Be Well, My Grandson

Posted on Thu Oct 8th, 2015 @ 9:30am by Chief Petty Officer Adriana Keen & Lieutenant Commander Morai Keen

4,211 words; about a 21 minute read

Mission: A Civil Act
Location: USS Ranger - - Keen Family Quarters
Timeline: A few days after "Baby's First Subspace"

ON:

Anthony was in the caring hands of his mother as Keen fiddled with the collar of his dress uniform; he thought it would put across the proper message in this conversation. He had made sure to get dressed in plenty of time in the event he had to make adjustments before the subspace transmission. It would be a formal call in his opinion and he gave it that intent as he walked out into the main living area.

"Okay Kitten, I am ready, the area is yours as I will watch over the cub." He said with a grin, the quiet was a welcome change meaning the Little One had been fed and is good for a time.

Adriana had just finished feeding Anthony and was walking back and forth in the living room. She looked up at her husband and stopped dead in her tracks, just staring at him. "Wha- what- what are-" she sputtered after a long moment of silence.

"Is the uniform not pressed correctly?" Keen asked. "I thought I had taken the care to make sure it is ready for a formal event?"

"What are you wearing and why?" she finally managed to get out as she gazed at him from head to toe. Yes, she happened to think he was quite handsome in his dress uniform, always had, but... but...

"This is an exalted event; on Bajor all new life is celebrated. If we were on Bajor it would be in an event with the Vedek of choice like what you would call a baptism, only we would offer thanks to the Prophets for his birth," he said as though it were common knowledge. "I felt that to present our son to Vedek Keen would be no less than warranting formal attire." He tilted his head. "I do believe we buried my robes a long time ago."

"I didn't think we were 'presenting our son to Vedek Keen'. I thought we were calling your parents to show them their new grandson," she said, a little dismayed at the formality of it all.

"It is the same, Father is a Vedek, one should show respect for the elders." He had the pat answer. "I have failed him in my not returning to the Vedek Robes so this is the closest I can come as it is the life I have chosen."

Adriana's eyes narrowed just a little. "You have not 'failed' anyone, Keen Morai. You *chose* to follow a different path. And I know that your decision had caused more distance and pain between you than I can really understand, but that is NOT the same as 'failing' anyone." Her look softened a bit and she looked up to his eyes rather than at his clothing. "Besides... I thought things were getting better between you two. Not healed over, not forgotten, but better. Remember our wedding? Remember how happy your mother was? I even danced with your father. Morai, beneath it all, they still love you- and you love them. You... you don't need to put all that," she gestured to his clothes, "between you."

Keen stood for a moment just looking at his beloved. "I-I was formal with my Father even..." He began, hesitating to think. "You always did like the brown suit with the wrap around shirt..." He looked at her for a second. "Maybe without the jacket.... S-so not to put added pressure on my Kitten, casual then?" He stepped closer and put his arms around her. "He makes me... uneasy, Kitten. I am waiting for him to quit acting and go back to confrontation mode." Keen admitted.

Adriana carefully angled in his embrace so that Anthony was cradled between them, but not squished. "I know. But if you don't chance meeting him without the armor, neither of you will ever be close or comfortable again." She looked up at him. "If he starts *anything*, we will hang up and only call through your sister and your mother. You know I won't stand for him attacking you. But I think if we give him a chance... Maybe Anthony will be give him the perspective to remember a time when *you* were young, when you were his little boy, when he would, and did, do anything to protect you," she said, alluding ever so gently to a story she'd once been told of Keen's father taking a beating from the Cardassians in lieu of Keen being punished for an infraction.

"If you and Anthony will allow me a moment, I will change to the brown shirt that I know you favor and some slacks?" He smiled. "This collar is not as comfortable as it looks." He kissed her forehead then Anthony's. "I love you, Kitten." He said then paused to let that get in. "You are in my heart as well, Little Cub." He winked to his son before heading to change.

