Illustrated Fic: All the World's a Birthday Cake
Title: All the World's a Birthday Cake
Words by: secret_weapon
Art by: littlewolfstar
Summary: How Cupcake learned to stop worrying and bake cupcakes. Yep, it's another Chulu!babies fic. Set during the events of La La How the Life Goes On
Characters and Pairings: Stephen "Cupcake" Hollister, Chulu babies: Demora, Kimiko and the Twins. Cupcake/Marlena Moreau, Sulu/Chekov, Spock/Uhura
Rating: PG
Warnings: Cavity inducing cuteness. Implied MPreg. As usual if you do not like baby!fic do not read this.
Notes: Big hugs to littlewolfstar and to everyone else who encouraged me to continue this. You know who you are.
All the World's a Birthday Cake
Stephen used to be a small, quiet, bookish child when he was very young; always running and hiding from the bigger kids. They would push him to the ground and break his glasses and punch and hit him and then, they would laugh when he cried. They would also call him names and those hurt as well, although in a different way, and they still laughed when he cried.
Then, one summer he came back to school and realised that he was about a foot taller than everyone else. He was the biggest kid now. If anyone tried to hurt him, he could hurt them back, make them cry and suddenly life didn't seem so bad any more.
They still called him names. Different ones, and never to his face.
They still hurt.
♪♪♪
Stephen isn't a fool; he knows that he started that fight with the Captain. He's in the wrong, so in a way, he deserves to be called 'Cupcake.'
He respects Kirk and he knows that Kirk respects him - he wouldn't have been asked back to serve on the Enterprise if he didn't - and he doesn't mind it so much when Kirk uses the nickname. It's when everyone else does it that it stings.
For them, it's a way to ridicule the big, dumb guy - and Stephen knows he isn't the brightest star in the sky but he passed all his exams the same as everyone else, thank you. It's just that his normal smartness is nothing compared to the casual brilliance of some of the others.
He pretends he doesn't care and most of the time he doesn't, but it still hurts a little every time someone sneers, 'Whatever you say, Cupcake,' to dismiss his opinion as if it counts for nothing.
♪♪♪
'What sort of cupcakes do you make?'
Stephen blinks and looks down. A tiny child of about three looks up at him. She's Sulu and Chekov's eldest; he thinks he's heard them call her Jenny or something along those lines.
'What?' he asks, a little too roughly. He feels sorry as the little girl blanches, but then she thrusts her chin in the air defiantly - something he's seen Sulu do when he's getting ready to face something big and nasty - and stands her ground.
'Cupcakes,' she says. 'You're the cupcake man, right?'
This would be funny if it was happening to someone else. Stephen looks around to see if anyone's watching, but no-one in the mess is paying attention. They're just going about getting their food, chattering with each other.
'Where's your Daddy?' he asks. 'Are you here on your own, missy?'
'I'm not Missy,' the girl says, pouting - Chekov does this when he's annoyed as well. 'My name is Demora Pavlovna Sulu. Daddy went beaming down.'
She points to the replicated cake on Stephen's tray. 'Did you make that? Papa made a cake once, but we eated it and it was gone.'
Stephen sees Chekov over by the cheese section talking to Scott. He has another small girl-child in his arms. According to the rumour mill he’s expecting again, with twins this time.
'Er no,' Stephen says. 'It's from the replicator. D'you - er - d'you need help getting some from it?'
Demora frowns. 'I don't like replicator cakes. Daddy says they taste like cardboard.' She rubs her nose thoughtfully. 'I've never eated cardboard. Have you?'
Chekov is whipping his head back and forth, scanning the mess hall wildly. He must have realised his kid's wandered off. Stephen raises a hand to get his attention, and then points towards the ground where the girl is. The panic drains off Chekov's face and he starts making his way over.
'You gave your Dad a scare,' Stephen tells her.
'He's not my Daddy, he's my Papa,' Demora says. 'Can we have some cupcakes when you make some?' she asks. 'I asked Daddy and he said he'd ask Obaa-chan when we go to stay with her, but that won't be for -'
'Demi!' Chekov puts the other little girl on the table and kneels down next to Demora. 'What did I say to you about not wandering off? You are a bad, bad girl.'
But he hugs her to him tightly. The other child takes her sucker out of her mouth and offers it to Stephen. 'No, thank you,' he says, feeling self-conscious.
'I din' go far, Papa. I was just talking to the Cupcake Man,' Demora says, sounding slightly muffled in her father's embrace. Chekov gasps and pulls back. 'Demi!' he says. 'Do not say that! It isn't nice! Now say sorry for bothering Mr Hollister.'
He looks at Stephen apologetically. 'Children,' he says, sheepishly, 'who knows where they pick these things up!'
'That's okay,' says Stephen. 'I didn't think nothin' of it. She's - uh - cute. This one too.'
The baby, who can't be more than two, picks up Stephen's knife and waves in the air. 'Katana,' she says. 'Like Daddy!'
'Kimmi! Put that down!' says Chekov. He picks her up again and takes Demora by the hand. 'Give that back now!'
Kimmi holds out Stephen's knife. 'Sowwy,' she says, with a cheeky little smile that suggest she isn't sorry at all.
Stephen smiles back, despite himself. 'That's okay,' he says. 'No harm done.'
'I am sorry this bad girl bothered you,' says Chekov glaring at Demora. 'It will not happen again.'
Demora sniffles. 'Wasn't bothering,' she says thickly.
'Aww, she weren't bothering me,' says Stephen. 'Wouldn't be the end of the world if she did it again either. She ain't that bad.'
Demi looks up at him and grins. 'See, Papa?'
'Shush!' says Chekov, but he smiles at Stephen as if they're friends. 'Your Daddy will be beaming back soon. Don't you want to watch? Say goodbye now.'
They both wave little hands at him, waggling their fingers. Stephen finds himself waving back.
'Bye, Mr Cupcake!' Demi calls over her shoulder as Chekov pulls her away.
People at nearby tables snicker but Stephen just grins to himself and eats his cake. For the first time in a long while, it doesn't sting any more.
♫♫♫
When Kirk asks Stephen if he would like to be assigned to the Enterprise again after the five-year mission is over Stephen doesn’t have to think twice. The Enterprise is special; he knows that everyone says that about their Starships, but this is different. Sometimes he can swear that the ship is talking to him, but maybe everyone feels that way.
There are rumours that Chekov might not return. He’s been offered a place on the Reliant. Stephen thinks that anyone who has spent more than three minutes in Chekov’s presence is as dumb as a sack of rocks if they believe that for one second.
The kid wouldn’t last a week without Sulu. Stephen sometimes gets a little anxious if Sulu is on his team during an away mission. What if something should happen to him and he leaves Chekov and those two little girls behind?
Well, two little girls and two little boys now. Stephen doesn’t think that anyone will be able to forget the twins’ rather memorable birth for as long as they live. They’ll be telling stories about it way after all of them are too old to serve any more.
Even if someone does manage to block the incident out, they have it on tape.
Stephen isn’t sure why he’s thinking of that young, happy little family right now. He’s gone for one last walk on Earth, as he kills time before the shuttle that will take him back to Enterprise leaves. Six months of shore leave is nothing like enough, but he finds that he misses the old girl already.
He passes a small bakery and perhaps it’s the thought of Demora and her guileless conviction that the only reason a man could be called Cupcake is because of his skills in the kitchen that compels him to go inside and order half a dozen chocolate, sprinkle-covered cupcakes.
He makes back to the shuttle to see that Chekov and Sulu have arrived with their children. Chekov is cooing over two identical baby boys, who have his curly hair and wide eyes and a large stuffed rabbit each. Sulu is strapping the two girls into their seats.
'But Da-dee,' Demora's saying. 'When will we go back?'
'Soon,' lies Sulu. 'Come on, Demi! Don't you want to see the ship again? I bet she misses you.'
Demora nods, 'Why can't everyone come with us?' she asks. 'The Enterprise won't mind.'
While Sulu reasons with her, the twin on the left throws his rabbit at Chekov's head when he turns to look at his daughter.
'Bad Tosha!' says Chekov. 'I saw that!'
Tosha giggles and holds his arms out for his bunny.
'I should keep this,' Chekov says. 'Look how nicely your brother is sitting. Why cannot you be like Misha, hmm?'
