Homecoming, Part Two

Posted on Aug 22, 2014 @ 12:07pm by Commander Jacob Crichton & Ambassador Xana Bonviva
Edited on on Aug 22, 2014 @ 12:07pm

Mission: The Tangled Webs We Weave

= Homecoming, Part 2 =

(cont'd from "Blackest Night")


=/\=

Location: EARTH

Scene: Villa Bonviva

TI: A few days after the events in “Homecoming”

They passed the days in near bliss. Jake and Xana pulled the kids out of summer camp - ostensibly because “it was summer camp and what the hell were they going to learn anyway” but really without speaking about it; they both knew it was to spend this precious time as a family.

Still reality intruded.

Every morning Xana made breakfast - usually assisted by one of the kids - while Jake ducked into the den to make a check messages or check in with SFHQ or Michael Kane. After breakfast, Jake oversaw clean-up while Xana did her own escape into the den to answer messages or field calls.

But they never *talked* about the messages or conversations. They just simply confirmed they were free for the day and made plans.

“Okay looks like we’re good here,” Jake said as he surveyed the kitchen. Looking over at Dahlia he asked, “Where’s Mom?”

The 9 year old shrugged, “Inside talking.”

Ben spun around on a chair as he nonchalantly explained, “She’s talking to Senator Shat.”

Jake nearly choked on his coffee at that while the Bajoran/Bolian/Human girl fell over laughing. “It’s Senator Shath,” she corrected her brother as if the Senator from VULCAN called all the time. “Remember, you called him that last time he came over. Both he and Mom had to correct you. It’s *Shath*”

“I said that,” Ben protested.

“You missed a letter, like last time when he came to the house,” Dahlia pointed out.

“I did not,” Ben pouted.

“You didn’t what?” Xana asked as she wandered in from the den.

“I didn’t miss a letter when I said Senator Shat’s name,” Ben explained indignantly. Jumping off his chair he tugged on his mother’s arm. “Tell them, Mama!”

Jake and Xana - much to their credit - didn’t crack up, but it took all their self-control not too. “I think we should get going to the amusement park if that’s ok,” Jake mustered up before his wife could bust a vein from holding in her laughter.

As they were walking out, Xana really tried to get herself together. “You’re good to-ah- you know-go?” she asked her husband.

“Yeah,” Jake nodded as he secured the house. One of his goals for the last few days had been figuring ways to secure the house more and he had been playing with various features, one of which he was playing with today. “I spoke with Kane and we’re fine.” It was the most Xana ever asked about what was going on with her husband and his assignment.

“Was he being all Moob again?” Dahlia asked from behind them. Clearly the young girl didn’t have the same reservations about asking such questions.

The adults looked at each other in confusion. “Sure,” they replied in unison, not at all sure what the hell Dahlia was talking about.

=/\=

TI: That night

Jake was doing his best to carry a half-passed out Ben *and* the large stuffed he won on his son’s behalf. Xana was doing her best to guide Dahlia, who was babbling as only a punchy 9 year old could, while carrying the various knick knacks that the young girl won.

“Mom! What was your favorite ride?” Dee yawned. “I liked the Rapids. Oh and the roller coaster! And the thing that went up and down - what was that called?”

Xana smiled at her daughter. “The Terror Tower?”

“That’s it,” Dahlia grinned, which was punctuated by another yawn.

In they walked in the house and up the stairs, while Dahlia kept up the chatter as Benito made half-conscious noises. Without any real discussion, Jake started down towards Ben’s room with Xana guiding Dahlia towards the girl’s room.

“Mom, I don’t want to have to go to bed,” Dahlia yawned, “Ben’s going to bed!”

“It’s late,” Xana pointed out, “it’s past everyone’s bedtime.”

“I don’t wanna,” Ben said from Jake’s shoulder, feeling his 2nd wind coming on strong.

Twenty minutes later, Jake came wearily down the stairs. He loved his son - but it had been non-stop of “Tell me a story, Daddy” and “And another story” and then “Daddy, I have I have a question” and “Daddy, can I have a drink?” and “Daddy, I want to go back to the amusement park *now*”. He saw a note stuck on the kitchen table that simply said, “Come on out back” so he knew where to find his wife.

As he walked out to the garden, which was lit with small twinkling lights, he was very appreciative of the cold beer his wife handed him.

