Course Correction Studio

Category: More Than a Lifetime

  • Deliberation – Chapter 9. Hunt

     

    The attack came so swiftly that it caught everyone by surprise. It was the morning after the party on Mars. The day had begun with the ship’s normal routine. The attack had come early in the morning. Alpha shift had come on duty, but Will hadn’t reported in to duty, yet. He hadn’t been planning on reporting for another two hours. The night before hadn’t exactly been the highlight of his life. Dani was still on board, but she had already left his quarters. She’d risen early, gotten Kris dressed, and taken the girl to the ship’s school. They’d only left ten minutes ago, but Will knew that Dani would be back to pack her things.

    “Bridge to Captain Riker.”

    Riker groggily pushed himself up to a sitting position. “Riker here. What’s the problem?”

    “Sir, sensors are picking up a fleet of Hirogen ships entering the system.”

    At the mention of the Hirogen, Riker was wide awake. “What? How did they get past the perimeter defense?”

    “I don’t know, sir. They just … appeared on the sensors.“

    Riker was already out of bed when he said, “Put the ship on red alert. I’m on my way.”

    xxx

    Riker was on the bridge in fifteen minutes. He strode purposefully onto the deck. “Report!” he barked.

    Shale was already in position, standing in front of the captain’s chair. She turned at the sound of Riker’s command. “They’ve crossed the asteroid belt, sir. They’re quickly advancing on Earth’s position.”

    “ETA?” Riker requested.

    “Damn close,” Shale replied.

    Riker and Shale both looked at the view screen at the front of the bridge. The view displayed an image of an impressive Hirogen fleet.

    “Where the hell did they come from?” Riker asked. The question wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, but it was a sure bet that he wanted an answer. The latest tactical scans had indicated that the nearest Hirogen ships were in the Beta quadrant.

    “Captain, intruder alert! We’ve been boarded!” the ops officer exclaimed.

    Riker crossed the bridge to the ops station in two giant steps. “What?“

    The operations officer’s fingers flew across her station console. “There’s been an unauthorized transport to the ship,” the officer said. Her dark eyes raced over the readings on the console. “I’m reading three teams of four. On decks three, ten, and fifteen.” She looked up at her captain with pure dread in her eyes. “They’re Hirogen.”

    “Security to decks three, ten, and fifteen,” Will ordered.

    xxx

    The red alert caught Dani by surprise in the turbolift. She dismissed it as a drill, initially. She couldn’t foresee a reason for needing to go to red alert in Earth’s orbit.

    The turbolift arrived at deck fifteen, and Dani saw four Hirogen moving through the corridor. She shrunk back into the lift and quickly gave it a command for another deck.

    Hirogen? What the hell … Dani realized that she didn’t have anywhere to go. She didn’t know what decks the Hirogen were on or where they were on those decks. “Computer, halt lift.” If she just stayed in the lift until she could find out what was happening, perhaps she would be safe.

    But what about Kris?

    xxx

    The battle was over in an instant. The so-called battle wasn’t even a battle in the true sense of the word. A battle implied that there was more than one side fighting. In this case, it had all been one-sided. The Hirogen had been doing all the fighting, and no one had had any choice but to sit back and watch it happen. What was left in the wake was nothing pretty. Dozens of crew members lay dead in the corridors, victims of the hunt that the Hirogen so honored.

    Dani finally emerged from the turbolift after the red alert ceased. The doors opened and she stepped onto deck six and stumbled over a body at her feet. She looked beyond him, down the corridor. Unfortunately, the poor soul at her feet wasn’t the only one.

    Taking special care to step over the bodies that littered the path to the school, Dani finally reached her destination. She walked in and her stomach bottomed out. No one was in the main classroom. But there had to be someone … Dani prayed to the gods above that the children hadn’t been abducted. Maybe they were hiding.

    The Hirogen didn’t usually take prisoners.

    “Kristiana – it’s Mommy,” Dani called out. “Where are you, sweetie?”

