Unity – Part 16 - Back to the Future
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
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As they arrived back on the station, Chelsea, Rick and Kim were glad to get back to their quarters at last.
Chelsea dragged a heavy bag in, smiled at Rick who was carrying three and Kim who was bringing two more smaller ones and as they all just abandoned them in the hallway, she flopped on the sofa and sighed. "I can't unpack all that today... I'm sure we didn't actually leave with all that lot... did we bring so many gifts?" she wondered aloud. Kim rolled her eyes. "Yes you did!" she accused lightly, knowing full well that most of the souvenirs were for *her* new friends at school and a couple for Grandma thrown in.
Too tired to bother to do much that day, they relaxed and got up fresh the next morning in time for the arrival of the USS Hagnon and the aforementioned Grandma who was coming to collect Kim.
Dunham looked about their quarters and scratched the stubble on his chin. With the combination of bags to be unpacked, and the fact that no matter how hard he tried, Dunham always seemed to leave a mess were ever he went, and some of his latest 'projects' still sat on the dinning room table of strewn about chaotically with no sense of organisation. Like the half completed wooden spitfire, or the circuit board he had been soldering for his ship down in the cargo hold. As he walked about thinking on what to clean up first, he gave the little Buddha statue on the mantle piece a friendly tap on the head, and lit a stick of incense. "you know maybe we should just go meet her at the docking ring?"
Chelsea seemed to visibly brighten at that suggestion. "Oh what a good idea!" she declared. "I can't *imagine* what she'd say about the mess we're in here, in fact... the trouble is i *can* imagine it and i don't like the thought" she grinned, putting her arm around Kim's shoulders and her other arm through Rick's, they all set off for the docking ring having instructed the computer to transport Kim's bags ahead.
As they walked arm in arm like they were off to see the wizard, Dunham remembered the last encounter with his mother. "Are you going to be ok with this?" he asked Chelsea.
Chelsea beamed at him. "Are you?" she smirked watching his expression.
"When it comes to my mother..." he frowned slightly, and shook his head, with a small smile. "Am I ever?"
"I was just thinking you seemed to get several grey hairs last time.... that's all" she teased gently but relented as he looked seriously at her.
"Yes sweetheart, I'm fine, truly. But thankyou for being so sweet as to check and make sure." she had realised from his first question that he was being protective and considerate, as always, and she loved him for it. She squeezed his fingers gently and her eyes showed her real gratitude behind the joking.
"My Dad would've loved you." said Dunham as they walked along the corridors, to the docking bay.
"I have the distinct gut feeling that i would have loved him too!" Chelsea replied. "Especially if he's where you get your looks and your charm. What was he like?"
Dunham smiled to himself wistfully as he remembered his father. He sighed a little as he tried to explain a man that he had loved, but had lost when he was fifteen. "He always had time for me and my sister, even when he had lots of work to do, kind, calm under pressure...used to read me a bed time story every night...." Dunham smiled "Though sometimes it would be one of his science reports."
Chelsea laughed aloud at the thought of such a lovely man reading a science report to his son. "Sounds to me as if it's *you* he would've loved if he'd been here now.... sounds like you're just like him. I can imagine you with kids, reading them the specs of your Valkyrie".
"Funny are was just going to say the same about you," said Dunham flashing a smile, "Though reading our medical reports.....You know what I think our kids would be a little confused."
Kim rolled her eyes, and went skipping ahead, leaving the 'adults' a space to talk.
"Confused? About what?" Chelsea was intrigued.
Dunham smiled reassuringly, but with a touch of mischievousness in his eyes, "well between me reading them stuff about starfighter wing and you reading them stuff about medical stuff, they ain't going to know what they're gonna be when they grow up."
"Sure they will! They'll want to be Starship Captains like all kids do!" Chelsea stated matter-of-factly as if there would be no other possibility.
"We might even lose them to Granma Dunham for the school holidays" she smirked.
Dunham massaged his forehead trying to rub out the building tension he was feeling over this scenario, then he smiled and pointed to kim who was walking up the corridor ahead of them. "Kim doesn't want be a Starship Captain, she wants to be a Marine." Though secretly he was thinking that at some point him and Chelsea should talk about kids. He knew they both wanted them, but Dunham would feel more comfortable, raising them on Bajor or Earth. Rather than Deep Space Five.
"I think I'd prefer to raise Federation Captains than Marines, even if they're Starfleet too" Chelsea said thoughtfully, not letting Kim hear her.
