Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the first chapter. You are all lovely. So now we began our micro format. For those of you that remember the original Dear Spock, most of this story is going to be like the first 10 letters, except the conversations will not be one-sided. Some may be, but not all of them. Also, we will have more than one email/written message per section, usually. There will be a few prose sections mixed in, but nowhere near as many as Dear James. We are going to be looking at familial relationships outside the ship, more than in previous stories.
There will also be Jim and Spock snarking back and forth to each other in written format because it's pretty much a requirement for the Dear Spock universe. We're going to start with some of the other characters first for world building purposes, but for those of you reading this on KS archives we will get there.
On the bright side with the micro format, more updates. It is extremely easy for me to do 1000 word mini chapters. So think weekly updates instead of monthly.
Day 2: Settling In.
From: SuluHG
To: Ling-ChenSX
Subject: Daddy misses you. (This was your mom's idea)
Time sent: 2/19/2260 05:30:26
Dear Demora (and Susan because I know you're reading this because I sent it to your account),
I miss you. I think I watched the video file of my first play date with you at least six times. But it doesn't make the process of being light years away from you hurt less. It's been 48 hours and I'm already aware it's going to be a long 5 years. I think I told your mom that a couple of times the day I left you for Uncle Spock's big ship.
My heart broke to hear you crying. You're my little girl. I hate hearing you cry. I'm already counting down to the shore leave on your birthday in a little under four months. It really pays to have a Nanna who is an Admiral.
I have your pictures up all over my room. I may have even snuck one onto my console, hard copy of course. I even have Josephine's picture that she drew of you. It's on the bathroom door. I'm sharing with Uncle Jim and Uncle Spock because I'm in the old first officer's quarters. We can also blame that one on Nanna because I'm captain sitting.
Tell Nana that so far, they've been well behaved, other than kissing Vulcan style on the bridge and apparently haven't mastered the art of door locking. They're not even arguing like they did the first time around. It probably helps that they have acknowledged that they really really like each other which is why they are now married. It's almost cute and it makes me miss Ben a lot.
I hope you're still able to see him and Kiko. He was so lonely after his husband died and I don't want him to go back to that place. Kiko is really the only thing that kept him going. I'm writing to him after this. Maybe if this goes well, I'll write to her next time too. You need as much play time with non-Starfleet kids as you can. Her being six months older than you may seem like a big gap now, but you'll still end up in the same grade in school. Your aunt has told me horror stories which she refers to as Starfleet high school. I want you to turn out mostly normal and maybe consider things outside the Academy as a career choice.
I just kind of feel bad that I'm not going to be part of your everyday life for long stretches at a time. Being with Starfleet is important, but so are you. It's hard being here without you. I bet it's hard for you too. You're probably as used to story times as I am and I'm not there anymore and that has to be weird for you. Who is taking over story time?
Then unfortunately once you get used to me not being there, your mom will be leaving to be the first officer of the Hamilton. Both of your parents will be light years away and you will be moving in with Nana and possibly Liz. Nana is one cool lady, but she's not us. What did you do to get stuck with two Starfleet parents? It feels a little unfair to you.
Anyway, miss you. Love you, hugs and kisses.
PS: Yes Sue, this did help a little bit. You better take video of PADD me reading this to her.
From: SuluHG
To: Benjamin_2254
Subject: Space is lonely without you.
Time sent: 2/19/2260 05:45:26
Dear Ben:
I miss you. I love being here and I love being in space, but I miss you. I'm just starting to realize that in a few short months you have become such an integral part of my life that it feels odd without you here. It's hard not to wake up beside you. You were sleeping over most nights before I left.
There's not much to write about yet. We're still traveling to our mission. The real mission, not the supply drop-offs along the way. I'm not sure yet if it will be a surveying mission or a diplomatic mission, but I prefer anything that will involve plants. I'm hoping for new samples for the botany lab. That's really my favorite part of the job. I love to be in there for hours. It's calming.
Although, honestly, even if I knew the details of the next mission, I couldn't really tell you that much. Sorry baby, you're a civilian. Although if it makes you feel better, I can't tell Sue either and she has a higher rank than me. You were with me when we went to the trial of the person who screwed with Nyota's birth control so you understand why we must be careful. Also, in one of our early missions last time, someone used Jim's food allergies against Jim on a mission to derail negotiations. It almost killed him. I hope not to have a repeat of that. You do not want to have to deal with the Spock that's worried about his Jim. It's dangerous.
So far, the most interesting thing I must deal with is the constant complaints from Pavel about having to break in a new roommate. Every single lunch, it's the same thing. I'm not sorry. I'm just happy that I'm not going to have to deal with finding somewhere else to sleep because he has company over. For someone who's barely legal, he gets around a lot. Although maybe because he was under age during his entire time at the Academy, he's just doing what all of us did during at least first year. Okay, I was never that bad, but I had a boyfriend and may have been talked into a few things with Sue. You'll be amazed at what she can talk you into doing.
Two days into the five-year mission and I have also already walked in on my Captain and his husband "fooling around" in the shower and I'm not to say more in case he accidentally on purpose reads this email. I'm not telling anyone else about that. If we are going to be sharing a bathroom for five years, we are going to have to work something out. There's some things I don't want to see.
How is Kiko doing? Has she successfully mastered toilet training? Or rather, has she successfully mastered telling you when she needs to go to the bathroom. At least she did not break into hysterical crying at the hangar. Although I heard you kept things from getting worse. It must be why you're one of the best pediatricians in San Francisco.
Did I mention I miss you? Because I absolutely do and not just because I also woke up to the sex sounds of my next-door neighbors. I am so checking in with engineering about more soundproofing. God, they are loud.
Write back when you can or send video files. Once things get busy, my replies will be hit or miss. But know that I will always be thinking about you.
Okay, once we get far enough out there, it might be weeks before you get these emails. During the last mission, it once took Captain Spock's father over a week to get a letter from him and the Vulcan is an ambassador. If it does become weeks, always check with Sue. She will know if the long delay in communication is normal mission stuff or abnormal mission stuff. I'm hoping we have a lot of normal before we get to the abnormal. But this is Starfleet, abnormal mission stuff is quite normal.
Okay, what I'm really hoping for is nobody trying to kill my Captain again, either one. I think my new job means I must fill out the paperwork for that. I do not want to do that paperwork.
Anyway, love you.
From: Uhura-McCoyJJ
To: Simmons-ChanEX
Subject: Thank you for the survival kit.
Time sent: 2/19/2260 13:30:26
Liz, thank you for the snacks and games. I did get to eat most of the popcorn before Nyota put it up somewhere for special occasions. I'm not sure if I'll ever see it again. Dad loves that stuff.
We also played Monopoly as a family last night. It's different playing the board game version. Also, everything is so much cheaper. Dad really doesn't like being the banker and Nyota is competitive. She did not let me win.
I have one more day of freedom because the next day I start classes again. I'm not looking forward to being in a classroom where everybody is at least three years older than me. I'm going to be completely behind everyone else. I don't know why I can't have my own tutor. I don't think they're going to like me. Okay I know they're not going to like me. No one talked to me when we had the ice cream social pre-launch. I spent the entire time eating ice cream in the corner alone.
Uncle Jim is too busy with first officer stuff to help with the replicator project right now and Uncle Spock is too busy overseeing all the Captain ship stuff. Although Uncle Jim says once everything is moving smoothly to make sure the personal replicator in our quarters makes Snickers bars. He said he'll do it for his room for grown-up fun play time with Spock. I don't think I want to know what that means yet.
To be continued