    Dani peered into the window of one of the secondary classrooms. There was someone there. She could see them, but she couldn’t see who it was. Something was blocking her line of sight. Dani stepped into the room and almost threw up on the spot. There wasn’t a live person in the room besides herself. Little bodies lay motionless on the floor, strewn about like rag dolls. The bodies of the two teachers lay closest to the door as if they’d made a final attempt to block the children from the attackers.

    Dani felt herself beginning to panic, but she tried to force herself to remain calm, but it was hard. She didn’t want to see all those dead children. She didn’t want to see her own child among the dead. But she did. Lying face up near a small group of three or four other children. Dani managed to make it over to Kris, and her legs failed her. She dropped to her knees beside the body, saw the scorch from the phaser blast. She’d never had a chance, had she?

    Dani picked up the lifeless shell and wept as she cradled it. She couldn’t do anything else at the moment, not even if she tried. But she didn’t want to try.

    She tapped her comm badge. “Janeway to Riker,” she croaked tearfully.

    Will was reeling from the attack, as was everyone else onboard. The Hirogen had boarded and executed a swift, brutal attack. Then, less than 20 minutes later, they’d were gone.

    Will was still on the bridge when his badge chirped, and Dani’s voice came through. “I’m here, Dani,” he said. “What is it?” There was a long pause. “Dani, are you there?”

    “She’s dead, Will,” Dani said weakly. And that was all she said.

    xxx

    Will practically ran to the school. He rushed inside, but he found the main room empty. He charged into the first room he came to and stopped cold at the sight that greeted him. “No … ” he said, walking over.

    Dani looked up at him from her spot on the floor. “Will,” she sobbed.

    “No.” Will fell at Dani’s side. He studied his dead daughter, stroked her hair. He looked at Dani with lost, distraught eyes and pulled her to him.

  • Deliberation – Chapter 8. Shock and Awe

    The four months passed slowly for Dani while she waited for Will’s return. Finally, the day arrived when the Titan re-entered Earth’s orbit.

    The Titan’s captain and first officer were the first to materialize in the lobby of Starfleet Headquarters.

    “Daddy!” Kris exclaimed. She broke out into a full-speed run towards Will.

    He knelt, arms wide, and gathered the excited little girl into his arms. He stood with her in his arms. “Kris – my girl.” He kissed her face repeatedly. “Oh man, look at you. You’ve grown.”

    “Are you glad?” Kris asked.

    “I am very glad.” Will kissed her cheek again. He looked from his daughter to his wife, who stood a few feet away with a more reserved demeanor than Kris’s. Will carried Kris over and put her down. He pulled Dani close and eagerly covered her mouth with his.

    xxx

    There was something about the way he looked at her. Something had changed between Emma Shale and Will Riker while they’d been away. They seemed closer. Dani supposed that much was to be expected. A captain and his first officer were destined to develop a close working relationship. But Dani thought they seemed close, even for two people in their positions.

    Dani first noticed it at a reception on the Titan. Will and Emma hung around each other, speaking to each other in low tones. They seemed to be completely tuned in to each other, and it raised serious questions in Dani’s mind.

    xxx

    “I think this will be good for her.” Dani turned away from the viewport in Will’s quarters onboard the Titan. Will stood behind her. “She’s missed you so much,” Dani continued. “She just wants to spend time with you.”

    “And I want to spend time with her,” Will said. The Titan would remain in Earth’s orbit for two weeks for repairs. Unfortunately, Will would need to remain onboard the ship. In response, both he and Dani thought it would be a good idea to let Kris stay on the Titan with him while it was in orbit.

    “I feel like I’ve missed so much,” Will continued. He sighed, walked over to the sofa, and sat. “Before, it was different. But now, having her on board with this war … it isn’t safe.” He shook his head. “I can’t put her in that kind of danger. I don’t know how long this thing with the Hirogen is going to last, but I already feel like I’m missing Kris’s childhood, and it’s only been four months. I just … I don’t want her to have to grow up without a father.”

    Dani walked over and sat beside Will. “Will, she understands what your job is,” Dani told him. “She does. She knows that you have to go away and work, to help keep us safe. She’s so proud of you. Of course she misses you, but don’t think that she thinks any less of you because of that. She loves you.”

