[ussgeorgetown] "Saturday Evening Social... Meanwhile.. "
- From: "N'Ellie Coyne" <nelliecoyne@xxxxxxx>
- To: <ussgeorgetown@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 22:47:23 -0400
"Saturday Evening Social... Meanwhile.. "
N'Ellie, Frankie, Joanna
"Daniel's special in a different way then you are, Frankie." N'Ellie replied as
they reached the table at last and she sat her down there, out of earshot of
the other girls, hoping to Kahless that she wasn't completely screwing up
someone else's kid. "Daniel's special because he's gone and because there's all
kinds of emotions about that that not even your Dad can understand what he
feels. Your special because your a smart, beautiful, wonderful little girl
who's right here very much alive and very much her daddy's girl."
"You don't understand," Frankie told N'Ellie seriously. "Daniel was perfect.
Daddy always says so. He wasn't ever fussy, and he listened, and he was smart
and helpful and minded and he was never no trouble and if he was alive Daddy
wouldn't want no dumb ol' girls. He'd just want Daniel."
N'Ellie bit back a sigh. "Sweetheart, I know for a fact that Daniel isn't ...
wasn't perfect. No one's perfect. Sometimes when someone misses someone like
your Dad misses Daniel, then that person tends only to remember the really good
stuff."
"What do you mean, 'isn't'," Frankie asked, her eyes narrowing and her
________expression pinching in a near-perfect imitation of her father.
"Wait...a ...minute!" Her eyes widened. "That's him, isn't it. That's why he
had to have daddy's blood and nobody elses even though he's not a vampire.
Except if he's really dead he might be a vampire, but still Daniel so Daddy
would give him his special blood even if he is a vampire because that's his
perfect son not some dumb ol' girl." As the idea sunk in, she got louder, more
agitated at the thought. "That's why him and mommy were right there close to
where he was, isn't it! That's not no Josh Whateveryousaid. That's Daniel!"
"I didn't say that!" N'Ellie replied while trying to keep Frankie from
shouting. Kahless' balls on a bat'leth! "His name is Josh I swear it."
"You said 'isn't'. He isn't perfect, that's what you said. That means you know
him. You know what he's like. If Josh isn't Daniel, where is he and why don't
he come home?" Frankie warned, her eyes narrowing, again in imitation of her
father. "And don't you fib to me, young lady, because I will be checking with
my mommy and daddy and if they say that's him and you say that isn't him I'm
not gonna trust you ever any more 'less you come clean right now!"
N'Ellie sighed and wished that a hole would open up and swallow her whole. Soft
she answered, "Frankie, sweetie, it's not a question I have the right to
answer. I'm sorry."
"Fine," Frankie snapped. "Don't answer me. I'm going to go ask my mommy and
daddy RIGHT NOW. Or maybe I'll just go ask DANIEL." And with that she twirled
on her heel and headed for the door.
And this is why I'm not having children for a very long time! Reaching out
N'Ellie grabbed hold of Frankie and spun her around. "Your not leaving the mess
hall until your mother comes to get you, Frankie. You've run wild onboard this
ship quite enough for one day. Now either come sit with me and talk to me
without YELLING, or go and sit down and have Cookie make your ice cream. Your
choice half pint."
"No, NO NO NO NO NO!" Frankie tantrumed, getting progressively louder and
louder. "I WON'T I WON'T I WON'T..."
N'Ellie didn't say a word. She simply picked Frankie up and carried her over to
a chair that was even farther away from the others, but also away from the
doors. She put her in the chair and then looked down at her. "Sit, don't move,
finish your little drama queen performance. But keep in mind that at any moment
your mother will walk through those doors. Then ask yourself, is this the way
you want her to see you acting after all you've already got to answer for."
"Maybe she'll be too busy trying to explain how you get to know Daniel is still
alive but his sisters don't!" Frankie spat back.
"Sometimes adults get to know things before little girls do." N'Ellie replied.
"Now sit there until either you mother comes or you can come over and ice cream
with us without the dramatics." Any time now Joanna...
Frankie thought about it for a moment. She drew a deep breath, then smiled
sweetly. "Okay. You're right. I'm sorry. I believe I'd like to have some ice
cream now, please."
