Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Happily Ever After… - Schmidt/Garfield Wedding
SNIP
*** Eighteen Months Ago - Starbase 13 ***

The black disc’s image opened to show a medical bay. There was nothing special about the room itself. It looked like any large medical facility found in Starfleet. What made this room unique was the people in it. The first few seconds showed Ian talking to Lexi who was obviously in labor. Long minutes dragged so that only someone with a strong personal attachment to Lexi or Ian would sit through Ian telling Lexi to breathe and Lexi nodding as she winced holding Ian’s hand through it. After five minutes there was a break in the stream showing someone had edited the footage. The relatively quiet soundtrack had a loud shrill cry pierce the room as the camera panned to a young dark-haired doctor happily announcing Lexi had just given birth to a girl.

“Why on Earth did you want me to see this…” Chris murmured to himself as he began watching the video. It felt like a cruel irony to be forced to watch the day everything fell apart, even if he didn’t know it then. Any chance he had at the happily ever after ended when she decided he couldn’t be a part of this. Chris knew even belonging to someone else he would have gladly been there for her. He loved her, and she wanted him to have nothing to do with that day.

“We should do that one day,” a voice Chris instantly would know stated. If he hadn’t recognized the voice as Lt. Kate O’Neill it would be confirmed as she panned the camera to the doctor’s face. “Hold out about finding the sex,” she finished her thought. Both Kate and Shaun were shipmates of his on the USS Odin. He wouldn’t say he was close to them but Chris definitely would know who Shaun was. The medical staff of the Odin was one of the most peculiar crews out there. Grecken and Ean were always pranking each other and at one time the CMO was a large sentient orangutan by the name of Pongo.

“Shaun? Kate… why the devil are you two here…” Chris said in a low questioning tone as he watched the screen unfold before him. They were there? Did they know who these people were to him? How could he have had members of his crew there the day the love of his life had her love child of another man and not known? Well you didn’t really talk to many people on the Odin for more than how are you today remarks. thought Chris as he tilted his head back and forth as the idea did make sense to him.

“Katie bug that way,” the doctor pointed her to what she had been asked to film. As the camera panned to where it should have been Ian’s voice could be heard asking, “you didn’t know the sex?” The visual footage arrived just in time to see Lexi look at Ian as she responded.

“Not by choice. I had planned up until about four hours ago to do it with Chris only that conversation never came up. If he wasn’t going to be here for the birth I thought the least I could do was let him find out what we were having,” Lexi pushed herself to a seat position waiting for the doctor to finish what he was doing so she could see the baby for the first time.

“Me?” came the word softly as Chris let that sink in. She had been thinking of him, but why would he care what the sex was? Chris began to feel that unsettling feeling in his stomach, as if every sign he had in front of him all began to come back to him. Looking in the bottom corner he saw the date, something about it rung a bell to him.

“You fell…” came the revelation, he had a call that day and talked to Ian, she was in a hospital and he was her emergency contact he had been told. “What did you do Ian....”

“You know doll he would have needed more than four hours to get here so that is kinda a cop out,” Ian teased her gently.

“Shhh,” Lexi hushed her long-time friend and impromptu birth coach. Right now was not a time to point out the obvious as Doctor Grecken handed Lexi thier baby daughter.

“You have a healthy,” Shaun started to say the length and weight but was cut off by a break in the footage again. By now Chris would start to realize the breaks were intentional and not by Kate O’Neill. It made no sense to cut out all the important things one would want to know about the birth of a child. Since Lexi would not cut up or destroy the recording it stood to reasonable assumption Aubrey had made a copy and edited parts out. Before Chris had even a moment to contemplate why the scene opened to Lexi holding Ruth.

“You have no idea how much I love you. There hasn’t been a second since I found out I was going to be your mommy that I hadn’t wanted to hold you.” The words accompanied the image of Lexi gently stroking the top of the baby’s fingers allowing Ruth to curl around Lexi’s fingers as if they were holding hands. “I am going to admit that I am not sure how this mommy-daughter thing is going to work out but I am going to try my hardest and love you every step of the way.”

While the angle was not perfect, Chris would be able to see a small baby with a lot of dark hair cradled in Lexi’s arms. “You gonna wake up for me pretty girl,” Lexi asked. “Come on lovebug,. Wake up for mommy for just a minute?” hris would never see the moment but he could see the look of pure shock on Lexi’s face as she and the infant looked at each other. “You have your daddy’s eyes. Your daddy has the most amazing eyes. When he looks at you, whatever feeling you are experiencing is twice as much. Love, happiness, security. Your daddy is a good man. I love him so much. We just,” Lexi looked up and for a split second looked like the tears in her eyes were not of happiness but something else. The view of Lexi’s face disappeared as she directed her gaze downward and the camera could only capture the image of Lexi again holding a small bundle in her arms. “One day you will meet him and he is going to be so proud of you. He will take you out for ice cream and listen to your problems. Your daddy will be there every time you need him. He just needs some time to get stuff together okay. Just for know though, my sweet sweet baby Ruth, he loves you more than he ever thought was possible and for the record. That is how you got your name.” Lexi let out a small laugh. “He always had baby Ruth and Reece cups on him at college. I hope he likes the name. I guess I should have asked him. I probably should have asked him a lot more things about you but don’t worry. We have a lifetime to ask him stuff okay,” Lexi leaned down kissing Ruth’s head.

