BEDTIME STORIES
By
Shelley A. Rossel
Timeline: Years after
Author's E-Mail: ShelleyAnn@aol.com
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Hope you enjoy!
All comments, etc. welcomed at ShelleyAnn@aol.com. Lia>>Look!!! I named it myself!! <VBG>
Alex>>Thanks for the idea to go into a possible future storyline! :) So, officially, thanks to Alex, Lia, and Vicky for their feedback. It is much appreciated! :)---Shel :)
E2F
"Bedtime Stories", Part 1
by Shelley A. RossellSarah brushed the hair from her face and continued to read to her sister from a book of fairy tales. It was an antique, leather-bound volume that Sarah treasured. She had found it in a small shop on the station, among some old compact disc recordings. She had bought some of those too . . .
Her thoughts of antique items and centuries past were interrupted by Julia's seemingly never-ending questions. "Sarah, why would those children just go into the witch's house? That's dangerous." Sarah laughed quietly. Julia was so . . . logical. Everything had to make sense to her . . . it had to have order. Someday, little Julia would realize that nothing in this life makes sense, especially not in their lives.
"I guess they just weren't as smart as you, kiddo." Sarah closed the book and pulled Julia's covers up to her chin. "Time for bed."
"Sarah, who will read to me after you leave?" Sarah would be leaving for her first cold sleep tomorrow.
"Well, I'm sure Mother will read to you, if you ask nicely." //Yeah, right.// Their mother never spent a moment with Julia without drilling the Council's goals into her head. She'd probably manipulate the fairy tales to suit her own purposes. But the thought of one of the Regents having to listen to Julia's questions about Rumpelstiltskin and the like brought an evil grin to Sarah's face. That would definitely be entertaining.
"How long will you be gone? Will you be old when you come back?"
"I'll be gone for five years, Julia. And I won't be old. I'll look almost the same as I do right now. In fact, you'll be the one who gets old." Julia's eyes opened wide.
"Really?" Then her expression sobered, "But you won't be here for my birthday. I'll be five!" Sarah leaned over and kissed the toddler on the forehead.
"I'm sorry, kiddo. It can't be helped. But you make sure that Mother takes lots of vids and I'll watch them when I get back, 'kay?" The child nodded, then rubbed at her eyes and yawned.
"Good night, Sarah. I'll miss you." I'll miss you too. Sarah turned off the lights and retired to her own room. She had a lot of packing to do.
Julia's fifth birthday arrived but there was to be no party, and no vids for Sarah to watch. Julia's mother had declared that her fifth birthday was nothing all that special and took the time instead to remind Julia exactly why she was born and what her purpose in life was to be.
When Julia asked to be read a bedtime story, her mother simply told her no. "But Sarah always reads me a bedtime story . . ." the child pleaded.
"I'm not Sarah. She's gone, and she's not coming back. You'll just have to get over it, Julia." With those words, Julia's mother was gone . . . and so was Julia's innocence.
//'Today is the 100th day of our third year on this planet. In this time, we have learned so much. Many of us had never expected to be here this long, and most of us hadn't expected to last this long. But this planet has become our home. We are more a part of it than we ever were a part of life on the stations. Mary had once told Alonzo that the planet was Uly's mother. Perhaps G889 has become that for all of us.' - Julia Heller, M.D.//
It was Julia's twenty-fifth birthday . . . more than a year and a half since her sister had left her for the last time. Still, that day was fresh in Julia's mind, as was her fifth birthday. That day, twenty waking years earlier, Julia had never felt more abandoned.
But that day was behind her. She should concentrate on the present. Upon arriving at New Pacifica, all the Advance Team found was the communications dish. They weren't able to find any more of the cargo pods during their journey. The pods which had landed were quickly looted by the Grendlers. The group had managed to find some construction materials along the way, however. Their outpost at New Pacifica now consisted of several small quansett huts like the one in which they had spent their first winter. The tents were still in use but mostly for housing equipment and for use as office space.
And now that the Colony ship had arrived, there was much to be done . . . medical records to be catalogued, patients to see . . . but as was often the case on this new planet, Julia had other things on her mind.
Her concerns didn't have anything to do with Alonzo. They were closer than ever. He had decided to stay on at New Pacifica. The Eden group had become his family (hers too). And of course, he found Julia to be a most compelling reason to stay.
