Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Tennessee, Earth - Home Sweet Home

Posted by Civilian Micah Pikelsimer (Federation Security Agent) in Tennessee, Earth - Home Sweet Home

Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Tennessee, Earth - Home Sweet Home
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“Dont let her fool you, Nadine. Shara was and is one of the most effective and dedicated reconnaissance and surveillance experts in the whole of the Federation. She’s spent her life protecting you, your students, your friends… and she does it because she believes in what she does.” Micah said flatly. “I’ve worked with hundreds… thousands, maybe… none are like Shara.”

Micah

Nadine took in each word, his expression and tone of voice and knew he wasn’t just saying it. He believed it with everything he was, and so she shifted her gaze to Shara. To her birth mother, whom she was just starting to feel like she was understanding a tiny bit.

There he went again. Shara wanted to say he was exaggerating but Shara knew all to well he wasn’t. It was strangely humbling. She cared very little what others thought of her, but Micah was one of the few exceptions. “Well… I feel after all this time, of always doing what was asked of me it was time to do something that I needed.” She gazed at Nadine. “I mentioned that I didn’t know Faye was alive after Tracken fell. Well, by the time I learned that tidbit, she herself disappeared and I didn’t know where. And when she applied and was accepted to the Academy, I had accepted a commission and was recruited by Intelligence. I myself essentially disappeared for many years after that. There’s a bit of the story that I’m not sure if entirely mine to tell, but it wasn’t until two months ago that we were truly reunited. Nadine, it had been twenty-five years!”

Nadine’s face blossomed with shock. “But… that means you didn’t raise her or… how old was she when you were on Voyager?”

“Thirteen,” Shara said quietly.

“All those years,” Nadine said in a hushed voice. “And your husband died. And you’ve been working all this time… alone?”

Shara nodded slowly, picking at her bass. “More or less. Faye and I are just getting to know each other again. And now you’re here too. So understand that you’re joining a family that’s just forming itself anew. And Micah and I are new too. So just expect that things might be messy at times, but… we’re doing the best we can.”

Nadine took that in and nodded as she too dug back into her dinner, the fish long having cooled but still utterly delicious. But she looked at Micah. “Okay then, so we do it your way. Think positively.”

~Shara & Nadine

“Think practically, but let your heart guide the process. I’ve spent way too many years watching people over analyze or let their emotions just run amok. Find the balance and you’ll rarely go wrong.” and he smiled and ate his last bite of fish.

Micah

Nadine’s gaze shifted back and forth between the pair and she shook her head slightly. “So… Micah, do you do what she does , or did, or is it different?”

Shara smirked a little and scooped up some of the tender mushrooms. Gods this was a good meal! Maybe one of these days she’d learn to do more than scorch stuff. There was only so many times you could get away with claiming it was ‘fire charred’ after all.

~Shara & Nadine

Micah shrugged and rocked his head from side to side slightly. “Kinda sorta? Sha works for Star Fleet. I work for Federation Security. What they have her do is a bit more… regimented?… than what I do. Most simply, she’s a Star Fleet officer, I’m law enforcement. While we do the same kinds of things sometimes, we do them for different reasons and for and against different people. I have a lot more leeway than she does… and she has earned a lot of leeway in her career. Different bosses and different priorities… similar kind of work. And at the end of the day, I’m a civilian… like you.” He looked at Sha and raised his eyebrows in a fashion that asked How was that?.

Micah

Shara nodded as she pushed her plate to the side, feeing done with food. “We’ve both earned our clout, well and truly, through some really difficult times. It doesn’t mean anyone will listen to us, but if they are inclined to listen to anyone, they’ll take what we say into consideration. I mean, hell, I know it’s the same for Micah, but after awhile, the people in charge actually start to listen to us and might even ask us our opinion.” Shara chuckled. “And then probably regret it afterwards.”

“But you enjoy it?” Nadine asked, looking between them.

“Well, there are downsides to the sort of work I used to do, but now I get to try something more… mundane almost. I don’t know yet if i like it as it’s new to me. But I’m going to give it a fair shake because I’ve got people counting on me to be around and I promised them I’d do my very best not to disappear again,” she said, gazing deeply at Nadine. “And while we’re just starting to get to know each other, I am going to extend that to you too.”

