I love you too... (Roll call)

Posted on Tue Jan 9th, 2024 @ 6:22pm by Lieutenant Commander S'hib
Edited on on Tue Jan 9th, 2024 @ 6:23pm

Mission: WHAT IF?
Location: Brig
Timeline: 2419 - Branched Timeline.
1322 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

"Sorry I'm late, How have you been?"

It was a simple question but one said with genuine care and affection, the words fluttering around him and giving everything warmth once more. but even still he had barely paid any attention to the words themselves, he just sat there awestruck and half asleep.

"I'm OK, Slee... least I am now you're here anyway," He said blinking somewhat before reaching up and rubbing his eyes clear of irritation. "How's your mother?" S'hib asked excitedly, his words filled with longing for a time long gone.

"She's good, happy even... though she tries to hide it." Slee paused momentarily as she stood there, studying the old Stal in front of her with a soft smile. "She said something about not deserving it when so many of the crew have lost everything, I said she sounded like you... and she didn't talk to me for a couple of days afterwards."

S'hib stifled a laugh at the mere thought, almost choking as he did so.

"Yeah, I thought you'd find that funny..." Slee quipped as she gently nodded to the guard standing near the controls to her left.

a few moments later the invisible wall between the two flickered and shimmered offline, and she was able to step inside the cell.

S'hib got up almost immediately, ignoring the pain in his stiff joints as he thumped forward and flung his arms around his daughter. "Where have you been?" He snorted insistently as he pulled back, moving his hands until they clasped the side of her face gently. "You missed your last two visits and nobody would tell me what was going on, I know we had an argument and I felt terrible I just-"

"S'hib... stop," Slee said softly, reaching up and wriggling her hands into his. "There was an away mission, it just took longer than planned... that's all, nothing else."

"Well, ok then..." He huffed, still unhappy he was left in the dark. "I'm still sorry about last time."

"So am I, but it's ok." She said before thumping her forehead against his.

"Agh, you always do that so hard... I swear you do it on purpose because of your ridges."

"I don't know what you're on about." She feigned while struggling to hide a smile.

"You get that from your mother too..." S'hib replied before getting distracted by her mane. "Wait, these are new... who's are these?" He inquired, leaning to one side and admiring the braids.

"Oh, yeah... I uh, I didn't think you'd notice..." Slee grinned, feeling hot blood in her ears as they flicked back.

"Of course, I would, you're my daughter... I notice everything." He said, looking at her with a pained expression before moving to sit back on his bed, gently tugging her hands to sit with him.

And so she did, crossing her glossy hooves over one another before staring at her lap in silence.

"So? You gonna tell me?"

"Hm? Oh! yes, right..." Slee said suddenly sitting up. "I have... two... new boyfriends. Jason is from engineering and Sam is the new helmsman." She added, pointing at different locks of her mane for each.

"So you have... what, three now?"

"Yeah, mum wasn't happy when I told her..."

S'hib shifted slightly to look at his daughter with a perplexed expression on his long face.

"Was she unhappy because you told her you have two more boyfriends or was she unhappy because of how you told her..."

"Uhhh..."

"Sle'anna..."

"Well, she asked if T'jar was coming over for dinner, and I said yes... but could she also make enough for two more... and then it all went to shit."

"Yeah... you definitely got that from me..."

"It was so awkward! you have no idea... that table is not big enough for three people let alone five!" Slee blurted out, her hands gesturing tightly together in front of her chest. "And she asked so many questions!" Slee added with a nasally squeal. "Why does she do that!"

"Thats because she cares."

"I know but why did she have to make the hasperat so hot too!"

"Again, because she cares..." S'hib replied with a slight laugh in his tone. "And because if those boys can handle her hasperats then they might be alright..."

"What about me, I couldn't feel my tongue after the second bite... I had to go to sickbay after dinner."

"You know you got off lucky right?"

"I know... I know..."

The pair fell silent for a moment, just enjoying each other's company as they thought through what to say next.

Slee looked up, idly staring out of the cell before looking over at S'hib "I need to talk to her really, just sorta explain some things to her."

"About what?"

"Well, It's just, the last few years we've kinda drifted apart, and I think it's because of the way I am... being more of a Sequus than like her."

"I get what you're saying Slee, she raised you... on her own, I wasn't there... and yet, here you are being more like me." S'hib said as he reached over to hold her hand. "You know she loves you deeply, as I do... she just doesn't understand us... because I was terrible at explaining it to her."

"Yeah, that was something she complained about you a lot growing up."

His face went dour at this. "Just... talk to her, sooner rather than later... maybe get the High Priestess to talk to her too, if they're still on talking terms."

"I will, I promise..."

She fell quiet after this, thinking deeply for a moment as she gently tugged her hand free from his.

"Why weren't you there, by the way... when I was growing up... like I know you were here, but why?"

It was a question he had been waiting for since the day she could talk, his answers had been well rehearsed and reworded countless times over the years... and yet, there he sat, unable to say much of anything.

Slee frowned, her nose wrinkling from side to side. "Mum said you killed somebody, Is that true?"

"It's uh, it is... it's true, I did kill someone."

She looked down, her face somewhat disappointed at the news, not at the answer itself, but more so the questions it raised.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Because they killed a friend, a very good friend... She was a lot like you actually, always reading..." He said as he looked up, remembering old memories, nestling his mind into them like well-worn leather. "Always so... understanding."

"Mum showed me some old photos the other day, there was a girl with pink hair holding me when I was little... she said she died but then she changed the subject, was that her? I think I was too young to remember."

"Miraj..." He said fondly. "That was Miraj, she was supposed to be your second mother..." He sighed as he slumped forward somewhat, suddenly fascinated by the weave in the bland grey carpet that lined his cell, anything to keep his mind busy, anything to keep from truly remembering that day.

"They took that away from you... so I chased them into that frozen forest... and you lost me as well."

She let the words sink in for a moment before shuffling closer, pausing as she held her hand out in front of him. "I didn't lose you, you're right here stupid..."

He nodded gently at this, grasping her hand tightly while rubbing the palm of his other into an increasingly damp eye. "I love you, Slee."

"I love you too..."


** Hello dear reader, This post is set in a timeline, a universe where S'hib had reached the shuttle cave earlier than S'hib from our universe, and as such caught Miraj's attacker as they fled the scene... you all saw what he did to that shuttle... I'm sure you can fill in the blanks ;) **

 

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