The whole truth

Posted on Sun Jun 27th, 2021 @ 9:48am by Lieutenant Commander Kara Starr {Kelea-Salik} & Captain Mattias Richardson [Reece]
Edited on on Sun Jun 27th, 2021 @ 9:50am

Mission: Darkness Rising - A Phoenix Lalor Sub Plot
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD14 0700 hrs
1921 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

{ON}

Kara walked into Sickbay for her morning shift, seeing Mattias already awake she offered a smile before a wave of nausea washed over her she tried her best not to show it, but had to rush off to the bathroom.

Seeing Kara, he smiled warmly. Then, when she suddenly rushed in to the head and started to puke. "Kara! You okay, sweetheart?"

Feeling somewhat washed out, Kara re-emerged from the bathroom giving Mattias a somewhat guilty look. “I’m... fine.” She took a moment making sure she wasn’t going to need to go back before venturing closer to him.

Mattias gave his sister a look. Something about how she was looking seemed very familiar. "Little Girl...are you...pregnant?"

Kara nodded as she moved towards Mattias, taking a seat on the end of his bed. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide it from you for long.” She offered a smile.

A few beats of silence passed between the siblings, then, a huge grin split Mattias's face. "Kara!" He leant forward into a warm embrace. "I'm so happy for you!" He then gave her a pseudo-serious look. "You are really doing your level best to get me to like Malakai, aren't you?" He grinned as he spoke.

Kara smiled the biggest smile yet. “Of course I am!” Her expression took on a more serious look. “You’re not mad at me for not telling you sooner? I mean I... I’ve only known for a short time, but I didn’t want to worry you.”

"Mad?" Mattias grinned brightly, tears starting to fill his eyes. "Little Girl, I haven't been this happy in a long time!"

Just seeing tears in Matt's eyes made Kara well up as well. "This is what I've always wanted, to be married and start a family. Believe it or not Malakai wants two or three kids. Which is fine by me!"

"Oh, Kay," Mattias gushed slightly. "I am so happy for you...Yeah, Malakai too. Just remember, Uncle Matty is gonna spoil each one rotten!"

Kara grinned. “Just like I used to with Charlie...” she stopped talking remembering the pain of the loss they had both felt at what happened to Charlie.
“Matt I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to...” She paused.

While he never forgot his son, the mention of his name so suddenly was like a rod of duranium being shoved into his heart.

“Matt!” Kara cradled his head against her chest. “I’m so sorry! I’m here, I’ll take care of you.”

It took Mattias several minutes to get his emotions under control. Slowly, his breathing returned to normal and he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kara. It still feels like yesterday that they were taken from me."

Kara offered an understanding smile as she sat back looking at Mattias. “I know, it’s funny, Charlie wasn’t my son but I miss him so much!” She paused wiping away a few tears. “You did it, didn’t you? When you disappeared after their deaths, you took care of those who did it?” She gave Mattias a dark look. “If any of them are left I want in, I want to make them pay!”

Giving his sister a hard look, Mattias shook his head. "No, Kara. You will not. While I love you for offering." He reached out, placing a gentle hand on her belly. "This is your only job now. Protect what might have been Charlie's little niece or nephew. You want to honor him, do that. You don't want to go down the path of vengence. Trust me. If it wasn't for you and Phee, I'd be lost on it now. I will not allow you to follow me on that path. I gave you a blood oath that I would let your attack go. I want you to swear to me, here and now, on Charlie, that you won't start down this life."

Kara paused before nodding. “I swear Matt, if you want it by blood oath then pass me your knife.”

Mattias shook his head. In a slow, deliberate tone, he said, "Stronger than blood, swear on Charlie. Swear on the memory if that beautiful, happy, little boy," he started to choke up as he spoke. "Swear on him, that you will never do anything that will jeapordize both you and your unborn child!"

Kara looked at Mattias wide eyed with tears in her eyes. “I... swear on the memory of Charlie, I will never do anything to risk myself, or my baby!” She moved back and stood up. “Is that good enough?”

Mattias nodded and, for a few beats, neither moved. Then he reached out and took hold of her hands and pulled her into a warm, loving hug. ""Thank you, Kara!" He whispered into her left ear as he held her to him.

Kara couldn’t stay mad at her brother, he’d looked out for her for her entire life. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have been angry, it was a fair request. Speaking of children, you and Phoenix do you plan to have any?”

"It's okay, Kara. Neither one of us has ever been able to stay mad at the ither for more than a few minutes." He chuckled, then a warm smile started to fill his face. "We have discussed it, and promise me that this stays between you and me, she has said, in no uncertain terms, that one day we would be looking upon our children."

