[ussgeorgetown] Family meetings part 1

  • From: Debra Mosqueda <captainjonathanhale@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: ussgeorgetown@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 00:11:59 -0700 (PDT)

Walking down the hallway following her mother and N'Ellie, Abbie pouted as she 
looked at all the icky grayness. This staying on the ship was so going to suck. 
Kicking out with her left foot at a piece of something that wasn't there she 
caught the back of Frankie's leg. "Move."
 
Frankie whirled, growling, "Kick me again and you'll eat that, you pi..."she 
caught herself just short of calling Abbie a piss-ant in front of her mother, 
amending it to, "perfect little monster..." very quickly. 
 
"I didn't mean it you hairless monkey!" Abbie shot back. Then she kicked her 
sister again. "That time I meant it." Then she stuck her tongue out and ran 
like hell, bumping N'Ellie out of the way.
 
N'Ellie caught her balance and blinked. "Um. Ok."
 
Frankie ran after her, catching up easily and plowing her to the deck before 
Joanna could stop her.
 
 "That will be quite enough!" Joanna ordered quietly but firmly as she dragged 
Frankie off of Abbie with one hand, still holding a sleeping Zoe in the other, 
her tone leaving no doubt that all foolishness should cease immediately.
 
Abbie got to her feet and glared at her sister. "Heifer."
 
N'Ellie knew she shouldn't laugh but the smile wouldn't go away. She's missed 
so much being an only child. 
 
"Fat-headed, barf-breathed, mutant pigmy wart hog," Frankie muttered so that 
only N'Ellie and Abbie could hear as her mother's pace took her just out of 
range.
 
She really did try but the snort escaped N'Ellie's lungs before she could stop 
it. 
 
Abbie blinked while thinking of a come back. "Well.. Well.. Well at least I 
don't still suck my thumb!" She hissed. 
 
"Better a thumb sucker than a bed wetter, soggy sue," Frankie hissed back.
 
"I do not!" Abbie yelled before shoving her sister. "Take it back!"
 
"Oh, right. You're only sleeping on the plastic sheets because you like how 
they feel when they stick to your butt, right?" Frankie laughed, shoving her 
back even harder. "And that smell is the cat box, right? Oh wait...WE DON'T 
HAVE A CAT, soggy sue..."
 
Tears welled in Abbie's eyes as she hulled back, made a fist, and let it fly.
 
N'Ellie managed to catch the tight fist and then stole a quick glance at Joanna 
before looking down at the girls. "You two rugrats wanna chill before your 
mommy hears you? You really don't wanna add to the whole running off thing do 
you?" 
 
"Make her take it back N'Ellie." Abbie said as she stared at her sister. "Whack 
her with a pain stick!"
 
"What's the matter, Soggy Sue," Frankie continued teasing," Afraid Daniel the 
great might not love you if he knew?" She stopped abruptly, realizing what 
she'd just said and looked at N'Ellie.Oops, she thought. "just teasing," she 
blurted quietly. "I'm sorry..." she added, hoping Abbie would focus on the 
apology or her anger rather than the slip.


Shit. N'Ellie would have flinched but the little ones seemed to notice that 
stuff. 
 
"No your not!" Abbie was so mad and so embarrassed that her little face was red 
and tears stained her cheeks. "You went to far, Frankie." She said softly 
before something hit her. "What does Daniel have to do with anything?"
 
Shit shit shit. Why were little kids so good at picking up on the things you 
didn't want them too? "Frankie did you tell Abbie about the sleep over?"
 
"Daniel has to do with everything, remember," Frankie answered, thinking fast. 
"I bet you he never wet the bed. Or sucked his thumb, either. Or fought in 
hallways or acted mean or spiteful or nothing. Daniel the great was perfect, 
remember." she frowned, thinking about what she was saying and realizing it was 
probably true. If Daniel really was alive, and even half what her father had 
said he was...where did that leave her and her equally imperfect sisters?


N'Ellie sighed. "Frankie did you forget everything we talked about?"
 
"Geesh Frankie get over it." Abbie added.
 
"sure...okay.." Frankie agreed, thankful Abbie had accepted that. "Come on, 
let's hurry up. If mom gets done yelling quick enough and we're 'sufficiently 
penitent' and all that, maybe she'll let us have some pop with dinner." She 
grinned. "And a sleepover with N'Ellie, too."
 
"Pop with dinner? Yeah right." Abbie fell into step along side Frankie. "A 
sleep over? Cool!"
 
N'Ellie sighed, thankful that that part of this was over.
 
