The Ties That Bind
This story and all themes and ideas contained in said story are the sole
ownership of J.L. Scott. Any copyright infringements can be prosecuted in a
court of law.
To borrow a phrase: Star Trek: The Next Generation no mine...no money, no sue, please?
Will stood apart from the other mourners, though perhaps it was only because they were all so aware of who he was. Some faces he remembered well, some he recognized and some he didn't. It was easy, though, to tell which were Starfleet and which weren't by the uniforms.
After the ceremony, Will had to stand alone to receive condolences. There was no other family to help shoulder the burden. Deanna and the Captain weren't far though, and his other friends from Enterprise were spread out too. They were his family, and he drew comfort from them.
The line was dwindling down. There were only a few people left, most of them close friends of his.
"Commander" Admiral Popkins, an elderly gentleman that Will had always regarded with fondness, shook his hand, "I'm so sorry. Kyle Riker was a great man...and a good friend" Will nodded his acceptance, though personally he couldn't agree with either statement. The Admiral moved off and this time Will was greeted with a smile.
"Dr. Polaski" he smiled back, a genuine smile this time, and took her hand in both of his, "It was good of you to come" The blonde woman looked a few years older than when he'd last seen her, when she had served aboard the Enterprise.
"I was sorry to hear he was gone" she replied, "But I'm glad to see you again. How have you been doing? Still playing Paresi Squares like you're 18?"
Will chuckled, "I've had to cut back a little"
"Don't believe him" Deanna joked, joining the two along with the Captain.
"If anything, he's been playing even more since you left us, Doctor" Jean-Luc added.
"Councilor, Captain" Polaski nodded, "How are the both of you?"
"I'm fine" Deanna answered with her usual quick smile.
"We've all been doing well" the Captain said, "As have you, so I've heard"
"Ah, well" the Doctor demurred. The others from the crew joined them to say hello again and they all stood around chatting for a few moments. Finally, though, Geordi said something about getting back to the engines and he and Data beamed back up to the ship. Dr. Crusher, Wesley and Worf quickly followed suit.
"Well, I guess I should get going too. It was nice to see you all again" Polaski said with a final smile for them all.
"You too" Captain Picard replied.
"Thanks again, for coming" Will added. Polaski smiled and left.
Will took stock of his surroundings one last time. It was strange to be back in Alaska. He realized he hadn't been back, not even once, since he'd left as just a kid to join the Academy. It was late spring, and everything was bright green and blooming. The season never lasted long, and in a few months the snow would start to cover it all again. But it was beautiful for now. Childhood memories roamed freely though his mind, though he was trying to remember only the good. He and his father may have reconciled, but they had still never been close. Neither had ever truly forgiven each other.
Will took a final breath, glanced at the headstone bearing the Riker name, and turned to follow his friends back up to the ship.
"Who's that?" Deanna's question stopped him. She was pointing toward the road that led into the small town. There were two people making their way swiftly towards the grave, a middle aged man and a young woman. Something about the girl startled Will, though he couldn't exactly tell what yet.
"I don't know" he replied, "You go on. I'll take care of it"
"Are you sure?" Deanna asked, a worried look in her eyes.
"Yes" Will answered.
"Just let us know when you're ready" the Captain told him and then the two were gone in the blue flash of the transporters. The man and the girl were just reaching Will.
"Can I help you with something?" he asked.
"Commander William Riker?" the man asked, slightly out of breath. He was somewhat stout.
"That's me" Will nodded. He glanced at the girl. She was glaring at him.
"Ah, good. I wasn't completely sure I'd found the right place! But it doesn't matter now. Of course, there is a bit of legality involved, but you needn't come all the way to Bolgara, you can just send me everything later" the man babbled quickly, trying to hand a stack of discs to Will.
"Wait, wait" Will stopped him, "I'm a little confused. Who are you?"
"Why, I'm Frank Dillard of course" the man answered, "I took care of all of your father's affairs on Bolgara"
"Bolgara" Will repeated. It was a small planet with limited interaction with the Federation, though it was a member. He couldn't imagine what business his father had had there.
"Yes. A portion of Miranda's boarding fees is still due, but I expect you won't have any problem paying that off with a Commander's account. I suppose I should have tried harder to contact you, but there was very little time you see. There was only one transport leaving for Earth. As it was, we only just barely made it! I just assumed you would be able to handle it all" the man rattled off. Will was starting to get an ominous feeling in his chest, along with the growing confusion. He had thought all of his father's affairs had been in order, that he could forget about it now.
"Handle all of what?" He asked, "Who's Miranda?" Dillard looked at him, confounded.
"Why, she is of course" he nodded at the girl, whose look, if possible, had darkened even more, "Miranda Riker"
"Riker?" Now it was Will's turn to be surprised. It wasn't often he ever met anyone with his own last name.
"Of course" Dillard nodded vigorously, "Miranda Riker. Kyle Riker's daughter. Your sister"
For a second, Will just stared. His sister? What was the man talking about? He didn't have a sister. He didn't have any siblings at all. He didn't even have any cousins. He looked back and forth between the two, trying to think of how exactly to tell them they were crazy, when all of the sudden it hit him: The thing that had startled him when he'd first seen her.
