Chapter Text
Chris could hear laughter as he opened the front door and stepped inside his Montana home. He followed it into the kitchen. It was flooding in from the patio. The door and all the windows were open, creating a breeze in the warm June air as it swept through their rancher.
Una was sitting on the patio in an Adirondack chair as Astra and Christopher joked around in front of her with goofy smiles on their faces. Their chocolate Lab, Jack, was standing beside them with a rope toy in his mouth as he patiently waited for someone to throw it. Chris paused, listening in.
“My dog is a genius. I asked him, ‘What's two minus two?’” Astra said with a big grin.
“And?” Una said.
“And what?” Astra asked.
“What’s the punchline?”
“Nothing.”
“There’s no punchline? Maybe daddy needs to teach you how a joke works, little one.”
“No. That is the punchline. Get it?”
“No.”
Astra let out a huge sigh as she exclaimed, “mommy!”
“Tell it again and this time say the whole joke at once,” Una instructed patiently. “You listening, Christopher?”
“No!”
Una laughed as Astra sighed again. “Just tell your joke, sweetie.”
“My dog is a genius. I asked him, ‘What’s two minus two?’ He said—”
“Nothing!” Chris said loudly with a big smile as he stepped onto the patio.
“Daddy, you just ruined my joke!” Astra exclaimed with a big frown on her face. She let out a little growl. “I’m done with parents. Come on, Christopher.”
She took his hand and led him off the patio onto the cement where there were already tons of chalk drawings. She grabbed a piece of green chalk and handed it to her little brother and then grabbed pink chalk for herself. They sat down on the cement beside each other and started to draw. The dog followed them, wagging his tail with the rope toy still in his mouth.
“I guess I ruined the joke,” Chris said as he sat down in the Adirondack chair next to Una.
“You did,” she said as she gave him an unimpressed look. “But I’ve been listening to jokes all afternoon, so I’m glad you interrupted.”
“They can’t all be bad,” he said with a smile.
“What can I say? She got her sense of humour from you. They both did,” she replied with a sigh as she watched the kids drawing. She raised her voice as she called out, “Astra, stop telling your brother how to draw and let him do it for himself.”
“Mommy,” she said with an exasperated sigh.
“Don’t ‘mommy’ me. Just let your brother draw. Why don’t you draw daddy a unicorn?” She shook her head with a sigh before looking at Chris. “You were gone a long time.”
“I was,” he said as a huge grin spread across his face.
“And what’s that look for?” she asked, looking intrigued as she raised a brow.
He placed his hand on top of hers, caressing her knuckles with his thumb as he gazed at her for a moment before leaning over to kiss her cheek.
“Fine, don’t tell me. I can guess. I’m good at that. I beat the kids at the guessing game all day long,” she said with just the hint of an amused smile.
“You won’t guess.”
“Hmm… you went out for drinks with Hammond and that’s a drunk smile,” she said with a little grin.
“Wrong.”
“You played dom-jot and won. Now you’ve come home to brag about it.”
“Wrong again. You’re never going to guess,” he said with a little smirk.
“Are we playing the guessing game again?” Astra asked as she looked up from her drawing.
“No,” Chris said. “Draw me that unicorn while I talk to mommy. And stop listening in.”
“Oh, so it’s a secret from the kids?” Una asked. She had a little smile on her face as her interest piqued.
“Maybe.”
“I have a brilliant idea, Chris. Why don’t we go inside where they can’t hear us? You can stop making me guess and just tell me your news already,” she said, giving him that annoyed look she reserved for cadets.
He just chuckled as he stood up and grabbed her hand. She followed him into the kitchen, shutting the door and the windows as they stood there watching the kids. Astra had just pulled out a piece of yellow chalk as she doodled blissfully.
“We’re going to have the most colourful backyard,” Chris said as he admired his kids.
“Chris,” she said.
“Okay, I’ll tell you,” he said with a smile. “How would you like to visit your mom, your sister, and your nieces and nephews on Arovius Prime?”
“Chris,” she said with a sigh. “I don’t think stealing a shuttle is a good idea. I would hate for you to go to prison and leave me with the kids all on my own.” She flashed him a little smile.
He just chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “It won’t involve stealing a shuttle. Just borrowing one.”
“Borrowing one?” she asked, her brow raised. “From who?”
“Hammond has a ship and he won’t be using it all summer. He said we could borrow it. The kids will be out of school at the end of this month. We can take the ship for two months and travel to Arovius Prime. Do a little sightseeing on the way. Teach the kids about the universe. We’ll be back in time for school in the fall. I already asked Admiral Anders about taking leave from the academy.”
She let out a little ‘hmm…’ as a skeptical look spread across her face. “How safe is this ship?”
“I checked it out. That’s why I was gone so long. It looks safe.”
