Vengeance

carol020@juno.com

"Captain's Log Stardate 21704.3 – We are in orbit around Cullain 5,
an Earth colony established 40 years ago by a group of humans who
wanted to go back to a simpler way of life before replicators, voice-
activated computers, and communicators. I must admit, I'm looking
forward to non-replicator food."
Captain William Riker tapped the save button on his PADD, got up and
left his Ready Room. Riker's First Officer, Dave McKenna smiled at
his CO. "Have fun, sir, if it's possible to have fun in a society
that has to do everything by hand."
Riker smiled. "Now I know the real reason why you didn't try to get
me to stay on the ship."
"Guilty." McKenna laughed. "Have fun. I'm sure Andy will enjoy it
especially since it's his first trip off ship since he started
walking."
"I'm sure he will." Will stepped into the turbolift. While riding
the turbolift to his deck, Will mulled over his research on Cullain
and its inhabitants. Some friends of his parents had moved there
when he was 10. He was looking forward to seeing them again as well
as their daughter, Julie, who had been almost like a sister to him.
He was also looking forward to dressing in civilian clothes for this
visit since it was not an official Federation visit.
While Will was walking down he corridor between the turbolift and his
quarters, his 18-month old son, Andy, came running toward him.
"Daddy! We go?" He said as Will picked him up.
"Yep, as soon as I change." When they got the door of their
quarters, Deanna was waiting. Will greeted her with a quick kiss.
Will tried to put Andy down. He just held on tighter to his father's
neck. Deanna attempted to pry him loose.
"C'mon, Daddy needs to change." Deanna said.
"No." Deanna had to smile at Andy stubbornness, a trait he inherited
from both his parents.
"We can't go until I change." That did the trick. Andy let go of
Will's neck as Will put him down.
After Will changed, he, Deanna and Andy beamed to the surface of
Cullain 5, where they were greeted by the governor of the colony,
John Wilson, along with Catherine and Harold Campbell who were
friends of Will's parents.
"Greetings, and on behalf of Cullain 5, welcome to our humble world.
I am John Wilson. These are my in-laws, Catherine and Harold
Campbell, who I believe you know, Captain Riker.
"Thanks, Governor Wilson. This is my wife, Counselor Deanna Troi and
our son, Andy. Yes, I do know Mr. And Mrs. Campbell." Will said
with a smile as he shook first Governor Wilson's hand and then Mr.
and Mrs. Campbell's
"The last time we saw Will, he was only about 10. You look so much
like your mother." Mrs. Campbell said. She smiled at Andy. "Andy,
you look so much like your father when he was your age, except for
your eyes, which are obviously from your mother's side." She knelt
down and opened her arms. Andy took a tentative step toward Mrs.
Campbell. "Don't worry, I used to take care of your daddy when he
was little." Andy moved toward Mrs. Campbell who enveloped him in
her arms.
"Kyle must be thrilled with Andy." Mr. Campbell said.
"He is. In fact, Andy is quite spoiled by both his grandparents."
Deanna said. "My mother does her share of spoiling also."
"Somebody looks like he needs a nap." Mrs. Campbell said as Andy
moved back to Will who picked him up.
"I'll take you to your cottage." Wilson said. "Julie was really
disappointed she couldn't join us. She's working and couldn't get
away."
"That's too bad. I was looking forward to teasing her some for old
times' sake." Will said.
"But she will be joining us for dinner. Our children are looking
forward to meeting you. Our daughter, Missy, is looking forward to
meeting Andy. She's volunteered already to baby sit if you want her
to. "
After Will and Deanna were shown to their cottage, Will put Andy on
his bed while Deanna began to unpack. Will came in the bedroom and
wrapped his arms around Deanna who leaned back against him.
"So, my dear, what do you want to do with the time we've got while
Andy is taking a nap." Will said suggestively.
She smiled. She knew what Will had in mind. She turned in his
embrace and kissed him. Before too long their clothes were scattered
on the floor.