As if to disprove his point, Misha follows suit and throws his bunny. It's a rather weak throw, in Stephen's opinion. Or maybe he just dropped it, because he scrunches up his face and starts to cry. The other twin starts up as well, perhaps in sympathy.
'Here, here!' says Chekov, hurriedly shoving both toys at them. 'We have barely begun. What is this nonsense?'
Tosha hugs his bunny happily, but Misha hiccups, still sniffling, and reaches for his father. Chekov harrumphs but kneels down next to his chair to give him a hug and a kiss and then he has to give one to the other twin as well.
Kimmi, who has been quiet for all this time, is the first to notice Stephen. 'Mr Cupcake!' she says. 'Hi, Mr Cupcake! Hi!'
'Kimmi!' says Sulu. 'Don't say that! That's Mr Hollister!'
''Salright,' says Stephen. 'They don't mean any harm.'
Sulu glances at Chekov uncertainly, who nods. 'If you say so,' says Sulu.
Sulu and Chekov sit between their children so that Sulu's next to the two girls and Chekov near the boys. Stephen sits opposite to them so he sees Sulu brush Chekov's left hand with his right and link their little fingers together. Chekov smiles a big, silly, sappy smile and leans against his partner.
Stephen isn't really sure why this makes him feel a little choked up.
Then Kimmi drops her doll and shrieks, and the spell is broken. Sulu puts a hand out to stop her from trying to undo her seat belt and bends down to get the toy.
Chekov laughs and shakes his head. 'Did you have a good holiday?' he asks Stephen. 'It was not long enough, in my opinion.'
'Could have done with another six months I guess,' says Stephen. 'Er- I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your - er - wedding. Was a bit out of my way. I thought you guys got married on the ship though, ages ago.'
'We did,' says Sulu dryly. 'My mother wanted to throw a big party and someone agreed with her so we renewed our vows.' He looks at Chekov meaningfully. Chekov pretends not to notice and turns away to fuss over the twins.
'We were bridesmaids!' says Kimmi.
'You were not a bridesmaid!' says Sulu. 'There was no bride.'
Chekov snickers. 'Oh, I don't know,' he says. 'I think you would have looked good in a dress.'
'If anyone was the bride, Pavel, it would have been you.'
Chekov preens. 'I know I would look good in a dress,' he says. 'Better than you anyway.'
Sulu shakes his head. 'I married a monster,' he mutters, but he reaches for Chekov's hand again and gives it a little squeeze.
'I was the ring bearer and the bridesmaid,' says Demi. 'It was the most importantest job. The rings were on this cushion and I had to carry it and I got to keep the cushion afterwards. It's in my suitcase!'
'Wow, that's great!' says Stephen. He has a feeling that he's supposed to be impressed by this.
'I carried flowers!' Kimmi says.
'Everyone had flowers,' says Demi dismissively.
'Um, hey,' says Stephen, interrupting, because if he doesn't do this now, it will be really awkward later. 'I got you girls something - uh - if it's okay with your Dads, that is.'
Sulu and Chekov look at Stephen and then at each other in surprise. Chekov shrugs.
'You shouldn't have,' says Sulu, automatically.
'Weren't nothing,' says Stephen, and thrusts the bakery bag at him.
'What is it? What is it?' the girls chant eagerly. Sulu peeks into the bag and chokes.
'Cupcakes?' he says, in a strangled voice. 'You got them cupcakes?'
Chekov starts to laugh as Demi snatches the bag from her father. 'See?' she says, and Stephen sits back smugly. 'I told you he was the Cupcake Man.'
♫♫♫
Stephen stares at the mess in over the kitchen counter in dismay. He's requisitioned one of the ship's shared kitchens for the afternoon and he has no idea what he was thinking. He can't bake!
Well, he does know what he was thinking. Stephen's been feeling like a complete fraud ever since he got back to the ship. Sulu and Chekov's girls have been telling everyone that Stephen made them cupcakes and he's sick of the knowing glances that people give each other afterwards, because of course they assume that he can't possibly have baked them himself.
Turns out, they're right. Stephen had spent some time going over instructions and recipes and figured it looked easy enough. How hard could it be? Little kids could bake.
Stephen can't even crack an egg without getting bits of shell mixed up; he cannot, for the life of him, understand what they mean by an 'even consistency' and there's flour everywhere.
It's no use. He never should have tried this.
He sits down on the counter and puts his head in his hands. He's getting goop in his hair. Doesn't matter. There's already enough flour in there to feed a small planet.
'What are you doing?'
The woman standing at the door is Lieutenant Moreau. Science Division; she runs the chemistry lab and is the sort of women that paperback romance novels like to describe as devastatingly beautiful.
Not that Stephen reads paperback romance novels.
Stephen always gets tongue-tied round her. Especially because she knows Lieutenant Uhura quite well and they think that Stephen is something of a barbarian. The cupcake story is helping to dispel that opinion somewhat. The grape-vine is unsure of what to make of it at any rate.
'I've got this place booked 'til three,' he says, feeling defensive.
'It's four,' she says and steps into the little kitchenette and peers at Stephen's PADD, which is propped up next to him.
'Cupcakes?' she says, incredulously. 'You really didn't make the ones everyone's talking about, did you?'
'No shit, Sherlock,' he snaps. He's immediately sorry as her face hardens and her back goes rigid.
'Sorry,' he says, quickly. This is the first time she's ever said more than two words to him and she's way out of his league, but you can't blame a guy for trying. He doesn't like pretty women thinking badly of him and he thinks he'll settle for her not pursing her lips whenever he passes her any more.
'I'm not in the best frame of mind,' he says. 'Not as easy as I thought it would be.'
Moreau frowns slightly, but she hasn't left yet so that's good. 'Why are you trying to make cakes anyway?'
Stephen shrugs. 'Little girls think I made 'em and won't give 'em any more,' he grunts. 'Sulu and Chekov's kids. I dunno, I guess I -' he stops. It just sounds dumb.
Moreau's lips twitch. 'I suppose my omelette can wait,' she says. 'Do you want help?'
'Can you bake?' Stephen asks hopefully.
'I don't know. I've never tried,' she says. 'But I can't stand the thought of those little faces all disappointed. How hard can it be?'
Harder than she thinks, as Stephen tells her, but it's more fun with two and they can correct each other’s mistakes. They manage it between them and two hours later they have a tray full of imperfect chocolate cupcakes with butter-cream frosting and chocolate buttons.
Stephen feels bold enough to ask Marlena, as she asks to be called, if she'd like to get a drink the next night. He could ask her something safer, like a coffee to talk about early twenty first century fantasy and science fiction literature, an interest that they've realised they share, but he isn't the sort for playing it subtle.
He isn't expecting her to say yes, but is delighted when she does.
She declines to come with him to deliver the cupcakes they've spent so long over, though.
'I need a long bath,' she tells him. 'I feel like I have flour in my hair.'
She does, although Stephen doesn't have the heart to tell her so.
♪♪♪
He finds Sulu and Chekov and their offspring in Rec Room Three. There seems to be a minor catastrophe going on.
Kimmi is sobbing in Chekov’s lap. He’s clutching her to him protectively. Sulu has a firm grip on Demi’s arm, who is also crying. Both men appear to be arguing with Dr McCoy, who is knelt down in front of Kimmi. Stephen can’t see what’s wrong with her because the doctor’s head is in the way.
One twin is watching the scene unfold with horror, the other one - Tosha probably - is unconcerned and is on all fours on the seat next to Spock, attempting to poke his baby.
Spock is holding onto the sleeping child trying not to jostle him. Every time Tosha approaches and lifts a hand to touch the baby, Spock lifts him up with his free hand and puts him back down two seats away. At this point Tosha giggles and they go through the same process all over again.
Stephen doesn’t know an awful lot about babies, but he’s pretty sure that the kid is convinced that this is a game and that Spock is just playing with him. Although, maybe he is. It’s hard to tell whether Spock is annoyed or is enjoying himself.
As Stephen approaches he hears Sulu says, ‘For god’s sake, Pavel. It’s just a scratch.’
‘She is bleeding! ‘ Chekov says. ‘I do not see why you are so cruel. My poor baby. It’s alright, Kimmi, you have one parent who is concerned for you.’ He kisses her and glares at Demi. ‘You are a bad girl, Demi!’
