The Morning AfterTthe Wedding

Posted on Thursday, 9 July 2020 - 1:42pm by Commander Soral & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley

Mission: Operation: Jabberwocky
Location: Earth, Australia
Timeline: 2393 - MD 03

{ON:}

Soral was the first to waken. The wedding had been a wonderful event and his talk with Laura enlightening. In a few hours he would worry about other things. Right now he kissed the back of his wife's neck. "Good morning." He whispered.

Lulled from her sleep, Alex stirred. She opened her eyes briefly and, finding the room bathed in light despite the shades over the windows, pulled the bedcover up over her head even as she turned towards him. “Morning,” she murmured as she cuddled into him. She had no idea what time it was but entirely unwilling to venture beyond the comfort of their bed. “I think the sun is right outside the window...”

"That would be scientifically impossible." He wrapped an arm around her. "It's time to rise and have some breakfast."

“Can’t we stay here a little longer?” She pleaded, “we just got to bed.”

"It is already almost noon. Today is a full day. You have some packing to do."

“No it’s not...” she murmured. There was silence before she then added, “What do you mean, packing?”

Before he could speak there was a knock and the door opened just enough for Laura to reach in and set down a small box. “In case anyone is hungry!” Laura called out cheerfully before the door closed again. The smell of warm, freshly baked pastries filled the air and her daughter knew they had not come from her mother’s kitchen. And they smelled amazing.

"That smells very good." He slowly rose. "Packing as in I am sending you and your mother on a two day spa vacation."

"Sorry, what?" Alex asked, frowning as she pushed away the bedsheet and sat propped up on her elbows.

"Since I know you do not spend a lot of time with your mother I wanted to get you something you would both enjoy. I have booked you both in a spa for some mother daughter bonding."

She sat up, her head swimming. "You are telling me this now?" she said after a moment.

"I was going to tell you last night but... it did not work out. Laura has all the information." He sat back down. "You are not pleased?"

"It isn't that, it's just you never said a word," she said, worried she had upset him.

"It was to be a surprise." He thought a moment. He sat back on the bed taking her hand. "My apologies I should have executed it better."

“No, no, you... you didn’t do anything wrong,” she said quickly. “I’m sorry. I’m not my best right now. And you are totally allowed to say I’m being ungrateful. Because I am. A killer headache does not excuse it.”

She leaned in and kissed his cheek, “it was very thoughtful. Thank you.”

"I am sorry. I will get a hypo for you to help with the headache."

“That’s okay, I’ll get it,” Alex smiled. “And then I’ll grab a shower and get dressed. Other than packing, what else do we need to do today?”

"I will be going to see Doctor Hades, a friend, to confirm that this woman...if my sister. Then I was thinking we could have lunch and spend some time together before you and Laura leave."

“Do you want me to come with you?”

He sighed. He did but... "I should be alright. It won't take long. Mac will be there as well." He paused. "Even if I am half Romulan...I want you to know that it doesn't change anything on my end."

Alex stood and took his hands, worry on her face. "Soral," she began, making him look at her, "what do you think it is going to change for me?"

"It is an irrational and illogical fear." He shrugged. "I fear loosing you."

"Well I am going nowhere," she promised, stopping before she kissed him and instead gesturing towards the bathroom, "except to brush my teeth and to find a hypo. But neither of those count, right?"

She seemed quite pleased with her logic as she backed up. "None of that illogical fear here," she nodded, grinning as she turned to go into the bathroom but instead and hitting straight into the doorframe. "Ow!"

It wasn't funny but he had to supress a chuckle. He was at her side in a moment. He lifted her and placed her on the bed. "Okay sit there. I will return." He was out and back in the room within a second. Gently he pressed hypo to her neck. "It will work in a moment." Once the hypo hissed out its dose he kissed the very spot he'd pressed it to and then her forehead. "Just give it a moment."

"What did you do?" Laura asked, clearly trying to hide amusement with concern as she appeared in the doorway. Soral's sudden appearance in the kitchen looking for a hypo had worried her.

"My head and the doorframe had a disagreement," Alex pouted, resting her head on Soral's shoulder. She already felt better but that didn't mean she wanted to move quite yet.

Laura grinned, shaking her head. "I'll get the medical kit, it isn't great but the dermal regenerator will at least take care of that bruise..."

She disappeared as Alex touched her forehead, wincing, "a bruise? Is it bad? Soral, be honest with me... Will I ever play piano again?"

"Yes you will. It is not bad."

"She couldn't play piano before," Laura commented as she returned, smiling at Soral, "she is teasing you."

"Sorry," Alex said with a sheepish smile as she kissed his cheek.

