Disclaimer: Everything Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Tristan is mine.
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The man with the dark sunglasses and coffee beard walked over to the strange young
boy who had just walked onto the white sandy (private property) shore. The boy
reminded him of himself 20 years ago. He was now 52, and retired. Brown haired,
brown eyed. Those eyes reminded him so much of a woman he once knew.
"Can I help you son?"
The boy looked up to him with those eyes and situated his right hand up above
his eyes to block the bothersome sun. "Sir, are you William Riker?"
A shock went up the man's back. He answered carefully. "It depends on who's
asking."
"His son."
-
Will was seated at the kitchen table while his son was pacing a hole in the floor.
"Could you please sit? Let me explain."
The boy wouldn't have it. "You just left me with Grandpa. He used to tell
me that all family's had their secrets. I just found mine. Didn't you think I
would've wanted to be with you?"
"Listen, when your mother died, you were just a newborn," Will visualized
that dreadful day. He had just come from sickbay, where Deanna was finally declared
lifeless and dead, and he entered his - their quarters with a fresh batch of tears
in his eyes and a newly - formed lump of grief in his throat. Tristan was only
6 months old and drooling in his crib, looking up at Will with Deanna's eyes.
"I couldn't bear having you with me. It was like a constant reminder that
she was gone. I' sorry, but I really had no other choice."
Tristan stopped pacing and stopped to face his father. "We could've gone
through it together, did you ever thing of that? Didn't you miss me? Or did you
just try to forget?"
"How could I forget? You're my son."
"That would be the first time."
A loud knock came from the other side of the front door and Will stood to retrieve
it. Tristan turned and sat at the living room couch.
Jean - Luc and Beverly, hand - in - hand, stood there as the former captain of
the USS Enterprise asked, "By the looks of things, it looks like Tristan
has paid you a visit."
-
Taking a moment to connect the dots, Will sat in the living room, flabbergasted.
"So the three of you have already met?"
Welcoming the Earl Grey Will handed him, Jean ?Luc explained, "How else would
he get your address?"
"I'll be damned. And Beverly, you knew about this too?"
The redhead gently answered, "Of course. I'm married to Jean - Luc and someone
had to tell Tristan about his mother."
Tristan, now calm and collected, added, "But it wasn't enough. You've known
her since she was at the academy. I had to find out about her through Starfleet
and family. It wasn't what I was looking for though. I wanted to really know her.
From the person who knew her at her very best. Dad, I'm not mad anymore. I've
found you. But now I want to get to know the man who calls himself my father."
Will sprang from his chair and gave his son a big hug.
Jean - Luc and Beverly quietly exited as father and son reunited.