The kids were finally asleep once the excitement surrounding their “visit” to the grandparents subsided. There was peace and quiet in the Reese Family flat on Deep Space Thirteen, though to say it was a relaxed peace would be a lie.
The United Federation of Planets was, by its alliance with the Romulan Republic, now drawn into a war with the Romulan Star Empire, and like many families, the Reeses were grappling with the prospect of a changing state that will come when the dust settles. Vonn and Heidi were not strangers to this change, having grown up with parents in Starfleet who might never come home again after deployment. In fact, Vonn’s father, Sam Reese never did. They knew the stakes well.
The two lay in bed, Vonn holding Heidi in his muscular arms, enjoying what would be their last evening together for a while. Both were naked, her light green skin on his ruddy, freckled skin, and both were determined to stay like this for as long as fate would allow.
They were both quiet and lost in their own thoughts, staring off at the nothingness beyond the duraniam bulkhead that separated their bedroom from the central living area. Heidi gently stroked Vonn’s arm that held her tightly as Vonn finally let out an extended sigh.
“I know what you are thinking,” Heidi finally said, breaking the tense silence.
Vonn smiled with his usual intention of making light of a situation. “Good, because that’ll save me from explaining why I’m making pancakes and bacon at midnight.”
“Vonn, please?”
Vonn huffed a single laugh as Heidi rolled over to be face to face with him. She smiled and caressed his boyish face.
“I’m sorry, Heidi,” he said. “Alright, what am I thinking?”
“You are worried that I’m going to have a come-apart again about you having to deploy,” Heidi said, while playing with his reddish chest hair. “That I’ll spend my time crying and worrying that I’ll never see you again.”
Vonn’s face grew serious as he spoke. “Yes, that is… that is in the back of my mind, Heidi. Look, I don’t…”
“Need to say anymore?” she said, cutting him off. “You don’t. I will be strong, I promise. I’ll have plenty to do.”
“Well, you could… maybe… a bit… be worried,” Vonn replied with a mischievous grin creeping across his face. “Maybe a tad.”
Heidi laughed and then settled into a smile. “No, not a bit. Not one bit. Won’t miss ya any.” At this, Vonn produced a mock sad face, which prompted Heidi to pinch his cheek.
“Vonn, you know I will miss you so much and I will be worried. I will be praying to God for… your safe return. I will be waiting for you to come home safe, and when you do I wanna be the first face you see once you disembark. You know that.”
“I do,” he said, “and you know I’m still going to worry about you and the kids even though you’ll be on Earth. Between my mom, and your mom and dad having a competition to see who can spoil them more, and you having to regulate that.”
“Vonn,” she replied, sheepishly. “I’m… I’m not going with the kids.” His face changed to a stunned expression.
“What?” Vonn asked.
“I’m staying here,” she said, suddenly filled with resolve. “I’m not going to Earth. I can’t.”
“What do you mean, Heidi?”
“I’m staying here, Vonn. I can’t run away from this. I just can’t leave these people.”
“But, Heidi…”
“No Vonn, Look,” she began. “Just like you, I have a job to do. I have a duty to perform. I’m a nurse, and I signed up for that… chose it as my calling… and… and Starfleet is going to need every medical professional they can muster.”
“But… Heidi,” Vonn said again, not sure how to state the conflict in his mind. He knew that she was right but his feelings of losing her were as strong as her feelings of losing him. “You’re not Starfleet. You don’t have to fight this battle… and when did you decide this? We never talked about it? I thought…”
“I know, honey,” she said, looking away from his eyes. “I’m sorry. I know it’s… it’s… I just made up my mind. Just a few minutes ago. The idea of going back to Earth with the kids has been bothering me, weighing on me… like a heavy guilt… ya know… leaving these people when they need me most. What with most of the Starfleet medical staff here shipping out which will leave the base medical department short handed, and you know damn well there are going to be wounded coming in by the freighter load. I just can’t leave them like that.” Heidi’s eyes rose up to meet his gaze. “They need me, Vonn. I can’t run away from my duty. Just like your crew needs you, you know? Just like you can’t run away from your duty.”
He closed his eyes and then reopened them looking upward, now avoiding her gaze. She was right. She was right and he knew it. He tried to speak but the words could not be formed in his mouth.
Heidi rolled in, pushing herself up as the covers rolled off her body exposing her bare torso until she was hovering over Vonn. She then centered in on his face and kissed his lips deeply, which he received and responded in kind.
“I know, Vonn,” she said, coming up for air. “I know, and it’ll all be okay. Have faith… that’s what we gotta do, Vonn. That’s what we gotta do.”
He smiled and rolled around to be better situated underneath her. “Yeah,” he said as though he were trying to convince himself. Vonn then nodded. “It will be okay.” He laughed as his hands found her hips. ”I guess this one is so large it’ll take two of us to save the galaxy now.”
Heidi leaned back in and gave him another kiss. “Thank you, Vonn. Thank you for understanding. Thank you so much for being you.”
“Even when I tell bad jokes?” he said with his usual boyish grin.
“Okay,” she said, rolling her eyes and sitting upright. “Maybe there’s limits.” She rolled off of him and in one spry motion, honed from her experience as a cheerleader and gymnast put her feet on the floor.
“Hey, wait a minute,” Vonn inquired. “Where ya goin’? I thought we were about to… ya know…again?”
“Pancakes, Vonn,” she said, grabbing her robe. “You said bacon and pancakes, and we both like sex, pancakes, and bacon.” she leaned over and popped Vonn’s chest with her robe tie. “We’ve already done the sex, so get your fine ass out of bed in that kitchen. That bacon ain’t gonna cook itself.” She said laughing.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said obligingly as he smiled. He flipped the covers off of his anatomically correct, fully functional, cybernetic lower half and grabbed his robe from nearby. “Hey, Miss Schenkle.”
She paused seductively by the entry, one arm on the door jam, and one on an exaggeratedly extended hip, with her body silhouetted by the motion activated room light beyond through the draping cloth of her loosely tied robe.
“Yes, Mister Reese?” she replied softly.
“I love you,” he said.