    Will turned to Dani. He knew that Kris wasn’t the only one who loved him. He wrapped his arms around Dani and pulled her to him.

    xxx

    Mars was one of Dani’s favorite places to visit. It always had been. Maybe it was the constant reddish orange hue or the desert-like environment … there was simply something about the planet that Dani liked, and she was excited to be attending a party there.

    She gazed out at the barren Martian landscape from her vantage point on the top floor of a high-rise. Despite her efforts to put it out of her mind, she couldn’t get the thought of Emma and Will out of her head. It was crazy, and she knew it, but she couldn’t dismiss it.

    “Enjoying the view?”

    Dani turned to find Will standing behind her. He walked over and stood beside her at the window.

    “I’ve always enjoyed Mars,” Dani said. She looked back out. “I couldn’t begin to tell you why.”

    Will studied her with a probing eye. “Are you feeling alright? You don’t seem like you’re having much of a good time.”

    Dani turned to him with a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, I promise. You, on the other hand, seem to be enjoying yourself.”

    “It’s a nice change of pace,” Will admitted. “You spend four months fighting for your life, and you look forward to any change of pace.”

    “It doesn’t seem like you need a change of pace from some things … or some people,” Dani commented.

    “Meaning … “

    “Meaning you and Emma seem to have grown very close in four months,” Dani said.

    Will exhaled. “Well, that’s to be expected when you spend the majority of your time with someone,” he said. “This shouldn’t be news to you. I had the same kind of relationship with Captain Picard.”

    Dani nodded. “Yeah. You’re right, of course.”

    “Dani, I know that you and Emma have had issues in the past,” Will said. “I had a few issues with her myself, at first. But, she really is a great officer.” He took a step closer to her. “She’s changed, Dani. She’s matured. She isn’t who she was at the Academy. I know that’s probably difficult for you to believe, but I don’t know how I can convince you.”

    “You don’t have to. Your word is good enough for me. If you say she’s changed, she’s changed.”

    Will smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek before moving off.

    xxx

    Dani stepped outside onto the rooftop patio. She’d been looking for Will for nearly half an hour, but he’d seemed to have disappeared. She didn’t know where he could’ve gone to. Maybe he had to return to the ship on urgent business …

    Dani found what he was looking for when she stepped around the corner. Will stood only a few feet away, but he obviously wasn’t aware of Dani’s presence. He also wasn’t alone. Emma was with him, and they looked awfully friendly together. They both had these familiar smiles on their faces. And they didn’t appear to be discussing ship’s business.

    Dani took a tentative step toward the two, but froze on the spot when she saw Emma place her hand on Will’s chest. Will pulled Emma’s body close to his, and his lips met hers.

    A shocked gasp escaped Dani’s lips. It was the only sound she made, but it was enough to get Will and Emma’s attention. They flew apart, and Will’s head snapped immediately to Dani, who didn’t want to believe what she was seeing. She’d had her suspicions, but she’d dismissed them as irrational fears, impossible of being true. But now she was staring the impossible in the face. She wanted to runaway, to hide, but her pride wouldn’t let her.

    “Dani – this isn’t … let me explain,” Will sputtered. He began to walk over to Dani, and unexpectedly, she met him halfway.

    “You unbelievable son of a bitch,” Dani said, her voice low. “How could you … how could you look me in the eye, tell me you love me, hold me, while you’re doing this behind my back?”

    “I don’t know what to say,” Will said honestly. He turned to Emma. “Could you give us some privacy?”

    Emma nodded before moving past them and walking back into the building. Will turned back Dani. “I didn’t mean for you to get hurt, Dani.”

    “How did this start?” Dani asked, miraculously calm for a woman in her position.

    “I don’t know. It just happened. We got really close out there, and it just happened.”

    “Dammit, Will, what about Kris?” Dani asked. Will didn’t appear to have a response. “Kris can stay with you on the Titan while you’re still in orbit, but as for me, I’m gone. I’m leaving tomorrow. I’m going back to Indiana. It’s obvious to me that there’s no room in your life for me anymore.” There weren’t any tears; she was in too much shock.

