Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last conversation. I left you with a slight cliffhanger. We will start to get answers.

Day 247: You better be in the wedding

From: Mommy_Susan

To: SuluHG2260

Time arrived: 10/27/2260 00:00:01

Subject: I better be in the bridal party.

Sorry I didn't write earlier. Our outside messages are getting to us very sporadically now. However, mom sent a letter which must have magically broken the dam. Therefore, I get to read your message and see the pictures, which was odd because pictures usually show up a few days before the emails.

Thank your captain for me for allowing you to send me pictures from your last long-term assignment. That planet really was beautiful. I hope we don't try to colonize it anytime soon. Is it just me, or does the Federation have a colonization problem? It's like we see a pretty planet, and we must put our flag on it.

Don't mind me. I'm just thinking about the last negotiation that went badly. I am personally surprised that the ambassador on board hasn't strangled the captain yet since he is the reason why it went badly. Ambassador Garber is trying to convince the people of the planet to give us a second audience. I'm not sure how that's going to go because, thanks to my captain, they pretty much hate Starfleet in general right now. He gives a terrible first impression of the organization.

So, I heard from a certain little sister and my mother that you are planning to put a ring on it. Apparently, she is the one picking out your ring. My mom, on the other hand, thinks you and I are part of a polyamorous relationship and was worried that my feelings were hurt by you proposing to Ben and not me. Maybe my mom is reading my emails and saw that message from Ben, where he said he's totally cool if our shore leave aligns, and we end up hooking up. I can totally see my mom reading my private emails. It is totally an abuse of power, but an absolute mom thing to do.

Let me say right off the bat that I am perfectly okay with you and Ben getting married. Although does that mean I lose my shore leaves freebie card? I'm so sad I couldn't help picking out the ring, that is such a best friend duty. I am laughing my ass off at the fact that my ex-boyfriend's little sister is now responsible for half of the Academy thinking that she is getting married because Kevin knocked her up. It shouldn't be funny, but it is.

Why did I ever date that guy? Was I really that lonely and in need of human companionship? I mean obviously, it wasn't the sex because my Pleasure Seeker 9000 is more effective. I am so happy that you're the one who got me pregnant. Like you have no idea. You, I'm OK being linked to for life. I'm even OK with being connected to Ben for the rest of my life. He is a sweetie and has excellent taste in playgroup wine. We've been writing each other since I've been back in space. Don't worry about him turning you down because I'm sure he will say yes. Also, since the proposal is supposed to be happening in four days, I'm sure that by the time you get this you will have already put a ring on it. I know he's going to say yes. You belong together.

I usually don't like taking advantage of my mom, which is why I am still on the Hamilton, but I am going to be at your wedding no matter how many favors I must call in. I call dibs on best person. I had to squeeze our child out of my vagina, so you owe me so very much, Hikaru.

Also, I better be getting video of the proposal. I wish I could've watched it live, but I understand that wasn't because of all. Also, if Ambassador Garber works her magic and gets us another chance, I'm going to be planet side trying to keep things from going to shit. My head hurts so much.

So, have you guys talked about wedding plans yet? When will the wedding be taking place? Are you planning on a long engagement? Maybe I'll be done with the Hamilton by the time it happens. If we're all on Yorktown, then that would make the wedding easier from our side.

Now tell me about your current mission. I heard something about a volcano planet. It has to be more exciting than an endless loop of negotiations and appeasement. If Carol's father was not dead, I would kill him myself. Everybody's just some combination of scared and furious because of what happened, and I'm just getting a headache. This current mission is totally his fault. I can't tell you where I am, but your former captain was born near here.

Anyway, congratulations on your engagement. I'm happy to make Ben a part of our co-parenting team. I miss our wine playdates. You did well.

XXXX

From: SuluHG2260

To: Mommy_Susan

Time sent: 10/27/2260 23:45:01

Subject: Re: I better be in the bridal party.

Of course, you're in the bridal party, and you have dibs on the first person. I'm like 90% sure Ben is going to go with Zoe, so I feel like it would be appropriate. Do not feel bad for laughing about the engagement ring thing because it really was hilarious.

I don't know why you were dating him, either. Ben is better than the Pleasure Seeker 9000 because of the hugging and having someone to just talk to. I don't think you got those things out of your last relationship. Although I am forever grateful for you bringing me in to spice things up because we have the most adorable kid ever together. I'm even more thankful for your ex-boyfriend's inability to understand contraceptives.

We are family, and we always are going to be a family. Shore leave freebie card non-withstanding. You and Ben work that out without me. I will go along with whatever my boyfriend wants. Except taping it because a part of me really does think your mom really does read your emails. We're keeping all things PG.

The proposal was beautiful. I cried. My sister did not go ridiculously overboard, although rose petals were eventually involved. Also, she made a scenario. An actual Starfleet scenario, I kid you not. I think she may have done an internship with protocol while I was doing undergrad. Everything was blurry from that time. This was long before she realized she was not a Starfleet person.

Of course, he said yes. I wasn't worried about him saying 'no' because we've talked about it before. There was lots of crying, regardless. Part of me wishes that I could've waited until December when we were all be together again, but I wanted to do it now.

We thought about doing the wedding in December, but I think my sister would kill me if we did it that fast. I was also reminded of what summer Vulcan weddings are like. Jim sent me video of their Vulcan ceremony vow renewal in spring. He was still a sweaty mess. The human ceremony was preferable.

I'm glad you like the work pictures. I wish I could send you stuff from the volcano planet, but I think Starfleet is planning to bury that disaster. Good news, we only had one fatality. Bad news we had one fatality. Also, we may have sort of violated the prime directive on a technicality, but no one's going to get in trouble for it this time. The person who screwed up was the one who did not realize that the volcanic creatures on the planet were sentient and usually don't like trespassing.

Now we're on some super-secret rescue mission that involves going to the Neutral Zone. We are not even the closest ship, but something's going on, and Starfleet, possibly your mother, specifically asked for our ship to be involved. We are meeting up with the other ship at 1800 hrs. Enterprise time. I don't even know who the other ship is because the information is closely held and Jim and Spock are not sharing. I heard from the rumor mill that we're going to rescue the ship's first officer after the captain returned to the ship with a bullet to the heart and head. I don't know who because Jim won't tell me. Although he does give me 'the look,' so I wonder if it's somebody I…

I'm almost tempted to delete everything else I just wrote to you since it seems just ridiculous now, but I'm not going to do. Jim convinced his husband to tell me who we're going to rescue. So, you Amb. Garber and your Capt. missed your check-in time 13 days ago, but nobody reported that to HQ or even your admiral. So, nobody decided to mount a rescue mission. Instead they stayed at the designated waiting point. Your captain's body was beamed back aboard ship five days ago with an unconscious Ambassador Garber. This happened to be the first time anybody heard from those on planet.

Which was when the Hamilton decided to let your mom know what the fuck was going on once the ambassador woke up anyway and took over. The acting captain was a moron and possibly criminal. Oh, apparently your Captain was shot because he sold you out. He told your captors that you were the better hostage option because your mom is the head of Starfleet. Allegedly they hate traitors and cowards in that society. However, Ambassador Garber offered her life for yours which is why they let her go. Apparently, that's respected.

I hope we find you. I don't want to have to tell our baby that you're gone. I never want to have that conversation with her. I'm going to send you this message, and I hope you read it. I hope the team finds you.

To be continued.

Yes, a cliffhanger. We must have some drama.