[Galaxy] 12 Mar, Personal log, Garroway/Batenburg "Home"

[Robert]

[ Endeavor-A, Orbit of New Darwin ]

Garroway put his PADDs aside when he saw that the connection had been 
made, and the communique to Earth was ready.  He tapped the icon on the 
monitor and smiled as Suzy's face appeared.

"Thomas!" Suzanna exclaimed as she saw his face. "How are you? How are 
things going over there?" She knew he wouldn't be able to say that much 
over the connection but she was still curious. And glad to see him. It 
was surprising how soon she'd gotten used to having him around as much 
as he had since she'd told him she was pregnant.

"They're going," he said.  "Vulcan was as unproductive as usual, but I 
think the diplomacy is headed the right direction.  I saw Selek and a 
few other familiar faces, so I had a few private conversations to help 
get things going again."

Suzanna smiled at the mention of Selek's name. She had served a long 
time with the Vulcan and had a lot of respect for him. "I am glad to 
hear at least the Diplomacy is heading in the right direction." She was 
only far too aware of the difficulties of Thomas' position. Not that 
long ago, she had been in that job after all. "Next time you may see 
him, please pass on my regards to him."

"Will do," Garroway nodded.

"How is New Darwin?" She'd been there and had enjoyed the few days she'd 
spent there. In fact, it was there that she'd fallen pregnant. Somehow, 
the planet would keep a special place in her heart.

"I was on my way to Andoria when I heard about the battle here," 
Garroway said with a sigh.  "The place was pretty torn up, but they've 
made leaps and bounds in reconstruction.  It reminds me of home, 
actually. No matter what happens, you pick up and move on.  There have 
been casualties, of course, so it won't ever be the quite same, but 
it'll still be Oonah Lotmah."  He smiled a little at that, how things 
change but still manage to stay the same, sometimes.  Then he leaned in 
a little.  "How's the baby?"

"Alive and kicking." Suzanna replied and chuckled. "Literally... since 
yesterday, I can actually feel it. I'm sure that by the time you get 
back here, you can feel it too." She missed Thomas, part of that was 
hormones, and part of it was just that... in the months since finding 
out and basically moving in together, she'd gotten used to having him 
around, and liked it. Yet, she knew he was doing his job, and she 
wouldn't mention it now. He needed to focus on his job at the moment. On 
Starfleet and the war. Not just for her future, and his, but that of 
their unborn child.

Garroway smiled, but it faded quickly.  "Have you talked to Lilly lately?"

"No, I haven't," Suzanna replied. "The Academy has been keeping me busy. 
Why do you ask?" The change on his face said enough, something was up, 
even if the war itself wasn't bad enough.

"There's something big," he said carefully.  "It's big and it's close 
and I can't come back yet.  Not until it's dealt with."  His face seemed 
to harden as he spoke.  "This may be the break we've been waiting for."

Suzanna frowned for a moment, "I'll go talk with Lilly to get an update 
on the specifics. And I understand." She placed a hand on her growing 
belly, what he was doing was for the future of Starfleet, of Earth. And 
in some ways she wished she was out there instead here on Earth. "Come 
back home safely, Thomas..."

Garroway wished with all his heart that he could promise that, but going 
into an enemy battlefleet with a ragtag armada in various states of 
disrepair wasn't conducive to anyone's well being.  He was confident 
they could achieve a measure of victory, but it would probably be more 
symbolic than functional.  And it would surely be costly.  He nodded. 
"I'll come back," he said knowing truly that he would, upright or otherwise.

"We love you, Thomas." Suzanna still had her hand on her belly. "May the 
Great Bird of the Galaxy be with you and the rest of Starfleet."

It was the 'we' that caught him off guard, more so than the use of the 
"L" word.  He blinked a few times; a small, unsure smile creeping across 
his face.  "That's going to take some getting used to..."

"You have four months left for that, Thomas." She didn't use the "L" 
word often, he knew it anyway, and she preferred to show it rather than 
say it. But the circumstances were different this time, and being home, 
having to sit this one out made it much harder to deal with the danger 
he would be facing.

"And I intend to be there for all of it," he said.  "I just have to take 
care of a few things, first."  It sounded a little like uncharacteristic 
bravado, but it was the simplest way to say it.  He suddenly realized 
that as they spoke, he felt the pull towards Earth -- his new home with 
Suzy and their child -- as much as the pull to the storm on the horizon. 
  And if he could weather the storm one last time, maybe...

Garroway kissed his fingers and put them to the screen.  "I love you, 
too, Suzy."

Suzanna smiled, and copied the gesture, placing her fingers on the 
screen against his. "We will be here waiting for you. Go do what you 
need to do, Thomas."

  -----
RAdm Garroway, Thomas R.
Starfleet Commander
(The First Era)
"Whatever is necessary -- for Starfleet, for Earth."

RAdm Suzanna Batenburg
Fleet Advisor
Starfleet: The First Era
"Everything fits, otherwise we will make it fit."