Completion 8/?
Completion
Chapter 8
Marissa laughed as the door swished closed and then turned to face Jim’s yeoman. It had felt good to see her friend again despite some of their depressing topics.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Janice repeated again. “It’s just that I managed to get a couple more outfits from the quartermaster - and a uniform - but the captain says you aren’t to wear it. You haven’t been reinstated yet,” she explained, anticipating Marissa’s unasked question.
“Oh, okay,” Marissa shrugged, taking the clothes. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Marissa placed the pile of clothes on the table and then turned to look at the other woman who was smiling fondly as she watched Abby play.
“Would you like some tea, Janice?” Marissa asked, her mind suddenly spinning with questions that she knew this woman could answer.
Rand paused. “Well, I am on duty…”
“Psssh,” Marissa waved her hand in dismissal and went into the kitchen. “You’re always on duty. What’s a little tea break - or would you rather have coffee?”
“Tea is fine,” Janice replied instantly.
“Have a seat,” Marissa told her. “Milk or sugar?”
“Just a little milk.”
“So, how are things on the bridge?” Marissa asked as she sat down and handed the other woman her drink.
Blowing softly and then taking a small sip, Rand gave a happy sigh as she continued to hold the tea under her nose and inhale the fragrant steam. “Pretty quiet,” she replied. “It always is when we’re in transit. Of course, there is always something to do…paperwork, requisitions…” she shrugged and then laughed. “Same ol’, same old.”
Grinning, Marissa took a sip of her tea, watching the other woman over the rim of her mug. “I imagine Jim still isn’t enamored with paperwork.”
“Not at all,” Rand answered, her eyes looking at the ceiling as she shook her head. “But he’s getting better - as long as I keep on him. If I don’t nag him to finish the paperwork, I have to nag him to eat because he’s determined to get through a month’s worth of paperwork in a day. The man doesn’t know how to take care of himself.”
Marissa’s lips quirked. “I’m glad he had someone watching over him,” she said softly.
Rand head snapped up as she realized what she had said. “I didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay, Janice,” Marissa shook her head and smiled wryly. “Someone had to watch over him while I was…while I was gone.”
The sat in awkward silence as they both watched Abby, who was oblivious to the conversation going on around her.
“He did well,” Rand finally spoke. “I could tell…we all could tell that he was hurting, but he…he held it together.”
“So I’ve heard,” Marissa answered. “I’ve also heard that you had to convince him to have a memorial service a month after…everything.”
Rand blushed and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “I…I thought it was…it would be a good thing,” she began hesitantly. “He was so…” she shrugged. “I thought it might give him…closure. I didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay, Janice,” Marissa said again, reaching over and placing a hand on the other woman’s arm, when she realized her comment had been taken the wrong way. “I appreciate what you did - for him and Abby. He had to let me go and…move on and a memorial service was necessary for that. I understand.”
“He didn’t want it,” Rand told her. “He hated it, but we - Janine and Dr. McCoy and Christine and I - we convinced him that he needed to do it for himself and Abby - and the crew. I think that’s what finally convinced him; the crew.”
Marissa smiled sadly. “Well, he’s Captain Kirk. His crew will always come first.”
“I…” Rand started to protest.
“And Abby and I are part of that crew,” Marissa interrupted. “I know who he is, Janice. Jim Kirk: captain, father, partner.”
There was another pause as they sipped their drinks, this one not nearly as uncomfortable. Jim hadn’t said much; McCoy had hinted, but Marissa wanted to know. It was all well and good for Jim to hover and take care of her, but she wanted to take care of him too. She wanted to exorcise the haunted look in his eyes that he sometimes got when he thought she couldn’t see.
“Jim…Jim is…Jim,” Marissa started with a wry smile. Rand cocked her head and looked at her curiously. “He’ll take care of everyone else before he’ll take care of himself.”
Rand snorted. “True.”
“He hasn’t said much,” Marissa continued, “but I need to know, Janice. I need to know what it was like for him. I want to help him. I want to…”
“Take care of him?” Rand finished for her. Marissa nodded. “It was…it was horrible,” Rand finally told her. “When we heard that Mallorbia had been bombed and we thought that you were all there,” she swallowed thickly. “I’ve never seen the captain so…pale and nonresponsive. Mr. Spock took him to his ready room and call for Dr. McCoy. I think we all thought…well, we assumed that he was emotionally compromised - and he was, but he didn’t give up command and no one pushed him.
