[ussbansheec] Dinner with the Murgos (is always and adventure)
- From: "Moria Grace" <bansheec@xxxxxxx>
- To: <ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 13:20:40 -0400
"Dinner with the Murgos (is always an adventure)
She should have said no. When Zoe had told her the station was becoming over
crowded and had asked to share her cabin, Abbie should have said no. She'd
forgotten about her little sister's annoying habits, especially the one where
she becomes obsessed with a new part and signs the whole score until everyone's
ears are bleeding.
"ZOE!" She yelled from her desk. "I'M TRYING TO WRITE MY COLUM!"
"...It's time to try deying gravity, I think I'll try, defying graviry, and you
can't pull me down..." Came the sung reply from the other room.
Sighing Abbie thumped her desk and then smiled wickedly. Jumping to her feet
she walked over to the environmental controls and started tapping quickly. Her
reward several minutes later.
"I'm flying high defying gravity, and soon I'll match them in renown, and
nobody in all of Oz, no wizard that there is or was, is ever gonna bring me
down!" Sang Zoe from the other room and then suddenly there was a loud squeal.
"ABBIE!!!!"
Abbie slumped against the wall as she laughed.
Zoe flowed to the ceiling of the bedroom trying really hard not to bump into
things. "ABBIE LET ME DOWN!!"
There were tears streaming down Abbie's face as she called out, "Make sure your
over the bed!"
A several more minutes and several choice words later Zoe finally called back,
"Ok!"
Abbie reset the gravity in the room. She let out a new burst of laugher when
she heard her sister hit the bed. She was still chuckling when Zoe came out of
the room, her redhead a mess and her eyes blazing.
"You jackass! That wasn't funny!" Zoe yelled.
"Sure it was." Abbie replied as she headed back over to her desk. "Now, if you
don't mind I've work to finish. Go play on the holodeck."
"I wasn't playing!" Zoe protested as she stepped in front of her sister. "I was
working!"
"You were singing." Abbie countered.
Zoe blinked. "I was rehearsing! Singing is my job!"
"Move Zoe I have a deadline." Abbie sighed.
"And I need to know this part inside and out before we go into rehearsals." Zoe
countered as she pushed Abbie.
Abbie blinked. "Don't push me."
Zoe pushed her sister again.
It didn't take long for the shoving, after Abbie returned the favor, for the
sisters to start rough housing as they yelled at each other. In a matter of
moments they'd gone from two professional adults to two hot headed children.
Joanna tapped on her girls' door, then frowned as she heard the ruckus inside.
Shaking her head, she overrode the lock and entered, "Excuse me, ladies am I
interrupting something?"
Both women froze and turned slowly to look over at the door. Abbie let go of
her sister's wrist and Zoe let go of Abbie's hair. They both were flushed and
turning brighter as they released they'd just been busted as if they were kids
again.
"She started it!" Zoe yelled as she got to her feet. "She turned off the
gravity!"
Abbie got to her feet with as much class and dignity that a forty year old
woman could muster at the given moment. "She wouldn't shut up."
"I never cease to be amazed at what proper young ladies I've raised," Joanna
responded wryly. "I trust you're quite finished?"
Abbie reached over and pinched Zoe's arm. "Yeap finished."
"OWW!" Zoe protested. "Mommy! She pinched me!"
"Abigail," Joanna scolded sternly. "That was completely uncalled for, you will
apologize at once!"
Abbie wanted to laugh at the whole scene but knew that really wouldn't be a
smart thing to do. Age had not slowed her mother down at all and even well into
her seventies she was a woman to be mind of. "Sorry."
Zoe huffed and rubbed her arm.
"Better," Joanna sighed, frowning. "Now let's go, we're meeting your father and
the Coyne children for lunch.
This made Abbie smile. It meant that Angelina would be telling her grandmother
about her young Marine, which in turn would get herself and Zoe off the hook.
As she fell into step next to her sister whispered, "Do you suddenly feel ten
again?"
Zoe nodded and giggled. "We're missing Frankie pinning us both down."
Joanna spotted Darius and Angelina on the promenade and waved. "Where's
Gabriel?" She asked when at last they were in earshot.
Angelina was trying to swallow down the chocolates her granddad had gotten her
before squealing, "Gran.." She coughed a bit and swallowed again. "Grandma!"
"Locked in his lab according to his sister." Darius replied.
Gathering Angelina in her arms quickly, Joanna hugged her firmly before
stepping back, smiling. "Look at you. More beautiful every day." Turning to
Darius, she asked with a raised brow," Have you commed him yet to remind him?
He promised after the last three times that he wouldn't stand us up again this
time."
"Better yet, I sent his mother." Darius smiled.
Abbie smirked much like her father. "So Angie how's Matty-boy?"
Angelina blushed and glared at her aunt. "Fine thanks."
"Matty?" Jo asked, glancing inquisitively at her granddaughter. "Go on. Who is
he?"
