The Songs of Summer - Part Two

Posted on Fri Mar 13th, 2020 @ 6:37pm by Lieutenant Melody McKnight-Yamaguchi & Department Master Chief Petty Officer Stephen "Orthos" McKnight & Major Daisy Rohr-McKnight
Edited on on Fri Mar 13th, 2020 @ 6:39pm

Mission: Mission 94: Shattered Shields and Crack'd Swords
Location: Various Locations - Starbase 12
Timeline: 1900Hrs - July 27th, 2392

"The eggs are burning," Melody answered, a gentle smile on her lips which instantly did three things, it ended the conversation, it redirected Orthos's issues and it helped to soothe the air in the room. Melody turned to the other female present. "So, Daisy, what do you do for a living these days?" she inquired. "Hopefully the people that be have you doing something worthy."

"Orthos," Daisy whispered to her husband, "Is everything alright? You seem rather....not yourself."

Orthos regarded his wife as Melody moved off to give husband and wife a moment. "I'm fine. Talon and I have a very complicated history and she's never quite gotten over my getting her pregnant at age seventeen," he explained. "Since she had decided she was keeping the baby, I told her that I could look after the little one while Talon went through the academy." He let out a soft sigh. "Our relationship Daisy has required very little effort or works from either of us but Talon. That one was-" he paused as he breathed out and then back in. "A lot of work, which is ironic as she wanted nothing to do with me. I wasn't letting her throw away her life to look after an unplanned child and I wasn't about to have that child come after me twenty years down the road, thinking I was a deadbeat dad."

Melody ordered herself something from the replicator before she came back over. "It also helped that I wished to know who my father was, I am one-quarter Vulcan so I developed faster than many kids my age," she explained with a smile. "Once mom realized I was serious, she then calmed down after she and dad discussed the situation."

Orthos chuckled softly. "Discussed?" he inquired. "Is that what we're calling this now?" he regarded Melody, who was sipping her glass of water.

"Well, considering she did throw that vase at you and she missed, mom always did have poor control of her temper." Melody smiled. "I think it was when you took over raising me alongside your other kids, then I began to see. Especially considering all the rest were much older then I was."

Orthos paused. "Daisy. Before you think the worst of Talon, know that she has calmed down as she got married to someone else, a right loser as he was a control freak and it was only after she divorced him that she appreciated what she had with me, despite our complicated relationship."

"Mom's main issue was that your other kids were mostly older then she herself was," Melody added, a wide grin on her face. "That one always played with her brain."

Orthos raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"She didn't think it as right, her dating a man who had children older then she was." as she gave Daisy a look. "A situation that's identical to you I believe." she inquired of Daisy. "How do you get on with dad's other kids?"

"I get along well with them," Daisy replied. "To be honest, the age difference between Orthos and I doesn't bother me. It doesn't even cross my mind."

Melody smiled. "If mom thought like that then you and Dad would never have dated, I doubt you'd have ever met." she paused. "Mom's loss is your gain." she shrugged. "Besides. Both sides of my family are really convoluted and complex. I got to meet Sammy Yeager and Monique Deepshadow. The two adult daughters from mom's husband's previous relationships." she smiled at that thought. "A complex web no?"

Orthos sighed. "I really thought my family was crazy. With me being a great-grandfather."

"Oh no, Dad. Daisy, tell me something.. Could you cope with marrying into a family that had just found a second adult child you didn't know about?" she inquired. "Or that one of the kids was an alien who was adopted?"

Orthos pulled the eggs off of the stove, while he chuckled ever so softly. "You're talking about that child custody case, aww, that's just mean Melody."

"Its still a legitimate question," Melody responded, a twinkle in her eye.

"I can deal with that just fine," Daisy replied. "As long as people are willing to talk about things openly and show genuine affection for each other."

"See Dad. Someone with an open mind." Melody indicated Daisy. "If mom had been as half as open-minded as you, then my life would have turned out rather differently." she paused. "I like you, Daisy. You do not live up to your reputation. Julia said that you were protective of Dad and Mary said that you were not to be trifled with lightly."

"Julia isn't wrong, sweetie," Orthos commented. "Neither is Mary." he then cracked some more eggs and dropped them into the pan. "This is the best part of cooking, right here, right now," he added quietly. A wide smile on his lips. "Melody. I do not need Daisy here to protect me, we look after each other. She helps me with my issues and her issues are my issues."

"Sounds good to me Dad. I hope my future relationships work as well." Melody added as the sound of a baby crying cut through the air like a hot blade through some butter. "I'll go tend to him. You two chat among yourselves." Melody commented.

"You have an interesting daughter," Daisy told Orthos. "She seems pleasant but did something happen to her when she was younger?"

"Mom lost her mom when she was a teenager, it was devastating to all involved and Talon wanted revenge from the Borg. So she gave up on the sciences that she loved so much." Orthos explained as Melody returned with a protesting infant in her arms, she handed Edward off to his mother. "I'm not sure he likes me."