Chapter Text
PART 3 - STARS
“Uncle Liam said a bad word!” Erin pointed out with glee.
“You say more bad words than him when Mom and Dad aren’t listening”, retorted her brother. “Uncle Liam, who is that?”
“That’s the Chancellor of the Klingon Empire”, Miral explained. “Like President Chekov on the Federation, but for Klingons. What I don’t know is…”
“What we don’t know is that the f… What the heck is Martok doing”, Liam said between gritted teeth, making an effort not to swear again in front of the children.
“Publicity”, Miral observed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say this is a very clever PR stunt on his part.”
On screen, the interview continued.
'Of course I know Captain Shaw! A brave man I have the honor of calling my personal friend.'
“That is absurd. I talked to that man once!” Liam growled, pointing at the screen.
'As for Miral, what can I say… she is a rightful daughter of the Klingon Empire. She may be part human, but the blood of Kahless and Lupara runs strong through her veins.'
“I didn’t know you were a descendant of Kahless”, observed Liam, giving her the side eye.
“That’s because I’m not! Kahless lived fifteen centuries ago… and Klingons aren’t exactly the best at keeping records, so it’s impossible to tell if he has any living descendants. Martok is making things up, but… who would dare to go against the Chancellor’s word?”
After a few more curious questions and extensive answers (Martok seemed to love the sound of his own voice, aware that the whole planet was listening to him), the interview ended. And there wasn’t a lot left to disclose, because the news channel’s journalists had, of course, dived into Starfleet’s public records to find out more about the recently named Heroes of the Delta Flyer. When the screen started showing a list of Captain Shaw’s history and decorations, all the way back to the battle of Wolf 359, he pressed the off button on the remote with so much force that he almost broke it.
“F… fiddlesticks”, Liam spat. It was getting harder and harder not to air every curse word in his repertoire. “I’ve always hated journalists; now I know why.”
“So much for flying under the radar during our shore leave”, said Miral, frowning. “We won’t be able to go anywhere now that our faces are on every screen around the globe.”
“Right next to Picard’s face. That’s the worst part.”
“We can call Admiral Janeway… if anyone can put a lid on it, that’s her.”
“Janeway can’t issue a denial, not without calling Martok a liar to his face. No matter how much those journalists have embellished it, the truth is that we were there. And it makes a good story among all the bad news, so the press won’t stop exploiting it.”
Liam’s right hand started shaking; Miral interlaced her fingers with his, a gesture that didn’t escape Joanne’s sharp eyes.
“I’d like to make a suggestion”, said Liam’s mother. “I know this is important Starfleet business and all that, but... If what you two need is to get off the grid for a few days, there’s always the lake cabin.”
Liam gave the idea some thought.
“That’s... kind of brilliant. It’s completely off the beaten path, I haven’t told practically anyone about it...”
“And the property is registered to Ma’s name, so nobody will be able to trace it to you”, added Brie. “You can’t go back to your Chicago apartment, that will be the first place those vultures will look for you. They’ll be chomping at the mouth for an interview with you two.”
“What do you think?” he asked Miral.
“I’ll call my parents and tell them I’m visiting later than I planned”, she said, nodding. “I’m sure those journalists will go hound someone else when they can’t get to us.”
“A couple of weeks will do the trick”, Liam agreed. “They’ll go back to talking to Picard and his gang... And it won’t take them long to find out about Picard Junior and his role in all this mess. That will make a fricking good story.”
“It’s decided, then”, stated Joanne. “You’ll stay here for a couple of days and then leave for the cabin.”
Staying at his mother’s wasn’t something Liam had discussed with Miral, so he looked at his girlfriend with caution to see how she reacted.
“Ma, I’m not sure if we should…”
“Oh, nonsense!” Joanne interrupted him. “I know the house is not big, but there’s a perfectly good guest room upstairs that barely gets any use. I have to get up early tomorrow to go to the farmers’ market, so I’ll be out of your hair all morning if you want to sleep in.”
Miral didn’t say anything; she just nodded at Liam, blushing a little. Sleeping with him was one thing… but sleeping with him while being under the same roof as her mother made her irrationally self-conscious.
He noticed her awkwardness with a smile.
“All right, we’ll stay”, he said, giving Miral’s hand a squeeze. “But we’re going with you to the market tomorrow.”
“Splendid”, said Joanne with a satisfied smile. “Get your luggage, Miral, I’ll show you the room. Like I said, it’s not big, but Adam helped me paint it last year, and...”