"A rather handsome young Romulan hybrid who makes a marine uniform look really
damn good, even for a lawyer." Zoe sighed with a bright smile.
Angelina scrunched up her nose.
"Go on," Joanna said again, looking pointedly at Angelina this time.
"Well, he's, we've been dating for a while, years really on and off." Angelina
stumbled through.
Joanna frowned slightly. "Then why is this the first we're hearing of him?"
"Cause.. Because, well, see he's always wanted, and well I never until, and
he's to thick headed to give up, and I was stupid and then someone else, and
now.." Angelina sighed. Why was it she was a flawless well spoken woman in the
court room yet turned into a babbling idiot around her family?
"mmm, hmm..." Joanna responded, half smiling. "Care to try that again in
Standard?"
With a sudden burst of her father's humor Angelina explain Matthew Swiftwind
and herself in one long breathless speech, all done in French.
Joanna laughed, grateful yet again that she'd had her UT programmed to
translate French as well (self-preservation, in her opinion, when around
Angelina's mother). "I see. And when were you planning on telling the family
about him?"
"Probably five minutes before the wedding." Abbie teased.
Angelina stuck her tongue out at her aunt.
"Ladies," Joanna cautioned, though she tried hard not to laugh as well. "What
do you suppose is keeping the others? It'll be time for dinner before we even
order our lunches at this rate."
"Kahless I hope mère didn't go past the Pathfinder set up." Angelina sighed.
Both Abbie and Zoe pulled faces.
"Why not?" Joanna asked, looking confused. "Why would that be a problem?"
All three of them, Angelina, Abbie and Zoe said, "Annabelle."
Joanna looked confused. "Why would Belle be a problem?"
Darius put his arm around his wife. "When hasn't she been a problem when
N'Ellie's a factor?"
Kahless, Angelina hoped that the stories about her and her father's wife had
died down.
"Perhaps I should go gather them up," Joanna suggested, standing. "There'll be
none of that jealousy nonsense. There will come a time when they will simply
have to accept that we're all family. I've no doubt you're father would have
wanted all of his children to have peace between them. That starts with their
mothers. Now."
Angelina wasn't sure how her father's children were to have peace between them
when JD didn't even know she and Gabe were his siblings, but she knew that
trying to talk to her grandmother at this point would be a waste of words.
"Mom." Abbie said carefully. "Why don't we just com Nell and get her and Gabe
here? If he's started talking about some medical ticktock she'll be lost in his
web."
"Very well," Joanna answered reluctantly, sitting back down and tapping her
com. "Murgo to Coyne. N'Ellie, darling, how much longer will you be? We're all
waiting..."
N'Ellie looked at her son and crossed her arms. "Only a few more minutes. We
were just leaving."
"..almost....almost..." Gabriel muttered as he continued stared intensely
through the microscope.
"I have no control if your grandmother Joanna comes down here herself,
Gabriel." N'Ellie warned with a smile on her face. When he was like this her
son reminded her even more of his father. Kahless how she still missed him.
Gabriel didn't respond to her comment as he began inputting results quickly,
muttering, "...harmonics...basic force...so...."
Trying hard to look stern N'Ellie said firmly, "Gabriel Joshua Coyne. Now
please."
"But...but mother..." Gabriel protested quietly, frowning, gesturing toward his
work. " I've got..." his wrist alarm went off before he could complete the
sentence, causing him to turn from her and reach into his drawer for his hypo,
still muttering near-incoherently about temporal harmonics.
"The work will still be there after you've had lunch with your family." N'Ellie
said as she walked over and took the hypo from him. She couldn't help it she
was his mother. She checked the dose and then applied the device to his neck.
"Now come on."
Gabriel nodded, blushing slightly as his mother shifted to "mommy mode". "Only
if you promise...not to...cut my food...or..." he trailed off, glancing
wistfully at his lab as he let her lead the way out, stopping only long enough
to triple encrypt the locks against unauthorized entry.
"Alright but I make no promises about spiting on a napkin to wipe dirt from
your cheek." The elder hybrid woman teased as she lead her son to where she'd
left the rest of her family.
As Angelina saw her mother and twin approaching she carefully looked pointed at
her brother. ~~
Gabriel frowned, uncertain whether or not to take her seriously. She'd been
known to do things like that. Catching Angel's gaze, he shrugged slightly,
rechecking his chronometer again. Wasn't it time to go back to work yet?
Catching the looked passing between her children, N'Ellie smiled as she walked
up and hugged her daughter. "Is there something going on that mommy should
know, darling?"
Angelina hugged her mother back, breathing in the mix of honey and spice that
was her scent. Then she shook her head. "Non mère of course not."
"Umhum." N'Ellie replied as she stood back and looked down at her child.
Knowing the last thing that needed to be known was what happened between her
sister-in-law and niece, Abbie jumped in. "I'm starved."
