Disclaimer- I don't own any of the characters that you have ever heard of before. The ones out of my head, I'll take credit for.
Deanna slung her bag onto her shoulder and walked out into the corridors of the Enterprise heading for transporter room 2. The ship had docked at McKinley station a few hours before and she had been notified that it would be her turn to disembark in about 15 minutes. She had packed carefully, making sure that the PADD Will had given her with the directions to his house was within easy reach, as well as the key. She had never been to Alaska before. She had tried to dress appropriately for whatever weather and social atmosphere she might find when she arrived, with brown leather boots, form fitting jeans and a loose draping cream turtleneck sweater. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and she tucked her curls behind her ears as she strode through the corridors.
"Deanna!" She heard someone call as she neared the turbo lift. She turned and found Geordi and Data coming up to her.
"Oh, hello," Deanna replied. She had been keeping mostly to herself the last few days, though each of her friends had tried to reach out to her in their own way.
"We just wanted to say good bye," Geordi spoke softly as he came to her side.
Deanna smiled slightly in return.
"Have a safe trip, Counselor," Data added.
"Thank you both," Deanna gave each of them a quick hug. "I will be fine, I promise."
"Dr. Crusher said that you were heading to Alaska?" Geordi asked. Deanna nodded. "I have heard it is pretty rustic in spots."
"Turner is just across the bay from Valdez. I don't think it is exactly wilderness untamed," she assured him.
"Well, still…If you need anything," Geordi offered.
"Where will you be going while the Enterprise is in space dock?" Deanna asked Geordi.
"I'll be right here. They are messing with my engines. Better believe I will be supervising every minute of it."
"Oh, Geordi. Promise me that you will at least take a day or two. Do something fun," Deanna encouraged him.
Geordi nodded. "Okay, I'll think about it. My dad and sister are hoping to be able to meet up with me in San Francisco. That should be good," he shrugged. But Deanna shook her head. "Maybe," Geordi continued, "I could be persuaded to do some sight seeing along the north west coast…" he shrugged again.
Deanna chuckled. "You are invited. Contact me when your new warp core is all installed and tucked in safe and sound and we will take a day. Of course I have never been there before so I won't be much of a guide…"
"Well then it will just be the blind leading the blind," Geordi added. Deanna paused uncomfortably, unsure of what to make of his pun. "Lighten up, Counselor," Geordi smiled and patted her upper arm. Deanna chuckled again at his easygoing nature. "If you need anything in the meantime, you know where to find me. Okay?"
Deanna nodded and leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek. "What about you Data?" Deanna asked.
"I will be overseeing the first 10 days of the retrofit and then will be giving a series of guest lectures at Oxford."
"Good for you, Data," Deanna commented reaching out and squeezing his hand. "I'm proud of you."
"Thank you Counselor." He responded. "I would also be more comfortable if I knew that you could easily contact the Enterprise if you are in need of anything." Data reached out his hand and opened his palm to reveal a comm. badge.
"Data, the house has a communication system, and a replicator. Will says it is a little limited, but I really think I will be fine."
Deanna heard the turbo lift doors open behind her as she spoke, and Worf stepped out and walked up close behind her. With a look at Data's hand Worf gave a nod. "Deanna, we have all agreed," he added looking from the comm. badge to Deanna.
Deanna sighed. "It is 28 minutes by transport to San Francisco," she tried again to assure them. "Thank you, all of you," she glanced to each of them, "I feel incredibly well cared for, but it is all unnecessary. I promise!"
"Then just humor us," Geordi took the comm. badge from Data's hand and placed it on Deanna's bag. "What will it hurt to have it with you? And we will all rest better."
"Fine, okay," Deanna consented. "What did I ever do to have three body guards like you?" Again she hugged each of them. "I have to go."
"Take care of yourself," Geordi spoke for the group.
Deanna gave a quick wave and disappeared into the turbo lift. She was running slightly behind now and picked up her pace as she arrived on deck 14. Her strides increased with every step, but she could feel someone behind her, trying to gain on her.
"Arrives without warning, leaves without saying good bye…" Beverly called to her. "Keeps to herself. I'm beginning to wonder if we are even friends," she finished as she caught up to Deanna and put her arm around her shoulders. She spoke more softly. "Are you sure about this being alone thing? I have two more days of duty and then we could go to a spa somewhere or something."
