Completion Chapter 3/?
Completion
Chapter 3
Marissa and Jim walked hand in hand down the corridors of the Enterprise towards their quarters, Marissa dragging her fingers along the lightly pebbled walls. After months in cold, damp caves she enjoyed the feel of warm, solid walls under her fingertips; the soft hum of the ship’s engines barely perceptible, but still noticeable, like a comforting heartbeat.
“I’m nervous,” she finally admitted softly as they stood in front of their door.
“Don’t be,” Jim reassured her, bringing her around to face him fully. “She missed you. She loves you. She will be thrilled to see you.”
“I know but…” Marissa began hesitantly, not meeting Jim’s gaze.
“No buts,” Jim said, squatting down to catch her eyes. “Our daughter is waiting for you.” Squeezing her hand, he straightened and triggered the door to open, tugging her inside.
The first thing that met her eyes was Janice Rand setting boxes onto the dining table, which was already set with plates and utensils.
“Marissa!” she exclaimed when she saw them. Coming forward, she engulfed the tinier woman in a hug. Her eyes were red, but her smile was wide as she pulled back to look at her long lost friend. “You’re really here,” she said before hugging her again.
“I am,” Marissa agreed with a grin, her eyes watering up instantly.
Janice opened her mouth to say more, but then looked over at Jim. “We’ll talk more later,” she whispered. “Abby is in her room getting some guys,” she told them. “She had a good day at daycare.”
“Did you tell her?” Jim asked.
Shaking her head, Janice shrugged. “I didn’t know what to say and…and I didn’t want her to get worked up waiting. I did tell her you might have a surprise for her when you got back.”
Jim nodded in understanding. “Thank you, Janice,” he told her sincerely.
She nodded in return. With one last quick hug for Marissa and a whispered, “welcome back,” Janice left them alone.
They stood there in silence for a moment, Marissa letting out a shaky breath as she looked up at Jim.
“Ready?” he asked her with a reassuring smile.
“Yeah,” she nodded, clearing her throat nervously and wiping under her eyes. She’d done remarkably well so far. Sure, she had cried at times, but nothing too much. Some tears here, a hiccoughing laugh there; but now she was finally going to be reunited with her daughter and her eyes were already brimming.
Giving her a reassuring squeeze, Jim stepped to the head of the hallway. “Abby,” he called, “I’m home.”
There was a muffled thump and a happy cry of, “Dada!” that caused Marissa to gasp behind him, as Abby came out of her room and threw herself into her father’s arms, giving him a big hug. He hadn’t been gone long, not even a full day, but she was still enthusiastic.
“Supwise?” she asked him hopefully.
“Yes, I brought you a surprise,” Jim told her turning to look over at Marissa who was totally focused on the toddler in his arms.
“Whe’e?” Abby demanded, looking in Jim’s hands and checking for something at his feet.
“Right there,” Jim said thickly, drawing Abby’s attention to her mother standing in the middle of the room. “Do you know who that is, munchkin?”
Abby cocked her head and stared, a motion so reminiscent of her mother that Jim’s heart hitched in his chest. Slowly her little hand came up to grip Jim’s collar tightly, twisting it, as she leaned into him, her body now trembling in his arms, her eyes wide.
Marissa took a few steps closer so that she was in arms’ reach, but she didn’t try to touch them yet. She smiled brilliantly, though there were tears pouring down her face. “Hello baby girl,” she finally said, her voice shaking. “You’ve gotten so big and I’ve missed you so much.”
Abby still didn’t say anything, though she slowly reached out a hand and patted her mother’s face. “Mama?” she said, pulling back and looking at Jim expectantly. Jim nodded. “Mama come home?” she said in wonder.
“Yes, baby girl, mama’s home,” Marissa managed to get out, her smile brighter than Jim had ever seen. “Mama’s home.”
Before either of them could react Abby launched herself from her father’s arms and into her mother’s. “Mama!” she screeched. “Mama home! Dadda, mama home!”
Marissa let out a sob as she clung to Abby, holding her little body close as she breathed in the soft baby scent of her child.
“Oh you are so big, Abby girl,” she laughed as she cried. “I’ve missed you. Missed you so much,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
She looked over at Jim who was smiling as he watched them. Reaching out, Marissa pulled him in so that he was holding them both. Abby was happily babbling, but neither Jim nor Marissa were really paying any attention to her words, both were just happy and relieved to finally be together as a family; all four of them.