She looked just like him!
To borrow a phrase: Star Trek: The Next Generation no mine...no money, no sue, please?
Will stood apart from the other mourners, though perhaps it was only because they were all so aware of who he was. Some faces he remembered well, some he recognized and some he didn't. It was easy, though, to tell which were Starfleet and which weren't by the uniforms.
After the ceremony, Will had to stand alone to receive condolences. There was no other family to help shoulder the burden. Deanna and the Captain weren't far though, and his other friends from Enterprise were spread out too. They were his family, and he drew comfort from them.
The line was dwindling down. There were only a few people left, most of them close friends of his.
"Commander" Admiral Popkins, an elderly gentleman that Will had always regarded with fondness, shook his hand, "I'm so sorry. Kyle Riker was a great man...and a good friend" Will nodded his acceptance, though personally he couldn't agree with either statement. The Admiral moved off and this time Will was greeted with a smile.
"Dr. Polaski" he smiled back, a genuine smile this time, and took her hand in both of his, "It was good of you to come" The blonde woman looked a few years older than when he'd last seen her, when she had served aboard the Enterprise.
"I was sorry to hear he was gone" she replied, "But I'm glad to see you again. How have you been doing? Still playing Paresi Squares like you're 18?"
Will chuckled, "I've had to cut back a little"
"Don't believe him" Deanna joked, joining the two along with the Captain.
"If anything, he's been playing even more since you left us, Doctor" Jean-Luc added.
"Councilor, Captain" Polaski nodded, "How are the both of you?"
"I'm fine" Deanna answered with her usual quick smile.
"We've all been doing well" the Captain said, "As have you, so I've heard"
"Ah, well" the Doctor demurred. The others from the crew joined them to say hello again and they all stood around chatting for a few moments. Finally, though, Geordi said something about getting back to the engines and he and Data beamed back up to the ship. Dr. Crusher, Wesley and Worf quickly followed suit.
"Well, I guess I should get going too. It was nice to see you all again" Polaski said with a final smile for them all.
"You too" Captain Picard replied.
"Thanks again, for coming" Will added. Polaski smiled and left.
Will took stock of his surroundings one last time. It was strange to be back in Alaska. He realized he hadn't been back, not even once, since he'd left as just a kid to join the Academy. It was late spring, and everything was bright green and blooming. The season never lasted long, and in a few months the snow would start to cover it all again. But it was beautiful for now. Childhood memories roamed freely though his mind, though he was trying to remember only the good. He and his father may have reconciled, but they had still never been close. Neither had ever truly forgiven each other.
Will took a final breath, glanced at the headstone bearing the Riker name, and turned to follow his friends back up to the ship.
"Who's that?" Deanna's question stopped him. She was pointing toward the road that led into the small town. There were two people making their way swiftly towards the grave, a middle aged man and a young woman. Something about the girl startled Will, though he couldn't exactly tell what yet.
"I don't know" he replied, "You go on. I'll take care of it"
"Are you sure?" Deanna asked, a worried look in her eyes.
"Yes" Will answered.
"Just let us know when you're ready" the Captain told him and then the two were gone in the blue flash of the transporters. The man and the girl were just reaching Will.
"Can I help you with something?" he asked.
"Commander William Riker?" the man asked, slightly out of breath. He was somewhat stout.
"That's me" Will nodded. He glanced at the girl. She was glaring at him.
"Ah, good. I wasn't completely sure I'd found the right place! But it doesn't matter now. Of course, there is a bit of legality involved, but you needn't come all the way to Bolgara, you can just send me everything later" the man babbled quickly, trying to hand a stack of discs to Will.
"Wait, wait" Will stopped him, "I'm a little confused. Who are you?"
"Why, I'm Frank Dillard of course" the man answered, "I took care of all of your father's affairs on Bolgara"
"Bolgara" Will repeated. It was a small planet with limited interaction with the Federation, though it was a member. He couldn't imagine what business his father had had there.
"Yes. A portion of Miranda's boarding fees is still due, but I expect you won't have any problem paying that off with a Commander's account. I suppose I should have tried harder to contact you, but there was very little time you see. There was only one transport leaving for Earth. As it was, we only just barely made it! I just assumed you would be able to handle it all" the man rattled off. Will was starting to get an ominous feeling in his chest, along with the growing confusion. He had thought all of his father's affairs had been in order, that he could forget about it now.
"Handle all of what?" He asked, "Who's Miranda?" Dillard looked at him, confounded.
"Why, she is of course" he nodded at the girl, whose look, if possible, had darkened even more, "Miranda Riker"
"Riker?" Now it was Will's turn to be surprised. It wasn't often he ever met anyone with his own last name.
"Of course" Dillard nodded vigorously, "Miranda Riker. Kyle Riker's daughter. Your sister"
For a second, Will just stared. His sister? What was the man talking about? He didn't have a sister. He didn't have any siblings at all. He didn't even have any cousins. He looked back and forth between the two, trying to think of how exactly to tell them they were crazy, when all of the sudden it hit him: The thing that had startled him when he'd first seen her.
She looked just like him!