Nine year old Nakita Chekov stood and prepared to read her report to the class. The students' assignment had been to write a brief paper on one of their relatives, someone who had lived an interesting life. Then they were to read their papers aloud in front of the class. This announcement had caused quite a bit of concern in the fifth grade classroom, but most of the fifth graders had given their reports, and no one had died yet.
Far from being nervous, Nakita actually seemed excited. She had always been a rather outgoing child, though at the same time rather private. She didn't talk much about her parents, or her family, or anything immensely personal. Her teacher had actually been wondering how she would react to this assignment.
But she seemed to actually enjoy the idea of telling everyone in the class about someone in her family. Now she stood straight and tall, eager and ready. She cleared her throat, and began to speak.
"I chose to write about my uncle, Hikaru Sulu." She said in explanation, and her teacher frowned. He said nothing, though, and she began to read. "Uncle Hikaru is not really my uncle." She read. "But up until last spring, I thought he was. Last spring was when my best friend and cousin, Demora, got into a fight with her teacher because her teacher said that my Papa wasn't really her uncle. So Uncle Hikaru and Papa had to explain to her that they weren't really brothers."
She took a breath and continued. "Uncle Hikaru grew up in San Francisco. He was an only child, but spent a lot of time with his Grandpa. When he grew up, he decided to go to Starfleet Academy. He wanted to be the captain of a starship one day. While there he met my Papa, and they became best friends."
"When Uncle Hikaru graduated, he got a position on the Enterprise. He worked for Captain Kirk. Eventually he and my Papa got jobs on the same ship, and they were still best friends there too. They eventually got to be such good friends that their families said they were like brothers, and it kind of stuck. So when Uncle Hikaru got married and had a daughter, and Papa had me, they were so close that for a long time Demora and I thought they were brothers and that we were cousins.
"When Uncle Hikaru's wife died, he started teaching so he could be home to take care of Demora. He plans to go back into space when she gets old enough. He still hopes to be a captain someday."
Nakita smiled at the class and turned her paper in. Her teacher stared at her as she sat back down. Was it possible she was actually that close to the famous Hikaru Sulu? Close enough that she called him her uncle?
She had never mentioned this before, and most kids her age would have been bragging about it as soon as they understood the significance of such a relationship. But she acted as if it meant nothing, as if it were just plain, everyday knowledge.
He wondered if she could really be that oblivious, or if it simply didn't matter to her. He tried to push away the thought that she might simply have made it up rather than tell her class something true about her family.
But that would imply that there were things going on at home that she did not want anyone to know about. Her teacher frowned as the thought occurred to him.
She seemed such a happy child, though. She certainly seemed to have no fear of self-expression. She was not afraid for people to know she felt happy, or sad, or excited or worried, or angry. She seemed confident and intelligent.
Her teacher said nothing about it, but continued to worry through the day. When at last the final bell had rung and it was time for the students to go home, he stopped her.
"Yes, sir?" She asked, a bit puzzled, but not too worried. She obviously could not think of any reason she might be in trouble, and therefore felt she he had nothing to worry about. Her eyes, always so amazingly readable, were free of guilt, free of concern.
"Do you ride the bus?" He asked her. She shook her head.
"My Papa usually picks me up," she replied, "and we walk home. It's not very far, just a couple of blocks."
Here was a chance to meet this young lady's father. That might at least calm a few of his concerns. "I'd like to speak with your father, if it were possible." He informed her.
She frowned, thinking. "I'm not in trouble for something, am I? Cause I haven't done anything."
He laughed. "No, certainly not." He reassured her.
Her expression cleared. "Okay. He's been wanting to meet you anyway." This last statement made him worry as he followed her out to the gym where parents usually picked up their children after school.
"He's late." She said later, when they had been waiting for about fifteen minutes. "I hope nothing's wrong."
He frowned. "Would something be wrong?"
Nakita shrugged. "Papa's usually right on time when he picks me up, unless something's happened." She thought for a moment. "I hope he's okay."
He was going to ask why she worried that her father might be hurt, but suddenly Nakita laughed and took off across the gym.
She was talking to a dark haired man when he caught up with them. "He asked me to come and pick you up." The man was explaining. "I would have been here sooner, but someone-" he shot a reproving glace at the other girl standing with them, "was being kept after class for trying to incite a rebellion in the classroom."
The older girl groaned. "But she's the worst teacher ever!" She protested. "Should we have to stand for such treatment? We've tried reasoning with her, we've tried just doing what we're told, but it's done no good! Nothing ever satisfies her. Something had to be done, for the good of not just her current students, but for the good of all her future students as well!"
The girl's father looked both amused and exasperated at the same time. "You've been reading too much historical fiction." He told her. "And mutiny is a court-martial offence, Demora."
Demora scowled. "I'm not in Starfleet yet." She grumbled, but the admonition had had its effect.
Nakita laughed. "Still, she is a troll. I just hope I'm never in her class." She seemed to notice her teacher's presence, then. "Sorry, Papa's busy. He couldn't come today."
She turned to Demora and her father. "This is my teacher, Mr. Beils." She introduced him.
The other man smiled. "We've heard a lot of good things about you, sir." He shook Beils' hand cordially. "Sorry Pavel couldn't be here, he's been wanting to meet you."
Nakita frowned. "Well, if he'd come to the Parent/Teacher Conference night he could."
The older man sighed. "And he already feels terrible about it." He reminded her.
"I know. I know." She too sighed. "I don't want him to feel bad. And I don't want him to miss his class. I just wish he could come."
"I know." The man sympathized.
"Anyway," Nakita said, pushing the thought away and turning back to Beils, "this is Uncle Hikaru. That's my cousin Demora."
The teacher stared at the man before him, surprised he hadn't realized it before. The man standing before him with such a commanding air could only be Hikaru Sulu, formerly of the Starship Enterprise. He gaped, though he knew it was hardly polite.
So the girl had been telling the truth after all. Hikaru Sulu really was that close to her and her father. And she clearly didn't think it was a big deal.
Then something else clicked. Sorry Pavel couldn't be here, Sulu had said.
Pavel Chekov.
This girl, who was treated like everyone else, who apparently preferred to be treated like everyone else, was the daughter of Pavel Chekov and the unofficially adopted niece of Hikaru Sulu.
These men were legends, almost as famous as their Captain and his First Officer. And Chekov's daughter was in his class. Was his student.
Demora's soft giggle brought him out of his revelation. "Demora." Her father scolded.
"I'm sorry." She apologized to the teacher. "It's just that you were doing that thing."
Beils frowned. "Thing?" He repeated.
Nakita rolled her eyes as Demora replied. "That thing most people do when they realize who our parents are." She explained. "They freak out. Especially teachers. As if they thought Dad or Uncle Pasha were going to kill them for giving their kids detention or something."
"Don't worry." Nakita added brightly. "They wouldn't do that. And anyway, you're a good teacher, so even if they did do stuff like that, you wouldn't have to worry." She flashed him a bright smile.
Sulu allowed a soft chuckle. "Nice to meet you, sir." He said easily. "But we're already running late, so I'm afraid we need to get going."
"Of course." Beils nodded. "Pleased to meet you as well."
"Bye." Nakita told him as she left with Hikaru Sulu and his daughter.
"Goodbye. See you in class tomorrow." He replied. He shook his head as he watched the three of them leave as if they were just any other normal family.
He was still shaking his head when one of his fellow teachers stopped to ask why he was still staring at the gym door.
Disclaimer: Star Trek does not belong to me.