‘She didn’t do anything,’ snaps Sulu. ‘Accidents happen. Kimmi’s fallen over before.’
Demi clutches at Sulu’s arm sniffling, ‘I didn’t do it!’ she wails.
‘You always say that!’ says Chekov.
‘And I believe her this time,’ says Sulu. ‘You know I don’t go easy on her, Pav -‘
‘Papa! It hurts. No!’ Kimmi pushes at McCoy’s hand as he’s trying to put some sort of antiseptic on her cut. Which is about a centimetre long. A little trickle of blood runs from it.
‘Hold her still,’ sighs McCoy. The Captain and Uhura are smirking at each other a little distance away. McCoy’s probably only doing this to humour Chekov, who tends to go somewhat crazy if any of his children are hurt or sick.
‘Nyota!’ Spock says. ‘I cannot hold off both of them myself.’
Misha has joined his brother, so now both twins are looking at baby Jarock.
Spock has an arm out holding Tosha back. Misha is patting the baby’s head gently - not enough to wake him, but enough to worry Spock. Tosha points at Misha and babbles complaining noises at Spock, asking him in baby talk why he’s not allowed to touch the baby but Misha is.
‘They won’t hurt him,’ says Uhura smiling, but she picks up Tosha. ‘Are you bothering your Uncle Spock, hmm? Who’s a naughty boy?’
Tosha points at Spock and complains some more.
‘What’s that, buddy?’ asks Kirk. ‘Spock did what? Aww, Spock! How could you?’
‘I am glad you are deriving some amusement from my predicament, Captain,’ Spock says, taking hold of Misha’s hand to stop him touching the baby. Misha looks up at him confused.
Kimmi screams as McCoy swipes at her cut and then he puts on a smiley-face band-aid. ‘There,’ he says to Chekov. ‘All better. Can I go now?’
‘Papa!’ whimpers Kimmi.
Chekov hugs her tightly and kisses her cheek. ‘It’s okay, Malyishka,’ he says. ‘See, all the blood is gone.’
Demi sniffles loudly and Chekov looks at her. His face softens. ‘Come here, you silly girl,’ he says, holding an arm out, obviously feeling more forgiving now the crisis is over.
Demi bounces into his arms for a hug, gratefully.
Sulu yanks Kimmi out of Chekov’s grasp quickly, as if he’s afraid the two girls might fight and pinches the tip of her nose. ‘You’re a big drama-llama,’ he says to her, ‘just like your Papa.’
‘Chu?’ she asks, hopefully and Sulu laughs and kisses her forehead. ‘Silly little girl,’ he says softly.
Stephen’s been watching them for a while now, and is beginning to feel awkward just standing there so he clears his throat.
They all turn to look at him. It’s even more awkward than he thought it would be.
‘Um -‘ he says holding out the box he’s been carrying. ‘I made these, so - er ‘
The effect is electric. Demi wriggles out of her Papa’s arms over to him and Kimmi struggles to be put down. Misha abandons Jarock to crawl closer and Tosha points and makes demanding noises at Uhura.
‘Saved by the cakes,’ mutters Sulu.
‘You made them?’ says Kirk coming over to look. ‘You mean in an oven, right? Not in the replicator.’
‘I wouldn’t do that,’ Stephen says indignantly. ‘They ain’t perfect, but they’re home-made - uh - ship-made. Really.’
‘Are they for us?’ says Demi, reaching for the box. ‘Are they for me?’
‘For all of you,’ says Stephen, relinquishing it. ‘Just don’t eat ‘em all at once.’
Demi looks at her fathers hesitantly.
‘Alright,’ says Sulu. ‘Just one each now, okay? I don’t want you bouncing off the walls any more than you already do. He takes the box from her and hands both her and her sister a cupcake each.
‘Er thanks,’ he says to Stephen. ‘You don’t have to let them bully you into making cakes for them, you know?’
Stephen shrugs. ‘No trouble,’ he lies.
Tosha is really squirming now so Uhura hands him to Chekov hastily. ‘Take this before it makes a break for freedom,’ she says. ‘Jeez, you’d think they were never fed, the way they behave.’
Chekov sighs and holds out a cupcake. Tosha attempts to put the whole thing in his mouth but only succeeds in smearing most of it on his face.
Misha on the other hand allows Sulu to feed him little pieces.
Kirk is looking at Stephen with an expectant expression.
‘Would you like one?’ Stephen asks uncomfortably, almost sure that this is what he wants.
‘Don’t mind if I do!’ says Kirk cheerfully and relieves Sulu of the box. ‘Hey, these are really good!’ he says with his mouth full.
‘You don’t have to sound so surprised,’ says Stephen, trying not to sound conceited.
McCoy snorts. ‘Well at least all the kids are happy now,’ he says, looking at the Captain pointedly.
‘You’re just grumpy ‘cos no-one brings you cupcakes,’ says Kirk, conveniently forgetting that Stephen didn’t bring him cupcakes either.
There’s mocking laughter to their right. Cupcake turns around to see Commodore Norrington, their surly guest, who is under their protection for the week.
‘A cupcake from a Cupcake,’ he says, smirking. ‘How quaint.’
As far as insults go, it’s rather tame. Stephen still feels his face flush with embarrassment. Not because of what the Commodore said, but because even though he’s been here for less than twenty four hours, he already knows of that stupid nickname that Stephen will never be able to shake off.
Especially not now that he’s started making cupcakes.
Kirk looks as if he’s going to says something, but Demi gets there first.
She marches up to the Commodore, little fists clenched and glares up at him.
‘You can’t call him that,’ she says. ‘He’s our friend. You have to call him Mr Hollister.’
Kimmi follows her sister, chocolate smeared around mouth. ‘Yeah!’ she says, staying well behind Demi, partly behind her back. ‘He doesn’t make you cupcakes.’
Kirk starts to laugh first, followed by everyone else. The Commodore looks put out but he smiles looking nauseated, and then turns on his heel and leaves.
‘You tell em, Demi,’ Sulu snickers. ‘Oh god, what are we going to do with you two?’
Stephen makes his excuses and leaves as quickly as he can.
Up until a couple of years ago he would have behaved exactly like the Commodore. It’s how he has behaved most of his life. He can’t help thinking that if only he’d had a friend like Demi when he was a kid himself, he might have been a better person.
Even little Kimmi, who was clearly scared but stood her ground to defend someone she liked, is better at three than he is at thirty.
Still, it’s never too late to learn.
♫♫♫
Stephen flexes his leg experimentally. It still hurts a little, although nothing as much as before. He swings his legs off the sick-bay bed and hesitates.
He should be doing this with the doctor here. Or at least Marlena. If he falls down he'll look even sillier when he has to call for help, but he doesn't want anyone watching him like he's a little baby taking his first steps.
Marlena knows him well enough by now not to push the issue. She'd kissed his cheek and patted his hand as if to say, 'Get on with it in your own time,' and left him alone.
They've been going out for a few months now and he can still scarcely believe his luck, but this is the first time he realises just how painfully in love with her he is. If he can walk today he'll tell her, he thinks.
This thought spurring him on, he stands up carefully and gingerly puts his weight on his left leg. Nothing happens.
Well, that was anti-climatic. He takes a couple of steps. It's achy and he's very glad he's on very strong painkillers, but he can't tell that he has a metal rod in there replacing his shin bone at all.
'Hello, Mr Cupcake!'
He looks down and sees Demi poking her head through the curtain. Kimmi peeks out from behind her.
'Hi!' she says.
Stephen smiles at them and sits back down on his bed to give his leg a rest. Just because it feels okay doesn't mean he should overtax it.
'Hello,' he says. 'What are you two doing here? Where's your Pa?'
'With Daddy,' says Kimmi. 'He's still sleeping.'
Ah right. Their last landing party on Cornalia had not gone so well. Kirk had managed to offend their leader by suggesting that their gladiator style tournaments might be less than civilised, and so they'd been forced to participate in the 'games'.
Stephen supposes he got off lightly. Sulu had been literally thrown to the lions. Kryonian tigers, to be exact. He'd been in a bad way when they'd been rescued. Kirk had carried him back himself, but Stephen had been sure that Sulu wouldn't survive the night.
McCoy told him that he isn't sure why Sulu isn't dead yet, but he's holding on with grim determination. He's lost a lot of blood and they've had to restart his heart twice. They're still not sure if his brain's been damaged or not.
