Sitting on the large curved sofa in the lounge area, sipping on a mug of raktajino, Captain Jaxxon Horin was reading the latest updates that had come in from Starfleet Intelligence overnight. Though he didn’t start his duty shift for another hour or so, he had got into a routine that meant he always caught up with this type of thing before he went into his office. 

Stifling a yawn as she plodded down the carpeted staircase from the upper level of their quarters, Anizza (his wife) smiled at him as she finally reached the final step. “Anything exciting from the spooks?” She asked. 

Shaking his head, Jaxxon closed the holographic display down with a swipe of his hand as he turned to his wife. As always she looked gorgeous in her gold uniform. “I’m afraid not Commander Horin.”

“Very well Captain Horin, be that way!” She pouted as she went to the replicator and ordered herself a hot chocolate and a pain au chocolat.

Getting up from his seat, Jaxxon started to protest at what his wife was doing. “Hey, I thought we were heading to the Brew this morning?”

Sighing, the construction engineer realised she had forgotten to update him with her plans this morning. “Oh, I’m sorry Jaxx, I completely forgot to say I was going to start early today as we are installing the new computer core on that ship we’re building.”

Rolling his eyes backwards, he shook his head at the disbelief he was hearing and now sensing from his wife. “Imzadi, all you do is think about that damn ship.” He complained in a jokingly way. “Perhaps you should name it Imazadi!”

“Hey, it’s exciting!” She defended herself. “Anyway, don’t forget that Tate’s transport gets in at twelve hundred-hours today.”

Before he could tell her that he hadn’t forgotten and that one of his aides had put time aside for him, the door chime went off. “Hold that thought.” He said to her as he walked over and pressed the button to see who their visitor was. “Talk of the devil!” He said, sounding surprised to see their son standing there with a huge smile on his face. “Tate! What are you doing here so soon!”

Stepping forward with a huge grin on his face, Tate Horin pulled his father in for a hug and kissed him on the cheek. His father returned the gesture at the lovely surprise. “It’s good to see you too, dad!” He replied. 

Anizza had already screamed her son’s name out and had run across their quarters to embrace him from the other side. “My little prince!” 

“Hey mom!” Tate replied, still grinning from ear to ear.

As soon as they let go of their son, Anizza and Horin smirked so hard at him. “So really, how come you are here so early?”

“I got an earlier transport with some of my classmates.” Tate answered as he was ushered inside to allow the doors to close.

“Ah, man if we had known we would have taken the morning off.” Jaxxon complained as he gestured for his son to sit on one of the sofas in their living space.

“I’m sorry, it was a last minute decision and I wanted to surprise you both.” Tate replied. 

“Well it’s a great surprise,” Anizza said, smiling at seeing her son home, “but honey, I have to go as I’ve got an early start. Please say we can get lunch together like we planned?”

“Ah actually, I’ve got a meeting around that time, can we have dinner?” Tate asked. 

“You bet and in fact your Aunt Lou was joining us tonight for dinner with the new man in her life, so she’ll be extra excited to see you too!” Anizza said as she got up and gave him another hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

“Sounds great,” Tate said as he hugged her back again. “And do we like this new guy for Aunt Lou?”

“Oh we do, dear.” Anizza said as she kissed her husband goodbye before picking up a stack of PADDS on the nearby dining room table and headed for the door.

Watching her leave, Jaxxon carried on smiling, he was truly happy. “Seriously Tate, I am so happy you are here mate. The fact you can do your final year here on the station is just amazing!” 

Tate copied his dad’s smile. “I’m pretty excited about it too.”

“Have you eaten breakfast?” Jaxxon asked.

Shaking his head, Tate replied with a simple no and a brief explanation that the food on the transport didn’t look appealing. 

“Then I’m going to take you to this swanky coffee shop on the promenade for a quick breakfast, but before we go I’ve got something to show you.” Jaxxon said as he got off the sofa and hurried Tate to follow him up the stairs. 

Beaming still with joy at seeing his son, Jaxxon took him up on the landing of the first floor. To the left was the large master room that he shared with his wife with its own en-suite and opposite to it was another similar sized room. Walking in the lights came on and straight away Tate was amazed by what he was presented with. Jaxxon turned around and kept his smile. “What do you think?”

“It’s a bedroom?” Tate asked in a confused tone.

“It’s your bedroom!” Jaxxon corrected him.

Wincing at hearing that, Jaxxon tilted his head from one side to the next. “Sorry dad, but I was going to stay with the other cadets.”

“In those shared dorm facilities?” Jaxxon asked. “Instead you can have your own place here with us? Plus look, it has its own door so you can have people over without having to by-pass me or your mom if you want to keep it real?”

“Keep it real?” Tate repeated with an almost horrified look at his father trying to relate to him and use young slang. “Please dad, don’t ever do that again.”

“Sorry.” Jaxxon said. 

Tate looked around the room. “Dad this is really cool and I do appreciate it, but like you said to me when you went off to start your career that you hated it that later on you found out how much influence grandma and grandad had over your positions and assignments. I don’t want people to think I’ve done the same as I’m a member of Betazed’s famous Fourth House! You know how hard I’ve had to work to get where I am and you know I appreciate how much time you put into helping me, but I need to stand on my own two feet now. Plus my squad mates would make my life hell if they knew I had all of this!” He gestured to the whole room. It had a huge king size bed in the middle, a long desk under the sloped window with a perfect view of Mellstoxx below and from the looks of it he had a walk-in wardrobe besides his own en-suite. “Plus the room is bigger than any room I’ve ever had!”

Nodding to show he understood and appreciated what his son was saying, Jaxxon sighed. “Fine, but if you ever change your mind then the room is here. I promise.”

“Thanks dad, I appreciate it.” Tate replied and hugged his dad again

After they embraced, Jaxxon kept his arm around his son. “Would it be cool if your old man takes you to breakfast still? I mean I don’t want to cramp your style but I could order you Cadet Horin. 

Chuckling at his dad stupid sense of humour, Tate nodded. “That would be an honour, Captain Horin! As long as you tell me more about Auntie Lou’s new guy and whether or not grandma knows about him!”

“It’s a deal and no she does not…yet” Jaxxon said as he led his son out of his room and towards the promenade.