Love And War Bk. 04

"Thank ye, luv." Cole grinned and they hit the turbolift just in time as the door opened with the familiar rush sound. They rode it up to five, then got off, made a right, and saw room 551.

Jason looked up when he saw the shadows in the door and grinned, as did Delaara when she saw her cousin. "Donie!" She grinned and ran to her cousin. "Come on in, you two, and meet Brandon 'Babyface' Rasher!"

"Bloody hell, not the Irishman again!" Rachael grinned at her friends.

"I'm always around somewhere, Captain!" Cole beamed at the baby. "He's a cutie!"

"Yeah, he takes after his mom." Jason grinned.

"Hey!" Rash said, then thought about it. "Yeah, you're right. He's not fugly enough to take after me."

"He's adorable, Rachael!" Donatra said. "May I?"

"I don't see why not. Delaara and Jenny have already held him." She handed her baby to the Romulan Commander.

She held him for a moment, and kissed his little nose. He reached up and grabbed her ear, and she laughed as he let go.

She carefully handed him back to the Captain. "He's so cute!" She was grinning from ear to pointed ear.

"Well, hell! We did make it in time!" Lou filled the door frame for a moment before he moved inside and Kralla joined them.

Donatra's eyebrows both went up as she saw the big Biker and his Klingon wife, then smiled. Delaara had some interesting friends. They'd brought little Vincent with them, and he said "Aunty Del! Unca Jay!"

Jay picked him up. "Hey hey, champ! You know Aunty Rachael, right?" Vinnie nodded and grinned at the Captain. "Well, this is your new cousin Brandon." Jason pointed at the baby.

"Cool!" Vinnie exclaimed.

"I think that was the first word he learned," Said Kralla with a grin. "Not momma or dada, but cool!"

"Hi, I'm Donatra. I'm Del's cousin." She introduced herself to Big Lou and Kralla.

"Hey, Dona. Yeah, Cole here's told us about ya. He's a good kid, and you could do a lot worse!" Big Lou liked the Irishman and his girlfriend. "Any family of Del's is family to us." He grinned through his thick chest length beard.

"Oorah, Gunny." Jason said.

"Semper Fi, Colonel!" Lou replied.

"Lou was Marines, Donie." Delaara explained.

"Yep, and I see two Praetorians in the room now." He grinned at Dona's surprise.

"It's all in your stance, sweety. I can spot it a klick down the freeway." Lou laughed.

"It's true, Dona. Lou here's seen action in every corner of the Alpha Quadrant." Cole laughed.

"And even a bit in the Gamma Quadrant." Kralla winked.

"How soon they lettin' ya outta here, Cap'n?" Lou asked Rachael.

"ASAP, Gunny." She replied with a grin. "I need a bloody drink!"

"Well, stop by the bar when you're out, and we'll hook ya up. Guinan's been a great help, by the way!" Kralla loved the El-Aurian bartender, who had also become family as she enjoyed riding.

"Ok, let's give the mom and dad some quality time with the baby. When we get to Big Lou's, drinks are on me!" Jay said as he herded everyone out of the room. He turned back. "We'll be at Lou's all day."

"Roger that, Skull Lead." Rash grinned. "We'll be there ASAP when Rachael gets released."

"Roger that, five." Jason waved and followed the rest out, and over to the bar. He and Del rode with Cole and Dona in his Mjolnir to the bar, while Alex and Jenny rode his Hog, and Big Lou rode his, and Kralla rode hers with Vinnie in the sidecar. They pulled in and went inside.

Shawn and Julie had just come off shift and were in talking to Guinan when they entered. "Hey hey, Shawn! Worked graveyard again?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, it's this case we're working on. Blasted kidnappings during the middle of the night. We've been staking out the parks around town, since that's where the abductions are taking place." Shawn looked haggard, as did Julie.

"Guinan, beers are on me today. At least until Rash gets here." He grinned. "Also, everyone, this is Commander Donatra, captain of the IRW Valdore."

"She's my cousin." Delaara said.

"And my girlfriend." Cole added with a wink. She turned and kissed him lovingly.

"Well, it's good to meet you, Donatra. Jean-Luc told me about your battle with Shinzon, and he'll be here shortly to get you that drink he owes you." Guinan said.

"Hey, now I have to compete with Captain Picard?" Cole grinned. "I'm bloody well doomed!"

"Not likely, boyo!" Dona grinned and kissed him again.

As if on cue, Captain Picard, CAPTAIN Riker, Commander Troi, Commander LaForge, Commander Worf, and Lieutenant Commander Ezri Dax materialized in the bar.

"Hey, guys! Come on in. Drinks are on Jay!" Lou grinned at the Enterprise crew.