He's over the worst of it, McCoy says. Sulu's breathing on his own now but he still hasn't regained consciousness.
'He isn't sleeping,' Demi's saying. 'I know what they've been saying. It's called a coma. That’s when you faint for a long time.'
'He's tired,' Kimmi says, firmly. 'Papa says he's very tired so he needs to sleep it off, like when we have a cold.'
Demi scowls. 'Papa wouldn't cry if it was just a cold,' she tells Stephen. 'Dr Bones said Daddy might not wake up.' She sniffles. 'But he doesn't know anything, Papa says. Daddy wouldn't get dead and leave us.'
'Maybe Papa should give him a kiss,' suggests Kimmi. 'Like Sleeping Beauty.'
Demi looks alarmed. 'Sleeping Beauty slept for a hundred years!' she says.
'Snow White was dead but then the prince kissed her and waked her up,' Kimmi says, defiantly. 'True love’s kiss always works. I know because of my learnings.'
Stephen doesn't know if he can bear to listen to more of this. He wishes he'd offered to take Sulu's place.
'Come on,' he says and swings off the bed, holding out a hand for each of the girls. 'Let’s get you back to your Pop. Don't want to worry him anymore, do we?'
Chekov had been huge when Stephen last saw him a week ago. Now he's thin with worry and is cradling a little bundle as he sits next to Sulu, stroking his hair back.
'We've got a new baby,' Demi whispers. 'She came early.'
The twins are sitting on the bed, Stephen can see from the way they move that they're trying their best not to dislodge any of the tubes that run from their father’s body.
Misha looks apprehensively at the monitors, while Tosha pokes Sulu's cheek determinedly.
'Up!' he says. 'Up now, Daddy. It’s late!'
'I think you may have misplaced these,' Stephen says, giving the girls a little push towards their father. 'They came wandering by.'
Chekov smiles wanly. 'They wanted to say hello,' he says. 'They did not disturb you, did they?'
'Nothin' like that,' says Stephen taking a seat next to him. 'Wouldn't want you to worry, that's all. I figure you got enough on your plate.'
Chekov scoffs. 'You mean with this big Cossack, almost getting himself killed?' he says. 'Girls, why don't you take your brothers to say hello to Dr McCoy in his office? Maybe he has a lollipop for you.'
Demora looks at Chekov sceptically, like she knows he just wants to get rid of them, but she does as she's told and the four children toddle off in the direction of McCoy's office.
'You've got another little girl, then?' says Stephen. 'You guys pick a name?'
'James,' says Chekov adjusting the blanket more snugly about the baby. 'I promised the Keptin. He did save her Daddy's life.'
'James?' says Stephen. 'For a girl?'
'I promised,' says Chekov. He strokes Sulu's cheek with the back of his hand, rubbing his knuckles over his cheekbones softly. 'I did not realise how hard it would be without him there,' Chekov says.
'I wish - I wish -,' he closes his eyes. 'He wouldn't leave us,' he says so quietly, Stephen has to strain to hear. 'He wouldn't. He promised me he'd always be there.'
Sometimes they forget how young Chekov is. Far too young to have five children. Far too young to have to deal with this sort of heartache.
'He'll be fine,' Stephen says stiffly, wishing he knew how to be comforting. 'He's a fighter. I mean he should have died five times over by now, but he won't let go that easy, right?'
Stephen bites his tongue, hoping he hasn't said the wrong thing, but Chekov looks less tearful. The baby starts to cry weakly. Chekov hugs her and makes shushing noises.
'Poor little thing. You made her come early,' he says. For a second Stephen is about to ask him what he's talking about, but then he realises Chekov's talking to Sulu, as he leans forward to take his limp hand. ‘Oh, Hikaru, you know I am no good without you. Please -'
Chekov's mouth drops open and his eyes almost pop out of his head. 'He moved!' he whispers. 'I felt it. He squeezed my hand!'
Stephen doesn't want to tell Chekov about muscle twitches and reflex motions - he guesses Chekov already knows, but he doesn't want to crush the hope in the other man's eyes.
Then Sulu moans weakly and swallows and Stephen gets to his feet quickly, paying no head to how his leg throbs at the sudden movement.
'I'll get the doc,' he says.
'Pavel?' mumbles Sulu, and Chekov cries out and throws himself over his partner, sobbing.
Drama-llama, thinks Stephen to himself, as he turns away to give them some privacy and to get the doctor. He blinks rapidly. Something's caught in his eye.
When he's out of here he's going to bake that family a big celebratory cake.
Maybe the girls will help him.
♫♫♫
Captain Hollister looks around the dorm room his son will be spending the next year in and pats his shoulder.
'This is nice,' he says. 'You should have seen the rooms we had back when I was a cadet. They weren't big enough to swing a cat in.'
Steve still looks dejected. He's a quiet, sensitive kid and even though he wants to go to Starfleet more than anything, he's been getting anxious about leaving home. Home being The Nautilus. Stephen finds it slightly odd that there is an entire generation of young men and women who will always think of a Starship as home.
He supposes there could be worse places.
'You'll be fine,' Marlena says to Steve, rubbing his back. 'Don't worry so much.'
'What if I suck at this?' Steve asks. 'It's not like you can come and get me. You'll be back on the ship.'
'I'll take a shuttle and come fetch you, the moment you ask me to,' his mother says. 'But you won’t want to come home you'll be having so much fun. I bet when the holidays come you won’t even want to leave then. You'll invent some assignment you have to finish but you won't fool us. Your father and I have both been here before and know all the tricks that cadets play.'
Steve doesn't look convinced.
The Captain checks his watch; he's expecting a friend to call. She promised she'd drop by and say hi and -
'Hi there, Mr Cupcake!'
The girl - well, young woman now, she must be about twenty one - at the door grins at him. She's wearing neon blue leggings under her scant that match the streaks in her hair, and surely, this must be a breach of several regulations.
'Sorry, I'm late,' she says. 'Polly couldn't find her cello bow and had the whole house in an uproar. I think Optimus hid it.'
Stephen grins back at her, and gives her a quick hug.
'Look at you,' says Marlena, pushing him aside so she can hug the girl. 'All grown up! Your parents must be so proud.'
'Try telling them that,' says Demora but she looks a little bashful. 'Papa's still annoyed I flunked Transwarp beaming my first year, but I'm a pilot. I don't have to know about that stuff.'
'I bet your Dad's pleased though, eh?' says Stephen.
'Like the cat that got the canary,' says Demi, 'but it's okay. Kim's going down the research route. The twins want to go command, though.' She sighs. 'They haven't realised that they can't both be Captain of the same ship. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of tears and tantrums if either of them ever gets promoted over the other.'
She grins at Steve. 'Remember me?' she asks. 'I'm Lieutenant Sulu; Demora Pavlovna. You were pretty young the last time I saw you but - '
'I remember,' says Steve, a little shyly. 'Are you still a cadet?'
'Nah,' she says. 'Just doing a little instructor work before my mission starts in a few months and then it's goodbye Earth! You're med-school, right?'
Steve nods blushing. Captain Hollister fights the urge to groan. Someone might have a little crush. This can't end well.
'I know one of the instructors there. She'll show you around before classes start if you want,' she says. 'You know Dr McCoy?' she says to Marlena. 'Jo's his daughter. She's managed to avoid actually getting on a ship for years by teaching.'
Her comm buzzes and she looks at it.
'I'll be there in five,' she says to it and grins. 'I'm meeting Dave and the brats for a few drinks,' she says. 'You should come too, Steve. No point moping your first night here. Kiss your Mom goodbye and let’s go.'
Stephen knows what she's doing and is grateful. Steve won’t have time to feel sorry for himself. He'll be alright.
Stephen hands Demi a little package as they leave.
'What's this?' she asks. 'Aww Mr Cupcake, you remembered!'
'Just don't eat them all yourself,' he says. 'Share them with the rest of your mad group, you understand?'
'I can't believe everyone calls you Cupcake,' gripes Steve. 'That is so embarrassing.'
'Hey!' says Stephen, cuffing his head playfully. 'That's Mister Cupcake, and don't you forget it!'
It's all too much for me to take
The love that's shining all around here
All the world's a birthday cake,
So take a piece but not too much
from It’s All Too Much by The Beatles.
