Posted by Lieutenant Commander Dr. Solomon Kane (Chief Science Officer/Research & Development) in Guest Quarters - Family Woes Part II

(snip)

=/\= Going to my office. I would recommend you leave me alone. Lex too. There’s been enough damage done, we don’t need apologist garbage trying to smooth it over. Kane out. =/\= and the comm went dead. Into his earbud, he said “I’m fine. Do your thing, doll. I’ll be in my office. Love ya, Lex.”

Kane

Alexis was confused because she knew he was not fine. Then again ‘angry’ was his default mode. Then there was the way he said ‘do your thing’ and telling her where he would be like he always did when she’d go to the lab so she could work things out in her head. Like he knew what had happened, and he was just there in her head…well her ear. The random middle of the afternoon ‘Love ya’ made her smile. “I love you too.”

Anthony tapped his combadge to close the connection. He wasn’t going to push…right at this moment. The man had the grace to tell him where he would be and to stay away. What he didn’t like was being told to stay away from his daughter, and was rather insulted at the accusation of ‘apologist garbage’. He finished transplanting the angora bush he had offered to help with, then dusting off his pants he put the tools away and made his way back down to his quarters. He opened the door and looked at his wife, the mother of his incredible child and sighed.

Allison opened her mouth and began to rant about how rude Alexis and Kane were being. Could Anthony believe that Kane said she didn’t know her daughter at all? And the wedding was off? And Alexis said she was nothing like her and seemed rather proud of that. And she went and tattled to Kane about something because he just barged his way in and told her off. And wasn’t he worried about how Alexis would handle being married and....it went on.

Anthony put hands on her shoulders, kissed her forehead, steered her into the kitchen, and told her to make something, anything and then walked back out to the work area and sat down. Yes Allison was offended and upset, but usually it was her fault. He loved her, but the woman didn’t always see things how they were. The nice thing about star ships was most activity was recorded for familial or personal records. Anthony was able to pull up the recordings and watch. The more he watched the more irritated he got, until Alexis walked out and his heart ached. Then the conversation with his soon to be son-in-law. That just made him grimace. Anthony wasn’t sure if someone had spoken about Allison that way if he could have been so restrained.

Allison walked into the room and he looked up, “Allison…how could you? Really?”

A few hours later, Anthony hoped it was enough hours later, he took the lift, alone, to Alexis and Kane’s quarters. The system said that’s where she was. He approached the door knowing there was a good chance he’d be told to leave, but he rang the chime anyway.

Alexis had returned to her quarters awhile later. She’d considered going to the lab, but the truth was she’d been spending enough extra time working that GALEN would probably flag her for it. So she’d collected Frigga and then gone to the holodeck to work her through some skills programs Frigga needed for her recertification. They were sitting on the couch, Frigga draped over Alexis, refusing to let her move much when the chime rang. Alexis did not want to talk to anyone else. “GALEN who’s outside my location?”

=/\=Lt Cmdr Anthony Bonner=/\= Alexis got up, pushing Frigga off of her. It wouldn’t do to avoid it, and her father was always fair. He never just took her side or her mother’s side. Never on a whim. She pressed the control for the door and it slid open. Her father stood there staring at her a moment. “I understand if you don’t want to talk to me, but I would like to talk to you.” Alexis stepped back to let him in. The first thing Anthony did was pull her into a huge bear crushing hug, kiss her forehead and say, “Your mother is wrong.”

Alexis was not expecting that. She hugged him back tightly and then sighed as she walked back over to the couch and sat. Frigga stared back and forth between them before resuming her spot on Alexis’ lap. “You haven’t even heard my side of it yet. Mom must have said something awful to you for you to already decide she’s wrong.” That’s how it always was growing up. Her dad would talk to each of them then decided what to do. ‘Get all the facts, figures, and evidence before you decide anything, Alexis.”

Anthony sat on the opposite end of the couch, one leg bent, one arm draped across the back and turned toward her. He chuckled. “Didn’t need to talk to her. Growing up you didn’t live on a star ship, we lived in a regular old house in Walnut Grove. Star ships are amazing, they record everything, our house did not. All I had to do was pull up the video feeds to see, first hand, what had happened. So I know what she said and what you said.”