Adriana smiled after him. "Love you too, Keen Cat." She bounced Anthony a little. "You love Papa, too? Yes, we love Papa, bunches and bunches, don't we," she murmured, doing the 'Mommy-dance' of swaying and bouncing and walking that mothers start to learn to sooth and entertain a baby.

It did not take Keen long to be in a pair of comfortable pants and the brown, Bajoran cut, long sleeved shirt before returning to the two members of his family, offering to take Anthony. "You can go get ready, Kitten."

"You look much better," she said handing Anthony over gently. "Especially now." She smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She originally planned to just splash a little water of her face, but as she headed back to the bedroom she noticed she had a little spit-up on her shoulder. She sighed. She really had to stop forgetting to have a cloth on her shoulder- she was changing her shirt at least three times a day....

Keen had his son nestled where he could watch him for a moment. "You know there are two of us; men I mean, and that about makes it an even split in the house decisions." He smiled and with his finger caressed his son's face. "Of course, I think you are the head of the house right now, my son; my life is your mother’s and yours; I give it happily to you." Looking into the little face. "I will protect and nurture you until you are able to do so yourself, then I will be there when you need me for all the days of my life." He cooed to the baby.

Adriana rubbed her face vigorously with a towel, bringing a little color to her tired face and changed into a cream-colored nursing top. The color would hide any more spit-up if she got more on her, and since Anthony would need to be fed again in a few hours... Well, it was easier than having to change or remove her shirt when the time came.

"Alright, ready as we can be. Your parents I'm sure are looking forward to this; we shouldn't keep them waiting," she said as she came back to the main room and headed for the control panel to place the call. "Ready to meet another set of grandparents, Anthony?" she asked.

Keen arranged the communications relays and the chair in front of the monitor, he let his wife sit but this time he was more reluctant to let Anthony go to his mother. "Do you mind, Kitten?" He asked softly. "Just until he ..." Keen did not know what to say just that he wanted to hold Anthony.

"Of course not. Last I checked, he was your son, too," she teased a bit, though she did reach out and stroke Anthony's head a little straightening the little blue cap he was wearing again. Pale yellow blankie and blue cap was obviously his 'meet people' uniform for now.

The monitor came to life as Keen sat; cycling through the symbol of Bajor until the screen showed three people. Keen first made eye contact with his sister Kenya; the smile that followed was one few could know; Adriana had seen it in private but to see it now was something not often witnessed.

"Hello, Morai." Kenya greet as her eyes fell upon the child. "By the Prophets..." Her face lit up. "He is so beautiful..."

Adriana smiled at her sister-in-law. She and Kenya got along famously. "Thank you," she said and resisted the urge to reach out and touch Anthony's cheek again; she didn't want to block everyone's view of the baby. She could have more time to cuddle and coo at him again later.

"Mother." Keen said to his mother Danalee.

Mother Keen was looking at the child naturally the next second and the softened expression and slight blush showed whom she had eyes for. "Yes, he is adorable... so much of you in him, Morai, his Pagh is blessed with yours and the heart of his mother."

It was Gerad that did not get direct eye contact at first with Morai, but a second later the son looked to his father; their eyes met as Keen held his breath almost. Anthony seemed to remain content as he had a bit of a full tummy and no gas to speak of so he looked ahead in infant wonder. The two men did not say a word between them; Gerad looked to the child and back to his son Morai, the features were subtle in the change and hard to read.

"It changes everything you know..." Gerad mentioned. "Once you see your child looking up at you, so helpless, and then it hits you that their fate and pagh are yours to help mold with help of the prophets." He took a little breath. "I see ... my Father looking at me when I held you, my Son. And now I understand that expression on his face; to know that your ... son has found happiness." He nodded. "One can only feel blessed to have been on the path to bring this about. I see the Prophets work in this."

