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"Jake?" Five year old Benjamin Sisko tugged on his brothers pants.
Twenty-five year old Jake Sisko sighed and glanced down at his little brother. "Why aren't you with your friends?" He motioned behind them where a group of about ten children were playing.
Benji, a nickname given to him by his brother, crossed his arms over his little chest. "Because you're sad." He said, confidently. "And when you're sad, I gotta make you happy again!"
Jake chuckled and reached down, picking the boy up. "Really? And how are you going to do that, hm?"
"This way!" Benji squealed as his hands moved quickly, tickling his brother.
Laughing, Jake retaliated by tickling back. Soon both of them were on the ground, rolling around. "Uncle!" He called out when Benji managed to park himself on his stomach.
Benji smiled showing off his missing two front teeth. "See, told ya!" He giggled and rolled off his brothers stomach and onto his back. "This was the bestest birthday ever!"
Jake smiled. "I'm glad you had fun." He had been worried that something would go wrong but it didn't, it never did. Ever since Kasidy disappeared, three years ago, Jake had been taking care of his little brother. At first he didn't think he could do it. How was he going to take care of a two year old when he was always traveling? But he managed and now he couldn't imagine his life without the little boy. "Did you like the cake that Grandpa made?"
Licking his lips, Benji nodded, enthusiastically. "It was de...delisous!"
"You mean delicious." Jake corrected and pushed himself to his feet where he then helped Benji up.
Benji eyed his brother once they were both standing. "You're not sad anymore, are you?"
Jake chuckled and patted the boy on the head. "No, Benji, I'm not. You did a wonderful job cheering me up. Thank you." He began walking towards the group of parents that were watching the other kids. "I want to thank you all for bringing your kids. Benji doesn't get to spent too much time planet side so seeing his friends was a real treat." He shook hands with the fathers and hugged the mothers as they left with their children. Once they were alone, he sat down on one of the old fashion picnic tables.
"You said I had to wait for everyone to leave before I got my present from you." Benji appeared and sat down beside Jake. "Everyone is gone so what is it?!" He looked around, eagerly. "Is it a puppy?!?" He had been begging Jake for a pet for as long as he could remember and his brother always said he had to wait until he was older. Well, now he was a whole five years old. Surely that was old enough to have a puppy, wasn't it?
"When you're older." Jake replied with the standard answer, already knowing that he was getting his brother a puppy for his next birthday. "No, this isn't the furry kind of present." He reached into the pocket of his vest and removed a holo-chip. Hesitating, he finally handed it to Benji.
Benji turned the chip over in his small hands then looked at his brother in question. "A holoprogram?" He questioned out of curiosity. Why did he have to wait to get a holoprogram?
Jake's smile turned sad. "I thought when we visit Molly and Kirayoshi next week at Starfleet Academy, we could reserve some holosuite time."
"What's it about?" Benji noticed the change in his brothers demeanor. Whatever was on the chip must be very important.
"Well, it's about us, actually." Jake explained. "Well, more than us. It's about our family. But mostly it's about...dad."
Benji blinked and looked down at the chip again. "Daddy?" He asked in a small voice. He didn't know his father. Benjamin Sisko Senior had already left by the time he was born. "Do you think he's still alive, Jake?" He asked in an even smaller voice.
Jake sighed and looked up at the clear blue sky. "Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't." He answered, honestly. "But I do think that wherever he is, he's watching over us."
"Was he nice?" Benji ached to know his father. He was even a little jealous when Jake talked about the time they got to spent together. It wasn't fair that his brother got to know their father for twenty years while he got no time with the man.
"He was very nice." Jake soothed and took the chip back, tucking it back into his vest pocket. "Come on, let's head back before Grandpa calls security and has them searching for us." He stood and began to head for the transporter platform in the center of the park.
Benji followed at a subdued pace. "Do you think Daddy would have loved me, Jake? Like you do?" He sniffed and rubbed his nose.
Jake stopped and turned to the boy who looked to be fighting back tears. He hadn't meant his gift to be sad. He just wanted his brother to have a chance to get to know their father. "I know he would." He said, seriously. "I remember how happy he was when he found out Kasidy was pregnant. He was looking forward to being a Dad again. You just have to remember that he's not with us, not because he doesn't love us, but because he had something very important to do."
"For the Bajorans?" Benji knew the story, they were studying it in school.
