Posted by Lieutenant Christopher Robins (Stellar Cartographer) in Two Weddings and a Honeymoon

Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Two Weddings and a Honeymoon

Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Two Weddings and a Honeymoon
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Lexi sat on the balcony of the house her parents rented in San Francisco. The soft winds of the Bay blew the white linen curtains so that they billowed from time to time into the room. So much had happened over the past six months. Alexandra Garfield thought she could do it all but quickly realized being a single mom was not as easy or empowering as people led you to believe. Two months into being a mom Lexi realized she needed help. Her counselor gave lots of supportive advice and a stack of things for her to read. The Single Mom’s Devotional: A Book of 52 Practical and Encouraging Devotions showed there wasn’t enough prayer in the world to fix being up all night with a cranky baby and then functioning past anything other than a zombie. The Kickass Single Mom: Be Financially Independent, Discover Your Sexiest Self, and Raise Fabulous, Happy Children only showed Lexi that she was doing something right because Ruth was the happiest baby on the ship. The Successful Single Mom: Get Your Life Back and Your Game On! only showed Lexi that to maintain her sanity, she had to mingle with other adults. The takeaway message Lexi got from all three of these books was she could not do it on her own. After a long hard look at her life, Alexandra Garfield decided it was time to stop living in the stars and with her feet firmly planted on the ground.

Looking at the time, she walked over to the couch and slipped on her pair of shoes. “Honey, I know you said you need a break but the caterer wants to meet with us by 4 and we still have to go over table settings, choose the linens, and meet with the florist. Today is not the day to go take a stroll,” Ester Garfield threw up her hands knowing Lexi was not listening to a word her mother said.

Meanwhile…

Chris looked at his watch as he stepped out of the cab as he looked around at the hotel. He had only arrived a few hours ago at the Oakland International Spaceport and made the drive across the bay to get in time to meet up with Lexi. The pair hadn’t spoken much in the last six weeks, their time seeming to grow less and less. Part of Chris felt a relief in some ways of the lower contact. He knew as long as Lexi wanted to talk and be in his life he could never fully say no to her. He would always come and be there for her, unable to let go of that hope she always gave him every time they talked. Still Chris is the one who also had been putting up the barriers, limiting the conversations to topics he liked and felt they could enjoy without drudging up the past heartaches.

Then came the call five days ago, Lexi wanted him back on Earth and it seemed vital he make it. He wasn’t quite sure why he agreed, he was on sabbatical for a time before he left in three weeks to join the USS Atlantis. Ian, well if Chris was honest Kelly, had convinced him that he needed a change of scenery and to be with friends. He had thought about joining his father and brothers ship, but that seemed like a bad idea once he learned they were stationed in the Sol system with patrols around Earth. Lexi was here. She had quit Starfleet, finding a quiet life he knew on Earth, and the temptation being so close to her would drive him over the edge he felt.

“Well buttercup… lets find out what you wanted…” Chris said aloud as he entered the hotel, bags in hand as he checked in at the front desk.

Northstar Cafe - One Hour Later

Lexi sat nervously in the cafe half watching the door and half looking at her personal communicator. Her mind was racing with so many thoughts. A quarter of them were on Toby, a quarter on Chris but squarely half were on Ruth. “You are a mess,” she laughed looking at the matted crumbs all over her face and high chair. Ruth for her part let out a pure baby giggle as she gnawed on the end of the biscotti like a dog with a bone. Taking the napkin off her lap, Lexi tried to clean her daughter up. Chris had never seen her. This would be the first time. Lexi had labored over what outfit Ruth should wear. In the end, she picked a blue dress that matched Ruth’s eyes.