“Trying to get me drunk, Ms. Bonviva,” he asked with a grin, turning her words from earlier in the week back on her.

She grinned as she looked up at him. Scooting over on the Adirondack loveseat that she was sitting on, the azure woman waited for the engineer to join her before answer, “Depends, what would I get out of it?”

Jake laughed as he wrapped an arm around her and gave her a kiss. After a bit of time, Xana settled comfortably half on his lap and resting her head on his shoulder. Belatedly he noticed that she had a beer too. “You don’t drink beer,” he pointed out.

“When in Rome...or Venice,” she joked.

For a while they just sat there like that, wrapped up in each other’s arms in near-quiet; the only sounds that were made were either by the sips of beer they took or by the passing boats. After some time Xana realized that while Jake was for the most part content with holding her and tracing random patterns on her arm, she realized his eyes were drifting upwards towards the stars. “You miss it, don’t you?” she asked softly.

Jake looked over at his wife. This was, hands down, the biggest (or one of the biggest) sources of problems in their marriage. And yet...she didn’t sound upset. She didn’t feel upset. It was a honest question from her.

It deserved, then, a honest answer.

“Yes,” he admitted. He sighed, hating with how he struggled then to explain it. “It’s not you, or the kids, but it’s just...a part of me. I don’t know how to explain it.” He waited for a moment. “I missed you, all of you, when I was on the DISCOVERY. But when I’m here, I miss being there.”

Xana sighed and looked up for a long moment. “I get it,” she said, because she did. Then she looked at Jake. “I’m going to Paris tomorrow.”

“I figured,” he said.

“I’m turning in my resignation,” she said.

Jake paused for a moment and then admitted. “I saw it.” When his wife looked at him he said, “When you came home, your bag fell over and I saw it.”

“Oh,” Xana exhaled, the wind taken out of her sails a bit with that. “Well that makes it easier,” she shrugged.

“No it doesn’t,” Jake replied. “Why are you doing this?.”

Xana blinked her violet eyes at Jake, momentarily stunned. “Really? You need to ask,” she replied more of a statement than a question.

“Yes, I need to ask. This affects us,” Jake pointed out.

“Yes, my job is the reason why our children were kidnapped,” Xana pointed out. Swallowing the lump in her throat her eyes fell to her lap. She saw that her hands were still intertwined with Jake’s. “Our children were a target because of what I do.”

Jake sighed at that. “You’re good at what you do and I can keep the kids safe. That doesn’t mean you need to quit your job.”

“There are lots of people who can be a good Secretary of Starfleet. Hells, one of them right now is the Interim Secretary now,” Xana pointed out as she looked up at Jake.

“She’s not you,” Jake pointed out.

“She’s probably doing a better job,” Xana replied.

“And what are you going to do?” Jake answered. “Political appointments just don’t come out of the sky. Or are you running for office now?”

Xana paled at that. “My husband one time told me it wasn’t all about me.” There was a long silence then as Xana looked back down at their hands, they were still clasped together. “Senator Shath called today to tell me that Captain Kane’s crew would probably be called before some kind of inquiry,” she said softly. “He wanted to give me a heads up.”

Jake said nothing to that; he just kept holding her hand. The stars still twinkled above them, and the boats passed by them, but the couple said nothing for the longest time.

“It’s not easy being married to me, I know this,” Xana explained softly. “My first husband is revered as a hero, and a lot people resent the fact that I even began to date at all, let alone get remarried. Then add on top of that an oxderlinjk with a woman. Nevermind that it’s not a sexual relationship - it’s at best a merging of families - people will talk and snicker. Plus, I’m a politician, so I’m always in the public; my life is never my own. And, let’s face it, I’m not the easiest person to live with under the best of circumstances. I am emotional and demanding and...I’m sure a lot of other things too. I get all that.

“But my children were taken from me and the first thing I thought to do was to call my husband, because I love him and I needed him. And I got the message that he was MIA and would be declared KIA in so many days,” Xana explained her voice shaking. She closed her eyes trying very hard to get herself under control. “And everyone I loved was taken from me in *minutes*. I cracked, Jacob. I just...cracked.”

“Okay, okay,” Jake said trying to comfort her.

