A mother's prayer

Commander Kieran McGee was a man whose sole purpose in life was to be in command. He thrived in his position, and in the power derived from it. Since he was a midshipman, he studied the people around him, and used and manipulated the people and the situations in order to ensure that he could have power, always more power.

As soon as he was in a comfortable position in the Navy, he noticed that it was necessary to present a more respectable image to his superiors: therefore, a wife was needed. A bachelor's life was frowned upon by those who wished to climb higher. A wife meant stability, and responsibility. So he started his search, and found the perfect little wife for himself.

Marianne had been a beautiful woman, a delight to the eyes and a good soul that shone like a star through her brilliant almond like green eyes. He had been introduced to her by a colleague, and after a short courtship, they had been married and were already expecting their first child within one year.

He was eager to start a family, and he covered her with compliments as the one who would bless him with a strong son, who would follow in his footsteps, someone he could teach to seek power as he did.

However, when the small pink bundle was put into his arms, he felt some insecurity for the first time in many years: how would such a tiny thing grow up to fulfill his dreams and plans? What if he failed?

Marianne loved unconditionally her little son, and was shocked and confused at the change of attitude of her husband, who, during the pregnancy had been very tender and caring, and as soon as he was presented with his son and heir, he took a step back and refused to participate, leaving her with all the dirty diapers and late night feedings.

When little Timothy had to be hospitalized for the first time, due to a respiratory infection, she was introduced for the very first time to the callousness of her husband, who until then had hidden it behind the mask of good husband.

He did not accept the possibility of any son of his being weak and frail, and insisted that she had been unfaithful to him. She cried and shouted at him, and stayed by her little boy's side until he was well enough to be sent home.

He reluctantly came to pick them up from the hospital, and asked for forgiveness and brought mother and child home with him. But after that, he'd never really warmed up to her sweet fragile green eyed boy, always treating him like just a child who happened to live in the same house he was, but never like a son.

Marianne's mother's heart bled for her son, as she saw how much it hurt him, but despite his failings, she still loved Kieran, and she had promised to give him another chance. She still hoped that, somehow, he would see how bright and intelligent their fragile child is, despite the hospital stays, between the bronchitis and the asthma attacks.

They tried again, and Kieran became an exemplary father when she announced she was pregnant again three years later. He showered attention on her and on her little Timmy, and walked proudly beside his family during the base dinners or outings.

But she miscarried, shortly before her seventh month, and with the unborn child a part of her husband, the essence that made him essentially human, died as well. He definitely became more serious, harder on her and Timmy, and they became a house full of strangers, not a family's home. She tried to do her best for Timmy, but her bright little boy would look at her with her liquid green eyes, so similar to the ones she saw when she looked in the mirror, and ask with a teary voice:

"Mommy, why doesn't daddy love us?"

She never figured out the answer to that question. Still she stayed, trying so hard to create a home for her little boy, and she was quite relieved when he started to take longer assignments out of the city, leaving her alone with Timmy on the base.

She showered him with attention and love, and taught him how to love and be loved, and how precious the love of a family could be. She would lay with him in the garden, and teach him to identify the stars and constellations, and promised him that, in the future, when he became tall and strong, he would create his own family, yes he would, and he would love and be loved something fierce, because that was her prayer to him. And his family would be beautiful.

In the one of his few visits home, Kieran had been in a particularly good mood, and treated Timmy nicely and Marianne as well. She accepted his change with a tiny bit of mistrust, and welcomed him in her arms and her bed, for the first time in many years.

That was when she conceived Sarah. Again, her husband, once told of the news, became excited, and received a new burst of family love, and when he saw the little girl in his arms, he was the perfect picture of a proud father. Sarah had him in her grasp from the very first moment she held his finger in her little ones, and he started to spend more time with the family, and talking with Timmy and Marianne. Both McGees, after being neglected for so long, were a little cautious at the beginning, but later on they welcomed this new Kieran with open arms.

This bliss lasted only five years, until Kieran's lover came knocking at the door, pregnant with their love child and demanding to speak to him.

After this, things got tense again, as the woman did not ask, she demanded Kieran's attention, and started to become a nuisance. Finally Marianne got pissed off, and ordered Kieran to decide, either their family or the parasite's. He promised to stay with them, and ordered the parasite away, and she moved to another city.

But he still left on assignments, and everything went straight to hell when one of his buddies decided to become overly friendly. She told him to go away, he didn't understand the meaning of the word no. And she was physically struggling with him when her Timmy comes in. He sees his mother in a difficult situation, and instantly reacts as the gentleman she taught him to be. He received a beating and a hospital stay as awards of his act of courage.

But, when Kieran comes home and accuses her of being an unfaithful slut, ah, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. She served him the divorce papers the following week, and forbid him in court to visit the children.

When he fought for custody of the children, all she had to do was to show the pictures of Timmy's wounds to the appeals court, saying that her husband wanted to let her children to live close to people capable of doing that to her children, and the judge granted her full custody.

And so his persecution began.