Peace and Quiet
Posted on 20 Jan 2020 @ 2:54am by Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari & Lieutenant Emmony Safford
Mission:
Mission 2 - The Agora crossroads
Location: Aidan and Emme's quarters
Timeline: A day or two after the welcome party
2151 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure
"Em... do you think that wanting to take care of you, and well.. trying to be all masculine about certain things is archaic?" His conversation with the counselor a few days prior was still bugging him. He twisted sideways on the couch so he could look at her, tilting his head a fraction as he studied her.
Emme turned her head, wondering where this conversation was coming from. "I do, about certain things. It is nice to have someone take care of you, but it's also nice to stand on your own two feet and do things for yourself. Why do you ask?" She slipped her arm around him.
"Something Counselor Keading mentioned. She berated me for having such... archaic... tendencies. About wanting to be strong, to spare you." He sighed. "She thinks it was wrong not to let you in on how I felt, old fashioned. I don't want to be old fashioned..." He burrowed into her. "And I don't want you to feel left out."
"Wow, you must have really annoyed her. I can't imagine True berating anyone but it does sound to be like you were being a bit dense. Why wouldn't you let me know how you felt?" Emme asked, getting more serious.
"I already told you, I didn't want to worry you. But I'm serious Em, I don't want to exclude you. But I didn't want to scare you either. My injury was quite bad, and I know you've seen me in bad shape before." He licked his lips, lowering his gaze. "It was embarrassing, for me," he admitted slowly, "being weak, and the way I got them." He looked up at her. "can you forgive me?"
"Aidan, I'm going to explain to you how my brain works. It scares me far more if you don't tell me what happened, if you deliberately keep something from me. I know you weren't intentionally keeping it from me to be malicious but honestly I haven't had the greatest track record with men and it's a trigger for me. Yes, I forgive you, because I understand your reasons behind it. Stop worrying. I don't have to know, I just need to know that you are okay, that we're okay." Emme drew him close and kissed him.
"You don't have to have a great track record," Aidan said, visibly relaxing as relief washed over him. "I don't have a great track record with men either," he added with a slight hint of amusement. "I won't keep anything from you from here on," he promised in afterthought. "I'm mostly healed now, just mildly sore and the bruises are mostly gone. Syvar assured me that they will be gone on next treatment." If was an unspoken offer to show her, if she still wanted to see.
"I'm very glad you're feeling better. You sure you want to be out and about today if you're still feeling sore? We could just stay in and watch a movie. Or we could go to the holodeck and pick a nice sunset program, a campfire or something."
"I wouldn't mind some sunshine and a campfire. Maybe we could roast some bread sticks and marshmallows?" He twisted a little to look up at her. "Go for a swim?"
"Sounds lovely, much better than skiing." Emme moved to get up to get ready to go. "So . . . do you still want to know the sex of the baby? I was going to make an appointment for next week to find out. If you want to come to that?"
"Awww, there is nothing wrong with skiing," Aidan teased, then smiled. "Yes I want to know, and I want to come. I'm really excited about this." He got up and pulled Emme up with him. "We can get all we need on the holodeck."
"Alrighty. Then I guess I'm ready." She took his arm, "lead the way my prince."
As the program loaded, Aidan led Emme inside the holodeck. Instantly their clothes were changed into proper beach attire as soon as the doors closed behind them. He briefly closed his eyes as the simulated warmth and sunshine touched his bare skin. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled as he opened his eyes. "This is beautiful," he said as he watched the low sun hovering over the ocean. "Where did you find this program?"
"It's nothing special, just something that was already in the computer. Someday I think we should go somewhere like this as a family, the three of us. Take a nice vacation on a planet." Emme squeezed his hand. "What do you want to do first? Sunbathing? Swimming?"
"Swim," he answered without pause, "and then we can enjoy the sun while it lasts, before getting a campfire going. I would definitely want to do this for real sometime, perhaps on our next leave?" Taking her hand, he led her towards the water. "Too bad we can't stay here all night. I'd like to sleep on a beach sometime too, wake up with the sun." His mood was a sure contrast to when he'd first returned from his away mission, after having been rescued. He seemed more relaxed, and happier.
"Okay," Emme said letting herself be led to the water. She stuck her toe in to test the temperature but it felt pretty warm to her so she continued in. "At least we don't have to worry about sharks in a holodeck program. I suppose as soon as we find out the sex of the baby we should start thinking of names?"
"I want to know, if you do," Aidan smiled. "I have no preference to boy or girl, as long as he or she is healthy." He waded further in, sighing softly at the warmth of the water against his skin. "This is so relaxing..."
Emme seated herself in the water. It covered her baby bump and lapped against the skin on her arms. "Yes it is." She said, not really wanting to swim, she just wanted to be there in the warm water and relax. "I was thinking that no matter the sex maybe we should pick a family name, from either my family or yours or both."
"Or a combination of both," Aidan suggested, wading back and easing himself down next to her. Reaching, he rested his hand on the bump. "Can you feel it moving?"
"I think I'm just starting to. Like when you put your hand there," Emme laughed. "She knew you were doing that." She seemed to reflect on things for a moment. "Life is weird. I really didn't expect things to end up as they did."
