Near to the Wild Heart of Life

Posted on Wed Jun 24th, 2020 @ 3:28am by Captain Nycolas Temple & Emilie Temple
Edited on on Fri Jul 10th, 2020 @ 5:54pm

Mission: Death in Paradise
Location: Deck 2 - Senior Crew Quarters
Timeline: Morning

ON:

There were no rose petals, night gowns, testing pleasures, or amazing evenings in the Temple family quarters. At least not recently. Nyx had been consumed by work and trying to get the ship back to normal that he was more couch potato than bed-rocker, and Emilie was certainly neither in the state of mind or physical position to be engaging in adult content after exceeding nine months of pregnancy. So it should come as no surprise that as artificial dawn broke on the Pandora, signified by the ship's lighting slowly illuminating in a soft white glow, the Temples were definitely not in some indecent repose. Indeed, Emilie was spread across the king-size bed with arms and legs askew, while Nyx was defying gravity on the very edge of mattress, with half his body hanging off the side. This was the only way the two could find rest. And they cared more about sleep right now than they did the throes of passion.

Nyx awoke by, indeed, falling off the bed. Not even starship Captains can break the laws of physics, and he found himself meeting the carpet with a thud. Emilie was snoring, as sleeping on her back was mandatory now that her stomach reached past her feet; and this caused her to sleep with her mouth wide open and to unleash a droning hell-song all night long. She stirred however, as her husband fell to the ground, before promptly going back to sleep again.

As the Captain lay on the floor - at first contemplating the idea of trying to drag the covers off the bed, which he smartly dismissed as an impossible task - their daughter Katrine came bounding into the room. She had long been awake already, spending her time watching cartoons on the screen in the living zone, but was now seeking parental guidance and further entertainment. She jumped onto her father's back and started playing drums on his head, giggling to herself. Sometimes, the consequences of those wild, passionate nights of loving-making, results in a small child using your skull as a musical instrument several years later and this naturally causes one to reconsider whether you were better off spending the night reading a book instead. Nyx was having one of those moments.

"Ka-triiine." He groaned into the carpet, "Stop that please."

"You've gotta get up, Daddy!" She giggled mischievously, "I'm hungry!"

"You just ate yesterday." Nyx countered, tactfully remaining where was lying, "You can't possibly want food again."

"Yeah-huh, I do." She replied. "Mummy says I have to have break-face every morning. Or I won't grow up."

"Growing up is over-rated." Nyx commented, more to himself, and closed his eyes again.

"Daaa-dy!" Katrine cried before resuming her bongo-lesson on his head.

Unbeknownst to the two, Emilie's snoring had ceased, and she was stirred awake by their conversation. She could see Katrine by the side of the bed, but not her husband. Rubbing her eyes, Emilie half-spoke, half-yawned, "Katrine, darling, where's your father?"

"Not here." Nyx spoke from the floor.

"He's here!" Katrine shouted, her octaves raising to about the same level as a Red Alert klaxon.

"Is he getting your breakfast?" Emilie asked, wondering why the sheets were askew.

"No." Came Nyx.

"Yes." Came Katrine.

"Oh. Good." Emilie answered, before pulling the pillow behind her head and closing her eyes again.

Some time later, the required food had been served and promptly devoured, and now Katrine was busy getting ready for school. Nyx sat at the small desk in their quarters, reading through Delta Shift's reports from over night. Repairs on the ship were near completion, except for a sporadic fault with the Turbo lifts slowing down, and the changes were underway to convert the Marine decks and secondary cargo bay into a space for the Starfighters. They were only half a day away from reaching the Carnwennan Corridor then a week's journey back to Federation territory. Nyx was thrilled that they were going to be back amongst friendly people again - the last year spend in hostile territory had started to fray his nerves, even if he would never admit this to the crew.

Emilie wandered into the living area, dressing gown barely wrapping around her enlarged stomach. She came over to Nyx and leaned against him, and he responded by placing a comforting hand on her back. He leant up from his chair and kissed her cheek, then her belly. This was the extent of their wild love making for the time being.

"Morning," She said groggily. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine." Nyx lied. "Katrine's almost off to school, I've got Nurse Adelaide picking her up."

Emilie rubbed her husband's shoulder and nodded, "Good, good. What did she eat?"

"Pancakes." Nyx said. Normally this would have caused a debate on the right nutritional requirements for their child, a disagreement over parenting techniques, and accusations that Nyx would often give-in to their daughter's wishes in order to not be "the bad guy". But today, there was no such argument. Their child was fed, without further stress or worry. Parenting job done.

"Okay." Emilie sighed, "Everything okay with the ship?" She asked as she looked around at the kitchen.

Without hesitation, Nyx leaned over and produced a glass of apple juice from the other side of his desk, which he had knowingly replicated earlier. Emilie took the glass with an appreciative smile; this entire conversation having been implied without needing to be said, between two people who simply knew each other's needs.

"All is well on the Pandora." Nyx beamed in response, staring up at his wife and giving her back and extra caress.

Emilie smiled and took a long sip of the juice, then she said, "I think I'll waddle down to Sickbay today."

Nyx's brows furrowed immediately as he looked at her, "Why?"

"Oh I just want to talk to Doctor Alves about being overdue, that's all." She said calmly in response, her eyes telling him to not be concerned. "I really don't want to have a c-section, but I'm damn ready to have this baby."

"Me too!" Cried Katrine as she buzzed into the room. She had her knapsack ready in one hand and a collection of soft toys in the other, which she was clearly struggling to hold onto. Both the parents stared at the sight with bemusement.

"And where do you think you're taking them?" Nyx asked with a smile.

"School, Daddy." Katrine answered matter-of-factly. "It's show and tell day and I want to tell them all about my toys."

"Perhaps just take one, darling, then you won't have to carry so many." Emilie said gently, looking to her daughter's hand as she dropped one of the bears.

"One!" She cried, defiantly trying to scoop up the errant bear without losing any others. "I cannot choose one!" She declared.

Sighing, Nyx stood from his chair and Emilie sat down into it immediately, allowing Nyx to take the lead. He crossed the living space to where Katrine was standing and knelt down, scooping up Mr Bear and holding it out. "Just one, darling. And you can bring one each time until the whole class has met every single one of your toys."

"But that's so long!" Katrine argued, bottom lip threatening to pout.

"Exactly." Nyx countered, eyes beaming, "This way you get to tell the class every little detail about each of your toys. All their names, the adventures you have together, where you got them. It'll make each one extra special."

Katrine listening to his for a moment, looking back and forth between the pile of toys gripped in her hand and just the one her father was holding. With a strong nod, she dropped the others and grabbed Mr Bear. "Okay!" She decided, before hugging him close to her chest. "I'll tell them how Mr Bear is a stock manager from Vulcan who fights crime at night. But only after he's eaten his favourite food. Tomato soup!"

Emilie and Nyx laughed, neither of them knowing quite how their daughter's imagination worked, but pleased all the same she was happy again. Soon the door chimed and Nurse Adelaide was ready to take Katrine off to school. After saying goodbye to her, Nyx sauntered off to the kitchen.

"How hungry?" He asked casually to Emilie.

"We're looking at an eight point five today." She answered, rubbing her belly.

"Think a triple stack then?" He asked in reply, turning to the replicator.

"Oof. Might be pushing the limits there." She giggled a little, imaging all those pancakes in front of her.

"Sounds like a challenge." Nyx smirked in response.

It wasn't wild, passionate, sexy banter. But it was the heart of their life. A happy life.

OFF