Jim’s hand slid from Abby’s back to rest on Marissa’s belly. “Welcome home, Mariss,” he whispered, placing a kiss to her forehead, “welcome home.”
Marissa laughed and sobbed, squeezing Abby tighter as she leaned into Jim’s strong embrace. “I’m home,” she repeated softly.
“Mama home!” Abby agreed with a wide smile.
~
Dinner was pizza and salad, with Nana’s chocolate cake for dessert. Jim watched as Marissa happily ate a slice of pepperoni and olive, closing her eyes as she chewed slowly, savoring the cheesy goodness.
“Oh my god, this is delicious,” she moaned.
“Chef made all the favorite dishes of our returning heroes,” Jim told her, chuckling as she huffed at his choice of words. “Everyone wants to make sure you all feel welcomed back.”
“I definitely do,” Marissa told him. “It’s been a wonderful homecoming.” Abby was sitting between them, so she reached behind her chair to take Jim’s hand and give it a squeeze, before turning her attention to Abby. The toddler was enjoying her meal, happily sitting and chatting with Sehlat, feeding him bits of her pizza before eating it herself.
“Do you want another slice?” Jim asked. So far she’d only had one, which was unusual at best.
Marissa looked wistfully at the more than half a pepperoni pizza still left in the box and shook her head. “Not right now.”
“You sure?” Jim prodded, trying not to sound worried even though he was. Marissa did not turn down pepperoni pizza and she certainly never stopped after one slice.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” she nodded. “I don’t want to over do it on the first day back. And I want to make sure I have room for cake!”
“Okay,” he replied, drawing out the single word and trying to smile, but not really able to hide his worry.
Of course Marissa didn’t miss it. “I’m fine, Jim,” she reassured him. “I’m just not used to eating a lot and while it tastes wonderful, I don’t want to over do it and spend the evening with a stomachache. I really don’t want to have to visit Medical again so soon,” she admitted wryly, drawing a laugh from him.
“Fair enough,” Jim agreed, making himself relax.
After some cake and a quick clean up of Abby, they spent the rest of the evening sitting on the couch, Marissa cuddled against Jim as Abby played and chattered, showing Marissa all her toys and telling her about her friends and what she does while dada is at work.
Jim didn’t say much, just let Marissa and Abby interact. Abby’s comments and insightful take on her world and surroundings made him chuckle. She was so innocent, but extremely observant.
It was only when Abby began yawning every couple minutes as she leaned against Marissa and talked softly to Sehlat, Marissa’s hands combing gently through her hair, that Jim decided he had to be the one to call an end to their evening. It was unlikely that either mother or daughter would do it.
“All righty, baby girl,” he said leaning forward and slapping his hands on his thighs before moving to stand, “I think it’s bedtime.”
That seemed to wake her up. “No!” she instantly declared her eyes wide and her lips trembling as she threw her arms around Marissa. “No, ni-ni. No leave mama!” and then she burst into tears, surprising both Jim and Marissa. She’d been so happy all evening. They were both used to bedtime battles, but this was already more extreme than anything they’d seen before.
“Oh, Abby,” Marissa said softly, gathering her crying child more fully into her arms, her own eyes filling with tears in response to Abby’s distress. “Shhh, baby. Shush. Aren’t you tired?”
Abby shook her head wildly before hiding her face against Marissa’s neck, her small hands tangled in her mother’s hair. “No. No ni-ni. Mama no leave.”
At that statement Jim and Marissa shared a pained look.
“Abby,” Jim finally said, sitting back down and placing a hand comfortingly on her back, “Mama’s not going to leave. Mama’s home. She’s not going anywhere.”
“NO! No! Mama no leave!” she began to howl.
“Oh sweetheart,” Marissa said through tears that were now streaming down her face. “Mama’s right here. I’m not leaving. I promise.”
“No leave. No leave. No leave,” Abby repeated over and over again, her voice becoming more and more hysterical.
“Abby!” Jim said, his voice firm, the beginning of a warning that she usually heeded, but he stopped when Marissa glanced at him and shook her head.