"Thank you, Father," Morai said almost surprised. "I would not have been here were it not thanks to your being my protection and wisdom." Morai agreed. "This is Anthony; I only hope to give him that wisdom you passed to me and hope he grows into manhood."

"Anthony is an Earth name that's been used for thousands of years. It means 'priceless'," Adriana said with a proud and joyous smile.

"It was appropriate." Mother Keen said. "Of course it is good to know you both have the right idea of his value."

"I remember thinking that it had been worth every pang... both times." Kenya smiled. "I did hear you had some complications?"

Adriana nodded. "A little. Turns out he's his father's son, even in utero. But it worked out and he wasn't harmed at all. That's the important thing," she said.

"Our Chief Medical Officer has experience in Bajoran births; Adriana was in the best of hands." Morai assured.

"Be in better hands if she were here, no one knows Bajoran births like a Bajoran." Mother Keen smiled. "You will drop him by when in our sector won't you?"

"Yes..." Kenya added. "The young ones want to meet their cousin." She beamed. "We got the pictures you forwarded, but he is soo much more cute." She smiled to Adrianna. "He has so much of you in him as well, Adriana, such a blessed mixing of you both." Kenya smiled brightly. "I-I loved that show at Deep Space Nine by your... Brother?" She asked. "I saw the portrait of the two of you and Anthony is so much prettier?"

"He is a very friendly young man, Mother Joz had said. He gave us such insights as he took us on a tour... I felt like I was cheating everyone." She nodded. "He talked all about you dear, he dotted over his sister. ‘Ads’, was it?" Mother Keen asked.

"I'm so glad you got to see Teddy's show. He's going to add a portrait of Anthony to it, as well," Adriana said, a little surprised that they had gone to see it. Teddy hadn't mentioned that they'd been there. Then again, Teddy had been very busy with the show touring all over the Federation and hadn't gotten to tell them everything. "Isn't it amazing how he managed to capture so many different couples, so many different races blending, so many relationships? And with sculpture, painting, drawing, holoimages, photography.... We were all so proud of him." She smiled at the Keens on the screen and the ones sitting next to her. "And I for one am so... touched that our love- Morai and I- that we were able to inspire that..." She did reach out to caress Anthony now, another piece of art brought about because of their love.

"Anthony is the prophets art work." Morai said with a smile. "I am glad Teddy took you about, he is a very good man."

"Fine young man." Mother Keen added. "Your ... Mams and Da?" Mother keen tried to think. "Did a very good job with both of you. I found Teddy quite delightful."

"Thank you, Mother-Lee," Adriana said with a smile, using the little nick-name she'd come up with for her mother-in-law. "I think they did a pretty good job of it too. If we can do about as well, we'll be alright." She put a hand on her Keen Cat's arm and gave an affectionate squeeze.

"He has done well." Gerad added. "He has loved his wife in a way that the Prophets blessed you with Anthony."

Morai did not know what to say, he was stunned.

Adriana actually blushed at that, trying not to hear the double entendre she was sure- she hoped!- Gerad hadn't meant to say. "Thank you," she said to break the silence that fell for a moment.

"Only the truth." Father Keen said. "I just wish Anthony were here to have a proper Bajoran celebration."

"Gerad, let them enjoy it." Mother Keen said.

Kenya was watching Morai with a smile on her face; she had seen him with her own children and this is a change; it was a good change.

"I can tell Anthony will not have a lack of doting parents." Kenya teased.

"We waited a long time for our little cub," Adriana said, trying to explain- what she was trying to explain she had no idea or why but it just felt like she should be explaining something...

"The prophets are..." Morai began.

"Proud of little Anthony." Mother Keen said. "I want to hear about my Grandson; is he fussy or does he just cry when hungry and what kind of a baby he is?" She cut all of them off cold. "Look at that darling, make me want to reach through and bring him through the call just to hold him."