Joanna nodded. "I thought perhaps we'd invite Belle to join us as well.
Together, we could compare notes, perhaps? Check the progress of our mutual
efforts?"
Everyone, Darius, N'Ellie, Angelina, Abbie and Zoe, all looked at Joanna as if
she'd lost her mind.
Joanna smiled slightly, noting that even Gabriel shared the look of the others.
"Come now, we'll have to bury the hatchet eventually, won't we?"
~~In the bitch's back.~~ Angelina sent to her brother. Out loud she said,
"Grandma, that's really not, um, a good idea."
Gabriel almost choked at his sister's covert response, a reaction he covered
quickly by coughing. "Um..yes...grandmother, she's....not fond of us..."
"Nonsense, she's just not taken time to know you," Joanna insisted. "And be
willing to bet you've not gone out of your way to visit either. Am I right?"
Angelina opened her mouth to retort but quickly snapped it shut again.
Gabriel tried hard not to choke as he shot a questioning look at his sister.
~should we tell her?~
With looks could have done harm her brother would be in pain. ~If you tell them
that female targ stuck me I'll beat you with a pain stick.~
Before he could react or respond, his wristwatch alarm sounded. Sighing, he
rose as if to leave.
"Gabriel Joshua." N'Ellie warned as she watched her son inching away.
Angelina smirked.
Scrawling his thoughts quickly upon a nearby napkin as he'd begun to move off,
he muttered,"...temporal harmonics resultant in inversion rate at a factor
of..." before looking up, startled by his mother's voice. "Huh?" he asked, only
barely noticing his sister's expression.
"Your with your family now, Gabriel." N'Ellie scolded softly. "Stop working."
"I'm not, I'm not...I'm...er..." he paused. What had he been doing? OH yeah,
"I'm..just...thinking...I guess..." Remembering his watch had sounded, he
shrugged. "It's past lunch time, though." He told her, showing her his watch as
if to prove it.
"Past lunch time?" Joanna frowned. "We've not even looked at a menu yet, now do
sit down and stop fussing. The rest should be here momentarily and we'll order,
and visit, understood?"
Gabriel looked at his mother with an expression almost pleading. ~Do I have to?~
N'Ellie snorted and then covered her blush with her hand. ~Yes~
"Um, rest of who Grandma?" Angelina asked carefully.
"The family, of course," Joanna answered with a grin. "Now, why don't you tell
us what it is you're thinking so very hard about, Gabriel dear. I'm sure we're
all just dying to know."
Leaning over Abbie carefully whispered into her mother's ear. "Please tell me
you don't mean Belle."
Joanna just smiled as Frankie approached, with Annabelle Garrity in tow. "As a
matter of fact, dearest, I do..."
"Oh Mother what did you do." Abbie moaned as an eerie stillness fell over the
people around them.
Annabelle stopped at the sight of N'Ellie and her bastard children. She turned
and gave Frankie an angry look and then turned on her heel to leave.
"Whoa there, sis," Frankie whispered, turning her back around. "Mom and dad
invited their children and grandchildren...and they all agreed to join them.
Now, let's just eat." Nudging her to the table, Frankie pulled out the chair
for her and helped her into it, glaring hard at Gabriel, who'd motioned again
at his watch, looking at his mother pleadingly.
"Wonderful. Now that we're all here, we can order. Belle, I understand they've
a wonderful Lobster Bisque today." Joanna smiled, ignoring the hostility,
determined that it should pass.
~I can't do this.~ Angelina sent to her brother before pushing out of her chair
and heading for the door. ~I won't be made to have a meal with that woman. Not
after the things she said about mère!~
Annabelle watched the girl get up and hoped her brother and mother would soon
follow.
Joanna reached out and caught her granddaughter by the arm. "Sit down, dearest.
Please. Here, next to me." Turning her menu so Angelina could see it, she cast
a warning glance about the table. "Everyone sit," she ordered gently but
firmly. "We are having lunch now."
"Mom," Zoe said softly. "maybe you should let Angie go."
Angelina loved her grandmother and would normally do as asked but not this
time. "I can't, Grandma. Please, I need to get back to work. Gabe, you coming?"
"I'm ...." he looked at Belle's expression, catching that she wanted them to
leave. Why should they? he wondered. Why give her that? ~Our leaving pleases
her. I won't do her that.~ he decided abruptly. "No," he answered, ignoring the
surprised looks on everyone's faces. Instead, he looked straight at Annabelle
as he answered quietly but firmly. "I agreed to dine with our grandmother. With
our family. I see no reason worthy of going back on that agreement now."
~I hate it when you get all righteous.~ She growled.
N'Ellie watched her children, the way Annabelle looked at them. Her daughter
never backed away from anyone why is she doing it now? "Is there something the
rest of us are missing?"
Zoe, Abbie, and Angelina all replied, "No."
