In the Arms of Family
Story by Janet and Christina
Written by Janet, Christina, Cybermum, Diane, Julie,Mary, Penny, and Rocky
Compiled by Janet
"I still can't believe it."
::Hey, Aunt Marla, you didn't think I'd stop growing until you came back, did you?::
"No, I didn't expect you not to grow, but did you have to get so tall? You're going to tower over me!"
Her nephew's eyes glittered with pleasure. ::Yeah, I ...:: The rest of her nephew's response was drowned out by shouts emanating from the booth next to hers, even though sound dampers were supposed to be in use at all times, per Captain Janeway's strict orders.
"What was that again, Ricky?" Marla asked. She realized her mistake as soon as it escaped her mouth. "I mean...Rich."
Her nephew's pained expression sweetened immediately. ::That's okay, Aunt Marla. I was still Ricky when you were home last.::
"Well, I remember what it was like to be your age..." The cacophony in the next booth was deafening again, almost drowning out the chime that Marla's call was almost over. "Oh, dear, Ricky, my time is about up."
::I know Mom and Dad are going to be really upset they missed your call, but they'll both be out of touch for the next couple of hours. You'll be in DS9 for a few more days?::
"Yes, two or three more, at least. We have some repairs to do. Have them call me on Voyager when they're free? I've got to go, Sweetheart..."
::It's really great to hear from you, Aunt Marla...::
The blue Federation logo replaced her nephew's face as the connection was broken. Marla sighed. She'd hoped to be able to speak to her sister as soon as she got into DS9-to hear the latest information Kaylyn had been able to ferret out of Starfleet anything more about Marla's rank. They had all agreed that would be the bellwether; if Starfleet were to confirm Janeway's reinstating her as an ensign, the "Equinox Five" would have a great chance of being pardoned. Perhaps it was better, this first time, just to talk to "Rich" again. He was so different, so grown-up-but not so grown up she would want him to hear about the whole Equinox mess.
Maybe it was just as well Kaylyn would be calling her back in private, when she was in her quarters on Voyager, Marla considered.
Although she had moved quite far away from the booth where Billy Telfer was, Marla could distinctly hear a last burst of voices calling "bye" from that direction. She turned around just as Telfer bounced out of the booth and ran in her direction.
"Hey, Marla! It was great! My whole family was there with my parents, waiting for me to call home! All twelve of them! Can you believe it?"
"Actually, yes, I can believe it," Marla replied with a grin that she tried to keep completely free of irony. Apparently, she did not succeed.
"Oh, we were pretty loud, weren't we? We didn't interfere with your call, did we?"
She shook her head. What good would it do to tell the truth now, when the call was over? "It was fine. They're all well, I take it? You sounded like you were having a really good time."
"We really did have a good time. And they're all doing great! My parents hardly said anything, of course. Mom was crying too hard. But the others were so excited I'm so close to home. All twelve of them were there!" Telfer was grinning widely, obviously pretty excited himself and oblivious of the fact he was repeating himself.
Marla paused at the stairway. "Let's see, how many of their names can I remember? There's Christopher, Sara, Jeannette, Carl, Julia, Maria...Dianne, Anthony...and...um, your brother Rocco...Tony..."
"Tony and Anthony are the same brother."
"Oh, yes, now I remember. The twins are Jack and Jacqueline, right? How many is that?"
"You got eleven of them, I think. That's really good. You forgot my baby brother, E.J. That's short for Edward, Junior-he hates being called Eddie, but he says being 'Junior' is even worse!"
Marla laughed. "Well, Billy, I'm glad you got a chance to speak to all of them-although I guess you didn't get a chance to actually speak to any of them all that much, did you?"
"That didn't matter. Just seeing them and knowing I'm going to be with them soon is enough. Was your call home good, too? Is your sister okay?"
"It was fine. I spoke with my nephew. He's such a big young man now!"
"You didn't talk to your sister?" Telfer looked stricken by the very thought of someone not communicating with a sibling.
"She was out of communication range on a suborbital flight, now, of all times! But that's okay. My nephew will let her know I called, and she can call me on the ship. I can wait a little longer."
Telfer took her hand. "That's good. I hope all that commotion didn't bother you to much."
Marla was touched by his obvious sincerity. "You were happy. That was good to hear."
"Well, Marla-I mean, Ensign Gilmore-I've got to get back to my quarters to get some sleep if I can. I'm pulling gamma shift duty today."
"It should be a lot easier manning a gamma shift here than the ones we've had for the last eight years," Marla said, bidding her crew mate good-bye.