Et Fin
Words by: secret_weapon
Art by: littlewolfstar
Summary: How Cupcake learned to stop worrying and bake cupcakes. Yep, it's another Chulu!babies fic. Set during the events of La La How the Life Goes On
Characters and Pairings: Stephen "Cupcake" Hollister, Chulu babies: Demora, Kimiko and the Twins. Cupcake/Marlena Moreau, Sulu/Chekov, Spock/Uhura
Rating: PG
Warnings: Cavity inducing cuteness. Implied MPreg. As usual if you do not like baby!fic do not read this.
Notes: Big hugs to littlewolfstar and to everyone else who encouraged me to continue this. You know who you are.
All the World's a Birthday Cake
Stephen used to be a small, quiet, bookish child when he was very young; always running and hiding from the bigger kids. They would push him to the ground and break his glasses and punch and hit him and then, they would laugh when he cried. They would also call him names and those hurt as well, although in a different way, and they still laughed when he cried.
Then, one summer he came back to school and realised that he was about a foot taller than everyone else. He was the biggest kid now. If anyone tried to hurt him, he could hurt them back, make them cry and suddenly life didn't seem so bad any more.
They still called him names. Different ones, and never to his face.
They still hurt.
♪♪♪
Stephen isn't a fool; he knows that he started that fight with the Captain. He's in the wrong, so in a way, he deserves to be called 'Cupcake.'
He respects Kirk and he knows that Kirk respects him - he wouldn't have been asked back to serve on the Enterprise if he didn't - and he doesn't mind it so much when Kirk uses the nickname. It's when everyone else does it that it stings.
For them, it's a way to ridicule the big, dumb guy - and Stephen knows he isn't the brightest star in the sky but he passed all his exams the same as everyone else, thank you. It's just that his normal smartness is nothing compared to the casual brilliance of some of the others.
He pretends he doesn't care and most of the time he doesn't, but it still hurts a little every time someone sneers, 'Whatever you say, Cupcake,' to dismiss his opinion as if it counts for nothing.
♪♪♪
'What sort of cupcakes do you make?'
Stephen blinks and looks down. A tiny child of about three looks up at him. She's Sulu and Chekov's eldest; he thinks he's heard them call her Jenny or something along those lines.
'What?' he asks, a little too roughly. He feels sorry as the little girl blanches, but then she thrusts her chin in the air defiantly - something he's seen Sulu do when he's getting ready to face something big and nasty - and stands her ground.
'Cupcakes,' she says. 'You're the cupcake man, right?'
This would be funny if it was happening to someone else. Stephen looks around to see if anyone's watching, but no-one in the mess is paying attention. They're just going about getting their food, chattering with each other.
'Where's your Daddy?' he asks. 'Are you here on your own, missy?'
'I'm not Missy,' the girl says, pouting - Chekov does this when he's annoyed as well. 'My name is Demora Pavlovna Sulu. Daddy went beaming down.'
She points to the replicated cake on Stephen's tray. 'Did you make that? Papa made a cake once, but we eated it and it was gone.'
Stephen sees Chekov over by the cheese section talking to Scott. He has another small girl-child in his arms. According to the rumour mill he’s expecting again, with twins this time.
'Er no,' Stephen says. 'It's from the replicator. D'you - er - d'you need help getting some from it?'
Demora frowns. 'I don't like replicator cakes. Daddy says they taste like cardboard.' She rubs her nose thoughtfully. 'I've never eated cardboard. Have you?'
Chekov is whipping his head back and forth, scanning the mess hall wildly. He must have realised his kid's wandered off. Stephen raises a hand to get his attention, and then points towards the ground where the girl is. The panic drains off Chekov's face and he starts making his way over.
'You gave your Dad a scare,' Stephen tells her.
'He's not my Daddy, he's my Papa,' Demora says. 'Can we have some cupcakes when you make some?' she asks. 'I asked Daddy and he said he'd ask Obaa-chan when we go to stay with her, but that won't be for -'
'Demi!' Chekov puts the other little girl on the table and kneels down next to Demora. 'What did I say to you about not wandering off? You are a bad, bad girl.'
But he hugs her to him tightly. The other child takes her sucker out of her mouth and offers it to Stephen. 'No, thank you,' he says, feeling self-conscious.
'I din' go far, Papa. I was just talking to the Cupcake Man,' Demora says, sounding slightly muffled in her father's embrace. Chekov gasps and pulls back. 'Demi!' he says. 'Do not say that! It isn't nice! Now say sorry for bothering Mr Hollister.'
He looks at Stephen apologetically. 'Children,' he says, sheepishly, 'who knows where they pick these things up!'
'That's okay,' says Stephen. 'I didn't think nothin' of it. She's - uh - cute. This one too.'
The baby, who can't be more than two, picks up Stephen's knife and waves in the air. 'Katana,' she says. 'Like Daddy!'
'Kimmi! Put that down!' says Chekov. He picks her up again and takes Demora by the hand. 'Give that back now!'
Kimmi holds out Stephen's knife. 'Sowwy,' she says, with a cheeky little smile that suggest she isn't sorry at all.
Stephen smiles back, despite himself. 'That's okay,' he says. 'No harm done.'
'I am sorry this bad girl bothered you,' says Chekov glaring at Demora. 'It will not happen again.'
Demora sniffles. 'Wasn't bothering,' she says thickly.
'Aww, she weren't bothering me,' says Stephen. 'Wouldn't be the end of the world if she did it again either. She ain't that bad.'
Demi looks up at him and grins. 'See, Papa?'
'Shush!' says Chekov, but he smiles at Stephen as if they're friends. 'Your Daddy will be beaming back soon. Don't you want to watch? Say goodbye now.'
They both wave little hands at him, waggling their fingers. Stephen finds himself waving back.
'Bye, Mr Cupcake!' Demi calls over her shoulder as Chekov pulls her away.
People at nearby tables snicker but Stephen just grins to himself and eats his cake. For the first time in a long while, it doesn't sting any more.
♫♫♫
When Kirk asks Stephen if he would like to be assigned to the Enterprise again after the five-year mission is over Stephen doesn’t have to think twice. The Enterprise is special; he knows that everyone says that about their Starships, but this is different. Sometimes he can swear that the ship is talking to him, but maybe everyone feels that way.
There are rumours that Chekov might not return. He’s been offered a place on the Reliant. Stephen thinks that anyone who has spent more than three minutes in Chekov’s presence is as dumb as a sack of rocks if they believe that for one second.
The kid wouldn’t last a week without Sulu. Stephen sometimes gets a little anxious if Sulu is on his team during an away mission. What if something should happen to him and he leaves Chekov and those two little girls behind?
Well, two little girls and two little boys now. Stephen doesn’t think that anyone will be able to forget the twins’ rather memorable birth for as long as they live. They’ll be telling stories about it way after all of them are too old to serve any more.
Even if someone does manage to block the incident out, they have it on tape.
Stephen isn’t sure why he’s thinking of that young, happy little family right now. He’s gone for one last walk on Earth, as he kills time before the shuttle that will take him back to Enterprise leaves. Six months of shore leave is nothing like enough, but he finds that he misses the old girl already.
He passes a small bakery and perhaps it’s the thought of Demora and her guileless conviction that the only reason a man could be called Cupcake is because of his skills in the kitchen that compels him to go inside and order half a dozen chocolate, sprinkle-covered cupcakes.
He makes back to the shuttle to see that Chekov and Sulu have arrived with their children. Chekov is cooing over two identical baby boys, who have his curly hair and wide eyes and a large stuffed rabbit each. Sulu is strapping the two girls into their seats.
'But Da-dee,' Demora's saying. 'When will we go back?'
'Soon,' lies Sulu. 'Come on, Demi! Don't you want to see the ship again? I bet she misses you.'
Demora nods, 'Why can't everyone come with us?' she asks. 'The Enterprise won't mind.'
While Sulu reasons with her, the twin on the left throws his rabbit at Chekov's head when he turns to look at his daughter.
'Bad Tosha!' says Chekov. 'I saw that!'
Tosha giggles and holds his arms out for his bunny.
'I should keep this,' Chekov says. 'Look how nicely your brother is sitting. Why cannot you be like Misha, hmm?'