“Okay so you are gonna be meeting da…mommy’s friend,” Lexi corrected herself. Yes Ruth would always be Chris’ daughter but a father was far more than a one night stand. A father was the man that raised you, loved you, and stood by you. In one week that man would be Toby Schmidt so Lexi had cut back on referring to Chris in that role. “So no pooping, crying, throwing up or any of the other wonderful things you do okay,” Lexi held up her finger. As if to make the promise to her mother, Ruth reached out and grabbed Lexi’s finger giving a tiny laugh. “You are such a dork,” she rolled her eyes as she fiddled with Ruth’s hair for the tenth time in her nervousness.

Lt. Lexi Garfield

Chris exited the rental car as he looked at the building that felt like a ghost from the past. Why did she ask you to show up here? he thought to himself as he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. This place seemed to always feel so nondescript from the outside, but he recalled it’s sheer beauty inside all to well. As he walked to the front entrance it seemed Lexi was sitting in the same location they had before, there was a seat placing for four though and she seemed to be fidgeting with someone to the left of her that he couldn’t quite make out from his angle. It better not be Noah, I swear to god I will just stab them both if it’s god damn Noah Chris mused with a roll of his eyes as he opened the doors.

Coming up the maître d’ welcomed Chris as he said he was the one Lexi was waiting for. Nodding the man let Chris slip by as Chris walked up past other couples he saw eating as the half way gave way as he came around the corner, his eyes lighting up as he fully saw who Lexi was with. The little girl was from his guess no more than eight to ten months old, cute as a bug in a rug from what he could tell with some startling blue eyes that felt all too familiar to Chris.

Standing in front Chris smiled at Lexi, he himself wore a simple outfit, black slacks with a white dress shirt that was untucked with his sleeves rolled up. It was a dress casual look he often employed during his time at the Academy in between hours and something she would know all too well. “Well… I didn’t know we were going to have company… who is this cutie?” Chris spoke with a light tone but had the smallest hint of worry seemed to bulge in the back of his throat. He wasn’t an idiot, he could remember what happened nine months ago as he looked at the kid then back to Lexi.

Lexi looked up with a smile that instantly brightened her face. It was the look she always wore when she first saw him. “Chris,” she said in a soft tone. Standing up she moved around the table and hugged him. Lexi did not use the standard arms around the neck embrace. Instead, she slid her arms around his waist curling upon his chest. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. His scent was still the same. With her eyes closed at this moment time faded. Two years, eight years, six months after meeting him in AP Biology class: It could have been any or all of those times she was in his arms. What are you doing Alexandra, she asked herself softly. Lexi, however, did not care to give a rational answer. Nothing was rational about her and Chris. In his arms, even with the copious amount of baggage they collect, Lexi felt at peace. Not caring if the hug extended past a normal duration, Lexi melted into him. Her head on his chest let Lexi hear Chris’ heartbeat through the thin white fabric. It let her feel the rise and fall of his chest as he seemed just as happy to hold her as long as she wanted. Time stood still for her as Lexi’s mind imagined a different moment. It was eight years ago and she had not left this place in tears but on the arm of the man, she had loved since she was eighteen. This was why she had asked him here of all places. Alexandra Garfield wanted a different ending to the Northstar Cafe even if it was in her imagination.

Chris didn’t hesitate for one second embracing Lexi back just as hard. It had been almost two years since he saw her, and while that had ended poorly he couldn’t deny the desire and want to spend every waking moment with her wrapped in his arms. Moving his kissed her cheek slightly as he hugged even tighter than before as he lifted her up and spun her around before putting her back on her feet.

A small ugh sound broke through the daydream in Lexi’s mind. Momma. Momma I got a piece of cookie trapped, Ruth grunted working her jaw until the small bit of broken off cookie exited her lips and got stuck on her chin. Looking over at her daughter, Ruth wore an expression that said ‘a little help here please’.

Letting out a small laugh, Lexi let go of Chris and moved back to her seat. “This third wheel is Ruth,” Lexi gestured to the baby wiping off the mushy cookie crumbs with the bade of her thumb. “We just discovered the joy of cookies but not the art of eating,” Lexi joked. “She and I are a packaged deal this afternoon. I hope you don’t mind.” Why she didn’t say she was her daughter immediately showed Lexi’s head was not focused on just having lunch with an old friend. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of her daughter. It was more that Lexi had no idea how to explain Ruth.

