Speaking With the Past About the Future

Posted on Wed Sep 21st, 2022 @ 8:39am by Captain Mattias Richardson [Reece]
Edited on on Wed Sep 21st, 2022 @ 11:44am

Mission: Season 5: Time Warp
Location: Earth, Bora Bora
Timeline: 26 July 2297, Midday to Night
1933 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Mattias walked along the shoreline slowly, quietly. While the setting was idealic and beautiful, the feeling he held for his surroundings were consumed by grief and sorrow.

Moving to the nearby dune, he lowered himself down to sit in the white sand. As his eyes moved across the water in front of him, they stopped when they landed on the quiet little cabin where his life had changed forever.

It was the cabin where he had last seen and held his former family, the place where Saundra and Little Charlie were taken from him forever.

Sitting alone, among the tall dune grasses, as they gently flowed in the warm breeze, Mattias's mind ran over the last day that his family had been whole.

"Kara," Mattias said to the computer screen that showed his little sister, who was light-years away on assignment. "I wish you could be here. It's simply beautiful here in the lagoon, hell, the whole island for that matter!"

Kara nodded as she gave her brother a disappointed smile. “I wish I could be there with you Matt! Instead I’m stuck on a ship missing out on it all.”

Mattias gave her a big brotherly grin. "Hey, we'll have a big family vacation next time we are all together." He looked down at his left knee and smiled. "Ah, looks like someone else wants to say hi."

Reaching down, Mattias lifted his happy son, Charlie. As soon as Charlie was up where he could see Kara, he got even more excited. "Auntie Kawa! Auntie Kawa!! Fissies hewe!!"

Kara grinned as she looked at Charlie. “Hey Charlie! I wish I was there with you little man! I miss your lovely hugs and kisses!!” She blew him playful kisses.

Charlie smiled and giggled at his silly Aunt Kara's antics. Mattias then whispered something in his son's ear. Charlie's face lit up again as he turned back to the screen and happily screamed, "HAPPY BIWFFDAY, AUNTIE KAWA!!!

Kara’s smile practically shone. “Awww thank you Sweetheart!! I just wish I could be there to spend the day with all of you! But seeing you is the best present yet.”

"You come! Swim wiff me and the fissies? Pwease?!"

Before Kara could reply, Mattias saved her. "Now Charlie," he said in a calm, fatherly voice. "Auntie Kara can't come swimming with you right now. She's far, far away, helping other little boys and girls who are sick. I promise, next time we are all together, we will go swimming with the fishies, okay?"

Little Charlie seemed disappointed with what his father said, but, like all toddlers, bounced right back. "Okee, Dada." His face lit up again. "Auntie Kawa!! I got fissie goggles!! I see the fissies when I go swimin!"

“You can!?” Kara looked fascinated, she loved talking with Charlie. “You are so going to have to show me next shoreleave okay?” She smiled as she looked at Mattias. Her young nephew was the closest thing she had to a son and she loved him to pieces.

"Okee!" Charlie replied happily. He then turned his head and then tilted his face to the side and smiled a huge grin. "Mama!!" He reached up for Saundra, who was offscreen.

Saundra laughed and put her head into the screen. "Hi Kara! Bye Kara!" She said as she picked up the boy. "We are off to the beach!"

Charlie giggled with delight as his mother picked him up and held him close to her. "Bye Auntie Kawa!! Wove you!!!"

Mattias chuckled warmly. "Be there in a bit, Babe." He said, smiling lovingly at the mother of his child. He then turned his attention back to the viewscreen. "Well, little girl, guess we are gonna have to sit down and plan a group trip back here soon. How long are you going to be out in the Beta Quadrant?"

“I wish I knew!” Kara sighed. “The dates keep changing as new orders come through. I was hoping to be back to spend my birthday with all of you, but that ended up not happening!”

Nodding with understanding. "Brother and sister try to make plans and the Personnel Gods laugh." He chuckled softly. "Well, as soon as we get together again, I'm gonna cook you your favorite birthday dinner. If you're lucky, I'll even make the dessert as well."

“Wow! Then I really do need to hurry up and get home!” Kara grinned. “I’ll hold you to that you know!”

Mattias laughed. "Hey, a big brother has to do something to get his little sister to come see him." He gave her a wink, and then turned his head, hearing Charlie calling to him. Looking back, he started to wrap up the call. "I'm being summoned, heh. Anyway, try to enjoy your birthday, Kara. Stay safe out there and come home soon. Love ya."

“Love you too big brother! Just look after that family of yours, and give Charlie a hug and kiss for me okay?” She offered a smile even though she felt sad.

"I will. See you soon." He then closed the channel as Charlie could be heard calling to him again. Little did they know, it would be the last time that Kara would hear her nephew speak again.

After closing down the computer, Mattias moved out onto the deck, and smiled at what he saw. Saundra and Charlie, his world, laughing and playing in the surf.