As if to disprove his point, Misha follows suit and throws his bunny. It's a rather weak throw, in Stephen's opinion. Or maybe he just dropped it, because he scrunches up his face and starts to cry. The other twin starts up as well, perhaps in sympathy.
'Here, here!' says Chekov, hurriedly shoving both toys at them. 'We have barely begun. What is this nonsense?'
Tosha hugs his bunny happily, but Misha hiccups, still sniffling, and reaches for his father. Chekov harrumphs but kneels down next to his chair to give him a hug and a kiss and then he has to give one to the other twin as well.
Kimmi, who has been quiet for all this time, is the first to notice Stephen. 'Mr Cupcake!' she says. 'Hi, Mr Cupcake! Hi!'
'Kimmi!' says Sulu. 'Don't say that! That's Mr Hollister!'
''Salright,' says Stephen. 'They don't mean any harm.'
Sulu glances at Chekov uncertainly, who nods. 'If you say so,' says Sulu.
Sulu and Chekov sit between their children so that Sulu's next to the two girls and Chekov near the boys. Stephen sits opposite to them so he sees Sulu brush Chekov's left hand with his right and link their little fingers together. Chekov smiles a big, silly, sappy smile and leans against his partner.
Stephen isn't really sure why this makes him feel a little choked up.
Then Kimmi drops her doll and shrieks, and the spell is broken. Sulu puts a hand out to stop her from trying to undo her seat belt and bends down to get the toy.
Chekov laughs and shakes his head. 'Did you have a good holiday?' he asks Stephen. 'It was not long enough, in my opinion.'
'Could have done with another six months I guess,' says Stephen. 'Er- I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your - er - wedding. Was a bit out of my way. I thought you guys got married on the ship though, ages ago.'
'We did,' says Sulu dryly. 'My mother wanted to throw a big party and someone agreed with her so we renewed our vows.' He looks at Chekov meaningfully. Chekov pretends not to notice and turns away to fuss over the twins.
'We were bridesmaids!' says Kimmi.
'You were not a bridesmaid!' says Sulu. 'There was no bride.'
Chekov snickers. 'Oh, I don't know,' he says. 'I think you would have looked good in a dress.'
'If anyone was the bride, Pavel, it would have been you.'
Chekov preens. 'I know I would look good in a dress,' he says. 'Better than you anyway.'
Sulu shakes his head. 'I married a monster,' he mutters, but he reaches for Chekov's hand again and gives it a little squeeze.
'I was the ring bearer and the bridesmaid,' says Demi. 'It was the most importantest job. The rings were on this cushion and I had to carry it and I got to keep the cushion afterwards. It's in my suitcase!'
'Wow, that's great!' says Stephen. He has a feeling that he's supposed to be impressed by this.
'I carried flowers!' Kimmi says.
'Everyone had flowers,' says Demi dismissively.
'Um, hey,' says Stephen, interrupting, because if he doesn't do this now, it will be really awkward later. 'I got you girls something - uh - if it's okay with your Dads, that is.'
Sulu and Chekov look at Stephen and then at each other in surprise. Chekov shrugs.
'You shouldn't have,' says Sulu, automatically.
'Weren't nothing,' says Stephen, and thrusts the bakery bag at him.
'What is it? What is it?' the girls chant eagerly. Sulu peeks into the bag and chokes.
'Cupcakes?' he says, in a strangled voice. 'You got them cupcakes?'
Chekov starts to laugh as Demi snatches the bag from her father. 'See?' she says, and Stephen sits back smugly. 'I told you he was the Cupcake Man.'
♫♫♫
Stephen stares at the mess in over the kitchen counter in dismay. He's requisitioned one of the ship's shared kitchens for the afternoon and he has no idea what he was thinking. He can't bake!
Well, he does know what he was thinking. Stephen's been feeling like a complete fraud ever since he got back to the ship. Sulu and Chekov's girls have been telling everyone that Stephen made them cupcakes and he's sick of the knowing glances that people give each other afterwards, because of course they assume that he can't possibly have baked them himself.
Turns out, they're right. Stephen had spent some time going over instructions and recipes and figured it looked easy enough. How hard could it be? Little kids could bake.
Stephen can't even crack an egg without getting bits of shell mixed up; he cannot, for the life of him, understand what they mean by an 'even consistency' and there's flour everywhere.
It's no use. He never should have tried this.
He sits down on the counter and puts his head in his hands. He's getting goop in his hair. Doesn't matter. There's already enough flour in there to feed a small planet.
'What are you doing?'
The woman standing at the door is Lieutenant Moreau. Science Division; she runs the chemistry lab and is the sort of women that paperback romance novels like to describe as devastatingly beautiful.
Not that Stephen reads paperback romance novels.
Stephen always gets tongue-tied round her. Especially because she knows Lieutenant Uhura quite well and they think that Stephen is something of a barbarian. The cupcake story is helping to dispel that opinion somewhat. The grape-vine is unsure of what to make of it at any rate.
'I've got this place booked 'til three,' he says, feeling defensive.
'It's four,' she says and steps into the little kitchenette and peers at Stephen's PADD, which is propped up next to him.
'Cupcakes?' she says, incredulously. 'You really didn't make the ones everyone's talking about, did you?'
'No shit, Sherlock,' he snaps. He's immediately sorry as her face hardens and her back goes rigid.
'Sorry,' he says, quickly. This is the first time she's ever said more than two words to him and she's way out of his league, but you can't blame a guy for trying. He doesn't like pretty women thinking badly of him and he thinks he'll settle for her not pursing her lips whenever he passes her any more.
'I'm not in the best frame of mind,' he says. 'Not as easy as I thought it would be.'
Moreau frowns slightly, but she hasn't left yet so that's good. 'Why are you trying to make cakes anyway?'
Stephen shrugs. 'Little girls think I made 'em and won't give 'em any more,' he grunts. 'Sulu and Chekov's kids. I dunno, I guess I -' he stops. It just sounds dumb.
Moreau's lips twitch. 'I suppose my omelette can wait,' she says. 'Do you want help?'
'Can you bake?' Stephen asks hopefully.
'I don't know. I've never tried,' she says. 'But I can't stand the thought of those little faces all disappointed. How hard can it be?'
Harder than she thinks, as Stephen tells her, but it's more fun with two and they can correct each other’s mistakes. They manage it between them and two hours later they have a tray full of imperfect chocolate cupcakes with butter-cream frosting and chocolate buttons.
Stephen feels bold enough to ask Marlena, as she asks to be called, if she'd like to get a drink the next night. He could ask her something safer, like a coffee to talk about early twenty first century fantasy and science fiction literature, an interest that they've realised they share, but he isn't the sort for playing it subtle.
He isn't expecting her to say yes, but is delighted when she does.
She declines to come with him to deliver the cupcakes they've spent so long over, though.
'I need a long bath,' she tells him. 'I feel like I have flour in my hair.'
She does, although Stephen doesn't have the heart to tell her so.
♪♪♪
He finds Sulu and Chekov and their offspring in Rec Room Three. There seems to be a minor catastrophe going on.
Kimmi is sobbing in Chekov’s lap. He’s clutching her to him protectively. Sulu has a firm grip on Demi’s arm, who is also crying. Both men appear to be arguing with Dr McCoy, who is knelt down in front of Kimmi. Stephen can’t see what’s wrong with her because the doctor’s head is in the way.
One twin is watching the scene unfold with horror, the other one - Tosha probably - is unconcerned and is on all fours on the seat next to Spock, attempting to poke his baby.
Spock is holding onto the sleeping child trying not to jostle him. Every time Tosha approaches and lifts a hand to touch the baby, Spock lifts him up with his free hand and puts him back down two seats away. At this point Tosha giggles and they go through the same process all over again.
Stephen doesn’t know an awful lot about babies, but he’s pretty sure that the kid is convinced that this is a game and that Spock is just playing with him. Although, maybe he is. It’s hard to tell whether Spock is annoyed or is enjoying himself.
As Stephen approaches he hears Sulu says, ‘For god’s sake, Pavel. It’s just a scratch.’
‘She is bleeding! ‘ Chekov says. ‘I do not see why you are so cruel. My poor baby. It’s alright, Kimmi, you have one parent who is concerned for you.’ He kisses her and glares at Demi. ‘You are a bad girl, Demi!’