There was only one more break in the film. When it returned to streaming audio and visuals the scene did not include Lexi but Ian holding the baby in a chair. “I am Uncle Ian, I am the cool Uncle… don’t let your mum tell you otherwise.. I know little one things are strange, you are just born and life has all kinds of tossy turvy things coming your way. Your dad isn’t here…but he loves you… even if he doesn’t know it yet. And despite what they may think, they love each other too… so much they seem to hurt each other instead of saying nice things but they will figure things out, trust me baby doll… you will have them give you the galaxy on a platter…” The camera showed Ian across the room, probably at Lexi before he looked again at the infant in his arms. “Guess it’s just you and me then Ruth… that’s what she called you now isn’t it… her little baby Ruth, ironic… though you wouldn’t know about that story, but your name is cause your dad loves candies… I need to tell you about your dad… someone needs to let you know how amazing he is… and even if I am wrong… and he doesn’t find that happily ever after, it isn’t cause he won’t love you.” The footage stopped there with Ruth on Ian’s shoulder in the position she had spent the past three days assuming on Chris.

Lexi Garfield

The screen stopped playing leaving only the image of Chris’s face staring back at him, tears streamed down his face as he let everything sink in of what had just happened. “Ruth… is mine… but.... why didn’t you tell me Lexi?” he asked to no one in particular as his thoughts began to become verbalized as he just sat feeling a since of deflation.
‘
“Computer what time is it?” he asked as he knew what needed to be done, but he didn’t know how much time he had left. He couldn’t just leave, not anymore. He had loved Alexandra Garfield for twelve years, they had a child together, he wasn’t able to just walk out and never say anything else to her.

“0950 hours” came back the response, he had only ten minutes to get to the wedding. Chris had spent so many years running from feeling his heart broken, putting so much of his feelings of resentment and abandonment onto Lexi and never once giving her the benefit of the doubt. That lack of trust might have cost him everything but for this moment, he knew he couldn’t keep hiding in his own regrets and he needed to take action. Even if it failed, at least he could say he tried.

Getting from the edge of the bed he stood, looking to his left he found the coat laying on the chair as he grabbed in and placed the book under his arm. He felt his heart racing as he bolted from the door as he was a blur down the hallway passing every person as if he was some Olympic athlete doing a hurdles event as he made it to the elevator as he pressed the chime. He could see the elevator bellow him, coming up he knew he didn’t have time to wait as he moved to his left to the stairwell as he burst through leaping two steps at a time as he began racing against hope and time.

“I’m coming Lexi… and Ruth…” he said as the words formed a large smile on his face. He didn’t know how much of a chance he really had, he may have destroyed every shot he had but that wasn’t going to make him retreat. So much was on the line this time and he wasn’t about to leave it all to chance.

Exiting the building speeders seemed to cross back and forth from the busy intersection as he tried to cross it like a game of frogger. He wasn’t sure if he could make it all the way to the Sapphire Room in time but he didn’t care. As he got across the street he made his room even faster as he barreled through pedestrians not caring one bit who he hit along the way as he knew his time was short and precious.

*** Fifteen Later***

Chris stood in front of the building, feeling everything fall apart as he could clearly see guests leaving the building. Pushing past them he went into the building knowing where Lexi would have been he began to scour the building for a sign of anyone, yet finding none of the faces he wanted to see. That was when he saw her, sitting on the lap of the one woman who was willing to tell him the truth.

Aubrey sat holding Ruth on her lap in the small room, it appeared to be the dressing area for her and the other bridesmaids as he came into the entrance just staring at the small child.

“Yeah… I watched it…” he said with a choke of tears as he tried to force himself to not become overly emotionally as he approached Aubrey. Not even wanting to ask permission he leaned down and took Ruth from her. She had this small blue dress that matched the other bridesmaids. It was frilly and far more cute on a child than it ever was on Aubrey.

“Give me a second please.” he said looking over at Aubrey, he wanted to be alone with his daughter, a phrase he never thought he would have uttered as he turned his attention to Ruth with a smile.

“I know, you are beautiful little one…” he said as he put her close in his chest as he seemed to have no words just then. He wasn’t sure how to say what he needed to say but he knew he needed to hold her close.

“Okay little one, I have so much I will tell you when I get back… but I want you to know I love you and your mommy more than anything in this world.” he said as he looked at the door corner, he could see Aubrey there clearly snooping as he came to her.

“Thank you, but… I need Lexi. Is… is the wedding over?” he said we a nearly flat and dejected tone as he looked at Aubrey. It sure felt like it was over as everyone seemed to be leaving and Lexi and Toby seemed to be no where in sight.

Christopher Robins