A/N: The Romulans in this story are modeled after Star Trek author Diane Duane's vision of these mysterious Trek villains; her first two books involving them were written in the 1980s before the TV series decided to develop them differently. However, I much prefer Ms. Duane's Rihannsu. I feel she brings them to far more vivid life, making them utterly fascinating and giving them detailed history, culture, and even language. And I simply love those gorgeous, exotic names! For more information on Diane Duane's Rihannsu, pick up her 1987 novel The Romulan Way, written with her husband Peter Morwood. As for me…the customary thanks go to my readers and especially my reviewers. Sorry for the wait…it's very hard to write good Trek and I gave it the best shot I could!

§ § § -- May 2, 1997

"Did you finally get a chance to see Insurrection, Kylie?" Lauren McCormick Knight asked of her Australian friend, slouching in her chair with the phone to her ear.

"Yeah, after forever!" Kylie Garrison Rainsford said with a laugh. "I really enjoyed it; it had quite the sense of humor, don't you think?"

"Uh-huh," Lauren said, chuckling. "But you know, it made me wonder. Again."

Kylie sounded solemn. "Me too. Every time I hear a reference to any of the characters, it makes me wonder. Y'don't suppose we could finally try to find out…?"

"You mean…go back and find them again?" Lauren asked, sitting up.

"Right. I've been thinking about it for a couple years actually. After all, you never did stop wondering what happened to Arzi. We've been writing letters for what…?"

"Fifteen years," Lauren said with awe. "Kylie, I think you're overdue to make a trip back here. I'll call the main house and ask. The sooner we put in for it, the better. I know Mr. Roarke accepts only written requests, though, and he's gonna want both our signatures. Why don't you write out the request for both of us and sign it, overnight it to me here, and then I'll sign it and give it to him so it's official?"

"Got it," Kylie mumbled, obviously writing it down. "Will do. Look for it tomorrow morning, and then let me know what they say. Heck, even if he tells us no, Drew and I can still use a holiday. I'll start making flight arrangements, and you keep me posted."

"You bet!" Lauren said enthusiastically, and when they'd concluded their call, she punched out the number for the main house, her excitement already building.

§ § § -- May 10, 1997

Leslie was very surprised at the plane dock that spring Saturday morning when Roarke let out a soft laugh at the emergence of a couple holding hands. "She is every bit as enthusiastic as her letter sounded," he remarked.

"Who is she, and what did her letter say?" Leslie asked when he didn't volunteer any more information. "Really, Father, I shouldn't have to ask that. I still haven't developed the ability to read your mind."

Roarke looked at her with mock surprise. "Haven't you? I beg your pardon, my dear daughter." She rolled her eyes, and this time he laughed aloud. "Very well. The couple are Drew and Kylie Rainsford, from a suburb of Canberra in Australia. The fantasy is that of Mrs. Rainsford, but she is sharing it with someone else who, like her, is an avid Star Trek fan."

"Wait a minute! Isn't that Lauren's Australian pen pal?" Leslie exclaimed. "They met during that fantasy I gave Lauren for her seventeenth birthday. You mean they want to go back and visit the Star Trek universe again?"

"And you said you couldn't read minds," Roarke said, at which she threw her hands in the air. With another laugh, he went on: "Yes, Mrs. Rainsford and your friend Lauren both wish to return, so that they can discover the fates of the friends they met during their first trip there." He frowned. "But fifteen years will have passed for those characters as well, and as we all know, a great deal can change in fifteen years. This time they may find themselves in more danger than they could possibly dream up."

"Oh, I think they can dream up plenty," Leslie remarked.

"Clearly not as much as you might believe, or they might have thought twice about requesting this fantasy," riposted Roarke. And with that, he accepted his glass and raised it in the weekly toast, while Leslie took in the anticipatory expression of Kylie Rainsford and the dubious one of her husband. Looks like Father isn't the only one with an ominous outlook on the situation. I wonder how Brian feels about Lauren doing it?

‡ ‡ ‡

A little more than an hour later, at the main house, she found out. Brian Knight and Drew Rainsford were both reluctant to let their wives go through with their fantasy, and made it very plain to Roarke within the first sixty seconds of walking in the door with Kylie and Lauren. "I'm going to state for the record that I'm allowing Lauren to do this only under extreme duress," Brian said flatly to Roarke.

"The same goes for me," said Drew Rainsford in a broad Australian accent. "I don't like this one bit, and I've told Kylie countless times that I don't, but she's not listening. So Brian and I thought we'd lodge official protests."

"You may protest as much as you like," Roarke said, "but with all due respect, the fact remains that the decision is that of your respective wives, not the two of you."

"You see?" Kylie said, giving Drew a hard look. "I told you before: either you let us go, or you come along with us—but you're not stopping us."

Lauren turned to Brian and took his hands in hers. "Come on, Bri, it's not as bad as you think. Kylie and I've both seen every Trek movie and TV episode there is. It's not like we're a couple of greenhorns or anything."

Brian let out a gusty sigh. "Well, Mr. Roarke, since I can't stop Lauren from going through with this foolhardiness, at least let me make a request. Don't, for crying out loud, don't put them in a situation where they have to be in the security division!"

