Finally Home

Posted on 03 Jan 2026 @ 7:49pm by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Commodore Harvey Geisler

3,521 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Epitaph
Location: Geislers' Quarters
Timeline: July 10, 2390

Joey stepped quietly into the quarters, the familiar scent of home wrapping around her like a blanket she hadn’t realized she’d missed so desperately. The walls, the rug beneath her feet, the twins’ toys piled in the toy box in the corner—all of it looked exactly as it had before. Yet, as she moved deeper inside, her chest tightened with a strange mix of relief and unease. Weeks of captivity had carved something into her, a shadow that made even the ordinary feel foreign. She paused at the doorway to the living room, listening for the patter of Alison and Jameson’s feet or the eager bark of Rico and Pequeno, but the silence reminded her that Eden had taken them for a short while. It was a kindness, though Joey already felt the ache of their absence.

She drifted through each room, her eyes scanning corners and shelves for any trace of the clone who had once stolen her life. A book left open, a misplaced toy, a dish out of place—anything that might suggest someone else had lived here in her stead. But all she found was herself. The absence of intrusion should have been comforting, and in a way it was, but Joey still felt the weight of her ordeal pressing against her ribs. Home was unchanged, yet she was not. And as she lowered herself onto the couch, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, finally allowing the relief of being safe to seep in.

Harvey followed Joey into the room, having purposely arranged his schedule to be present for her discharge and first night at home. It was a painful experience, watching her scan their quarters and finding no sign that she'd been absent. It was an awkward testament, knowing one had slipped into the real Joey's absence so perfectly that absolutely no one, including those closest to her, had noticed the difference.

Whether the twins recognized the absence or not, one thing had remained unchanged. Whenever they realized their mother was present, they immediately shifted gears and charged towards their mother. "Momma!" they shouted in unison, charging towards the woman on the couch.

Joey’s head snapped toward the sound of their voices, her entire face lighting up as if the sun had broken through the clouds. She slid off the couch and sank to her knees, arms open wide just as Alison and Jameson barreled into her. The force of their tiny bodies nearly knocked her frail form backward, but she held them close, burying her face against their hair. She kissed the crown of each head, breathing them in like she was memorizing the scent of home. “I’ll never leave you again,” she whispered fiercely, her voice trembling with both promise and relief. For a moment, the world shrank to nothing but the warmth of her children pressed against her, their cries of “Momma!” echoing like a balm against the scars of her captivity.

Eden stepped out of the bedroom, looking a little sheepish with a small bag clutched in her hand. “I just came by to grab a couple of things,” Eden explained, glancing between Harvey and Joey. “We’re heading to the arboretum for a little while to let you two get settled a bit."

Rico and Pequeno weren’t far behind Eden. Rico, ever the exuberant one, leapt in a half-circle before pressing his nose insistently against Joey’s shoulder, while Pequeno wedged himself between Alison and Jameson as if determined to be part of the reunion hug.

Joey laughed through her tears, reaching out to ruffle their fur with one hand while keeping the twins tucked close with the other. “My boys,” she murmured, kissing the top of Rico’s head and then Pequeno’s, her voice thick with emotion. The dogs whined softly, tails wagging furiously, as though they too were promising never to let her out of their sight again.

"Thank you," Harvey whispered to Eden. He knelt down next to the kids and took a moment to raise an internal debate. It would be easy to distract the young ones, two little minds that had no idea anything had been off the last few weeks, and who would also have no memory of the same time period. As easy as it was, each second provided a critical moment of catharsis for the heart of their real mother, a woman who endured it all just for a glimmer of hope that she could embrace them again.

How could he possibly think that he would do either of them a service by diverting the children to Eden?

Eden caught Harvey’s eye and offered him a small, knowing smile. Without a word, she tilted her head toward the door, a subtle gesture that spoke volumes. Setting the twins’ bag down carefully by the entryway, she lingered only long enough to make sure Joey was okay before slipping out quietly, leaving the family cocooned in their reunion. She would certainly be returning to see them, but wanted to give the family some time together.