Deanna shook her head at her friend. "I am sure. I want to go. And don't worry. The guys have already given me a communicator incase the Northwest communication grid were to go down, or something. I'll be fine."
"Okay," Beverly shrugged begrudgingly. "But check in every once in a while, alright? I want to know that you are doing okay mentally," she told Deanna reaching out and tapping on her head.
"Okay, I will." Beverly didn't look convinced. "I promise! Now, I have to get to the transporter room." Deanna gave Beverly a quick hug in the corridor and waved as she rounded the corner and headed for the transporter room door. It opened obediently in front of her and she saw the captain waiting near the command console. "So much for simple goodbyes," Deanna sighed to herself.
"Your late," the captain told her.
"Your senior staff is persistent," she answered him and he nodded in agreement.
Jean Luc pointed to the comm. badge pinned onto her bag. "I see Data and Geordi found you."
Deanna nodded. "And Worf. Then Beverly stopped me in the hall."
"You cannot accuse them of being uncaring," he told her.
"Or subtle."
Jean Luc glanced around the room, "Well, then I suppose it is my turn."
Deanna raised her hand between them. "No, Captain. Let me first. Thank you, for everything this last week." Jean Luc looked away embarrassed, but Deanna continued. "For your listening ear and your compassion." She tried to meet his eyes. "And your hospitality."
When she finished he did make eye contact with her and placed his hands on each of her shoulders. "I hope that you know how I feel about you," he told her.
Deanna hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "I love you very much as well. Thank you."
He nodded and pulled away to look at her face. "You can get a hold of me if you want to talk. I will be here for the next two days before I take some shore leave."
Deanna smiled, clearly pleased. "And where will you be going?"
"Nowhere… home." He spoke awkwardly. "Please don't analyze my decisions."
"I wouldn't dare."
"You know how to reach me there?" He asked.
Deanna nodded. "I think I remember. But don't worry. I'll be fine."
Jean Luc spoke rushed and quietly. "I spoke to Will yesterday."
Deanna had turned to head to the transporter pad but froze in her place and then turned back to face him, but said nothing.
"He wanted to know how you were doing." He waited for a response, but did not get one, so he continued. "And to say thank you. I told him that you would be arriving today." Again he paused and waited. "He said to tell you that he loves you."
Deanna felt as though her heart would break in her chest, but she only nodded slightly. "I will send him a message once I have arrived." She replied.
Jean Luc stepped back to the control panel and Deanna moved on to the pad. "Have a safe trip, Deanna." Jean Luc told her, and then added. "I hope you find what you are looking for."
Deanna smiled weakly at him and waved before the beam encapsulated her and she was gone.
Deanna was surprised by the bustle of the Valdez transportation center. It was busier than she had pictured. It was quite a metropolis, not the small town she had imagined in her head. She took in the scene. She could see the large bay to her left and decided to head that direction. She walked through the streets, looking at the shops and offices. Eateries were scattered along the piers as she approached the water and she could see the boats bobbing on the water. There were private piers with recreational vessels and there were more commercial piers, but Deanna let herself flow with the easiest traffic pattern and ended up at a dock for what appeared to be a ferry.
"Excuse me," she spoke to a young man who was clearly an employee of the dock. "I am trying to get to Turner?"
The dockworker looked up at her and then over his shoulder. He pointed across the bay. "That's it there," he told her pointing at the hills on the other side of the bay. All she could see were tall lush green trees. Then as she looked closer, she could spot a few homes among the trees and the occasional stream of smoke coming from a fire. Her heart leapt. That was more of what she pictured. "Are you a good swimmer?" he asked.
Deanna was yanked back from her assessment of what laid across the bay. "Excuse me?" Deanna asked puzzled and a bit taken aback. "Did you say swim?"
"Sure, it's one way." He said smiling. "But the water's pretty damn cold. I wouldn't recommend it."
Deanna sighed with relief. "Could you recommend a way to get there?" she asked him.
"Other that a long swim, you have two ways from here… there is a ground transporter station over there," he pointed off into the city. "They could rent you a vehicle. It's about an hour drive around the bay and over the mountain peek. Or you can take this ferry," he pointed back over his shoulder at the ferry at the dock. "It leaves in about 20 minutes, and it's a 15 minute trip." He was smiling to himself, clearly pleased with his own sense of humor.
