Mother Temple

Posted on Mon Mar 3rd, 2025 @ 2:46pm by Emilie Temple

Mission: Outside the Box
Location: Earth - Paris

ON:

In the fabulous lobby of the Hôtel du Louvre, Emilie sat pensively on a brown leather bench, legs crossed to her right side with her foot tapping impatiently against the leg of the chair. She was wearing a maroon A-line suede dress with long black boots, hair pulled back in a messy bun. Her hands were clasped in front of her, fingers tensely intertwined. Next to her, Magnus was stood up and leaning informally against a stone pillar. He was wearing a casual black leather bomber jacket with black trousers, a more relaxed look than his usual attire. He was scrolling through a PADD with today's news briefings from the Palais de la Concorde, where he worked as Chief of Staff for the Minister of the Exterior. He managed to scroll for a few moments before sighing loudly, the constant drumming of Emilie's foot breaking his concentration.

"Are you actually nervous?" Magnus asked, looking down to Emilie's incessant tapping.

Self-consciously, Emilie drew her feet beneath the chair. "No." She said sullenly. "Annoyed. She's kept us waiting for almost an hour already."

"You know dear Mother Temple," Magnus replied dryly, raising his right eyebrow, "She probably found a new cause to support on her way here and became distracted."

"We won't be that lucky." Emilie said flatly, "She's summoned us here to discuss Nyx, or lecture us because of his absence more-like. There is little else that could possibly deter her from doing that."

Magnus nodded in agreement, having had years of experience with his mother and well-aware of her ways. Brigitte Temple, former Danish States-Minister, Minister in the European Alliance Parliament, now a special envoy for United Earth to the Federation, was usually entirely uninvolved in her sons' lives, typically far too busy to act as a doting mother to her children. Such has been their relationship since the boys were young, Magnus grew to expect her absence. Except, that is, for those occasions (typically once a year) where she would decide to "fix" Magnus and Nycolas' lives and became utterly *too* involved to the point of utter exhaustion. Most of the time these were issues that did not require her "fixing" at all, nor did the boys request or need her input, but one couldn't dissuade Brigette Temple when she decided to show up and care for her sons. It was a feast or famine relationship. Both Nyx and Magnus had learnt how to welcome as well as try to nullify their mother's sudden, temporary interest in them.

"I mean, what could she possibly do to find Nyx that we have not?" Magnus shrugged. He thought about his own words for a moment, the many possibilities only then sinking in. His mother in a full flight of involvement was a sight to be seen. "Oh god." He said, horrified, "What can she do?"

"Apart from hijack a starship and fly herself around the galaxy looking for him, not much else." Emilie replied. She, too, took a moment to think about that. "Oh god." She said, just as horrified. "She's going to hijack a ship and fly around the galaxy looking for him."

Magnus shook his head breathlessly, "She actually might."

The moment was broken when the two realized the Hôtel du Louvre staff were suddenly gathering to attention by the reception desk, fixing their name badges and uniforms nervously. They stood up in a line, formally, awaiting a new arrival. Emilie and Magnus shared a knowing look, understanding exactly what the procession meant.

The Hotel was a replica of one that had stood in Paris on the doorstep of the Louvre for centuries before it was destroyed in World War 3. The replicated Hausmann-style building, with its paired-back Romanticism aesthetic, allowed the guests to travel back in time to a period of 19th century French upper-class living. It was part museum, part living experience - favored by those people who preferred more than glass and modern white walls around them. People like Brigette Temple.

The iron-framed doors to the hotel swished open and in she stepped. Dressed in a royal navy-blue suit, with an ivory-white silk blouse underneath, brown flowing locks around her shoulders. Brigette Temple walked confidently into the foyer, her black heels clacking loudly against the marble as she did.

"Godmorgen," She smiled as she reached out her hand to shake with the hotel's Chief of Guest Relations, Michel. They liked to bring out the big guns for the diplomatic guests.

"Bonjour, Madame, bienvenue à l’Hôtel du Louvre." Michel smiled, his accent a thick Parisian tone. "We have prepared your usual suite, and your guests are awaiting just over there."

Brigette barely strained her neck to give Emilie and Magnus a politician's passing smile, before quickly turning back to the staff. "Merci. For tonight, I am expecting the Chinese Ambassador for dinner, please may I reserve a spot in the restaurant, around 7:30?"

