THE CHILD
Captain Picard and Counselor Troi are walking down a corridor not looking too happy. "Counselor this is one of the jobs that I hate the most about my job, being the barer of bad news."
"I could tell him, after all he has been divorced for ten years." Troi answers him as she looks at him with a sad look.
"No, it's my job to inform them about a death in the family, even it they have not seen the other person for ten years." Picard answers as he looks at Troi with a big frown on his face.
"My main worry is that he did not know that he was a father!" Troi says as they come to a door, she looks at Picard and says, "After only he has been married for only four months now."
Picard pushes the door bell and they hear the door chimes and then a female voice answers the chimes, "Come in."
They enter the cabin and sees a blond female wearing just a rob carrying a tray with some dishes on it out of another room, she stops and says, "What can I do for you, Paul is not up yet." She turns a little red as she looks back toward the room she had just came out of.
Picard takes a deep breath and says, "Lt. we need to speak with Ensign Brown."
She looks over her shoulder and says, "Honey the Captain and Counselor are here to sees you." She sets the tray down and asks, "Can I get you anything?"
Both Picard and Troi shake their heads no as they see a Paul coming out of the other room as Paul is puts on a rob and smiles at them. "What can I do for you?" Paul asks as he walks over to the Lt. and puts his arm around her and gives her a kiss on the chin.
"Ensign, will you please have a sit, we have to tell you something important to tell you about your ex-wife." Picard says as he points towards the sofa.
Still smiling Paul walks over to the sofa and sits down followed by the Lt. and they hold each other hands as he asks, "What has Jill done now?"
Picard takes a deep breath and says, "She is dead!
Paul looks at them with a puzzle look and asks, "So why are you telling me this? We are divorced."
Troi reaches out and puts her hand on his knee and says, "You have a daughter and she will be here later today!"
Paul jumps up as he shouts, "WHAT!" He looks down at his wife whose mouth is open real wide.
"Please sit down Ensign, we know how hard this must be for you to believe." Troi says as she stands up too and puts her hand on his shoulder this time.
Paul sits back down and looks down at his hands as he asks, "How do you know I'm her father? No sooner then we were divorced then she married this rich guy."
"That is one of he question you can asks her when she gets here Ensign." Picard answers as he starts to stand up.
The female Lt. jumps up and says, "I have to get to work, I cannot deal with this right now!" She almost runs into the other room, as she starts to cry.
Paul stands up as he shakes his head no and says, "You have to forgive Cheryl, she wants us to start a family as soon as possible." He slowly walks over to a window and looks outside at the stars and asks, "What is this girl's name?"
"Mary." Troi answers as she walks over to him and puts her arm on his shoulder and says, "If you need anything, let me know."
Just then Cheryl walks out of the other room and walks out the door without saying anything or looking at anyone. Paul looks at Troi and says, "This is just what I need." As he shake his head no and then says, "Thing have not been going very good, I think we may have got married a little to quick."
Picard walks over to Paul and puts his hand on his shoulder and says, "She will come around, just give her a chance."
Troi walks over to him and says, "If you like, I will talk to her?"
Picard smiles and says, "If you what, you can use my ready room, sense she is on the bridge."
"Paul turns and looks at them and says, "I think I will have to talk to you too a little later." Picard and Troi both turn and walk out of his cabin and Paul turns back to the window and say, "Jill why did you not tell me I was a father?"
On the bridge Cheryl is sitting the Conn when Troi walks onto the bridge, Troi slowly walks down to the Conn and says, "Lt. I would like a word with you, in the captain's ready room now!" She turns and walks towards the captain's ready room with out looking back.
Cheryl just sits there and stares at the stars on the main viewer till Riker who is sitting behind her says, "Lt. did you heard the Counselor?" She nods her head yes and slowly stands up as a tear is coming down her face. She walks up to the captain's ready room and walks in, she sees that Troi is sitting on a sofa.
Troi pats the sofa as she says, "Sit with me." Cheryl walks over and sits down next to her as Troi says, "You husband is going to need your love to get throw this."
Cheryl wipes some tears off her face as she says, ""I know so little about Paul's past, now this."
"The same could be said about you." Troi answers her as she says, "I sense that Paul did not know about Mary till today and he does love you a hole lot. When you were almost killed on that away mission he did not leave your bedside for three days."
Cheryl looks down at her hands and says, "I want a family real bad, but raising someone else kids I just do not know." She looks up at Troi and says, "I grow up not knowing my own parents, being past from one foster home to another I did not like it."