Joanna looked less than convinced, but chose not to argue. "Good," she said
instead. "Then let us all stop posturing and sit down, if you please. I'm
famished. Let's eat." Waving over a waiter, she smiled disarmingly. "I'd like a
cocktail, if you please. Anyone else?"
"Scotch, neat." Darius replied.
"Same here." Abbie sighed. "Make it a double. Hell just bring the bottle. It's
going to be a long meal."
Frankie snorted as she gestured to the waiter to bring her the same.
"Something from the Aigremont vineyards." N'Ellie ordered. "Something light,
perhaps a nice white."
Annabelle snorted. It amused her to see the Klingon whore act refined.
Gabriel shot the pretentious cow a warning glance as he scrawled more on the
napkin before him. Noting the waiters patient gaze he murmered, "coffee,
please..."
"Irish Coffee." Angelina ordered. She would need more then just caffeine to get
through this.
"Water please." Annabelle ordered. "I'm on duty. It is the middle of the day
after all."
"yes, it is...and some among us have enough proven trouble managing ourselves
without numbing the senses with alcohol," Gabriel added, as if voicing her true
reason. "Water's probably a better choice for them."
Annabelle flushed lightly. "Yes, well there are others who might want to reduce
their amount of caffeine intake given their habits of wigging out on superior
officers."
"Don't know that anyone here's met any truly superior officers. Have you?"
Gabriel shot back, smiling slightly as he continued to write.
"None that I can see." Annabelle replied as she eyed the boxed pips on
N'Ellie's uniform. "Though it's hard to respect rank when it was earned
vertically."
"Yeah, that's pretty much what my sister and I thought, at least in ..."he
looked her dead in the eye as he stressed, "certain...obvious... cases..."
Annabelle smiled cruelly. "You really shouldn't speak of your mother that way
young man."
That was all Angelina could take. Storming to her feet she marched to the other
side of the table and picked the human woman up easily. "Leave."
Gabriel reached out to lower his sister's hand, and the vile woman as well.
"Never mind her, Angel. She doesn't know any better. We're too pity those
beneath us, like her, remember. Forgive her crudeness. Her lack of class isn't
her fault, after all. It's all in the breeding...remember..."
Anger and hate blazed in blue eyes so much like her father's she knew it was
painful for the woman to see. She let the woman go and walked once again
towards the door.
"What the hell is going on here!?" N'Ellie demanded as she watched her daughter
storm way nearly in tears.
~Do not leave~ Gabriel demanded. ~See this through like the warrior you always
insist we're supposed to be. Come and sit down. If you leave, she wins. Don't
you dare let her win.~
To his mother, he just shrugged and answered as he sat back down, "... just
getting to know our father's wife better..."
Angelina growled in such a way that she sounded just like her mother.
Abbie simply shook her head and pour more scotch all around.
N'Ellie turned brimstone filled chocolate eyes on Annabelle. "What did you do
to my children?"
Annabelle snorted. "Nothing other then dress down an insubordinate marine."
Zoe nearly choked on her drink.
Gabriel's eyes were crystal ice. "She continues to have difficulty separating
her professional and private issues, and overstepped her bounds." a warning
edge crept into his voice as he said simply, "it won't happen again."
"Of course it won't boy." Annabelle replied sweetly. "We all know how that
would crush your dear sister's big bad Klingon marine reputation, now don't we."
"I don't think that's what you should be worrying about," Gabriel answered
gently, still writing on the napkin before him. "Her injuries would heal."
Annabelle started at him. "Is that a threat Mister Coyne?"
The word injuries sent N'Ellie blood cold before it began to boil. Pinning her
daughter with her dark eyes she asked, "What happened?"
Angelina didn't answer.
Standing N'Ellie walked over to her daughter. "Angelina Joanna Coyne, what is
your brother refusing to? What injuries?"
Still nothing from the raven haired marine.
Turning her gaze on her son N'Ellie asked one last time. "Gabriel?"
"I make no threats. I state facts. I believe we established that before."
Gabriel replied simply, not looking up. "It's nothing, really, mother. A
misunderstanding I already cleared up." His eyes held a simple enough warning.
"We're fine."
Leaning over Abbie once again whispered into her mother's ear. "Unless you want
to see Nell kill Belle I'd switch gears here really quick, Mom."
Joanna watched, dumbfounded as it all played out in front of her. "I think
we've quite enough of that from both sides, do let us move on now shall we?
N'Ellie, darling, what would you like for lunch?"
She hated being left clueless when it came to her children, but N'Ellie knew
now wasn't the time. ~We will talk about whatever this is.~ She warned them
both before bringing her daughter back to the table. Sitting down, keeping
Angelina beside her she sighed and tried to smile. "Nothing here will ever be
as good as anything you can make, Mom."
Angelina, following the need to change the subject asked, "Will you still make
my wedding cake, Grandma?"