"Hey, Will. About damn time you got promoted!" Jason grinned at his old friend.

"I'm in command of the USS Titan now, and working with Ambassador Spock and Commander Donatra to work out an alliance with the Empire." He smiled. "I heard you got promoted to Colonel, Jason. Congratulations." They shook hands.

"Your handling of the battle in the Gamma Quadrant was superb, Jason." Donatra said. "Jean-Luc told me about it after the battle against Shinzon."

"He usurped my command and used a completely unorthodox maneuver to ensure that no more lives were lost." Jean-Luc was laughing about it.

"I just did what I had to do, sir." Jason said with a shrug as he blushed.

"You don't have to call me sir, Jason. We're the same bloody rank now!" Picard laughed.

"Yes I do, sir. You are still the man I look up to as much as I looked up to my own father." Jason said and smiled.

"Jason, you're like the son I never had, but wish I did." He patted the young Colonel's shoulder. Then he turned to Donatra. "Commander, I believe I owe you a Romulan Ale. Guinan?"

"Already poured, Jean-Luc." She handed Donatra the glass.

"And one for Lieutenant McBride, if you please?" He asked.

"Also already poured." She handed it to the Lieutenant.

"Thank ye kindly, ma'am." He said and drank. "Mmmm that's some good stuff!"

"I knew there was a reason I loved you, Cole!" Dona grinned.

Her words caught him a bit offguard. "You.. love me?" He asked, his mouth hanging open.

"You bet, boyo!" She grinned and kissed him passionately.

As she pulled back from the toe curling kiss, he said "Good, because I love ye too, darlin'." Then he grinned and kissed her lovingly, pulling her against him.

"Damn!" Kralla said. "Do all Romulan women kiss like that?"

"All the ones I know, Kralla." Jay said to his friend.

"She can't hold a candle to you, baby." Lou said and kissed his wife passionately.

"You smooth talking jarhead!" She gasped after breaking their kiss.

"Oorah, baby!" He grinned.

"Semper Fi, Marine!" She kissed him again, then whispered in his ear. Lou's eyes got wide.

"Hell yeah we can go try for another kid!" Lou yelled out. "Guinan, you got this, right?"

"Hell yes, Lou! Go knock her up!" Guinan said, laughing. Lou got up from his barstool, slung Kralla over his back, and disappeared into the back room.

"Only Lou could get away with that!" Jason laughed and clinked bottles with Shawn.

"No kidding!" Shawn laughed along with his oldest friend.

The conversations turned to war stories, and Donatra told about the battle against Shinzon with Captain Picard and the Enterprise.

Then Rachael and Rash walked in with their brand new baby. "Hey, guys!" Rash said as they entered, and all the women moved towards them to get a look at the newborn.

"Like moths to a flame." Shawn grinned at his friends, and all the guys clinked bottles at that.

Rash joined them at the bar while the ladies all cooed and took turns holding his son. Guinan handed him a beer.

"Thanks, ma'am." Ryan said to her with a smile.

"How's being a dad so far, Ryan?" She asked him.

"It's going to be fairly difficult, but if I can take down an Orion battleship with just my Flight backing me up, I can raise my son. His flight training starts tomorrow." He winked.

Jason laughed, then had to explain the joke to the rest, who then joined in.

About half an hour later, Lou and Kralla reappeared from upstairs, and Lou was grinning ear to ear, while Kralla had a semi-dazed smile on her face. She saw the women cooing over Brandon and joined them. Vinnie was still down for his nap with Suze watching him.

Cole looked at Dona. "I love her, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to marry her yet."

"Brother, trust me. When the time is right, you'll know." Jason told him.

Alex said "I think we're going to have our wedding next weekend, if Jenny's mom can spare a few days off from performing."

"Hey, right on!" Rash said, punching his former wingman in the shoulder.

"Rash, I want you to be my Best Man, if possible?" He asked.

"Try and stop me, brother!" He hugged his big Klingon friend.

"Yes, Jenny!" Delaara cried out. "Yes, I'll be your Maid of Honor!" Jason grinned. At least he didn't have to throw the Bachelor party this time around.

Jason's combadge beeped. He took it out of his pocket and tapped it once. "Colonel MacKenzie here." He answered.

"Jason?" Jason froze. "Jason, are you there?" His mouth had gone dry. "Jason, son? Are you there?"

Delaara had noticed and ran to her husband. He was pale, as if he'd seen a ghost, and holding his combadge and staring at it. Then she heard the voice issuing from it, as did everyone else.

"This is Commander Delaara, to whom am I speaking?" She asked.

"I'm Lieutenant Commander Evelina MacKenzie, and Jason is my son." The voice said.

*****

Delaara had seen how the voice over the comm had affected him. "She's dead." He'd whispered. "She can't be alive. What about dad?"

