Eli lay in bed between his parents. He was wide awake. They were still asleep.
Most mornings, his parents woke up early. They would bustle around the room getting ready for the day, while Eli watched in sleepy contentment. Then Mommy and Daddy would pick him up and get him ready, too.
This morning was a special morning. Eli's parents had nowhere to go and nothing they had to do today. Eli smiled as he watched them sleep. Snuggled up on either side of him, they were warm and soft. He picked up Daddy's hand, holding it in both of his own. Placing it against his cheek, he took Mommy's hand, too. He pressed her hand to his other cheek and laid his own hands on top of Daddy's and Mommy's.
Eli loved Daddy and Mommy's pretty, blue skin. He looked at his own hands, lying against theirs. His hands were not blue. They were a little bit pink and a little bit brown.
"Good morning, my Eli." Daddy's hand gently stroked his face. His warm, blue hand. "Are you having a nice lie-in?"
"Eli happy. Daddy-Mommy here."
"Mommy and Daddy are happy Eli is here, too." Mommy's hand stroked him now. Mommy's soft, blue hand.
"Would you like some breakfast?" Daddy sat up, his hand still on Eli's cheek.
"More cuddles, pwease."
Mommy laughed and picked him up. "Why don't we try breakfast and cuddles?"
Eli hugged her. "Bweakfast cuddles?"
Mommy kissed him with her soft, blue lips, then handed him to Daddy.
"Breakfast cuddles it is, then." Daddy snuggled Eli close, wrapping his strong, blue arms him.
Thrawn carried Eli into the kitchen and carefully placed him on the cabinet. Eli's ankle was nearly healed but Thrawn wasn't about to let him so much as stand until the full six weeks were completely over.
"Pancakes?"Eli asked.
"If that's what you'd like." Thara followed them, fastening her robe. "Let me find the recipe."
She located the card in the recipe box. "We need butter, eggs, milk, flour and a little sugar."
Thrawn pulled a mixing bowl from the cabinet and placed it next to Eli. Thara handed the little boy a large spoon. Giggling, he stirred the ingredients as she added them to the bowl. When the batter was ready, Thrawn held Eli safely out of the way while Thara poured spoonfuls onto the griddle.
"Bwueberries?" Eli pointed to the cold storage unit. "Pwease?"
Thrawn found the blueberries. Reaching into the bowl, Eli held up one of the berries.
"Bwueberry. Bwue Daddy. Bwue Mommy."
"Do you think we look like blueberries?" Thara set the platter of pancakes on the table.
"Bwue pwetty," Eli assured her. "Eli love bwue Daddy-Mommy."
"Your blue Daddy and Mommy love you, too." Thrawn added blueberries and syrup to a small stack of pancakes for his son. They all say down together. Thara leaned over, kissing Eli and petting him.
"We have the breakfast; we can't forget the cuddles."
Giggling, Eli curled up like a roly-poly under his mother's caresses.
"Mommy tickle!"
"Is Mommy tickling you?"Thrawn brushed his fingertips across the back of Eli's neck. "Perhaps Daddy should tickle you, too."
"Mommy-Daddy tickle! Cuddles, pwease."
Thrawn stopped tickling his son and lifted him up to nestle close to his heart. He pressed Eli to his chest, savoring the bliss of the moment.
"Cuddles good," the little boy sighed. "Eli eat?"
"Yes, you should eat." Thara scooped fluffy cream onto Eli's pancakes and handed Thrawn a spoon.
Thrawn popped a spoonful into Eli's mouth.
"Bweakfast good, too." Eli smiled.
Thrawn settled him into his lap and continued to feed him.
"What are your plans for the day, love?" Thrawn asked his wife.
"I thought I would try to finish my painting this morning." She reached over and tousled Eli's hair. "Then perhaps we can take our little man to the park."
"An excellent idea. I have some new art images I wish to study this morning, as well."
Thara gazed at her painting, a warm pleasure running through her. Painting was a very different art form than her usual wire sculpting, but she was glad she taken on the challenge. The image of her husband gazed at her from the canvas with a life-like intensity. She was pleased with her own image as well. The portrait was nearly complete, if she could simply capture the precious essence of her newborn son.
