Catching Up

Posted on Mon Jul 22nd, 2019 @ 4:43pm by Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne & Lieutenant Commander Anna Bagwell

1,915 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 98 - A Raid on Peace
Location: Monroe’s Quarters
Timeline: MD04 1830 hrs

Ariana was sitting on the sofa with her feet up, a cushion behind her back plowing through some PADDs. Even though she was on reduced counselling duties she still had the job of organising the patient appointments for the hours she did do as well as seeing who she could fit with other counsellor’s.

Anna was not Ariana's personal physician, but she was a friend, who happened to have a copy of her results. Due to patient confidentiality, she was not really allowed to talk to Zeke about them. Even though they could not talk about them with Zeke around, they could go visit a friend. Anna tapped on the room intercom. "Arianna its Anna and Zeke, we wanted to stop by and see how you were doing?" Anna said, with a big smile. The door was still closed, and she was waiting for Ariana to give the verbal command to open the door.

“Come on in!” Ariana called from where she was sitting. She smiled as she put her PADD down.

Anna and Zeke walked in, and she walked over to give Ariana a hug. "How you feeling sweetie?" Anna asked, with warmth and compassion. She was so envious of Ariana, and concerned. It was very recent, they decided to have a kid, so far no success.

“How am I not feeling would probably be more like it!” Ariana grinned. “I’m getting a pretty good idea how a football feels when it gets kicked around and this little one is on the go day and night!!” She smiled nonetheless. “How are the two of you? I haven’t seen you in what seems like forever!”

"A lot of meetings, the admiralty were really interested in our sensor logs, on the Falcon's last mission." Zeke said, as he decided to interject into the conversation.

"She meant personally, sweetie." Anna said, as she looked over to Zeke. Loving his analytical mind.

"Oh." Zeke said, still trying to grasp basic social etiquette. He had come along way, mainly thanks to Anna influence.

“It’s fine” Arianna smiled understandingly. “You’ll have to tell me all about what you’ve been doing on the ship. In the meantime though I did mean personally!” She grinned.

"Were doing pretty good." Zeke said, not sure on how much he should share. He wanted to talk about them having a baby. But he did not want to upset Anna.

"We decided were ready to have a baby." She said, with a big grin on her face, as she looked over to Ariana, to get her response.

"That's wonderful news!" Ariana smiled the biggest smile yet. "I hope that all goes well for you. Trust me when you get this far along you start to realise just how much it takes out of your body, but I wouldn't change a thing!"

"I have delivered a few babies, in my time as a doctor. Yet, in all of that time, I have never once thought about how it feels to go through the process. What's it like?" Anna asked Ariana, hoping to get a little insight.

Ariana motioned for both of them to take a seat. “It’s...tiring, hard on your back and muscles yet it’s amazing to think that inside your body there’s a life growing. A small person who relies on you to help him or her grow!” She grinned “When I lost my baby’s twin I was devastated but I’ve come to realise that I have to move on and be the best mother I can be.”

"I believe you will be a great mom. Sorry things did not work out with you and Marcus. But if memory serves, he was not the father right?" Zeke asked, trying to remember who the father was.

“Actually....my husband isn’t my baby’s father either!” She paused. “Due to my husband Jonathon’s long term health problems we couldn’t conceive in the normal way. He arranged for me to go to a clinic for fertility treatment but I was under the impression he was the donor, he didn’t tell me that he couldn’t have children at all. Instead he used an unknown donor.”

"Any leads on the donor?" Zeke asked. He loved a good mystery. And so far Ariana had sparked his interest.

“That donor is here on the station! It’s my boyfriend Cameron. He’s the father of my daughter!!” She smiled warmly. “It was as big a surprise for him as it was for me.”

"I can imagine. How did you end up meeting Cameron?" Anna asked, as she decided to chime in. She was curious like Zeke was.

"Sheer luck!" Ariana smiled. "It was while we were on Cardassia. Cameron saw me resting and asked if I was okay. He gave me a tour of the shops on his wheelchair." She knew they'd be curious at the mention of that. "Cameron can't walk, but I wouldn't change him for anything!"

"Glad you found happiness. Everyone deserves to be happy." Zeke said, with a big smile on his face. He loved it, when love finds a way to bring two people together.

“Indeed they do” Ariana smiled and nodded. “My friends Freya and Kaden offered to have me here in their quarters and spare room until the baby is born to save me being alone so as you can tell I decided to accept.” She grinned. “Are you planning on staying aboard the station more once you have a baby of your own?”