"Yes, for the Bajorans. Dad was a very important man to the Bajorans." Jake steered the boy onto the transport platform. "New Orleans." He told the transport operator and within seconds they were standing on a transport platform near Sisko's Restaurant in New Orleans. He lead the boy inside Sisko's. "Grandpa, we're back!" He called out as they approached the kitchen, ignoring the amused looks some of the locals were giving him.
Joseph hurried out of his kitchen. "I was just about to call security." He scolded, waving a sauce spoon at the two of them.
Benji giggled. "You're silly, Grandpa." He told the older man as he clung to his brothers pant leg. He was still shy around his Grandfather since they only saw him once or twice a year.
"Oh really?" Joseph gave the smallest Sisko a shrewd look then grinned. "I suppose I am, Benjamin." He refused to call the boy by anything but his given name. In his mind, he was honoring his lost son. "Run along and get washed up for dinner. Scoot!" He shooed the boy towards the stairs that lead to the apartment above. "How did the party go?" He asked once the boy was out of ear shot.
Jake shrugged and plopped into a chair. "Perfect, as usual. Benji had a great time with his friends and I got a chance to catch up on Earth news from all the parents that decided to stay and join the festivities."
Joseph hurried into the kitchen then reappeared with a plate of Creole shrimp which he sat down in front of his oldest grandchild. "You know, you wouldn't have to catch up on the news if you'd just stay put." He sat down opposite Jake.
"You know I can't." Jake heard this argument each time they visited New Orleans. "My work keeps us moving. If I took a posting on Earth, I'd be missing out."
"But Benjamin would have a stable environment!" Joseph argued. He didn't know why Jake had to be so stubborn when it came to settling down, especially since he had Benjamin to think about.
Jake pushed the plate away, having lost what little appetite he had. "He has a stable environment, Grandpa. He's a well adjusted little boy."
Joseph snorted. "Why don't you let him stay here with me until you finish your next story? He could attend a real school and have friends for more than a few days."
"No!" Jake narrowed his eyes. "Benji is my responsibility. He goes where I do, I promised him. I won't abandon him like his parents did!" It slipped out before he could stop it.
"Benjamin didn't abandon him, Jake. He didn't have a choice in the matter!" Joseph said in a low, dangerous, voice.
Jake sighed. "I know but I won't leave him." He looked at his plate.
Joseph eyed Jake. "Then why don't you adopt him? You've been raising him since he was two for Heaven's sake."
"They won't let me. Dad is still listed as MIA and so is Kasidy. They said as long as there is no proof of death they couldn't let an adoption proceed. So for now, I'm his legal guardian." Jake explained.
"And what of that girlfriend of yours? How does she feel about Benjamin?" Joseph demanded to know. He didn't approve of his grandsons choice in girlfriends but knew that if he brought it up, Jake would take Benjamin and leave.
Jake frowned. "Her name is Nerys, as you very well know, and she adores Benji. And he adores her. And that is the end of the subject, Grandpa."
Joseph heaved a sigh but nodded in defeat. "I just don't understand why you can't find someone your own age to date. Have you even thought about children, hm? Does she want any now that she's in charge of Benjamin's space station? I know you always said you wanted one or two, are you really willing to give up the change of having a family just to be with her? You're not getting any younger, Jake. And frankly, neither am I. I'd like to have a couple great grandkids to spoil before I go." He was laying on a guilt trip and he knew it.
"I wish you'd give Nerys a chance. Dad liked her, why can't you?" Jake got a faraway look in his eyes and debated with himself over telling his grandfather the news him and Nerys had been keeping to themselves. "As for children, I don't think they'll be a problem. Nerys is three months pregnant." He decided to drop the bombshell and hoped that the Deep Space Nine commander would forgive him.
"Have you married her yet? Bajoran, isn't she?" Joseph inquired, leaning back in his chair. Inside he was cheering at the news but his outward demeanor didn't change.
Jake rolled his eyes. "Yes, she's Bajoran." He knew his grandfather already knew that and was just being difficult. "We plan to get married, here, on Earth, before the baby is born. After that we're planning a small ceremony on Bajor." He explained.
Joseph humffed but said nothing else since Benjamin had arrived at the table. "Sit down and I'll make you something to eat." He stood and disappeared into the kitchen.
As Benji climbed onto the chair beside his brother, he couldn't help but smile. This was his family. It may have been different from everyone elses but he wouldn't have it any other way. Sure it would have been nice to have know his father and even his mother, but he thanked the stars every night that he had his brother looking out for him. Because Jake was way better at being a father than he thought. His smile grew bigger. Maybe next year on his next birthday, he'd tell Jake that brothers make the perfect fathers. Yes, maybe he would.