"Come along, ladies, let's not keep dawdling in the hallway," Joanna called 
from in front of their new quarters, waiting for them to catch up with the door 
held open for them.
 
Abbie scrunched up her nose as she walked into the cabin. It wasn't small by 
any means but she did have to share a room with Frankie. At home they had their 
own rooms. "I don't wanna live here." She whined.
 
"yes, well, I do understand that," Joanna answered quietly. "However, we've 
compelling reasons to do so for the moment and so you shall."



"I won't like it." Abbie replied as she threw herself into a chair and crossed 
her arms. 
 
N'Ellie stood quietly by the door and tried to just be out of the way.
 
"How nice for you, Abigail. Luckily whether or not you like it is quite 
irrelevant at this point, or I suspect, I should be let down by your 
selfishness." She looked over at N'Ellie and planted a hand on her hip. "Are 
you trying to hold up the wall dear? Do come in with the rest, I promise the 
exit will still be there when you need it whether you keep vigil over it or 
not."


N'Ellie jumped, not expecting to be addressed, then grinned sheepishly. "Yes 
Ma'am." She replied as she came into the living room and actually sat down. 
 
Abbie watched N'Ellie and snickered before she remembered she was pouting and 
brooding. 
 
"Now then," Joanna addressed N'Ellie and Frankie, deciding to let Abbie finish 
pouting before she included her in the decisions. "Shall we go ahead and 
discuss the matter at hand, or shall we wait for your father and Uncle John 
with his charge to arrive first?"
 
"The Admiral should be released from sick bay soon." N'Ellie replied. "He was a 
little light headed when I left but still bellowing." 


"Eww!" Abbie blurted out. "You mean Uncle John's bringing over that icky boy?"
 
"You will mind your manners, Abigail, or spend the entire evening confined to 
the nursery room with Zoe. If you insist on behaving like a baby, so you shall 
be treated. Your choice, but decide now. I've little enough patience for 
anymore nonsense!" Joanna exploded at last, her ___expression leaving no doubt 
that she was becoming very angry with her daughter.
 
Abbie blinked. "I am not a baby! And it was Frankie's idea to run off!" Abbie 
hadn't meant to blame her sister and her hand quickly went over her mouth 
before she could say any more. 
 
Frankie opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by her mother's words. 
"I've no doubt it was, as Francesca does tend to think of such things rather 
quickly, and yet I'm equally certain there was no arm twisting involved to get 
you to come along. And none of that has anything to do with this abhorrent 
behavior you are demonstrating now. You'd think you'd be supportive of your 
father and I in a time like this..." abruptly it hit Joanna again that the 
frail looking boy she'd seen in the cell, that one who'd arrived here covered 
in blood, her dear N'Ellie's young man...was her husband's beloved Daniel. 
Elle's younger child, the baby who's name Darius hadn't remembered, lived as 
well. The children she'd mourned with Darius before they'd wed were alive and 
right here in reach. Her family was about to become whole again. 

"What's abhorrent mean?" Abbie asked generally.
 
Noting the sudden stop, N'Ellie go up and went over to Joanna and asked softly. 
"Are you ok, Mrs. Murgo?"
 
"Yes, N'Ellie dearest, I'm fine. Do see what's keeping the men, please...I 
should like to get on with this." Turning to Abigail, she answered, "It means 
objectionable, hateful, repugnant, repulsive, disgusting...shall I continue?"
 
"What's objectionable mean?" Abbie asked in reply. 
 
"They are all synonyms, my dear, hence all mean essentially the same thing. 
Should you have further questions, perhaps you should look them up." Joanna 
answered tiredly.
 
Slipping off to a corner of the room, N'Ellie contacted sick bay to check on 
the Admiral, and Josh. Sinder reported that the Admiral had just left and was 
still feeling rather weakened. Mac told her that "Bean" was being a pain in the 
ass but was staying put cause Zack was there. 
 
"Oh." Abbie replied, her pout returning only this time cause she felt as if her 
mother didn't have time for her. Getting up from the chair she'd been slumped 
in she walked over and sat next to Frankie, leaning her head on her sister's 
arm. 
 
Walking back over to Mrs. Murgo, N'Ellie watched the girls a moment before 
telling her what was going on. "Zack's with Josh and Mac, the Admiral is on his 
way, and I'm not sure about the Captain. I think someone said something about 
the Tempest."
 
