Things Past – Changing Tides - Newton's Theories
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
On:
Miss Kimberley Anderson arrived on a Starfleet transport that was quite a bit spaller and less luxurious than what she had lately become accustomed to travelling, so this was something of a come-down. However, the hardy little teenager had not forgotten her first trip to DS5 when she had smuggled herself there in conditions that made these look positively luxurious, so she was not too put out, just exhausted.
Waiting to welcome her and more importantly to her aching limbs, to take control of her willful bags, was her beloved Uncle Rick. She squeaked with delight at the sight of him, dropped the handle on her hover-suitcase and leapt unceremoniously around his neck, wrapping all of herself around him and clinging there like a Terran marmoset.
"UNCLE MONSTER!" She teased, taking on the nickname her aunt Chelsea had started up that morning.
Rick knelt down on one knee and gave her an extra big hug. "How you doing kid?" he asked with a smile on his face.
"Brilliant" she replied, returning his hug and grinning with pleasure at seeing him again. "How does it feel being *an old married couple*?" she teased playfully, planting a peck on his cheek.
"Best thing to ever happen to me" said Rick with a grin.
"Really? Then why does Chelsea think you're a monster?" she asked quizzically. Skipping along beside him to keep up with his long strides as they set off along the corridors back towards the Dunham quarters.
Rick chuckled to himself as they cleared the docking ring and headed to the nearest turbo lift. "i'm sure she didn't mean it dear....it was just a phrase."
Kim raised a skeptical eyebrow and determined to ask her aunt about it later. In the meantime she began to chat to her uncle about the family and who was up to what etc. By the time she had finished half of what they'd been doing since the wedding, they were at the door of Rick and Chelsea's quarters.
Rick allowed Kim to go in first so she was able to rush in and throw herself on the sofa as if she had never left. "Oh, I'm glad to be home" she declared. "Is there any food? Chelsea said I could help myself... but if you're hungry too....." she hinted with a mischievous grin.
"Yeah sure there's pizza on the table" said Rick pointing to last night late very early morning pizza delivery, still sitting in its thermo plastic box on the centre table. "Help yourself" he said sincerely.
"Thanks!" Kim grabbed the container and dived in, grabbing the remaining two triangles and eating hungrily until one had almost gone and the other was clutched safely in her hand ready to follow it. With her mouth still full she dropped onto the sofa from the side, draping her legs over the arm and stretching out comfortably.
"It's good to be back Uncle Rick. Now, tell me ALL the goss.... Are you two having a baby? Was that why you got married? My dad has money on a new cousin for me in about six months' time but my mum has the stake on it being a year and Grandma says not for another 2 yrs at least...... Grandad is being a bore... he won't join in the betting.... Personally, I have my money with dad's" she grinned, chattering between chewing dough as if she hadn't been fed in years.
"Your grandma has been known to be wrong on occasion" said Rick as he stared into the spiraling misty light of the replicator as it formed his drinks order. He hadn't really been talking to Kim more to himself. He picked up the glass of fruit juice from the small shelf and turned to face Kim. "and me and your aunt married because we are in love that's what people in love do....don't your parents teach you this sort of thing?"
"Love is a second-hand emotion" Kim stated with a sticky smirk, pizza sauce all over her lovely face. "When I meet someone, I want him to be MADLY in love with me but I shall only just be a sensible amount in love with him!" she declared, showing her lack of understanding of the whole concept of relationships.
Rick sat down at the table with her and tossed the teenager a napkin to wipe her face with. He gave her dissapproving look. "One day ask you mother how she met your father, and how they got together. That will change your outlook on love."
"Couldn't YOU tell me? I'll have to wait AAAAAAAAAAges if I wait to ask one of them... and I have to see the GG as well.......... pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez?? I bet it's not a big deal anyway!" she challenged her uncle as she wiped her mischievous face with a gleam in her eye. She did really love her uncle, he was such fun to be with. She thought maybe she could imagine why Chelsea wanted to always be with him but she had no idea why they wanted to make babies.... that was DISgusting!
Rick took a sip of his fruit drink and gave wry slightly mysterious smile. "Oh its not my place, that one is most certainly a mother daughter story......but when you ask her, also ask her if she still has the toupee that belonged to the Bolian ambassador."