"Of course, beloved. I promised I would, didn't I?" Joanna smiled. "and
Gabriel's as well, if he ever bothers to meet anyone." Eyeing him carefully,
she asked. "Has he?"
"Only a cute little red head." Angelina revealed. "Lilah Kaelyre."
N'Ellie blinked. "As in the Admirals Kaelyre?"
"You'd think a girl of that stature would have better taste." Annabelle
snorted. "Least it's better then a Romulan."
"Hey, dad actually married you, remember. Proof there's no accounting for
taste," Gabriel snorted back, shooting a look at his sister. ~you just had to
answer that?~
~Would you rather see out mother kill the witch if she ever found out about the
smack?~ Angelina replied with a smirk.
Anger fueled Annabelle as she reached to strike the boy.
Gabriel looked Belle dead in the eye, as he caught her hand. "Consider that
action carefully."he warned her quietly, sounding more like his father than he
knew. "You'll make that mistake exactly once."
Warm chocolate eyes suddenly became bone chillily cold.
Annabelle pulled her arm away and pushed to her feet. He sounded and looked so
much like Josh it made her numb. "Your not worth the effort."
"A wise choice. Surprisingly wise, given who made it," he responded, turning
his attention back to the napkin upon which he continued to scrawl calculations
as if she'd abruptly ceased to be significant at all.
"Enough," Joanna demanded. "We were to sit and have a civil lunch together. All
agreed to it. Now I insist we stop with this silly, petty posturing, all of
you, and pick up your menus. Darius, call the waiter back over, if you please.
I'd like another cocktail."
This wasn't going to work and it was about time her mother knew why. Leaning in
for the third time Abbie whispered. "She hit, Angel."
"she WHAT?" Joanna blurted, nearly choking on her drink. Turning to Belle, she
demanded furiously, "You HIT her? What on Earth possessed you?"
Abbie blinked and then just shook her head and filled her glass.
Before Annabelle had the change to answer N'Ellie was out of her chair and had
the woman pinned to the wall. "You hit my little girl?" She hissed coldly.
Gabriel, Frankie, and Joanna all stepped forward together. "It was nothing,
mother. Angel is fine. She's not worth this." Gabriel told her, trying to
gently pry her away. "Please, come back. Let me show you how we'll get my
brother home." He looked pointedly at Belle as he said that, daring her to
contradict him.
A simple motion, a quick flick of her wrist, and she could break the woman's
neck. It would be so easy and she'd never caught her children pain again. Of
course she'd end up in New Zealand and she'd end up missing her children's
lives and that was simply to high of a price to pay. "If you ever strike one of
my children again..." She let the threat hang there as she let the woman go.
Annabelle choked and sputtered. "Crazy bitch." She coughed before looking at
the boy. "My son is not our brother. Mac's a fool to let you get in the way."
Gabriel shrugged, reminiscent yet again of his father. "that'll be up to JD
whether or not to acknowledge our relationship. Whether or not you do is, like
most things about you, irrelevant."
"He will never know that you share genetics." Annabelle warned. "He's mine and
you'll not take that from me."
Again, Gabriel shrugged. "He's not a toy or a piece of candy, for you to choose
whether or not to share. He'll decide that for himself."
"Stay away from my son." Annabelle warned. "All of you!"
Gabriel laughed at her, and Joanna just glared. "Excuse me, Annabelle, but I'm
quite sure you'll want to rephrase that. I most certainly will be there when my
grandson returns, as I've been throughout his life. There was never to be a
doubt of that. I'm sorry you're feeling insecure, but you really do need to
take a moment. You're obviously not thinking clearly."
Annabelle glared at the older woman. "You lost any right to claim him as your
grandson when you chose her!" She pointed to N'Ellie.
N'Ellie blinked. "I was eleven!"
"I chose her long before I ever met you. Before Josh met you, in fact, and I
will not apologize for that. My relationship with her has never been secret,
nor was his. She is family. And still I've always been here for you and for JD
as well. That she and my son were close, that she bore his children, that he
married you and you later bore his son...I apologize for none of this. This
isn't a contest, Annabelle, You're being immature and irrational and I strongly
suggest you get help." Rising, she cleared her throat and smoothed her skirts.
"I'm sorry, children. I never should have subjected you to this. I honestly
believed she was above this sort of petty foolishness. Excuse me."
"Grandma." Angelina said softly as she pushed to her feet. She'd never seen
such hurt in the elder woman's eyes before.
N'Ellie just shook her head. "You've struck my daughter, tried to hit my son,
and now you've hurt a woman who's been my mother in every since of the word
that truly matters since I was eleven years old, a woman who's only ever
treated you with kindness and love. I think you'd better leave now."
Frankie raised her glass to Zoe, Abbie and her father. "Nothing like these
little family get togethers, eh guys?" she quipped before downing it.
"Could be worse." Abbie said as she downed her own drink. "Aunt Kathy could
have been here."
