AN: This is going to have a few chapters. It's just for fun, and another little chapter in the lives of Odo and Lwaxana. I think it should be able to stand alone without a problem, but it will be greatly enhanced by reading it with my other Lwaxodo stories.
I put * before all telepathic communication.
I own nothing from Star Trek.
I hope you enjoy. If you do, please consider letting me know!
111
Odo captured the image and happily regarded the scene that he'd felt the need to capture and retain for his future perusal.
The Federation shuttle that was responsible for transferring his family privately to a rendezvous point with the Enterprise was a rather nice one compared to others that he'd been on in the past. This was one of the ones that was specifically designed for the transportation of high-ranking officials and diplomats who needed a little extra care and attention.
Lwaxana Troi often travelled in regular shuttles, even taking freighters and other transports, when necessary, but this time they'd gone all out for her. Aboard the Enterprise, she would allow herself to be monitored very carefully so that her doctor—Dr. Beverly Crusher—could record the behaviors of the twins she carried. Such a practice was, perhaps, not that remarkable for most people, but the Federation had a special interest in this monitoring, since Lwaxana Troi was carrying the first half-Betazoid and half-Changelings that had ever been recorded. This was the first opportunity for anyone to record the behaviors of Changelings of any sort in the womb, and she'd authorized all gathered information to be shared with the Federation scientists for use as they saw fit in medicine and science. As a result, they were at least ensuring that she travelled comfortably, given that it had been a rather long trip from Deep Space Nine to the Enterprise's current location.
Though more comfortable than riding in the belly of a freighter, the shuttle wasn't truly luxurious, and the seats were a little cramped. Despite that, Lwaxana had fallen asleep. Across her chest, and much of her body since the little boy was growing like a weed, their half-Tavnian and half-Betazoid son, Veta, slept soundly. The boy's legs curve around the little swell of a belly that just barely announced the presence of the twins that were just two days past twenty weeks of gestation, if their math was correct.
Odo loved his wife dearly, and he loved their little family, and he collected images of a great many things as a way to simply hoard visual moments of happiness for himself to go with the all-encompassing happiness he simply seemed to feel on a daily basis.
Odo hadn't always loved life, but he felt that, since marrying Lwaxana, he was making up for lost time. He felt he might possibly be the happiest being in all four quadrants, now that he was married to Lwaxana and enjoying their happy little family.
Lwaxana stirred as though the almost imperceptible hum of the holo-imager had awoken her. She looked around, disoriented, and Odo saw her body jump as she went through the first stage of fright upon not remembering where she was.
* "You are safe, Beloved," Odo thought to her, using their telepathic connection as established imzadi. "We are about an hour from our rendezvous with the Enterprise."
Lwaxana found him with sleepy eyes and smiled. The tension on her face melted visibly.
"Oh—Odo," she said, vocalizing because she knew that he preferred it. "I was having the greatest dream."
"Tell me about it?" Odo asked, moving to the seat next to her where he'd been sitting—the seat he'd left only to capture the image from a better angle.
"I don't really remember it," she admitted. "Just—we saw the babies, Odo, and they were so beautiful!"
Odo smiled to himself.
"We'll see them very soon," he said. "As clearly as we can, at this point, and they'll be beautiful, Lwaxana. They'll take after their mother, and she does make beautiful babies."
Lwaxana's cheeks tinged the slightest bit pink, which was something that Odo greatly enjoyed. Very few people ever made Lwaxana Troi blush, but she was often so flattered by his genuine love and affection that her cheeks did pinken in his presence. Her expression softened, and she looked at him so intently, her black eyes practically seeing through him, that his whole form shook slightly.
"These babies are moving," she said, resting her hand over her belly, careful not to disturb the little boy who slept without care for their conversation. "Oh—Odo—they're really moving around—I think I've been sitting in this shuttle too long, and they don't care for that. I might be ill…"
"Would you like a hypospray?" Odo asked.
Their twins, half-Changelings, changed their shape rapidly and often when they were awake. They only knew two forms—Betazoid and Changeling—and so it appeared that they rapidly changed between the two. Of course, they would know more about their practices after this in-depth study. Still, now that Lwaxana was physically aware of their changing, their movements made her feel practically seasick, and sometimes that sensation was worse than others. Dr. Crusher had found something that worked for that feeling and her morning sickness, but Lwaxana wouldn't always take it.
Lwaxana closed her eyes and focused her mind, choosing that method of dealing with her feelings and her body's sensations.
"Feel them, Odo," she said, her fingers dancing across her belly and showing him, presumably, where he might find their little ones.
"You know that I can't feel them," Odo said.