Part 2

Later
"You know, we should probably get up and get ready for dinner."
Deanna said. In truth, she would have preferred to stay right where
she was. It had been several months since she and Will had spent
time alone.
"I know, but I can't move right now." Will said. He, too, was
enjoying this time alone with Deanna – a rare commodity with their
other responsibilities.
"Daddy!" Andy called from the other room.
"I'll get him," Will said as he moved off the bed. He grabbed a robe
and put it on as he started out of the room.
"I'll take my shower while you take care of Andy."
Will turned around. "You can always wait for me."
Deanna smiled and glanced at the clock next to the bed. "We don't
have the time."
"We will after dinner. Maybe Julie will baby sit tonight."
Deanna smiled seductively. "We'll just have to ask her."
Meanwhile, an unidentified starship had just entered orbit around
Cullain 5.
"Sir, the Titan is out of sensor and communications range." The
woman at the helm said.
"Good." The commanding officer of the Menelaus said with a
smile. "Riker probably only took his communicator. Since Cullain 5
is a backward civilization, even if he did have something more I
doubt these people would know how to use modern communications
devices." He tapped the comm button on his chair. "Doctor White,
please meet me in the transporter room. Our guest will be joining us
shortly. Don't forget to bring our antidote to Betazoid senses."
"Understood."
Cullain 5
Andy was jumping up and down in his crib as Will walked into the
room. "Are you ready to …" Right before Andy's eyes, Will
disappeared.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Andy screamed.
Deanna heard him screaming and sensed his fear but before she could
turn the water off she lost all sense of Will. "Will!" She screamed
and then unconsciousness overtook her and she fell to the floor of
the bathroom.
An hour later, John Wilson was arriving at the cabin Will, Deanna and
Andy were sharing. As he reached the door, he heard Andy screaming.
He knew something had to be wrong. When he walked in, he heard the
shower. He knew whoever was in the shower would hear Andy
screaming. He went into Andy's room.
"Andy, what's wrong?" He knew that an 18 month old probably wouldn't
be able to tell him but he hoped he might say something that would
help.
"Daddy, beam `way!"
John picked Andy up and went into the bathroom. He saw Deanna laying
unconscious on the floor. He turned off the shower. Still holding
Andy, he knelt beside her and felt for a pulse; letting out a breath
of relief when he found one. He got up and started into the living
room.
"Mommy!" Andy screamed as they left the room.
"Your mommy will be OK. I just have to call someone to help get take
care of your mommy." Andy continued to cry. John went over the old-
fashioned telephone and dialed his number. Fortunately, his wife
answered. "Julie, something has happened to Will and Deanna. Will
apparently beamed away and Deanna is unconscious on the bathroom
floor. Could you call Dr. Hale and then come down here and give me a
hand with Andy. Good."
He took Andy back into his room and tried to put him in the crib.
"No!" Andy held on to John.
"Andy, I have to take care of your mother." Andy held on
tighter. "OK, you can come with me, but I won't be able to pick your
mother up and dry her off if I'm holding you."
They went back into the bathroom. John put Andy down and took a
towel off the rack and knelt next to Deanna and started to dry her
off. Andy took a second towel and also helped. When they had her
dry, John picked her up and started to carry her into the bedroom.
As they moved from the bathroom to the living room, the door to the
cabin opened and John's wife Julie came in.
"Dr. Hale is on his way."
"Good. Could you give me a hand getting Deanna into bed."
By the time they had Deanna in the bed, Dr. Hale arrived. He
examined her.
"I see nothing obviously wrong with her other than a bump on the head
from where she fell. She should be conscious. I know nothing about
Betazoid physiology. Do you think we could find a way to contact the
Titan."
"Yes" John said. "I believe Will brought portable communications
equipment with him in case of emergency. I'm sure I could figure out
how to contact the Titan with it."
John went into the living room and to the desk where the portable
communications equipment was set up. He tapped a few buttons was
soon in contact with the Titan. The communications officer put him
in contact with Commander McKenna.
"Commander McKenna, I'm John Wilson, governor of Cullain 5. We
believe that Captain Riker has been kidnapped and Deanna is
unconscious. Our doctor is unfamiliar with Betazoid physiology but
cannot see anything that would cause her to be unconscious."
"Is Andy OK?"
"Yes. He's just scared."
"We'll be there within an hour. Our doctor will be able to help
Counselor Riker."
"Thank you, Commander." He paused. "Who would want to kidnap Will?"
"I have no idea. We'll see what we can find when we get back there.
Will you need any help with Andy?"
"No, my wife can handle him."
"Good. We'll see you shortly."
Commander McKenna went on to the Bridge. "Helm, set course for
Cullain 5, maximum warp."
"Aye sir"
Cullain 5.
John went back into the bedroom. "The Titan will be here within the
hour." He noticed Andy was quietly laying in Julie's arms. "How is
he?"
"Sleeping. I'm going to continue to hold him. This poor little boy
is so scared."
"I know. Apparently, Will was beamed away right in front of him."
He turned to Dr. Hale. "How is Deanna?"
"There's no change. Will the Titan's doctor be able to help?"
"Yes."
The communications device in the living room started to beep. "I'll
get it. It could be the kidnappers with a ransom demand."
John went into the living room and tapped the button opening
communications. On the screen, he saw a very distraught woman. He
had a feeling it was Deanna's mother.
"What happened to William? I knew they never should have visited
this backwards world."
"You must be Deanna's mother. First, Mrs…"
"I'm Lwaxana Troi, Daughter of the Fifth…"
"Mrs. Troi, first Deanna is unconscious. The Titan is on its way
back here. Their doctor will be able to help Deanna. We believe
Will has been kidnapped."
"Is Andy OK?"
"Yes. He's sleeping and extremely scared. Mrs. Troi, do you have
any idea who may have kidnapped Will?"
"No. Obviously, their bond has been severed or Deanna would not have
lost consciousness. Will is most likely dead. If the Titan's
doctor doesn't arrive soon, my daughter will also die."
John felt like his stomach dropped to his feet. "Mrs. Troi, the
Titan should be back here within the hour."
"Good. I'm going to get a shuttle and come to Cullain 5. My daughter
and grandson will need me."
"Is there any possibility that you're wrong about Will's being dead?"
"Yes, but it's not likely that anyone could find a way to sever an
Imzadi bond so completely as to cause Deanna to lose consciousness."
"We can only hope that that's what happened and this will have a
happy ending."
"I hope so. I'm sorry I never asked who you are."
"I'm John Wilson, governor of Cullain 5. My wife and her parents are
long-time friends of Will's family. You needn't worry, we'll do
everything we can to take care of Deanna and Andy."
"Thank you."
An hour later, Commander McKenna, the Titan's CMO Dr. Harris, and
Head of Security, Commander Lister came to the cabin's door. When
John let them in, Dr. Harris immediately administered a hypospray to
Deanna and started to examine her with his tricoder. Dr. Harris
noticed the quizzical looks from Julie and Dr. Hale and
smiled. "This medication was developed on Betazed to save the life
of Betazoids when the Imzadi bond is suddenly severed."
"Mrs. Troi said that Will is most likely dead, but that there is also
the possibility that someone found a way to sever the bond
completely. Will Deanna be able to tell us if Will is alive when she
regains consciousness?"
"I'm not sure."
"If you don't mind, Governor, we would like to ask you a few
questions." Commander McKenna said.
"Sure. I'm not sure how much help I can be however."
They went into the living room where Wilson recounted what happened
when he came in the cabin. By the time he was finished, Dr. Hale
came into the living room to tell them that Deanna was regaining
consciousness. They went back into the bedroom where Deanna had
regained full consciousness.
"Deanna, how are you feeling?" Dr. Harris asked.
"Where's Will?" She asked weakly.
"We don't know what happened to him. Andy told me that he was beamed
away. Your mother believes that your bond was completely severed."
John said. He reluctantly asked the question that no one was sure
they wanted answered. "Is Will dead?"
"I don't know. I can't sense him at all." She started to cry. John
sat down on the bed and pulled her into his arms.
"Your mother also said that there is a possibility that someone found
a way to sever your bond completely without killing Will. We have to
hope that's the case."
"Where's Andy?"
"Julie has him." He indicated the chair Julie was sitting in holding
Andy who was still sleeping. "He's fine, but he's scared. Whoever
kidnapped Will beamed him away right in front of Andy."
Commander Lister didn't want to question Deanna right now but he knew
the sooner they got some answers the quicker they may be able to
figure out where Riker was.
"Counselor, do you have any idea who would want to hurt you or
Captain Riker?"
"I don't know. I just can't think straight right now."
"Commander, maybe we can contact the Enterprise and let the Counselor
rest for now. It's possible that whoever kidnapped Captain Riker may
have had this scheme in mind for some time." Commander McKenna said.
"That would be wise. I need to talk to Counselor Riker alone for a
few minutes." Dr. Harris said.
McKenna, Lister and Wilson left the bedroom.
"Governor Wilson, would you object if we set up a command center here
in the cabin to investigate Captain Riker's kidnapping?" McKenna
asked.
"I wouldn't mind at all."
"Thank you." He turned to Lister. "Could you see what evidence
there may be in Andy's room?"
Lister nodded and looked at Wilson who pointed toward Andy's
room. "In there."