“Well hello Ruth…” he said with a soft tone as he grabbed the babies hand to kiss only to have her try to pull on his now much shorter blonde locks as a small muffled ompf could be heard from him. “I know most girls wanna grab it too.” teased Chris as he pulled out his chair once he got Ruth’s hand out of his hair.

Staring at him hard as she gnawed on her cookie, Ruth took in his face for a long second. No way. Daddy? You are here? she said looking at a real-life version of the face that was all over her house. Since she could remember, her Momma always kissed the picture next to her bed using two fingers she had pressed to her lips. One day her Momma said the face was someone named Daddy. Since her Momma kissed it Ruth saw no reason she shouldn’t kiss it. Now it was just a thing. Each night they kissed Daddy before going to bed. Daddy, however, was now here so Ruth saw no reason not to kiss him like she did every time she went to sleep. Come here. I’m a hugger usually but you are different and so tall, Ruth explained as she grabbed the first thing she could on get her pudgy fingers onto. Yanking his head down to her level, Ruth gave him the open-mouthed kiss all children learned first.

“Oh. Oh god,” Lexi immediately picked up her napkin and tried to wipe Chris’ cheek. Why Ruth tried to kiss him confused Lexi? The answer to that question could be found later however after she cleaned Chris up. “I am so so sorry,” she apologized profusely as she brushed off the cookie crumbs from his cheek quickly but then slower and slower. “I am so sorry f she ruined your shirt. Things don’t stay nice and pretty around us do they, pretty girl,” Lexi stroked Ruth’s cheek.

“Don’t worry buttercup, it’s fine… I mean white is a bad color anyone I should have gone with something more fun.” he said with a wink as he pulled into his chair.

“You look… beautiful.” he said softly as he took a deep breath, his nervousness seeming to build inside him as he seemed to lightly wringing of his hands as he seemed to look around wondering if someone else was coming for the fourth chair.

Christopher Robins

“Thank you,” Lexi brushed back the edge of her hair from her face. It was not in her eyes but helped hide the slight pink forming there.

“Can I get you something to drink,” the waiter asked breaking the moment.

“Yes I would like a coke please,” Lexi ordered. “I could so use a drink but I am just finishing up breastfeeding annnnn you didn’t need to know that,” Lexi shook her head in embarrassment. Three minutes around Chris and Lexi was already slipping into her old ways of zero filters with him. Feeling utterly awkward, Lexi scratched her forehead looking down at the menu. “Maybe we should order too. I will have the tuna sandwich on sourdough toasted with tomato and cheese,” she rapidly ordered. “Bean here will have a side of applesauce and cottage cheese.”

Buh I hate da lumpy cheese thing, Ruth looked almost sad as Lexi ordered.

Lt. Lexi Garfield

“Lets go back to that other part… breast feeding?” Chris asked as he looked over at the child. He seemed to grit his teeth at the thought, it was hers. For a split moment he wondered if it was a cousin or niece. He didn’t keep up with her family as much as maybe he should but he felt a tinge of guilt and hurt as he looked at the child. Why didn’t she tell you? he thought to himself as he let the thought percolate in his brain. The answer was obvious, she would never keep something like this from him if it was his. She was honest and loyal, far more than he ever was. He thought back to that day he found her with Noah and felt his stomach drop as he looked around at the exits. Chris always had an instinct to flee if it felt too real but he took a deep gulp from the drink of water the waiter gave him as he let himself calm his nerves.