Charlie looked up and beamed at his father. "DADA!!! FISSIES HEWE!!! Bwue and gween fissies!!" He splashed at the water excitedly, which, of course, caused the fish to scurry away.

Laughing warmly, Mattias moved off the deck and walked along the shore, until he reached his family. Siding up next to Saundra, he gave her a deep kiss, while still keeping a hand on Charlie. When he broke the connection, he whispered to her, "If I haven't said it lately, I love you, Babe."

"Love you back" she whispered with a warm smile.

Charlie giggled softly as he watched his parents kiss, while they kissed him differently, his young brain knew their kiss was special somehow, even if it seemed silly. "Ewww!" He giggled. "Dada give Mama cooties!!"

Saundra laughed and turned and reached for him. "And they are catching!" she grinned and set about chasing Charlie.

The little boy screeched happily and tried to run away, only to be caught quickly. "Dada! Save me!!"

Saundra laughed and spun her son around in the air.

Mattias chuckled. "I'm coming, my boy!" He then scooped up both Saunda and Charlie into his arms and slowly spun them around. "Unhand that child, you wild woman!" He then started to nibble Saundra's neck as he stopped spinning and slowly lowered them back down.

"Hmm nope, he is mine!" She giggled and squirmed.

As Mattias continued to hold his family, he kissed Saundra on the side of her neck softly, then whispered into her ear. "Go put Charlie to bed for his nap. Once I finish my swim, you and I will have some quality time, my love."

"Hmmm a good idea," Saundra collected their son with a smile and laugh and they headed up to the house, giggling and whispering to each other as they did.

Mattias stood there, smiling happily as he watched his family head back inside. He was truly happy with where life had taken him. Of course, he'd be lying to himself if there wasn't a part of him that sometimes wished Phoenix was where Saundra was, and Charlie was their son instead. But, whenever those thoughts came up, he felt guilty. Saundra was an excellent wife, and a perfect mother. She deserved his full heart.

Unfortunately, his full heart didn't belong to him. Phoenix Lalor had already claimed it long ago.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he decided that he needed a swim instead of a run. With a run, one's mind could wander. Not with swimming. You had to focus at all times when you swam. If not, you would hurt yourself and probably drown.

So, after striping down to his speedos, he did a few stretches, warming and loosening his muscles. He then started towards the water.

The sudden squaking of a nearby gull pulled Mattias back into the present.

Shaking his head, he wiped away the tears that had started to flow down his cheeks.

"Saundra," he whispered. "You always told me that, if anything happened to you, that you'd want me to move on with my life, find happiness again, if I could. You always knew how I felt about Phee. You never judged me for continuing to love her, even when we were together. It was one of the things that made me love you so much!"

Tears started to flow again, the pain he had felt since his heart was pierced had been a constant companion. He truly never thought he would find any peace again.

And then, Phoenix Lalor, that angel with her mesmerizing silver-blue eyes, came back into his life.

When he first saw her at that outpost that the Black Watch had began their hunt for Highlaw and his cronies, he had thought, at first, that he was imagining things. This woman, this angel, had be brought back to him, when he needed her most.

Thinking about how their love affair was rekindled started to bring a smile to Mattias's face. They never did finish that poker game that night. However, he still felt that he had been given the winning hand with both Phoenix, and her beautiful twins. He would have a family again!

He swore to himself that he would never let them be ripped from him, like Saundra and Little Charlie were.

"Charlie," his breath caught in his chest as he saw his young son's brilliant smile. Everything about him was perfect. Mattias, though having fallen out of practice of praying, knew that that little boy was an angel in heaven right now. "My little beautiful boy!" His voice was a hoarse whisper. "No one will ever replace you, my angel! You will always be Daddy's little boy, forever and always!"

A sudden feeling of calm started to settle over Mattias, almost as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his chest. Looking up into the sapphire blue sky, tears continued to fall. These tears, however, were not filled with pain or anguish, but instead, relief and a growing happiness.

"I will always love you both!" He spoke aloud. A soft breeze brushed against his face, as if someone was gently caressing it. "Thank you!" He whispered. "I love you."

For the next few hours, he just sat there, watching the sun set in the west. Then, after sunset, and the stars started to shine brightly in the new night sky, he smiled softly to himself. He could feel that Saundra and Little Charlie had given him their blessings.

After standing up and dusting the sand off of his clothes, he took one more look around him, seeing the beauty of the area again, for the first time.

It was time to go home and start the next chapter of his life.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his commbadge and activated it. "Captain Richardson to Elysium, one to beam up. Energize when ready."

A few seconds later, he vanished in a swirl of silvery-blue energy. After he was gone, another soft breeze moved over the sand and through the long dune grass.

For the briefest of instances, it almost sounded like the laughter of a young child.

~OFF~

 

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