The Ghosts and the Lost - Part Four

Posted on Wed Aug 31st, 2022 @ 6:25am by Captain Leah Anderson & Lieutenant Commander Monique Deepshadow & Lieutenant Commander Krista Deepshadow MD & Command Master Chief Petty Officer Miranda Deepshadow
Edited on on Fri Dec 16th, 2022 @ 4:16am

Mission: Mission 109: The Travelers Path
Location: Various Locations - Starbase Vanguard
Timeline: 1800Hrs - November 18th, 2393

Lieutenant Krista Deepshadow regarded her twin in silence as she watched Monique replicate a half a dozen potatoes before she set about peeling them. The idea that someone would replicate ingredients separately and then cook them in one pot was mystifying to her. "What are you making...?"

"Irish stew. Aunt Miranda knows I'm going to be going to eat with Dad and his family tonight and while she would normally be dining alone... Tonight. mom is on the starbase so they'll dine together." Monique explained as she quickly peeled one of the potatoes before placing it into a pot half full of water. "Besides, this will take a while to cook so Aunt Miranda will eat it for dinner tomorrow night."

Krista nodded her head. "So you live here when you aren't on the Dreamcrusher?"

"I often crash here. Aunt Miranda doesn't mind and she has spent several years of her life being my parent so..." Monique shrugged. "I try to not be a messy houseguest and I help out where I can, as needed... Need a replicator reprogrammed? call me... Need the shower looked at?" she smiled. "I'm your girl," she explained. "Aunt Miranda isn't demanding... Besides, I should be calling her mom and my mom should be Aunt Leah..." she added.

"That's for you and your mother to resolve sweetie," Miranda commented as she approached, she was now wearing civilian clothing rather than her uniform. "Besides, I am not getting into that shitshow," she added before she turned to Krista. "However... You, on the other hand, seem to bring with you a rather unique story of your own..."

Krista nodded her head. "I am Krista Deepshadow." she introduced herself before she indicated Monique. "Her twin sister... The one that mom had stolen from her."

"I always suspected that you were alive my dear..." Miranda smiled as she gently touched Krista on her shoulders with both hands before she gently hugged her. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you... to know you are alive and well..." She said before she released the other woman from her embrace. "Unlike your mother, I never gave up hope... Unlike your sibling, I knew of your existence... Your mother buried her head in the sand because of it... It took her many years to be able to find the courage to face it and work her way through it... Do not judge her too harshly for her moments of weakness... Don't be like your sibling sweetie..." While she indicated Monique nearby with her left hand.

Monique regarded her aunt. "I take that as a personal insult..."

"Good..." Miranda answered. "But Monique... You are too hard on your mother... Remember that she was my sibling before she was your mother..." she commented. "Mom and Dad were a little too strict with us both and I was never interested in children... But I am considering adopting a couple of Ferasian children..."

Monique knew of this plan, she had been the one who had encouraged it as Krista smiled. "I have experience with Caitian children... Don't treat them like they are humans with fur... Each breed has rather specific requirements... As I was raised by Caitian parents... I can say that they had to change their approach to child-earing with me... I don't have fur... I also have certain female requirements that Caitian's generally lack... So they needed to become educated in how to raise a human..."

"Sounds like you had an interesting time sweetie," Miranda responded with a gentle smile. "Puberty is not the easiest time in life in general... For anyone."

"I did, especially when I began going through puberty, it was... challenging at times," Krista admitted.

"Oh, I can well imagine what it was like," Miranda answered with a nod of her head. "So... Where are you assigned sweetie?" she asked of Krista.

"I'm assigned to the medical detachment on the Starbase. I report for duty tomorrow morning..."

Miranda's mood brightened considerably. "Then you will be working with me then... I'm the Master Corpsman for Vanguards Hospital." she regarded her new niece. "We will be working together..."

"Nice..." Krista's spirits brightened considerably. "Where is mom assigned...?"

