The CO's ear

Posted on 04 Sep 2019 @ 1:59am by Captain Jonathan Reynolds & Lieutenant Jeremy Ezio

Mission: Mission 1 - In the pale moonlight ...
Location: Ezio's office
Timeline: MD9
1810 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Jon had made an appointment but he was sure the Trill hybrid was expecting this responsibility or development. He rang the chime and waited for admittance.

"Come in." The day had been quiet so far, so Jeremy had plenty of time for patients who had not made a prior appointment. "Ah captain," he greeted as soon as his visitor was revealed, "what can I do for you?"

"Well I'll get right to the point I guess. I can't go to Counselor Keading as and this stays just between these walls, we are seeing each other. It would be a potential conflict of interests. So that means you get to be my sounding board," he said watching and sensing his reaction carefully.

"Anything discussed within the confines of my office, or under rule of a formal session is considered private sir. I repeat... what can I do for you?"

"Good because I don't want the whole ship knowing at present. I want to get this relationship right. And we need to be discreet for obvious reasons," he nodded at him and took a seat. "So what do I do lie down?" he was joking but wondered what the other man would do.

"Oh however you are comfortable sir," Jeremy encouraged, "we can even go wherever you want to go if this makes it easier for you to talk."

"I'll just sit," Jon said. He sat down and faced the man. "So my ex wife hates me and we are having to co-parent our son onboard the ship. Got any advice on making that easier?"

"Get custody and make her go away?" Jeremy answered. "That's what I did when I divorced Ahira, I made sure he got nothing and no custody over the kids. But then he has no blood tie to either of them and Altaïr is my blood...no judge would separate two children. Other than that, I guess you'll have to learn to co-exist, or kick her off your ship."

"Well I have primary custody. But Eddie needs both his mum and dad. So I made it happen she had a job on my ship and I have kind of been more relaxed on the official agreed custody. So that pretty much leaves learn to co-exist. Thats where I need your help," Jon said. "So what suggestions have you got on that counselor? Bearing in mind she might not take well to finding out I'm head over heels for your boss. Oh wow …. I just said that out loud didn't I?"

"What you do in your private time is of no concern of hers," Jeremy replied thoughtfully, "since you are both formally divorced you don't owe her any explanation towards romantic conquests, or otherwise. Neither does she owe you any. You need to move on, and accept that there might be others in your lives. But you'll need to prepare your child for that too, and acknowledge that you'll love him just as much as before and that he's not having to choose sides."

"Its not Eddie I'm worried about. Charlottes still pretty mad about things," Jon said. "But I get what your saying about my private life."

"Who decided that your marriage was at an end? How did your marriage end?" Jeremy asked, knowing that these questions were prying, but necessary for him to be of better help.

"She did. I cheated twice. Once in my marriage which she forgave me for. She didn't want to bring our son up on a starship. Preferred a more comfortable lifestyle on Betazoid. My family has money, status and property. I was lonely and slipped," Jon said honestly. "After that she joined me on my next tour and we tried but truthfully we were kids when we got married. Way too young. We weren't right for each other and if there had been no baby it wouldn't have happened. And she really wasn't happy on a starship. We argued loads. I think any love and affection there was in the beginning got lost along the years."

"And the second time?"

"The second was before we got married back at the academy. We got pregnant. I was freaking out. We kind of had to do it for the family honour. Mother pressed and pressed. There was pressure everywhere. My brother was gone on a tour with Klingons. I couldn't talk to him. I grew close to his fiancé. Stupid mistake. We ended it. I didn't tell her, she was heavily pregnant and then I didn't have the guts to tell her and Sydney took off anyway. What I didn't know is she also got pregnant. She kept that from me until a couple of years ago," He confessed. "I hurt my brother there too."

Jeremy just nodded, letting him carry on with his tale.