Annabelle stood there dumbfounded. "Joanna... I..."
Joanna shook her head, too hurt to say more. "I'm sorry, children. I've ...I'm
just not very hungry now...please...excuse me...Darius, see to the check,
please." She turned away from them all quickly then and hurried back toward
their room, fighting back tears that threatened.
Gabriel shot a murderous glance toward Annabelle, then gathered up his notes
and kissed his mother's cheek. "I've really got to call Uncle Mac and let him
know how close we are to bringing them home. I'll see you later, okay?"
N'Ellie brushed hair from her son's eyes and nodded. "Go on, but do try and eat
something please?"
Gabriel shrugged noncommitally, but smiled. "See you soon.." he told her,
rereading his notes on the way out the door.
"Angel go make sure your brother eats." N'Ellie told her daughter softly before
kissing the top of her head. "I'll come by later to hear about this young man
of yours."
Angelina nodded. She knew where her mother's mind was and she couldn't blame
her. She'd have followed after her grandmother herself, but she wasn't as good
as her mother was. She'd just end up the one being looked after.
N'Ellie glanced at Annabelle and shook her head. Then she quickly went after
Joanna.
"You need help." Darius told his daughter-in-law. "Trust me on this. Grief
messes with your mind."
Frankie snorted again. "Oh, yeah. And he'd definitely know that one...wrote the
book.. made the movie...bought the t shirt.." snickering, she refilled her
glass.
Darius rolled his eyes and took the glass from his daughter. "Coffee Frankie,
now."
This time Abbie snorted. "Yeah if he'd had his way there wouldn't have been a
big brother for you and Nell to fight over."
"Hey," Frankie protested. "I'm not flying again until..." she checked her
watch. "Um...oh, shit...gotta go, guys."Laughing, she hugged her father
quickly. "See how time flies when you're having fun, huh?"
"Frankie don't you dare!" Darius warned. "Your in no shape to fly."
"I happen to be in great shape," Frankie laughed, kissing him again quickly,
then moving out of his reach before adding, "Voted best tits in the fleet three
years running." Winking, she headed for the door.
Darius rolled his eyes again. "You head anywhere but your quarters young lady
and I tell Mom who really backed the car into her kitchen."
"Do it and I'll tell her who poured the flour in her saltwater fish tank."
Frankie retorted, laughing even harder.
"I'll tell her who put soap in the koi pound." Darius replied.
"I'll tell her who put salt in Aunt Kathy's Christmas fruitcake," she answered,
giggling even harder at the memory of her Aunt's expression.
That one made Darius laugh. "She did that!"
Frankie almost choked. "No shit? I thought you were kidding when you blamed her
for it." Laughing so hard she could barely stand, she continued toward the door.
Getting up Darius went over and held his oldest daughter up. "We're taking you
home, Frankie."
"No time, besides I don't live here...I live ...um...God, where do I live now?"
she looked at her dad seriously. "I think my roommate kicked me out again. I
think..."
Darius groaned. "I'm getting to old for this." Picking his daughter up he
flipped her over his shoulder and then looked back at the other two. "Come
along you two, we'll go to Abbie's place."
"Why my place?" Abbie asked as she got up and followed.
"Because you mother and N'Ellie need time." Darius answered.
"I can't stay with Abs," Frankie protested to her father's behind, not
bothering to raise up turn her head. "her place always smells like...well...you
know...Abs"
Abbie blinked. "And what the hell does that mean?"
"You know.. that whole spice, incense, twinge of vanilla hint of
pachoulli...ABS."
Abbie just shook her head. "At least it doesn't smell like sex all the time."
Zoe laughed. "Doesn't smell like sex at all since you were stupid enough to get
divorced from the only person crazy enough to love you."
Frankie snorted. "I'll drink to that...besides..I like the smell of sex...I
like it...." She ceased to be able to speak then, laying across her father's
shoulder in a fit of uncontrollable giggles.
"And here I thought I had grown daughters." Darius sighed as he followed Abbie
into her cabin. "Or did the three of you get stuck in permeate adolescence?"
This only caused Frankie to sputter. "Wait...wait...if we choose
adolescence...do you pay all the bills again...and...can I have an allowance?"
Snorting, she broke again into a fit of giggles.
Darius dumped his daughter on the couch and went to the replicator for coffee.
"No but you can all keep it up till I have you all over my knee." How the hell
did John make it through with seven, he couldn't handle three!
Frankie's only response was a soft snoring from the couch where he'd left her.
Pausing outside the door N'Ellie sighed. Looking back on things she guessed she
could have been less of a bitch to Annabelle, but she didn't know any other way
of handing the hurt of knowing Josh had loved someone besides her. Reaching out
she rang the chime before letting herself in. "Mom?"
The sound of Joanna's sobs could be heard coming from the room she and Darius
shared.