Part 3

The Menelaus
Will was slowly regaining consciousness. The first thing he noticed
was that his arms and legs were being held down by ropes and then the
surface he was laying on was hard. As he fought to regain complete
consciousness, he remembered what had happened and struggled against
the ropes. With his struggling, came the pain of rope burns.
"That's right. Keep fighting. I want you to suffer physically as
well as emotionally." The voice was familiar. Will opened his eyes.
"Admiral Pressman"
Erik Pressman, former Starfleet admiral, laughed. "Not for 11
years. Not since you betrayed me. As punishment for your betrayal,
I've taken your career from you as well as depriving you of your
family and them of you. You see, after I was court martialed and
thrown in a rehab center, my wife divorced me and my children refused
to speak to me. It was the least I could do to you."
"No!" Will struggled some more causing more pain in his wrists and
ankles.
Pressman smiled maliciously. "They're not dead; unless, of course,
your pretty Betazoid wife died as a result of the severing of your
bond. From what I understand, that is a very real possibility. In
fact, if she is alive, she probably thinks you're dead."
Will fought harder against his bonds. The only thing he wanted at
that moment was to get away from Pressman and back to Cullain 5 to be
with Deanna and Andy.
"You know if you keep struggling like that, I may not have to torture
you; you may torture yourself. Eventually, I will kill you. I just
haven't decided when. Of course, the severing of your bond may
eventually kill you, but I want your death to be as painful as
possible."
Cullain 5
"Dr. Harris, what is it?" Deanna asked. She could sense that what
he wanted to discuss was important and had a feeling what it was.
"Two things. First, this medication or whatever it is that was given
to Captain Riker; could both of you survive the severing of your
bond?"
"I don't know. Normally, the Imzadi bond is only severed by the
death of one partner. I should be OK; but if Will is still alive, I
don't know if he can survive." She started to cry. Dr. Harris sat
down on the bed and pulled her into his arms.
"Commanders McKenna and Lister are doing everything they can to find
Captain Riker." He smiled. "He has three reasons why he should come
home; but you knew that didn't you and so does he?"
Deanna nodded. "I've suspected it for the last few days. I was
going to come see you when we got back because you were so busy
preparing supplies for Anda 4." She suddenly realized
something. "Wait a minute. Why aren't you on your way to Anda 4?"
Harris smiled. "Because I needed to be here for you. The Crazy
Horse will handle the relief effort with the Discovery."
Deanna nodded. She looked over to where Julie was still sitting with
Andy. "Julie, why don't you bring Andy over here and lay him on the
bed. He can get pretty heavy."
Julie got up and took Andy over to the bed and lay him next to
Deanna. "Will he be OK?"
"Physically, yes. Emotionally, no. Seeing his father disappear like
that with no warning will hurt him badly."
Mrs. Campbell poked her head in the room. "Anyone in here hungry?
I brought our dinner down here."
"Yes, thank you, mom" Julie said. "Do you have enough or do you
need help making more?"
"There's plenty, but you can help me serve it."
Deanna started to get up, but Dr. Harris stopped her. "Deanna, you
stay in bed. I'll have someone bring your dinner in here."
"OK."
Julie and Mrs. Campbell went into the living room.
"How's Deanna?" McKenna asked.
"She's ok – scared but ok."
"Lewis to McKenna" The Enterprise's 2nd officer's voice came over
McKenna's com badge.
"Go ahead."
"We've picked up a warp signature. It's heading for the Devilin
System."
"Stand by to beam us up and be prepared to go to maximum warp as soon
as we're on board." He went into the bedroom. "Counselor, we may
have a lead. We've picked up a warp signature heading toward the
Devilin system."
"The Devilin System? That sounds familiar."
"Oh?"
"I'm sorry I can't remember specifically why."
"That's OK." We'll let you know how we make out." He turned to Dr.
Harris. "Doctor, we may need you."
"Yes." He turned to Dr. Hale. "Would you like me to leave a
tricorder with you or would you prefer to keep a watch on Counselor
Riker using your methods."
"You can leave a tricorder. It might also be helpful to leave any
hyposprays you feel may be necessary considering I know nothing about
Betazoid physiology."
"Agreed. Deanna, we'll bring Captain Riker back alive and whole."
"Thanks." Deanna said.
The Menelaus
Pressman went into the holodeck and found Will sleeping. "We can't
have you sleeping." He poked Will with a Klingon pain stick causing
him to jump. Will opened his eyes.
"Good, you're awake. Computer raise temperature 11 degrees and
humidity 10%." He smiled evilly. "You seem a little cold." He
turned to leave. "Don't bother trying to change the temperature.
The computer is programmed to obey only my voice command." He
laughed manically and left the room.
"Imzadi, please hear me." He knew deep down that Deanna couldn't
hear him if Pressman was telling the truth. Will hadn't prayed in
years. "Please, God, let Deanna be ok. Help me remain alive to see
her and our children." He prayed silently not knowing if Pressman
had the room under audio and visual surveillance. The last thing he
wanted Pressman to know was that Deanna was pregnant. He realized
that Pressman was insane and would stop at nothing to hurt him.
The Titan
"How long until we reach the Devilin System?" McKenna asked as he
strode on to the bridge with Lister.
"Four hours, 23 minutes." Lieutenant Carolyn Lewis answered.

Part 4

Cullain 5
"Andy, do you want something to eat?" Deanna said as she woke Andy
up.
"Mommy? Where's Daddy? He beamed "way." He started to cry.
Deanna pulled him into her arms. "I don't know, honey; but Uncle
Dave is going to find him and bring him back to us."
Julie brought food in for Deanna. She smiled when she saw Andy. "Do
you want something to eat?"
Andy shook his head. "C'mon, you haven't eaten since lunch time."
Deanna said.
"No, want Daddy." He said.
"When your Daddy comes home, he won't be happy if you're sick because
you didn't eat."
"When Daddy come?"
"I don't know, but you have to keep hoping and waiting."
"OK." He looked at Julie. "Can I eat now?"
"Sure. Do you want to come with me or stay with your Mommy?"
"Stay."
"OK."
The Titan
"Commander, we're receiving an incoming message from the Hector from
Lwaxana Troi." Commander Lister said.
"Put her through, she may have some information that may help us."
McKenna said. Mrs. Troi appeared on the view screen. "Mrs. Troi, do
you have information that may help us find Captain Riker?"
"Not right now, but when you get closer, I might be able to sense
him. I also may be able to save his life due to the severing of the
bond."
"The medication Dr. Harris has won't help him also." It was more of
a statement than a question.
"It will help some, but in some cases if the medication isn't
administered right away, it takes someone who shares a close bond
with one of the mates to save his or her life. My bond with Deanna
should help save Will's life – if we're not too late." McKenna
couldn't help but notice the change in Lwaxana's demeanor since the
last time he saw her – at Andy's first birthday party. She looked
scared.
"Yes, Commander, I am scared. Will is more than a son-in-law to me.
He's more like a son."
McKenna smiled. "I know. Mrs. Troi, we will do whatever it takes to
rescue Captain Riker. I don't think I've ever seen this crew as
focused as they are right now. When you arrive, we'll plan a
strategy."
"We'll be rendezvousing with you in approximately 30 minutes."
"See you then." McKenna ended the transmission.
Cullain 5
Deanna awoke with a start. "Mother?"
<<Yes, Deanna. I'm on the Titan. I should be able to help them find
Will.>>
<<Is he alive?>>
<>
<<Thanks Mother.>>
<<Don't worry. We'll bring him back to you.>>
<>
Deanna rolled over on her side. She had just dozed off when she was
awakened by Andy's screaming. She started to get up but a wave of
nausea overtook her making her get up quickly and run into the
bathroom. While she was kneeling on the floor, she sensed Andy's
fear start to dissipate. She was thankful Julie had offered to stay
with her. She knew Andy would have nightmares and that morning
sickness might cause her to be unable to help Andy right away.
Meanwhile Julie had calmed Andy down a little. He was still crying,
but was calmer. "Want mommy." He said.
"Sure, let's go see her." They went into Deanna's bedroom. When
Andy didn't see his mother, he started to cry again.
"Where Mommy? Mommy!"
Julie heard water running in the bathroom. "It's OK, your mommy's in
the bathroom. She'll be right out."
After a couple of minutes, Deanna came out of the bathroom. Andy saw
his mother and smiled. He struggled to get out of Julie's arms. She
put him down and ran to Deanna and hugged her legs. Deanna was
reluctant to pick him up knowing the effort could cause another round
of nausea.
"Come on, go sit on the bed with me." Andy did so and Deanna sat
next to him. He immediately climbed into her lap and hugged her.
"Feel better?" Julie asked with a smile.
"A little. This is the only part I hate – morning sickness."
"I did too. Do you want me to get you some crackers?"
"I have some. They're in the drawer. I learned with him to keep
them very close at hand."
Julie smiled. She went around the bed and got some crackers from the
drawer in the bedside table. She handed them to Deanna She noticed
that Andy seemed quieter and wasn't moving. "Is he asleep?"
"Yes."
"Do you want me to take him to his room or should he stay here?"
"You can take him to his room. I think I could sleep a bit more."
Julie smiled again and took Andy from Deanna's arms then went to put
him back to bed. When she came back into Deanna's room, she noticed
that Deanna had fallen asleep again also. She went back into the
living room and went back to bed also.

