Hero and Heart (Earth-9)

Also explaining Hank Henshaw in half of my stories with him in it. 

In another time Henshaw was blind and close-minded but not xenophobic. On Earth-9 I mean. His duty and need for answers got in the way of his seeing things clearly or finding answers. Several months after inviting the former prisoner Nikita back as a member of the D.E.O. Henshaw knocks on the door to her quarters. And thus begins this tale.

Hero and Heart

“I thought we were a little overdue for a chat.” The young woman said to the solemn, dark-skinned man at her door. “Well, in or out choose one.”

“I rather deserve that. We need to have a serious talk.” A shiver went up Nikita's spine.

“I'm sorry; it still kinda gives me the chills when you talk like that.”

“I'm surprised it doesn't make you want to punch something...especially me.”

“Hank, what exactly are you here to hear from me? I mean we both know there is a pretty serious animal in the room, but what do you think that animal looks like...a tiger or an elephant?”

“Well that's actually what I'm asking...If I understand you correctly there is definitely some giant Herbivore that's stopping us from solving a damn problem. But if it is not a frightened dog, and I can tell it is not, why is it not a tigress? And why is it not turning on its kidnappers? Nikita I really mean it...why don't you hate me?”

“I have no reason on the face of this earth to hate you Hank. And I have nothing to fear from you anymore. I am aware of the fact that hate is useless, I can sense everything that makes you who you are. The essence or core of a person, a soul I guess it's called. I don't mean an immortal thing. It isn't of everyone but I've spent enough time around you I can hear your proverbial heart. There is nothing in you now that even resembles what I sensed from you before...the person you were when you and I used to sit here and have those endless debates. I cannot hold who you were over the man you are now. It's actually against my own scriptures to do so.”

“Were you a priest on your planet?” Hank looked shocked and stupefied and a couple other things at once. “I'm sorry but everyday Christians don't hold so unswervingly or effortlessly to Christian teachings. Only those with religious training or holy orders so devotedly follow, even our own 'scriptures'. Are you the equal to a Franciscan friar?”

“Only in so far as the teachings in our holy book resemble closely what I have read in your Bible. And it's one of a very few things I have of my culture of origin. I never attended church back home. I would have if I'd had the liberty, I wasn't given that opportunity. I wasn't a prisoner I was...a shameful secret. So I stayed at home, read books, watched holo-vids and read The Good Book over and over again. I KNOW the ten tales that comprise my peoples most sacred book. The only good thing that came from being hidden away is how easily I can follow the star in my own heart, and live as I would be taught, even without the...Basic Instructions By Light Eternal. On my desk.”

I've heard the bible called Basic Instruction Before Leaving...You meant your own peoples scriptures, didn't you?”

“We read them by lamplight and they are the light that guides our way as we journey along through life. We don't argue about what the afterlife looks like and there is never any doubt that one exists–Yeah, I didn't mean the Bible. Although from what I've read, even though it gets drown out a lot, the Ten Certain Tales are found in your Bible as well. Hank you've made the conscious choice to be different, to be better than you were before. More than that you have succeeded. You ARE a man a million times better than who you were. I will not hold onto that hot coal just waiting for you to backslide so I can stone you with it. I realize I am mixing A-TON of metaphors here, but they fit. From my perspective holding your past self against the man standing in front of me right now is not only stupid, it's morally wrong. Hate is as painful as it is destructive, and completely useless besides. The fires of the past hurt like hell, why would I choose to keep them burning hot?”

“Forgotten, but not gone?” Hank Henshaw said mildly.

“Oh trust me, this shrape still hurts...I just don't let it dig into my back.”