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The Saber - Cera Teller

Posted Feb. 20, 2019, 7:28 p.m. by Civilian Aedan Teller (Owner/CEO of OMAP Industries) (Steven Sigle)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Jessica Teller (XO) in The Saber - Cera Teller

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Jessica Teller (XO) in The Saber - Cera Teller
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“My… my word. She’s so tiny.” Aedan said as he held her in his arms and looked down at her. “Hey little one…” he said softly, pulling her close to kiss her forehead as he walked over, having a nurse to bring a chair close to the bed as he handed Cera to Jessica. “She’s beautiful…” he said as he looked at her, eyes watering up and tears falling slightly as they stung his cheeks.

Jessica pushed up on her elbows ready to get her first look at the baby. She sighed and leaned back on the pillows the nurse was placing behind her as Aedan approached with their child. The birth was not as she had planned it nor was the result. Aedan had been excited about the baby throughout her pregnancy yet his reaction to their daughter was more than Jessica expected. She had known Aedan would be proud but she was stunned to see the look on his face. Aedan’s eyes shown with pure devotion and love. Even in their most intimate moments, he had never looked at Jessica like that. The small bundle in his arms would never be replaced by anyone or anything ever.

“Yes, she is,” Jessica said reaching up and taking the baby Aedan handed her. Jessica wanted to say something profound yet words had escaped her. All she could do was look at the tiny human that would change her and Aedan’s life forever.

Sitting Aedan grabbed Jessica’s hand placing it to his lips. He was exhausted carrying her all the way to the ship, the fight with Garvis. He felt exhausted yet thrilled at the same time. “Let’s get married… now. Lets not wait for the pomp and circumstance… have my cousin show up and just pronounce as husband and wife.” Aedan said as he looked over at Jessica, it felt almost odd calling Mathias his cousin but he was serious. She would know he didn’t kid about things like this.

~Aedan Teller

“Whah…ah…huh,” Jessica said trying to process what Aedan just said. “Your cousin,” she looked at him as he kissed her hand with a confused expression on her face. “You…you mean Mathais,” she quickly deduced who Aedan meant. She knew that men often suffered from sympathetic labor but she hadn’t read anywhere that they experienced the oxytocin rush all mothers felt; Aedan, however, was clearly in its throws. Until this moment, cousin and Mathias had never been uttered in the same sentence without the qualifiers not or isn’t adjoining them.

Jessica bit her lip and looked Aedan in the eyes. “The only thing that will ever matter to me is what is right here right now,” she said bringing his hand to her cheek as she held the baby close to her. “Yes,” she said pulling his hand down so that his lips would meet hers. “I would marry you any day of the week and twice on Sundays,” she said kissing him softly. “I love you Aedan Teller. I’d follow you anywhere. You only ever have to ask only maybe we can use your Captain instead of mine?”

Lt Commander Jessica Vaughn. XO

“I mean, well I am now missing a Captain of the Saber… how about you slick?” Aedan said as he looked over at Shaun. “Want to become a Captain for five minutes to make us official?”

“Wait. Him” Kate pushed off the wall holding a cup of coffee. “You know we only went to mass to hang out for the after service donuts and then, later on, make out in the balcony. When we got older....I mean it was only once. Just a kissing really. We were like fifteen,” Kate rambled realizing she should probably stop adding and start subtracting to the story. It really didn’t matter to her one way or another but Shaun playing a priest might be fun. Her grandma would freak and her mother would give her that look but it would add to the Chronicles of Kate and Shaun they had built up over the years.

“Me? I… I guess? I mean… how does that work?” Shaun asked, he seemed confused as he sat back, this was not how his vacation with Kate was planned. He wanted time alone, and now he was birthing babies and becoming a Captain of some CEO ship.

“Perfect.” Aedan said looking back at Jessica, beaming at her. “I… I have waited for a very long time to be able to call you my wife. I don’t want to wait any longer.”

~Aedan Teller

“I love you,” Jessica said looking up at Aedan and then let out a laugh. It was full of happiness and shook her entire body. Anyone could tell she was finding this hysterical. Maybe it was the shock of giving birth? Maybe it was the drugs that were now coursing through her body. Either way, she definitely found something funny.

“I love you more than life itself and yes I’ll marry you,” she beamed looking up at him still with a huge smile. Jessica reached up her free hand towards his neck to guide him down to her lips. “I would marry you every day and twice on Sunday. I just didn’t think my big day would entail me being in a hospital gown cap looking like I had just been at the gym during a workout.”

Lt. Commander Jessica Teller, XO

Aedan nodded at Shaun who came over. The ceremony was quick, mostly just a legal standard. They would need to sign papers after this and that is the binding agreement.

Hours passed and Aedan held onto Cera, he hadn’t wanted to let her down since she was born. She was this perfect little bundle of love that represented him and Jessica so perfectly. He cooed softly as he leaned in kissing her sleeping forehead.