“You’re not exactly an engineer, Chris. What if there’s something wrong with it?”
“I knew you were going to say that which is why Hammond is standing by to have you check over the ship for yourself.”
“Right now?” she asked, raising her brows.
“Right now. I’m home. The kids will be fine. Go check out the ship,” he said. “You’re going to love it.”
A little smile spread across her face as she pulled him into a kiss. At first, she just pressed her lips against his, but then she parted those lips and delved her tongue in his mouth, exploring contours.
“Ew, kissing!” Christopher exclaimed as the door opened and the dog ran past them, brushing against his leg.
“Interrupted,” Chris said as he pulled away with a sigh.
She just smiled with that little twinkle in her eye. She kissed his cheek and then ran her thumb across it, wiping off the remnants of her lip balm.
“I better go,” she said with a wink.
“Go where, mommy?” Christopher asked.
“I have an errand to run, little man. Go play with your sister. I’ll be back in a little while,” Una replied.
“Can I come?” he asked as he ran up to her and threw his arms around her.
“Not this time.”
“Pretty please.”
“I’m sorry, little man.”
“How about some ice cream while mommy’s gone?” Chris said as he reached down and messed up the boy’s thick brown hair.
“No ice cream,” Una said, giving him a firm look. “It’s almost dinnertime. I’ll be back soon.”
“Sure,” he said as he kissed her cheek.
He watched her grab her communicator and request transport before shimmering away.
He quickly turned to his little boy. “Go get your sister.”
Christopher ran outside and called out, “Astra!” much louder than necessary. She came running inside.
“Cookies and ice cream?” Chris asked.
“Cookies and ice cream!” she exclaimed with a smile. “Do we have any cones left?”
“I think so,” Chris said as he rummaged around the kitchen. He found a box of waffle cones and held it up.
“Can I have two scoops?” Astra asked with a hopeful look on her face, those ice blue eyes buzzing with excitement.
“Two scoops it is,” Chris said as he pulled the homemade ice cream out of the freezer and started scooping two heaping piles of chocolate ice cream into a cone before handing it to her.
“Me too!” Christopher yelled.
“You’re too small for two scoops, little tyke. All that ice cream will make you explode,” Chris replied.
“Boom!” Christopher yelled.
Chris handed him a cone with a single scoop of chocolate ice cream as the boy’s eyes turned to saucers. He grabbed it with a smile, wrapping his mouth around the entire scoop.
“Yummy,” he said as he looked up with chocolate lips.
“Take the ice cream outside and try not to drip on yourself. Mommy can’t know about this,” he said as he grabbed his own ice cream cone and they all sat at the patio table with the dog eagerly watching them, just hoping for something to fall.
“Mommy will be mad,” Astra said with a knowing smile as she licked her cone.
“Yes. I don’t want to face her wrath,” Chris said.
“Roar!” Christopher growled loudly as he made a claw gesture with his free hand.
“Not roar, silly. Wrath,” Astra corrected.
“Roar!” Christopher growled again. “Roar… roar… roar!”
Everyone started laughing as they ate their ice cream and started swapping jokes.
“I’m reading an anti-gravity book,” Chris said. “And I just can’t put it down.”
Astra giggled as she wiped melted ice cream off her face with the back of her hand before taking a crunchy bite of the cone.
“My toddler is refusing to take a nap. He’s guilty of resisting a rest!” Astra said loudly as she beamed. “Isn’t that right, Chrissy?”
“I’m not a toddler! I’m four!” he exclaimed as he held up four fingers full of melted ice cream.
“Yes, you’re a big boy now. And you’re absolutely covered in chocolate ice cream,” Chris said as he cringed. The boy had melted chocolate ice cream smeared across half his face. There was even a smudge on his forehead. His hands were covered and there were brown drip marks all over his white t-shirt. “We better get you cleaned up before mommy gets home.”
“Can we tell more jokes first?” Astra asked.
“Just a few and then we have to get cleaned up. If mommy finds out about the ice cream and cookies, I’m going to have to face her wrath,” Chris said.
“Roar!” Christopher exclaimed.
“That’s right, mommy’s going to go roar,” Chris replied with a chuckle.
“Okay, time for jokes. It’s raining cats and dogs so be careful not to step in the poodle!” Astra said.
“That’s a good one,” Chris said with a smile. “Now it’s time for clean up.”
“Jack will clean us up,” Astra said as they both looked over at the chocolate lab. He was eagerly licking ice cream off Christopher’s hands.
“Jack!” Chris exclaimed as he stood up and steered the dog away from him. “Go play in the yard and stop licking everything.”
Astra started to giggle as she threw her arms around the dog, giving him a big kiss on the head. She grabbed a knotted rope toy and threw it into the yard as Jack chased it.
