Original post https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/saracen/notes/22573/ https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/saracen/notes/22968/ https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/saracen/notes/23126/ https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/saracen/notes/23269/
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/saracen/notes/24842/ https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/saracen/notes/26474/

SNIP

“We should go,” Samantha said standing. “It was a long day. Maybe we can meet up for breakfast?”

Hearing Jarred talk woke Elizabeth up enough for her to realize her grandparents were standing up. “Bye Daddy,” she said sliding down off his lap. Her feet bobbled some as she was half asleep but trying to walk.

Jarred put a hand on her, soft yet firm. He didn’t want to startle her with what he was about to say but those around could see the worry in his face. “No no little one, Papa and Nana have their own quarters. You are going to stay here, you have your new room baby girl.” Jarred said, the pit of his stomach feeling off. He knew she was used to just staying with them. He had never once brought her to the ship till now, he only visited and when Jarred did he stayed with Papa and Nana. He knew it would only make sense that she would assume she would sleep with them too.

“Dat’s okay Daddy,” she said in a sleepy yawn. “We can sleep on the couch like we do every Saturday night. You don’t have PaPa’s big chair but he can sleep on the couch right? Nana always gets the couch and PaPa complains she can’t stay awake when she lays down. Sometimes he just yells out her name. Samantha,” Elizabeth let out a giggle trying to imitate her grandfather’s deeper voice. Rising on her tiptoes, Elizabeth tried to tell Jarred a secret but her voice was still loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room. “I think PaPa falls asleep too sometimes and just forgets where he left Nana like when I forget where I left my shoes.”

“Well that maybe so little one, but they have their own place with a bed. I am sure it’s been a long trip and runabouts don’t tend to have the best beds. So maybe a couch isn’t the best choice this time.” Jarred said smiling just slightly. It was such an innocent thing for her to say, he couldn’t help but want to scoop her up and kiss her all over right now.

Samantha let out a soft laugh behind her hand. That was a typical Saturday night for the three of them in the Alindor house. She and Jonathan often joked later about how hard it was to stay awake when you had to watch a show about talking zucchini.

“You can take the couch can’t you PaPa,” Elizabeth asked him taking Jarred’s hand. “Daddy want’s us to stay with me. Can’t we,” she asked with her small hand disappearing completely in Jarred’s.

“Couch… I well…” Jonathan was feeling a bit weak and tired right now. The bed was indeed his hope but Jarred and Samantha wished to keep things more under the radar with Elizabeth. He had to admit he preferred to be upfront with her but he couldn’t deny that it was hard to explain to a five year old.

“See this time little one everyone has their own bed to stay in, Kalani, Papa, Nana, you, and myself… we each have a bed. So it just makes sense right?” he doubted this tactic would work, she was five and he knew his daughter would insist. In many ways he was more hopeful than anything.

Alindor, CE

Elizabeth thought about what her daddy said. It made sense but she had never been away from them for longer than a night. “Daddy,” she pulled at his hand to make him come down to her level. At times it was so hard to talk to adults when you had to look straight up. PaPa always said to look at him when he had something important to say. Adults often said that but when you were only forty-four inches tall and your daddy was seventy-four inches tall that thirty inches made it hard to talk face to face unless you had a chair.

Looking at Jarred, Elizabeth didn’t know how to say that she was happy that she got to wake up with her Daddy in the morning like on Christmas and when he came visit but also scared to be without Nana and PaPa. Her Daddy had made her room so nice and he was so happy she liked it but it wasn’t her room. Her room was on the moon and not her Daddy’s big spaceship. Suddenly Elizabeth had a good idea. “Can PaPa and Nana have your bed so we can all stay here at your house,” she asked.

