Chapter Text
“Hey, I think you got something, Val!” Mark pointed to Val’s line, bobbing wildly in the water.
Valya shrieked, jumping to her feet, and sliding a bit, as the little boat rocked back and forth in the waves.
“Whoa!” Chris steadied her, and then forced himself to back off. “You got this!” he encouraged her, as she started to reel it in.
Thirteen-year old Valya kept on reeling. “My arms are hurting! That fish is strong!” She laughed, trying to hold the line steady as the fish thrashed around, getting closer and closer to the boat.
“What is that thing?” Chris asked, to nobody in particular. The fish jumped entirely out of the water, a silvery flash in the sunshine, as Val shrieked again.
“I think it’s lunch!” joked young Mark, as he turned on his camera to record this momentous event. He’d caught his first fish a couple of years ago, but Val had only ever had a couple of close calls, so far. She had a huge smile on her face, as Chris watched her, practically glowing with pride. Val stood past his shoulder now, dark hair streaming in the wind, brown eyes lit up. She loved a challenge.
The four of them had really just gone out on the water today to enjoy the weather, and maybe see some dolphins, but the kids had wanted to try their hands at fishing, so Mark the elder had gotten some bait for them at the marina, as an afterthought.
Mark deftly grabbed Val’s fish with a net, and dumped it into the cooler.
Val stared down at her catch. It had a yellow tail, but the rest of the fish was a bright, sleek silver-blue. “What is it, Uncle Mark?”
“Rainbow runner,” he replied, as he measured it for her. “Not bad at all, squirt! Forty-eight centimeters!”
“Oh my gosh!” she squealed, “It’s so pretty!”
Mark, the younger, rolled his eyes. “It’s a fish .”
“Gimme my fish,” she ordered, “I want you to take a picture of us together!”
Now the other two occupants of the boat rolled their eyes.
“Me and my fish,” crooned Val, happily, awkwardly clutching the rainbow runner as it flopped around. Mark obligingly snapped the picture for her with his communicator, forwarding it far and wide.
“Okay, this thing is slimy. Gross! Take it, Uncle Mark.”
By lunchtime, Valentina Johanssen-Beck had received congratulatory messages from two planets and three starships.
“I think we need a bigger house,” Sophia joked, surveying the living room where people were literally elbow-to-elbow.
“You have an engineer for a husband,” pointed out Beth, with a smirk. “Have him design a second story.”
Sophia whirled around and gave Mark a speculative gaze, eyebrows raised.
“Hey!” he held up his hands, “I’m a botanist, Jim! Not an architect!” He grinned, as Sophia rolled her eyes.
“Here,” Sophia took advantage of Mark’s open arms and deposited their new daughter into them, as she headed into the crowded kitchen to see to the food. Just about everyone had brought something, to add to the feast. Valya had received several compliments on her sushi platter. Out of respect for the host, however, there were no potato-related dishes.
Mark found a seat on the sofa, and wedged himself in between Melissa and Alex. He couldn’t help it, he totally ignored them for a few minutes as he looked at his newborn daughter. So tiny, he thought. He cuddled her close, taking a moment to adjust the little pink hat that had slipped down over one tiny eyebrow. She had such a sweet little face, he thought. Her wispy dark reddish hair looked like Sophia’s, but even Mark had to admit that her features were all delicate, feminine versions of his own.
“Is this baby girl ever going to get a name?” Melissa asked him, then. “She’s a week old, poor thing, and how is her Ares auntie supposed to order her any monogrammed gifts? You’re a baby shopping buzzkill, Watney.” She held out her arms, making grabby motions with her hands.
Mark passed the baby over, obligingly.
“She’s got a name, actually. We just thought we’d make it a dramatic reveal once we got everyone together, tonight.” Mark grinned at her, knowing how much she hated it when vital information was being kept from her. She frowned at him.
“Watney.” There was a warning tone in her voice. “What is her name. Tell me.”
“Sorry, Commander,” he apologized with a smirk. “No can do.”
“Listen to this insubordination!” Rick teased. “Disobeying a direct order!”
“Maybe he’s just picked a really bad name!” chimed in Marissa, with a smirk.
“Actually, our son suggested it.” Mark volunteered.
“You let your ten-year old name the baby?” Alex looked incredulous.
That does not sound like a wise decision, Oaiea chimed, with her musical laughter. They were all used to the sound of her voice, by now. She smiled at Mark.
I wish to hold the newborn human , Ian held out his arms, towards Melissa. Please . He added, remembering his Earth manners, belatedly. Melissa looked up at Mark, questioningly.
“Not a chance in hell, man.” Rick grinned at Ian, “It’s my turn.” Without further ado, he scooped the baby up and cuddled her to his shoulder, doing a well-practiced, soothing baby-bop. “She’s a sleepy girl,” Martinez cooed at her in a baby-talk voice, patting her, as the rest of the crew snickered.
“I think it’s a good thing that everyone’s here,” Mark started, “Because seriously, I don’t think anyone else is going to fit!”
It was indeed, a packed house. Six former astronauts and their families, a former President and First Lady; even Mark’s parents had made the trip from Chicago. Not to mention a couple of off-worlders. At the end of the day, after all the adventures and drama; this was his family. Maybe not the conventional kind, but a family nonetheless.
“Okay pal, go for it,” Mark ruffled his son’s hair as he gave him the floor. “Tell us what name you picked, for your baby sister.”
Blushing, as the roomful of people shifted their attention towards him, he looked down for a moment, and then he began:
“A long time ago, before I was even born; way back, when certain people ,” he mugged at his grandfather, as people chuckled, “were still trying to convince people that space travel was a big waste of money,” everyone laughed again at the absurdity of that bygone mindset; “NASA was busy trying to save this guy over here.”
Mark looked around, affecting an expression of pure innocence. Who, me? it said, plainly.
“There were a lot of people, actually, trying to help. They worked really hard, a lot of long hours, and they banded together, to build the Iris probe, to try and keep Dad alive until Ares Four could come back for him.”
“Ares Four!” Martinez boomed, “Hail to the chief, baby!” he cheered, as eyes rolled skyward.
“That’s my line,” Perry groaned.
“Well,” young Mark continued, “ That one didn’t work, but Earth didn’t give up that easily. Even if it wasn’t as likely to succeed, they worked twice as hard anyway, around the clock. They built Iris Two, and sent that, to try again.”
“Which, as you guys know, might not have saved Dad’s life in the way that NASA was thinking it would!” he joked, “But it got the attention of this lady right here,” he smiled at Oaiea, “And that kicked off something a whole lot bigger than just saving one poor, lost space cadet.” He grinned at his dad, again.
“So the way I see it,” he continued, “we owe all of this,” he gestured to everyone in the room, “to the two little probes that NASA named after one of the goddesses of the ocean and the skies. The goddess of rainbows. A messenger, like Hermes was.”
Sophia passed the baby to him then, and he dropped a quick kiss to her forehead, and held her close to his heart.
“Iris Watney,” he said. “Welcome to the family!”
The end