~Aedan Teller

==========================================
Teller Penthouse

Jessica stirred and then suddenly jerked awake yelling out “Cera”, looking around with a stunned expression on her face. After the delivery, she must have dozed off. For how long she had no idea. It was at least long enough to get moved back home. Seeing Aeden holding the baby she relaxed some back into the pillows. The day had been more than eventful. She had never had three life-changing experiences occur in one day but as the old meatloaf, the song said two out of three weren’t bad. “She is pretty isn’t she,” Jessica played off her nervousness. “We need to call my parents and have Evie come over. Everyone is going to be so excited to see her. Can I hold her,” Jessica held out her arms and motioned for Aedan to bring the baby over?

There was no reason to be nervous now yet Jessica could feel her heart pounding. She needed to have her baby. Right now even Aedan holding her wasn’t enough for Jessica to feel safe. She needed Cera in her arms to know the baby was fine.

Handing Cera over he kissed the top of her head as he made sure Jessica had a tight hold as he sighed heavily, feeling such a sense of content.

“There’s my baby,” Jessica said slowly stroking the side of the baby’s head with her thumb. She felt her chest tighten and a knot form in her throat. If she had not gone to command school Jessica might have been a puddle of tears but she had and was wasn’t going to let her emotions take over.

Things were right in her world and Jessica was about to make sure they stayed that way.

“So the crew of the Sabre went with Grecken and O’Neill,” Jessica said in a calm tone. “Good. That will make it easier for you to just transfer them back to OED and not have the awkward transition of them training their replacements. I will start the interviews for the new crew as well as any others you think might be needed,” she said in a tone she often used when issuing commands as the XO. It was a no-nonsense tone and indicated there was no room for discussion.

“They are not transferring to OED love, the ship stays with me at all times.” Aedan said with a simple tone. He looked at her carefully, he was trying to gauge her reaction. He assumed much of this had to be about the trauma but Aedan wasn’t going to let panic set in.

“No,” Jessica said looking up at Aedan with her eyes full of anger. “Aedan I want that crew gone. And the crew that works the warehouse. I want them all to be replaced. How can we be sure there are not more people that Garvis employed still here. First, there was the Titanic and then,” she bit her lip hard enough for it to turn white as all the blood left the tip as her teeth held it down. “I am not going to ask again. Get rid of that crew. Pay them a lifetime’s worth of salary. Give them nothing but a handshake. I don’t care,” her voice began to get louder, sharper. Jessica was having a hard time keeping her tone calm. She had been in battle and found it easier to speak in a normal volume. Now she could feel her volume increasing to that of someone barking out orders. Jessica could feel her heart pounding and her hands were beginning to shake. The hormones mixed with whatever Garvis had given her was making the medical cocktail coursing through her body intensify everything she as feeling.

“I want them gone Aedan. Do you understand? I won’t let them back on the Outpost so dont try. There are other people you can hire. They were not special. Hell, half the Sabre crew could go murder Shaun and Kate in their sleep and they would never have seen it coming. But I will. I do. I am not taking that chance with her,” Jessica held Cera closer to her and almost protectively away from Aedan.

“I understand, it’s not going to happen pumpkin but I do understand.”

The casual and comforting tone at which he spoke to her instantly made Jessica on the defensive. “You want to bet,” she started but Aedan never stopped his sentence talking over her.

“I am not going to get rid of people who had nothing to do with this. I took care of this.” he said as he looked at her sternly, yet with an undercurrent of sympathy. He had been a mental wreck before he found her but he had to keep cool and lucid, this was not a time to lose focus.

Jessica felt her body tensing up with anger and frustration. Part of it was with the situation but the majority of it was with Aedan was dealing with things. Aedan was too calm too in control. He was talking over her as if she was saying nothing. There was a power that seemed to be radiating from him as if begging her to challenge his words.
There was also a deep sense of earnestness that swore he had taken care of this and Jessica needed to just accept his words as truth. His gaze on her was firm and unwavering. Aedan did not blink or reach out to soften his words with a hand over hers. He was informing Jessica of a fact right now and indicating there was no option to debate his decision. She felt her heart beating rapidly.

“They tried to hurt her Aedan,” Jessica’s voice turned venomous. “Your daughter. They didn’t care what those drugs would do to her. Garvis,” she spat out his name like a curse and narrowed her eyes on Aedan. “Garvis didn’t care if she....if she…died,” Jessica choked on the word and shook her head once as if that would help stop the tears coming to her eyes.

“Love, Garvis was a mad man, a lone mad man. He hired men outside of my pocket, killed his command cause people would not back power plays. I am just as shocked, and furious but I always handle threats, especially those against you, and now Cera.”

“You don’t seem furious,” she felt her hands almost shaking. “In fact, you seem content to just stand there are spat out orders to me as if I am your employee and not the mother of your child. You are going to get rid of all of them Aedan. I won’t be dictated to by you,” her voice had a sharp tone. Now that the crisis was over, Jessica needed to vent. The shaking of her hands was slowly moving up her arms and into her shoulders as she lashed out at him looking anywhere to direct her anger. The anger she felt was towards Garvis but Garvis was not here so Aedan would be her target. It was in this second a thought slammed into her. Where was Garvis? She remembered Garvis preparing to kill her. She remembered the pinch of the hypo and the world becoming foggy. Jessica remembered seeing a gun, hearing voices and falling in and out of consciousness in Aedan’s arms with him gently trying to take care of her. Jessica remembered Aedan moving heaven and Earth to get her to the sickbay on the Sabre.
What she could not remember is exactly what happened to Garvis. Jessica got a blank expression as she struggled to make the pieces add up in her mind but her subconscious refusing to see the obvious answer.