“After his initial reaction he was…I don’t know what Dr. McCoy said or did, but he was back to himself, I guess,” she shrugged. “Just hyper-focused on getting to M’Qtobau and finding you. It was obvious that he believed that you were still alive. Dr. McCoy had to force him to get some rest and he…he sent me off the bridge,” she finished in a small voice.
“What?” Marissa asked in confusion.
Rand shook her head and frowned. “I couldn’t stop crying. I think we all…we couldn’t understand…How could you have survived, you know? The captain was so sure you were alive, but with what we knew…”
“You thought he was delusional,” Marissa finished for her.
“Well, maybe,” the other woman admitted, “but Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy seemed to believe him, so they must have known something we didn’t, but…” she shook her head. “I’m afraid I didn’t handle it well,” she told Marissa in a small voice, “at first when we got the news and later when we were sent away. The captain fought so hard to remain above M’Qtobau. We were ordered away three times before we finally left. I don’t know what exactly happened, but the third time the captain and Mr. Spock were ordered into his ready room and the next thing we knew Mr. Spock was in command.”
“Spock took command from Jim?” Marissa asked in surprise.
Rand shook her head. “The captain was ordered to stand down and…he was brought up on insubordination charges by Admiral Dekker.”
“Oh my god,” Marissa gasped, one hand coming up to cover her mouth.
“He punched his vidscreen,” Rand told her hesitantly. “Shredded his hand. No one knows that - but I had to clean up the mess and Christine…she figured something was up when Dr. McCoy came back to Medical to get supplies rather than sending for them. The captain refused to have it totally healed. You can still see the scars across his knuckles if you know where to look.”
Marissa hadn’t known to look, but she would now.
“Mr. Spock was in charge until the hearing and then the captain was back - the charge is on his record with extenuating circumstances,” Rand continued. “But after that…he was the same, but… not. He still did his job, but we…no one could talk about you; mention you. He’d just freeze them out. And I…I didn’t make it easier on him,” she admitted with a sniff. “Every time I saw him I thought of you and how he’d…light up; how animated he was around you. Happy, you know?” she asked, and could only Marissa nod.
“And then he just wasn’t there. He’d do what he needed to do and say what he needed to say, but the…spark that was Jim Kirk just wasn’t there anymore and I couldn’t stop thinking how I would feel if I lost Christine and I…” she gave a watery sniff and shook her head. Marissa handed her a tissue and then took one of her own. “That’s why I thought a memorial service might help. It would give him a chance to say good bye.”
“It was a good idea,” Marissa told her. “Jim’s just too stubborn to admit it.”
Rand gave a watery laugh. “Yeah, that’s the captain, all right. It seemed to help a little bit, I guess, if only Ten…” she began to say harshly, but then her eyes widened and she stopped talking.
“If only Tenial hadn’t stuck her oversized nose into everything,” Marissa offered, with a humorless quirk of her lips.
“How did…”
“Veronique mentioned it,” Marissa shrugged. “I can’t say that I’m surprised that she made a play for Jim, I’m just surprised that she had the poor taste to do it right after my memorial service. What did Jim do?”
“Nothing!” Rand immediately protested.
Marissa smiled a little. “I know nothing happened between them, Janice,” she explained patiently, “I was wondering what Jim did after he kicked her out.”
“Oh, well, nothing,” she repeated. “I don’t think he wanted the headache, but then she started spreading rumors about him…and her…and you and…”
“You don’t have to explain,” Marissa told her wryly. “I can just imagine what she had to say. Did he do anything about the rumors?”
“He didn’t,” Janice said hesitantly, “but some of us, we kind of took her on via the grapevine and I think that was punishment enough.”
Marissa laughed. She could just imagine a determined Janice Rand spreading rumors against Tenial. Everyone would believe Janice, after all. She was the captain’s yeoman. “Is she still on the ship?” Marissa asked curiously.
“For now.”
“For now?”
“Well, she’s on her last warning, but you didn’t hear that from me,” Janice said quietly. “The captain’s referred all disciplinary action against Tenial to Mr. Spock and Commander Anderson in cartography. She’s basically hung herself with tardies, insubordination and at least one occurrence of intoxication while on duty.”
Marissa couldn’t hold back a vindictive grin. “I’m not surprised and I can’t say I’m sorry.”
Abby decided that she wanted to show Janice one of her guys, so Marissa sat back and watched her daughter interact with the other woman. She knew that Jim had relied heavily on Janice to help him and Abby. Christine had mentioned how much she had enjoyed watching Abby over night on the few occasions that Jim had been off the ship for an extended period. And watching Abby chatter away so comfortably, Marissa knew that Janice had formed a strong bond with her daughter for which she was grateful.