And the Council, although still something that frightened her, was not an issue for her right now. She had to believe that the group would be able to handle anything that might happen with them.
No . . . the problem lay within Julia. Her fears and concerns were rooted in the past . . . in her childhood . . . and in the present . . . in her impending motherhood. Julia had just learned that morning that she was pregnant, and quite frankly, the prospect of motherhood scared her to death. She needed to talk to someone, and she wasn't quite ready to talk to Alonzo. So she headed out to see Devon Adair.
Devon had just finished up in a meeting with Dr. Vasquez when Julia arrived. The look on Vasquez's face was none too happy, but Julia expected that. There had been some conflicts when the hospital ship arrived a few weeks earlier. Dr. Vasquez had expected to just take charge as soon as he walked off the ship, but the situation had changed. He was no longer the most experienced doctor in the crew. On this new planet, Julia possessed the most medical knowledge. Needless to say, Vasquez was less than willing to defer to the woman who had been his most junior intern. But that didn't matter, because Devon was the boss, and she put Julia in charge, whether he liked it or not.
"Julia . . . " Devon greeted her with a hug. In all the activity of the last few weeks, the two friends hadn't had the opportunity to spend any real time together. Lately when they saw each other, it was in a meeting or in passing. "What brings you here? Any problems with setting up the medical facility?" Devon glanced toward the departing Dr. Vasquez.
Julia shook her head. "No, that's working out just fine, Devon." She licked her lips and sat down in a chair beside Devon's desk. "I'm here for some advice . . . of a personal nature."
"Oh . . . I see." Devon took a seat beside her. "What is it? You and Alonzo aren't fighting, are you?"
Julia nervously twisted the silver ring on her thumb. Devon had never seen her quite so distressed. "No, it's nothing like that . . . um, well . . . "
"Julia, you're a good friend. You know you can tell me anything."
"I'm pregnant." she blurted out.
"Well . . . " Devon began, but Julia continued. "And I just don't know how to feel."
Devon took Julia's hand. "It's okay to be confused, Julia. Have you told Alonzo?"
Julia shook her head. "I don't know that I should be a mother Devon." Devon smiled warmly at Julia, remembering the day when she learned she was pregnant with Uly. She was fearful that she would be an awful mother. That she would ignore her child, just like her parents had ignored her. God knows that Julia's childhood couldn't have been that happy, either.
"I felt the same way, Julia. But I knew that I would love Uly with all my heart and soul. I knew that I would be utterly devoted to him. And I decided that was that. I had no choice but to be a wonderful mother. When I first saw Uly, I knew it would all be worth it." She looked into Julia's eyes, and trying to reassure her continued, "You'll be a good mother, Julia. Trust me."
Julia wasn't about to readily accept Devon's reassurances, though. "Devon, I have absolutely no idea how deep my genetic programming runs. I was programmed to be loyal to the Council . . . what if that manifests itself in my parenting skills?"
"Julia, parenting skills are just that - *skills*. They are learned, not programmed. Everyone makes mistakes, trust me. But we learn from them."
"Devon, I'm terrified that I will be just like my mother. It's a scientific fact that most people parent in the same manner as their own parents." By this time, Julia had stood up and was pacing Devon's office.
"But it's not a hard-and-fast rule, Julia. I'm not the same kind of mother my mother was. I'm a hands-on parent. She was definitely hands-off. Yale performed those functions for her . . . "
"But, you're not a chromo-tilt, Devon. Almost all of my personality traits were programmed."
"But you still fell in love. And you turned from the Council. These things weren't in your programming . . . " Devon heaved a sigh, feeling like she was running into a brick wall. "Maybe you should talk to Alonzo . . . " Nodding, Julia agreed with Devon on this point, at least.
"Thanks Devon. I appreciate you listening." The two women embraced once again and Julia set out to find Alonzo. Glancing at the time, she realized that he was probably in their quarters by now. It was evening already. She approached the door, and pushed on it, to no avail. The door wouldn't budge . . . it appeared to be jammed. Irritated, Julia pulled her gear from her pocket, and raised Alonzo. He answered audio only.
"Solace."
"Alonzo . . . are you at home? I'm outside and the door won't open."