The tone Jessica was using scared Cera. For the past hour, she had lazily drifted between sleeping and opening her eyes to see her Daddy always looking down on her and smiling. Wherever she was, Cera knew this man that was calling himself Daddy was always there. It felt warm and safe in Aedan’s arms. She liked the way he kissed her softly or stroked her hand as he let Cera curl her small fingers around just one of his. His voice was soothing and gentle. Now, however, Cera felt unsure. She couldn’t see her daddy and her mommy’s voice was angry and hard. Her mommy was holding her too tight. Daddy a soft squeak from Cera in her arms snapped Jessica back into the real world. Daddy it squeaked a bit louder wondering why he was not there like he always had been.

“Hey baby it’s okay,” Jessica adjusted the blanket around Cera briefly distracted by her daughter’s needs over her own. “Mommy is going to fix this okay. Don’t be scared.”

After settling the baby some, Jessica began the conversation again.

“Aedan I am not going to let anything happen to her. Do you hear me,” Jessica’s eyes lost the anger as she searched Aedan’s darting back and forth. “I can’t lose her,” Jessica leaned down and kissed the baby’s head feeling a single tear fall from her eye, run down her cheek, and drop on the small knit hat Cera Teller was wearing. “If you can’t protect her I can,” Jessica said. Deep inside she knew she was being irrational. Aedan would do his best to take care of his two girls but sometimes the best was not the best after all.

“Love… we got this under control. You think I am not going to be making changes? Stricter guidelines and vetting of everyone under Garvis command? I am going to go through my company with a fine tooth comb but I am not going to let fear dictate us, or dictate you. I am your husband now, you are my sole responsibility along with Cera. I will take over the galaxy if I have to keep you two safe.”

~Aedan Teller

His words created a lump in her throat. Her husband. His responsibility. They instantly settled Jessica as she let them fill her with a sense of peacefulness and protection. It was his job to take care of her and he was trying his best to do so even as Jessica continued to fight him. Still the fear of the unknown was too great. Each moment of calm she tried to embrace was filled with ten seconds of panic. She had to make Aedan see she was right. “I want them gone,” she said in a soft tone to Aedan.

“Love, no, this isn’t a debate. You need to rest. I removed a viper but it doesn’t mean the entire nest is full of them. Everything will be under order, I don’t let mistakes happen twice.” Aedan said, his voice gave little in room for debate as he said this. She would know him, when he put his mind to a task he was serious. He had to rational but it didn’t mean he was going to turn a blind eye to possible threats either.

As her eyes locked onto his Jessica felt a shiver run down her spine. Aedan had not caved to her demands nor would he. His posture and choice of words indicated a dominant and commanding presence that required obedience and loyalty to him. His gaze demanded that she trust every word coming out of his mouth without question. In these moments Jessica understood how he made others submit to his decisions as if they were their own. The feeling he projected was not harsh or cruel but comforting creating a sense of stability and safety. He never yelled or even raised his voice yet the calm of his voice was almost hypnotic. It promised that with a little faith he would deliver everything he was promising his wife. She just had to trust in him that the path he chose was the correct one for her and their family. Jessica opened her mouth to speak but could not find the words she needed to say. The anger and frustration she felt were rapidly dissolving into the fear he spoke of as if he was inside her head and knew each emotion before she did.

As she opened her mouth to speak again one the doctor from the Saber entered their bedroom along with a woman. “Sir…Jessica,” the man said looking at both as he spoke their names. “Mrs. Teller needs her rest. She has been through a lot and exhibiting signs of exhaustion. May I suggest a sedative? Nothing powerful but just enough to take the edge off so she can sleep. A full eight hours will do wonders. I promise,” The doctor turned to face Jessica for the last part.

“Aedan,” Jessica looked at her husband almost begging for him to make a decision. She was exhausted and felt disoriented trying to deal with the happiness of the event and the anger parts of it included. Her body ached and she could barely keep her eyes open yet the adrenaline coursing through her body was forcing her to stay awake.

The doctor made no move towards Jessica but looked to Aedan for permission to continue. “The agreement was that if Mrs. Teller wanted to come to the penthouse it was fine but we would be monitoring her here for the next twenty-four hours as if she was in sickbay. She did just have a baby and even with all out technology that is a pretty medical issue,” he tried to be reassuring. In any normal situation, he would be talking to Jessica but was smart enough to know this was something his boss needed to decide on because Jessica was probably going to make things infinitely more difficult at the moment.

Lt. Commander Jessica Teller XO

Bump

“Go ahead, but I will stay her side.” Aedan said, he knew his duty and it was here by her side, as well as Cera. “Ask Nurse Jackie to come in and help too, you can head back to the ship if you want.”

~Aedan Teller


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