“Abby? Baby girl, look at mama,” Marissa said gently, prying the little arms from around her neck. “Look at me,” she encouraged, using her fingers to lift Abby’s chin from where it was buried in her chest. “Mama’s home, baby girl. I had to go away,” she said thickly, “and it was longer than I wanted, but I’m not leaving again. I am home; with you and daddy. I’ll work with Miss Maria in the library and I’ll help daddy and Mr. Spock while you are with Ms. Daugherty and your friends in daycare, but I’m not leaving you, okay?”
“No leave,” Abby whimpered.
“No leaving,” Marissa agreed, hugging her tightly. “I’m going to sleep in the big bed with daddy just like before and in the morning when you wake up we’ll have breakfast together, just like we used to. How does that sound?”
Abby sniffled for a moment and then looked up at her mother hopefully, her blue, blue eyes still sparkling with tears. “Sweep wif you?” she finally asked, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.
“Sleep…?” she looked over at Jim in confusion. Even as a little baby Abby had never shared their bed. Marissa felt that it was too dangerous and she believed that it was best for Abby to learn to sleep on her own. That hadn’t stopped them from having her sleep next to their bed in a bassinet when she was really young or if she wasn’t feeling well, but never in their bed.
“Uh,” Jim started sheepishly, handing her some tissue to clean up Abby. “We might have gotten in the habit - occasionally - if it had been a bad day…she would sleep with me. It just made things…easier…for both of us. Sorry.”
Marissa could only stare at him speechless for a moment, before reaching out to caress his face. “Don’t be,” she told him, her voice thick with tears. “If it…helped…” she shook her head. “Don’t be sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry for?” Jim asked, his hand coming up to cover hers; pressing a kiss to her palm.
“I shouldn’t have gone,” she whispered, not able to meet his eyes. “We knew…suspected…but I was stubborn and I…I should never have left you and Abby.”
“Now you stop,” Jim countered, gripping her hand tightly in his. “You were doing your job. We couldn’t have known it would have been this bad. We both expected two weeks, no more. It’s not your fault. You were doing as you were ordered, so stop even thinking that. You’re home now.”
Closing her eyes, Marissa shook her head again, and swallowed heavily, before turning back to Abby. “How about you sleep with mama and daddy tonight, baby girl? Tomorrow you have to sleep in your crib, but tonight you can sleep in the big bed.”
“O-tay,” Abby agreed with a tired sniff, her head already resting tiredly on Marissa’s shoulder, her hand grasping the collar of her shirt. “I’s sweepy now.”
Marissa chuckled wetly. “I know you are baby. Me too.”
It didn’t take long for the small family to get ready for bed. Marissa helped Abby get ready, while Jim went through his night time routine. Abby was out like a light the moment her head touched the pillow. Jim stayed with her while Marissa went through her routine. Jim would have to remember to thank Rand at some point. His yeoman had thought to stock the bathroom with an extra toothbrush and facial soap for Marissa, as well as one of Jim’s old t-shirts.
Once they were settled in bed with Abby between them, they lay on their sides facing each other.
“It’s amazing how much room an almost two year old can take up,” Marissa smiled softly, moving one of Abby’s feet away from her stomach.
“You’re telling me,” Jim smiled wryly. “I ended up with less bed than when I had you next to me. And we both know what a bed hog you are.”
“Yeah, well, you steal the covers,” Marissa countered, reaching for his hand and squeezing. “Did she…did she sleep with you often?”
Jim looked at her uncomfortably and if there had been enough light to see, he probably would have been blushing. “Not too often,” he told her, his voice low and embarrassed. “At first it was…it was mainly for me; my comfort,” he admitted. “I didn’t like sleeping alone and she was…she was ours, you know? The only thing I had left and I…” His hand gripped hers convulsively. “And later, when she was missing you and bedtime was more of a battle, then…it was easier to give in.”
“Oh Jim,” Marissa whispered wetly, her tears starting again.
“Don’t cry, Mariss,” Jim said, letting go of her hand and wiping her face gently. “We made it and you’re here.”
“But what you went through…”
“Is over,” Jim said decisively. “You are here now and that is what I want to focus on. Now you need to rest.”
“Not exactly the homecoming night you were expecting, huh?” she joked.
Jim smiled. “We have the rest of lives together. I promise it will be filled with lots of loving, but tonight, having us all here together - this is perfect.”
Please review
As always, many thanks to Royalpinkdogs who has kindly and politely put up with my insecurities and brief forays into other storylines and couples. I’m back on task. I promise. ;-)