Joanne’s voice disappeared up the stairs, and Miral followed the woman without even thinking of protesting. She may have had retired from teaching, but the air of authority had never left her.
After that, Adam went to accompany the children to the neighbor’s house, again, to finish the game interrupted by the newscast. Liam plopped on the couch with (at last) a loud swearword, hiding his face in his hands.
“Hey!” said his sister, who had stayed behind. “Chin up, sunshine! Everything will be fine... You know how sensationalist news work; they will find another monkey for their circus in a week.”
“You think?”
“Less than a week. And it’s not like you’re going to the cabin alone… By the way, please tell me you’re keeping this one”, she said, pointing at the place where Miral had disappeared up the stairs.
“I have no intention of letting her go”, he answered, throwing his head back on the couch’s headrest. “I’m assuming you like, her, then? You’ve been the most ferocious critic of all my past girlfriends.”
“If you’re talking about that blonde who tried to con you into a Ferengi cryptocurrency ring ten years ago... Then yes, I’m going to keep saying 'I told you so' for the rest of your days”, she stated with a knowing smile. “But this one’s different, right? You’re making plans for the future, taking her to the lake cabin… And you look at her like Adam looked at me when we met. I don’t have to be a Vulcan and read your mind to know that this is quite serious.”
“It’s… more than that, Brie”, he confessed in a whisper. “I’m stupidly in love with her.”
“You’ve fallen in love… In ten days? Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
“Yeah, in ten days. I wouldn’t be telling you if it wasn’t the truth… I haven’t even told Miral yet.”
“Good idea. Don’t scare her away, Bobo.” She gave Liam an affectionate pat on the knee. “Go to the lake cabin, have a few lazy days, and find a good moment to tell her… without making it sound like it's a matter of life and death. Everything will go well.”
“Are you sure of that?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“She’s twenty-four, Brie. Am I being ridiculous thinking we have a future? What if she wakes up one day and decides she wants to be with a guy whose knees don’t complain after he runs a couple of miles?”
“Well, she is awfully young, there’s no denying it”, Brie nodded, making a face. “But you know what Grandpa Paddy used to say: the best thing about being young is that you grow out of it.”
“Wise words. Any extra advice for the possibility that she may not feel the same about me that I do about her?”
“Liam… Your girlfriend met Ma today for the first time, and she just thought of the best birthday gift ever for her. I wouldn’t bother doing that if I didn’t have feelings for the guy I’m dating.”
“Shit, you’re right. I guess I’m just doubting myself again. Thinking… thinking I don’t deserve it when a good thing happens.”
“Forgive the sciency talk, but… the universe is not a zero sum game. And, if it was, you would deserve all the good things, you oaf!”
He finally lifted himself off the couch with a relieved sigh.
“I’ve missed your pep talks, champ.”
“And I’ve missed you, Bobo... it’s good to have you around, even if it’s just for a while until you get hoisted up to space again”, she said, enclosing her brother in a bear hug. “And now, I have to gather my menagerie, it’s way past the kids’ bedtime... They become angry little monsters if don’t go to sleep at a normal hour. Drop by the junkyard tomorrow, we’ll start working on those emitters for Mom’s new holodeck. Don’t think I’m going to do all the work for you, now that you don’t dirty your hands with Engineering stuff anymore!”
“Will do. Thanks, Brie.”
It was almost midnight when Liam climbed the stairs of his mother’s house. After Brie and her husband left, Joanne had insisted on a nightcap, and Miral had the good intuition to leave mother and son alone so they could talk without interruptions. At last, he went to join her in the guest bedroom... but she wasn’t there. Or, to be more precise, not exactly there: she was out on the little balcony, looking at the night sky.
“Turn the lights off, please”, she said without looking at him. “I want to see the stars.”
“You remember you live on a starship, right?” he asked, joining her on the balcony and putting his arms around her from behind.
“You don’t get this view from space. On a starship you only see systems, not constellations.”
“Fair point”, he nodded, serious. “What a day, right? I’m surprised you’re not running for the hills after the madness of meeting my family.”
“I’ve been in worst battles… And you’re the one who will probably end up making a run for it when we venture into Paris territory. You’ve been warned.”
“I remind you that you’re talking to the hero of the Delta Flyer… According to my good friend Chancellor Martok, I’m an invincible warrior”, he joked. “So, what made you want to gaze longingly at the skies? That’s Orion, by the way; like every boy in my high school class, I learned all the constellations hoping it would help me get a girlfriend.”