Dunham smiled, "I'd think I'd prefer to raise them to be what ever they want to be"
"oh i meant that too! I'd never try to influence their choices.... I was just thinking how hard it would be if they chose either of those two ambitions. It's not going to be easy when Kim enlists, you know. I'm going to worry to death about her. Darson will take care of her, I know, his reputation with his people is undisputed but i'll still lay awake at night... and she isn't even my own.
I think this means i'll make a terrible parent... how do you have something so tiny and precious, watch it grow inch by inch, love it more than your own life and wrap it in cotton wool, kiss it better when it grazes it's knees, pick it up when it falls off it's first bike, take it to it's first school gates and wave it goodbye with a fake smile to hide all your anxieties for it, fetch it home again, help it with it's homework, mop it's tears when it's first love goes sour..... and then stand supportively by and not cry all night when it leaves home and goes off to defend it's beliefs with it's life if necessary?" Chelsea stopped, a lump in her throat.
She moved closer to Rick, feeling the need for his comforting arms as the scenario seemed to play out in her mind's eye.
Dunham wrapped his arm around Chelsea's waist and leant his head against hers gently. He smiled softly, "those are exactly the sort of things a good parent should be worrying about. With feelings and empathy like that you'll make a great mum."
"Are you *sure*?" she murmoured as she rolled her forehead upwards and touched her nose against his, their lips so close they were almost touching too. There was an unsure look in her eyes that desperately wanted his reassurance.
She had seen how hurt Kim had become, ending up wandering the universe alone at 13yrs old in search of someone she could depend on and she had seen a lot more situations too, some with much less acceptable endings.
"I dread the whole prospect that somehow I might fail my children. It matters more than any other failing a human being could possibly make." she explained.
Dunham took a single one of her hands in one of his, so he held both individually by his sides, he looked into her eyes reassuringly, there foreheads still touching. He emphasised every word individually "You will be a great mum."
"Thank you" she replied, grateful for his understanding. "But only if you're there with me!" she added, her lips meeting his.
"Always and forever." he said softly after they had kissed.
JP between:
Lt Richard Dunham
and
Lt. Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
CMO - DS5
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
| Title | Part 16 - Back to the Future | |
| Mission | Unity | |
| Author(s) | Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham | |
| Posted | Tue Jun 29, 2010 @ 9:07am | |
| Location | DS5 | |
| Timeline | Unity |
As they arrived back on the station, Chelsea, Rick and Kim were glad to get back to their quarters at last.
Chelsea dragged a heavy bag in, smiled at Rick who was carrying three and Kim who was bringing two more smaller ones and as they all just abandoned them in the hallway, she flopped on the sofa and sighed. "I can't unpack all that today... I'm sure we didn't actually leave with all that lot... did we bring so many gifts?" she wondered aloud. Kim rolled her eyes. "Yes you did!" she accused lightly, knowing full well that most of the souvenirs were for *her* new friends at school and a couple for Grandma thrown in.
Too tired to bother to do much that day, they relaxed and got up fresh the next morning in time for the arrival of the USS Hagnon and the aforementioned Grandma who was coming to collect Kim.
Dunham looked about their quarters and scratched the stubble on his chin. With the combination of bags to be unpacked, and the fact that no matter how hard he tried, Dunham always seemed to leave a mess were ever he went, and some of his latest 'projects' still sat on the dinning room table of strewn about chaotically with no sense of organisation. Like the half completed wooden spitfire, or the circuit board he had been soldering for his ship down in the cargo hold. As he walked about thinking on what to clean up first, he gave the little Buddha statue on the mantle piece a friendly tap on the head, and lit a stick of incense. "you know maybe we should just go meet her at the docking ring?"
Chelsea seemed to visibly brighten at that suggestion. "Oh what a good idea!" she declared. "I can't *imagine* what she'd say about the mess we're in here, in fact... the trouble is i *can* imagine it and i don't like the thought" she grinned, putting her arm around Kim's shoulders and her other arm through Rick's, they all set off for the docking ring having instructed the computer to transport Kim's bags ahead.
As they walked arm in arm like they were off to see the wizard, Dunham remembered the last encounter with his mother. "Are you going to be ok with this?" he asked Chelsea.
Chelsea beamed at him. "Are you?" she smirked watching his expression.
"When it comes to my mother..." he frowned slightly, and shook his head, with a small smile. "Am I ever?"
"I was just thinking you seemed to get several grey hairs last time.... that's all" she teased gently but relented as he looked seriously at her.