"You must be able to feel them now, Odo," Lwaxana said. "It's so strong—I can feel it from the outside, Odo. Here."
Lwaxana moved Odo's hand over her belly. He leaned into her from his seat, content to simply touch her, even though he'd been failing to feel the babies since they were transferred into her uterus after Dr. Crusher helped to create them by combining Lwaxana's eggs with Odo's DNA in a scientific practice that, thankfully, she understood a great deal better than Odo did.
Odo didn't mind touching Lwaxana's belly, even if he couldn't feel movement or even the radiating peace of their little ones yet. He enjoyed simply touching her, after all. This time, though, he could feel a peace—a calm. He couldn't tell, though, if it belonged to the babies or simply to Lwaxana. Regardless, it was nice, and Odo focused his feelings on it.
When he felt the rolling shift beneath his hand, though, he was most surprised. He looked at Lwaxana and she smiled, her black eyes wide with a happiness and a touch of excitement.
"You had to feel that, Odo! Don't say you didn't, oh…you had to! They're getting so strong!"
"That was our little ones?" He asked.
Lwaxana laughed. She placed her hand next to his, their fingers touching. Odo let his shape morph so that he could truly embrace her fingers and her belly at once. The rolling happened again, and Lwaxana laughed quietly.
"I don't know if they're changing or…rolling…or kicking. It makes me feel queasy when they get so active."
"You need a hypospray," Odo offered, pressing just a little. He hated for Lwaxana to be uncomfortable, and he always wanted to do what he could to relieve anything she might be suffering. Of course, Lwaxana tended to do the same for him.
"No," she said. "Not yet. I need to adjust to it. It's that simple. Once I'm used to the sensation, I'll know how to cope with it. I won't get used to it if I keep trying to make it disappear." Even if she felt ill, she didn't look miserable or even unhappy. She looked very contented, and her smile was genuine. "I'm so glad you can feel them, Husband. Now you know they're there."
Odo laughed quietly.
"I didn't doubt their presence," he said. "Besides the fact that I've seen the scans, it's becoming quite obvious, Wife, that you're carrying them."
"I suppose I am finally starting to look as though I'm carrying our little ones," Lwaxana said, "and not just indulging in a few too many trips to the replicator."
Odo laughed.
"It's quite obvious, Lwaxana," Odo said. "If you don't mind my saying so. People on the station have asked me about your pregnancy, despite the fact that we have never made an official announcement about it to, really, anyone except Deanna and the medical staff."
"Do you think we should?" Lwaxana asked. "Do something official?"
"If you would like," Odo said. "We could do some kind of show of things. You enjoy those kinds of things, Lwaxana, and I believe you would enjoy making something of a show about our little ones."
She furrowed her brow at him.
"Do you think we should, though?" Lwaxana asked, putting away all the bravado and show she put on for most people. Odo enjoyed that, in his presence, she was simply Lwaxana. Odo valued knowing Lwaxana—truly knowing her—a great deal. "I think most of the Enterprise simply knows, and…everyone at the station probably knows. Wouldn't it just be drawing attention to things unnecessarily?"
"I have never known you to be concerned about such things," Odo said, laughing and shaking his head. "While we're aboard the Enterprise, we'll arrange something to invite everyone to Ten Forward. As soon as we return to the station, we'll arrange something at Quark's. Whether they know or not, Lwaxana, it isn't a waste of time to allow our friends and family the opportunity to be officially informed of our new arrivals and to give them the opportunity to congratulate us."
Lwaxana smiled at him.
"But you hate parties, Husband," she said, with some teasing. "Remember?"
Odo felt warm.
"I would like to celebrate our little ones," he admitted. "Veta was not mine to celebrate when he was so new, and even though we've talked about the possibility of what may come in the future, we don't know that this opportunity will come again."
Lwaxana smiled and touched his face. He changed his shape, just barely, to fully touch her back and enjoy every single sensation of her affection.
"We shall absolutely announce our expected little ones," Lwaxana said, "as is only fitting of a family of the Fifth House of Betazed. And you, Husband, shall make the announcement."
Odo felt immediately nervous.
"I don't know…" He said, suddenly wondering if he'd talked her into something he wasn't prepared to do. "I don't care for everyone staring at me like that, Lwaxana."
"They will be staring at you because you have wonderful things to say, Odo, about the growth of your family. Your wife and children. You'll do wonderfully. And I'll be there, by your side, if you should feel you need some support."
"I always need you by my side," Odo said.
It was an odd sentiment, of course. Odo had always been independent. At least, that's how he'd always thought of himself. Of course, so had Lwaxana. Now that they'd found each other, though, they had both found that they considered everything just a bit better with the other in close proximity.
