There's No Place Like Home

Posted on Sat Jan 7th, 2023 @ 5:36pm by Lieutenant Commander Finnley Keating VII

Mission: Character Development
Location: Earth, California
643 words - 1.3 OF Standard Post Measure

As the streaks of blue disappeared Finn found herself standing exactly where she had longed to be. In front of her childhood home. Not that she had spent that much time here. They had moved from ship to ship since she was very young, following her father’s career, but this had been one of the few static things in her life. The only static ‘home’ she’d ever known despite the constant moves and changes.

She didn’t even ring the bell, choosing instead to walk in quietly, not wanting to make a big ordeal out of her return home. She should have known, however, that not even the quietest of sounds got past her marine father. It took less than ten seconds for him to bound to the front entry hall.

Finn senior had known to expect some changes from his daughter. Missions, and life in general, tended to do that to a person over time, but especially after the latest one they had learned of. Though they hadn’t learned much. Starfleet hadn’t been too keen on divulging many details. He knew only that she’d been captured and had endured an ordeal before being rescued, but judging by her looks he knew instantly there had been more.

“Kacey, she’s here!” The man’s voice bellowed through the house to alert his wife. “We missed you kiddo,” he said, pulling her into a bear hug. Finn let her shoulders relax as she sank into him, and for the first time in what had felt like ages, she felt she could breathe again. Like some of the weight of transpired events had somehow gotten lighter.

Finn’s mother came rushing down the stairs a moment later and immediately joined in on Finn senior’s embrace. “I’m so glad you’re home. How are you doing?” She asked, pulling away from the hug and looking at her daughter with concern.

The marine shot a cautionary glance toward Kacey. They had talked about this beforehand. He’d warned her not to ask how she was or to bring up the mission. He knew their daughter and although she may have gotten most of her looks from her mother, that personality was all Keating, and Keatings didn’t talk. At least, not about emotions or feelings. Not without processing it on their own terms first. Kacey knew it too, but couldn’t help but to try to reach out.

“I’m fine, mom,” Finn smiled at Kacey but didn’t expound further.

“Well,” her dad interjected, not wanting to leave space for silence. “Why don’t you go and unpack?” He made mental note of the uncharacteristically large amount of luggage Finn brought home. “I’ll fire up the grill for lunch and then maybe we can drag your mother away from all the physics research she’s doing and head out to the beach. What do ya think?” He winked.

Finn chuckled. “That sounds great, dad. Yell for me when lunch is ready?”

“Like he needs to yell. You know as soon as you smell those burgers coming off the grill you’ll be in the kitchen,” Kacey smiled. “Go on then, unpack, but don’t you dare mount anything to that wall! It took us months to get it patched up and looking nice again when you left.” Her mother said. Finn let a genuine grin sneak out, though her eyes somehow remained hollow, and she nodded as she grabbed her luggage and headed down the hall to her old room.

Kacey looked to her husband once Finn was out of sight. “Quinn, she seems so...”

“I know,” he replied. He had recognized it too and it killed him to see her suffer. “We’ll figure it out. She’ll be okay. We’ll find a way.”