Alexis grinned a little, “Sounds like something Solomon would do.” Anthony nodded but then slid across the couch to her. He pet Frigga when she lifted her nose to glare at him. He grabbed her hands and squeezed them. “Alexis, your mother…” he sighed, “is wrong. About so many things. I had hoped after so many years that a short visit would be good. You both have managed to talk and converse, but the distance helps. She loves you…”

“No Daddy, she doesn’t. She loves the idea of me, but she doesn’t love me. I tried.”

Anthony shook his head, “Stop that. I told you and I’ll tell you again, you don’t have to try to be anything you aren’t. You are brilliant and caring and amazing. And you’re probably right, you usually are. But without her 23 chromosomes and my 23 chromosomes swirling and twisting and connecting together I wouldn’t have you. So even with her faults…”

What was Solomon always saying to her? What did she feel? Don’t think about it just tell him. “I could have put up with the inane wedding plans. It doesn’t matter to me, it doesn’t matter to Solomon, but it does to her. So I would have put up with it, to give her that moment, Daddy. To make up for all the normal moments she missed because I’m me.” Alexis sighed, “She thinks I am incapable of loving him. That I don’t know what love is or how to show it.”

Anthony hated this. “And you’re afraid she’s right?”

“For a long time I was. And then I realized I just show it differently, but people don’t really accept that either, do they. It’s always on their terms and their standards. Everything is like that. I put the data together and discovered I’m the lowest common denominator.”

“No.” Her father’s voice was harsh and quick and startled Frigga. “No you are not. There is nothing low or common about you, sweetheart. You are an outlier. Unique, unexplainable, and amazing. You show us truths about and new ways to look at ourselves and the universe. There is nothing low or common about that. Let me ask you, does he love you?” Alexis nodded. “How do you know?”

“He listens to me, he talks with me, even when I’m crazy and involved in my work. He gives me genuine answers when I ask him questions, even when they seem random or off tangent. He rolls his eyes and collects all the styluses I leave everywhere and just drops them in my bag. He always grumbles when I bring yet another PaDD home.” That one made her smile. “He respects me, he questions me about everything, the why’s and how’s and isn’t afraid to tell me when I’m wrong. He lets me work when I need to as long as I come home and talk to him. He talks to me and distracts me when I need it.” There were other things that couldn’t be mentioned with out that little black pyramid. “He keeps the blinds closed and never turns the lights off.” She sat up a little and reached into the waist of her pants and pulled out a clear square of some reflective flexible material. She squeezed her eyes shut and she wrapped her fist around it. “Computer turn off the lights.” And a blue white light lit up the room. Alexis opened her eyes and looked around, “He made me this.” Then she turned the lights back on.

“That’s amazing, Alexis. All of it. I already know you love him, so tell me, how do you show him?”

Alexis thought about that. “Patience and space when he needs it. I don’t let his anger frighten or offend me. I let him be himself and not judge. I model for him when I’m not looking.” She grinned and took a picture out of a box she had next to her and handed it to him. The one with the dinner invite on the back and their hands on the front with the cards. “He has a back injury that no one ever did anything about, so I’m trying even though he hates being a patient. I cook for him.” She didn’t say because he never ate the same thing twice in a week because the replicator made it the same very time, or the fact that replicator food was strange to him when he came from a time and a place that didn’t have them. So she cooked for him. “I never butt into his projects unless he asks.” A habit she had struggled to curb for a long time, even after joining Star Fleet. “And I watch I Love Lucy with him, without complaining…too much.”

“And does he ever complain about how you show him you love him? I wouldn’t imagine Kane is the type of man who wouldn’t speak up.” Alexis shook her head, he never had. “Then Alexis, why are you worried? He loves you, you love him, you’re happy. That’s all that matters.” He kissed her forehead again. “So be happy, whatever that looks like to you. Now, I think I’m going to arrange to take your mother home early. You think about it. If you want use to leave we will, or stay. But only if that is what you want. Think about it and tell me tomorrow, okay?”

Alexis nodded and then Anthony left. He tapped his combadge, =/\=Anthony Bonner to Cmdr Kane. I would like to speak to you, please, if you have the time and are willing.=/\=

Bonner