Chapter Text
PART 1 - VILLAGE
Road to Lake Villa, Illinois, Earth. Day 10 after Frontier Day.
One of the most surprising things that happened on the aftermath of the Borg invasion was that the Klingon Empire knocked on the Federation’s door with an altruistic offer of aid.
In a brilliantly thought out move, Chancellor Martok himself had beamed down to Earth just a week after Frontier Day. A holovid of the Chancellor sitting in front of a primary school class, telling tales from his childhood to a group of fascinated eight-year-olds who had lost their homes in the attack, had done more for Klingon-Federation relations than all the diplomatic meetings in the last hundred years.
On the days that followed, birds-of-prey became a familiar and welcome sight in many places. Focusing on small towns and cities that didn’t have the infrastructure to rebuild by themselves, the Klingons brought replicators, supplies, construction materials, and many eager pairs of hands ready to help the stricken communities. Where they had been hated or mistrusted for centuries, they were now celebrated… and the fact that any Klingon gathering became a raucous party right after they finished working made them even more popular.
Liam fidgeted with the radio of the land vehicle he and Miral had borrowed, changing the channel from the Klingon-themed news to one with music.
“I don’t what to hear about Martok or Frontier Day… not today”, he grumbled, focusing once more on the road ahead of them. “Unless you want to…”
“No, music is fine”, answered Miral, looking out of the window at the changing landscape.
They had stayed in Chicago for a couple of days, in Liam’s apartment, and they were now on their way to the little village in the suburbs where his mother lived. The idea of meeting Liam’s family made Miral more than a little anxious, but she hid it the best she could; she didn’t want to spoil her boyfriend’s day.
“You’re quiet, hotshot”, he observed, making Miral sink in her seat a little. Even after such a short time together, it was impossible to fool him.
She looked at him with a little sigh.
“I’m nervous about meeting your mother, that’s all. I want her to like me.”
“She will.”
“And I didn’t realize she didn’t exactly live in Chicago… So, this village where we’re going is not were you grew up?”
“Hell, no”, he laughed. “I’m a South Side kid… we lived in government housing back then, in the city. The house was ugly as hell, cramped, with a leaky roof and bad plumbing; but both my parents worked hard to make it into a decent home. Brie and I got this house for our mother fifteen years ago, when we managed to convince her that she should retire.”
“Retire from what?”
“Teaching. Public high school in a not-so-fancy part of the city, so she's had to deal with some stuff. But Ma finally has the nice place to live she deserves now… it even has a garden.”
“That’s sweet”, she said, giving his leg a quick squeeze. “Oh, tell me about your sister… She’ll be there too, right? Is she married?”
“Twice”, answered Liam with a curt nod. “And we don’t discuss the first husband… He was a piece of trash.”
“Understood”, Miral replied. “No questions about husband number one; the last thing I want is to be indiscreet.”
“It’s not like it’s a secret… It’s just painful for Brie, and for our mother”, he explained, making a face. “She and Greg knew each other since they were kids. He was your typical rich boy, the one all the girls wanted to go out with; Brie was smitten with him since high school… and when he chose her, she thought she had found her Prince Charming. What she didn’t know was that, under the expensive cars and the megawatt smile, the guy was a drunk bastard who slept around, got into shady business deals, and only married her because she was the prettiest girl in the neighborhood… and because his parents thought she would be a good influence on him.”
“That’s horrible. What happened next?”
“They got married when she was twenty, and she stayed with him for almost twelve years… while he gambled away his business and all his family’s properties. My mother, who loves kids more than anything, always said that them not having children was a blessing. I barely set foot on Earth in that time, always away on some long mission”, he explained in a downcast tone. “And… a part of me thinks that if I had been here, my sister would have left that asshole earlier.”
“Speaking as a woman… we can be really stubborn when we like a guy, so I’m sure you being here wouldn’t have made a difference. I’m glad she got out of it in the end.”
“Brie reopened Grandpa’s old garage after her divorce; she was determined to make it work. And for the next couple of years she did, on her own. It went well, work started piling up, so she had to hire another mechanic, and…” he made a meaningful pause. “They got on like a house on fire.”
“Let me guess: she married him?” asked Miral.
“Yeah. Struck gold this time, Adam’s a great guy: no frills, hardworking, honest. My mother was so relieved that Brie got a second chance. And a couple of kids, too.”
“You’re an uncle?” she asked, surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“They’re wonderful little monkeys, both of them. Patrick is… ten? Yeah, ten last month. And Erin is eight. I haven’t seen them in almost a year, they’ll be taller than me now.”
“I’m not used to being around children”, Miral observed, frowning. “But I’m really curious to meet them.”
“Good, because we’re almost there.”
The vehicle arrived to a fork in the road, where Liam took a detour. Less than a kilometer ahead, a road sign proudly announced Welcome to Lake Villa. Population: 4,793.
“They keep track of how many people live here?” Miral asked, observing the numbers on the screen as the last digit flickered and changed from a 3 to a 4 before her eyes. “Oh, and they do live updates!”