"I had to do the right thing and try be there for this daughter I suddenly found out about. So I came clean this time. Charlotte didn't want to acknowledge her as it put Eddies position lower down the list. My ex-wife became very materialistic over the years. Anyway I sent her mother money to try help out and was trying to arrange meeting them so I could be her father and part of her life. Charlotte decided to divorce me. And thats the point I realised my wife would deprive a child of a father just so my other child could be higher up the pecking order," Jon said. "It didn't sit well. And its not like Eddies ever going to be deprived of anything bar the title of next in line for the house. I'm the eldest twin. So Charlotte would become the mistress, eddies wife then the next in line once my mother passed. But if I had a daughter she superseded Eddie and my wife you see. Betazoid is matriarchal," he finished.

"Eddie will be expected to do as his family tells him to do anyway, as is the rule with Betazoids," Jeremy answered, "the women decide and the man do as they're told, is what I've come to understand. How does he feel about having a half sister? Where is your daughter now?"

"Eddies like me counselor. Hes not interested in all the pomp of Betazoid life. Hes had enough of it at an early age already. He wants to meet his sister. Shes with her mother on one of the colonies in sector 628. Sydney's got a business there. Its not doing well. Some of the people are not very inclusive shall we say. She would prefer we tell my daughter in person and she wants to get them off the colony. I want to help if I can," he said simply.

"Then you should do what you feel is right. Your ex wife has no say in this matter, if you want your daughter off that planet, and her mother too then that's your call to make. If Eddie wants to meet his sister, then that's his right. They're both your children, and they're both equally important."

"I intend to," Jon agreed. "But she might get nasty. So in that case I'm sending her to talk to you."

"It's not her place to get nasty. She has no say over your daughter, whom you obviously chose to acknowledge and i assume bears your name?"

"I'm not actually sure. I guess I need to ask that question," Jon said. He hadn't thought of that. "I only found out about her when Sydney contacted me. She needed help on how to handle ….. girls mature faster. My daughter started getting her gifts earlier …"

"I can't help with the telepathic talents, but I do have a daughter of my own, and I do have a sister I was left to raise after our parents died. I'd be happy to talk to her."

"Well thats a kind offer and if I can manage to get her anywhere close to being here, I'm sure we can look at that," Jon said gently. "I'm not under any illusions this will be a fast process. I mean a huge move and then some bloke suddenly your father. Thats a lot to stomach for a young girl. She might not even want me in her life." That was something to consider he mused. He still had to try though regardless of any outcome.

"How old is your daughter?" Jeremy asked, watching him closely.

"Almost 11," Jon did the math. "Charlotte was about 6 months gone when … it happened. So theres just over a year between her and Eddie."

"Maybe this is too personal or none of my business," Jeremy ventured, "but why haven't you tried to have a father daughter bond with your daughter?"

"Well I have only known about her existence for about 4 months and her mother wants us to do it in person rather than over subspace. I am respecting her wishes. I also had already committed to this command and spent several months fighting my ex-wife in the courts who attempted to ruin me. An opportunity hasn't presented itself yet. But I'm working on it," Jon said simply.

"Your son lives with you does he not? How is his bond with his mother?" Jeremy leaned forward a little. "Because if this is too much issue, my advice would be to remove the mother from this vessel. You need your focus on your children, and on your ship."

"His bond with his mother is his bond with his mother. He loves her. And I could not deprive one child of a parent any more than me deprive my other one of me as a parent which broke the camels back in my marriage. Thats just not an option," Jon said quite shocked the Trill would even suggest that as advice.

"Then she needs to accept that you have two children both equally deserving of your time," Jeremy answered.

"I guess so," Jon said. When you laid it out like that it made more sense. Not that Charlotte would take nice to having to lay it out that way.

"She can't dictate how you live your life, or who you love. Yes you have a child together, but she needs to accept that in agreeing with a divorce, you are likely to move on. Equally you have to accept that she might. She has no business into your private affairs and bringing your daughter into the mix is a private affair."

"I'm more than willing to accept that and yes, Cassie is a private issue," he nodded. "Thank you counselor."

Jeremy nodded in return. "Let me know if you need me to assist further with anything," he offered.

"Thank you," Jon said getting up to leave.

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●●● Commander Jonathan Reynolds
Commanding Officer
USS Andromeda


Lieutenant j.g. Jeremy Ezio
Counselor
pnpc Aidan