ch 13
The hall was filled to capacity and more people were flowing through the doors. It was the largest facility starfleet had in San Francisco, and the only location for the welcome back party for Enterprise and E2, their crews, and their descendants. Added to the crowd were all the highest ranking officers at starfleet, government officials, dignitaries, and representatives from both Vulcan and Andoria. The buffet tables were set up at either end, and groups of diners sat around tables, laughing, sharing stories, and eating. The Columbia had finally arrived two days after Enterprise, and their share of Lorian's crew were disembarking and coming right to the party. Captains Lorian and Archer sat together at a table, along with Commander Tucker, Sub-Commander T'Pol, Lieutenant Karyn Archer, Lieutenant Reed, Lieutenant Welles, Mariah, and their boys.
"Hoodu, stop shoveling it in like you're starving," his father admonished. A huge grin sprouted under the mop of unruly red hair. "But dad," he mumbled around the scoop of chicken parmesan he had just deposited in his mouth, "Fooz and Jeremiah and I want to check this place out–it's huge!" "Huge!" Dion chortled an echo, sitting on his mother's lap and trying to navigate his own spoon to his mouth. RJ was also on a lap, nestled against Lieutenant Reed's chest, his stomach already full, and he knuckled his eyes and yawned.
"That one's going to be asleep any minute," Archer observed with a smile. Malcolm beamed, "Young Reed's had a full day, putting his feet on his home world for the first time in his life." His arms were wrapped protectively around the little boy, who looked up at him through drowsy eyes. "Pop," RJ said, smiling at his grandfather.
"Yeah, Pop," Trip teased him, "can we call you that too?" Everyone smiled. It had been a few days earlier that Malcolm had been introduced to the Welles boys. It was a memory that would stay with all of them forever.
Malcolm was adamant about meeting his family. Andrew had finally recovered enough to be released to his quarters but not back on duty, and they had arranged to meet in the mess hall after dinner. Malcolm had arrived early, and his eyes lit up when Andrew and Mariah led their contingent into the room. He recognized the tallest of the three boys, who ran into the mess hall at full speed, as the young man who'd almost plowed into him at lunch a while back. There was no mistaking that red hair. Mariah led a second boy by the hand, and he seemed to hang back a bit, his eyes darting around the room as if inspecting it–'like any good security officer,' Malcolm thought with a twinge of pride. The littlest of the three was in his father's arms, his smile and dimples flashing.
"Boys," Andrew began as they settled themselves around a table, "you know how Fooz Phlox has a great-grandfather on the Enterprise?" "Yes sir," Hoodu answered promptly, "he's the doctor! He checked me up when we first came on his Enterprise. I like his animals–'specially his bat!" Hoodu was the only one not sitting, he was on his feet at the end of the table, jumping up and down. RJ sat quietly on his father's lap, his big gray/blue eyes taking in his surroundings, and Dion inspected a toy spaceship he held in his chubby hands. 'It was,' Malcolm thought, 'like a quiet type of chaos, full of energy and vibrance.'
"Well," Andrew continued, "we have family on this Enterprise too." Hoodu stopped jumping as his eyes flew open, and RJ looked up at his dad. "Who is it?" Hoodu demanded, before his mother answered, "be quiet and let your father finish." Andrew took a breath and Malcolm noticed that RJ was suddenly staring at him intently. "Boys, this is Lieutenant Reed, and he is my father." "Really?!" Hoodu stopped jumping and grinned at Malcolm. "You're my grandpa?" he asked. "My Grandpa Mckenzie is old, but you're real young!" Malcolm smiled at the boy, then at his son.
Andrew continued, "Just like Fooz's great-grandfather is young," he pointed out, "But it's true, Lieutenant Reed is part of our family." Hoodu leaned on the table and stared up at Malcolm. The boy had his mother's emerald green eyes, Malcolm noticed. "You're our Grandpa? You're in the armory, just like dad! You look kind of like dad too. What should we call you? You–" The adults were all smiling now at the barrage of words tumbling out of the boy. Suddenly RJ's voice piped up, "Pop," he said, solemnly pointing a finger at Malcolm. "You're Pop." There was a moment of quiet around the table. "Okay then, Pop!" Hoodu launched himself at Malcolm, who had the presence of mind to open his arms at the last moment before Hoodu grabbed him in his own version of a child-sized bear hug. Then, "Can I go find Fooz?" Andrew grinned; his oldest son had accepted his new relative and everything was normal for him. "Blast off," he told Hoodu, who promptly shot towards the door.
RJ, meanwhile, had slid off his dad's lap, and was now standing next to his new-found grandfather, and he held his arms up to the man. Malcolm looked taken aback for a moment, then lifted the child onto his own lap, where the boy promptly settled down and rested his head against Malcolm's chest, his red hair tickling Malcolm's chin. Mariah was beaming at the men in her life. "That's pretty appropriate," she commented, "RJ giving you a name like that." Malcolm looked up at her, "Oh really?" he asked. "Because of his name," she continued, "–you gave it to him, in a way, Reed James Welles."
Malcolm's eyes fell again on the small red head he was now holding. "Reed," he said softly. RJ looked up at him, and grinned. "Pop." he answered. "Pop!" Dion echoed, bouncing up and down happily, "PopPopPopPopPop!"