[ussbansheec] "Home Again"
- From: "Moria Grace" <bansheec@xxxxxxx>
- To: <ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 21:16:36 -0400
"Home Again"
Moria, Noah, and the Swiftwinds
It had taken them three days to get there and Hawk was deeply impressed that
they hadn't killed each other. In fact, they'd gotten on really well except for
once when he'd almost throttled Noah, but that had been just as much his doing
than Grey Wolf's. But as he eased their borrowed runabout down onto the
colony's landing pad, Joseph felt himself release a relieved breath. When he
flicked on the outside viewer, he wasn't surprised to see a tall, white haired
figure waiting for them. "Old coot's probably known about this all along," he
muttered. Releasing the doors, he said, "All change!"
Grabbing her bag and her satchel, Moria stood behind Noah, her eyes bright and
gleaming even if her smile was rather nervous. She felt amazing, as if being
home and with her family had recharged her somehow, but that only made her
nervousness worse. There were people outside the shuttle that she'd only heard
stories about, but the stories made the people seem larger then life. What if
they didn't like her, or she made a fool of herself, or what if she just ended
up looking like a huge wanker.
Noah smiled as he felt Moria standing behind him. "Relax Little Hummingbird. If
I know the tribe, which I do, then they already know and adore you."
Moria blinked. "Huh?"
Striding up to the craft, Nightwalker beamed widely. "That we do. Good to meet
you, Hummingbird. Welcome to our home." He offered her his hand and took one of
her bags, which he hefted high on his shoulder.
Moria looked over her shoulder at the boys and then at the white haired man.
"Your Nightwalker." Moria blushed, of course he knew who he was. "I mean you
must be Nightwalker."
"Must I?" he asked jovially.
Moria's cheek deepened to a candy apple red. "I.. well.. I assumed.."
Noah laughed as he came down the ramp and joined them. "Relax Little
Hummingbird."
Looking up into Noah's eyes Moria released the old man was joking and she
sighed. "Sorry."
"You're quite the nervous kitten, aren't you?" Nightwalker observed. "I take it
these two have been building me up to more than I am." Rolling his eyes, he
scuffed Noah's hair and chuckled.
"Not building you up, hru'diranov," Joseph told him as he bounced out. "Just
telling it like it is."
Moria giggled. "Some of their stories made you seem almost like the
Guthi-Guthi. Noah's really good at telling stories, but not as good as my
Mummy."
Noah blushed. "Your best at the things you truly enjoy the most."
"He should be good," Nightwalker laughed as he led them into the compound. "I
taught him most of what he knows."
"Humility, eh, hru'diranov?" Joseph teased.
"When you've lived as long as Nightwalker who needs to be humble?" Noah
laughed.
Moria looked all around her as they entered the compound. It was amazing, the
color of the buildings, the clearness of the sky, the smells that wrapped
around them in the air. She could understand now why the tribe didn't want to
leave, why they would be willing to put up with the Cardassians.
"Home," Joseph breathed, his eyes losing their focus for a moment.
"Ie, dinvm, home," came a soft voice behind them from a doorway off the main
square.
"Matthew?" Grinning like an idiot, Joseph dragged his little brother out into
the sun. "Matty boy, you look like a ghost."
Rolling his eyes, Matthew glanced at Noah and then the stranger. "Welcome to
Dorvan, friend," he said to Moria.
Moria smiled at the boy, knowing him instantly from the pictures Joseph had
show her. "Thank you, rekkhai." She replied. She looked around again and her
face lit up. "It's a wonderful place."
"My name is Matthew, lhhei," he told her, his dark eyes dancing with her joy
even though that was the only external expression of his mirth. "Ri'nanov will
be pleased that you are here, Joseph."
"She's here? When did she get back?" Hawk started peering around everywhere
just to catch a glimpse of his mother.
"She got back this morning with Jada." Matthew finally smiled at his brother
and then at Moria. "She'd love it if you all joined us for dinner, lhhei."
The only Romulans Moria had ever meet aside from Joseph and Sam, were military
people through her parents, and none of them scared her as much as the simple
idea of meeting Joseph's mother did. "I would like that very much, Matthew, and
please, it's Moria or even Mo if you'd like."