"How do I get a ticket on the ferry?" Deanna asked relieved. He pointed to his right and down a ramp, where she could now clearly see a ticket kiosk. "Thank you." She told him as she walked over to the kiosk to purchase a ticket on the ferry. When she came back up the ramp she saw that the same dockworker was ushering people aboard.
"Sorry about that," he said as he offered her a hand to step aboard. "We don't get many newbies looking to head to Turner."
"Do most people transport directly in?" Deanna asked.
"Not unless they have their own large grade power source. This is the nearest transport facility." He looked Deanna up and down. "Never been to Turner before, have you?" he asked.
Deanna just shook her head.
"Anywhere in Alaska?" he asked a little more insistently.
Deanna shook her head again.
"Well, in that case, enjoy your trip." He said helping her step over the bow and onto the ferry.
Deanna walked around the small ferry to get her bearings and then settled into a seat on the upper deck. The breeze blew in her hair and she took a deep breath as she took in the view including the gray sky overhead. She realized that as more people boarded, that they were talking and nodding at one another. Everyone knew one another. And as they saw her they looked skeptically at her. Uncomfortably, she reached into her bag and began to study the map that Will had made for her. But as the boat began to plow along the water's surface, she could not keep her eyes away from the view. The landscape was breathtaking. The water was amazing. Everything about what she saw made her gasp with its beauty. She knew now why Will fancied making simulations of the landscape in the holodeck. In fact, as she thought about it, some of the features of the landscape seemed familiar to her from Will's simulations. The ferry made the way across the large bay with ease and before Deanna was ready to stop her scanning of the panoramic views, they had arrived.
As they docked, she allowed the other passengers to disembark as she studied the map in her hand. She stood as the last of the passengers stepped onto the dock and she strode towards the bow, trying to exude more confidence than she felt. The same dockworker that had helped her on the Valdez side of the bay helped her step onto the pier. With a nod, he sent her on her way. She watched as the other passengers walked down the pier, stepped onto dry land and headed off, with purpose, toward their own destinations.
Deanna took the step onto dry ground a bit more cautiously, looking around trying again to get her bearings, looking down at the map, trying to grasp a landmark. She took a guess and headed towards what appeared to be the center of town and to the right. She tried to match street names, but was having no success. Coming to an open green, she stopped by a park bench and turned the map side to side to see if she was reading it wrong. She sighed and shook her head. In the back of her mind she tried to calculate the last time that Will would have set foot in Turner himself and began to wonder if it had changed so much over the years that his directions were useless. Again she fervently studied the map, only then noticing the note along the bottom.
When in doubt, ask Miss Rosemary.
The name sounded familiar. It seemed that she was one of Will's childhood friend's grandmothers. But that still did not help her locate either Will's home, or Miss Rosemary whoever she was. She looked around her again. There was a café along the boardwalk; it looked to be well frequented. There was what appeared to be some sort of a shop, perhaps for fishermen of some kind. There was one pier that led out onto the bay. Along the pier there were 10 or 15 personal boats and on the other side near the end was the ferry that she had arrived on. There were three streets leading away from the pier that she could see. One right, one left and one that led up a steep hill and out of sight. To the right was the green where she now stood. There was a statue of someone in the center of the square and as she looked up and down the streets and towards the nearby shops, she saw just a scattering of people, none of which seemed keen to introduce themselves. Maybe if she headed left the map would start to look familiar. She strode back from where she had come and passed to the left of the pier, but found only a couple of shops before the road narrowed and she could see a house or two before the street turned out of sight. Deanna considered her options and before she could come to a conclusion she felt the rain start to fall.
"Great." Deanna said to no one but herself as she stood in the middle of the street. Defeated she headed back to the ferry and the only person who she had spoken to since arriving. The dockworker stood with a large rope in his hand by the bow of the ferry. He seemed unaffected by the rain that continued to fall.
"Uh oh," he said upon seeing her. "Didn't live up to the hype eh? Well we don't head back to Valdez for another hour." She thought he was teasing her again, but couldn't be sure.
"I don't know where I'm going." She admitted to him. "You don't happen to know someone named Miss Rosemary do you?" she asked hopefully.