After Billy had run off, still burbling with enthusiasm over his subspace family reunion, Marla's buoyant mood ebbed away and threatened to slip even further into depression. Confirmation of her rank...what a pipedream! As much as she wanted desperately for it to happen, not only for her sake, but also for Harry's, in her heart she knew it was a vain hope. Slowly ascending the stairway to the upper level of the Promenade, Marla moved slowly along until she found herself with her face pasted against the viewport, gazing at the stars and barely imperceptible mists which marked the location of the wormhole. As she stared in its direction, a great light suddenly pulsed through the area, brightening into a whirlpool of multi-hued energy which disgorged a small ship traveling from the Gamma Quadrant into the Alpha Quadrant.
After several seconds, Marla realized the spacecraft was anything but small. It had simply been dwarfed by the vast scale of the wormhole. As she watched the approach the station, Marla's raw emotions jumbled within her. After all this time trying to get home from the Delta Quadrant, the Gamma Quadrant was looking better to her all the time.
"No satisfying me," Marla whispered to the bejeweled black velvet depths of space.
The fact she'd spoken out loud startled her a little bit. Abashed, she backed up from the viewport-even though the view truly was glorious-and started to make her way further down the platform towards the docking ring area where Voyager was docked.
As she passed by the next to the last viewport before entering the corridors she noticed a figure standing in much the same position as the one she had assumed a couple of minutes before. The posture and silhouette were very familiar. "Angelo?" she called out tentatively.
His head turned towards her. "Marla? Hi," he answered.
Marla walked over to where he was and stood next to him, facing the glory of the stars, and asked him, "I thought you were going with Celes to meet the Tal family?"
There was no mirth in his laughter. "Oh, I did. They're very nice people, but not thrilled Celes has brought home a human fiancee. Especially one from the Equinox."
Marla felt a sudden chill. "Why not from the Equinox?"
"There've been rumors, Marla. Somebody connected with Starfleet must have been talking. I can't believe any of our families would have said anything-not that that's a problem for me."
The bitterness in his voice was understandable. The entire Tessoni family, apart from a few distant cousins and great aunts and uncles, had been killed in the infamous attack by the Cardassians on Brolar III in 2363. Just two weeks before, Angelo had boarded a ship bound for a prep school on Regulus III, intending to beef up his resume in scientific subjects in hopes of enrolling at Starfleet Academy. He had just turned sixteen years old. When he got to Regulus, he managed, somehow, to obtain false documents showing his age as eighteen and for the last three years of the Cardassian War he fought on the U.S.S. Kearsarge. Ironically, being assigned to the science vessel Equinox under Captain Ransom had been the culmination of a dream he cherished since he was a young boy. What a nightmare it had turned into!
Angelo needed comforting, not reminiscences about what had gone so wrong in his life. Marla decided to ignore the comment.
"I don't think anyone who knows us would say anything about what happened to us in the Delta Quadrant. Maybe they're just a little protective of Celes. They haven't seen her in eight years, either! And a lot of terrible things happened here while we were gone."
He sighed deeply, glancing at her briefly before looking out into space again. "I'd be a lot more acceptable to them if I were a Maquis, I know that."
"Who says you aren't? An unofficial one, at least," Marla pointed out with a grin. Angelo had actually had that as his nickname on the Equinox, and unsurprisingly, given his history, Angelo had always had an affinity for the Maquis on board Voyager. It was no mystery why he might be romantically attracted to a Bajoran woman, although his love for Tal Celes was much more than a simple infatuation.
"They'd prefer an official Maquis for Celes," he answered, with more than a touch of a smirk flickering across his face.
"Give them time to get used to your charm and *savoir faire*," she suggested.
"Ha!" he laughed. "And how about Harry's mother? How is she treating you?"
"She's wonderful. What dedication!"
"She'd be quite a mother-in-law to have," Angelo pointed out shrewdly.
"Please! I'm not ready to talk about marriage yet! Not like you are."
Angelo turned to face her, his lips moving as if he were trying to express something his mouth would not permit him to say. Finally he managed, "Let's not talk about mothers-in-law or anything else, Marla. Why don't we find Harry and Celes and have a nice time at Vic's Place, inside Quark's."
"The holographic singer's club? That's a great idea, Angelo. It's time we had some fun for a change!"
She didn't have to add, "While we still have a chance." It went without saying.
"Mom, it's okay, I'll do it." Harry tried to get up to help his mother clear his tray from the table, but she immediately pressed him back into his chair.