Christopher Robins

“Let’s not,” she gulped her own drink down. It was the casual mistakes like this which had made Lexi limit her contact with Chris. She should have thought more about what she was saying however just bringing Ruth let the cat out of the bag so to speak. The lunch had started so well and at least to Lexi was going down like a ship without impulse engines in low orbit. If she was honest with herself, the fantasy that Chris would have taken one look at Ruth and boldly stood exclaiming that Ruth was his daughter was ridiculous. There was no real reason for him to assume a dark-haired baby with blue eyes was his. Men did not have the absolute knowledge like women that a kid was theirs. They could have a good suspicion but unless you had a DNA profile, a baby was only yours because you told a man it was. Hedging her bets that Chris would take control of the sensitive topic was stupidity at its best.

“Your hair is longer. On the top,” she said rhetorically gesturing at the mess of tumbled locks. “It looks good. Same with the scruff. I am not one for beards but the scruff,” Lexi winked at him. “The scruff definitely does look good on you.” Flirting a bit should have felt wrong as she sat across from Chris picking a neutral topic. What felt more wrong was that Lexi felt nothing negative about her actions. “Is this a new look or have you just been busy?”

Lt. Lexi Garfield

“Buttercup, you have always been terrible at avoiding difficult situations. Though that maybe me calling the two halves of the Easter pot black.” Chris stated with a slight smirk at the phrase. To anyone else they may have thought he just had a stroke, but Lexi would laugh he was sure at the phrase. He sometimes got things mixed up in his head, combing two ideas into one. This was one they often went back to, and it honestly could mean anything you wanted at any time by now. “You have a daughter… that is not something we can just scrape over like she is nothing, look at her… she is adorable and perfect and… drooling profusley.” Chris said as he reached over to grab the small nappy rag Lexi had used and began to help clean Ruth hands and face.

“Who’s a dirty girl? Who’s a dirty girl? You are a cute dirty girl… yes you are.” Chris said as he spoke to Ruth with all the gentle baby talk few men seemed to have unless they knew it was there kid, or they loved the mom she belonged to. Chris’s oldest brother had a daughter and son, and his youngest was expecting he found out recently. Adventures back home had gotten Chris a lot of time to learn kids and babies and he always seemed to have a natural charm with them as he did with adults.

Lexi’s heart broke watching him with Ruth. She and Chris had limited exposure to jointly taking care of a mini human up until a few years ago. That was when her sisters and his brother started the inevitable chain of children. Somewhere inside, Lexi instinctively knew Chris would be a natural with children. Seeing this side in action created a longing she never had allowed to be expressed. It was natural. It was instinctive. It was missing from Tobey. Alexandra had made up so many excuses as to why Tobey didn’t seem comfortable with her baby. Being with Chris it was hard to ignore the truth. Chris has an attachment to Ruth which had zero to do with genetics. He was kind and gentle to her because Ruth was a part of Lexi. “Chris I,” Lexi stumbled for words as her eyes held a grief-stricken look to them. “I made a horrible choice not to tell you but it as because,” her words choked in her throat. This conversation was so easy when Lexi had it in her head. She never faltered in her speech. All the hours of practicing and rehearsing turned out to be for naught.

“Look, I get it… you didn’t tell me… and that’s… that’s cause it’s Noah’s isn’t she? Look… she is perfect you don’t have to deny anything buttercup. You love him, and I… I…you love him.” Chris said softly as he didn’t finish the thought as he looked over at Lexi then to Ruth. “That doesn’t matter though, you didn’t need to hide it from me. I would have been there to support you… we… we may not be anymore but I will always support you. I don’t even know if we were… ever us… but that’s neither here or there. I’m genuinely happy for you two. When is Noah showing?” Chris said, piecing it must have been the fourth chair was for him. As angry as he had been coming in at the thought of Noah here a baby changed everything. His best friend was a mommy.

Christopher Robins

Inside Lexi, something snapped. All the frustration and anger Alexandra Garfield ever felt broke from her soul. She had brought him here to know that she had gotten over the man she always called the love of her life. The problem was the feelings Lexi swore she had buried about Chris rose to the surface as fast as an air bubble underwater. The stress of the situation caused Lexi to do something she never thought possible. “He’s at the hotel getting ready for the wedding,” she lied smoothly. The lie was so natural it shocked even Lexi as she created it.