"USS Fall of Berlin, she's their skipper..." Miranda explained. "As I said earlier, try not to be like your sibling dear..."

"I assume you and mom have issues?" Krista inquired.

Monique raised en eyebrow as she regarded her twin. "That's one way of wording it..." Monique answered with a soft sigh.

Miranda smiled. "Leah fobbed her off on me, it ruined my relationship at the time... and Leah caused no end of issues to all involved, needless to say, it was a dramatic mess for everyone involved. Fortunately, I was able to handle the matter... Once Leah explained what happened and why it happened, I was able to understand..." as she shifted her attention to Monique. "I wish Leah had told you about Krista when you were younger... It honestly would have saved us all a lot of bother."

Monique nodded in agreement. "There isn't a whole lot I can really say, Aunt Miranda... Mom chose not to tell me and she opted to live with my resenting her for giving up on me while I was growing up..."

"I think a long talk between you and Jacob is in order... Maybe letting him wine you and dine you before he beds you... Maybe let him show you what you are missing out on." Krista commented with a smile. "I was raised by a Caitian... so I know how they think... Mom raised me to question everything and not be afraid of where my answers take me." she paused. "Mom knew she would lose me to my biological family... But I will maintain ties... I call Huthea home and I call Shelle and C'Nuri, mom and dad..."

Monique regarded her twin. "So... you'll never call Leah Anderson your mother then?"

"She is my biological mother Monique... But I do not know anything about her... To me, she is a total stranger... Same as you two are... Maybe that'll change... and maybe it won't. I don't know... But I'm not opposed to it."

Monique smiled. "Good... Like aunt Miranda said... Don't be like me." she commented as the doorbell rang, silencing the conversation.

"Computer, who's at the door?" Monique asked quietly.

"Captain Leah Deepshadow." came the expected answer as Miranda smiled. "Just a minute," she shouted as if sounding like she had been taken by surprise and was rushing around, while not expecting guests before she turned to Krista. "Are you ready for this sweetie?. If not then you can slip out the emergency escape while Monique and I detain her, she doesn't need to know you are here..." Miranda said quietly as she came over to Krista before she gently took the younger woman's hand in her own.

"No... Its time she and I met..." Krista answered. "I am ready..." she added.

Miranda gently hugged the younger woman. "I wish I had met you sooner," she responded quietly. "I wish I had your courage..."

Monique regarded her aunt and her twin. "You guys ready?" she asked softly. Upon receiving a nod from both women in question. "I'll get the door then." as Monique moved to the door before she tapped the door release. "Hey, mom."

Leah Deepshadow was wearing civilian clothing with a large chocolate cake in her hands. "Hey ladies..." she commented as her daughter permitted her entry into Miranda's quarters by relieving her of the cake. "Mm... This looks great..." Monique commented as she was trying not to drool over the cake in question.

Miranda went over and greeted her sibling with a hug. "hey sweetie. Prepare yourself... We have a surprise for you."

Leah hugged her sibling back. "Oh... What do you mean?"

Krista stood in silence as Miranda indicated her with a gentle wave of her hand. "Leah... Meet Krista Deepshadow... The daughter who was stolen from you."

"What?" Leah asked softly as she regarded Krista. "How...When..." she paused before she suddenly fainted. Krista caught her in her arms. "Easy mom. I think... you should sit down," she commented as she gently held the larger woman in her arms. "This is not how I had envisioned meeting you," she added.

Miranda winced, she hadn't been expecting this at all. She gently helped Krista move Leah to one of the sofa's while Monique retrieved her medical kit. "Here you go." as she handed it to her aunt, who opened it as Krista came over. "Let me help, I'm a fully trained Doctor," she explained.

"Nice. I'm going to administer a light stimulant to wake her, she seems to have not eaten today... Looks like the kinds ran her into the ground, as usual." Miranda commented in a light tone of voice. "Prep me five cc's of Cortolinn please.?" Miranda asked

Krista produced a hypo before she went looking for the medication, she found it a moment later and prepared the requested dosage. "5 cc's of Cortolinn." as she handed the hypo to Miranda who proceeded to administer it to Leah.