"No, son, leave this to me," she told him, and proceeded to stack the dishes, glasses and whatever else remained from their meal onto the tray. She swept it out from in front of him, and without another word trotted off to the recycler. Harry watched her go with a combination of amusement and frustration.
They were back in the mess hall on board Voyager. Harry had decided it was far too dangerous to allow his mother anywhere near Quark's, Morn or any passing Ferengi, and had managed to get permission for her to remain on the ship until they reached Earth. Her offer to help supervise the Carey boys had been eagerly welcomed by Joe and Anne, and when the idea had been presented to Janeway and Chakotay that way they couldn't help but agree.
Besides, he really hadn't been able to spend much time with her yet, and he was, when all was said and done, extremely glad to see her. He was only sorry his father wasn't there as well. They had spoken to his dad earlier in the day, and Harry was pleased to see that although his father had aged a bit over the past eight years, he was still just as he remembered him - a small man with a delightful twinkle in his eye. Harry had always loved his father's sense of humor - some of his fondest memories were of the jokes they had shared. He also realized his father's finely tuned sense of absurdity was probably one of the key ingredients of his parents' long-lasting and happy marriage.
Harry leaned back into his chair and watched as his mother stopped on her way back to him to chat with Ensign Potter and wave to Crewman Sneap. He had to admit that with Mary Kim, to coin one of Tom Paris' phrases - what you saw was what you got. She was a genuinely warm and friendly individual. Stubborn and annoying and extremely outspoken, for sure, but there was nothing she wouldn't do for him. Or any family member or friend, for that matter.
"Mom," he reached over the table to grasp her hand when she finally sat down across from him once again, "Have I told you just how happy I am to see you?"
"Harry," his mother's return grip was strong and warm, "the day your father and I heard that Voyager had disappeared, a part of us died." Her eyes clouded at the memory. She squeezed his hand again and smiled. "And when Starfleet notified us that the ship had been found, and that you had survived, it was as if we had been granted another life. If you think you're happy to see me…." Her voice broke.
"I know, Mom, I know."
"Enough of that now," Mrs. Kim said, with a quick shake of her head. "I want to talk to you about that lovely young woman."
Harry sighed. His mother was nothing if not predictable. He had been gearing up for the 'Marla conversation' ever since her arrival.
"I like her, son. I like her a lot. She's got kind eyes." Harry was encouraged; this was one of Mary Kim's highest compliments.
"She's got a kind heart too, Mom." He said.
"But I'm worried, Harry. She's got a difficult time ahead of her, doesn't she? After all, she comes from that criminal ship."
"What have you heard, Mom?" Harry asked quickly, obviously upset she'd heard anything at all about the Equinox.
"Nothing specific, Harry. Just that Voyager picked up five people from a ghost ship and they were demoted. If they were all demoted, then they must have done something very wrong."
Harry just gazed at her.
"Don't forget, I'm a fourth grade teacher, dear," she explained. "I'm very good at figuring things out."
"I don't know what they did, Harry," she continued, "but it must been very bad for Captain Janeway to have done something that drastic. And I imagine your Marla is not going to have an easy time of it when she gets back to Earth."
"You're right, Mom," he sighed. "Don't you think Marla and I haven't discussed it? Over and over." He added, almost to himself.
"What about your career in Starfleet, have you discussed that? You're a lieutenant now, and I think you could be a lieutenant commander very soon. Captain Janeway told me she thinks you have command potential."
"She did?" Harry was surprised that Janeway would have been that forthcoming.
"Well not in so many words, but she did say that you have shown yourself to be a fine young officer. And if you tie yourself down to someone whose record is questionable at best, and will possibly spend time in jail at worst, it won't be very good for you, will it?"
"Mom, no matter what happens to Marla, I'll be there for her. It doesn't matter what they do to her. And by the way," Harry's voice rose slightly, " I know that Captain Janeway has put in recommendations for all the Equinox crew members. She's said over and over again she'll support them all the way. Marla - and all of them have been exemplary members of Voyager's crew ever since we took them aboard. We're all hoping that they'll be pardoned." He paused for a moment. "And if Starfleet has to look to my significant other's record rather than mine in order to determine whether I'm worthy of them…" He paused for a moment and then continued forcefully, "Well then…they're not worthy of me."
Mary stared at her son - studying his face carefully. After a moment she nodded.
"You love her." It was a statement, not a question.
Harry nodded. "I love her Mom." He said quietly, "And I want to spend the rest of my life with her."
