A crimson ember set the sky ablaze. Color seeped into the world as morning breathed over the bay. All around, San Francisco stirred back to life, gently shaken from night's spell.
Commander Riker, already risen and dressed, approached the side of the bed. "Deanna," he urged. Her dark tresses cascaded over the edge, and the commander closed his eyes for a moment, remembering what it felt like to be lost in their waves. "Imzadi," he tried again, running a hand over her cheek.
Her eyelids fluttered open. "Will?"
"Hey," he grinned. "Good morning."
She smiled back at him. "Good night, too." Her arms wound around his neck and pulled him closer.
"Yeah it was, wasn't it?" Riker laughed. Then his smile kissed hers. A soft sigh escaped her lips as he pulled away again. The sound evoked a rush of memories from their walk on the beach. The silver moonlight on her silver dress. The warmth of her skin beneath his lips. The urgency of her hands. The sound of her cries mingling with the rushing and roaring of waves.
"What's this, dressed already?" Troi asked, bringing him back from the intoxicating thoughts. She cast a disappointed eye over his uniform.
"Sorry," he said, his smile turning devious. "But we're here on business, remember?"
She smacked his chest, feigning outrage. "It's always business first, isn't it?" she teased. It was just a gibe, but both felt the weight of its truth at the same time. Their faces slowly sobered.
Riker cleared his throat. "Hey, um, I brought you breakfast." He reached for a plate on the night table and set it before her. "Pancakes. Chocolate chip pancakes."
"Oh. Thank-you." She sat up, pulling the plate onto her lap. Riker stood and strode over to the window. Crimson turned to gold as morning gained its strength. The bay glittered as if it were made of dew. But he didn't notice any of this.
"I wonder if...I wonder if he stayed," the commander said quietly.
"Hmm?"
"Carmen's dad. I wonder if he turned down the Potemkin and stayed on Betazed."
Troi set down her fork. "Or maybe his imzadi went with him."
Riker turned around and met the counselor's eyes. There was a sad sort of acknowledgment in each of their gazes. "Doesn't matter now, I guess," he said. "They lost each other, and we…we..." He trailed off, unsure of how to define what they had.
"We are still here," Troi declared. She threw back the covers and came to his side, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "We are still here," she repeated, softer this time. "And that's all that matters now, my imzadi."
He tilted her head back, eyes shining gratefully. "You know," he said, smiling anew. "Maybe just this once...business can come after." She laughed, yielding gladly as he pulled her back towards the bed.
Carmen's eyes opened slowly, gently. She could hear her own breath rising and falling in stark silence. Though she was back in her cell, she could still feel the spray of Janaran Falls on her skin. Its peace lingered in her mind like the melody of a favorite song.
She rolled onto her back and rubbed at her eyes. Pain shot up from her hands as she did so. When she looked at them, she found they were still swollen and bloodied from her delirious assault the night before.
Then her door slid open with a hydraulic hiss. Her heart leapt into her throat at the sudden breach of solitude. She scrambled to the far side of her cell, crouching against the wall with muscles poised and ready.
A lone man entered. The door closed behind him. Carmen's heart continued to pound when she recognized his face. "Hello," he greeted. "I'm-"
"I know who you are, Admiral Leyton," she growled. "What are you doing here?"
His eyes widened briefly with surprise. "I just wanted to talk," he offered, opening his hands in a gesture of innocence.
"Then where's the rest of the council? Where's the commander?" Carmen felt a prick of guilt as she mentioned the commander. No doubt he was still angry about the incident with Campbell. That's okay, she thought. I'm still angry, too. Still, she found herself wishing it had been him at the door and not Leyton.
"No, no, not about business," the admiral insisted. He took two steps towards her, prompting Carmen to sidle along the wall towards a corner.
"It was brave of you, leaving your guards outside," she sneered.
But Leyton smiled placidly. "Ah, yes. I'm aware of your record. I'm also aware of what your council did to you. And I wanted to...apologize."
Carmen's face wrenched in bemusement. "What? Why?"
"Because I doubt they ever did."
She studied him warily for a few moments. Then, without warning, a laugh tumbled from her lips. It was a menacing, mirthless laugh that made Leyton's smile falter. "I don't want your apology, admiral. It won't change anything."
His smile hung on by a thread now. "Well if I can't apologize for them, then at least allow me to apologize for Campbell. Are you..uh...hungry, Miss Riker? I can have my men prepare anything you want, if it will help you forget that unfortunate first impression. You can even eat in the food hall like a guest, not a prisoner."