She stared at the blue baby blanket surrounding her under-drawing of Eli, the turned to the image that was her inspiration. A simple holo could not express how perfect her son was.She stroked more blue onto the blanket. What paint could possibly show how beautiful her was? Paint did glow with life and love. It was not soft and delicate. It did not have Eli's wonder and innocence.
Chimes sounded from the comm station. Thara grabbed a cloth to wipe paint from her hands and hurried to answer.
"Good morning, Thara!" General Ba'kif boomed over the comm. " Is Thrawn nearby?"
"He's in his office with Eli. I'll get him."
When she opened the door to her husband's office, Thara smiled. Eli lay curled in Thrawn's lap, sound asleep. Thrawn sat in his new desk chair, gazing at an image of a sculpture from Lesser Space. A row of blue and red blocks wound around the desk. Eli had been making more "agains" for his Daddy. Thara wished she didn't have to disturb them.
"Thrawn?"
He looked up."Yes?"
"General Ba'kif, on the comm for you."
"Ah." He rose, carefully lifting the sleeping little boy.
Thara reached up to stroke her precious son's face, then paused as she saw the paint still on her hands.
"Let me wash my hands and I'll take him for you."
Thrawn nodded and walked to the sitting room. He indicated a large, comfortable chair.
"I will put him here until you return."
While he nestled Eli in the chair, Thara headed to the bathroom. She scrubbed her paint-spattered hands, dried them and frowned. Paint still stuck to her skin. She scrubbed again.
Eli opened his eyes. His Daddy was talking on the comm to the General. He didn't see his Mommy. He sat up and looked over the edge of the chair.
The floor was far, but not too far. Daddy would talk to the General a long time and write lots of words on his questis. Eli would find Mommy.
He slipped off the chair. His ankle did not hurt anymore. It was easy to walk to Mommy's art room.
The door was open a little. Eli pushed it open all the way and walked in.
"Mommy?"
He didn't see Mommy. A big picture sat on her easel. He stared up at it. Daddy and Mommy stood together. They both held something blue.
"Pwetty bwue," he sighed.
He moved closer for a better look. Mommy's paint tray sat next to the easel with a big blob of paint on it.
Blue paint.
Blue. Eli could be blue.
He smiled.
"Sorry to disturb you on your day off," General Ba'kif said. "But I knew you'd want to hear about your new assignment."
"Yes." Thrawn put his questis down and turned to check on his sleeping son.
Eli was gone.
"Thara? Thara, do you have Eli?"
Thara rushed into the room, still holding a damp towel.
"No! Eli! Eli, where are you?"
"Eli here," a little voice called from the direction of Thara's workroom.
Thrawn and Thara ran down the hall. The door stood open. Inside, Eli sat in the floor with Thara's paint pallete in front of him. He turned as they entered.
"Eli!" they gasped together.
"Eli bwue," he beamed. "Bwue Daddy, bwue Mommy, bwue Eli."
He pointed to his painted-covered face, then to Thara's painting. Thrawn picked him up. Eli hugged his Daddy, smearing paint on his tunic.
"Bwue hands." Eli held up one of his hands.
"We had best get you in the tub right away, my Eli." Thrawn found an unpainted spot on his forehead to kiss. "You are not supposed to be blue."
"We love you just the way you are," Thara added. "You are absolutely perfect."
"Bwue!" Eli pointed to the painting again, indicating the blue bundle Thrawn and Thara held.
"Oh, Darling!" Thara gasped. "That's your baby blanket -the one you sleep with."
"We brought you home from Lysatra in it," Thrawn explained. "Mommy is painting a picture of that special day."
"I wasn't painting you blue, sweet Eli. You're just so beautiful I didn't know where to start, so I painted the blanket first. I love you so much."
"Eli love Mommy. Eli love Daddy."