"Or until she finishes her journey and can tell us her true name, Little
Hummingbird." Noah added with a beaming smile.
Inclining his head to her, Matthew said, "Then you may call me Spirit Crow, if
you wish."
"Nightwalker named you?" Joseph gaped when his brother merely nodded. He'd
missed it and the thought made him feel sick. "That's good," he croaked,
turning away and striding off with the pretense of looking for his mother.
Spirit Crow, it was a good name, so much better than anything he could have
come up with.
Raising one brow, Matthew blinked at his brother's retreating back. "Did I say
something wrong?"
Moria watched Joseph walk off and without a word to the others took off after
him.
Noah stepped over to his young adoptive cousin and put his arm around his
shoulder. "Growing pains, Spirit Crow. Your brother is learning a rather
unpleasant life lesson. One can not be everywhere at once and often moments are
missed."
"Hawk wait." Moria called out softly once they were away from the others. She
reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. "Hurts like hell don't it."
He shoved her off, still walking and staring ahead. "It's a good name. I'd
never come up with anything even half as good." His long legs carried him out
of the compound and into the wild. Within minutes he was approaching the lake
with the mountains behind it. Grabbing a handful of stones from the ground, he
pelted up to the edge of the water and chucked one as violently as he could.
Why do all the men in my life have to have such bloody long legs! Moria huffed
as she tried to keep up with Joseph. Finally catching up to him at the lake she
plopped down on a rock and looked up at him. "Are you upset cause Nightwalker
named him or because you missed it?" She asked as she watched him chucking
stones.
"He's growing up without me." Another stone skimmed the surface of the lake,
dancing over it five times before being swallowed up by the greedy water. "It's
like he doesn't need me at all, like it wouldn't matter if I never came home
again. This was important and they didn't even tell me. You think they'll
bother when he gets his tattoo done or falls in love or gets married?"
Everything was said to the almost mechanical swing of his arm.
"I don't think they left you out to be mean, Hawk." Moria said carefully. "Your
life at the moment is on Earth and his is here. Wouldn't it be selfish to
expect either of you to put off your lives for the other? Isn't that what
you've been trying to teach me? How to deal with living my life on my own yet
parallel with those of my family?"
Finally spinning around, his eyes blazing but tears gathered in them, he
scrunched up his hands into fists. "But that's the point, you get to have yours
parallel, I get fuck all!"
"Didn't you tell me that being named, getting your tattoo, it happens when it's
meant to happen, that it's not scheduled like an exam or an appointment?" Moria
asked. "How could they control when it was time for Matthew?"
"Is that what you think? That's I'm pissed because I wanted them to hold off
until I could get here?" Joseph couldn't help it, his anger, frustration and
sheer homesickness was getting the better of him. "I'm pissed because they
didn't even feel the need to tell me." Slumping down, he hugged his legs to his
chest and stared at the mountains. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "It's not your
fault I screwed up by leaving home."
Moria slipped off the rock and walked over to Joseph. She sat down next to him
and looked up at the mountains as well. Leaning into him she asked, "Do you
regret meeting me?"
"No," he gasped. Turning worried, sad eyes on her, he said, "How could you
think that? You're one of my two best friends."
Turning her head to look into Joseph's eyes she said simply, "If we'd each
never left home we'd have never met."
"I hate logic," he smirked. Shaking his head, he lost his amusement for a
moment. "But I'm missing so much. I promised I'd be there for him because he's
never had..." Again, he shook his head and glanced away from her. "But I left
and now I'm not here for him. We talk over subspace but not nearly enough. I
miss him so much it's like a physical ache in my chest that's squeezing my
breath out.
Wrapping her arms around him, Moria rested her chin on his shoulder. "It's like
getting a rose torn in your finger. Even after you take the torn out it still
hurts, then after awhile it only hurts when you press down on it. I know how
your feeling, Hawk. You've watched me go through it all year."
"So why's it only started to hurt now?" he asked as he leaned against her,
feeling the wetness of old tears run down his cheeks.
"You never know what your missing until it's right there in front of you."