‘She didn’t do anything,’ snaps Sulu. ‘Accidents happen. Kimmi’s fallen over before.’
Demi clutches at Sulu’s arm sniffling, ‘I didn’t do it!’ she wails.
‘You always say that!’ says Chekov.
‘And I believe her this time,’ says Sulu. ‘You know I don’t go easy on her, Pav -‘
‘Papa! It hurts. No!’ Kimmi pushes at McCoy’s hand as he’s trying to put some sort of antiseptic on her cut. Which is about a centimetre long. A little trickle of blood runs from it.
‘Hold her still,’ sighs McCoy. The Captain and Uhura are smirking at each other a little distance away. McCoy’s probably only doing this to humour Chekov, who tends to go somewhat crazy if any of his children are hurt or sick.
‘Nyota!’ Spock says. ‘I cannot hold off both of them myself.’
Misha has joined his brother, so now both twins are looking at baby Jarock.
Spock has an arm out holding Tosha back. Misha is patting the baby’s head gently - not enough to wake him, but enough to worry Spock. Tosha points at Misha and babbles complaining noises at Spock, asking him in baby talk why he’s not allowed to touch the baby but Misha is.
‘They won’t hurt him,’ says Uhura smiling, but she picks up Tosha. ‘Are you bothering your Uncle Spock, hmm? Who’s a naughty boy?’
Tosha points at Spock and complains some more.
‘What’s that, buddy?’ asks Kirk. ‘Spock did what? Aww, Spock! How could you?’
‘I am glad you are deriving some amusement from my predicament, Captain,’ Spock says, taking hold of Misha’s hand to stop him touching the baby. Misha looks up at him confused.
Kimmi screams as McCoy swipes at her cut and then he puts on a smiley-face band-aid. ‘There,’ he says to Chekov. ‘All better. Can I go now?’
‘Papa!’ whimpers Kimmi.
Chekov hugs her tightly and kisses her cheek. ‘It’s okay, Malyishka,’ he says. ‘See, all the blood is gone.’
Demi sniffles loudly and Chekov looks at her. His face softens. ‘Come here, you silly girl,’ he says, holding an arm out, obviously feeling more forgiving now the crisis is over.
Demi bounces into his arms for a hug, gratefully.
Sulu yanks Kimmi out of Chekov’s grasp quickly, as if he’s afraid the two girls might fight and pinches the tip of her nose. ‘You’re a big drama-llama,’ he says to her, ‘just like your Papa.’
‘Chu?’ she asks, hopefully and Sulu laughs and kisses her forehead. ‘Silly little girl,’ he says softly.
Stephen’s been watching them for a while now, and is beginning to feel awkward just standing there so he clears his throat.
They all turn to look at him. It’s even more awkward than he thought it would be.
‘Um -‘ he says holding out the box he’s been carrying. ‘I made these, so - er ‘
The effect is electric. Demi wriggles out of her Papa’s arms over to him and Kimmi struggles to be put down. Misha abandons Jarock to crawl closer and Tosha points and makes demanding noises at Uhura.
‘Saved by the cakes,’ mutters Sulu.
‘You made them?’ says Kirk coming over to look. ‘You mean in an oven, right? Not in the replicator.’
‘I wouldn’t do that,’ Stephen says indignantly. ‘They ain’t perfect, but they’re home-made - uh - ship-made. Really.’
‘Are they for us?’ says Demi, reaching for the box. ‘Are they for me?’
‘For all of you,’ says Stephen, relinquishing it. ‘Just don’t eat ‘em all at once.’
Demi looks at her fathers hesitantly.
‘Alright,’ says Sulu. ‘Just one each now, okay? I don’t want you bouncing off the walls any more than you already do. He takes the box from her and hands both her and her sister a cupcake each.
‘Er thanks,’ he says to Stephen. ‘You don’t have to let them bully you into making cakes for them, you know?’
Stephen shrugs. ‘No trouble,’ he lies.
Tosha is really squirming now so Uhura hands him to Chekov hastily. ‘Take this before it makes a break for freedom,’ she says. ‘Jeez, you’d think they were never fed, the way they behave.’
Chekov sighs and holds out a cupcake. Tosha attempts to put the whole thing in his mouth but only succeeds in smearing most of it on his face.
Misha on the other hand allows Sulu to feed him little pieces.
Kirk is looking at Stephen with an expectant expression.
‘Would you like one?’ Stephen asks uncomfortably, almost sure that this is what he wants.
‘Don’t mind if I do!’ says Kirk cheerfully and relieves Sulu of the box. ‘Hey, these are really good!’ he says with his mouth full.
‘You don’t have to sound so surprised,’ says Stephen, trying not to sound conceited.
McCoy snorts. ‘Well at least all the kids are happy now,’ he says, looking at the Captain pointedly.
‘You’re just grumpy ‘cos no-one brings you cupcakes,’ says Kirk, conveniently forgetting that Stephen didn’t bring him cupcakes either.
There’s mocking laughter to their right. Cupcake turns around to see Commodore Norrington, their surly guest, who is under their protection for the week.
‘A cupcake from a Cupcake,’ he says, smirking. ‘How quaint.’
As far as insults go, it’s rather tame. Stephen still feels his face flush with embarrassment. Not because of what the Commodore said, but because even though he’s been here for less than twenty four hours, he already knows of that stupid nickname that Stephen will never be able to shake off.
Especially not now that he’s started making cupcakes.
Kirk looks as if he’s going to says something, but Demi gets there first.
She marches up to the Commodore, little fists clenched and glares up at him.
‘You can’t call him that,’ she says. ‘He’s our friend. You have to call him Mr Hollister.’
Kimmi follows her sister, chocolate smeared around mouth. ‘Yeah!’ she says, staying well behind Demi, partly behind her back. ‘He doesn’t make you cupcakes.’
Kirk starts to laugh first, followed by everyone else. The Commodore looks put out but he smiles looking nauseated, and then turns on his heel and leaves.
‘You tell em, Demi,’ Sulu snickers. ‘Oh god, what are we going to do with you two?’
Stephen makes his excuses and leaves as quickly as he can.
Up until a couple of years ago he would have behaved exactly like the Commodore. It’s how he has behaved most of his life. He can’t help thinking that if only he’d had a friend like Demi when he was a kid himself, he might have been a better person.
Even little Kimmi, who was clearly scared but stood her ground to defend someone she liked, is better at three than he is at thirty.
Still, it’s never too late to learn.
♫♫♫
Stephen flexes his leg experimentally. It still hurts a little, although nothing as much as before. He swings his legs off the sick-bay bed and hesitates.
He should be doing this with the doctor here. Or at least Marlena. If he falls down he'll look even sillier when he has to call for help, but he doesn't want anyone watching him like he's a little baby taking his first steps.
Marlena knows him well enough by now not to push the issue. She'd kissed his cheek and patted his hand as if to say, 'Get on with it in your own time,' and left him alone.
They've been going out for a few months now and he can still scarcely believe his luck, but this is the first time he realises just how painfully in love with her he is. If he can walk today he'll tell her, he thinks.
This thought spurring him on, he stands up carefully and gingerly puts his weight on his left leg. Nothing happens.
Well, that was anti-climatic. He takes a couple of steps. It's achy and he's very glad he's on very strong painkillers, but he can't tell that he has a metal rod in there replacing his shin bone at all.
'Hello, Mr Cupcake!'
He looks down and sees Demi poking her head through the curtain. Kimmi peeks out from behind her.
'Hi!' she says.
Stephen smiles at them and sits back down on his bed to give his leg a rest. Just because it feels okay doesn't mean he should overtax it.
'Hello,' he says. 'What are you two doing here? Where's your Pa?'
'With Daddy,' says Kimmi. 'He's still sleeping.'
Ah right. Their last landing party on Cornalia had not gone so well. Kirk had managed to offend their leader by suggesting that their gladiator style tournaments might be less than civilised, and so they'd been forced to participate in the 'games'.
Stephen supposes he got off lightly. Sulu had been literally thrown to the lions. Kryonian tigers, to be exact. He'd been in a bad way when they'd been rescued. Kirk had carried him back himself, but Stephen had been sure that Sulu wouldn't survive the night.
McCoy told him that he isn't sure why Sulu isn't dead yet, but he's holding on with grim determination. He's lost a lot of blood and they've had to restart his heart twice. They're still not sure if his brain's been damaged or not.
