<USS Avalon> Intentions by Joshua Garrity and Ming Kabuki

 
Ming considered himself handy if it involved things he could actually  put 
his hands on.  He was certainly capable of chopping wood, using hand  tools, 
putting things together...all very simple and useful in the home where he  grew 
up because the Kabukis had no computer, except for the comm, in the  house.  
The problem he was having with the project he had in mind was just  that--he 
couldn't figure out how to put his hands on things.  
 
After reaching to delete what he'd called up on the computer screen for  
about the hundredth time, he gave up, realizing that he needed help.  He  blew 
out 
a breath that made his black hair flutter away from his face then a  grin lit 
his face as he realized just who would be able to help him.  He  stood up and 
then took a good look at what he was wearing.  It was his  usual collar and 
jacket but he realized that quite a few people found that  formality of it 
somewhat intimidating.  Even Vilya's friend Anna had, in  her illness, called 
him 
the Grim Reaper.  No, the last thing I want to do  is scare this guy.  He's 
got enough problems.  With a slight shrug to  himself, he headed to the bed 
room.
 
A few minutes later, now clad in jeans and a UCSF sweatshirt, he left in  
search of the one man he knew was handy enough to do things behind Vilya's back 
 
and do them properly.
 
Josh was up to his elbows in the retrofit of the Copernicus in Shuttle Bay  2 
when he heard someone walk in. From the length of the stride and the softness 
 of the step as they hit the deck he was fairly certain whoever it had come 
in  was male and was familiar enough with him to know he disliked either 
surprises  or proximity. He stood and, brushing his hair back from his eyes, 
glanced 
back  to see Ming Kabuki, Vilya's spouse, standing a respectful distance from 
the  shuttle. He gave the slightest nod of greeting then returned to what 
he'd  been doing.
 
Ming knew better than to expect a verbal greeting but he also knew that the  
nod was, at the least, an indication that he wasn't unwelcome.  He  approached 
slowly and offered Josh a smile.
 
"Josh, I'm hoping that you could help me with a problem.  I know  Vilya's 
told you that I'm a bit technologically backward, that I didn't even  grow up 
with a computer in my home..."  he began. 
 
Josh nodded again slightly to show he was listening and remembered,  still 
without looking up. He reached to the side, replacing the tool he'd  been using 
in its proper place without even looking, and grabbing the next he  needed 
without disturbing those surrounding them as he altered the standard  shielding 
on his shuttle so that they included chroniton flux capabilities, thus  
preventing the penetration of his vessel by chroniton torpedoes or the altering 
 of 
his immediate reality as he traversed the temporal waves toward the wormhole  
itself.
 
"I want to set something up to surprise her but letting me near anything  
that complicated is probably not a wise idea," Ming explained.  He crouched  
down 
to get to Josh's eye level, finding that easier to converse even if the  
taller man wasn't watching him.  "Vilya's far from home.  Tradition's  
important 
to Bajorans, you know.  I wanted to set up a traditional Bajoran  birthing room 
but...her mother's obviously not here and I am totally incompetent  to do it. 
 I thought I'd ask her friends to help..."
 
Josh frowned slightly, standing up and looking at Ming. Wiping his hands on  
the rag next to his tools, he walked over to the computer and pulled up all he 
 could on traditional Bajoran childbirth. He read through it quickly, raising 
a  brow, then glanced back at Ming, turning the information toward him as if 
to  confirm that was what he wanted.
 
Ming shook his head.  "I think you misunderstand me, Josh.  I was  able to 
pull all that up," he said. "That, in itself, was a minor miracle.   I'm 
talking 
about hardware, my friend.  Did Vilya ever tell you I really  won't touch the 
replicator for anything more than a glass of water?  I'll  be honest...I'm 
afraid of the thing.  But I want to get all the things you  would need to set 
the room up..."
 
He ran a hand through his long black hair and shook his head.  "I'm  sorry, I 
don't mean to be wasting your time and interrupting your work  but...this has 
me completely frazzled..."
 
Josh waved away the apology with a slight frown and a shake of his head,  
turning back toward the computer and entering information quickly, his fingers  
nimbly flying across the console. When at last he was done, it spit out a small 
 chip the size of his fingertip, which he handed to Ming. "Use holodeck one." 
he  told him all but inaudibly.
 
Ming stared at the tiny chip then looked up at Josh.  "You did that so  
quickly...amazing.  I don't know what to say.  Honestly.." He shook  his head 
again 
and gave Josh a wry smile.  "I know you've been going  through bad stretch, 
Josh, but I appreciate everything you've been doing for  Vilya.  And this, too. 
 Yours is a truly blessed presence."
 
Josh shrugged slightly, looking away as he returned to his tools and his  
work. He didn't believe in blessed or anything of the like, but he didn't  mind 
helping where he could.  While he could. 
 
He was used to that sort of reaction.  Usually it was something much  
stronger and ended with him being called some sort of nut.  This, he knew,  was 
just 
Josh being Josh.  Nonetheless, he leaned a bit closer.   "Thank you, Joshua, 
for simply being you."
 
Josh hesitated in his work, looking up at Ming surprised and a little  sad . 
He acknowledged the man's gratitude at last with the slightest  of nods and a 
ghost of a smile. 
 
Ming had been about to leave but something stopped him.  He tucked the  data 
chip into his pocket and crouched back down again.  "I'm sorry if I'm  
intruding again but I want you to know something, Josh.  I realize that  most 
people 
don't share my beliefs, and that's fine with me, but there's another  thing 
that most people don't know about those beliefs.  Because of what I  am, 
because 
of what I do, what is said to me in confidence is said only to me  and 
to...well, I know you don't believe in Him but it's between the speaker, me,  
and 
God.  Do me a favor if you can.  I have no idea what you're doing  with this 
shuttle but if you're planning on leaving, don't just leave.  Say  something to 
somebody, even if it's just me.  I'd prefer that my future son  or daughter has 
his or her chosen uncles around."
 
Josh hesitated a moment. He couldn't promise that. If the captain approved  
his suggestion, he could possibly tell them before he shipped out. Possibly. If 
 not...
 
Well, it still had to be done. It was the most logical possibility.  It 
offered the greatest chance of success with the least amount of risk. 
 
"I intend to return," Josh told him very quietly. If everything went as  
planned...if there were no mistakes...no problems...
 
If he survived.

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