"Toupee? UGGGH!" Kim shuddered. "She'll never tell *me*. She never wants to talk about what she did when she wasn't a big secret agent person. I guess Mums never want their daughters to know what they got up to when *they* were young in case it embarasses them or worse, in case it's something she's told ME not to do!" Kim pouted.
"Grown-ups are so patronising. I AM fourteen and that's a lot older than you lot all appreciate." she declared, clearly bringing forward some past comments or denials that had offended her at the time. "You're ALL the same. I'm not going to be like any of you when I'm older." She declared and went off to unpack her wilfull hover-case in the spare room.
Kimmie didn't want her Uncle Rick to see that she was upset but she wasn't old enough to understand that he would have read it in her reaction and her body-language, loud and clear. There was clearly some hurt or injury in his neice that had to do with the subject of being patronised or dismissed as *too young* and it was written all over her once that seemed to have come up again, even if it was only in her own mind this time.
Later she would realise that Rick hadn't just dismissed telling her the story because he thought she was 'too young' but for now, to her, he was *just like all the rest* and as he was her 'hero', that hurt her deeply.
"Knock knock" said Rick as he tapped on the metal door frame. Well it was more sort of a plastic, the accommodation on this federation star base were a lot like those found on a galaxy class starship. "Are you going stay and sulk in here until your aunt gets back or are you going to come back out here and open your present."
Kim perked up instantly. "Present???" she bounced at her uncle and hung round his neck again.
She slid off and looked up sheepishly at him. "Thing is Uncle Rick.... could I call you Rick.. Uncle makes me sound so .... childish.... EVERYone treats me like I'm a kid still and ..... I suppose I shouldn't have a present if I want to be more grown up but.... well, it's just so HARSH to always have everyone saying things all the time that make me feel like I've only got half a brain and the other half hasn't finished growing. It's all 'you go off and play....' or 'not in front of Kim' or 'you can't do that til you're older..' - It's so demeaning..." tears of frustration and sadness welled in her eyes but she fought not to let them fall.
Rick knelt down so he was eye level with Kim he placed one hand on each of her shoulders comfortingly. "Kim honey, I hate to be the one to tell you this....but you are still a kid" he let that sink in for a moment, she wasn't going to like that answer but Rick had a point to make. "And I say enjoy it while you can. Its big galaxy out there and it expects you to grow up very quickly so you should enjoy this time while you can, because in few years time probably less, it will be gone and you will miss it." Rick took out a rather battered crumpled and worn paper book from his back pocket "this my present to you" he passed her the book.
Kim's eyes brimmed over and to large tears fell. ~But I'm a woman already. I started my montly....~ her mind protested silently.
"Thank you" she said quietly, averting her eyes.
~You were my last hope!~ she thought as she sank into deep dissapointment but her manners would not allow her not to at least *try* to change focus and be appreciative of his gift. She carefully took off the wrapper and looked curiously at the book which meant nothing to her. She had never heard of the author. She looked up quizzically at her favourite uncle.
At that moment Chelsea walked in. "KIMMIE" she exclaimed and hugged her neice tightly, thrilled to see her.
"How are you baby?" she asked as she stepped back and looked her up and down. "What's the matter? Are you crying?" she asked, a frown of sympathy appearing on her brows.
Chelsea looked questioningly at Rick.
Rick raised his hands "I didn't do it" he said defensively, he hadn't even had a chance to talk about the book yet.
"I.... I got this lovely book.... Un... uncle Rick gave it to me..." Kim fought back her tears and tried to change the subject.
"Okay" Chelsea conceded but hugged her anyway. "Let's see what it is?"
Rick helped Kim with the wrapping that surrounded the present when it was removed it revealed his copy of the tao de ching.
Kim looked at it, carefully opening the flyleaf and reading the words there.
Chelsea studied her niece's face, rather than the book. She made up her mind to ask more about what had upset her but she would leave it until later. "What is it?" Chelsea asked.
Kim looked up. "I think it's a book about religion or beliefs or something like that. I haven't got far enough in yet..... "
Chelsea looked over at Rick again.
