A/N: Happy Mother's Day everyone! Hope you enjoy the update!
Homeward Bound
Beta Quadrant, 2279.355, 1130 hours. It had taken 36.7 hours and four separate shuttles to get here but the Enterprise was now coming into view. T'Alora stared at it longingly and felt her heart skip a beat as it began to loom ever larger in her window.
She was home.
The ship itself did not look much different then when she left it-aside from a phaser blast in the hull which was currently under repair-yet she felt different upon returning. She had been away from the Enterprise for 4.3 months; she had never been gone from the ship that long before save for when it was undergoing major repairs, and even then she usually found one pretense or another to be brought back aboard however briefly. The ship was as much a part of her as she was of it. She doubted anyone loved it more then her save for Uncle Scotty and Uncle Jim.
Which was why she was concerned about how she would be received.
T'Alora knew she had changed during her time away. She had undergone a whole host of new experiences while abroad that were bound to affect her personality as well as her worldview. Before she left for school she was considered one of the crew in all ways save rank: would she be considered an outsider now, or would she revert back to her former ways and undermine the personal growth she had undergone?
There was no way of calculating the odds of either case.
The shuttle bay doors slowly opened and Lieutenant Radzell, a new crewmember, deftly brought them down inside the ship. Aside from the Lieutenant and Ensign Humir she was the only other person on-board and the moment the brakes were locked she hurried to un-strap herself from her seat. While she would not admit to being anxious T'Alora did catch herself rocking on the balls of her feet while waiting for the all-clear so she could disembark.
The Lieutenant stepped off first. "Captain." She gave a smart salute as the ensign did the same. "We encountered no difficulties or turbulence of any kind, and all supplies and personnel are present and accounted for, Sir. "
She stepped out just in time to see her uncle imitate her sa-mekh's eyebrow lift. "All?"
"Yes, Captain," T'Alora smartly replied, "All."
He instantly grinned. "Get over here you!"
Despite her rapidly beating heart she strode forward at a leisurely pace only to be squeezed tight as he encircled her in his arms. "We missed you!" She had missed him as well; despite this fact it did not escape her notice that Uncle Jim alone had been waiting for her in the shuttle bay. As he let her go he said, "I'm sorry, I know you're looking for your folks but they couldn't get away. We're short-staffed due to repairs and they're both on-duty so I told them I'd come and collect you."
Although she was happy to be home T'Alora still acknowledged a small measure of disappointment at this unwelcome news. The familial bond grew stronger as the distance closed between them but it was nothing compared to actually seeing them. She knew, however, that she would see her parents soon enough once they were off-shift and so quashed all negative feelings and instead chose to focus on her uncle. The duffle she had brought home with her for the month was well-stocked but he hefted it up on his shoulder without complaint and headed toward the hall.
"Uncle Jim, I know the way to my family's quarters and do not require an escort. If the ship is as short-staffed as you previously stated then you will want to return to the Bridge as swiftly as possible."
His eyes twinkled as he smiled. "I know you don't need an 'escort' and I do need to get back to work but I want to spend a little time with you! You think your mother or father will want to let you go once they get their hands on you? This way I get me a little T time!"
His illogical, child-like talk had her rolling her eyes but inwardly she was grinning away. This was exactly the type of interaction she had missed and feared she would not find upon her homecoming. They chatted on like this as they traveled the length of the ship, with him asking her about her classes and friends while she inquired after his family and the status of the ship and the crew. Before they knew it they had reached the senior officer's housing deck and stood before her door.
"Well, guess it's time for me to shove off." He leaned in and gave her a chaste little peck on the cheek. "Again, welcome home. This place just wasn't the same without you." Turning around and he stepped off toward the turbo lift.
"Uncle Jim?"
"Yes?" He spun around, eyes bright.
"Perhaps, if our schedules allow, we could play a game of chess sometime while I am home."
Now she knew for certain that he had been spending too much time with Samekh as the lone eyebrow rose again in suspicion. "I thought you didn't care for the game?"
She gifted him the faintest of smiles. "I have since reconsidered my previous position. Telnor has taught me to appreciate the many challenges that a well-played match present."
"Telnor? T'Alora, is this your way of telling me you have a boyfriend?"
If not for her careful control she would have laughed right in his face; instead she leveled him with an eyebrow raise of her own. "Not that it is any of your business who I choose to associate myself with or how but no, Telnor is not a romantic partner. He is 289 years old according to the Terran calendar and a respected professor and advisor."
"Oh." She would have to remember to tap into the security feeds later for a holo of his expression; it was, as her mother often said, priceless. Thoughts of the promised game quickly brought him out of his funk. "Chess sounds great. Come by whenever you're free. Taline and the kids'll be happy to see you too." With a shy smile and a wave he was off, leaving her facing the front door of her family's quarters alone.