"Yeah, Julia. Just a sec, let me grab a towel." The corners of Julia's mouth turned up just a little at the thought of a naked Alonzo answering the door. Just a moment later, the door opened to reveal all of the original Eden crew . . . their friends. "Surprise!" Alonzo grabbed Julia and spun her around, giving her a little kiss. "Happy birthday," he whispered into her ear.Julia tried hard to keep her expression happy. She had been thankful to have managed to get through the last two years without birthday festivities. Birthdays were not ordinarily a happy occasion for her. But Alonzo had no way of knowing, she'd never told him. So Julia just forced a smile and greeted all of their friends.
The party didn't last very long. Everyone was tired and had work to do in the morning. Devon was one of the last of the guests to leave, and she cast a knowing look in Julia's direction. Julia nodded. Yes, she would speak to Alonzo very soon. When the door finally swung shut for the last time, Alonzo came up behind Julia and seductively whispered in her ear. "So, when do I get to see the birthday girl in her birthday suit?" Julia turned to face him and took his hands in hers.
Devon and Uly met up with Danziger and True outside of Julia and Alonzo's quarters. John had noticed the looks exchanged between Julia and Devon. "What's with that, Devon?"
"Uly, why don't you go show True the plans to the playground? Huh?" Uly nodded and True rolled her eyes and the children ran off. Both Devon and John called after them "Keep your gear on!" Looking at each other, they laughed. Then John prompted Devon to continue.
"John, do you think I'm a good mother?"
"Of course, Devon! Would a bad mother travel 22 light years to save her son's life?"
"John, I'm serious."
"So am I, Devon. You do the best you can, and anybody can see that you love Uly very much. Why, what's bothering you?"
"Julia's pregnant."
"For real this time?" Julia had pregnancy scares before, while they were on their way to New Pacifica. But they were always just scares.
"Yeah. She checked a few times to be sure."
"They'll be okay, Devon."
"Well, Julia's having a tough time of it. She's worried that she'll be a bad mother, like her own mother." Devon turned away from John and continued, mumbling. "And that got me to thinking about my mother. She wasn't exactly loving." John turned her back to face him.
"It's hard to hear you when you're mumbling in the opposite direction, Adair. What's really bothering you?"
Devon repeated herself, realizing that John wasn't going to just let her drop the subject after all the trouble she'd gone through to bring it up. "That got me thinking about my mother. She wasn't exactly loving."
"Devon . . . like I said, you do the best you can. Uly is very lucky to have a mother like you. He knows that you love him. As for Julia and Alonzo, I'm sure that everything will work out for them. They'll have an easier time of it than you or I did, that's for sure. They should just be happy that they're together." John's matter-of-fact expression softened into a sad one when that last comment left his lips. He turned away from Devon. Clearly the loss of Elle weighed very heavily on his heart. Devon respected that.
"Thanks, John. And I'm sure you're right about Julia and Alonzo. They've made it this far. Right?" She gently touched his shoulder in support. "Maybe we should go find True and Uly?" He nodded and the two friends walked off in the direction of the Adair quarters.
"Bedtime Stories", Part 2
by Shelley A. Rossell"Alonzo, we need to talk." She led him to sit on a sofa in the living area, which was not the direction he wanted to go. "'Lonzo, I'm pregnant. It's definite, I've tested and re-tested." Alonzo's onyx eyes met Julia's sapphire ones.
"You don't look too happy about this Julia . . . what's wrong?" He searched her eyes for some clue, but found nothing. "I don't plan on leaving for a very long time, Julia, if that's what's bothering you. I love you. I plan on spending the rest of my life with you, if you'll have me."
Julia temporarily took leave of her concerns, her eyes opening wide. "If I'll have you? Of course, I would. I . . . I love you, too." Julia looked into Alonzo's eyes with a helpless and confused look on her face, and reached up to caress his face.
"Then what is it, Julia? What's bothering you?" Alonzo returned the gesture, then ran his fingers through her hair.
She looked down, ashamed to talk about her mother. She had tried so hard to put her life with the Council behind her, but the past refused to cooperate. "I don't like to talk about my family . . . you know that much. But, I've never explained why . . . " Julia's nose started to run as tears welled in her eyes. //Damn hormones.//
"Hey . . . it's okay." He gently lifted her chin with his forefinger to look once again into her eyes. "Julia, you know I don't care about your past, I care about you, but if it's making you this upset . . . " He let the sentence hang, hoping Julia would elaborate. And she did. Julia brought them both back to the day they met with Sarah nearly two years earlier . . .
