Asking a Blueberry for a Favor
Posted on Mon Mar 30th, 2020 @ 10:10am by Lieutenant JG Gallia Norris & Captain Gary Taylor
Edited on on Mon May 11th, 2020 @ 10:13am
Mission:
Casperia Prime - A lesson in relaxation
Location: Gallia's Quarters
Timeline: TBD
2557 words - 5.1 OF Standard Post Measure
Gary was silently congratulating himself. He had in his opinion hit on a home run of an idea for his and Lia's wedding. He walked down the
corridor,a spring in his step as he thought over the idea. It was perfect! Now all he had to do was convince a certain someone
on how great the idea was.
Arriving at his destination he pressed the chime and awaited entrance. He just hoped he could sway the person in question.
"Come in." Gallia yelled from the bathroom, where Tayalas was having her daily bath, or, as she called it 'tubby tub', and singing the baby duck song happily. She didn't know who could be at the door because she wasn't expecting anyone but hoped for adult company as she wasn't sure how many more episodes of Peppa Targ she could take that day.
Gary heard Gallia call out to enter as he entered he looked around. Standing in the middle of the living room and not seeing anyone he called out "Gallia? It's Gary. Where are you?" Is everything alright?" Then he heard the sound of laughter coming from the bathroom. A smile appeared and grew on his face. "Tay." He whispered to himself. He loved the child like she was his own.
"Aye, we're fine." Gallia answered, "Jus' got meself a free concert from the star a' Elysium Idol is all. We're aboot done, be oot in a minute."
"Sure, no rush. Take your time." Gary answered as his smile grew. He could just imagine the performance Tay had subjected Gallia to. He had no idea it was....unique to say the least.
"Alright, Tay, we got compknee." Gallia told her daughter as she lifted her from the bath, "Ye ready te receive?"
"Yes, mommyyyy." Tayalas replied with a giggle as mommy dried her off and got ready to dress her in clean clothes, "Mommyyy, brushy brush?" Tay asked, pointing to her mouth, tubby tub then brushy brush before nap nap, that was their routine.
"Of carse, darlin'. Did ye think I'd forget?" Gallia laughed, putting Tay in a cute duck covered onesie then carrying her to the sink where she handed the adorable tot her little blue toothbrush to clean her little blue mouth. Putting just a small amount of toothpaste on the brush head she handed it back to Tay, "Okay, darlin', brush ye teeth for mommy."
"Yes, mommyyyy." Tayalas replied, starting immediately to the task at hand. A minute later she was done and smiling as broadly as possible so mommy could see she'd done a good job.
"Well, there's a smile for the ages." Gallia laughed, reaching over for Tay to come into her arms, "So le's go see our friend what come over."
Right after that they were in the living room, Tay snuggled against her mother's chest, antenna over her heart so she could listen to the thump thumps.
"Oh, Commander, good te see ye." Gallia said softly, so as not to disturb the little girl, "What can I do for ye?"
Gary smiled at the scene before him. Little Tay snuggled in her mother's arms looking perfectly content and happy.. "Please, Commander is so formal. Call me Gary. I have a favor to ask but first..... " He walked over to them. "Hey there Tay." He said as he peered at the little girl in a picture of mock concentration. "Tay, did mommy clean your ears?"
Tay looked up at Sana, she didn't care what mommy, who couldn't see because she was a grownup called him, he was Sana and nodded and smiled, "Tubby tub." She replied, letting him know mommy had taken care of her in the bath like she did every day.
"Is that a fact?" Gary smiled at her, moved a step closer and ran his hand over her ear. "If mommy cleaned your ears, how do you explain this? He said showing the girl a credit chip. "How did mommy miss that? And look it has your name on it, see? Tayalas. It must be yours."
Tay gasped in amazement, that hadn't been there seconds before, Sana had somehow made it appear out of thin air. She cooed and clapped at what was surely a simple magic trick for him, but a showstopper for her, "Sana!"
Gary melted at Tay's words and the belief he was Santa Claus as well as the happiness on her face. He handed the chip to Gallia, "It's a late birthday present." He then spoke to Tay. "I gave mommy your prize, she'll keep it safe okay?"
"Yes." Tay grinned, she knew she could always trust Mommy, she didn't think her mommy knew how to lie or be bad, besides, if Sana trusted her, she had to be good, "Mommy keep safe."
"Well, many thanks te ye, sir." Gallia smiled, with Estelle gone to another ship on the other side of the galaxy he was the one she wanted to care for Tayalas until Charles could collect her if something happened to Kara and herself, "Fancy a cup of tea?"
