<USS Avalon> The Fourth Beatitude by Li Vilya, Li Nalas, & Ming Kabuki

Lieutenant Li Vilya was not what one would call a happy camper. Not when  she 
was being made to go off duty against her will and not when her husband was  
blithely ignoring her protests.
 
"Ming, this is ridiculous," she sputtered.  "I have to keep an eye on  the 
readings from the shuttle.  I can't just log off in the middle of a  shift."
 
"You already did, Vilya," he replied mildly.  He had an arm around as  much 
of her as possible as he escorted her back to their quarters.  "You're  lucky 
they actually caught you before you fell."  That wasn't so  mild.  Her 
coworkers had called him because she nearly fainted. He'd looked  upset when he 
came 
to get her and sounded angry now.  "You're both  lucky."
 
She bit back a sigh, knowing that he was right, even if it did go against  
her nature to nit do something.  She'd felt a little light headed and,  while 
she was made to sit down, somebody called Ming since she refused to call  Sick 
Bay.  Unconsciously, her hand moved to settle on her belly, smoothing  over the 
uniform, as if to rub the baby's back.  "Shhh, don't raise your  voice," she 
chided gently.  "Your son is trying to sleep."
 
"Daughter," Ming said automatically, "and that's exactly what you're going  
to do, too.  Then you're going to see Anna after you wake up."
 
She disliked this helpless feeling although she did enjoy Ming's sweet  
natured coddling.  He was trying so hard and he was so earnest.  He  actually 
picked her up and set her on their bed lightly.  He moved the  numerous pillows 
about so that she could lie down comfortably then removed her  boots.  Last but 
not least, he lit some traditional Bajoran incense in the  brazier before 
dimming the lights.
 
"Sleep, Vilya. I'll be in the other room if you need me," he said after he  
kissed her.
 
She hadn't wanted to but she drifted off into a dream populated with blue  
eyed babies with dark auburn hair...
~~~~~~~~~~
In the short amount of time that he'd known his son-in-law, Li Nalas knew  he 
could count on him doing one of three things when he came back to their  
quarters.  The young man would either be reading from that real book of  his, 
studying from a PADD, or practicing his martial arts.  He was,  therefore, 
understandably surprised to find Ming doing none of the three but  rather 
sitting on 
the couch with his feet up and his head leaned back against  the wall.
 
"Were you sleeping, Ming?" he asked.  "I didn't mean to disturb  you."
 
"I wasn't and you aren't, sir.  Don't mind me. I'm just pondering,"  came a 
lazy reply.
 
Nalas joined the younger man, even assuming the same position, but he had  
his own thoughts to ponder.  He's a decent man and a good husband to my  
daughter.  He'll be a good father, too.  He knew that Ming had  gone out of his 
way 
to make sure that he knew he was indeed very welcomed back  to their little 
family but , underneath it all, Nalas sensed a hesitancy, as if  the younger 
man 
was actually afraid of him.  That bothered him enough to  finally ask.
 
"Ming, is my being here bothering you?  If you're that uncomfortable  with my 
staying with you and Vilya, you ought to just say so," he said  eventually.
 
Ming sat up very slowly, his blue eyes  blinking in concern.   "Why in the 
world would you think that?"
 
"You're afraid of me, son.  For whatever reason, every time I come  into the 
room, you automatically step back from me and it's a rare thing for you  to 
look me in the eye when I talk to you.  I know for a fact that that it  isn't 
the case with everyone else," Nalas said simply.
 
"Oh.  You noticed that, did you?"  Ming sat up straighter and  made a 
concerted effort to look the man in the eyes.  He held up his right  hand, from 
which 
dangled a rosary carved from jade.  "Do you remember when  you first returned 
to us that I said that only two people ever came back from  the dead and that 
you weren't one of them?"
 
Nalas nodded slowly.  "As I recall, you looked whiter than a  sheet."
 
"In my faith, those two were miracles, one brought back to life by the  
other, who is a part of the Trinity I believe in.  I don't think anyone's  ever 
pulled the trick off after He did but then...here you are," Ming began with  a 
slightly apologetic shrug.  He gave a wry smile.  "That I could  doubt He'd 
make 
another miracle has shaken my faith a bit.  I shouldn't  doubt like that.  I 
look at you and I see evidence of my doubt.  That  shames me.  I'm a priest.  
I shouldn't be that way."
 
"Yet I know there are those aboard who'll say that miracles have nothing to  
do with it, that it has to do with whatever mysterious mission its assigned 
to,"  Nalas said thoughtfully.
 
Ming shook his head.  "I've had a few of those conversations.  I  end up 
respectfully disagreeing."
 
"As does my daughter and as do I when we present our views of my being  here. 
 There were times, when I was in Hutet, that I doubted the Prophets  but then 
they'd show me in another way that my faith was still justified," Nalas  told 
him.  "After all, they sent Kira for me and gave me back my  family for  
awhile.  And again.My faith was shaken but not  broken."  
 
Ming leaned forward to pick up his old Book and thumbed the well worn  pages 
to find what he was looking for.  Blessed are they who  hunger and thirst for 
Righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  He  closed his eyes a moment.  
Alright, Lord, I'm satisfied.  Thank you  for the messenger.  When Ming's blue 
eyes turned to face him again, Nalas  could see the change in them.  The doubt 
and fear were gone, replaced by a  warm peace.  To his surprise, the younger 
man actually reached forward to  give him a quick embrace.  "Thank you, sir."
 
"My pleasure, son."
 
"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt when you two are getting along so well but  I 
think we need to go see Anna, Ming."
 
The two men turned as one at the sound of Vilya's voice.  She was  standing 
in the door way with a rather peculiar smile on her face, her hand  resting on 
her belly.  
 
"I do believe our child is ready to be welcomed to the world."

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