Once again Mary Kim took her son's hand and squeezed it. "You're a fine young man, Harry Kim," she said slowly. "And I think your Marla is a good woman. And if you love her as you say you do, then as far as I'm concerned, you should be with her. And you can tell her I said so."
Harry looked down at their joined hands and thought about how lucky he was.
"I will, Mom. I promise you I will."
"Now, show me where I'm supposed to sleep, Harry. I'm tired. I've been running around that space station all day. And I'm sure," she said as she disengaged her hand from his, gathered up her bags and stood up, "that you have other, very important things to do besides sitting and gabbing with your old mother."
Noah Lessing's legs were aching, which they had started doing in recent months whenever he was under stress. The Doctor had told him it was psychosomatic, and on that he figured the Doctor was exactly right. Ever since his rescue from the ruined Bridge of the *Equinox*, his legs gave him trouble of one sort or another. Since he knew for a physical fact his legs were in perfect shape, then it stood to reason that, yes, the pain *was* all in his head.
If that turned out to be the only price he'd have to pay for all that had transpired aboard the *Equinox*, he'd gladly live with it.
But for now, real or phantom, his legs were begging him to find a seat. Given he had been standing in line on the Promenade for the better part of an hour, waiting his turn for a comm unit, he couldn't blame his beleaguered limbs. Nevertheless, he stayed in line another two minutes and was rewarded. A unit opened, he was next up, and he slipped gratefully onto the seat in front of it.
Now that he was here, he hesitated, even though he knew he did not have an unlimited amount of time to make his call. The area around the public comm units was still packed with people waiting to make calls, not all of them Voyager crewmembers. Deep Space Nine was a busy place, even without the addition of Voyager and all the media.
Before he could hesitate himself right out of making the call, he entered the codes and waited. Neither he nor any of the lower decks crewmembers had been permitted much datastream time beyond several text-only letters. There just hadn't been enough room, and then they were home and it became unnecessary.
While his mind wandered, his call was answered, and there she was. His precious little girl. Not so little now, of course-she was ten-but to see her sweet face and know he would soon be seeing her, *really* seeing her and hugging her, made his eyes fill. He blinked and smiled, trying to find his voice. Luckily, he didn't have to. She recognized him at once.
::Daddy!::
He coughed to clear his throat. "Hi baby. It sure is good to see you. Look at you, all grown up."
She dropped her eyes shyly, but was clearly pleased with his observation. ::Am not.::
"Are, too. So how's the mailbox?"
At this she giggled, remembering their new special joke. In a singsong voice, she recited the words she had learned from him. ::Daddy went vroom and the mailbox went crack. It was a sad day for the mailbox.:: She paused and looked hard at him, switching gears so fast he wondered what she was going to say. He didn't have to wonder very long. ::When are you coming to see me? I want you to see my room and my brother and my adoption papers and my stepdad.::
She said all this in a great rush that caught him completely off guard. He had known the adoption had gone through-had even *encouraged* Sam and Ginny to go ahead with it-but still it threw him to hear Hannah say it out loud like that. It would take a bit of getting used to, he admitted to himself, just like everything else.
He must have had a strange look on his face, because Hannah suddenly asked if he was okay and repeated her question about when he was coming to see her. That question, at least, was easy enough to answer.
"Honey, I don't know yet. The Captain is still waiting to hear from Starfleet about when we can leave for Earth. But I promise I'll be there as soon as I can. He changed the subject to get out from under her stern stare. "Is your mom around?"
::Yes, she's outside. I'll go get her.::
Hannah didn't put the transmission on hold, so Noah could see into the living room. It was obvious his neat-as-a-pin ex-wife had to give up a little of that neatness for the new baby. There were blocks, balls, and other assorted toys strewn all over the floor. It looked like a happy mess, and for one fleeting moment, he hated the cards he'd been dealt. But the feeling passed as quickly as it had come.
If he had learned nothing from his time on the *Equinox* and on Voyager, he had learned that the universe was a big, strange place, and even when you thought you had reached the end of your rope, you were sometimes given another length, whether you thought you deserved it or not.
Ginny had by this time slipped into the chair in front of her unit, just barely holding onto a squirming little boy.
::Noah. Welcome home. You look good. A little tired. What's going on? When do we get to see you?:: She sounded like her daughter.
::Cup!:: This from the toddler on her lap, at top volume.
Ginny held one finger up to the screen, turned her head and called to her daughter, who was out of sight somewhere. ::Hannah, honey, get me his sippy cup, would you? It's in the cooler unit. I just filled it.:: She turned back to the screen, sighed heavily enough to raise the hair off her forehead, and began to bounce the child on her knee in an effort to distract him from his intent to get off her lap.