The man smiled and raised his eyebrows. "You would be hard pressed to find someone in Turner who doesn't." He pointed towards the café Deanna had spotted earlier. "She'll be in there. I was just going to get her docked and head in for some lunch. If you just wait a moment." He went back to his work and Deanna stood in the rain feeling ridiculous, waiting for him, to do what, she wasn't sure.
After a minute or so, he turned to Deanna, wiped his hands on his pants and held out his hand in the direction of the café. Deanna walked just in front of him, feeling more than a little self-conscious. As they reached the door, he opened it for her. The café was larger than it appeared. About 15 people were inside scattered at different tables eating, but when they looked up at the, now quite wet, stranger; the buzz of conversation ceased. Deanna stood in the door awkwardly with the dockworker behind her. All eyes were on her, but she was not sure what was expected of her. All she could sense from them was curiosity, much like the dockworker behind her. As she glanced around at the other inhabitants of the room an old woman came out from the kitchen.
"Deanna!" She cried. Deanna jumped at both the sudden noise and the sense that this woman knew who she was. The woman put down the coffee pot she had been carrying and shuffled towards Deanna at the door. "Well done Erik. Well done." Deanna glanced back towards the dockworker who smiled at the old woman. The woman came up to Deanna and took her hand. "Didn't you bring a coat?" she asked her.
Deanna looked around the room again, unsure of how to respond. "I have one in my bag." Deanna told her.
"Well, before you leave, you may want to put it on." The old woman nodded and took her hand and led her to a table.
"I'm sorry," Deanna spoke, instead of sitting in the booth as the woman indicated. "I am supposed to find Miss Rosemary," Deanna told her.
The room began to collectively chuckle and Deanna's sense of awkwardness grew. "Well lucky for you," the woman told her. "You have found her. Now sit down, dear. I'll get you some soup to warm you through and you can get dry and then Erik here will show you to your house."
"My house?" Deanna was still feeling confused.
"Erik, you didn't hit her with something in the head did you?" Miss Rosemary asked the dockworker who still stood in the door.
"No Ma'am. I just didn't tell her I knew who she was."
Deanna looked back at him, confused. "I'm sorry," Deanna still stood next to the booth.
"Deanna, dear. I am Rosemary Garret. Everyone calls me Miss Rosemary. This is my café. This here is Erik Lewis. He is the younger brother of Sarah Lewis, an old friend and neighbor of your husband when he was growing up. William called us up over a week ago and said that you were coming here to stay for a bit and that we were to look after you. Now, go ahead and sit down. I have some corn chowder for lunch and some sourdough bread." She placed Deanna in the booth seat and smiled at her. "Erik, sit," Miss Rosemary spoke more firmly. "Having a little fun I see. Your soup can wait." She shook her head and headed back into the kitchen. Slowly the group of people returned to their own conversations, even if they continued to glance at Deanna occasionally. She tried to run her fingers through her damp hair and straighten herself up as she sat and waited for the strong willed old woman to return, which she did faster than Deanna would have thought possible, with a brimming bowl of steaming soup and a large slice of bread on the edge of the bowl.
Miss Rosemary sat across from her. "So, Deanna. Tell me about yourself," she said.
Deanna smiled and dug into the soup. "What would you like to know?" Deanna asked.
"You and William have been married for three years now…" Miss Rosemary started.
Deanna nodded.
"How long have you known William?"
Deanna sighed as she swallowed her soup. "Quite a few years," she answered. "Will and I served together on the Enterprise before we were married. I actually met him a few years before that. How long have you known him?" Deanna asked.
Miss Rosemary laughed heartily. "Oh, I knew William when he was a bump in his mother's belly. He was born over in the medical facility in Valdez. His father and mother lived here in town. His mother is buried in the cemetery on the hill. His father now lies next to her. His parents built this house, where you will be staying. He lived there his whole life until he left for Star Fleet Academy. I fed him at least once a day, usually when he and my grandson Jimmy would come plowing in after getting off the ferry from school, begging for their sweet treats. I got an announcement about your wedding. William said he was proud to call you his wife. He was always a bit of a wild child. I admire your tenacity in turning him into the man he has become."
Deanna had continued to sip at her soup. "I don't know about that," Deanna replied.
"Eat your soup. I'm sure we will have more time to get to know each other. When you're done, Erik will walk you up to the house. His parents live right next door," Miss Rosemary rose from her seat. "Welcome home, dear." She said giving Deanna a quick hug around her shoulders.
