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Monica woke to a room full of moonlight, and to a sound. The light was Luna, of course, because she lay in a comfortable biobed in a neonatal suite in Starfleet Medical headquarters on Earth, and the sound…
What was the sound?
It was a soft hum, varying in pitch, if not in volume. And its source was the chair not far from her bed, where Karveth sat, the planes of his sharp, handsome face stark in the silver light. His head was bent, because he was holding Charlie in his arms, looking down at the newborn with a rapt expression; she was gazing back at him with equal intensity. "Do you like that, thrim'ma?" he murmured, then hummed again. Charlie's antennae moved, seeming almost surprised, and Monica could see him smile. "I thought so," he said, and began to hum once more, this time something more melodic, something tuneful. The hum turned into words, and then it was Monica's turn to be surprised.
She'd heard her husband sing before, and always thought he had a very nice voice. This was different, though, somehow. Maybe it was the postpartum hormones, or maybe it was because he was singing in Andorian, not English, but his low baritone was so pure, so beautiful, that it almost made tears start in her eyes.
But he was singing in Andorian, and a more pragmatic part of her mind found itself engaged in on the fly translation as he did. Just how many bleeding enemies might an Andorian lullaby contain?
Another surprise. Andorian had a lot of terms to describe blood, and he wasn't using any of them.
Beyond the door
The bite of wind, the tooth of ice
But you are safe
Little one, you are safe
No. The compound phrase she was casually translating as 'you are safe' - the root word was more complex than that. It referred to complete protection, not merely physical, but emotionally, spiritually.
Clan-born
The ancestors watch you
I will guard you
Little one, I will guard you
She was crying then, before she realized it, tears spilling down her cheeks in a flood, her chest shaking. Karveth looked up sharply, but thankfully Charlie didn't seem disturbed. Their daughter, soothed by her father's voice, had fallen asleep, and he carefully placed her in the bassinet beside his chair before rising to sit on the edge of Monica's bed. "What's wrong?" he whispered. "Are you alright? Do you need a nurse?"
"No, no," she sniffled, smiling a watery, trembling smile. "I'm fine, it's um…" She touched his confused face. "First off…you have such a beautiful voice. How did I not notice that before?" His shoulders twitched in an abashed shrug, antennae curling. "And second…that is the sweetest song. It…" She pressed a hand to her chest. "That is the most gorgeous lullaby I've ever heard."
"It's a very old song," he said softly, still looking a little embarrassed.
"I loved it. I hope you'll sing to her all the time." His antennae lifted, pride overcoming self-consciousness, and she brushed his cheekbone with her thumb, her smile warming. "Y'know, fatherhood's a real good look for you."
He smiled back. "I'm glad you think so, because it's a little late to opt out now." She laughed.
"We are kind of committed at this point, aren't we?" They shared a look of warm, affectionate disbelief, that they were truly here, that this happiness was real. He brushed her hair back from her face.
"Go back to sleep, sh'tal."
"What about you?"
"I'll sleep too. But I'm not the one who was in labor for seventeen hours."
"I was, wasn't I?" Her shoulders straightened a little, and he kissed her gently.
"You were, and you were magnificent."
She lay back on her pillows, looking pleased with herself, and her eyes closed. Then she asked, softly, "Will you sing to me?"
He reclined next to her, slipping an arm under her, and pondered his song choice for a moment. Finally, he began to sing, very quietly, and not in Andorian.
"We meet, and the angels sing/The angels sing the sweetest song I ever heard…"
Monica's lips curved in a sleepy smile of recognition, and in the bassinet, Charlie's tiny antennae twitched in something almost like approval. Before long, Karveth too drifted off, and as a family, they slept.