind of person did he think she was and his only response was ‘You don’t want me to answer that.’ This utterance rang out in her head like a death bell over and over. The only way Chris, the Chris Robins that loved her Chris, could walk out on her like that was if he truly was done.

Feeling a swell of emotions knotting her chest, Lexi jumped up trying to catch the branch. After twelve years the tree had grown a solid foot higher making it impossible for her to make it up there like before. Not to be deterred, Lexi started looking around for one of the passing cadets she had seen earlier. Of course, there were none when she needed it but her eyes fell on something else. A single trash can a few feet away. The domed top to the metal receptacle might be enough of a boost to get her there. The metal scrapped on the pavement as Lexi dragged it to the spot she needed under the branch. It was wobbly but seemed sturdy enough for what she needed.

Hiking her dress up around her waist so that she would not trip, Lexi leaned forward balancing her upper body on the trashcan so that her feet could find purchase on the rim. It took a second but soon Lexi was balanced on her impromptu step ladder. The two and a half feet boost made it so she only had to jump a small distance to grab the branch. Springing up her fingers wrapped around the measure of wood; however, it had been twelve years and one baby since she pulled herself up on her own. She did not have the strength she did at 18. This only made her mind flash to Chris reminding her she was not eighteen anymore. It also made her more determined to prove she could do this. Dangling from the branch, Lexi wiggled and kicked trying to pull her body up. This only succeeded in knocking the trashcan over on its side. The momentum of the fall sent it tumbling out of the way and down across the pavement. Several seconds later, her arms gave out and Lexi too fell only this time Chris was not there to catch her.

Lexi Garfield

Only she didn’t fall, least not at first as she felt arms reach around her, stabilizing her for a few seconds before the fall did happen as a she crashed, hitting onto something far softer as she could hear a small gruff from behind her. “I guess you fell for me again…” came the voice, it was soft and familiar voice as they sounded slightly winded from trying to catch their breath from the impact Lexi laid on top of her mystery savior.

Slowly she felt the hands of the person gently moving upward to help her get up to her feet as she felt the hands brushing away the dirt and leaves from the tree. Turning round Lexi would see what she must have already assumed, Chris was there to catch her just like he had been those twelve years ago as he looked at her with a soft remorseful stare as he felt the weight of his actions heavy on his heart as he looked at her.

It was then, in that split moment Chris felt his breath seemed to leave him a second time as he fully took in what she was wearing, long ago Chris had told her he would marry her in this dress. It was a lark, playful and silly yet he had meant those words so long ago even if he tried to play it all off as if he was just teasing her. “You look stunning…” was all the words he could say as he felt his throat grow dry. Her hair seemed to have gotten tousled from the fall as a strand fell down her face as moved forward to move it from her face as gentle as he could, placing the strand behind her hair as he paused and stepped back slightly.

“Need help up buttercup?” he asked her as he nodded his head at the tree, if she wanted up there he would gladly help her reach the top. It was that moment Chris looked just past Lexi’s shoulder, waist high for him, breast high for her was something he hadn’t seen for a very long time.

“Oh my…” he said softly as he stared at the tree, carved and marked it seemed from others over the years. It may have been fresh and un-carved twelve years ago but now it seemed sparked with love and joy from all those who found peace and love under the might oak branches. Deep in the center around the others though a unique and special one was very plain to still see and clearly the oldest of them all. A simple heart with the initials CR + AG deep and dark seemed to call Chris back to twelve years ago when everything felt fresh and new.

Christopher Robins