"You don't need me, Odo," Lwaxana said, sensing the sentiment that flashed across his mind. Perhaps she was reading him, or perhaps she was simply in-tune with him. He could easily believe either. "But you shall always have me by your side. Just as I don't need you, but I choose to be with you every chance that I have."
Odo smiled.
"I desire you," he agreed.
"And that's so much better than truly needing," Lwaxana said with a satisfied smile. "Our 'need' is born out of love and choice. It's much better than something like helplessness, drawn together only out of some innate drive to survive. Our love and connection are strengthened by choice. I like that much better than dependence." She sighed and leaned her head against him. "Oh—here. Do you feel that?"
Lwaxana moved Odo's hand, and he did feel what she tried to show him.
"It is amazing," Odo said. "But it seems as though it would be uncomfortable."
"Oh—no," Lwaxana said. "I mean—it has uncomfortable elements, but…I wouldn't wish to change a thing. I value every moment I get to spend with my little ones. They grow up so quickly, you know…and soon they're off living their own lives."
"They always need you, though," Odo said. "Deanna, for instance…"
"Deanna is independent," Lwaxana said. "She always has been, really. At least—since she was big enough, you know. She doesn't need me. And, you know, Odo—that's painful, but it's also what I've always wanted for her."
"You have raised her to be strong and independent," Odo agreed, patting Lwaxana. "What you have now is…desire. The choice to be connected."
Lwaxana laughed quietly.
"Deanna would say that what we have now is my pushing too much," Lwaxana said. She hummed. "Perhaps she's right, you know? Maybe it's time that I…let her live her own life. Without pushing. I only want her to be happy, Odo. It's all I want for any of my children—to have a life that makes them happy."
Odo smiled.
He could sense that Lwaxana was feeling, perhaps, a touch fragile. She opened herself up to him. She allowed him to see her vulnerability. The shield would go up soon—their ETA for the rendezvous with the Enterprise wasn't too far away—and she would put on a show for anyone who wanted or expected it, but for now she was simply being his beloved Lwaxana.
Odo let his eyes drift to Veta, curled against his mother's chest and sleeping peacefully, still very much a baby even though his first birthday was near. His little eyelids fluttered a little, moving his thick, dark eyelashes. He would wake, very soon, and Lwaxana would nurse him to be sure that he was on his best behavior for when they disembarked the shuttle aboard the Enterprise.
Well-rested and recently-fed, he might be convinced to go to Deanna without too much fussing—even if it meant seeing his parents and his beloved Mr. Homn going in different directions from himself. Lwaxana usually knew how to soothe him enough that he could be convinced to be separate from her for a while, but it only lasted a bit. In the end, Veta still very much craved the comfort of his parents, and his mother in particular.
"You are a wonderful mother," Odo assured her. "And everyone is happy, Lwaxana. I can sense it, now, so I can say it without a doubt. And, for the time being, none of our little ones aboard this shuttle are quite ready to be independent of their mother."
"Or their papa," Lwaxana added with some affection.
"We will be reaching the Enterprise soon," Odo said. "Would you and the babies like something from the replicator before we arrive?"
"I'm very thirsty," Lwaxana admitted, not an abnormal state for her.
Odo nodded.
"Gavaline tea, Beloved?" Odo asked.
She smiled.
"Please?"
"And—some Brevalian biscuits with oachoka jam?" Odo asked. "And a little pickled Minervan oalia vine?"
Lwaxana laughed.
"You're not making fun of my choices as of late, are you?" She asked. It had been a few of Lwaxana's choices, particularly at Quark's, coupled with the rounded appearance of her small but growing belly, that was starting to raise suspicion of a little one in those who weren't already privy to the presence of their little ones. Odo didn't eat food, of course, but he understood that some of Lwaxana's preferred combinations, as of late, were considered strange—and even disgusting—by the average food consumer.
"I have only made note of your preferences," Odo said. "I have no judgement on the matter. I only think that a snack would fortify you, since we don't know how long we'll be with Dr. Crusher upon our arrival. It may be some time before you can eat."
"I'm starving," she admitted. "And that sounds wonderful."
"Veta is starting to wake," Odo said. "Take care of him, and let me take care of you. Even though we are fully independent, after all, I do value the opportunity to care for you."
Lwaxana smiled.
"And I am so thankful that you spoil me," Lwaxana said. "I do love you, Odo."
"And I you, Beloved," he assured her, quickly moving toward the replicator and stopping only to wake Mr. Homn so the man could begin to stir and get ready for their somewhat impending arrival.