A part of something very special

Posted on Wed Jan 24th, 2024 @ 1:44pm by Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne & Lieutenant Xalanth & Lieutenant Fulvia & Lieutenant T'para & Lieutenant Leilani

1,919 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 118 - "It's About Family"
Location: Xalanth’s Quarters

Xalanth smiled as he stepped out of Yazars bedroom. It had been a long day. His work had been keeping him busy. Three brawls between mega freighter crews nearly causing a riot, and nearly fifty ships were caught with contraband. Add in the case with Cameron which was constantly on his mind.

Fortunately, he'd had time to take his eldest kids and Stacie Yarven flying when he'd picked them up from school. Something about riding a giant flying lizard always helped to clear everyone's mind.

Now all the kids were safely in their beds and he had something else to look forward to. His mate's schedules all allowed them to sit down and have dinner which T'para and Lelani were both preparing. Fulvia was still shadowing Ariana who hopefully would be off her shift soon.

Ariana was wrapping up her daily schedule when she recalled Cameron's letter. There could be information in it that Xalanth could use. She was just about to re-read the letter when a new communication from Cameron arrived, tears filled her eyes just knowing her was safe. Now she knew where he was she quickly headed for Xalanth's quarters.

"Xalanth!" Ariana walked inside quickly rushing over to Xalanth. "I received a brief communication from Cameron!" she offered a hopeful smile. "He's on New Dakota Colony. He's safe...so far!." she breathed a sigh of relief. "Also you may want to look up an Orion named Gluth, he's a contact of Cameron's."

" I'll do that. New Dakota is an underworld-run colony he'd better know what he's doing. " Xalanth replied as the transporter flashed again as Fulvia stepped inside. She was wearing the black skintight tactical suit with a phaser on each hip and several knives strapped to each arm. Clearly not someone to be messed with. " You’re not being followed at least not now. " She said calmly. " I've also made sure all the station's information brokers will not be giving out info about you and the children. Ziphron was easy enough she doesn't give out information on kids. Bemhon and Dholto I managed to persuade them to sell any information." She added with a grin forming on her face.

Ariana nodded. “Thank you Fulvia, I appreciate that. Speaking of which I need to collect the kids, I just wanted to get this information to you quickly.” She offered a warm smile.

" I already collected them for you. Took Stacie Yarven flying on the holodeck with Yazar and Travla. She's a natural at it." Xalanth replied with a smile on his reptilian face.

"Yarven flying?" Ariana looked at Xalanth curiously. "I have absolutely no idea what Yarven flying is, you'll have to enlighten me." she smiled warmly.

" They're a flying lizard native to his homeworld," T'para said emerging from the room's kitchen. " Think a smaller version of the earth's mythical creatures dragons. Trust me she'll have loved it."

"Hell I'd have loved it!" Ariana grinned. "Small dragons! it sounds great!" she unzipped her uniform jacket taking it off. "If you'll excuse me for a few minutes I'll go and change out of this uniform, I hate sitting around in it at the end of the day."

Heading to her room Ariana reappeared a few minutes later with her usual around the home look, her hair was let down from it's tied up style, and she was wearing a comfortable dress that complimented her natural attributes. "That is so much better."

Xalanth gave her a warm smile. Cameron was a lucky man. The lizard himself had changed into a black t-shirt and combat trousers. " You look lovely Ariana." he said as he began putting out the plates and cutlery on the dinner table. It was clear they were hand made cutlery and not replicated.

"Thank you Xalanth" Ariana couldn't help but blush. "Is there anything I can do to help? I'm living as part of your family, I should be helping out like one."

" Glasses are in the top cupboard. " The lizard replied with a grin on his face.

Ariana smiled and nodded. Moving across to the cupboard she picked up the glasses and took them to the table, setting them out for everyone. “I’ll be right back I’ll just check in on the kids.” Smiling she headed to the children’s room, she wasn’t surprised to see Stacey drawing and her little brother asleep. “Hi sweetheart, I heard you had lots of fun today” she kissed Stacey on the top of the head. “That’s a beautiful drawing. Dinner will be ready soon, I’ll call you when it’s time.” With that she gently kissed her son before returning to the living area.

" Are they okay?" Fulvia asked having returned from changing out of her tactical suit. She now had her long blond hair down and was wearing a short black and red tunic clearly from her home world.

“They’re fine, thank you Fulvia” Ariana smiled. “Stacey is busy drawing a picture and Andrew is fast asleep, nothing new after a day at nursery. I generally let them eat when they’re hungry rather than at set times.”

" My own two are similar," Fulvia said with a slight laugh and a smile on her face. " Dragonian hybrids eat a lot and sleep even more at least when they’re young."

