Kate found that her days began to blur together as the rebuilding efforts on Betazed really got under way, now that there was official help coming from Starfleet. Still, she found that there were things that Lwaxana held back from her, hidden behind walls too thick for her limited mental capabilities to penetrate.
And though she had been on the planet for six weeks, and had shared Lwaxana's bed ever since that first night, they had yet to make love. She missed the intimacy between them, even though it seemed like they were never more than twenty feet away from each other. She didn't really know why she was holding back, why she wasn't asking for intimacy, but she did know that she wanted to give Lwaxana all the time and space she needed to feel completely safe.
Ian ran into the room Kate had turned into her makeshift exam room, giving her a wide smile before taking hold of her hand and tugging her to her feet. "Kate! Mama said you need to come see this!"
She felt her brows furrow together as she allowed the boy to pull her through the house and into the Great Hall. Lwaxana was there, talking animatedly with a very familiar figure. "Kyle?"
"Kate!" He waved her over and she slowly came over to their sides, automatically choosing to stand next to Lwaxana, her arm closing around her waist as she looked at her former lover. "Ambassador Troi sent out a call for supplies, and I was in the area. I can't stay long, but we're going to have lunch together, she said."
He stepped forward, and she stiffened as she prepared herself to be embraced by him. Lwaxana's voice came tripping through her mind, teasing her about her reticence to hug Kyle. Letting out a huff of air, she stepped forward and hugged him tightly, letting him kiss her cheek. "It's good to see you," she said as they made their way to the dining room. Mister Homm was already there, and she let out a sigh of relief as Lwaxana took a seat at the head of the table. Kate sat at her right side, and was grateful that Ian took the seat next to her, leaving Kyle to sit across the table from them. "So, what have you been doing these last few years?" she asked as she picked up her wine and sipped at it.
"Trying to stay out of the way of the war. Starfleet did a bang up job with that."
She threw a look to Lwaxana, who was wearing her placid look, the one that told Kate there was going to be a scene if Kyle didn't start to be a little respectful of what had happened. "Things so quickly get out of control, and the collateral damage is often the worst thing in war."
"That is true," he said, sounding a little mollified. "Will mentioned that he and Deanna were planning on taking some of their shore leave as soon as they got back from deep space, and that he might come out and see me. Should I send them out your way afterwards?"
"If you'd like, Kyle." Lwaxana's voice was tight, high, and she knew that she was deeply hurt by the fact that her daughter was choosing someone else first. Underneath the table, she reached out her hand and caressed her lover's knee, trying to communicate words of comfort to her as the first course of their meal arrived.
A weird silence fell over the room as they ate, and Kate did nothing to make Kyle feel more comfortable, since she wasn't too pleased to see him in the first place. Now that she had tasted paradise in Lwaxana's arms, seeing a former lover held little appeal for her. Lwaxana darted her eyes to look at Kate, happiness shining there, and they shared a soft smile before turning their focus back on their meal. Finally, though, she could stand the quiet no longer, and she looked at Kyle. "Have you settled down, then? Last I heard, you were still wanting to explore the universe."
"Wanderlust seemed to leave my bones when the war broke out. It was then I realized I didn't have a place to call home any longer, so I found a quiet space to settle down in. You're welcome to come visit."
"Perhaps we will, once things are more settled here." Lwaxana gave him a tight-lipped smile, and Kate nodded a little, unconsciously leaning towards her lover as she did so. "Until then, we have important work to do here, which is why I requested the supplies."
"I completely understand," Kyle replied as he finished up his dessert. "This is just the first wave, since I was so close. Is there anything else we can do for your planet, Ambassador Troi?"
"I wish that I could give you something, but there's nothing that comes to mind. Katie, I'm taking Ian out to the garden, join me when you're ready."
Standing up, she swept out of the room, Ian trailing after her. Kyle watched them go, and this gave her the opportunity to make eye contact with Mister Homm, practically begging him to stay. There was a distinct voice calling him elsewhere, and he gave her a commiserating look as he rose to his feet and followed after them.
"Well, it was quite the surprise to see that you've ended up with an Ambassador. I never saw you as a ladder climber."
"I fell in love with her for her, not for her position. She's home, Kyle, just like you were home once in my life. I can't explain why my heart chose her, it just did."
"I get it, you don't need to explain to me. I could see by the looks you exchanged that this was the real deal. You're lucky, you know, to have found this with someone. Even if that truly does makes us ships passing in the night."
She nodded, surprised to feel tears in her eyes as she got up from the table and went over to his side, squeezing his shoulder warmly. "I guess that we are. I wish that things had turned out differently, but then I would never have met her. And she's probably the best thing that ever happened to me, honestly. But if you can, tell Will to bring Deanna here first. Lwaxana is really missing her daughter."
He stood and wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug, the kind she had loved to receive back in the day, and she melted against him for just a moment. "I will make certain I do that. Take care of each other, Kate."
"I'm trying."
He nodded and gave her a small wave before leaving the room. Kate went in the opposite direction, searching for what she was fast considering to be her family. A gentle voice in her head told her to head to the library, and she grinned as she veered off in the right direction. Lwaxana was sitting on the small settee, watching Ian and Mister Homm as they played.
She drifted over to her lover's side, and sank down next to her, sitting as close as decently possible. Lwaxana leaned against her arm, resting her head on Kate's shoulder as she grabbed hold of her hand. "I think that Ian is lonely."
"He might be. He doesn't really play with anyone his own age group. You know, there was this girl that I met when I was first arriving, and she seems to be about his age. Her name is Adrienne?"
Lwaxana nodded a little. "She comes from a good family, maybe we could have her over a few times." Kate smiled as she rubbed her thumb back and forth over the back of Lwaxana's hand. "You're so good at looking out for us, Katie. And you've done so much for my home. What did I ever do to deserve you?"
"I don't think that we can ever put into words how we fill these empty places in our lives, really. All I know is that you make my heart feel complete." Turning her head a little, Kate pressed her lips against Lwaxana's temple, listening to her sigh with contentment. "Do you think we should have Kyle here more often?"
The sharp squeeze to her hand told Kate all she needed to know, but still, she giggled a little, trying to let her lover know that she was teasing her. "You are thoroughly incorrigible at times, Katherine Pulaski."
"Someone has to rile you up. And who better to do it than me?" Lwaxana arched an eyebrow before leaning in and pecking at her lips. "I adore you."
"As do I. Following supper, we're going to retire to my room."
Kate probed her mind, trying to discern the importance behind those words. In her lover's mind, she could feel that there was something aching to be spoken, but Lwaxana was keeping a tight rein on it, not wanting to broadcast it to all and sundry. Nodding a little, she pulled Lwaxana closer, wanting her to be as close as possible as they continued to watch Ian.