Leah slowly blinked open her eyes. "Mmm... What?"

"You fainted honey, you didn't eat lunch and you skipped breakfast..." Miranda commented with a smile.

"I'm not hallucinating... am I?" Leah commented as she looked at Krista. "You... are Krista?... the child that was stolen from me..." she whispered. "What... How?" she asked.

"No... You're not hallucinating..." Krista answered. "I am Krista and.... my path in life has been a long and strange one."

Leah regarded her lost child, the one she knew she had given up on and had come to terms with her passing. "I had no idea you were even alive."

"The Caitian colony of Huthea isn't good with their census taking and they aren't good with their records keeping either. I was taken in by a Caitian couple... and I was raised as part of their family... It was... an experience." she smiled. "For them and for me."

Leah slowly sat up as she regarded her child, as she held her silence, she had no idea what to say and it showed.

Monique came over to stand next to her new sibling. "Mom... Tell me something..." she asked gently.

Leah knew what was coming as she let out a soft sigh. "Why did I not tell you?." as she regarded Monique. "What was I supposed to tell you, Monique..." she sighed. "I wasn't sure how to even accept what happened myself. I made mistakes and I kept making them... Mom and Dad saw me as little better than a stupid immature child, even after I had taken you back and that didn't start to change until after I met Robert." she paused. "I was numb Monique... I didn't know how to face what happened... I didn't know what to do... Robert was able to help me... But it took years for me to figure out what to even say to you."

"I thought-" Monique paused as she let out a sigh. "I don't know what to think mom..." she admitted, rather than start a fight right here and now, she decided to back down and not start a confrontation, now wasn't the time for it. "I wish you had told me... Did Robert know about her?"

"Not at first..." Leah admitted. "It wasn't until after what happened, he knew something was wrong as he and I shared many of the same classes at the academy... It really hit me after I gave you up... My greatest mistake." she explained.

Krista regarded the woman who had carried her and given birth to her. "Did you tell our biological father when you became pregnant with us?"

"Who was I to tell Krista?" Leah inquired softly. "I was too busy enjoying the freedom to do as I pleased, to enjoy what I had been denied while growing up... I had sex with at least six guys in four months... I had no idea who to see and I did not wish to start a pregnancy scare... Oh, one of you guys is the father to my child... and I didn't want to deal with the drama... So I tried to clean up my act..."

"Then the unthinkable happened... She was stolen..." Monique sighed softly.

"It broke me..." Leah admitted. "Ever since I became pregnant with Stephen and Bruce. I got paranoid about ensuring the security around any and all children that I had... Nobody got near them that I didn't know about..." Leah paused as the first tear fell, it burned hot and angry down her face. "I could not face that again... I needed time to put myself back together and it was Starfleet who failed me... Because they allowed a stranger to get into the academy medical wing, steal a child... and then get away scot-free... That... That's why I asked Miranda to take you in... You deserved better than an absent mother. Not because I didn't want you... But because I needed time to find out what happened to Krista... Could I ever get her back?... and then I found out that she had died in a robbery gone wrong... All my hopes, dreams, and aspirations... all turned to ash, all at once... I had no idea what to do... The pain of that loss is so overwhelming, I risk failing even now..." she paused. "I could not think of it, it was so earth-shattering, that I became numb to my own pain and suffering... Robert saw that..." Leah sighed as she sucked in a raggedy breathe of air. "He saw it was doing to me and he ensured that I would have a way to cope... and slowly, over time, come to terms with what had happened..."

Monique was fighting off tears as she wiped at her eyes. Miranda knew all of this and even she was having her own issues. Leah turned to Krista. "I can't imagine what you think of me... I gave up on you..." she paused. "Even though I was told you were dead, I shouldn't have believed it... I should have looked harder."

