DISCLAIMER: All the recognized characters belong to paramount and I have no rights to them. The others however came from my messed up mind and may be used when ever and where ever for I do not own them either.

CHAPTER 3:

The night soon ended and the next day came quick for Deanna Troi. This was going to be her first day as the Titan's counselor and already had her schedule almost completely full.

She made it through her day nicely. Only one more appointment left before her shift ended.

"Arriaty Taylor." She laughed as her door chimed. She went to it to greet her new patient. When the doors opened she saw not only Arriaty, but Danielle as well.

"Hello." Arriaty took Danielle's hand and pushed her way into the office. "Can Dani stay too?"

Troi smiled at the little girl. "Sure." She then looked up at Danielle who had the same blank expression as she did when she made her brief appearance that night. She was a very pretty girl, if only she would smiled...Troi smiled at her.

Arriaty took a seat on one of the sofas and Troi took her seat in the big chair. Danielle pulled a padd out of her back pocket and sat on the floor against the far wall.

"So, Arriaty." Troi began. "What would you like to talk about?"

Arriaty's face dropped in confusion. Then she smiled again. "The udder counser used to gib me a topic to talk 'bout." Troi smiled at the young girl.

"All right. Why don't you tell me about yourself? How old are you?"

"I'm dis many." She held up two fingers. "And my fabrit colour is blue. What's yours?"

Deanna had to laugh. This girl was such a doll. She looked over to where her sister was. Danielle hadn't looked up from the padd yet.

"And, and I don't hab ANY bad habits!" Arriaty said excitedly. "But Dani does!" Troi looked over at Danielle again. She didn't seem to take any notice that her sister was talking about her. Arriaty then brought her voice down to a load whisper. "She still seeps wiff her baby blanket."

"That is not a bad habit, Miss Arriety. It's a sense of security." This was the first thing Danielle had said in Troi's presence. Although she still didn't look up, and her voice was as dull as her expressions. Then Danielle's com-badge chimed. Troi raised her eyebrows in wonder. Usually children didn't have them.

== "Hey! Where are you?" == A young male voice asked her.

"I'm in the counselors office." She said dully.

== "Has hell really frozen over? Well anyway, when you're done, meet me in the holodeck. Richardson out." ==

Danielle went back to looking over the padd when Troi got up out of her chair and sat beside her.

"Sense of security." She said to herself.

Danielle looked up from her padd with the same blank look but with a bit more fury in her dark eyes.

"Listen Counselor. This is the kid's session, not mine. At the moment I am a ghost in the corner."

"Then why are you here?" Troi asked with curiosity.

"To watch Arriety." She said with a little more force in a frustrated sort of way. "Since my mother is stuck on the bridge all day someone has to look after her. This is a big ship and anything can happen if someone's not careful or watching their back."

Counselor Troi's eyes widen with curiosity. She wanted so badly to dig deep into this girls thoughts, but seeing is that the girl was a Betazoid she would notice a presence in her mind and might not like it.

"You're right, this is a big ship. And we all work together to make it safe for everyone." Troi tried to reason with the girl, but her expression didn't change and she looked back down to her padd. Troi then heard the small voice behind her.

"She seeps wiff her baby blanket." Arriety was now hanging upside-down in the chair.

It then clicked in Counselor Troi's mind. Danielle must have an attachment problem...