"Do you want to see Mary being past from family to family?" Troi asks as she takes one of Cheryl's hands.
"No, no one should have to go throw that ever, but she has a father, I never did." She looks at Troi and says, "What time does her shuttle get here?"
Troi smiles at her and answers she, "If we leave right now, we will just make it."
In shuttle bay two Paul is watching a shuttle coming in for a landing as Troi and Cheryl walking into shuttle bay two, he just watches as the shuttle come to a stop. Once the shuttle doors open a little girl about nine years old carrying two suitcase in her hands walks out of it. Her eyes look real red like she has been crying, she stop when she see Paul standing in front of her and sets her suitcases down and sticks her right hand out and says, "My name is Mary, are you my daddy?"
Paul bends down and puts both of his arms around her and gives her a hug as he answers her, "Yes."
Cheryl walks up to them and says, "My name is Cheryl, I'm your father's wife."
Mary looks up at Cheryl and says, "You are pretty." More tears start to come down her face.
Paul pulls back a little and asks, "What happen? Why did your mother never tell me? A few tears start to fall down his face.
Mary wipes some tears off her face as she answers him, "I did not know till three days ago when dad....Frank put me on a ship and handed me mom's dairy a day after she died! I did not even get to go to her funeral."
Cheryl who has been listen to all of this with tears in her eyes, shakes her head no as she says, "I can't do it!" She turns and almost run out of the shuttle bay.
Paul stands up and watches her leaves with his mouth wide open, Troi watches her leave too. Troi turns back to Paul and Mary as she says, "I'll talk to her again." She turns and slowly walks out of the shuttle bay.
Paul looks down at Mary and says, "I'll take you to our cabin." He raises down and picks up her suitcase, putting one under his arm as he holds his free arm out to her.
Mary reaches out and takes his hand and she asks, "Is there any other kids my age on this ship?"
"Yes, there are a lot of families on this ship, most are in classes right now." Paul answers her as they exit the shuttle bay together.
Once Troi is outside of the shuttle bay she hits her communicator and asks, "Where is Lt. Cheryl Brown?"
"Lt. Cheryl Brown is in Ten forward." The computer answers her.
Troi walks to a turbolift and says, "Level ten." The turbolift takes her to level ten and she leaves the turbolift and walks straight into ten forward where she sees, Cheryl and Guinan , there is only one other people in the room.
Troi walks up to them and says, "That was not a very nice thing to do!" She looks at Guinan and then at Cheryl as she sits down.
Guinan gives Troi a little smile as she says, "I have other customers." She gets up and looks at Cheryl and says, "You got a real good man, don't loss him!"
Troi puts her hand on top of Cheryl and says, "Paul is hurting and he needs someone to talk too is scared. He does not want to loss you, Mary does not know what to make of you either."
Cheryl looks at Troi and says, "How could a man just tell a child that he has raised to just leave without telling her why? Her whole world must have been destroy!"
"Yes and you are not making it any easier for her to get over it. She feels all alone here, she know no one but her father and you and you walks out on her just like the man who raised her!" Troi states as she stares at Cheryl and says, "Go to her."
Cheryl looks up at Troi and asks, "Did you now that right after I got out of sickbay I moved in with Paul?"
Troi starts to get up as she says, "This ship is not that big, I think just about everyone know about you two."
Cheryl stands up and pulls on the front of her uniform as she says, "I'm not going to leave him now, your right he needs me. We have plenty of time to start a family."
Troi watches as Cheryl turns and walks out of he room, she then walks over to the bar and sits down across from Guinan and says, "I think she is going to be OK."
"But what about her husband? Must men have a few months to get ready to be fathers." Guinan asks as she walks over to pickup the glass left by her other customer who also has left the room.
Cheryl walks into her cabin and sees Mary standing next to the sofa with one of her suitcase open as she is taking a few things out of it. One of the things she is holding is a picture that she is crying as she looks at it. Cheryl looks around the room and does not see Paul in the room.
Cheryl walks slowly over to Mary and sits down on the sofa and says, "I'm sorry I ran out of the shuttle bay. When I was little girl like you I was moved from family to family." She looks around the room and then asks, "Where is Paul?"
Mary wipes some tears off her face as she puts the picture down and says, "Someone named Lt. Geordi La Forge called and said he wanted daddy to come to a meeting in engineering."
