by February Grace
90313.22
Awhile after A New Association
Soundtrack: February Song by Josh Groban
-=The Arboretum, USS Serendipity=-
90313.22
Awhile after A New Association
Soundtrack: February Song by Josh Groban
-=The Arboretum, USS Serendipity=-
Dabin took the plates from their picnic lunch and placed them back into the basket in which he'd brought them.
He watched as February smiled absently, lost in a daydream as she hummed to herself softly. She had her eye on something in the distance, and he couldn't help but feel relieved to see her looking so happy. It had been awhile since he'd felt her mind so at peace as he picked up on her thoughts- and it was a welcome feeling for the both of them.
"I'd ask you what you're thinking about but I already know," he grinned, setting the basket aside and turning his full attention back toward her. "I know you've been having fun with your research for Hartcort's little interior design gig just promise me that you're not going to overdo it?"
"Promise." Bru vowed, raising a hand into the air, and then letting it fall onto her stomach. She patted it and smiled. "I think your daughter is going to be a nature lover. She stopped playing Parrises Squares or whatever she was doing in there the moment we got here and Grace and I are both very grateful."
"Cause you've been singing to her. And you're happy. She likes that and so do I." Dabin leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "That's what the docs keep telling me. Happy mama equals happy baby. So it's all good."
"Yeah." Bru smiled broadly. "It is, isn't it?"
Dabin thoughts returned again to the newest addition to the Science department and February immediately picked up on the change in his mood, and the reason for it. "You think the new scientist will work out?"
"I hope so. There's something you need to know about her, though." As soon as Dabin focused on the thought, he had no need of saying it.
"Oh." February's smile faded, and she felt overwhelmed for a moment. Since she'd given up on hearing from her family again and settled into the life of an expectant mother, she hadn't given a lot more thought to the Reassociation and the consequences of it for them, and by extension, their unborn daughter. Trill had seemed, at least for awhile, very far away; and with such a supportive family formed among the crew, February had nearly forgotten what it all really meant. "How do you think she'll take it?"
"Not sure." Dabin scratched his head thoughtfully. "But she is half Human. And she seems to be a bit of...well...a rebel."
"Hello, pot!" Bru giggled. "My name is kettle and I'm Mars Black!" Bru was looking down at the data on the tricorder beside her as she spoke. "Sorry. I have specific color shades on the brain." She bit her lip. "You aren't really worried are you? I mean, the Captain would never let anyone..."
"I know, I know." Dabin patted her on the hand. "I guess time will tell. But don't you worry about it anymore now, okay? You just go back to scanning your flower petals for color samples and then promise me soon you'll go take a nap?"
"I promise." February looked up at the flowers across the lawn and, as she contemplated getting to them, realized she'd been sitting in the same position a very long time. "Oof. I think I need an assist."
"Right away." Dabin jumped to his feet and took both of her hands, helping her rise. She sighed as she teetered back and forth; her center of gravity had definitely shifted.
"How long before I have my own solar system? I'm huge."
"Bruuuuuu," Dabin shook his head, and silenced her with a quick kiss. "You've never looked better."
February blushed a complimentary shade of pink to the color of her maternity blouse.
"Ought to scan the color of your cheeks in. February Pink." Reece wiggled his eyebrows, kissed her cheek and then picked up the basket.
"I'd love to stay and help you scan but the Captain sent me a message after the last ship's update and she has me working on a task. It's time sensitive so I've got to scoot."
"Have a good afternoon." Bru waved.
"Love you." Dabin called from the doorway. "Both my girls."
"We love you too." February took a step forward and then managed to drop her tricorder, necessitating a slow and awkward motion to try to bend over and pick it up. "I remember when I could see my toes..."
Grace's memories reminded February now how active small children were, and she smiled as she recalled how exhausted Gentry had found himself when he first experienced chasing around a fast-moving toddler. "I'll be running around so much after you're born, I'll be able to see those toes again in no time."
She began to sing to herself softly again, content, in the moment, but still...something was missing from her life aboard the Sera that she had grown more lonely for every day, especially the past few weeks.
Every day when she came here she couldn't help but think of them, especially of him, and she was starting to doubt that the man who had cared so lovingly for these gardens and the flowers in them was ever going to walk this space again.
She very slowly lowered herself to the grass once more, with a last specific bed flowering plants in mind to scan before she kept her promise to Dabin and went back to quarters for a nap.
Her voice faded as she contemplated the words of the song, and she sighed. "I don't know if our friend is ever coming home, baby girl. But I hope so. I sure hope so."
-=In the corridor=-
Gillan Tress kept making the sign for one word, again and again.
[[Food!]]
"Yes yes, chou chou. Soon." Fleur promised, grateful as Pace reached over and took the squirming baby from her arms. Tress got heavier every day and even with the strength in her arms Fleur had gained from all their work on the Plains, they still ached after awhile when Tress refused to walk where they needed to go in favor of being carried. "Are you hungry, Camen? The children need to eat."
"Not really," Camen replied, distracted. It was a strange thing, returning to the ship and finding it so empty. He'd been told that the Sera was in for repairs but had not yet been brought up to date on how it had become damaged to begin with.
A million possibilities ran through his mind as he contemplated a return to his duties as Chaplain. But more than that, he found he had one person in his thoughts, someone that he dearly wanted to see before he did anything else.
She was, according to the computer, still aboard ship and just beyond the doors in front of them.
"You must eat, Camen. You've had so little since we left Bajor." Fleur was worried, as ever, about him.