“Veronique mentioned something about Abby getting a bump on the head recently,” Marissa commented, wanting to see how Janice responded. Not that it mattered if anything happened between Jim and the scientist, Marissa had been dead at the time as far as anyone knew, but she desperately wanted to know the woman’s name. Carol what?
Janice made a sour face as she patted Abby on the head and relaxed back onto the couch. “It was a minor bump, but it scared Chekov - and the captain - pretty good. Abby was having fun on Ten Forward with Chekov and some of the visiting scientists and, well, there was a bit of tug of war over a scarf and Abby got a bump on her noggin.”
“Veronique seemed to think that the scientist was using Abby to get to Jim,” Marissa offered.
Rand looked her over carefully and then shrugged. “Well, in a nutshell, yes. She didn’t make much of a secret of her interest from the moment she arrived. The captain did his best to avoid her, but she managed to finagle a dinner with him. It was supposed to be the whole scientific team, but somehow,” Rand rolled her eyes in disgust, “everyone but Dr. Marcus ended up cancelling.”
Marissa’s stomach sank, though she tried not to show it. “So, this Dr. Marcus…Veronique thought her first name was Carol.” Janice nodded, oblivious to Marissa’s turmoil. “She was trying to seduce Jim?”
“Yes,” Rand nodded, a frown on her face. “And when dinner didn’t work out as she’d planned, she went for Abby, I guess; though it didn’t really make any sense because it was their last night on the ship; not like anything was going to happen between them then.” She shrugged. “She was really apologetic when she left, but the captain was nice enough; said it was an accident and wished them all good luck.”
“Well, Jim’s an attractive guy and he does have a reputation,” Marissa said absently, her mind spinning. Carol Marcus had been on the ship. And Ambassador Spock had told her that in the other universe Jim and Carol had had a son. It didn’t necessarily follow that it would happen here and now, but…this was where Marissa started to really worry; Jim had apologized for giving up on her - for believing she was dead. But what if that giving up had included moving on and seeking comfort in the arms of another woman - a woman he had been attracted to in another time? In his past he had sought comfort and closeness in the beds of random women, had he fallen back on old habits? Was that how he had given up?
She didn’t want to think so, but she couldn’t blame him if that had been the case. She’d been dead. What else was he supposed to do but move on with his life and try to find some happiness; some sort of connection. The thought made her ill, but she had to face it. It could have happened. It had happened before. And if it had happened and history, or whatever, was repeating itself she wanted to know because there was no way she was going to let Jim’s son grow up without his father. That was not going to happen.
“Thanks for the tea, Marissa,” Rand interrupted her dark thoughts. “I need to get back to work, but it was a nice break. I hope I didn’t upset you with…everything. I just wanted to drop off the clothes.”
Marissa shook her head, bringing her thoughts back to the present. “No, not at all,” she reassured the woman. “I mean, the whole thing is upsetting, but I needed to know. It explains some things. Thank you.” She stood up and hugged Rand. “Can I ask you one more thing?” Marissa asked hesitantly. There was another issue Rand could possibly clear up.
“Of course,” was the instantaneous reply.
“I know you said to ask Jim, but he’s been avoiding the topic every time I mention it and I don’t want to…to push him. At least not yet.”
Janice looked at her warily, waiting for the question.
“Why don’t I have any clothes?” Marissa asked. “I understand that they…that Jim would need to pack them away, but…there are other things missing too. My quilt and the picture above the entertainment center and some of the things I bought off world. Where are those things and why…why did he get rid of them?”
“If he hasn’t said anything…” Rand began hesitantly. “It really isn’t my place to say, but he didn’t want to,” Rand said honestly, reaching out to grasp Marissa’s hand reassuringly. “But he had to.”
Marissa nodded, still confused. “I understand that. I was gone. He didn’t need my stuff cluttering up his space and reminding him…but…I know Judith’s things were in storage and Jason’s and Dick’s. Where are mine? If nothing else, they should have gone to Abby. I would have liked her to have my quilt and some of my clothes…to remember me by.”
“Oh, Marissa,” Rand said sadly. “He didn’t want to pack them up and he didn’t want to send them away, but he had to.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “It’s not my place to say why,” she repeated. “Ask him. Just know that it wasn’t easy and he didn’t want to do it but he had to.”