"Yes sweetheart, I'm fine, truly. But thankyou for being so sweet as to check and make sure." she had realised from his first question that he was being protective and considerate, as always, and she loved him for it. She squeezed his fingers gently and her eyes showed her real gratitude behind the joking.
"My Dad would've loved you." said Dunham as they walked along the corridors, to the docking bay.
"I have the distinct gut feeling that i would have loved him too!" Chelsea replied. "Especially if he's where you get your looks and your charm. What was he like?"
Dunham smiled to himself wistfully as he remembered his father. He sighed a little as he tried to explain a man that he had loved, but had lost when he was fifteen. "He always had time for me and my sister, even when he had lots of work to do, kind, calm under pressure...used to read me a bed time story every night...." Dunham smiled "Though sometimes it would be one of his science reports."
Chelsea laughed aloud at the thought of such a lovely man reading a science report to his son. "Sounds to me as if it's *you* he would've loved if he'd been here now.... sounds like you're just like him. I can imagine you with kids, reading them the specs of your Valkyrie".
"Funny are was just going to say the same about you," said Dunham flashing a smile, "Though reading our medical reports.....You know what I think our kids would be a little confused."
Kim rolled her eyes, and went skipping ahead, leaving the 'adults' a space to talk.
"Confused? About what?" Chelsea was intrigued.
Dunham smiled reassuringly, but with a touch of mischievousness in his eyes, "well between me reading them stuff about starfighter wing and you reading them stuff about medical stuff, they ain't going to know what they're gonna be when they grow up."
"Sure they will! They'll want to be Starship Captains like all kids do!" Chelsea stated matter-of-factly as if there would be no other possibility.
"We might even lose them to Granma Dunham for the school holidays" she smirked.
Dunham massaged his forehead trying to rub out the building tension he was feeling over this scenario, then he smiled and pointed to kim who was walking up the corridor ahead of them. "Kim doesn't want be a Starship Captain, she wants to be a Marine." Though secretly he was thinking that at some point him and Chelsea should talk about kids. He knew they both wanted them, but Dunham would feel more comfortable, raising them on Bajor or Earth. Rather than Deep Space Five.
"I think I'd prefer to raise Federation Captains than Marines, even if they're Starfleet too" Chelsea said thoughtfully, not letting Kim hear her.
Dunham smiled, "I'd think I'd prefer to raise them to be what ever they want to be"
"oh i meant that too! I'd never try to influence their choices.... I was just thinking how hard it would be if they chose either of those two ambitions. It's not going to be easy when Kim enlists, you know. I'm going to worry to death about her. Darson will take care of her, I know, his reputation with his people is undisputed but i'll still lay awake at night... and she isn't even my own.
I think this means i'll make a terrible parent... how do you have something so tiny and precious, watch it grow inch by inch, love it more than your own life and wrap it in cotton wool, kiss it better when it grazes it's knees, pick it up when it falls off it's first bike, take it to it's first school gates and wave it goodbye with a fake smile to hide all your anxieties for it, fetch it home again, help it with it's homework, mop it's tears when it's first love goes sour..... and then stand supportively by and not cry all night when it leaves home and goes off to defend it's beliefs with it's life if necessary?" Chelsea stopped, a lump in her throat.
She moved closer to Rick, feeling the need for his comforting arms as the scenario seemed to play out in her mind's eye.
Dunham wrapped his arm around Chelsea's waist and leant his head against hers gently. He smiled softly, "those are exactly the sort of things a good parent should be worrying about. With feelings and empathy like that you'll make a great mum."
"Are you *sure*?" she murmoured as she rolled her forehead upwards and touched her nose against his, their lips so close they were almost touching too. There was an unsure look in her eyes that desperately wanted his reassurance.
She had seen how hurt Kim had become, ending up wandering the universe alone at 13yrs old in search of someone she could depend on and she had seen a lot more situations too, some with much less acceptable endings.
"I dread the whole prospect that somehow I might fail my children. It matters more than any other failing a human being could possibly make." she explained.
Dunham took a single one of her hands in one of his, so he held both individually by his sides, he looked into her eyes reassuringly, there foreheads still touching. He emphasised every word individually "You will be a great mum."
"Thank you" she replied, grateful for his understanding. "But only if you're there with me!" she added, her lips meeting his.
"Always and forever." he said softly after they had kissed.
JP between:
Lt Richard Dunham
and
Lt. Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
CMO - DS5