N'Ellie felt all of an inch tall as she approached the bedroom. She knocked
lightly on the door before walking into the room. The sight of the incredibly
strong woman laying on the bed broke her heart and a whole new surge of anger
and the need to kill Annabelle washed though her. Taking a deep breath she
gently sat on the edge and put her hand on Joanna's arm. "Mom?"
Slowly, Joanna pulled herself together, wiping her eyes and sitting up. "Yes,
dear. What do you need?" she asked at last.
N'Ellie smiled softly as she handed the older woman a tissue. "For once in my
life this isn't about me. I came to make sure you were alright. Clearly the
answer is your not."
"Oh, I'm fine. Just being overly sensitive, I suppose. Old fool that I am. I
should have known that wouldn't work, shouldn't I?" she sniffed, accepting the
tissue. "Where are Darius and the others?"
"Your not an old fool." N'Ellie said firmly as she sat closer to her 'mother'.
"You want your family to be whole. No one can fault you for that. If there's
blame to be laid out then it belongs to me and Annabelle."
"Is this really how he'd have wanted his family to be." Joanna asked,
unbelieving."At each other's throats like this?"
N'Ellie looked away as her face flushed from embarrassment. "No." She replied
softly. "Family was important to him. He'd have wanted his children, all three
of them, to be as close as he and Zack or me and your girls. All of this would
have confused him."
Joanna smiled softly. "I can empathize with how he'd have felt, then. I don't
understand it. I really don't. Is there no way there can be peace between you?"
"I don't know." N'Ellie said honestly. Then she took a deep breath. There was
only one why she could think of to explain it. "She's my Elle."
"But darling.. Elle and I were friends.. I couldn't ever have been the way the
two of you are to each other." Joanna told her.
N'Ellie bit her lip. "You might have if she'd treated you the way I did
Annabelle at first. I guess I should have said I was Elle. I was the one who
was stupid enough to let him go and then got angry at Annabelle because he
moved on."
"One can only stay angry just so long. There comes a time when we have to stop
and ask ourselves if this is really what he would want...and what's best for
our children...and then act appropriately. Don't you think?" Joanna frowned.
"Those children deserve a whole and complete family. All of them. Including
Joshua Daniel. I can't believe Annabelle doesn't see that."
"Mother didn't see what was best for me when you first went to her." N'Ellie
reminded her. "She was more worried about how it would look to have her only
child live and be raised by someone else."
"True enough. But she did eventually come around. Didn't she?" Joanna sighed.
N'Ellie snorted. "After you threatened to push her off the third floor balcony
before going to the press as well as child services."
"Well...what can you threaten her with?" Joanna asked, only half kidding.
The dark haired woman blushed an even bright red at the memory of her first
meeting with Annabelle.
"What is it?" Joanna asked curiously, noting the blush.
N'Ellie took a deep breath just like she use to when she was younger and was
about to admit to something she'd done. In one long child like sentence she
said, "I cornered her and threw down a bat'leth and egged her on to pick it up
without warning her that if she did it would be accepting an honor duel which
of course would be to the death and if Mac hadn't have stopped her I'd have
made her fight me." Taking another deep breath she wondered how the hell Mac's
middle girl could talk that way all the time, it made her feel light head.
"My goodness," Joanna breathed. "I don't imagine that exactly endeared her to
you. Still though...did you ever apologize?"
"I don't do apologizes well." N'Ellie reminded her. "You always had to make me
do it when I was younger."
"Well, now...I honestly believe you both should be doing your share of it now,"
Joanna informed her sternly. "Nothing you might have done excuses her treatment
of your children, after all..but you are responsible for your actions."
N'Ellie blinked. "Hey, when did this become about me? And if she or anyone else
ever lays a hand on my children it won't be pretty."
"It's not all about you, beloved. It's about her too. But you can't ignore your
part in it." Joanna sighed, shaking her head. "Never mind. I'm fighting a
losing battle here, I know." Rising, she moved toward the livingroom.
"Nevermind."
"No Mom wait." N'Ellie sighed as she got off the bed and followed. She reached
out and took hold of Joanna's arm. "I'm sorry. I guess there's more of K'Narie
in me then I'd like there to be."
Stroking N'Ellie's cheek, Joanna shook her head. "It's alright, beloved. Don't
worry about it."
"When it comes to her, I don't act much like the woman you raised." N'Ellie
sighed. "I'm sorry."
"You are who you are, my dear. I love you either way. I just wish I could have
my family all together. I missed out on Joshua, and clearly he was something
special to inspire such devotion so long after his passing. I just wish I
didn't have to miss out on his family in it's entirety as well."
"I'll talk to her." N'Ellie said softly. "He loved her, there must be something
there I wouldn't allow myself to see."
"I won't make you do that," Joanna told her gently. "Don't do this just for me."
"My bitterness and angry has tinted my children's lives and it's hurting you."
N'Ellie replied and then chuckled. "I'm not a young woman anymore and it's time
I stopped acting like a child."