"Je suis désolé, madame, the restaurant is reserved for a wedding reception tonight." Michel's smile remained, "But may I offer you dinner in the gardens over-looking the courtyard?"

"The gardens? It's going to be 15 degrees, Michel. Are you planning on serving ice-creams for all three courses?" Brigette retorted, raising an eyebrow. Michel's body tensed, but his smile remained, nonetheless. "I'm sure you will find more suitable accommodation for my meeting, Michel."

"Oui, madame, we will, of course." Michel replied.

With that, Brigette turned on her heel once more and strode over to where Magnus and Emilie were waiting in the foyer. Emilie stood up quickly from the lounge bench, her hands flattening out an errant crease from her dress as she did. Magnus just quietly slid his PADD into his jacket pocket, lest he be scolded for spending his time looking at a screen.

"My darling daughter in law." Brigette beamed as she reached out to hug Emilie. "Where are those gorgeous grandchildren of mine?"

"At the park," Emilie returned the hug, bracing herself for the questions to come. "With our new sitter."

Brigette pulled back, her eyes focusing. "Whom? Do I know them?" Her eyes bore into Emilie with precision and concern.

"I, uh, don't know if you do... her name's Maria." Emilie stammered out her answer.

"Credentials?" Brigette pressed.

"She worked for ten years at Marienborg looking after the States-minister's child." Emilie replied, giving more of an offer than an explanation. "She was highly recommended. I uh can show you the records."

"Ah, well very good then." Brigette allowed herself to smile. "You know I expect only the best care for my grandchildren." Her steely gaze turned to Magnus. "My *only* grandchildren at the moment."

Magnus sighed, knowing his mother would never miss an opportunity to make a remark about his single, childless life, "It's good to see you, too, mother."

"Magnus, my boy," Brigette moved over and pulled Magnus in for a hug as well. "You look tired."

"I work a lot." Magnus replied with an eyeroll he was glad she could not see.

"Too much." Brigette said immediately, as she leaned back and assessed his face. "You're doing more work than the damn Minister. He just shows up for the photographers, you do everything else. No wonder you cannot find yourself a husband to settle down with. You're married to your job!"

"That's not true, the Minister does a lot of work, too." Magnus sighed again. "And that has nothing to do with my dating life."

"I've already told the President at the Galactic Alliance Gala that after the next election, you deserve a higher role and fewer hours." Brigette said, tapping her son on the shoulder. "I hope she listens."

"Please don't speak to the President about my position." Magnus groaned, his palm finding his forehead. "Please."

"Already have, darling, you'll thank me later." Brigette gaily shrugged. "Now, we have matters to discuss. Shall we adjourn to my suite?"

"Brigette," Emilie stood bravely forward. "I - "

"Emilie, darling, how many times have I asked you to call me Svigermor instead?" Brigette interrupted. "The children will become confused by you using my name. They'll start doing it, too. You know how children love to emulate their parents."

"Not all." Magnus murmured.

"I will," Emilie spoke quickly, trying to cover for him, "I was just going to say that I know why you've brought us here, but there isn't much else we can do." She looked to Magnus to support her assertion.

Magnus nodded, "Yeah, mother, we have tried Starfleet, we have tried the Federation. None of them can find Nyx."

Brigette shook her head, "Nonsense." She said, dismissing their cause with a single word. "We must strategize a new way forward. Come with me." Without waiting for a response, Brigette spun around and stalked towards the reception desk again. The staffers who had dared to relax now stiffened their backs once more. "Michel, I will be heading to my room now."

"Yes, madame," Michel scurried around from the back of the desk, PADD in hand. "I've taken the liberty to procure your choice of reservations tonight, for dinner with the Ambassador."

"Won't be necessary, Michel." Brigette declared, sweeping past him and heading towards the hotel's turbolifts. "Simply ask the wedding reception to delay their meals until 7:30, and I shall meet with the Ambassador early, around 6, yes? Oui? Tell the couple I will be happy to extend an invitation to them for the next United Earth ceremony as special guests of honor."

This left Michel confused and perplexed, he stood there attempting to find a response, but the lift doors closed before he could muster up the words.