"He's a little fussy sometimes," Adriana admitted. "But we're getting the hang of it. He likes to be held, even when he's asleep." She cast a little smile at her husband. He had said many times that he slept better when he was with her; sharing a blanket, sharing body heat, and sharing that unique intimacy that comes from letting down every guard and completely trusting someone, they slept better when holding each other close. Anthony apparently took after them in that respect, too.

"A little counselor in the making." Keen joked. "He has a tendency to make others feel at ease around him, he has been complimented by nurses that were taking care of him say they felt he was so cute and cuddly they felt so comfortable holding him."

"They didn't tell me that," Adriana said, not sure if she felt flattered that her son was winning hearts so easily or left out of the loop because they were saying these things to him and not to her.

"You were sleeping and I work with the staff, they wanted to let you sleep." He explained. "Anthony has been well received."

"Not even a week old and you were already flirting with girls? We'll have to keep an eye on you," Adriana said to Anthony, trying to joke past the feeling that she'd been excluded; she knew that was ridiculous, she'd been asleep apparently, but logic didn't have a whole lot to do with her feelings right now. At least she knew when she was being unreasonable; she comforted herself by noticing that.

"You know the nurses I thought were going to keep Morai and Kenya." Mother Keen said. "I was so wanting each time to scratch their eyes out as they kept taking my babies from me." She chuckled. "Or so it seemed at the time; I was very emotional and possessive. You would have thought I would be calmer, being the wife of a Vedek, but I was not."

"I haven't been quite that bad... have I?" Adriana asked with a look at her husband. She really hoped she hadn't been that bad- she didn't think she'd been too possessive- she'd really been trying not to be, especially with Morai himself, making sure to give him time with Anthony....

"You are quite the tame one." Gerad said. "My wife was just so glad to have the children she was a bit possessive, of course we had the fear of the Cardassian over-lords who would take children as punishment and such so please take that into account." He said. "The way you look at my son and Grandson, I think you are just where you need to be."

"Every mother is a little possessive for the first but then suddenly they are clinging little creatures and you cannot wait to have them taken away then you get to where you are the mother you will always be. Post-partum is quite the evil side of us all." Kenya added. "But it passes quickly."

Adriana just nodded to show she'd heard, but she couldn't argue one way or the other about that. She suddenly looked up at Kenya. "Is there- I just thought- is there anything about Bajoran babies I should know?" she asked in a sudden little panic. She didn't know what kind of new complication she meant, but she suddenly wondered if there was some obscure Bajoran physical condition that would hit in the next few weeks that she didn't know about....

"Babies are babies." Mother Keen assured. "Be they human or Bajoran or in between." She smiled. "You have a handsome son and he has been an angel while we have looked upon him. I only hope you can come by soon so I can hold him?"

"We'll come when we can," Adriana promised, but since she had no way of knowing when that would be, she couldn't say any more. She just hoped that there wouldn't be a sudden competition between the grandparents or accusations that someone else got to see the baby more...

"As long as it is not us seeing him for too many Birthdays I will be content." Gerad put in. "It will be good to see the little man of course..." He hesitated. "If arrangements could be made and time given ... if it is easier if we come to you that would not be ... overlooked as an opportunity."

Morai almost dropped his jaw; Kenya looked to her Father for a second before she said something.

"I-I will make sure that our unclassified arrivals will be relayed to you as soon as I can..." Morai said slowly. "Y-you will be given notice so to have the maximum time for planning."

Gerad nodded.

"What it takes for me to get a holiday away from Bajor." Mother Keen smiled. "I can think of no better reason. I will have to make some sweet sauce for the baby; cannot have him missing out because he has no teeth." She mused. "I used to give the children little tastes off the end of my finger..."

"No wonder Morai is so addicted to Shinga Root." Kenya laughed. "Mother is trying to make Anthony dependent upon his grandmother already. Using Shinga Root like that." Kenya teased.

