Chapter thirty eight

It was over. It was done. The Sindareen now faced with three massive

fleets against them had had no option but to allow their hostages to be

transported back to their own kind and then have to face the indignity

of being escorted out of Federation space with their tails tucked

firmly between their legs, lucky to have escaped with only a severe

warning, this time.

Lieutenant William Riker and the rest of his command returned back to

Betazed coming to land with, it seemed, a welcome fit only for royalty.

As soon as the ships touched down a massive swarm of people descended

upon them as they stepped out of the shuttlecraft hatches, each and every one of the

Betazed people either wanting to vigorously shake their hands with

gratitude, their tearful words unable to convey their feelings or, kiss

them to death sweeping them into their embrace and silently saying much,

more than words ever could.

Taller than most Will could only soak up their indebtedness, reddening

right down to his toes for, what he considered, to be simply doing his

job. As he began to search out with a mixture of fevered urgency and

longing above the tops of the heads of the very people he had helped to

save, he tried to spot the only person that he wanted to see right then.

It seemed to be an age of tortured waiting, of thumping heart and

dreaded fear at what the Sindareen had put her through until, finally,

he saw her.

Will spotted the wild mane of ebony hair and even before physically

seeing her he'd felt her presence, allowed it to quench his soul's

thirst knowing that her face was almost within his field of vision. She was almost

there with him. Among the frenzied hustle and bustle of disembarkation,

along with the band of security people forcing themselves through the fray

holding a makeshift stretcher, Will reached out to her with an invisible

touch of comfort and without seeing her with his own eyes, Will

captured her relief and worry as she clung to the hand of the

stretcher's occupant as she walked along side it and let her be.

Will swallowed his disappointment along with the minuscule flare of

mistrust that whoever she was escorting and who clearly needed her more than

he did. He didn't care about that, having thrown his entire quota of trust

at this one woman, he trusted her implicitly so jealousy didn't even

enter his mind other than that of his own selfishness to have her

holding onto him. He needed her, just for a moment, just for a second,

just to satisfy his heart, his soul, that she was back and she was safe.

Just one second.

Just one second. Look at me, Imzadi. See me, he pleaded silently.

As his eyes followed her his breath caught, the silent pleading for

Deanna to stop finally filtered through the chaos that surrounded her

and her feet slowly came to a halt. In slow motion she turned and her

eyes found his across the colourful forest of heads but was unable to anything

more than look and feel and Deanna simply soaked up the very sight of him,

felt the warmth of his love flow into her frozen and hurting body and

it heated her heart. Her huge eyes swam with tears in her pale and dirty

face as fatigue, sorrow and fear poured from her soul. Will felt each

emotion batter her mind as she battled against falling apart before him.

And then she was gone, cocooned within a blanket that suddenly appeared

upon her shoulders and then led away with the other rescued hostages.

Will's heart ached as he realized that he was going to have to wait

a while before he could get to see Deanna again and wipe away the

terrors that he knew from experience would come and claim her later,

and he hoped, above all else, that he would be there to help her through.

Tbc...