~Shara & Nadine

Micah looked at the two of them and then his brain said Do it. “Ok… Nadine… you are coming with me to help clean up.” and he stood up and starting picking up plates. “Shara… I need you to go out to Vanessa and make that call you need to make to the Manhattan.” and he shooed Nadine into the kitchen and looked at Sha.

“Okay…” Nadine said, quick to get the hint, but damn if she wasn’t curious. She gathered the plates and hauled them off to the kitchen.

“It’ll be ok. If you need me… or her… holler. But call her, Sha. Everyone on the same page, right?” and he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Love ya, wife.” and he went into the kitchen.

Micah

“You suck!” Shara shouted back, more than a little petulantly. With a huff, and of course knowing he was right, Shara headed out to the ship.

Inside, she set-up a secured comm protocol and sent out a ping to the Delta Quadrant. Within a few minutes, she got a clear signal and was once again surprised how easy it was. But then again, that was all Faye’s doing. There might be a team on Event Horizon doing their thing, but it was due to Faye’s protocols that the two quadrants could communicate so easily back and forth. As always, a thrill of pride flowed through her, though it lasted only a few moments as the reality of what she was about to do hit her.

Faye appeared, wearing her trademark grin and deeply penetrating eyes. “Well if it isn’t Mrs Subspace Bride! How’s the honeymoon? Oh! And Alex and I both laughed ourselves silly. I think Alex might have injured his ribs. Still waiting to hear back from Dag, but he’s been on shift so he might not have see it yet, but I expect an appropriately amused response.”

Shara’s hand flew to her face and she shook her head. “Not how I pictured another wedding, but at least it was entertaining,” she said dryly, and yet she couldn’t help but smile.

“Where my new daddy?” Faye said, though her expression looked skeptical.

“Inside the house. I’m on his ship right now. Are you weirded out?” Shara said softly, knowing that it was a lot for Faye to manage in that brain of hers.

“Yeah, a little, but I’m processing and it’s fine. Are you happy?” Faye asked, leaning forward.

It wasn’t the smile on Shara’s lips that told Faye everything she needed to know, but the brightness in her eyes as she leaned forward. “Yeah, Baby Girl, I’m really happy. And I mean apparently I now co-own 800 acres out here, so anytime you want a vacation, it’s here.” But the brightness faded from the eyes quickly.

Faye frowned. “What’s up? Is something wrong?”

Acid touched the back of her throat and Shara knew that if it hadn’t been for Micah she would have avoided this conversation as long as she could. But then again that’s why they were married, wasn’t it? He knew her that well. “Faye… I don’t know how to even talk about this and…”

Something was really wrong and Faye didn’t know why exactly, but a shiver swept over her spine. “Then just say it,” she said firmly.

Okay, she could do this, right? Faye would be understandably upset but she would forgive her right? The fear was there- she didn’t want to lose this daughter because she had been reunited with the other one. “Micah and I have a guest here, Faye. I didn’t instigate it, because legally I couldn’t, but… a woman by the name of Nadine Wells is visiting. She’s… my other daughter, your half-sister.”

Incomprehension played over Faye’s face and her daughter just stared back at her, silent.

“Faye?” Shara said softly. “I can explain, I just need you to be okay.”

But Faye was silent.

~Shara & Faye

Alex’s face appeared in the comms. “Hang on, Shara… she’ll be okay. Just give her a sec.” He turned her in her chair to face him and looked at her. “Faye… look at me.” and he grabbed her chin and held her eyes to his. “Look at me, Commander.” he said in his Captain voice. “Breathe. Don’t think. Breathe. There is an explanation coming. Get your data first, then process. You know the drill. Data first. Look at me and repeat it. Data first, then process.” His voice was firm, but caring.

Inside, Micah was drying as Nadine washed. “So… how are you holding up? And you can be honest. You didn’t have another mom and a sister and I didn’t have a second step-daughter before this morning, so I can understand it being… ya know… a lot. I mean hell… I didn’t have a wife before yesterday.” and he laughed. He looked at her through his peripheral vision, gauging her response.

Micah and Alex