“Good thinking,” Chris said. “Okay, Christopher, let’s get that shirt off you. I need to wash it before mommy gets home.” He pulled the shirt over his son’s head. “Astra, take your brother and get you both cleaned up while I wash this. Quickly.”
They all headed inside as Chris went to the laundry room and threw the t-shirt in the cleaner. He watched as the sonic beam spread across it. He took it after and held it up. Sparkling clean, he thought. Perfect.
“Okay, Christopher, I’ve got your shirt,” he said as he walked into the fresher as they washed up. He tugged the shirt over his head just as he heard the door creak open. “Mommy’s home. Quick, go read a book.”
They scrambled into their bedrooms as he heard footsteps. He walked through the foyer and into the kitchen where he found Una giving the dog a scratch as he eagerly wagged his tail.
“Where are the kids?” she asked as she stood up.
“Reading in their rooms. It’s quiet time,” he said with a smile.
“You got the kids to have quiet time?” she asked with a skeptical look across her face.
“I did.”
“Mommy!” Christopher yelled as he ran into the kitchen and threw his arms around Una.
“Hey, little man,” she said as she kneeled in front of him and gave him a squeeze. She had an odd look on her face as she pulled away, examining his shirt. Chris gulped hard. “Why is his shirt cleaner then when I left?”
“Uhh…” Chris started to say.
“Never mind. Something tells me I don’t want to know,” she said, giving him an unimpressed look.
“Roar!” Christopher yelled.
Chris ran a hand through his hair as he stood there watching his son growl and make claw motions with his hands. Una started laughing as she rubbed his head, messing up his thick hair.
“What’s with the roaring?” Una asked as she looked at Chris.
“No idea,” Chris replied. “So?”
A big grin spread across Una’s face as she closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek.
“Did you like it?” he asked.
“I did,” she said as her smile grew.
“Seems safe?”
“Definitely seems safe. Hammond’s done a good job at maintaining it.”
“So, we’re doing this?”
“July 1st, we set sail to the stars,” she said with a charming smile before pulling him into a kiss.
“Ew!” Christopher exclaimed.
“Go play outside with Jack,” Chris said before returning to her lips. He relished the feeling of her moist strawberry lip balm smearing between them.
“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Astra said as she came in the kitchen.
He sighed as he pulled away. “I’ll make dinner soon. Go play with your brother and the dog.”
“Should we tell them?” Una asked as soon as the kids were outside.
“Yes. They’ll be thrilled,” he said with a smile as he took her hand and led her outside. “Astra, Christopher, come sit.”
They all sat at the patio table with the dog at their feet as Una and Chris looked at each other with a smile.
“What’s going on?” Astra asked in a skeptical tone as she raised a brow. “Did mommy find out about the ice cream?”
“Astra!” Chris exclaimed as he gave her an annoyed look.
“Ice cream?” Una asked, giving him a hard look.
“Shh… don’t tell mommy about the cookies,” Christopher whispered loudly in Astra’s ear.
“Chrissy!” she exclaimed.
“I’m going to forget anyone mentioned cookies or ice cream,” Una said as she narrowed her eyes at Chris. After a moment, she softened her face. “Daddy has some news to tell you.”
“Astra, do you remember the last time you saw grandma?” Chris asked.
“Of course not. I was a baby.”
“Really? You can’t remember being a baby?” Chris asked with a knowing smile.
“Daddy, nobody remembers being a baby,” she said as she frowned. “Are you going to tell us the news or not?”
“We are going on a trip,” he started to say as his smile slowly grew. “Across the sector… through the stars… past anomalies and into nebulae and—”
“Daddy, what are you saying?” Astra asked as she furrowed her brows.
“We are going on a trip to mommy’s home to see grandma, Auntie Marsa, and your cousins,” he said.
“Really?” she asked with an incredulous smile. “Are we going to steal a starship?”
Una laughed. “No. We’re just borrowing one.”
“For real?” Astra asked as her eyes turned into saucers.
“For real!” Christopher mimicked.
“Chrissy, we’re going to outer space. We’re going to travel the stars like on Enterprise. I can’t wait! When do we leave?”
“July 1st,” Una said. “And this isn’t just a trip to see grandma. We’re going to learn all about space on the way.”
“Can we see an anomaly?” she asked eagerly.
“We’ll look for one,” Chris said.
“And a nebula?”
“Yes,” Una replied. “And you can write reports on them. I’ll grade them and if you don’t pass, you can repeat grade five in the fall.” An amused smirk spread across her face as she glanced at Chris. He just chuckled.
“Mommy!” Astra exclaimed. “Daddy, mommy isn’t allowed to hold me back, right?”
“Of course, not. Mommy is just joking, right Una?” he said as he nudged her.
“That’s not funny!” Astra said as she crossed her arms.
“Roar!” Christopher growled as they all started to laugh.