"She?" Aidan arched an eyebrow at her. "You think it's a girl?"
"Yeah, I do. It's silly. I have absolutely no scientific basis for that. Just a feeling." She shrugged. "Plus I don't like calling the baby it."
"She it is until we know otherwise," Aidan agreed, "and I don't think it's silly at all. Mothers know these things, right? I mean I wouldn't know, I'm not a woman..." He kept his hand to her stomach, somehow feeling this was the right thing to do. "What... if we named her Rhea? For the ship she was conceived on?" he added after a moment's thought.
"Hmm, well I do like that name. I'm not sure. Wouldn't it be a bit embarrassing for her if we ever told her why we named her that?" Emme chuckled and then shrugged. "We should make a list of names we like I guess. And go from there."
"It had significant meaning for us, but I'm not opposed to a list. We do still have some time." He smiled at her. "Pregnancy suits you...I think you're glowing, and you look amazing."
Emme snorted. "I am not glowing. Unless I ate something radioactive. That wouldn't be good for the little one. She'd turn out to be some kind of superhero or villain," she joked, not knowing if Aidan knew about superheroes or not. "Go swim," She said playfully pushing him further into the water.
Aidan allowed himself to fall back with a splash. "Hero or villain, she'll always be ours," he chuckled. "And I'd rather bask in the sun here with you."
"Hmm," she said closing her eyes. "It is nice. Hard to believe it's artificial sometimes. I can feel the sun on my face, the water on the lower part of my body." But she knew if she said a few words it would all be gone in a moment. "How's work been?" Emme asked, changing the subject.
"Fairly quiet at the moment, just as I prefer it to be for now. I'm keeping busy though, don't worry." He rolled over so he could look at her. "There is always something to do, and I have counseling sessions and spending time with you. I'm thinking of starting on the nursery and do it myself. What do you think?"
"I think . . . I'm not at all worried. I just wanted to know what you'd been up too lately. And if you would like to you can, I don't object." She kissed him. "The baby won't be here for a bit still."
"Means I have time to practice," the Trill smirked. "Do you think the doctor can tell us what she'll look like?"
"I'm sure, when I'm far enough along." Emme answered, her nose crinkling up as if about to sneeze. Ironically she'd heard of Bajoran women feeling the urge to sneeze during pregnancy, but she generally didn't need to. It must be the sand. Not to mention her back was starting to hurt. "I better move, sorry. Getting uncomfortable."
Instantly on his feet, though he accidentally splashed her as he stood, he leaned forward to help her up. "Are you alright?"
Emme laughed. "Aidan I'm fine, I just need to change positions, twinge in my back from sitting here." She was able to get up without his assistance. "Stop worrying. There's no reason to think this pregnancy won't be perfectly normal despite her parentage."
"Oh, alright..." He relaxed a little. "I'm just... Excited, nervous, anxious... I never thought I'd be a dad you know... I wanted to be, just didn't think it would happen. And I have no reason to believe anything will be out of the ordinary. My foster sister is a hybrid Trill remember, and she's just fine even though she's deaf."
"Yeah. She choose not to have corrective surgery for that?" Emme asked curiously, not wanting to offend. She put an arm around Aidan. "Let's walk," she whispered to him.
"She has implants, but they bother her she says," he answered, leaning into her embrace, "her son is fine though. I'm sure they had a little help in that department. Kesha is deaf because she has no antennae. But she's never let it hinder her. If you didn't know any better you'd think she hears better than we do."
"She probably does. When you're born without a sense the others take over, it makes you a very perceptive person in my experience. People rely too much on what they see or hear and when you don't have that . . . well it's amazing what takes over."
"I know," Aidan laughed, carefully poking her side. "It honed my senses too because I had to hear for two."
"Oh so when you're ignoring me it's not because you didn't hear what I was saying?" Emme joked, tightening her grip on his arm for a moment.
Feeling the brief change in pressure, Aidan frowned but chose to let it go. "Of course not!" He huffed instead, "I'd never ignore you. If I didn't respond it's probably because I was too focused."
"I'm teasing you," Emme said gently. "You're very attentive." She looked around and changed the subject. "I don't know about you but I think I'm ready to go home. I found this new book series that I want to finish and cuddling up with a warm blanket seems like fun."
Aidan nodded in agreement. "Hot cocoa with marshmallows," he added, "makes me wish for a fireplace.... I'm going to have a think about the baby room. And maybe talk to Kesha, see how Darok is doing."
"Yes you should." Emme agreed. Meanwhile she felt a nap coming on. Although she wasn't as tired as when she first got pregnant, she felt a nap couldn't hurt anything. Might as well catch up on sleep while she could. Her boss would understand. She suddenly grinned at him with no explanation.
Aidan grinned back, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "You're beautiful when you smile like that," he said as he guided her home.
"You say that now," Emme whispered. "But you don't know what I was grinning about."
Lieutenant Emmony Safford
Science Officer
USS Andromeda
PNPC by Keading
●● Lieutenant Aidan Datari
Chief Science Officer/2nd Officer
USS Andromeda