Alonzo had gone to check in with the Eden group, just as Julia had requested. He supposed it was okay to leave them alone. After all, they were sisters. //Sarah wouldn't really harm Julia? Would she?// His fears had been put to rest when Julia came to find him about twenty minutes later. She had looked upset, but he'd figured it was just the stress of the situation getting to her.
Now Alonzo was learning that it wasn't just the stress of the situation that had gotten to Julia. It was the final realization that her mother didn't want her . . . not for her, but for what she could do for the Council. It was something she had always known - but until that day, Julia had clung to the hope that her mother had honestly cared for her.
Sarah had explained how the Council had "promoted" allegiance within its numbers. And from what Alonzo gathered, it wasn't a pretty picture. He wasn't able to get much detail from Julia, but he got enough of an impression to understand why Sarah had turned from the Council.
But Alonzo still wasn't clear as to what was upsetting Julia. He was almost afraid to ask. Luckily, Julia saw his confusion and stepped back a little further, to her fifth birthday . . .
Julia nearly leapt out of bed, excited to see what the day held for her. She was disappointed to find no streamers or balloons in their quarters. When Julia wandered into the kitchen, all she found was the new nanny her mother had hired. The stern old woman acknowledged Julia's presence with a curt nod and turned back to her reading. //Mean old lady.//
Every year before, there had been a party and a cake. But Sarah had held the party, usually while their mother was working - Mother wouldn't have approved of such festivities. And this woman either didn't know it was Julia's birthday, or she just didn't care. Julia decided that it was probably a little of both. She helped herself to some breakfast and decided to test out the waters with this nanny. "So what are we doing special for my birthday?" She gave the woman her most innocent, sweet look.
The woman looked sternly down her nose at Julia and replied flatly. "Nothing. Come, it's time for your lessons. Your mother's orders." Julia frowned. So much for cuteness . . . While it had *always* worked with Sarah, it obviously wasn't going to work on this one.
As her mother had decreed, Julia would have her lessons today just like every other day. Nothing special would happen, no party, no vids for Sarah to watch. . . .
Later that evening, when Mother arrived home, she brought Julia into her lap - a rare occurrence. Of course, starved for attention, Julia went to her mother willingly. She almost instantly regretted it when her mother began to recite "the speech". Julia had been hearing "the speech" all her life. Almost every day of her life. And birthdays were especially appropriate times, at least according to Mother, for a reminder of why Julia was brought into the world.
"I have been on the Board of Regents for the Council since long before you were born, Julia. The Council always comes first in my life. As it should in yours. You were created by the Council. All of your attributes have been genetically engineered. Because the *Council* wanted it, you *will* be a doctor. And you *will* be a Citizen of the Council. Do you understand what that means?" Julia nodded, wishing she wouldn't ever have to hear "the speech" again. She could practically recite it herself, maybe save her mother the trouble.
"I will be loyal to the Council, no matter what. I belong to them and they are my family." Julia regurgitated the answer that she knew would please her mother. Sarah had once explained that this was the appropriate answer, especially if she didn't want to hear "the speech" more than once a day. So, of course, happy with the response, Mother simply removed Julia from her lap and led her to her room.
She handed Julia a nightgown and instructed her to get ready for bed. Julia complied and climbed into her bed. Mother pulled the covers up to Julia's chin and turned to leave. "Mother, would you please read me a story?" Julia was as polite as she knew how to be, but all she received for it was a blank stare.
"No." came the reply. And her mother continued toward the door.
"But Sarah always reads me a bedtime story . . ." Julia pleaded.
Once again, Julia got the blank stare. "I'm not Sarah. She's gone, and she's not coming back. You'll just have to get over it, Julia."
". . . After that, I never asked her for anything." Julia finished. By this time, she had wandered toward the only window, and was staring blankly at the two full moons. Alonzo put a comforting arm around her.
"Julia . . ." He finally understood. She was afraid of being just like her own mother . . . cold and unfeeling. Not really a mother at all. He wished she could only see that she was already way beyond that. Just the fact that this whole thing worried her proved that she wasn't unfeeling. And she definitely wasn't *cold*. Turning her to face him, he continued. "We're going to be good parents. Sure, we might make a few mistakes. But we love each other, and this baby is going to know that he is loved too." Julia started to interrupt with some fatalistic comment, but he put his finger to her lips and gave her a determined stare. "I *promise*." He drew her closer into an embrace. Julia was still scared, but it wouldn't be so bad knowing that Alonzo was committed to her *and* the baby.
