Dangling Threads - Part Thirteen

Posted on Tue Jul 21st, 2020 @ 6:18pm by Division Admiral Talon Yeager & Lieutenant Commander Monique Deepshadow & Lieutenant Samantha "Sammy" Yeager & Lieutenant Melody McKnight-Yamaguchi & Post Captain Davijaan "Oddball" Yeager

Mission: Mission 109: The Travelers Path
Location: Various Locations - Starbase Vanguard
Timeline: 1955Hrs - September 23rd, 2393

Deepshadow regarded the man who was her biological father. "Wow, your issues with Jerome Hunt makes my issues with my mother look like a joke..."

"No honey. Just different in context and scale. Jerome Hunt was a direct threat to my spouse and her remaining children. I don't know what he did to Noel... I've left her alone on the subject... Noel gets on with the other children and she respects me... To a certain level, of course... She still has trust issues she's working on, with help from Talon and the kids." Yeager explained with a nod.

"But not from you." Deepshadow inquired.

"Noel's made it clear that she doesn't know me... Which is understandable... I've only lived with her for the better part of a year now. Talon has been focusing on Syal and Edward more than anything else and I've been looking after the older kids, mostly to help Talon." he paused. "It does not help that Jerome Hunt and I have a few things in common, skin tone being one of them." he sighed softly.

Deepshadow frowned. "No... No..." she said a second time as she almost growled at him. "I've heard of Jerome Hunt from others, he treated others with a certain level of malevolence and formality. You.... are nothing like him..." she growled softly. "He would not have given me the time of day, he would have ignored me and when I presented the DNA claim, he would have simply ordered me to have nothing to do with him on pain of court marshal," Deepshadow explained. "Then there was the case of the other Jerome Hunt who is stuck here after coming through a temporal anomaly, he's a lot younger than the one we knew." the small female explained. "I confess... I still don't know what to make of that..."

"There is nothing to explain. He's not the same Jerome Hunt... He's stuck in a reality that's alien to him... Hopefully he can fit in... " Yeager answered. "Monique, you are still kin to me. A child I never knew about until recently, and you will always be welcome at my dinner table."

"I don't..." Deepshadow paused before she decided to go all in. "I don't know where I fit in in your life... you got Talon, you got all these other children and you seem, to have it all figured out..." she suddenly stopped because she was turning her statement into an angry rant.

Yeager regarded her, an air of sadness swirling around him. "Did you ever ask Sammy or Melody where they fit in?"

"Melody... She's yours too." Deepshadow paused. "I... I thought..."

"Not by DNA she isn't. Talon is her mother and someone else is her father but I call Melody my daughter, she is a Yeager because she is the eldest child of my wife... Thus she has as much right at the dinner table as anyone else I am related to from Talon's side and my own... Talon and I took the concept of a blended family to a whole new level, we both have children with other people... Melody from Talon and Orthos. Sammy from me and Ja'nette and you from me and Leah..." she explained. "You asked where you fit in... You fit into my life as one of my children. I am still your father and I have a measure of responsibility to you, what you have to decide for yourself is... Do you want it?. Do you want to be a part of my family... If so, then great, and if not, then that's fine too."

"You make it look so easy..." Deepshadow answered.

"No... Not easy... I have my philosophy because its something I decided upon as I have children with two women, that I know of... There could be others I've yet to find or know..." he paused. "Talon has always had the mentality that any child that comes into her life, is hers by default. Regardless of genes." Yeager explained. "Now. I'm not going to sit here and tell you what you can and can't do Monique... But before you decide, let me say this once and for all. You are my daughter, in as much as Syal is, or Melody or Perea... It makes no difference in my eyes who raised you or who taught you... Because you are still my daughter and I will always be there for you, whenever, however, whatever you need it."

Deepshadow smiled softly. "I've... I don't know what to say."

"There is nothing to be said, Monique..." Yeager answered as he gently took her hands in his own. "But the choice is yours..." he added as he regarded her light brown eyes, so similar to his own.

"Alright... I'll consider the matter." Deepshadow answered before she turned her head and noticed the other women in their little party approaching. "You guys ready to eat?" Talon inquired with a smile. "I know these plates are self-0heating but I think we ut it to the test tonight." the older female added with a wide grin. "OPr do you two need a few more moments?"

"Mmm... Yes, the scent of this food smells great and it's been a long evening, for all of us." Deepshadow paused. "No... I think its time we ate and enjoyed this meal... as a family should."

Yeager smiled as he beheld his lost child, now coming in from the cold. The gathering took their assembled seats around the table before they began eating their meal.