*****

Inside her hotel suite, Brigette breathed in deeply as she smelt the fresh flowers waiting on the foyer table. The suite consisted of a small receiving foyer, a formal lounge with bar, an intimate dining room, and three bedrooms - a Primary bed for the main guest, and two for her staff. Brigette's team were already busy unpacking her clothing into the walk-in-robe as she arrived into the suite. They kept working silently, ready to be called upon if necessary. Magnus and Emilie trailed in after her. Magnus had seen his fair share of deluxe rooms for visiting dignitaries, this was nothing new to him. For Emilie, she much preferred the simplicity of her and Nyx's cottage townhouse in Copenhagen.

Moving into the formal lounge, Brigette walked to the window and looked outside, the Champs Elysee sprawling out in front of them down towards the Arc in the distance. She smiled as she saw the long green avenue, a quintessential postcard image of Paris. She turned back to look at her son and daughter-in-law, who remained standing in front of her, a smile on her lips.

"I'm thinking of taking up permanent residence back in Paris." She announced suddenly. "I miss it too much. And you all, of course."

Emilie could feel Magnus' heart stop. Paris was his town, his workplace and his playground. Having the perennially absent Mother Temple suddenly constantly there, constantly in his life, would undoubtedly cause him tremendous, constant anguish. Emilie dared not glance sideways to him, but she knew he was having a silent meltdown.

"How... lovely." Emilie put on a smile. "Are you thinking of cutting back on your diplomatic duties?"

"No." Brigette frowned, "I must maintain my presence or United Earth will resort to their usual hang-wringing, do-nothing, spinelessness. Goodness forbid any of them dare to put Earth's interests ahead of pleasing the Federation." She grumbled loudly.

"So, you'll keep travelling then?" Magnus cleared his throat and dared to dream that she could be deterred from moving here.

"Yes, but I'm in need of a new home-base." Brigette mused, folding her arms across her chest. "And I do so enjoy Paris, especially now as Spring is beginning. Plus, someone clearly needs to be here to keep an eye on you all."

It was a casually thrown grenade of a comment with a detonation of thinly-veiled criticism. A classic Brigette move.

"Us?" Magnus baulked, immediately getting his back up. "What do you mean?"

"Oh Magnus, look at you. Tired, alone, over-worked." Brigette tutted, "Clearly you need my help."

"I'm fine." Magnus replied in a way that was clearly not fine.

"And Emilie." Brigette turned to her daughter-in-law.

"Me?" Emilie blinked in surprise, feeling the heat rising to her cheeks. "What about me?"

"I feel terrible that you've been required to seek outside help when I should be there to look after the children. I am their Bedstemor, after all." Brigette sighed. She moved around to sit down on one of the couches. "Then there's the issue of Nycolas. Well, that is a massive problem. I don't know how that happened."

Magnus moved likewise and sat down in the chair opposite, looking to confront his mother, "That was not our fault! Nycolas chose to pursue his cause. He was as determined as usual."

"I know, darling, I wasn't saying it was your fault. He is as stubborn as his father." Brigette tersely replied, ignoring the fact that Nyx's stubbornness most likely came from her. "But we cannot just wait for Starfleet to find him. That is unacceptable."

"I have already tried with Admiral Milne," Magnus explained, "I went straight to her office and demanded to know what was happening, but she kept stonewalling me. It's all about the protocols and procedure with them!"

"Oh Magnus, you couldn't possibly win an argument with a Starfleet officer on protocol." Brigette sighed loudly. "Those people read rule books as bedtime stories to their children."

Magnus raised up his arms and sank back into the lounge. He wondered if it was too early to make himself a drink from the bar.

"The point is, we are civilians and Nyx's disappearance is an operational matter." Emilie said, softly, trying to find some understanding in the conversation. She had the ability to find some reason with Brigette - most of the time. "They will not allow us to get involved."

"I will go above Admiral Milne," Brigette merely shrugged, "Nyx is a citizen of Earth, after all, surely we have some say on Starfleet's mismanagement of Earth citizens?"

"He was serving Starfleet, mother." Magnus said pointedly.

At this, Brigette stopped. She squared her eyes and took in a breath. "Since when?" She asked through gritted teeth. "He's supposed to be on extended leave."