Kara smiled. “I won’t tell her you told me, but that’s wonderful. Phoenix did mention the Elysium, I’m thinking of transferring aboard. Now I’m expecting I need a real place to call home, that’s if Malakai agrees to it.”

Hearing the possibility that his whole family could be inside one hull again made Mattias smile even brighter. Then it faltered some when she mrntioned Malakai. "Well, the ship is big enough. He could stay down in waste reclamation." A look of mirth fill his eyes as he spoke.

Kara shook her head. “Maybe one of these days the two of you will see eye to eye. You both did a great job as my bodyguards on that last assignment, but then you’ve always been a bodyguard ever since I was little!”

"Well, if there's one thing Malakai and I have in common," Mattias said with a tender grin. "It's our dedication to keeping you...and the baby, safe." He shook his head, realizing just how fast things are going. "You two get married, then right away you get knocked up." Shaking his head and chuckling. "Where the hell did the time go, Kay? It seems like just yesterday we were playing space pirates, back on the Silver Linings."

Kara smiled as she remembered the good times they used to have together. “They were good times Matt, well most of them anyway!” Her smile faded a little as she remembered seeing the pain in Mattias’ eyes after her rape many years earlier.

Smiling softly, Mattias remembered many times the two of them spent together. She was right, there were a few bad times. The worst, other than Mom dying, was when she had contacted him following her rape on Narendra III. Pulling her back into a warm embrace, he whispered. "I love you do much, Little Girl."

Kara smiled, “I love you too big brother”

Loosening his hold, Mattias curiously surveyed Kara. "So, how far long are you? I cant imagine too far, I mean, you guys just got married after all."

“Actually ...” Kara paused. “I’m five weeks.”

Still smiling, it tiok Mattias's brain to catch up. Slowly, the smile started to drop. "Wait..." he said as he finally got the math straight in his head. "Five weeks...that means..."

Kara nodded. “That means I’ve been seeing Malakai a lot longer than you thought.” She sighed. “We’ve been meeting up during shoreleave from our ships.”

Mattias was unsure what to feel. On one hand, he felt upset that Kara had been hiding this from him. On the other, he realized that, as an adult, she could do whatever she wanted. She never needed his permission nor let him know what she was doing. Finally, he just sighed. "Kara...I'm happy for you both. Extremely happy. I realize that, especially since Mom died and Dad disappeared, I....I have been very protective and watchful over you. Even more so after..." He gave a sad shrug, not wanting to say the word rape. "All I can say is, I behaved as I did because of how much you mean to me. I hope you....okay, and Malakai, can forgive me if I still act like I'm your champion. I know, rationally, that he fills that role now." He gave a sad grin, knowing how things have now changed.

“There’s nothing to forgive Matt” Kara smiled. “I like having you as one of my champions, as you put it. I know Malakai doesn’t really like it, but you’re my brother. I was expecting you to go mad when you found out how far along I was, I’m just glad you haven’t. After what happened to me, Malakai is the first, and only man besides you that I’ve trusted to be close to me.”

Leaning closer, Mattias pressed his forehead to Kara's, something they had done since they were both very young. It was how she had first been able to enter his mind, when her Betazoid ablilities started to manifest. With his eyes closed, and his hands now on the back of her head, he whispered, "I love you, Kara. No matter what happens, I will always be here for you and the baby."

Kara nodded as she closed her eyes feeling their connection. “I know you will big brother.” His concentration was so much on the mission that with their minds practically touching she was being proverbially smacked in the face by it. “Wow! When you put your mind to the mission, you really put your mind to it!”

Startled briefly by her remark, Mattias almost let his armer of thought crack. Pulling his gead away, he quivkly recovered. "Well, what would you expect for your ass-kuckin, cigar-smokin, big brother, huh?" He gave off a false bravado, hoping it worked. "How else do you think I've gotten to where I am?"

Kara smiled. “Mr tough and focused at all times huh? Anyway I need to get going, I need to get Sickbay resupplied and sorted out.”

Nodding, he gave Kara an honest smile. "I really am very happy for you both, Kara. And...Malakai...he's not so bad. But don't you dare tell him I said that!" He playfully threatened her. He then released his hold on her, so she could leave.

“I won’t, I promise!” Kara kissed Mattias on the cheek that had gone a whole lot easier than she’d thought it was going to.

Mattias watched Kara walk away, a smile on his face. Then, after she was out of view, the smile fell away. He started to breath heavier as he laid back in biobed. "Lights off," he said, barely above a whisper. He then broke down into tears, the pain of losing Saundra was hard. The pain of losing his sweet, young, innocent Charlie...that pain was devastating.

***OFF***