Joey pressed another kiss to Alison’s head, then Jameson’s, her arms tightening around them as if she could anchor herself to the moment. When she finally lifted her gaze to Harvey, her eyes shimmered with a fragile but genuine joy. “I’m happy to be home,” she said softly, the words carrying both relief and a quiet strength. Every second she clung to her children was a healing balm.

Harvey only smiled, letting the warm of the embrace recharge Joey's soul. "And we're happy you're home too." With one hand, he reached up and ruffled the top of Jameson's hair, only for the young child to laugh and bury his face into his mother's chest.

He laughed as well, though he permitted the joyous reaction to be gentle. Harvey shifted his weight and changed his position from kneeling to sitting beside Joey on the couch.

Joey leaned into Harvey’s side, her arms wrapped protectively around Alison and Jameson as if she could shield them from every shadow that haunted her. Rico and Pequeno curled up obediently at their feet, their warm bodies pressed close, completing the circle of comfort she had longed for.

For a few precious seconds, she simply breathed it all in—the comfort of holding her children, the steady presence of her husband, the quiet loyalty of their dogs. It was the kind of warmth she had dreamed of during the cold nights of captivity, and now that it was real, she clung to it with everything she had.

Finally, she lifted her gaze to Harvey, her voice soft but steady. “We really haven’t had much time to talk,” she admitted, brushing her lips against the top of Alison’s head before resting her cheek against Jameson’s hair. When they were being held captive together, their time was spent trying to survive. And, then once they were rescued, she was whisked straight to sickbay while he needed to immediately jump back into carrying the weight of command. “I’ve missed you, Harvey. Not just being near you, but us.”

His left arm moved behind her as he scooted in close. With the space between them now non-existent, he pulled her as close as she was able to get with two toddlers in her lap. "Only in Starfleet can barely two months aboard a brand new starship feel as if years have passed."

Harvey gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before taking his other hand to stroke the back of Alison's head. "I agree. I miss us too. I think it's high time we took a vacation."

Joey melted into him the moment his arm wrapped around her, her eyes fluttering shut as she let herself sink into the warmth of his embrace. With the twins nestled securely in her lap and the steady rhythm of Harvey’s breathing beside her, the tension she’d been carrying for weeks finally began to loosen. For the first time since her captivity, she felt truly safe—grounded by the familiar weight of her children, the feel of Harvey against her, and the quiet hum of home surrounding them. Gratitude swelled in her chest, almost overwhelming in its intensity.

A small smile curved her lips as she nuzzled her cheek lightly against him. “A vacation sounds perfect,” she murmured, her voice soft but sure. She opened her eyes just enough to look up at him, her expression warm and hopeful. “Where should we go?”

"We might head for Bajor," Harvey thought aloud. "It's not too far, and I have a feeling if we try to go farther than that, we'll get diverted back to Gamma Command. Something about being captured and impersonated and wanting to make sure we don't go turncoat."

Joey didn't need the reminder, but he was right. Gamma Command would likely want to keep a very close eye on them. "I don't particularly care where we go as long as there's solid ground and sun. I could definitely do with a little time on solid ground."

Jameson wiggled, trying to push Alison out of the way for a closer hug. Harvey chuckled and ruffled the boy's short hair. "I think we all could." He didn't say any more, but his mind did wander to the conversations and debriefings he'd been submitting to since returning to Gamma Command. "Especially after we get the rest of this mess behind us."

Joey tightened her arms around both children, shifting just enough to let Jameson burrow in without displacing Alison. She pressed a lingering kiss to each of their heads, breathing in the soft, familiar scent of them—something that grounded her even as a quiet, unspoken question tugged at the back of her mind. Would any of this ever truly be behind her? The thought flickered like a shadow, but she refused to give it voice. Not now. Not when she finally had her family wrapped around her again.

She leaned her cheek against Alison’s hair and let her free hand rest lightly on Harvey’s knee. “Yeah,” she murmured, her voice warm but edged with a tired kind of hope. “We all could.” She shifted her gaze up to him, offering a small, genuine smile. “And the sooner we can start on that vacation, the better.”