“I know Orion, thank you… and you don’t need to know the stars, you already have me”, she answered, laughing. “I was just thinking that space just got a little smaller this week.”
“How so?”
“One hundred and fifty years ago, Klingons were the Federation’s bitter enemy; now we’re welcomed on Earth as friends”, she said, leaning on the balcony railing. “You saw those people on the news, their faces when they were talking to Martok… that would have been unthinkable once! Even your mother doesn’t mind that you’re with a Klingon. You can’t imagine the kind of comments my grandfather John had to hear back in the day when he married my grandmother.”
“My mother adores you, Klingon or not.” He looped one thumb in the waistband of her jeans, pulling her close. “And she’s not the only one. Come inside, it’s cold out here.”
She took her hand, leading her back into the bedroom; Miral put her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.
“Thank you for bringing me here.”
“You’ve been on edge all day, haven’t you?” he whispered back, sliding his palm down her back in a soothing gesture. “It’s all right, you can relax now.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting everyone to be so… welcoming. I’ve been feeding my own paranoia since you told me you were coming to Illinois.”
“Not everything is a test, or a challenge.”
“Says the guy with the word ‘unyielding’ written in his Starfleet file a dozen times. You were nervous this morning, too, don’t think I didn’t notice.”
Liam leaned in to kiss the top of her head.
“I wasn’t sure you were going to like it here, space girl.”
“That’s fair… I didn’t know what to expect either”, she said with a little shrug. “When you’ve been in space for too long, you kind of forget that there are people down here who live in villages, go to farmers’ markets, and have tea with their neighbors. Without having to use a replicator, or a turbolift.”
“The same way human beings have been doing for thousands of years”, Shaw added.
“I’ve had many crewmates who considered themselves superior to the Earth-dwellers, but… this is why we do it, right?” she asked, leaning her head on Liam’s shoulder. “Your sister asked me today why I’m in Starfleet… and I didn’t know exactly what to answer. But these people are the reason Starfleet exists, the reason why we go out there and try to make the Universe a better place. So that children like Patrick and Erin can be safe and have a better future.”
“I love it when you get philosophical, hotshot”, he said, tightening his arms around her waist. “Especially when you’re right, like now. And I’m glad you liked the kids, because they’re completely smitten with you. Before she left, Erin asked me what does one have to do to become a Klingon.”
“Oh, she’s wonderful. Your niece and nephew are the most adorable critters I’ve ever seen… I think they’ve changed my opinion about children”, she said, snuggling against his chest.
“Do you want one?”
The snuggling stopped.
“Are you serious?”
“We can make one” he shrugged, trying to make it sound casual. “We’ve got the mechanics well under control… and it doesn’t have to be right now.”
“No, I believe those things have to be planned in advance”, she said with a smirk. “Unless Starfleet Engineering has invented a way to do it faster… Instead of one woman taking nine months, they can put nine women to work on it and do it in just one month.”
She was expecting him to laugh, but he didn't. Instead, he cradled her head in one of his hands, caressing the back of her neck.
“I don’t want to rush things, and I’m not trying to convince you of anything, but I’m not joking. I know it’s too soon… It was just a thought.”
Liam saw Miral bite her lip and close her eyes.
“Shit. Now I’ve freaked you out.”
“No, of course not”, she said, looking in his eyes again. “Look, maybe now is not the best moment… yet. But if you can hold on to that thought for a few months, we can discuss it again. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Like you said, we have the mechanics under control”, she added, running her hand down his chest until she reached the edge of his pants. “Although I’m thinking we may need a bit more practice before we take the next step.”
His breath hitched, and he started walking backwards toward the bed, with Miral in tow.
“These walls aren’t soundproof bulkheads”, he told her in a low voice. “We can't make noise.”
“That’s going to be a new experience”, she replied with a cheeky smile. “And you know I’m all for exploring new stuff. If only I could find something to keep my mouth occupied...”
“Now you've done it”, he growled. “Bed. Now.”
Without waiting for an answer he turned them around and pushed Miral onto the bed, crawling over her with a leery grin that made her blush and hold to his shoulders for balance.
“I’m going to make it really hard for you to be quiet, woman”, he warned, gathering the fabric of her shirt into his hand and pulling it up to reveal her bare stomach. “And you’re going to enjoy every minute of it... in silence.”
She let out a soft moan, almost inaudible. Only for his ears.
“I can’t wait to see what that feels like”, she whispered, her soft lips brushing the shell of his ear. “Go on, Captain... do your worst.”
Outside, in the sky, the stars kept dancing to their own music... that no one else could hear.