Everyone laughed, and Roarke nodded. "I believe I can accommodate that request at least," he said humorously. "As a matter of fact, Mrs. Knight and Mrs. Rainsford, you are to pose as ambassadors to a world trying to apply for membership in the United Federation of Planets. I have it on good authority that you will be traveling to said planet aboard the U.S.S. Excelsior, captained by Hikaru Sulu, and that one of your acquaintances from your first journey is a member of his medical staff. Unfortunately, that is all the information I was able to obtain; you will have to go from there."

"Captain Sulu's Excelsior?" Lauren exclaimed. "That's great! When can we start?"

"Now, if you prefer," Roarke replied warmly.

Brian and Drew looked at each other in alarm, and Lauren and Kylie exchanged weary, knowing looks behind the men's backs. Leslie, standing nearby, shared in their grins. Drew sighed heavily, and Brian said with resignation, "I guess that means you're gonna tell us to get out there and enjoy ourselves."

"Take Drew out on a fishing excursion in the Jenny," Lauren suggested, referring to hers and Brian's private sailboat. It was named after Brian's sister, because he had met Lauren while he was Jenny's guest on a trip to the island that she'd won on a game show. "You can have a great time out there, do all the angling and man-talk you like, and not have to worry about us girls intruding."

"Sure, we'll just worry about you getting killed instead," Drew said dryly.

Leslie grinned. "Guys," she said, "don't make too much out of this. I think you're giving Lauren and Kylie less credit for intelligence than they're due."

"Thanks, Leslie," Lauren said with real gratitude.

"Yeah," Kylie agreed. "I think you summed up what we've wasted hundreds of words trying to tell these space-brains for the last week."

The men shot each other hopeless looks; Roarke carefully hid his amusement, though it still gleamed from his dark eyes. "I suspect you gentlemen would prefer to be present for your wives' departure, but once they are gone, you would do well to follow Mrs. Knight's advice. You're on vacation, Mr. Rainsford, and it would be a shame to waste it."

Drew shrugged and said, "Well, you have a point there, Mr. Roarke, I'll admit to that. Okay, then, you might as well lead on. Kylie, love, keep your hide whole, got it?"

"If I come back with a paper cut, are you going to sue?" Kylie shot back, evoking a burst of laughter from everyone, even Drew and Brian. "Calm down, Drew, and have a little faith in me. I think it'd help knowing you had that." She turned to Roarke and Leslie. "I'm ready if Lauren is."

Lauren pushed up onto her tiptoes and kissed Brian. "See you tomorrow evening, honey. Have a great time—we plan on having one." Brian shrugged in response, and she nodded. "Okay, let's do it."

Roarke came out from behind the desk and led her, Kylie and Leslie to the time-travel room; opening the door, he allowed them to precede him inside, giving a quick reassuring nod to Brian and Drew before going in and closing it. "As you can see, ladies, your clothing awaits you there on those chairs, along with the accoutrements required of the time period you are entering. Once you have changed—"

Kylie interrupted. "I just thought of something…oh, excuse me, Mr. Roarke. But I was just considering. Would it be possible for me to be an alien? I got phasered last time, and it just occurred to me that our friends saw it happen. They'll wonder how I happen to be among the living this time around."

Roarke raised one eyebrow, and Leslie stared at her. "You just now thought of it?"

Kylie looked sheepish. "I guess I was too excited to think much about it before."

"So it would appear," Roarke remarked dryly. "Unfortunately, since all the preparations have been made and you are on the verge of embarking upon your fantasy, I can do nothing at this late date to accommodate you. I'm afraid you'll need to rely on yourselves to find a solution to the dilemma."

"Maybe they won't remember," Lauren said. "It's been fifteen years."

Leslie eyed her. "You can't be serious. Would you ever forget it if you saw someone shot out of existence right before your eyes?"

"Okay, so much for that," Lauren mumbled. "Geez, I don't know, Kylie…you could always go in under an assumed name, and let everyone think you're a dead ringer for yourself. My mother always said everybody's got a double somewhere."

Kylie looked very doubtful, but shrugged and let it pass. "Well, I can't think of anything better." She and Lauren, red-faced and a touch contrite, peered at Roarke. "Sorry, Mr. Roarke, we didn't mean to throw a spanner into the works."

Roarke only smiled faintly. "If you ladies are otherwise ready…" They nodded, and he gestured at the chairs. "As I was saying earlier, once you have changed your clothing, turn out the lights and wait. As soon as you begin to see stars, walk towards that wall." He indicated the wall opposite the door that led back into the study.

"Towards it, or through it?" Kylie asked.

Roarke didn't deign to answer that. "Good luck, ladies." He gestured at Leslie, who started for the door.

Lauren blurted, "Hey, Leslie, are you going to be checking up on us somewhere down the line, like you did with me last time?"

"I might," Leslie said, giving Lauren a strange look. "Do you want to do this or not? I mean, it's starting to look like you two are stalling."

Lauren and Kylie looked at each other, then grabbed up the waiting clothing and began yanking off their shoes and socks. Roarke and Leslie grinned at each other and exited the room, leaving the two pen pals to their own devices.

Once they'd changed, Lauren gave Kylie a thumbs-up and bounded across the room to the door they'd come through, hand on the light switch. "Ready?"

"Now or never," said Kylie. Lauren flicked the switch downward with one finger, plunging them both into unrelieved pitch darkness. Both stood still for several long seconds; then little points of light began popping into view all around them. "Lauren, you there?"

"Right here," Lauren said. "I can see your silhouette now. Let's go—Mr. Roarke said to walk toward the wall."