Carmen studied him again, still guarded and aloof. "I'll have what Alidar's having," she stated flatly.
"Alidar? Oh, but he's...he's surely on his way by now."
Her forehead creased with distress. "What do you mean?"
"To the hearing, of course! Didn't the commander tell you that was this morning?"
"The comman-uh, no. He hasn't been by yet." Carmen fought the blush rising to her cheeks.
"Ah. Well he found some of his old crewmates at the dinner party last night," the admiral said, his smile returning with a vengeance.
"Dinner party?" she repeated.
"Yes. And they probably had a lot to catch up on. But he'll be by soon, I'm sure."
A slew of emotions wrestled in Carmen's chest. As she struggled to keep her face void of a reaction, one of her hands absent-mindedly reached up to push a lock of hair back into place.
"Your hand!" Leyton exclaimed. She whipped it back to her side. Then she tensed as he drew near, clucking with concern. "It looks broken! Come on, we have a doctor on duty. While he's fixing it up, you can think about what you want for breakfast. Deal?" He gestured towards the door, but Carmen hung back suspiciously. "What, do I have to make it an order?" he chuckled.
The young woman's hands ached something terrible, and her stomach felt painfully empty. Leyton's offer seemed harmless enough. Try as she might, Carmen couldn't come up with a reason he might be lying. It's not like the commander's coming, anyways, she thought bitterly, following Leyton out of her cell.
After Carmen was taken care of by a doctor, Admiral Leyton led her to a food court with high, vaulted ceilings and a sweeping view of the city. She blinked in the brightness of the morning. A small gasp escaped her lips as sunlight tumbled through the window and collided against her skin. "It's real, isn't it?" she said. "The...the sunlight."
"Yes. Quite a view, isn't it?" Leyton said. He pulled out a chair, but she didn't seem to notice. "Here," he urged. "Take a seat. I'll go order you some food. Once you're finished, my men will escort you back to your cell. But take all the time you need."
She finally tore her attention away from the window. When she looked up at Leyton, her gaze had softened. "Um….thank-you," she mumbled. "So why aren't you at the hearing?"
"Oh, I'm supposed to be there, actually. I better hurry! Farewell, Miss Riker. Enjoy your breakfast." He nodded good-bye and then departed down a side hall, feeling her stare on his back all the while.
Eventually the hall joined up with a main passageway. A guard coming from the opposite direction waved him down. "Shall I get the Romulan ready, sir?" he asked.
"Not yet," Leyton replied. "But soon."
"Admiral!" Someone hailed. Leyton turned around to see a tall, broad-shouldered man with dark hair bearing down on them.
"Ah! Commander Riker!" he greeted. But the commander did not look in the mood for such cordialities.
"Where is Carmen?" he demanded. "And what happened in her cell?" It took Leyton a moment to remember the blood splatter along her walls. "If it was another one of your officers-"
"It was none of my men, commander," Leyton snapped. "You said it yourself-she doesn't do well in isolation."
Riker's anger faded, but still he remained leery. "Where is she then?"
The admiral chuckled, and Riker's anger returned. "I see it now-the similarities. She has your scowl." He laughed breezily again. "Don't worry, she's perfectly fine for the moment."
"Where?" Riker pressed.
Leyton looked at a device on his wrist. "Shouldn't you be on your way to the hearing?"
"It doesn't begin for another half hour. Now, President Jaresh gave me permission to see her, so tell me-"
"Tell you? I'm sorry, I thought admiral was ranked higher than commander." Leyton's smile vanished. He inched closer to Riker, staring at him levelly. Riker stared back without flinching.
"Sorry to interrupt-" The tension broke as both men looked toward the other side of the wide hall, where Lieutenant Laforge stood uneasily. An electronic pad swung from one of his hands. "I just wanted to run something by you, Commander Riker," he said.
Leyton simpered at the lieutenant. "Yes, we were finished here anyways. See you gentlemen at the hearing." He pushed past Riker's shoulder on his way out, followed closely by the guard.
Laforge watched them depart down the passageway. Once they had disappeared from view, he shook his head and drew up next to the commander. "There's something about that guy I just don't like," he said.
"You and me both," Riker grumbled. "Now what was it you wanted to show me? Can it wait til after the hearing?" He looked about as if hoping to somehow catch a glimpse of the young woman.
"No, sir. It's about Alidar," Laforge replied. "And I think it changes everything."