"That was about as sincere as a Ferengi offering to give his money to charity."
N'Ellie replied with her arms crossed. "But if you promise to be good and NOT
say a word to the others about ANY of this you can come over."
Frankie considered it, then sat back and crossed her arms, shaking her head.
"Nope. Can't do it. I promise to be good, but I won't promise not to tell my
sisters their brother is still alive and we're the only ones I guess who
doesn't supposed to know. Guess I'll just wait here and discuss it with Mommy
when she gets here. Enjoy your ice cream."
N'Ellie sighed. "Have it your way, Frankie."
Frankie nodded, smiling slightly. "I usually do."
She tried really hard to look stern, but N'Ellie really just wanted to laugh
and maybe cry a little. She really hadn't meant to fuck up so badly. And of
course it couldn't have been with some nobody's kid, it had to be Joanna's.
"Your awful cocky for a ten year old."
"I know," Frankie agreed. Recognizing N'Ellie's ________expression as one she
herself had worn more than once when she'd accidentally let slip a big secret
she wasn't supposed to tell, she added, "And flattery will get you nowhere.
However, if it's really that important that we not know, maybe you and I can
negotiate." Her grin widened, thinking of what this might be worth. "Maybe..."
If I wasn't sure I'd regret it I'd have my tubes tied. "It's not important that
you not know, Frankie, but who tells you. This is a matter for your family to
deal with. You shouldn't have heard it from an outsider." Sighing, N'Ellie
knelt down in front of the girl. "Talk."
Frankie grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I was thinking, I'd sure like to see the
old Earth Amityville movies. Abbie, too, but not baby Zoe. Maybe if you
arranged a sleepover, complete with movies and popcorn and snacks and soda and
make up and music and all...maybe I'd be so darned tired I'd just plain forget
what I heard and then...well...I'd just be surprised as anything when Mommy and
Daddy told us."
"That's blackmail!" N'Ellie finally let lose the bubble of laughter she'd been
pushing down. Reaching up, she brushed hair from Frankie's forehead and nearly
gasped at the sudden familiarity in the action. "Thanks for the offered save,
kid, but I plan on telling your mother about the mistake I made. But I wouldn't
mind having you girls over for a sleep over anyway, long as your not scared of
dogs."
"Whoa...you've got a dog!" Frankie asked, envious. All at once N'Ellie's
reaction again hit her. "You do that to him, too, don't you." She asked her
gently. "Is he really really bad off hurt still?"
N'Ellie nodded. "Yeah sweetie he is but we're doing everything we can to make
him better, I promise." She smiled softly. "He's my best friend and I can't
lose him." She sighed. "And yes I have a dog, well she's more a puppy though."
"Tell me it's house broken," Frankie said, curling up her nose in mock disgust.
N'Ellie laughed. "Well, she's star ship broken." Taking the girl by the hand
she pulled her off the chair and lead her towards the others. "I'll ask your
mom about that sleep over, but she might be upset with me and my big mouth."
She paused. "But Frankie, you really do need to keep it to yourself and let
your parents tell Abbie."
She pulled back slighly, eyes bright. "Okay, I promise I won't tell, but
first...what's he like?"
"He's really shy, very quiet, but in his own way very expressive." N'Ellie told
her with a smile. "He's funny, though no one ever really sees that, he's smart
too, but he can be so damn stubborn and bull headed and just so... male.."
N'Ellie laughed at the look on Frankie's face. "You'll get that when you're
older... He takes a lot for him to trust, he had such a hard life, but once he
does you've got a friend in the truest meaning of the word."
"How come he didn't just come home if life was that hard?" Frankie asked,
honestly not understanding. "Didn't he want to come home?"
"I don't know all the details sweetheart, but they didn't know he was Daniel
and then these really bad people got him and Zack and they wouldn't let them
come home. Your Uncle John had to save them."
Frankie looked perplexed. "How come they didn't know he was Daniel? Didn't he
tell them? And who's Zack?"