    “Dani – please, let me explain,” Will said to her, but she turned away from him and began to walk away without responding. “Dani!”

  • Deliberation – Chapter 7. Bad Blood

    It was a day that no Starfleet wife looked forward to. Today was the day the Titan was shipping out. The reason it was shipping out was the Hirogen. They’d become a significant threat to the Alpha Quadrant during the past months, and war was on the horizon. As one of Starfleet’s newest, most advanced ships, the Titan would be on the front lines.

    The main lobby of Starfleet Headquarters was filled with Titan officers and their families, who’d gathered to bid farewell to their loved ones.

    Dani looked up at Will. She was making an incredible effort to hold back her tears. She looked down at Kris, holding on to her hand. Dani looked back up at Will, and despite her best efforts, her eyes filled with tears.

    Admiral Kathryn Janeway made her way through the sea of people toward her daughter. “Oh, wonderful,” she said. “I was hoping I didn’t miss you.” Dani turned to her, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. Kathryn wasn’t fooled, though, but she understood. She looked down at Kris with a smile and crouched down in front of the girl. “Young lady, I believe you owe me a hug.”

    “Grandma!” Kris let go of Dani’s hand and threw herself into Kathryn’s arms, nearly knocking the admiral off her feet.

    With Kris occupied for the moment, Dani could turn to Will, emotions uninhibited. The tears fell freely, now. Will gently stroked them away with his fingers.

    “Four months,” Dani said.

    “That’s the story I got,” Will said with a small smile.

    Dani merely nodded. Will pulled her into a tight embrace and looked down into her brown eyes, praying that this wouldn’t be the last time he would be able to do so. He delivered a burning kiss to her lips and found it difficult to part from them.

    “It won’t seem like that long,” Dani said. She said it more to convince herself than him. “Besides, we’ve been apart for longer, right?”

    “That’s right,” Will said. “It’ll be no time.”

    Dani quickly wiped her eyes and turned to Kris, who was behind her with Kathryn. “Come here, sweetie,” Dani said. “Come say goodbye to Daddy.”

    Kris returned to Dani’s side, where Will bent down and picked her up. “I am gonna miss you so much,” he told her.

    “I’ll miss you, too,” Kris said. “When are you coming back?”

    “I’ll be back in four months,” Will said. “Are you going to come and meet me back here when I get back?” Kris nodded. Will crushed her to him. “I love you so much, more than you can ever know, little girl.”

    “I love you, too, Daddy.”

    Will kissed her on the cheek and then on the forehead before placing her back on the floor. He looked at Dani once again, and gently stroked her face before turning around and walking over to a small group of officers who stood a few feet off from the family crowd.

    Dani watched him, and she watched Emma take her place at his side. Dani should have used the moment to watch her husband beam away to his ship, but she didn’t. Instead, her eyes were glued to Emma’s smug face.

    xxx

    Will gazed at the photo of Dani and Kris and picked it up off the coffee table in his quarters on the Titan. It was almost midnight, but he found that he couldn’t sleep. That was the way it always was the first night out. He placed the photo back on the coffee table and stood, ready to make another attempt at sleep. Before he made it back to the bedroom, his door chimed. Will double-checked the chronometer for the time and pulled his robe closed around him. He wasn’t expecting any company and certainly wasn’t dressed for any, but he had made it clear from his first day as captain that he maintained an open door policy toward his crew. If they needed to come talk to him, they could, no matter the hour. Those were his words precisely.

    Will pulled himself up to his full height, as if he were in full uniform. “Come in,” he said. The doors slid open and Shale walked into his quarters. “Commander – I didn’t expect to see you at this late hour.”

    “Sorry to disturb you, Captain,” Shale said. “Did I wake you?”

    “No,” Riker admitted. “I was already awake.”

    “Trouble sleeping, sir?” Shale inquired.

    “Just a little. Leaving your family is never an easy task, especially when you’re doing it because you’re facing the possibility of war.”