"That's right darling Mommy keep safe." He looked over to Gallia, " Your welcome. Sure, that would be nice. Can I hold Tay while you fix the tea?" He offered.
"If she's okay with it so am I." Gallia replied, knowing Tay would jump, not literally she hoped, at the chance to sit with her Sana, "I willnae be but a minute, jus' gonna let me ole friend the replicator make us some good hot tea an' a choccy milk far Tay?"
"Yes, mommyyy!" Tayalas replied gleefully, she loved the choccy milk that came from the guy in the wall, he always mixed it just right.
"Choccy milk. sounds yummy." Gary replied. "Tay, come sit with me for a minute while mommy fixes the tea and the choccy milk. Have something to ask you."
"K." Tayalas smiled, walking over to where Sana sat and reaching her arms up towards him, "Uppies, pease."
"Why yes ma'am." Gary chuckled as he reached down and gently picked Tay up, sitting her in his lap where he began to softly sing to her. "Whose the leader of the band, that's made for you and me? T.. A..Y..A..L..A..S! Tayalas, forever and ever and a day." He kissed her forehead, "You are precious, never change.''
Tayalas giggled harder now, Sana was funny. "I not." She promised, she had no intention to change, nor did she know how if she wanted to. Enna seemed to want to change a lot, she didn't smile much, so changing must not be fun, and she wanted to always have fun.
"That's my girl." Gary answered as he continued to sing to her. While waiting for Gallia to return with their tea.
She laid her antennae on his chest now, listening to Sana's thump thumps, they were very soothing, lulling her into sleep almost instantly.
Gary patted her back gently, "Precious child, you are such a wondrous gift." he whispered as he held her
"That she is." Gallia said low, setting a cup of tea in front of the XO, who was great with children, especially Tay, "She really does good with ye."
"She is such a wonderful, loving happy child. Gallia, you've done a fantastic job raising her." Gary replied softly.
"I do me best." Gallia nodded, "Couldnae do it without Kara though, she took right te motherhood."
"You have both done an amazing job with Tay. She's happy and content a loving child. I congratulate you both."
"Thank ye." Gallia nodded, taking a seat across from them as Tayalas napped happily in Taylor's arms, reminded her a bit of a picture her mother took of her with Bossk when she was younger than Tay, "Now, it's aboot time ye had some a ye own, isnae it?"
"I certainly hope so Gallia. Time will tell but it does lead me to why I'm here. I'd like Tay to be the flower girl in mine and Lia's wedding."
"That's good by me." Gallia smiled, stroking the baby girl's hair, which was getting very long, "An' I'm sure she's happy te do it for ye."
Gary let out a sigh of relief at Gallia's agreeing to allow Tayalas to be in the wedding. "Thank you Gallia, thank you very, very much. I,we appreciate it." He rubbed Tay's back gently, "Thank you too sweetheart." He whispered to the sleeping child.
"Sana wekkum." Tayalas, still sleeping, replied softly, he had to know she would do anything to help him.
Gary smiled at the little girl's answer. "My little angel." He said softly. She had to know how much she was loved and by so many. Her 'family' would brave the hounds of hell for her and Sana would be leading the way. "If you ever need a sitter for Tay. You got one. You know that right?"
"Well, I'll be sure te avail meself of yer services when next the need arises." Gallia smiled, she loved spending time with Tay, but once in a while needed adult activity to keep her brain from turning to mush, "Since me other sitter's runnnin' aff te get married."
Gary chuckled, "That does put a crimp in things. Have no fear, you call, I'll be here." He assured her.
"Is no a problem." Gallia laughed, "Just thought I would have a little more time is all. Didnae think Milla and Jessica would skip through datin' so fast and go straight te marriage so soon."
Gary joined in the laughter. "Yes, the nerve of her and Jessica!" He teased. "Have they no consideration for you and your needs? Though a little more time getting to know each other wouldn't hurt."
"Aye, them goin' se fast is what's got the mad Russian in a right panic." Gallia giggled, Anje was not thrilled that her sister was jumping into marriage with a woman she just met, she was less thrilled by everyone telling her it wasn't her business, "I presume Cdr. Holmes is gonna have Anje as her maid of honor."
"Enna." Tayalas repeated as her mother mentioned their dear friend, "Lub Enna."
"Yes darling." Gary replied as he gently patted Tayalas's back before replying to Gallia. "I'm sure it does and I can't blame her. I'd hate to see this blow up in Milla and Jess's faces." He nodded "Yes, I think that is a fair assumption that Anje will be Lia's maid of honor."