For now, she let the moment hold her—the twins’ weight in her lap, Harvey’s steady presence beside her, the dogs curled at their feet. Whatever came next, she wanted this to be the beginning of moving forward.

Harvey silently agreed, nodding while she looked at him. As he gazed into her eyes, he saw her pain, and the comfort she was feeling surrounded at home by those she loved.

Harvey hadn't borne the level of torture she'd endured, but he was bearing all of the after effects. Nearly losing his wife and kids was a major blow to the soul. His actions, however, had resulted in insurmountable losses. Some could be measured by lost life and destroyed and damaged starships. Each soul had a family, others who loved and cherished him. Others who would never again experience what he was feeling now.

Guilt gripped Harvey in a tight embrace. Even the single boxed pip on his breast felt heavier than the four round pips he once wore as a Captain. He had a responsibility to protect his family, and that was greater than his duty to the uniform, and to those who served under his command, even though every soul aboard felt like family to him. He couldn't afford to fail a single one of them ever again.

Things would be different now. For Joey's sake. For the twins' sake. They had to be different.

Joey watched him quietly for a long moment, seeing far more than the steady expression he tried to hold. She could feel the weight he carried—different from hers, but just as real. The kind of burden that didn’t leave bruises on the skin but carved deep into the heart. She shifted the twins in her lap just enough to lean her shoulder more firmly against his, grounding them both in the warmth of their little family piled around them.

“When they go down for their nap,” she said softly, her voice low enough that it wouldn’t disturb the children nestled against her, “you and I should talk. Really talk.” She didn’t say about what—they both knew. Everything they’d endured, everything they’d lost, everything they were still trying to piece back together.

She kissed the tops of Alison’s and Jameson’s heads again, letting the simple act comfort her. They had both walked through their own versions of hell—hers in captivity, his in captivity and now command, each fighting to survive in different ways. But they were here now. Together. And they had each other, along with the people who loved them, to help carry whatever came next. "It's not going to be easy, but we’ll get through this,” she murmured, not as a platitude but as a promise. “All of it. One step at a time.”

Harvey did not track how long they'd sat on the couch. All he knew was that as time passed, Jameson's eyelids began to flutter before closing altogether. Alison was a bit more animated, wiggling against her mother more and more before finally surrendering to an afternoon nap. Before sleep could next take him, Harvey kissed Joey on the forehead, patted her leg twice, then attempted to vacate the couch. Once free, he gently leaned down to retrieve Jameson to carry him to his bed.

Joey rose carefully, cradling Alison against her shoulder as the little girl’s soft breaths warmed her collarbone. She moved quietly down the hall, the familiar path to the twins’ room feeling almost sacred after so many weeks away. In the dim light, she lowered Alison into her small bed, brushing a stray curl from her forehead. It had been what felt like an eternity since she was able to tuck her children into their beds. An act she'd taken for granted before, but never again. “Sweet dreams, baby girl,” she whispered, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “I love you so much.” Alison barely stirred, only sighing as she curled instinctively toward her blanket.

By the time Joey stood, she saw Harvey easing Jameson into his own bed. She moved over to kneel beside their son and smoothed her hand over his hair, pressing a tender kiss to the top of his head. “Sleep well, sweetheart,” she murmured. “Mama loves you.” Jameson didn’t wake, only snuggled deeper into his pillow.

With both children settled, Joey padded back to the living room to give him time with their twins. The quiet of the quarters felt different now—softer, steadier, no longer heavy with uncertainty. She sank onto the couch, folding her hands in her lap as she waited for Harvey to rejoin her.

Harvey didn't keep her waiting for long. In fact, he'd only been about ten paces behind her the whole time. He hadn't been torn apart from the twins as long as Joey, but the lesser length of time hadn't made him callous either. The twins were safe, and they were none the wiser. Besides, Harvey knew Joey wanted to talk, and he didn't want to delay that conversation any longer.

Just before he sat down, he guessed, "You're thinking about taking some time off, longer than any vacation we can plan?"