"You'll always be my child," Joanna smiled.
N'Ellie laughed and wrapped her arms around the woman. "You know the thought of
where I'd be if you hadn't taken me in scared the hell out of me."
"Me too," Joanna admitted, hugging her tightly.
"Good to know we both think I'm screwed up." N'Ellie laughed again. "Lets just
hope the gene skipped a generation."
"You're not screwed up, darling. Not anymore," Joanna teased with a wink. "And
yes, do let us hope, though I admit to worry about both of yours. Such
workaholic tendencies, and Gabriel...darling, what is it with that watch?"
Taking Joanna's hand N'Ellie led her to the couch and sat with her. "You can
not blame me for the workaholic tendencies. Angel's commitment issues I'll take
blame for, but the work thing is all their father's fault." A sad lonely smile
tugged on her lips. "It was Josh's, the watch. Gabe at times makes his father
look compulsive."
"Was he?" Joanna asked, always interested in learning more about the boy who
would have been hers. "I've heard tales, but few details."
N'Ellie laughed. "Josh was so OCD is drove us all mad. I'd move something out
of place just to see him put it back at 3mm spacing all around."
"Why 3mm," Joanna asked. "and was he seen for it?"
"I've no idea really." N'Ellie replied after thinking about it. She'd never
asked, it was just how he was. "And no he hated counselors only slightly more
then he hated doctors. He would even allow me to look after him most of the
time."
"What a shame." Joanna said sincerely. "I had no idea he was ill in that
manner. I imagine that made things more difficult for him at times."
N'Ellie snuggled into the couch as she hugged a throw pillow. "It was more a
side effect of the mines then it was an illness. It was just who he was. OCD,
shy, quiet, liked it hot with a heavier gravity, didn't like cold things and
yet still ate ice cream sundaes with me because they were my comfort food."
Without knowing it, tears had welled in her eyes.
Joanna reached for the tissue box and passed it to her. "He sounds lovely."
Curious to know more, she asked, "What was his...comfort food..."
N'Ellie snorted as she dabbed at her tears. "Coffee."
"Coffee? Really?" Joanna grinned. "Darius would love hearing that. How did he
take it?"
"Strong." N'Ellie answered. "Strong and black. It was pretty much shuttle oil."
Joanna snorted. "Oh, that sounds truly awful," she laughed.
N'Ellie crinkled her nose. "It was and Angel drinks it the same way."
"It's amazing to think how much they are as you describe him and yet they never
met him," Joanna shook her head. "I often wonder how much like his father and
Elle he was. I should so much have loved to finally meet him."
"The coffee and his hair he got from Darius for sure." N'Ellie said softly. "I
wouldn't know about Elle. You'd have loved him though."
"I'm sure I would have," Joanna agreed. "How could I not adore someone who
meant so much to you?"
N'Ellie leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "I miss him so much."
"Have you told the children much about him?" Joanna asked. "Sometimes sharing
memories is the best way to overcome the pain."
"Yeah," N'Ellie turned her head to look at Joanna. "I have. I wanted them to
know who he was. Mac tells them about him too."
"Mac is such a good boy, isn't he?" Joanna smiled fondly. "Beautiful children,
too. And such a lovely wife."
N'Ellie blinked as she sat up slowly. "You like Sussanna?"
Joanna looked surprised N'Ellie would even ask. "Of course I like Sussanna.
She's a lovely young woman. Brilliant, compassionate, thoughtful,
strong...what's not to like?"
"It's just," N'Ellie began as she started to laugh, "that with the way you two
bicker and all. We didn't think you liked her."
Joanna laughed, too. "Darling, I wouldn't bother bickering with her if I didn't
like her. The fact is, I absolutely adore her. The fact that she'll stand up to
me and tell me honestly what she thinks is one of the things I appreciate so
much about her."
"I think you'd better tell her that." N'Ellie smiled as she leaned back against
the couch. "I think she could use someone strong to hold on too with all five
of hers missing."
Joanna nodded, her expression serious. "I'm sure she could, poor dear. I
remember how hard it was for Darius to lose just one... Which reminds me...what
was Gabriel on about a way to get them home? Has he found something?"
N'Ellie beamed with pride. "If anyone could find a way to bring them back it
would be Josh's sons."
"I believe that's true, which is why it may well be fortunate we've one on
either side of this. Between Gabriel here and Joshua Daniel on the ship, we're
bound to get them home very soon, don't you think?" Joanna smiled sadly. "What
a shame he couldn't see them."
"He's be so very proud." N'Ellie beamed softly and then chuckled. "We'd never
be able to get the three of them out of engineering or a lab, but he'd be
proud."
Joanna grinned. "I bet he would." she agreed. "They're beautiful kids. All of
them."
"Elphaba, where I come from we believe all sorts if things that aren't true..
We call it.. History."
~The Wizard
~Wicked~
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