Rick rolled his eyes, "Its not religion....." "Well....it is" He contradicted himself undecided "well its is'nt"he said kneeling back down next to Kim and flicking through the book. "Philosophical Taoism....a sort of life guide, I've had this since i was your age, and now i'm giving it to you."
"Will it make me funny like you?" she asked with a cheeky smirk.
Rick placed the palm of his hand on her head and ruffled up her hair. "That would be up to you...."
"Heyyyyyy" she objected and shook her head to move his hand out of her hair. She tried to smooth it down again, muttering about a girl taking hours to get her hair just right.
Chelsea laughed. "You two are already both funny. It must be in the genes" she grinned.
Ricked smiled at Chelsea then rolled his eyes at her joke. He then turned his attention back to Kim, who he, he must admit had said something earlier in the conversation and it had only now just clicked. He tried to relate the current conversation all the way back to what was said earlier. "Kim, part of becoming an adult is figuring out who we are, it takes time and work and a lot of your own decisions, you want to be treated like an adult, you make informed morally ethical decisions..." he smiled "then hope for the best."
"So i read the book and it helps with that too?" she was insightful in return, brightening as he referred back and showed her he had actually 'heard' her which was a great relief to her.
"No dear" said Rick as understandingly as he could "it did for me....but you'll probably find your own thing."
"Well, we'll see!" Kim declared and started pouring throught the first pages of the book with great interest.
"Have you two eaten?" Chelsea asked.
Rick glanced guiltily over at the left over cold pizza from last night sitting in its box on the table in the shared living area. "Urrrrmmm sort of." they had a piece or two of the left overs
"Okay, cool" Chelsea missed the significance of this and went towards the replicator. "Anyone want anything while I'm here? Drinks? Dessert?" she asked
Rick and Kim exchange a look "desert!" they said together as one
Off:
Commander Chelsea Dunham
Second Officer/ Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant Commander Richard Dunham
CAG Squadron Leader
NPC: Kimberley Anderson
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
| Title | Changing Tides - Newton's Theories | |
| Mission | Things Past | |
| Author(s) | Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham | |
| Posted | Sun Jan 15, 2012 @ 9:45pm | |
| Location | Docking bay 3 & Dunham Quarters | |
| Timeline | Between Judgement & Incommunicado |
Miss Kimberley Anderson arrived on a Starfleet transport that was quite a bit spaller and less luxurious than what she had lately become accustomed to travelling, so this was something of a come-down. However, the hardy little teenager had not forgotten her first trip to DS5 when she had smuggled herself there in conditions that made these look positively luxurious, so she was not too put out, just exhausted.
Waiting to welcome her and more importantly to her aching limbs, to take control of her willful bags, was her beloved Uncle Rick. She squeaked with delight at the sight of him, dropped the handle on her hover-suitcase and leapt unceremoniously around his neck, wrapping all of herself around him and clinging there like a Terran marmoset.
"UNCLE MONSTER!" She teased, taking on the nickname her aunt Chelsea had started up that morning.
Rick knelt down on one knee and gave her an extra big hug. "How you doing kid?" he asked with a smile on his face.
"Brilliant" she replied, returning his hug and grinning with pleasure at seeing him again. "How does it feel being *an old married couple*?" she teased playfully, planting a peck on his cheek.
"Best thing to ever happen to me" said Rick with a grin.
"Really? Then why does Chelsea think you're a monster?" she asked quizzically. Skipping along beside him to keep up with his long strides as they set off along the corridors back towards the Dunham quarters.
Rick chuckled to himself as they cleared the docking ring and headed to the nearest turbo lift. "i'm sure she didn't mean it dear....it was just a phrase."
Kim raised a skeptical eyebrow and determined to ask her aunt about it later. In the meantime she began to chat to her uncle about the family and who was up to what etc. By the time she had finished half of what they'd been doing since the wedding, they were at the door of Rick and Chelsea's quarters.
Rick allowed Kim to go in first so she was able to rush in and throw herself on the sofa as if she had never left. "Oh, I'm glad to be home" she declared. "Is there any food? Chelsea said I could help myself... but if you're hungry too....." she hinted with a mischievous grin.