"Oh, dear," Joanna answered as though just remembering. "Their launch party is 
tonight. No doubt he's gone to accompany Lindsey." She nodded, straightening 
herself and nodding to N'Ellie. "Very well then. We will not attempt to tell 
Zachary without John present. It would do no good to undermine his authority 
with his boys now. Not after all he's done for them. However, the girls will be 
told once Darius arrives."
 
N'Ellie nodded. "Yes Ma'am." She looked over at the girls again and then added. 
"Why don't I make some tea." Without waiting for a reply she headed for the 
small kitchen. 
 
"Excellent idea," Joanna nodded absently before shooing the girls off to the 
other room. "Go on, ladies, let's freshen up. No sense your father seeing us 
frazzled, is there?"
 
As Abbie followed Frankie towards the bathroom she whispered, "Why doesn't she 
just ask us to leave when she doesn't want us around?" 
 
As she set the tea kettle on the small burner, N'Ellie knew that she was in for 
something or another. Sending the kids off can't be a good sign can it? 
Normally means adults want to talk about adult things, right? 
 
Joanna followed N'Ellie into the kitchen and sighed. "N'Ellie dearest, I 
thought perhaps you should be prepared. There will no doubt be many questions 
about your young man, which only you will be here to answer. I realize that 
this puts you in an awkward position, but you must understand. He's our family, 
despite all the time that's passed, and we'll likely want to know him as much 
as possible. And you do."
 
Again with the my young man thing. "We just friends." She replied out loud. 
"He's not social. People tend to make him nervous, I don't think you and the 
Admiral should get your hopes up about this family thing, Mrs. Murgo. Josh has 
never had anything more then Zack."
 
"Of course you are, dear, I saw at once that there was no further attachment 
than mere friendship. Naturally, it was so obvious." Joanna rolled her eyes to 
show how very silly she found N'Ellie's continued protestations. "methinks thou 
dost protest too much, my dear." She smiled, then shook her head. "I find it 
interesting that you should believe he's no more than Zack given how very many 
kept vigil for him, yourself included."
 
"Protest against what? What further attachment?" N'Ellie asked. There was 
genuine confusion in her eyes. "Aside from the Captain and Zack those were 
merely friends. He doesn't really understand friendship to much, but he's 
getting there."
 
"I find it nearly impossible to believe that someone who doesn't understand 
friendship should be met with such incredible loyalty from so many." She 
smiled. 
 
N'Ellie put tea leaves into the tea pot and then poured hot water over it. 
"It's more about trust then anything. Coming from what he has, he's hard to win 
over, doesn't trust easily. I'm not even sure why he trusts me so much." 
 
"Because he's taken with you, my dear, or so I understand." Joanna laughed, 
gathering cups for everyone. 
 
N'Ellie's head snapped up. "Huh?"
 
Loading it all onto the tray, Joanna shook her head with a laugh. "No need to 
rush it, dearest, you'll discover it all soon enough on your own."
 
"Discover what?" N'Ellie asked as she followed Joanna out into the living room. 
"Why do I feel like you know something I don't?" 
 
A loud little girl scream came from the bathroom. "You did that on poorpus!"
 
Setting the tray down quickly and ignoring N'Ellie's question entirely, Joanna 
hurried to the bathroom. "Ladies!"
 
The front of Abbie's shirt was soaked as she stood in front of the sink holding 
a tube of Fodder toothpaste. The water in the sink was running, the floor was 
soaked, and she was throwing the blue goop at Frankie. 
 
"She bumped me and water sprayed and now she's lost her mind!" Frankie 
complained loudly, looking innocently shocked by her sister's behavior.
 
"Oh, I'm quite certain that's exactly how it happened," Joanna answered dryly. 
"Do go in and change immediately, before your father arrives," she demanded, 
herding them out toward their room. "N'Ellie, dearest, be a doll and fetch more 
towels for me, would you? I'm afraid we've a bit of a mess in here."
 
"She got me wet cause I said I was scared that you and Daddy were getting a 
divorce." Abbie whined. 
 
N'Ellie simply got the towels and headed for the bathroom to clean up the mess. 
 
"We're doing no such thing," Joanna sighed, shaking her head as she took the 
towels from N'Ellie. "At least, that's not in the plans at the moment, now do 
stop fussing and change, dear, please."
 
"But your fighting and you made us come here and leave him on the station and 
now we have to live here and your still upset and it makes you cry when you 
don't think we're around." Abbie said without once taking a breath.
 
"No matter how much you love someone, you will still argue. And, yes, at times 
even cry." She smiled reassuringly at her girls. "However, if it's really love, 
you will work through it. And I do love your father. Very much."