    “Is there anything I can do to help, sir?”

    Riker regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, contemplating. “Actually, something has been nagging at me, something that I just don’t understand.”

    “What is it, sir?”

    “Why is there so much bad blood between you and my wife?” Riker asked openly. “I know it goes back to your days at the Academy together, but what started it all?” He sat down on the sofa and indicated that Shale should do the same. She sat down in the chair next to him.

    “Well, as I remember, it began when she didn’t want to be my roommate at the Academy,” Shale began truthfully.

    Riker nodded. He remembered Dani telling him the story of her and Emma’s first meeting. It was one of many involving Shale that Dani had told him that first year.

    Shale continued. “After I told her that I didn’t think we should receive special treatment because of our family connections, she said she didn’t want to have anything to do with me. She said she didn’t want to be associated with someone who didn’t recognize the benefits of position and influence.”

    Riker glared at Shale. It was true that Dani had refused to be Emma’s roommate, but it hadn’t happened at all like Shale had said. “You know, Commander, I don’t like what you’re doing.”

    Shale appeared baffled. “Sir?”

    Riker stood and stepped away from the sofa and from Shale. “You may be my first officer, but she is my wife,” he said. “I don’t appreciate you telling lies about her. Now, I don’t care what kind of history you have with her, but on this ship, we will maintain a professional atmosphere. Let’s get one thing straight – this isn’t the Academy, Ms. Shale, and I won’t have my officers jeopardize this mission by resorting to juvenile games. Do I make myself clear, Commander?”

    Shale stood. “I understand, sir. It won’t happen again.” She left his quarters without another word.

    Riker watched her go. He couldn’t believe the gall of that woman. How could someone be so calculating and malicious? How had someone like her made it this far?

  • Deliberation – Chapter 6. Who Knew?

    Clinking champagne glasses and the low hum of social chatter greeted Dani as she and Will stepped through the large doors leading to the vast hall where hundreds of Starfleet officers milled about. Dani had never liked these formal functions, and the fact that she was a captain’s wife and was expected to attend a great number of them didn’t change that at all.

    Before Will and Dani had even made it all the way into the room, a waiter was in front of them offering to take their orders for drinks. The waiter nodded as soon as he’d received their requests and disappeared into the sea of people from which he’d emerged only seconds earlier.

    “Do you know if they’re serving real alcohol tonight?” Dani asked Will.

    “I don’t know,” Will replied. “They usually spring for the real stuff at these kinds of functions. They use the synthehol for the small stuff. Why do you ask?”

    Dani sighed. “No reason. I was just hoping I would have something to help me make it through the night.”

    Will smiled. He knew his wife of nearly a decade hated these things. He didn’t like for her to be uncomfortable, but he always thought it was funny as hell, the way she tried to get out of them or cope if she couldn’t get away.

    “At least you don’t have to wear one of these dress uniforms anymore,” he pointed out.

    “I guess you do have a point, there,” Dani conceded. It was unfathomable how bad the dress uniforms always looked regardless of how good the standard uniform looked. “Who designs those things anyway?”

    “Beats me,” Will said, scanning the room. He moved deeper into the room, Dani on his arm.

    “Have you met your new first officer, yet?” Dani asked.

    “Not, yet,” Will said. I haven’t received the assignment, yet. I don’t even have a name.”

    “Will! Come over, and join us!” It was the boisterous voice of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard inviting Will and Dani to come join his circle. Will and Dani dutifully walked over. Once they’d arrived, a tap on the shoulder got Dani’s attention, and she turned around to find the waiter from earlier patiently standing by with drinks for her and Will. “Your drinks, ma’am,” he said.

    Dani thanked him and picked up the drinks, handing one off to Will. “Your drink, Will,” she said.

    Will turned around, retrieved his drink from Dani, and turned back to his group of companions. Before the waiter could scurry off, Dani detained him for a moment longer. She stepped away from the group and approached the waiter. “Is this synthehol?” she asked him in a low voice.

    The waiter smiled. “No, ma’am. It’s the real deal.”

