Subject: Fathers Day (TNG, R/T, G)
Title: Fathers Day
Author: Irina Tellen aka Ian Toldman
Series: TNG
Pairing: R/T
Date: June 17, 2001
Archive: Yes
Summary: I slipped into my alter ego to write this fluffy little vignette in response to QD’s father’s day challenge. Things are about to change for our fateful pair.
Jun 2001
Star Trek : The Next Generation
Father’s Day
by Irina Tellen
“Thank you for coming, Commander. The children have been looking forward to this day.”
“How long have they been preparing?”
“Oh my, months and months! They’re all so nervous that I can barely keep them still.”
“Well, let’s not keep them waiting any longer, Lieutenant Emerson. Would you do the introductions.”
She smiled. “This is their school, Commander. Here, I’m just the Ms. Emerson.”
“Well, carry on then, Ms Emerson.”
***
Touching the selector to change the viewpoint of the observation screen, she accidentally selected the wrong classroom. Suddenly her heart climbed into her throat and she felt short of breath.
‘God how beautiful he is!’ she thought, her current task of observing the child social development of the ships compliment instantly forgotten. ‘He must have returned to quarters and changed after we went on duty.’
On screen was the image of her husband of just a few months in full military dress mess with all of his ribbons and medals. Once her heart returned to a semblance of normal still warmed by his presence..
“He’s going to make a fine Admiral. . .” said quietly to herself then added mentally, ‘. . .Someday.’
Curious, she leaned over and turned up the volume on the voice feed.
***
“. . .and this is Cadet candidate Winifred Aimesly.”
“and how old are you, Ms Aimesly?”
The little girl stood, shivering, at a child’s attention and replied, “Seven, Sir.”
“Very good. Are you prepared.”
“Yes Sir, I think so, sir.” Her nervousness obvious.
“Finally, this is Cadet candidate Jonathan Sikes.”
“Mr. Sikes?”
The young man fairly snapped to attention. “Eight, Sir! Ready Sir”
Riker smiled.
“Well lets get on with it then. Ladies and Gentlemen, you have all passed your preliminary Cadet examinations. This is your oral examination. Please take your seat and get as comfortable as you can.”
The eight children filed into place, each taking a comfortable chair placed in an arc around a central task chair. She watched as her husband took the central seat and set the clipboard padds on his knee.
She sighed. She loved him to near distraction and wanted dearly to listen in – to know more of this side of him -- but she had her own work to do. Turning down the volume she touched the correct button and returned to monitoring four and five year olds for socialization skills.
***
Having finished her notes for this session, her curiosity got the better of her and she switched the monitor back to the other classroom wondering if he’d still be there.
He was. Will was now sitting on a low teacher’s chair surrounded by younger children while the older ones, the new Starfleet Junior Cadet, were proudly showing off their red cadet’s berets and ships communicator badges earned as their a function of their promotion.
One of the youngest girls was looking at Will in adoring wonder. She recognized the girl as Niad Bealmant whose father had died on a rather dangerous away mission almost a year ago.
Her pretty mother, a mission specialist, leaned against the bulkhead obviously waiting to pick her up but unwilling to interfere.
Will was reading from a small book. His gaggle of children sitting on the floor in an array around him, all listening with rapt attention. She observed that, as he read, his hands and expression never stilled. When he finally closed the book, the nearest pair of younger boys clapped enthusiastically which was instantly taken up by the others. It looked so very odd, him in full uniform, sitting on such a tiny chair, surrounded by adoring children.
‘Well, if I can adore him, I guess they can too’
Little Niad came up to her husband and hugged him and then whispered something in his ear. A look of surprise suffused his face and she surmised the question that little girl had asked. This was confirmed when Will’s attention snapped around to look at her mother. She smiled when he held up his left hand showing the gold band and the little girl’s countenance fell with an obvious thud.
Touching her own ring, Will’s mothers ring, she watched as he whispered something in the little girl’s ear. Turning, he rummaged around in the box at his side, and pulled out one of the blue berets that had been exchanged earlier for red and set it jauntily on her head. The little girl beamed, then gave Will a big neck hug and a kiss on the cheek then ran back to her mother who nodded in thanks.
***
On checking her appointment calendar that morning she found that the little earth calendar’s holiday notation for today’s stardate quite appropriate for tonight’s occasion as was the fact that her husband was still in full uniform when the doors to their quarters closed behind him.
“Will, I have a bit of father’s day surprise for you.”
End