"Yeah sure there's pizza on the table" said Rick pointing to last night late very early morning pizza delivery, still sitting in its thermo plastic box on the centre table. "Help yourself" he said sincerely.
"Thanks!" Kim grabbed the container and dived in, grabbing the remaining two triangles and eating hungrily until one had almost gone and the other was clutched safely in her hand ready to follow it. With her mouth still full she dropped onto the sofa from the side, draping her legs over the arm and stretching out comfortably.
"It's good to be back Uncle Rick. Now, tell me ALL the goss.... Are you two having a baby? Was that why you got married? My dad has money on a new cousin for me in about six months' time but my mum has the stake on it being a year and Grandma says not for another 2 yrs at least...... Grandad is being a bore... he won't join in the betting.... Personally, I have my money with dad's" she grinned, chattering between chewing dough as if she hadn't been fed in years.
"Your grandma has been known to be wrong on occasion" said Rick as he stared into the spiraling misty light of the replicator as it formed his drinks order. He hadn't really been talking to Kim more to himself. He picked up the glass of fruit juice from the small shelf and turned to face Kim. "and me and your aunt married because we are in love that's what people in love do....don't your parents teach you this sort of thing?"
"Love is a second-hand emotion" Kim stated with a sticky smirk, pizza sauce all over her lovely face. "When I meet someone, I want him to be MADLY in love with me but I shall only just be a sensible amount in love with him!" she declared, showing her lack of understanding of the whole concept of relationships.
Rick sat down at the table with her and tossed the teenager a napkin to wipe her face with. He gave her dissapproving look. "One day ask you mother how she met your father, and how they got together. That will change your outlook on love."
"Couldn't YOU tell me? I'll have to wait AAAAAAAAAAges if I wait to ask one of them... and I have to see the GG as well.......... pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez?? I bet it's not a big deal anyway!" she challenged her uncle as she wiped her mischievous face with a gleam in her eye. She did really love her uncle, he was such fun to be with. She thought maybe she could imagine why Chelsea wanted to always be with him but she had no idea why they wanted to make babies.... that was DISgusting!
Rick took a sip of his fruit drink and gave wry slightly mysterious smile. "Oh its not my place, that one is most certainly a mother daughter story......but when you ask her, also ask her if she still has the toupee that belonged to the Bolian ambassador."
"Toupee? UGGGH!" Kim shuddered. "She'll never tell *me*. She never wants to talk about what she did when she wasn't a big secret agent person. I guess Mums never want their daughters to know what they got up to when *they* were young in case it embarasses them or worse, in case it's something she's told ME not to do!" Kim pouted.
"Grown-ups are so patronising. I AM fourteen and that's a lot older than you lot all appreciate." she declared, clearly bringing forward some past comments or denials that had offended her at the time. "You're ALL the same. I'm not going to be like any of you when I'm older." She declared and went off to unpack her wilfull hover-case in the spare room.
Kimmie didn't want her Uncle Rick to see that she was upset but she wasn't old enough to understand that he would have read it in her reaction and her body-language, loud and clear. There was clearly some hurt or injury in his neice that had to do with the subject of being patronised or dismissed as *too young* and it was written all over her once that seemed to have come up again, even if it was only in her own mind this time.
Later she would realise that Rick hadn't just dismissed telling her the story because he thought she was 'too young' but for now, to her, he was *just like all the rest* and as he was her 'hero', that hurt her deeply.
"Knock knock" said Rick as he tapped on the metal door frame. Well it was more sort of a plastic, the accommodation on this federation star base were a lot like those found on a galaxy class starship. "Are you going stay and sulk in here until your aunt gets back or are you going to come back out here and open your present."
Kim perked up instantly. "Present???" she bounced at her uncle and hung round his neck again.
She slid off and looked up sheepishly at him. "Thing is Uncle Rick.... could I call you Rick.. Uncle makes me sound so .... childish.... EVERYone treats me like I'm a kid still and ..... I suppose I shouldn't have a present if I want to be more grown up but.... well, it's just so HARSH to always have everyone saying things all the time that make me feel like I've only got half a brain and the other half hasn't finished growing. It's all 'you go off and play....' or 'not in front of Kim' or 'you can't do that til you're older..' - It's so demeaning..." tears of frustration and sadness welled in her eyes but she fought not to let them fall.