“No, it’s not ok,” Xana replied shaking her head, her voice louder than she intended. Snapping open her eyes she said, “You leave for *years* at a time. You don’t wear your wedding ring anymore, you haven’t since you left for the SHERWOOD but pretend everything is ok. You don’t call, you don’t talk. I am still in love with you and still need you but I don’t know - I just don’t know.” Sighing she said. “You said this can’t be all about me. Fine. But this time we both have to show up to this marriage. And if that means I have to quit everything to follow you and take the kids with us then so be it.”


Jake didn’t say anything for several moments, and Xana didn’t press him. They sat together, the sounds of the night creeping in all around them.


“You’re sure?” Jake said finally.


“Yes,” Xana said. “I am.”


“There’s something you need to know,” Jake sighed. “Before you make up your mind.”


“It has to do with what happened to you in the Beta Quadrant, doesn’t it?” Xana asked.


“Yes,” Jake said. He paused, trying to collect his thoughts, trying to decide where he should start this story. He had tried not to think about it for the last few days, content just to enjoy the time with his family. But now, with Xana’s declared intentions to come with him the next time Jake shipped out, the full gravity of those experiences began to weigh on him.


“It was all a set-up,” Jake said, and began to tell his story.


It took less time to get it all out than Jake would have guessed. Xana sat quietly, letting Jake get the story out in his own way. Jake told her everything- from the explosion on the monitoring station, their journey through the dead CENTURY, the exocomp, Stonn’s betrayal, the murder of Lex Calvari, getting marooned on the garden moon, their rescue… and Kane’s decision to destroy the DISCOVERY, with all remaining hands. That part was the hardest. Jake hadn’t made the call, hadn’t pressed the button, hadn’t been involved in the decision at all, but the DISCOVERY had died so that he could live. And if the decision *had* been his, if it had come down to pressing that button or never seeing his family again… Jake thought he knew the decision he would make, and it didn’t make him feel very good.


“Kane had no choice,” Jake said. “I believe that.”


“I know,” Xana said. Jake wasn’t sure if she meant that she knew Jake believed it, or if she knew Kane really had no choice.


“And I’m violating direct orders by telling you all of this,” Jake sighed. “I trust you, but it feels like I’m betraying him somehow.”


“You’re putting your family first,” Xana said.


“Yeah,” Jake nodded. “I am. That’s why I had to tell you. You know what we might be facing. We don’t know how far Edgerton’s movement reaches in the Federation government. Right now, he doesn’t know the truth about what happened out there, but he has to be suspicious. And that puts all of us in danger.”


“I knew he was bad,” Xana said. “I couldn’t have guessed exactly *how* bad.”


“Nobody could,” Jake said. “And nobody will, not without proof. That’s why, when we go before the Board of Inquiry, we’re going to stick to the official story.”


“You’re going to lie?” Xana asked.


“It’s our only play,” jake sighed. “I don’t like it, but if the truth comes out… if people find out we took away their sons, daughters, husbands, wives, it won’t matter what the reasons are. Edgerton has enough pull to get us all thrown in the stockade for the rest of our lives. And in a way, we’d even deserve it.”



“Don’t say that,” Xana said.



“I won’t,” Jake said. “Not again. But now you know what we could be facing. You still want to come with me, the next time I go out? You still want the kids along?”



Now it was Xana’s turn to not say anything. They sat again in silence, as she digested everything Jake had told her. Jake let her take her time, trusting that she would respond when she was ready. His eyes moved up to the starry sky again.



“After everything, you still want to go out there again,” Xana said.



“Yes.”



“Because it doesn’t matter how dangerous or safe it is,” Xana continued. “It’s not a question of danger. It’s your home.”



Jake nodded.



“Well, staying here won’t be much safer,” Xana said. “I think that’s been proven lately.”



“We could increase security--”



“No,” Xana said. “The truth is, this place doesn’t *feel* safe anymore. Our kids were taken from right underneath this roof. With both of us here with them, it’s bearable, but when I think about even one of us leaving, and the kids being here…”



Her voice cracked at the end of the sentence. Jake held her close, letting her have a moment.



“Yes,” Xana said finally. “I want my family, Jake. That means if you have to go, we’re coming with you.”



“I love you,” Jake said. He always meant it, but somehow the words felt more real, here in this moment, than they had ever felt before. They held each other under that great starry sweep of sky, and all the galaxy’s problems seemed very small and very far away.


=/\=

Shawn Putnam

a.k.a.

Jake Crichton, Commander

Chief of Engineering

USS CENTURY


and


Sarah Albertini-Bond

Xana Bonviva

Secretary of Starfleet