Moria replied. "It's easier to pretend or push away the hurt when it's not
staring you in the bloody face."
"Then how come you're coping so well now? You found your name?" he said softly.
Her dreams seemed to have a single recurring object in them now a days. A tiny
red bird who's all alone and who appears to be dancing. It hadn't made since
until she dreamt she was the bird and when she looked down, even though she was
alone everyone she loved was on the ground beneath her. "I still miss my
family, Hawk, but I finally have a life outside of them, a life I'm just as
proud of as I am the one with them."
"But I'm not," he whispered, curling in on himself tighter. "I don't know what
I am or where I belong, but it's certainly not here anymore."
Moria sighed. "You sound like my Grandfather when he's telling my Mummy she
can't go home again."
"He said that?" Joseph felt like someone had stolen the wind out of his lungs.
"To his own daughter?"
Moria nodded. "My Grandfather makes a croc look warm and cuddly in comparison.
He was wrong though, well to a point. You can't go back to how things were,
that's imposable because we're always growing and changing as people, it's just
sometimes, every now and then you have to take your knife back out and adjust
your fit in the rock."
"Ah now that's not fair, using my own words against me," Joseph teased sadly.
"Man, I just want to be there for him, you know?"
"You are, Hawk." She tapped his chest over his heart. "Your in there and that's
what matters. You can be standing right in front of someone's face but if your
not in their heart then it really doesn't matter."
"I abandoned him." And that was his final fear, his ultimate worry, that by
going to Earth, he'd left Matthew without protection. The boy had never known
his father so Joseph had done everything he could to be his defender, his
guiding light and the one constant that he could rely on.
Moria shook her head. "You let him grow into who he was meant to be. You
allowed him to walk his own path but he always knew if he needed you you'd be
there."
"Damn straight," Joseph felt a grin steal over his face. "My Dad never saw me
grow to 13, he never even knew Matthew's name but he'd be damn proud of the man
he's becoming."
"He'd be proud of you to Hawk." Moria told him before pecking his cheek.
"Hey, any more like that and I'll steal you away from our Sam." Joseph smiled
fondly at her, not once seeing her as anything more than a sister.
Moria laughed. "Not a chance, Hawk." Standing she offered him her hands and
jerked her head back towards the compound. "I bet your Ri'nanov has heard we're
here by now."
Letting her pull him to his feet, he beamed and started dragging her to his
home. "You wanna meet her? She's cool, she'll love you to pieces."
"I'd love too!" Moria answered as she let him lead her back. "Are you sure
she'll like me?"
"Of course!" Joseph bounced back into the square where only Matthew was sat.
Their eyes fixed on each other and his brother let a rare wide smile spread
over his face. Opening his arms wide, Joseph scooped Matthew up and hugged him
tightly.
"Missed you, dianvm," he muttered against Joseph's chest. "I've needed you."
"I'm sorry." Joseph rubbed the young man's back, squeezing even tighter.
"You have done what you needed to do. It just hurts sometimes," Matthew
admitted.
"No one ever said growing up wouldn't hurt little man." Moria smiled warmly.
"Trust me though the hurts normally worth it."
Stepping into the door frame of a near by house Noah crossed his arms and
smiled. "And when did our Little Hummingbird get so smart?"
Moria shrugged. "To much time working around shrinks?"
Matthew's smile disappeared but his eyes were warm as he inclined his head to
Noah and Moria. "Ri'nanov is waiting in our home." Leading the way, he weaved
through the closely packed houses. As they approached one in particular with
lilac shutters and a beaded curtain instead of a door, they heard a squeal and
then a stunningly beautiful young woman came skidding out, all dignity
forgotten as she wrapped her arms around her older brother.
"Hey Jada," Joseph laughed.
"You came home!" she bounced then she saw Noah and did the same to him. "Grey
Wolf!"
Noah picked the young woman up off her feet and swung her around. "It's good to
see you too Morning Star." When he put her down he held her at arms length and
smiled. "You've grown as stunning as your Ri'nanov."
Moria stood off to the side and just watched and smiled. She loved the dancing
light in her friends' eyes.