"He was real little and he'd gone through a really bad thing. I think he was
too scared to remember to tell them who he was. And Zack's his..." N'Ellie
paused. She was digging herself in deeper and deeper and there didn't seem to
be a lifeboat in sight. "His younger brother."
"We have another brother?" Frankie asked, incredulously. "Daddy never said we
had another one. How come daddy didn't tell us about him?"
Ok now you're in territory you really don't belong in Coyne. HELP! "Well, no,
he's not your brother like Josh is." N'Ellie sighed. "You girls and Josh have
the same dad. Josh and Zack have the same mom." HELP! Joanna! Captain! Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse!
"Wait...wait wait wait...How come you keep calling him Josh if his name is
Daniel, " Frankie stopped her. "And this Zack, then. So, he's not really
family. Not really."
Slipping into a near by chair, N'Ellie pulled the girl onto her lap once again
since it was clear they weren't getting close to the ice cream any time soon.
"Josh is who he is now, Frankie. He doesn't remember being anyone else. Your
not the only one who doesn't know, well didn't know, the truth. As for Zack,
Josh is his only family, Josh is, or will be a part of your family, you tell
me... Is your mother going to leave Zack out of that?"
Frankie considered that before turning to N'Ellie, her ___expression somewhat
sad, though whether for him or for herself it was hard to tell. "He doesn't
remember being Daniel? Not at all?"
"Nope not at all." N'Ellie replied. "See sometimes when something really bad
happens our brains and hearts have a way of making us forget, that way the
memories of all that bad stuff can't hurt us."
"Come on. How would remembering being perfect hurt you?" Frankie demanded.
N'Ellie rolled her eyes. "Did you not hear me about fifteen minutes ago when I
told you no one is perfect not even the almighty Daniel Murgo?"
"I heard you, but tell me this. Did you know him when he was Daniel? Or only
when he was Josh? Maybe their different, so maybe Daniel was perfect even if
Josh isn't, get it?"
"No I didn't know him as Daniel." N'Ellie confessed. "But that doesn't matter
because NO ONE not Daniel, not Josh, not your parents, hell not even Kahless
himself is or was perfect. Everyone had flaws, Frankie, everyone."
"Except Daniel. Honest, ask Daddy. He said it hundreds of time what a perfect
little boy Daniel was. So smart and sweet and adorable..." she put her finger
in her mouth as though she were about to purge. "It's so sweet it gives you
diabetes."
"Let me let you in on something sweetheart." N'Ellie said in a low voice. "You
dad, he's a good guy." When he's not being an asshole who hurts people and
sends little boys to live their lived as slaves who are beaten and Kahless
knows what else. "But like most grown ups, there are times when he's simply
full of shit."
Frankie was too lost in a fit of giggles at that to answer as Joanna entered at
last.
"Mommy!" the young girl squealed, popping off N'Ellie's lap and running toward
her. "Can we have a sleepover at N'Ellie's, Please mommy, please. She's got a
PUPPY!"
"I suppose it's possible, since it would appear you've managed not to do any
more damage while I was with your father, however we've a bit to discuss
first," Joanna answered, casting a smile toward her dearest student and friend
as she began to guide her eldest back toward the other children. "So what was
the little private pow-wow concerning? Surely you weren't more trouble,
Francesca?"
"Oh, no, mother." Frankie answered, casting a pleading glance back toward
N'Ellie. "We were just talking about.you know." she dropped her voice to a near
whisper, "private girl-type stuff."
"Ah," Joanna nodded sagely, knowing better than to ask more, having had more
than one conversation of that sort with Frankie herself. She looked back at
N'Ellie and nearly laughed. " I do hope she didn't make you too terribly
uncomfortable, my dear. She does get so very curious at times and I swear she
gets that bluntness from her father."
"I didn't embarrass her, mommy, she's a doctor. Remember." Frankie assured her
as they reached the table.
"Ah, very well then. No harm done I'm sure." Joanna smiled at them both.
N'Ellie blew a long strand of hair out of her face with a huff. Yeah sure no
harm done. I've just confessed your families deepest secrets to your ten year
old. I can't believe how stupid I am! I got suckered by a ten year old! "Hey
Frankie, why don't you go on and get your ice cream ok? I wanna talk to your
mom." N'Ellie smiled at the 'you don't have to do it, I'll never tell' look
Frankie was giving her. "Save me some of the red gummy bears ok?"