    Dani grinned. “I was hoping you would say that.” The waiter moved off to go take someone else’s order. Dani took a sip of her drink, a simple champagne, just to test. She closed her eyes as the cool liquid flowed over her tongue and down her throat. It was perfect. She rejoined their little group.

    “I’ve heard that you’ve been having a few bumps on the Titan,” Picard was saying.

    “Yes, sir,” Will said. “We’ve been running into one problem after another.”

    “Well, I do have someone here who may be able to aid you in your troubles,” Picard said. He pointed, “And there she is now.”

    Dani and Will turned and looked in the direction that Picard indicated. They saw a blonde in a Starfleet dress uniform making her way over to the group. Dani couldn’t help but think that there was something very familiar about the woman, something about the way she carried herself. As she came closer, Dani realized, with a growing sense of dread, that the person was someone she hadn’t seen since her Academy days. She hoped with all her being that this woman wasn’t who she believed her to be.

    Picard spoke again. “Commander Emma Shale,” he said. “She’s the Titan’s new first officer.”

    Dani felt all the blood drain from her face. This woman, Emma Shale, had terrorized Dani during her first year at the Academy. Now, this was going to be working with Dani’s husband, closely, every day. A wave of jealousy and anger washed over her. She turned to Will, her sentiments apparent to him in her dark eyes. They both turned their stares back on Shale, who was quickly advancing on the group.

    Dani wondered if Shale would even remember her, and she wondered if Shale had changed any from that arrogant, malicious cadet she’d been at the Academy.

    Emma Shale strode confidently up to the group, her hands clasped proudly behind her back. She greeted the admiralty and other officers in the group before turning to her new boss.

    “Captain Riker,” she said, “It’s an honor to have been chosen to be a part of your crew. Who knew all those years ago when I was on the Enterprise for my field training that I would end up serving under you?”

    Will inclined his head slightly. “Who knew?” he repeated. He turned to Dani. “I believe you know my wife, Danielle.”

    Shale turned her calculating stare on Dani. It had been a long time, but Dani knew at that moment that their eyes met that Emma Shale was the same Emma Shale from all those years ago.

    “Of course,” Emma said. “We were in the same Acadmey class.” She smiled smugly. It was a smile of triumph, and it made Dani feel incredibly small.

    Dani found that she could no longer hold the stare she’d once held so confidently steady. She averted her eyes.

    “Why don’t we take our seats?” Will suggested. He walked with Dani, Shale, and Picard to the admiral’s table. Will took his seat between Dani and Picard.

    Emma took the seat directly across from Dani, purposefully, no doubt. “Dani, I was sure I’d be calling you ‘captain’ by now,” she said. “I thought you would have at least made commander. Whatever happened to that whole plan anyway?”

    Dani managed to meet her gaze briefly before averting her eyes. “Change of plans,” she replied simply.

    Emma nodded knowingly. “Ah … children …”

    Dani swallowed. “Yes, Commander Shale,” she said. “I made a conscious decision to resign my commission so that I could be available for my daughter full-time.”

    “Aww … that’s so sweet,” Emma cooed mockingly.

    Dani felt a large lump rising in her throat, and she was certain she was about to lose it. “Excuse me,” she said, rising and leaving the table.

    Will looked after her and turned back to Picard. “I’m sorry; excuse me,” he said. He rose and followed Dani. He caught up with her in the lobby outside the main ballroom. “Dani?”

    “I’m sorry,” Dani said. “I couldn’t … this is so difficult, having her here.”

    “I know, and I’m sorry,” Will apologized. “Dani, I swear I had no idea. If I had – “

    “No, I know. It isn’t your fault. I know that. I just don’t understand why it has to be this way. It’s like some kind of cruel practical joke.”

    “If you want to go home, we can,” Will offered. “I know how uncomfortable she’s making you in there.”

    “If I go home, it means she’s won,” Dani said.

    “Dani, this is not a competition,” Will reminded her. “You’re not in the Academy anymore.”

    “Then … why does it feel like I am?” Dani asked tearfully.