Part 5

The Menelaus
Pressman walked into the holodeck. He noticed Will was sleeping and
poked him with a pain stick. The setting this time was a little
higher than he had used before. Will jumped causing more pain in his
wrists and ankles from the rope burns. "Good, you're awake. I
understand the Titan is on its way here; but, unfortunately for you,
they won't find us because we're cloaked." Will looked at him. His
eyes were filled with pain but he also looked shocked. "Yes, we've
got a cloak. It's the same cloak we had on the Pegasus, but modified
to make it much more difficult to detect. You're stuck here with me
for the rest of your natural life."
"Please, let me see Deanna." Will gasped out.
"How do you know she's still alive?" Pressman said evilly before he
turned and started to the exit. "Computer raise temperature 25
degrees and humidity 20%. Computer, continue to raise the
temperature 5 degrees and humidity 5% every 30 minutes" He turned
around again. "If you fall asleep again, I'll have to use a stronger
setting to wake you up."
Titan
"Approaching the Devilin system, Commander." Lt. Lewis said.
McKenna turned to Lwaxana who appeared to be concentrating very
hard. He hated to break her concentration. "Mrs. Troi?"
"I'm not sensing him yet."
McKenna nodded. "Bridge to Engineering."
"Engineering." The voice of Wesley Crusher came over the com.
"Lt. Crusher, Mrs. Troi cannot get a sense of Captain Riker. See if
you can boost the sensors so we can find human life signs to narrow
the search pattern and give Mrs. Troi a hand."
"Aye, sir."
McKenna smiled. He knew that Crusher would do whatever it takes to
find his captain who was like an older brother to him.
"Captain, we have an incoming call from Starfleet Command over a
secure subspace channel." Lister said.
"On screen."
Admiral Kathryn Janeway appeared on the screen.
"Admiral Janeway."
Janeway smiled tightly. "Commander McKenna, we may have some
information that should help you find Captain Riker." McKenna
nodded. "Six months ago, Erik Pressman, who was Captain Riker's
commanding officer when he was on the Pegasus, was released from a
Starfleet rehab center and disappeared. We believe he may be behind
Captain Riker's kidnapping. At his court martial, he made threats
against Captain Riker. We also believe he may have created another
prototype cloaking device similar to the one that was on the
Pegasus. We didn't notice it at the time but the plans for the
cloaking device were replicated shortly after Pressman's release and
before his disappearance. I hope this helps."
"I'm sure it will. Do you think Pressman knows that the Romulans
have helped the Titan upgrade their sensors to find cloaked ships?"
"I'm not sure." She smiled. "As I recall, during the incident with
Shinzon, Counselor Riker found the Scimitar using a bond she created
with Shinzon's viceroy after the mental rape he inflicted on her to
find the Scimitar. Perhaps Mrs. Troi could use the same technique to
locate Captain Riker on board Pressman's ship."
Lwaxana smiled with determination. "Thank you, Admiral. I've been
trying to locate Will using my bond with Deanna and thus with Will,
but I had forgotten about how my daughter found the Scimitar. Yes, I
can do the same thing to find the ship Will is on."
"Good luck. If you need anything more, please feel free to contact
me personally."
"Thank you Admiral."
They ended the communication. McKenna looked at Lwaxana. She seemed
more determined that she had before.
"I am more determined especially I have a way of finding William once
I determine whether he's alive or not."
McKenna nodded.
The Menelaus
Will was becoming more and more feverish with every passing moment.
With the little rational thought he had, he knew he was suffering
from heat stroke and not sensing Deanna was weakening him even more.
He was also becoming more desperate to escape. He knew the only way
to survive this whole ordeal was to escape. Deanna had told him that
there were ways to help a mate to survive if the bond was severed.
He hoped Deanna had contacted the Titan in time to save her life. He
struggled more against the bonds, but his struggles only made the
rope burns more painful and weakened him more. With his last
rational thought, he screamed "IMZADI" both telepathically and aloud.
The Titan
Sitting in Deanna's chair, Lwaxana suddenly stiffened. "Will!"
McKenna turned to her. "You've sensed Captain Riker."
"Yes. He's alive but he can't survive much longer. We have to find
him now!" She immediately went to the tactical station being manned
by one of Lister's assistant tactical officers. She placed her hand
over his and used every bit of concentration she could muster to
attempt to locate her son-in-law. After what seemed like hours, but
was in reality only a few minutes, Lwaxana said. "Now!" The
tactical officer immediately hit the phaser button sending a beam
which impacted on the cloak of the Menelaus. As soon as the cloak
and shields were down, the Away Team was beamed from the transporter
room to the Menelaus and Lwaxana was beamed directly from the bridge.

Part 6

The Menelaus Bridge
The Menelaus was hit with the barrage from the Titan. "Get the cloak
and shields back on line." Pressman ordered as he started to the
turbolift.
The Titan away team materialized in the holodeck. The first thing
they noticed was the heat. Lwaxana and Dr. Harris rushed to Will who
was barely conscious and incoherent. "Will, it's Lwaxana. I'm here
with Dr. Harris. You'll be fine." Harris administered the same
medication he had administered to Deanna earlier to stabilize his
brain and then ran his tricorder over him.
Harris turned to Commander Lister. "We have to get the Captain back
to the Titan. He's suffering from heat stroke. His body temperature
is 43 degrees. That is way too high."
"Computer, lower temperature 10 degrees and humidity 10%." Lister
said.
"Unable to comply." The computer responded.
"Harris to sickbay."
"Sickbay."
Dr. Cain, please prepare a bath for Captain Riker. His body
temperature is 43 degrees and he's suffering from heat stroke and
severe dehydration."
"Aye sir, I'll contact you when it's ready."
Harris cut the ropes on Will's wrists and ankles and got his first
good look at the rope burns. Lwaxana paled when she saw the ugly
redness on Will's wrists and ankles. Harris noticed her
reaction. "They look nasty but they'll be relatively easy to heal."
Lwaxana nodded. She didn't know Harris very well but knew that both
Deanna and Will trusted him completely. She could also tell from her
attempt at a mind probe that he was accomplished at blocking his mind
from her.
The door to the holodeck opened and Pressman came in. Immediately,
Lister and his two security officers pointed their phasers at him.
Three Starfleet officers did not deter Pressman. He was hoping that
they would not fire on even an ex-Starfleet admiral. He, however,
did not count on the loyalty of a crew to its Captain who had been
tortured by this ex-Starfleet admiral. Pressman raised his phaser
and fired. Lister dove at Pressman and knocked him off balance.
Unfortunately, the beam didn't miss Riker entirely. It hit him on
one of his injured ankles causing him to scream in pain. While
Lister subdued Pressman, Harris gave Will pain medication. Lwaxana
put her hands on either side of Will's head.
Will opened his eyes. "Deanna?" He whispered through parched
lips. "You shouldn't be here."
"He's hallucinating. Let him believe you're Deanna. It will help
him." Harris said.
Lwaxana nodded and moved around to Will's side. "I'm here because
you need me to help take your pain away."
Harris continued to monitor Riker's vital signs. They were slightly
better.
"But the baby…"
Lwaxana looked over at Harris who nodded. She smiled.
"The baby is fine. We all need you."
Will reached up, pulled Lwaxana toward him and kissed her. At first
she started to resist but knew Will believed she was Deanna.
Suddenly Will's grip around Lwaxana's neck stiffened. Harris started
to pull Will's hand from her neck. Lister moved to assist the
doctor. When Lwaxana was freed from Will's grip, she caught her
breath. "What's wrong?"
"He's having a convulsion. Harris to Sickbay. Can we transport
Captain Riker?"
"Aye sir, we're ready."
"Harris to Titan. Transport 3 directly to Sickbay." The transporter
took Harris, Lwaxana, and Will.
When the three dematerialized, Lister tapped his com badge. "Lister
to Titan, 4 to beam to the brig."
When everyone was on board the Titan, McKenna engaged a tractor beam
between the Titan and the Menelaus and started back to Cullain 5.