"I love you, too, my Eli," Thrawn assured him. "Now, let's get you in the tub, so you can be your proper color again. "
Thrawn settled Eli into the warm water and Thara lathered him up with gentle baby soap. An angry buzzing from the comm floated down the hall, reminding Thrawn that he had abandoned his conversation with the General without explanation.
"I'll be back."
When he explained what had happened, General Ba'kif laughed.
"Children! You never know what they'll do next."
"So I am learning. Fortunately, the paint seems to be coming off without damaging him."
"I suppose it must be hard, being a Human amongst all us Chiss. At least he gets to see Lorana Jinzler."
"Yes." An idea occured to Thrawn and he smiled. "Did you have anything else for me?"
"Nothing for now. Go take care of your son."
Blue paint was the hardest to clean up, Thara mused. She had drained and refilled the tub twice before all paint came off her son.
She wrapped him in a plush towel and lifted him onto the changing table. As she fastened his diaper, Thrawn appeared in the doorway.
"He's all clean." She tousled his freshly washed hair. "And looking adorable."
"Indeed." Thrawn held up a small device. "He is perfect. I have a surprise for you, Eli."
Thara smiled, recognizing the device."Let's finish dressing him."
Thrawn helped her slip a clean tunic and pair of pants on Eli, then scooped him up.
"Come, my Eli."
Thara followed her husband into the sitting room and watched as he placed the device on the table. He tucked Eli in a chair facing the device.
"We want you to meet your first parents." Thrawn flicked the device on and it hummed to life. "It has been some time since we have talked to them. I doubt you remember."
An image flickered above the device, crackling with static. Thrawn adjusted a dial and the image resolved into two Humans.
"Eli!" Lydia gasped. "You're getting so big!"
"Hi, Eli," Daniel Vanto waved. "You sure are turnin' out fine."
Eli stared, wide-eyed. Thara knelt on one side of him, with Thrawn on the other. It had been over a year since they had last contacted Eli's birth parents, busy schedules having gotten the better of good intentions. She was glad Thrawn had thought of them today.
"Hi, Thrawn. Hi, Thara." Lydia waved. "Thank you for letting us see little Eli."
"You are most welcome." Thrawn inclined his head. "We wanted you to speak with Eli about being Human."
"Being Human?" Daniel blinked. "Sure. Does he know Sy Bisti?"
"A bit. But I would prefer that you speak in your own language, so that he can begin to learn it. I will translate." Thrawn patted Eli's back.
"Humans are a lot like everybody else, I reckon." Daniel shrugged. "We have feelings, dreams, plans."
He paused for Thrawn to translate.
"Most of us love our families very much." Lydia squeezed Daniel's hand, but her eyes never left Eli. "That's why we wanted you to have the best family you could. Your Chiss Mama and Daddy chose you, Eli. They didn't have to come all the way to little Lysatra, but they did. For you. That's how we knew they were the ones."
Daniel nodded. "Here on Lysatra, we like to think everybody's special. And we could see that they knew you're special."
Eli gazed at them. "Not bwue," he said at last. "Lysat Mommy-Daddy little pink, little bwown. Eli little pink, little bwown."
Thrawn translated Eli's Cheuhn words.
"That's right." Lydia leaned forward. "You're from Lysatra, sweet boy. And you're very special."
When they finished the call, Thara was almost in tears. Eli had found his answers. And she had found her inspiration.
Thrawn stood in front of his wife's painting, holding his son.
"It's perfect, Thara. Just like you- and just like our Eli."
"And just like my Thrawn." She stretched up to kiss him. "You never told me what the General wanted."
"He gave me the Springhawk's new scouting assignment. We leave in a week."
"For how long?"
"At least three months. Tell me, my Eli, would you like to celebrate your birthday on a starship?"
Eli looked up at the painting of his "little bit pink, little bit brown" face. In the painting, his Daddy and Mommy gazed at their new baby with love in their eyes. He turned from the painting to his real Daddy and Mommy.
"Daddy 'tarship? Yes, pwease!"
Author's Note: More Baby Eli! I can't help it; he's addictive. He's about to turn three! Is Thrawn really going to let him be a big boy? I don't know. But he has good intentions, as usual.