<USS Banshee> "Moments of Solitude"

From: "Brad Ruder" <groundzero@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ussbanshee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 16:59:24 -0700

“Moments of Solitude”
by Lieutenant Commander Joshua Asper
& Lieutenant JG Telsia Ehling

Romulan space wasn't nearly as inviting as he thought it would be. However, the mere fact that the ship was sneaking around made Josh extremely edgy. Having long since activated the Shogun Fighters for emergency launch if necessary, Josh kept checking their status and their constant request to be dropped from alert status. Needless to say, it had been a day from hell and he wanted nothing more than to get away from it all.

He found that he was experiencing more and more days like this. If it wasn't for a good home to come home to, Josh would've probably already transferred to another post with less stress - he didn't need it as a father, a fiancee, or a Starfleet officer. When his console beeped unexpectedly, Josh sighed in frustration. Reading over the communique from his beloved Telsia, Josh got a replacement and headed home. Somehow he figured it wouldn't be a surprise party or dinner.

Cameron had settled down some, he was no longer screaming like a banshee or tearing his room apart but he still wasn't listening to Tel, in fact, he was completely ignoring his mother, who sat on the couch a headache brewing.

She hated calling upon Josh to help her out with this situation, she knew how stressful his job was and how when he came home, he wanted a peaceful, tranquil place to home to. Only, today was going to be anything but peaceful for both of them. Tel just hoped that he would know how to handle Cameron and the situation.

The doors hissed open and Josh took a step inside. He felt the aura in the room drop and something was amiss. As if his senses weren't perked up already, his eyes searched the room and found Telsia sitting on the couch with her hands at her temples. "Telsia? What's wrong? Where's Cameron?" Josh's mind went into overdrive and he immediately assumed the worst - parents had a tendency to do that.

Telsia sighed in relief as Josh walked through the door but soon again she was frowning, remembering why she had called him home. A smart ass comment was on the tip of her tongue but she quickly swallowed it, it wouldn't do any good to be mean to Josh, none of this was his fault. "Cameron is in his room playing," Tel said, her voice mirroring the weariness in her eyes. "He's been a complete hellion today, Josh. He was so bad that the babysitter brought him to sickbay because she just couldn't handle him. He won't listen to me, he's disobeyed everything I've told him and you should see what he did to his room. I just can't take this right now, he throws a temper tantrum every few moments. I don't know what to do with him." Telsia sat dejectedly on the couch, looking up at the man she loved, hoping he would have some idea. "Why couldn't kids come with instruction manuals?"

Fighting a smile, Josh sat down on the sofa next to her and gave her a kiss before running and hand through her hair. Lowering his hand to her face, Josh finally smiled. "It's just the overall situation, Telsia, nothing more. Kids have their good days and their bad - everyone does. He's young and he just is going through a phase." Josh got up and went into Cameron's bedroom half expecting to find some demonically possessed child running rampant.

Seconds later, Josh carried a squirming Cameron back into living room. The young toddler was fighting with everything he had. Telsia was right, Cameron wasn't being very nice. Come to the think of it, besides the current moment, Josh had never held Cameron without being hugged in return. "You're right, he's being very aggressive today."

The tension and stress began to ease out of Tel's body simply because of Josh's presence and his agreement that Cameron needed a small bit of an attitude adjustment. "I swear Josh, I love our son more then anything but today he's been riding my last nerve. Sara had to send us away from sickbay because Cameron was making such a ruckus, it was embarrassing but I couldn't get him to behave." It was an upsetting sight, to see their son fighting against his father as Josh carried him into the living room. Their family had always been pretty happy and Cameron was always one to give a hug, not fight off his father. "I thought that maybe he might listen to you since sometimes, you know, sons and fathers have that connection."

"I wish I could be spending more time with him, Tel, you know that. Maybe he just needs to be - " Josh stopped mid-sentence as Cameron shuffled over into his father's lap and sat down. Staring up at his mother and his father, Cameron laughed slightly to himself. "Uh, that was weird. Maybe he just loves me more than you."