Joey drew in a slow breath, her gaze dropping to her hands as she rubbed her thumb over her palm—a grounding habit she’d picked up in captivity and hadn’t yet shaken. It took her a moment before she trusted her voice enough to speak. “I’m… pretty messed up, Harvey,” she admitted quietly, the words heavy but honest. “What they did to me… it’s not something I can just walk away from or forget. I’m struggling more than I want to be.” She swallowed, her shoulders tightening before she forced them to relax. “The physical parts are easy to heal, but the rest… that’s going to take time.”

She lifted her eyes to him, vulnerability clear but steady. “And I know Gamma Command is watching. They’d be stupid not to. I might look fine on paper, but I’m not. Not yet. I don’t know if they’ll want me stepping back into my role anytime soon—or if they’ll even trust me to.” She exhaled slowly, a mix of frustration and resignation. “So yeah… I think I might need more than a vacation. I need time. Real time.”

Harvey immediately placed a hand on her shoulder once he sat down, his brown eyes meeting her strained gaze. "It's not a matter of trust," Harvey explained slowly. "You have the full trust of the crew, just as I still do. Not one person aboard blames you or faults you."

He paused for a moment, doing his best to read her expression and decode the worry, frustration, and resignation on her face. "Your role will be there when you are ready to return to it, whether that's a week from now or months from now. I'm the one that Starfleet is having trouble with, and I'm the one who's going to have to prove that I can still do this job and command this ship." A sigh and a deep exhale escaped his lips just before he admitted, "We got here because I kept trying to practice Alpha Quadrant ideals here on the frontier. That's... that's just not feasible. If we're going to really make a difference here, it'll have to be playing by Dominion and native rules, not by our own."

Joey’s jaw tightened, and she shook her head faintly. “That… doesn’t make me feel any better,” she admitted, her voice low but steady. “If I hadn’t been so stupid—if I hadn’t gone off with that woman on Razmena—none of this would’ve happened. Things would be different.” The guilt she’d been carrying pressed hard against her ribs, but she forced herself to draw in a long, deliberate breath, hoping it would settle the storm inside her. It didn’t fix anything, but it kept her from unraveling.

She lifted her gaze to Harvey, her expression softening despite the turmoil. “But there’s one thing I do know,” she said, reaching for his hand. “I love you. I love our kids. And nothing—nothing—is ever going to change that.” Her fingers tightened around his, grounding herself in the one truth she trusted completely. “Whatever comes next… we can face it together.”

"You were targeted on Razmena," Harvey said, squeezing her hand. "There isn't a single one of us that can withstand something like that, and not a single one of us that would have thought twice about something that seemed ordinary and harmless."

Scoffing, Harvey thought about the sequence of events that had transpired, and whether or not the lack of Joey's abduction would have had an effect. "The Gaittithe had already been intercepted by the time you got to Razmena. D'rimo still would've attacked and overwhelmed Unity. The only thing he gained from abducting you was accelerating his hasty plan for an early demise."

A half smile formed on his face as he lifted a finger to raise her chin so he could see more clearly into her eyes. "I have a list of guilts all of my own with this. But I'm choosing to count the blessings, not the regrets. I love you, and our kids. And yes, we will face whatever comes together as a family. Uniform or not, Black Hawk or not, no one's tearing our family apart ever again."

Joey’s breath hitched, but this time it wasn’t from fear or guilt—it was from the warmth spreading through her chest at his words. She leaned forward without hesitation, wrapping her arms around him and pressing herself close, as if anchoring herself in the promise he’d just made. The familiar scent of him, the steady rise and fall of his breathing—it worked together to loosen something tight and painful inside her.

For the first time in weeks, she felt a genuine sense of ease settle over her. Not because everything was magically fixed, but because she knew—deep in her bones—that they would face whatever came next side by side. “We’ll be okay,” she murmured against his shoulder, her voice soft but certain. “As long as we have each other and our family… we’re going to be okay.”

She held him a little tighter, letting the reassurance flow both ways. Whatever hell they’d walked through, whatever shadows still lingered, they weren’t facing them alone. And that made all the difference.

RSS Feed