Abbie looked at her mother for a long moment. Then as if everything seemed to 
click her little face and body relaxed. "Ok." She finally said and then hugged 
her mother quickly before running into her room to change. 
 
Joanna shook her head and sighed, tired already and knowing there was more to 
come. Glancing at N'Ellie, however, she smiled again. "I'm so glad you're here 
with us, dear." she told her honestly, hugging her quickly before taking the 
wet towels to the recycling unit.
 
N'Ellie had been smiling while she watched Joanna and Abbie. She and her own 
mother were on good terms but she wouldn't say they were close. K'Narie wasn't 
really ever around to become that close too. Her mother loved her and N'Ellie 
knew it, but her day to day care and raising had been done by her governesses. 
N'Ellie was surprised by the sudden hug and blinked as she watched Joanna put 
the towels in the recycling unit. "Um.. You are?"
 
Joanna waved away her confusion with a laugh. "Of course, silly girl," as she 
sat down to tea, patting the seat next to her for N'Ellie to join her.


If you only knew half of what I do... You wouldn't be. N'Ellie took the seat 
next to Joanna and quickly drew her legs up, hugging them. She was so lost in 
her own thoughts that she didn't hear the door chime. 
 
Joanna jumped up and opened the door, then stepped back to admit Darius. 
"N'Ellie, dearest, do go in and gather the other girls, please. It's time for a 
family discussion."
 
N'Ellie looked up at Joanna a moment until her request clicked inside her busy 
mind. "Oh, yeah sure." She tried really really hard not to glare, curl her lip, 
or do any other gesture as she walked past Darius.
 
"I think she'd take my head off if she could." Darius commented once the girl 
was out of the room. Then he looked at Joanna and gently pulled her to him. 
 
"Well, darling, can you really blame her given her obvious feelings for the 
boy...well, obvious, apparently, to everyone but her..." she allowed herself to 
be drawn close, her mind still reeling with all that they'd come to learn. 



Darius held her tightly yet gingerly as if she might break in his arms. "She's 
disliked me long before any of this. She's merely tolerated me for your 
benefit. But now she truly hates me and I can't honestly blame her for it." 
He'd missed Joanna so much during their time apart. The thought of how he'd 
hurt her made his heart hurt. 
 
"Nonsense," Joanna frowned, pulling away. "She'd always been quite respectful 
to you, and showed no signs of dislike before coming aboard here, at least not 
in front of me. I suspect much of it has to do with her young man."
 
Darius wasn't going to argue with Joanna about her girl's feelings for him so 
he let it drop. "You do know every time you call him that her face colors and 
her eyes all but bug out." 
 
Joanna laughed, "Yes dear, I do, but it doesn't make it any less so, now does 
it?"
 
"No." Darius answered. "But from what I've heard the girl doesn't seem the type 
to see that sort of thing."
 
"No, indeed." Joanna agreed. "I suspect that's the last thing she'd look for."


"Seems she's doing everything she can to not look for it." Darius finally let 
Joanna go and lead them over to the couch. He'd have stood there holding her 
all night long, but he still felt rather run down. 
 
"And yet it's found her either way." Joanna smiled, accompanying him to the 
couch. "It seems her young man is no better at attachments. As I understand it, 
he's quite good at keeping even those closest to him at arms length."
 
Darius sighed as he pulled Joanna down onto his lap. "His my son and I don't 
know anything about him."
 
Joanna looked toward the door where N'Ellie was herding in the girls, including 
the groggy but now awake Zoe, and smiled. "It is my hope we will now do 
something about that. Come along girls, find a seat. N'Ellie, you and Zoe here 
next to me, please. It's time we all discussed why we are staying aboard."




Zoe had her head on N'Ellie shoulder as she yawned away the last of sleepys. 
 
As soon as Abbie saw her father she yelled. "DADDY!" Running over to where her 
parents where she quickly wrapped her arms around her father's neck from the 
side since her mother was on his lap. She smiled brightly at this sight of this 
since she knew that they were Ok. Mommy never sits on Daddy's lap when she's 
mad at him. 
 
N'Ellie sat down next to Joanna as told, making sure not to jostle the little 
one she was holding. "She was awake so I picked her up cause she was asking for 
you. I hope that's ok?"
 
"Of course, love," Joanna answered, shifting to a place next to Darius rather 
than on him and gathering up her youngest in her arms. "Everyone sit down, now. 
Your father has something to tell you."

