General Mitchell tried to ignore the twenty year old young man at his side as he made his way to his wife's office.
"You do realize that if you don't let me go, I will be the only family member left on earth, right?"
He stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to face the young lieutenant. "That is hardly enough evidence to support you going."
"Aw, come on, Dad!" The youth stopped himself from stomping his foot at his commanding officer. "I'm perfectly qualified. I'm the best fighter pilot around, and I have all the security clearance necessary."
Cameron was definitely done with this conversation. "Lieutenant Mitchell," The young man's head snapped up at his formal title. " Has it ever occurred to you that you are too aggravating to have in that small of a ship for two months?"
"It's the biggest ship we have," Countered his son.
"That doesn't change my previous statement," Cameron sighed at his son's hurt face. "We're going to be late for lunch."
"Yes, Sir." The mumbled reply was barely audible.
When they reached the office, Carolyn Mitchell greeted them with a quick glance from her desk. "If this wasn't a high level security building you two would have just shouted classified information to the entire hospital."
Cameron glared at his son, who blushed while trying to come up with a good apology. "We weren't that loud were we?"
"I can answer that," A cheerful voice said from behind them as nineteen year old Kansas entered the room.
Cameron crossed his arms and stared playfully at his wife. "We're all here on time, you promised."
Carolyn rubbed her eyes with her palms before closing the file and standing. "Sorry, I'm ready."
Later that night, Carolyn slid under the covers and laid her head on his shoulder. Cameron wrapped an arm around her and kissed her hair. She played with his fingers for a moment before speaking. "Tell me again why you don't want him to come?"
Cameron sighed. "He's just not ready, he's too young."
"As opposed to Kansas, who is so much older?" Carolyn tilted her head up to look at him. "If you don't let him come on this trip you will not only effectively alienate him from you, but it will also prove to him that you don't approve of him. That's all he wants, to know that you trust him."
"I do," Cameron caught his wife's doubtful eye. "Alright he can come."