  • Deliberation – Chapter 5. A Brand New Day

    Dani opened her eyes to find that she was still in her bedroom in Indiana, but it was daylight out. She was confused for a moment because that change appeared to be the only difference, at first glance. She realized there were more when she felt the familiar nuzzle of a warm, fuzzy face on her neck.

    “Goodmorning, gorgeous,” the hairy individual whispered into her ear.

    Dani looked over her shoulder, up into the blue eyes of Will Riker. He kissed her before she had a chance to say anything. He parted from her, rising from the bed and walking across the bedroom and into the bathroom.

    Dani sat up in the bed, trying to gather her thoughts. Her head spun momentarily as if she’d sat up too fast. A flash caught the corner of her eye. She looked, and Q was beside her on the bed.

    “I know you probably have a lot of questions,” he began. “So, I’m going to give you a brief run-down of your life. You and Captain Riker are married. You’ve been married for ten years. Riker is in command of a ship called the Titan.”

    “The Titan?” Dani repeated. “What about the Enterprise?”

    “Didn’t work out that way,” Q said. “But nevermind that. What’s important is that you aren’t in Starfleet anymore.”

    “What? Why not?”

    “You left shortly after your daughter was born,” Q informed her. Even as the words left his mouth, Dani was inundated with a flood of memories she’d never had before. She suddenly had memories of a life that she didn’t know she’d lived.

    Q continued on. “You didn’t want your daughter to grow up like you did, with your parents always being away and you being passed around from ship to ship. You wanted her to have a stable family so you resigned your commission to take care of your daughter seven years ago, after she was born. You never rose above the rank of Lieutenant Commander.”

    Dani drew her legs, obscured by the bedsheets, up to her chest. “Since you’re telling me all this, what’s the point of my being here?”

    “To see just how happy you’d truly be if you married Will Riker,” Q told her.

    “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” The calls were accompanied by the sound of little feet running toward the bedroom.

    Dani looked to Q for guidance, but he offered none. “Mommy … ” he mocked in a sing-song voice before disappearing.

    “Q – wait!” Dani whispered desperately.

    Will called from the bathroom, “Is that my little Kris running like that?”

    Suddenly, the little footfalls stopped, and the bedroom door creaked open. A head of brown, disheveled hair appeared in the crack between the door and the wall. Big blue eyes peered out from behind dark, overgrown bangs.

    “Kristiana.” Riker appeared in the bathroom doorway, his bathrobe wrapped about him. He looked down at his daughter with a firm expression “What have we told you about running in the house?”

    “Sorry,” the little girl said sullenly.

    “We just don’t want you to fall and hurt yourself, sweetheart,” Riker said. The sterness of his face softened as he walked over and sat on the bed beside Dani. He patted the space in front of them on the bed, inviting Kris over. She bounced into the room and hopped up onto the bed in front of her parents.

    Kristianna Riker was a seven-year old little angel with long, dark hair and big, expressive eyes.

    “How did you sleep last night, sweetheart?” Will asked her. “Did you have good dreams?” Kris nodded enthusiastically. “Are you ready for a fun day at school?”

    “Yeah!” Kris cheered. She crawled into her father’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. Then she migrated over to Dani, delivering a hug and a kiss to her mother as well.

    Dani held the little girl and smiled at her. This didn’t seem like such a bad life. How could it be? She was married to Will, and they had a beautiful young daughter together. She looked at Will and smiled. She wasn’t in Starfleet, but was that really such a devastating thing?

    xxx

    “Kris, make sure you replicate something healthy for lunch today,” Will instructed, placing the last of his PADDs into his slim briefcase. “That means no ice cream sundaes, brownies, or cakes.”

    “What about candy?” Kris asked hopefully.

    Riker looked down at his daughter and shook his head, indicating that candy wasn’t allowed on the menu, either. “But if you’re good at school today, we’ll go out for ice cream when I get home from work.”

    Kris’s face lit up. “Ooh, can we, can we, can we?”

    “Only if you’re good,” Will reminded her.

    “I will be, I promise!” Kris vowed.

