Birthingdays are for Children (2)

Writers: Jane, Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 5th November 2007

Characters: Fog, Rahona, Lineal
Description: The Sungazer crew gathers to celebrate Fog's birthingday.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 6, day 21 of Turn 4

He took the parcel from Linli's arms, and smiled from one to the other, his eyes misting as he looked down at them both. "Thank you," his voice croaked. He quickly laid the parcel down on the table behind him, and gathered the pair in his arms, squeezing them tight. He noticed Neke brush a tear from her eye.

"I know what the present is," Lihona whispered to her father in a tone that could be heard by half the crew. Lineal shushed his daughter with a smile.

Fog smiled up at the pair, and slowly released the girls from his embrace. "Well, let's see..." he said, once more picking up the package, "...it doesn't rattle, so it can't be something breakable - I hope, since you all know how clumsy I can be." he gave a small laugh.

"Dar, we wouldn't give you something you could break." Linli replied in all sincerity. "Its something to keep you..."

"Shh!Lin, he'll find out in a minute." Tahna said, stepping forward and clamping her hand lightly across her sisters mouth.

Pulling aside the wrapping, part of what looked like a quilt could be seen poking out. Varying hues of blue and brown could be seen neatly stitched together in patches. "A new bedspread?" he asked, looking from one to the other. Both girls shook their heads.

Pulling out the quilt, it finally opened once free of the constraints of the packaging and everyone could see the lovely quilted winter jacket he held in his hand. "And they did most of it themselves." Neke said, nodding from one of them to the other.

"At least twice you almost caught them at it," Vaheri put in. "They managed to act as if they were doing any old quilting but those were close calls."

"I would have helped," Lihona added, "If I could quilt as well as they can."

"Thank you Lihona." Fog smiled fondly at his neice, as he shrugged the jacket onto his wide frame. "Girls?" he looked from one to the other, "How? How did you get it to fit so well?"

"Aunt Neke helped." Tahna answered, "But we took the measurements from your old jacket and we just increased it a little for the quilting."

"You've done a beautiful job on it, both of you." he smiled widely at the pair, and once more kneeled down, opening his arms for them again.
"I love it - and I love you both, too." he pulled them tightly too him, his face muffled in their shoulders for a moment to hide the emotion he was feeling, before he planted a kiss on both of their cheeks.

"Aunt Neke made you a cake too." Linli piped up, "And let Lihona and me decorate it." She glanced across at the table, "Where is it? Did you eat it all?" she asked, her eyebrows creasing into a frown as she looked around the room.

"Helped decorate it, did you?" Lineal asked his daughter with a grin and some trepidation about what the results would be.

"Uh-huh. I'm better at that than sewing," she informed him.

"Yes, the girls helped me make the cake and decorate it-"

"Where is it?" Linli asked, extricating herself from her fathers embrace to go in search of it.

"I'll be right back." Neke said, and followed Linli deeper into the room, "Over here silly." she admonished, and pulled Linli towards the galley. "We couldn't have it out in the main room too early, now could we? Would you like Lihona to help you carry it out?"

"Yes, please." Linli grinned up at her aunt. "She deserves to help carry it out to Dar, since she helped make it."

Neke hurried back out to the main room and removed Lihona from her fathers arms, "Madam has some work to do." she said briefly, before turning and taking the child back to the galley. "Linli needs your help." she said, in answer to the worried look on Lihona's face.

"Oh. Oh!" Lihona scrambled down to the floor and went to admire the cake, already set out on a tray. "Is it time for this?"

"I think now would be as good a time as any. A few of the crew need to get on with work, but they should share in the celebration before they go." she slid the cake off the bench, and carefully passed it over to both girls. "Now walk easy with it. Sideways through the doorway..."
she cautioned as they made their way along the galley.

Lineal smiled at the sight of his daughter and her new fiend with the cake. Lihona was clearly right at home on the Sungazer with her cousins, and these days he got to see so much more of her day-to-day life.

The room quieted down as soon as the two girls appeared. The tray of celebration cake suspended on a tray between them. "Happy Birthingday, Dar." Linli spoke out loudly, glancing up at Fog for just a moment.

A lump formed in his throat, as the two girls came towards him with the cake. Shining eyes met shining eyes and he gave Linli a brief wink. The last thing Jesten had asked of him was to develop his relationship with Linli - finally he could see that it was happening and he felt as if this was a gift for both him and for Jesten - contentment filled his being.

Last updated on the November 9th 2007

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Birthingdays are for Children (2)