"What were you to do?" Krista asked her mother. "How long were you to spend on this fool's errand mother? You had no corpse and no way to know if I was truly alive and well or not... How could you have known that the final body was me... Even if it wasn't?"

"It does not matter..." Leah answered quietly. "Krista, I can't imagine what you think of me... After everything that happened, I faced some bitter truths... I was a woman who had no morals... I slept around with random guys because I was repressed in my youth... Then I had you two, losing you was bad enough... then you died and then I lost Monique because of my own pain... I asked Miranda here to save my hide... and it didn't matter... because I didn't tell her, Monique I mean about you and what happened... You were too young and I was still numb." Leah paused as she sighed softly. "Even after the boys came along, I was still numb... But what was worse... Was... I got paranoid about security in sickbay and everywhere else. I did not feel safe and I didn't think my family was safe... I was utterly fanatical about ensuring nothing would ever go wrong, ever again..." Leah paused. "In some ways... I still am paranoid about security..."

"Is that really a bad thing?" Krista answered. "Security tends to get looked at the least... and ensuring security works to get access to certain areas is a healthy thing... Ensuring that the right people have access to the right information or the right equipment is a good thing."

Miranda nodded her head in agreement. "Indeed, but it can also be taken out of context as well... Leah, you endured shit I can't imagine as I've never had kids of my own... and I honestly haven't the slightest idea of the nightmares that you still face on a nightly basis... and I know that what happened, still torments you."

"It does... It still causes me issues, even to this day..." Leah let out a soft sigh. "Robert has been a great help, I suffer to think where I'd be now or what I'd be doing were it not for him..."

Monique closed her eyes as she finally collapsed against the futility of resisting her own emotions as she began to gently weep.

Miranda likewise also began to weep as Krista regarded her mother. "You still forgive yourself for what you saw as your misdeeds upon older misdeeds... That everything that happened... You blame yourself for... Because there was nobody else to blame..."

Leah nodded her head, unable to speak.

"Time has been unkind to you mom," Krista answered. "The poison of that wound was never removed... its been allowed to fester and taint you, turn you into something... else..."

"I had no idea you were alive..." Leah answered.

"That does not matter mom, you have been far too hard on yourself..." Krista answered. "Carrying around all of this self-loathing, all of this self-hatred... Two Caitians took me in and raised me as best as they could... They also knew that would lose me the second I left home... Because I wanted to know who mom and dad actually were... Shelle and C'Nuri raised me but they accepted this fact... I am not their child. But that said. I am alive and I am also assigned here to the Starbase... So you'll have time to get to know me..."

Miranda spoke up. "You are more then welcome to stay with me if you want... I did request family-sized quarters... and I don't mind the extra company."

Krista paused. "I don't have quarters assigned to me yet... The gear that I brought with me is in my office in the hospital... I went there first and got to meet Lieutenant Kadian Paris, my working partner, I am told she is highly skilled and competent..."

"She is but she's been worked a lot recently... So be nice to her." Miranda answered.

"I can do that," Krista answered. "I've heard of Kadian Paris from others... I am told that she's great in terms of work but she's anti-social and tends to want to be left alone when she's offduty. I can't say I blame her really... I read her file, she's quite the looker..."

"Oh?" Miranda commented. "What do you mean?"

Monique smiled. "She said the same thing about Sammy, said she was hot, and asked if she was available not realizing that Sammy was her half-sibling."

"Yeah well, Sammy does have a nice rack... But man, she has an ass to die for." Krista added.

Leah snickered softly. "Somehow, that's to what I had expected you to say." Leah slowly started to get to her feet but she fell backward into the chair before Krista gently took her mother's hands and hauled her to her feet. before mother and daughter embraced at long last. Krista smiled as she gently felt the larger woman's arms around her. She had always wondered if she had been wanted by her biological mother and while she had assumed that she had been unwanted or abandoned, it was nice to know once and for all, that this was not the case.