“I guess we’re more alike than it outward appearances would show” Ariana smiled. “Hence why I never assume anything when meeting, or talking to people.”

" I'm a former gladiatrix turned Starfleet intelligence officer. it's my job to buck assumes." the blond-haired nova roman replied. " Well other than among my family and friends off course."

Alicia smiled. “Let’s see I’m a...section 31 experiment that worked briefly, before two separate personalities in my mind were recombined to make the new me that stands here today.” She shrugged her shoulders. “All in all I’m still half Betazoid, but I possess the mental capacity of a full Betazoid, without the suicidal drive to kill my enemies. Long story!” She grinned a wry grin.

The room echoed with a crash as Xalanth had dropped one of the plates. " Did I hear you correctly? You were a section 31 experiment?" He said as he bent down and began picking up the shattered plate parts.

" Sorry, the section is a touchy subject for us. One of their operatives tried kidnapping Yazar shortly before she was born. " Fulvia explained.

“I’m...sorry” Ariana offered an apologetic nod. “My father, my real father went back in time while he was there he fell in love with my mother. She was the true experiment, but what they wanted didn’t work on her. It did work on me, the whole idea was to create a powerful ‘super soldier’ of sorts. All in all I have very close friends to thank for saving me, and my father is still out there somewhere hunting down those in the section.” She shook her head. “They’re not interested in me anymore, thankfully!”

" Sounds like my kind of Terran. " Xalanth said standing up after he gathered all the broken plate bits.

The door to the quarters opened as Leilani stepped through. The Betazoid had a tired look on her face her hand moving over her now visible bump. " Sorry I'm late last patient was headache."

" No need to apologise my love." Xalanth said giving her a hug.

“You look exhausted” Ariana plumped up some cushions on the sofa. “Come, sit down and rest. In your condition you need it.” She smiled warmly. “I’ve been there twice so far, I know how it feels.”

" It's easier than the first time." Leilani said with a slight grin on her face as she gratefully took the seat. " I spent nearly a month over the toilet bowl. Was worth it though Travla is a beautiful girl."

" Just like her mother. " Xalanth said giving her a gentle rub on the side of her head before heading back to the table.

"You certainly have a wonderful family Xalanth" Ariana smiled warmly. "You're very lucky, and I feel honoured to be included as part of your family at present.

" I know I'm very lucky to have all three of them and the small army of daughters they're giving me. " The lizard said his head moving between the three and glancing over at the girls bedrooms.

Ariana smiled. "In my culture it's one man and one woman, yet this arrangement seems to work nicely for all of you. In a lot of cultures anything like this would no doubt lead to jealousy and arguments between spouses." she couldn't help but wonder if things were different, whether she could live in such a family arrangement.

" It's an odd arrangement but we make it work. " T'para said walking over to the couch. " Me and Lelani had been best friends since we met in high school, Fulvia was a little getting used to but nowadays i can't imagine life without her. "

" I guess there is something to Xalanths belief that were different parts of the same soul." Fulvia added a smile on her face.

Ariana nodded. “They do say old souls find one another, who knows what might be possible. Maybe all of us knew each other in another lifetime” she shrugged her shoulders as she looked towards the bedroom, it sounded like little Andrew was awake again. “I’ll be right back.”

Xalanth smiled as he watched her go. As he turned to get back to the kitchen each of his mates placed a kiss on the side of his head. If he could blush he would have. " I hope you'll like dragonian food." He called after Ariana.

Ariana popped her head around the bedroom door. "I'll try anything once Xalanth, you never know what you like until you try." she smiled warmly. "I'll be right out." with that she went to collect Andrew and Stacey.

Xalanth nodded as he called his own children before helping carry the dishes to the table. The centre dish was a large bowl of cooked meats with various side dishes. Turna roots from Vulcan, rice from earth, a betazoid salad and that fish sauce Fulvia had on everything.

Returning to the table, Ariana motioned for Stacey to take a seat next to her, while she seated baby Andrew in a high chair. Making sure both her children had food to eat, Ariana settled down to enjoy her own food. "Wow, that's quite food selection I'm intending to try everything you have on offer." she smiled warmly as she put out a small selection of the meats choosing a selection of what was on the table to accompany them. "I am really going to miss all of this when I go home you know!" she grinned. "It's going to seem comparatively lonely."

" I know that feeling. Last time I was separated I could barley get any sleep." Xalanth added as he began dishing out a bowl of the meat. You could tell from the smell that it was rich and spicy.

"All I can hope is that Cameron comes home to us soon." she offered a brief smile before politely starting to eat some of her food.

" As do we all. I'm sure he'll be back soon. If the xanrack is to spicy you can use the blue sauce to cool it down. " the lizard said. He wasn't eating his eyes gazing over his own family. the most precious thing to him in the universe.

{OFF}

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