"Of Course, Starbase 400 has a lot of opportunities for the two us." Zeke said with a big grin on his face. He liked the idea, of having a child with Anna. A couple of years ago, that would have scared him.

"That's good to hear!" Ariana smiled warmly. "It'll be nice having the two of you around more often. You're away most of the time at present aboard the Falcon."

"That won't change for the foreseeable future." Zeke said, "I am still part of Special operations, and I have no doubt, that Admiral K'Temoc will have further use. But for the moment, we are home. Unlike most assignments, this station however, does feel like home."

“I’m glad” Ariana smiled. “You have a good crew but this station is a good home from which to base yourselves between assignments. Once you’ve got a baby it might prove a bit more difficult for you, not all ships cater for a family life.”

"Valid point, but a lot of families make it work." Zeke said. He agreed that life on a station, would be more stability for a child.

"We will probably have to have a few modifications to the Falcon, but you are right Ariana. The baby will be safer on the station. So combat missions, the baby will stay on the station." Anna said with a big grin. Then it dawned on her, they were talking about a baby, yet she was not pregnant. She needed to fix that situation.

“You might not find it that easy.” Ariana gave Anna an understanding smile. “Once you have a baby, you’ll find being parted from your child a whole lot harder than you might think. Plus you have the decision of who would look after the baby and what would happen if you didn’t come back.”

"Perhaps, but we have time to decide that later on. Important thing to decide now, is when is your baby shower going to be?" Anna said, slightly changing the topic.

"Baby shower!" Ariana shrugged her shoulders. "To be honest I haven't even thought about having one."

Anna was surprised to hear that. "Why not?" She asked in disbelief. "Every mother needs a baby shower." She said, not waiting for Ariana to respond.

"I guess I've just been too busy lately to think about having one." Ariana shrugged her shoulders. "I don't mind not having one."

"Then its settled, lets pick a date and send out some invites." Anna said, with a big grin on her face. She loved the idea of a baby shower.

"I err..." Ariana paused uncertain what to say, which made a change for her. "Surprise me! All I ask is that you invite Freya, Carolyn and Splendora if she's up to it. A baby shower is generally just women isn't it?"

"Some people still hold onto those silly beliefs, I hope at my shower, both sexes and gender neutral sexes join." Anna said, getting a little head of herself.

"I guess you could be tight there but then men don't always find baby talk interesting!" Ariana grinned as she looked towards Zeke. "What do you think?"

Zeke was not sure what to say. He was a little nervous. He did not want to say the wrong thing. He thought about it for a moment, then went on to say. "It's an important event, men should be there too." He hoped his answer, was very cautious, and thought out.

“Then I guess if we do this then we invite men too. To be honest I’m not that worried about having a baby shower. Does that sound selfish?”

"It is an earth based custom." Zeke said, as he went on. "If not for yourself, at least do it for them." He said, trying not to sound to harsh in his tone. He felt that she should have one. But the choice was hers.

"I guess" Ariana nodded still sounding uncertain, giving Zeke an apologetic look. "I'm sorry it's just...it doesn't feel right having a baby shower when I can't celebrate it for both my children. Perhaps a party after my daughter is born?"

"It's your call, and we can support it. But not sure, how your other friends will react. But if they are your friends, they will understand." Zeke said, feeling a little guilty for pushing the issue, a little bit.

Ariana was feeling a little guilty herself now, uncertain which way to turn. It hadn't been something she'd considered at all. "How can something as silly as a baby shower make you feel so confused?" For once in her life she was totally at a loss as to what was best to do. "I....don't know what to do!"

"Do what makes you happy!" Zeke said, wanting her to see, that her feelings mattered. Silly traditions, can be broken. Maybe he was wrong, for mentioning it, in the first place.

“I’ll think about it” Ariana smiled. “Sorry if I made you feel awkward.” She looked at Zeke. “I guess I’m just not as ready as I thought yet.”

“Whatever you decide you have our support,” Anna murmured. “We all have an urge to shop for baby things and whether or not there is a party that will still happen.”

"Thanks for having us over, we have a few er-rounds to run, it was great running into you, again Ariana." Zeke said, as he started to stand up, and make his way to the door. It felt like now, was a good time to leave. Before he wreaked this evening, talking about the baby shower idea.

Anna smiled, standing up. “I will see you soon.” She headed after Zeke. “Let me know if you need anything.” She called from the door.

“I will, thank you!” Ariana called after them both. They’d certainly given her something to think about.

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