Adriana shook her head. “Like father like son, you want to make it, Mother-lee? I suppose if it starts to work as an incentive for good behavior, I can allow it. Although I’m not sure how often Morai really earns his shinga root, since he’s supposed to be ‘very good’ in order for me to replicate it…”

"With 'Very Good' as the standard I know why I crave it more as it is so hard to achieve." He kept a straight face. "I believe a 'pretty good' would be an easier goal for my son and me." He added.

"I think Adriana is the best judge of your goals for Shinga Root." Mother Keen leaned closer. "Little Anthony can have a-l-l-l he wants from Grand-mama."

Adriana sighed a little dramatically. "Going to spoil him rotten, aren't they?" she asked her husband.

"Most likely," Morai replied as he glanced to his wife. "They are quite set in their ways."

"It is our turn to have the fun." Mother Keen laughed. "A little more joy in the days is not a bad thing."

"I am willing to share them; mine are a little too old for the spoiling and being held every second of their visit." Kenya teased. "But know this... keep them from fighting over who gets to hold Anthony, they can be a bit... possessive when it comes to cuddling the grandchildren."

Now it was Adriana's turn to look a little surprised. She wasn't sure she could imagine Gerad 'cuddling' the baby. Holding him in one arm while reading a Bajoran scripture to him, yes, she could imagine that easily. But 'cuddling'? "That I'd like to see," was all she said, making it into a joke with a smile and a laugh.

"Gerad used to rock them to sleep and give them to me once they were out cold; he said it was to give me a break but I think I knew better. He loved his children and took each chance he got to spoil them." Mother Keen informed. "Do not judge him now as he was then; children change him; it is adults that he had clashes with."

Adriana looked at Morai out of the corner of her eye. "An old earth saying about apples and trees comes to mind," she said, thinking of how many times already he had taken Anthony to 'give her a break.'

"I did have a few questions about where I had acquired the good habit?" Keen mused. "Or maybe it is just in the genetics and you just get the benefits." He shrugged. "I am sure we can give you all the cuddle time you require." He continued and looked down at the child as Anthony was just starting to show the first signs of not being content. "He is very warm when he is resting." He passed Anthony over to Kitten gently. "He does like to have feminine warmth as there is a softness he prefers."

It was Kenya that took note of the change and she smiled as she remembered those moments when her husband had been with her.

Adriana took Anthony with a soothing sound. "Definitely like father like son, then," she said and gave Papa a little smile. Her husband did indeed prefer a ‘certain softness'; he had told her many times.

"Some things might truly be hereditary." Keen admitted reluctantly.

Adriana bounced Anthony a little in her arms but he wasn't being soothed. He started wriggling against her, moving his head and starting to make puckery, sucking motions. It didn't seem possible that hungry again, but he was certainly acting like it. "Alright, Cub," she assured him and started to stand up. "Alright." Turning back to the monitor, she shrugged a little. "Sorry to cut this short, but looks like someone needs a second lunch. Say bye-bye to Grand-mama and Grand-dada," she said and 'helped' Anthony wave bye-bye.

Bye -bye..." Mother Keen bid.

"Be well, My Grandson," Gerad said

"See you soon, my Nephew." Kenya waved.

Adriana said good bye herself and was on her way into the nursery where a comfortable rocking chair waited. And not a moment too soon, she thought as Anthony started to make the pre-crying, whiney, hungry noises she was starting to get so familiar with. She didn't see how he could possibly be hungry though- she'd fed him less than an hour ago...

"I know you do not come by often," Mother Keen began. "But I know you will be coming by soon." She winked before she started to get up. "Take care of your family, My Son."

"Be well, my Son, and your family," Gerad gave him before going away.

"Welcome back to your life Morai." Kenya said. "Just be sure to keep me posted." She said and nodded to cancel the channel.

"May the Prophets protect you," Keen said before the channel went off.

OFF:

Lieutenant Commander Morai Keen

CPO Adriana Keen

Anthony Keen

Keen Family on Bajor

 

RSS Feed