"I will. But I really want to see February Grace first. In fact, Pace, I want to introduce you and Tress to her as well. Just...don't tell her that you know that it was money from one of the previous hosts of her symbiont that was used for so much of the rebuilding. She didn't really want anyone to know."
"I understand, Sir."
Camen glanced at Fleur again, whose eyes had never left him. "Would you please give me a few minutes to catch up with her a little and then join us? Then I promise you, I will eat a good meal and we will get settled into our quarters properly."
Fleur's breath caught when she thought about his words- their quarters- aboard Zanh Liis' ship.
She couldn't believe that the day had ever really come.
"Of course, my dear. Anything you wish," Fleur nodded to Pace. "We'll go get Tress a snack, and then come back in a few minutes."
Camen leaned forward and gave Fleur a kiss. Pace took the still-squirming Tress down the hall a ways, giving them a moment of privacy.
"Are you all right?" Camen asked after they'd parted. "Are you certain about staying? Because if you're having second thoughts..."
"Are you?" Fleur asked.
"I asked you first."
"Pfffft."
Camen laughed softly, but then he turned serious again, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. "Tell me the truth, Fleur. If you are, then we won't stay."
"You know that I will follow you wherever you want to go, Camen. So it is you who must tell me, is this still where you want to be?"
Camen answered quickly. "Yes."
"Then," Fleur announced, a smile forming on her lips, "we are home."
"I love you." He kissed her again. "See you in a little bit." He disappeared through the doors to the arboretum, and Fleur thought how happy she was that she could soon tell February all that had happened and how.
"I love you too."
-=/\=-
Camen drew a deep breath, pausing just inside the entrance.
The first thing that tugged at his heart was seeing that his friends and crew mates had been true to their word. No matter where his eye settled, he could not see a single weed, any overgrown plants, or a solitary wilting flower. Everything was, it seemed, exactly as he'd left it.
*The only thing that is different is everything,* Camen mused as he began to walk, searching for his friend.
He marveled at the difference between breathing fresh air on the planet and the 'fresh air' that the plants of the arboretum provided. He was amazed at the contrast, something that, having lived on a starship for so long before returning home to Bajor, he had not thought about in a very long time.
He wondered for a split second if he'd made the right decision, bringing his family here when there was such a risk of danger aboard the ship.
Then he thought about the people who served here, and about Tress and her hearing loss. He reminded himself that the help she needed would be found aboard this ship; given by those people.
The whole family had agreed that this was where they should be, he wouldn't second guess that decision now.
He heard her voice before he saw her. Camen grinned broadly as he listened to her singing, realizing now just how much he had missed her sweet and gentle soul.
She was holding a tricorder and scanning the plant before her for some reason. Her back was turned and she was wearing civilian clothing but this was definitely the woman he was seeking.
She couldn't help but blink back tears now. She missed Jariel so much she could hardly stand to come here anymore. "Oh, Jariel, Where are you, old friend?" she whispered softly.
Camen intentionally stepped off of the lawn and onto the walkway so that she would hear his approach and not be startled by his sudden appearance. He was moved by her whispered words and could barely respond to them. "Open your eyes, Little Angel," he said, choking back the lump in his throat. "Your old friend is right here."
She was afraid to turn around for fear that she was imagining things. "No. Way."
"February?"
The sound of his voice saying her name convinced her she should look, and she gasped the wondrous surprise of a child as she turned only her head to see him.
"Surprise." Camen continued smiling, but then inhaled sharply in surprise as well as she rotated her whole body toward him and he realized that something about her was very different.
"Boy howdy!" February's eyes flooded with tears as she struggled to get to her feet. Camen instantly stepped up and helped her, and then he took her into his arms and hugged her gently.
"What...I mean...how," Camen stammered. February laughed but before she could tease him about the question he continued. "I mean, I know how. But you didn't tell me..."
"It didn't seem the kind of thing to tell you over subspace." February said, sniffling as Jariel gently brushed her tears away and kissed her on the cheek.
"Are you well? Is everything all right?"
"Pretty much. What about you?" Bru asked. "Is everything all right with..." She heard the sound of scampering footsteps and thought that it must be the Blakeslee boys approaching, but she looked up in amazement as she saw a young child running up the path toward Jariel.
As the girl got closer it became clear that she was making a beeline for Camen. A moment later, she was looking up at him adoringly and waving her hands wildly.
Before Bru could ask who she was, more footfalls became audible as Fleur and Pace hurried to try to catch up to the runaway baby.
"Jariel?" Bru blurted, as she waved to Fleur and tried to figure out who the teenaged boy with her could be. "Seems you've brought some new friends with you?"
"It didn't seem the kind of thing to tell you over subspace." Camen answered. He hefted Tress into his arms, and she held something out to Bru and began trying to sign with her free hand.
[[Cookie. Yes, it's a nice cookie.]] February signed back without thinking. She turned her attention to Fleur, whose eyes filled with tears of joy at the sight of the expectant Trill.
Fleur approached, and handed a very familiar looking object to the baby. It was the tattered, well-loved remains of the baby blanket that February had crocheted and sent to Bajor.
"Do you remember," Fleur began softly, "When you asked me to find the child that this blanket should belong to?"
February nodded.
"Turns out, the blanket belonged to this baby...and this baby belonged to my heart."
February was speechless as Camen made the formal introductions.
"February Grace, I'd like to introduce you to Gillan Pace, and his sister, Tress." Camen said softly, his voice wavering as he became overwhelmed. He put his arm around Fleur and drew her close to him before continuing. "This is my family."
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LT. February Grace
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
LT. February Grace
USS Serendipity NCC-2012