Hope (Starman)
Fandom: Starman
Rating: G
Word Count: 543
Mood: http://picosong.com/eJh5/
Looking up at the stars in the brilliant night sky, Paul Forester was interrupted in his musings by the frustrated sounds emanating from behind him.
Turning, Paul looked down at his son, struggling with the orb in his hand. The teen was trying to start a campfire with no success. Gently he explained, “You have to be patient and learn to focus, Scott.”
“I'm trying!” came the sharp reply as the boy continued his efforts with his unresponsive orb.
Paul smiled, walked over, and sat down against the log next to his son. Since returning to this planet, he had discovered the child he'd fathered created a constant source of learning in regards to human emotions, which fascinated him endlessly. Currently the main emotion filling him was amusement.
Finally defeated, Scott kicked his feet out, dropped the orb on the ground, and slumped against the log. “I give up.”
“You'll learn,” his father assured him.
Scott snorted his disbelief, but said nothing. He followed his father's gaze up to the sparkling lights above them and sighed. “There are so many. I can never remember which one is yours.” Paul pointed to one, and Scott nodded. “Right, the really faint one.”
“It's not so faint when you are near it.”
The wistful tone in his father's voice made Scott look at him curiously. “You're homesick.”
“Home...sick?” Paul shuddered, remembering the time he'd fallen ill because of the cold. He'd almost died. As an alien inhabiting a new human body, he'd had no immune system. Only a last minute infusion of white blood cells had saved his life. “Will I need to see a doctor?”
Laughing, Scott clarified. “No, it's not that kind of sick. It's a feeling, not a virus. You miss your home. It makes you sad and stuff. When I ended up at the orphanage, I felt it a lot. I think that's what activated my orb, and how you found me.”
Paul gave a small nod. “Then yes, I am homesick.”
Scott was silent for a moment. Tentatively, he looked at his father. “One day you're going to go back, aren't you?”
“I will stay until you are safe, Scott.”
It took a minute before Scott responded. After months on the run, Agent Fox and his team were still unrelenting in the quest to capture them both for the government. The narrow escape they'd had earlier today was proof enough. Finally, he quietly asked, “Do you think that will ever happen?”
His father smiled gently, and picked up the orb from the ground, carefully placing it back into Scott's hand. Pulling out his own, both orbs began to glow brightly. A wave of calm, safety, and light enveloped them, and a light crackle filled the air as a small flame arose from the makeshift campfire. Softly, Paul answered, “Yes, I do.”
Scott accepted this, and felt the pull of exhaustion overtake him. Slowly closing his eyes, he rested further back against the log and fell asleep. Paul reached over and picked up his jacket. Wrapping it carefully around the boy, he settled down next to him and returned his gaze back to the stars.