Part 7

Cullain 5
Deanna was starting to become concerned. She hadn't heard from her
mother. She knew they had to have found Will by now. She tried to
communicate with Lwaxana but found she was being blocked, which made
her more concerned. Julie came in the room and found Deanna crying.
"What is it? Did you hear from your mother?"
"No and that's what bothers me. I tried to communicate with her and
she's blocking me. I'm really scared that there's something she's
not telling me."
"Maybe she's just trying to concentrate on finding Will." Julie
hoped she was being comforting.
Deanna noticed and appreciated it, but she wasn't sure she wanted to
be comforted just now. "Maybe, but I'm so afraid there's something
she's not telling me."
"I'm sure he'll be fine. As Dr. Harris said, he's got 3 reasons to
come back."
Despite her worries, she could tell that Julie was also
scared. "You're more scared than you're letting on."
"Yes, Will is like a brother to me. Neither of us have any siblings
so we kind of adopted each other as siblings."
Andy came in the room. He could see how worried his mother and "aunt"
were. "Mommy? When Daddy come home?"
"Soon honey" Deanna hoped she sound convincing. She could tell Andy
was scared. "Grandmom's helping find him."
Andy smiled a little. He was scared but relieved his grandmother was
helping. He climbed on the bed and lay down next to Deanna. He soon
fell asleep.
Titan – 4 hours later
"McKenna to Harris."
"Yes, Commander."
"We'll be arriving at Cullain 5 in approximately 30 minutes. What is
Captain Riker's condition?"
"Improving slowly. His temperature is 39 degrees and his other vital
signs have stabilized. I've healed his wrists, ankles, and the
injuries caused by a Klingon pain stick."
"Good. Do you want to contact Counselor Riker or should I?"
"I'm sure Mrs. Troi would love to do the honors."
"Understood."
Harris turned to Lwaxana who had been pouring water over Will for the
past 4 hours. "Would you like to contact your daughter?"
"I'll do it when we arrive."
Harris nodded. "We can move him from here to a bed. His temperature
is still high but we can bring it down without keeping him here."
"OK."
Harris left the room and returned with 2 nurses who lifted Will from
the bath. Harris put a large towel over Will. "We need to dry him
off. Lay him on one of the biobeds." The nurses laid Will on a
biobed and proceeded to dry him off and put a sickbay gown on him.
When they finished, they moved Will to a private room where Harris
activated the monitors over the head of the bed. Lwaxana smiled when
she saw that Will's temperature had dropped a little more. She could
also tell that Will was starting to regain consciousness.
"He's starting to wake up."
"That's a good sign. I'm kind of worried about how he'll deal
emotionally with being tortured. He's a strong person but being
slowly killed could be a problem especially with everything he's got
to look forward to."
"I know a good counselor." Will said. Lwaxana and Harris looked at
him. He sounded weak and his voice was raspy.
Harris smiled. "How are you feeling?"
Will knew he couldn't lie with Lwaxana right there. "Fair but
thirsty."
"I can help with the thirst." He went to the replicator and
requested a glass of cool water.
Lwaxana helped Will sit up. She smiled when she sensed his
thoughts. "Deanna is still on Cullain 5. I should let her know
you're OK."
"Is she OK?"
"Yes. Dr. Harris was able to help her after your bond was severed."
Harris handed Will the glass of water. "Drink it slowly; otherwise,
we may have to clean up after you." Will did as he was told. He
still felt a bit foggy but realized he was on the Titan.
"Why aren't you at Anda 4?"
"We needed to find you and to help Deanna. Mrs. Troi gave me the
medication that saved both your lives."
"Deanna's OK?"
"Yes. We'll be arriving back at Cullain in less than 30 minutes.
Would you like to talk to her?"
"Yes." Harris left to make the arrangements.
"Would you like more water?" Lwaxana asked.
"Yes, thanks. Have you been here the whole time?"
"Yes. I had to be here for my daughter and grandchildren, and you
know you're more like a son to me than son-in-law." She handed him
the glass of water. She glanced at his vital signs and noticed his
temperature had gone down a little more. She smiled.
"So, Deanna told you she's pregnant."
"No, you did."
"Me? When?"
"When we found you, you were delirious and thought I was Deanna."
Before she could continue, Harris returned with a communications
console. He set it up next to Will's bed. He tapped his com
bade. "Harris to Bridge, we're set down here."