Deanna was stunned by her welcome. She had called it her home, more than once. Deanna had never thought about this place as hers, even if by marriage. But here this, as far as she could tell, matriarch of the town was calling it her home, welcoming her home. Deanna was warm tucked in this café, warmed by far more than the soup that she ate. She enjoyed every bite and then looked around.
"Ready?" Erik stood from the counter where he slurped at his own soup.
Deanna nodded as he stood to approach her. She opened her bag to find her purse to pay for her lunch. "Don't bother." He told her, "She won't take your money. And if you don't come back tomorrow, she will bring you something before dark. Just accept it."
Deanna sighed and nodded, then dug through her bag for her coat, as the rain had picked up and continued. She pulled the coat on as they headed for the door, pulling the hood over her head. The wind was blowing lightly as the rain fell. Erik headed out of the café, past the green and the statue and turned left on the first street heading up the hill. Deanna kept up as best she could.
"So you live next door?" she asked.
Erik shook his head. "My sister moved to Valdez about 10 years ago when she got married, and I am living there with her while I am going to school. But our parents still live here. They are not exactly young, so Sarah and I are here a lot to keep an eye on them." He walked up the hill in the rain until they reached the top and there was a row of six houses, three on each side of the road, set back from the street. Most were built out of log and stone. Some appeared larger than others, and forest areas surrounded them. "My parents are here," he indicated a house with beautiful flowers leading up a path to the front door. "They are Don and Mary, if you need anything." They continued walking to the far side of his parents' home where a beautifully rustic looking cabin sat tucked back against the tree line. The steps that led to the door were made of stone and there was a beautiful wrap around porch leading as far as she could see on all sides. It was two stories with large windows and shudders along the front. "This is your house," he told her.
Deanna shook her head slightly. "This is Will's," she almost whispered. It was so different from any of the four homes that her family held on Betazed.
"You're his wife, right?" Erik asked.
Deanna nodded her head, dropping her eyes to her now rain soaked boots.
"Well around here, that makes it yours."
Deanna reached into her bag and retrieved the key as she walked up the stone steps of the porch. She slipped the key into the lock and heard it click as she turned the knob and the door slowly swung open.
Her eyes began to scan the room. A large stone fireplace dominated the front room. There were several couches and chairs, all black leather and overstuffed. Each one had a blanket or throw folded and draped across it's back. Deanna noticed the amounts of wood and leather throughout what she could see of the home and knew that this had reflected Kyle Riker's taste, especially in the last few years that he lived here before he died.
"The kitchen is in there," Erik said pointing to the doorway on her left. There is a replicator. But it's a little…"
"Basic," Deanna finished. "Will told me. Will and his father both love to cook. And I'm not half bad at it."
"Good," Erik replied. "Sarah was out a couple of days ago and stocked up the house with whatever we could think of. We know you are from a different planet, so we didn't know what kind of stuff you would like."
Deanna realized that if Erik had been born and raised here in this town, she must seem strange to him. "I'm sure whatever is here is fine. I'm not that picky. Besides, I am half human."
He looked at her with surprise. "Sarah said that you were a telepath."
"No, only an empath. Don't worry. I don't go around reading anyone's minds. I leave that up to my mother," Deanna said walking into the kitchen to look around.
"Wow, I thought my mom was a pain that way," Erik told her as he followed her into the kitchen. "The replicator is over there and the communication system is there by the desk over by the table in the window." The kitchen was large with granite counters and a large bay window looking out onto the forest behind the house. The table was tucked into the window bay and past that was a wood desk and a small hall leading to a bedroom and bathroom. The bedroom was fairly plain. The bed was made out of logs and there was a dresser and a large chest at the foot of the bed. There was a window that looked out onto the porch and the small yard and forest beyond. Deanna walked through each room quickly and headed back to the kitchen where Erik waited for her.
"There are two more rooms upstairs."
"Which room was Will's?" She asked before she could stop herself.
Erik shrugged his shoulders. "I was just a kid when he left. I don't remember. But from what Sarah and my parents have said, if his dad lived upstairs, I would guess he lived down here," he said pointing to the room she had just come from. Deanna nodded. "I guess they weren't that close."
"No, they weren't. Not when Will was growing up at least." Deanna continued to scan the kitchen. "Did you know Kyle before he died?"