Jean-Luc also looked as if he'd heard a ghost, as did Rash and Lou.

"Whoever she is, she's coming here." Delaara said.

"She's my mom." Jason answered, still whispering. As if he were to talk too loudly, it wouldn't be real.

The door opened and she walked in. Jason looked and saw her. A bit older and with a little gray now in her hair, but it was her. He stood and she saw him amidst all of his new family. She smiled broadly and ran to him. He ran to her and picked her up in his arms.

"MOM!" He shouted as he hugged her tight. "Mom, if you're alive, where's dad??" He looked around for any sign of his father.

"He's at home, Jayjay." Only his mother ever called him that, and nobody knew it but Rash and him. She was smiling in the way he'd remembered. "Mom, what happened to you two? When Jean-Luc got there, the Stanford had been destroyed already!"

"I can answer that, son." Admiral Nelson walked in, grinning ear to ear.

"Nick!" Rachael grinned and walked towards them with Delaara, Donatra, and all the rest. Jean-Luc was looking at her as if she couldn't be real.

"Ok, everyone who wants to meet my folks, let's go to our place." Jason said with a huge grin.

As many as possible piled into both bombers and the rest rode to Jason's house. As they walked in, Jason saw his father, Commander Bryan MacKenzie, unpacking some things he'd brought home.

"DAD!" Jason ran and threw his arms around his father.

"Jay!" His dad replied.

"Holyshit I thought you were both dead! Hell, everyone thought you were both dead! What the hell, and how the hell are you alive?" Jason was asking at Warp 9.

Admiral Nelson came in and said "Jason, I told you that I could explain this." He chuckled.

Everyone turned to him. "Ok, this is what happened...."

He went on to explain about how the Stanford's crew had been taken by the Orions before the Cardassians had arrived and destroyed an empty science vessel with no crew aboard. The Orions had been wanting to ransom the crew back to Starfleet, but were stymied by the Cardassian interference, since they'd been planning to retrieve the Stanford for even more ransom. They thought that the Federation wouldn't pay for them, so they sold their prisoners as slaves to one of the Orion nobles. They were rescued by a platoon of Starfleet Marines who had raided the Orion's home in conjunction with the pirate attack on Risa the previous year.

"Nick, that is almost too crazy!" Rachael laughed.

"Mr. and Mrs. MacKenzie, this lovely lady holding my son is Captain Rachael Thatcher, commanding officer of the USS Nimitz, and my CO as well as my wife." Rash grinned.

"Mom, dad, this is my wife, Commander Delaara. Formerly of the RIF and now XO of my Wing and Squadron aboard the Nimitz." Jason grinned even wider. "Delaara, these are my parents, Bryan and Evelina MacKenzie."

His mom and dad were speechless at seeing Delaara's striking features and pregnant belly.

"Oh, and this is your grandson, Bryan." Jason said, putting his hand over Delaara's stomach.

They both moved in to hug their daughter-in-law. "It's our pleasure to meet you, dear." Evelina said.

"Mom and Dad, the introductions aren't over. Commander Donatra here is Delaara's cousin. We met her last Christmas on Romulus. Cole here is in my Squadron and is also Dona's boyfriend." He grinned. "You pretty much know everyone else except for Alex and Jenny. They're the rest of my Alpha flight in the Skulls."

"Wait, Jayjay. Did you say you were 'Colonel MacKenzie' when I commed you earlier?" Evelina asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm the commanding officer of Skull Squadron and Striker Wing off the USS Nimitz. Delaara is my XO." He said with pride. "She's the former CO of Gladius Wing, Romulan Imperial Fleet Fighter Command."

Bryan laughed. "Son, we need to sit down and you need to tell us exactly how you two met!"

Jason grinned, as did Delaara.

*****

Jason, Delaara, Rash, and Jean-Luc all relayed various parts of the tale, and both his parents were laughing by the end, especially when Rash said "Butt naked" when they were telling about the away team beaming down to find them, at which point Rachael smacked him upside the head. He said "Hey, come on, Will. Back me up here!"

Will had said "It's true" with a shrug. Then they went on to talk about her defection and their marriage the day after running a perfect mission together.

It took the rest of the day and most of the night to bring them both up to speed on everything that had happened. "So now we're at peace with the Romulans, and Will is going to work on an alliance with them, while we might now be facing a new threat from the Dominion, as they've found another stable wormhole to Federation space." Jason finished.

Admiral Nelson had told him that at first they believed his parents might be changelings, but their physiology never wavered during their physical exams, and they matched 100% to the DNA on file for them.

Jean-Luc had told them about the battle on the other side of the wormhole and how Jason had not only risked himself, but had taken command of the entire situation to get them all back alive after losing a third of his Wing.