Tel shook her head, "now see that is completely unfair," she said, not understanding what had just happened. She leaned back against the couch and let her body sink into it. Turning her head, she looked at both her lover and her son, "well you know sweetie, since you loves you more then me, maybe you would like to help him clean up his room." A fake innocent smile spread Tel's lips as she spoke to him, really she just wanted to get out of cleaning up after Cameron for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Cameron, buddy, why don't you go clean up your toys like mommy asked, OK?"

Cameron stared at him with that 'I don't want to' look plastered on his face. Josh leaned in and whispered a please before the young child rolled off the couch and sprinted into the other room to do as he was told. Josh laughed internally to himself as he heard the familiar clank of toys going back in their toy chest.

"OK, so I need to spend some more time with the kid."

Nodding and moving over to rest her head against his shoulder Telsia whispered seductively, "and his mommy." She kissed his cheek before looking through the door way into their child's room, still amazed at how well Josh was able to get Cameron to do what he wanted. "I really don't understand why he listens to you so well, but with me it's like pulling teeth to get him to do anything."

"Honey, just let it go. Kids go through their seasons. Since we're talking about wanting to get away, Jerrad's graduation is coming up soon and I was hoping to get some leave and get back to Earth to see it. I've got leave coming, you do too, so I figured we could go and get away from it all. What do you think?" It was a daring move for Josh to make given the current situation the Banshee found itself in. Leave was out of the question until the mission was over - if it ever ended.

"Yeah, that sounds good and it'll be nice to meet Jerrad finally," Tel kept quiet about the fact that they were in Romulan space and that there was the huge possibility that they wouldn't be able to get to earth in time for Jerrad's graduation. She figured that Josh knew that and that he was only trying to make her feel better, which he was doing some what.

Standing, Tel moved into their bedroom. "Well, since you've gotten Cameron under control, I'm going to change out of this dirty uniform," she called over her shoulder. "Do you need to get back to work? I don't remember when you said your shift ended today."

"Lark's on top of things. I've got half an hour or so before I need to get back. Things are quiet for the most part, but then again the definition of quiet in this area of space is somewhat up in the air. It's nice, though, to be able to get home for a bit." Josh moved into the bedroom behind Telsia and leaned on the doorjamb. "I hate these types of missions - it makes everyone so helpless and puts them all on edge."

She nodded, her back to him as she began to peal her uniform from her body and search for comfortable civilian clothing. "I know what you mean. I don't know how many patients we had in sickbay today because they hadn't been paying attention to their work and did something stupid. Heck, even I'm having a hard time not being edgy and a edgy doctor makes for a bad one." Tel smiled as she slipped on one of her most comfortable dresses, feeling more human and relaxed. "You’re being safe though, right?" she asked, turning back to Josh.

"Yeah," Josh said with a smirk, "those consoles are really starting to get dangerous on the bridge. Just the other day we had to fend one off from eating Juron. She barely saw it coming." He laughed as he stepped up behind her and put his arms around her waist. "It'll all be over soon and some well-deserved time away will be ours."

Laughing at his joke she let him wrap his arms around her and leaned back into his embrace. "It'll just be nice to have you in the same bed as me every night, instead of just the few nights we've been granted on this away message." Telsia breathed in deeply the smell of Josh's cologne that mixed with his natural scent. He was so masculine, it was comforting to her.

He kissed her gently on the top of the head and stared out at the foreign stars. "Starfleet has its hills and valleys; sometimes you have to ride out the valleys more often than the hills, I'm afraid. It is the way our lives as officers go, unfortunately. However, when the hills are few and far between it makes them all the more sweeter when we get them."

"Hmmm, that's very philosophical of you. I hadn't really thought of it that way," Tel said, turning in his arms so that she could hug him back and rest her head on his chest. Telsia turned her head to look out their bedroom window at the stars that were out there. "It's weird, I've seen so many stars that they all look the same but here, they all seem different, dimmer almost." It made her shiver, to think they were so far from home and in Romulan space, anything could happen to them here and she didn't want to think of the possibilities, so instead she just hugged Josh closer to her, letting his body heat seep into hers.

"I know, but it's worth it for a little time away."

<USS Banshee> "Moments of Solitude"

Other related posts: