Taking a Breather

Posted on Tue Dec 12th, 2023 @ 8:59pm by Commander Kyle Reece & Harper o’Leary

Mission: Season 6: Episode 4: Memory Lane
Location: USS Elysium, Promedeck, playground
Timeline: TBD (After the massive sickbsy jp)
1329 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

After they had received their inhibitor injections, Zhavna and Jassirc asked if they could go yo the playground, up on the project. Kyle smiled and told them of course.

A few moments later, the children were playing happily, while Kyle sat on a nearby bench, watching his adopted children, a soft smile on his face.

Harper was also in the playground, sitting with her daughter in her lap as Kendra and Edward played in the sandpit. She looked up as she saw Zhavna and Jassirc join the children in the playground. She smiled and stood, carrying Niamh and spotting Kyle, she moved towards him. "Hello Commander" She said as she shifted Niamh in her arms.

Kyle saw Harper approach, her little one in her arms. Sliding over on the bench, he smiled up at her, while keeping an eye on his, and now her, children as they all played in the sandbox. "I told you, when I'm with my kids, call my Kyle." He gave her a handsome, lop-sided grin.

She smiled back and sat down beside him. "Kyle then." She shifted Niamh to sit the infant in her lap. "A nice place for the children to forget the crap." she said calmly looking out at the children playing. "How are yours coping?"

Kyle nodded at first, then a sad smile started to fill his face. "Good days and bad days. Zhavna is constantly watching over her little brother, putting on a brave face for him. But," he sighed softly. "There have been many nights where one or both of them are still climbing into bed with me because of nightmares."

He let out a slightly ragged breath. "Sometimes, I feel like I'm failing them."

"You are not. By allowing them to set their pace, and what they need rather than forcing it, You are not failing them. And, I think all parents have doubt Kyle."

The seasoned warrior gave Harper a grateful grin after she finished speaking. ."it's never going to end is it...the worrying for their safety I mean?"

"no its not" She replied honestly. "And it is probably worse now days than what it would be in Federation Space."

Kyle nodded in agreement. "I know that they are not from me, however, I would lay down my life, without hesitation, to keep them safe."

"That's part of being a parent." Harper said softly. "This little one is not mine biologically, but I feel the same about her and Kendra and Edward."

Kyle smiled warmly when he looked at the baby. "The future truly does belong to them. All we Dan do is keep the engine running long enough for them to take over." He then looked out at their children, then back into Harper's eyes. "I don't know how you do it, Harper. Three children and running your own business, all by yourself. You are a remarkable woman."

"I don't get much sleep, and Niamh charms the customers. She charmed the Commodore the other day into buying more than she thought she would."

This made Kyle chuckle warmly. It was a nice sound, one he hadn't let out since before Vanessa had died. "Oh, I'm sure she could charm just about anyone to buy your wares." He jokingly looked around the park. "Now where is your shop again....?"

Harper smiled. "Just over there," she pointed. "All finished with repairs, and I was lucky I had a lot of my stock still remaining after the accident as well as my ingredient stores."

"That is good news!" Kyle replied with a soft grin. "I heard a few of the shops lost everything. You are very lucky indeed."

She nodded. "I took a lot of precautions, as this was always a possibility, well the damage was, I was not about to go into space thinking nothing would happen."

Kyle nodded thoughtfully , then replied. "Very prudent and forward-thinking of you." He gave her an approving smile. "It boggles my mind that, in this day, people tend to take space travel for granted. It will never be a completely safe lifestyle. The best we can do is be as prepared for the worst as we can be."

Harper nodded "Agreed." She shifted the Baby as she stirred. "Yet, life needs to be lived."

Without thinking about it, Kyle reached over and gently caressed the baby's left cheek. A soft, tender expression filled his features. When his eyes moved up to Harper's, they froze. Without speaking, he suddenly felt both an instant connection to the woman before him, and a zing of excitement rush through him.

She froze for a moment then she drew back slowly. She was not going to get involved with anyone... not after Emily. Not after she put her heart out there and it got shot to pieces. "I... am sorry, I should leave you alone.."

A look of sadness filled his eyes. "Please don't..." he replied in a whisper. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I...it's like I feel a connection to you...as if we are kindred spirits. I would very much like to be your friend." He looked back to their children, as they continued to play. "Odd as it may seem, I don't have many friends on the Elysium. Not this Elysium anyway. Sure, I'm a member of the senior staff, and most of my family is here...but actual friends?" He shook his head sadly. "Even though I know this ship more than just about anyone else here, it still feels like I'm an outsider. Especially now that I'm standing in as not only Chief Tactical Officer, but the Security Chief as well."

He looked back at Harper. "Don't get me wrong, I'm honored to continue serving on this great ship. It's just, sometimes, I feel like I've taken a step back in my career and am sitting in someone else's seat."

Harper nodded. "I would be honored to be your friend," she said. "I.. am still trying to find my way here."

Kyle gave Harper a soft smile, though there was still a touch of sadness in his eyes. "Thank you, though the honor would be mine." He was about to say something else, when their children approached. Zhavna spoke up first. "Papa? We're getting hungry. Can we go get something to eat?

Kyle's smile warmed as he replied to his beautiful daughter. "Of course, sweetheart." He then glanced at Harper. "Would you all like to join us?"

Harper looked at the children. "If its ok with your children."

Kyle looked over at Zhavna and Jassirc and, before he could ask the question, he could see by the excited look on their faces what their reply would be. With a happy, fatherly grin, he asked anyways. "Are you two okay with that?"

"Yes!!" They replied in unison before he even finished speaking.

Chuckling softly, Kyle looked back over at Harper. Arching an eyebrow, he said, "Well, I guess that answers that."

Harper smiled. "Ok. I will gather Kendra and Edward and we will follow."

"We'll wait and go together." Kyle smiled and looked at his children. "Go tell Kendra and Edward the good news."

Zhavna and Jassirc smiled brightly, then sped back to their friends. Upon hearing the news, all four children could be seen jumping up and down for joy.

Kyle chuckled. "Looks like it's unanimous."

Edward, who was nearly 3 ran over and grabbed Harper's hand. And tugged. She bent down and he whispered in her ear. Laughing Harper stood back up. "Yes you can have chicken nuggets." she said as she did so.

Kendra, nearly nine came back over with Zhavna and Jassirc.

"Chicken nuggets, huh?" Kyle said as he stood. He then turned and offered his hand to Harper, to help her stand while she held her baby. "I know just the place."

The group moved off following Kyle, to have a dinner where the children could be themselves and not worry about anything.

~OFF~