Part 8

Cullain 5
The portable communications console started beeping. Andy
yelled. "I get it!"
He tapped the button and saw McKenna. "Unca Dave! Find daddy?"
McKenna smiled. "Why don't you see for yourself?" He looked over at
Lister and nodded.
Suddenly Will appeared on the screen. Andy started jumping up and
down. "Daddy! Daddy!" He squealed.
Will smiled. He was relieved to see that Andy was OK. "Hey, little
guy."
"Come home?"
"Yep, we'll be back in about 30 minutes – that's not long."
Deanna heard Andy screaming and sensed his total happiness. She came
out of the bedroom to see Andy still jumping up and down; and when
she heard Will's voice, she knew why. She came around and saw Will.
He looked a little tired and flushed but great nonetheless. Will
smiled when he saw Deanna. "Are you OK?" She smiled. Typical, he
was thinking of her.
"I'm fine. We all are. How about you?"
"I feel OK – a little tired – but fine."
"What happened?"
"Erik Pressman kidnapped me. He was trying to get revenge for what
he claimed I did to him."
"What did he do to you?"
Will wasn't sure he really wanted to tell Deanna especially since
Andy was sitting on her lap. He knew she was upset about the bond's
being severed and didn't want to upset her further. Deanna, despite
the loss of their bond, knew him too well. She could tell he was
reluctant to tell her.
"It's OK, Will, you don't have to tell me right now, if you don't
want to."
"OK."
Lwaxana appeared on the screen. "Don't worry. I've been taking good
care of William."
Andy smiled at his grandmother and reached out to the
screen. "Granmom, bring Daddy?"
"Yep, Little One, I'm bringing your Daddy home."
Andy clapped his hands. "Now, your Daddy needs his rest so he can
come back to his vacation. We'll see you soon."
Lwaxana moved aside to let Deanna and Andy talk to Will again.
"See you guys soon. Love you both."
"Wuv you Daddy."
"I wuv you too." Deanna said with a smile as she tapped the comm.
button. She was so relived to see that Will was OK. She was
concerned about what Pressman may have done to Will. He looked
flushed and his voice was a little raspy. Andy climbed off her lap
when there was a knock on the door. Andy opened it. It was Julie.
"Aunt Julie! Daddy coming home!"
Julie looked at Deanna who needed. "That's great! When?"
"Firty minutes."
"Good!" Julie sat down on a chair. Deanna moved to the sofa. Andy
climbed on to Deanna's lap again. "Is Will OK?"
"He says he is. My mother says he is."
"What happened?"
"He was kidnapped by a former CO who Will got put in prison. This
former Starfleet Admiral wanted revenge."
"You don't sound convinced that he's OK."
"He looked a little feverish and his voice was raspy. He looked
tired and sounded weak, but he wouldn't tell me what's wrong."
"I'm sure he's fine. We'll find out in firty minutes."
Deanna laughed. "Yes."
Titan
Will lay back down. Lwaxana placed a cool cloth on his
forehead. "So what happened?"
"You had severe heat stroke, but you'll be fine courtesy of your
private nurse." Harris said.
Will took Lwaxana's free hand and squeezed it. "Thanks."
"No problem. I didn't want Deanna, Andy, and my unborn grandchild to
go through what I did when my husband died." She leaned over and
kissed him on the forehead.
Will smiled and looked at Harris. "If I take my private nurse with
me, can I finish my recovery on Cullain when we get back?"
"We'll see. Your temperature is still 1.5 degrees above normal. If
it's down another ½ degree, I'll let you beam to the surface."
"OK."
30 Minutes Later
The Titan was entering orbit of Cullain. Harris walked into Will's
room to check his vital stats. Lwaxana was just placing another cool
cloth on his forehead. Harris looked at the monitors. Will's
temperature was 1 degree above normal. He noticed Will was asleep.
"He's been sleeping about 20 minutes." Lwaxana said.
Harris smiled. "Sleep will definitely help."
"Seeing Deanna and Andy will also help."
"I agree."
"I'm going to make arrangements for a site-to-site transport." He
smiled at Lwaxana. "You can contact Deanna and have her sit on the
bed and we'll transport him straight there."
"I will."
<<Deanna?>> Lwaxana said.
<<Yes, mother>> She sounded happy and little excited.
<<We've reached orbit and Dr. Harris is arranging a site-to-site
transport. Will's sleeping and Dr. Harris would like to transport
him straight to bed. You're to sit or lay on the bed so the
transporter chief can get coordinates and then move so he can
transport Will.>>
<<OK>>
"Transporter Room 3 to Sickbay. We have the coordinates."
"OK transport 3 when ready."
Will, Harris and Lwaxana dematerialized and rematerialized seconds
later on Cullain where Deanna was waiting a little anxiously.
Lwaxana went over to Deanna and pulled her into a hug as Harris ran
his tricorder over Will and then covered him up.
"He's fine. His temperature is only about 1 degree above normal."
Harris said.
"Where's Andy?" Lwaxana asked
"Taking a nap. I told him he couldn't see his daddy until he took a
nap." Deanna smiled. "It worked." She turned to Harris. "Should
he stay in bed?"
"No need. If he feels like getting up he can. Once his temperature
returns to normal, it should stay there."
"What happened?"
"He suffered a severe heat stroke and rope burns on his ankles and
wrists. He was also prodded with a Klingon pain stick and suffered a
phaser burn on his ankle. Counselor, he's going to be fine. When
he's feeling up to it, you two can rebond."
"Thanks." She looked at Will. He definitely looked better than he
did. "What should I do?"
"Just keep applying cold compresses to his forehead and you can check
his temperature with the tricorder. His temperature has been
steadily decreasing so it should be normal soon. Other than that,
let him sleep. When he wakes up, give him plenty of fluids and
something light to eat."
Deanna nodded and sat down on the bed next to Will. Lwaxana went
into the bathroom and came back with a washcloth. She handed it to
Deanna who placed it on Will's forehead.
"Counselor, I'm going back to the ship. If you need anything,
contact me."
"I will. Thanks Doctor."
Harris called for a beam out and dematerialized.
"Deanna, why don't you lay down. I'll handle Andy if he wakes up
before you do." Lwaxana smiled. "Besides when Will wakes up, he'll
have a pleasant surprise."
"OK." She lay down next to Will and soon fell asleep.

Part 9

Two Hours Later
Deanna woke up and noticed Will appeared to be still sleeping. She
ran the tricorder over him and smiled when she saw his temperature
was normal. She didn't notice that Will had opened his eyes.
"Where's my other nurse?"
Deanna smiled. "If you would prefer her, I'll get her." She started
to move off the bed but Will grabbed her and pulled her to him and
kissed her.
"My mother and Andy are in the house." Deanna said although she
didn't pull away from Will's embrace. In actuality, she was glad he
seemed to be himself. "Are you feeling OK?"
"Yes. How `bout you?"
"I feel much better knowing you're right here, safe and sound." She
snuggled closer.
Lwaxana poked her head in. "You two need to eat rather than snuggle."
Deanna sat up. "You made dinner?"
"Of course not, Julie volunteered to bring dinner when you two woke
up. She should be here in a few minutes."
Suddenly Andy ran in the room and started to climb on the bed. Will
helped him up and pulled him close. "Daddy! I missed you!"
"I missed you too. Were you good for your mommy and grandmother?"
"Uh huh."
"He was worried about you." Deanna said.
"I think all three of you need to discuss what happened and how you
feel." Lwaxana said.
"Mother when did you become a counselor?"
"I was talking to Dr. Harris and he suggested that you may need to
talk to someone. Julie mentioned that she's a counselor and offered
to help you."
"Will, why don't you take a shower and get dressed. By the time
you're done, Julie should be here." Deanna said.
"I don't have to stay in bed?"
"Dr. Harris said you could get up if you felt like it." Deanna
smiled seductively. "He also said we could rebond when you feel up
to it."
"Why don't you join me in the shower and we can get started."
"Do you two always talk this way in front of Andy?" Lwaxana asked.
Secretly, she was glad Will and Deanna were raising Andy with the
openness of a typical Betazoid family.
"They do." Andy said. "They always take a shower together."
Lwaxana picked Andy up. "Come on, let your father get cleaned up and
then we can eat. Aunt Julie will be here soon." She looked at Will
and Deanna who didn't seem to want to get up at the moment. "Will,
perhaps you should take your shower alone. Both of you do need to
eat you know."
Will started to get up. When he stood up, he felt a little light-
headed. Deanna put an arm around him knowing that if he couldn't
stand on his own, she most likely wouldn't be able to help.
"Sit down so I can run the tricorder over you." She said. He did so
and she ran the tricorder over him.
"Am I OK?"
"Yes, your blood sugar is low." She turned to Lwaxana. "Mother,
there's some orange juice in the kitchen. Could you bring a glass?"
"Sure." Lwaxana went to get the orange juice. Andy came over to
Will and laid his head on Will's lap. Will smiled and patted his
head.
"I'll be OK. I just need to eat."
"I don't want both you and mommy sick."
"We'll both be OK."
Lwaxana came in and handed Will the orange juice. After he finished
it, Deanna ran the tricorder over him. "Your blood sugar is up
some. You can try again to take a shower."
Will got up again. This time he felt better and started to the
shower. He turned around and smiled mischievously. "Last chance."
Deanna just smiled and followed Lwaxana and Andy out to the living
room. When Deanna sat down, Andy climbed on her lap. She could tell
Andy was still worried.
"Daddy will be fine."
"OK" He looked up at Deanna with eyes that looked so much like
Will's except they were a darker shade of blue. "You sick too?"
"No, I'm fine." She wasn't sure how to explain morning sickness to
an 18-month old or for that matter how to tell an 18-month old that
he was going to be a big brother especially one who could be so
impatient. She and Will had discussed how to tell Andy and decided
to wait until they were able to feel movement before telling Andy.
Julie poked her head in. "Anyone ready to eat?"
"Yes." Deanna said. "Do you need help?"
"No, John and my parents are with me." They all came in the room and
started to put the food on the table.
"You're welcome to stay for dinner." Deanna said when she noticed
that the table was only set for four.
"No, it's OK. I'm sure Will needs some rest – as do you." Julie
said. "We'll come down tomorrow. Also, I think all four of you
should talk about your fears about what happened."
"We will. Andy's still a little worried, but I'm basically fine now
that Will's back safe and sound. I'm sure things will be back to
normal once we rebond."
"Is Dr. Harris going to reverse the medication used to sever the
bond?" John asked.
Lwaxana smiled. "That, they have to do by themselves; which reminds
me, Julie, do you have any objections to Andy and me staying with you
tonight?"
Julie realized what Lwaxana was saying. "Sure, no problem. I gather
Will feels up to it."
Deanna nodded. "He says he does." She smiled. "Considering the way
he talked, I believe him."
"What do you believe?" Will said as he came out of the bedroom. To
Deanna he looked much better. Andy climbed off her lap and ran to
Will who had just pulled Julie into a hug. Andy clung to Will's leg
tightly.
"Daddy, hold me!" he demanded. When will ignored him, he started to
yell louder. "Hold me!"
Will looked at him. "Hey don't you want me to say hello to Aunt
Julie? I haven't seen her in a long time."
"No, hold me!" Andy demanded again. Will gave in and picked him up.
Deanna became concerned. This was unusual for Andy. He normally
wasn't clingy to either of his parents. She hadn't thought about it
before, but it was obvious that whenever Will was nearby, Andy only
wanted to be with Will. Will didn't seem to notice this change in
Andy. She hoped Andy's wanting to cling to Will and Will's apparent
obliviousness wouldn't hurt their rebonding.

