Goodbye Adrianna, Hello Paisley

Posted on Monday, 20 June 2022 - 4:45pm by Crewman Leopold Eberhardt & Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt

Mission: Operation: My Unfair Lady

Adrianna smiled down at her sleeping baby in her cot. Emilia was growing up so fast, and yet Adrianna still saw her as a tiny, beautiful piece of perfection. She was a spitting image of Leopold... Adrianna often teased that she was the one who carried the child and pushed them out, only for the baby to look like Leopold.

The women took a contented sigh, before turning to leave and speak to Leopold. "Well, Mark said thank you for looking after Sophie. We're back down to one child again."

"For now at least," Leopold replied with a small smirk. "I was getting used to having Sophie around with us. Perhaps we should consider having another one of our own when the time is right?" he offered mischievously. He did enjoy being a father though he was not sure if they would want a second child or not.

Leopold chuckled. "At least with just one of them, we nay get a little more sleep and be rested."

Adrianna chuckled, "perhaps we'll discuss when I'm back from my mission. I, um, I'm being deployed for a little while."

"Mister mom duties for me then," he teased referring to the double parental duties he'd be taking on. "Oh and uh let me take wild guess here and say your deployment involves our dear spoonheaded folk?"

"Spoon headed?" Adrianna repeated back, confused and stumbling over the syllables.

"Yeah, uh sorry. Derogatory term I picked up over the years fir Cardassins because of the...well...you know," he said pressing two fingers to his forehead and slid them down his nose. "There's also vipers, but that one doesn't make me chuckle as much."

Adrianna chuckled at the realisation. Something she now wouldn't be able to unsee. "Yes," she nodded, "I'll be undercover in the heart of things. The captain assures me that there will be an exit plan."

His heart skipped a beat for a moment. No, don't go he thought to himself immediately feeling choked as though he had swallowed a peach pit, but with a hard swallow, he didn't dare utter those pleading words. "Surely, Captain Whitley is not sending you there alone. I'll volunteer if they need someone" he said quickly though he knew well enough that he was of no value on such a mission.

"Emilia needs someone," she put a hand softly on his arm, "you're staying. I've got someone going with me anyway." She sighed, "I know that look."

Leopold nodded "Bring me back a bottle of their finest kanar," he said jokingly. "Emilia and I will be perfectly fine, but remember that Cardassians are not the sort to turn your back on, not even the old frail ladies with their floral handbags. Even they probably pack a dusruptor."

"I heard the same about ekosians and yet I married you," she smiled softly.

"Nobody says anything about Ekosians," he quipped. "We live in our little backwards world in our own little corner. I'm not defending Ekos mind you. We were not that terrible until the Federation got involved and thought teaching my people about Nazism was going to turn out well" noted Leopold.

"Take the compliment for what it was," she rolled her eyes playfully, "anyway, I have to leave in the morning. Kind of. I have to do so temporary face changes and hair change. Once I leave, that's it. I don't want to confuse our child."

Her husband cringed at the mention of facial changes. "What are they going to have you do, come out looking like like a Cardassian?" He was genuinely concerned that was possibly the case. She was going into Cardassian space after all. "Yeah, I don't blame you. I think she would be confused and I would be disturbed."

Adrianna handed over a PaDD, "it's not that bad. It's also temporary."

Leopold took the PaDD, gave it a quick read, and laughed. "Go collect those souls," he replied.

She smiled, "I have to play nice to get information. I already don't like it." She then paused and turned a little pale, "I know that I'm not going to Ekos. I know that I have a guaranteed escape. I know you are safe, our family is safe. I just can't shake this--" she wasn't sure of the word.

"Worry? anxiety?" Leopold plugged in a few words that came to mind. "After what happened to you, to us? I would be surprised if you did not have a sensation of reluctance about this. The last time you undertook something like this, you nearly didn't come back... and maybe we didn't, not entirely at least. Perhaps, you are worried that even if this goes smoothly, that you'll still be leaving part of yourself behind again."

Adrianna nodded. Leopold could definitely voice what she felt, and in such an eloquent manner. She sighed and curled up to him, "I'll be ok."

"You will be okay," he said trying to reassure her. "It's Cardassian space, not quite Federation, but hey, right at the Federation's doorstep and there are plenty of our starships in various sectors. The Standing Bear will be there soon too. This is not an Ekos situation, you have a safety net to fall into if needed."

"I know," she snuggled up, "I'll miss you both."

He was her husband. He knew that not matter how worried that he was for her, she needed his support and encouragement right now, not his fears and concerns. "You know what you are doing, Adrianna, or should I say Paisley Baird? Where do they come up with these names? Wait...like the Federation journalist?" He shook his head. "Interesting."

"She's on an 'all expenses paid' whilst I fill her shoes," Adrianna clarified, "never thought I'd be a ginger one day. Might keep the hair after. We'll see. Gawd, my mother would kill me. I bleached my hair blond once, I got a wooden spoon to the back of my head and a week of silent treatment."

"It probably will suit your personality nicely," he commented. "Not that I'm complaining. I actually find it attractive."

She sat up and smiled, "one last night together for a while then."

"One last night," he replied and confirmed. He was quick to pull her close to his body.