[Letter to Tina Chapel]

[gold_ambition]

[OOC - The letter--in a messy hand--arrives tucked into the ribbon on a box of chocolates and next to a vase of daisies and a stuffed pink elephant.

Just inside the door.]Tina

Comments

[rn_chapel]

"What do you think, Darcy?"

Darcy kicked her feet, wrinkling the blanket Tina had put down on the floor before laying her on top of it. Tina tugged it straight again, and leaned over her daughter, tapping her nose with the tip of the stuffed elephant's trunk.

"I think he's sincere." Darcy kicked again, and crossed her eyes, focusing on the toy. Tina moved it back and forth. "But I don't know if that's enough, you know? I mean, it's not about him proving he's sufficiently penitent or something. It's... I don't know."

Darcy sighed, the most verbal response she'd given yet.

"Yeah. Life is complicated, huh?" Tina tapped Darcy's nose again. "Okay. Well. Unless you have any objections, I guess I'm going to write him back."

She rested the elephant on Darcy's chest and got up. Darcy managed to get one of the feet into her mouth before Tina had even reached her console.

Private to James Kirk

[gold_ambition]

James could not hide the smile of triumph. Nor did he need to, alone.

Private to Tina Chapel:

Yes. When?

[rn_chapel]

Private to James Kirk:

This afternoon? We're both going to need a nap pretty soon, but I could use a little exercise in about three hours.

- Tina

Private to Tina Chapel

[gold_ambition]

Sure thing. I don't work until late.

James

Re: Private to Tina Chapel

[rn_chapel]

Three hours later, Tina and Darcy were (mostly) awake again, and (mostly) clean, and Tina was wiling away the time while she waited for James to arrive by trying to wrestle Darcy into some clothes. For the most part, she'd just been keeping her quarters toasty and letting Darcy hang out in a diaper and as many blankets as seemed warranted, and she was still learning the art of putting sleeves on a newborn.

Dressing the baby had taken almost ten minutes so far. If it took more than another five, she might have to concede defeat.

[gold_ambition]

The door signal rang, as James arrived and waited patiently. So far, so good. He wondered if Tina was going to carry Darcy, and when babies got strollers. He wondered if she was always going to be there, but knew he didn't have the right to complain.

Tina had said "with us," after all.

[rn_chapel]

One sleeve down!

"It's open!" Tina called.

"Oh no you don't," she said, more quietly, grabbing Darcy's wrist before she could de-sleeve herself again. She looked up as James came in. "Quick, come help me pin this monster down, or she'll be a confirmed nudist."

[gold_ambition]

It was hard to remember the conversations they'd had, the talk with Noel, when he was invited in so easily and treated to a sight of domestic tussle.

Like her father, James thought but did not say.

"She's only a baby," he said, though he moved to help. "How can you hope to manage her when she's bigger?"

[rn_chapel]

"Threats, I guess." With James securing the previously-clothed arm, Tina managed to stuff Darcy's last flailing limb into her outfit and button her up.

She tickled Darcy's sides. "There, now! All dressed. You almost look like a real person, yes you do! Yes you do!"

She reached for the baby sling and started slipping it on. "I'm pretty sure that some of this parenting stuff is going to get easier with practice, though. At least I hope so."

[gold_ambition]

"Well, you have the part where you talk to her like a small child down," he said, smiling. It was nice to see her. What did they say about absence?

Right. That it made you less likely to be vigilant.

"But I hear threats are useful. Where did you want to walk?"

[rn_chapel]

Tina settled Darcy into the sling, making an awkward half-shrugging gesture as she did so. "I don't really mind. Theoretically you're supposed to expose newborns to nature, or something, but I think the 'go on walks' advice is actually to keep the new moms from atrophying. I hope I'm right, because I don't know where we'd find any nature."

[gold_ambition]

James was sure kids grew up on ships all the time without any detrimental effects. "That advice seems pretty old-fashioned," he said. "But there's the hydroponics lab, stuff like that."

[rn_chapel]

It did seem kind of useless in her present circumstances, if nothing else.

"That's probably as pleasant a place to walk around as anywhere." Tina located a pair of shoes and slid them on. "Shall we?"

[gold_ambition]

"Sure," he said. You couldn't really open doors for people, but James stood back and let her pass before him.

"So how are you?"

[rn_chapel]

"Not bad. Tired. Darcy doesn't sleep for very long at a stretch, and she usually needs me right when she wakes up, so even if Jim or someone is over and taking care of her, I can't sleep for very long."

She stopped herself from adding "and my nipples are kind of sore" just in time.

[gold_ambition]

It seemed really inconvenient. After all, milk did come in bottles.

"Why don't you just use a bottle?" he asked."Or is that a personal question?"