Lt. Lexi Garfield

“Oh… so… you and Noah… are getting married?” Chris questioned as he raised his eyebrow as he looked at her. This all seemed to fit, I mean why wouldn’t she want him here for this? They were best friends, even if Chris didn’t do everything he knew he should at times for her. His entire life Lexi had always picked Noah over him, even the one time he thought it was all over between them he slid in. Deep down he knew this was for the best, if he could just see her go off with someone else he could finally forget her.

Those are the lies we all tell though, the lies to try and get us through the pain and heartache. No one every forgot their soul mate, and the ache never went away. You could though trick yourself, blind yourself to the feelings with booze, women, and work. I can live with this… I can live with this… I can live with this… cause I have to. were the words that spun in Chris’s head as he closed his eyes for a brief second as before opening them to look directly into Lexi with a large smile. All Chris had ever wanted was Lexi to notice him, to know who he was. He had a chance and it failed, he couldn’t win her heart completely. The truth was, even if bitter, that having one night with her was better than a million nights with anyone else. For one brief night, he knew what love was, and he saw that he had a life that revolved around more than his broken heart and beaten spirit.

Christopher Robins

“No,” Lexi looked at Chris oddly until she thought about what she had said to Chris moments before. “Oh yes. I mean no. I mean,” she paused and took a deep breath. “Yes, Noah is back at the hotel…for the wedding…to Toby Schmidt.” Opening her purse, Lexi withdrew the invitation and slowly slid it towards him on the table. “I asked you to come to Earth to…meet Toby.” Lexi’s words were choppy. None of what she said so far was an outright lie yet.

“Toby Schmidt is the man I am going to marry,” Lexi hoped her statement sounded like a fact and not an inspirational mantra. “I met him a few weeks after Ruth was born. Noah had come to the hotel in Brisbane that morning to tell me he was asking Kylie to marry him.” Wait wait that time line isn’t going to fly. He knocked you up and then announced he was marrying a friend of yours? Think Lexi think, the voice in her head berated her. In an attempt to buy time, Lexi tilted her face down and scratched her forehead like she was contemplating a deep thought. She was. She was trying to create a lie to hide a lie.

Yawning Ruth reached out grabbing the first adult she could get her fingers on. Twisting the fabric of the crisp, white linen shirt in her chubby hands, Ruth pulled trying to get out of the chair. It was boring sitting in the chair and far too uncomfortable. “Ugh. Ugh,” she groaned looking up at Chris with her deep blue eyes. Whatever her momma was doing seemed to be one of those long-winded adult things.

“Noah and I had a baby. It was a one night thing. Too much wine and too many silly promises,” Lexi began to spin her tale. “We didn’t see each other after the conference for about two months. It was not like we had made up or gotten back together so when I told him I was pregnant we agreed that was not a solid enough reason to get married. So we decided to just stay friends. It got to be too much to be a single mom on a starship so I left the Aquarius and came back home.” Seeing Ruth getting fidgety, Lexi pulled out a bottle from her bag and handed it to Ruth. Lunch was cutting into her naptime but Lexi needed her to hold out until she said was needed to be said.

“A month after I got home I met Toby. He s a communications officer for Starfleet Headquarters. He thought it was best for me to give up my commission. Since I was…am…since I am getting married its not like I need a job anymore so I quit Starfleet.” Of all the things Lexi was talking about this was the only actual piece of truth. “I had planned on sending that invitation a thousand times but I wanted to do it personally so I asked you to come to Earth.”

Opening the crisp white envelope, Chris would immediately see two things: the wedding colors seemed to be aquamarine and the design was star themed with print along the top in silver glitter.

Lt. Lexi Garfield