“Okay,” Marissa replied hesitantly. She could see how this was upsetting Rand, the woman looked close to tears, and she didn’t want to prod her anything further. “Thank you for telling me what you did. I really appreciate it.”
Rand nodded and tried to smile. “I’m just glad you’re back.”
“Me too,” Marissa agreed, squeezing the Rand’s hand one more time before letting go and turning to Abby. “Say good bye to Miss Janice, Abby.”
“Bye Miz Janiz,” Abby parroted, but she had moved on to her piano, so her attention was mostly engaged with the instrument.
“Bye Abby, see you later,” Rand laughed, not expecting a response.
Marissa walked her over to the door, her mind going over everything Rand had said. She was just saying good bye one last time when both of them were surprised by the person standing in the hallway as the door swished open.
“Ambassador!” Marissa exclaimed in surprise.
“Marissa,” the old Vulcan bowed politely. “Yeoman Rand.”
“Ambassador,” the Rand nodded in greeting. “I was just leaving.” She turned back to Marissa. “Let me know if you need anything else, Marissa. I’ll make sure to kick the captain off the bridge before lunch,” she added with a grin.
Marissa chuckled. “Thanks.” Then she turned to her new guest. When had their quarters become Grand Central Station she wondered absently. “Come in, Ambassador.”
“If you are sure,” the Vulcan hesitated. “I do not wish to disturb you.”
“It’s just Abby and me,” she waved him into the room. “You are more than welcome. Jim mentioned that you were on the ship. I’m surprised I haven’t seen you sooner.”
“I did not wish to impinge on your time so soon after your arrival,” he explained.
“Sel-eck!” Abby’s happy cry stopped anything Marissa might have said as the toddler raced across the room only to stop before the Vulcan, clasp her hands in front of her and bow. “Ne’shau Sel-eck,” she said politely, before hugging him around the knees.
“Na’shaya, Abby,” Selek replied, patting the child on the head. “Are you enjoying your time with your mother?”
“Mama come home!” Abby told him with a wide smile.
“Yes, I see that,” Selek agreed. “I have come to visit her. Would that be pleasing to you?”
“Yes! I plays piano,” Abby declared, letting go of his knees and running back to her instrument.
“That would be most pleasing,” the Vulcan nodded.
Marissa shook her head at their interaction. McCoy had warned her that Abby had taking a liking to Ambassador Selek, but she was more attached than Marissa had expected. She had quite happily greeted Rand and Veronique, but Selek was the only one to get such an enthusiastic welcome as well as a hug.
“Come in, Ambassador,” Marissa told him. “Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? Some tea?”
“I am not in need of refreshment,” he told her as he took a seat in one of the chairs. Marissa resumed her place on the couch and looked at him expectantly. “It is good to see you back on the Enterprise,” he opened the conversation.
“Thank you,” she replied. “It is good to be back.”
Selek watched her for a moment his eyes taking in everything.
“M’Qtobau was not kind to you, I gather,” he finally said, not commenting on anything specific, but his eyes did not miss anything.
Marissa shrugged. “It wasn’t easy and there wasn’t a lot of food towards the end, but it wasn’t horrible. We were only under direct attack for the last two weeks or so. For the most part it was just hanging out in caves and planning.”
“From what I have heard, your actions are to be commended,” Selek stated. “Jim is very proud of what you accomplished and how you helped the M’Qtobauans.”
“It was a team effort,” Marissa demurred. “We did what we had to do. UNISTAR was manipulating the government and the people of M’Qtobau. Ambassador Boyarsky and Ranoyl only wanted to stop them.”
“I imagine you could sympathize.”
“I don’t like UNISTAR and companies like them,” Marissa said defensively, crossing her arms, “and if Starfleet or anyone else has a problem with that, well, that’s their problem.”
The ambassador gave her an almost smile. “I agree with you, as does Jim.”
“And Starfleet?” Marissa asked. “I know something is happening on Galdonterre,” she continued before he could comment. “Jim’s too concerned about it for it to be just shore leave, and our communications array being damaged is just too much of a coincidence. Is he getting ready to defend me - us - and our actions on M’Qtobau? Is that what it’s all about?”
It was the only scenario Marissa could come up with, despite what Jim had told her earlier about Starfleet somehow being involved. After all, what they had done, choosing a side and actually fighting, went against their away team mission statement to observe and report. In her mind it was totally justified. UNISTAR was causing the problem; UNISTAR was manipulating the government in order to make a profit and in the process hurting the people of M’Qtobau. But Starfleet and the Federation had long let UNISTAR do as it wished, no matter how many complaints were lodge or papers written. UNISTAR was just too big.