Noah watched this scene with growing amusement. Hannah had been no problem at this age-or at least not nearly as feisty and demanding-and Ginny looked a little worse for wear. He couldn't hold back a chuckle.
"Handsome boy, Ginny, but he looks like a handful. What's his name?"
Ginny stopped bouncing her son and instead wrapped her arms around him and gave him a quick squeeze, looking for a moment like she might start to cry. But she quickly recovered, and resumed her bouncing. ::Oh, Noah, I was wondering when you'd ask. You know what I named him. How could I name him anything else?::
There was a small moment of silence until understanding dawned, and with it came a flood of jumbled emotions that caused his throat to tighten. "Abraham," he rasped softly. It was his father's name. It would have been Hannah's if she'd been a boy.
Hannah chose that moment to arrive with her brother's cup, happily unaware of the emotional state of the adults or that her presence was just the diversion they needed. She bent at the waist and presented it to him, wiggling her backside and puckering her lips, in preparation to talk to him. ::Here's your sippy cup, Abie- baby. Now c'mere.::
Smiling broadly, showing tiny white teeth, Abraham eagerly took the cup, stuffed the tip into his mouth and held his arms out to be taken. Hannah hefted him into her arms, staggered a minute under his weight, and then walked him over to his mass of toys in the middle of the living room.
Ginny followed her children's progress for a moment and then turned back to Noah. ::She's so good with him, Noah. Never once has she displayed even the remotest hint of jealousy. She's the best babysitter we could want, and doesn't even ask for an increase in her allowance credits for watching him.::
"Well, she had a good upbringing."
Ginny looked ready to cry again, but caught herself once more. ::Noah, I'm sorry I didn't-::
He cut her off with a sharp shake of his head. "Gin, no, we've been through this already. You thought I was dead-you had a *memorial service* for me, for crying out loud-you don't have to keep apologizing for going on with your life. Besides, you've got a great husband and a wonderful family now, and it's all I could have ever wanted for you.
"Do you think I'd have been happy knowing you were waiting for me? None of us knew what the hell had happened when the Caretaker's Array dragged us to the Delta Quadrant. When we finally figured it out and realized how far away from home we were, we knew that little science vessel would never get us back inside of a hundred years, if then. I hoped right then you wouldn't ruin your life by waiting for me, and I'm glad you didn't."
His speech left him winded and his legs twitching. He leaned back in the seat, unable for a second to think of another thing to say. He glanced at the timer; his time was about up. Then something else came to him, something blessedly neutral that would take the edge off their emotions.
"How's life in Luna Colony?"
Ginny looked grateful. ::Things are going really well, even out here in the sticks. Or should I say out here in the *dust*? But, you know,:: she said, her voice becoming lighter with her thought, ::that reminds me. Sam said the other day that one of his clients has a florist's shop and greenhouse he wants to sell.::
Noah perked up immediately, ignoring the rapidly-blinking timer on the console. "Oh yeah?" In the short time he'd been on Voyager, he'd done wonders with hydroponics, creating paths lined with roses and Talaxian tomatoes of gargantuan proportions. He'd had little interest in horticulture before then, but did not question his good fortune in being able not only to make himself useful aboard the starship, but to do something he found he enjoyed. He'd told Ginny about it in his last letter.
::When you get here, we'll all go and take a look. How's that sound?::
Noah sighed. "When he got there" could be any time from two months to twenty years, depending on Starfleet's decisions regarding the *Equinox*, as well as the question of how he would handle what Janeway had done to him, if he would *handle* it at all. He knew Ginny knew all this but was keeping a bright face for Hannah. He looked down at the console and as he did, the timer beeped sharply. If he didn't sever his connection in the next 30 seconds, it would be severed for him. He looked back up at Ginny and spoke rapidly.
"That sounds great, Gin. My time's up. I've got to go. I figure I won't get another chance to call before we're summoned to Earth. Keep watching the FNN newsvids, as they'll probably carry word of our departure to Earth. But keep away from the tabloids. The press is everywhere around here, good and bad, but as you might imagine, we're not allowed to talk to them. So whatever the tabloids are printing, it's all fabrication." He raised his voice a little. "Goodbye, Hannah. Take care of your little brother. I love you."
::I will, daddy,:: Hannah yelled from across the room. ::I love you, too! Bye!::
The screen went blank. Noah lifted himself slowly to his feet, turned from the comm unit and walked down the Promenade, stopping at the first florist shop he came to.