Samantha bit her bottom lip as if she needed the physical cue not to speak. As a counselor, she had seen this play out over the years but typically it was always the reverse. It was a parent that was transitioning a child to stay with a relative because Starfleet needed the parent to go somewhere that was not kid friendly. Less often it was reuniting a child with a parent from a relative although that did happen to. The difference was she could look at both those situations with a critical eye and not get emotionally involved. This time it was happening to her and her family. Samantha had no doubts her son would make a good father. If she did, Samantha would not be doing this. Jarred would excel at being a parent just like he excelled at everything he set his mind to. The hard part now was trying to ignore the mother in her and just be the objective counselor. Samantha wanted to step in and make this job easier for her son because she loved Jarred as much as Jarred loved the mini version of him looking up at him. She restrained herself however from stepping in and let her son handle the situation. In less than a week, she and Jonathan would be boarding a shuttle and leaving Jarred with the hard task of being a parent. Right now Elizabeth saw this as a vacation even though everyone tried to make sure the little girl knew that the move would be a permanent one. Tonight was just proof of that.

“We can take my room and I can teach you how to play Squirrel Nutkins,” Elizabeth said excitedly. “That is what Aunt Lucy used to say when she spent the night with us on the moon. She and I would snuggle up tight in my bed like a pair of squirrels because there was not a lot of room in my bed just like there is not a lot of room in a tree. Then we would talk squirrel. I can teach you to talk squirrel if you want,” Elizabeth said with a big smile.

Elizabeth Alindor

“Squirrel Nutkins?” Jarred said as he looked at his daughter like she had a second head. “Lucy remembered that?” Jarred said, he didn’t know she remembered that the two had done that when they were younger. Being four years older he often took a role with Lucy as a protector, and Peter too a lesser extent. He started when he was six and she was two and he kept doing it until she was almost six. It was something as a ten year old he thought he shouldn’t, it was too silly for a young man to do he thought. He couldn’t help but smile though, despite being a normal boy thinking he shouldn’t hang out with his sister he still remembered it fondly. He was always a protective brother.

“Yes,” Elizabeth held up her hands like little paws and made some squeaking sounds. It was clear Jarred’s sister had taught his daughter the entire game of Squirrel Nutkins and not some abridged version.

“I mean I think they might still want to be in there beds, but we can do this in yours if you want. I would love to, did she tell you I started that with her little one?” he asked her as he stayed on his knees to keep eye level with her.

Alindor, CE

Eliza beth’s hands dropped showing she wasn’t completely sure of what her Daddy was suggesting but her eyes showed she was excited to curl up with him. “Nana and PaPa can come for waffles,” she asked her daddy slowly looking at her Nana as she spoke.

“First thing in the morning baby I promise,” she said walking over to give Elizabeth a hug and kiss. “Now go get ready for bed. I set out your pajamas. Now scoot,” she said tapping Elizabeth’s bottom to send her off.

As soon as her granddaughter was out of site, Samantha motioned for Jonathan to head out the door. “Good luck,” she said giving her son a hug. “We will see you in the morning. Kalani it was finally nice to meet you in person. I’ll be back at 0900.”

Kalani watched Sam and Jon leave. Stealing a glance at the door to the bathroom she walked to Jarred as soon as the door closed. “You were amazing tonight,” she said slipping her hands into Jarred’s back pockets and pulling his hips towards her. “I never doubted you but I did not expect the sexy factor that comes with my boyfriend being a dad. I mean,” Kalani smiled at Jarred and made a small growling sound as she bit his shirt and pulled it out with her teeth until the tension slipped it from her mouth. “I dunno Mr. Alindor. I think you sex appeal just went through the room. ” Hearing the water still running and Elizabeth singing some song on the other side of the door, Kalani rose on her toes and pressed her lips to his. A soft moan escaped her body as she pulled him tighter to her. Her mind went blank as she thought about nothing but the man in front of her. Since returning from their camping weekend, Kalani and Jarred had solidified their position as a couple. There was little they didn’t do together and the only time they were not together was when they were on duty. This would be the first night she would not spend at his place or with him. The thought of not reaching over or having his arms around her made Kalani kiss him with a little more force. Her hands left his pockets and slowly snaked around the front of his body until they were around his neck with her fingertips brushing his hair at the base of his neck. This kiss was not typical of her nightly goodbye but it was going to have to fuel her imagination later when she was all alone.

Ensign Kalani Kane, science.