He really should have seen that coming, but he hadn't. Darius looked over at 
Joanna with a dumbfounded look on his face. 
 
"What is it Daddy?" Abbie asked as she sat down next to Frankie. 
 
Darius didn't reply right away. He wasn't sure how too. How the hell do you 
explain something like this to children? "A long time ago someone made a 
mistake." He started. Ok a lot of someones me included. "They told me that 
Daniel had been killed."
 
"Who told you that, Daddy?" Frankie interrupted, knowing already that they lied.

"Admiral Hilliard." Darius answered. "But he was wrong. Daniel wasn't killed. 
He was taken away."
 
"Taken where, Daddy? Why?" Frankie had to know. Why was Daniel the great 
stolen? How come he was back? How did Uncle John get him and why didn't he just 
give him back?


Darius knew he didn't want his daughters known all the details so he had to 
think of how to kid proof this. "He was taken to Gorn space. When they found 
him they thought he was someone else. Uncle John found him and brought him 
back." 
 
Abbie blinked. "Wait. You mean he's alive and he's here?" 
 
N'Ellie sat quietly and listened as the Admiral tried to explain, not feeling 
one ounce of sympathy for him. He made his bed now he's laying in it. 
 
"How come they thought he was someone else? Didn't they do scans? Didn't they 
check? And how come Uncle John didn't give him back to you then?" Frankie 
demanded to know. "Didn't Uncle John want you to have him back?"


"When they found him he was wearing clothes with a different name." Darius 
explained. "The did scans but not the type that would tell them that he was 
someone else. And you'll have to ask your Uncle John why he did what he did." 
 
Abbie blinked again. "So he is alive and he is here.. Where? Who is he?" Then 
something clicked. "The Vampire!"
 
Zoe jumped in her mother's arms when Abbie yelled. 
 
"That's not fair Uncle John keeping your son. That's just mean, he knew you 
wanted him back. Uncle John is a kidnapper!" Frankie boomed indignantly.
 
"Shh," Joanna soothed Zoe again, casting a stern look at both Abbie and 
Frankie. "Mind your tone, ladies. Your Uncle John did what he could at the 
time, as I'm sure your father realizes, and you've already been told, Daniel is 
not a vampire."


Darius sighed. "Yes, John did what he needed to do at the time. He had to do 
what was best for Daniel and his little brother." 
 
"Josh." N'Ellie finally spoke up. "His name's Josh not Daniel."
 
"I'm sorry to disagree with you,dearest. The name he's best known by is Josh, 
perhaps. But his birth name is, indeed, Daniel Jacob Murgo." 


N'Ellie shook her head. "He doesn't even know he's Daniel. He only knows how to 
be Josh cause that's who he is. If you expect him to be someone he's not right 
from the start he's never going to allow you in."
 
"My Mommy said his name is Daniel." Abbie huffed. "Josh is a stupid name."
 
"Actually," Joanna corrected gently, "Joshua is a lovely name...however..it's 
not his. We'll give him time to adjust, of course, but we will have to expect 
him to come to terms with it at some point. It is who he is."
 
"How come he doesn't know he's Daniel?" Frankie asked. "Why wouldn't Uncle John 
tell him?"

N'Ellie sighed, trying hard to keep her temper in check. "Whether or not he 
adjusts and comes to terms with it, he's not Daniel, he's Josh. He can except 
the Admiral is his father and your his family without having to change who he 
is." 
 
"It was safer not to tell him pumpkin." Darius jumped in. "And like N'Ellie 
said he didn't rememeber. It could have hurt him to tell him the truth."
 
"Hurt him how? It won't hurt him now will it?" Frankie demanded. Her eyes went 
wide as a sudden thought hit her. "Is that why he's in sickbay, Daddy? Did he 
get hurt for being Daniel?"


Darius was caught off guard by the point blank question from his ten year old. 
He didn't know how to answer that without scaring her. He looked over at Joanna 
and silently begged her for a little help now. 
 
Joanna looked at him and shook her head. "They'll need to know eventually, 
dearest. Just remember no more than what they've actually asked. But it's time 
to tell them in all honesty what we know. Otherwise, they won't understand him, 
and I suspect he'll require a great deal of understanding at this point, don't 
you?"


"But Joanna," Darius protested softly and in a near whisper. "They're just 
babies."
 
