Rattled

Posted on Saturday, 3 April 2021 - 10:19am by Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant Raith Kolani

Mission: Operation: Trail of Tears
Location: Quarters
Timeline: Evening after Raith’s return to the ship

{ON}

T’Lanna lay cuddled with Raith, it was getting late but she couldn’t seem to sleep. She’d woken most nights since Jayce’s birth, except for when the lack of sleep finally caught up and she slept out of pure tiredness. She knew it wasn’t healthy but then her body was still adjusting to the change in hormone levels and recent events with the search that discovered the Romulans. She sighed as she moved to get out of bed, walking over to the window she stood looking out at the stars.

Raith could feel T'Lanna stir and he rolled over gently as he felt her get out of bed. "Hey, you ok?" he asked quietly. He knew that she was struggling with sleep of late and that this was another bout of that same struggle.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t wake you did I?” T’Lanna gave Raith a concerned look. “I can’t sleep!” She shook her head. “If this keeps up I’ll have to speak to Ryan, Jarin or Emerick about it. I just don’t feel settled yet.”

"That's understandable, and it's ok, you didn't wake me...I knew you were awake anyway," he said, tapping his temple for a moment, knowing that the connection between them both was strong now that he had recovered from his coma.

"Is there anything I can do? Is Jayce ok?" he whispered.

T’Lanna nodded. “Yes, he’s fine. He should be able to come home soon.” She walked back over to the bed and sat down. “I think I’m just unsettled because he’s not here. As much as I can feel Jayce, it’s not the same as him being here with us.” She looked at the empty crib that was beside her side of the bed, they’d got a nursery ready but for now Jayce would be staying with them in their bedroom where T’Lanna could keep an eye on him.

Raith hauled himself out of bed and moved over to stand beside T'Lanna, putting his arm around her. "He'll be ok, Tee, he's in the best care for now," he offered as comfort. "Once the medical team give him the all-clear, we can have Jayce home with us and then be a proper family."

Despite just about being recovered himself and back on duty again, Raith knew that it would take a while for them to figure out how to be a family and that this was what he wanted with T'Lanna.

"For now, we have each other again and you know that you can visit Jayce any time you wish to, the last thing I want to see is you unhappy right now," he said.

“How can I be unhappy with you here with me?” She smiled feeling somewhat better. “Hopefully Jayce will be home soon and we can start being a proper family.”

Raith smiled. "That's all I ask for...but just know for now that he's in safe hands and that you are also in safe hands here with me, ok?" Raith re-affirmed. "I'm not going anywhere."

Holding his arm around T'Lanna and making sure that she knew he was close, Raith had an idea. "Fancy a nice warm drink? something to help calm the nerves and help you feel a little better?" he offered.

T’Lanna nodded and smiled. “A hot chocolate with marshmallows would go down a treat.”

Raith smiled as he stood up and moved over to the replicator. "Computer, two hot chocolates, double sweet with marshmallows," he ordered. Once the drinks appeared on the mat, he picked up the tray and nodded to T'Lanna to take a seat on the sofa, leaving the lights off.

Once they were seated, Raith handed over her drink and then picked up his own. "Cherish this time while we have it," he said, before taking a sip. "Soon, we'll be taking turns waking up to look out for Jayce and make sure he's ok," he explained as the thought of being a father was no longer one that carried fear with it but happiness instead.

"Plus, it also means that you and I get some time together as well, and that's always a good thing to have happen, in my own modest opinion," he added.

T’Lanna sipped her drink. “Time with you is always something I cherish Raith. I’m looking forward to us being a family when Jayce comes home.”

Raith smiled as he shared his agreement. "And I cant wait to be a father to Jayce, we'll be a proper family just as we wanted, after all that we've been through so far, this is the blessing that we all deserve." Taking another sip from his drink, Raith then put his arm around T'Lanna and let her become comfortable with the hug he offered to her.

As they sat there, Raith enjoyed the moment of truly feeling happy. "I love you T'Lanna, with all my heart and I am so glad that, regardless of how the universe planned it, we were able to meet and be together."

T’Lanna smiled the biggest smile yet. “I love you too Raith. We became a couple under the oddest of circumstances but I’m glad it brought us together.” She happily cuddled up glad to be there with him. “Raith, do you think what we both dreamt in that nightmare was some sort of warning? I still don’t understand how we shared that nightmare.”

Raith nodded as he saw where T'Lanna's question was going. "I think we both shared the nightmare yes...and after picking up the borg drone that resembled your mother previously... I don't know what consequence that has for us both, but the nightmare was pretty vivid... in fact, it felt pretty real," Raith explained.

"If there is one thing that I know, its that sometimes, dreams can often be either a precursor to an actual event happening or a warning to be heeded...but in this case, I don't know what this means," he carried on. the dream had felt real at the time, with Raith recalling how real it felt to be assimilated and turned into a Borg Drone, causing his to feel a shiver down his back and react as such.

“Well it can’t be a precursor to something happening for real, my mother is no longer alive.” T’Lanna sighed. “I don’t understand at all, what I do know is that it brought us together and for that, I’m very grateful.”

Raith placed a kiss on her forehead gently and smiled. "As am I my beloved, as am I," he replied. "Now, tell me, how is that drink doing, helping you to relax a little?"

Raith could tell that T'Lanna was tired and also that she was feeling a little better as the two of them talked. He was also happy that they were getting some time together before Jayce was moved in with them and they were a full family unit again.

“Definitely helping” T’Lanna nodded. “But you’re what’s helping the most. This time tomorrow we’ll have a Jayce home and we’ll finally be a complete family.”

"Exactly and before tomorrow comes, the best thing that you and I can do is to get a good nights rest, Jayce will be a handful to begin with and the last thing I need is for you to be tired on your feet," Raith explained. "We're in this together, I swore to that and I'll be here, but I want you to get some rest first... the last thing that he needs is a tired mother."

Whilst he was excited about Jayce's arrival, Raith could see that T'Lanna needed some rest and wanted to make sure that she got all she could.

“Agreed” T’Lanna nodded. “I don’t want to be passing out on the bridge due to exhaustion, it wouldn’t be very professional of me.”

"Exactly, so let's finish off our drinks and head back to bed," Raith offered. "I'll even throw in one of my nice warm cuddles to help get you off to sleep as well..."

T’Lanna smiled a lovely big smile. “That sounds wonderful. Cuddles with you are all I need.” She finished off her drink and put her cup down. “I’m ready when you are.”

Raith offered T'Lanna an arm and the two of them slowly walked back to the bedroom, where, once there, Raith held up the duvet to allow T'Lanna to get underneath and get comfortable. Once she was in, Raith pulled back the duvet and got back in, cuddling up to his beloved and putting an arm of safety around her.

"Is that better?" he whispered to her.

T’Lanna smiled. “Much, being cuddled up with you always makes me feel better.” She yawned as she finally felt relaxed enough to get to sleep. Closing her eyes it wasn’t long before she was fast asleep.”

{OFF}