Cheryl picks up the picture and sees that it a picture of Mary and another woman who is smiling. "Is this your mother? Cheryl asks as she puts the picture back down and moves a little closer to Mary.
Mary nods her head yes as she says, "I did not have much time to pack much when father....Frank told me I was going on a trip and not coming back. So I just throw some thing into my bags." Some more tears start to come and she wipes them off as she says, "I loved him, just before he put me on the ship he gave me mother dairy and told me to read it! He just left then and did not even look back."
Cheryl reaches out and puts her arms around her as she says, "We will never leave you or turn you away. Everyone here you can call family, Star Fleet is one big family."
Mary wipes some more tears off her face as she says, "I did not even have time to tell my friends I was leaving."
Cheryl smiles and says, "Then we will give them a call and let them know where you are."
Just then they hear the door chimes and Cheryl looks towards the door and say, "Come in."
The doors open and Dr. Crusher walks into the room with a big smile on her face, she sees Mary and says, "I heard we had someone new here." She looks at Cheryl and says, "I have some good news for you. Some how we got Lt. Smith's and your last checkup cross and I here to tell you that you are one month pregnant!"
Cheryl's eyes get real big as she slowly stands up and shouts, "THANK YOU!" She gives Crusher a big hug and then runs out of the cabin.
Crusher looks down at Mary and holds out her hand as she says, "My name is Dr. Beverly Crusher, you must be Mary?"
Mary takes her hand and says, "Father was telling me that I was going to have to see you later so you can give me a checkup, should I go there now?"
"No I think that can wait till after Cheryl has told your father the news about being a daddy again." Crusher answers as she give a little laugh and puts her hand on Mary's shoulder and then says, "It's good to see Cheryl so happy again.."
Paul is standing next to Geordi with some other Ensigns and one Lt. listening to him as he shows him some about the warp engines when Cheryl comes flying into engineering.
Cheryl grabs Paul and gives him a big kiss as they fall onto the floor as she tells him, "I'm pregnant, you're going to be a father again!" She starts to kiss him again as they roll on the kissing.
Geordi cross his arms and says, "Lt. I was not done with your husband yet." As a big smile shows on his face.
Cheryl gets up slowly as he face starts to turn red, Paul gives a little kiss and as she starts to leave, hit gives her a little slap on the back side.
Crusher is sitting on the sofa with Mary and is saying, "Your father is a good man sometime he helps out in school, teaching base sciences and Cheryl does some math teaching too."
Mary gets up slowly and walks over to the window and looks out and says, "I sure miss my mom. I just wish she had told me earlier." She turns and looks at Crusher and says, "I have never been in space before."
Just then Cheryl walks back into the cabin with a big smile and says, "Thank you for staying with Mary, I almost forgot about her." She walks over to Mary and tells her, "I'm sorry I ran out on you."
"Understand, when will daddy be back?" Mary asks as she faces the window again.
"I had better be getting back to sickbay." Crusher says as she raises her right hand and gives them a little wave goodbye.
Cheryl pulls a chair up next to Mary and says, "He should be back in a little while. Are you alright?"
Mary looks at her with tears in her eyes and answers her, "I'm scared, I have heard people died out here all the time."
Cheryl reaches out with her hand and takes, Mary's and answers her, "I will not lie to you, it is dangers out here. Last year I came very close to dying. But this is where I work, just like your father does." Looking down at her hands she says, "If you like we could asks for a transfer to somewhere else."
Mary looks out at the stars and answers her, "I do not want to hurt you or daddy by asking you two to change jobs. Beside I would like to give it a try, I might like it."
Just then Paul walks into the room and says, "There is a room just down the hall that is empty that has two bedrooms. Geordi has given me the rest of the day to get move and get you settle too." He walks over to them and kneels down next to them and puts a hand on each of their shoulders.
"When will I get to go to school here? That way I could meet some of the other kids that are my age." Mary asks as she puts on a little smile.
Both Paul and Cheryl smile at each other and Paul answers she, "We can take you right now to meet a teacher who will give you some test to see where you will fit in."
They all stand up and walk out the door just in time to see two boys who are about Mary's age walking by them. Both boy says "HI" To them as they walk by, Mary turns and looks at them and then looks up at Paul and says, "I think I'm going to like it here.
Paul and Cheryl each take one of Mary hands and just smile as they walk.
THE END
5
1
(
geocities.com/area51/cavern) (
geocities.com/area51)