"They're older than he was, Darius, save Zoe, and she's not too terribly much 
younger, is she?" Joanna answered calmly. "No more than what they ask, in no 
more detail than what they demand. But answer them. Please." Looking straight 
into his eyes, she insisted. "They've a right to know, Darius. We all do." 
Glancing toward N'Ellie, she added, "If N'Ellie and I knew all the details, we 
could answer them individually, separately, but the fact is they'd compare 
notes anyway. You know this. Better we should be upfront from the start, don't 
you think?"


Darius sighed, brushed Zoe's cheek lightly which made her smile, and then 
turned back to look at the girls. "Yes pumpkin he was."
 
"Why would they hurt him for being Daniel, Daddy? Is it bad? Is that why he 
isn't supposed to know or remember, was something wrong with being Daniel?" 
Frankie paused to give her father a chance to catch up even as more and more 
questions formed in her head.


"There were somethings going on that scared and worried some people and 
sometimes when people don't undertsand something or they're scared of it they 
want to get rid of it." Darius explained. "Like when you scream at a spider and 
the step on it."
 
Now Frankie looked really confused. "So, then...Daniel scared them? And they 
wanted to squash him...but he was just little, wasn't he? Why were they afraid 
of Daniel?" her eyes went wide again and she blurted out, "Unless he really is 
a vampire! Is he, Daddy? Is that why they wanted to kill him? Is Daniel a 
vampire?"

"Our brother's a vampire!" Abbie added in. "That's so cool! I bet he's just 
like Lestat.. From the second book not the first."
 
Darius shook his head. He worried about his middle daughter at times. "No 
girls. Josh isn't a vampire. And it's not so much people were scared of him." 
Those some were. "But of the work going on around him."
 
Frankie considered it a moment, then shrugged. "Okay, wait," she said at last, 
frowning at her father. "The vampire is really Daniel..but he's not 
Daniel...and he's not really a vampire....and they were scared of him, only not 
really him just the work around him even though he was just little...and so 
even though they wasn't exactly scared of him they're still hurting him for 
being Daniel...even though he's Josh now, not Daniel...." she looked at 
N'Ellie, completely baffled. "Is stuff with him always this confusing?"


N'Ellie nodded. "'fraid so half pint. But in the long run once you get to know 
him, he's worth it."
 
"If you say so," Frankie shrugged noncommitally. "Doesn't sound like being 
Daniel the great was so great after all, though. Why would he want to be now?"

"Daniel the great?" Darius asked.
 
N'Ellie tried to reassure Frankie with a bit of a smile. "He's not gonna want 
to be Daniel, but that doesn't mean that in time he won't want to be your 
brother, cause it's hard to miss that your way worth it too."
 
"Maybe," Frankie said, still thinking. "But what about the little brother?"


"Zack's a great kid." N'Ellie told her. "He's protective of Josh so he might be 
leery for awhile." She looked pointed at Darius before looking at the girls 
again. 
 
Abbie sighed. "Now we gots two brothers?" And she thought time with her parents 
had been stretched when Zoe was born. "Why does everything have to change? 
Can't we just go home now."
 
"No dearest, I'm afraid not," Joanna answered with a sigh. "We've a family to 
put back together, and yes, dearest, it includes two brothers, reluctant as 
they may be." She stood with Zoe in her arms. "I suspect it might be best if we 
took some time now to let this all sink in before examining things any further. 
I believe N'Ellie invited our two wayward oldest to join her, and Zoe's fallen 
asleep in my arms yet again. Ordinarily I'd say no, given today's antics, but I 
suspect it might be good to overlook such things tonight. Darius?"

Darius ran his hand through his hair and then looked at the girls. "As long as 
they know we'll talk about running lose around the ship later on, it's fine 
with me." 
 
N'Ellie stood and smiled. "Ok you two grab your gear."
 
The girls wasted no time doing as she said, grabbing their gear and kissing 
each parent quickly on the cheek before running out the door.
 
"Come on,"Frankie called from the hallway," N'Ellie...hurry..before they change 
their minds!"


N'Ellie laughed as she was being pulled out the door by Abbie. "Goodnight." She 
manged. "I'll have them home before my shift." 
 
Darius smiled as the door hissed closed once the girls had gotten N'Ellie out 
of it. Getting up he walked over to Joanna and their baby and held them both. 
"I hope she can handle them." He kissed his wife's cheek. "Shall I sleep out 
here?"
 
"I should think not," Joanna answered quietly, gazing up into his eyes. "I 
prefer a bed, if you  please, and have no thoughts of sleeping alone." Kissing 
him lightly, she stepped away from his embrace to put their youngest to bed, 
then joined him in their own.



Of all the things that I have lost 
I think I miss my mind the most...


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