"Three months ago." Emilie quietly added, "He was re-activated by Admiral Milne to find the Pandora, his old ship. I don't know how official it all was, but because he was working for the Admiral, it is entirely a Starfleet operation. Hence, a Starfleet matter."

Brigette stood again and she walked over to the bar. She replicated a whiskey and drank it in one gulp, her back turned to Magnus and Emilie. She allowed the taste of the alcohol to simmer on her tongue as she considered her next move.

"Fine." Brigette stated, "I will seek the Federation's help in bringing Starfleet into line. They have rules about transparency, and they do answer to the Federation in the end."

Magnus leaned forward again, looking to his mother's back and she stood pensively over the bar. She was hurting just as much as they were over Nyx's disappearance. The bravado, the act of confidence, it was but a mask for her pain at losing her son.

"I have already spoken to the Minister of Defense," Magnus said quietly. "He is unwilling to lodge a formal investigation but will raise the question at the next Security Council meeting."

"That's all?" Brigette asked, the hurt in her tone evident.

"It's a step." Magnus shrugged, "You know we cannot be seen to be using our positions for personal gain, mother. You with United Earth, and me with the Federation. We will lose our jobs and any chance we have of finding out what's going on with Nyx."

"I know." Brigette sighed. She put on a smile and turned back to the kids. "I'm... scared." She admitted.

Emilie was first off the couch and she crossed the distance to embrace her mother-in-law in a hug. A genuine, warm, arm-wrapping hug. "Me too." Emilie whispered. "But remember, it is Nyx."

Magnus was a step behind, placing a gentle hand on his mother's shoulder. "Remember that time when we were kids back home, and you thought he'd been kidnapped but it turned out he had just absconded with the neighbor's boat down the canals?"

"OH! I was going to throttle that little pain!" Brigette growled as she pulled away from Emilie's hug and laughed, "He was always getting into trouble."

"Or the time when he was a teenager when he was supposed to meet Granddad William but ended up travelling to London instead because he wanted to see the War Museum?" Magnus added.

"I called the police that time." Brigette shook her head, laughing despite herself as she did. She could still remember the cheeky grin that Nyx had displayed when he jumped out of the police shuttle - he was giddy, not at all scared.

"And there was the time he disappeared into a bubble universe." Emilie said. "Well, he got trapped in the transporter buffers, technically, but it seemed like a reality bubble to him."

Brigette stopped, "A what?"

Magnus' eyes widened, he mouthed "Noooo" to her. Clearly this was not a story that Nyx had bothered to tell his mother.

"I.. um... you know, I see now why Starfleet doesn't disclose all of their operational matters." Emilie gulped.

"So what do we do?" Brigette asked, hoping to move on, "Sit around and wait?!"

"We'll see what the Security Council reveals," Magnus replied patiently, "Who knows, the cheeky bastard might just show up on our doorstep tomorrow for all we know."

Emilie couldn't help but smile, "I wish he would."

Brigette patted her hand gently, "Me too." She shrugged, "I guess we have no choice but to wait."

"You have your work, of course." Magnus helpfully added, "I mean, United Earth and all that. Don't forget how busy that makes you. Far, far too busy to think about Nyx or... moving... or anything else."

Brigette frowned, "What are you saying?"

Thankfully the suite's door chimed, interrupting the moment. One of Brigette's staff silently appeared from the bedroom and answered the door. It was Michel, who popped into the room with a jaunty stride.

"Madame, we have spoken with the wedding party, and they have agreed to postpone their dinner until 7:30." Michel spoke happily. "You may have your meeting with the Ambassador at 6."

Brigette clapped her hands together, "Marvelous, Michel. I knew you could do it." She turned to Emilie and Magnus, "Let's all go meet the children in the park, yes? We'll have some lunch by the river and we can scout out some possible new apartments for me to move into."

"Sounds wonderful." Emilie beamed. She and Brigette walked towards the doorway, leaving Magnus stunned. "You are going to tell him it's a joke, right?" Emilie whispered.

Brigette patted her hand playfully, "Give it a few more hours. I do so enjoy seeing him panic."

Emilie and Brigette continued talking, a giggle emanating from them both. Magnus trailed behind, stuttering. "But... but..."

OFF