Selek looked at her, one eyebrow raised thoughtfully. “I do not believe that Jim wants you to worry about such matters.”
Marissa looked over at the Vulcan wryly. “Well, Jim is out of luck then, isn’t he? Of course I’m going to worry. He hasn’t asked for a statement from any of us. He hasn’t asked anything about M’Qtobau and what happened there aside from when he spoke with Ambassador Boyarsky and Ranoyl. And he and Spock seem to be up to something with this communications black out.”
“Jim is relieved to have you back,” Selek offered. “Perhaps he does not wish to burden you…”
“Yeah, right,” Marissa shook her head. “Somehow I don’t think you’d still be here if Galdonterre was just shore leave.”
“Perhaps you are right,” Selek finally said after a long moment of silence. “I do have other duties to New Vulcan and the Vulcan Science Academy, but sometimes friendship must come first and in my search for information regarding your…demise, I have come across information that is of interest to members of Starfleet.”
“The Admiralty,” Marissa bluntly stated. “So the away team is under investigation.”
“I did not say that,” Selek corrected her. “It is Jim’s place to discuss the details of what will or will not be happening on Galdonterre - in his own time, but I do not wish you to worry. You and the M’Qtobau away team are only minor players in what will be unfolding.”
“And Jim?”
Selek almost smiled again. “Jim is never a minor player,” he said fondly. “It was his determination to find out the truth behind your - supposed - death that has brought this all about, or rather brought things to this juncture so quickly.”
Leaning back into the couch, Marissa watched the older Vulcan for a moment. She could see the resemblance to the Spock of her time, but only at times, like a glance out of the corner of her eye. He was same man, older, yet very, very different.
“You’re not going to tell me anything, are you?” she finally asked.
He agreed with a slight nod at her perception. “It is not my place. Jim will inform you as he sees fit. I will tell you that you should not worry. You and Jim, as well as the members of the away team will be fine. What will happen on Galdonterre is not about you, or Jim for that matter. At least for the most part,” he added.
“Fine,” Marissa agreed. “I’ll wait for Jim. We’re two or three days out I think. I can wait a bit longer, I suppose. Though he’s been pretty tight lipped the few times I’ve asked, or even hinted.”
“He does not want you to worry,” Selek interjected.
Marissa gave a huffing laugh. “Well, that’s all well and good, but I do still worry. But I’ll drop the topic for now if you can answer something else for me.”
“If it is in my power,” Selek conceded.
Taking a deep breath, Marissa let it out forcefully. She found that she was tightly gripping her hands in her lap and made herself relax them. “Tell me about Carol Marcus and Jim.”
Selek looked at her curiously. “As far as I know she and your Jim are not acquainted,” he stated. “Why do you wish to know about her?”
“Because she was here, on the Enterprise,” Marissa told him, rubbing her hands on her thighs in agitation.
“She was?” Marissa nodded, noticing the slight look of surprise on his face. “When?”
“As far as I can tell, a week or two ago,” Marissa answered. “I think they dropped off the team she was with right before they picked you up.”
“I see,” the Vulcan said, his eyes no longer focused as he became lost in thought.
Marissa waited as patiently as she could, but after a minute or two she gave up.
“What? Tell me about her. About her relationship with Jim - your Jim,” she prodded.
“I do not know much,” he began, only to nod briefly at Marissa’s glare when he attempted to be evasive. “But I believe what you really wish to know is about their son, David Marcus.”
“Yes,” Marissa agreed, swallowing heavily, a sick feeling in her stomach.
“Do you have reason to believe that something may have occurred between Jim and Carol while she was on the Enterprise?” Selek asked.
Marissa shrugged and then shook her head, as she clasped her arms tightly around her stomach. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I know that she was on the ship and I know, from Janice Rand and Veronique Meredith, that she was interested in Jim; that she even tried to win Abby over. But I don’t know if…if they…” she couldn’t finish.
“It would not be an infidelity if something did occur between them,” Selek pointed out. “You cannot blame Jim…”
“I don’t blame Jim,” Marissa cut him off vehemently. “If something happened; if they…slept together…” She shook her head to ward off the images of Jim with another woman. “I was dead. Jim thought I was dead. But I need to know…about David. Could he…is he going to be…born now? If..?”
“David Marcus was born on Stardate 2261.80 in my time,” Selek finally said after a pause.