She prepared herself to enter and be met by silence and was not disappointed; only the hum of the ship's engines beneath her feet greeted her ears. Very little about their quarters appeared to have changed in her absence save for the homemade 'Welcome Home' banner strung up near the viewport. T'Alora did note that the old maroon armchair was gone and replaced by a newer, larger, navy one; the accompanying end table had also been turned on an angle to accommodate it. She wondered what had happened to the old piece of furniture and why no one had informed her that it had been replaced; however, it was almost as aesthetically pleasing as the previous chair and she decided to test out it's functionality once she was through unpacking.
For the next thirty-five minutes she busied herself with setting her room to rights. While she had not expected her bedroom to be kept as a shrine neither had she expected it to be used under the myriad number of circumstances that it had been. There were two full packing crates sitting in the middle of the room crammed with various sentimental mementos to be sent to the house in San Francisco for safekeeping. A handful of Mama's skin care products and cosmetics were strewn atop the bureau and some of her dresses were stocked in the closet; Se'tak too had utilized the extra closet space and planted a large portion of his wardrobe there. Selas used her window seat in her absence as she found the pillows re-positioned to suit his smaller frame and a pile of Braille PADDs stacked within easy reach.
Even Sa-mekh, who was efficient and compartmentalized in all things, had moved his spare asenoi and mat into the far corner.
Was it wrong of her family to utilize her space in her absence? No, it was not-on the contrary, she understood keenly how precious space on-board a vessel such as theirs could be. Did it upset her that the four of them had encroached on her territory without her permission and were inconsiderate enough to leave their personal items in her space despite her eminent homecoming? Absolutely. The family's spread of stuff in her room also added to that niggling worry that she would feel further out of touch with them given her prolonged absence.
One hour turned into two and then stretched into three. By now she was unpacked and settled and sitting in the new armchair casually reading from a PADD. The front door opened and with the gush of cool air from the hallway came Sa-mekh, Mama, Se'tak and Selas, the latter three excitedly talking over one another.
"But Mama…"
"No means no, Se'tak! How many times are you going to ask me before you get that through your head?"
It was then that Selas jumped in. "In my brother's defense his plan is rather well thought out and sound. The extra infusion of funds would in no way be wasted…"
"Oh great, you've gone and dragged your brother into this too!"
Se'tak turned to face Selas. "What do you mean 'rather well thought out'? Of course it's well thought out because I thought of it!"
"You're not getting 500 credits for your experiment!" Mama continued. "Now all I want to do is get home and have a nice, quiet, family dinner with your sister. Is that too much to ask?"
During the exchange she rose from the armchair and Sa-mekh came to stand beside her, sharing their amusement through the familial bond. "It is pleasing to have you home again," he exclaimed, a sense of contentment now weaving in to the link.
She flashed a small smile. "It is pleasing to be home."
As the disagreement between Mama and the boys carried on without either of them becoming aware of their environment T'Alora finally asked, "What experiment does Se'tak wish to carry out that requires 500 credits?"
This time Sa-mekh smiled. "Your brother wishes to improve upon a device that would detect the presence and strength of pheromones without the need for a blood sample."
Her surprise jumped across the bond like electricity. "That project is truly ambitious."
She thought over all the applications such a successful device could produce and was about to ask why they were begrudging Se'tak the credits when he stated, "It would be an auspicious enterprise if your brother were acting out of noble intentions; however, he is not. We recently ferried a group of Orion ambassadors from Starbase 42 to their homeworld and Se'tak became enamored with one of the younger hand maidens in the party named Meruka. He now seeks to create this device so that if he encounters her again he may detect if her attentions toward him are genuine or if he is merely being used as 'target practice', since he is not full Vulcan and therefore more susceptible to hormonal manipulation. Your mother and I are in agreement that in this case the 500 credits would not be money well spent."
T'Alora was struck speechless for several seconds at the very idea that her 14 year old brother was interested in the opposite sex, let alone that a member of the opposite sex would be interested in him. Again as if reading her thoughts he added, "Your mother was also most intrigued by this turn of affairs and was able to procure a holo-image of the pair. Perhaps if you are interested she will allow you to view it."
A shrill cry of "T!" rang out just before she was crushed by a hug from her mother. "How long have you just been standing there?"
"Since we entered 2.78 minutes ago, Mama," Selas evenly replied. He too stepped forward for a hug. "I am glad to have you home. Se'tak has proven difficult to manage alone."
"Hey! I'm right here!" he exclaimed, giving her a friendly punch in the upper arm.
She glared at him briefly and rubbed at the spot near her shoulder before turning back to Selas. "Agreed. Fortunately for you I possess 3.91 more years of experience in dealing with him than you do."
"Again, you guys, I'm right here!"
Before the bickering could escalate Mama led her off down the hall, peppering her with questions all the way; but it was in those initial moments when they first returned to their quarters that all her fears were laid to rest and she knew she was well and truly home.