He raised an amused eyebrow. "Indeed." He stood. "Well I should get ready and deal with this...potential family member. Doctor Hades has been kind enough to agree to do the test and he's not one for patience."

Alex reached out to take his hand, ignoring her mother trying to work with the regenerator. "Are you absolutely sure you will be okay?" she didn't want him to be facing this at all and while she knew Mac was a good friend, she would rather have been with him.

"Indeed." Then a thought occurred to him. "Alexandra it is not that I do not want you with me I do I just...worry about how safe it is. I do not know this woman well and there is a Romulan senator who would have my head. She is part of a Romulan order of nun assassins and...if this is a trap of sorts. I cannot have you hurt."

Alex's eyes widened, while Laura out and out dropped the regenerator on the floor where it broke into tiny pieces. "Nun assassins?!" the elder woman blurted out, standing to put a hand on Alex's shoulder. To reassure or to restrain it wasn't entirely unclear. For her part, Alex simply studied him for a moment before letting go of his hand.

"Be safe," she said quietly, wondering why it hurt more than walking into a door that he was only confiding this worry now. And expecting her to just to wait and hope his fear was unfounded after already having faced the possibility of losing him once, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

"I don't understand," Laura admitted, looking between them before kneeling down and picking up the pieces of the broken device. "I'm sorry, Alex, I can't fix this and I wasn't finished."

"That's okay," Alex assured her, turning her gaze from Soral, "I'll get you a new one, promise. Besides, I can borrow some of your makeup and nobody will notice."

Soral walked over to the bags and pulled out a med kit. "There is a new one in there that you can use and have," he handed Laura the kit. He then knelt by his wife and took her hands bringing them to his face and cupping them on his cheeks. "Alexandra I love you more then life. I know this is difficult I know you are thinking about when I almost died on the ship but that will not happen here. Mac and Hades will be there that is why I have picked meeting this woman with them there at a setting I can control. Hades and Mac have set that covered. Please believe me when I tell you I will not take any risks that are unnecessary." He laid his head on his wife's lap. "Please believe in me."

Laura discreetly left during Soral’s speech. Alex ran her hand through his hair before lifting his chin, “I do,” she promised as she kissed him.

He kissed her back with so much love. They changed and Soral finished using the regenerator. They both came into the kitchen. Soral looked at the two women and had to half smile. "Laura I think that we are ready for your breakfast."

“Perfect! Have a seat, almost ready!”

Alex had a look of genuine worry, watching her mother yield a frying pan. She felt she should warn Soral that her lack of cooking skills, she inherited from Laura. Normally she stuck to the replicator but was clearly aiming to impress. “You’re cooking...?”

“Another class,” Laura nodded as she added more oil and then strips of chicken. As they sizzled she turned to her guests, “I like to keep busy as you know. And it’s great to meet people in the neighbourhood. There is a lovely woman, Brianna, two blocks that way... no, that way... either way, her son is in Starfleet. A Science Officer too. What are the chances?! Do you know him? Declan. Huh. I’m not sure if her last name.”

“Mum -“

“Oh I know, I know. You don’t know every Science Officer. But she worries so much about him. It’s dangerous out there. The News is always on about this and that -“

“Mum!”

Hurrying from her seat, Alex touched the control switch to cut power to the cooker as the chicken burned. Smoke filling the air as the small morsels of meat burned. She pulled her mother back.

“Oops!” Laura reaches for the fire blanket nearby. “Quickly before-“

An urgent shrill alarm sounded Overhead just seconds before the antiquated sprinkler system kicked in. While old it was more than able to deal with the aftermath of Laura’s attempt at lunch. Unfortunately the kitchen and everyone in it, was drenched. Alex stared at her mother in disbelief before both of them collapsed in a fit of laughter.

“So much for impressing my son in law!” Laura declared as she hugged her daughter, flashing Soral a mischievous smile, “on the plus side, the fire Marshall for this district is very cute.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Indeed." He straightened his shirt as if it were a uniform. "I shall get the mop." He looked at the sprinkles still going. "Do we require a phaser to stop those?"

“There’s a panel, in the closet behind the door, they can be shut off from there,” Laura told him.

“I‘ll get it, and the mop,” Alex told them, splashing through puddles. She paused at Soral’s side, “you better get dried off and changed so you don’t keep your friends waiting. Don’t worry, this isn’t our first kitchen fire.”

He cupped her face and kissed her gently. "It feels like that old Earth movie. Kissing in the rain."

"Pretty sure it is singing in the rain?" she said as she kissed him back, "but I like your version."

As her mother cleared her throat, Alex grinned, "we can continue this later."


{OFF:}