Homecoming

Posted on 08 Aug 2022 @ 8:43am by Lieutenant Syvar MD & Commander Amelia Fox

Mission: Through the looking glass
Location: Amelia/Syvar’s quarters
Timeline: MD3
1191 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

It had been a long night for Amelia. Now the staff debriefing was over, she headed back to her quarters to see Syvar and the girls.

She was met with the sight of the exhausted young father sitting in the corner of the couch, one infant in each crook of his arm. Two empty bottles were stood on the coffee table and the three of them were sound asleep.

Amelia passed and looked at this beautiful scene for a moment. She then quietly went into the bathroom, slipped out of her uniform and had a quick shower which felt amazing. Then putting on a dressing gown she re-entered the living area and replicated a cup of tea and went over to the sleeping trio. She gently ran a hand over his arm.

“Good morning my love.” She said in a general voice.

Roused by the touch, Syvar lifted his head and smiled at her. "You're home," he whispered, so as not to rouse the girls, "when did you come home?"

“We got back to the ship about an hour ago. There was a debrief for the Captain. The mission didn’t exactly go to plan.” She took a sip of her tea. “They realised on the station that I wasn’t Mirror Fox and we had to do a deal with the J’Tan from this universe to get the coordinates of the space station. An away team has been sent to investigate. The J’Tan here is more or less the same as in our universe. He wasn’t to go into drug dealing and he has the start-up sequence for the planet killers. He got that from mirror Fox.”

Amelia sighed. “She always seems to be one step ahead. I guess I’m not as good an actor as she is.”

"You don't need to be an actor, you just need to be a firmer version of yourself," he suggested as he carefully sat up. "They've been very fussy while you were gone."

"What, these two angles?" She asked with mock surprise. "Can I get you anything before I take them off your hands? I'm needing some cuddles."

"I have not yet eaten, having cared for these two most of the day. C'Tora sent me home, as I went to sickbay when they would not be calmed or even feed."

She placed a reassuring hand on his cheek "Hey it's ok, you're doing a wonderful job with them and they seem to be getting along with each other. I'll get you something to eat and then I'll look after these two."

"C'Tora said they missed their mother...but surely that should not matter when they spend equal time with me?" He smiled back at her. "And why should they not get along? They may not have shared a womb but they are still twins. They will not know any better, growing up."

Amelia sat down beside him. "You're right." She shuddered slightly "It's being here in this universe.... Her universe... It gives me the creeps. I don't want to spend a moment here longer than we have to. I got the impression that It wasn't just the startup codes J'Tan got from Mirror Fox, the way he was looking at me. I think she used her... usual tactics to get what she wanted."

"I know..." He echoed her shudder at a very vivid memory. "Do you think...he might be rigged too? Like she did to me? And what she did to me?" He turned pale at the very memory of being dependent on her wiles. He looked down at the latest addition to their family. ", She'll never know her true origin if I have any say in it. As far as I'm concerned, they're true twins, both born of you....I don't want her to know what her true mother was like."

"I'd rather not think about what she did to him, but from what I saw of how he operates, he deserves everything he gets." Amelia took a breath, trying to rid herself of this cold feeling that seems to be wrapping itself around her soul.
"As for Ahara, as far as I'm concerned she is our daughter, now and always. That... woman demonstrated she doesn't have a single maternal instinct in her and...." Amelia stopped herself as she realised she was getting agitated and sounding not much better than her mirror counterpart. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound so callous. It's like this universe taints and corrupts everything it touches."

She looked into his eyes, almost pleading. "I want to go home Syvar. I want to go home with you and our daughters and never ever come back to this.... vile place."

"In here you're safe," Syvar said, reaching to draw her into his arms. "I don't even dare to think what my counterpart is like. I don't want to know. And if that woman ever comes close again..." His green eyes flashed dangerously. "...I swear, I'll kill her..."

Amelia sighed. “Not that I don’t appreciate you looking after our family and I know what that woman did to you, it’s just that she’s now got us to a point where we are talking about taking someone’s life just to protect our family when we’re supposed to have evolved beyond that.”

As if sensing another presence, Aethra opened her eyes and held out an arm towards Amelia.

“Hello there little one, have you missed mommy?” She kissed her gently on the forehead. “I agree with you though, I’d do anything to protect our daughters.”

Syvar nodded, handing the waking infant over. "Anything within reason," he vowed, "she'll never have a hold on me again." He looked down at the sleeping baby still in his arms, shifting a little to be able to look at her angelic face. He traced her cheek with a single finger. "They're so alike, how are we going to tell them apart? They're genetically the same, like identical twins."

“Aethra has a little birthmark here on the heel of her left foot. I remember seeing it just after she was born.” Amelia held up Aethra’s foot and rubbed the small mark on her heel which caused her to giggle.

"Ah... and Ahara doesn't have one. Should be interesting to see how often they can fool us when we get older...." He smiled as he watched the little girl in his arms, still peacefully sleeping. "Ahara's hair also seems slightly blonder, but it could be the light...."

Amelia looked from one to the other. "I think it's the light, my love. Anyway, they're both beautiful," she said before stifling a yawn and snuggling closer to Syvar.

"All my girls are beautiful," Syvar smiled, virtually stuck in the corner of the couch with one baby in one arm and wife and other baby in the other. He longingly eyed the food she'd set on the table for him but already knew he wasn't going to get at in for the foreseeable future.

OFF:


Ensign Syvar
Medical officer
pnpc Aidan

Commander Amelia Fox
XO
USS Andromeda