Erik nodded. "A bit. He rode the ferry to the medical center a lot. He seemed nice enough."
"I think he mellowed over the years," Deanna hypothesized.
"Well, I got to get back to the ferry. If you want to go in to Valdez ever, or take a transport to San Francisco for work or anything, it goes 3 or 4 times a day. The schedules at the café." Erik began to walk towards the front door. "I meant what I said about Miss Rosemary. If you don't come to her, she will come to you." Deanna nodded as she followed him to the door. "Sorry about before, giving you a hard time like that. I figured out who you were after you were already on the ferry, and I guess I just was kind of watching you to see what kind of a person you were."
"And what did you decide?" Deanna asked him.
"Maybe a little down," he replied. Deanna hung her head, but could not help but smile at him. Then he added "With potential."
Deanna began to laugh. "What did you say you were studying?" Deanna asked him.
"Oh, just undergraduate studies. But I think about psychology." He shrugged as he stepped onto the path.
"I am a ships counselor," Deanna called to him.
"Maybe we could talk," he called as he waived and made his way out to the street.
Deanna spent the rest of the night exploring the Riker house. She decided to stay in the smaller of the two bedrooms upstairs. It had an amazing view of the bay from its windows. And somehow it seemed the least claimed. The larger bedroom seemed like it belonged somehow to Will's father and the smaller room downstairs seemed to be Will's. The room she chose was cozy and she was comfortable there. She unpacked her things and poked around through the closets. No matter how much she was told that this was hers, she still felt like a visitor, or even an intruder.
As the sun began to fade in the still gray sky she headed down the stairs to the kitchen. She was not that hungry, but rummaged through the cupboards, somehow curious what Will's high school girlfriend would have brought for her to eat. She tried to picture Will living in this house as a teenager, arguing with his father in this kitchen, storming out of that back door out into the forest that he knew so well. She had heard enough stories to know that if she headed out into the woods, she would find a trail that would lead her to Curtis Creek. She knew without setting foot on the back porch that there was a swing there that his father had given his mother when she was pregnant. She knew things about this place, but was touching it for the first time.
Deanna made herself a sandwich with the items she found and sat at the table eating it as she watched the sun fade. Realizing how late it was she moved her sandwich with her over to the desk where the communications system was. There were several PADDs left in filing sections of the desk as well as actual paper files. One was a small paper with a communication system number with the name Sarah Lewis on it. Clearly Sarah had left it for Deanna if she needed anything. Another one was a sealed envelope with shaky penmanship scrawled across the front. It was the writing of an ill man. All the envelope said was Will. Clearly Kyle had left this for his son. He had not told Will that he was so ill. When he died, the Titan was too far out toward Romulon space to make it back in time for his funeral. Deanna thought a moment about opening the envelope, but instead picked it up and placed it along the top shelf of the desk and went about sending her two messages.
First to the Enterprise.
Dear Jean Luc,
I have arrived at the house safely. I have even met some of Will's old friends. I have everything I need here and more. Thank you again for everything. I am looking forward to this time to clear my head.
Have a wonderful trip to LeBarre. I will talk to you when you return.
All my love,
Deanna
Then it was the message that was harder to write and would take considerably longer to get to its destination.
Dear Will,
I have arrived at the house safely. It is more beautiful than you ever told me. The map was utterly useless, but I did find Miss Rosemary and she fed me and Sarah Lewis' brother Erik walked me here. There is everything I need here. Thank you for letting me be here. I know this is your home, but I feel somehow right here.
I hope you are doing well and that you are happy. I am finally beginning to feel more like myself. I can easily sense those around me again. It is soothing to me to feel that again.
I am sorry for all that we have been through. I realize now that I put us in jeopardy long before you did. I hope that as I work on forgiveness, you can forgive me for that as well.
Deanna
Somehow this time she did not need to furiously edit what she wrote. While it was not easy to say, she knew now how she felt, instead of being a raw ball of emotions as she had been when she boarded the Enterprise. She sent both the communiqués and walked into the front room carrying her sandwich that she continued to nibble on. She ignited the fire and curled up in the oversized chair and stared at the flames while they danced in front of her. Eventually she grew tired and went upstairs to her room and slept soundly curled in the soft mattress with the heavy duvet pulled over her.