"Well?" Devon asked. The entire original Eden crew waited for the reply from Alonzo.
"It's a girl. We have a daughter." He looked to be in shock, almost. But his wide grin lit up his face as he accepted congratulations from their friends.
"Hey, buddy, congratulations! You feelin' okay?" Walman slapped Alonzo on the back.
"Serves you right, Solace! All those fathers you terrorized on the stations!" Baines added, shaking Lonz's hand.
"Damn straight it does!" Danziger added, with the tone of a father with a teenage daughter. "Congratulations, Lonz. How's Julia?"
"She's fine. They're both fine."
"So, have you decided on a name?" Bess asked.
"You know Morgan is a nice unisex name . . . " her husband added.
"Can we see her?" Uly and True chorused.
Devon reined in their excitement just a little. "Hold on, kids! Julia needs to get some rest. Maybe tomorrow, okay?" she offered.
"Yes, we've decided on a name, but Julia and I want to tell everyone together. Everybody can see them tomorrow. It's late, and we're all tired. Besides, Julia and the baby are sleeping right now. Okay?" There were a few groans of disappointment from the group but they all said their good-nights and left the hospital ward. Alonzo returned to the room which kept his wife and daughter safe and warm.
Alonzo and Julia had married shortly after they learned she was pregnant. They figured they were perpetuating what they hoped would be a new trend on this planet lifelong commitment in the form of a nolimit marriage. The Martins had done it and now Alonzo and Julia. Devon and John would have to be next . . . Alonzo grinned at that thought, but then shrugged it away. Nah, they were too stubborn! By the time they admitted their attraction, they'd be too old to get married!
//But they don't know what they're missing.// He smiled at Julia's sleeping form on the bed, and at the infant cuddled close to her. The baby stirred, and Alonzo picked her up and held her close to his own chest. Alonzo sat down in a chair that was beside the bed and grasped Julia's hand with his free one . . . and fell asleep. It had been a long, tiring day for him, too.
"Come on, Julia. Everyone's waiting." Alonzo gave her a quick kiss. "You look great," he reassured as she once again fussed with her ponytail. She groaned at him.
"You'd tell me that even if I looked awful."
"You never look awful . . . well except for that time . . ." Julia looked at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for him to explain just how awful she had looked and when. "I'm just kidding! Now come on!" Alonzo was already holding the baby, and was now waiting for Julia to open the door.
They finally made their way out to the living room, and were greeted by the mob of their friends. "Hold on, guys. Everybody just sit down, you'll all get the chance to see her." She was the first baby born to the group in the time that they'd been on this planet. It was an exciting moment for the whole family . . . even for Morgan, who could usually be counted on for a bahhumbug or two.
"So come on, what did you name her?" Magus was the first to ask the question. Julia and Alonzo exchanged glances and then looked out to the whole group.
"We'd like you to meet Hope Sarah Solace." Alonzo proclaimed proudly.
"That's beautiful." Bess said quietly, almost to herself. "She's a symbol of all this group's hope for the future." Then Bess just smiled, happy to learn that they'd chosen such an appropriate name for their daughter.
The light of the two full moons was shining through the window in Hope's bedroom. "Mama, read me this one." The three-year old pushed a book into her mother's hands. Julia looked down at her and pushed the girl's raven hair out of her eyes. She smiled and after placing the book on the bedside table, lifted Hope into bed.
"Okay. Did you kiss your father goodnight already?" The child nodded and motioned for her mother to read the story.
Julia looked toward the book on the nightstand and then gently took it into her hands. The leatherbound book had been given to her by her sister, many years ago. It was the one possession Julia cherished. Carefully, she turned the yellowed pages of the antique volume to find an appropriate story. Then she began to read . . .
//'When I first learned I was pregnant with Hope, I had never been so scared in my life. Now, I have a beautiful daughter and a devoted husband . . . and while I'm still scared of being a parent . . . deep inside I know that, no matter what my own mother was, *I* am a good mother.' - Julia Solace, M.D.//
-The End-
--Shel--
This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.