He's over the worst of it, McCoy says. Sulu's breathing on his own now but he still hasn't regained consciousness.
'He isn't sleeping,' Demi's saying. 'I know what they've been saying. It's called a coma. That’s when you faint for a long time.'
'He's tired,' Kimmi says, firmly. 'Papa says he's very tired so he needs to sleep it off, like when we have a cold.'
Demi scowls. 'Papa wouldn't cry if it was just a cold,' she tells Stephen. 'Dr Bones said Daddy might not wake up.' She sniffles. 'But he doesn't know anything, Papa says. Daddy wouldn't get dead and leave us.'
'Maybe Papa should give him a kiss,' suggests Kimmi. 'Like Sleeping Beauty.'
Demi looks alarmed. 'Sleeping Beauty slept for a hundred years!' she says.
'Snow White was dead but then the prince kissed her and waked her up,' Kimmi says, defiantly. 'True love’s kiss always works. I know because of my learnings.'
Stephen doesn't know if he can bear to listen to more of this. He wishes he'd offered to take Sulu's place.
'Come on,' he says and swings off the bed, holding out a hand for each of the girls. 'Let’s get you back to your Pop. Don't want to worry him anymore, do we?'
Chekov had been huge when Stephen last saw him a week ago. Now he's thin with worry and is cradling a little bundle as he sits next to Sulu, stroking his hair back.
'We've got a new baby,' Demi whispers. 'She came early.'
The twins are sitting on the bed, Stephen can see from the way they move that they're trying their best not to dislodge any of the tubes that run from their father’s body.
Misha looks apprehensively at the monitors, while Tosha pokes Sulu's cheek determinedly.
'Up!' he says. 'Up now, Daddy. It’s late!'
'I think you may have misplaced these,' Stephen says, giving the girls a little push towards their father. 'They came wandering by.'
Chekov smiles wanly. 'They wanted to say hello,' he says. 'They did not disturb you, did they?'
'Nothin' like that,' says Stephen taking a seat next to him. 'Wouldn't want you to worry, that's all. I figure you got enough on your plate.'
Chekov scoffs. 'You mean with this big Cossack, almost getting himself killed?' he says. 'Girls, why don't you take your brothers to say hello to Dr McCoy in his office? Maybe he has a lollipop for you.'
Demora looks at Chekov sceptically, like she knows he just wants to get rid of them, but she does as she's told and the four children toddle off in the direction of McCoy's office.
'You've got another little girl, then?' says Stephen. 'You guys pick a name?'
'James,' says Chekov adjusting the blanket more snugly about the baby. 'I promised the Keptin. He did save her Daddy's life.'
'James?' says Stephen. 'For a girl?'
'I promised,' says Chekov. He strokes Sulu's cheek with the back of his hand, rubbing his knuckles over his cheekbones softly. 'I did not realise how hard it would be without him there,' Chekov says.
'I wish - I wish -,' he closes his eyes. 'He wouldn't leave us,' he says so quietly, Stephen has to strain to hear. 'He wouldn't. He promised me he'd always be there.'
Sometimes they forget how young Chekov is. Far too young to have five children. Far too young to have to deal with this sort of heartache.
'He'll be fine,' Stephen says stiffly, wishing he knew how to be comforting. 'He's a fighter. I mean he should have died five times over by now, but he won't let go that easy, right?'
Stephen bites his tongue, hoping he hasn't said the wrong thing, but Chekov looks less tearful. The baby starts to cry weakly. Chekov hugs her and makes shushing noises.
'Poor little thing. You made her come early,' he says. For a second Stephen is about to ask him what he's talking about, but then he realises Chekov's talking to Sulu, as he leans forward to take his limp hand. ‘Oh, Hikaru, you know I am no good without you. Please -'
Chekov's mouth drops open and his eyes almost pop out of his head. 'He moved!' he whispers. 'I felt it. He squeezed my hand!'
Stephen doesn't want to tell Chekov about muscle twitches and reflex motions - he guesses Chekov already knows, but he doesn't want to crush the hope in the other man's eyes.
Then Sulu moans weakly and swallows and Stephen gets to his feet quickly, paying no head to how his leg throbs at the sudden movement.
'I'll get the doc,' he says.
'Pavel?' mumbles Sulu, and Chekov cries out and throws himself over his partner, sobbing.
Drama-llama, thinks Stephen to himself, as he turns away to give them some privacy and to get the doctor. He blinks rapidly. Something's caught in his eye.
When he's out of here he's going to bake that family a big celebratory cake.
Maybe the girls will help him.
♫♫♫
Captain Hollister looks around the dorm room his son will be spending the next year in and pats his shoulder.
'This is nice,' he says. 'You should have seen the rooms we had back when I was a cadet. They weren't big enough to swing a cat in.'
Steve still looks dejected. He's a quiet, sensitive kid and even though he wants to go to Starfleet more than anything, he's been getting anxious about leaving home. Home being The Nautilus. Stephen finds it slightly odd that there is an entire generation of young men and women who will always think of a Starship as home.
He supposes there could be worse places.
'You'll be fine,' Marlena says to Steve, rubbing his back. 'Don't worry so much.'
'What if I suck at this?' Steve asks. 'It's not like you can come and get me. You'll be back on the ship.'
'I'll take a shuttle and come fetch you, the moment you ask me to,' his mother says. 'But you won’t want to come home you'll be having so much fun. I bet when the holidays come you won’t even want to leave then. You'll invent some assignment you have to finish but you won't fool us. Your father and I have both been here before and know all the tricks that cadets play.'
Steve doesn't look convinced.
The Captain checks his watch; he's expecting a friend to call. She promised she'd drop by and say hi and -
'Hi there, Mr Cupcake!'
The girl - well, young woman now, she must be about twenty one - at the door grins at him. She's wearing neon blue leggings under her scant that match the streaks in her hair, and surely, this must be a breach of several regulations.
'Sorry, I'm late,' she says. 'Polly couldn't find her cello bow and had the whole house in an uproar. I think Optimus hid it.'
Stephen grins back at her, and gives her a quick hug.
'Look at you,' says Marlena, pushing him aside so she can hug the girl. 'All grown up! Your parents must be so proud.'
'Try telling them that,' says Demora but she looks a little bashful. 'Papa's still annoyed I flunked Transwarp beaming my first year, but I'm a pilot. I don't have to know about that stuff.'
'I bet your Dad's pleased though, eh?' says Stephen.
'Like the cat that got the canary,' says Demi, 'but it's okay. Kim's going down the research route. The twins want to go command, though.' She sighs. 'They haven't realised that they can't both be Captain of the same ship. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of tears and tantrums if either of them ever gets promoted over the other.'
She grins at Steve. 'Remember me?' she asks. 'I'm Lieutenant Sulu; Demora Pavlovna. You were pretty young the last time I saw you but - '
'I remember,' says Steve, a little shyly. 'Are you still a cadet?'
'Nah,' she says. 'Just doing a little instructor work before my mission starts in a few months and then it's goodbye Earth! You're med-school, right?'
Steve nods blushing. Captain Hollister fights the urge to groan. Someone might have a little crush. This can't end well.
'I know one of the instructors there. She'll show you around before classes start if you want,' she says. 'You know Dr McCoy?' she says to Marlena. 'Jo's his daughter. She's managed to avoid actually getting on a ship for years by teaching.'
Her comm buzzes and she looks at it.
'I'll be there in five,' she says to it and grins. 'I'm meeting Dave and the brats for a few drinks,' she says. 'You should come too, Steve. No point moping your first night here. Kiss your Mom goodbye and let’s go.'
Stephen knows what she's doing and is grateful. Steve won’t have time to feel sorry for himself. He'll be alright.
Stephen hands Demi a little package as they leave.
'What's this?' she asks. 'Aww Mr Cupcake, you remembered!'
'Just don't eat them all yourself,' he says. 'Share them with the rest of your mad group, you understand?'
'I can't believe everyone calls you Cupcake,' gripes Steve. 'That is so embarrassing.'
'Hey!' says Stephen, cuffing his head playfully. 'That's Mister Cupcake, and don't you forget it!'
It's all too much for me to take
The love that's shining all around here
All the world's a birthday cake,
So take a piece but not too much
from It’s All Too Much by The Beatles.
Et Fin