Marissa did some mental calculations and a stricken look came over her face. “So it’s possible. If something…If they…”
“Yes, it is possible,” Selek agreed. “But I do not know how likely. Jim is very much enamored of you and his grief was obvious for all to see.”
Marissa held up a hand to stop him. She knew what he was going to say. Jim loved her. He had mourned her and he had worked hard to basically avenge her death, only to find out she was actually alive. Yet he was also a Jim Kirk with a certain history when it came to sex and comfort. She couldn’t discount the possibility that something had happened.
“If this brings you pain, why do you wish to pursue this information?” Selek interrupted her thoughts. “If as you say you do not blame Jim if something did occur, why did you ask? It has already occurred, if anything in fact did occur between them. Will not asking Jim, as I assume you will, not cause a…rift between the two of you?”
“It might,” Marissa agreed softly, her eyes closed. “But I have to know.”
“Why?”
Marissa sighed and then wiped away a lone tear. “Because if something did happen and there is a possibility that…that things proceed like they did in your time, then that means that Jim may well have another son in nine months and I will not let that child grow up without his father.”
Her words seem to take Selek by surprise. “You wish to find out for Jim?”
“Of course,” Marissa replied instantly. “He deserves to know if…if a child was conceived.”
“In my time Jim was aware of David’s birth” Selek pointed out, “and it was a mutual agreement that Carol would raise the boy on her own.”
Marissa gave him a sad half smile. “That was your Jim, and I’m sorry, but he’s nothing like my Jim. Jim would want to know and Jim would want to be a part of his son’s life. In your time he and Carol were in relationship, right?”
“I believe so,” Selek agreed.
“Well, this would be a one night stand,” Marissa pointed out practically. “They have no relationship, nothing to base anything on. Who is to say that this Carol Marcus would even tell him? Jim would want to know.”
Selek seemed to ponder her words carefully. “I find myself agreeing. Jim would want to know. He is a most conscientious father.”
“Yes, he is,” Marissa agreed with wry laugh at the Vulcan’s way of stating things. “And he would want to know if he had a son.”
“You said another son, earlier,” Selek asked obliquely.
“I did,” Marissa said, rubbing a hand over her belly. “I was pregnant when I went down to M’Qtobau, though I didn’t know it.”
“May I offer my congratulations?” Selek asked. “I know that Jim believed you to be with child, but he has neither confirmed nor negated his assertion in the few times I have spoken with him since your return.”
“I’m sure he has other things on his mind when he talks with you,” Marissa said wryly.
“He does,” Selek agreed. He glanced over at Abby who was still happily playing her piano. “I believe that I should take my leave. In all honesty I only came here to welcome you back and to see that you were well. I did not mean to say anything to upset you.”
“No one expects the Spanish Inquisition,” Marissa said with a small, humorless laugh.
“Indeed?” Selek commented, both his eyebrows high on his forehead at her choice of phrase.
“I appreciate you stopping by,” Marissa said as she stood up. “And thank you for all that you did to help Jim in his…search. I can’t say I’m sorry that I grilled you, but I am sorry if that made you uncomfortable.” She shrugged.
“I have taken no offense,” Selek told her with a small bow. “I wish you well.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
Selek said a few words to Abby in Vulcan and the toddler hugged him again before he left with a small bow in Marissa’s direction.
Looking over at the chrono, Marissa sighed. It was still too early for lunch, but she really didn’t want to be left alone when her mind was spinning with all the information that she’d gleaned from her visitors. It felt like she’d been talking for hours, but Rand had only stayed for twenty minutes, and Selek just a bit more than that. Apparently it was going to be a really long day, especially if she had to make it through lunch, swimming and whatever else Jim might have planned for the evening before she could even think of talking to him about…everything. And that was a conversation she really wasn’t looking forward to.
“So, Abby, how about a snack?” she asked her daughter.
“Chweese?” Abby asked hopefully.
“That sounds good to me,” Marissa agreed. “How about some apple to go with it?”
“O-tay,” Abby nodded. “Watch Smooglies?”
Marissa squatted down to place a kiss on Abby’s curly-haired head. “All right,” Marissa gave in. “I’ll go fix us something and then maybe we can sit on the couch and eat our snack.” Not waiting for a response, Marissa went into the kitchen and prepared their food, glad to have something to focus on, even if it was just cutting up a couple of apples and watching Smooglies. It wasn’t high entertainment, but it was catchy. She only hoped that she didn’t end up humming the stupid songs for the rest of the day.
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