Posted by Lieutenant Commander Jarred Alindor (Chief Engineer) in Alindor’s Quarters - Meeting Elizabeth Alindor

Posted by Lieutenant Natasha Daye (Doctor) in Alindor’s Quarters - Meeting Elizabeth Alindor

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/ https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf5/saracen/notes/29118/

SNIP

“You know… she is going to be in bed… won’t pay attention to where you are. I mean… maybe this is time to ask if you wanna be here more full time.” he said hoping she got the hint.

Alindor, CE

“Like permanently,” Kalani said with a half smile. A warm rush filled her. She spent 99% of her time in his quarters but getting her nameplate over his on the door was a huge step. “Stay with you tonight and for the foreseeable future full time?” Jarred would easily be able to see her answer was yes and that Kalani was just loving being in this moment with him.

“Hmmm does that mean I get to bring my kids and my verdant cornucopia of houseplants?” Kalani said rising on her toes and kissing him again. She had not planned this but it was not an unexpected outcome. She and Jarred were close. Moving in was the next step in their relationship. Everything felt right about her decision to say yes.

“Of course, you know this is your home. Maybe give me a few days to get things settled here before moving in everything. But yes, do you want to move in with me.” Jarred said as he leaned in kissing her cheek. It was then he heard the smallest and tiniest of steps behind him. How long had the water been off he wondered as he turned around as his eyes got large.

“But didn’t you say you were gonna be with me,” a small voice said from behind Jarred. The smile faded some and the little girl looked about ready to burst into tears. She had loved tonight so much. Her daddy had played with her and snuggled her and made a room just for her. Now he was also going to be full time with Kalani. Elizabeth didn’t know exactly what it meant but her daddy and Kalani were talking in that quiet voice adults used when trying to hide something from a kid. If they were using that voice this could not be good.

Kalani’s smile turned into a more neutral expression hearing Elizabeth and actually remembering Elizabeth was in the room. It was not that the little girl was bad or a bother. It was just Elizabeth was something new Kalani would have to start taking into account when she wanted to act on something. Jarred was right when he said it would require an adjustment period for all of them.

“Little one, of course I am going to be with you!” Jarred said as he nudged Kalani in the ribs as he looked back over at Elizabeth. He knew life was going to be new for them but he never had seen his daughter cry. He did all he could to give her the world, everything a child could need. In many ways it had insulated Jarred from the truths of what a child needed. They cried, need reassurance, love. You couldn’t just give a present and walk away. You had to be there full time.

“Nana promised me you wouldn’t leave me anymore if I came here. That you would have no place to go after I went to sleep because I would be at your home.” Her eyes might look as if she were a typical five year old ready to cry because she was upset, yet her voice was more steady as if she had prepared for something like this to happen. Her shoulders sagged a bit and the teddy bear she had been holding was no longer tucked up in her arms but hanging down at her side.

“No sweetie, I am not going anywhere…” Jarred looked over at Kalani and back to Elizabeth. He was thinking and nothing was coming to him as he did. He could feel that cold sweat forming on the back of his neck as he kept an eye on her.

Kalani had no idea what to say. She was not prepared for this. Gently she reached out and touched Jarred’s back as a sign of moral support and that she was with him instead of taking Jarred’s hand. Elizabeth did not seem upset that Kalani was part of Jarred’s life; however, with the tone of the little girl’s question, Kalani did not want to make the attention the focus on her.

“Daddy can I go sleep at Nana’s,” Elizabeth said softly. Elizabeth Alindor had a perfect life filled with people that loved her dearly. She also had a life filled with her Daddy leaving most of the times after she had gone to bed. Elizabeth’s Nana always told her that Jarred left after she went to bed because he was so sad to have to return to the ship. Her Nana said that Jarred never wanted Elizabeth to see him cry because he wanted every moment she remembered with him as happy and special. Elizabeth knew her daddy loved her but right now she was scared of waking up alone on a ship where she couldn’t find her Nana and PaPa or her Daddy.

Taking a deep breath Jarred knelt down and pulled Elizabeth in close, “No baby, this is your home now but…” Jarred craned his neck to look at Kalani as a thought came over him. In the past he tried so hard to keep his love life and his personal life seperate. Cori knew nothing, Sharise didn’t, no one really friend or love knew about her. That didn’t give him the best of everything, it made him work harder at being happy

Wrapping his arms around Elizabeth he picked her up as he gave a soft kiss on her cheek before squeezing her tight. “Come here love, I think we need to talk about a few things. Kalani come talk to with us,” he said as he looked over at her nodding to the couch.

Her tummy felt funny. Her daddy was being serious about something and she wasn’t sure what he was going to say. This scared her a little bit. Her daddy was always silly and fun. Jarred always wore a smile when he was with Elizabeth or her Nana. The only time he was like this was when he was alone with PaPa sometimes. Not knowing what to do, Elizabeth did the only thing she could. Elizabeth curled her arms around Jarred’s neck and laid her head on his shoulder as he carried her to the couch.

Sitting down Jarred kept Elizabeth close to his body as he watched Kalani sit next to him. Elizabeth snuggled up close to Jarred. She didn’t want to let go of his neck but her Daddy wanted her to be a big girl right now. Since she couldn’t sit on his lap with her head on his shoulder, Elizabeth settled for siding under his arm and let it drape over her body. She felt safer with her daddy’s arm around her. “Little one, you are never going to not be with me anymore, but there is other parts of my life. You know how Papa and Nana love each other so much?” he said as he saw her nod he couldn’t help but lean in and kiss her forehead.