“You’ve never lived in a small town before, right?” asked Liam with an amused smile.
“Never. I’ve lived… let me see… first on Voyager, of course, until I was ten. Then in Monterrey when we finally moved to Earth; after that it was Q’Onos for a short time, then the Academy, the USS Marquise… and the IKR Mutt. Let’s say that villages are not my thing.”
“They are. A village functions exactly like a starship”, he explained. “Everybody’s up in their neighbor’s business, so expect a few nosy questions coming your way.”
He made a pause, and Miral looked at him suspiciously.
“Liam… Exactly how many of those 4,794 inhabitants are alien?”
“Ah… my mother mentioned that the local librarian is a Betazoid. Very useful when you have a book in mind but you don’t remember the title.”
“All right”, she said, taking a deep breath. “ One alien… who happens to look exactly like a human. Anyone else?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Shit”, she said between gritted teeth.
“Hey, you’ll be fine! It may be a small village, but I’ve been here many times… the people are lovely, not backwards hicks like you’re probably imagining.”
“Fine? I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb!” Miral exclaimed. “Please tell me that at least your mother knows I’m Klingon.”
“And… we’re here!” Liam announced, stopping the vehicle without answering Miral’s question. “Just in time for lunch.”
Here turned out to be a quiet street, with a row of small houses painted in pastel colors that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a postcard, or an old 20th century movie… They even had front gardens full of flowers, and white picket fences. Liam parked the vehicle in front of a cheerful little cottage painted in white and green; before he’d had time to knock the door opened, revealing the person Miral was looking forward, but also dreading, to meet.
“Oh, finally!” exclaimed the woman, enveloping her son in a hug even when she barely came up to his chest. “I’ve been looking out of that window all morning! I thought your sister was playing a prank on me when she told me you were arriving today.”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t get here earlier, Ma”, said Liam with an apologetic smile. “You know what it’s like… Starfleet paperwork.”
“Of course”, she said, gently caressing her son’s face. “I’m really glad you’re home… And who’s this young lady?”
Miral did her best to smile in what she hoped was a non-threatening way.
“Ma, this is Miral”, he stated, in a fond tone that made the old woman smile.
“Ah, yes! Brie told me you were bringing your girlfriend. Welcome to Lake Villa, Miral.”
The piercing gray-green eyes in the woman’s face were identical to those of her son. And, exactly like him, she could say many things with just one look. Liam’s mother was clearly surprised to see her… but if it was because of her age, or because of the ridges on her forehead, that was a mystery.
“I’m really glad to meet you, Mrs. Shaw”, Miral said, steeling herself for the possibility that Liam’s mother might not react well to her at all.
“Oh, none of that! Call me Joanne”, answered the woman, ignoring Miral’s offered handshake and going in for a hug.
Well, mystery solved, she thought. At least for now.
Joanne ushered them inside; she had clearly been expecting them, because the table was full of snacks and sandwiches. Liam went back outside to get their bags from the vehicle, leaving the two women alone.
“What a lovely name you have… Miral”, Joanne observed, fixing her green eyes on her. “I’ve never heard it before.”
Time to take the bull by the horns.
“I was named after my late grandmother”, she said, tilting her chin up. “The Klingon one.”
“Good! Traditional names should stay in the family. You should have seen the look on some people’s faces when I named my daughter Brigid… everyone said it was too old fashioned, but I didn’t care.”
Joanne’s answer finally allowed Miral to relax a little, and they sat at the table for lunch as soon as Liam came back. Nobody mentioned the Borg, or Frontier Day; it was as if the events of the previous week hadn’t existed. Miral knew that Liam had told his family about the attack… or at least a version of it. They knew Starfleet had suffered losses… and they also knew Liam himself had been injured, but she doubted they were aware of how close to death he had been. Most of Joanne’s conversation focused on local events, funny anecdotes from Liam’s childhood, and of course the classic neighborhood gossip.
“You know, my friend Alice lives in Antioch”, she said, piling another generous serving of potato salad on everyone’s plates. “They have some Klingons in town right now… Maybe Liam can drive us there later.”
“Really? How nice.”
“Ma… just because they’re Klingons it doesn’t mean Miral knows them.”
“I know that, silly! I was just sharing a bit of news. They’re helping rebuild the community center that was damaged by a bomb on Frontier Day. Alice says they’re lovely people, and so helpful… just a little noisy.”
“Yes”, Miral laughed, tucking into her food with appetite. “I’m afraid we are like that sometimes.”
After lunch, Liam’s mother showed Miral around. The house itself wasn’t big, but it had a huge yard in the back with a chicken coop, a vegetable garden… and even a dilapidated barn that, according to Joanne, Liam had promised to fix one day.
“I use it for storage now, but the ceiling leaks every time it rains”, she complained. “I have a son and a son-in-law, both of them engineers, and they can’t find the moment to repair my barn. Can you believe it?”
They had just finished the tour when a noise at the front door (that, to Miral’s astonishment, was never locked) startled them. Joanne opened her arms as two children stampeded towards her, among exclamations of joy. Behind them, a blond woman and an amiable looking Black man joined the group.
