Posted by Ensign Kalani Kāne (Science Officer) in Elizabeth Alindor tours the Saracen

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Elizabeth let go of the bowl not caring where it ended up as she wrapped her arms around Jarred’s body giving him a hug. Obviously her arms weren’t long enough to wrap all the way around Jarred but she did the best she could. “You have a way of ‘splaining things so that I understand them just like PaPa. You are a good Daddy. I love being a family with you,” Elizabeth said snuggling tight up against him. Her PaPa was right. Her daddy was the smartest man in the galaxy. “And this means we just wait until she is ready to come home right?”

“Uhhh, I mean…” that hadn’t been what he thought he had said, but how could he correct this notion? She needed this he knew, small children needed a mother. Still he wasn’t certain if false hope was something he wanted to instill in her either.

“Who comes home,” Kalani said stepping through the door. Moving to the couch she leaned down slightly before straightening up quickly. Kalani was strictly on autopilot in the moment before she stopped herself from kissing Jarred hello. Seeing him sitting on the couch like this it was easy to imagine Alindor was off duty and back in his quarters.

“Hi Kalani,” Elizabeth said in a happy tone. “Daddy just told me mommy isn’t dead but a hero fighting to protect us from space monsters,” Elizabeth said confidently jumping down of the couch. “Do you want to see a picture,” she asked already running back to grab the image on the desk.

“Honey I didn’t say that…” Jarred said as he leaned his head over to the desk area then looked back at Kalani. “I didn’t say that.” he repeated to her this time now, his eyes slightly wide. Kids had a habit of hearing what they wanted. He couldn’t understand how this became the takeaway from his daughter and now felt like he had lost control he had when he started.

“Do fish like water,” Kalani replied with a wink. Once the kid was out of earshot, Kalani gave Jarred a bewildered expression. “So your ex is a Federation hero? ” It was not that she was mad at the situation. The situation was what it was : A tangled mess of facts that when presented to a five year old just made sense. “Babe, this hero thing did not actually happen did it?” Jarred had never held back on any question she as asked but Lily came into the conversation.

“No… no…” Jarred said softly, as he shook his head. He had told Kalani everything, he felt she needed to have all of him to be with him. He knew keeping any details back could hurt their relationship in the long run and never wanted that. “That is not what I said.” he added, the emphasis clear as he smiled as he heard the small steps coming back towards him.

Returning to the room with Kalani and her Daddy Elizabeth handed the picture to Kalani. “Daddy said we can take it home and put it in the living room by the holoscreen. he also is getting one for my bedroom.”

“Little one I never said that either, you can’t keep putting words into daddy’s mouth. Mommy.... mommy stays here in the office.” Jarred said thinking about how to find a compromise. “I though think there is other pictures of your mom in storage, we can… we can find one in the databanks and see if we can frame it for you.” he said. He didn’t really like the idea of the wedding photo up, it didn’t give great memories and found it far better to just get a simple one of Lilly alone thank dig up that memory of her abandonment every time he went into his daughters room.

There was no way Kalani could do anything but smile back. Elizabeth was so flexible. She rolled with the decision ‘o the hour finding anything to be happy about. Jarred’s kid was close to Kalani’s mental image of the perfect child. One day they would make more amazing Alindor’s together.

“We sure can love,” Kalani said watching Elizabeth scamper off in the room. Once she was again Kalani’s smile became more mischevious. “Did I ever tell you about my jealous streak lover?

“Stop making promises I don’t want to keep and you won’t have to make me worry about any jealous streak.” Jarred said, he didn’t like Kalani trying to make any promises to his daughter like this, he wasn’t even sure how he felt digging up the past as it was right now.

“It just means that now you need to get a bigger one of me to go next to you super spy wife.” Jarred and Kalani had been together long enough for him to understand her silly sarcasm. Looking around she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. He was semi-on duty right now which is why she was being far more restrained with the hello loving.

Kalani Kane. science

“I don’t want a bigger one of you either, I like my holoscreen the way it is. Unobstructed and perfectly aligned to allow me to watch Baseball and Avenger movies. You women can just find other locations to place your silly knick knacks cause I want my viewing screen perfect the way it is.” he said to her, giving a small wink as he took her hand and laced his fingers in hers as he pulled her hand up to give it a soft kiss. There was times like now he often loved the contrast as he looked down, her dark chocolate skin against his. He couldn’t deny she was nothing like any woman he had dated, they had been all white blonde women for the most part. On top of that, most of them had hurt him, so maybe he needed a new type and Kalani seemed to be fitting it perfectly.

Alindor, CE