"Son, you've made me proud." Bryan said to Jason.

"Thank you, sir." Jason said back to his dad.

Bryan had laughed at that. "Son, I think I should be calling you 'sir' now. You outrank me!"

"Baby, I think I have a new name for our son." Delaara whispered in his ear. "How about Stamro?" She asked.

"Fate in English from Romulan." Jason replied. "I like it, sweetheart."

"Ok, my lovely wife has figured out a new name for our baby. Stamro, from the Romulan for Fate." Jason said with a grin.

"Mom, Dad. Your fate was to come home alive. I think that deserves a name for our child to commemorate this day." He explained.

They nodded and smiled, and Evelina teared up. "Jayjay, you have made me so proud too."

"When did you get so wise, son?" Bryan asked.

"I grew up quick after you both died, Dad," he replied with a smile. "And I had a lot of help getting that way." He squeezed Delaara's hand and pulled her onto his lap on the couch. She threw her arms around his neck.

"Dang, Mr. and Mrs. Mack. I never thought we'd see ya again." Lou finally spoke, and had a big tear rolling down into his beard.

"Come here, Gunny!" Evelina said, and threw her arms around the big Biker. He hugged her gently, then shook Bryan's hand as he introduced his wife to them. When they'd last met, he was still a Marine who had just opened his bar, but hadn't fought in the Dominion war yet.

"Babe, did you call Suze to tell her we're payin' her overtime?" He asked Kralla.

"Done already, jarhead." She grinned and kissed him.

"Good deal, honey. Anyhow, we'd best git back to our place and pay the babysitter. You kids all take care." He grinned as they left to goodbyes and see ya laters all around.

They filed out one and two at a time, until just Rash and Rachael remained with them. They broke out some beers from the fridge and even Delaara had one, saying that one beer wouldn't hurt the baby. Jason had stocked the fridge with an entire case of Harley's brewed by Lou and Kralla, and had been able to buy it for a few credits, since he'd been working part time as a bouncer while they were waiting on the refit of Nimitz.

"So what are you two going to do now?" Rachael asked them.

"Well, we heard that there is a new science vessel launching soon, and I've applied for the Captain's spot." Bryan said with a smile.

"Ok, but Dad... This time, get one with some weapons on it. Please!" Jason begged him.

"I'll try to find one that packs a punch, Jay." His dad grinned.

"We were looking around earlier and noticed that you've made this place pretty much your own, so we are going to be getting our own place up in San Francisco." Evelina said.

"Mom, you don't have to do that. This is still your house." Jason told them, and Delaara was nodding agreement.

"Sweety, we've wanted to move for some time, and now is the perfect time to do so. You two are happy here." Evelina told them.

"Thanks, Mom." Delaara said to her with a smile.

"I'm not sure if I'm used to having my son's wife call me Mom yet." Evelina grinned.

"Oh, son. Do you know what happened to my old figurine of the USS Enterprise 1701 and your great great great great grandfather's bayonet? I can't seem to find them anywhere." Bryan asked, and Jason looked guilty.

"Sir, the Enterprise figurine now belongs to Ambassador Spock, and the bayonet from our ancestor now belongs to Admiral Stelis, RIF. He's Delaara's cousin, and therefore my family as well. As is Spock. They were Christmas presents." He said, and made no apology.

His parents just nodded and smiled. "It's ok, son. By the way, Happy Birthday." Bryan said, smiling. He patted his son's shoulder on their way to the guest room to sleep, having seen that their son and daughter-in-law had taken over the master bedroom.

Rash and Rachael decided it was time to head home next door, and Jason kissed his wife while on their couch. They were both too wired to sleep. This had been a helluva day. They kissed slowly, tenderly, lovingly. No words were needed tonight, as everything had been said already. They got up and went to bed, slipping under the covers together and holding each other until sleep took them.

Bryan and Evelina woke up the next morning to the sounds of sizzling and the smell of eggs, bacon, and pancakes. "Mmmmm, is that what I think it is?" Evelina smiled as she opened her eyes.

"I believe so, honey. At least he didn't forget how to cook while being a hot shot fighter jockey." Bryan chuckled.

Jason was just plating the food when they came out to the kitchen area. Delaara had once again commandeered an oversized surfing t-shirt, but had put on panties underneath for modesty's sake so she didn't offend her new family. She was flipping the pancakes while Jason plated the eggs and bacon.

Delaara heard them and said "Good morning, guys!" without looking as she flipped the flapjacks onto each plate.

Jason turned and said "Romulan hearing is a wonderful thing" with a shrug and a grin.

"Good morning, you two!" Evelina was pleasantly surprised as her son and daughter-in-law cooked breakfast.