Title: Family Matters
Rating: Universal, suitable for all, appart from maybe those who
allready have too much sugar in their
diet!
Codes: R/T (duh), Kyle Riker
Archive: If you really want it, sure,
Set: Post Nemesis
Disclaimer: I've written a letter to Santa begging him to let me have
them, but apparently Paramount have threatened to take rudolph hostage if he
tries any thing!
I make no money from this, and I have to borrow
what I do have from the evil student loans company. Please don't sue, its not
worth it
any way.
Family Matters
Kyle Riker sat in the small living room of his creaky old house, a
solitary white haired figure contemplating another Christmas alone.
It was what he felt he deserved. A long time ago he had turned his
back on this place, on everyone he should have loved, he had run away
when they most needed him, and it seemed only fair that they return
the favour. This had been his home once, filled with the joy and
laughter of a family, but forty years of neglect had robbed it of its
heart. He wondered why he had bothered to come back at all. He would
be alone no matter where he was, why did he feel it necessary to
torture himself with memories of how it used to be? To surround
himself with the images that haunted his dreams, the smiling faces of
those who had once been friends and family, and be reminded of every
thing he had lost? Maybe it was the need to be some where familiar,
the building, the village, this planet, something that had remained a
part of him no matter how hard he had tried to get away, but it
called to him, and year after year he found himself back here. It had
become a tradition, just like the giant fir tree that stood in the
corner mocking him with its cheerful lights, presents lying beneath
its branches waiting for people who would never come.
He watched the snowfall outside and couldn't stop the
moisture gathering in his hard grey eyes as he remembered snowball
fights with a beautiful woman and a little boy who had inherited his
mother's bright blue eyes. Will had loved the snow then, pulling them
out of bed early every morning to play on the toboggan, or begging
them to teach him how to skate on the frozen lake. Afterwards they'd
all trudge back to this house, tired wet and frozen, but happy. Like
so much in his life though, it hadn't lasted, and Will's mother had
been dead by the next winter, causing a painful breach between the
two she left behind. Kyle had to admit, that if he was completely
honest with him self, he had never quite gotten over Beth's passing,
and while he doubted weather his son could remember much about her,
he was sure that his son had also suffered. And it was his fault.
He'd allowed the pain to overwhelm him, and slowly but surely he had
pushed away the only living reminder of his wife's existence. It had
taken almost twenty years for him to find the courage to try to fix
the worst mistake of his life, and even then it had been for all the
wrong reasons. They'd come to an understanding, but only after he'd
had some sense beaten into him, and their relationship had remained
tense.
The tension had only become worse when he'd had to refuse an
invitation to Will's wedding here in Alaska. He'd been called away
again to advise on some petty interstellar quarrel, forbidden from
talking about it even to explain his absence. By the time he returned
it was too late, the Titan was headed out of Federation space and
communication was strictly fleet emergency only. He hadn't even had
the chance to offer his congratulations, and for the first time in a
long and distinguished career he'd found himself actively resenting
the life he had chosen. His son had been married for more than a year
now but he hadn't been in touch, and Kyle thought he understood. Will
was busy with his own life, he had a ship, maybe even a family, what
would he want with an old man who had slighted him on the happiest
day of his life? Still, it would have been nice to be able to tell
him how sorry he was, how proud he was of his accomplishments, to get
to know the woman his son had fallen in love with a little better.
Leaning forward to warm his hands on the simulated fire, he wished
them well, and many happy Christmases to come.
There was a knock at the door. Frowning he pulled himself up
from his chair and went to answer it. He wasn't expecting anyone, and
even the carol singers knew better than to intrude on his solitude
today. What he found rendered him speechless. His son and daughter in
law stood freezing in his doorway, eyes bright from cold and smiling.
But they weren't what his eyes were drawn to first. Nestled in
Deanna's arms, tightly wrapped in blankets to keep her warm was one
of the tiniest baby girls he had ever seen. He was a grand father.
"Surprise!"
End.