Katie was so nervous that she was sure she was going to throw up. She couldn't believe both Brian and Ashlyn were alive. When her away mission had been attacked, a group of aliens had taken them in, saying the Federation was in a war and had lost. They said everyone had died and they were to stay on their planet for protection.
They were protected, but the aliens would sometimes lose their tempers, especially when one of them wouldn't answer their questions about how Starfleet had been ran. Katie had always thought something was going on but was never brave enough to ask.
Then one night everything changed.
In the middle of the night, the USS Carolina showed up. It turned out the Federation and Starfleet were still standing and they had thought the away team was dead
( ... )
Brian stood just inside the door, his eyes fixed on Katie. She was there. Oh, God. She was really there.
"Hi," he found himself replying when she finally spoke.
A moment later, she was in his arms, and he held her close against him, closing his eyes as he nuzzled her hair. She still felt the way he remembered. A little thinner maybe, but still his Katie. Drawing in a shuddering breath, he pulled her even closer.
"I missed you so much," he whispered. "When I heard you were still alive..."
He couldn't even describe everything he had felt. All he wanted to do was kiss her. But before he could, he suddenly felt a small hand tugging at his sleeve, so he pulled back slightly to look down at their daughter.
"Wanna hug Mommy," she told him.
Nodding, he stepped back as Ashlyn moved forward and raised her arms to her.
Katie clung to Brian, trying to make sure he was real. She had dreamt of this moment so many times and it was finally coming true. He felt the same to her, and she didn't think she would ever let him go. "I've missed you so much," she said, her voice breaking as tears came to her eyes.
She startled a bit when she heard her little girl speak. Pulling back, Katie looked down at her and tried her best to smile. Her little baby girl wasn't so little anymore but when she held her arms out to her, she didn't hesitate to pick her up.
"Hello, sweetheart," she whispered as she hugged her close. "Mummy has missed you so much."
"Missed you too Mommy. So did Daddy," Ashlyn said as she laid her head on Katie's shoulder and started to softly hum.
As Katie rubbed the little girl's back, she looked over at Brian. "Can we leave now?" she asked as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I don't want to be here anymore."
Brian watched as Katie and their daughter interacted for the first time in two years, feeling tears in his eyes. So many nights, he had sat with Ashlyn in her bedroom, and instead of reading her a story, he would tell her about her mother. About how beautiful and wonderful she was, about how they had met and fallen in love. Ashlyn had loved to look at the pictures he had, most especially of their wedding
( ... )
"Emma was the same way when she first discovered it. I thought she would surely drive my parents mad with wanting it on everything," Katie said with a laugh.
When Brian confirmed that her parents were coming, she grinned. While a small part of her was worried about what she would say to them, she was genuinely looking forward to seeing her parents again. Katie knew things had probably changed for them and her sisters, she realy wanted to get to know them again.
"I can't wait to see them," she said before she looked over at Ashlyn. "Sweetie, the dressing isn't for finger painting with."
Ashlyn, who'd been smearing the dressing on the blanket, looked up and started to giggle. "'Kay, Mommy!" she said before she went back to eating.
Katie looked at her husband and gave him a loving smile. "You didn't a wonderful job with her, Brian," she said.
"Well, it gets her to eat some of the vegetables she wouldn't eat otherwise, so I don't mind it too much," Brian told Katie with a laugh. "She also had a phase where she was throwing things she didn't want to eat."
Seeing the smile on her face when she heard that her parents were coming made him smile as well. She needed her family, and he was going to do everything to make sure she got time with them.
Looking over at Ashlyn, he snorted softly before grabbing a napkin and putting water on it so he could use it to clean Ashlyn's hands. As he did, he looked over at his wife.
"I wanted to right by her for you," he told her. It hadn't been easy, going it alone, but every time he had see their daughter smile, the echo of Katie there, it had been worth it.
"Done, Dada!" Ashlyn announced as she pushed the remains of her food away.
"You sure?" he asked.
She nodded several times before lying back and giggling as she looked up at the sky.
Comments 14
They were protected, but the aliens would sometimes lose their tempers, especially when one of them wouldn't answer their questions about how Starfleet had been ran. Katie had always thought something was going on but was never brave enough to ask.
Then one night everything changed.
In the middle of the night, the USS Carolina showed up. It turned out the Federation and Starfleet were still standing and they had thought the away team was dead ( ... )
Reply
"Hi," he found himself replying when she finally spoke.
A moment later, she was in his arms, and he held her close against him, closing his eyes as he nuzzled her hair. She still felt the way he remembered. A little thinner maybe, but still his Katie. Drawing in a shuddering breath, he pulled her even closer.
"I missed you so much," he whispered. "When I heard you were still alive..."
He couldn't even describe everything he had felt. All he wanted to do was kiss her. But before he could, he suddenly felt a small hand tugging at his sleeve, so he pulled back slightly to look down at their daughter.
"Wanna hug Mommy," she told him.
Nodding, he stepped back as Ashlyn moved forward and raised her arms to her.
"Hi, Mommy."
Reply
She startled a bit when she heard her little girl speak. Pulling back, Katie looked down at her and tried her best to smile. Her little baby girl wasn't so little anymore but when she held her arms out to her, she didn't hesitate to pick her up.
"Hello, sweetheart," she whispered as she hugged her close. "Mummy has missed you so much."
"Missed you too Mommy. So did Daddy," Ashlyn said as she laid her head on Katie's shoulder and started to softly hum.
As Katie rubbed the little girl's back, she looked over at Brian. "Can we leave now?" she asked as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I don't want to be here anymore."
Reply
Reply
When Brian confirmed that her parents were coming, she grinned. While a small part of her was worried about what she would say to them, she was genuinely looking forward to seeing her parents again. Katie knew things had probably changed for them and her sisters, she realy wanted to get to know them again.
"I can't wait to see them," she said before she looked over at Ashlyn. "Sweetie, the dressing isn't for finger painting with."
Ashlyn, who'd been smearing the dressing on the blanket, looked up and started to giggle. "'Kay, Mommy!" she said before she went back to eating.
Katie looked at her husband and gave him a loving smile. "You didn't a wonderful job with her, Brian," she said.
Reply
Seeing the smile on her face when she heard that her parents were coming made him smile as well. She needed her family, and he was going to do everything to make sure she got time with them.
Looking over at Ashlyn, he snorted softly before grabbing a napkin and putting water on it so he could use it to clean Ashlyn's hands. As he did, he looked over at his wife.
"I wanted to right by her for you," he told her. It hadn't been easy, going it alone, but every time he had see their daughter smile, the echo of Katie there, it had been worth it.
"Done, Dada!" Ashlyn announced as she pushed the remains of her food away.
"You sure?" he asked.
She nodded several times before lying back and giggling as she looked up at the sky.
Reply
Leave a comment