As Jada pulled back, a light jade tint coloured her cheeks and she cuddled Noah
a little closer than she ought to. Joseph watched his sister, the way she was
looking at Noah and it made him smile.
"Jolan'tru," Talibah said from the doorway. Her laughter tickled out when
Joseph swept her up off her feet. "Welcome home, little io."
"Ri'nanov, this is the friend I've told you about." Ushering Moria over, he
said, "This is my Ri'nanov."
She smiled warmly. "Call me Talibah."
Moria smiled warmly as she looked up at the woman. "It's an honor to finally
meet you, Talibah. Joseph talks of his family often."
Noah kept an arm around Jada, though he didn't realize it. "Ya know now that I
think about it, I'm really surprised there's breathable air left in a room when
you two are together." Stepping over to Talibah Noah pecked her on the check.
"Jolan'tru, Vada"
"You're sweet," Talibah patted the young man's cheek. "Will you all stay for
dinner? Noah, you must have to return to your own Ri'nanov."
"Can I go with him?" Jada said immediately. Glancing at Noah, she blushed
spring green. "May I go with you?"
Noah smiled rather shyly. "I think Mom would love to see us both. If it's
alright with your Ri'nanov."
The look of sheer desperation on her daughter's face was too much to pass up.
"I don't know if I can spare you, Jada," Talibah said evenly.
Thinning her mouth, Jada began to pull away from Noah until she heard her
mother's laughter and she frowned.
"Of course you can go with him, child." Talibah giggled, her eyes bright.
"I promise to have her home before it gets late, Vada." Noah said with a smile
in his voice. He titled his head respectfully to his adopted aunt and then
looked at his friends. "Check you guys tonight at fire."
Moria watched Noah and Joseph's sister walk away from them and she blinked. A
slow crooked smile pulled at the corner of her lip as she looked back to
Joseph. "What was that all about?"
Beaming like a lighthouse, Joseph opened his mouth but it was Matthew that
answered. "She's been talking non-stop about Noah since he was last home."
"And I don't think I've ever spent a day with him when her name hasn't come
up." Moria grinned. "He said she was there for him a lot when his grandfather
passed away."
"She is only 16," Matthew observed.
"So? If they like each other, what's the diff?" Joseph said.
Moria looked between the brothers and then over at their mother and then back
at the boys. "She's old enough to understand isn't she? I mean about stuff like
that, and Noah wouldn't ever hurt her."
Joseph blinked then frowned. "You think he's going to..." Shaking his head, he
waved his hands. "Na, he wouldn't, would he?"
"Huh?" Moria looked confused and then it dawned on her. "I didn't mean 'that'!
I mean feelings and stuff like that." She turned three shades of red and her
eyes faded to a very soft grey.
Matthew's eyes danced and he held his breath, his sides shaking with barely
suppressed giggles. One escaped and he started laughing loudly. "You thought
she meant sex? Dianvm, you're an idiot."
The skin under her eyes and across her nose was the same color as her hair as
Moria chewed her lip and smiled a little. She would have teased him mercilessly
if his mother hadn't been standing so close. Wanting desperately out of this
topic of conversation she asked, "Do you need a hand with anything, Talibah?"
"No thank you, child," Talibah said softly as she laid the table. Disappearing
into the kitchen, she started pottering about, getting the roast dinner
finished.
"So," Nightwalker said from the depths of the lounge, "how do you like our
colony so far, little Hummingbird?"
She hadn't seen the old man and his sudden address made Moria jump. Turning to
look at him, she smiled her face once again pulsing with an embarrassed flush.
"It's wonderful, Sir. The lake reflects the mountains like a mirror, I've never
seen one so silvery and calm, not even in the outback."
"Now you begin to understand why this land sings in our souls, why we were
called here all the way from Earth and why we could never abandon it to the
Cardassians." Nightwalker smiled at her, his eyes shining like black glass.
"Welcome home, Hummingbird."
Moria titled her head to the side and blinked. It did have that 'feel' to it.
It's wasn't as strong as it was on the ranch or in the outback, but it was the
same. That's so odd. She thought, Maybe it's cause of Mummy's stories or
something. She smiled at the old man, "Thank you, Sir."
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