Part 10

Lwaxana could tell Deanna was concerned but understood how Andy
felt. <<Deanna, don't worry about Andy. He'll be fine. You were
very clingy after your father died and I was willing to let you. It
didn't take you long to regain your independence.>>
<<Mother, Andy's still scared and he'll never get over his fear if he
won't let Will out of his sight.>>
"OK, dinner's ready." Mrs. Campbell said. She sensed that Andy
would want to sit closer to Will. She indicated the chair closest to
Andy's booster seat. "Will, why don't you sit here."
"OK." He put Andy in his chair but when Will sat down, he demanded
for Will to hold him. As Deanna expected, Will helped him from his
booster chair and on to his lap. After everyone was settled the
Campbell's and Wilson's left.
Deanna tried to reason with Andy in the hope that Will would notice
the change in Andy. "Why don't you sit in your chair. It will make
it easier for both of you to eat."
"No! Sit with Daddy!"
"It's OK. We can both eat with him here." Will said. He was still
oblivious to the change in Andy. Deanna had a feeling their rebond
would wait until Andy got over his clinginess or Will saw the change
and helped her deal with it.
During dinner, Will was feeding Andy as well as himself. Several
times Will shifted uncomfortably. Deanna sensed his discomfort and
suggested that Andy move to his chair but Will said that he was
fine. Now, as Will shifted again, Deanna felt that maybe she should
be more proactive. She got up and started to lift Andy off Will's
lap. "Come on. You're a little heavy to sit on your daddy's lap."
Andy wrapped his arms around Will's neck. "No!" As Deanna tried to
pull him away, he only held on tighter. She knew that if she tried
to pull Andy away too forcefully, she could hurt Will or herself so
she tried to reason with Will. "Will, you should be taking it easy."
"I'm only eating and feeding Andy."
"He's been feeding himself since he was a year old. He doesn't need
you to feed him."
"Are you jealous because Andy wants attention from me instead of you?"
"Are you crazy? You know perfectly well that I'm not jealous because
Andy wants attention from you instead of me."
"Deanna, he's scared. I was beamed away just as I was reaching for
him. If I had picked him up, he either would have fallen to the
floor as I dematerialized or been kidnapped also. Who knows what
Pressman may have done to Andy."
"Do you know how scared I was when I heard Andy screaming and then
fainted only to wake up and find our bond had been severed? I didn't
know if you were dead or alive!"
"I was scared too but was determined to survive for you."
"I'm sure you were but that doesn't change anything. You're
permitting Andy to cling to you. That's the worst thing you can do."
Lwaxana couldn't keep quiet any longer. She hated seeing Deanna and
Will fight like this especially in front of Andy who had buried his
head in Will's shoulder. She could sense that Andy was growing more
upset with each angry word and both his parents seemed oblivious to
Andy's upset. She also knew that Deanna's anger wasn't good for her
unborn grandchild.
"Deanna, as I told you before, you were like this when your father
died."
"Mother, I was 6 years old. I was old enough to know that you
weren't gong to leave me when you were out of my sight. Andy is only
18 months old. He won't figure it out as quickly as I did. By the
time he is old enough to understand, it will be too late."
"Are you saying that I should do like my father did to me? Ignore
Andy when he needs me the most?" Will said. He was shocked that
Deanna would even remotely suggest that.
"Of course not. I'm just saying we both have to do our parts to
help Andy understand that you haven't disappeared just because he
can't see you. There is absolutely no reason for you to hold Andy
and feed him when he is perfectly capable of feeding himself from his
booster chair."
"You sound more like a shrink than a mother!"
"It's obvious to me that our bond meant more to me than you!" With
that, Deanna ran into the bedroom slamming the door.

Part 11

Will noticed that Andy had started crying something he only did when
he was extremely upset. He wrapped his arms around Andy and held him
close. Will looked over at Lwaxana who didn't appear angry with him
for yelling at Deanna. In fact, she was smiling a little.
"I'm not angry at you. I'm smiling because of what you said."
He thought she meant about Deanna sounding more like a counselor than
a mother. "I shouldn't have said what I said. It was cruel. She
sounded like someone who knows what it's like to lose a parent."
"You both do. Andy still has you."
"Unlike me, Deanna had a caring parent – one who loves her very much
and helped her get through the pain and fear that Andy's going
through right now instead of one who did everything in his power to
force me to suppress my pain and fear after my mother died."
"You're right. In a way she was also right. Andy is probably too
young to understand that you won't disappear if he can't see you; but
he also has both Deanna's and your independent streak. I'll bet
he'll be fine." She smiled again. "I know you still want to know
why I'm smiling and not angry with you."
"Why?"
"Because during the course of your fight, both of you expressed at
least some of your fears about this ordeal." She noticed Will looked
confused. "I didn't think either of you realized it. You were
scared because of what Pressman might have done to Andy if you had
been holding him when you were taken."
"Or he might have fallen from my arms and been hurt."
Lwaxana nodded. "Yes. Dr. Harris said he thought the only thing
that kept your alive was thoughts of Deanna and Andy."
"And Deanna expressed her fear when she said she didn't know if I was
dead or alive."
Lwaxana nodded. She smiled when she noticed Andy had stopped crying
and was looking up at Will. Will noticed too and smiled at
Andy. "I'm sorry you had to hear your mom and me fight like that."
"I'm sowy for cinging to you." He hesitated. "What's cinging?"
"It's loving someone so much that you're afraid they'll go away…" His
voice trailed off. He knew that if he didn't apologize to Deanna he
could lose her. They had decided early in their marriage that, in
addition to not keeping secrets from each other, they wouldn't go to
bed angry. "Andy, will you go to grandmom while I apologize to
mommy?"
"Uh huh" He climbed down from Will's lap and went to Lwaxana who
picked him up and hugged him.
Will got up and groaned from his sore muscles. "I guess I was more
uncomfortable than I thought." He went over and kissed Andy on the
head and Lwaxana on the cheek. "Thanks."
"No problem. I was just doing my part to help you two without
meddling too much."
Will smiled and started toward the bedroom.
"Daddy?" Will turned around. "Can I go to Aunt Juwie's wiv
grandmom?"
Will smiled. "Sure."
"We better clean up before we go." Lwaxana said. She smiled when
she noticed Will's slightly stunned expression.
"Need my help."
"No, you and Deanna make up and we'll clean up." Will smiled and
went into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Part 12

