Supprises and Future Quinceañeras

Posted on Thu Apr 22nd, 2021 @ 11:24pm by
Edited on on Sat May 1st, 2021 @ 10:32am

1,453 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Silent Scream
Location: Gabe's Quarters
Timeline: 5-April-2395; 0800

ON:

Gabe lay in his bed relaxing as he had nothing to do today. The ship was back at Star Base for a quick once over to make sure the hell of an explosion they had surfed through hadn't knocked any wingnuts out of balance. The armory was closed and he wasn't expecting any deliveries until tomorrow. He smirked to himself as he thought of just how fast the requisition order for shaped charges had gotten pushed through since the conclusion of the last mission. He pulled the silvery sheet off of his lower body and swung himself up to a sitting position as he stretched. He heard popping from his old joints and he groaned.

“Dio, getting old is not easy.” he said to himself as he relaxed from the stretch and pushed himself to his feet. Placing his hands on his hips he began rotating his hips to loosen up before getting dressed. As he finished and turned to the closet the communicator chirpped on his nightstand. He groaned and a small part of his mind yelled at him to ignore it. He turned and grabbed the communicator tapping it to open the channel he flipped it back onto the night stand as he headed to the closet.

=/\= Go for Cheif D'Anconia. =/\= he said as he grabbed some civilian cloths from the closet.

=/\= Chief, this is Lt. Commander Arnold in Security at the Star Base. =/\= the voice said. Those words caused Gabe to pause taking the shirt off it's hanger.

=/\= Go ahead Commander, what can I do for you? =/\= his voice silky smooth and no hint of the wince Gabe suppressed was audible.

=/\= Chief can you come to my office? There is a matter that needs to be discussed.=/\= Arnold said, Gabe put the cloths back in the closet and pulled out a freshly pressed uniform. He threw it on the bed as he headed back to the nightstand to grab the communicator.

=/\= Of course sir, I was just getting up. I'll be there in ten minutes. D'Anconia out.=/\= he said as he tapped the com badge and tossed it back onto the night stand.

“Dammit, I cant even have a day to myself?” Gabe said as he grabbed the uniform and slipped into the pants. He grunted to himself as he slipped the socks on and boots then pulled the tunic on. He went to the mirror in his quarters and looked at his reflection. Squared away as always, he looked at his hair it was getting long and he needed to get it cut. Maybe after he got done with Security he could stop by the barber on the way to the bar. He nodded and turned to leave.


--Security Office Star Base 54


Gabe came through the doors of the security office and headed to the Lieutenant Commander's office, passing a young woman sitting in the lobby as he went. He took a deep breath before standing outside the Commanders door and waited for it to open. After it did he strode through, walked to the center of the Commander's desk and came to attention.

“Chief Petty Officer D'Anconia reporting as ordered, sir.” Gabe said waiting to be acknowledged by the officer across from him.

“At ease Chief.” the woman said as she turned to look at him, Gabe relaxed bringing his hands from beside him to behind his back. His thumb and forefinger of each hand coming together to form an upside down triangle.

“Yes Ma'am.” he said before continuing “How can I assist you today Ma'am?”

“Chief a young woman came aboard the base today at about 0400 hours. I'm sorry it took us this long but her paperwork was lost in the mix. You may take custody of her now and escort her back to your ship.” the Commander said flipping a PADD over and pushing it to him.

“Ma'am?” Gabe asked uncertain as to exactly what the woman was wanting from him. “You want me to escort her to the ship for what Ma'am? Shouldn't the officer responsible for her take her?”

The Commander quaked her eyebrow “Yes he should. He is.” she paused “Chief do you have children?”

"No, I do not." He replied evenly. The woman's eyes widened a bit "Oh Chief, I'm sorry you have to learn this this way but that young woman out there is your daughter."

Gabe blinked "Pardon?" he asked as his brain worked sluggishly to comprehend what the Commander had said.  "I don't have a daughter, I mean I'm not even married!" he said loudly as his brain went from sluggish non-belief to full military thrust denial.

"Chief, according to the paperwork she is the daughter of Esmeralda Herrera and you.  She was born 14 years ago on Earth." The Commander stated looking down at a PADD "Star Fleet has verified that her DNA is a match for you as her father."

Gabe stepped back almost falling but caught himself on the chair that was positioned on his side of the desk.  He eased himself down as his mind went back fourteen years.  After the war, after he decided to get out of the service, and a pretty young girl who had stolen his heart. 

"Esmeralda..." he whispered as memories flashed through is brain like so many lightening bolts in a storm.  The day they had met, the sun had been hot and she had been wearing a cotton dress.  The night of their first date, her dark raven hair had smelt of lavender and jasmine.  The week they had spent in Italy and the eternal softness of her skin as they held hands walking down the beach.  Then the day he found out Star Fleet had rejected his request to leave, and the night of passion before he had to ship out again.  He had missed Esmeralda, they had tried to stay in contact but it was no use.  Star Fleet had placed him on one star ship after another and he had broken it off with her because he knew she would have been better off with someone else, someone who was always home.

He blinked several times to fight  back the tears "Why is she here now? What happened to Esme?" he shook his head "Ms. Herrera, what happened to her?"

The Commander paused, looked down at the PADD and then looked back up.  "It appears that there was a shuttle accident and Ms. Herrera did not survive.  As such, with you being the closest surviving blood relative, she comes to you."

"I..." Gabe shut his mouth and just sat for a moment.  There seemed to be something in the tightening of his skin around his eyes and the set of his jaw when he determined that he was now a Father and was responsible for... the girl, he didn’t even know her name.

“Do you have her order to transfer onto the Wolff?” he asked quietly.

Arnold nodded and slid the PADD across the desk to him. “Her transfer orders are on that PADD as well as all her current paperwork.” He picked up the PADD, looked at it and nodded.  He saw her name and the PADD quavered slightly in his hand as he took a deep breath to collect himself.  The shivering stopped as he pushed back tears.

“Thank you Ma’am. I’ll leave you to your work if you don’t have anything else for me.”

“Dismissed Chief, and good luck.” Arnold said as she watched the Chief turn and walk out of her office.

He moved to the lobby and looked at the young woman sitting there.  He stopped and took a hard look at her and his knees went weak.

“Gabriella?” he asked softly, and the girl looked up.  Her eyes were mirrors of Esme and he had to get to the seat and fall into it.

“Yes, who are you?” she asked.

“I’m Gabrel D’Anconia, I’m your Father.” He said his voice shaking slightly.

“Ah, Momma told me about you.” Her voice was steady “I guess I’m living with you now.”

“Aye, you are.” He said looking down at the floor unable to look at her. “Come on Gabriella, lets go to the ship.”

He stood and offered her his hand. She took it “I’ve never lived on a ship. Momma always stayed on Earth.”

He nodded remembering “Yeah, that’s one reason why we…” he stopped “Well she wouldn’t have liked life among the stars.”

They  headed out of the security office and onto the main promenade of the Star Base.  Heading towards her new home.


OFF

Gabriel D'Anconia
Senior Chief Petty Officer
Armory Officer
USS Wolff

&

Gabriella D'Anconia
Civilian

 

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