    “We’ll see,” Will said. “Say goodbye to your mother.”

    Dani crouched so that Kris could hug her. They kissed each other on the cheek. “You have a good day at school today, okay?” Dani said. “I’ll be there to pick you up at the end of the day.”

    “Okay, Mommy,” Kris said. “I love you.”

    Dani gazed at Kris, still amazed that the girl was actually hers. “I love you, too, my little girl. Be good so we can go get ice cream.” Kris nodded enthusiastically.

    Dani stood and looked up at Will. “And you be good, too,” she told him.

    “Yes, ma’am,” Will said, a smile coming to his face. He wrapped his arms around Dani, pulled her to him, and planted a kiss firmly on her lips. “I’ll see you tonight,” he told her.

    “Alright.” Dani and Will parted.

    “Come on, Kris,” Will said. “We don’t want to be late.” He and Kris left the house for the transport that was waiting in front of the house. Dani waved goodbye to them as they took off and left the area.

    xxx

    “Dani – I’m home!”

    Will Riker stepped through the front door after returning home from San Francisco. He’d spent part of the day on the Titan, now in orbit around Earth, and the other part in San Francisco. Now, it was fifteen minutes before 1800 hours, and he was finally home.

    At the sound of her father’s arrival, Kris came running excitedly from the kitchen, her hair flying behind her. “Daddy!”

    Will reached down and scooped Kris up into his arms, showering her with kisses. “My little girl! Were you good today?”

    “Yes, I was.”

    Dani appeared in the kitchen doorway, a dishtowel in her hands. Will looked to her for the final verdict. “What about it, Mom – did you get a good report from Mrs. Winters today?”

    “Yes. A very good one, as a matter of fact,” Dani replied. She walked over and joined her little family by the front door. She reached up and smoothed Kris’s wild hair. “Our little angel was very well-behaved today. Mrs. Winters says she didn’t hear one peep out of her.”

    Kris looked from her mother to her father. “See? I was on my best behavior.”

    “I see. A vast improvement over last week,” Will praised. “Looks like we’ll be going out for ice cream later.”

    “Yay!” Kris cheered as she was lowered to the floor.

    “Go wash up for dinner,” Dani instructed. She and Will watched Kris practically skip into the kitchen. Then they turned to each other and wrapped themselves around one another as Will’s lips gratefully found Dani’s . “How was your day?” she asked him.

    “It certainly wasn’t the easiest day on record,” Will told her.

    “How are the upgrades coming?” Dani asked.

    “My people keep running into all kinds of problems,” Will answered. “It’s just one headache after another.”

    “Maybe I can help those headaches go away … “

    “I do hope so,” Will said, pushing the worries of the day out of his mind.

    xxx

    Will hoisted Kris into the air and onto his shoulders. They walked with Dani along San Francisco’s bustling Fisherman’s Wharf district.

    “Did you enjoy your ice cream, Kris?” Will asked

    “Yes, I enjoyed it very much, Daddy,” Kris said politely.

    “Anything for my girls,” Will said, smiling at Dani. “My job is to keep you and your mother happy. Are you happy?”

    “Yes,” Kris answered.

    “Are you happy?” Will asked Dani.

    “Very,” Dani replied.

    The family came to a couple of ensigns who promptly greeted Riker. “Goodevening, Captain,” they said, almost simultaneously.

    “Goodevening,” Will replied. He continued to walk with Kris on his shoulders and Dani at his side.

    “Daddy?” Kris said.

    “Yes, sweetheart?”

    “When I grow up, I want to join Starfleet,” Kris proclaimed. “And I want to be a captain one day, just like you.”

    “Well, sweetheart, you can grow up to be anything you want,” Will espoused. “As long as you put your mind to it, and work hard, you can do whatever you want.”

    Dani watched the interaction with a smile. Kris reminded her so much of herself at that age. She remembered having a similar interaction with her own father when she was a little girl. Chakotay had told her that she could be what she wanted, too, and she’d been on her way. But she’d made a choice, hadn’t she? She looked up at Kris and smiled.