“Well I love Kalani the same way, I want her to live here with us but I want you to be okay with that. So maybe while you are here, you can get to know her? I know she is full of fun ideas and she really wants to get to know you and learn just why I love you so much. This doesn’t mean though if she moves in you don’t have a room, she would share a bed with Daddy like Nana and Papa do. You would still have your room we just we be a big family, maybe… maybe one day she might even be a mother for you.” he said the last part was something new he was sure as he looked over at Kalani with the faintest of smiles before looking back at Elizabeth.

Kalani froze at the sound of Jarred’s words and got a decidedly deer in the headlights look on her face. Marriage, kids, a house in some suburb one day was always in the plans and hadn’t been something Kalani didn’t dream about with Jarred but hearing the words made her freeze. Yet Jarred had just set it out for the universe which meant the universe had a way of making things happen. A chill ran down her spine. It was the nervous but happy fear of the unknown. Kalani managed a smile back. She reached over and squeezed his hand once before letting it go. This was a lot for her to take in let alone a five-year-old child. Later she would show Jarred how much she loved the idea. She would also check on her birth control. One evening with Elizabeth had shown Kalani that being a parent was hard work. Maybe she would test her maternal instincts on Miss Alindor before she went and created a new little Alindor.

Elizabeth snuggled in tighter to Jarred hearing his words. Having a mom and a dad sounded nice. It was what all her firends had but she hadn’t even thought about that on her way here. Elizabeth always had wanted a mom but she also knew her real mom never wanted her. No one had said that but Mommy’s didn’t just leave thier kids and not come back if they wanted them. She knew her Mommy loved her Daddy but when she found out she was having Elizabeth, Lily must have gotten mad at her and then left them. At least that is why Elizabeth thought her mommy left. She knew that her Daddy often left mad but at least he came back. If Elizabeth was the reason her mommy left than maybe her daddy would leave at some point too.

“But as I said before all of that my love, you are going to get a chance to know her. Okay?” he said softly hoping she understood enough to grasp the hugeness of this bombshell he knew he just laid on both women right now.

Alindor, CE

So many thoughts were going through her head that Elizabeth could only nod and give a soft “okay Daddy,” in response to Jarred’s question. She hoped her daddy didn’t expect an answer because Elizabeth wasn’t sure exactly what Jarred wanted her to say.

Jarred wasn’t certain what he expected, but maybe right now that was all he could expect. “That’s my girl, and you can ask anything of my little one. You are my world, anything you need or want I will be there baby girl I promise.” he said softly to her as he leaned in to kiss the top of her head.

After pondering the situation for a moment, one thought entered Elizabeth’s mind. “So what do you and Daddy do for fun at night,” she asked feeling a second wind coming on.

“Well…” Jarred said pausing as his eyes got wide as he looked over at Kalani.

“Umm…we…camp. Do you want to camp with us tonight,” Kalani said almost too fast. An adult would instantly recognize the thought as stalling but instead it clearly peaked Elizabeth’s interest.

Looking at Kalani Jarred tilted his head as he mouthed the words camping, eyes wide as his eyebrows seemed to narrow in on here. It was a look she would know well, it translated into what the hell are you thinking?

Kalani kept a smile but it was a pained one of I panicked.

“Yesssssss,” Elizabeth replied starting to squirm down from Jarred side ready for whatever this activity was going to require. “Should I get my shoes? My coat? Can we Ralph? Can I comm Nana and tell her?” The questions came so fast Kalani felt like she was on a merry go round spinning faster and faster and slowly spiraling out of control.

“Yes,” Kalani said not really sure what she was agreeing to but happy Elizabeth seemed to like the idea.

“Give me your comm badge Daddy,” Elizabeth said confidently. “I can’t wait to tell Nana and PaPa we are going on a trip!”

Ensign Kalani Kane

“Road trip? Where… we…” Jarred looked back at Kalani, the look was clear like the last one, you started it you fix it. “We camp in the room…” Jarred said with an almost stuff wording as he didn’t take his eyes of Kalani as he looked back at Elizabeth to see what she thought of that idea.

“In the room,’ she looked at Jarred skeptically. “I have never heard of indoor camping. Is this like when I want ice cream and PaPa says he can make a blizzard better than the Dairy Queen but the strawberry is all in chunks and the chocolate ice cream is really just vanilla in a dish with some sauce spread over it that he stirred real fast and said tada,” Elizabeth gave the long and detailed explanation that only a kid could do when calling adults out. “I tell him all the time that is hobo ice cream but he says it is PaPa special.” The tone in her voice indicated she was not buying anything she was telling them.

Looking at Jarred her eyes bore into his soul like only a five-year-old without a filter can do. “Are we hobo camping?”

Kalani could not stop laughing even though no sound escaped her lips. Her body shook as she processed Elizabeth’s words and took in her body posture. This kid was going to give Jarred a run for his money. She was sweet but also very quick with her wit much like her father.

“It’s like… indoor fun, with… tents… and yes Ralph can come but maybe we just do it us tonight let Nana and Papa rest in their beds, the floor can get stiff at their age but we can handle it right?” he said to her trying to find the best scenario out of the mess that had been made.

Alindor, CE

“Ralph can even sleep next to you,” Kalani finally got herself together enough to try and help Jarred along with the scheme she came up with. “Your daddy can even make the ceiling look like the night sky.”

“Really,” Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow at Jarred.

“Heck yeah. He is the chief engineer and can do anything. How about we go get some pillows and blankets while he sets it up huh,” Kalani held out her hand to Elizabeth.

Kalani Kane science