Brie Lincoln, née Shaw, was an extremely beautiful woman in her late forties. She was almost as tall as her brother, and her eyes were an striking shade of light blue; she wore her hair in a simple ponytail, and was dressed in a pair of grease-stained overalls. After hugging her mother, her attention turned towards Miral… but, before she could say anything, the children noticed the visitor first.
“You’re Klingon!” said the wide-eyed boy in a delighted voice, not caring one bit about his parents’ mortified look.
“Very observant. Hi, I’m Miral”, she answered, matching the little boy’s carefree attitude. “What’s your name?”
“Patrick, and that’s Erin”, he said, pointing in the direction of her little sister. “Are you in Starfleet? How many Borg did you kill in the battle?”
“Patrick, what did we say about asking impertinent questions?” interrupted the boy’s father.
Liam saw his chance to intervene.
“It’s okay, Adam… We knew the kids would be curious about what happened last week. Patrick, this is Lieutenant Miral Paris; she’s a pilot and works with me on the Titan… And you know you’re not allowed to ask about space battles. But Miral and I flew a really cool shuttle the other day, and she will tell you all about it if you want.”
The boy nodded, unflappable; he still had more questions in store.
“Do you have a bat’leth?” he kept asking, in a more respectful tone this time. “Can you teach me how to fight with it?”
“Patrick, that’s enough!” ordered Brie.
“Yes, I have a bat’leth”, answered Miral with a smile. “I didn’t bring it with me today… but if your uncle replicates a couple of practise bat’leths later, I can teach you and your sister some moves.”
“Yes! That’s so cool!”
“Don’t worry”, she said to Brie in a low voice. “We can replicate them out of plasti-foam… completely harmless.”
A small hand tugged on her sleeve, and she turned to see a little girl behind her.
“Oh, hi! You must be Erin.”
“Yes! I like your ridges, you’re super pretty.”
“Ah… thank you. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Well, now that my kids are done showing that they have absolutely no manners… Hi, I’m Brie”, interrupted the tall woman, offering Miral a warm handshake and an apologetic smile. “And this is Adam. I swear we’ve tried to give those little savages an education, but…”
“They don’t see aliens every day, right?” asked Miral with a shrug. “It’s fine.”
“Right. Living in a backwards corner of the Earth has its downsides… I hope you’re not offended by my kids’ terribly inappropriate comments.”
“It’s normal for children to be curious. I used to live on a starship when I was their age… You wouldn’t believe the amount of times I embarrassed my parents with nosy questions in front of strangers. And the Captain, too… He was a Vulcan, so zero sense of humor. Erin, you can ask me whatever you want, okay?”
The little girl’s face lightened up.
“I want to learn some Klingon”, she pleaded. “Can you teach me a few words?”
“Okay”, answered Miral, narrowing her eyes. “But I’m not teaching you any insults.”
The girl’s face crumpled into a frown.
“Pleeeeease?”
“Sorry. No bad words, your mom would kill me.”
Her mom, of course, nodded in agreement.
“Erin, why don’t you take your brother and go play outside?” said Brie. “We’re going to Grandpa’s garage next, Uncle Liam wants Miral to see it. But we won’t go if you and Patrick don’t behave, all right?”
The girl nodded and ran outside, and Brie turned towards Miral again.
“How did you know Erin wanted to learn curse words?”
“I could swear in two dozen alien languages when I was her age… to my parents’ despair, of course. It’s what every kid wants to learn first”, she explained. “There was always one crewman or other ready to be bribed with sweets in exchange for a vocabulary lesson.”
Brie stared at Miral in silence for a moment, with her hands on her hips and a smile on her lips.
“You know, I was wondering what kind of woman could be so extraordinary to break through Liam’s shield after so long… and I think I’m starting to figure it out”, she said bluntly. “Come, we really need to take you to the garage. It’s the pride and joy of the Shaw family… even the ones who don’t live on Earth, and Liam won’t be happy until you’ve seen it.”
“I’ll get my jacket”, she answered. “Is it very far away?”
“No, just a few miles. We can all go in our shuttle. Hey, Bobo!” she called, interrupting the conversation between her brother and her husband. “Can you pay attention to your sister for a minute, or do I need to start another planetary emergency?”
Liam turned towards her, making a face.
“Brie, when are you going to stop calling me that?” he asked, rolling his eyes so far into his head that Miral giggled.
“You called me worst things when we were little… Don’t pretend like you’ve forgotten now that you’re a decorated Captain and all that.” She then leaned to whisper in Miral’s ear. “I couldn’t pronounce the word brother when I was learning to talk, so I started calling him Bobo… and he hated it, so of course I kept doing it forever.”
“Of course”, said Miral, a little scandalized that his usually serious boyfriend was being made fun of in such a casual way.
“Adam, go get the kids, please”, Brie told her husband. “Get your asses to the shuttle, everyone… We’re going to give Miral a tour of the Junkyard.”