"She's jus' cray aboot them Brett girls." Gallia smiled and chuckled, "Almost as much as she is about Sib and even Sana." It was then that Gallia noticed Tay had begun to toss and turn in Taylor's lap, "Ah, bloody damn it. Again?" She knew that Tay was slipping into a nightmare, she even knew which one and how it got into her little blue head to begin with.
"No! No! Tayalas good girl!" The child plead to an unseen tormentor, "No go here! Good girl! Mommy, hep!"
Without another word Gallia took the baby into her arms and held her close, "It's okay, Tay, is no real, is just a dream, you're fine, right here with mommy."
"I no be bad no more, mommy." Tayalas promised through semiconscious tears, "Be good girl."
"Aww, ye are a good girl, Tay." Gallia replied soothingly, "Mommy never doubted that for a second an' ye shouldnae either, love. It's okay." It only took a minute for her to calm the little one down, a minute she spent thinking about how much she would love to kick Great Aunt Mary's caber width bum for this.
Gary sat in stunned silence as Tayalas cried out from her nightmare. Thankfully Gallia knew how to handle it and got the little girl calmed almost instantly. "Gallia." He began "What's going on with Tayalas?"
"Shay's been havin' that same nightmare for weeks now, since Great Aunt Mary was aboard." Gallia explained, "Great Aunt Mary was readin' her bible stories one night an' for some reason beyond my capacity te understand, thought it a good idea te tell a child less than two about Hell. Then later that same night, Tay snuck outta bed te get a snack and Mary decided that less than two hours after tellin' her what happens te bad girls forever to tell her she was a bad girl. So now we've had this every time she falls asleep since. Poor thing hasnae slept more 'an an hour in weeks. I know Great Aunt Mary meant well and wants te see Tay raised with the same values we were raised with, but she presented a horrific image to a G-audience an' now ma bebbe cannae sleep."
"This is case where the cure is worse than the sickness. Your Aunt Mary should have known better. I think what is needed here is some positive reinforcement. Tell Tayalas, at every opportunity what a girl girl she is and how happy God is with her."
"She's a right angel, my girl." Gallia said without hesitation, "Ye're no a bad girl, love, no even close. Ye're the best thing in mommy's life, tha's what. Dinnae worry about anything Great Aunt Mary said, there's lossa girls done far warse than gettin' outta bed for a snack, darlin'. Tha's barely even naughty."
'Mommy promise?" Tayalas asked, her eyes shining with tears and showing how much she needed encouragement from mommy right now.
"Of carse, baby." Gallia replied, seriously considering telling her Great Aunt that she wasn't going to be allowed to see Tayalas again until the child was old enough to handle the threat of eternal suffering, "Ye're a very good girl, the best."
Gary decided to pitch in, "Tayalas is the best little girl around!" He said proudly. "She is first on Sana's list of good girls."
"Aye, ye heard that, Tay?" Gallia smiled, handing the baby back to her Sana, "First on the good girl list, tha's some kinda honor, love. Ye know how many girls Sana has to check on? Alla them!"
Tay opened her arms back to her Sana, she wanted to be there again now that the bad time was over, "Sana."
Gar extended his arms and took Tayalas in them and then held her close to his chest. "My precious angel. My number one good girl." he said softly, glad Tayalas had seemingly forgotten about her nightmare.
"Tayalas good girl, Sana." The baby replied, thrilled to know that she was seen as such and didn't have as much to fear. She laid her antennae back on his chest, his thump thumps making her mind stop racing and go to ease.
"Tayalas is the best girl." Gary answered, "No one better." He continued as he gently rubbed her back, Glad Tayalas was calm and happy.
"See, darlin', yer here wit us an' safe." Gallia reassured her, kissing her on her head, "An' nothin' bad'll happen te ye."
"Kay, mommy." Tay yawned, she was getting sleepy again.
"Mommy is right. We'll keep you safe. Don't you worry about a thing." Gary told the little girl.
Tayalas cooed happily, though she was already asleep, lulled back by Sana's thumpy thumps, this time her dream was a much more pleasant one, with Stell and Yorga and choccy chippy cookies and her duckies all around her for the picnic.
Tag
By Captain Gary Taylor on Tue Apr 14th, 2020 @ 2:57am
Was rereading this post and I'm just struck speechless by it's wholesomeness. Of course Gallia's creative and inspired writing has a large amount to play in that as she hits all the right notes in this JP making it an absolute joy and pleasure to read and reread again and in addition who can resist the Elysiums's resident blueberry?
Commander Gary Taylor