Will went over to the bed where Deanna was laying in a fetal
position. He could hear her soft sobbing and sat down on the bed.
She didn't acknowledge him in any way so he lay down next to her,
draping his arm over her waist. She still didn't react.
"I'm sorry for what I said. You were thinking as a mother who
happens to be a counselor." She finally reacted by rolling over and
cuddling closer to Will. He wrapped both his arms around her and
held her as she cried harder. She soon calmed down and looked up at
Will.
"I'm sorry for saying that our bond meant more to me than to you. I
know that's not true."
"In a way you were right…"
"No, I was wrong."
"You were right, because you grew up with the belief in the Imzadi
bond. I never even heard of it before I met you. It's part of your
culture just as Christmas is part of mine."
"True, but it was wrong of me to say it."
"It was also wrong of me to say you sounded more like a counselor
than a mother."
"I guess we were both wrong." She moved from her position and kissed
Will. "I didn't hear you and mother arguing at all."
"Your education must have rubbed off on her."
"Why?"
"She made the point that during our argument we both expressed our
fears about this ordeal – yours when you mentioned that you didn't
know if I was dead or alive and mine when…"
"…when you said you feared for Andy if he had been taken also." Will
nodded. "Is Andy ok?"
"Yes. He apologized for being clingy even though he didn't know what
it was." He smiled. "By the way you were wrong about Andy."
"What do you mean?"
"I asked him to go to your mother while I apologize to you which he
did, but then he asked if he could go to Julie's with your mother. I
guess he's more independent and mature than either one of us
realized."
"I guess so." She smiled seductively. "So we're alone?"
"Probably. I doubt it took long for your mother to clean up the
table." He knew what she was getting at but tried to play
innocent. "Why do you ask?"
"Why do you think?" She kissed him again with even more passion than
before. When they broke the kiss, Deanna decided she had better tell
Will about one potential problem that had been worrying her for the
past several days. "There could be one problem with our attempts to
rebond."
"What's that?" He was concerned.
"I don't know if we'll be able to rebond. I've never heard of two
people who've had their bond broken being able to bond with another."
"But in those cases, the bond was severed due to the death of one
person. We're both still alive." He frowned. Deanna could tell by
the look in his eyes that something else was bothering him. She had
a feeling she knew what it was.
"The bond isn't what makes me love you. I truly believe I fell in
love with you the minute I saw you and I still do. Nothing can
change that. It makes no difference to me if we can't send comfort
along our link. Telepathy is a slight advantage, especially when the
ship is in danger or when we want to talk about Andy without his
hearing us."
Will finally smiled. "Obviously, you can still sense my feelings."
"No, I could just tell by the look in your eyes what was wrong.
Remember, we've known each other a long time."
"True." Will pulled Deanna closer and kissed her. "So what do you
say, let's pretend this is the Jalara Jungle…"
"Do you remember what I said in the Jalara Jungle?"
She smiled when he smiled. "Shut up and kiss me Riker." They said
in unison their lips inches from each other's. When they kissed, all
the fears of the previous days' ordeal were forgotten. As their
passion and hunger for each other built, the kiss grew deeper. The
kiss never broke as they helped each other remove their clothes. It
wasn't long before they were back in the Jalara Jungle as they
explored each other's bodies as if it was the first time they had
done so. Their bodies merged into one. When their souls merged into
one, they both heard…Imzadi.

Epilogue

The next morning, the ringing of the old-fashioned telephone awakened
the sleeping couple. Deanna started to reach for it but a bout of
nausea hit her causing her to get up quickly and run to the
bathroom. Will reached for the telephone groggily. He was also
feeling a bit nauseous. He smiled when he remembered why. He picked
up the receiver.
"Hello." He said groggily.
<<Morning Daddy!>> Andy said cheerily. <<You and mommy up?>>
"We are now. Did you eat?"
<<No, wait for you and mommy.>>
"OK. Have your grand mom bring you here and I'll make breakfast for
us all."
<<Kay.>>
<<Will?>> Lwaxana had taken the receiver form Andy. <<Good
morning.>>
"Good morning."
<<Is it a good morning?>>
Will smiled. He knew what she was asking. "Let's put it his way.
Deanna is in the bathroom and I'm also feeling a bit nauseous."
<<Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad.>>
"I know what you mean." He chuckled. "I'm glad too. Why don't you
come down and I'll make breakfast."
<<Do you feel up to it?>>
"Yes."
<<See you soon.>>
Will hung up the receiver as Deanna stepped from the bathroom. She
looked a little pale but was smiling. She went over the bed, leaned
over and kissed Will. He pulled her onto his lap as their kiss
deepened.
<<Your mother and Andy will be here for breakfast soon.>>
<> She
pulled away and said aloud. "We can take the shower we were planning
last night as long as you feel up to it." Will's only response was
to move to a standing position picking Deanna up as he did so and
carried her to the bathroom.
After a shower that took somewhat longer than it should have, Will
and Deanna started to dress with interruptions only for quick
kisses. By the time they were dressed, they heard the front door
slam open and Andy's voice in the living room. "Mommy! Daddy!"
Will took Deanna's hand and they went into the room where Andy ran
first to Deanna and hugged her and then to Will who picked him up for
a hug. With his free hand, Will pulled Deanna into the hug.
"You hungry tiger?" Will asked Andy.
"Yep."
Will put Andy down and started to the kitchen.
"Need my help?" Deanna asked.
"Sure."
Lwaxana laughed. "Will, I think you should make breakfast along
otherwise we'll have breakfast for lunch."
"Mother!" Deanna said, but she also knew her mother was right.
Will just laughed and headed to the kitchen alone. During breakfast,
Deanna pulled her chair close to Will's while they ate. The only
times their left hands were visible was when one or the other needed
to use both hands. Lwaxana suspected they were holding hands. She
smiled as she remembered back to when she and Ian Andrew Troi had
formed their bond. They couldn't get enough of each other. She
suspected Will and Deanna were the same when they initially formed
their bond. As she watched them feeding each other interspersed with
the occasional quick kiss, she glanced over at Andy who didn't even
notice what his parents were doing.
<<Little Ones, do you want me to take Andy for the day?>>
<<Do you mind?>> Deanna answered.
<<Of course not. I remember what it was like when your father and I
first bonded.>>
<<Thanks.>>
After several more minutes, Andy appeared to be finished
eating. "Andy, do you want to spend the day with me? Aunt Julie
said there's a nice zoo here."
"OK. Mommy and Daddy come?"
"No, your Daddy needs to rest some more and your Mommy will make sure
he gets it."
"Yeah, right." Andy responded. It was obvious to Lwaxana that Andy
was used to seeing his parents very affectionate toward each other.
She went over to Andy and lifted him from his booster chair. Will
picked him up and hugged him and then handed him to Deanna who hugged
him. After his hugs, Andy went to Lwaxana.
"We go now?"
"Sure, if you're ready."
"Uh huh" He turned to Will and Deanna. "Be good you two."
When Andy and Lwaxana left the cottage, Will got up and picked Deanna
up. He had just started to carry her to the bedroom when Lwaxana
poked her head back in.
"Deanna, I forgot to ask how come you never told me Will was such a
divine kisser?"
Lwaxana smiled at the shocked look on Deanna's face and her "What?!"
in reaction to Lwaxana's question. She closed the door.
Will smiled and said. "Apparently, in my delirium, I thought she
was…" He never got a chance to finish his statement when Deanna
kissed him with a passion that made Will believe they wouldn't be out
of the bedroom for the rest of the day.
Lwaxana smiled when she "heard" Deanna say. <<You're right mother.
He is a divine kisser.>>

END