Rick knelt down so he was eye level with Kim he placed one hand on each of her shoulders comfortingly. "Kim honey, I hate to be the one to tell you this....but you are still a kid" he let that sink in for a moment, she wasn't going to like that answer but Rick had a point to make. "And I say enjoy it while you can. Its big galaxy out there and it expects you to grow up very quickly so you should enjoy this time while you can, because in few years time probably less, it will be gone and you will miss it." Rick took out a rather battered crumpled and worn paper book from his back pocket "this my present to you" he passed her the book.
Kim's eyes brimmed over and to large tears fell. ~But I'm a woman already. I started my montly....~ her mind protested silently.
"Thank you" she said quietly, averting her eyes.
~You were my last hope!~ she thought as she sank into deep dissapointment but her manners would not allow her not to at least *try* to change focus and be appreciative of his gift. She carefully took off the wrapper and looked curiously at the book which meant nothing to her. She had never heard of the author. She looked up quizzically at her favourite uncle.
At that moment Chelsea walked in. "KIMMIE" she exclaimed and hugged her neice tightly, thrilled to see her.
"How are you baby?" she asked as she stepped back and looked her up and down. "What's the matter? Are you crying?" she asked, a frown of sympathy appearing on her brows.
Chelsea looked questioningly at Rick.
Rick raised his hands "I didn't do it" he said defensively, he hadn't even had a chance to talk about the book yet.
"I.... I got this lovely book.... Un... uncle Rick gave it to me..." Kim fought back her tears and tried to change the subject.
"Okay" Chelsea conceded but hugged her anyway. "Let's see what it is?"
Rick helped Kim with the wrapping that surrounded the present when it was removed it revealed his copy of the tao de ching.
Kim looked at it, carefully opening the flyleaf and reading the words there.
Chelsea studied her niece's face, rather than the book. She made up her mind to ask more about what had upset her but she would leave it until later. "What is it?" Chelsea asked.
Kim looked up. "I think it's a book about religion or beliefs or something like that. I haven't got far enough in yet..... "
Chelsea looked over at Rick again.
Rick rolled his eyes, "Its not religion....." "Well....it is" He contradicted himself undecided "well its is'nt"he said kneeling back down next to Kim and flicking through the book. "Philosophical Taoism....a sort of life guide, I've had this since i was your age, and now i'm giving it to you."
"Will it make me funny like you?" she asked with a cheeky smirk.
Rick placed the palm of his hand on her head and ruffled up her hair. "That would be up to you...."
"Heyyyyyy" she objected and shook her head to move his hand out of her hair. She tried to smooth it down again, muttering about a girl taking hours to get her hair just right.
Chelsea laughed. "You two are already both funny. It must be in the genes" she grinned.
Ricked smiled at Chelsea then rolled his eyes at her joke. He then turned his attention back to Kim, who he, he must admit had said something earlier in the conversation and it had only now just clicked. He tried to relate the current conversation all the way back to what was said earlier. "Kim, part of becoming an adult is figuring out who we are, it takes time and work and a lot of your own decisions, you want to be treated like an adult, you make informed morally ethical decisions..." he smiled "then hope for the best."
"So i read the book and it helps with that too?" she was insightful in return, brightening as he referred back and showed her he had actually 'heard' her which was a great relief to her.
"No dear" said Rick as understandingly as he could "it did for me....but you'll probably find your own thing."
"Well, we'll see!" Kim declared and started pouring throught the first pages of the book with great interest.
"Have you two eaten?" Chelsea asked.
Rick glanced guiltily over at the left over cold pizza from last night sitting in its box on the table in the shared living area. "Urrrrmmm sort of." they had a piece or two of the left overs
"Okay, cool" Chelsea missed the significance of this and went towards the replicator. "Anyone want anything while I'm here? Drinks? Dessert?" she asked
Rick and Kim exchange a look "desert!" they said together as one
Off:
Commander Chelsea Dunham
Second Officer/ Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant Commander Richard Dunham
CAG Squadron Leader
NPC: Kimberley Anderson