Once Frankie had joined the other N'Ellie turned to Joanna and took a deep
breath. "I screwed up really really bad. I didn't mean for it to happen but I
slipped. I said isn't instead of wasn't. damn stupid standard." She muttered
the last part.
Joanna looked at her, lost. After rechecking her translator, she nodded. "Okay,
dearest. Begin again. What happened?"
N'Ellie sighed, chewed her lip, and suddenly found the floor between her feet
and Joanna's really interesting. I've picked up his habit. This would be funny
if I hadn't have just scared a child for life. "She was telling me how the
Admiral use to go on and on about how Daniel was perfect and I told her that
Daniel isn't perfect.. I back tracked and said wasn't but she'd caught my slip
up."
"Oh dear," Joanna frowned. She pursed her lips a moment, deep in thought, then
shrugged. "Alright, well, there's nothing to be done for it now but share it
with the others before she does, preferably in a more controlled environment.
So, my dear, if you're quite finished talking to the floor and wouldn't mind
too terribly, help me gather my wayward girls and herd them to our quarters. I
believe it's time for a family conference, which you will of course be expected
to join. No doubt they'll have questions about their brother that you can
answer far better than their father or I could. Come along..."
"I'm really sorry, Mrs. Murgo. I really didn't meant to... " N'Ellie's head
snapped up. "I'm what? I.. I don't want to intrude on a family thing. I really
don't know what I could tell you about him. Wouldn't the Captain be better for
that?"
"No doubt Johnathan will have input, but no, I do not believe he'd be better
than you would at telling us of your young man. And you are family, N'Ellie
dear, make no mistake. You have been an important part of my life for far too
long now to be considered anything less, no do stop dawdling, please."
N'Ellie eyes and face lit up. A silly smile tugged at her lips. She was even
willing to over look the 'your young man' line. "Yes Ma'am." She finally
replied and followed Joanna towards the girls.
"Mommy!" Zoe laughed as she smacked her lips and clapped her ice cream covered
hands. "Nelwy gave me nilla ice cream with sprinkles!"
Abbie looked up from her nearly finished ice cream and smiled. "It's really
good ice cream Mommy.. It's real not replicated!"
"Oh, how lovely," Joanna smiled, almost seeming to mean it. "As soon as your
done, though, we've something important to discuss with your father, Uncle
John, and N'Ellie. Perhaps that dear doctor who agreed to explain about the
blood as well?" she added, looking to N'Ellie for an opinion.
Hello.. I'm a doctor too ya know. "Sure, if their not looking after Josh. If
he's waking up and staying awake someone will have to be there to keep him
still. Other wise he'd try to get up and go to work." N'Ellie laughed just a
little and rolled her eyes.
"Oh, surely not!" Joanna looked at her in disbelief.
N'Ellie nodded. "He hates sick bay and crowds. He's rather be along in a JTube
somewhere working on something, or in the shuttle bay under a shuttle. So
someone will have to stay with him until he's released. Mac and I mostly."
"No doubt we can all assist with that, as it appears we'll be staying on."
Joanna assured her, smiling at the girls as they heard the news for the first
time as well.
"Your staying onboard?" N'Ellie asked.
Abbie smiled for a moment and then frowned. "We're not going home? Are we ALL
staying?"
"Yes, Abigail, we are all staying, at least for the time being. We will, of
course, go home eventually, but we've all often said a year or two in space
would be a good experience. The opportunity has presented itself bringing with
it very compelling reasons to take advantage of it." Joanna answered, her
_expression cautioning her children against arguing.
Abbie frowned but she didn't say thing. She wasn't so sure she wanted to leave
her school and her friends and their house. What was she going to do on a star
ship? There was no outside to play in, no pools or beaches to go to, no books
stores to get her comics at. This isn't fair.
"Do stop frowning and finish up, Abigail. We'll discuss this privately very
shortly." Turning to N'Ellie she began scanning the crowd, spotting Lish across
the room. "There is one other person I believe we'll need to speak with before
all is said and done."
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